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New video: “Hangover Blues” by Making Movies

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The Record Machine has released the new video from Making Movies, "Hangover Blues." The video gives us a snippet of the band’s exhilirating, sexy, costumed live shows and highlights some of the best features of Kansas City. Watch it for cameos from KC musicians Mark Lowrey and Hermon Mehari, and appearances from venues like CrossroadsKC at Grinder’s, Czar, The Union, The Cigar Box, Gusto, Mutual Musician’s Foundation, and YJ’s.

For a short time, you can also download Making Movies’ EP Aguardiente for free at the link below.

Check out the band’s upcoming tour dates:
10/4 Columbia, MO – The Bridge
10/11 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
10/12 North Liberty, IA – The Palms
10/13 St. Louis, MO – Plush w/Los Lobos
10/14 Dayton, OH – Blind Bob’s
10/16 Brooklyn, NY – The Rockshop / Mecca Lecca & The Record Machine CMJ Party
10/20 Burtonsville, MD – Blue Beetle Rock Bar

If you don’t happen to be in any of these locations, be sure to head to recordBar on Saturday, October 26, where the band will be playing and celebrating Dia de los Muertos. DJ Brent Tactic will also be spinning tunes. Facebook event page.

–Michelle Bacon

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Album review: White Girl – EP Two

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The intro track, “We Will Never Die” kicks off White Girl’s EP Two with an explosion of feel-good dance rock. This track would make Passion Pit and Temper Trap shake their heads for not writing it first. What sets “We Will Never Die” apart from the rest of the songs on the album is the complexity in its rhythm, which bounces seamlessly between 6/8, 4/4 and 2/4. While it’s easy to dance to, I do not suggest air drumming to this song unless you are a professional. Frontman Martin Bush introduced me to this song last weekend. When the vocals kicked in, I asked if he was a fan of Animal Collective. He grinned and gave me a big nod. My personal opinion is that “We Will Never Die” is the best track on this finely crafted record.
 
Shifting the feel of the record, “Captain to Copilot” shows a glimpse of the dynamic songwriting abilities that White Girl has to offer. The reverb-filled opening guitar riff that remains somewhat constant throughout the song gives a sense of longing. Vocally there is a hint of Beach Boys influence that floats smoothly over this synth/bass-heavy track. The gigantic-sounding drums that appear midway through drive this song home.
 
If you aren’t dancing yet, “Setting Fire” will change that instantly. This song will grab you with its beautifully clear synthesizers and crisp guitar tones. The four on the floor, kick/snare/high-hat combo, and grooving bass hold a solid foundation for Martin’s ambient voice. The poppy progression of this song is reminiscent of Hall and Oates and Talking Heads. Extremely catchy, “Setting Fire” is a dance anthem that any DJ would be lucky to remix.
 
After its beautiful multilayered synth-intro ,“Last Men Standing” erupts into ambient glory. The tone of every instrument on this song is exquisite. Its hopeful chant/sing-along chorus is extremely uplifting and dreamy. This is a song that would be great to listen to first thing in the morning, on the roof of a tall building while the sun is just on the horizon.
 
The electronic side of White Girl makes its largest appearance on the EP’s final track “Lament.” Most of this final tune is Bush singing into a vocoder, and is a heart-touching ballad that is based off the epic poem “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Coleridge. As his story builds, bit-crushed drums and atmospheric synthesizers build with him until they both reach a climax and drift away. This intimate song is the perfect track to end a well-rounded EP.
 
For fans of: M83, Hall and Oates, The Appleseed Cast, MGMT, Animal Collective, U2, Talking Heads, Passion Pit, Temper Trap, Empire of The Sun, and The Beach Boys.
 

White Girl is:
Martin Bush: Vocals/guitars/keys
Skylar Mcclun: Keys/guitars/vocals
Matt Epstein: Guitars/vocals
Nick Organ: Drums

EP Two will be released tomorrow, October 5. You can catch White Girl at the album release party on Friday, October 25 at The Union with special guests The Atlantic and Sphynx. The band will be touring the East coast this fall, and you can find their tour dates at http://www.whitegirl.org.

—Eric Fain

Eric plays a mean bass for The Atlantic.

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Album review: Chocolate Velvet – Moan (EP)

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Chocolate Velvet‘s EP release Moan is the brainchild of the prolific William (Scott) Chaffin, a songwriter who is also brain-rearing tunes for The Black Bullet Promise and Vitae and The Pale Horse, among other artistic endeavors. This 5-song collection of new and previously unreleased material is very much reflective of the pseudonym under which it resides: smooth, dark, and textured. 
 
I listened to this release a few times during the daylight hours, wishing for a long drive at night to thoroughly devour the subtleties hidden in Chocolate Velvet’s songs. The feel of this EP, more emotionally than sonically, has the depth of "In the Air Tonight" (pre-drum intro), with a contemplative lyrical element paired with electronic grooves, never going over the edge, never straying too far from it. 
 
The release begins with "Moan," a steady, ambient song held together with a synth line and layered atmospheric guitars that support Chaffin’s edgy vocal delivery. This song as an opener is a great introduction for the rest of the songs on the EP: cool, collected, and riding on a deceptively simple groove that proves to be haunting and direct at the same time. "Tomorrow is a Witch," my personal favorite, works in a marimba-style beat while maintaining  good electronic dance music posture. Vocally, this song brings Chaffin front-and-center with a vague resemblance of Peter Gabriel, with a floating, rhythmic cadence while proclaiming "Tomorrow is a witch that is drowning to pay." "Emotion" follows with a more emotive hip-hop delivery, with use of auto-tune, but used in a context that’s less Top 40 than most are used to hearing it in. The 80’s groove of "Joker" moves along on a synth line that makes room for layered electronic noises and piano that supports Chaffin’s warning, "You’re better off lying cause they’ll put you in a cage." This track is both danceable and cerebral in its elements and provides for solid foot tapping or existential deliberation, whichever floats your boat. The EP concludes with an instrumental version of the title track and shows the layered beauty Chaffin has the ability to conjure through the use of space and timing.
 
This is a modern and, at times, ethereal release from an artist that deserves recognition for his songwriting across all his projects, and in particular, for his ability to shift genres without much crossover from one to the other. You can follow the man himself on Twitter @ticketforone.

—Mike Tipton

Mike is a KC native that enjoys new music and playing with his band, Molly Picture Club. He also enjoys people watching and documentaries by Ken Burns.

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Lips to release new EP ‘Look, Listen’

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The land that gave us Gotye and Kimbra has now unleashed up-and-comer pop crooner Lips. From Auckland, New Zealand to Brooklyn, NY, singer/songwriter Steph Brown knows how to take a slick, sexy groove and work her voice through sometimes failed, and more times unrequited, relationships. Through a candy-coated alto not unlike Imogen Heap or Frou Frou, there’s a superficial cutesiness you’ll get fooled by, until you start really listening closely. New single ‘We Don’t Have Much Time’ sounds fun enough, but there’s an abiding sadness here as Brown deals with an infatuated love doomed to end. But then, these New Zealanders seem to have a way of dancing off any pain. Look for Lips new EP ‘Look, Listen’ available October 25. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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The Meaning Of Life plays Fort Useless 10.13

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Those of you that have met singer Marta DeLeon already know it doesn’t take long before you feel like you’ve known her for years. For those of you that haven’t met her, this is the feeling you’ll get after checking out her new band The Meaning of Life. A three piece made up from the spirit of Jesus and the Mary Chain, The Cult, and pretty much any band that landed on the soundtrack to ‘Lost in Translation,’ Meaning of Life celebrates the people you meet along your path… and cranks their stories up to a percolated boil. Mixing shimmering gems written by guitarist (and Chilean explorer) Christian Gallardo with Marta’s transcendent soprano (and love of cats), newest single Laura V. (off new EP ‘Play Fuego’) will have you leaping up into the air ready to proclaim the answer to everything… or at least have you leaping up into the air for the hell of it.

See the band when they play with Black Salad and Wojick on October 13, at Fort Useless. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

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Barnaby Bright release “The Longest Day” on October 23

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New York transplants Barnaby Bright has a lot to look forward to this month. The Brooklyn-via-Kansas married duo of Nathan and Rebecca Bliss will not only release their second full-length album, “The Longest Day” on October 23, but just a few days prior are set to compete in NPR’s Mountain Stage Songwriting Contest at Lincoln Center on October 20. Their music is traditional folk centered on intense melodies and Rebecca’s mature, regal vocal style. Barnaby Bright, a medieval term for the summer solstice, will celebrate “The Longest Day” release at Joe’s Pub on October 23 after competing against the 11 other regional finalists for the NPR songwriting contest.Check out the brand new video for the song "Old Coats" here.  – Devon Antonetti

NYC

Foxygen co-headlines Deli flagship CMJ show at Pianos on 10.19 + releases preview song from upcoming album.

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Of all bands you’ll praise for putting a new spin on the old, Foxygen stands out as the wildest recent answer to our post-everything inferiority complex. Where many have tried to bridge the gap between past and future, these two guys are just dancing in it, carelessly, cooking up from scratch some wicked psychedelic potions to transport today’s twenty-somethings into their romanticised fantasies of a glamorous, hedonistic past. Their album ‘Take The Kids Off Broadway’, released in August via Jagjaguwar, played it just right; it dove head first into baby boomers’ turf, passing Shangri-Las, Stones, Lennon, Velvet, Roxy Music and more, and carved along the way a niche where ‘old’ and ‘new’ are anything BUT mutually exclusive – out of which came this deliciously retro-fitted DIY extravaganza, paying playful tribute to the 60/70s rock&roll circus whilst creating something both unique and fun. Foxygen just released the track streaming below from their upcoming album to be released in January 2013, and will be co-headlining our "Mostly Psych" stage at Pianos during the CMJ festivities with previous Deli cover bands Snowmine and Ava Luna, and also other noteworthy non NYC artists like Hundred Waters and Murals at Pianos on Friday, October 19th. – Full details about The Deli’s CMJ show schedule can be found here. Tickets for the Pianos shows can be purchased here. – Tracy Mamoun

NYC

Bleek Records releases compilation of (mostly) NYC artists with Natureboy, Cloud Seeding, Eden Sela + more

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Lord knows it’s not easy to start a record label these days. But you could start one for worse reasons than as a way to both immortalize your cat and release singles from Natureboy at the same time. This seems to be the logical explanation behind Kevin Serra’s new Bleek Records. Containing an intimate set of heart-on-sleeve artists including Natureboy, Eden Sela (pictured), Cloud Seeding and Heart of Hearts, the label is a home for many of the musical misfits striking a unique path distinct from obvious kinds of representation.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out the label’s new compilation streaming below and download a fantastic set of songs, many of which appear exclusively here. It’s got tracks from Masterface, House of Wolves, my personal fave (for any fan of TV on the Radio) Two Twins, and lots of other stuff your friends probably don’t know about yet. – Mike Levine

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Album review: Sons of Great Dane – You Can’t Lose It All, All At Once (EP)

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“To A City I Have Known” opens Sons Of Great Dane’s newest release You Can’t Lose It All, All At Once. It begins with an up-tempo drum beat and throbbing guitars that almost instantly drag out my favorite pastime: nostalgia. I’m eighteen again, I’m on a road trip, and all I want to do is drive and let my mind wander. I know already that this album is a soundtrack to those moments.

Brent Windler’s voice enters, “She gave her heart away, Down highways that leave you up north, to a city that dreams with you,” and I start listening closely. He’s describing moments. If they are memories, or maybe drunken and broken flashes, I don’t know, but my thoughts follow him through a wandering narrative.
 
The heartache he is describing and the charming and tragic picture he is painting are defeated, though not entirely, by the exultant explosion of a very catchy and harmony-laden chorus.  I am now singing along. Flattering melodies between Windler and EvanJohn Macintosh’s guitars build and wane, filling the whole room, but never losing pace. The song ends with a chord made to sound like the lasting ring of a bell underwater. There are still three songs I haven’t even listened to yet.
 
“Love, Desire, Failure” lilts and bobs, with the predominant instrument played being everyone’s heartstrings. With a refined bass line from Nolle Bond and a shrug, it works its way into a pretty anthem for a short time and leaves you feeling peaceful and triumphant.
 
“Approximately 18th St” brings back the momentum with panning guitars, always driving but never angry. Eventually it turns on you, into a three feel with daunting melodies and haunting vocals, and then picks back up where it left off, pacing to the finish with some excellent drumming from Brendan Culp.
 
The last song on this album, “For You And Me,” is like an after-dinner mint; relaxing and simple, with a few lovely lyrical moments.
 
Recorded by Paul Malinowski at Massive Sound and released by Sharp County Records, this recording is well-balanced, subtle, and memorable for it.
 
Sons of Great Dane will be performing on a local all-star bill this Saturday at The Brick with The Dead Girls and Radkey. Be sure to check them out.

–Megan Zander

Megan fronts ProgPop band Dream Wolf. Loves her cat, scootering, and dancing. Hates horses.

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At Sea releases new album at The Bowery Electric on 10.04

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Jason Brody is a man full of contradictions. Born to deaf parents, his music is a melodic landscape as rich as Jeff Buckley’s vocabulary. A Brooklynite for years, his music is frequently mistaken as belonging to the west coast. For someone who staged his own death in order to expand his palette past a strict ‘singer-songwriter’ brand of guitar playing, the man who now fronts this band At Sea explores all these rich complexities throughout his upcoming debut full-length ‘A New Machine.’

Sometimes angry, sometimes full of joy, Brody always reaches his target with a direct earnestness frequently lacking from Brooklyn’s rock. Maybe that’s why he’s often mistaken for an import. Catch him at his album release party this Thursday 10.04 at The Bowery Electric at 8:30 pm. Streaming below, the band’s preview single from the upcoming album.

NYC

Album review: (the)medicine theory – What the Fuck Are You Lookin’ At

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If you haven’t seen (the)medicine theory recently, or at all, here’s a quick primer: for quite some time, this experimental noise-rock band played upon a well-earned reputation for scaring the bejeezus out of unsuspecting audiences with their hyper-aggressive and antagonistic approach to music, daring those in attendance to endure their onslaught (a challenge this reviewer is proud to say he completed on more than one occasion). With the release of their new EP, What The Fuck Are You Lookin At, Jeff Irvine and Tyson Schroeder are still trying to take control of your soul, but their approach has taken a 180-degree turn: they now do so with subtlety rather than sledgehammer blows… vocal distortion rather than primal screams… assimilation rather than terrorization.

WTFAYLA offers music that is industrial, futuristic, and robotic—all of which are highlighted in the opening track, “The Fall": 87 seconds of the sounds of war being waged in the listener’s mind by battle machines of great menace. The next song, “I Killed Amanda,” is the most up-tempo of the EP; this and a brief section toward the end of "Summer" are the only hints at the previous intensity and fury of (the)medicine theory. WTFAYLA contains seven tracks and clocks in at a bit more than twenty minutes, seven-and-a-half of which comprise “Wash," which is a brilliant demonstration of the sinister slow-burn. Area haunted house mainstay The Edge of Hell would be well-advised to license this track and play it on an unending loop.

The album closes with another sub-two-minute experience, “Stair Chase." After lighting a cigarette, Schroeder walks into a stream-of-consciousness monologue which one would picture Professor Stephen Hawking delivering after being fed a steady diet of Bauhaus and Kerouac. The oration of the lyrics and the sound of a piano being played in every non-traditional way you can imagine battle for the attention of the listener until the very end, concluding with the words “and then he tore apart my throat” …

… and (the) silence is deafening.

(the)medicine theory is currently working on Versificator, its new album, and will be taking a short hiatus from playing shows for a bit. For now, check out the current album on Bandcamp.

–Michael Byars

Michael is the host of The Mailbox, a weekly podcast that offers new music, concert info and news about the Kansas City area and more. In his spare time you might find him looking for some good live music, particularly at a certain bar that has lots of records. 

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From the NYC Open Blog: Wyldlife works on new album + plays The Grand Victory 10.20

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As we mourn the end of summer, let us not forget the good things about autumn… seasonal beer, the return of leather jackets, and the sun going down just a bit earlier, which means you can party through the night just a little bit longer! Wyldlife is four 70’s-styled pop/garage rockers who swear by foot stomping, hard drinking, mic swinging, and all forms of delinquency. Currently working on a new album, they’ll be playing their next show on October 20th, for the CMJ marathon, at Brooklyn’s Grand Victory – come out, shout, and forget about the summertime blues, ‘ya dig? (Posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.