Photo Source: Naomi Punk

Naomi Punk are joining several bands at the Cairo Gallery this Friday, August 17th before blasting off on their first full U.S. tour. On the bill with them are M. Women and Black Hat.

The three piece dwell in a sonic realm of jarring, angular rhythms, thick punkish riffs, and well-timed, mantra-like vocal melodies. With members hailing from Olympia and Seattle, Naomi Punk has played countless shows across the northwest over the last several years, including a recent showcase at the local radio station KEXP. Their most recent release The Feeling came out this past April; their other album is the eponymous Naomi Punk which debuted in 2009.

The Feeling is a storybook example of an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. Over the course of its approximate thirty five minute lifespan, it creates a feeling of suspense and mystery for the listener; song to song they connect like an elliptical orbit, passing through familiar grounds and picking up the essential nodes, then moving forth to forge new images and memories. 

Their mixture of punk and grunge is unique in its stalwart decision to shy away from break-neck speeds. Every note and beat are in tremendous sync; you feel the weight of each syllable and riff as if every second prior to that contributes to the present impact.

These songs are interupted – or rather, conjoined by – shorter instrumental pieces which convey more of this feeling, whatever ineffable feeling that may be. Tracks like "CLS + Death Junket" and "Eon of Love" feel evocative and pure alongside their noisy counterparts, which are no less emotional. This album is anything but cold, anything but sterile or vacant.

Naomi Punk play at Cairo on the 17th of August with an 8pm start time. All-Ages. Listen to the record’s closing track "The Buzz" below and make sure to stream the entire thing at their bandcamp. It is available for purchase through Couple Skate Records on vinyl.

– Cameron LaFlam

Darlings have been entertaining Brooklyn crowds for quite a few years now with their musical philosophy asserting that the best ingredients for fun are uptempo drums, plain distorted guitar chords, and most importantly simple, catchy melodies. The band remains faithful to its credo in the new 7" of "Pet the Ghost" (streaming below) which will be released today (August 10) with a show at Glasslands with like-minded lo-fi local heroes The Sundelles.

A long time ago, the founding members of Motive were shredding through jazzlead sheets and getting carted across the U.S. and Europe to showcase their young talent. Nowadays, Motive populates a different scene. Erupting from a Clinton Hill practice space onto stages and club circuits around the city, the band is taking NYC – and the internet – by storm. In the dawn of a quintessential political election, their song “Nobody Eats Dinner” was synced to clips of Mitt Romney at his worst. This video went viral and with it, Motive. Their music is masterfully layered and meticulously produced. With a new age, larger than life sound that slowly seeps into your brain, it’s hard not to hum the enchanting hook of “What’s So Bad” (streaming below) right before drifting into a rock and roll daydream. See the band at Pianos on August 18. – Read Ed Guardaro interview with the band here.

Avan Lava, as a whole, is a mind-blowing spectacle that takes time to behold. The band is a mix of seasoned pros and otherwise unknown underground talent. Ian Pai and Le Chev of Fischerspooner theorized this upbeat hard hitting disco-rock side project while on tour in Brazil four years ago. Since then the band has grown, but Avan Lava is really a troupe. Their live shows feature fantastic displays of laser lights, dance numbers and costumes unparalleled in an other wise too-cool-for-school indie music scene. They sought to remove themselves from the chilled out ambient norm, and erupt onto the indie music circuit with high-energy tracks that get people off the wall and back onto the dance floor. Avan Lava does not create generic four-on-the-floor dance tracks, their music is intricate and intense, but easy to listen to, and most of all fun. Their ear-tickling EP “Flex Fantasy” is available for free online. – Read Dean Van Nguyen’s interview with the band here.

Listening to The Last Names begs a lot of questions. Not much is known of the band apart from the handful of songs they’ve released so far. Former members of Bishop Allen, Justin Rice and Darbie Nowatka began the group as a side project, and are now devoting some serious time to the folksy ‘Mommas and Poppas’ brand of hippie nostalgia you’ll hear on their soundcloud.

The band’s debut full-length ‘Wilderness’ comes out in early October and contains some of the most relaxed, evocative music I’ve heard in a long time from the Brooklyn pair. Personal fave ‘Dead Reckoning’ comes in on a breath of fresh air, and the rest of the record channels Haight-Ashbury as something new, even while channeling its ghosts throughout.

Stream part of the record on their Bandcamp and pick up a physical copy when its released October 2nd. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

It’s great to know why musicians do what they do. Why they write songs about heartache or joy. What kind of emotion they’re trying to express. Who they most look up to. That’s the magic of what they do. But then there’s the science of it. How do they make the most raw or sensual sounds come out of their instruments?

For this week’s edition of Grinding Gears, we sit down with Todd Grantham, keyboardist and all-around good guy of The Quivers. He gives us the exclusive on stealing vibraphones, pling-plinging and the burns.

Read our interview at the link here!

You can also preview The Quivers’ latest EP Gots To Have It! at the Bandcamp streaming link below. They’ll have physical copies at their show at The Brick this evening.

-Michelle Bacon

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On Saturday, Sept. 8 from 12:00-5:00 pm, a Legal Bootcamp for Musicians will be presented by volunteers from the Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts at Czar. This event is part of the Crossroads Music Fest (Sept 7-8). 

This intensive workshop will provide attendees with knowledge on a variety of topics including copyrights, contracts, financing, and business formation.  Lunch will be available for purchase. Advanced registration is encouraged. 

1. Opening remarks/Welcome – Information about the KCVLAA and the content of the day’s presentations – Rebecca Stroder, Mandiant Corporation, 12:00-12:10 pm

2. Have A Cigar: An Overview of Music Industry Terminology, Publishing, Licensing, and Trademarks – Information about the common terms used in the music industry, explanation of some of the components of the publishing industry and general licensing and trademark information – Donald R. Simon, Simon Business Consulting, Inc., 12:10-1:00 pm

3. Take the Money and Run: After Proper Documenting, Withholding, and Reporting – Explanation of the income tax and sales tax requirements of musicians and insurance needs – Ryan L. White, Evans & Mullinix, P.A., and Nicole E. Forsythe, Kutak Rock, LLP, 1:10-2:00 pm

4. Stairway to Law: Legal Steps to Protect Your Band’s Future – Information on why bands need Limited Liability Companies, the administration essentials of those companies and the importance of band agreements and their provisions – Christopher S. Brown, Van Osdol & Magruder PC, 2:10-3:00 pm

5. A Kiss Is Not A Contract So Why Care (About the Contract)? – Explanation and discussion of common contracts provisions that musicians see in publishing contracts, performance contracts, rental contracts and others, examples of sample contracts will be provided. – David L. Rein, Jr., Finch & Campbell, LLP, 3:10-4:00 pm

6. When Weezer Calls Jamie: The Balance Between Marketing Your Work and Enforcing Your Rights – Information on marketing music while maintaining control of intellectual property and enforcing the musicians’ intellectual property rights – Rebecca Stroder, Mandiant Corporation, 4:10-5:00 pm

General admission is $15, $10 for members of Midwest Music Foundation and Crossroad Music Fest performers and attendees. Free for members of KCVLAA. Tickets can be purchased and more details found at the link here.

More info about Crossroads Music Fest will be coming soon.

–Michelle Bacon

When Casey Burge and company packed their leather pants and headed for the coast, it was a tough blow for Kansas City’s thriving music scene. There is little room to question that they were losing both one of their most eccentric and fiercely talented family members.

Minden had slammed onto the scene with a hipster pop meets dance rock sound, turning heads of indie snobs and shaking the asses of scene girls. Having the ability to go note for note and toe to toe with any band in the surrounding area, Minden had gathered a massive following. Due to their ability to kick in teeth and fill bars, a majority of the scene pouted in unison at the announcement of their departure. But alas, even the addition of Google Fiber couldn’t make them stay. Skipping town for Portland, Oregon’s thriving and bearded scene, the band’s first full-length album, Exotic Cakes, which was recorded at Element Recording of Kansas City by producer Joel Nanos (bro-love), would only be partially an “816” release. For this review however, we’re simply going to assume Portlandia is a long reaching suburb to the KC Metro.

Upon first listen, Exotic Cakes is a touch underwhelming. While spectacular in both production and musicianship, the album seems to lack the hooks essential in pushing a release right over the top. The truth is however, that they are there. They’re just sneaky little bastards, slipped into the folds of the band’s unique songwriting. Once the listener dives deeper into the "dance-if-you-want-to" qualities of the release, they’ll find tiny hidden quirks buried and layered in the mix. If committed to the growth process of an album, the average listener will be blessed with Minden’s ability to give. They’re like a Christmas tree that never runs out of presents, regardless of how many you manage to open.

Elements of Minden’s magical live show manage to slip into their release and cling to the listener like glitter on a dance hall floor. The energy that can be heard in the approach of the band is unquestionable. There is no room to deny that the band adores the music they are making. Take “New Age” for example. The drum- and vocal-based track oozes sexuality and begs for a slow grind. The shifts from the chorus to the verses manage to be balanced somewhere between smooth and unexpected. This keeps the listener both interested and on their toes. Chances are, if you know what chord progression or instrument is coming next, you’re probably in the band. Minden is either that ahead of the curve or bat shit crazy.

One might be able to make a logical case for both. I’d be willing to argue that they were brilliant in an “Andy Kauffman” kind of way.

Score: 8/10

-Joshua Hammond

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I realize how much of a hipster this is going to make me sound like, but David Thomas Jones is the best new indie act off the block and he hasn’t even released an album yet. I know, I KNOW. But Jones’ new single “Our Lives” and his wide accretion of musical projects is well worth the premature praise and, more importantly, your time. While being the front man for the immensely entertaining and immensely lo-fi band Watch Out For Rockets, Jones has played drums for The Murdocks, played bass for Scan Hopper, and is currently co-producing Les Rav’s fourth record. Such a hardworking and talented individual should not go unnoticed. His new single sounds like The Talking Heads mixed with The Drums – if only David Byrne weren’t so disappointed with humanity in general. Its rhythm is energetic and the backup vocals are charming to say the least. Jones has shown that the typical indie dance song doesn’t have to be maddeningly unintelligent. – Taylor Browne

I guess September is approaching! Until a few days ago we were struggling to find interesting stuff in our press releases, now it’s an explosion of pre-releases, this one from Hooray for Earth, from an upcoming single on Devecote Records. – Read a Deli interview with the band here.

Brooklyn via Australia High Highs is one of the best example of artists playing what we call "Mellow Core" – i.e. a branch of pop that’s at once very melodic and slow (check out also Lia Ices, Dark Dark Dark and Chris Garneau). The band put out some incredibly beautiful tunes in their debut EP – this is our favorite – and has been working on their debut album for quite some time, while accumulating an impressive 10k+ Facebook fans. They just premiered the track below from the upcoming LP, which is as dreamy and soft as expected. – Read a 2011 Deli interview with High Highs here.

Take a deep breath, let it out. Roam has given us a breath of fresh air with new single ‘Wake Me Up’ (streaming below), perhaps the band’s most epic sound to date. If the vocals sometimes take a backseat to the urgency of the music, this only makes their eventual climb to the repeatedly screamed refrain ‘wake me up’ feel all the more towering, when it finally hits near the song’s end. It’s not often I hear a group blend haunting anthem over jangly rock basics

The NY quartet has just released an EP, and they are fashioning their first full-length as we speak (and making some line-up changes from what I hear), I’m hoping we’ll hear more from the band this fall. In the meantime, you can see them live at Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 2 on August 18. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)