F. Stokes is a poet. This should be made clear first and foremost for those who don’t equate the term with a Hip Hop MC. Arguments can be made as to whether the syncopated chatter effused by most rappers constitutes beautiful or insightful language, but F.Stokes delivers a compelling example of just those qualities. Pair these excellent verses with bright head-nodding production and you have an artist with a bright future. His style is very New York, though with a slight nod to ATL which is unexpected given his Chicago and Madison, WI roots. Regardless of where he comes from, he has prevailed with the EP "Love, Always". Be sure to check out the video for the single “My Simple.” -=brokeMC

If I didn’t know that this band was a supergroup of KC stalwarts, I wouldn’t have any idea exactly who or what Thee Water MoccaSins is. I can only assume they like to keep it this way. There are no members listed on their “official” places on the web, there are no pictures that aren’t foggy, off centered, or purposefully blurred.  They are truly as abstract as they try to appear.  It is purposeful mystery, in that emo-adorable kind of way.  They give you no choice but to not focus on who they are, but more importantly what they do.

The band describes itself as “electro-psych fractal pop”.  Hmm.  Electro.  Psych.  Fractal.  Pop.  Sounds … heady.  And with the “Description” field on their Facebook being a link to the philosophy of randomness, their hometown being a link to “The Tree of Life Web Project”, and their own admission from their website that the whole thing was started “as a lark”, I find myself struggling to determine whether these are a group of earth-loving, deeper-than-thou intellectuals or if they’re just fucking with me.

Don’t worry, I really do understand it, but do I believe it?  I think I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and go with the grand idea they propose.  After all, it’s a glass nearly full kind of day.

But like I said before, it’s not how they present it, it’s how they do it.  And Thee Water MoccaSins does it well. …from the Rivers of Missouri and the Banks of Fear is a solid album clearly made by people that know how to make records.  The songs share just enough structure and whimsy to keep both camps happy. The rocking parts keep the tattooed hipsters interested while the sometimes-bordering-cheesy 80’s synths give hope to that guy in the back of the bar still hoping Ric Ocasek has another Candy-O in him.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this album is its ability to be blatantly influenced throughout, yet end up a cohesive and unique-sounding record in the end. Thee Water MoccaSins spin specific elements from all eras of rock history into something that walks on its own feet.

The opening track, “In the City”, sounds like The Who sharing a brown liquor drink (no ice, please) with a methed-out bumpkin as sung by Robert Smith.  It is clear this band understands the importance of having a solid and rocking album opener and they have most certainly achieved it.

Often the tracks space out into structured musical strains that test the limits of the fairly simple electronic elements beneath.  The songwriting stays fairly formulaic throughout, “Holy Roller” being the exception. This track eventually breaks the mold a bit, and features a more playful back and forth between the instrumentation and vocals.  It sounds much more purposeful than the occasional random chaos in other songs.

“Diablo Diablo” is the standout track for me. It starts akin to the others, but ends up being the best usage of vocals on the album, both for melody and effect. Also being lyrically the most accessible of these songs, it’s the one I find myself humming hours after listening.

All in all, Thee Water MoccaSins has made a very solid record.  Regardless of whether you appreciate the existentialism and verisimilitude, these electronic-tinged rock grooves will keep your ears pleased.

–Zach Hodson

How many music industry events does NYC need, really? Actually, let me rephrase that: how many music industry events does NYC need… in a 3 week time frame??? It’s like a dream for Music Industry panels addicts!

Following CMJ and SXSW’s model, not one, not two, but THREE organizations have in recent years decided to organize a similar industry occurrence. Bizarrely, they all decided to schedlue their events between the end of June and the beginning of July: L Mag’s Northside Fest will begin tomorrow and last until 06.17, which is the exact day when the New Music Seminar, with its never ending list of sponsors (chapeau!) will kick off. The brand new CBGB’s Fest will follow suit in early July.

Buzzworthy post punk band of Iranian expatriates Yellow Dogs is probably the only artist that’s playing at all the aforementioned events – the guys also have a show at Rooftop Films on June 14 and a few more between now and early July. They have also released a video of their single "This City" – streaming below.

After gathering a considerable amount of buzz in the last couple of years (see our 2011 interview with the band here), LA’s White Arrows are finally releasing their debut LP, "Dry Land Is Not A Myth," which sounds as an intriguing exercise in cross-genre experimentation. The LA quintet seamlessly mixes electronic dance beats with garage-pop guitars, fake saxes a la They Might Be Giants, and soulful backing vocals – all under the direction of lead singer Mickey Church’s ever-changing vocals. Church’s voice switches between a vulnerable falsetto and a strong swagger as he leads his band’s persistently bouncy musical charge. After opening for White Denim, Friends, and Oberhofer in Europe, White Arrows will embark on a summer North American tour with Beat Connection and Teen Daze. The tour begins in San Francisco before hitting the Troubadour this Saturday June 16. Dry Land Is Not A Myth officially drops June 19th. – Joshua S Johnson

We’re proud to launch our very first weekly feature, On The Beat with Sergio Moreno! Our first interview features Tess Jehle, drummer for The B’Dinas and Dream Wolf. Catch the beat here at the link.

On The Beat is written by drummer Sergio Moreno (from Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

Active since 2006, Brooklyn based couple The Inner Banks released their third album “Wild” yesterday, June 12, via DAG! Records. The band’s sound, mostly acoustic but fast paced, is suspended in a place between foggy nostalgia and traditional American roots music: is this dream-folk? A driving snare drum beat propels single “Ana Peru” forward (video streaming below), as a brightly textured guitar line weaves around farfisa organ stabs. Layered female vocals tell a tale of how the song title’s subject matter is ‘just like one of us’ and ‘not like none of us,’ while the chorus plays around the phrase “hey, not ordinary, hey, just ordinary – with a definitive “hey!” punctuating the musical point. The other single, "Box and Crown" confirm this band’s noteworthy melodic talent, offering tasteful string arrangements reminiscent of R.E.M. from the "Out of Time" period, while title track "Wild" betrays the group’s country influences.

Not unlike Michael Stipe’s band, The Inner Banks have found a convincing middle ground between Americana and Dream Pop in the form of a mature, arousing pop with orchestral tendencies. "Wild" has all the right features to be the album we were waiting for to properly celebrate the upcoming summer.

The band will celebrate the release with a special show on July 2 at The Mercury Lounge, sharing the bill with good friends Cardinal. Do not miss! – Dave Cromwell

Two bands from Kansas City record label The Record Machine have released a couple impressive singles.

Making Movies has released its newest single, "Hangover Blues," off the 7"/digital EP Aguardiente. The Afro-Cuban/rock group, one of the most successful bands in Kansas City, has been on tour for the EP since the end of May. They come back through KC on June 25 at Jerry’s Bait Shop in Lee’s Summit and end the tour in Chicago on June 29. Stream the new single below.

La Guerre will soon be releasing a 3-song single, which includes the song "23" off the 12" collaborative effort between The Record Machine and Golden Sound Records, Secret Handshakes. La Guerre is the solo effort of singer-songwriter Katlyn Conroy, also of Cowboy Indian Bear. Conroy kicked off her Southern Projections tour last week, heading through Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

Deco Auto — This fun-lovin’ 3-piece, whose songs all have a heartbeat to their rhythm, laid down the ground rules for the evening in 4/4 time; making it impossible not to wag your head to, while incessantly checking for loose floorboards under your shoe. With a nostalgic power-pop rock jingle, their dulcet vocal harmonies transformed you into a suburban kid on an adventure in a sugary coming-of-age summer movie. Their sound is reminiscent of earlier Soul Asylum and The Replacements, had those bands cut their teeth jamming with Dave Clark Five. Lead singer/guitarist Steven Garcia’s crunchy Les Paul guitar riffs bounced along in anthem to the purist backbeat stamped out tightly by Kansas City drum darling, Michelle Bacon. Wrapping a sexy vine around the triplet’s delight was the carefully melodic bassist/backing vocalist, Tracy Flowers – a perfect last name, when considering her sixties-styled vocal harmonies with Garcia. Blending well into their set were covers of “Needles & Pins” (Nitzsche/Bono, 1963), and “Time Won’t Let Me” (The Outsiders, 1966).

Next up, Gas Pump Talent from Springfield, MO – who describe their own sound as “stomp and holler” – showed they’ve learned to cunningly mash-up more acoustic genres than can be listed – and well. Sadly, I was out of eyesight of the stage throughout their relatively short set. Fortunately, I heard them just fine – recordBar’s sound guys consistently set a high bar. Gas Pump Talent showcased musically captivating, campfire, Ozark-styled country-crunk that had DNA speckles of Dylan, Springsteen and Waits sprinkled throughout. Their performance was infectious, often lending to an Irish folk vibe that beckoned you to order a whiskey drink, pull a chair up front, and sing along with any reoccurring stanza you heard. I recall debating their genre with some friends as we listened…this was much in vein, which always makes me happy. The Midwest consistently cultivates great bands that are hard to paint into a corner. ¡Viva Springfield!

Closing the night down for the evening was another 3-piece from Kansas City – The Empty Spaces. Their rock n’ roll blend of (dare I say) country, rockabilly and surf beach party made for attention-grabbing jams, which featured a squirrely Mat Shoare dancing about, yelping Femmes-esque vocals into the mic, while playing hooky rhythms on his guitar. Widening out their sound was the ever-busy, hard-hitting drum licks of Ross Brown, and jovial out-of-the-box bass man about town, William Brent Wright – who was stripped down to his under tank top by the night’s end. The guys looked like they were having a good ol’ time up on stage, which added to the decent-sized audience looking loose and ready to party – and that they did.

It was a fun, energetic night, with three bands that stylistically are different from one another, but together on a bill – made for a great Saturday night at the recordBar.

–Christian Anders Liljequist

With a name that perfectly anticipates their stoic electro-rock, influenced by both the early 80s post punk and the previous decade’s Kraut Rock, Led Er Est emerged in NYC in early 2007. The group just released their sophomore album "The Driver" and this video of the single "Kaiyo Maru" (also streaming below), and is about to leave on a 8 dates east coast tour. Fans of goth rock, industrial and other similar mournful genres should check out these guys at Public Assembly on June 15.

Just got out of a crappy relationship? Stop moping around! Everyone knows the best way to deal with hard times is to groove your way through it. This is what makes bands like Cave Days so necessary for broken hearts everywhere. Sure they complain about the limits of unconditional love in confessional tearjerkers like ‘Unconditional,’ but more often than not, they manage to transcend these problems with the lively and sweat-soaked ‘Closer’ and ‘Kodachrome Beach.’ Their latest self-titled EP is the sugar you take with the medicine.

Members Jonathan Murphy and Richard Thomas seem to have discovered the hidden formula behind emotional recovery: sun-soaked guitars, reverb-soaked harmonies, and tropical grooves. Whether shouting back at the pain with lo-fi drum machines (Beat Up Kids), or strumming through their mistakes in campfire duets like ‘All Voices Just Noises,’ the duo always brings an emotional lift to their complex experiences. Sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)