recordBar
Apocalypse Meow 8 is coming up!
Midwest Music Foundation is proud to present the eighth annual Apocalypse Meow! Mark your calendars for November 6-8 and enjoy 3 nights of music at 3 great Kansas City spots for a very important cause.
Friday, November 6 at recordBar
Amy Farrand and the Like
Get your tickets here. 18+ / $7
Saturday, November 7 at Mills Record Company
A free, all ages show presented by The Deli KC!
Sunday, November 8 at Knuckleheads Saloon
Get your tickets here. 21+ / $15
Apocalypse Meow 8 benefits Abby’s Fund for Musicians’ Health Care, which provides emergency health care grants to musicians in need. Raffles will be held throughout the weekend and a silent auction will be held on Sunday at Knuckleheads, with items, gift certificates, and tickets donated by local businesses and organizations. Click here for a full list of items and contact rhonda@midwestmusicfound.org if you’d like to donate.
Huge thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers, and musicians that make this event possible each year! For more information and a full list of sponsors, please visit http://midwestmusicfound.org/apocalypse-meow-2015.
Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear performs a secret show at recordBar
(Photos by Todd Zimmer)
Last night, Madisen Ward and his mother Ruth turned down the lights at recordBar to play their songs to around 50 friends, relatives, and members of the KC music community. A few short months ago, an intimate dinner performance to a moderate crowd would have been the norm for Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear. Now, one of the best-kept musical secrets in the region is being recognized around the country; last night’s performance was unannounced and mostly by invitation. It was the duo’s first Kansas City show since opening up for B.B. King at The Midland on October 1.
The two performed about 45 minutes of new and existing material; according to Madisen, the final song of the evening, "Little Barrel," was just written last Friday. This set captured every aspect of why MW&MB has become the object of so many musical affections. Madisen Ward can write tunes that sound more seasoned than someone of his age should be able to do. Along with it, his vocal styling demands attention, ranging from serenely soulful to ardent and impassioned. Ruth Ward plays guitar effortlessly, as though it’s an extension of herself, and sings each note from deep within. The connection they share—both musically and as mother and son—comes through with the genuine delivery of each song.
Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear were recently signed to Glassnote Records, adding their name to a professional caliber that includes Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, and Childish Gambino. The duo attracted attention from the likes of Rolling Stone, Paste, and NPR after playing an exclusive showcase at Third Man Records for the Americana Music Fest in September, only a couple weeks after performing to a capacity crowd at Crossroads Music Fest in Kansas City. They plan to record and release an album with Glassnote in 2015.
For more photos from last night’s performance, visit Zimmer’s Flickr album.
--Michelle Bacon
Michelle is editor of The Deli KC, a staff member for Midwest Music Foundation and Folk Alliance International, and plays in The Philistines, Dolls on Fire, and Drew Black & Dirty Electric.
Spotlight on KC PsychFest artist: Your Friend
(Photo by Lindsey Kennedy)
This week, we’ll be highlighting some of the artists playing KC PsychFest from Thursday through Saturday nights at recordBar.
Taryn Miller’s intelligent songwriting and entrancing music is making its way around, and for good reason. Miller’s project Your Friend was signed to Domino Records earlier this year. With her debut album, Jekyll/Hyde, Miller constructs a simultaneously comforting and haunting atmosphere, fashioned around somber but colorful vocals.
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music.
Miller: The music itself has distinct differences when presented live or by the actual recordings, but I’d say it’s spacious and constantly evolving.
The Deli: Give us some background on Your Friend. Do you have a regular cast of musicians that play with you? How long have you been operating under this moniker?
Miller: I’ve been playing under the moniker for over 2 years now. When it began, the roster was always changing, and that was exciting. But I felt that in order to dig deeper over time, I wanted some sort of solidified group to explore with. I really enjoyed the risk in one-off shows but I wanted the trusting element to be more present. There’s always going to be some sort of risk playing with me anyway! It all happened organically though. We all work well together as friends and as bandmates. Nicholas Stahl, Chris Luxem, and Austin Swick are the gentlemen I have played with the longest. I can’t imagine playing with anyone else at this point. It feels like a group more than a solo project than it ever has.
The Deli: What inspires your music and songwriting?
Miller: In all honesty, just purely existing. I am very intuitive and tuned in to all that is happening around me at all times. This is my way of documenting it. It’s very cathartic for me to do this. I’m inspired by energy, and the lack of it, all at once.
The Deli: What have been your greatest accomplishments as a band?
Miller: Touring and still loving each other afterwards. It only made it more apparent that these are the people I should be surrounding myself with. It wouldn’t have gone as smoothly without them.
The Deli: Your debut EP Jekyll/Hyde was released on Domino Records earlier this year. What can listeners expect? Do you have plans to record again soon?
Miller: The most rewarding things about having this amazing company backing the project are that the music gets to be heard by people that wouldn’t otherwise know it exists, and the tools to make something that I am truly proud of. It’s the kind of support that I had always dreamed of. I’m in the process of finishing the writing process of the full-length. The plan is to record it by the end of the year and for it to be available next year. I’d hope that there will be a sense of growth that can be heard with the newer material. I’m definitely in a radically different headspace.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Miller: It means everything from what I’ve experienced. I’ve only had the opportunities that I’ve had from the support of the community. Being involved in it, there is some sort of magic that peaks out of so many different directions. I’ve gotten to grow as a musician and watch all of my friends do the same. I’ve learned so much from the local scene and talent within it.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local and non-local musicians right now?
Miller: Locally, everything coming out of SeedCo and a part of the Whatever Forever collective. I’m really looking forward to Karma Vision’s release. I fell in love with No Magic this year and practically begged him (Ben Sauder) to let me play live with him. KC-based, All Blood has been really killer to watch. I grabbed their earlier tape and really love how unique the material is. I’m also a big fan of Lazy, The Conquerors, and Shy Boys. There’s also a guy, Nathan Dixey—he plays as The Dan Ryan—who also played bass on my EP and sent me his mixes of his upcoming release. I can’t wait for it to reach other ears. He lives in Austin now but he’s still local to me.
Non-local, I’m all over the place. To keep my head clear I find myself listening to a lot more droney things. Although I have been really excited about the newest Caribou record.
The Deli: Who are you looking forward to seeing at PsychFest?
Miller: The Conquerors, Gemini Revolution, Monta At Odds, Jorge Arana Trio, White Mystery, and I’m still holding out for some surprise Expo 70 appearance.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
Miller: This answer would probably change depending on what I’ve been most into. So, currently, Lower Dens, Timber Timbre, with Nils Frahm closing the show.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
Miller: Referencing the last question, it mostly depends on what I’m listening to the most at the time. I would say William Basinski, Steve Reich, Arthur Russell, and Leyland Kirby. William Basinski has transported to me to an entire different form of listening. I could say the same of all of them honestly. I’m definitely drawn to composers. Listening to their work is almost like a glimpse of what their brain appears like on the inside. Steve Reich’s arrangements require your attention and I respect that artform. Leyland Kirby has worked in so many different types of environments. I love his spontaneity and also his control and selection. Arthur had sort of the same trajectory. All of his records touch upon something different. From the absolute joyous to morose. He was always creating, and it inspires me.
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
The Deli: What other goals does Your Friend have for 2014, and beyond?
Miller: The same thing I tell myself every morning: finish this record. It’s been very challenging to make this next thing. Now that I’m aware of what ears it could reach I want it to be very representative of myself. I also want to make something that I can be very creative with in the live setting and keep it exciting. Those are the goals as of now. If I look too far ahead, the page in front of me gets blurry.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Miller: I’ll cheat and quote Allen Ginsberg. First thought, best thought. I’m beginning to learn what it means to trust your instincts. I feel as though I spend so much time trying to change what’s inherent. Stay true to who you are and surround yourself with the people that irrigate and continually inspire that.
Make sure you check out Miller with Your Friend. The group will be playing KC PsychFest this Saturday, October 11, at 8:00 p.m, at recordBar.
--Michelle Bacon
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands.
KC musicians collaborate for Nick Cave tribute
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds came to The Midland on June 18, but we in Kansas City got ready early. Sonic Spectrum’s Robert Moore curates a slew of tributes on divergent and linked bands and musicians. Sunday, June 16, was one that pulled the souls out of some of my favorite musicians in town and left them on the recordBar stage for 1 hour 36 minutes and 16 seconds.
First, Shaun Hamontree, Terrence Moore, and Kristin Thompson Conkright brought beautiful harmonies, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and subtle electric guitar to the crooning side of Nick’s catalog. Shaun may have been bummed that “The Mercy Seat” didn’t work out the way he had envisioned, but I think I felt a commiserating smile on his face when Nick and the Bad Seeds came into trouble on the same Wednesday night.
Then Alex Alexander, Jeff Harshbarger, Ryan Shank, Steve Tulipana, Rich Wheeler, and Cody Wyoming dug electrically into a high-powered set of rarities and well-knowns. Each song was heartfelt and dynamic. Watching Steve rotate through instruments was a blast. Rich’s sax brought soothing salve to the wonderfully dissonant guitars while Cody and Steve’s sonically different vocals were right for each song. I think “The Weeping Song” may have been my favorite of their set.
Two things I really enjoy about these tribute series are hearing each group’s interpretations of the songs and learning what has played a part in influencing their original music. Most of the time, the groups are made up of members that are not in bands together. That kind of cross-pollination and collaboration affects the course and subtle weave of threads that make up Kansas City music.
--Todd Zimmer
If you spot a man in a kilt taking professional photos of your band, it’s probably Todd Zimmer, and your band is about to have some incredible shots. Apparently he can also write, because he wrote this article!
Here’s a link to recordBar’s live feed recording of the tribute show. You can check out the rest of Todd’s photos, both from the tribute show and the Bad Seeds show, check out his Flickr page at this link.
The Deli KC's Best of 2013
(Photo above of The Grisly Hand, by Todd Zimmer)
Some of us here at The Deli KC (and a few other local music experts) have compiled our best of 2013 local lists. Here are a few of our picks…
Michelle Bacon, The Deli KC editor-in-chief
Top 10 albums of 2013
Ha Ha Tonka – Lessons
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Tiny Horse – Darkly Sparkly
The Latenight Callers – Songs For Stolen Moments
Not A Planet – The Few, The Proud, The Strange
Clairaudients – I’m A Loudmouth, You’re A Puppet
The Silver Maggies – My Pale Horse
The Dead Girls – Fade In/Fade Out
Freight Train Rabbit Killer – Freight Train Rabbit Killer
Katy Guillen & the Girls – …And Then There Were Three
Zach Hodson, The Deli KC contributor
Top 13 of 2013
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
The Electric Lungs – Simplified and Civilized
Tiny Horse – Darkly Sparkly
The ACBs – Little Leaves
Cherokee Rock Rifle – Ta-Li
The Dead Girls – Fade In/Fade Out
Not a Planet – The Few, The Proud, The Strange
Mime Game – Do Your Work
The Latenight Callers – Songs for Stolen Moments
The Jinxed – The Loon
Erik Voeks – Finulu
More Like Georgia – Move On
The Octopuss Men – Music to Make Her Change Her Mind
Honorable mentions
Bloodbirds– Psychic Surgery
Sundiver – The Pull
Crossed Wires – Crossed Wires
Barry Lee, The Deli KC contributor / Signal To Noise on KKFI 90.1 FM
2013 list of homegrown specialties
Tiny Horse – “Ride” from Darkly Sparkly
The Dead Girls – “Love You To" / Signal To Noise’s Tribute To The Beatles at Knuckleheads, June 1
Cowboy Indian Bear – “Let It Down” from Live Old, Die Young
The Dead Girls – “Love You To" / Signal To Noise’s Tribute To The Beatles at Knuckleheads, June 1
Cowboy Indian Bear – “Let It Down” from Live Old, Die Young
Ricky Dean Sinatra – “Werewolf” / Reunion show at Jazzhaus, July 20
Scott Hrabko – “Blue, Period” from Gone Places
Lonnie Fisher – “Ghosts Driving in My Van” from Ghosts and Dreams
Erik Voeks – “Hester A. Fish” from Finulu
The Quivers – “He Had It Coming” from Gots To Have It!
Betse Ellis – “Straight To Hell” / Wednesday MidDay Medley’s (KKFI) 500th show, November 20
Radkey – “Out Here in My Head” from Cat & Mouse
Danny R. Phillips, Deli KC contributor
Other best albums
David Hasselhoff on Acid – Eudaimonia
Pale Hearts – Hollowtown
Bloodbirds – Psychic Surgery
Missouri Homegrown – You Asked For It
Red Kate – When the Troubles Come
The Pedaljets – What’s in Between
Stiff Middle Fingers – At the Scene of the Crime
Dsoedean – Continue to Move
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Best shows
Bob Mould / The Pedaljets at The Bottleneck, August 16
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion / Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds at recordBar, October 7
Lawrence Field Day Fest at The Bottleneck, July 11-13
Bill Brownlee, The Plastic Sax / There Stands the Glass
Top 10 albums of 2013
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Tech N9ne – Something Else
Mark Lowrey – Tangos for 18th Street
The Architects – Border Wars: Episode I
Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle – The Freedom of Expression
Alaturka – Yalniz
Reggie B – DNA
Cowboy Indian Bear – Live Old, Die Young
Dutch Newman –Schorre's Son
Akkilles – Something You'd Say
Tech N9ne – Something Else
Mark Lowrey – Tangos for 18th Street
The Architects – Border Wars: Episode I
Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle – The Freedom of Expression
Alaturka – Yalniz
Reggie B – DNA
Cowboy Indian Bear – Live Old, Die Young
Dutch Newman –Schorre's Son
Akkilles – Something You'd Say
Steven Tulipana, co–owner of recordBar / miniBar
Favorite recordBar moments of 2013
Kishi Bashi / Plume Giant, February 17
Wovenhand, April 4 (Middle of the Map Fest)
Sonic Spectrum’s Tribute to Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, May 26
Bob Log III, July 23
Richard Buckner, October 30
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion / Kid Congo, October 7
King Khan and the Shrines, October 20
Found A Job performs The Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, November 29
Thanks for all your support this year! We look forward to hearing more excellent music in 2014.
Also, don't forget to visit www.voteformmf.com! We have tonight and tomorrow to vote for Midwest Music Foundation, so cast your vote now!
–The Deli KC staff