Steve Gardels

Artists on Trial: Morningglories

(Photo by Roshelle Hudson)
 
Morningglories is one of the newest bands in Kansas City. A four-piece with talented, experienced players, the group is evolving as a garage punk/pop force with thunderous grooves. The band’s primary songwriter, Alex Dunsford, talks to us a bit about what Morningglories has up its sleeve.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Alex Dunsford: Punk rock garage pop—kicking out the jams.
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Dunsford: Morningglories is me, Alex Dunsford, Tom Hudson playing the drums, Meredith McGrade also playing guitar and singing, and Steve Gardels playing bass. It's fun to have Steve back on bass and out from behind the kit; it's been a long time since we've played together guitar/bass. The last time was probably the short lived but profound jam sessions of Methamphetaminefield.
 
The band is about groove-centered rock ‘n roll. The rhythm section does all the work, and Meredith and I layer over those rhythmic hooks with harmonies and sounds. But we all like to play with some speed and intensity, so it takes the outward form of garage punk. I want to make music that has a lot of physical drive and makes people feel like moving around and having a good time. I want to distill pure enjoyment down to a distorted waveform and wash people over with it.
 
The Deli: You recently released your three-song EP debut, Wilderness Songs, in June. What should people expect from it?
 
Dunsford: You can expect the songs and style that define this first stage of the band's existence. I love this record because we made it immediately upon forming, before we even played our first show. Working on recorded music is one of my favorite parts of being in a band, and I think it really shaped the way we play together to start on this type of project from the very beginning; even when we were still writing the songs, we were planning them out to be recorded.
 
We captured a really raw and exciting moment in our time together—the irresponsible and irrational exuberance of a new project, before any serious obstacles can make it too real. I think that mindset of optimism and rock n roll magic comes through on the record. We had so much fun making it. Johnhenry Grothaus actually plays bass on the recording, before he moved and Steve became the final piece of the puzzle.
 
We owe a lot of that experience to Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, who not only is a brilliant recording and mastering engineer, but has created one of my favorite environments to work in. The space seems to have a natural bristling of energy that makes it very satisfying to make music there. Lots of YJ's coffee may also contribute to that.
 
The Deli: What shows do you have coming up?
 
Dunsford: We play next at Vandals Summer Kamp Fest, which is looking to be one of the coolest parties for punk and independent music that we've had in a long time. They're hosting 19 out of town bands, from different states all over the region. I'm incredibly impressed and very happy about all the effort that so many people in so many different music styles are putting out to make Kansas City a music hub and destination spot. It couldn't happen without the strength of the local music community, though, to keep the lights on when the touring bands are away.
 
After that, on October 17, we'll be playing at Coda with The B'Dinas, who just released their first full-length album, Fruitcakes. It's probably too much of a pun to describe it as “delicious,” but it contains some tunes that should be a part of your life. The B'Dinas have some of the best musicians in KC right now, and if you've never seen them, you'll be impressed.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Dunsford: Supporting local music is not only about attending shows but about the personal relationships you form with the other people who are involved. The scene needs to exist 365 days a year, not just during the festivals and events, so encouraging and being helpful and positive to each other is how we sustain ourselves day to day, so that we have the strength and inspiration to make things happen.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Dunsford: Katy Guillen, Claire Adams, and Stephanie Williams of Katy Guillen & the Girls; Ryan Shank of Outsides (everybody in that band, really, they're all good); Josh Berwanger of his namesake band, Steve Tulipana of everything ever, and Britt Adair, Caitlin Curry, Breaka Dawn, and George Magers from The Bad Ideas. There's no way to list everyone who's making great music right now. It's a good problem to have.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Dunsford: James Kelly (WIFE, Altar of Plagues), St. Vincent, Josh Homme, the one and only Valient Himself, Josh Freese, Steve Earle, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor, Carrie Brownstein, everyone in Fucked Up, Laura Pleasants.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Dunsford: Hot Snakes, Valient Thorr, Queens of the Stone Age.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
Dunsford: Steve: Ozzy, George Harrison, Joe Strummer, Keith Moon.
Alex: Kirk Hammett, Thurston Moore, David Gilmour, John Fogerty.
Meredith: Joan Jett, Jimmy Page, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith.
Tom: Thom Yorke, John Bonham, David Bowie, Dave Grohl.
 
We couldn't come to a consensus, so we're going to have to use more than one mountain to put all these faces up.
 
The Deli: What other goals do Morningglories have for 2014?
 
Dunsford: Our goals for 2014 are to write and rehearse new songs. Our set at Summer Kamp will have new material, and at Coda we'll have even more. I never want to play the same show twice. We'll also be planning some out of town gigs in the region, and starting to lay the foundation for more recording next year.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
Dunsford: Obviously the Facebook page, the workhorse of the web crew. What's more interesting is our Bandcamp page, where the EP Wilderness Songs is available for pay what you want download. I'd love to see more people on the page with the music on it than liking a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/mglories
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Dunsford: Fender guitar saddles aren't all the same size. Make sure you measure the screw spacing before you buy new ones.
 
Morningglories is:
Alex Dunsford: guitar, vocals
Steve Gardels: bass
Tom Hudson: drums
Meredith McGrade: guitar, vocals
 
 

Morningglories will be at Vandals for the Summer Kamp Fest this Sunday on the indoor stage at 9:45 pm. You can see them and 30 other bands for only $10 each night. Facebook event page.

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August 15, 2014    

Artist Spotlight: The Philistines

One of the newer additions to Kansas City's musical family, The Philistines are making themselves heard on the strength of a playlist in which you can hear sounds inspired by the Velvet Underground, the Black Angels, and Calexico, among others. If bands aim to be greater than the sum of their parts, The Philistines will have their work cut out for them, as this sextet includes some of KC's most well-known and experienced players. The Deli KC would like to know more ...
 
The Deli: Give us a thumbnail description of the sound of The Philistines.
 
Cody Wyoming: Psychedelic rock. Sometimes heavy, sometimes dreamy.
 
Kimberely Queen: Go-go acid pop.
 
Steve Gardels: Loud, drippy '70s-era psych with a '60s pop attitude.
 
Rod Peal: Psychedelic pop stoner rock, the best of all my favorite genres.
 
The Deli: How did the band come to be?
 
Cody: While we were cold and snowed in last winter, we started making music and writing songs together. Then we did a few live shows as a duo and quickly decided that we needed to expand.
 
Kimmie: I wished REAL hard.
 
Steve: I found myself bandless after 4 years with Appropriate Grammar. Cody sent me a message about jamming together, and I wound up with an unexpected day off. I headed down to Midwestern Musical Co., jammed through a couple of things and decided to see where it went. Next thing I know, they're packing out the roster with talented people and I started to fall in love with the songs. Pretty cool for an informal afternoon jam!
 
Rod: Just sort of happened. Cody said he had something cooking he thought that I would like. It’s all been very natural, unlike any other project I’ve been in.
 
Michelle Bacon: Cody approached me shortly after we played the Rolling Stones tribute (in our respective bands), and I jumped at the chance to work with him and Kimmie, not knowing who else was in the project. Judging from how well the six of us have meshed in a pretty short time, he has a great sense of putting different levels/types of ability and personality together to make a band work.
  
The Deli: At your debut show at The Brick last month (which was excellent, by the way), it seemed that psychedelic-influenced sounds were the main path that you will follow in the future.  What is it about that genre that’s so appealing?
 
Cody: I’ve always been in to psychedelic music, but for some reason its influence never showed itself in my original work. Since I took a turn down this path it’s like a dam broke. Both the quality and volume of my output has increased enormously. I like psychedelic music for its transcendent qualities. That’s kind of the point of it. To help you get “out there.” When done right, it works on you on a very subconscious level. I hope I do it right.
 
Kimmie: It's just what's been speaking to me the clearest artistically in music, film, and design.
 
Steve: I'm a metal head! I'm a big fan of anything dark or heavy, and what we play tends to do both; even at the same time! I find myself taking apart and repurposing licks from Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath a lot. The great thing about this is that everyone in our band has broad musical tastes, so I hear new stuff every week and try to take home things I like and see if I can't work them in to my parts.
 
Rod: It’s everything I want wrapped up into one package.
 
Michelle: I love the groove, weight, and atmosphere of psychedelic rock. Really, I just love playing gritty, unapologetic rock ‘n roll, and it’s new and exciting to me because I’ve only played bass in one other band.
 
The Deli: Who influences your music?
 
Cody: The Flaming Lips are a big influence, but also The Velvet Underground, Love and Rockets, Mazzy Star, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Black Sabbath. But hidden under the feedback and reverb, there’s some pretty basic early rock ‘n roll and even girl group influences. There’s some Buddy Holly and Elvis in there as well as The Ronnettes and the Crystals.
 
Kimmie: Love and Rockets, the Velvet Underground, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Sabbath, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are probably the most obvious influences. Some others are Italian and British horror cinema of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Hugh Hefner, and The Monkees.
 
Rod: Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, The Beatles, The Stones, The Sonics, The Stooges, Expo ‘70.
 
The Deli: Everyone in The Philistines either is or has been involved in other projects as well; does having so much going on outside the group make it easier or more challenging to create new music?
 
Cody: I have always had a short attention span, musically speaking. I’m interested in a lot of different and sometimes seemingly disparate things, and I feel that I need to cultivate them all. Sometimes it leaves me a little scattered. But I think it’s important to explore your interests. I’m glad everybody in this band does other things; I want everybody in my band to be as creatively fulfilled as they can be. I never want somebody to get resentful of the band because they’re feeling stifled or something.
 
Steve: The other groups I've played with are SO different from what we do that no one is in direct competition with another. I learn new tricks at each practice, so I get to apply things across all of my bands to see what works. I'm broadening my abilities as a drummer and learning new styles at the same time. It's pretty wonderful.
 
Rod: I’m one of the only ones that hasn’t had a project recently. I think that everyone else’s projects have been an attribute to this one.
 
Michelle: All of my projects teach me different techniques and allow me to express a different part of myself. None of them interferes with one another. It certainly keeps me busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
 
The Deli: You’re a new band trying to get gigs; obviously most of you are already well known in the music community and have name recognition, so how much does that help when it comes to finding places to play?
 
Cody: Yeah, fortunately we all independently have fairly good reputations and relationships with venues. And obviously that helps immensely. But since we’ve only played a couple gigs so far, only time will tell.
 
Kimmie: Yes, I guess we are all well-known in certain circles. Which means we all work really hard towards our interests. It's a product of our time, work, and efforts if anyone wants to beef over it.
 
Steve: I'm happy to say that we have no problem finding shows as a result. We've only played three, but we seem to get great lineups at cool venues with little to no difficulty.
   
The Deli: Cody, what’s it like to be in a band with Kimmie?  Kimmie, what’s it like to be in a band with Cody?  Everyone else, what’s it like to be in a band with Kimmie and Cody?
 
Cody: It’s a blast. I’ve never worked creatively with a significant other before. It presents its own sets of rewards and challenges. Because Kimmie is so damned talented and she’s also my best friend, the rewards significantly outweigh the challenges. But also challenges are bitchin’, because overcoming them is how you learn. I love collaborating, and I think we collaborate well together.
 
Kimmie: Being in a band with Cody is like being on the Zipper at Santa-Cali-Gon with my best friend who I have a big crush on. Being in the band with the rest of The Philistines and Cody is like being on the merry-go-round with the Lost Boys.
 
Steve: They're adorable. And smart. And hilarious. I've gotten to know them a lot better over the last few months and they are great friends and walking encyclopedias of cool stuff. They demand nothing less than the best, but they make us want to put it forward. It's a really great and creative working environment with a family atmosphere.
 
Rod: Cody and Kimmie are the duke and duchess of the Kansas City music scene. They are pure, 100% unadulterated rock ‘n roll.
 
Michelle: Cody and Kimmie make me pop all of my Latenight Collars. Their collective energy and musical abilities simultaneously challenge me and make them a blast to work with. Same thing goes for Josh, Rod, and Steve.
 
Note: Josh Mobley is the band’s keyboardist, and was unable to participate in this interview.
 
The Deli: With whom would you like to work in the future, locally or otherwise?
 
Cody: There’s a lot of great psych stuff going on in the area these days. I’m a big fan of The Conquerors, Bloodbirds, Expo ’70, and Monta At Odds, among many others that we would love to play with. But I’m always thrilled to share a stage with any kind of good music and I’m a big fan of diverse bills. I’d love to share a bill with a sword swallower, a DJ, and a string quartet.
 
Steve: BLACK MOUNTAIN. Or Nick Cave. The Conquerors. Snake Island!... It's really hard to make a short list because there's just so much cool stuff going on around KC as well as coming through. The possibilities are endless! I'm just excited to see who we wind up with and where. 3 shows out and we're playing with bands that I LOVE seeing live. Here's hoping for a continuing trend of badass rock and roll.
 
Rod: I owned a store called Halcyon and met almost everyone in this music scene through that experience. There are very few that I would not like to work with. But in particular I’d like to work with Justin Wright of Expo ‘70, Jeremiah James of Redder Moon, and Dedric Moore of Monta At Odds.
 
The Deli: This goes out to whoever is brave enough to answer: what’s your musical guilty pleasure? 
 
Cody: This is kind of a copout. But I refuse to feel guilty for anything that I like. But I do feel a little occasional twinge for Sting’s work in the ‘90s.
 
Kimmie: ‘80s Casio funk.
 
Rod: Yacht rock. In particular, Loggins and Nicks duets.
 
Thank you to The Philistines for taking some time for The Deli KC. Best of luck in your future endeavors!

The Philistines are: 
Cody Wyoming – guitar, vocals
Kimberely Queen – vocals
Michelle Bacon – bass
Rod Peal – guitar
Josh Mobley – keys
Steve Gardels – drums
 
 
The Philistines will be opening up for The Besnard Lakes on Tuesday, November 26 at The Riot Room. Pioneer will begin the show at 9 pm. Facebook event page.Ticket link.
 
 
--Michael Byars 
 

Michael's musical guilty pleasure is Air Supply (I KNEW it!). Don't tell. 

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November 23, 2013    

On The Beat with Steve Gardels

Wanna hear about split infinitives? How about the proper usage of "who" versus "whom"? Okay, maybe not. But this week we'll be hearing from Appropriate Grammar's very own Steve Gardels. He tells us about his self-taught approach to drumming, his career with the Hopeless Destroyers, and the KCAI "fart box." Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is a weekly interview brought to you by drummer Sergio Moreno (of Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

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August 08, 2012    

On The Beat with Steve Gardels

  

 

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On The Beat with Steve Gardels
 

This week we chat with Appropriate Grammar’s Steve Gardels. Join us as we find out how he keeps his subjects and verbs in agreement, his infinitives un-split, and his prepositions away from the ends of his sentences as he strives to boldly drum…oops…to drum boldly like no man has drummed before.

The Deli: Just so you know, I will be scrutinizing your answers and pointing out any inappropriate grammar. Cool?

Steve Gardels: I should hope so. We're sticklers for that sort of thing, it's not just a name. Beyond a few run-on sentences and some awkward punctuation, I think we'll be just fine.

The Deli: Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, tell me about how you came to join Appropriate Grammar?

Steve: I had just graduated KCAI and had been band-less for about 4 months, which was a new thing for me. Not having a set time to sit down and play for a while was making me unhappy. I ran into Nick McKenna one night and he asked me to help him find a new rhythm section. Alex Dunsford, who had played in my previous band, had just moved back to town. We all jammed twice and decided to stick with Nick's tunes, but with some bite. We did the three-piece thing for about a year until Nick found Claire Adams, and she really took us to the next level by filling out our sound and giving a whole new dynamic to already familiar songs. We put her on bass, swapped Alex to his native lead guitar spot and we've been pushing ourselves ever since.

The Deli: What was your recording experience on Lies and Stories?

Steve: This was my first "real" studio environment as opposed to the tiled bathrooms, basements and the dreaded KCAI fart box I had recorded in before. Duane Trower was amazing; he made me feel really comfortable, but wasn't afraid to make me retake things I wasn't nailing. He also encouraged us to play with the space and all of the toys he had in there. There's a part on "High and Lonely" where I'm hitting this giant John Bonham bass drum with a timpani mallet. I overdubbed about 4 different vintage drums for that one part and he got the mix down so well that it's not overbearing yet you can still hear all of the drums. That sort of encouragement, hospitality and talent really helped me get comfy and get to work.

The Deli: Live or studio? Go!

Steve: Live. No contest. I need that energy! Seeing people get into what we do makes me play even harder, especially on the road. I'm there to drop it either way, but if a conga line breaks out, I get real hyped and start really throwing myself into it.

The Deli: Speaking of playing, how do you approach drumming?

Steve:  I'm self-taught, so a lot of it comes out in practice. I sit down, set my iPod to shuffle and get as close as I can to what's on. I'll hear something I really like and break it down; start slow, learn the beat and then throttle it. Sometimes something totally new will come out of it, but the important part is to keep pushing myself to learn new stuff. I listen to a lot of heavy metal, anything from Maiden and Sabbath to Valient Thorr and Municipal Waste. I have a long list of hometown heroes and I'll just go out and watch. I'm a visual guy, if I can see it, it's easier for me to translate the part and make it my own. Writing my parts begins with Nick. He'll start playing a riff and I'll pick up where the accents are, where I can put fills and keep it real basic. Then I'll throw in a lick here, maybe a slowed down version of a tom pattern I found in a Slayer song there, and it starts building. I'll start tuning in to Claire's bass lines and start matching my boots to her roots. It's really collaborative and very organic.

The Deli: You're a Hopeless Destroyer!?

Steve: I moved to town in 2005 and formed a punk band called Hobo Zero. We played a lot, time went on, we broke up, and I stopped going to punk shows. Some years later, I started dating Britt Adair and we had a lot of the same friends from back in the day, so I started hanging out at shows again. That's when it hit me, I wanted to play fast again! Brittain Lawless asked me to join Hopeless Destroyers about a year ago. I was floored. My first taste of local music in KC was Idiot Box, The Rippers, The Skate-O-Masochists and Hopeless Destroyers at El Torreon. It was my turn to join the legacy. Just listening to Hopeless in my car gets me stoked; all hopping around and screaming about kicking vampires in the nuts. I still can't believe I'm in one of my favorite local bands!

The Deli: When you're not making music, what keeps you busy and creative? 

Steve: Making more music! But seriously, my favorite thing at the moment is all the cool stuff I've been doing with XO Blackwater TV Party, my video collective. We did the stage show for this years' Midcoast Takeover, we've done a music video for Meat Mist, and we just did a VJ set for DJ Sheppa's Body2Body at the Pitch Music Showcase. There's only about 6 of us, but we go as big as we can and we usually wind up blowing a few minds in the process. I'm also going to be collaborating with former Opera Omaha director Hal France on developing a music program for kids.

Leave your split infinitives at home and come on out to hear Appropriate Grammar at the Crossroads Music Fest on Saturday, September 8; prior to that you can hear Steve with Hopeless Destroyers at the Pizza Party Massacre record release show on August 25; the location is undisclosed, so ask around!  

-Sergio Moreno
Sergio is a drummer drone for The Hillary Watts Riot and a contraption set buffoon with Alacartoona. He wishes he could get paid to practice meditation, do yoga, and drink white tea all day long. But in the meantime he earns his keep making greeting cards in Spanish.

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Steve Gardels

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August 08, 2012