WMM Playlist from August 19, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Nico Gray – Guest Producer

We welcome back to the show, Nico Gray, as “Guest Producer.” Nico is a writer, performance artist, and has worked as an actor with KC Rep, Gorilla Theatre, 8th St. Cafe Theatre, Actor’s Craft, and Big Bang Buffet. Nico has worked for Theatre League, The Midland Theatre and is currently a marketing & advertising consultant with Union Station, KC Fringe, and KC Creates. Nico grew up in KC but has lived in Chicago, New York & Marseille. For WMM Nico Gray has co-hosted several of fund drive shows, Glam Rock show, Bowie Tribute Shows, and our 700th show. Today is his 9th appearance as Guest Producer.

Nico Gray, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[WMM’s theme song]

2. The Orb – “Slave Till U Die No Matter What U Buy” (L’anse Aux Meadows Mix)
from: Abolition of The Royal Familia / Cooking Vinyl / March 27, 2020
[16th album from The Orb, an electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and The KLF member Jimmy Cauty. Beginning as ambient and dub DJs in London, their early performances were inspired by electronic artists of the 1970s and 1980s, most notably Brian Eno and Kraftwerk. Because of their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers “coming down” from drug-induced highs. The Orb have maintained their drug-related science fiction themes despite personnel changes, including the departure of Cauty and members Kris Weston, Andy Falconer, Simon Phillips, Nick Burton, and Andy Hughes. Paterson has been the only permanent member, continuing to work as the Orb with Swiss-German producer Thomas Fehlmann and, later, with Martin “Youth” Glover, bassist of Killing Joke. Beyond recognition on their albums and concerts, his unauthorized use of other artists’ works has led to disputes with musicians, most notably with Rickie Lee Jones. During their live shows of the 1990s, The Orb performed using digital audio tape machines optimized for live mixing and sampling before switching to laptops and digital media. Despite changes in performance method, The Orb maintained their colorful light shows and psychedelic imagery in concert. These visually intense performances prompted critics to compare the group to Pink Floyd, whose guitarist, David Gilmour, collaborated with them on the album Metallic Spheres in 2010. http://www.theorb.com]

3. Ezra Furman —“I’m Coming Clean”
from: Sex Education Original Soundtrack / Bella Union / January 24, 2020
[Ezra Furman was born September 5, 1986, he is an American musician and songwriter. Furman currently performs solo and tours with her band. Ezra Furman and the Harpoons were a four-piece rock band active between 2006 and 2011. The band consisted of Ezra Furman (vocals, guitar), Job Mukkada (bass guitar), Drew “Adam” Abrutyn (drums), and Andrew Langer (guitar). They formed at Tufts University in 2006. They released four albums: the self-released Beat Beat Beat (2006), followed by Banging Down the Doors (2007), Inside the Human Body (2008) and Mysterious Power (2011). The group broke up in 2011. After their contract with Minty Fresh Records expired, the band released a self-produced compilation album in 2009, Moon Face: Bootlegs and Road Recordings 2006–2009, which included live recordings and some of Furman’s solo work. In 2018, 33⅓ published a book by Furman about Lou Reed’s album Transformer. Furman provided the soundtrack for the 2019 Netflix drama-comedy show Sex Education. The soundtrack consists of songs from Furman’s back catalogue, as well as songs written for the show. Furman and her band also appeared in episode seven of the first season of the show, “At the Bottom of the Ocean,” making a cameo as the band playing at the main characters’ school dance. Furman is Jewish. Her father is from a Jewish family and her mother converted to Judaism. Furman identifies as trans and bisexual, and uses he/him and she/her pronouns. Furman’s younger brother Jonah was lead singer and bassist in the Boston-based rock band Krill, until their split in October 2015. Ezra and Jonah also have two more siblings.]

4. Arthur Lee & Love —“Five String Serenade”
from: Five String Sernade / Last Call & New Rose Records / 1992 [Reissued August 26, 2002]
[Arthur Taylor Lee as born, Arthur Porter Taylor, on March 7, 1945. He died on August 3, 2006, and was an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame as the leader of the Los Angeles rock band Love. Lee was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 7, 1945 in John Gaston Hospital, to Agnes (née Porter), a school teacher, and Chester Taylor, a local jazz musician and cornet player. Love’s 1967 album Forever Changes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it is part of the National Recording Registry. In late 1996, Lee was sentenced to 12 years for the negligent discharge of a firearm. California’s three strikes law meant Lee was forced to serve a prison term, having previously served two years in jail for arson, and having been charged with various drug, driving and assault offences. Lee denied that he had fired the gun, and visiting fan Doug Thomas who had denied involvement when the police responded later confessed to the deed. Lee was incompetently represented in court; a year-delayed analysis of a gunpowder residue test on him produced a negative result. Had he pleaded guilty, Lee would have been sentenced to nine months in jail but he fought the case and lost. With the charges enhanced on account of his prior felony conviction and coincidental accusations of domestic violence of the same time-frame, the court made an example of him: 12 years, 85 percent of time served: about 9 years. In prison Lee refused visitors and interviews. “I thought I would beat this case, so why would I want to broadcast it? This has been so humiliating to me.” Former bandmates Bryan MacLean and Ken Forssi both died while Lee was incarcerated, ending any speculation as to a full-fledged Love reunion. On December 12, 2001, Lee was released from prison, having served 5½ years of his original sentence. A federal appeals court in California reversed the charge of negligent discharge of a firearm, as it found that the prosecutor at Lee’s trial was guilty of misconduct. In April 2006 it was publicly announced that Lee was being treated for acute myeloid leukemia. A tribute fund was set up shortly after the announcement, with a series of benefit concerts to be performed to help pay medical bills. The most notable of these concerts was produced by Steve Weitzman of SW Productions at New York’s Beacon Theater on June 23, 2006, and featured Robert Plant, Ian Hunter, Ryan Adams, Nils Lofgren, Yo La Tengo, Garland Jeffreys, Johnny Echols (Love’s original lead guitarist), and Flashy Python & The Body Snatchers (featuring Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah). Backed by Ian Hunter’s band, Plant performed 12 songs, including four Led Zeppelin songs and five recorded by Love in the 60s (“7 and 7 Is”, “A House Is Not A Motel”, “Bummer in the Summer”, “Old Man”, and “Hey Joe”).[20] A benefit concert was held in Dublin, Ireland. Lee underwent several months of treatment for leukemia, including chemotherapy and an experimental stem cell transplant using stem cells from an umbilical cord blood donor. His condition continued to worsen, and he died from complications of the disease in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 61. Robyn Hitchcock’s 1993 song “The Wreck of the Arthur Lee” from the Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians album Respect was written as a tribute to the singer. Arthur Lee is mentioned in the song “Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken”, by Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, as well as in the song “Mate of the Bloke”, by Half Man Half Biscuit. His prison term is the subject of “The Prison’s Going Down” by ex-Stranglers singer and guitarist Hugh Cornwell. Lee is the subject of the song “Byrds Turn to Stone” (originally titled “Mr Lee”) by Liverpool band (and former Arthur Lee backing group) Shack.]

5. Le Ren – “Love Can’t Be the Only Reason To Stay”
from: Morning & Melancholia / Secretly Canadian / July 31, 2020
[Montreal folk singer Le Ren (aka Lauren Spear) recently toured with Orville Peck aad now she signed to Secretly Canadian and released her first single for the label, “Love Can’t Be The Only Reason to Stay.” It’s a gorgeous, tender dose of Americana that sounds like a lost record from 1971.]

6. Oracle Sisters – “Asc. Scorpio”
from: Paris 1 – EP / 22Twenty / July 8, 2020
[Recorded at La Ferme records on a farm in the Arcachon region of France the band settled down to a live work/rhythm and routine for over a week, sleeping in the studio surrounded by chickens and an agriculture farm with a honey bee plantation, the ocean and pine trees. Recording all hours of the day and night when the mood was right they recorded 1 batch of songs with drums and drum machine layered live and 1 batch of songs, all playing live in 1 room….the difference in the sound, feel and aesthetic of the songs made them decide to split these in to two separate EP’s. Overdubs were done back in Paris. The songs represent a collection of the first songs written by Lewis & Chris & Juilia arriving in Paris from Scotland, New York and Helsinki. Music Produced by: Oracle Sisters, except Most of All (produced by Jerome Goldet & Oracle Sisters) / Sound Engineer: Maxime Kosinetz / Mixing: Noah Georgeson ((except for Most of All : Craig Silvey and Max Prior)). Creators of artistic dream rock, Oracle Sisters make music that is at once sonically soothing and lyrically compelling. Intricate vocal harmonies over lilting arrangements make an otherworldly vehicle for dreamlike stories of human connection, home and heartbreak.]

10:31 – Underwriting

7. Noga Erez – “Hit U”
from: Off The Radar / City Slang / June 2, 2017
[Noga Erez was born 26 December 1989) is an Israeli singer, songwriter and producer. In 2017 her song “Dance While You Shoot” was used by Apple in an advertising campaign for its music streaming service. In the same year she released her debut album, Off The Radar to critical acclaim. She grew up in Caesarea from the age of six and studied composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Through her childhood and while growing up she explored different instruments and studied different styles of music. She was a part of different groups and ensembles as a vocalist, keyboardist and percussionist. She served as a military musician during her conscription in the Israeli Defence Forces. In 2011 Erez worked on a jazz album, which she almost finished and decided to scrap and move to writing and producing electronic music. On stage, Erez performs as a three-piece-band with herself on vocals, Ori Rousso (sampler, synthesizer) and Jacobovitz Ran (electronic drums, percussion). In 2017, Erez was included in Forbes Israel’s “Under 30” list. Erez’s first single, “Toy” received a rave review from The New York Times: “the Israeli singer and electronic-music producer Noga Erez gives ‘Toy’ a beat that jitters and heaves, ratchets across the stereo field, speeds up fitfully and stops for a moment of dead silence halfway through the song; the melodies are brief modal phrases hinting at Middle Eastern origins… It’s a sparse, thorny, unstable track — and haunting, too.” Erez produced her first record “Off The Radar”, which was released 2 June 2017 via City Slang, with her partner Ori Rousso. This release was followed by festival shows at Primavera, SXSW, Pitchfork Paris, Roskilde, MELT! Visions Festival, Convergence and Great Escape in 2017. She also toured the UK and Europe in 2017.]

8. Moonlight Benjamin – “Papa Legba”
from: Siltane / Ma Case / March 23, 2018
[The priest of voodoo Rock ‘n Roll pulls no punches with a straight-for-the-jugular, guitar licked homage to Haiti evoking an Afro-energised Black Keys meets Dr. John. This is no world music foray rather a bountiful display of energy in an oft-growling record with plays host to flashes of light and shrouds of darkness, defying musical purity.]

9. Jean-Phillippe Goncalves – “Dance & Angela (Trip-Hop Version)”
from: Sharp Objects (Music from HBO Limited Series) / Entertainment One / Nov. 30, 2018
[Jean-Philippe “Jean-Phi” Goncalves was born in 1978, in Angoulême, France. He is a percussionist and record producer based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An member of Montreal’s electronic music scene, Goncalves provides percussion for the bands Afrodizz, Plaster, Le Golden and Beast. As a producer he has worked with many French-speaking Quebecer musicians and in 2005 he collaborated with American recording artist Lauryn Hill. The musician was particularly busy at the 2005 Festival de Musique Émergente (FME)—an annual new music festival held in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. During the fest he performed on 3 consecutive days for Afrodizz, Plaster and Dan Thouin respectively, causing a reporter to call him “the star of the FME”]

10. John Lewis – “You Can Redeem The Soul of Our Nation”
Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader and U.S Representative died on July 17. He wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral in The New York Times. Read by Prentiss Onayemi (5:10 excerpt)

11. Kalu James – “Listen To the Wind”
from: Live / Kalu James / February 24, 2010
[Kalu and the Electric Joint blend the powers of psychedelic soul music with the driving beat of rock and roll and the ancient rhythms of Africa. Born in Nigeria, Kalu relocated to Austin, Texas, where he put together a stellar ensemble of players who graciously fuel and follow his deep well of eclectic influences. The group’s new record, Time Undone is a sonic masterpiece of original tunes with a positive message and soul-stirring beats. The arrangements are masterfully crafted allowing the songs to breathe and flow. From the first note, these musicians show that they’re prepared to carry modern music forward while still paying tribute to the inspirations of their past. Their music invokes a wide range of emotions while influencing with an uplifting message through masterful playing. Opening for acts like George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic, Vieux Farka Toure, Allen Stone, Keller Williams amongst many others, this band comes to play and when they do, the dance floor never stays empty.]

12. Nina Simone – “If You Pray Right”
from: Baltimore / CTI – Sony / January 1, 1978
[Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop. Born the sixth child of a preacher’s family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. When she began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education and become a classical pianist she was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendering of “I Loves You, Porgy” was a hit in the United States in 1958. Over the length of her career Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958—when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue—and 1974. Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic contralto. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience–performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years old. In the early 1960s, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again. Simone’s music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the United States. In later years, she lived abroad, finally settling in France in 1992. She received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2000 and was a fifteen-time Grammy Award nominee over the course of her career.]

11:00 – Station ID

13. Prince – “Cosmic Day”
from: Sign ‘O’ the Times (Super Deluxe) / Warner Bros. / September 25, 2020
[The Super Deluxe Edition contains 92 audio tracks, of which 63 are previously unreleased, including 45 studio tracks from Prince’s legendary Vault. The Super Deluxe Edition opens with Prince’s iconic album, Sign O’ The Times, dazzlingly remastered for the very first time by Prince’s original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. The set also includes an entire previously unreleased audio recording of Prince’s Sign O’ The Times tour performance in Utrecht, Netherlands, on June 20, 1987. The DVD features a complete previously unreleased recording of Prince’s benefit performance at Paisley Park, December 31st, 1987. The show includes Prince’s only on-stage collaboration with Miles Davis. Housed in a 12” box, and accompanied by a 12” 120 page hardback book featuring: Brand new liner notes by: Prince’s creative peers and friends Dave Chappelle (in conversation with photographer Mathieu Bitton) and Lenny Kravitz; Prince’s longtime engineer Susan Rogers; Daphne A. Brooks, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of African American Studies, American Studies and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Yale University; Minneapolis radio host and author Andrea Swensson, host of the Official Prince Podcast; and Prince scholar Duane Tudahl. Rare and previously unseen photography by Jeff Katz. Prince’s handwritten lyrics. LP1-2: Sign O’ The Times album (2020 Remaster). LP3-4: 13x single mixes and edits, all newly remastered. LP5-10: 45x previously unreleased studio recordings from Prince’s Vault. LP11-13: 18x live tracks, comprising a complete previously unreleased concert performance recorded in Utrecht, Netherlands, on June 20, 1987. DVD: 23x tracks, comprising a complete previously unreleased concert performance recorded at Paisley Park, Chanhassen, on December 31st, 1987. Vinyl $268.99 // CD $159.98] [Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actor, and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. A multi-instrumentalist who was considered a guitar virtuoso, he was well known for his eclectic work across multiple genres, flamboyant and androgynous persona, and wide vocal range which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams. Prince’s innovative music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, psychedelia, pop, industrial, and hip hop. He pioneered the Minneapolis sound, a funk rock subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s. He was also known for his prolific output, releasing 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased projects left in a vault at his home after his death; it is believed that the vault contains dozens of fully produced albums and over 50 music videos that have never been released, along with various other media. He released hundreds of songs both under his own name and multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made famous by other musicians, such as “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Manic Monday”. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19. In 1984, he and his backup band, The Revolution, released his sixth album Purple Rain, which was also the soundtrack to his hugely successful film acting debut of the same name. It quickly became his most commercially successful record, spending 24 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, the final film to receive the award. After disbanding The Revolution, Prince released the critically acclaimed double album Sign o’ the Times (1987). In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol Logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the “Love Symbol”), and was sometimes referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” or simply “The Artist”. He signed with Arista Records in 1998 and began referring to himself by his own name again in 2000. On April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He sold over 130 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. He was honored with special awards including the Grammy President’s Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, and the Billboard Icon Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Rolling Stone placed Prince among its list of both the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. He is also ranked on the Top 100 Artists of All Time list by Billboard.]

14. Beck – “Nicotine & Gravy”
from: Midnight Vultures / Geffen Records / November 20, 1999
[Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical collages of wide-ranging genres. He has musically encompassed folk, funk, soul, hip hop, electronic, alternative rock, country, and psychedelia. He has released 14 studio albums (three of which were released on indie labels), as well as several non-album singles and a book of sheet music.Born and raised in Los Angeles, Beck grew towards hip-hop and folk in his teens and began to perform locally at coffeehouses and clubs. He moved to New York City in 1989 and became involved in the city’s small but fiery anti-folk movement. Returning to Los Angeles in the early 1990s, he cut his breakthrough single “Loser”, which became a worldwide hit in 1994, and released his first major album, Mellow Gold, the same year. Odelay, released in 1996, topped critic polls and won several awards. He released the country-influenced, twangy Mutations in 1998, and the funk-infused Midnite Vultures in 1999. The soft-acoustic Sea Change in 2002 showcased a more serious Beck, and 2005’s Guero returned to Odelay’s sample-based production. The Information in 2006 was inspired by electro-funk, hip hop, and psychedelia; 2008’s Modern Guilt was inspired by ’60s pop music; and 2014’s folk-infused Morning Phase won Album of the Year at the 57th Grammy Awards. His 2017 album, Colors, won awards for Best Alternative Album and Best Engineered Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. His fourteenth studio album, Hyperspace, was released on November 22, 2019. With a pop art collage of musical styles, oblique and ironic lyrics, and postmodern arrangements incorporating samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and sound effects, Beck has been hailed by critics and the public throughout his musical career as being among the most idiosyncratically creative musicians of 1990s and 2000s alternative rock. Two of Beck’s most popular and acclaimed recordings are Odelay and Sea Change, both of which were ranked on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The four-time platinum artist has collaborated with several artists and has made several contributions to soundtracks.] [Midnite Vultures is the seventh studio album by American musician Beck, released on November 23, 1999 by DGC Records. While similar to most of Beck’s previous albums in its exploration of widely varying styles, it did not achieve the same blockbuster success as his breakthrough album Odelay, but was still critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Several songs were directly inspired by other songs: “Get Real Paid” features a spiraling sequencer motif reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s “Home Computer”; a synth breakdown in “Milk & Honey” echoes a similar riff in Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message”; “Beautiful Way” came about after listening to The Velvet Underground’s “Countess from Hong Kong”; and “Debra” was inspired by both Prince’s song “Adore” and the David Bowie song “Win”. Midnite Vultures reached number 34 in the US, where it went gold, and also hit number 19 in the UK. As of July 2008, Midnite Vultures has sold 743,000 copies in the United States. Midnite Vultures was praised by most critics, and the album holds a score of 83 at Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.[4] Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone remarked that on Midnite Vultures, Beck “plays the insider, riding the executive plane through the good life with every need fulfilled.” Richard Cromelin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that he gives the album “a cinematic richness, depth and detail with an array of mutations and surprises, from banjo hoedown to electronic effects”.]

15. Christian Ihle Hadland – “Trois nouvelles études: Etude No. 3 in D Flat Major”
from: Paris Avenue Montaigne: Eclectic Selection of Haute Couture Classics from Bel Canto to Downtempo / 340 MS / May 20, 2014
[Christian Ihle Hadland is widely recognized as one of Norway’s most exciting young piano talents and following his recital debut at the Norwegian Opera in 2008 was hailed in the Norwegian press as an artist who shows himself as a unique musician whose artistry should be heard on the world’s concert stages. In 2009 he was appointed joint Artistic Director of the Stavanger Chamber Music Festival alongside Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst. In 2011 he was selected for the prestigious BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme.]

16. The Lemon Twigs – “Those Days Is Comin’ Soon”
from: Do Hollywood / 4AD / October 14, 2016
[The Lemon Twigs are an American rock band from Long Island, New York, fronted by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario. Both brothers are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, and are joined live by Daryl Johns on bass, Tommaso Taddonio on keyboards and Andres Valbuena on drums. Brian and Michael D’Addario had extensive stage experience as children. Brian played Gavroche in Les Miserables and Flounder in The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Michael appeared in The Coast of Utopia, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the 2008 production of All My Sons. Michael also appeared in a variety of television shows and films, such as John Adams on HBO, Are We There Yet? on TBS, and the 2012 films People Like Us and Sinister.[2] The Lemon Twigs were founded by the brothers while they were both students at Hicksville High School on Long Island, New York. The siblings both perform lead vocals, lead guitar, drums and other instruments. Their first release was the cassette What We Know, issued in a limited edition of 100 copies (with digital download) in 2015 by Winspear. On their debut release, Do Hollywood, each brother took the lead on vocals and guitar on the songs he composed; during live performances, this setup was preserved, with the remaining D’Addario playing the drums, and fellow schoolmates Megan Zeankowski and Danny Ayala (who have played with the D’Addarios on and off since their youth) playing bass and keyboards, respectively. Ayala also sang backing vocals. The album, produced by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen, was recorded in the spring of 2015, with the members being only 15 and 17 at the time of its creation. The Lemon Twigs served as opening act for fellow New York City/Long Island-based alt-rockers Sunflower Bean on their East Coast tour in late 2016 and performed on television programs like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS This Morning “Saturday Sessions” and Conan along the way. In early 2017 it was announced that the band would play on day one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California on April 14, 2017. This performance saw the Twigs joined by one of the band’s “favorite musicians ever, in the whole world”, Todd Rundgren, to play “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” from Rundgren’s classic 1972 double album, Something/Anything?. The Lemon Twigs released the Do Hollywood tracks “These Words” and “As Long As We’re Together” as a double-A-side single, and made videos for both songs. The third single was the album opener, “I Wanna Prove to You”, with a video directed by Nick Roney. The band played at several major festivals in the summer of 2017, such as Glastonbury, Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Austin City, and the Montreux, in addition to opening for Phoenix across the United States. These 2017 shows saw the band covering songs such as “Fish and Whistle” by John Prine, “I Walked with a Zombie” by Roky Erickson, “You Can’t Talk to the Dude” by Jonathan Richman, “I’ve Begun To Fall In Love” by R. Stevie Moore, “Love Stepped Out” by their father, Ronnie D’Addario, and “I Can Feel the Fire” by Ronnie Wood; they notably performed the latter song with Thomas Hedlund of Phoenix on drums while supporting Phoenix at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Mac DeMarco. In September 2017 the band released an EP, Brothers of Destruction, containing songs recorded during the Do Hollywood sessions.]

17. Armando Trovaioli – “Sessomatto (Feat. Edda dell’Orso)” (Vinyl)
from: Sesso Matto / Duse Records / 1973
[Armando Trovajoli was born September 2, 1917 in Rome and died February 28, 2013, in Rome. He was an Italian film composer and pianist with over 300 credits as composer and/or conductor, many of them jazz scores for exploitation films of the Commedia all’italiana genre. He collaborated with Vittorio De Sica on a number of projects, including one segment of Boccaccio ’70. Trovajoli was also the author of several Italian musicals: among them, Rugantino and Aggiungi un posto a tavola. Trovajoli was the widower of actress Pier Angeli. He died in Rome at the age of 95 on 28 February 2013. After graduating from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (1948), Trovajoli was entrusted by RAI with the direction of a pop music orchestra, set with 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 horn, harp, vibraphone, electric guitar, bass, drums and the piano (played by Trovajoli himself). In 1952–53 he collaborated with Piero Piccioni in Eclipse, a weekly musical broadcast in which the orchestra is directed alternately by the two composers, in a style extremely refined and sophisticated, very different from the music of radio orchestras at that time. Together with Goffredo Petrassi, Trovajoli composed the score of Giuseppe De Santis’ Bitter Rice (1949). In 1951, Trovajoli was invited by Dino De Laurentiis to write music for Anna, a film directed by Alberto Lattuada: particularly the song El Negro Zumbón became an international success: inspired by tropical rhythms, is sung in playback and danced by Silvana Mangano, but actually performed by Flo Sandon’s. Since then, Trovajoli wrote soundtracks for directors as Dino Risi, Vittorio De Sica, Ettore Scola and others.]

18. Alessandro Alessandroni – “Capelli Rossi”
from: Open Air Parade / SR Records / 1972
[Alessandro Alessandroni was born March 18, 1925 and died March 26, 2017. He was an Italian musician and composer. He played multiple instruments, including the guitar, mandolin, mandolincello, sitar, accordion and piano, and composed more than 40 film scores and countless library music. Alessandroni collaborated with his childhood friend Ennio Morricone on a number of soundtracks for Spaghetti westerns. Morricone’s orchestration often calls for an unusual combination of instruments, voices, and whistling. Alessandroni’s twangy guitar riff is central to the main theme for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Alessandroni can be heard as the whistler on the soundtracks for Sergio Leone’s films, including A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Pervirella. Alessandroni founded the octet vocal group I Cantori Moderni in 1961. The group, which included his wife, Giulia De Mutiis [it], performed wordless vocals on several Italian movie soundtracks. Most notably, I Cantori Moderni are featured on the song “Mah Nà Mah Nà”, written by Piero Umiliani for the 1968 Luigi Scattini mondo film Sweden: Heaven and Hell (Italian: Svezia, inferno e paradiso [it]) and popularized on The Muppet Show. Alessandro has also composed film scores, including Any Gun Can Play (1967), Johnny Hamlet (1968), The Reward’s Yours… The Man’s Mine (1969), Lady Frankenstein (1971), The Devil’s Nightmare (1971), The Mad Butcher (1971), Seven Hours of Violence (1973), Poker in Bed (1974), White Fang and the Hunter (1975), Blood and Bullets (1976), L’adolescente (1976), La professoressa di scienze naturali (1976), The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976), Women’s Camp 119 (1977), Killer Nun (1978), L’imbranato (1979), and Trinity Goes East (1998).]

19. Ennio Morricone – “The Braying Mule”
from: Django Unchained (OST)/ Visiona Romantica / January 1, 2012
[Ennio Morricone, was born November 10, 1928 and died July 6, 2020. He was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player who wrote music in a wide range of styles. Morricone composed more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works. His score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. His filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films, all Sergio Leone’s films since A Fistful of Dollars, all Giuseppe Tornatore’s films since Cinema Paradiso, The Battle of Algiers, Dario Argento’s Animal Trilogy, 1900, Exorcist II, Days of Heaven, several major films in French cinema, in particular the comedy trilogy La Cage aux Folles I, II, III and Le Professionnel, as well as The Thing, Once Upon a Time in America, The Mission, The Untouchables, Mission to Mars, Bugsy, Disclosure, In the Line of Fire, Bulworth, Ripley’s Game, and The Hateful Eight. Morricone is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential film composers of all time. After playing the trumpet in jazz bands in the 1940s, he became a studio arranger for RCA Victor and in 1955 started ghost writing for film and theatre. Throughout his career, he composed music for artists such as Paul Anka, Mina, Milva, Zucchero, and Andrea Bocelli. From 1960 to 1975, Morricone gained international fame for composing music for Westerns and—with an estimated 10 million copies sold—Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the best-selling scores worldwide. From 1966 to 1980, he was a main member of Il Gruppo, one of the first experimental composers collectives, and in 1969 he co-founded Forum Music Village, a prestigious recording studio. From the 1970s, Morricone excelled in Hollywood, composing for prolific American directors such as Don Siegel, Mike Nichols, Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Warren Beatty, John Carpenter, and Quentin Tarantino. In 1977, he composed the official theme for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He continued to compose music for European productions, such as Marco Polo, La piovra, Nostromo, Fateless, Karol, and En mai, fais ce qu’il te plait. Morricone’s music has been reused in television series, including The Simpsons and The Sopranos, and in many films, including Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. He also scored seven Westerns for Sergio Corbucci, Duccio Tessari’s Ringo duology and Sergio Sollima’s The Big Gundown and Face to Face. Morricone worked extensively for other film genres with directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Mauro Bolognini, Giuliano Montaldo, Roland Joffé, Roman Polanski, Henri Verneuil, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. His acclaimed soundtrack for The Mission (1986), was certified gold in the United States. The album Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone stayed for 105 weeks on the Billboard Top Classical Albums. Morricone’s best-known compositions include “The Ecstasy of Gold”, “Se Telefonando”, “Man with a Harmonica”, “Here’s to You”, the UK No. 2 single “Chi Mai”, “Gabriel’s Oboe”, and “E Più Ti Penso”. In 1971, he received a “Targa d’Oro” for worldwide sales of 22 million, and by 2016 Morricone had sold more than 70 million records worldwide. In 2007, he received the Academy Honorary Award “for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music”. He was nominated for a further six Oscars, and in 2016, received his only competitive Academy Award for his score to Quentin Tarantino’s film The Hateful Eight, at the time becoming the oldest person ever to win a competitive Oscar. His other achievements include three Grammy Awards, three Golden Globes, six BAFTAs, ten David di Donatello, eleven Nastro d’Argento, two European Film Awards, the Golden Lion Honorary Award, and the Polar Music Prize in 2010. Morricone influenced many artists from film scoring to other styles and genres, including Hans Zimmer, Danger Mouse, Dire Straits, Muse, Metallica, and Radiohead.]

10:27 – Underwriting

Nico Gray

11:29 – Nico Speaks Out!

July 5th would’ve been my brother Benjamin’s 54th birthday. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in May 2001. On the day of his death, a beautiful sunny Tuesday, he walked into a K-Mart, and next to the Martha Stewart bath towels found the ‘outdoors’ department and purchased a case…

…of 12 gauge shotgun shells. Suicide accounts for the highest number of deaths by guns. He died that same afternoon. The bullet he used to kill himself added money into the pockets of the company who makes them – sells them like candy at our department stores.  

A gallon of milk, some t-shirts, toothpaste – the necessities – oh, and guns, and bullets.

Thank God for capitalism and the convenience of our 24 hour superstores. It’s good to be an American. Yes?

No, not today. I am embarrassed by our country, and have been since Nov. 8th 2016 when half of my blood family voted for a racist-white nationalist, bigoted, homophobic sex offender.

No, today I am NOT celebrating our independence. We ARE NOT FREE. We are chained and bound to witness the demise in self character and morals in our country. Greed and selfishness and a false sense of privilege drive these intentions – with a twist of hypocrisy.

Ah, let me squeeze a lemon and stir. Now it’s better. We Americans like our denial –
it’s as wholesome as the rotten apple pies we bake and pass off as patriotism.”

11:33

20. Rich Aucoin – “Reset”
from: United States / Haven Sounds / September 18, 2020
[4th full length studio album from the Canadian indie rock musician, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the younger brother of Paul Aucoin of Hylozoists. He performs and records both as a solo artist and as a collaborator and guest musician in Hylozoists.]

21. J.S. Ondara —“I’m Afraid of Americans”
from: Tales of America (The Second Coming) / Verve Forecast-UMG / Sept. 20, 2019
[28 year old J.S. Ondara is a Kenyan singer-songwriter whose debut album, Tales of America, was released on February 15, 2019 via Verve Label Group. J.S. Ondara was born in August 1992 in Nairobi, Kenya. As a child, he wrote poems and stories as well as songs despite not having an instrument to play them on because his family couldn’t afford one. He was inspired by Radiohead, Nirvana, Death Cab For Cutie, Jeff Buckley, Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses, and Bob Dylan. He grew up listening to rock songs on his older sisters’ battery-powered radio. Having discovered The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan following a dispute with a friend over whether Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was a Guns N’ Roses song, Ondara resolved to travel to the United States to pursue a career in music. In February 2013, after winning in the green card lottery, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota at the age of 20. He taught himself to play guitar and perform during open mic nights. Eventually, he decided to study music therapy in college, but dropped out of school to return to playing small shows at coffee houses after attending a concert. After moving to Minnesota, Ondara tried his hand at making music and performing in small venues. His big break came when Minneapolis radio station KCMP 89.3 The Current played one of his songs on air by pulling audio from his YouTube channel, where he had been uploading covers of his favorite songs. At the time, he was going by the name Jay Smart. Ondara’s debut album, Tales of America, was released in February 2019 by Verve Label Group. Despite only 11 tracks making the final tracklist, Ondara wrote more than 100 songs for the album, all based on an immigrant’s life in America. The album was produced by Mike Viola of the Candy Butchers. In support of the album, Ondara embarked on his first headlining tour in March 2019. After the release of the album, Ondara debuted on Billboard’s Emerging Artist chart at No. 37 in March 2019. The album also landed on the Billboard Heatseekers Album, Americana/Folk Album Sales, and Rock Album Sales charts. He was nominated for Best Emerging Act at the 2019 Americana Music Honors & Awards. Ondara cites Bob Dylan as his musical hero, which is why he chose to live in Minnesota and why he wears his signature fedora. He has toured with the Milk Carton Kids, Lindsey Buckingham and in 2019, he opened for select dates on tour with Neil Young.]

22. Winds – “Don’t Fall Apart”
from: Don’t Fall Apart – Single / Winds Records / May 21, 2020
[Los Angeles, California based Winds is John Zabawa & Trevor Pritchett, This is one of two singles available other bandcamp page. Produced by Winds & Glenn Brigman. Written by John Zabawa & Trevor Pritchett. Drums & Percussion by Brendan Peleo-Lazar. Winds describe their sound as: “A breeze always blows in the direction it wishes to go.”]

23. The Innocence Mission — “On Your Side”
from: See You Tomorrow / Thérèse Records / January 17, 2020
[12th studio album from The Innocence Mission, an indie folk band with: Karen Peris (née McCullough), her husband (and fellow guitarist) Don Peris, and Mike Bitts (on bass guitar). The band was formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when the members met during a Catholic school production of Godspell. Although all members of the band have contributed to their music, Karen Peris is their main writer. Before being signed to a record label, the band originally played local clubs, events and at Lancaster Catholic High School (the alma mater of the band members).Their self-titled debut album was released in 1989 on A&M Records and was produced by Larry Klein, then-husband of Joni Mitchell. Recorded in Mitchell’s Los Angeles studio, the album spent 10 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at #167 in 1990. Klein also produced their 1991 follow up, Umbrella. Their third A&M album, Glow (1995), was produced by Dennis Herring, who had previously produced two records for Camper Van Beethoven. This album is a departure from Klein’s heavier production style. Herring’s lighter touch gave more emphasis to the group’s guitar work and to Karen’s vocals and lyrics. Glow contains songs that appear on the soundtracks of the films Empire Records and Dream for an Insomniac, as well as the television series Party of Five. The album’s second track, “Bright as Yellow,” peaked at #33 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks. After the band completed the recording of a follow-up album to Glow, A&M Records was bought by Universal Music Group. The group decided to mutually part ways with the label, shortly before it was merged with other companies to form Interscope-Geffen – A&M. 1999’s Birds of My Neighborhood inaugurated The Innocence Mission as they are today, following three albums as a quartet that drew comparisons to The Sundays and 10,000 Maniacs. When drummer Steve Brown left to become a chef, Karen Peris (guitars, piano, pump organ, accordion, voice), Don Peris (guitars, drums, voice) and Mike Bitts (upright bass) forged ahead with an orchestral and sometimes cinematic folk-pop sound, which they felt was truer to their real nature – in any case, a sound rich in atmosphere, innately sad, but ultimately hopeful. The album was followed by the release of The Lakes of Canada EP, which contains a remix of “Snow” by Icelandic electronic group GusGus, the band’s only remix thus far. The 2000 release, Christ Is My Hope, featuring folk songs and hymns that had inspired them over the years, was independently distributed by their own label, LAMP, with all proceeds from sales of the record being donated to hunger relief charities. An exclusive one-album deal signed with independent label WhatAreRecords? saw Small Planes following a year later. Their first album on Badman Records in the US and Agenda in Europe, Befriended, was released in 2003 and was followed a year later by a collection of lullabies, standards, traditional and classical songs called Now the Day Is Over. Recorded over two weeks in Aug. 2004, the album contained their well-known cover of Henry Mancini’s “Moon River.” Badman Records acquired license to re-master and re-issue the then-out-of-print Birds of My Neighborhood album in 2006. We Walked in Song was released in 2007 and included the song “Brotherhood of Man”, which appeared in two acclaimed films: the documentary The Human Experience and the short film Weathered, starring Tony Hale and Nicole Parker, which also featured a new version of the song “Our Harry”. Also on this album are “Happy Birthday” and closing song “Over the Moon”, both of which are featured in the Julia Roberts film Fireflies in the Garden. On June 6, 2008, “Bright as Yellow” was played as the official NASA wake-up call for the crew of Space Shuttle mission STS-124 on flight day 7. Street Map was released in December 2008 and was the second record to be distributed independently on their own LAMP label, while their eighth studio album, My Room in the Trees, was released on July 13, 2010. Their ninth studio album, Hello I Feel the Same, was released on October 17, 2015, followed by Sun on the Square in 2018. Their next studio album, See You Tomorrow, is due for release on January 17, 2020. Don Peris has recorded four solo albums: Ten Silver Slide Trombones (2001), the mostly instrumental Go When the Morning Shineth (2006), which features a vocal contribution from Karen Peris on “North Atlantic Sand”, and an instrumental solo guitar album, Brighter Visions Beam Afar (2007), which raised money for local food banks. His fourth studio album, The Old Century, was released on May 7, 2013. Karen Peris released her first solo album, Violet, on Dec. 3, 2012. The 10-song album was performed mainly on piano, and features six instrumental compositions. Don Peris appears as guitarist on two songs, while the couple’s two children performed violin and viola on a further two songs. A version of the album containing two bonus tracks, “First Days in the City” and “Getting Here”, was released in Japan through P-Vine Records on May 15, 2013. Sufjan Stevens calls The Innocence Mission “moving and profound”, adding, “What makes Karen Peris’ lyrics so remarkable is the economy of words, sensory language, concrete nouns – everyday objects take on tremendous meaning.]

24. The New Seekers — “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma”
from: The Best of the New Seekers / Elektra Records / April 26, 2005
[Originally released on the album, Keith Potger and the New Seekers, November 1970 on Phillips Records. The band’s second album and second single. The New Seekers are an English pop group, formed in London in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music would have pop as well as folk influences. They achieved worldwide success in the early 1970s with hits including “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”, “You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me” and “Beg, Steal or Borrow.” “What Have They Done to My Song Ma,” is a song by Melanie. It was released in 1970 as the B-side of her “Ruby Tuesday” single and included on the album Candles in the Rain. The single reached the number 39 in the UK. Other artists have recorded the song as “Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma”, after the song’s first line, and this title is used on the Music page at Melanie’s own website. Daliah Lavi recorded a successful German version of the song in 1971 and Ray Charles released a cover (as “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma”) in 1972. The song has also been covered by many other artists, including Nina Simone, the New Seekers, and Billie Jo Spears. Dalida recorded the song in French and Italian [4] and released both version as singles. Czechoslovak singer Helena Vondráčková recorded it in 1971 as “Kam zmizel ten starý song” with Czech lyrics by Zdeněk Borovec. Jeanette did an English/French version in 1973. Yugoslav rock band Bajaga i Instruktori released a cover of it with lyrics in Serbian, called “Vidi šta sam ti uradio od pesme, mama”, in 1985. It was used in the 1970s as a commercial for Lifebuoy soap (“Look what they’ve done to my Lifebuoy”), and in the 1980s as a commercial jingle for Ramada Inn (as “Look what they’ve done to Ramada”) and for Oatmeal Crisp cereal (as “Look what they’ve done to my oatmeal”). In October 2012, Miley Cyrus released a video of her own acoustic version of the song as part of her Backyard Sessions series. In 2015, Melanie joined her to duet on the song in addition to “Peace Will Come (According to Plan)”. Another copy version was made by Jack Wild which appeared on his album «Everything’s coming up Roses», released in 1971.]

25. Alfred Hall —“Safe & Sound”
from: Wilderness / Sony / 2013
[Norwegian indie pop duo, formed in the summer of 2009 by Bjørn Tveit on vocals & guitar, and Hans Thomas Kiær on guitar, the Norwegian town Drammen. Their debut single, “So Bright” was nominated for “Ukas Urørt” in 2011, and was released the year after following a period of repackaging in the Tinnitus studio in Bergen. Their first album, “Wilderness”, came out exclusively in Norway in 2013, and was nominated for the Spellemann Award (the Norwegian “Grammy”) in the category “Pop Group of the Year”. On October 9th, Alfred Hall, as one of three artist, performed at the opening night of the first JaJaJa club night in Fluxbau, Berlin. They released their first international EP in the fall of 2014, called “Alfred Hall EP”. Their first international single, “The King of Cape” was released in the beginning of 2015. In April 2015, Alfred Hall was chosen as one of 14 finalists to play at the Midem festival in Cannes in June 2015.]

26. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – ArtsKCGo – Arts Calendar

Nico Gray Thank you for being our Guest Producer today!

Happy Birthday to Caleb Belknap!

Next week on Wednesday, August 26 we talk with Folk Singer Eliza Gilkyson. We also talk with The Black Creatures who play shows on Friday and Saturday next weekend August 28 and 29 at Lemonaid(e) Park, and we welcome hip hop MC extraordinaire, Kemet Coleman who has a new EP and plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more! joins us to share new music.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Nico Gray Portrait by: Jan McNiel

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #851

WMM presents Guest Producer – Nico Gray

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Nico Gray – Guest Producer

Nico Gray

Mark welcomes back to WMM Nico Gray, for his 9th time as “Guest Producer.” Nico is a writer, performance artist, and actor who has performed with KC Rep, Gorilla Theatre, 8th St. Cafe Theatre, Actor’s Craft, and Big Bang Buffet. Nico has worked for Theatre League, The Midland Theatre, and is currently a marketing & advertising consultant with Union Station, KC Fringe, and KC Creates. Nico grew up in KC but has lived in Chicago, New York, and Marseille.

Nico will feature tracks from: The Orb, Ezra Furman, Arthur Lee & Love, Le Ren, Oracle Sisters, Noga Erez, Moonlight Benjamin, Jean-Phillippe Goncalves, Kalu James, Nina Simone, Prince, Beck, The Lemon Twigs, Armando Trovaioli, Alessandroni, Ennio Morricone, Rich Aucoin. J.S. Ondara, Winds, The Innocence Mission, and Alfred Hall.

Nico Gray Portrait by: Jan McNiel

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #851

WMM Playlist from August 12, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Calvin Arsenia + Cuee + Greenline Grows KC
+ Nathan Reusch + New & MidCoastal Releases

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / Dec. 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme]

2. Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits – “Last Dance”
from: Last Dance EP / Scott Hrabko / August 7, 2020
[Scott Hrabko calls this new EP release a “bit of a departure …” Scott writes on his bandcamp page: “For some time now, ideas for dance/experimental rhythms have been knocking (in syncopation!) on the doors of my dreams, with a growing sense of urgency. Eventually I had no choice but to heed the call, so I got busy and recorded this EP. In this time of social distancing I played all of the Rabbit parts except as noted below, with my friends, Chris Tady (in person, pre-pandemic) and Jason Beers (via remote). My son, Sam Hrabko created the beautiful image on the cover. Chris Tady on lead guitar on “45 Spiders,” Jason Beers on slide guitar on “Last Dance,” all other sounds and utterances by Scott Hrabko. Produced by Scott Hrabko. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering – Portland, OR. Earlier this year Scott Hrabko released the singles “Free” on August 7, and “Dog In The Backyard” on April 3, 2020. These singles followed the single “Pretty Good Day,” released November 2, 2019. Scott Hrabko released the EP Smash Hits From A Parallel Universe, on February 14, 2019, with Scott Hrabko on lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic 6 and 12 string guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, & percussion; Jason Beers on bass guitar; Tim Higgins on drums, Marco Pascolini on junior electric guitar. Scott called this release: 4 songs for the new age of anxiety. Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits released the albums: “Summer,” in 2017, and “Biscuits and Gravity” in 2015. Scott Hrabko’s 2013 critically acclaimed solo release, “Gone Places” was said to be 30 years in the making. Singer-songwriter Scott Hrabko has played with KC’s oldest garage band The Original Sinners, as well as various incarnations of the 1980s bands: The Splinters, and The Andersons. In the early 1990s Scott performed as a solo artist in coffee houses with Iris Dement and Howard Eisberg. More info at: http://www.scotthrabko.com]

3. Kemet Coleman – “Black Is Beautiful”
from: Black Is Beautiful / Kemet Coleman / August 1, 2020
[Crane Brewing, partnered with rap artist, urbanist and beer lover, Kemet Coleman for their latest brew, Black is Beautiful, highlighted by a musical release, also called Black is Beautiful, written and performed by Coleman. The new Imperial Stout, part of the Black Is Beautiful initiative created by Weathered Soul’s Brewing, will be released in cans and sold at liquor stores in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska starting August 1, 2020. All proceeds will be donated to G.I.F.T (Generating Income for Tomorrow), a Kansas City-based non-profit with a goal to provide grants to Black owned businesses in Kansas City, with a specific interest in businesses that operate in low income areas. Music written, composed and produced by Kemet Coleman except for COLLECTION PLATE which is produced by Sharif Thomas. Kemet Coleman is a Kansas City based musicians and is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet is known for his unprecedented collaborations with UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. Earlier this year Coleman contributed his song, “The Virus” to the compilation, Kansas City Syzygy, music created by over 25 Kansas City-based musicians in the middle of the map of a pandemic. “The Virus” is his comment on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home came together. More info at: http://www.kemetcoleman.com]

[Kemet Coleman and his band The Phantastics play Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and more!]

4. Krystle Warren & The Faculty – “Climbing Out (feat. Teddy Thompson)”
from: Love Songs – A Time to Refrain from Embracing / Parlour Door Music / April 9, 2012 UK]
[Originally from KC, Krystle learned to play the guitar by listening to Rubber Soul & Revolver from The Beatles. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career in collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After living in San Francisco and NYC, Krystle was signed to a French label, Because Music, who gave her a one way ticket to France. Krystle moved to Paris to release “Circles” in 2009. Krystle played French and British television programs, including Later with Jools Holland, garnering critical acclaim and traveling all over the world on tours with Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Norah Jones, and Joan As Police Woman. Krystle left Because Music and created, Parlour Door Music, to release “Love Songs: A Time You May Embrace / A Time to Refrain from Embracing” a recording from a 13-day session in Brooklyn, where she recorded 24 songs live with 28 musicians including her band, The Faculty, alongside choirs, horn and string sections. In 2019 The Kansas City based Owen/Cox Dance Group premiered a new dance piece titled “Love Songs” with choreography by Jennifer Owen, set to all 24 songs, in the order they appear in the double album recording, that Brad Cox originally worked on as an arranger and keyboardist. Krystle Warren has collaborated with Erykah Badu, Keziah Jones, Zap Mama, Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, Brad Cox Amadou & Mariam, Lakecia Benjamin, Guarco, Teddy Thompson, Gwyneth Herbert, Hercules & Love Affair, and Joon Moon. Along with being included in the compilation “NYC Subway – Songs from the Underground,” and tribute recordings for Kate McGarrigle, and Nick Drake, Warren has released the EP “Diary” on May 1, 2007; “The Up Series – EP” on November 10, 2008; “Circles” her 13-song full length on March 13, 2009; “A Time To Keep – Love Songs EP”, on August 12, 2011, The double album 24-song “Love Songs” released on vinyl in Europe on April 9, 2012 and as separate digital and CD albums in the U.S. as: “Love Songs: A Time to Embrace,” on March 13, 2012 and “Love Songs: A Time to Refrain from Embracing” on February 27, 2015; Krystle released “Three the Hard Way” on August 18, 2017; and the new single “Rising”was released May 31, 2019.]

[Krystle Warren plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

5. Kris Delmhorst – “The Horses”
from: Long Day In The Milky Way / Kris Delmhorst / August 14, 2020
[Kris Delmhorst is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, United States, she now lives in Western Massachusetts, is an active member of the Boston folk scene, and tours internationally. She has released nine full-length solo albums and two EPs on Signature Sounds Recordings. Delmhorst released Appetite, her first album, in 1998, the same year she was involved in producing the Respond compilation, a fundraiser for domestic violence groups. It included her song Weatherman. In 1999, she released a live album with The Vinal Avenue String Band, consisting of herself, Sean Staples, and Ry Cavanaugh. Her second solo album, Five Stories, was released in 2001 and was well received. In 2005, Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault, and Peter Mulvey released an album entitled Redbird. The trio released a live album in 2011. In 2006, Delmhorst took the words of poems by writers such as Lord Byron, George Eliot and Edna St. Vincent Millay, and set them to original music.[4] Delmhorst released Shotgun Singer in 2008, a collection of original recordings noted for its artistic vibe, instrumentation and alternative aesthetic, compared to previous recordings that focused more heavily on vocals and lyrics. In 2011, Delmhorst gathered instrumentalists and singers from across the Boston/Cambridge music scene, including The Cars’ keyboardist Greg Hawkes, to record a covers album dedicated to music by the new wave band The Cars. Delmhorst’s seventh album, Blood Test was released on Signature Sounds on May 13, 2014. It is her first of original music since her 2008 album Shotgun Singer. Delmhorst has recorded vocals, fiddle and cello on over 50 albums from artists such as Peter Wolf, Mary Gauthier, Chris Smither and Lori McKenna. Delmhorst is married to fellow singer/songwriter Jeffrey Foucault, with whom she had a daughter in 2008.[9] She occasionally performs as part of the collective Redbird with Foucault and Mulvey.]

6. Indigo Girls – “K.C. Girl”
from: Look Long / Rounder Records – Concord / April 24, 2020
[15th studio album by American folk rock duo Indigo Girls. The Indigo Girls recorded the album with previous collaborator John Reynolds. Tour dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States but the duo performed a series of weekly live-streamed concerts online to raise money for charity as well as promote this release. These events were accompanied by a question and answer session and audience requests for performances. They also performed at a virtual festival of musicians raising money for the United Nations Foundation on Mother’s Day, 2020. Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. They started performing with the name Indigo Girls as students at Emory University, performing weekly at The Dugout, a bar in Emory Village. They released a self-produced, full-length record album entitled Strange Fire in 1987, and contracted with a major record company in 1988. After releasing nine albums with major record labels from 1987 through 2007, they have now resumed self-producing albums with their own IG Recordings company. Outside of working on Indigo Girls–related projects, Ray has released solo albums and founded a non-profit organization that promotes independent musicians, while Saliers is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry as well as a professional author; she also collaborates with her father, Don Saliers, in performing for special groups and causes. Saliers & Ray are both lesbians and active in political and environmental causes.]

7. Gemini Revolution – “Pure Air”
from: Supernova Remnant / Kosmic City Records / August 6, 2020
[Dedric Moore on synthesizer, bass, drum programming, dub guitar; Delaney Moore on synthesizer, Krystof Nemeth on baritone guitar on 4, 5, and 6; Mikal Shapiro on lead vocal on 6; Teri Quinn on backing vocal on 6; Alexander Thomas on drums on 6. An alternate timeline side of Monta at Odds. Gemini Revolution explores the dark ambient side of sonic space exploration digging deep into sounds from beyond slowly enveloping everything it comes into contact. Set your controls to the heart of the supernova. Gemini Revolution finds brothers Dedric and Delaney veering from their duties in Monta At Odds and into the uncharted star-field. Their album Supernova Remnant yields expansive results — kosmiche tones and analog textures blending into an intense brand of ambient extraction. Throughout Supernova Remnant, Gemini Revolution masterfully execute a push/pull effect with layers of sound, planting a feeling of time’s motion stuck in place. The opening “Slow Stars” sets up the project, inspired by a challenge from fellow 8Di’er San Mateo and morphing into a blossoming 17 minutes that surround in a sonically colorful haze. From there, Supernova Remnant tours the sizzling remains of celestial objects, with Dedric and Delaney’s intertwined instrumentation guiding the way. Krystof Nemeth, of darkwave band Emmaline Twist, supplies his remote ‘baritone guitar’ on a few key tracks. And drummer Alexander Thomas and vocalists Mikal Shapiro and Teri Quinn appear for the epic finale, “Children of Collisions.” Together the six tracks complete Gemini Revolution’s orbit, floating through the darkness as a cosmic whole. Listen as Supernova Remnant traces the distance of imagination. More info at http://www.kosmiccity.com]

8. Mikal Shapiro & The Musical – “The Distance of Elements”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[The Musical is Mikal Shapiro, on vocals & guitar, Chad Brothers on vocals & guitar, Johnny Hamil on bass, and Matt Richey on drums. Recorded separately and with social distancing. Mikal Shapiro released her critically acclaimed album The Musical II on May 26, 2018 which included “Everybody’s Baby” her pop song she wrote that got a lot of radio play, but all the songs on The Musical 11 are great. The Musical II is the sequel to Shapiro’s 2015 concept album, “The Musical.” Along with Mikal Shapiro, Chad Brothers, Johnny Hamil and Matt Richey, special guests include: Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Tina Bilberry on viola & violin, Damon Parker on keyboards, and Lauren Hughes on vocals. Engineered and co-produced by Joel Nanos at Element Recording & Mastering Studios. Mikal Shapiro is a KC songwriter whose musical influences span popular songs, psych rock, lounge, classic country and old time spirituals. She has toured extensively across the U.S. and has recorded five critically acclaimed albums. KC Star and Tim Finn declared her album “The Musical” to be one of his top five releases of 2015. A third generation storyteller, she draws inspiration from her travels, love life, and the state of the Union // Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Mastered by J Ashley Miller, designed by JC Franco, with compilation direction by Robert Castillo. Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in April of 2020. The album can be purchased from Bandcamp. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

10:29 – Underwriting

9. Soultru – “We”
from: “We” – Single / The Record Machine / January 31, 2020
[One of several singles Soultru has released this year incuding “Come & Gone” released April 10, 2020. Vocals by Terrance Banks. Singer, songwriter, poet and emcee Terrance A Banks aka Soultru is a native of Davenport, Iowa and is currently based out of the Quad Cities area of NW Illinois/NE Iowa. Combining his poetic and lyrical talents with a soulful voice, Soultru has forged his own unique sound. Soultru credits a wide range of influences, including Gavin Degraw, John Legend, Yelawolf and Son Little. Soultru released the single “Must Be” on August 24, 2019. More info at: http://www.soultrumusic.com]

Nathan Reusch

10:36 – Interview with Nathan Reusch

Nathan Reusch is founder of The Record Machine, a homegrown record label started in 2003. Originally created to promote music from Kansas City & Lawrence, TRM has grown to turnout records from bands all across the country. Nathan is also co-founder & curator of the Middle of The Map Fest, and Sound Machine KC. You can learn about all of their bands and more details at http://www.therecordmachine.co

Nathan Reusch joins us to share the new single from The Fey. The Fey play Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 14, at 7:00 PM, with Black Light Animals, and The Freedom Affair.

Nathan Reusch, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Current Record Machine Releases:

Soultru

Soultru – “Must Be” – single, released August 24, 2019. Soultru is Terrance Banks, a singer, songwriter, poet and emcee, and native of Davenport, Iowa and is currently based out of the Quad Cities area of NW Illinois/NE Iowa. Combining his poetic and lyrical talents with a soulful voice, Soultru has forged his own unique sound. Soultru credits a wide range of influences, including Gavin Degraw, John Legend, Yelawolf and Son Little. Soultru released the single “Must Be” on August 24, 2019.

The Noise FM

The Noise FM – “Cooler Heads Prevail” / “Who’s Watching Who?” – single, released July 24, 2020. The Noise FM play melodic, beat-driven indie-rock. Sometimes the tunes get really loud with fuzzed out synthesizers and gnarly riffs. Other times, it gets quieter — all grooves and sexy vibes. Regardless of the volume, people tend to dance. Brothers Alex & Austin Ward formed The Noise FM in Lawrence, Kansas. After 9 years in Chicago, the band relocated to Los Angeles in 2019. The band released their 10 song album Attraction on January 28, 2014. The band released Hot Sauce: The Noise FM Live from recordBar on December 9, 2016. They released their 6-song EP Enclave on May 14, 2010. The band released Dream of the Attack on October 1, 2008. They released their 16 track Night of the Sentinels on January 1, 2007. Alex & Austin Ward are also members of the band Hembree.]

The Republic Tigers – Mind Over Matter, album, released June 5, 2020. Hailing from Kansas City, MO, The Republic Tigers spike their lushly orchestrated indie rock with organic and synthetic elements. Founder Kenn Jankowski originally moved to Kansas City in 1999 and began playing guitar for The People, a band that later changed its name to The Golden Republic (Astralwerks Records). He also made fast friends with local musicians Ryan Pinkston and Adam McGill; and when The Golden Republic disbanded seven years later, he opted to launch his pop-based project with the other two multi-instrumentalists. Taking their name from Jankowski’s high school mascot, The Republic Tigers expanded their lineup with bassist Marc Pepperman and drummer Justin Tricomi. Electronic structures remained to play an important role in their music (via convenience/sensible creation-farming/forming), and the band issued a self-titled EP in late 2007 before putting the finishing touches on Keep Color, which arrived in 2008. Then there was a cool EP in 2011 titled “No Land’s Man” which featured the emo smash hit “The Infidel” and the extremely fun “Merrymake It With Me”. And then a second concept LP was concocted, “Mind Over Matter” – written from the year 2008 to the year 2011. Mixed and mastered in the year 2012. But then it was sadly shelved by the original labels until finally being released on hometown indie label The Record Machine in 2020.

Sally Haze

Sally Haze – “All That Matters” – single, released May 15, 2020. You might think this Chicago act was a solo artist, but it’s actually the project of trans-continental couple, Jess and Will Wright; the name is a sly literary reference. Jess, born and raised in Chicago, and Will, born in Leeds, England began writing and recording as Sally Haze in their home studio in 2019. Their goal is to create music that blurs the lines between Dream Pop, Shoegaze, and Neo-Psychedelia while maintaining pop sensibilities with a heavy focus on rhythm and melody. Their DIY attitude leads them to make music they enjoy listening to as much as it was fun to play. Their new EP, Wet Dream not only picks up where the couple left off, but shows growth too. The five tracks on Wet Dream are dream-pop songs that make you want to dance. They are bombastic, yet still find a way to be ethereal. Most of the songs on the EP were written drums and bass first, with guitars and vocal melodies fleshed out afterwards. Their debut EP, Dining Room, was praised by critics. It was included in the Uproxx ‘Best of Bandcamp November 2019′ list, and the duo was named Chicago Artist of the Month by the Deli. Wet Dream will be released in the summer of 2020.

Pala Zolo

Pala Zolo – “You Can’t” – single, released April 17, 2020. Pala Zolo is the instrumental electronic project of Lawrence, KS musician Eric Davis. In Pala Zolo, Davis blends synthesizers and drum machines with live instruments to create his blend of cinematic pop music. He chose the name to pay homage to his Sicilian heritage by naming the project after a small Sicilian village he spent time in while studying abroad in Italy. Pala Zolo allows Davis the full freedom to experiment in ways that are a departure from his main gig as the keyboard player in buzzy up-and-coming rock band Hembree (Thirty Tigers, Oread Records). // The inspiration for Pala Zolo came from a chance meeting with fellow electronic musician, Tycho’s Scott Hansen. One day while working at The Granada Theater in Lawrence, Davis was given the job of being Hansen’s driver. For years Davis had been writing and recording his own demos and was completely unsure of what to do with them. After spending the entire day with Hansen and seeing him perform, Davis realized he could bring his incomplete ideas to life in his own unique way. Seeing an instrumental band perform such an emotionally charged set inspired Davis to finish his songs without traditional vocals and to begin creating his own sound in that genre. // Soon after, Davis set forth to finalize the recordings with his good friend and producer Joel Martin (Y god Y). The two of them spent countless hours experimenting with synthetic and acoustic textures to create perfect soundscapes to compliment Davis’ intricately arranged compositions. In 2018, Davis self-released singles House Plant & 40K, and continued to take Pala Zolo to another level by performing live with drummer Gerardo Rojas.

The Fey

The Fey – “Tear It Off” – single, released August 7, 2020. The Fey is an Alternative R&B band, was formed by singer, songwriter, and producer Zach Watkins. While the infrastructure of the group’s style and sound is developed by Watkins, it is made complete by instrumentalists Michael Rogers (lead guitar), Ludwing Siebenhor (rhythm guitar), and John Fucinaro (bass). Evolved from the rock-soul project formally known as, AZP, and after years of arranging, composing, and performing under the former brand, Watkins felt destined to shape things back to his original design to produce modern music with a retro vibe. Since his jazz percussion studies at Berklee College of Music, Watkins has created music for and with artists of various genres, while crafting what he considers the ideal blend of sound and style that is now The Fey. This style holds true to the genres of pop and hip-hop with head-nodding breakbeats and hypnotizing bass lines that are the foundation of The Fey’s records. “Growing up, my father loaded the house with gospel and soul albums,” says Watkins, “but it was the culture of hip-hop that pulled me under its wing outside of the home. It was the best of both worlds.” Those classic soul and gospel tunes are where Watkins gives vocal credit. The Fey’s gripping connection between soulful-bluesy vox and modern-vintage instrumental continues to entice music enthusiasts of all sorts. With singles like “Contender” and “Tear It Off”, the band fervidly builds the strong rhythm section and surrounds Watkins’ expressive melodies with classic tones of guitar and synth, giving The Fey an edgy “rock star” aura. These anthem-esque vibes are funky, moody, and heavy, all under one roof. Lyrically, Watkins describes The Fey message as the voice of the underdogs, like “a stray wolf drifted away from the pack, embracing his own path through peaks and valleys.” Though the sensible ebb and flow of Zach’s personal life may set the band’s lyrical tone, The Fey is no underdog to a live performance. Rooted from numerous awards and achievements – six regionally recognized tours, including more than ten unofficial showcases at SXSW, as well as various performances for blog, radio, and television – The Fey has a reputation for rocking the stage. Since the release of their 2018 EP, Strawberry Lemonade, The Fey continues to make strides alongside their Kansas City-based indie record label, The Fey’s debut full-length LP, Palm Tree Shade, is to be released.

Nathan Reusch, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

10:45

10. The Fey – “Tear It Off (Radio Edit)”
from: Tear It Off- Single / The Record Machine / August 7, 2020
[New single that follows their last single, “Lost In My Head” released August 2, 2019, that followed the band’s July 13, 2018 EP Strawberry Lemonade. The Fey is a Rock/Soul sextet based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The band has created 3 EP’s under the alias “AZP”, but have recently made a name change to, The Fey. Charles Hull, Founder and Managing Director, Silver Street Records writes, The Fey is: Zach Watkins on lead/backup vocals, keys, percussion; Ishma Valenti on rap vocals; Trey Shotkoske on drums; Michael Rogers on guitars; John Fucinaro on bass, and Ludwing Siebenhor. Additional Backup vocals by Jasmin Ondap and Aly Millanes. Engineered and mixed by James Fleege at Silver Street. Mastered by Doug Van Sloun at Focus Mastering. Produced by Zach Watkins and James Fleege at Silver Street. Album art by Zach Watkins]

[The Fey play Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 14, at 7:00 PM, with Black Light Animals, and The Freedom Affair. More info at http://www.therecordmachine.co]

Betse & Clarke

11. Betse & Clarke – “Who By Fire”
from: Winter / Betse & Clarke / June 4, 2020
[A collection of songs and tunes, original, traditional, fiddle, and modern songs re-envisioned. This recording was compiled during winter 2020, with a feeling of introspection. Songs under copyright were properly licensed for this digital release. Regular folks, exceptional music: This duo from the heartland (Kansas City, Missouri) has its roots in Ozark old time music, honoring traditional songs and tunes that resonate with human experience. New compositions add compelling elements to their musical tapestry. Follow up to the duo’s 2017 release, Tunes We Like released only in analog on cassette. Betse & Clarke are a traditional and future folk duo with Betse Ellis on fiddles, violins, viola & vocals and Clarke Wyatt on banjos, guitar, cello, multi-instruments. Betse & Clarke have played and toured around the world. Individually their musical roots go deep in the KC music scene. Clarke Wyatt is a founding member of Mr. Marco’s V7, and Betse Ellis is a founding member of The Wilders. Last year Betse & Clarke released ”River Still Rise,” originals and reworked traditional compositions presented “to be enjoyed as a musical adventure, much like the river exploration of the famous duo Lewis & Clark, an inspiration for the band’s name.” http://www.betseandclarke.com]

12. Jamila Woods – “SULA (Paperback)”
from: SULA (Paperback) – Single! / Jagjaguwar / August 6, 2020
[Woods has released a new song written under the premise of her 2019 album Legacy Legacy, this time inspired by the late Toni Morrison. “SULA (Paperback)” is based on Morrison’s 1974 novel of the same name, and honors both the author and her literary characters. Listen to it below. In a press release, Jamila Woods stated: “Sula was the first Toni Morisson novel I ever read and it inspired the first chapbook of poems I ever wrote. The novel shows the evolution of a friendship between two Black women and how they choose to navigate society’s strict gender roles and rules of respectability. On Sula, Toni Morrison wrote, “Living totally by the law and surrendering totally to it without questioning anything sometimes makes it impossible to know anything about yourself.” Last year Jamila Woods released her second album Legacy Legacy on May 10, 2019. and it was part of WMM 119 Best Recordings of 2019. From Pitchfork: “On LEGACY! LEGACY!, Woods celebrates 12 of her heroes, along with the cultural lineage they have created for her. Each track is named after a forebear, like a single lit candle to their altar. Several are immediately recognizable in their pop-culture ubiquity, including “EARTHA,” “BASQUIAT,” and “MILES.” Others are less known: “GIOVANNI” and “SONIA” nod to the poets Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez, who’ve written grandly and compassionately about women of color. For many tracks, Woods pored over past interviews with her subjects to further get into their minds; in some cases, they were artists she’s taught to her mentees at the literacy nonprofit Young Chicago Authors, where she is the Associate Artistic Director. (Ever the teacher, she is including a bibliography of her research in the album’s liner notes.)” from Jamila Woods who was born October 6, 1989, and is a Chicago-based American singer, songwriter and poet. Woods is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Brown University, where she received a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies. Her work focuses on themes of Black ancestry, Black feminism, and Black identity, with recurring emphases on self-love and the City of Chicago. In 2012, Jamila Woods published her first chapbook, entitled The Truth About Dolls. Her work can be found in the anthologies The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (2015), Courage: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls (2014), and The UnCommon Core: Contemporary Poems for Learning & Living (2013). Her influences include Lucille Clifton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Morrison, and Frida Kahlo. Woods was also one of three editors of The Breakbeat Poets Volume II, entitled Black Girl Magic. The 2018 publication is an anthology of poetry by contemporary Black women, “exploring themes of beauty, unapologetic blackness, intersectionality, self-definition, and more.” Woods is the Associate Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors (YCA), an organization in the Chicago dedicated to uplifting youth voices through arts education and mentorship. Through YCA, Woods helps to organize Louder Than a Bomb, the world’s largest youth poetry slam festival. She also facilitates poetry workshops and creates curriculum for Chicago Public Schools. She is widely known for her collaborative works with Chance the Rapper on the hit song “Sunday Candy” from the album Surf as well as “Blessings” from Coloring Book. Woods is also featured on the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song “White Privilege II”. In January 2016, Woods signed to Chicago’s independent hip-hop label, Closed Sessions. Jamila released her debut album HEAVN on July 11, 2016 to critical acclaim. The album features collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Noname, Saba, Lorine Chia, Kweku Collins and Donnie Trumpet.]

13. Duncan Burnett – “You Agree?”
from: One of Those Days – EP / R.I.O.T LLC / April 10, 2020
[Olathe, KS based hip hop artist, singer, songwriter, producer, musician, drummer. From Tim Finn’s Back To Rockville(KC Star) Blog Sept. 9, 2015 – When he settled on hip-hop as his music genre, Duncan Burnett had two missions in mind: Keep the messages positive. “I’m big on spirituality and being a positive influence,” he said. “When I started, my goal was to have my nieces and nephews be able to listen to their uncle’s music and love it and be able to repeat every line and lyric but also to have people my age relate to it.” His second mission was to provide live music during his performances. Burnett has been performing live since he was 7. Live music, he said, is in his blood. Follow up to his 2018 EP The Almighty.]

11:00 – Station ID

Calvin Arsenia

14. Calvin Arsenia – “Dying”
from: L.A. Sessions / Center Cut Records / September 20, 2019
[Produced by Tony Braunagel with Paul Brown on guitar, Mike Finnigan on keyboards, Freddie Washington on bass, and David Garfield on piano. Between them, the five musicians have worked with some of music’s most iconic names: Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Loeb, Rickie Lee Jones, Buddy Guy, The Neville Brothers. “It was a thrill for me to work with such legendary players,” says Calvin. “Not only were they incredibly talented, but I got off a plane straight from Australia, hit the studio, and they were more than ready to get to that place where you honor the songs, leaving their egos at the door and honoring what the muses tell them. It was one of the best recording experiences I ever had.” Calvin’s production M.O. on previous recordings was to piece together songs “like pieces of a puzzle” and “layer them over several sessions.” Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in KC and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records, has been acclaimed for melding diverse textures into an alluring signature sound for the adventurous artist. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On December 13, 2019 Clvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.”]

[Calvin Arsenia who plays a Live Stream Event, Friday, August 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM, presented in partnership with Carlsen Center Presents and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.]

Calvin Arsenia

11:04 – Interview with Calvin Arsenia

Since 2014 WMM has celebrated Calvin Arsenia who came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland. His EPs: Moments, Prose, Catastrophe, Caviar, and full length, Catastrophe led to his signing with Center Cut Records where he released the album Cantaloupe in 2018, and L.A. Sessions in 2019. Calvin released an EP of remixes, Honey Dew, an EP with Quixotic, and the holiday album, All Is Calm, also in 2019. Voted KC’s Best Musician in 2018 and 2019 in The Pitch, and featured on Billboard, NPR.org, NEWNOWNEXT, Pride.com, and GRAMMY.com, Arsenia’s classically trained voice, visually striking 6-foot-6 presence, and deft harp playing have built his reputation as a live performer. Arsenia believes the art comes from crafting the perfect moment, organically unfolding with beauty, surprise, and something for all of the senses. More info at http://www.calvinarsenia.com

Calvin Arsenia plays a Live Stream Event, Fri, August 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM, presented in partnership with Carlsen Center Presents and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Calvin Arsenia plays a Center Cut Records Showcase at Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 PM, with The Black Creatures. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

Calvin Arsenia, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Born in Orlando, Florida, his creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in the Kansas City music scene and beyond.

His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life.

Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter/performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’

Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe (Center Cut Records), has been acclaimed for melding diverse textures into an alluring signature sound for the adventurous artist. Calvin performed live at L.A.’s The Mint, showcasing the songs on LA Sessions with the musicians who collaborated with him on the album. Says Calvin: “It’s such a special experience to play with them. To be able to perform these songs in front of an audience and do this for a living – to have made a career out of something I love is so amazing – it is an honor that I never take for granted.”

On September 15, 2018 Calvin released Cantaloupe on Center Cut Records.

Calvin released L.A. Sessions September 20, 2019 on Center Cut Records

Calvin Arsenia – Honeydew / Center Cut Records / June 28, 2019
[On September 15, 2018 Calvin released Cantaloupe on Center Cut Records. This new EP is a remix of three of the songs from Cantaloupe, plus a Talking Heads cover that was performed live in this style at a New Year’s Eve show at The Truman opening for Making Movies who performed the entire Talking Heads album, Remain in Light. The last three songs on Honeydew were from performed in this style at The Nelson Atkins 2019 event “Party Arty.” Honeydew was produced by Jametatone, Simon Huntley, Calvin Arsenia.

Quixotic & Calvin Arsenia – “Goddess – EP / Quixotic / May 17, 2019
[An innovative performance art collective that fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection, mapping and live music to create fully-immersive, multi-sensory experiences. Quixotic harnesses light, rhythm and expressive emotion. Quixotic was given Silicon Valley’s unofficial stamp of genius when they were invited to perform at the global TED Conference in 2012. A unique blend of performance art, technology and emotion. Quixotic fuses all these elements in to what the New York Times branded an “innovative circus performance,” and Men’s Journal declared “one of the best contemporary [cirque] acts.” They have performed for audiences worldwide and have helped launch brand products for companies such as BVLGARI, Faena Hotels, Garmin, HP, Smithsonian and Toyota. Quixotic harnesses light, rhythm and expressive emotion.] [Quixotic presents Sensatia, Cirque Cabaret, through Dec. 28 at 2450 Grand Blvd, 301 Kansas City

Calvin Arsenia – all is calm / Calvin Arsenia. / December 13, 2019
[Arsenia’s dreamlike whimsy shimmering through your favorite Christmas Classics. All proceeds for this album go towards the purchase of Calvin’s first harp. Featuring: Ben Muñoz on Cello, Shane Borth on Violin and Voila, and Luke “Skippy” Harbur on Beatbox. Mastered by Jametatone at the Infoaming Vertex and special thanks to Simon Huntley. Calvin wrote: “I recorded the majority of this album in my bedroom in between flights to and from KC and SF. I had my nephews and friend’s kids in mind and wanted an album of Christmas lullabys. I think it became just a little more sassy than anticipated, but I think you’ll enjoy it regardless.

Arsenia’s powerful vocals span a 3.5 octave range, playing piano, banjo, guitar & harp. Calvin has played Folk Alliance Int., KC Fringe Fest, Apocalypse Meow, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Last year he undertook a three month US/European Outlyre Tour playing San Francisco,Vancouver, NYC, Boston, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland and Paris.

A slice of Calvin’s Shows from 2019 to 2020…

[Calvin Arsenia played Tristian Griffin’s Palimpsest, Thur, June 13 at 7:00 PM & Fri, June 14 at 11:00 PM at Capsule, Charlotte Street Foundation’s new multi-room installation event space, 1664 Broadway Blvd, KCMO. the collaborative multi-media interactive art performance, features award-winning poet Glenn North, and original music by Calvin Arsenia and Pheenix Leeor]

[Calvin Arsenia appeared with The Mike Dillon Band opening for Rickie Lee Jones, Sun, June 16, at Crossroads KC, 417 E. 18th St, KCMO, 8:00 PM. Mike Dillon co-produced R.L.J. new KICKS.]

[Calvin Arsenia played INTER Relation>ship w/ Jade Osborne, Wed, June 19, 7:00 PM at Washington Square Park, 100 E. Pershing Rd, KCMO.]

[Calvin Arsenia played Briarfest, June 21, at Briar Cliff, 4100 N Mulberry Dr, KCMO.]

[Calvin played Crossroads Fashion Show]

[Calvin Arsenia played Bad in Bed LIVE Aug 22 – Aug 24, 8:00 PM at recordBar]

[Calvin Arsenia played The Sextet Album Release for Among Friends, Sept 15, at recordBar]

[Calvin Arsenia played Home for the Holidays with Calvin Arsenia & Friends Friday, December 13, at 7:00 PM, at Second Presbyterian, 318 E 55th St]

[Calvin Arsenia played Center Cut Records Holiday Party, Wednesday, December 18, at 7:00 recordBar with Fritz Hutchison, and The Black Creatures.]

[Calvin Arsenia played a New Year’s Eve show at Crossroads Hotel 2101 Central St., KCMO., Tuesday, December 31, at 9:00 PM with Quixotic, and DJ Marvin Gardens & DJ House of Dante.]

[Calvin Arsenia played Olathe Indian Creek Library, Olathe, KS, on Sunday, January 5.]

[Calvin Arsenia opened for Krystle Warren & The Faculty LIVE at Rough Trade NYC, 64 N 9th St, New York, New York, Saturday, Jan 10, 2020 at 8:00 PM.]

[Calvin Arsenia played Woody Guthrie Center, Oklahoma, February 21, 2020]

[Calvin Arsenia played Carpenter Square Theater, on Oklahoma City, February 23, 2020]

All of these shows ended in March at COVID-19 Quarantine began and music venues closed down. Calvin spent the first 2 months of Quarantine doing banjo and ukulele classes, live streaming shows, visual zoom gatherings.

Calvin Arsenia

We are talking with Calvin Arsenia who plays a Live Stream Event, Friday, August 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM, presented in partnership with Carlsen Center Presents and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Calvin Arsenia plays a Center Cut Records Showcase at Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 PM, with The Black Creatures. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

The Black Lives Matter Movement has had a great effect on Calvin Arsenia.

Calvin’s great, great, great grandmother Alice Gilliam Scott, was former slave who observed her 100th birthday.

11:14

15. Calvin Arsenia – “Revelation”
from: “Revelation” – Single / Calvin Arsenia / August 12, 2020 (Un-released) New Song

Congratulations to Calvin and his fantastic team of co-conspirators and creators: Khitam Jabr, John P. Beatty, Ignacio Galarza III, Ashlee Fairchild Jones, production assistants, and crew. The Toxic music video earned its sixth set of laurels as an official selection of the L.A. Music Video Awards, where they were nominated for Best Music Video, Best Cover Song and Best Male Vocalist.

In 2020 Calvin was able to purchase a new harp

Calvin Arsenia will be participating in The West 18th Street Fashion Show’s 20th year as i a feature-length film. “We are moving it from the street to the screen,” says Peregrin Honig to inkansascitymagazine. “Mike Dillon and Calvin Arsenia will be scoring and performing in the film.” The evening of October 16th at The Boulevard Drive-In will be the debut of the director’s cut of “Summer in Hindsight,” which Peregrine is currently working on with Justin Gardner,” Honig says. “We did this during a pandemic and a cultural revolution. I am not sure where else or how else this could happen at this moment in history.”

Calvin Arsenia, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

11:25

16. Calvin Arsenia – “River”
from: all is calm / Calvin Arsenia. / December 13, 2019
[Step into Arsenia’s dreamlike whimsy shimmering through your favorite Christmas Classics. All proceeds for this album go towards the purchase of Calvin’s first harp. Featuring: Ben Muñoz on Cello, Shane Borth on Violin and Voila, and Luke “Skippy” Harbur on Beatbox. Mastered by Jametatone at the Infoaming Vertex and special thanks to Simon Huntley. Calvin wrote: “I recorded the majority of this album in my bedroom in between flights to and from Kansas City and SF. I had my nephews and friend’s kids in mind and wanted an album of Christmas lullabys. I think it became just a little more sassy than i had anticipated but I think you’ll enjoy it regardless. Most of you may not know that I actually do not own a harp. 😮The ones you’ve seen me play over the past ten years have all been on loan. Donations for this album will go towards the purchase of my very own orchestral harp.”

[Calvin Arsenia plays a Live Stream Event, Friday, August 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM, presented in partnership with Carlsen Center Presents and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.]

[Calvin Arsenia plays a Center Cut Records Showcase at Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 PM, with The Black Creatures. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com]

11:30 – Underwriting

17. Cuee – “Shook (2020 Remix)”
from: Shameless / Cuee / November 23, 2018
[Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Cuee is a 27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist emcee, and educator. In the last 5 years Cuee has wowed audiences for his critically acclaimed releases and live performances. His fan favorites include Shook, Blessed, and Feeling Lucky from Cuee’s 2018 album, Shameless. Cuee is currently working to release an new album titled, “Gospel.” Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Cuee is also a recently graduate of Artist Inc. ]

[Cuee plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

Cuee

11:36 – Interview with Cuee

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, in the last five years 27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist Cuee has wowed audiences in Lawrence and KC with his critically acclaimed musical releases and live performances. Cuee exhibits an energetic and fun, yet smooth and motivational edge to his style of music. Drawing major influence from hip-hop artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Chance The Rapper, one could see why his storytelling essence fuses with harmonic flows. His fan favorites include Shook, Blessed, and Feeling Lucky from Cuee’s 2018 album, Shameless. Cuee is currently working to release a new album titled, “Gospel.” Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Cuee is also a graduate of Artist Inc.

Cuee Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Cuee plays, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altor, Stephonne Singleton, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and The Phantastics. The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community. http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

Cuee is Mar’quis Wright

On August 4 Cuee announced on Facebook that “the judge approved (his) name change order…It’s official y’all…Mar‘Quis or ‘Quis for short (Kiese)”

27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist emcee, and educator. Cuee has gained fans over the last five years in Lawrence and Kansas City for his critically acclaimed musical releases and live performances.

On November 28, 2018 Cuee released the 10-track album Shameless.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, where Cuee’s father still lives.

Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas where Cuee worked as a graduate assistant.

Cuee is also a recently graduate of Artist Inc.

Cuee has a passionate drive for everything hip-hop. Drawing major influence from hip-hop artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Chance The Rapper,

Cuee is currently working to release a new album titled, “Gospel.”

Follow Cuee @cueemusic everywhere | http://www.officialcuee.com .
IG: @cueemusic
Twitter: @cueemusic
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/cueemusic

CUEE Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

11:48

18. Cuee – “Who’s Back”
from: Who’s Back – Single / Cuee / August 12, 2020
[Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Cuee is a 27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist emcee, and educator. In the last 5 years Cuee has wowed audiences in Lawrence and KC for his critically acclaimed musical releases and live performances. Cuee exhibits an energetic and fun, yet smooth and motivational edge to his style of music. Drawing major influence from hip-hop artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Chance The Rapper, one could see why his storytelling essence fuses with harmonic flows. His fan favorites include Shook, Blessed, and Feeling Lucky from Cuee’s 2018 album, Shameless. Cuee is currently working to release an new album titled, “Gospel.”Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Cuee is also a recently graduate of Artist Inc. ]

[Cuee plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

Black Light Animals “Playboys of The Western World”

19. Black Light Animals – “Halo”
from: Playboys of The Western World / Groove King Records / July 3, 2020
[Formed from the ashes of their last band, Instant Karma the new record contains lush pop vocals crooned over spaghetti western riffs, psychedelic synth, and hip hop drums. Playboys of the Western World is a sprawling, decadent examination of what it means to be a human being through the lens of horror movie organs, spaghetti western guitars, hip hop grooves, psychedelic sojourns, and ballads crooned to lovers in the night. Members include: Cole Bales on vocals & guitar, Cody Calhoun on guitar, Branden Moser on bass, and Zach Harris on drums. More info at: http://www.blacklightanimalsband.bandcamp.com]

[Black Light Animals play Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 14, at 7:00 PM, with The Fey, and The Freedom Affair. More info at http://www.therecordmachine.co]

20. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – ArtsKCGo – Arts Calendar

Next week on Wednesday, August 19, Nico Gray joins us as Guest Producer.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #850

WMM presents: Calvin Arsenia + Cuee + Nathan Reusch

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Calvin Arsenia + Cuee + Greenline Grows KC
+ Nathan Reusch + New & MidCoastal Releases

Mark plays New & MidCoastal Releases from: Kemet Coleman, Calvin Arsenia, Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits, Cuee, The Fey, Black Light Animals, Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Gemini Revolution, Krystle Warren and The Faculty, Betse & Clarke, Soultru, Kris Delmhorst, The Indigo Girls, and Jamila Woods.

Nathan Reusch

At 10:30 Nathan Reusch shares the new single from The Fey. The Fey play Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 14, at 7:00 PM, with Black Light Animals, and The Freedom Affair. Nathan Reusch is founder of The Record Machine, a homegrown record label started in 2003. Originally created to promote music from Kansas City & Lawrence, TRM has grown to turnout records from bands all across the country. Nathan is also co-founder & curator of the Middle of The Map Fest, and Sound Machine KC. More info at http://www.therecordmachine.co

Calvin Arsenia

At 11:00 Mark talks with Calvin Arsenia who plays a Live Stream Event, Friday, August 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM, presented in partnership with Carlsen Center Presents and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Since 2014 WMM has celebrated Calvin Arsenia who came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland. His EPs: Moments, Prose, Catastrophe, Caviar, and full length, Catastrophe led to his signing with Center Cut Records where he released the album Cantaloupe in 2018, and L.A. Sessions in 2019. Calvin released an EP of remixes, Honey Dew, an EP with Quixotic, and the holiday album, All Is Calm, also in 2019. Voted KC’s Best Musician in 2018 and 2019 in The Pitch, and featured on Billboard, NPR.org, NEWNOWNEXT, Pride.com, and GRAMMY.com, Arsenia’s classically trained voice, visually striking 6-foot-6 presence, and deft harp playing have built his reputation as a live performer. Arsenia believes the art comes from crafting the perfect moment, organically unfolding with beauty, surprise, and something for all of the senses. More info at http://www.calvinarsenia.com

Cuee

At 11:30 Mark talks with Cuee, 27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist emcee, originally from Chicago, Illinois. In the last five years Cuee has wowed audiences in Lawrence and KC with his critically acclaimed musical releases and live performances. Cuee exhibits an energetic and fun, yet smooth and motivational edge to his style of music. Drawing major influence from hip-hop artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Chance The Rapper, one could see why his storytelling essence fuses with harmonic flows. His fan favorites include Shook, Blessed, and Feeling Lucky from Cuee’s 2018 album, Shameless. Cuee is currently working to release a new album titled, “Gospel.” Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Cuee is also a graduate of Artist Inc.

Cuee plays, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altor, Stephonne Singleton, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and The Phantastics. The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community. http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #850

WMM Playlist from August 5, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Khrystal. & Greenline Grows KC
+ New & MidCoastal Release
s

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme]

2. Lava Dreams – “Good Energy”
from: “Good Energy + Focus / Lava Dreams / June 13, 2020
[Written by Lava Dreams and produced by Duncan Burnett. Solo artist Lava Dreams aka Julia Hamilton writes songs influenced by pop, soul, RnB, jazz, trap, house, funk, reggae, rock, and world music. Hailing from Kansas City, MO, her guitar-based music is both dreamy & electric. Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018. Julia Hamilton is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila Unversity. You can listen to Lava Dreams on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Deezer, Google Play, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or at LavaDreamsMusic.com ]

[Lava Dreams plays Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 7, at 7:00 PM, with Stephonne Singleton, and Dustin Rapier. More info at: http://www.stephonne.com]

3. jordana – “Forgetter”
from: Something To Say EP / Grand Jury Music / July 31, 2020
[Jordana is a girl who makes music in her living room in Kansas. Produced by MELVV & Jordana. Mixed by James Dring and mastered by Dave Trumfio. Follow up to her recent single “I’ll Take It Boring” released May 12, 2020 and her full length album release, Classical Notions of Happiness, March 27, 2020 with all songs written and produced by Jordan except “Crunch” was co written and produced by Jordana and Jeff Melvin aka “Melvv” and “Sway” was written by Jordana and co produced by Jordana and Sage Baptiste.]

4. Major Matt Mason USA – “Victims Of The Storm”
from: Victims Of The Storm – Single / Olive Juice Music / July 20, 2020
[Major Matt Mason USA is the the recording project of Matt Roth who also plays in the bands Schwervon! and Broken Heart Syndrome. The song was self produced with Brian Hurtgen on Drums and Dane Bridges on Bass at Olive Juice Music, Matt’s home studio in Shawnee Kansas. Victims of the Storm is meant to convey the collateral damage that can occur from difficult relationships while at the same time expressing the universal connection that we all have through suffering that occurs beyond our control. Matt Roth on guitar & vocals, Brian Hurtgen on drums, and Dane Bridges on bass. https://majormattmasonusa.com%5D

5. The Republic Tigers – “Falco Peregrinus”
from: Mind Over Matter / The Record Machine / June 5, 2020
[Hailing from Kansas City, MO, The Republic Tigers spike their lushly orchestrated indie rock with organic and synthetic elements. Founder Kenn Jankowski originally moved to Kansas City in 1999 and began playing guitar for The People, a band that later changed its name to The Golden Republic (Astralwerks Records). He also made fast friends with local musicians Ryan Pinkston and Adam McGill; and when The Golden Republic disbanded seven years later, he opted to launch his pop-based project with the other two multi-instrumentalists. Taking their name from Jankowski’s high school mascot, The Republic Tigers expanded their lineup with bassist Marc Pepperman and drummer Justin Tricomi. Electronic structures remained to play an important role in their music (via convenience/sensible creation-farming/forming), and the band issued a self-titled EP in late 2007 before putting the finishing touches on Keep Color, which arrived in 2008. Then there was a cool EP in 2011 titled “No Land’s Man” which featured the emo smash hit “The Infidel” and the extremely fun “Merrymake It With Me”. And then a second concept LP was concocted, “Mind Over Matter” – written from the year 2008 to the year 2011. Mixed and mastered in the year 2012. But then it was sadly shelved by the original labels until finally being released on hometown indie label The Record Machine in 2020.]

6. Krystle Warren & The Faculty – “Somebody Made For Me”
from: Love Songs – A Time to Refrain from Embracing (Love Songs: A Time You May Embrace) / Parlour Door Music / April 9, 2012 UK]
[Originally from KC, Krystle learned to play the guitar by listening to Rubber Soul & Revolver from The Beatles. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career in collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After living in San Francisco and NYC, Krystle was signed to a French label, Because Music, who gave her a one way ticket to France. Krystle moved to Paris to release “Circles” in 2009. Krystle played French and British television programs, including Later with Jools Holland, garnering critical acclaim and traveling all over the world on tours with Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Norah Jones, and Joan As Police Woman. Krystle left Because Music and created, Parlour Door Music, to release “Love Songs: A Time You May Embrace / A Time to Refrain from Embracing” a recording from a 13-day session in Brooklyn, where she recorded 24 songs live with 28 musicians including her band, The Faculty, alongside choirs, horn and string sections. In 2019 The Kansas City based Owen/Cox Dance Group premiered a new dance piece titled “Love Songs” with choreography by Jennifer Owen, set to all 24 songs, in the order they appear in the double album recording, that Brad Cox originally worked on as an arranger and keyboardist. Krystle Warren has collaborated with Erykah Badu, Keziah Jones, Zap Mama, Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright, Brad Cox Amadou & Mariam, Lakecia Benjamin, Guarco, Teddy Thompson, Gwyneth Herbert, Hercules & Love Affair, and Joon Moon. Along with being included in the compilation “NYC Subway – Songs from the Underground,” and tribute recordings for Kate McGarrigle, and Nick Drake, Warren has released the EP “Diary” on May 1, 2007; “The Up Series – EP” on November 10, 2008; “Circles” her 13-song full length on March 13, 2009; “A Time To Keep – Love Songs EP”, on August 12, 2011, The double album 24-song “Love Songs” released on vinyl in Europe on April 9, 2012 and as separate digital and CD albums in the U.S. as: “Love Songs: A Time to Embrace,” on March 13, 2012 and “Love Songs: A Time to Refrain from Embracing” on February 27, 2015; Krystle released “Three the Hard Way” on August 18, 2017; and the new single “Rising”was released May 31, 2019.]

[Krystle Warren plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

7. Thanya Iyer-“Please Don’t Hold Me Hostage for Who I Am, for Who I Was”
from: Kind / Topshelf Records / July 31, 2020
[KIND explores an expansive universe where Iyer and her band examine interpersonal relationships, ideas of home and destination, and our collective responsibilities to one another. To aid in this journey of big, difficult questions, Iyer enlists the help of a huge cast of musicians, with guest features ranging from brass trios, vocal sextets, flautists, and harpists. Underscoring its explorative nature, the constant movement of KIND melds the sounds of experimental pop and improv into a magical amalgam that teems with flashes of jazz and nuanced electronics. Iyer’s rhythm section pulsates with genre-defying palettes of blips and skitters that twist elegantly into the melodic voices of interlocking synth, strings, and piano, all led by Iyer’s enrapturing lilt. The rhythmic direction of bassist Alexander Kasirer-Smibert and percussionist Daniel Gélinas clears a navigable path in an otherwise unnavigable setting, built on the pair’s understated yet intriguing expertise. The most succinct distillation of the album’s themes is perhaps found in KIND’s tracklist. “Please Don’t Hold Me Hostage for Who I Am, Who I Was” and “Bring Back That Which is Kind to You” inspire philosophies of self-care and emergent reconfigurations of justice, calling on listeners to self-reflect and detach from our preconceptions of ourselves and our identity. At the end of its course, KIND arrives at the conclusion of acceptance and resolve: acceptance of our collective circumstance, and the resolve to make the choice to do better. Thanya Iyer on voice, synth, violin, piano; Alex Kasirer-Smibert on Bass, percussion, synth, voice; Daniel Gélinas on Drums, Drum machine, percussion, voice; Shaina Hayes on vocals (tracks 4,5; Simon Millerd on Trumpet; Mawmz Plus Choir [Shelby Cohen, Corey Gulkin, Emilie Kahn, Brigitte Naggar, Sarah Rossy, Tamara Sandor] (tracks 7,9); Emilie Kahn on Harp, Frédérique Roy on Accordion; Devin Brahja Waldman on Saxophone; Felix Del Tredici on Trombone; Anh Phung: on Flute; Scott Bevins on Trumpet + electronics. All songs by Thanya Iyer. Produced by Daniel Gélinas, Alexander Kasirer-Smibert & Thanya Iyer. Recorded and Mixed by Daniel Gélinas at Studio Chocolat Chaud (Ogden, QC), St George’s Anglican Church (Montréal, QC) and Resonance Café (Montréal, QC). Mastered by Elton Chueng at Classick Studios (Chicago, IL) ]

10:29 – Underwriting

8. Bahroot (Eric Fain) – “Psilocybin Tea”
from: The Last Man on Earth / BLKC Records / July 20, 2020
[Eric Fain is the proprietor of BLKC Records. BLKC (Be Loyal/Kansas City) is an independent record label, management and promotion company with the goal to garner mainstream attention to Midwestern bands with no limit on genre. Bahroot is the music side project of Eric Fain. All songs written and recorded by Eric Fain. For a while Eric kept pretty quiet about it, but recently he released 9 songs written during this pandemic and now available on Bandcamp, Spotify and other places. The Last Man on Earth is a four song EP that followed the release of three singles in May, 2020. Bahroot is instrumental / Lofi / Hip Hop / Beats / Background / Relaxation / Music. ] [Psilocybin[a] (/ˌsaɪləˈsaɪbɪn/ sy-lə-SY-bin) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms, collectively known as psilocybin mushrooms. As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar, in some aspects, to those of LSD, mescaline, and DMT. In general, the effects include euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual experiences, and can also include possible adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks.]

9. Durand Jones & The Indications – “Young Americans”
from: Young Americans – Single / Dead Oceans / January 20, 2020
[One of two singles the band has released in 2020. Initially recorded for Howard Stern’s SiriusXFM radio show, the band have now decided to share the track with their fans. Featured on Bowie’s 1975 album of the same name, which saw him move away from the glam of earlier recordings towards a more soulful sound, Blake Rhein from The Indications said: “The entire Young Americans album is an incredible piece of soul music history with brilliant flares gospel, funk, and disco. The way Bowie is able to use these ingredients and apply them to his own brand of weird-o pop is just amazing.” The track was recorded in August of 2017 at Russian Recording in Bloomington, Indiana after the Stern show reached out as they were putting together a compilation featuring various artists covering different Bowie songs. Having seen no one was covering Young Americans, the decision to record the track was relatively straight forward as the soul-stylings of the original perfectly suited Durand Jones & The Indications. The band were joined during recordings by Alonza Lawrence, Saren Oseitoto and GeDeane Graham on backing vocals, Ana Nelson on saxophone and Jesse Klirsfeld on trumpet.The band who last year appeared at both the Meltdown Festival, curated by Nile Rodgers, at London’s South Bank and the Green Man Festival in August and more recently played their biggest sold-out London headline show at the Islington Assembly Hall, head out for an extensive run of U.S. dates starting in January. // Durand Jones & The Indications released their debut self titled album on May 16, 2018. The band released their second album, American Love Call, on March 7, 2019. Bayou-born soul sensation, Durand Jones got his start in the church, after being forced to sing in the choir of his rural hometown Hillaryville, Louisiana because his Grandmother thought he sang too much at home. When his music career took him to Bloomington, Indiana, he was selected to join the legendary Indiana University Soul Revue, and it was through his involvement that he met writer/producer duo Aaron Frazer and Blake Rhein. The three began writing original soul music, recording themselves straight to tape in the basements of Bloomington – and their debut album is now available on Colemine Records. The Indications conjure the dynamism of Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, AND the Impressions. This young band of twenty-somethings are students of soul, including guitarist Blake Rhein, who moonlights doing research for The Numero Group.]

10. David Bowie – “Under Pressure” with Gail Ann Dorsey
from: A Reality Tour (Bonus Track Version) [Live] / Sony Music Entertainment / Jan. 22, 2010
[“Under Pressure” is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen’s 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Queen’s second number-one hit in their home country (after 1975’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which topped the chart for nine weeks) and Bowie’s third (after the 1975 reissue of “Space Oddity” and “Ashes to Ashes” in 1980). The song charted in the top 10 in more than ten countries around the world, and peaked at No. 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1982. // A Reality Tour is a live album by David Bowie that was released on 25 January 2010. The album features November 22, and 23, 2003 performances in Dublin during his concert tour A Reality Tour. The 2004, live version features David Bowie – vocals, guitars, stylophone, harmonica; Earl Slick – guitar; Gerry Leonard – guitar; Gail Ann Dorsey – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Under Pressure”; Sterling Campbell – drums; Mike Garson – keyboards, piano; Catherine Russell – keyboards, percussion, acoustic guitar, backing vocals. A Reality Tour was a worldwide concert tour by David Bowie in support of the Reality album. The tour commenced on 7 October 7, 2003 at the Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark continuing through Europe, North America, Asia, including a return to New Zealand and Australia for the first time since the 1987 Glass Spider Tour. The tour grossed $46,000,000, making it the ninth-highest grossing tour of 2004. At over 110 shows, the tour was the longest tour of Bowie’s career. Bowie played Kansas City, May 10, 2004, at Starlight Theatre. I was there, seven rows from the stage.]

11. Koney – “Glue Diet”
from: Koney / High Dive Records / June 26, 2020
[High Dive Records announced on their website http://www.highdivekc.com “We are excited to announce that Konnor Ervin from The ACBs and Shy Boys has a new project called Koney. We will be releasing his new self titled album digitally on June 26, 2020 followed by a vinyl release later this summer. Thanks to New Commute you can check out the lead single and corresponding video at the below link. https://www.newcommute.net/feed/2020/5/19/koney-sue-2 Konnor Ervin is part of the Shy Boys who’ve released two full-length albums and multiple singles. Before Shy Boys, Konnor was the founder of the critically acclaimed band The ACBs who released their self titled debut album in 2007, followed by Stona Rosa in 2011, and Little Leaves in 2013. Konnor’s work on what might have been The ACBs fourth full-length album, got held up, but now seven years later it’s seeing the light of day under the name Koney, Konnor’s nickname from Shy Boy’s band mates.]

12. Cat Dail – “Red Pill”
from: Fred pill – Single / Lucky Magnet Records / July 30, 2020
[Recorded entirely remotely, during Covid-19, May 2020. CAT DAIL Vocals, SHAWN PELTON Drums, ANDY HESS Bass, SCOTT SHARRARD Guitar, BEN STIVERS Rhodes Piano, BARRY DANIELIAN Trumpet, CRAIG DREYER Sax, CLARK GAYTON Trombone. Produced by CLARK GAYTON, Mixed by MARC URSELLI, Mastered by JOE LaPORTA, Sterling Sound Originally from Kansas City, Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, & producer Cat Dail, lives some of the time in NYC and some of the time in Chesterfield, NH. She’s released 5 albums on her label Lucky Magnet Records . Cat has been active in the Indie rock scene since the 1990s, leading her NYC band, Cat played a residency at the Bitter End, and most colleges and clubs from Vermont to Virginia, Colorado to California. Her EP Fight For Love was part of WMM’s 118 Best recordings of 2018. More info at: http://www.catdail.com]

13. UMI – “Sukidakara”
from: Love Language – EP / Loud Robot / October 30, 2020
[Tierra Umi Wilson was born February 9, 1999. She is a singer and songwriter, born in Seattle, Washington. Wilson attended the University of Southern California, but dropped out in 2019 to pursue music. While she’s only just entered adulthood, she released singles “Remember Me” and the EP “Interlude.” On May 17, 2019, UMI released a mini EP “Balance” containing 2 songs, “Ordinary” and “Down to Earth.” UMI is an R&B artist who was raised by a pianist mother, and drummer father. UMI started writing music when she was 4 or 5, with a songwriting journal. In high school, she discovered YouTube beats and started writing to tracks. She would record the songs with a USB mic and upload them to SoundCloud and YouTube. She soon started to get copyrighted on SoundCloud from posting covers of other songs. This made her start writing and posting her own original. Her father is African American and her mother is Japanese.]

14. Cuee – “Shook (2020 Remix)”
from: Shameless / Cuee / November 23, 2018
[Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Cuee is a 27 year old Lawrence based hip-hop artist emcee, and educator. In the last 5 years Cuee has wowed audiences in Lawrence and KC for his critically acclaimed musical releases and live performances. Cuee exhibits an energetic and fun, yet smooth and motivational edge to his style of music. Drawing major influence from hip-hop artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Chance The Rapper, one could see why his storytelling essence fuses with harmonic flows. His fan favorites include Shook, Blessed, and Feeling Lucky from Cuee’s 2018 album, Shameless. Cuee is currently working to release an new album titled, “Gospel.”Cuee received his Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Cuee is also a recently graduate of Artist Inc.]

[Cuee plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

11:00 – Station ID

Last week on the show we played Khrystal.’s 2020 single, “You Again” that was released on February 21, 2020. This week we are thrilled to premiere Khrystal.’s newest single “Magic” to be released by Manor Records on August 8, 2020

15. Khrystal. – “Magic”
from: Magic – Single / Manor Records / August 8, 2020
[Manor Records announced a new single from newly signed KCK musical artist Khrystal. Her new single “Magic” will be available on August 8, 2020 and will be released on limited edition cassette singles with her most recent single “You Again” as a B-Side. On September 1, 2017 Khrystal. Released The Glow Up EP, Produced & Written by Khrystal Coppage and Duncan Burnett. This was follow up to Khrystal’s Debut EP, Quarter Century Living. Executive Produced By Duncan Burnett. Written By Khrystal Coppage & Duncan Burnett. Kansas City based Khrystal Coppage served as Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016. She graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK.]

[Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!]

1:03 – Interview with Khrystal

Singer songwriter Khrystal. will be releasing her new single “Magic” on August 8, 2020 through Manor Records. “Magic” will be released on limited edition cassette singles. announced a new single from newly signed KCK musical artist Khrystal. Her new single “Magic” will be available on August 8, 2020 and will be released on limited edition cassette singles with her most recent single “You Again” as a B-Side. Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!

Khrystal., thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Manor Records will be releasing Khrystal’s new single “Magic” digitally & on limited edition cassette – both available this Friday, August 7, 2020 on her Bandcamp page – https://khrystalwithakh.bandcamp.com/releases. The B-side will be her most recently released single “You, Again”. Production on both tracks by Duncan Barnett.

Alishia Maxwell – Photography
Christopher Robertson – Graphic Design

On July 13, 2018 Khrystal. released The Awkward Muva, an 8-song release produced with Duncan Burnett and Desmond Mason.

On September 1, 2017 Khrystal. released The Glow Up EP, Produced & Written by Khrystal Coppage and Duncan Burnett.

On September 1, 2017 Khrystal. released the EP, Quarter Century Living. Executive Produced By Duncan Burnett. Written By Khrystal Coppage & Duncan Burnett.

Khrystal. also works as an actress in theatre and film she can be seen in Morgan Cooper’s award winning film U Shoot Videos?

Kansas City based Khrystal Coppage served as Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016.

Khrystal graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK.

Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!


GREENLINE GROWS KC: A LIVESTREAM BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE GREENLINE INITIATIVE on FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 7:00 PM CST – STREAMING ON FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE

On August 28th, local artists and leaders will partner with 90.9 The Bridge, Midwest Music Foundation, Records with Merritt, Manor Records, Folk Alliance International, KKFI 90.1 FM, Butler C&D & Center Cut Records to help bring you a live-stream event, benefitting The Greenline Initiative.

The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization in Kansas City that uses crowdsourced funding to help historically marginalized and low income populations in our city buy and renovate the houses they rent. Operating out of Kansas City’s 3rd District, the initiative works to build permanent community and generational wealth in formerly redlined neighborhoods

The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, and will highlight Black excellence throughout Kansas City. It will also include non-Black performers and local leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of consistently lifting up our black community members.

Performances by: Radkey /// The Greeting Committee /// Khrystal. /// Cuee /// Danny Cox + Bob Walkenhorst /// Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies + Las Hermanas Altoro // Stephonne // Krystle Warren // They Call Me Sauce // The Phantastics and more!

Appearances by: Ajia Morris + Chris Morris of The Greenline Initiative
Deanna Munoz of Latino Foundation for the Arts/Midwest Chicana
Starzette Palmer – Executive Director of Our Spot KC
G.S. Griffin – Author of Racism in Kansas City
Mayor Quinton Lucas

The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community and generational wealth in formerly redlined neighborhoods. More info at: http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

Info link: bit.ly/greenlinegrowskc
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/803423657131263/
Greenline website: https://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com/

Khrystal., thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, The Phantastics and more!

11:16

Khrystal.

16. Khrystal. – “M e L A N i N P o P P i N”
from: Q u a r t e r C e n t u r y L i v i n g / Khrystal. / September 1, 2017
[Written and performed by Khrystal. Produced by Katheryne Johnson. Khrystal Coppage is Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016. She graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK. http://mixtapemonkey.com/2073/khrystal-q-u-a-r-t-e-r-c-e-n-t-u-r-y-l-i-v-i-n-g. Khrystal also released the three song EP, The Glow Up produced by Duncan Burnett on November 7, 2017.

[Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and The Phantastics]

17. Khrystal. – “Her Eyes”
from: Her Eyes – Single / Khrystal. /June 7, 2019
[On September 1, 2017 Khrystal. Released The Glow Up EP, Produced & Written by Khrystal Coppage and Duncan Burnett. This was follow up to Khrystal’s Debut EP, Quarter Century Living. Executive Produced By Duncan Burnett. Written By Khrystal Coppage & Duncan Burnett. Kansas City based Khrystal Coppage served as Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016. She graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK. ]

[Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and The Phantastics]

18. Kadesh Flow – “I’m A Hero”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Kadesh Flow released his latest EOP Motivated on January 31, 2020. Mixed by Kadesh Flow. Mastered by Bill Beats. Kadesh calls this EP a “collection of tracks that I made to motivate myself. Hopefully they get you fired up as well.” Kadesh Flow is Ryan Davis is a rapper with an MBA. He is an emcee, producer, & trombonist. At age 11, he began rapping and playing trombone within two weeks of one another. His music has been featured on network television in multiple countries and territories across Southeast Asia. Kadesh performs as a solo hip hop artist. He also plays with KC funk juggernaut The Phantastics, and Marcus Lewis Big Band. // COVID-19 may have shut down innumerable business and altered our lives forever, but one thing it couldn’t stop is the creative drive and spirit in the world’s artists. Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. “Syzygy” is a term most commonly used in astronomy and is defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Album designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.” The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

19. Dirty Projectors – “Lose Your Love”
from: Flight Tower – EP / Domino Recording Co / June 25, 2020
[Scarcely 18 months after the release of their album, “Lamp Lit Prose,” from July 13, 2018, and three months after their live-in-studio album “Sing The Melody” from December 10, 2019, Dirty Projectors released the single ‘Overlord.’ Then several month later the band released their new 4-song EP Flight Tower. Lead Projector Dave Longstreth put together the new band around the Lamp Lit Prose touring in 2018/19. Guitarist Maia Friedman handles lead vocals and co-wrote the lyrics with Dave, who wrote and produced the music. Felicia Douglass and Kristin Slipp contribute additional vocals. Nat Baldwin plays upright bass; Mike Johnson is behind the kit. Mauro Refosco plays congas.]

11:29 – Underwriting

20. Teyana Taylor – “Let’s Build (feat. Quavo)”
from: The Album (Deluxe) / Getting Out Our Dreams – Def Jam / June 19, 2020
[Teyana Meshay Jacqueli Shumpert (née Taylor; was born December 10, 1990. She is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, choreographer, director, and model. In 2005, Taylor signed a record deal with American musician Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak Entertainment imprint, before making her first national appearance on MTV’s My Super Sweet 16. In 2012, she signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music label through Def Jam, after asking for her release from Star Trak. As an aspiring songwriter, Taylor has worked with and written records for artists such as Usher, Chris Brown, and Omarion. Taylor has appeared on runways during Fashion Week and has also landed high-profile features, such as on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. She stars in the VH1 reality television show Teyana and Iman, alongside her husband, NBA player Iman Shumpert. Taylor was born on December 10, 1990, while she was raised in Harlem, New York City; she is of Afro-Trinidadian descent. Taylor is her mother’s only child while her father has two sons and another daughter from a different relationship. Her mother raised her with her family and is currently her manager. At age nine, she began performing. Taylor was enrolled in many different talent competitions, including the Apollo Theater National All-Stars talent search, although she never won. Growing up, Taylor had strong influences from Brandy, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, and Michael Jackson. On December 6, 2019, Taylor released the single “We Got Love”. On May 7, 2020, Taylor announced that her third studio album is titled The Album and would be released sometime in June 2020.[46] It was released on June 19, with the 23-track album featuring guest appearances by Erykah Badu, Kehlani, Lauryn Hill, Future, Rick Ross, Quavo, and Missy Elliot. The album was awarded 3.5/5 stars by The Forty-Five, saying The Album “finds the veteran performer firmly reclaiming her own narrative”. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200.]

21. Bahroot (Eric Fain) – “Quarantine Morning”
from: The Last Man on Earth / BLKC Records / July 20, 2020
[Eric Fain is the proprietor of BLKC Records. BLKC (Be Loyal/Kansas City) is an independent record label, management and promotion company with the goal to garner mainstream attention to Midwestern bands with no limit on genre. Bahroot is the music side project of Eric Fain. All songs written and recorded by Eric Fain. For a while Eric kept pretty quiet about it, but recently he released 9 songs written during this pandemic and now available on Bandcamp, Spotify and other places. The Last Man on Earth is a four song EP that followed the release of three singles in May, 2020. Bahroot is instrumental / Lofi / Hip Hop / Beats / Background / Relaxation / Music. ] [Psilocybin[a] (/ˌsaɪləˈsaɪbɪn/ sy-lə-SY-bin) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms, collectively known as psilocybin mushrooms. As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar, in some aspects, to those of LSD, mescaline, and DMT. In general, the effects include euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual experiences, and can also include possible adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks.]

22. Cut Worms – “Baby Come On”
from: Nobody Lives Here Anymore / Jagjaguar / October 9, 2020
[Cut Worms is the music project of Ohio-born, Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and musician Max Clarke. Max Clarke, known by his stage name Cut Worms, is a singer, songwriter, and musician hailing from Ohio who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Cut Worms has opened for bands such as Jenny Lewis, Kevin Morby, The Lemon Twigs and Michael Rault. Cut Worms released the EP Alien Sunset in 2017. In 2018, Cut Worms released the debut full-length album Hollow Ground on Jagjaguwar. Hollow Ground received a rating of 7.2 on Pitchfork.]

23. Heavy Surface – “Didn’t it Rain”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[French Exit Records launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. The BLM Comp is on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

24. Bream – “No Beginnings/No End”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[Bream is the musical project of Justin Beamer. All instruments, sounds, and lyrics written by Justin Beamer.][French Exit Records launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. The BLM Comp is on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

25. Beach Bunny – “Dream Boy”
from: Honeymoon / Mom+Pop / February 14, 2020
[Beach Bunny is an American indie pop band, founded in 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The group released its debut studio album, Honeymoon, in February 2020 on Mom + Pop Music. Beach Bunny began as a bedroom-based solo project in 2015 when Lili Trifilio recorded a song titled “6 Weeks”. The same year, Trifilio released her first EP, titled Animalism. She released her second EP titled Pool Party in 2016. In 2017, Beach Bunny expanded to a full four-piece lineup and released a third EP, titled Crybaby. In 2018, Beach Bunny released their fourth EP, titled Prom Queen. On October 31, 2019, the band announced that they had signed to Mom + Pop Music and released their first full-length album, Honeymoon, on February 14, 2020. Band members are: Lili Trifilio on vocals & guitar, Matt Henkels on guitar, Anthony Vaccaro on bass, Jon Alvarado on drums. http://www.beachbunnymusic.com]

26. The Noise FM – “Who’s Watching Who?”
from: Cooler Heads Prevail /Who’s Watching Who? – Single / The Noise FM / July 24, 2020
[The Noise FM plays melodic, beat-driven indie-rock. Sometimes the tunes get really loud with fuzzed out synthesizers and gnarly riffs. Other times, it gets quieter — all grooves and sexy vibes. Regardless of the volume, people tend to dance. Brothers Alex & Austin Ward formed The Noise FM in Lawrence, Kansas. After 9 years in Chicago, the band relocated to Los Angeles in 2019. The band released their 10 song album Attraction on January 28, 2014. The band released Hot Sauce: The Noise FM Live from recordBar on December 9, 2016. They released their 6-song EP Enclave on May 14, 2010. The band released Dream of the Attack on October 1, 2008. They released their 16 track Night of the Sentinels on January 1, 2007. Alex & Austin Ward are also members of the band Hembre]

27. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – ArtsKC – Arts Calendar

Next week on Wednesday, August 12, Nathan Reusch of The Record Machine shars new music from The Fey. Calvin Arsenia talks about life during the quarantine of COVID-19 coupled with the nationwide Black Lives Matter movements. And Hip Hop MC and Producer Cuee shares new music from his upcoming album Gospel.
Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #849

WMM presents Khrystal. & Greenline Grows KC + New Releases

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Khrystal. & Greenline Grows KC
+ New & MidCoastal Releases

We play New & MidCoastal Releases from: Khrystal., Noise FM, Major Matt Mason USA, jordana, Bahroot, Cuee, The Republic Tigers, Bream, Lava Dreams, Koney, Cat Dail, Kadesh Flow, Krystle Warren, Catty Cline, Heavy Surface, Thanya Iyer, UMI, Teyana Taylor, Durand Jones & The Indications, and David Bowie with Gail Ann Dorsey

Khrystal.

At 11:00 Mark welcomes singer songwriter Khrystal. who’ll release her new single “Magic” on August 8, 2020 through Manor Records on limited edition cassette singles. On February 21, 2020 Khrystal. released the single “You, Again.” In 2019 Khrystal released the singles “Blue,” “Her Rose,” and “Her Eyes.” Khrystal. released the 8-song, The Awkward Muva on July 13, 2018. The Glow Up EP, in 2017 produced and written by Khrystal. with Duncan Burnett. This was follow up to Khrystal’s debut EP, Quarter Century Living. Khrystal. graduated from UMKC in 2016 and graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. Khrystal. is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK.

Khrystal. shares details on, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, and more! The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community. http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #849

WMM Playlist from July 29, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Una Walkenhorst & Greenline Grows KC
+ New & MidCoastal Releases

The production of “Kansas City Syzygy” was directed by Robert Castillo with J Ashley Miller mastering the raw audio files. JC Franco created the album design, utilizing a painting by KC native Madeline Gallucci.

BLM cover art by Chicago-based Nigerian American illustrator, Unimuke Agada / Courtesy French Exit Records

We continue to feature tracks from: Kansas City Syzygy, 19 songs created during the quarantine of 2020 with proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, & truly affordable home. And… from French Exit Records – Black Lives Matter Compilation of 22 acts from the area, with proceeds donated to One Struggle KC‘s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. http://www.frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / Dec. 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme]

2. Joy Division – “Transmission”
from: Permanent / London / June 1995
[Originally released on Factory Records in November 1979 on 7″ and re-released as a 12″ single with a different sleeve in December 1980. Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attending a Sex Pistols concert. While Joy Division’s first recordings were heavily influenced by early punk, they soon developed a sound and style that made them one of the pioneers of the post-punk movement. Their self-released 1978 debut EP An Ideal for Living drew the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson, who signed them to his independent label Factory Records. Their debut album Unknown Pleasures, recorded with producer Martin Hannett, was released in 1979. Curtis suffered from personal problems including a failing marriage, depression, and epilepsy. As the band’s popularity grew, Curtis’s condition made it increasingly difficult for him to perform; he occasionally experienced seizures on stage. He killed himself on the eve of the band’s first US/Canada tour in May 1980, aged 23. Joy Division’s second and final album, Closer, was released two months later; it and the single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” became their highest charting releases. The remaining members regrouped as New Order. They were successful throughout the next decade, blending post-punk with electronic and dance music influences. Peter Hook & The Light tour and perform both Joy Division albums and their singles in lice concerts. On Saturday, April 25, 2015, Peter Hook & The Light played Middle of The Map Fest.]

3. Supreme Jubilees – “It’ll All Be Over”
from: It’ll All Be Over / Light in the Attic / Feb. 12, 2015 Reissue / Originally released in 1980
[If God had a disco, the DJ would be playing California gospel-soul group The Supreme Jubilees. “We won’t have to cry no more,” the tuxedo-clad group would sing, in high, angelic vocals over smooth grooves. “It’ll all be over.” Prepare to dance and contemplate death all at the same time. A band of brothers and cousins, the group was founded from two families: brothers Joe and Dave Kingsby plus Dave’s son David Kingsby Jr., and keyboardist Leonard Sanders plus his brothers Phillips (drummer), Tim (bassist), and Melvin (tenor). The Sanders clan grew up singing together in the Witness of Jesus Christ church in Fresno CA, where dad Marion was pastor. Guitarist Larry Price–who belonged to neither family–completed the line-up that recorded the group’s first–and, prophetically, only–album, It’ll All Be Over. Released in 1980 on the group’s own S&K (Sanders & Kingsby) label, It’ll All Be Over pinpoints a fatalistic mood exemplified by the title. Its lyrics drawn from the Old Testament, its sound from the church by way of the disco, and it’s a feel captured by the album cover–a low, orange sun setting over the Pacific ocean. It is, as Jessica Hundley observes in the brand new liner notes, “both apocalyptic and seductive.” Making the album was not easy. Sessions began in Trac Record Co, a country and western studio in Fresno, CA, where the engineer was so put out by the group’s requests for heavier bass in the mix, he stopped the session and kicked them out. They left with four songs–one side of the album–and the record was completed at Sierra Recording Studio in Visalia, CA. Leonard Sanders reported having a spiritual encounter in his sleep while in Visalia; the next day he recorded his part of the album’s title track in a single take. After the LP was pressed, the group took their music on tour, first in California, where they played with acts including the Gospel Keynotes, The Jackson Southernaires, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, and then on an ill-fated trip to Texas. A follow-up album was planned for 1981, but it never materialized; having slept sometimes a dozen to a room in Texas, the men in the band were reluctant to leave jobs, wives, and kids for the hardship of the road. The group simply fizzled out, even if the friendships never did. A copy of the album sold to a fan on that Texan tour made its way to a San Antonio record store, where it was discovered nearly three decades later by collector David Haffner (Friends of Sound). He managed to track down the Kingsby-Sanders clan at a Fourth Of July barbecue in Fresno in 2004. And he eventually introduced the group to Light In The Attic Records, which now presents the album, restored, remastered, and available to the public for the first time.]

4. Shy Boys – “Trash”
from: Trash – Single / Polyvinyl Record Co. / August 3, 2018
[Follow up to last year’s single, Dim The Light / Brick By Brick, released February 15, 2019. Shy Boys released their 2nd album and Polyvinyl debut, Bell House on August 3, 2018. Shy Boys line-up consists of brothers Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch, Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and Ross Brown. Kyle Rausch and Konnor Ervin were already band mates in the indie-pop band The ACBs and Collin had been playing for years in the Kansas City area in various bands including The Abracadabras, and The I’ms with brother Kyle. The three shared a love for 1960s era pop rock and soon started writing their own music. In 2014 they released the self-titled Shy Boys on High Dive Records. The album received generally positive reviews and the single “Bully Fight” (originally released by The I’ms) was featured on Spin.com. In June 2014, the band recorded and released two more singles and one of them, “Life Is Peachy,” was featured on Stereogum. On April 4th, 2018, it was announced that the band had signed to Polyvinyl Record Company.]

5. Trevor Turla – “Busted” [Featuring: Reginald Chapman]
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Trevor Turla is now lives in Kansas City. Trevor defines himself as a musician. He started playing his first instrument, the bagpipes, at the age of 8 and hasn’t stopped the pursuit of music since. He received his Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies for trombone from the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Trevor now creates music full time by playing, recording, and holding clinics around the United States. Trevor plays and sings in numerous bands, including Jake Wells, Grand Marquis, Miki P, Fritz Hutchison, and LA Jones. He is the founder, lead singer and trombonist for the band Sulu Moon. More info at http://www.trevorturla.com // COVID-19 may have shut down innumerable business and altered our lives forever, but one thing it couldn’t stop is the creative drive and spirit in the world’s artists. Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. “Syzygy” is a term most commonly used in astronomy and is defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Album designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.” The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

6. Lianne La Havas – “Paper Thin”
from: Lianne La Havas / Warner Records UK / July 17, 2020
[Third studio album from Lianne La Hava born Lianne Charlotte Barnes (born 23 August 23, 1989). Lianne La Havas is a British singer and songwriter. Her career began after being introduced to various musicians, including singer Paloma Faith, for whom she sang backing vocals. In 2010, La Havas signed to Warner Bros. Records, spending two years developing her songwriting, before releasing any music. La Havas’ debut studio album, Is Your Love Big Enough? (2012), was released to positive reviews from critics and earned her a nomination for the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll and awards for the iTunes Album of The Year 2012. La Havas was born and raised in London, England, to a Greek father and Jamaican mother. She was raised in Tooting and Streatham, spending the majority of her time with her grandparents after her parents separated. La Havas began singing at seven, and cites her parents’ diverse musical tastes as having the biggest influence on her music. Her father, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano. Lianne wrote her first song at the age of 11, but did not learn to play the guitar until she was 18 years old. Lianne sang in her school choir. She attended Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls in Thornton Heath where she studied art A-level, and had planned to take an art foundation course before she decided to leave college to pursue a career in music full-time. Her birth name is Lianne Barnes, and her stage name is an adaptation of her Greek father Henry Vlahavas’ surname. She lives in London.]

Blackstarkids

7. BLACKSTARKIDS – “Urf Day”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[Blackstarkids released their second album SURF through their own label Bedroon Records on Februart 28, 2020. BlackStarKids, a pop/R&B/hip-hop group based in Kansas City, Missouri. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, in 2019. Blackstarkids,recently caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and now they’re signed to The 1975’s management company, Dirty Hit Records and they were just featured in Clash Magazine,][French Exit Records launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. The BLM Comp is on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

10:29 – Underwriting

8. Durand Jones & The Indications – “Never Heard ‘Em Say”
from: Never Hear ‘Em Say – Single / Dead Oceans / July 24, 2020
[Durand Jones & The Indications released their debut self titled album on May 16, 2018. The band released their second album, American Love Call, on March 7, 2019. Bayou-born soul sensation, Durand Jones got his start in the church, after being forced to sing in the choir of his rural hometown Hillaryville, Louisiana because his Grandmother thought he sang too much at home. When his music career took him to Bloomington, Indiana, he was selected to join the legendary Indiana University Soul Revue, and it was through his involvement that he met writer/producer duo Aaron Frazer and Blake Rhein. The three began writing original soul music, recording themselves straight to tape in the basements of Bloomington – and their debut album is now available on Colemine Records. The Indications conjure the dynamism of Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, AND the Impressions. This young band of twenty-somethings are students of soul, including guitarist Blake Rhein, who moonlights doing research for The Numero Group.]

9. Patti Smith Group – “Ask The Angels”
[Dedicated to Tim Miller & Alistair McCartney on their Anniversary]
from: Radio Ethiopia / Arista / October, 1976
[“Ask the Angels” was written by Patti Smith and Ivan Král, and released as a third single from Patti Smith Group 1976 album Radio Ethiopia, the band’s second album. Radio Ethiopia was the follow-up record to Smith’s widely acclaimed debut Horses. In interviews surrounding the album’s release, Smith explained that she chose producer Jack Douglas in hopes of making the album a commercial success. The album was negatively received when it was released and Smith was attacked by critics for what they perceived to be laziness, self-indulgence and selling out. The title track of the album is one of Smith’s most notorious songs, almost legendary for appearing to be “10 minutes of noise”. Critics often described live renditions of the song as negative moments of Smith’s concerts. Patti herself spoke highly of the track and of how the lyrics refer to Arthur Rimbaud’s dying wishes. Arguments both for and against the song have been advanced by critics, fans and music listeners over whether the song truly is an example of the Patti Smith Group’s boundary-pushing or merely self-indulgence. Critics in negative reviews cited that Douglas’ production placed more emphasis on creating a heavy sound through numerous guitar parts which smothered Smith’s vocals and, at times, lamented that all of the album’s songs were originals of the group (Smith co-wrote much of the album with bassist Ivan Kral, the band member keenest for commercial success). “Ain’t It Strange” and “Distant Fingers”, the latter co-written with Smith’s long-time boyfriend Allen Lanier, had both been staples of the Group’s concerts long before the recording of Horses. The album’s cover photograph is by Judy Linn, the back of the album features a photo by Lynn Goldsmith. The album was dedicated to Arthur Rimbaud and Constantin Brâncuși. The back cover of the album bears the legend: “Free Wayne Kramer”, who at the time was incarcerated in Kentucky following his conviction for dealing cocaine. “Pissing in a River” was released as a single the same year. It was also featured in the 1980 movie Times Square. // Patricia Lee Smith was born December 30, 1946 at Grant Hospital of Chicago in Chicago to Beverly Smith, a jazz singer turned waitress, and Grant Smith, who worked as a machinist at a Honeywell plant. The family was of part Irish ancestry and Patti was the eldest of four children, with siblings Linda, Kimberly, and Todd. At the age of 4, Smith’s family moved from Chicago to Germantown, Philadelphia, before heading to Pitman, New Jersey and later to The Woodbury Gardens section of Deptford Township, New Jersey. At this early age Smith was exposed to her first records, including Shrimp Boats by Harry Belafonte, Patience and Prudence’s The Money Tree, and Another Side of Bob Dylan, which her mother gave to her. Smith graduated from Deptford Township High School in 1964 and went to work in a factory. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, on April 26, 1967, and chose to place her for adoption. She is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and poet who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses. By 1974, Patti Smith was performing rock music, initially with guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later with a full band comprising Kaye, Ivan Kral on guitar and bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl on piano. Kral was a refugee from Czechoslovakia who had moved to the United States in 1966 with his parents, who were diplomats. After the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, he decided not to return. Financed by Sam Wagstaff, the band recorded a first single, “Hey Joe / Piss Factory”, in 1974. The A-side was a version of the rock standard with the addition of a spoken word piece about fugitive heiress Patty Hearst (“Patty Hearst, you’re standing there in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army flag with your legs spread, I was wondering were you gettin’ it every night from a black revolutionary man and his women …”). A court later heard that Hearst had been confined against her will, and had been repeatedly threatened with execution and raped. The B-side describes the helpless anger Smith had felt while working on a factory assembly line and the salvation she discovered in the form of a shoplifted book, the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s Illuminations. In a 1996 interview which discusses artistic influences during her younger years, Smith said, “I had devoted so much of my girlish daydreams to Rimbaud. Rimbaud was like my boyfriend.” The Patti Smith Group was signed by Clive Davis of Arista Records, and in 1975 recorded their first album, Horses, produced by John Cale amid some tension. The album fused punk rock and spoken poetry and begins with a cover of Van Morrison’s “Gloria”, and Smith’s opening words: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine” (an excerpt from “Oath”, one of her early poems). The austere cover photograph by Mapplethorpe has become one of rock’s classic images. As the popularity of punk rock grew, Patti Smith Group toured the United States and Europe. The rawer sound of the group’s second album, Radio Ethiopia, reflected this. Considerably less accessible than Horses, Radio Ethiopia initially received poor reviews. However, several of its songs have stood the test of time, and Smith still performs them regularly in concert. She has said that Radio Ethiopia was influenced by the band MC5. On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of Radio Ethiopia, Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida, and fell 15 feet into a concrete orchestra pit, breaking several neck vertebrae.The injury required a period of rest and an intensive round of physical therapy, during which time she was able to reassess, re-energize and reorganize her life. Patti Smith Group produced two further albums before the end of the 1970s. Easter (1978) was her most commercially successful record, containing the single “Because the Night” co-written with Bruce Springsteen. Wave (1979) was less successful, although the songs “Frederick” and “Dancing Barefoot” both received commercial airplay. Called the “punk poet laureate”, Smith fused rock and poetry in her work. Her most widely known song is “Because the Night”, which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978 and number five in the U.K. In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On November 17, 2010, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids. The book fulfilled a promise she had made to her former long-time roommate and partner, Robert Mapplethorpe. She placed 47th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Artists published in December 2010 and was also a recipient of the 2011 Polar Music Prize.]

10. Like A Tiger – “Firmament”
from: Music For Plants & Animals / Like A Tiger / May 15, 2020
[All songs written by Like A Tiger. Pete Marten on guitar & loops, Nik Douglas. on drums, John O’Keefe on bass. Recording Engineer: Ross Brown. Mastered by Mike Nolte.Like A Tiger released their debut Home Movies on January 18, 2019, with Pete Marten on guitar & loops, KR Azad on drums, John O’Keefe on bass. Recording Engineer: Ross Brown. Mastered by Mike Nolte. Like A Tiger began playing together in early 2018 and draws on influences of rock, jazz, and electronic music. The band presents a refreshing take on instrumental rock, using live looping and exploring effects, textures, and timbres.]

10:44 – Artists for Greenline Grows KC

11. Making Movies – “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”
from: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”-Single/ 3/2 Recordings/ Mar. 20, 2020
[New Single from KC based 4-piece band and made up of : Enrique Chi on guitar and lead vocals; Diego Chi on bass & vocals; Juan-Carlos Chaurand on percussion & keyboards; and on drums. The band draws their influences from the origins of their families: Santiago, Panama, and KC Missouri, and Guadalajara, Mexico.

[Radkey plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, at 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, and more!]

12. The Greeting Committee – “What If Tomorrow Never Comes?”
from: I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry – EP / Harvest Records / October 17, 2019
[Formed in Kansas City in 2015 with Addie Sartino, Brandon Yangmi, Austin Fraser, and Pierce Turcotte. This new EP is a follow up to their October 26, 2018 full length vinyl release “This Is It.” The band has previously released the EP “Meeting People is Easy” in 2017, and “It’s Not All That Bad” in 2015.]

[The Greeting Committee play Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro.]

13. Khrystal. – “You Again”
from: You Again – Single / Khrystal. / February 21, 2020
[Manor Records has announced a new single from newly signed KCK musical artist Khrystal. Her new single “Magic” will be available on August 8, 2020 and will be released on limited edition cassette singles. On September 1m 2017 Khrystal. Released The Glow Up EP, Produced & Written by Khrystal Coppage and Duncan Burnett. This was follow up to Khrystal’s Debut EP, Quarter Century Living. Executive Produced By Duncan Burnett. Written By Khrystal Coppage & Duncan Burnett. Kansas City based Khrystal Coppage served as Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016. She graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK. Khrystal. Will be our guest on WMM on August 5!!!

[Khrystal. plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, and more!]

14. Remy Styrk – “A Green World”
from: Of My Own Design / Remy Sryrk / May 2, 2020
[21-year old musician and film composer Remy Styrk joined us on WMM on May 27, 2020. On the radio Mark talked about when he first heard of Remy Styrk when he was 13 years old and was part of a songwriting workshop / contest with Money Wolf Music (Kansas City record label) and Christian Hankel. Remy Styrk’s musical songs and compositions speak to his life, his birth, his adoption, a national tragedy that moved his family to the Kansas City area, and the loss of his mother. Remy Styrk talked with us about being born in Newark, New Jersey. His birth mother was a homeless heroin addict. He spent three weeks in the hospital as a new born baby fighting to stay alive. Remy was adopted by Tom and Deborah Styrkowicz in a semi-closed adoption. With his adopted family Remy lived outside New York City in Newark. When Remy was a toddler 9/11 happened and the Styrkowicz family moved away from the New York City area and Remy’s adopted father Tom got a job at Hallmark in Kansas City, Missouri. Tragedy struck again, after Remy’s family moved to the area and settled in Leawood, Kansas, Remy’s adopted mom Deborah suffered a sudden brain aneurysm and died. Tom Styrkowicz was forced to leave his job at Hallmark to take care of Remy and his older brother, and comfort them in this difficult time for their family. Tom Styrkowicz began to go back to one of his earlier passions of photography and found work as a photographer. Remy told Brock Wilbur at The Pitch Kansas City that Tom’s endeavors “set the tone for his kids. Push through everything. Never give up. Dedicate yourself to what you love and work towards it each and every day.” When Remy was six, he shared with his parents his desire to play music. His family supported him entirely. Remy talked about “being spoiled” by parents that gave him the equipment and instruments he needed to make his original music. Remy talked with us about his discovery of folk music and the ability to tell stories with music. Remy talked about music allowed him to express his feelings and write about his mother Deborah, and how much of his music deals with her and the loss of her in his life. Remy told Brock Wilbur of The Pitch Kansas City, “I grew up black in a predominately white school system,” Styrk says. “I felt like an outcast but it didn’t make me want to give up on who I was. It pushed me to work harder on being who I want to be. I won’t change for anyone.” Remy Styrk has played in a variety of genres of music learning about Kansas City Blues, playing in indie and rock groups, and composing for film. “Of My Own Design” is Remy Stork’s 9-minute interactive album structured like an “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.” Remy wants to create pieces of music that all fit together to tell a story both musically and visually. He is asking listeners, to imagine and create the visual story. Scene descriptions can be between 2 sentences and 2 paragraphs. All will be posted on his website: http://www.remystyrk.com/interactive.

Remy Styrk Discography
“Of My Own Design” 9-Minute Interactive Album – May 2, 2020
CHIOU – Opening & Closing Tracks from documentary film – March 15, 2020
Particle Evolutions GTRS – 40 ONE SHOT custom royalty free sound samples – March 24, 2020
Pads and Drones – 40 ONE-SHOTS custom royalty free sound samples – January 3, 2020
“Over It” – Single – April 17, 2020
“Winter/Summer” – Single – February 27, 2019
“In Too Deep” – Single – June 13, 2018
Sunday – 5-song EP – January 25, 2018
“Feel So Old” – Single – November 10, 2017
“October” – Single – October 17, 2017
“17” – Single – September 1, 2017
Telling Stories Through The Basement Door – 11- song Album – August 12, 2015
(All music is available at http://www.remystyrk.bandcamp.com)

11:00 – Station ID

15. Una Walkenhorst – “Pretty Face”
from: Woman of The Year / Una Walkenhorst / April 16, 2020
[2nd single from the Woman of The Year EP. 26 year old Una Walkenhorst is a singer/songwriter from Kansas City. Recorded at Shadow Scape Records. All songs written & sung by Una Walkenhorst, who also played acoustic guitar. Production/piano/album photography/environmental sounds by Corey Martin. Engineering, mixing, and electric guitar by, Sean Lea, Mixing by Bob Walkenhorst. Mastering by Greg Beery at Merx Mastering. Una told KCUR FM that her father was one of the people who made her love music. But having a famous father can be challenging, “I knew that if I started my music career here I would have a lot of opportunities, but not all of them would be because of my music. They would be because I am someone’s daughter,” Walkenhorst says. Loading up her 97 Honda Civic, Una then spent a year traveling across North America promoting her music and connecting with listeners one-on-one. She ended up living in New Orleans. Una Walkenhorst is the youngest daughter of Bob Walkenhorst, a founding member of The Rainmakers, which had national and international hits in the 1980s and 90s, and continue to this day touring and recording new music. In January of 2018 Una Walkenhorst returned home to KC from New Orleans. Over the past several years, Una and Bob had performed together at selected events, including Folk Alliance International. In 2018 the father and daughter duo decided to record an album together, where they split the difference, taking turns as songwriters for the album’s songs, written individually, and recorded together, with beautiful harmonies.]

11:04 – Interview with Una Walkenhorst

Una Walkenhorst shares details about, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro. We will also talk with Una about her 2020 EP release Woman of The Year.

Una Walkenhorst thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

GREENLINE GROWS KC: A LIVESTREAM BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE GREENLINE INITIATIVE on FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH, 7:00 PM CST – STREAMING ON FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE

Info link: bit.ly/greenlinegrowskc
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/803423657131263/
Greenline website: https://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com/

On August 28th – a date of significance throughout Black history

On August 28th, local artists and leaders will partner with 90.9 The Bridge, Midwest Music Foundation, Records with Merritt, Manor Records, Folk Alliance International, KKFI 90.1 FM, Butler C&D & Center Cut Records to help bring you a live-stream event, benefitting The Greenline Initiative.

The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization in Kansas City that uses crowdsourced funding to help historically marginalized and low income populations in our city buy and renovate the houses they rent. Operating out of Kansas City’s 3rd District, the initiative works to build permanent community and generational wealth in formerly redlined neighborhoods

The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, and will highlight Black excellence throughout Kansas City. It will also include non-Black performers and local leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of consistently lifting up our black community members.

Performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Cuee, Danny Cox + Bob Walkenhorst, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies + Las Hermanas Altoro

Appearances by: Ajia Morris + Chris Morris of The Greenline Initiative
Deanna Munoz of Latino Foundation for the Arts/Midwest Chicana
11:12

16. Radkey – “Ain’t No Sunshine”
from: “Ain’t No Sunshine” – Single / Radkey / April 7, 2020
[Written by Bill Withers. Isaiah, Dee, and Solomon Radke of the critically acclaimed rock trio Radkey joined us live in our 90.1 FM studios on September 5, 2018. Radkey was formed in 2010 in St. Joseph, where the brothers were raised. The family moved to Kansas City. The band has released two full-length recordings — “Dark Black Makeup” in 2015 and “Delicious Rock Noise” in 2016 — plus multiple EPs and singles, and were part of a MasterCard advertising campaign on digital billboards in NYC along with a national television commercial that aired during the 2018 Grammy Awards that brought the band to the attention of Jack White who asked the band to tour with him. In 2018 the band went back on the road with The Damned throughout the United States. In December they went back into the studio to record with producer Bill Stevenson of the California punk rock group Descendents. In early 2019 they played shows in Amsterdam and Stockholm. In 2018 the band released “Basement,” “St. Elwood,” “Rock & Roll Homeschool,” as well as several other singles. On February 22, 2019, Radkey released “No Strange Cats…P.A.W.” a 7-song EP is essentially a collection of the band’s most recent singles. It comes after the January 11, 2019 release of No Strange cats…Spiders – EP a 6 song EP of several new songs mixed with several singles from late 2018.]

[Radkey plays Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, at 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro, and more!]

Una Walkenhorst on the July 29, 2020 edition pf Wednesday MidDay on KKFI 90.1 FM

11:14 – Interview with Una Walkenhorst

Una Walkenhorst is with us sharing details about, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro. We will also talk with Una about her 2020 EP release Woman of The Year.

Una Walkenhorst thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community and generational wealth in formerly redlined neighborhoods. More info at: http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

Performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Cuee, Danny Cox + Bob Walkenhorst, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies + Las Hermanas Altoro

Appearances by: Ajia Morris + Chris Morris of The Greenline Initiative
Deanna Munoz of Latino Foundation for the Arts/Midwest Chicana

Following the release of her debut album “Scars” in 2014, Una Walkenhorst loaded up her 97 Honda Civic and spent a year traveling across North America playing bars and open mics, and booking her own gigs. Una Walkenhorst has lived in New Orleans, and Brooklyn, New York. In January of 2018 Una Walkenhorst returned home to Kansas City from New Orleans. In the last 2 and a half years, 26 year old, Una has played played The Folly Theatre for 90.1 FM KKFI’s 30th Anniversary, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Fest, Middle of The Map Fest, opened for Soccer Mommy, The Wild Reeds, Bela Fleck; played NPR’s “Best of Kansas City” concert for her 2018 Tiny Desk Contest, and produced benefits for The Innocence Project, and MOCSA. Una Walkenhorst is the youngest daughter of Bob Walkenhorst, a founding member of The Rainmakers, which had national and international hits in the 1980s and 90s, and continue to this day touring and recording new music. In 2018 Una released the album “For Tomorrow” with her father Bob Walkenhorst, taking turns as songwriters with 5 from Una, interwoven with 5 from Bob, written individually, and recorded together, in shared DNA harmonies, that heard in family bands like The Carter Family, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, Shy Boys. Una toured Norway promoting her critically acclaimed album with Bob & Una Walkenhorst “For Tomorrow.” More info at: http://www.unawalkenhorst.bandcamp.com

Una Walkenhorst, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altoro.

Info link: bit.ly/greenlinegrowskc
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/803423657131263/
Greenline website: https://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com/

Una Walkenhorst: she/her // http://www.unawalkenhorst.com // http://www.patreon.com/unawalkenhorst

11:24

17. Una Walkenhorst – “The Woman Who Owned Herself”
from: Woman of The Year / Una Walkenhorst / April 16, 2020
[3rd single from the Woman of The Year EP. 25 year old Una Walkenhorst is a singer/songwriter from Kansas City. Recorded at Shadow Scape Records. All songs written & sung by Una Walkenhorst, who also played acoustic guitar. Production/piano/album photography/environmental sounds by Corey Martin. Engineering, mixing, and electric guitar by, Sean Lea, Mixing by Bob Walkenhorst. Mastering by Greg Beery at Merx Mastering. Una told KCUR FM that her father was one of the people who made her love music. But having a famous father can be challenging, “I knew that if I started my music career here I would have a lot of opportunities, but not all of them would be because of my music. They would be because I am someone’s daughter,” Walkenhorst says. Loading up her 97 Honda Civic, Una then spent a year traveling across North America promoting her music and connecting with listeners one-on-one. She ended up living in New Orleans. Una Walkenhorst is the youngest daughter of Bob Walkenhorst, a founding member of The Rainmakers, which had national and international hits in the 1980s and 90s, and continue to this day touring and recording new music. In January of 2018 Una Walkenhorst returned home to KC from New Orleans. Over the past several years, Una and Bob had performed together at selected events, including Folk Alliance International. In 2018 the father and daughter duo decided to record an album together, where they split the difference, taking turns as songwriters for the album’s songs, written individually, and recorded together, with beautiful harmonies.]

11:29 – Underwriting

18. Krystle Warren – “Circles” [dedicated to Necia Gamby on her Birthday]
from: Circles / Because Music / March 13, 2009
[Originally from KC, Krystle learned to play the guitar by listening to Rubber Soul & Revolver from The Beatles. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career in collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After living in San Francisco and NYC, Krystle was signed to a French label, Because Music, and moved to Paris to release “Circles” in 2009. Krystle played French and British television programs, including Later with Jools Holland, garnering critical acclaim and traveling all over the world with Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Norah Jones, and Joan As Police Woman. Krystle created, Parlour Door Music, to release “Love Songs: A Time You May Embrace” a recording from a 13-day session in Brooklyn, where she recorded 24 songs live with 28 musicians including her band, The Faculty, alongside choirs, horn and string sections. Krystle followed up Love Songs with her 2017 album Three The Hard Way, Produced by Krystle Warren and Ben Kane (D’Angelo, Emily King, PJ Morton). Recorded, engineered, and mixed by Ben Kane. Written & performed by Krystle Warren. Mixed at The Garden, Brooklyn. Mastered & cut by Alex DeTurk at Masterdisk. Last year in Krystle Warren premiered this song and her other new songs from this album at the Middle of the Map Fest in a packed room at Californos in Westport and later at The Polsky Theatre for the Performing Arts Series of Johnsons County Community College. For this record Krystle decided to play every instrument and vocals & back up vocals, “playing bass, drums, lap steel, piano, guitar, and vocals directly to analog tape. She and Ben Kane recorded in Villetaneuse, France, a small town on the outskirts of Paris in a vintage 70s era studio that offered just the right, rich sound to suggest the musical foundation for the record, and to do justice to the duo’s carefully balanced arrangements.” On the radio show last year Krystle shared inspirations for this record, early gospel recordings, that crossed over into Jazz from Pharoah Sanders, Edwin Hawkins, and The Swan Silvertones.]

19. Joan As Policewoman – “Out Of Time”
from: Cover Two / PIAS / May 1, 2020
[“Out of Time” is a song by Blur and was released as the lead single from their seventh album Think Tank in 2003 (see 2003 in British music). The song is a bass-driven track with minimal drums and acoustic guitar accompanied by eastern and orchestral flourishes. The faint gargling noises in the intro is part of a scene from Doctor Who. It reached number five in the UK Singles Chart. “Out of Time” was Blur’s first release in three years and also the band’s first release without guitarist Graham Coxon. Covers Two is a studio album of cover versions by American musician Joan As Police Woman. It was released on May 1, 2020 under PIAS Recordings. The album is the second cover version, with her release of “Cover” in 2009 being the first. Joan As Police Woman, is Joan Wasser, born July 26, 1970), she is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, and Those Bastard Souls. Since 2004 she has released her solo material as Joan As Police Woman. She has released five regular studio albums, one EP, a number of singles and a collection of covers. Throughout her career, she has regularly collaborated with other artists as a writer, performer and arranger. Joan’s last akbum, Damed Devotion, released Feb. 9, 2018, was part of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018.]

20. Skullcrusher – “Places/Plans”
from: Skullcrusher / Secretly Canadian / July 24, 2020
[Skullcrusher is the stage name of American musician Helen Ballentine. Ballentine was born and raised in upstate New York. Ballentine attended the Hackley School, graduating in 2013. Ballantine moved to Los Angeles to attend college, graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in graphic design in 2017. Having played piano for most of her life, Ballentine decided to quit her job working at a gallery to pursue music full time. Upon the release of the single, Ballentine announced her debut self-titled EP, to be released on June 26. In 2019, Ballentine wrote her first song, Places/Plans, which was later released on April 21, 2020. Ballentine’s second song from the EP was released on May 27, 2020. Mark Beaumont in The Guardian described Skullcrusher’s sound as “Gorgeously gauzy alt-folk paeans haunted by the pale ghosts of pianos and acoustic guitars that drowned many years ago in a Laurel Canyon lagoon”, commenting that the band’s name suggests something altogether more violent.]

21. Pip Millett – “June”
from: Lost In June – EP / FOURS / April 10, 2020
[Manchester, England based musical artist. Calmness is the key to Pip’s music; a blissful fusion of R&B and soul that’s always full of feeling. Pip is determined to make music she insists will always be “chilled but emotional.” Whatever comes next, a generation caught in its feelings might just have a new soundtrack.]

22. Nico – “These Days”
from: Chelsea Girl / Verve / October 1967
[“These Days” is a song written by Jackson Browne and recorded by numerous artists. Browne wrote the song at age 16; its lyrics deal with loss and regret. It was first recorded by Nico in 1967 for her album Chelsea Girl and in 1970 by Tom Rush. Gregg Allman recorded a new arrangement of the song in 1973 on Laid Back, and Browne recorded the Allman arrangement on For Everyman the same year. “These Days” has also been recorded by Paul Westerberg, St. Vincent, Fountains of Wayne, Mates of State, David Allan Coe, Glen Campbell, and Drake. Chelsea Girl is the debut solo album and second studio album by Nico. It was released in October 1967 by Verve Records and was recorded following Nico’s collaboration with the Velvet Underground on their 1967 debut. It was produced by Tom Wilson, who added string and flute arrangements against the wishes of Nico. The title is a reference to Andy Warhol’s 1966 film Chelsea Girls, in which Nico starred. Much of the album features instrumental work and songwriting credits from Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and John Cale. The song “I’ll Keep It with Mine” was written by Bob Dylan, while three songs are by Jackson Browne, who contributes guitar. After collaborating as a singer with the Velvet Underground on their debut The Velvet Underground & Nico (recorded during 1966, released in March 1967), Warhol superstar Nico toured with the band in Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable (EPI) multimedia roadshow. Before the EPI came to an end in 1967, Nico took up residence in a New York City coffeehouse as a solo folk chanteuse; accompanied in turn by guitarists, such as Tim Hardin, Jackson Browne, and also her Velvet Underground bandmates Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison and John Cale. Christa Päffgen was born October 16, 1938 and died July 18, 1988, known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, musician, model, and actress. She had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls (1966). At the insistence of Warhol, she sang on three songs of the Velvet Underground’s debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967). At the same time, she started a solo career and released Chelsea Girl. Nico’s friend Jim Morrison suggested that she start writing her own material. She then composed songs on a harmonium, not traditionally a rock instrument; John Cale became her musical arranger and produced The Marble Index, Desertshore, The End… and other subsequent albums. In the 1980s, she toured extensively in Europe, United States, Australia and Japan. After a concert in Berlin in June 1988, she went on holiday in Ibiza to rest and died as the result of a cycling accident.]

23. Kemet Coleman – “The Virus” (Radio Edit)
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Kemet Coleman is Kemet the Phantom, a Kansas City based musicians who calls himself a rap Artist, actor, and Urbanist. Hemet is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the 8-member Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet the Phantom is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet the Phantom is a Kansas City enthusiast and urbanist often known for his unprecedented collaborations with KC entities and organizations such as UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. More information at: http://www.kemetthephantom.com // COVID-19 may have shut down innumerable business and altered our lives forever, but one thing it couldn’t stop is the creative drive and spirit in the world’s artists. Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. “Syzygy” is a term most commonly used in astronomy and is defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Album designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.” The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

24. Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
from: Permanent / London / June 1995
[“Love Will Tear Us Apart” is a song by English rock band Joy Division, released in June 1980. Its lyrics were inspired by lead singer Ian Curtis’ marriage problems and frame of mind before his suicide in May 1980.. Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attending a Sex Pistols concert. While Joy Division’s first recordings were heavily influenced by early punk, they soon developed a sound and style that made them one of the pioneers of the post-punk movement. Their self-released 1978 debut EP An Ideal for Living drew the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson, who signed them to his independent label Factory Records. Their debut album Unknown Pleasures, recorded with producer Martin Hannett, was released in 1979. Curtis suffered from personal problems including a failing marriage, depression, and epilepsy. As the band’s popularity grew, Curtis’s condition made it increasingly difficult for him to perform; he occasionally experienced seizures on stage. He killed himself on the eve of the band’s first US/Canada tour in May 1980, aged 23. Joy Division’s second and final album, Closer, was released two months later; it and the single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” became their highest charting releases. The remaining members regrouped as New Order. They were successful throughout the next decade, blending post-punk with electronic and dance music influences. Peter Hook & The Light tour and perform both Joy Division albums and their singles in lice concerts. On Saturday, April 25, 2015, Peter Hook & The Light played Middle of The Map Fest.]

25. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – Community Voices

Next week on Wednesday, August 5, singer songwriter actress activist Khrystal. joins us to talk about her new single, “Magic” to be released August 7, 2020 through Manor Records.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #848

WMM presents Una Walkenhorst & Greenline Grows KC

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Una Walkenhorst & Greenline Grows KC
+ New & MidCoastal Releases

We play New & MidCoastal Releases from: Khrystal., Shy Boys, Una Walkenhorst, Radkey, Making Movies, Kemet Coleman, Krystle Warren, The Greeting Committee, Blackstarkids, Trevor Turla, Like A Tiger, Lianne La Hava, Durand Jones & The Indications, Supreme Jubilee, Skullcrusher, Pip Millet, Joan as Policewoman, Patti Smith Group, Joy Division, and Nico.

Una Walkenhorst

At 11:00 Una Walkenhorst shares details about, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altor. The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community and generational wealth in formerly redlined neighborhoods. More info at: http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

BLM cover art by Chicago-based Nigerian American illustrator, Unimuke Agada / Courtesy French Exit Records

We continue to feature tracks from: Kansas City Syzygy, 19 songs created during the quarantine of 2020 with proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, & truly affordable home. And… from French Exit RecordsBlack Lives Matter Compilation of 22 acts from the area, with proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. http://www.frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #848

WMM Playlist from July 22, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Kansas City Syzygy + New & MidCoastal Releases

BLM cover art by Chicago-based Nigerian American illustrator, Unimuke Agada / Courtesy French Exit Records

Today’s show features tracks from French Exit Records – Black Lives Matter Compilation, of 22 acts from the area, with proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.

And from: Kansas City Syzygy, a compilation of 19 songs created during the quarantine of 2020 with proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, & truly affordable home.

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme]

2. Palace Intrigue – “Recurring feat. Wennely Q”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[3-piece Kansas City based band, who write: “we believe in love, no race, no religion, no color, no hate…no genre. We make music for everyone.” Over the past two years the band has created and recorded 40 songs that are all posted on their SoundCloud page: https://soundcloud.com/user-870661143 . . French Exit Records launched two years ago and is an independent music label based out of Kansas City, Missouri founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond, and has organized live events. The Black Lives Matter Compilation is available on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. Black Lives Matter Comp is 22 acts from the area, with proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

3. Julianna Barwick – “Healing Is A Miracle”
from: Healing Is A Miracle / Ninja Tune / July 10, 2020
[From her BandCamp page: “Healing Is A Miracle” is a record built on improvisation and a close affinity to a couple of trusted items of gear, from which she spins engrossing, expansive universes. Additionally, Barwick draws on the input of three collaborators with whom she has nurtured deep friendships with over the years: Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Nosaj Thing and Mary Lattimore; who each gently nudge out at the edges of her organically-evolved sound. // Recorded in the wake of a seismic shift in her life following a move from New York—where she had lived for 16 years—to L.A. where she is now based, the title of the record came to her after thinking about how the human body heals itself, of the miraculous processes we pay little attention to: “You cut your hand, it looks pretty bad, and two weeks later it looks like it never happened… That’s kind of amazing, you know?” It’s a sentiment that feels particularly apt for the moment. From there, she conceived of the record’s simple statement title, ran it past a couple of friends, and it was settled. Like with the record itself, and all of her work, it’s about following her gut, and seeing where it takes her. // “Healing Is A Miracle” began life in spring of last year, when Barwick sat down with her vocal looping set-up and began sketching out some ideas for new solo material. “It had been so long since I had done that,” she recalls, “making something for myself, just for the love of it… it was emotional, because I was recording music that was just from the heart, that wasn’t for an ‘assignment’ or project… it brought me to tears a little”. // Part of the joy also came from a small but significant switch up to her recording process: the addition of some studio monitors—a birthday gift from Jónsi and Alex (Somers)—having previously recorded all of her music on headphones. “The first song I remember making with those was the first song on the album, Inspirit.” she explains, “When I added the bass I really felt it in my body, you know, in a way you just wouldn’t with headphones… it was kind of euphoric and fun. I got really excited about making the record in that moment, and I think that really had an impact on the sounds I ended up making.” // Excitement too came from the chance to work with three dream collaborators. Her connection to Jónsi began via producer Alex Somers, when Barwick flew to Reykjavík to record some sessions with him for her 2013 record “Nepenthe”, a trip which would begin a long-standing affinity with Iceland and the people she connected with there. “I think he has the best voice in the world,” she says, “and hearing my voice with Jonsi’s is one of the joys of my life.” Nosaj Thing—the highly respected electronic producer and stalwart of the LA scene who has worked with the likes of Kendric Lamar—had gotten in touch to express his affection for her 2011 album “The Magic Place”, and they’d since been trying to find a way to work together. Barwick and Lattimore had struck up a friendship over many years performing live together, and had moved to LA around the same time. Finding herself in the same city as all three for the first time, it felt natural to include them in her process, and added to the feeling of newness, support and friendship she had while producing the record. // Beyond her records, Barwick’s impressive live shows have gained incredible praise over the years from the likes of The Guardian—who described her performance as “exquisite in its eloquence, reflection and compassion” —The New York Times, NPR, and more. She has also supported and performed with Bon Iver, Grouper, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Rós, Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, Perfume Genius, Mas Ysa, and Nat Baldwin. // Barwick has additionally been involved in some head-turning collaborations over the years. In 2015 she took part in The Flaming Lips’s Carnegie Hall show, performing music from their reimagining of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, alongside Phillip Glass, Debbie Harry, Laurie Anderson and Patti Smith. That same year she was invited to play two shows with Yoko Ono, one at MoMA (“my favorite thing ever”) and one in Central Park. In 2012 she released a collaborative album with Helado Negro as OMBRE, and has also released a collaborative single with Rafael Anton Isarri, on the super-limited Thesis label, and most recently, the “Command Synthesis” EP, on RVNG Intl. sub-label Commend There, which employed AI to build five tracks that responded to the airborne environment outside a hotel room. In 2019 she teamed up with Doug Aitken on his nomadic art project, and created stunning performances in the Massachusett wilderness. // The album’s artwork was shot in Iceland by Joel Kazuo Knoernschild and is taken from a series of aerial films shot by drone above the country’s breathtaking coastline, which also make up the video for ‘Inspirit’.]

4. The Black Creatures – “wretched (it goes)”
from: “wretched (it goes)” / Center Cut Records / July 17, 2020 [remastered]
[“wretched (it goes)” was originally released on The Black Creatures 2019 album Wild Echoes. Recently released as a single in collaboration with Center Cut Records who remixed a few of the songs, and added some new vocals, and remastered the album. Although it is basically the same record, the sound quality is improved. Center Cut Records plan to release the full remastered album on August 28. The Black Creatures are Jade Green & Xavier Martin who will be our guests on the August 26 edition of WMM. “Wild Echoes” was #2 in WMM’s 119 Favorite Releases of 2019 (Albums & EPs). Since the release of ”Wild Echoes” the band has released seven entirely new songs, nearly one per month, all posted to their bandcamp page. The Black Creatures fuse dark-pop hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronic music with elements from science fiction to tell inter-dimensional stories of love, community, life, culture, history. Xavier & Jade have made an impression in the KC music community with their live shows in clubs, galleries, record stores, and area music festivals. The Black Creatures released their debut single “Mouth 2 Mouth” June 5, 2016. They released the album, See No Evil, December 6, 2017. The duo released the singles, “Elements” February 14, 2018; “Silver Tears” June 19. 2018; “Dare” a Gorillaz cover August 8, 2019. They released the album “Wild Echoes” September 30, 2019. The Black Creatures released the singles “Turn” October 30, 2019; “Quartz (Twilight)” November 13, 2019; “SHINE” December 11, 2019; Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” January 8, 2020; “To Whom It May Concern” January 22, 2020; “Arcade Love” February 5, 2020; and “Run Up” February 19, 2020.]

5. Betse & Clarke – “Farewell Trion”
from: Winter / Betse & Clarke / June 4, 2020
[A collection of songs and tunes, including original compositions, traditional songs and fiddle tunes, and modern songs re-envisioned. This recording was compiled during winter 2020, with a feeling of introspection. Songs under copyright were properly licensed for this digital release. Regular folks, exceptional music: This duo from the heartland (Kansas City, Missouri) has its roots in Ozark old time music, honoring traditional songs and tunes that resonate with human experience. New compositions add compelling elements to their musical tapestry. Follow up to the duo’s 2017 release, Tunes We Like released only in analog on cassette. Betse & Clarke are a traditional and future folk duo with Betse Ellis on fiddles, violins, viola & vocals and Clarke Wyatt on banjos, guitar, cello, multi-instruments. Betse & Clarke have played and toured around the world. Individually their musical roots go deep in the KC music scene. Clarke Wyatt is a founding member of Mr. Marco’s V7, and Betse Ellis is a founding member of The Wilders. Last year Betse & Clarke released ”River Still Rise,” originals and reworked traditional compositions presented “to be enjoyed as a musical adventure, much like the river exploration of the famous duo Lewis & Clark, an inspiration for the band’s name.” http://www.betseandclarke.com]

6. Funkadelic – “Can You Get To That”
from: Maggot Brain / Westbound Records / July 12, 1972
[Maggot Brain is the third studio album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released by Westbound Records in July 1971. It was produced by band leader George Clinton and recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 and early 1971. It was the final album recorded by the original Funkadelic lineup; after its release, original members Tawl Ross, Billy Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood left the band for various reasons. The album charted in the R&B Top 20. Today, it is perhaps best known for its 10-minute title track, performed by guitarist Eddie Hazel. In 2003, Rolling Stone included Maggot Brain on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Pitchfork named it the 17th best album of the 1970s.Funkadelic was an American band formed in Detroit in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s. Relative to its sister act, Funkadelic pursued a heavier, psychedelic rock-oriented sound. They released acclaimed albums such as Maggot Brain (1971) and One Nation Under a Groove (1978). The group that would become Funkadelic was formed by George Clinton in 1964, as the unnamed backing section for his doo wop group The Parliaments[7] while on tour. The band originally consisted of musicians Frankie Boyce, Richard Boyce, and Langston Booth plus the five members of the Parliaments on vocals. Boyce, Boyce, and Booth enlisted in the Army in 1966, and Clinton recruited bassist Billy Bass Nelson and guitarist Eddie Hazel in 1967, then added guitarist Tawl Ross and drummer Tiki Fulwood. The name “Funkadelic” was coined by Nelson after the band relocated to Detroit. By 1968, because of a dispute with Revilot, the record company that owned “The Parliaments” name, the ensemble began playing under the name Funkadelic. // As Funkadelic, the group signed to Westbound in 1968. Around this time, the group’s music evolved from soul and doo wop into a harder guitar-driven mix of psychedelic rock, soul and funk, much influenced by the popular musical (and political) movements of the time. Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone were major inspirations.[9] This style later evolved into a tighter guitar and horns-based funk (circa 1971-75), which subsequently, during the height of Parliament-Funkadelic success (circa 1976-81), added elements of R&B and electronic music, with fewer psychedelic rock elements. The band made their first live television performance on Say Brother in October 7, 1969. They played a jam with songs “Into My Own Thing”, “What Is Soul?”, “(I Wanna) Testify”, “I Was Made to Love Her” (Stevie Wonder cover), “Friday Night, August 14th” and “Music for My Mother”. // The group’s self-titled debut album, Funkadelic, was released in 1970. The credits listed organist Mickey Atkins plus Clinton, Fulwood, Hazel, Nelson, and Ross. The recording also included the rest of the Parliaments singers (still uncredited due to contractual concerns), several uncredited session musicians then employed by Motown, as well as Ray Monette (of Rare Earth) and future P-Funk mainstay Bernie Worrell. // Bernie Worrell was officially credited starting with Funkadelic’s second album, 1970’s Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow, thus beginning a long working relationship between Worrell and Clinton. The album Maggot Brain followed in 1971. The first three Funkadelic albums displayed strong psychedelic influences (not least in terms of production) and limited commercial potential, despite containing many songs that stayed in the band’s set list for several years and would influence many future funk, rock, and hip hop artists. // After the release of Maggot Brain, the Funkadelic lineup was expanded greatly. Tawl Ross was unavailable after experiencing either a bad LSD trip or a speed overdose, while Billy Bass Nelson and Eddie Hazel quit due to financial concerns. From this point, many more musicians and singers would be added during Funkadelic’s (and Parliament’s) history, including the recruitment of several members of James Brown’s backing band, The JB’s in 1972 – most notably Bootsy Collins and the Horny Horns. Bootsy and his brother Catfish Collins were recruited by Clinton to replace the departed Nelson and Hazel. Bootsy in particular became a major contributor to the P-Funk sound. In 1972, this new line-up released the politically charged double album America Eats Its Young. The lineup stabilized a bit with the album Cosmic Slop in 1973, featuring major contributions from recently added singer-guitarist Garry Shider. After first leaving the band, Eddie Hazel spent a year in jail after assaulting an airline stewardess and air marshal while under the influence of PCP, then he returned to make major contributions to the 1974 album Standing on the Verge of Getting It On. Hazel only contributed to P-Funk sporadically thereafter. // George Clinton revived Parliament in 1974 and signed that act to Casablanca Records. Parliament and Funkadelic featured mostly the same stable of personnel but operated concurrently under two names. At first, Parliament was designated as a more mainstream funk ensemble dominated by soulful vocals and horn arrangements, while Funkadelic was designated as a more experimental and freestyle guitar-based funk band. The ensemble usually toured under the combined name Parliament-Funkadelic or simply P-Funk (which also became the catch-all term for George Clinton’s rapidly growing stable of funk artists). // in 1975 Michael Hampton, a teen guitar prodigy, replaced Hazel as the premier lead guitarist in Parliament-Funkadelic, and was a major contributor to the next several Funkadelic albums. Funkadelic left Westbound in 1976 and moved to Warner Brothers. Their first album for Warner was Hardcore Jollies in 1976. Just before leaving Westbound, Clinton provided that label with a collection of recently recorded outtakes, which Westbound released as the album Tales of Kidd Funkadelic. That album did significantly better commercially than Hardcore Jollies and included “Undisco Kidd”, an R&B Top 30 single. In 1977, Westbound capitalized further by releasing the anthology The Best of the Early Years.// As Parliament began achieving significant mainstream success in the 1975-1978 period, Funkadelic recorded and released its most successful and influential album, One Nation Under a Groove in 1978, adding former Ohio Players keyboardist Walter “Junie” Morrison and reflecting a more melodic dance-based sound. The title track spent six weeks at #1 on the R&B charts, around the time that Parliament was enjoying the #1 R&B singles “Flash Light” and “Aqua Boogie”. Uncle Jam Wants You in 1979 continued Funkadelic’s new more electronic sound production. The album contains the fifteen-minute “(Not Just) Knee Deep” featuring former Spinners lead singer Philippé Wynne, an edited version of which topped the R&B charts. The final official Funkadelic album, The Electric Spanking of War Babies, was released in 1981. The release was originally a double-album project, but it was reduced to a single disc under pressure from Warner Brothers. Some of the deleted tracks would appear on future P-Funk releases, most notably the 1982 hit single “Atomic Dog” which appeared on the first George Clinton solo album. // Meanwhile, the album Connections & Disconnections (re-issued on CD as Who’s a Funkadelic) was released under the name Funkadelic in 1981. The album was recorded by former Funkadelic members and original Parliaments Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas, who had left P-Funk in 1977 after disagreements with George Clinton’s management practices. This LP, notable for its heavy use of Thomas “Pae-dog” McEvoy’s jazz horn, contains the track called “You’ll Like It Too”, which came a very popular breakbeat source for the Hip hop community in the 80s. Former band member, drummer Jerome Brailey, released the album Mutiny on the Mamaship, by his new band Mutiny. // In the early 1980s, with legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup at Parliament’s record label, George Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic as recording and touring entities. However, many of the musicians in later versions of the two groups remained employed by Clinton. Clinton continued to release new albums regularly, sometimes under his own name and sometimes under the name George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars. In the mid-1980s, the last Funkadelic album By Way Of The Drum was recorded by Clinton with P-Funk personnel and many electronic devices. The album was rejected by its record label and did not see official release in America until it appeared as a reissue in 2007. It features a cover of “Sunshine Of Your Love” by Cream. The album did not receive any publicity, but still received favorable reviews. // Clinton continued his P-Funk collective in the 1990s and 2000s, with a revolving stable of musicians, some of whom remain from the classic lineups of Funkadelic and Parliament. The rock-oriented sound of Funkadelic has diminished, as Clinton has moved towards more of an R&B and hip hop sound. In 1997 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.]

7. LyMerrick – “Runaway”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[“Lay Me Down” was released February 8, 2019 and was part of WMM’s 39 Favorite Singles of 2019. In 2019 and 2018 LyMerrick released six singles and was a featured voice on two other single releases. LyMerrick also released a single in 2016. LyMerrick was born in North Carolina but grew up in KCMO since the age of 8. LyMerrick grew up listening to all types of music ranging from gospel, rap, r&b, to classic rock and metal. LyMerrick started singing in the church choir and continued singing in elementary, middle and high school choirs. After high school LyMerrick began to record remixes and eventually began to make originals which led me his collaborations with “nightSHIFT” the label that released his music.] [French Exit Records launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. The BLM Comp is on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

8. Be/Non – “Over The Moon”
from: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
[Brodie Rush is a musician, songwriter, band leader, graphic artist, actor, father and survivor. He is the Director of Animation & Motion Graphics at Crush Media. He is also the creative genius behind Be/Non, a Kansas City band that has been making music for over 20 years and released their critically acclaimed 6th album, Mystic Sunrise / Sunset Magic, on Haymaker Records on February 29, 2016, followed by Freedom Palace in 2018 that had been stuck in the studio for 12 years due to disputes with the original record label and personnel changes in the band until Brodie rescued the tapes and remastered the album for Haymaker Records. Now Brodie is back with a new release containing alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions of Be/Non’s A Mountain of Yeses, was originally released May 12, 2009, was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album. A visual accompaniment to the album has been in production since 2008 and now has a 2021 release date.”]

10:29 – Underwriting

7. Lonnie Holley – “Like Hell Broke Away”
from: National Freedom / Jagjaguar / July 3, 2020
[4th release from Lonnie Bradley Holley, sometimes known as The Sand Man (born February 10, 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama during the Jim Crow era), is an African-American artist, art educator, and musician. He is best known for his assemblages and immersive environments made of found materials. He was born the 7th of 27 children during the Jim Crow era and claims to have been traded for a bottle of whiskey when he was four. From the age of five, Holley worked various jobs: picking up trash at a drive-in movie theatre, washing dishes, and cooking. He lived in a whiskey house, on the state fairgrounds, and in several foster homes. His early life was chaotic and Holley was never afforded the pleasure of a real childhood. Born the 7th of 27 children, Holley claims to have been traded for a bottle of whiskey when he was four. Before beginning his career, he spent time digging graves and picking cotton. He claims to have been pronounced brain-dead after being hit by a car. He became a father at 15 and now has 15 children. Holley also worked as a short-order cook at Disney World. He also did time at a notorious juvenile facility, the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs. // Holley began his artistic life in 1979 by carving tombstones for his sister’s two children, who died in a house fire. He used blocks of a soft sandstone-like byproduct of metal casting which was discarded in piles by a foundry near his sister’s house. He believes that divine intervention led him to the material and inspired his artwork. Inspired to create, Holley made other carvings and assembled them in his yard along with various found objects. In 1981, he brought a few examples of his sandstone carvings to Birmingham Museum of Art director Richard Murray. The BMA displayed some of those pieces immediately and Murray introduced him to the organizers of the 1981 exhibition “More Than Land and Sky: Art from Appalachia” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Soon his work was being acquired by other institutions, such as the American Folk Art Museum in New York and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. His work has also been displayed at the White House. // Holley also became a popular guest at children’s art events, bringing blocks of the foundry stone for children to carve. He gets special pleasure from sharing his experience of learning to love oneself through creative activity. // By the mid-1980s his work had diversified to include paintings and recycled found-object sculptures. His yard and adjacent abandoned lots near his home became an immersive art environment that was celebrated by visitors from the art world, but threatened by scrap-metal scavengers and eventually, by the expansion of the Birmingham International Airport. In late 1996 Holley was notified that his hilltop property near the airport would be condemned.[3] He rejected the airport authority’s offer to buy the property at the market rate of $14,000, knowing that his site-specific installation had personal and artistic value he demanded $250,000. The dispute went to probate court and in 1997 a settlement was reached and the airport authority paid $165,700 to move Holley’s family and work to a larger property in Harpersville, Alabama. // Holley’s first major retrospective, Do We Think Too Much? I Don’t Think We Can Ever Stop: Lonnie Holley, A Twenty-Five Year Survey, was organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art and traveled in 2003 to the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England. From May 2003 to May 2004, Holley created a “sprawling, sculptural environment” in the lower sculpture garden at the Birmingham Museum of Art as part of their “Perspectives” series of site-specific installations. The creation of the work was documented in the film “The Sandman’s Garden” by Arthur Crenshaw and in photographs by Alice Faye “Sister” Love. // Holley installed sculptural work for the exhibition Groundstory: Tales from the shade of the South, at Agnes Scott College of Decatur, Georgia, which ran at the Dalton Gallery from September 28 to November 17, 2012. That same year, he released his debut album Just Before Music, followed by Keeping a Record of It the following year. In September 2018, he released his third album MITH on Jagjaguwar.]

10. Various Blonde – “Dirty Martini”
from: 3s 1 / The Record Machine / January 10, 2020
[New 3-song release from Various Blonde. KC based experimental, rock, pop, & funk band originally formed in 2008 and currently served by founder Joshua Allen on guitar, synthesizers, & vocals; and Mark Lomas on drums. The band has been described by Mills Record Company as, “Having all the sex appeal of The Weeknd and all the grit of Rage Against the Machine–the combination makes for a performance that is explosive.”]

[Various Blonde play Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, August 7, at 7:00 PM Doors, w/ YUM and Redder Moon. – Voltaire and recordBar present a Summer Concert Series at the newly created outdoor space, LeMonad(e) Park. Only 100 tickets are available each night. VIP-Tickets allow for up to 6 guests with full table service, no waiting in bar. OPEN SEATING at eight foot tables, 4 person maximum. General Admission is Standing Room Only (you may bring your own chair). Tables & benches are distanced per KCMO Health Department regulations (actually, a little further). Food and beverage will be served by Voltaire utilizing their on-line ordering and packaged to-go by a Voltaire employee practicing Covid-19 safety procedures. If you are not at a VIP table you will pick up your order at the bar. Please distance 6 feet when queuing.]

11. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Manic Depression”
from: Are You Experienced? / Reprise / August 23, 1967 U.S. [May 12, 1967 U.K.]
[Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music. The album features Jimi Hendrix’s innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and hard rock music. // By mid-1966, Hendrix was struggling to earn a living playing the R&B circuit as a backing guitarist. After being referred to Chas Chandler, who was leaving the Animals and interested in managing and producing artists, Hendrix was signed to a management and production contract with Chandler and ex-Animals manager Michael Jeffery. Chandler brought Hendrix to London and began recruiting members for a band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, designed to showcase the guitarist’s talents. // In late October, after having been rejected by Decca Records, the Experience signed with Track, a new label formed by the Who’s managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Are You Experienced and its preceding singles were recorded over a five-month period from late October 1966 through early April 1967. The album was completed in 16 recording sessions at three London locations, including De Lane Lea Studios, CBS Studios, and Olympic Studios. // Released in the UK on May 12, 1967, Are You Experienced spent 33 weeks on the charts, peaking at number two. The album was issued in the US on August 23 by Reprise Records, where it reached number five on the US Billboard Top LPs, remaining on the chart for 106 weeks, 27 of those in the Top 40. The album also spent 70 weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B LPs chart, where it peaked at number 10. The US version contained some of Hendrix’s best known songs, including the Experience’s first three singles, which, though omitted from the British edition of the LP, were top ten hits in the UK: “Purple Haze”, “Hey Joe”, and “The Wind Cries Mary”.]

12. The Guillotine Choir – “In The Daylight”
from: “In The Daylight” – Single / The Guillotine Choir / July 15, 2020
[Second single this year from The Guillotine Choir who released their debut, “What Tomorrow Brings” on April 29, 2020. We premiered that track on our April 29, 2020 edition of WMM. The Guillotine Choir is an electronic rock band and the musical side project of Kimmie Queen and Cody Wyoming of The Philistines, and Justin Muschinske of The Widows Ride. Invoking the imagery of a late night journey through a cold war Berlin, the synthesizers sizzle and crash and beat against the wall, as the music searches for signs of light and freedom across dark urban landscapes. Cody Wyoming is also a guitarist with The Pedaljets. Cody went to Park Hill High and lives in Kansas City, Missouri with Kimmie Queen who he has been in a relationship with for 15 years. Cody grew up in Enid, Oklahoma.]

13. Fritz Hutchison – “Stationary”
from: Wide Wild Acres / Center Cut Records / March 27, 2020
[Debut album of Fritz Hutchison. Wild Wild Acres was written & performed by Fritz Hutchison. Produced by Fritz Hutchison and Joel Nanos. Recorded and mixed in Kansas City by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studio. Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago. Multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison was born May 27, 1991. A life long resident of Kansas City. Since 2008 he’s been part of multiple bands playing drums with: She’s a Keeper, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, and Grand Marquis. As a guitarist he has played along side J Ashley Miller, Lauren Krum, Miki P and Calvin Arsenia. A decade of lending an ear and a hand to the likes of fellow shredders has left Fritz poised to launch his own solo career as a singer-songwriter.]

14. Hotel Leo – “Overflow”
from: Matters / ropedog records / May 29, 2020
[Hotel Leo is the musical project of Stephen Roper a Kansas City based engineer and musician. Prior to the release of the Matters album, Hotel Leo released the singles “Our Love” on April 24, 2020, and “Diamond” on April 20, 2020. The band released their debut 4-song self titled EP Hotel Leo on October 14, 2016 with songs written by Stephen Roper. Mastered by Nathan Moody at Obsidian Sound. Album photography by Scott Roper. Album art design by Taylor Dunn.]

15. Ben Gibbard – “Life in Quarantine”
from: Life in Quarantine – Single / Barsuk Records / March 27, 2020
[The Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie front man unveiled the new song in a video as part of local alt-weekly The Stranger’s A Message to the City series, noting “I know this is a really f—ed up and scary time for everybody, including myself, and I know that we’re all trying to figure out what to do to make it better or alleviate the suffering of someone else.” Net proceeds from the digital release of the new home-studio recording will be donated to Seattle-area relief organizations, including homelessness-support services non-profit Aurora Commons, a welcoming space for unhoused Seattle residents to rest, prepare a meal, connect to resources, and collectively create a healthy and vibrant community. Benjamin Gibbard was born August 11, 1976. He is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with which he has recorded nine studio albums, and as one half of the electronica act the Postal Service. Gibbard released his debut solo album, Former Lives, in 2012, and a collaborative studio album, One Fast Move or I’m Gone (2009), with Jay Farrar, known for his work with Son Volt and formerly Uncle Tupelo. // Gibbard was born to Allen and Margaret (Flach) Gibbard in Bremerton, Washington. His father was in the Navy and his family moved around the country, including spending time in Northern Virginia before returning back to Washington. Gibbard spent his early life there during the grunge music explosion of the early 1990s. He graduated from Olympic High School in Bremerton in 1994, and studied environmental chemistry at Western Washington University. He was raised Roman Catholic and referred to himself as an “indoctrinated Catholic even though I haven’t been to church of my own volition in 10 or 15 years now.” While performing guitar in the band Pinwheel in 1996, Gibbard recorded a demo cassette under the moniker Death Cab for Cutie, titled You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997). After receiving a positive response to the material, Gibbard expanded the project into a full band, with the addition of guitarist Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Nathan Good. The following year, the band released its debut album, Something About Airplanes (1998), on Barsuk Records, and released its follow-up, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes, in 2000.]

11:00 – Station ID

16. Miki P – “Don’t Lose Your Hope”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Mikala Petillo, who was born in Kansas City, KS, and performed ‘She Loves You’ at her 7th grade talent show. In 9th grade she joined a teen-band called American Slim as drummer & vocalist, and released a full-length album, Irreplaceable, in 2017, played Middle of the Map Fest, Crossroads Music Fest, Kauffman Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, and The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art before officially ending in 2018. That year, at 21, Miki P began work on her debut solo-record, Dome of Swallows, released August 2, 2018. She then formed Miki P and the Swallowtails who released their first EP, Swallowtail in 2019 The Swallowtails include: Rachel Lovelace on bassoon, Adee Dancy on cello & vocals, and Miki P on guitar & lead Vocals. In June they’ll release a follow up. The band’s members having classical music degrees, and jazz degrees. Miki P is a self-taught musician/multi-instrumentalist & songwriter driving the Swallowtails into a creative collaboration like any other. Each member is an integral part of the Kansas City music scene, writing, arranging, performing, and collaborating original music for their own groups and several other projects in the metro. “Introspective pop music with lyric-driven folk influences, mixed with collaborative energy & an odd pairing of instruments, Miki P locked in with the Swallowtails create a moment with music written and arranged from the heart.” Miki P started playing guitar in middle school. She taught herself to play the drums, while listening to Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr. As a teen she played drums for various groups including American Slim. She wrote songs for their full-length album Irreplaceable released in 2017, followed by a single “Queen of Hearts” released April 11, 2018. She also plays ukulele & piano, teaching herself how to play both the instruments, using them frequently in all projects she is involved in. She was a featured vocalist with The Band That Fell to Earth Bowie Tribute. She’s played Boulevardia, Middle of the Map Fest, Royal’s Kaufman Stadium, recordBar, Uptown Theater, Arrowhead Stadium, Nelson Atkins Museum, the Crossroads Music Festival and the Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. “Syzygy” is a term most commonly used in astronomy and is defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Album designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.” The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. The album can be purchased from Bandcamp. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

11:03 – Interview with Robert Castillo

Musician & band leader Robert Castillo, joins us to share music and details about the KC Syzygy compilation of original tracks from over 25 KC based musicians who came together electronically to contribute musical recordings created during the shutdown of the world in the spring of 2020. The production was directed by Robert Castillo with J Ashley Miller mastering the raw audio files. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit. The album is available at http://www.kcsyzygy.bandcamp.com

The album is available at http://www.kcsyzygy.bandcamp.com

The production of “Kansas City Syzygy” was directed by Robert Castillo with J Ashley Miller mastering the raw audio files. JC Franco created the album design, utilizing a painting by KC native Madeline Gallucci.

“Kansas City Syzygy” a compilation of original tracks with over 25 KC based musicians who came together electronically to contribute. All of this music was created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020.

“Syzygy” is a term used in astronomy and defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.”

The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Local electronic musician Chris Crabtree and Robert Castillo, bandleader of the groove jazz ensemble The Sextet, worked together with vocalist Audrey Chopin to create an experimental piece of EDM-adjacent music. Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months.

The album can be purchased from Bandcamp. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.

Musicians Include: Miki P, Kemet Coleman, Trevor Turla, Calvin Arsenia, Johnny Hamil, Jeff Harshbarger, Larkin Sanders, Chris Crabtree, Audrey Chopin, Robert Castillo, J Ashley Miller, John Kizilermut, Nik Douglas, Mikal Shapiro, Kadesh Flow, Tim J Harte, We the People, Chico Sierra, Terri Quinn, Adee Dancy, Seth Andrew
Davis, Chad Brothers, Matt Richey, Rob Rice, and Coleen Dieker.

Though COVID-19 may have shut down innumerable business and altered our lives forever, one thing it couldn’t stop is the creative drive and spirit in the world’s artists. Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Mastering by J Ashley Miller. Design by JC Franco. Direction by Robert Castillo

11:10

17. Rob Rice & the Devil’s Threesome – “Serial Lover”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Lead singer songwriter Rob Rice told us that “’Serial Lover’ is based on a conversation he had with a dear friend around relationships, specifically monogamous vs. polyamorous, and opening our eyes to learn more about the others experience. This song is one of 6 that Rob is working to finish up this summer and release later this year under the album name ‘And The Devil’s Threesome’. This is a collection of six original songs Rob has composed and recorded that features a female and additional male accompaniment to showcase (hence the Devil’s Threesome…) Here is a sample of the first four tracks and the names of artists/musicians who have collaborated on this project 1. “Tiny Window” with Calvin Arsenia (Harp and Vocals) and Ezgi Karakus (Cello); 2. “There’s A Devil Inside Me” with Landon Hambright (Upright and Vocals) and Rachael Feeley (Vocals); 3. “Thinking of Another” with Teri Quinn (Clarinet and Vocals) and Stephen Roper (Drums, Electronics and Vocals); And 4. “Serial Lover” with Coleen Dieker (Violin and Vocals) and Robert Castillo (Upright Bass and Vocals). Rob Rice is finalizing the last two tracks and we are working to have rob on WMM when he is ready for the release. /// Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit. The album is available at http://www.kcsyzygy.bandcamp.com.]

13. GAV7D (Johnny Hamil & Jeff Harshbarger & Sylvain Rabbath) – “Eastwood Stayed Skinny Travolta Got Fat (Pt. II)”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Johnny Hamil told us that this “was the last track he wrote and recorded while in Paris before the lockdown. Johnny has been going to Paris every year to study and to record. This year he was recording the GAV7D – Video game Solo Bass record with Sylvain Rabbath. This song is Johnny’s love of 1980s metal shred so he broke out some old school chops to compose the song….it is a solo bass record so why not? While recording the song Jeff Harshbarger called Johnny and said he wasn’t going to come to Paris as planned, due to the virus. Johnny told him everything was fine in Paris and he should come… something that Johnny now really regrets saying, however it was fine at the time. Johnny’s trip was wonderful as always and we were making this wonderful song. So Jeff did come and we were finishing the track so Johnny just put Jeff in the vocal booth to make sonic the hedgehog type sounds and sing the ending “Parisian scooter death ride” lyrics. Jeff sang five part harmonies in just a few tales! It was another example how amazing he is. Also the keyboards on this track are amazing as well. Sylvain Rabbath recently acquired a new analog keyboard, to add to his collection of hundreds of keyboards. This keyboard from the 1980s has a lot of a “Miami Vice” sound. In regard to the “Parisian scooter death ride” story, in order to get to and from the studio it is easier to ride on Sylvain’s scooter as taking his car takes too much time in a city like Paris. Since Sylvain was born and raised in Paris, he goes through cars, alleys, gutters, sidewalks, and it’s terrifying! Thus Johnny feels like you will never know the true Paris until you have had that experience. If you listen closely enough at the end fade out you will hear the shrieking vocals. Jeff Harshbarger had to stay with Johnny for a month due to mandatory quarantine for travelers. Johnny and Jeff did a few online shows during that time. They played a duet version of this tune. It was the first time Johnny was able to perform with another musician and it was such a blessing! Johnny felt this heavy weight be lifted off of himself. Both shows are still on Johnny’s Facebook pages and got shared quite a bit. As Johnny is finishing up the entire album this track stands out, so Johnny is glad it is the first song to formally get released. Johnny will be releasing the last two GAV7D albums this year as they are done. They both got delayed from the pandemic. The Exotica Freejazz Record is really just another amazing journey that includes musicians: Mark Southerland, Annie Elliot, Amado Espinoza, Chris Fugitt, Arny Young, Tina Billberry, Clarke Wyatt, Julia Othmer, and so many more. // /// Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. The album can be purchased from Bandcamp beginning July 17, 2020. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

19. Shay Estes & Trio All – “Under The Milky Way feat. Jeff Harshbarger”
From: Despite Your Destination / Independent / 2009
[Shay Estes and Trio ALL — ALL being an acronym for the last names of players Zack Albetta on drums, Mark Lowrey on piano, and Ben Leifer on bass. Lowrey told INK that they, “We’re trying to cross over into the realm of modern jazz by writing arrangements of songs that aren’t staples in jazz repertoire.” The album title comes from the lyrics of “Under the Milky Way,” originally by new wave band The Church. That track was the first arrangement Estes and Lowrey worked on together in 2004, and features guest vocals from Jeff Harshbarger.]

11:35 – Underwriting

20. Bijuu – “Body222”
from: WEEP NOT / Bijuu / April 17, 2020
[4-song EP from Kansas City based producer and vocalist who specializes in electronic maximalist pop music. Bijuu released the singles “Wet Blood” May 7, 2018, and “Mushygoo” April 20, 2018. There are a multitude of other tracks at Bijuu’s Soundcloud page.]

21. MARCOTTE – “History”
from: History / MARCOTTE / October 1, 2019
[For singer-songwriter duo Jordan and Sasha, soul is the term that most embodies the emotional transparency they commit to in the music they compose and perform together as MARCOTTE. The duo met in Kansas City, MO in 2013. They quickly discovered that collaboration came naturally and what they could do together surpassed any success they were able to achieve separately. Sasha and Jordan partnered together to create and perform original songs for their friends’ weddings –music that honestly and affectionately communicated the love story of the bride and groom. Soon finding their own love story in the midst, the pair has successfully translated that same honesty and affection to the art they create together. Though the stages and audience have grown in size and number as MARCOTTE continues to experience acclaim, the Pop-R&B duo has been able to keep the intimacy and clarity they’re known for while performing for live audiences.]

[Marcotte play ULAH Live Sessions Hosted by You Found Music on Thursday July 23, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at ULAH, 4707 Rainbow Blvd., Westwood, KS. Limited seating for 12. Doors at 7:00, show at 7:30. Social distancing measures will be in place. Masks will be required upon entry, and while moving about the store. Ticket information at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/ulaj-live-sessions-marcotte-tickets%5D

22. D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “1000 Deaths”
from: Black Messiah / RCA – Sony / December 15, 2014
[Black Messiah is the third studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D’Angelo, credited to D’Angelo and the Vanguard. It was released on December 15, 2014, by RCA Records, bringing an end to his 14-year hiatus that followed his 2000 album Voodoo. The album was produced and mostly written by D’Angelo, who collaborated with musicians such as percussionist Questlove, bassist Pino Palladino, guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, and horn player Roy Hargrove. He pursued a largely analog and murky funk sound for the record, lending it comparisons to the 1971 Sly & the Family Stone album There’s a Riot Goin’ On. Black Messiah was among 2014’s most highly anticipated albums and was released to widespread critical acclaim, later being ranked as one of the year’s best albums. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard charts and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling over 117,000 units in its first week. Black Messiah was promoted with the release of the single “Really Love” and a tour called The Second Coming. // D’Angelo’s subsequent solo work was extensively delayed.Production for a full-length follow-up to Voodoo was stagnant, as he was working on and off mostly by himself during 2002. D’Angelo attempted to play every instrument for the project, striving for complete creative control similar to that of Prince. Russell Elevado described the resulting material as “Parliament/Funkadelic meets the Beatles meets Prince, and the whole time there’s this Jimi Hendrix energy”. However, those who previewed its songs found it to be unfinished. In the years that followed, D’Angelo’s personal problems worsened, descending to drug and alcohol addiction. In January 2005 he was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine. Various mugshots began circulating around the time, showing the singer looking overweight and unhealthy, in stark contrast to the muscular D’Angelo seen in promotion for Voodoo. In September 2005, a week after being sentenced on the drug charges, he was involved in a car accident, and was rumoured to be critically injured. However, a week after the crash a statement was issued by D’Angelo’s attorney stating that he was fine continuing to say “He is anxious to finish the recording of his soul masterpiece that the world has patiently awaited. // No more was revealed on the new album until 2007, when Questlove, D’Angelo’s drummer and producer, leaked an unfinished track on Triple J Radio in Australia. Entitled “Really Love”, the track was an acoustic flavored jam with a laid back swing feel. The leak apparently soured relations between the two. In 2009, D’Angelo’s then-new manager Lindsay Guion, revealed plans for a new album, including collaborations with artists including Prince, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, and John Mayer, and a summer tour, saying “He’s able to smile again and he’s ready to connect [with fans], he’s coming back. And he looks great, by the way.” As with the previous year, no tour or album materialized. In early February 2010, a new track called “1000 Deaths” appeared on the Internet, but was swiftly removed due to a copyright claim by Michael Archer, D’Angelo’s legal name. The song seemed unfinished, and it is unclear how recent the material actually is, as the same song was mentioned in the same interview (see above) with Russell Elevado, in 2007. Around the same time, an article began to circulate on the Internet, which seemed to be an apparent review of ‘James River’, with detailed descriptions of individual songs, track listing, and segments of lyrics. This caused much discussion regarding the authenticity of the article, or whether it was an elaborate hoax. // In January 2011, Russell Elevado updated the status of the album development on his website and stated that “Pino Palladino and James Gadson have joined D’Angelo […] in New York City to finish cutting tracks for the upcoming album (yes, “THE” upcoming album!). We are officially making our way to finishing this record! I don’t need to tell everyone that this will be an amazing album. D’Angelo fans will be extremely happy to know, the wait will be over soon and it will surely be a future classic” Russell Elevado updated the status of the album again on his own website. “Since my last post I have continued sessions with D’Angelo. We’ve just finished up 5 months of recording. D has been doing vocals and guitars and we’ve had Pino Palladino back in for some more bass tracks. Also ?uestlove came in to jam with D and Pino. They’ve finally reunited after 7 or 8 years (lost track how long really). We’re taking a few months break while I take care of some other projects that have been on the back burner.” // In December 2011 Questlove said the album was 97% done and that D’Angelo was “finishing his lyrics now.” He went on to compare the album to a “black version of Smile – at best, it will go down in the Smile/There’s a Riot Goin’ On/Miles Davis’ On the Corner category. That’s what I’m hoping for. There’s stuff on there I was amazed at, like new music patches I’ve never heard before. I’d ask him, “What kind of keyboard is that?” I thought it was some old vintage thing. But he builds his own patches. One song we worked on called “Charade” has this trombone patch that he re-EQ’d and then put through an envelope filter and then added a vibraphone noise on top and made a whole new patch out of it. He’s the only person I know that takes a Herbie Hancock approach, or Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff—the two musician/engineers who programmed all of Stevie Wonder’s genius-period stuff—approach. That’s the last time I ever heard of somebody building patches. We’ll see if history is kind to it.” In 2012, D’Angelo returned to performing live with his Occupy Music Tour and prepared his third studio album, whose recording had D’Angelo return to Electric Lady Studios. // Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D’Angelo (pronounced di-Angelo), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. D’Angelo is associated with the neo soul movement, along with artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, and collaborator Angie Stone. // Born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of a Pentecostal minister, D’Angelo taught himself piano as a child. At eighteen, he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater three weeks in a row. After a brief affiliation with hip-hop group I.D.U., his first major success came in 1994 as the co-writer and co-producer of the song “U Will Know”. // His debut solo album, Brown Sugar (1995), received positive reviews and sold over two million copies. His next album, Voodoo (2000), debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”, entered the R&B charts and won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal; likewise, Voodoo won Best R&B Album. D’Angelo was hailed as the next Marvin Gaye by GQ in 2014. // Following this period, D’Angelo became more than uncomfortable with his growing status as a sex symbol. This was followed by numerous personal struggles including alcoholism, and a fourteen-year long musical hiatus. D’Angelo released his third studio album, Black Messiah, in December 2014. The album was met with critical acclaim and fared well on music charts, peaking at number five on the US Billboard 200. D’Angelo also contributed to the soundtrack for the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2, performing the song “Unshaken”.]

23. Daniel Gum – “Tired Saint”
from: Black Lives Matter Compilation / French Exit Records / July 6, 2020
[Daniel Gum is a 23 year old singer-songwriter from Kansas City. Since the age of 12, he has spent the majority of his time writing and recording songs by himself in his room. His most recent project, Moon, on the other hand was recorded by someone else in another room while Daniel was by himself in yet another room. The Moon EP was released December 7, 2019. It was engineered by Mike Crawford and Daniel Gum and mixed by Daniel Gum with piano and accordion by Cole Crawford. Daniel Gun released his EP i’m not dead October 25, 2017, and his 10-song album Reorient on July 31, 2015, with all songs written, recorded and mixed by Daniel Gum who also performed all vocals guitars, drums, piano, bass. harmonica, and programming.] [French Exit Records launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. The BLM Comp is on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: https://frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-lives-matter-compilation. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally.]

24. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – Community Voices

Next week on Wednesday, July 29, singer songwriter activist Una Walkenhorst joins us to talk about her 2020 EP Woman Of The Year. We will also share more tracks from the new Kansas City Syzygy compilations, and even more from the French Exit Records compilation release Black Lives Matter.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #847

WMM presents Robert Castillo & Kansas City Syzygy + Black Lives Matter Compilation

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Robert Castillo & Kansas City Syzygy
+ New & MidCoastal Releases

We play New & MidCoastal Releases from: The Black Creatures, Rob Rice & The Devil’s Threesome, Miki P, Marcotte, Betse & Clarke, LyMerrick, The Guillotine Choir, Fritz Hutchison, Daniel Gum, Various Blonde, Johnny Hamil & Jeff Harshbarger, Palace Intrigue, Hotel Leo, Be/Non, Shay Estes, Julianna Barwick, Bijuu, Lonnie Holley, D’Angelo & The Vangaurd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Funkadelic.

The production of “Kansas City Syzygy” was directed by Robert Castillo with J Ashley Miller mastering the raw audio files. JC Franco created the album design, utilizing a painting by KC native Madeline Gallucci.

We will feature tracks from: Kansas City Syzygy, a compilation of 19 songs created during the quarantine of 2020 with proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, & truly affordable home.

BLM cover art by Chicago-based Nigerian American illustrator, Unimuke Agada / Courtesy French Exit Records

We also continue featuring tracks from French Exit Records – Black Lives Matter Compilation of 22 acts from the area, with proceeds donated to One Struggle KC‘s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. http://www.frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com

Robert Castillo

At 11:00 Mark welcomes musician & band leader Robert Castillo, who shares music and information about Kansas City Syzygy a compilation of original tracks with over 25 KC based musicians who came together electronically to contribute. All of this music was created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. The production of “Kansas City Syzygy” was directed by Robert Castillo with J Ashley Miller mastering the raw audio files. JC Franco created the album design, utilizing a painting by KC native Madeline Gallucci. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit. The album was released on July 17, 2020 and is available at http://www.kcsyzygy.bandcamp.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #847