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, December 6, 2023

The 120 Best Recordings of 2023
(Part 1 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-one, of our four-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2023. Based on playlists of this little ole radio show, we’ve compiled representative tracks from our favorite full-length albums and EP recordings of 2023. We realize these “Best of” lists can seem subjective, so we ask that you please accept our list as a celebration of the year in music.

In 2023 we’ve broadcast nearly 900 different tracks on WMM over our 100,000 watts of 90.1 FM Community Radio Airwaves. Over 500 of these tracks were from New & MidCoastal Releases. 80 of the representative tracks in our “Best of” list are from MidCoastal Releases. We conducted over 150 interviews with 145 special guests. 41 of the bands and artists in our “Best of” list have joined us as guests on WMM.

Tune into Wednesday MidDay Medley throughout December for our 4-week series: The 120 Best Recordings of 2023, on December 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. This is our celebration of the year when we were able to survey over 1000 area musical releases.

Today, we’ll count down from #120 through #91 of our list, with music from: True Lions, The Black Mariah Theater, Kye Colors, Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, Jamogi, Elizabeth Moen, Michael Tipton, Eggs on Mars, Rewound & Calvin Arsenia, Bach Aria Soloists, WRKER, Ethan Eckert, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Tre Mutava, Perfume USA, Emily King, Blanky, Yeule, Big Freedia, Arlo Parks, Cautious Clay, Corinne Bailey Rae, Robert Finley, Overcoats, Joni Mitchell, Lael Neale, Sigur Rós, Bebel Gilberto, Sparks, and Sparklehorse.

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979 [WMM’s theme]

2. (#120.) Sparklehorse – “It Will Never Stop”
   from: Bird Machine / Anti / 2023
   [The music for Bird Machine was recorded by Sparklehorse prior to Mark Linkous’ 2010 suicide. Linkous’ brother Matt oversaw unreleased music and found the track “It Will Never Stop” in 2022. In June 2023, the full album was announced, made up of older recordings, with additions made by Matt and Melissa Linkous. The initial tracks were recorded with Steve Albini and were intended to be the band’s fifth studio album prior to collaborating with Danger Mouse for Dark Night of the Soul. “Scull of Lucia” was previewed on July 11. // Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer & multi-instrumental-ist Mark Linkous. It was active from 1995 until Linkous’s 2010 death. Before forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands Johnson Family and Salt Chunk Mary. Only one song, “Someday I Will Treat You Good”, survived from these earlier bands to be played by Sparklehorse. Linkous said he chose the name Sparklehorse because the two words sounded good together and could be a loose metaphor for a motorcycle. At its incept-ion, members of Sparklehorse included Paul Watson (banjo, cornet, lap steel and electric guitar), Scott Minor (drums, chord organ, banjo), Johnny Hott (Wurlitzer organ, percussion, backing vocals), & Scot Fitzsimmons (standup bass). // Sparklehorse’s first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995), produced by Cracker frontman David Lowery (credited as “David Charles” on the record), was a modest college radio success. In 1996, while touring Europe with Radiohead shortly after the album’s release, Linkous consumed a combinat-ion of anti-depressants, valium, alcohol, and heroin in a London hotel room. Unconscious and with his legs pinned beneath him for almost 14 hours, the resulting potassium build-up caused his heart to stop for several minutes after his body was lifted up. The ensuing surgery almost caused him to lose the use of both legs and, as a result, he needed to use a wheelchair for six months and required dialysis for acute kidney failure. // Good Morning Spider (1998) was recorded following this incident. Critics have conjectured that Linkous’s brush with death inspired the album’s somber tone, but Linkous said that much of GMS had already been written. One song that resulted from his affliction is “St. Mary”, which is dedicated to the nurses at the eponymous hospital in Paddington where Linkous recuperated. // In 1999 Sparklehorse performed at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. 2001 saw the release of It’s a Wonderful Life, featuring appearances by Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Bob Rupe, Nina Persson and Dave Fridmann. Much of Vivadixie… and Spider were recorded solely by Linkous on his Virginia farm, but the new album was more collaborative. Linkous expressed his satisfaction with the overall sound of It’s a Wonderful Life, which was engineered by Joel Hamilton, while also saying he would have preferred to include more experimental and instrumental material. // On Sept. 25, 2006, Sparklehorse released its fourth album, Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain, collaborating with Danger Mouse, Christian Fennesz, and Steven Drozd. This album featured the radio release “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” and a remastered version of “Shade & Honey”, which Linkous originally wrote for Alessandro Nivola to sing in the 2003 movie Laurel Canyon, as well as a virtually unchanged re-release of “Morning Hollow”, the bonus track on It’s a Wonderful Life. // In 2008, Sparklehorse recorded a cover of “Jack’s Obsession” from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas for the official compilation album Nightmare Revisited. // In 2009, Sparklehorse teamed up with Danger Mouse & David Lynch on the project Dark Night of the Soul. Corliss et al. (2010) described Dark Night of the Soul as “spooky, beautiful,… bittersweet…considering Linkous’ untimely death.” // In 2009, Linkous collaborated with electronic ambient-music artist Christian Fennesz to create In the Fishtank 15, an EP of experimentation & dreamy atmospherics. In Oct. 2009, Linkous performed with Fennesz during a European tour. // Linkous committed suicide in Knoxville, TN, Mar. 6, 2010]

3. (#119.) Sparks – “The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte”
   from: The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte / Island Records / May 26, 2023
   [The Girl is Crying in Her Latte is the 25th studio album by American rock group Sparks, released through Island Records on May 26, 2023, their first release through the label since 1976. It was preceded by the release of two singles, and received acclaim from critics. The duo will tour the world until July 2023 in support of the album, the biggest headlining tour of their career. // On January 24, 2023, Sparks announced that they had again signed with Island Records, the label which released their albums Kimono My House (1974), Propaganda (1974), Indiscreet (1975) and Big Beat (1976). On March 3, 2023, the lead single, “The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte” was released, with a music video starring Australian actress Cate Blanchett. The second single, “Veronica Lake”, was released on April 21, 2023. The third single, “Nothing Is as Good as They Say It Is”, was released on May 12, 2023, and is “sung from the perspective of a 22-hour old baby who is disgusted with the world, and wants to return to the womb” // Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references —and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell’s animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron’s deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music. // Career highlights include “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us”, which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974; the disco hit “The Number One Song in Heaven” in 1979, resulting from a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder and marking a stylistic shift towards new wave/synth-pop; “When I’m with You”, which made the Australian and French Singles Charts in 1980; the single “I Predict”, which provided Sparks’ first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 60 in May 1982; the 1983 single “Cool Places” with the Go-Go’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jane Wiedlin, and “When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way'”, which was the top airplay record in Germany for 1994. // The 2002 release of Lil’ Beethoven, the duo’s self-proclaimed “genre-defining opus”, fused repetitive song structures with orchestral arrangements, and brought them renewed critical success. In 2015, the band released an album with Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS. In 2017, returning to a rock-group format, Sparks released Hippopotamus, which entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7, as did their next album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, released in 2020, bringing their tally of UK Top 10 albums to four. In 2021, Sparks were involved in two films: the Leos Carax musical film Annette for which they wrote all songs (winning the César Award for Best Original Music), and the Edgar Wright documentary The Sparks Brothers recounting the history of the band.] [Sparks played The Midland Theatre, 1228 Main Street, KCMO, on Saturday, July 8, at 8:00 PM]

4. (#118.) Bebel Gilberto – “Adeus América”
   from: João / Pias America / August 25, 2023
   [Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque. // Gilberto was born in New York City to Brazilian parents, bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, who were briefly living in the city at the time of her birth. She often traveled with her father when he recorded albums in different countries; she lived in Mexico at age three and moved to Rio de Janeiro at age five. Gilberto’s parents separated when she was seven, and she spent her time between Rio de Janeiro with her mother and New York with her father. Gilberto has been performing since her youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. // Gilberto recalls that her childhood was “music nonstop”; when reflecting on her father’s influence, Gilberto states, “He taught me to be a perfectionist. But my mother taught me how to lose it. And you can hear it in my music today, I think.” She grew acquainted with popular artists such as Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, and Stan Getz, who often visited her father’s home to collaborate. She began singing with her mother at a young age and participated in professional musicals such as Saltimbancos and Pirlimpimpim. At the age of seven, she made her recording debut on her mother’s first solo album, Miúcha & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1977). Two years later, she performed at Carnegie Hall with her mother and Stan Getz. // Gilberto was a great friend of Cazuza and composed several songs with him in addition to “Eu preciso dizer que te amo”, including “Amigos de Bar”, “Mais Feliz”, and “Mulher sem Razão”. // Gilberto next participated in the project Red Hot + Rio, joining major music stars such as Everything but the Girl, Maxwell, George Michael, and others for the benefit CD recording. She also collaborated on Towa Tei’s CD Future Listening!, singing on the hits “Technova” and “Batucada,” and also participated in Peeping Tom with Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More), singing “Caipirinha”. // Tanto Tempo, an electronic bossa nova album released in 2000, was popular at clubs around the world and positioned Gilberto as one of the best-selling Brazilian artists in the U.S. since the 1960s. With her second album, Bebel Gilberto (2004), she refined her sound to create an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a Brazilian composer. // With Momento (2007), her third album in seven years, she wanted to do a fusion of both. Mixing the taste of Rio’s Orquestra Imperial with the melting pot of New York’s Brazilian Girls, and following the direction of the English producer Guy Sigsworth (Madonna’s partner in “What It Feels Like for a Girl”), Momento reaffirmed the international character of Gilberto’s music. In 2007, she was a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists’ careers. // Gilberto recorded her fourth studio album, All in One, in New York, Jamaica, and the Brazilian state of Bahia. It was released worldwide on September 29, 2009, on the American jazz label Verve, and was released in Brazil by Universal Music. It is the least electronic-infused of her albums, and brings to the forefront more of Gilberto’s personality and love for organic styles. All in One had a team of accomplished producers including Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen), John King (Dust Brothers, Beck), Daniel Jobim, Carlinhos Brown, Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls) and Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Björk, Jack Johnson). Gilberto also provided the voice of the bird Eva in the animated film Rio (2011), an experience she called “amazing”. // Since the launch of Tanto Tempo in 2000, she has sold over 2.5 million records and has been featured on seven film soundtracks including Next Stop Wonderland, The Bubble, Closer and most recently 2010s Eat Pray Love and 2011’s Rio; and seven TV series including Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and Nip/Tuck. // In 2011, she contributed a track entitled “Acabou Chorare” to the Red Hot Organization’s most recent charitable album, Red Hot+Rio 2. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 Red Hot+Rio. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. In 2015, her song “Tudo” was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Song category.]

5. (#117.) Sigur Rós – “Glóð”
   from: ÁTTA / BMG Rights Management / June 16, 2023
   [On June 16, 2023, Sigur Rós released “Blóðberg”, the first single from their eighth studio album, Átta (eight in icelandic). The self-produced album was recorded at Sundlaugin Studio, on the rural outskirts of Reykjavik. // Sigur Rós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsɪːɣʏrous] is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi’s falsetto vocals, and their use of bowed guitar, Sigur Rós incorporate classical and minimal aesthetic elements. Jónsi’s vocals are sung in Icelandic and non-linguistic vocalisations the band terms Vonlenska. They have released eight studio albums, and attracted critical and commercial attention with their second album Ágætis byrjun. Current members include: Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson on lead vocals, guitars, bowed guitar, keyboards, harmonica, banjo, bass guitar (1994–present); Georg “Goggi” Hólm on bass guitar, glockenspiel, toy piano, keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present); Kjartan “Kjarri” Sveinsson on synthesizers, keyboards, piano, organ, programming, guitars, flute, tin whistle, oboe, banjo, backing vocals (1998–2013, 2022–present)]

6. (#116.) Lael Neale – “Must Be Tears”
   from: Star Eaters Delight / Sub Pop Records / April 21, 2023
   [Lael Neale returns with her beguiling new full-length Star Eaters Delight. The album, which features the highlights “I Am The River,” “In Verona,” “Must Be Tears,” and “Faster Than The Medicine,” was written by Neale, with arrangements and production by Guy Blakeslee. The recordings were made on cassette in Virginia and mastered by Chris Coady in Los Angeles.// Star Eaters Delight reveals an expansion of Neale’s sonic collaboration with producer and accompanist Blakeslee and arrives on the heels of her Sub Pop debut Acquainted With Night, which won international acclaim for its crystalline vocals, clever songwriting, and excellent use of Omnichord to build a world of beautiful reveries. That album saw praise from the likes of Uncut, MOJO, Loud & Quiet, The AV Club, Stereogum, SPIN, and earned “Best of 2021” placement from Under the Radar, Les Inrocks, Aquarium Drunkard, Gold Flake Paint, Still Listening, Secret Meeting and more. // April of 2020, Lael moved from Los Angeles back to her family’s farm in rural Virginia. Looking at the world from a distance and getting in tune with her own rhythms, she wrote and recorded steadily for two dreamlike years, driven by a need to make order out of chaos. Forged in isolation, Star Eaters Delight is a vehicle for returning, not just to civilization, but to celebration. She explains: “The unbroken silences on the farm compelled me to break them with sound. This album is louder and more external, calling out to the world.” // Album opener “I Am The River” melts the ice with a dynamic explosion of minimalist transcendental pop clearly descended from the Velvets branch of modern music’s family tree. Watch the official self-directed video for “I Am The River” below. // Lael Neale is also sharing her international tour schedule for 2023 in support of Star Eaters Delight which begins April 22nd in Los Angeles at Permanent Records Roadhouse and currently runs through May 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. For the US run, the tour will have stops in Washington, Austin, Nashville, Tucson, New York, Northampton, and Philadelphia. Tickets for these shows are on sale now. ]

7. (#115.) Perfume USA – “Tapeworm”
   from: Kiss it Goodbye – EP / Setterwind Records / May 18, 2023
   [Kansas City Missouri based 4-piece band isL Jamie Woodard on vocals & lead guitar, Anthony Kearney on guitar, Tyler Snowden on bass, and Travis Boaz on drums. Their new EP Kiss It Goodbye is the follow-up to their 2021 debut Charlie’s Angels. All songs written and performed by Perfume USA. Art by Kamtin Mohager. Photography by Lovesick Ethan. Produced by Perfume USA and Justin Mantooth. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Justin Mantooth @ Westend Recording Studios in Kansas City. Published and Distributed by Setterwind Records. // New Noise Magazine writes, “The middle of the United States is often thought of as desolate middle ground between the two coasts. Yet, as of late, places like Oklahoma City, Louisville and Kansas City have become hubs of creativity spawning new bands and thriving scenes. The latter being home to Perfume USA, a band that has become a staple in their region opening for bands like Candy, Heart Attack Man and Greet Death, each of which Perfume USA somehow fit perfectly on the bill with.”” // “”From their heavy and punchy riffs, to their pop hooks and droning fuzz scattered throughout their songs, listeners can’t help but get lost in their music, which is sure to resonate with fans of Nothing, Narrow Head, Far, Deftones, and Smashing Pumpkins. Kiss It Goodbye, Perfume USA’s forthcoming three-song 7-inch (May 19 via Setterwind Records), is the perfect introduction to this band’s ’90s grunge and alt rock inspired music.” More info at: tr.ee/perfumeusa]

8. (#114.) Tre’ Mutava – “Up and Left”
   from: The Reality EP / Currently Crafting / June 30, 2023
   [New 14-song album from Tre’ Mutava a 21-year old, self-made indie producer, singer and songwriter based in Overland Park, Kansas. Tre’s last single was “Fantasy I Found” released January 13, 2023. Tyre’ Mutava released the single and video, “Moving” (feat. Noah Anthony), on September 30, 2022. Tre’ released his debut solo album, THE MOVIES on July 31, 2021. Tre’ called his debut album a “bedroom symphony”. Tre’ Mutava was born December 21, 2001. Te’ Mutava is strong-willed, perceptive, goal oriented and keen. More info at: http://www.tremutava.com] {Tre was our guest on WMM on Nov. 9, 2022]

10:30 – Underwriting

9. (#113.) Joni Mitchell – You Turn Me On I’m a Radio (with Neil Young & The Stray Gators) [For the Roses Early Sessions]
   from: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) / Rhino / Oct. 6, 2023
   [In 2023 Joni Mitchell (at the age of 80) was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for AT NEWPORT released on Rhino on July 28, 2023. // Come 1972, Joni Mitchell’s singular songwriting talent and poetic gifts were undeniable. Fresh off the back-to-back Platinum-certified releases of 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon and 1971’s Blue (totemic albums whose artfulness and ubiquity would influence generations of songwriters) Mitchell had grown wary of mounting media scrutiny. Everything from her style choices to romantic partners became the subject of far more gossip column inches than were ever dedicated to the lifestyle minutiae of her male counterparts. // In response, she had pulled back, announcing an early retirement from the stage in 1970 and moving to the quiet expanses of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. It was a fruitful change of scenery. Inspired by her proximity to nature and refreshed by the peaceful seclusion, she began constructing the songs that would become For The Roses. This respite thrust Mitchell into a remarkably fertile creative period, yielding a run of albums — 1972’s For The Roses, 1974’s Court And Spark, and 1975’s The Hissing Of Summer Lawns — that would simultaneously expand and refine the scope of her music. Her adventurous, intricate arrangements and growing formidability as a bandleader injected these songs with a clarity of purpose, a potent muscularity, and a sense of possibility — it is among the most exciting eras of a near peerless career. // This era comes into even greater focus on Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975), out October 6, 2023 on Rhino Records. It’s the latest entry in Rhino’s ongoing, GRAMMY® Award-winning series exploring the vast untapped archives of rare Joni Mitchell recordings — a project guided intimately by Mitchell’s own vision and personal touch. Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) will be available both in a 5CD / digital version and a 4LP cut-down version, both with an accompanying book featuring photos and a conversation about this period between Joni Mitchell and longtime friend Cameron Crowe. // As Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) — which won a 2022 GRAMMY® Award for Best Historical Album — and Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) did, Vol. 3 boasts an embarrassment of riches. The collection begins with an early cut of “Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire,” one of two songs (along with “For The Roses”) test-driven during a visit to a Graham Nash David Crosby recording session at Wally Heider’s in Hollywood. // From there, listeners are treated to early demos and alternate versions from sessions from For The Roses, Court & Spark, and The Hissing Of Summer Lawns; historic live show recordings, including the entirety of Mitchell’s triumphant 1972 return to Carnegie Hall and a definitive gig with her Court And Spark backing band Tom Scott & the L.A. Express; and tracks from sessions cut alongside James Taylor, Graham Nash, and Neil Young. // As she approaches her 80th birthday later this year, Joni Mitchell is reaffirming the vitality and resonance of her music. Last month, she released At Newport, a live album commemorating her incredible comeback performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. Pitchfork described it as “a joyous surprise, a moment of wonder,” while NPR Music says it “[shows] Mitchell’s legacy in action and how younger generations of musicians carry forth her spirit of imagination and fearless reconfiguration.” // Back in June, Mitchell held her first ticketed performance in over 20 years at a sold-out Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA. Rolling Stone called it “The triumph of the human spirit we all desperately craved…a powerful celebration of Mitchell’s life and resiliency.”] [For The Roses was originally released on Asylum Records in November 1972. Joni Mitchell originally wrote the song “You Turn Me On I’m A Radio” in response to her record label’s desire for her to write a hit song. Mitchell reveals her purpose on lines such as, “And I’m sending you out this signal here, I hope you can pick it up loud and clear”. She believed that including words in the song about radio themes would convince stations to play the recording. The song was recorded in preparation for Mitchell’s upcoming fifth studio album in Hollywood, California, United States at A&M Studios. Although Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Neil Young all contributed to the recording session for the song, only the harmonica piece performed by Graham Nash was included on the official release. “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” was released as a single in November 1972 via Asylum Records. The song became Mitchell’s first top-ten hit in Canada, reaching the tenth position on the RPM Top Singles chart. Additionally, the single became her first top-forty hit in the United States, reaching number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside North America, “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” peaked within the top-forty on the Australian Kent Music Report chart. The single was included on Mitchell’s fifth studio effort For the Roses, which was issued in November 1972. Released between her 2 biggest commercial and critical successes – “Blue” and “Court & Spark”. In 2007 it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. “For the Roses” was Mitchell’s farewell to the business; she took an extended break for a year after. The album was critically acclaimed with The New York Times saying “Each of Mitchell’s songs on For the Roses is a gem glistening with her elegant way with language, her pointed splashes of irony & her perfect shaping of images. Never does Mitchell voice a thought or feeling commonly. She’s a songwriter and singer of genius who can’t help but make us feel we are not alone.”].

10. (#112.) Overcoats – “Never Let You Go”
    from: Winner / Never Fall Back Records / April 7, 2023
    [Overcoats is the New York-based female duo of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell. // The third full-length from Overcoats, Winner takes place in the kind of New York City spaces meant for unencumbered dreaming: fire escapes and rooftops, downtown late at night, the majestic Manhattan skyline as glimpsed from the George Washington Bridge. But in paying homage to the city that formed them, singer/songwriters Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell set their storytelling against a sonic backdrop more reminiscent of wide-open landscapes—an unbridled and euphoric sound that evokes the wild rush of hitting the road with your closest confidant, with no particular destination in mind. // Produced by two-time Grammy-winner Daniel Tashian (a co-producer on Kacey Musgraves’s widely acclaimed Golden Hour), Winner marks an evolution of the graceful musicality first displayed on Overcoats’ debut album YOUNG (a 2017 release that earned praise from outlets like the New York Times and NPR Music, who placed it at #4 on its best-of-the-year list). As a bold departure from YOUNG’s sparse electronic pop and the atmospheric indie-rock of The Fight (a 2020 release that nabbed them a Breakthrough Artist nomination from the American Association of Independent Music), the album encompasses a warm and luminous sound sculpted from a tightly curated mix of elements: earthy guitar tones, elegantly rugged textures, the duo’s signature heavenly harmonies. // Produced by Daniel Tashian except “Horsegirl” produced by Jackson Phillips & “Attention” produced by Nick Lobel. Co-produced by Mikey Reaves on “Never Let You Go” & “Vagabond” // Engineered by Konrad Snyder at The Study in Nashville, TN // Mixed by Lars Stalfors (“Horsegirl”, “New Suede Shoes”, “Green Eyes”, & “Vagabond” // Mixed by Tony Maserati (“Never Let You Go” & “Better Off”) // Mixed by James Krausse (“Want You Back”, “Say My Name”, “Attention”, “Don’t You Wanna”, & “Winner” // Mastered by Ruairi O’Flaherty at Nomograph Mastering in Los Angeles, CA . // Their debut album YOUNG was released on April 21, 2017. We played “Nighttime hangover” on March 8, 2017. Their captures a sound rich in minimalism and melody: songs of connection and tension, on the depths of love and challenges of family. Overcoats’ music draws strength from vulnerability, finding light through darkness, and the catharsis of simple, honest songwriting. YOUNG is about a transformation: the passage into womanhood, sung through the shared experience of two best friends. YOUNG was written by Overcoats and co-produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Daughter, The War On Drugs, Dirty Projectors, Cass McCombs) and experimental R&B artist Autre Ne Veut, with additional production from Myles Avery and mixing by Ben Baptie (Lapsley, Lianne La Havas, Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson). All songs written by Hana Rose Elion, Justine Mitchell and Adley Arthur Atkin.][Overcoats played Middle of The Map Fest Saturday, May 6, at The Tank Room, opening for Arkells, after Tart, and Pageant Boys.]

11. (#111.) Danielle Ate the Sandwich – “Other Cards To Play”
    from: Over Again (24 Hour Album) / Danielle Ate the Sandwich / February 26, 2023
    [The 6 songs on this album were written and recorded in 24 hours on February 25th-26th, 2023, during Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s 8th annual 24 Hour Album. This project challenges the artist to write, record, produce, and release a new album in just twenty four hours, live streaming the process to her fans. Patrons of Danielle Ate the Sandwich tuned in from all across the world to suggest ideas and offer support with Danielle during live streams held throughout the 24 hours. Life is short! Stay up all night and make stuff! // On February 20, 2022 Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the 7-track release, “Continued Curfew (24 Hour Album 2022)”. Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the 7-song album, 24 HOUR ALBUM (2021), on April 25, 2021. The 7 songs on this album were written and recorded in 24 hours on April 24th-25th, 2021, during Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s 6th annual 24 Hour Album. On May 28, 2021 Danielle Ate the Sandwich released, It’s Not a Burden (Original Songs from the Documentary Film) on Youngest Daughter Records. It’s Not A Burden is a powerful and brilliant film about the joys and pain of raising elderly parents. The songs are produced by Joanna Katcher. // Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, “A Weight, A Wall” on June 1, 2021. Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, “Goodbye to You” on August 22, 2021. More info at: http://www.danielleatethesandwich.com.]

12. (#110.) Ethan Eckert – “A Shack On the Path”
    from: 21, PUNISHMENT and DISARRAY/ Ethan Eckert / March 29, 2023
    [Ethan Eckert is a musician, writer, painter, and filmmaker from Harrisonville, Missouri. He started his music career age 12 playing drums with his father’s band. At 14 he started writing his own songs for his first punk band, Acadia, and has since began a solo career releasing two albums (Duets with You and Non), three EPs (Punishment Part One, Two, and Three), and fifteen singles. He has toured the country as a solo artist and as drummer for the now dissolved punk band Salty. Ethan currently resides in Kansas City, Kansas with his partner Abbey, their dog, Zeus, and three kitties Julius, Sookie, and Stevie Nicks. He is hard at work on his second novel, Thanks Again, and is busy releasing his next single “Disarray” (following the same nonprofit model as his previous dozen singles released every month of 2021—$1,000 donated so far) as well as editing the music video. His happiest days begin with some Yoga and meditation, then a tennis match, making an exorbitant dinner for his family, and then playing a show to the punk kids. More info at: http://www.ethaneckert.bandcamp.com]

13. (#109.) wrker – “Champion Sound”
    from: Mind Work / wrker / September 27, 2023
    [Kansas City based Wrker is ZacharyLaman who Chopped, sampled, tickled, and keyed. Made on the Polyend tracker. Album ART by AARON HAYES] [wrker played Outer Reaches Fest, Saturday, October 14 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO, on the KC Synthesizer Collective Stage features headliner, bizarro-pop group, Summer Like the Season, from Detroit, along with KC acts: Agrekulture, and Bobcat Attack. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com.]

14. (#108.) Bach Aria Soloists – “Si dolce e l tormento”
    from: Le Dolce Sirene / Reference Recordings / February 19, 2023
    [Elizabeth Suh Lane, Violin–Artistic Director–Founder; Sarah Tannehill Anderson, Soprano; Elisa Williams Bickers, Harpsichord–Organ–Piano; and Hannah Collins, Cello. Producer: Elizabeth Suh Lane, Artistic Director. Editing by: Elizabeth Suh Lane, Elisa Williams Bickers. Recording Engineer and Editor: PJ Kelley of The Post Haus Acoustic,. Kirk Patton (Mendelssohn Organ Sonata). Mix and Mastering Engineer: Robert Friedrich of Five/Four Productions, LLC®. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered using REVEAL SDM Technology®. REVEAL—Superior Dimension Music Technology is employed exclusively by Five/Four Productions, LLC to raise the standard ofexcellence in both music recording and the music listening experience. Digital Audio Workstation System: Merging Technologies Pyramix DAW. Monitored Through: EMM Labs Switchman. Monitor Speakers: ATC SCM 150, SCM 50 and SCM 25 Album Art Director: JoAnn Nunes. Cover Photo: Dan White Liner Notes: Steven Ledbetter. Bach Aria Soloists’ vision is to collaborate with world-class artists; perform in unique and traditional venues; present BachReach, BAS’ innovative education that introduces exciting, interactive music and multi-discipline programs, and Orchestral and Chamber Music Clinics for schools in our community for FREE, thanks to BAS’ BachReach funders. Their recently announced alliance with Marsalis Mansion Artists opens the ensemble to touring in the U.S. and beyond. More info: http://www.bachareasolists.com]

15. (#107.) Rewound & Calvin Arsenia – “Bad Blood / I Knew You Were Trouble”
    from: Lovestory (4-song) EP / House of Outlyre Productions / May 9, 2023
    [Rewound & Calvin Arsenia released four singles in 2023, including “All Too Well” on April 25, 2023, All 4 singles are covering the songs of Taylor Swift. // Rewound is a trio with Carmen Dieker on violin, Alyssa Bell on viola, and Ezgi Karakus on cello that perform classical and contemporary music re-imagined. For these recordings they are collaborating with Calvin Arsenia on harp.c// Calvin Arsenia 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 KC 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 released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his critically acclaimed full length debut, Catastrophe. Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. 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 Dec. 13, 2019 Calvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Calvin is a graduate of Artist INC. // Charlotte Street Foundation announced that the recipients of the 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards are The Black Creatures and Calvin Arsenia Scott.]

11:59 – Station ID

16. (#106.) Eggs On Mars – “No Problem”
    from: Warm Breakfast / Eggs On Mars / March 21, 2023
    [Eggs on Mars, a four-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith on guitar/lead vocals/keys; Mason Potter on drums/percussion/backing vocals; Doug Bybee on bass/keys/backing vocals; and Joel Stratton on keys/backing vocals; with Austin Smith on additional guitars; Sam Smith on backing vocals; and Rodd Fenton on backing vocals/hand claps. Recorded/Engineered/Mixed by Rodd Fenton. Mastered by Josh Johnson. Recorded 2023 at Solstice Audio. Cover painting by Shannon Brouk. Photography and album layout by Doug Bybee. More info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com] [Eggs On Mars played Manor Fest 5 in Lawrence on Friday, May 19, at 10;00 PM at Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS with Parry, Saving Miles Lemon, and Scabb.]

Eggs On Mars Discography

Welcome to our Family August 25, 2014
10-track album
Recorded Summer 2014 at Potter Underground Studios
Guitars/Lead Vocals-Brad Smith
Bass/Other Vocals-Justin Longmeyer
Drums-Mason Potter

Spacey Stacy September 4, 2015
8-track album
Recording/Mixing/Mastering/Pancakes-Doug Bybee
Recorded August 2015 at Sound + Vision Studios of the Lawrence Public Library
Cover photo taken by Mason Potter
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

On Hold, Hold On October 7, 2016
5-track EP
Album art by Anna Smith
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

In A Desert Place March 15, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer
Recorded at 2319
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass/Vocals/Guitar solo – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Mama Pancake November 9, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/mixed/mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded May through September of 2018 at 2319
Artwork by Julie Smith
Brad Smith – guitars/vocals/keys
Justin Longmeyer – bass
Mason Potter – drums/percussion

It Will Be Like It Was October 4, 2019
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded summer of 2019 at Bread Basket Music Studios
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Brighter Now June 25, 2021
7-track EP
Recorded / mixed / mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Solstice Audio
Cover painting by Jesse Bartmess
Brad Smith – Vocals, guitar
Mason Potter – Drums, backing vocals, self-sacrificial tambourine
Bennie Neselroad – Keys, backing vocals,
Doug Bybee – Bass, backing vocals

Warm Breakfast March 21, 2023
10-track album
Recorded/Engineered/Mixed by Rodd Fenton
Mastered by Josh Johnson.
Recorded 2023 at Solstice Audio.
Cover painting by Shannon Brouk
Brad Smith – guitar/lead vocals/keys
Mason Potter – drums/percussion/backing vocals
Doug Bybee – bass/keys/backing vocals;
Joel Stratton – keys/backing vocals;
with
Austin Smith – additional guitars
Sam Smith – backing vocals
Rodd Fenton – backing vocals/hand claps.

17. (#105.) Robert Finley – “What Goes Around Comes Around”
    from: Black Bayou / Easy Eye Sound – Concord / October 27, 2023
    [The 69 year opld soul singer-songwriter returns with a Dan Auerbach-produced album: a swaggering tour de force of Blues, Soul, and Funk sharing stories from the swamps of Louisiana his timeless tales of srviving love, betrayal, and alligators cements him as one of the last true bluesman of his time. // Robert Finley announces his third studio album Black Bayou, set for release October 27 on Easy Eye Sound / Concord. Finley is joined again by frequent collaborator and producer Dan Auerbach for a thundering, swaggering record that tells Finley’s story of his life in the bayou of Louisiana. Finley also releases his first track “What Goes Around (Comes Around)” – a sweltering, swampy rock track that shows off Finley’s smooth-as-whiskey vocals. // Of the track Finley states, “You gotta reap what you sow…do to another what you would have done to you. Be real, tell the truth. For all those out there hurting, you just have to keep the faith. I’ve seen it over the years, especially with my career — you got to put joy out into the world and it will come back. It’s never been anything short of the truth for me.” // Black Bayou, Finley’s third studio album, is a portrait of Louisiana from an insider who’s lived there all his life and coalesces all of the vibrant genres bubbling in the bayou from gospel, blues, rock and roll and more. With this Auerbach-produced album, they created a vivid collection of songs that depict life in North Louisiana, with Finley playing the role of charismatic and knowledgeable tour guide. // “It’s amazing to realize how much of an impact Louisiana has had on the world’s music,” says Auerbach, “and Robert embodies all of that. He can play a blues song. He can play early rock and roll. He can play gospel. He can do anything, and a lot of that has to do with where he’s from.” Finley recorded Black Bayou at producer Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville. // It’s the fourth time the duo have worked together, although for this record they did things a little differently. Rather than write songs beforehand—as they did on 2017’s Goin’ Platinum and 2021’s Sharecropper’s Son—they devised everything in the studio, with Auerbach leading a band of some of the finest players around: drummers Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) and Jeffrey Clemens (Ani DiFranco, G. Love & Special Sauce), bassist Eric Deaton, and legendary Hill Country blues guitarist Kenny Brown along with vocalists Christy Johnson and LaQuindrelyn McMahon—who just happen to be Finley’s daughter and granddaughter. They worked quickly, devising their parts spontaneously and getting everything in one take. “I started singing, and they started playing,” Finley explains. “That’s how we made the album. It wasn’t written out. Nobody used a pencil and paper. We just sang and played together in the studio.” // If Finley’s previous albums established him as a formidable blues and soul artist — overcoming losing his sight in his 60s to become a music star — Black Bayou reveals Finley as something even more distinctive: a truly original Louisiana storyteller who evokes the place and its unique culture for the rest of the world. Finley doesn’t plan to call any other place home. “I’m not interested in living in no big city,” he says. “There’s good places here for hunting and fishing. I can fall asleep in my yard or sleep out on my porch, and nobody’s gonna bother me. Nothing bad is gonna come and get me.” // Struggle and celebration commingle in the stories of Black Bayou. In everyday life death looms. Through the jaws of an alligator on “Alligator Bait,” where Finley shares a true tale of his grandfather using him as as bait to catch an alligator when he was a child or just the gradual pace of time, on “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” a poignant track spotlighting the generation forgotten in nursing homes across the nation. On “Sneakin’ Around” or “Miss Kitty,” Finley’s tales of lust and love are a timeless induction into the canon of the blues tradition. In all, a collection set to establish Finley as perhaps one of the last true bluesmen of our time.]

18. (#104.) Michael B. Tipton – “Scoundrel”
    from: Out Of The Woods / Michael B. Tipton / October 13 , 2023
    [Recorded & Produced by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, Kansas City, MO. Musicians: Michael B Tipton on vocals, guitars, percussion; Aaron “Big Al” Lewis on Bass;| Justin Danner on Drums; Matt Smithmier on Mandolin; Jace Hughes on Electric Guitar; Brad King on Slide Guitar; Mallory Edson on Fiddle; Devon Teran on Pedal Steel Guitar; Nate Holt on Organ, Piano; Kate Valliere on Backing Vocals. // Michael B Tipton is a seasoned singer-songwriter who has performed for audiences nationwide for over 26 years. With a remarkable versatility across genres like folk, country, electronic, indie rock, and hard rock, his compositions are written to be adapted to various musical styles. Michael made his mark as a member of acclaimed bands: Tabla Rasa (1999-2005), 5 Defy (2006-2008), Molly Picture Club (2009-2013), and Kodascope (2013-2016). He is also the driving force behind Found A Job, a popular 8-piece tribute to Talking Heads since 2012, where he embodies David Byrne’s essence.][Michael B. Tipton was our guest on WMM on August 9, 2023]

19. (#103.) Corinne Bailey Rae – “New York Transit Queen”
    from: Black Rainbows / Black Rainbows Music / September 15, 2023
    2 time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae confirms her years-in-the-making Black Rainbows project. Inspired by the objects and artworks collected by Theaster Gates at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, the work includes a collection of songs, a book Refraction/Reflection of the Arts Bank photographed by Koto Bolofo, live performances, visuals, lectures and exhibitions—a bold move from her previous work. // The album Black Rainbows is set for release September 15 via Thirty Tigers. The first single, “New York Transit Queen,” is out now. “I knew when I walked through those doors that my life had changed forever,” says Bailey Rae. “Engaging with these archives and encountering Theaster Gates and his practice has change how I think about myself as an artist and what the possibilities of my work can be. This music has come through seeing. Seeing has been like hearing, for me. While I was looking, songs/sounds appeared.” // Wide ranging in its themes, Black Rainbows’ subjects are drawn from encounters with objects in the Arts Bank, a curated collection of Black archives comprising books, sculpture, records, furniture and problematic objects from America’s past. From the rock hewn churches of Ethiopia to the journeys of Black Pioneers westward, from Miss New York Transit 1957 to how the sunset appears from Harriet Jacobs’ loophole. Black Rainbows explores Black femininity, Spell Work, Inner Space/Outer Space, time collapse, ancestors and music as a vessel for transcendence. // About Corinne Bailey Rae: English singer/songwriter/musician Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self-titled #1 U.K. debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits “Put Your Records On” and “Like A Star.” Over the course of her career she has released three critically acclaimed studio albums—Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers—and earned two Grammy Awards, two MOBOS, and has been nominated for multiple awards including the BRIT Awards, Mercury Music Prize and BET Awards. Her work for film and television includes the theme to Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (SKY1), “The Scientist” for Universal Pictures’ Fifty Shades Darker openin title and soundtrack which charted globally, and in 2020 her song “New to Me” was performed in the film The High Note by Tracee Ellis Ross. Bailey Rae has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, KING, Paul McCartney, Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Questlove, Salaam Rami, RZA, Tyler The Creator, Paul Weller, Richard Hawley, Stevie Wonder, Tracey Thorn, Pharrell, Logic, Mick Jenkins and many more.]

20. (#102.) Elizabeth Moen – “Nobody Wants A Lonely Heart”
    from: For Arthur EP / Elizabeth Moen / July, 28, 2023
    [About Elizabeth’s new EP she writes, “Finding Arthur Russell’s music was a special moment in my life. Finding out he was also from a small town in Iowa was too. His work expanded over genres and he brought together so many people through his love of music and sound throughout his career. It was a joy to make these covers. I’m grateful for them and all the friends involved. We all love Arthur. Thank you to my grandfather, another dear Iowan, for painting the cover.” “This EP of covers is For Arthur. For my brother. For my friends. For queer artists. For queer people in Iowa. For queer people in red states or small towns who don’t feel like they can be themselves. For anyone who feels lonely or heartbroken. For anyone who loves Arthur. For anyone who happens to hear it. If you do, thanks for listening.” // Elizabeth Moen grew up in Vinton, IA and taught herself how to play guitar as a teenager. She moved to Iowa City, IA for college where she studied French and Spanish at the University of Iowa. She played her first open mic at The Mill at age 20 and wrote her first original song at age 21. Elizabeth is currently based in Chicago. // Moen self-released a self-titled EP in 2016, a debut LP That’s All I Wanted in 2017 and became a staple of the Iowa City music scene. Her sophomore album A Million Miles Away, released in 2018 drew praise from regional press as well as Paste Magazine. // In 2019, her recording of a new song “Headgear” for the Tiny Desk Contest drew praise from NPR Music. Listed as “one of the entries we can’t stop watching.” // Moen has recorded at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco, Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Hellfire Studios in Dublin, Ireland and Flat Black Studios in Lone Tree, Iowa. (The tracks from these various recordings will all be featured on her upcoming album to be released in 2022. // Moen was accepted into the 2020 SXSW festival as an official showcase artist and featured in NPR Music’s Austin 100. Moen has also appeared in several festivals including Hinterland, Lollapalooza (official after show), Mission Creek, Mile of Music, 80/35, Lincoln Calling, and Knockan Stockan. She was also invited to perform at The Ruby Sessions in Dublin, Ireland. // Moen has toured throughout the United States and Europe and supported artists such as Lake Street Dive, Margaret Glaspy, Houndmouth Ani DiFranco, St Paul and the Broken Bones, Lucy Dacus, Esme Patterson, The Weepies, Buck Meek, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Birds of Chicago, Margaret Glaspy, William Elliott Whitmore, LP and Lissie. // In the 2020 Democratic primary, she supported Bernie Sanders and was invited to play several of the Senator’s rallies in Iowa. // Elizabeth has had several songs featured in television series and movies including the following: How it Ends, Candy Jar, Elsewhere, Roswell New Mexico (CW network), Tell Me a Story (CBS), and Shameless (Showtime). More info at http://www.elizabethmoen.com] [Elizabeth Moen played the 19th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Sat, Aug 26, at 10:00 PM at All Else The Sea (The Ship), 1221 Union Ave, (Indoor Stage) Sponsored by Somera Road.]

21. (#101.) Cautious Clay – “Karpehs Don’t Flinch (with Joshua Karpeh)”
    from: KARPEH / Blue Note Records – UMG / August 18, 2023
    [Cautious Clay has released his Blue Note debut KARPEH, a deeply personal new album which finds the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer also known as Joshua Karpeh taking a giant artistic leap forward with an ambitious yet introspective song cycle about growth, conceptions of intimacy, and lineage that reveals a new side of his artistry by delving deeper than ever into his jazz roots. Following his performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, Cautious will be making a headline appearance at SummerStage in New York City’s Central Park this Saturday, August 19. // Across the album’s 15 tracks Cautious can be heard on vocals, flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, guitar, synthesizer, and bass. He also invites a wide range of collaborators into the fold including leading lights of the modern jazz world including guitarist Julian Lage, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, keyboardist Julius Rodriguez, bassist Joshua Crumbly, and drummer Sean Rickman. Other guests on the album include his uncle, bassist Kai Eckhardt, and the acclaimed Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab. // For all of Cautious’ dexterity around multiple instruments, it’s always in service of the music’s narratives. “I wanted it to be musical for the sake of telling a story,” he explains. “Throughout this album, I am equating my life’s journey to an amalgamation of my family’s past life experiences, an exploration of my present, and how those pieces will influence by future.” // Cautious sequenced the album thematically in three sections with interludes throughout containing audio recordings of his relatives recounting bits of family history. The first section he calls “The Past Explained” with songs that touch upon his early experiences growing up in Cleveland including the album’s lead single “Ohio.” The middle section of the album is what Cautious calls “The Honeymoon of Exploration.” These five songs depict some of his experiences with psychedelics, which inspired self-reflection and the desire for deeper forms of intimacy with others. The concluding four songs constitute the third thematic section, which Cautious calls “A Bitter & Sweet Solitude.” Cautious posits that when we allow ourselves to spend quality time in solitude it enables us to forge better relationships with ourselves and others, therefore sparking deeper intimacy. // Since 2017, Cautious Clay has been steadily building a devoted fanbase with his heartfelt songwriting and a unique sound that moves fluidly between pop, alternative R&B, and indie rock. He began receiving wide recognition with the 2018 release of Blood Type featuring the breakthrough single “Cold War,” a naked call for emotional honesty and transparency that resonated deeply with listeners and has since been streamed more than 150 million times. The song was featured on Issa Rae’s hit HBO TV show, Insecure, and Olivia Wilde’s movie, Booksmart, and was interpolated by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff on “London Boy” from the pop star’s album Lover. Cautious’ other outside writing and production credits include working with Billie Eilish, John Mayer, John Legend, Khalid, Kavinsky, Melanie Martinez, Remi Wolf, and more. Following two more EPs—Resonance and Table of Context—Cautious released his debut full-length, Deadpan Love in 2021, delivering on his early promise with an album that centered on the balance between oneself and others. With his Blue Note debut KARPEH, Cautious Clay offers an even more intimate glimpse inside his highly biographical artistic vision. More info at; http://www.cautiousclay.com.]

22. (#100.) Jamogi – “Star-Crossed Lover”
    from: Star-Crossed Lover – EP / Jam Tunes / March 3, 2023
    [Jamogi Bridges is also know as Byron Hyde a Kanas City based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally form Los Angeles, California. Since releasing this EP Jamogi released a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023.Jamogi previously released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on December 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022. Jamogi played the 19th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Saturday, August 26, at 6:15 PM on the Kissick Construction Stage at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO (Indoor Stage) one of 6 STAGES in West Bottoms with over 25 Bands.] [Jamogi plays an AGE OF AQUARIUS FINALE CONCERT at Englewood Arts, on October 26, at 7:00 PM.][Jamogi was our guest on WMM on Oct. 18, 2023]

23. (#99.) Arlo Parks – “Pegasus (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)”
    from: My Soft Machine / Transgressive Records / May 26, 2023
    [Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho is known professionally as Arlo Parks, She is a British singer-songwriter and poet. The title, My Soft Machine, comes from a piece of dialogue from the 2019 film The Souvenir. Of the song, “Pegasus” Parks said it is about experiencing the warmth and lightness of good love for the first time,” and “It also explores how the absence of chaos and the presence of real connection can be a little bit terrifying after a long time of not having it. // Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released through Transgressive Records on January 29, 2021, to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. // Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho was born on August 9, 2000 and raised in Hammersmith, West London. She is half Nigerian, quarter Chadian and quarter French. Her mother was born in Paris. Marinho learnt to speak French before she did English. // Parks chose her stage name in the manner of King Krule and Frank Ocean. In 2018, she began uploading demos to BBC Music Introducing which caught the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ Jess Iszatt who distributed these demos to Ali Raymond of Beatnik Creative, who soon began managing Parks. She made her solo debut when she released the song “Cola” through Beatnik Records in November 2018, and announced the release of her debut EP, Super Sad Generation. She told Line of Best Fit that the song is “a reminder that betrayal is inevitable when it comes to pretty people that think flowers fix everything.” Olivia Swash wrote that the vocals on the song “flourish thanks to [Parks’] creative writing background, with her delicate tone taking centre stage against the gently plodding guitars and soft crackle of vinyl.” By November 2019, the song had amassed over three million streams on Spotify. // Following the release of “Cola”, Parks signed to Transgressive Records. She released the title track of her upcoming EP, Super Sad Generation, in January 2019. Robin Murray told Clash that the song portrays an “astute, nuanced creative control that also utilises word-play that speaks of youthful emotions spinning out of control.” Her third single, “Romantic Garbage”, was released in March 2019, before the release of the full four-track EP, Super Sad Generation in early April 2019. The EP was recorded in her home in South West London and an Airbnb in the Angel district of London. // Parks performed her first-ever gig at The Great Escape in Brighton in May 2019, and has gone on to perform on the BBC Music Introducing stage at Glastonbury Festival in late June 2019, as well as at Latitude Festival in July 2019. She embarked on her first tour supporting Jordan Rakei on the UK leg of his tour in September 2019. Throughout the last half of 2019 Parks released the songs “George”, “Second Guessing”, “Sophie”, and “Angel’s Song” ahead of her second EP, Sophie Sean Kerwick told DIY that the five-track EP “oozes with the hang-ups of heartbreak and mortality; a topic that seems to overshadow many gen-Z musicians.” // Parks embarked on her first headlining tour of Europe in February/March 2020, but could not complete it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, Parks released the singles “Eugene” and “Black Dog”, which were well received during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the latter of which became BBC Radio 1’s Tune of the Week. Parks made the front cover of NME in late July 2020. She won the AIM Independent Music Award for One to Watch in 2020 in August 2020, after losing the same award to Georgia a year before. Parks and Moses Boyd made the front cover of Music Week for the publication’s indie takeover special following the AIM Awards ceremony. Parks released her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, on 29 January 2021. // Parks is openly bisexual and is based in London. She was educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith and completed her A Levels in early 2019. In her auto-biographical blurb on her Spotify profile, Parks claimed that she spent most of secondary school “feeling like that black kid who couldn’t dance for shit, listening to too much emo music and crushing on some girl in her Spanish class.” // Parks has named Sylvia Plath & Joni Mitchell as among her influences.]

11:27 – Underwriting

24. (#98.) Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores – “Remedy (Radio Edit)”
    from: Hello Paul Jesse, Pt. II – EP / Frog Party / June 23, 2023
    [Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores released a total of 3 EPs in 3 parts: Hello Paul Jesse, Pt. I EP on Februarty 17, 2023, and Hello Paul Jesse Part III EP on November 3, 2023. Paul Jesse is a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, Kansas, whose debut EP, Stuck This Way came out in 2021 and combines his smooth and passionate vocals with psychedelic R&B, hip-hop, and electronic bedroom-pop production. Deegan Poores is also a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, whose debut album from last year, The “Vanishing” Album, combines indie rock, yacht rock, power pop, and synth pop to create a genre-bending sound with co-production from singer-songwriter-producer-filmmaker Remy Styrk from Kansas City. After coming together last year to make the song “Your Sunshine”, which features Lawrence based singer-songwriter Hannah Davis, Paul asked Deegan to executive produce his debut album. Hello Paul Jesse, releasing over the upcoming months as three EPs by Lawrence arts collective Frog Party, takes the sound Paul established on Stuck This Way and expands it to include elements of Deegan’s sound as well as trip hop, hyperpop, and folk, among other genres, all cohering around Paul’s voice and hooks. The lyrics chronicle Paul’s growth and development as a person through heartache, self-reflection, and love, and each EP captures a different stage of that transition. Hello Paul Jesse, Part I was released February 17, 2023. “Remedy” the first single from the EP Hello Paul Jesse, Pt. II featuring Arkko was released on Friday, March 17, 2023.] [Paul Jesse plays Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St., KCMO, West Bottoms, on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3:30 PM for Lemonade Social – Day 2 with Black Light Animals, Steddy P, Mr. Golden Sun, Paris Williams, Flora, Gipson, and The Swallowtails.] [ Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores were our guests on WMM on March 15, 2023]

25. (#97.) Kye Colors – “IN THE DARKNESS (clean)”
    from: Colorman: Red [EP] / Wasteland Records / March 16, 2023
    [Kye Colors released his single “Phil Collins” on March 25, 2022. // Kye Colors, born J’Kye Slatton, is a 21 year-old rapper and producer from the South side of Kansas City, Missouri. Kye began writing music as early as age 5, usually done in crayons. “I’d describe my music as very colorful and vibrant from the beats to the lyrics” Colors says. “I’d describe my music as very colorful and vibrant from the beats to the lyrics” // The name Kye Colors derives from multiple meanings. The first coming from the idea that hues enact certain moods, “you can feel orange, you can feel yellow, you can feel brown; it’s like an emotion” says Kye. The second is best described through his lyrics on the track Broken Place, “I’m KC for real, check the initials.” // His gift of rap was nurtured and harbored from Elementary School to High School. As a teenager, Kye’s talent was quickly taken notice by his peers. While in school, his seniors made sure that he would get his high school diploma before he could fully pursue his music career. After sporadic trials with rap he went by the name Kye Colors by age 14. The same year he began producing. // In 2015 he released his first mixtape entitled “00“. The project garnered attention from hip hop fans all over the Kansas City Metropolitan. In 2017, he joined the rap collective “CaviArt” alongside artists Gee Watts, A’Sean, Ray Muney, and others. // Soon after and at only 17 years old, he would release his 1st full length project “Milk Is Nasty”. It was nationally acclaimed by Lyrical Lemonade, publicized in local Newspapers such as The Kansas City Star and The Pitch KC, and also gained notable local airplay. The project also led to him performing alongside Denzel Curry, Famous Dex, Wiz Khalifa, Lil TJay and many more. // “Milk Is Nasty”. It was nationally acclaimed by Lyrical Lemonade, publicized in local Newspapers such as The Kansas City Star and The Pitch KC, and also gained notable local airplay. // In 2019, Kye released some of his most popular single releases to date including “Sweet Thang,” “Doggy,” “Talk About It” and more. These independent releases would land him on platforms such as Baller Alert, a modeling gig with Lee Jeans, and national airplay on Shade45. // In 2020, at the age of 20 he founded his label “Wasteland Records” partnering with manager Jesse Brown and Jaron Baston. He went on his first independent tour and released his 2nd LP With Love By Faith. It peaked at 166 on the Top 200 Rap/Hip Hop albums on iTunes. // Come 2021, Kye delivered three glossy singles “Nike Boy Freetstyle”, “Grateful”, “1-800” and an impressive five-track EP “WOW” in which helped him rank in the top 10K “R&B, Funk & Soul” artists in the world. // Kye kicked off 2022 with a flamboyant and captivating new single “TAKE UR PLACE”. A track thats surely setting the mood for whats to come. // From having a vibrant young passion for his penmanship to flourishing on the energy of his supporters, Kye looks to establish his mark in the industry as a rapper, and creative with a purpose. The artist intends to create moving and powerful connections through his newly-constructed label, releasing quality music, and collectively refining the abilities of his sound. More info at: http://www.kyecolors.com]

26. (#96.) Big Freedia – “$100 Bill (Feat. Ciara)”
    from: Central City / Queen Diva Music / June 23, 2023
    [Raised on Josephine Street in uptown New Orleans, Big Freedia, born Freddie Ross, was raised by his mother, a hairdresser, and stepfather, a truck driver for Coca-Cola. When Freddie was 15, the family moved to a more upscale neighborhood in New Orleans. Freddie—along with his brother Adam and sister Crystal Ross—were immersed in music at home by their mother, who often sang along to her Gladys Knight and Patty LaBelle records around the house. But it was the Baptist church choir where a young Freddie flourished. ”My mother made sure I never missed practice,” recalls Freedia. It’s no wonder that by the time he was 18, Freedia moved from member to director of the choir. Big Freedia is known as the Queen of Bounce, at the forefront of the Bounce rap movement (a subgenre of hip-hop born out of New Orleans and known for its call and response style and lightening speed booty-shaking dance). Though gay and proud, Big Freedia asserts that her (Freedia is a he but uses the feminine pronoun for her stage persona) sexuality has little to do with her music and rejects the term Sissy Bounce (the queer brand of Bounce). “All Bounce is Bounce,” he insists. “There’s no need to separate it out. All types of people—gay, straight, rich, poor, black, white come to my shows. People just wanna get out and shake their azzzz and have a good time!” And therein lies the beauty of Big Freedia: She can rock a pair of dangling gold earrings and light up a blunt and chop it up with the hardest rapper around. She’s not a gay artist, but rather an artist who happens to be gay. Big Freedia has gone from a local New Orleans phenomenon to a national one after appearing on the HBO series ‘Treme’ [as herself] and in 2010, she released her debut EP on Scion A/V Presents: Big Freedia, produced by NOLA producer BlaqNmilD. The EP featured notables “Excuse” and “Almost Famous; other fan-favorites include “Gin in my System” “Azz Everwhere” and “Y’all Get Back Now.” Shefollowed that up by releasing “Nah Who Mad” and “Booty Whop,” and she was featured on Spank Rock’s “Everything is Boring and Everyone is a Fucking Liar” LP, on the track “Nasty.” She was also featured on “Peanut Butter” with RuPaul. Freedia made her network television network debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! She appeared on “Last Call with Carson Daly,” FADERTV, PITCHFORK TV and has been lauded in press outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Fader, RollingStone.com, SPIN, OffBeat, Chicago Tribune.] [Big Freedia plays, Boulevardia, Saturday, June 17, at 5:05 PM on the Visit Missouri Grand Stage.]

27. (#95.) Emily King – “Medal”
    from: Special Occasion / ATO Records / May 5, 2023
    [New York native Emily King is set to release her latest studio album Special Occasion. The new body of work is King’s first album in 4 years, following her multi-Grammy-nominated ‘Scenery.’ Using music as a means of meditation, King works through the most overwhelming emotions with ineffable grace and resilience. Today King releases the project’s second single “Medal,” a joyfully upbeat song punctuated by driving-low end bass, rhythmic hand claps, and a soaring chorus. // “I’d had this melody in my head for a very long time,” Emily King explains. “It was a slow song until I got in the studio with my producer and we picked up the tempo. He started playing this funky bassline on the chorus and it was like instant joy! The lyric was ‘I wanna be the girl with the medal’ like, I want that shiny feeling you get when the person you have a crush on gives you their attention. These days though, I’ve been singing the song to myself which gives it a slightly different meaning. Like, ‘Hey you are the prize girl!’ ‘You are the medal and you already won yourself!’ Ha. Makes me feel good and then I get to dancing.” // ‘Special Occasion’ sees King bring ever-evolving levels of depth and nuance to her songwriting, rooting each revelation into a mesmerizing blend of soul, R&B, and forward-thinking pop. “It’s about trying to find some kind of light in the middle of your hardest times: those moments when you don’t really have anything to celebrate, you’re just alone and sitting in those feelings and trying to make sense of it all,” King explains. // Emily King (born July 10, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. She started her career in 2004 and her first album East Side Story was released in August 2007. In December 2007, King was listed as a Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In 2019 Emily King was nominated for Best R&B Song for the 62nd Grammy Awards and her album Scenery was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. In 2020 Emily King was nominated again, this time for t for her song “See Me”. // Born in New York City in 1985, King grew up in a small apartment on the Lower East Side. Her parents, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, were a singing duo who performed and traveled regularly taking her and her older brother with them. At age 16, King left high school after earning her GED to pursue her music career. She began playing shows in restaurants and venues around New York City including CBGB and The Bitter End. // King signed her first record deal with J Records in 2004 and appeared on Nas’ 2004 album Street’s Disciple credited as simply “Emily”. Her first album East Side Story was released in August 2007. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album of the Year. After leaving the label in 2008, King continued her work independently with producer Jeremy Most. She self-recorded her follow-up EP Seven in her home, released in July 2011. Throughout this time, King toured domestically and internationally with many artists including Nas, John Legend, Floetry, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, and Maroon 5. // In 2012, King was awarded the Holly Prize (a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly) from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for recognition of the “all-in songwriter” whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly’s music: true, great and original. In the fall, King was invited by Emeli Sandé to open for her UK tour playing sold out shows in five cities including at The Royal Albert Hall in London. King collaborated with José James on his album No Beginning No End in 2013 and can be heard on the tracks “Heaven on the Ground” and the acoustic version of “Come to My Door”. In 2014, King performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles’ Little Black Dress tour. //King’s second studio album, The Switch, was self-released by her own label, Making Music Records, on 26 June 2015. The Wall Street Journal remarked that the album is “a tasteful collection of eleven songs that showcase King’s distinctive voice”. // She signed with the independent label ATO Records in 2017 and with them released her third studio album, Scenery, on 1 February 2019. // In late 2019, King once again performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles in her Amidst The Chaos Tour. // In 2019, King helped to compose “Being Human”, the ending theme song for the Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe Future, which she sang. Her song “Can’t Hold Me” was also used in an episode of the series. // King released her fourth studio album, Sides, on January 17, 2020. The album features acoustic takes on her previous songs, and includes a guest appearance by Sara Bareilles on the track “Teach You.” In response to racial unrest in the summer of 2020, King released the song “See Me” in August. The song was nominated for Best R&B Performance in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.]

28. (#94) yeule – “Inferno (Edit)”
    from: Softscars / Ninja Tune Records / September 22, 2023
    [3rd studio album from Yeule (stylised as yeule). It is the musical project of Singaporean songwriter and producer Nat Ćmiel (born Natasha Yelin Chang). Formed in 2012, Yeule incorporates elements of ambient, glitch and Asian post-pop. The name Yeule is derived from the Final Fantasy character of the same name (spelled differently), as well as their middle name. // Ćmiel was born Natasha Yelin Chang in Singapore where they attended school. They first started playing music at the age of 6 on their parents’ Yamaha piano and learned classically although eventually dropped taking lessons, and wanted to explore something more challenging which led them to guitar and drums. Ćmiel initially started playing waltz pieces, though they soon moved onto songs from the soundtracks of Final Fantasy X and Kingdom Hearts. They later went onto sing in a jazz band under the name Riot Diet, covering songs from Ella Fitzgerald and the Pixies. After graduating from high school, they applied to Central Saint Martins to study fashion communication and womenswear. // Growing up, feelings of loneliness and depression were present due in part to Ćmiel’s nomadic upbringing. They found solace on the internet, which would influence their later works. // Ćmiel’s first release under the Yeule title was their self titled EP on March 3, 2014. // On December 11, 2016, Ćmiel released their second EP, Pathos, which was dedicated to David Singh. // Ćmiel followed up with the OST to interactive simulator game Lost Memories Dot Net, which was released on July 17, 2017. // On September 27, 2017, Ćmiel released their third EP, Coma. With regard to the writing, they said that “I wrote this album to commemorate the people I’d lost.” The EP received a positive reception with Duncan Cooper of The Fader describing it as “dream-pop perfection”. // Ćmiel signed to Bayonet Records on July 17, 2019. // On October 25, 2019, Ćmiel released their debut studio album Serotonin II. On the process of creating the album they said that “Writing the record, I was dreadful. I didn’t ask for much, I don’t need to be happy. I just wanted to be content.” The album received a positive critical reception with Jude Noel of Tiny Mix Tapes giving the album 4/5 and saying that “Melancholia aside, it’s Serotonin II’s impeccable sound design that has kept me coming back”. //Ćmiel teased the release of their second album Glitch Princess via Bayonet Records with a track titled “My Name is Nat Ćmiel”—released at the end of 2020. The full album was released on February 4, 2022. It was qualified as “pioneering” by Colin Lodewick from Pitchfork and featured in their ‘Best New Music’ section with a critical score of 8.3. // In between “My Name Is Nat Ćmiel” and Glitch Princess, Ćmiel released the remix EP Serotonin X Remixes and the covers album Nuclear War Post X, the latter issued directly through their website as a limited edition paperback art book with a download for the entire album. // Over the first weekend of May 2023, Yeule teased some images on their social media channels mentioning the date of May 10. On that date, Yeule premiered the video and released the single for their new song “Sulky Baby” and announced that they had signed to the Ninja Tune label. They told Rolling Stone, “The creative trajectory is shapeshifting, and Ninja Tune was the most versatile with their views on artistic direction as most of my creative pitches often tend to be fringe in conceptual aspects. I admire the team’s work ethic and tastes, and they’ve also worked with other creatives I know and love to this day, it feels nice to be with them!” // Ćmiel graduated from Central Saint Martins in London for a degree in Fine Arts in 2020. // They are non-binary.]

29. (#93.) The Black Mariah Theatre – “Shakedown”
    from: Mean To Be Mean / The Black Mariah Theatre / July 21, 2023
    [Twin sisters Analiese and Sophia make up the Kansas City based band, The Black Mariah Theater. Their sparkly witch-rock sound, as it’s been described, is genre-bending funky drum beats, jazzy guitar tones, and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics. Perfect for anyone who’s had a bad day, a lonely night or a broken heart. // released Recorded and mastered by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studios in Kansas City. // released On The Black Mariah Theater released the single “Broken Bone” was also recorded, mixed, and mastered at Element Recording Studios by Joel Nanos. alternative duo female vocals garage rock indie rock Kansas City][Analiese and Sophia of The Black Mariah Theater joined us live on WMM on August 16, 2023]

30. (#92.) Blanky – “The Real Thing”
    from: Blood Harmony / Manor Records / December 15, 2022
    [Anthony Cunard of Blanky joined us on the show on Nov. 4, 2020, to talk about Blanky his band that moved from North Carolina, to KCK, and then to Lawrence, KS. // Blanky’s new record ‘Blood Harmony’ was recorded on a half inch reel-to-reel tape machine in various locations around Lawrence, Kansas during multiple sessions from December of 2021 to April of 2022. The intent was to embrace a lo-fi recording production and to emulate some of the style and intimacy captured on select enduring analog classics such as Charlie Megira’s ‘The Abtomatic Meisterzinger Mambo Chic’, The Breeders’ ‘Pod’, and Roland S. Howard’s ‘Teenage Snuff Film’. The process of recording live to tape allows for the inimitable chemistry of players, the uncontrollable variables of a busy household, and the sound of rooms, squeaking chairs and peripheral noise to be captured in a way that the contemporary digital norm just doesn’t. We’ve always loved those small details encapsulated forever in our favorite albums and we think some of that charm has been captured on ‘Blood Harmony’. The record is a snapshot in time of a band that regularly shifts its form and embraces the coming and going of members and collaborators. On ‘Blood Harmony’ the core of the band consists of songwriter and guitarist Anthony Cunard, drummer Max Smith, bass player Maxfiled Yoder and multi-instrumentalist Edward Madill. They’re joined by a handful of friends and contributors including Adam Brisbin (Buck Meek, Sam Evian, Dig Nitty) on pedal steel, Santo Rizzolo (Jackson Pines) on auxiliary drums and percussion and Luke Annis on various brass instruments. The record was mixed by Julian Fader in NYC and mastered by Amar Lal. // Max Smith on Drums & Vocals, Maxfield Yoder on Bass, Edward Madill: on Guitar & Synth, Santo Rizzolo on Drums, Adam Brisbin on Pedal Steel, Luke Annis on Trombone & Trumpet. // Mixed by: Julian Fader // Audio Mastering: Amar Lal // Cover Painting: Ian Felice // Album Design: Claire Monroe // Blanky embodies the languor left of a perfect day gone past. The always evolving musical project has thus far successfully mirrored the tumultuous transition of an agnostic adolescence to a freeing acceptance of life’s unapologetic inhumanity. The result is a dark happiness; simultaneously baffling and enticing. Incubated in a Black Mountain basement and left in the fields ’til full maturity. Blanky has settled in Lawrence, KS by way of Asheville, North Carolina. Southern origins and midwestern sentimentality are bound together in the timeless mindscape provoked by the broad assortment of compositions and styles performed and produced by the band. The ongoing experimentations of Blanky are a testament to their commitment to combining the culture of sharing and adaptation of 60’s folk and the do-it-yourself ethos of contemporary underground music. Blanky’s poignantly devitalized interpretations of rock’n’roll sound both new and familiar. The sense of desolation induced by their work is all so appropriate for an era marked by post-fact disenfranchisement. Blanky released NO SUMMERTIME on Manor records on October 9, 2020. Recorded in 2019 at El Rancho Morbido in Black Mountain, NC, and Lakehouse Sudios in Asbury Park, NJ. Engineered by Nick Semanchik & Anthony Cunard. Mixed by Anthony Cunard and Kevin Drew. Anthony Cunard on guitar & vocals, Santo Rizzolo on drums, Joseph Makoviecki on bass, Edward Madill on pedal steel.][Anthony Cunard of Blanky joined us as our guest on WMM on November 4, 2022.]

31. (#91) True Lions – “Fake Tears”
    from: True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette / Manor Records / April 26, 2023
    [“Fake Tears” contains lyrics from the poem “The Fake Tears of Shirley Temple” by Patricia Lockwood, from Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals, published by Penguin Books, New York (2014) “Fake Tears” was the first single from the True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette. True Lions released their debut full length album, “The Fempire Strikes Back,” on Manor Records on April 9, 2021 with Alisön Hawkins on keytar & vocals; Adee Rocket Dancy on cello & vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, Elizabeth Kosko on drums & percussion; Iona DeWalt on synthesizers; Miki P on guitar & vocals, and Teri Quinn on bass & vocals. Recorded at Deep Space Co-op. Tracking & engineering by Ross Brown at Escape Pod Audio. Mixing and mastering by Joel Nanos at Element Recording. In 2019 True Lions released their EP debut, “Cute at Best,” on February 5, 2019. They followed up with a second EP called. You’re Not Invited, released on November 9, 2019. For these recordings True Lions was: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking & Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com .] [True Lions played The True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette Release Show is Wednesday, April 26, at 7:00 PM with Jass & The Boys at The Ship 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO WEST BOTTOMS. More info at http://www.manorrecords.com] {true Lions were our guests on WMM on April 19, 2023 and July 12, 2023.]

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

Please tune into Wednesday MidDay Medley throughout December as we present our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2022 on December 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th.

NEXT WEEK, On December 13, we will bring you part 2 of our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2022. We’ll count down #90 through #61 with tracks from: .

THANK YOU to our incredible KKFI Staff; Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers.

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the extra effort to keep our station alive.

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

Show #1023