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 11, 2024

The 120 Best Recordings of 2024
(Part 2 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-two, of our four-week special: WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. Based on playlists of this little ole radio show, we’ve compiled representative tracks from our favorite full-length albums and EP recordings of 2024. 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 2024 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. 60 of the representative tracks in our “Best of” list are from MidCoastal Releases. We conducted over 118 interviews with 141 special guests. 40 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 2024, on December 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th. This is our celebration of the year when we were able to survey over 1200 area musical releases.

We’ll count down #90 through #61 with tracks from: Making Movies, St. George & The Dragons, Peter Schlamb & Logan Richardson, Back Alley Brass Band, Doubledrag, Burning Bush, Grady Philip Drugg, The Matchsellers, Big Fat Cow, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Belle & The Vertigo Waves, Leah Sproul, June Henry, Honeybee, Eboni Fondren, Erin Keller & The James Ward Band, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, Gossip, Valerie June, Tyla, Andre 3000, Lola Young, Kaia Kater, Joy Oladokun, Alan Sparhawk, Willi Carlisle, Kamasi Washington, Etran de L’AÏr, and Bolis Pupul.

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

2. (#90.) André 3000 – “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé”
   from: New Blue Sun / Epic Records / November 17, 2023 (3-LP Vinyl Release Mar. 22, 2024) 
   Debut solo album by American musician André 3000. It features instrumental contributions by an ensemble including Benjamin on various flutes, percussionist and producer Carlos Niño, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, guitarist Nate Mercereau, and keyboardist Diego Gaeta; as well as Leaving Records musicians V.C.R and Matthewdavid. The album represents an end to the musicians’s 17-year hiatus of new material. // In the years leading up to the release of New Blue Sun, Benjamin made media appearances playing flute in public settings; this was especially amplified online by his appearance as a flautist on the score for the Daniels’ 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once. He would later meet with jazz musician Carlos Niño in Los Angeles, where the two agreed to create a studio album. Ahead of its announcement, fellow rapper Killer Mike teased an impending release by André 3000. // As his first solo studio release, and the first studio material of his in a significant period of time, the 87-minute album largely consists of “experimental flute music” with both acoustic and electronic instrumentation, influenced by spiritual jazz musicians and minimalist composers. It features “a myriad” of different flutes performed by Benjamin in various styles across eight instrumental pieces. // When announcing the album on November 14, 2023, Benjamin emphasized that the project is not “a rap record”, with the packaging displaying a lighthearted disclaimer that it contains “no bars”;[6] he has additionally dismissed rumors that he was “sitting around on rap albums” that he has been characterized as refusing to release, saying instead that he felt more comfortable with the direction indicated by New Blue Sun. //The album was originally titled Everything Is Too Loud, but was renamed because André 3000 felt that it put out negative energy. // André Lauren Benjamin was born May 27, 1975, and better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he is best known for being one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Outkast, alongside fellow Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi. Benjamin is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. // As part of Outkast, the duo released six successful studio albums which contained hit singles including “Ms. Jackson”, “Roses”, “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Elevators (Me & You)”, among others. The duo’s fifth release, a double album titled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), contained a solo single performed by Benjamin: “Hey Ya!”, which peaked the Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. After the duo split in 2007, Benjamin became less active as a solo act compared to Big Boi, although he had a number of highly-acclaimed guest appearances on songs and albums by numerous artists. Such activity earned him an additional Grammy Award among seven nominations as a solo artist. In 2023, Benjamin released his debut studio album New Blue Sun, an instrumental recording showcasing his performances on flute. // Outside of music, Benjamin has acted in films and television series such as Families, The Shield, Be Cool, Revolver, Semi-Pro, High Life, Four Brothers, and in the lead role of Jimi Hendrix in All Is by My Side. He further played Fredwynn on the AMC series Dispatches from Elsewhere, and was featured in the 2022 adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel of White Noise.]

[Mark’s note: I saw OutKast when they opened for Lauryn Hill on her Miseducation Tour at The Midland Theatre in Kansas City on February 26, 1999. 30 feet above the main floor seating area of The Midland was a giant cloud that remained thoughout OutKast’s set that featured new songs that would end up on Stankonia, OutKast’s 4th studio album, including the song “Ms. Jackson.” ]

3. (#89) Joy Oladokun – “I’d Miss The Birds”
   from: Observations From A Crowded Room / Amigo Records – Verve Forecast / Oct. 18, 2024
   [Joy Iladokun released Proof of Life her 4th studio album on April 28, 2024. The album was supported by five singles released throughout 2022 & 2023. The album features guest appearances from Mt. Joy, Manchester Orchestra, Chris Stapleton, Maxo Kream, and Noah Kahan. In a press release about the album, Oladokun said that she intended for the songs on Proof of Life to be “helpful anthems” and to resonate with “anybody who feels normal and needs a little musical boost to get through the day”. The first single, “Keeping the Light On”, was released on January 21, 2022. The second single, “Sweet Symphony” (featuring Chris Stapleton), was released on September 23, 2022. Of the song, Oladokun said that the song was about “the vulnerability, the fear, and the ups and downs that come from loving someone.” The third single, “Changes”, was released on February 17, 2023, simultaneously with the album announcement. The fourth single, “We’re All Gonna Die” (with Noah Kahan), was released March 17, 2023. The 5th and final single, “Taking Things for Granted”, was released on April 21, 2023. // Joy Oladokun was born April 6, 1992, she is an American singer-songwriter. Oladokun’s music spans the genres of folk, R&B, rock, and pop and is influenced by her identity as a queer woman of color. Oladokun grew up in Casa Grande, Arizona, listening to country and folk music, as well as Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. Both of her parents are Nigerian immigrants to the United States. Her family regularly attended a Christian church, where Oladokun was chosen to lead worship. Later, Oladokun left the church because it limited her creativity. // When Oladokun was 10, a video of Tracy Chapman inspired her to learn guitar.// After college, at a friend’s suggestion, Oladokun moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. She later moved to East Nashville, where she signed with Prescription Songs. She has released three studio albums. In 2015, Joy Oladokun self-released her debut EP Cathedrals. Her debut studio album, Carry Me was funded by Kickstarter and released on April 29, 2016 through Well Records. // Oladokun released the single “Sunday” in 2019, saying “‘Sunday’ is the song that 12-year-old Joy, seated in the back of church youth group, needed to hear. She needed to hear that you can be queer and happy. Queer and healthy. Queer and holy. She needed to see married women kissing and playing with their kids.” The music video highlights people in LGBTQ relation-ships and has a predominantly queer cast. // Oladokun’s song “Mercy” follows in the same theme, describing her experience as a Black person in the United States, while the single “I See America” criticizes systemic racism. NPR listed “I See America” on its 100 Best Songs of 2020. // On July 17, 2020, Oladokun released her 2nd studio album, In Defense of My Own Happiness (Vol. 1). Billboard described the album as a “stunningly emotional collection.” Mitch Mosk, editor-in-chief of Atwood Mag., called it a “a sweeping, soaring, and stunning sophomore record oozing heart and soul.” // In 2021, Oladokun received a grant from YouTube’s “#YouTubeBlack Voices Fund”. The same year she signed with Amigo Records, Verve Forecast Records, & Republics. http://www.joyoladokun.com Oladokun played The Truman on Sept. 12, 2024]

4. (#88.) Yola Young – “Messy”
   from: This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway / A Day One – Island records / June 21, 2024
   [Yola Young began writing her own songs at age 11. She attended the Brit School (famed alumni including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Loyle Carner and Raye) after which she briefly attempted a “proper” job, working at an ice cream shop. She built a following through open mic nights, small London pubs and venues, where labels began showing up. Signed to Island aged 18 and has released a succession of singles and EPs, including a couple songs in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence and the Machine). Her songs a reflection of the often-wonky Gen Z experience, a world of weed, booze, infidelity, job insecurity, self-loathing, mental health struggles, the hazards of the digital era and a bit more weed.]

5. (#87.) Etran de L’AÏr – “Erkazamane”
   from: 100% Sahara Guitar / Sahel Sounds / September 13, 2024
   [Etran de L’Aïr is a Nigerien rock band from Agadez, Niger. The band is currently signed to Sahel Sounds. The group has released two albums, No. ] in 2018 and Agadez in 2022. The groups’ first album, No. 1, was named the number one album of the year by Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker. Both albums by the band have received positive reviews. Discography: No. 1 (2018, Sahel Sounds) // Agadez (2022, Sahel Sounds) ]

6. (#86.) Peter Schlamb – “Fairway (feat. Logan Richardson)”
   from: Pliable Consciousness / Peter Schlamb / February 23, 2024
   [From Aug. 11, 2024 edition of Plastic San, by Bill Brownlee: “The jazz community in KC is a victim of negligence. Although released in February, Plastic Sax only recently stumbled upon Pliable Consciousness, the latest from Peter Schlamb. The excellence of the 22-minute recording compounds the oversight. // The vibra-phonist, composer & bandleader has perfected the distinctive approach first documented on Tinks (2014). The production of Pliable Consciousness is crisper and with Hermon Mehari, Mike Moreno & Logan Richardson are even more inspiring. // Schlamb has long been indifferent to self-promotion. Even so, managing to keep the superlative Pliable Consciousness a secret is a feat. The fact that Pliable Consciousness hasn’t received a smidgen of notice elsewhere doesn’t excuse Plastic Sax’s failure to keep tabs on one of KC’s preeminent artists. I apologize.”]

7. (#85.) Kamasi Washington – “The Visionary (feat. Terrace Martin)”
   from: Fearless Movement / Young Records / May 3, 2024
   [Kamasi was born in LA California, on February 2, 1981 to musical parents and educators, and was raised in Inglewood, California. He is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, producer, and bandleader. Washington is known mainly for playing tenor saxophone. He is a graduate of the Academy of Music of Alexander Hamilton High School in Beverlywood, Los Angeles. Washington next enrolled in UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology, where he began playing with faculty members such as Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins and band leader/trumpeter Gerald Wilson. Washington features in the album Young Jazz Giants in 2004. He has played along with a diverse group of musicians including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Horace Tapscott, Gerald Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Snoop Dogg, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Mike Muir, Francisco Aguabella, the Pan Afrikaan People’s Orchestra and Raphael Saadiq. Washington ventured into big band music when he joined the Gerald Wilson Orchestra for their 2006 album In My Time. Washington played saxophone on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. His debut solo recording, The Epic, was released in May 2015 to critical acclaim. His second studio album, Heaven and Earth, was released in June 2018, with a companion EP titled The Choice released a week later. // Turning his attention to dance for his latest album, Fearless Movement out this May on Young, Kamasi Washington resumes his ongoing study of music as a means of connection. His 2015 album The Epic, as well as 2018’s Heaven and Earth were received by critics and audiences as a reimagination of modern jazz showcasing Washington’s larger-than-lift compositions full of celestial grandeur and his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip-hop and soul. Fearless Movement, however, offers something different: terrestrial rhythms and collaborations from rappers, musical icons and even Washington’s own daughter. Features include: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid, Andre 300]

8.(#84.) Alan Sparhawk – “Can U Hear” 
from: White Roses, My God / Sub Pop Records / September 27, 2024
[White Roses, My God is the upcoming second solo album by former Low guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk, set for release on September 27, 2024, by Sub Pop. It is Sparhawk’s first album since the death of his wife and bandmate, Mimi Parker, and the subsequent end of their band. Sparhawk began recording for the album in late 2023. // White Roses, My God is Sparhawk’s first album since his wife and Low bandmate Mimi Parker died of ovarian cancer in 2022, and the subsequent retirement of the band. Encouraged by his friend, Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner, Sparhawk returned to live performances. He played shows with his and Parker’s daughter Hollis, opened for Lambchop and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and played a solo set at Utrecht music festival Le Guess Who? 2023. Low had cancelled their headling set at the 2022 edition of Le Guess Who? due to Parker’s health, and she died a week before the festival. // Sparhawk also started recording around the same time, and started two new groups: punk funk band Derecho Rhythm Section, and funky electronic duo Damien with his and Parker’s son Cyrus. A second solo album, a collaborative project with Duluth, Minnesota, folk band Trampled by Turtles, began during that time. // Sparhawk first mentioned White Roses, My God in an interview with The New Yorker’s Justin Taylor, published April 11, 2024. At the time, he said the album would be released in late 2024. Sparhawk later shared on Low’s Twitter account that the album would be released by Sub Pop in “late September”, and that its first song would be released in July. // The album was officially announced on July 16, with a release date set for September 27 by Sub Pop. The lead single, “Can U Hear”, was released the same day, accompanied by a music video directed by Rick Alverson. The song is electronic and “near-industrial”. // The second single, “Get Still”, was released on August 20, accompanied by a music video directed by Ingrid Weise. Like “Can U Hear”, “Get Still” consists of electronic instrumentation, with Sparhawk’s “voice so heavily Auto-Tuned that it no longer sounds recognizably human.” // When asked on Twitter about the album name’s significance, Sparhawk said “Mim loved roses, and sometimes I think she is God.” // The album was recorded at 20 Below Studios in Duluth, Minnesota. Sparhawk produced and recorded along with Nat Harvie, who also mixed the album, and Heba Kadry mastered it. On these recordings, Sparhawk said he “was messing with this rigid stuff. There were moments where it would quickly become very visceral, very spontaneous. You’ve created the structure for it to happen and come through you, but you’re trusting the universe about what is going to come in.” Those recordings included him experimenting with improvising guitar and pitch-shifted vocals over a preset synthesizer clocked to a drum machine. // Stylistically, White Roses, My God follows Low’s last two albums, 2018’s Double Negative and 2021’s Hey What, in applying layers of distortion over otherwise-straightforward songwriting. Going further down that route, Sparhawk included synthesizers, drum machines, dance beats, and pitch-shifted vocals. All of the album’s vocals were recorded with a vocoder. Influences included Prince’s alter ego Camille and Neil Young’s album Trans. // All tracks are written by Alan Sparhawk.]

10:28:30 – Underwriting

9. (#83) Bolis Pupul – “Goodnight Mr. Yi”
   from: Letter To Yu / DEEWEE – Because Music / March 8, 2024
   [Bolis Pupul’s debut solo album touches upon some of life’s big themes – memory, loss, family and coming to terms and making peace with all of that – the album is a resounding audio triumph. It reconciles the competing sonic strands that make up Bolis’ aesthetic – his European and Asian roots, alongside the overarching presence of the twin American pillars of Detroit techno and Chicago house – in a manner that is pleasingly familiar and creatively inventive. // It’s no coincidence that Bolis Pupul’s music sounds the way it does. Born in Belgium to a Chinese mother, Belgian father, raised in the creative city of Ghent, Bolis’ music is a joyous cross-cultural assemblage. Mixing widescreen electronica. think early Mr Fingers-like techno and Yellow Magic Orchestra’s exuberant man-machine minimalism with the warm-hearted and wonky naivete of Belgian New Beat. // On March 4, 2022 Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul released the studium album, Topical Dancer co-written and produced by Soulwaxunder the label Deewee, Topical Dancer is Adigéry and Pupul’s debut album as a duo. // Pupul and Adigéry are both based in Belgium with shared heritage from Martinique, a French island. They first met while working for the soundtrack of Belgica, a 2016 Belgian drama, after being invited by Soulwax, who also co-written and produced this album. The album is influenced by experiences of racial discrimination and sexual abuse. In the album, Adigéry sings in English, Dutch, Creole, and French. The album features Charlotte Adigéry’s mother, Christiane Adigéry and was released under the label Deewee, which the duo previously released three EPs on. “Thank You” is the lead single of Topical Dancer and the second single is “Blenda”. “Blenda” was released on November 4, 2021 along with an announcement of the album and its release date. The first track of the album “Bel Deewee” is a field recording of Adigéry entering the Deewee recording complex, which is also where they recorded the album, and calling through the intercom. // On the review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, Topical Dancer received an average score of 85, based on six reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”. Emily Mackay of The Observer called the album “banging fusion of funk, house and techno”. Paul Simpson of AllMusic claimed the album was “catchiest and most danceable songs Adigéry and Pupul have written to date” and that the lyrics “offer a lot of food for thought”. Eric Torres of Pitchfork called the album “riveting” and reported that the album had a “roguish charm”. Jasper Willems wrote on Beats Per Minute that Topical Dancer is “spiritual palette cleanser as much as it is a physical one” and “a record for literally anyone”. In a review written for NME, reviewer Max Pilley claimed that the album “arrived bursting with positive energy”. Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul played the Empty Bottle in Chicago on Sept. 19 at 8:00 PM. Topical Dancer was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022.]

10. (#82.) Doubledrag – “Sound”
    from: Alone With Everyone / Doubledrag / March 11, 2024
    [Debut full length from the rising 4 member bone oscillating shoegaze band, Doubledrag, hailing from KC. Doubledrag played an Album Release show March 29 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave. KCMO w/ Siilk, Wire Twins.]

[Doubledrag play Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence KS, Sat, Dec. 21, at 6:00pm w/ When Forever Finds Me (album Release), My Escape, Fritsy, Tombseeker for Paper Anchor Media’s Not So Silent Night.]

11. (#81.) Burning Bush – “Burning Bush”
    From: Demo 2024 / Burning Bush / May 8, 2024
    [Aaron Rhodes on vocals; Harrison Hawkins on guitar; Daniel Evans on bass; Ethan Payton on drums. Recording, mixing, mastering by Alex Tunks. All songs written by Burning Bush. Instrumentals recorded on January 14, 2024 at The Space in Kansas City, Missouri. Vocals recorded on February 10, 2024 at Alex’s place in Kansas City, Missouri. Aaron Rhodes, is founder and Editor in Chief of Shuttlecock Music Magazine, and Talent Buyer & Marketer at Farewell KCMO. Shuttlecock Music Magazine started as a blog nine years ago, just after Aaron graduated from College. Aarom is a Talent Buyer & Marketer at Farewell and Howdy, KCMO, 6515 Stadium Dr, Kansas City, MO. Aaron Rhodes formerly was a music writer for The Pitch and a freelance contributing writer for http://www.Bridge909.org Aaron was also content manager at Do816.com. Aaron was also a co-host of the music blog, “In My Head Ache” with Bill Brownlee. http://www.shuttlecockmusic.com]

12. (#80.) Belle & The Vertigo Waves – “Like You Love Me (ReAligned)”
    from: (Re) Aligned / Drop Out Records / August 2, 2024
    [Belle Loux on lead vocals, Jeremiah Scott on bass, John Loux on lead guitar, Zach Nielsen on rhythm guitar, Elliott Holt on drums, Jeremiah Scott – Producer/Composer , Justin Mantooth – Engineer, Belle Loux & Jeremiah Scott on keyboard, Belle Loux, & Michaela Loux on background vocals. // \Belle Loux writes: “The songs on this EP I originally wrote when I was about 17. that’s almost a decade ago. Why are we releasing them again? Because I had put that album out with no band. I chose the artist name “Belle & The Vertigo Waves” in hopes that I would one day find a band. Pretty much the biggest homeschooled, loner kid move. The album at the time was angsty, soft indie rock. Over the years, I got my band together. My dad (John), my boyfriend at the time (Jeremiah – husband now), one of his besties (Zach) and you know… just some drummer. jk we love Elliott. // Our sound slowly evolved and got heavier. Everyone had found their own place in the music we were making putting pieces of our wildly different musical influences into one collaborative project like a weird ass potluck. From 90s grunge, 80s rock to modern pop… we made something that made us feel like a BAND. // So here we are, rock-ifying a bunch of sad girl songs, turning them into something that will make you speed down neighborhood roads to. oops.. sorry. These songs range from being about teenage breakups to experiencing death and grief for the first time. A decade later, I added some lyrical and melodic changes to give some new perspective to those stories along with the insane change my band made in composition and feel to the instrumentation. // Belle & The Vertigo Waves is the sonic brainchild of Belle Loux. She resides in KCMO, and is slowly attempting world domination. Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their debut album, ALIGNED on Drop Out Records on Oct. 6, 2017. “About the album, Belle told Michelle Bacon at The Bridge, “Many of the tunes had been written around five years prior, when I was just 15 or 16.” Belle had only played them as a solo artist with occasional accompaniment from her dad, guitarist John Loux, & keyboardist Charlie Hibberd. In 2017, she hired the two musicians and a couple other friends to track “Aligned,” dubbing the project Belle and the Vertigo Waves, in the hopes that she’d eventually assemble a live band. “Recording was a surreal and emotional experience. Playing the songs with a band was like seeing them come to life,” she said. “I knew there was no way I could be a solo artist anymore, because I fell in love with the full band sound so much.” // The music of Belle & The Vertigo Waves have been described as having an “1980s pop-laden sound.” which drew local attention in 2018. Belle has said that in the past 4 years the band has grown to have more of a darker, glam rock sound, grittier and grungier. Their sound is influenced by three generations of musicians in the band, Belle’s growth as a songwriter and singer, and through the band’s work with engineer and producer Paul Malinowski. // Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their debut album, ALIGNED on Drop Out Records on Oct. 6, 2017. Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their single, “Fear or Faith” on June 7, 2019 on Drop Out Records. Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their single, “Pulse” on April 17, 2020 on Drop Out Records. Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their single, “Beat Me To The Punch” on Drop Out Records on Oct. 29, 2021. Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their single “Stand Down” on Jan. 21, 2022 Belle & The Vertigo Waves released their album, LORELAI on May 28, 2022. Belle & The Vertigo Waves joined us on WMM on Feb 5, 2020 and June 26, 2019. More info at: http://www.thevertigowaves.com]

13. (#79.) Gossip – “Crazy Again”
    from: Real Power / Ultra Records/Sony Music Entertainment / March 22, 2024
    [Formed in 1999 in Olympia, Washington with vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan “Brace Paine” Howdeshell and drummer Kathy Mendonca. All 3 were originally from Searcy, Arkansas; Mendonca moved to Olympia to attend Evergreen State College and Howdeshell and Ditto followed. Drummer Kathy Mendonca left the band to pursue a career as a midwife. Established punk drummer Hannah Blilie joined to replace her. Gossip’s album A JOYFUL NOISE was part of WMM’s 112 Best Recordings of 2012. // LA – Indie-pop rebels Gossip have made a triumphant return with their highly anticipated album, Real Power, marking their first album in 12 years. // The album marks a reunion with acclaimed producer Rick Rubin, who helmed the band’s pivotal 2009 album Music For Men. At the coaxing of Rubin, the band started recording in 2019 after completing a tour for the ten-year anniversary of Music For Men. Recorded at Rubin’s home studio in Kauai, the process was temporarily halted by the pandemic and resumed when restrictions lifted. The result is an 11-track testament to the galvanizing might of music, the liberating joy of creative expression, and the profound power of chosen family amidst collective and personal upheavals. “Real Power” not only marks a new chapter of maturity and purpose for the trio but also showcases Gossip’s characteristic blend of sonic diversity, spanning from propulsive rock to jubilant disco, and delving into a rich tapestry of emotions that encompass the full spectrum of the human experience. // Reflecting on the intervening years since their last collaboration, frontwoman Beth Ditto shares, “We all experienced a lot of deep loss, and we each turned 40 since we last recorded together. Those are such big moments in your lives.” Since the band were last together, Ditto and Billie each got divorced, there were losses of close friends and family, and the world went through a pandemic. Working with Rubin again gave the band space and support to reconnect and create. “Rick is pure about his creativity. He’s not interested in fads or a label’s opinions. He’s a cheerleader—he tries to pull the best out of us. He has this ability to make an artist be their best when he’s working with them, because he works with people he believes in,” says Howdeshell. The band delved further into their long-awaited reunion in a recent profile with The New York Times. // In celebration of the album’s release, Gossip will be participating in a series of special events. The band will kick off with a vinyl signing at Rough Trade NYC on March 25th followed by The Grammy Museum on March 26th, who will host the trio for their SOLD-OUT ‘A New York Evening With’ at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, New York. It will feature an intimate conversation with Beth Ditto, moderated by T. Cole Rachel, followed by a performance by the band. Additionally, on March 27th, Beth Ditto will take center stage as a chat guest on The Late Show with Seth Meyers, accompanied by a full-band performance. // Highlights on Real Power include the invigorating “Real Power,” lauded by Billboard for its “infectious melodies and stratospheric vocals,” along with the first single and blissful pop classic “Crazy Again,” praised by Consequence for its “dazzling production and radiant hooks.” // A multi-platinum selling band, Gossip have sold over 10 million records worldwide and are one of Indie Rock’s most exciting acts from the early 21st century. Gossip consists of vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan “Brace Paine” Howdeshell and drummer Hannah Blilie. ​​The band’s 2016 breakout studio album, Standing In The Way Of Control, reached #1 on UK Indie chart (certified Gold) and solidified the band as a dynamic force in the music scene. “Standing In The Way Of Control,” the album’s battle-cry title track, is a queer anthem written in response to U.S. government’s proposition to define marriage and exclude homosexuals. The band achieved multiplatinum success with their follow up Music For Men, certified 2x platinum in Germany and France, 1x platinum in Australia and Switzerland with sales in excess of 1.5m copies. // Gossip is renowned for their high energy live performances and have delivered incredible sets at some of the world’s biggest festivals such as Glastonbury, Coachella, Pukkelpop Festival and most recently a triumphant headline set at BBC 6 Music Festival. The band’s first U.S. festival performance following the release of Real Power will be at Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, CA on May 18th. They recently launched their 30-city EU/UK tour on March 21st in Berlin, Germany, with stops planned in Milan, London, Zürich, Dublin, and many more. The tour is packed with festival appearances such as Glastonbury and All Points East. For information on upcoming tour dates, visit: https://www.bethditto.com%5D

14. (#78.) St. Vincent – “Broken Man”
    from: All Born Screaming / Total Pleasure Records / April 26, 2024
    [All Born Screaming is the upcoming seventh studio album from St. Vincent. On February 16, 2024, the musician first spoke about the record, saying how she “needed to go deeper in finding [her] own sonic vocabulary” and likes to refer to the album as “post-plague pop”. All Born Screaming marks the first studio album entirely produced by Clark herself, alongside additional mixing by Cian Riordan. The record features contributions from several artists, including Dave Grohl, Cate Le Bon, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Josh Freese, Stella Mozgawa, Rachel Eckroth, Mark Guiliana, and David Ralicke of Dengue Fever. Trying to explain the sound of the album, Clark compared it to “taking the long walk into the woods alone” in order to find the messages of your heart. As a result, she opined that it “sounds real because it is real”. // Clark shared the lead single “Broken Man”, an “industrial menacing rock” piece, on February 29, 2024, along with a music video directed by Alex Da Corte. During the video, she bursts into flames, an image that is also depicted as the album artwork. // The song “Sweetest Fruit” includes an ode to Sophie, a music producer whom Vincent admired and who died in 2021, and is about “people trying for transcendence, and at least they were taking a big swing or trying for something beautiful”. // Anne Erin Clark (born September 28, 1982), known professionally as St. Vincent, is an American musician and singer. Her guitar playing has been praised for its melodic style and use of distortion, and she has been listed among the best guitarists of the 21st century by multiple publications. Rolling Stone named Clark the 26th-greatest guitarist of all time in 2023. // Raised in Dallas, St. Vincent began her music career as a member of the Polyphonic Spree. She was also a member of Sufjan Stevens’ touring band before forming her own band in 2006. Her debut solo album, Marry Me, was released in 2007; it was followed by Actor (2009) and Strange Mercy (2011). In 2012, St. Vincent released Love This Giant, an album made in collaboration with David Byrne of Talking Heads. Her fourth studio album, St. Vincent (2014), received widespread acclaim from contemporary critics and was named album of the year by Slant Magazine, NME, The Guardian and Entertainment Weekly. She collaborated with producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff for her albums Masseduction (2017) and Daddy’s Home (2021), which received further acclaim. // St. Vincent produced Sleater-Kinney’s 2019 album The Center Won’t Hold and co-wrote Taylor Swift’s Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “Cruel Summer”. She also directed a segment in the 2017 anthology horror film XX, and co-wrote and starred in the psychological thriller film The Nowhere Inn (2020). // Clark was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 28, 1982, to Sharon Christine and Richard “Rick” Clark. // Her mother is a social worker and administrator for a nonprofit organization, and her stepfather works in corporate tax administration. Her parents divorced when she was 3, and when she was 7, she moved with her mother and two older sisters to Dallas, Texas. She has said that a 23andMe DNA test revealed her ancestry to be 80% Irish and 20% Ashkenazi Jewish, via one of her grandmothers. Clark was raised Catholic and Unitarian Universalist. // Clark has four brothers and four sisters from her parents’ blended families. // As a child, Clark was fond of Ritchie Valens and the movie La Bamba. When she was five, her mother gave her a red plastic guitar from a Target store for Christmas. She began playing her first real guitar at age 12 and worked some of her teenage years as a roadie for her aunt and uncle, the guitar-vocal jazz duo Tuck & Patti. In 2001, she graduated from Lake Highlands High School, where she participated in theater and the school’s jazz band, and was a classmate of actor Mark Salling. // She attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, studying with professor Lauren Passarelli. She left after three years, feeling that art institutions such as Berklee were sometimes focused more on the aesthetics of art than the product. In retrospect, she said, “I think that with music school and art school, or school in any form, there has to be some system of grading and measurement. The things they can teach you are quantifiable. While all that is good and has its place, at some point you have to learn all you can and then forget everything that you learned in order to actually start making music.”]

15. (#77.) Kim Gordon – “Trophies (Album Version)”
    from: The Collective / Kim Gordon – Matador Records / March 8, 2024
    [Kim Gordon is an artist, musician, producer, fashion designer, writer, and actress. She is a founding member of the experimental post-punk band Sonic Youth. Following the breakup of Sonic Youth, Gordon formed the group Body/Head. A collection of her early critical art writing entitled Is It My Body? was released by Sternberg Press in January 2014. // From kimgordon.bandcamp.com: Legendary musician and multi-disciplinary artist Kim Gordon returns with her second solo album, The Collective, which will be released March 8th on Matador. Recorded in her native Los Angeles, The Collective follows Gordon’s 2019 full-length debut No Home Record and continues her collaboration with producer Justin Raisen (Lil Yachty, John Cale, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Charli XCX, Yves Tumor), with additional production from Anthony Paul Lopez. The album advances their joint world building, with Raisin’s damaged, blown out dub and trap constructions playing the foil to Gordon’s intuitive word collages and hooky mantras, which conjure communication, commercial sublimation and sensory overload. // “On this record, I wanted to express the absolute craziness I feel around me right now,” says Gordon. “This is a moment when nobody really knows what truth is, when facts don’t necessarily sway people, when everyone has their own side, creating a general sense of paranoia. To soothe, to dream, escape with drugs, TV shows, shopping, the internet, everything is easy, smooth, convenient, branded. It made me want to disrupt, to follow something unknown, maybe even to fail.” // More info at: http://www.bodyheadmusic.com]

16. (#76.) The Matchsellers – “Marcus Aurelius Too Late!”
    from: Live at The Warehouse / The Matchsellers / May 3, 2024
    [Julie Bates is a classically trained violinist from Kansas City. Andrew Morris is a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana. They met in Leipzig, Germany. During their year of living in the former East Germany, the pair began reanalyzing the songs of their homeland, and developed a tight yet gritty bluegrass style. In the summer of 2013 they left their jobs to hit the road and haven’t looked back. // In the band’s most recent iteration, mandolinist Brian McCarty brings an invaluable lifetime of experience in the Bluegrass tradition, while Brandon Day thrills audiences with his intricate bass solos. // On October 28, 2022 The Matchsellers released The Wishfuk Thinker’s Hall of Game // On February 12, 2016 they released their album, SONGS WE MADE UP, one of Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 116 Best Recordings of 2016.. In late 2014 they released their debut full length recording, “Kosciusko County,” one of Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 115 Best Recordings of 2015. The Matchsellers have toured 3 European countries and 25 US States, performing 180 shows a year, including last year for the KC Fringe Festival, Bluegrass Bazaar in Flint, Michigan, Norman Music Festival in Norman, OK, and a 1st place win at the Eddie Owen Presents songwriting competition in Atlanta, GA. The Matchsellers played an official Showcase at the 2024 Folk Alliance International Conference on Thursday, February 22, at The Westin Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center 1 East Pershing Road, KCMO. The Matchsellers play a LIVE Album Release Show at Flagship Books, 510 North 6th Street, KCK, Strawberry Hill on Friday, May 3, at 7:30pm , with opening poetry from C. Woods.]

11:00 – Station ID

17. (#75.) St. George & The Dragons – “King of Kansas City”
    from: King of Kansas City / Grand Central Bell Records / August 30, 2024
    [David George on vocals/guitar, Mike Greene on guitar, Skeet Hanks on vocals & guitar, Matt Kesler on vocals & bass, and Pat Tomek on drums. With Guest Players: Lin Buck on piano & organ, and Ken Lovern on organ. // Produced by David George. Recorded and Engineered by Pat Tomek at Largely Studios – KCMO. Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlabs – KCMO. Artwork by Jud Kite – Killer Kite Productions // A band’s lifespan is on the average two years. But after two years, St. George & The Dragons is just getting started. After four years of writing, rehearsing, and recording, St. George & The Dragons are releasing their debut album – King Of Kansas City, a ten-song album of pure rock and roll influenced by late 70s rock like the Stones and Tom Petty. // The album’s theme comes from a time when Rock ‘n’ Roll ruled the airwaves. It’s about letting go and raising your hand high into the air with your middle finger out to the world as you move on to the next big thing in your life. // Their first single “Leave It All Up To You” will be available on all streaming services June 21! The full-length album will be out August 30 with the vinyl release in September on Grand Central Bell Records. // Lead singer David George (Moaning Lisa, John Fogerty band) has been working with drummer/engineer Pat Tomek (The Rainmakers) since 2018 when they recorded three solo EPs for George. They found it easy to work together and had similar tastes which led them to produced and engineer an album for Kansas City artist David Luther. In the studio with Luther, they enlisted the help of Matt Kesler (The Pedaljets, She Said, The Doo Dads) on bass with Tomek on drums and George on guitars and keys. // George, Tomek, and Kesler hit it off and started working on material of their own, eventually bringing in guitarist Mike Greene (The Front/Bakers Pink) and vocalist/guitarist Skeet Hanks (Beatin’ Path) to round out the sound. Greene was the lead guitarist in the Front, a band known for their searing guitar and power rock sound. Hanks, from New Orleans fronted the band Beatin’ Path, tearing up the Bayou country with their progressive rock sound and soaring melodies. // Influenced by the works of The Stones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, and many other classic rock bands from the 70s and the 80s, St. George & The Dragons came together during the Global Pandemic, giving them time to develop their sound. George, Greene, Hanks, Kesler, and Tomek have all had their share of greatness, from the collective albums they’ve released on major and indie labels to sharing the stage with legends like Paul McCartney, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Doobie Brothers, The Black Crowes, Derek Trucks Band, Lumineers, Aerosmith, Smithereens, Mother Love Bone, and a list that could fill up a book! // St. George & The Dragons will be following up their release with shows around the Kansas City area later this summer and fall. More information at: http://www.stgeorgeandthedragonsband.com St. George & The Dragons Played a Vinyl Release Party, September 19, 2024 at 8:00pm at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St, KCMO, with Comet Tide opening]

18. (#74.) Grady Philip Drugg – “David Died”
    from: 4 / Grady Philip Drugg / November 8, 2024
    [All songs written, performed, and produced by Grady Philip Drugg. Mixed by Joe Misterovich | Mastered by Mike Nolte. Additional Musicians: Lee “Boodrow” Zodrow – Organ, Piano, Rhodes (2, 4, 7, & 8), Rachel Oglesby Beattie – Tenor Saxophone (3, 4, & 8). Hamilton McKay Belk III – Pedal Steel Guitar (4 &8). // Grady Philip Drugg is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter originally from Canyon Lake, Texas. Drugg began to write original music while in high school, forming several short lived bands throughout their inadequate academic career. In 2014, at 20 years old, they relocated to Springfield, Missouri to play bass in influential 4th wave emo band Grammer. Grammer released an EP, Awesome Knifes (2014), and toured the south and midwest for two years before permanently disbanding. Drugg would form the post rock band Importer/Exporter with their former Grammer bandmate Dakota Jones, which would go on to put out one album, Breathing Techniques (2018), and tour the United States and Canada. Since the end of their last tour, Importer/Exporter has been on hiatus. All the while, Drugg was simultaneously putting out solo releases, most notably three full-length albums, Grady Philip Drugg (2016), Art is Supposed to be Fun! (2017), and Real Life (2020), in support of which they toured across the United States several times. // Since 2018, Drugg has focused mainly on being a sideman, playing for artists such as Willi Carlisle, Dylan Earl, Ings, and Dreamgirl, as well as being a recording engineer in their own studio. // This new album, 4, is Drugg’s fourth full-length album, and is inspired by all of the great 4th albums that came before it (Black Sabbath 4, Led Zeppelin 4, Beyoncé 4, etc). It was self-recorded in Drugg’s converted garage studio in Springfield, Missouri, with Drugg playing most of the instruments themself. Drawing influence from their work as a sideman, Drugg decided that it was time to sit down and write some songs with substance… Songs that could be stripped away and not be reliant on any fancy studio tricks or complex instrumentation. The subject matter on this album ranges from knocking a tooth out as a child to taking a walk on acid to get a slice of pizza…a glimpse into the moments between gigs for one slacker sideman out of Missouri. // Grady Philip Drugg plays Manor Fest 6, May 24, at 5:45 PM at Flagship Books, 600 Ohio Ave., KCK in Strawberry Hill w/ The Swallowtails and Dalima Kapten]

19. (#73.) Kaia Kater – “The Witch (Feat. Aoife O’Donovan)”
    from: Strange Medicine / Kaia Kater – Free Dirt Records / May 17, 2024
    [Kaia Kater’s album, Strange Medicine, opens with a haunting vision. Accompanied by Aoife O’Donovan, Kater sings of the women burned at the stake as witches in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts and their wish to strike back: “I dreamt I moved through you and / Burned my name into your chest”. It’s an opening salvo from an album that celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history as they rise up and turn the poison of centuries of oppression into a strange kind of medicine. Kater’s songs are dialogues with these historical figures and meditations on her own modern life as well. In the years since her 2018 album, Grenades, on Smithsonian Folkways, Kater has taken time to reinvent herself and hone her skills, first attending film school to learn composition, then diving deeper into her songwriting to come up with her most personal album yet. Feeling the pressure as a talented young songwriter, banjo player, and bandleader with three successful albums and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert under her belt, Kater struggled initially with the expectations of her adopted genre, Americana. “I was factoring everybody else’s perception into my songwriting,” she says. “Would I write more honestly if I knew that no one would ever hear this?” With that in mind, Kater retreated to her apartment in Montréal. Sitting at home with her banjo, the songs unfolded in personal intimacy, revealing windows into the perspective of women and revolutionaries through history. Co-producing with Joe Grass (Elisapie, The Barr Brothers), Kater invited close friends and colleagues O’Donovan and Allison Russell to sing on the album, along with longtime hero and American legend Taj Mahal. With lush arrangements and unexpected musical ideas drawn from genres as surprising as minimalist composition, jazz drumming, and film scores, Strange Medicine is the bold next step in Kater’s career. It’s an album made beyond the white gaze of Americana, unbeholden to a music industry that so often tokenizes and silences marginalized voices, a Black Feminist perspective on a genre that refuses to cede power to Black women. // Kaia Kate writes: “I specifically wanted to write about the way men historically have branded women as temptresses, harlots, sirens and shrews, and then sought to reflect this visually – the letter A for adulteress, the burning of flesh to symbolize evil. The first woman labeled a witch in Salem was a Black woman by the name of Tituba. Usually these women died nameless and scorned. In my narrative, the woman who is branded a witch and burned at the stake survives her pilgrim’s punishment, and now seeks her revenge on those who sought to destroy her.” // “One of Americana’s most thoughtful and inventive artists returns after six years with a meditation on those who’ve survived and thrived against marginalization and oppression.” – Ann Powers, NPR Music]

20. (#72.) Honeybee – “House Party”
    from: Saturn Return – EP / Honeybee / March 29, 2024
    [Honeybee started as the solo project of Singer/Songwriter Makayla Scott and now include 3 or 4 of her friends umping in… Honeybee released the songle “I Know What Love is” on January 27, 2023. Makayla Scott also played with the band Blue False Indigo Makayla Scott studied music at Drury University graduating in 2017. Honeybee played Manor Fest 6 at 6:30 PM at Arizona Trading CO. 1722 Oak Street KCMO with The Highwater, and Jass.]

21. (#71.) Making Movies – “La Sombra (En Vivo) [feat. Asdru Sierra]”
    from: Baúl De Las Movies (En Vivo En Folly Theater 2023) / 3/2 Recordings / Sept. 27, 2024
    [Making Movies is a 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 Duncan Burnett on drums. The band draws their influences from the origins of their families: Santiago, Panama, and KC Missouri, and Guadalajara, Mexico. // Enrique Chi writes: “The walls of The Folly are special, it is one of the best sounding stages we’ve ever played on so it seemed like a no brainer to record our 2023 concert there. The concert featured an incredible horn section led by Asdru Sierra from Ozomatli, alongside Trevor Turla and Ryan Heinlein. Mireya Ramos was also able to join us and help us make the night truly magical. That place has history for the city and the Chaurand family so we are excited to share this moment with you.” // Making Movies – Live at the Folly Theater, Kansas City, January 28th, 2023, Produced by Ben Yonas, McKenzii Webster, Executive Producer Javier E. Carrizo, Production Assistant Nora Gibbons, Recording & Mixing Engineer Ben Yonas, Recording Engineer Paul Malinowski, Mastering Engineer, Dave Greenberg/Sonopod, Assistant Sound Engineers Josh Gomez, Ricky Menendez. Asdru Sierra on trumpet; Ryan Heinlein, Trevor Turla on trombone. // “Baúl De Las Movies: Folly Theater 2023” was also filmed. Directed by William J. Stribling. // Directors of Photography Adam Baron-Bloch, Alex Gallitano. // Camera Operators Cole Blaise, Nora Gibbons, Esai Saenz. // Production Designer Aisa Palomares. // Edited by Raymond Fraser. // Colorist Tam Le // DI Coordinator John Daniels-Riveros. // DI Services Provided by Sodalite Color // Stream “Baúl De Las Movies: Folly Theater 2023” – https://ffm.to/follyliveep.OYD. // Latin Grammy nominated band Making Movies released their specual EP EN LA SALA containing 8 of the songs recorded LIVE, on January 12, 2024. Before that they released their single “Medicina”. Most recently Making Movies released XOPA through Cosmica Artists on June 17, 2022. XOPA and was recorded in Memphis, produced by Ben Yonas and mixed by Tchad Blake. More info at: http://www.makingmovies.world. Making Movies released the 5-song EP, EN VIVO (SIN APLAUSO) on February 4, 2022. Making Movies released the 6-track EP BORING BITS, on May 7, 2021. On February 5, the band released the 7-song, La Cuarentena EP which included a brand new version of the first Making Movies song, “La Marcha” and the lullaby “Could You?” (both mixed by Jim Eno of Spoon and tracked at Memphis Magnetic studio), and the love ballad “Una Vida.” The EP also includes: covers of Talking Heads and Tears for Fears classics, plus bonus live acoustic tracks. The EP was made available on BandCamp for only three days on February 5 through February 7, 2021. Making Movies released their single “Could You” on January 12, 2021. About “Could You” lead singer Enrique Javier Chi wrote, “I was thinking about what to share for “Could You?” and I just go back to the fact that Memphis is a profound place… it is a place where you can feel what America truly is and where it comes from. I think you see and feel the reality that so much of this nation was built from exploiting people. You can see that our pop culture is driven by the Black community and yet that community is still the most oppressed in the nation. Things are still so messed up. // Memphis is the place where Elvis started singing black music with a country twang and where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. It’s a beautiful place, it’s a charming place, it feels at times downtrodden and it’s a place that reminds me of home (both KC and Panamá) in different ways. Our experiences going to Memphis gave us the context to create “Could You?” It was filmed originally for AMERI’KANA TV..” Making Movies released their critically acclaimed album ameri’kana through 3/2 Recordings on May 24, 2019. This was #1 on WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Produced by Steve Berlin and Ben Yonas. The notes for this album read: “ameri’kana is a canary in a coal mine, the watchman at the tower. It is a desire to remember where we come from and assure that we better ourselves in every step along our journey. Every chapter is an example, a reason to not be silent and not accept corrupt leaders as something inevitable. ameri’kana is based on faith, faith that every person on this continent carries within themselves the ability to grow, to awaken their consciousness and merits of the same rights. We were accomplices to get ourselves to this point so we will have to be accomplices in the solutions.” This was the band’s follow up release to their critically acclaimed, I Am Another You, released May 26, 2017. The quartet has toured with Arcade Fire, Thievery Corporation, Cold War Kids, Los Lobos, Ozomatli, Tennis, Sergio Mendoza of Calexico, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. More info at: https://makingmovies.world Making Movies plays Percheron Rooftop Series at the Crossroads Hotel, 2101 Central Street, Kansas City, MO, TONIGHT on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 7:00 PM.]

22. (#70.) Danielle Ate the Sandwich – “Me-Oh-My”
    from: 2024 (The 24 Hour Album) / Danielle Ate The Sandwich / January 14, 2024
    [The 5 songs on this album were written and recorded in 24 hours on January 13th-14th, 2024, during Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s 9th annual 24 Hour Album. 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! // Danielle Anderson performs as Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Danielle is a singer/songwriter, recording artist, and comedic performer based in KCMO. Danielle grew a fanbase with her DIY videos on Youtube and by touring the US extensively from 2009-2018. Danielle has released 7 albums of original music, over 200 YouTube videos, and conducts an annual 24 Hour Album project, writing and producing new songs with the help of her patrons in only 24 hours. She is recording her 8th album in Kansas City, KS, with Fritz Hutchison and Al Hawkins of True Lions. The album received an Inspiration Grant from ArtsKC. Her project, ‘The Greatest Garage Sale Ever,’ a one woman comedy cabaret, using humor, music, and songs to challenge the labels we give each other, and our ability to change premiered at the KC Fringe Festival, in July 2024 at The Bird Comedy Theater, 103 West 19th, KCMO. // Danielle Anderson is originally from Nebraska, and moved to Colorado . From 2009 through 2018 she was on the road, touring and performing all over the country. // We first met Danielle through Erin McGrane and Jeff Freling aka Victor & Penny who met hwer out there on the road. // Danielle ended up making Kansas City her base and quickly became involved in Folk Alliance, The Heartland Song Network, Arts and Support organizations, and improv. // On February 23, 2024, Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, “Turtle by Jer” – Written by Jerry “Jer” Slougherman and Danielle Anderson. Performed by Jer. Mixed by David Bashford. // On January 14, 2024 Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the 6-track release, “2024 (The 24 Hour Album)”. // Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the recording “Over Again (24 Hour Album)” released 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. // Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, The Terrible Dinner Guest on September 9, 2016. The Terrible Dinner Guest is Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s 6th full length album, recorded in Norfolk, VA at TAPTAP Recordings and Clay Garden Studios. All Songs Written by: Danielle Anderson, Danielle Ate the Sandwich/BMI. Produced by: Skye Zentz, Jacki Paolella, Danielle Anderson. Arranged by: Danielle Anderson, Skye Zentz, Jacki Paolella. Engineered by: Jacki Paolella. Mixed by: Jacki Paolella. Mastered by: Adam Boose of Cauliflower Audio. Music. Contractor: Skye Zentz. Recorded in Norfolk, VA at TAPTAP Recordings and Clay Garden Studios. Art Direction: Ryan Anthony Martin. Photography by: Cooper James. // More info at: http://www.kcfringe.org and http://www.danielleatethesandwich.com

23. (#69) June Henry – “sega dreamcast”
    from: The Exhumation of Princess Pavement / June Henry Nation / February 14, 2024
    [June Henry is a 20-year-old is a Lawrence KS. Based, freak folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.. Her music explores themes of mental illness, queerness, and growing up. // Prior to her official debut, Henry had collected her music in a Google Drive folder, shared only with a small group of friends. Bedridden in 2022, she was convinced to release this music in her first official album Class Pet. // It’s not really something I know how to do, as much as something I have to do to stop myself from exploding,“ from June Henry’s Spotify bio. // Since her debut, she hasn’t gone more than a couple months between releases- creating a niche audience and some of her most popular songs, such as Void-Adjacent and Excoriation. // In 2024 she has released 9n singles, two 4-song EPs., the 11 track album, The Exhumation of Princess Pavement, released February 14, 2024, the 14 track album Between Singles and One-Offs, exclusive CD comprised of singles and EP tracks released May 27, 2024, the 17 track album Podium, released June 30, 2024. // June Henry released the single “method act” on December 16, 2023. // June Henry released the single “fall into” on December 2, 2023. // June Henry released the 3-track EP “the light I SPIT OUT” on November 14, 2023. // June Henry released the single “vampire song” on November 3, 3023. // June Henry released the 5-song EP “flat earth romcom” on September 22, 2023. //June Henry released the 11-track album “something friend” on June 20, 2022. // June Henry released the 15-track album “class pet” on March 15, 2022. // June Henry released the 7-track album, “SOUTH RAMP” through Lotuspool Records when she was “a gay boy in high school (released as August Henry.) // June Henry has been posting a bunch of tunes on bandcamp! These are official releases along with things that have been archived from streaming platforms, AND many demos and voice memos from long ago. Her personal favorite is “the trouble i made”, which features five tracks written and recorded in high school. The first one, “straight boys, was recorded when June was fourteen. Check http://www.junehen.bandcamp.com for even more releases from June Henry.]

24. (#68.) TYLA – “ART”
    from: TYLA / FAX Records / March 2, 2024
    [Tyla Laura Seethal (born 30 January 2002), known mononymously as Tyla, is a South African singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Johannesburg, she signed with Epic Records in 2021 after the domestic success of her 2019 debut single, “Getting Late” featuring Kooldrink. // Tyla rose to international fame with the release of her 2023 single “Water”, which entered the top ten in sixteen countries including the United Kingdom and United States. “Water” was the first song by a South African soloist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years and was awarded the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance in 2024. The single preceded her self-titled debut album (2024), which was released to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, entering the top 25 in six countries including the United States. // Tyla is the youngest African artist to win a Grammy Award, and has also earned nominations for a BRIT Award, a Soul Train Music Award, a MOBO Award, and two South African Music Awards. She has been deemed the “queen of popiano”, a fusion of the pop and amapiano genres.// Tyla is the debut studio album by South African singer Tyla. It was released on 22 March 2024 through Fax and Epic Records. Capitalizing on her international breakthrough with its lead single “Water”, the album features guest appearances from Kelvin Momo, Tems, Gunna, Skillibeng, Becky G, and Travis Scott. Sonically, it blends elements of amapiano, pop, afrobeats, and contemporary R&B and includes lyrical themes of empowerment and relationships. // Recording sessions for Tyla took place in seven countries over two and a half years as Epic Records focused on fostering the singer’s formal studio experience. Production and songwriting on the album was spearheaded by the singer and her frequent collaborators Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands, Believve and Sammy SoSo, whom she deems the “Fantastic Four”. “Water”, “Truth or Dare” and “Art” were released as singles from the album, and the Tyla Tour was announced; however multiple dates were cancelled due to injury. // Upon its release, Tyla was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising the versatility of music genres featured. The album experienced moderate commercial success internationally, debuting at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and debuting within the top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland. // While at school, she had begun posting original songs and covers to her Instagram account, as well as sending them out to a number of figures in the music industry. She was subsequently discovered by her first manager, Garth von Glehn, who then organized her first recording sessions. Tyla states that she would go into the recording studio every weekend during her final year of high school.]

11:27:00 – Underwriting

25. (#67.) Big Fat Cow – “Cat Call”
    from: Behold The Soil! / Big Fat Cow / August 1, 2024
    [Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz with a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling. The band was formed in 2022 and includes: Noah Cassidy on lead vocals & guitar, Kole Waters on guitar & vocals, Alex May on bass guitar & vocals; and Matt Chipman on drums. Big Fat Cow \went on tour across the stomping grounds in support of Behold the Soil! with 13 shows in 14 days (8/22-9/4) in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. // Big Fat Cow’s first endeavor was a folk album (Glutton for Punishment) written and recorded by Noah Cassity and mastered and digitized by Kole Waters. Wanting to perform the songs live, Noah recruited the help of Kole on lead guitar alongside childhood friend Alex May to play the bass. Kole was able to bring in Matt Chipman to play drums and finish out the band. // Meeting for the first time in KA studios, the newly formed quartet ripped into Noah’s folk songs, turning them into the rock, indie, americana and country inspired pieces that you know today. Each member of the band took and ran with the folk songs that Noah recorded and made it their own, pulling in inspirations from each of their unique musical backgrounds. // Big Fat Cow has made themselves a household name in the Kansas City music scene, leaving an impression on everyone who comes out to see them play. With songs you can dance to and songs that will make you cry in the basement of a DIY show, Big Fat Cow is sure to leave their mark. // “A band this good shouldn’t get saddled with a name this bad … you’re just going to have to tell your friends that you’re going to see Big Fat Cow, and wince while you do it. – Too Much Rock // More information at http://www.bigfatcowband.com]

26. (#66.) Leah Sproul – “Devil Woman”
    from: Wild Heart Queen / Leah Sproul / July 30, 2024
    [This is first single off Leah Sproul’s WILD HEART QUEEN. // Coming from a family of European opera stars, suburban church organists, flower child Reggae guitarists, and breezy Western campfire pickers, Leah was bound to have an eclectic sound and set of influences. She has a voracious interest in music of all genres, having earned a doctorate in music composition from UMKC conservatory. But her mother tongue, the voice where she’s at her most vulnerable and honest, is that of the achy-breaky, belting balladeer. It’s found in country, folk, and those genres that give equal weight to words and music. It’s in the storytelling where some of the deepest human connections are forged. // Leah Sproul is also part of the KC 4-piece band Cowtown Country Club. // Leah Sproul played an album release party at The Ship, 1228 Union ave, KCMO, WEST BOTTOMS on July 30, at 7:00pm, with Cowtown Country Club. More info at: http://www.leahsproul.com]

27. (#65.) Valerie June —“Big Dream”
    from: My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall / Oh Boy Records / Aspril 12 12, 2024
    [Collaborative album celebrates the Black female experience in Country & Folk music with additional contributions from Adia Victoria, Rhiannon Giddens, Saaneah Jamison, Miko Marks, Leyla McCalla, Rissi Palmer, Allison Russell, SistaStrings, Sunny War & Alice’s daughter Caroline Randall Williams, Re-recording the greatest songs from New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning songwriter & educator Alice Randall’s catalog. Produced by Ebonie Smith (Hamilton, Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer, Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, founder & president of Gender Amplified) // Companion album to Alice Randall’s new book: My Black Country: A Journey through Country Music’s Black Past, Present and Future. // “Growing up, we all have dreams and wishes. Alice Randall’s lyrics capture the magic of our personal dreams. In the simplest way, she invites listeners to remember the power of collective dreaming. If God can be a woman in a patriarchal society, then there are no limits to what can be achieved. Balance is restored through the sacred art of dreaming, and each dream big or small helps to shape our world. I am a dreamer. Everyone on this record is a dreamer. Together we are breaking boundaries just as so many who’ve come before have done for us.” – Valerie June // On March 12, 2021 Valerie June released her 5th full length album The Moon And Stars on June Tunes – Concord records, co-produced by Jack Splash and Valerie June. // Valerie June Hockett was born January 10, 1982), known as Valerie June, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Her sound encompasses a mixture of folk, blues, gospel, soul, country, Appalachian and bluegrass. She is signed to Concord Music Group worldwide. // Born in Jackson, Tennessee on January 10, 1982, June is the oldest of five children. As a child growing up in Humboldt, June was exposed to gospel music at her local church and R&B and soul music via her father, Emerson Hockett. As a teenager, her first job was with her father, owner of Hockett Construction in West Tennessee, and a part-time promoter for gospel singers and Prince, K-Ci & JoJo, and Bobby Womack. She helped by hanging posters in town. Her father died in late 2016. // June relocated to Memphis in 2000 and began recording and performing at the age of 19, initially with her then-husband Michael Joyner, in the duo Bella Sun. After her marriage ended, she began working as a solo artist, combining blues, gospel and Appalachian folk in a style that she describes as “organic moonshine roots music”, and learning guitar, banjo, and lap-steel guitar. She became associated with the Memphis-based Broken String Collective. // In 2009 she was a featured artist on MTV’s online series $5 Cover (following the lives of Memphis musicians attempting to make ends meet), and in 2010 she recorded the EP Valerie June and the Tennessee Express, a collaboration with Old Crow Medicine Show. // In 2011 she was honored by the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission at the Emissaries of Memphis Music event. She raised funds to record an album with producer Craig Street via Kickstarter.com, raising $15,000 in 60 days. Later that year she relocated from Memphis to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Shortly after, record producer Kevin Augunas introduced June to Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, which led to the recording of June’s album Pushin’ Against a Stone in July 2011, which was co-written and produced by Dan Auerbach and Kevin Augunas. // In 2012, June performed with producer John Forté on a collaboration called Water Suites (on the hip-hop-blues song “Give Me Water”), and with Meshell Ndegeocello on the song “Be My Husband”. She contributed The Wandering’s 2012 album Go on Now, You Can’t Stay Here: Mississippi Folk Music Volume III. In 2012 she performed in the UK for the first time, playing at Bestival and appearing on Later… with Jools Holland. // She has received substantial radio play in Europe on BBC Radio 6, including a feature on Cerys on 6 with Cerys Matthews. Mary Anne Hobbs of XFM has said of June: “This woman has already touched my heart, she really, really has.” // In February 2013, June was invited to support Jake Bugg on the UK leg of his tour. In March 2013, June performed two nights at South By Southwest. The first performance was on March 14 as part of the Heartbreaker Banquet. On March 16, June performed again, this time as part of The Revival Tour. Rolling Stone June’s second album, The Order of Time one of the 50 Best Albums of 2017, citing “her handsomely idiosyncratic brand of Americana, steeped deep in electric blues and old-time folk, gilded in country twang and gospel yearning….a blend of spacey hippie soul, blues and folk with June’s pinched, modern-Appalachian voice at the center”. In a 2017 interview, Bob Dylan was asked what artists he listened to and respected; June was among the artists he mentioned in reply.More info at: http://www.valeriejune.com]

28. (#64.) Eboni Fondren – “The Late Late Show”
    from: The Journey: To Kansas City with Love / Miss Wardine Records / July 23, 2024
    [New 11-song studio album from Kansas City Jazz vocalist star. From Bill Brownlee’s blog, PLASTIC SAX (Aug. 18, 2024) “Fondren recalls her apprenticeship with the organist Everette DeVan on the autobiographical introductory song. Fondren’s vibrant personality and rich voice have since become widely admired. Kansas City standouts including James Albright, Chris Hazelton and Mark Lowrey help Fondren realize her vision on the live recording made at the Uptown Lounge.”: // Eboni Fondren is a dynamic, accomplished vocalist, actor and voice over talent who has been working in and around the Kansas City area for the past 20 years. Her voice can be heard all over the KC airwaves and in all venues entertaining for the masses! She has performed on stage at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Spinning Tree Theatre, and others. Eboni is one of the most highly sought after and premiere jazz vocalists in Kansas City and has become a bandleader in her own right. In addition to her own musical projects which include Eboni and the Ivories, and a member of the Lost Wax Band, Eboni collaborates with some of Kansas City’s top musicians and can be heard swinging all over the local jazz scene. On October 11, 2024 her Paris debut recording, “An American in Paris” with the Laurent Marode Orchestra will be released.More info at: http://www.ebonifondrenmusic.com]

29. (#63.) Back Alley Brass Band – “Second Line” (CD #29) (3:39)
    from: Last Chance To Dance – EP / Back Alley Brass Band / April 19, 2024
    [The Back Alley Brass Band released their debut full-length studio album Back Alley Brass Band on March 25, 2022. The Back Alley Brass Band is a Kansas City take on a funky brass band. The 10-piece band is a hard hitting music power house that starts a party wherever they play. 
Trumpets: Justin Crossman, Tom Lawlor Saxes: Eric Rothmier, Alex Toepfer Bones: Matt Hubbell, Matt Fillingham, Chacko Finn Sousa: Patrick Yeh Drums: Daniel McDill Aux Percussion: Jeremey ReynoldsThe Back Alley Brass Band plays Boulevardia, Saturday, June 15, at 7:30 PM on the Elevate Stage. More information at: http://www.backalleybrass.com ]

30. (#62.) Willi Carlisle – “Critterland”
    from: Critterland / Signature Sounds Recordings / January 26, 2024
    [For folksinger Willi Carlisle, singing is healing. And by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. On his latest album, Critterland, Carlisle invites audiences to join him: “If we allow ourselves to sing together, there’s a release of sadness, maybe even a communal one. And so for me personally, singing, like the literal act of thinking through suffering, is really freeing,” he says. // Rooted in the eclectic and collective world of his live shows, Carlisle’s third album, Critterland takes up where his sophomore album, Peculiar, Missouri left off, transforming Peculiar’s big tent into a Critterland menagerie and letting loose the weirdos he gathered together. The album is a wild romp through the backwaters of his mind and America, lingering in the odd corners of human nature to visit obscure oddballs, dark secrets and complicated truths about the beauty and pain of life and love. // Produced by the GRAMMY Award-nominated Darrell Scott and to be released Jan. 26, 2024 by Signature Sounds, Critterland considers where we come from and where we are going. On the album, he takes on human suffering through stories about forbidden love, loss, generational trauma, addiction, and suicide, believing that by processing the traits and trauma we inherit, he can reach a deeper understanding of what it means to succeed and to exist. // “[Critterland] is another brilliant composition from Carlisle, who has quickly established himself as one of country music’s most important and unmistakable voices.” -PASTE MAGAZINE // “One of the Top 10 “Best Things We Saw at Newport Folk Festival 2023” – Rolling Stone // Willi Carlisle is an absolute force of nature. From the moment he walks on stage you can’t take your eyes off of him and the minute he opens his mouth you can’t help but hang on every word. Even if the songs weren’t there, the showmanship alone would be worth the price of admission, but the scary part is the songs are just as good as the stories.” -BJ Barham .// Willi Carlisle released the album Peculiar, Missouri through Free Dirt Records on July 15, 2022. It was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. // Willi Carlisle is an “Ozark renaissance folklorist” who writes “brilliant, slice of life Americana.” (Sing Out!Magazine) A theatre artist, folksinger, poet, and square-dance caller, Willi received a BA from Knox College in Creative Writing and Performance Studies, and an MFA in Poetry at the University of Arkansas. His work has appeared in The Journal of American Folklore, The Midwest Review, and elsewhere. Willi is a co-leader of the Fayetteville Old-time Music and Dance Society and a company member with the Artist’s Laboratory Theater. Willi Carlisle played an official Showcase at the 2024 Folk Alliance International Conference on Thursday, February 22, at 6:45pm in Benton’s 20th Floor, at The Westin Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center 1 East Pershing Road, KCMO. His debut EP, “Too Nice to Mean Much,” is available at http://www.willicarlisle.com]

31. (#61.) Erin Keller & James Ward Band – “Gotta Get The White Stuff Out”
    from: Songs For Times Like These / Erin Keller / January 26, 2024
    [Erin Keller on vocals, James Ward on electric bass, Jaylen Ward on drums & cymbals, Angela Ward on keyboard, Chad Meise on electric guitar. Recorded & mixed by Chad Meise. Mastered by Collin Jordan. Artwork by David Ford. Photos & Graphic design by Kayla Haskins. // On May 9, 2016 Erin Keller released her debut solo album, DISTRACTED. // Erin Keller is originally from Waukee, Iowa. She was born in 1980. Erin has been singing on a professional level for 30 years. Erin sang with the internationally competitive Des Moines Children’s Choir for 5 years, and 3 years in All-State choir in high school, which helped her earn a voice performance degree from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, in 2002. Erin peforms with the Grammy-Award winning Kansas City Chorale. Erin has also worked as a featured soloist with Owen Cox Dance Ensemble, New Ear, KC jazz musicians, the big band at University of Colorado, a West African Highlife Ensemble, the Balkan brass band Gora Gora Orkestar. Erin also has experience writing her own music, singing in rock, folk, and free improv settings and she more recently earned a Master’s in Music Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In Colorado she worked for two years in public schools teaching music and moved back to KC to continue her career as musician and educator.Erin Keller & the James Ward Band play an Album Release Dinner Matinee Show, January 26, 2024, at 6:00pm, at The Ship, 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO. More info at: http://www.theshipkc.com]

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

Tune into WMM thru Dec. for WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024 Dec 4, 11, 18, and 25.

NEXT WEEK, On December 18, we will bring you part 3 of our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2024. We’ll count down #60 through #31 with tracks from: ALBER, elska, The Whips, Zee Underscore, RxGhost, True Lions, Quiet Takes, Lonnie Fisher, Paris Williams, Keelon Vann, Dan Camino, Danielle Nicole, Say That Again, MellowPhobia, The Fun Guy, Marty Bush,Xiu Xiu, Kali Uchis, PJ Morton, Swamp Dogg, Hermanos Gutiérrez, MJ Lenderman, Flamy Grant, Billie Eilish, Arooj Aftab, Nubya Garcia, Okay Kaya, Nilüfer Yanya, Laura Marling, and Samara Joy.

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

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

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Show #1073