Wednesday MidDay Medley
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Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The 112 Best Recordings of 2012
(Part 2 of 4)

Part-2, of our 4-week special: The 112 Best Recordings of 2012. Based on the playlists of Wednesday MidDay Medley. In 2012 we’ve played over 700 of New & Local Releases, we’ve presented dozens of LIVE in-studio performances from area performers, and we’ve interviewed over 150 local and national guests. 70% of the recordings on our list were locally produced. It’s all good! Tune into 90.1 FM, Wednesdays in December, 19th and 26th, we’ll play music that represents: The 112 of Best Recordings of 2012!

1. (84.) Black Moth Super Rainbow – “Windshield Smasher”
from: Cobra Juicy / Rad Cult / October 22, 2012
[5th, and some say finest, album to date from the psychedelic-electronic-experimental band from Pittsburgh. Their sound is characterized by their use of analog electronic instruments including the vocoder, Rhodes piano, Novatron. Little is known about band members who’re all something of an enigma, keeping their true identities hidden behind monikers like: Tobacco, Bullsmear, The Seven Fields of Aphelion Fields. One critic described their music this way: “Imagine that disco put on a blonde wig, a denim jacket, and roller-skates; then proceeded to do a considerable quantity of acid and dance around in the abandoned roller rink in your hometown.”]

2. (83.) Gemini Revolution – “Other Side of Yesterday”
from: Gemini Revolution / Upstairs Recordings / September 20, 2012
[This year they also released: EPs: “Informal Revolution” “Sizuka.” Gemini Revolution is: Dedric Moore, Delaney Moore, Mika Tayana. They were asked to perform at this year’s Pop Montreal Festival in September 20. Upstairs Recordings of Vancouver, Canada, released their full-length debut to coincide with the festival.]

3. (82.) Alt-J – “Fitzpleasure”
from: An Awesome Wave / Infectious Records / September 18, 2012
[Debut, and Winner of The 2012 British Mercury Prize. Pronounced “alt-J”, the delta sign is created when you hold down the alt key on your computer keyboard and punch ‘J’ on a Mac computer. The symbol has a deeper meaning. The band explains that, “in mathematical equations it’s used to show change.” Gwil, Joe Newman [guitar/vocals], Gus Unger-Hamilton [keyboards] and Thom Green [drums] met at Leeds University in 2007.]

[Alt-J plays The Midland Theatre Sun, Dec. 16 w/ Passion Pit, Blondfire, Heroes & Villains, Churchill.]

10:14

4. (81.) Folkicide – “Power To The People”
from: The Genocide is Mean EP / Independent / August 18, 2012
[Follow up to “Devotional Hymns From the Church of the Darwinian Snuff Film.” Folkicide is the outlet for Kansas City songwriter Burnie Booth’s vision of constructive pessimism that he hopes in time will be recognized as a new acoustical genre fully devoted to the documentation of the delightful futility of existence. Folkicide continues their pessimistic exploration into the decaying frame of Western Civilization. Most of the music was recorded on May 11, 2012, by Chubby Smith, at his magical tractor shed, in Perry, Kansas. Folkicide also released, “Folkicide’s Night at The Opera,” this year. Recorded April through August, 2012, mostly in Folkicide’s basement. Engineered and Mastered by David Moore at Merriam Shoals Studios. All songs were originally written by Queen members, then strategically deconstructed by Folkicide Mercury without disrespect or irony because he truly loves Queen (pre-Hot Space) and Night at The Opera in particular.]

5. (80.) Gossip – “Move in The Right Direction”
from: A Joyful Noise / Columbia Records a division of Sony Records / May 11, 2012
[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.]

6. (79.) The Clementines – “Fair Trade”
from: The Clementines / Independent / August 18, 2012
[We first met The Clementines as a duo Tim Jenkins & Nicole Springer when they played LIVE on our April 25 show. Since then they’ve added Stephanie Williams on Drums, and Travis Earndshaw on Bass. Nicole Springer grew up in Oak Grove, MO, and graduated H.S. in 2004. She studied Music-Vocal/Choral at Missouri State University, in Springfield, MO, and studied Special Education with Music at Metropolitan MO CC, in KCMO. Nicole told The Pitch (Jan. 10, 2012 article): “I grew up singing in gospel choirs,” she says. “And I still love gospel music, though I’m not religious or anything. I did musicals throughout high school, and I went to school for a year at Missouri State for music education. But I’ve never been in a committed band before this one.” Nicole told David Hudnall of The Pitch: that her vision for the Clementines was initially inspired by the Irish folk duo the Swell Season. “I had just seen them in concert before I put up that ad,” Springer says. “They’re just so passionate, and I wanted to do something that had that much soul in it. It’s the same reason I like Aretha or the Gossip.” Tim Jenkins grew up in KC. Studied at UMKC. He has been playing music for over 10 years. He is a fan of “geek rock, like ’70s prog stuff.” “I usually bring in a song,” Springer says, “and Tim will tweak it and add solos and sometimes a riff — he helps complete it.” More info at: reverbnation.com/theclementinesnicoleandtim]

[The Clementines play The Brick, on Fri, Dec. 21 w/ Monarchs, Root & Stem, and The Summit Show.]

7. (78.) Michael Kiwanuka – “I’m Getting Ready”
from: Home Again / Polydor / May 1 2012
[24-year old British soul musician has been compared to Bill Withers, Randy Newman, and Otis Redding, he grew up in North London, the son of Ugandan parents who had escaped the Amin regime.]

10:29 – Underwriting

10:31

8. (77.) Helen Gillet – “Carolina”
from: Helen Gillet / Independent / June 8, 2012
[Recorded by Chad Meise in Kansas City, MO. Photography by Zack Smith; Graphic Design by Kourtney Keller, Mastered by John Fishback (New Orleans); Produced, Composed and Performed by Helen Gillet. A familiar face in New Orleans’ experimental jazz scene. Her first New Orleans-recorded album, “Running of the Bells,” was released last year. Helen Gillet’s new album has been compared to intensity and grace of John Cale and the recordings of the Velvet Underground and Nick Drake. Hellen Gillet was part ow WE and art/performance/installation created last year by Jane Gotch and Mark Southerland who often welcomes Gillet to KC for live shows with is band Snuff Jazz.]

9. (76.) Katy & Go Go – “Funny Place”
from: When I Get Away / Independent / April 19, 2012
[Katy & Go-Go is vocalist and guitarist Katy Guillen (of The B’Dinas) and drummer extraordinaire Go-Go Ray (of Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle, Samantha Fish, John Velghe). They hit the KC stages in January of 2011, securing a steady monthly gig at The Brick’s Rhythm, Roots, & Soul Saturday Matinee. Nominated for a Pitch Music Award for Best Blues Band. Band leader, Katy Guillen has told us that Go-Go is on the road for an indefinite amount of time. Before he left to tour the country and Europe he replaced himself with an awesome drummer: Kelsey Cook, and Tim Braun of Good Foot has joined the band on bass.]

[The Katy Guillen Trio plays The Brick on Sat. Dec. 22 with Appropriate Grammar, and Drew Black and The Dirty Electric.]

[Katy Guillen plays the recordBar, Saturday night, Dec. 15 with the Pedaljets , and John Velghe & The Prodigal Sons.]

[Pedaljets 7″ single release Give-Away to the 3rd caller…816-931-5534]

10. (75.) Forrest Whitlow – “Judd’s Ephemera (Green)”
from: Ghosts From The Old Country (Double Album) / eternal return music / November 9, 2012
[“When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover… you cannot eat money.” -Native American prophecy. Originally from Greensburg, Kentucky, Forrest Whitlow is now based in Kansas City, KS. 90.1 FM”s Signal To Noise host Barry Lee describes Forrest Whitlow as, “David Lynch meets Neil Young.” This is Forrest’s ninth studio album. Produced by Forrest Whitlow with Pat Tomek. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Largely Studios, Kansas City, Missouri by Pat Tomek. One of many recordings on our “112 Best…” that was produce by Pat Tomek. For the recording: Forrest Whitlow – acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica, banjo, whistles, ambient, nasal wind. Rick Gray – electric guitars, pedal and lap steel, and mandolin. Todd Wiseman – bass, and additional vocals. Mike “D.J. Clem” Stover – upright bass. Pat Tomek – drums and percussion. More info at Forrestwhitlow.com]

10:45

11. (74.) Power and Light – “Earthly Schemes”
from: Power and Light [EP] / Independent / January 14, 2012
[A collaboration between: Nathan Readey (production) and Andrew Connor (songs, vocals). Andrew Connor saw the potential of Readey’s work and because of the success of Kansas City based bands like Ssion, he wanted to encourage Readey by allowing him to remix and release several new Ghosty songs, before Ghosty released them in their own new album. Nominated for a Pitch Music Award for Best Electronic Band.]

12. (73.) Laura Spiegel – “A Folk Study”
from: The Expanding Universe / Unseen Worlds / September 25, 2012
[Classic 1980 debut album by composer and computer music pioneer Laurie Spiegel. The album is reissued here for the first time in a massively expanded two-CD set, containing all four original album tracks plus an additional 15 tracks from the same period, nearly all previously unreleased! Chicago born composer. She has worked at Bell Laboratories, in computer graphics, and is known primarily for her electronic-music compositions and her algorithmic composition software Music Mouse. Spiegel was seen by some as a pioneer of the New York, new-music scene. Spiegel’s piece “Sediment” was used in the “cornucopia scene” of the 2012 movie The Hunger Games.]

13. (72.) White Girl – “Setting Fire”
from: White Girl Vol. Two [EP] / Independent / Oct. 5, 2012
[White Girl is the brain child of Martin Bush, a dance infused pop romp through eternal fields of post punk grasses and rolling new wave hills. He is joined by Marc Pepperman (the Republic Tigers), Nick Organ (Beautiful Bodies, Various Blonde), Skyler McClun, and Matt Epstein.]

14. (71.) Antennas Up – “Coming On”
from: The Awkward Phase / Plastic Artifice / April 24, 2012
[Formed in KC in 2008. The band has played South By Southwest and over 30 Universities and toured w/ Girl Talk, Electric Six, Flogging Molly, Matt & Kim, Ha Ha Tonka, and Company Of Thieves. Kyle Akers – Lead Vocals/Bass; Bo McCall – Guitar/Vocals; The Ryantist – Drums/Vocals; Jonny Universe – Guitar/Keys/Vocals]

[Antennas Up play the recordBar Sat. Dec. 29 with Not a Planet, and In Back of a Black Car.]

11:00

15. (70.) She’s A Keeper – “Headless King”
from: Live From Midwestern [EP] / Independent / March 12, 2012
[All songs written by She’s A Keeper, 2012, Recorded live at the Midwestern Musical Co. in Kansas City, MO. (midwesternmusic.com) Engineered by Dave Guame, Matt Kesler, & Cody Wyoming. Mixed and mastered by Steve Phillips. Band photo by Emmett Merrill. Design by Eric Lindquist.] [5-piece band from Kansas City, includes: Fritz Hutchison – vocals, banjo, percussion; Zac Jurden – vocals, guitar; Colin Nelson – vocals, guitar; Elliott Phillips – bass, mandolin; Kate Sopcich – cello, keyboard. She’s A Keeper has just recently recorded their first music video in promotion of a live EP recorded at Midwestern Musical Co. in KC. The band is currently working on a second full-length album.]

[She’s A Keeper play The Midland Theatre, this Saturday night, Dec. 15, with Grouplove, Of Monsters And Men, The Joy Formidable, and Elle King. (The show is very sold out.)]

11:06

16. (69.) The Sleazebeats – “Goosesteppin’ Nazis”
from: The Sleazebeats / Independent / Jan. 1, 2012
[Charlie Colborne – keyboards, guitar, vocals; Bill Belzer – drums; Jeff Harshbarger – bass; Recorded at More Famouser Studios w/ Mike Nolte engineer, mixing, mastering the recordings. The Sleazebeats have played Live on the show on several occassions.]

17. (68.) Cher UK – “Little Blue Soldier”
from: Little Blue Soldier / Independent / October 20, 2012
[Founded in 1990 by Mike McCoy who grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas. Cher U.K. filled venues in Kansas City playing punk rock music. Mike McCoy, now lives in Austin Texas and fronts his band the Service Industry. Mike is the founder of The North vs. South Music Festival. Cher UK reunited to play the Middle of the Map Festival in April. While in KC Mike McCoy gathered up several musicians to record a new Cher UK EP. Mike McCoy Guitar & Vox, Mark Reynolds – Bass, Bernie Dugan – Drums. Mike McCoy, Mark Reynolds, Bernie Dugan, Lyle Wells of Cher UK & Matt Kesler of The Pedaljets joined us live on Wednesday MidDay Medley on October 17 to talk about their CD Release show at Davey’s Uptown, October 20.]

18. (67.) Eyelit – “Dying Old”
from: The Woe Dies / Independent / June 22, 2012
[Their song “Motionless” is on Midwestern Audio Vol. 1. Formed in Saint Joseph, MO, in 2008 by Austin (songwriter) and Dansare (voice). They released their first EP “Elephant” in early 2010. “The Woe Dies” was inspired by Bob Dylan, Iron & Wine, and Bright Eyes.]

11:15

19. (66.) Bobby Womack – “Please Forgive My Heart”
from: The Bravest Man in The Universe / XL Records / June 8, 2012
[First album of new material in over 13 years. Earlier this year, the 68-year-old Bobby Womack was released from the hospital following a successful recovery from pneumonia. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has also been battling cancer and was scheduled to undergo surgery this year and looks forward to touring in support of his album.]

20. (65.) Thom Hoskins – “Still Feeling Bronze”
from: Still Feeling Bronze [EP] / Independent / April 7, 2012
[Former lead singer and guitarist for The Buffalo Saints, singer-songwriter Thommy Hoskins has just released his new solo EP. Thom was our guest on Wednesday MidDay Medley on July 11, where he performed LIVE.]

21. (64.) Alacartoona – “Drowning All My Sorrows”
from: Fantoche / Money Wolf Music / September 14, 2012
[We broadcast the radio premiere of this song on our September 12 Wednesday MidDay Medley. This album is one of four new Money Wolf Music releases on our list. Alacartoona includes: Ruby Falls – vocals/guitar, Providence Forge – bass/vocals, Overton Wooldridge – accordion/vocals, Billings Marland – drums/percussion]

[Alacartoona play Californos on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 8:00pm]

10:29 – Underwriting

11:30

22. (63.) Dolls On Fire – “GFY (300 Hands)”
from: Ladies and Gentleman… / Independent / November 13, 2012
[Second single from debut album, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Dolls on Fire at Atzero Studios in Lee’s Summit, MO. Dolls On Fire include: Zach Hodson, Rachel Jaggard, Michelle Bacon, and Mark Johnson. All songs were written by Zach Hodson, except “Minotaur,” which was written by, Hodson/Jaggard/Johnson. Michelle Bacon joined us on November 7, on Wednesday MidDay Medley.]

23. (62.) Erik Voeks – “There’s A Light (That Always Goes Out)”
from: Free Range [EP] / Independent / March 30, 2012
[Produced by E. Voeks, Patrick Hawley and Troy Van Horn. Drums and percussion by Patrick Hawley. Steel guitar by Mike Stover. Other instruments and voices by Erik Voeks. All songs written by Erik Voeks. Drums and percussion recorded by Joe Thebeau @ Victory Over Gravity Productions. Steel Guitar recorded by Mike Stover @ The Stoverdome. Everything else recorded by E.Voeks @ Sandusky Sound Co.]

24. (61.) Organic Proof – “Follow Your Heart”
from: Johan [EP] / Independent / February 21, 2012
[Acoustic song-writing project of multi-instrumentalist Brandon Draper, along with Barclay Martin and Rick Willoughby. Johan was inspired by the writings of Brandon’s 4th great grandfather Johan Augustin Pihl, a Swedish Immigrant that settled in the Kansas Plains in 1860. On Nov. 12 Organic Proof released a new single track called “Simple” at organicproof.bandcamp.com. Rick Willoughby works with Quixotic and he also plays with The Snow Globes, with Barclay Martin, and he joined us LIVE on Wednesday MidDay Medley, on November 21, with Victor & Penny, another KC based band where Rick plays bass.]

25. (60.) Eleni Mandell – “The Future”
from: I Can See The Future / Yep Roc / July 10, 2012
[We interviewed Eleni Mandell for a second time. Her recent tour and musical release came from the legendary indie singer songwriter who seemed happier than we’ve ever seen her before. The music created while she was pregnant, was, after the birth of her twins, released with an extensive tour in support of the new music. We talked with Eleni on our August 1 Wednesday MidDay Medley, about touring with the babies, her ex boyfriend that she hired as her nanny, and the inspiration for the new songs. Eleni Mandell played Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, on Aug 4, with Mikal Shapiro and Ruddy Swain.]

11:45

26. (61.) The Magnetic Fields – “Andrew in Drag”
from: Love at The Bottom of The Sea / Merge Records / March 6, 2012
[The band’s 10th full-length album is their first release of new material with Merge since 1999’s highly acclaimed 69 Love Songs. After putting out their “synth-free trilogy,” The Magnetic Fields are returning to their signature mix of synth and acoustic sounds. Merritt notes about the new album that “Most of the synthesizers on the record didn’t exist when we were last using synthesizers.” The Magnetic Fields went on a North American tour and the closest they got to KC was: IOWA CITY, Iowa, March 28, at the Englert Theatre. More info at houseoftomorrow.com website for The Magnetic Fields]

27. (58.) Regina Spektor – “Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)”
from: What We Saw From The Cheap Seats / Sire / May 25 , 2012
[6th studio album from Russian–American alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. Recorded in Los Angeles during the summer of 2011, the album is a collection of new material along with the very first studio recordings of several of Spektor’s older live songs. The album’s second single, “Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)” is a song originally from Spektor’s 2002 album Songs. One of our first phone interviews ever on WMM, Regina Spektor played Kansas City at The Music Hall November 7]

28. (57.) The xx – “Angels”
from: Coexist / The Young Turks / September 11, 2012
[English indie pop band, formed in London in 2008. The group released their debut album, xx in August 2009. In 2010, the band won the Mercury Music Prize for their debut album. The band met while studying at Elliott School, the same school that produced Hot Chip, and Four Tet. Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft started the band as a duo when they were 15. Guitarist Baria Qureshi joined once they began performing in 2005, with Jamie Smith joining a year after.]

11:59:30

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

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
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facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM and
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Show #451