Wednesday MidDay Medley
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Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The 113 Best Recordings of 2013
(Part 2 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-two, of our four-week special: The 113 Best Recordings of 2013. Based on the playlists of Wednesday MidDay Medley, we’ll feature representative tracks from our favorite recordings. In 2013 we’ve played over 1000 songs, and hundreds of New & Local Releases. We’ve presented dozens of LIVE in-studio performances from area performers, and we’ve interviewed over 200 local and national guests. 62% of the recordings on our “Best of” list were locally produced. It’s all good!

Tune into 90.1 FM, Wednesdays in December, through the 25th. We’ll play nearly 8-hours of music that represent: The 113 of Best Recordings of 2013!

1. (84.) Sonny & The Sunsets – “dark corners”
from: Antenna To the Afterworld / Polyvinyl Records / June 11, 2013
[San Francisco based 5-piece band that list The Clash and Amy Goodman as influences. Helmed by the acclaimed singer / songwriter, playwright, author & onetime troubadour pianoman Sonny Smith, The Sunsets have featured a revolving door lineup that became permanent with Kelley Stoltz, Tahlia Harbour, Ryan Browne and Zack Ehrlich.]

2. (83.) Beach Fossils – “Clash The Truth”
from: Clash The Truth / Captured Tracks / Feb. 19, 2013
[2nd release from Brooklyn band, formed in 2009, by Dustin Payseur’s who recorded the band’s self-titled debut album on his own, playing all instruments. After signing to Captured Tracks, Beach Fossils became a full band, touring the U.S. endlessly with a scattered line-up that included 12 different drummers and 3 guitarists.]

3. (82.) Fol Chen – “I.O.U.”
from: The False Alarms / Asthmatic Kitty / March 19, 2013
[Electronic band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2009 with: Samuel Bing, Garrett Henritz, Sinosa Loa, Alexander Myrvold, Jeph Valenzuela and Julian Wass. They have released three full-length albums.]

10:13

4. (81.) Grenadina – “Tina Needs a Girlfriend”
from: Get Shallow / Music Road / September 3, 2013
[Produced by Johnny Burke at Vibe Studios in Bedford Heights, Ohio. Music by Grenadina. Lyrics by Katie Ford. Grenadina is: Steph Castor, Katie Ford, Mia Morrow, Stef Petrozz ]

5. (80.) Fourth Of July – “Empty Moon”
from: Empty Moon / High Dive Records / 2013 [Comprised of two sets of siblings, Brendan Hangauer (guitar, vocals), Patrick Hangauer (bass guitar), Brian Costello (drums, vocals), Brendan Costello (lead guitar, vocals). Their new record was produced by Chris Crisci of Old Canes and Appleseed Cast.]

[Fourth of July played the High Dive Records Showcase with Ghosty, Shy Boys, and The ACB’s for Ink’s Middle of The Map Festival April 4-6]

6. (79.) Drew Black and Dirty Electric – “Curio Doll”
from: Dead Kings & Queens / Independent / January 26, 2013
[Starting as a solo project with the early 2012 release Wanderlust, Drew Black (formerly of The Belated) soon enlisted frontmen from two other dynamic local bands (Terra Peal of The Quivers and Zach Hodson of Dolls on Fire) and multi-band drummer Michelle Bacon to create this new band. Their debut ED was mixed & mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures SoundLab in Kansas City. ]

7. (78.) Cherokee Rock Rifle – “Burn”
from: Ta Li / Independent / April 20, 2013 [2nd EP from KC based band fronted by Dutch Humphrey. The 5-piece band also features: Douglas Nelson – lead guitar, Scott Reed – rhythm guitar, Bert Northward – drums, Evan John – bass.] [Cherokee Rock Rifle played the Crossroads Music Fest, on Sept 14.]

10:27 – Underwriting
10:28

8. (77.) Andrew Foshee – “Thunderstorm”
from: Headphones Required / Independent / June 11, 2013 [Eclectic collection of home recordings that Andrew performed, recorded and mixed in his basement studio. Produced, engineered, performed and mixed by Andrew at home. Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Soundlab ]

9. (76.) CocoRosie – “After the Afterlife”
from: Tales of a Grasswidow / Transistor Recording / May 28, 2013
[Formed in 2003 by sisters Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” Casady. The sisters were born and raised in the United States, but formed the band in Paris after meeting for the first time in years. Their music has been called “freak folk.”. CocoRosie began as a duo, with Sierra singing, playing the guitar, piano and harp, and Bianca singing and manipulating various children’s toys, electronic and percussion instruments, as well as other exotic noisemakers. They’ve added various backing musicians, a bassist, keyboardist, and beatboxer. They have released five full-length albums: La maison de mon rêve (2004), Noah’s Ark (2005), The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (2007), Grey Oceans (2010) and Tales of a GrassWidow (2013)]

10. (75.) Man Bear – “Sleep Forever”
from: Power Slop / Universal / Oct. 21, 2013 [Charles Aaron Nickless – Bass, Alex Courtney – Vocals, Guitars, Keith – Drums. Produced by Chan. Recorded in the Man Bear Cave. All songs written by Man Bear]

11. (74.) Krystle Warren – “I Don’t Know”
from: Sing Me The Songs Celebrating The Works of Kate McGarrigle / Nonesuch / June 21, 13
[Features highlights from three concerts in honor of the late Kate McGarrigle. Proceeds from the concerts provided seed money for the Kate McGarrigle Foundation a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money in the fight against sarcoma and also to preserving her legacy through the arts. Net proceeds from the sale of Sing Me the Songs also will be donated to the Foundation. The double-disc set was produced by Joe Boyd, who curated the concerts, and features performances by Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Anna McGarrigle, Emmylou Harris, Antony, Norah Jones, and Teddy Thompson, among others. The New York concerts were filmed for a feature documentary entitled Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You: A Concert for Kate McGarrigle, directed by Lian Lunson (Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man) and produced by Luson and Teddy Wainwright. Candid interviews with McGarrigle’s family and friends are paired with rousing performances of her music.]

11:43 – KC Blues

12. (73.) Katy Guillen & The Girls – “The Race”
from: Katy Guillen & The Girls – EP / Independent/ August, 2013
[Formerly: The Katy Guillen Trio, prior to that: Katy & Go Go. The current band was formed in KC in Sept. of 2012 w/ Katy Guillen (guitar, vocals), Claire Adams (bass, vocals) & Stephanie Williams (drums).]

[Katy Guillen & The Girls play The KC Blues Christmas Ball to benefit MMF, December 20, at Knuckleheads with Amanda Wish, Coyote Bill Band, and Stone Cutters Union.]

[Katy Guillen and the Girls have an indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the trio trip to Memphis to represent Kansas City at the International Blues Competition. We have a link on our WMM page.]

13. (72.) Trampled Under Foot – “Bad Bad Feeling” from: Badlands / Concord Music group – Telarc Records / July 9, 2013
[“Trampled Under Foot” is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, featured on their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The lyrics were inspired by blues musician Robert Johnson’s 1936 “Terraplane Blues.” Trampled Under Foot is also one of Kansas Cities hottest blues bands consisting of siblings: Nick Schnebelen on Guitar & Vocals; Danielle Schnebelen on Bass & Vocals, and Kris Schnebelen on Drums & Vocals. Trampled Under Foot is the winner of the 2012 Pitch Music Award for Best Blues Band. More info at: tufkc.com]

14. (71.) Samantha Fish – “Miles to Go”
from: Black Wind Howlin’ / RuF Records / September 10, 2013
[From TWANGVILLE.COM: Produced by Royal Southern Brotherhood member and solo artist Mike Zito, Black Wind Howlin’ features 11 original songs and a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talking.” The opening rocker “Miles To Go,” inspired by a relentless tour schedule, sets the tone for the blues rock blitz that dominates the album. Other highlights include “Go To Hell,” co-written by Zito, which presents a sort of anti-duet from the male and female perspectives, “Sucker Born,” which includes some nice electric slide guitar work. ”Over You” slows it down for a bit, and on the closing number, “Last September,” Fish demonstrates her surprising versatility with a straight up catchy country tune. Mike Zito provided vocals and guitar on the album, along with Yonrico Scott on drums and Charlie Wooton on bass. Paul Thorn on vocals, Johnny Sansone on harmonica and Bo Thomas on fiddle also contributed to the album.]

15. (70.) Neko Case – “Local Girl”
from: The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You / Anti- / Aug 30, 13
[9th solo release of Neko Case who also performs with The New Pornographers. Nominated for a Grammy for Best Alnernative Music Album.] [Neko Case played Liberty Hall, in Lawrence, on Tues, Oct 15.]

11:00

16. (69.) Irma Thomas – “In Between Tears”
from: In Between Tears / Alive Naturalsound / July 23, 2013 [Orig. 1973] [Re-released for the very first time on vinyl since its original release. Produced by legendary soul singer, songwriter, producer Jerry Williams Jr., aka Swamp Dogg, and featuring Duane Allman on two songs. Initially released in 1973 on the homegrown Fungus Records label, it has remained well under the radar for the past 40 years. It is one of the finest examples of early ’70s soul I have ever heard. – Blinded By Sound. Irma Thomas was born February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana. In 2007, she won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain, her first Grammy in a career spanning over 50 years.]

17. (68.) The Blackbird Revue – “When You Were Mine”
from: Glow / The Blackbird Revue / January 23, 2013 [Recorded at The Conductor Studio, Nashville, TN. and produced with Don Chaffer. All songs by Jacob Prestige. The band includes: Jacob & Danielle Prestidge and Joesph Peak. The Blackbird Revue played LIVE on WMM on May 22.]

18. (67.) Wells The Traveler – “One For The Dreamers”
from: One For The Dreamers / Independent / August 23, 2013
[Manchester, England born Danny McGaw released one of our favorite recordings of 2012 w/ “Eccles Road.” Since then he has been playing with drummer Jason Jones & bassist Dan Hines (of the Lawrence band Paw), Chad Brothers on guitar, and Musician, Producer, and member of Truckstop Honeymoon, Mike West, who was intially brought in to produce the group’s debut recording, and ended up becoming the fifth member.]

19. (66.) Mavis Staples – “Can You Get to That”
from: One True Vine / Anti Records / June 21, 2013 [Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album. Jeff Tweedy nominated as Best Producer. 13th studio album, and the second on which she collaborated with record producer and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Their 2010 collaboration, “You Are Not Alone” won a Grammy in the category of Best Americana Album. Tweedy also played most of the instruments on the album, with the exception of the drums, which were played by his son, Spencer Tweedy. The album was recorded at the Wilco Loft in Chicago, and while working on it, Staples commuted back & forth between the Loft (on Chicago’s North Side) and her home on Chicago’s South Side.] [“Can You Get to That” was originally written by George Clinton & Ernie Harris and recorded for “Maggot Brain,” the 3rd studio album by Funkadelic, released in 1971. ]

11:15

20. (65.) Maria The Mexican – “Sigh”
from: Moon Colored Jade / Independent / October 18, 2013
[Influenced by traditional Mariachi music, Maria The Mexican is a hybrid of Mexican folklore and Rock. For 10 years, Teresa & Maria Elena Cuevas performed with Marachi Estrella, founded by their grandmother Teresa Cuevas in 1970. As one of the first all female mariachi bands in the country, Maria Teresa Alonzo Cuevas is a pioneer in the Hispanic musical community. Her band flourished in the 80s but was struck by tragedy when four of the seven members were killed in the Hyatt Skywalk collapse in 1981. Once Teresa recovered she began teaching her grandchildren Mariachi music. In 2000, Teresa and Maria began exploring other genres of music while simultaneously co-directing Mariachi Estrella. Today the fusion of Maria The Mexican is mixed with a touch of blues, soul, funk, & rock n’ roll enhanced by the musical knowledge and sounds of Garrett Nordstrom. With a southwestern flare & melancholy motifs, Maria The Mexican rocks it out in Spanish & English.]

21. (64.) Charles Bradley – “Victim of Love (feat. Menahan Street Band)”
from: Victim of Love / Daptone / April 2, 2013
[Born November 5, 1948, Charles Bradley was raised by his maternal grandmother in Gainesville, Florida until the age of eight when his mother, who had abandoned him at 8 months of age, took him to live with her in Brooklyn, New York. In 1962, his sister took him to the Apollo Theater to see James Brown perform. Bradley was so inspired by the performance that he began to practice mimicking Brown’s style of singing and stage mannerisms at home. When he was fourteen, Bradley ran away from home due to his poor living conditions — his bedroom was in a basement with a sand floor — and lived on the streets during the day and slept nights in subway cars for two years. Later, he enlisted in Job Corps which eventually led him to Bar Harbor, Maine to train as a chef. One time while working, a co-worker told him he looked like James Brown. When asked if he could sing, he was at first shy but eventually admitted that he could. He overcame his stage fright (when a crew member pushed him through the curtains onto the stage) and performed five or six times with a band. After his band mates were drafted into the Vietnam War, the act never re-formed. Bradley worked in Maine as a cook for ten years until deciding to head west, hitchhiking across the country. He lived in upstate New York, Seattle, Canada and Alaska before settling in California in 1977. There, Bradley worked odd jobs and played small shows for 20 years. In 1996, Bradley’s mother called him and asked him to move back in with her in Brooklyn so she could get to know him. It was there he began making a living moonlighting as a James Brown impersonator in local clubs under the name “Black Velvet.” During this time, Bradley experienced more hard times, including almost dying in a hospital after being given penicillin (to which he has an allergy) and waking to the police arriving to the scene of his brother’s murder just down the road from his mother’s house. While performing as “Black Velvet,” he was eventually discovered by Gabriel Roth, co-founder of Daptone Records. Roth introduced Bradley to Daptone artist and his future producer Tom Brenneck, then the songwriter and guitarist for The Bullets, and later for Menahan Street Band, who invited Bradley to his band’s rehearsal. Bradley asked that the band simply perform while he made up lyrics on the spot. After writing several songs, with Daptone releasing some of them on vinyl starting in 2002, ten were chosen and released as Bradley’s debut album No Time For Dreaming in 2011.]

22. (63.) Grand Marquis – “Every Day’s the Same”
from: Blues and Trouble / Grand Marquis / June 25, 2013
[12 New songs from Bryan Redmond – lead vocals, soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones; Chad Boydston – trumpet, backing vocals; Ryan Wurtz – guitar; Ben Ruth – upright bass, sousaphone, backing vocals; Lisa Mckenzie – drums, washboard.]

23. (62.) Deerhunter – “Back To The Middle”
from: Monomania / 4AD / May 6, 2013
[5th studio release from the five-piece indie rock group originating from Atlanta, Georgia. The band, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Frankie Broyles, Josh McKay and Lockett Pundt, have described themselves as “ambient punk,” though they incorporate a wide range of genres, including noise rock, art rock, shoegaze, and post-punk, as well as significant pop elements. The band has gone through several line-up changes and the death of a member.]

11:27 – Underwriting

11:28

24. (61.) Atoms For Peace – “Judge Jury and Executioner”
from: Amok / XL Recordings / Audio CD Release Feb. 26, 2013
[Experimental rock and electronic supergroup formed in late 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, and piano), Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich (keyboards, synthesizers, guitars), Joey Waronker of Beck and R.E.M. (drums) and Brazilian instrumentalist Mauro Refosco (percussion) of Forro in the Dark. Their debut album, Amok, became available for streaming on February 18, 2013, and was released on February 25, 2013.]

25. (60.) The Julie Ruin – “Oh Come On”
from: Run Fast / Discharge – TJR Records / September 3, 2013
[Debut album from NYC Band formed in 2010 with Carmine Covelli, Sara Landeau, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, and Kenny Mellmany. The band rehearses in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and records at Oscilloscope. In December 2010, The Julie Ruin previewed a performance at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.]

26. (59.) Johnny Marr – “Upstarts”
from: The Messenger / Sire / Feb. 26, 2013
[Debut solo recording from British musician, Born October 31, 1963. Marr is best know as lead guitarist and co-songwriter for one of the most influencial bands of all time, “The Smiths.” Marr has also been a member of Electronic, The The and Modest Mouse.]

27. (58.) Savages – “She Will”
from: Silence Yourself / Matador / May 3, 2013
[London-based post-punk revival rock band, formed in 2011. The band’s guitarist Gemma Thompson had come up with the name for the band and had been discussing the idea with singer, Jehnny Beth,(real name: Camille Berthomier) is from France, for almost a year. Thompson says the band’s name was derived from books, such as Lord of the Flies, that she read when she was younger. The band had their first gig in January 2012 supporting rock band British Sea Power. Their manager John Best also manages Sigur Ros. The Observer has said of Savages: “it’s not exactly sexy, it’s not funny and they’re not going to be rolling around in mud like the Slits. But it’s the closest thing to art that “post-punk”… has offered in a while”.]

11:43

28. (57.) Daft Punk- “Doin’ It Right”
from: Random Access Memories / Columbia Records / May 21, 2013
[4th studio album by French electronic music duo. The album pays tribute to the late 1970s and early 1980s era of music in the U.S., particularly the sounds that emerged from L.A. Unlike their previous studio albums, Daft Punk recruited session musicians to record live instrumentation in professional studio locations, and limited the use of electronic instruments to drum machines, a custom-built modular synthesizer, and vintage vocoders. The album features collaborations with Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams, and Pharrell Williams. Random Access Memories is the duo’s most critically and commercially successful album to date. Nominated for multiple Grammy Award including Record of The Year for “Get Lucky,” Album of The Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Dance/Electronica Album, Best Engineered Album Non-Classical.]

29. (56.) John Vanderslice – “How The West Was Won”
from: Dagger Beach / Tiny Telephone / June 11, 2013
[John Vanderslice launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the recording and distribution of his 9th full length recording of original songs: Dagger Beach, on his own label, Tiny Telephone. For Kickstarter donors he also recorded a limited edition vinyl recording: Vanderslice Plays Diamond Dogs. We will bring you some of these tracks on vinyl on future WMM shows.] [John Vanderslice played Czar Bar, on Friday, October 25]

30. (55.) Yo La Tengo – “Well You Better”
from: Fade / Matador Records / January 15, 2013
[Indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984 by husband and wife: Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), and Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals). Since 1992, the lineup has included James McNew (bass, vocals). This is their 13th full-length album. It was produced by John McEntire, instead of Roger Moutenot, who had produced all their albums since 1993’s “Painful.” Yo La Tengo has been called “the quintessential critics’ band” and maintains a strong cult following. The band is renowned for its encyclopedic repertoire of cover songs both in live performance and on record.]

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

sources for notes: artists websites and wikipedia.org

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

Show #503