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

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Music from Apocalypse Meow 7
+ Chely Wright & Like Me Lighthouse Benefit!
+ Kristie Stremel & WildFlowers

1. PRETTY – “Mustache In Your Face” (Vinyl)
from Local Customs: Cavern Sounds / Numero Group / October 24
[In 1967 you could rent Cavern Studios for $40.00 per hour, and you could have your sessions mastered and pressed into 500, 45-rpm, 7-inch records for $175.00. Cavern Studios were located underground in a former limestone mine in Independence, Missouri. Numero Group, the label that serve as musical achealogists digging up and preserving forgotten and lost recordings, and music scenes from the past, and who last year brought us a collection from Kansas City’s Forte Records, and have just released: Local Custom: Cavern Sound, featuring 24 songs from 18 different acts who cut records at Cavern.]

[“Hailing from Kansas City, Pretty were more famously known as the Fabulous Four, a local beat combo that ground their way through the K.C. club scene from 1959 to 1976. In 1969, they buried themselves in a hole in a Missouri hillside, known as the Cavern Recording Studio, alongside Electric Prunes drummer Michael “Quint” Weakley. Together, they churned out eight tracks as Pretty — earthy, grooving hard rock pushed to the hilt with stuttering, psychedelic Wurlitzer work and some supremely heeeeeavy fuzzed-out electric guitar riffs. The title track, “Mustache in Your Face,” is the pick of this litter, featuring hilariously incongruous lyrics about “a girl/yeah yeah,” “the devil and the monkeys are comin’ upstairs,” and “what a lie, what a lie/mustache in your face.” Don’t bother trying to parse out the sentiments, just keep these psychedelic scorchers on rotation; all the b-sides are killers in their own rights. -Michael Stasiak (January 25, 2013)]

[Bob Theen told Garage Hangover: “To my knowledge the record was not distributed at all. After the sessions, Weekly took off for California to try and sell them to someone. Don’t think he had any luck, and we didn’t see much of him after that.” ]

[Bob Theen, Jeff Mann, Mike Myers, Mark Higbee, & original drummer Alex Love On were inducted into the Kansas Music Hall Of Fame on March 22, 2008, as The Fabulous Four Band]

10:06

2. King Tuff – “Eyes of the Muse”
from: Black Spell Moon / Sub Pop Records / September 23, 2014
[5th studio release of King Tuff who is Kyle Thomas, who also records with Burger Records and is currently on tour in Europe.]

10:10 – Underwriting

10:12

3. Steve Grand – “Stay (Radio Edit)”
from: Stay (Radio Edit) – Single / Grand Nation / September 4, 2013
[Born Feb. 28, 1990, Steve Grand is a musician and singer-songwriter from Lemont, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. He became an overnight internet celebrity and was acclaimed by some to be the first openly gay male country musician to attract mainstream attention in the United States. The music video of his first hit “All-American Boy” went viral on YouTube in less than a week in July 2013. This attention landed Grand on “Good Morning America,” CNN and other national media. Buzzfeed ranked the video on its list of the “24 Most Brilliant Music Videos from 2013,” and Out magazine named Grand to its annual “Out100” list of the year’s most compelling LGBT people. In addition to being a musician, Grand has become an active figure in the LGBT equality movement.]

[LIKEME LIGHTHOUSE PRESENTS: Wanda Sykes, with Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman & Steve Grand, Thurs, Nov. 13, at 7:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St, KCMO.]

LIKEME LIGHTHOUSE PRESENTS: WANDA SYKES with JUDY GOLD, WENDY LIEBMAN & STEVE GRAND, Thursday November 13, at 7:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. Ticket information at: http://www.follytheatre.org or 816-474-4444.

10:15 – Interview with Chely Wright

Last week in an interview with Rollingstone.com Chely Wright reported that her recent 45-day Kickstarter campaign “… was the sixth most successful music campaign in Kickstarter’s history and the Number One most successful campaign in country music in Kickstarter history. ”

Chely Wright was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Wellsville, Kansas. In 1989 she moved to Nashville and became a country music superstar. 11 years after she hit number one with “Single White Female,” Chely Wright, became an LGBTQIA Hero as the first major country music performer to publicly come out “as gay” in 2010 with the release of her autobiography, Like Me, and her critically acclaimed album, “Lifted Off The Ground,” and the documentary film “Wish Me Away.” Chely then founded the LIKEME Lighthouse, at 3909 Main Street, Kansas City, MO, as a Community Center providing a safe and welcoming space for the area LGBT community.

LIKEME LIGHTHOUSE PRESENTS: Wanda Sykes, with Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman & Steve Grand, next Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St, KCMO Ticket information at: http://www.follytheatre.org or 816-474-4444.

The Rolling Stone article reported that “with about half of the record already written, Wright looks to mid-2015 as the potential release date for the new project. And in spite of her having moved to New York City and becoming a wife, mother and prominent activist for the LGBT community, the record will remain rooted in country music.”

We talked with Chely about her last release, “Lifted Off The Ground” where she wrote almost all of the songs on that album, that was produced by music legend Rodney Crowell.

Chely Wright married Sony Music Entertainment’s Director of Marketing, Lauren Blitzer in 2011 and gave birth to their twin sons in 2013.

LIKEME Lighthouse, is located at 3909 Main Street, Kansas City, MO, a project of the LIKEME Organization, a not-for-profit, 501 – C (3) charity founded by musician Chely Wright. Open Monday – Saturday: 11:00am to 7:00pm, Sunday: 12:00pm to 6:00pm. More info at: likemelighthouse.org.

Chely Wright came out, in a very big way: writing an autobiography, being feature in the beautiful documentary “Lifted off The Ground,” getting interviewed by Oprah, starting a foundation, getting married, and now you are the mom to twin baby boys, she has said that she wanted to create the LikeMe Lighthouse to because of her concern with bullying and hate crimes toward gays, particularly gay teenagers.

LikeMe Lighthouse provides a safe and welcoming space where LGBT individuals and their families, as well as straight allies, can come for education, resources and to build a cohesive LGBT community in the Midwest. The Lighthouse provides educational & social events, as well as an outreach program. LIKEME Lighthouse provides resources on such topics as the coming out process, gender identity, bullying and other issues. The facilities of include a Gallery, Library, a Cyber Center, Meeting rooms, a Welcome Center.

LIGHTHOUSE PRESENTS: Wanda Sykes, with Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman & Steve Grand, next Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St, KCMO Ticket information at: http://www.follytheatre.org or 816-474-4444.

10:29

6. Kristie Stremel – “It’s Enough”
from: Songwriter / Stremeltone / April 1, 2014
[Kristie Stremel, with partner Lori Isabell, adopted baby son, Charlie. Kristie told Tim Finn in the KC Star, “The weight of bringing a new, little creature home was a little overwhelming at first,” she said. “But it has been everything I wanted it to be. I’ve always wanted to have a child. Sometimes, desire is all it takes. If you desire it, it will come to you.” “I have a different perspective now that I have a kid, and maybe it will change. But I can’t see giving up music for anything.” Stremeltone Records, was created in her home in Lawrence. The last track, “It’s Enough” was released early, as a video, featuring photos of couples in partenerships, relationships, marriages, unions, families. The video was your own response the the Kansas House of Representatives passing HD 2453 allowing business the right to refuse srevice to LGBT customers. The bill eventually died in the Kansas Senate.]

10:32 – Interview with Kristie Stremel

Described as “Joan Jett & Tom Petty’s love child,” and armed with her guitar, fueled by coffee, and over 75 published songs, singer, songwriter, producer, rock & roll mom, Kristie Stremel has had a very busy year. Last October, 2013 Kristie and her partner, Lori Isabell, welcomed their adopted baby son, Charlie, into their family. In April, Kristie released her 6th solo record, and the 9th full-length release of her musical career of over 20 years. Released on her own label, Stremeltone, it was Kristie’s first self-produced album. This summer Kristie went to work producing a new full length CD and book called “Wildflowers,” a compilation of 14 original songs & 5 poems for and about children, illustrated by Blue Haas. Kristie also recently released a new single “Love Makes A Family” with read-along book for the song she wrote for her son Charlie in an effort to explain the importance of family and to help celebrate the diversity in families today.

Kristie Stremel’s solo release “Songwriter,” was her first self produced record that was mixed by Lou Whitney famed musician and producer who in 2001 produced her first solo full-length, “All I Really Want,” for Slewfoot Records. It was just a month ago that we lost Lou, who was 72 and was battling cancer, but still playing in his band Outland through 2013. Kristie has said that Lou Whitney was… “my mentor, a father figure,”

About Kristie, Lou told Tim Finn in the KC Star: “I thought she had all the ingredients,” he said. “The songs were poppy efforts to write songs that might actually do something. She was writing personal stuff but couching it in this rock-pop way.”

Chris Meck, who played lead guitar on the 2001, release, “All I Really Want” joined in on “Songwriter” and helped with “Wildflowers.” Chris and Kristie hadn’t played together in over 10 years.

Chris Meck is known for the bands: The Gaslights, Atlantic Fadeout, and Tiny Horse, with Abigail Henderson.

His new band is: Chris Meck and The Guilty Birds.

Stremeltone Records, with studios created in Kristie’s home in Lawrence, gives her the flexibility to work from home, and is also part of the musical evolution where musicians are their own agents, producers, labels, marketing, tour managers. Working from home, multi-tasking, taking care of a growing baby boy, while also recording a record, was all part of the evolution that led Kristie to make “Wildflowers.”

CD and book “Wildflowers,” a compilation of songs & poems for and about children. It is a hardcover, 9 x 6 landscape, full color 46 page book is illustrated by Blue Haas. The book comes with companion audio CD of 14 songs and 5 poems represented in book.

10:39

5. Kelley Hunt – “Outside For A Better Inside”
from: Wildflowers / Stremeltone / November 4, 2014
[Kansas Music Hall of Fame Inductee, Kelley Hunt also has a new full length record out called: “The Beautiful Bones” on 88 Records.]

6. Tim Finn – “I’d Hug A Bug If i Could”
from: Wildflowers / Stremeltone / November 4, 2014

10:43

Contributing musicians & writers include: Victor & Penny, Kasey Rausch, David George, Kelley Hunt, Dallas Jones, Kristie Stremel, Summer Osborne, Fred Wickham, James Johann, Nini Camps, Bill McShane, Ben Bunkler, Tina Schlieske, Greg Wickham, Ron Megee, Tim Finn, CJ Janovy, David Wayne Reed and Mark Manning.

In the recording process for “Wildflowers” at Stremeltone Records, Charlie was part of the process.

The record is called, “songs & poems for and about children,” but these songs are just good songs.

10:47

7. David George – “Well Worth Fighting For”
from: Wildflowers / Stremeltone / November 4, 2014

8. Fred Wickham – “I Don’t Want To Go To Bed”
from: Wildflowers / Stremeltone / November 4, 2014

10:52

Kristie’s partner Lori Isabell and her are building a family and you are building Kristie’s musical career and recording career, and now have gone beyond having her songs published, they are now publishing books.

Kristie also recently released a new limited edition single “Love Makes A Family” with read-along book a 7.5 x 7.5 square, soft cover, black and white, with 34 pages illustrated by Blue Haas. The book comes with an Audio CD of the song, “Love Makes A Family.”

The read-along book to the new song Kristie wrote for son Charlie in an effort to explain the importance of family and to help celebrate the diversity in families today.

More info at: http://stremeltone.com/ and http://www.kristiestremel.com.

10:56

9. Kristie Stremel – “Love Makes A Family”
from: Songwriter / Stremeltone / April 1, 2014

11:00 – Station ID

10. Lucinda Williams – “East Side Of Town”
from: Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone / Highway 20 Records / September 30, 2014
[Double record release on her own new label Highway 20 Records.]

[Lucinda Williams brings her “Burning Bridges Tour” to Liberty Hall in Lawrence on Friday, November 7 through Pipeline Productions.]

11:05 – Underwriting

11:07 – Ten Bands Participating in Apocalypse Meow!

11. Katy Guillen & The Girls – “Gabriela”
from: Katy Guillen & The Girls / Independent / September 6, 2014
[Katy Guillen (guitar, vocals), Claire Adams (bass, vocals) & Stephanie Williams (drums). Finalist for the Int. Blues Competition in Memphis. In a few weeks the band will travel to Sweden.]

[Katy Guillen & the Girls play the first night of Apocalypse Meow 7, Friday night, November 7, at 9:00 at recordBar, 1020 Westport Road, with Chris Meck and The Guilty Birds.]

12. The Philistines – “Heart Like Candy”
from: The Philistines EP / Independent / March 2014
[The Philistines are a KC based rock ‘n roll/pop band with a psychedelic bent, made up of: Kimberley Queen on lead vocals; Cody Wyoming on lead guitar and vocals; Rod Peal on guitar; Michelle Bacon on bass; Josh Mobley on keyboard, Steve Gardels on drums.]

[The Philistines play the All Ages, Pre-Apocalypse Meow Psych Show, at Mills Record Company, 314 Westport Rd, KCMO at 6:00 pm with Various Blonde.]

11:15 – Interview with Sondra Freeman

Sondra Freeman is Director of Promotions and Artist Relations for The Midwest Music Foundation and 501 (c) 3 Not for profit educational arts organization that unites performer and audience and fills a health care gap for Kansas City musicians. After meeting Rhonda Lyne while buying raffle tickets at an MMF function, Sondra was immediately interested in the mission and quickly became an active volunteer. Sondra’s extensive fundraising background and her lifelong love of music made her an immediate asset. Her duties have grown to include band liaison, booking, promotions and event planning. Sondra also owns Sistrum Enterprises, under which she is co-owner of Big Mac’s Fireworks. She is also a band manager and music promoter. Sondra joins us today to talk about Apocalypse Meow 7 a benefit for Abby’s Fund.

This annual fundraiser celebrates and supports the midwest musical scene.

Friday, November 7, with an all ages, pre-Meow Psych Show, at Mills Record Company, 314 Westport Rd, KCMO at 6:00 pm with, The Philistines and Various Blonde.

The events continue with an 18+ show at recordBar, 1020 Westport Rd, KCMO, at 9:00 pm, with: Chris Meck and The Guilty Birds, & Katy Guillen and The Girls.

Apocalypse Meow 7 reaches a crescendo on Saturday, November 8, at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Ave, KCMO. The doors open at 6:30pm, with a silent auction & raffle.

Amy Farrand and Mark Manning will serve as emcees.

Music starts at 7:00 pm. Outsides, Pedaljets, and Bad Wheels play the Outdoor Stage.

Joe Pug, Anna Cole and The Other Lovers, The Thunderclaps, Culprit play Indoor Stage.

Wells the Traveler, The Blackbird Revue, and Sara Swenson play the Gospel Lounge Stage.

More info at: http://www.apocalypsemeow.net or http://www.midwestmusicfound.org

11:20

13. The Thunderclaps – “7 Doos, No Donts”
from: The Thunderclaps / Independent / August 17, 2014
[Colin Blunt – Drums and Bryce Jones – vocals and Guitar. Bryce works as an English teacher in Salina, KS.]

[The Thunderclaps play Apocalypse Meow 7, Saturday night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

14. Bad Wheels – “Stay Away”
from: band’s Soundcloud page / Not Released / 2014
[KC band formed by: Pastor Paul, Bobby Topaz, Soapy G , Magic Juan. Formed from the ashes of other great local bands: Faster than Hell, Crazy Talk, Tenderloin, Cretin 66.]

[Bad Wheels play Apocalypse Meow 7, Saturday night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

15. PedalJets – “Dead Day Returns”
from: What’s In Between / Electric Moth Records / June 25, 2013
[Pitch Music Award for Album of the Year. #1 on our list of the 113 Best Recordings of 2013. 1st album of new material in 23 years. Paul Malinowski (Vocals, Guitar), Rob Morrow (Drums, Vocals), Mike Allmayer (Guitar, Vocals), Matt Kesler (Bass, Vocals). Produced by The Pedaljets & Paul Malinoski. Cody Wyoming joined the group this year and the band has recorded new songs. More info: thepedaljets.com]

[Pedaljets play Apocalypse Meow 7, Saturday night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

11:32

16. Anna Cole and The Other Lovers – “Clean”
from: Demo recording / Not Released / 2014
[Anna Cole and the Other Lovers is the new project from Anna Cole formerly of the Anvil Chorus. The band includes: Anna Cole, Andrew Kirk, Thomas Romero, Gavin Mac, Justin Skinner, Camry Ivory, Adriana Nicole. One week before she was set to duet her new band and two weeks before opening her bar in Strawberry Hill called Barcadia, Anna fell 6 feet through an open cellar door to her basement, fracturing a vertebrae in her lower back. The door had been left open by a workman installing cable. Six weeks after her accident she opened her bar at 403 N. Fifth St. in Kansas City, Kansas, and the band made their debut this summer at The Plaza Art Fair.]

[Anna Cole and the Other Lovers play Apocalypse Meow 7, Sat. night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

17. Joe Pug – “Hymn #76”
from: The Great Despiser / Lightening Rod Records / April 24, 2012 [Joseph Pugliese, was born April 20, 1984, originally from Greenbelt, Maryland. He has released two EPs, as well as the albums Messenger and The Great Despiser. While working as a carpenter in Chicago after dropping out of the University of North Carolina, Pug wrote and recorded what would eventually become his debut EP, Nation of Heat. Its literate lyrics received widespread acclaim and Pug’s unorthodox promotional strategy of distributing free CDs to anyone interested in sharing his music resulted in the EP selling over 20,000 copies. After touring with Steve Earle in 2009, Pug was signed by Nashville indie label Lightning Rod Records and released Messenger in 2010. After moving to Austin, Pug released The Great Despiser in 2012. Pug’s acclaimed narrative songwriting has led critics to omparie him to John Prine and Bob Dylan. ]

[Joe Pug plays Apocalypse Meow 7, Saturday night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

11:44

18. Outsides -“Just Curious”
from: Million [EP] / Independent / June 6, 2014
[Debut] [Outsides is Tim Ellis. The Chicago Tribune called his performance at Lollapalooza: “transcendent” motivating Ellis to dedicate himself to his new project, Outsides. Having relocated from Chicago to his boyhood home of Kansas City, Tim found himself recording in his bedroom, writing guitar parts that were sampled and woven together with synthesizers. When Outsides plays live the band includes: Tim Ellis (guitar, vox); Bronson Kistler (keys, bgv); Ryan Shank (drums); Ian Shea (bass, bgv).]

[Outsides play Apocalypse Meow 7, Sat. night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

19. Sara Swenson – “Darling Dear”
from: Runway Lights / Independent / July 18, 2014
[Critically acclaimed singer songwriter Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut recording was originally released in 2008 and was at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In Novenber of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and flew off to the United Kingdom, where she ended up getting married to her husband. This spring, Sara returned to Kansas City and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. This summer she released her fourth studio album that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions and emotions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville.]

[Sara Swenson plays Apocalypse Meow 7, Saturday night, November 8, at Knuckleheads]

20. Wells The Traveler – “On The Outside”
from: Build It Up / Independent / 2014
[New songs from Manchester, England born, former pro-soccer player turned street singer, Danny McGaw who in 2012 released a beautiful solo album called “Eccles Road.” Last year he released “One for the Dreamers” with his band Wells The Traveler. Danny told us that he’ll be releasing physical copies of his new record after he and his family get settle in their new home. They are moving west to California in December.]

Next week on Nov. 12, we talk with members of Spinning Tree Theatre‘s production of “Violet,” and the band Kangaroo Knife Fight plays live in our 90.1 FM Studios.

11:59:30

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

Sources for notes on tracks: artist’s websites and wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
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Show #550