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, February 11, 2015

Kelley Hunt + The Blackbird Revue
+ 5 KC Bands Playing FAI Showcases

1. Dolls On Fire – “So Lost in Love, Part II”
from: Synesthesia / Independent / February 13, 2015
[Recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures studio. Zach Hodson on lead vocals & guitar, Rachel Jaggard on lead vocals & keys, Michelle Bacon on bass, Ben Byard on guitar and Mark Johnson on drums.]

[Dolls on Fire play an album release In-Store show at Mills Record Company, 314 Westport Road, on Friday, February 13, FREE show]

[Plus, one of Michelle Bacon’s other bands, The Philistines will be playing The Psychedelic Valentine’s Day Love-In with Monta At Odds, & DJ Thundercutz, Saturday, February 14. at 9:30pm at The Ship!]

[…and, Rachel Jaggard & Ben Byard of Dolls On Fire will play The Love Hangover, Sunday, Feb. 15, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, at recordBar, with, Ashley Jones & Jerod Rivers, Kimmie Queen & Cody Wyoming, and Maria the Mexican & Garrett Nordstrom. This annual KC performance is curated locally by Scott Easterday, and is Kansas City’s contribution to what is a national event, happening at the same time in: NYC, Yipsilanti, Toronto, and Raleigh, on the day after.]

10:06

2. Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear – “Silent Movies”
from: We Burned The Cane Field / Independent / October 6, 2012
[Singer songwriter, Madisen Ward graduated from William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri in 2007. He plays live and records with his mother, Ruth Ward, both on guitar, with Mama Bear harmonizing with her son. Their debut EP was recorded in Kansas City’s Element Recording by Joel Nanos. Wednesday MidDay Medley was the first radio show to play Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. They have played live on our show 4 times in the last year and a half, and were featured in 90.1 FM’s Tribute to Pete Seeger at Unity Temple, and The Crossroads Music Fest. They played the Americana Music Fest in Nashville, last fall, where the national music press fell in love with their music. They were signed to Glassnote records and have spent the last several months recording their new album in Nashville. The new record is expected in April. Their new single of “Silent Movies” will be available on iTunes at Midnight.]

[Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the 27 Annual Folk Alliance International Conference, on Friday, Feb 20, in The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, In the Century A Ballroom, at 8:30pm. More info at: http://www.folk.org

[Plus, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will be opening for Iron & Wine at The Uptown Theater, Thursday, April 23rd, for the 5th annual Middle of the Map Fest. More info at: middleofthemapfest.com]

[Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will play the Newport Folk Festival.]

[AND…We are so very thrilled that our friends Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will be making their network television debut, this Wednesday Night, Feb. 11, on The Late Show With David Letterman. Tune in on KCTV 5 in Kansas City and CBS affiliates everywhere!!!.]

3. Kelley Hunt – “This Time”
from: The Beautiful Bones / 88 Records / May 20, 2014
[Kelley Hunt also played on Krisite Stremel’s Wildflowers. Kelley Hunt’s acclaimed albums have reached the top ten of the Billboard Blues Charts, she has toured all over the world, and has performed six times on A Prairie Home Companion. Born in Kansas City and based in Lawrence, Kelley Hunt is a 2007 recipient of the State of Kansas Governor’s Award for the Arts, and is a 2006 Kansas Music Hall of Fame inductee alongside such artists as Melissa Etheridge, the Byrds’ Gene Clark and Big Joe Turner.]

[Saturday, February 14, at 8:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St, Cyprus Avenue presents Kelley Hunt in a Valentine’s Day Performance. More info at: follytheatre.org. More info at: 816-474-4444 or http://www.follytheatre.org]

10:15 – Interview with Kelley Hunt

Kelley Hunt‘s acclaimed albums have reached the top ten of the Billboard Blues Charts, she has toured all over the world, and has performed six times on A Prairie Home Companion. Born in Kansas City and based in Lawrence, Kansas, Kelley Hunt is a 2007 recipient of the State of Kansas Governor’s Award for the Arts, and is a 2006 Kansas Music Hall of Fame inductee alongside such artists as Mike Finnigan, Melissa Etheridge, the Byrds’ Gene Clark and Big Joe Turner. Known as a roots/blues/Americana singer songwriter Kelley Hunt’s latest full length release, The Beautiful Bones, is her 6th full length recording, from 88 Records, and was part of our 114 Best Recordings of 2014. Kelley Hunt told KC Star Music Writer Tim Finn that, in making her latest record Beautiful Bones, “It wasn’t something technical; it was emotional,” she said, “And it has changed the way I perform.”

“I was very mindful of paying respect to some of the music I grew up with,” she said, “the styles that are present in my psyche: old-school funk and soul, that kind of roots/R&B Memphis-style soul and there are gospel references. I was very mindful of all that on this record.” – Kelley Hunt

“When we hear her music, we feel her voice, her voice feels rich, and familiar, like family, we trust her voice, and with her skills at the piano, she can really move us, in our hearts, and our body.” – Mark Manning

10:23

4. Kelley Hunt – “The Beautiful Bones”
from: The Beautiful Bones / 88 Records / May 20, 2014

Kelley Hunt co-produced “Bones” with her husband and manager, Al Berman, at Sixteen Ton Studios in Nashville. With drummer Bryan Owings, who played on two previous recordings, “Gravity Loves You” and “Mercy”; Hammond B3 player Mark Jordan, who played on the same two recordings and has toured with Hunt; and bassist Tim Marks, who played on “Gravity.”

88 Records is her record label.

Kelley Hunt also plays the Emporia Granada Theatre, 807 Commercial St, Emporia, Kansas, Sunday, February 15.

Kelley Hunt’s own musical influences include the work of Ruth Brown, Ann Peebles, Wanda Jackson, Jay McShann and Mary Lou Williams amongst others.

Kelley’s mother was a influence on her musically.

Kelley Hunt also also recently contributed a song for Kristie Stremel’s children’s book and CD, Wildflowers, from Stremeltone.com

10:35

5. Kelley Hunt – “I’ve Got a Good Feeling”
From: The Beautiful Bones / 88 Records / May 20, 2014

10:38

Kelley Hunt’s self-titled debut album, was released in 1995. Kelley has the the area music scene change over the past 20 years. Al and Kelley talked about how all musicians can make and record their own music independently now, and how the music scene has grown.

Kelley plays shows internationally, and she has played many different venues. Saturday night will be her first time ever to take the stage of The Folly Theatre.

Kelley Hunt Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

This Saturday Night, February 14, at 8:00 pm, at The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th St, Cyprus Avenue presents Kelley Hunt in a Valentine’s Day Performance. More info at: 816-474-4444 or http://www.follytheatre.org

10:43

6. Pops Staples – “Somebody Was Watching”
from: Don’t Lose This / dBPM – Anti / Expected: February 17, 2015
[Previously-unreleased music with new production by Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. The album features 10 songs, originally recorded and produced by Pops in 1999, but left unfinished at the time of his death in 2000. The album, which also features newly recorded vocals by Mavis Staples, takes its title directly from the instruction Pops gave to his daughter as the two listened to the unfinished recording before his death: “Don’t lose this.” Mavis didn’t, and in 2014 brought the tapes of her father’s last work to her recent collaborator, Tweedy, for completion. The two had previously teamed up on Mavis’ recent solo releases, One True Vine and the Grammy-winning You Are Not Alone.]

10:47 – Underwriting

10:49

7. Damien Jurado – “Silver Timothy”
from: Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son / Secretly Canadian / January 20, 2014
[11th studio album from Damien Jurado who described the album as “sort of a sequel to (his 2012 album) Maraqopa… it is about a guy who disappears on a search, if you will, for himself and never goes home”]

[Damien Jurado plays The Uptown, Tuesday, February 17, with Jason Isbell.]

8. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – “Heat”
from: + – EP / ‘a’ Records / November 10, 2014
[Last year BJM released their 13th studio album, Revelation in May. Late in the year this three song EP was released on vinyl. Neo-psychedelia. Formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band’s output spans psychedelic rock, folk rock and shoegaze. The name “Brian Jonestown Massacre” is mix of The Rolling Stones’ founder and guitarist Brian Jones and the infamous mass cult suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Along with The Dandy Warhols, BJM were the subjects of the 2004 documentary film Dig!. The film captured a love–hate relationship between both bands, highlighting the interaction of BJM frontman Anton Newcombe with his counterpart in the Warhols, Courtney Taylor-Taylor. The film was recorded over the course of seven years by Ondi Timoner and won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. For over 10 years we’ve play their music on WMM. We love the creative genius of rock underdog Anton Newcombe. ]

9. The Bad Ideas – “Apocalypse Detroit”
from: Red Kate & The Bad Ideas – Split 7″ / Mills Record Company / May 31, 2013
[The Bad Idea’s full length debut, Lesson #1, was on our list of The Best Recordings of 2013. Their EP, Worse Thoughts, was one of our favorite recordings of 2012. The Kansas City based punk band, was formed in October 2011. Driven by original songs and influenced by post-hardcore, punk, and early pop punk. Breaka Dawn on lead vocals; Britt Adair on guitar, back-up vocals, Caitlin Curry on bass, back-up vocals, George Magers on drums. The Bad Ideas joined us last on May 28, 2014. Red Kate and The Bad Ideas have joined forces to release a new Split 7″ Single. Just released as The Bad Ideas head out for a 3 week east coast tour. Engineered by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Soundlab in Kansas City. Premiere vinyl release on the “Mills Record Company” label.

[The Bad Ideas play at Union, Monday, February 16, for Guitarist Britt Adair’s Birthday Party, with Red Kate, and The Uncouth.]

11:00 – Station ID

As promised, on today’s show, and all of next week, we’re featuring the latest recordings from many of the musicians playing the 27th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference – Wednesday, Feb 18, through Sunday Feb. 22, in the The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, and Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. This next set features music from: Betse & Clarke, and Maria The Mexican, two KC bands that have all been selected to play Official Showcases at the Conference, along with Megan Slankard, William Elliott Whitmore who are coming to KC to play the Conference. More info at http://www.folk.org

10. Betse & Clarke – “Fair And Tender Ladies”
from: Two Forks Acrylic On Cardboard / Independent / February 2, 2015
[Traditional. Betse Ellis on fiddle, and Clarke Wyatt on banjo. Recorded January 2, 2015. Arrangements by Betse & Clarke. Engineered and produced by Clarke Wyatt.]

[Betse & Clark have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference Thursday, February 19, at 6:30 pm in Pershing South of The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Betse Ellis and Clarke Wyatt will be sharing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, and Folk Alliance Music Fair February 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center and Sheraton Crown Center, in Kansas City. More info at http://www.folk.org]

11. Megan Slankard – “Bones Live Forever”
from: We Will Fail / Independent / May 30, 2014
[Fifth album from San Francisco indie alt-rock musician Megan Slankard. She calls her new release “…a healthy mix of stories about the end of the world, bank robberies, prison escapes, failed relationships, and other adventures.” More info at: http://www.meganslankard.com]

[Megan Slankard comes to Kansas City to play a house concert, Sunday, February 15, at 7:00 pm at Createful Studios in Lenexa, KS, hosted by our friends Joy Baker and Jen Harris. For more info you can RSVP to createfulstudios@gmail.com. Seating is limited. More info at: http://www.createfulstudios.com]

[Megan Slankard will be our guest LIVE on Wednesday MidDay Medley, next week, Feb. 18 and then she’ll be playing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, February 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center and Sheraton Crown Center, in Kansas City. More info at http://www.folk.org]

12. Maria The Mexican – “You and Me Against the Moon”
from: Moon Colored Jade / Independent / Oct. 18, 2013
[Influenced by traditional Mariachi music, a hybrid of Mexican folklore and Rock. For 10 years, Teresa & Maria Elena Cuevas performed w/ Mariachi Estrella founded by their grandmother Teresa Cuevas in 1970. One of the first all female mariachi bands in the country, Maria Teresa Alonzo Cuevas is a pioneer in the community. Her band flourished in the 80s but was struck by tragedy when 4 of the 7 members were killed in the Hyatt Skywalk collapse in 1981. Once Teresa recovered she began teaching her grand-children Mariachi music. In 2000, Teresa & Maria began exploring other genres of music while simultaneously co-directing Mariachi Estrella. Maria the Mexican began as a band in 2011, in Chicago, when vocalists Maria and Teresa Cuevas hired blues/funk musician Garrett Nordstrom to play Mariachi guitar. Having been lifelong musicians from the Midwest, Nordstrom and the Cuevas Sisters paired up with guitarist Jason Riley to form Maria the Mexican, mixing with blues, soul, funk, rock, Americana Soul, Mexicana Groove.

[Maria The Mexican, play One Block South, in O.P. KS., Thurs., Feb. 12, feat. Spanish love ballads.]

[Maria the Mexican & Garrett Nordstrom will play The Love Hangover, Sunday, Feb. 15, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, at recordBar, with Rachel Jaggard & Ben Byard, Ashley Jones & Jerod Rivers, Kimmie Queen & Cody Wyoming. This annual performance is curated by Scott Easterday, and is KC’s contribution to what is a national event, happening at the same time in: NYC, Yipsilanti, Toronto, and Raleigh.]

[Maria The Mexican have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference this year! They will be performing several acoustic sets Wed, Feb 18, through Sat Feb. 21, in the The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, and Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center.]

[Maria The Mexican will perform as a full band at Knuckleheads Saloon, Thursday, February 19. with Chris Meck and The Guilty Birds.]

13. William Elliott Whitmore – “Don’t Need It”
from: Field Songs (Deluxe Edition) / Anti / July 13, 2011
[7th album from American blues singer and musician from Lee County, Iowa, born May 11, 1978. In his live performances he mostly of plays the banjo or guitar while singing. While he has earned much acclaim from the folk, blues and alt-country communities, and hardcore punk community. Whitmore has toured with Chris Cornell, City and Colour, The Pogues, Murder By Death, Clutch, Lucero, Converge, Red Sparrows, Modern Life is War, Frontier Ruckus, Frank Turner and The Low Anthem.]

[William Elliott Whitmore will be sharing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center, in KC. More info at http://www.folk.org.]

[William Elliott Whitmore will also be playing the 5th annual Middle of The Map Fest, April 22 – 25. More info at http://www.middleofthemapfest.com]

11:15 – Interview with The Blackbird Revue

Husband-and-wife duo, Jacob and Danielle Prestidge are The Blackbird Revue. Their music has been featured on NBC’s The Voice, and The Discovery Channel. Their two EP.s, 2010s “The Whaler & Other Stories”, and 2013s “Glow” have been critically acclaimed. The Blackbird Revue have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference, Thursday, February 19, at 10:00 pm in Pershing East of The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. They will be sharing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, and Folk Alliance Music Fair February 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center and Sheraton Crown Center, in Kansas City. The Blackbird Revue will also be part of over 100 bands participating in the sixth annual MidCoast Takeover, March 18th – 21st, at Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX. The Blackbird Revue will also play the 5th Annual Middle of The Map Fest, April 22-25.

In the spring of 2007, with degree in hand, and a nearly finished solo album, Jacob moved to Kansas City, by the end of 2008 The Blackbird Revue was formed with Danielle. Jacob and Danielle talked about how they met, and began collaborating.

From Bio info at TheBlackbirdRevue.com:
Danielle was in the midst of making plans to record her own album. And suddenly everything changed. Almost as soon as they met, Jacob and Danielle realized that they would be better together – as singers, musicians, people. They quickly became romantically and musically inseparable, and in the fall of 2008 officially formed The Blackbird Revue, a collaborative musical effort, reflecting both Danielle’s melodic pop-rock sensibilities, and Jacob’s folk/americana roots. It remains a project truly born of a deep, shared love.

Danielle and Jacob recently celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary by leaving their day jobs and committing to full-time pursuit of this beautiful, musical dream. A leap of faith, made with high hopes, grounded in true love.

11:22

14. The Blackbird Revue – “Good Things” (LIVE)
New music that might be part of a new full length release expected in 2015

The Blackbird Revue will also be part of over 100 bands participating in the sixth annual MidCoast Takeover, March 18th – 21st, at Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX. This event features four days showcasing bands from Kansas City, Lawrence KS, the Midwest, and beyond on a national stage during the time of the SXSW Music Fest.

AND!!!! The Blackbird Revue will also play the 5th Annual Middle of The Map Fest, April 22-25.

Jacob, grew up on Lancaster Pennsylvania, near Amish settlements, and in High School he was the leader of a faux-amish, ska band.

Danielle grew up in Kansas City, listening to the music of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Crosby Still Nash & Young

Danelle was recently accepted into the Artist Inc. program.

11:39

15. The Blackbird Revue – “Broken Season” (LIVE)
New music that might be part of a new full length release expected in 2015

We talked briefly about Danielle’s relationship with their dog Patsy, but we ran out of time and didn’t have time to talk about Jacob’s increasing resemblance to Gene Wilder.

Jacob and Danielle Prestidge , thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

More info at: http://www.theblackbirdrevue.com, http://www.folk.org, http://www.midwestfound.org, http://www.middleofthemapfest.com

11:43

16. The Blackbird Revue – “Winter Rest”
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 Blackbird Revue played LIVE on WMM on May 22, 2013.]

[The Blackbird Revue have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference Thursday, February 19, at 10:00 pm in Pershing East of The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. They will be sharing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, and Folk Alliance Music Fair February 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center and Sheraton Crown Center, in Kansas City. More info at http://www.folk.org]

[The Blackbird Revue will also be part of over 100 bands participating in the sixth annual MidCoast Takeover, March 18th – 21st, 2015 at Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX. This event features four days of the definitive Midwestern musical throwdown showcasing bands from Kansas City, Lawrence KS, the Midwest, and beyond on a national stage during the time of the SXSW Music Fest.]

[The Blackbird Revue will also play the 5th Annual Middle of The Map Fest, April 22-25.]

11:48 – Underwriting

11:50

17. Victor & Penny – “Elaine, Elaine (Live)”
From: Live At the Living Room Theatre / Independent / January 10, 2015
[3rd release for Kansas City based duo, and sometimes quartet. Victor & Penny are Jeff Freling (Blue Man Group, Chicago) who attended Berklee School of Music, and Erin McGrane (George Clooney’s, “Up in the Air” and the cabaret troupe, “Alacartoona”). Erin is a recipient of an Inspiration Grant from the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City as well as a Mid-America Arts Alliance Grant for Professional Development. Victor & Penny have been touring the USA for the last three years and were awarded a 2013 Escape to Create Artist Residency.]

[Victor & Penny have been selected to play an Official Showcase at the Folk Alliance International Conference Thursday, February 19, at 8:30 pm in Century C of The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Victor & Penny will be sharing multiple performances at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, and Folk Alliance Music Fair February 18 – 22 at the Westin Crown Center and Sheraton Crown Center, in Kansas City. More info at http://www.folk.org]

18. Making Movies – “Cuna De Vida”
from: A La Deriva / Independent / December 21, 2012
[Enrique Chi (guitar/lead vox), Brendan Culp (drums), Diego Chi (bass), Juan-Carlos Chaurand (percussion /keyboard).]

[Making Movies play recordBar, 1020 Westport Road, Saturday, Feb. 14, with Ayllu. More info at: http://www.makingmoviestheband.com]

11:59:30

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

Next week on February 18, we dedicate the entire show to the Folk Alliance International Conference. We’ll talk with Folk Alliance International co-founder Louis Meyers. Johnny Hamil joins us to share info about his new original musical collaborative project before he premieres the music at the FAI Conference. And San Francisco based, Megan Slankard will play live in our 90.1 FM Studios.

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

Show #564