Wednesday MidDay Medley
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90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The 116 Best Recordings of 2016
(Part 1 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-one, of our four-week special: The 116 Best Recordings of 2016. Based on playlists of this little ole radio show, we’ve compiled representative tracks from our favorite full-length and EP recordings of the year. We realize that these “Best of” lists can seem very subjective, however we ask that you please accept our list as a celebration of the year of music.

In 2016 we’ve played over 1000 different songs on the show, and from over 300 New & MidCoastal Releases. Over 40 of the bands and artists in our “Best of” list have actually joined us live and/or performed in our 90.1 FM studios. We’ve interviewed over 200 local and national guests. 70 of the representative recordings on our “Best of” list were MidCoastal Releases, produced by artists based here in the area. It’s all good!

Tune into 90.1 FM, Wednesdays in December, on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. We’ll be packing 8-hours of radio with music that represent: The 116 of Best Recordings of 2016!

Today, we’ll count down #116 through #88 of our list.

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

2. (116.) Lucius – “Born Again Teen (Music of Showtime Orig. Series “Roadies”/Live)”
from: Roadies (Music From Showtime Orig. Series – Season 1) / Republic Rec. / Aug 26, 2016
also from: Lucius / Good Grief / Mom + Pop Records / March 11, 2016
[Live television version of a song originally recorded for the latest Lucius album, Good Grief, on Mom + Pop Records. Lucius is a five piece indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of Jess Wolfe on lead vocals & synth, Holly Laessig on lead vocals & keys, Dan Molad on drums & vocals, Peter Lalish on guitar & vocals, and Andrew Burri on guitar, drums & vocals. The band formed in 2005 when Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig met while attending Berklee School of Music. After becoming friends together and casually singing under the name Lucius, they moved to Brooklyn to develop their careers. In Brooklyn, the two moved into an old Victorian home that had a 60-year-old recording studio and music school. Eventually, they met the other members of the current group. Good Grief was recorded over the span of 2 years while Wolfe & Laessig were touring the group’s first album. Lucius largely departed from the sound of its first album and instead focused their sound on “moody Eighties-synth melodies and raw lyrics about the hardships of marriage.]

3. (115.) Drugdealer – “Suddenly Ft. Weyes Blood”
from: The End of Comedy / Domino Records / September 9, 2016
[Drugdealer is the musical project started by Michael Collins. He first started recording in Baltimore in 2009. His early albums include: Bong Voyage, Get Ripped or Die Trying, and finally DREAMS in 2010. Over the last few years he has named his projects: Run DMT, Salvia Plath, and Silk Rhodes. Now based in Los Angeles as a songwriter he is greatly influenced by “‘60s rock, soul, and funk and psychedelic.” The lead single “Suddenly” features, allowing Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering on lead vocals. Also included on the new record are: Ariel Pink, Sheer Agony, and members of Mac DeMarco’s live band. This is Drugdealer’s debut LP.]

4. (114.) Andrew Bird – “Left Handed Kisses feat. Fiona Apple”
from: Are You Serious / Wegawam Music Co – Loma Vista – Concord Music / April 1, 2016
[10th solo album from Andrew Wegman Bird, born July 11, 1973. Andrew Bird is an American musician, songwriter, & multi-instrumentalist. He was initially known through his work with Squirrel Nut Zippers before forming Bowl of Fire, and is now best known as a solo musician. Bird’s primary instrument is the violin, but he is also proficient at other instruments including whistling, guitar, and the glockenspiel. He wrote “The Whistling Caruso” for The Muppets and performed the whistling heard in both the film and the soundtrack. Bird composed the score for the FX original series Baskets, created by Louis C.K., Zach Galifianakis, and Jonathan Krisel. In an interview with Bob Boilen on All Songs Considered, Bird described how getting married had changed his writing style on this album:“”Knowing that you’re going to be with someone for a long time definitely changes [the way you write], often because you’re sitting in the same room with them as you’re writing, and when you’re sitting on the couch and you know it’s not going to last, you might … have to … encrypt … things. And when you don’t have to do that anymore it might change your writing in that sense.” Fiona Apple was his first choice to appear on the single “Left Handed Kisses”, and he contacted her through mutual friends.The track’s recording session was, according to Bird, “a long whiskey-fueled night.”]

10:15

5. (113.) Valley Hush – “Ice Cream”
from: Valley Hush / The Record Machine / October 28, 2016
[Valley Hush is the Detroit-based indie-pop project of producer Alex Kaye and vocalist Lianna Vanicelli. The two strive to create content that is sincere, original, and significant for humanity.][Valley Hush played The Record Machine’s monthly series, SOUND MACHINE at recordBar, November 11.]

6. (112.) Mirina Landry – “Another Love Like Me”
from: Mirina Landry [EP] / Independent / October 14, 2016
[Debut EP Recording from Kansas City based singer songwriter who has recorded with spoken word poet Jen Harris. She grew up in Junction City, Kansas. Mirina Landry grew up around her father who played the guitar and wrote songs. She learned how to read music, play percussion and clarinet during her school days, and taught herself how to play the guitar. She has played in many venues around Kansas City and plans to be traveling the midwest with her music this year.]

7. (111.) Wick & The Tricks – “Sold Out”
from: TRIGGER WARNING / Wick & The Tricks / July 27, 2016
[3rd release from the KC based punk-glam-queercore-riot grrrl-trash rock, 4-member band fronted by librarian & activist Wick Thomas aka Wick Trick, with JoJo Tornado on drums, Jane Asylum on bass & vocals, and Chris Stallion on guitar. Wick & The Tricks were formed on Halloween night at a drunken basement punk show in Kansas City. from their facebook page: “The Tricks have become infamous for their energetic live performances, combining the spirit of bands like the Cramps and the New York Dolls with a faster, harder sound. Carrying the torch of the riot grrrls and early queercore bands with some not-so-subtle nods to Joan Jett, Wick & The Tricks are a band with a mission (but hopes you’re having way too much fun to notice).”]

8. (110.) Stephonne – “Unworthy”
from: Caged Bird Sings Songs About Red Beard – Deluxe Sample [EP] / Indep / April 22, 2016
[Calling himself the lovechild of Prince and Billie Holiday, 29 year old singer-songwriter Stephonne Singleton was born in Kansas City and grew up in the inner-city, of Wyandotte County going to High School at Bishop Ward. Stephonne received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Bendictine College and his Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. He also works as a musician and actor in Kansas City. Stephonne performed new songs from his soon to be released full length album on, April 22, at Prohibition Hall, joined by Wick & The Tricks, and Ivory Black, and DJ Joc Max. On that night Stephone made available his EP. ] [Stephonne played KC Pride at Riverfront Park, June 4.]

10:29 – Underwriting

9. (109) Shearwater – “Quiet Americans”
from: Jet Plane and Oxbow / Sub Pop Records / January 22, 2016
[8th studio album by the Austin, Texas, based band led by multi-instrumentalist and lead singer Jonathan Meiburg. In 1999, Meiburg and his Okkervil River bandmate Will Sheff, founded Shearwater as an outlet for quieter songs on which they were collaborating. The band’s name comes from the shearwater, a tribe of seabirds related to petrels and albatrosses. Meiburg, who holds a master’s degree in geography with a focus on ornithology, picked the name mostly for the sound of the word.]

10. (108) Leyla McCalla – “A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey”
from: A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey / Music Maker Recordings / February 4, 2014
[Leyla Sarah McCalla was born October 3, 1985. She is a classical and folk musician. She has been a cellist with the Grammy-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops but left that group to focus on her solo career. Both of McCalla’s parents were born in Haiti. Her father Jocelyn McCalla was the Executive Director of the New York-based National Coalition for Haitian Rights from 1988 to 2006 and is credited as translator on Vari-Colored Songs. Her mother Régine Dupuy arrived in the United States at age 5, is the daughter of Ben Dupuy who ran Haiti Progrès, a New York based Haitian socialist newspaper. McCalla’s mother went on to found Dwa Fanm, an anti-domestic violence human rights organization. McCalla was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey. She lived in Accra, Ghana for two years as a teen. After a year at Smith College, she transferred to New York University to study cello performance and chamber music. She then moved to New Orleans where she played music on the streets. This is the folow up to her Her critically acclaimed album Vari-Colored Songs is a tribute to Langston Hughes which includes adaptations of his poems, Haitian folk songs sung in Haitian Creole and original compositions. .][Leyla McCalla played an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, February 19, at The Westin Crown Center.]

11. (107) Birds of Chicago – “Dim Star of the Palisades”
from: Real Midnight / Five Head Entertainment / February 19, 2016
[2nd full length release from Birds of Chicago, “This year’s biggest roots surprise” says L.A. Times. The band is a collective built around the husband and wife duo of JT Nero from Chicago, and Allison Russell from Montreal, Quebec. Since forming in 2012, they’ve toured internationally 10+ months of the year. Russell and Nero are most at home on the road, zigzagging across North America and Europe in their family band van, with their new baby daughter, Ida Maeve][Birds of Chicago played an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, February 18, at The Westin Crown Center.]

12. (106) Vigil and Thieves – “Vicious Ears”
from: Neverland / Independent / June 4, 2016
[Sarah Storm on vocals & guitar & keys, Steph Castor on guitar, Matthew Muckenthaler on bass , Andrew Flaherty on drums. Recorded in Kansas City, MO. Lyrics by Sarah Storm, music by Vigil and Thieves. Artwork by Lacie Greer. Recorded by Sarah Storm , except for “Vicious Ears” (recorded by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios), Mastered by Quincy Scott. Vigil and Thieves is a Kansas City indie alternative quartet formed in early 2014. Previously described as “grandiose” with a “heartbreaking heaviness,” the band has honed in on dynamic and lyrically-driven song structures that have been compared to live poetry. Neverland embodies every adventure the band has collectively taken part in.]

[Vigil and Thieves play The Tank Room on Sat, Dec 10, with Charlie Ames Project, and Wyatt Brewer.]

10:45

13. (105) The Royal Furs – “Can’t Catch Me”
from: Fever Dream / The Royal Furs / June 19, 2016
[Fuzzed out psychedelic dance rock from Columbia, MO. Tracks were recorded by Mike Danger at Seasick Studios and mixed and mastered by Jeff Mueller. Ruth Acuff on lead vocals, Mike Danger on guitar & vocals, Diggy Splash on drums, Josh Wrong on bass & vocals. Aarik Danielsen, of the Columbia Daily Tribune writes, “The members of The Royal Furs, who have been heard in other contexts, clearly are having a blast together. The band’s sound has a libertine glee to it that is true to the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. What’s more, Acuff’s strong presence and the sheer musicality of her bandmates provides something fresh and energizing to find in each listen. This is woozy, rousing fun.”]

14. (104) Potter’s Field – “Run On”
from: Potter’s Field [EP] / Independent / May 16, 2016
[Dan Mesh on guitars, keyboards & vocals; Gary Paredes on guitar & backing vocals; Cory Corbino on bass & backing vocals; and Paul Lemon on drums & percussion. All songs by Dan Mesh. Recorded at Hammerhead Studio by Mike Moreland. Mastered at largely Pro Audio by Pat Tomek.]

15. (103) Allah-Las – “Place in the Sun”
from: Calico Review / Mexican Summer / September 9, 2016
[Third album from L.A. based band with Matthew Correia on percussion, Spencer Dunham on bass, Miles Michaud on vocals & guitar, and Pedrum Siadatian on lead guitar).[ When the band got together, three of the members, Correia, Dunham and Siadatian all worked at Amoeba Music. The group was founded in 2008. One reviewer commented that “their sound is steeped in the pop sensibilities of The Zombies and The Kinks, laced with Northern Soul, lo-fi funk and the ever-enduring influence of Arthur Lee and Love.”]

16. (102) Merlin – “Bad Trip”
from: Electric Children / Independent / March 9, 2016
[Kansas City based, psychedelic-doom-rock, formed in May of 2012. For this recording the band includes: Carter Lewis on guitars, backing vocals, & keyboards; Caleb Wyels on percussions; Jordan Knorr on vocals; and Joey Hamm on bass. The current line up of the band includes: Caleb Wyels on percussion, Carter Lewis on guitar, Jordan Knorr on vocals, and Chase Thayer on bass. Electric Children is the band’s follow up to their critically acclaimed 2014 EP release, Christ Killer. Electric Children was Live recorded from October 2014 to August 2015 courtesy of Red Roof Productions, with mixing and mastering by Bret Liber and Merlin. ]

11:00 – Station ID

17. (101) Cavern of Anti-Matter – “blowing my nose under close observation”
from: Void Beats | Invocation Trex / Duophonic / 2016
[Cavern Of Anti-Matter are the new band from Stereolab mainman Tim Gane, now Berlin-based and collaborating with original Stereolab drummer Joe Dilworth, and synth wizard Holger Zapf. This is their first album proper following limited edition vinyl releases on Grautag, Deep Distance, Peripheral Conserve and Associated Electronic Recordings. The album is an epic 72 minute journey featuring guest vocals from Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3), and sound processing from Jan St. Werner (Mouse On Mars). Opener Tardis Cymbal is a mighty opener, a melange of chattering drum machines, organ drones and twinkling guitar in 7/8 time. Pantechnicon is an arpeggiated mix of Orbital and John Carpenter whilst Hi-Hats Bring the Hiss takes a doomy, teutonic path through industrial electro.]

18. (100.) Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – “I’m Still Here”
from: Miss Sharon Jones (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Daptone Records / Aug 19, 2016)
[Grom the film directed by Academy Award winning director, Barbara Kopple. On the eve of the release of her band’s new album, internationally recognized soul singer Sharon Jones was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Tour dates were cancelled, the release of the group’s fifth album, Give the People What They Want, was pushed back and Sharon entered into a fight for her life and career. MISS SHARON JONES! intimately follows this intense and courageous year in Sharon’s life. I was able to see this band twice, and the last time was with my dear friend Necia R Gamby in Lawrence, at Liberty Hall, pressed up to the front of the stage, in awe of Sharon Jones, and the fabulous Dap Kings. It was March 8, 2014. Sharon and I became Facebook friends that night when she shared my album of pictures on her own page. During the show Sharon locked eyes with Necia, and then pulled Necia onto the stage to sing a duet of “Heard It Through The Grapevine.” A year later, during the screening of her documentary “Miss Sharon Jones” at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, Jones revealed that her cancer had returned, and that she would be undergoing chemotherapy again. In November, she suffered a stroke while watching the 2016 United States presidential election results and another the following day. Jones remained alert and lucid during the initial period of her hospital stay, jokingly claiming that the news of Donald Trump’s victory was responsible for her stroke. She died on November 18, 2016, in Cooperstown, New York, aged 60. Sharon Lafaye Jones was born May 4, 1956 and died this year on November 18, 2016. She was an American soul and funk singer. KAlthough shoe collaborated with Lu Reed, David Byrne and others, she is best known as lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough success relatively late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. In 2014, Jones was nominated for her first Grammy, in the category Best R&B Album, for Give the People What They Want. Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, the daughter of Ella Mae Price Jones and Charlie Jones, living in adjacent North Augusta, South Carolina. Jones was the youngest of six children; her siblings are Dora, Charles, Ike, Willa and Henry. Jones’s mother raised her deceased sister’s four children as well as her own. She moved the family to New York City when Sharon was a young child. As children, she and her brothers would often imitate the singing and dancing of James Brown. Her mother happened to know Brown, who was also from Augusta.Jones grew up in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. In 1975, she graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn.She attended Brooklyn College. A regular gospel singer in church, Jones often entered talent shows backed by local funk bands in the early 1970s. Session work then continued with backing vocals, often credited to Lafaye Jones, but in the absence of any recording contract as a solo singer, she spent many years working as a corrections officer at Rikers Island and as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo, until receiving a mid-life career break in 1996 after she appeared on a session backing the soul and deep funk legend Lee Fields. Sharon Jones was part of the very beginning of Daptone Records Daptone Records’ first release was a full-length album by Sharon Jones. A new band, the Dap-Kings, was formed from the former members of the Soul Providers and the Mighty Imperials. Some of the musicians went on to record for Lehman’s Soul Fire label, while some formed the Budos Band, an Afro-beat band. From the original Soul Providers, Roth (also known as Bosco Mann) on bass, guitarist and emcee Binky Griptite, percussionist Fernando Velez, trumpet player Anda Szilagyi and organist Earl Maxton were joined by original Mighty Imperials saxophonist Leon Michels and drummer Homer Steinweiss, plus Neal Sugarman from Sugarman 3, to form The Dap-Kings. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, the released the album Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings in May of 2002, , for which they received immediate attention and acclaim from enthusiasts, DJs and collectors. Next they released, Naturally (2005), 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007) and I Learned the Hard Way (2010). They are seen by many as the spearhead of a revival of soul and funk.]

19. (99) The Frightnrs – “Nothing More to Say”
from: Nothing More to Say / Daptone Records / September 2, 2016
[Based in Queens, New York City, by Dan Klein on vocals, Chuck Patel on organ & piano, Rich Terrana on drums & vocals, Preet on bass & vocals, with additional help from Norihiro Kikuta on guitar, and Mike Torres on percussion. Their debut album is shadowed by tragedy, as lead singer Dan Klein having died this year of a neurological disease shortly after the record’s completion. His falsetto voice is central to the record. The album was recorded by mastermind/producer Victor Axelrod, Nothing More to Say has been called “a rocksteady masterpiece the likes of which has not reared it’s head since the golden era of Studio One… Like all things Daptone, this record is above all soulful and honest.” All songs original, with the exception of two soul covers (from the Daptone catalog: Bob & Gene’s “Gotta Find a Way” and Saun and Starr’s “Gonna Make Time”). Jim Farber, The New York Times writes, “From the start, both the band’s sound and presentation stood out from common Caribbean interpretations by other young American bands…favoring instead earnest ballads with a deep soul groove.”]

11:15

20. (98) Illphonics – “What DYa Like (Radio Edit)”
from: Gone With The Trends / The Record Machine / April 1, 2016
[St. Louis based Hip-Hop, Alternative, Funk, Rock, Soul band formed by: Larry “Fallout” Morris on Lead Vocals, Keith Moore on keyboards & vocals, Kevin Koehler on guitar & vocals, Simon Chervitz on bass, Chaz Brew on drums & vocals. Illphonics played Middle of The Map Fest, May 6, at The Tank Room]

21. (97) Julian Davis And The Hay-Burners – “Window Faces the South”
from: Make Americana Great Again / Little Class Records / May 28, 2016
[16 year old Julian Davis has made quite a splash on the regional roots scene. After his 2015 debut, Who Walks In, When I Walk Out?, Julian is now recording as a full band trio with Seth Campbell on bass and Shannon O’Shea on fiddle. O’Shea’s authentic hillbilly chops bring a real western swing feel to the project. There will be some originals revisited on this release as well as some obscure songs from heroes past. Julian Davis And The Hay Burners played Crosroads Music Fest, Aug 10.]

22. (96) Drive-By Truckers – “Surrender Under Protest”
from: American Band / ATO Records / September 30, 2016
[11th studio album from Athens, Georgia, based band even though 2 of 5 current members, Patterson Hood & Mike Cooley, are originally from The Shoals region of Alabama. The band currently consists of Mike Cooley on lead vocals, guitar, & banjo; Patterson Hood on lead vocals & guitar; Brad Morgan on drums; Jay Gonzalez on keyboards, guitar, accordion, & backing vocals; and Matt Patton on bass guitar. Like many alternative country acts, the Drive-By Truckers record in analog (using 2 inch, 16-track open reel tape recorders.]

23. (95) Alejandro Escovedo – “Horizontal”
from: Burn Something Beautiful / Concord Music Group / October 28, 2016
[San Antonio, Texas native, singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo’s new album co-written with Peter Buck, of R.E.M., who was a key collaborator on Burn Something Beautiful, along with Scott McCaughey of the Minus 5. The three men co-produced and co-wrote the album together, in Portland, Oregon. ][Alejandro Escovedo played Knuckleheads on November 12, with Jesse Malin.]

11:30 – Underwriting

24. (94) Amado Espinoza – “Magsayaw (feat. Maria Victoria Barron & Jose Luis Bueno)”
from: My Two Sides / Amado Espinoza / December 26, 2015
[A compilation of his best compositions between 2003 and 2011, as a member of various musical grups: TIMPANA, OIL, KUYASHA, MOBY DICK, A 2 LADOS, with the vocalist ANALIA ABAD, TRIBU KONÁ, ALMAS SILENCIOSAS, KAWALA. Recorded and Mixed at Quinto Sol Studios by Manuel Rocha, Cochabamba, Bolivia – July 12, 2012. Columbian born musician Amado Espinoza began formal studies in music at the age of 16, at the Andrés Bello Institute, where he studied classical guitar. He continued his musical education at the Conservatory Milan in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while investigating ethnic instruments from various cultures, like the African djembé, the Bolivian charango, and the Australian didgeridoo. Later he perfected his skills in musical appreciation and musical history with the Professor Alberto Iporre Salinas, ex chairman of the Conservatory of Hungary, and in charango at the Amerindia Academy. In 2000 he dedicated himself to the investigation, recuperation, interpretation, and construction of native instruments from different parts of the world, resulting in the establishment of the Museum of Musical Instruments for the Foundation Luis Ernesto of the Andes, in Marquina, Quillacollo, Bolivia, housing over 500 pieces from six continents. He founded Tribu Kona in 2002, producing 4 albums and performing in Latin America. He was in-house composer for the Circus Theatre El Tapeque between 2011-2012. Since his arrival to Kansas City, MO in 2014, Amado has been seen on TEDxKC, TEDxYouth, Folk Fest, and has been featured with many local bands. He is a recipient of an ArtsKC inspiration grant and Charlotte St. Resident. He is musical director of Latin American band, Ayllu. Amado Espinoza played the 12th annual Crosroads Music Fest, Sept 10.]

25. (93) Shadow Rabbits – “Truest Blue”
from: Truest Blue [EP] / Shadow Rabbits / December 14, 2015
[Kansas City based collaboration between singer/songwriter, Ashley Dattola and producer, Jon Ulasien. “You-lay-sin.” Written and recorded by Shadow Rabbits with Keenan Stump on bass guitar. Recorded at “The Zoo” Drums recorded and engineered by Lennon Bone at Element Recording Studio . Shadow Rabbits played their first show at Records With Merritt, on April 22, w/ Foxlin, and Johnnie Booth and the Head Wounds.]

[Shadow Rabbits play the Noise For Tots – Benefit for KC Toys For Tots, Saturday, December 10, at recordBar, with The Noise FM, Me Like Bees, Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type.]

26. (92) Electric Orchids – “Monkey Brains”
from: Plastic Heart / Independent / May 13, 2016
[Kansas City based New Wave, Surf with just enough Garage 4-piece band, Electric Orchids is: Matt Mitchell on guitar, Chris Hutchings on bass, Derek Hatch on drums, and Val Engholm on keys, guitar, and vocals. Produced by Electric Orchids. Written and performed by Electric Orchids. Recorded, mixed and engineered by Matt Mitchell at Mitcholm Castle. Co Produced by John Granger. Val Engholm told me that this song was written about Pete Mackey who owned and operated Crave Cafe on 39th Street. Electric Orchids played a CD Release Party at Records with Merritt, May 13, at 8:00 PM, with Violent Bear and Uberficker.]

27. (91) Tidy Hippy – “Death Accessory”
from: Tidy Hippy [EP] / Independent / January 15, 2016
[Written, recorded, and produced by Hannah Copeland and Matthew Dunehoo. Tidy Hippy is a Kansas City based band formed by Hannah Copeland of KCUR 89.3 FM, and Matthew Dunehoo of Doris Henson, Baby Teardrops, and Loose Park. Hannah Copeland told Bryan Voell of the Johnson County Library, “Our songs usually start with a Matt playing a lick on his guitar at band practice. I will add a beat, and if the beat and melody feel right, we’ll keep jamming until we have made parts to a complete song. We usually add lyrics after we write our songs. My lyrics are mostly narrative, and Matt uses lots of wordplay with subtle themes. I wrote the lyrics to “Death Accessory,” an anthem calling lawmakers to allow Midwestern cities to make their own gun laws that fit the needs of their city, not their mostly rural state.. We sing together, separately, and in harmony.” Matthew Dunehoo added, in this same Johnson County Library website piece written by Btyan Voell, “Getting to practice in Hannah’s parents’ home has been an incredible luxury, especially after living in NYC and practicing in overpriced inhospitable 3’x3′ ovens. There’s always TP and her mom is an awesome cook. I always want to just crank tunes out willy-nilly without condemning them to death too soon. Hannah seems mostly on board.”]

28. (90) The Tamborine Club – “Whistle”
from: Chameleon / Independent / October 21, 2016
[Kansas City based psych-pop band with Bryan Lamanno on lead vocals. guitars, kazoo, bass, ukulele; Justin Brooks on Drums; Jeff Mundinger on bass, and Rachael Trader. Mixed / mastered by Joel Nanos at Element Recording. Drums recorded by Brett Pippin at Alchemie Audio. All other audio recorded by Bryan Lamanno. All songs written by Bryan Lamanno. The Tamborine Club played Outer Reaches, at recordBar, Oct. 1.]

29. (89) Maria The Mexican – “Carried Away”
from: South Of The Border Moonlight / Independent / March 11, 2016
[Follow up to their Oct. 2013 debut full length, Moon Colored Jade. Influenced by traditional Mariachi music, Maria The Mexican is a hybrid of Mexican folklore and Rock. For over ten years, Teresa and Maria Elena Cuevas have 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, and rock n’ roll enhanced by the musical knowledge and sounds of Garrett Nordstrom.][Maria The Mexican played CD Release shows March 25, at Uncle Bo’s in Topeka, April 1st at Replay Lounge in Lawrence and April 8, at Knuckleheads.]

[Maria The Mexican play Knuckleheads, Saturday, December 10, with Bruce Katz]

30. (88) My Oh My! – “Parade”
from: Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way / Independent / December 12, 2015
[Written by A.M. Merker, Arranged by My Oh My! My Oh My is a 3-woman, 5-man band from Kansas City, that plays “a big, bearhugging blend of Americana, classic rock and folk.” The band includes: Stephen Berry on guitars; Grant Buell on keyboards; Sarah Dolt, Stephanie Gaume & Melissa Geffert on vocals; Jason Harper on bass; Jacob Horpinjuk on drums, A.M. Merker on lead vocals. The band’s second release, the EP, Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way, was released December 12, 2015. The new music was recorded, engineered, and mixed by Joel Nanos at Element Recording,, Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Wes Martin at Firewheel Recording, Garland, TX. ]


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

Next week, on December 14, we continue with part 2 of our 4 week series, The 116 Best Recordings of 2016. We’ll hear representative tracks from: M Bird, The Ovaries-eez, The Matchsellers, American Slim, The Coyote, Andrew Foshee, Kevin Morby, Me Like Bees, The Sexy Accident, Christopher Tolle, Jaenki, The UK’s, The MGDs, The Uncouth, Piney Gir, Eddie Moore and the Oouter Circle, Britta Phillips, Deap Vally, John Prine, Bat for Lashes, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Joan As Police Woman & Benjamin Lazar Davis, Vivien Goldman, Ray LaMontagne, Gallant, KING, Mavis Staples, Leslie Odom, Jr. & Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton.

Our Script/Playlist is a cut and paste of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:

http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM,
http://www.kkfi.org

Show #659