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 21, 2018

Spinning Records With Marion Merritt
+ Red Kate & Too Much Rock

Today, we welcome back to the show, Marion Merritt as our special “Guest Producer.” For 14 years now she has been sharing her musical discoveries and information from her encyclopedic brain. Marion is the creator of Records With Merritt, a small, independent, minority owned business, at 1614 Westport Rd. in Kansas City, Missouri.

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[WMM’s theme song]

2. Dimitri From Paris – “Prologue”
from: Sacrebleu / Atlantic / 2001

3. The O’Jays – “For the Love of Money”
from: The Ultimate O’Jays / Sony Music / April 10, 2001
[A soul/funk song written and composed by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, & Anthony Jackson; recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O’Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. Produced by Gamble & Huff for Philadelphia International Records, “For the Love of Money” was issued as a single in late 1973 (see 1973 in music), with “People Keep Tellin’ Me” as its b-side. The single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and at No. 9 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart in spring 1974. Though the album version of the song was over seven minutes long, it received substantial radio airplay. The song’s title comes from a well-known Bible verse, 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (This translation is from the King James Version of the Bible.) The O’Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942), Walter Williams (born August 25, 1943), William Powell (Jan. 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977), Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O’Jays made their first chart appearance with “Lonely Drifter” in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O’Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with “Back Stabbers” (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with “Love Train”. Numerous other hits followed through the 1970s and into the 1980s and 1990s, and The O’Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.]

4. The Chocolate Watchband – “Voyage of the Trieste”
from: Inner Mystique / Tower / 1968
[Reissued by Sundaze / 2018]

5. Wooden Shjips – “Staring At the Sun”
from: V. / Thrill Jockey / May 25, 2018

10:26 – Underwriting

6. LaVice & Company – “Thoughs Were the Days”
from: LaVice And Company’s Two Sisters From Bagdad / Jazzman / 2018
[Released as a single from Numero Group April 14, 2017]

7. THE DESCENDANTS OF MIKE AND PHOEBE – “Coltrane” (CD #7) (5:01)
from: A Spirit Speaks / Strata-East Records / 1974 [Reissued by Everland Music Group 2017]

8. Death & Vanilla – “Dioz Delirium”
from: The Tenant / Fire America / March 9, 2018

9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre & Asia Argento – “Le sacre du printemps”
from: Musique de film imaginé / ‘A’ Records / April 27, 2015

10. CSC Funk Band – “Above the Starrs”
from: Above the Starrs / Electric Cowbell – Newtown Creek Jamz / March 24, 2017

11:00 – Station ID

11. Orgone – “The Black Five”
from: Undercover Mixtape / Colemine Records / February 2, 2018

12. Funkadelic – “Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine Edit)”
from: Reworked By Detroiters / Westbound – Ace Records / October 27, 2017

13. Bardo Pond – “Cud”
from: Volume 8 / Fire Records / Februry 2, 2018
[Brand new album from Philadelphia’s much loved neo-space rock stoner drone outfit. A euphoric transcendental journey to a mountain top nirvana, a psychedelic tapestry that slowly unwinds as they travel onwards into the inner mind. A 40-minute opus delivered from a hail of reverb soulfully caressed by a ceremonial flute, that makes way for a shroud of ‘Weld’—era Neil Young fog. Bardo Pond is your rather ruffled tour guide to this far off place, this distant sense of wonderment at the crossroads with bewilderment. Loved and lauded by the late Lou Reed and his wife Laurie Anderson, Jesus & Mary Chain, Mogwai and many more and acclaimed in the music press as such: “Dinosaur Jr guitar power with the glacial grandiosity of Black Mountain, as if Isobel Sollenberger is conjuring a thunderstorm with the sound of her voice and riding it across the heavens.” Stereogum “One of underground rock’s most extraordinary enigmas” The Quietus. “They alter brain chemistry by the alchemical effect of distressed sound alone, aspiring to become engineers of the soul’s passage to alternate states of consciousness.” Tony Dale (RIP), Ptolemaic Terrascope, 2001. “Playing fuzzed out stuff of stoner dreams since the mid ‘90s.” Pitchfork. “Fugazi on acid.” Noisey]

14. The Sufis – “Sri Sai Flora”
from: The Sufis / Ample Play Records / July 2, 2012

15. Tess Parks – “Gates of Broadway”
from: Blood Hot / 359 Music / 2013 [Reissued by Optic Nerve / 2018]

16. Jóhann Jóhannsson – “Part 5/ The Sun’s Gone Dim and the Sky’s Turned Black”
from: IBM 1401 a User’s Manual / 4AD / 2006 [Reissued by 4AD 2017]

Marion Merritt thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley. Coming up we talk with members of Red Kate and Sid Sowder of Too Much Rock

11:31 – Underwriting

11:33 – Interview with L. Ron Drunkard, Shaun Hamontree, and Sid Sowder

The KC based Punk Rock and Roll band, Red Kate has been rocking venues since 2007. In the review of their debut EP, The Pitch wrote, “Bassist and lead vocalist L. Ron Drunkard, (aka Shawn Saving) is a socialist activist by day, bellows like an Appalachian Roger Daltrey.”The band’s first full-length album, “When the Troubles Come” was released on Replay Records in 2013. In 2016 the band released their follow up full – length record, unamerican activities, on Kansas City’s coop record label, Black Site. The n]band has also release two 7″ split sinle releases with The Bad ideas, and Stiff Middle Fingers. Members of Red Kate join us today to share their newest release, “Iraqi Girl,” as part of the Too Much Rock – Singles Series, 7” vinyl 45-rpm release, with a B side cover of TSOL’s,” American Zone,” the first recording with the band’s newest member, rhythm guitarist Shaun Hamontree who joins bassist and lead vocalist L. Ron Drunkard Shawn Saving), Andrew Whelan on drums & vocals, and Desmond Poirier on guitar & vocals. Red Kate celebrates the release of the new record Friday, February 23 at Davey’s Uptown with Reacharounds from Springfield, MO, Arson Class and Vidco Kult. The band also plays an all ages show Saturday, March 3 at Mills Record Company with Martian Martian Martian. The single is out February 24.

Also with us is Sid Sowder, founder of Too Much Rock, a music blog site he created in 1997 to share his photos, videos & comments of live music shows he attends. The Too Much Rock Singles Series is a collection of 45 rpm singles that marry great songs with great bands all for the love of vinyl. Each old-school two-song single features one unique song paired with one cover chosen by Too Much Rock who press 500 limited edition copies and then simply give them to the band.

L. Ron Drunkard (Shawn Saving), Shaun Hamontree and Sid Sowder Thanks for being with us on WMM

Tracks were recorded at Weights and Measures Soundlab with engineer Duane Trower and producer L. Ron Drunkard.

10:45

18. Red Kate – “Iraqi Girl” (Vinyl)
from: Iraqi Girl – Single / Too Much Rock / February 24, 2018
[L. Ron Drunkard – bass/lead vocalist, Andrew Whelan – Drums/Vocals, Desmond Poirier – guitar/vocals]

[Red Kate plays release show Friday, Feb 23 at Davey’s with Reacharounds, Arson Class, Vidco Kult.]

[Red Kate plays All Ages show Saturday, March 3 at Mills Record Company w/ Martian Martian Martian.]

Sid Sowder, founder of Too Much Rock, a music blog site he created in 1997 to share his photos, videos & comments of live music shows he attends. The Too Much Rock Singles Series is a collection of 45 rpm singles that marry great songs with great bands all for the love of vinyl. Each old-school two-song single features one unique song paired with one cover chosen by Too Much Rock who press 500 limited edition copies and then simply give them to the band. Schwervon!, Rev Gusto, Josh Berwanger Band, The Uncouth, Hipshot Killer, and Witch Jail have all recorded for the Too Much Rock Single Series. More info at: http://www.toomuchrock.com

Red Kate is proud to announce the release of a new single on local label, Too Much Rock. As with all records in the Singles Series, this old-school, 45 rpm ripper contains one original track and one cover selected by the label. Side A, Iraqi Girl, is a grinding statement on American foreign policy, while side B follows suit with a cover of the TSOL song, American Zone. This frank indictment of how we treat those sent off to impose that foreign policy is as relevant today as it was in 1984. American Zone marks the first recording with the band’s newest member, rhythm guitarist Shaun Hamontree, whose contribution to the effort also includes his arresting, if not disturbing, cover art invoking the devastating reality of a war widow’s scrap book.

Both tracks were recorded at Weights and Measures Soundlab where engineer Duane Trower and producer L. Ron Drunkard have perfected Red Kate’s sonic signature. And like all 7” releases by the band, the covers were printed locally by the good folks of the Allied Printing and Trades Local 16C at Callender Printing in Kansas City, KS.

Red Kate will celebrate the release of the new record Friday, February 23 at Davey’s Uptown with Reacharounds from Springfield, MO, and up and comers, Arson Class and Vidco Kult. An all ages show is scheduled for Saturday, March 3 at Mills Record Company with the brand new Martian Martian Martian.

This limited edition release of 500 records includes 100 copies on clear vinyl with an alternate cover (collect away, nerds!). Distributed by Black Site, they will be available February 24 at record stores throughout the region and online at black-site.org/red-kate and redkate.bandcamp.com.

RED KATE released its first LP, When the Troubles Come, on Replay Records in 2013 and a 7″ split on Mills Record Company with fellow KC punks, The Bad Ideas, in 2014.

BLACK SITE is a record label cooperative created by Kansas City musicians interested in supporting regional punk and rock bands release their recordings on a physical medium. With the world around us becoming a deluge of digital 1’s and 0’s, transient as a trust fund crust punk on a cross country excursion, tangible art is critical to maintaining connections to our past, our sense of place, and who we are as a people. Only WE can create the world we want to live in. Reciprocity and solidarity are the cornerstones of building long lasting, self-sustaining community power that pushes back against the commodification of culture. Music is not a business; Punk is not a brand, and DIY is not a lifestyle to be consumed. This is a way of life, and if we don’t hang together, we’ll surely hang alone.

L. Ron Drunkard, Shaun Hamontree, and Sid Sowder thank you for being with us on WMM.

Red Kate plays release show Fri, Feb 23 at Davey’s w/ Reacharounds, Arson Class, Vidco Kult. Red Kate plays All Ages show Sat, March 3 at Mills Record Company w/ Martian Martian Martian.

11:56

19. Red Kate – “American Zone” (Vinyl)
from: American Zone – B-side Single / Too Much Rock / February 24, 2018
[L. Ron Drunkard – bass/lead vocalist, Andrew Whelan – Drums/Vocals, Desmond Poirier – guitar/vocals]

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

Next week on February 28 The Matchsellers join us live in our 90.1 FM Studios. Also, Poet Jen Harris joins us to discuss a performance show is working on with Gilda’s Club and the Owen Cox Dance Ensemble

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

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Show #722