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, March 21, 2018

New & MidCoastal Releases + CS Luxem
+ Guest Producer Brenton Cook

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

2. Y god Y – “Tired”
from: Tired – Single / Y god Y / February 16, 2018
[KC based duo made up of Garrett Marsh on vocals & Joel Martin on music, making “experimental R & B” with influences of 80’s electro pop. This is their 3rd single. They released “All Day” Sept. 19, 2017 Produced & recorded by Joel Martin, written by Joel Martin and Garrett Marsh. More info at http://www.ygody.bandcamp.com]

[Y god Y play Granada Theatre, 1020 Mass. Lawrence, KS. Sat. April 28, 7:PM, opening for Hembree w/ Dreamgirl.]

[Y god Y play The Rino, 314 Armour Rd, North KC, Sat, May 5, w/ Digisaurus and Nublvckcity]

3. Westerners – “Dog Years”
from: Reoccurring Dream Theme / The Record Machine / July 14, 2017
[Debut full length album from Lawrence / Kansas City based band formed in August of 2013. The band includes: Mitch Hewlett, Josh Hartranft, Matthew Pesma and Brian Robertson. Westerners signed to Kansas City independent label The Record Machine in 2015.]

[The Westerners play Replay 946 Mass. St. Lawrence, KS. Thirsday, March 22, at 10:00 PM, opening for Illuminati Hotties, (from LA), with Grim Repeater.]

[The Westerners play recordBar, 1520 Grand, Mon. March 26, 9:PM opening for Pujol w/ The Whiffs]

[The Westerners play Riot Room, 4048 Brdwy, Wed. April 4, 7:30 PM opening for Tancred w/ Mess]

4. Jim Button & the Beholders – “Paradise”
from: Paradise EP / High Dive Records / February 23. 2018
[Kansas City based 4-piece band formed in June 2017. Jim Button on lead vocals & guitar, Vincent Lawhon on guitar & bass, Jerad Meadows on drums & backup vocals, Bryan Koehler on backup vocals & percussion; with Ehren Starks on keyboards, organs, & mellotron. The EP was recorded & mixed by Vincent Lawhon at Element Recording Studio, Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Jim Button. Album artwork by Jim Button. All songs written by Jim Button (ASCAP). Performed by Jim Button & the Beholders. Songs published by Infinite Beholder Music (ASCAP). This is the second EP from Jim Button & the Beholders. The band released their debut EP,Time Never Lies EP on November 3, 2017. ]

[Jim Button & The Beholders play The Brick, 1727 McGee Street KCMO, on Friday, March 30, at 10:00 pm w? Fullbloods for the CS Luxem Album Release Show.]

10:11 – Interview with Christopher Luxem

Lawrence Kansas based musician CS Luxem has just released his debut album SYMPTOMS through Whatever Forever. The album was recorded over a span of three months above a garage full of Model T’s in northwest Lawrence, KS. The songs were written between 2005-2017 and have been revised throughout these years with different collaborators. SYMPTOMS is the very first vinyl release for Whatever Forever and is their 40th release. CS Luxem plays The Brick, 1727 McGee Street KCMO, Friday, March 30, at 10:00 pm with Fullbloods, and Jim Button & The Beholders. More info at: http://www.whatevertapes.com

CS Luxem, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

CS Luxem was born in Topeka, has lived in New York City, has toured all over the country and internationally, and is based in Lawrence, Kansas where he also works at Raven Book Store, 6 East 7th Street.

We were surprised to read that this was CS Luxem’s first full length album. He has been recording and releasing music since 2010. (Even as far back as 2005 if you count his early self produced DIY projects.) CS Luxem has been part of several various split releases with other touring artists, EP’s, singles, and collaborations with other bands including The Oils.

CS Luxem writes that Symptoms is about traveling, first loves, Chicago, New York City, dogs, feet, hands, the Oracle of Delphi, letting go, and getting out of your own way.

11:19

5. CS Luxem – “Let Me Go On” (LIVE)

Also Available on Symptoms / Whatever Forever / February 17, 2018
[Debut length from CS Luxem who works as a solo artist as well as a collaborator. CS Luxem has released several EPs and has performed all over the United States and Europe. Info at http://www.csluxem.bandcamp.com]

The album was recorded over a span of three months above a garage full of Model T’s in northwest Lawrence, KS. The songs were written between 2005-2017 and have been revised throughout these years with different collaborators.

Engineer Joel Martin “sculpted” sounds as CS Luxem has always heard them in his head.

CS Luxem backing band is currently:
James Thomblison (also of Arc Flash)
Joel Martin (we were both in Your Friend briefly…he also is in Y god Y)
Mitchell Hewlett and Josh Hartranft (also in Westerners and MaceMouth)

10:25

6. CS Luxem – “Own Way” (LIVE)

Also available on Symptoms / Whatever Forever / February 17, 2018
[Debut length from CS Luxem who works as a solo artist as well as a collaborator. CS Luxem has released several EPs and has performed all over the United States and Europe. Info at http://www.csluxem.bandcamp.com]

Album notes: CS Luxem’s debut album SYMPTOMS opens the listener to a Wes Andersen-esque surreality dealt to praise the everyday and psych out the suits we ought follow. Thoroughly studied in a spectrum of schools including Harry Nilsson, The Temptations and Arthur Russell, the album entices us all to be in our most natural state, of love, and of dance.

Album Notes: CS Luxem has been most places. He and his music are light even at their heaviest and heady even at their lightest. And it’s contagious! His distinct vocals and exuberant rhythms are the core of his sound. Whether it be his polished pop jewels or his deep tidal pools of synthesized noise, CS Luxem entrances and invigorates the spirit. Instrumentation ranges from solo vocals with acoustic guitar, to a looping and effects station with electric guitar, to a full rock band with synthesizer, bass and drums. The versatility empowers this performer to vibe as the ambient canvas of an upscale function, as the hope-bearing minstrel at a retirement home, as the dive bar ultra party, and definitely as the scenester’s favorite house show act.

10:35

7. CS Luxem – “Space”
from: Symptoms / Whatever Forever / February 17, 2018
[Debut length from CS Luxem who works as a solo artist as well as a collaborator. CS Luxem has released several EPs and has performed all over the United States and Europe. Info at http://www.csluxem.bandcamp.com]

8. CS Luxem – “Heal Support”
from: Symptoms / Whatever Forever / February 17, 2018
[Debut length from CS Luxem who works as a solo artist as well as a collaborator. CS Luxem has released several EPs and has performed all over the United States and Europe. Info at http://www.csluxem.bandcamp.com]

SYMPTOMS is the very first vinyl release for Whatever Forever and is their 40th release.

Rolf Petermann told us that founders of Whatever Forever have planted a 1 acre garden, which Bobby Sauder is managing! Still to come is a stage and pizza oven, which will harken back to their former house-venue called Pizza Power, where guests would bring toppings as well as donations for the bands.

10:43

9. CS Luxem – “Feed The Dogs” (LIVE)

Also available on Symptoms / Whatever Forever / February 17, 2018
[First full length from CS Luxem who works as a solo artist as well as a collaborator. CS Luxem has released several EPs and has performed all over the United States and Europe. Info at http://www.csluxem.bandcamp.com]

CS Luxem, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

CS Luxem plays The Brick, 1727 McGee Street KCMO, Friday, March 30, at 10:00 pm with Fullbloods, and Jim Button & The Beholders. More info at: http://www.whatevertapes.com

10:48 – Underwriting

8. Timbers – “Rosalee”
from: Timbers / Timbers / March 1, 2018
[Timbers first professionally recorded, mixed and mastered release. Recorded in the basement of Jacob’s Well Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Tracked, mixed and mastered by Mike Crawford. Timbers includes: Aaron Mitchum on guitar & lead vocals; Abigail Jones on banjo, guitar & vocals; Devon Teran on guitar, lap and pedal steel guitar, & dobro; Riley Taylor on upright bass & electric bass; and Nate Lewis on drums.]

[Timbers play an Album Release Show, Saturday, March 24, 8:PM, at The Westport Saloon, 4112 Pennsylvania, KCMO with The Coountry Duo, Cowtown Country Club, and Bob Kamler Band.]

9. The Black Lips – “Squatting in Heaven”
from: Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art? / Vice Music / May 15, 2017
[8th studio album from Atlanta flower punk pioneers. Produced by Sean Lennon at his studio compound in upstate New York throughout 2016. During the recording the band isolated themselves from the outside world, infusing the album with a focused liveliness similar to the spirit that brought them together in the first place. On Satan’s graffiti or God’s art? founding members Cole Alexander and Jared Swilley teamed with former guitarist Jack Hines (who played in the group from 2002-2004) and recent additions Oakley Munson on drums and Zumi Rosow on saxophone. The album also features contributions by Saul Adamczewski of Fat White Family and guest vocals by Yoko Ono. Black Lips were born of DIY ethic, working their way from sweaty basement shows in Georgia to huge crowds at international music festivals (including a performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest that appears in Terrence Malick’s film Song to Song) to tours in such far flung locales as India, Jordan, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraqi Kurdistan, the United Arab Emirates, and many more.]

[The Black Lips play Voodoo Lounge at Harrah’s Casino North, One Riverboat Dr. KCMO, Wed. March 21, at 8:00 PM with The Black Angels.]

10. The Black Angels – “Death March”
from: Death Song / Partisan Records / April 21, 2017
[American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. They have released four studio albums and one compilation album. Their name is derived from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song.” Current members include: Stephanie Bailey on drums, percussion, bass; Christian Bland – guitar, vocals, bass, drums; Alex Maas – vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards; Kyle Hunt on keyboards, percussion, bass, guitar; Jake Garcia on guitar, bass, vocals.]

[The Black Angels play Voodoo Lounge at Harrah’s Casino North, One Riverboat Dr. KCMO, Wed. March 21, at 8:00 PM with The Black Lips.]

11:00 – Station I.D.

11:00 – Guest Producer Brenton Cook

For our second hour our friend Brenton Cook joins us as a Guest Producer playing music from artists he witnessed at SXSW 2018 in Austin, Texas, this past week and weekend. Some of the bands Brenton will be featuring are: The Urban Renewal Project, Post Animal, Durand Jones and The Indications, The Rotten Mangos, Essaie Pas, Lou Rebecca, and Anna Burch. Brenton Cook is the curator at Outer Reaches, and owner of Haymaker Records a Kansas City based independent label he formed in 2014. Brenton Cook has also produced three extensive compilations of area music for the Midwest Music Foundation. More info at: http://www.haymakerrecords.net

Brenton Cook, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

11:03

13. Sego – “Whatever Forever”
from: Whatever Forever” – Single / Dine Alone Records / September 14, 2017
[Los Angeles based Sego is Spencer Petersen and Thomas Carroll. Both were birthed in the burgeoning Provo, Utah music scene. However, finding inspiration in the dissonance that the towering structures and bustling city offers over the mountains and relative quiet of Provo, both relocated to an old pasta factory in downtown LA. Through various projects together, both founding members uncovered their distinct sound: lazy, grungy guitars with digital overlays and refreshingly honest lyrics. The band’s debut album, Once Was Lost Now Just hanging Around, came out March 4, 2016 and surprises with angular guitars, complex arrangements and musings from an 80’s kid contemplating the void left from the misguided hope of our youth.]

11:07

14. Post Animal – “Special Moment”
from: When I Think of You in a Castle / Polyvinyl / Expected April 20, 2018
[Chicago-based Post Animal are a band of brothers. Though they formed in 2014 and just began touring in 2017, their affinity for slick riffs, pop hooks, and psychedelic tendencies join them in a bond much tighter than their years suggest. Initially formed when childhood friends, bassist Dalton Allison and guitarist Matt Williams, met keyboardist and guitarist Jake Hirshland, the band’s sound began to take shape when the three enlisted some more pals from both the Chicago music scene and through their time working at local burger joints. Rounding out the band’s lineup, Post Animal is completed by drummer Wesley Toledo and guitarists Javi Reyes and Joe Keery.]

11:13

15. The Rotten Mangos – “Take Care When the Wind Blows”
from: Couldn’t Find A Word / The Rotten Mangos / December 1, 2017
[McAllen, TX based 2-piece band of Cristian Sigler on drums, & Ramiro Verdooren on guitar & vocals]

11:16

16. Anna Burch – “With You Every Day”
from: Quit The Curse / Polyvinyl / February 2, 2018
[Debut Album of Detroit singer/songwriter Anna Burch, who is a veteran of the music scene from her years in the bands: Frontier Ruckus, and Failed Flowers. Burch’s fixation with music transitioned from a childhood of Disney and Carole King sing-alongs to more typically angsty teenage years spent covering Bright Eyes and Fiona Apple at open mic nights. By 18 she was deep into the lifestyle of the touring musician, juggling all the regular trials and changes of young life while on a schedule that would have her gone for months on end. After a few whirlwind years of this, exhausted and feeling a little lost, she stepped away from music completely to attend grad school in Chicago. This respite lasted until 2014 when she moved to Detroit and found herself starting work in earnest on solo songs she’d been making casual demos of for a year or so. “Writing songs that I actually liked for the first time gave me a feeling of accomplishment,” Burch said, “Like, I can do this too! But working with other musicians and hearing the songs go from sad singer/songwriter tunes to arranged pop songs gave me this giddy confidence that I’d never felt before.” Anna continues, “To me this album marks the end of an era of uncertainty. Writing songs about my emotional struggles helped me to work through some negative patterns in my personal life, while giving me the sense of creative agency I’d been searching for.”]

11:23

17. Hi-Lux – “Take Me Where You Are”
from: Hi-Lux – EP / Hi-Lux / February 1, 2018
[Originally released as a single on August 15, 2017. Now included in this 6 song EP. HI-LÜX is Julia Haile on vocals, Nick Howell on keyboards & organ, Kian Byrne on drums and vocals, Pete Leibert on bass, Tim Braun on guitar. Hi-Lux is based in KC. The band brings together elements of soul, reggae and funk for a unique and dance inspiring sound. More info at: http://www.hi-lux.bandcamp.com]

[Hi-Lux plays The Zoo Bar, 136 North 14th St., Lincoln, NE. Saturday, March 31, at 9:00 PM]

11:27 – Underwriting

11:29

18. The Urban Renewal Project – “Newsflash (feat. Elmer Demond)”
from: 21st Century Ghost / Fastrac Records – Resonance Records / September 15, 2017
[THE URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT is a dynamic young band out of Los Angeles, playing an original mix of pop, jazz, soul and hip-hop. Since 2010, the 15-piece ensemble has teamed up with singers and rappers to blend the hip-shaking grooves and deep pocket of today’s music with face-melting horn lines and fiery improvisation from big band jazz. Their signature sound has blown away audiences from New York’s Rockwood Music Hall to the San Jose Jazz Summerfest and beyond. Their debut release on Fastrac Records (a new division of Resonance Records, the acclaimed archival jazz label), 21st CENTURY GHOST, is a genre-bending meditation on isolation in the era of hyperconnectivity, with nine guest vocalists. The band includes: R.W. Enoch, Jr. — composer, arranger, tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet, fender rhodes, hammond m3, roland jd-xi, xylophone, editing; Brian Clements — soprano saxophone, piccolo, flute, Bb clarinet; David Wise — alto saxophone, flute; Matt Ballard — baritone saxophone, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet; Mitch Cooper — trumpet, flügelhorn; Elliot Deutsch — trumpet, flügelhorn; Brina Simon — trumpet, flügelhorn; Evan Mackey — trombone; Lindsay McMurray — trombone; Michael King — bass trombone; Tim Friedlander — acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Dustin Morgan — double bass, electric bass, fretless bass, vocals; Satoshi Kirisawa — drum set, congas, bongo, tambourine, shaker, zil. Special Guest Vocalists: Alex Nester, Elmer Demond, Camp Lo, Gavin Turek, Hugh Augustine, T.J. Wilkins, Amber Navran. Additional Musicians: Nic Sednew — trumpet (hide); Ramsey Hampton — trombone (armor love); Robert Todd, Jr. — bass trombone (hide); Marc Bolin — sousaphone (another day); Adam Wolf — horn; Lisa Mc Cormick — horn; Chris Wilson — horn; Max Otto — horn; Brandon Covelli — fender rhodes (here at night); Michael Deutsch — timpani; Daniel Castellaneta — congas, bells, wood blocks, clave, tambourine, shakers, triangle.]

11:35

19. Durand Jones and The Indications – “Make A Change”
from: Durand Jones & The Indications / Dead Oceans – Colemine Records / Sept. 8, 2016
[Bayou-born soul sensation, Durand Jones got his start in the church, after being forced to sing in the choir of his rural hometown Hillaryville, Louisiana because his Grandmother thought he sang too much at home. When his music career took him to Bloomington, Indiana, he was selected to join the legendary Indiana University Soul Revue, and it was through his involvement that he met writer/producer duo Aaron Frazer and Blake Rhein. The three began writing original soul music, recording themselves straight to tape in the basements of Bloomington – and their debut album is now available on our record label, Colemine Records.]

[Durand Jones & The Indications play recordBar, 1520 Grand, Sun, April 8, at 7:00 w/ Instant Karma]

11:40

20. Lou Rebecca – “Too Late (Everybody Died)”
from: Lou Rebecca – EP / HOLODECK Records / January 12, 2018
[Synthpop duo of: Lou Rebecca & Josh Mills, originally from Paris, France, currently residing in Austin, TX.]

11:45

21. Essaie Pas – “Futur Parlé”
from: New Path / DFA / March 16, 2018
[Emerging from Montreal’s sprawling electronic scene, the duo – Marie Davidson and Pierre Guerineau– feel completely free to express themselves, to sketch out hitherto unmapped musical regions. “Essaie Pas has always been about exploring new territories” explains Pierre. “From the very first tapes, to the last one. We don’t want to do the same thing over and over again, – we just need to keep it exciting and to challenge ourselves. Take those experiences, open new boxes and see what happens.” ‘New Path’ takes this one step further. The duo’s fifth album to date – and second on powerhouse label DFA Records –is loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, a classic of dystopian science fiction. “I read the book a long time ago, maybe 15 years ago, and it had a strong impression on me,” explains Pierre. “In our previous work we always looked to music as inspiration in our lives, but this time we felt the desire to try something different, that’s not based on ourselves but on someone else’s universe. It was going to be more conceptual, more political.” .]

11:48

22. Boy Harsher– “Westerners”
from: Country Girl (extended version) – EP / Boy Harsher / March 16, 2018
[Augustus Muller develops the underbelly of sound with minimal beats and grinding synths, where Jae Matthews whispers, screams and chants on top. Together, the music created is somewhere between industrial, drone and confessional storytelling. Muller and Matthews both have a strong background in film and their cinematic approach translates effectively in both their recordings and live performance. Boy Harsher started in early 2013 under the name Teen Dreamz. The project was based on short stories written and read by Matthews then live scored by Muller. As the project matured the instrumentals became more dance influenced and Matthews’ delivery became more dynamic and spontaneous. In January of 2014 Teen Dreamz took on the moniker Boy Harsher. Boy Harsher currently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts. ]

[Boy Harsher plays The Riot Room Patio, April 3, at 8:00 PM with Agony Machine]

11:56

23. Kraus – “Games”
from: Path / Terrible Records / March 9, 2018
[Will Kraus is an New York City based musician and member of the defunct band Weed.]

Brenton Cook, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Brenton Cook is the curator at Outer Reaches, and will be back on the show on April 18. Haymaker Records a Kansas City based independent label he formed in 2014. Brenton Cook has also produced three extensive compilations of area music for the Midwest Music Foundation. More info at: http://www.haymakerrecords.net

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

Next week on March 28, Howard Iceberg joins us LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios to share music from his new album, Netherlands. Plus, Nico Gray joins us as Guest Producer for our second hour.

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

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Show #726