Wednesday MidDay Medley
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Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

The 118 Best Recordings of 2018
(Part 2 of 4)

Part-two, of our four-week special: The 118 Best Recordings of 2018. 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, please accept our list as a celebration of the year in music.

In 2018 we’ve played nearly 1000 different songs on the show, and we’ve played from over 400 New Releases. More than 250 of these were New MidCoastal Releases. We also conducted over 117 interviews with over 150 different guests. 75 of the representative recordings in our “Best of” list were MidCoastal Releases. Over 35 of the bands and artists in our “Best of” list have joined us as guests on WMM on 90.1 FM. It’s all good!

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme song]

2. (#89) The Breeders – “Wait in the Car”
from: All Nerve / 4AD / March 2, 2018
[1st single from the band’s 5th full-length studio album, released 10 years after their previous album Mountain Battles (2008). The album also marks the band’s first in 25 years with their “Last Splash” lineup. Kim Deal on lead vocals, guitar, moog, casiotone; Kelley Deal on guitar, Kenmore 12-stitch, vocals; Jim MacPherson on drums, Josephine Wiggs on bass guitar, double bass, vocals, cello; (Tanya Donelly on vocals and guitar was also on Last Splash, but left the band to form Belly.) The Breeders were last in Kansas Ciyy on September 3, 2014, at recordBar, with a reunion tour of The Last Slash line-up.]

[The Breeders played The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road, KCMO, Friday, May 11, at 8:00 pm]

3. (#88) The Internet – “Roll (Burbank Funk)’
from: Hive Mind / Sony / July 20, 2018
[Los Angeles based band with: Syd Bennett, Matthew Martin, Patrick Paige II, Christopher Allan Smith and Steve Lacy. THE INTERNET began as two people – Syd and Matt. Syd taught herself how to record, engineer, and produce at age 15. She also sings, imbuing every song with a sultry, mellifluous, quiet power. Matt produces and plays synths. She’s now 23; he’s now 26. Like all post-modern relationships, the duo initially met on Myspace in 2008, only to meet in-person three years later. THE INTERNET have released two albums previously – 2011’s Purple Naked Ladies, and 2012’s Feel Good. THE INTERNET branched off from the Odd Future collective and started their own band in 2011. Syd had been writing music since she was small; she put this on hold to become OF’s DJ and producer, and picked her songs back up in 2011 to make her first full-length album with Matt. When they play live, THE INTERNET is a band – a six-person outfit whose youngest member is 17. They began playing as a full-band in order to tour behind Feel Good, and the band members all contributed their talents to THE INTERNET’s 2015 album EGO DEATH.]

4. (#87) Anna Calvi – “Don’t Beat the Girl out of My Boy”
from: Hunter / Domino Recording Co / August 31, 2018
[3rd album from London singer. Produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave) at Konk Studios in London with some further production in LA, the album was recorded with Anna’s band – Mally Harpaz on various instruments and Alex Thomas on drums – with the addition of Adrian Utley from Portishead on keys and Martyn Casey from The Bad Seeds on bass. It has a new rawness, a primal energy into which Calvi pushes the limits of her guitar and voice beyond anything she’s recorded before. Hunter is the embodiment of the feeling of truly letting go. For the songwriter and virtuosic guitarist, it was a catharsis, an opportunity to be more truthful than ever. The first new music since 2014’s collaborative release with David Byrne, Strange Weather EP, her self-titled debut album and the 2013 follow-up One Breath, Hunter is a visceral album exploring sexuality and breaking the laws of gender conformity. A queer and a feminist record, it is galvanising in its hunt for freedom. It was important to Calvi that it was as vulnerable as it is strong; as beautiful as it is harsh; as much about the hunted as it is about the hunter. But she’s careful not to characterise any of these traits as “masculine” or “feminine” – the whole point is that one person, of any gender, can be both. The power is in the contrast itself; in the way she oscillates between extremes, sounding freer than ever before. She wanted to express herself while being “free from the story that either gender is given, free from worrying how people would judge me on what I want to do with my body & myself. For me, that’s quite a utopian vision.” ]

5. (#86) Warm Bodies – “Something Wierd is Eating Me”
from: Warm Bodies / Lumpy Records / February 27, 2018
[Pitchfork’s April 8, 2018 review: Olivia Gibb’s messy, experimental garage rock sounds unhinged and strangely human on Warm Bodies’ debut. Come for the unnerving body horror, stay for the fiery guitar solos. // While some wonder who’s going to make rock’n’roll wild again, Warm Bodies’ Olivia Gibb is barking like a dog out here. The Kansas City, Missouri artist is effortlessly wild. When she sings, she jumps in and out of cartoonish shrieks. Her bug-eyed and immensely expressive live performances would make John Waters proud. If you visit her website, you can buy some ceramic clown nightmares. Punk’s underground has always been flush with fringe characters—Warm Bodies share a label with noxious weirdos Lumpy and the Dumpers, for example—but Gibb stands out from the heap. On Warm Bodies’ messy and muscular debut album, you can find her screaming about her eyes which have fallen out of their sockets. // “My Face Fell Off” is a minute-long blast of surrealist speed punk, so while Gibb screams for help in locating her face, her bandmates come in frenzied. Drummer Gabe Coppage crashes forward at a turbulent clip while Ian Teeple keeps pace, rattling out power chords and guitar solos. This exact sort of noisy punk maelstrom has been the band’s calling card for a couple years now. The song originally appeared on Warm Bodies’ 2016 demo, and while the two versions are similar, you can hear just how much they’ve leveled up. On Warm Bodies, they’re faster, the recording quality is less scuzzy, and most pressingly, Gibb sounds far more unhinged than she did on her relatively more reserved early recordings. // Take “Something Weird Is Eating Me,” a song that addresses the more uncomfortable truths of the human body. After alluding broadly to a “mess” under her clothes, she gets extremely specific: “A burning lump full of yellow gunk/And I’m itchy itchy itchy itchy,” her voice oozing the discomfort that the song’s lyrics so directly imply. Later, when Gibb shouts about her sexual encounter with real-life plane hijacker D.B. Cooper, Teeple sets the stage with a clattering, rapid-fire hook. This is the band’s secret formula: Gibb whips up fever dreams with her singular voice and Teeple grounds everything with earworms and sick guitar solos. // Across its 20 minutes, Warm Bodies isn’t strictly a wall-to-wall shredfest. It’s an album bookended by electronics, opening with the tense swell of warped synths and finishing with the pulse of crackling, ethereal noise. Then there’s “Stinky dUMBOMix,” a song that’s all synthesizers, drum machines, whistles, and handclaps. It’s only a minute long, but it’s a crucial moment that places the music beyond garage punk and into the context of low-key experimentation. // With that handful of left-field sonic tics, Warm Bodies lean fully into the psychedelia that powers Gibb’s lyrics: melted faces, gnarly rashes, dog cosplay, and fucking a never-been-caught skydiving thief. Chaos is an intrinsic part of their DNA, which means more relatable, day-to-day subjects adopt a funhouse-mirror approach. “Psychic Connection” is a love song that’s both surreal and knowable—Gibb breaks down the unspoken “mind control” shorthand you have with the person you love. Then there’s “I Need a Doctor,” where Teeple’s woozy guitar and the call-and-response of “I need a doctor! (She needs a doctor!)” invoke sick-day queasiness. On an album of hysterical vocals and high-speed guitar work, Warm Bodies is riveting because of how human it is—its joy, rage, infatuations, and yes, literal boils.]

6. (#85) Chess Club – “Thick”
from: Hit The Nall / Black Site / June 9, 2018
[Lawrence Kansas based Emo / math pop band with Griffin Nelson on guitar & vocals, Cooper Avery on drums, and David Krejci on bass.]

7. (#84) Joan Baez – “The President Sang Amazing Grace”
from: Whistle Down the Wind / Razor & Tie Recordings / March 2, 2018
[On June 26, 2015 The Washington Post reported, “This whole week, I’ve been reflecting on this idea of grace,” said President Obama today, just before he broke into song at the funeral for South Carolina State Sen. Clementa Pinckney, a pastor killed along with eight others in last week’s Charleston, S.C., church shooting. Presdent Obama then sang “Amazing Grace.” singer songwriter Zoe Mulford wrote a song about and included it in her January 7, 2017 album, Small Brown Birds. Joan Baez told The Atlantic, “I was driving when I heard ‘The President Sang Amazing Grace,’” Joan Baez told The Atlantic, “and I had to pull over to make sure I heard whose song it was because I knew I had to sing it.” The 77-year-old folk legend included the song in her final album, Whistle Down The Wind, released in early March. Originally written and performed by Zoe Mulford following the 2015 mass shooting in a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Whitsle Down The Wind is the 31st album release from Joan Chandos Baez born January 9, 1941, her first studio album in almost a decade. The album features songs written by such composers as Tom Waits, Josh Ritter and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Joe Henry produced the album. Joan Baez is a singer, songwriter, musician, and activist whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years,is fluent in Spanish and English, and has recorded songs in at least six other languages. Although regarded as a folk singer, her music has diversified since the counterculture era of the 1960s, and encompasses genres such as folk rock, pop, country and gospel music. She was one of the first major artists to record the songs of Bob Dylan in the early 1960s; Baez was already an internationally celebrated artist and did much to popularize his early songwriting efforts. Baez also performed fourteen songs at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and has displayed a lifelong commitment to political and social activism in the fields of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights and the environment. Baez was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, 2017.

8. (#83) John Keck – “Missouri Queen”
from: Out In The Cold – 12th Street Singles / John L. Keck / May 1, 2018
[Written by John Keck. Produced/Engineered/Mixed by Chase Horseman at Element Recording & Mastering Studios. Mastered by Ian Dobyns. John Keck on Guitar & vocals. This EP represents the first studio release in 5 years and is the first of 3 songs in a planned series of work. “Out in the Cold” a reflection on our society. These 3 songs were written while living on historic 12th Street in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. This is John’s first release since his 2013 Jack Moon Sessions, which was recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis. About “Missouri Queen” John Keck wrote: “This is an ode to my single mother and the advice she’s given me. I wanted a short biographical song that allows me to give a frame of reference for where all of my songs come from and this was born. My Grandfather flew a B-29 in WWII called the “Missouri Queen”. There were Japanese fighters with floodlights on their noses that would chase the B-29s and light them up so they could be shot down. She told me that he would say “Don’t get caught in the light”, which is advice that she passed down for me to interrupt My Dad was a pilot and always gone when i was growing up, I would look up at the stars and confuse them with taillights of airplanes. Hence the shooting stars. When my parents separated, my mom returned to the farm where my grandparents lived and it became an integral part of my life. When I pushed my mom for more advice for the song she repeated what she has always told me, which is this story. “A Persian king asked the wisest man of his country for advice that would always be true, and he replied ‘This too shall pass.’”More at: http://www.johnlkeck.com]

[John Keck will play the War Child Benefit Concert with Ivory Blue on Saturdaym January 5, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar, 1520 Grand, the show also features Erica Mckenzie, and Adeiana Nikole. All proceeds benefit War Child USA]

9. (82) tUnE-yArDs – “ABC 123”
from: I can feel you creep into my private life / 4AD / January 19, 2018
[4th album from the music project of New England native Merrill Garbus (born March 4, 1979). Garbus’s music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion, in addition to electric bass played by Nate Brenner. Tune-Yards’ 2011 album Whokill was ranked the number one album of that year in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz and Jop critic’s poll. Garbus was raised in New York City and in New Canaan, Connecticut. She attended Smith College. She was a puppeteer for the Sandglass Theater in Vermont and lived in Montreal where she played ukulele in the band Sister Suvi with guitarist Patrick Gregoire & drummer Nico Dann. Merrill’s sister Ruth Garbus is also a musician who has played solo and in the band Happy Birthday. After releasing her first Tune-Yards album in 2006, she moved to Oakland, California, where her partner in Tune-Yards, Nate Brenner, also lives. The first Tune-Yards album, BiRd-BrAiNs was originally self-released by Garbus on recycled cassette tape. It was recorded using only a handheld voice recorder. A limited edition vinyl was released in June 2009, via the Portland-based imprint Marriage Records. In July 2009, it was announced that Tune-Yards had signed to 4AD, and a limited edition pressing of Bird-Brains was released on August 17, 2009. A full worldwide release followed on November 16, 2009 (and November 17 in North America). The autumn 2009 pressing was remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Christian Wright, and includes two new bonus tracks: “Want Me To” and “Real Live Flesh.”]

10:31 – Underwriting

10. (#81) Doby Watson – “Starve”
from: Family Mattress Deluxe / Error Records / February 23, 2018
[Family Mattress Deluxe, a collection of songs written by Doby and co-produced with Zack Hames. Songs written by Doby Watson featuring Adamah, Hanna Maria Albina, Austin Swearengin and AKADUNGEONMASTER. With artwork by Ada Brumback and Nathan Landolt. Doby Watson was born in 1986. Instead of attending college, as Richard Gintowt wrote for The Pitch in 2009, “Watson spent his young-adult years touring the country with a guitar and a box of Clif Bars, one for lunch, then a real meal for dinner, and a bunch of sad and beautiful homespun songs that are as sparse and haunting as those of Leonard Cohen or Jason Molina.” In 2009 Doby released Twenty Two. In 2013 He released Watson & May an EP in collaboration with Margo May that was produced & engineered by Lennon Bone. Double Shift Music released Doby’s album Live-In Son in 2014, and the EP collaborative: Swearengin, Watson & May in 2016. More info at: http://www.dobywatson.bandcamp.com.]

11. (#80) Duncan Burnett – “Anthem”
from: The Almighty EP / R.I.O.T LLC / May 4, 2018
[Olathe, Kansas based hip hop artist, singer, songwriter, producer, musician, drummer. From Tim Finn’s Back To Rockville(KC Star) Blog Sept. 9, 2015 – When he settled on hip-hop as his music genre, Duncan Burnett had two missions in mind. The first: Keep the messages positive. “I’m big on spirituality and being a positive influence,” he said. “When I started, my goal was to have my nieces and nephews be able to listen to their uncle’s music and love it and be able to repeat every line and lyric but also to have people my age relate to it.” His second mission was to provide live music during his performances. A trained drummer and percussionist, Burnett, 26, has been performing live since he was 7 years old. Live music, he said, is in his blood.]

12. (#79) Yanna the Supa Flowa – “Supa Flowa”
from: The Supa Flowa EP / R.I.O.T. LLC / May 4, 2018
[Formerly KC based Supa Flowa, aka Yanna, is a multi-media artist and rapper. The Supa Flowa Ep is a very vulnerable, yet an uplifting play on Yanna’s experience in dealing with anxiety, self doubt, and becoming comfortable with the androgynous, “sunflower dyke” that she is. Her goal is to reach out to queer & LGBTQIA youth; who have endured similar experiences to hers, in finding and cultivating self love and peace of mind.]

13. (#78) Daisy Buckët – “They Don’t Mind (Feat. The Philistines)”
from: Pansy / Independent / July 25, 2017
[Executive Producer: Spencer Brown & Amy Hull. Co-Producer: Michael Wood. Album Concept & Design: Brandon Shelton. Photography: Vixen Pin-Up Photography. All tracks recorded at Sound 81 Productions, Kansas City, Missouri. Mixing & Engineering: Justin Wilson. Music & Lyrics by Kirsty MacColl:, Daisy Buckët on vocals, Kimmie Queen, Cody Wyoming on backing vocals, Cody Wyoming on guitar, Steve Gardels on drums, Rod Peal on guitar, Josh Mobley on piano, Barry Kidd on bass.] [The album of 10 tracks include five tracks recorded with Jeff Freling of Victor & Penny with Erin McGrane and the Loose Change Orchestra. There are also two tracks recorded with the KC psychedelic glam rock band The Philistines, and two original songs written for this album. This past year Daisy has performed with the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, shows in Ohio, Connecticut, and New York at the historic Duplex Cabaret, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Spencer Brown is a professional actor, singer, spokesmodel, super hero, and has appeared at The Unicorn Theatre, Late Night Theatre, The KC Fringe, Union Station, The Folly Theatre, Off Center Theatre, Just Off Broadway Theatre. Since 2008 Spencer has toured internationally and recorded several albums as a member of the acclaimed The Kinsey Sicks, America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet. Most recently they were seen on Watch What Happens Live! With Andy Cohen.]

14. (#77) Jake Wells – “Water, Pt. 2”
from: Orange and Blue – EP / Sound 81 Productions / May 17, 2018
[Kansas City based indie folk singer songwriter. Jake Wells was born in Florida grew up in Colorado. Jake studied Music Composition at University of Northern Colorado. “Jake’s sound evokes an emotionality and maturity much deeper than his age of 22 would imply.” He was named one of Spotify’s top 20. He has performed on stages since he was a teenager. His single releases are currently gaining radio play in the Midwest on several FM stations.]

15. (#76) Dreamgirl – “Silverado”
from: Dreamgirl / Dreamgirl /January 1, 2018
[Originally formed in 2013, in St. Joe Missouri by members who play with ‘60s-inspired psychedelic & surf rock.The band’s 2015 EP Illuminaughty was self-produced, and recorded over two days, at the home of Austin Marks. The band released their full length album, Dreamgirl on January 1, 2018 Engineered by Sam Stephan and Co-Engineered by Ian Dobyns and Mastered by David Gaumé at Forest Sounds, North Hollywood, CA. The current line-up includes: Lacey Hopkins on lead vocals, Austin Marks on guitar & backing vocals, Sam Stephen on keyboards, Ian Dobyns on drums, Chase Horseman on bass.]

16. (#75) The Fey – “Contender”
from: Strawberry Lemonade EP / The Record Machine / July 13, 2018
[The Fey is a Rock/Soul sextet based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The band has created 3 EP’s under the alias “AZP”, but have recently made a name change to, The Fey. Charles Hull, Founder and Managing Director, Silver Street Records writes, “Don’t let The Fey’s new EP title Strawberry Lemonade fool you; this record is no light beach drink. Rather, it’s a cocktail of the molotov variety, the kind you’ll want to toss into the middle of your ‘songs that rock’ summer playlist. From the opening salvos of ‘Contender’, to the slow burn of ‘Bones Underwater’, to the final soothing swells of ‘The Cool’, Strawberry Lemonade is a masterclass in modern songwriting, arrangement, instrumentation, and production.” Music arranged and composed by Zach Watkins.
Lyrics written by Zach Watkins and Ishma Valenti. The Fey is: Zach Watkins on lead/backup vocals, keys, percussion; Ishma Valenti on rap vocals; Trey Shotkoske on drums; Michael Rogers on guitars; John Fucinaro on bass, and Ludwing Siebenhor. Additional Backup vocals by Jasmin Ondap and Aly Millanes. Engineered and mixed by James Fleege at Silver Street. Mastered by Doug Van Sloun at Focus Mastering. Produced by Zach Watkins and James Fleege at Silver Street. Album art by Zach Watkins]

17. (#74) Stephonne Singleton – “Fine Feelin’Blue”
from: Caged Bird Sings Songs About Red Beard / Glory Blue Music / July 27, 2018
[Full length debut from Kansas City based singer songwriter and actor, who calls himself the lovechild of Prince and Billie Holiday. 31 year old Stephonne Singleton was born in Kansas City and grew up in the inner-city, of Wyandotte County going to High School at Bishop Ward. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Bendictine College and his Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University.]

[Stephonne Singleton is currently starring in Late Nite Theatre’s production Purple Reign – Party Like its 1499 where he plays Apollonia at Missy B’s.]

11:00 – Station ID

18. (#73) The Beths – “Future Me Hates Me”
from: Future Me Hates Me / Carpark Records / August 10, 2018
[The Beths are from Auckland, New Zealand. Elizabeth Stokes on lead vocals & guitar, Jonathan Pearce on guitar & vocals, Benjamin Sinclair on bass & vocals, Ivan Luketina-Johnston on drums & vocals. Their debut album on Carpark Records. Elizabeth Stokes previously worked in a folk band. “Fronting this kind of band was a new experience for me,” says Stokes. “I never thought I had the right voice for it.” All four members of The Beths studied jazz at university, resulting in a toolkit of deft instrumental chops and tricked-out arrangements that operate on a level rarely found in guitar-pop. Beths guitarist and studio guru Jonathan Pearce (whose other acts as producer include recent Captured Tracks signing Wax Chattels) brings it all home with an approach that’s equal parts seasoned perfectionist and D.I.Y. Channeling their stew of personal-canon heroes while drawing inspiration from contemporaries like Alvvays and Courtney Barnett, The Beths serve up deeply emotional lyrics packaged within heavenly sounds that delight in probing the limits of the pop form. “That’s another New Zealand thing,” Stokes concludes with a laugh. “We’re putting our hearts on our sleeves—and then apologizing for it.”]

19. (#72) St. Vincent – “Fear The Future (Piano Version)”
from: MassEducation / Loma Vist – Concord Music / October 12, 2018
[“MassEducation” a brand new acoustic rendition of her previous album Masseduction, Clark’s fifth studio album, was released in October 2017. Pitchfork writes: “Recorded over two days at Manhattan’s Reservoir Studios studios, MassEducation strips its hypersexual, neon-clad predecessor for parts, exposing its songs as tales of longing and nostalgia. Clark seemed to always know that her record contained two lives: “This needs to be something people can really dance to,” she said of a song on her last album, “until they listen to the words and then they’re crying.” Hiding melancholy behind pop production is nothing new, but on an album so saturated with sadness, these pared-down renderings give Clark a chance to indulge in their underlying sentiments.” Anne Erin Clark was born September 28, 1982, in Tulsa Oklahoma. She is known professionally as St. Vincent, a musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. After studying at Berklee College of Music for three years, she began her music career as a member of The Polyphonic Spree. Clark was also a member of Sufjan Stevens’s touring band before forming her own band in 2006. St. Vincent’s work has received consistent praise for its distinct musical style, which blends soft rock, experimental rock, electropop, and jazz influences. Her debut album was Marry Me (2007), followed by Actor (2009), Strange Mercy (2011), St. Vincent (2014), and Masseduction (2017). She released a collaborative album with David Byrne in 2012 titled Love This Giant. Clark also contributed backing vocals for Swans on their 2014 album, To Be Kind. Her fourth solo album, the eponymous St. Vincent, was named album of the year by The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, NME, and Slant Magazine, as well as second best album of the year by Time magazine. The album won her a Grammy for Best Alternative Album, her first Grammy award. She was the first solo female performer in 20 years to win a Grammy in that category.]

20. (#71) HighWesthus – “BLVCK”
from: TAKOTSUBO: a love story / Datura Records / October 24, 2018
[Written and produced and performed by HighWesthuss. HighWesthus was born in Chicago and is based in Kansas City. Last year Datura Records released The Trilogy. A set pf three releases that began with the May 2015 release, Part I. The Dead, and continued with the November 2015 release, Part II. The Wise. HighWesthus is a freelance multimedia artist living in Kansas City. He graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2012 with a BFA in Animation. He is one of four owners of Strange Paper Studio, based in Kansas City. HighWesthus specializes in illistration, animation, graphic design, dideo editing, sound editing, music producing, writng anf storytelling.]

21. (#70) The Matchsellers – “Shannon Lives in Arkansas”
from: BLUEGRASTRONAUTS / The Matchsellers / March 16, 2018
[3rd full length release from classically trained violinist Julie Bates from Kansas City, and a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana, Andrew Morris. The Matchsellers have traveled the US and Europe developing their brand of off the wall bluegrass & old-time music. In 2017 they began collaborating with two of the Midwest’s finest musicians, Chad Graves a dobro player that has been featured in Rolling Stone and The Bluegrass Situation, and Betsey Beymer a much sought after bassist from Lakin, KS.]

22. (#69) Heidi Phillips and Danny Krause – “Be Good”
from: Honest I’m Fine / Heidi Phillips and Danny Krause / June 23, 2018
[Heidi Phillips on vocals, guitar, mandolin, & drums; Danny Krause on vocals, guitar, mandolin, & bass; Zeke Krause on percussion; and Linn Buck on piano. Heidi and Danny played together in the short lived band Abileen who released a great album and broke up just as the album was being released. Before that Heidi was the co-songwriter for the alternative rock band Frogpond that she formed in 1994. Frogpond achieved considerable success and was signed to Tristar Music and Columbia Records. Through a few line up changes the band included Heidi Phillips, Justine Volpe, Krisite Stremel, Megan Hamilton, Tawni Freeland and Billy Johnson who played drums on all of their recordings and who passed away on Feb 14, 2018 at the age of 42.]

23. (#68) Sauce – “Cultivating Manhood feat. Ryan S. Harvey”
from: Soul Food 4 / Sauce / November 21, 2018
[Kansas City based Hip-Hop artist Sauce is back with his 4th original release. Sauce’s earlier releases charted on Billboard, iTunes and Amazon Hip-Hop charts. Royce “Sauce” Handy is a rapper, a songwriter, a beat maker, a designer, a teacher, an MC, a business owner, a social media manager, a husband, a father., a community organizer. He has worked with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, Teens in Transition, Storytellers Inc., Arts Tech, Mid-America Regional Council, UMKC, Representative Brandon Ellington, Mayor Sly James. He is co-owner of The Rap Asylum, We are RAP, and owner of Melanin Connoisseur. Sauce has collaborated with visual artists, the hip hop community and with the collective NUBLVCKCITY. Last year Sauce released his EP Summer Sauce which was part of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. Throughout November and December he will be touring midwestern and southern cities with Mae C., Kartez Marcel, VP3, and Kadesh Flow. More info at: http://www.soundcloud.com/theycallmesauce%5D

24. (#67) No Magic – “Backspin”
from: In Cocoon / French Exit Records / November 9, 2018
[All songs written by Ben Sauder. Produced by Joel Martin. Mixed by Joel Martin and Ben Sauder. Mastered by Steve Squire. No Magic is Ben Sauder on guitars, keys, stairs, vocals, & auxiliary; Joel Martin on guitars, basses, keys, drums, vocals, patience; Heidi Gluck on bass, acoustic guitars, piano, slide guitar, vocals; and Jeff Stolz on drums and modelos. With: Leslie Butsch – Saxophone on “Backspin” and “San Francisco”. Kyle “Strings” Stringer – Bass on “While I Got You” and “Apart”. Brother Bobby Sauder – Bass on “Firefly”. Nicholas Stahl – Drums on “While I Got You”. Chris Luxem – Chorus Chant Vocals on “Smoke”. Garrett Marsh – Acoustic riff on “San Francisco”. Design and layout – Carl Smith. Cover photo – Ga Ji Ashlin Wang. Inside photo – Austin Pulliam .] [No Magic played an Album Release Show at Voltaire Nov 10, w/ Chase the Horseman, Vanity Plates.]

25. (#66) The Project H – “NaCl”
from: Everyday, Forever/ The Project H / March 23, 2018
[This is the fourth album from the collective that includes: Clint Ashlock – trumpet, Ryan Heinlein – trombone, Brett Jackson – woodwinds, Matt Leifer – drums, Andrew Ouellette – keys, Dominique Sanders – bass, Jeff Stocks- guitars. The Project H were winners of the 2014 Pitch Music Award for Best Jazz Ensemble.]

11:29 – Underwriting

26. (#65) Christine and The Queens – “Doesn’t Matter”
from: Chris / Because Music / September 21, 2018
[Chris is the second studio album by French singer Christine and the Queens, released in both English and French versions through Because Music. It was preceded by the release of two singles, each of which were released in both English and French versions: “Girlfriend” / “Damn, dis-moi”, featuring Dâm-Funk, and “Doesn’t Matter” / “Doesn’t Matter (Voleur de soleil)”. An English-language single, “5 Dollars”, was also released alongside an S&M-inspired video, followed by the French version of “La Marcheuse”. Héloïse Letissier (born 1 June 1988), known professionally as Christine and the Queens (or, as of 2017, simply Chris), is a French singer, songwriter and producer. Born in Nantes, France, Letissier studied theatre before forming her solo musical group Christine and the Queens. Letissier has been signed to the independent record label Because Music since 2012. Her work combines music, performance, art videos, drawings and photography.]

27. (#64) Thee Devotion – “Shake It Up”
from: Chapel / Woundup Records / April 7, 2018
[Thee Devotion is a KC based, “chickenshack” & “garage soul” band formed on January 1, 2008 with Davin Watne on guitar, keyboards, harmonica & vocal; Chris Teasely on keyboards, organ, harmonica, flute, trumpet, & vocals; Bruce Eddy on bass and vocals; and Keith Patterson on drums and vocals. Chapel is their second record and was produced by Bill Honan who also played piano and moog. Jesus Negron and Sean Branagan played percussion and David Williams played pedal steel on the record. All songs written by Thee Devotion.]

28. (#63) Blue False Indigo – “Rainbow”
from: More Light / Blue False Indigo / September 7, 2018
[They call their music “Spooky-Folk.” Makayla Scott on vocals & guitar; A.J Reynolds on vocals & keys; and Kara LePage on vocals & bass started the band in October 2013, in Springfield, Missouri.]

29. (#62) Salty – “Perfect Angels”
from: Dry Rub / Independent / November 21, 2018
[Salty was formerly know as Lil Toughies. Formed in early 2016. The current lineup includes: Jonathan Brokaw (JB) on guitar and vocals, Zach Turner on synthesizers, Ethan Eckert on drums, and Jesslay Huh on bass. More info at http://www.saltykcmo.bandcamp.com or http://www.saltyisthebest.com]

30. (#61) Khrystal. – “Badu”
from: The Awkward Muva / Khrystal. / July 13, 2018
[Khrystal Coppage is Editor-in-Chief of Khorage Magazine. She served as Production Manager at UMKC University News from 2015 to 2016. She graduated from UMKC in 2016 where she studied Family Studies. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts & Science, in KCK. You can hear her debut album at; http://mixtapemonkey.com/2073/khrystal-q-u-a-r-t-e-r-c-e-n-t-u-r-y-l-i-v-i-n-g. Khrystal also released the three song EP, The Glow Up produced by Duncan Burnett on November 7, 2017.

31. (#60) Serene Fiend – “Just Wont Go Away”
from: Sowing Discord / DK Records / July 27, 2018
[Industrial pop-rock project from Lawrence, Kansas based Joel Bonner. Vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizers, Drum Programming, Mixing, Mastering by Joel Bonner. Written by Joel Bonner. I Heart Local Music calls Sowing Discord “warm and beautiful, wrapping you up its lush sound.”]

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

Next week on Wednesday December 19, we present part three of our four week series The 118 Best Recordings of 2018. We’ll count down #59 to #30 with representative tracks from: Danielle Nicole, Of Tree, Amanda Fish, Second Hand King, Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7, My Oh My!, FACEFACE, Hi-Lux, Eems, Scruffy & the Janitors, Kian Byrne, The Get Up Kids, Sara Morgan, The Phantastics, Kadesh Flow, Carswell and Hope, Grand Marquis, Dragon Inn 3. Vigil and Thieves, The Big Iron, Yo La Tengo, Soccer Mommy, David Byrne, Fantastic Negreto, Lucy Dacus, Mary Gauthier, Gully Boys, Kississippi, First Aid Kit, and Angélique Kidjo.

Tune into 90.1 FM, Wednesdays in December, as we present our 4-week series: The 118 Best Recordings of 2018. December 19th, and 26th. We’re packing 8-hours of radio with music that represent: The 118 of Best Recordings of 2018!

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

Show #764