Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

New & MidCoastal Releases
+ The Guillotine Choir + They Call Me Sauce +
Nicole Springer + Ivory Blue

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
[WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. THE VACANT LOTS – “RESCUE”
from: INTERZONE / Fuzz Club Records / June 26, 2020
[The Vacant Lots are Jerad Artaud & Brian MacFadyen. Music & lyrics by The Vacant Lots. Produced by The Vacant Lots. Recorded in Brooklyn, New York. Mixed & additional productions by Maurizio at La Distilleria Studio. Engineered by Ted Young. Mastered by Gianni Peri. More info: http://www.thevacantlots.com. Interzone is the third full-length album by New York’s electro post-punk duo The Vacant Lots. A genre-blending synthesis of dance and psych, Interzone is made for secluded listeners and all night partygoers, meant for headphones and the club. Uninhibited by the limitations of two people and continuing their mission of “minimal means maximum effect,” The Vacant Lots’ Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen create an industrial amalgam of icy electronics and cold beats with detached vocals and hard hitting guitars. Interzone’s trance-like opener ‘Endless Rain’ and the kinetic krautrock stomper ‘Into The Depths’ are followed by scintillating dark disco anthems ‘Rescue’ and ‘Exit’. Side 2 kicks off with 80’s synth-pop track ‘Fracture’ and haunting after-hours minimal wave ‘Payoff,’ while ‘Station’ and album closer ‘Party’s Over’ deal with disillusionment and conquering one’s indifference to make real change. The album creates order from chaos and delves into escapism, isolation, relationship conflicts, and decay. With nods to William S. Burroughs and Joy Division’s song of the same name, “Interzone is like existing between two zones,” Jared says. “Interzone doesn’t mean one thing. It can mean different things to different people depending on their interpretation. Working on this album was a constant struggle reconciling internal conflicts with all that’s going on externally in the world. Interzone in one word is duality.” “Jared and I bounced ideas back and forth while working in seclusion on opposite coasts. We would just send files to each other until the songs were arranged. Then we met up at the studio in Brooklyn where we were fortunate enough to borrow Alan Vega’s Arp synth and finished recording with engineer Ted Young. We then worked with Maurizio Baggio to mix it,” recalls Brian. After the band finished producing Interzone, long term visual collaborator Ivan Liechti designed the album artwork. The Vacant Lots have released singles with Mexican Summer and Reverberation Appreciation Society, collaborated on their debut album Departure with Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom, their second album Endless Night with Alan Vega, and most recently on their two EPs, Berlin and Exit, with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe at his studio in Berlin. The group has toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Suicide, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Growlers, Dean Wareham, The Dandy Warhols, and Spectrum. Reflecting on the new album, Jared says, “We don’t want to waste people’s time and we want people to play it over and over. Our mantra is ‘is it bulletproof? It’s about intention and vision.” Interzone is a record made for these times.]

3. The Sluts – “Enjoy The Show”
from: “Enjoy The Show” – Single / The Sluts / April 21, 2020
[Second single from The Sluts upcoming 2020 release, Enjoy The Show and follow up to last year’s 6 song EP Break Their Heart. The Lawrence based band The Sluts were formed by Ryan Wise & Kristoffer Dover in 2011. Produced recorded, mixed, and mastered by Joel Nanos at Element Recording and Mastering Studios, KCMO. The Sluts released their debut EP Virile on November 14, 2013. The Sluts released The Loser EP on July 8, 2014. They released their 11-song full length album The Sluts on June 17, 2015. The Sluts released their EP Only One on May 25, 2017. Info at http://www.thesluts.bandcamp.com]

4. The Philistines – “Further”
from: Further – Single / The Philistines / March 15, 2019
[New music from The Philistines, that will be part of the upcoming album Dysnomia. Produced and engineered by Paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios. The Philistines are a Kansas City based rock band with a psychedelic bent, made up of: Kimmie Queen on lead vocals; Cody Wyoming on lead guitar & vocals; Rod Peal on guitar; Josh Mobley on keyboard, Steve Gardels on drums, and Barry Kidd on bass.]

10:15 – Underwriting

10:17 – Interview with Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen

Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen are veterans of the Kansas City music community. They are also two of the founding members of the six piece rock band The Philistines, formed in 2013 and including: Kimmie Queen on vocals; Cody Wyoming on guitar & vocals, Steve Gardels on drums, Rod Peal on guitar, Josh Mobley on keyboards, and Barry Kidd on bass. The Philistines debut album “The Backbone of Night” was #1 on WMM’s 116 Best Recordings of 2016. Kimmie Queen and Cody Wyoming join us to share the broadcast radio premiere of their new single “What Tomorrow Brings” from their musical side project, The Guillotine Choir, an electronic rock band they have created with Justin Muschinske of The Widows Ride.

Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen, Thanks for being with us on WeMM

We just heard “Further” a single released last year from The Philistines that will be part of the band’s upcoming album Dysnomia, recorded and mixed by Paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios, produced by Paul Malinowski and Cody Wyoming.

The Guillotine Choir is an electronic rock band musical side project they have created with Justin Muschinske of The Widows Ride.

The new single: “What Tomorrow Brings”

Invoking the imagery of a late night journey through a cold war Berlin, the synthesizers sizzle and crash and beat against the wall, as the music searches for signs of light and freedom across dark urban landscapes. Kimmie and Cody share details about “What Tomorrow Brings” their new single from The Guillotine Choir

Cody Wyoming is also a guitarist with The Pedaljets. Cody went to Park Hill High and lives in Kansas City, Missouri with Kimmie Queen who he has been in a relationship with for 15 years. Cody grew up in Enid, Oklahoma.

Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen, thank you for being with us on WMM.

10:25

5. The Guillotine Choir – “What Tomorrow Brings”
from: “What Tomorrow Brings” – Single / The Guillotine Choir / April 29, 2020
[Midtown is the MGDs fourth full length release following, Somos Como Somos, from November 4, 2017. The band includes: Matt Davis on drums, percussion & vocals; Greg Bush on bass; Damon Parker on keyboards & vocals; Scott “Snoof” Middleton on guitar; Rudy Vasquez on saxophones; and Eric Martens on trumpet. This Kansas City based 6-piece band that mixes piano and brass with a dynamic rhythm section that adds a unique flavor to the iconic Kansas City music culture, blending of funk and blues with soulful stylings. In what started as a 3-piece between longtime friends Matt, Greg and Damon in 2008, the MGDs have evolved into a potent powerhouse, high-energy ensemble with regular monthly appearances at the Phoenix, and appearances at the Sunset Music Fest, the City Market Crawfish Fest, the 6th annual Phoenix Fest, Crossroads Music Fest, Middle of The Map Fest, Boulevardia, The Plaza Art Fair, Kauffman Stadium before two Kansas City Royals games. In 2016 the band released, “Wake Up” their 2nd full length studio album.]

6. They Call Me Sauce – “Make You Sing [feat. Love, Mae C]”
from: Make You Sing – Single / NuBlvckCity / March 27, 2020
[Featuring Love, Mae C. Produced by D. Professor. Recorded at I Got The Sauce Studios & Woodgrain Productions. Mixed & mastered by Tony at Woodgrain ProductionsRoyce “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, and the hip hop community. In 2017 Sauce released his EP, Summer Sauce which was part of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. In 2018 Sauce released Soul Food 4. In 2019 his collective NuBvckCity with Kartez Marcel, Mae C, and VP3 released the single “All Night” / “Alive”.]

10:35 – Interview with They Call Me Sauce

They Call Me Sauce is Royce “Sauce” Handy, a rapper, songwriter, beat maker, designer, teacher, MC, business owner, social media manager, husband, father, and community organizer. He has worked with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, Teens in Transition, Arts Tech, Mid-America Regional Council, UMKC, and Representative Brandon Ellington. In 2017 Sauce’s EP, Summer Sauce was one of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. In 2018 Sauce released Soul Food 4. Last year the collective, NuBvckCity, with Kartez Marcel, Love Mae C, and VP3 released “All Night” and “Alive” through The Record Machine. This year Sauce is back with his single new, “Make You Sing” featuring Love, Mae C.

Royce “Sauce” Handy, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

NuBlvckCity’s singles Alive & All Night were #1 on WMM’s 39 Favorite Singles of 2019

More info at: http://www.theycallmesauce.com

NuBlvckCity went on a Winter Tour in 2018 followed by a Spring Tour in 2019. The collective represents positive vibes, creativity, showmanship, and community. NuBlvckCity is a Kansas City-based music collective, members include Mae C; They Call Me Sauce; Kartez Marcel and VP3.

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, and the hip hop community. In 2017 Sauce released his EP, Summer Sauce which was part of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. In 2018 Sauce released his newest album Soul Food 4.

Kartez Marcel (Addison) is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, he is a Hip-Hop artist, community program developer, sound engineer, entrepreneur, recording artist, musician, and songwriter. He provides resources to artists and assists with bringing their artistic visions to life, he also serves as the Director of A/V at a large faith-based organization. With Royce “Sauce” Handy he founded We Are Rap a hip hop program for youth.Kartez Marcel’s passion for artistic expression and vision not only led him to establish the League of Lifestyles, but also guides him in working to ensure generations that follow have access to unique and relevant mediums of expression. As such Kartez has partnered in the delivery of M.E.D.I.A over the past few years, which is an after/in-school program designed to expose local students to various facets of the music industry while providing practical experience they can apply both in and out of creative spaces. Kartez was educated in the KC and Hickman Mills School Districts, and later attended college at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida where he studied music production and sound engineering.

VP3 (Vernon Percy Howard III) is a Music Producer, Songwriter, Singer, Pianist, & Saxophonist. He recently gradualted from the University of Central Missouri where he studied digital media production.

Mae C is a singer/songwriter who’s one of Kansas City’s go-to voices and performer’s. Mae C is a Kansas City based singer songwriter who we’ve played several times on the show. Her single “Anxious” was preceeded by her EP, Warning Sign of True Love. Influenced by Hip Hop, Rock, Jazz, Soul & R&B, Mae C is making her mark as an independent artist in the Kansas City music scene. A self-acclaimed black girl nerd, she originally planned on becoming an engineer and studied computer design at Lincoln University of Missouri. After leaving Lincoln to pursue her true passion of singing and songwriting, she finds that her techy side impacts how she writes music. “As a kid, I was always picking things apart and figuring out how to put them back together,” she said. “As an artist, I do the same thing – I pick apart my favorite singers to discover what made them great so I can walk in their footsteps.” With Kansas City becoming a place of movement for arts and entertainment, Mae C says now is the time to reinvent the wheel, break barriers, build bridges, but most of all support each other. “Supporting each other is the secret to rising to the top and putting the town on the map”, says Mae C. She aspires to inspire other artists to capitalize in their craft by not putting themselves in a box. “I’m an African American woman, but I refuse to allow anyone to use that against me. I’m an artist & proud black girl and I deserve a chance at every opportunity just as anyone else,” she said.

They Call Me Sauce released his new single “Make You Sing” featuring Love, Mae C. More information at: http://www.theycallmesauce.com

10:48

7. NuBlvckCity – “All Night”
from: All Night / Alive – Single / NuBlvckCity / July 12, 2019
[NuBlvckCity is a KC-based music collective with Kartez Marcel (Addison), a native of Kansas City, Missouri, a Hip-Hop artist, and community program developer, sound engineer, entrepreneur, recording artist, musician, and songwriter. He provides resources to artists and assists with bringing their artistic visions to life, he also serves as the Director of A/V at a large faith-based organization. With Royce “Sauce” Handy he founded We Are Rap a hip hop program for youth. VP3 (Vernon Percy Howard III) is a Music Producer, Songwriter, Singer, Pianist, & Saxophonist. He recently graduated from the University of Central Missouri where he studied digital media production. Mae C is a singer/songwriter who’s one of KC’s go-to voices and performer’s. Mae C is a KC based singer songwriter who we’ve played several times on the show. Her single “Anxious” came after her EP, Warning Sign of True Love. Influenced by Hip Hop, Rock, Jazz, Soul & R&B, Mae C is making her mark as an artist in the KC music scene. 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, Rep. Brandon Ellington, Mayor Sly James. He is co-owner of The Rap Asylum, We are RAP, and owner of Melanin Connoisseur.]

8. Ivy Roots – “Home”
from: “Home” – Single / Ivy Roots Music / April 22, 2020
[KC native singer songwriter, who plays piano & guitar, and produces beats. Her style ranges from R & B, Neo Soul, Hip Hop, Acoustic, & Pop. The acoustic guitar strumming songstress draws from her inspirations; Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Deangelo, and India Arie. Ivy Roots studied audio engineering at Kansas City, Kansas Community College. She toured in a 5-piece reggae band, played regional festivals, Los Angeles, and collaborated with film & performance. She also sang in a vocal jazz group at a performing arts jazz festival at Lincoln Center in NYC, before releasing her first album “Bad Intuition” and beginning her solo career. Last year Ivy Roots released her EP Love Art Growth on June 5, 2019 where she collaborated with Eddie Moore. Ivy Roots released her debut album Bad Intuition on April 14, 2016. Written & produced by Ivy.]

9. The Magnetic Fields – “(I Want To Join a) Biker Gang”
from: Quickies / Nonesuch Records / May 15, 2020
[The Magnetic Fields’ Quickies vinyl box set is five 7” EPs comprising twenty-eight new short songs by Stephin Merritt, ranging in length from thirteen seconds to two minutes and thirty-five seconds, performed by Merritt and band members Sam Davol, Claudia Gonson, Shirley Simms, and John Woo, along with longtime friends and collaborators Chris Ewen, Daniel Handler, and Pinky Weitzman. he Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel Les Champs Magnétiques) are an American band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group’s primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as frequent multi-instrumentalist. The Magnetic Fields is essentially a vehicle for Merritt’s songwriting, as are various side-projects including The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and The Gothic Archies. Merritt’s recognizable lyrics are often about love and with atypical or neutral gender roles, and are by turns ironic, tongue-in-cheek, bitter, and humorous. The band released their debut single “100,000 Fireflies” in 1991. The single was typical of the band’s earlier career, characterized by synthesized instrumentation by Merritt, with lead vocals provided by Susan Anway (and then by Stephin Merritt himself from The House of Tomorrow (EP) onwards). A more traditional band later materialized; it is now composed of Merritt, Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, and John Woo, with occasional guest vocals by Shirley Simms. The band’s best-known work is the 1999 three-volume concept album 69 Love Songs. It was followed in the succeeding years by a “no-synth” trilogy: i (2004), Distortion (2008), and Realism (2010). The band’s most recent album, 50 Song Memoir, was released in March 2017. The band began as Merritt’s studio project under the name Buffalo Rome. With the help of friend Claudia Gonson, who had played in Merritt’s band The Zinnias during high school, a live band was assembled in Boston, where Merritt and Gonson lived, to play Merritt’s compositions. The band’s first live performance was at T.T. the Bear’s Place in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1991 where they played to a sparse audience that was expecting to see the Galaxie 500 spin-off, Magnetophone. The 1999 triple album 69 Love Songs showcased Merritt’s songwriting abilities and the group’s musicianship, demonstrated by the use of such varied instruments as the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, flute, xylophone, and the Marxophone, in addition to their usual setting of synthesizers, guitars, and effects. The album features vocalists Shirley Simms, Dudley Klute, L.D. Beghtol, and Gonson, each of whom sings lead on six songs as well as various backing vocals, plus Daniel Handler (who has written under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket) on accordion, and longtime collaborator Christopher Ewen (of Future Bible Heroes) as guest arranger/synthesist. Violinist Ida Pearle makes a brief cameo on “Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side”. The band’s albums, i (2004) and Distortion (2008), both followed the album theme structure of 69 Love Songs: The song titles on i begin with the letter (or, in the case of half the songs’ titles, the pronoun) “I”, whilst Distortion was an experiment in combining noise music with their typically unconventional musical approach. The liner notes claim the album was made without synthesizers. According to an article: “To celebrate the release of Distortion, Merritt and The Magnetic Fields played mini-residencies in cities around the country, culminating with six shows at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music.” Realism was released in January 2010, concluding what Merritt termed the “no-synth” trilogy (following i and Distortion). The next album produced would feature synthesizers “almost exclusively”. In 2010, the documentary film Strange Powers: Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields made its debut in film festivals around the world. It was directed by Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara. Shot over a period of 10 years, it discusses the formation of the band, Stephin’s friendship with Claudia Gonson, the production of various albums, and Stephin’s move to California from New York. It won the Outfest 2010 Grand Jury Prize for Feature Documentary. The band was chosen by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform a rare festival performance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties event that he curated in March 2012 in Minehead, England. The band released its tenth full-length album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, on March 6, 2012 to critical acclaim. This album, sometimes compared to 69 Love Songs, brought back the use of a synthesizer. Merritt told fans on his website, “I was very happy to be using synthesizers in ways that I had not done before. Most of the synthesizers on the record didn’t exist when we were last using synthesizers.” The song “Andrew in Drag” has garnered much attention, receiving play from entities such as CBS News and NPR’s All Songs Considered. In 2012, the Magnetic Fields celebrated its new album by launching a North American and European tour. It began on March 6, the release date of Love at the Bottom of the Sea, and continued for two months. In 2016 it was announced that the band’s eleventh studio album, 50 Song Memoir would contain fifty songs, akin to the 69 Love Songs concept, one to commemorate each year since Stephin Merritt was born. It was released in March 2017. On May 15th 2020, the band will release the album Quickies – twenty-eight songs under three minutes long through Nonesuch Records. The first single “The Day The Politicians Died” was released on February 25th, followed by “Kraftwerk In A Blackout” on April 1st and “I Want To Join A Biker Gang” on April 16th.]

11:00 – Station ID

10. The Nicole Springer Band – “Come Clean”
from: Willing / Nicole Springer / November 10, 2019
[Nicole Springer is a singer-songwriter + multi-instrumentalist out of the Kansas City Metro. She was the founder of critically acclaimed + award wining local groups, The Clementines, and The Good Hearts. She’s written original music for her bands The Good Hearts, Heart Machine, and her solo projects. Nicole Springer is a 2019 Pitch KC nominee for Best Vocalist, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed singer-songwriter. Nicole has performed at numerous festivals and venues. In 2014 she was the recipient of both a Pitch Music Award and Project Backstage Award. More info at http://www.nicolespringersings.com.]

11:05 – Interview with Nicole Springer

Last fall Nicole Springer premiered her brand new single and EP “Willing” on Wednesday MidDay Medley. Nicole Springer is a 2019 Pitch KC nominee for Best Vocalist, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed singer-songwriter. As founder of The Clementines and The Good Hearts, Nicole has performed at numerous festivals and venues. In 2014 she was the recipient of both a Pitch Music Award and Project Backstage Award. Nicole Springer joins us to discuss her new single & video “Come Clean” from her EP Willing, and the share details about being a finalist to play The Melissa Etheridge Cruise.

Nicole Springer, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Nicole Springer sang “Come Clean” LIVE on the November 6, 2019 edition of WMM.

When Nicole Springer was 19 years old she was disowned and made homeless because of who she loved.

Now 15 years later she releases her music video “Come Clean.” Dedicate to her wife Bethany Cain and the LGBTQIA Community who have had to face unfathomable obstacles to simply love.

“Come Clean” is the first official video for the Nicole Springer Band. It was directed and filmed by Kelly Powell, and edited by Julia Hamilton.

Nicole Springer, has been selected out of hundreds across the globe as a top 10 finalist to perform on The MELISSA ETHERIDGE Cruise! Melissa is a queer icon/musician who was popular in the 90s/00s and happens to be from Kansas! We’d appreciate your vote to get Nicole into the finals! Vote at: https://www.themelissaetheridgecruise.com/soundcheck/

The Nicole Springer Band includes: Nicole Springer (songwriter) on vocals & guitar, Mike Harper on bass, George Biggs on electric guitar, and Dane Walters on drums.

Nicole Springer lives in KC. Nicole Springer has a big amazing voice; once you hear it, you cannot ignore her voice. In the true courageous spirit of DIY, she started her first band by putting an advertisement on Craigslist for a guitarist. She is founder of the bands, The Clementines, and The Good Hearts. She defies categories because her voice sounds like so many things; Rock, Pop, Folk, Gospel, Broadway, and Blues.

On the April 10, 2019 edition of WMM she shared the radio debut her single, “Hell.”

We first met Nicole as part of The Clementines, originally a duo Tim Jenkins & Nicole Springer, playing LIVE on our April 25, 2012 show. Their band included Stephanie Williams on drums, and Travis Earndshaw on bass.

Nicole Springer grew up in Oak Grove, MO, and graduated H.S. in 2004. She studied Music-Vocal/Choral at Missouri State University, in Springfield, MO, and studied Special Education with Music at Metropolitan MO CC, in KCMO.

Nicole told The Pitch (Jan. 10, 2012 article): “I grew up singing in gospel choirs,” she says. “And I still love gospel music, though I’m not religious or anything. I did musicals through – out high school, and I went to school for a year at Missouri State for music education.”

She was the founder of critically acclaimed + award wining local groups, The Clementines, The Good Hearts, Nikki and the Rooftop Punch, Heart Machine. She’s written original music for her bands The Good Hearts, Heart Machine, and her solo projects.

Last November Nicole was on the cover of Camp Kansas City Magazine in a feature article written by John Long, where Nicole talks about being homeless, being rejected by her family for being lesbian, and overcoming her own fears while pursuing a career as a musician. Nicole is married to Bethany Cain and has recently found new confidence in her music ad in telling her own story of her life.

Nicole Springer is parent to a cat and 2 doggies. She is also proud wife, sister, & aunt.

Besides her own songs, Nicole Springer loves singing covers from the 1980’s – 1990’s. More info at http://www.nicolespringersings.com where you can hear her originals and covers

Artists Nicole Springer likes: Janis Joplin / Judy Garland / Beach Boys / Beatles / Broadway / The Supremes / Dixie Chicks / Haim / Tegan and Sara / 80’s pop /

Nicole sings from the heart, writing every song to be a reflective piece of her life story and as a means to evolve and grow as a human. She describes her sound as pop-folk but additional influences such as gospel, soul, and Motown find their way into the mix. With her sometimes big, always emotional vocals, Nicole performs each heartfelt song with a raw emotionality that aims to move people and free herself.

Nicole Springer, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Nicole Springer, has been selected out of hundreds across the globe as a top 10 finalist to perform on The MELISSA ETHERIDGE Cruise! Melissa is a queer icon/musician from Leavenworth, Kansas! Vote at: https://www.themelissaetheridgecruise.com/soundcheck/

11:18

11. The Nicole Springer Band – “Moving Strong”
from: Willing / Nicole Springer / November 10, 2019
[Nicole Springer is a singer-songwriter + multi-instrumentalist out of the Kansas City Metro. She was the founder of critically acclaimed + award wining local groups, The Clementines, and The Good Hearts. She’s written original music for her bands The Good Hearts, Heart Machine, and her solo projects. More info at http://www.nicolespringersings.com .]

12. Sam Wells – “Sugar”
from: “Sugar” – Single / Sam Wells / April 21, 2020
[Debut single. Produced at the Lawrence Kansas Public Library recording studio. It was only a decade ago, Sam Wells sat in her bedroom learning the Corrine Bailey Ray classic “Put Your Records On”. This was all it took to ignite a lifetime love affair with music. Now based in Lawrence KS, the singer-songwriter brings her Folk-Americana sound to the greater Kansas City area. With her smooth and sultry voice and the warm tones of a baritone ukulele, she shares stories of love, loss and everything in between.]

[Sam Wells will be our guest on WMM on May 13, 2020]

11:28 – Underwriting

13. Ivory Blue – “Midas Touch”
from: Ready Get Set EP / Independent / June 23, 2015
[Singer, songwriter, rock & roller, Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied of it for so long, Ivory had lived with eight different families, before running away at 15, moving from Indiana to Oklahoma and eventually ending up in Seattle. In 2011, after a friend sent a plane ticket, Ivory landed in the Kansas City area, and became a part of new family where they were able to have solid ground and over the past several years has been performing in singer-songwriter showcases and in June 2015 Ivory released their debut EP, Ready Get Set.]

11:05 – Interview with Ivory Blue

KC based singer songwriter and rock & roller, Ivory Blue is currently in the studio putting together a new full length 10-song album called “Compound Love” for release in 2020. Ivory Blue’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015 and had wide radio airplay on this show and multiple radio and television stations in Kansas City and across the country. In 2017 Ivory was among 1800 bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Ivory Blue’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015, recorded and mastered by Larry Gann of Awestruck studios. Micah Burdick on guitar, Craig Kew on bass, and Lester Estelle, drummer for Kelly Clarkson, on drums for Ivory ‘s EP.

Ivory Blue has played Crossroads Music festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The Kansas City Publlic Library. Ivory Black plays the Kauffman Stadium, July 1, Royals home game.

Ivory Blue was among 1800 bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local and regional challenges and advanced to the nationals in Los Angeles, where the top five bands played The Viper Room before judges that included: Scott Borchetta President & CEO of Big Machine Label Records; fashion designer John Varvatos; songwriter & producer Desmond Child; engineer Chris Lord-Alge; Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols; and Gavin Rossdale of Bush. Ivory won the entire competition and the opportunity to record “Ready Get Set” for Big Machine Records / John Varvatos Records.

Klaartje Van Lue is Ivory’s manager and she was the one who helped Ivory find their way to KC. Ivory has said that Klaartje saved their life.

Born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, and given up for adoption at the age of four, it was difficult to find trust in people after living with eight different foster families. Running away at 15, Ivory moved from Indiana to Oklahoma and eventually ended up in Seattle. In 2011 Ivory moved to Kansas City, and has became a part of new family.

Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying them Ivory KC, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. During the past 9 years Ivory had the opportunity to be in a family and came out as “Non-Binary Transgender.”

Last time Ivory was on WMM was on November 6, 2019 when Ivory sang “Elite Dreamland” live.

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Ivory Blue’s new full length 10-song album called “Compound Love” will be released in 2020. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com

11:48

14. Ivory Blue – “Elite Dreamland”
from: “Elite Dreamland” – Single / Devin Robert Kesler / February 17, 2020
[KC based singer songwriter and rock & roller, Ivory Blue is currently in the studio putting together a new full length 10-song album called “Compound Love” for release in 2020.]

15. Heath Church – “Extra Pain”
from: “Extra Pain” – Single / Heath Church / November 18, 2019
[Heath Church is an American singer-songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri who primarily plays indie-folk music. His style is inspired by artists such as Elliott Smith, John Prine, Rivers Cuomo, and The Smiths. Featuring melodies that are often melancholy but yet catchy, many of his songs include intimate vocals, poetic lyrics, and warm acoustic guitar tracks. Heath enjoys performing at many types of venues all over the Midwest and connecting with the locals at his shows. Heath enjoys playing music in smaller, more intimate venues and interacting with his fellow Kansas City locals. Heath Church released his debut EP The Things I’ve Tried on December 23, 2017. More information at: http://www.heathchurchmusic.com]

16. Quiet Takes – “More”
from: Milk and Honey / Polydor-Geffen / released as Quiet Takes on April 14, 2020
[Music & Lyrics by Sarah Magill. Produced by David Bennett. Vocals & keyboards by Sarah Magill, guitars, bass & programming by David Bennett. Engineered & mixed by David Bennett at Aorist Studios in Kansas City, Missouri. Mastered by Zach Hanson Quiet Takes (formerly MYRY) is an on-going collaborative music project by Sarah Magill a writer and musician based in Kansas City, Missouri. She performs with a rotating cast of friends—although these stay-at-home days, she is playing solo. In Kansas City, she is known for hosting house shows and co-founding Rubix, a performance art collective. The first EP, MYRY’s AHEM. Was release in 2018.. Quiet Takes has new music coming in 2020.] [

[Quiet Takes plays an Instagram Live streaming concert on Friday, May 1]

[Sarah Magill will be on WMM on May 13.]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, May 6 we’ll be playing more New & Midcoastal Releases. We will also talk with Chase the Horseman, Mike McCoy, and David Burchfield.

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/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1F

Show #835