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 7, 2021

New & MidCoastal Releases + Claire Adams + Alisön Hawkins + Stacy Busch + Jen Harris & Vanessa Aricco

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. Lazy Projector – “Hookworms”
   from: “Hookworms” – Single / Lazy Projectors / April 2, 2021
   [Written and recorded by Lazy Projectors. Aaron Shinn on guitars, vocals, keyboards; Adam Mcgill on bass guitar; Jordan Shinn on guitar, backing vocals. Lazy Projector released their single “Windows” on December 4, 2020. ”Hookworms” and “Windows” will be featured on Lazy Projector’s upcoming album to be released in 2021. Lazy Projector released their debut album, “evoco” in 2018. More info at http://www.lazyprojector.com]

3. Tune-Yards – “Hypnotized”
   from: Sketchy / 4AD / March 26, 2021
   [Fifth studio album by indie pop band Tune-Yards. Writing for the album began in 2019, in the band’s own studio in Oakland, California. On September 22, 2020, Tune-Yards released “Nowhere, Man”, the first single in two years. The single is a reference to The Beatles’ 1965 song Nowhere Man. Lead vocalist Merrill Garbus said of the single: “The song and the video for “nowhere, man” were created under conditions of feeling squeezed and pushed to the brink – relatively, of course. I wanted to ask, “How loudly do I have to shout and sing before I’m heard?” And the video asks, too, “What am I not hearing?” We hope the music brings energy and a strong wind of encouragement to those who are shouting and singing loudly for justice right now.” The second single “Hold Yourself” was released on January 27, 2021. In a statement, the band said: “This song is about feeling really betrayed, by my parents’ generation, and at the same time, really seeing how we are betraying the future”. The band performed the single on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 22, 2021. On March 18, 2021, Tune-Yards performed the single “Hypnotized” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. A week later, on March 23, 2021, the band released the single. Tune-Yards is the Oakland, California–based music project of musician Merrill Garbus (born March 3, 1979), with long-time collaborator, bassist Nate Brenner. Garbus’s music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion. 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. // The album Nikki Nack was released in 2014, with its first single, “Water Fountain”, being picked up by Google Pixel in 2016 for an advertising campaign. The album I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life was released in January 2018. At the same time, the Tune-Yards provided an atmospheric score for the sci fi film Sorry to Bother You. // Garbus was born in 1979 and 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 and 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 2008, she moved to Oakland, California, where her partner in Tune-Yards, Nate Brenner, also lives. // The first Tune-Yards album, Bird-Brains (stylized as 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 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.” // A second album, Whokill (stylized as w h o k i l l), was released on April 19, 2011. A single from it, “Bizness”, came out in February 2011. It was produced by Garbus and engineered by Eli Crews at New, Improved Studios in Oakland, California. Applying the live approach to Garbus’ studio work for the first time, Garbus works with bass player Nate Brenner, who co-wrote some of the album’s songs. Comparing the act to Sonic Youth, Frontier Psychiatrist said, “if Bird-Brains was Garbus’ Evol, a record bursting with musical ideas that attempted to subvert the notion of song, who kill is Garbus’ Sister, a record that embraces the traditional pop song as a vehicle to convey those ideas.” The album as well as singles “Bizness” and “Gangsta” received mention on many top 2011 album and song lists, including Time, Rolling Stone, Spin, and the New York Times. In early 2012, the Village Voice’s annual “Pazz and Jop” poll of critics named Whokill the No. 1 album of 2011. The song “Fiya” is featured on a 2010 commercial for the Blackberry Torch, while the song “Gangsta” has been used in the television shows Orange Is the New Black, Letterkenny, Weeds and The Good Wife and the song “Bizness” was used in Season 3 of Transparent. // Garbus started recording material for her third LP during the latter half of 2013, with a working title of Sink-o. A May 6, 2014 release date was later announced with the title Nikki Nack. The album spawned three singles, including “Water Fountain”, which was featured in the soundtrack for EA Sports video game FIFA 15 as well as in a 2016 commercial for the Google Pixel. // A 4th album was released on January 19, 2018, called I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life. The album showed more of an electronic influence. The single “Look at Your Hands” was released earlier, in October 2017, followed by “Heart Attack” in January. // Tune-Yards scored the satiric sci fi film Sorry to Bother You (2018). The film was shown at Sundance, then began a theatrical run. Its soundtrack songs are performed by the Coup, fronted by the film’s director, Boots Riley. Riley said he started working with the Tune-Yards in “early 2015” to create the film’s score, with demo tracks already available before the script was complete, and before the start of principal photography. Riley said he was attracted to Garbus’s voice, and to the band’s “unorthodox use of percussion and vocal layering. Info at: http://www.tune-yards.com]

4. Stacy Busch – “Away [Remastered]”
   from: Away Remastered – Single / Stacy Busch / December 7, 2020
   [Originally from Stacy’s first album, recently remastered and released as a single. “What is certain is that Busch is an important emerging compositional voice, fearless in its vulnerability, and able to pull disparate musical genres into a cohesive whole eithout artifice.” -KC METROPOLIS. Stacy Busch is a composer and performer. Her concerts and productions are designed to be provocative yet accessible in order to cultivate broader artistic interest and, in particular, reach under-served and/or misrepresented communities. Stacy is the founder and president of No Divide KC, an arts and social justice non-profit that creates artistic events for social causes. Artistically, her work deals with internal conflicts that are often taken abstractly from her personal experiences with addiction and bipolar disorder. These experiences of duality both in the mind and body are universal and her work expresses this underlying human vulnerability. Stacy’s work has been performed nationally as well as in France and Iceland. In 2020, Stacy’s non-profit No Divide KC is producd the 1st Annual Queer Narratives Festival. Also in 2020 Stacy worked on composing the new music and theater production, When/Time in partnership with Charlotte Street Foundation. COVID-19 has changed the dated of this performance. Stacy also has collaborative pprojects in the works with The Mid America Freedom Band. Recently, Stacy released a new project and subsequent album, titled Mass, which she premiered at MTH Theater. Stacy has performed at Splice Electroacoustic Music Festival, she scored the documentary “The Ordinance Project” which premiered at the Kansas City LGBTQ Film festival, she partnered with Gilda’s Club KC, Owen/Cox Dance Group and Charlotte Street Foundation to compose and perform the music for “Collective: Our Stories of Cancer,” other service with No Divide KC includes partnerships with the Kansas City Ballet School and the Johnson County Library. In addition to Kansas City, Stacy’s work has been featured at the University of Colorado-Boulder, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University. It has also been performed by ensembles including: loadbang, Bent Frequency and the Beo String Quartet. She is a 2020 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Fellow. Stacy has received grants from ArtsKC, ArtSounds, Charlotte Street Foundation and the UMKC Women’s Council. Stacy received her MM In composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her BM in composition from Western Michigan University. Her teachers include Rome Prize winners Paul Rudy and James Mobberley as well as Pulitzer Prize winners Zhou Long and Chen Yi. Other influential teachers include Guggenheim Fellow Curtis Curtis-Smith, Christopher Biggs and Lisa Coons. Prior to studying music, Stacy studied print journalism at Boston University.]

10:15 – Interview with Stacy Busch

Stacy Busch is a composer and performer. Her concerts and productions are designed to be provocative yet accessible in order to cultivate broader artistic interest and, in particular, reach under-served and/or misrepresented communities. Stacy is the founder and president of No Divide KC, an arts and social justice non-profit that creates artistic events for social causes. Stacy is a 2020 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Fellow. Stacy has received grants from ArtsKC, ArtSounds, Charlotte Street Foundation and the UMKC Women’s Council. Stacy joins us on the radio today to talk about No Divide KC’s 2nd Annual Queer Narratives Festival. More information at: http://www.nodividekc.org

Stacy Busch, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Kansas City nonprofit organization, No Divide KC is officially accepting applications from artists for its second annual Queer Narratives festival to be held August 2 – 7, 2021 at The Black Box in the West Bottoms that will highlight performing and visual artists of various backgrounds.

Submissions for the second annual Queer Narrative Festival are open until 11:59 PM. Sunday, April 11. Apply via the website: http://www.nodividekc.org – click the link and submit your art and information. There is no fee to submit and will be an artist stipend of $200 for selected artists.

The festival will include artists of all mediums, from music and dance to photo-graphy and video, but definitely not limited to burlesque, inks, and sculpture are welcome. Participating artists also get the chance to take the reins on other programming such as workshops or open mics.

The 2021 Queer Narratives Festival is set to take place from August 2 to August 7. The week-long festival. See No Divide KC’s website for info: http://www.nodividekc.org/

Other Events:

When / Time June 25-27, 2021 Charlotte Street Foundation Black Box Theatre

Come As You Are: Vulnerability in the Concert Space, September 10, 2021 at St, Mary’s Episcopal Church.

No Divide KC uses the arts as a vehicle for stimulating social awareness, participation and community building. No Divide KC partners with Kansas City-based artists and organizations to create artistic events that are focused on the stories of underserved and misrepresented communities in Kansas City.

Stacy’s work has been performed nationally as well as in France and Iceland. In 2020, Stacy is composing/performing the new music and theater production, When/Time in partnership with Charlotte Street Foundation. The Mid America Freedom Band is premiering her double concerto piece for two drag queens. No Divide KC is producing “Stories from Under the Stars” a storytelling event focusing on homelessness in Kansas City as well as the 1st Annual Queer Narratives Festival.

Recently, Stacy released a new project and subsequent album, titled Mass, which she premiered at MTH Theater. She performed at Splice Electroacoustic Music Festival, she scored the documentary “The Ordinance Project” which premiered at the Kansas City LGBTQ Film festival, she partnered with Gilda’s Club KC, Owen/Cox Dance Group and Charlotte Street Foundation to compose and perform the music for “Collective: Our Stories of Cancer,” other service with No Divide KC includes partnerships with the Kansas City Ballet School and the Johnson County Library.

In addition to Kansas City, Stacy’s work has been featured at the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University. It has also been performed by ensembles including: loadbang, Bent Frequency and the Beo String Quartet.

She is a 2020 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Fellow. Stacy has received grants from ArtsKC, ArtSounds, Charlotte Street Foundation and the UMKC Women’s Council. Stacy received her MM in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her BM in composition from Western Michigan University.

Stacy’s teachers include Rome Prize winners Paul Rudy and James Mobberley as well as Pulitzer Prize winners Zhou Long and Chen Yi. Other influential teachers include Guggenheim Fellow Curtis Curtis-Smith, Christopher Biggs and Lisa Coons. Prior to studying music, Stacy studied print journalism at Boston University.

Stacy Busch, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Submissions for the second annual Queer Narratives Festival, August 2 to August 7, at the Black Box are open until Sunday, April 11. To Apply visit: http://www.nodividekc.org

When / Time is June 25-27, 2021 Charlotte Street Foundation Black Box Theatre

Come As You Are: Vulnerability in the Concert Space, September 10, 2021 at St, Mary’s Episcopal Church. http://www.nodividekc.org

10:26

5. St. Vincent – “Pay Your Way In Pain”
   from: Daddy’s Home / Loma Vista / May 14, 2021
   [6th studio album by St. Vincent. Like its predecessor, Masseduction (2017), Annie Clark produced the album alongside Jack Antonoff. The album was promoted by the lead single, “Pay Your Way in Pain”, released on March 5, 2021. Daddy’s Home was inspired by Clark’s father’s release from prison at the end of 2019, as well as the musical palette of New York City in the first half of the 1970s. Annie Erin Clark was born September 28, 1982. She is known professionally as St. Vincent, is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer. She began her music career as a member of the Polyphonic Spree. She was also a member of Sufjan Stevens’s touring band before forming her own band in 2006. Her debut album is Marry Me (2007), followed by Actor (2009), Strange Mercy (2011), St. Vincent (2014), Masseduction (2017) and will be releasing Daddy’s Home, her sixth studio album on May 14, 2021. // Her fourth solo album, St. Vincent, was released that same year and was named album of the year by The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, NME, and Slant, as well as second best album of the year by Time. 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. In 2018, St. Vincent was included twice in NPR’s “200 Greatest songs by 21st Century Women”: at number 181 with “Digital Witness” and at number 38 with “Cruel”. Strange Mercy was among Pitchfork’s 200 Best Albums of the 2010s, ranking at number 55. St. Vincent ranked number 65 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of the 2010s.// Masseduction, Clark’s fifth studio album, released in 2017, earned her Best Rock Song and Best Recordings Package at the Grammys, where she also performed alongside Dua Lipa for a mashup performance of their respective Grammy-nominated songs ‘Masseduction’ and ‘One Kiss.’ // Clark was born on September 28, 1982, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her mother is a social worker and administrator for a non-profit organization, while her stepfather works in corporate tax administration. Her parents divorced when she was three, and when she was seven she moved with her mother and two older sisters to Dallas, Texas. Clark is of Irish, and a small amount of Jewish, ancestry. She was raised Catholic and Unitarian Universalist. // From her parents’ blended families, she has four brothers and four sisters. // Clark was fond of the movie La Bamba and Ritchie Valens himself at a very early age, and received a plastic red guitar at age five that her mother got her at a Target store for Christmas. She began playing her first real guitar at age 12 and worked some of her teenage years as a roadie for her aunt and uncle, the guitar-vocal jazz duo Tuck & Patti. In 2001, she graduated from Lake Highlands High School, where she participated in theater and the school’s jazz band, and was a classmate of actor Mark Salling. // Clark attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts for three years before dropping out, studying with Professor Lauren Passarelli. She felt that art institutions such as Berklee can be more directed towards the athleticism of art rather than the product. In retrospect, Clark said, “I think that with music school and art school, or school in any form, there has to be some system of grading and measurement. The things they can teach you are quantifiable. While all that is good and has its place, at some point you have to learn all you can and then forget everything that you learned in order to actually start making music.” // In 2020, St. Vincent was credited as a guitarist on “Texas Man” and a co-writer on “Young Man” with the Chicks, Antonoff, and Justin Tranter for the Chicks’ eighth studio album Gaslighter. In August 2020, St. Vincent collaborated with Japanese musician Yoshiki to release a classical arrangement of “New York”. In October 2020, St. Vincent’s online instruction class on Creativity and Songwriting was added to the MasterClass series. In late 2020, St. Vincent featured on the track “Chalk Tablet Towers” from the first season of the Song Machine project by Gorillaz.]

10:29 – Underwriting

6. Mismo Sismo (Claire Adams) – “Moras Parte III”
   from: Moras / Claire Adams / July 21, 2020
   [Claire Adams wrote and recorded this EP at home during the first months of the COVID-19 quarantine. The three songs are meant to be played all together but also stand alone. The project is called Mismo Sismo (same earthquake) and is a collaboration with photographer Hugo Parasol. Musically curious and multifaceted, Claire Adams has spent more than a decade touring, recording and songwriting to hone her melodic instincts and vision. A bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Adams has lent a discerning ear and versatility to a number of projects. Claire Adams has collaborated with the KC based string quartet Rewound, jazz pianist Alyssa Murray & drummer Fritz Hutchinson. Claire Adams also plays guitar with True Lions. More info at: http://www.claireadamsmusic.com]

10:33 – Interview with Claire Adams

Musician Claire Adams joins us on the phone to share information about her recent musical recordongs, including: WORDS OF LOVE released February 5, 2021. And from Claire’s musical collaboration with photographer Hugo Parasol called Mismo Sismo that was quietly released on July 21, 2020. Both of these EP releases followed Claire’s 10-track album, YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU, released April 24, 2020. Musically curious and multifaceted, Claire Adams has spent more than a decade touring, recording and songwriting to hone her melodic instincts and vision. A bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Adams has lent a discerning ear and versatility to a number of projects. Claire Adams has collaborated with the KC based string quartet Rewound, jazz pianist Alyssa Murray & drummer Fritz Hutchison. Claire Adams also plays guitar with True Lions. More info at: http://www.claireadamsmusic.com

Claire Adams thanks for being with us on WMM.

Words of Love released February 5, 2021 – Recorded and Produced by Claire Adams at Casa 34 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Mixed and Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights + Measures in Kansas City, MO. Cover Photo by Hugo Parasol. ‘So This Is Love’ written by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston. ‘Pocketful Of Rainbows’ written by Ben Weisman, ‘Till There Was You’ written by Meredith Wilson. “Words of Love” written by Claire Adams. ‘Calico Skies’ written by Paul McCartney.

Mismo Sismo (same earthquake). Claire Adams wrote and recorded this EP at home during the first months of the COVID-19 quarantine. The three songs are meant to be played all together but also stand alone. Mismo Sismo (same earthquake) is a collaboration with photographer Hugo Parasol.

YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU, released April 24, 2020, including 10 songs all written by Claire Adams. Recorded at The Blue House in Kansas City, MO. Additional tracking at MARZ Studios in Nederland, TX. Mixed & mastered at Weights + Measures Soundlab in KCMO. Written by Claire Adams, with Claire Adams on guitars, bass, and vocals; Alyssa Murray on keyboards & vocals; and Fritz Hutchison on drums & vocals.

In 2020 Claire also recorded with the band Ondist who released three full length albums: No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity on August 14, and Mise en Place on November 13 totaling 41 songs, plus a 26 track Acapellas & Instrumentals Release on July 3, plus a 4-song EP entitled Resound on February 28, plus 9 singles. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Several of the tracks for all three albums were recorded at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower with Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, Claire Adams on vocals, and Jillian Riscoe on vocals. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic. We interviewed Maya Coppola on the October 7, 2020 on WMM.

Claire Adams also plays guitar with True Lions.

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

Claire Adams thanks for being with us on WMM.

Claire Adams’ EP WORDS OF LOVE was released February 5, 2021. The Claire Adams project, Mismo Sismo – Moras EP was released on July 21, 2020. Claire Adams’ album YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU, was released April 24, 2020. True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with Khrystal., Collidescope, and KuJo.

10:46

7. Claire Adams – “Words of Love”
   from: Words Of Love / Claire Adams / February 5, 2021
   [Recorded and Produced by Claire Adams at Casa 34 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Mixed and Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights + Measures in Kansas City, MO. Cover Photo by Hugo Parasol. ‘So This Is Love’ written by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston; ‘Pocketful Of Rainbows’ written by Ben Weisman; ‘Till There Was You’ written by Meredith Wilson; “Words of Love” written by Claire Adams; and ‘Calico Skies’ written by Paul McCartney. This new EP is a follow up to the Claire Adams album YOU KNOW I KNOW YOU, released April 24, 2020, including 10 songs all written by Claire Adams. Recorded at The Blue House in Kansas City, MO. Additional tracking at MARZ Studios in Nederland, TX. Mixed & mastered at Weights + Measures Soundlab in KCMO. Written by Claire Adams, with Claire Adams on guitars, bass, and vocals; Alyssa Murray on keyboards & vocals; and Fritz Hutchison on drums & vocals. Musically curious and multifaceted, Claire Adams has spent more than a decade touring, recording and songwriting to hone her melodic instincts and vision. A bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Adams has lent a discerning ear and versatility to a number of projects. Claire Adams has collaborated with the KC based string quartet Rewound, jazz pianist Alyssa Murray & drummer Fritz Hutchinson. Claire Adams also plays guitar with True Lions. More info at: http://www.claireadamsmusic.com ]

8. Calvin Arsenia – “Tip Toe”
   from: Cantaloupe / Center Cut Records / September 15, 2018 (KC Release)
   [The first release on Bullseye Records. Calvin Arsenia who came home to KC in 2014 after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has released the EPs, Moments, Prose, and last year’s full length debut, Catastrophe. This year he released the EP Caviar to special guests who attended his Wickstock West show in West Bottoms. Standing at 6 foot 6 inches, Arsenia’s powerful vocals span a 3.5 octave range, while playing piano, banjo, guitar & harp. Calvin has played Folk Alliance International, KC Fringe Fest, Apocalypse Meow, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Last year he undertook a three month US/European Outlyre Tour where he has played San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, NYC, Boston, Edinburgh, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Lyon and Paris.]

[Calvin Arsenia plays Raj Ma Hall, 2829 East 7th Street, KCMO, Saturday, April 10, 2021, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM with Erin Keller. Raj Ma Hall is a COVID SAFE outdoor community setting of 2-tops, 4-tops, and 6-tops, all with a perfect view of the stage. Limited audience of 50 people, Temperature taken at admission, No touch service, built in Social Distancing. For more info: http://www.rajmahall.org.]

9. Lava Dreams – “Surprise!”
   from: “Surprise” – Single / R.I.O.T. LLC / March 26, 2021
   [Solo artist Lava Dreams aka Julia Hamilton writes songs influenced by pop, soul, RnB, jazz, trap, house, funk, reggae, rock, and world music. Lava Dreams is planning to release an 11-song album later this year and will be releasing a new single every month leading up to the release. This is the 3rd single and follow up to, “You’re The One” released February 26, 2021 and “The Amazing Wave” released January 8, 2021 through R.I.O.T. LLC Music and produced by Duncan Burnett. Lava Dreams released their debut EP “Good Energy + Focus” on June 13, 2020. Written by Lava Dreams and produced by Duncan Burnett. Solo artist Lava Dreams aka Julia Hamilton is from Kansas City, MO, her guitar-based music is both dreamy & electric. Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018. Julia Hamilton is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila Unversity. You can listen to Lava Dreams on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Google Play, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or at LavaDreamsMusic.com. Lava Dreams joined us on WMM on April 22, 2020. Info at: http://www.LavaDreamsMusic.com]

10. Cibo Matto – “Birthday Cake”
    from: Viva! La Woman / Warner Music / January 16, 1996
    [Cibo Matto is an Italian phrase that translates to “Crazy Food.” Cibo Matto was an American band formed by Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori in New York City in 1994. Initially, the band’s lyrics were primarily concerned with food, before expanding into broader subject matter following the addition of Sean Lennon, Timo Ellis, and Duma Love to the band for their second studio album. While Honda and Hatori are Japanese expatriates, the group initially did not gain as large a following in Japan as it did in the United States. Their first album Viva! La Woman sold 40,000 copies in Japan, but was more successful in the U.S., with over 74,000 copies sold. Over time, the group’s following in Japan grew, which resulted in their signing to Japanese record label Commmons in 2014. After an almost decade-long hiatus, Honda and Hatori reunited as Cibo Matto in 2011, playing a series of concerts and recording new material. They released their third and final studio album Hotel Valentine on February 14, 2014. It peaked at number 168 on the Billboard 200. Cibo Matto announced their split in December 2017. // After working together in the noise rock band Leitoh Lychee, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda formed Cibo Matto in 1994 with Honda as the instrumentalist and Hatori as the vocalist (although occasionally Honda sang and Hatori contributed instrumentally). In 1995, Cibo Matto released a self titled EP on El Diablo Records. The EP caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records, which signed Cibo Matto later in the year. Through Warner Bros. the duo released its first major album, Viva! La Woman. Many of the tracks from Viva! La Woman, which was produced by Mitchell Froom, featured lyrics related to food, including “Know Your Chicken”, “Apple”, and “Birthday Cake”. The album’s first single, “Sugar Water”, was a modest college radio and dance hit. The song was accompanied by an innovative split screen music video that was directed by Michel Gondry, where each side showed the same footage—one side going forward, and one backward, meeting mid-song. After the music videos for “Know Your Chicken” and “Sugar Water” enjoyed success on MTV, Cibo Matto made appearances on various television shows such as Oddville, Viva Variety, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “Birthday Cake” was heavily featured in the video game Jet Set Radio Future. in 1996, Cibo Matto contributed “Águas De Março (Waters of March)” to the AIDS benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, which was produced by the Red Hot Organization. // In 1997, Cibo Matto released a new EP entitled Super Relax, which would complete the line-up by introducing new members Sean Lennon and Timo Ellis with Duma Love joining soon thereafter. In 1998 Lennon released his debut solo album Into the Sun, which featured Hatori (“Into the Sun”, “Sean’s Theme”) and Ellis (“Mystery Juice”, “Home”, “Spaceship”). Into the Sun was produced and inspired by Honda (whom Lennon was dating at the time). Honda, Hatori, Ellis and Love appeared in the closing scene of the video for Lennon’s single “Home”. Cibo Matto went on to release its second album Stereo Type A in 1999. Although it was a departure from the familiar sound of Viva! La Woman, Stereo Type A was well received by music critics. That year the band performed in Toronto with Luscious Jackson at The Opera House in Toronto. // Cibo Matto continued to play live and tour until disbanding in 2002. Honda said: “We felt the need to move to the next step. It was a healthy decision, though it was sad at the same time. Things just need to grow out of things sometimes.” All of the members of Cibo Matto went on to release solo material. A compilation entitled Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto was released in 2007. // Cibo Matto announced its reunion on March 18, 2011, to perform as part of a benefit concert for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The concert, which took place on March 27 at Columbia University in New York City, also included Yoko Ono, John Zorn, Sonic Youth, and Mike Patton. Following the success of this show, a second was added, this time featuring the Plastic Ono Band and Patti Smith along with Cibo Matto. The group appeared at the Hollywood Bowl on June 26, 2011, for another benefit, alongside Yellow Magic Orchestra. // On May 16, 2011, Cibo Matto announced its US reunion tour titled “Yeah, Basically Cibo Matto” with a tour Web site Wayback Machine and promotional video. During the concerts, the band reportedly spoke about a new studio album that was to be released in 2012. On July 17, 2012, the band announced it would be opening for Wilco at one of its shows. The band included Yuko Araki on drums during this time. // On June 15, 2013, the band played the Meltdown Festival in London and announced that its new album would be released in 2014. While the performance also featured Yoko Ono on “Know Your Chicken”, the group also played new songs titled “MFN”, “Check In”, and “Tenth Floor Ghost Girl”. On December 11, Pitchfork reported that Hotel Valentine would be released on February 14, 2014 (Valentine’s Day), and that Cibo Matto had shared its music video for “MFN”. Hotel Valentine peaked at number 168 on the Billboard 200. // In 2014, the band signed with Japanese label Commmons. This new relationship resulted in several live dates in Japan including Summer Sonic Festival 2014 and shows at Blue Note Jazz Club Nagoya and Blue Note Jazz Club Tokyo. In September 2014, Cibo Matto announced their Fall Flavor Tour and the release of their newest music video with a teaser. Rioux opened for multiple US shows. Nels Cline (of Wilco) also performed with the group on tour. The music video for “Déjà Vu” was released on September 18, 2014 in collaboration with New York City-based director Jean Claude Billmaier and creative house Marabigo. Pitchfork identified the video as “a colorful, datamosh-y new video”, and Spin as a “stylish bubblegum pop-meets-digital-disaster (intentional).” Cibo Matto completed two small tours in 2015; an “Avocado Tour” of Japan and a “Banana Split Tour” across the eastern US and Canada. On Dec. 11, 2017, Cibo Matto announced their breakup, explaining that this was a “necessary and positive change.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. True Lions – “Ode to Keytar [feat. Adee Rocket Dancy]”
    from: “Ode to Keytar [feat. Adee Rocket Dancy]” – Single / Manor Records / March 22, 2021
    [2nd single from True Lions debut album, “The Fempire Strikes Back,” to be released on April 9, 2021. Alisön Hawkins on keytar & vocals; Adee Rocket Dancy on cello & vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, Elizabeth Kosko on drums & percussion; Iona DeWalt on synthesizers; Miki P on guitar & vocals, and Teri Quinn on bass & vocals. Recorded at Deep Space Co-op. Tracking & engineering by Ross Brown at Escape Pod Audio. Mixing and mastering by Joel Nanos at Element Recording. In 2019 True Lions released their EP debut, “Cute at Best,” on February 5, 2019. They followed up with q second EP called. You’re Not Invited, released on November 9, 2019. For these recordings True Lions was: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking & Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman.. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com .]

[True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Fri, April 9, 6:00 PM w/ Khrystal., Collidescope, & KuJo.]

11:03 – Interview with Alisôn Hawkins

Joining us live on the phone is our friend Alisön Hawkins who joins us to share information about True Lions and their debut album, THE FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK, that is being released this Friday, April 9, on Manor Records. The album was written & produced by Alison Hawkins and arranged & performed by True Lions: Alisön Hawkins, Elizabeth Kosko, Teri Quinn, Claire Adams, Adee Rocket Dancy, Aryana Nemati, Iona DeWalt, and Miki P. More info at: http://www.truelions.bandcamp.com

Alisön Hawkins thanks for being with us on WMM.

True Lions has been called a Multi-instrumentalist femme DIY super collective from Kansas City.

True Lions and their debut album, THE FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK, will be released in two days on Friday April 9, on Manor Records. Recorded at Deep Space Co-op & Element Recording Studios in KCMO, the tracking was engineered by Ross Brown at Escape Pod Audio with additional tracking, mixing & mastering by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studios. The album was written & produced by Alison Hawkins. THE FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK was arranged & performed by True Lions.

from True Lions & Manor Records:

A Kansas City-based “flosspunk” alt-pop supergroup led by Alison Hawkins, True Lions meshes the band members’ backgrounds in classical, punk, jazz, folk, and blues, ultimately creating a well-rounded, unique sound. The band’s revolving lineup includes Elizabeth Kosko, Teri Quinn, Claire Adams, Adee Rocket Dancy, Aryana Nemati, KuJo, Iona DeWalt, and Miki P. While they’re a gender-diverse collective of women/nonbinary/trans/boi/vegan multi-instrumentalists and genre-flirts, the focus of this project is not their genders or dietary restrictions, but rather, their attitudes, imaginations, and the group’s inspiring ability to empower and celebrate one another through the refuge they create within their music.

They emphasize friendships with bandmates over conventional instrumentation, and prioritize character and integrity over perfectionist musicianship. Combining flossy harmonies, clever metaphors, and solid hooks, True Lions confronts serious subject matter with a light and often silly approach. They maintain an anti-patriarchal agenda while still having a fun party time, calling it “carbonated honesty.”

They’re known for reputable collaborations with artists such as Calvin Arsenia, Fritz Hutchison, and The Swallowtails, and cite influences like Cibo Matto, The Go-Go’s, Sleater-Kinney, The Raincoats, and Fanny. Their debut album, The Fempire Strikes Back, releases April 9, 2021 via Manor Records.

From Anna Selle (Hear Queer)

“…though most of their lyrics tackle heavy topics, like misogyny in the music industry and inane copyright battles, their melodies are light and punchy, silly and danceable. Something about the band’s presence and authenticity allows their audience to dive in with them to a euphoric and affirming state of being…”

THE FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK also features: Calvin Arsenia, Rachel Lovelace, John O’Keefe, Claudia Sudekum, Fritz Hutchison, Coleen Dieker, Leslie Butsch, Ezgi Karakus, and Daniel Cox.

True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with Khrystal., Collidescope, and KuJo.

True Lions Discograpy

True Lions released Like A Lamb (Covers) April 20, 2020. We played “Origins (Tennis cover)” on WMM. Like A Lamb (Covers) is an EP collection of 4 songs: “Pressure To Party” (Julia Jacklin cover), “I’d Rather Dance With You” (Kings of Convenience cover), Archie, Marry Me” (Alvvays cover), and “Origins” (Tennis cover). Recorded in Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS., during mandatory self-quarantine. All songs performed by True Lions. Produced and recorded by Alison Hawkins and Fritz Hutchison. Mixing/Mastering by Fritz Hutchison. Album Artwork by Alison Hawkins. Alison Hawkins: piano, guitar, violin, synth, percussion, vocals. Fritz Hutchison: drums/percussion, guitar, bass, synth, vocals. Featuring “Falcon” the chicken.

True Lions released THERMAL IN JUNE (demos), February 29, 2020 also recorded in Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS. All songs written by True Lions. Tracking Engineering by Fritz Hutchison. Album Artwork by Alison Hawkins. Alison Hawkins on lead vocals, guitar, piano, synth, percussion. Fritz Hutchison on vocals, guitar, bass, synth, drums/percussion. Daniel Cox on vocals, saxophone, percussion.

True Lions released their 2nd EP, YOU’RE NOT INVITED, November 29, 2019 with: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman. Album Artwork by Genevieve Sloan. Special thanks to Calvin Arsenia and Fritz Hutchison.

True Lions released their debut EP, CUTE AT BEST February 5, 2019 with Alison Hawkins on guitar, piano, synth, vocals; Mikala Petillo on percussion, bass, guitar, vocals; and with Ross Brown serving as producer & engineer; and Nika Winn providing artwork. This EP began as an unrelated, musical dispute between lovers, but triumphantly became the spunky collaboration of two midwestern “woms” whose passion for playing music nearly exceeds their desire to create it.

11:14

Alisön Hawkins thanks for being with us on WMM.

True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with Khrystal., Collidescope, and KuJo. True Lions debut album, THE FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK, will also be released on Friday April 9, on Manor Records. More info at: http://www.truelions.bandcamp.com

11:15

12. True Lions – “Escape Room (feat. Miki P)”
    from: “Escape Room (feat. Miki P.) – Single / Manor Records / April 2, 2021
    [1st single from True Lions debut album, “The Fempire Strikes Back,” to be released on April 9, 2021. Alisön Hawkins on keytar & vocals; Adee Rocket Dancy on cello & vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, Elizabeth Kosko on drums & percussion; Iona DeWalt on synthesizers; Miki P on guitar & vocals, and Teri Quinn on bass & vocals. Recorded at Deep Space Co-op. Tracking & engineering by Ross Brown at Escape Pod Audio. Mixing and mastering by Joel Nanos at Element Recording. In 2019 True Lions released their EP debut, “Cute at Best,” on February 5, 2019. They followed up with q second EP called. You’re Not Invited, released on November 9, 2019. For these recordings True Lions was: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking & Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman.. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com.]

[True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with Khrystal., Collidescope, and KuJo.]

13. Collidescope – “Thicker Than Blood”
    from: DEEP TAPE / Kansas City Syzygy / December 31, 2020
    [7-track album. Collidescope is essentially a duo that includes: Hadiza. on vocals, beats, & synthesizers; and Madison Monroe on guitar, bass, beats, synthesizers, mixing & vocals. DEEP TAPE includes Victoria Falls Stillwater on addition sound production and vocals, and was mixed and mastered by J.Ashley Miller. DEEP TAPE is a follow up the the band’s debut EP Systemic released December 16, 2017. Hadiza also released her solo album SHADOW WEIGHT on Nov. 22, 2019. More info at: http://www.hadizaisnothere.bandcamp.com or http://www.acollidescope.bandcamp.com ]

[Collidescope plays Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with Khrystal., True Lions, and KuJo.]

14. Khrystal. – “Never”
    from: “Never” – Single / Khrystal. / December 31, 2020
    [“never” was follow up to Khrystal.’s. single “Magic” released on August 8, 2020 on limited edition cassette singles with her most recent single “You Again” as a B-Side by Manor Records. On September 1, 2017 Khrystal. released The Glow Up EP, Produced & Written by Khrystal Coppage and Duncan Burnett. This was follow up to Khrystal’s Debut EP, Quarter Century Living. Executive Produced By Duncan Burnett. Written By Khrystal Coppage & Duncan Burnett. Kansas City based Khrystal Coppage served as 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.]

[Khrystal. plays Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, Friday, April 9, at 6:00 PM with True Lions, Ciollidescope, and KuJo.]

15. Kadesh Flow – “Take Backs (feat. Ryan Heinlein)”
    from: Take Backs (feat. Ryan Heinlein) – Single / Ryan Davis / March 26, 2021
    [Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. More info at: http://www.kadeshflow.com This is one of 10 new singles Kadesh Flow has released so far this year: Kadesh Flow & The Enclave released, “Soft Side”, on January 21, 2021 written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. Kadesh Flow released, “Assumptions feat. Shubzilla”, on January 29, 2021. Kadesh Flow released, “Frosty”, on February 12, 2021, Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. Kadesh Flow & The Enclave released, “Cry For Me 2”, February 12, 2021. Kadesh Flow released, “Not on My Watch”, on February 19, 2021, Inspired by Lord Beerus (Dragonball Super). Kadesh Flow released, “Held Me Longer”, on March 5, 2021, Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. Kadesh Flow released, “Your Dream Isn’t Always Yours”, on March 12, 2021, Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. Kadesh Flow & The Enclave released, “Forgot About Me”, on March 14, 2021. Kadesh Flow released, “Take Backs (feat. Ryan Heinlein)”, on March 26, 2021, Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. Kadesh Flow released, “But Hope”, on March 26, 2021, Written, produced, performed, mixed and mastered by Kadesh Flow. More info at: http://www.kadeshflow.comKadesh Flow is Ryan Davis is a rapper with an MBA. He is an emcee, producer, & trombonist. At age 11, he began rapping and playing trombone within two weeks of one another. His music has been featured on network television in multiple countries and territories across Southeast Asia. Kadesh performs as a solo hip hop artist. He also plays with The Phantastics, and Marcus Lewis Big Band. Kadesh Flow was on WMM on Oct. 21, 2020.]

11:29 – Underwriting

16. Vanessa Aricco – “Human Animal”
    from: Human Animal / Vanessa Aricco / August 25. 2018
    [Vanessa Aricco also released the 10-track album THE MIDNIGHT RUSH on November 10, 2017. Vanessa Aricco is a multimedia poet and co-host of Confessing Animals, an interview-style podcast discussing creativity with writers and artists. She is a Charlotte Street Foundation 2019-21 Studio Resident. Info at: http://www.confessinganimalspodcast.com. Music composed by Ashley Raines (Grass Strand Music). Words written and spoken by Vanessa Aricco (Pettinella-Winters) // “Modernity is the transitory, the fugitive, the contingent, the half of art of which the other half is eternal and immutable.” —Baudelaire, The Painter of Modern Life // “The poem is about a pursuit of modern happiness that results in an erotic failure. Happiness is a matter of good timing, when two people meet at the right time, in a right place and somehow manage to arrest the moment. The time of happiness is like a time of revolution, an ecstatic modern present. The encounter brings the poet a shock of recognition followed by spatial and temporal disorientation. The time of their happiness is out of joint. // The unknown woman is an allegory of modernité at once statuesque and fleeing, she exemplifies eternal beauty and the modern transience. She is in mourning, possibly a widow, but for a poet her veil is that of anticipatory nostalgia for the lost chance of happiness. Her mourning mirrors his, or the other way around. The poet and the woman recognize each other’s feeling nostalgias. Desiring to arrest time, he mixes opposites in a fury; in one moment he experiences a new birth and death, a pleasure and pain, darkness and light, the present and the eternal. The woman is lost and found and then lost again and then found again in the poem. Rhyming functions like a form of magic, it slows the reader down, making the poem reflect on itself, creating its own utopian temporality where the fleeing erotic fantasy of a lonely urban dweller can be remembered and even memorized.” —Syvetlana Boym (The Future of Nostalgia) describing Baudelaire’s poem À une passante from in Les Fleurs du mal .]

11:32 – Interview with Vanessa Aricco and Jen Harris

Joining us on the phone is Poet Vanessa Aricco from Kansas City and Poet Jen Harris who is originally from KC, but is now based in Eugene Oregon. Vanessa and Jen join us to share details about their show: Live! from the POETRY FORT! Sunday, April 11, 7:00 PM (Central). Celebrating National Poetry Month the co-hosts come to you LIVE on Zoom from their respective poetry forts. Jen & Vanessa are also the co-hosts of the Confessing Animals Podcast.

Vanessa Aricco is a multimedia poet. Her work includes two poetry albums, The Midnight Rush and Human Animal. She is a Charlotte Street Foundation 2019-21 Studio Resident in Kansas City, MO, where she’s been working on a third poetry album called Teenage Poetry. More info at: vanessaaricco.bandcamp.com.

Vanessa Aricco, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Jen Harris is a transplant from KC now based in Eugene, Oregon. A sought-after performance artist, she is the founder and host of The Writing Workshop KC, whose mission is to nurture creative curiosity and inspire confidence within prompt-based writing workshops. More info at: http://www.poetjenharris.com

Jen Harris, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Jen & Vanessa are the co-hosts of the Confessing Animals Podcast. They met through Jen’s Writing Workshop KC

Vanessa Aricco is a multimedia poet, exploring conflict and duality, the precarious nature of life, and the anxiety that arises from it. More info at: vanessaaricco.bandcamp.com.

Vanessa Arrico – Discography

Vanessa Aricco – HUMAN ANIMAL – August 25. 2018
[Music composed by Ashley Raines (Grass Strand Music), Words written and spoken by Vanessa Aricco (Pettinella-Winters)]

Vanessa Aricco –THE MIDNIGHT RUSH – November 10, 2017
Words written & performed by Vanessa Aricco (Pettinella-Winters). Music composed & performed by Ashley Raines (Grass Strand Music) http://www.ashleyrainesmusic.com Art by Lora Siemer & Vanessa Aricco

Jen Harris Bio

A transplant from KC Jen Harris (she/they) is a creative entrepreneur now in Eugene, OR

A sought-after performance artist, Harris is the co-host of Confessing Animals Podcast, interviewing seasoned and fresh-faced artists (of every genre) to discuss how to make creativity work within the complexities and challenges of adult life. She is the founder and host of The Writing Workshop KC, whose mission is to nurture creative curiosity and inspire confidence within prompt-based writing workshops.

Through an aggressively vulnerable, trauma-informed lens, Mx. Harris unites strangers of all ages and walks of life whom share an interest in creative expression, and facilitates the development of active, engaged, supportive, empowering writing communities. Mx. Harris is particularly passionate about reaching queer people and those experiencing homeless-ness or struggling to thrive within the multitude of oppressive systems. From dive bars to performance halls worldwide, reaching thousands from ages 10-80, Jen cultivates passion and emboldens the aspirational through her performances & educational workshops.

She is inspired to eradicate the toxic mythology of the hapless creative, offering her students the opportunity to create, develop, edit and perform their work before engaged, paying audiences, all the while seeking validity in the process and not the outcome. Mx. Harris challenges her students to defy the internal censor, revive or discover the joy of creating and offer themselves the gift of fulfillment through art.

Featured on NPR, TEDx, Button Poetry, Write About Now Poetry, Queer Eye, Harris is the author of 3 books of poetry and the recipient of numerous accolades. Her firstborn love child, Kansas City Poetry Slam, has been sold-out, monthly, since 2013. Harris’ work is a confessional assortment of first-person accounts of queer life in impoverished America.

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

Jen Harris – Residencies & Authorship

2020, Culture Hustlers
2019 – 2018, Writing residency, The Drugstore KC
2017 -2016, Writing residency, Charlotte Street Foundation
2019, Unconfirmed Certainties, author
2019, Lust & Disdain, author
2019, Slammed, 2nd edition, author
2017, Slammed 1st edition, author

In Process

Collective, Our Stories of Cancer
Butch
Multiple collaborations with visual and performance artists

Live! from the POETRY FORT! Sunday, April 11, 7:00 PM celebrating National Poetry Month the co-hosts come to you LIVE on Zoom from their respective poetry forts.

https://www.poetjenharris.com/podcast Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9237824393

Confessing Animals Podcast, is where Vanessa and Jen interview seasoned and fresh-faced artists (of every genre) to discuss how to make creativity work within the complexities and challenges of adult life. http://www.confessinganimalspodcast.com

Seasoned and fresh-faced artists (of every genre) discuss how to make creativity work within the complexities and challenges of adult life. In Season One of Confessing Animals podcast, co-hosts Jen Harris + Vanessa Aricco, both working writers, unveil the secrets and struggles of creative living in a rapid fire Capitalist society. The theme for Season One is Translation. One guest at a time, Jen + Vanessa ask, How Does Your Life Translate to Art?

Since January 12, 2021 Vanessa and Jen have produced 13 shows, actually 18 if you count the teasers and the pre-show info shows about WWKC

Vanessa has lived in Kansas City for 5 years. On the podcast she is very open about her own personal anxiety issues and personal struggles as an artist.

Check out the videocast and teasers over on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/confessinganimals

The Writing Workshop KC, mission is to nurture creative curiosity & inspire confidence within prompt-based writing workshops. Every Tuesday Night.
https://www.poetjenharris.com/workshops

Vanessa Aricco and Jen Harris, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

For more information about: Live! from the POETRY FORT! Sunday, April 11, 7:00 PM celebrating National Poetry Month and the Confessing Animals podcast. Visit: http://www.poetjenharris.com http://www.confessinganimalspodcast.com

11:45

17. The Freedom Affair – “Out of My Mind”
    from: Freedom is Love / Sunflower Soul / Sept. 25, 2020 / [Released on vinyl March 2021]
    [Debut album from KC’s newest soul juggernaut, The album explores themes of love, heartache, empowerment, and togetherness through a varying landscape of hard-hitting funk, luscious soul, and everything in between. The Freedom Affair is a unique collective featuring 3 powerhouse female vocalists in front of a dynamic 6-piece band. On “Freedom Is Love”, each of the ladies get their time to shine individually, but the magic is on full display when all 3 come together in unison and harmony, symbolically embodying the messages that they sing about. The album was recorded and produced by Chris Hazelton, utilizing the best of vintage and new recording technologies to create an authentic experience, befitting of a soul record that would have been relevant 50 years ago as much as it will be 50 years from now. The Freedom Affair is: Misha Roberts on vocals; Paula Saunders on vocals; Seyko Groves on vocals; Cole Bales on guitar, sitar (Track 3); Branden Moser on guitar; Chris Hazelton on bass guitar, organ (Tracks 1, 2, 9, & 10), Tambourine (Track 1), Glockenspiel (Track 3), & Chimes (Track 4); Dave Brick on drums; Pete Carroll on trumpet; Brett Jackson on tenor sax, baritone sax (Tracks 1 & 5), & tambourine (Tracks 5, 6, & 8). Additional Musicians: Pat Conway on Congas (Tracks 1, 3, & 6), Alyssa Bell on viola (Tracks 3, 4, & 7), Elizabeth Codd on violin (Tracks 3 & 4), Matt Bennett on violin (Tracks 3 & 7), John Wickersham on timpani (Track 4), Pamela Baskin-Watson on piano (Track 10), Nick Howell on tambourine (Track 10), The Freedom Family Choir (Track 10): Misha Roberts, Erica Hazelton, Seyko Groves, Paula Saunders, Jordyn Saunders, Cole Bales, and Chris Hazelton. All Horn & String Arrangements by Chris Hazelton except: “Heartaches Don’t Come Easy” and “Give A Little Love” by Pete Carroll & Brett Jackson. “Don’t Shoot” by Chris Hazelton & Allyssa Bell. Produced, Recorded, & Mixed by Chris Hazelton. Assistant Produced by Dave Brick. Rhythm Section on Track 10 recorded by Chad Meise. Mastered by JJ Golden. Cover Artwork by Matthew “Mo” Manley. Front cover photograph of civil rights protesters in Kansas City, MO (April 9th, 1968). The Freedom Affair and their track “Rise Up” were selected to be part of Colemine Records 3xLP box set, “Soul Slabs Vol. 2” a Record Store Day Exclusive, released April 13, 2019. Colemine writes: “The Freedom Affair is a freight train of KC soul! Dirty, funky drums, gritty horns, and the combined vocals of Misha Roberts, Seyko Groves, and Paula Saunders to put this band over the top. Politically charged soul music for the dancefloor!”]

[The Freedom Affair plays Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Saturday, April 10, at 6:00 PM. Lemonade Park is a limited capacity socially distanced outdoor venue created in partnership between recordBar, Voltaire, and Moxie Catering.]

18. Sara Swenson – “I Wont Let You Feel Alone”
    from: “I Wont Let You Feel Alone” – Single / Sara Swenson / March 26, 2021
    [Sara Swenson wrote to me that her new song is featured in her husband Michael Price‘s film “The Hidden Pandemic” that airs Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 PM on Kansas City PBS. The film is about the mental health crisis in KC – it’s a powerful film that also features Mark Lowrey’s piano playing. Sara’s song is featured in various parts of the film, and then also at the end. To see a trailer for “The Hidden Pandemic” you can visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkd7046rPtU. Critically acclaimed singer songwriter Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut ended up at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In November of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band at the time, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and left the Kansas City music scene, and she flew off to the United Kingdom, where she got married. In the spring of 2014, Sara returned to Kansas City and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. On July 18, 2014 she released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions and emotions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville.]

[The Hidden Pandemic airs Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 PM on Kansas City PBS]

Next week on Wednesday, April 14 we welcome special guests: Rob Rice who shares music and info about his beautiful 2021 EP …and The Devil’s Threesome; we also talk with Sherman Breneman, Manager of The Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven; and also MG Salazar poet, chef, political organizer and one of the team of hosts and producers on 90.1 FM’s The Tenth Voice, airing every Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM on 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio.

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/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1

Show #884