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, August 26, 2020

Eliza Gilkyson + The Black Creatures + Kemet Coleman

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

2. Calvin Arsenia – “Revelation”
from: “Revelation” – Single / Calvin Arsenia / August 12, 2020 (Un-released) New Song
[Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in KC and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records, has been acclaimed for melding diverse textures into an alluring signature sound for the adventurous artist. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On December 13, 2019 Clvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Congratulations to Calvin and his fantastic team of co-conspirators and creators: Khitam Jabr, John P. Beatty, Ignacio Galarza III, Ashlee Fairchild Jones, production assistants, and crew. The Toxic music video earned its sixth set of laurels as an official selection of the L.A. Music Video Awards, where they were nominated for Best Music Video, Best Cover Song and Best Male Vocalist. Calvin Arsenia will be participating in The West 18th Street Fashion Show’s 20th year as a feature-length film. “We are moving it from the street to the screen,” says Peregrin Honig to inkansascitymagazine. “Mike Dillon and Calvin Arsenia will be scoring and performing in the film.” The evening of October 16th at The Boulevard Drive-In will be the debut of the director’s cut of “Summer in Hindsight,” which Peregrine is currently working on with Justin Gardner,” Honig says. “We did this during a pandemic and a cultural revolution. I am not sure where else or how else this could happen at this moment in history.”

[Calvin Arsenia plays a Center Cut Records Showcase at Lemonad(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Saturday, August 29, at 7:00 PM, with The Black Creatures. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com]

3. Nubya Garcia – “Stand With Each Other”
from: SOURCE / Concord Jazz / August 21, 2020
[Nubya Nyasha Garcia was born in 1991. She is a British jazz musician, saxophonist, flautist, composer and bandleader. Garcia is the youngest of four siblings born in Camden Town, London to a Guyanese mother, a former civil servant, and a British Trinidadian film maker father. Garcia followed her older siblings to the local Saturday music centre at the age of 5, where she first learned the violin and later played the viola in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO). Garcia has said her home life with her stepdad, a brass player with a vast collection of instruments, and her mother a keen collector of all genres of music from reggae and Latin to classical and soul, coupled with the music activities at school, Camden School for Girls, meant she was saturated with music of all genres. Garcia began learning the saxophone at the age of 10, with Vicky Wright until attaining ABRSM G8 distinction. She very early became a member of the Camden Jazz Band, directed by jazz pianist Nikki Yeoh, before joining the junior jazz program at the Royal Academy of Music. She also attended the workshops of Tomorrow’s Warriors under the direction of Gary Crosby. While still in High School, she received a scholarship for a five-week summer program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. During her Gap Year she studied with former Jazz Messengers member, Jean Toussaint. In 2016 she graduated with Honours from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, in Jazz Performance. In 2017, Garcia released her debut album Nubya’s 5ive via the label Jazz re:freshed. That year, her Nubya Garcia Band was an opening act at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival in Sète; the following year she played at the NYC Winter Jazz Festival and the Jazzfest Berlin.In her 2018 EP When We Are, Garcia explored how electronics can be used in a live jazz environment; the EP was created as a result of the Steve Reid Innovation Award. She is also a member of the Nérija, a collective, and the band Maisha led by drummer Jake Long. In addition, she is a collaborator on albums by Makaya McCraven, Theon Cross, Moses Boyd, the Toshio Matsuura Group and Sons of Kemet to Shabaka Hutchings; contributions from her can be found on five tracks of Brownswoods We Out Here, a sampler album from the modern London jazz scene. Garcia tours internationally, in Europe, India, Australia, and North America. She regularly performs at Greenfield festivals in the UK including Love Supreme Jazz Festival. She has headlined sell-out shows at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club London. Garcia also has a burgeoning reputation as a DJ, with a hit monthly radio residency on NTS Radio since November 2017. Garcia was supposed to perform at the Glastonbury Festival, but the festival had to be cancelled due to the increasing concerns over the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.]

4. Bully – “You”
from: SUGAREGG / Sub Pop / Augut 21, 2020
[Bully is the solo project of guitarist and singer Alicia Bognanno. The American rock band formed in 2013 in Nashville. They signed to Columbia Records label Startime International and released their first album Feels Like in 2015, then moved to Sub Pop to release Losing in 2017. Their third album Sugaregg was released on August 21, 2020. What initially began as a three-piece band is now a solo project with accompanying members. Bully was founded by Rosemount, Minnesota native Alicia Bognanno, who earned a degree from Middle Tennessee State University in audio recording before getting an internship at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. She started recording demos of her own material before relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, where she worked as an engineer at Battle Tapes Recording and The Stone Fox venue. She formed the band with Stewart Copeland on drums (not to be confused with the drummer for The Police). After self-releasing a limited cassette, the band’s first single proper, “Milkman”, was released in April 2014. They signed with Columbia Records label Startime International and released their debut album Feels Like in June 2015. Feels Like received generally positive reviews from critics. Laura Snapes of Pitchfork wrote, “The coarse Cobain head-scream of Bully singer, songwriter, and guitarist Alicia Bognanno is its own resuscitating jolt of protest… she spends much of Feels Like tearing down the house with her howl.” Losing, Bully’s second studio album, was released by Sub Pop on October 20, 2017. The album was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago. It was called less “grimier and sugar-slick” than Feels Like. On May 1, 2020, Bully released covers of Nirvana’s “About a Girl” and Orville Peck’s “Turn to Hate”. Of the “About a Girl” cover, Rolling Stone stated “Hearing the Nashville band cover Nirvana is almost too obvious—but, good God, is it glorious. Their spin on 1989’s ‘About a Girl’ strikes a perfect balance of raw and melodic, without ever sounding like the output of a cover band…Still, it’s not just a skilled copy of a classic.” As for her take on “Turn to Hate”, Stereogum wrote “A song that sounds incredible in Bully’s rocket-fueled garage rock style.” Paste concurred that “Bully’s rendition is possibly even better than the original with its incredibly anthemic chorus.” On June 11, 2020, Bully announced their third record Sugaregg, which was released by Sub Pop on August 21, 2020. Bognanno paid homage to Chumbawamba’s 1997 song “Tubthumping” when writing the single “Where to Start”, which was met with positive reception. On the album’s second single “Every Tradition”, Bognanno addresses society’s expectations for women, while also targeting a specific unnamed individual.]

5. The Moose – “Ultraviolet”
from: “Ultraviolet” – Single / The Moose / August 3, 2020
[The Moose is a psychedelic rock/pop alternative band from Lee’s Summit / Kansas City, formed in 2016 by Jake Hilger, Alex Huffman, and Tyler Frey with Emma Klein and Parker Tozier joining in 2016. The Moose released their debut full length album, The First Real Encounter, on Dec. 21, 2018. The Moose released the two song single “Through The Rainbow”/”Bell-Bottom Trees” on November10, 2019. The Moose joined us LIVE on WMM on July 10, 2019.]

6. Bright Eyes – “Marianna Trench”
from: Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was / Dead Oceans / August 21, 2020
[After being on a hiatus since their last performance on November 21, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bright Eyes is back! Bright Eyes is an American indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst. It consists of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, arranger, composer and trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating line-up of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha’s indie music scene. Between 1998 and 2011, the band’s albums were released through Saddle Creek Records, a Nebraska-based label founded by Justin Oberst (Conor’s brother) and Mogis. In January 2020, the band announced their return, having signed with Dead Oceans. In January 2020, Bright Eyes launched an Instagram page and teased a 2020 return. As of January 21, 2020 Bright Eyes have signed with Dead Oceans and are working on a new studio album. They released their first new song in 9 years – “Persona Non Grata” – on March 24. NME’s Luke Morgan Britton wrote of the track: “[A] dual sense of societal dystopia and inner turmoil collide and intertwine on the quietly poignant ‘Persona Non Grata’… [It] sees the band maintain the sage-like, cryptic feel of their latter-day records. Yet it also returns to the intimacy and immediacy of their early material.]

7. CHICKA – “U Should”
from: “U Should” – Single / Warner Records / August 7, 2020
[Chika was born, Jane Chika Oranika, on March 9, 1997 (age 23), on Montgomery, Alabama,. Known professionally as Chika (often stylized CHIKA), is an American rapper, model, and actress. She was featured in JoJo’s song “Sabotage” which reached number 18 on the Billboard US R&B Digital Downloads. In 2020, she was included on XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class. Because of her interest in music and slam poetry, she attended Booker T. Washington Magnet High School. She received an acceptance to Berklee College of Music, but due to tuition costs, she enrolled at the University of South Alabama instead. She dropped out after her first year to focus on a music career. Chika first gained widespread attention following an Instagram post from November 9, 2016, the day after the 2016 United States presidential election. In the video, she covers herself in pale foundation, saying “African-American? Never felt that, never heard of that, never tasted that, never smelled that”. Early in 2017, she created the #EgoChallenge, using the Beyoncé song of that title to promote body positivity and self-love. That year she also released a Pride-themed remix of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” as well as a poetry EP. In 2018, Chika went viral for a freestyle addressed at Kanye West over West’s own “Jesus Walks” beat. The freestyle concerned West’s support for Donald Trump and caught the attention of Jada Pinkett Smith, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Erykah Badu. She later released a freestyle dedicated to Nia Wilson. In August 2018, she featured on Rachel Crow’s single “Coulda Told Me”. Chika released her debut single, “No Squares”, in April 2019. The following month, at the invitation of guest host Lena Waithe, she performed the track and “Richey v. Alabama”, another of her songs, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The song dealt with the state of Alabama’s 2019 abortion bill and was named for a friend of Chika’s. That summer, she signed a deal with Warner Records. Chika released two more singles as a lead artist in 2019: “High Rises” and “Can’t Explain It” featuring Charlie Wilson. That year, she also featured on JoJo’s “Sabotage”, which reached number 18 on the Billboard US R&B Digital Downloads. In December 2019, Chika announced that she was working on an EP titled Industry Games. On January 23, 2020, Chika confirmed the title and posted snippets of music from the EP, telling followers the release was two months away. She released On August 11, 2020, Chika was included on XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class. Chika had a small role in the 2020 Netflix Original film called Project Power. In May 2019, Chika featured in a Calvin Klein #MyCalvins advertisement, also writing poetry for the brand’s S/S 2019 campaign. That same year, she participated in a Business of Fashion panel at Paris Fashion Week and posed for the December cover of Teen Vogue. She was recognized by Business of Fashion as one of the top 500 people shaping the fashion industry in 2019. Chika is the youngest of her Nigerian-American parents’ three daughters. She is of Igbo descent and was raised in the Pentecostal faith. Chika identifies as bisexual and addresses her sexuality in her music and videos. In her video for “Can’t Explain It”, she put a queer spin on A Different World, her favorite sitcom.]

10:29 – Underwriting

8. Eliza Gilkyson – “Peace In Our Hearts”
from: 2020 / Red House Records / April 3, 2020
[Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is an Austin, Texas-based folk musician. She is the daughter of songwriter and folk musician Terry Gilkyson and his wife, Jane. Her brother is guitarist Tony Gilkyson, who played with the Los Angeles-based bands Lone Justice and X. She is married to scholar and author Robert Jensen. Gilkyson is a two-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving a nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2004 and Best Folk Album in 2014.]

10:35 – Interview with Eliza Gilkyson

Grammy Nominated and critically acclaimed folk singer Eliza Gilkyson joins us to discuss her new album 2020, released April 10, 2020 on Red House Records. Eliza Gilkyson is a politically minded, poetically gifted singer-songwriter who has become one of the most respected musicians in folk and Americana music circles. The daughter of legendary songwriter Terry Gilkyson, Eliza entered the music world as a teenager, recording demos for her father. Since then she has released 20 recordings of her own, and her songs have been covered by such notables as Joan Baez, Bob Geldof, Tom Rush and Rosanne Cash.

Eliza Gilkyson, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Congratulations on 2020. Eliza’s 20th solo album.

2020 was produced by Cisco Ryder Gilliland (Eliza’s son)

Eliza Gilkyson on acoustic guitar, national steel guitar, electric guitar, harmonica
Cisco Ryder Gilliand on drums, ,percussion, harmony vocals
Mike Hardwick on electric & acoustic guitars, slice guitar, pedal steel, dobro, 12-string
Chris Maresh on bass
Bukka Allen on Wurlitzer, Hammond Organ, Nord, Piano
Warren Hood on mandolin
Betty Soo on harmony vocals
Jaimee Harris vocal on “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”
Wewim Choir of Austin

Recorded in Austin, TX

Dedicated to Eliza’s grandkids: Riley, Bellarosa, Santi, Rex, Benito

Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is an Austin, Texas-based folk musician. She is the daughter of songwriter and folk musician Terry Gilkyson and his wife, Jane. Her brother is guitarist Tony Gilkyson, who played with the Los Angeles-based bands Lone Justice and X. She is married to scholar and author Robert Jensen. Gilkyson is a two-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving a nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2004 and Best Folk Album in 2014.

Gilkyson first recorded as a vocalist on demos and soundtracks produced by her father, who wrote several hits in the 1950s and early 1960s and is also known as a singer-composer for 1960s Disney films and an Academy Award nominee for “The Bare Necessities” from the 1967 animated film The Jungle Book.

She released Eliza ’69, her first album, in 1969 while raising a family in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and did not come out with her second, Love from the Heart, until ten years later. She moved to Austin, Texas in 1981 and released the commercial album Pilgrims before moving to Los Angeles in 1987.

After a brief stint in Los Angeles, she returned to New Mexico in the early 1990s, releasing several albums of original material. In 1993 she collaborated with New Age artist Andreas Vollenweider on his recording, Eolian Minstrel.

She has been with Red House Records since 2000, although she also worked on three albums independently, recording on her own label, Realiza Records.

In 2003 she was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

Land of Milk and Honey, 2004 release on Red House Records, was Grammy nominated.

In 2005, she released Paradise Hotel with the song “Requiem” about the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in December 2004. Coinciding with Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, this song found its way to listeners as a song of prayer and comfort.

The same year she was recognized with 3 Austin Music Awards and 4 Folk Alliance Music Awards, one of which was for her song “Man of God” about the Bush administration.

In 2008, her album Beautiful World came out, again on Red House Records. The songs vary from pop to folk and points in-between, with songs ranging from intimate ballads to rallying cries against the imperialist machine.

She recently collaborated on a new album entitled Red Horse with two of her Red House Records label-mates John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.

In 2011, she came out with Roses at the End of Time, and in 2014 released The Nocturne Diaries which was Grammy nominated for best Folk Album. Both CDs were recorded at her home with the help of her son and co-producer Cisco Ryder.

She continues to tour about 150 dates per year in the United States and overseas, as well as hosting annual songwriting workshops near Taos, New Mexico.

Discography – Albums

1969 – Eliza ’69, Mont Clare Records (out of print)
1979 – Love from the Heart, as Lisa Gilkyson, Helios Records (out of print)
1982 – No Commercial Potential, as Lisa Gilkyson, Wind River Prod. (cassette/out of print)
1984 – Eliza Gilkyson / Mark Hallman, SouthCoast Records (EP – out of print)
1987 – Pilgrims, Gold Castle Records
1988 – Legends of Rainmaker, Gold Castle Records (out of print)
1992 – Through the Looking Glass, Private Music (out of print might be reissued in future)
1993 – Eolian Minstrel by Andreas Vollenweider, vocals, acoustic guitar, and lyrical co-author, although Gilkyson’s credit only appears in the liner notes, Capitol Records
1994 – Undressed, Realiza Records (out of print)
1997 – Redemption Road, Silverwave Records
1999 – Misfits, Realiza Records
2000 – Hard Times in Babylon, Red House Records
2001 – More Than a Song, w/ Ad Vanderveen & Iain Matthews, Perfect Pitch Productions
2002 – Lost and Found, Red House Records
2004 – Land of Milk and Honey, Red House Records
2005 – RetroSpecto, Realiza Records
2005 – Paradise Hotel, Red House Records
2007 – Your Town Tonight, Red House Records
2008 – Beautiful World, Red House Records
2010 – Red Horse with John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky, Red House Records
2011 – Roses At The End Of Time, Red House Records
2014 – The Nocturne Diaries, Red House Records
2018 – Secularia, Red House Records
2020 – 2020, Red House Records

Many of us in Kansas City had the opportunity to see Eliza Gilkyson live at Folk Alliance International a few years back here in Kansas City.

Mark shares mutual friends with Eliza in Judy Werle and Cris Williamson

Eliza Gilkyson, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Grammy Nominated and critically acclaimed folk singer Eliza Gilkyson relesed her 20th solo album this year called 2020, released April 10, 2020 on Red House Records.
More info at: http://www.elizagilkyson.com

10:52

9. Eliza Gilkyson – “One More Day”
from: 2020 / Red House Records / April 3, 2020
[Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is an Austin, Texas-based folk musician. She is the daughter of songwriter and folk musician Terry Gilkyson and his wife, Jane. Her brother is guitarist Tony Gilkyson, who played with the Los Angeles-based bands Lone Justice and X. She is married to scholar and author Robert Jensen. Gilkyson is a two-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving a nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2004 and Best Folk Album in 2014.]

10. Nick Siegel – “New York Course Corrected”
from: “New York Course Corrected” – Single / Nick Siegel / September 4, 2020
[Nick Siegel, is a KC piano rocker with influences such as Ben Folds, Death Cab for Cutie and the Mars Volta. Nick writes aggressive piano rock music. He grew up playing music in Chicago and moved to Kansas City in 2010 when he joined The Casket Lottery. Now on his own as solo artist, Nick released his debut solo album, “Awake from the Golden State,” on Aug. 25, 2017. His new EP, “For You Dear, Anything,” was released April 10, 2020. This EP was the first act, of three-act series, he plans to release in 2020. Act One, is a modern take on the vibe of the 1920s. “For You Dear, Anything: Act Two” comes out Halloween and this song is the first single from it. The project is a total of 3 EPs. It’s really just a record split in 3 parts.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. The Black Creatures – “wretched (it goes)”
from: “wretched (it goes)” – Single / Center Cut Records / July 17, 2020 [remastered]
[“wretched (it goes)” was originally released on The Black Creatures 2019 album Wild Echoes. Recently released as a single in collaboration with Center Cut Records who remixed a few of the songs, and added some new vocals, and remastered the album. Although it is basically the same record, the sound quality is improved. Center Cut Records plan to release the full remastered album on August 28 2020. The Black Creatures are Jade Green & Xavier Martin. The band joined us on the radio on the August 26 edition of WMM. “Wild Echoes” was #2 in WMM’s 119 Favorite Releases of 2019 (Albums & EPs). Since the release of ”Wild Echoes” the band has released seven entirely new songs, nearly one per month, all posted to their Bandcamp page. The Black Creatures fuse dark-pop hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronic music with elements from science fiction to tell inter-dimensional stories of love, community, life, culture, history. Xavier & Jade have made an impression in the KC music community with their live shows in clubs, galleries, record stores, and area music festivals. The Black Creatures released their debut single “Mouth 2 Mouth” June 5, 2016. They released the album, See No Evil, December 6, 2017. The duo released the singles, “Elements” February 14, 2018; “Silver Tears” June 19. 2018; “Dare” a Gorillaz cover August 8, 2019. They released the album “Wild Echoes” September 30, 2019. The Black Creatures released the singles “Turn” October 30, 2019; “Quartz (Twilight)” November 13, 2019; “SHINE” December 11, 2019; Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” January 8, 2020; “To Whom It May Concern” January 22, 2020; “Arcade Love” February 5, 2020; and “Run Up” Feb. 19, 2020.]

[The Black Creatures play a Center Cut Records Showcase on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 PM with Kadesh Flow, and Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 PM with Calvin Arsenia, at Lemonaid(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire. Info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com]

11:04 – Interview with Jade Green & Xavier Martin

Jade Green & Xavier Martin of The Black Creatures join us to talk about their recent album Wild Echoes originally released September 30, 2019. This album landed at #2 on WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Recently Center Cut Records signed The Black Creatures to their label and are re-releasing a newly remixed and remastered Wild Echoes on Friday August 28, 2020. The Black Creatures play a Center Cut Records Showcase on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 PM with Kadesh Flow, and Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 PM with Calvin Arsenia, at Lemonaid(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

Jade Green & Xavier Martin, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Congratulations on being signed to Center Cut Records

“wretched (it goes)” was originally released on The Black Creatures 2019 album Wild Echoes. Recently released as a single in collaboration with Center Cut Records who remixed a few of the songs, and added some new vocals, and remastered the album. Although it is basically the same record, the sound quality is improved. Center Cut Records plan to release the full remastered album on August 28.

Jade Green & Xavier Martin who were our guests on the September 25, 2019 edition of WMM. “Wild Echoes” was #2 in WMM’s 119 Favorite Releases of 2019 (Albums & EPs).

Since the release of ”Wild Echoes” the band has released seven entirely new songs, nearly one per month, all posted to their bandcamp page.

The Black Creatures released the singles “Turn” October 30, 2019; “Quartz (Twilight)” November 13, 2019; “SHINE” December 11, 2019; Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” January 8, 2020; “To Whom It May Concern” January 22, 2020; “Arcade Love” February 5, 2020; and “Run Up” February 19, 2020.

The Black Creatures fuse dark-pop hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronic music with elements from science fiction to tell inter-dimensional stories of love, community, life, culture, history. Xavier & Jade have made an impression in the KC music community with their live shows in clubs, galleries, record stores, and area music festivals.

Xavier Martin is DJ/Writer/Producer/Rapper/Singer at The Black Creatures
Jade Green performs with: Arquesta Del SolSoul. a Kansas City-based music collective featuring 3 musicians who worked together in Hearts of Darkness. They call themselves: African Futurist Genre Killerz from the Middle of the Map bringing an innovative multidimensional sound inspired by our founding musical ancestors to decolonize and time bend indigenous sounds of the Caribbean, Latin America, West, Central, and Southern Africa.” Members include Les Izmore, Jessica Ayala, Brad Williams, Jade Green, Chalis O’Neal, Irving Graham, Ernest Melton, Andres Ramirez, Fabian Prado.

The Black Creatures Discography

The Black Creatures “Mouth 2 Mouth” – Single, June 5, 2016.
The Black Creatures released their debut album, See No Evil, Dec. 6, 2017.
The Black Creatures “Elements” – Single, February 14, 2018
The Black Creatures “Silver Tears” – Single, June 19, 2018
(with additional voices provided by AniMal (Ana Marcela Maldonado Morales), Barbara Solomon, Kassidee, Quaranta, Adres Va Cortas)
The Black Creatures “Dare” (Gorillaz Cover)” – Single, August 8, 2019
The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – September 30, 2019
The Black Creatures – “Turn” – Single, October 30, 2019
The Black Creatures – “Quartz (Twilight)” – Single, November 13, 2019
The Black Creatures – “SHINE” – Single, December 11, 2019
The Black Creatures- “Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” – Single, January 8, 2020
The Black Creatures – “To Whom It May Concern” – Single, January 22, 2020
The Black Creatures – “Arcade Love” – Single, February 5, 2020
The Black Creatures – “Run Up” – Single, February 19, 2020.
The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – September 30, 2019
The Black Creatures – “wretched (it goes)”- single Center Cut, July 17, 2020 [remastered]
The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – Album (Remastered] August 28, 2020 [Center Cut]

The Black Creatures play a Center Cut Records Showcase on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 PM with Kadesh Flow, and Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 PM with Calvin Arsenia, at Lemonaid(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

Xavier Martin and Jade Green performed with Calvin Arsenia for his album release show Thursday, September 19, 2019 at recordBar.

Jade Green & Xavier Martin, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The newly remastered album Wild Echoes is being released on Friday August 28, 2020. The Black Creatures play a Center Cut Records Showcase on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 PM with Kadesh Flow, and Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 PM with Calvin Arsenia, at Lemonaid(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

11:21

12. The Black Creatures – “Dumm”
from: Wild Echoes / Center Cut Records / August 28, 2020 [remastered]
[Center Cut Records who remixed a few of the songs, and added some new vocals, and remastered the album. Although it is basically the same record, the sound quality is improved. Center Cut Records plan to release the full remastered album on August 28 2020. The Black Creatures are Jade Green & Xavier Martin. The band joined us on the radio on the August 26 edition of WMM. “Wild Echoes” was #2 in WMM’s 119 Favorite Releases of 2019 (Albums & EPs). Since the release of ”Wild Echoes” the band has released seven entirely new songs, nearly one per month, all posted to their Bandcamp page. The Black Creatures fuse dark-pop hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronic music with elements from science fiction to tell inter-dimensional stories of love, community, life, culture, history. Xavier & Jade have made an impression in the KC music community with their live shows in clubs, galleries, record stores, and area music festivals. The Black Creatures released their debut single “Mouth 2 Mouth” June 5, 2016. They released the album, See No Evil, December 6, 2017. The duo released the singles, “Elements” February 14, 2018; “Silver Tears” June 19. 2018; “Dare” a Gorillaz cover August 8, 2019. They released the album “Wild Echoes” September 30, 2019. The Black Creatures released the singles “Turn” October 30, 2019; “Quartz (Twilight)” November 13, 2019; “SHINE” December 11, 2019; Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” January 8, 2020; “To Whom It May Concern” January 22, 2020; “Arcade Love” February 5, 2020; and “Run Up” February 19, 2020.]

[The Black Creatures play a Center Cut Records Showcase on Friday, August 28 at 7:00 PM with Kadesh Flow, and Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 PM with Calvin Arsenia, at Lemonaid(e) Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com]

13. Eems – “Middle”
from: Middle – Single / Eems / May 4, 2020
[Eems is Phillip Jackson, a KC based ukulele loop artist, singer songwriter, rapper, pianist, drummer, The resonance of his bright musical sounds, and lyrical calls, are woven through genres of folk, hip hop, pop, and dance influences. He has shared the stage with notable hop hop artists, and KC Folk Music Fest, Middle of The Map Fest. Eems released his EP Dreems on June 26, 2018. For Eems, a ukulele is a jumping off point that leads to an uncharted and often unpredictable world of sound and inspiration. Blending it with loops and effects to achieve a captivating blend of R&B and pop music, Eems has used his unique sounds, voice and sense of humor to reach crowds across the country. Eems has opened up for” Slick Rick The Ruler and GLC form Kanye West’s G.O.O.D music labe.]

[Eems plays the Crown Crated Music Series Saturday, August 29, 7:00 PM to 1 online on Facebook Live Hosted by One Kansas City Radio and Mid-Continent Public Library.]

11:29 – Underwriting

14. Kemet Coleman – “Black Is Beautiful”
from: Black Is Beautiful / Kemet Creative / August 1, 2020
[Crane Brewing, partnered with rap artist, urbanist and beer lover, Kemet Coleman for their latest brew, Black is Beautiful, highlighted by a musical release, also called Black is Beautiful, written and performed by Coleman. The new Imperial Stout, part of the Black Is Beautiful initiative created by Weathered Soul’s Brewing, will be released in cans and sold at liquor stores in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska starting August 1, 2020. All proceeds will be donated to G.I.F.T (Generating Income for Tomorrow), a Kansas City-based non-profit with a goal to provide grants to Black owned businesses in Kansas City, with a specific interest in businesses that operate in low income areas. Music written, composed and produced by Kemet Coleman. Kemet Coleman is a Kansas City based musicians and is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet is known for his unprecedented collaborations with UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. Earlier this year Coleman contributed his song, “The Virus” to the compilation, Kansas City Syzygy, music created by over 25 Kansas City-based musicians in the middle of the map of a pandemic. “The Virus” is his comment on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone has a safe, accessible, affordable home.]

[The Phantastics play Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube w/ Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and more!]

11:35 – Interview with Kemet Coleman

Hip hop MC extraordinaire, Kemet Coleman joins us to share music and information about his new EP, Black is Beautiful and talk about his band The Phantastics who will play, Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Friday, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube. Kemet Coleman is a Kansas City based musicians who calls himself an Urbanist. Kemet is lead singer of the Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet created the first ever Kansas City mayoral candidate rap song for the Sly James for Mayor campaign in 2010. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university.

Kemet Coleman Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The Phantastics play, Greenline Grows KC – Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, August 28, 7:00 PM, streaming LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with performances by: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies with Las Hermanas Altor, Stephonne Singleton, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce, and The Phantastics. The evening will be centered around Black stories & voices, highlighting Black excellence in KC, and will also include non-Black performers & leaders who will speak on privilege, solidarity, and the importance of our black community members. The Greenline Initiative is a Black family-owned organization that uses crowdsourcing to help historically marginalized and low income populations buy and renovate the houses they rent. Based in KC’s 3rd District, the initiative builds permanent community. http://www.thegreenlineinitiative.com

Crane Brewing, partnered with rap artist, urbanist and beer lover, Kemet Coleman for their latest brew, Black is Beautiful, highlighted by a musical release, also called Black is Beautiful, written and performed by Coleman. The new Imperial Stout, part of the Black Is Beautiful initiative created by Weathered Soul’s Brewing, will be released in cans and sold at liquor stores in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska starting August 1, 2020.

Although made to coincide with a beer release by Crane Brewing, it also cast a clear and honest trajectory for the musical identity of Kemet Coleman. On BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL, Kemet challenges racial injustice and bias as it relates to beauty, as the title suggests, but also socio-economic themes such as wealth creation from the perspective of a Black male during the most challenging times in modern history. Evoking the spirit of poetry, BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL’s soulful, electronic, kaleidoscope provides an experiential moment for the listener as Kemet’s cool yet energetic vocal delivery drives home a message of Black Power.

All proceeds will be donated to G.I.F.T (Generating Income for Tomorrow), a Kansas City-based non-profit with a goal to provide grants to Black owned businesses in Kansas City, with a specific interest in businesses that operate in low income areas.

Last year Kemet the Phantom released Electric Park on August 16, 2019. Through the lens of the 32-year-old rap artists’ upbringing from birth to present day in Kansas City, each song represents eight topics: SEDUCTION, POWER, VICE, DEATH, EUPHORIA, LUST, PRIDE, CHANGE. With songs like “Rollin’ Down Paseo”, Kemet explores the nostalgia and confusion of emotions that fester as the future of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, formally known as The Paseo, is determined by a vote. Electric Park was co-produced by Kemet and the legendary producer and sound designer, Leonard Dstroy. Executive Produced by Kyle Dykes. Written by Kemet Coleman. Artwork by Kemet Coleman, Michael Picman and Jon Conway.

Kemet Coleman is Kemet the Phantom, a Kansas City based musicians who calls himself a rap Artist, actor, and Urbanist. Kemet is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the 8-member Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet, shines as a complete showman embracing a James Brown-esque persona via syncopated vocals, rhythmic dance moves and dapper costume style. Kemet the Phantom is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet created the first ever Kansas City mayoral candidate rap song for the Sly James for Mayor campaign in 2010. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university.

Kemet plays with Marcus Lewis Big Band presenting his hip hop poetry with, 18-piece jazz ensemble called Brass and Bougee.

Kemet Coleman, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Kemet Coleman’s band The Phantastic plays Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, Fri, Aug. 28, 7:00 PM, streams LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey, The Greeting Committee, Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro, Stephonne, Krystle Warren, They Call Me Sauce,The Phantastics and more!

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

11:49

15. Kemet Coleman – “The Virus”
from: Kansas City Syzygy / Kansas City Syzygy / July 17, 2020
[Kemet Coleman is Kemet the Phantom, a Kansas City based musicians who calls himself a rap Artist, actor, and Urbanist. Hemet is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the 8-member Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet the Phantom is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet the Phantom is a Kansas City enthusiast and urbanist often known for his unprecedented collaborations with KC entities and organizations such as UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A University of Missouri – Kansas City alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. More information at: http://www.kemetthephantom.com // COVID-19 may have shut down innumerable business and altered our lives forever, but one thing it couldn’t stop is the creative drive and spirit in the world’s artists. Kansas City Syzygy is a glimpse into the music created in the middle of the map in the middle of a pandemic. Over 25 Kansas City-based musicians came together to create “Kansas City Syzygy,” a compilation of music created during the shutdown of the world in the Spring of 2020. “Syzygy” is a term most commonly used in astronomy and is defined as “connected or corresponding events.” Album designer JC Franco states “like planets or stars aligning, so did our lives.” The nineteen songs on the album span the entire spectrum of music. Calvin Arsenia’s “Painted Ladies” is a dreamscape sung form his voice and harp, while Seth Andrew Davis’ “No Place But Home” invokes scenes of an underground dance club. Some musicians are collaborating for the first time on this album, as demonstrated on “Abyss.” Songs like “The Virus” by KC hip-hop artist Kemet Coleman comments on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the virus that is racial injustice in America that has received global attention during the past months. All proceeds will be donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone in KC has a safe, accessible, and truly affordable home.]

16. Loren North – “Wake Me Up”
from: Wake Me Up – Single / Loren North / August 15, 2020
[As a little girl growing up in Cincinnati, Loren North couldnt get to sleep at night without her cassette player tucked in beside her. Now based in Los Angeles, the 22 year old singer/songwriter has channeled that lifelong love of music into a lushly textured and sweetly soulful breed of pop. With their indelible melodies and elegant electronic edge, Norths forthcoming music delves into delicate emotional terrain but radiates an irresistible bright energy. North grew up singing in the church and began playing piano at age six. At 14, after her family moved to LA for her and her brother, Austin, to pursue a career in acting, she soon realized her ultimate passion had always been and always will be to create music. While her brother has become a successful actor, Loren has focused solely on her music career while continuing to sing in church. From the beginning stages of her music career, simply posting covers on YouTube to developing her own music, Loren has enjoyed being involved in every element of production from arranging and recording to shooting and editing videos]

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

11:58 – ArtsKC – Arts Calendar

Next week on Wednesday, September 2 , David Shaughnessy joins us to share details about KC Irish Fest. ALSO Ivory Blue joins us to premiere the new single “Half A Life.”

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

Eliza Gilkyson photo bt Todd V Wolfson

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Black Lives Matter

Show #852

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