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, December 8, 2021

The 120 Best Recordings of 2021
(Part 1 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-one, of our four-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2021. Based on playlists of this little ole radio show, we’ve compiled representative tracks from our favorite full-length albums and EP recordings of 2021. We realize these “Best of” lists can seem subjective, so we ask that you please accept our list as a celebration of the year in music.

In 2021 we’ve broadcast nearly 900 different tracks over our 100,000 watts of 90.1 FM Community Radio Airwaves. Over 500 of these tracks were from New & MidCoastal Releases. We played tracks from 216 National Releases, and 373 MidCoastal Releases. 90 of the representative tracks in our “Best of” list are from MidCoastal Releases. We conducted over 138 interviews with 160 special guests. 59 of the bands and artists in our “Best of” list have joined us as guests on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Tune into Wednesday MidDay Medley throughout December for our 4-week series: The 120 Best Recordings of 2021, on December 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. This is our celebration of the year when we were able to survey over 600 area musical releases.

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979 [WMM’s theme]

2. (#120.) The Wild Women of Kansas City – “Don’t Let Go”
   from: Live At Pilgrim Chapel 9/26/2010 / Cosmic Cowboy Records/ Reissued Mar. 14, 2021
   [Reissued on digital for the first time by Cosmic Cowboy Records, The Wild Women of Kansas City, LIVE AT PILGRIM CHAPEL 9/26/2010 is a 14-track live recording. The vocal quartet included legendary Myra Taylor (1917-2011), Millie Edwards, Geneva Price and Lori Tucker, singing in harmony. More info at: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-wild-women-of-kansas-city/1557857551 from Bill Brownlee’s Plastic Sax blog: “The Wild Women’s repertoire belied its billing as a jazz group. The 55-minute recording includes readings of the disco anthem “I Will Survive,” Ray Charles’ earthy hit “Night Time Is the Right Time” and the proto-rock gem “Don’t Let Go.” // Backed by an unidentified organist, bassist and drummer, the crowd-pleasing entertainers also perform familiar warhorses like “Sentimental Journey,” “Stormy Weather” and the inescapable “Kansas City.” Edwards sings lead on “What a Wonderful World” and Taylor does her playful Louis Armstrong impression during “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” // The women assert their intent on “Let the Good Times Roll”: “Tell everybody: Wild Women are in town/Sometimes we’re serious, sometimes we got to clown/ We don’t let nobody play us cheap/We got heart, soul- ooh, listen to the beat.” Thanks to the invaluable Live at Pilgrim Chapel 9/26/2010, their vital beat plays on.”]

3. (#119.) Esperanza Spalding – “formwela 1”
   from: SONGWRIGHTSAPOTHECARYLAB.COM / Esperanza Spalding / April 3, 2021
   [36 year old Esperanza Spalding has released the TRIANGLE suite: a trio of new songs called: “formwela 1,” “formwela 2,” featuring Ganavya, and “formwela 3.” The tracks were developed by the Grammy-winning musician and released today as part of the unveiling of her Songwrights Apothecary Lab, a new project described as “half songwriting workshop and half guided-research practice.” The new songs were written “in consultation with music therapists and neuroscientists,” as The New York Times reports. “I was remembering ways that music had supported me,” she said on a recent call from her native Portland, Ore., “and wondering if we could go deeper into those themes.” Spalding told Marcus J. Moore in a piece written fior The New York Times on April 1, 2021. In 2017, Spalding, a bassist, vocalist and producer, spent 77 straight hours in the studio, writing and arranging songs. The resulting album, “Exposure,” was pressed directly to CD and vinyl for a limited release of just 7,777 copies. Her next project, “12 Little Spells,” explored the healing power of music; each song correlated with a different body part. // American jazz bassist, cellist and singer, Esperanza Emily Spalding, born October 18, 1984, who draws upon many genres in her own compositions. . Spalding was raised in Portland, Oregon and was a musical prodigy, playing violin in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five. She was later both self-taught and trained on a number of instruments, including guitar and bass. Her proficiency earned her scholarships to Portland State University and the Berklee College of Music. She has won four Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, making her the first jazz artist to win the award.]

4. (#118.) Hope Tala – “All My Girls Like To Fight”
   from: Girl Eats Sun – EP / EMI – Republic Records / November 13, 2020
   [22 year old singer songwriter from the UK. After three yers studying at the University of Bristol with first class honors in English Literature while also traveling back and forth to London to record her firt EP Starrry Ache and her second EP Sensitive Soul (August 2019), Hope Tala let her academic life to focus entirely in her musical career. Alexandra Pollard in the Independent writes, ” Having turned down a masters offer from Cambridge to pursue a career in music, 23-year-old Hope Tala has a breezy self-confidence about her – one that oozes into the music. She doesn’t so much belt out her melodies as sigh them out, in a voice that is relaxed and conversational, set against bossa nova and R&B beats. She is refreshingly uncoy about using female pronouns, too. ‘Being open about being queer,’ she says, ‘has contributed to my confidence in myself.'”

5. (#117.) Marieme – “Love Now”
   from: Songs For The Revolution / Marieme / August 6, 2021
   [Marieme is a Senegalese-American singer-songwriter with a multi-octave voice whose music has R&B, pop and jazz influences. Her musical themes reflect her youth affected by war and her subsequent world travels. She has released one EP, one acoustic visual EP, and her songs have been used in several television shows and in film. Marieme Diop was born in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Africa where her father was an executive at a regional electrical company. When she was six months old, war broke out between that country and Senegal forcing her family to escape leaving behind a comfortable lifestyle and keeping nothing. Marieme and her siblings lived with her aunt in Senegal, while her parents moved to the Bronx, New York in the United States. The family reunited five years later in New York. // “I grew up in Senegal until I was seven years old. There was always music around, but it wasn’t encouraged—I grew up in a very religious household. When I came to America, I found a box of CDs under my parents’ bed. It was a surprise to me because I didn’t think they listened to music. I found out later that my dad was the one who bought it because there was a discount at his job or something. There were CDs by Ace of Base, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and more—about ten albums. I would put them on and cry because of the way the music made me feel. Mariah Carey’s album changed my life. I was learning English through listening to music, which was a powerful connection. My assimilation to America was all through music. I was teased a lot for my skin color and for being straight from Africa.” // At the University of Buffalo, Marieme studied journalism and communication, and even studied and interned in feature writing in London, United Kingdom. It was in high school when a jazz history class played Billie Holiday that she realized what she wanted to become, and did so with a vocal range of several octaves. // Marieme lives in both New York City, New York and Los Angeles, California. // In 2017, Marieme moved to Los Angeles, and two days after arriving, she wrote the song, “Leave” with producer/songwriter Andy Rose. Shortly after, with three songs completed, she got a deal from Jason Markey of Universal Music Publishing Group. She started writing with producers such as Theron “Neff-U” Feemster, who has worked with Michael Jackson, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Dr.Dre, Ne-Yo. // Marieme released an eponymous EP in February 2018 on Caroline Records. The EP featured three songs, “Leave,” “Be The Change,” and “Ask For Help.”[5][6] Of the latter, she told Music in Africa: “In this society, we are faced with so much. As we learn more and more about ourselves and the human condition over time, it is very important to know our limits in order to be able to exceed them and be able to reach our true goal. Often, misplaced pride keeps us from moving forward, and in the song we meant not to be too proud and to be able to ask for help when we needed it. The most powerful way to do this is through music.” // In April 2018, the Marieme song, “What’s Cool” was included on the soundtrack for the Amy Schumer movie, I Feel Pretty. The album was released by Sony Music. // Caroline released a new Marieme song called “Tumblin’” in September 2018, which referenced the fall of a governmental system. // In October 2019, she began releasing a series of acoustic videos of the songs from the Marieme EP. The visual work preceded the release of her acoustic visual EP in January 2019. // Early in 2019, “Ask For Help” was used as the promotion for the nationwide season premiere of Iyanla: Fix My Life on Oprah’s OWN Network, and an episode of the CBS mini-series The Red Line. // Marieme independently released a video for her song “Fi Moy Senegal” featuring Shaheed and Dixa of Alien Zik, both from Senegal. The song was issued to celebrate Senegal’s Independence Day in April 2019. Initially available on YouTube only in Senegal, it became popular enough to be made available internationally by the platform in June. The audio for “Fi Moy Senegal” was used by the Senegalese soccer team Les Lions in July 2019 as they competed for the African Cup of Nations. // Since the beginning of her musical career Marieme has performed around the United States including dates in New York City and Los Angeles. Many of the shows are benefits to help those in her home continent of Africa. In November 2019, she performed at the Kick 4 Life Gala at the Angel Orensanz Center, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to provide education to at-risk children in Lesotho, Southern Africa. // Back in Senegal, Marieme became known for the live performances she does with popular African musicians, Akon, Youssou N’Dour and Pape et Cheikh.// LinkedIn struck a deal with Marieme to create an anthem for the business site. Her version of the Cat Stevenssong, “Be What You Must, became part of their promotion beginning in November 2019. //The Marieme song, Rogue is one of several that are being played in the Apple TV+ television series Truth Be Told, which became available on the platform December 13, 2019. The song is also used in worldwide TV and Digital commercials about the show. // BlackBook named the song and video for “Ask For Help” as one of BlackBook’s Best Song + Video Premieres of 2019. // In 2019, Marieme shot a video for her track, “Lovechild”, during the New York WorldPride celebrations. The track promotes the promotion of protection for black trans lives.]

6. (#116.) Remy Styrk – “Heavy”
   from: Fountainhead – EP / Remy Styrk / August 16, 2021
   [About Fountainhead, Remy writes that, “Fountainhead is 3 intimate songs about grieving different parts of my life. these songs are the most honest way i can share with you. i am doing it for no one other than myself. welcome back, old friend .” 21 year old Remy Stryk lives in Leawood, Kansas, originally from Newark, New Jersey. This multi instrumentalist has been writing & recording music for several years. Remy Styrk is a sci-fi and thriller film composer composer living in KC. His work is informed by his life experiences, and his life experiences have been a tragic journey on a compact time frame. Styrk was born in Newark, NJ to a homeless heroin addict in February 1999. He doesn’t really know who his parents were, because he wound up in a semi-closed adoption. After birth, he was in the hospital for three weeks, clinging to life. At the age of 14 months, he was adopted by a couple, the husband, a fashion photographer and wife, a creative director, Tom & Deborah. When 9/11 happened and the family wanted to get away from the East Coast. Styrk’s adopted father Tom got a job at Hallmark in Kansas City, Missouri and the family relocated here. Sadly, not long after making the move, Remy’s adopted mother Deborah passed away from a sudden brain aneurysm. Tom quit his job at Hallmark to come home and take care of his kids in this terrible time. Remy’s father was pursuing a photography gig full time during this period, and that set the tone for his kids. Push through everything. Never give up. Dedicate yourself to what you love and work towards it each and every day. Remy began pursuing music. His family that supported his goals. At an early age they got him a guitar, and by age six he was already learning the drums. Remy found folk music, thanks to the relocation into KC. Folk music was new to Remy, and based entirely in storytelling. Remy leaned into that hard, because the storytelling allowed him to process his mother’s death, and the series of other traumas in his life. Remy told Brock Wilbur of The Pitch Kansas City, “I grew up black in a predominately white school system,” Styrk says. “I felt like an outcast but it didn’t make me want to give up on who I was. It pushed me to work harder on being who I want to be. I won’t change for anyone.” Styrk started playing with local bands. He moved from the DIY scene into rock and indie, but then found the famous KC blues scene– and his place within it. This series of genre dabbles prepared him perfectly to start scoring for film. On November 5, 2020 Remy Styrk released the single “Boy” written, produced, and recorded by: Remy Styrk (@remystyrk). Background vocals: Alexis Black + Danzell Capers. Bass solo: Abram Shaffer. Mixed by: Ben Soiefer of Sandblast Productions. Mastered by: Colin Bryson of The Bunker Studio. Remy writes about this new release: “The number of times someone or something washed my hands clean, stood me back up, and gave me another try is unmeasurable. throughout my life i’ve experienced death, drug addiction, anxiety, abandonment, and pure fear. some days are filled with 5 to 7 panic attacks. others are quiet, however a moment of “calm” from complete mental and physical exhaustion seems unbearable, almost more dangerous than a day of anxiety. 2020 has been a catalyst for me. igniting everything i’ve been shoving under the bed and breathing life into a debilitatingly unpredictable fire. the biggest question every time i step outside my front door is, ‘will i make it back home alive today?’”In 2020 Remy was a guest on WMM on May 27, where he talked about his latest interactive recording project, “Of My Own Design” his 9-minute interactive album structured like an “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.” Remy create pieces of music that all fit together to tell a story both musically and visually. He is asking listeners, to imagine and create the visual story. Scene descriptions can be between 2 sentences and 2 paragraphs. All will be posted on his website: http://www.remystyrk.com/interactive. “In 2019 Remy release “Winter/Summer” In 2018 Remy released “In Too Deep” one of 5 singles Remy has released in the last 2 years. Remy Styrk released the EP Sunday, on Jan 25, 2018 a follow up to the Aug 12, 2015 full length album, Telling Stories Through The Basement Door.] [Remy Styrk joined us LIVE on WMM on May 26, 2021]

7. (#115.) Club Sinister – “Creeping Towards the Deep End”
   from: Club Sinister / Club Sinister / January 22, 2021
   [Self titled debut release from Club Sinister, formed by Alex Horton & Ian Weidner in early 2020. Alex & Ian met in middle school and have been friends ever since. The two spent ten years sharpening their songwriting by playing in a variety of bands from indie rock to metal. While they played together in previous bands, this is their first project as a duo since relocating to Kansas City a few years ago. The duo have always been drawn to darker music and imagery, but the desperate and unsettling nature of the EP really mirrors the the past year that many have experienced. More info at: http://www.clubsinister.bandcamp.com] [Club Sinister joined us live on the show on March 17, 2021}

8. (#114.) Juliette Frost – “dull box”
   from: Hush – EP / Juliette Frost / May 5, 2021
   [16-year old vocalist, songwriter, & visual artist, Juliette Frost talk about her new 6-song EP on the March 10, 2021 edition of WMM. Created in a 5-day recording session, last December in Los Angeles, with musician, bassist, & producer Dominique Sanders. The songs are written by Juliette, and feature her vocals layered in harmonies, beats & soundscapes. Less than a year ago, on April 18, 2020, Juliette released, Subterranean.Egyptian.Sea.Monkeys, her 19-track, debut, recorded in her bedroom, sampling sounds from her own cats meowing and purring, among others. Juliette Frost is the daughter of opera and jazz vocalist Emily Frost and nationally known Hip Hop Beatboxer Adrian “A-Train” Frost. ] [Juliette Frost was our guest LIVE on WMM on March 10, 2021]

10:28 – Underwriting

9. (#113.) The Avalanches – “The Divine Chord (feat. MGMT & Johnny Marr)”
   from: We Will Always Love You / Modular Recordings Co / December 11, 2020
   [Follow up release to The Avalanches 2nd studio release Wildflower, from July 8, 2016, from Modular Recordings Co. The Australian electronic music group was formed in Melbourne in 1997. They are known for their debut plunderphonics album, Since I Left You (2000), as well as their live and recorded DJ sets. Since I Left You was a critical and commercial success, receiving multiple awards, and has been considered both one of the best Australian albums of all time and best albums of the 2000s. Their current lineup consists of Robbie Chater, Tony Di Blasi, and James Dela Cruz. Production of Wildflower was lead by Robbie Chater with assistance from Tony Di Blasi and lasted nearly 16 years, commencing shortly after the release of their debut album, Since I Left You, in November 2000 and not concluding until March 2016.]

10. (#112.) Maal, Tom Richman – “Radio”
    from: Grass – EP / Paper Records / March 5, 2021
    [the 9-song album, GRASS owas created by Maal who is Jamaal Washington, originally from Lawrence, Kansas and now based in Los Angeles, and producer and beat maker Tom Richman who is now based in New York City. Maal has been releasing mixtapes and albums sine 2011. Maal has released multiple collaborations with producer Tom Richamn, as well as recordings with Morris. They were part of Team Bear Club. Maal and Tom Richman are the cover story for the premiere printed edition of Shuttlecock Music Magazine. More info at: http://www.maalmaal.bandcamp.com.] [Aaron Rhodes Founder and Editor of Shuttlecock Music Magazine introduced us to this release when he was our guest on WMM on April 21, 2021.]

11. (#111.) Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”
    from: Jubilee / Dead Oceans / June 4, 2021
    [Third album from Japanese Breakfast, the solo musical project of musician Michelle Zauner, born March 29, 1989. Under the alias, Zauner has released two previous studio albums: Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017). Michelle Zauner was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her family moved to Eugene, Oregon when she was nine months old. // Before Japanese Breakfast, Zauner fronted a solo project under the moniker Little Girl, Big Spoon. As a student at Bryn Mawr College, Zauner fronted Post Post, an indie pop band with other students from Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. Later, she started the Philadelphian emo band Little Big League. Zauner fronted the band between 2011 and 2014, before returning to her hometown of Eugene, Oregon in 2013 as her mother was diagnosed with cancer. // While in Oregon with her family, Zauner began recording solo music. She described the project as having much more to say after Tropical Jinx, the 2014 studio album by Little Big League. Originally Zauner began to record samples of music as a meditative exercise and “instant gratification”. // On April 1, 2016, Japanese Breakfast released its first studio album, Psychopomp, under Yellow K Records. Zauner described the debut album as a confrontation of her mother’s death as well as “dark and heavy-handed”, although she had a desire to make the music urgent and “sonically upbeat.” // On June 23, 2016, Japanese Breakfast was signed to the Dead Oceans label. Her second album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, was released on July 14, 2017, to “universal acclaim”, with a Metacritic score of 83. In Brian Shultz’s review for The A.V. Club he gave it an A- grade and said, “there’s a confidence and crispness to Soft Sounds that shows just how fully realized Zauner’s formerly homemade experiments have become.” // In 2019, Japanese Breakfast released two singles under the W Hotels music label, “Essentially” and a cover of the Tears for Fears song, “Head Over Heels”. // In 2020, Japanese Breakfast collaborated with Ryan Galloway of the band Crying to form Bumper (stylized BUMPER) and released an EP called “pop songs 2020” on YouTube. // On March 2, 2021 Michelle Zauner released the song and self-directed music video, “Be Sweet,” the first single from the third Japanese Breakfast album, Jubilee. The album will be released by Dead Oceans on June 4, 2021. // Michelle Geslani of Consequence of Sound has described Japanese Breakfast’s sound as experimental pop. Anna Gaca of Spin has described it as lo-fi/ // Zauner has said she hopes her work can influence more Asian-Americans to be involved in music. // On February 28, 2019, it was announced that the publishing rights to Michelle Zauner’s memoir, Crying in H Mart, were won at auction by Knopf. More info at: http://www.japanesebreakfast.rocks]

12. (#110.) Connor Leimer – “Like My Mind”
    from: Like My Mind / Connor Leimer / May 7, 2021
    [Connor Leimer is a New York-based musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Produced and mixed by Kyle Dreaden. Recorded by Brendan St. Gelais, Preston Cochran & Scottie Prudhoe. Mastered by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering. Recorded at: The Smoakstack, and at Trace Horse Dtudio both in Nashville, TN., with Connor Leimer on vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar; Jonny Gleaton on bass guitar; and Jake Finch on drums, percussion, mellotron, synth, guitar, conga. “Like My Mind” formed over an arranged dinner meeting with Nashville-based producer Kyle Dreaden. The two sipped red wine opposite each other on a winter night bonding over a mutual adoration of record-making. The rendezvous was as cordial as it was fruitful. The result: four new songs with the sensible backing band of Jonny Gleaton on bass and Jake Finch on drums. Mastered in Los Angeles, California by GRAMMY® Award-winning mastering engineer Brian Lucey (the Black Keys, Cage The Elephant), Connor’s latest book of songs present a love letter to the eccentric with the aim of encouraging listeners to live as cultured amateurs: like that of a wanderlust youth who dreams of speaking another language fluently on a foreign coast. More info at: http://www.connorleimer.com] [Connor Leimer joined us LIVE onWMM on May 12, 2021.]

13. (#109.) Just Angel – “My Way”
    from: Just Angle Pt.1 – EP / Just Angel / December 24, 2020
    [Just Angel is a Kansas City based, singer, musician, songwriter, dancer. and creative artist. Se recently contributed vocals to the recent Sisterbot record. More info at: /distrokid.com/hyperfollow/justangel/just-angel–pt-1]

14. (#108.) Florian Arbenz, Nelson Veras & Hermon Mehari – “In Medias Res”
    from: Conversation #1: Condensed / Hammer Recordings / April 23, 2021
    [2021 sees the launch of an ambitious project from Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz who is set to release 12 albums (or “conversations”) with 12 radically different groups of musicians. // The 1st of this series, recorded from his studio in Basel and accompanied by a feature-length video of the session, features American trumpeter Hermon Mehari and Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras. Across a career spanning more than 25 years, drummer and percussionist Florian Arbenz, has carved out a reputation as not just a skilled musician, but as a creative collaborator. Whether with the long-standing trio VEIN who have recorded and toured with Greg Osby & Dave Liebman, or with his own project Convergence which brings together musicians from four continents, he is not content to sit still. // In 2021, he launches perhaps his most adventurous collaboration yet: a series of 12 albums or “conversations” with 12 different line ups. The thread that joins them all together is his fascination with bringing visionary musicians together and giving them space to express themselves in his studio. Together, they work through a selection of music curated by Florian to suit the individual musical personalities present. // Conversation #1 – subtitled Condensed – sees Florian joined by American trumpeter Hermon Mehari & Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras. // “I’ve known and played with Nelson for several years and am captivated not only by his highly original and virtuoso playing, but also by his unique character and his great sense of humor. He’s a complete player both rhythmically & harmonically so it seemed obvious to get him on board for this series. Hermon, on the other hand, I had never met before our recording session. I had, however, admired his warm tone, open-minded musicality & improvisational skills from afar and am so happy to have finally recorded with him!” // This slightly unusual line up of guitar, trumpet & drums might, at first glance, miss a bass instrument. But despite the challenges, the creativity of the musicians involved, as well as Florian’s addition of custom percussion instruments covering this range, make for a fascinating listen which moves from hard-swinging soloing to dreaming soundscapes. More information at http://www.florianarbenz.com] [Florian Arbenz joined us LIVE on the phone from Switzerland on WMM on June 30, 2021.]

15.(#107.) Catty Cline – “Is This Bad For Me (Feat. R.I. Peter)”
from: Scratch – EP / Manor Records / September 34, 2021
[The first single of two from Catty Cline’s an debut EP titled SCRATCH that we will be released digitally by Manor Records. Catty Cline is singer/songwriter Anna Redmond, who was originally based out of Springfield, MO, and is now based in Kansas City. She has previously performed in Upkeep, her earliest project (with Spencer Pearson), and Buckle Up Baby (with Addie McKenzie and others). She has also self-released a few singles on bandcamp under her name. Influenced by a mix of slower bedroom-pop, alt-pop, neo-folk, and 90’s girl punk, she hopes that her music reflects her true character. More information at: http://www.manorrecords.com ]

16. (#106.) Birdie – “You Can’t Stop Her (Feat. Dan Carey & Barb Wilmoth)”(
    from: CELLOPHANE HEART / Birdie / June 4, 2021
    [Power pop, punk, and echoes of the girl groups of our time intersect in Kansas City-based band Birdie. This energetic collaboration of local talent brings a fresh take on classic sounds. Birdie is the musical project of Betsy Schwartze who lives in Stilwell Kansas. On October 14, 2021 Birdie also released the 8-track EP FRAIL BRANCHES. More info at: http://www.birdiesound.com]

11:00 – Station ID

17. (#105.) HXXS – “CHANNELER (feat. Bodye)”
    from: Channeler / Little Giant / August 6, 2021
    [17-track album from Jeannie Colleene and Gavin Neves who make up the duo known as HXXS. Cutting their teeth in this harsh reality, HXXS has formed a strange mix of noise and deteriorating rebellion. Armed with a combination of drum machines, loopers, electric guitar, and banshee like squalls from both vocalists, HXXS brings the mania of electronic-noise, combines it with jazz-like swordsmanship and incantory spell craft. Taking pride in making things increasingly difficult on themselves by performing live cuts with ritual-like fever, while maintaining the unstable improvisation and manic haywire you might get from free-jazz which makes their live sets unpredictable. “Too unsettling and vivid to dismiss” HXXS “paints a picture of grievances that fester like open wounds.” The KC-based duo has toured extensively in venues the size of living rooms to concert halls with acts like Liars, ADULT., and Kyp Malone.Also in 2020 HXXS released How the West Was Won on High Dive Records on June 18, 2021. Originally released digitally on Jun e 4, 2020, after HXXS was signed to High Dive Records this was released on vinyl. ]

18. (#104.) Bummer – “E1M1”
    from: Dead Horse / Thrill Jockey Records / October 1, 2021
    [Matt Perrin on guitar & vocals, Mike Gustafson on bass, and Sam Hutchinson on drums. Produced by BUMMER and Justin Mantooth. Engineered and Mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Recording Studios in Kansas City, KS. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, Oregon. Painting “Sense Titol” is an original work by Joan LaLucat Vehil and is licensed for use. // Kansas City trio BUMMER mirror the absurdity of modern life with a balance of dark humor, dejected nihilism and righteous fury. Their music spills out in torrents of skull-crushing riffs, gargantuan bass and caustic howls delivered at breakneck speed with gleeful abandon. Following their split 7” with longtime friends The Body which teased a more focused, lean sound for the group, Dead Horse hones BUMMER’s auditory desolation and scathing gaze to laser-point precision. In eleven short vignettes the trio lay waste to everything in their path, penning a vitriolic overview of life in the American Midwest, a surprising blend of one-star Trip Advisor review and insightful cultural critique. // BUMMER’s searing music and self-deprecating sense of humor are steeped in their surroundings. Born and raised in Kansas City, vocalist/guitarist Matt Perrin elaborates: “These songs are influenced by how empty and miniscule life in Kansas can be and the stories that come from it.” From the opioid epidemic to the dust bowl and extraterrestrial encounters, themes recur of entrapment and failed escapes. On the aptly titled “Barn Burner (You Boys Quit Whippin’ Those Whips),” Perrin grapples with a deep-set disillusionment with his hometown atop blistering, splintered riffs. The wreckingball groove of “I Want To Punch Bruce Springsteen in the Dick”s lurches and swings like a pendulum of pure contempt, lamenting environmental devastation ravaged upon Kansas from years of over-farming and overproduction (alongside less subtle messages about their feelings towards The Boss). “Quadruple ZZ Top” repurposes FDR’s infamous quote about the Dust Bowl’s destruction “What the sun left, the grasshoppers took” in a corrosive whirlpool that thrashes in every direction. “E1M1” turns the group’s gaze skyward, inspired by the alleged repeated UFO sightings reported by a 19th century mill worker, while “Kid Spock” draws from Tom Goldwin’s science fiction short “The Cold Equations”. Finding little respite even in the usual escape of space and science fiction, Dead Horse’s relentless bludgeon brings into focus the harsh realities of the American dream and the places left behind by the ravages of capitalism. // In spite of its often weighty subject material and darker textures, Dead Horse is unapologetically fun. Written during lockdown in the trio’s practice space and recorded with Justin Mantooth at Westend Recording Studios in Kansas City, Dead Horse was written as a more collective endeavour than the band’s previous outings. It captures the sheer ecstasy and blunt force of the group’s live shows in greater clarity than ever before. The immediately intoxicating “JFK Speedwagon” sets the tempo for the album, hurtling through Mike Gustafson’s thundering bass breaks and guest vocals from Sean Ingram of Coalesce (who also features on “Juice Pig”), providing a perfect counterpoint to Perrin’s acidic guitar and desperate shout. “I Want To Punch…” and “E1M1” take the foot of the pedal for a split second, cruising through caveman mosh and pummelling sludge. On “Donkey Punch”, drummer Sam Hutchinson’s hypnotic groove and Perrin’s freewheeling guitars threaten to spiral out of control at any moment, pushing up to fever pitch as Perrin trades tortured howls with Portrayal of Guilt’s Matt King. “Magic Cruel Bus” lulls the listener into a false sense of security with a lilting blues guitar opening before erupting into rolling waves of distortion. // Dead Horse is a decisive statement from a band at the height of their powers, a masterclass in eviscerating hooks and incisive takedowns. With their Thrill Jockey debut album, BUMMER’s unflinching reminder of just how grueling life can be is coupled with a cathartic riff driven explosion of energy. BUMMER offers an escape and a solution: head bang through the bad times. More info at: https://bummerkc.bandcamp.com%5D

19. (#103.) Collidescope – “Thicker Than Blood”
    from: DEEP TAPE / Collidescope / 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.acollidescope.bandcamp.com ] [Hadiza. of Collidescope was our guest on WMM on February 10, 2021.]

20. (#102.) Danielle Ate the Sandwich – “I Could’ve Sworn”
    from: It’s Not a Burden (Original Songs from the Documentary Film) / Youngest Daughter Records / May 28, 2021
    [Danielle Ate The Sandwich is Danielle Anderson Danielle Ate the Sandwich is a national touring, folk singer/songwriter, known for her original songs, Youtube videos, composing the soundtrack to the HBO documentary, ‘Packed in A Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson,’ and The 24 Hour Album Project, where she writes and records an album in one day, live streaming the process to her fans. She has released over ten albums. It’s Not A Burden is a powerful and brilliant film about the joys and pain of raising elderly parents. The songs are produced by Joanna Katcher. This year Danielle Ate The Sandwich has also released the 7-song album, 24 HOUR ALBUM (2021), on April 25, 2021. The 7 songs on this album were written and recorded in 24 hours on April 24th-25th, 2021, during Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s 6th annual 24 Hour Album. This project challenges the artist to write, record, produce, and release a new album in just twenty four hours. Danielle Ate the Sandwich is a national touring, folk singer/songwriter, known for her original songs, Youtube videos, composing the soundtrack to the HBO documentary, ‘Packed in A Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson,’ and The 24 Hour Album Project, where she writes and records an album in one day, live streaming the process to her fans. Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, “A Weight, A Wall” on June 1, 2021. Danielle Ate The Sandwich released the single, “Goodbye to You” on August 22, 2021. More info at: http://www.danielleatethesandwich.com.]

21. (#101.) The Popper & They Call Me Sauce – “Kansas City Lights”
    from: Kansas City Lights / Landmark That / May 28, 2021
    [New album from Royce “Sauce” Handy, in collaboration with legendary KC rapper, The Popper. After several meetings in public Sauce met The Popper at his store, IMKC Clothing Company, a local clothing and apparel line based in Kansas City at 1809 Vine St., Kansas City, MO. The two went into the studio and created a new up beat record that was done in classic mixtape style. They Call Me Sauce told Nick Spacek in a May 28, 2021 editiion of The Pitch KC, “we got some of the hottest up-and-coming artists on there, Suli-4Q and YGKC. Then we got a DJ Big Baby and DJ Fresh, these classic mixed tape and DJ mainstays. Fresh was one of the first. He’s a core DJ, one of the first people to host hip hop shows and big hip hop shows in Kansas City and stuff, and that’s the Popper’s brother, so I’m like, ‘Yo, this makes so much sense.’ And then, to have Tech on there and then Brian B. Shynin and Shay Moore from Hot 103—we wanted to make sure we were representing all of those things mixed together, as well.” The album starts with an intro from Brian B. Shynin is Co-host of The Morning Grind with Shay & Shyne on Hot 103 Jamz. More information at: https://www.thepitchkc.com/they-call-me-sauce-and-the…/ Royce “Sauce” Handy is a rapper, songwriter, beat maker, designer, teacher, MC, business owner, social media manager, husband, father, and community organizer. He has worked with AdHoc Group Against Crime, Teens in Transition, Storytellers Inc., Arts Tech, Mid-America Regional Council, UMKC, Rep. Brandon Ellington, and former KC Mayor, Sly James. He is co-owner of The Rap Asylum, We are RAP, and owner of Melanin Connoisseur. In 2017 Sauce released his EP, Summer Sauce, part of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. In 2018 Sauce released Soul Food 4. In 2019 his collective NuBvckCity w/ Kartez Marcel, Mae C, & VP3 released “All Night” / “Alive”. This was #1 on WMM’s 39 Favorite Singles of 2019. In 2020 They Call Me Sauce released 5 Singles including “Make You Sing [feat. Love, Mae C]” [On March 27, 2020. Sauce was on WMM on April 29, 2020]

22. (#100.) Chris Hudson and The Bard Owls – “The Easing”
    from: The Easing / Chris Hudson / September 29, 2021
    [Recorded as sort of grand finale to the Isolation Tracks Home Studio Compilation from 2020’s Covid shut down. The Easing was recorded between December 2020 and February 2021. Chris sings, plays bass, keys, mandolin, tenor guitar, banjo, classical guitar, electric guitar and drums thru out the songs with internet collaborations featuring local Kc music artists Jason Beers, Chad Brothers, Jeremy Clark, Travis Feldman, Kristin Hamilton, Devon Teran and Sam Wright. Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Studio. The Easing takes the listener thru the many emotions of living inside with ones significant other trying to live an honest, balanced, sheltered, and loving life of resilence while watching the bad news of the outside world that unfolds slowly into uncertainty and chaos into a future of unknowns. More info at http://www.chrishudson.bandcamp.com] [Chris Hudson was our guest on WMM on September 22, 2021.]

23. (#99.) Lonnie Fisher And The Funeral – “Rock Til You Drop”
    from: HAUNTED / Lonnie Fisher And The Funeral / October 22, 2021
    [Lonnie Fisher on lead vocals, 5 String Guitar & Keyboards; Tim Jenkins on guitars; Chris Nunez on drums, Tim Manning on bass, & Julia Reynolds on vocals & keyboards http://www.facebook.com/lonniefisherandthefuneral [Lonnie Fisher and The Funeral Album Release and Abby’s Fund Benefit, Friday, October 22, 2021, at Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming, WEST BOTTOMS, KCMO with Fritz Hutchison and Big Dopes. Lonnie Fisher writes: “Midwest Music Foundation helped me through some really tough days after my strokes and it’s a miracle I’m singing and playing again. This show is for helping others.”] [Lonnie Fisher and The Funeral play a Lawrence Album Release Show at Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, on Fri. Nov. 19 at 6:00 PM with Alien Hellbop and Shebangs, also having Album Releases.]

24. (#98.) Chess Club – “On Deck, at Bat”
    from: You’re Lucky I Like You / Black-Site / March 23, 2021
    [All songs written and produced by the members of Chess Club: Cooper Avery on drums, David Krejci on bass, and Griffin Nelson on guitar & vocals. Recorded at Weights + Measures Soundlab, Kansas City, MO. Mixed & mastered by Duane Trower. Vinyl Mastering by Chris Muth at Taloowa Corp. Yonkers, NY. Kansan-Emo-Math-Pop – Sometimes with blast beats. Formed in 2014 Chess Club prides itself on the mantra of DIY or DIE, booking its own shows and producing its own recordings. In that spirit, the band treats every show as if it were a house party, breaking down the partition between performer and crowd to create an up close and personal experience. Chess Club released their 10-song debut album, HIT THE BALL on June 9, 2018 through Black-Site. Chess Club released the 6-song debut EP, HI SAD on Jan. 29, 2016. http://www.black-site.org ]

11:28 – Underwriting

25. (#97.) Yaya Bey – “September 13”
    from: The Things I Can’t Take With Me / Big Dada / April 9, 2021
    [Born and raised in Queens, New York, Bey considers herself mostly an “East Coast Girl” because of the formative years she spent as an adult creating and protesting in the DMV area. It was D.C. producer Chucky Thompson (known for his work with Notorious B.I.G. and Diddy) who encouraged Bey to record her own songs after years of writing for others and performing spoken word poetry. Like her dad, the pioneering rapper Grand Daddy I.U., Bey made the most out of what she had as a self-taught musician with a penchant for storytelling and an ear for sampling. Singer-songwriter Yaya Bey is multidisciplinary artist . The self-produced, six-track EP follows her last album, 2020’s intimate and political Madison Tapes, which received critical praise from Pitchfork (7.7), FADER, Afropunk, Noisey, and more. Following the same spirit of her previous projects, The Things I Can’t Take With Me searches the deeply personal and refreshingly honest truths of Black womanhood and love. // The project’s first single “fxck it then” radiates as an affirmative anthem for rediscovering your shine, reminding everyone that Yaya Bey “ain’t average.” It’s accompanied by new collage work created by Yaya herself, and a music video directed by Morgan B. Powell. “The video was a true labor of love,” Bey said, describing the visuals as “an ode to hood joints.” The nostalgic super 8 film aesthetic features styling by Alexea Brown and glimpses into Bey’s polaroid photography. // On The Things I Can’t Take With Me, Bey works her way through a breakup that triggered the deepest of wounds: the childhood trauma that resurfaces in our relationships. “I never seen my daddy treat a woman good/I don’t know what it’s like to be understood,” Bey sings over a fuzzy riff on the opening track “the root of a thing.” On “you up?,” she grapples with the duality of addictive passion and arguing all day: “This is hell but I’ve been waiting all my life for this/Oh the lips that tell me lies but I can’t wait to kiss.” // The new EP came together unexpectedly when Bey set out to record her next album. After her relationship ended, the direction of the project took a detour. “[The album] is going to be about the journey home to self,” Bey explained. “But on the way, there’s all this shit I gotta let go of, just the things I can’t take with me.” So, she allowed herself to make the music she needed to make, drawing on breakthroughs in therapy to process her grief and move forward. // The Things I Can’t Take With Me feels like a natural progression from last year’s Madison Tapes, both of which were recorded during the pandemic and what Bey describes as a “deep, deep depression.” But unlike the laid-back, collaborative vibe of the album, The Things I Can’t Take With Me flows like a solitary intention. Bey maneuvers effortlessly from heartbroken introspection towards a newfound security, denouncing the wack morals of an industry dude and embracing her own agency as a “bad bitch.” The EP culminates in the enthralling “protection spell,” empowering Bey in the mantra of returning to herself, whole. Her voice floats over watery guitars like a hymn: “No weapon/Formed against me/Not even you baby.” // Yaya Bey’s 2016 debut, The Many Alter-Egos of Trill’eta Brown, was an ambitious project that included a dreamy, largely acoustic mixtape, book, and digital collage inspired by her front-line activism as a street medic in Ferguson. “You spend two years of your life protesting and getting assaulted and arrested—you got a lot of shit to say after that,” Bey said. // Since then, she’s sharpened her sound and honed her focus, using the same D.I.Y. ethos that drove Trill’eta Brown to move from the global struggle of Black liberation towards her own inner healing. Inspired by the warm, smooth soul of Donny Hathaway and the strength of musicians like Alice Smith, Mary J. Blige, and writer Toni Morrison, Bey aims to soundtrack the lives of Black women just like her. With her 404 and pen, she brings an electrifying insight to the seemingly mundane like corporate malaise, heartache, and social media anxieties. // Bey has also developed her skills as a multidisciplinary artist, labeled “a force to be reckoned with in the art world” by Essence Magazine and acclaim from Solange’s Saint Heron agency. To date, she’s shown her collage work in galleries and has had two residencies at Brooklyn’s MoCADA Museum.]

26. (#96.) Solohawk – “Memories Within Me”
    from: The Radio Waves And Your Movies / Solohawk / August 27, 2021
    [On April 28 we played “Wave” the first single from, The Radio Waves And Your Movies. It was backed by I Can’t Forget, recorded live at The Wright Opera House. Solohawk is: Steve Faceman on guitar & vocal, and Til Willis on guita & vocal & drums & bass. “Wave” was recorded and mixed by Til Willis at 1509 Recording Service. “I Can’t Forget” was recorded by Ethan and Eric Funk in Ouray, CO at the Wright Opera House.Mastered by John Hruska. Solohawk is an Indie-Folk duo consisting of Steve Faceman & Til Willis. Seeking refuge from their respective Rock bands, Faceman and Willis tour as an acoustically. A refreshingly stripped down adventure that both singer/songwriters enjoy, as it allows the camaraderie and personality of the songs to shine.More info at: http://www.solohawl.bandcamp.com]

27. (#95.) Pageant Boys – “Past Life”
    from: Haunted / The Record Machine / November 19, 2021
    [One of three singles released from the 10-track album HAUNTED. P “Past Life” on September 17, 2021 through The Record Machine. Alexander Sheppard is the musician behind the name Pageant Boys. In this new slow-burner he gets honest about heartbreak, the fallout of a failed relationship, and the relatable emotions that follow. This single will be part of the new 10-track albun from pageant BoysMore info at: http://www.therecordmachine.co]

28. (#94) Joan As Police Woman, Tony Allen, Dave Okumu – “Take Me To Your Leader”
    from: The Solution is Restless / PIAS Recordings / November 5, 2021
    [Joan Wasser, born July 26, 1970, known by her stage name, Joan As Police Woman is an American musician and singer-songwriter. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. Throughout her career, she has regularly collaborated with other artists as a writer, performer and arranger. Kansas City artist Krystle Warren has toured around the world with her.] [THE SOLUTION IS RESTLESS is a joint album written and recorded by Joan As Police Woman, Dave Okumu of The Invisible and legendary drummer Tony Allen shortly before he passed away. Damon Albarn is also featured on the record. // Joan says..”Damon Albarn introduced me to Afrobeat legend, Tony Allen, at the Africa Express event “The Circus” in London in 2019. Tony and I played Nina Simone’s I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free and made a pact to record together in the future. In November of that year, our pact was realised. My old friend and fierce musician Dave Okumu joined Tony and me in a Parisian studio, where we improvised, untethered by form or tempo. I left with the tapes without knowing exactly how I’d use them. // In April I lost a beloved mentor, Hal Willner. Hal created beautiful and unlikely collaborations among artists. Hal appointed me Musical Director of Hal’s collaboration on Neil Young’s songbook in 2004 (Prospect Park) and 2011 (Winter Olympics Vancouver). Grieving Hal’s death, I began creating songs from the Parisian improvisations, only to learn of Tony’s passing while in the studio. As my world became undone, I focused on creating the new album from the Paris collaboration. // This production style danced in my mind for years. The songs are composed in various ways. For some, I used only a one-bar drum loop; for others I created blueprints around basic A/B sections we had improvised. I used the source material in every way possible. The pandemic allowed me to explore and experiment for months in my home studio. // The album title, The Solution Is Restless, is a lyric from one of the songs, Geometry Of You, which muses on the numerical perfection of numbers and geometry applied to a person’s body, heart and mind. Rather than orchestrate an elaborate seduction of a lover, I simply ask them what they want. The answer is my poetic understanding of quantum theory: the solution is restless. The solution to caress a person’s heart is final and fluid, different on a different day, constantly changing.” // Credits: Joan Wasser on Vocals, Strings, Piano, 12 String Acoustic, Wurlitzer, Synths, Bass, Percussion, Production & Lyrics; Tony Allen on Drums; Dave Okumu on Bass, Guitar, Percussion; Cole Kamen-Green on Trumpet; Damon Albarn – Vocals, Piano (2); Meshell Ndegeocello – Bass (1); Parker Kindred on Percussion (1); Aviram Barath – Moog (1); Luke Moellman – Mixing; Fred Kevorkian – Mastering. // Recorded at Midilive Studios Villetaneuse France by Hugo Bracchi Trout Recording Brooklyn by Adam Sachs & at Wonderland. Reuben Butchart – Art Direction & Collage // Terrance Hayes – Artwork & Collage (front) // Daniel Amazu Wasser – Artwork Gatefold & Sleeves. // In honor of Tony Allen & Hal Willner who sparked the deepest magic in collaboration. // Stay restless.]

29. (#93.) Cory Phillips & The Band of Light – “Fit You (Radio Edit)”
    from: SEX THIRSTY LOVE HUNGER / Cory Phillips / May 21, 2021
    [Cory Phillips is a sultry tenor & moody jet-setter who lights dangerous fires with erotic poetry and bedroom soul funk. Michael Hamm on guitar (Play Dead, the Band That Saved the World), Nate Holt on keyboards (Asterales, Approach), Mario Vlasic on bass, Chel Rich on drums (Half Tiger Half Bear, Red On Yellow, Stone Cutters Union) are the Band of Light. The group spans from southern rock to classic soul and disco to jazz in the same movement, mirroring Phillips’ fire dance with their own seasoned acrobatics. Their seductive live shows are consistently epic funk and disco parties, the excitement and prowl of which were miraculously captured on this new studio album. With SEX THIRSTY LOVE HUNGER, Cory Phillips & the Band of Light take us to their party, get us naked, and remind us that there is something perfectly spiritual in our appetite for hedonism.. // Cory Phillips definitely has something to prove. The entire collection is brimming with summer party gold. It’s been over 10 fast years since he released anything larger than a single, and this long-awaited follow up to Phillips’ self-titled 2009 debut is meant to make up for lost time. // When asked why it’s been so long, Phillips laughs it off, “No one was ready for this yet. I think people now are dying to groove and be sexual again.” // Phillips and his bands have played coast to coast for a decade, amassing fans drawn to his erotic singing and bedroom funk. Yet only the time that Covid-sequestering afforded him allowed for the definitive recording of his decade’s better work. // The new album is an effort in innovation. In the midst of the health crisis, new freedoms and limitations developed for the musician with a secret life pursuing his PhD in climatology at the University of Kansas. Gigs cancelled, tours off, Phillips converted part of his house into a recording studio and brought in his Lawrence/Kansas City-based ‘Band of Light’ along with wizard engineer Robert Rebeck (Tech N9ne) to complete the 14-song hitlist of retro-tinged solid gold. // Each song on the quasi-concept album is a testament to love and sex based on hard-lived experiences in Phillips’ own life: loves gained and lost, the joys and costs of being a habitual pleasure-seeker, longing and courtship, even carnal moments in real time. The content always exudes refined wisdom and sensitivity but dips into the dark waters of illicit love equally. The dirty bouquet of groove, funk, soul, and classic pop Phillips & the Band of Light developed is a horny blend of vintage spice. On this album the mature music man has learned how to communicate more info in his poems, and this book of songs is a tantalizing read at the turntable. // The album’s first single, “Fit You”, is a foray into their musical boudoir (dudeoir?). Evoking Sade and Michael Jackson, Phillips pits Feminism against Machismo as he tries to make sense of a friend/lover. Ultimately we discover which role wins, instinctively, as the song concludes with commanding sexuality.] [Cory Phillips and The Band of Light play an Album Release Party, Friday, May 21, at Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS.]

30. (#92.) The Moose – “The Sun”
    from: Spature / The Moose / April 22, 2021
    [26-track double album. Music and Lyrics by The Moose. Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Emma Klein and Jake Hilger. “Spature” is a sonic amalgamation of sunny peaks and dark chasms. Join The Moose as they experiment with the fantastical worlds of space and nature. From ‘Lava’ to ‘Mother Tree’, there is a song on this double LP for everyone.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 joined us LIVE on WMM on July 10, 2019.]

31. (#91) Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type – “Closet Anthem”
    from: THANK YOU STRANGER / Manor Records / July 23, 2021
    [This was the first single from THANK YOU STRANGER a collection of songs from that unfinished album, containing the last of the sonic works the group collaborated on, and a proper farewell to the fans, friends, and family who made it all possible. “Drawing inspiration from modern femme-fronted acts such as St. Vincent, Rubblebucket, and Niki & The Dove, THANK YOU STRANGER flaunts an unabashed pop persuasion coming apart at the seams with fuzz-fleshed guitars and reverb-washed cries for reconciliation.” The songs on THANK YOU STRANGER EP were written & recorded by Rachel Mallin of The Wild Type. Performances from Rachel Mallin, Justin Walker, and Ace Edmondson appear on B-side tracks. Pryor to this new release the Indie synthpop from Kansas City based, released the single “It Isn’t Love” on November 9, 2018. That single featured: Rachel Mallin on lead vocals & guitar, Justin Walker on bass, Austin Edmisten on drums & back-up vocals. Rachel Mallin wrote, recorded and produced her first album, The Persistence of Vision, in 2014 — a solo effort that spoke to her synthpop sensibilities and landed her on Kansas City radio. That same year, she left the University of Missouri to pursue a music career, and enlisted bassist Justin Walker and drummer Austin Edmisten to form The Wild Type. By mid-2016, the act — with keyboardist Jesse Bartmess and former guitarist Matt Kosinski — released its debut EP, Degenerate Matters, recorded, produced, and mastered by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studios. Musical Arrangements written and performed by Rachel Mallin, Justin Walker, Austin Edmisten, Jesse Bartmess, and Matt Kosinski. Lyrics written by Rachel Mallin. That same year, The Wild Type earned support slots for acts from Cold War Kids to Metric and The Struts, and widespread recognition in its hometown at festivals such as Middle of the Map and Boulevardia.]

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

Please tune into Wednesday MidDay Medley throughout December as we present our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2021 on December 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th.

NEXT WEEK, On December 15, we will bring you part 2 of our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2021. We will count down #90 through #61 with tracks from: Martin Farrell Jr., In The Pines, Sara Morgan, Sunshine Lombre, Fred Wickham Caravan, Kian Byrne, Joy Zimmerman, Reach, Unfit Wives, Baby and The Brain, Shawn Stewart, R.I.Peter, Passerine Dream, Scores, MellowPhobia, Rachel Cion, Whim Grace, The Fey, Nature Boys, Jake Wells, Alisa Jefferson, Ivy Roots, Andra Day, Bachelor, The Rugged Nuggets, Helado Negro, Rhiannon Giddens, Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine, Valerie June and Laura Mvula.

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

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

Black Lives Matter

Show #919