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 4, 2023

The 120 Best Recordings of 2024
(Part 1 of 4)

Wednesday MidDay Medley presents part-one, of our four-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2024. Based on playlists of this little ole radio show, we’ve compiled representative tracks from our favorite full-length albums and EP recordings of 2024. 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 2024 we’ve broadcast nearly 900 different tracks on WMM over our 100,000 watts of 90.1 FM Community Radio Airwaves. Over 500 of these tracks were from New & Mid-Coastal Releases. 60 of the representative tracks in our “Best of” list are from MidCoastal Releases. We conducted over 118 interviews with 141 special guests. 40 of the bands and artists in our “Best of” list have joined us as guests on WMM.

Tune into WMM throughout December for our 4-week series: The 120 Best Recordings of 2024, on Dec. 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th. In 2024, we know of over 1200 area musical releases.

We’ll count down #120 thru #91, with music from: Claire Adams, Abandoncy, Jolson & the Fear of Snakes, Elexa Dawson & Stanley Hotel, Chloe Jacobson, Danny Santell, Juliette Frost, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Foxlin, ASPN, Hidden Murals, Draper Family Band, Ani Difranco, Dreamist, Rick Mareske & Co., Vincent Orsolini, Gary Clark Jr., Joni Mitchell, The Linda Lindas, David Bowie, Leon Bridges, Sampha, Joan As Police Woman, Brittany Howard, Betty Bryant, Orville Peck, English Teacher, Ibibio Sound Machine. We start with Katie Pruitt.

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.) Katie Pruitt – “All My Friends”
   from: Mantras / Rounder Records / April 5, 2024
   [Mantras is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. // Mantras was recorded at The Shed in Nashville, Tennessee, and features production by Jake Finch and Collin Pastore. It stands as her most personal work to date and describes the “full circle journey from self-sabotage to self-compassion”, according to Pruitt. Writing the record forced the singer to stop looking for “external validation” and instead turn her focus inward. // The lead single “Blood Related” was released on November 17, 2023, and showcases Pruitt’s signature introspective songwriting about the exploration of complex relationships. The song was followed-up by “White Lies, White Jesus and You” on January 11, 2024, a protest song that deals with the “shedding” of “any remaining shame” caused by the church. On February 22, she shared the song “All My Friends” which was inspired by a Christian Wiman poem and deals with the “evolution of beliefs” as well as the journey of self-discovery. “Worst Case Scenario”, a “personal manifesto” of acknowledging one’s fears without giving them power, was released as the fourth single on March 14. // Katherine Nicole Pruitt was born March 4, 1994, and is an American singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her debut album, Expectations, was released in 2020 by Rounder Records. // Pruitt grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. She was raised in a Catholic family and attended Catholic school.[1] She began singing as a child in musical theatre productions. She began learning guitar in middle school with her mother teaching her basic chords and hymns. Pruitt continued singing at open mic nights in Athens, Georgia while attending community college. // She attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she joined a band and received the first annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship from the BMI Foundation. // In 2017, Pruitt was awarded the Buddy Holly Prize from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and signed with Round Hill Records. // Her EP, OurVinyl Live Session EP was released in March 2018. She was named by Rolling Stone as one of 10 new country artists you need to know and by NPR as one of the 20 artists to watch, highlighting Pruitt as someone who “possesses a soaring, nuanced and expressive voice, and writes with devastating honesty”. // On September 13, 2019, Pruitt released “Expectations”, the title track from her full-length debut. Additional singles from this project were subsequently released: “Loving Her” on October 21, 2019, and “Out of the Blue” on November 15, 2019. // On February 21, 2020, Pruitt’s debut album, Expectations, was released by Rounder Records. She earned a nomination for Emerging Act of the Year at the 2020 Americana Music Honors & Awards. In the same year, she duetted with Canadian singer-songwriter Donovan Woods on “She Waits for Me to Come Back Down”, a track from his album Without People. // In 2021 the artist was inter alia part of the Newport Folk Festival in July. // On March 18, 2022, Pruitt recorded an episode of The Caverns Sessions (previously known as Bluegrass Underground), which aired nationally on PBS on October 15, 2022. // With roots in folk music, Pruitt attributes growing up in the south of the United States as a key influence on her songwriting, both stylistically and thematically. // Her music often deals with complex coming-of-age issues such as mental health, navigating toxic relationships, and questioning religious faith.[18] She describes the tension between coming out as a lesbian and growing up in a conservative household while attending Catholic school as the catalyst for using her music as a platform to speak openly and honestly about issues faced by LGBTQ youth. She has said in interviews that she hopes her music makes young people struggling with their sexuality feel less alone. Pruitt cites Brandi Carlile as an inspiration for her music.]

3. (#119.) Alejandro Escovedo – “Bury Me”
   from: Echo Dancing / Yep Roc Records / March 29, 2024
   [Alejandro Escovedo was born January 10, 1951, in San Antonio, Texas. He is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk rock, roots rock and alternative country, and is most closely associated with the music scene in Austin, Texas. He comes from a well-known family of musicians. // The son of Mexican immigrants to Texas, Escovedo is from a family that includes several professional musicians, including his brothers (and percussionists) Coke Escovedo and Pete Escovedo, and Sheila E. (Pete’s daughter and Alejandro’s niece). Alejandro’s brother Mario fronted the hard rock band the Dragons, and another brother, Javier, was in the punk rock band the Zeros. // Escovedo began performing in the first-wave punk rock group the Nuns, with Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener, in San Francisco, California. After Escovedo’s departure, the Nuns recorded an album for Posh Boy Records but had little commercial success. // In the 1980s Escovedo moved to Austin, Texas, where he adopted a roots rock/alternative country style in the bands Rank and File (with Chip and Tony Kinman) and the True Believers (with his brother Javier, Jon Dee Graham and the bass player Denny DeGorio). His first solo albums, Gravity and Thirteen Years, were released in 1992 and 1994, respectively. // In 1997, Escovedo collaborated with Ryan Adams and the band Whiskeytown in recording sessions for their album Strangers Almanac. He sings on “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight”, “Dancing with the Women at the Bar”, and “Not Home Anymore”. As a salute to Escovedo, a cover of a True Believers song written by him is covered by Whiskeytown on the re-released Strangers Almanac (deluxe edition). // In 1998 No Depression magazine named him Artist of the Decade. Escovedo was also involved in a side project that represents his hard-rocking tastes. Buick MacKane released the album The Pawn Shop Years in 1997, hearkening back to his musical roots in the 1970s. // In 1999, Escovedo contributed to a tribute album to Skip Spence, a co-founder of Moby Grape, who was critically ill with cancer. The album, entitled More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album, was intended to raise funds to address Spence’s medical bills. The title refers to Spence’s only solo album, Oar (Columbia, 1969). On More Oar, Escovedo contributes his version of Spence’s “Diana”. The critic Rob Brunner commented, “The best contributions come from artists who realize that Spence’s work is as much about atmosphere as words and chords. …Alejandro Escovedo offers an appropriately bleary ‘Diana’, Spence’s darkest song.” (Birdman Records, 1999), was produced by Bill Bentley, a Warner Bros. Records executive and Austin-referenced music producer. // In 2003, after having lived with hepatitis C for many years, Escovedo collapsed onstage in Arizona as a result of the disease. In his long road to recovery, he faced substantial medical bills, which, lacking medical insurance, he could not pay. Friends and admirers around the country organized benefit shows to help him. This effort grew into the album Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo, a two-disc set whose proceeds benefit the Alejandro Escovedo Medical and Living Expense Fund. Contributing musicians included Steve Earle, Jon Dee Graham, Lucinda Williams, John Cale, Jennifer Warnes, Ian Hunter, the Jayhawks, Bob Neuwirth, Son Volt, and Escovedo’s brothers Pete (with Pete’s daughter, Sheila E.), Javier, and Mario (as a member of the Dragons). // In 2005, it became known that Escovedo’s song “Castanets” was included on the iPod playlist of President George W. Bush. Upon learning this, Escovedo announced that he would not play the song again as long it was on Bush’s iPod or until he was out of office. After two “Castanets”-free years, as Bush was nearing the end of his term, Escovedo lifted the moratorium and began performing the song again. // Boxing Mirror came out on May 2, 2006 and included many of the songs he had promoted with the Alejandro Escovedo String Quintet, including Jon Dee Graham. Escovedo went on a short tour with the Quintet, which included a date at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in early December 2006. // In April 2008, Escovedo changed managers, hiring managers Jon Landau and Barbara Carr. // Escovedo released Real Animal, produced by Tony Visconti, on June 24, 2008. All of the songs were co-written with Chuck Prophet. // In 2009, Escovedo was invited to contribute to a tribute album to the late Doug Sahm. He contributed his version of “Too Little Too Late” to Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm (Vanguard Records). // In June 2010, Escovedo released Street Songs of Love, also produced by Visconti but released on a new label, featuring songs that were originally presented during “Sessions on South Congress” at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas with his band, The Sensitive Boys. After starting out writing about nothing in particular, the record “ended up being an album about love, the pursuit of a feeling that is forever elusive, mysterious, and addictive,” said Escovedo. A New York Times “critic’s choice” review of Street Songs of Love claimed that, “In another, less fragmented pop era, this would be the album of thoughtful but radio-ready love songs to finally get Mr. Escovedo the big national audience he deserves. “Pareles, Jon (July 4, 2010). New York Times. Nationally syndicated radio shows such as Little Steven Van Zandt’s Underground Garage gave prominent attention to Escovedo and his album, continuing to play the song “Silver Cloud” in particular well into the following year. // In 2014, Escovedo appeared in the movie and contributed to the soundtrack of the movie Veronica Mars, singing an acoustic version of “We Used to Be Friends”. Also that year, he co-produced and co-hosted the SXSW Tribute to Lou Reed with Richard Barone. In 2016 Escovedo mentored the singer-songwriter Jeremy Nail and produced Nail’s new record, “My Mountain”. // In October 2016, Escovedo released the album Burn Something Beautiful, which had been recorded in April of that year with the Minus Five, in Portland, Oregon. In January 2017, Escovedo did a short tour supporting the album, backed by Minus Five members Scott McCaughey, Kurt Bloch, Peter Buck, John Moen, and sometimes Kelly Hogan, all of whom had performed on the album. All songs on Burn Something Beautiful were written by Escovedo, McCaughey, and Buck. // Alejandro Escovedo released The Crossing on Yep Roc Records on Sept. 14, 2019.]

4. (#118.) Gary Clark Jr. –”What About The Children (Feat. Stevie Wonder)”
   from: JPEG RAW / Warner Music / March 22, 2024
   [Four-time Grammy Award winning artist Gary Clark Jr. releases his highly anticipated new album, JPEG RAW. This new body of work signals a brave new world for Clark’s ever-expanding creative palette. The new music is dense and adventurous with a more cohesive synthesis of his eclectic musical universe. His samples, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Boy Williamson, decorate flourishes of African, World Music, and even Jazz while merging with rock, R&B, hip-hop and blues; familiar areas he has ventured before, this time with more unity forging a fresh new style. Clark’s lyrics are pointed, deeply personal, outspoken and socially conscious with occasional forays into rap and spoken word from Clark himself. The sonics are immersive, verging on modern groove-oriented psychedelia with hip-hop driven beats in verses giving way to anthemic choruses, rich with power-chording and wide fuzz riffage.. // The co-written Stevie Wonder duet, “What About The Children,” feels like an immediate classic that could have lived on Innervisions or Talking Book if not for Clark’s fuzzed out riff and hip-hop pocket. // Clark will kick off his North American headline tour on May 8 in Fort Worth, TX. The tour will continue with shows in Chicago, Boston, and New York City before concluding with his set at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival in Manchester, TN on June 14. // JPEG RAW is Clark’s first album since 2019’s critically lauded This Land, which became his third consecutive top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and garnered three Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance (“This Land”) and Best Contemporary Blues Album (This Land). Clark’s first Grammy win was awarded in 2014 for Best Traditional R&B Performance (“PleaseCome Home”). // Since its release, the singer-songwriter has toured extensively and stretched his wings as an actor, playing American blues legend Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which received eight Academy Award nominations. Clark also served as the official Music Director for Jon Stewart’s acceptance of the 23rd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. In addition to programming the event, he delivered a powerful tribute on stage, which aired on PBS nationwide. // With an eclectic range that contains multitudes, Clark continues to defy boundaries of any kind. Highlighted by an impressive coterie of awards, critical accolades, collaborations, sold-out tours that span the globe, billions of streams, endless television performances, & appearances in acclaimed films & TV series, Clark steps back into the light with JPEG RAW and breaks new ground that is both thrilling & inspiring. ] [Gary Clark Jr. played The Midland Theatre, 1228 Main St. KCMO, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.]

5. (#117.) Ani DiFranco – “You Forgot To Speak (radio edit)”
   from: Unprecedented Sh*t / Righteous Babe Records / May 17, 2024
   [Ani DiFranco’s 23rd album, Unprecedented Sh!t was produced by BJ Burton (Bon Iver). The title Unprecedented Sh!t not only reflects the significant departure in sound presented by Ani’s latest 11-track album, but also serves as a poignant political and social commentary on the contemporary global landscape. // The latest single from Unprecedented Sh!t is the psych-folk number “You Forgot to Speak.” The focal point of the song speaks of the crushing weight of patriarchal systems on the female psyche and the complicity of women in their own oppression. In “You Forgot to Speak,” DiFranco sings with a dreamy lilt “Between first sleep and second sleep / I stare into the dark / and I can feel there are two of me / so I put um both on the ark.” // Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica, and even more distant sounds. In 2023, DiFranco released the 25th Anniversary Edition of her seminal album Little Plastic Castle on Righteous Babe Records. Her memoir No Walls and the Recurring Dream was a New York Times Top 10 best seller, and her debut children’s book The Knowing is out now. DiFranco stared as ‘Persephone’ in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Hadestown. The world premiere of a documentary about DiFranco entitled 1-800-ON-HER-OWN will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, and her next children’s book Show Up and Vote is due in August. Find Ani DiFranco Online: http://www.anidifranco.com]

6. (#116.) The Linda Lindas – “Yo Me Estreso (feat. Weird Al Yankovic)”
   from: No Obligation / Epitaph / October 11, 2023
   [No Obligation is the second studio album by American rock band The Linda Lindas. The Linda Lindas is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The all-female group comprises Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, and sisters Lucia and Mila de la Garza. // The band formed in 2018, and took their name from Linda Linda Linda, a Japanese film. After being noticed by director Amy Poehler, they recorded the soundtrack for her film Moxie, which was released in 2021. Later that year, they released the single “Racist, Sexist Boy”, which went viral. Epitaph Records signed them shortly afterwards. // In 2022, they released their debut album, Growing Up, and received mostly positive reviews. // Epitaph Records released the album on October 11, 2024. It was produced again by Carlos de la Garza, the father of band members Lucia and Mila de la Garza. Recording sessions for No Obligation took place at Henson Recording, Sunset Sound, and Music Friends Studios in Los Angeles in 2024. Six singles were released from the album: “Too Many Things”, “Resolution/Revolution”, “All in My Head”, “Yo Me Estreso”, and the title track “No Obligation”, and “Nothing Would Change”. // Following the release of their debut studio album, Growing Up (2022), “Too Many Things” was the Linda Lindas’ first release of 2023. The band subsequently opened for Paramore on the North American leg of the This Is Why Tour. // No Obligation was written between 2022 and 2024, whenever the Linda Lindas had time outside of school or touring. Writing sessions occurred on holiday breaks and long weekends. // Recording sessions for No Obligation took place at Henson Recording, Sunset Sound, and Music Friends Studios in Los Angeles in 2024. // The track “All in My Head” was written from the perspective of a character from the 2018 novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. Guitarist Lucia de la Garza called it a “break from reality”. // In a press release, the band said they would be experimenting with post-punk, garage rock, power pop, new wave, and rock en español on the album. At the time of its announcement, the band members ranged from 13 to 19 years old, with Bela Salazar having finished high school, Mila de la Garza having finished middle school, and Lucia de la Garza and Eloise Wong in high school. “All in My Head” has been described by Lucia as more indie song, due to its use of an acoustic guitar. “Too Many Things” is a pop-punk song. Staff at Paste call the song “an anthemic slice of rock ‘n’ roll”. “Resolution/Revolution” is classified as a punk rock and power pop song, with influences from riot grrrl style. In a review at Far Out, editor Aimee Ferrier says the song “[blends] the accessibility of pop with the raw energy and power of punk.” “Resolution / Revolution” was influenced by Pantera and Judas Priest, as Bela Salazar had been listening to them.]

7. (#115.) ASPN – “See Me Now”
   from: In This Dream / Big Tree Records / April 2, 2024
   [10-track debut album. Producer: Logan Murphy. ASPN is a 4-piece indie-pop band from KC, blending modern production with indie songwriting. Abigail Wallnerㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ on lead vocals, Mario Perales on guitars, Jacob Schneider on drums, Nick Nolte on bass. // ASPN began in 2020 when they formed as a cover band in KCMO. However, their desire for originality and a deeper connection with their audience drove them to fully embrace writing their own music in 2021. It was during this year that they released their debut song, “Airport.”Hastily recorded in a day (and in a basement), the single showed off the band’s talent for the dramatic – combining an emotional vocal performance with dynamic instrumentation. Not forgetting their commitment to connect with an audience, they also hosted their own live-stream to promote the single. They crafted the lighting, set design, and venue to ensure the best experience for their audience. On top of that, they made it a costume party. // Initially content with their release, ASPN recognized their need for a more polished and contemporary sound. They aimed to blend the indie elements of their previous single with the dramatic punch of modern production. Over the course of a year, they worked on defining their signature sound. In August 2022, they found that sound with “Again.” This signature sound was brimming with an expansive sense of scale and vibrancy. Coupled with an emotionally invigorating vocal performance, Again demonstrated ASPN’s ability to produce catchy indie-pop tunes. // “Again” marked the true beginning of ASPN, in more ways than one. Beyond its melodic statement, the release also coincided with a cross-country relocation for Mario for the foreseeable future. Despite being a breaking point for many bands, ASPN defied the odds, continued on, and embraced their status as being a band that literally spanned across the country. Despite the distance, they continued practicing online while still delivering the same energetic live shows with just three members (though Mario does come back on occassion to help put on a good show). Instead of slowing down, they sped up. // In 2023, ASPN managed to write enough songs to fill up an entire album by year’s end. They previewed this debut album with the release of Raindrops (Hit Rewind). The year also marked their return to the live stage, allowing them to once again to connect intimately with their audience. // Abigail Wallnerㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ is the literal heart and soul of ASPN, Abby’s infectious energy on stage comes from her background in musical theatre. Her flair for the dramatics shines through in both her emotional lyrics and irresistible melodies. Mario Perales remains a driving force behind the band’s musical evolution, despite residing in a distant part of the country. Through his unique chord progressions and melodic solos, his impact is palpable both on and off the stage. Jacob Schneider the man of legends, our tech guru, and the Craigslist discovery – Jacob. With his electrifying drumming, he infuses the band with the blistering energy it needs, while also orchestrating our unforgettable live shows. Nick Nolte is the quintessential bassist – effortlessly cool and versatile. When not sharing spider facts, Nick’s killer bass lines and infectious grooves steal the show. Ever embracing the band’s musical growth, Nick stands as ASPN’s unwavering anchor. More info at: http://www.aspn.band]

10:30 – Underwriting

8. (#114.) David Bowie – “Star (Take 5 alternative version)”
   from: Rock “N” Roll Star / Parlophone / June 14, 2024
   [ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR!, is a 5CD and 1 Blu-Ray Audio set chronicling David Bowie’s journey through the creation of the Ziggy Stardust character and the recording of the iconic Ziggy Stardust album. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR! contains 29 unreleased tracks, covers early songwriting demos, recordings from Bowie’s band, The Arnold Corns, rehearsals at Bowie’s then-home, Haddon Hall, BBC sessions, singles, live performances, plus outtakes and alternative versions from the original album recording sessions, which have been newly mixed by original album co-producer, Ken Scott. // Last night, the KEF Music Gallery London, 32-48 Great Portland St, London, hosted the world premiere of tracks from ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR!, the Dolby Atmos mix of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, along with a Q&A with Ziggy co-producer Ken Scott. // Also unveiled was a previously unreleased treasure trove of footage from the Ziggy Stardust tour shot in the UK during 1972 and 1973 by late Bowie collaborator, photographer Mick Rock, featuring the album version of “Ziggy Stardust” as its soundtrack. // The Dolby Atmos spatial audio mix of David Bowie’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars will be released on Blu-Ray Audio and Streaming on September 6. // The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is the breakthrough album that catapulted David Bowie into the international spotlight. Over the past 50 years, it has remained a touchstone record, growing in stature with each passing year. It is now ingrained in pop culture, its undeniable influence spanning musicians from Arcade Fire to Lady Gaga, to Harry Styles’s androgynous fashion sense to Noel Fielding’s shirts on The Great British Bake-Off to Ziggy make-up challenges on Tik-Tok. David Bowie laid to rest the Ziggy Stardust persona in July 1973 at his infamous last show with the Spiders From Mars at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, but Ziggy’s impact reverberates to this day.]

9. (#113.) Leon Bridges – “Laredo”
   from: Leon / Columbia / October 4,, 2024
   [4th studio album by Leon Bridges. It was released on October 4, 2024, by Columbia Records. Centered around his upbringing in Fort Worth, Texas, he primarily recorded the album in Mexico City and worked with producers Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. The album was preceded by three singles: “Peaceful Place”, “Laredo”, and “That’s What I Love”. It received generally positive reviews from music critics. // Leon Bridges wrote the album about his experience growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, whose music scene he credited with inspiring the folk and country music influences on the album. Several songs on Leon were written during the production of his 2021 album Gold-Diggers Sound. He spent “almost five years” working on the album in Los Angeles and Nashville before moving production to Mexico City, where he spent the last few months of 2023 recording the album at El Desierto studio. During a session in Los Angeles, Bridges began streaming on Instagram Live and was contacted by American musician John Mayer, who invited Bridges to his studio where they collaborated on “When a Man Cries”. // Bridges cited Roy C and Van Morrison (specifically his 1968 album Astral Weeks) as influences on the album’s sound and lyricism. // Leon received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on eight reviews. // Writing for Uncut, Stephen Deusner called Bridges an “ambitious, yet idiosyncratic artist” and praised the lyricism and storytelling on the album, specifically on “Panther City”. Mojo’s Tom Doyle said that “Bridges’ vocal talents continue to shine”, also highlighting “Panther City” for its lyrics and “’70s Isley Brothers-styled” sound // In a review for Pitchfork, Stephen Thomas Erlewine complimented the “loving care that Bridges, [Ian] Fitchuk, and [Daniel Tashian bring to Leon”, but criticized the production and mixing for causing the album to “feel curiously frictionless”. Rolling Stone’s Julyssa Lopez praised the “emotional weight and personal intimacy” of the music, though she found “[s]ome of the album’s more general love songs … less intriguing”.]

10. (#112.) Sampha – “Rose Tint”
    from: Lahai (Deluxe) / Young / October 1, 2024
    [Sampha Lahai Sisay (born November 16, 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Gorillaz, Travis Scott, Kanye West, Solange and others. Sampha has released two solo EPs: Sundanza (2010) and Dual (2013). Sampha’s debut album, Process, was released on 3 February 2017 by Young and won the 2017 Mercury Prize. His second album, Lahai, was released on 20 October 2023. // Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo (born 23 February 1994),better known by her stage name Little Simz, is an English-Nigerian rapper. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums: A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the last of which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards. // Her fourth album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021), received widespread critical acclaim, with several publications deeming it the best album of 2021. It went on to win the 2022 Mercury Prize. It also earned her the 2022 Brit Award for Best New Artist and the Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record. Her fifth album, No Thank You (2022), was released to critical acclaim. Most recently, she dropped her EP Drop 7 on 9 February 2024. // Outside of music, Ajikawo has starred in the Netflix revival drama series Top Boy.]

11. (#111.) Dreamist – “Attic”
    from: Shouldn’t Be / midnomid collective / September 13, 2024
    [7-track debut album LP. “Made for everyone who cannot live within the margins of the culture imposed upon them.” // Written by Dreamist and Former Members Robert Graves and Travis Barker. Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Kole Waters at KA Productions. Released by Midnomid Collective. Album Art by Jaelin Kingsley. Album Packaging Formatted by Jacob Kingsley. // Dreamist is a Post-Emo four-piece based in Kansas City, MO. // Dreamist is the result of the love of art that can simultaneously convey the visceral and esoteric. Holding post-hardcore aggression in one hand and the understated finesse of ambient and art rock in the other; Kole, Eli, Mitri, and Jacob embrace a full spectrum of genre to convey the many highs and lows of the human experience. Whether it is with voice, guitar, drum, synthesizer, or sample, Dreamist creates a space of vulnerability and catharsis in every performance and recording. // Too Much Rock writes: “The band’s songs are long, drifting from twinkling emo into post-rock climaxes. From sung to screamed. From beautiful to brutal. And all of them back again. While Waters’ is generally the pretty guitar, both he and Elisha Ruhman can make their guitars howl. That’s when the crashing drums of Mitri McCawley come into play. Whether on bass or keyboards, Jacob Kingsley filled in the gaps, giving body and weight to the compositions that otherwise might float away on a bed of lighter than air guitar effects.” // More info at: http://www.dreamistkc.com]

12. (#110.) Joni Mitchell – “Dry Cleaner From Des Moines”
    from: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) / February 23, 2024
    [Recorded Live at the Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, September 2 & 3, 1978. Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy from her collaboration with Charles Mingus entitled Mingus [1979]. Part of this 6 CD / Digital & 4- LP Highlights Version. Traces An Important Transformational Season Of Her Creative Evolution From 1976-1980. Continues GRAMMY-Winning, Multi-Volume Journey Through Joni’s Previously Unmined Archives. Features Unreleased Studio Sessions, Alternate Versions, Live Recordings, Rarities, and 36-Page Book with New Photos & An Extensive Conversation Between Joni & Cameron Crowe. Sourced from Original Stereo Reels, Nagra Film Recordings. Multi-track Tapes, Radio Airchecks & Cassette Tapes. // Throughout the latter half of the seventies, Joni Mitchell continued to creatively break ground with her fearless and fluid exploration of jazz. Rather than tread the same path, she challenged and reinvented her style with a folk fusion like no other. Ascending to an unrivaled sonic peak, this innovative sound took shape across the gold-certified Hejira [1976], the gold-certified double-LP Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter [1977], her collaboration with Charles Mingus entitled Mingus [1979], and live album Shadows and Light [1980]. Channeling the thrill and excitement of these records, she delves even further into this season on Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), is out today via Rhino Records. // It stands out as the 12th release by the Joni Mitchell Archives and extends Rhino’s ongoing, GRAMMY-winning series exploring the vast untapped archives of rare Joni Mitchell recordings — a project guided intimately by Mitchell’s own vision and personal touch. // Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) arrives in multiple configurations. It will be available as either a 6CD / digital version or a 4LP version, Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4 Highlights: The Asylum Years (1976-1980). The 4LP set also specifically consists of Joni’s personal favorites from the 6CD version. Each version includes a book with never-before-seen photos and liner notes comprising a deep dive discussion between Mitchell and longtime friend Cameron Crowe. As part of their candid conversation, she shares intimate anecdotes, memories, and stories from that five-year creative run. // This comprehensive and essential set spans one of the most prolific periods of her storied career. It boasts powerful live tracks from her time in Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue during 1975 and 1976 Tour of the United States. It pulls back the curtain on the music by showcasing early recordings and alternate takes from the respective sessions for Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, and Mingus. It covers the Bread & Roses Festival as well as the Anti-Nuclear Rally. Finally, Vol. 4 chronicles her 1979 tour, even showcasing two tracks from that year’s Tour Rehearsals. Not to mention, it showcases her versatility and adaptability, housing collaborations with everyone from Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorious to Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny. // Vol. 4 culls the previously-unissued material from original stereo reels, cassette tapes, CD-Rs, and even a radio broadcast. Newly mixed tracks came from multi-track tapes, while a handful of hi-res digital tracks have been sourced from the Bob Dylan Archives. // Last year, she shared Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972–1975). Garnering critical acclaim, Pitchfork dubbed it “excellent” in a positive “8.6-out-of-10.0” review, going on to note, “The box set—which also includes the exhilarating live album Miles of Aisles and the impressionistic The Hissing of Summer Lawns—covers a period of Mitchell’s career that already resists linear narrativizing.” In addition to features from Rolling Stone and more, Folk Alley raved, “Every track on this Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) reveals more and more of Mitchell’s magic ways with a song.” No Depression mused, “it is, in many ways, the most vital and interesting of the three collections so far,” and FLOOD attested, “this third volume is worth digging into as the best of Rhino’s Archives collections. I’m already excited for Vol. 4.” // It followed 2022’s Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971). She began this journey with Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), earning a 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Historical Album. // Last fall, Mitchell appeared at the Hollywood Bowl to perform three songs with Brandi Carlile. Earlier this year, she impressively made her debut on the GRAMMY Awards stage with a historic rendition of “Both Sides Now” alongside Carlile, Allison Russell, Lucius, Jacob Collier, Blake Mills, and SistaStrings. She also accepted a GRAMMY in the category of “Best Folk Album” for Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live] during the ceremony.] [Several Kansas Citians made the journey to California to see Joni Mitchell headlining her own ‘Joni Jam’ at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19 and October 20, featuring special ‘Joni Jam’ guests.]

13. (#109.) Joan As Police Woman – Tribute To Holding On”
    from: Lemons, Limes and Orchids / Play It Again Sam / September 20, 2024
    [Lemons, Limes and Orchids is the 12th studio album by an unorthodox but consistently rewarding singer-songwriter. Its songs have a supple groove and probing feel as though circling an idea or scenario. Joan Wasser, aka Joan as Police Woman, sings with nuanced changes in emphasis, one moment pressing, the next softly languorous. The combination of rhythmic depth and vocal sophistication recalls the vaunted spirit of one of her musical inspirations, Joni Mitchell. Wasser has been operating as Joan as Police Woman since 2004. Her curious stage name derives from one of the first television cop shows with a female lead. Police Woman was a 1970s procedural drama with Angie Dickinson as an officer who goes undercover to solve crimes, posing as a nurse, airline stewardess and so on. Wasser became Joan as Police Woman after a friend compared her look to Dickinson’s character. But there is a further affinity. Like the undercover TV crimebuster, she has appeared in many different guises during her career. Raised in Connecticut, she trained as a classical violinist but wanted to perform new music rather than repertoire. She played in punk and alt-rock bands, trying to make her violin as loud as possible, before joining Antony and the Johnsons in 1999. She has done session work for Elton John and the Scissor Sisters among others, toured in Lou Reed’s backing band and played keyboards for Iggy Pop. Her last album, 2021’s The Solution Is Restless, was a collaboration involving Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen (who died the year before its release). “I was ready to make an album that truly featured my voice,” she says of her new songs. Her vocals start up almost immediately in most of the 12 tracks. “Back Again” is a plea to an absent lover to return, done with subtly soulful intensity. “With Hope in My Breath” finds her switching to a breathier type of singing for an entrancing ode about infatuation.  The basslines that give the music its swing are played by fellow singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello. Drums, piano, synths and guitars are the other main instruments. Love and pain are the lyrical poles. The songwriting quality is high throughout, but the title track stands out. It is an achingly drawn-out number with cryptic lyrics about trying to make one’s way in a dangerous world. Precise meaning is elusive, but the song’s power is unmistakable.]

14. (#108.) Brittany Howard – “Prove It to You (Radio Edit)”
    from: What Now / Island Records / February 9, 2024
    [Brittany Howard, the 5-time Grammy Award®-winning powerhouse released the single and video of “What Now?” on Ocober 13, 2023 off her forthcoming solo album, WHAT NOW. WHAT NOW is a thriller of a title track offering a taste of what to expect on the full-length. Written & produced by Brittany with co-production from Shawn Everett (Kacey Musgraves, SZA), with whom she has a longstanding creative relationship since Alabama Shakes. Recorded at the legendary Sound Emporium and historic RCA Studio B in Nashville, Brittany’s hometown. The accompanying cinematic & action-packed video was directed by Danilo Parra (known for his work with A$AP Rocky) & produced by Adam Braun (070 Shake, P!NK). //“What Now” takes on a potent urgency fueled by its syncopated grooves, blistering guitar riffs, & fiercely honest lyrics (“I’ve been making plans that don’t include you anymore/My heart wants to stay but I don’t know what for”). “‘What Now’ is maybe the truest & bluest of all the songs,” says Howard. “It’s never my design to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I needed to say what was on my mind without editing myself. I like how it’s a song that makes you want to dance, but at the same time the lyrics are brutal.”// Brittany Howard released the album Jaime on ATO Records on September 20, 2019.] [Brittany Howard plays The Truman, 601 East Truman Road, KCMO East Crossroads, TONIGHT, April 24, at 8:00pm with June McDoom.]

15. (#107.) Vincent Orsolini – “Morning Sun [Feat. Kemet Coleman]”
    from: It’s About Time – EP / Vincent Orsolini / July 25, 2024
    [ Born in San Francisco, Vincent Orsolini grew up in the south of France where he studied Jazz at a conservatory for 14 years. His passion for music and composition grew exponentially after working with local artists on albums and songwriting, incorporating his jazz roots with other genres spanning from funk, soul, pop and rock. He pursued his education in sound engineering and sound production where he began working with French and English studios on documentaries, commercials and video game previews. Influenced by his multicultural upbringing, Vincent then moved to the United States, sharing his time between Kansas City and Los Angeles. He began working on projects with local jazz bands in the Kansas City area as well as independent artists writing, composing and arranging music for albums releases. Vincent’s love for Movies, TV and Multimedia has led him to focus more intensely on soundtrack composing and commercial jingles.He strives to create memorable melodies and is compelled to break boundaries by merging all musical genres, always enthusiastic to start his next collaboration.]

11:00 – Station ID

16. (#106.) Betty Bryant – “Put a Lid on It”
    from: Lotta Livin’ / Bry-Mar Music / January 26, 2024
    [A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Betty Bryant is a revered pianist/singer who brings a solid piano technique, a light, swinging touch and a skilled vocal approach to her music. Whether she is playing the blues on “He May Be Your Man (But He Comes To See Me Sometime)”, or delivering obscure cabaret gems like Mort Lindsey’s humorous “Scratch”, or romping through serious jazz compositions like Bud Powell’s “Parisian Thoroughfare”, Betty always connects with the material and with her audience. Dubbed “Cool Miss B” by her fellow musicians, Betty’s career started in her hometown of Kansas City, where she was mentored by the great Jay McShann. She moved to the west coast in 1955, where she immediately got an engagement at Beverly Hill’s famed “Ye Little Club”. This was the beginning of mostly solo appearances in Los Angeles. Her reputation grew, and she quickly became a popular attraction in the many little nightspots that used to dot the beach towns from Santa Monica to Laguna. // In 1987 “Betty Bryant Day” was declared in Kansas City, and she was awarded the keys to the city. A famous photograph of Betty with Jay McShann hangs in the lobby of the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City. // Betty has performed internationally in the Middle East and Brazil, and for many years was a popular regular attraction at the upscale Tableaux Lounge in Tokyo, Japan. She had a long term engagement at celebrity chef Susan Feniger’s exciting new restaurant “Street” in Hollywood in 2009, and in 2012 she was a featured performer at the Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival in Boquete, Panama. The “Betty Bryant Birthday Bash” is a hugely popular annual event in Hollywood, presented at the famed “Catalina Jazz Club”. // Betty has released 14 critically acclaimed CDs, including 2009’s “No Regrets”, which got airplay on over 100 jazz stations nationwide. Peter Solomon, of station WCVE – FM in Richmond, Virginia wrote, “This is a sweet little album. I was struck by her laid-back phrasing. Her piano style sounds something like Basie. This woman has soul.” Selections from the album were programmed onto the inflight entertainment channels of seven major airlines worldwide. Christopher Louden, writing in JazzTimes Magazine, called Betty’s CD “Together” (2011) a “superlative testament to the depth and breadth of her showmanship.” Betty’s 2013 release “iteration +” charted on the JazzWeek National charts. Peter Kuller, from Radio Adelaide, Australia said, “Betty Bryant is absolutely amazing and deserves worldwide recognition. A jazz pianist who also sings or a jazz singer who also plays piano, whatever you prefer she does both with great distinction!” Her 2018 release “Project 88” is her most heard record to date, and spent six months on the JazzWeek charts topping out at #22. Her original song “Catfish Man” was a bonafide jazz hit, bringing her new fans worldwide. She has just released her 14th recording “Lotta Livin” to rave reviews. // Whether listening to one of Cool Miss B’s CDs at home, or catching her live, perhaps it was best expressed by Judy Jordan in a feature article in Venice Magazine – “Snuggle into a cozy ringside club chair and let Betty Bryant steal your heart….your ears will be tickled, your heart will dance, and your feet may find a will of their own, for Betty Bryant is an enchantress.”]

17. (#105.) Orville Peck – “Death Valley High ( feat. Beck)”
    from: Stampede / Orville Peck / August 2, 2024
    [Going into this, I wanted to make sure that every single song on the album felt like a true 50/50 collaboration of me and the other artists’ style and sound and genre. I didn’t want to just feel like a bunch of Orville Peck songs that feature verses from other artists. I wanted each one to be an actual collaboration. Every single song on the album is entirely its own thing, dependent on who the artist is. It’s a really fun journey. It’s definitely the most adventurous I’ve ever been in terms of genre. It’s some of the most country songs I’ve ever done on this album and some of the least country songs I’ve ever done on this album. —Peck on recording Stampede: Vol. 1 // Stampede is the third studio album by South African singer-songwriter Orville Peck. It was released on August 2, 2024, through Warner. The album follows 2022’s Bronco and a self-imposed hiatus in 2023, and was accompanied by a promotional tour as well as the lead single, a cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other”, recorded as a duet with Willie Nelson. The album title continues the theme of Peck’s releases having names related to horses,[6] and was preceded by an EP with several songs that span multiple music genres. // Stampede contains 15 tracks, all of which are recorded as vocal duets between Peck and other artists of various genres. Peck recorded a duet version of “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” with Willie Nelson, who first covered the song solo in 2006. Peck also covered “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” for the album, with the latter being a duet with its original artist, Elton John. “Midnight Ride”, a collaboration with Kylie Minogue and Diplo, was released as the album’s second single in June 2024.[// Daniel Pitout, known professionally as Orville Peck, is a South African country musician based in the United States and Canada. He is well-known for wearing a mask and not showing his face publicly. // He released his debut album Pony in 2019, followed by the EP Show Pony the next year. His second studio album Bronco was released in 2022. Following a self-imposed hiatus in 2023, Peck released his third studio album Stampede in 2024. // Peck was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lived there until he was 15. As a child, he taught himself music by playing an acoustic guitar and an old Casio keyboard. He is the son of a sound engineer, and he did voice-over work for cartoons and other media as a child. Growing up, he took ballet classes for 12 years, and performed in musical theatre productions. By the time he was in his early 20s, he had been on national tours of musicals. // Peck moved to London for a foundation degree in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2014. He then played Jonathan Harris/Peter Pan in the Mischief Theatre production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre in 2016. // Peck self-produced his debut album, Pony, and released it in 2019 through a collaboration with Sub Pop. He has noted that he “wrote, produced and played every instrument he could” on the album while working in a coffee shop and living with his parents. In June of that year, he performed his songs “Dead of Night” and “Take You Back” live on CBC Radio One’s Q. Pony was named to the initial longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize in June 2019. The album also received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020. // Peck performed “Dead of Night” on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 29, 2020. He also announced a tour of selected cities in the United States, including performances at the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. // In May 2020, Peck announced the follow-up to his debut album, an EP titled Show Pony, with a release date of June 12, 2020. In June 2020, Peck announced the delayed release of Show Pony until August 14, 2020, in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd protests. // Peck recorded a cover of “Smalltown Boy” for the 2020 Pride edition of the Spotify Singles series. The song was released exclusively on Spotify on June 29, 2020, and everywhere else on July 31, 2020. // In April 2021, Peck was featured on American drag queen and singer Trixie Mattel’s EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1. He appeared on a duet cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson”. Although not credited in the liner notes for the EP, Trixie Mattel has confirmed that the whistle part in “Video Games” is Peck’s whistle. In June, he was revealed to be the sixth artist on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary, with Peck reimagining the song “Born This Way” in a country style. // On March 16, 2023, Peck made an appearance as a guest on the judge’s panel on MTV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, alongside RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, and Ross Mathews. In 2023, Peck was a coach and judge on My Kind of Country. // On April 5, 2024, Peck released a cover of Ned Sublette’s “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” with country musician Willie Nelson as the lead single from Stampede: Vol. 1, Peck’s upcoming duets album. The single marked his first release on Warner Records. Peck also announced a headlining North American tour, The Stampede Tour, set to begin on May 28, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. In May 2024, Peck released the duet “How Far Will We Take It?” with Noah Cyrus. On 7 June 2024, Peck released the single “Midnight Ride” alongside Kylie Minogue and Diplo. // It has been confirmed that Orville Peck is a persona of Daniel Pitout, drummer of the Canadian punk band Nü Sensae. It was previously speculated that Pitout was Peck based on the similarity of their tattoos, and Peck’s mentioning that he was in a punk band. Pitout was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, as was Peck. Pitout is also listed by ASCAP as the songwriter for Peck’s song “Old River” and other songs that match the titles of the songs released by Peck, such as “Roses Are Falling”. // Peck strongly identifies with 1970s era country music and lists classic stars Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Bobbie Gentry, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton as influences. Outside of country music, Peck has mentioned Roy Orbison, Oasis, Whitney Houston and Lana Del Rey and film directors David Lynch and John Waters as influences. /// Peck is gay. Regarding his reasons for wearing a mask to perform, he has stated: “The only reason I don’t talk about it in depth is not because I want to dodge any questions, but because I want people to have their own take on it. I don’t want to lay it out and pin it down. I just don’t think that’s important.” // In 2022, Peck’s home was featured and toured by Architectural Digest. The video was released on November 6, 2023, with the article released on November 7, 2023. As of July 2024, Peck resides in Los Angeles.]

18. (#104.) Danny Santell – “Elevate”
    from: Don’t Send Me Flowers / Danny Santell / April 19, 2024
    [All songs were written by Danny Santell in Kansas City Missouri, except “Feel The Vibe” Produced and Written by Marz Ferrer & Gabriel Ramirez, Mixed and Mastered by Manny Vs Wrld Ferrer. // Danny Santell is a musician, songwriter & record producer based in Kansas City. Originally from The Bronx NYC now living on The Paseo, Danny Santell began his introduction into the music industry at the age of 19, signing to Universal Records (A&M Octone Records.) He has toured across the US and Canada with the likes of Paramore, Switchfoot, Linkin Park, & shared festival stages with Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder with his band Paper Tongues. His most recent project DON’T SEND ME FLOWERS was released February 1, 2024 and blends Latin fusion hip-hop beats with rock ‘n’ roll guitars, and that sweet KC soulful speakeasy vibe that you’ll only find at 4:00 am on 18th & Vine. Danny Santell played Minibar, Friday, May 24 at 8:00 pm w/ Lava Dreams, Malek Azrael & The Vibes. Danny Santell played Boulevardia, on Saturday, June 15, at Crown Center, 2396 Grand Blvd, KCMO. More info at: http://www.boulevardia.com]

19. (#103.) Hidden Murals – “Beauty Moon”
    from: Sweet Drive (EP) / Further Beauty Media / June 24, 2024
    [In 2024 Hidden Murals released the 3-song EP, Sweet Drive on June 24, 2024. Hidden Murals released the 3-song EP, Garden Music on March 8, 2024. Hidden Murals released the 8-track EP, Hot Worship on August 3, 2023. All 14 songs are 2:08 minutes long. Hidden Murals write: 128 seconds per song. 128 beats per minute. Maybe it’s 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 (8th in sequence). Or maybe it’s (8+8) x 8. It has something to do with 8’s. As does literally everything. That is all that is known at the moment. Hidden Murals is a music and art project based just outside of Kansas City. The band’s website: http://www.hiddenmurals.com actually offers nothing more in terms of information about the band, unless you want t-shirts.]

20. (#102.) Jolson & The Fear of Snakes – “Popcorn Ceiling”
    from: Yes, But Not With You / Jolson Robert / April 26, 2024
    [Jolson Robert is a multi-instrumentalist/singer based in Kansas City. He grew up in rural Kansas and found solace in music where he learned as many instruments as he could and worked to recreate songs he loved. // Jolson Robert describes his music as indie pop/rock, midwest emo, and funk. He writes and records his musicby himself playing: bass, drums, guitars, keys, and vocals. Then, his friends Garret Aiken on drums, Jesse Rodriguez on guitar, Jackson Broadwater on bass, and recently, his younger brother Gavin Robert on keyboards bring the music to life for live performance as a band, Robert Jolson has written that, “each one of these people is more skilled at their given instrument than I am, which I quite enjoy! It makes the live shows that much cooler. And I’ve always been partial to performing live; I think it’s what I do best as a performer, and of course, it’s what we do as a band.” //Jolson was in Quite Frankly The Band. Info at: http://www.jatfos.com]

21. (#101.) Foxlin – “Moonlight”
    from: Camper / Foxlin / February 6, 2024
    [Along this 5-song EP, Foxlin also released the 5-track EP, Jekyll&Hyde&Seek on April 19, 2024, and the single. “Losing My Mind on June 7, 2024. // Foxlin is therapy for an artist in KCMO with incurable cancer unable to find a meaning to life. // Foxlin is the solo project of Ryan Johnson based in KCMO. Diagnosed with incurable cancer and Borderline Personality Disorder along with a lifetime of suicidal ideation, he perseveres through his music & lyrics spreading his tale in search of meaning. Foxlin, with a full band, are played The Rino, 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City on Friday, June 28, at 7:00pm with Mr. Golden Sun, and Starling. Foxling will be recording a live EP! Foxling also arranged to have three different therapists at The Rino to give music fans an opportunity to talk with the therapists and see if you9 might be compatible with a therapist.]

22. (#100.) English Teacher – “Nearly Daffodils”
    from: This Could Be Texas / Universal-Island Records / April 12, 2024
    [English Teacher is Lily Fontaine on vocals, guitars and synthesizers, Lewis Whiting on lead guitar & synthesizers, Douglas Frost on drums, piano & vocals, and Nicholas Eden on bass. The band began writing together after meeting while students at Leeds Conservatoire. Early support from local organizations Music Leeds, Come Play With Me and BBC Radio Introducing, who regularly played their earliest offerings and helped garner support for the band, led to a pivotal signing with indie label Nice Swan Records. During lockdown, English Teacher’s fanbase grew online and 2021 single ‘R&B’ had the music industry buzzing. A much-lauded debut EP, ‘Polyawkward’ followed, providing further insight into the diverse sonic and uniquely self-made aesthetic world of the band, and appearances at Glastonbury and Leeds Festival soon made English Teacher one of the most talked about bands in British music. // Nearly Daffodils’ illustrates the intricate, math-rock leanings of the band’s songwriting. “This was one of the later ones that come together before the studio, but we’d had the individual parts for it for some time,” Whiting says, remembering their time recording predominantly in London’s Pony Studios. Eden adds: “It started as a Logic project, quite synth-heavy but it ended up as the bass line and predominant melodic driver of the track.” Fontaine says she was “obsessed with the bassline” and “loved it so much”. “It formed the backbone of the song,” she says. While having wrote the lyrics prior to the bassline being added, she noted that “they just seemed to fit.” She continues: “We added in some drum loops that Douglas made and then it just all clicked into place.” // ‘Nearly Daffodils’ is about heartbreak and acceptance of unfulfilled potential, Fontaine says. “It’s about how, no matter how much you may want something, no matter how much effort you may put into something’s growth or development, no matter how beautiful you can envision its fruition, life is a bitch and about as unstoppable as a freight train.”]

23. (#99.) Ibibio Sound Machine – “Pull the Rope”
    from: Pull the Rope / Merge Records / May 3, 2024
    [Ibibio Sound Machine is an English electronic afro-funk band from London. Formed in 2013. // “Pull the Rope” is about the hope of finding a peaceful way to overcome our differences in the world. The idea of standing at two ends of a rope symbolizes this. We recruited our friends Richmond Kessie and Helen McDonald as well as Eno’s mum to lend a bigger sound to the chorus vocals. Musically it’s a mix of post-punk and electronic sounds. // “Pull the Rope” is accompanied by a Darlington Anyiam–directed music video. The spacefaring clip evokes Afrofuturism and classic dance video vibes. “My fascination for Eno’s beautiful voice and presence makes me turn her visual performances into impersonations of powerful entities,” Anyiam explains of Williams’ turn as a celestial pharaoh. // Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard–led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. The atmosphere has changed, but you’re still having the time of your life. // Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly—rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company’s jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope’s sound quicker and more instinctual than before. // “Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London,” Grunhard explains. “He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going.” // In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that’s thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno’s otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose’s throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. // “We are the places we grew up, the places we’ve been, and the people we’ve met along the way,” Williams says. “Hopping around the globe, we’ve found that people are fundamentally the same—they’re people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering.” // That belief is the blood that pulses like Grunhard’s hypnotic bass lines throughout Pull the Rope. Lead single “Got to Be Who U Are” literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined. // “Mama Say” and “Let My Yes Be Yes” touch themes of female empowerment. They’re indicative of the band’s depth as they push further into the electronic; “Mama Say” hits notes of electropop while “Let My Yes Be Yes” fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams’ vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. // The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come. // The name of the band itself finds influence from Eno Williams’ Nigerian mother, whose native tongue was Ibibio.]

11:28 – Underwriting

24. (#98.) Juliette Frost – “laulau”
    from: personal logs EP / Juliette Frost / March 3, 2024
    [A small collection of personal notes and feelings collaged into 3 tracks which have been sliced and diced like curry ingredients. // Juliette Frost release the soingle “Carbin Copy (radio edit). On March 22, 2024. // Juliette Frost released the single “Wizard Trance” with Not Nymph Yet, on December 20, 2023, // Juliette Frost released the single “UeyuAau,” on December 13, 2023. // Juliette Frost released the single “Night Owl,” on April 13, 2023. // Juliette Frost released the single “Fruits of Our Tree,” on December 11, 2022. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Sylvrface,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Parallel,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the17 track album, “Lepidoptera” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Streetwalker,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost recorded a 6-song EP HUSH on May 5, 2021, that was created in a 5-day recording session, in December 2020 in Los Angeles, with musician, bassist, & producer Dominique Sanders. The songs, written by Juliette, feature her vocals layered in harmonies, beats and soundscapes. // Juliette Frost also released the single “burd,” on February 8, 2021. // On April 18, 2020 Juliette released Subterranean.Egyptian.Sea.Monkeys, her 19-track, debut, recorded in her bedroom, when she was 16, sampling sounds from her own cats meowing and purring, among others. When Juliette was making the music for, Subterranean.Egyptian.Sea.Monkeys, she really wasn’t thinking of putting out an album. She was just creating music, and before she knew it she had all of these songs. // Juliette has had the opportunity to see the recording process from two very different perspectives: in a recording studio in LA, and in her own private bedroom, working by herself. Juliette says that she prefers the alone time, in her bedroom process, because she can translate her ideas into reality, much faster. Juliette says she realized her musical passion, and that she had the abilities to create music and songs when she was in middle school. // Juliette Frost went to Shawnee Mission North High School. Juliette is not only a songwriter and producer of music but she is also a visual artist who created amazing collage art, and is also a painter and fine artist. // Juliette grew up surrounded by music in her home, Juliette is the daughter of opera and jazz vocalist Emily Frost and nationally known Hip Hop Beatboxer Adrian “A-Train” Frost] [Juliette Frost played minibar, on October 23, 2024, with Belgium-based Ultra Sunn and Religion of Heartbreak.]

25. (#97.) Draper Family Band (Brandon Draper) – “Fall On Your Sword”
    from: Draper Family Band / Looking Up Productions / May 3, 2024
    [The Draper Family Band comprises decades of familial experience in music as well as a wealth of professional experience that has served them well as a live band and has now resulted in a debut self-titled album. At the center of the band are Hammond B3 and keyboardist Paul Draper (an inductee of the KS Music Hall of Fame) and his son, Brandon Draper, who is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, educator, and songwriter. Both are known for working across genres and cultural traditions, which brings an even wider scope of possibilities to the work they play and record together. // Their debut self-titled album has both the energy and excitement of original compositions and the satisfaction of completing unfinished business, since a number of songs had been building up over a period of years without a clear outlet for release until now. Inventive, and often combining instruments that don’t commonly mesh, the album draws on jazz, blues, and rock traditions, as well as many others. I spoke with Brandon Draper about his multi-faceted life and work, and the ways in which this album has come together at the right time for the band. // Since moving to Kansas City in 2006, Drum Set artist, world percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Brandon Draper, has made a name for his himself for his fierce and amazing drum and musical performances and collaborations with Alaturka, Flamenco Mio, Quixotic Performance Ensemble, Brandon Draper Group, Paul Draper Band, Free Band Radio, and his acoustic project Organic Proof. As a freelance musician, Brandon has performed with DJ Logic, Particle, Donna Summer, Mose Allison, Mike Moreno, and Bobby Watson. Brandon recently performed in the critically acclaimed world premiere of the new hiphop musical “Venice” in Los Angeles, and premiered his original work “Bass Darabukas” with Quixotic and the Kansas City Symphony in Spring of 2011. Brandon Draper is part of the music faculty at the University of Kansas, he is percussion director at Shawnee Mission West High School, and serves as music director at Kansas City Academy. He holds a Bachelors degree in percussion performance from Bethany College, and a Masters of Music with distinction from the University of New Mexico. // Paul Draper spent his life as a sideman on countless recordings and tours beginning in 1964 playing Farfisa keyboard with the show/review band the Shampells. Know as “The Wildman” Paul has been stealing the spotlight for years with his Hammond Organ skills and stage presence. Paul has recorded with Jimmie Bratcher and Grammy Award winning producer Jim Gaines. Paul Draper makes his recording debut as a leader of the band, with his new, critically acclaimed, full length recording titled: Paul Draper Band, that was 5 years in the making and was produced by his son Brandon Draper. The two have been sharing the stage since Brandon was 9 years old. This recording features an array of styles of funk, blues, R&B, soul, country, & jazz. // On Dec. 1, 2012 Paul Draper Band released their self titled album.][Brandon Draper – Drummer/Producer/Educator & Patrick Alexander – Charlotte Street Programming Manager/Curator, curated a lineup of drummers to showcase the rich tapestry of KC & celebrate the versatility of the drum kit as an instrument. GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME, was held Fri, June 28, at 7:00pm at Charlotte Street Foundation Stern Theatre, 3333 Wyoming, KCMO as part of Charlotte Street’s in(SITE) series, and features 25 of KC’s most talented drummers, representing styles from Free Jazz to Bop, Latin to Afro-Beat, Fusion to Rock. Drummers included: Arnold Young, Doug Auwarter, Lisa McKenzie, John Kizilarmut, Tyree Johnson, Ryan Lee, Evan Verplough, Alaudin Ottinger, Doug Hitchcock, Duck McClane, and more, with a ribute to Leon Brady! Info at: http://www.charlottestreet.org]

26. (#96.) Claire Adams – “Words of Love (2024)”
    from: “Words of Love (2024)” – 3 Song EP / Claire Adams / April 2, 2024
    [Words of Love Claire Adams-vocals, bass; Daniel Dissmore on trumpet; Fritz Hutchison on drums; Jackie Myers on piano; Trevor Turla on trombone; Abraham Villaseñor on guitar. // Recorded, mixed and mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, KCMO. Additional recording by Odin Parada at Rec4 Studios, GDL. // Musically curious and multifaceted, Claire Adams is dedicated to collaborating, recording and songwriting to hone her melodic instincts and vision. A bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Adams has lent a discerning ear and versatility to a number of projects. Claire founded the eight-piece genre-jumping collective Claire and the Crowded Stage – a project that united her pop sensibilities with non-traditional instrumentation. This project teamed her up with guitarist Katy Guillen and drummer Stephanie Williams, leading them to form the nationally touring blues-rock trio Katy Guillen & the Girls in 2012, with Adams on bass and backing vocals. In recent years Adams has been performing solo, collaborating with the KC based string quartet Rewound, and in a trio featuring pianist Alyssa Murray.[Claire Adams played The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO West Bottoms on April 11 opening for Fritz Hutchison & His Honky Tonk Band] [Claire Adams played The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads 2715 Rochester Ave. KCMO on April 14 with Jackie Myers and Fritz Hutchison. More info at: claireadamsmusic.com]

27. (#95.) Elexa Dawson & Stanley Hotel – “Lot of Life”
    from: Wanderlust / Turns Out Records / February 2, 2024
    [WANDERLUST was recorded at: Remote Studios. Engineered and Mixed: Isaac Nelson, Adam Stanley. Mastered by: Brody Wellman. Produced by: Elexa Dawson, Isaac Nelson, Adam Stanley, Doug Swindell. Published By: Turns Out Records. Dawson Elexa creates community-focused Americana music with soulful vocals and connection to land. Oklahoma Native, Elexa now calls Kansas her home. Wanderlust is Elexa’s sophomore release (Feb 2024) collaboration with Stanley Hotel. Elexa Dawson also fronts the bands: Heyleon and Weda Skirts. Alexa is a Potawatomi activist and educator. Elexa facilitates songwriting workshops, talking circles, and relational plant education. // Mikal Shapiro, of Siren Song, on 90.1 FM KKFI writes, “Dear Music Lovers, do yourself a favor and put this honey in your ears. Elexa Dawson delivers yet another stunning collection of heartfelt songs in her sophomore release. // A collaboration with indie folk rockers Stanley Hotel, the chemistry is palpable and the production sparkles with Dawson’s clear and powerful voice sitting comfortably in the full-spectrum arrangements. // A soul-stirring journey through earth and sky, “Wanderlust” provides the perfect soundtrack to that road-trip you’ve been dreaming about… and you don’t have to burn any gas to get there.” // More on WANDERLUST: Nestled within the red dirt country hills of Oklahoma, Elexa Dawson and the acclaimed Stanley Hotel embarked on a visionary collaboration, crafting what can only be described as a sonic spaceship named “Wanderlust.” Reviewed as “a soul-stirring journey through earth and sky,” the album invites listeners to explore uncharted realms through its captivating songs. // From the inaugural track’s exploration of the outer limits of human experience to the final guided meditation conveying a message from the ancestors, “Wanderlust” stands as an epic odyssey worthy of the finest traveling shoes. Each song serves as a unique stop on this musical tour, gathering sentiments of loneliness, love, connection, and completion. Whether dancing with the transient and the lovers in “Rainbows,” getting “High on the Street,” or contemplating life under the southwestern sky with the poignant “Lonely Coyote,” every moment resonates with the depth of the human experience. // Elexa Dawson’s return to her Oklahoma roots for recording at Remote Records, the experimental laboratory of Stanley Hotel members Adam Stanley, Isaac Nelson, and Doug Swindell, underscores the organic collaboration between the artists. With mutual admiration at the core of their sonic choices, Stanley Hotel’s earthy soundscape perfectly supports Elexa’s vocal prowess. As both parties contribute astute compositions, the album maintains its cohesion by invoking nature’s spirits while playfully exploring the ether and always grounding itself back in the dirt. // “Wanderlust” marks Elexa’s sophomore release following her debut album, “Music is Medicine,” in 2019. The collaboration with Stanley Hotel showcases their multi-genre style and eclectic musicality, evident in releases such as “Samson Mammoth” and “The Wolf Told Me.” Elexa’s vocal quality, described by Raye Zaragoza as cutting right to the soul, blends seamlessly with Stanley Hotel’s unique style, creating a magical and expansive listening experience. http://www.elexadawson.com]

28. (#94) Rick Mareske – “A Stroll inThe Park”
    from: A Stroll in The Park / Rick Mareske / March 30, 2024
    [These compositions have been written over the past 50 years but have been edited, updated, arranged, scored over the last four years and finally recorded. // Compositions by Rick Mareske. Produced by Clarke Wyatt. Recorded by Chad Meise at Massive Sound and Clarke Wyatt at Gnomes and Goats Studio. Mastered by Collin Jordan at Boiler Room Mastering. Illustrations by Regina Compernolle. Album Design by Quinn Kavanaugh. Musicians: Thomas Aber – Clarinet and Bass Clarinet; Christine Broxterman – Cello; Patrick Alonzo Conway – Percussion; Betse Ellis – Violin, Viola and Fiddle; Adam Galblum – Mandolin; Johnny Hamil – Electric Bass and String Bass; Byron Jones – Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Vocals; Erin Keller – Vocals; Rick Mareske – Guitars and Vocals; John Miles – String Bass; Fast Johnny Ricker – Slide Guitar; Jeffery Ruckman – Piano and Organ; Steven Smith – Alto and Tenor Sax; Guy Montes – Flute; Brian Steevers – Drums; Beth Watts Nelson – Vocals; Randy Weinstein – Harmonica; Bill Woodhouse – Mandolin; Clarke Wyatt – Banjo and Organ; Zinnia, Macee, and Clementine – Choir. Artwork by Regina Compernolle. Wallet Style Case Design by Quinn Mahler] [Rick Mareske played A Stroll In The Park – CD Release Party, Friday, April 12, at 8:00pm with Erin Keller on vocals; Beth Watts Nelson on vocals; Rick Mareske on guitar & vocals; Byron Jones on trumpet, flugelhorn, & vocals; John Miles on string bass; Johnny Hamil on string bass & electric bass, Gliddon Coleman on keys; RJ Schultze on drums. With special Guests: Betse Ellis on fiddle; Clarke Wyatt on banjo & keyboards; Bill Woodhouse on mandolin; and maybe others.]

29. (#93.) Hurray for The Riff Raff – “Alibi”
    from: The Past Is Still Alive / Hurray for The Riff Raff / February 23, 2024
    [The Past Is Still Alive sees Hurray for the Riff Raff reunite with Brad Cook, while further expanding their creative cast of collaborators. Anjimile, Conor Oberst, and S.G. Goodman all join Alynda Segarra on vocals at various points throughout the LP, with a band of musicians including Cook, Libby Rodenbough, Matt Douglas, Meg Duffy of Hand Habits, Mike Mogis, Phil Cook, and Yan Westerlund. Mike Mogis also mixed the album, and it was mastered by Heba Kadry. // The “nature punk” of Life on Earth marked a departure for Hurray for the Riff Raff, as they contemplated surviving and thriving amidst a world in crisis. The Past Is Still Alive brings the focus back inwards, with arrangements that are raw, melodies direct and indelible, and lyrics that are personal yet largely rooted in family and community. There are love songs to real characters, locations and mythic figures like Sky Red Hawk (“Buffalo”); the first trans woman Segarra ever met (“Hawkmoon”); queerness and sacred spaces for outsiders and the vulnerable, in the aftermath of the Club Q shooting (“Colossus of Roads”); leaving home behind and discovering oneself on the edge of the world (“Snake Plant”); and short-lived romances and the wisdom gained through chaos (“Vetiver”). Elsewhere, in the self-portraits painted on “Alibi,” “Ogallala,” and other album highlights, Segarra reflects on the land they have traveled, the hardships witnessed, and bravery gained while running away from everything and everyone they knew at age seventeen, hopping freight trains and hitchhiking across the country with a band of street urchins.]

30. (#92.) Abandoncy – “Night Drive (ft. Eugene S. Robinson)”
    from: Assailable/Agonism / The Ghost Is Clear, Learning Curve, & Vina Records. / Sept. 20, 2024
    [In just over five years, Abandoncy have grown into their status as a staple in the music scene of KCMO and surrounding areas. Damian Fisher on guitar and vocals, Lincoln Peterson on bass and vocals, and Morgan Reed Greenwood on drums. // Throughout their lifetime and a handful of releases, the trio have carefully fostered and perfected a style of music that is technical and beautiful but doesn’t shy away from any avant-garde, noisy, or punishing moments. While you’re able to discern sounds brought from noise rock of the 80s and 90s, post-hardcore of the 90s and early aughts, as well as multiple waves of emo and screamo, Abandoncy’s affinity for abstract structure, strange time, and dramatic pause gives them a style all their own. At its end it is breathtaking, addictive, and harrowing to experience. // On their third full-length, Assailable Agonism, you find the band pushing even further. All six songs boil over with masterful instrumentation and crushing composition. Clocking in at just under 19 minutes, it feels like a brief but brutal haunting of all of your personal spaces. Paranoid, blistering, and all-consuming, coated with the grime of drying riverbeds and dust storms. Through its juxtaposition of melodic and noisy elements, it has a presence that will draw in fans of all different styles of music. // Anxious drumwork with the sonic treatment of a punch to the face, gritty basslines with the heft of gravity itself, and guitar lines akin to vertigo in that they are both mesmerizing and dizzying. It all accumulates into splinter-like music, stabbing at you unwittingly and embedding melody deep under the skin. It dares you to be intimidated. // Aided by the recording captured in KCMO cornerstone Howdy by drummer Morgan, it possesses a dynamic sound that is undeniable. Assailable Agonism is at times barren and cavernous waiting for the pin to drop, and other times cacophonous and claustrophobic exploding in front of you. // 1st single “Scarlet Rot” is a jangly track that propels you forward. Frenetic, tremolo picked riffs over deep bass progressions, accompanied by drums that sound like a caged bird trying to fly away. It is one of the more accessible songs on the record, but still shows some of the sinister energy and teases more heavy moments seen in other tracks. // 2nd single “Night Drive (feat. Eugene S. Robinson)” is the thunderous closer on the record, and a perfect encapsulation of everything you can experience in the other tracks. With a melodic beginning, it builds just to tear it all apart, devolving into a boisterous, monstrous second half. It is destructive of all in its path like a natural disaster, and it’s still the softest song on the record.]

31. (#91) Chloe Jacobson – “Everybody Loves You”
    from: A Snowball’s Chance in Hell / Chloe Jacobson / March 17, 2024
    [It has been written that Chloe Jacobson’s “soulful, bluesy vocals are colored with the pop cadence of aughts-era emo.” As KCMO’s crystal ashtray pop, Chloe Jacobson has opened up for acts like Julia Jacklin, Girlpool, and Parsnips. Releasing her first single, “National News”, in 2017. Chloe’s debut album, “Frozen Fruit” was released on November 14, 2018 in a show at Mills Record Company. Her most recent single, “Nice 2 Meet U” was released last year.] [Chloe Jacobson played the Manor Records 7 Year Anniversary, October 25, at Manor Records 5540 Troost Ave., KCMO with KoneyMore info at http://www.manorrecords.com]

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

Tune into WMM thru Dec. for WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024 Dec 4, 11, 18, and 25.

NEXT WEEK, On December 11, we will bring you part 2 of our 4-week special: The 120 Best Recordings of 2024. We’ll count down #90 through #61 with tracks from: Making Movies, St. George & The Dragons, Peter Schlamb & Logan Richardson, Back Alley Brass Band, Doubledrag, Burning Bush, Grady Philip Drugg, The Matchsellers, Big Fat Cow, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Belle & The Vertigo Waves, Leah Sproul, June Henry, Honeybee, Eboni Fondren, Erin Keller & The James Ward Band, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, Gossip, Valerie June, Tyla, Andre 3000, Lola Young, Kaia Kater, Joy Oladokun, Alan Sparhawk, Willi Carlisle, Kamasi Washington, Etran de L’AÏr, and Bolis Pupul.

Thank you to all who have donated during our two Fall Fund Drive Show on Wednesday MidDay Medley and our WMM Facebook Fundraiser, we received donations from 46 individuals who donated a total of $3436.00. That is 97% of our ambitious goal, I call that a success!!!

THANK YOU to our incredible KKFI Staff; Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, KKFI Accounting & Administration – Shaina Littler

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the extra effort to keep our station alive.

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

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Show #1072