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

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro & Topeka Freedom Singers
+ Sean Mawhirter & Mundo Nouvo + Emmaline Twist

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

2. The Get Up Kids – “The Problem Is Me”
from: Problems / Polyvinyl Record Co / May 10, 2019
[KC / Lawrence KS based band with Matt Pryor on vocals & guitars, Jim Suptic on guitar, Rob Pope on bass, James Dewees on keyboards, Ryan Pope on drums. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-1990s emo scene, otherwise known as the “second wave” of emo music. As they gained prominence, they began touring with bands such as Green Day and Weezer before becoming headliners themselves, eventually embarking on international tours of Japan and Europe. The Get Up Kids Members Rob Pope is also in the band Spoon; Jim Suptic is in the bands: Blackpool Lights, and Radar State; James Dewees is in the band Reggie and the Full Effect; and Matt Pryor performs often as a solo artists, and in the bands: Radar State, and The New Amsterdams. On their new album Problems—their first full-length in eight years—The Get Up Kids examine everything from life-changing loss to loneliness to the inevitable anxiety of existing in 2019. But by sustaining the essence of their sound—anthemic choruses with sing-along-ready melodies—the band highlights those troubles as a shared experience, giving way to an unbreakable solidarity. And at the heart of Problems is an invaluable element the band’s embodied since their 1997 debut Four Minute Mile: a penetrating lyricism that’s both acutely introspective and indelibly resonant. // The follow-up to 2018’s Kicker EP, Problems came to life in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with the band holing up together for a three-week span. Working with Grammy Award-winning producer Peter Katis (Kurt Vile, Japandroids, The National), The Get Up Kids took a characteristically riff-driven yet decidedly pop-minded approach to song structure, while also allowing themselves a new sense of creative freedom. “At one point with this band, if we came up with something that felt too much like when we first started out, we would’ve said, ‘No, we can’t do that anymore,’” says Pryor. “These days we’ve learned how to write without roadblocking the ideas that come naturally to us.” // Kicking off with lead single “Satellite,” Problems opens on a stark arrangement of acoustic guitar and stripped-bare vocals, then bursts into brightly crashing rhythms and lyrics revealing the time-bending quality of The Get Up Kids’ songwriting. “I started writing ‘Satellite’ about my son who’s 14 and a total introvert—not antisocial, he just genuinely likes to keep to himself,” says Pryor. “But then somewhere down the line I started singing about myself—about how even when you’re playing a show to a room full of people, I can still feel anxious and isolated.” // Throughout Problems, The Get Up Kids again prove themselves attuned to the nuance of highly specific emotions, and ultimately validate the messiest and most nebulous of feelings. On the joyfully swinging, piano-heavy “The Problem Is Me,” for instance, the band explores the notion of embracing your own romantic dysfunction, while “Salina” captures a small moment of melancholy with sweeping intensity and sprawling guitar work. Later, on “Your Ghost Is Gone,” The Get Up Kids deliver a gently devastating piano ballad sparked from an instrumental piece Dewees wrote soon after his mother’s death. // Through the years, The Get Up Kids have purposely pushed themselves toward previously unexplored songwriting material. “I’m 41 now, I could never write a song like when I was 19—all those ‘I miss my girlfriend’ kind of songs,” Suptic says. “It’s always important to us to write about wherever we are right now.” As shown on Problems, the resulting output both preserves the beloved spirit of The Get Up Kids and creates an entirely new context for their music. “A big part of the reason why we started writing new songs in the first place is that we have things we want to say about this moment in time,” says Pryor. “We’re still so connected to our past and where this all came from—it’s definitely a celebration of the fact that we still get to do this.” ]

3. Weyes Blood – “Andromedia”
from: Titanic Rising / Sub Pop Records / April 5, 2019
[Weyes Blood is Natalie Mering, born June 11, 1988, in Santa Monica, CA and grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has released 4 albums and an EP. Both her siblings and parents are musicians and music played an important part in her upbringing. Her older brother, Zak Mering, is also a noteworthy recording artist, producer and songwriter under the “Raw Thrills” alias. At the age of 15 Mering began using the moniker Wise Blood to write songs. She changed to Weyes Bluhd on several self released records before changing the spelling to Weyes Blood. She took the name from the Flannery O’Connor novel Wise Blood. At the same time, while working on her own material, she toured the underground music scene with bands Jackie-O Motherfucker and Nautical Almanac. In 2011 she released the album The Outside Room as Weyes Blood And The Dark Juices on Not Not Fun Records. Uncut magazine described the album as “the vibe is devotional and ethereal, but with an edge”, while Beatbots found it “an impressive and ambitious album”. Natalie released her second record in October 2014 called The Innocents, which was released through Mexican Summer. In 2016 she released the album Front Row Seat to Earth on Mexican Summer to great acclaim throughout the music industry, and has spent the past few years touring throughout Europe and the states.]

4. Lambchop – “Everything for You”
from: This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) / Merge Records / March 22, 2019
[Lambchop, originally from Nashville, was ever a band with a “core” lineup, Lambchop has consisted of a large and fluid collective of musicians focused around its creative centre, frontman Kurt Wagner. AllMusic referred to tLambchop as “arguably the most consistently brilliant and unique American group to emerge during the 1990s”. Initially indebted to traditional country, the music has subsequently moved through a range of influences including post-rock, soul and lounge music. Whatever the style, the characteristic mood of Lambchop’s music is evoked by Wagner’s distinctive songwriting: lyrically subtle and ambiguous, the vocals melodic but understated. Not so long ago, Lambchop had a famously sprawling line-up, toting a dozen or so members around the world and into the studio to document elliptical country-soul mutations. But in recent years, the band has become a more personal vehicle for Kurt Wagner. Anchored by him and framed by bassist Matt Swanson and Wagner’s incorrigibly grinning foil, the pianist Tony Crow, the Lambchop of this decade has become more pliant and adaptable, opening itself to unexpected collaborators that give Wagner’s thoughts and feelings the shape they need for each new album.]

5. Shy Boys – “Dim The Light”
from: Dim The Light / Brick By Brick – Single / Polyvinyl Record Co. / February 15, 2019
[New single release and follow up to the band’s second album and Polyvinyl debut, Bell House. Shy Boys line-up consists of brothers Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch, Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and Ross Brown. The group formed shortly after the trio became roommates in 2012. Kyle Rausch and Konnor Ervin were already band mates in the indie-pop band The ACBs and Collin had been playing for years in the Kansas City area in various bands. The three shared a love for 1960s era pop rock and soon started writing their own music. In 2014 they released the self-titled Shy Boys on High Dive Records. The album received generally positive reviews and the single “Bully Fight” was featured on Spin.com. In June 2014 the band recorded and released two more singles and one of them, “Life Is Peachy,” was featured on Stereogum. On April 4th, 2018, it was announced that the band had signed to Polyvinyl Record Co.]

[Shy Boys play VooDoo Lounge 1 Riverboat Dr, KCMO, with Berwanger And Kid Computer on Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 PM]

10:18 – Underwriting

6. LK Ultra – “Two Spirit”
from: Demos For Bengal / LK Ultra / March 19, 2019
[Lawrence, Kansas based 4-piece indigenous-fronted, queer music, straight from the birthplace of emo. Formed by Lily Pryor, Inez Robinson, Aoife Conway, and August Hyde. The EP release was mixed and recorded by Mitchell Hewlett in The Coop.]

[LK Ultra play an All Ages Show, at Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St, Lawrence on Friday, April 19, with an early show at 6:00 pm and a late show at 10:00 pm for Tune In! A Girls Rock Lawrence Fundraiser and Rebrand Announcement with a new name that represents the range of identities we serve and a new mission statement that better reflects our goal: to amplify the voices and ideas of local youth through social justice and musical expression.]

7. Rita Chiarelli – “These Four Walls”
from: Music from the Big House Soundtrack / Mad Iris Music / April 5, 2011
[Rita Chiarelli was called “the goddess of Canadian blues” by CBC Radio One. Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Chiarelli began performing in Ronnie Hawkins’ band in the early 1980s. She spent several years in Italy. When she returned to Canada, she attracted the attention of film director Bruce McDonald, who included her “Have You Seen My Shoes?” on the soundtrack to his 1989 film Roadkill. Chiarelli and Colin Linden recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” for McDonald’s 1991 film Highway 61. Chiarelli released her debut album the following year. She has released 9 solo albums. Just Getting Started and Breakfast at Midnight were both nominated for the Juno Award for Best Blues Album. For her last release, Music From The Big House Soundtrack, Rita again collaborates with Director Bruce McDonald in a film that chronicles Rita’s pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues, Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary a.k.a Angola Prison, where Rita plays music with inmates serving life sentences.]

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro on the April 17, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley.

10:30 – Interview with Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro

Rita Chiarelli was called “the goddess of Canadian blues” by CBC Radio One. Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Chiarelli began performing in Ronnie Hawkins’ band in the early 1980s. She spent several years in Italy. When she returned to Canada, she quickly attracted the attention of film director Bruce McDonald, who included her “Have You Seen My Shoes?” on the soundtrack to his 1989 film Roadkill. Chiarelli and Colin Linden recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” for McDonald’s 1991 film Highway 61, and Chiarelli released her debut album the following year on Stony Plain Records. She has released nine solo albums, two of which, Just Getting Started and Breakfast at Midnight were nominated for the Juno Award for Best Blues Album. For her last release, Music From The Big House Soundtrack, Rita again collaborates with Director Bruce McDonald in a film the chronicles her pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues, the Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary a.k.a Angola Prison, where Rita plays music with inmates serving life sentences. Rita is now in Kansas City working on a new documentary project that began at Folk Alliance International with Mikal Shapiro.

Mikal Shapiro

Mikal Shapiro is a singer, songwriter, artist, filmmaker, puppeteer, ring-leader. Mikal Shapiro is the founder of State City Films – a new media house based in KCMO that she founded to create content that amplifies independent voices and tells stories that ache to be told through documentary and experimental filmmaking practices. Mikal Shapiro has worked on commercial, non-profit and independent productions since 2008. She was Director of Photography for the regional Emmy award-winning film “Tipping Point.” She studied Film History, Film, & Writing at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. She received her MFA in Film/Video/New Media/Animation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012. She has been involved in music and the arts for over two decades. Mikal’s full length solo releases “The Crow The Lark And The Loon” from 2008, and “For Good” from 2010 and “The Musical” from 2017 and “The Musical II” from 2018 have been acclaimed by local music writers.

Rita Chiarelli and Mikal Shapiro join us to talk about their work to facilitate a music program inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women. This project culminates with a concert on May 4 that will be presented to their fellow inmates, families, victims, and the community. Authorities from the Department of Corrections will be invited to attend including the Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Rita & Mikal are currently in the midst of 10 days of filming, with an all-female crew, inside the facility.

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Rita Chiarelli

Text from their Kickstarter Campaign:

We just heard “These Four Walls” from the Music From The Big House Soundtrack. Rita I heard you explaining in an interview that you “‘cold called” the Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentary to begin the process of bringing a film crew into the prison.

Rita collaborated with Director Bruce McDonald in a film the chronicle her pilgrimage to the birthplace of the blues, Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary a.k.a Angola Prison, where Rita plays music with inmates serving life sentences.

How It Began… Two years ago, through Folk Alliance International, acclaimed Canadian musician and film maker Rita Chiarelli and cinematographer Mikal Shapiro of State City Films were invited into ‘The Topeka Correctional Facility for Women’ in Kansas. For two days, the mission was to bring, perform and share some music with its inmates.

What They Found…It was quickly discovered that unlike penitentiaries that house male inmates, where there are instruments available and some forms of music programs, the women’s facilities more often than not have none, such was the case in Topeka.

So…Rita Chiarelli began to work with the women, teaching them to sing some traditional tunes, and encouraging them to bring into the mix their own writings.

What happened next…midst the bonding that came through working together on the music, stories of unbelievable abuse that the women have suffered in their lives started to emerge. They shared stories of beatings and frankly abuse too difficult to imagine. As Rita and the inmates worked together, the women’s voices began to ‘rise’, begging to be heard.

This story needs to be told…Why? – A phenomenon is happening. While abuse against women is on the rise… more women are being incarcerated than ever before. Sometimes the abuser is the system itself…poverty, social injustice…this story will reveal what some women in society are going through and what leads to their incarceration. Their stories reveal that they too are victims of the detrimental effects of poverty, addiction, physical and sexual abuse and assault.

Now What? A Film…Rita and Mikal plan to go back in. Rita will bring the healing power of music to this maximum security facility .Through the compassionate eye of Mikal’s lens; she will follow Rita as she works with a group of talented inmates and adds music to their compelling writing.

This work will culminate in a concert… a concert that will be presented to their fellow inmates, families, victims and the greater community. Authorities from the Department of Corrections will be invited to attend including the Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.

This concert is an opportunity for the inmates to express their thoughts and emotions as well as reveal a side of themselves that will showcase their humanity. Their expressions set to music and sung out in what will be a cathartic culmination of a difficult yet liberating soul search for the women involved. And through the power of music, these women will ask us all for a little more understanding, forgiveness and maybe another chance.

What we leave behind…Rita has been in touch with an organization that brings instruments and music programs to prisons that have none. They are now in contact to possibly facilitate a music program in Topeka Correctional Facility for Women. The impact this project could have on the wider public is also considerable. What goes on behind the gates of a prison–from the lives of the state employees and guards, to those imprisoned inside the cells–often goes unseen and unheard. This lack of transparency contributes to a lack of accountability on our justice system as well as stigma and stereotypes of lives behind the wall. Creative work that connects people on “both sides of the fence” contributes to a healthier dialogue around crime, crime prevention, justice, rehabilitation, and redemption and an unsustainable system for controlling crime. Bringing artists and musicians into the dialogue can help highlight our collective humanity and work to facilitate criminal justice reform.

Rita and Mikal have planned 10 days of filming with an all-female crew, and a budget of $32,500 to cover this project’s initial costs of filming this documentary.

The Team
Rita Chiarelli – Director/Producer
Mikal Shapiro – Producer/Director of Photography
Khitam Jabr – 1st Assistant Camera/Camera Operator
Alexandra Lambdin – Audio Engineer/Boom Operator
Courtney Williams – Production Assistant

This project has been two years in the planning.

10:39

8. “T” – “T’s Rap”
from: T’s Rap / Mikal Shapiro footage / April, 2019
[Recorded on camera inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women]

We’re talking with Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro about their work to facilitate a music program inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women. This project culminates with a concert on May 4 that will be presented to their fellow inmates, families, victims, and the community. Authorities from the Department of Corrections will be invited to attend including the Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Rita & Mikal have planned 10 days of filming with an all-female crew inside the facility.

10:42

9. Autumn – “Autumn’s clip for radio”
from: Topeka Freedom Singers / Mikal Shapiro footage / April, 2019
[Recorded on camera inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women]

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro working to facilitate a music program inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women. #documentary #film #topekafreedomsingers #powerofmusic #musicinprison #artsinprison #maximumsecurity #topeka #kansas #womensprison #ritachiarelli #blues #gospel #music

10:45

10. Vegas – “Vegas’s Verse clip for radio”
from: Topeka Freedom Singers / Mikal Shapiro footage / April, 2019
[Recorded on camera inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women]

We’re talking with Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro heir work to facilitate a music program inside the Topeka Correctional Facility for Women. This project culminates with a concert on May 4 that will be presented to their fellow inmates, families, victims, and community. Rita & Mikal have planned 10 days of filming with an all-female crew inside the facility.

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Rita Chiarelli & Mikal Shapiro on the April 17, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley.

10:50

11. Rita Chiarelli – “I Can Change For You”
from: Breakfast At Midnight / Mad Iris Music / May 8, 2001
[Rita Chiarelli may very well be the most powerful singer in Canada! Bringing her brand of rock & blues to an ever-increasing loyal audience since she was 15 years old, Rita finished high school in Hamilton Ontario and formed the band Battleaxe, a nine piece R&B band which toured Canada and the US. She then joined the Ronnie Hawkins school of rock and roll for a year and in 1981 left Canada on a trip to Italy, staying six years, touring and working in studios. // Back in Canada in the late 1980s she released a succession of independent singles and had one of her most powerful songs, “Have You Seen My Shoes?”, used on the soundtrack of Bruce McDonald’s Canadian-made movie Roadkill, now a cult favorite. // The success of the first Stony Plain album Road Rockets helped cement Chiarelli’s solid reputation on the club circuit as an exciting, powerhouse performer with a stunning 3 octave range and a no-holds-barred delivery that rocked audiences across North America and Europe. Her 2nd album was co-produced with John Switzer, best known for his work with Jane Siberry, and featured guest appearances by Juno Award-winning guitarist & songwriter Colin Linden and members of country rock band Prairie Oyster. All songs with the exception of the Elvis Presley hit “Love Me” were written by Rita, who’s developed her songwriting skills to the point that other artists are paying attention; Long John Baldry recorded Rita’s song “Midnight in Berlin” on his Right To Sing The Blues. – Parsifal.com]

Heidi Lynne Gluck

12. Heidi Lynne Gluck – “Sadness Is Psychedelic”
from: Pony Show / Lotuspool Records / August 26, 2016
[Lawrence, Kansas based Heidi Lynne Gluck is a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist originally from the middle of Canada. After transplanting herself from the plains of Manitoba to the midwestern United States, Heidi quickly became an in-demand player, performing on stage and in the studio both as a solo artist and with renowned musicians including Juliana Hatfield & Some Girls, Margot & The Nuclear So and Sos, Lily & Madeleine, The Pieces, The Only Children, and others. Heidi Lynne Gluck released the single “Party Line” on Too Much Rock on August 3, 2018.]

11:00 – Station ID

Sean Mawhirter on the April 17, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley.

11:00 – Interview with Sean Mawhirter

Sean Mawhirter, is originally from Wichita, Kansas. He is a guitarist and educator. During his over 20 years in the Kansas City metro music community, he has performed in a variety of settings and styles. Sean is a member of the Kansas City Guitar Society and Fractured Atlas. Sean Mawhirter is also the Artistic Director of Mundo Nouvo, KC’s salsa orchestra whee he also plays guitar in the band, Mundo Nouvo has been honing its style for three years and are ready to release their first full-length album, “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca.” This group play an Album Release Concert, Friday, April 19, at 8:00 PM, at The 10 Spot, 1000 Broadway, Blvd., KCMO.

Sean Mawhirter thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Combining both Spanish and Haitian-Creole language, Mundo Nouvo [‘mun.do-nu.vo] means “New World”. This ensemble looks to source its material from the roots of Afro-Caribbean music with special emphasis on Cuban and Haitian traditions.

At its fullest, Mundo Nouvo operates as an 11-piece Salsa Orchestra that plays the dance halls for crowds that love the timeless groove of guaracha, merengue, mambo, etc.

This band also adapts to smaller formations (3-8 instruments) to play its repertoire in jazz clubs, restaurants, as well as concert programming.

Mundo Nouvo, KC’s salsa orchestra celebrating it’s first full-length album, “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca.”

Mundo Nouvo

Led by veteran Cuban singer Ramon Terrada.

Mundo Nouvo also includes Jose Miguel Ramos on congas & coro vocals, Felipe “Tato” Ramos on timbales & coro vocals, Tony Ramos on bongos, Will Crain on piano, Daniel Nonweiler on bass, Sean Mawhirter on guitar, Guy Montes on flute & coro vocals, Janne Silfverberg on trombone, Lawrence Jackson on trumpet, David Cunningham on trumpet and frequent contributors: Paul Roberts on piano, Armando Gutierrez on trumpet, and Pat Conway on Congas/Bongos & Drumset.

This group has been honing its style for three years and are ready to share an Album Release Concert, Fri, April 19, at 8:00 PM, at The 10 Spot, 1000 Broadway, Blvd., KCMO.

More information at: http://www.mundonouvo.org

Having assembled some of the best talent in Kansas City, this is not only an active band but a fiscally sponsored Arts Organization that has partnered with the Global Birthing Home Foundation (GBHF) to support their efforts with Maison de Naissance (translates to ‘Birth House’) in Torbeck, Haiti.

Maison de Naissance, a modern, culturally appropriate maternal center, was established in 2004 in Torbeck, Haiti, and is sponsored by GBHF, a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity based in Leawood, KS. Since its establishment, Maison de Naissance has delivered over 4,700 healthy babies, and conducted more than 132,000 consultations.

While all of the revenue raised through the fiscal sponsorship will be attributed to the overhead of maintaining the musical ensemble, the ticket sale proceeds will be donated to the Global Birthing Home Foundation (GBHF).

11:07

13. Mundo Nouvo – “La Esencia del Guaguanco”
from: Live at Kansas Public Radio / Mundo Nouvo – KPR / February 22, 2018

11:12 – Interview with Sean Mawhirter

We are talking with Sean Mawhirter, Artistic Director of Mundo Nouvo, Kansas City’s salsa orchestra celebrating it’s first full-length album, “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca” with an Album Release Concert, Friday, April 19, at 8:00 PM, at The 10 Spot, 1000 Broadway, Blvd., KCMO.

Sean Mawhirter thanks for being with us on WMM.

Johnsoncountylifestyle.com reported on Sean Mawhirter travels abroad in both Haiti and Cuba for monthlong research trips in an effort to conduct further study into the musical roots of these two countries that are the guiding inspiration for Mundo Nouvo. This involved formal courses taken at two music academies and private studies with some of the nations’ finest instrumentalists.

For Mawhirter, was quoted as saying, “There are so many wonderful ways educate yourself in music nowadays, but there is no substitute for being in the context of the art. After all, how can you say that you know someone without sitting at their table?”

“I’m really excited about what is down the road for us”, Mawhirter says. “Aside from the academic aspect, there’ll be instruments coming back with me for our educational outreach with K-12 schools. Also, we’re looking to get some of these master musicians up here to perform with us in future concert events for Kansas City audiences.”

Mundo Nouvo has been honing its style for three years and are ready to share an Album Release Concert, Fri, April 19, at 8:00 PM, at The 10 Spot, 1000 Broadway, Blvd., KCMO.

Sean Mawhirter thanks for being with us on WMM.

Mundo Nouvo, KC’s salsa orchestra is celebrating it’s first full-length album, “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca” with an Album Release Concert, Friday, April 19, at 8:00 PM, at The 10 Spot, 1000 Broadway, Blvd., KCMO. More information at: http://www.mundonouvo.org

11:19

14. The Phantastics – “Heartbreaker”
from: Life of the Party – EP / Kemet Creative / August 24, 2018
[Eight member band from Kansas City formed in December 0f 2010 made up of: Kemet the Phantom -lead vocals; Kim “Phirst Lady” Newsome on lead vocals; JJ Cantrell on lead guitar & vocals; Danny Florez on electric bass; Ashley Thompson on drums, Ernest Melton on saxophone; Ryan Davis on Trombone and rap vocals; Austin Quick on keyboards. The Phantastics specialize in genre-blending dance floor activators. In 2015, the music group was crowned “Kansas City’s best party band” by the Kansas City Star. Musicianship and diversity are at the core of their success. Rock, Rap, Dance, Funk, Jazz and Soul are all incorporated into their music. “The band that can do it all”, according to I Heart Local Music, has shared the stage with some of music’s most legendary acts including George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic.]

[The Phantastics play The Jazzhaus of Lawrence, 926 Massachusetts St, with Tyler Sanford and the Coalition, Saturday, April 20, at 10:30 PM.]

15. Son Volt – “While Rome Burns”
from: Union / Thirty Tigers / March 29, 2019
[9th studio album from St. Louis, Missouri based band formed in 1994 after the break up of Uncle Tupelo. Jay Farrar on vocals & guitar & harmonica, Andrew Duplantis on bass & backing vocal, Mark Patterson on drums, Chris Frame on guitar, and Mark Spencer on keyboards & steel guitar.]

[Son Volt plays Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St. KCMO, on Tuesday, April 23, at 8:00 PM.]

16. Hi-Lux – “Dance With My Baby”
from: Hi-Lux – EP / Hi-Lux / February 1, 2018
[Originally released as a single on August 15, 2017. Now included in this 6 song EP. HI-LÜX is Julia Haile on vocals, Nick Howell on keyboards & organ, Kian Byrne on drums and vocals, Pete Leibert on bass, Tim Braun on guitar. Hi-Lux is based in KC. The band brings together elements of soul, reggae and funk for a unique and dance inspiring sound. More info at: http://www.hi-lux.bandcamp.com]

[Julia Haile Trio with Tim Braun on guitar and Brendan Culp on drums play The Phoenix, 302 W. 8th, KCMO, Saturday, April 20, at 9:30 PM]

11:28 – Underwriting

17. Priests – “The Seduction of Kansas”
from: The Seduction of Kansas / Sister Polygon / April 5, 2019
[Priests are a post-punk band from Washington D.C. Formed in 2012, they are composed of Katie Alice Greer on vocals, Daniele Daniele on drums, Taylor Mulitz on bass, and G.L. Jaguar on guitar. Strong proponents of DIY ethic, Priests have autonomously released three EPs through their independently run label Sister Polygon Records, as well as tapes and singles from acts such as Downtown Boys, Snail Mail, Shady Hawkins, and other local D.C. bands. In an interview with the Diamondback, guitarist G.L. expressed their commitment to “do it yourself” approaches in creating exposure for corporately marginalized music, “It’s important to try and make safe and supportive art spaces in communities that are very much community oriented.” In 2017, Priests released their full-length debut LP Nothing Feels Natural which found itself on several best albums of 2017 lists including Billboard, NPR, the Atlantic, Will’s Band of the Week, and Pitchfork. On inauguration day, just days before the release of the album, the band played an event which they helped organize called NO: A Night of Anti-Fascist Sound Resistance in the Capital of the USA at the Black Cat. Rolling Stone described the band as “forging jagged incantations that challenge norms ranging from the driving forces of capitalism to punk’s own chest-beating macho traditions.]

[Priests play recordBar, 1520 Grand BLVD. KCMO, on Tuesday, July 9, at 9:00 PM.]

15. Drugs & Attics – “So Tuff”
from: Clean Their Room / High Dive Records / April 19, 2019
[High Dive Records debut from Kansas City based 3-piece premiere party drug rock band.]

[Drugs & Attics play Minibar, 3810 Broadway Rd, KCMO with Dreamgirl and The Whiffs, Thursday April 18, at 9:00 PM celebrating the release of Drugs & Attics new record.]

[Drugs & Attics play Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence, w/ High WestHus, JC& The Nuns, and The Whiffs on Sat, April 20, at 10:00 PM celebrating the release of Drugs & Attics new record.]

16. Emmaline Twist – “Oblivion”
from: Dissimulation / Black Site / August 24, 2018
[Debut LP from Emmaline Twist, Kansas City’s Darkwave / Post-Punk / Shoegaze project. In 2017 the band released “Dissimulation 1,” four songs in digital format, their first since 2016’s single release of “Vega” b/w “Moon Eyes.” The band is Meredith McGrade on vocals & guitar, Kristin Conkright on bass, Jonathan Knecht on drums, and Krysztof Nemeth on baritone guitar. Recorded, Mixed, and Produced at Massive Sound by Paul Malinowski, and Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Matched with compelling cover-art created by Amy Abshier. Alex Alexander joined the band on synthesizers & guitar.]

Kristin Conkright & Krysztof Nemeth on the April 17, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley.

11:40 – Interview with Kristin Conkright & Krysztof Nemeth of Emmaline Twist

Emmaline Twist released their debut album “Dissimulation” on August 24, 2018 on Black Site Records. The record was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. members of Emmaline Twist join us in our 90.1 FM Studios. Emmaline Twist play recordBar, 1520 Grand Boulevard, KCMO, Friday, April 19, at 8:00 PM with The Foreign Resort, Nite, and Monta At Odds. More information at http://www.emmalinetwist.com

Kristin Conkright and Krysztof Nemeth, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Emmaline Twist is: Meredith McGrade on vocals & guitar, Kristin Conkright on bass, Jonathan Knecht on drums, Krysztof Nemeth on baritone guitar, and Alex Alexander on keyboarders & guitar.

From the band’s website:
These veteran musicians first came together in early 2016 and immediately found an audience eager for their moody, darkwave sound. They produced their first video single, “Vega” (dir. Steve Gardels), later that same year. In the Fall of 2017, they self-released the digital EP, Dissimulation I, as well as their second video — “Desperate Measures” (dir. Matt Lepley). In August of 2018 Emmaline Twist released its debut vinyl LP, Dissimulation, on the Kansas City record label cooperative, Black Site. The album contains four brand new tunes plus completely remastered versions of the four tracks from the 2017 EP. Also in the Summer of 2018, the band released a 45 rpm single of “Vega” (b/w “Moon Eyes”) on Kansas City’s eat.hear.records.

Starting with the solid foundational rhythm section of Jonathan Knecht on drums and Kristin Conkright on bass, keyboardist Alex Alexander, baritone guitarist Krysztof Nemeth, and singer/guitarist Meredith McGrade add layer upon layer of structure and minimalist detail to reveal clean, tightly-crafted songs that are not so much autobiographical documents as they are universal pronouncements ─ sonic explorations of a dark-yet-hopeful aesthetic that is truly a reflection of these anxious times.

Emmaline Twist doesn’t “write songs”. This band constructs vast soundscapes that evoke the urgent, anxious energy of bustling cities enveloped by a sonic atmosphere as wide as the prairie sky. With the workmanlike spirit that is the hallmark of Midwestern rock music, Emmaline Twist combines the angular rhythms of post-punk with the dreamy ambience of shoegaze to create a sound unique to this Paris on the Plains.

This Friday Night will also be the last Emmaline Twist show for quite awhile as they are starting pre-production on their next record and will be recording during the summer.

Kristin Conkright & Krysztof Nemeth on the April 17, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Kristin Conkright and Krysztof Nemeth, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Emmaline Twist

Emmaline Twist play recordBar, 1520 Grand Boulevard, KCMO, Friday, April 19, at 8:00 PM with The Foreign Resort, Nite, and Monta At Odds. More information at http://www.emmalinetwist.com

11:56

20. Emmaline Twist – “Starcrossed”
from: Dissimulation / Black Site / August 24, 2018
[Debut LP from Emmaline Twist, Kansas City’s Darkwave / Post-Punk / Shoegaze project. In 2017 the band released “Dissimulation 1,” four songs in digital format, their first since 2016’s single release of “Vega” b/w “Moon Eyes.” The band is Meredith McGrade on vocals & guitar, Kristin Conkright on bass, Jonathan Knecht on drums, and Krysztof Nemeth on baritone guitar. Recorded, Mixed, and Produced at Massive Sound by Paul Malinowski, and Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Matched with compelling cover-art created by Amy Abshier. Alex Alexander recently joined the band on synthesizers & guitar.]

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

Next week on April 24 Allaudin Ottinger joins us to share music from his new release “Vision Bewilderment & Love” and he brings along special guests HuDost.

Also next week we talk with Mike McCoy and Amy Farrand who share information about their fundraiser for Brianne Grimmer, supporting her medical expense fund, on Friday, April 26, at 6:00 PM, at recordBar, 1520 Grand BLVD. KCMO, with Amy Farrand & The Like, Pamper The Madman, Cher UK, Drop A Grand, Knife Crime, Godzillionaire, KC Bear Fighters, and Mahoots.

And, Shaun Crowley of Momma’s Boy and Manor Records shares details about Manor Records Speaks Up – Sat, April 27 at 9:00 pm, at miniBar, 3810 Broadway, with Mild Cats, The Golden Fleece, Mouton, Momma’s Boy, The Rub’s, and Drugs & Attics, Manor Records will also release “The Bennett Tapes” in honor & memory of a good friend Bennett Jones featuring a live un-released track from his old band Shortsweather. The bands & musicians are uniting for a purpose with all door proceeds going to the KC chapter of SPEAK UP, raising awareness about suicide & depression and to help end the stigma associated with suicide. Speak Up stands for Suicide Prevention Education Awareness for Kids United as Partners. More info at http://www.speakup.us

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:
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http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #782