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, October 7, 2020
Ebony Tusks + Maya Coppola of Ondist
+ Joe Sears of Page 7
1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / Dec. 20, 1979
[WMM theme]
2. The Freedom Affair – “Move On”
from: Freedom is Love / Sunflower Soul Records / September 25, 2020
[“Freedom Is Love” is the debut album from Kansas City’s newest soul juggernaut, The Freedom Affair. The album explores themes of love, heartache, empowerment, and togetherness through a varying landscape of hard-hitting funk, luscious soul, and everything in between. The Freedom Affair is a unique collective featuring 3 powerhouse female vocalists in front of a dynamic 6-piece band. On “Freedom Is Love”, each of the ladies get their time to shine individually, but the magic is on full display when all 3 come together in unison and harmony, symbolically embodying the messages that they sing about. The album was recorded and produced by Chris Hazelton, utilizing the best of vintage and new recording technologies to create an authentic experience, befitting of a soul record that would have been relevant 50 years ago as much as it will be 50 years from now. The Freedom Affair is: Misha Roberts on vocals; Paula Saunders on vocals; Seyko Groves on vocals; Cole Bales on guitar, sitar (Track 3); Branden Moser on guitar; Chris Hazelton on bass guitar, organ (Tracks 1, 2, 9, & 10), Tambourine (Track 1), Glockenspiel (Track 3), & Chimes (Track 4); Dave Brick on drums; Pete Carroll on trumpet; Brett Jackson on tenor sax, baritone sax (Tracks 1 & 5), & tambourine (Tracks 5, 6, & 8). Additional Musicians: Pat Conway on Congas (Tracks 1, 3, & 6), Alyssa Bell on viola (Tracks 3, 4, & 7), Elizabeth Codd on violin (Tracks 3 & 4), Matt Bennett on violin (Tracks 3 & 7), John Wickersham on timpani (Track 4), Pamela Baskin-Watson on piano (Track 10), Nick Howell on tambourine (Track 10), The Freedom Family Choir (Track 10): Misha Roberts, Erica Hazelton, Seyko Groves, Paula Saunders, Jordyn Saunders, Cole Bales, and Chris Hazelton. All Horn & String Arrangements by Chris Hazelton except: “Heartaches Don’t Come Easy” and “Give A Little Love” by Pete Carroll & Brett Jackson. “Don’t Shoot” by Chris Hazelton & Allyssa Bell. Produced, Recorded, & Mixed by Chris Hazelton. Assistant Produced by Dave Brick. Rhythm Section on Track 10 recorded by Chad Meise. Mastered by JJ Golden. Cover Artwork by Matthew “Mo” Manley. Front cover photograph of civil rights protesters in Kansas City, MO (April 9th, 1968). The Freedom Affair and their track “Rise Up” were selected to be part of Colemine Records 3xLP box set, “Soul Slabs Vol. 2” a Record Store Day Exclusive, released April 13, 2019. Colemine writes: “The Freedom Affair is a freight train of KC soul! Dirty, funky drums, gritty horns, and the combined vocals of Misha Roberts, Seyko Groves, and Paula Saunders to put this band over the top. Politically charged soul music for the dancefloor!”]
3. True Lions – “Origins (Tennis cover)”
from: Like A Lamb (Covers) / True Lions / April 20, 2020
[Multi-instrumentalist femme DIY super collective from Kansas City. Like A Lamb (Covers) is an EP collection of 4 songs: “Pressure To Party” (Julia Jacklin cover), “I’d Rather Dance With You” (Kings of Convenience cover), Archie, Marry Me” (Alvvays cover), and “Origins” (Tennis cover). Recorded in Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS., during mandatory self-quarantine. All songs performed by True Lions. Produced and recorded by Alison Hawkins and Fritz Hutchison. Mixing/Mastering by Fritz Hutchison. Album Artwork by Alison Hawkins. Alison Hawkins: piano, guitar, violin, synth, percussion, vocals. Fritz Hutchison: drums/percussion, guitar, bass, synth, vocals. Featuring “Falcon” the chicken. Along with Like A Lamb, True Lions also released Thermal in June (demos) on February 29, 2020. Also recorded in Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, KS. All songs written by True Lions. truelionsmusic@gmail.com. Tracking Engineering by Fritz Hutchison. Album Artwork by Alison Hawkins. Alison Hawkins on lead vocals, guitar, piano, synth, percussion. Fritz Hutchison on vocals, guitar, bass, synth, drums/percussion. Daniel Cox on vocals, saxophone, percussion. Late last year on November 29, 2019 True Lions released their Second EP You’re Not Invited with: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman. Album Artwork by Genevieve Sloan. Special thanks to Calvin Arsenia and Fritz Hutchison. The band released their debut EP “Cute At Best” Feb. 5, 2019 with Alison Hawkins on guitar, piano, synth, vocals; Mikala Petillo on percussion, bass, guitar, vocals; and with Ross Brown serving as producer & engineer; and Nika Winn providing artwork. This EP began as an unrelated, musical dispute between lovers, but triumphantly became the spunky collaboration of two midwestern “woms” whose passion for playing music nearly exceeds their desire to create it.]
[True Lions play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, October 9, at 7:00 PM with Fritz Hutchison, and Cadillac Flambé. Lemonade Park is a limited capacity socially distanced outdoor venue created in partnership between recordBar, Voltaire, and Moxie Catering, 1628 Wyoming.]
4. Fritz Hutchison – “Fortunate Flaws”
from: Wide Wild Acres / Center Cut Records / March 27, 2020
[1st single released February 21, 2020, from the debut album of Fritz Hutchison. Wild Wild Acres was written and performed by Fritz Hutchison. Produced by Fritz Hutchison and Joel Nanos. Recorded and mixed in Kansas City by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studio. Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago. Multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison was born May 27, 1991. A life-long resident of Kansas City. Since 2008 he’s been part of multiple bands playing drums with: She’s a Keeper, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, and Grand Marquis. As a guitarist he has played along side J Ashley Miller, Lauren Krum, Miki P and Calvin Arsenia. A decade of lending an ear and a hand to the likes of fellow shredders has left Fritz poised to launch his own solo career as a singer-songwriter.“Fortunate Flaws” features Ian Teeple on bass, and Coleen Dieker on strings. All other instruments: drums, guitar, piano and vocals are performed by Fritz Hutchison.]
[Fritz Hutchison plays Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Friday, October 9, at 7:00 PM with True Lions, and Cadillac Flambé. Lemonade Park is a limited capacity socially distanced outdoor venue created in partnership between recordBar, Voltaire, and Moxie Catering, 1628 Wyoming.]
5. Krystle Warren & The Crew – “Bein’ Green”
from: The Crew EP / Parlour Door Music / September 15, 2020
[Through isolation came unity. The Crew is Lakecia Benjamin, Matthew Silberman, Jacob Snider, Joe Blaxx, Solomon Dorsey, Zach Djanikian, Cassorla, Krystle Warren, and Ben Kane. They have recorded unique versions of classic songs with the hope of encouraging the rallying cries of The Moment: the movement of the people. // In the lockdown of their homes, they sewed together their interpretations of “Bein’ Green” (based upon Ray Charles’ rendition); “Gimme Some Truth” (a mighty John Lennon composition); “Dear Landlord” (a scathing indictment from the blistering pen of Bob Dylan); and “Rhythm of Life”, (a timeless statement originally performed by Oleta Adams). // A portion of the proceeds from The Crew. EP will be donated to the various causes and organizations. From Billboard.com: Singer-songwriter Krystle Warren has made a powerful statement about the struggle for Black equality with the help of Kermit the Frog’s iconic song “Bein’ Green” (written by Joe Raposo). // The moving five-minute clip, over which Warren sings her rendition of the 1970 song — since recorded by Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and others — sprang from a covers EP she recorded during the pandemic with a group of musicians known as The Crew. Warren embarked on the project after her forthcoming album with her regular group, The Faculty, was put on hold due to COVID-19. The EP, which tackles themes of racial injustice in the wake of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests this summer, also includes a cover of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth.” // The “Bein’ Green” video weaves in footage of this year’s Black Lives Matter protests, and also includes a heartbreaking montage of young Black children choosing white dolls over dark-skinned ones. It additionally features archival footage of such transformative Black figures as James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Malcom X, Nina Simone, Marsha P. Johnson and Al Sharpton, as well as victims of police brutality including Sandra Bland, George Floyd and Eric Garner. It ends with a clip from a speech by civil rights activist Ella Baker. // “‘Bein’ Green,’ it’s such a gorgeous song, and it says so, so much,” says Warren. “I began thinking about what I wanted it to express visually before we started [recording the song]. Essentially — it’s not easy being Black. That’s what Ray Charles was saying, and we felt it needed to be said again.” // Warren, who now resides in Paris, began performing in her native Kansas City at the age of 16 before moving to New York City, where she started busking on the streets and later formed her regular band, The Faculty. She and the group have recorded several full-length albums, including 2009’s Circles, 2012’s Love Songs and 2017’s Three the Hard Way. Her next album is slated for release this winter. // A large percentage of proceeds from sales of the EP — which is available for digital downloads via Warren’s website now and released on all streaming platforms next Friday — will be donated to the ACLU.]
6. Beverly Glenn-Copeland – “La Vita”
from: Transmissions: The Music of Beverly Glenn-Copeland / Transgressive Records / Sept. 25, 2020 [“There are three challenges in my life. The first is being black in a white culture. The second is being transgendered in a hetero-normative culture. The third is being an artist in a business culture” – Glenn-Copeland // Transmissions: The Music of Beverly Glenn-Copeland – A career retrospective release featuring music released over the last 50 years. “La Vita” was first released on Primal Prayer album under the moniker Phynix in 2004. Produced by John Herberman. Mixed by Composers Music Production. Additional vocals on La Vita by Maggie Dace Hollis. Electric Bass on This Side of Grace by Scott Alexander. Recorded at Composers Music Production studio in Toronto, ON. All tracks re-mastered by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering. Artwork of The Raven by Evelyn Wolff. Graphic design and layout by Traianos Pakioufakis. // Born into a family all of whom were very musical, essentially studied the classical piano repertoire from ‘cradlehood,’ listening to his father playing the piano four to five hours a day. He went on to study classical music and then after a few years of concertizing he suddenly felt called to write music that would weave all the different musical cultures he had come to love. // Beverly Glenn-Copeland is a singer and songwriter who was born in Philadelphia, but has spent most of his life and career in Canada. He is a trans man. Glenn-Copeland began publicly identifying as trans in 2002. // In 1961, Glenn-Copeland became one of the first black students to study at McGill University in Montreal. // Glenn-Copeland started his career as a folk singer incorporating jazz, classical, and blues elements. He also performed on albums by Ken Friesen, Bruce Cockburn, Gene Murtynec, Bob Disalle, and Kathryn Moses, and was a writer on Sesame Street. He spent twenty-five years entertaining children as a regular actor on Canadian children’s television show Mr. Dressup. // His 1986 electronic album, Keyboard Fantasies, recorded using equipment including a Yamaha DX7 and a Roland TR-707, was rediscovered and given further attention in the 2010s. Before his gender transition was made public, the album was selected as one of the 70 greatest recordings by women by The Stranger. Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story, a documentary directed by Posy Dixon, was released in 2019. // Planned 2020 international tours to Australia, the United Kingdom, and other European destinations were re-scheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A fundraising campaign was then started to help Glenn-Copeland and his wife after the loss of their house that resulted from these changes; the campaign raised over $90,000.00.]
10:25 – Underwriting
7. Ondist – “Die A Little”
from: “Die A Little” – Single / Bikiniwax Records / October 2, 2020
[Latest musical release from the band Ondist. This song will be on their upcoming full length album. So far, this year, Ondist has released two full length albums, No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity on August 14, and their third full length release is coming in November. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and NYC, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, KC, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Several tracks for all three albums were recorded at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower with Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, Claire Adams on vocals, and Jillian Riscoe on vocals. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.]
8. Ondist – “Gather Up The World”
from: No Coincidence / Bikiniwax Records / June 12, 2020
[So far, this year, Ondist has released two full length albums, No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity on August 14, and their third full length release is coming in November. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Several of the tracks for all three albums were recorded at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower with Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, Claire Adams on vocals, and Jillian Riscoe on vocals. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.]
Maya Coppola of Ondist
10:33 – Interview with Maya Coppola
Maya Coppola is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer with the band Ondist. We just heard her singing lead on “Gather Up The World” and the new single “Die a Little” So far, Ondist has released two full length albums, No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity on August 14, and “Die a Little” will be part of their third album release in November. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, KC, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Several of the tracks for all three albums were recorded at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower with Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, Claire Adams on vocals, and Jillian Riscoe on vocals.
Maya Coppola, Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.
The members of Ondist Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola originate from Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, but you all got together in Los Angeles. How did the band form?
The album, No Coincidence was released on June 12, and Electricity on August 14, and with a third album release in November. Most bands put out a new album once a yar or once every two years, was it the pandemic of COVID-19 and the closing of music venues that had anyting to do with releasing so many new recordings in one year?
Ondist recorded music in sessions in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas, as the band writes to bring “environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope.”
Kansas City based drummer, producer and engineer Sam Platt told us about how he grew up in Carthage Missouri where Corbin Dooley would visit during summers, staying with is grandparents. Sam explained that recently Corbin with Ondist has been traveling around the country, recording songs.
Corbin asked Sam to put a band together for some Kansas City sessions. It was such a success that Corbin has been back twice to record. Corbin flew in producer Nadir Omawale from Detroit and Luke John from Memphis. Recordings took place at Weights and Measures with Duane Trower. For this track: Claire Adams on lead vocals, Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar. Sam Platt told us that over 20 songs were recorded, 14 originals, 6 covers. Corbin Dooley narrowed down a few for Claire Adams to sing. And with vocalist Jillian Riscoe.
From these recordings and others 14 songs ended up on No Coincidence. Sam Platt flew to LA to record and played on tracks with Nick Gaffeney a drummer from New Zealand. Sam said the rest of the albums sounds like it mostly features the Kansas City musicians, or played/programmed by Corbin, Nick and Maya.
Maya Coppola grew up as one of five children in Long Island, New York. Coppola’s family was headed by her African-American mother and Italian father, did not fit in, and she and her family were picked on. Her mother, a teacher, was the primary income earner, while her carpenter father was often out of work and refused to earn an income from his art.
Coppola grew up surrounded by music, as her father is a jazz musician, her mother plays bass, and all of her siblings are musicians as well. Including hwer sister recording artist and actress Imani Coppola.
Maya Love Coppola released her soulful solo debut album, How Coyote Stole Fire, on September 18, 2012. It was produced by fellow multi-instrumentalist Robert “Chicken” Burke (The Duke & the King). On this debut album she mixes classic pop melodicism, slippery funk, and edgy rock, weaving tales borne of hard-won experience, as a lover, a beloved, and citizen of a world given to both beauty and chaos. Coppola’s remarkably versatile voice is whisper-soft one moment, confiding and tender, then brazen and dizzyingly powerful the next, elemental like the “Summer Wind” she sings of in the first track, carrying listeners to a distant shore, a boudoir, or the dance floor. Through it all, she and Burke wrap everything in uncommonly lush harmony, part Beach Boys, part P-Funk All Stars.
Although this was her solo debut, Maya Love Coppola had been working toward “How Coyote Stole Fire” for quite some time.
Born into a hyper-musical family of six kids, all whom play at least one instrument (Maya plays guitar, piano, and cello), she grew up biracial (black mom, Italian dad) and poor in a Long Island town with its own KKK chapter. As her middle name suggests, when faced with cruelty, she says she learned to “kill ‘em with kindness.”
Before long she made her way to NYC clubs The Village Gate, Tatou, and many others, singing everything from jazz standards to Abba, fronting bands Wish and Elemental, making ends meet by waitressing and modeling.
Marriage and motherhood took her to Woodstock, NY, where Coppola divorced and devoted time to raising a daughter and designing jewelry, recording songs along the way.
Nothing clicked musically until she aligned with producer Robert “Chicken” Burke, of The Duke & The King, Toshi Reagon, and many others. After producing The Duke & The King’s 2009 CD Nothing Gold Can Stay (“the most tasteful record of the year,” The Guardian) Chicken’s skills were ripe for the picking and he and Coppola, with a little help from P-Funk’s Michael “Clip” Payne, crafted a sonic adventure packed into eight cuts,
an old-school album with an arc, but grounded in radio-ready songs rife with fun, celebration, experience, and most of all, love.
Maya Coppola is also the owner of Jewels By Maya.
Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.
Maya Coppola, Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.
The newest Ondist release, their single, “Die a Little” will be part of their third album release in November. Ondist released the album, No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola. More info at http://www.ondistmusic.com
10:50
9. Ondist – “So Fragile”
from: Electricity / Bikiniwax Records / June 12, 2020
[This year, Ondist has released two albums, No Coincidence on June 12, and Electricity on Aug. 14, and their third album is coming in November. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Several of the tracks for all three albums were recorded at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower with Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, Claire Adams on vocals, Jillian Riscoe on vocals. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.]
10. The Greeting Committee – “This is It”
from: Greenline Grows KC-Benefit for The Greenline Initiative / Una Walkenhorst / 10-2-2020
[On Friday, August 28, 2020 The Greeting Committee played live for the Greenline Grows KC – A Benefit for The Greenline Initiative, that streamed LIVE on Facebook & YouTube with: Radkey Khrystal., Danny Cox & Bob Walkenhorst, Cuee, Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies w/ Las Hermanas Altoro. This was rom that night. The Greeting Committee released their critically acclaimed EP, I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry on Harvest Records on October 17, 2019. Formed in KC in 2015 with Addie Sartino, Brandon Yangmi, Austin Fraser, & Pierce Turcotte. I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry was a follow up to their Oct. 26, 2018 full length release “This Is It.” The band released the EP “Meeting People is Easy” in 2017, and “It’s Not All That Bad” in 2015.]
11. The Get Up Kids – “Brakelines”
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, 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.]
[The Get Up Kids play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming (NW corner of Wyoming & 17th St.), behind Voltaire, on Fri, Oct. 10, at 7:00 PM for a recordBar fundraiser. Lemonade Park is a limited capacity socially distanced outdoor venue created in partnership w/ recordBar, Voltaire, and Moxie Catering.]
11:00 – Station ID
Martinez Hillard, Daniel Miller, and Nathan “Geese” Giesecke of EBONY TUSKS on the February 19, 2020 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.
12. Ebony Tusks – “Bloodletting”
from: Heal Thyself / High Dive Records / November 6, 2020
[All songs written and performed by Ebony Tusks unless otherwise noted. // All Songs engineered and mixed by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, Kansas and MalaMUTE Studios in East Lawrence, Kansas. Assistance provided by Nico Williams and Claire Kuner. // Conny Franko’s vocals on “You Runner” engineered by Keith Rodger and Rick Carson at Make Believe Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. // IK’s vocals on “Gang Signs” engineered by Derek Montgomery. // Stik Figa’s vocals on “Hell Above Or Here Below” engineered by Sean Patrick at Twelves Studios in Forth Worth, Texas. // Cello on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Brail Watson. Rhodes and Moog on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Daniel Bowersox. // All Songs mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, Oregon. // Album cover art by Justin Bergin. Album cover photography by Rachel Lock. Album layout by Martinez Hillard. // Album insert photography by Ailecia Ruscin and LeRoy Pristach. // Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production. A rattling subwoofer is a sonic aberration, a byproduct of high volume that often results in a speaker system’s long-term damage. It takes the listening experience from exclusively aural to physical, evoking a range of reactions from listeners. This experience is bonded inextricably with rap music for both its fans and dissenters, a familiar beacon for some and an unwelcome nuisance for others. Marty was a cashier at Burger King while in high school, spending every Saturday morning working the drive-thru window. One of his best friends pulled up to the menu and filled the speaker with sounds from his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle’s cassette adapter. Marty’s headset was filled with hot, white noise. He knew it was a rap song but it was mutated to scorched earth. It also happened to come through the main speaker right inside the drive-thru window. His manager was not at all pleased, rushing quickly to turn it off. Marty and his friend laughed it off at the time. EBONY TUSKS is a compilation of moments like these. Daniel, Geese, and Marty are three people from the Midwest who take pleasure in the mutations of sound available in the least expected places.]
Martinez Hillard and Daniel B Smith of Ebony Tusks on the October 7, 2020 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.
11:04 – Interview with Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith
Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith two of the members of the Lawrence/Topeka, Kansas based hip hop trio, EBONY TUSKS, join us live in our 90.1 FM studios to share details about their debut full length album, Heal Thyself to be released on High Dive Records on November 6, 2020. The album will be available on limited edition oxblood and bone vinyl as well as standard black vinyl in an amazing gatefold jacket with a full color insert. Intelligent Sound will also be offering the album on cassette. Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production. More info at: ww.highdiverecords.com
Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith, thanks for being with us on WMM.
You all were last on the show back on February 19, 2020 when we featured the releaseof your single HDF released February 7, 2020. That seems like a lifetime ago.
Originally the album was going to follow the single, with a Spring release, but it is now Fall, can you share some of the challenges of releasing a new album during a pandemic?
Their upcoming album, Heal Thyself will be released soon on High Dive Records on vinyl and Intelligent Sound on cassette.
From Live From The Underground / Vivid Seats recently wrote in a piece published February 7, 2020, saying: “EBONY TUSKS is dynamic underground hip-hop trio focused on the conscious, lyric-heavy side of the genre, EBONY TUSKS appeared with dozens of leading underground acts throughout the 2010s. Now, they’re ready to take the next step. With newly released music hitting the web just minutes ago, EBONY TUSKS spoke with Vivid Seats about “HDF,” the state of hip-hop and their plans to conquer the new decade.
Martinez Hillard told Vivid Seats: “ I began EBONY TUSKS in 2009 after a difficult period that summer. I was living in the student ghetto near the University of Kansas in Lawrence. It was an eerily calm Friday night and I didn’t have any plans after work so I crashed. I woke up shortly after 9:00 pm because my door was being kicked in. I was beaten and robbed at gunpoint. Thankfully, two of my neighbors were close friends and called the police immediately. I had nightmares for years afterward that included many symbols I’ve come to associate with various religious practices. I also began writing raps for the first time in over a decade. I was working with a couple producers and we had our first show at a house venue called Pizza Power in October 2010. Both Daniel and Geese came into the fold within a couple years of that show.”
Daniel Smith lives in Lawrence, Kansas. He was born in Berkeley California. He moved to Lawrence when he was a child. Hs father is a Professor at The University of Kansas. Daniel works the United Way of Douglass County. He helps to provide after school job-training programs for under-served youth.
Nathan “Geese” Giesecke grew up in Olathe but now lives and works in Kansas City, MO. He was friends with Calvin Arsenia in High School. Geese works as a producer as GEESACE. He makes beats and you can find his music at http://soundcloud.com/geesace Nathan is also a lighting designer who jumped on stage to do back up vocals for Marty and ended up being in the band.
Martinez Hillard is the main vocalist and lyricist for EBONY TUSKS. He raps under the moniker Bodye, (pronounced “body”). He also produces beats. Martinez lives in the Old Town neighborhood in downtown Topeka with wife and 5 year old daughter. Martinez was part of the super group Cowboy Indian Bear. Martinez was recently elected to serve as a board member for Friends of the Library for Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
At Marty told Johnson County Library, in a piece published April 27, 2018: “ It was a project I started with other producers back in 2010. I asked Daniel to DJ for me sometime in 2011-2012 and Geese joined not too far behind him. Daniel and I had become fast friends when I lived in Lawrence and he was the nicest, most easygoing DJ of the handful I knew. He made our shows a lot less stressful. Geese was and is a lighting technician for a number of our friends’ projects and that was how I made acquaintance with him, seeing him work for a band and asking if he’d do lights for an EBONY TUSKS concert. He eventually asked if he could be hypeman for us and he brought an new intensity.”
EBONY TUSKS have been a band for over 11 years making hip hop in the Lawrence scene that includes Approach, Stik Figa, Heartfelt Anarchy, and Archetype are just a small fraction. With that said, the three of us are always having conversations about how other genres influence us personally. Post-rock, post-hardcore, industrial, indie rock, and electronic all factor in. Our tastes evolve naturally and we follow accordingly.
Since the three members of EBONY TUSKS live in three separate cities: Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka early on, they created a Dropbox folder to share demos with one another. And as they told Vivid Seat: “It also gave us a bit of language to use in building sounds independent of one another.”
Heal Thyself on High Dive Records will be released on Nov. 6, 2020. All songs written and performed by Ebony Tusks unless otherwise noted. // All Songs engineered and mixed by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, Kansas and MalaMUTE Studios in East Lawrence, Kansas. Assistance provided by Nico Williams and Claire Kuner.
Conny Franko’s vocals on “You Runner” engineered by Keith Rodger and Rick Carson at Make Believe Studios in Omaha, Nebraska.
IK’s vocals on “Gang Signs” engineered by Derek Montgomery.
Stik Figa’s vocals on “Hell Above Or Here Below” engineered by Sean Patrick at Twelves Studios in Forth Worth, Texas.
Cello on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Brail Watson. Rhodes and Moog on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Daniel Bowersox.
All Songs mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, Oregon. Album cover art by Justin Bergin. Album cover photography by Rachel Lock. Album layout by Martinez Hillard. Album insert photography by Ailecia Ruscin and LeRoy Pristach.
EBONY TUSKS, are getting set to release their debut full length album, Heal Thyself on High Dive Records on November 6, 2020. The album will be available on limited edition oxblood and bone vinyl as well as standard black vinyl in an amazing gatefold jacket with a full color insert. Intelligent Sound will also be offering the album on cassette. Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production. More info at: ww.highdiverecords.com
11:15
13. Ebony Tusks – “Schuyler”
from: Heal Thyself / High Dive Records / November 6, 2020
[All songs written and performed by Ebony Tusks unless otherwise noted. // All Songs engineered and mixed by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, Kansas and MalaMUTE Studios in East Lawrence, Kansas. Assistance provided by Nico Williams and Claire Kuner. // Conny Franko’s vocals on “You Runner” engineered by Keith Rodger and Rick Carson at Make Believe Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. // IK’s vocals on “Gang Signs” engineered by Derek Montgomery. // Stik Figa’s vocals on “Hell Above Or Here Below” engineered by Sean Patrick at Twelves Studios in Forth Worth, Texas. // Cello on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Brail Watson. Rhodes and Moog on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Daniel Bowersox. // All Songs mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, Oregon. // Album cover art by Justin Bergin. Album cover photography by Rachel Lock. Album layout by Martinez Hillard. // Album insert photography by Ailecia Ruscin and LeRoy Pristach. // Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production.]
11:18 – Interview with Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith
Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith two of the members of the Lawrence/Topeka, Kansas based hip hop trio, EBONY TUSKS, who join us live in our 90.1 FM studios to share details about their debut full length album, Heal Thyself to be released on High Dive Records on November 6, 2020. The album will be available on limited edition oxblood and bone vinyl as well as standard black vinyl in an amazing gatefold jacket with a full color insert. Intelligent Sound will also be offering the album on cassette. More info at: ww.highdiverecords.com
Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith, thanks for being with us on WMM.
Martinez Hillard was part of the popular band Cowboy Indian Bear (2008-2014). Cowboy Indian Bear was formed as a trio in 2008 with Beau Bruns, Martinez Hilliard and CJ Calhoun. They started practicing in Joshua Browning’s church/studio in Williamstown, KS. They were three dudes who had just moved from their hometown of Topeka to, what in our eyes, was our very own local music mecca: Lawrence, KS. We were flush with plans and ideas for our music. Over the course of almost six years, the three of us, along with Katlyn Conroy who joined the band in 2010, and Danny Bowersox, who came in to the band in 2013 worked hard and were able to accomplish so much.
Martinez Hillard started Ebony Tusks. Danny Bowersox helped form the band Spirit is the Spirit. Katlyn Conroy has released multiple EPs and Album releases as La Guerre. CJ Calhoun created the musical project Bonzo Madrid.
Fally Afani wrote in the October 14, 2014 edition of I heart Local Music: “Watching CJ Calhoun, Marty Hillard, Katlyn Conroy, and Beau Bruns single-handedly transform the attitude in the scene may have been the biggest gift the (mostly) Topeka transplants brought to Lawrence. At a time when the scene was hostile, frigid, and cliquey, Cowboy Indian Bear put on their best manners and welcomed everyone with open arms. Often times at shows early in their careers, they greeted every single patron who walked through their door. // That attitude was infectious, and you can bet it spread across the Lawrence music scene. // One by one, we saw more bands associated with this act change their behavior. This allowed more music fans to feel at ease, and actually feel drawn to live shows. Once audiences felt a welcoming atmosphere at Cowboy Indian Bear’s shows, they eventually shared the sentiment with other bands.”
Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production. A rattling subwoofer is a sonic aberration, a byproduct of high volume that often results in a speaker system’s long-term damage. It takes the listening experience from exclusively aural to physical, evoking a range of reactions from listeners. This experience is bonded inextricably with rap music for both its fans and dissenters, a familiar beacon for some and an unwelcome nuisance for others.
Marty was a cashier at Burger King while in high school, spending every Saturday morning working the drive-thru window. One of his best friends pulled up to the menu and filled the speaker with sounds from his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle’s cassette adapter. Marty’s headset was filled with hot, white noise. He knew it was a rap song but it was mutated to scorched earth. It also happened to come through the main speaker right inside the drive-thru window. His manager was not at all pleased, rushing quickly to turn it off. Marty and his friend laughed it off at the time. EBONY TUSKS is a compilation of moments like these. Daniel, Geese, and Marty are three people from the Midwest who take pleasure in the mutations of sound available in the least expected places
Heal Thyself was tracked and mixed from January 2016 – May 2019 by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, KS and MalaMUTE Studios in East Lawrence, KS. It was mastered in July 2019 by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, OR.
The album cover was created by Justin Bergin and shot by Rachel Lock. The layout was created by Marty Hillard with assistance from Tanner Spreer. Insert photos were shot by LeRoy Pristach and Ailecia Ruscin.
The official video for “Bloodletting” released October 2, 2020 is now available on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter courtesy of Austin Glassco.
Bloodletting written and performed by EBONY TUSKS. Video created by Austin Glassco.
Engineered and mixed by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, Kansas.
Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering, Portland, Oregon.
High Dive Records / Intelligent Sound©️. All rights reserved.
“Bloodletting” lyrics:
I’m well acquainted with harbored resentment / the bitter feelings inaudibly rendered / through gritted teeth we’ve been volatile, indiscreet in our comments / is this release or an audit of weapons? / mother in heaven knows I once kept an arsenal in me / cannon fixed and aimed at those who so often would tempt me / best believe I was a beast with it, awful and petty / bleed for an audience just to feed all this bottomless envy / and I felt it in my core from rock bottom to ceiling / knew when to quit but didn’t know just what stopping would mean / a light I withheld when I was supposed to be conscious, a beacon / I was supposed to have conquered these demons / you were supposed to see G-d in this heathen / most days I can’t even argue with reason / but a part of me has flown away in departure for kingdom
head down to the feet, right? / head down to the feet, right?
around here, that’s what you call that / around here, that’s what you call that (repeat)
am I to be a vessel? Am I to lead discussion? / am I to cauterize the wound? am I to leave it ruptured? / am I considered damaged goods not having been discovered / at the bottom of a dream deferred and cavernous in hunger? / am I to plummet farther? am I my father’s witness? / am I the courage in his blood, a prophecy delivered? / am I believed to be an author if the script was written / long before the moment I felt chosen for the mission given?
head down to the feet, right? / head down to the feet, right?
around here, that’s what you call that / around here, that’s what you call that (repeat)
Chris Hagirian of Eight On Sixty on 90.1 The Bridge wrote:
“I’ve never heard music that has made me feel so many contrasting things at the same time. The music and the sound beneath it are overwhelming on an all-new level. It’s like audio vertigo, in the best of ways, with blasts of sound flying at you from every angle. The loudness of the music and resonance of the lyrics truthfully replicates their powerful live performance in a way I could have never predicted. The message in the songs fills you with rage and at the same time overwhelms you nearly to tears.
This is hard-listening music with no apology and like so much great art, Heal Thyself is hard to digest. Ebony Tusks has given us a piece of transposing art, music that we need right now, as hard-working people struggle and fight for what’s right and elected officials sit back and let the country burn.
Listen to Bloodletting. In one breath you’ll want to burn something down and in another, you’ll want to hug everyone you’ve ever met. Thank you to Martinez, Geese and Daniel for this gift, and cheers to High Dive Records for putting it out. “
Martinez Hillard and Daniel Smith, thanks for being with us on WMM.
EBONY TUSKS, are getting set to release their debut full length album, Heal Thyself on High Dive Records on November 6, 2020. The album will be available on limited edition oxblood and bone vinyl as well as standard black vinyl in an amazing gatefold jacket with a full color insert. Intelligent Sound will also be offering the album on cassette. Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production. More info at: ww.highdiverecords.com
11:25
14. Ebony Tusks – “Chuck Ds”
from: Heal Thyself / High Dive Records / November 6, 2020
[All songs written and performed by Ebony Tusks unless otherwise noted. // All Songs engineered and mixed by George Henry Valyer IV at Rundown Studios in Topeka, Kansas and MalaMUTE Studios in East Lawrence, Kansas. Assistance provided by Nico Williams and Claire Kuner. // Conny Franko’s vocals on “You Runner” engineered by Keith Rodger and Rick Carson at Make Believe Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. // IK’s vocals on “Gang Signs” engineered by Derek Montgomery. // Stik Figa’s vocals on “Hell Above Or Here Below” engineered by Sean Patrick at Twelves Studios in Forth Worth, Texas. // Cello on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Brail Watson. Rhodes and Moog on “Heir Apparent” written and performed by Daniel Bowersox. // All Songs mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering in Portland, Oregon. // Album cover art by Justin Bergin. Album cover photography by Rachel Lock. Album layout by Martinez Hillard. // Album insert photography by Ailecia Ruscin and LeRoy Pristach. // Ebony Tusks is Daniel Smith on DJ & Production, Geese Giesecke on vocals & Production, and Marty Hillard on vocals & Production.]
11:28 – Underwriting
15. Page 7 – “Not A Free Country”
from: Rise Up – EP / Page 7 / October 6, 2020
[Page 7. The band was formed in 2014. They are a Lawrence, Kansas based reggae, ska, soul rocksteady band with Joe Sears on lead vocals; Ryan “Rhyno” Hensley on drums; Anthony Case on bass, and backing vocals; Mike MacFarland on guitar & backing vocals; Brad Eldridge on keyboards; Chris Leopold on trumpet, and backing vocals; Dan Pem on saxophone, and backing vocals; and Mike Walker on trombone, and backing vocals. Earlier this year the band released their 7-song EP The Call, on May 26, and the single “Connectivity,” on April 10. More info at: https://page7reggae.wixsite.com%5D
Joe Sears of Page 7
11:34 – Interview with Joe Sears
Joe Sears is lead singer of the Lawrence, Kansas reggae, ska, soul rocksteady band, Page 7. The band was formed in 2014 and also includes: Ryan Hensley, Mike McFarland, Mike Walker, Brad Eldridge, Dan Pem Chris Leopold and Anthony Case. Page 7 just released their new 3-song EP Rise Up, on October 6, 2020. Earlier this year the band released their 7-song EP The Call, on May 26, and the single “Connectivity,” on April 10. More info at: https://page7reggae.wixsite.com
Joe Sears Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley
“Not A Free Country”
“Rise Up”
“Right Side”
Page 7 was formed in Lawrence, Kansas in 2014
Joe Sears on lead vocals
Ryan “Rhyno” Hensley on drums;
Anthony Case on bass, and backing vocals;
Mike MacFarland on guitar & backing vocals;
Brad Eldridge on keyboards; Chris Leopold on trumpet, and backing vocals;
Dan Pem on saxophone, and backing vocals;
Mike Walker on trombone, and backing vocals.
Earlier this year the band released their 7-song EP The Call, on May 26, and the single “Connectivity,” on April 10.
Joe Sears is a Montessori Guide at Raintree Montessori School in Lawrence, Kansas
Joe Sears was a Substitute Teacher at Maplewood Richmond Heights School District in St. Louis, starting in August 6, 1996 until Present
Joe Sears was a Therapist Aide at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, starting in August 6, 1995
In reporting about Page 7 performing at Live on Mass for I Heart Local Music, Fally Afani wrote: “Page 7, however, ultimately brought the party thanks to their infectious energy and genre-spanning sound. With Page 7, you get a little soul, a little funk, and everything in between. Though they touch on several genres, it’s when they dive into ska that they’re at their best, likely because this is one of the finest horn sections in the area. They’re subtle, smooth, and simply sublime (a perfect blend for any mid-Summer street party).”
In a few minutes we are gong to play: “Rise Up” and “Right Side”
Joe Sears Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley
The Lawrence, Kansas reggae, ska, soul rocksteady band, Page 7 have just released their new 3-song EP Rise Up, on October 6, 2020. More info at: https://page7reggae.wixsite.com
11:47
16. Page 7 – “Rise Up”
from: Rise Up – EP / Page 7 / October 6, 2020
[Page 7. The band was formed in 2014. They are a Lawrence, Kansas based reggae, ska, soul rocksteady band with Joe Sears on lead vocals; Ryan “Rhyno” Hensley on drums; Anthony Case on bass, and backing vocals; Mike MacFarland on guitar & backing vocals; Brad Eldridge on keyboards; Chris Leopold on trumpet, and backing vocals; Dan Pem on saxophone, and backing vocals; and Mike Walker on trombone, and backing vocals. Earlier this year the band released their 7-song EP The Call, on May 26, and the single “Connectivity,” on April 10. More info at: https://page7reggae.wixsite.com%5D
17. Page 7 – “The Right Side”
from: Rise Up – EP / Page 7 / October 6, 2020
[Page 7. The band was formed in 2014. They are a Lawrence, Kansas based reggae, ska, soul rocksteady band with Joe Sears on lead vocals; Ryan “Rhyno” Hensley on drums; Anthony Case on bass, and backing vocals; Mike MacFarland on guitar & backing vocals; Brad Eldridge on keyboards; Chris Leopold on trumpet, and backing vocals; Dan Pem on saxophone, and backing vocals; and Mike Walker on trombone, and backing vocals. Earlier this year the band released their 7-song EP The Call, on May 26, and the single “Connectivity,” on April 10. More info at: https://page7reggae.wixsite.com%5D.%5D
18. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]
Next week on Wednesday, Oct. 14, we talk with Mike McCoy of Cher UK and Mike McCoy’s Trompe-l’œil . Mike McCoy will be performing live for a Cher UK 30th Anniversary Show with Dan Jones and the Squids and Schwervon. Friday, October 16 at Lemonade Park. Also next week we welcome Calvin Arsenia who joins us to talk about “Summer in Hindsight” The West 18th Street Fashion Show Film premiering Friday, October 16 at the BLVD Drive In.
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,
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Black Lives Matter
Show #858
Wednesday MidDay Medley 