Tag Archives: Coleen Dieker

WMM Playlist from March 25, 2020

Posted on by
Reply

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, March 25, 2020

New & MidCoastal Releases +
Fritz Hutchison + Colin Halliburton
+ Jennifer Owen of Owen/Cox Dance Group

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[WMM’s theme song]

2. Labelle – “Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Morning)”
from: Something Silver / Warner Archives / 1997
[orig. Pressure Cookin’ / 1973, 3rd album from the funk/soul trio of: Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. Written and composed by Nona Hendryx. This release was their first and only for RCA Records, and was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed. The album is also notable for being the first album released following lead singer Patti LaBelle giving birth to her only child, son Zuri Edwards (she recorded the album while still pregnant with Zuri). Despite RCA releasing the Stevie Wonder composition, “Open Your Heart”, the album failed to become a success. In spite of its initial failure, the album has gone on to become a cult classic and is considered a revolutionary album because few female groups talked so openly about social issues and other topics. Wonder was uncredited due to contractual reasons – the production credit was listed as “Vicki Wickham and friend”. Musicians on this track included members out of a Philadelphia-based band, Buff, and others from a Latin-black band from Queens called Harlem River Drive. Several of them would morph to become Labelle’s road band, including guitarist, Eddie Martinez.]

3. The War and Treaty – “Healing Tide”
from: Healing Tide / Strong World Entertainment / August 10, 2018
[Full length debut album, from Michael Trotter Jr & Tanya Blount-Trotter from Albion, Michigan. For Michael Trotter Jr., the journey began in 2004, when he arrived in Iraq, an untested soldier stricken by fear and self-doubt. His captain made it his personal mission to see to Trotter’s survival. The unit was encamped in one of Saddam Hussein’s private palaces, and in a forgotten corner in its basement, they found a black upright piano that once belonged to the dictator himself. When Trotter shared the fact he could sing, he was encouraged to teach himself to play piano on that confiscated keyboard. “I wrote my first song after that captain was killed,” Trotter recalls. “I sang it for his memorial in Iraq.” Soon after it became his mission to sing at the memorial services for those that had fallen. For the next three years, he sang songs that brought solace and comfort to the members of his unit. His efforts eventually garnered wider recognition as well. He came in first place in “Military Idol,” the army’s version of “American Idol,” during a competition held in Baumholder, Germany. Following his discharge, he was featured on the Hope Channel program “My Story, My Song.” Then he met Tanya Blount. Blount’s musically influences include Mahalia Jackson, Sister Odette and Aretha Franklin. The two fell in love, got married and used the experiences they had gained to create a new musical collaboration. The couple then secured the services of musicians whose skills add a distinctive sound to The War and Treaty’s blend of roots music, blue grass, folk, gospel and soul. Their 2017 EP Down to the River was released July 21, 2017. Recorded in Albion, Michigan, Down to the River boasts a sound that’s both stirring and sensual, driven by joy, determination and an unceasing upward gaze. The music is visceral but never morose, flush with emotion but void of despair… a style that touches on a variety of genres, but never finds itself confined to anyone. The arrangements are uncluttered– harmonies, basslines, guitar and mandolin licks, settle drum patterns and keyboards create an immensely moving soundscape — but the sentiments and emotions are fully realized and soar with a steady, chilling assurance. “The recording process wasn’t like anything I ever experienced,” Tanya recalls. “This EP has allowed me to breathe musically. I feel like all I have wanted to express for the past ten years has come forth with what we’ve done. The combination of heart, soul and the overwhelming amount of love that Michael and I have for one another comes across in this record.“ “I was sitting on the banks of the Euphrates River in Baghdad dreaming about one day being able to play and sing professionally for people all around the world,” Michael reflects. “As we recorded our music, I constantly had flashbacks of those desert dreams. I thought to myself that this is actually the perfect ending to usher in a new beginning in my life.” ] [First Played February 7, 2018]

4. Bob & Una Walkenhorst – “Any Given Day”
from: For Tomorrow / BAT Records / October 12, 2018
[25 year old Una Walkenhorst is a singer/songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri. Following the release of her debut album “Scars” in 2014, Una immediately had “new fans. . . coming out of the proverbial woodwork” (AXS). Paired with refreshingly raw vocals, Una’s heartfelt lyrics “will stop you in your tracks (at once beautiful and chilling),” wrote Gilded Palace Radio, as she weaves stories of genuine human experience. Una told KCUR FM that her father was one of the people who made her love music. But having a famous father can be challenging: “I knew that if I started my music career here I would have a lot of opportunities, but not all of them would be because of my music. They would be because I am someone’s daughter,” Walkenhorst says. Loading up her 97 Honda Civic, Una then spent a year traveling across North America promoting her music and connecting with listeners one-on-one. She ended up living in New Orleans. Una Walkenhorst is the youngest daughter of Bob Walkenhorst, a founding member of The Rainmakers, which had national and international hits in the 1980s and 90s, and continue to this day touring and recording new music. In January of 2018 Una Walkenhorst returned home to Kansas City from New Orleans. Over the past several years, Una and Bob had performed together at selected events, including Folk Alliance International. This year the father and daughter duo decided to record an album together, where they split the difference, taking turns as songwriters for the album’s songs, written individually, and recorded together, in clear beautiful harmonies, with that extra special shared musical DNA, that can be heard in the harmonies of The Carter Family, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, or Shy Boys.]

[Bob & Una Walkenhorst present a Facebook LIVE Benefit for Mike Kelly’s Westsider Staff on Sun., Mar. 29 at 3:00 PM. You can find the broadcast at the Bob & Una Walkenhorst Facebook Page.]

5. Charlotte Dos Santos – “Josef”
from: Harvest Time – EP / Because Music / March 13, 2020
[Charlotte Hall Dos Santos was born in 1990, in Oslo, Norway. She is a Brazilian-Norwegian jazz singer, composer, and arranger, currently based in Berlin. Dos Santos grew up in Bærum with a Norwegian mother and Brazilian father. She attended jazz studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts (2013–16), where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production, and Vocal Jazz Performance. Her music mixes “South-American traditions, jazz, neo soul, and tasty beats, with music history samples in a colorful way“. Dos Santos released her solo EP Cleo in 2017 on the label Fresh Selects. The EP was received positively in Norwegian media. Whilst Dos Santos spent her life in four different countries over three years, her debut project ‘Cleo’ EP took shape ending up functioning as a diary for the Brazilian-Norwegian composer, producer and vocalist. The metamorphosis of womanhood, falling in and out of love, betrayal, self realization and the passion for uplifting female musicians of color are all ideologies behind the restless musician’s 10 track EP. The character Cleo was created whilst Dos Santos studied Flamenco and Mediterranean music in Valencia, Spain. Cleo is a medieval deity, a moorish goddess that represents all women inspiring from Dos Santos lineage of strong women. She represents courage, independence, femininity, royalty and power only settling for success. She’s received recognition from Outkast’s Big Boi, Gilles Peterson, Pitchfork and Bandcamp. NyMag and The Cut, and was a nominee of the Norwegian Grammy Awards “Spellemannsprisen” in 2018.]

6. Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits – “Dog In The Backyard”
from: Dog In The Backyard – Single / Scott Hrabko / April 3, 2020
[Scott Hrabko’s new single, will be available online April 3, 2020. For this single the Rabbits were Scott Hrabko on vocals & guitar, Jason Beers on bass, and Chris Hudson on lead guitar. This single is a follow-up to Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits single “Pretty Good Day” was released on November 2, 2019. On February 14, 2019 Scott Hrabko released the EP Smash Hits From A Parallel Universe with Scott Hrabko on lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic 6 and 12 string guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, & percussion; Jason Beers on bass guitar; Tim Higgins on drums, Marco Pascolini on junior electric guitar. Scott called this release: 4 songs for the new age of anxiety. Scott Hrako & The Rabbits released “Summer” in 2017, and “Biscuits and Gravity” in 2015. Scott Hrabko’s 2013 critically acclaimed solo release, “Gone Places” was said to be 30 years in the making. Singer-songwriter Scott Hrabko has played with KC’s oldest garage band The Original Sinners, as well as various incarnations of the 1980s bands: The Splinters, and The Andersons. In the early 1990s Scott performed as a solo artist in coffee houses with Iris Dement and Howard Eisberg.]

7. Jo MacKenzie – “Suicide Season”
from: “Suicide Season” – Single / Jo Mackenzie / February 1, 2020
[Newest single from 16 year old, Kansas City based singer songwriter, Jo MacKenzie, who released her Debut EP Proud on November 17, 2018. Along with the release of her EP Proud, Jo Mackenzie released the single “Just Like Rain” on August 18, 2018; “I Should Come with a Warning Sign” on September 28, 2019; and “Alaska” on November 23, 2019. More info at http://www.jomackenzie.com]

10:30 – Underwriting

Jennifer Owen on the March 25, 2020 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI.

10:32 – Interview with Jennifer Owen

Jennifer Owen is Artistic Director of Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she co-founded with composer Brad Cox in 2007. She has choreographed over fifty new works for Owen/Cox Dance Group. In accordance with the current COVID-19 local and international protocol, Owen/Cox Dance Group is postponing their upcoming U.S. State Diplomacy Tour in Ukraine. They are organizing to reschedule this tremendous opportunity as soon as possible. At this time, Owen/Cox Dance Group is looking forward with their world premiere performance of aRound & aRound on June 13, 2020 at Spencer Theatre. More info at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

Jennifer Owen, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Jen Owen’s husband and partner is Brad Cox, who is also the founder of The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City–a musicians’ collective dedicated to the creation and performance of new large ensemble jazz. AND, Brad Cox Octet–an eight-piece ensemble made up of 2 saxophonists, 2 bass players, 2 drummers, and 2 keyboardists.

Owen/Cox Dance Group is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit corporation with a mission is to create new music and dance collaborations, to present high-quality contemporary dance performances with live music, and to engage as wide an audience as possible through affordable live performance, education and outreach programs

When we scheduled this interview weeks ago Jennifer Owen was going to be sharing the details about Owen/Cox Dance Group’s upcoming U.S. State Diplomacy Tour in Ukraine. In accordance with the current COVID-19 local & international protocol, Owen/Cox Dance Group is postponing this trip until later.

Owen/Cox Dance Group is also having postpone their world premiere performance of aRound & aRound on June 13, 2020 at Spencer Theatre. Info at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

Congratulations again, to the entire company for last Fall’s world premiere dance work by the Owen/Cox Dance Group set to a live performance of singer/songwriter Krystle Warren’s acclaimed double album, “Love Songs” October 19 & 20 at Polsky Theatre at Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College.

Jennifer Owen of Owen/Cox Dance Group

Jennifer Owen is Artistic Director of Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she co-founded with composer Brad Cox in 2007. She has choreographed over fifty new works for Owen/Cox Dance Group, including two commissions by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and works commissioned by Island Moving Co. of Newport, RI, Kansas City Dance Festival, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She has also created nine new works for Kansas City Ballet’s In the Wings choreographic workshop, and a winning entry for the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project. Owen is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Honorarium. Prior to founding Owen/Cox Dance Group, Owen enjoyed a 13-year international ballet career. After training with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan. She has performed principal roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Donizetti Variations, and the central pas de deux in Todd Bolender’s Arena.

Jennifer Owen, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

For more information about Owen/Cox Dance Group you can visit: http://www.owencoxdance.org

10:45

8. U.S. Girls – “4 American Dollars”
from: Heavy Light / 4AD / March 6, 2020
[7th studio album from U.S. Girls, the recording moniker of American-Canadian musician Meghan Remy. Formed in the United States in 2007 as a noise-pop project, Remy later moved the band to Toronto after marrying Canadian musician Max “Slim Twig” Turnbull. She released music on a variety of independent labels in both the United States and Canada before signing to 4AD in 2015. Her first record for that label, Half Free, was released the same year. Half Free garnered a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2016, and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. Heavy Light is a follow up to 2018 “In a Poem Unlimited” and is her third release on 4AD Records.]

9. David Byrne – “I Zimbra”
from: American Utopia on Broadway: Original Cast Recording / Nonesuch / Oct. 18, 2019
[We saw this show from the front row at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on June 7, 2018. Following a sold-out world tour, the acclaimed theatrical concert had a highly successful run at Broadway’s intimate Hudson Theatre for a limited engagement. DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA delivers “an experience unlike anything else” (Billboard) and marks a major cultural milestone in the worlds of music and theater. Pitchfork reviewed American Utopia on Broadway, writing that Bryne, “… remains an artist to be grateful for—same as he ever was.” Innovative pop/rock icon David Byrne (Talking Heads, Here Lies Love) shares the spotlight with a diverse ensemble of 11 musical artists from around the globe. Together with production consultant Alex Timbers and choreographer Annie-B Parson (his collaborators on Here Lies Love), Byrne and ensemble deliver “a marvel of staging and motion” (Chicago Tribune) that’s as surprisingly poignant as it is supremely funky. Don’t miss this “thought-provoking example of the power of live music” (Forbes). “The boisterous ensemble surrounding Byrne is able to capture and amplify already-iconic moments in his catalog. Their Afropop drum grooves nod to My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Byrne’s landmark 1981 collaboration with Brian Eno, while their guileless twitches of choreography and playful melodrama point back, once more, to Stop Making Sense. When they stomp in methodical marching band moves—including that rotating spiral that high school music nerds know all too well—they evoke the live show for Love This Giant, Byrne’s 2012 joint record with St. Vincent, only far more euphoric. Their greatest moment may well be their gauzy inversion of Remain in Light opener “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)”: Nimble in the melodies and forceful in the percussion, their version is even more thrilling than the original.” (Pitchfork).]

10. Kevin Morby – “Gift Horse”
from: Gift Horse / I Was on Time – Single / Dead Oceans / April 29, 2019
[Newest single from Kevin Robert Morby born April 2, 1988. Kevin Morby released his critically acclaimed 5th album, Oh My God on April 29, 2019. This was a follow up to his 2017 release City Music. Kevin learned to play guitar when he was 10. In his teens he formed the band Creepy Aliens. 17-year-old Morby dropped out of Blue Valley Northwest High School, got his GED, and moved from his native Kansas City to Brooklyn in the mid-2000s, supporting himself by working bike delivery and café jobs. He later joined the noise-folk group Woods on bass. While living in Brooklyn, he became close friends and roommates with Cassie Ramone of the punk trio Vivian Girls, and the two formed a side project together called The Babies, who released albums in 2011 and 2012. He began a solo career in 2013 releasing his debut album Harlem River. His 2nd album Still Life was released in 2014. His album Oh My God was #5 on WMM 119 Best recording of 2019. His album Singing Saw was in WMM’s The 116 Best Recordings of 2016. His album, City Music was in WMM’s The 118 Best Recordings of 2018.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Fritz Hutchison – “Fortunate Flaws”
from: Wide Wild Acres / Center Cut Records / March 27, 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.]

Fritz Hutchison on the March 25, 2020 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI.

11:04 – Interview with Fritz Hutchison

Musician and singer songwriter Fritz Hutchison joins us to talk about his debut solo album “Wide Wild Acres.” Multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison is 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. On guitar he’s played with: J. Ashley Miller, Lauren Krum, Miki P, and Calvin Arsenia. After more than a decade of lending an ear and a hand to other music makers, Fritz is launching his own solo career as a singer-songwriter. His new album is being released through Center Cut Records.

Fritz Hutchison, thanks or being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Congratulations on the new music and the new album!

Mark talked about first meeting Fritz while he was a drummer and member of She’s A Keeper. Fritz was still in high school. Fritz has had such an interesting musical journey playing with Freight Train Rabbit Killer, Grand Marquis, J. Ashley Miller, Lauren Krum, Miki P, and Calvin Arsenia.

It was through his relationship playing with Calvin Arsenia that Frotz met the founders of Center Cut Records who sighed him as their second artist, after Calvin.

“Wide Wild Acres,” was produced by Fritz Hutchison and Joel Nanos, and recorded and mixed in Kansas City by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studio.

We just heard “Fortunate Flaws” features Ian Teeple on bass, and Coleen Dieker on strings. All other instruments: drums, guitar, piano and vocals are performed by Fritz.

The first single from the new album is “Stationary” with a music video that was directed beautifully by Miki P (Mikala Petillo) whre she shot Fritz playing various instruments from the song and then films the projection of Fritz playing with-in these projections.

“Stationary” also features Ian Teeple on bass, and again Fritz on everything else.

11:11

12. Fritz Hutchison – “Stationary”
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.]

Fritz Hutchison

11:13 – More Interview with Fritz Hutchison

We are talking with musician and singer songwriter Fritz Hutchison about his debut solo album, “Wide Wild Acres,” released through Center Cut Records. All songs written, arranged, and performed by Fritz Hutchison.

The lyrics in “Wide Wild Acres” reference Fritz’ dad Pete, and his mom, who had seven children. Fritz has an older sister, and five siblings younger than him.

Multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison was born May 27, 1991. He is 29 years old. Fritz is a life long resident of Kansas City.

Although Fritz plays guitar, piano, and other instruments, he first started o drums.

Wide Wild Acres was produced by Fritz Hutchison and Joel Nanos, and recorded and mixed in Kansas City by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studio.

Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago.

Fritz Hutchison, thanks or being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Wide Wild Acres is being released on Center Cut Records on March 27, 2020 More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

11:20

13. Fritz Hutchison – “Police Dogs” (Radio Edit)
from: Wide Wild Acres / Center Cut Records / March 27, 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. “Currach Mòr” recorded by Ross Brown at Escape Pod Audio. Mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicagor.]

14. BLACKSTARKIDS – “Dirty Dancing”
from: SURF / Bedroom Records / February 28, 2020
[Second album from, BlackStarKids, a pop/R&B/hip-hop group based in Kansas City, Missouri. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, in 2019.]

15. Heidi Phillips and Danny Krause – “Be Good”
from: Honest I’m Fine / Heidi Phillips and Danny Krause / June 23, 2018
[Heidi Phillips on vocals, guitar, mandolin, & drums; Danny Krause on vocals, guitar, mandolin, & bass; Zeke Krause on percussion; and Linn Buck on piano. Heidi and Danny played together in the short lived band Abileen who released a great album and broke up just as the album was being released. Before that Heidi was the co-songwriter for the alternative rock band Frogpond that she formed in 1994. Frogpond achieved considerable success and was signed to Tristar Music and Columbia Records. Through a few line up changes the band included Heidi Phillips, Justine Volpe, Krisite Stremel, Megan Hamilton, Tawni Freeland and Billy Johnson who played drums on all of their recordings and who passed away on Feb 14, 2018 at the age of 42.]

11:29 – Underwriting

16. The Roseline – “Counting Sheep”
from: GOOD / GRIEF / Alt Country Club / April 3, 2020
[From the 6th album of the Lawrence, KS, based alt-country, Americana, rock band, formed by Colin Halliburton with friends in 2005.

Colin Haliburton on the March 25, 2020 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI.

11:35 – Interview with Colin Halliburton

Lawrence based musician Colin Halliburton joins us to talk about the new album, GOOD / GRIEF from his band The Roseline, formed in 2005. This is the band’s 6th release and it includes songs inspired by the death of Halliburton’s best friend (and keyboardist in The Roseline), as well as the loss of his mother-in-law to suicide. The album was recorded, engineered & produced by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studios in KCMO. More info at: http://www.roselinemusic.com.

Colin Halliburton, thanks for being with us on WMM.

Congratulations on the new album, it is very beautiful, including a very fine vinyl release.

The album cover is a rendering of a sky full of giant clouds, and a tornado reaching down through the sky, with the words GOOD / GRIEF embossed in the upper center of the image. It’s beautiful and troubling at the same time.

The songs on GOOD / GRIEF were born, largely, in response to the death of Halliburton’s best friend (and keyboardist in The Roseline) Ehren Starks, as well as the loss of his mother-in-law to suicide. Additionally, the album explores themes of love & marriage, the grieving process, elder millennial existential dread, politicized rage, drugs, and mortality.

The Roseline include: Bradley McKellip on guitar, Colin Jones on bass, Heidi Gluck on keys & vocals, Jim Piller on drums, and Kris Losure on guitar,

AND, guest appearances from: Mike Stover on lap steel, Dan Loftus on piano, and Chase Horseman on vocals.

11:42

17. The Roseline – “Better To The Bone”
from: GOOD / GRIEF / Alt Country Club / April 3, 2020
[From the 6th album of the Lawrence, KS, based alt-country, Americana, rock band, formed by Colin Halliburton with friends in 2005.]

Colin Halliburton

11:46 – More Interview with Colin Halliburton

We are talking with Lawrence based musician Colin Halliburton about the new album, GOOD / GRIEF from his band The Roseline, formed in 2005.

Colin Halliburton, thanks for being with us on WMM.

The album was recorded, engineered & produced by Joel Nanos at Element Recording Studios in KCMO.

The Roseline were set to play an Album Release show at Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Friday, April 3 at 9:00 PM. AND, The Roseline were set play a Kansas City Album Release show at Mike Kelly’s Westsider, Saturday, April 4. – But these shows were cancelled.

The Roseline include: Bradley McKellip on guitar, Colin Jones on bass, Heidi Gluck on keys & vocals, Jim Piller on drums, and Kris Losure on guitar, with guest appearances from: Mike Stover on lap steel, Dan Loftus on piano, and Chase Horseman on vocals.

The Roseline has toured the US and Halliburton has completed two European solo tours thus far, taking him through Poland, Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands. They have had the good fortune of getting sync placements in hit television shows like ABC’s Nashville and Resurrection as well as USA’s Queen of the South. They have been featured in/on NPR, Pop Matters, No Depression, and The Bluegrass Situation. They have had two records debut in the top five on the Euro Americana Chart. Spring 2020 tour dates as well as all other info can be found at: roselinemusic.com.

The band’s release includes songs inspired by the death of Halliburton’s best friend (and keyboardist in The Roseline). Ehren Starks was also a big part of The Roseline and your best friend, can you talk about is friendship and how it inspired the record.

Ehren Starks was also part of the band Other Americans, and when They were on the show last year Brandon Taylor Phillips talked about what a great loss it was after Ehren’s death, that he was such a big part of the creation of their early songs.

Colin Halliburton, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The Roseline’s new album is called GOOD / GRIEF. More info at: http://www.roselinemusic.com.

18. The Roseline – “Song For Ehren”
from: GOOD / GRIEF / Alt Country Club / to be released April 3, 2020
[From the 6th album of the Lawrence, KS, based alt-country, Americana, rock band, formed by Colin Halliburton with friends in 2005.]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, April 1, we talk with Charlie Colborne about his new band Miss Boating and their new EP “The Vhargon Sidestep.”

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

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

Show #830

WMM Playlist from February 27, 2019

Posted on by
Reply

Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

New & MidCoastal Releases
+ Julia Othmer + Guest Producer Nico Gray

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

2. Violet and The Undercurrents – “Still Here”
from: “Still Here” – Single / Violet Vonder Haar Music / November 1, 2018
[The first single released from the band’s new 10-song album called, The Captain, to be released March 1. This Columbia, Missouri based 4-piece band is anchored by the intrepid songwriting of Violet Vonder Haar on lead vocals & guitar; with Linda Bott on bass guitar; Phylshawn Johnson on drums, and Lizzy Weiland on lead guitar. Violet Vonder Haar was raised in a small town at the edge of the Missouri River and nurtured by a thriving folk music-centered community. Vonder Haar started honing her craft as a songwriter, performer and vocalist at an early age. She was inspired by her father, a riverboat captain who introduced her to the music of folk legends and encouraged her journey as an artist. More information at: http://www.violetandtheundercurrents.com]

[Violet and the Undercurrents play an In-Store Album Release show Saturday, March 2, at 6:00 PM, at Mills Record Company, 4045 Broadway Blvd, KCMO.]

3. Dead Voices – “Passing Through”
from: Commoners / Dead Voices / February 4, 2019
[The follow up to their 2013 Debut EP. Kansas City Super-Group, formed in September of 2010, by David Regnier on lead vocals, Jason Beers on bass, Matt Richey on drums, Michael Stover on lap steel and other instruments, and Marco Pascolini on guitar.]

[Dead Voices play Westport Saloon, Saturday March 2 from midnight to 2:00 AM]

4. Slights – “Higher Than Stoned”
from: Flow State / Slights / November 30, 2018
[Slights is a collaboration band between Ben Parks & Matthew Dunehoo. In late January, 2017 they recorded an album at Ghost Cat Studios in San Francisco w/ Ryan Kleeman and their friend Andrew Skikne on bass. Ben Parks is also visual artist & painter as well as part of the band, Of Tree. Matthew Dunehoo is also a filmmaker & actor, and has been a member of the bands: Loose Park, Baby Teardrops, Doris Henson. On Nov, 7, we interviewed Ben Parks & Matthew Dunehoo who joined us to talk about the debut release of their new band Slights. The new 11-song album was created over the past year. Matt is the founder of Elk’s Pride Pictures, based in KCMO More information at http://www.slightsband.com]

[Slights play MidCoast Takeover Fundraiser #3 with Dan Jones and The Squids, and (the)medicine theory, Saturday, March 2, at 9:00 PM, at The Brick, 1727 McGee St, KCMO]

10:15 – Survivors’ Stories: Stand Against Sexual Violence

In this next set we feature three artists who are participating in a special show tomorrow night, on Thursday, February 28, at 7:00 PM at The Rino, 314 Armour Road, North Kansas City. The show is called: Survivors’ Stories: Stand Against Sexual Violence. Proceeds will benefit MOCSA, The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault.

The evening will consist of a curated lineup of performers sharing songs, poetry, and other performance art pieces that touch on their experience with sexual violence or harassment. Along with providing a safe space where survivors can connect and access services they may need, this is a chance for those who have not dealt with sexual violence to further understand what it means to be a survivor.

Performers include: Una Walkenhorst, Erin McGrane, Poet Jen Harris, Madison Mae Parker, Kat King, Maggie Cargill, Hannah Norris, Olivia Sloan, and Taylor Scholle. Organizer Una Walkenhorst shared with us a few pieces that will be performed live. We’ll hear the song “2017” from Lawrence based singer songwriter Kat King, a spoken word piece from Poet Jen Harris, and “On The Outside” written by Una Walkenhorst from the album, For Tomorrow, from Bob & Una Walkenhorst.

5. Kat King – “2017”
from: 2017 – Single / Kat King / November 18, 2018
[Lawrence Kansas based singer songwriter Kat King released her 5-song EP “Falling Up” on December 1, 2017. Kat King has been creating music since the 2nd grade. She’s produced one 13-song album and three EP’s, the first one released at the age of 14. About this song Kat wrote: “It’s been over a year since I’ve released new music. This past year + has been a whirlwind of self-reflection, anger, and change. Sometimes I get really sick of writing heart break songs (because how many of us can keep writing the same feelings, just in different words?). I had the honor of playing a New Years Eve show to welcome in 2018 and in the midst of the political chaos I thought, why not challenge myself to write about something bigger than being sad. Music has always been a device of encouraging change. I don’t want to spend the time or energy giving more attention to the leaders who I find incredibly disappointing, but rather to those who’ve been passionate and brave enough to speak out. I’m so tired of looking past inhumane actions in the name of being loyal to a side. I wrote this song because I needed to reflect about my own shame but I also needed to remind myself that there are lights of hope, people brave enough to address the bullshit and put their livelihood at stake in the name of change. I wish I were that brave but instead I’m releasing this song as a first step, inspired by 2017 which unfortunately is still relevant on our way into 2019, in honor of those who are. And it still feels scary. Enjoy and stay tuned for more songs to be released in the near future – heartbreak songs, of course. “]

[Kat King plays Survivors’ Stories: Stand Against Sexual Violence, February 28, at 7:00 PM at The Rino, 314 Armour Road, North Kansas City. Proceeds will go to MOCSA, The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault.]

6. Jen Harris – “When You Die (feat. Eman Chalshotori)”
from: Flaunting Her Mediocrity / Jen Harris / October 9, 2016
[Poet Jen Harris is a professional public speaker, spoken word poet, activist, published author, founder and former host of Kansas City Poetry Slam. Harris graduated Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts, emphases in Communication Studies, English Language and Literature. She is the recipient of the 2015 UMKC Jim Wanser Pride Award for outstanding LGBT community activism in Kansas City. Additionally, she was nominated as the 2017 Spoken Word Host of the Year by the National Spoken Word Awards, is the recipient of The Pitch Magazine’s Top 3 Poets in Kansas City award 2014-2016, winning the coveted title in 2017, the same week that she gave her TED Talk at the University of Kansas, “Spoken Word Poetry Saved My Life,” Spoken Word Poetry as a form of mental health advocacy, and is the 2009 ACP Kansas Journalist of the Year. Her first book of poetry, Slammed, released via Spartan Press Feb. 27, 2016 to a sold out audience.]

[Jen Harris plays Survivors’ Stories: Stand Against Sexual Violence, February 28, at 7:00 PM at The Rino, 314 Armour Road, North Kansas City. Proceeds will go to MOCSA, The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault.]

7. Bob & Una Walkenhorst – “On The Outside”
from: For Tomorrow / BAT Records / October 12, 2018
[25 year old Una Walkenhorst is a singer/songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri. Following the release of her debut album “Scars” in 2014, Una immediately had “new fans. . . coming out of the proverbial woodwork” (AXS). Paired with refreshingly raw vocals, Una’s heartfelt lyrics “will stop you in your tracks (at once beautiful and chilling),” wrote Gilded Palace Radio, as she weaves stories of genuine human experience. Una told KCUR FM that her father was one of the people who made her love music. But having a famous father can be challenging: “I knew that if I started my music career here I would have a lot of opportunities, but not all of them would be because of my music. They would be because I am someone’s daughter,” Walkenhorst says. Loading up her 97 Honda Civic, Una then spent a year traveling across North America promoting her music and connecting with listeners one-on-one. She ended up living in New Orleans. Una Walkenhorst is the youngest daughter of Bob Walkenhorst, a founding member of The Rainmakers, which had national and international hits in the 1980s and 90s, and continue to this day touring and recording new music. In January of 2018 Una Walkenhorst returned home to Kansas City from New Orleans. Over the past several years, Una and Bob had performed together at selected events, including Folk Alliance International. This year the father and daughter duo decided to record an album together, where they split the difference, taking turns as songwriters for the album’s songs, written individually, and recorded together, in clear beautiful harmonies, with that extra special shared musical DNA, that can be heard in the harmonies of The Carter Family, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, or Shy Boys.]

[Una Walkenhorst plays Survivors’ Stories: Stand Against Sexual Violence, February 28, at 7:00 PM at The Rino, 314 Armour Road, North Kansas City. Proceeds will go to MOCSA, The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault.]

10:30 – Underwriting

Julia Othmer

8. Julia Othmer -“Hungry Days (Make Me Feel)”
from: Hungry Days (Make Me Feel) – Single / Julia Othmer & James Lundie / February 2019
[One of several new singles released from Julia Othmer leading up to the release of “Sound,” her second full-length album, that took 3 years to complete, and was produced with James Lundie, who also married Julia in January of 2016, during the completion of the record. Julia Othmer, is a graduate of Park Hill High School. She moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to record her 1st full-length album, “Oasis Motel.” Julia has just returned from a US and UK tour opening for The Alarm.]

[Julia Othmer plays Knuckleheads, at 2715 Rochester Street, Thursday, February 28, at 8:30 pm.]

11:36 – Interview with Julia Othmer

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

We are happy to welcome back to the radio show our friend, singer songwriter Julia Othmer. who went to Park Hill High and studied at Columbia University in New York City. Julia now lives in Los Angeles, California and she is back in her hometown to play Knuckleheads, at 2715 Rochester Street, tomorrow night, Thursday, February 28, at 8:30 pm.

Julia Othmer, thanks for being with us on WMM

Julia Othmer was born August 13, 1975. She is from Kansas City, Missouri. She went to Park Hill High and studied at Columbia University in New York City. Julia Othmer lives in Los Angeles, California.

Julia has lived in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, sand in Colorado

Julia moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to record her first full-length album, “Oasis Motel.”

Julia’s mother Sieglinde Othmer is from Hamburg, Germany, and is an artist who studied at Sorbonne in Paris. She is the author of sevrl award winning books. Julia’s father is Arthur Othmer

Julia first started playing piano in first grade.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia Othmer on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

Julia is getting ready to release “Sound,” her second full-length album, produced with James Lundie, who married Julia in January of 2016 during the completion of the record.

James Lundie from London, United Kingdon

Julia Othmer just recently finished touring and opening for The Alarm in US show and shows in the United Kingdom.

Out of Print Magazine says: “This Thursday evening in the quaint little village of NYC, Julia Othmer, the mesmerizingly sultry singer/songwriter will be riding into town tucked under the wings of a Southwest jet. She will be performing at Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen St. New York, NY) at 7PM sharp. If you haven’t heard of her, it may be because she has been diligently working on her new album for the last few years on the sunny and less immediate coast. Formerly a Kansas City native, Julia has put her pillow in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, some gondola in Colorado and finally Los Angeles, the city of lights and traffic, where she currently lives with her little white piano, her rock star and her cat Cosmo. Julia’s musical musings are so diverse that they become quite elusive to the simple description. Perhaps the best way to explain it would be if Nora Jones, Tom Waits, Billy Holiday and Lyle Lovett had a musical orgy and let you watch behind a curtain of burning lace and a whiskey waterfall. I’ll bring the unfiltered cigarettes, you bring your soul.”

Julia Othmer, thanks for being with us on WMM

Julia Othmer plays Knuckleheads, at 2715 Rochester Street, Thursday, February 28, at 8:30 pm. With with Johnny Hamil on bass, Chris Tady on guitar, and John Floyd Whitaker on drums! with special guests: Coleen Dieker on violin and Calvin Arsenia on electric harp.

11:52

9. Julia Othmer – “Frickin Awesome”
from: Sound / Julia Othmer & James Lundie / June 30, 2016
[From Julia Othmer’s upcoming full length release “Sound,” her second album, that took 3 years to complete, and was produced with James Lundie, who also married Julia in January of 2016, during the completion of the record. Julia Othmer, is a graduate of Park Hill High School. She moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to record her 1st full-length album, “Oasis Motel.”]

10. Remy Styrk – “Winter/Summer”
from: “Winter/Summer” – Single / Remy Sryrk / February 28, 2019
[20 year old Remy Stryk lives in Leawood Kansas. Originally from Newark, New Jersey. This multi instrumentalist has been writing & recording music for several years. About this new single Remy tells us “It represents the two major seasons and personifies them to create a feeling of trust, anger, love, uncertainty, inspiration and comfort. I wanted them to be applicable to many people’s situations in life, no matter who they are or what they believe in. This song is about universal feelings that connect us as one and value our ability to feel and express.” Last year Remy released “In Too Deep” one of 5 singles Remy has released in the last 2 years. Remy Styrk released the EP Sunday, on Jan 25, 2018 a follow up to the Aug 12, 2015 full length album, Telling Stories Through The Basement Door.]

Julia Othmer and Nico Gray on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

11:00 – Station ID

Nico Gray on the February 27, 2019 edition of Wednesday MidDay Medley on KKFI 90.1 FM.

We welcome back to the show, our friend Nico Gray, joins us as “Guest Producer” for our second hour. Nico has worked as a professional actor, a performance artist, a writer, and is currently a marketing and advertising consultant for several not-for-profit companies in Kansas City. Nico grew up in Kansas City but has lived in Chicago, New York and Marseille. For WMM Nico Gray has co-hosted several of our on-air fund drive shows. He participated in our special Glam Rock show, our special 700th show, and his writing and voice has been featured in our Bowie Tribute Shows. Today is his 7th appearance as Guest Producer from over the past four years.

Nico Gray welcome back to Wednesday MidDay Medley.

11. Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters – “California Dreamin'”
from: The Baby Huey Story – The Living Legend / Water Music / 1971 [City Hall 2013]
[Baby Huey & the Babysitters was a soul band hailing from Gary, Indiana. The band, founded in 1963, was the idea of organist / trumpeter Melvyn Jones and guitarist Johnny Ross. James Ramey was their front man, and he adopted the stage name of “Baby Huey” (after the cartoon/comic book character Baby Huey). They were well known on the club scene in Chicago. By 1970, most of the original Babysitter members had left and had been replaced by new personnel. Melvyn Jones was one of the last original founding members to leave. Ramey died on October 28, 1970. He was in the midst of recording the band’s debut album for the Curtom label. The album that was released posthumously only featured some songs by the Babysitters. The rest were with Curtom session musicians. The Babysitters re-formed, briefly, to play at Ramey’s funeral. Manager Marv Stuart would later take some former members, including Dave Cook, to form Goliath with Chaka Khan.]

12. Paul McCartney – “Get Enough”
from: Get Enough- Single / Capitol / January 1, 2019
[A surprise release with no promotion from McCartney or his label prior to its release. The song is a non-album track and does not appear on his Egypt Station studio album standard (or Target) version but will appear (only) on the “Traveller’s Edition” box set version of the album (a strictly limited Deluxe edition of 3,000 copies to be released on May 10, 2019. The song was co-written and produced with McCartney by Ryan Tedder and Zach Skelton and was one of three songs McCartney produced with Tedder during the recording of his album Egypt Station including “Fuh You” and “Nothing for Free”. “Get Enough” is a piano ballad that features heavy use of Auto-Tune to alter McCartney’s voice. McCartney was originally concerned about the possible backlash of using Auto-Tune, but decided to use it based on The Beatles willingness to embrace new production techniques. The release of the song marked 2019 as the 59th consecutive year (since 1961) either The Beatles, or a member of that group, has released a single or an album during the calendar year.]

13. Yma Sumac — “Medicine Man”`
from: Miracles / London / January 1, 1972
[Sept .10, 1923 – Nov. 1, 2008. She was a Peruvian–American coloratura soprano. In the 1950s, she was one of the most famous exponents of exotica music. Sumac became an international success based on her extreme vocal range. She had six-and-a-half octaves according to some reports, but other reports (and recordings) document four-and-a-half at the peak of her singing career. In one live recording of “Chuncho”, she sings a range of over four and a half octaves, from B2 to G♯7. She was able to sing notes in the low baritone register as well as notes above the range of an ordinary soprano and notes in the whistle register. Both low and high extremes can be heard in the song “Chuncho (The Forest Creatures)” (1953). She was also apparently able to sing in a remarkable “double voice”. In 1954, classical composer Virgil Thomson described Sumac’s voice as “very low and warm, very high and birdlike”, noting that her range “is very close to five octaves, but is in no way inhuman or outlandish in sound.” In 2012, audio recording restoration expert John H. Haley favorably compared Sumac’s tone to opera singers Isabella Colbran, Maria Malibran, and Pauline Viardot. He described Sumac’s voice as not having the “bright penetrating peal of a true coloratura soprano”, but having in its place “an alluring sweet darkness … virtually unique in our time.]

14. Art d’Ecco — “Dark Days (Revisited)”
from: Trespasser / Paper Bag / October 12, 2018
[Based in British Columbia, “There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled “neo glam,” the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics.” – CBC Music]

15. Jackie Shane – “Any Other Way”
from: Jackie Shane: Any Other Way / Numero Group / October 20, 2017
[Jackie Shane was born May 15, 1940. She is an American former soul and rhythm and blues singer, who was most prominent in the local music scene of Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the 1960s. She is originally from Nashville, Tennessee. In 1960, Shane moved to Montreal, Quebec, where saxophonist King Herbert Whitaker invited a young Shane along to watch the popular band Frank Motley and his Motley Crew at the Esquire Show Bar. Shane, who showed up in a bright red dress and her hair done up, sat down near the front. When Motley said, “Get that kid up here and let’s see what they can do,” pianist Curley Bridges invited her up onstage for the next set, where she performed songs by Ray Charles and Bobby “Blue” Bland. She was soon the band’s lead vocalist, and relocated to Toronto with them in late 1961. She sometimes returned to the United States to perform shows in Nashville, Boston, and Los Angeles. A fan mythology linked her to Little Richard, including claims that she had been Richard’s backing vocalist before moving to Canada or even that she was Richard’s cousin, although no verification of either claim has ever been found and no evidence exists that Shane ever made either claim herself. Music critic Carl Wilson has concluded that, while in reality Shane had deep and identifiable roots in the traditions of the Southern US Chitlin’ Circuit, the mythology emerged because that scene’s traditions were not known to Torontonians in the 1960s, and thus Little Richard was the only antecedent for Shane’s style that most of her local fan base could identify. Throughout her active musical career and for many years thereafter, Shane was written about by nearly all sources as a man who performed in drag. The few sources that actually sought out her own words on the matter of her own gender identification were more ambiguous, however; she identified herself as male in two early quotes to the Toronto Star, but more often appeared to simply dodge questions about her gender altogether. Her identity as a trans woman was not confirmed on the record by a media outlet until 2017. CBC Radio’s Inside the Music aired a documentary feature, “I Got Mine: The Story of Jackie Shane”, in 2010. At the time, nobody involved in the documentary had been able to determine whether Shane was still living; she was subsequently found still alive in Nashville.Footage of Shane in performance also appeared in Bruce McDonald’s 2011 documentary television series Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories. Jackie Shane Live was reissued in 2011 on Vintage Music as Live at the Sapphire Tavern, although the reissue was labelled as being from 1963 (the date of the original live performance) instead of 1967 (the release date of the album). The reissue also included Shane’s performances from Honkin’ at Midnight as bonus tracks. A compilation album of the studio singles and rarities, Soul Singles Classics, was released the same year. In 2015, the Polaris Music Prize committee shortlisted Jackie Shane Live as one of the nominees for the 1960s-1970s component of its inaugural Heritage Award to honor classic Canadian albums. It was shortlisted for the prize again in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, a group of Toronto writers published the essay anthology Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer, a history of LGBT culture in Toronto; in addition to taking its title from Shane’s 1962 single, the book includes an essay devoted specifically to Shane. In the summer of 2017, the reissue label Numero Group announced that they would be releasing a double-LP/CD compilation of Shane’s music, Any Other Way, on October 20, 2017. The album marks the first time since her final single in 1969 that Shane has been directly involved in the production and release of a reissue of her music.]

16. Super Borgou de Parakou — “Baba L’oke Ba’wagbe”
from: African Scream Contest 2 – Benin 1963 – 1980/ Analog Africa / May 18, 2018
[A great compilation can open the gate to another world. Who knew that some of the most exciting Afro-funk records of all time were actually made in the small West African country of Benin? Once Analog Africa released the first African Scream Contest in 2008, the proof was there for all to hear, gut-busting yelps, lethally well drilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms added up to a record that took you into its own space with the same electrifying sureness as any favorite blues or soul or funk or punk sampler you might care to mention. // Ten years on, intrepid crate-digger Samy Ben Redjeb unveils a new treasure trove of Vodoun-inspired Afrobeat heavy funk crossover greatness. Right from the laceratingly raw guitar fanfare which kicks off Les Sympathics’ pile-driving opener, it’s clear that African Scream Contest II is going to be every bit as joyous a voyage of discovery as its predecessor. And just as you’re trying to get off the canvas after this one-punch knock out, an irresistible Afro-ska romp with a more than subliminal echo of the Batman theme puts you right back there. Ignace De Souza and the Melody Aces’ “Asaw Fofor” would’ve been a killer instrumental but once you’ve factored in the improbably-rich-to-the-point-of-being-Nat-King-Cole-influenced lead vocal, it’s a total revelation. // The screaming does not stop there, in fact it’s only just beginning. But the strange thing about African Scream Contest II’s celebration of unfettered Beninese creativity is that it would not have been possible without the assistance of a musician who had been trained by the Russian secret services to “search and destroy” enemies of the country’s (then) Marxist-Leninist president Mathieu Kerekou. // Already familiar to fans of the first African Scream Contest as a mainstay of ruthlessly disciplined military band Les Volcans de la Capitale, Lokonon André vanished in a cloud of dust at Ben Redjeb’s behest with a list of names and some petrol money, only to return a few days later having miraculously tracked down every single name he’d been given. The source of this Afrobeat bounty-hunter’s impressive people-finding skills – his training with the KGB – highlights the tension between encroaching authoritarian politics and fearless expressions of personal creative freedom which is the back-story of so much great African music of the 60s and 70s. Happily, in this instance, Lokonon was tracking the artists down to offer them licensing deals, rather than to arrest them. // Where some purveyors of vintage African sounds seem to be strip-mining the continent’s musical heritage with no less rapacious intent than the mining companies and colonial authorities who previously extracted its mineral wealth, Samy Ben Redjeb’s determination to track this amazing music to its human sources pays huge karmic dividends. // Like every other Analog Africa release, African Scream Contest II is illuminated by meticulously researched text and effortlessly fashion-forward photography supplied by the artists themselves. Looming large – alongside Lokonon André – in the cast of biopic-worthy characters to emerge from this seductive tropical miasma is visionary space-nerd Bernard Dohounso, who laid the foundations for Benin’s vinyl predominance by importing and assembling the turntables that would play the products of his Bond villain-acronymed pressing plant SATEL, a factory that would revolutionise the music industry in the whole region. // The scene documented here couldn’t have been born anywhere else but in the Benin Republic , and the prime reason for that is Vodoun. It’s one of the world’s most complex religions, involving the worship of some 250 divinities, where each divinity has its own specific set of rhythms, and the bands introduced on the African Scream Contest series and other compilations from that country were no less diverse than that army of different Gods. At once restless pioneers and masters of the art of modernising their own folklore, the mystic sound of Vodoun was their prime source of inspiration. // One especially irascible Vodoun-adept was Antoine Dougbe, who styled himself “The devil’s prime minister” while turning ancestral rhythms into satanically alluring modern beats. As Orchestre Poly-Rythmo songwriter Pynasco has observed sagely, “Evil is not elsewhere, evil extends into the house”. And African Scream Contest II is a gloriously cinematic road-trip through an undiscovered realm of music lore whose familiarity is every bit as thrilling as its otherness. – Written by Ben Thomson, March 2018]

11:34 – Underwriting

17. Shad – “The Fool Pt. 1 (Get It Got It Good)”
from: A Short Story About A War / Secret City / October 26, 2018
[Shad is a Juno Award winning rapper and 3-time Polaris Music Prize shortlist nominee from London, Ontario. His 4 full-length albums have been recognized for their sharp lyrics and soulful arrangements.]

18. Jeen – “Shallow”
from: Gift Shop / Red Brick Songs / 2018
[Jeen Obrien is from Canada. Her self produced songs have been sought after for use in commercials (Google, Panasonic, Estée Lauder, Kraft, BlackBerry, KIA, Rogers, MasterCard) as well as movies and television programs (Cook Off, Republic of Doyle, Instant Star, Ruby Gloom, Degrassi, Killjoys, Hockey Wives, Workin’ Moms, MTV Catfish, MTV Are You the One). In addition to her solo work Jeen has written songs for many recording artists and is a member of Cookie Duster with Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene.]

19. Emma Louise – “Wish You Well”
from: Lilac Everything / Henry’s Castle Pty / September 14, 2018
[3rd studio album from Emma Louise Lobb, who was born in July 1991, she grew up in Cairns, from Queensland Australia. Louise issued a five-track extended play, Autumn Tongues, in 2008. It was recorded with Mark Myers at Pegasus Studios, Cairns. She moved from Cairns to Brisbane in early 2010 where she initially worked as an events manager. In the following year described her influences, “My biggest musical role models are Missy Higgins, Josh Pyke, Sarah Blasko and Lior. Missy Higgins really inspired me to start writing music.” Louise released another EP, Full Hearts and Empty Rooms, in April 2011 and one of its four tracks, “Jungle”, received high rotation on the national youth radio, Triple J. The EP reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 100. During that year she toured in support of Boy & Bear. She was nominated for the 2011 J Award in the Unearthed talent contest for artist of the year. On the Triple J Hottest 100, 2011, “Jungle” was listed at No. 23 by the station’s listeners in its on line poll. American DJ and producer MK remixed Wankelmut’s version as “My Head Is a Jungle [MK Remix]”, in 2014, which reached No. 1 in the iTunes Electronic Charts and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. Also in that year, international fashion house Yves Saint Laurent used Louise’s “Jungle” in their worldwide advertising campaign for Black Opium perfume. She appeared in an advertising campaign for South Australian Tourism Commission. The ad has her singing a version of the INXS song, “Never Tear Us Apart”. She collaborated with Australian electronic duo, Flight Facilities, featuring on their single, “Two Bodies” (September 2014), which reached the ARIA top 100 and was placed at No. 39 on Triple J Hottest 100, 2014. In 2015 Louise was the opening act for English singer, Sam Smith, on the Oceania leg of his In the Lonely Hour Tour. She was also the main support on Smith’s second Australian tour, during November–December of that year. She issued her second solo album, Supercry, on 11 July 2016, which reached No. 14. She was featured on another single by Flight Facilities, “Arty Boy” (2017).]

20. Emma Louise – “Falling Apart”
from: Lilac Everything / Henry’s Castle Pty / September 14, 2018

21. Art d’Ecco — “Nobody’s Home”
from: Trespasser / Paper Bag / October 12, 2018
[Based in British Columbia, “There’s more than a little David Bowie in both the sonic and fashion leanings of Art d’Ecco, a performer who fluidly crosses musical and gender lines, creating highly memorable tracks — and sporting an unforgettable look. Often labelled “neo glam,” the music boasts hints of everything from ’50s pop to psychedelics, from Velvet Underground-era art rock to Grimes-inspired electronics.” – CBC Music]

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

Next week on March 6 Mark welcomes special guests Cody Wyoming & Rod Peal of The Philistines who share two new singles the band is getting ready to release! Plus Kenneth Storz and members of Fathers share tracks from their upcoming debut EP High Horses and play live in our 90.1 FM Studios! And Britt Adair of Josey Records Kansas City and The Bad Ideas joins us to talk about music, records, in-stores, and Record Store Day! PLUS, we play new music from The Freedom Affair, Mene Mene, Songs of Our Native Daughters with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Amythyst Kiah, and Aspasia Allison Russell (of Birds of Chicago), Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits, The Black Creatures, Emmaline Twist, and more.

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

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

Show #775