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 12, 2025

WMM presents: Ross Brown of Fullbloods + Run With It + Nathan Reusch & Zach Laman of KC Synthesizer Collective

Mark spins more New & MidCoastal Releases from: Fullbloods, Run With It, Bobcat Attack, wrker, Dusk Runner, Lady Blackbird, Moses Sumney with Syd + Meshell Ndegeocello, Lauren Auder + Wendy & Lisa, Benjamin Booker, Beabadoobee, and FKA twigs.

We’ll also play more tracks from a new project from the non-profit Red Hot Organization. TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing and collaborating with this incredible collection. This 6-LP Box Set spotlights many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working in music today. Many of the artists in this collective we have been featuring on WMM since our inception as a radio show. More info at: https://redhot.org/

At 10:30 we’ll talk with Ross Brown about “Playing It Safe” the new studio album from Fullbloods released both digitally and on vinyl through High Dive Records on March 7, 2025. Fullbloods is a studio project of songwriter and producer Ross Brown who is also in the bands: Shy Boys, Koney, and Snacky. When Fullbloods play live, Ross is joined on stage by his friends: Konner Ervin on guitar, Kyle Little on keyboards, Kyle Rausch on bass, Fritz Hutchison on drums. Lionell Williams aka “Vinyl Williams” of PRIVATE PLAYLIST on KCRW calls “Ross Brown a frickin’ genius. He’s the modern day Brian Wilson of America. His whole album, the entire way through, is one of those albums [where] every microsecond, every quantum moment, is wow. He’s just a straight-up genius.” // Fullbloods play The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO on Friday February 21, at 9:00 pm with Fake Italian for Daniel Gum’s The Great Conjunction Album Release Show. // Fullbloods play their own Album Release Show at Hillsiders 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Friday, March 7 at 8:00 PM with Schemada, and 2w33dy. More info at: http://www.fullbloods.com

At 11:00am members of Run With It return to WMM. Miguel Antonio on lead vocals & guitar, Daniel Cole on drums & percussion, Paul Seiz on keyboards, Cody Ryan Stapleton on lead guitar; and Matt Muckenthaler on bass guitar collectively are one of the hardest working bands in Kansas City. For nearly a decade, Run With It has been touring across the country, from college campus showcases to corporate galas. Their high-octane performances leave an indelible mark. Run With It combine their exceptional original songs with skillful covers of artists like Kings of Leon and Ed Sheeran. Run With It are influenced by The Black Keys, Maroon 5, Bill Withers, OneRepublic, and Imagine Dragons with backgrounds in gritty rock, groovy soul, and stylish R&B. Their alternative rock vibe creates an electrifying atmosphere. Run With It released their recent singles: “Ghost Like You” on September 13, 2024; “Nightwatch” on August 21, 2024; and “It’s Not Over (feat. The Royal Chief) on April 10, 2024. // Run With It play a 60-minute concert on MidCoast LIVE! Friday, February 14, at 12:00 noon on 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio. More info at: linktr.ee/runwithitband

At 11:30 Nathan Reusch and Zach Laman share details about the Kansas City Synthesizer Collective, a group of electronic musicians working to build platforms for experimental & emerging artists. The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. Nathan is co-founder of indie label, The Record Machine and is also a DJ. The pandemic inspired Reusch to dust off his Bobcat Attack moniker and renewed his interest in making music. He joined KC’s Synth Collective and found a group of similarly-minded electronic musicians. Zach Laman records as wrker. We feature wrker’s newest single “Ice” from wrker’s upcoming EP. // The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective will celebrate their third anniversary with a special show, Friday, February 21, at 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #1082

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 5, 2025

WMM presents Chris Garibaldi & Mark Henning on James Grauerholz – Life’s Too Good To Keep + Daniel Gum + Diana Watts, Trish Price, & Kevin King of Whim Productions

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster (Radio Edit)”
   from: Romance / XL Recordings / August 23, 2024
   [4th studio album by Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. “Starburster” was the lead single. It also features the singles “Favourite”, “Here’s the Thing”, “In the Modern World” and “Bug”. It is their 1st release on XL Recordings, after the band left Partisan Records, and was produced by James Ford. // Fontaines D.C. are an Irish post-punk band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums) and Carlos O’Connell (guitar). // The band members met while attending music college and bonded over a common love of poetry. They began self-releasing singles and performing live regularly, signing to Partisan Records in 2018. The band’s debut album, Dogrel, was released on April 12, 2019 to widespread critical acclaim. It was listed as Album of the Year on record store Rough Trade’s website, voted Album of the Year by presenters on BBC Radio 6 Music, and nominated for the Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize. // The band’s second studio album, A Hero’s Death, written and recorded in the midst of touring to promote their debut album, was released on 31 July 2020. A Hero’s Death was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Their third album, Skinty Fia, released in 2022, was the band’s first to reach number one on the Irish Albums Chart and UK Albums Chart and contributed to their winning the Brit Award for International Group. The band’s fourth album, Romance, was released on August 23, 2024. Romance won The Album Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards 2024.]

3. Kadesh Flow – “Thesis Statement (Radio Edit)”
   from: “Thesis Statement (Radio Edit)” – Single / Kadesh Flow / January 31, 2025
   [Instrumental Production: D. Professor; Lyrics & Vocal Performance: Kadesh Flow; Mixing: Kadesh Flow; Mastering: Kadesh Flow; and Single Art: Kadesh Flow // Kadesh writes: “I started writing this during my flight to Belfast on November 5, 2024. Just reflecting on how 2024 was my redo of 2019, and how pivotal 2019 was for me. I hit rock bottom and rose to great success from it. Lost everything in 2020, mostly due to COVID shut downs, and spent 3 years rebuilding from 2021-2024. Aside from the personal reflection, this song is a recognition that there could be hard times coming, but there’s hope as long as we’re alive, so we have to keep fighting to win. Community is immensely important, especially now.” // Kadesh Flow is Ryan Davis is a rapper with an MBA. He is an emcee, producer, & trombonist. At age 11, he began rapping and playing trombone within two weeks of one another. His music has been featured on network television in multiple countries and territories across Southeast Asia. Kadesh performs as a solo hip hop artist. He also plays with The Phantastics, Marcus Lewis Big Band, Deshica Rage (w/ Jessica Paige). Info at: http://www.kadeshflow.com]

Kadesh Flow Discography
“Thesis Statement (Radio Edit)” – Single – January 31, 2025
“Our Christmas Town (feat. Mix Williams & Oricadia)” – Single – Dec. 24, 2024
“All Day” – Single – October 14, 2024
“Vader Choke Freestyle” – Single – May 3, 2024
‘Level Up” – Single – April 22, 2024
“I Can (Mahito) -Kadesh Flow x Gr3ys0n x Shwabadi” – Single – April 5, 2024
“Stand on Business (feat. Mega Ran)” – Single – January 19, 2024
“Overcome (Nanami)” – Single – January 1, 2024
“Stakes” – Single – November 17, 2023
“Switch Up” – Single – January 6, 2023
“Heaters” _ Singles – November 11, 2022
”Chill (feat. Mir Blackwell).” – Single – October 21, 2022
“Dream For Me” – Single – October 10, 2022
“You’re Very Special (feat. Kemet Coleman, Kadesh Flow & Kevin Church Johnson) – Marcus Lewis Big Band – single – September 30, 2022
“Away From You” – Single – July 1, 2022
“Future Ex (feat. Vincent Orsolini & DJ Skittlez)” – Single – Feb. 14, 2022
“Move Different (feat. Gr3s0n)” – Single – January 21, 2022
“Part of The Plan” – Single – January 7, 2022
“Beast Mode (feat. Mega Ran)” – Single – Dec. 31, 2021
“Choice (The Cost)” – Single – December 17, 2021
“Gardens Out The Gutter” – Single – Dec. 3, 2021
“No Options (feat. Jamar Rose)” – Single – Nov. 12, 2021
“Fiend” – Single – Sept. 4, 2021
“Easy” – Single – August 27, 2021
“Coming For Your Neck” – Single – August 20, 2021
ROOM SERVICE 2 – 13-track album – July 19, 2021
“Elegant” – Single – May 21, 2021
”Lighten Up” – Single – May 7, 2021
“On Target” – Single – April 30, 2021
“So Far” – Single – April 23, 2021
“That Way” – Single – April 16, 2021
“I Don’t Care” – Single – April 9, 2021
“Take Backs (feat. Ryan Heinlein)” – Single – March 26, 2021
“But Hope” – Single – March 26, 2021
“Forgot About Me” – Single – March 14, 2021
“Your Dream Isn’t Always Yours” – Single – March 12, 2021
“No Doubts” – Single –
“Not on My Watch” – Single – February 19, 2021
“Cry For Me 2” – Single – February 12, 2021
“Frosty” – Single – February 12, 2021
“Assumptions feat. Shubzilla,” – Single – Jan. 29, 2021
“Soft Side” – Kadesh Flow & The Enclave – Single – Jan. 21, 2021
“Lit For The Holidays (feat. Andrew The Only)” – Single – Dec. 22, 2020
Bleach Anime Lofi Pack 1 – 2-track Single – October 8, 2020
“Too Soon” / “Free People” – 2-Pack Single – June 5, 2020
JoJo’s Jazz-hop 1 (2-Pack) Single – April 23, 2020
“I’m A Hero (Bone Bars)” – Single – April 9, 2020
MOTIVATED – 6-track EP – January 31, 2020
“Something Now (feat. Richie Branson & Atlas)” – Single – September 14, 2018
ROOM SERVICE – 6-track EP – March 30, 2018
“Headmaster” – Single – December 9, 2016
WE ARE FAITHFUL – 8-track album – October 9, 2015
GATEWAYS – 15-track Album – October 2, 2014
NerdKrunk Volume 3 – 10-track Album – April 18, 2013
NerdKrunk Volume 2 – 10-track Album – November 28, 2012
NerdKrunk Volume 1 – 10-track Album – September 5, 2012
THE BANKAI FLOW MIXTAPE – 11-track Album – July 27, 2012

4. Cymande – “Chasing An Empty Dream (Radio Edit)”
   from: Renascence / BMG / January 31, 2025
   [Legendary British band Cymande release their highly anticipated new album, Renascence, via BMG. // Cymande (pronounced /sɪˈmɑːndeɪ/ sih-MAHN-day) are a British funk group that was originally active in the early 1970s. The band name derives from a calypso word for “dove”, which symbolises peace and love;[2] “Dove” is also the title of one of their best-known songs. With a membership deriving from several Caribbean nations, Cymande were noted for an eclectic mix of funk, soul, reggae, rock, African music, calypso, and jazz that they called “nyah-rock”.[3][4][5] The band formed in 1971 and released three albums before disbanding in 1974. After gaining newfound popularity when their music was sampled by many notable rap artists, Cymande reformed in the 2010s. Their most recent album Renascence was released in January 2025. // A true return to form and jewel in the crown of their iconic discography, Renascence picks up where their 1974 album Promised Heights left off – a spiritual and sonic follow-up, bringing a fresh modern edge to their iconic sound, which remains foundational to early hip-hop and funk scenes in the United States and UK. Renascence tells the story of a band that never fully got its due back in the day; but are back to take the crown by remaining true to themselves – politically aware, and spiritually positive with infectious grooves. // “Chasing An Empty Dream,” the first track on Renascence, beckons you back into the world of Cymande with an unforgettable grizzly bassline hook – as is their way – addictive percussion, global rhythms inspired by their diasporic origins, layered horns and a powerful message for the world. // Their new album, Renascence is a true return to form and jewel in the crown of their iconic discography and picks up where their 1974 album Promised Heights left off – a spiritual and sonic follow-up, bringing a fresh modern edge to their iconic sound, which remains foundational to early hip-hop and funk scenes in the United States and UK. Renascence tells the story of a band that never fully got its due back in the day, but are back to take the crown by remaining true to themselves – politically aware, and spiritually positive with infectious grooves. // Last year, Cymande’s unique story was told on the on big screen for the first time in the UK (via BFI) and in cinemas around the world (via Abramorama) with Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande (Directed by award winning director Tim Mackenzie-Smith). This empowering and thought-provoking documentary shows the band’s depth of influence across decades and features interviews with Mark Ronson, Laura Lee and Mark Speer (Khruangbin), DJ Maseo (De La Soul), Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Cut Chemist, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Louie Vega, Kool DJ Red Alert, and so many others. Directed by Tim Mackenzie-Smith, the film debuted at SXSW in 2022 and has now traveled the world twice over. // As Total Film said in their review of the documentary ‘Tim Mackenzie-Smith’s joyous doc offers some Searching for Sugar Man-style reappraisal // Cymande (pronounced /sɪˈmɑːndeɪ/ sih-MAHN-day) are a British funk group that was originally active in the early 1970s. The band name derives from a calypso word for “dove”, which symbolises peace and love; “Dove” is also the title of one of their best-known songs. With a membership deriving from several Caribbean nations, Cymande were noted for an eclectic mix of funk, soul, reggae, rock, African music, calypso, and jazz that they called “nyah-rock”. The band formed in 1971 and released three albums before disbanding in 1974. After gaining newfound popularity when their music was sampled by many notable rap artists, Cymande reformed in the 2010s] Their most recent album Renascence was released in January 2025.]

5. Dandelion Lakewood – “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen”
   from: Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen / Fire Next Time Records / January 29, 2025
   [Dandelion Lakewood, the psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music. “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. // “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums and tambourine. and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mixture of sounds and rhythms. // Dandelion writes: “Years ago, I was backpacking and busking across Ireland with barely a penny to my name. I had some inspirational moments during that time and decided to pen a ballad in homage to my time absorbing the traditions of the Green Isle.” // Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. // Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, The Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests. He has been based in Kansas City since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms everywhere.]

6. Religion of Heartbreak – “Dream Reflection (EP Mix)”
   from: Dream Reflection – EP / Religion of Heartbreak / February 3, 2025
   [Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals
   Krysztof Nemeth: baritone guitar, electronic percussion; Alexander Thomas on electronic percussion on MGGG, Dream Reflection, Skeptic; Regan Moore on electronic percussion on Dark Hour of Meditation // Dream Reflection EP carries forward the motorized heartbeat of classic darkwave while forging its own metallic path. Drawing from EBM and Synth Pop traditions, this five-track release sees the Monta At Odds offshoot strip away unnecessary embellishments, leaving only the essential elements and textural remnants that speak to our collective digital malaise. // The EP’s centerpiece and title track emerges like a ghost in the machine, with Mikal Shapiro’s coolly delivered vocals floating above Dedric Moore’s gritty synth programming and precision-guided guitar along with Krysztof Nemeth’s synth pad percussion. Each track builds upon this foundation, from the robot-dance urgency of “Forget About You” to the beautiful desolation of “Skeptic,” creating a cohesive statement about modern isolation and the personas we construct. The result feels familiar and alien—like catching your reflection in a black mirror and seeing someone else staring back. // Religion of Heartbreak, an offshoot of Monta At Odds, dives deep into darkwave and EBM territories, crafting a sound that’s nostalgic and cutting-edge with Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals; and Krysztof Nemeth on baritone guitar and electronic percussion.]

7. Jamie xx & Nia Archives– “Waited All Night (ft. Romy, Oliver Sim & The xx)”
   from: In Waves / Young / September 20, 2024
   [One of multiple singles from In Waves, the second studio album by English producer Jamie xx. It was preceded by the singles “Baddy on the Floor” featuring Honey Dijon and “Treat Each Other Right”, and will be his first album in nine years, following In Colour (2015). The album also includes collaborations with Jamie xx’s xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim, Kelsey Lu, John Glacier, Panda Bear, Robyn, the Avalanches, and Oona Doherty. An additional collaboration with Erykah Badu will feature on the deluxe vinyl. // The album was recorded over a period of four years. In a statement, Jamie xx likened his experiences since releasing his previous album to “waves that we have all experienced together and alone”, and said that he wanted to “make something fun, joyful and introspective all at once” as “the best moments on a dance floor are usually that” for him. From 2022 to early 2024, Jamie xx released the standalone singles “Let’s Do It Again”, “Kill Dem”, and “It’s So Good”, which are included on the deluxe vinyl edition of the album. // James Thomas Smith (born 28 October 1988), known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the indie pop band the xx. // He has been described as a “driving force” behind the xx, contributing to the group’s significant commercial and critical success. As a solo artist, he has been recognised with a 2015 Mercury Prize nomination, and a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album nomination for In Colour. // Smith was born in London on October 28, 1988. His musical career began in 2006 when he joined the xx accompanying old schoolmates Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Baria Qureshi of the Elliott School in London, notable for alumni including Hot Chip, Burial, and Four Tet. He first used the stage name Jamie xx in July 2009 in a promotional mix for the band’s debut album xx released on the FACT magazine mix series. The mixtape was compiled by Jamie Smith and featured, amongst others, four tracks credited to Jamie xx – one self-production and three remixes. The xx album went on to become platinum in the UK. Afterward, Jamie Smith went on to do more remix work for artists like Florence + The Machine, Adele, Jack Peñate and Glasser. // In late 2010, a Jamie xx remix of the song “NY Is Killing Me” from Gil Scott-Heron’s last album I’m New Here aired on radio stations across the UK and Europe. The remix of “I’ll Take Care of U” followed in January 2011. Both singles drew the attention of the general public and the critics. They set the way for a 13-track remix album entitled We’re New Here, produced entirely by Jamie xx and credited to “Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx”. The album was released on February 21, 2011 on the XL Recordings label, but a full-album preview could be streamed on the website of The Guardian as early as 14 February. We’re New Here received critical acclaim and was named “a cohesive, considered masterpiece in its own right” by BBC’s Ele Beattie. // On June 6, 2011, the two-track self-produced single “Far Nearer / Beat For” was released. The song “Far Nearer” was selected Best New Track by Pitchfork, and the double A-side single charted at number 128 on the UK Singles Chart. Later the same year, Smith produced the title track off Drake’s second album, Take Care, which features Rihanna. In addition, Smith helped create several reworks for Radiohead’s song “Bloom” which were released on a remix album entitled TKOL RMX 1234567. He also co-produced the song “When It’s All Over” with Alicia Keys on her Girl on Fire album. In 2014, he announced an upcoming collaboration with John Talabot on Tim Sweeney’s Beats in Space online radio show. In 2014, he released the singles “Girl/Sleep Sound” and “All Under One Roof Raving”. // On 27 March 2015, he released two singles: “Loud Places”, featuring the xx’s Romy Madley Croft, and “Gosh”. On the same day he also announced that his debut album, In Colour, would be out on 1 June 2015. Ahead of its release, In Colour was streamed on iTunes as a preview with album-spanning visuals that ‘reacted’ to each sound.[14] It was ultimately released on 29 May 2015 to widespread critical acclaim, debuting at number three on the UK Albums Chart and receiving nominations for the 2015 Mercury Prize and for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. // Jamie xx composed the score for a ballet, Tree of Codes, commissioned by Manchester International Festival for its 2015 edition. Based on a novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, the ballet was choreographed by Wayne McGregor and had a set created by Olafur Eliasson. // In 2020, he released his first single in five years, “Idontknow”, which received positive to lukewarm reception from critics. He was credited on Tyler, the Creator’s 2021 album Call Me If You Get Lost as a co-producer on the track “RISE!”. // Jamie xx has worked on each of his The xx bandmates’ respective solo albums: he produced Oliver Sim’s Hideous Bastard (2022), and co-produced Romy’s Mid Air (2023).]

10:29 – Underwriting

10:30 – Interview with Diana Watts, Trish Price & Kevin King of Whim Productions

Diana Watts is originally from Manhattan, Kansas. She received her Bachelors in Science degree in Theatre at Kansas State University in 2013. Diana is a writer, director, actress, and organizer. Diana works as Marketing Copywriter & Editor for Centene Corporation. Diana served as Social Media Manager and Writer at Improv Nerd in Chicago, and has also worked at Indikon Media, United Airlines, Quantum Assembly, and The Fishtank Theatre in Kansas City. Diana volunteers for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Diana also serves as a Board Members for Whim Productions, where she is making her directorial debut or Kissing in the Grocery Store. Her Whim Productions acting appearances include Boxed, Playing on the Periphery, Marriage Play, and Lesbians Definitely Not Lost in Space.

Diana Watts welcome to Wednesday MidDay Medley

Kevin King is originally from Topeka, Kansas. He studied at The University of Kansas, In 2011 Kevin founded Whim Productions where he serves as Producing Artistic Director of Whim Productions. He is a queer playwright based in KCMO and is a playwright-in-residence at the Midwest Dramatists Center, former playwright-in-residence in the Charlotte Street Foundation Studio Residency program, and a member of the Dramatists Guild. His short play The Swallows was selected for the 2019 William Inge Theater Festival New Play Lab. King’s work has also appeared in the Kansas City Fringe Festival,zaz (Whim Productions, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019,2020), The Barn Players’ 6×10 Short Play festival (2018, 2019), Midwest Dramatists Conference (2018, 2019), One-Minute Play Festival (2016), a’s 12 Plays of Christmas (2014), and other festivals. His work ranges from campy to slice-of-life realism, portrayed through a quirky, queer lens. Kevin serves as intimacy coach and sound designer for Kissing in the Grocery Store.

Kevin King welcome to Wednesday MidDay Medley

Trish Price is making their Kansas City stage debut with 𝙆𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙚! Trish graduated from Missouri State University’s BFA Acting program. After moving and working as an actor in New York City, Trish is back in Kansas City and the KC theater community. Previous work includes 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘳, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵, and national commercials (Swiffer, Etsy, YouTube Official). Trish is represented by Long Island Models

Trish Price welcome to Wednesday MidDay Medley

Diana Watts & Kevin King & Trish Price are joining us to share details about of Whim Productions about the world premiere of Claire Carson’s, KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE, a multimedia theater experience exploring queer identity, love, loss, and the quest for courage to live authentically. KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE runs Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, Feb 16, 2025 at Whim Space, 415 Prospect Ave, KCMO, in historic Pendleton Heights. For info visit: http://www.whimproductions.org.

Diana Watts is the Director of this show and Kevin King is Artistic Director of Whim Production.

KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE by Claire Carson (she/they) is a multimedia experience told through time shifts and movement. The story reminds us that coming out is often scary, even if your family is liberal. Carson describes the play as a “mix of humor, movement, magic, and poetry.” It is “for anyone who has ever battled themselves, grappled with their past, or yearned for a life filled with more joy, more honesty, and more room to grow.”

KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE runs Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, Feb 16, 2025 at Whim Space, 415 Prospect Ave, KCMO, in historic Pendleton Heights. For info visit: http://www.whimproductions.org.

Meet the Playwright! Claire Carson (she/they) is a Denver-based playwright, poet, and theatermaker. Previously produced work includes Hypochondria (Margo Jones Theatre), Shadow Woman (The Bathhouse Cultural Center), and Michelle with Wet Eyeballs, self-produced with friends in a transformed garage.

Claire’s work emphasizes collaboration, visual metaphor, and the strangeness of being alive. Claire describes Kissing in the Grocery Store as a “mix of humor, movement, magic and poetry.” This play is “for anyone who has ever battled themselves, grappled with their past, or yearned for a life filled with more joy, more honesty, and more room to grow.”

Whim Productions is excited to present the world premiere of Claire Carson’s Kissing in the Grocery Store, a multimedia theater experience about love, loss, and the quest for courage to live authentically.

ABOUT THE SHOW: The moon is in conjunction or something. You miss your ex-girlfriend, and you’re afraid to come out to your parents. You can read a self-help book, talk to a trusted friend, or be like Q and look to a YouTube Witch for a “letting go” spell.
Quinn, or Q, is a 20-something lesbian struggling to move on from their first queer relationship. Their ex ended the relationship because she couldn’t be with someone who hides their true self from their family. The breakup ignites a comical and poignant battle between Q’s inner voices, leading them to seek solace in a YouTube magic influencer.

KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE by Claire Carson is a multimedia experience told through time shifts and movement. The story reminds us that coming out is often scary, even if your family is liberal. Carson describes the play as a “mix of humor, movement, magic, and poetry.” It is “for anyone who has ever battled themselves, grappled with their past, or yearned for a life filled with more joy, more honesty, and more room to grow.”

Directed by Diana Watts (she/her), the production features Trish Price (they/them), Sandy Osborn (she/her), Adriana Randall (they/them), and Megan Reynolds (she/her). Lighting design is by Austin VanWinkle (he/him), scenic design by Austin Cecil (he/him), costumes by Marian McClellan (she/her) and Patricia Reed (she/her), sound design and intimacy choreography by Kevin King (he/him).

Kissing in the Grocery Store is presented at Whim Space (415 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, MO) in historic Pendleton Heights. For full details, visit whimproductions.org.

Dates: February 6-16
Ticket Information: https://our.show/whimproductions/kissing
General Admission – Advanced Tickets: $25 / Walk-Up: $28
Pay What You Whim pricing is available for some performances
Premium Seating: $30
VIP Seating: $40
.
Run Time: 90 minutes without intermission

Appropriate for Ages 16+
Contains some adult language and conversation about sex

Performance Details: Venue: Whim Space, 415 Prospect, Kansas City, MO 64124

Dates and Times:
Thursday, Feb 6th, 7:30 pm – “Pay What You Whim”
Friday, Feb 7th, 7:30 pm – “Pay What You Whim”
Saturday, Feb 8th, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb 9th, 3:00 pm
Monday, Feb 10th, 7:30 pm – “Pay What You Whim”
Thursday, Feb 13th, 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb 14th, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb 15th, 7:30 pm
Sunday, Feb 16th, 3:00 pm

Whim Productions, founded in 2011, creates challenging and evocative queer theater. Whim focuses on providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ theater artists to tell their own stories and share the diversity of queer experiences with Kansas City audiences.

Queer theater. Whimsical edge.

Meet the Director! Kissing in the Grocery Store marks Diana Watts’ (she/her) directorial debut, stepping outside her roles as an actor and Whim board member. Her Whim Productions acting appearances include Boxed, Playing on the Periphery, Marriage Play, and Lesbians Definitely Not Lost in Space.

Meet the Team! Artistic Director 𝗞𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 founded Whim Productions in 2011 and has directed, written, and choreographed intimacy in many of our productions. He’s currently tackling the sound design and intimacy choreography for the world premiere of Kissing in the Grocery Store! Kevin’s passion for creating safe, evocative, and inclusive theatre shines in this production.

Diana Watts, Trish Price, and Kevin King thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

KISSING IN THE GROCERY STORE runs Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, Feb 16, 2025 at Whim Space, 415 Prospect Ave, KCMO, in historic Pendleton Heights. For info visit: http://www.whimproductions.org.

10:49

We now sing more tracks from a new project from the non-profit Red Hot Organization, it is called, TRAИƧA a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. TRAИƧA reintroduces Sade Adu to the world with a loving song dedicated to her son, Izaak, a trans man. The culture-shifting ballad “Young Lion” debuts on this collection alongside Sam Smith and Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s historic reimagining of “Ever New.” More info at: https://redhot.org/

10:49

8. Sade Adu – “Young Lion”
   from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
   [In 2016, on National Coming Out Day, Sade’s child, Izaak Theo Adu, came out as a transgender man. In September 2019, Izaak posted a message online, thanking his mother for her support through his transition. In the fall of 2024, Sade and the Red Hot Organization’s TRANSA project released “Young Lion”, a song dedicated to her son. // One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the storied activist and music production non-profit Red Hot, TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. // Dust Reid, who led production on Red Hot’s 2014 tribute to Arthur Russell, and Massima Bell, an artist and activist based in Los Angeles, began tracing the contours of what would become TRAИƧA together in 2021. The two producers originally met at a video shoot in upstate New York, and immediately bonded over their shared love of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music, as well as a common devotional connection to nature. // The passing of SOPHIE, the pathbreaking electronic producer who died in January 2021, galvanized the producers and focused their work. “We started talking about all the gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world, and wanted to create a Red Hot project that centered and celebrated those gifts,” says Reid. “We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.” // Bell and Reid began conceiving of the album as a spiritual journey in eight chapters, a mirror of the original eight-stripe rainbow pride flag. The narrative begins at the earliest awareness of consciousness; moves through awakening, trauma, and grief; and arrives at liberation and continual reinvention. “One thing trans people do all the time is turn grief into possibility,” says Bell. “Living under the ongoing Western binary system, trans people reveal maps of possibility for everyone. It’s something that we can all learn from – expanding the possibility of human life.” Each chapter begins with a “chapter track,” kicking off a collection of songs that speak to that chapter’s theme. // As the producers began inviting musicians to contribute to TRAИƧA, the political climate in the United States and across the world started to foment an acute reactionary streak. Legislation denying trans people the hard-won right to medically transition proliferated across the country. Book bans rained down on libraries, stamping shut crucial apertures into trans and queer lives. The necessity of TRAИƧA’s presence in the world started to crystallize. // “The stakes have never been higher,” notes Bell. “We’re seeing a rise in anti-trans hate and vitriol that is particularly being spewed in the United States. I am a trans person from Iowa, one of the states that signed into law a bill that prohibits access to gender-affirming care. It is clearly, materially, a terrifying time.” // TRAИƧA FEATURED ARTISTS:Adrianne Lenker * Ahya Simone * Alan Sparhawk (Low) * Allison Russell * Am Taylor * Anajah * Ana Roxanne * André 3000 * Anjimile * Arthur Baker * Asher White * AV María * Babehoven * Bartees Strange * Belina Rose * Benét * Beverly Glenn-Copeland * Bill Callahan * Blake Mills * Bloomsday * Calvin Lauber * Caroline Rose * Cassandra Croft * Cassandra Jenkins * Christian Lee Hutson * claire rousay * Clairo * CLARITY * Cole Pulice * Dave Longstreth * Devendra Banhart * Eileen Myles * Eli Winter * Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland * Ezra Furman * Faye Webster * Fleet Foxes * Frankie Cosmos * Gary Gunn * Gia Margaret * Green-House * Grouper * Hand Habits * Heart Shaped * Helado Negro * Hunter Schafer * Jamal Shakeri * Jay Dee Daugherty * Jayne County * Jeff Tweedy * Jlin * Joy Guidry * Julianna Barwick * Julie Byrne * Julien Baker * Kara Jackson * Kathi Wilcox * KB Brookins * Kelela * Laraaji * Laura Jane Grace * Lauren Auder * Lee Ranaldo * Lightning Bug * Lomelda * Lucy Liyou * Lynn Avery * Lyra Pramuk * L’Rain * Mary Lattimore * MIZU * Moor Mother * More Eaze * Moses Sumney * Nico Georis * Niecy Blues * Nina Keith * Nsámbu Za Suékama * NYC Trans Oral History Project * Pepper MaShay * Perfume Genius * Pharoah Sanders * Quinn Christopherson * Rachika Nayar * Sade Adu * Sam Smith * Sharon Van Etten * SKY * SOAK * Soft Rōnin * Sparkle Division * Taryn Blake Miller * Teddy Geiger * Time Wharp * Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution * Yaeji * Yaya Bey // Helen Folasade Adu was born on January 16, 1959 in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Her middle name, Folasade, means “crowned with wealth” in Yoruba. Her parents are Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer in economics of Yoruba background, and Anne Hayes, an English district nurse; they met in London, married in 1955, and moved to Nigeria. Sade was four years old when her parents separated. Hayes returned to England with Sade and her elder brother, Banji, to live with their maternal grandparents near Colchester, Essex. At age 11, Sade moved to Holland-on-Sea, Essex with her mother and brother. After completing her education at Clacton County High School and Colchester Institute at the age of 18, she moved to London and studied fashion design at Saint Martin’s School of Art. // Sade is a Nigerian-British singer, known as the lead vocalist of her band Sade. One of the most successful British female artists in history, she is often recognised as an influence on contemporary music. Her success in the music industry was recognised with the honour Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2002, and she was made Commander in the 2017 Birthday Honours. // She studied at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London and gained modest recognition as a fashion designer and part-time model before joining the band Pride in the early 1980s. After gaining attention as a performer, she formed the band Sade, and secured a recording contract with Epic Records in 1983. // A year later, the band released the album Diamond Life, which became one of the era’s best-selling albums and the best-selling debut by a British female vocalist. In July 1985, Sade was among the performers at the Live Aid charity concert at Wembley Stadium, and the next year, she appeared in the film Absolute Beginners. The band released their third album (Stronger Than Pride) in 1988, and a fourth album (Love Deluxe) in 1992. The band went on hiatus in 1996 after the birth of Sade’s child. // In 2005, Sade moved out to the British countryside, where she bought a run-down cottage to renovate. Sade rarely grants interviews.]

9. Sam Smith & Beverly Glenn-Copeland – “Ever New”
   from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
   [Beverly Glenn-Copeland was born January 1944, and is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter. His albums include Keyboard Fantasies (1986). Glenn-Copeland began publicly identifying as a trans man in 2002. // Glenn-Copeland was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a musical family. As a child, Glenn-Copeland listened to his father play the music of Bach, Chopin, and Mozart on the piano, and heard his mother occasionally sing spirituals. // In 1961, Glenn-Copeland was 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. // Glenn-Copeland’s 1986 electronic album Keyboard Fantasies, recorded using equipment including a Yamaha DX7 and a Roland TR-707, and other recordings were rediscovered and promoted by Japanese record collector Ryota Masuko in 2015. Before Glenn-Copeland’s gender transition was made public, Keyboard Fantasies was selected as one of the 70 greatest recordings by women by The Stranger. The album was named as the public vote winner of the Polaris Heritage Prize at the 2020 Polaris Music Prize. Keyboard Fantasies was remastered and reissued in February 2017 as Copeland Keyboard Fantasies by Invisible City Edition and re-released again on vinyl that same year on Séance Centre. // Other albums by Glenn-Copeland include Beverly Copeland (1970), Beverly Glenn-Copeland (1971), At Last! (1980), Primal Prayer (released under the pseudonym Phynix in 2004), and the career-spanning compilation Transmissions (2020). // 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 rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A fundraising campaign was initiated to help Glenn-Copeland and his wife after the loss of their house that resulted from these changes; the campaign raised over $90,000. In the same year, Glenn-Copeland created a prerecorded video performance of his song “Courage” for Buddies in Bad Times and CBC Gem’s online Queer Pride Inside show. // His 2023 album The Ones Ahead was a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. // In 2024 Glenn was awarded an honorary doctorate from University of Toronto, and won the Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award from SAGE, an organization that focuses on advocacy and services for LGBTQ+ elders. // In 1973, while in Los Angeles, Glenn fell in love with the chanting at a local Soka Gakkai International meeting and has been a practicing Buddhist since the mid-1970s. // In September 2024, Glenn-Copeland shared that he has been diagnosed with dementia. // Samuel Frederick Smith was born May 19, 1992. Sam is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they[a] rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure’s breakthrough single “Latch”, which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. The following year, they featured on Naughty Boy’s single “La La La”, which became a number one single in the UK. // Smith’s debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour (2014), was released through Capitol Records UK and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. The album’s lead single, “Lay Me Down”, was released prior to “La La La”. The album’s second single, “Money on My Mind”, became their second number one single in the UK. Its third single, “Stay with Me”, was internationally successful, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while subsequent singles “I’m Not the Only One” and “Like I Can” reached the top ten in the UK. The album won four awards at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. // Smith’s song “Writing’s on the Wall” served as the theme for the James Bond film Spectre (2015), and won Smith a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Smith’s second studio album, The Thrill of It All (2017), debuted atop the UK and US album charts. The album’s lead single, “Too Good at Goodbyes”, reached number one in the UK and Australia and number four in the US. Following the 2018 single “Promises” (with Calvin Harris), which peaked at number one in the UK, Smith released “Dancing with a Stranger” (with Normani) in 2019, which peaked within the top ten in the UK and the US, also receiving a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. The singles, along with “How Do You Sleep?”, would precede the release of their third studio album, Love Goes (2020). In 2022, Smith’s single “Unholy” (with Kim Petras), would become their first number one single in the US and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The song would precede their fourth album, Gloria (2023). // Smith’s numerous accolades include five Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and an American Music Award, as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. On the UK Albums Chart, In the Lonely Hour was the best-selling debut album of the 2010s and the sixth best-selling album of the decade, while collectively Smith’s albums spent the fourth-most weeks at number one in the 2010s, behind Ed Sheeran, Adele and Eminem. Smith is the first openly non-binary musician to both release a song that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and to win a Grammy Award.]

10:58 – Station ID

10. James Grauerholz – “Be That Way”
    from: Life’s Too Good To Keep / Lotuspool Records / November 1, 2024
    [Written in 1993. Recorded by Brad Koehler, at Hairball IV Studio, Lawrence, Kansas. / James Grauerholz writes: “I wrote this for Matt Schepis, who was my boyfriend in 1993. He is now almost fifty and we’re good friends. Other players: Mark Henning of Zoom, guitar fills and vocal; Scott Lovern of the Lonesome Wranglers on keyboards; Bill Belzer of Mongol Beach Party on drums; Darren Welch of Dracomagnet on bass guitar. For this one session we were Draco Zoom Mongol Ramblers. The song was first released on Tim/Ker records out of Portland, Oregon on the “Cough It Up: The Hairball Story” compilation.” // Mark Henning writes in the album’s liner notes: To anyone in the Art, Literary & Music world, James has long been known as ‘The Burroughs Guy’. From 1974 until William Burroughs death in 1997, James has handled the business of William S. Burroughs Communications, acting as his manager, bibliographer, editor, literary executor and companion. To this day he continues to helm the business of Burroughs. What has been little-known up until now is that James has led a double life as an accomplished musician and songwriter with an extensive body of work stretching back from the late 1960s to the present. In fact, music was his first passion. // James set out to be a singer-songwriter before fate led to his calling with William S. Burroughs and despite the demands of his literary responsibilities, he continued to write music as a creative outlet. Over the years James witnessed and has been an important figure in many extraordinary musical eras. He was referred to as the ‘Zelig of Punk Rock’, having been part of a small coterie who helped kick-start the CBGBs scene in NYC from 1974 through the end of the decade. If you haven’t read the book ‘Please Kill Me’ by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, do yourself a favor and pick it up. James’ stories are among the best in it. His ‘mates’ during that time were the likes of Lester Bangs, Howard Brookner, Robert Palmer and Robert Quine -to name only a few. // The Zelig comparison is dead accurate, but it goes far beyond Punk Rock. James was there for the Midwestern Country-Rock explosion of the early 1970s. The legendary oral history ‘Cows Are Freaky When They Look At You’ paints a hilariously warped picture of the people in James orbit during those K.C./Lawrence years prior to him moving to NYC. He was there for the AOR singer-songwriter movement of the late 1970s, mixing his songs with Boz Skaggs in San Francisco. He was at the Hacienda in Manchester when Factory Records ruled the scene and where New Order, The Smiths and The Fall took the world by storm. He was around when New Wave and Hardcore emerged AND he was a steadfast contributor to the evolution of underground music of the early 1990s. In Lawrence, KS where James has lived since the early 1980s, and where Zoom and Lotuspool Records evolved, James lent his opinions, his studio, his gear, his chops and his time, unselfishly on innumerable occasions to help fledgling bands get a leg up. // Through all of these eras, James’ voice as a songwriter has held its own piece of real estate. Each of the twenty-two tracks represented on this double album bear a style that is distinctly his own, both lyrically and compositionally. It is worth adding that James is one hell of an accomplished guitar player too. Assembling this collection was no easy task, despite James’ impeccable documentation of his own catalog. Tapes were baked, no stone was left unturned and several ‘new’ discoveries were made that hadn’t made their way into the master list. // What you have here is a collection of songs that span thirty years, or as James so aptly puts it ‘My Life In Four Acts’ -with each side of the two LPs representing an Act. Though much of the material could easily be considered Great American Songbook in style (hooks everywhere, turns of phrase that remain stuck in your head, broad themes of love, loss & loneliness…), there is also a deeply personal and distinctly Queer element to the songs. One must not forget that back in the 1970s hardly anyone was doing this. In fact, James may have created his very own lane. There were Queer outsider artists like Tom Wilson doing more ‘camp’ numbers, but NO ONE was doing pop-type radio songs represented here. Some of the songs could even qualify as a new genre: Gay Yacht Rock. One must also wonder whether, despite the appeal factor, maybe James just wanted to keep the songs for himself as a log of his own personal journey? // You, the listener can decide for yourself. We hope you enjoy these four acts as much as we did while assembling them. For me they just keep getting better the more I listen.” – Mark Henning (Zoom, National Trust, Voice of Action)]

11:01 – Interview with Chris Garibaldi & Mark Henning

Mark Henning was born on South Side of Chicago in 1970 into a musical family. His Grandfather was a Music Educator and Big Band Leader of the Leo Henning Orchestra. Mark was initiated into his music and started playing guitar at the age of 8 and then saxophone and electric guitar and started his first band The Locals. Mark met Chris Garibaldi when he moved to his neighborhood. In high school Mark discovered the underground music in Chicago, and played basement Hardcore shows. Mark went to University Of Kansas in 1988 where he majored in Advertising and got my undergrad B.S.J. from the William Allen White School Of Journalism. With Chris Cosgrove and Steve Tubbart and Jeremy Sidener the band Zoom was created. Mark met James Grauerholz and William Burroughs in 1992. They were label-mates on T/K Records out of Portland but all lived in Lawrence. Mark played and recorded with James. Mark moved back to Chicago in 1995, ad started playing in The National Trust, recording two albums on Thrill Jockey. Mark worked at Reckless Records in Chicago from 1996-2000 and also Dusty Groove Records. Mark started a successful D.J. night at Danny’s in Chicago that continued for 20 years until 2017. Mark moved to Brooklyn in 2000 and managed Dubway Recording Studios in Manhattan, worked and lived in New Orleans and eventually moved back to Chicago in 2006 to focus on music with the National Trust. Mark toured Europe, bought a bungalow on the West Side Chicago, worked for a commercial photography house, had a son name Leo in 2008. Mark continuea to write. He put out a 45” with Fred Schneider and Elvira on Jack White’s Third Man label in 2013-14. Started a three piece called VoA and released an album on Lotuspool in 2018. On 2019 he started work on the James Grauerholz Album until it was released in November of 2024.

Mark Henning thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Chris Garibaldi is the co-founder of Lotuspool Records. He also is lead singer, guitarist and occasional trombonist for the band Suneaters who released their 7th album, the 13 track album, Suneaters IV: Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fingers, on September 23, 2022. Lotuspool Records, was born in 1992. Chris writes “We started the label when we were very young, and the bands that were on it were very young, too,” he tells me. “Back then, you could put out an indie record and get a lot of attention and press. At that time, there was a lot of support for indie music. Around 2000, Lotuspool went on an unofficial hiatus. The label was never inactive, but Garibaldi spent most of 2000s working for companies in Los Angeles. In 2011, a Garibaldi relocated to Parkville, he and Scott Hartley — bassist in the Suneaters — brought a new vision for Lotuspool Records. He label has been the moe for releases for Heidi Lynne Gluck, The Bump Band, Bully Pulpit, The Whips, Poster Children, Zoom, Voice of Action, June Henry, Hollow Body, Chris Cardwel, and many others This year the label is celebrating 33 years!

Chris Garibaldi, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Chris Garibaldi and Mark Henning join us to share details about the new Lotuspool release: James Grauerholz – Life’s Too Good To Keep, a 21-track, double vinyl album of the recorded songs of James Grauerholz. Grauerholz has long been known as ‘The Burroughs Guy’. From 1974 until William Burroughs death in 1997, James handled the business of William S. Burroughs Communications, acting as his manager, bibliographer, editor, literary executor and companion. To this day he continues to helm the business of Burroughs. What has been little-known up until now is that James has led a double life as an accomplished musician and songwriter with an extensive body of work stretching back from the late 1960s to the present. In fact, music was his first passion. More info at: http://www.lotuspool.com

Chris Garibaldi and Mark Henning, thanks for being with us on WMM

Lotus Pool Records presents…James Grauerholz Life’s Too Good To Keep Album liners notes fro, Mark Henning:

Mark Henning first met James in 1992 when his band Zoom was being courted by Tim Kerr Records of Portland, Oregon. Zoom had been introduced to the label through Greg Sage of Wipers fame, who was Producing what would be our final record, Helium Octipede.

Coincidentally James and William Burroughs were both signed to Tim Kerr Records and we all happened to live in Lawrence, KS. James and I met up at a Mexican restaurant near 19th & Mass St. and discussed the music biz over enchiladas. James was incredibly supportive of our move to join the label, gave me a boatload of wise advice and a long friendship ensued.

To anyone in the Art, Literary & Music world, James has long been known as ‘The Burroughs Guy’. From 1974 until William Burroughs death in 1997, James has handled the business of William S. Burroughs Communications, acting as his manager, bibliographer, editor, literary executor and companion. To this day he continues to helm the business of Burroughs. What has been little-known up until now is that James has led a double life as an accomplished musician and songwriter with an extensive body of work stretching back from the late 1960s to the present. In fact, music was his first passion.

James Grauerholz was referred to as the ‘Zelig of Punk Rock’

James set out to be a singer-songwriter before fate led to his calling with William S. Burroughs and despite the demands of his literary responsibilities, he continued to write music as a creative outlet. Over the years James witnessed and has been an important figure in many extraordinary musical eras. He was referred to as the ‘Zelig of Punk Rock’, having been part of a small coterie who helped kick-start the CBGBs scene in NYC from 1974 through the end of the decade. If you haven’t read the book ‘Please Kill Me’ by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, do yourself a favor and pick it up. James’ stories are among the best in it. His ‘mates’ during that time were the likes of Lester Bangs, Howard Brookner, Robert Palmer and Robert Quine -to name only a few.

The Zelig comparison is dead accurate, but it goes far beyond Punk Rock. James was there for the Midwestern Country-Rock explosion of the early 1970s. The legendary oral history ‘Cows Are Freaky When They Look At You’ paints a hilariously warped picture of the people in James orbit during those K.C./Lawrence years prior to him moving to NYC. He was there for the AOR singer-songwriter movement of the late 1970s, mixing his songs with Boz Skaggs in San Francisco. He was at the Hacienda in Manchester when Factory Records ruled the scene and where New Order, The Smiths and The Fall took the world by storm. He was around when New Wave and Hardcore emerged AND he was a steadfast contributor to the evolution of underground music of the early 1990s. In Lawrence, KS where James has lived since the early 1980s, and where Zoom and Lotuspool Records evolved, James lent his opinions, his studio, his gear, his chops and his time, unselfishly on innumerable occasions to help fledgling bands get a leg up.

“New York City Lullabye “ – Written in 1974. Recorded by James Grauerholz on stereo cassette tape in Aprik 1974 while William slept – late one night at 452 Broadway, New York City. / James Grauerholz writes: “William S. Burroughs, my father and lover for 23 years until his death on August 2, 1997. He had been my favorite writer since 1966, and when I finally met William, I immediately decided ‘Life’s to good to keep.’”

11:13

11. James Grauerholz – “New York City Lullabye”
    from: Life’s Too Good To Keep / Lotuspool Records / November 1, 2024
    [Written in 1974. Recorded by James Grauerholz on stereo cassette tape in Aprik 1974 while William slept – late one night at 452 Broadway, New York City.. / James Grauerholz writes: “William S. Burroughs, my father and lover for 23 years until his death on August 2, 1997. He had been my favorite writer since 1966, and when I finally met William, I immediately decided ‘Life’s to good to keep.’”]

11:16

11:16 – More Interview with Chris Garibaldi & Mark Henning

We are talking with Chris Garibaldi and Mark Henning about the new Lotuspool release: James Grauerholz – Life’s Too Good To Keep, a 21-track, double vinyl album of the recorded songs of James Grauerholz. Released Noveber 1, 2024. More info at: http://www.lotuspool.com

Chris Garibaldi and Mark Henning, thanks for being with us on WMM

Single Release Dates:
10/4/24: Be That Way
10/11/24: New York City Lullabye
10/18/24: Heaven’s Radio
10/25/24: The Intersection Of You And Me

Grauerholz has long been known as ‘The Burroughs Guy’. From 1974 until William Burroughs death in 1997, James handled the business of William S. Burroughs Communications, acting as his manager, bibliographer, editor, literary executor and companion. To this day he continues to helm the business of Burroughs.

What has been little-known up until now is that James has led a double life as an accomplished musician and songwriter with an extensive body of work stretching back from the late 1960s to the present. In fact, music was his first passion. More info at: http://www.lotuspool.com

Through all of these eras, James’ voice as a songwriter has held its own piece of real estate. Each of the twenty-two tracks represented on this double album bear a style that is distinctly his own, both lyrically and compositionally. It is worth adding that James is one hell of an accomplished guitar player too. Assembling this collection was no easy task, despite James’ impeccable documentation of his own catalog. Tapes were baked, no stone was left unturned and several ‘new’ discoveries were made that hadn’t made their way into the master list.

What you have here is a collection of songs that span thirty years, or as James so aptly puts it ‘My Life In Four Acts’ -with each side of the two LPs representing an Act. Though much of the material could easily be considered Great American Songbook in style (hooks everywhere, turns of phrase that remain stuck in your head, broad themes of love, loss & loneliness…), there is also a deeply personal and distinctly Queer element to the songs. One must not forget that back in the 1970s hardly anyone was doing this. In fact, James may have created his very own lane. There were Queer outsider artists like Tom Wilson doing more ‘camp’ numbers, but NO ONE was doing pop-type radio songs represented here. Some of the songs could even qualify as a new genre: Gay Yacht Rock. One must also wonder whether, despite the appeal factor, maybe James just wanted to keep the songs for himself as a log of his own personal journey?
You, the listener can decide for yourself. We hope you enjoy these four acts as much as we did while assembling them. For me they just keep getting better the more I listen.

Mark Henning (Zoom, National Trust, Voice of Action)

Chris: “One of the mistakes we made as kids running the label was that we made a lot of short-term decisions,” Garibaldi says. “We didn’t have foresight. We were too concerned about paychecks and debt. And now it’s like, ‘Let’s take the thing that we do well, which is to foster interesting music, and not worry about the little things.’ Let’s see if we might be able to figure out something that might make the music bigger. That’s the goal.”

“Spring is Just Around the Corner ” – Written in 1998. Recorded by James Grauerholz, solo piano and vocal demo to eight-track ADAT master at hairball IV Studios in Lawrence. / James Grauerholz writes: “ From my demos for my unfinished TATTOOS musical theatre piece, 1998-2005

Chris Garibaldi and Mark Henning, thanks for being with us on WMM

The new Lotuspool release: James Grauerholz – Life’s Too Good To Keep, a 21-track, double vinyl album of the recorded songs of James Grauerholz was released November 1, 2024 More info at: http://www.lotuspool.com

11:27

12. James Grauerholz – “Spring is Just Around the Corner “
    from: Life’s Too Good To Keep / Lotuspool Records / November 1, 2024
    [Written in 1998. Recorded by James Grauerholz, solo piano and vocal demo to eight-track ADAT master at hairball IV Studios in Lawrence. / James Grauerholz writes: “ From my demos for my unfinished TATTOOS musical theatre piece, 1998-2005]

11:30 – Underwriting

13. Daniel Gum – “Silvergirl”
    from: The Great Conjunction / Manor Records / February 7, 2025
    [All songs written/performed by Daniel Gum (BMI), production/engineering: Mike Crawford & Daniel Gum, mixing: Daniel Gum, bass: Joel Stratton, drums/percussion: Micah Ritchie. With Joel Stratton (piano on 1, baritone guitar on 2), Wills Van Doorn (slide guitar on 3), Brandon Bray (lead guitar on 6), Cole Crawford (piano on 10), Devon Teran (pedal steel on 2), Evan Herd (writing for drums on 7), Rachel Cionitti (bgvs on 1-6, 8), mastering: Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering, artwork/lettering: Daniel Gum]

[Daniel Gum plays an Album Release show for The Great Conjunction on Friday February 21, ay 9:00 pm at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO with Fullbloods and Fake Italian.]

11:35 – Interview with Daniel Gum

Daniel Gum joins us to share details about his new 10-track album THE GREAT CONJUNCTION to be released on February 7, 2025 on Manor Records. Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS. Since the age of 12, Daniel has been writing and recording songs. He released his 10-song album REORIENT on July 31, 2015. He released his electronic pop EP, I’M NOT DEAD on October 25, 2017, and released the acoustic, 3-track EP, MOON on December 7 2018. Daniel Gum was signed to Manor Records in the spring of 2020. Channeling the likes of Elliott Smith and Andy Shauf he released his 12-track album, THIRTEEN on October 30, 2020, co-produced with Mike Crawford. On September 10, 2021 Daniel Gum released the single “Wolverine” with Rachel Cionitti on vocals & Peter Beatty on lap steel. On October 21, 2022 Daniel released a cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen,” and on December 9, 2022 he released a cover of The Beatles “Julia” both with Joel Stratton on bass, Micah Ritchie on drums, and Evan Herd on drums. On January 24, 2024, Daniel Gum released “Sophia” / “Don’t I Know”. On December 13, 2024, he released the 4-track EP, MET YOU TOO SOON. On January 10, 2025 he released the 5-track EP, COWBOY SONG. Daniel Gum joined us on WMM on November 11, 2020. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com

Daniel Gum plays an Album Release show for The Great Conjunction on Friday February 21, ay 9:00 pm at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO with Fullbloods and Fake Italian.

Daniel Gum Thanks for being with us on WMM

Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS.

Since the age of 12, Daniel has been writing and recording songs.

THE GREAT CONJUNCTION to be released on February 7, 2025 on Manor Records.

The Great Conjunction on Manor Records released February 7, 2025. All songs written/performed by Daniel Gum (BMI), production/engineering: Mike Crawford & Daniel Gum, mixing: Daniel Gum, mastering: Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering, artwork/lettering: Daniel Gum

bass: Joel Stratton,
drums/percussion: Micah Ritchie
with Joel Stratton (piano on 1, baritone guitar on 2),
Wills Van Doorn (slide guitar on 3)
Brandon Bray (lead guitar on 6)
Cole Crawford (piano on 10)
Devon Teran (pedal steel on 2)
Evan Herd (writing for drums on 7)
Rachel Cionitti (bgvs on 1-6, 8),]
He released his 10-song album REORIENT on July 31, 2015.

He released his electronic pop EP, I’M NOT DEAD on October 25, 2017,

and released the acoustic, 3-track EP, MOON on December 7 2018.

Daniel Gum was signed to Manor Records in the spring of 2020.

Channeling the likes of Elliott Smith and Andy Shauf he released his 12-track album, THIRTEEN on October 30, 2020, co-produced with Mike Crawford.

On September 10, 2021 Daniel Gum released the single “Wolverine” with Rachel Cionitti on vocals & Peter Beatty on lap steel.

On October 21, 2022 Daniel released a cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen,” and on December 9, 2022 he released a cover of The Beatles “Julia” both with Joel Stratton on bass, Micah Ritchie on drums, and Evan Herd on drums.

On January 24, 2024, Daniel Gum released “Sophia” / “Don’t I Know”.

On December 13, 2024, he released the 4-track EP, MET YOU TOO SOON.

On January 10, 2025 he released the 5-track EP, COWBOY SONG. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com

On December 13, 2024, he released the 4-track EP, MET YOU TOO SOON. On January 10, 2025 he released the 5-track EP, COWBOY SONG.

Here’s what Daniel had to say about this track: “This song was written reflecting on a past relationship—thinking things probably could have worked out if we met 5 years later than we did. Or maybe they wouldn’t have.. but I’ll never know. This song is a part of a series of singles leading up to my second album. I hope you enjoy the chord progressions and slide guitar especially”.

11:43

16. Daniel Gum – “Met You Too Soon”
    from: Met You Too Soon – EP / Manor Records / December 13, 2024
    [Here’s what Daniel had to say about this track: “This song was written reflecting on a past relationship—thinking things probably could have worked out if we met 5 years later than we did. Or maybe they wouldn’t have.. but I’ll never know. This song is a part of a series of singles leading up to my second album. I hope you enjoy the chord progressions and slide guitar especially”. // Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS who has been active since 2017. Daniel Gum released the single “Julia” on December 9, 2022. Daniel Gum released the single “Wolverine (ft. Rachel Cion)” on September 19, 2921. Daniel Gu, released the electronic pop EP, I’M NOT DEAD in 2017 and an acoustic EP, MOON in 2018. In addition to working on his own solo project, Daniel has been working with other local groups—playing bass and engineering for his band Pillow (a post-punk/shoegaze group) and playing drums behind singer-songwriter Chloe Jacobson, also doing some recording for her. Channeling the likes of Elliott Smith & Andy Shauf, he co-produced his new record THIRTEEN with Mike Crawford, playing almost everything you hear on the album and mixing it himself. Signing to Manor Records in the spring of 2020, he officially released THIRTEEN on cassette & CD on October 30, 2020. All songs written, performed, and.mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Daniel Gum is a 24 year old singer-songwriter . Since the age of 12, he has spent the majority of his time writing and recording songs by himself in his room. The Moon EP was released December 7, 2019. It was engineered by Mike Crawford and Daniel Gum and mixed by Daniel Gum with piano and accordion by Cole Crawford. Daniel Gun released his EPI’M NOT DEAD on October 25, 2017, and his 10-song album Reorient on July 31, 2015, with all songs written, recorded and mixed by Daniel Gum who also performed all vocals guitars, drums, piano, bass. harmonica, and programming. The first single from Daniel Gum’s album, Thirteen “Ruin Your Life” was released on September 4, The second single, “In The Worst Ways” was released September 28, 2020. ] [On our July 22, 2020, WMM show we played Daniel Gum’s track, “Tired Saint” from French Exit Records – Black Lives Matter Compilation, released July 6, 2020. French Exit Records was launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. Daniel Gum joined us on WMM on November 11, 2020]

[Daniel Gum plays an Album Release show for The Great Conjunction on Friday February 21, ay 9:00 pm at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO with Fullbloods and Fake Italian.]

11:46 – More Interview with Daniel Gum

Daniel Gum joins us to share details about his new 10-track album THE GREAT CONJUNCTION to be released on February 7, 2025 on Manor Records. Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS. Since the age of 12, Daniel has been writing and recording songs. More info at: http://www.manorrecords.com

Daniel Gum Thanks for being with us on WMM

Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS who has been active since 2017—releasing a couple EPs before putting out his debut album ‘Thirteen’ in 2020. In 2021 he released a one-off single and music video for his song “The Wolverine”, and in 2022 a cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen” and The Beatles’ “Julia”. In addition to working with his band on his solo projects, Daniel has worked with other local groups—playing bass and engineering for the band Pillow (a post-punk/shoegaze group) and playing drums behind singer-songwriter Chloe Jacobson—as well as producing some of her music. Although Gum has been writing songs since he was 12, he has doubled down on songwriting in the last couple of years—most notably writing over 60 songs in preparation for his LP debut. Channeling the likes of Elliott Smith & Andy Shauf, he co-produced his new record Thirteen with Mike Crawford, playing almost everything you hear on the album and mixing it himself. He is currently working on writing and recording his next 2 albums.

Daniel had great response from his album ‘Thirteen’—being featured on multiple Spotify Playlists such as Spotify Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Indie & Fresh Finds Rock. And he was named artist of the week in November 2020 by Kansas City radio station and NPR affiliate 90.9 The Bridge. In 2022, his cover of “Thirteen” by Big Star was placed on New Commute’s Spotify Playlist.

Here’s what reviewers had to say about Daniel’s album ‘Thirteen’:

“Gum has an obvious knack for turning his pain into something elegant, drifting from cautious sparseness to subdued urgency — with a folk backbeat, twinkling pedal steel and reverb-drenched undertones. It’s reminiscent of Elliott Smith, whose music Gum found a close kinship with.” – Michelle Bacon of 90.9 the Bridge (NPR)

“Daniel Gum’s Thirteen feels like the soundtrack to figuring out life in your twenties– a portrait of transition, reflection, and gratefulness (with a hint of cynicism). The album shifts back and forth from optimism to mellow reflection, finding a sweet spot for introspection somewhere between despondence and joy . . . While the record is full of deeply personal and honest reflections of Gum’s young adult life, I think everyone who listens can create their own internal universe based around the Andrews, Marys, and Sarahs of their own life.” – Coco Lashar, Manor Records blog

[Daniel Gum plays an Album Release show for The Great Conjunction on Friday February 21, ay 9:00 pm at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO with Fullbloods and Fake Italian.]

THE GREAT CONJUNCTION to be released on February 7, 2025 on Manor Records. Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS. Since the age of 12, Daniel has been writing and recording songs.

Daniel Gum joined us on WMM on November 11, 2020.

11:54

15. Daniel Gum – “Cowboy Song”
    from: The Great Conjunction / Manor Records / February 7, 2025
    [All songs written/performed by Daniel Gum (BMI), production/engineering: Mike Crawford & Daniel Gum, mixing: Daniel Gum, bass: Joel Stratton, drums/percussion: Micah Ritchie. With Joel Stratton (piano on 1, baritone guitar on 2), Wills Van Doorn (slide guitar on 3), Brandon Bray (lead guitar on 6), Cole Crawford (piano on 10), Devon Teran (pedal steel on 2), Evan Herd (writing for drums on 7), Rachel Cionitti (bgvs on 1-6, 8), mastering: Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering, artwork/lettering: Daniel Gum]

[Daniel Gum plays an Album Release show for The Great Conjunction on Friday February 21, ay 9:00 pm at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO with Fullbloods and Fake Italian.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on February 12 we play more New & MidCoastal Releases. At 10:30am we welcome Ross Brown who shares all the details about the new Fullbloods album PLAYING IT SAFE, to be released March 7, 2025. At 11:00am the band Run With It returns to WMM, just before their LIVE on-air concert on MidCoast LIVE on Friday, February 14 at NOON, AND at 11:30 Nathan Reusch joins us to talk about the KC Synth collective.

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

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

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

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

Show #1081

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, January 29, 2025

WMM presents Malek Azrael & Rock is Black + Julie Bennett Hume + Doug Hitchcock

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Σtella – “Adagio”
   from: Adagio / Sub Pop Records / March 7, 2025
   [On April 4th, Greek Artist Σtella (pronounced Stella) will release her mesmerizing new record Adagio from Sub Pop. Adagio is a pop record that feels like a warm blanket; it swaddles its listeners with nylon-string guitars, featherlight percussion, psychedelic keyboards, and staccato drums. Written and recorded over the span of five years with a consortium of international collaborators, including !!!’s Rafael Cohen and British songwriter Gabriel Stebbing, Adagio is a 27-minute meditation on love and desire, rest, and time. The album was produced by Σtella and mixed by Edmund Irwin-Singer. Though the bulk of it is sung in English, as all her records have been, Σtella also delivers her first two songs in Greek, “Omorfo Mou,” and a cover of a 1969 cult classic of the Greek New Wave, Litsa Sakellariou’s “Ta Vimata.”]

3. Ivory Blue – “Rhythm of the Radio”
   from: “Rhythm of the Radio” – Single / IVORY BLUE / January 31, 2025
   [Written and dedicated to RADIO STATIONS, DJs all over the world. What IVORY says about this song: “I really wanted a song to express how scared I was for the future. But I also wanted a positive message to lift myself up. I realized in the process of writing it that this song was getting me through my emotions and I felt that all music really does just that. It helps us in our darkest times. This song is officially dedicated to all the radio stations that continually change people’s lives through the power of music and to the artists that continue to write out their deepest personal experiences through their own ideas. Let’s make the future a unifying happy place for all!” // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their second full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and other radio stations around the world. For STARLIT LOVE CHILD, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, & vocalist. // On October 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from September 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from August 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on February 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. Nick Poortman served in mixing, with Kurt Festge who also served in mixing & Mastering. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017. In 2017 Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

4. Heath Church – “Sacred Talks”
   from: “Sacred Talks” – Single / Heath Church / January 3, 2025
   [Heath Church writes that, “Sacred Talks reflects on the fading art of deep, meaningful conversation. I wrote this song because I wanted to encourage connection in a disconnected world. You know that moment when you put yourself out there in a friendship for the first time and open up about something really personal? This song is about that moment and vulnerable, healing, conversations.” // Heath Church is an American singer-songwriter from KC who primarily plays indie-folk music. Heath Church grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri and performs all over the metropolitan area. His style is inspired by Elliott Smith, John Prine, Rivers Cuomo, and The Smiths. Many of his songs include intimate vocals, poetic lyrics, and warm acoustic guitar tracks. His lyrics speak poetically about his own life, losses, struggles and intimate moments. Heath enjoys playing music in smaller, intimate venues and interacting with his audiences. In the last four years Heath has released four 5-song EPs and eleven singles. More info at: http://www.heathchurchmusic.com]

Heath Church Discography

Keep the Pretty Ones Away – Single – March 29, 2024
Magic Hangover Cure – 5-Song EP – October 28, 2022
Kamikaze – Single – October 28, 2022
Mystery to Me – Single – February 5, 2021
Freefall – Single – November 27, 2020
Cosmic Love – 5-Song EP – September 18, 2020
Back to Brazil – Single – August 14, 2020
The Stranger – Single – July 10, 2020
Echoes of You – Single – May 8, 2020
Extra Pain – Single – November 18, 2019
Chemical Optometry – 5-song EP – June 14, 2019
All Messed Up – Single – December 7, 2018
Breaking Even – Single – April 6, 2018
The Things I’ve Tried – 5-song EP – December 23, 2017

5. Benjamin Booker – “SHOW AND TELL”
   from: Lower / Fire Next Time Records / January 24, 2025
   [Third full length album from Benjamin Booker was born Benjamin Roderick Evans on June 14, 1989. He is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cites The Gun Club, Blind Willie Johnson and T. Rex as influences. His music was described by the Chicago Tribune as “a raw brand of blues/boogie/soul,” by The Independent as “frenzied guitar-strumming and raw, soulful vocals that are hair-raising in intensity” and by Spin as “bright, furious, explosive garage rock.” // Benjamin Booker was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His family relocated to Tampa, Florida, where he attended all-ages DIY punk shows as a teenager. He attended Orange Grove Middle School, a magnet school for the performing arts, followed by Hillsborough High School, where he studied in the International Baccalaureate Program. He then attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, studying journalism with intentions of going into music journalism. After college, he moved to New Orleans to work for a non-profit organization and began playing shows. He self-released the four-track EP Waiting Ones in 2012, a collection of “low-fi blues-influenced folk-punk recordings and handclap percussion” that gained the attention of music blog Aquarium Drunkard. The track “Have You Seen My Son” eventually landed on Sirius XM satellite radio. In 2013, he began touring as an electric duo and signed with ATO Records to produce his debut album.]

6. Ayron Alexander – “Lucky”
   from: “Lucky” – Single / Ayron Plummer Music / January 19, 2025
   [Originally from Virginia, Ayron was born from the flames of sultry sound and raised in the warm arms of the treble clef.// In his younger years, Ayron started off in Church like all great singers do before soon moving to choirs outside of the general praise spectrum; from Show to Chamber Choir! // Later, after leaving his hometown and moving to Columbia, MO, Ayron became a member of a Christian Rock band and one of five singers of Just the Five of Us. // It wasn’t until the departure from the band that Ayron realized the sound and style he was looking for and wanting was something completely different from what he had been giving the crowds. // Now, considered a Neo-Soul Artist and living right in the heart of KC, Ayron wows his audience with his smooth voice and awesome stage presence. Ayron believes that music, no matter the genre, can heal a soul and bring love and life to anyone, which is why he sings everything! // Quotes: “Music is the gateway to the soul, living it is the key that unlocks the gate.” // “Give me a note and I’ll compose you a song. Give me a song and I’ll sing with you till my vocal chords are burning with agony.”]

7. The MGDs – “Hold On”
   from: Hold On / The MGDs / January 11, 2025
   [1st single (released Jan. 6, 2025) from the band’s 5th album. The MGDs released their 4th album, Midtown on Nov. 22, 2029. This followed, Somos Como Somos, from Nov. 4, 2017. The band is: Matt Davis on drums, percussion & vocals; Greg Bush on bass; Damon Parker on keyboards & vocals; Scott “Snoof” Middleton on guitar; Rudy Vasquez on saxophones; and Eric Martens on trumpet. This KC based 6-piece band that mixes piano and brass with a dynamic rhythm section that adds a unique flavor to the iconic KC music culture, blending of funk & blues with soulful stylings. In what started as a 3-piece between longtime friends Matt, Greg & Damon in 2008, the MGDs have evolved into a potent powerhouse, high-energy ensemble with regular monthly appearances at the Phoenix, and athe Sunset Music Fest, the City Market Crawfish Fest, the Phoenix Fest, Crossroads Music Fest, Middle of The Map Fest, Boulevardia, The Plaza Art Fair, Kauffman Stadium before two KC Royals games. In 2016 the band released, “Wake Up” their 2nd album.]

10:29 – Underwriting

8. Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom – “His Hat”
   from: BURST / Bad Egg Records / September 6, 2024
   [D. Hitchcock on drums, synths, production. Sal Cataldi on guitars/guitar synth. Percy Jones on fretless bass, with Malcolm Smart on bass. Bob Madiou, Hannes DeKassian, Jim Houghton on guitars. Po Gyzer on keys, Jim Seely on trumpet, Richard Brinka, Kenny Conti, Jim Ollin on saxes. // Mick Cantarella on Engineering, co-producer. Sal Cataldi on Mastering. // New 5-Track EP Spans Electro-Funk to Free Jazz with an All-Star Lineup Including Fretless Bass Master Percy Jones (Eno, Brand X) // BURST, the new instrumental EP from the critically acclaimed Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom, was released via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp, and other platforms. The curiously named duo’s five-track, 26-minute collection continues their explorations of funky, experimental, post-rock, dub and free jazz in the company of special guests, including Percy Jones, the fretless bass innovator best known for his work on Brian Eno’s Another Green World and his fusion band, Brand X. // The leaders of the oddly named duo, Kansas City-based percussionist D. Hitchcock and New York City & Hudson Valley-based guitarist Sal Cataldi, first outlined their recombinant genre research on the 1998 cult smash Escape Velocity, a jazz-inflected/noise & dub fueled flight for the chill-out room featuring another star by Percy Jones. The duo followed this with the even more adventurous and acclaimed 2012 release, Geolago. These albums garnered raves from all edges of the cognoscenti universe, including The Village Voice (“truly excellent… where Miles meets Midi”), Jazz Times (“an interesting potpourri of styles and spacious ambiance”), Alternative Press , Aquarian Weekly (techie gorks, a free-funk direction reminiscent of Last Exit or Sonny Sharrock’s soundtrack to ‘Space Ghost’), CMJ, Fantastic Voyage System (“marvelous head candy, an all-out trip fest”) and Fact Sheet Five (“part jazz, dub, funk, industrial and experimental, way more exciting than 99% of the music being released these days”). // BURST pre-dates Hari Karaoke’s first two album releases. It was recorded in 1992-93 when Hitchcock and Cataldi lived in Brooklyn. Hitchcock was the driving force behind this collection—as its producer, the solo composer of four of the five tracks, and supervisor, along with engineer and co-producer Mick Cantarella of Grampa Studios, of the outrageous dub-and-electronica-flavored mix. Cataldi supervised the mastering and sequencing in July 2024 at his Sonic Garden Studios in Woodstock, NY. The cover art is from Sonja Hitchcock. //“In the early ‘90s, eclecticism was the order of the day,” says Hitchcock. “Eno, Tackhead, Bill Laswell, ‘70s Miles and King Tubby were the soundtracks in our houses, the guideposts for what would become Hari Karaoke. The project began with me laying down five solo drum tracks, complete improvisations, at Mick’s studio. I returned to generate harmonic parts with Mick’s early triggering devices and effects. // “The next step was bringing in my musical friends to build these into songs. I was playing with Sal in a rock band, and he was also deep into jazz and experimentation, so he was an obvious choice and played a major role, especially as we partnered up to co-produce and compose the two following albums. We had Bob Madiou, Hannes DeKassian, and Jim Houghton adding some guitar. Po Gyser offered up some keys, along with Cynthia Harden. Jim Seely and Kenny Rampton played trumpet, and we had sax players Sam Brooks, Richard Brinka, Jimmy Ollen, and Jeff Zelnick. Malcolm Smart, who played in the rock band with Sal and me, is featured on the EP’s opener. Why these tracks were never released then is still a mystery to me. I’m glad Sal lit a fire under me to get this stuff out there.” // HK Trio previewed this new archival release by dropping the EP’s opening track as a single earlier this month: the feedback- and deep groove-drenched “Tropical Depression.” The tune opens with 28 seconds of wailing feedback guitar from Cataldi before bassist Smart lays down a rootsy, repetitive bottom groove, accented by Hitchcock’s phased drums and cut-up vocal samples. // The remaining four tracks are a virtuosic tour-de-force, especially from bassist Jones. “Denatured” begins with the quiet ambiance of temple bells before a prominent drum beat kicks in. Jones is the lead instrumental here, deploying chordal slurs, bell-like harmonics, percussive beats and scratches on his bass. The track concludes with the bassist and guitarist Cataldi trading eights, with the latter on nylon string guitar. “His Hat” once again kicks off with feedback and whammy bar abuse from Cataldi before heading into a deep funk groove. Jones again runs rampant, and the track boasts solos from trumpeter Jim Seely and guitarists Madiou and Cataldi. “Limo Ride to the Moon” has a world music flavor, underpinned with kalimba melodies and samples of Muslim prayers. The EP’s closer and longest track, “Hit List,” is a nine-plus-minute free jazz marathon of harmolodic interplay between the players, with multiple guitars, reeds, and brass going full bore – a taste of the authentic flavor of Knitting Factory-styled downtown jazz of New York City in the ‘90s, a venue where Hari Karaoke often performed.

10:34 – Interview with Doug Hitchcock

Doug Hitchcock has been working as a musician since the mid-1980s. He played with Freedy Johnston on demo recordings that got Freedy his first recording deal. Doug also played with the Lawrence Kansas bizarre-core outfit Near-Death Experience and others. Doug moved to New York in the late 1980s and wound up drumming for a number of bands in the so-called Brooklyn Beat Scene, including The Original Rays, Frank’s Museum, Bite the Wax Godhead, The X-Rays, and Medicine Sunday. Doug’s Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom began in that period as a series of studio experiments that morphed into a working band gigging at The Knitting Factory and other NYC venues. Since returning to KC in the late 1990s, Doug becomes a mainstay on the Blues and Jazz scene, performing with Everette DeVan, TooBig2Fail, The Midtown Quartet, The Old Crows. A rocker at heart, Doug has also kept busy over the years with The Douglas County Quintet, Ricky Dean Sinatra, The Mad Kings, and his “home band,” SHE SAID.

Doug Hitchcock Thank you for being with us on WMM.

He played with Freedy Johnston on demo recordings that got Freedy his first recording deal. Doug also played with the Lawrence Kansas bizarre-core outfit Near-Death Experience and others.

Doug moved to New York in the late 1980s and wound up drumming for a number of bands in the so-called Brooklyn Beat Scene, including The Original Rays, Frank’s Museum, Bite the Wax Godhead, The X-Rays, and Medicine Sunday.

Doug’s Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom began in that period as a series of studio experiments that morphed into a working band gigging at The Knitting Factory and other NYC venues.

The leaders of the oddly named duo, Kansas City-based percussionist D. Hitchcock and New York City & Hudson Valley-based guitarist Sal Cataldi, first outlined their recombinant genre research on the 1998 cult smash Escape Velocity, a jazz-inflected/noise & dub fueled flight for the chill-out room featuring another star by Percy Jones. The duo followed this with the even more adventurous and acclaimed 2012 release, Geolago. These albums garnered raves from all edges of the cognoscenti universe, including The Village Voice (“truly excellent… where Miles meets Midi”), Jazz Times (“an interesting potpourri of styles and spacious ambiance”), Alternative Press , Aquarian Weekly (techie gorks, a free-funk direction reminiscent of Last Exit or Sonny Sharrock’s soundtrack to ‘Space Ghost’), CMJ, Fantastic Voyage System (“marvelous head candy, an all-out trip fest”) and Fact Sheet Five (“part jazz, dub, funk, industrial and experimental, way more exciting than 99% of the music being released these days”).

BURST pre-dates Hari Karaoke’s first 2 album releases. Recorded in 1992-93 when Hitchcock & Cataldi lived in Brooklyn. Hitchcock was the driving force behind this collection—as producer, solo composer of 4 of the 5 tracks, and supervisor, along with engineer and co-producer Mick Cantarella of Grampa Studios, of the outrageous dub-and-electronica-flavored mix. Cataldi supervised the mastering and sequencing in July 2024 at his Sonic Garden Studios in Woodstock, NY. The cover art is from Sonja Hitchcock.

“In the early ‘90s, eclecticism was the order of the day,” says Hitchcock. “Eno, Tackhead, Bill Laswell, ‘70s Miles and King Tubby were the soundtracks in our houses, the guideposts for what would become Hari Karaoke. The project began with me laying down five solo drum tracks, complete improvisations, at Mick’s studio. I returned to generate harmonic parts with Mick’s early triggering devices and effects.

“The next step was bringing in my musical friends to build these into songs. I was playing with Sal in a rock band, and he was also deep into jazz and experimentation, so he was an obvious choice and played a major role, especially as we partnered up to co-produce and compose the two following albums. We had Bob Madiou, Hannes DeKassian, and Jim Houghton adding some guitar. Po Gyser offered up some keys, along with Cynthia Harden. Jim Seely & Kenny Rampton played trumpet, and sax players Sam Brooks, Richard Brinka, Jimmy Ollen, and Jeff Zelnick. Malcolm Smart, who played in the rock band with Sal and me, is featured on the EP’s opener. Why these tracks were never released then is still a mystery to me. I’m glad Sal lit a fire under me to get this stuff out there.

10:43

9. Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom– “Tropical Depression”
   from: BURST / Bad Egg Records / September 6, 2024
   [D. Hitchcock on drums, synths, production. Sal Cataldi on guitars/guitar synth. Percy Jones on fretless bass, with Malcolm Smart on bass. Bob Madiou, Hannes DeKassian, Jim Houghton on guitars. Po Gyzer on keys, Jim Seely on trumpet, Richard Brinka, Kenny Conti, Jim Ollin on saxes. // Mick Cantarella on Engineering, co-producer. Sal Cataldi on Mastering. // New 5-Track EP Spans Electro-Funk to Free Jazz with an All-Star Lineup Including Fretless Bass Master Percy Jones (Eno, Brand X) // BURST, the new instrumental EP from the critically acclaimed Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom, was released via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp, and other platforms. The curiously named duo’s five-track, 26-minute collection continues their explorations of funky, experimental, post-rock, dub and free jazz in the company of special guests, including Percy Jones, the fretless bass innovator best known for his work on Brian Eno’s Another Green World and his fusion band, Brand X.]

10:47 – More Interview with Doug Hitchcock

Drummer Doug Hitchcock has been gigging and recording since the mid-1980s. Played with Freedy Johnston on the demo recordings that got him his first records deal; with Moved to New York late ’80s and wound up drumming for a number of bands in the so-called Brooklyn Beat Scene, including The Original Rays, Frank’s Museum, Bite the Wax Godhead, The X-Rays, and Medicine Sunday. Doug’s Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom began in that period as a series of studio experiments that morphed into a working band gigging at The Knitting Factory and other NYC venues.

Doug Hitchcock Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Since returning to Kansas City in the late ’90s, Doug is a mainstay on the Blues and Jazz scene, performing with Everette DeVan, TooBig2Fail, The Midtown Quartet, and The Old Crows.

The Douglas County Quintet and Ricky Dean Sinatra, The Mad Kings, and his “home band,” so to speak, SHE SAID.

The KC based, 4-piece band, SHE SAID, is made up of Jennie Ferguson on vocals & guitar, Scott Mize on guitar, Doug Hitchcock on drums, and Matt Kesler on bass & vocals.

Matt Kesler and Scott Mize used to be in a band called Sylvan Grove. Jennie Ferguson and Scott Mize used to play in a band called Shotgun Solution. This was after the time of Jennie’s all-girl psych/pop band PMS.

Doug Hitchcock has played with Matt Kesler in the Midtown Jazz Quartet. Doug has played with Freedy Johnston, and the band Near Death Experience. Matt Kesler also plays in the famous bands The Pedajets and The Doo Dads.

Doug Hitchcock Thank you for being with us on WMM.

10:56

10. She Said – “These Are The Days”
    from: What! / She Said / April 2025
    [Jennie Ferguson on vocals & guitar, Scott Mize on guitar, Doug Hitchcock on drums, and Matt Kesler, on bass. From the upcoming 12-track album/vinyl release What! Produced by She Said, Recorded & Engineered by Paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios. Mixed by Paul Malinowski and She Said. Mastered by Mike Nolte, Eureka Mastering.Lyrics by: Jennie Ferguson. Music by Jennie Ferguson and She Said. Matt Kesler and Scott Mize used to be in a band called Sylvan Grove. Jennie Ferguson and Scott Mize used to play in a band called Shotgun Solution. This was after the time of Jennie’s all-girl psych/pop band PMS. Doug Hitchcock has played with Matt Kesler in the Midtown Jazz Quartet. Doug has played with Freedie Johston, and the band Near Death Experience. Matt Kesler also plays in the famous bands The Pedajets and The Doo Dads.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Julie Bennett Hume – “John Lewis”
    from: The Lorelei / Julie Bennett Hume / February 9, 2025
    [4 years in the making, “The Lorelei” was produced by Chad Brothers and includes musicians: Chad Brothers, Marco Pascolini, Brandon Day, Scotch Hollow, Mark Montgomery, and Ernest James. // Julie Bennett Hume has been playing and writing music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/KC area. She has played and sung in various ensembles including a blues trio, an Afro-Cuban ensemble, various string bands, a Cajun ensemble and folk/Americana duos and ensembles. Her music shows a strong Cajun, Old-time and Blues influence with a nod to some of her favorite songwriters such as Stephen Stills, Maggie Roche and Gillian Welch. Julie has released four CD’s of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar” in 2019, “Songs of Latter Days” in 2021 with the Multiverse and “The Lorelei” coming in February of 2025. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss. http://www.juliebennetthume.com]

11:05 – Interview with Julie Bennett Hume

Julie Bennett Hume is a singer-songwriter from Lee’s Summit, MO. She has been playing folk music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/KC area. She has played bass, guitar, banjo and performed as a vocalist in folk ensembles such as The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, The KC Cajun Band, The All Night Fiddlers, the Afro- Cuban ensemble Manos, The Euphoria String Band, Table for Three, and Lost Cowgirl Revue which toured Germany and the Netherlands. She performs solo and with the duo The Stray Grays (with Leslie Giggler). Julie is also a High School teacher. Julie also works in radio, recently serving as producer and host of the KKFI program “River City Chautauqua“. She is currently getting ready to return to Community Radio with a new Women’s focused Public Affairs show starting in April. Julie served as a board member of the “Heartland Song Network”. Julie has released four solo albums of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar,” in November of 2019, Songs Of Latter Days With Chris Hudson as The Multiverse, on November 1, 2020, and “The Lorelei” coming February 9, 2025.

Julie Bennett Hume welcome to Wednesday MidDay Medley

“The Lorelei” was four years in the making, “The Lorelei” was produced by Chad Brothers and includes musicians: Chad Brothers, Marco Pascolini, Brandon Day, Scotch Hollow, Mark Montgomery, and Ernest James.

Julie Bennett Hume is a singer-songwriter from Stilwell, Kansas. She has plays bass, guitar, and banjo. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs on her latest project deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss .

Julie plays in the folk duo “The Stray Grays” with Leslie Giggler. Julie and Chris also perform in the group “Lost Cowgirl Revue”.

11:12

12. Julie Bennett Hume – “One Man”
    from: The Lorelei / Julie Bennett Hume / February 9, 2025
    [4 years in the making, “The Lorelei” was produced by Chad Brothers and includes musicians: Chad Brothers, Marco Pascolini, Brandon Day, Scotch Hollow, Mark Montgomery, and Ernest James. // Julie Bennett Hume has been playing and writing music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/KC area. She has played and sung in various ensembles including a blues trio, an Afro-Cuban ensemble, various string bands, a Cajun ensemble and folk/Americana duos and ensembles. Her music shows a strong Cajun, Old-time and Blues influence with a nod to some of her favorite songwriters such as Stephen Stills, Maggie Roche and Gillian Welch. Julie has released four CD’s of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar” in 2019, “Songs of Latter Days” in 2021 with the Multiverse and “The Lorelei” coming in February of 2025. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss. http://www.juliebennetthume.com]

11:16 – More Interview with Julie Bennett Hume

Julie Bennett Hume is a singer-songwriter from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has been playing folk music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/Kansas City area. She has played bass, guitar, banjo and performed as a vocalist in numerous folk ensembles such as The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, The Kansas City Cajun Band, The All Night Fiddlers, the Afro- Cuban ensemble Manos, The Euphoria String Band and Table for Three, and Lost Cowgirl Revue which toured Germany and the Netherlands. She performs solo and with the duo The Stray Grays (with Leslie Giggler). Julie is also a High School teacher who teaches German in public schools. Julie also works in radio, recently serving as producer and host of the KKFI program “River City Chautauqua“. She is currently getting ready to return to Community Radio with a new Women’s focused Public Affairs show starting in April. Julie has also served as a board member of the “Heartland Song Network”. Julie has released four solo albums of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar,” in November of 2019, Songs Of Latter Days With Chris Hudson as The Multiverse, on November 1, 2020, and “The Lorelei” coming in February of 2025.

Julie Bennett Hume thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

“The Lorelei”. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs on her latest project deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss.

Julie Bennett Hume – “Vinegar / Lost Cowgirl Records / November 1, 2019 . Julie Bennett Hume is a singer-songwriter from Stilwell, Kansas. She has been playing folk music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/Kansas City area. She has played bass, guitar, banjo and sung in numerous folk ensembles such as The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, The Kansas City Cajun Band, The All Night Fiddlers, the Afro- Cuban ensemble Manos , The Euphoria String Band and Table for Three. She currently performs solo and with the duos The Stray Grays (with Leslie Giggler), The Multiverse (with Chris Hudson), the string band Wolves a’ Howlin’ and the group Lost Cowgirl Revue, which recently toured Germany and the Netherlands. Julie also teaches German part-time at a local high school and is the producer and host of the KKFI program “River City Chautauqua”. Her newest CD, Vinegar, was released in November of 2019.]

The Multiverse is Chris Hudson & Julie Bennett Hume have been playing and creating songs for decades in the KC – Lawrence area. Prolific songwriters with a love of poetry and prose, their music is an eclectic mix of folk, blues and country. For this recording of 13 songs Chris wrote 6 and Julie wrote 6 and they wrote one song together. They play on all songs together with help from the Kansas City acclaimed alternative string duo The Wires with Laurel Morgan parks on violin and Sascha Groschang on cello. Also contributing to the recording was Jason Beers. Chris Hudson also plays solo and with the bands “Gullywasher” and “The Bard Owls”. More info at: http://www.themultiversekc.com

Julie is also a High School teacher who teaches German in public schools.

Julie also works in radio, recently serving as producer and host of the KKFI program “River City Chautauqua“.

She is currently getting ready to return to Community Radio with a new Women’s focused Public Affairs show starting in April.

Julie Bennett Hume thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Julie Bennett Hume’s new album “The Lorelei” will be released on February 9, 2025
More info at: http://www.juliebennetthume.com

11:25

13. Julie Bennett Hume – “I Feel A Chill”
    from: The Lorelei / Julie Bennett Hume / February 9, 2025
    [4 years in the making, “The Lorelei” was produced by Chad Brothers and includes musicians: Chad Brothers, Marco Pascolini, Brandon Day, Scotch Hollow, Mark Montgomery, and Ernest James. // Julie Bennett Hume has been playing and writing music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/KC area. She has played and sung in various ensembles including a blues trio, an Afro-Cuban ensemble, various string bands, a Cajun ensemble and folk/Americana duos and ensembles. Her music shows a strong Cajun, Old-time and Blues influence with a nod to some of her favorite songwriters such as Stephen Stills, Maggie Roche and Gillian Welch. Julie has released four CD’s of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar” in 2019, “Songs of Latter Days” in 2021 with the Multiverse and “The Lorelei” coming in February of 2025. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss. http://www.juliebennetthume.com]

11:29 – Underwriting

14. Malek Azrael – “in ur mind”
    from: “in ur mind” – Single / Malek Azrael / March 1, 2024
    [On October 15, 2021 Makek Azrael released his 10-track album debut. Male Azrael lives in KCMO. He has worked for Boys Grow, and is currently working with touring. Malek Azrael has been involved with Making Movies non-profit organization Art As Mentorship. He sometimes plays with Making Movies and played the Ameri-Kana Fest. Malek Azrael played KKFI’s 18th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, on Aug. 27, at The Black Box, in West Bottoms. Malek & The Vibez played Boulevardia Festival at Crown Center, on June 16, 2024.]

[Malek Azrael plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions, Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 6:00pm, at Manor Records, 5540 Troost Ave., KCMO. This is the Heartland Song Network Takeover as Malek Azrael is their Artist of The Month.]

[Malek Azrael & The Vibez plays ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire.]

11:34 – Interview with Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Josh Luke

Malek Azrael is a Kansas City-based singer, songwriter, and producer whose music effortlessly blends elements of Indie Rock and R&B Pop. Born and raised in the heart of the Midwest, Malek’s music is a reflection of his upbringing and his experiences, which he translates into honest, heartfelt lyrics and infectious melodies. // In October of 2021, Malek Azrael released his first album “Waves” which first featured members of his live band “The Vibez”. Upon the release of the debut project, The band hosted a sold-out release concert with 110 tickets sold. Since then, they have grown their fanbase in KC and surrounding areas through live concerts land appearances at Boulevardia Festival, Ameri’Kana, and the 18th and Vine Gumbo Fest, and shows at RecordBar, The Truman, Grinders, and Knuckleheads and collaborated with larger acts such as Making Movies, The Greeting Committee, and D Smoke. // Malek and The Vibez are set to release their new EP on February 28, 2025.

Izzy Vivas is Art Director at the Zhou B Art Center. Izzy Vivas received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), and Social Practice Minor, from the Kansas City Art Institute. Izzy has honed her skills in curating immersive art experiences and pushing creative boundaries. She has worked at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Doo Good KC, and is a visionary behind the West 18th Street Fashion Show, Izzy leads the creative direction of this iconic event, uniting designers, artists, and performers to showcase cutting-edge designs and celebrate Kansas City’s cultural richness. Izzy’s expertise lies in her ability to merge art and fashion seamlessly, provoking thought and inspiring change through her innovative storytelling and visionary leadership.

Joshua Luke is the drummer for Malek Azrael & The Vibez. Josh Luke is a Kansas City-based audio engineer with a wide variety of skills and is the sole owner of Josh Luke Music and Audio LLC. He has a wide range of experiences in audio and the entertainment industry due to his passion, work ethic, easygoing attitude, ability to troubleshoot, and a degree in audio engineering. One of Josh’s greatest strengths is his constant desire to learn. Regarding live events, Josh has worked as an audio specialist or stagehand for MJH Media Group, Crossroads Sound, City Light Orchestra, The Levee Bar and Grill, and a handful and churches in the area. Through these opportunities, he has mixed at the Midland and Truman event spaces and set up and run audio for corporate events and weddings in hotels and venues all over town and the Midwest. He’s recently partnered with Prosperoes Bookstore by live recording and mixing a diverse range of local bands and artists for their Bell Tower concert series. Josh is also an energetic wedding and event DJ/MC. He will ensure your wedding or event flows smoothly and the music perfectly captures the mood. A few of the places he has DJ’d at include Gather at Red Cedar, Museum at Prairiefire, the Deleware, Beck Event Space, and Eltron KC. More info at: joshlukemusicandaudiollc.com

Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Joshua Luke joins us to share details about ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire.

Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Joshua Luke thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Rock is Black is dedicated to uplifting and showcasing under-represented Black artists in the rock music genre, and celebrate the rich, yet often overlooked, contributions Black artists have made to rock music throughout history. From blues rock to pop punk, this unique occasion serves as the release concert for the highly anticipated indie rock EP by Malek Azrael & the Vibez, a band committed to redefining the landscape of music through a Black lens. Malek Azrael is a KC-based singer, songwriter, & producer whose music effortlessly blends Indie Rock & R&B Pop.

Malek and The Vibez are set to release their new EP on February 28, 2025., diving into and Indie Rock souind with a Y2k essence inspired by bands like Weezer, Wheatus, Lenny Kravitz, Smash Mouth, and Paramour.

ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire.

11:41

15. Frankie Shorez – “Wanna Be Bad”
    from: “Wanna Be Bad” – Single / Mercy Fire LLC / January 3, 2024
    [Frankie B. Shorez is a 22 year old singer, Songwriter, Model, actress, and clothing designer and Small Business owner from Kansas city MO. From Rags to Riches chasing the dream..]

[Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire plays ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, and Stephonne.]

11:45 – Interview with Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Joshua Luke

Malek Azrael returns to WMM to talk about ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire.

Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Joshua Luke, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Malek Azrael plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions, Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 6:00pm, at Manor Records, 5540 Troost Ave., KCMO. This is the Heartland Song Network Takeover as Malek Azrael is their Artist of The Month.

Rock is Black is dedicated to uplifting and showcasing under-represented Black artists in the rock music genre, and celebrate the rich, yet often overlooked, contributions Black artists have made to rock music throughout history. From blues rock to pop punk, this unique occasion serves as the release concert for the highly anticipated indie rock EP by Malek Azrael & the Vibez, a band committed to redefining the landscape of music through a Black lens. Malek Azrael is a KC-based singer, songwriter, & producer whose music effortlessly blends Indie Rock & R&B Pop

Malek Azrael grew up in Kansas City. Malek Azrael was part of Making Movies non-profit organization Art As Mentorship, and sometimes plays with Making Movies. Makek Azrael released his 10-track debut album on October 15, 2021. Malek Azrael released the singles “22” on January 13, 2023, and “Anxiety” on April 30, 2023. Malek is the lead singer and songwriter of his band, Malek & The Vibez.

Malek has played the Folk Alliance International Conference, and has played the Ameri-Kana Fest, KKFI’s Crossroads Music Fest, Boulevardia Festival, and The Greenwood Social Hall. Malek Azrael’s new single will be officially released on Friday, March 1, 2024. More info at: http://www.mavband.us . More info at: http://www.mavband.us

Malek & The Vibez is a band that includes lead singer songwriter Malek Azrael, drummer Josh Luke, bassist Jack Roberts, and guitarist Calvin Haverkamp. Malek Azrael grew up in Kansas City. He has worked for Boys Grow, and is currently working with touring. Malek Azrael was part of Making Movies non-profit organization Art As Mentorship, and sometimes plays with Making Movies. Malek played the Ameri-Kana Fest, and KKFI’s 18th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, on Aug. 27, 2022. Makek Azrael released his 10-track debut album on October 15, 2021. Malek Azrael released the single “22” on January 13, 2023, and the newest single, “Anxiety” on April 30, 2023. More info at: http://www.mavband.us

Malek Azrael’s debut album “Waves” was compared to the likes of D’angelo, Stevie Wonder, and Prince with a voice that rivals the greatest RnB singers of our generation. Malek then added ‘The Vibez” as a live band to support the record and the combination of Drummer Josh Luke, bassist Jack Roberts, and guitarist Calvin “CLAV” Haverkamp created a groove that would make even a geriatric shake their hips.

Malek’s autobiographical single “22” featured Malek’s experience of growing pains and learning lessons in your 20’s. Turning 20 and 21 during the Covid epidemic where you’re not out making mistakes and living life. So when I turned 22 and I was finally able to leave my house, I found that it was toxic overload tbh. Malek says, “Your 20’s are toxic and hard and so my 2022 year was exhausting trying to be a young adult and learning to be a social human again.”

Malek’s band, The Vibez are total Taylor Swift fans but we realized after naming the song 22, that our song was in direct opposition of hers’. She was selling the awesome party, hipster version of being 20 and made us believe that we were going to be these cool adults drinking and laughing with our friends and we are all looking at each other like “this shit sucks” but we’ve got to keep going cause maybe it gets better… hopefully. So we love TAY SWIZZLE, we just wanna know when we can say “It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters and make fun of our exes” cause its not feeling that way just y

Malek talks about having a particularly hard time with being told what music and sound was expected of him because he was a black male R&B singer and it made it extremely hard to create. Malek writes, “I started writing because I loved telling a story no matter the genre, and I actually grew up with a huge appreciation for rock thanks to my dad and his obsession with most of the soundtrack from guitar hero. I decided to say fuck expectations and make music thats fun and that me and my band align with right now in this part of our journey. I’m not saying goodbye to my roots at all, I’m just saying “ hey i’m an artist, not a genre” and creating freely, that is what i think music should be. I want to remind others that black rock stars still exist!”

Malek’s transition from a solo artist to a band wasn’t easy because a lot of it dealt with trust. It was a challenge of trusting the growth, the process, and others to care for the something that you nurtured by yourself for so long. It was extremely new navigating being a man who spoke for himself to be a front man who now has a band of skilled artists who bring their own style and point of views to this project. Honestly, I have to thank my band mates Josh Luke, Jack Roberts, and Calvin “CLAV” Haverkamp, along with our producer and friend Brandon Yangmi because they allowed me to be able to speak my truth and actually helped me elevate my recording technique and see the potential in my work. I dream bigger when I write now, which I didn’t even know was possible until we started this project.

Malek Azrael, Izzy Vivas, and Joshua Luke, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Malek Azrael plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions, Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 6:00pm, at Manor Records, 5540 Troost Ave., KCMO. This is the Heartland Song Network Takeover as Malek Azrael is their Artist of The Month.

ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th St, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi & The Jammers, Stephonne, Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire

11:53

16. Jamogi – “Hot Block”
    from: “Hot Block” – Single / Jam Tunes / May 30, 2024
    [Jamogi is also know as Byron Hyde a Kanas City based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally from Los Angeles, California. Jamogi released the EP, Star-Crossed Lover on March 3, 2023. Jamogi then released a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023.Jamogi previously released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on December 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022.]

[Jamogi plays ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on February 5

At 10:30 we’ll talk with Diana Watts of Whim Productions about the world premiere of Claire Carson’s, Kissing in the Grocery Store, a multimedia theater experience exploring queer identity, love, loss, and the quest for courage to live authentically. Also joining us is Kevin King Whim Production’s Artistic Director. Kissing in the Grocery Store runs Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, Feb 16, 2025 at Whim Space, 415 Prospect, KCMO 64124. //

At 11:00am we’ll talk with Chris Garibaldi co-founder of Lotus Pool Records and Mark Henning of the bands Zoom, National Trust, Voice of Action. Chris and Mark will share all the details about the newest Lotus Pool release titled: James Grauerholz – Life’s Too Good To Keep, a 21-track, double vinyl album compilation of the recorded songs of Grauerholz. James Grauerholz has long been known as ‘The Burroughs Guy’. From 1974 until William Burroughs death in 1997, James has handled the business of William S. Burroughs Communications, acting as his manager, bibliographer, editor, literary executor and companion. To this day he continues to helm the business of Burroughs. What has been little-known up until now is that James has led a double life as an accomplished musician and songwriter with an extensive body of work stretching back from the late 1960s to the present. In fact, music was his first passion.

At 11:30 we’ll talk with Daniel Gum about his new EP Met You Too Soon released on Manor Records on December 13, 2024.

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

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

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

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

Show #1080

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, January 22, 2025

Michelle Bacon & The Band That Fell To Earth + Mike Dillon + Music from TRAИƧA

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Fullbloods – “White House Dot Com (Blue Websites)”
   from: Playing It Safe / High Dive Records / March 7, 2025
   [Second Single from the 4th studio album of Fullbloods. The first single, “No Hesitation” was released on December 7, 2024. // Fullbloods is a studio project of songwriter and producer Ross Brown (Shy Boys, Koney, Snacky). Live he is joined by his friends and the music is probably better that way. Thanks for listening! // Fullbloods released their 3rd full-length album Soft and Virtual Touch on High Dive Records on April 3, 2020. All songs written, performed, recorded, mixed by Ross Brown (℗© 2019 Bargain Hunt Music / ASCAP) in Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Artwork by Nika Winn. Kyle Rausch played drums on 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9, sang on 9. Bill Pollock Played drums on 3 and 5. David Seume played bass on 5. Jerad Tomasino played synth on 9 and 10, sang on 9. Jenni Kornfeld played cello on 4. Leslie Butsch played sax on 10. More information at: http://www.fullbloods.com.]

3. Tunde Adebimpe – “Magnetic”
   from: ”Magnetic” – Single / Sub Pop / October 29, 2024
   [Tunde Adebimpe, the multi-hyphenate talent and enigmatic frontman for TV on the Radio, shared the single “Magnetic”, both his solo debut and first release at his new label home Sub Pop Records. “Magnetic” will be featured on his debut solo album coming in 2025. Accompanying the single is the official video, directed by Adebimpe. // The label’s co-founder Jonathan Poneman says of the signing, “We heartily welcome Tunde Adebimpe to Sub Pop’s roster of artists. His inclusion makes the whole lot better – and a whole lot classier! We’ve waited 20-plus years for Sub Pop to earn the chance to be Tunde Adebimpe’s label.” Sub Pop Records is home to celebrated artists such as Suki Waterhouse, Father John Misty, Weyes Blood, and Beach House // Outside of TV on the Radio, Tunde Adebimpe is a musician, actor (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Rachel Getting Married, Twisters), animator, director and visual artist (A Warm Weather Ghost, Plague Heroes). His prior solo work has been in collaborations with artists such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Massive Attack, and Run The Jewels, plus contributions to Grand Theft Auto V, Sleater Kinney’s covers album, and more. // TV on the Radio is currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes, with a string of sold-out shows this November and December in New York, Los Angeles, and London.]

4. Moses Sumney – “Is It Cold In The Water (feat. ANOHNI)”
   from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
   [One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the storied activist and music production non-profit Red Hot, TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. // Dust Reid, who led production on Red Hot’s 2014 tribute to Arthur Russell, and Massima Bell, an artist and activist based in Los Angeles, began tracing the contours of what would become TRAИƧA together in 2021. The two producers originally met at a video shoot in upstate New York, and immediately bonded over their shared love of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music, as well as a common devotional connection to nature.
   The passing of SOPHIE, the pathbreaking electronic producer who died in January 2021, galvanized the producers and focused their work. “We started talking about all the gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world, and wanted to create a Red Hot project that centered and celebrated those gifts,” says Reid. “We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.” // Bell and Reid began conceiving of the album as a spiritual journey in eight chapters, a mirror of the original eight-stripe rainbow pride flag. The narrative begins at the earliest awareness of consciousness; moves through awakening, trauma, and grief; and arrives at liberation and continual reinvention. “One thing trans people do all the time is turn grief into possibility,” says Bell. “Living under the ongoing Western binary system, trans people reveal maps of possibility for everyone. It’s something that we can all learn from – expanding the possibility of human life.” Each chapter begins with a “chapter track,” kicking off a collection of songs that speak to that chapter’s theme. // As the producers began inviting musicians to contribute to TRAИƧA, the political climate in the United States and across the world started to foment an acute reactionary streak. Legislation denying trans people the hard-won right to medically transition proliferated across the country. Book bans rained down on libraries, stamping shut crucial apertures into trans and queer lives. The necessity of TRAИƧA’s presence in the world started to crystallize. // “The stakes have never been higher,” notes Bell. “We’re seeing a rise in anti-trans hate and vitriol that is particularly being spewed in the United States. I am a trans person from Iowa, one of the states that signed into law a bill that prohibits access to gender-affirming care. It is clearly, materially, a terrifying time.” // TRAИƧA FEATURED ARTISTS:Adrianne Lenker * Ahya Simone * Alan Sparhawk (Low) * Allison Russell * Am Taylor * Anajah * Ana Roxanne * André 3000 * Anjimile * Arthur Baker * Asher White * AV María * Babehoven * Bartees Strange * Belina Rose * Benét * Beverly Glenn-Copeland * Bill Callahan * Blake Mills * Bloomsday * Calvin Lauber * Caroline Rose * Cassandra Croft * Cassandra Jenkins * Christian Lee Hutson * claire rousay * Clairo * CLARITY * Cole Pulice * Dave Longstreth * Devendra Banhart * Eileen Myles * Eli Winter * Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland * Ezra Furman * Faye Webster * Fleet Foxes * Frankie Cosmos * Gary Gunn * Gia Margaret * Green-House * Grouper * Hand Habits * Heart Shaped * Helado Negro * Hunter Schafer * Jamal Shakeri * Jay Dee Daugherty * Jayne County * Jeff Tweedy * Jlin * Joy Guidry * Julianna Barwick * Julie Byrne * Julien Baker * Kara Jackson * Kathi Wilcox * KB Brookins * Kelela * Laraaji * Laura Jane Grace * Lauren Auder * Lee Ranaldo * Lightning Bug * Lomelda * Lucy Liyou * Lynn Avery * Lyra Pramuk * L’Rain * Mary Lattimore * MIZU * Moor Mother * More Eaze * Moses Sumney * Nico Georis * Niecy Blues * Nina Keith * Nsámbu Za Suékama * NYC Trans Oral History Project * Pepper MaShay * Perfume Genius * Pharoah Sanders * Quinn Christopherson * Rachika Nayar * Sade Adu * Sam Smith * Sharon Van Etten * SKY * SOAK * Soft Rōnin * Sparkle Division * Taryn Blake Miller * Teddy Geiger * Time Wharp * Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution * Yaeji * Yaya Bey // Moses Sumney (born May 19, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter. His self-recorded EP, Mid-City Island, was released in 2014. He released another five-song EP in 2016, titled Lamentations. His first full-length album, Aromanticism, was released in September 2017. His second studio album, Græ, was released in 2020. Sumney has performed as an opening act for James Blake, Solange Knowles, and Sufjan Stevens. // Born in California, Sumney was raised by pastor parents, and moved with his family back to Ghana at the age of 10. He described his childhood as “Americanized” by this age and had difficulty adjusting to the culture of Ghana, especially the rural nature of his new environment. There he grew up on a goat farm in Accra and commuted by public bus to school. His family returned to Southern California when Sumney was 16, settling in Riverside. // He did not learn to play any instruments until he was older, writing a cappella music for years instead. Sumney did not perform his musical compositions publicly until he was 20. // After high school, he moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to attend the University of California, Los Angeles. He majored in creative writing and studied poetry, which helped him improve his songwriting. // Anohni Hegarty (formerly Antony Hegarty, born 1971), styled as ANOHNI, is a British-born American singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She has presented solo work and as the lead singer of the band Anohni and the Johnsons, formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons.// She started her musical career performing with an ensemble of New York musicians as Antony and the Johnsons. Their self-titled first album was released in 2000 on David Tibet’s label Durtro. Their second album, I Am a Bird Now (2005), was a commercial and critical success, earning her the Mercury Music Prize. // In 2016, Anohni became the first openly transgender performer nominated for an Academy Award;[5] she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, along with J. Ralph, for the song “Manta Ray” in the film Racing Extinction. Her debut solo album, Hopelessness, was released in May 2016 to wide critical acclaim, including another nomination for the Mercury Music Prize and a Brit Award. In 2023, as Anohni and the Johnsons, the artist released her sixth album, My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross. // Anohni was born in 1971 in Chichester, England. She identified as transgender from an early age. In 1977, her family moved to Amsterdam for a year, and then, in 1981, they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area of California, settling in San Jose, where Anohni attended Lincoln High School and studied music and was an avid record collector. She told The Telegraph in 2005, “I was listening to OMD, Kate Bush, Culture Club, Alison Moyet and especially Marc and the Mambas, which was this incredibly dark and emotional side project for Marc Almond.” Anohni also recalled how she “saw [her] reflection” in Boy George, the lead singer of Culture Club. // In 1990, Anohni moved to Manhattan to attend Experimental Theater Wing at New York University. In 1992 she founded the performance collective Blacklips, later known as Blacklips Performance Cult, with creative partner Johanna Constantine, and she spent the next several years singing in after-hours bars and clubs using pre-recorded cassettes as self-accompaniment as well as writing and directing late-night theatre productions]

5. Claire Adams – “Westerlies (feat. Lyndsay Pruett)”
   from: “Westerlies (feat. Lyndsay Pruett)” – Single / Claire Adams / December 21, 2024
   [Claire Adams writes to tell us that, Westerlies is a contemplation on life and death, beginnings, cycles, endings, joy and depression, friendship and connection. With: Claire Adams on vocals and bass. Featuring Lyndsay Pruett (of Jon Stickley Trio) on fiddle, Fritz Hutchison on mandolin, Abraham Villaseñor on guitar. Recorded at Rio Verde in Guadalajara, Mex. Additional recording, mixing, mastering by Duane Trower at Weights+Measures Soundlab in Kansas City, Missouri // Last year Clair released the 3-song EP Words of Love on April 2, 2024 with Claire Adams-vocals, bass; Daniel Dissmore on trumpet; Fritz Hutchison on drums; Jackie Myers on piano; Trevor Turla on trombone; Abraham Villaseñor on guitar. // Recorded, mixed and mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, KCMO. Additional recording by Odin Parada at Rec4 Studios, GDL. // Musically curious and multifaceted, Claire Adams is dedicated to collaborating, recording and songwriting to hone her melodic instincts and vision. A bassist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Adams has lent a discerning ear and versatility to a number of projects. Claire founded the eight-piece genre-jumping collective Claire and the Crowded Stage – a project that united her pop sensibilities with non-traditional instrumentation. This project teamed her up with guitarist Katy Guillen and drummer Stephanie Williams, leading them to form the nationally touring blues-rock trio Katy Guillen & the Girls in 2012, with Adams on bass and backing vocals. In recent years Adams has been performing solo, collaborating with the KC based string quartet Rewound, and in a trio featuring pianist Alyssa Murray.[Claire Adams played The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO West Bottoms on April 11 opening for Fritz Hutchison & His Honky Tonk Band] [Claire Adams played The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads 2715 Rochester Ave. KCMO on April 14 with Jackie Myers and Fritz Hutchison. More info at: claireadamsmusic.com]

6. Daniel Gum – “Met You Too Soon”
   from: Met You Too Soon – EP / Manor Records / December 13, 2024
   [Here’s what Daniel had to say about this track: “This song was written reflecting on a past relationship—thinking things probably could have worked out if we met 5 years later than we did. Or maybe they wouldn’t have.. but I’ll never know. This song is a part of a series of singles leading up to my second album. I hope you enjoy the chord progressions and slide guitar especially”. // Daniel Gum is a singer-songwriter based out of Kansas City, KS who has been active since 2017. Daniel Gum released the single “Julia” on December 9, 2022. Daniel Gum released the single “Wolverine (ft. Rachel Cion)” on September 19, 2921. Daniel Gu, released the electronic pop EP, I’M NOT DEAD in 2017 and an acoustic EP, MOON in 2018. In addition to working on his own solo project, Daniel has been working with other local groups—playing bass and engineering for his band Pillow (a post-punk/shoegaze group) and playing drums behind singer-songwriter Chloe Jacobson, also doing some recording for her. Channeling the likes of Elliott Smith & Andy Shauf, he co-produced his new record THIRTEEN with Mike Crawford, playing almost everything you hear on the album and mixing it himself. Signing to Manor Records in the spring of 2020, he officially released THIRTEEN on cassette & CD on October 30, 2020. All songs written, performed, and.mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Daniel Gum is a 24 year old singer-songwriter . Since the age of 12, he has spent the majority of his time writing and recording songs by himself in his room. The Moon EP was released December 7, 2019. It was engineered by Mike Crawford and Daniel Gum and mixed by Daniel Gum with piano and accordion by Cole Crawford. Daniel Gun released his EPI’M NOT DEAD on October 25, 2017, and his 10-song album Reorient on July 31, 2015, with all songs written, recorded and mixed by Daniel Gum who also performed all vocals guitars, drums, piano, bass. harmonica, and programming. The first single from Daniel Gum’s album, Thirteen “Ruin Your Life” was released on September 4, The second single, “In The Worst Ways” was released September 28, 2020. ] [On our July 22, 2020, WMM show we played Daniel Gum’s track, “Tired Saint” from French Exit Records – Black Lives Matter Compilation, released July 6, 2020. French Exit Records was launched two years ago as an independent music label in KCMO, founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond,. BLM Compilation is 22 acts from the area, with all proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. Daniel Gum joined us on WMM on November 11, 2020]

7. Kim Deal – “Coast”
   from: Nobody Loves You More / 4AD / November 22, 2024
   [Debut solo album by the American musician Kim Deal. It was released by 4AD, and promoted with the singles “Coast”, “Crystal Breath”, “A Good Time Pushed” and “Nobody Loves You More”. // Nobody Loves You More is Deal’s first solo album. It includes contributions from her sister Kelley Deal and other former Breeders collaborators, such as Jim MacPherson and Mando Lopez, as well as Savages’ Fay Milton and Ayse Hassan, Raymond McGinley of Teenage Fanclub, and the Raconteurs’ Jack Lawrence. // The album includes over a decade’s work, with its earliest songs dating back to 2011, shortly after Deal’s departure from the Pixies following their Lost Cities Tour. “Are You Mine?” and “Wish I Was” were written in 2011 and released in 2013 as part of a self-released seven-inch vinyl series in 2013. Steve Albini, a frequent collaborator, recorded “A Good Time Pushed” in the final sessions at Electrical Audio in Chicago before his death in May 2024. // Musically, Nobody Loves You More blends familiar Breeders-esque rock with surprising stylistic choices, such as bossa nova and brass instrumentation, as heard in the title track. Songs like “Disobedience” and “Big Ben Beat” evoke the energy of Breeders’ classics, while others, like “Wish I Was,” reimagine earlier material with fresh arrangements. Despite its eclectic nature, the album retains Deal’s style, offering both familiarity and innovation. // The album’s themes range from the deeply personal to whimsical inspirations. For instance, the poignant track “Are You Mine?” is inspired by a moment with Deal’s mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s. Conversely, “Crystal Breath” arose from Deal’s admiration for actress Rose Byrne, though the song’s intended purpose as a TV theme was ultimately declined. // Upon its release, Nobody Loves You More was well received by music critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Nobody Loves You More received “universal acclaim” based on a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 from 11 critic scores. // The Quietus highlighted the range, from the vibrant, brass-infused bossa nova of the title track to the raw vulnerability of songs like “Are You Mine?” AllMusic added their ‘Editor’s Choice’ tag to the collection and stated “Nobody Loves You More is some of her finest music yet, and while any of these songs would’ve been a standout with one of her other projects, it’s all the sweeter that they’re hers alone”.]

8. Florist – “Have Heaven”
   from: “Jellywish / Double Double Whammy / April 4, 2025
   [“Have Heaven” is the first single from Florist’s upcoming album. // “Jellywish is billed as an exercise in imagining a world where magic is a daily companion, possibility is everywhere, and asking the difficult questions is rewarding.” – PITCHFORK // “Sprague’s gossamer vocals float atop a soft wash of hypnotic acoustic guitar strums—which sound almost harp-like—as effortlessly graceful as leaves skimming the top of a pond.” – PASTE // With their new album, New York minimalist folk quartet Florist invite listeners to question everything — to imagine a world where magic, surrealism, and the supernatural are our companions in day-to-day life. Jellywish, due April 4th on Double Double Whammy, dares to present a realm of possibility and imagination in a time that feels evermore prescriptive, limiting, and awful. // On Jellywish, Florist explores life’s big questions without offering silver linings, morals, or definitive answers. Instead, the band asks perhaps the most difficult of questions: Is it possible to break free from our ingrained thought cycles and pedestrian way of life? That, Florist posits, may be the only way to be truly happy, fulfilled, and free. // Singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter Emily Sprague says that the record is purposely complicated. “It’s a gentle delivery of something that is really chaotic, confusing, and multifaceted,” she explains. “It has this technicolor that’s inspired by our world and also fantasy elements that we can use to escape our world.” The album’s lead single “Have Heaven,” released today alongside a music video made by animator Kohana Wilson, is a perfect example of this cosmic alchemy the band conjures on Jellywish. // “We enter an observational fever dream about floating through liminal space between lifetimes, individual perceptions. There is reflection on our connectedness in joy and suffering through the wish for a peaceful place for our spirits to live and land,” Sprague explains. “‘Have Heaven’ establishes the world of the album to be not quite always lucid, but rather a perspective that is blended into the worlds of the magic and death realms swirling around us. The chorus is a chant that pleads for a better symbiosis between these worlds, and between our earthly forms trying to survive alongside each other, bound to the systems we must exist within.” // Jellywish is an exercise in multidimensional world building. The album’s panoramic cover art, which looks like something out of a Henry Darger volume, wraps the music in a collage of color that presents as science fiction-adjacent, hinting at something mysterious, fantastical, and mythological. Inside the album’s jacket, however, are tender and catchy sonic meditations on life’s most knotty subjects: life, death, earth, reality, relationships, joy, and pain. Taken together, Florist offers an acute sense of the band at this moment, one that worries about the world and its place in it. In contrast, it also presents an alternative to the doldrums of day-to-day life, and the necessary suggestion that very different things may be true at the same time. // With Jellywish, Florist offers a complex album in a time that is anything but simple. In mining the chaos and wonder of physical and spiritual worlds, the band holds a mirror to itself to the great benefit of all. It tells us that we are not alone, and challenges us to believe in magic.]

10:30 – Underwriting

9. Mike Dillon & Punkadelic – “Pandas”
   from: Inflorescence / Royal Potato Family / January 27, 2023
   [Punkadelick: Mike Dillon – Vibraphone, Marimba, Prophet 6, Congas, Bongo; Brain Haas – Fender Rhodes, Piano, Bass Moog, Melodica; Nikki Glaspie – Drums, Cymbals, Vocals. Mixed and Recorded by Chad Meise. Mastered by Collin Jordan / Boiler Room Mastering. Cover Art: Peregrine Honig. // From Bandcamp notes: Mike Dillon & Punkadelick makes its recorded debut with Inflorescence, an album of heady, instrumental rock highlighting a band deep in the throes of creative freedom, road tested and wild. Consisting of 10 tracks in 42-minutes, it’s an expansive, focused and fearless collection, representing a world where Duke Ellington and Augustus Pablo rub shoulders with crate-digger exotica, the freak-funk of Parliament and the ‘anything fits’ outsider ethos of acid-fried punks like The Meat Puppets. // A trio featuring Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos, Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals, Punkadelick is the unified vision of six hands creating a world that often sounds like the work of an ensemble three times the size. // During 2020 and 2021, while many music venues were still shuttered, the group began touring, sweating their way through cuts Dillon and Haas had composed during quarantine writing sessions. Locking in on stage, it quickly became clear the band was functioning at a level that made the hair on their arms stand at attention—even for three live music veterans accustomed to life on the road. // “It became obvious to let this become a collaboration,” Dillon says. “This is really something all three of us are doing because we have so much love for one another and a love for the music that we started creating.” // “There’s only three of us, but we move together like a big, nasty school of fish,” Haas adds, laughing. // During the tail end of a 2021 tour, the band booked time to record with engineer—and functioning fourth band member—Chad Meise, and Inflorescence sprouted. Opener “Desert Monsoon,” sets the stage with a spiritual-jazz intro of organ, vibraphone, percussion and wordless vocal coos before crackling to life as a swaggering funk strut. The title track, and “Pandas,” dig into thick dub textures built around Glaspie’s drumming and Haas’s subwoofer-straining bass synths. // “Apocalypse Daydream,” which appeared as an exotic head-nodder on 2020’s Shoot the Moon (titled “Apocalyptic Daydreams”) is reborn as a meatier jazz-rock slab where Dillon and Haas circle each other like Television performing as a lounge act on a cruise ship sailing seas of psilocybin. // Bending ears and surprising audiences has long been part of Dillon’s MO and Glaspie and Haas act as perfect foils for forays into the weird. While Dillon bristles at the “punk jazz” tag, punk rock and jazz remain core influences to the band, in sound and spirit. // “We’re students of the titans of music. We grew up listening to punk and rock ’n’ roll but we also love instrumental music—particularly the forefathers of Black American Music. In our minds, Led Zeppelin and Milt Jackson, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Minutemen, The Bad Brains and Frank Zappa are interconnected influences,” explains Dillon. “All that comes together in how we approach instrumental creative music. Both punk rock and jazz are not prefab things, they’re about the freedom. We have no genre restriction in this band, and people who get it really respect that.” // Maybe the greatest example of the band’s punk-steeped sonic free-for-all is “Slowly But Surely,” a track Dillon told Haas to compose as if he were “writing for Queens of the Stone Age.” The song plays like QOTSA translated to piano runs, vibes and deeply swinging drums—big-riff stoner rock upended and played with huge smiles by America’s premier proponents of the unclassifiable. // “We try to challenge our listeners. We’re touching a nerve with people who maybe don’t want to see the same songs done in the same variations all night long,” continues Dillon. “Part of my mission is taking these instruments that are primarily designed for the orchestral or jazz world and taking them to the rock world, the club world, running them through pedals and effects. We’re not afraid to be soft, or to surprise. That’s what we all do in this band — get beyond our own conceptions of what music is supposed to be.” // “We are so blessed and lucky to do what we do for a living — it’s apparent in the music,” Glaspie chimes in. “It doesn’t matter how the day is going, but we get to the club, set up and crush the gig, all the other stuff doesn’t matter. We’re likeminded individuals who love life, love people and want to spread happiness.”

10:35 – Interview with Mike Dillon

Mike Dillon was born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, and vocalist. Mike has released over 12 solo records, and multiple albums with his other bands, many singles, and collaborations with Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco and others. He is a member of Mike Dillon & Punkadelick, Les Claypool’s Fancy Band and Garage A Trois. He has performed with Galactic, Brave Combo, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Marco Benevento, Clutch, Claude Coleman Jr., and New Orleans musicians Kevin O’Day, Johnny Vidacovich and James Singleton. In the 1990s he led Dallas-based Billy Goat, after Billy Goat disbanded and he performed in the KC-based Malachy Papers and the Austin-based Hairy Apes BMX (HABMX). In 2006, Dillon started Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle with members of Billy Goat, drummer Go-Go Ray, and bassist, J.J. Jungle. Dillon also performs with The Dead Kenny G’s, and The Fancy Trio. Dillon is married to artist Peregrine Honig. His current project, Mike Dillon & Punkadelic features Mike on vibraphone, ma-rimba, Prophet 6, congas, & bongos; Brian Haas (of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog & melodica; and Nikki Glaspie (of Beyonce) on drums, cymbals & vocals. Punkadelick released their 10-track instrumental rock, debut album, INFLORESCENCE on Royal Potato Family Records, on January 30, 2023. The album was produced with Chad Meise. More information at http://www.mikedillonvibes.com

Mike Dillon Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Mike Dillon is an American percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, and vocalist born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool’s Fancy Band and Garage A Trois.

In 2023 Mike Dillon called into our show from the road, where he was touring as a member of Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, with Les on vocals & guitar, Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on keyboards, Paulo Baldi on drums, Skerik on saxophone, and Mike Dillon on percussion. Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade played Grinders KC, on Friday, May 26.

Mike Dillon is based in New Orleans and Kansas City

Mike has produced albums for others including Rickie Lee Jones album Kicks.

He has performed with many musicians including Ani DiFranco, Galactic, Brave Combo, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Marco Benevento, Clutch (band), Claude Coleman Jr., and New Orleans musicians Kevin O’Day, Johnny Vidacovich and James Singleton.

Dillon’s love of playing percussion was born out of his love for the band Rush as a teenager. He originally performed in the 1980s with local Dallas and Denton favorites Ten Hands.

In the 1990s he led Dallas-based Billy Goat, In the late 1990s, Billy Goat disbanded and he performed in the Kansas City-based Malachy Papers and the Austin-based Hairy Apes BMX (HABMX).

In 2006, Dillon started a project “Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle” which included members of Billy Goat, drummer Go-Go Ray, and bassist, J.J. Jungle.

The live Go-Go Jungle also performs songs from Dillon’s prior projects. They released their second CD entitled Rock Star Bench Press in 2009.

Dillon contributed the majority of compositions to Garage A Trois’ Power Patriot CD released in 2009.

Dillon and saxophonist Skerik perform as a trio called “The Dead Kenny G’s” with alternate third members. National tours have included keyboardist Brian Haas and bassist Brad Houser. With Houser they have also toured as “Critters Buggin Trio”. They released a CD entitled Bewildered Herd in 2009. As a trio with bassist James Singleton, Dillon and Skerik have toured as “Illuminasti” and as a trio with Les Claypool they have been billed as “The Fancy Trio”.

Dillon is married to artist Peregrine Honig, whom he resides with in Kansas City and New Orleans, but a busy touring schedule keeps him on the road much of the time.

Discography
Black Frames Solarallergy (2002)
Mike Dillon (2003)
Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle Battery Milk (2007)
The Dead Kenny G’s Bewildered Herd (2009)
Mike Dillon’s Go-Go Jungle Rock Star Bench Press (2009)
Mike Dillon and Earl Harvin People Gardens (2010 – recorded 2005)
The Dead Kenny G’s Operation Long Leash (2011)
Mike Dillon Urn (2012)
The Dead Kenny G’s Gorelick (2012)
DVS [Mike Dillon, Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton] “Bones”
Mike Dillon Band of Outsider (2014)
Nolatet “Dogs” (2016)
Mike Dillon Functioning Broke (2016)
Mike Dillon Life is Not a Football (2017)
Nolatet No Revenge Necessary (2018)
Mike Dillon Bonobo (2018)
Mike Dillon Rosewood (2020)
Mike Dillon & Punkadelic Shoot the Moon (2021)
Mike Dillon & The Bad Decisions Suitcase Man (2021 )
Mike Dillon 1918 (2021)
Mike Dillon & Punkadelick Featuring Nikkie Glaspie and Brian Haas ‘’Inflorescence’’ (2023)

See also discographies
Billy Goat
Hairy Apes BMX
Malachy Papers
Critters Buggin
Garage A Trois
With others
Ten Hands Kung Fu … That’s What I Like (1988)
Ten Hands The Big One Is Coming (1989)
MC 900 Ft Jesus One Step Ahead of the Spider (1994)
Ten Hands The Big One That Got Away (1996)
Pigface The Best of Pigface: Preaching to the Perverted (2001)
Karl Denson The Bridge (2002)
Les Claypool Purple Onion (2002)
Les Claypool Of Whales and Woe (2006)
Ani DiFranco Canon (2007)
Marco Benevento Live at Tonic (2007)
Ani DiFranco Red Letter Year (2008)
Santogold Santogold (2008)
Les Claypool Of Fungi and Foe (2009)
Ani Difranco “Which Side Are You On” (2012)
Wavves “Afraid of Heights” (2013)
Secret Chiefs 3 (Ishraqiyun) Perichoresis (2014)
Primus Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (2014)
Karl Denson New Ammo (2014)
The Revivalist Men Amongst Mountains (2015)
Stanton Moore “With You in Mind” (2017)
Robert Walter’s 20th Congress Spacesuit (2018)
Clutch Book of Bad Decisions (2018)
The Dean Ween Group rock2 (2018)
Rickie Lee Jones Kicks 2019
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Gnomes and Badgers (2019)
The Iceman Special Circular Purple Circus (2021)

10. Mike Dillon & Punkadelic– “Run White Boy Run (feat. Calvin Arsenia)”
    from: Run White Boy Run / Royal Potato Family / February 14, 2025
    [Run White Boy Run presents Mike Dillon with his ever fierce and subversive trio Punkadelick, featuring keyboardist Brian Haas and drummer Nikki Glaspie. This time around the fearless vibraphonist/percussionist — whose resume runs from Les Claypool to Garage A Trois, Ani DiFranco to Rickie Lee Jones — takes on Cumbia, a Latin American style of music that originated in Colombia in the 1800s, and injects it with his own patented no-holds-barred, punk jazz vision. He’s joined along the way on this provocative musical rollercoaster ride by special guests including David Shaw (The Revivalist), Tiff Lampson (Givers), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) and Shane Theriot (Hall & Oates). All songs written by Mike Dillon, Brian Haas, and Peregrine Honig. (except for “I Want To Be Your Dog” – The Stooges) Mixed and Recorded by Chad Meise]

10:48 – More interview with Mike Dillon

Mike Dillon has released over 12 solo records, multiple albums with his other bands, many singles, and collaborations with Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco and others. More information at http://www.mikedillonvibes.com

Mike’s band, Mike Dillon & Punkadelic features Mike on vibraphone, ma-rimba, Prophet 6, congas, & bongos; Brian Haas (of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog & melodica; and Nikki Glaspie (of Beyonce) on drums, cymbals & vocals.

Punkadelick released their 10-track instrumental rock, debut album, INFLORESCENCE on Royal Potato Family Records, on January 30, 2023.

The album was produced with Chad Meise.

A trio featuring Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos, Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals, Punkadelick is the unified vision of six hands creating a world that often sounds like the work of an ensemble three times the size.

Mike Dillon on The Road

JAN 18 SAT
The Maple Leaf- The New Fuck Yeahs @ 10:00 PM
New Orleans, LA, United States

FEB 22 SAT
No So Super Hero Ball- The New Fuck Yeahs- Carrolton Station @ 9:00 PM
New Orleans, LA, United States

FEB 28 FRI
Mike Dillon, Brian Haas, Otto Schrang @ 9:00 PM
New Orleans, LA, United States

MAR 4 TUE
The New Fuck Yeahs- The Blue Nile mardi Gras Day @ 7:00 PM
New Orleans, LA, United States

MAR 21 FRI
Punkadelick- Jack London Revue- Brian Haas, Nikki Glaspie, Mike D Portland, Or @ 9:00 PM
Brian HaasNikki Glaspie Fan Page
Portland, OR, United States

MAR 21 FRI
Punkadelick- Jack London Revue- Brian haas, Nikki Glaspie, Mike D Portland, Or @ 9:00 PM
Brian Haas
Portland, OR, United States

MAR 22 SAT
Punkadelick and OG McTuff- High Dive Settle @ 8:00 PM
Brian HaasNikki Glaspie Fan Page
Seattle, WA, United States

More information at http://www.mikedillonvibes.com

During 2020 and 2021, while many music venues were still shuttered, the group began touring, sweating their way through cuts Dillon and Haas had composed during quarantine writing sessions. Locking in on stage, it quickly became clear the band was functioning at a level that made the hair on their arms stand at attention—even for three live music veterans accustomed to life on the road.

“It became obvious to let this become a collaboration,” Dillon says. “This is really something all three of us are doing because we have so much love for one another and a love for the music that we started creating.” // “There’s only three of us, but we move together like a big, nasty school of fish,” Haas adds, laughing.

During the tail end of a 2021 tour, the band booked time to record with engineer—and functioning fourth band member—Chad Meise, and Inflorescence sprouted. Opener The title track, and “Pandas,” dig into thick dub textures built around Glaspie’s drumming and Haas’s subwoofer-straining bass synths.

Bending ears and surprising audiences has long been part of Dillon’s MO and Glaspie and Haas act as perfect foils for forays into the weird. While Dillon bristles at the “punk jazz” tag, punk rock and jazz remain core influences to the band, in sound and spirit. // “We’re students of the titans of music. We grew up listening to punk and rock ’n’ roll but we also love instrumental music—particularly the forefathers of Black American Music. In our minds, Led Zeppelin and Milt Jackson, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Minutemen, The Bad Brains and Frank Zappa are interconnected influences,” explains Dillon. “All that comes together in how we approach instrumental creative music. Both punk rock and jazz are not prefab things, they’re about the freedom. We have no genre restriction in this band, and people who get it really respect that.”

Maybe the greatest example of the band’s punk-steeped sonic free-for-all is “Slowly But Surely,” a track Dillon told Haas to compose as if he were “writing for Queens of the Stone Age.” The song plays like QOTSA translated to piano runs, vibes and deeply swinging drums—big-riff stoner rock upended and played with huge smiles by America’s premier proponents of the unclassifiable.

“We try to challenge our listeners. We’re touching a nerve with people who maybe don’t want to see the same songs done in the same variations all night long,” continues Dillon. “Part of my mission is taking these instruments that are primarily designed for the orchestral or jazz world and taking them to the rock world, the club world, running them through pedals and effects. We’re not afraid to be soft, or to surprise. That’s what we all do in this band — get beyond our own conceptions of what music is supposed to be.”

Mike Dillon was a percussionist with Billy Goat, and was one third of influential and acclaimed band, The Malachi Papers.

Mike Dillon Thank you for being with us on WMM.

More information at http://www.mikedillonvibes.com

10:57

11. Malachi Papers – “Jane and Brad”
    from: Backbelly / reapandsow, Inc / January 1, 2003
    [Mike Dillon on Percussion, Vibraphone, Mark Southerland on Saxophone, Brad Houser, Johnny Hamil on bass, E Clarke Wyatt on keyboards, Joe Max on Turntables, Earl Harvin o drums. Recorded by Chad Meise, Mastered by E Clarke Wyatt, Cover art by Peregrine Honig

11:00 – Station ID

We play two more tracks from a new project from music production non-profit Red Hot, TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today.

12. Mary Lattimore, MIZU & Jamal Shakeri– “I. Midnight Moon Pool (Womb Of The Soul) [feat. Laraaji]”
    from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
    [One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the storied activist and music production non-profit Red Hot, TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. // Dust Reid, who led production on Red Hot’s 2014 tribute to Arthur Russell, and Massima Bell, an artist and activist based in Los Angeles, began tracing the contours of what would become TRAИƧA together in 2021. The two producers originally met at a video shoot in upstate New York, and immediately bonded over their shared love of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music, as well as a common devotional connection to nature. // The passing of SOPHIE, the pathbreaking electronic producer who died in January 2021, galvanized the producers and focused their work. “We started talking about all the gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world, and wanted to create a Red Hot project that centered and celebrated those gifts,” says Reid. “We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.” // Bell and Reid began conceiving of the album as a spiritual journey in eight chapters, a mirror of the original eight-stripe rainbow pride flag. The narrative begins at the earliest awareness of consciousness; moves through awakening, trauma, and grief; and arrives at liberation and continual reinvention. “One thing trans people do all the time is turn grief into possibility,” says Bell. “Living under the ongoing Western binary system, trans people reveal maps of possibility for everyone. It’s something that we can all learn from – expanding the possibility of human life.” Each chapter begins with a “chapter track,” kicking off a collection of songs that speak to that chapter’s theme. // As the producers began inviting musicians to contribute to TRAИƧA, the political climate in the United States and across the world started to foment an acute reactionary streak. Legislation denying trans people the hard-won right to medically transition proliferated across the country. Book bans rained down on libraries, stamping shut crucial apertures into trans and queer lives. The necessity of TRAИƧA’s presence in the world started to crystallize. // “The stakes have never been higher,” notes Bell. “We’re seeing a rise in anti-trans hate and vitriol that is particularly being spewed in the United States. I am a trans person from Iowa, one of the states that signed into law a bill that prohibits access to gender-affirming care. It is clearly, materially, a terrifying time.” // TRAИƧA FEATURED ARTISTS:Adrianne Lenker * Ahya Simone * Alan Sparhawk (Low) * Allison Russell * Am Taylor * Anajah * Ana Roxanne * André 3000 * Anjimile * Arthur Baker * Asher White * AV María * Babehoven * Bartees Strange * Belina Rose * Benét * Beverly Glenn-Copeland * Bill Callahan * Blake Mills * Bloomsday * Calvin Lauber * Caroline Rose * Cassandra Croft * Cassandra Jenkins * Christian Lee Hutson * claire rousay * Clairo * CLARITY * Cole Pulice * Dave Longstreth * Devendra Banhart * Eileen Myles * Eli Winter * Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland * Ezra Furman * Faye Webster * Fleet Foxes * Frankie Cosmos * Gary Gunn * Gia Margaret * Green-House * Grouper * Hand Habits * Heart Shaped * Helado Negro * Hunter Schafer * Jamal Shakeri * Jay Dee Daugherty * Jayne County * Jeff Tweedy * Jlin * Joy Guidry * Julianna Barwick * Julie Byrne * Julien Baker * Kara Jackson * Kathi Wilcox * KB Brookins * Kelela * Laraaji * Laura Jane Grace * Lauren Auder * Lee Ranaldo * Lightning Bug * Lomelda * Lucy Liyou * Lynn Avery * Lyra Pramuk * L’Rain * Mary Lattimore * MIZU * Moor Mother * More Eaze * Moses Sumney * Nico Georis * Niecy Blues * Nina Keith * Nsámbu Za Suékama * NYC Trans Oral History Project * Pepper MaShay * Perfume Genius * Pharoah Sanders * Quinn Christopherson * Rachika Nayar * Sade Adu * Sam Smith * Sharon Van Etten * SKY * SOAK * Soft Rōnin * Sparkle Division * Taryn Blake Miller * Teddy Geiger * Time Wharp * Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution * Yaeji * Yaya Bey]

13. Yaya Bey – “A Survivor’s Guilt”
    from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
    [Hidaiyah “Yaya” Bey is an American rhythm and blues musician from Brooklyn. // Bey released her first album in 2020 titled Madison Tapes. Bey released an EP titled The Things I Can’t Take With Me the following year, through Big Dada. Bey released her second full-length album on June 16, 2022. The album received “Best New Music” from Pitchfork upon release. // Bey is the daughter of hip hop artist, Grand Daddy I.U.]

Discography
Studio albums
The Many Alter-Egos of Trill’eta Brown (2016, Elevated)
This Too… (2019, Elevated)
Madison Tapes (2020, Elevated)
Remember Your North Star (2022, Big Dada)
Ten Fold (2024, Big Dada)

EPs
The Things I Can’t Take with Me (2021, Big Dada)
Exodus the North Star (2023, Big Dada)

14. Piney Gir – “Show Me The Lightning”
    from: “Show Me The Lightning” – Single / No Distance Records / September 20, 2024
    [Written by Piney Gir. Piney Gir on vocals, percussion; Garo Nahoulakian on guitars, bass, percussion, key; Mike Monaghan on drums, percussion; Tomas Greenhalf on keys, saxophone. Produced and Mixed by Tomas Greenhalf at Direktorenhaus. Mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Manmade Mastering. Artwork by Tim Benton.. // Piney Gir (pronounced “gear”), often shortened to Piney, is an American musician and singer, born in Kansas but based in London, England since 1998. She has released seven studio albums. // Piney’s musical style is predominately edgy indie-pop, although she has been described both as a musical “chameleon” and as “the indie Dolly Parton” and “Transatlantic Pop Guru” . // Piney was raised in the Bible Belt of Midwest America and was sheltered from most secular music and culture growing up. She took piano lessons from the age of four and sang every week in church. As a teenager, Piney rebelled against this upbringing embracing all types of music, which may later explain her ability to write and create all genres of music. She then went to UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance where she majored in music, firstly playing drums and pitched percussion, but then changing her major to voice. When she moved to London, she went to Central Saint Martins and took some night classes while doing temp jobs by day; working in bars and clubs at night, she then joined synth pop duo Vic Twenty. Vic Twenty released a single on Mute records sub label Credible Sexy Units and toured the UK and Europe with Erasure. It was at Truck Festival that Truck Records saw Piney play the Trailer Park Stage and offered her a record deal in 2003, the start of her prolific career as a solo artist. // Piney is an established figure on the London music scene, and has toured the UK, Europe and America extensively. Among others, she has supported Gaz Coombes, Ride, Erasure, Wanda Jackson, The Hidden Cameras and The Research and she’s played many festivals around the UK, US and Europe including appearances at Glastonbury festival on the Park Stage and South by Southwest. She has collaborated with many successful artists, including Andy Ramsay of Stereolab; Rob Campanella from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Eamon Hamilton from the band Brakes and British Sea Power; Sweet Baboo, Willie J Healey, Angela Correa of Correatown, The Real Tuesday Weld, and Simple Kid. // Piney sings in Gaz Coombes’s band and is a singer with Noel Gallagher. She has also sung with Garth Hudson from The Band and regularly sings with Dream Themes and Ralfe Band (both live and on their records). She also sang on the Corona Virus themed Disco album “Stayin’ Alive” with Rhodri Marsden. Piney is a backing singer on Danny Goffey’s forthcoming solo album as well as singing on Lawrence’s new Go-Kart Mozart (album release date TBC).]

15. Art d’Ecco – “True Believer”
    from: Serene Demom / Paper Bag Records/ July 23, 2019
    [Serene Demon may be Art d’Ecco’s most ambitious album to date, but fans won’t struggle to recognize his handiwork. For all its hints of mystery, opener “True Believer” picks up the thread of last summer’s non-album single “I Feel Alive.” The push-and-pull of “Tree of Life” could’ve easily propelled it into heavy MTV rotation in the heyday of the Psychedelic Furs, while the slinky “Shell Shock” and its Roland SH-2000 synth grooves evokes memories of Steve Miller’s “Fly Like An Eagle.” Even the audacious title tune is carefully sequenced between a moody instrumental (“Meursault’s Walk,” a nod to Camus’ The Stranger) and an upbeat pop tune (“Honeycomb”) embellished with steel drum. // Like Bowie and Björk, Miles Davis and Kate Bush, Art d’Ecco intends to keep nudging his listeners forward, prompting them to explore – and accept – unfamiliar ideas. “Once you’ve trained the ear of the audience, it establishes a new precedent,” he concludes. Tastes change and evolve, and outliers mature into icons. “That moves pop music forward in the most beautiful, organic way, and I’m constantly trying to exist within that paradigm. How do I challenge myself and throw the rule book out, but still make this the catchiest, quirkiest piece of music possible? I like existing between those two worlds.” // Great pop music accommodates big ideas and simple truths with equal finesse, but don’t expect a record – even one as ambitious as Serene Demon – to solve all life’s mysteries. “If you’re constantly searching for answers or hope to bestow any relevance to the existence that you’re living, then take a pause and realize that life is happening right now,” concludes Art. “You don’t need to constantly defer happiness. Just exist in the moment.” // 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 Art d’Ecco freleased the album Trespasser on Paper Bag Records on October 12, 2018. When d’Ecco moved into his grandmother’s cottage on one of the islands, he hadn’t planned on creating a new project. But, as it often does, circumstance charted his course. His grandmother, living with Alzheimer’s, suffered a related phenomenon called ‘sundowning,’ which triggers increased agitation and anxiety around sunset. “The only way to calm this lady down was to sit down at the piano,” says d’Ecco. He would play “Bohemian Rhapsody,” passing it off as Beethoven. After she was relocated, d’Ecco remained in the empty house where he had played as a child. Draped in memory, he gravitated toward the piano, spending the long, lonesome, quiet nights on the bench before the instrument. This is where Art d’Ecco was created. He relocated to a new cottage, built a studio and barricaded himself with copies of Deerhunter’s Cryptograms, Bowie’s Low, and choice krautrock records. In this solitude, d’Ecco would chase tones for hours. The result is a richly-realized confluence of the ferocious spark of those trailblazers and a distinct sadness, with d’Ecco as mad scientist, stitching together these delicious fragments and animating them.]

11:15 – Tribute to Nile Rodgers

Michelle Bacon joins us in a few minutes to share details about The Band That Fell To Earth who’ll perform David Bowie’s album, Let’s Dance, as a Special VIP Benefit, on Thursday, January 23 at 8:00 at at recordBar. As we focus on David Bowie’s biggest selling album “Let’s Dance” we have to recognize the contribution of Nile Rodgers.

Nile Rodgers Jr. who was born September 19, 1952 The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide.

He produced David Bowie‘s biggest selling album, Let’s Dance, which yielded the hit singles “Let’s Dance”, “China Girl”, and “Modern Love”. He produced the single “Original Sin” by INXS, and in 1984, he produced Madonna‘s album Like a Virgin, which scored four hit singles including its title track, “Material Girl”, and “Dress You Up”. He worked extensively with Duran Duran, remixing their biggest-selling single, “The Reflex”, producing “Wild Boys” on their 1984 live album, Arena, and co-producing the album Notorious. Rodgers produced albums for Sheena Easton, Jeff Beck, Thompson Twins, Mick Jagger, and others, and performed at Live Aid with Madonna and the Thompson Twins. At the end of the decade, he produced albums for Grace Jones, Al Jarreau, Earth Wind and Fire’s vocalist Philip Bailey, and performed on “Higher Love” with Steve Winwood, as well as on records for Cyndi Lauper, and others. In 1989, he co-produced the B-52’s multi-platinum album Cosmic Thing; it reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and yielded the singles “Love Shack”, and “Roam”. He produced Workin’ Overtime, Diana Ross‘ return to Motown, and the soundtracks for Alphabet City, Gremlins, White Nights, and The Fly. He later composed an orchestral soundtrack, his first, for the film Coming to America.

Bowie met Nile Rodgers of the American band Chic in the after-hours New York nightclub Continental, where the two developed a rapport over industry acquaintances and shared musical interests; he eventually asked him to produce his next record. // “Let’s Dance” was the first song recorded for the album. The sessions, co-produced by Bowie and Rodgers, took place at the Power Station in New York City during the first three weeks of December 1982. Engineered by Bob Clearmountain, the song was completed in one or two takes and set the tone for the rest of the project. The rest of the album was recorded quickly, completed in just 17 days. Contributing additional guitar overdubs towards the end of the sessions was Stevie Ray Vaughan, a then-unknown 28-year-old Texas blues guitarist, whom Bowie hired after seeing him play at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival. Bowie praised his guitar playing, saying: “He’s got a whole other thing going on.” He used a Fender Stratocaster plugged into an old Fender amplifier.

11:18

16. Laurie Anderson – “Language is a Virus”
    from: Home of The Brave / Warners Brothers / May 26, 1986
    [Produced by Nile Rodgers. Home of the Brave is the third studio album and first soundtrack album by avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson, released in 1986 by Warner Bros. Records. The album is a soundtrack of her concert film of the same name. // Three of the eight tracks on the album were recorded in the studio and thus differ considerably from the filmed versions. A music video for “Language Is a Virus” was produced, using the soundtrack studio recording but footage of the live performance. // Two songs on the album were remakes of earlier works: “Language Is a Virus” was originally titled “Language is a virus from outer space – William S. Burroughs” and was performed on Anderson’s earlier United States Live (the soundtrack album omits the song’s spoken word introduction, “Difficult Listening Hour”, which had appeared on United States Live and which was also performed in the film). “Sharkey’s Night” is a song from Anderson’s previous album, Mister Heartbreak. However this rendition is performed by Anderson herself (the original was vocalized by William S. Burroughs) as it is in the film. Burroughs’ voice is heard on the track “Late Show,” however. The soundtrack album omits the other live performances of songs from Mister Heartbreak that were featured in the movie. // An alternate, faster-paced version of “Smoke Rings” was recorded for release as a possible single, but there is no indication it was ever issued; it can be heard during Anderson’s made-for-TV short film What You Mean We? // Laura Phillips “Laurie” Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting, Anderson pursued a variety of performance art projects in New York City during the 1970s, focusing particularly on language, technology, and visual imagery. She achieved unexpected commercial success when her song “O Superman” reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1981. // Anderson’s debut studio album Big Science was released in 1982 and has since been followed by a number of studio and live albums. She starred in and directed the 1986 concert film Home of the Brave. Anderson’s creative output has also included theatrical and documentary works, voice acting, art installations, and a CD-ROM. She is a pioneer in electronic music and has invented several musical devices that she has used in her recordings and performance art shows. // Laura Phillips Anderson was born in Chicago on June 5, 1947, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, one of eight children born to Mary Louise (née Rowland) and Arthur T. Anderson. Growing up, she spent weekends studying painting at the Art Institute of Chicago and played with the Chicago Youth Symphony. // She graduated from Glenbard West High School. She attended Mills College in California, and after moving to New York in 1966, graduated in 1969 from Barnard College with a B.A. magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, studying art history. In 1972, she obtained an M.F.A. in sculpture from Columbia University. // Her first performance-art piece — a symphony played on automobile horns — was performed in 1969. In 1970, she drew the underground comix Baloney Moccasins, which was published by George DiCaprio. In the early 1970s, she worked as an art instructor, as an art critic for magazines such as Artforum, and illustrated children’s books—the first of which was titled The Package, a mystery story in pictures alone.]

Nile Rodgers talks about making “Lets Dance”

18. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (Single Version)
    from: Let’s Dance / EMI America / April 14, 1983
    [Let’s Dance was co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, the album contained three of his most successful singles; the title track, “Let’s Dance”, reached No. 1 in the US, “Modern Love” and “China Girl” both reached No. 2 in the UK. “China Girl” was a new version of a song which Bowie had co-written with Iggy Pop for the 1977 album The Idiot. The album also contains a re-recorded version of the song “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” which had been a minor hit for Bowie a year earlier. Let’s Dance was a stepping stone for the career of the Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who played on it. Let’s Dance has sold over 10.7 million copies worldwide, making it Bowie’s best-selling album. Let’s Dance is Bowie’s 18th official album release since his debut in 1967, including two live albums, one covers album (Pin Ups, 1973), and a collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra (1977). The success of the album surprised Bowie, who felt he had to continue to pander to the new pop audience he acquired with the album. This led to Bowie releasing two further solo albums in 1984 and 1987 that, despite their relative commercial success, did not sell as well as Let’s Dance, were poorly received by critics at the time and subsequently dismissed by Bowie himself as his “Phil Collins years”. Bowie would form the hard rock and grunge-predecessor band Tin Machine in 1989 in an effort to rejuvenate himself artistically. David Bowie had planned to use producer Tony Visconti on the album, as the two had worked together on Bowie’s previous four studio albums. However, he chose Nile Rodgers for the project, a move that came as a surprise to Visconti, who had set time aside to work on Let’s Dance. Visconti called [Bowie’s personal assistant] Coco and she said: “Well, you might as well know – he’s been in the studio for the past two weeks with someone else. It’s working out well and we won’t be needing you. He’s very sorry.” The move damaged the two men’s relationship and Visconti did not work with Bowie again for nearly 20 years (until 2002’s Heathen). Rodgers later recalled that Bowie approached him to produce his album so that Bowie could have hit singles. Rodgers reported that Bowie came into his apartment one day and showed him a photograph of Little Richard in a red suit getting into a bright red Cadillac, saying “Nile, darling, that’s what I want my album to sound like.”]

11:30 – Underwriting

19. David Bowie – “Without You”
    from: Let’s Dance / EMI America / April 14, 1983
    [Let’s Dance was co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, the album contained three of his most successful singles; the title track, “Let’s Dance”, reached No. 1 in the US, “Modern Love” and “China Girl” both reached No. 2 in the UK. “China Girl” was a new version of a song which Bowie had co-written with Iggy Pop for the 1977 album The Idiot. The album also contains a re-recorded version of the song “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” which had been a minor hit for Bowie a year earlier.

11:04 – Interview with Michelle Bacon

Multi-talented musician and writer, Michelle Bacon, Content Manager at 90.9 The Bridge, where she shines a light on musicians & events. Michelle has written for KC Options Magazine, The KC Star, Deli Magazine, and Folk Alliance Int. Michelle plays drums in the band Frogpond, and plays bass & drums in many other bands Other Americans, Katy Guillen & The Drive, The Philistines, Heidi Lynne Gluck, Chris Meck and the Guilty Birds, The Blackbird Revue, Dolls on Fire, John L. Johnson, the Nathan Corsi Band, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, Erica Joy, Deco Auto, and several others.

Michelle is also the leader of The Band That Fell To Earth who will present the 9th Annual 3-day Tribute to Davie Bowie. The Band That Fell To Earth will perform David Bowie’s album, Let’s Dance, as a Special VIP Benefit, on Thursday, January 23 at 8:00 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., KCMO.

The Band That Fell To Earth will continue with Bowie Tribute shows on Friday & Saturday, January 24 & 25, at 8:00 PM at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO.

A portion of each ticket sale will go to MOCSA, as well as proceeds from a live charity auction held at the final show. But it’s never too late to donate — visit http://www.mocsa.org.
Tickets available at: https://linktr.ee/bowiekcmo.

Michelle Bacon, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

This is the 9th year The Band That Fell To Earth is celebrating the music of Bowie with a “Super Group” of KC’s finest musicians organized and led by Michelle Bacon.

The Band That Fell To Earth KC is KC’s premier annual David Bowie tribute event

Michelle Bacon is the producer of The Band That Fell To Earth: A Tribute to David Bowie.

The Band That Fell To Earth KC

Michelle Bacon – bass
Alex Alexander – guitar
Nathan Corsi – vocals/guitar
Kyle Dahlquist – keys
Katy Guillen – guitar
Steve Tulipana – vocals
Stephanie Williams – drums
Havilah Bruders – backing vocals
Seyko Groves – backing vocals
Christine Broxterman – cello
Laurel Morgan – Parks – violin
Rich Wheeler – saxophone
Matt Ronan – percussion

This year, The Band That Fell To Earth is raising money for Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault Kansas City! For nearly 50 years, MOCSA KC has been a vital resource in the metro that offers support, healing and hope to those impacted by sexual violence. A portion of each ticket sale from our concerts goes to MOCSA, as well as proceeds from a live charity auction held at the final show. But it’s never too late to donate — visit http://www.mocsa.org.

ALL tix available at http://linktr.ee/bowiekcmo

18+ / minors allowed with guardian

7 pm VIP doors
7:30 pm GA doors
8:00 pm show starts

Each night will contain a different set list, and special guests,.

Special guests:
Friday, Jan. 26 – Chase The Horseman, Cassie Taylor, Steddy P
Saturday, Jan, 27 – Ivory Blue, Katie Gilchrist, Jordan Smith

This is the 9th year The Band That Fell To Earth is celebrating the music of Bowie with a “Super Group” of KC’s finest musicians organized and led by Michelle Bacon.

Michelle Bacon, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The Band That Fell To Earth who will present the 9th Annual 3-day Tribute to Davie Bowie. The Band That Fell To Earth will perform David Bowie’s album, Let’s Dance, as a Special VIP Benefit, on Thursday, January 23 at 8:00 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., KCMO.

The Band That Fell To Earth will continue with Bowie Tribute shows on Friday & Saturday, January 24 & 25, at 8:00 PM at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO.

A portion of each ticket sale will go to MOCSA, as well as proceeds from a live charity auction held at the final show. But it’s never too late to donate — visit http://www.mocsa.org.
Tickets available at: https://linktr.ee/bowiekcmo.

20. David Bowie – “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”
    from: Let’s Dance / EMI America / April 14, 1983
    [Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” is a song recorded by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie as the title track of the 1982 erotic horror film Cat People. Bowie became involved with the track after director Paul Schrader reached out to him about collaborating. The song was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland in July 1981. Bowie wrote the lyrics, which reflected the film, while the Italian producer Giorgio Moroder composed the music. // The song was released as a single by Moroder’s label MCA Records in March 1982, appearing in different edits between the 7″ and 12″ releases, alongside edits for other countries. It also appeared on the accompanying soundtrack album. The single was a commercial success, charting in the UK and the US, and topping the charts in New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Finland. It is considered one of Bowie’s finest recordings of the 1980s. The song has since appeared on numerous compilation albums and was remastered in 2017 for inclusion on the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) box set. // Unhappy with the original recording, Bowie remade the track for his 15th studio album Let’s Dance (1983), recording it at the Power Station in New York City in December 1982. Featuring production by Chic member Nile Rodgers and lead guitar by blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, the remake is more aggressive. Despite the remake being the more well-known version due to its parent album’s success, some critics have expressed a preference for the original recording. The remake was remastered in 2018 as part of the Loving the Alien (1983–1988) box set. // Director Paul Schrader reached out to David Bowie in 1980 to collaborate for the theme song of his remake of the Jacques Tourneur horror film Cat People (1942). Biographer Chris O’Leary describes the original film as “a subtle exploration of sexual repression and xenophobia”, while he calls the remake a “gory fashion spread”. Italian producer Giorgio Moroder had already recorded most of the music at Carla Ridge Camp in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, so Bowie was approached to write the lyrics to the main theme. Bowie met with Moroder in July 1981 at Mountain Studios in Montreaux, Switzerland to record “Cat People”.During the same session, Bowie ran into the English rock band Queen, who were recording their 1982 album Hot Space. After recording backing vocals for their song “Cool Cat”, the session resulted in the collaboration “Under Pressure”. // Musically, “Cat People” has been described as new wave. In keeping with the dark tone of the film, the song has some goth rock influences, with Bowie singing in a deep baritone croon while being backed up by a female chorus. Bowie’s octave leap on the word “gasoline” has been called “a magnificent moment” and “among the most thrilling moments he ever committed to tape”. Moroder’s music is built around several chord changes, including C minor. Bowie’s lyrics reflect the film’s pretensions, taking influence from his prior songs “Sound and Vision” (1977) and “It’s No Game” (1980), such as the line “those who feel me near / pull the blinds and change their minds”. Regarding the film, Bowie said: “It works on a dream state, it feels like the kind of thing you go through at night. That’s the way I look at it lyrically”. // “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” was released as a single on 12 March 1982. Because of Moroder’s contract, the single was issued by MCA Records. The B-side was “Paul’s Theme (Jogging Chase)”, a Moroder composition from the Cat People soundtrack. The single appeared in numerous different edits. The full-length 6:45 version appeared on the soundtrack album and the 12″ single, while a 4:08 edited version was made for the 7″ release. In Australia, a 9:20 edit, featuring additional saxophone and synthesiser, was released on a 12″ single. Other edits made included a 3:18 edit for American and German promos and a 3:08 edit for Dutch promos. A 4:55 mix appears in the Cat People film itself, with additional panther roars. // Upon release, the single was a commercial success. The 7″ single reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for six weeks, and at number 13 in Canada. In the US, the 7″ single charted on three different Billboard charts: it peaked at number 67 on the Pop Singles chart, remaining there for 10 weeks; at number 9 on the Mainstream Rock chart, remaining there for 20 weeks; and at number 14 on the Club Play Singles chart, remaining there for 16 weeks. In other countries, it peaked at number 1 in New Zealand, remaining there for three weeks, as well as in Sweden for four weeks. It was also number 1 in Norway for seven consecutive weeks, and then returned to the top for a further week. The single also peaked at number 1 in Finland. // An RCA executive believed that the collaboration would result in a more “user-friendly” album like Young Americans (1975). The executive told a colleague: “If it isn’t too much trouble, it would be nice if DB went into the studio and recorded a real album”. He did not, instead acting in the Alan Clarke play Baal and appeared in more films, including The Hunger and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, both released in 1983. // Alongside appearing on the accompanying soundtrack album in 1982, “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” has been released on various compilation albums. The full-length version appeared on the US release Bowie: The Singles 1969–1993 in 1993, on the 2003 edition of Bowie’s Sound + Vision collection, and on Re:Call 3, part of the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) boxed set, in 2017. The shorter 7″ single edit has appeared on some versions of Best of Bowie (2002) and on The Platinum Collection (2005). // After leaving RCA Records and signing a new deal with EMI America Records in late 1982, Bowie wanted to start fresh with a new producer. Wanting a commercial sound, he chose Nile Rodgers of the rock band Chic, one of the most commercially successful bands of the late 1970s. After demoing tracks in Montreux, Switzerland, recording for Let’s Dance began at the Power Station in New York City during the first three weeks of December 1982. // Bowie had been unhappy with Moroder’s backing track for “Cat People”, telling Rodgers that he wanted to remake it. Rodgers stated in 1984: “The way ‘Cat People’ came out on the soundtrack really bothered him. He didn’t like it at all. He played me his original demo and I said, ‘Wow, that’s the way ‘Cat People’ goes?'” For the re-recording, Rodgers made it cut time “but kept the same tempo so [Bowie] could sing the vocal the same way and the band could keep the pocket”. Bowie claimed in 1983: “I took the instruments away. They don’t weave quite such a magic spell over the construction of the lyrics…they get the chords right and that’s about all I wanted to do”. // The re-recording is described by Pegg and O’Leary as more “aggressive”. The synthesisers of the original are replaced by keyboards, the verses are “halved” and the backing vocals are run through an Eventide Harmonizer with the pitch raised a minor third. Like the rest of the album, then-unknown blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan plays lead guitar on the song. // The remake of “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” was released on 14 April 1983 as the seventh and penultimate track on Bowie’s 15th studio album Let’s Dance, sequenced between the cover of “Criminal World” and “Shake It”. The remake was also released as the B-side to the title track’s single release on 14 March. It was subsequently performed throughout the Serious Moonlight Tour. At the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, “Cat People” was nominated for the Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, losing the award to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. // The remake was remastered, along with the rest of its parent album, in 2018 as part of the box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988) and released separately the following year. A concert performance recorded on 12 September 1983 may be heard on the live album Serious Moonlight (Live ’83), which was included in Loving the Alien (1983–1988) and released separately in 2019. The performance was filmed and appears on the concert video Serious Moonlight and the DVD version of Best of Bowie.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on January 29, 2025, we welcome special guests: veteran musician and drummer Doug Hitchcock and music from his release from Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom. Se also welcome KC based siner songwriter Julie Bennet Hume, and Malek Azreal joins us to share details about ROCK IS BLACK – Friday, February 28 at Zhou B Art Center, 1801 East 18th street, KCMO with Frankie Shorez and Mercy Fire, Jamogi and the Jammers, Stephonne, Malek Azrael and the Vibez. Plus we’ll play new music from The MGDs, Ivory Blue, Heath Church, Benjamin Booker and more

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

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

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

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
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http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
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Show #1079