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

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

New & MidCoastal Releases + Rosé Perez
+ Danielle Jones & Tim O’Connor of L A Jones +
Brenton Cook & Brodie Rush of Be/Non

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

2. R.I.Peter – “Rising Sun”
from: Cruis’n / Rising Sun – Single / Manor Records / April 10, 2020
[New Singles from musician and songwriter Peter Beatty plays in the band Momma’s Boy, who have been playing together since they were in the band Rev Gusto that was formed with Quinn Hernandez and friends, while they were in high school at Saint James Academy. Peter studied at University of Kansas. Peter released the debut EP solo project R.I.Peter on July 5, 2019. Manor Records described R.I.Peter’s music saying, “It’s like if you took video game music and mashed it with fleet foxes or something. All songs written by Peter Beatty . Additional songwriting and production by Jared Bajkowski. Mastered by Ross Brown. electronic pop ambient america folk mystic Kansas City.]

[R.I.Peter plays a “Cruis’n” / “Rising Sun” – Cassingle Release – Streaming Live Concert, Friday, April 10, at 7:00 PM on Manor Records Social Media Platforms on Facebook, Instagram, etc.]

3 Fullbloods – “Soft and Virtual Touch”
from: Soft and Virtual Touch / High Dive Records / April 3, 2020
[3rd full-length album from, Fullbloods, a Kansas City based band with: Ross Brown; Jared Tomasino; David Seume; & Bill Pollock. Follow up to their February 26, 2016 release, Mild West. All songs written, performed, recorded, and mixed by Ross Brown (℗© 2019 Bargain Hunt Music / ASCAP) in Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Artwork created 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.]

4. Nick Siegel – “Let’s Blouse”
from: For You, Dear, Anything [EP] / Nick Siegel / April 10, 2020
[Nick Siegel, is a KC piano rocker with influences such as Ben Folds, Death Cab for Cutie and the Mars Volta. Nick writes aggressive piano rock music. He grew up playing music in Chicago and moved to Kansas City in 2010 when he joined The Casket Lottery. Now on my own as solo artist, Nick has released his debut solo album, “Awake from the Golden State,” on Aug. 25, 2017. His new EP, “For You Dear, Anything,” is the first act, of three-act series, he plans to release in 2020. Act One, is a modern take on the vibe of the 1920s.]

[Nick Siegel plays a “For You, Dear, Anything” EP Release – Streaming Live Performance on Friday, April 10 at 7:00 PM on Facebook Live.]

5. Lyra Pramuk – “Mirror”
from: Fountain / Bedroom Community / March 20, 2020
[Lyra Pramuk’s debut explores a post-human, non-binary understanding of life. Lyra fuses classical training, pop sensibilities, performance practices and contemporary club culture in what may best be described as futurist folk music. The American opera-trained vocalist and electronic musician releases her album via Iceland’s Bedroom Community label. Created entirely from her own voice, although often shaped and structured by electronics, Fountain is an emotional, sensual, and devotional journey. The title is derived from her family name, Pramuk, which translates from Czech as ‘well spring’ or ‘fountain.’ Often wordless, these songs evoke a new wholeness sustained by the ritual force of drowning, immersion, cleansing, and bathing – also referred to in the album artwork by acclaimed visual artist Donna Huanca. Fountain plays with the perception of music, rhythms, speech, body, and the relation between technology and humanity, exploring a post-human, non-binary understanding of life and the fragile ecosystems it depends on. The work documents a healing that is still in process, and a full circle-moment that reunited Lyra with her sound engineer twin brother, Ben, for the final mix, which they completed in tandem. As a vocal activist and member of the queer community, Lyra moved to Berlin in 2013, following her degree at the Eastman School of Music in New York. Since then, she has also been awarded residencies at Elektronmusikstudion EMS Stockholm, Open Port Club Residency in Tokyo and Sapporo, and Future Music Lab of the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine. Her interests also encompass writing, poetry, and fashion, where she is sometimes called upon as a model. As a performance artist, she has collaborated extensively with Donna Huanca and at events such as Glasgow International and the Rochester Fringe Festival. Music composed and produced by Lyra Pramuk. Vocals recorded by Lyra Pramuk and Ben Pramuk in Berlin and at EMS Elektronmusikstudion in Stockholm. Mixed by Ben Pramuk in Berlin. Mastered by Valgeir Sigurðsson and Francesco Fabris at Greenhouse Studios.]

6. The Abracadabras – “Give Me Your Name”
from: Be Still, Be Cool / The Abracadabras / January 1, 2008
[5-piece KC band formed in the spring of 2007, with John Nixon on keyboards & vocals, Travis Mckenzie on lead guitar, Bobby (Wayne Hutcherson) Topaz on guitar & vocals, Collin Rausch on bass & vocals, and Kyle Rausch on drums & vocals. Richard Gintowt wrote about The Abracadabras for the October 9, 2008 edition of The Pitch: Be Still, Be Cool is …an avalanche of tunes inspired by alternative rock, Britpop, ’60s psychedelia, hippie folk, and swampy Southern blues. Regardless of what labels or managers get behind it (or not), Be Still, Be Cool sounds like a big-time record — not the annoying Fall Out Boy sort but rather the well-rounded Supergrass variety. Recorded with producer Mike Crawford at his upstart studio, The Impossible Box, the album showcases a breadth of recording techniques from one-take numbers to the sort of trickery that has informed albums since Sgt. Pepper’s. Each track is stacked with harmonies, guitar overdubs and vintage keyboards. “We threw the whole kitchen sink into it,” lead singer John Nixon says. “Mike added a lot of great X factors to tracks. He’d dial up perfect guitar and keyboard tones.” Nixon says the group intended to stack the front of the record with pop songs and then let it “slowly unveil itself as something else.” The song “Deep” is a mellow acoustic number in the vein of CSN&Y, while “Show Me the Sunrise, Callie Anne” summons the campfire country-rock of the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers. Such detours complement infectious two-minute singles like “C’mon and Get It!” and “An Argument.” “We’re enthusiasts of the art of order and timing,” Collin Rausch says. “One of my favorite things to do is take classic rock records and rearrange them to see if I can make them better.” This Friday’s album-release party at the Riot Room should offer a sense of vindication after a long summer. The frustrating events unfolded in July, when a prospective label fell out of the loop and manager Harley Sears also exited the picture. Sears, who also worked with KC bands Lovers in Transit and the Rich Boys, relocated to New York City in May. He says the decision to part ways with the Abracadabras was “amicable and necessary” due to other commitments. “I enjoyed the time we spent together,” Sears says. “Their new album was a labor of love, and the end result was a true work of art.” However amicable the split was, the Abracadabras couldn’t help but feel a bit bummed. “We went from almost being signed and having a manager and possibly moving to nothing,” Rausch says. “No matter how hard you try to stay grounded, you get your hopes up.” Adds guitarist Bobby Topaz (real name: Wayne Hutcherson): “It was like the rug was pulled out from under us. There was a week where we all sitting around scratching our heads like, ‘What’s next?’” The events motivated the group to self-release Be Still, Be Cool. They began unveiling tracks on their MySpace page a couple of months ago, leading up to a free release of the album this week. Rather than invest in hard copies, the band is handing out cards with free download codes. They also plan to make the entire album available for download via MySpace. “I think in the long term it’ll be better to give it away,” Nixon says. “The point is that we’re not big, and we’re not making money now anyways, so we may as well try to get people to come to shows.” Nixon is also adamant about downsizing the group’s reputation for dressing up at shows, preferring to redirect the focus toward the music. “It became more of a thing to talk about what we were wearing than what we were doing,” he says. “[Making the record] was a long and frustrating journey, so we had to do things to entertain ourselves and the audience in the meantime. I think we all like making music more than putting on shiny jackets and making sure our hair is pretty. We like that, too, obviously”.]

10:25 – Underwriting

7. L A Jones – “Blonde”
from: Blonde – Single / L A Jones / March 1, 2020
[New single from LA Jones, from Kansas City. Formed in 2016 by Danielle Jones and Tim O’Connor, the band has now grown to feature a three piece horn section, keys, bass, & drums. Band Members include: Danielle Jones on lead vocals, Tim O’Connor on guitar & vocals, Marcus Grimes on keyboards, Jeramy Johnston on bass, Daniel Dissmore on trumpet, Trevor Turla on trombone, Matt Cook on saxophone, and Cade Pool on drums.]

10:31 – Interview with Danielle Jones & Tim O’Connor

Danielle Jones and Tim O’Connor formed the KC based soul-pop band LA Jones in 2016. After a string of singles they released their debut EP Bring Me Back Down last year. L A Jones includes: Danielle Jones on vocals, Tim O’Connor on guitar & vocals, Marcus Grimes on keyboards, Jeramy Johnston on bass, Daniel Dissmore on trumpet, Trevor Turla on trombone, Matt Cook on sax, and Cade Pool on drums. Danielle and Tim joined us last fall to premiere their single, “Behind The Times”. Danielle and Tim are back today to talk about the newest L A Jones single, “Blonde.”

Danielle Jones & Tim O’Connor, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

L A Jones includes:

Danielle Jones on vocals
Tim O’Connor on guitar & vocals
Marcus Grimes on keyboards
Jeramy Johnston on bass
Daniel Dissmore on trumpet,
Trevor Turla on trombone
Matt Cook on sax
Cade Pool on drums

Last year L A Jones played the Plaza Art Fair, on September 20, on the INK Live Stage, and they played Camp Leavenworth Festival, September 21.

Danielle Jones currently works for The Pet Project. She has previously worked as a Substitute teacher at Blue Springs School District she has also worked in the Independence School District and Liberty Public Schools.

Danielle Jones Studied Music theatre at Kansas State University from 2011 to 2015

She is originally from Dodge City, Kansas and currently lives in Independence, Missouri

Last year Danielle Jones married Tim O’Connor

Tim O’Connor has previously worked as a Percussion Instructor at Liberty North High School, Percussion Instructor at Blue Springs High School and Percussion Instructor at William Chrisman High School

Tim O’Connor studied at Kansas State University from 2011 to 2016

Tim is originally from from Louisburg, KS and currently lives in Independence, Missouri.

Danielle Jones & Tim O’Connor, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

For info about the new L A Jones single, “Blonde.” you can visit: http://www.officiallajones.com

10:42

8. L A Jones – “Addicted”
from: Bring Me Back Down EP / L A Jones / April 12, 2019
[LA Jones were formed in 2016 by partners Danielle Jones and Tim O’Connor, the band has now grown to feature a wide variety of instruments and members including a three piece horn section, keys, bass, and drums. They blend a style of funk and soul with contemporary pop/rock music drawing comparisons to Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, and The Revivalists. Band Members include: Danielle Jones on lead vocals, Tim O’Connor on guitar & vocals, Marcus Grimes on keyboards, Jeramy Johnston on bass, Daniel Dissmore on trumpet, Trevor Turla on trombone, Matt Cook on saxophone, and Cade Pool on drums.]

9. Parade – “North/South”
from: Mend Melodies / Parade / March 1, 2020
[Parade calls their music “genre fluid.” The band is based in KC, with Seth Props on guitar, Claire Monroe on guitar, and Patrick Sanders on bass guitar. Seth who writes and produces most of their music also plays in the band Stary with Adam Stary and Marisa Tejeda. Parade released (Solo Demos) on August 20, 2019. Parade released the 13-song, self titled Parade on, September 2, 2019. Parade released the 13-track Mend Melodies on March 1, 2020, and recently the 13-track, Quarantine Demos on March 31, 2020]

10. Yves Tumor – “Identity Trade”
from: Heaven To a Tortured Mind / Warp Records / April 2, 2020
[4th album from Sean Bowie, best known by the recording alias Yves Tumor, is an American producer of experimental electronic music, born in Miami, Florida and currently based in Turin, Italy. Raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tumor started making music at age 17 as an outlet away from “dull, conservative surroundings.” They taught themself to play drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards. Describing their experience growing up in Tennessee as unpleasant, they moved at age 20 to San Diego, and after college to Los Angeles, where they met Mykki Blanco in 2012, with whom they later toured for two and a half years throughout Europe and Asia.In the early 2010s, Tumor recorded as Teams, and made music which AllMusic described as “post-chillwave”. They debuted their Yves Tumor project in 2015 with an EP for Berlin’s experimental club label Janus, and another one for Blanco’s label, Dogfood MG. That same year, they self-released their first album, When Man Fails You (which would later be re-released by Apothecary Compositions on April 29, 2016). In September 2016, Tumor signed with PAN Records and released its label debut, Serpent Music. They had worked on the album for three years after moving to Leipzig, Germany. The album was recorded between Miami, Leipzig, Los Angeles and Berlin. In Pitchfork’s review of the album, critic Andy Beta compared Tumor’s musical style to James Ferraro and Dean Blunt, and noted their use of “unsettling percussive loops and field recordings to create a mood as if lost in a strange urban landscape”. In September 2017, Tumor released a compilation album titled Experiencing the Deposit of Faith for free. Later that week, it was revealed through a tour announcement that Tumor had signed to Warp Records. Following the announcement, they embarked on a tour with a new audiovisual show. In September 2018, Tumor released their Warp debut, Safe in the Hands of Love, with no prior announcement. It was preceded by the singles “Noid” on July 24, “Licking an Orchid” featuring James K on August 29, and “Lifetime” on September 3. The album received universal acclaim from music critics. Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene stated in their review that the album “dwarfs everything the artist has released by several orders of magnitude. The leap is so audacious it’s disorienting.” Tumor’s fourth album, Heaven to a Tortured Mind, was released on April 3, 2020, preceded on March 3 by the single “Kerosene” featuring Diana Gordon. Alexis Petridis, reviewing the album for The Guardian, awarded it Album of the Week, describing it as “extraordinary: experimental, capable of any genre, with an internal logic powering its shifts in mood. Tumor has cited Throbbing Gristle as a major influence, saying: “There’s something about their music, like the hypnotic trance vibes, that really influenced me.]

11. The Black Creatures – “Elements”
from: “Wild Echoes” / The Black Creatures / September 30, 2019
[Darkpop hip-hop musical pulling elements from sci-fi to tell an inter-dimensional story. Xavier Martin and Jade Green have made an impression of the KC music community with their videos and songs, live shows in clubs, art galleries, record stores, area music festivals and shows in surrounding areas. They’ve released an EP, an album, several singles.]

12. Sudan Archives – “Confessions”
from: Athena / Stones Throw Records / November 1, 2019
[LA based violinist Sudan Archives, combines elements of the modern and ancient. The 23 year-old self-taught violinist draws inspiration from Sudanese fiddlers, R&B, West African rhythms, and experimental electronic music. Building records around rhythms and melodies from the strings of her violin and raw vocals, Sudan effortlessly draws the link between traditional African music and contemporary electronic production.]

11:00 – Station ID

13. Be/Non – “Over The Moon”
from: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
[Originally released May 12, 2009, A Mountain of Yeses was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album. A visual accompaniment to the album has been in production since 2008 and now has a 2021 release date.”]

11:04 – Interview with Brenton Cook & Brodie Rush

Brenton Cook studied Computer Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology, in Rolla, Missouri, where he also had his own college radio show. Brenton has produced extensive compilations of area music for the Midwest Music Foundation. He formed the Kansas City independent music label, Haymaker Records in January 2014. The label has released multiple full length albums, for Monta At Odds, HMPH!, Be/Non, Jorge Arana Trio, Riala, Mysterious Clouds, Sie Lieben Maschinen, Schwervon!, and others on vinyl, cassette, CD, and 7 “. He has also produced two Haymaker compilation releases, called Fairgrounds. For the last 7 years, Brenton has been a co-curator of the Outer Reaches Fest.

Brenton Cook , thanks or being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Brodie Rush is a musician, songwriter, band leader, graphic artist, actor, father and survivor. He is the Director of Animation & Motion Graphics at Crush Media. He is also the creative genius behind Be/Non, a Kansas City band that has been making music for over 20 years and released their critically acclaimed 6th album, Mystic Sunrise / Sunset Magic, on Haymaker Records on February 29, 2016, followed by Freedom Palace in 2018 that had been stuck in the studio for 12 years due to disputes with the original record label and personnel changes in the band until Brodie rescued the tapes and remastered the album for Haymaker Records. Now Brodie is back with a new release containing alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions of Be/Non’s 2009 release, A Mountain of Yeses. The new release is called, A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses. And it is being released today, through Haymaker Records.

Brodie Rush, thanks or being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Brenton Cook of Haymaker Records & Brodie Rush of Be/Non join us (on the phone), to share tracks from, A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses which is being made available TODAY

Originally released May 12, 2009, “A Mountain of Yeses” was made by:
Brodie Rush on everything, vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards;
Ben Ruth on bass guitar;
Ryan Shank on drums & percussion,
Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals.

Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album. “

11:14

14. Be/Non – “Travel”
from: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
[Originally released May 12, 2009, A Mountain of Yeses was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album. A visual accompaniment to the album has been in production since 2008 and now has a 2021 release date.”]

11:17 – More Interview with Brenton Cook & Brodie Rush

We are talking with Brenton Cook & Brodie Rush about Be/Non’s A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses., an album that contains track for track alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demos of A Mountain of Yeses, Originally released May 12, 2009. More info at http://www.haymakerrecords.net

Director of Animation & Motion Graphics at Crush Media

A visual accompaniment to the album has been in production since 2008 and now has a 2021 release date.”

Brenton Cook & Brodie Rush, thanks or being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Haymaker Records is releasing Be/Non’s A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses., an album that contains track for track alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demos of A Mountain of Yeses, Originally released May 12, 2009. More info at http://www.haymakerrecords.net http://www.crushmediakc.com http://www.brodierush.com

11:27

15. Be/Non – “Assention”
from: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
[Originally released May 12, 2009, A Mountain of Yeses was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album. A visual accompaniment to the album has been in production since 2008 and now has a 2021 release date.”]

11:29 – Underwriting

16. Rosé Perez – “Megan’s Wedding”
from: Born in A Bag (Split EP with Period BOMB) / Rosé Perez / October 23, 2019
[Rosé Perez is Carrie Wallen on guitar & keyboards, 2007 Balquier on bass & drums, and Lina Žemaitė on drums & bass. Rosé Perez recently released a new video for their song “Placenta Agenda” from their EP split with the band Period BOMB. The Rosé Perez tracks for this split were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jametatone at The Infoaming Vortex.]

11:35 – Interview with Carrie Wallen, 2007 Balquier, & Lina Žemaitė

Carrie Anne Wallen is a multi media performance artist, She plays guitar and keyboards, and writes music. Carrie is currently a Charlotte Street Studio Resident working in illustration, 90’s glitch art inspired collage, audio/visual performance art, installations and musical satirization of the toxicities of contemporary culture. Carrie Anne writes irreverent songs that are based on factual information mixed with dark humor. Her performance art uses theater, digital data corruption, interactive video and costumes in a musical satirization of social injustice, gender roles and the prescriptive capitalist agenda. The majority of her work is collaborative. Carrie Anne’s focus is to inspire cheerfulness, inclusivity and resistance.Carrie was previously in pop-goth band, Ricki Wallen. In 2017 she received a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from Missouri State University.

Carrie Wallen, thanks for being with us on WMM.

2007 Balquier, is also known as Whorxata. They are a multi-disciplined artist creating works in converging media, music production, and video work. Their work as Dj Whorxata (hor-chata) involves blending and mixing varieties of dance and club music to create a queer-inclusive, body positive, sex positive space. 2007 plays bass and drums in Rosé Perez.

2007 Balquier, thanks for being with us on WMM.

Lina Zemaite is a Kansas City based multi instrumentalist, performance artist, and composer. Lina is the drummer for acclaimed girl pop group Rosé Perez. She is also the saxophonist and clarinetist for experimental jazz group HANNAH, as well as a vocalist for industrial act Killus.

Lina Žemaitė, thanks for being with us on WMM.

Rosé Perez join us to talk about their debut release, Born in A Bag, the band’s Split EP with post punk band / multi media project, Period BOMB, released on October 23, 2019.

Rosé Perez is:
Carrie Wallen on guitar & keyboards,
2007 Balquier on bass & drums,
Lina Žemaitė on drums & bass.

Rosé Perez recently released a new video for their song “Placenta Agenda.”

The Rosé Perez tracks were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jametatone J. Ashley Miller at The Infoaming Vortex.

Rosé Perez recently released a new video for their song “Placenta Agenda.”

11:49

17. Rosé Perez – “Placenta Agenda”
from: Born in A Bag (Split EP with Period BOMB) / Rosé Perez / October 23, 2019
[Rosé Perez is Carrie Wallen on guitar & keyboards, 2007 Balquier on bass & drums, and Lina Žemaitė on drums & bass. Rosé Perez recently released a new video for their song “Placenta Agenda” from their EP split with the band Period BOMB. The Rosé Perez tracks for this split were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jametatone at The Infoaming Vortex..]

18. John Prine – “Illegal Smile”
from: John Prine / Atlantic / 1971
[John Prine (October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American country folk singer-songwriter. He was active as a composer, recording artist, and live performer from the early 1970s until his death, and was known for an often humorous style of country music that has elements of protest and social commentary. Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at the age of 14. He attended classes at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he moved to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs as a hobby. A member of Chicago’s folk revival, he was discovered by Kris Kristofferson (although Prine himself credited film critic Roger Ebert[2]), resulting in the production of Prine’s self-titled debut album with Atlantic Records in 1971. After receiving critical acclaim, Prine focused on his musical career, recording three more albums for Atlantic. He then signed to Asylum Records, where he recorded an additional three albums. In 1984 he co-founded Oh Boy Records, an independent record label with which he would release most of his subsequent albums. After his battle with squamous cell cancer in 1998, Prine’s vocals deepened into a gravelly voice.Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs with social commentary, and songs which recollect melancholy tales from his life. // John Prine is the début album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine, issued by Atlantic Records in 1971. In 2012, the album was ranked number 452 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Prine was offered a recording contract by Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records after the record executive saw the singer perform several of his own songs at a Kris Kristofferson show at the Bitter End. The song “Paradise” was recorded at A&R Studios in New York (with Prine’s brother Dave and good friend Steve Goodman as sidemen) but the remaining cuts were recorded at American Sound Studios in Memphis. Produced by Arif Mardin, who had previously collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin and King Curtis, Prine found his new studio surroundings intimidating. In the Great Days: The John Prine Anthology liner notes he admits, “I was terrified. I went straight from playing by myself, still learning how to sing, to playing with Elvis Presley’s rhythm section.” Initially, the musicians at American, accustomed to playing heavily rhythmic material and funky grooves, were thrown by Prine and his songs. As recounted in Eddie Huffman’s biography John Prine: In Spite of Himself, percussionist Hayward Bishop later recalled, “There was no evidence of groove whatever, and I was hungry for groove. Prine came off like a folk poet. This guy was really nasally, he didn’t have any tone to his voice, and all his songs were in the same key! I thought, ‘This is gonna be like milking a dag-blasted dog!’”]

19. True Lions – “Life is Gold”
from: You’re Not Invited / True Lions / November 9, 2019
[Second EP released in 2019 from True Lions with: Alison Hawkins on guitar, synth, and vocals; Elizabeth Kosko on percussion, vocals; Mikala Petillo on bass, vocals; Claire Adams on guitar, vocals; Leslie Butsch on saxophone, Ezgi Karakus on cello; and Teri Quinn on vocals. All songs written by True Lions and produced by Claire Adams and Alison Hawkins. Tracking Engineering by Claire Adams. Mixing and Mastering by Ian Dobyns and Chase Horseman. Album Artwork by Genevieve Sloan. Special thanks to Calvin Arsenia and Fritz Hutchison. The band released their debut EP”Cute At Best” Feb. 5, 2019 with Alison Hawkins on guitar, piano, synth, vocals; Mikala Petillo on percussion, bass, guitar, vocals; and with Ross Brown serving as producer & engineer; and Nika Winn providing artwork. This EP began as an unrelated, musical dispute between lovers, but triumphantly became the spunky collaboration of two midwestern “woms” whose passion for playing music nearly exceeds their desire to create it.]

[True Lions play a Live Stream Concert on Saturday, April 11, at 7:00 PM.]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, April 15 we will be presenting more New & MidCoastal Releases. We will also talk with Jesse Kates of The Sexy Accident, Mikala Petillo of Miki P and the Swallowtails, and Jenna Rae of Lost Cowgirl Records

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 #832