Podcast #640 looks in Too Much Rock's
shopping cart to find tracks from Via
Luna, Death Valley Girls, King Tuff, Screaming
Females, Civic, & Thorr's Hammer.
Wayne Pain wrapped up the weekend with a sloppy rager
supported by Doldrums and Total Sham.
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Ringworm hopped off the Cro-Mags tour for a one-off gig w/
support from locals Skuffed.
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Podcast #639 has a tune for every dancer
thanks to En Attendant Ana, Quasi, Eyelids,
Lucero, Heartbeeps, Greg Wheeler & The Poly
Mall Cops, & Clan of Xymox.
Abandoncy, Flooding, and Nightosphere played a propulsive
and tricky release party for their new split cassette on
Manor Records.
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Podcast #638 returns with unexpected delights
from Pink Phase, The Telephone Numbers,
Silver Biplanes, The Whiffs, Star Collector,
& Abandoncy.
Ears all over the Crossroads are still ringing after sets
from Unsane and Violenteer.
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Farewell hosted a night of bombastic hardcore and beyond
including Portrayal of Guilt, Flooding, and Missouri
Executive Order 44.
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Podcast #637 visits the land of forgotten
albums to hear Silver Jews, Laura Jane Grace,
Blanketman, Til Willis & Erratic Cowboy,
PJ Harvey, The The, & Mensa Deathsquad.
There were somersaults, cartwheels and plenty of
two-stepping as Slutbomb hit Farewell with locals Sexhater
and Genre.
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Hollowed celebrated the release of its debut album with
help from Daffy in the Bikini Zone and Pink Phase.
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Podcast #636 is a roadtrip with Lola Lola,
Ramones, Kepi Ghoulie, King Tuff, Dot Dash,
Pool Kids, & Hollowed.
Podcast #635 hopes that you're paying
attention to Fucked Up, Billy Tibbals, Blunt
Bangs, First Base, For Tracy Hyde, Sweet
Baboo, & Moscow Puzzles.
Farewell was like a bag of chips on Friday night - loud and
crunchy. Check out my coverage of Nerver, Littered With
Arrows, Big Water, & Full Clips Emptied.
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Sarin Reaper, Giallo, Limb Dealer, & Joust created a united
front of loud aggression.
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Podcast #634 hopes you like songs from
Juniper, The Chisel, Boogie Hammer, Margo
Price, Tim Kasher, Field School, Belle &
Sebastian, & The Roseline.
All-star Bowie tribute The Band That Fell to Earth KC
returned to Record Bar for a 3-night stand to lift spirits
and raise money for KC Common Good.
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A bill consisting of Jorge Arana Trio, Moscow Puzzles, &
Jellymin covered a lot of ground on a fun Saturday night.
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Various Blonde, New Obsessions, & Gemini Parks slowly
turned the recordBar into a dance club.
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Podcast #633 time travels with records from
Iggy Pop, Cozy, Epicycle, Ravagers, The
Briefs, The Aislers Set, Gaze, Dear Nora,
& Deerful.
Things got melodic at Farewell when Uncouth welcomed in
touring acts Big School and Bad Spring.
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The all-ages set showed up and danced to a night of punk
soundtracked by Doldrums, Livid, Foil, and Petty.
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Podcast #632 is still digging out from 2022
with tunes from Ravagers, Horsegirl, Cola,
Happy Accidents, Kiwi jr., Decimal Dust,
Static Phantoms, Weird Nightmare.
Farewell got a lot of everything at a KC Tenants benefit
that featured Magic, Weaponize Chomsky, Nightosphere, &
Dilettante.
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Bad Ideas threw a little NYE party and invited Bruiser
Queen, friends, family, and neighbors.
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Podcast #631 catches up with gems from
Gladie, The Loyal Cheaters, The Maharajas,
The Melmacs, Blanky, Green on Red, Caitlin
Rose, & Constellatia.
It was Oi! to the punks and Oi! to the skins as The Uncouth
played with Doldrums and The D-Fibs at MiniBar.
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Brandon Phillips did double duty, first debuting a short
film he wrote and produced, and later playing the
headlining set as Mensa Deathsquad. In the middle the
audience was treated to Moon 17.
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Podcast #630 counts down my top songs of
2022 including just the cream from Jon
Spencer & the HITmakers, Dropkick Murphys,
Ravagers, Wet Leg, Orville Peck, Craig Finn,
& Dry Cleaning.
We've made it through another year. 2022 was a year of
ups and downs with more of the latter I'm afraid. But
throughout it all there was music and for that I'm grateful.
So, it is only natural that I mark the end of 2022 with a
remembrance of the music that came to me during the year.
I don't claim that these are the best songs of the year,
just the ones that I enjoyed the most.
40. "The Year of Getting High" by Let's Whisper
Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan of The Smittens move their
former band's twee into a world where things aren't all
sunshine and lollipops. That slide guitar is downright
melancholy and this song tugs at my heart.
see the full list
Local is where it's at. Here are the new releases from
2022 that make Kansas City (and the region) so wonderful.
Thank you to the bands, labels, venues, promoters,
photographers, writers, and fans that always show up.
Top 10 Local Releases of 2022:
10. Bootkrieg The Power Storm (self-released)
9. Static Phantoms Bathed in a Blue Light (Record Machine)
see the full list
I've got to find a better way to do this than re-listening
to every album I got in 2022 during the month of December,
but I (mostly) did that. And here is an ordered list of the
albums that held together from start to finish, were stuffed
with good songs, and had something to say. As always, the
list is ordered, but otherwise presented without commentary.
50. Beachheads Beachheads II (Fysisk Format)
49. Tallies Patina (Kanine Records)
see the full list
All sorts of creatures came out for the dark wave disco of
Rosegarden Funeral Party, Violator, & Redder Moon.
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Once again Revolution Records packed them in for a good
cause as Dreamist, Big Fat Cow, & Thonggag played a benefit
for the KC Bail Fund.
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Lemonheads returned to KC for a broad and ramshackle show
supported by Bass Drum of Death and On Being An Angel.
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Revolution Records tapped a broad spectrum of bands to play
a Hope House benefit show. Here are my photos, video, &
thoughts on AKAMFDM, Collidescope, Major Matt Mason,
Approach, and Deco Auto.
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English buzz-worthy band Wet Leg not only brought a big
rock show to KC, but also pop openers Faux Real.
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Podcast #629 is the 2022 Christmas Spectacular.
This year we have 32 festive soon-to-be
favorites from Titus Andronicus, Superkick,
Boyracer, Vista Blue, The Dollyrots, Creem
Circus, The Voltz, Swansea Sound, Lisa
Mychols & Super 8, The Puppini Sisters, The
Surfrajettes, The Photocopies, Stupidity,
Cindy Lawson, Stop Calling Me Frank, Beebe
Gallini, The Krayolas, The Figgs, Shy Bits,
Modesty Blaise, Corvair, L.A. Exes, The
Hannah Barberas, The Shop Window, Silver
Biplanes, The Boy Least Likely To, The Reds
Pinks and Purples, Sunturns, Rosie Thomas,
Phoebe Bridgers, Daniel Gum, & Peggy Lee.
Podcast #628 believes in the magic of indie
pop with tracks from Martha, Heavenly, The
Photocopies, The Reds Pinks & Purples,
Poster Paints, Soft Blue Shimmer, Darren
Hayman, & Worriers.
Holiday weekends send students away and allow the locals to
play. Check out my photos, video, & thoughts on The
Roseline, 95 Sweetbird, & Empty Moon.
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Farewell exploded with big beats and pulsing lights when
Plack Blague, Spike Hellis, and Moon 17 pulled up.
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Brent Windler brought Lazy Projector, Daniel Gum and a lot
of friends together to celebrate the vinyl release of his
new album.
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Scout Gillett returned to town to headline a grand ol'
night that also featured The Whiffs, Blanky, and magician
Magic Marty.
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Podcast #627 continues the streak w/ Public
Opinion, The Pointed Sticks, Wipers, Moving
Targets, Torrey, Private Lives, The Darts,
& Dark Holler.
Farewell hosted an amazing night of volume and intensity
featuring Drifter, Hot Corpse, & Tenant.
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Lotus Pool Records celebrated its 30th birthday with Heidi
Gluck, Suneaters, June Henry, and free booze.
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Podcast #626 is just the good stuff including
Dry Cleaning, Moving Targets, Archers of
Loaf, Sloan, Jim Basnight, The Melmacs,
Brad Marino, & Chorusgirl.
If guitar rock is dead, no one told Perfume, King Pink,
Feverest, or Siilk.
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Apocalypse Meow returned to the Record Bar for its 15th
annual fundraiser to support healthcare for area musicians.
Check out my photos, videos, and thoughts of the night that
featured Nathan Corsi, Pure XTC, Electric Lungs,
MellowPhobia, & Eddie Moore.
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It got awfully noisy when Big Water, Venus Twins, DFITD, &
Joust played Farewell.
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Podcast #625 goes back to basics w/
tracks from The Lightning Seeds, Nerve
Button, The Damnsels, Power Buddies, The
Someloves, Rockin' Horse, & Bill Callahan.
How come I was the only one in costume to see Closetalker,
Public Opinion, Perfume, & Carrie Dairy?
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An evil army of metalheads took over Penn Valley Park on
Halloween. Click for my photos, videos, and thoughts on the
massive 8-band bill.
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Suzi Moon stopped in Kansas City, KS for a last minute gig
supported by The Uncouth.
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Captured by Robots returned to KC for a set of
robot-powered grindcore. Check out my photos of the show,
including opener Bacon Shoe.
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Podcast #624 spends some time with Rhonda
Lyne from MMF to hear about the Apocalypse
Meow benefit featuring The Electric Lungs,
Pure XTC, MellowPhobia, Nathan Corsi, & We
the People.
f you knew, you knew and then you showed up for Moving
Targets, Red Kate, and The Utilitarians at Record Bar.
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Four disparate acts gathered to raise money for KC Tenants.
Check out my thoughts, photos, & video of the night that
featured The Bad Ideas, Internet Dating, Camp Childress, &
Bam & Z.
>>view
Podcast #623 revisits old friends with tunes
from First Class, Alvvays, Heidi Lynne
Gluck, Dewey Defeats Truman, Car Vs Driver,
Rye Coalition, & Ensiferum.
Upcoming gigs I care about:
3/30 Dug @ Farewell
3/30 Til Willis @ Replay
3/31 Whiffs @ 8th Street Tap
4/1 Whiffs @ Ship
4/1 Drifter @ Replay
4/3 King Tuff @ Record Bar
4/3 Mellencamp @ Midland
4/4 Mellencamp @ Midland
4/5 Poly Mall Cops @ Farewell
4/6 Kevin Morby @ Bottleneck
4/6 Laura Jane Grace @ Knuckleheads
4/7 Vader @ Blvd Nights
4/7 Flooding @ Howdy
4/8 Horned Wolf @ Bottleneck
4/12 Pedro The Lion @ Record Bar
4/13 Mensa Deathsquad @ Minibar
4/14 John Prine Tribute @ Record Bar
4/14 Jam Tribute @ Encore
4/15 Emmaline Twist @ RINO
4/15 Nightosphere @ Howdy
4/16 Winterforever @ Farewell
4/16 Tenant @ Fleshpit
4/20 Carcass @ Granada
4/20 Omega Tribe @ Howdy
4/22 Limb Dealer @ Howdy
4/22 Radkey @ Ship
4/24 Junkyard Royalty @ Greenhouse
4/26 Thelma & the Sleaze @ miniBar
4/27 Black Flag @ Record Bar
4/29 New Pornographers @ Truman
4/29 Damien Jurado @ Record Bar
4/29 Xiu Xiu @ Bottleneck
5/1 Dryad @ Farewell
5/2 Skinny Puppy @ Liberty
5/4 Dreamwell @ Encore
5/9 Built to Spill @ Madrid
5/9 Tenacious D @ Starlight
5/10 OFF! @ Record Bar
5/10 Cheap Trick @ Starlight
5/11 Billy Idol @ Uptown
5/13 Harakiri For The Sky @ VIVO
5/13 Deafheaven @ Madrid
5/15 Agent Orange @ Record Bar
5/16 They Might Be Giants @ Truman
5/16 All-American Rejects @ Legends Field
5/17 Wednesday @ Record Bar
5/17 Moonspell @ Granada
5/18 Slackers @ Madrid
5/18 Grade 2 @ Record Bar
5/19 Southern Culture/Skids @ Knuckleheads
5/21 Uncouth @ Brick
5/26 Les Claypool
5/26 Queers @ Rino
5/26 Monta @ Record Bar
6/2 Nekrogoblikon @ Granada
6/8 Sisters of Mercy @ Uptown
6/11 Weezer @ Sandstone
6/17 Rival Sons @ Uptown
6/17 Boulevardia @ Crown Center
6/18 Boulevardia @ Crown Center
6/18 Eels @ Liberty Hall
6/24 Alkaline Trio @ Sandstone
6/28 Remember Sports @ Farewell
7/8 Sparks @ Midland
7/25 Regrettes @ Uptown
7/25 Deathgrips @ Midland
8/4 Ween
8/18 Indigo DeSouza @ Midland
8/30 Gojira @ Azura Amp
9/18 Beyonce @ Arrowhead
9/23 Guns N' Roses @ Kauffman
10/1 The Mission @ Record Bar
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