Podcast #649 is the gumbo you need with
music from Ghost, Crass, Spider Babies, The
Aquadolls, Beach Fossils, & Iris DeMent.
Aquadolls brought West Coast vibes to KC for a show with
Daniel Gum.
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KC bid farewell to the weekend with an international oi
line up that featured Uncouth, Hardsell, and Aggressive.
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Three bands played quick sets to ease us back into the
working week. Check out my photos, videos, and thoughts on
the Remorsefully Numb, Thank You I’m Sorry, & Lake Love
gig.
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Podcast #648 makes life better with tracks
from Shit Present, Trash, Les Lullies, The
Jackets, B.A. Johnston, The Ballet, &
Dropkick Murphys.
A capacity crowd filled a neighborhood bar for sets from
The Whiffs and 95 Sweetbird.
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A late show at Farewell summoned evil sets from Dryad,
Traffic Death, Goat Coffin, & Sarin Reaper.
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Podcast #647 goes into overtime to catch
tracks from New Pornographers, Cindy,
Ashenden Papers, Pale Saints, Darkfield,
Perfume USA, & Interrupters.
Greg Ginn brought the latest incarnation of Black Flag to
KC for a jam-happy gig that featured all of 1984’s
punishing My War and a good portion of the band's hits.
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Green House kicked off its 2023 season with Dunes Day,
Social Cinema, Junkyard Royalty, and a basement full of
kids.
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Podcast #646 has what you need with tunes
from TV Party, The Naggs, Suzi Moon & Billy
Hopeless, Why Bother?, Poison Ruïn, Blowers,
The Ocean Blue, Dragon Inn 3, Dropkick.
Podcast #645 finds some pop in John Prine,
Curious Things, Steve Adamyk Band, Street
Sweeper, Breathless, The Hidden Cameras,
Boygenius, & Chime School.
Farewell welcomed Dreamist, Winterforever, Futureday, &
Pink Phase for a night that featured indie rock in all its
guises.
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The second annual John Prine Tribute show was a
star-studded celebration of the enigmatic troubadour.
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Podcast #644 packs in the tunes from The
Unknowns, Worriers, The City Lines, Sibling
Rivalry, The Dollyrots, The Ophelias, Cocteau
Twins, & Mork.
The Whiffs and musical compatriots Harrisonics and Jackoffs
packed fans into a dim boozy basement.
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KC welcomed punk rockers Voice of Addiction with support
sets from Uncouth, Sidewalk Celebrity, and Blood Daubers.
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Podcast #643 is, as always, just the records
I bought this week from Calvin Johnson,
Damien Jurado, Warren Zevon, Airiel, Clan
of Xymox, & The Hold Steady.
Podcast #642 is all fire with cuts from The
Reds Pinks & Purples, Dari Bay, The Speedways,
Paint Fumes, The Bings, Ramones, & Unwound.
EXTC - XTC's Terry Chambers and Friends brought the seminal
band's music back to the area for the first time since
1980.
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Brother Moses, Daniel Gum, and Surf Wax played pop on chill
Monday night.
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Blushing, Seashine, and Lake Love played a dreamy show as a
late snow fell in KC.
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Clan of Xymox made all the black-hearted goths happy during
a stop at Blvd Nights supported by Bellwether Syndicate and
Monta.
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There's no party like a Poly Mall Cops record launch party
- especially one where Pale Tongues and Day Sleeper open.
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Audiences got lost in the soundscapes when Airiel and
Emmaline Twist played Minibar.
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Podcast #641 has you covered with cuts from
Jenny Omnichord, Pat Benatar, Laurie and
the Sighs, The Flirts, Whitney's Playland,
Gretel Hanlyn, & Heidevolk.
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
Upcoming gigs I care about:
5/29 Djunah @ Minibar
5/30 Nerver @ Farewell
6/2 Nekrogoblikon @ Granada
6/2 Ghosty @ Ship
6/2 D-Fibs @ minibar
6/3 Cam Girl @ Minibar
6/3 Radkey @ Lemonade Park
6/3 Ghosty @ 8th Street Tap
6/8 Sisters of Mercy @ Uptown
6/9 Major Matt @ Velo
6/9 High Dive Anniversary @ Record Bar
6/10 High Dive Anniversary @ Record Bar
6/10 Skuffed @ Penn Valley
6/10 Dan Jones @ Velo
6/11 Weezer @ Azura
6/14 Sprain @ Record Bar
6/17 Dreaded Laramine @ Replay
6/17 Boulevardia @ Crown Center
6/18 Boulevardia @ Crown Center
6/18 Eels @ Liberty Hall
6/20 Child of Night @ Minibar
6/24 Alkaline Trio @ Sandstone
6/25 FACS @ Minibar
6/28 Remember Sports @ Farewell
6/30 Godflesh @ Bottleneck
7/8 Sparks @ Midland
7/8 Blast Monkeys @ Penn Valley
7/11 Gogol Bordello @ Truman
7/14 Mountain Goats @ Liberty Hall
7/19 Jeffrey Lewis @ miniBar
7/21 Black Mariah @ Lemonade Park
7/21 Curious Things @ RINO
7/25 Regrettes @ Uptown
7/25 Death Grips @ Midland
7/29 Flooding @ Farewell
8/2 Front Bottoms
8/4 Ween
8/8 Culture Club @ Starlight
8/8 Orville Peck @ Uptown
8/10 GWARE @ Azura (Sandstone)
8/12 Bully @ Bottleneck
8/17 Wallflowers @ Uptown
8/18 Indigo DeSouza @ Midland
8/26 Turpike Troubadours @ Azura Amp
8/30 Gojira @ Azura Amp
9/15 Alice Cooper @ Azura
9/18 Beyonce @ Arrowhead
9/23 Guns N' Roses @ Kauffman
9/27 Frogpond @ Crossroads Hotel
10/1 The Mission @ Record Bar
10/20 Nation of Language @ Record Bar
11/16 Aerosmith @ T-Mobile
Friends and Inspiration: Eleven Pop Songs Emmas_Housemusic Faster and Louder Girls Like Us Indie Pop Takeout It's a Jangle Out There Just Some Punk Songs Pop Songs Your New Boyfriends's Too Stupid To Know About Power Pop Criminals Power Pop Overdose Sonic Spectrum The Sweet Spot Wednesday Mid Day Medley