Podcast #483 stomps and coos with Glo Macari, Beach Slang,
The Get Up Kids, Charly Bliss, Elva, The Catenary Wires, &
4 out of 5 Doctors.
Melodic punk and big hearts ruled the night as Hipshot
Killer celebrated its album release with help from The
Midlife and Arson Class on 3/30.
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Podcast #482 rolls with the punches thrown by Drugs &
Attics, Priests, John Vanderslice, Thin Lips, The Gentle
Isolation, Deco Auto, & The Visions.
Too Much Rock is thrilled to announce the ninth installment of its vinyl single series will feature Brandon Philips and the Condition. This latest project from the prolific Phillips (The Architects, The Gadjits, Other Americans) was created to explore his love of both power pop and soul. The promise of Get Happy-era Elvis Costello merged with early Motown was all it took to get Too Much Rock behind the project.
On the A-side, "People Talk" takes a melody reminiscent of a '60s girl-group, bolts it to a boppy, eighties backbeat, and then hangs all the accouterments and accessories of power-pop-soul on it like aftermarket chrome on a Lambretta scooter. The B-side is a Too Much Rock-chosen cover of Tommy Tutone's "Angel Say No." The original version is as near a perfect power-pop deep-cut as one is likely to find in even the dustiest record bin, but with a few tweaks from the band's crack rhythm section, and big Ronettes-worshiping backing vocals, BP+TC make this the hit it always should have been. The limited-edition single will be available 4/12/19 at area record stores and online retailers as hand-numbered black (408 copies) and colored (112 copies) vinyl.
singles series, accouncements, Brandon Phillips
Podcast #481 returns with everything that make TMR go
including Ansel Collins, Martha, The Coathangers, Steve
Adamyk, Hipshot Killer, Wild Horses, Brandon Phillips, &
American Football.
Deco Auto headlined a powerful rock-first gig at Brick with
more than a little help from Scruffy & the Janitors and El
Jefe.
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KC darkwave outfit Emmaline Twist headlined a haphazard
Replay bill that included the poppy surf of Dentist and the
breezy rock of locals Toughies.
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Podcast #480 scratches that itch with music from
Salty, The Flys, Witching Waves, Teenage Bottlerocket,
Jagger Holly, Potty Mouth, Ex Hex, & France Gall.
Podcast #479 has all the cohesion and joy of a college radio program.
Join me for new music from Durand Jones, Fightmilk, The Bralettes,
Eddie & The Hot Rods, Bis, Dear Boy, Whoa Melodic, & BA Johnston.
Podcast #478 is an attempt to stave off the winter blahs with
sunny tunes by Charmpit, Pale Lips, The Trend, Terry & Louie,
The Catherines, Nah, Cheerbleederz, & The Peggies.
Lucy Dacus packed the Bottleneck with everyone from
NPR-listening olds to starry-eyed kids. Support came from
the excellent Illuminati Hotties and local
singer/songwriter Iris Elke.
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A stir crazy crowd of revelers descended on Davey's Uptown
for the Cuddle Puddle album release show. Bookending the
band were excellent sets from friends Employer and
Libations.
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Podcast #476 couldn't get it all right, but it hit paydirt with new music
from Lisa Marr with the Tranzmitors, Guided by Voices, Bob Mould, Ratboys,
Better Oblivion Community Center, Girlpool, & Eva Nagy.
While the origins of the "Winter Classic" are dubious,
Emmaline Twist, Appropriate Grammar, & Tim Bruan & Julia Haile
offered a necessary reprieve from winter's darkness.
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Podcast #477 is the mix we all expect from TMR featuring Laura Jane
Grace and the Devouring Mothers, Joe Jackson, Duncan Reid and the Big
Heads, The Plague, Juliana Hatfield, Pedro the Lion, & Cherry Glazerr.
Four bands packed into Riot Room leaving just enough space
for Kansas City's fanatical metal community. Check out my
thoughts, photos, & video of Ensiferum, Septicflesh, Arsis,
& Stonehaven.
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Podcast #475 quenches my thirst for power pop w/ Five Eight,
Radar State, The Continentals, Fast Cars, Bad Moves, Wimps,
& The Decemberists.
Late nights, synthesizers, and a bouncing club mixed a
powerful cocktail. La Guerre, Y god Y, Pala Zolo and a
packed Replay Lounge rode that high all night long.
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Podcast #474 hands the reins over to listeners chose
Dream Wife, Indigo De Souza, Savak, Turnstile,
Tierra Whack, Metric, Anna Calvi, & Lake Street Dive.
The Whiffs, Berwanger, and three DJs eager to share their
rares combined for a must-see night of power pop at the 8th
Street Tap Room.
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The Bralettes helped KC put the holidays in the rearview
mirror by joining forces with locals Apolkalypse Wow for a
pogo-worthy Wednesday night gig at Riot Room.
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Identifying the year's standout albums is tough for a singles guy.
It's easy to recognize the punch and immediacy of a song, but it's
harder to feel the genius of an album. While I'll always call out albums
that I love listening to (even if they're merely executing an
established blueprint), I also want to recognize the albums that felt
important. So, here's my list. Thirty great albums. Ordered, but
otherwise presented without commentary.
see the full list
And here's the list no one was waiting for, Too Much Rock's top 40 tracks of 2018. Are these the best? Who can tell. But these are songs that I love. Tracks that move me. And tracks that I was happy to revisit time and time again this year. Because this is a busy time of the year I've kept my thoughts short by sharing the one thing that I like best about each of the songs on my list. As a bonus, I've also included three tracks from 2017 that I just didn't hear in time to make last year's list, but they definitely would have made the cut if I had.
Podcast #473 counts down the top tracks of 2018 including cuts from
Wussy, The Speedways, Sloan, Screaming Females, Colour Me Wednesday,
Paul Collins, The Molochs, & Damien Jurado.
Big riffs, animal magnetism, and righteous rage all made
appearances on this all-local Riot Room bill featuring The
Sluts, Other Americans, & Lovergurl.
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Voltaire's late shows are quickly becoming the after-show
salon for Kansas City. On this night the hip gathered for
Giants Chair and New Obsessions.
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Upcoming shows I care about:
5/21 Inter Arma @ Riot Room
5/22 Deicide @ Riot Room
5/23 Eyehategod @ Riot Room
5/23 Jorge Arana Trio @ miniBar
5/25 Taco Cat @ recordBar
5/25 Dark Funeral @ Riot Room
5/29 T.S.O.L. @ Riot Room
5/31 Lovergurl @ miniBar
6/1 Lion's Law @ Brick
6/12 Casket Lottery @ Riot Room
6/18 Potty Mouth @ miniBar
6/20 Dave Hause @ Riot Room
6/22 Abandoned Bells @ Brick
6/30 Flipper @ recordBar
7/5 Bill Callahan @ LFK Library
7/6 Head and the Heart @ Starlight
7/9 Priests @ recordBar
7/14 Beths @ recordBar
7/14 The Beths @ recordBar
7/17 Snail Mail @ Granada
7/23 Buit to Spill @ Madrid
7/27 Seasaw @ miniBar
8/16 Hank Von Hell @ Riot Room
9/23 Babymetal @ Uptown
10/1 Bleached @ Riot Room
11/9 Clan of Xymox @ Riot Room
11/28 Pigface @ recordBar