Sarin Reaper, Giallo, Limb Dealer, & Joust created a united
front of loud aggression.
>>view
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.
>>view
A bill consisting of Jorge Arana Trio, Moscow Puzzles, &
Jellymin covered a lot of ground on a fun Saturday night.
>>view
Various Blonde, New Obsessions, & Gemini Parks slowly
turned the recordBar into a dance club.
>>view
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.
>>view
The all-ages set showed up and danced to a night of punk
soundtracked by Doldrums, Livid, Foil, and Petty.
>>view
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.
>>view
Bad Ideas threw a little NYE party and invited Bruiser
Queen, friends, family, and neighbors.
>>view
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.
>>view
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.
>>view
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.
>>view
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.
>>view
Lemonheads returned to KC for a broad and ramshackle show
supported by Bass Drum of Death and On Being An Angel.
>>view
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.
>>view
English buzz-worthy band Wet Leg not only brought a big
rock show to KC, but also pop openers Faux Real.
>>view
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.
>>view
Farewell exploded with big beats and pulsing lights when
Plack Blague, Spike Hellis, and Moon 17 pulled up.
>>view
Brent Windler brought Lazy Projector, Daniel Gum and a lot
of friends together to celebrate the vinyl release of his
new album.
>>view
Scout Gillett returned to town to headline a grand ol'
night that also featured The Whiffs, Blanky, and magician
Magic Marty.
>>view
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.
>>view
Lotus Pool Records celebrated its 30th birthday with Heidi
Gluck, Suneaters, June Henry, and free booze.
>>view
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.
>>view
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.
>>view
It got awfully noisy when Big Water, Venus Twins, DFITD, &
Joust played Farewell.
>>view
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?
>>view
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.
>>view
Suzi Moon stopped in Kansas City, KS for a last minute gig
supported by The Uncouth.
>>view
Captured by Robots returned to KC for a set of
robot-powered grindcore. Check out my photos of the show,
including opener Bacon Shoe.
>>view
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.
>>view
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:
2/3 Hollowed @ Revolution
2/4 Spine @ Farewell Howdy
2/4 Lake Love @ Bauhaus
2/6 Slutbomb @ Farewell
2/6 DCFC @ Midland
2/7 Rex Hobart @ Ship
2/8 Anti-Feds @ Howdy
2/9 Chase Horseman @ Blip
2/9 Youth Crusher @ Howdy
2/10 Scumbag @ Howdy
2/10 David Lowery @ Knuckleheads
2/10 Black Mariah Theater @ Brick
2/10 Men of Men @ Ship
2/11 Nan/Nite Stands @ Merritt
2/11 The Mall @ Snake Tank
2/16 Flora from KS @ Replay (matinee)
2/17 Red Kate @ miniBar
2/17 Gullywasher @ Record Bar
2/17 Drifter @ Sk8bar
2/18 Springsteen @ T-Mobile
2/18 Blanky @ 8th Street
2/18 Billy Tibbals @ Bottleneck
2/18 Cataphract @ Flesh Pit
2/23 Flooding @ Toilet Bowl
2/24 Unsane @ Record Bar
2/24 Sarin Reaper @ Farewell
2/25 Moon 17 @ Farewell
2/28 Badfinger @ Knuckleheads
3/1 Rev Horton Heat @ Knuckleheads
3/1 Otoboke Beaver @ Record Bar
3/1 Rotting Christ @ Blvd Nights
3/2 New Amsterdams @ Bottleneck
3/2 Allen Epley @ Ship
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