Alert Pitch staffer Justin Kendall alerted me to a YouTube leaking of Garmin Int'l's Super Bowl ad, which features a Godzilla-like action-hero faceoff with a campy hard rock soundtrack provided by a band led by Steve Grimmett of '80s hair bands Grim Reaper, Lionsheart and Onslaught.
Our regular Spin Cycle columnist, Chris Milbourn, attended a promotional event last Thursday in Lawrence featuring Dan the Automator. Here's his report:
Dan the Automator, best known as a producer and arranger for projects with the Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Dr. Octagon and the classic Deltron 3030 was to play a DJ set sponsored by Bacardi on the night of January 28th at Club Liquid in Lawrence.
When people showed their IDs at the door of Club Liquid to gain entry, they were asked to take a picture for a cameraman. "Why not, it'll probably end up on the internet sooner or later," I heard one girl say outside in the freezing cold. Bacardi was out in full force. It seemed as though half the people inside the club had Bacardi shirts on, handing out black top hats and shots of liquor.
Sure enough, the pictures taken at the door were rotated on TV screens around the bar in a slideshow so everyone could see themselves. Bacardi girls, dressed in scanty black outfits danced on all the illuminated, elevated platforms they could get their heels on. At times, it seemed the Aqua-drummer and Bacardi dancers were in a coordinated rhythm with the beats delivered from the DJs. Not just during the middle of a song, but even while one beat was mixed into another.
I was just about to go home and start making love (to a cocktail), when this landed in my inbox:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: After nearly ten years, Shiner readies to re-release their hidden gem — Making Love — on Anondyne Records.
March 13, 2007
Anondyne Records
In the mid- and late nineties, Midwestern indie rock was at its peak, and Kansas City played a major part it its development. Born in 1992 out of the Kansas City, Missouri outskirts, Shiner originally comprised of Allen Epley (guitar/ vocals), Jeff Brown (drums) and Shawn Sherrill (bass), before Tim Down took over on the skins a year later. With this line up, the band found themselves sharing the stage with Season To Risk, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Jesus Lizard, Girls Against Boys and Jawbox among others before DeSoto Records released their debut EP "Brooks" b/w "Released" 7" in 1993.
For concert suggestions this weekend, Sad Dog really is your one-stop shop. Not only do they have a kickass schedule for this weekend, they've highlighted a freaking awesome song in Eleni Mandell's "Salt Truck." I've been gazing out the window wistfully to that song at least once a night since the skies and ground got all messy this winter.
I also dig "Makeout King," for which there's now a video. Downright healing stuff after that Donnie Davies bullshit (see two entries ago). But if that's too soft for you, here's something heavy and evil.
Because it takes all kinds, folks. Remember that as you go into the weekend not to drive drunk but merely-- as the ever-happy sad dog says -- to keep your nose to the rock 'n' roll ground. (Oh, but they didn't mention this show.)
Yesterday, John Kreicbergs, proprietor of Patchchord.com, sent me a letter in response to this week's Wayward Son that presents the KC jazz problem better than I ever could have. With his permission, I reprint it here:
RE: Haddix's response
I too respect Chuck -- who doesn't -- but it's hard to respect a scene that doesn't respect itself.
I've been hitting the jazz clubs in KC since I was wee high school lad, humbled by the fact that places like the Phoenix and the Plaza III at the time would look me over with a suspicious eye, take my cover money, and shoot me a "try to order liquor and you'll be out of here faster than Bird looking for his next fix" look. This arrangement allowed me to catch live jazz on a regular basis as an aspiring high school jazz hack that needed more than dusty records and reissues to get a better appreciation and understanding of the art.
But I digress...
Anyone who spends too much time on the Internets has probably already heard of this, but since I idly posted an entry about alleged reformed gay turned gay-basher Donnie Davies the other day and all these people emailed me about it, I guess I should turn your attention to this, the latest in a series of entries on the Stranger's Slog blog, which has been investigating this Davies thing. Be sure to watch Davies' music video, if you haven't already. I really hope it's a hoax. If so, it's genius. If not, it's sickening.
John Bersuch of Bacon Shoe and Minds Under Cover and also the new band Trees told me yesterday that he e-mailed Davies a list of all his friend DJ Clem's bands to be added to the Gay Bands list, including Mr. Marco's V7 and Wood Roses. For more good-natured Clem baiting, visit this gallery of images Bersuch made using Clem's head and various small animals. If you care.
Reader Scott H. alerted me to Love God's Way, some kooky Christian organization that, among other things, compiles a list of "Gay Bands." Well, they're right about a couple, but, man, this is just hilarious. Jay-Z, Kansas, Motorhead, Audioslave... bunch a' fairies.
Note that they also describe Oscar Wilde as a "reformed homosexual." Priceless.
And now it's our turn to take action!
"If you know of a band that is Gay or propogating a Gay message please e-mail us so we can update. Donnie is handling this his email is: donniedavies@gmail.com"
Let's see if we can't get a few choice capital-g Gay Kansas City bands on the list. I dare you to e-mail ol' Donnie with a list of local offenders. My suggestions:
This Is My Condition
The Roman Numerals
Namelessnumberheadman
The Get Up Kids
Onemilliontinytinyjesuses
The New Tragedies
I Don't Do Gentlemen
Jon Yeager
Overstep
Forrest Whitlow
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys
In fact, why not just declare the entire music scene Gay? If Tech N9ne's a homo, then so are we all.
Your favorite Billy Ray Cyrus lookalike may have to reroute his tour to bypass Branson. Or just use his real name.
State Rep. Juanita Head Walton, D-Florissant, is proposing a bill that would forbid impersonators to use the same names as the celebrities they impersonate. Read about it in the Springfield News-Leader.
I get the sense that this is the kind of bill that only a person with the middle name "Head" would propose. I don't know why that is, but it is. Maybe it's because of that guitarist from Korn, Brian "Head" Welch, who quit the band in order to "Head to Christ" and then tried to save 50 Cent.
So, the lesson here: Don't name your children things like Nicole Kidman or Head.
Sometime around a year ago, around when I wrote this column, our dear Jon Harrison intimated to me that he wanted to start a label-offshoot-type-thing from his Little Hits blog in order to release 45s. It seemed like the perfect project for a man whose life is so definied by a love for beautiful and forgotten pop singles.
And now, the project has reached fruition with a band close to his heart, Lawrence's the Shebangs. Now, in order to have a permanent copy of the band's first single, you don't have to buy the record that Jon & crew worked so hard over the past year to make. You can just visit Little Hits to download the Shebangs' sweet and lowdown "Maybe Yes, Maybe No."
But why would you want to do that when you can send a check for only $3.50 to Jon (e-mail him at jonhar@sunflower.com for info) and have a delicious slice of local music history mailed to you? And how's he going to cut another seven-inch gem if we all just cop the free download off his blog?
Help make this single Little Hits' first little hit.
More breaking news about awesome upcoming concerts! The Junior Boys are playing the Record Bar on April 17! The last time Junior Boys came through -- back in my wilder days -- hardly anyone was there. This time will be different because you. Will. Not. Fucking. Miss. It.
If you're out tonight, check out In the Pines and Kirsten Paludan at Californo's in Westport -- a venue that hardly ever hosts concerts but is a sweet place to have a cocktail. The theme there tonight: cozy yet harrowing. Lonely hearts should make a beeline.
Elsewhere, the Rich Boys storm the Brick with No Man No; there's a punk show at the Record Bar starring the F-Bombs; and Davey's hosts the Water Winta ... no ... Waka Winter Classic.
Saturday at Davey's, catch two of mighty rock woman Heather Lofflin's bands, Whiskey Boots and the brand-new Diamond Heart Club (featuring Mark Hennessey of legendary local grunge band Paw), along with the gut-stomping Federation of Horsepower.
Find out what Ghosty's been up to lately Saturday at the Record Bar, when they play with Conner and Animals with Armour. Murmurings of new Ghosty material have carried a high degree of favorability. In fact, that new track on their Web site's audio player -- "A Good Customer" from the upcoming new album No Nothing, evidently -- sounds promising.
Sunday, my heroes the Pink Socks are playing with The Terminals at Fred P. Ott's on the Plaza. There's not much real rock and roll to be found live-and-in-person these days. Be reminded of how it sounds, looks and shamalams at this show.
In case anyone's interested in how last night's show at the Main Street Cafe went down, our calendar editor, Crystal Wiebe, was there and filed the following report:
I guess Kansas City kids just didn't want to pay $12 on a frigid Thursday night to hang out at Main Street Cafe (3111 Wyandotte). Not even a hundred of them milled around the midtown-loft-cum-all-ages concert venue last night. This was a little surprising, given that the headliner was Aaron Gillespie's side band. The petite, blond Gillespie is better known as the drummer/singer for Underoath, arguably the most popular hardcore act in America.
Local outlaw auteur Ben Meade has informed me that the subject of his next film will be Kansas City Irish rock band the Elders.
Meade explained the project via e-mail:
"The first week of March I am taking a film crew to Ireland with the Irish band The Elders......and 150 fans.....3 busloads. Really. We are making the ultimate road flick. My crew and I will document the happening and the live shows each night in pubs (this should be almost impossible taking 150 fans with us). Additionally, we are asking that anyone who wishes take a consumer camcorder and videotape their own POV of anything, from what happens on the bus, late night, early morning, anything. Then we will integrate that footage into the entire project....in other words many people will be co-directing this film. This is not a Beastie Boys reprieve.......that was simply a multi POV concert film. This film is 7 different shows, American fans in Ireland, and the non-professional footage will consist of things other than the concert.The world premier of the finished product will be the Irish Fest this fall. Let me know if/when you want to talk about this. We (and the band) leave on Feb 28th, returning on March 9th. Then the work begins, by the way, my students get the task of going through the fan footage to find the best stuff. Kind of like Mondo Kane meets the Elders."
Marry, 'tis a brave project auld Meade has ta'en on. I just wonder how truly wild the Elders and their fans can get. Though, for the record, I've always enjoyed the Elders -- they hold a special place as the first local band I ever saw upon moving here -- they're not known for generating the kind of langers-off-yer-tits abandon of the Pogues, which, to me, would be what a rock and roll binge across the Emerald Isle should strive for, and make for the best footage. Sure, the Elders generate a lot of energy and put on a passionate performance, but, when it's over, most of the audience gets in some form of minivan and drives home, no?
So, the challenge for Meade is to get the Elders and their relatively elderly fans not to seem like just a bunch of tourists from the Heartland armed with camcorders, filming each other drinking Guinness in pubs. Then again, if the fans rise to the occasion, there could be something rather compelling about seeing a bunch of men in tapered pants and oxford shirts and women in mom jeans ruined and rat arsed for days in a row as ol' Ian beats the fuck out of the bodhr�n. It could be the ultimate document of Midwestern baby boomer saturnalia and catharsis.
This Just In: The Apples In Stereo, March 1, the Record Bar. And days after that, Cold War Kids plays the Bottleneck on the 4th. A good week for critically acclaimed indie rock, right there, if that's your thing.
If it's not, then you might enjoy hearing about a couple of the unknown-to-the-rest-of-the-world local Kansas City bands I saw at the Record Bar last Saturday, only one of which could really be considered to fit in with most critics' conceptions of indie rock, up with which I am pretty damned fed (that is, not including the local band I lightly alluded to, which is It's Over).
Band 1: The Lucky Graves
My take on this band is pretty much the same as when I reviewed their first full-length last year. Actually, the release of a magnificent album by two of the Graves' other band, Overstep (Laughter After Disaster), last year, caused me to gain more respect for this band and its (and Overstep's) voice-to-die-for-bearing frontman Adam Stotts. I still think they would be more fun and accessible if they would simplify their song structures and not cram so many durn tempo changes and chord progressions into each song. It would be less to remember, and it would make the music catchier.
Band 3: It's Over
These guys are quickly becoming one of the town's best-loved bands, and that's because they're so damned lovable. Talk about charisma. Elfish frontman Jamie Searle made eyes, eyelashes, smiles and nods to every lady in the crowd, including some of his friends' moms (I suspect). The band's boyish exuberance reminds me so much of the Monkees (who, admittedly, couldn't play or write a song to save their life; not so with IO) that I took the liberty of rewriting the Monkees theme song for them: Hey hey we're It's Over/People say that we're over/But we're really just getting started/In fact, we've barely beguuuuunnnnnn. Well, it seemed funny at the time... Anyway, there's more to come on It's Over in the pages of the Pitch, so stay tuned.
Afterwards, rather than heading to Karma -- and after, of course, scraping my windshielf for 10 minutes -- I decided to go home, stopping by YJs, which is now open 24 fuckin' hours on the weekend. The Crossroads coffee shop has a reputation as a place for dirty artkids and hippies, and maybe it is, but they play better music, make healthier food, serve better coffee and attract a more laid-back clientele than any other place in KCMO you're likely to hit after the bars close. When I walked in from the cold, there was one other customer, a guy serving food behind the counter and a girl getting ready to mop the floor. I looked at the list of available foodstuffs and chose, from among dishes like red beans & rice and chicken wings, mac 'n' cheese. They didn't have it as a standalone dish, they guy behind the counter said as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a plate loaded down with mac 'n' cheese plus mashed potatoes, peas and corn. "I'll take that," I said. As he microwaved the plate, I sat, relishing my hot coffee and inhaling its fumes as I read a handmade book some young artist girl who used to live here and now lives in DC made for YJs. It was all about doing quirky fun things by yourself and being young and really getting the most out of every nap and the like. My food came, and it was about as good as something I'd make for myself -- a hodgepodge of whatever was in the pantry on a day I didn't care and just wanted to eat. And really, that plate of mushy food, the hot coffee, the smell of disinfected mopwater, the worldbeat hip-hop on the coffeehouse stereo, and the ice falling outside -- those things are the real reasons I'm still thinking about that night now, four days later.
You saw it here first. Or, actually, you're about to see it here, uh...first, unless you've already seen it.
Fuck.
Happy MLK Jr Day, everybody!
Anyway, what I was stumbling over myself to tell you about was this video and revamped song local singer-songwriter Jon Yeager has done in honor of Dr. King. I know, I wouldn't have expected Yeager to do something like this, either, but evidently the young pop tenor has strong feelings on the subject of racism. Before watching the video below, be sure to read his artist's statement, which can be found in the infobox to the left of the video (look for the orange "subscribe" bar) on the original YouTube page.
The song was originally titled "Black Boy." It was on Yeager's Truth & Volume EP, released in 2005. Yeager and his label, Minnow, redid the song as a doo wop tune and shot the video in a tribute to Sam Cooke's first TV appearance. Or at least I think that's what they told me. Anyway, check it out, let people know what you think.
Also, the video is an unofficial tribute to Devendra Banhart.
This article is interesting.
It's about how some organizations in Chicago are studying the economic impact of local music on their city, basically. One of the groups involved is with the University of Chicago, which is a pretty fancypants school if you didn't already know, and the other, the one leading the research, is the Chicago Music Commission, "a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Chicago-area music worldwide."
Wow, if only we had this kind of thing going on here. Not only could we use a commission like that, I'd be curious to know what kind of impact homegrown music has on our economy. Kansas Citians sure do like to drink -- I know that. And with the notable exception of the Hurricane, local venues don't like to make that activity cheap (unless you're content with PBR and its equivalents).
When I was talking to the guys from Anti-Crew, Jeffrey and Matt, for my Category: Dispatches from the Scene
