One Last announcement for 2017

Well that's it folks 2017 is about done and you all know my best cuts of the year and now with all of that behind I'm ready for the second planned announcement in regards to Sam's Song of the Day 2018 and what is that you may ask?

Well....after about 8 years of posting about the various songs, artist, albums, shows, and other things on my mind Sam's Song of the Day is coming to an end.

Yeah that's a crazy thought to think of and unlike a lot of other blog related things I'm not going anywhere bigger with this project I'm just going to be taking 2018 as a year off from this personal project of mine.

There's a variety of things on my mind to express to everybody but before I can get to telling you why I'm leaving this project I kind of need to express a certain level of gratification and thanks because this year was an odd one to me that kind of has felt like two complete halves of one bigger picture and in my own bits of dealing with a host of personal issues that have lead me to have to stop this project I feel that I need to give some thanks to the fine musical scene of one KCMO/K because while it's been a roller coaster for things I've managed to of been one lucky bastard when it comes to the overwhelming warm embrace of the local acts that I've been covering for the better part of 2 years from giving me insight to the year end list, sharing my post, telling me their appreciation for my kind words, and the occasional perk of some free product this town has been the best with a special shout out to The Record bar in particular for driving me out to see Yes You Are the day after Thanksgiving which gave me a level of gratuity that I honestly can't comprehend or properly vocalize.

Also this scene has given me the best god damn birthday parties a mother fucker could ever ask for, but even with all that warm embracing I'm a human with a complex set of emotions that I have to deal with and that's where this break is coming from.

I got issues personal, professional, and financial and about 3 plus years of unfortunate events has lead me to dip horribly in the quality of material I've pumped out on this website for the past few years and if the post numbers are any indication I seem to pretty confidently say that I need to stop for a while and learn about what made me love music again.

I'm not going to completely stop writing and Sam's Song of the Day isn't dead in the dirt I still have a Facebook page I'll be periodically posting on but the whole writing out opinion pieces thing will be taking a back seat as I spend the next year or so working on other projects and hopefully moving on to better ventures that stimulate my creative side a little bit more like maybe writing for somebody else, making the next great story, or hell the possibilities are endless at this point all I know for sure is I'm going to be doing something and throwing a Sam's Birthday Bash 3 SO STAY TUNED FOLKS.

It's been fun and it's been real folks but for me this project hasn't been productive and a break much needed so I can one day come crashing back in your life and show you what truly is the best song you'll ever hear but until that day comes I'll be a searching for it but until then here's the first song I ever posted about when I first started this on the Smashing Pumpkins forums all those years ago have a wonderful day folks.

Sam's Top 5 WORST SONGS of 2017

SO 2017 is about in the fucking books and OH BUDDY what a fucking year it was I'd honestly go to say that the music released this year wasn't nearly of the horrid quality that I can recall last year being but in all honesty it was a year of complete and utter NOTHING....minus of course my year end list which was ONLY THE BEST plus a few songs here and there that I missed due to me not giving a single fuck all about the radio I figured fuck it, fuck this year, fuck the radio, and FUCK the following set of songs that I'm about to mention because I haven't really done much bashing on this little blog of mine because everybody's an asshole just look at our commander in cunt we have serving but you know since I haven't been getting fucked up once a week for the past few months and I have a variety of pent up frustrations that I'm not going to go TOO into I figure I'd post to you guy's my picks for the top 5 WORST songs of 2017 and as a bonus every time you see me use a profanity of some variety take a shot cause that's honestly the only way I could think of muscling through the string of cancerous noise I'm about to slog through as I listen to the following tunes and tell you just HOW FUCKING AWFUL THEY ARE so get your shot glasses ready cause we're all gonna get fucked up.

(Links to all the selected levels of awful are in the names of each of the selections for the off chance you'd want to subject yourself to this torture which I here at Sam's Song of the Day to not endorse nor do I take any responsibility for any loss of hearing, common sense, or desire to live)

5. Halsey

No that's not a typo folks to start this list I'm just going to put down an “ARTIST” that I kind of wish would just like to you know just go away.

I can't lie the Florida Georgia line exist so music literally can't get any worse which is about the nicest thing I can say about this waste of sperm and egg that is the Tumblr post personified that is Halsey the most dull and lifeless waste of musical air in existence and for some odd reason dumb ass basic bitches seem to want to support this so called artist and her same old same old trying to hard to be meaningful but just coming off bitchy tunes that use the most boring ass Trap beats, paper thin lyrics, a voice that sounds like Lorde and Ellie Goulding decided to do the fusion dance but lose all personality, and complete lack of any real reason to honestly listen to any more than the amount of time it takes you to immediately change the radio station.

It's honestly saying something when the only decent thing's this person has done is 1. make a song that's only good because it sounds like the only good Lorde song in existence(Ghost it's a knock off of Tenis court and yes Lorde sucks get over it your music taste are shit if you disagree with me) and 2. just barely be the better vocalist on a Chainsmokers tune and beyond that I don't know why she's been blessed with the success she has.

I can't point out any tune in particular because just hearing her on any given track should be enough to signal that the track is shit and you really should change it and never have it rotated again because you're only supporting cancer and nobody wants to do that.

4. Look What You Made Me Do-Taylor Swift

This song is the Donald Trump of pop music it succeeded tremendously even though we ALL KNOW it was a mistake against humanity and only now after it's damage has been done are we now realizing the mistake that was made.

Yet even with that being common knowledge only the most mentally devoid of any intelligence continue to support this garbage with some awkward preconceived notion that it's actually really good and  you only dislike it because of the fake liberal conspiracy brainwashing you to not follow the truest form of freedom which is the complete submission to the Conservative Christian agenda where all your personal rights should be taken away, your lifestyle demonized, you learn to hate brown folks, and you bow before a god that rules over all.......SORRY sorry I got a bit distracted there my inner conspiracy nut was coming through where were we again....OH yea this piece of fucking basic white bitch pumpkin spiced shit brew of a tune.

Ok let's be real here this song is every critics punching bag because it's a fairly ok first minute that immediately devolved into the mot obnoxious chorus that is a bit too similar to one hit wonders of the 90's that were never good even in a so bad it's good kind of way they were just always awful and I'm more than sure before we know it this song will be yet another Buzzfeed article of under appreciated tunes that were unjustly hated for their time to which at that time I'll still tell you that this song is garbage.

3. Po-Dunk-Kid Rock

So if the last song was like Donald Trump I'd have to say that this song is what I'd assume the vast majority of Midwestern supporters of his head's sound like just the whitest of white trash nonsense.

I can't lie this piece of human filth may be a real genius because I've never heard an artist that knows their audience any better than this hillbilly fuck nut because for some odd reason I'll never understand why but Midwestern white folk fucking love this guy and his special brand of Hick Hop cultural decay and no song has managed to ever so successfully showcase why Country and Rap shouldn't ever be mixed....well the second most successful showcasing because again Florida Georgia please go die in a fucking plane crash you fucking asshole Line does still exist but god damn with the video included this song is an exceptionally perfect personification of why I personally think people hate cultural appropriation so much just to quote a person I know who is actually a fan of not only this guy's music but the genre he pioneered and coined as, “pure white trash.”

Yes sir let me tell you what I do believe this song is pure and utter white trash just some straight up no good garbage music by a garbage person who for some reason or another through used food stamps, dirty heroin needles, and chewing tobacco spit filled Budwiser cans like our commander in cuckhold is for some reason or another still famous and liked by a host of brainwashed Islam hating nitwits.

GOD BLESS THE FUCKING U.S.A.

Ugh and the best part of all of this is that since I'm a nobody this cock knocker will never probably read what I have to say I mean I doubt he has the reading comprehension skills to really understand actual walls of text but hey even if that isn't the case he's the type of mother fucker that well to quote the man, “Don't give a flying hillbilly fuck!”

But with that in mind I do have to say one thing Robert Ritchie I've personally meet quite a few mother fuckers quite like you and I can honestly say you aren't anything special and if you didn't appeal to the lowest common denominator you'd be another junkie in a gutter pitching a fit at our government for making you pay your child support and not sending your food stamps on time eat a dick you white trash piece of shit.

2. Guy's My Age-Hey Violet

Oh hey something I don't have to not so subtlety accidentally add my own personal politics when discuss....wait a minute....SO now that I'm actually listening to this sober I uh.....got some shit to say about this glorified Melanie Martinez meet's Kids Bop track.

This song is utterly disgusting people it glorifies that creeptastic 33 cumming in 16 dude at the party that thinks he's hot shit cause he listens to shit music and fucks dumb ass teens that don't know any better than to like this guy that hooks them up with gutter well booze and weed so they can continue to feel some sense of rebellion.

They listen to this trap beat and lyrics about how they should go for a real mature man that, “Knows how to treat me,” when in all actually you're just easy pray for a human being that needs to grow up themselves and realize their a worthless piece of shit that should really re-evaluate their position in life and actually make a positive change because that kind of mentality isn't healthy to society in any way folks.

NOW if you can get past that ideological flaw in lyrical  presentation this song at it's core is just a pretty paint by the numbers Melanie Martinez track of edge lord lyrics performed by a Lolita who is trying too hard over a beat that to it's credit is a banger but a very one dimensional banger that does nothing more than to provide noise to get fucked up to.

This song compared to the whole of this list is about the closest to a so bad it's good kind of tune but once you really sit down and look at it the flaws are just too strong to really ignore and yet somehow it isn't the worst song of the year because OH I thought alright there's no way this band could do any worse right?!?!?

1. Hoodie-Hey Violet

You know those articles that trash conservative shit posters write about how Millennials ruin everything well it's shit like this that's why those type of articles exist.

MY FUCKING GOD DAMN by allah almighty some how SOME FUCKING HOW a songwriter in a stuido somewhere thought, “You know what's romantic...stealing one's hoodie and you know what those young kids these day's like, they like to use hoodies as a metaphor for long lost love because it smells like their partner because most people don't ever wash them,” and now we have this fucking song, like it's outright total eclipse of the heart levels of cheesy and if I thought these guy's sounded like some Radio Disney Garbage to begin with this song outright is proof bar none that you may as well not even try.

Seriously look up the lyrics to this song before you ever listen to it and tell me that this doesn't just look like some parody song but no they're actually playing it for real this song is suppose to actually be a sentimental ballad of sorts and all the lines about chewing the strings and how there's cigarette burns all over the fabric are suppose to really bring a sense of emotional vulnerability that showcases a long lost love that never was to be that's no fucking joke.

The only way I could think of this actually being of any real quality is to get as fucked up as humanly possible I mean smoke ALLLLLLLLL THE WEED, drink ALLLLLLLLL the beer, and hell why not put some lean in that drink because this song is by far worse than any other song you've heard this year like it's so bad I literally compared 2 other artist on this list to Donald Trump and I still think this is worse this song is so awful it makes me want to go to my nearest mosque pledge my life to Allah and rid myself of all sin and western ideological beliefs because I'm pretty sure I need a reason to live now.

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NAH I'm just fucking with you I'm probably going to just go play tetris and listen to music that doesn't make me want to give up on the world around me and type stupid shit on the internet, but yeah there ya go my picks of the worst songs of the year I hope you never listen to any of this garbage Happy new years and stay tuned for a special post from me on the 29th.

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #1

1.Jonestown-Scruffy and the Janitors

St. Joseph Missouri's finest here from that opening drum part to the blast of guitar this is a simple song that is maybe the most effectively done thing I've heard all year and once you've seen them perform it in their hometown with a huge group of their closest followers singing along to their cry of, “I DON'T WANNA WAIT SO LONG!” this song just fucking hits ya right there in that special place to make you think that you just may very well be apart of something bigger than the sum of it's parts.

Jonestown is a tune that gives this feeling of being in a small place with a big dream a simple rocker that chugs along well and has a less brash and abrasive tone that was heavily present in their earlier songs and the lyrics while not too much to digest stick around in a way that not too many songs really do for me these day's and I seem to have a real fondness for the line, “Left my sister there,” I have absolutely no clue why but I really like that and the end where they simply say, “ah-ahh,” which trust me is absolutely mind blowing when a room of folks are joining in.

I've seen these guy's all around from the best venues in Kansas City, to their hometown, and my mother FUCKING HOUSE and this song every single god damn time leaves me screaming along louder and louder and louder as I think of all the nights of just blasting this song relentlessly while drinking beer after beer I'm reminded of a few years ago when I mentioned how I was forming the year end list with it in mind just what exactly was going to be number 1 and this year is just one of those years this song hands down top to bottom no questions asked is the best song of the year and whenever Scruffy eventually release that album I'll be blasting the ever loving fuck out of it you best believe that.

I got to talk with Scruffy's guitarist and he answered these questions for me:

So what is the inspirations behind Jonestown? 

The inspiration behind Jonestown is a cross between trying to get away from the life you have built and the legend of the Jonestown massacre. 

How was 2017 for you as a band in terms of the music you wrote, released, and the performances you gave? 

2017 was a turbulent year for us. This new album, Modeling is Hard, has been delayed again and again. It’s tearing us up inside to still not have it out yet. We shopped it to a bunch of labels but it didn’t work out, so we’re putting it out ourselves, which comes with a whole host of obstacles. We didn’t play a lot of shows this year but the ones we did were top notch. Our show with Archie Powell and the Exports and Radar State has to be one of the most fun shows we’ve ever played along with some house shows we threw in St. Joseph. 2017 was full of us recording. We finally hit that next stride. Our performances have gotten fuller. Our following seems to be getting more solid. It has been a “behind the scenes" year. 

What are your plans for 2018? 

Release. The. Fucking. Album. We have a music video for The Spins coming out soon, we can confidently say that the first show we play in St. Joseph in 2018 will be the “Modeling Is Hard” release show, and we hope to tour in the spring/summer. And work to get back in the limelight with the help of the new album! 

-Teriq Newton

 Every single person reading this now December 22nd 2017 whether it's by plains, trains, or automobiles needs to go to 619 E Felix St, St Joseph Missouri 64501 RIGHT THE FUCK NOW and see this song played live and while you're going there google the lyrics and memorize them and sing the fuck along because god fucking dam it will you then realize that this is by far the single best god damn song that came out this fucking year.

There are only a handful of tracks I can truly say that you need to see played live and this one from it's earliest stages at the new defunct Tank Room wayyyyyy back at the Momma's Boy Ep release show to today has evolved from a really solid jam to a fucking beast of a god damn tune and again:

619 E Felix St, St Joseph MO 64501

GO there TODAY! See this song live and realize that it's truly the fucking best.

Well that's it my year end best of list is officially wrapped up and now you my loyal readers know the only songs that matter and I'm glad to know that each of your lives is now better because of it and with that in mind stay tuned in the next day or 2 for my follow up list of the worst songs of the year as well as a special announcement on the 29th but until then happy holiday's from Sam's Song of the Day.

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #2

2.Wonderful-The Sluts

LFK's Finest fuckers proving my old saying of great music being like bad sex over and done with in 2 and a half minutes or less and what we got here is the most oddly romantic 2 minutes and 17 seconds of music that I remember very drunkenly yelling at them to play the last time I remember seeing them play live and while I'm sure that may have annoyed them I'd like to let them know if they're reading this post that they've most certainly been incredibly wonderful to me by just simply pumping out this utterly exceptional bit of music that is one of the few instances of any true emotion being felt for me over the course of one emotionally draining and utterly unmotivated year of my life.

The Sluts you fucking rule, The Only One is a fucking excellent record, your live show is fucking mind blowing, and this god damn song is the second best fucking thing that ANYONE has released this year and for that I'm a hella chug the fuck out of a miller light in celebration of this exceptional song.

Wonderful is an all out blast of feedback heavy rock and roll that is quintessential to the tone that this band presents with some steady guitar and drum work that gives it a rapid fire pace and makes you want to move in a way that seems kind of counter intuitive to the lyrics of the tune which are simple as fuck but maybe one of the truest expressions of what one could possibly ask from any given blossoming relationship and this song truly has been just, “wonderful to me,” and it damn near was the single best tune of 2017 like this and number 1 are completely interchangeable in all honesty and this position in no way holds back this song because it may be the most appropriately titled thing you'll ever hear and that's for god damn sure.

I reached out to The Sluts in regards to this track and this is what they had to say:

Q: So what are the inspirations behind Wonderful?

A: I honestly don't remember what was going through my head when I wrote the lyrics for that. It's just been a long time since we wrote that one and I'm an avid drinker. I remember thinking that we needed a good up-tempo rock song. The other songs we wrote for that EP were kind of Sludgy or mid-tempo and laid back. Basically it's a song about having someone that is good to you and cares for you no matter how flawed you may be. Dover hates how positive it is. Again, I don't remember writing it but it could be some sort of subconscious ode to a past lover.

Q: How was 2017 for you as a band in terms of the music you wrote, released, and the performances you gave? What are your plans for 2018?

A: 2017 was arguably our best year as a band. It was the first year where we didn't dick around with touring at all. We finally realized that we are way more content to stay in the area, and play the venues that treat us like family when we come around. (i.e. Replay Lounge, Bottleneck, Granada, Riot Room) Dover's married, I had a long term girlfriend at the time, and going on the road just seemed like a chore to us. Dover's mantra has always been, "I don't ever want this to feel like a job," and I'm inclined to agree with him. So we tracked our new EP, 'Only One' with Joel Nanos at Element Recording and Mastering Studios in KC and only booked gigs that seemed like a real good time. In my opinion, it's our best sounding record. Joel is not fucking around. After the EP came out, the sweethearts at 96.5 The Buzz spun our single and even asked us to play Buzz Beach Ball. That is probably our biggest gig to date and we had a blast that day. I never thought in a million years when this band started that we'd be on stages that big. We truly are some luck basterds. We got to meet the Toadies and the Local H guys too. It was a crazy day I will never forget. As of now Dover and I are taking a few weeks off entirely to recharge our batteries a bit. We don't plan to book any shows until March or April. I'll do a few solo shows just to keep me sane though. We have about 4-5 new songs we need to straighten out a bit, but when they are ready, we will track another EP over the winter. It will hopefully be released in spring of 2018.

-Ryan Wise

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #3

3.Can you Deal?-Bleached

I love this band I've made that point very clear to both them in person and in my various social media accounts but in all honesty I've yet to see any group just grow so much in so little time as these gal's have and this song is just one example of how they've really become something more than a bunch of riotous punks kicking ass and taking names.

This song for me personally is an example of every single member of this band stepping up their game ten fold and pumping out a tune that's the most musically matured thing I think they possibly have recorded with a spectacular bass groove, some wickedly air guitar ready shredding, and a chorus that's an excellent showcasing of Jennifer Clavin REALLY becoming one of her own when you get the chance to see them play it live and just bring that energy up front you come to realize this song is absolutely exceptional in every conceivable way and this band and their continued musical growth and evolution is just mind blowing because this song is just such a god damn step up in every way.

Can You Feel is a steady little number more early 90's alternative rock in feel and tone with it's fairly nondescript intro into this steady guitar line with some echoing tones you're then blasted with a series of verses that are questions to the listener that I'm sure they get quite a bit before immediately dismissing them to blast into a chorus that's an unapologetic statement of feminimity and how they're musicians and curious if, “Can You Deal?” and, “Yeah It's Real,” really fucking bad ass and after looking up the lyrics I was left with a quote from Mrs. Clavin in regards to this track and it's importance to them:

Jennifer Clavin said in the Can You Deal? Zine:

Can You Deal? is for every girl out there who is sick of every male sound engineer telling them what they think is right for their guitar set up. Can You Deal? is for every girl who has been told that “girl bands are in right now” by an A&R guy. Can You Deal? is for any girl mulling over press photos, knowing their band will be picked apart for looks and not the actual music. Can You Deal? is for everyone who can please stop referring to my band as “female fronted” or “all girl band”. It is for everyone who can stop feigning surprise every time a woman plugs in and plays well, gets behind the drums, or has the sickest bass style. It is 2017. Can you deal yet?

(Lifted directly from: https://genius.com/Bleached-can-you-deal-lyrics)

So they're a band on a mission to be something more than just a girl group which is all cool in my book especially when the music is this bad ass.

If you get the chance see this band live, buy all their albums, and tell them how they're the best people ever because if they continue to make music this apologetically great they may just very well be the next punk rock deities people.

 

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #4

4.Heroin and Automobiles-Vigil and Thieves

You know I've gotten it pretty fucking well some times and if there's ever something that proved just how good life can be some times it'd probably be my birthday week because I got to see some performances that I'll never be able to truly comprehend and of all the songs I got the pleasure of not only getting to see played live and molded into something I actually got to have it played right in front of my face in my house which is fucking mind blowing.

(Yeah Yeah I know pics or it didn't happen so in that case HA here ya go fuckers!)

Vigils and Thieves are a band that I've covered over the past year plus and in that time I've seen them put on a multitude of great performances and seen the beginnings of a proper full length that I'm sure will be great and this song the first official piece of that project in comparison to their Never Land project is a real leap forward for them overall as a group with Sarah Storm giving a more restrained but effective vocal performance that effectively carries what's a fairly depressing tune about an individual who's life was tragically cut short.

“I Tried My BEST!” it's a line I very much screamed along with the second I finally knew what was being said and it's a thing I tell myself all the time just an simple sentence with a bunch of weight behind it because when you think about it that's all we can really do and that's what every local act that I cover on here and hope for the best is doing and in all honesty these guy's are one of the one's I really wish the best to come to because they're not only a great act they're also the best people who've really done things for me that I can't ever properly show my appreciation for.

This song is just fucking excellent bar none.

I was able to get with Sarah Storm of Vigil and Thieves to answer a few questions about this song and 2017 and this is what she had to say...

So what is the inspirations behind Heroin and Automobiles?

The loss of Anthony Saluto and Sam Watson kinda sunk me into a death obsessed spiral, and it was all I was writing about for awhile, still kind of do. I wanted to create something hopeful from it. I've known quite a few people who have passed from drug related causes or suicide and many of them were really young. It's hard to swallow reality sometimes and that song is about accepting yourself and carrying on despite the shitty way the world is.

What made you chose it as the first single for your upcoming album?

It has a relatable message, that you are worth something, and it's okay not to have it all together. Setting the tone for the mood and direction is important to us.

How was 2017 for you as a band in terms of the music you wrote, released, and the performances you gave?

Fucking rad! We got to play Midcoast Takeover at South by Southwest, we played Middle of the Map for the first time, did a tour, we played all the venues! It has been an awkward year considering we've been in limbo bass player wise. But we've written so many songs and really developed our tone. We've gotten a lot more political and a lot more passionate. I'm in love with where this album is going and

I can't wait to share it with everyone!

-Sarah Storm

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #5

5.Be Good Boy-Momma's Boy

I can not lie I am pretty sure this may very well be my most listened to track of the whole year hands down no questions asked and the fact that I spent most of last year seeing them play it live over and over again obviously didn't play any part in that at all.........OK we all know that's a fucking lie but STILL this band may very well be the best in KC because to say they've improved in 12 months is the understatement of a century.

Top to bottom, track to track, show after show this band took all the momentum last year gave them and maybe a certain number 1 listing to heart and managed to crank out an EP that's just so fucking good, but all of those praises are irrelevant because we're talking about Be Good Boy here and before I get into explaining why this song is great I kind of feel like retelling you guy's a little story as to why this song has stuck with me so much.

So be me some time last year somewhere in the middle of Kansas in this house at maybe the coolest fucking thing ever in the form of this annual house show this band threw called Manor Fest watching them shred through a set so awesome that their guitarist Shaun Crowley's replacement guitars kept fucking up on him to a point where he got so pissed off that he went back to his original guitar to finish the song and in to light a cigarette to help calm down his aggression and as he stood there with a cigarette hanging from his mouth he sang the line, “I see you smoking a cigarette,” which to me was the most fucking bad ass thing ever if not the most random way to remember a track and as they performed it show after show I kept getting that line stuck in my head to a point where I got other folks stuck singing that line with me because I'm a dick and kept repeating it over and over again kind of like once this song finally got released I listened to the unholy fuck out of it and that's were we are today with it's placement on this list.

What we got here is this swirling bit of surf rock bad assery that's insainly catchy, blisteringly played, and just loaded with moments of utter awesomeness that you can't help but be captivated by it's pounding nature and the midpoint of the song where we get this awesome bass solo and these dueling guitar parts before a moment of silence that makes me want to just yell YEAH every time it comes up before getting blasted with an outro of everyone jumping into the pool at once you have something that sticks with you and leaves everyone dancing jumping around and wanting more and more and more.

God damn it momma's boy fucking rule.

 

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #6

6.Everybody Knows-Kimbra

OK before I talk about the mind blowing quality of this track I need to get it out of my system that my biggest musical crush is fucking back with new music and to say I'm a giddy little fuck is an understatement because she's still as relentlessly talented as she is maybe as the late great Prince said, “the most beautiful girl in the world,” and the video to this song left me literally wide eyed, breathless, and I just couldn't look away at the majesty of beauty being presented before me.

Alright now that I got that out of my system Everybody Knows it's a fucking excellent little danceable indie pop number that's yet another showcasing of an artist that just loves to blur the line between electronica and funk by mixing insainly catchy beats that's just captivate you as a listener and send you on a trip that'll leave you convulsing in such a way that you don't know why but you can't help but want to move and groove about relentlessly and that's before her just utterly beautiful vocals just come in and prove why she's the most captivating artist of her time for me she's an otherworldly creature of talent that just leaves me speechless, gitty, and blown away every time she continues to make music that's truly showcasing that she's an artist only looking to do what she wants and not what you think you want her to do.

This song almost didn't make the list in all honesty but one day after having it just in my head here and there I sat down and listened to it and that entire long winded paragraph happened and I knew that it'd be utter sacrilege to not include this utterly breathtaking track and if you haven't given this artist a chance you need to change your tune because she's something special people and this world needs to recognize that already she's maybe grown more than anyone could have ever thought 5 years ago and it's only a matter of time before you realize that people.

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #7

7.Two Hearted-Faintheart

If there was a quintessential quality to pop punk that gives it a certain quality that lead to it becoming such a popular genre is the fact that lyrically it's a very light hearted genre of music that takes you back to a time when things were simpler and more like those cheesy Teen movies that we all watched and loved every single moment of only to eventually grow up and move on from all backed up by a melody that has enough girth to make it substantially more meaningful than your typical teen pop fair.

It's these occasional bits of simple unadulterated joy that leaves us to listen to this genre and of all the tunes to bring upon those child like senses of joy I'd say that this song was like the love life I've wanted but haven't gotten all year and you know what that's better than being a bitter piece of shit.

2 Hearted is a tune that instantly hooked me on these guy's right from that opening rift which is reminiscent of early 2000s pop punk with it's high hat heavy speedily played percussion and fairly straightforward but effective rifts you get a tune that's an overall a quality listen that fly's by faster than it's nearly 4 minute run time would suggest and until I got about to writing this post I kind of just maybe realized that. 

Faintheart are a band that just got their start this year and that I've had the pleasure of seeing grow up and mold into something cool and when I got around to seeing them fairly recently very drunk I decided to ask them about this wonderful bit of pop punk joy that is this song and these are some of the things they had to say:

What Inspired 2 Hearted?

4 loves and weird life situations.

How's 2017 been for you guys?

It's been great we're 1 year old and recording and writing a new album!

What's 2018 have in store for you?

We plan to keep writing so much more! Release more music after that we hope to connect with as many people as we can!

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #8

8.Go So Wrong-Second Hand King

First off I'd like to take a second to say that I saw this song played in my house and it was FUCKING AWESOME! Second Hand King is a hell of a dude people.

This song hit a little too close to home for me in terms of it's upbeat tone that it presents but it's rather sad subject matter of how something so good could possibly go so wrong which happened quite a bit more than I'd like to admit to in all honesty, “I could ever wonder how anybody could love a creature as cold blooded as me,” is but one of many examples of a lot of the lyrical sucker punches I often feel when I listen to a lot of SHK's more life focused relationship based tunes and this one felt the most real in a large sense and it's that undying reliability along with it's more R&B focused style that resonated to me because like my earlier post about Kendrick rap isn't a genre that completely resonates with me but it has it's merits and can emote something in me.

This is an excellent doo-whop cut which is showcasing King's continued venturing outside of his traditional rapping style to make what's an outright doo-wop track that sounds like some bad ass obscured cut you found rummaging through your parents old vinyl records and King's voice feels a lot more in control and well toned than you'd possibly expect which leads to a tune that hit close and was rotated plenty a night sober and drunk.

When I decided to reach out to SHK about this track this is what he had to say:

So what is the inspirations behind Go So Wrong?

Inspired by this time when a girl told me she was into me via a friend and I systematically destroyed her interest via my nonsense. It was a defense mechanism, in hindsight. I told her, via the friend, that she could only text me if she started each conversation with "turtles".

How was 2017 for you as a performer in terms of the music you wrote, released, and the performances you gave?

2017 was a reemergence for me. A lot changed at the beginning of the year, and I guess I just sort of found myself again near the tail end. March, I headlined the recordBar and that was a big piece of the puzzle for me. Kansas City supported me and I needed Kansas City. Also, I formed a band that I'm pretty excited about as well as started a side project with my friend Jesse from Sinple called Bad Dreamer.

What are your plans for 2018?

My plans are to perform. Hit the ground running, and release FRANKIE next year and something else that's sort of a surprise. All you need to know is you need to see me and my band The Lovers. ASAP. Right now. See us live. It's worth it. I promise.

-Second Hand King

Sam's Top 10 of 2017 #9

9. Teenage Bodies-Rachel Mallin + The Wild Type

Things got a whole lot more groovy all up in this bitch now didn't they?

With production courtesy of the all mighty Hembree's Isaac Flynn what we got here is a track that eludes plenty of 80's New Wave tones in it's heavy use of synthesizers with that patented surf rock vibe that little Mrs. Mallin and company are known for along with a vocal performance that has small hints reminiscent of a Cyndi Lauper with it's eccentric verses backed with a chorus that's about as pop perfect as it get's you get a late release tune I recall seeing get played in it's early stages of writing that managed to completely morph into something great whenever they got around to recording it.

This song is a step in a direction that is a bit different from the feedback heavy indie vibes of Dropout and Degenerate Matters scattered styles but it still maintains lyrics that are equally playful in both Mallin's vocal delivery and content from lines about cutting one's own hair and how growing older leads us all to take more of a conscious effort to, “Wake up before noon,” and put a better effort towards your psychical appearance that express the continued themes of growing into one's self that's populated this young performers output for the past few years.

They did an excellent little interview explaining the influences that created this track that you can view riiiiight....here:

Although I did manage to ask one Rachel Mallin what her's and the wild types plans for 2018 were and well the response was a simple list:

"Tour

Liberation

money

hopefully

new work

strong bands

more fans?"

-Rachel Mallin

Sounds like the making of the next great song to me.

These guy's rule and this song is a great late year tune that just kind of crept in and took me by surprise just how much I loved it keep on keeping on Rachel I see you really being some thing huge.

Sam's TOP 10 of 2017 #10

10. LOVE.-Kendrick Lamar fet. Zacari

So I just need to get some bit of information before I rant about this thought that's on my mind and that's that I actually do enjoy rap and hip hop as genre's and feel they're just as much real music as every other genre unlike a good portion of other rock music fans who feel the desire to hate on any rapper that's not Eminem I feel it's a genre with a wealth of talented people making some interestingly great stuff but it's not a genre I specifically have enough of a connection with to treat it like other millennial as some anti status quo race based anti traditionally punk tinged music that an older more conservative minded generation would find as nothing more than disposable noise.

I personally never will see it as an equaling punk music as a fuck you to baby boomers simply because it's a genre that's for the most part THE MAINSTREAM it's modern American pop music through and through and if you're not Rap you're in the dust because I remember watching this interesting round table discussion were these critics talked about how Rap music is the standard of our modern day culture and it's continued urbanization and it was a very interesting view and it got me really thinking about why this genre is a thing and why I was so fucking pissed that my local alternative rock station is starting to play more rap and hip hop in it's rotation going so far as to have Snoop Dogg headline it's biggest festival and it got so far that I do recall drunkenly having a mild argument with one of that stations Dj's and now I'm here at the end of the year a lot less angry and with one simple statement in regards to Hip Hop and it's place in alternative music which simply put it doesn't belong there simply because mainstream culture is Rap music it's not punk rock to play that genre it's simply required to keep the young demographic of disenfranchised liberal teenagers looking to piss off older folks by listening to music that goes against their standards of what makes good music and in turn they're alienating people like me that went to this station wanting to hear rock music that wasn't cock rock post grunge I hate my parents jams that I'd heard fifty different flavors of a million times over and under I want to hear Punk, New Wave, and the various way's you can make a guitar interesting not Chance the fucking Rapper, Donald Golver, OR FUCKING HEY YA!(which no shit STOP PLAYING THAT FUCKING SONG IT'S NOT 2003-2004 LET IT FUCKING DIE!) if I wanted to hear those acts I'd just turn on the top 40 stations they play them a plenty trust me.

That was a very stream of conscious thought that I'm not gonna edit because fuck it it's the truth and what's funny is that even with ALL of that in mind the song to kick off this years list is a rap tune by the only artist in the game that I personally feel makes a quality of music that's at points above it's genre Kendrick Lamar.

“DAMN! LOVE AND LUST! DAMN! ALL OF US!” I can't say how many times I got fucked up and listened to that line over and over again but I did and while DAMN. As an album was not that great this odd little Drake inspired tune just seemed to stick with me in a way that's kind of odd to be honest it's a 3 minute love song about how much adoration he has for his fiance and nothing more and the backing vocalist Zacari sounds like The Weekend and Justin Beiber had a baby which is to say a lot better than he has any right to sound.

The strength of this track is very simple to me it's just a modern day R&B track that has just enough traditional elements to give it a familiar feeling while still sounding like something you'd expect to hear today and it's simple and easy to digest nature gives me this odd feeling of satisfaction and adoration that make me think it's one of the best things I've heard in a long time also it's a great tune to get FUCKED UP TO! So yeah Kendrick is the best and this song contrary to what I've heard some critics say is great and my pick for the 10th best song of the year.

 

Honorable Mention

Had it All-Hembree

SO the last honorable mention to be had and boy was it a tune that grew on me just a tad too late in the year but considering the growth that this group has made since first being mentioned in the early part of my 2015 list I figured it'd of been a crime to not at the very least squeeze in this wonderfully larger than life tune.

"Had it All," is a bit of a change of pace from the kind of frantic rocker that was last year's, "Holy Water," to instead give us a very atmosphere heavy rocker that's carried by a chorus that just booms in such a way to make you feel like you're drifting to another world. 

The EP this song is from is WELL WORTH investing a few bucks to get a hold of because this is just one of many excellent tunes have helped shaped a group that's finally starting to break into the mainstream more deservedly so than even I could of ever been able to explain to you why.

Well folks that's all the honorable mentions for next week is the official start of the list where I'll be posting them throughout the weekday's around 6 or 7 central standard time so be prepared to have your face melted and mind blown at the sheer awesome to come.

Honorable Mentions

Wall of Glass-Liam Gallagher

My friend would fucking kill me if I didn't mention this song among the best tracks of the year and while it's an excellent return to form from the former Oasis front man there's other songs I felt to be a bit better but even if that's the case this song isn't to be taken lightly people.

This song is a blues inspired bit of old school rock and roll awesome that sounds like it'd be very much at home along side any of Oasis' finer tracks with it's excellent guitar work and Gallagher sounding just as snobbish and in your face as he did back in the day this track kind of came out of nowhere for me, smacked me in the face, and road off into the sunset leaving me to have to play catch up.

Honorable Mentions

Miracle Maze-Jaenki

I've seen a lot of local acts do their thing and put out some great music and this list will be filled with a lot of it but if there's one band that I can honestly say sounds WAYYYY bigger than the sum of their parts I'd say it's definitely this little New Wave act.

This song is one slick ass mother fucking jam that has these kind of larger than life feel to it that feels like going on an adventure through space and time with it's very trippy beat and kind of frantic tone  that's offset with occasional slowdowns in pace here and there that end up giving you a track that just fucking kills and was a good launch pad to a year that included opening Buzz Beachball, doing a couple of select tour dates with Atlus Genius, and slowly plotting to take over the world because believe me these guy's have a sound that can easily fill a stadium it's just a matter of time before you can't get in there to witness it.

Best of 2017 Honorable Mention

She's a gun-The Greeting Committee

Kansas City's next big thing are most certainly on track to be truly that after releasing a record so good that it was the first perfect score I've given any project in about 4 years and proving that they aren't just a bunch of kids making cute love songs that peaked after their first big hit instead we got some actual aggression and heft from their follow up EP that actually showcases some real musical growth and the fact that they've been closing every single set of theirs with this song it's eventual release has given us an immensely satisfying rocker of a tune that's the exact evolution of sound that I was hoping to get from this band ever since they started to break huge and Hands Down became damn near unlistenable with the radio blasting it relentlessly every 5 minutes.

Also on a lesser note the music video for this track is fucking tight as hell.

I'm telling you people these guy's are going to be selling out the Midland before next year is up I'm absolutely sure of it they have everything required to be big it's just a matter of everyone else catching up now.

Best of 2017 Honorable Mentions...

WHAT IS UP FOLKS!!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year time for me to post the best songs of 2017 in the ONLY LIST THAT MATTERS! And this year I'm a do things a bit differently because rather than posting a top 20 that conveniently ends on the last day of the year I'm instead going to use this week to highlight 5 songs that were exceptional but not quite the most awesome things to happen and then spend the next 2 weeks doing a top 10 proper because while I could have filled a whole list limiting things down to just 10 tracks gave more room to really think my choices over so without further a do here's my first honorable mention of 2017:

Wooded Kingdom(Steam Gardens) Mario Odyssey Soundtrack-Naoto Kubo, Koji Kondo, Shiho Fujii

I'd like to take the time to note I do not entirely know who composed this tune in particular and after doing some research I figured I'd just credit the 3 people credited with the game soundtrack as a whole.

SO I don't recall ever actually doing this at any point in the history of this blog or even mentioning the fact that I am a gamer as well as a very opinionated music critic and while Nintendo as a company isn't my bread and butter they know damn well how to present their games and this year for one reason or another after seeing a lot of my friends playing their products I finally have to say this may be one of if not their best years yet and the game that's almost making me consider giving their new system a chance is the new Mario game Super Mario Odyssey which is a fucking spectral to see people with a host of little things here and there just to let every bodies inner fan boy just fucking go nuts but with all those throwbacks there has to be some new and oh god damn did it bring some great new things.

Although I'm not a gaming journalist if you want that you should check out Kansas City's true best blogger in the form of one TenEightEP THE premiere retro gaming journalist this place has to offer and actually it's because of him that I learned about this EXCEPTIONAL composition in Super Mario Odyssey's Steam Gardens Level.

This insturmental is fucking brilliant people a simple guitar line and stead fast drum beat that's Dick Dale inspired surf rock with a small jazzy tone that creates a track that'll get stuck in your head and make you want to dance and listen to it on an endless repeat as you think to yourself, “GOD DAMN IT NINTENDO YOU DONE IT AGAIN!”

On this hallows eve

It's a cold dark night as I sit alone pondering to myself what it is that goes creeping in the night and as I take a second to check my surroundings in the silence of the night I'm reminded of the various tunes I listen to yearly and the post of Halloween past I've made and my excitement at the thought of the delightfully festive and haunting tunes I've posted in years past the punk fueled goth tinged tunes that I've worn down and still enjoy and I wonder if I've covered it all?

What a scary thought to think of the idea that it's all been done that there's no reason to exist because anything and everything you could ever want is gone and will never come back? Your life is nothing more than chilling in a cold dark room with the glow of a computer monitor keeping you company and a blank screen ever present like the ever present state of being just a small glowing bit of nothing in an ever expansive and blank world that has no use for your very existence?

It's a cold dark world full of nothing and your very existence is nothing more than fuel for that psychopathic serial killer creeping up right behind you right now.

Don't worry that was all a joke everyone knows this former pagan celebration of the harvest is nothing more than a day to overload on sweets, get drunk dressed as your favorite bit of pop culture, and have an excuse to enjoy all things creepy without the fear of being judged by the world around you and while I'm still taking some time for a future article I figured I'd take the time to post a tune to add to your yearly playlist of ghoulish grooves and since I covered a local act last year around this time I figured I'd share another delightfully festive tune in the form of my good friends Vigil and Thieves and this 2016 cut, "Haunting," which gives off these eerie vibes with some wonderfully echoing guitar tones and lyrics that are as bleak as the title.

Happy Halloween folks stay tuned for sometime around Thanksgiving when I finally announce what's going on but until then BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

R.I.P. Grant

It's been confirmed that former drummer and co-vocalist of Husker Du Grant Hart has passed on today and to say that it's deeply saddening to myself is an understatement.

That song right there is the song that got me into Husker Du and to this day remains honestly one of my favorite pieces of music to ever be put to tape and the fact that the man responsible for belting that awe inspiring piece of work is no longer with us tears me up because Grant spent his whole post Husker Du career battling addiction and life threatening diseases that no person really deserves to deal with and at the very least I can accept the fact that he's in a better place not having to live with the demons that haunted him his whole life but still one of my musical icons is now gone and watching that performance just makes me swell up in a way that I haven't in a long time I'm listening to Sorry Somehow as I type this out and I'm at a loss for words.

It's a sad day indeed and I'm for lack of a better way to put it shook up and ready for a drink or 7 but I can at the very least know that Grant Hart your music is truly some of the most important discoveries of my life and I very much appreciate your life's work and will continue to hold the songs and the memories attached to them close to me and as I willow in a pool of sadness tonight I'll know for sure that he'll continue to be a source of not only inspiration but joy.

R.I.P. Grant you were an underappreciated legend of your time and I can only hope that people will now take the time to truly come to appreciate the phenomenal catalog of music you've made.

Announcement Time people

Damn I suck at keeping this thing updated don't I? 

In all seriousness though Sam's Birthday Bash 2 was a RESOUNDING SUCCESS!!! and to all the bands that played you the best but with that in mind I'd like to announce that I'll be laying dormant for the next few months with maybe some potential for post on here if the right thing comes up but I have other endeavors that must be meet before I can really devote much thought to music at this time but I will say that December will be the month to follow for sure because those who've been following me for years will most certainly know what's to come but until then for slightly better updates I'll link you to the Facebook Page for this blog because it's a bit more active in terms of updates:

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE!!!!

but to round this out nicely here's a few pics that I managed to get from the show enjoy the sight of a very drunk Sam

Birthday Bash Featured Artist: The Holidays

The Holidays



(Image Courtesy of bands Facebook)

I can't lie I've wanted to write about these guy's ever since I first saw them open this year's Homegrown Buzz showcase I just kind of got a case of writers block and other distractions that kind of went on until I managed to only recently decide to get out of my writing rut as I was booking bands for this little gig of mine and that's when I managed to finally get around to hitting these guy's up and since then aside from a self titled EP they've released a new single, “We'll Never Change,” which according to lead singer George McMillian is something he wrote in the midst of last years election as a reactionary piece to the increased hostility in the world as a tune to express how you need to be proud of who you are and never change who you are.

It's a tune that along with a lot of their self titled EP gives off this early to mid 90's alternative rock vibe that for some reason makes me think of an episode of The Adventures of Pete and Pete this timelessly nostalgic tinged rock and roll that showcase a good sense of wonder and worthlessness while giving a youthful sense of wanting to see how things roll.

You can actually download all of their music for free on their website which is a hell of a steal if you ask me with the link to their website down below so you can give them a listen and if you like it maybe you should order a t-shirt or something because these guy's plan to get around to recording their first full length record completely independently here within the next show and if you're curious to see them before my birthday show they're having a show at Prohibition Hall August 18th which all the details should be available through their various social media and you should totally go to if you can.

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Birthday Bash Featured Artist: Second Hand King

So now that we've had some time to get the news out there that I'm having a show at my place for my birthday I figured I'd take the time to write about some of the people kind enough to bless me with this wicked opportunity so without further ado here's my highlighted act of the week in anticipation for my birthday bash... 

Second Hand King

   

 Kansas City's own self professed Doo-wop rapper Second Hand King is one of many examples of and artist thinking outside the box with a style that blends two genre's of music that you never realized aren't that far apart in terms of how they actually flow you have an artist using samples and an overall style that's a refreshing change of pace. 

 I just have to highlight this cut from his upcoming concept album, Frankie “Go So Wrong,” a decidedly old school tinged straight up doo-wop number that's one of many a heartbreak themed tunes that this man seems to know how to just expertly craft, this snap along jam is one oddly addictive little number that's not so much an expression of master class vocals but rather an example of how delivery is everything and this songs blending of light rapping and a chorus that's so stupid simple that you can't help but think this songs pretty damn brilliant. 

 From what I've noticed this guy's really growing into his role and really making some genuinely interesting tunes that are showcasing some overarching story of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness and I'm starting to really enjoy this show. Aside from the tune above some other excellent cuts of his you should check out would be Cold Shoulder, Glass Houses, and my personal favorite Before the Bomb Drops and if you like what you hear you can of course see him at my birthday show and also at the Riot Room on September 9 as well as checking out the links to his various social media where you can maybe purchase some stuff from him. 

Social Media:

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I also manage to find this interesting interview that I don't know who to credit beyond the channel itself that's also a good place to get to know this guy.

 Interview courtesy of Jamieson Edwards:

 

Yeah it's going down people...

If you're a fan of the facebook page you already know but for those unaware it's the reason I've been quite for the past few months people proud to say the tradition continues...

The KC Showcase: Vigil and Thieves, "Heroin and Automobiles"

AH YEAH SON one of my favorite bands from this little city of mine has released a new song today and I am incredibly pumped because I remember seeing them debut this a few months back at a show they were having and have seen it grown and morph as they continue to get more and more comfortable with the track and now it's finally here so I can 1. Quit having one line of it stuck in my head and 2. Finally know what the Drummer is screaming near the end of the song so I can possibly maybe sorta most likely one of these day's scream along with him.

Rambling thoughts aside what exactly do we have here with this new tune well this song is dedicated to the memory of one Anthony Saluto a Kansas City native who was tragically killed last year and lyrically this song is loaded with very introspective lyrics that are performed in a surprisingly contained manor which is different of Sarah Storm which is quite different in a pleasant way because she's seemed to really put forth a performance that showcases a lot more maturity and self control to help her echoing cry's of, "I keep counting the day's I've wasted," really ring true at least to this listener I really can feel every ounce of agony and emotion she delivers.

This song is quite an excellent little cut and I very much advise all of you go out and buy it now because this band is not only one of the nicest group of people I've ever meet they also are some truly talented musicians that put on an excellent live show and really make some quality music for emotionally distraught people and for the low low price of a dollar this song is a steal go buy it yesterday OH and also if you're in the Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Kansas City area this week you owe it to yourself to make a trip to see these guy's live you will be as hooked as I was the first time I saw them.

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The KC Showcase 3 new tunes for you

Fuck it's been like 3 months since I've written anything and in that 3 months I've kind of been a bit of a hermit in all honesty I seemed to of developed a bad case of writers block and I've been completely and utterly devoid of original or well constructed thought to provide all of you and in that time but you know with a few exceptional shows seen recently and a bad ass announcement on the horizon I figured I'd inform you guy's of one of my favorite topics on here Kansas City's thriving and excellent music scene and here's 3 bands that recently just unleashed some new music that you should make a part of your rotation starting with a group I've covered on here before....

Pink Royal-Bring it On Back

This band is a tour de force of awesomely funky grooves and energy that's managed to only get better and better the longer they keep on keeping on and this song the first with their new lead singer the bad ass keytar wielding Vik Govindarajan just utterly throwing everything and the kitchen sink with a nice shot of Ass Whooping soul infused funkiness that's part Hall and Oats part true indie rock glory you have a cut here that's a true showcase of what you expect this band to be making but with a renewed sense of focus and much tighter playing than ever so if you haven't gotten down with these pink Flamingos then you really should because this will get ya body a grooving and a moving mother fucker...




OH and they have a show coming up for the release of this new effort if you're cool and want to see a spectacular live show then here's a link to it's event page so you can get reminded to go and be blown the fuck away...

Fiction Department-Bad Idea

Do you like early 2000's angst ridden emo ala Taking Back Sunday or At the Drive In? If you answered yes than this is your jam in the form of this rowdy group of youngsters Fiction Department and their newest single Bad Idea which evokes all those memories of all those angst ridden high school years but in a way that we can all enjoy and the new video seems to fit well with the lyrics about a guy and a girl in a tight situation.

This isn't a complicated jam just a solidly good one for those looking to kind of throw back and listen to something new that's a lot like day's of old.





Modern Day Fitzgerald-Forsaken Echo

I love me some 60's tinged surf rock jams people and aside from their bad ass name this group has released one bad ass surf rock tune. This song is kind of dark in a way with a very eery echoing coo in the way the vocals are stacked and how this steady drum beat and use of a full on string section make things move along in an oddly rapid pace that hits a sudden wall to slow down at points only to then punch you in the face by increasing things tenfold.

This song is just coolness personified and a damn excellent cut from a group looking to make a rise out of themselves and if you get the chance go see them live they're a good show.





There's some new tunes for you to give a listen now back to the shadows to work out my next announcement for you people this time in less than 3 months.

The KC Showcase: Drugs & Attics

(Image courtesy of Bandcamp)

Drugs and Attics are a local punk rock act that make music that can be described as brash punk rock with a nice blend of doo-wop and minor tints of surf rock thrown in to keep things a little bit more musical at points and I've been following them around since about last year and they recently just released their debut EP after getting signed to independent label Creep it Real and I recently acquired a copy and figure I'd let you guy's know just what you're getting into when listening to this little group of punks.

So this album is short....like real short all in all it's 4 songs and about 8 minutes of your day to listen to this record back to front and somehow in all of 4 songs they managed to express a wide variety of sounds from the decidedly punkish, “I Got a Bong,” the kind of 50's rock and roll of, “The Parties Over,” to the Indie jangle rock of, “Don't You See,” and of course the distortion heavy slow churner of a track, “The High Life,” you get a surprisingly large amount of variety in something so short which is actually kind of cool because it seems like these guy's are very actively trying to be something more than just a sloppy group of punks making loud music.

Mr. Billy Williams has a voice that's equal parts rough and gravely as it is surprisingly soulful and his delivery all throughout this little EP fleshes each of these songs and shows the largest amount of passion in, “High Life,” which just carries along quite wonderfully while also making up about half of the whole EP's run time and is this hugely full sounding track that really stands out in every great way.

This really is a cleanly produced selection of tracks that use a variety of interesting instrumentals from the horns in, “The Parties Over,” and even a bong in, “I got a Bong,” there's a variety of well put together tunes that leave you with the feeling that this record is fucking great.

This EP is an all out assault of killer cuts that really just kind of leave you wanting to hear more and trust me this band is well worth hearing more from and if you get the chance their live show is just spectacular and full of all sorts of other awesomely bad ass tunes that will leave you wondering why they didn't put them out but that said this collection of tunes is just the right blend of tracks they could have put out with each song being the best examples of the sounds they're looking to achieve and performances given that are just flawless and will only continue to feel so listen after listen if you find it at your local record shop FUCKING BUY IT NOW!

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5/5

Best: Hight Life

Worst: I Got a Bong