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: 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   

The KC Showcase: The Sluts, "Only One" EP

(Album May or may not come with complimentary Miller Light that's kind of up to just how things work out for ya but yeah this one instance I actually took the picture myself so...cool)

Being an independent entity with any real lack of journalistic professionalism has it's perks sometimes because I'm not held to a standard that people who actually get paid to do this I can pretty much introduce any piece however I want and excuse me because there's only one way to really start out this piece....

Lawrence FUCKING Kansas' best punk band is back bitches and this brand new batch of tunes is one feedback heavy dose of even more focused and angry rock and roll that's kind of like bad sex over and done with in under 3 minutes and god damn it that's the way I FUCKING LIKE IT!

Form the opening chords of the exceptional, “Spy Hunter,” you can tell that this album has a slightly more musical sound to it compared to their previous self titled 2015 release which was chocked full of very Grungy feedback heavy punk tunes reminiscent of Bleach-Era Nirvana and have instead given us a record that for the majority of it's run time is admittedly a little less heavy than the previous record with, “Spy Hunter,” at points having vocals that kind of remind me of She Wants Revenge in their somber tones and the constant repetition of the line, “What the fuck is real love anyway,” being the perfect fit to it's more down tuned guitar work which is decidedly less punchy than the record before hand and the track, “Wonderful,” has an almost Brit Pop feel to it which I actually kind of really dig because it helps balance out the almost light semi romantic lyrics, “Could you be so wonderful to me,” which is a simple but damn great line and it's barely there run time is something that I'm admittedly a glutton for.

The tracks from this EP really give me a feel that they're trying to expand their sound a bit and it shows because I saw them at the Homegrown Buzz Showcase this year and all the new tracks minus, “On The Radio,” sound completely different from the previous album and in all honesty I can really dig that especially with tracks like, “Spy Hunter,” and, “Wonderful,” being as great as they are this band has put out yet another spectacular release well worth taking note of and chugging a Miller light or 7 to now if you excuse me I think I'm a go grab a few tall boy's and get my drank on to what I shall proclaim as LAWRENCE FUCKING KANSAS' BEST!

(yet another example of my wonderful photography skills at work people)

Also I should probably note that this release is being done one song at a time up until June when all 5 tracks should be available on their Bandcamp Page but if you're impatient and in desperate need of having your mind blown and face melted you can get a physical copy on CD at one of their shows which will most likely be the best decision you'll ever make people.

4/5

Best: Spy Hunter & Wonderful

Worst: Evil Woman

The KC Showcase: Run With It, "How To Start a Fire," ep

(Image courtesy of bands website)

Run with it are an alternative rock band from right here in Kansas City that I actually discovered after scanning a random Snapchat code they left on the side of a light pole and after a couple of months of seeing constant updates about this upcoming release and the amount of hype that this record was generating for them I decided to actually finally give them a listen because this release actually debuted on iTunes top alternative albums chart at number 66 and got these guy's a record deal which is pretty cool so here's my thoughts on what could possibly be Kansas City's Imagine Dragons.

Actually if I were to give these guy's some credit it'd be that they managed to make a product that has some really good production with each song sounding quite full and at times kind of didn't feel like an independent act with tracks like, “I Need a Light,” feeling like it could be sent to the radio there's a level of quality control that's very admirable and worth giving these guy's credit for, but it's oddly the high level of quality control that's honestly my biggest issue with this EP it's an incredibly safe sounding effort that produces songs that kind of make me feel like they need to be played on the kind of radio station for Midwestern soccer mom's who wore out their Matchbox Twenty CD's and that earlier comparison to Imagine Dragons is a bit more than a comparison because when I was initially trying to outline a review of this piece pretty much every song on here was noted as reminding me of Imagine Dragons to some capacity.

That's not really the worst thing in the world considering that their stylistic similarities to more mainstream modern alternative rock acts gives them an appeal that can reach a bigger audience than some of the other bands I've covered in this showcase segment and some of the tracks on here like, “Don't Waste My Time,” are still some solid tracks in their own right and the track, “One More Fight,” has a pretty bad ass guitar solo to close it out along with this bands vocalist Miguel Carballo actually has a very robust voice that showcases a good amount of inflection and really seems to properly give these songs a kind of faith inspired feel that I'm sure a good amount of people will really grab on to the only issue is I'm not one of those people.

This band is solid as hell but they're also probably the safest most well organized thing I've covered in a very long time and the week plus it's taken me to properly frame that thought just leaves me with a record that I can only really say that if you like Imagine Dragons, X-Ambassadors, or Matchbox Twenty you'll probably dig this band but if you're looking for something unique from this city I'd say look elsewhere for something a little less formulaic.

Here's a link to the bands website for anyone interested in purchasing this ep:

http://www.runwithitband.com/

3/5

Best: Don't Waste My Time and the outro guitar solo on One More Fight

Worst:Time

The KC Showcase: The Styles

(Image Courtesy of bands Facebook Page)

There's quite a few local acts doing their rounds and generating some buzz all around getting spots in various local music events and a band that I've seen come up quite a few times in the various promotions and radio shows around the area that I've seen would be this little act The Styles who just recently put out their self titled debut Ep for free over on their website and since I keep seeing their name keep popping all around I decided to give them a listen and here's what I think.

This band for all intense purposes can best be described as a bit of a throwback to a more 90's post grunge kind of sound that's reminiscent of a Gin Blossoms, early Bush, or Screaming Trees with a vocalist that's reminiscent of Brenton Dean of Holy White Hounds fame and that's not too bad because in songs like, “Teleport,” and, “Get What I want,” this older more grungy but radio appropriate guitar sound they maintain along with a vocalist that kind of eludes a mildly arrogant rock star tone in his singing you get a band that showcases some solid guitar work who know how to craft a catchy tune with the vocals being the only real inconsistency on this EP.

I can't lie these guy's are really solid musicians but their vocalist while being pretty good at points also has moments where he sounds like 2005 called and wanted it's post grungy teenage angst back, and that's ever so evident in the track, “Away From Me,” which is a solid rocker of a tune but the delivery of the line, “Get away from me love,” just had me laughing up a storm and singing along incredibly mockingly and the last track, “Alive,” just kind of limps along with some really good guitar work but not much else.

For a first effort this Ep isn't bad I'd definitely recommend it for people who are more into a more radio rock sound that's very similar to that 90's Grunge scene and in all honesty, “Teleport,” structurally is a fucking bad ass tune and, “Get What I Want,” another serious highlights that showcase the best qualities of each member of this band.

Download EP for Free here: http://www.thestyleskc.com/

3/5

Best: Get What I want

Worst: Away From Me

The KC Showcase: Faintheart

(Image Courtesy of bands facebook)

Faintheart like many bands I cover here on Sam's Song of the Day are an alternative rock band from Kansas that are crafting some delightfully catchy indie rock tunes that have a very early 2000's emo tone to them who dropped their debut self titled EP not too long ago and recently after deciding to offer it up for free to help promote their upcoming gig at 96.5 The Buzz's Homegrown Buzz Local Music Showcase I figured I'd get around to covering this group I've not so low key been giving quite a few listens to over the past few weeks.

Like I stated Faintheart have a kind of early 00's Emo feel in their music and with their very fast tempo's in tracks like the exceptional, “Two Hearted,” give me memories of those old Victory Music Sampler CD's they use to give out in random magazines back in the day which isn't a bad thing because that sound is still pretty relevant as the teenagers that bought that stuff back then are now adults and if Buzzfeed is any suggestion still love to reminisce over those kinds of sounds.

“Two Hearted,” is a very bouncy little emo tinged kind of pop punk sounding number with a quick tempo and high pitched vocals that perfectly carry lyrics about how two hearts are better than one, which let's be real here who doesn't love when lines are that delightfully cheesy, which give the tune a very Cute is What We aim for feeling but with more heft and a vocalist that seems more in control of how to properly deliver a tune with out it being almost too poppy for it's own good and those same thoughts are also carried over to tracks like, “Common Sense,” with it's heavy use of synthesizers and a chorus that's incredibly in your face and demanding that you remember it.

Overall this EP is a good first impression that is filled with plenty of solid tunes that showcase a good range of sounds from these guy's with the only real gripes I have being that they don't have a complete sense of identity in place to give you this idea that what you're hearing is definitive to this band but even with that said tracks like, “Close Your Eyes,” and the exceptional and addictive, “Two Hearted,” are too good to really hold that against them and I'm sure as they continue to try and grow as a band they'll mature their sound and really start producing a bunch of winners but until then this fast paced 13 minutes of pop punk is a pretty good starting point.

Download for free here: http://noisetrade.com/wearefaintheart

3.5/5

Best: Two Hearted

Worst: You and I

The KC Showcase: The Greeting Committee, "Meeting People is Easy"

(Image Courtesy of band's Facebook Page)

After 2 years of toiling and relentless touring Kansas City Breakthrough act The Greeting Committee are back with their newest 6 song collection in the form of Meeting People Is Easy a matured more focused set of killer tracks that really showcase a collective of individuals who are really doing their best to live up to the hype built around It's not all that bad and it's monstrous radio single, “Hands Down,” which I'd honestly hate to say as good as that song is I'm pretty sure if the jaded expressions on their faces when I saw them play it live on black Friday are any indication even they're sick of hearing that song over and over again, and in all honesty you kind of get the feeling of that tiredness of such a breakthrough single in this collection of songs because the only thing that could possibly come close to being yet another, “Hands Down,” didn't even make the record.

Instead what we have is a collection of tunes starting out with a very cool little instrumental piece that kind of is a very piano lead piece that's a little bit of a whirlwind of unusual voice samples, and a small orchestra tuned piano along with a host of what I'd almost assume are wind chimes or something I can't quite put my finger on but this feels like they really wanted to make a bad ass instrumental track like a lot of bands they listened to growing up and it does a good job of framing this work as an already more focused and well put together piece of work and that's before it even hits it's first real song.

After that interesting little introduction we're then greeted by the exceptional, “Naive,” which uses it's first 30 seconds to kind of have this almost 90's indie rock intro before then blasting into that signature dream pop guitar line that this band has really made a thing of and vocalist Addie Sartino busting in with a new found level of confidence and fullness that show's a huge improvement to the muted and lower end production that It's Not all that Bad had and you end up with a track that has a booming chorus and frenetic energy that's for lack of a better term REALLY FUCKING AWESOME and Brandon Yangmi really pulling a spectacular guitar performance. Overall this song is actually the fullest blend of every body really stepping up and showcasing that these kids are really trying to be something.

So with your head a banging they follow that track up with their signature closer in the form of, “She's A Gun,” which in all honesty it's about god damn time they recorded this because they've been refining and performing this song since I saw them at the Homegrown showcase back in 2015 and this recording is really showing that because it just oozes this feeling of being refined and perfected and of course Sartino's delivery of the line, “My Baby's Got a Gun,” is just so god damn infectiously catchy that you'll be singing it out of context all the time I swear this song feels like a mission statement of sorts to show everybody that these kids are more than cheesy teen romance tunes and that they are worth taking seriously as a real band.

The next two tracks, “Someone Else,” and, “Dancing to Nothing at All,” are what I'd say are the experimental cuts that look to practice a more slower paced and in the case of, “Dancing,” an almost jazzy like experiment of using things like Saxophone to really expand this band's sound to something more than a bunch of early 2000s inspired modern indie rock and then it all wraps up very nicely with, “BBC,” which isn't the most stand out cut you'll ever hear but it's a nice down paced rocker of a track that serves as a great closer by being kind of to the point and just kind of ending at a pretty good but abrupt point to help cap off  an EP that's done everything and anything it can to distance these guy's from the label of those kids that did that cute teenybopper tune about being young and in love by not including a single ballad on here which I'm all for because while I'll give, “Elise,” the credit of being a very personal song that really does give off some really special vibes it's also for me at least plagued with the vibe that I'm about to have this song pounded into my fucking head.

Yeah I'll say it these guy's have really proven to me personally with this EP that they're worth all the success they've accomplished in such a short time and I whole heatedly feel that they've put out a collection of songs that are 100% good if not excellent and for only being 3 months in to 2017 it almost feels like nothing can really top it so yeah go out and buy a copy if you can because these guy's really have proved themselves here and for the first time I kind of feel this album is really worth starting an actual scoring system for so as the first official EP/Album review of 2017 things are off to a pretty high start.

5/5

Best: Naive and She's A Gun

Worst: I'd be hard pressed to say anything is of any low quality but if I had to....BBC

Sam Reviews an Album: Goodbye Gravity, "Sunday Matinee"

(image courtesy of Bands Bandcamp Page)

I was recently approached by a local band called Goodbye Gravity to write up a short review on their new EP Sunday Matinee and after giving it a listen here's a few thoughts I had with this release.

Goodbye Gravity are an alternative rock act formed in 2014 with a sound that I can best describe as a combination between a Pink Royal meets a Westside Royal with some vocals that are incredibly solid and give a vibe of some early 2000's kind of emo/indie rock tones with a lot of light guitar work that never get's too complicated for it's own good and a penchant for writing very kind of dreamy sounding easy to sing along tunes.

Sunday Matinee as a collection of 5 songs is a decently presented package of tunes that showcase a good range of nice kind of indie rock guitar tones that remind me of a host of one off bands that came and went with Rain Cloud having a nice Two Door Cinema club vibe to it with it's nice backing synthesizers adding a kind of danceable vibe to what's already a solidly good rock number with plenty of doo's in the chorus to give the listener something to sing along with.

Listening to this I'm not really noticing any real flaws here besides maybe the fact that Nightmares and Daydreams is a bit out of place with it's kind of circus music tones and the vocals while very solidly good are a bit reserved and could maybe use a bit more inflection at points here and there and when I'm listening to these songs I kind of find myself thinking it sounds very close to some other bands in Kansas City but even so that's not taking away from the fact that when you give this repeat listens you find a lot to really enjoy especially Dustbowl, Strings, and Blurry which I can genuinely say are some pretty bad ass songs.

So if you like bands like Two Door Cinema Club, Pink Royal, Westside Royal, or MOBS I'd say you should give these guy's a listen Sunday Matinee is a solid little collection of fun danceable alternative rock cuts that'll make you feel all sorts of early 2000's feels that we all can't help but love every once in a blue moon and if you like what you hear in the link provided below you can go see these guy's live at The Tank Room Friday February 10th.

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The KC Showcase: MOBS

MOBS are an alternative rock act from right here in Kansas City who I recently got the pleasure of getting to see live for their, “Your Tide,” Ep release party over at Brothers Music in Mission Kansas which I'm a take 30 seconds to inform you guy's that it's a REALLY nice little record store with plenty of quality records at fairly affordable prices that I can't give enough credit to for doing a fantastic job hosting the show even if the place was filled beyond capacity and I'll provide a link to their Facebook at the end of the article along with the EP stream from Spotify and MOBS social Media accounts.

On the topic of MOBS if I were to describe them they're an alternative rock act kind of in the vein of a group like Thursday but with a more substantially listenable vocalist who knows how to put just the right amount of umph into his chorus' and with plenty of strong guitar work from everyone involved.

Like I said there's a kind of early 2000's alternative rock flair to the 4 bright and addictively catchy tunes right from the get go with Walks a track that's short, simple, and to the point in establishing instantaneously catchy chorus' with very clap along percussion and some solidly to the point guitar work and a short runtime that only leaves you salivating before my favorite and this groups probably best track in Your Tide which starts out kind of slow and steady before just kind of punching you in the face with the ultimate combination of this bands biggest strengths, it's excellent chorus and it's kind of jumpy guitar work which leads me to want to drive around and scream along to it's chorus while I blast it out of my car stereo in the middle of the night with it's constant shifts in tempo you'll be going through a series of highs and lows that'll hit just the right notes.


The Following track Looking around is a lot like Your Tide but with a more upfront approach and like Your Tide it's a strong track that just keeps moving along what's already soon to become one of your favorite EP's even if it's almost identical to the track before it but I guess that's alright whenever you also manage to be just as ASS KICKINGLY FUCKING AWESOME!

For real all terrible grammar aside it kind of blew me away because those two tracks when you're listening to them will make you think god damn this is the best song and no matter how much you bounce between them you'll keep saying that over and over.

Badlands is the albums closer and it's a solid way to end out what's just a completely fucking awesome collection of ass kicking rock cuts with a slow pace that's more of a build up track to calm you down and finish strong.

Your Tide it's a tease of sorts and an album that immediately upon completion you'll probably hit that play button all over again and be blasting the ever loving fuck out of it's 4 stellar tracks for real do yourself a favor and 1. purchase the ever loving fuck out of this album and 2. GO SEE THIS BAND because they'll sell you with some of the most solid musicianship around for real this band fucking rocks.

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KC Showcase: The UK's

The UK's-Bad Seed

In my string of shows that's populated my month I went to another album release show and it was for a band called The UK's and god damn if you want one awesomely high energy show by a group of some hungry young rockers then this band would be right up your alley.

These guy's have a sound that's kind of a combination of the Black Key's, Cage the Elephant, and The Arctic Monkey's and their debut album Bad Seed a conceptual album about a drug dealer who falls in love, get's his heart broken, and eventually goes on a killing spree that leads you through a series of solidly great rockers that range from the awesomely catchy opener Bad Seed which is a definite highlight in my opinion with it's who-oh's and solidly steady guitar work, the emotionally heartbreaking Delia and how she's gone away, and ending with the straight up rocker Trigger Man and all it's abrasive musical nature all end up forming a very nice collection of 10 songs to establish a newly branded rock group looking to make it big.

While the album is very solid I will say that these track are especially meant to shine when played in a live environment because this band really does put on quite an energetic show that brings a certain level of chaos to plenty of this albums strongest songs.

Also even with this album recorded they managed to debut a couple of newer tracks that in their early stages and are quite bad ass and showcase really well that this band is just getting started and the creative process isn't going to be stopping any day soon.

This is some good stuff and I highly advise going on Spotify and giving it a listen because Bad Seed is quite a damn great song that can hopefully get some traction on radio here soonish and of course if you want to see if the hype is real you can see these guy's playing shows all around the Kansas City area either May 7th at the Dubliner in KC live, June 4th or July 22nd at the All Star Rock Bar ,or June 18th at Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club which if you can I'd very much say you set your calender and give their show a visit and maybe pick up a CD you won't be dissapointed.

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KC Showcase: Kangaroo Knife Fight

Kangaroo Knife Fight

Aside from having a bad ass name this band is one bad ass collective of musicians that make the tightest and most focused rock and roll I've heard in quite some time and I recently got to see them again for their album release party for their new EP The Dark which of course can be bought on iTunes and Google Play and pretty soon after you done reading this little piece I'd very much advise picking up a copy because it's a great collection of live ready tracks that will get your blood pumping and leave you singing along well after it's over.

Every song works really well in a live environment and seeing them bust out Mr. Lovedrunk and Skyfalls with such energy and precision that really can only come from a collective of musicians that very much know what the fuck their doing and have been doing it for quite some time is something of a treat especially when you realize just how good a vocalist Anthony Avis is just throwing himself into each and every song while stomping around and just putting his all out there to give you something to remember and tracks like Mr. Lovedrunk, Hold On, and It's You will surely become solidly great sing along tracks the day the rest of the world get's realizing just how good a live act this band is.

If these guy's come around close to you I'd very much advise going to see them and also getting a copy of both available EP's because Mr. Lovedrunk especially is a track that'll invade your conscious and just never let go.

This band are some of the nicest people who just really make some bad ass well performed and written rock and roll and if you'd like to see them play they'll be playing as a part of the Middle of the map festival Friday May 6^th.

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KC Showcase: Rachel Mallin

Rachel Mallin-Razorback

So there's this singer named Rachel Mallin, she's a local singer/song writer and is currently performing with The Wild Type and currently recording their debut Ep and have a track currently called Dropout that's a really good little fuzzy indie rock track that sounds like it belongs in a movie or something, but as great as it is there's a track that I've been mildly obsessed with recently that she actually recorded back in 2014 which is kind of awkward but at the same time it's something that I'm kind of driven to want to cover and explain just how incredibly fucking good it is so pardon the large amount of exploitative that'll be coming but sometimes things can only be described with some interesting word choices for me.

There's this song she recorded called Razorback which is a very slow tempo synth heavy number that starts out with a very stark beat that's both moody and kind of atmospheric before a steady drum track and moody synthesizer come in and kind of bring a very steady rhythm that only builds up musically to create an even starker more depressive sound that in a weird way has mildly romantic points that is until you just kind of stop and pay attention to the lyrics which at that point is where things get very spine-tinglingly-great.

This song is fucking heartbreaking as fuck with it's delivery of fairly simple lines like, “I don't wanna scare you away, you're laughing cause it's funny how you're fooling everybody but me,”  “feeling hopeless and you're holding out for you,” or her constant repetition of how, “You're Lying to yourself,” but it's this weird joyfully depressive cut that kind of takes time, multiple listens, and a certain heartbroken state to really hit you but when it does hits you you're hit square in every part of you that feels any sense of love and emotion.

Admittedly there have been things that have gone on to make me feel such heartbreak but there's an odd light at the end of the tunnel feeling in knowing that I've managed in that to at least find something great or at the very least gotten a better appreciation for an artist work.

This chick is a hell of a talent people and if you get a chance to check out her and the Wildhearts it's much advised that you do because good things are coming from that project and their live show is fucking great especially when she bust out a more rock oriented rendition of this song that just builds up on things and becomes a very grab this fucking microphone and bust every bit of my emotions into this piece and it'll confirm just how spectacularly great this song really is, and just between me and you watching them play and listening to the music it kind of makes me want to finish a story and turn it into a movie just so she can do the soundtrack.

Also if you're in the area you can catch her playing at Davey's Uptown, KC at the UK's album release show this Saturday and May 6th at the middle of the map festival if you want to you know see what all this well deserved hype is all about and of course there's links below for some of her social media...

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KC Showcase: Brave the Spirit

So I've been pretty much not writing because I lack the motivation to really put my thoughts to words or more specifically remember them long enough to write them down but recently in between my personal life being kind of shitty I've managed to start trying to devote myself into the whole local music scene here in Kansas City because I remember the tail end of last year and my year end having a lot of local music acts on it and I recently went to a showcase where a bunch of up and coming bands got the chance to really play for a decent sized crowd of people and after telling enough of them how good they're doing I figured I'd cover a few songs, ep's, and bands from my neck of the woods in something called the KC Showcase where I talk about local acts worth your time.

Brave the Spirit-The Beautiful Fight

I'm not going to lie I only really caught this group's last song at the showcase I went to but I remember being impressed with the song enough to compliment and get a hold of them via social media and recently got informed of this little EP they've been working on called the Beautiful Fight.

This record is some straightforward high energy acoustic heavy alternative rock with vocals that feel a bit early 2000's emo at points but in a very good way and you really can hear the energy and desire these guy's have to craft tracks they want you to remember the more and more you rotate this little collection of songs and it's opening track Hey Kid does a good job of getting things moving right out of the gate with a very heavy acoustic guitar and a synth beat that you could actually sing on it's own which leads to a tune that really keeps on staying good even after repeated listens.

The next track Lucy is a bit more of a dreamy affair and a solid song in it's own right as well as it's following track Limousines which in some odd ways reminds me a bit of another Kansas City act known as Josephine Collective with it's woa-oh's dominating the chorus and lyrics that feel straight out of early 2000s crushes which are all good in my book.

I will say that if there's a track that'll get you invested it'd certainly be this albums closer Inside Out which in all honesty is a very simple song that seems to just work on the principle of being a solidly great song with a straightforward approach and a sound that feels like it's the track that they really REALLY put an effort into making the biggest and most memorable song and it's a great closer to what's a solid collection of tracks that you'll find yourself rotating more and more and really just enjoying the songs even more.

Overall this Ep's pretty damn good and I'd advise taking the time to give it a listen because they just released it on Spotify today and below will be a few links to their various social media outlets so you can tell them what you think.

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