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.

Song of the Day 5/3/16

So recently one Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees fame has recently announced that he's denounced the Mormon faith and has decided to drop a very strongly worded solo single and video to let the world know about this recent deceleration of loss of faith.

The song in question isn't bad it feels like a more electronic focused cut that could have fit onto the last Neon Trees album but hearing it so many times I think it's soul purpose as a song is to express an idea of a clash between religion and sexuality and the fact that he's gay and will never get a complete acceptance by the faith he's spent his life following his whole life and how he's done with it.

While it's nice to see him step out I kind of hope that this doesn't delay any new work from Neon Trees or at the very least his solo album have more variety in sounds instead of just doing kind of club beat sounding new wave but only time can tell otherwise here's a track that kind of acts as more a think piece and expression of a desire to expand one's material as well as being the first Song of the Day in god knows how long...

Song of the Day 9/3/15

You Got Spirit Kid-Coheed and Cambria

OK so I’ve been saying for years that this band is a modern day Rush and for whatever reason people don’t want to believe me but finally whenever they decide to not make a concept album but rather just pump out ass kicking non pretentious 70’s sounding rock and roll they finally have made a tune that’s so undeniably Rush that even the most diehard of fans are finally seeing a point to my statements.

Now with that in mind this song is just FUCKING AWESOME it’s a super angrily worded rocker with a fairly reasonable run time and the strongest vocal performance I’ve ever heard Claudio Sanchez do and it’s instrumentals are just pure 70’s awesome people.

Sam Reviews a Video Songs I can't Listen To-Neon Trees

So Tyler Glenn is out and proud...wait we already knew that so I guess this video is just more him being adorable as hell showcasing the build up and decline of a relationship inter-spliced with band shots, some performance clips, and other random shit to kind of showcase the point of how emotions effect us all....and that's about it as typical as it sounds I'm highly disappointing really because this song is a pretty bad ass bit of 80's new wavey rock goodness and the video isn't really anything at all so I guess you can say rather then being underwhelmed with the single this time I just feel that way towards the music video....

Sam Sugguest a Song Pity Party-Melanie Martinez

So as I'm going around Facebook I see that one Melanie Martinez has posted a video for a new single called Pity Party and I'm not going to lie this song is dope as fuck people.

Now the video is just simply her doing some fucked up stuff and trying to make a dark and very disturbing showcasing of how nobody seems to love her and to help support the usage of Leslie Gore's, "It's My Party," to create a kind of re-imagining of sorts that has this very Dubsteppy beat to go along with a tune that I'm more then sure is playing along with some grander theme of Cry Baby as an upcomming album which should really interest me considering that after a couple of listens I really do now have complete interest in that she probably has made a record that'll be the surprise of the year....

Song of the Day 4/1/15

Lifted Up(1985)-Passion Pit

So I’ll be the first to admit that Passion Pit is spotty at best for me because while they’re responsible for some delightfully catchy electro pop numbers the vocals can severely drag and only a couple of songs really seemed to have managed to just kind of stick with me as something I can still stand to listen to and this song and it’s oddly well represented year is one of those tunes that for some reason or another is just to fucking good for what it is.

So this in all honesty is the most synth poppy 80’s new wave sounding track I’ve possibly heard from this band and in all honesty it kind of makes me wonder why they just didn’t take to making pop records any sooner because this songs sugary sweet beats along with a chorus that just demands everyone jump along to just screams the best movie trailer, summertime radio anthem, or hell just a great tune to play in between sets or at bars because it’s just damn fun music in every way.

Although i have to ask in regards to the video who in the hell would ever mosh at a passion pit show?

Song of the Day 3/10/15

So for some reason or another Buzzfeed has managed to dedicate quite a few articles to one Carly Rae Jepsen's newest single I Really Like You and after seeing the music video over the weekend I figured fuck it let's cover this little pop tune.

Now first off I'm not going to lie up until the chorus which sounds like a fucking child wrote it this song seems a slight bit less embarassingly poppy a track as Call Me Maybe even if the beat is kind of bland and the lyrics are for the most part about as basic and bare boned as it get's which in all honesty shouldn't be any surprise because it was that dumb ass child like innocently cheesy catchy vibe that was why Call Me Maybe was so popular.

I honestly feel that its' a solid number in it's own right and upon watching the music video I'm only really finding it more to be kind of a publicity stunt if not an oddly charming one because the video really is just kind of a semi-creepy but charming affair of Tom Hanks not giving no fucks and hella just kind of haming things up while also showcasing just how little rhythm he got near the end when I finally get to see a very cute looking Jepsen dancing along side him and a bunch of back up dancers as they do some odd dance routine.

Overall this is a pop song people manufactured to follow the basic guidelines that repetition is good for getting people hooked on really high beat and kind of sugary sweet lyrics about having a crush and beyond that statement there really isn't a whole lot to really say aside from damn you for getting this catchy little bit of sugary pop stuck in your head for the remainder of the day.

Song of the Day 3/7/15

Hollow Moon(Bad Wolf)-AWOLNATION

I’m late to the party here because this songs a couple of weeks old now and its’ recently been announced that these guy’s will be one of the headlining acts of this year’s Buzz Beachball which is actually pretty fucking cool but I’m not sure if I’ll be seeing them because I kind of don’t want to spend the money and seem to have a tradition of going every other year but that’s irrelevant.

Hollow Moon it’s the first single from their upcoming second studio album a follow up to 2011’s Megalithic Symphony which happened to house his surprising hit Sail and two of my best of 2012 cuts in, “Not Your Fault,” and, “Kill Your Heros,” which where some very amusingly angry sounding numbers that were very scream filled bits of angst.

Hollow Moon as a tune is actually kind of an interesting tune because it’s seems to instead have a very danceable groove to it like it’s more inclined to be taken as a dance track with some semi-rapped verses sprinkled all throughout which kind of would make me weary if it weren’t for the fact that it’s main chorus is pretty damn catchy and near the end of the track there’s a small screaming section that feels like it’s there to remind you that it’s AWOLNATION. 

Overall I really do actually find myself enjoying this song a lot and I think it’s a nice change of pace from the music beforehand because it’s showing a good bit of versatility in style and that seems to really show because it’s performing really solidly on the radio now as to whether or not it becomes the next sail that I can’t say but what I can say is that it’s pretty damn good and also the whole shooting the video on a camera on a dolly in one shot is pretty cool.

Song of the Day 1/23/15

So I was recently on Buzzfeed and read an article about the new video for the Weeknds single Earned It from the upcoming Film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey and upon giving it a good listen and watching the video figured I could give my two cents.

First off though before I get into anything I am going to say that I do honestly feel a bit strange thinking about the fact that I'm listening to this very smooth crooner of a tune that's kind of equal parts old school with a very classic sounding musical arrangement and it's in a movie about a guy that makes a woman sign a contract vowing her virginity to him and proceeds to use her as a tool for his sadomasochistic desires which is kind of fucked up if you ask me but even with that in mind this songs smooth as fuck people and I can see it becoming a decent get down and groove kind of tune for a good amount of time to come.

As for the Video....well...there's a bevy of nice looking ladies shaking their asses in these weird looking panties with x's on their ass and black pasties while the Weeknd kind of just stands there in a nice suit with his offbeat funky fucking hair cut crooning these ladies before the main female lead of the movie comes down and tries to make being tied up like a fucking animal look sexy....I guess if that's your thing then yeah go for it and make sure to keep your headphones in while you try to make sure nobody catches you watching this video.

Those are just my two cents but if you wanna tell me what you think then here's the video and make sure to inform me if you want...

Sam Reviews A Video: Being Beige-The Smashing Pumpkins

So around midnight or so The Smashing Pumpkins decided to release a new music video for their single "Being Beige," their first since Owata back in 2011 and that was less of an actual video and more of an odd short film involving professional wrestlers which was...unique..but I digress because now we're here at Being Beige and this video is also unique but less in a trying to make a movie but rather showcasing an interesting series of images kind of way.

In some way's the use of a person kind of flailing around on a moving image such as the moon that this video employees is kind of reminiscent of Disarm in a lot of way's with still shots of a very aged and tired looking Billy Corgan just kind of standing there singing this song spliced in between conceptualized imagery that goes from a naked woman on a moon, two naked twins holding each other, said naked twins being lit on fire over the sea on a rock, and some pretty cool shots of a bird all in black and white none-the-less you have a video that's all interesting shots with no real resolve which I personally don't really mind because it's not like he wasn't doing that stuff well over 20+ years ago and at this rate making an interesting little concept film keeps people talking about an already great single so i guess this video is just more interesting then anything.

Feel free to tell me below what you think....

Song of the Day 1-16-15

We Can’t Die-White Arrows

So this song kind of randomly came on one of my local radio stations show segments of them getting new tracks and having people ring in if they like it or not and while I’m not sure the general choice I think this songs kind of a very groovy kind of sonic ride that is a bit typical yes but it’s kind of like a more bearable MGMT tune minus all the extra synths and instead throwing some guitars in that bitch which I can completely get behind also its video has this funky kind of 80's look to it that just adds to the ridiculous of it's falsetto laden trip…

Song of the Day 10/11/14

So in the string of new singles getting released every day and the host of 90's alternative rock acts doing their best to throw their hat into the ring Bush are back people.....Yeah Bush you know those guy's that did that Glycerine song that still get's some decent radio play to this day and made one classic of a debut in the form of one 16 Stone which admittedly wasn't the most original album of all time and will never be held as highly as Stone Temple Pilots first record which honestly was as much a time and place of a record with plenty of grungy alt rockers that weren't too different from what you'd expect from rock at that time, but that's irrelevant because we're talking about Post Grunge's finest here RIGHT?!?!?!?

Ok let's be real here their last attempt at a comeback single admittedly came off as a kind of semi piss poor Science of things B-side sounding tune that I personally have grown some fondness for even if it's honestly just barely sub par compared to the stuff they put out on an album that barely was as decent as their first and leaps and bounds above Razorblade Suitcase. Even with that the last album also yielded The Sound of Winter which just completely made me lose interest in them.

Fast forward to today and this newest offering from them, "The Only Way Out," which let's be fucking real is a Post Grunge tune through and through and instead of sounding like a B-side of an album that was a decent step in the right direction this one feels like Golden State Era Bush through and through which is not a very good thing, but even in it's generic post grungy Bush imitating Bush sound it's honestly grown a tiny bit on me and while it's leaps and bounds away from what the best they had to offer it's honestly a stronger tune then anything Gavin Rossdale did as a solo artist.

Can this group eventually get their footing back? Potentially but until that day I guess we could just always throw on a copy of 16 Stone but even so this song's honestly not too bad...

Sam Reviews a Video: "Go" Meg Myers

So as i take a second to just kind of stroll through my facebook news feed I'm pleasantly greeted with a link to one Meg Myers newest video clip for her song Go and after viewing it I figured I'd have enough time to let you guy's know what I thought.

What we have here is a black and white performance clip with a lot of cut away shots and one FINE looking Meg Myers kind of crazily blasting through one of the more rock oriented cuts from her Make A Shadow EP which works for the most part because the song itself is a fairly dirty little number that kind of runs through and leaves you kind of high and dry at the end of it's 3 minute run time but I will have to say that this video had an overly 90's feel to it with a really hot female rocker kind of busting out a very under-produced video for a fairly aggressive rock number that's a good song in it's own right but overall doesn't really seem like much.

I guess while I'm impressed with the tune the video just feels kind of lacking but then again sometimes less is more and in this case I do think it's better that it's pretty much a performance clip of her erratic singing and playing rather then an overly complicated visual piece like her Hert Heart Head video.

Either way watch for yourself and tell me what you think...

Friday's Finest

It’s Friday and you know what that means people it’s time for Fridays finest and rather hten wasting time let’s get straight into this weeks goodness…

1. We Are Done-The Madden Brothers

So I remember a time when Good Charlotte where a thing and to eventually learn from a buddy of mine that the primary members have a new project and are getting radio play was a bit of a shock and upon listening to the tune I was taken back a tiny bit of it’s very pop approach but after a few listens I have to admit it’s chorus is killer and it’s a nicer change of pace from some individuals that I’m more then sure don’t want to be reminded of their former eye-liner clad times..

2.  Take Me To Church-Hozier

So here’s another newer tune that’s starting to get some radio rotation and has one KILLER chorus and a very kind of stark sound with some mild religious or lustful singing depending on who you ask but I don’t have a whole lot to say right now but expect a potential song of the day for this track some time sooner than later..

3.  Fool’s Gold-Fitz and the Tantrums

So the fact that they released probably the best track from More than Just a Dream as a single to radio recently is something that makes me levels of happy that lead me to only hope that this song get’s the much deserved attention it should get because it’s fucking BAD ASS!!!

4. Miracle-Kimbra

All my love and of course you can read a review for the video on this site so…

5. I wanna Get Better-Bleachers

I get to see these guy’s today and it’s going to be awesome..

Sam Reviews a Video..."Miracle," Kimbra

So Kimbra has a new music video out for her single miracle…..and prepare to hear that fandom come out here shortly because I might as well talk about the track for a bit before I uhm….dissect the video.

Miracle it’s a very kind of groovy little track that kind of feels like it was lifted from the 90’s with it’s very large chorus and it’s incredibly danceable vibes along with lines as joyously cheesy as, “ Send me your love again, ‘cause you’re my miracle,” which honestly sounds like something I’d expect Mariah Carey to sing which isn’t a bad thing considering that it also has this kind of vibrant 70’s beat that gives it a very danceable feeling to help those simplistic lyrics not feel as cheesy as they normally would and at about the 3 minute mark the song takes a brief second to kind of have this Discovery-era Daft Punk kind of spacey sound thing that’s really groovy.

All those little factors added up really do lead it to be one killer single that I find myself digging repeated listens in.

As for the video…well…I think I’m in love people…

OK I am more than sure if you were to take the time to look over the post I’ve made about this woman you could very easily pick up that I do in fact not only find myself a fan of her music but I also think she’s one drop dead gorgeous singer that I’d bend over backwards for the chance to charm in an instant and the fact that she decided to go by the whole idea of making a video as danceably fun as the track sounds is probably one of the best things for me because I get to see her just showcase the utter joy in her expressions as she belts out this track with some of the most amusingly awkward white girl dancing you’ll see this side of Taylor Swifts most recent outing.

All in all this is simplicity at its finest people because she’s not doing something as oddly quirky as 90’s music or as storybook as Settle Down but rather she’s just kind of having an obviously fun time with a really fun track and having her just kind of walk around and do some 500 days of summer like walking around and making the world showcase your elatedness through well choreographed dances is perfect.

Also she’s just so god damn pretty now isn’t she in that odd little red dress thing and always flashing that bright kind of infectious smile through the whole thing…..AGAIN it’s a crush people don’t judge…

Overall I’m actually quite satisfied with this video because it’s nothing too flashy and it works to kind of make the track feel as bright and fun as it’s intended to so I’m all thumbs up in this review and can only hope that I can acquire the Golden Echo’s sometime soon and maybe get a video for Love In High Places…just saying…