The ongoing rants of one man out to introduce the world to the tunes that inhabit the space inside of that region known as his mind a collection of the songs that have shaped his day, his Song of the Day.
BROTHER are a KC based group that I've been wanting to write about for quite a while now ever since I saw them back in April but with only one bad ass single in the form of Mobbin' that for lack of a better term was pretty easy to describe in a single sentence I kind of decided to wait off until they decided to get another tune out to really get a comparison of just what this band is all about and they've done so with their newest cut in the form of a blisteringly catchy cut, “Rolling Thunder,” and it's a groover for sure.
If I were to describe this band to the unfamiliar I'd say their A LOT like the 1975 in that they have a vocalist with a voice that's equal parts frail as it is a good compliment to the synthesizer heavy groove laiden tracks that are equal parts catchy as they are reminiscent of a variety of sounds and influences and while Mobbin' is a very steadily paced number that's built on a killer hook and a really solid guitar line that has an incredibly New Wave feel to it again very similar to a 1975 and bands of that variety.
Rolling Thunder as a track gives me a lot of R&B feels with very simple lyrics like, “She moves like Cleopatra,” being carried by an infectious but simple groove that's very complimentary to the verses and Quinn Pudenz's voice has a kind of Mat Healy meets BORNS vibe to it that which is slightly frail but really focused on trying to deliver on all the high notes.
Overall this song is fucking dope people and I most certainly say you should give it a good listen and keep tabs on these guy's because I get the feeling that they're going to find a sound that can give them a bit of a distinction from some of the acts that they're very heavily comparable to and could be making a strong impact here sooner then later.
Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type-Degenerate Matters
I've covered this band a few times on this blog already so introductions shouldn't really take to much but for those who haven't heard Rachel Mallin and the Wild type are a 5 piece Indie rock act consisting of bassist Justin Walker, lead vocalist/guitar player/songwriter Rachel Mallin, drummer/back-up vocalist Austin Edmisten, keyboardist Jesse Bartmess, and lead guitarist Matt Kosinski and just recently after months of hard work and a successful Kickstarter they have finished recording their debut EP Degenerate Matters and if you're like me and have spent the past few months seeing these songs form you got to believe the anticipation is FUCKING REAL!
If I were to try and put a description to this bands sound I'd probably say it's like a very melody focused brand of indie rock that is equal parts 60's danceable-jangly-rock along jams with some 90's fuzz thrown in to keep things interesting with a variety of lyrics that are sweet, a little tongue and cheek, and every bit as real as the people performing them.
Degenerate Matters starts out with one fucking doozy of a track White Girls which has a kind of a doo-wop and surf rock sound to it that's filled with plenty of hand claps and tempo changes to keep the listener interested and wanting to groove along to it's very summery tone and Rachel Mallins almost hypnotic vocal delivery that is so damn chilling that you will find yourself almost distracted you from it's rather snide lyrics.
Starting with the almost venomous, “there's a special place in Hell for girls like you, who go out on weekends and prey upon weak men who have a girl,” to it's constant uttering of, “I can't compete with these filthy white girls,” that I'll personally change to FUCKING white girls which is going a bit off track but that's just me, as well as the constant repetition of the phrase, “God Save the White Girls,” give it a very kind of fuck you vibe that's almost like a statement about society as much as it is a means of acting as a perfect counterbalance to it's dreamy instrumentals before the track decides to just build up to a final minute where Rachel just delivers one intensely satisfying final verse that she just fucking belts out in such a way that will leave you screaming along as you find yourself blasting it out of your radio and it's especially potent when done live.
It's also quite satisfying that this song is actually starting to breaking on radio in the Kansas City area even if it's courting some awkward controversy that is neither here nor there when talking about one breakthrough of a single.
Afterwards we're treated to the very shoe-gaze 90's sounding feedback heavy tune and the records hype track with Dropout a track that came out late last year and is still as awesome as the first time I remember hearing it in their Kickstarter promo video.
It's an almost autobiographical track about leaving college to go do more fulfilling things with yourself and the way's people seem to react to such a decision. This song is just filled with plenty of parts to clap along to, some super fuzzy guitar tones, various tempo changes to make you think twice about when to keep clapping along, and plenty of strongly delivered verses that all around really do highlight what is just a damn great track through and through, and it's a track that often serves as the closer to their live shows.
Whenever I'm listening to this track it sounds a lot like it needs to be used as the background music for the opening shot of the best god damn low budget independent movie you've ever seen.
So after a bad ass kind of surf rock track and an equally awesome fuzzy almost shoe-gaze indie track what could we possibly have next? Well Cash 4 Gold is a track that I can only really describe as probably the most adorably cheery thing I think I've heard in a while. For real it has an almost sing along the campfire feel with Mallin and Edmisten sharing vocal duties very well along a variety of whistles and toy pianos that give it an almost feel good vibe that's sure to make you smile more then you intended on.
From all that we reach the end of the EP with the track Dance Card which is by far the most ambitious track on this whole album. A very dreamy little poppy number that shows constant changes in tone that at one second are dreamy as fuck and the next feel kind of like you spiraled down a rabbit hole of awesome this song in my opinion has THE best guitar and bass work on this whole EP has to offer with everyone kind of firing on all cannons this song just effortlessly covers the biggest spectrum of sounds.
In a way what you have is a track that's kind of the best showcasing of a formula that they seem to have of songs slowing down and speeding up while also never getting too complaisant or predictable to a degree that you come to expect after a while when listening to this little collection of songs but even with that in mind this one still kind of does that the best out of all the songs on here and the little section about how, “I smoke too much (you smoke too much), I drink to much (you drink too much),” and her punchy delivery of the line, “To punch my dance Card,” give the multiple stanzas this song takes a bit more of an effective feeling .
This song is also a bit of a juggernaut when played live because of all those moving parts that make up the song it really shows just how fucking talented each member of this group really is because every single time they play it they knock it out of the park and it's easy to see why they choose it to end what's maybe one of if not THE BEST extended play or even album to come out this year beyond just the Kansas City scene.
I have to say that what's really crazy is as good as this collection of songs is there's still plenty more tracks that didn't make the cut that they play around at their shows that are just fucking phenomenal and will leave you begging for the future full length release because these guy's are on a roll right now and the great songs are just pouring out left and right but until the day comes that they can put out an album proper this EP can help at least make that wait not too terribly long.
Image Courtesy of Facebook
To quote the cinematic masterpiece that is Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, “I FUCKING LOVE THIS BAND, THEY ARE THE BEST BAND EVER PERIOD.” ladies and gentelmen Kansas City's finest Rachel Mallin and the Wildtype with a collection of songs so good that it's a god damn crime that you don't have it in your possession at this very moment you definitely need to do yourself a favor and go pick yourself up a copy as soon as you physically can like at their upcoming EP release party tomorrow at the new Record Bar here in Kansas City Missouri with special guest Pink Royal and Spirit is the Spirit or if you live to far you can also download it over at their official website which I'll link below but either way you NEED TO BUY THIS ALBUM it's fucking great and well deserving of a good listen or half a dozen million squared times two.
SO first off I'd like to say that these guy's are honestly some of the nicest fucking people I've had the pleasure of getting to talk to in quite some time.
When it comes to their music there's a very mesmerizing quality to them that's incredibly hard for me to put my finger on because at the surface you have some very well written and performed tracks that range from this very delightfully punky Vicious Ears, the kind of gothy Haunting, and a very bad ass bass driven post punk number Hate that when performed in a live environment end up taking on a life of their own and showcase what really is a talented group of performers that craft some REALLY damn catchy tunes.
Their current release Neverland is quite a bad ass little offering which you can download on their bandcamp and give a listen to down below although just because you can get it for free doesn't mean that it wouldn't be worth your time to throw down some hard earned cash for the download or at the very least wait for the physical pressings to come so you can appreciate the bad ass album art a little more.
I'd also like to make note that their lead singer Sarah Storm has a very hypnotic fashion to how she sings that kind of lures you in and doesn't quite feel the need to explain why you'll think she's so fucking alluring but leave you knowing that you're hooked by a voice that's an odd combination of both confidence and vulnerability.
Also I'd have to say that their song Vicious Ears is my personal favorite of theirs because it's very fast paced song that has a very bouncy punky tone to it that I just fucking love and lyrically it's a little more playful then the rest of Neverland but still maintains something interesting to bite into and maybe it's simplistic nature is why they seem to enjoy using it as an opening track to their set list.
So yeah this band kicks ass and I'm glad I decided to take the time to go see them live because they're pretty fucking cool people and we can all use that in this world of ours.
So I saw this band open for MOBS at
their EP release party and I remember hearing quite a few good tracks
at that show and figured I'd go check out some of their stuff and
among the small selection of tracks available to listen to on their
Soundcloud this one has been on repeat for me quite a bit.
The Way it's a very New Wave sounding
tune that's reminiscent of a group like CHRVCHES with it's kind of
80's synth heavy sound and minimal guitar work here
and there to remind you that you're listening to something more
substantial than you're average pop song you have a steady little number that get's things moving.
The vocals exibit quite a bit of really
good harmony and both members of this little group seem to bounce off
one another quite well and showcase quite a good chemistry. This is a band who's visibly in the early
stages of getting a sound to call their own but this song's a really
good sign of things to come and if they do get to releasing their EP
here soon I'll definitely make the time to give it a listen.
So there's plenty of great acts from this city and after spending so much time getting to know their music and talking to plenty of acts I've managed to actually get the chance to interview what I believe may be a band that I could consider the next big thing Yes You Are.
For those unaware Yes You Are are a 5 piece kind of Indie-pop-Alternative act consisting of vocalist Kianna Alarid, rhythm guitarist Jared White, guitarist and keyboardist Jacob Temeyer, bassist Willie Jordan, and Joseph Wilner on the Drums from Kansas City Missouri and Omaha Nebraska which started out as a series of discussions between White and Alarid on various online forums before eventually forming into a full band by about 2014 that have toured around the country opening for the likes of Neon Tree's and playing all throughout the local Kansas City music scene including this years Homegrown Buzz Showcase and Afentra's Valentines Day party thrown by local alternative station 96.5 The Buzz.
After seeing them a few times I've managed to get an interview with them and for this interview I'll be talking to Kianna Alarid and Jared White.
1. So how has your past experiences in other bands shaped how you go about writing and recording music for Yes You Are?
Jared: Nothing could have prepared us for how we were going to be writing songs for this band. Kianna: It’s true… although I’ve written many songs before, there is a huge difference between the way we write for YYA and the way I wrote for my other bands. Everything else felt like some kind of happy accident but Yes You Are’s songs are from somewhere else and come with a different weight. Its like before I was a circus performer and all of a sudden I’m being asked to fight in the UFC. Nothing quite prepares you for that.. but maybe you are better off that you’d at least been in a ring before.
2.So I noticed seeing you live that you guy's go through quite a variety in sounds from the kind of hart hitting Sister Sun to a very larger than life almost anthemic World Without End and Miracle, did that variety spew out of not wanting to get to formulaic or are you just that all over the place in terms of what you're looking to achieve?
Jared: I hear a lot of bands today whose songs all sound the same. You hear the first song and it's “Wow cool riff, so groovy I'm gonna get my indie dance on!" Then it's like that same thing for the next 10 songs. Very proficient at what they're doing but you start thinking “Wait a minute... is this some type of formula for success you think you've developed?" I just can't buy into it. There's something wrong about that... Something that can't last. Kianna: There is formula and there is mama’s milk… one is synthetic and the other is organic. They’re similar in many ways and will both nourish a baby but one comes from a much more powerful source. What we care about is the source.. what the songs turn out like isn’t as important to us. We follow the inspiration and it takes the songs where they need to go.
3. So Why shouldn't we fuck with Buffy Saint Marie?
Jared: You shouldn't fuck with Buffy Sainte-Marie because her name alone has enough medicine in it to blow your brains out. She's got a newish song about power in the blood that could summon a vampire. Kianna: Yeah, the girl from our song is like Buffy the Vampire Slayer plus the actual Buffy Sainte-Marie put together. So she’s a young, wise, ultra talented, native american vampire slayer. She also drives around in a pimped out, purple Astrovan packed with crossbows and whatever else a young vampire slayer might need to do her work. Does that sound like someone you should fuck with? 4. So you guy's are not only crafting some huge sounding songs but you're a damn spit fire when it comes to your live show where does all that energy come from and what's your favorite song to play live?
Jared: The energy must come from the songs and the music.. all I know is that it's not forced. We just feel like jumping around and dancing and moving to the music. Kianna: Something just comes over me when I step onstage and that first song starts. The songs are alive.. its an energy that takes over. Its not me, because otherwise I would definitely tap into that every time I need to wake up at 6:45am. Coffee doesn’t even come close to the kind of supernatural energy that the songs bring to me onstage. ;) 5. Any bands that you've enjoyed playing with local or on a more national scale?
Kianna: We love playing with Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type. They’re great people and are growing into a super solid band. They’re new stuff is awesome.
6. Aside from obviously releasing the next big album of 2016 are there any big plans you have up your sleeve? Jared: Our song HGX was licensed to Pepsi for a national ad campaign. We don't know any details yet except the deal is done. We figure if Bob Dylan will license to Pepsi then it's an ok thing to do. Kianna: Yeah, the Pepsi thing is awesome, we can’t wait to see what happens with that. We’re wizards over here though, so we have huge sleeves and lots of tricks up em. 7.So to those interested when can we all get to see you guy's live?
Kianna: We are playing this Friday June 24th in St Louis at The Demo and this Saturday June 25th at Californo’s here in KC. We have some great shows coming up throughout the summer like supporting Holy White Hounds at Riot Room (outdoors) on July 9th and the Spirit of KC Fest at CrossroadsKC at Grinders on August 12th. We may also have a big show announcement for the 4th of July! Stay tuned to our social media for updates!
Stay tuned you most certainly should below you'll find links to Yes You Are's various social media accounts along with their excellent A Dream Ep which recenlty got posted onto Spotify, I'd like to of course take a second to thank these guy's for their time and inform all my readers to go check them out.
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.
As the band would prefer to be referred to as LAWRENCE FUCKING KANSAS' own The Sluts are for lack of a better term TOTALLY FUCKING AWESOME!!!
For real if you want some good old fashioned grungy fucking feedback heavy punky goodness that Alterntaive music is desperately lacking at this very moment in time this band is most certainly filling that desire for us all and I recently got to see them live and OH was the wait worth it because they've been on my radar ever since I heard the awesomeness that is Greener and it's constantly repeating chorus of, "She Keeps Me going," which I very much enjoy singing along to but as fucking great as that song and their newest self titled release are today's song of choice is yet another grungy bit of face punching beer drinking goodness in Linger.
This song in a way makes me think of a band like Violent Soho in that it's a very steadfast tune that's best qualities are the fact that it likes to bounce between this kind of calm steadiness before punching you square in the face with a wall of guitars and screams that'll leave you repeating it quite a bit. This song is a special breed of angry enough to make you break shit but not have to constantly refer to everyone around you as Bro after listening to it.
