x
the_deli_magazine

This is a preview of the new Deli charts - we are working on finalizing them by the end of 2013.


Go to the old Top 300 charts

Cancel

lfk music




Album review: Toughies - Tough Enough
“I don’t want it if it’s just for fun,” sings Toughies vocalist Carl Smith. The lyric echoes throughout “What Are Hands For?”, the second track off the band’s debut EP. Ironically, Tough Enough is a great deal of fun, complete with indie pop chords, full-chorus sing-alongs, and an adorable fluffy cat featured on the back of the album art. Yet this lyric perhaps encapsulates the tone of the EP’s 6 tracks—though the music is catchy and bright, it’s not ‘just for fun.’ In fact, the band has produced something of meaningful substance.
 
The Lawrence-based quartet released Tough Enough in September of this year. In addition to vocalist Smith, the band consists of Brad Girard on guitar, Joe Gronniger on bass, and Caroline Lohrenz on drums. The EP’s opening track, “Sloane,” immediately introduces us to Toughies as a unified team. Listening to the strong vocals sung in unison supplemented with the image of a wandering cowboy on the cover of the album, one can’t help but imagine singing this song while sitting with friends around a campfire.
 
Tough Enough explores that in-between space traveled by so many trying to navigate young adulthood: the sadness of a break-up, followed by self-reflection, leading to sweetly sincere attempts to mend the heartache by winning that someone back. On “Birthday Party,” Smith sings from the perspective of a man who hopes an ex will show up to his party and witness how much he has matured over the past year of separation. It’s sentimental, comedic, and honest all at once. However, the somewhat tender nature of many of the lyrics by no means makes the music of Tough Enough cheesy or dull—this is indie-pop, after all.
 
“Horsefeather” provides a dose of funk halfway through the EP that shows off the instrumental strength of each member of the band, and “Cheek” is a favorite that closes the EP on a high note. Listen closely to the last few seconds after the music stops and you can hear one of the Toughies mumble “we can go” amidst giggles, half-jokingly implying the recording was so flawless there’s nothing left for the band to do to raise the bar. Tough Enough is a skillfully constructed and warm introduction to a band we’ll hopefully hear much more of.
 
 
--Mary Kennedy
Mary is a lifelong Bostonian learning her way around Kansas City. She can often be found in an art museum, checking out local music, or taking a nap.
 
 

You only have one more chance to catch Toughies before the end of the year—this Friday at Replay Lounge. They will be appearing with Oil Boom and Monster. Facebook event page. 

Published: November 17, 2015 |
Comments |




Album review: Major Games - Major Games
From the retro ‘60s psychedelic album art to their wall of sound performances, listening to Major Games’ self-titled album feels like visiting a sonic circus. Released in the spring of this year, the first full-length album of the Lawrence-based band arrives 4 years after their 2011 EP (EP1, which was just re-released on cassette by This Ain’t Heaven Recording Concern), and each one of the eight new tracks is indisputably worth the wait. Those who have been enjoying their earlier release will not be disappointed—in fact, any fan of noise, shoegaze, or psychedelic will be excited to hear what Major Games has been up to, as will those interested in an introduction to the genre. Their previous five-track EP laid the foundation for Major Games’ seemingly effortless song construction and gritty sound. This new, self-titled album harnesses everything great about those songs and amplifies it into one cohesive Major Games experience: a larger-than-life rollercoaster of noise.
 
Major Games is made up of Jeremy Sidener on bass and vocals, Doug McKinney on guitar and vocals, and Steve Squire on drums. What immediately stands out on the album is the band’s ability to make a wall of noise sound elegant and cohesive—if you have any doubt, check out the first 50 seconds of “BDBDBD.” Although a solid addition to your road trip playlist, this music is made for hitting play, leaning back, closing your eyes, and soaking up the sound. Sidener’s vocals soar through each track, weaving in and out between layers of instrumental sound with impressive control and range. Lyrically, Major Games comes across introspective, however lyrics take a backseat to the sheer power of the instruments themselves. “Other Location” makes an impact alternating between lightly echoing guitar, and harder, droning noise, creating an unpredictable and layered quality that saturates through the whole album. Other favorite tracks include “Risk,” which will most likely get a crowd dancing, and “Burner,” featuring an unrelenting rolling bass and elaborate guitar work.
 
Despite its brilliant raw sound, the entire album manages to maintain a quality of precision and clarity. Producer Jim Vollentine, who recorded the album with the band at Black Lodge Recording Studio in Eudora, KS, deserves credit for capturing the force of Major Games' arrangements. Vollentine’s career includes production and technical work with bands like Spoon and White Rabbits. This album demonstrates serious confidence in their craft and inspired musicianship with no hesitations about breaking the mold. Major Games doesn’t sound like the band is coasting or playing it safe. Their album is a major achievement.
 
 
Major Games will make their next appearance on Halloween night at Replay Lounge in Lawrence, with BaioWolf, Young Bull, and Gnarly Davidson. Show starts at 9:00 p.m. Facebook event page.
 
 
--Mary Kennedy

Mary Kennedy is a lifelong Bostonian learning her way around Kansas City. She can often be found in an art museum, checking out local music, or taking a nap. 

Published: October 30, 2015 |
Comments |




Album review: The Sluts - The Sluts
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
LFK darlings The Sluts’ self-titled second album is just what the doctor ordered. Assuming, of course, that you’re in need of a dose of brash, fuzzy, garage rock, most potent when chased with a shot of bourbon and some cheap yard beers. And let’s face it, you probably are.
 
The Sluts’ eleven tracks—four of which (“Let Me Go,” “Loser,” “Green,” and “Linger”) were previously released on last year’s The Loser EP (here’s our review of that)—are for the most part quite one-dimensional. This isn’t a bad thing. Ryan Wise (guitar and vocals) and Kristoffer Dover (drums) are not trying to overthink their craft, but instead are content to give listeners fun, mostly up-tempo ball-busters, lasting under three minutes.
 
The songs are a unique blend of early grunge and edgy punk. Think of Mudhoney joining forces with The Stooges. Wise’s slightly whiny, reverb-laced vocals are nearly as distorted as his chunky, drop-tuned guitar, and Dover’s relentless sonic booming is filled with crash cymbals. The result is a much larger sound than one might expect from just a two-piece band, although I would be interested to hear the added depth that a bass guitar might bring.
 
Three songs showcase Wise and Dover at their best. The crunchy “Green” is reminiscent of Alice in Chains, both vocally and musically. Dover’s tom rolls give it a defined groove, and set it apart from many other tunes on the album. “Be With You” is a fast, driving love song with interesting rhythm variations and guitar like a machine gun. The highlight of The Sluts is “Linger,” which begins with a catchy surf-like guitar hook, and becomes a thrashing, angst-ridden anthem. The use of fuller chords and incessant drumming allows it to have as much breadth as two instruments are capable of providing.
 
The album’s final track, “Simple Song,” is the only truly slow song of the bunch. At first it seems a bit out of place among the other ten turbulent tunes. However, there is a good reason for it to be included. It informs the listener that the thrill ride has come to an end, and that it’s okay to take a deep breath and relax. It’s like a much-needed lullaby being sung to a rambunctious, yet exhausted, child.
 
If you’re in need of some background music for resting, studying or a candle-lit dinner, you should probably avoid this album. If you are leaving work on a Friday, and are ready to roll down the windows and get mentally prepared for the weekend, by all means crank it up. The Sluts isn’t high art or even hi-fi. It’s rock & roll, baby.
 
Catch The Sluts tonight at a free in-store performance at Mills Record Company! Show starts at 7:00 pm.
 
--Brad Scott
Brad loves music, Boulevard beer, and his family. Not necessarily in that order.
 

 

Published: October 24, 2015 |
Comments |




Album review: Bloodbirds - MMXIII
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
Twenty-year veterans of the LFK/KC underground music scene, Mike and Brooke Tuley have played with a number of bands familiar to local rock audiences. Best known for their time with Ad Astra Per Aspera, they established Bloodbirds in 2011 with the intent of cutting loose and shaking things up.
 
And they have. Dense, dark—equal parts Fun House (Stooges), Spacemen 3 and Black Angels—Bloodbirds’ newest release MMXIII may also be their swan song, given the departure of bassist Anna St. Louis for Chicago. In some ways, it is St. Louis whose playing defines the band. Forward in the mix, and by no means shy, St. Louis plays with punchy authority, reminding of some of the other great “lead” bass players like Jon Entwistle and Peter Hook. Brooke Tuley is a powerful drummer; her parts are simple, but dead-on. She locks perfectly with St. Louis.  Mike Tuley plays on top of their aggressive foundation, a canvas for his arsenal of shimmering hammer-ons (“Modern Sympathy”), punishing riffs (“Did You Say”), and sometime dulcet tones (the comparatively clean Blue Mask jangle of “Convalesce”). Depending on the song, his sound can be metal harrowing or as ropey, surf-psychedelic as the theme from Repo Man.
 
About those songs: they’re functional, gripping, emotional soundscapes, not necessarily bound by pop hook conventions. They hit you with the shape-shift intensity of vintage heavy rock like Blue Cheer or modern darkness merchants like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Which is to say the focus here is not necessarily on hum-ability. Even allowing for that, it would be nice if the vocals had a dash less delay density and a bit more clarity in the mix. Lyrics and vocals on MMXIII are more about mood than meaning (or mood as meaning), stray lyrics emerging from the driving murk to arrest your conscious mind here and again.
 
The tough thump of “No Trains Coming Through” totally belies the song’s title. With Roky’s manic intensity, the song “Did You Say” features the ominous, repeated line “Did you say you want the end to come right now?” And the music echoes the sentiment. “Round Moon’s” cascade of guitar features some of Tuley’s most expressive fretwork, summoning up the incantations of bands like the Icarus Line and the guitar howl of the Stooges’ Ron Asheton. For an album that emphasizes a certain heavy-osity, MMXIII manages to shift mood and tone effectively.
 
Brothers and sisters, the Bloodbirds can make a show-stopping addition to anybody’s Psych Fest. Live shows may be few and far between, given the departure of St. Louis, but they have reunited in support of MMXIII occasionally and the members remain close friends and open to the odd gig. Go catch them if you have the chance.
 
—Steve Wilson
 

 

Published: October 08, 2015 |
Comments |




May 2015's Artist of the Month: No Cave
Congrats to No Cave, The Deli KC’s May Artist of the Month! Having been a band for slightly over a year, No Cave has already made strides acrossLawrence with its groove-based psychedelic jazz rock sound. Just last month, the band beat out seven other semi-finalists in KJHK’s Farmer’s Ball competition. We talk with frontman and guitarist Ross Williams a bit more about the project.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: one sentence to describe your music.
 
Williams: Dark Bandicoot Jazz.
 
The Deli: Give me some background on No Cave. How did the band come to be?
 
Williams: No Cave started a little over a year ago at this house James (Thomblinson) and I used to live at about 15 minutes west of Lawrence. We had about 80 acres of land, a 5-bedroom house, and a converted wood shop we used as a rehearsal/recording space and as a DIY venue. James and I had been having weird krautrock jams regularly for about 6 months before I asked Nick (Frederickson) to come over and jam. We knew immediately we were a band. I recorded our first jam! It didn’t just feel good, it sounded good too. Just recently we have added a member (Joel Stratton) to play bass with us, while James is going to move to synth.
 
The Deli: What have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
 
Williams: We won this battle of the bands sponsored by KU a few weeks ago called Farmer’s Ball. That was big for us because it exposed us to the students of KU and the crowd of people who won’t come out for a show that starts at 11 pm. We also won a big cash prize, which is great for us. And you know, we won this reader’s poll! We found about this right after we won Farmer’s Ball, so I would say we got some momentum in the month of April from multiple sources.
 
The Deli: What inspires your music and songwriting?
 
Williams: We do a lot of writing together, so the camaraderie of hanging out with your best friends trying to have fun but think critically together and create something greater than the sum of its parts. There is so much instability in the world,; ust having friends that are on the same wavelength as you can make a huge difference in how you perceive your place in it all.
 
The Deli: You recently released your first EP, Eyes Brighter Then the Sun, in early 2015. What can we expect?
 
Williams: It’s 4 songs and about 20 minutes. We recorded it live as a band, and I mixed it and added some overdubs afterwards. I’m extremely proud of the fact that we did it all ourselves and made a recording that is of respectable quality. Stylistically, it’s rock and roll with the aforementioned kraut thrown in for seasoning.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Williams: Well, we are a local band, so it means supporting our friends and people who we like. But on a more philosophical note it means helping to grow something that is a product of its immediate environment. You’re empowering your community to be the best it can be, which benefits everyone. When you see someone you know doing something you like, you want to do it too! The more people pay attention and the more people do to support local culture the better it gets, and there’s a threshold where once a community gets enough continuous support it becomes a hotbed for talent. All it takes is the community getting together and actually interacting and helping each other for the sake of excellence.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local and non-local musicians right now?
 
Williams: Psychic Heat, Paper Buffalo, Major Games, The Conquerors, The Philistines (SLAYED at MidCoast Takeover), Expo '70, D’Angelo, Flying Lotus, Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
 
The Deli: What goals does No Cave have for 2015, and beyond?
 
Williams: KANSAS CITY. That’s where we want to play. Hit us up! We will play our asses off, show up on time, and promote. Let’s book a big show with lots of people and make sure everyone leaves having had an awesome night! I think we’d like to press at least a 7” as well. We’ve got a band fund, we’ll see when we do that.
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Williams: It’s best if the high note is a leading tone, creating tension until the resolving chord is played in a lower octave.
 
No Cave is:
Ross Williams – vox, guitar
James Thomblison – synth, vox
Nick Frederickson – drums
Joel Stratton – bass
 
No Cave’s next show will be at The Bottleneck next Friday, May 22, with Major Games and Paper Buffalo. Be sure to check them out. Facebook event page.
 
--Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands.
 

 

Published: May 14, 2015 |
Comments |
Published: December 31, 1969 |
|
- news for musician and music pros -

Loading...