popwreckoning

In the mood for some electro-glowy goodness? Ready your headresses and glowsticks kiddies becaase here’s your chance to win 2 free tickets to see Neon Indian at the Record Bar in Kansas City on Tuesday October 11, with Purity Ring and Com Truise.

In order to win, send an e-mail to music@popwreckoning.com explaining why you should be the winner. Now remember, our readers are clever and our employees are underpaid….so you’d best entertain! Responses should be received no later than Monday October 10, 2011 at 12:00pm, central/standard time. Please use a working e-mail address so that we can contact you should you win.

Check out what Neon Indian has to offer at http://neonindian.com/main.php.

*This show is 18+.

Do the best with what you got, is a good motto for bands to follow. However in the case of Portugal. The Man, not only did they do the best with what they had, they took it 15 levels higher. Their recent show in Kansas City resided at the Record Bar. And to say I was impressed would be an understatement. To say I was grabbed by the ears and taken on a mind-numbing, intergalactic journey would be more accurate.

With their seventh studio album set to release in July, their energy was high. But something tells me every show is performed at that level. Their sound felt as though it hooked onto each laser beam and leapt off the stage to pierce its way into the crowd. Surrounded by colors and notes the show began.

The fact that a new album was a couple months away didn’t really have much bearing on the set list. Selections were mixed from nearly every record they have written. A slighter heavier emphasis was placed on what could be considered their most successful album to date: The Satanic Satanist.

Songs like “The Home” and “The Woods” with their sexy beats and infectious (and even harmonious) vocals, meshed perfectly with a stage lit by entrancing green beams of light. The bass did a bit of a blues sashay, causing the audience to uncontrollably sway in time. Talk about a multi-sensory aesthetic experience.

The hint of machine smoke coated the aforementioned laser lights and created an environment of light blankets and perfect for a number like “Mornings.” A song that’s core is undeniably blues and soul. Take the intro guitar solo, it’s sultry, while nearly bringing a tear to your eye. The harmonies are soft and inviting. Set at an alto octave makes them comforting without losing any power.

One of the few new songs that made it into the night was “Got It All.” This time the tempo was set a bit faster and the vocals were a tad higher. The sound leaned closer to the Rock of a Beatles era, than the Prog Rock of a Mars Volta time.  Fancy backing vocals “prettied up” the tone, while a lead guitar found a plethora of melodies to showcase. It came complete with under tones of politics in the chorus.

Nothing about Portugal fit into the average “band mold” and this I like about them. But to push that even more, they stuck the single, [that undoubtedly would appeal to every person in that sold out show] at the second to the last spot. “People Say” easily contains the catchiest lyrics of any of their songs. Even though it’s on the less-complex level, when it comes to song structure, it was still quite enjoyable. This is one of those songs that is guaranteed to induce audience participation.

The show was unexpectedly fun, engaging, mind-blowing and all together awesome. And that’s just the live stuff; their albums are in a completely different galaxy.

“Hi, how are you?” opened the legendary Daniel Johnston right before starting his Beaumont Club set.

The answer? Incredibly fantastic.

Especially so because the weekend was jam packed with some of the best local talent alongside some pretty stellar national acts. The occasion was the first (and hopefully not the last) Middle of the Map Festival. This was a festival that for two days took over some Westport Clubs–Beaumont, Riot Room, Record Bar & the Union–and packed them with bands ranging from Lawrence’s Hospital Ships to Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club to Daniel Johnston backed by locals Capybara. It was a truly unique weekend and a great way to debut the fest.

Friday I arrived in time to catch the tail end of Spirit Is the Spirit. There were several other local bands playing before them that I’m sad to have missed, but work duties held me up.

Spirit Is the Spirit is a local band that performed a lively set that was heavy on the percussion. It reminded me of a blend of the distinct ‘Seattle Sound’ that’s recently become so popular. In other words, great vocal harmonies, almost tribal sounding percussion at times, and enough of a lilt to make you want to dance. I first saw the singer in a group called Yellow Walrus, and I could hear some ties to that Death Cab for Cutie-inspired band as well. These guys were a pleasant surprise and a great start for my festival experience. Sadly, I didn’t get my camera ready in time to snap any pictures. I was so lost in their music that they were done by the time I thought to take my camera out.

Another local group called Minden followed on the Riot Room stage. I had never heard of the band prior to this festival, which I assumed from their tight, rocking set that it was because they were one of the out of town bands. Turns out they’re reppin’ Kansas City and this was only their sixth show as Minden. Although, several of the guys have plenty experience in other bands, which might explain their confident set. Minden is a band to keep an eye on.

It was time for a change of venue and to take a gander at some of the non-local bands the festival had brought in. I went to the Beaumont Club to watch Maps and Atlases followed by Two Door Cinema Club. And what a change of pace it was. The atmosphere at the Riot Room was like being at a house show – everyone knew each other and was giving hugs. The crowd was a bit older – the matured veterans of the music scene. At the Beaumont Club, however, x’s on hands were numerous. The faces were unfamiliar – these were not frequenters of shows every week, but people drawn out for a specific band: Two Door Cinema Club. The young, Irish dance pop group has started to gain quite a following stateside and in Kansas City, they’re abetted by the recent radio play they’ve been getting. This show was almost like stepping outside of the festival and into a normal concert. I do hope that some of these people that came out specifically for Two Door ventured outside of the Beaumont to see some of the wonderful local bands and discover new loves.

Maps and Atlases, who are touring with TDCC, were just about to take the stage. They had me eager for their set as a raised, sideways drum was featured right up in the front of their set up. The Chicago rock band’s experimental, yet pop-influenced sound quickly had me hooked. At times, it reminded me a bit of Minus the Bear, but then there were times when it went off in a completely different direction.

Beaumont was running a little behind schedule, but when Two Door Cinema Club finally took to the stage – the place went nuts. Immediately, people were clapping, dancing and singing along to a lot more than just the radio single. I could swear I could even see a couple of people ‘air-synthing.’ The Irish accents were thick, so while few could decipher what was being said between the songs, people still cheered and smiled. The amount of love for this band in that room was electric. TDCC played through several new songs during their set, which have me eager for their next release. “Costume Party,” especially, is sure to be a stand out. They even performed an encore, ending their set with a personal favorite, “I Can Talk.” Again: dance party explosion.

There was no better way to end the first night of the festival than with some local legends. I went back to a packed Riot Room to see Appleseed Cast. It had been quite awhile since I had seen this ambient band perform and even then was a special occasion for them to play the Low Level Owl records in their entirety. It was exciting to hear a set with even more variety from their large catalogue -and even some material I had never heard before. Watching these guys rock out with their passionate lyrics and well-thought out guitar lines, it is easy to see why they’re such an influence for so many other bands today. Truly couldn’t have gone home any happier from their set.

My Saturday had to start with a very different sort of music: classical. I had an orchestra rehearsal before I could get to the festival. So again, I sadly missed some local bands that I would have liked to have seen. However, I did arrive in time to catch what might now be my new favorite local band: Saharan Gazelle Boy. Several of the guys playing in Saharan Gazelle Boy also play in fellow festival band Capybara. I had seen their other incarnation before and was looking forward to finally seeing this new project. There are elements to SGB that are similar to Capybara – the extra drums in addition to a regular drum set, the heavy use of tambourine and the vocals – which is to be expected when you have the same primary singer for both bands. However, this is also a very different different project. This is the brainchild of Darin Seal. For the live show, he’s joined by his friends, which consequentially happen to be his Capybara bandmates and several other musicians. With Saharan Gazelle, he sings indie pop songs about finding love that are laced with fun synth melodies and upbeat tempos. I’m not a dancer, but it was hard to stand still with these guys on stage.

Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship is a garage rock band from Omaha – so practically local. “1,2,3,4″ they rapidly counted off almost every song and then a wall of sound would hit. The drummer was hypnotizing to watch. The guy was non-stop smiles as he rapidly banged across his set. The guy played hard – and consequentially broke several sticks.

After Omaha’s Noah’s Ark, KC took over again with Making Movies. I’m sure Kansas City has plenty of bands that sings in Spanish besides the few mariachi bands I’ve seen at Mexican restaurants around town, yet this is the only rock band in Kansas that I can think of that sings in Spanish and has been this successful. These guys had just driven back from a show in Texas, but they still had plenty of energy to get people to dance to their rock music with a spice of salsa. I doubt many people at the Riot Room could understand the lyrics, but it really didn’t matter. They were addicting just on their sound quality alone.

State Bird was a bit of a surprise. The clip I had listened to online had a lot of instrumentals and cutesy whistling. So I went into the Beaumont Club expecting some gentle, indie act. Instead, I got screaming and harder rock than I had even anticipated was at this fest. Sorry guys, but this was not my thing. I left after a few songs to find some friends at other venues.

I found myself back at Riot Room, which had yet to let me down with its constant lineup of killer Midwest bands. When I made my way back, it was packed for Lawrencians Hospital Ships. So packed, in fact, that I couldn’t get up close enough for any decent pictures. So I enjoyed the wave of music from the back. It sounded a bit different than the last time I heard them – which I later learned was due to them missing a few members for this particular set, but it was still quite enjoyable and I was sad to have leave early because their set conflicted with another local band that I adore.

Back at Beaumont, Lawrence former three-piece and now foursome Cowboy Indian Bear was setting up. These guys work harder than most KC/Lawrence bands and are constantly touring and writing. They’re most recently fresh off of a string of shows that carried them to SXSW and back. They started off with several new songs – some which have me eagerly anticipating swaying to a new record and some that have seeds have potential, but I’d love to hear them do more. Their older material always brings a smile to my face and I love how they’ve adapted their pieces to include the beautiful vocals of their latest addition: Katelyn Conroy. If you’ve never heard this band – it’s very chill music with lots of fun beats and some of the most haunting harmonies you’ve ever heard. It was great to see them playing to such a large crowd.

Capybara is the other incarnation of Saharan Gazelle Boy whom had already performed earlier in that day. These guys would earn the title of the hardest working band of the festival by rounding out the day with a third performance as Daniel Johnston’s backing band – most impressive and an unforgettable moment for their career. As I said earlier, Saharan Gazelle Boy might have earned the ‘my favorite local band’ spot, but I still loved Capybara. It had been over a year since I had last seen these guys perform, so it was nice to see them rocking out in the Riot Room with their blend of indie folk rock pop.

Dinner was becoming a necessity with the increasing heat and all the walking. So after grabbing some pizza, it was back to the Beaumont. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s were finishing up their set. They’re not from Kansas City, but they have that dark, folky quality that I’m finding increasingly common among Midwest bands. East Coast has a sort of grainy glam sound they fall into, while West Coast tends to embrace the surf rock sound and the South tends to be more straight up rock. Midwest has its own quality that is a bit harder to describe, but is definitely present. I loved the variety of instruments Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s used, too – violins and slide guitars. After their set, it was time for one of the most anticipated shows of the festival.

Daniel Johnston was an experience. The guy is a living legend and for that reason alone he was worth seeing, but he also has a very troubled story and a reputation for being a little peculiar on stage, which is also worth seeing. If you’re only familiar with him in name, but not sound – it is very lo-fi. Mostly just Johnston with acoustic guitar. Although tonight, he would be joined by Kansas City’s very hard working Capybara.

Johnston started with a smile, slyly asking, “Hi, how are you,” and then playing a few songs from behind a music stand. He told bizarre stories in between about dreams and things he’s seen and he even spoke of his love for root beer. Then he said he was taking a brief intermission before coming back with the band. Already, this was unlike anything most had ever seen before at a concert. When Johnston returned, Kansas City’s Capybara was with him. They guys looked nervous, but excited to be playing with Johnston. Unlike Johnston, they did not have any sheet music stands, but either they practiced a lot or were just really suave at making things up on the fly because they never seemed to have any giant falters. My pride with the Kansas City music scene multiplied by a thousand during this performance.

I thought I’d be fine to watch another Omaha band, Little Brazil, before heading over to Cursive at the Riot Room. If you’ve never been in the Union where Little Brazil was performing, it is kind of like being in a cave. The band still played a killer set despite the unusual surroundings. Little Brazil has changed quite a bit since I last saw them perform. Landon Hedges and his distinctive vocals are still the star of the show, but they had a new member with them – a girl on keys – which added a nice grounded sound to their music.

When Cursive‘s singer, Tim Kasher, took his leave from watching this set to go to his own, I figured that be a good cue to head over to Riot Room as well. To my surprise, the Riot Room was already at capacity and a huge line had formed hoping to be one of the lucky few to be let in should someone leave. Sadly, it looked as those Cursive would not be happening for me that night. Fortunately, I have seen the band several times before and though I’d have to miss it, I’m glad to see that this festival would end on such a high note. The band was getting to play to a packed house, the organizers had put together a festival so successful that it would reach capacity not only here, but also at the Raveonettes across Westport at Record Bar. And of course, all the patrons of the festival got to see some fantastic bands, even if they found themselves shut out from the last few headliners like I was. It’s hard to be too upset when the whole weekend was so great.

I think it’s safe to say Middle of the Map was a great success and I’d love to see it back next year – even bigger. There’s plenty of venues in Westport that could easily be added and with the 90 degree weather – outdoor venues should be thrown in as well. Let’s see it happen, KC.

The time has come to update your Google Calendars and fill out your vacation and time off request forms. It is very important that you be free and in Kansas City’s historic Westport area on both April 8 and 9 for the first ever Middle of the Map Fest.

Taking place within the music venues of The Record Bar, The Beaumont Club, The Union and The Riot Room, festival goers will be given access to four different musical choices. Tickets can be purchased on day to day basis ($20 for either Friday only access or Saturday only access) or both days for a mere 5 additional dollars, of $25 total.Tickets can be purchased here.

With the lineup due to be announced soon (which PopWreckoning has not only seen, but is 100 percent in support of) keep checking back for more news on this exciting hometown event. The festivals’ twitter has confirmed that Two Door Cinema Club and Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s are some of the many bands playing the fest.

In 2007, the ACBs released their self-titled record. It was an upbeat pop record full of catchy hooks. A follow up was eagerly anticipated, but things fell quiet in the young band’s camp. Years passed and two members left. Frontman Konnor Ervin even admitted he was lacking motivation to dive into the next record.

But Ervin finally made it into the studio and as he started writing, he found new musicians to join him bassist Bryan McGuire in the band. The Abracadabras‘ Kyle Rausch joined on drums and Ghosty‘s Andrew Connor came on with guitar and additional vocals.Now, over three years later, The ACBs have returned with Stona Rosa.

Stona Rosa isn’t quite as straightforward pop-friendly as the band’s previous release, and the record does lack a cohesiveness that can at times be infuriating. However, this isn’t a record to skip – just don’t go into it expecting the ACBs self-titled part deux.

The album starts with a count off into a jangly pop tune about loving Italian girls, but before you ladies start crushing on these guys, take heed of the lyrics on the next track, “Street Fighter II.” On this staccato-guitar heavy song the lyrics sneak from lying in bed with a woman to quietly trying to play video games. Oh, boys.

The band is really at its best when it is singing the upbeat indie pop tunes like album stand outs “Be Professional,” “Boy Like Me” and “My Face.” “Be Professional” is like a self-motivation speech. “This could be it. I can’t believe what’s been said,” it sings. “So be professional.” The warm, organic vocals circle over a bass drum stomp then a clap. It’s catchy, interesting, memorable and some of the band’s best work to date.Some of the band’s other best work is on “Boy Like Me,” which seems to capture the enthusiasm of rediscovering the possibility of love after a depressing – the depressing break up can be found in “It Sure Looks Dark and Cold,” the track prior to “Boy Like Me.” With big drums and a really cool vocal layering effect to spit out “girl like you” and “boy like me” rapidly, this is a song guaranteed to get people up and dancing. There’s no way not to love this song.

The album does seem to lose some steam toward the end. While, lyrically “Ol Boy” has an interesting thought process on aging, it isn’t instrumentally memorable. “I Wonder” has too much of a musical range gap with high-pitched vocals over a bass line to make it a go-to track.And the album closer, “Neon Light,” does capture the idea of walking dark streets after bars closed with just the flickering of neon signs for company with its jazzy sound and muted trumpet wail, but it just seems so out of place. It goes back to that cohesiveness thing, which is the primary criticism of the album.

Stona Rosa is a lyrically interesting album, which still has plenty of the pop gems the band is known for, but still has some style surprises that fans might love or be completely lost by. The new members left a definite imprint on this record that alone makes checking out Stona Rosa worth it.

The ACBs will celebrate Stona Rosa‘s release this Saturday, November 27, at the Record Bar in Kansas City at 7 p.m. They’ll also be heading to Lawrence on December 11 to play the Noise for Toys charity show at the Bottleneck.

“Be Professional”

“Boy Like Me”

Track Listing:
01. Italian Girls
02. Street Fighter II
03. Be Professional
04. Hold Phone
05. It Sure Looks Dark and Cold
06. Boy Like Me
07. My Face
08. Ol Boy
09. I Wonder
10. Neon Light

One hundred twenty-eight days of tour can’t stop these motherfuckers. There are no signs of fatigue, road wear or the sound of their own wheels driving them mad. Every night they bring their A game, which includes enough leg kicks, back bends, guitar rolls and stage presence to stir a convincing debate that punk rock is not only around, but alive and well in Ames, fucking-Iowa of all places.

Watching Poison Control Center jerk around the stage frantically it is clear they spare no expense of energy when they play. Their hands flutter as fast as possible, fluently forming rich and driven (duct taped) guitar solos placed effortlessly over punctuating drums. However, while the music speaks loudly enough for itself (seriously), the unthinkable way that they manage to create these sounds while flying around the stage in 72 directions is damn near historic. Combining the finest features of mohawks and doc martins while managing to create dance parties this band is not to be fucked with. If you can sit through their set and manage to walk away feeling like you haven’t gotten your money’s worth,  you have bad taste in music. Period.

Left with the tough task of following such an energetic band is Lawrence’s (and Popwreckoning favorite) Cowboy Indian Bear.

Having not seen Cowboy Indian Bear since March of 2010 (at Sxsw), tonight would mark the first chance I’d had to see them since both the release of their flawless full length album Each Other All The Time and the addition of the amazing Katlyn Conroy of Another Holiday (and solo work). The growth of the band in my 8 months of reclusive coma is nearly indescribable. Regardless of a number of technical difficulties (for which the band can’t be held accountable for) the obviousness of how tight the band had become stood out. I found myself rather floored by the effectiveness of the wall of sound style noise created by a band who also manages to create alt. country goodness like “Madeline” and indie-pop greatness like “Mathematicians/Colour.”

The bottom line and only way to summarize the evening is simple: Back to back sets by two of the midwest’s catchiest bands. If you’ve yet to experience one or both of these gems, do yourself a favor and google their myspaces. If there is any justice in the world of music (which I’m convinced there isn’t) you won’t be able to catch either of these bands in the Record Bar very much longer. Both should be playing rooms of the likes of the Uptown. Their talent and energy could fill the room ten fold.

The infamous Foxy Shazam took the time to sit down with PodWreck while in Kansas City. Listen for thoughts on ruling the world.

Check out an acapella version of “Evil Thoughts” from Foxy’s most recent Kansas City performance:

“Evil Thoughts”

Here’s what you get when you buy a ticket to a Wakey! Wakey! show: knowledge of a microchord (a mini-keyboard type thingy), strings and piano rock and threats of a sharpie style prison tattoo. In this economy, that’s not too shabby.

Not too shabby is exactly the way I’d describe Wakey! Wakey!. Frontman Michael Grubbs’ voice stands out crisp and large against a beautiful backdrop of instrumentation. More importantly however is his ability to make a point when his voice captures your attention. His lyrics are not only poetic but descriptive, telling a story as real and believable as the best in the business. Blended with beautiful string play and charming piano, the mesh of sounds is as flawless and practices as possible.  With this gift in their pockets I could easily see them supporting great bands like Jack’s Mannequin or The Elected.

Charming and marketable as they can be, Wakey! Wakey! manages to retain their indie sensibilities. Spending as much time joking with the crowd as playing the set, their down to earth personalities sell their show as much as their catchy, polished songs. Their harmony vocals are as practiced as I’ve seen in a hole in the wall dive. I mean, as much as I love the Record Bar, it certainly isn’t as sound in terms of acoustics as The Midland or Uptown Theater. Yet, Wakey! Wakey! managed to make it sound like a fucking opera house.

Without a doubt, I see big things happening for this band. Those who are blessed enough to catch them in a tiny room like The Record Bar might have caught the steal of the year. Chances are they’ll be untouchable in a matter of time, playing room of 2000 plus instead of speaking personally to an intimate crowd.

Catch them while you can kids. Once radio gets a glimpse of this band you’ll be scrapping for tickets.

Standing in front of a empty front room, Jenny Owen Youngs opened the night beckoning the crowd to move forward. In an almost biblical way, the seats and tables parted and the room came to her. “Thanks for understanding you guys. You guys are fucking awesome already,” she said with a smirk. “Let’s get this thing started.”

But then again, why the hell wouldn’t you want to be up close where you can see Youngs’ for what she’s worth?

With an energy and stage presence unique to only her, you never really know what you’re going to see. With a hyper meets awkward, yet in your face collection of twitches and tells, the show shifts and twists around like an A.D.H.D. kid bored as fuck of his math homework.

Her sets are no different. Starting out at a sprint before calming it down from the sets opening two songs, “Led to the Sea” and “Clean Break,” both from the latest release, Transmitter Failure, Owen’s threw it back to Batten the Hatches with “Voice on Tape.” Though extremely different in technicality and structure from the album version, which featured a lot of voicemail samples and playful judgments by Regina Spektor, “Voice on Tap” also transcends fluently to stage as well. This, most likely is thanks to her in your face larger than life personality that shows she can hold her own in both stage and album. Those stories that capture your heart as a listener, become true to life when heard straight from the mouth.

Her lyrics stand out live, with a simplistic way about them that makes it seem like she’s talking directly to you. Unlike a large handful of indie darlings, she’s not afraid to put her problems out there, stating them in plain English, unpolished or touched up for charming. They’re real, translatable and the same bullshit you deal with every day. This rings true in her new songs, ——– and the extremely blunt a la tongue in cheek hit “Fuck was I.” She states, “the skillet on the stove is such a temptation/maybe I’ll be the lucky one that doesn’t get burned/What the fuck was I thinking?” Seriously, who hasn’t struggled with that before?

The thing that I find amazing about Owen is that regardless of her heavy handed content, her songs and her show manage to be fun. She’s absolutely not there to bring you down. She jumps and shifts around the stage giving those in attendance no choice but shake their ass instead of slit their wrists. Her cover of Motion City Soundtrack‘s “The Conversation” is a perfect example of this. Highlighting her ability to balance having a good time and clocking in to her job, she does a great job of not taking herself too seriously while approaching serious subjects. Jenny Lewis, you should take notes.

Led to The Sea
Clean Break
Voice on Tape
Secrets
*New Song*
Fuck Was I
The Conversation (Motion City Soundtrack Cover)
Last Person
If I Didn’t Know
Start/Stop

PopWreckoning celebrated its 3rd Birthday with a party at the Record Bar. As part of the celebration, we had some great national and local bands join us for a show.

Mansions joined local Kansas City acts O’Giant Man and Max Justus in opening up for the energetic rock of the Poison Control Center. The brass-enhanced group was in Kansas City previously opening for Pavement, so it was fun to see them embrace a headlining spot.

Photographer Nick Davis was at the party and shares these photos from the event:

Thanks to everyone who came out to join us in the festivities!