Coming Soon: Robbie Fulks and Sarah Shook & The Disarmers in Kansas City 5/10/18

Posted on May 7, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

WHO’S PLAYING?  Robbie Fulks (Chicago, IL) Sarah Shook & The Disarmers (Chapel Hill, NC)

FulksShook

 

WHAT TO EXPECT?  Country storytelling about broken hearts and empty bottles…

Robbie Fulks is a professional and accomplished musician. At 54 years old his latest record “Upland Stories” was recently nominated for TWO Grammy’s (Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Song) along with wide critical acclaim last year. Being over 20 years after the release of his first album Fulks is extremely refined and and a renowned stage performer. From his spot on instrumental performance to his alluring storytelling within his songs his shows are consistently enchanting.

Here is some of what VOCALS ON TOP had to say about his latest Grammy nominated album “Upland Stories”: “Good albums have a flow to them and Upland Stories definitely fits the bill. It’s a well balanced record and is rough and smooth in all the right places. If you like storytelling you’re in luck too, the songwriting is the glue that holds this whole thing together.”

Robbie Fulks sounds like: John Prine, Steve Earle, that story you hope you remember to tell everyone at work tomorrow.

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers are about as far from pop country as you can get and still be in the country genre. You can tell by the bile and anger in Shook’s vocals that she isn’t a run of the mill country songstress from music row. On her album “Years” Shook uses her deep voice to punctuate stories of heartbreak and angst. The songs are in a classic dirty country vein, the solos are always pretty, the vocals aren’t always spot on but let’s face it, music is simply better when it is unique. The snarl and attitude of Shook and her ace country band will be well worth showing up early.

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers sounds like: Lucinda Williams, Waylon Jennings, the last drink of the bottle.

WHERE IS IT?  Knucklehead’s Saloon (2715 Rochester, Kansas City MO 64120)

WHEN IS IT?  Thursday, May 10th 2018; 8:00 PM, $12

Here is a link to buy your tickets right NOW.

WHY SHOULD I GO?

  • Fulks was nominated for TWO Grammy’s… GRAMMY’S!
  • He’ll be sure to do his Grammy nominated song “Alabama At Night”
  • Knucklehead’s is one of the best venues in KC, it sits right beside the train tracks
  • Tickets are $12… yeah, just $12
  • You can pick up Fulks’ GRAMMY NOMINATED album “Upland Stories”.
  • Sarah Shook & The Disarmers are a young and hungry band, tearing it up right now
  • Shook will be selling her latest album “Years”
  • Fulks and Shook are simply a great combo

You should RSVP on facebook to the event so you don’t forget, here is the link: FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

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250 word album review: Whiskey For The Lady – Passing Times

Posted on May 1, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

Whiskey For The Lady - Passing Times

Stars4

“Passing Times” is Whiskey For The Lady’s second album and it is distinctly different than their debut. The bluegrass band is four long years removed from their debut album “Too Many F Holes” and sometimes life comes at you hard forcing them to return with a more mature record. The band twice was struck with the tragedy of losing band members and as a tribute they continue to press on and this album exists.

The most obvious tribute here is “Rabbit Hole” the lone song sung by fiddlist Mallory Edson with a raspy tremble, punctuating how personal the song is. Other songs hit on the subject like the title track “Passing Times” sung by lead vocalist Phil Craven. That track builds into a speedy romp which is where the band really excels. Other band members even get vocal shots on “Goddamn Dollars” and “The Curtain” showing the band’s diversity. The band is best when jamming out though, just see the mid-album track “SquareMosh” that busts out of the gate with a screech of “squaremosh!” after being delicately introduced by the near spoken word track “B.F.D.” Other highlights are the funky breakdown jam of “Hail Damage” and the driving, trippy instrumental “Sky Jam.” While the record has several serious moments the group’s sense of humor is still very much in play here, like on “Winning” and the aforementioned “SquareMosh.”

The songs here at times are delivered with a heavy heart but it definitely doesn’t keep “Passing Times” from being a fun listen.

Key Tracks: “Rabbit Hole” “Hail Damage” “SquareMosh”

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Concert Review: Hurray For The Riff Raff / Waxahatchee at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO 4/25/18

Posted on April 27, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

Hurray For The Riff Raff and Waxahatchee tour poster 2018

When two heavyweights tour together they hope to pull from eachother’s fan bases. Hurray For The Riff Raff and Waxahatchee also had a strong theme to tie them together, it’s only natural their fans would cling to the other band as well. Both groups possessing strong, female frontwomen made this tour a no brainer.

As the tour drew to a close in Columbia, Missouri on a Wednesday night the two groups with songstress Bedouine in tow made their way into The Blue Note, a classic venue that fit the show perfectly. As the beginning of the set grew closer it became more apparent the crowd was a bit lackluster. The balcony would be closed and even at the show’s peak the floor in front of the stage would be easily navigated. It was a medium sized college town on a Wednesday so it was a bit of a tough sell. The good part is the performers looked very unaffected by it and still put on great shows.

Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and Azniv Korkejian of Bedouine pay tribute to Big Star by performing "Thirteen" at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and Azniv Korkejian of Bedouine pay tribute to Big Star by performing “Thirteen” at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Bedouine is actually just Azniv Korkejian solo acoustic but her quiet singer/songwriter vibe was the perfect segue into the evening that was about to unfold. Her calm and soft vocals sounded haunting against the echoey theater walls as she plucked her acoustic guitar. He nimble voice navigated lyrically driven songs like “Skyline” and “One of These Days.” As a finale she took on the task of playing a song just for Columbia. It happened to be the 25th anniversary of Big Star’s “Live at Missouri University” live album so Bedouine announced a cover song originally by the band. She then invited Alynda Segarra from Hurray For The Riff Raff and Katie Crutchfield from Waxahatchee to join her for a performance of the gorgeously gentle “Thirteen” in which each singer took a verse. With the three on the stage, shoulder to shoulder with the stage backdrop reading “We’re All In This Together” behind them the show really instantly gelled.

Bedouine setlist from The Blue Note in Columbia, MO 4/25/18

  • You Kill Me
  • Back To You
  • Nice and Quiet
  • Skyline
  • Solitary Daughter
  • Dusty Eyes
  • One of These Days
  • Thirteen (Big Star Cover) with Katie Crutchfield and Alynda Segarra

The quiet hippie-folk of Bedouine would soon be extinguished by Waxahatchee. After the quiet opener of “Recite Remorse” they would pound into the radio worthy “Silver” and the evening would morph into a different animal. Crutchfield would sling out a subtle “Thank you very much, we’re Waxahatchee” right before the grinding guitars of “Silver” would kick in. Her band, that included her sister Allison on keys and guitar, was young and eager. They rocked hard but seemed like they hadn’t spent the stage time the two sisters had, concentrating on hitting all their spots as they locked in with eachother.

The bass led “8 Ball” would prove to be a highlight with it’s traveling thump and slacker rock delivery. They would jam hard on songs like “Never Been Wrong” and “The Dirt” but still left room for several laid back songs like the poetic “Sparks Fly” and “A Little More.” The band would leave the stage after an overall blistering 45 minutes to leave Katie Crutchfield along on stage to play a solo acoustic version of “La Loose.” The band would return to grind out “Under A Rock” before the group would call it a set and let the headliner set up.

Waxahatchee lead singer and guitarist Katie Crutchfield plays live at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Waxahatchee lead singer and guitarist Katie Crutchfield plays live at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Waxahatchee setlist from The Blue Note in Columbia, MO 4/25/18

  • Recite Remorse
  • Silver
  • Poison
  • 8 Ball
  • The Dirt
  • Sparks Fly
  • Never Been Wrong
  • Swan Dive
  • A Little More
  • Coast To Coast
  • No Question
  • Peace and Quiet
  • La Loose (solo acoustic)
  • Under A Rock

Hurray For The Riff Raff came out with a sudden intensity and focus Waxahatchee never possessed. The band were pros. They were locked in from the first note and effortlessly backed the outgoing and strong Alynda Segarra who stole the show. Her powerful vocals were instantly felt. Bedouine and Waxahatchee both have vocalists who use restraint, Hurray For The Riff Raff does not have that. With her eyes laced with gold glitter Segarra put everything into the set, taking a few songs to play guitar but really getting intense when handing the reins to the band and just singing and dancing showing her impressive prowess as a frontwoman.

Segarra’s secret weapon was lead guitarist Jordan Hyde, who was simply torching all evening. His restrained approach visually didn’t match his spot on licks for the songs. On tunes like the driving “Hungry Ghost” this shone through the most. The live version of this song was the studio version on steroids, not just the kind that make you strong but the kind that make you angry. The inspired version would easily steal the show as the best song of the evening. An intense reading of a new song “Kids Who’ll Die” had a punk edge with a strong political tone would be one of few songs to pepper the set not from the band’s brilliant 2017 album “The Navigator.”

Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff leads her band during her set at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff leads her band during her set at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

 

On the jangly reading of “Living In The City” the song was transformed to sound like it was recorded for Bob Dylan’s album “Desire.” A few slower songs carried a heavy message with “Settle” “Life To Save” and “Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl” highlighting a intense set. The main set closing “Pa’lante” would punctuate this point well. As to not end the night with a heavy message the band would return to perform a bouncy version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” with a little help form Making Movies’ Enrique Chi on guitar and singing a verse. The line alone “You can’t start a fire without a spark” seemed to make the song fit right in. That line could have easily replaced the giant lettering “We’re All In This Together” behind the stage.

Hurray For The Riff Raff setlist from The Blue Note in Columbia, MO 4/25/18

  • The Navigator
  • Life To Save
  • Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl
  • Hungry Ghost
  • Rican Beach
  • Kids Who’ll Die
  • Lake of Fire
  • Settle
  • Living in the City
  • Pa’lante
    encore break
  • Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen cover) with Enrique Chi of Making Movies
Hurray For The Riff Raff perform on a rainy Wednesday night at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

Hurray For The Riff Raff perform on a rainy Wednesday night at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on 4/25/18.

 

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250 word album review: Here’s To The Life! – Surviving Is My Best Revenge

Posted on April 24, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

Here's To The Life! -Surviving Is My Best Revenge

Stars3.5

Here’s To The Life! is now fully amped up and doesn’t spare on the energy. This group of 8 songs is among their strongest, the songs are fun and fiery as they continue to be one of the Midwest’s most distinct sounding pop punk acts.

On the opening “Say It Like You Mean It” the chugging guitar licks set the tone early. Primary lead singer Patrick Rivera’s vocals are one of a kind with his up and down singing that helps give the music some extra bounce. The songs here are of a serious nature but in typical Here’s To The Life! style are portrayed with a wit and playfulness. The tone on numbers like “A Song For You” you get the idea that heartbreak is embraced and accepted. This redemption song finds the antagonist yearning for one more chance with someone but also singing “I don’t know what it is that I want from you,” how representative of true emotions in relationships is that? The honesty is refreshing. The take on The Marvelettes “Mr. Postman” actually blends right in here too. The only thing that sounds outdated are the snail mail references on the track. The pop-punk makeover fits the song well showing there really isn’t that big of a gap between classic R&B and Here’s To The Life! if it’s an amazing song.

It’s a typically loud and energetic affair here with brash guitar licks, thumping bass and drums. It’s just a fun album, repeated listens are a must. Also, the album cover is awesome.

Key Tracks: “A Song For You” “Mr. Postman” “Goodnight, I Think I Mean Goodbye”

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Coming Soon: Waxahatchee & Hurray For The Riff Raff live at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO

Posted on April 18, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

WHO’S PLAYING?  Waxahatchee (Birmingham, AL) Hurray For The Riff Raff (New Orleans, LA) and Bedouine (Los Angeles, CA)

HurrayWaxahatcheeTourPosterWHAT TO EXPECT? Strong female voices singing loud and singing proud.

Katie Crutchfield is essentially Waxahatchee. Crutchfield has now released 4 albums under the moniker and has continued to gain momentum and popularity. The latest Waxahatchee album was released in July of 2017 to critical praise, cracking many critics top albums of 2017 lists and is called “Out in the Storm.” Crutchfield’s sound has continued to grow and morph into it’s current incarnation as a full band sound. This is evident on the lead single from the album “Sliver” that is a driving indie rock anthem. This wasn’t always the case though, the project started as a solo acoustic venture. That sound hasn’t been totally abandoned though, as shown on the new albums delicate closer “Fade.”

Waxahatchee sounds like: Neko Case, Liz Phair and that song on the radio you want to remember on your next trip to the record store.

Like Waxahatchee, Hurray For The Riff Raff is essentially a one woman show. Alynda Segarra is driving force here and her sound has also reached new peaks with her most recent effort. “The Navigator” was released in March of 2017 also to critical acclaim and also cracked several 2017 top album lists. The ambitious concept album is largely political on the back of the transparently aggressive “Rican Beach” and several other politically themed songs. Other songs like the Dylan-esque “Living In The City” show Segarra’s knack for spinning deep, meaningful lyrics and pairing them with memorable hooks to make for radio worthy tracks.

Hurray For The Riff Raff sounds like: Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, the revolution starting in your back yard.

Also fitting the theme of the evening is Echo Park’s Bedouine. Another strong female voice leads this project with Azniv Korkejian from Syria steering the ship. Her soft voice accompanies dreamy instrumentation to create a perfect lead-in for the bands on this bill.

Bedouine sounds like: Mazzy Star, Iron and Wine and bedtime stories you never hear the end of.

WHERE IS IT?  The Blue Note (17 N 9th St., Columbia, MO)

WHEN IS IT?  Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 8:00 PM, $18

WaxahatcheeHurrayHeader

Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and Alynda Segarra of Hurray For The Riff Raff

Here is a link to buy your tickets right NOW.

WHY SHOULD I GO?

  • Tickets are $18… That’s not bad for two very important bands
  • This tour displays some of the best and strongest women in folk/indie rock
  • Waxahatchee is one of the most exciting bands in the indie scene mixing 90s rock with early 2000s edge while adding irresistible pop hooks
  • Hurray For The Riff Raff is a powerful band that is focused beyond reproach and pushing political agendas while maintaining their great songs
  • The Blue Note is a classic venue, made for theater but perfect for music
  • Columbia is a central location for fans from Kansas City and St. Louis, it’s also the closest show for people in Des Moines, Lawrence, Omaha, Springfield and several other worthy markets.

You should RSVP on facebook to the event so you don’t forget and your friends know where you’ll be, here is the link: FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Hurray For The Riff Raff and Waxahatchee with Bedouine tour poster

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250 word album review: The Allovers -Yer Guises

Posted on April 17, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

Allovers - Yer Guises

Stars3.5

“Yer Guises” is nothing but simple fun. If you’re looking for deep content you probably won’t find it unless you dig really deep. At the surface level The Allovers just take a crunchy guitar lick, play is for two minutes and squeeze in a hook. The good news is it actually works.

The Buzzcocks made a career from short songs with a big hook, they didn’t let things drag on; play the hook and move on. The Allovers obviously were paying attention. Every song here has a killer hook, even though 10 of the 15 tracks don’t even hit the 2:00 mark. It’s simple, a grimey guitar lick like on “When Freddy’s Back In Town” along with a chant-worthy chorus and you’re gold, cut it and put it on the album. There’s nothing wrong with leaving politics to Billy Bragg and Neil Young. They add some interesting surprises like the goulish vocals on “Hitchcock Twist” and the Ramones inspired vocals on “Rinky Dink.” While you could interpret that lyrical content is absent here, it seems more so that it simply isn’t needed. The Allovers sound like if Green Day did music for lyrics written by Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America and they got Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age to sing them. What doesn’t sound awesome about that?

Either way this album is a short spurt of fun, the songs come at you quick and the tempo is fast. They even got the punk album cover right, you have nothing to complain about here.

Key Tracks: “Rinky Dink” “When Freddy’s Back In Town”

 

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250 word album review: The Center State – Wilderness

Posted on April 10, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

The Center State - Wilderness

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The Center State’s second full-length album “Wilderness” is a sentimental affair that shows the band’s abilities. The group compiles a focused group of songs here where they test their comfort zones and take another step forward.

The opening track “Wilderness” pushes their own sound as it’s an uncharacteristic upbeat romp. The mood is wistful still but the erratic song shows it’s not business as usual here. On “Sunrise” (cowritten by Stephen Wilson and Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer) McKenzie Davidson takes vocal duties on the sweet pop song with big hooks, making it one of the stronger earworms here. The tone of the album remains pensive most of the time though, like on “I’ve Been Through The Fire” sang by Jeremy Sharp, who shoulders most of the vocal weight on the album. The graceful music fits the reflective nature of the songs, on tracks like “Culprit From Within” it’s not hard to see how much thought and interpretation was considered here. On the more transparent “Average Joe” bassist Brad Davidson makes the bouncy tune one of the most memorable of the record with smooth vocals and the swaying violin keeps you reeled in. The conclusion, a cover of the Ray Lamontagne song “Shelter” makes perfect sense here too, it fits perfectly and seems to sum up the album well.

“Wilderness” shows how talented the musicians are here and that as a band they are pushing themselves, this sophomore album has more range than their first and still maintains its cohesiveness.

Key Tracks: “Wilderness” “Average Joe” “Sunrise”

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250 word album review: The Breeders – All Nerve

Posted on April 3, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

The Breeders - All Nerve

Stars2.5

The Breeders are a jagged band. They love broken things, they always have. Their songs are unique because of this, it is both what makes them great and what makes them troubling to listen to at times.

On their latest record “All Nerve” you get to see the same old Breeders with scowling guitars and a fear to drop into a groove. The band will forever be defined by “Cannonball” and all time classic groove it has, the band seems to steer away from that direction for the most part here. On “Archangel’s Thunderbird” they make and exception to this and it quickly stands out as the best song on the album, the preceding song “Howl At The Summit” also stands out as one of the stronger moments here.. On other tracks like “Wait In The Car” and “All Nerve” the rhythms are disjointed, I realize this is no accident it makes this album sound like it is lost between alternative and art-rock. Slower, ambient songs like “Dawn: Making An Effort” and “Spacewoman” fail to hold interest well as they fade into the background.

Chances are if you love all of The Breeders other 4 records you’ll probably like this one too because not a lot has changed or progressed. This isn’t a bad record, it just fails to be thrilling or at times even interesting.

Key Tracks: “Archangel’s Thunderbird” “Howl At The Summit”

 

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250 word album review: The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl

Posted on March 30, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl

Stars4

If you’re reading this you probably know what The Decemberists are all about, they have a well established catalog defining the band which makes an album like this challenging. Once you define yourselves as a band you spend the rest of your days trying to prove that ISN’T you; The Decemberists have found themselves in this phase of their career.

Their last album “What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World” was their most disappointing since their breakthrough “Picaresque.” The record sounded like a K-Tel version of Fleetwood Mac and felt flat. They have done wonders to recover those feelings here though, “I’ll Be Your Girl” incorporates some fresh sounds, just see the heavy duty synth on “Severed.” That song has all the pop sensibilities that make the band great along with the leadoff track “Once In My Life.” Like all Decemberists records it has an incredibly dark tone flowing beneath the surface, the song titles alone on “Sucker’s Prayer” “Everything Is Awful” and “We All Die Young” attest to this. All of those tunes are masked with a not so dark sound though, the same can’t really be said of the lead single “Severed” though. The children sing-along on “We All Die Young” is irresistible and the astoundingly bouncy “Everything Is Awful” is so infectious it’s hard to ignore.

The good news is The Decemberists sound fresh again, the band’s music doesn’t suffer a huge shift but it is just enough to keep you crawling back for repeated listens.

Key Tracks: “Everything Is Awful” “Severed” “Once In My Life”

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250 word album review: Middle Western – When Your Demons Are Under Ground and You’ve Got To Dig Them Up

Posted on March 27, 2018 by VocalsOnTop

Middle Western - When Your Demons Are Under Ground and You've Got To Dig Them Up

Stars4.5

Middle Western is a lesser known band from the Iowa area featuring banjo wielding badass William Elliott Whitmore and key tickler David Zollo as the two headed monster singing songs. The two established singer/songwriters split the duty here with 4 songs each.

Don’t let these facts lead you to believe that this sounds like a split EP or album though. Make no mistake about it that this is a band effort and sounds as such. For both writers the group provides a little different presentation for their songwriting which makes it unique for fans of each artist. Whitmore keeps to his standard topics on songs like “Help Me” and “Put Your Hands Where I Can See.” The latter being a slower burning tune that will make you grateful he has a full band backing instead of his standard more stripped down style. On Zollo’s “Off The Rails” you’ll hear a hard driving 70s style groove filled with raunchy guitar. Zollo scowls into the mic “Just because you’re young, don’t mean you’re innocent” dialing up the intensity of the rocker making it one of the best songs on the album. On the far more relaxed “These Pills” you’ll find Zollo sounding like he was displaced from The Band in their heyday as the keyboards guide the song. More vintage Whitmore follows with a rumbling “Creature of Habit” and a drawn out reflective, piano driven “Byron Leftwich” eclipses 8 minutes of Dylan like lyricism for Zollo closing out the album.

The album is a fun listen, sometimes you can hear the mood of the recording sessions in the music and Middle Western’s debut album is definitely one of them and is without a doubt worth seeking out.

Key tracks: “Put Your Hands Where I Can See” “Off The Rails” “Help Me”

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