Marian Hill live at the Midland, 12/15/16
Marian Hill showcased their jazz-laced indie grooves in their recent set at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. Check out this soulful version of their hit song “One Time” that I recorded live on 12/15/16.
Local Natives at the Midland, 12/17/16
California-based indie band Local Natives recently smashed the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland with their final set of 2016. Their album, Sunlit Youth, is my favorite album of 2016. Check out these live videos I shot of “Airplanes,” “Wide Eyes” and one of my favorite songs of the year “Fountain of Youth.”
Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type at CrossroadsKC at Grinders
2016 featured a ton of quality tunes. Here is a rundown of my favorite tracks of the year:
Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type “White Girls”
“White Girls” is my favorite song of 2016. The self-effacing nature of the lyrics are counterbalanced by an upbeat, surf rock melody.
Marian Hill “I Want You”
Jazz-laced indie grooves and soulful vocals from electronic pop duo Marian Hill.
Local Natives “Fountain of Youth”
Local Natives put out my favorite album of the year, Sunlit Youth. Love the pulse and drum work in this song. Excellent indie rock vibes.
Laura Gibson “Two Kids”
A sweet love song from underrated singer-songwriter Laura Gibson.
The Hunna “You and Me”
Uptempo indie-pop from England’s the Hunna. They bring the energy here for sure.
Sylvan Esso “Radio”
Catchy grooves and passionate vocals made this one of the biggest songs of the year. They also put on one of the strongest sets I saw this summer.
Eleanor Friedberger “Open Season”
Quality vocals and guitar work from past interview subject Eleanor Friedberger. I love the vibe of this track.
The Naked and Famous “Higher”
Big, poppy sounds from the Naked and Famous. The band really goes epic on this song.
Warpaint “New Song”
A poppy tune from past interview subjects Warpaint. This song finally got them on mainstream radio. It’s great to see a band this trippy and great getting more recognition.
Bear Hands “Boss”
Past interview subjects Bear Hands indie rock smash it here. “If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean” are some of my favorite lyrics I’ve heard in a long time.
Bishop Briggs “River”
Really soulful vocals from Bishop Briggs. This song was overplayed a lot this year, but it’s still excellent.
Phantogram “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”
The emotive vocals and pulsing grooves make “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” one of the biggest tracks of the year. Three is an excellent album.
K.Flay “Blood in the Cut”
Nice grooves and intense delivery from K.Flay. She also put on one of the most hard-hitting shows in KC this year. Her set was a perfect blend of hip hop and indie rock.
Whitney “No Woman”
I love the growing sprawl of this tune and the horn work really pushes the song in unexpected directions.
Maggie Rogers “Dog Years”
Maggie Rogers showcases her glorious voice on “Dog Years.”
Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type live at the RecordBar, 12/10/16
Kansas City-based band Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type recently rocked their set at the Noise FM‘s Noise For Toys benefit for Toys for Tots at the RecordBar. Check out this live version I shot of new track “Wait For It.”
Moody J (Photo via Calvin Hoeun https://www.facebook.com/KCSHOOTER/)
I wanted to launch a series of mini mixes and Moody J (aka Josh Coleman) was the clear first choice. He put on one of the best DJ sets I saw this summer. Moody J’s track selection, fusion of different styles of dance music and mixing are top quality. He is a member of the Kansas City-based collective Underground Frequencies. It’s a great honor to present Moody J’s “Beast It” mini mix.
Fixed On You – Hotel Garuda (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Mercury – Jack Beats
Open Your Mind – Volac
Codeine Dreams – BIJOU
Fire – Cazztek & Asdek
Joe Dirty – Worthy
Finesse – Dillon Nathaniel & Toasty Ray
The Fray at the Kansas City Live Block, 12/2/16
The Fray recently played a smooth set of tunes at the Kansas City Live Block. Check out the live video I shot of their classic song “How to Save a Life.”
Walker Lukens at the Riot Room, 11/30/16
Walker Lukens recently hit KC for a show presented by X1051 at the Riot Room. I sat down with Walker to discuss how he became interested in music, his approach to songwriting and the creation of “Lifted.”
McClain and Walker Lukens
Walker Lukens at the Riot Room, 11/30/16
Walker Lukens and the Side Arms recently delivered a funky and soulful set of indie rock at the Riot Room for a neXtNOW show presented by X1051. Check out the live videos I shot of “Lifted” and “Never Understood.”
The Greeting Committee at Normal Human Pop-Up, 11/26/16
The Greeting Committee recently performed an acoustic set at a pop-up shop for Normal Human. The Kansas City-based band are past interview subjects of mine and one of my favorite bands. The set featured the first acoustic version of “By Your Side” in two years. Check out these acoustic versions of “By Your Side” “I Don’t Mind” and “Hands Down.”
Mike Doughty live at Mills Record Company, 11/25/16
Mike Doughty recently stopped by Mills Record Company to play a solo, electric set. Check out the videos I shot of the Soul Coughing classics “Circles” and “Lazy Bones.”
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