AltWeeklies Wire
Katlyn Conroy and Matt Pryor write made-to-order love songs for Valentine's Daynew
Flowers die. Lingerie fades. But songs — songs last forever...
Kansas City's Hip-hop Wants a Piece of Hot 103new
Jaz Brewer has engineered albums for some of the biggest names in Kansas City rap. Some songs that Brewer has produced have made it to the city's only commercial hip-hop station. The vast majority, however, have not, and it's not because they aren't up-to-par productionwise.
Mumiy Troll, One of Russia's Biggest Bands, Looks to Make Comrades in the U.S.A.new
Earlier this year, the group released its latest Russian-language work, Comrade Ambassador, via American distributive channels. Mumiy plans to release an English album before long; in the meantime, the band hopes to win over a new audience with its U.S. shows.
The Pitch |
Ben Westhoff |
10-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Eric 'Mean' Melin is a Real Musician, but it's Air Guitar That Might Make Him a Starnew
"Mean Melin. Mean Melin. Mean Melin," the crowd chants. They're cheering for a guy who just pretended to play guitar -- and rocked their fucking faces off. Mean Melin throws up the devil horns. He's going to the U.S. Air Guitar Championships in Washington, D.C.
So Many Dynamos Fight Complacency and Boring Music With 'The Loud Wars'new
The band is frequently compared with postpunk acts such as the Dismemberment Plan and Q and Not U, but the Dynamos' music is much more nuanced.
The Pitch |
Annie Zaleski |
07-14-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Loud Wars, So Many Dynamos
The Architects Prepare to Work Their Fourth Release All Summer on Warped Tournew
If ever an album title summed up the makers, it's the Architects' fourth record, The Hard Way.
The Pitch |
Peter Rugg |
06-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mac Lethal Prepares to Go Straight for the Heartnew
The funny, emotional, shit-talkin' white-boy rapper who's admired almost as much as he's despised has been making a living off his music in a way that runs against music-industry wisdom, which, given the state of the industry, is exactly why he's successful.
The Pitch |
Jason Harper |
06-16-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Newcomer Has 20/20 Vision When It Comes to KC Hip-Hopnew
By far the most invigorating shot in the arm for KC hip-hop comes from the surge of just-turned-21 talent. The little guy with funny specs, Greg Enemy is getting some recognition.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
04-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Life and Times Hits the Road with a Joyful New Albumnew
The band proves that three dudes from the Midwest who grew up on Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin can produce music that, while not as commercially successful as their idols', is no less transcendent.
The Pitch |
Jason Harper |
04-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Abigail Henderson Fights Cancer and Rallies Musicians for Health Carenew
Stage III inflammatory breast cancer, to put it bluntly, fucks shit up. But as far as Henderson and her friends are concerned, it is not going to stop the rock.
Think You've Seen it All? Wait 'Till You've Seen Kansas City's The Klangsnew
The sound of guitars, bass, drums and keyboards would be enough for most bands to get their point across. New KC outfit the Klangs does a little more to help the audience visualize the scenes in its songs about robots and alien wars.
D-Locc da Chop Envisions Taking Over the Kansas City Hip-hop Crownnew
The core acts from local R&B and rap label and promotions company Van Brunt Entertainment — Cash Image, D-Locc da Chop and D-Locc's little brother, Slopp da Gambla — grew up around Van Brunt Boulevard and 20th Street on Kansas City's east side.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
09-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
How the Quest for a Waylon Jennings T-shirt Ended with Owning the Legend's Tour Busnew
Fred Wickham has two types of friends: the ones who thought he was crazy around this time last year — and the ones who thought what he did was the coolest thing ever.
Stik Figa Aims to Make Hip-hop Fun Againnew
John Westbrook Jr., a 25-year-old rapper known as Stik Figa, recently totaled his car. He's unemployed. And yet, he's happy.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
08-26-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Hip-hop Newcomer D/Will Gets Cerebral on Two New Releasesnew
He approaches music with the kind of devout seriousness usually reserved for, say, a theologian contemplating transubstantiation. The dude is emphatically not messing around.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
07-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
