by Aubrey Hanson | Aug 14, 2018 | albums, review
Being that it’s summer time, we’re all very busy, but smart and talented Shonali Bhowmik takes busy to the next level! Not only did she attend law school throughout her career, but Bhowmik also leads a life of acting, and performing with her band Tigers & Monkeys. Tigers & Monkeys create a blend of indie rock music that matches perfectly with the alternative style vocals with a hint of some southern charm in there to take it bake to Bhowmik’s childhood roots. Tigers & Monkeys are expected to release their new album Saturday Destroyer on September 17, which you will want to keep an eye out for, because the best is yet to come! As a teaser, the band recently released their new single “In An Instant” which combines everything that you would want to hear coming from a new album.
In order to get ready for their new album release, stay up to date with Tigers & Monkeys on Facebook and by listening to all of their previous music!
by Karina Marquez | Aug 10, 2018 | albums, review
Canadian artist Taylor Janzen gets as real as she can get with her new EP. Interpersonal is thoughtful and smart, as if written by a seasoned professional; at only 19-years-old, she has an acute sense of empathy and self-awareness that makes this EP incredibly special. Her vocals are heartbreakingly beautiful, drawing strong comparisons to Paramore’s Hayley Williams. But that’s as far as the comparisons go – in every way, Janzen is entirely her own artist.
As you listen, each song bares a bit more of Janzen’s soul. Her honesty makes her relatable, which is the epitome of why we love sad songs. “Stations” delves into the reality of emotional abuse in a relationship. “The Waiting Room” is a standout track due to its raw and honest discussion of her struggles with mental health through the imagery of a waiting room. The lyrics show how, sometimes, the mental health system can be challenging and lonely. Janzen sings with pain in her voice, lamenting about her experience: “Spitting out my demons to someone I just met … the only one who listens is the person I pay.” “Colourblind” and “Better Now” round out the EP, leaving you with that feeling – not sadness, not anger, not happiness. The best way to describe Janzen’s music is hopeful. She delves deep into heartbreak and depression, but her voice assures us that not all is lost. In fact, these are the kind of sad songs that you want to listen over and over again, even if it makes you want to sob into a glass of red wine.
Keep up with Taylor Janzen here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 9, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On August 3rd, Israel Nash regaled a sunset soaked audience as the opening act for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at CrossroadsKC. We got more than a handful of photos to give you a glimpse into the beauty.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 9, 2018 | albums, review
With attention to minute detail given by its creators, enticing track “Run Wild” was the perfect lead-in to the brand new 6 track EP, Run Wild. Thutmose – a Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based hip hop artist – and NoMBe – the German-born, Los Angeles-based musical project by Noah McBeth – had already proven they could create luscious soundscapes, paired with lyrics that are descriptive and feel-good in nature.
The rest of the EP is no different, as you can witness below. At times, the duo slows it down to a amore mellow pace – as with tracks “Young & Reckless”, “Soft Top”, and “Summer’s Gone” -, highlighting the soulful aspects of their musical talents. And though we tend to glean positive vibes from the majority of the release, songs like “Summer’s Gone” – despite its hopeful, beautiful message of love – leave a melancholic feeling deep in your bones, foreshadowing that end of warmer months in the northern hemisphere in the coming months.
If you’re ready to be enveloped in a sound that is a buttery smooth version of Drake-meets-Kid Cudi-meets Shop Boyz, Run Wild is calling for you to fall in mutual love.
Keep up with Thutmose here and NoMBe here.
by Ashleigh Lee | Aug 7, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On July 30th, Denver-based rock collective In The Whale played to an excited crowd at Riot Room in Kansas City, MO. Photographer Ashleigh Lee was on hand to capture the energy for us.
Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 7, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
On July 20th, Hall & Oates graced the stage at Kansas City’s premiere concert venue, Sprint Center. Opening the night with a performance from Train, the duo performed some of their most exhilarating tracks from every era of music they’ve created in, and then some. In fact, Pat Monahan came out on stage after both bands had performed their entire sets to regale the audience with renditions of “Philly, Forget Me Not”, “Wait For Me”, and “Calling All Angels”. It was a show we’re not soon to forget, and we hope to catch them on their next stop through town (every time they come, until they stop performing).
