DEMENCHA » electronic music

The 54th Grammy Awards Set To Showcase EDM Segment [02.12.12 on CBS]

Chris Mills — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:48:27 +0000

The 54th annual Grammy Awards coming up this Sunday, to be hosted by LL Cool J, will now include a special electronica/dance segment performance featuring Lil’ Wayne, Deadmau5, Foo Fighters, David Guetta, and Chris Brown. I’m not necessarily sure what Weezy, Breezy and the Foo Fighters have to do with “electronica”, but this year’s Grammy’s should be quite interesting if you’re into that “techno bullshit”. ?uestlove (of The Roots) is also reported to be presenting an award, just an FYI. The Grammy’s will air on CBS this upcoming Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Red Bull asks, “Who’s The Best Party Rocker in KC”? UPDATED

Chris Mills — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:58:51 +0000

~~I’m not sure what this Red Bull Thre3Style business is pertaining to because the “about” section of their website is rather outdated, but~~ this event boasts practically an All-Star lineup consisting of some of our area’s tightest DJs, with recent BET Master of the Mix winner, MO’s own D.J.P. as the headliner. This will be a hell of a show. Area DJs getting into this thing are Bobby Keys, Brent Tactic, Magnum, CEO, SKU, B-Stee, Who and JT Quick. Even though SKU doesn’t live in KC anymore, I’d say he’s probably the favorite. The event is hosted by Shawn Edwards of Fox 4 News with judges from Doomtree’s management team, u:move, and DJ P himself. Each DJ will have 15 minutes to wow the judges and prompt asses to shaking. And apparently, they’re required to include at least three different genres of music in their set. The winner of the KC leg will then go on to test the best from around the country who’ve made it equally as far in Orlando, then Chicago for the Red Bull Thre3style world championship of sorts.

D/L: The Floozies – “At Dusk We Launch” [New Album]

Chris Mills — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:34:58 +0000

The free holiday party that The Floozies headlined at the Beaumont Club in Westport alongside EZ Brothers just a couple of weeks ago was the best band show I’ve been to in quite a while. I don’t know if Matt Hill is getting better at guitar, or if he’s just playing more difficult routines, but he and his brother Mark on drums absolutely killed it. Without hinting any disrespect to their recorded works, I think their live shows are ridiculously more enjoyable. That’s not to say that this latest album from The Floozies duo (released today) isn’t a fun listen just as the rest of their stuff is. But it is a testament to their improvisation skills, being able to adjust their own recorded songs based on how a crowd is reacting.

The Floozies – At Dusk We Launch [New Album]
DOWNLOAD HERE.

KC-Based Beats/Electronic [2011 Music Picks]

Chris Mills — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:26:59 +0000

With more artists in KC doing experimental, beat music derivatives this year, I thought this separate chart would only be right. I don’t think I had near as many favorite local beats to refer to when the Demencha writers put together their 2010 music picks last year. But in 2011, some said that electronic music exploded with more bang than in any other 365-day span, and somehow I imagine Skrillex being some kind of poster boy for this resurgence. Seems to me like music is easier to create nowadays and all these kids in their 20s who’ve been messing around with earlier versions of Fruity Loops in their bedrooms for the past five years are finally getting the hang of it and cranking out some real jams. I also think that dubstep’s BPM tempo (particularly arriving in Verizon commercials while the Dirty South still reigns in rap) has helped its crossover appeal in the United States much more than any style of electronic music has seen in years.

I did forewarn a lot of people that dubstep was about to see a big backlash in 2011, and it proved to be true. Am I happy to see Matty G at the Midland here in in a few weeks? Yes. Do I like the vast majority of dubstep tracks and mixes I listened to this year? No. I intentionally refrained from downloading or seeking out much dubstep this year, and seemingly every time someone referred me to something “so sick”, I couldn’t help but cringe after the drop.

For this local beats/electronic chart I’ve come up with to round out 2011, I’ve included 10 really slick compositions and official releases. The Excision, Datsik and whatever else that I’m still not sure how to dance to was left at home in my external, though. Beyond that, these were my favorite beats out of our area this year. Thank you for reading and listening on Demencha.com…

10. Leonard DStroy – “Sunnshine”
Sunnshine by Leonard Dstroy

This was my personal favorite from Lenny’s Inner Exit EP, which came out earlier this year. But with a brand new album out on Elm & Oak today, 2012 looks to be shaping up quite nicely for Lenny. “Sunnshine” sees him incorporating some jazzy horns and KRS-One’s “Woop, woop!” vocals which he’s using as a kind of territorial track marker on much of his recent work and live sets since crossing over from the local underground hip hop base, and breaking new ground for himself amongst an audience of glowstickers.

9. FreeKing – “Unreal” (DJ Mix)
FreeKing-Unreal by FreeKing

HAM. This mix plays out like a workout tape that FreeKing (FKA Rob Lee) made for a friend in need of a cardio soundtrack. Not only that, but this guy absolutely reigned at one of the Kansas City Techno parties at The Union in Westport over the summer. This brand of unrelenting techno is exactly what I needed for a lot of my long drives and work day motivation.

8. Archi & B-Stee – “Can’t Stop”
Archi & B-Stee – Can’t Stop by Think 2wice

Locals DJ Archi and DJ B-Stee cooked up a really cool moombahton flip of After 7’s “Can’t Stop”, hanging on to the chorus for the most part. While I decided that I did in fact like moombahton this year, I’m still not sure if this music is going to stick around very long. I still think moombahton is best appreciated when it’s played in a club and girls are getting down to it. In those instances, it can be pretty electric. But aside from David Heartbreak’s “moombahsoul” derivative, you might not be able to get into moombahton by just listening to it in your headphones at home. Archi and B-Stee have great anticipation for what can work on a dance floor. Trust in these two to stay on top of burgeoning club sounds in 2012.

7. Moodymatic – “Ampex Frequency” EP
Ampex Frequency EP by MOODYMATIC

The super-weird beat music movement gained even more steam in 2011 and showed everyone that current bass music doesn’t have to clock in at exactly 70 BPM and be completely ridiculous. I munched on these crunchy, glitched-out beats from North KC-based, Bmoody, and Midtown-marinating, Dan Matic, for a good part of 2011 and almost broke a tooth in the process. The whole Footclan are constantly making beats and putting them up for free download.

6. Sinjin Hawke & Morri$ – “One Kiss”

Barcelona-based dream beat weaver, Sinjin Hawke and Lawrencian, Morri$, came together on this “One Kiss” track just a few weeks ago. I’ve really been feeling this rush of melodic bass music that became more blogged about in 2011. A lot of the Team Bear Club sound (Morri$’ crew) comes out in this really shiny, fun take on trap-styled beats. After interviewing Morri$ at his crib in LK just about two weeks ago (check back for our Artist of the Month Feature in mid-January), it sounds like this guy could start making some rather massive moves soon.

5. Topp Boom – “Planet L.O.V.E.”
Topp Boom (aka Luke Rocha) – “Planet L.O.V.E.” by DEMENCHA MAGAZINE

Our Featured Artist of the Month for December, Luke Rocha aka Topp Boom, is still on that analog tip, but that doesn’t mean this track (and a lot of the music on the Symbol Heavy crew site) isn’t fantastic. Depending on how you look at it, the dustiness of the sample-based, “Planet L.O.V.E.”, may even enhance its beauty. With very little use of modern computer programs and technology, Topp Boom really turned out a gem here. But you will need to turn it up.

4. Motorboater – “Lessons”

This joint came out on Motorboater’s 2011 album, Sport, through the local indie champs at The Record Machine. I’m still not exactly sure how this guy performs when he plays out, but “Lessons” really hit the spot.

3. Miles Bonny – “We” [DRplus2 Remix]
We [DRplus2 REMIX] by Miles Bonny

DRplus2 (FKA Dr+) churned out an amazing beat disc over the summer. Oddly enough, I can’t remember if this track is on it or not, but that doesn’t matter because you can grab all of the official “We” remixes on Miles Bonny’s bandcamp page (including flips from Tactic and Chrissy Murderbot). But DR’s beat disc was never released online. If you don’t have one, and can enjoy any kind of hard, glitchy beats, you might want to hit him up. DRplus2 remains one of the most brilliant young producers out, and his remix of Miles’ “We” was one of my favorite local tracks of 2011.

2. Ghost – “Autoscopy” (beat album)
Fallen by Ghost_816

Citing Dr. Dre, 9th Wonder and Oscar Peterson as some of his main influences in an interview with us earlier this year, the classically-trained, 21-year old hip hop producer known simply as Ghost flew under the radar of a lot of local hip hop heads this year. But I fully expect business to start picking up for him a lot more in 2012. There’s not necessarily much pop potential in his beats yet, they’re just really solid hip hop jams intended for really solid rappers. But until Ghost starts serving more beats out to vocalists, I’ll hope and pray that none of them fuck anything up because these tracks stand out on their own already.

1. Nezbeat – “Children of the Ghetto”
Children of the Ghetto by Good Hair (Nezbeat & Joe Good)

One half of Lawrence hip hop duo, Archetype, and wonderful beat-maker, Nezbeat, really outdid himself here. I distinctly remember my jaw dropping at my desk as I got to the 1:45 mark shortly after getting his Good Hair project (a lost album of sorts, featuring former KC rapper, Joe Good) this year. Nez leaves plenty of room for his own singing throughout the melody-drenched airiness and bent-up bass. Deep and inspiring, “Children of the Ghetto” is one of the most rewarding tracks I’ve heard out of KC/Lawrence (and beyond) all year.

The Malone Rainja’s 2011 Music Picks

Sean Malone — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:39:20 +0000

10. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

I almost left this one off, but I felt like I would be remiss not to include an indie album that has received praise and attention from so many varying corners of pop culture. Singer/songwriter Justin Vernon’s home state of Wisconsin declared not one but two separate Bon Iver days (in Milwaukee and Eau Claire respectively) in honor of the band and the album’s increasing visibility. Vernon also appeared on several Kanye West tracks, worked with several side projects (Volcano Choir and Gayngs namely) and was interviewed and performed on the Colbert Report. Yes, it’s been a whirlwind couple of years since Vernon went to a cabin in the Wisconsin woods and created his own version of Walden. His sophomore release under the moniker Bon Iver is the antithesis to 2008’s For Emma, Forever Ago in nearly every way imaginable. This self titled album is packed with everything Vernon could dream up putting on a single record: horn sections, a large backing band, two drummers (at times), violin, drum machines, a strange relation to geographic locations (both real and imagined), and an organ sound straight out of a Bruce Hornsby song. It’s not quite the mess it appears to be on paper, but once everything is mixed in with Vernon’s striking and sometimes grating falsetto delivery you might be left at a loss to make sense of it all. Make no doubt about it, this is an important album and its got the mainstream (not to mention the Grammy Awards) sniffing around anyone who appears earnest enough to sport ratty clothes, a beard and an acoustic guitar. The more I listened to this album, the harder I found it to comprehend. This is an album that is both challenging and frustrating, but the two need not be mutually exclusive.

9. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
The War On Drugs – Brothers by user3659716

The War on Drugs’ sound is traditional only in that it simultaneously hints at a number of seminal artists. Within the folds of a Slave Ambient track you might hear traces of Dylan or Springsteen even as the dense and droning song melodies most often owe more to post-punk than they do to any sense of Americana. Singer/songwriter Adam Granduciel finds himself without former partner Kurt Vile (who left the group amicably to pursue his solo career, see #5) on this release and it brings a focus and continuity to the album that the band’s two previous releases lacked at times. Granduciel’s vocals most often recall Bob Dylan or Lou Reed (and are sometimes strikingly similar to Vile’s), but are much more restrained and melancholic than either artist ever has been. I’ll confess, I’ve told several people that this is what I always hoped and imagined Arcade Fire would sound like. Both groups exist by way of a marriage of the classical pretensions of folk and popular rock and the more challenging aesthetics of post-punk, but the difference lies in how they create catharsis. Slave Ambient seems to draw its name primarily from its song structures which eschew popular notions of tension and release while somehow still sounding alarmingly vintage. The songs (like the War on Drugs waged by the U.S. government) unfurl without any notion of time, as if they will whirl on forever even as the final and unceremonious ending is in sight.

8. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
Lykke Li – Get Some by LykkeLi

The Swedish pop/indie singer takes a step towards a retro 60s feel with this, her second full length album. While the approach is a refreshing costume change from some of the material on her first album that treaded dangerously close to vapid mainstream pop, pairing the neo-Phil Spector girl-group sound with lyrics and stories about depression and lost youth seems the real genius stroke here. Each song hums with reverb, vintage vibraphone and harpsichord, filled in by the songstress’s thick and nearly baritone vocals. As Lykke Li’s music has matured and become more varied, so have her lyrical takes on love and relationships; songs about relationships without passion or predatorial sex (“I’m your prostitute/You gon get some”) are both tragic and somehow beautiful coming from a young woman in her early twenties. It may or may not be third wave feminism finally asserting its grasp on the gender stereotypes of pop music, but it certainly offers a different perspective from the hegemony espoused by the naïve waif or outright whore of the current American pop paradigm. No, Lykke Li will probably never get played on American Top 40 but that may be a triumph rather than a loss. She has more to say than Lady Gaga ever will and she does so without becoming a postmodern cartoon or a pop caricature that can be packaged and worshiped by gay men. Real female artists take heed.

7. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
The Weeknd – High For This by The_Weeknd

With three mixtapes in 2011, Toronto’s The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) burst onto both the indie rock and hip-hop blogosphere. House of Balloons was by far the most accomplished of the releases and was available as a free download through the band’s website. The album/mixtape pays homage to mainstream r&b at the turn of the century (with some overtones of Drake), but turns the corner in its eccentric approach, presentation and song variety. While other artists in the genre are content with covering love, sex and drugs in a matter of fact manner, the Weeknd does so in a much more visceral and occasionally disturbing way backed by tracks that hint at techno and electronica. Tesfaye’s tales of drug abuse are intertwined with sex so much so that it seems necessary to be high to even exist in this world; drugs are not fun, they are necessary to escape and experience something real. Running through each track is a dark undercurrent that is emphasized by the drony and nearly ambient production . House of Balloons is full of r&b balladry ripe for Radiohead fans; if you can imagine Aphex Twin working with R. Kelly and the Neptunes, then you have a point of reference for the Weeknd.

6. Destroyer – Kaputt

Dan Bejar (also of the New Pornographers) is known simply as Destroyer in his solo incarnation. Kaputt (his tenth full length release under the moniker) is his most accomplished and focused album yet. Although you’re not likely to hear it while you’re out anywhere in this universe, this is most certainly lounge music for people on ecstasy. Imagine if the cantina scene from Star Wars was set in the 80s and included music written by David Bowie and New Order (in its more subdued moments). Behar’s somewhat comical and sleazy Destroyer persona takes us in and out of a world where you can still have a slight lisp that adds more to your perspective than it detracts (“I’ve sthumbed sthrough the books on your shelves”). At times Destoyer sounds like a creepy and perverted lounge act with a penchant for Beck-style whole album takes on different genres. The difference here is that as much as we all loved Midnite Vultures, we knew Beck was smirking throughout the entire thing. Bejar, however, believes wholeheartedly in what he does; the only irony to find here is in the eye of the beholder (or the ear, as it were). Gone is much of the more traditional guitar-based work from earlier Destroyer releases, instead replaced with an airy, reverb-heavy electronic smooth jazz that is fitting with the lyrical tales Bejar spins about chasing girls and cocaine, going to the opera and writing poetry. There’s something tragic and yet enchanting about this sound and the entire song cycle; Bejar reimagines common themes of desire and loss inside a world where everything is over-sensualized and elevated. As listeners we can’t help but follow along mystified. Is it all tongue in cheek? That’s a secret Bejar will never tell.

5. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
Kurt Vile & The Violators – On Tour (Live) by The 405

Singer-songwriter (and sometimes member of The War on Drugs, see #9) Kurt Vile has an affected and monotone drawl that is reminiscent of Dylan, Lou Reed and Springsteen all at once (appropriately, he is from the valley of “The Boss” outside of Philadelphia). His fourth full length release and second for Matador Records shows him fine-tuning his lyrics and his mostly downbeat but ethereal folk-inspired numbers. Tracks like “Baby’s Arms” and “Puppet to the Man” are classic rock reinvisioned by a literate burnout and nihilistic hippie. Vile’s mish-mash of influences is equally as entertaining as his mostly half-hearted and ironic self-derision (“I bet by now/ You probably think I’m a puppet/To the man/Well, I’ll tell you right now/You best believe that I am”). Throughout Smoke Rings For My Halo, he takes aim at religion (“Jesus Fever”), society (“Society is My Friend”) and the music business itself (“On Tour”), but Vile typically ends up back where he started, staring at his disheveled face in the mirror. It’s only appropriate for someone who appears to feel as trapped by the ennui of his own mind as much as he is by the contradictions of the outside world.

4. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Girls – Vomit by artsandcraftsmx

The second full length release from Chris Owens and his band Girls is a genre bending work that expands the group’s sonic output without sacrificing Owens’ impish persona in the process. Father, Son, Holy Ghost sounds like most of what was good about alternative rock in the 90s (a simultaneous attention to melody and attitude) and some of what was good about classic rock in the 70s (a commonality and appeal to the average person) put together in a Magic Bullet™ and poured out to the delight of young and old alike. To call the album nostalgic really misses the point of what Girls do so well; they make music that is immediately accessible and largely familiar without being obviously derivative. This starts out as more of an electric album than either their debut (simply titled Album) or last year’s EP Broken Dreams Club which left some (myself included) wondering whether Owens had maxed out his navel-gazing abilities. His lyrics are specific and somehow vague at the same time, which alludes to the larger referential qualities of the music itself. On “Alex,” Owens mumbles about a girl with some plain qualities over a Dinosaur Jr./Lemonheads style mid-tempo romp (“Alex has blue eyes…a boyfriend…a band…black hair”) that lead the singer to feel both ambivalent and somehow compelled. In this and most of his songs, Owens is the epitome of a laconic storyteller; he tells you just enough to keep you interested but leaves you questioning both your conception of him and the focus of his gaze.

3. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

This young woman’s output over the past three years is really unprecedented. The title “precocious” no longer applies to someone in their early 20s, but Laura Marling still manages to astound regardless of her age (she was only 16 when a member of the British folk group Noah and the Whale and had just turned 18 when her first album, Alas I Cannot Swim, was released in Britain). Her second album in as many years, A Creature I Don’t Know represents less of a watershed moment than 2010’s maturity-affirming I Speak Because I Can, but succeeds on its own laurels for particularly that reason. Where I Speak… felt like someone discovering their gifts in-full, A Creature I Don’t Know sounds like the singer-songwriter coming into full possession of them. “Sophia” is arguably the most moving and dynamic song she’s ever written; and the rest of the album hints at a variety and confidence that Marling previously struggled with. Fresh out of her work with the members of Mumford and Sons (not to mention out of her relationship with Billy Mumford himself), Laura sounds like a woman finally comfortable with her abilities even as she struggles to make sense of her relationships and day-to-day life.

2. Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch The Throne
Who Gon Stop Me by fifthorder

Calling this album a monstrosity of zealous hedonism is really an understatement. When you have two of the biggest names in hip-hop double-billed on one release, you should expect nothing less. What’s a surprise, however, is how well putting Jigga and Yeezy together for an entire album works. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this was an equal effort from both stars; at the outset it’s clear this is a Kanye created album that employs Jay Z in somewhat of a starring role. At one point, Kanye confesses during “Made in America” that, “Niggas hustle every day for a beat from Ye/What I do? Turn around gave them beats to Jay/And I’m rapping on the beat they was supposed to buy/I guess I’m getting high off my own supply.” After the critical triumph that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was, Kanye found himself with the need to do something more commercial without sacrificing the positive reviews and reputation he’d gained from the more serious end of the music world. Watch the Throne fits that bill perfectly and allows Kanye’s occasionally distracting and annoying self-obsession and paranoia to take a back seat to Hova’s swagger. A couple tracks pass before Jay really lets loose, but by the close of “Niggas in Paris” he has redeemed himself for each insipid sequel to The Blueprint we’ve had to wade through over the past ten years. In every sense of the word this is a triumph and a return to form for Jay-Z. Where most of his work since The Black Album has leaned towards being overly commercial, repetitive (how many times can we hear about a middle-aged media mogul selling crack in his street days?) and even boring, Watch the Throne sounds as if it has instantly reinvigorated the over-the-hill rapper. West’s brilliant and on-point production take center-stage here more than anything, but Shawn Carter is no fool. He knows that great beats will win over more people and give him more street-cred than riffing back and forth about dealing crack for the umpteenth time ever could.

1. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

To fully appreciate how great this album is, you might need a refresher on Annie Clark’s (AKA St. Vincent’s) career up to this point in 2011, which marks her third full length album release. Her debut, Marry Me, was a tuneful but somewhat stereotypical female-indie synth-pop album in which Clark sounded slightly naïve and doe-eyed; 2009’s Actor was a bit more atonal and expansive but sacrificed some of the melodic qualities of her earlier work in favor of more progressive structures. That brings us to this year’s Strange Mercy which is nearly a perfect marriage of both. Gone are the stylistic experiments and pretension of her earlier releases, replaced instead by an overwhelming cohesiveness that compliments her advanced songwriting skills and highlights her classically trained talents (she attended Berklee School of Music in Boston), including her guitar shredding abilities. The listener might be tricked into believing a majority of the sounds on the album are synth based, while in reality much of it is Clark’s guitar run through any number of effects pedals/processors. The first single, “Surgeon” (lyrically, at least in part an homage to Marilyn Monroe) is groovy, downcast and progressive all in the span of less than five minutes. If that sounds chaotic, it’s because it is and it serves as a microcosm for the album. Clark crams in more depth and tension into these songs than she ever has before but it works because so much of it is focused around melody (“Cruel” alone has nearly five differing counter melodies that weave in and out of each other). And there you find the beauty of this music, on first listen it sounds chaotic and exhilarating but after awhile you realize it’s all very tightly structured and meticulous in production and songwriting; that’s one of the definitions of great music in any genre. And that makes for an amazing album any year.

“WANTED: Hip Hop, Dead or Alive” tees available at Riot Room for Black Friday

Chris Mills — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:33:50 +0000

Be sure to swing through Riot Room on Friday night for what should be the most fun Black Friday music event in Westport, presented kindly by Demencha Magazine. Depending on how early you arrive, you’ll be able to snag one of these shirts. There weren’t many of them printed to begin with. But in case of some kind of drastic change of plans making you unable to attend, hit me up at chris@demencha.com so we can get you a tee. Shout out to Screen Tee Gallery in Westport for the printing, and Lucid for executing the graphic.

p.s. There will be “IT’S BIGGER THAN THE BLOKC” stickers available at the merch table as well…and yes, I did spell “BLOKC” right.

The Gusto Lounge has found a new home in Westport [Grand Opening This Weekend?]

Chris Mills — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:19:28 +0000

The Westport venue formerly known as Hell Bar, formerly known as Karma, formerly known as Johnny Dare’s club, formerly known as Sanford’s (feel free to add on), will be seeing an official re-opening under the Gusto Lounge guise, possibly this weekend. The old Gusto was located at 38th & Broadway in Midtown and functioned for roughly 20% of a decade, until it was shut down a couple of months ago. The grand re-opening at 504 Westport Road was supposed to have occurred tonight, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, you might have to wait a bit longer until you can get your Schlitz on. I personally loved the location of the old Gusto and its Top Shelf dance space on the second floor, and that Midtown feel that the old Gusto presented without quite as many Westport d-bags (just sayin’) venturing North on Broadway. Bottom line? Westport just got some added kick to its nightlife scene.

2 Reasons Why You Should Roll Out To Lawrence Tonight

Chris Mills — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:27:13 +0000

Okay, so tonight probably won’t be quite as wild as when this featured image was taken after the Jayhawks won the NCAA tournament in 2008, but here’s a couple of flyers that we’d like to use as encouragement for KC heads to roll out to LK tonight. This time of year, Lawrence can be a lot of fun, accredited to KU’s campus and it’s students who are always ready and willing to get buck, specifically on the weekends. Tonight, we can think of at least two band/dance events cracking off on or near Mass Street. The first one being Vibesquad, a one man electronica band who’s been to Lawrence quite a few times over the past few years (he must be doing something right) at the Granada on Mass. Former Demencha cover band, The Floozies, will be opening at that one. Also, over at 8th Street Taproom the Team Bear Club clan are throwing an event that should unfold in a rather rambunctious fit of $wag. Leggo.

Demencha Magazines Now Archived At The Kansas City Public Library [14 W. 10th Street, Downtown KCMO]

Chris Mills — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:38:56 +0000

A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from someone at the Kansas City Public Library downtown. This is what it read:

“Hello! My name is Stephanie and I work at the KC public library. I was wondering if you had an extra copies of Demencha magazine that could be donated to the local history department? This magazine is valuable because it shows a specific aspect of KC history — local DJs and underground dance music. We own the Winter/Spring 09 issue. Are there other issues that you would be able to donate to our special collections? Thanks for the consideration!”

As the son of a librarian, I couldn’t hide my delight. The following week, I took one copy of each issue we released from July 2008 to December 2010 to her at the library downtown. She showed me an old art zine created in KC called the Westport Trucker, from the 1800s, which was really neat, and said that the Demenchas would be archived along with it in the “zine” category of their vault.

I signed off on a gift form basically giving the Demenchas to the library. Then I asked how long the copies would be available once archived.

“Indefinitely,” she said. Stephanie also noted that no one would be allowed to check out the archived zines and take them home. They would have to read them in the library.

I know a lot of people latched on to the print version of Demencha, but for someone to hit me up out of the blue and essentially ask if they could host back issues at their library for eternity (barring hell, high water or tornado), was probably the most rewarding accomplishment that other Demencha writers and I have felt for quite a while.

Fast-forward to about about two weeks ago. I received another e-mail from Stephanie informing that the nine back issues were finally archived, which appeared to be a rather lengthy process. Just yesterday, I went back to the library, gave Stephanie my ID at the desk for her to hold until I was done looking at the magazines, and she came back from the vault with three boxes full of old Road Kills, Demenchas and other zines created by Kansas Citians over the years.

I’m not super religious or anything of the sort, but the word “blessing” has been returning to my mind while trying to think of how to express my thoughts on the mags being archived, as I write out this mere blog post right now. There’s still a ton of work to do, and we are making a concerted effort to get back into print. That’s all I can really say.

But if anyone out there for any reason wants to go see all the older Demenchas, go to the KC Public Library downtown, hop in the elevator and go to the fifth floor. Tell whoever’s working at the desk that you want to see the Demenchas or the zines in general, give them your ID, and take a seat at one of the tables and wait for them to bring the boxes out.

More broadly, this is a significant accomplishment for local music in general. Everyone who has advertised, written articles, been interviewed in the print Demenchas, etc., will have their own stories archived well beyond any of our lifetimes. Just be sure to tell your kids where to go.

Derrick Carter (Chicago) LIVE @ Blvd Nights [9.30.11]

Chris Mills — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:40:53 +0000

With Green Velvet spinning tonight in P&L, and with the Frisky cats putting on Derrick Carter at Blvd Nights a week from today, we’re pretty sure it’s safe to say that house music lovers in Kansas City looking for legendary talent need not sweat…er, maybe they should. Both Derrick Carter and Green Velvet are known for inducing buckets of sweat on packed dancefloors around the world, all in the name of almighty house music. We can almost taste the salt on our upper lips already…