Max Groove Center of Gravity Optimism Incorporated 1987

Max Groove Center of Gravity Optimism Incorporated 1987 CAT #OP-3108

Max Groove is a Kansas City jazz pianist/keyboard player, who over the years put out around dozen albums and is still active today. He has worked with a host of musicians locally and from around the US and started early on the smooth jazz scene, the claim being he is a pioneer in the genre.

Center of Gravity from 1987 is typical of what he is about. Highly polished jazz and an 80's smoothness that can sound dated today. However, back then, this was highly sophisticated production. It sounds a lot like elevator music, but some people are into that. Some of the robotic sounds are interesting, but nothing terribly off the wall. The players are all very talented and Max Groove pens much of his work, so its impressive in that regard.

Live Performance in St. Joe, MO

Lander Ballard Late Night Flight Free Wind Records 1987

Lander Ballard Late Night Flight Free Wind Records 1987 CAT# LB8703

This is the second Lander Ballard LP that came out a decade after his initial private LP, Hightime. He's from Wichita and research on the internet indicates he's still out there with his guitar playing for anybody that will listen.

The Hightime LP bordered between hippie folk and singer/songwriter influences. 10 years later, it seems the major change was cocaine. Seriously, the hippie, marijuana, mysticism from his first LP is replaced with a space ship on the cover, studio effects, maniac screams and maniac tempos...It's got to be cocaine, right?

I struggle to categorize this, due to the cocaine thing, late-era yacht rock isn't the worst bucket I could throw it in. However, it's not as slick or as smooth. It's got all the space references, but it's too buried in pop sounds to really take advantage of  space influences, it's just in the lyrics. The only thing making it worth having is that if you can compare it the hippie styles of his first LP. There's no real strong highlight on this album, but it's decent...cover is kind of cool, too.

Queen Bey Comin' Thru Beystring Productions 1987

Queen Bey Comin' Thru Beystring Productions 1987 CAT# CAP122

Beyonce ain't got nothing on Kansas City, we had the original Queen Bey. Nice, right?

Queen Bey was a Kansas City blues and jazz singer active in a Kansas City scene that was popping out local LPs and compilations throughout the 80s. She's now in Los Angeles apparently or was, either way, it appears she still performing. This specific recording was recorded in Los Angeles and credited to Beystring Productions in Overland Park, KS. It can be assumed that Beystring was the Queen's own private label.

During her time in KC, she is reported to have started singing at an early age in the 1950's. Her bio indicates she started to become a significant member of the local jazz and blues scene in the 80's and is officially recognized as an Ambassador of Jazz for Kansas City. In addition to her singing career, she's also been featured as an actor in television, screen and on Broadway. So, a pretty substantial career.

This 5 song EP is a throwback sound, the backside notes it was recorded live with no mixing, editing or overdubs on a two tracks, so no plastic, canned garbage to be found here. It was recorded digitally, which was still fairly new in the 80s, so the sound is very sharp and loud, maybe too much, but that's a minor issue. It's an enjoyable set of songs with a throwback style. It certainly doesn't sound as if its a product of the 80's. However, someone could mistake for a 70's lounge act very easily if they weren't paying much attention. However, the arrangements done by Joe Cartwright and Greg Eicher (both Kansas City area guys) sound authentic to a time when jazz was king. Overall, it's a solid set of tunes.

Queen Bey Live, 2011 in KC

The Leopards Magic Still Exists Voxx Records 1987

The Leopards Magic Still Exists Voxx Records 1987 CAT# VOXX 200.048

Would have bought this regardless of local connections, I mean look at it?  It looks amazing, like the best the 80's garage and psych revival scene had to offer.

The Leopards were formed in Kansas City, Kansas in the late-70's.  They released an obscure album and a handfull of 45s for their own label, Moon records.  In the 1980's, the band tried their luck and moved to Los Angeles, based on the strength of the debut, Kansas City Slickers, along with a demo tape, Voxx, an imprint of the legendary Bomp Records, agreed to fund an album.

Overall pretty hip, getting out to LA, getting an album on a garage focused indie label.  The music, though, nothing to do with psych or garage as the cover would have you believe.  Straight power pop and heavily focused on the Kinks.  The album has been called the best Kink's album of the 80's, which is fairly accurate.

There are some true gems on the album, the highly Kinks-ified "Pyschedelic Boy," which not only pokes fun at LA's Paisley Underground scene, but was featured as an opener Rodney Bingenheimer's rave up on KROQ.  The opener, "Block Party," definitely has a KC nod with mentions of spicy BBQ and Midwest living.  There are numerous others, especially considering the album contains 14 songs.  Which is kind of the downfall to the album.  Short, 2 1/2 minute pop tracks are great, but, after awhile, things get lost.  Definitely some filler to found here.

Due to the popularity of the Bomp! label, this album has seen reprints.  You can still find a colored copy on the interweb.  If you're into power pop and don't already have this, definitely worth a few spins and a few bucks.

Psychedelic Boy (SO Kinks-y)
A well-masked Kinks lift, Dusty Treasures
Block Party

Bangtails Hypnotic Downpour Revolver 1987

Bangtails Hypnotic Downpour Revolver Records 1987 CAT #001

A trusted friend turned me onto this when I asked him for the skinny on some solid 80s local stuff that I wouldn't know about.  He, being a one time employee at Love Garden Sounds in Lawrence, KS and a late 80s early 90s local musician himself, pointed me towards this.

He also put me under the impression, this was a self released EP by a group from Wichita, KS.  The self released part is pretty obvious.  The Wichita part, I haven't been able to confirm, but more on that later.

This is solid jangle pop.  The obvious comparison is REM Chronic Town era.  It certainly has that jangle and energy, but it's a bit more on the power pop/new wave edge.  I took it in a few times and the songs feel as if they could have been in a John Hughes film soundtrack.  There's something really familiar about the tunes and not just in the REM jangle-sense.  It's got a slight English tint to it, no synths, but in the atmosphere of the songs.

The killer part about the EP is the strained vocals of Mike Winston.  He goes into this gargling, pubescent, teen thing.  Fuck, it just kills me.  I mean, what more could you ask for with songs about (or sound like they are about) girls.  It literally sounds like Mike Winston's world is crumbling down upon him as the songs continue.  It's a shame this was the only released output by these guys, because it's a very promising set of songs.

The big news here is that this band is well footnoted as a stepping stone in the career of Archer Prewitt who was the bass player for the Bangtails.  So, my initial understanding that the band was from Wichita is a bit up in the air.  Prewitt, born and raised in Kentucky, attended the Kansas City Art Institute where this band must have formed.  Prewitt, of course, would go on to help form the Coctails in Kansas City before relocating to Chicago.  In Chicago, Prewitt would connect with another Kansas City Art Institute alum and Chicago legend, Sam Prekop, as a member of the Sea & Cake.  So there you go, you're welcome Chicago, you should probably thank us sometime for your kick-ass indie rock scene.

Bangtails - Patron of the Arts