The Trelese/Namelessnumberheadman Split 7" Rumblefish/Urinine/Pabst Brewing Co. 2003

The Trelese/Namelessnumberheadman Split 7" Rumblefish/Urinine/Pabst Brewing Co. 2003 NO CAT#

So, this is a really amazing piece of KC indie rock history that was created a few years after I parted ways with a very active local music scene to focus on the very indie-rock college music scene. But, before I go into what this is, I'd like to discuss how I came upon it as it explains part of the sickness I have for records.

I was visiting my brand new niece a few days after she was born at my sister's house. Babies are great, but my sister and bother-in-law have records (the coolest of which I gave them). After the whole, "Did you see the baby?" bit, I gravitated towards the records and was quickly told many of them weren't really theirs. A friend, who apparently moved, was storing them at my sister's house and they weren't really sure if he was ever coming back for them.

Now, I'm not the kind of jerk who was just going to start looking through some other dude's records thinking I can take them. But, I was going to look at them, very closely and intently, with a purpose of picking out what my sister needed to play/keep for herself. I started sorting through the records with laser focus, the kind not even a newborn could distract. On top of a small pile of 7"s, I saw this PBR cover. Looking closer, it's a hand-made outer-sleeve from a 12 pack. I've never seen it before let alone in my sister's small 7" collection (most of which, I gave her)...so what the hell was this? I flip to the back and see in large font, 'Pabst Blue Ribbon Kansas City.' Whoa. Look further and see the band Trelese and that the songs are written by no other than my old pal Jared Scholz of Reflector. The other band, Namelessnumberheadman is a KC transplant from Oklahoma. Finally, I see that Sid of Too Much Rock was a part of the release under his past label, Urinine Records. I'm literally starting to sweat, what the hell is this and why is it here?

My new niece, because baby's are way cuter than records

Seeing all this, I pulled out all stops, I was taking this record home. First, in my mind I started justifying it. My sister and brother-in-law don't even know what or who this is, they don't need it. And the dude who dropped his records off, he isn't coming back, right? He won't even notice this is gone if he does. Then I started vocalizing things to my brother-in-law, explaining that I needed the record because I used to know Jared Scholz and things like this are important to me. I wouldn't ask to take to it home if it wasn't. Eventually, they just said, "Yeah, whatever, take it, we know where it is."

So, I kind of feel good at that point. The record will be safe with me, where it belongs. I'll document it, I'll cherish it, and I'll archive it. I'm the right person for this record. Then when leaving with my wife, things went South... She's was all, "What is wrong with you?!" "Why did you take that record?!" "It isn't yours?!" Of course, my wife doesn't realize that if I didn't take this home, I may never see another copy. And, every single time I visted my sister in the future, seeing this record would slowly kill me. It would progressively get worse and worse every time I had to look at it until one day I just stole it. Running to my car with a 7" record shoved down my pants feeling guilty and setting a buffer in which I'd visit my sister again. My wife doesn't get that part, but, she was probably right. Total dickmove on my part. And no matter how cool this record is, it's not as cool and great as my new niece.

As for the actual record, I'm mad at my myself for being so unaware in 2003. To justify my theft of the record to my brother-in-law I actually said I wasn't cool in 2003 as if saying so would make him realize that if I was cool in 2003, I'd own this, so somehow, by that logic, he shouldn't feel bad about letting me have it. However, I was actually 'too cool' in 2003 for records like this. At that time I was busy being a mover and shaker at KJHK, probably deeply into ambient Eno music or minimalist 80's synth, not local KC obscurities.

I never was around the scene in 2003 to know Jared tried something new after Reflector broke up. Per the 7", there was a planned full length entitled "Working Toward 2203," which reviewing the interwebs, apparently never saw an actual release. The Trelese, at least based on these two songs, were a toned down Reflector. Less start-stop dynamics and angular paths and more melody in it's place. It's promising and makes me want to go seek out Jared at the Church he preaches at to ask if the rest of the album exists.

Namelessnumberheadman was active up until 2011, maybe they still are, but not to the same extent. The members were native Okie's who moved to KC. They took keyboards and other bits of electronica and combined them with acoustic guitars to generate a significant buzz during their existence. The songs are representative of the band, albeit a very early version. They became well reviewed by Pitchfork and were featured on NPR Music. It sounds very Death Cab for Cutie-esque, but the band was smarter than that, very intelligent with unexpected electronic sounds and acoustic guitars.

Namelessnumberheadman on NPR

Mates of State Team Boo Polyvinyl Records 2003

Mates of State Team Boo Polyvinyl Records 2003 CAT #PRC-065

Of the early Mates of State releases, this sits right below Bring It Back in terms of release year and quality. Mates of State's unabashedly cute brand of indie-pop was just about perfect at this point. The chaotic back and forth husband and wife vocals are thrown at you from all directions. Sung with a naivete that would rival Jonathan Richman the two go back and forth in their song-speak. The sounds blast out of the speaker, the organ riffs, keyboard lines, and steady drums are exciting on the uptempo songs. The only reason it falls short of Bring it Back is the duo had yet to perfect their slow jams on Team Boo. The love jams aren't bad, they're just not perfected like they were on the proceeding LP.

The album also features some names that made Mates of State's sound bigger. They brought along Jim Croslin of the often forgotten indie-pop great, Beulah, along with Jim Eno of Spoon (who Croslin also played with) to produce the album. The two get a big sound out while still not employing guitars. They effectively highlighted the chaotic pop and made more sense of everything. As a whole, Team Boo is a little more accessible to mainstream pop fan than the prior albums. Still, a Jennifer Lopez or Christina Aguilera fan wasn't about to touch this, but a Avril Lavigne fan, maybe.

Gotta Get a Problem

Split Lip Rayfield Old No. Six B/W How Many Biscuts Can You Eat Bloodshot 2003

Split Lip Rayfield Old No. Six B/W How Many Biscuts Can You Eat Bloodshot 2003 CAT# BS 107

This Wichita band is legendary for the live shows and their constant touring, yet, if you want the tunes on vinyl, this is it.  Out of 7 full length albums none of which were pressed on vinyl, just this lone 7".

In Kansas and everywhere, it seemed as if this band was always in your town playing.  When I was in college, I'm pretty sure they packed the Bottleneck at least once a month.  And, they did that everywhere they were welcome.  If they could pack a club, they'd be there all the time with their raucous brand of bluegrass and alt. country.  Unfortunately, in 2007 one of the band's founders, Kirk Rundstrom, passed away.  So it would seem they don't gig as much as they once did, but don't be fooled, the band is still out there and playing and recording new tracks.

It's important to mention how important this band is to country/bluegrass scene in Kansas.  They've been called the founders of the "Stage 5" sound.  Stage 5 is an "unofficial" stage found at Winfield, Kansas' Walnut Bluegrass festival in which the artists that play it often have a less traditional bluegrass sound.  It was likely the only place Split Lip Rayfield fit while performing at the festival.  This band managed to blow down doors while playing traditional stringed instruments and the sound is found on this 7" just like all the band's output.  Highly recommended.

LIVE VERSION of Old No. Six

The Casket Lottery Possiblies and Maybes Second Nature/Status 2003

The Casket Lottery Possiblies and Maybes Second Nature/Status 2003 CAT#SN044/ST019

So much to say about the Casket Lottery...much of it I should share for other albums that I sadly do not have on vinyl.

First, the band's leader, Nathan Ellis, probably champions the local KC scene more than any other national touring band.  In the liner write up on this LP he gushes about Ed Rose, Kill Creek, the oft-forgotten Reflector, and the band he was a long time member for, Coalesce.  He's always been that way, it's no joke, it's not a shoutout to friends, it's his genuine take on the artists that surround him in town.

Locally, the Casket Lottery is a treasure, there's support, but, ultimately, KC is not a huge town.  A lot of passionate local music scensters would state they don't get the support they deserve.  Maybe the band doesn't, but again, there's not a huge market for angular indie rock here or many other places.  In the glory days of Shiner, Season to Risk, and Boys Life, it's not like those bands were playing arena's locally.  They were packing clubs and small venues.  They'd tour large venues with other acts, but not as a headliner.  So, the Casket Lottery has always fitted in where they needed to fit in.

However, the point I wanted to bring out is that nationally, the band has created a passionate fanbase.  Their records, like all indie bands, came out limited runs and command high dollar on the second hand market from fans.  You get on social media and you'll find kids raving about the band, bragging about the original issue albums they own, the time they saw them in a basement, etc.  They have a small, but amazingly devoted fanbase not just throughout the US but in Europe as well.

I've always felt that the reason is because quality has always been the band's number one concern.  I have never met anyone more passionate about the entire presentation than Nathan Ellis.  And when I say the entire presentation, I'm talking about everything.  For example, I remember when the band's first EP, "Dot, Dot, Dash, Something or Other Dot" was in the works.  Matt Rubin who was releasing stuff under his label, Paper Brigade, was initially involved and wanted to put out the EP.  At a show, I remember seeing Matt have a conversation with Nathan, afterwards Matt came to me shaking his head.  He explained to me that Nathan was talking to him about the packaging of the EP, how it had to have gold leaf printing or something.  Matt's major concern was he wasn't going to have the money to put out the product Nathan wanted and if he did, he wouldn't break even, he'd lose money.  For a fleeting moment, I was about to say to Matt I would help, but then I looked at the kid's face and realized he just wanted out, not assistance, he was scared to death of it.  Ultimately, Status Recordings released the EP, I'm pretty sure Rubin never bowed out (he would've gone through with it, too nice of a kid) it was just a situation in which Status could offer the Casket Lottery more in the way of distribution and opportunity.

That's Nathan Ellis, he's passionate about it right down to the last detail.  And, everything the band put out with their name on it is intricately designed and beautiful.  Obviously, it goes for the music as well.  This Double LP is a compilation of split EPs, compilation appearances, and a few new songs.  Surprisingly, there are no throw aways or embarrassing moments.  Even the early tunes that Ellis pokes fun at in his liners are above average tracks.  Most compilations like this are filled with dribble and garbage, I mean, have you heard REM's Dead Letter Office or locally, the Get Up Kids Eudora, there is some crap on albums like that.  This collection quality through and through.  It's a testament to the band's following.  If you're willing to put that much effort into every song, fans are going to react.  It's a Fugazi-esque way of doing things and the reason the band carries such a devoted fanbase.

Unteen
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