The Leatherwoods Happy Ain't Comin Home B/W Something Ain't Right Bus Stop Label 1992

The Leatherwoods Happy Ain't Comin Home B/W Something Ain't Right Bus Stop Label 1992 CAT# BUS015

This 7" was released 4 years after the initial Todd Newman and the Leatherwoods 7". The main track, "Happy Ain't Comin Home" is featured on the CD release, Topeka Oratorio, which was released at the same year.

It's a marked improvement over the Leatherwoods initial release. It's stripped down version of Todd Newman's vision and if Tim O'Reagan wasn't contributing to the duo, this would be called singer-songwriter. For the better, the power-pop moves are stripped away. It may be by choice, but also probably in large part to the fact the Leatherwoods were just a duo. It's a better sound for Newman and also showcases the reason O'Reagan is now a member of the Jayhawks.

The duo had officially left Topeka and Lawrence, KS behind at this point for Minneapolis, MN. The CD Topeka Oratorio, is found on Minnesota blogs as a genuine nugget of the town's sound (a lot of that because it features legendary Replacements frontman, Paul Westerberg, playing under the name, Pablo Louserama). The 7" is worth seeking out. Of note, the same label that released Jon Harrison's The What Gives.

As stated, O'Reagan keeps busy in the highly recommended and acclaimed band, The Jayhawks. Todd Newman remains constant with music. He's released a grip of CDs since this, some of which were recorded back home in Kansas with Ed Rose.

Full 7", The Leatherwoods

Season To Risk Self Titled Big Money Inc./Red Decibel/Columbia 1993

Season To Risk Self Titled Red Decibel/Columbia 1992, 1993 CAT# BMI 040

Re-listening and looking back, this LP hasn't aged well. From the ironic artwork to the trendy metal production styles, it just reeks of the early 90's. But, sometimes nostalgia is great. The memories that surround this moment in Kansas City music history for outweigh it's dated style.

The album is a bruiser, though. It's aggressive and mean. It's angry and loud. It's been stated here before, but at the end of the day, it's a shame this brand of post-hardcore with heavy metal aspects didn't beat out bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit to dominate the teenage aggression scene. Season to Risk is far more intelligent and were far better musicians. They just came on the scene a bit too early, the kids that would have been prime for this hadn't gotten to age where they would now how to handle this.

The album doesn't lack highlights. "Mine Eyes" was a solid single. The final song on the LP, "Reminder," is a great example of the band's aggressive style. "Why See Straight" is also a bruiser. The song "Scorched" has some nifty guitar work and is a fantastic take on noise rock. The rest comes in moments, there are times when they stay in places that contemporaries like Failure, Handsome and even the legendary Jesus Lizard perfected, but Season to Risk end up getting too heavy metal. They use a megaphone to sing through a lot which is a nice 90's effect, but it does wear thin. Overall, it's worth it for the memories, if you heard it as a teenager, you'll want to grab a skateboard or go jump stairs on in-line skates, whatever your extreme sport was in the early 90's.

Reminder

Season To Risk Biter B/W Oil 7" Red Decibel 1992

 Season To Risk Biter B/W Oil Red Decibel 1992 CAT # CS7 4908

Season to Risk was an aggressive rock band from KC.  I've heard them called hardcore rock and that suits them well.  Hardcore in the sense that it's a heavy crushing sound.  Too punk to be metal, too metal to be punk.  My brother recalls them as a band he used to throw on the tape deck before heading out to skateboard.

They had a revolving cast, but singer Steve Tulipana and guitarist Duane Trower were the core members.  This release features Paul Malinowski who also gigged with Shiner.  Malinowski was also credited as a songwriter while in the band and added the post-hardcore feel of the group.

In their day, they were one of the more successful KC bands.  They signed to a major label, did music video shoots, and were even seen performing in the Hollywood movie Strange Days.  This 7" outside of the slick John Wayne Gacy artwork is typical of their sound.  'Biter' is a scorcher, bunch of guitars and a pounding rhythm section.  Tulipana runs a ton of vocal effects that make the song and band sound polished and professional.  The song was featured on their self titled debut album, as 'Bitter'.  'Oil' is aggressive sludge rock.  It's nothing spectacular, but enjoyable.

Zoom Ernst & Son b/w Planet Pinball 7" Louts Pool Records 1992

Zoom Ernst & Son b/w Planet Pinball
Lotus Pool Records
CAT# 7 (?) 1992

Zoom is a great band.  Obscure, but great.  This band is so obscure that I remember playing one of their full length CDs on Plow the Fields on KJHK 90.7 and reading the description/review of the CD.  If memory serves, it says something to the effect, "Not sure who these guys are, but they are local and it's really good."  That's pretty obscure to be unknown by all the hipster douchebags at the college radio station.  Needless to say, they did gain notoriety around town during their day.  I was previously only aware of the self released (I think) CD and the Helium Octipede CD which came out on the Tim Kerr label until I stopped in at Zebedee's RPM.  Every time I go in that store, I find the coolest shit.

Zoom is a Lawrence band, but much more rooted in the KC thing that was going around at the same time.  Far more comparable to the likes of Giant's Chair, Boy's Life than they are Kill Creek or Vitreous Humor.  Complex, nerdy indie rock, y'know, Slint dynamics, all that.  The Ernst & Son song starts with the slow building guitar line until layering up and the speak sing vocals come then some screaming.  I love this stuff.  Just tons of crunchy guitar layered on top of each other, big drums just crashing down, why doesn't anybody make post-hardcore like this anymore?  Unfortunately, the B-side is just that.  Something they seemed to hammer out quickly to fill a side, same style, just not much thought given.  It just screams "Planet Pinball" over and over, which is great if it's about the Replay Lounge.  I can't confirm that.

Members of the band did do some other stuff, Mark Henning the singer was in the Bells, after that I stopped being hip.  The bassist gigged in Panel Donor which was a solid band as well.

So Obscure you only find a 2010 Reunion Gig on YouTube, but it's f'n great.
Ernst & Son from the same show
And Plant Pinball

***Afterthought, reviewed information on the first CD that was put out by ZOOM.  Both songs are featured on the CD so Planet Pinball isn't a B-Side, its the second to last song on their full length CD.  However, there is some confusion as All Music doesn't list the same CD as Discogs.com does.  Feel free to comment.