Wichita Lineman Live From the Cowboy Lineman Records Unknown Year

Wichita Lineman Live From the Cowboy Lineman Records Unknown Year CAT# NR12516

This band's records are all over and typically, I walk right past. Always curious, but more of a, "I wonder how bad that is?" The group was obviously local to Wichita and based on this LP, did their two-stepping at a bar in Wichita called the The Cowboy, which may or may not still exist in some form or not.

The band just reeks of some sort of tourist trap. Like the Flying W Ranch Cowboy records from Colorado Springs, CO. I figured the way people ended up with one of these LPs is if you were stuck in Wichita, KS on business or inter-state tourism and go to some hokey cowboy place (because, it's the "wild west") and the Wichita Lineman would play you sappy country ballads and Countrypolitan hits of the day in matching suits with rhinestones. You'd be impressed, because you're the type that doesn't like good music or get out much and you'd feel the purchase of a Wichita Lineman LP was a sound investment only to let it sit on the shelf and never be touched again

Listening to the album, there's some of all of that to be found. However, it's a bit more rowdy than what I thought it'd be. The first track, a cover of "Cotton Eyed Joe", chants the word "Bullshit!" over and over. So, maybe The Cowboy was pretty rough. The Lineman don't write their own tracks, at least on this LP, but while all covers, they're not half bad. Even "Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" is pretty tasteful. They also cover, "Don't it Make Ya Wanna Dance," which was made famous by Bonnie Raitt and "Louisiana Man", by Doug Kershaw, two popular country artists, but not the typical cover fodder found on a private press country LPs.

All in all, the Lineman are more honky-tonk than they are Nashville Country. They do get corny, they do wear matching suits, but they swear and don't take their tracks lightly. It's more Western than the Country Southern I expected.

The Gaslite Gang Paul Gray's Jazz Place Presents Audio House Unknown Year

The Gaslite Gang Paul Gray's Jazz Place Presents Audio House Unknown Year CAT #AHS177F75

This isn't much different than the 1980 release by the same group, in fact the titles are virtually the same, except they spell Gaslite Gang consistently on this LP (additional release). One difference is that Paul Gray opted to release under the Audio House label rather than his own private imprint. By that, its assumed this predates the 1980 release, but it's hard to know for sure as this release isn't dated.

The Gaslite Gang adhere to New Orleans/ragtime styles here, with the exceptions of  a few ballads. The vocal numbers are fun and give you the sense these were just young, fresh out of college guys being hipsters.

It's fairly enjoyable in that it's fun. It won't hurt you to play it a few times. The cover, albeit just an advertisement for Paul Gray's Jazz Place is great in it's simplicity and style. Later, the Jazz Place would be renamed the Jazzhaus and was (last I knew) still situated upstairs in an old downtown building.

Mark Meckel Volga German Pageant & Volga German Music M.D.M Productions 1976

Mark Meckel Volga German Pageant Exodus to Freedom 1763-1976 M.D.M Productions 1976 CAT #USR9624

Mark Meckel Volga German Music M.D.M. Productions 1976 CAT #USR 9150

It's taken me probably 3 months to sit through both of these albums...the first one I put on, Volga German Pageant Exodus to Freedom 1763-1976 is pretty boring, at least it seems that way. It's church music. And German. From Hays, KS. But, giving it a little more time, it is a pageant, meant to give an outline of Volga-German music, it's primarly choral, but outside of religious music, does have passed down folk music.

The other LP, Volga German Music is less boring, traditional German music with some gypsy aspects thrown in. It features a violin, organ, accordion and guitar. Not sure those were the instruments of choice back in the old Country, but you know, it works. The waltzes are nice enough.

I picked it up hoping there might be a connection to someone from the band, the Blue Things, seeing how they were also from Hays, KS. I figured I'd connect the dots with a band member, maybe even Val Stoecklien. If there is a connection to be found, I'm not enough of a sleuth to piece it together, though...so another reason I sat on these forever.

What is most interesting about the albums is the apparent rich Volga-German history that can be found in Hays, KS. The records are even copyrighted to the Volga German Centennial Association, so must have been legit. A Volga-German heritage came from Catherine the Great encouraging German immigration into Russia in 1763. The Germans moved, cultivated the land and history says kept their German identity while in Russia. In fact, they were allowed by Russia up into even the Communist era to keep their religions, language and identity. However, once Germany attacked Russia in World War II, the bargain was off. As cultural Germans, they were persecuted as an enemy.

However, that isn't how Volga-Germans ended up in parts of Kansas. Russian Czar, Alexander the II revoked the military exemption from the community in 1871. Groups left to America and arrived in Topeka, KS as early as 1875, primarily to help build railroads. Later, as farmers, they helped develop Kansas as the breadbasket introducing farming techniques used in Russia to yield high amounts of wheat and introduced a seed that could withstand the harsher climates. More amazing is that the community in Hays, KS, as late as 1976, still identified themselves as Volga-German.

***Also of note, Mark Meckel is not the musician in charge here, he appears to be more of the curator of the albums and as such is credited for the title.

Germans from Russia in Kansas

Merritt Owens Advertising Agency "Whistle and Boom" Sound Effect Damon Unknown Year

Merritt Owens Advertising Agency "Whistle and Boom" Sound Effect Damon Acetate Unknown Year No CAT #

This is odd. It's literally just a sound effect. Sounds like the whistle and boom of a firework going off and it repeats 3 times on one side of the record while the other side is blank.

Typically, if you find Damon records, they are custom press gospel records. Some of which are one-of-kind acetates, others that the label provided multiple copies for whoever took advantage of the companies service. This is just an acetate disc of a single sound, obviously used for the advertising firm that purchased it, but the strange thing is why did they need a record of it?

To get the sound to record, it had to be taped, right? So why wasn't the Merritt Owens Advertising Agency just able to use the tape? Odd. Either way, it does appear the Merritt Owens Agency was based in K.C. The Damon label most certainly was.

Boy's Life/Giants Chair Worn Thin B/W Ever Present Split EP HitIt! Recordings 1995

Boy's Life/Giants Chair Worn Thin B/W Ever Present Split EP HitIt! Recordings 1995 CAT#HIT-09

This 7" is so Kansas City...well, except Giants Chair had Wisconsin roots before attending KCAI and HitIt! Recordings was based out of Chicago...but, other than that, you can't get more Kansas City than this.

The bands were both torch carriers for the early, post-hardcore emo sound coming out of Kansas City in the 1990s. Boy's Life took their out of tune guitars and Dischord-esque style a bit more national because ultimately, they were on a better label than Giants Chair. The song "Worn Thin," is a perfect example of the band, strained vocals over the top of so much guitar.

Giants Chair stayed a bit more hidden than Boy's Life nationally, but their sound was equally as influential. The track "Ever Present," displays the band's attacking style. Everything up front, all at once before they take a step back and dismantle the song before bringing it all back together again. It's high energy and stands well on it's own in the context of this single.

Equally as Kansas City about this 7" is the sleeves were done at Hammer Press. The simple, elegant design make it worth every bit of $3 you probably had to pay when it was first released and the $20 you'd have to pay today.

Split 7"

The Sensational Wonders Moving Up Shur Fine Gospel 1986

The Sensational Wonders Moving Up Shur Fine Gospel 1986 CAT# SFG-55031

The back cover of this LP indicates the Sensational Wonders are from the "twin cities of Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas)." Which means that we have singers from both sides of the border and the groups record label never bothered to visit Kansas City. If they had, especially in 1986, they would have realized that Kansas City, Kansas has nothing but the KU Med Center and is at best, Kansas City, Missouri's evil twin.

That aside, these guys provided their own instrumentation and soaring vocals. The production is weighted in 80's slickness, but it's not a terrible album. The Sensational Wonders go from soulful, to a country gospel on this LP. Some solid call and response moments, great vocals, and the group gets pretty fevered on a number of occasions.

Also of note, this LP was released from a Shur Fine Records in Georgia. Indicating the band's gospel reach went a good distance outside the metro area, they were part of a national gospel scene. Not dealing with a privately released church album here.

A much later and younger version of the Sensational Wonders

Cowboy Indian Bear Live Old, Die Young The Record Machine 2013

Cowboy Indian Bear Live Old, Die Young The Record Machine 2013 CAT# TRM 045

The Lawrence based Cowboy Indian Bear recently disbanded in 2014, which is a shame. The band could do a lot with a small budget and a lot of talent, listening to them is like listening to a lo-fi Coldplay, but cooler, with much better songs.

The band certainly doesn't "rock", which is fine, because they find enough soul to keep you interested. Putting on this LP, you're greeted with the atmospheric "Waiting," which is loaded with sounds, and makes you feel like you just got home. It's an inventing opener and a perfect introduction to the albums well thought out soundscapes and experiments in post-modernism.

You look at the cover of 'Live Old, Die Young' and see four Lawrence, KS hipsters and you're going to make obvious assumptions, some of which may be right, but there's so much more going on here. The obvious assumption is the current Eno/Radiohead/post-rock fascinations hip with all the kids. But, what's unexpected is this slick, well-produced 80's modern-soul vibe you can get from the record. Partially due to the soulful vocals, but there's a dance element hidden among all the noodling on guitars, electronic experimentation, and layered harmonies. It keeps it more interesting than other bands of the same ilk.

And again, the album feels like home. It's effortless and comfortable.

Let it Down