Music Forecast 12.17-12.23: The Phantastics, Carswell & Hope, Austin Plaine, Holy White Hounds, Yes You Are, Bastille, the Wombats, the Greeting Committee, Hembree, the Hardship Letters, and the Philistines
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The Phantastics, Carswell & Hope
Free State Brewing Co. wants you in the holiday spirit. To purge any Scrooge-like inclinations, the Lawrence brewery has enlisted funk group the Phantastics and folk-pop quartet Carswell & Hope to play an annual holiday bash at the Granada. If you haven’t seen the Phantastics, prepare yourself: The mega group is fronted by rapper the Phantom (Kemet Coleman) and soul singer Leigh Gibbs. Together, they lead listeners down a rhythmic yellow brick road. Carswell & Hope — helmed by the eponymous Nick Carswell, originally from Ireland — stamps its songs with a layer of vintage pop à la Abbey Road. Bonus: The show is 18 and older, but if you’re 21 or older, it’s free.
Saturday, December 19, the Granada (1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence,
785-842-1390)
Austin Plaine, Holy White Hounds, Yes You Are
Singer-songwriter Austin Plaine splits time between his native Minneapolis and his newfound hometown of Nashville. You can hear elements of each city in his voice: The sparse Minnesota-prairie elements in his melodies, the polished Americana of Music City in his finish. Saturday at the Tank Room, as part of the Communion Music Showcase, he performs with Iowa rock group Holy White Hounds and Kansas City’s Yes You Are. Expect the latter two bands to crank up the volume.
Saturday, December 19, the Tank Room (1813 Grand, 816-214-6403)
Bastille, the Wombats, the Greeting Committee, Hembree
The fourth and final iteration of 96.5 the Buzz’s the Night the Buzz Stole XXXXmas blows out with a host of fine rock bands, headlined by Bastille — we hope we hear some new cuts from the English quartet’s forthcoming, and still untitled, 2016 album. Liverpool’s the Wombats are here in support of the April-released Glitterbug, a delightful synth-pop explosion that belongs in your rotation. Folk-pop band the Greeting Committee is composed of a handful of high school students from Blue Valley, but you’d never know it listening to its excellent debut EP, It’s Not All That Bad. Kansas City synth-pop master Hembree is also on deck.
Thursday, December 17, the Midland (1228 Main, 816-283-9921)
The Hardship Letters, the Philistines
As we count down the last days of the RecordBar as we know it, we couldn’t think of a better local show to say goodbye. The Hardship Letters will have you weeping into your beer with tales of heartache and sorrow (the foursome is not big on sunny tunes), and the Philistines will help shake off the gloom with energetic psych rock. You’ll cry, you’ll dance, you’ll drink — sounds like the best of Wednesday nights.
Wednesday, December 23, RecordBar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207)
