Paris Williams, Unfit Wives, Liam Kazar, and more of the best local music videos

Illustrated by Katelyn Betz

Anyone else finding it difficult to get back into the swing of being social in public settings? The first week I started going out, it was always a plan to have a drink or two and head home. The reality is that I’d run into people, they’d be all excited and want to buy a round, so then I’d have to buy a round, and then it’s midnight and I am lit.

It has taken me a minute to remember that going out is not like riding a bike, so I have spent many a morning on the couch with a massive tumbler of water, watching videos because I need a minute to get everything in working order before the day begins. May these videos help you, should you find yourself in the same situation.

May my pain be your pleasure. Let’s kick out the jams.

Tempus, “Maybe This Time” 

Per the note at the bottom of the video, “Maybe This Time” is the first single released from Tempus, a “brand new band” from the northeast. They’re coming out big with this J.T. Ibanez-produced video, which looks like a million bucks. Tons of fire, great production value, and the song definitely doesn’t sound as though this was a new band. “Maybe This Time” is ready to play on the Rock alongside the likes of Staind and Chevelle without anyone knowing that these dudes are from up near Holton.

Paris Williams, “Youth In Revolt / Paradise” 

Paris directs himself in this pair of videos for “Youth In Revolt” and “Paradise.” That’s both a literal thing, as he shares directorial duties with Kennedy Girard, Brad Girard, and Ga Ji Ashlin Wang, but he also pulls double duty in the roles of the director and the musician in the “Youth In Revolt” half of this double-feature. I love the idea that Williams’ music is so good that he blows his own mind, basically because it is.

The Black Creatures, “Create To Stay Alive” 

Created with Nathan Munoz and Christepher Sok, students from Art As Mentorship, as well as featuring Duncan Burnett of Making Movies and Brandon Yangmi of The Greeting Committee, this new track and video from The Black Creatures is just intensely powerful. It’s dark, but hopeful, pushing toward everything these musicians need to keep going. The video’s a lo-fi affair, but the music overshadows all of that.

You can find more information about Art As Mentorship and their fundraising efforts in our piece from March of this year.

Aaron Hollingsworth, “Midnight Melody” 

I’m always iffy as to whether or not lyric videos should go here or in Single Sentence Singles, but the animated visuals from Seere are just so gorgeous, they deserve as much attention as the saga-like song from Aaron Hollingsworth. Not for nothing is Hollingsworth both a science fiction author and RPG creator, as this song plays like a ballad one might’ve sung around the fire in ages gone by. I highly recommend checking out Seere’s Facebook page to see just how impressive her work-for-hire lyric videos are, as well.

The Creepy Jingles, “Trojan Horse Girl” (live) 

Shot by Sid from Too Much Rock at the Rino on Friday, May 14, as part of an eclectic triple bill which also included rootsy singer-songwriter Jenna Rae and the electroclash of Mensa Death Squad, “Trojan Horse Girl” is a heretofore unreleased track from the garage rock foursome. The dark and cyclical guitar contrasts perfectly with some really lovely melodies, and I can’t wait to hear the band’s next recorded output.

Troy Robertson, “H.O.N.K. Anthem”

This video is meta as hell. It starts out with a crowd dancing as Troy Robertson’s first single, “KCPD DISS,” plays while KCPD walk around in the background, before going into his latest, “H.O.N.K. Anthem.” “H.O.N.K.” stands for “Helping Others Notice Kings,” a statement which comes from Robertson’s “Honk for Peace” signs at 35th and Prospect. However, it was two years ago that he claims that he was beaten by the police. In recent months, he’s begun the TeamHonk816 campaign, and dropped three singles dedicated to his message of hoping to change his neighborhood. The beat slaps, too.

Kansas City Museum – International Jazz Day 2021

Over 15 minutes of performances, captured live in the rooms of the Kansas City Museum for this year’s International Jazz Day, sees a variety of musicians, such as Amber “Flutenastiness” Underwood, Aryana Nemati, Angela Ward, and Bukeka Blakemore all working their way through original compositions and Ray Charles’ “Hard Times.” This video sounds and looks amazing, and is a stellar snapshot of Kansas City jazz right now.

Unfit Wives, “Milk & Honey” 

Lawrence’s finest bluegrass outfit, Unfit Wives, perform their song “Milk & Honey” for their entry into the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. The fisheye lens makes it look like a ’90s vintage video, kind of like a down-home take on Juliana Hatfield’s “Universal Heartbeat.” It’s the vintage condenser mic and the three teeny-tiny desks (along with an absolutely adorable surprise ending) which really make this performance pop, though. The song is, as per usual from these women, an earworm which you’ll find yourself singing snatches of for days.

Liam Kazar, “Frank Bacon” 

We’ve featured a few things from musician Liam Kazar over the last year, thanks to the fact that Kazar—who splits his time between his Chicago hometown and Kansas City —makes music that’s beautiful, charming, and wraps you in a wash of twang and melody. His debut album, Due North, is due out on August 6 via Mare Records, Kevin Morby’s imprint on Woodsist. The recently-released single, “Frank Bacon,” marks the first new song we’ve heard following last year’s “Shoes Too Tight” and “On A Spanish Dune,” and it’s the sound of spring exploding into warm, hazy summer.

You can pre-order Due North on Bandcamp.

Jenna Rae, “She Started Drinkin’ Again” 

You might recognize the voice of Jenna Rae from a couple videos back, as she is one of the members of Unfit Wives, in addition to her solo work and running her record label, Lost Cowgirl Records. It was on that label that she released her album, Workin’ Woman, in 2018 and it’s on that album that this song originally appeared. It’s as charming as the song itself, with an anthropomorphized bottle and backing vocals by baying hounds.

Are you a local musician with a new video to share? Email nicholas.spacek@gmail.com.