Sound Salvation
Robert Moore knows more about music than I do. For three years now, he’s been providing Kansas Citians with two hours of free-form musical bliss from 2 to 4 p.m. every Saturday on KCUR 89.3. I figured I’d just step aside and let him introduce all the bands playing his two-night Sonic Spectrum Third Anniversary showcase this Friday and Saturday at the Record Bar.
With the exception of the Ponys, all the bands are local, and most will be playing new material. Here’s what The Man had to say — candidly and spontaneously over lunch at the Brick — about the groups set to rock KC this weekend, in order.
Night One
Anvil Chorus: “Beautiful, atmospheric pop in the vein of Portishead and the Cocteau Twins.”
Ad Astra Per Aspera: “One of the most exciting live bands anywhere, and I think they have one of the most interesting sounds of any group in town.”
White Whale: “One of the most exciting new bands around. Beautifully crafted songs — it sounds so fresh.”
Doris Henson: “Constantly on the brink of making it. I think the new songs will shock everybody. They’re quite different than what they’ve done before. Matt Dunehoo is one of the best frontmen in music. When you have people like Billy Smith [Record Bar booker] saying they’re the best band in town, that says a lot.”
Night Two
The Belles: “That’s a band that baffles me that they’re not huge in the indie world. I think Chris [Tolle] and Jake [Cardwell] create some of the best songs in music today.”
American Catastrophe: “Beautiful, dark murder ballads. Basically, it’s as if Nick Cave fronted 16 Horsepower.” Editor’s note: The night before our interview, Moore had spent four hours with this band at the 89.3 studio, recording two brand-new songs for broadcast on Sonic Spectrum.
The Roman Numerals: “To me, they’re like giants of the Kansas City music scene, playing the best dark wave out there.”
The Ponys: “God, how to describe them? Just one of my favorite bands in the States. They’re dark, ’80s-influenced, hard to peg, but I love them. Their last record, Celebration Castle, made a lot of Top 10 lists.” Editor’s note: Moore gives big ups to Billy Smith for being the one to bring the Ponys to town.
At least twice during lunch, Moore raved about how each of the bands in his showcase deserves a record deal. To him, these are no-brainers. That’s why he describes all the bands as being “the best” in one way or another. He has worked in the industry (at IRS and Virgin Records), and he’s a classic, old-school DJ who knows what he likes and what he doesn’t. So this weekend, when the Record Bar becomes a brick-and-mortar version of Moore’s show, rest assured that he’s not just popping whatever into the virtual CD player and hitting a button.
