SSM Spotlight: The Caves and Nathan W. McKee

The Caves are a "post-indie" band from Kansas City that weave mellow semi-acoustic tunes about growth, decay, and deceit. Bassist/Producer/Engineer David Gaumé is an old friend of SSM. The band is rounded out by Andrew Ashby (Guitar, Voice), Elizabeth Bohannon (Keys, Percussion, Voice) and Jake Cardwell (Drums, Percussion). A highly recommended EP has just been completed. Head on over to their Myspace for some sample tracks. For KC-area listeners and internet seekers, you can catch them live on 96.5 on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 (about 9:00 a.m. CST).

The Shadowbox #1- The Caves from Gnarly Enterprises on Vimeo.

Also happening this week is a free EP from Nathan W. McKee. The release is entitled For Leanne Marshall's Runway and compiles the tracks McKee composed for her shows. This work is a densely electronic affair, reminiscent of Four Tet and about half of TNT. McKee's next release apparently features vocals (but whose vocals is unclear). Download the EP here.

News: The Republic Tigers Featured In The Pitch

The Republic Tigers, one of SSM's favorite (new) bands, are featured in a great article today in The Pitch. This article is the most complete and accurate profile of them yet as it discusses their history and future, their recording techniques and influences, and the current goings on at TRT HQ.

The band's debut LP, entitled Keep Color, is set to come out in April on Chop Shop Records. In the meantime, their excellent EP is currently available on iTunes. For instant gratification, get over to their MySpace.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Photo by Forester.

The Republic Tigers

Even though almost every show I cover on SSM takes place in Los Angeles, my hometown is Kansas City. I got involved with the K.C. music scene during high school and have kept up with it since moving away over ten years ago. When I go home, I try and hit a few key stomping grounds and visit with some cats to catch up on local music developments. Of course, the internet has made keeping tabs on things -- and actually hearing bands -- much easier.

I came across The Republic Tigers much as I have discovered other music. I linked to their MySpace page through one of the many other awesome Kansas City bands and was instantly hooked by the track "Made Concrete". A lot of musicians blend acoustic and electronic pop sounds, but there was an immediacy and truth to this song that just worked. The layers, the vocals, the tones...it was all there. Of course, I listened to everything else they had online and eventually got my hands on their demo.

Fast-forward to now. The Republic Tigers have signed with a new imprint called Chop Shop Records. They've got an E.P. coming out in December and an L.P. in March '08. And although they've really only played the Kansas City area, they will be at The Hideout in Chicago on November 24th and L.A.'s Spaceland on December 19th.

This band is awesome and has a ton of potential. The next year has a lot in store for them and I'll be keeping you posted. For now, I highly recommend picking up their E.P. when it's released, checking out their tunes online in the meantime, and joining me at Spaceland -- or wherever else you might be able to catch them.

Photos by Forester.