Emcee Les Izmore and producer D/WILL make up the electrifying hip-hop duo Heartfelt Anarchy. The two artists blend their respective talents together in this project to create a vital, prolific musical collective for the Kansas City scene to enjoy. We talk with them about their upcoming appearance at Middle of the Map Fest.

(Photo of Rural Grit All-Stars at The Brick, taken by Michelle Bacon)

By the time I had made it to the Crossroads Music Festival, entertainment was in full swing. I had opted to take the "knowledge" approach to the fest, seeking out only bands that I had yet to experience. Thankfully, the lineup was packed with fresh names, mostly due to my overwhelming tendency to not leave my house.

Due to a pants/dryer fiasco that had plagued me for the better portion of the evening the first set I was able to catch was The Hillary Watts Riot at the Midwestern Musical Company stage. The first thing I noticed while walking in was the room. With guitars at every angle and pop art and vintage toys lining the walls, the space is easily in the running for Kansas City’s best hidden gem. Shove the extremely energetic Hillary Watts Riot in the room and you’ve got a winning combo. Though the band will fuck with your mind like a drunken kitten, the Devo meets B-52 mashup is the type of music you have to stop, think over, digest, process, then accept. However, unique is the fact that while deep and complex it remains fun and approachable on the surface. With a pinup doll look and sunglasses-at-night image, the pedal-heavy band kicks in your teeth with plenty of reverb and a chaotic sound. With glimpses of punk reflecting off the glitters of glam, the band’s sound bounces all over the place. 1990s sound bites bleed through the 1980s influences. Mixed with their witty banter, this band is entertainment at its best. Show up to catch them if not only to catch their drummer (Sergio Moreno) rock his flashlight hands mid-set.

From there, I wandered downtown towards The Brick to catch Victor & Penny. I had wanted to catch their antique pop set for a while, but could never manage to get their schedule to align with mine. In addition, their tour schedule has been nothing to scoff at. Neither is their live act. Victor (Jeff Freling), who runs his vocals through a vintage throwback radio, is a treat to watch. His guitar chops are stout and his rockabilly licks are well-rehearsed and down pat. Paired with the beautiful Penny (Erin McGrane), who rocks a tiny uke and a sunshine smile, the group is unstoppable and refreshing. Her act has a bit of snarl to it, growling when you least expect it. She is also in full control of her facial expressions, turning them on at all the appropriate moments. She is the perfect front lady and in full control of her craft. She knows her charms and makes certain that her audience is enlightened of them as well, as she swims through her 100-year-old material. Of all the sets of the night, this one was the hardest to leave early.

Begrudgingly, I meandered toward the Czar Bar to catch John Velgne & The Prodigal Sons. Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a fair judgment of their sound due to an overwhelmingly extreme use of soundboard. Turned up to 11, the band’s layers and depth were missing, buried somewhere in a clutter of echo and earplugs. You could, however, gather the way the horns filled the room. Making note of their E Street ways, I gave my ears a break and headed back toward Midwestern Musical Company’s setup for Dim Peepers.

Sporting a suitcase bass drum, kazoos, a homemade washtub bass and tiny horns, Dim Peepers won my heart and the award for the fest’s most unique band. With a fantastic do-it-yourself sound, the band owned the room, the crowd, and in my humble opinion, the fest. Requesting that I not be afraid to get drunk and make a fool of myself, I lived wildly. I didn’t take notes and instead danced a little. Just a touch. Not enough to be noticed or lose my reclusive wallflower status, but enough to feel silly. Good times.

From there, I lurked at the Midwest Music Foundation tent, listening to Hearts of Darkness and watching cougars shimmy across the parking lot. Even from my lawn chair, I found the set enjoyable. The female vocals belted across the city skyline as people danced (poorly and drunkenly) in the wood chips. After a nice break, I bolted for Appropriate Grammar down the street.

Shifty eyed and crooked smiled, the band brought its best chops and left their R-rated jokes at home (due to parents in the room). With great guitar riffs and power-pop hooks slamming into the occasional alt-country structure, the band is somewhat unique to Kansas City. Think Rhett Miller without the band bleeding all over the stage emotionally. The charming female "ohs" blended well with the male vocals and seemed to fit flawlessly over the band’s epic drum usage. Sadly, battling Hearts of Darkness, the band played one of the fest’s most promising sets to an almost empty room. Take note of that and catch them when you can.

Starhaven Rounders would serve as my next adventure of the evening. I mean, can you think of a better follow up to power-pop than a country cover band? Nope. I didn’t think so.

There is a bit of irony to my catching this set. As I sat in The Brick in a purple emo hoodie, rocking a fairly impressive-sized jewfro, one would never assume me the type to catch the latest gossip at the honky-tonks of Nash Vegas. But honestly, is there anything better than a good, solid country band? With slide guitar, violin (called a fiddle in this case) and sad bastard lyrics. The interactions of a good country band are without question better than anything that any other genre can offer. There is nothing more real in music. Hearing our local member crank out Don Williams, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash makes me both proud and disappointed in Kansas City. This sound is something we could use more of (says the emo kid). We can debate this if you want, but before we do, I challenge you to catch this band and tell me that they don’t possess some of the finest instrumentation in the 816.

If you can debate convincingly, I’ll buy you a beer. I’ll be the one wearing the cat shirt.

The Hillary Watts Riot at Midwestern Musical Company (Photo by Michelle Bacon)

Bill Sundahl, Crossroads Music Fest organizer (Photo by Todd Zimmer)

 
Kasey Rausch, Mikal Shapiro, and Shane Ogren at Czar (Photo by Michelle Bacon)

Thom Hoskins at Midwestern Musical Company (Photo by Todd Zimmer)

The Supernauts at Crossroads KC at Grinder's (Photo by Todd Zimmer)

--Joshua Hammond

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(Photo by Todd Zimmer)

Editor's note and correction: Shelf Life is the second album release from The Hearts of Darkness. The band's first album, a self-titled LP, was released in 2010 and available at Bandcamp.

"Welcome to the Middle of the Map!
Kansas City, to be exact!
I’m Les Izmore, and I’ve brought some friends along!
They go by …

THE HEARTS OF DARKNESS!"

The opening cadence of the very first song, the title track to The Hearts of Darkness’ new album Shelf Life, is not an introduction.  It is not a gentle request for your attention.  What it is … (deep breath) … is one of Kansas City’s most bombastic frontmen throwing down the gauntlet and defying you to turn your attention away from the forty-five-minute barrage of music and lyrics that comprise the first full-length effort of a band whose reputation as a live act without peer has been growing since its inception in 2008. Their progression has followed the standard blueprint of sought-after success: play gigs, become known for their live shows, record an EP, play more gigs, get asked to play high-profile slots in such big-ticket events as Farm Aid and Kanrocksas, release a bonafide album. Two years in the making, Shelf Life brings together the beat of West Africa, the spirit of New Orleans, the funk of James Brown, the rhythm of Fela Kuti, and the soul of Count Basie.  There’s also no shortage of KC pride here; HoD makes it very clear that they are raising the hometown flag high throughout the record.

Not bad for a group that bandleader Bob Asher describes as a "side project" when they came together nearly 5 years ago.  He says that most of the musicians (anywhere between 12 and 19 on a given night) had little to no experience playing in a band, so the Hearts of Darkness sound was carefully cultivated along the way.  The result is a collective that is amazingly tight in spite of its sometimes sprawling stage presence – and a presence they are, with Izmore and a formidable trio of dynamic, compelling ladies providing the lyrics to music that demands movement from the listener. While the rhythm is almost always on full-speed-ahead mode, the messages aren’t always simply about having fun and dancing the night away, as witnessed by such tracks as "Standing on the Corner" and "Got to Hustle."  Chad Meise at The Cooler Studio does yeoman work in capturing the energy of a live performance, but vinyl and plastic can only do so much, so attending HoD’s CD release party (emphasis on "party," as The Good Foot will be laying down the soul groove sounds as well) is highly recommended.

What’s next for The Hearts of Darkness?  According to Asher, some well-deserved down time, as the band will be cutting back on performances for the rest of the year and gearing up for 2013, with new songs at the ready. The target to kick back into full swing is around Mardi Gras time – and what better event for such an unstoppable musical force to flex its muscles? Shelf Life will either be the start of a new sonic addiction or the latest dose of an already-ingrained habit.  As Les and the ladies ask in "Numeration," how far will they go before they stop?

Here’s hoping we don’t find out where the “stop” is for a long, long time.

The Hearts of Darkness will be releasing Shelf Life at a special release party this Saturday, August 25 at Knuckleheads Saloon at 8:00 pm. They'll be accompanied by special guests The Good Foot.

--Michael Byars

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