Sounds Good: Dead Girls @ Replay, Buzz Beach Ball @ Berkley Riverfront Park, Son Volt @ Knuckleheads, Youth Lagoon @ RecordBar

We really need some money.

Is it just me, or has this summer’s concert season been a bit lacking?

Now, of course, this is based entirely on my personal taste, which, if you have been a regular reader of this here website for the past little bit, you would know skews toward indie, alt-country, and boy bands.

For example, last summer I got to see: Phish, My Morning Jacket, The Lumineers, Merle Haggard, Bahamas, the Gaslight Anthem, and Dirty Projectors.  To name a few.  Summer before that was Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Muse, Wilco, Steely Dan, again to name a few.

Is it just me?  Or has this year seen a decline in the amount of national touring acts coming through to grab some barbecue?  Just wondering…

To the pick-mobile!

Friday, September 27th

The Dead Girls CD Release w/ the ACBs and Rev Gusto at the Replay in Lawrence

Here’s how The Dead Girls describe themselves on their Facebook page:

The Dead Girls (formerly Dead Girls Ruin Everything) is the white-hot super group formed from the molten ashes of Ultimate Fakebook and Podstar, two defunct bands that were staples of the Lawrence and Kansas City power-pop sound.

At this point, though, their drummer is probably the best known thing about the band – he’s Eric “Mean” Melin, the air-guitar virtuoso (yes, that’s a thing) who was recently crowned best in the world at the Air Guitar World Championships (also a thing) in Finland.  But don’t come just for that (and the new album his REAL band is releasing).

Also on the bill are KC’s top couple of pop bands, who are worth the trip in and of themselves.  Should be a fun night at the Replay.

Buzz Beach Ball featuring Phoenix, Alt-J, Awolnation, Radkey, and a bunch more at Berkley Riverfront Park in KC

96.5 the Buzz sure does a good job of hyping its concerts.  And by hyping up I mean playing the crap out of all the bands that are booked for months before the show.  Hey, it works.  Just look at last year’s sold out Alt-J show at the Midland for example.  No one really knew about Alt-J – the odd, British band with Adam Sandler-esque vocals – before the Buzz started featuring them heavily in their rotation.

The headliners for this mega-show are Phoenix, the French pop band that’s had a handful of big hits over the last few years.  They always remind me of a much, much, much more polished (not necessarily in a good way) ACBs.  But lookout for local boys Radkey to steal the show.  They’ve been gaining some serious momentum of late.  Check out the full lineup here.

Sunday, September 29th

Son Volt at Knuckleheads in KC

This should be a good one.  Son Volt is the band that Jay Farrar formed after the breakup of his former group, alt-country legends Uncle Tupelo, which included Wilco mastermind Jeff Tweedy.  They’ve recently released their first record since 2009, and it’s a throwback of sorts.  Here’s what Nodepression.com had to say:

“Honky Tonk’s success comes from the quality of Farrar’s songwriting which prevents it from slipping into pastiche. These are songs born from shot glasses full of whiskey-stained tears, heartbreak and a surprising undercurrent of optimism. Honky tonk as as genre was led by the likes of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and it makes sense Farrar is paying tribute as it is one of the cornerstones of the contemporary Americana movement.”

Youth Lagoon at the RecordBar in KC

In the same vein as The War on Drugs and Washed Out, this Boise, Idaho psych-rocker puts out dreamy, echo-y pop songs that are smattered with ambient electronica.  Though only in existence since about 2011, their first album was picked up by prestigious Fat Possum Records, and shot to notoriety after being included on many “Best of 2011” lists.  Their newest release, Wondrous Bughouse, might not have the same buzz as the first record, but it’s similar if not a bit more ambitious.