For many decades, Kansas has had a vibrant country and bluegrass scene. The Country Stampede Music Festival – one of the largest music festivals in the country – and the bluegrass/acoustic Walnut Valley Festival are testament to the continued popularity of these music genres in the state. Among current leading country artists, Martina McBride and Chely Wright are natives of Kansas.
Martin Clive Atkins is an English drummer, best known for his work in post-punk and industrial groups including Public Image Ltd, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Killing Joke. He also works as a consultant, has written multiple books on the music industry, and is the music industry studies coordinator at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Atkins is the owner and operator of the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music in Chicago, is an honorary board member of the Chicago-based nonprofit organization Rock For Kids, and a fellow of In Place of War.
The F.U.'s are a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They formed in 1981 as a three-piece band, released two records and appeared on the compilation This Is Boston, Not L.A. before changing their name to Straw Dogs in 1986 to market themselves as a heavy metal act. In 2010 The F.U.'s reformed under their original moniker.
The Effigies were an American punk band from Chicago. The band played its first show in 1980 and was active initially for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes with frontman John Kezdy the only constant, before disbanding in 1990. The band released 5 albums and several EPs, most on the record label they founded in 1981, Ruthless Records, which was distributed by Enigma. Later albums were on the Fever Records and Roadkill Records labels. They toured the U.S. and Canada and played notable venues, including CBGB, Maxwell's, First Avenue (nightclub), Mabuhay Gardens, Paycheck's (Detroit), Exit (Chicago) and The Rathskeller, among others. They also received a significant amount of national airplay on college radio at a time when it was the only medium for alternative music.
The Embarrassment was an American quartet formed in 1979 in Wichita, Kansas, that was initially active from 1979 to 1983 and has reunited several times since then. The band consisted of guitarist Bill Goffrier, lead singer and organist John Nichols, bassist Ron Klaus, and drummer Brent Giessmann. After the band broke up, Giessmann played for The Del Fuegos and Goffrier formed Big Dipper. The band was considered a prominent part of the Lawrence music scene of the early 1980s.
The Outhouse was a hardcore punk music venue located east of Lawrence, Kansas, United States, on 15th Street. Original shows listed the venue as Past the Pavement Hall, being as the county pavement ended about 3/4 of a mile from the building.
Dolly Varden is a Chicago band built around the singing and songwriting of husband and wife duo Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen. Their music combines elements of folk, rock and pop and country. The band has released 5 albums, along with several collections and side projects.
Action Reaction is the debut album by American Post-punk band Get Smart!, released on Enigma Records' "Fever" imprint in 1984.
Swimming With Sharks is the second album by Get Smart!, released on Enigma Records' "Restless" imprint in 1986.
Fresh Sounds From Middle America was the first in a series of compilations featuring bands from the Midwest region of America. Volume 1 was a split compilation cassette-only release featuring 22 tracks from 4 bands and is sometimes referred to as "the Buffalo tape" because of the Buffalo imprint on the cover of the tape.
Stump the Host was a band from Chicago, United States, featuring lead singers Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, who later formed the band Dolly Varden. From 1988 to 1993 they played primarily in Chicago and the Midwest. Their music was a mix of country, rock, and R&B, featuring dual male / female harmony vocals, country-blues electric guitar, saxophone and rhythm section. After a series of local and national reviews of their cassette recordings, and a performance at South By Southwest, they signed a publishing deal with PolyGram Music and were courted by Zoo Records. They eventually released one 7" single, "California Zephyr" on the independent label Minty Fresh.
Words Move is a 4-track EP by Get Smart!, released on Syntax Records on December 8, 1981. It was recorded at Ramona Studios in Lawrence, KS and produced by Dave Stuckey, of the Dave and Deke Combo. The track "Eat, Sleep A Go-Go" from this EP was included on the Sub Pop #5 cassette compilation.
Fresh Sounds From Middle America was the second in a series of compilations featuring bands from the Midwest region of America. Volume 2 was a split compilation cassette-only release featuring 18 tracks from 5 bands.
Fresh Sounds From Middle America was the third album released in the series of compilations featuring bands from the Midwest region of America. The mix of styles was about half punk rock and half alternative rock. The best known of the bands included are the Micronotz, the Pedal Jets and the Homestead Grays. This volume was presented by "Redline and KJHK".
Numbers and Colours / Ankle Deep in Mud is the debut release by the post-punk band Get Smart!. It was released as a 6-inch flexi disc that accompanied the May 13, 1981 issue of Talk Talk magazine.
The Micronotz, also known as the Mortal Micronotz, were an American punk rock/alternative rock quartet formed in 1980 in Lawrence, Kansas, that, along with bands like The Embarrassment and Get Smart!, were prominent on the local music scene in Lawrence in the early 80s.
Live from Lawrence was the fourth album in the "Fresh Sounds From Middle America" series of compilation albums, and like the previous album in the series it was a collaborative effort by Fresh Sounds Records and the KJHK radio station.
Fresh Sounds From Middle America is the fifth and last album in the Lawrence, Kansas-based series of compilation albums. This volume was the first to be released on compact disc.
Fresh Sounds Records was an independent record label from Lawrence, Kansas, run by local music promoter Bill Rich. Acts that have been on the label include Get Smart!, the Embarrassment, the Mortal Micronotz, Start, SPK, the Homestead Grays and William S. Burroughs.
Stephen John Dawson is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his solo work, and for his work with the bands Dolly Varden, Stump the Host and Funeral Bonsai Wedding.
