Post 12 - Podcast

Post 11 - The Sluts

I debated whether or not I should include this band in my blog because their name is not very appropriate, but in the end I felt like I had to because they are such a great local band and I have yet to talk about any bands from the Lawrence area. The Sluts are a two-piece garage/punk/grunge band based out of Lawrence, Kansas. The band includes Kristoffer Dover and Ryan Wise, and they have been a band since 2011. I have been a fan of this band for quite awhile now, ever since I caught one of their gigs in Lawrence. The Sluts are different than most things you hear on the radio nowadays. They bring back elements of great grunge bands like Nirvana, and I find it very refreshing. You can learn more about this band by visiting their website here.

If you are a fan of grunge or punk music, I can't recommend this band enough. They are super talented musicians. The video below is one of my favorites of theirs.

If you ever get a chance to see these guys live, just do it. They are a really good time and you won't regret it!

Post 10 - Zolt3ch

Another genre of music that I have neglected until this point is EDM. So now I will talk about a buddy of mine that produces music, Sam Zlotky, also known as Zolt3ch. Sam is a very talented guy when it comes to producing and playing music. He uses his background as a percussion player to give his music a touch of uniqueness. Zolt3ch has been producing music for years now and I think his music is quite good. He recently took part in a competition held by Zedd (a very popular producer). The competition was to remix one of Zedd's popular songs, "I Want You to Know (feat. Selena Gomez)." Here is Zolt3ch's entry:

Sam has also worked on his own original music, and you can find it on SoundCloud, Youtube, and iTunes. I will include a video of one of his original songs at the end of the post. I think that Sam is very talented and highly recommend you check out his tunes. Not only is he talented, but he is one of my good friends and a genuinely good person.

Post 9 - Andy McKee

The next artist I would like to talk about is a perfect example of a local musician whose hard work paid dividends and gained worldwide popularity. I was lucky enough to catch his show at Washburn University's White Concert Hall this past week, it was fantastic and I have it pictured below.

Andy is a Topeka native, who really gained popularity by posting videos of himself playing his unique style of guitar to Youtube, Since gaining popularity he has released multiple solo albums and toured all over the country. He has even played alongside with names like Prince and Dreamtheater. If you have not had a chance to listen to any of McKee's music, I strongly urge you to watch the Youtube video below.

As you can see from the video, he is incredibly talented and creates beautiful music.

If you want to hear more, you can find his music on Spotify, Pandora, and Youtube.

Post 8 - Homegrown Buzz

In one of my previous posts I talked about the Homegrown Buzz Music Showcase, so now I feel like I should talk about the radio show that was a big reason this showcase was even possible. Every Sunday evening on 96.5 the Buzz, they play nothing but local Kansas City area artists from 8-10 PM and they call this Homegrown Buzz. Jeriney (the DJ in charge of this show) is very passionate about local music, and this is very evident when you listen to her show. Jeriney will often have local musicians as guests in the studio for the show, which allows you to see the personalities of many of these artists, and helps them gain new fans. Also, this show is not narrowed down to just alternative music. If it is a local artist, there is a very good chance that it could end up on the homegrown playlist regardless of genre.

If you want to know more about Homegrown Buzz with Jeriney or their playlists you can check out the website here.

Post 7 - On the Shoulders of Giants

Up to this point I have mainly talked about alternative bands, because that's generally what I listen to the most. So with this post I thought I would talk about a metal band based out of Topeka called On the Shoulders of Giants. I am actually good friends with a couple of the members of this band. This band has had quite a few changes over the years but the two constant members of this band are my friends, Sage Cornelius and Steven Perez. Those two are some of the most talented guitarists I know. They classify themselves as a Hardcore/Metalcore/Punk band. They list some of the bands that have influenced them as: No Bragging Rights, Born of Osiris, Periphery, Close to Home, Sworn In, Volumes, Thy Art is Murder, and Whitechapel.
Full List of members
Kyler Delfs - Vocals
Sage Cornelius - Guitar and Clean Vocals
Grant Sunbye - Bass
Aaron Dehner - Drums
Steven Perez - Guitar

Check out their Facebook page here.

I am not a huge metal head, but OTSOG is one band that I actually can get into and enjoy. I definitely think everyone should give them a listen!

Post 6 - The Greeting Committee

Now I'd like to talk more about one of my favorite bands from Kansas City. The Greeting Committee is a band that I think has a chance to be very big one day. The Greeting Committee are an indie pop group based out of Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 2014 by high school students Addie Sartino (vocals), Brandon Yangmi (guitar), Pierce Turcotte (bass), and Austin Fraser (drums). The crazy thing about them is that the average age of the members is 17 years old. It was recently announced that they would be playing at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer which, in the words of Ron Burgundy in the movie Anchorman, is "kind of a big deal." They also just recently were signed to Harvest Records, which has been home to some big names, such as Morrissey and Glass Animals.

You can check out their debut EP "It's Not All That Bad", on Spotify, and iTunes.

You can also check out their website here.

Like I said before, I really enjoy this band, and highly recommend everyone check them out

.Here is one of their more popular tunes:

Post 5 - Local Music Stores

Hey everyone!

One thing that all local musicians have in common, is they all at one point went into a music store and looked at instruments and equipment, or even took lessons there and received expert advice. Having a local music store that you can go to for all these things is key to the development of musicians. Here in the Topeka area there are two main stores that I have frequently visited.

Supersonic Music

Supersonic Music caters to your drum and guitar needs. I know many musicians who have relied on the people at Supersonic for their helpful service. They have top notch gear and instruments, and they offer personal lessons for many different instruments. Supersonic also generously offers gear and support during many local music events.

Location - 117 SE 6th St. Topeka, KS 66603
Phone - (785) 235-3786
Website - http://www.supersonicmusic.com/

Manning Music

Manning Music has been in the Topeka area for a long time, and there is definitely a reason for this. The professionalism in the staff there is exceptional, and I am lucky enough to know quite a few members of the staff there. Manning has all you could want from wind instruments to guitars and drums. The people of Manning are friendly and helpful. Manning Music has been a long-time favorite of mine.

Location - 3400 SW 6th St. Topeka, KS 66606
Phone - (785) 272-1740
Website -  https://www.manningmusic.net/

Both of these stores are excellent. Both stores have staff members who are glad to help you with anything. So if you are interested in buying an instrument or gear, or even taking lessons these are good places to start.

Post 4 - Homegrown Buzz Showcase 2016

Hello fellow music lovers!

Earlier this week 96.5 the Buzz, a Kansas City alternative radio station, announced a big local music showcase. They are calling it Homegrown Buzz Music Showcase 2016, and it will feature a ton of awesome bands. The showcase will take place Saturday, April 9th, at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City. There will be performances all day long with doors opening at 11 AM and the show getting started around 1 PM., Performances will be happening in many different locations throughout Power & Light, including the KC Live! Stage, No Other Pub, Pizza Bar, and many others. The Showcase is for anyone 18 years of age and up (21 and up after 9 PM) and it should be an absolute blast and the cover charge is only $5! Some of my favorite bands that will be playing at the showcase are, The Greeting Committee, Not a Planet, Yes You Are, The Yotes, Tall Tales, and Kangaroo Knife Fight. I even added a little slideshow to this blog with some pictures of these bands. If you want any more info on this show, or any other show that 96.5 the Buzz is putting on click here.

I will leave you with one of my favorite songs by The Greeting Committee as a little more incentive for you to check out this show.

Post 3 - Local Music Venues

Another important thing to know if you want to get into the local music scene, is where the shows will be. There are quite a lot of local music venues in the Topeka area as well in Lawrence and Kansas City. In Topeka, there is The Boobie Trap, The Celtic Fox, Tailgator's, and several others. In Lawrence, there is The Granada, Liberty Hall, The Bottleneck, and there are countless venues in Kansas City. All of these venues are great because they allow local musicians and bands the opportunity to showcase their talents, gain new fans, and sell their merchandise. Without venues like that, it would be very difficult for local bands to make a name for themselves. Below I will post google maps to some of my very favorite local music venues.

The Boobie Trap

The Granada

The Tank Room



These venues are all great places to catch a show, and I think that anyone who likes live music would enjoy these places as much as I do!

Post 2 - Monk's Wine

Hey everyone!

The first local band that I will showcase is Monk's Wine. This band is made up of three people:

Ashley Reynolds on lead vocals/keys, Jarrod Guth on guitar/vocals, and my very good friend Sam Zlotky on drums and vocals.

(image credit @Kendollphotography)

Monk's Wine plays a sort of "piano rock" style that has been influenced by Dave Matthews Band and Ben Folds. They are a very talented group, and I highly recommend checking them out!

Post 1 - Welcome!

Hello everyone! My name is Matt Alexander, and I love music. I have been involved with music for as long as I can remember. I have played in symphonic bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and even a rock band. In my experience with music, I have met a lot of really cool, talented musicians.  These people are what this blog is going to be all about. I just felt like all of these hard-working people deserved to be talked about, so I wanted a blog that was about all things going on in the local music scene in Northeast Kansas. I hope everyone enjoys reading!