please stop by the Kansas City Music Coalition page KCMC
i’ve been playing music since the age of 7.
i learned early on that i have a knack for teaching myself to play different instruments, and to do it very quickly. to date, i play about 15 very well, and i can fake it with a few more.
i’ve been playing in bands and recording since my teens, and i hope to do it until i’m physically unable. right now i’m in three bands, and also doing solo work.
the songs on this page are from my unreleased solo record "from the roots up". i played every instrument you hear except the harmonica. (ernie locke flew up from florida to play harp on three tracks) the record is finished and i’m looking for a label to put it out. any takers?---i’m also doing scoring for indie film makers. if you’re interested, drop a line.
i play bass in "American Catastrophe". ---
Stemming from former bands such as The Black Water, Sky Burial, Sister Mary Rotten Crotch among others, American Catastrophe explores the americana, the rural grit, the murderer and the romantic. A world of the seedy where one can die choking on the dove of peace or be beaten to death by a bouquet of roses. American Catastrophe has most commonly been described as "Dark Americana" and have shared the stage with the likes of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots, The Reverend Glasseye, Humanwine, The Veils, The Ponys and many more. Their first album "Excerpts from the Broken Bone Choir" has received excellent reviews from Pitchfork, popmatters, AMG, among others; debuted on the CMJ charts at 166 and has received international radio play. For more information on American Catastrophe please view these links--- Electronic Press Kit --- OxBlood Records---
release: "Excerpts From the Broken Bone Choir" (2006) on OxBlood Records
i play whatever i can get my hands on in "Experimental Instrument Orchestra" (e.i.o.)--- we build our own instruments out of recycled materials, and play beautifully haunting songs with them. most of what we do is improv, so each show will be different from the last. we were invited to london to play the 2006 BBC Electric Proms Festival as a part of the Next Stage "Unlit" showcase. last year mark and i also began teaching experimental instrument building. we work with college level art students locally (kansas city art institute) and at other schools across the country as artists in residence. if you’re interested in having us work with your classes, drop a line. we also sell our instruments, and can build them to order. releases: "unlit at the Loft" EP (2006) "galvanized" (2006) "e.i.o. in Norfolk" (2007) on Rural Grit Records
i play drums in Whiskey Boots---"Whiskey Boots is a grimy, bare-knuckled classic-rock/blues duo in the vein of the Black Keys, among others. Heather Lofflin’s guitar is loud, hard, heavy and nimble - thunder, hail and lighting all in one - and her voice evokes alpha-female singers like Janis Joplin, Wendy Case (Paybacks) and P.J.Harvey. You could add the White Stripes to the list of comparisons but for one big difference: Amy Farrand, a man’s drummer who bangs and bashes with the abandon of John Bonham. An impressive debut." ---Tim Finn, Kansas City Star, Pop Music Critic
Let’s get this straight right away. Whiskey Boots will rock your chromosomes. The two members, Amy Farrand (American Catastrophe, E.I.O., Shotgun Idols, and Sister Mary Rotten Crotch) and Heather Lofflin (The Diamond Heart Club, Black Calvin, Honeybaby), have an impressive music pedigree that spans rock, punk, blues, and Americana. Together as a two-piece outfit, Whiskey Boots dispenses tuneful, hard-pounding rock with a snarling blues undercurrent using rough-and-tumble guitar, fierce drum work, and primal vocals. Hands down, they are a must-see band for sheer energy and bravado.
––Pete Dulin, Present Magazine, Editor
(the links to these bands are below in my top friends)
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Cheers for linkin' up...good to hear from you an these tunes on your profile are sounding pretty damn good.
Ended up having to leave the Dakota early – when the Wentus guys went on I started feeling pretty lousy and by the time they finished we had to dash back to the hotel. Made it back just in time to throw up a sinkful of blood and whisky...maybe some dodgy BBQ in the afternoon taking its toll!
Gracias Amy! We are honored to be included among your friends. May there be ✇ PEACE ✇ and JUSTICE and LAND for all Indigenous Peoples. And may there be no more campaigns of terror and genocide in the states of CHIAPAS and OAXACA, Mexico. Please hold our cause in your heart!