Appropriate Grammar

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. - Joshua Hammond/The Deli KC

The Man in Black at the RecordBar this past Thursday night wasn’t Johnny reincarnate, it was Nick McKenna, the lead singer and guitarist for Appropriate Grammar. Although I didn’t hear the influence of Johnny Cash on the sound of Appropriate Grammar, after talking with Nick and hearing the band, I was left with the impression that the story driving this band is not dissimilar from Cash’s song, The Man in Black. If you combine that story with the influences of the Psychedelic Furs and The Clash, I suspect you will find yourself within the realm of Appropriate Grammar. The band’s set was filled with tasty guitar riffs, walking bass lines and loose harmonies. Despite their very American home-base (KC), Appropriate Grammar has, to my ear, more of a British sound. It’s a sound I don’t often hear in the KC scene and I have often wished to hear more of it. Supporting Nick, Steve Gardels gave a flawless performance on drums, Claire Adams used every fret on her bass and Alex Dunsford riffed a smile onto the face of all in attendance. I am a fan. If you appreciate the sounds of Britain, put Appropriate Grammar’s next show on your calendar. You won’t be disappointed. - Gus Reitchen/KC Fan View

"Not many bands can pull off rollicking, melodic songs that are emotional, smart and fun without coming off as being pretentious or downright aggravating, but Appropriate Grammar seems to have a formula down that works well for what they are doing, like an Old-Fashioned served with just the right amount of bitters." - Mike Tipton / Deli Magazine Kansas City

ARTIST OF THE DAY: Appropriate Grammar

Know what makes us happy here at MidCoast? The proper use of grammar. Know what sends us over the moon? Cheekily-named, delightful indie-rock bands with talented (and hot -- yeah, we said it) female bassists. Kansas City-based quartet Appropriate Grammar takes the proverbial cake when it comes to genre-bending bands that make us swoon, and with a sound that ranges from sombre ballads to pulsing punk numbers, Appropriate Grammar has it all. Grab a glass of whiskey, order up some barbecue, and hold on to your fedora -- this is one live show too unique to miss.

Appropriate Grammar joins the Takeover Friday, March 16, from 6:00pm - 6:30pm at the Shangri-La. - Midcoast Takeover

"...and after listening to their EP...I can say that I'm sold."

(This is a podcast, click the link to hear more.) - Jeff D./Amplify KC

"...a four piece indie force in the making."

(This is a podcast, click the link to hear more) - Michael Byars/Midwest Music Foundation

Appropriate Grammar's Nick McKenna had the appearance of a zombified John Mayer in blood and fedora. Blazing through the first three songs at a galloping pace, the slightly inebriated McKenna announced that he would be taking to the keys. (With a grin, he said "I'm not a piano player, but I'm totally gonna play piano.") Two-thirds through the set, the secondary guitarist called in the artillery. Busting out a vintage Les Paul, he wielded the instrument like a precision weapon, livening even the most undead of guitar aficionados in the room. - Brad Krohe / Pitch Wayward Blog

Next up for me was the end of Appropriate Grammar's show, at a more comfortable temperature inside. Under the bright red lights of the Riot Room stage, the first thing I noticed was bassist Claire Adams' shoeless feet -- an admittedly strange visual cue to catch -- though I attribute that to my infatuation with female bassists. Appropriate Grammar's sound is a clean one -- polished and full, with all typical elements of straightforward indie rock accounted for (and accounted for well). Singer Nick McKenna's voice harbors the unification of folk intuition with punk style and sits nicely on top of the heavy rhythm drumming of Steve Gardels. - Jenny Kratz / Pitch Wayward Blog

In this case, appropriate grammar cannot do justice to this group’s art. Dump your active voice, subject-verb-object rigidity, open up, and throw your personal rules out the window. Absorb them when you have a chance… - Tom Ryan / Crossroads Currents