Right away, the intent behind the new fest Smokestock is clear. Set for May 27 at the All Star Rock Bar in Kansas City, Missouri, the 10-band lineup finds it focused heavily on promoting the heavy rock underground local to the region. With a reach that dips down to Texas to bring Greenbeard aboard as headliners, it boasts Kansas and Missouri-based acts Youngblood Supercult, Merlin, Sons of Mourning, Custom Black, Gnarly Davidson, Spacetrucker and Hyborian, as well as Ohio’s Druid, so it’s safe to say that the native scene is well represented.

The plan seems to be to squeeze in 10 bands between 6PM and 12AM, so it’s gonna be a packed night for sure, but hard to argue with the righteousness of the mission. As a side note, Greenbeard, Youngblood Supercult, Spacetrucker and Merlin all have new releases in the works, so I wouldn’t be surprised to find them sharing some of that recent material from the stage, and I’ve heard rumors this isn’t the only fest Youngblood Supercult will be playing this year. Merlin have already been confirmed for Psycho Las Vegas, so there’s a legitimate groundswell happening in the Midwest, and I’ll be interested to see how what’s billed itself as a “stoner rock revival” — playing off tent churches? — plays out in fostering the movement of bands.

Dig into the lineup info and links below, as found on the social medias:

RIP Presents Smokestock: A Midwest Stoner Rock Revival

Saturday, May 27
The All Star Rock Bar
7210 NE 43rd St, Kansas City, Missouri 64117

RIP Productions is proud to present a newly conceived annual event– SMOKESTOCK: A Midwest Stoner Rock Revival

SMOKESTOCK is a Kansas City-based festival aimed at bringing stoner rock, doom metal, and psych/fuzz to the Midwestern masses.

This year’s confirmed performing artists at The All Star Rock Bar:

Greenbeard (Texas)
Youngblood Supercult (Topeka, Kansas)
Druid (Ohio)
Custom Black (KCMO)
Sons Of Mourning (KCMO)
Keef Mountain (KCMO)
Merlin (KCMO)
Gnarly Davidson (Lawrence, Kansas)
Spacetrucker (St. Louis, Mo.)
Hyborian (KCMO)

All ages until midnight!
$10 for 21+/$12 for under 21
Doors at 5pm, music starts at 6!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1035751783228166/
https://www.facebook.com/smokestock/

Youngblood Supercult, High Plains (2016)

There are reportedly three new songs on Keef Mountain‘s self-titled debut LP. Can you guess which ones they are? While side B features retracked versions of the cuts from the band’s 2012 demo, Climbing Higher — as do a lot of first albums, one way or another — my money’s on “New Song,” “New Song 2” and “New Song 3” on side A for being the new ones. Don’t ask why. Something about them just makes me think they haven’t been around as long.

Like their label, the newly-formed The Company Records, Keef Mountain are based out of Kansas City, Missouri. The imprint’s founder, Josh Wilkinson, has also done graphics work for STB Records, who sent along word that the Keef Mountain LP — available, in STB-style limited editions — is up for preorder now:

STB Family member and resident graphic designer extraordianaire, Josh Wilkinson from The Company Design has started a new label, “The Company Records”. His first release is the first full length album from Kansas’ Keef Mountain.

Pre-order is happening now at: http://thecompanykc.com
Stream music here: https://keefmountain.bandcamp.com

Release Info:

Keef Mountain – “Keef Mountain” (THECO-001)
Limited Pressing of 225
50 “Bong Smoke” Die hard Editions / Includes Original Demo Tape “Climbing Higher”
175 “Super Dank” (35 available through the band/140 available through the label)
A Handful of Test Presses will be available at a later date.
50 First Pre-Orders received a free T-Shirt: SOLD OUT

Side A:
New Song
New Song 2
New Song 3

Side B:
Sorcery of the Trees (2016)
Psylocibin Queen (2016)
Death Cult (2016)

To help raise money for this release, The Company Records is presenting a free show (donations highly encouraged) on July 16th @ Mills Record Company in KCMO. Also sponsored by Poisoned Mind and DHU Records, every penny raised from this show will go into the Keef Mountain release.

The amazing lineup is as follows:
Youngblood Supercult
Merlin
Keef Mountain
Orphans of Doom

http://thecompanykc.com
http://thecompanydesign.bigcartel.com/
https://keefmountain.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KeefMountain/

Keef Mountain, “The Ascent”