There Stands the Glass

Review: Capybara- Dave Drusky

2012-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

Until I witnessed its incredibly sensitive yet thoroughly dynamic performance backing the legendary Daniel Johnston at the Middle of the Map festival in 2011, I dismissed Capybara as an irredeemably slight ensemble. Cute and cuddly aren't qualities I admire in a rock band. I'd written Capybara off as soft.

Capybara's ability to inspire the best Johnston performance I've witnessed changed my perception of the band. That explains why I'm so uncharacteristically smitten by Dave Drusky, the Kansas City band's new album. The delightfully disorienting project could be mistaken for a clever remix of isolated tracks from the recent deluxe reissue of the Pet Sounds sessions.

Dave Drusky's wispy dream pop is unflaggingly pleasant. Even when it musters energy on "Black Apollo Rain," the band's rock is tastefully understated. "Bill Dabbler, Lorn Line" could be the theme song for a children's cartoon. And the fact that one selection is titled Pierre Bensusan is the fulfillment of a music geek's fantasy.

Given my affinity for the music of the French guitarist, I should have already understood that soft and mellow are entirely different things.

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I admired Put Your Back N 2 It, the fine new album by Perfume Genius, even before I saw the wonderful video for "Hood." Amazing.

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I fail to hear how Sharon Van Etten's Tramp is substantively different than Adele's 21. Why is it considered "indie" by tastemakers who dismiss Adele as a mainstream act? That said, while I like both Adele and Van Etten, I continue to prefer Cat Power's The Greatest.

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The "What's In My Bag?" spotlight on Nick 13 is honky-tonk heaven.

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Mac Lethal is offering digital copies of the first six volumes of his Love Potion projects- 85 tracks in all- for $10 at Bandcamp.

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Beverly Kenney! (Via Euclid Records.) Unfortunately, there's also this.

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Van Halen's new album is an actually halfway decent listen if you like stoopid party rock. And I do. The best bits sound like Who Are You-era The Who.

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"He's good-bad, but he's not evil."

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I discovered the genius of Nico Muhly this week.

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Alex Smith of KCUR goes "cratedigging".

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Wando has died.

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Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds is one of my heroes.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Vivica Genaux and Europa Galante at the Folly Theater

2012-02-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

My knees are still weak days after attending Friday's concert by Vivica Genaux and Europa Galante. It's not just the nonexistent leg room in the balcony of the Folly Theater that made me wobbly. I'm still swooning from the intoxicating combination of the vocalist's superb voice, sultry visage and sublime accompanists.

It looked like this but it sounded as good as any concert I've experienced. No amplification was employed in the high-ceilinged hall. I could distinguish every note played by the 14-piece Italian ensemble. I caught glimpses of God during Concerto for 2 violins Op 3 Nº 8 RV 522.

I loved much of the live jazz and metal I've already witnessed in 2012, but Friday's concert is the one to beat.

Here's John Heuertz's review.

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David Peaston has died.

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Here's the music video for Esperanza Spalding's "Black Gold."

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What did I think of the halftime show at the Super Bowl? Thanks for asking. Just the mere idea of the trio of Madonna, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj being broadcast into tens of millions of homes around the world strikes me as remarkably subversive.

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I recently listened to Sun Ra's Magic City for the first time in over a decade. It's unfortunate the legend sometimes gets in the way of the music. This stuff is absolutely brilliant.

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I returned to the Folly Theater on Saturday to catch Phil Woods and Grace Kelly. Here are my notes.

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Kansas City Click: It's my understanding that Stacy Barthe opens for Estelle at the Riot Room on Monday.

Everette DeVan plays at the Phoenix on Tuesday.

Amy Farrand's Weirdo Wednesday Supper Club is at Davey's Uptown.

Max Justus is among the acts performing Thursday at the Record Bar.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass. I didn't dare try for an in-concert photo. Sure enough, Genaux sternly scolded a shutterbug during the show.)

Review: Icons Among Us

2012-02-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

I flipped my lid when I stumbled across a copy of Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense at my local library. I'd been eager to see the documentary for a couple years. Alas, it wasn't quite as definitive as I'd hoped. Some of the footage that had piqued my interest in various clips at YouTube didn't make the cut. (The material is presumably available on the deluxe edition.) And the finished product seems disjointed- it skips about randomly. My favorite bits include Donald Harrison creating a symphony with just his voice and a bucket on his front porch in post-Katrina New Orleans, Terence Blanchard's scathing insights, Bugge Wesseltoft's excellent performance and the opportunity to hear Courtney Pine speak for the first time. As anyone familiar with Plastic Sax already knows, I subscribe to the film's assertion that there's no shortage of essential ~~jazz~~ #BAM being played today even if hardly anyone is listening. Here's an eight-minute trailer for the film.

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F*cked Up and Mission of Burma are the acts that have me excited about the 2012 edition of the Middle of the Map festival.

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Don Cornelius loomed large in my childhood.

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The new Leonard Cohen album is absurdly rewarding.

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God bless the Free Music Archive. Check out Raw Music International's Kenyan Underground compilation.

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The new music video for The Element makes Kansas City look beautiful. (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Clare Fischer, 1928-2012

2012-01-31T18:07:00.001-08:00

Well aware that it's overused, I tend to avoid using the phrase "musicians' musician." Yet the characterization is almost unavoidable in any reference to Clare Fischer. A note from steadfast There Stands the Glass reader BGO aside, the only notifications I received about Fischer's recent passing were from musicians. Frankly, I never got it. Fischer's smooth solo albums continue to baffle me. Honestly, I have no frame of reference here.

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D'Angelo!

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Why does Rodrigo y Gabriela always leave me cold? The new Area 52 should be just my thing, but it seems far too slick and forced.

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I'm sadly underwhelmed by the new album by Cloud Nothings. Really good video, though.

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Kisses On the Bottom, Paul McCartney's new release, reminds me of those wonderful comeback albums by Alberta Hunter.

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I know a lot of people who are very excited about the latest shenanigans of Neil Young.

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Jumpin' Jehosafats! Vivica Genaux is in my town Friday!

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Kansas City Click: Slow Southern Steel oozes into the Beaumont on Wednesday.

Marty Bush of Salt the Earth performs at the Beaumont's Sidecar on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kill Them All

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Spotting an outbreak of graffiti in a Kansas City suburb earlier this week threw me into a bout of bittersweet nostalgia. As an alienated teen, I became obsessed with The Clash for about eighteen months. The band epitomized my inchoate rebellious instincts. Confessing to my former naiveté is a bit embarrassing, but the band's first three albums served as my code during that time. If I was 16 years old today there's little doubt I'd be tagging OFWGKTA's name in my neighborhood. The hip hop collective's obscene nihilism is tailor-made for disaffected American youth in 2012. I'm more than a little bit jealous of the kids responsible for the vandalism pictured above.

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Appropriately creepy photos highlight my review of Friday's Scott Ian-less Anthrax concert.

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"Batteries", the latest song and video from XV, is disappointing.

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Chairlift take me nowhere.

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No Mayhem 2012 date in KC? I feel like a spurned teen.

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Heems' Nehru Jackets is one of my favorite new releases of the month. "Burritos 'til I die!"

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Attention ~~wimps~~ refined music lovers: a delicate Marketa Irglova concert is available as a free download at NoiseTrade.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Ioannis and Jamesetta

2012-01-22T16:19:00.001-08:00

Johnny Otis was a brilliant work of fiction. And Etta James was much more than one song.

Ioannis Alexandros Veliotes was born in 1921. His story is hard to believe. Thankfully, one version of the truth can be found in Listen to the Lambs, a 1968 book in which Otis examines race in America. He identified as black, although his parents were Greek immigrants. Even Otis' biggest hit was blatantly subversive. (And what is Lionel Hampton doing in that clip?)

Otis is described as "The King of Rock and Roll" in the opening credits to his televised variety show. Although I adore his tributes to Jay McShann and Bill Basie on this amazing album, that characterization works for me.

Otis "discovered" Jamesetta Hawkins fourteen years after her birth in 1938. The lascivious recorded result was James' 1955 hit on Modern Records. Ever since I purchased her excellent album Seven Year Itch as a new release in 1989, I've been mildly obsessed with James. A wild woman until the end, her final performance in Kansas City scandalized me. The obituaries that focused on James' "At Last" miss the point. "It Hurts Me So Much."

Veliotes and Hawkins died last week.

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Here's my review of the Jazz Winterlude festival.

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I'm included in a KCUR audio feature titled "Where To Next For KC Jazz?"

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I could mess around at Paul McCartney's Rude Studio for hours on end. (Tip via Rock Town Hall.)

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OFWGKTA in a nutshell.

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Welcome to 2012 (Part 2).

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Youn Sun Nah covers "Enter Sandman." I love the 21st century.

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I never knew him well, but I take pride in once having worked with Glenn Jones. Here's the guitarist's new Tiny Desk Concert.

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Winston Riley has died.

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I genuinely love about a quarter of the tracks on the massive new Chimes of Freedom album. Inevitably, a handful of selections on the benefit project for Amnesty International make me wonder if torture isn't such a bad idea.

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Kansas City Click: Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform Tuesday at the Kauffman Center.

Emilie Autumn does her thing Wednesday at the Beaumont Club.

Death Angel open Thursday's concert at the Midland.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Jack DeJohnette- Sound Travels

2012-01-19T15:04:00.001-08:00

Jack DeJohnette will celebrate his seventieth birthday on August 9, 2012, and it seems as if he can get everything he asks for at this stage of his illustrious career. The credits of his new album Sound Travels read like a who's-who of today's top "jazz" artists. The list includes Ambrose Akinmusire, Lionel Loueke, Jason Moran and Esperanza Spaulding. Bobby McFerrin also makes a (very nice) appearance. The only misstep is a jamband track featuring Bruce Hornsby. It's five minutes of pain on an otherwise exceptional album. Here's the EPK.

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I love scrutinizing the annual Pazz and Jop poll. Here's a short list of artists I overlooked in 2011: Matana Roberts! Wussy! Tombs! Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal! Random Axe! And I'm chagrined that my top album, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's Race Riot Suite, isn't among the 1734 titles that received at least one tally. Am I the album's sole champion?

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ZZ Ward's "Better Off Dead" confounds me.

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I feel obligated to spend my time and money on the new Chick Corea/Eddie Gomez/Paul Motian tribute to Bill Evans. Here's the EPK.

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The KC Sound Collective- the act responsible for my favorite performance of 2011- is the subject of a nice introductory video.

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I recently discovered the Freedom Suite, a collaboration between Nnnenna Freelon and The Beast, at Bandcamp. (It's free.)

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Welcome to 2012.

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I'll consider the life of the late Johnny Otis next week at There Stands the Glass.

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Vizzy Zone.

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"We've got the songs- we don't have the money." Here's Molly McGuire's Kickstarter campaign.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Jimmy Castor, 1947-2012

2012-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

"One of the Butt sisters!" I've been snickering at "Troglodyte"'s lowbrow gag since I was a child. Yet Jimmy Castor, who died yesterday, did much more than provide me with cheap laughs.

My friend BGO chided me in an email exchange for implying that Castor was a mere novelty artist. And sure enough, according to Castor's site "(b)efore even finishing junior high school, Jimmy Castor had written his first million seller for Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers called 'I Promise To Remember'." Castor would have been nine years old at the time. How does that work? I'll count on superior scholars to sort out Castor's career. Besides, I heard the entirety of Castor's 1966 hit "Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" for the first time today.

It's an odd thing to attribute to a novelty song, but "Troglodyte" had an enormous impact on my musical development. The monstrous groove prepared me for the advent of the Ohio Players and the life-changing "Flash Light" five years later. The hip hop samples that followed in the next decade only confirmed my ardor.

One last note- it was "Troglodyte" that first stirred my prepubescent hormones. And what could possibly be more significant than that?

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I wrote an piece about Nicholas Payton's Black American Music proposal.

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An "elitist music snob" reviewed Nnenna Freelon's concert Saturday at The Folly Theater.

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I'd intended to offer a survey of today's new releases but I couldn't get past this.

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Ebony Tusks' video for "Everybody Runs" is on point.

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Kansas City Click: Whoop whoop! Boondox hit the Beaumont Club tonight.

The Life and Times return to the Riot Room on Wednesday.

I'll made the trek to Lawrence for Doomtree's show at the Granada on Thursday.

Start Here

2012-01-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm hardly a shill for NPR's music programming. I frequently mock the insular indie rock that's closely associated with the media conglomerate and its self-congratulatory audience. Last year's list of its listeners' favorite albums is a case in point. While I respect and even admire acts like The Decemberists, that rarefied sound rarely moves me.

I'm a hypocrite, however, because that same smug tone doesn't bother me half as much when it's applied to ~~jazz~~ Black American Music and "world" music. In fact, NPR's free concert downloads from globalFEST have dominated my listening this week.

I implore you to grab 'em all. My favorites are the performances by Wang Li and Mayra Andrade. Both artists had been unfamiliar to me. Andrade's straightforward take on a Caetano Veloso song is the dreamiest thing I've heard in 2012. So, thanks NPR. My gratitude is so earnest that I won't use this space to mock your endorsement of Real Estate.

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I'd love to check out Coachella. Truth be told, however, I'm much more of a Essence guy.

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You know what the world needs? A great new Alicia Keys album.

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CES Cru signs to Strange Music.

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The trailer for the forthcoming LCD Soundsystem doc is pretty great.

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The dull EPK for the new Robert Glasper album dampens my enthusiasm for the project.

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What's up, mirror?

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Micah Herman- The Ship

2012-01-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Micah Hermon album review is reposted from Plastic Sax:

It must be terribly frustrating to be a Kansas City-area jazz bassist not named Bob Bowman, Jeff Harshbarger or Gerald Spaits. The three men invariably secure a disproportionate number of the area's high profile gigs. Each member of the triumvirate deserves his elite standing, but that doesn't mean that the talent pool ends with them. James Albright, Ben Leifer, Bill McKemy and Dominique Sanders are wildly different but uniformly excellent bassists.

And then there's the often overlooked Micah Herman. He's no less impressive than the aforementioned bassists, but to my knowledge he hasn't had a regular widely-touted public gig since he teamed up with Loren Pickford at the Golden Ox for a three-year run that ended in 2009. His new album The Ship, Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions makes a strong case for Herman as a top-tier talent.

While The Ship contains a breadth of styles, Herman generally works from a post-Coltrane perspective. "My Ship", a duet with saxophonist Matt Carrillo, is gorgeous. The contributions of saxophonist Matt Chalk also impress.

Yet it's the presence of Logan Richardson that makes the album essential for listeners not already heavily invested in Kansas City's scene. The brilliant saxophonist appears on five of The Ship's nine tracks. Richardson's innovative soloing on "Ease Back" is the sort of next-level stuff that fans of adventurous jazz dream about. Rather than merely admiring Richardson's improvisations, Herman acts as an electric Charlie Haden to Richardson's stunning Ornette Coleman.

The Ship's quiet issuance in December didn't do it any favors. In spite of its unfortunate timing and complete absence of hype, The Ship is the best album released by a Kansas City jazz artist in 2011.

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The Oak Ridge Boys and the Dukes of Dixieland team up for a new version of "Elvira".

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I intend to catch the A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs touring exhibit this month.

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Tinariwen's Tiny Desk Concert is wonderful.

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Rich Forever, Rick Ross' free new mix tape is shockingly good if you like that sort of thing. (And I do.)

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A link provided by BigSteveNO threw me into full geek mode.

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I don't know what to make of "Glory", Jay-Z's tribute to his newborn child.

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"She Smells So Nice"!

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Miles Bonny has a new Kickstarter campaign.

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Kansas City Click: Jason and the Scorchers appear Wednesday at Knuckleheads.

Lord T & Eloise do whatever it is they do Thursday at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Jad Fair's Bird House

2012-01-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Jad Fair's latest project instantly transported me back to the early '80s. In those days I felt compelled to salvage Half Japanese and Jad Fair solo albums from record store cutout bins. I didn't particularly enjoy the absurd outsider sounds but I loved the fact that "music" of this nature could actually be recorded, released, distributed and sold. A video for the title track for the forthcoming EP Bird House is an uncanny representation of my disjointed memories of that era. I continue to embrace the anarchy.

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Album of the Year?

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The unseasonably warm weather somehow makes the idea of driving to Arkansas to hear acts like Bob Weir and Railroad Earth at Wakarusa seem attractive.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows?

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'd been waiting for the moment for months. Hearing a song I selected at the internet site Turntable.fm boom through the sound system at a real life nightclub was a genuine thrill. When a few friends organized a Turntable.fm-themed event at Czar Bar during the holidays, the first song I programmed was Heavy D's "The Overweight Lover's in the House." I went on to play a few of my punk, metal and hip hop favorites but the party was eventually co-opted by fans of pop, dance and techno. That meant that a few of my selections- including Nashville P*ssy's "All F*cked Up"- were quickly skipped after they were "lamed." It was no surprise, consequently, that my troll pick "Rainbow Connection" made it all the way through without getting axed. I'll get another crack at it when The Beaumont Club hosts a similar event January 13.

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Here's 66 minutes of excellent footage from Mark Lowrey's December 21 gig at the Record Bar.

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I'll admit it- I always look forward to hearing Skillz' year-end wrap-up. Just once.

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Mac Lethal's new release is out. Here's the video for "Jake + Olive".

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Skip past the introduction for a sublime performance by Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, Esperanza Spalding and Tineke Postma.

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Jeff Harshbarger is Plastic Sax's Person of the Year.

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I can relate to the subject matter of the latest effort by Brother Ali.

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Kansas City Click: This is the best time of year to investigate locally-based talent.

(Original image of a large-screen projection from the Turntable.fm party by There Stands the Glass.)

The Twenty Best Music Videos of 2011

2011-12-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

Partly because I'm horrified by the absence of Tom Waits in my year-end albums and songs and shows lists, I was compelled to compile another list that would include the great man.

1. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat- "Copper Top" (above)
I identify with every moment.

2. Spoek Mathambo- "Control"
Terrifying.

3. Tyler, the Creator- "Yonkers"
A nihilistic star is born.

4. ASAP Rocky- "Purple Swag"
Can't. Stop. Watching.

5. BLNRB featuring Ukoo Flani, Radi and Jahcoozi- "Ma Bhoom Bhoom"
What in the world?

6. Beyonce- "Best Thing I Never Had"
No explanation necessary.

7. Tuneyards- "Bizness"
Charming.

8. Manchester Orchestra- "Simple Math"
Dude.

9. Evidence featuring Fashawn- "Same Folks"
The encounter at 3:35 floors me.

10. Tom Waits- "Satisfied"
It "scratches where I been itchin'."

11. Is Tropical- "The Greeks"
The music is just ok, but oh, the video!

12. Destroyer- "Kaputt"
Um...

13. Battles- "My Machines"
Gary Numan!

14. Sims- "Burn It Down"
I love this crew.

15. Lil Wayne- 6 Foot 7 Foot
It's all about Tammy.

16. St. Vincent- "Cruel"
Aw!

17. Nicki Minaj- "Moment 4 Life"
Ridiculous!

19. Mayer Hawthorne- "A Long Time"
A sweet homage to Berry Gordy.

20. Katy Perry- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
What's it to you?

Need more? Here's my list of the top 25 Kansas City music videos of 2011.

We Play Funerals

2011-12-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

Two of the finest musicians in the Kansas City area endured a tough gig Monday. The duo's discrete music was repeatedly drowned out by indifferent patrons at an establishment in Johnson County.

One of the band's members attempted to address the worst offenders by politely engaging them at their table as his partner vamped. The group of twenty-somethings didn't take the hint.

"We do weddings- anyone out there getting married?" the musician later asked with a murderous glare. "No? Well, we also do funerals. We play exactly the same repertoire."

A handful of attentive listeners laughed, but it really wasn't funny. More often than not, people unable to S.T.F.U. impede upon my enjoyment of live music.

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Jazz giant Sam Rivers has died.

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Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood , a native of Arkansas City, Kansas, died on Christmas Day. (Tip via a source who prefers to remain anonymous.)

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Credential Hip Hop selects the Top 20 Kansas City Hip Hop Albums of 2011.

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Kansas City Click: I need to attend two more shows to reach 365 in 2011. I have yet to pick 'em.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Mark Lowrey at the RecordBar

2011-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

As the year-end lists in the previous two There Stands the Glass posts indicate, my preoccupation with ~~jazz~~ Black American Music and hip hop persists.

That's why I recently dragged my weary carcass to the RecordBar after midnight a couple days ago for the latest installment of Mark Lowrey's series of live collaborations with hip hop artists.

It was disappointing to discover that the dozen or so B.A.M. and hip hop musicians almost outnumbered the members of the audience. Even so, what I witnessed was astounding. The monstrous funk groove drummer Ryan Lee and Lowrey created was enhanced by the guitar and vocals of Enrique Javier Chi of Making Movies.

So fresh!

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I reviewed the Wilder's self-titled album.

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My current pathological aversion to Americana doesn't apply to Kathleen Edwards.

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I learned of the late Bill Tapia via a DJ at Turntable.fm. So charming!

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Here's another "Nancy Reagan" update. (Via Wayward Blog.)

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Billie Jo Spears has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Here's a mildly amusing Wakarusa tease.

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Dee Spears, Willie Nelson's longtime bassist, has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Bob Burnett of the Highwaymen has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Kansas City native Bob Brookmeyer has died.

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Cesaria Evora has died.

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Ralph McDonald has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Mac Lethal has officially unveiled "Royal's Cap (My Ode to Kansas City)".

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Year-end Kansas City music lists!

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Kansas City Click: You don't want to be like me- stay home for once.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Meet Me In the Bathroom Stall: The Best Albums and Songs of 2011

2011-12-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

The 25 Best Albums of 2011
I'd like to think that hip hop and jazz dominated my listening time in 2011 because that's where the most compelling and artistically relevant developments were taking place. I could easily list 25 interesting albums from each genre. Black Up would rate highly on both tallies. And The Race Riot Suite may very well be the Mingus Ah Um of our time.

I reluctantly hopped off the metal bandwagon in 2011. The happy medium between blissful stupidity and self-conscious theorizing became too difficult for me to locate. The post-Husker Du album David Comes To Life rescued me.

And before you ask, I have nothing against the Wilcos and Fleet Foxes of the world. I still like that stuff. If I'm going to listen to the same-old same-old, however, I prefer that it come in the form of R&B from the likes of Jill Scott and Kindred the Family Soul.

I don't expect to see There Are Rules listed elsewhere. While most people panned the album, it's hit me just as powerfully as if I had commissioned TGUK to create an angry album for a music-obsessed Midwestern guy in his forties who refuses to let go of the things he loves.

1. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey- The Race Riot Suite

2. F*cked Up- David Comes To Life

3. Joe Lovano & Us 5- Bird Songs

4. Shabazz Palaces- Black Up

5. Tech N9ne- All 6's and 7's

6. Bill Frisell & Vinicius Cantuaria- Lagrimas Mexicanas

7. Lil Wayne- Tha Carter IV

8. Ambrose Akinmusire- When the Heart Emerges Glistening

9. Jill Scott- The Light of the Sun

10. The Get Up Kids- There Are Rules

11. Raphael Saadiq- Stone Rollin'
12. Danny Brown- XXX
13. David Binney- Graylen Epicenter
14. Bon Iver- Bon Iver
15. Hospital Ships- Lonely Twin
16. James Farm- James Farm
17. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat- Everything's Getting Older
18. Mac Lethal- North Korean BBQ
19. Death Grips- Exmilitary
20. Orrin Evans- Captain Black Big Band
21. The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts
22. My Morning Jacket- Circuital
23. Rev. John Wilkins- God Is Right On Time
24. Opeth- Heritage
25. The Wilders- The Wilders

The 25 Best Songs of 2011
The radio is one of the few things that still works in my 17-year-old car. The majority of these songs served as my favorite driving companions in 2011.

1. Tyler, the Creator- "Yonkers"

2. Kelly Rowland- "Motivation"

3. Jay-Z and Kanye West- "N- in Paris"

4. Ha Ha Tonka- "Usual Suspects"

5. Ledisi- "Pieces of Me"

6. Lil Wayne- "6 Foot 7 Foot"

7. ASAP Rocky- "Purple Swag"

8. Seether- "Country Song"

9. Pistol Annies- "Hell on Heels"

10. Jason Aldean- "Dirt Road Anthem"

11. Deathgrips- "Guillotine"
12. Avery Sunshine- "Ugly Part of Me"
13. Manchester Orchestra- "Simple Math"
14. Miranda Lambert- "Baggage Claim"
15. M83- "Midnight City"
16. R. Kelly- "Number One Hit"
17. Tuneyards- "Bizness"
18. Jose James- "Trouble"
19. Vybz Kartel featuring Sheba- "You & Him Deh"
20. Eric Church- "Put a Drink In My Hand"
21. Rihanna- "We Found Love"
22. Mary Mary- "Walking"
23. Spoek Mathambo- "Control"
24. Meek Mill- "Tupac Back"
25. DJ Khaled- "I'm On One"

I conducted similar recaps for 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2006. My favorite live performances of 2011 are listed here.

(Original image of Pat Green by There Stands the Glass.)

The 36 Best Live Performances of 2011

2011-12-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

"The night life ain't no good life, but it's my life." I will have taken in over 365 individual performances in 2011 by New Year's Eve.. The following list of my favorite ten percent of these shows is deceptive. While hip hop is the dominant force in popular music, the genre is underrepresented. Only the charisma and vibrant catalogs of Weezy, Black Elvis, Tech and Ye and Jay allowed them to overcome their otherwise sketchy presentations. The reverse is true of jazz. Kansas City's jazz renaissance is, if anything, underrepresented here. Matt Otto and Jeff Harshbarger, pictured in the accompanying photo, are my second and third favorite musicians in Kansas City. And finally, how is it possible that Knuckleheads, the region's best venue, didn't make the cut?

1. KC Sound Collective- Blue Room

2. Deftones- VooDoo Lounge

3. Daniel Johnston with Capybara- Beaumont Club

4. Janelle Monae- Independence Events Center

5. An Evening with Virgil Thomson- Helzberg Hall

6. Matt Otto Quartet- Blue Room

7. My Morning Jacket- Uptown Theater

8. Diverse with Tony Tixier- Grant Recital Hall

9. Lil Wayne- Sprint Center

10. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Gem Theater

11. Goitse- Washington Square Park

12. Civil Wars- Crosstown Station

13. A Perfect Circle- Kansas Speedway

14. People's Liberation Big Band- RecordBar

15. Jay-Z and Kanye West- Sprint Center

16. Bon Iver- Uptown Theater

17. Motley Crue- Sprint Center

18. Tedeschi Trucks Band- Crossroads KC

19. Deborah Brown- Gem Theater

20. Enter Shikari- Sandstone

21. Pat Metheny and Larry Grenadier- Liberty Hall

22. Kool Keith- Czar Bar

23. Old Crow Medicine Show- Crossroads KC

24. Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience- VooDoo Lounge

25. Clutch- Midland Theater

26. Del McCoury with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band- Lied Center

27. Stone Sour- Penn Valley Park

28. Ingrid Fliter and the Kansas City Symphony- Lyric Theater

29. Grisly Hand- Plaza Art Fair

30. Marilyn Maye- Jardine's

31. Jonathan Butler- Gem Theater

32. Hearts of Darkness- Crosstown Station

33. Micah Herman Quintet- RecordBar

34. Tech N9ne- Midland Theater

35. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra- Helzberg Hall

36. Guns N' Roses- Sprint Center

I conducted similar exercises in 2010 and 2009.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Top 25 Kansas City Music Videos of 2011

2011-12-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

While I'm a bit embarrassed that a twee pop song tops a list loaded with gangsta rappers, I simply can't resist Hidden Pictures' suffocatingly cute video.

1. Hidden Pictures- "Anne Apparently"
2. Greg Enemy - "Sophisticated Goon Sh*t"
3. Hospital Ships- "Galaxies"
4. XV- "Awesome"
5. Stik Figa and Ron Ron- "Caked Up"
6. Hammerlord- "Tombstone Piledriver"
7. Big Scoob- "All I Kno is Hood"
8. The Latenight Callers- "The Tease"
9. Girls With Guitars featuring Samantha Fish- "B*tch"
10. Mac Lethal- "Something I Can Heart"
11. Ces Cru featuring Mac Lethal- "Guntitled"
12. Ron Ron- "The Ghetto"
13. The Popper feat. Tech N9ne, Ron Ron & Donta Slusha- "For the Mo"
14. Ubiquitous- "Roadwork"
15. Minden- "Gold Standard"
16. Tech N9ne- "He's a Mental Giant"
17. Dinero Fazil- "Mi Vida Escrita en Papeles"
18. Cash Image- "'Round Here"
19. Dutch Newman- "Do You Like Mine"
20. Mon EG- featuring Lil Boosie- "Dime Piece"
21. Nesto the Owner- "Man In My City"
22. Steddy P- "Live Your Life"
23. Dutch Newman- "Sean Malto"
24. Beama featuring JL and Big Ben- "Street Session"
25. Red Line Chemistry- "You Don't Get It"

Mac Lethal's "Look at Me Now" merits an honorable mention for raking in 9 million views in two weeks.

I conducted the same exercise in 2010.

Everything's Getting Older

2011-12-09T07:31:00.001-08:00

I found my musical soulmate. Having come to the conclusion that my personal preferences in music had become so oddly deformed that no one could possibly share my love of free jazz, hip hop and metal, I discovered a year-end 50 favorite albums list that correlates with my interests. Craig Taborn and Tech N9ne? I am not alone.

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My new best friend's list does not include Everything's Getting Older, the new album by Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells. It's tentatively placed at #18 on year-end my list.

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Esperanza Spaulding, Van der Graaf Generator, Wayne Shorter and Marianne Faithful? Montreal Jazz Festival , here I come.

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Barbara Orbison and I didn't get along. She died Tuesday.

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Dobie Gray has died.

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What price loyalty? I'm taking a beating at Plastic Sax and in the real world for not aligning myself with an angry mob.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

Hubert and Howard

2011-12-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Life can be painful for inveterate music nerds. The spiritual and earthly highs music affords are often matched by extended periods of despair and sorrow. The last few days have been particularly difficult.

My music-related day job has been an emotional roller coaster. And a friend who owns a troubled nightclub has been vilified by many otherwise decent people. Meanwhile, many of the musicians I admire are scrambling to find alternative venues. Last night I was horrified as dozens of oblivious people spoiled otherwise exquisite acoustic performances by Brandi Carlile and the Secret Sisters. (Here's my review.)

And then there's the upsetting news of the deaths of Hubert Sumlin and Howard Tate.

I've been on Sumlin since I first heard Lindsay Shannon play Howlin' Wolf back when KCUR hosted the blues hound's weekly radio show. Exposure to Sumlin didn't make me throw away my Elton John and Aerosmith albums, but I was electrified by the ferocity of tracks like "Evil". You can imagine how magical my charmed life seemed when I soon discovered that I could sneak into the Grand Emporium to see the man who transformed American music. I never missed a chance to see Sumlin. Here are my notes and a photo documenting his final appearance in Kansas City last February.

While I probably saw Sumlin a dozen times, I don't believe I ever heard Tate sing. The great soul singer's life was complicated. I heard about Tate's initial sides from mentors like There Stands the Glass reader BGO. When he was "rediscovered" a few years ago, I snatched up Tate's recordings along with all the other hopeless crate diggers.

We're all gonna die, and expressing shock upon the deaths of old men is silly. Even so, each inevitable loss chips away at the very foundation of music nerds like me.

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Nerds compile year-end lists, and my first published entry of 2011 is up at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: New Jazz Order perform Tuesday at Harling's.

The Knux appear at the Riot Room on Wednesday. The nudity in the linked video is shocking!

Mavis Staples graces Helzberg Hall on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Jay-Z and Kanye West at Sprint Center

2011-12-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

That sh*t cray.

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Proper photos accompany Joel Francis' official review of Tuesday's show.

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J. Blackfoot has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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2,500,00-plus views in 48 hours? More power to you, Mac Lethal.

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After managing to leave it alone for a couple months, I'm messing around at Turntable again. Let me know if you want to hang out.

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Mojo's Top 50 Albums of 2011 list contains only one title that appears in my tentative Top 10. Between my affinity for both popular hip hop and unpopular jazz, I'm a veritable misfit toy.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Ha Ha Tonka at the RecordBar

2011-11-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

I'm surely not the only Midwestern music fan who instinctively compares Ha Ha Tonka to the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. While separated by about three decades, both roots-oriented acts sprung out of Springfield. Their members even bear an uncanny time-adjusted resemblance to one another.

Ha Ha Tonka's November 23 show at the RecordBar reminded me that the comparison is a bit misleading. O.M.D. had a proclivity for boogie. H.H.T.'s ramshackle rock and quiet harmony singing largely avoided that tempting trap on Thanksgiving Eve. The only false step was an annoying cover of "Pumped Up Kicks." I had so much fun that I was never even tempted to chat up the former NBA player and the boy band superstar standing just a few feet away from me.

Will H.H.T. ever have a "Jackie Blue"-style hit? O.M.D. had the support of producer Glyn Johns and the major label machinery. H.H.T.'s three albums have been issued by small but proud alt-country label Bloodshot Records. The odds against great songs like "Usual Suspects", consequently, are almost insurmountable. Even so, there's no shame in becoming the next version of The Gourds.

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I monitored the final round of Sonic Spectrum's music trivia last night. Had I been playing for keeps, I would have been tempted to overturn a table in a fit of self-loathing for failing to identify this gem.

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I'm a big fan of my Kansas City jazz blog Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: You know where to find me Tuesday evening.

Max Groove appears Wednesday at Chaz.

Kinky Friedman does whatever it is he does Thursday at Knuckleheads.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Paul Motian, 1931-2011

2011-11-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

An anecdote from Thanksgiving morning serves as a testamonial to the music of Paul Motian. I played I Have the Room Above Her at high volume as members of my compound busily prepared a Thanksgiving meal. Aside from a couple comments concerning the "angry" playing of Joe Lovano, no one complained about listening to the free jazz trio of Motian, Lovano and Bill Frisell. Even people who prefer the likes of Adele and Willie Nelson recognized that Motian's music was both artful and compelling. Motian died Tuesday.

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I interviewed Karrin Allyson at Plastic Sax.

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Andrea True has died.

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I have yet to make up my mind about the complicated hit album by Rhymes-with-snake.

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My (re)discovery of the month: Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Kansas City Wind Symphony at Village Presbyterian Church

2011-11-21T20:44:00.001-08:00

Cut it out! During each of the last three concerts I've attended at Village Presbyterian Church, the bandleader apologized for his ensemble's progressive leanings. The most recent culprit was Dr. Phillip C. Posey, conductor of the Kansas City Wind Symphony.

His attempt to sell the ensemble's forthcoming "Music for the 21st Century" program featuring selections by Vaclav Nelhybel, Ron Nelson and Charles Ives sounded like a pitiful disclaimer at Sunday's jazz-themed concert.

"Yes, it's got some weird stuff on it," he said. "But it's got some wonderful stuff on it, too."

The contrite commentary by Matthew Christopher Shepard of Te Deum (my review) and the church's own Mark Bell of the Village Presbyterian Choir (my review) was similarly disappointing and entirely unnecessary.

Posey, Shepard and Bell should be proud of their bold choices. Gentlemen- you have a strong vision. Own it. I understand that some people don't want to be exposed to unfamiliar music. And sure, the way the audience of about 350 enthusiastically clapped along to J.F. Wagner's Under the Double Eagle March at Sunday's concert was unsettling on more than one level.

Don't become discouraged by the naysayers. Your desire to present interesting music is precisely why I'll continue to patronize your programs. For what it's worth, I've got your back.

I'd hoped to offer a detailed analysis of the concert, particularly pianist James Cockman's work on Rhapsody in Blue, but I was seated near an unruly toddler. The child's incessant yammering, coughing, sneezing and hiccuping didn't allow me to listen attentively.

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Here's my review of Tech N9ne's sold-out concert Saturday at the Midland Theater. Don't miss the comments.

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XV's new video is, well, "Awesome.

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The trailer for The Other F Word elicited a knowing smile out of me.

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Oh my dear Lord!

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I listened to the new Bjork album on repeat yesterday. It finally took.

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Here's the trailer for a documentary about Split Lip Rayfield. (Via Back to Rockville.)

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As the video for "The Game" by J-Young indicates, Kansas City can be a hard town. (Via Credentials Hip Hop.)

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Kansas City Click: New Jazz Order return to Harling's on Tuesday.

I once worked in a warehouse with a member of Foxy Foxy/Sacrifice Isaac. I guess the band(s) has reformed, because an act by that name(s) is performing at The Riot Room on Wednesday.

Thanksgiving breakfast dance returns to Kansas National Guard Armory on Thanksgiving! Due to an unfortunate incident following Millie Jackson's show three years ago, I've been permanently banned from attending these magical functions.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Jackie Leven, 1950-2011

2011-11-17T16:12:00.000-08:00

I used the sad news of the passing of Jackie Leven as an excuse to go crate digging in my own basement. I knew I had at least one album by Leven's band Doll by Doll in my dank subterranean storage space. The sticker on the album's Jem Imports sleeve indicates that I picked up Doll By Doll's Gypsy Blood at Kief's in Lawrence for 99 cents. I'm too lazy to load it up on my USB turntable and none of the streaming services I use has the album. At least Rdio offers a lengthy positive review. I remember it as a sincere collection of overwrought pub rock, sort of like a roots-oriented version of Phil Lynott. In fact, it's exactly like this.

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It's a good thing I'm not creeped out by dead spiders. I did become mortified in my basement as I was reminded of my misguided habits as a formerly obsessive record collector. Why did I feel compelled to own every album by wildly inconsistent artists like Graham Parker and Smokey Robinson? And the hundreds of flyers I took in cutout bins yielded as many misses (Sea Level anyone?) as hits (Garland Jeffreys).

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I still don't get Google Music.

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Laura Kennedy of the Bush Tetras has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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I know this is sacrilege, but Aimless Love is my favorite John Prine album.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Te Deum Chamber Choir at Village Presbyterian Church

2011-11-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

Do you suppose that astral travel is possible? Based on the camera angles he or she selected, the person who shot this footage of Te Deum performing at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a believer. I experienced a momentary out-of-body experience at Village Presbyterian Church as Te Deum performed Bach's Jesu, Meine Freude on Sunday afternoon.

Bach's righteous evocation of God inspires transcendental thoughts, especially when performed with the exquisite mastery demonstrated by Te Deum. Aside from a tendency for the sopranos to overwhelm the rest of the ensemble, Te Deum was perfect. The Rosicrucian text featured in Britten's A.M.D.G. was startling, but the program's primary attraction for me was James MacMillan's Te Deum. Matthew Christopher Shepard, Te Deum's Artistic Director and Conductor, prepared conservative members of the audience for the discordant elements of the 2001 composition.

"I assure you that whatever you hear them sing is accurate," he warned. "Although it may not seem so."

The amazing performance showcased the power of the choir's powerful voices and the chapel's excellent acoustics. It's too bad that so few people under the age of fifty were among the audience of about 300. Kansas Citians who enjoy Bjork and Sigor Ros should consider investigating Te Deum. The ensemble's next performances are March 24-25, 2012.

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I reviewed Friday's concert by Iris DeMent and Greg Brown.

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In my former life as an indie label sales rep, I was often expected to entertain and accommodate touring musicians. I loathed that aspect of my job. Jock-sniffing and babysitting were never my things. Every once in a while, however, I'd encounter a musician who was neither needy nor insecure. Kind, smart and funny, Doyle Bramhall was one of the most impressive musicians I've met. He died Saturday.

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I didn't laugh when I saw that someone posted that Guns N' Roses' appearance Saturday at Sprint Center was the best concert they'd ever seen. Nor would I roll my eyes if another person claimed that Saturday represented the worst music experience they'd ever endured. I'd planned to catch the Jayhawks at the Beaumont that night, but when a Groupon deal reduced the price of admission for Guns N' Roses's big show to $25, I reluctantly opted for Axl. No regrets. Here's Tim Finn's review.

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The Weezer Cruise!

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Is Steel Panther hilarious or just a sign that the end time is nigh?

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I intend to stay home for the first time in five days to watch college basketball and listen to the highly-anticipated new album by rhymes-with-mistake tonight. (I've received a D.M.C.A. notification from Google every time I've merely mentioned the star's actual name at There Stands the Glass.)

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Kansas City Click: Mates of State perform Tuesday at the RecordBar.

Lydia Loveless returns to Davey's on Wednesday.

Dax Riggs is booked at the Czar Bar on Thursday.

(Original image of Te Deum at Village Presbyterian Church by There Stands the Glass.)

Heavy D, 1967-2011

2011-11-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

News of the death of Heavy D hit me hard for the most ungenerous of reasons. We had age and body type in common. Much of his 1987 debut sounds dated now, but trust me, Heavy D was once a huge star. Time keeps on slipping'...

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My feature on Hermon Mehari and Kansas City's jazz scene is the cover story of this week's Ink magazine.

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I'm intrigued by Rez Abbasi's new album.

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Visqueen is calling it quits.

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Hammerlord's annual Hammerween gig is always fun. Here's footage of this year's event.

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The Low Anthem's What the Crow Brings is available as a free download at NoiseTrade.

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Jimmy Norman has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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You know, Chinese Democracy isn't that bad.

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Kansas City Click: Here are my official picks.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: David Budway- A New Kiss

2011-11-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

Classical recital by David Budway at YouTube.

Jazz musicians are accustomed to all sorts of indignities. Pianist David Budway would be justified if he feels slighted by the way the individual tracks from the CD version his new album A New Kiss are labeled when ripped to iTunes.

"Japanese Brunch," the first track, is credited to Marcus Strickland. Sure, the saxophonist who guests on the selection is one of the "it" players of moment, but still… The second song is listed as "Brandon Marsalis" [sic]. Sure enough, the star is featured on the ballad, but c'mon man! Tracks 3 through 9 are credited to Jeff "Tain" Watts. An insult? Maybe. Yet the drummer has never sounded better. Guitarist Ron Affif takes the honors on the tenth song and accordionist Joe "Sonny" Barbato is listed on the final track, a fascinating fusion of Arabic sounds and jazz already familiar to fans of Kansas City-based band Alaturka.

I typically don't pay much attention to the way individual MP3s are tagged, so maybe this is merely business as usual. It's also conceivable that Budway approved of these tags, viewing the concept as a savvy marketing ploy by the consistently excellent MaxJazz label. Budway may not have a particularly salable name, but A New Kiss shows that he's a formidable pianist. His solo rendition of "'Round Midnight" is great and his unaccompanied take on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is absolutely stunning. "Love You Tonight" is one of the prettiest things I've heard in 2011.

Anyone fortunate enough to hear A New Kiss will know that it ultimately doesn't matter who gets the credit for the remarkable music the album contains.

EDIT: Clayton McDonnell of MaxJazz responds:
Thanks for your review of Budway’s recording. We’re aware of the Branford misspelling and are having it fixed. Obviously, we didn’t deliver it that way since other services, including Amazon, have his name spelled correctly. When our distributor encodes a recording for digital distribution we provide them as much information as possible, and listing the personnel is the only way a consumer will know who appears on the recording. We feel it’s important these musicians are recognized. Once the content is delivered, it’s out of our control as to how each retailer will list the information. Both iTunes and Amazon have the names listed the way we intended, with Budway appearing first. Keep in mind the cover art also appears next to each track, so if ‘Tain’ is listed first, at least the customer has the cover art as a reference. If you want to let me know which retailer you were using I’ll see that the mistakes are corrected. These are just some of the challenges we’re facing in the digital environment. If you feel inclined to update your blog with any of this information we would appreciate it.

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The news that Radiohead will perform an arena show in Kansas City has many of my colleagues giddy. I like Radiohead, but the announcement doesn't send a thrill up my leg. Off the top of my head, here are ten acts that would make me all tingly inside if they were to come to Kansas City: Arab Strap/Aidan Moffat, Erykah Badu backed by a jazz band, Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, Aretha Franklin (all-gospel concert), Gilberto Gil, Metallica/Lou Reed, Nas (backed by the likes of Robert Glasper), Cecil Taylor and The Zombies.

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Tech N9ne turns forty today. Here's his new video.

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Oh, Janelle Monae! What were you thinking?

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Nicholas Payton's B*tches, one of the most intriguing projects of 2011, is now available as an official release.

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Steddy P. has a new video for "Live Your Life".

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I was too wussy to drive to Lawrence for Tuneyards' show last night. Here's footage.

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I'd refer to Hobo Tone's new video as "Spelling Trouble," but he gets a pass because he titled his new project Hobolavirus. I also like this quintessential Kansas City hip hop line: "You punk *ss rappers are going to learn to respect mine/ Most of y'all trying to sound like Rich and Tech N9ne."

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What's in Henry Rollins' bag? A whole lotta noise.

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I'm late to the Animal Man party. This is hilarious (and adorable).

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Kansas City Click: Joe Lally of Fugazi is at the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Max Groove returns to Chaz on Wednesday.

1911 Restaurant & Lounge hosts Alejandro Escovedo on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Stylus Style

2011-11-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

I almost fell off the wagon this week. No, not booze- records. I accidentally stumbled across this guy on YouTube. Sure, he's a geek, but he's my kind of geek. It's easy to mock record nerds, but Lord help me, I really wish I could spend all weekend crate digging.

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Here's my review of last night's concert by James Galway.

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If Ear X-tacy- can't make it...

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Pianist Walter Norris has died.

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Listen to excerpts of Keith Jarrett's Rio new album here.

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Miranda Lambert's new album is pretty darn good.

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I listened to the new collection of Smile outtakes today. They gave me a headache.

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Man Bear's Talking Drunk at 2 a.m. is available as a free download. RIYL: Don't Tell a Soul.

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Kansas City Click: My official show picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Murs- Love and Rockets Vol. 1

2011-11-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Murs- "316 Ways" video stream

Murs may have cut his hair but he didn't fall off. Like a reverse Samson, in fact, Murs demonstrates renewed vigor on his new album Love & Rockets, Vol. 1: The Transformation. Maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places, but it seems like the project is being roundly ignored. "316 Ways" is vicious- watch the video already- but most of the album is far more relaxed. "Eazy-E" is a joyous tribute to West Coast hip hop. More than a mere celebration of jetsetting, "International" encourages listeners to travel. "Remember 2 Forget" is about the unwelcome recalcitrance of our hearts. A hip hop rarity, "Animal Style" tells a tragic story about the consequences of homophobia. I don't even miss the dreads.

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Just because Herbie Hancock is one of my heroes doesn't mean I'm incapable of giving him a bad review.

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I liked seeing and smelling manure on the sidewalks of Grand Boulevard. Here's my report on the American Royal's debut at Sprint Center.

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Exibit #231 in the case against OFWGKTA.

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I love the handy video preview for Wale's new album.

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Listen to Erin KcKeown's F*ck That: The Anti-Holiday Album here.

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The Granny Smith Theorem, a new mix tape by Les Izmore and D/Will, is available now.

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The music on the new video by Stik Figa and D. Will begins around the 2:30 mark.

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Kansas City Click: The Toasters play the Riot Room on Tuesday.

Tommy Womack returns to Davey's on Wednesday.

The Smoking Popes visit Riot Room on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kemper Countdown

2011-10-27T10:29:00.001-07:00

Kemper Arena may soon collapse for good. I'll always remember it as the one-time home of the Kings. Before the NBA became popular, my dad regularly scored courtside seats. Seeing players like George Gervin and Darryl Dawkins up close had a huge impact on my world view. It wasn't much of a music venue, but I saw dozens of concerts at the old barn. Here are my ten favorite music experiences at Kemper Arena:

1. Marvin Gaye- I saw more women's underwear on the night of June 26, 1983, than I've seen in the subsequent 28 years.
2. The Who- Alas, after the death of Keith Moon.
3. Bruce Springsteen- I first saw him at Kemper in 1981, but I preferred the 2002 tour in support of The Rising.
4. Prince- What a freak!
5. Tool- The first time is always the best.
6. Christina Aguilera- The girl put on a show.
7. T.I.- I love being in the midst of thousands of people who are losing their collective sh*t.
8. Bob Seger- It seems improbable now, but he was once a superstar.
9. Dixie Chicks- They threw it all away.
10. Bob Dylan- He was monumentally awful.

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I don't care what you think- I like Coldplay. Even so, the video for "Paradise" isn't nearly as good as the opening theme of the The Banana Splits.

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While I'm still on the fence about Terri Lyne Carrington's new album, this video of a live performance is excellent.

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I'll spend much of next week studying Danny Brown's new project.

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"Hornets! Hornets!" Please sing along for me tonight at The Midland.

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Kansas City Click: Here are my official picks.

(Original image of 8th row ticket (!) by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: John Tavener's Lament For Jerusalem at Village Presbyterian Church

2011-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

A blurb on the cover of the program for Sunday's performance of the 2003 composition Lament For Jerusalem: A Mystical Love Song suggests that the concert was the "Mid-west" [sic] premier [sic] of a new choral/orchestra work by John Tavener".

Awkward and misleading wording aside, it's surprising that Tavener's work had yet to be performed in Kansas City. The composition's accessibility and extreme political correctness make it a natural fit for the region's kind sensibility. Perhaps logistics have been the barrier. A massive ensemble- 68 voices in the choir, 25 musicians in the orchestra, countertenor Jay Carter (a revelation) and soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson performed the piece at Village Presbyterian Church.

Lament For Jerusalem's primary theme was repeated several times while the choir's contribution occasionally resembled a less ominous version of "O Fortuna". Based on Judaic, Christian and Islamic texts, the epic piece examines the ongoing battle to control Jerusalem. I sat near the front of the chapel so I don't have a sense of the how the audience of about 400 responded to the piece. I enjoyed it enough to add Naxos' version to my next Amazon order.

The same ensemble will reprise the composition at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 30, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Redemptorist Catholic Church. Recommended.

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I reviewed Joe Lovano and Us 5's appearance at the Gem Theater.

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I went to the wrong shows Saturday. I'll forever regret failing to attend Vincente Fernandez's concert at Sprint Center.

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Bassist Ben Williams is featured in one of NPR's "Tiny Desk Concerts."

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Edmundo Ros has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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The best new Peter Gabriel album isn't by Peter Gabriel. Old-school fans of Melt will be astonished by M83.

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Kansas City Click: Helmet- yes, that Helmet- play the Riot Room on Tuesday.

Cavalera Conspiracy (don't click on the link) visit the Midland on Wednesday.

The Hold Steady finally makes its Kansas City debut Thursday at the Midland Theater.

(Original image of cringe-worthy car bumper by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: An Evening With Virgil T. at Helzberg Hall

2011-10-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

The seven dollars I invested in an "obstructed view" ticket to Thursday's Homecoming: An Evening with Virgil T. concert at Helzberg Hall might be the best money I've spent all year.

Although Virgil Thomson is Kansas City's best known classical composer, I'm only familiar with his score for The River. A learned gentleman of my acquaintance repeatedly referred to the event as a tribute to Aaron Copland. Thomson has become a stranger in his own home town. That's one reason the event was significant. The other was the inspired collection of local musicians assembled by Nathan Granner.

Here are a few of my favorite moments:

*Mezzo-soprano Elaine Fox's vocals on William Blake's The Tiger! were enthralling.

*Two selections from the opera Four Saints in Three Acts floored me. I'm deeply embarrassed by my ignorance of this work.

*Given my predilections, it's not surprising that The People's Liberation Big Band's rendition of Overture: The Mother of Us All was my favorite piece of the night.

*Shay Estes, an occasional PLBB collaborator, startled me during an appearance by The Monocle. She just keeps getting better.

*An unaccompanied solo accordion piece by Kyle Dalquist amazed me.

*The concert was filmed for use in a public television documentary about Thomson. Watching annoyed patrons in the good seats shield their eyes from the glare of camera lights amused me.

About that obstructed view seat: The piano sounded as if it was coming from the Kauffman Center's lobby. Much of the commentary by Crosby Kemper III and Dr. Andrew Granade was impossible to make out. I would have liked to have heard what Kemper said about a composition titled "Cynthia Kemper: A Fanfare," but his remarks were inaudible.

Full when the concert began, about ninety percent of the people in my section didn't return after intermission. About a quarter of the entire audience of approximately 1,200 departed at the same time.

I sat in prime seats during my three previous visits to Helzberg Hall. The sound was perfect. I can now confirm the discontented grumbling I've heard from friends and associates- until corrections are made, the oft-repeated notion that there's no such thing as a bad seat in Helzberg Hall is a fallacy.

Even so, I would have paid ten times more for the remarkable experience I enjoyed Thursday.

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I can no longer deny the genius of Tune-Yards.

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You can have Mayer Hawthorne and Raphael Saadiq. I choose Jose James.

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Here's ECM's audio player for Stefano Battaglia Trio's The River of Anyder. This represents my happy place.

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Spotify tech question- how do I view all available albums by an artist or composer?

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Sports fans need to hear Billy Bob Thornton's finest moment (not kidding) before the conclusion of the World Series.

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Blues pianist Earl Gilliam has died.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks of the week are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Kindred the Family Soul- Love Has No Recession

2011-10-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

Kindred the Family Soul- "Sticking With You" video stream

I derive more pleasure from Rihanna's pop songs than a teenager. I freely whip my hair back and forth. Yet I reluctantly acknowledge my status as an adult. That's why I embrace Kindred the Family Soul. Love Has No Recession, the new album by the husband-and-wife duo, is music for grownups. Its songs address real-life relationship issues in the context of today's economic climate. Anyone who's still lamenting the loss of Nick Ashford needs this album in her or her life.

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I'm a sucker for bluegrass-meets-jazz and bluegrass-meets-classical collaborations. I'm charmed, consequently, by the Goat Herd Sessions.

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Pete Rugolo has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I really enjoy the new Pearl Jam album.

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"Still Tippin'": Have you seen this slice of insanity from ASAP Rocky?

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Kansas City Click: Milagres plays the Riot Room on Tuesday.

Kim Richey sings at the Record Bar on Wednesday.

Mayer Hawthorne is on Thursday bill at the Midland Theater. I love the concept of this video.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Bert Jansch, 1943-2011

2011-10-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

My first exposure to Bert Jansch was his 1990 album Sketches. My coworker, the late Dan Conn, played it when a promotional copy crossed his desk. The third track, "Poison", floored me. I've been captivated by the Scotsman's music ever since.

Jansch died last week. Rather than immersing myself in Jansch's music, I've been listening to living artists of the same ilk. It's a gross oversimplification, but Jansch was like a quieter Richard Thompson, a more muscular Nick Drake or a Scottish version of Chris Smither. I've also returned to the music of June Tabor and Roy Harper. This recent Harper appearance on BBC Breakfast is totes-awk.

A reader asked for an album recommendation. Pentangle was a bit too precious for me, so I'll suggest he start by checking out the traditional "Blackwater Slide" . If he likes what hears, I'd recommend beginning with Rosemary Lane.

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I spent over twelve hours at Rhythm & Ribs on Saturday. Here's my synopsis.

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I reviewed Laurie Anderson's performance at Helzberg Hall.

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Cosign.

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Charles Tolliver is still alive? Why is his genius being so roundly ignored?

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Unless you intend to spend $25 on the entire Fire In My Bones compilation of raw gospel, I discourage you from grabbing the three free MP3s at the link. You'll immediately discover that you need the entire set.

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Skateboarder Sean Malto is featured in Dutch Newman's lastest video. (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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All I want for Christmas is a Fania box set.

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Ha ha!

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Oh, Mac Lethal! What are we going to do with you?

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Watch thirty wonderful minutes of Rev. John Wilkins here.

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Pop pianist Roger Williams has died.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks for the week are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Opeth at the Beaumont Club

2011-10-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Words a headbanger never hopes to hear: "Here's some Swedish folk music for you."

Mikael Åkerfeldt, the mastermind behind Opeth, intentionally baited an audience of almost 1,000 Thursday at the Beaumont Club.

Most members of the audience were in the mood for this. They heard something a lot like this instead. Åkerfeldt has abandoned death metal. The Opeth of 2011 sounds more like Tony Williams' Lifetime and King Crimson than Iron Maiden and Pantera. The new album Heritage is a refreshing blast of prog-rock and jazz fusion.

I love Opeth's new sound, but the band was subjected to jeers and heckling throughout its set. (The vibe was akin to the atmosphere captured on this fan footage from a show last month in Ohio. And to be fair, I'd be angry too if I'd unknowingly paid $30 for a bait-and-switch.) Frustrated denizens of the mosh pit resorted to slamming into one another during acoustic jams. Åkerfeldt seemed to feed off the negativity. A bit of a condescending fop, Åkerfeldt gave as good as he got.

It was possibly the weirdest show I've seen this year.

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My friends at KDHX asked me to link to their Live at KDHX, Volume 9 premium for the stations' current fund drive. The compilation features There Stands the Glass favorites Ozomatli, Bettie Serveert and Ray Wylie Hubbard.

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Teisha June Helgerson of Amelia has died. The band was featured at There Stands the Glass in 2008.

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I wonder if Tom Petty thinks about Dwight Twilley these days. Twilley's new album came out this week.

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Rdio is free-ish again. Here's my account if you care to follow me.

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Kansas City Click: Sir Threadius Mongus perform Friday at La Esquina.

"Cry Cry Cry" is probably my favorite Bobby "Blue" Bland song. The legend is on the bill of Saturday's Rhythm & Ribs festival.

Laurie Anderson visits Helzberg Hall on Sunday.

Jazzbo appears every Monday at Jazz in midtown.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Sir Michael Rocks- Premier Politics

2011-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sir Michael Rocks- "Cell Dope" (video at YouTube)

When I heard an abominable track on terrestrial radio over the weekend I immediately assumed it was a demo by a local artist. Wrong! The hideous song turned out to be the new J. Cole hit. When quality control at the highest level is so suspect, it's completely understandable that Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids feels compelled to release a free mix tape that flirts with the hip hop mainstream. Raves from nerds like me only gets an acclaimed underground hip hop act like The Cool Kids so far. If J. Cole can be star, then who am I to complain when Sir Michael Rocks sells out?

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Go ahead and call me a Wynton Marsalis apologist. Here's my review of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's concert Saturday at Helzberg Hall.

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I'm on a George Russell jag.

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I muse about the challenges inherent in watching other people listen to music.

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I wish most media outlets understood that there's a big difference between Hank Williams and Bocephus.

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Tony Ladesich made a nice video for punk-metal band Faster Than Hell.

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I dig the EPK for Christian McBride's new big band album.

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Kansas City Click: New Jazz Order perform at 1911 Main on Tuesday.

The Record Bar hosts Wild Flag on Wednesday.

I'm obsessed with Opeth's new album. The death metal/European folk band appears at the Beaumont Club on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Dum Dum Girls- Only In Dreams

2011-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Dum Dum Girls- "Bedroom Eyes" (video at YouTube)

Two albums were in near-constant rotation among my circle of friends in 1981. The Pretenders' 1980 debut and Beauty and the Beat by The Go-Go's never seemed to stop playing. The former project was the default soundtrack for hanging out with guys. The second album was adored by my female friends. Most of my associates weren't music nerds like me; they just wanted mood-setting background music.

We also listened to Controversy, Tattoo You, Being With You, Abacab, Ghost In the Machine and Nine Tonight. I recall needing to play No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, Stands for Decibels,, East Side Story, Wild Gift and Short Back 'n' Sides when no one else was around.

These thirty-year-old recollections overcame me as I first listened to Only In Dreams, the new album by Dum Dum Girls. Songs like "Bedroom Eyes" serve as an excellent tribute to Chrissie Hynde and to the girl group sound revived by The Go-Go's.

We were a reckless bunch, so it's not surprising that AIDS, car accidents and substance abuse have felled several of my friends from that era. I miss them, but getting teary-eyed isn't going to get me anywhere. Besides, I should be focusing on The Dum Dum Girls' tour schedule.

I think I'm "Coming Down".

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Pat Metheny and Larry Grenadier were excellent last night. Here's my review of their concert.

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I'd forgotten that hip hop executive Sylvia Robinson was also Sylvia of Mickey & Sylvia fame. Robinson died Thursday. Life, like love, is strange.

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What's with the sudden outbreak of piano duets? I'm not sold on Orvieto, the new album by Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani.

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Kansas City Click: Trumpet #1: Ambrose Akinmusire appears Friday at Yardley Hall.

Trumpet #2: Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra visit Helzberg Hall on Saturday.

Trumpet #3: The Kerry Strayer Orchestra features a full trumpet section. Its monthly gig returns to Jardine's on Sunday.

Trumpet #4: Maurice Brown performs Monday at the Blue Room.

(Original image of lonely singer-songwriter by There Stands the Glass.)

Typewriter Ribbon

2011-09-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

Karma, as no one has ever said, is a bear.

Even though I realized that people were doing the right thing by putting money into the hands of a very worthy band, I scoffed as impressed passerby purchased physical copies of The Grisly Hand's album at the band's fine performance Sunday at the Plaza Art Fair. Didn't they realize that until recently the album was available as a free download at Bandcamp?

The joke was on me. Hours later, the hard drive on my new MacBook Pro died. Everything- including about 48 hours of music- was lost.

Suddenly, my typewriter ribbon museum, as I've come to refer to my absurdly massive CD collection, doesn't seem quite so useless. My stacks of box sets look especially appealing after the devastating digital loss. My interest in Pop Market has also been revived. I was tempted by today's offer of a "bundle" (ugh!) of Wilco vinyl and by yesterday's discount on an Earth, Wind & Fire box set on CD.

I suppose I could spend my money on The Grisly Hand's album. My previous copy is gone forever.

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I reviewed Saturday's Uproar Festival. As is often the case with my reviews, one or two of the indignant comments are more entertaining than my recap.

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The last thing I did before my hard drive collapsed was make note of my attendance at Sunday's performances by The Grisly Hand at the art fair and by Todd Clouser at Jardine's. That put me at 287 shows for 2011.

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Grace Potter does a good deed.

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Jessy Dixon has died.

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A horn section keeps Yellow Dubmarine afloat, er, submerged.

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Opeth and I share a guilty pleasure.

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A friend just turned me on to Where Are the Arms, the new album by Gabriel Kahane. RIYL: Paul Simon, Barclay Martin, Jeff Buckley.

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The Good Feeling indeed!

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Kansas City Click: The Beach Nuts return to Jardine's on Tuesday.

The UMKC Conservatory is showcased Wednesday at The Kauffman Center.

Garage a Trois perform Thursday at Crosstown Station.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Hackberry Ramblers: An Appreciation

2011-09-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

Of all the music memorabilia hanging on the walls of my home, a signed tour poster by The Hackberry Ramblers is perhaps the least likely to impress a typical visitor. Yet it means a lot to me. I had the honor of arranging a series of in-store performances and retail meet-and-greets with the Cajun gentlemen when Ben Sandmel served as the band's drummer and tour manager. Not unlike the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Hackberry Ramblers are an act that's passed on through the generations. Here's what it sounded like in 1937. And here it is in the 1991 documentary Marc and Ann. (The earthy anecdotes beginning at the 1:24 mark are too much.) The band's music may be a little creaky, but it's eminently soulful. Guitarist Glen Croker died last August. He was 77.

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Frank Driggs has died. Driggs and Chuck Haddix wrote the definitive history of Kansas City jazz.

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It's difficult for me to muster enough emotion to even shrug my shoulders at the news that R.E.M. is calling it quits. Its first three albums had a profound influence on me and I'll always be able to brag about seeing R.E.M. at a $1.02 concert at the Uptown Theater as it toured behind Murmur. I quit following the band after Lifes Rich Pageant was released. In fact, I passed on a R.E.M. concert to attend a Richard Thompson show at Parody Hall in 1986. Peter Buck stood next to me during Thompson's last few songs.

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I'm a prophet! Look for my quote from 2007 in Tim Finn's analysis of Taylor Swift's career.

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With a great deal of skepticism, I cued up Miles' Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1. Oh man! It's tremendous.

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Love it.

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Vesta Williams died yesterday.

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I don't understand what Tech N9ne is supposed to be doing in the video of Ubiquitous' "Roadwork". (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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I recently discovered the music of Suchitra Mitra.

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Kansas City Click: The enticing triple bill of The Life and Times, Dirtnap and Cowboy Indian Bear is at Crosstown Station on Friday.

Mac Lethal headlines at the Riot Room on Saturday.

I recommend bringing earplugs to Todd Clouser's gig at Jardine's on Sunday.

The Jazz Disciples appear at the Blue Room on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Kauffman Center's Open House

2011-09-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

I waited ninety minutes in the rain to enter Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday. I waited another thirty minutes to get into Helzberg Hall. The experience was worth the hassle.

Even though I'd already been inside Helzberg Hall twice, I wasn't about to pass on Sunday's "open house." The festive mood of the massive crowd, along with the choice acts performing on four outdoor stages, made the wait bearable.

I only felt frustrated when I was forced to view Alaturka's performance on a video monitor. Helzberg Hall was full and no one could be seated until spectators left. My sadness turned to joy when I squeezed inside Helzberg Hall just in time to catch Bobby Watson and an all-star band (above) perform one "original" selection. The piece was a riveting medley of familiar tunes by Kansas City jazz and blues icons. The band was a virtual who's who of Kansas City's jazz scene- Clint Ashlock, David Basse, Gerald Dunn, Jason Goudeau, Ryan Lee, Will Matthews, Herman Mehari, Al Pearson and Bram Wijnands were among its members. Splendid!

Ushers pleaded with patrons in a largely unsuccessful effort to clear the room after each performance. Call me selfish, but I wasn't about to abandon my spot after taking in just one ten-minute performance. I refused to relinquish my seat until I'd been in the room for thirty minutes.

Immediate seating was available at the adjacent Muriel Kauffman Theater (above). Whoa! It took me a couple minutes to get my bearings. Helzberg Hall offers a highly refined and serene setting. Muriel Kauffman Theater is... "vibrant." Sitting in Muriel Kauffman Theater is like being trapped inside the gaudy bracelet of a giantess. That's not necessarily a bad thing- but learning how to tune out the sparkle and flash takes some time. I heard Megan Birdsall and her backing trio (below) overcome problematic sound issues in an enticing set.

Stunning architecture aside, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Sunday's open house was the stamina of Julia Irene Kauffman. The center's Chairman of the Board stood at the top of the main staircase in Brandmeyer Great Hall and attempted to personally greet every one of the day's estimated 50,000 visitors. I admire that gesture, just as I admire the incalculable significance the new facility will have on Kansas City.

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The wake of Leroy Johnson on Sunday served as an unofficial convention of unemployed music retail and distribution people. Now that those industries have all but disappeared, it's finally safe to joke about the bad old days with former rivals. On the other hand, I have yet to fully process the death of my friend.

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I reviewed Friday's performance by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

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I also took notes at Anthony Wilson's show at the Westport Coffeehouse.

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Need a laugh? Force an unsuspecting music fan to watch the "Miracle Worker" video for the absurdly unlikely supergroup SuperHeavy. Your pal's shocked reaction will be priceless. The song is unspeakably odd.

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Bluegrass musician Liz Meyer has died.

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I want to work on James Farm.

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Kansas City Click: Future star Lee MacDougall croons at the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Dirty Bourbon River Show, featured at There Stands the Glass four months ago, play Trouser Mouse on Wednesday.

The Vibrators play Davey's on Thursday. I can't believe it either.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Cesmiles- Did This For Hip Hop

2011-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Cesmiles' "Sorry" stream at YouTube (featuring Ces Cru)

Cesmiles' "School" stream at YouTube (instrumental)

Miles Bonny is an over-sharer. I love the guy and the music he makes, but I just can't deal with the constant barrage of information he transmits. I had to unfollow Bonny online just so his updates didn't consume a significant portion of my days.

Now I'm playing catchup. I accidentally came across Did This For Hip Hop, his new collaboration with Ces Cru, at Bandcamp. The mixtape is so good that it temporarily relieved me of my obsession with Shabazz Palaces. Bonny's instrumental tracks reflect his interest in all types of music- folk, jazz and international sounds are added to the usual funk samples. I prefer Bonny's productions to the work of most of his more celebrated peers.

A couple of the selections on Did This For Hip Hop are little more than sketches, but hey, he's giving it away (and asking for "tips.") It almost goes without saying that the tracks featuring Ces Cru are fire.

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Blues man Willie "Big Eyes" Smith has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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The excellent video for Destroyer's "Savage Night at the Opera" reminds me of why Vancouver is my favorite city in North America. Kaput is highly recommended to anyone harboring an inexcusable nostalgia for the era in which Gary Wright was a radio star. (Guilty!)

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Why didn't anyone tell me about Death Grips? The free Exmilitary mixtape is among my favorite release of 2011.

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Rondo Leewright, of St. Louis' Rondo's Blues Deluxe, has died. His band was once a big club draw in Kansas City.

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I reviewed Time Travel, the new album by Never Shout Never, for Ink.

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Am I an idiot, or is Google's Music Beta deliberately confusing? Wait- don't answer that.

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Kansas City Click: Anthony Wilson is performing Friday at the Westport Coffee House Theater at Plastic Sax. I previewed the show at Plastic Sax.

Wrath & Ruin is at the Riot Room on Saturday.

I'll be with the hoi polloi at the Kauffman Center's open house on Sunday.

The Lonely Planet appear at Crosstown Station on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Crossroads Music Fest

2011-09-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Spontaneity isn't my specialty. I like plans and schedules. So when the Prairie Village Jazz Festival was washed away by a storm Saturday, I was temporary at a loss. (Here are my notes on that debacle.) The Jackson in my pocket would have been more than enough to get by at the free festival headlined by Bobby Watson and Deborah Brown, but it wouldn't necessarily get me far elsewhere.

I considered catching Clint Ashlock's jazz band at a coffee shop in the southern suburbs, New Ear's avant-classical concert, Steddy P.'s IndyFest at tbe Riot Room and a blues-based benefit at BB's Lawnside BBQ before biting the bullet at Crossroads Music Festival. The $15 cover immediately left me cash poor. After splurging on a $2 PBR at the Czar Bar, I mooched off friends.

I saw about four inferior acts and four good bands. Here's what I liked:

The Columns did a straightforward rock-meets-R&B thing that just felt good. (That's event organizer Bill Sundahl on the far left of the top photo.) The Silver Maggies received invaluable contributions from Terrence Moore and Amy Farrand. Its hearty goth-tinged twang was similarly satisfying.

Faster Than Hell (middle photo) played in an alley behind a tattoo parlor. Perfect! A friend warned me to steer clear of Victor & Penny, but I was charmed by its throwback routine. The best surprise, however, was My Brothers & Sisters (bottom photo), a 15-piece collective led by Jamie Searle. The ensemble included a string quartet, four female vocalists and a three-piece horn section. The glorious mess reminded me of a David Byrne project.

Kansas City rewards improvisation.

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I don't go to movie theaters but I'd make an exception for Sounds and Silence, a documentary about the ECM record label. Here's the trailer.

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Confession time: Coldplay tickles my ears. I genuinely like everything I've heard from the forthcoming new album.

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Is it normal to study the schedules of music festivals you're not attending?

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Kansas City Click: Robert Earl Keen sings his songs Tuesday at Knuckleheads. (I love this song.)

Molotov and Making Movies perform at the Beaumont Club on Wednesday.

Alison Krauss appears Thursday at The Midland Theater.

(Original photos by There Stands the Glass.)

Missed the Saturday Dance

2011-09-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my love of jazz, I quite frequently find myself surrounded by old folks. As a member of an audience of about 200 (!) at a piano trio gig earlier this week, I was one of the ten youngest people in the room. Aside from the speed at which they move while entering and exiting venues, I enjoy the company of my elders. They're attentive listeners. Unlike all too many concertgoers under the age of sixty, old people don't talk, text or take pictures while music's playing. God bless 'em.

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A new edition of "What's In My Bag?" featuring Seu Jorge and Almaz makes me happy.

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I was name-checked on Friday's edition of KCUR's Up To Date.

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Kansas City Click: David Letterman holds up a CD longbox of my favorite Los Lobos album in this clip. I'd forgotten that the awful packaging even existed. Los Lobos play Knuckleheads for the first time on Friday.

The Prairie Village Jazz Festival is Saturday.

The Features and Kevine Devine Sunday at The Record Bar.

Dominique Sanders leads Monday's jam session at The Blue Room.

Review: Goitse

2011-09-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

Video stream of Goitse performing live

I was getting frustrated at Kansas City Irish Fest last Friday. The bands weren't getting it done. No amount of beer can make me like a watered down version of The Pogues. I was just about to give up when I encountered Goitse. The kids from Limerick had all the energy, passion and bum notes that most of the other bands lacked. Goitse possess the qualities people claim to admire in Mumford & Sons. Except Goitse is Irish. And trad. See for yourself in the link above.

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I consider Kansas City Irish Fest from a different angle at Plastic Sax.

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I attended a sold-out concert featuring Maroon 5, Train and Matt Nathanson. Here's my review.

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Kansas City's Stan Plesser has died.

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Wardell Quezergue has died. (Tip via Big Steve.)

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My friend and former boss LeRoy Johnson has died.

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Much of the new Wilco album sounds like outtakes from Let It Be. That's a compliment.

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Legendary A&R man Pete Lubin, a man I'm proud to call my friend, is interviewed at Popdose.

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Kansas City Click: New Jazz Order returns to Harling's on Tuesday.

Amy Farrand's Weirdo Wednesday Supper Club goes down weekly at Davey's.

Both Eilen Jewell and Butch Hancock perform at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Danny Brown- XXX

2011-09-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

YouTube stream of Danny Brown's "30"

I have no business listening to XXX, the free new mixtape by Detroit-based rapper Danny Brown. I go to midday parades in the suburbs. Instead of plotting to "Die Like a Rock Star" while abusing Adderall, I think about the 2012 elections as I mow my lawn. Even so, my love of XXX isn't based on vicarious thrills. I respect Danny Brown's intelligence, humor and honesty. "I ain't never had sh*t- zilch, zero, none," he confesses as he calls out duplicitous rappers on "Lie4." And his music is great. XXX's grimy sound is what I liked about early Dizzee Rascal. He tellingly references Kool Keith on "Outer Space." His "anti-clean rap" is everything I wanted but didn't get out of Tyler the Creator's Goblin. XXX is messed up. And I can relate.

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Danny Brown is one of the opening acts on Das Racist's current tour.

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The Tedeschi Trucks Band sneaked up on me. Its show last night was one of my favorites of 2011. Here's my review.

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Wait… Meg of Meg & Dia was a contestant on the reality show The Voice? Why didn't I hear about this until after the fact?

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KCRW offers a stream of My Morning Jacket performing Orbital. Big thumbs up.

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I'd been sleeping on "Ghetto Dreams", the new Common and Nas collaboration.

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Kansas City Click: The great Marty Stuart is at Santa-Cali-Gon Days on Friday.

KC Irish Fest runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Ledesi is Sunday's headliner at the VooDoo Lounge.

The Kansas City Symphony offers a free concert Sunday at Shawnee Mission Park.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Stephen Malkmus- Mirror Traffic

2011-08-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Video stream of "No One Is (As I Are Be)" by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Many of friends are Deadheads. I'm perfectly content to listen to American Beauty when I hang out with them, but I'm always on the hunt for new music that bridges the gap between their worlds and mine. Mirror Traffic, the ramshackle new release by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, is such an album. As the video for "No One Is (As I Are Be)" suggests, it's really far out. I don't have any personal insights into the behavior of Malkmus, his bandmates in the Jicks or album producer Beck, but Mirror Traffic has a strong under-the-influence vibe. "All Over Gently" resembles a jam from a forgotten Mothers of Invention splinter group. And even on rockers like "Forever 28" and "Tune Grief," Malkmus' approximation of singing is just like Jerry's.

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Here's my review of a Def Leppard and Heart concert at Sprint Center.

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I reviewed the first set of Marilyn Maye's weeklong engagement at Jardine's.

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The video for Greg Enemy's "Sophisticated Goon Sh*t" is impressive.

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I relentlessly bash ~~Satan~~ Taylor Swift, but I have to admit that her live collabo with Nicki Minaj was pretty cool.

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I've seen several reports that Pearl Thuston-Brown has died. I last wrote about her at Plastic Sax in 2010.

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David "Honeyboy" Edwards has died. I posted photos of the blues legend performing at the 2006 Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival at Hit Random.

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Jerry Leiber died last week. My friend Joel Francis recounts the story of "Kansas City" here.

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Kansas City Click: The Intercontinental Hotel hosts Laura Chalk's album release gig on Tuesday.

The mighty Rhino Bucket hits the Riot Room on Wednesday.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band performs at Crossroads KC on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Solid! Solid as a Rock

2011-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

I ventured into my basement today with Nick Ashford on my mind. The veteran singer, songwriter and performer died Monday. I seem to recall that I own a small stack of Ashford & Simpson vinyl. I intended to use one or more of the albums in an image for this blog. (I wish I had time to listen to them again.) Then it hit me- my collection was moved by other members of my compound after a recent wet basement incident. I can't locate the A-through-B section of my vinyl. I briefly considered throwing a hissy fit until I remembered that I'm the luckiest guy I know. I saw Steely Dan last night, Lil Wayne on Monday and Marbin on Sunday. I'll be out again every night this weekend. And I'm going to complain that my music collection is unmanageable? No, I'm "Solid". Thanks for indulging me as I work through my issues in public.

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It's not as if my dark side has permanently evaporated. Kevin Devine's "Ballgame" is one of the best songs about self-loathing I've encountered.

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The unlikely editorial decisions displayed in the new video for "How To Love" only heighten my man-crush on Weezy.

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Sanctuary.

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Kansas City Click: The Midland Theater hosts Return To Forever on Friday.

TV On the Radio perform at Crossroads KC on Saturday.

Marilyn Maye begins a week-long engagement at Jardine's on Sunday.

The Low Anthem play the Record Bar on Monday.

(Original image of the former location of a portion of my music collection by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Quixotic Fusion

2011-08-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm a little slow. I'd seen Quixotic Fusion several times, but it wasn't until Sunday's free show at Crossroads KC that I understood the significance of the music and performance troupe. Hippies, punk rockers, theater people, suits, children and geezers were awestruck by Sunday's display. (It looked and sounded a lot like this.) I'm immune to Quixotic Fusion's charms, but it's finally apparent to me that the Kansas City collective is at the vanguard of fulfilling the heightened expectations of today's audiences.

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I've seen Lil Wayne perform four or five times now. Last night's performance was my favorite. Here's my review.

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Bill Frisell has a John Lennon cover band. Listen here.

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The Leopards' Kansas City Slickers album has been reissued on vinyl. "Dancing In the Snow" is pretty amazing. (Tip via FP.)

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Race Riot Suite, the forthcoming album by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, will find a spot in my year-end top ten list. I posted a miniature review at Plastic Sax.

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A new Connie Smith album? Heck yes!

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I realize that Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber have died, but i just can't deal with those losses right now.

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Kansas City Click: Strange but true- Diamond Head performs at Knuckleheads on Tuesday.

Hidden Pictures are on the bill at The Brick on Wednesday.

I suspect that my favorite Steely Dan song will be played Thursday at Starlight Theater.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Pack A.D.- Unpersons

2011-08-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Black Keys recently reminded me of something I'd come dangerously close to forgetting. A talented blues duo is capable of making people lose their minds. As the band from Akron played to a riotous crowd of over 10,000 at a racetrack, I saw fistfights, make-out sessions, temper tantrums and convulsive vomiting. Unpersons, the forthcoming release by The Pack A.D., contains a similarly sinister and potent energy. The Canadian duo of Maya Miller and Becky Blackmake make mean, dirty music meant to incite bad deeds. Asking if The Pack A.D. is as good as, say, Heartless Bastards misses the point. The music contained on Unpersons doesn't inspire such pointy-headed theorizing. The Pack A.D. provides an ideal soundtrack for ~~fucking shit up~~ drunken hijinks and meaningless acts of vandalism.

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The RFT offers a great interview with St. Louis treasure Joe Edwards.

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Here's the scoop on the 2011 edition of Crossroads Music Fest.

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Kansas City rapper Neko is interviewed at Credentials Hip Hop.

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This Farm Aid photo set is stunning.

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The new The War On Drugs is Boss!

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Kansas City Click: Brad Leali leads a band Thursday and Friday at The Blue Room.

The Black House Improvisors' Collective headline a free show Friday at La Esquina.

I might "Go Crazy" at Young Jeezy's concert Saturday at the Beaumont Club.

Marbin perform Sunday at The Record Bar.

Janet Jackson plays Starlight Theater on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Watch the Throne

2011-08-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know that There Stands the Glass takes requests? A couple readers have asked me to post my thoughts on Watch the Throne. Largely because I love "event" albums, I'm happy to oblige. In an increasingly fragmented world, it's reassuring to know that every once in a while everyone (everyone who shares my love of hip hop and popular culture, anyway) is listening to the same thing at the same time. And I imagine they're all smiling. Watch the Throne is hilarious. Sometimes it's even funny on purpose. (Zing!) It's not nearly as good as Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, but it's still essential. For one thing, the most prominent samples are of Curtis Mayfield, Otis Redding and Nina Simone. That's like kryptonite to would-be haters with my predilections. Want more? Ghostface Killah's review of Watch the Throne is rather remarkable.

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I reviewed Theory of a Deadman's concert last Friday. I suppose I deserve the barb made by commenter 323, but dang… Nickelback.

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Top City! I'm impressed by the video for "Hood Boi by KO Streetz.

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"The Line (Super Soul)", a new single by D/Will and Les Izmore, is available as a free download.

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I do this Plastic Sax thing.

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Kansas City Click: The Loneliest Monk plays The Record Bar on Monday.

Everette DeVan has a weekly gig at The Phoenix on Tuesdays.

Janelle Monae opens for Katy Perry at The Sprint Center on Wedneday.

(Original photo by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: JJ Grey at Crossroads KC

2011-08-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to sound like Otis Redding? I respect JJ Grey's musical ambitions. As I tweeted last night from Crossroads KC, Grey is no Eddie Hinton, but he ain't bad. The Floridian's backing band included a trumpeter, saxophonist, organist and a guitarist who doubled on pedal steel. Grey is doing it right. Yet most of the 1,500 people in attendance were only there for headliner Jonny Lang. They wanted nothing to do with Grey's throwback R&B. (I opted not to stick around for this.)

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Vanilla Ice, Snoop Dogg and Eminem have performed in Kansas City this year. Lil Wayne plays here later this month. The Jay-Z and Kanye West tour comes to town in November. That means that six of the best-selling hip hop artists of all time will have performed in Kansas City in 2011. Missing- The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Outkast, Nelly, 50 Cent, and obviously, Tupac and Biggie.

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Ubiquitous of Ces Cru stars in the video for Reggie B's "Celeste."

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Uh oh. An impeccable lineup at the world's most famous jazz festival attracted a combined 12,500 fans last weekend. Here's The New York Times' review.

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Kansas City Click: I hope to catch Matt Otto at the Blue Room on Thursday.

I can't imagine who Howard Iceberg was referring to in his email solicitation for his Friday gig: As a once-in-a-lifetime special accommodation to those of you who like my songs but hate my singing (you know who you are), this Friday at The Writers Place I will be reading the lyrics to some of my songs as if they were poetry. Following which I will punish the attendees by singing a few songs anyway. The dope: This Friday, Aug 12th, 8:00pm, Writers Place.

The Dwarves open for Nashville Pussy Saturday at The Riot Room.

I've had many awkward moments at previous Pitch Music Awards ceremonies. This year's edition takes place Sunday at The Uptown Theater.

More of my picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kanrocksas

2011-08-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

I loved Kanrocksas. My notes are included in the coverage here and here. The best part of the fledgling festival? Excellent sound. The bar for outdoor productions in the Kansas City area has been raised. My ten favorite performances of the weekend:

1. A Perfect Circle
2. The Black Keys
3. The Flaming Lips
4. Doomtree
5. Best Coast
6. Fitz & The Tantrums
7. Kid Cudi
8. Ween
9. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
10. STS9

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Even though Kanrocksas was a good time, nothing I heard at the festival was as electrifying as My Morning Jacket's performance last Wednesday at The Uptown Theater. Here's my review.

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Until I read it in an obituary, I never knew that Gene McDaniels was born in Kansas City.

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I'm just as excited about Watch the Throne as anyone. Even so, I completely respect Chuck D's diss track "Notice- Know This".

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Kansas City Click: Abel Ramirez plays the former Gold Buffet on Tuesday.

Mike Dillon joins Snuff Jazz Wednesday at Grunauer.

Hospital Ships joins Cowboy Indian Bear at The Brick on Wednesday.

(Original image of an A Perfect Circle fan's t-shirt by There Stands the Glass.)

Bill Morrissey, 1951-2011

2011-07-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Years before I was employed by the record label, the budget-priced Rounder Folk compilation was one of the first titles I bought in the then-new CD format. The exhausted tone and cracked voice displayed on Bill Morrissey's "My Old Town" led me to believe that the man was well into his 60s. I was shocked when I discovered that he was still young. A combination of Hank Williams and Robert Frost, the New England-based singer-songwriter rarely toured in the Midwest. I saw him perform just once. His bearing at a Rounder Records convention in Cambridge made me realize that his songs about hard living were probably based on actual experience. "These Cold Fingers", for instance, details a botched marriage proposal, alcoholism, shattered ambition and shooting a debilitated dog. Morrissey died July 23. This fine appreciation of Morrissey's career provides valuable context.

There are some saints in hiding by the river in the reeds/And they're turning down every train that don't feel the right speed. Sing them this song when you pass by, it'll be your last good deed. Ah babe, it's true, the saints are down every line waiting just for you.

"Night Train," Bill Morrissey

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ECM's audio player for Levon Eskenian's The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble transports me to another realm.

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Here's nice news for bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma.

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This just in- Bjork's new song sounds just like Bjork.

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You'd think I'd love the new single by Mocean Worker. I hate it.

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I took no pleasure in trashing Snoop Dogg's performance in my town Tuesday. Here's my review.

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I reviewed last night's performance by Paul Thorn.

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I reviewed Big Scoob's Damn Fool album.

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"Yoga doesn't make you invisible!" I adore The Ettes.

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I suppose this marks the return of the "death blog," as my highly-valued friend BGO once put it. I still intend to note the recent passing of greats like Kenny Baker.

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Kansas City Click: My weekly show previews for Ink are here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Amy Winehouse, 1983-2011

2011-07-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just like most everyone I know, I enjoy Amy Winehouse's two albums. Rather than turning to Frank and Back to Black when word of her death arrived yesterday, I lamented what might have been. Had she survived, it's very likely that Winehouse would have eventually focused on jazz. It's not much of a stretch. She'd already recorded "'Round Midnight" and "Moody's Mood For Love." She could have become her generation's Anita O'Day. Who knows how many people Winehouse would have turned on to Karrin Allyson, Mildred Bailey, Gretchen Parlato, Nancy Wilson and, of course, Billie Holiday? Losing Winehouse in 2011 is awful. Speculating on a jazz-oriented career that might have peaked in 2031 only deepens the pain.

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Yours truly can be seen handing Mega Ran a Nas CD as he freestyles at an in-store performance at Access Music in San Diego last week.

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The nomination for the Mercury Prize brought Ghostpoet to my attention. I'm embarrassed that I hadn't given him a listen until now. RIYL: Both Gil Scott-Heron and The Streets.

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Spotify make be clunky, but don't let its many detractors fool you- the streaming music service is a game-changer.

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Kansas City Click: Matt Otto plays The Record Bar on Sunday.

Dennis Winslett leads a jam session at The Blue Room on Monday.

Sade and John Legend will perform Tuesday at The Sprint Center.

Horse Opera hits The Record Bar on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Lil Wayne- Sorry 4 the Wait

2011-07-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Audio stream of title track at YouTube

One of the revelations provided by hanging out at Turntable.fm is the depth of many people's loathing of Lil Wayne. It's not uncommon to find hip hop forums with guidelines like "Anything But That Blanking Lil Wayne." Haters gonna hate. Although I've been quick to mock Weezy's missteps, my criticism is based on disappointment rather than spite. I believe that if Wayne didn't constantly drop the "b," "f", "h," "n" and "p" words, his genius would be almost universally acknowledged. Sorry 4 the Wait, the free new mixtape that dropped last week as a stopgap until the oft-delayed Tha Carter IV is finally released is wildly inconsistent. Even so, Sorry 4 the Wait serves as yet another reminder that Wayne is head and shoulders above almost all of his peers.

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Kansas City Click: What?

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Keb' Mo' at Frontier Park

2011-07-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

I don't mind sweating. As long as I have access to water, I actually enjoy the sensation of completely saturating my clothing. It's not much of an achievement this time of year in the Kansas City area. With the heat index over 100 last Friday evening, I headed directly to Olathe to catch Keb' Mo''s free concert at Frontier Park after mowing my lawn. Even in my dank condition, I dug the first song, a duet with opening act Kelley Hunt. I soon remembered, however, that Keb' Mo' appeals directly to James Taylor's fan base. The soft approach worked for most of the approximately 1,500 people who braved the heat, but I conceded after thirty minutes. July wins. I lose.

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I reviewed Dysfunctional, Ahmad Alaadeen's new oral autobiography, at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: You're on your own. I'm going to get back to enjoying the cool breeze right here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Grieves with Budo- Together/Apart

2011-07-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Grieves with Budo- "Bloody Poetry" video stream at YouTube

One of the toughest decisions the Warped Tour schedule forced me to make last week was whether to catch Lucero or Grieves with Budo. I went with the roots rockers. I don't regret it, but passing on the opportunity to see Grieves and multi-instrumentalist Budo in their first Kansas City-area show since they parted ways with the locally-based Black Clover label hurt. Others can make fun of so-called emo-rap all they like. I've loved Grieves songs like "I Ate Your Soul" for years. The new album Together/Apart on the Rhymesayers label contains several new favorites. Grieve's dark rhymes are good but what really makes Together/Apart work are the jazz, pop and avant-garde leanings of beat-maker Budo. I also appreciate the superior packaging.

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Am I influential or merely prescient? Laurie Anderson and Phillip Glass have been booked at the Kauffman Center. I mentioned them as ideal candidates for the new performance space in an ill-tempered rant eight months ago.

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The photos accompanying my review of Gomez's concert are excellent.

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I like Ted Nugent.

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Does my interest in the new Winnie the Pooh soundtrack make me a creep?

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I wish I connected with the music of Terri Lyne Carrington's new project.

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Kansas City Click: The Randy Rogers Band appears at the Power & Light free concert series on Thursday.

Keb Mo and Kelley Hunt play a free show in Olathe on Friday.

Rob Zombie headlines a "low-dough-show" Saturday at Sandstone.

Innerpartysystem appear at The Midland on Sunday.

The Fleet Foxes play The Uptown Theater on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

My Turntable.fm Problem

2011-07-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

My name is Solar Compactor and I have a Turntable.fm problem.

The new social media/streaming music service is so compelling that I'm often tempted to neglect my real life obligations so that I may goof off in its digital playground. Even as I write these words, I'm actually weighing the option of staying glued to Turntable.fm instead of attending tonight's Gomez/Mike Doughty concert.

The sonic voyeurism also confirms traditional stereotypes. Jazz cats are bitter snobs. Hip hop heads are obsessed with one-upping one another on knowledge of their music's history. Indie rock fans are lemmings. Metal dudes are elitists. Even so, the opportunity to listen to and chat about Mulatu Astatke in real time seems like a dream come true.

It'd be even better with you there. I still haven't found a single forum where I can comfortably share my affection for N.R.B.Q., Ted Hawkins, Tech N9ne, Slayer, Coleman Hawkins and Asha Bhosle. Help me out.

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I have another Warped Tour under my belt. Here's my review of Wednesday's tour stop.

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Kansas City Click: If I'm not geeking out on Turntable.fm on Friday night, I'll be singing along to Gomez at Crossroads KC.

John Anderson will be getting wild and blue at Knuckleheads on Saturday.

Ben Folds returns to Crossroads KC on Sunday. I regret that I never saw him do this.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Point Juncture, WA- Handsome Orders

2011-07-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Point Juncture, WA- "Violin Case" video stream

My tastes have changed considerably in the intervening years, but there was a time when each new release by record labels like Homestead, SST and Twin/Tone changed my life. Handsome Orders, the fine new album by Point Juncture, WA is a glorious throwback to those simpler times. It's jangly and arty- and it rocks. Reference points include Paul McCartney and Mitch Easter. "Baptist Jesus" even manages to sound like a mashup of Yes and R.E.M. And I'm down with any band that's willing to title a song "The Economics of Basketball."

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I reviewed Friday's "concert" by Ray J.

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I reviewed a recent performance by The Civil Wars.

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Last week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Gillian Welch, Beyonce, Amina Alaoui, Rave On Buddy Holly, Taking Back Sunday, Ben Williams, Jolie Holland, Thievery Corporation, Eilen Jewell, Richard Thompson- Live at the BBC, Dolly Parton, Queensryche, Big Sean and Curren$y.

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Credentials Hip Hop offers a list of the Top 10 Kansas City Hip Hop Albums of 2011 So Far.

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Wugazi!

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The Jayhawks have reunited.

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"Are you wearing underwear?" Here's an odd interview with Wayne Coyne at Love Garden.

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Why am I attracted to videos featuring vomiting? Appetite's "Tussy" is a nausea-inducing joyride.

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Kansas City Click: Marnie Stern plays the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Here's a list of the ten acts I'm most looking forward to catching at Warped Tour on Wednesday: Grieves with Budo, Lucero, MC Lars, Bad Rabbits, Foxy Shazam, Moving Mountains, Hellogoodbye, Lionize, August Burns Red and The Bots.

Pat Travers appears at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Call That Brainstorming: Music Midway in 2011

2011-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Is 2011 a good year in music? Beats me. For every great thing (the rollout of Turntable.fm and the rise of OFWGKTA) there are offsetting disappointing developments (Beyonce's disastrous new music and the premature deaths of Billy Bang, Nate Dogg and Gil Scott-Heron.) Well, I'm still here obsessing about music. Here are three lists containing sixty things I love.

25 Best Albums of 2011 (so far)
1. Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuaria- Lagrimas Mexicanas
2. Tech N9ne- All 6's and 7's
3. Reverend John Wilkins- You Can't Hurry God
4. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Bird Songs EPK
5. F*cked Up- David Comes To Life
6. David Binney- Graylen Epicenter
7. Mac Lethal- North Korean BBQ
8. The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts
9. The Get-Up Kids- There Are Rules
10. James Farm- James Farm
11. Paul Simon- So Beautiful Or So What
12. Captain Black Big Band- Captain Black Big Band
13. Hospital Ships- Lonely Twin
14. Bon Iver- Bon Iver
15. Nicholas Payton- B*tches
16. Atmosphere- Family Sign
17. Israel Nash Gripka- Barn Doors and Concrete Floors
18. DJ 2-Tone Jones- Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber
19. Pat Metheny- What's It All About
20. Terell Stafford- This Side of Strayhorn
21. Ambrose Akinmusire- When the Heart Emerges Glistening
22. Steddy P- What Happened Tomorrow
23. Mr. Marcos' V7- Sparkin' Your Mama
24. The Streets- Computers and Blues interactive film
25. Tyler the Creator- Goblin

25 Best Live Performances of 2011 (so far)
1. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Folly Theater
2. Deftones- VooDoo Lounge
3. Daniel Johnston with Capybara- Beaumont Club
4. Janelle Monae- Independence Events Center
5. Del McCoury with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band- Lied Center
6. Stone Sour- Rockfest
7. Kool Keith- Czar Bar
8. Bach Aria Soloists (tango concert)- All Souls Unitarian Church
9. Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience- VooDoo
10. Jonathan Butler- Gem Theater
11. Karrin Allyson- Folly Theater
12. Motley Crue- Sprint Center
13. Ingrid Fliter and the Kansas City Symphony- Lyric Theater
14. Old Crow Medicine Show- Crossroads KC
15. Diverse with Tony Tixier- Grant Recital Hall
16. Clutch- The Midland Theater
17. Todd Clouser- Record Bar
18. New Ear/Owen Cox- Union Station
19. Tribute to Miles Davis- Crosstown Station
20. Toots and the Maytals- Crossroads KC
21. Deborah Brown- Gem Theater
22. Snuff Jazz- Crosstown Station
23. Kenny Rogers- VooDoo Lounge
24. DJ P- Zebedee's
25. New Jazz Order- Polsky Theater

Ten Best Singles of 2011 (so far)
1. Tyler the Creator- "Yonkers"
2. Kelly Rowland- "Motivation"
3. Lil Wayne- "6 Foot 7 Foot"
4. Adele- "Rolling In the Deep"
5. Jill Scott with Anthony Hamilton- "So In Love"
6. Manchester Orchestra- "Simple Math"
7. Vybz Kartel featuring Sheba- "You & Him Deh"
8. Spoek Mathambo- "Control"
9. Ledisi- "Pieces of Me"
10. Mary Mary- "Walking"

(Original image of Motley Crue concert by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Priory

2011-06-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Priory performing "Kings of Troy" live, YouTube video stream

I laughed as I surveyed NPR's new "Best of the Year (so far)" list today. It's not that I'm dismissive of the selections. I respect The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Death Cab For Cutie and My Morning Jacket, six of the top ten picks. It's the predictability of the consensus voting that irks me. The problem is that developing and low-profile acts like Priory are inevitably overlooked. Like their better-publicized peers, the members of the Portland-based band are masters of melody and impeccable purveyors of discrete indie rock. The new self-titled album is very fine. Priory's primary flaw is that it exists in an overly crowded field- one that's already dominated by the aforementioned acts. Priory performs Sunday, June 26, at The Granada in Lawrence, and Monday, June 27, at the Riot Room in Kansas City.

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Mike Waterson of The Watersons has died.

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James "Pappy" Garrett of the area band Cadillac Flambe, was killed in a car accident last Sunday morning.

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How dare I call the members of Motley Crue and Poison cartoonish! Here's my review of Tuesday's concert.

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The devil is real. (Lord help me- I love these evil kids.)

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The end is nigh, part two. (Love her, too!)

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Kansas City Click: Norman Brown plays at Jazz In the Woods on Friday.

Del tha Funky Homosapien appears at the Riot Room on Saturday.

Crosstown Station hosts a tribute to Howard Iceberg on Sunday.

Priory plays the Riot Room on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Take Me Out With the Crowd

2011-06-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

People often say they don't like big crowds. Not me. I love attending outdoor festivals, sporting events and concerts in arenas. Even so, my affection for decidedly unpopular music often places me in nearly empty rooms. This is the scene at a performance I attended yesterday. The audience for a ten-piece band never numbered more than four while I was there. At least it was better than the same event on the previous Monday. I was the only listener last week. The music's great, but I don't think I can bear to go back. Warped Tour can't come soon enough.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Ninety Miles, Bon Iver, Jill Scott, Gerald Wilson, Grieves, The Red Button, Dave Alvin, Gomez, Jim Lauderdale, In Flames, Laura Cantrell, Centro-Matic, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Bo-Keys, August Burns Red, Justin Moore, Messy Marv, Dave Valentin, Viva Voce and Pitbull.

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Clarence Clemons has died.

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Wild Man Fischer has died.

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Rockabilly musician Mack Self has died.

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I'm intrigued by a new set of ECM remixes.

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Laurie Pepper has issued a 1980 session of Art Pepper recordings on her Widow's Taste label. A free download from the box set is available here. (Via Jazz Wax.)

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Guess who has made a big band album?

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Kansas City Click: Here's something I've never been able to write at There Stands the Glass: The New York Dolls are in town! The band is at the Sprint Center on Tuesday.

A Vibe Called Def will feature a live performance of Mos Def's Black On Both Sides Wednesday at the Blue Room.

The Lonely Forest is at Crosstown Station Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: David Bazan- Strange Negotiations

2011-06-16T19:51:00.001-07:00

A lot of my acquaintances are baffled by my faith. Many people seem to think that drinking, cursing and headbanging are incompatible with spirituality. The most intolerant accusations, ironically, usually come from people who disdain religion entirely. David Bazan has dealt with these issues on a dramatic scale. While his relationship with God is none of my business, it continues to make for compelling music. Strange Negotiations, his latest post- Pedro the Lion album, combines the philosophical musings of vintage Richard Thompson with the toughness of contemporary rockers like F*cked Up. My favorite song on the album, "Virginia", is atypically austere.

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The video for Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat's "The Copper Top" is devastating. Watch it and weep.

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Pat Metheny continues to find new ways to blow my mind.

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Carl Gardner of The Coasters has died. Here's my summer theme song.

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I admired Old Crow Medicine Show's first concert in Kansas City, Missouri. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: I don't know why another dude's name is attached to some of these blurbs, but these show previews- excepting the one for Ray LaMontagne- are mine. You can find my work every week in Ink Magazine.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Sunburned and Constipated

2011-06-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

I listened to the All Songs Considered podcast discussion of The Year's Best Music (So Far) yesterday. I enjoyed the effort even though I don't share the panelists' tastes. NPR Music, the forum's parent, offered a separate list that includes a handful of titles more to my liking. Even so, the sensibilities of these refined list makers is worlds removed from mine. "Sunburned and constipated," I responded when a friend asked how I was feeling yesterday. I blasted a rock station's broadcast of Korn's "Freak On a Leash" and Staind's "For You" during my commute from work last night. No, I don't have a CD player in my car. I don't even have A/C. My affection for disaffected music is undoubtedly related to that issue.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Pat Metheny, Terakaft, Bad Meets Evil (Eminem and Royce Da 5'9"), Aaron Goldberg/Guillermo Klein, Ledisi, , Erik Friedlander, Neil Young, Freddie Hubbard, Junior Boys, Madeleine Peyroux and Black Country Communion.

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Marilyn Maye has been hospitalized.

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I reviewed Deborah Brown's recent concert at Plastic Sax.

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Music industry veteran Steve Popovich died June 8.

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Seth Putnam of Anal C*nt has died.

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Credentials HIp Hop, a Kansas City hip hop blog, is back on the scene.

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Kansas City Click: March Fourth Marching Band performs at Crossroads KC on Tuesday.

Brandi Carlile is Wednesday's opener at Starlight.

Jason Ricci plays Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Mystic Number National Bank

2011-06-11T09:19:00.001-07:00

Mystic Number National Bank- "St. James Infirmary" stream at YouTube

There are countless albums dating from the late '60s and early '70s by forgotten boogie bands. This is just another act with an embarrassingly overt debt to Cream. But because it's new to me, and because the band was from Kansas City, Mystic Number National Bank is among my current obsessions. I almost didn't give the self-titled album a try when I noticed that the opening track is titled "Blues Jam" and the closing song is titled "Blues So Bad." Thankfully, it's not all about Eric Clapton. The influences of the Mothers of Invention, Blood, Sweat & Tears and (unexpectedly) Neil Diamond provide balance. Kansas City's always been a boogie-happy town, but this album reminds me that the form doesn't have to be boring.

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Here's a nice video synopsis of last week's amazing MidCoast Cares benefit for Joplin at Crosstown Station.

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Chris Mills' notes on his experience at Wakarusa are illuminating.

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All 6's and 7's, Tech N9ne's new album, is very good. Here's my review.

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I reviewed a Kenny Rogers concert last night.

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I reviewed Tuesday's performance by Toots and the Maytals a few days ago.

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I don't know which I like more- Grieves or Rhymesayers' packaging EPKs.

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Whoop whoop! The new Gathering of the Juggalos promo video is brilliant. The really good stuff starts around the 7:30 mark.

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Kansas City Click: Deborah Brown is backed by a European band Saturday at the Blue Room and Sunday at the Gem Theater.

The People's Liberation Big Band return to the Record Bar on Sunday.

Ivan and Alyosha play the Record Bar on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Young Jeezy- The Real Is Back

2011-06-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

Young Jeezy permanently changed my listening habits in 2005. The Snowman's impact on me wasn't directly related to the associated "No Snitchin'" mindset or the ingestion of drugs. I'd been deliberately avoiding succumbing to trap music, but "Go Crazy" forced me to realize that resistance was futile. I've been part of the problem ever since. "My President" aside, Jeezy has lazily repeated his recipe. His sing-song tributes to street life are musical junk food. I give the man credit for coming up with the formula, but there's been laughably little in the way of musical progression in the intervening years. A placeholder for Thug Motivation 103, the free mixtape The Real Is Back is more of the same. And yet I listen.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Tech N9ne, Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent, F*cked Up, Artic Monkeys, Joe Jackson, Battles, Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian, Chick Corea, Joe Ely, Black Lips, Morbid Angel, Randy Travis, Craig Taborn, Ronnie Dunn, Frank Turner, Cults, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tommy Castro, Dawes and Sondre Lerche.

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I really like the new video for Tyler the Creator's "She." Does that make me a bad person?

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Jazz pianist Ray Bryant has died. He's best know in pop culture for his hit "The Madison Time.

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Benny Spellman has died. It doesn't get much better than this.

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Andrew Gold has died.

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Here's a new video featuring Mac Lethal and Irv da Phenom. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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You'll need to fish around at his site to find the information, but Israel Nash Gripka is offering a three-song EP. Proceeds benefit Joplin's storm victims. Gripka's Barn Doors & Concrete Floors is my favorite folk-rock album of 2011.

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Kansas City Click: Toots & the Maytals perform Tuesday at Crossroads KC.

Steve Poltz returns to Davey's on Wednesday.

~~Quintron and Miss Pussycat play the Record Bar on Thursday.~~ Chatham County Line play Davey's on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Easy Does It: Lagrimas Mexicanas

2011-06-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

"Aguela Mulher" stream at YouTube

It's been a noisy year. I've taken to relaxing to the sounds of Slayer and Albert Ayler. I'm geeked for tonight's Tech N9ne concert. Even so, the album I've listened to most in 2011 is Lagrimas Mexicanas, the quiet new collaboration between guitarist Bill Frisell and Vincious. The intoxicating project has even replaced Ali Farka Toure's The Source as my primary soundtrack during my regular visits to western Kansas. Sure- songs like "Aguela Mulher" could be characterized as fancy-pants easy listening music. Wanna make something of it?

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That reminds me- "Have You Never Been Mellow?"

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I don't regret downloading Young Jeezy's The Real is Back mixtape.

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Here's a promotional video for my friend Corky's book of photography.

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Members of The Kansas City Symphony are pleased with their new performance venue.

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"Guntitled", the latest video from Ces Cru, features Mac Lethal. (Via Wayward Blog.)

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I had my hopes up high. I expect great, not merely good, from Joe Ely. Here's my review of last night's performance.

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Kansas City Click: Tech N9ne performs at the Midland Theater on Friday. Here's his ambitious new video for "He's a Mental Giant."

Bobby Watson collaborates with Bach Aria Soloists on Saturday.

Ben Harper performs at Crossroads KC on Sunday.

Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian play the Midland on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Gil Scott-Heron, 1949-2011

2011-05-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since my friend BGO informed me of the (not unexpected) news of Gil Scott-Heron's death last week, I've had an extraordinarily difficult time processing the loss. I just can't come to terms with the artist's absence. Several passes at providing a brief synopsis of what he meant to me have been inadequate. Alas, my despair "Ain't No New Thing".

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Along with a few friends, generous business and dozens of musicians, my friend C. organized Midcoast Cares: A Benefit For Joplin (Facebook login required). Please join me at Crosstown Station on Wednesday.

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: Tom Harrell, The Vaccines, My Morning Jacket, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Robert Pollard, Eliane Elias, John Adams, Playing For Change 2, Black Stone Cherry, Kate Bush, Death Cab for Cutie, Eddie Vedder, The Melvins, J.D. Souther, Flogging Molly and Jim Snidero.

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I reviewed The Kansas City Symphony's Celebration at the Station.

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"Is this live?" Miles Bonny interviewed Dudley Perkins.

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I'm enjoying NPR's free downloads of Aloe Blacc and Bob Mould performances. Grab 'em here.

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Kansas City Click: Buckethead returns to Crossroads KC on Tuesday.

Ha Ha Tonka is one of a dozen or so acts participating in Wednesday's benefit at Crosstown Station.

My favorite Joe Ely song isn't available at YouTube, so I'm forced to "Settle For Love". The Texas troubadour performs at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kansas City Wine

2011-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'd been waiting for the moment for years. I've loved hanging out in the Jazz District for as long as I've been able to drive. In past decade, however, the area's live music offerings have been long on quality and short on quantity. I've typically attended a single event at a time in the 18th & Vine area.

Last night, however, I finally succeeded in experiencing a couple hours of musically rewarding club-hopping on weeknight that wasn't boosted by a festival or a major event. It sounds minor, but I was absolutely euphoric.

I began at the Blue Room, where about 30 people were taking in Makuza. Many in the small but sexy crowd danced. Everyone laughed when the malaprop-prone bandleader referenced "an internal joke." The sound of a blues trio led by Millage Gilbert pulled me in to Danny's Big Easy across the street. An even rowdier crowd was drinking and dancing to covers of familiar hits by Albert King, B.B. King and Slim Harpo.

"You take the drink," a sketchy guy told his wobbly dance partner as "Since I Met You Baby" concluded, "I take the purse."

He wasn't kidding. I decided to head to the Blues & Jazz Juke House before the obligation to thwart theft (or worse) spoiled my fun. The third club was more crowded still. So fun! Join me next time, won't you?

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This think piece by Billboard's editorial director is fascinating.

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Listen to snippets of the new live album by Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian here.

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Mike Stover's notes on the destruction in Joplin are very moving.

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Kansas City Click: The latest installment of Mark Lowrey vs. Hip Hop takes place Friday at Crosstown Station. It all began here. (I'm one of the Kansas City Skinny guys standing around in the parking lot.)

Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars appear Saturday at Independence Events Center.

Adler's Appetite hits the VooDoo Lounge on Sunday.

Cowboy Mouth play Crossroads KC on Monday.

(Original image of Danny's Big Easy by There Stands the Glass.)

Gabba Gaga: We Accept You, One of Us

2011-05-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

"Gabba Gabba, We Accept You, One of Us!"

"Everybody's doing it." That's my excuse for purchasing Lady Gaga's new album for ninety-nine cents at Amazon yesterday. Sometimes a hopeless outsider just wants to feel like a part of something bigger. Pop culture provides an immediate bond with all who choose to participate. I haven't watched a single episode of American Idol this season. I don't go to movies. I only know Charlie Sheen from films about baseball and war. Yet my investment in Born This Way makes me a participant in what may be music's single biggest sales event of the year.

All of the above is at least partially true. I actually wanted to test Amazon's servers. The download literally took three hours. And one song, "Judas," never arrived. (I have yet to receive a response to email to customer service.) (UPDATE : Amazon successfully resolved the issue on May 26.)

The music? Oh yeah, that... Well, I liked Madonna back in the day. And Lady Gaga is probably no better or worse. As far as state-of-the-art disposable pop goes, however, I prefer the Black Eyed Peas and Rhymes-With-Snake.

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This week's other new releases, in order of personal preference: Art Brut, Smod, David Binney, MMG Presents: Self Made, Vol. 1, Sean Jones (album EPK), Joseph Arthur, Los Tigres Del Norte, Stephen Marley, Thurston Moore, Vieux Farka Toure, David Bazan, Ari Hoenig, Boris, Foster the People, Alex Sipiagin, Duff McKagan, Brad Paisley, Jadakiss, White Denim, Chip Taylor and Robin Guthrie.

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I reviewed Vanilla Ice, Jonathan Butler and Warren Haynes over the weekend.

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More acts have been added to Kanrocksas. Here's the revised list.

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I'd never heard of MerQury, but his video for "Rhythm of the Night," shot in Kansas City, looks expensive. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: Vedera play the Riot Room on Tuesday.

The Riot Room hosts The Givers on Wednesday.

Hermon Mehari oversees a tribute to Miles Davis at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

On the Clock

2011-05-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

When smoking was prohibited from most of the area's public buildings a few years ago, the most noxious element associated with live music vanished. Finances aside, my new primary obstacle is time, or rather, the lack of it. Just like most civilians, I crawl out of bed around 6 a.m. Standing around in a club after midnight doesn't appeal to me. That's why I rejoiced when a 15-minute countdown clock (pictured) was posted during the intermission of last night's concert by Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience. Sure enough, the lights went down when the clock reached 0:00. Such consideration for fans is all too rare. I may never forgive one artist who kept his (former) fans needlessly waiting for over two hours in 2009.

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I may be lonesome, on'ry and mean, but I have nothing but nice things to say about Thursday's outing by Jason Bonham's band.

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Here's a snippet of a new remix of the Blue Riddim Band's "Nancy Reagan." (Via Wayward Blog.)

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Here's a clip from Toumastin, the forthcoming album from Aratan N Tinariwen. (Via BigSteveNO.)

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Bay Area hip hop star Messy Marv allegedly performs Friday at the Scottish Rite Temple.

Hammerlord returns to the Riot Room on Saturday.

Alaturka plays Jardine's on Sunday.

A free jam session takes place every Monday at the American Jazz Museum's Blue Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Gypsy Folk Circus of Dirty Bourbon River Show

2011-05-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Dirty Bourbon River Show- "Spectacular & Magnificent Day" (video)

In an unsolicited pitch to your humble correspondent, a member of Dirty Bourbon River Show characterized his band's approach as "New Orleans Gypsy Folk Circus." There's no way I could pass on that.

Sure enough, I adore the collective's Volume 2. The new album demonstrates that the members of Dirty Bourbon River Show hold Kurt Weill and Professor Longhair in equally high regard.

While the band's pithy description is unique, Dirty Bourbon River Show is hardly the first act to stumble down the same neon-lit path. The genre's godfather, of course, is Tom Waits. Calexico, Gogel Bordello and Nick Cave are kissing cousins. Honorary influences include Chet Baker, Leonard Cohen, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt and Jimmy Scott.

That's mighty fine company for circus folk.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, James Carter, Meredith Monk, Ran Blake, Tinie Tempah, JD Allen, Iggy Pop, Hank III, Killer Mike, Levon Helm, Matraca Berg, New Boyz, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Ben Harper, Face to Face, The Elected, Moby and Elvin Bishop.

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Busta Rhymes, Twista and Yelawolf join Tech N9ne on "Worldwide Choppers". Cha!

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Snooky Young has died. (Initial tip from BGO.)

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Here's raw footage of a performance by new Kansas City band BeardKCrazy. It's like a mashup of King Sunny Ade's Syncro System and Miles Davis' On the Corner.

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Rockfest! Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Portugal the Man appear at the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Max Justus is on Wednesday's bill at the Record Bar.

Jason Bonham does this Thursday at the Voodoo Lounge.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Ultraviolence: Tyler the Creator vs. Atmosphere

2011-05-13T12:32:00.001-07:00

Atmosphere- "Just For Show" video
Tyler the Creator- "Yonkers" video

I intended to dedicate my listening time on Tuesday to Goblin, the new album by Tyler the Creator. Yet I found it difficult to tear myself away from The Family Sign, the latest release from Atmosphere. Filled with pain songs about death and disappointment, The Family Sign hits close to home.

Atmosphere may be old hat, but Slug and Ant enjoyed hot-new-thing status just a decade ago. Slug now raps convincingly about the travails of adulthood. And while he name-checks Gang Starr, songs like "Who I'll Never Be" show that Slug is also down with the classic rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The nihilistic Goblin doesn't connect with me in the same way. I find Slug's portrait of a "Bad Bad Daddy" far more distressing than Tyler's Clockwork Orange-style tales of ultraviolence.

Besides, Tyler's attempts to shock listeners don't always work in the land of Tech N9ne. Been there. Done that. Anyone can smash something. Only experience allows the ramifications of anarchy to be wholly understood. Slug and Ant get it. Tyler will learn soon enough.

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Here's a new track from Miles Bonny's forthcoming album.

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Kansas City Click: Will Mathews plays guitar Friday at the Blue Room

Friends think I'm kidding when I express enthusiasm for Rockfest. Don't tell anyone, but I'd go to Saturday's festival even if I wasn't being paid to attend.

James Harman, one of the most under-appreciated men in blues, visits BB's Lawnside BBQ on Sunday.

Reptet and Beard Crazy perform at the Record Bar on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Captain Black Big Band

2011-05-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Captain Black Big Band EPK

One thing, as they say, leads to another. Little did I know when I named Bobby Watson's The Gates BBQ Suite my top album of 2010 that I'd soon become immersed in big band jazz. My favorite new album in the form is Orrin Evans' Captain Black Big Band. Evans, as jazz obsessives know (and the rest of the world doesn't care about), is a Watson protege. Boasting a bevy of ringers like saxophonist Tim Warfield, the Philadelphia-based big band is raucous but squarely within the tradition. Evans' arrangement on the first minute of "Inheritance" epitomizes everything that's good about the powerfully soulful groove that only be attained by a big band. "Jena 6," the title of one adventurous composition, reflects the band's contemporary sensibility. The illicit speakeasy atmosphere of live recording on the Posi-Tone label is entirely winning.

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Today's new releases, in the order of my personal preference: Tyler the Creator, Jesu, Raphael Saadiq, Samantha Fish/Cassie Taylor/Dani Wilde, Manchester Orchestra, Randy Newman, Gerald Clayton, Black Label Society, Colin Vallon and Patrice Moret, Okkervil River, Nigeria 70- Sweet Times: Afro-Funk Highlife, Sea & Cake, Booker T. Jones, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Anvil, The Cars, Larry Goldings, Blue October, Bruce Barth Trio, Man Man and Greg Brown.

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I'm genuinely impressed by Samantha Fish and company's take on the Rolling Stones' "B*tch".

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Guitarist Cornell Dupree has died.

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John Walker of the Walker Brothers has died.

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Kansas City Click: Tim Whitmer plays at Accurso's on Tuesdays.

My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult is ostensibly appearing Wednesday at El Torreon.

Jessica Lea Mayfield is at the Record Bar on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Garage a Trois- Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil

2011-05-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Always Be Evil, But Stay Happy EPK

Like many of my associates, I'm prone to occasionally waxing poetic as I recall the ill-fated band Morphine. Nothing will ever replace the work of the late Mark Sandman, but with Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil, the new album by Garage a Trois, sorrowful Morphine fans can find at least a temporary cure for their pain.

Much of the album seems like a tense prelude to unspeakable acts of violence. The atmospheric "Chimp and Flower" would be perfect for the opening credit sequence of a disturbing horror film. The cinematic musicality of the album's quieter moments even brings Ry Cooder's excellent soundtrack work to mind.

Although vibraphonist Mike Dillon (a sometime Kansas Citian) and saxophonist Skerik are members of The Dead Kenny G's and Garage a Trois, the latter band is substantially more polished. The presence of drummer Stanton Moore and new music gadfly Marco Benevento help steer the noirish instrumental band toward the mainstream. I've witnessed the Dead Kenny G's serve as a successful opening act for Primus, but Garage a Trois would fit comfortably on the same bill with Medeski Martin & Wood, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones or the Flaming Lips.

Take heed, my fellow sad sacks- this compelling new album will keep you on the path of evil.

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I reviewed the Moody Blues' concert Thursday at the Midland Theater. I also reviewed a collaboration between NewEar and the Owen/Cox Dance Ensemble last week.

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Here's the tranquil scene at Charlie Parker's grave earlier this week. This is my happy place.

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Who are the cool kids on Kansas City's music scene? Here's an interesting list.

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Kansas City Click: Karrin Allyson will showcase her new album Saturday at the Folly Theater.

The wonderful Ledisi appears with Kem and Donell Jones at Municipal Auditorium on Sunday.

Millie Edwards sings at the Phoenix on Mondays.

The Abel Ramirez Big Band appears at the former site of the Gold Buffet on Tuesdays.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Here Comes the Water: Dengue Fever's Cannibal Courtship

2011-05-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

Cannibal Courtship EPK

Cannibal Courtship, the new album by Dengue Fever, is good. But it's not as good as this. Or this. Or this. A deliberately kitschy homage to vintage Cambodian pop, the album is a lot of fun. Much of it, however, is just plain wacky. Even though I'm down on Cannibal Courtship, I hope I get a chance to see the band this year. I'll be the guy hollering for "Cement Slippers", my favorite song on the new album.

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: Shinedown (recorded in Kansas City, 2010), Karrin Allyson, Big Scoob, Loudon Wainwright III (box set), Brandi Carlile, Musiq Soulchild, Beastie Boys, Sixx: A.M., Kelly Price, Fleet Foxes, Galactic, Tara Nevins, Jennifer Lopez and Priscilla Ahn.

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I love the lady, but I absolutely detest Emmylou Harris' latest release. So whiny!

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Kansas City Click: Social Distortion returns to the Beaumont Club on Tuesday.

Danzig plays the VooDoo on Wednesday.

Bob Seger, the "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" entertains at the Sprint Center on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Feelin' Groovy: Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What

2011-04-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

So Beautiful Or So What EPK

Like many avid music fans, I'm constantly in search of the thrill of the new. Established, tried-and-true artists, consequently, don't always grab my attention. Earlier this week I reluctantly cued up Lucinda Williams' new Blessed album. It's really nice. With the same sort of initial misgivings, I recently began listening to Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What.

"Ain't no song like an old song," Simon sings on "Love & Blessings."

Sometimes I forget just how true that is. The new album is a natural extension of the same smart but playful grooves that have characterized his entire career. Besides, the album's gospel, African and South American flourishes are already familiar in popular music today in large part because Simon was doing that stuff forty years ago.

Now excuse me while I get back to glorifying my shiny new toys.

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Krystle Warren! (Video tip via Sam Wisman.)

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The video for "All I Kno Is Hood" shows why I'm a fan of Big Scoob and Krizz Kaliko. I'm less impressed by Ron Ron's new tribute to Run-DMC.

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I L.O.V.E. the Go! Team.

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I'm awed by the video documentation of Dustin O'Halloran's performance at HBC Berlin.

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"Run the World (Girls)," the jigsaw puzzle that passes as her new single, makes my role as a shameless Beyonce apologist rather difficult.

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Did you know that a compilation of Henry Rollins' favorite Blue Note recordings has been issued by the jazz label?

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Kansas City Click: Doug MacLeod appears Friday at BB's Lawnside BBQ.

The Whigs play the Riot Room on Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band celebrate May Day at the Record Bar.

Manchester Orchestra headline Monday at the Beaumont Club.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Shiftless When Idle: Notes on Sunday's Tribute to the Replacements

2011-04-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Take it from a guy who was there- The Replacements weren't a good live band. Sunday's tribute show at the Record Bar, consequently, was an attractive proposition. And coming as it did on Easter, I was able to celebrate in a fashion appropriate to the occasion.

Dead Girls opened the show with "Little Mascara." They went on to play Big Star's "September Gurls," The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (a learned friend informed me that Westerberg covered it for the I Am Sam soundtrack) and Kiss' "Black Diamond." Another friend amusingly characterized the set as a "tribute to a Replacements tribute."

Although the quality of the subsequent performers didn't dissipate, the remainder of the night represented a case of diminishing returns. I just wasn't feeling it. Only when Steve Tulipana's band was joined by a three-piece horn section that included excellent jazz saxophonist Rich Wheeler for a crackling rendition of "Can't Hardly Wait" did I get chills.

You guessed it- I left "Unsatisfied".

(The Pitch provides proper pictures.)

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: James Farm, Bill Frisell, Of Montreal, Emmylou Harris, Eric Alexander, Prefuse 73, MF Doom, Otep, Julian Lage, Tindersticks, Cachao, Explosions In the Sky, Various- The Sue Story, Bootsy Collins, Ricky Dillard, Irvin Mayfield, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juvenile, NightShade, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Etta Jones & Houston Person, Lightnin' Malcolm, Bowling For Soup and Thao & Mirah.

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I reviewed reviewed last night's concert by Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan. I reviewed Aaron Lewis' performance in the same venue last week.

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Huey Meaux has died. I only spoke to him a couple times, but I represented Meaux's incredible catalog for years.

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That voice! Phoebe Snow has died.

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Hazel Dickens died last week. Not every folk artist can be Joan Baez, you know.

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Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex has died.

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I interviewed Clayton McDonnell of MaxJazz at Plastic Sax.

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Kanrocksas.

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Kansas City Click: The Beaumont seems like an awfully big venue for The Black Lips, but the band is headlining at the Westport venue Tuesday.

Kinky Friedman does his thing at Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

The Photo Atlas perform at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber

2011-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Shaolin Jazz EPK

If you suspect that classic Wu-Tang Clan material re-imagined as the work of a jazz-based collective would be exactly my thing, well, you have me pegged. I represent precisely the target audience for DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber.

The train-spotting aspect of the new free mixtape has already provided me with hours of pleasure.

Is that the Blackbyrds on "The High Priestess of Chessboxin'"? Wait, is that Fela during this interlude? Hey, that's Pharoah Sanders' "Astral Traveling" behind "C.R.E.A.M."! I can't believe he thought to combine Ramsey Lewis' version of "Quinn the Eskimo" and "Method Man." Is DJ 2-Tone Jones mocking Redman and Method Man's juvenile "How High"? Hilarious!

Is Shaolin Jazz greater than the sum of its parts? No, of course not. Herbie Hancock's essential Blue Note sessions and Liquid Swords are already perfect. But DJ 2-Tone Jones has nonetheless created something new, something that should also have lasting value.

Aside from dealing with the noxious nature of Mediafire, adventurous There Stands the Glass readers and Gil Scott-Heron fans have nothing to lose. Go get it. "The combination," as Raekwon suggested, will make your "eyes bleed."

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I reviewed Mac Lethal's new North Korean BBQ mixtape. (Spoiler: I like it a lot.)

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UMKC professor Zhou Long was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music this week.

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Gerard Smith of TV on the Radio has died.

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Terry Currier reports that Kent Morrill of the Fabulous Wailers has died.

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Big band leader Orrin Tucker died April 9.

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Kansas City Click: I'll break my KC-only rule to recommend Soul Track Mind's Thursday appearance at the Bottleneck in Lawrence. RIYL: Charles Bradley, Delbert McClinton and Eddie Hinton.

Longtime There Stands the Glass favorite Steddy P. tops Friday's bill at the Record Bar.

Red Line Chemistry have an acoustic in-store lined up at FYE in Independence on Saturday.

Here comes a regular. I'll be at the Record Bar on Sunday. Here's an invitation I made at Card Karma.

Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan hit the VooDoo on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Crate Digging with DJ P

2011-04-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

As friends posted updates about their Record Store Day activities last Saturday, I considered inviting them over to my home for an impromptu sale. I could always use the money and my neglected collection takes up a lot of space. Even so, I was sucked into the vinyl vortex the following day when I heard that DJ P was performing in front of Zebedee's. I like DJ P in part because we both understand that hip hop, metal and reggae albums belong in the same bin. Footage from 2006 shows that DJ P was ahead of the curve. Inevitably, I wound up buying more jazz and R&B vinyl. I just can't help myself.

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With features from many of the town's top names, The Popper's "For the Mo" will almost certainly be the Kansas City-area's top music video of 2011. (Initial tip via Tony's Kansas City.) It also reminds me that it's been far too long since I've heard "Check My Posture", one of my favorite songs of 2008.

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Randy Wood, founder of Dot Records, died last week. Jazz blogger Marc Myers provides valuable perspective on Wood's legacy.

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I'm misty blue. A storm destroyed Malaco Records last week.

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I recently reviewed performances by Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer and the Del McCoury Band with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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I've done a disservice to myself and to There Stands the Glass readers by not regularly listing the new releases that most excite me. In order of personal preference, here's a checklist of artists with albums out today: Ralph Stanley, Les Nubians, Dead Rock West, Berner, Gorillaz, Walt Weiskopf, High Llamas, DJ Quick, Willie Clayton (If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough To Keep Me...How In The World Do You Think It Can Bring Me Back), Various- Shattered Dreams: Funky Blues 1967-78, Various- Impulse! @50: First Impulse - The Creed Taylor Collection, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Allen Toussaint (Lost Sessions), Erwin Schrott, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Duff McKagan, Old Time Religion- Rare Recordings Of Jerry Lee Lewis In Church Preachin', Shoutin', and Singin', Samuel Blaser & Paul Motian and Cam'ron.

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I made an e-card invitation for a show I plan to attend on Easter. Feel free to join me.

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Here's a new Kickstarter funding request from the People's Liberation Big Band.

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Kansas City Click: The Barclay Martin Ensemble return to Jardine's on Tuesday.

The Hudson Falcons play Davey's on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Robert Parris at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

2011-04-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

I attended an organ recital Monday. On purpose. I overcame my bias against Episcopal churches to hear Robert Parris perform at Saint Paul's.

Parris doesn't look like the kind of guy who spends much time around 808s, but he opened the concert with an original composition that seemed as if it was directly inspired by hip hop. The low end of his Sonata II was dope.

The brilliance of J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E minor, S. 548 allowed me to conduct a spontaneous exercise in astral projection. The complete version of Julius Reubke's challenging Sonata on the 94th Psalm had many in the audience of 150 squirming impatiently in the unforgiving wooden pews. Not me.

I'm looking forward to future American Guild of Organists events.

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Here's the money line from Tim Finn's interesting survey of music retail: Kelly Corcoran of Love Garden suggests that "The new interest in vinyl is from people mostly interested in the same 500 records." You mean to tell me that the trend-chasing of hipsters hasn't increased the value of my complete collection of Cameo albums?

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A Facebook friend challenged people to list their favorite fifteen songs by the Kinks. Here's what I posted: Oklahoma U.S.A., Picture Book, All Day and All of the Night, Where Have All the Good Times Gone, You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Alcohol, Low Budget, Stop Your Sobbing, Tired of Waiting, The Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Celluloid Heroes, A Rock'n'Roll Fantasy and This Is Where I Belong.

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Mashup of the year? (Via Meesha.)

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Jazz violinist BIlly Bang has died.

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Chicago blues man Lacy Gibson has died.

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It's astounding that a guy who played with Django Reinhardt is alive and continuing to make groundbreaking music. I watched NPR's live webcast of Martial Solal's gig last night. It was really good. The cumulative viewership never surpassed 300. That's not so good.

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The newly announced Wakarusa schedule poses several intriguing choices for attendees of the festival- My Morning Jacket or Galactic? Umphrey's McGee or Ha Ha Tonka? Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings or Lucero?

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Ces Cru's new video features footage from its January 15 gig opening for Tech N9ne at the Beaumont. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: The weekly KC Songwriter Forum takes place Thursday at the Brick.

Diverse plays the music of Michael Jackson at the Record Bar on Friday.

Terence Blanchard performs at the Gem Theater on Saturday.

Alaturka return to Jardine's on Sunday.

Pepper Rabbit top Monday's bill at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Middle of the Map

2011-04-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's a hit! The inaugural Middle of the Map festival succeeded on every level. I caught eight of the festival's fifty-plus performances. In order of personal preference:

1. Daniel Johnston with Capybara- The pairing of cult hero Daniel Johnston with Capybara was inspired. Johnston's effort was nothing short of heroic.
2. Cowboy Indian Bear- Even though its feathery melodies and happy bounce aren't really my thing (they'd be the perfect house band for Yo Gabba Gabba!), Cowboy Indian Bear is on to something extraordinary.
3. Deadringers- Blues-based garage rock along the lines of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
4. Paper Route- The OneRepublic of indie-rock. (That's a good thing.)
5. Spirit is the Spirit- A hippie version of Dr. Dog.
6. Saharan Gazelle Boy- It doesn't happen often outside of hip hop, but this is a rare instance of an act's recordings being superior to its live show.
7. Margot & the Nuclear So & So's- Bland.
8. Sam Billen- There's a time and place for Billen's laptop folk music. Saturday afternoon at the Record Bar wasn't one of them. (One of the bored people in this photo is your humble correspondent.)

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Hammerlord has a new video for "Tombstone Piledriver".

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I loved Kool Keith's rare Kansas City appearance. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Hermon Mehari returns to the Blue Room on Monday.

Movits! play at Crosstown Station on Tuesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Israel Nash Gripka- Barn Doors and Concrete Floors

2011-04-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Video stream of Israel Nash Gripka's "Goodbye Ghost"

Where my hippies at?

Israel Nash Gripka creates music that's a throwback to the Nixon era. Yet today's listeners don't need to remember John Denver or wear bell-bottoms to appreciate Barn Doors and Concrete Floors.

The new album contains the songcraft of Robbie Robertson and the bleary gypsy-folk style associated with Bob Dylan's Desire. And then there's the Stones references. "Sunset, Regret" and "Louisiana" make it clear that Gripka and his band have spent some quality time with Sticky Fingers. The presence of producer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth insures that the album never sounds stale. Barn Doors and Concrete Floors demands to be played on vinyl with windows thrown open so that crickets can chirp along.

"Oh, Missouri won't you bless my soul," Gripka moans on "Bellwether Ballad."

Shake it on down.

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I'm not entirely sold on the music, but Spoek Mathambo's "Control" is my second-favorite video of 2011. (Via BigSteveNO.)

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My final Middle of the Map band of the week is Maps & Atlases: The Chicago-based band is slotted between Work Drugs and Two Door Cinema Club at the Beaumont Club on Friday.

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Here's a high-quality performance video of Kristie Stremel & the 159ers.

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I might have accomplished a lot more in recent weeks if only I'd been able to stop thinking about Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now". It's not a proper song, yet it's one of the year's biggest hits. How does that happen? Brown is going out of his way to make everyone in the world hate him. Why isn't it working? Are his fans really that dim? Busta! Is Weezy's explicit homophobia merely a sly response to Brown's opening rap about male genitalia? And is the video an intentional homage to the sexual ambiguity of Michael Jackson's "Beat It"?

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Kansas City Click: The inaugural Middle of the Map festival takes place in four venues Friday and Saturday.

The annual fundraiser for Kansas City Youth Jazz is Sunday at the Madrid Theater.

Hermon Mehari hosts Monday's jam at the Blue Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Big K.R.I.T.- Return of 4Eva

2011-04-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

After quickly glancing at a list of my favorite releases from the first quarter of 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to spot several free self-released mixtapes in my nascent top ten. They range from Nicholas Payton's label-rejected Bitches to Kansas City hip hop artist Steddy P.'s What Happened Tomorrow. Big K.R.I.T.'s Return of 4Eva is also in the mix. Unlike many such projects, it boasts top-quality production and solid features by the likes of David Banner, Chamillionaire and Raheem DeVaughn. I'd gladly pay money for songs like "Lions and Lambs" and "King's Blues." And that's the conundrum- how can I justify spending money on today's new releases from the Raveonettes, Gretchen Parlato, Avant and Etta James when I already possess hour after hour of excellent free new music? Aw... I'm not fooling anybody. Money I'd otherwise spend at the Oak Tree will continue to go to prerecorded music.

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The hype surrounding Vijay Iyer quickly becomes tiresome, but I have to admit that this trio session recorded for NPR is astounding.

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Here's my review of Joe Lovano and Us Five's concert at the Folly Theater. I also covered a fine outing by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Snuff Jazz.

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Although I always loathed his biggest hit, I'm saddened by the death of Mel McDaniel.

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I must have missed the release of the new video for "Caked Up" by Ron Ron and Stik Figa while I was on my blogging sabbatical.

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Free Lil' Boosie! Not really. But the new video for Kansas City's Mon EG and Boosie's "Dime Piece" is solid. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: Big K.R.I.T. appears at the Granada Theater in Lawrence on Tuesday.

Jack Walrath performs at White Recital Hall on Wednesday.

The Waybacks pick and grin at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Nicholas Payton's Bitches

2011-03-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'll take credit for being the first to make the connection- Nicholas Payton's Bitches is the jazz equivalent of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Both albums were rejected by the artist's record labels. And both projects represented major stylistic departures. Just as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was not the expected roots-rock album, Bitches is not a mainstream jazz recording. As "By My Side" and "Shades of Hue" indicate, Bitches contains the sort of contemporary psychedelic R&B associated with Erykah Badu, Bilal and Maxwell. The top ten lists in the column to the right show that I already adore that sound.

It's been noted elsewhere that the project was initially inspired by Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. I was unaware of these sessions when I attended Payton's odd appearance at the Rhythm & Ribs festival last October. In my notes about the event at Plastic Sax, I drew comparisons to Davis' On the Corner and Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale. Bitches affirms that impression.

At 74 minutes, it's a sprawling mess. As with the genre's greatest album, however, even Bitches' flaws sound right. Bitches is brilliant.

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I'm also currently obsessing over George Cables' 1979 album Cables Vision.

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I reviewed last night's performances by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Snuff Jazz.

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Wayward Blog brought the locally-based Overland Shark label to my attention today.

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Why yes, I am excited about Amazon's sound cloud. Thanks for asking.

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Here's the schedule for next week's Middle of the Map festival. My festival band of the week is the mysterious Candy Claws. It's typical of Middle of the Map's emphasis on electronic dream-pop.

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Kansas City Click: Foster the People will play "Pumped Up Kicks" Thursday at the Beaumont.

Benny Golson will be honored at the Blue Room on Friday.

Joe Lovano leads a band Saturday at the Folly Theater.

The Dramatics top Sunday's bill at the Beaumont.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Ingrid Fliter and the KC Symphony

2011-03-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Such soothing music!" a misguided patron exclaimed as he strolled out of the Lyric Theater on Saturday. The performance by the Kansas City Symphony could be characterized as inspiring or stimulating, but calling it soothing was an unintended insult to the musicians and composers. Elgar's Enigma Variations didn't do anything for me but Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto provided a wild ride. Ingrid Fliter, the featured pianist, was charming. Although I'm still in search of the mythical $10 Symphony ticket, at $16, Saturday's rush tickets still represented a steal.

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I love whatever's happening on track #10 of The Lost and Found, Gretchen Parlato's new album.

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In spite of its patronizing tone, a recently uncovered 1956 documentary about the music of a Southern sharecropper is worth the attention of roots music fans and students of American history. (Via Marc Meyer's Jazz Wax.)

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Syd Kitchen has died.

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My friend Corky alerted me to this exciting development.

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Red Line Chemistry made a video for "You Don't Get It".

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Local readers might be interested in a ticket contest at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: Tom Russell returns to Knuckleheads on Tuesday.

The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey graduates to Crosstown Station on Wednesday.

Electric Six perform at the Riot Room on Thursday. Request "Gay Bar".

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Gruesome Return of the Death Blog

2011-03-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

I visited the grave of Serge Gainsbourg in Paris last week. I'm attending a funeral in western Kansas tomorrow. Rather than allowing the long list of music-related deaths to paralyze me, I'll simply list them.

*Kansas City pianist Ronald Brown.
*Michael Charles, a fixture on Kansas City's black gospel scene.
*Reggae's Smiley Culture.
*Disco star Loleatta Holloway.
*Country legend Ferlin Husky.
*Blues man Big Jack Johnson.
*Jazz drummer Joe Morello.
*Death Row Records luminary Nate Dogg.
*Steel guitarist Ralph Mooney (Tip via BGO.)
*Blues pianist Pinetop Perkins.
*Oddball Zoogz Rift.
*Jazz-funk guitarist Melvin Sparks.
*Mike Starr of Alice in Chains.

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Have I mentioned that I love Alison Krauss? I'm looking forward to her new album.

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I recommend Pusha-T's Fear of God free mixtape to fans of the Clipse, N.E.R.D and Odd Future.

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Could "Into the Spin" be the video that makes Doomtree's Dessa a star?

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The pictured Melvin Sparks import contains two entertaining albums from the '70s.

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Hidden Pictures is critiqued by a drunk guy.

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Kansas City Click: Brass Bed brings its Big Star-style pop to the Record Bar on Thursday.

Dianne Reeves performs Friday at the Gem Theater.

Trio Mediaeval return to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday.

The Trashcan Sinatras perform at Knuckleheads on Sunday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concertgebouw

2011-03-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

That's the Concertgebouw. I admired it during my recent trip to Europe but I didn't attend a performance at the venerable hall. A few excellent buskers aside, I haven't heard any live music in two weeks. Instead, I've been subjected to almost nothing but trifling pop music at grocery stores, cafes, shops and on public transport in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. I never need to hear Alison Moyet again.

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The Mumlers headline the late show at the Record Bar on Tuesday. I'll probably be there.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Down the Road a Piece

2011-03-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

There Stands the Glass' usual shenanigans will resume later this month. Until then, I'll be "Down the Road a Piece".

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Steddy P. & DJ Mahf- What Happened Tomorrow

2011-03-08T06:10:00.000-08:00

What Happened Tomorrow promo video

What Happened Tomorrow, the compelling new mixtape by Steddy P. and DJ Mahf, is more of the same. As with the duo's previous projects, it's smart, funny and highly entertaining.

Available as a free download March 15, What Happened Tomorrow showcases the young Missouri-based musician's stubborn old-school mentality. Steddy P.'s delivery and mindset continue to invite comparisons to Chuck D. It's also telling that he references KRS-One on "Heartbeat." The primary subject of What Happens Tomorrow is the artist's career in music. Sure, it's annoying, but when it comes to free mixtapes, self-obsession isn't just a prerogative, it's practically an obligation.

Steddy P.'s not-so-secret weapon is DJ Mahf. Even when his partner's rhymes falter, Mahf's musical choices maintain interest. The album opens with a muted Manu Dibango-style track. In order to keep copyright attorneys off the duo's backs, I won't mention what clever rock sample is heard on "The Art of..."

On "By Myself," Steddy P. describes his struggle to establish himself "in a town where everybody wants to be the Killer Clown," Even if Steddy P. has yet to achieve a fraction of Tech N9ne's financial success, his ongoing efforts continue to reward listeners.

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Yeah, I know what day it is. I'm just not in the mood.

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I caught Hot Tuna last weekend. Here's my review.

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New Orleans drummer Herman Ernest has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Johnny Preston- "Running Bear" and "Cradle of Love"- has died. (I hadn't realized that the Big Bopper wrote "Running Bear.")

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Get a taste of the ethereal new album by Trio Mediaeval here.

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James Farm!

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I continue to stir the pot at Plastic Sax.

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Have we no shame?

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Kansas City Click: Grand Marquis play Jazz in midtown on Fat Tuesday.

Am I actually recommending a Vertical Horizon show? Yeah, but the band's gig Wednesday at the Power & Light stage is free.

Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard sing songs you know by heart Thursday at the Music Hall.

(Original image of artist at a 2010 Steddy P. and DJ Mahf performance by There Stands the Glass.)