Pain Meds

Ten absorbing new albums have provided comfort and distraction during my recovery from an invasive surgical procedure.  My ranking and notes follow.

1. Syd- Fin.  The promising producer a.k.a.Syd the Kid, a.k.a. The Internet, isn’t Prince reincarnated, but she has her moments.  RIYL: The Weeknd, works in progress, Usher.

2. Alejandro Fernandez- Rompiendo Fronteras.  So romantic!  RIYL: Juan Gabriel, gorgeous schmaltz, Rod Stewart.

3. Tinariwen- Elwan. Further confirmation that Tinarwen is the world’s best blues band. RIYL: Terakaft, Mali, John Lee Hooker.

4. Mats Gustafsson- Ljubljana.  Cracking the code of the free jazz duet between the saxophonist and pianist Craig Taborn is well worth the effort.  RIYL: Albert Ayler, room-clearing noise, Matthew Shipp.

5. Miguel Zenón- Típico.  The celebrated album is a tad musty.  RIYL: Charlie Parker, critical consensus, Benny Golson.

6. Howe Gelb- Future Standards.  A compellingly morose cocktail jazz album from the Giant Sand dude.  RIYL: Bobby Troup, despair, Hoagy Carmichael.

7. Allison Crutchfield- Tourist in This Town.  Ingratiating retro pop- rock. RIYL Camera Obscura, handwritten letters, Ellen Foley. 

8. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears- Backlash.  Scuzzy garage-rock (that’s a good thing, of course).  RIYL: The Fleshtones, Burger Records, the Sonics.

9. Ces Cru- Catastrophic Event Specialists. Jazz interludes are interspersed throughout the Kansas City duo’s best album.  RIYL: conspiracy theories, Twistid, “real” MCs.

10. Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society.  Sublime synth nostalgia.  RIYL: Brian Eno, getting lost in space, Tangerine Dream.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals- Walk Through Exits Only

A friend asked me if I liked Nine Inch Nails shortly before the band's concert at the Sprint Center a couple months ago.  I explained that Trent Reznor's anger is quite different from my anger.  My form of rage sounds like Walk Through Exits Only, the 2013 album by Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals.  Anselmo, of course, is best known as the front man of Pantera.  That only hints at the extreme mayhem of his latest recording.  The title track contains my new catchphrase- "Everybody ruins music- not just me."


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I reviewed the Kenny Barron Trio at the Folly Theater on Friday and Alejandro Fernandez at the Sprint Center on Saturday.

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Chico Hamilton has died.

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"Truly a facile and completely meaningless list."  That's the verdict of a commenter regarding a listing of my twenty favorite jazz performances of 2013.

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Kansas City's the Architects has long been one of my favorite bands.  The excellent new Border Wars: Episode 1 is RIYL: Craig Finn, Joe Strummer, Gaslight Anthem.

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The video for She's a Keeper's "Plattsburg" was released earlier this month.  RIYL: the Lumineers, Plattsburg, foliage.

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The video for the Grisly Hand's "Country Singles" is a hoot.  RIYL: Roger Corman, the Boulevard Drive-In, Red Sovine.

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Tech N9ne made a video for "Hiccup," a song from his new metal EP.

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Here's a video for Gee Watts' "199x (Sixteen Nineteen)". (VIa Demencha.)

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I shed a tear when I learned that Turntable.fm was closing up shop.  Although I logged on just a couple times in the past year, I was addicted to the socially-driven music streaming site a few years ago.

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Am I the only person who thinks that Blood Orange's Cupid Deluxe sounds like an unholy alliance between Wang Chung, Sheila E. and Don Henley?

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After Blue, Tierney Sutton's tribute to Joni Mitchell, features the Turtle Island Quartet.  RIYL: Karrin Allyson, Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters, Laura Nyro.

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Lily Allen's send-up of pop culture  on "Hard Out Here"  is very amusing.

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Matthew Shipp's Piana Sutras is RIYL: Cecil Taylor, math, Thelonious Monk.

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Jean Grae is back with a vengeance.  RIYL: De La Soul, Erick Sermon, Black Star.

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There's something about Brandy Clark's 12 Stories that doesn't sit well with me.  RIYL: John Prine's first album, Guy Clark, Mary Gauthier.

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The man-on-the-street discussion about music on Pharrell Williams' channel is both interesting and frustrating.  There are really cool people (3:16), utter twits (6:16) and a guy who almost made my day (3:00).

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Eric Revis' City of Asylum is sublime.  The album by the trio of bassist Revis, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Andrew Cyrille is RIYL: all things out, Charles Mingus, Paul Bley.

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I'd like to thank the commenter at the previous There Stands the Glass post who shared a bit of good ol' Grampa Jones.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)