Album Review: Nas- Illmatic XX

A common theme in alien abduction movies is the victim's inability to account for an inexplicable loss of time.  It happened to me this week.  Instead of getting probed by lusty Martians, I simply hit play on the new reissue of Nas' Illmatic.  The wormhole effect elicited by twenty-year-old tracks like "One Time 4 Your Mind" made me oblivious to the outside world.  Hey Nas- what do you want from me?  Leave me alone!


---
I saw John Cale for the first time last night.  Here's my review.

---
The Museum of Dead People in my basement contains several albums and CDs by Jesse Winchester.  But I never saw the man perform and I never really connected with his music.  Only covers of Winchester's material- Ted Hawkins' rendition of "Biloxi" is a prime example- resonated with me.  Winchester died last week.

---
The film portion of this weekend's Middle of the Map Fest features several music movies.

---
Stik Figa released The Pookey Tape this week.

---
Here's a most welcome blast from the past: live footage of BCR performing at Harlings in 1995.  The expression of the young woman dancing in front of the single camera reflects my affection for Black Crack Revue.

---
When worlds collide.

---
Brook Tuley of Bloodbirds released First Midnight.

---
An instrumental version of Romeo Santos' Formula, Vol. 2 could conceivably make by year-end top albums list.  The blend of pop and bachata is intoxicating.  But man, I just can't take Santos's smarmy ad-libs.  The feature by Rhymes-with-Snake on the seventh track adds insult to injury.

---
Vampire's self-titled album is great.  RIYL: death metal, Slayer, vampires.

---
Snarky Puppy, hailed by many observers as a band capable of resurrecting interest in jazz, strikes me as an unholy mashup of Steely Dan and the Brecker Brothers.  Here's a sample (note the impressive view count).

---
Chuck E. Weiss makes only three selections for "What's In My Bag?".  And it's possibly the best episode yet.

---
I like what I've heard of Phronesis' new live album Life To Everything.  RIYL: Medeski Martin & Wood, the sound of people cheering for a piano trio, the Bad Plus.

---
John McLaughlin's new The Boston Record is seventies-tastic.  RIYL: Mahavishnu Orchestra, solos, Jaco Pastorius.

---
Woods' With Light and with Love is a righteous jam.  RIYL: If I Could Only Remember My Name, patchouli, All Things Must Pass.

---
Emmure's "Like LaMotta" is this week's palate cleanser. 

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

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Toni Braxton and Babyface- Love, Marriage & Divorce

I suppose my obsession with adult-themed duet albums began when I first put a ring on someone's finger.  Whether it's Womack & Womack or Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, hearing a man and a woman address difficult themes in song thrills me. 

That's why I had high hopes for Love, Marriage & Divorce, a new collaboration between Toni Braxton and Babyface.  I was initially disappointed that the album sounds exactly like a Toni Braxton and Babyface project. 

Obviously, I shouldn't have been surprised.  Babyface gave a genre a name with the title of his 2004 album Grown & Sexy.  Braxton is the quiet storm version of Céline Dion.  It's tempting to suggest that the soundtrack to Disney's Frozen may be funkier than Love, Marriage & Divorce. 

Mocking the album's smooth aesthetic is easy, but the truth is that I've had the album on repeat all week.  It speaks directly to me.  What tracks like "Hurt You" lack in sonic grit is made up for in the raw emotion conveyed by the blunt lyrics and exceptional vocals.

I intend to remain faithful to Love, Marriage & Divorce for the remainder of my life.


---
Here's the promotional video for the 2014 edition of the Middle of the Map festival.

---
Conflict's cover of Tech N9ne's "It's Alive" is solid.

---
Making Movies covered "Aguanile".

---
My favorite entry in the latest episode of the KC Cypher Series is Info Gates.

---
The 2014 edition of the Gathering of the Juggalos will take place in the Ozarks.

---
I somehow missed the news of the passing of jazz trumpeter Roy Campbell, Jr. until this week.  Here's how I'll remember him.

---
Danilio Pérez has an impressive track record of making entertaining albums.  Panama 500 is no exception.  The related EPK, however, is terrible.  RIYL: Chick Corea, the unexpected, Ruben Bladés.

---
"Move That Dope" is undeniable.  RIYL: Pusha T, crime, Pharrell. 

---
James Brandon Lewis' Divine Travels showcases the saxophonist in a free jazz trio setting.  RIYL: David Ware, conversing with God, Cecil Taylor.

---
I'll probably never listen to it again, but the strong moments outnumber the embarrassing moments on David Crosby's new album Croz.

---
Indian's From All Purity is truly devastating.  It took me three sessions to get all the way through the metal album.  RIYL: pain, suffering, hopelessness. 

---
I'm looking forward to "Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton", a documentary about Stones Throw Records.

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

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)