Christopher Hollyday- Impromptu

Planned closure.

Most jazz fans, myself included, can't resist hyperbole. Breathless superlatives and exaggerated claims of greatness are probably attempts to compensate for the moribund state of the music. It's never more gaudy than the giddy hype that often accompanies The Next Big Thing. Poor Grace Kelly is the victim du jour. "Maybe Grace Kelly is the one," Phil Woods gushed about the teenager. "You never know." Almost twenty years ago saxophonist Christopher Hollyday was the subject of lavish praise. He was only 19 when he recorded On Course for a major label. It is, in fact, very good. Alas, Hollyday didn't become Wynton Marsalis, Norah Jones or Harry Connick, Jr. In fact, he dropped largely out of public view. Here's an udpate.

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Buddies are already ribbing me about my flattering review of last night's Jewel concert. She's not Leonard Cohen. So what? People didn't buy tickets to hear "Sisters of Mercy."

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Make time to screen the remarkable video for P.O.S.'s "Drumroll." Life during wartime, indeed.

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Kansas City rapper The Popper is pleased that he has a "Black President To Represent Me".

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Kansas City Click: Makuza should engage dancers tonight at the Blue Room.

Left Handed Scientists- 33 Degrees

The experiment has ended.

I reluctantly attended a Cornel West lecture last week. I left inspired. (Here are my notes.) West's even-keeled talk was almost entirely devoid of inflammatory rhetoric or half-baked conspiracy theories. I'm not much for crazy talk, but when the mood strikes me I turn to acts like Left Handed Scientists. Kill Your Computer is loaded with intriguing political concepts and sci-fi lunacy. They're like a backpack-wearing Wu-Tang Clan. I bought my copy of their impressive 2008 underground album directly from San Diego's Access Music.

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I like Slipknot. There- I said it. Here's my review of Saturday's show with Coheed & Cambria and Trivium.

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"Oh, we got both kinds. We got Country and Western." - Honky tonk barmaid on the music played at her establishment in The Blues Brothers, 1980

"Music seriously is one of the most important things to me, regardless if it's "punk" or "emo" it has helped me through some bad times and also made really rad times even better." - Newsletter from a highly respected record label, 2009

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Kansas City Click: Clint Ashlock leads the Monday jam session at the Blue Room.

The Imperials- Backyard Compost

Recycled.

As I sat in a bar prior to the AC/DC show (see below) the other night, the bartender cued up "The Witch" by the Sonics. I'd forgotten that the primitive relic from 1964 is a perfect distillation of everything I love about rock'n'roll. Yet The Sonics were just one of the era's countless garage rock bands based in the Pacific Northwest. This excellent compilation contains over two dozen examples of the R&B-oriented side of the scene.

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Men are idiots. We drool. We guzzle beer. We laugh at crude bodily functions. And we love AC/DC. I saw the band perform Wednesday. So good! So big! So dumb! I'm still smiling. I also appreciated The Answer. The Irish band opened with a throwback set of heavy boogie straight from the playbooks of Blue Cheer, Humble Pie and Thin Lizzy. A free download of "Highwater or Hell" is available at their MySpace. (Here's a proper review of AC/DC's effort.)

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I reference The Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band at my personal blog today. And while it remains wildly unpopular, I'm still really proud of my work at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: Kings of Leon touch down at the Uptown Theater tonight.

Slipknot, Coheed and Cambria and Trivium attack Sprint Center on Saturday.

Angela Winbush, Slave and Blue Magic are among the acts scheduled to appear inside the acoustically problematic Municipal Auditorium on Sunday.

David "Fathead" Newman, 1933-2009

Farewell.

I was shocked the first time I saw David "Fathead" Newman in person. In the era prior to internet and cable, a man's name conveyed a lot. And "Fathead," obviously, had a great one. His resume was even more impressive. One of the most important sidemen of the 20th century, Newman participated in classic sessions with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and many others. So it was all the more shocking to discover that this musical giant was a skinny, unassuming guy. He's heard here- fittingly, I think- on a relaxed 1969 session. That's Charles Kynard on organ, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Grant Green on guitar, Jimmy Lewis on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Newman died January 20. (Tip via AZ.)

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I'm trying to avoid getting sucked into this season of American Idol. Thankfully, a very knowledgeable pal covers the show with appropriate vitriol at The Other Door. The site's tagline is "We watch American Idol so you don't have to." What a service!

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Kansas City Click: I intend to stop by The Phoenix tonight. A guitarist without a MySpace account is booked at the downtown jazz club.

Klaatu- Perpetual Motion Machine

Still.

I'm nonplussed by the new Animal Collective album. Its deliberate obtuseness strikes me as a mash up of folk weirdos the Incredible String Band, the arty pretentiousness of a Rick Wakeman solo album and the melodic sense of Klaatu. The latter band, famously, were not the Beatles. Nor were they Electric Light Orchestra or the Moody Blues. Klaatu's body of work, however, is charming precisely because it's more modestly unassuming. "Perpetual Motion Machine," from 1978's Sir Army Suit, is typical. If, by chance, you're not hip to Klaatu, the obvious place to start is "Calling Occupants (Of Interplanetary Craft)," the first track of their first album. Here's a fan video.

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I rarely reveal specific details about my previous life. I'm compelled to mention, however, that as both a former vendor and former employee of a Florida-based concern, I saddened by this news.

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I just can't understand why Kansas City hip hop artist Mon. E.G. didn't include me in his new video. What's Rick Ross have that I don't?

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Kansas City Click: The Good Foot perform at Davey's tonight.

I Fail At Rascal Flatts

I thought it would be fun. Boy, was I wrong.

I have deep admiration for the shiny gloss and technical perfection displayed on Rascal Flatt's hits. I happily sing along to their songs when I monitor country radio in my car. Yet until last night, I'd never seen them perform.

It's going to take some time to recover.

Their concert Saturday night at the Sprint Center was excruciating.

Just how bad was it? I witnessed almost 300 live music performances in 2008. In the 18 days of the new year, I've already caught 15 live acts. I disliked Rascal Flatts' effort more than any of those shows. In fact, the last time musicians made me so miserable was during Shania Twain's dismal concert at Kemper Arena in 2003.

It's not that Rascal Flatts didn't try. Their light show and extended stage were impressive. And the band gave it their all. Yet the aggressive blandness and shameless pandering- "I see some of the greatest country music fans in the entire world"- rubbed me the wrong way.

But what do I know? I was seated amid a sea of ecstatic twelve-year-old girls and delirious gay men. They loved it.

"I thought black was supposed to be slimming," a man seated next to me hissed as opening act Jessica Simpson strutted across the stage in a tiny black dress.

Whatever. I thought she was gorgeous. And she can sing.

Simpson's obvious charms, however, are poorly suited to an arena setting. She could be a spectacular cabaret singer in the tradition of Peggy Lee and Marilyn Monroe. I'd happily pay top dollar to see her perform in a small club.

Rascal Flatts? Not so much.

(Here's a proper review of the concert.)

Sweet Water- Stereo

No stereo. No mono. Just silence.

"Don't stay away for too long," Sweet Water warns on "Rock Steady". The band achieved more than a few moments in the international spotlight in the '90s with songs like "Superstar". Their first album in ten years, Clear the Tarmac, streets January 20. The wry pop smarts Sweet Water shares with Pavement, Weezer and the Lemonheads remains intact. I wish more bands would stay away longer if I knew that they, like Sweet Water, would come back with a vengeance.

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I received a Facebook friend request from a person with a name I didn't recognize. It's facile of me, I know, but I immediately scrolled to his notes in the "Favorite Music" category. "80's music," the stranger wrote. "Cars, Asia, Def Leppard, INXS, A Flock of Seagulls, The Cure, REM... Anything but Country except Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Garth Brooks." It's unintentional on the part of my potential "friend," but that's an incredibly damning summation of the state of contemporary country music.

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Kansas City Click: Cedric Burnside and Lightnin Malcolm team up tonight at Knuckleheads.

I intend to catch the new ringleaders of the Saturday afternoon jam session at Jardine's.

Jessica Simpson opens for Rascal Flatts at the Sprint Center on Sunday.

Neko Case- People Got a Lotta Nerve

I lost my nerve.

I vividly recall the first time I saw Neko Case perform. I slowly gravitated from the back of the tavern to the lip of the stage. She was doing a straightforward roadhouse country thing back then (I'm guessing it was '97 or '98.) It was extraordinarily hot inside the venue, and I wondered how a thick sheen of sweat could make Case look magical while people looked as my drenched carcass in disgust. She's since become a celebrated standard-bearer of the refined roots crowd, part Tom Waits and part Johnny Cash. The approach hasn't always resonated with me. This tough, Paisley Underground-style song, however, has me eagerly anticipating the March release of Middle Cyclone.

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I didn't see it coming. Scott Weiland was great last night. Not so surprisingly, the Architects were also excellent. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: A date with a slab of ribs will prevent me from attending the "Gems of the Baroque: France, Spain and Latin America" concert at KU's Edwards campus tonight.

(Original blurry image of Neko Case in 2007 by There Stands the Glass.)

Andy Scott- Rainy Day

No more rain.

They don't write songs like that anymore. Andy Scott's "Rainy Day" crushes that cliche. It's just one of several songs on his new album Don't Tempt Fate that evoke the nonchalant depth of Hoagy Carmichael's 1956 date as a leader. "Who Doesn't Call," complemented by an engaging animated video, is another. It doesn't hurt that Scott's cast includes Sam Yahel on keyboards, Ross Traut on guitar and Victor Lewis on drums. Madeleine Peyroux sings on one track. Fans of Jessie Harris and Mose Allison will be enthralled by Scott.

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Show of the year? Less than two weeks into January and the year in live music may have already peaked for me. Here's my review of an extraordinary Lil Wayne concert.

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It's so cool that Beyonce's new single is about the New Wave rock band Devo. Check the hook- "I-I like Devo, I-I like Devo, I-I like Devo."

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I freaked out at Jay McShann's birthday party last night.

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Kansas City Click: Independence's own Alo Key visits the Record Bar tonight.

Scott Weiland does his thing at the VooDoo Lounge on Wednesday.

Delaney Bramlett, 1939-2008

Farewell.

Don't misinterpret the delayed acknowledgment of Delaney Bramlett's death at There Stands the Glass' as disinterest in the singer, songwriter and musician. Leon Russell aside, Bramlett was my favorite artist among his generation's gifted assortment of American roots rockers. His style felt exceedingly honest and sincere. Here's his New York Times obituary. Check this surreal version of "Never Ending Song Of Love," a song he co-wrote with Bonnie Bramlett, for further proof of Bramlett's cultural significance. The original version is contained on this essential collection that's currently selling for only nine dollars at the major online retailer. Even without the fantastic liner notes, it'd be a bargain.

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The first nominee for my favorite song of 2009 is Scooter Smiff's "Head of My Class". No, I'm not kidding.

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Kansas City Click: Lil Wayne, T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson hit the Sprint Center tonight.

Joshua Bell fiddles at the Folly on Saturday.

Jardine's hosts a fund-raising party for their new piano on Sunday.

Mad Marlon- Guerrillas In the Trunk

Escaped.

The internet persona of Mad Marlon is no less compelling than that of the most popular viral video stars. The 87 videos the self-proclaimed "Wyandotte Ambassador" posted a couple months ago are astoundingly odd. Yet those curiosities would be of little interest to me if the new material from his forthcoming release wasn't so mind-bendingly outstanding. In a genre filled with copycats, Mad Marlon owns a refreshingly unique and subversive voice. Call him the Kool Keith of Kansas. Wayward Blog and Demencha have also taken note of the "futuristic thug."

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Everybody knows that time changes everything. My opinion of Ron Asheton's work on guitar is no exception. I was shocked when I bought Raw Power as a kid. "This guy can't play," I thought. I also made certain that my folks never spotted the album cover. After guitarists like Greg Ginn, Dr. Know and Keith Levene changed my perception of noise, I fully embraced Asheton's sound on the Stooges albums. I eventually got to see him play at this in-store event. But my tastes had changed once again. Now I can hardly bear to hear Asheton's blues-less, nihilistic sound. Asheton was found dead in his home earlier this week.

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Kansas City Click: Shay Estes croons at Jardine's tonight.

John Cage- Prelude II, The Seasons

Silence.

I can scratch another item off my list of mandatory life experiences.

Last night I witnessed The People's Liberation Big Band perform John Cage's 4'33". I laughed out loud through much of it. My full account is at Plastic Sax.

Margaret Leng Tan interprets several of Cage's piano works on the immensely listenable Daughters of the Lonesome Isle. I'm featuring the disc's briefest piece. It's only 48 seconds, yet after listening to it on repeat for ten minutes I feel like I'm only beginning to comprehend its structure and conceptual ambition.

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I reveal the status of my compulsive music addiction here.

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Kansas City Click: The Sham top tonight's bill at the Record Bar.

Transmittens- Meet Me At the Swings

Recess is over.

Transmittens aren't just cute. There's something genuinely profound about the way Lawrence duo Jen Weidl and Danny Rowland contrast childlike innocence with adult impulses. "Meet Me At the Swings" is willfully silly, yet lines like "is your name Ernie or Bert?" take on deeper, almost sinister, meaning. The pair told told Richard Gintowt that they hope to attract the attention of K Records. That makes sense. Additional insights into the act can be gleaned from their unreasonably adorable video for "Cow Clouds."

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I'm still pouting about failing to win Monday's music trivia contest at the Record Bar. My account is posted here.

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Kansas City Click: Roots rocker James Intveld plays Knuckleheads tonight.

The mighty Hammerlord hit the Riot Room Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band crowd into the Record Bar on Sunday.

(Image of Transmittens from their MySpace page.)

Musical Passings of 2008

1/04/08 Earl May, 80, jazz bassist

1/11/08 Pete Candoli, 84, big band trumpeter

1/12/08 Gabriel Manelli, 38, Babasonicos bassist

1/15/08 El Koquillo de Sinaloa, 20, grupero musician

1/18/08 John Stewart, 68, folk-rock singer-songwriter

1/19/08 Andy Palacio, 47, Belize musician

1/24/08 Francis Clay, 84, blues drummer

1/31/08 Butch Berman, 58, guitarist and jazz booster

2/04/08 Tata Guines, 77, Cuba's "King of the Congas"

2/0408 Chris Anderson, 81, jazz pianist

2/10/08 Freddie Bell, 76, Vegas rocker

2/13/08 Henri Salvador, 90, French crooner

2/16/08 Charles Ryan, 92, co-wrote "Hot Rod Lincoln"

2/16/08 Jesus Rey David Alfaro Pulido, 26, Tijuana banda musician

2/19/08 Teo Macero, 82, jazz producer

2/21/08 Calvin Owens, 78, Houston blues trumpeter and bandleader

2/21/08 Joe Gibbs, 65, reggae producer

2/26/08 Herschel "Speedy" Haworth, Jr., 85, Ozarks sideman

2/27/08 Buddy Miles, 60, rock drummer

2/28/08 Mike Smith, 64, singer in the Dave Clark Five

3/02/08 Jeff Healey, 41, blues guitarist

3/03/08 Norman "Hurricane" Smith, 85, pop star and music executive

3/15/08 Mikey Dread, 53, reggae star

3/15/08 King Alex Littlejohn, 73, Kansas City blues musician

3/22/08 Israel "Cachao" Lopez, 89, Cuban inventor of mambo

3/26/08 Patti Bown, 76, jazz vocalist

3/21/08 Klaus Dinger, 61, Neu!

4/07/08 Phil Urso, 82, jazz tenor saxophonist

4/08/08 Cedella Marley Booker, 81, Bob's mother

4/09/08 Bob Kames, 82, the "Chicken Dance"

4/09/08 Ozzie Cadena, 83, jazz producer

4/09/08 George Butler, 76, jazz executive

4/09/08 Flora Pereira, 79, Portuguese Fado singer

4/13/08 Robert Reed, 50, keyboardist for Trouble Funk

4/17/08 Chris Gaffney, 58, roots rocker

4/15/08 Sean Costello, 28, blues musician

4/17/08 Danny Federici, 58, E Street Band

4/21/08 Al Wilson, 68, soul man

4/22/08 Paul Davis, 60, soft rock singer and songwriter

4/24/08 Jimmy Giuffre, 86, jazz composer and musician

5/08/08 Eddy Arnold, 89, countrypolitan legend

5/08/08 Larry Levine, 80, engineer for Phil Spector

5/15/08 Bob Florence, 75, jazz composer

5/18/08 Ed Fenner, 72, Kansas City's "jazz activist"

5/19/08 Earl Robinson, 85, founding member of The Scamps

5/23/08 Utah Phillips, 73, folk legend

5/23/08 Earle H. Hagen, 88, wrote TV themes and "Harlem Nocturne"

5/24/08 Sonny Okosuns, 61, Nigerian singer

5/25/08 Connie Vitale, 61, Kansas City retail store owner

5/28/08 Jerry Cole, 68, session guitarist

5/31/08 Pretty Black, 25, Oakland rapper

6/02/08 Bo Diddley, 79, rock pioneer

6/03/08 James DeRigne, 53, Kansas City record store owner and drummer

6/14/08 Esbjorn Svensson, 44, jazz pianist of EST

6/28/08 Ronnie Matthews, 72, jazz pianist

7/07/08 Bobby Durham, 71, jazz drummer

7/13/08 Gerald Wiggins, 86, jazz pianist

7/22/08 Joe Beck, 62, jazz guitarist

7/25/08 Johnny Griffin, 80. jazz saxophonist

7/25/08 Hiram Bullock, 52, session guitarist

7/25/08 Michael Berniker, 73, producer

7/31/08 Yusuf Salim, 79, jazz pianist

7/31/08 Lee Young, 94, jazz drummer, producer and brother of Lester

8/02/08 Erik Darling, 74, folk artist of Rooftop Singers

8/10/08 Isaac Hayes, 65, soul giant

8/11/08 Don Helms, 71, steel guitarist for Hank Williams

8/15/08 Jerry Wexler, 91, R&B producer

8/16/08 Ronnie Drew, 73, Dubliners,

8/16/08 Dizzy Johnny Moore, 70, trumpeter in the Skatalites

8/16/08 Caymmi, 94, Brazilian songwriter

8/18/08 Pervis Jackson, 70, original member of the Spinners

8/19/08 LeRoi Moore, 46, Dave Matthews Band saxophonist

5/31/08 Pretty Black, 25, Oakland rapper

8/20/08 Phil Guy, 68, blues artist

8/21/08 Jerry Finn, 39, producer and mixer

8/23/08 Steve Foley, 49, drummed for the Replacements

8/23/08 Jimmy Cleveland, 82, jazz trombonist

8/28/08 Gilbert Moorer, 67, Esquires vocalist

9/01/08 Jerry Reed, 71, country star

9/09/08 Bheki Mseleku, 53, jazz pianist

9/12/08 Charlie Walker, 81, Grand Ole Opry member

9/15/08 Richard Wright, 65, Pink Floyd

9/16/08 Norman Whitfield, 65, Motown songwriter

9/19/08 Earl Palmer, 84, legendary drummer

9/20/08 Nappy Brown, 78, blues artist

9/20/08 Steve Gray, 64, session musician

9/22/08 Connie Haines, 87, big band vocalist

9/26/08 Marc Moulin, 66, Belgian jazz fusion artist

9/29/08 Pat Crumly, 66, British saxophonist

10/01/08 Nick Reynolds, 75, original member of the Kingston Trio

10/03/08 Johnny "J", 39, hip hop producer

10/11/08 Alton Ellis, 68, reggae star

10/11/08 Neal Hefti, 85, TV and jazz composer

10/15/08 Edie Adams, 81, singer and pitch woman

11/16/08 Tony Reedus, 49, jazz drummer

10/17/08 Levi Stubbs, 72, Four Tops vocalist

10/18/08 Dave McKenna, 78, jazz pianist

10/18/08 Dee Dee Warwick, 63, soul singer

10/19/08 Rudy Ray Moore, 81, comedian, musician and filmmaker

10/24/08 Merl Saunders, 74, keyboardist

10/25/08 Muslim Magomayev, 66, Russian pop star

10/15/08 Frankie Venom, 51, Teenage Head

10/24/08 Ray Ellis, 84, arranger for Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Four Lads

10/30/08 Nathaniel Mayer, 64, Detroit soul singer

10/30/08 Mike Terry, 68, Motown saxophonist

10/31 Frank Navetta, 46, Descendants guitarist

11/01/08 Yma Sumac, 86, quirky exotica artist

11/02/08 Jimmy Carl Black, 70, Native American rock musician

11/04/08 Byron Lee, 73, Jamaican innovator

11/09/08 Miriam Makeba, 76, South African singer

11/09/08 Mitch Mitchell, 61, drummer for Jimi Hendrix

11/22/08 MC Breed, 36, rapper

11/22/08 Nico Rohas, 87, Cuban musician

11/23/08 Richie Edwards, 27 (declared dead), Manic Street Preachers

11/23/08 Robert Lucas, 46, blues man

11/24/08 Kenny Maclean, 51, Platinum Blonde bassist

12/02/08 Odetta, 77, folk artist

12/06/08 Alex McEwen, 73, British musician and businessman

12/07/08 Dennis Yost, 65, Classics IV vocalist

12/15/08 Davy Graham, 68, British folk musician

12/19/08 Page Cavanaugh, 86, jazz pianist

12/25/08 Eartha Kitt, 81, pop star

12/25/08 Robert Ward, 70, blues and soul man

12/27/08 Delaney Bramlett, 69, rock musician

12/29/08 Freddie Hubbard, 70, jazz trumpeter

(Original image of Isaac Hayes by There Stands the Glass.)

Freddie Hubbard, 1938-2008

Farewell, Freddie.

Although I was pleasantly surprised to spot extensive coverage of Freddie Hubbard's death in the mainstream media this week, the bad news was accompanied by a sense of wistfulness. It seems like the end of an era.

Wynton Marsalis (born 1961) aside, it's unlikely the the passing of another jazz trumpeter will receive prominent play. It's highly unlikely that the eventual deaths of Terence Blanchard (born 1962), John Faddis (born 1953), Roy Hargrove (born 1969) and Nicholas Payton (born 1973) will receive much attention. Exceptions might be made for Arturo Sandoval (born 1949), because of his dramatic life story, and Herb Alpert (born 1935), Chuck Mangione (born 1940) and Hugh Masekela (born 1939), for their crossover pop hits.

I'll remember Hubbard for his fiery work with Art Blakey, his contribution in 1964 to Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch and 1971's Red Clay. He made many subsequent appearances, however, including this date with Pancho Sanchez's Latin jazz group.

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Kansas City Click: My New Year's Eve pick is Alacartoona's early show at Jardine's.

Robert Ward, 1938-2008

Goodbye.

That guitar! Technicians explain that Robert Ward's unique sound was generated by a Magnatone amplifier, but I prefer to think that it's the result of magic. I first became aware of Ward when his triumphant comeback album Fear No Evil was issued in 1991. It's now out-of-print. Until then, I had no idea that it was Ward on the Falcons' epic hit "I Found a Love". Ward also was a founding member of the group that eventually evolved into the Ohio Players. And lest loyal There Stands the Glass reader BGO chide me for neglecting to mention it, Lonnie Mack repeatedly cited Ward as his primary influence. Ward died on Christmas Day.

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Present magazine published my list of Top Ten Kansas City-area music blogs. I forgot to include Demencha. Their December 20 post on Mad Marlon was, in the parlance of the hip hop site, dope.

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Kansas City Click: The Nace Brothers should make dancers happy tonight at Knuckleheads.

Pentangle- Sally Go Round the Roses

Sally's at rest.

Let's get this straight up front. I don't dislike Fleet Foxes. I actually enjoy their debut album.

As the accolades for Fleet Foxes continue to pile up, however, I can hold my tongue no longer. It's not that I find it increasingly difficult to embrace new recordings that don't swing, thrash or thump. Most so-called indie rock doesn't do any of those things.

The source of my irritation doesn't lie with the music- it's with the self-proclaimed fans. I'd like to ask every advocate of Fleet Foxes these questions:

*Are you high? Seriously, sometimes I wonder if I'm the only guy in the room who isn't smoking something.

*Have you never heard Workingman's Dead? Hey, I genuinely like the Dead's first few studio albums. And so, obviously, do the Fleet Foxes. Yet I'd be willing to wager that most fans of Fleet Foxes wouldn't be caught dead at a concert by Bob Weir or It's a Beautiful Day.

*Can you convince me that you're not engaging in mindless group think? What if Fleet Foxes weren't signed to Sub Pop? What if they weren't from Seattle? What if they were, say, It's Over? As I furiously type this cranky essay, the not-so-dissimilar Kansas City band has three MySpace plays today. Fleet Foxes have 9,000. Even if you don't share my belief that It's Over is the better band, you can't tell me that Fleet Foxes are 3,000 times better. That's a highly suspect bandwagon.

I root for Fleet Foxes' continued success- perhaps a few of their fans will discover artists like John Renbourn. This 1969 effort with Pentangle, for example, is a clear blueprint for Fleet Foxes. It's available on this collection and on this reissue.

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Kansas City Click: Alaadeen leads a group at the Blue Room tonight.

The Rich Boys rock Ott's on Sunday.

Come Monday, Jazzbo hits Jazz.

Graham Parker- Soul Christmas

Boxed up.

Although he's a long-standing personal favorite, Graham Parker has been mentioned only in passing at There Stands the Glass. I own almost everything the crusty curmudgeon has issued. His catalog includes the obscure Christmas Cracker EP from '94. Featured on the disc are bonus demos. My favorite is this fantasy involving the likes of Little Milton, Don Covay and Eddie Floyd. "Hey, when is Aretha gonna show?" This is my favorite GP song. No wait- it's this. And what in the world is this- a shockingly slick 1977 appearance on Top of the Pops. Crazy!

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When worlds collide- my pal Jason Harper offers an alternate perspective of last Friday night's Grieves and Pendergast shows.

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Jason's blog also tipped me off to the impressive new video for the Beautiful Bodies' "Strut."

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I've liked Lily Allen since I became aware of her a couple years ago, but "The Fear" elevates the pop star from the category of merely "adorable" to "important artist" in the intricate internal ranking system at There Stands the Glass.

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Tupelo Chain Sex are so obscure that I used to wonder if I'd merely imagined seeing a band by that name at the Outhouse outside Lawrence, Kansas. They currently have twelve MySpace friends.

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Kansas City Click: The Nace Brothers should make dancers happy tonight at Knuckleheads.

Looking Good: Grieves and Pendergast

What are rock stars and rappers supposed to look like? It shouldn't matter, of course, but Friday night I was forced to ponder the significance of physical appearance.

Neither Tony Ladesich of Pendergast nor Seattle rapper Grieves are candidates for the cover of next month's GQ magazine.

While at Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club I wondered again why Pendergast never found a wider audience. The exceptional band toured with conviction. And hearing a few dozen true believers sing along with Ladesich's earnest songs confirmed their universal appeal. Why didn't more people embrace them?

Maybe it's looks. In an amusing profile of Ladesich, Jason Harper describes him as "Stocky. Broad. Ursine. Roughly the same shape but half the size of your average NFL center." While I think Ladesich is incredibly sexy, he's not going to be mistaken for Rhett Miller of the Old '97s.

Over at the Riot Room, Grieves was compelled to address his unlikely appearance. "I know I look like I'm seventeen," the twenty-something artist sighed.

Grieves more closely resembles an ill-conceived cartoon character than a rapper. Yet Grieves' appearance might ultimately work in his favor. He may never win over T.I.'s audience, but the Warped Tour set might eventually wholeheartedly embrace Grieves as a fellow outsider.

His current collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Budo greatly enhances Grieves' prospects. He could successfully open for Fall Out Goy, MGMT or M.I.A. tomorrow.

While Grieves' career in music is on an upward trajectory, Ladesich should take great comfort in knowing that his work with Pendergast meant a great deal to his fans. Count this pudgy, graying geek among them.

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Kansas City Click: Saxophonist David Brandom plays at the Blue Room tonight.

(Original image of Grieves by There Stands the Glass.)

House of Badger- You Give Yourself Away

Hibernating.

Maybe, just maybe, Santa will bring me a turntable with a USB port this year. If that happens, I'll be confronted with a mountain of decisions.

Do I start by ripping my dad's outlaw country albums? I really miss listening to a handful of Solomon Burke obscurities from the '70s. I once bought a huge cache of piano jazz albums from a jittery guy in desperate need of cash; it'd be nice to put those in a digital format. But truth be told, I'd probably begin with "new wave" and "college rock" titles from '79-'87.

I have a pretty healthy collection of rarities by the likes of the Blake Babies, Pere Ubu, Let's Active, the Bush Tetras, Gang of Four and Public Image Ltd. I'll bet that the members of House of Badger already own a lot of that stuff. The Portland band's new album, Death Birds, immediately recalls the excitement and mystery of the left-of-the-dial heyday.

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I wrote a preview of Pendergast's final show. It's tonight at Davey's Uptown Rambler's Club. Yeah, I'll be there.

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I acted as a substitute speaker on KCUR's Up To Date broadcast this morning. It took me about fifteen minutes to settle down but I had a great time. You can even download the show if you feel the need to hear me chat about selections including the Game, Nas and the Streets.

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Sean Byrne, vocalist of the Count Five, died Monday.

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Kansas City Click: Mac Lethal and the Black Clover crew's annual Christmas party moves to the Riot Room tonight.

Kinto Sol perform at Bartle Hall Saturday.

On Sunday, Nelly gets derrty at the VooDoo.

(Photo pilfered from www.houseofbadger.com.)

Craig Pilo- Awkwardly Mobile

Moved on.

Drummer Craig Pilo is the owner of a wacky list of credits. Since graduating from the University of North Texas College of Music in 1995, he's toured and recorded with artists ranging from Pat Boone to the Red Elvises. He's also toured with Frankie Valli, Player and Edgar Winter. Pile's fine 2007 release Just Play provides insights into the versatile artist's personal taste. As with the rest of the project, "Awkwardly Mobile" evokes jazz fusion works by the likes of Herbie Hancock. It's a sound well worth revisiting. (Students of drumming will appreciate the performance videos included on the enhanced disc.)

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A painfully revealing fan video of Elvis performing "Blue Christmas" in Kansas City was recently uploaded to YouTube. The star died two months later.

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Connie Dover and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra have issued a new Christmas title.

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Kansas City Click: Kim Sivils and Steve Rigazzi perform a matinee at Jardine's today.

Davy Graham, 1940-2008

Farewell.

British guitarist Davy Graham died Monday.

His innovations influenced folk artists John Renbourn, Bert Jansch and Martin Carthy. Jimmy Page probably learned a thing or two from Graham. And whether they know it or not, today's freak-folk crowd is also in Graham's debt. His '60s recordings fused jazz, folk, blues and rock in entirely new ways.

Presumably, 1977's The Complete Guitarist is so named because Graham offers sixteen vastly differing solo works. Celtic, classical, jazz, folk and blues are represented in a solo format. I selected "Hardiman the Fiddler" for its brevity; I highly recommend all of it.

The Guardian compiles and annotates five Graham videos.

(Tip via BGO.)

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Before heaping praise on the Rum Drum Ramblers, one of the two co-owners of St. Louis' Vintage Vinyl- I assume it's Tom, but it could be Lou- articulates my sentiment about today's blues scene:

"There's a whole lot of what is called blues but really isn't... Do we ever need to hear anyone record that BB King or Elmore James song every lazy bar band can knock out in a slow walk? Yes, we have had so much heaped on our heads, in the name of blues, but so damn little that's original and shows players using the form to drive nails in the head and heart."

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Kansas City Click: KoolAide and the Exact Change Band appear at the Kansas City Blues & Jazz Juke House tonight.

Perhapst- Incense Cone

Burned out.

Had I heard it earlier, the self-titled debut by Perhapst might have cracked my year-end Top 25 album list. Perhapst is the alias of John Moen, drummer of The Decemberists. Yet his project is largely free of the cabaret and art-song impulses associated with that celebrated band. The delirious pop of "Blue Year," for instance, proudly features more cowbell. "Maryanne" recalls Matthew Sweet's power pop crunch, while the melodic folk of "Cruel Whisk" is reminiscent of acoustic John Lennon. Elsewhere, Moen jangles like the Byrds and jingles like Brian Wilson. It's no surprise that Stephen Malkmus contributes to the recording. Moen is also clearly a fan of Pavement.

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I bought the "new" Fat Tone release at 7th Heaven over the weekend. The store's staff assures me that Da Saga Continues contains only previously unreleased material. The Kansas City rapper was murdered in Las Vegas in 2005.

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Do you remember Kansas City-area shoegaze band Shallow? They had a brief flirtation with international stardom in the '90s. They're now working again as The Capsules.

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I summarize the year in Kansas City jazz at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: Neil Diamond brings "The Gift of Song" to the Sprint Center on Monday.

(Image from Perhapst's MySpace account.)

Helen Kane- Don't Be Like That

It's no longer like that.

Bettie Page died yesterday. She was 85.

I'm not familiar enough with Page's dramatic career arc to know if she intentionally channeled the persona of cartoon character Betty Boop. The resemblance certainly didn't stop at their first names. In any case, the two icons occupy the same general excitable area of my mind.

The Betty Boop character, at least in part, was modeled on Helen Kane. The "boop-boop-a-doop" catchphrase was Kane's invention. I'm tempted to listen to nothing but this excellent collection all weekend.

"Don't Be Like That" was recorded eighty years ago. It's still irresistibly sexy. Just like those snapshots of Bettie Page.

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Need to smile? Here's Kane singing "He's So Unusual." It's priceless.

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Present offers a clever extended inside joke about Mongol Beach Party.

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Kansas City Click: E-40 is scheduled to appear with Rich the Factor at Club Dallas tonight. (Details are sketchy; the show is not listed at E-40's official sites.)

Hidden Pictures and Andrew Morgan make a fine double bill Saturday at Czar Bar.

On Sunday the Record Bar offers its bi-weekly "alternative jazz series".

Charlie McCoy- Staggering Blues

Fallen.

I'm a devotee of acoustic blues. I rarely feature the style at There Stands the Glass only because a handful of specialty sites already do an outstanding job of presenting the form. But I'm in the mood today.

The 24 tracks on Complete 1928-1932 Recordings reveal the remarkably prescient voice of Charlie McCoy. Working under his own name or in groups including the Mississippi Mud Steppers and the Jackson Blue Boys, McCoy's creative arrangements presage the music of today. The vocal interjections of Rosie Mae Moore on "Staggering Blues" could have been made by Lady Sovereign or Missy Elliott.

According to the invaluable liner notes, McCoy died in 1950 at "a Psychopathic Hospital in Chicago." I featured Charlie's brother "Kansas" Joe 13 months ago. Need more? Try "Last Time Blues".

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Dennis Yost of Classics IV died Sunday. Check out Yost's slacks on this vintage video. (Tip via BGO.)

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Kansas City Click: Gerald Spaits and Charles Perkins collaborate tonight at the Blue Room.

Aaron Neville- The Shadow of Your Smile

Closed lips.

A popular Kansas City jazz, soul and gospel vocalist is renowned for her incredibly powerful voice. She's fully capable of shaking the rafters in spite of her diminutive size. At Plastic Sax, I mention the effect her rich voice had on an audience Sunday.

She's the opposite of Aaron Neville. His large frame contains a thin, small voice. Yet it somehow manages to bypass most emotional filters to strike directly at the human soul. "The Shadow of Your Smile" is just one of a dozen standards on Neville's lushly recorded 2003 album. Although the setting is worlds removed from early New Orleans hits like "Hercules", it's no less compelling.

The 67-year-old performs tonight at Harrah's Casino.

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"Top City, what's up!" Ill Roots offers It Ain't Easy Bein' Skinny, a free Stik Figa mixtape. The Topeka rapper is a There Stands the Glass favorite.

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Kansas City Click: Aaron Neville will fill the VooDoo Lounge with delighted sighs tonight.

J.J. Cale- Sho-Biz Blues

Shuffled away.

Live music almost never bores me, but I'm still recovering from a stultifying J.J. Cale concert I witnessed as a teenager. I was just looking for something to do; opting for the man's laid-back charm was not a wise choice. Cale turns 70 today. While I'm still significantly younger than Cale I'm old enough to understand the appeal of the Okie's trademark shuffle. "Sho-Biz Blues," from the 1991 release Closer To Home, is representative of the man's sensibility.

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Last night a guy asked me if I was a "rock journalist." I don't think I qualify- a genuine rock journalist would never give Hinder a positive review.

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Cuban musician Nico Rojas died November 22 in Havana. (Tip via BGO.)

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Blip continues to destroy my productivity. The sole upside of the addiction is that I haven't purchased recorded music in weeks- CDs and albums would only eat into my Blip time.

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Kansas City Click: Carol Duboc sings at Jardine's tonight.

The Tambourine Club hits the Brick on Saturday.

Community Christian Church hosts Carol Fest on Sunday.

Odetta, 1930-2008

Goodbye.

Odetta was part of my childhood. When the producers of televised events wanted to add a sense of dignified importance to their broadcasts, it seemed that they'd often call on the regal woman to perform. Sunday school teachers and elementary school staffers sometimes followed suit. Consequently, Odetta was the type of artist that I admired but rarely enjoyed. "All the Pretty Horses" captures the sense of hushed importance I associate with the folk singer. It's available on this fine compilation of folk classics. Odetta died yesterday.

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One-time Kansas Citian Mike Terry, a saxophonist heard on Motown hits including "Heat Wave" and "This Old Heart of Mine," died October 30. (Tip via BGO.)

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Charles Ferruzza composed a fine tribute to Kansas City composer and critic Virgil Thomson.

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Kansas City Click: New Vintage Big Band swings into B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ tonight.

Seeing Sounds: 2008 In Review

The 25 Best Albums of 2008
1. Erykah Badu- New Amerikah Part One (4th World War)
2. Atmosphere- When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold
3. The Game- LAX
4. Julieta Venegas- MTV Unplugged
5. Tech N9ne- Killer
6. Duffy- Rockferry
7. Chick Corea & Gary Burton- The New Crystal Silence
8. Girl Talk- Feed the Animals
9. Wynton Marsalis & Willie Nelson- Two Men With the Blues
10. Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III
11. N*E*R*D- Seeing Sounds
12. The Streets- Everything Is Borrowed
13. The Hold Steady- Stay Positive
14. 9th Wonder & Buckshot- The Formula
15. Nas- Nas
16. Ice Cube- Raw Footage
17. Ron Ron- Mr. No It All
18. The Saturday Knights- Mingle
19. Adele- Chasing Pavement
20. Two Cow Garage- Speaking In Cursive
21. The Gaslight Anthem- The '59 Sound
22. Steddy P- Dear Columbia
23. Coldplay- Viva la Vida
24. Dizzee Rascal- Maths + English
25. Kanye West- 808's & Heartbreak
For the first time in years, I haven't fallen in love with any new albums. Each of these titles is flawed. I placed Badu's glorious mess on top because she seems to be laughing at the blemishes in her music.

The 25 Best Songs of 2008
1. Noel Gourdin- "The River"
2. Marvin Sapp- "Never Would Have Made It"
3. Nas- "Be A N***** Too"
4. T.I.- "No Matter What"
5. Wiley- "Cash In My Pocket"
6. Jazmine Sullivan- "Need U Bad"
7. Ashton Shepherd- "Takin' Off This Pain"
8. Coldplay- "Viva La Vida"
9. Dolly Parton- "Jesus & Gravity"
10. Jaheim- "Never"
11. Trace Adkins- "You're Gonna Miss This"
12. Airborne- "Too Much Too Young Too Fast"
13. AC/DC- "Rock 'N Roll Train"
14. Idle Warship- "Fall Back"
15. Lil Wayne- "A Milli"
16. Kid Rock- "All Summer Long"
17. Eric Benet- "You're the Only One"
18. Hot Stylz- "Lookin' Boy"
19. Lyfe Jennings- "Never Never Land"
20. Lee Ann Womack- "Last Call"
21. Young Jeezy- "Put On"
22. Solange- "I Decided"
23. Janelle Monae- "Many Moons"
24. Sevendust- "Prodigal Son"
25. Ben Folds with Regina Spektor- "You Don't Know Me"
Lord, how I love "The River."

The Ten Best Songs of 2008 By Kansas City Artists
1. Donta Slusha- "Check My Posture"
2. XTA-C- "2 Fingers and a Hook (KC Anthem)"
3. Tech N9ne- "Crybaby"
4. The Abracadabras- "Petty Politics"
5. Ghosty- "Dumbo Wins Again"
6. Sliccs Gotcha- "Off Da Chain"
7. Barclay Martin- "Queen of This Town"
8. Innate Sounds- "Raise Up"
9. Mac Lethal- "Black Widow Spider"
10. Koufax- "Any Moment Now"
Although the rest of the world isn't paying much attention, it's been a great year for local music.

The 25 Best Live Performances of 2008
1. Alison Krauss & Robert Plant- Starlight Theater (fan video)
2. Maxwell- Uptown Theater
3. Tech N9ne- Uptown Theater (April show) (fan footage)
4. Stone Temple Pilots- Liberty Memorial (fan footage)
5. Kid Rock- Sprint Center (fan footage)
6. Sarah Buxton- Power & Light
7. Luciano- Beaumont Club (backstage footage)
8. Nikka Costa- Record Bar
9. Fourth of July- McCoys
10. The Mars Volta- Beaumont Club (fan footage)
11. Mac Lethal- Riot Room
12. Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra- Folly Theater
13. ZZ Top- Midland Theater
14. T.I.- Sandstone Amphitheater
15. Rodney Crowell- Frontier Park
16. Stefon Harris- Folly Theater
17. The Misfits- VooDoo Lounge
18. Busy Bee- Liberty Hall
19. Kristin Hersh- house party in Lee's Summit, MO
20. Ashes Divide- Liberty Memorial
21. Slipknot- Sandstone Amphitheater (fan footage)
22. Drowning Pool- VooDoo Lounge
23. The Redwalls- The Record Bar
24. Say Anything- Power & Light
25. Atmosphere- Liberty Hall
These are the best of the 253 individual performances I've witnessed so far in 2008.

The Five Best Opening Acts of 2008
1. Brandi Carlile (for Sheryl Crow at Starlight Theater)
2. Thrice (for Rise Against at the Uptown Theater)
3. Tesla (for Queensryche at the Midland Theater)
4. Meg & Dia (for Plain White T's at the Beaumont Club)
5. Lil Mama (for Chris Brown at the Sprint Center) (fan footage)
The headliners never stood a chance.

The Five Most Disappointing Live Performances of 2008
1. The Roots- VooDoo Lounge (fan footage)
2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band- Sprint Center (fan footage)
3. Lazy Lester- KCK Street Blues Festival
4. M.I.A.- Liberty Hall (fan footage)
5. Matisyahu- Crossroads KC (fan footage)
I had high hopes for each of these concerts; my expectations were not met.

(Original image of Dia Frampton of Meg & Dia by There Stands the Glass.)

Robert Lucas, 1962-2008

Farewell.

Robert Lucas was signing autographs the last time I saw him. He had just played a set with Canned Heat at a blues festival in Kansas City three or four years ago. I didn't catch the performance; I have a strong antipathy for recycled boogie. Yet I recall that image for two reasons. Almost every one of his fans was a biker. I was also struck by the thought that Lucas seemed far too young to be in the band. He was just 46 when he died Sunday. Layaway is one of several solid solo albums in which Lucas splits the difference between Howlin' Wolf and Tom Waits. (Tip via BGO.)

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MC Breed died Saturday.

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Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers has been declared dead. It's a sad story. (Tip via BGO.)

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I reviewed Tech N9ne's show Saturday night.

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Mac Lethal's life almost ends at the 3:30 mark of this otherwise pointless Soulcrate Music tour vlog.

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I briefly ponder MURS, the Clash and the concept of selling out here.

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Kansas City Click: I could stop at the Czar Bar after tonight's Kansas-Syracuse game to catch Ghosty.

Corey Crowder- Love

The affair has ended.

Mainstream country radio hasn't quite figured out that dudes don't want to hear Taylor Swift. Most men want beer-drinkin' music with brains and (please forgive the crude indiscretion) balls.

That's Corey Crowder. He's staked out some valuable property on the musical landscape somewhere to the south of Dierks Bentley and just a little to the west of the Allman Brothers. He'd be an appropriate opening act for both Kid Rock and Tim McGraw.

I could use a little more punk-styled grit on his new Tooth & Nail release Gold and the Sand, but Crowder's tendency to keep James Taylor's melodic monolith in sight will probably serve him well.

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Stop the presses! There's a late contender for 2008's song of the year. It's Wiley's "Cash In My Pocket". The accompanying video is also great.

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This video moves me, and I'm not even a big Coldplay fan. (Found via a Twitter pal.)

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Hammerlord is my new favorite local metal band.

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I finally got around to watching an episode of Celebrity Rehab. A Google search confirmed my immediate hunch- one of the counselors is Bob Forrest of Thelonious Monster!

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Kansas City Click: Tech N9ne returns to the Uptown Theater tonight.

Stefon Harris plays vibes Saturday at the Folly Theater.

Soulfly top the bill Sunday at the Beaumont.

Suzpecial- Break Away

Broken.

Musical epiphanies inevitably become less frequent with age and experience.

While sound still sends chills down my spine on a regular basis, the most recent life-changing musical revelation I experienced came via the Run the Road compilation in 2005. It was my first exposure to British grime. The combination of Joy Division's iciness and hip hop's street poetry stunned me.

Much like many tracks on Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons..., "Break Away" by Suzpecial bluntly addresses immediate domestic concerns. "I wish things were better..." I don't know if Suzpecial is guy, a duo or a collective. The British act doesn't blow my mind, but it's definitely effective.

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The Plain White T's are woefully misunderstood. Their effort Sunday night represented the second best power pop performance I've seen this year. (The Redwalls were better.) Here's my review. And look out for Meg & Dia in '09.

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"We're the Get Up Kids from Kansas City, Missouri."

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I did my best to provoke Kansas City's jazz community today.

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I'm Weezer-neutral but I love Rivers Cuomo for his "Let's Write a Sawng" series. The new chapter is particularly interesting.

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Kansas City Click: Eldar's run at Jardine's continues through Thursday.

(Image from Suzpecial's MySpace.)

The Gaslight Anthem at the Uptown Theater

"Welcome to Casual Friday," Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem told early arrivals Friday night at the Uptown Theater.

It was more like Opposite Day. The four bands on the tour- the Gaslight Anthem, Thrice, Alkaline Trio and Rise Against- were billed in reverse order of my personal preference.

Serving as the sacrificial opening act, the Gaslight Anthem were the most compelling band of the night. A thirty-minute opening slot at a punk show isn't the ideal forum to make a case for being the future of rock'n'roll. While the Gaslight Anthem didn't send shivers down my spine, they also did nothing to dissuade my faith in their potential.

Significantly, they weren't manic, sloppy and self-destructive like comparable true believers the Hold Steady or the Replacements. The Gaslight Anthem tried their best. Welcome to the new sincerity.

The emotional dynamics of "We Came To Dance" recalled fellow New Jersey resident Bruce Springsteen. (It was sort of like this.) "Angry Johnny and the Radio" sounded a lot like "Breakdown"-era Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. (It felt something like this.)

Only time will tell if Fallon can achieve Springsteen-esque success. He may instead become a cult favorite like Joe Grushecky or Garland Jeffreys. Either way, I intend to be listening attentively. (The band returns to Kansas City December 10 for a radio station event at the Midland Theater.)

Thrice was second. Their brawny post-punk floored me. I had no idea that the Californians had progressed into an incredibly interesting band. Imagine Tool without the arena-rock impulses. A faithful cover of "Helter Skelter" seemed only natural.

Alkaline Trio provide the answer to an awkward question: What would have become of Green Day if Billie Joe Armstrong had never been struck with inspiration? The near-capacity crowd of about 1,400, however, didn't share my cynicism. Many sang along with every punk anthem. The Gaslight Anthem's Fallon joined them for a set-ending Misfits cover.

Blame it on election fatigue. I just wasn't in the mood for the strident political protest punk of Rise Against. I found watching the sea of people on the floor more entertaining than listening to the headliners. I left early.

After all, it was Opposite Day.

(Image of Brian Fallon taken from Rise of Beachmont's Flickr account.)