No Postcode Envy: The Top Albums of 2013

My lifelong fantasy of securing instant access to most of the world's recorded music was realized in 2013 when streaming services became seamless.  I listened to almost 1,000 new releases in their entirety this year.  It's no coincidence that 96 of my favorite 100 selections are represented on this corresponding Spotify playlist. 

1. Earl Sweatshirt- Doris
2. Pat Metheny- Tap: John Zorn’s Book of Angels, vol. 20
3. Kanye West- Yeezus
4. The Grisly Hand- Country Singles
5. José James- No Beginning No End
6. Dave Holland- Prism
7. Kvelertak- Meir
8. Ghostface Killah- Twelve Reasons To Die
9. Tech N9ne- Something Else
10. Lorde- Pure Heroine

11. Beyoncé- Beyoncé
12. Terri Lyne Carrington- Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
13. Fidlar- Fidlar
14. M.I.A.- Matangi
15. A$AP Rocky- Long Live A$AP
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds- Push the Sky Away
17. Mark Lowrey- Tangos for 18th Street
18. John Legend- Love In the Future
19. Daora: Underground Sounds of Urban Brasil
20. Barbara Hannigan and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France- Dutilleux: Correspondances

21. George Strait- Love Is Everything
22. Revocation- Revocation
23. King Khan & The Shrines- Idle No More
24. Gary Burton- Guided Tour
25. Otis Clay- Truth Is
26. Baptists- Bushcraft
27. Joe Lovano's Us Five- Cross Culture
28. Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba- Jama Ko
29. James Blake- Overgrown
30. The Architects- Border Wars Episode 1

31. Pusha T- My Name Is My Name
32. Bill Frisell- Big Sur
33. Charles Bradley- Victim of Love
34. Alaturka- Yalniz
35. The Haxan Cloak- Excavation
36. Pat Metheny- The Orchestrion Project
37. Buika- La Noche Mas Larga
38. Orrin Evans- It Was Beauty
39. Frank Wess- Magic 101
40. Childish Gambino- Because the Internet

40. Diarrhea Planet- I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
41. Jay Z- Magna Carta... Holy Grail
42. Monsieur Doumani- Grippy Grappa
43. Brandy Clark- 12 Stories
44. Skeletonwitch- Serpents Unleashed
45. Janelle Monáe- The Electric Lady
46. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Gamak
47. The Delfonics- Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics
48. Vieux Farka Touré- Mon Pays
49. Willie Nelson- Let's Face the Music and Dance
50. Ka- The Night's Gambit

51. Il Sogno del Marinaio- La Busta Gialla
52. Ben Goldberg- Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues
53. Brad Goode- Chicago Red
54. Deafheaven- Sunbather
55. Deer Tick- Negativity
56. Action Bronson- Saaab Stories
57. King Carnage- Ounce of Mercy, Pound of Flesh
58. Umphrey's McGee- Live From Summer Camp
59. Salif Keita- Talé
60. Cowboy Indian Bear- Live Old, Die Young

61. Pistol Annies- Pistol Up
62. Booker T- Sound the Alarm
63. Soweto Kinch- The Legend of Mike Smith
64. Dan Nicholls- Ruins
65. Mulatu Astatke- Sketches of Ethiopia
66. L'Orange & Stik Figa- The City Under the City
67. Bad Rabbits- American Love
68. Marc Cary Focus Trio- Four Directions
69. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell- Old Yellow Moon
70. DJ Muggs- Bass For Your Face

71. Dutch Newman- Schorre's Son
72. Quest- Live In Paris
73. Matmos- The Marriage of True Minds
74. Wavves- Afraid of Heights
75. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- The Freedom of Expression
76. Psychic Ills- One Track Mind
77. Damir Out Loud- Graduation Day
78. Helker- En Algun Lugar del Circulo
79. Lyal Strickland- Balanced on Barbed Wire
80. Broadcast- Berberian Sound Studio

81. Hospital Ships- Destruction In Yr Soul
82. Children of Bodom- Halo of Blood
83. Wayne Shorter- Without a Net
84. No Age- An Object
85. Wampire- Curiosity
86. Kasey Musgraves- Same Trailer Different Park
87. Pissed Jeans- Honeys
88. Samba Touré- Albala
89. Reggie B- DNA
90. The Relatives- Electric Word

91. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside- Untamed Beast
92. Ellery Eskelin- Mirage
93. Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals- Walk Through Exits Only
94. David Binney- Lifted Land
95. Run the Jewels- Run the Jewels
96. Akkilles- Something You'd Say
97. Son Volt- Honky Tonk
98. Jaimeo Brown- Transcendence
99. Linda Oh- Sun Picture
100. Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience

I conducted similar year-end surveys in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Top 40 of 2013

These songs- each is a single released in 2013- made me glad that I still listen to the radio.  Here's a corresponding Spotify playlist.

1. J. Cole featuring TLC- "Crooked Smile"
A most unlikely civil rights anthem.

2. Lorde- "Royals"
The zeitgeist.  

3. David Bowie- "Where Are We Now?"
The lion in winter.

4. Pusha T- "Numbers On the Boards"
Barbarous. 

5. Gary Allan- "It Ain't the Whiskey"
Drinking the pain away.

6. K. Michelle- "V.S.O.P."
Classic old-school R&B.

7. Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu- "Q.U.E.E.N."
"Am I a freak for getting down?"

8. Miley Cyrus- "We Can't Stop"
Can't stop, won't stop.

9. B.o.B- "We Still In This Bitch"
The soundtrack of the January 20  inauguration.

10. Ace Hood- "Bugatti"
Ridiculous but undeniable.

11. Action Bronson- "Strictly 4 My Jeeps"
12. Kelly Rowland- "Dirty Laundry"
13. Robin Thicke- "Blurred Lines"
14. Alice In Chains- "Stone"
15. Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake- "Holy Grail"
16. Toby Keith- "Drinks After Work"
17. A$AP Rocky- "Fashion Killa"
18. Marc Antony- "Vivir Mi Vida"
19. Justin Timberlake- "Suit & Tie"
20. Charlie Wilson- "My Love Is All I Have"

21. Volbeat- "Lola Montez"
22. Ms. Jody- "Still Strokin'"
23. Black Sabbath- "God Is Dead?"
24. Future- "Karate Chop (Remix)"
25. Foxygen- "San Francisco"
26. Jaheim- "Age Ain't a Factor"
27. Carlos Vives- "Como Le Gusta a Tu Cuerpo"
28. Ashley Monroe- "Like a Rose"
29. Tamar Braxton- "Love and War"
30. Yo Gotti- "Act Right"

31. Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly- "Cruise (Remix)"
32. Chris Brown- "Fine China"
33. Arctic Monkeys- "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"
34. Bruce Springsteen- "High Hopes"
35. Lady Antebellum- "Downtown"
36. Dr#@e- "Started From the Bottom"
37. Alicia Keys featuring Maxwell- "Fire We Make"
38. The Uncluded- "Delicate Cycle"
39. Steel Panther- "Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World"
40. 2 Chainz- "Feds Watching"

Here's a Spotify playlist of my favorite singles of 2012.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Ray Price, 1926-2013

Now blue ain't the word for the way that I feel…

I had a rocky relationship with my dad.  The outlaw country of Waylon, Willie, Kris and Bocephus was one of the few things we could agree on.   My dad also kept a more conventional hits collection by Ray Price in regular rotation.  I've continued to love those songs in the two decades since my dad died.  I saw Price for the first time at Knuckleheads in 2007.  Although I was "working," I shed simultaneous tears of joy and grief during much of the legend's vital concert.  Here's a representative performance.  Price died earlier this week.

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I reviewed concerts by Steel Panther and Stone Temple Pilots.

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I played music by Terri Lyne Carrington, Bobby Rush, Brandy Clark, Frank Wess and Stik Figa on KCUR's Up To Date yesterday.

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Guitarist Dave Higgs, a founding member of Eddie and the Hot Rods, has died.  (Tip via Big Steve.)

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My favorite tracks on the The 12 Days of Christmas (and Voting) compilation are by the Doo-Dads and Making Movies.

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Because the Internet is the first Childish Gambino recording that speaks to me.  RIYL: emo rap, sad guys, Kid Cudi.

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I can't stop thinking about last month's spectacular Kanye West concert.  An intriguing detail- ambient music including Burial's "U.K." provided the low-key soundtrack to the construction of the imposing mountain that served as West's backdrop.

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There will always be a place in my life for albums like Scott Hamilton's Swedish Ballads… and More. RIYL: Ben Webster, moldy figs, Coleman Hawkins.

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"As the Palaces Burn", the new documentary about Lamb of God, looks great.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The 30 Best Live Performances of 2013

I caught a relatively meager 300 live performances in 2013.  The following list is a ranking of the ten percent I enjoyed most.


1. Bobby Rush- Living Room at Knuckleheads

2. Kanye West- Sprint Center

3. François Rabbath- Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel at Park University

4. Mary J. Blige- Sprint Center

5. Julian Lage and Jorge Roeder- Yardley Hall

6. Rakim- Riot Room

7. Miranda Lambert- Sporting Park

8. Miguel Zenón- Blue Room

9. Mumford & Sons- Cricket Wireless Amphitheater

10. Grizzly Bear- Uptown Theater

11. Alejandro Fernández- Sprint Center

12. Volbeat- Penn Valley Park

13. Dave Douglas- Blue Room

14. Vusi Mahlasela- Yardley Hall

15. People's Liberation Big Band- RecordBar

16. Diana Krall- Midland Theater

17. Lisa Henry- The Conference Center at Kansas City Kansas Community College

18. The Grisly Hand- Take Five Coffee + Bar

19. Limp Bizkit- Granada

20. Bonnie Raitt- Midland

21. Eliane Elias Trio- Folly Theater

22. Appleseed Cast- Riot Room

23. Iron Maiden- Sprint Center

24. The Mavericks- Knuckleheads

25. Kurt Elling- Gem Theater

26. Elena Urioste and Gabriela Martinez- Folly Theater

27. Bettye LaVette- 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival

28. Ben Sidran- White Theatre

29. They Might Be Giants- Crossroads KC

30. Sweet Honey In the Rock- Muriel Kauffman Theatre

I conducted similar exercises in 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Ben Sidran at White Theatre

A bit of ugliness marred an otherwise engaging presentation by Ben Sidran at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday afternoon.

Following Sidran's lecture and demonstration, a befuddled man in the audience of about 200 seemed to mistake a question-and-answer session for a meeting of Racists Anonymous.

In a jarring monologue, a man who identified himself as a Christian repeatedly upheld a handful of Jewish stereotypes.  The subsequent commotion spoiled the remainder of the presentation and was the only thing I heard people discussing as they exited White Theatre.

It's too bad.  While promoting his current book There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream, Sidran made a convincing case for the importance of what he called "the Jewish meme" in American society.  He suggested that that not only is American popular music shaped in large part by Jewish musicians, composers and businessmen, but that Americans in the 20th century adopted the Jewish dream as the American dream.

Sidran performed material by Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Bob Dylan and Billy Joel to make his case.  He also parsed "Take Me Out To the Ballgame" and "Over the Rainbow" as (his phrase) "Jewish music."  During one of his many digressions, Sidran implied that a significant portion of Louis Armstrong's brilliance was inspired and guided by Jewish culture.

Sidran touches on many of the same themes in this recent discussion.

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Joe Bihari of Modern Records has died.

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Sterlin, the new album by She's a Keeper, was released on December 11. RIYL: The Lumineers, kids with banjos, Punch Brothers.

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Eight months late- here's the video for Devon Allman and Samantha Fish's version of "Stop Dragging My Heart Around".

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My top jazz albums of 2013 are posted at Plastic Sax.

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Beyoncé!

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the Sprint Center

What kind of jerk spends $50 to see an artist he dislikes?  Me, that's who.  I can't even mention the name of the headliner at the Sprint Center on Saturday.  Google sends me a takedown notice every time I publish his name.  But that's not why he bugs me.  I just don't enjoy his raps. 

Yet there's no denying that he's changed the game.  And I've always relished seeing popular musicians at the peak of their fame.  That's why I bought the cheapest available ticket to see the Canadian.  Jeneé Osterheldt and Natalie Gallagher convey the excitement of the evening in their reviews.

Unlike them I was disappointed in Miguel's opening set.  It was my first time seeing Miguel, and I'd hoped that I'd finally understand why so many people I respect have been raving about him.  Maybe it was the lousy mix, but I remain unconvinced.

I am certain, however, that I spent my $50 wisely.  He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may become even more popular, but he had his "moment" in Kansas City in 2013.  And I was there to hate it.


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Chick Willis has died.  I spent a few nights dancing to his performances at area clubs and at festivals on both sides of the state line.  (Via BGO.)

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Jim Hall has died.

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I like the lineup of the Big Ears 2014 festival so much- Steve Reich! John Cale! Television! Marc Ribot!- that I looked at airfare between Kansas City and Knoxville.  It's not gonna work.

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Dessa's Tiny Desk Concert is RIYL: Ani DiFranco, talent, Doomtree.

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I finally made it all the way through (the official) Black Flag's new album What the….  It's not very good.  I liked it anyway.  RIYL: Greg Ginn, impotent rage, SST Records.

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Albums discovered via 2013 year-end album lists (continued):
#9- Chucho Valdes' Border Free, RIYL: Gonzalo Rubalcaba, 1952 Havana, piano heroics.
#10 Sadao Watanabe's Outra Vez, RIYL: Stan Getz, octogenarians, Clare Fischer.
#11 SimakDialog's The 6th Story, RIYL: Soft Machine, wanky instrumentals, Tom Coster.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Toyokana!

Here's yet another confession that reflects poorly on my character.  During Vusi Mahlasela's performance at Yardley Hall a couple months ago, I kept wishing that the South African would focus on showcasing his rapturous singing rather than talking at length about Nelson Mandela. 

My companion didn't share my frustration.  She's since repeatedly reminded me of the Mandela-inspired ideal of forgiveness that Mahlasela spoke of that night.  Furthermore, it was apparent that Mahlasela viewed art and politics as inseparable parts of the same entity.

Much of my anxiousness derived from the fact that so few performers from the African continent appear in the Kansas City area.  The only African musicians I saw in 2013 were Mahlasela and the Malian kora master Yacouba Sissoko.  It wasn't always this way.

There was a glorious, twerk-filled era- I'll estimate that it spanned the years between 1985 and 1995- when African musicians regularly toured the midwest.  I frequently caught acts like Congo's Kanda Bongo Man and Nigeria's Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey in clubs.  These types of shows were so common that I can't recall if I ever saw Congo's Tabu Ley Rochereau.  I do remember that the pictured CD was in heavy rotation in my apartment in 1994-95.  Such joy!  Tabu Ley, one of the originators of soukous, died on November 30.  (Initial tip via Big Steve.)

"Toyokana," Tabu Ley sings on "Requistoire".  We must understand. 


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My review of Tuesday's under-attended concert by Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar became a meme.  Reddit (over 4,000 comments), the Drudge Report, Radar, the Huffington Post and Gawker are among the outlets that picked it up.  As the most read story at The Kansas City Star's site for several hours, it's racked up over 800 comments.  The general consensus: 80% hate West, 15% defend West, 5% think the reviewer is an idiot. 

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The Kansas City Star published a few year-end top ten lists, including my own.  Fear not, There Stands the Glass readers- an expanded list will appear at this site soon.

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I reviewed Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day at Plastic Sax.

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Here's Tim Finn's wrap-up of the "best local music of 2013.

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Billboard published a breathless profile of the Strange Music empire.

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Akkilles' video for "Your Only One" works for me. RIYL: Sea Change, stock footage, Wilco.

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"Blind Tiger", the latest video from L'Orange and Stik Figa's collaboration, is excellent. RIYL: J Dilla, backpacks, Gang Starr.

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Radkey's video for "Start Freaking Out" is representative of the band's shows.  RIYL: The Misfits, teen angst, Danzig.

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DJ and producer Wrillez Basics is profiled in a five-minute video. RIYL: awkward dudes, basements, EDM. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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"Wanna Go" is the latest video from Chase Compton.  RIYL: Tyga, marijuana, Mac Miller.

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Junior Murvin has died.

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Dick Dodd of the Standells has died.

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Uh...

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Last week's Soul Train Awards may have been a crass vehicle to promote programs on BET and Centric, but the music was excellent.  I loved performances by Big Daddy Kane, Ron Isley, Bobby Caldwell, Slick Rick and Tamar Braxton.

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Phox may become huge.  The band recently appeared at Lawrence High School's Classroom Sessions.

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Doomtree is "Team the Best Team".

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Albums discovered via 2013 year-end album lists:
#1-Charlie Parr's Barnswallow, RIYL: Split Lip Rayfield, the real deal, Dave Van Ronk.
#2 Oblivians' Desperation, RIYL: The New York Dolls, body odor, Fidlar.
#3 Dawn of Midi's Dysnomia, RIYL: headaches, Philip Glass, metronomes.
#4 Karnivool's Asymmetry, RIYL: Tool's first album, Tool's second album, Tool's third album.
#5 Suun's Images du Futur, RIYL: Deerhoof, motion sickness, Spiritualized.
#6 Violent Soho's Hungry Ghost, RIYL: Wavves, nostalgia for 1993, Silverchair.
#7 Tim Easton's Not Cool, RIYL: Wayne Hancock, new sounds from artists you'd pigeonholed, Nick Lowe.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(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.)

Album Review: The Wood Brothers- The Muse

The year-end top-ten-album list I just submitted to the official gatekeepers is dominated by hip-hop and jazz entries.  I'm pleased with my choices, but obviously a brief list won't fully represent my listening habits.  For instance, I listen to a lot of folk and folk-rock ranging from favorite albums by the late Bill Morrissey to current folk scare acts like the Head and the Heart that are inflicted on me by members of my compound.  Because its relaxed tone is reminiscent of creaky old albums by The Band, I'm particularly partial to The Muse, the latest effort by The Wood Brothers.  I'm not about to forsake my beloved jazz, hip-hop and metal for The Muse, but it's pretty solid.  Here's the video for the album's title track.


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I reviewed Harry Connick's concert at the Midland theater on Sunday.

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Kansas City rapper Ace Duce has died.

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Dalima, a Kansas City rapper associated with Tech N9ne, was involved in a shooting in Salina several months ago.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Composer John Tavener has died.  I reviewed a performance of one of his works in 2011.

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The video for Josh Berwanger's "Time Traveler" is RIYL: Warriors (the movie), 1989, Cheap Trick. 

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Marcus Yates, the artist known as Obergeek just a few months ago, has released Dark Taupe Schemata . RIYL: XV, Tech N9ne, Kid Cudi.

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Danny Brown's cameo is my favorite part of the new interactive Bob Dylan video that's threatening to explode the internet today.

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Esperanza Spalding campaigns for the closure of Guantanamo in "We Are America".

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Death's edition of "What's In My Bag" is pretty great.

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El Pelon del Mikrophone's "No voy a llorar" is my idea of a good time.

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Here's a track from Neneh Cherry's forthcoming solo album, her first in 16 years.  RIYL: M.I.A., The Slits, Roni Size.

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I mentioned Marco Polo's PA2's The Director's Cut in the previous post.  I finally got around to listening to the supremely entertaining 80-minute project that serves as a tribute to old-school hip-hop.  RIYL: Pharoahe Monch, Large Professor, King Tee.

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Oh, Kanye West,, how I love you!

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By request- here's the soundtrack of my childhood: "Hee hee he haw haw haw".

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: M.I.A.- Matangi

I've been waiting for Matangi for most of my life.  The concept of "The Music of Tomorrow" has always fascinated me.  But now that it's finally arrived in the form of M.I.A.'s fourth album, I find myself a bit nonplussed.  Her vaguely militant "Life During Wartime"-style stance and synthesis of world pop is meant to be experienced communally.  Listening to Matangi on headphones is all wrong.  Songs like "Attention" need to be felt in a nightclub or concert hall.  Until I locate a willing DJ, I'll have NME's video feature on M.I.A. on repeat.


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In spite of the (deservedly) negative tone of my review, I actually enjoyed last night's concert featuring 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne, Juicy J, Tyga, Rocko and Kidd Kidd. 

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I reviewed Karrin Allyson's new Yuletide Hideaway album at Plastic Sax.

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Reach and Reggie B are featured on "Wrong Girl", a track on Marco Polo's star-laden PA2: The Director's Cut album.

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Here's a video for Approach's "Of a 1,000".  RIYL: 785, wordplay, grainy black-and-white film.

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Evalyn Awake's new single "Red" is RIYL: Chevelle, Trivium, Rev Theory.

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Danny Alexander's essay about attending a recent Del Lords concert is excellent.

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Hey, anyone remember Vinx?  The one-time area resident released Love Never Comes Too Late in April.  RIYL: Seal, Oleta Adams, John Legend.

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The video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dream Baby Dream" is nice.  RIYL: slow motion, Suicide, arena rock.

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The Gospel According to Sam, a compilation of homemade 1963 recordings of Mississippi bluesman Sam Langhorn, was released this week.  RIYL: John Hurt, tape hiss, Furry Lewis.

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John Legend's new album Love in the Future is excellent.  RIYL: Stevie Wonder, luxury brands, Donny Hathaway.

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Here's 17 minutes of Gary Burton and Julian Lage performing in the NPR offices. So good.

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Death Grips has released a free new album.  RIYL: end times, dub, Anonymous.

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Hearing the Biggie remix of Lorde's "Royals" sandwiched between Chris Brown and Drake on the radio makes me giddy.

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Phil, a loyal reader of There Stands the Glass, recommends the Blues Unlimited podcast.

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The video for Mick Turner's "The Bird Catcher" is messed up.  RIYL: the actress Karen Black (really!), the Dirty Three, nightmares.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Akkilles- Something You'd Say

Something You'd Say is one of the prettiest rock-based albums I've encountered in 2013.  If that sounds like a backhanded compliment coming from me, well, you're right.  I prefer my rock with a heaping helping of rage and blood.  Yet Akkilles has something special going on.  On a gorgeously-produced album of songs that otherwise average well under five minutes, the second track of Something You'd Say is a nine-minute jam that evokes the Grateful Dead-by-the-way-of My Morning Jacket.  The gambit by the Kansas City-based indie rock band may not work for everyone, but I love it.  The remainder of the tracks are hazy pop songs, part David Crosby and part Yo La Tengo.  Yet Akkilles manages to avoid the dreaded stomp-folk dreck that's infested less assured musicians.  Imbued with a sense of exhaustion, Something You'd Say has become my come-down album of choice.


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I reviewed Tech N9ne's return to the Midland last week.

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I reviewed the performance by John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett at the Uptown Theater on Sunday.

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Jordan MacDonald, an aspiring rapper from Prairie Village, was killed last week.  The Prairie Village Post provides audio clips in its report.

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Charlie Chesterman has died.  Back in my roots-rock days, I wore a Scruffy the Cat t-shirt until it was in tatters.

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Here's footage of Radkey performing on a Dutch radio station.

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Everyone who loves Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs should know that Light In the Attic recently reissued Bobby Whitlock's first two solo albums.  RIYL: Leon Russell, bellbottom jeans, Delaney & Bonnie.

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I have a great deal of affection for Earl, Syd and Nardwuar.

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I'm pleased but perplexed that Omar Souleyman is the "world music" star of the moment.  (The publicist for his label deserves a raise.)  The Syrian's new Wenu Wenu is RIYL: maps, Shanachie Records, passports.

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I made it through all three hours of last night's broadcast of the Country Music Awards (with a little help from my DVR).  Gloom, despair and agony…

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include Tamar Braxton, Bun B, Cut Copy, Eminem, Howie Gelb, the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack, Kronos Quartet, MIA, Kellie Pickler, Matt Pryor, Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs and Tinie Tempah.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Phil Neal & the Wornalls at the RecordBar

I should have been drinking Guinness and wearing an Eddie & the Hot Rods t-shirt rather than enjoying Boulevard Pale Ale while bundled in a sweater.  Attending Phil Neal & the Wornalls' recent matinee performance at the RecordBar was akin to stepping into a London pub in 1976.  The earnest band banged out pub rock with casual grace. 

Ever since I reviewed the delightful album Lonely Tonight in February, I'd been meaning to catch the band.  Better late than never. 

Neal comes by the no-frills sound honestly.  Check out his 1983 video for "2 Time Loser".  Thirty years later, Neal's pop aspirations have been replaced with gritty defiance.

Aside from the shaky vocals I referenced in my album review, the band- particularly lead guitarist Gary Paredes- played with admirable fortitude.  While callow audiences might be put off by the multi-generational composition of his band, Neal's perseverance inspires me.


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Josh Berwanger's Strange Stains is RIYL: Dwight Twilley, Lindsey Buckingham, the Shoes.  (Tip via Tim Finn.)

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A favorite parlor game in the There Stands the Glass compound is determining which version of a popular song is best.  The winner of the "Both Sides Now" entry is Dave Van Ronk. 

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Care to watch grainy footage of Don Ho and Tom Jones singing Willie Nelson's "Night Life"?  Of course you do.

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Disappointed!  Robert Glasper's Black Radio 2 is a self-indulgent mess.  Most of the raps are corny while the melismatic vocalists sound way too blessed out. 

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Boy George's album is remarkably solid.  Check out "King of Everything".  RIYL: Culture Club, Culture, Club Med. 

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I enjoyed Arcade Fire's new Reflektor album far more than the band's 2010 breakthrough album The Suburbs. RIYL: Let's Dance-era David Bowie, NPR, Chic.

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I really wanted to like Alan Jackson's Bluegrass Album album, but it just brought me down.  RIYL: The Grand Ole Opry, moonshine, poor execution. 

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Skeletonwitch's Serpents Unleashed is excellent.  RIYL: dirt, Torche, beer.

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I'm glad to have listened to Allen Tousssaint's Songbook once, but the live recording accentuates the brilliant man's weaknesses.  RIYL: Bobby Short, cabaret, Elvis Costello. 

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Malaco re-upped a fine promotional video for a 1999 Little Milton album. 

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include titles by Trace Adkins, Arcade Fire, Bad Religion (Christmas Songs!), Bardo Pond, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Forsyth, Robert Glasper, Roy Harper, Toby Keith, Los Lobos, Nick Lowe, Johnny Mathis, Minor Alps, Juana Molina, Warbringer and White Denim.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

My introduction to Lou Reed was sloppy.  I bought cutouts of albums including The Bells, Take No Prisoners and Metal Machine Music at a record store at the Metro North shopping mall when I was a kid.  My initial response was understandable- "This guy's a jerk!" 

Only when I absorbed the Velvet Underground's albums a few years later was I able to understand Reed's significance beyond those problematic albums.  

The release of Magic and Loss in 1992 completely altered my perception of Reed.  The meditation on death was released when the Grim Reaper was wreaking havoc all around me.  Reed's new song cycle helped me come to grips with my grief and with my own mortality.

I've never waited for my man or kissed a he, but Reed's despairing songs on Magic and Loss speak directly to me.  In spite of Magic and Loss, I never stopped thinking that Reed was a jerk.  And I loved him just the same.


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I reviewed Ricky Skaggs's collaboration with Bruce Hornsby at Yardley Hall on Friday.

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The Kansas City-area debut of Vusi Mahlasela at Yardley Hall on Sunday thrilled me.  The South African known as "The Voice" performed a solo set of freedom songs. 

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My real-life friend Pete Lubin hilariously reviews Humble Pie's Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore.  Loving Humble Pie as I do makes his knowing digs even funnier.

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My internet friend Pamela Espeland wrote a fascinating review of a Ginger Baker concert in Minneapolis.

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The three songs available for streaming from Tightrope, the new album by the 3 Cohens- Anat, Avishai and Yuval- are delightful.  RIYL: odd instrumentation, klezmer, West Coast cool.

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Courtney Barnett's music is pretty interesting.  RIYL: Michael Hurley, Roy Harper, Beck.

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Charles Bradley says the Eagles "saved my life" in his  "What's In My Bag? segment. 

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Samba Touré's Albala is exquisite. RIYL: Ali Farka Touré, earth, Jimi Hendrix.

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Black Friday vinyl of interest to There Stands the Glass: Blind Boys Of Alabama/Jason Isbell & John Paul White, Bob Dylan, the Flaming Lips, Nick Lowe, Nas and the Robert Glasper Experiment.

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Here's something you don't see everyday- a video of a "cover photo shoot" for a jazz album that features partial nudity.  The inspirational twist makes it worth your while.  The footage is related to Ted Nash's new big band album Chakra, which is RIYL: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Charles Mingus, Steve Lacy.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Reggie B- DNA

I've never been a big fan of the Innate Sounds vibe.  The flighty funk, scat-happy vocals and meandering jazz beats I associate with the label just aren't my bag.  Yet DNA, the new recording by sometime Innate Sounds artist Reggie B, instantly connected with me.  The 70-plus-minute recording is based on the foundations laid down by Prince, J Dilla and Roy Ayers.  The project also contains embellishments inspired by R. Kelly, Teddy Riley, Bob James and Bootsy Collins.  While derivative, the mix works.  DNA is one of my favorite albums of the year by a Kansas City-based artist.


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I reviewed concerts by Sara Bareilles, Bonnie Raitt and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra last week.

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Ronald Shannon Jackson has died.

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Jazz bassist Butch Warren has died.

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Noel Harrison has died.

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The doofus at Plastic Sax reviewed A Kansas City Trumpet Summit.

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KCUR aired a ten-minute feature on Mike Stover.

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Mac Lethal is in his wheelhouse in the In Other News segment for Pharrell Williams' channel.

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Shame is the latest release by Mike Borgia & the Problems.

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Tim Horner's The Head of the Circle is RIYL: Joe Locke, Ted Nash, mainstream jazz.

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The EPK for the Robert Glasper Experiment's Black Radio 2 is exceedingly annoying.

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Revocation made a video for "Fracked".  RIYL: environmental activism, death metal, headbanging.

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Danny Brown's Old has its moments.  RIYL: Richard Pryor, substance abuse, A$AP Rocky.

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I don't invest much time worrying about the ongoing debates related to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.  Here are my five personal favorites- not the best or the most important artists- among the current batch of nominees: LL Cool J, The Meters, N.W.A., the Replacements and the Zombies.

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Trivium's Vengeance Falls is RIYL: Metallica, energy drinks, Guitar Hero.

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I adore Deer Tick's new album Negativity.  RIYL: Rick Danko, the Gourds, John Prine's Pink Cadillac.

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Here's additional recent footage of Charlie Musselwhite performing at a tribute to Little Walter.

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Tommy McCook's classic Reggae In Jazz was just reissued.  RIYL: The Skatalites, life, Duke Reid.

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A forthcoming collection of Lone Justice recordings from 1984 features liner notes by Chris Morris.

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include AFI, Best Coast, Cage, Brandy Clark, Brett Dennen, Tom Harrell, DJ Khaled, Metal Church, Motorhead, Najee, Ednita Nazario, Polica, Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones, Omar Souleyman and Linda Thompson.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.  Also, "Am I Evil?" - you may or may not see me at the Diamond Head show tonight (October 22) at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Ron Gutierrez at KC Live!

Ron Gutierrez's reputation as the Latin Luther received an enormous boost at the KC Live! stage in the Power & Light district on Sunday.  A woman standing next to me lost her composure during Gutierrez's spot-on rendition of Luther Vandross' "A House Is Not a Home." 

"He's reincarnated!" she screamed.

Backed by a six-piece band, Gutierrez's versions of songs associated with Marvin Gaye, Al Green, the Spinners and the Commodores showcased his incredible voice.  By the time he closed his hour-long set with McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," many in the audience of over 1,500 had forgotten that they had been waiting to hear Bryson.  

I've had the good fortune to hear Gutierrez perform in a variety of contexts.  He appears at jazz clubs, has worked with ensembles led by the late Kerry Strayer including the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and has become a go-to artist for National Anthem duties at professional sporting events.  He never fails to awe his audience.  Gutierrez isn't merely soulful.  His lustrous voice is impossibly pure.

After Sunday's star-making performance opening for Bryson, the Latin Luther may also come to be known as the Maxwell of the Midwest and Kansas City's Nat King Cole.


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Philip Chevron of the Pogues has died.

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Doug Ramsey reports that Oscar Castro-Neves has died.

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I reviewed the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival. 

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"Thank God" is Krizz Kaliko's latest video.

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Cowboy Indian Bear's new video for "Let It Down" is lovely.

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Here's a video recap of Dancefestopia. 

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Approach made an 11-minute documentary about the making of his new album.

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Hidden Pictures has released a new 3-song EP.

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Marc Myers offers an inside peek at his interview with Ginger Baker.

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I recently discovered a remarkable "music video" Jimmy Martin made for "20/20 Vision."

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I suppose I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate Matana Roberts' Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile.  RIYL: John Zorn, advanced degrees, AACM.

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Ponder the Mystery, William Shatner's new prog-rock album, is a hoot.

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I cosign OFWGKTA's "Look".

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Gary Numan is an interesting cat.

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Riff Raff remains my favorite troll.

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A new box set containing material Woody Guthrie recorded for the Feds is titled American Radical Patriot.

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"Am I getting to deep here for you?"- Sonny Rollins.

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Leron Thomas' new album Whatever is good but not great.  RIYL: Christian Scott, Sean Jones, Harish Raghavan.

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A coffee table book about Houston's hip hop scene?  That's ridiculous.  But I want it.

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There Stands the Glass reader BGO encouraged me to share this NPR-sponsored performance by saxophonist Melissa Aldana.  The kid has great ideas.  RIYL: Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre. 

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Jill Scott is featured in a video from the Robert Glasper Experiment's forthcoming album.

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I'm entranced by The City Under the City, the new release by L'Orange & Stik Figa.  Also released today: Anberlin. Jon Batiste, Mary J. Blige, Brandy Clark, Cults, Death Angel, Devin the Dude, Dismemberment Plan, Tim Hecker, Will Hoge, Boldy James, Glenn Lewis, Lucius, Paul McCartney, Morcheeba, Willie Nelson, Gary Numan, Aaron Parks, Pelican, Quadriga Consort, Red Fang, Ralph Towner, Trivium and Young Dro.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: King Khan and the Shrines- Idle No More

I have a hunch that Idle No More, the new album by King Khan and the Shrines, will come to be considered a classic recording.  The busy horn section and frenzied attack find precisely the right level of obstreperousness for a garage rock/R&B revivalist project in 2013.  Yet an album like Idle No More needs to be field tested. I haven't  the time, stamina or the cab fare to determine its true worth.  Initial clinical trials, however, indicate that it's a masterpiece of psychotic reaction.


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The Midwest Music Foundation has released the free 21-track compilation Midwestern Audio Vol. 2 - Electric Hullabaloo. 

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The Revisionists- a band featuring Brad Cox, Betse Ellis, Jeff Harshbarger, Kasey Rausch and Mike Stover- is featured in a video produced by KCUR.

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Radkey performed on Later… with Jools Holland.

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Yawn Johnson's self-titled mix tape is available at Bandcamp.  RIYL: Danny Brown, 816, Death Grips.

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MilkDrop and D/Will made a video for "Ayo D!".

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Cheers! The Telegraph reports on the boozy state of the pop charts.

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My cousin is featured in a Tiny Desk Concert.

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Kneebody's new album The Line is RIYL: Snarky Puppy, the Project H, jazz nerds.  The band is cosigned by Luciana Souza, Meshell Ndegeocello and Brad Meldhau in its EPK.

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Tyler, the Creator- not Miley Cyrus- embodies the zeitgeist.  Experience the many moods of "Tamale".

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Here's the ECM player for Tim Berne and Snakeoil's Shadow Man. RIYL: Andrew Hill, Richard Davis, Eric Dolphy.

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After I absorb the new Pusha T album, I hope to break the seal on many other albums released today.  The There Stands the Glass list includes Pepe Aguilar, Alter Bridge, Danny Brown, V.V. Brown, Cage the Elephant, CBGB: Original Motion PIcture Soundtrack, Miley Cyrus, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Darkside, Deap Vally, Patty Griffin, Albert Hammond, Jr., Lyfe Jennings, Jesu, Tim Kasher, Korn, Amos Lee, Scott Miller, Harold Lopez Nussa, Of Montreal, Anders Osborne, Gretchen Parlato, Parquet Courts, Maurizio Pollini, Lee Renaldo & the Dust, RJD2, Kenny Rogers, William Shatner, Sleigh Bells, Stone Temple Pilots and Yuja Wang.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

They Wasn't Satisfied Unless I Picked the Cotton Myself

The ire directed at Kanye West following his loopy BBC interview annoys me.  West's eccentricities fuel his musical brilliance.  I've grown even more enamored of Yeezus since I raved about the album in June.  Besides, West's outlandish persona is nothing new.  I recently watched Soul Power, the fascinating documentary about the concert in Zaire that coincided with the so-called Rumble in the Jungle.  The film includes many provocative statements by Don King, Muhammad Ali and James Brown.  West is clearly in the same linage of great Americans.  "New Slaves" indeed.

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My favorite bands at Buzz Beach Ball were Kitten, Daughter and Hanni El Khatib.  Here's my review.

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The money line from Forbes' profile of the Strange Music empire- "merchandise, which totals roughly $6.1 million annually; music, which brings in about $6.5 million; and touring, which adds closer to $7 million."  (Link via Tony's Kansas City.)

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A promotional video for the lowercase kansas hip hop showcase is interesting.

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Here's the video for Ces Cru's "Seven Chakras"

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"Romance Dawn" is Radkey's latest video.

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Henry Gray and Barbara Carr are the artists I'd most like to see at the 16th Blues Masters at the Crossroads concerts in Salina.  (Link via BGO.)

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One-woman band Coldbeat one-ups bands like Best Coast in the dream/garage/pop sweepstakes.  I'm smitten by "Worms".

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Vijay Iyer was awarded a MacArthur genius grant.

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Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi's Tiny Desk Concert is extraordinary. RIYL: Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, grace, John Lee Hooker.

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I'm infatuated with Las Kellies. The Argentine trio may be a glorious mess live, but the new album Total Exposure recalls Fine Young Cannibals, the Human League and Culture Club.

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Moby openly confesses his love of Yes in his "What's In My Bag?" segment.  I appreciate his candor.

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This week's new releases of particular interest to There Stands the Glass include John Abercrombie, Blind Boys of Alabama, Blitzen Trapper, Anna Calvi, Deltron 3030, Jeremy Denk, Dr. Dog, Elf Power, Johnny Flynn, Haim, Hank 3, K-Ci & Jojo, Lorde, Moby, Nelly, Quasi, Charlie Robison, Justin Timberlake and Randy Travis.

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Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.  And here's a promising late booking- Krystle Warren will perform Sunday at the KC Live stage in the Power & Light district.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Dave Holland- Prism

Dave Holland was on bass as Miles Davis unleashed the unholy sound that came to be known as jazz fusion.  I've repeatedly acknowledged my uneasy relationship with the genre at this site.  Much of it- including some of the stuff I like- is the worst sort of wankery.  Holland rectifies most of those excesses with the startling new album Prism.  The lineup- guitarist Kevin Eubanks, pianist Craig Taborn, Holland and drummer Eric Harland- isn't afraid to get dirty.  The only embarrassing element of Prism is the cheesy album art.


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Jackie Lomax has died.

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Jimmy Ponder has died.

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Until Friday, I'd never thought much of Mumford & Sons.  The folk band forced me to reevaluate their worth with an excellent performance in Bonner Springs.  Here's my review of the band's final show for the foreseeable future.

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I reviewed Miguel Zenon's transcendent appearance at the Blue Room last night.  Here's footage of the show.

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I reviewed Chuck Haddix's Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker at Plastic Sax.

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Enter the Riddim is the latest album by the Blue Riddim Band.  RIYL: Kansas City music history, Joe Higgs, Trojan Records.

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Radkey's forthcoming four-song EP Devil Fruit is RIYL the Misfits, the Ramones, Danzig.  And yeah, it's worthy of those comparisons.

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The administrator of the Middle of the Map Fest's Facebook account recently queried fans about which acts they'd like to see at the 2014 festival.  The organizers' tastes aren't exactly simpatico with my preferences, but here are three artists that meet the aesthetics of both MotM and TSTG that might fall within the festival's budget: Flying Lotus, Gary Numan and Nicolas Jaar.

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It's nice to see Ron Gutierrez getting a lot of high-profile work.  I'm a fan.

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"I need a miracle."  Even though it's undoubtedly worth every penny, I just can't pull the trigger on $100 tickets for the Lyric Opera's "The Capulets & the Montagues" starring Joyce DiDonato. 

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Oh, for Pete's sake.  Eugene Chadbourne has recorded an album of Merle Haggard covers.  It's titled- steel yourself- Merles Just Want To Have Fun.  Here's "I Take a Lot of Pride In Who I Am".  RIYL: making enemies, being alone, straightjackets.

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Jazz-oriented guitarist Todd Clouser made a rock album.  Man with No Country is RIYL: Marc Ribot, Lou Reed, Charlie Hunter.

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"Aheym", the title track of Kronos Quartet's forthcoming album, is a powerful piece of music.  RIYL: Bryce Dessner, high drama, string quartets.

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Travel Guide, the new Ralph Towner album, promises to be lovely.  RIYL: acoustic Pat Metheny, guitar shops, Paco de Lucía.

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I opted for an R&B concert over Rancid's appearance in Lawrence last Saturday.  Thankfully, a fan shot some video.

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No disrespect for the senseless death of Ella, but Cemetery Deer would be an excellent band name.

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After I give the latest release by Rhymes-with-Lake (the rapper's attorneys have forced Google to send me cease-and-desist notifications for simply mentioning his name at this site) a fair shot, I intend to get around to today's new releases by Alan Jackson, Pete Anderson, Black Label Society, Deer Tick, Gov't Mule, Ha Ha Tonka, Elton John, Tim Kasher, Jimmy LaFave, Mazzy Star, Bill O'Connell & the Latin Jazz All-Stars, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band, the Raybeats, Danya Stephens, Touche Amore, Rokia Traore, Allen Toussaint and John Zorn & Thurston Moore.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass  Hey, Mr. Holland- you can use the embedded photo for your next album cover.)

Concert Review: The Mavericks at Knuckleheads

I anticipated that I'd be a part of a coterie of a few hundred nostalgic fans of The Mavericks as I drove to Knuckleheads last Thursday.

After all, the concert was competing against two free high-profile country shows.  Charlie Daniels was playing the kickoff concert of the Flatlands Music Festival.  Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders were on the KC Live! stage at the Power & Light District.  Who'd be willing pay an exorbitant amount of money ($40 in advance and $45 day of show) to see a band that peaked almost twenty years ago when free entertainment was on tap?

It turns out that Kansas City is home to over 1,000 moneyed alternative country fans who probably wouldn't be caught dead at a Charlie Daniels show and wouldn't feel comfortable patronizing the Power & Light District.

And man, these people loved the Mavericks.   Trampoline may be one of my favorite albums of all time, but I couldn't begin to join the majority of the audience in singing along to most every song Thursday.  This rough fan footage captures the atmosphere.

I'd attended a couple of front man Raul Malo's solo performances in recent years, but I hadn't seen the Mavericks since a 1990s gig at Guitars & Cadillacs.   The recently reunited band was supplemented by a horn section, an accordionist and two or three additional multi-instrumentalists.  The large band played over two hours.

Yeah, I got my money's worth.  Here's Tim Finn's proper review.


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Miranda Lambert won me over at the Flatlands Country Music Festival.  Here's my review.

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Ray Dolby has died.

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Patrick Neas interviewed Joyce DiDonato in advance of her performance in "The Capulets and the Montagues" at the Lyric Opera.

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Here are videos for Tech N9ne's "Dwamn" and Krizz Kaliko's "Night Time".

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Jim James participated in Lawrence High School's Classroom Sessions program.

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Roscoe Mitchell's Not Yet is RIYL: Anthony Davis, John Cage, Anthony Braxton.

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Essential Tremors,  the new album by J Roddy Walston & the Business, is RIYL: Jack White, Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin.

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I dig British hip-hop.  The Menagerie's "Are You Serious?" is RIYL: The Streets, Dizzee Rascal, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

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A recent 70-minute performance by the Dave King Trio is streaming at YouTube.

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Roy Smeck shreds.  (Via There Stands the Glass reader Phil.)

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include Avicii, Bill Callahan, Carcass, Todd Clouser, Elvis Costello & the Roots, Crystal Stilts, Kenny Garrett, Garland Jeffreys (!), Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Mark Lanegan, the Del McCoury Band, MGMT, MMG, Nightmares On Wax, Gregory Porter, Sidi Touré, Why?, Windhand and the 1975.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Janelle Monáe- The Electric Lady

I'm among the dozens of people in my circle of acquaintances who are actively cheering for Janelle Monáe.  Professional music critics, hometown boosters and multi-generational members of the There Stands the Glass compound are among the people hoping that the Wyandotte County native becomes the Prince of the new millennium.   

Her potential is tantalizing.  Monáe was riveting both times I've seen her perform.  But her recordings haven't matched her ambition.  To be blunt, Metropolis: Suite One (The Chase) and The ArchAndroid are kind of whack.  I had hoped that with The Electric Lady, released today, Monáe would finally realize her obvious greatness.  Alas, it's not the one. 

The project seems like three different albums.  There's solid funk and R&B, trifling pop and a few eccentric oddities that advance the album's science fiction theme.

The good stuff is really good.  Prince passes the torch to Monáe on the solid "Give 'em What They Love."  And to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite music critics, the single "Q.U.E.E.N." bumps in my whip.  Monáe resembles a true funkateer on title track. The ballad "Primetime" is what I've always wanted to hear from Alicia Keys.

Several songs exude a heavy 1970s vibe.  Monáe goes hard on the old-school R&B of "Ghetto Woman."  The excellent "Victory" sounds so much like Teena Marie that I have to assume it's a deliberate tribute to the late star.  "Can't Live Without Your Love" is a delectable love song.  "Sally Ride" is the only one of three or four James Bond-inspired songs that click with me.

Then there's the failed pop experiments.  The post-Chic disco of "We Were Rock & Roll" could be a Bruno Mars outtake.  Transforming Juicy J's "Bandz a Make Her Dance" into a song of empowerment is a cool idea, but the oppressively cheery jangle of "Dance Apocalyptic" is annoying.  It's one of several tracks that seem tailored to the Fueled By Ramen audience.   The album closer "What An Experience" reminds me of a Sean Kingston ditty.

While it has plenty of convincing moments, The Electric Lady simply isn't the new Dirty Mind, Controversy or 1999.  I reserve the right to revise my opinion after I witness people reacting to the album in a public setting and after I catch Monáe's concert at the Uptown Theater in November.  Until then, I'll be the guy with "Q.U.E.E.N." on repeat.


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I reviewed Johnny Mathis' appearance at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre on Friday and Iron Maiden's show at the Sprint Center on Saturday.

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Lisa Henry's performance Thursday at Kansas City Kansas Community College impressed me.

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John "Juke" Logan has died.

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The Grisly Hand made a music video for "That's Not Affection".

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Approach's Vanilla Brass was posted to Bandcamp on September 5.  RIYL: Mac Lethal, Doomtree, AWOL One.

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Lennon Bone's new EP is titled Call It a Custom.  RIYL: Ha Ha Tonka, the Whigs, Blitzen Trapper.

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Breakfast With Doctor Gonzo, the latest release by Steddy P and DJ Mahf, was released on Tuesday.

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Here's a vlog by the Mills Record Co.

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You can't un-hear Lizzo's "Batches & Cookies".  RIYL: Lazerbeak, Lil Mama, Sister Carol. 

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Gummy Soul remixed Souls of Mischief's album 93 'til Infinity.

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Paul McCartney's "New" put a spell on me.

---
ECM provides a sample of Trios, the new album from Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow.

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It took me two days to fight my way through Hesitation Marks, the new album from Nine Inch Nails.  I thought it'd never end.  The horns are cool, though.

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Sketches of Ethiopia isn't my favorite Mulatu Astatke album.  Even so, it's wonderful. RIYL: Duke Ellington, life, James Brown.

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"Hi! My name is…"

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The video for Oddarrang's "Self Portrait" makes me wonder if Explosions In the Sky-style impressionism represents the commercial salvation of jazz.

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Roberto Fonseca's Yo was released in Europe last year but wasn't issued here until August 28.  RIYL: Irakere, Gonalo Rubalcaba, Edmar Castaneda.

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Bombino's Tiny Desk Concert doesn't really work for me.

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I'm living for Fito Olivares' return to Kansas City on Sunday, September 15.

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After giving Janelle Monáe a few more tries, I'll listen to the latest releases by Ralph Alessi, Arctic Monkeys, Carla Bley, Body/Head, Ry Cooder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Samantha Fish, Steep Canyon Rangers, Bryn Terfel, Trombone Shorty, 2 Chainz, J Roddy Walston & the Business, Jimmy Webb, The Weeknd and- heaven help me- the Prog Collective.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)