My two favorite albums of 2016 are by Chicago rappers. Here’s the kicker: Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book are gospel albums. West insists that “this is a God dream.” Chance avers that “I speak to God in public.” Their testimonials aren’t negated by the inclusion of raps about inebriation, pride, lust and avarice. The name of this site indicates that I’m sympathetic to their imperfections. As a person of faith, I neither seek nor require categorical spiritual validation from artists. Nevertheless, the praise songs on The Life of Pablo and Coloring Book inspire me.
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I reviewed a Florence + The Machine concert.
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KCUR published my review of Go, the new album by the underappreciated Kansas City musician Krizz Kaliko.
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I reviewed Andrew W.K.’s concert on Saturday.
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I logged eight hours at the Westport Roots Festival. Here are my notes for The Kansas City Star. I also wrote a preview of the annual event.
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I write weekly music previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.
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I admire Logan Richardson’s momentous homecoming concert at Plastic Sax.
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The Kansas City rapper Gee Watts created a video for ”Hallelujah”.
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The eponymous album by the young Tuareg band Imarhan is exciting. Here’s a video for the title track.
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I’ve long appreciated David Bazan. Blanco is RIYL: despair, the Magnetic Fields, lo-fi synths.
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Black Mountain might be trolling on IV. RIYL: Dio, ‘80s nostalgia, the Tubes. Here’s ”Mothers of the Sun”.
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I don’t enjoy playing the role of a fussbudget, but Robert Glasper's revision of Miles Davis’ music on Everything’s Beautiful is a bummer. RIYL: Erykah Badu, jokers who like to shout “remix!”, Marcus Miller.
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A Love Electric’s exciting Psychmonde is RIYL Chris Whitley, drugs, Ziggy Stardust.
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I’ll cop to liking Otep’s dystopian pop-metal. Generation Doom is RIYL: Nine Inch Nails, Hot Topic apparel, Korn. Here’s ”Down”.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
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