Concert Review: Drive-By Truckers at the Truman

Drive-By Truckers gave a 1,000 rubberneckers an unflinching tour of "Buttholeville" on Friday.  Hearing the Southern rock band tear into the song about a desperate man cleared the cobwebs in my head, snapped me out of a post-vacation malaise and restored my faith in rock and roll.

While I wasn’t quite as forlorn as the resident of “Buttholeville” who is “tired of my job and my wife Lucille, tired of my kids Ronnie and Neil” and fantasizes about the “day I'm gonna get out of Buttholeville, gonna reach right in, gonna grab the till, buy a brand new hat and a Coupe de Ville” when I bought a $28 ticket at the Truman, I was in a pitiful state.  Unshowered, unshaven and feeling like the meanest man in Kansas City, I was questioning my decision to hear similarly grizzled middle-aged men play outmoded music.

Yet when Patterson Hood hugged his bandmates at the conclusion of the wooly rendition of “Buttholeville,” I was inclined to jump the barrier to embrace the Alabama man for not only redeeming my night, but for redirecting me to the path of righteousness.


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The Ben Miller Band’s Choke Cherry Tree is a roots-rock tour de force.  RIYL: Drive-By Truckers, the Ozarks, ZZ Top.  "Akira Kurosawa" is my jam.

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Chris Dave and the Drumhedz is the initial viable contender for my favorite album of 2018.  RIYL: Erykah Badu, sidemen made good, Anderson Paak.

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I’ll never be too cool to admire the moldy fig swing of saxophonist Scott Hamilton.  The lovely trio recording Live at Pyatt Hall is RIYL Ben Webster, feeling unfashionable, Johnny Hodges.

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An outing by the Marmozets was my #14 show of 2014.  The new album Knowing What You Know Now nearly replicates the band’s ferocity.  Here’s "Major System Error".  RIYL: Bring Me the Horizon, convulsions, early Paramore.

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Chinese Butterfly, the absurdly convivial 95-minute recording by the Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band, is fusion-licious.  Lionel Loueke’s fresh contributions make the throwback sound work.  RIYL: Return To Forever, excess, Billy Cobham.  Here's "Like I Was Sayin'".

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Drive-By Truckers- English Oceans

The heart regularly betrays the mind.

My intellect informs me that the precious time I spend repeatedly playing the tenth studio album by Drive-By Truckers would be better applied to a rigorous study of the latest effort by Vijay Iyer, investigating another reissue of African psychedelia or attending more performances by groundbreaking bands like Marijuana Deathsquads.  Alternative country, after all, is totally played out.

Not so fast. 

Many of English Oceans' smart, funny and sad songs speak directly to my experiences.  So what if ""Til He's Dead Or Rises" is a slavish imitation of Sticky Fingers-era Stones?  The album opener "Sh*t Shots Count" is the sort of Replacements-esque rocker that I thought I got out of my system in the 1990s.  Yet it moves me.  And "Primer Coat" is easily my favorite song of 2014.

English Oceans may not be a great album.  Hell, it may not even be a good album.  But I love it all the same.


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XV released two March Madness mix tapes.  RIYL: Wichita, Kid Cudi, wondering why XV isn't a star yet.

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Outsides covered Of Montreal to help promote the forthcoming Middle of the Map festival.

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Here's recent footage of a Turkish-inspired ensemble led by Beau Bledsoe.

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Indyground created a video for Farout's "Billy Hoyle."

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The War On Drugs' Lost In the Dream is the best album Dire Straits never made.  RIYL: Twin Shadow, long jams, Nils Lofgren.

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During one of the first warm days of the year, I spaced out while staring at drifting clouds for 30 minutes.  Beck's Morning Phase gives me the same sort of passive floating sensation.  RIYL: David Crosby, clouds, Autumn Defense.

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I'm down with the Pretty Reckless' Going To Hell.  RIYL: The Runaways, partying, Alice In Chains.

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An unassuming performance by Lowell Levinger, a founding member of the Youngbloods, delighted me at last month's Folk Alliance Conference.  His new album Down to the Roots features guest appearances by Ry Cooder and David Grisman.  RIYL: John Sebastian, authentic hippies, Mississippi John Hurt.

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Saxophonist Javon Jackson has the good sense to cover Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway on his new live album Expressions.  RIYL: Orrin Evans, jazz for the people, Stanley Turrentine.

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The Strypes' Snapshot is cute.  RIYL: Rockpile, good times and great oldies , the first Rolling Stones album.

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Imed Alibi is a Tunisian percussionist.  His new album Safar is RIYL: the future, Anouar Brahem, film scores.

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I already own original vinyl copies of a few of the Record Store Day 2014 special releases.  Make me an offer.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Listen, Do You Want To Know a Secret?

Do you want to know a secret?  Do you promise not to tell?  Let me whisper in your ear. 

I've been holding out on readers of There Stands the Glass for years.  I'll finally divulge one of the choicest music-related secrets in Kansas City.

The event calendar of UMKC's Conservatory of Music and Dance is a hidden treasure trove for music lovers.  Dozens of recitals take place all over town near the end of each semester.

On Wednesday the calendar led me to Immanuel Lutheran Church to witness Michael Shults' doctoral recital.  The performance indicated that Branford Marsalis isn't the only jazz saxophonist capable of applying jaw-dropping technique to classical selections.  I'm still recovering from Shults' authoritative rendition of Luciano Berio's pernicious "Sequenza".  Shao Zhang's appearance at White Recital Hall this evening is also tempting.

Several factors contribute to the rewarding nature of these concerts.  They're usually free and almost always take place in pristine listening environments.  The modest audiences consisting largely of classmates, family, friends and faculty allow plenty of room for curious interlopers like me.  The Conservatory's faculty includes geniuses like Zhou Long and Bobby Watson.  The students' recitals, not surprisingly, are invariably excellent.  

Mum's the word.


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Zoo of B. Hood has died.

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I'm the subject of an interview with Chris DeLine of Mills Record Company.  Meanwhile, David Hudnall spoke to DeLine.

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Tech N9ne is featured on Harry Fraud's "Rising".

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Erik Voeks' new four-song EP is titled Finulu.  RIYL: the dB's, Eric Matthews, Shoes.

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77 Jefferson created a handy preview video for its new Rarities, Vol. 2 album.  RIYL: the Blue Riddim Band, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru.

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The Association for Recorded Sound Collections is holding its annual conference in Kansas City on May 15-18.
(Tip via TSTG reader Gary.)

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Presented without commentary: "Meek Mill concert presented by the Jamaal Charles Foundation".

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José James shows how it's done on an absurdly sexy rendition of Al Green's "Simply Beautiful".

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The video for the Burnt Ones' "Web"  was "shot on glorious VHS."  RIYL: Ty Segall, Nuggets, tape hiss.

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Pat Martino is still tearing it up.

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I wish that I didn't have an intimate understanding of Drive-By Truckers' "Heathens".

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Kanye West's production on Pusha T's "Numbers On the Boards" is amazing.

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"Had a dream last night about you, my friend."

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)