Sounding Off

Friends and associates are chagrined by my indifference to sonic fidelity.  I defend my lackluster stereo equipment by noting that a disproportionate percentage of my favorite recordings consist of hiss-imbued R&B, wobbly dub, murky jazz, scratchy honky tonk, ruffian rockabilly, disheveled punk and extemporaneous Soundcloud rap.  I don’t need a fancy system to properly appreciate that stuff.

Two new releases challenge my skinflint inclinations.

My modest speakers don’t protest when I inflict Pusha T on my neighbors, but they can’t handle Mirage? Concertos for Percussion, the dynamic collaboration of percussionist Evelyn Glennie, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and conductor Anne Manson.  Glennie’s marimba and vibraphone barrage compel the speakers to beg for mercy.

I’ve repeatedly returned to Dirty Projectors’ Lamp Lit Prose simply because it’s a mind-blowing headphone album.  I’m less interested in David Longstreth’s pastoral version of Art of Noise-style prog-pop than in his hallucinatory studio trickery. 

Perhaps it’s time to upgrade.


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Drake and Migos raised the bar at the Sprint Center last Sunday.  I reviewed the concert for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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I reviewed Keith Urban’s bonkers appearance at the Sprint Center on Friday for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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Aretha Franklin received no respect from Sam Smith at the Sprint Center on Saturday.  I reviewed the concert for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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I previewed this month’s Charlie Parker Celebration at Plastic Sax.

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I reviewed Nate Nall's debut album Places to Go at Plastic Sax.

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Jazz vocalist Morgana King has died.

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Jill Janus of Huntress has died.

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I own physical copies of a few of Terence Blanchard’s film scores.  I’ve listened to each of them once.  While I enjoy his score for Blackkklansman, I doubt I’ll return to it.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ashley Monroe- Sparrow

I usually recoil when I encounter strings in country music.  Orchestral flourishes have spoiled otherwise perfect songs by the likes of George Jones.  Yet I thrill each time strings are introduced on Sparrow, the outstanding new album by Ashley Monroe.  Her songs about sex (“Hands on You”), death (“Sparrow”), heartache (“Paying Attention”) and family ties (“Mother’s Daughter”) lend themselves to the lush backdrops.


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I write weekly music previews for The Kansas City Star.

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The initial concept for this fine KCUR profile of Fatih Seferagic originated with me.

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Glenn Branca has died.

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Tony Kinman of the Dils and Rank & File has died.

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Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit has died.

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Drummer Jab’o Starks has died.

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I was floored when I first heard Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.  I fully embraced the unexpectedly mature sound.  Focusing on the often hilarious lyrics my second time through deepened my admiration of the album.  Yet the melodramatically woebegone vocals of Alex Turner irritated me on the third listen.  My fourth run-through with the windows rolled down in rush hour traffic soured me on Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.  The album wilts in my whip.  I’ll reserve future spins of tracks including “Four Out of Five” for my next late-night pity party.

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My lizard brain appreciates Five Finger Death Punch’s And Justice For None.  Wanna make something of it?  Here’s “Sham Pain”.

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While I’m indifferent to the headliner, I’m awestruck by the lineup of the 2018 edition of the Soundset festival.

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The strength of Cruzando Borders validates my enthusiasm for Los Texmaniacs’ performance at the Kansas City Folk Festival in February.

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I repeatedly make the mistake of underestimating Terence Blanchard.  I almost didn’t bother listening to the ferocious Live, a protest album with a funk-oriented electric band.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)