Amy Winehouse, 1983-2011

Just like most everyone I know, I enjoy Amy Winehouse's two albums. Rather than turning to Frank and Back to Black when word of her death arrived yesterday, I lamented what might have been. Had she survived, it's very likely that Winehouse would have eventually focused on jazz. It's not much of a stretch. She'd already recorded "'Round Midnight" and "Moody's Mood For Love." She could have become her generation's Anita O'Day. Who knows how many people Winehouse would have turned on to Karrin Allyson, Mildred Bailey, Gretchen Parlato, Nancy Wilson and, of course, Billie Holiday? Losing Winehouse in 2011 is awful. Speculating on a jazz-oriented career that might have peaked in 2031 only deepens the pain.


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Yours truly can be seen handing Mega Ran a Nas CD as he freestyles at an in-store performance at Access Music in San Diego last week.

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The nomination for the Mercury Prize brought Ghostpoet to my attention. I'm embarrassed that I hadn't given him a listen until now. RIYL: Both Gil Scott-Heron and The Streets.

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Spotify make be clunky, but don't let its many detractors fool you- the streaming music service is a game-changer.

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Kansas City Click: Matt Otto plays The Record Bar on Sunday.

Dennis Winslett leads a jam session at The Blue Room on Monday.

Sade and John Legend will perform Tuesday at The Sprint Center.

Horse Opera hits The Record Bar on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Lil Wayne- Sorry 4 the Wait

Audio stream of title track at YouTube

One of the revelations provided by hanging out at Turntable.fm is the depth of many people's loathing of Lil Wayne. It's not uncommon to find hip hop forums with guidelines like "Anything But That Blanking Lil Wayne." Haters gonna hate. Although I've been quick to mock Weezy's missteps, my criticism is based on disappointment rather than spite. I believe that if Wayne didn't constantly drop the "b," "f", "h," "n" and "p" words, his genius would be almost universally acknowledged. Sorry 4 the Wait, the free new mixtape that dropped last week as a stopgap until the oft-delayed Tha Carter IV is finally released is wildly inconsistent. Even so, Sorry 4 the Wait serves as yet another reminder that Wayne is head and shoulders above almost all of his peers.

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Kansas City Click: What?

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Keb' Mo' at Frontier Park

I don't mind sweating. As long as I have access to water, I actually enjoy the sensation of completely saturating my clothing. It's not much of an achievement this time of year in the Kansas City area. With the heat index over 100 last Friday evening, I headed directly to Olathe to catch Keb' Mo''s free concert at Frontier Park after mowing my lawn. Even in my dank condition, I dug the first song, a duet with opening act Kelley Hunt. I soon remembered, however, that Keb' Mo' appeals directly to James Taylor's fan base. The soft approach worked for most of the approximately 1,500 people who braved the heat, but I conceded after thirty minutes. July wins. I lose.

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I reviewed Dysfunctional, Ahmad Alaadeen's new oral autobiography, at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: You're on your own. I'm going to get back to enjoying the cool breeze right here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Grieves with Budo- Together/Apart

Grieves with Budo- "Bloody Poetry" video stream at YouTube

One of the toughest decisions the Warped Tour schedule forced me to make last week was whether to catch Lucero or Grieves with Budo. I went with the roots rockers. I don't regret it, but passing on the opportunity to see Grieves and multi-instrumentalist Budo in their first Kansas City-area show since they parted ways with the locally-based Black Clover label hurt. Others can make fun of so-called emo-rap all they like. I've loved Grieves songs like "I Ate Your Soul" for years. The new album Together/Apart on the Rhymesayers label contains several new favorites. Grieve's dark rhymes are good but what really makes Together/Apart work are the jazz, pop and avant-garde leanings of beat-maker Budo. I also appreciate the superior packaging.


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Am I influential or merely prescient? Laurie Anderson and Phillip Glass have been booked at the Kauffman Center. I mentioned them as ideal candidates for the new performance space in an ill-tempered rant eight months ago.

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The photos accompanying my review of Gomez's concert are excellent.

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I like Ted Nugent.

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Does my interest in the new Winnie the Pooh soundtrack make me a creep?

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I wish I connected with the music of Terri Lyne Carrington's new project.

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Kansas City Click: The Randy Rogers Band appears at the Power & Light free concert series on Thursday.

Keb Mo and Kelley Hunt play a free show in Olathe on Friday.

Rob Zombie headlines a "low-dough-show" Saturday at Sandstone.

Innerpartysystem appear at The Midland on Sunday.

The Fleet Foxes play The Uptown Theater on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

My Turntable.fm Problem

My name is Solar Compactor and I have a Turntable.fm problem.

The new social media/streaming music service is so compelling that I'm often tempted to neglect my real life obligations so that I may goof off in its digital playground. Even as I write these words, I'm actually weighing the option of staying glued to Turntable.fm instead of attending tonight's Gomez/Mike Doughty concert.

The sonic voyeurism also confirms traditional stereotypes. Jazz cats are bitter snobs. Hip hop heads are obsessed with one-upping one another on knowledge of their music's history. Indie rock fans are lemmings. Metal dudes are elitists. Even so, the opportunity to listen to and chat about Mulatu Astatke in real time seems like a dream come true.

It'd be even better with you there. I still haven't found a single forum where I can comfortably share my affection for N.R.B.Q., Ted Hawkins, Tech N9ne, Slayer, Coleman Hawkins and Asha Bhosle. Help me out.

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I have another Warped Tour under my belt. Here's my review of Wednesday's tour stop.

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Kansas City Click: If I'm not geeking out on Turntable.fm on Friday night, I'll be singing along to Gomez at Crossroads KC.

John Anderson will be getting wild and blue at Knuckleheads on Saturday.

Ben Folds returns to Crossroads KC on Sunday. I regret that I never saw him do this.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Point Juncture, WA- Handsome Orders

Point Juncture, WA- "Violin Case" video stream

My tastes have changed considerably in the intervening years, but there was a time when each new release by record labels like Homestead, SST and Twin/Tone changed my life. Handsome Orders, the fine new album by Point Juncture, WA is a glorious throwback to those simpler times. It's jangly and arty- and it rocks. Reference points include Paul McCartney and Mitch Easter. "Baptist Jesus" even manages to sound like a mashup of Yes and R.E.M. And I'm down with any band that's willing to title a song "The Economics of Basketball."

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I reviewed Friday's "concert" by Ray J.

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I reviewed a recent performance by The Civil Wars.

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Last week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Gillian Welch, Beyonce, Amina Alaoui, Rave On Buddy Holly, Taking Back Sunday, Ben Williams, Jolie Holland, Thievery Corporation, Eilen Jewell, Richard Thompson- Live at the BBC, Dolly Parton, Queensryche, Big Sean and Curren$y.

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Credentials Hip Hop offers a list of the Top 10 Kansas City Hip Hop Albums of 2011 So Far.

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Wugazi!

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The Jayhawks have reunited.

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"Are you wearing underwear?" Here's an odd interview with Wayne Coyne at Love Garden.

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Why am I attracted to videos featuring vomiting? Appetite's "Tussy" is a nausea-inducing joyride.

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Kansas City Click: Marnie Stern plays the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Here's a list of the ten acts I'm most looking forward to catching at Warped Tour on Wednesday: Grieves with Budo, Lucero, MC Lars, Bad Rabbits, Foxy Shazam, Moving Mountains, Hellogoodbye, Lionize, August Burns Red and The Bots.

Pat Travers appears at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Call That Brainstorming: Music Midway in 2011

Is 2011 a good year in music? Beats me. For every great thing (the rollout of Turntable.fm and the rise of OFWGKTA) there are offsetting disappointing developments (Beyonce's disastrous new music and the premature deaths of Billy Bang, Nate Dogg and Gil Scott-Heron.) Well, I'm still here obsessing about music. Here are three lists containing sixty things I love.

25 Best Albums of 2011 (so far)
1. Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuaria- Lagrimas Mexicanas
2. Tech N9ne- All 6's and 7's
3. Reverend John Wilkins- You Can't Hurry God
4. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Bird Songs EPK
5. F*cked Up- David Comes To Life
6. David Binney- Graylen Epicenter
7. Mac Lethal- North Korean BBQ
8. The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts
9. The Get-Up Kids- There Are Rules
10. James Farm- James Farm
11. Paul Simon- So Beautiful Or So What
12. Captain Black Big Band- Captain Black Big Band
13. Hospital Ships- Lonely Twin
14. Bon Iver- Bon Iver
15. Nicholas Payton- B*tches
16. Atmosphere- Family Sign
17. Israel Nash Gripka- Barn Doors and Concrete Floors
18. DJ 2-Tone Jones- Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber
19. Pat Metheny- What's It All About
20. Terell Stafford- This Side of Strayhorn
21. Ambrose Akinmusire- When the Heart Emerges Glistening
22. Steddy P- What Happened Tomorrow
23. Mr. Marcos' V7- Sparkin' Your Mama
24. The Streets- Computers and Blues interactive film
25. Tyler the Creator- Goblin

25 Best Live Performances of 2011 (so far)
1. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Folly Theater
2. Deftones- VooDoo Lounge
3. Daniel Johnston with Capybara- Beaumont Club
4. Janelle Monae- Independence Events Center
5. Del McCoury with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band- Lied Center
6. Stone Sour- Rockfest
7. Kool Keith- Czar Bar
8. Bach Aria Soloists (tango concert)- All Souls Unitarian Church
9. Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience- VooDoo
10. Jonathan Butler- Gem Theater
11. Karrin Allyson- Folly Theater
12. Motley Crue- Sprint Center
13. Ingrid Fliter and the Kansas City Symphony- Lyric Theater
14. Old Crow Medicine Show- Crossroads KC
15. Diverse with Tony Tixier- Grant Recital Hall
16. Clutch- The Midland Theater
17. Todd Clouser- Record Bar
18. New Ear/Owen Cox- Union Station
19. Tribute to Miles Davis- Crosstown Station
20. Toots and the Maytals- Crossroads KC
21. Deborah Brown- Gem Theater
22. Snuff Jazz- Crosstown Station
23. Kenny Rogers- VooDoo Lounge
24. DJ P- Zebedee's
25. New Jazz Order- Polsky Theater

Ten Best Singles of 2011 (so far)
1. Tyler the Creator- "Yonkers"
2. Kelly Rowland- "Motivation"
3. Lil Wayne- "6 Foot 7 Foot"
4. Adele- "Rolling In the Deep"
5. Jill Scott with Anthony Hamilton- "So In Love"
6. Manchester Orchestra- "Simple Math"
7. Vybz Kartel featuring Sheba- "You & Him Deh"
8. Spoek Mathambo- "Control"
9. Ledisi- "Pieces of Me"
10. Mary Mary- "Walking"

(Original image of Motley Crue concert by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Priory

Priory performing "Kings of Troy" live, YouTube video stream

I laughed as I surveyed NPR's new "Best of the Year (so far)" list today. It's not that I'm dismissive of the selections. I respect The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Death Cab For Cutie and My Morning Jacket, six of the top ten picks. It's the predictability of the consensus voting that irks me. The problem is that developing and low-profile acts like Priory are inevitably overlooked. Like their better-publicized peers, the members of the Portland-based band are masters of melody and impeccable purveyors of discrete indie rock. The new self-titled album is very fine. Priory's primary flaw is that it exists in an overly crowded field- one that's already dominated by the aforementioned acts. Priory performs Sunday, June 26, at The Granada in Lawrence, and Monday, June 27, at the Riot Room in Kansas City.

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Mike Waterson of The Watersons has died.

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James "Pappy" Garrett of the area band Cadillac Flambe, was killed in a car accident last Sunday morning.

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How dare I call the members of Motley Crue and Poison cartoonish! Here's my review of Tuesday's concert.

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The devil is real. (Lord help me- I love these evil kids.)

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The end is nigh, part two. (Love her, too!)

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Kansas City Click: Norman Brown plays at Jazz In the Woods on Friday.

Del tha Funky Homosapien appears at the Riot Room on Saturday.

Crosstown Station hosts a tribute to Howard Iceberg on Sunday.

Priory plays the Riot Room on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Take Me Out With the Crowd

People often say they don't like big crowds. Not me. I love attending outdoor festivals, sporting events and concerts in arenas. Even so, my affection for decidedly unpopular music often places me in nearly empty rooms. This is the scene at a performance I attended yesterday. The audience for a ten-piece band never numbered more than four while I was there. At least it was better than the same event on the previous Monday. I was the only listener last week. The music's great, but I don't think I can bear to go back. Warped Tour can't come soon enough.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Ninety Miles, Bon Iver, Jill Scott, Gerald Wilson, Grieves, The Red Button, Dave Alvin, Gomez, Jim Lauderdale, In Flames, Laura Cantrell, Centro-Matic, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Bo-Keys, August Burns Red, Justin Moore, Messy Marv, Dave Valentin, Viva Voce and Pitbull.

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Clarence Clemons has died.

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Wild Man Fischer has died.

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Rockabilly musician Mack Self has died.

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I'm intrigued by a new set of ECM remixes.

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Laurie Pepper has issued a 1980 session of Art Pepper recordings on her Widow's Taste label. A free download from the box set is available here. (Via Jazz Wax.)

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Guess who has made a big band album?

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Kansas City Click: Here's something I've never been able to write at There Stands the Glass: The New York Dolls are in town! The band is at the Sprint Center on Tuesday.

A Vibe Called Def will feature a live performance of Mos Def's Black On Both Sides Wednesday at the Blue Room.

The Lonely Forest is at Crosstown Station Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: David Bazan- Strange Negotiations

A lot of my acquaintances are baffled by my faith. Many people seem to think that drinking, cursing and headbanging are incompatible with spirituality. The most intolerant accusations, ironically, usually come from people who disdain religion entirely. David Bazan has dealt with these issues on a dramatic scale. While his relationship with God is none of my business, it continues to make for compelling music. Strange Negotiations, his latest post- Pedro the Lion album, combines the philosophical musings of vintage Richard Thompson with the toughness of contemporary rockers like F*cked Up. My favorite song on the album, "Virginia", is atypically austere.


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The video for Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat's "The Copper Top" is devastating. Watch it and weep.

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Pat Metheny continues to find new ways to blow my mind.

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Carl Gardner of The Coasters has died. Here's my summer theme song.

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I admired Old Crow Medicine Show's first concert in Kansas City, Missouri. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: I don't know why another dude's name is attached to some of these blurbs, but these show previews- excepting the one for Ray LaMontagne- are mine. You can find my work every week in Ink Magazine.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Sunburned and Constipated

I listened to the All Songs Considered podcast discussion of The Year's Best Music (So Far) yesterday. I enjoyed the effort even though I don't share the panelists' tastes. NPR Music, the forum's parent, offered a separate list that includes a handful of titles more to my liking. Even so, the sensibilities of these refined list makers is worlds removed from mine. "Sunburned and constipated," I responded when a friend asked how I was feeling yesterday. I blasted a rock station's broadcast of Korn's "Freak On a Leash" and Staind's "For You" during my commute from work last night. No, I don't have a CD player in my car. I don't even have A/C. My affection for disaffected music is undoubtedly related to that issue.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Pat Metheny, Terakaft, Bad Meets Evil (Eminem and Royce Da 5'9"), Aaron Goldberg/Guillermo Klein, Ledisi, , Erik Friedlander, Neil Young, Freddie Hubbard, Junior Boys, Madeleine Peyroux and Black Country Communion.

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Marilyn Maye has been hospitalized.

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I reviewed Deborah Brown's recent concert at Plastic Sax.

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Music industry veteran Steve Popovich died June 8.

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Seth Putnam of Anal C*nt has died.

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Credentials HIp Hop, a Kansas City hip hop blog, is back on the scene.

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Kansas City Click: March Fourth Marching Band performs at Crossroads KC on Tuesday.

Brandi Carlile is Wednesday's opener at Starlight.

Jason Ricci plays Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Mystic Number National Bank

Mystic Number National Bank- "St. James Infirmary" stream at YouTube

There are countless albums dating from the late '60s and early '70s by forgotten boogie bands. This is just another act with an embarrassingly overt debt to Cream. But because it's new to me, and because the band was from Kansas City, Mystic Number National Bank is among my current obsessions. I almost didn't give the self-titled album a try when I noticed that the opening track is titled "Blues Jam" and the closing song is titled "Blues So Bad." Thankfully, it's not all about Eric Clapton. The influences of the Mothers of Invention, Blood, Sweat & Tears and (unexpectedly) Neil Diamond provide balance. Kansas City's always been a boogie-happy town, but this album reminds me that the form doesn't have to be boring.

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Here's a nice video synopsis of last week's amazing MidCoast Cares benefit for Joplin at Crosstown Station.

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Chris Mills' notes on his experience at Wakarusa are illuminating.

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All 6's and 7's, Tech N9ne's new album, is very good. Here's my review.

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I reviewed a Kenny Rogers concert last night.

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I reviewed Tuesday's performance by Toots and the Maytals a few days ago.

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I don't know which I like more- Grieves or Rhymesayers' packaging EPKs.

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Whoop whoop! The new Gathering of the Juggalos promo video is brilliant. The really good stuff starts around the 7:30 mark.

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Kansas City Click: Deborah Brown is backed by a European band Saturday at the Blue Room and Sunday at the Gem Theater.

The People's Liberation Big Band return to the Record Bar on Sunday.

Ivan and Alyosha play the Record Bar on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Young Jeezy- The Real Is Back

Young Jeezy permanently changed my listening habits in 2005. The Snowman's impact on me wasn't directly related to the associated "No Snitchin'" mindset or the ingestion of drugs. I'd been deliberately avoiding succumbing to trap music, but "Go Crazy" forced me to realize that resistance was futile. I've been part of the problem ever since. "My President" aside, Jeezy has lazily repeated his recipe. His sing-song tributes to street life are musical junk food. I give the man credit for coming up with the formula, but there's been laughably little in the way of musical progression in the intervening years. A placeholder for Thug Motivation 103, the free mixtape The Real Is Back is more of the same. And yet I listen.

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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Tech N9ne, Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent, F*cked Up, Artic Monkeys, Joe Jackson, Battles, Lee Konitz/Brad Mehldau/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian, Chick Corea, Joe Ely, Black Lips, Morbid Angel, Randy Travis, Craig Taborn, Ronnie Dunn, Frank Turner, Cults, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tommy Castro, Dawes and Sondre Lerche.

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I really like the new video for Tyler the Creator's "She." Does that make me a bad person?

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Jazz pianist Ray Bryant has died. He's best know in pop culture for his hit "The Madison Time.

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Benny Spellman has died. It doesn't get much better than this.

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Andrew Gold has died.

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Here's a new video featuring Mac Lethal and Irv da Phenom. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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You'll need to fish around at his site to find the information, but Israel Nash Gripka is offering a three-song EP. Proceeds benefit Joplin's storm victims. Gripka's Barn Doors & Concrete Floors is my favorite folk-rock album of 2011.

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Kansas City Click: Toots & the Maytals perform Tuesday at Crossroads KC.

Steve Poltz returns to Davey's on Wednesday.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat play the Record Bar on Thursday. Chatham County Line play Davey's on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Easy Does It: Lagrimas Mexicanas

"Aguela Mulher" stream at YouTube

It's been a noisy year. I've taken to relaxing to the sounds of Slayer and Albert Ayler. I'm geeked for tonight's Tech N9ne concert. Even so, the album I've listened to most in 2011 is Lagrimas Mexicanas, the quiet new collaboration between guitarist Bill Frisell and Vincious. The intoxicating project has even replaced Ali Farka Toure's The Source as my primary soundtrack during my regular visits to western Kansas. Sure- songs like "Aguela Mulher" could be characterized as fancy-pants easy listening music. Wanna make something of it?

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That reminds me- "Have You Never Been Mellow?"

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I don't regret downloading Young Jeezy's The Real is Back mixtape.

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Here's a promotional video for my friend Corky's book of photography.

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Members of The Kansas City Symphony are pleased with their new performance venue.

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"Guntitled", the latest video from Ces Cru, features Mac Lethal. (Via Wayward Blog.)

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I had my hopes up high. I expect great, not merely good, from Joe Ely. Here's my review of last night's performance.

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Kansas City Click: Tech N9ne performs at the Midland Theater on Friday. Here's his ambitious new video for "He's a Mental Giant."

Bobby Watson collaborates with Bach Aria Soloists on Saturday.

Ben Harper performs at Crossroads KC on Sunday.

Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian play the Midland on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Gil Scott-Heron, 1949-2011

Ever since my friend BGO informed me of the (not unexpected) news of Gil Scott-Heron's death last week, I've had an extraordinarily difficult time processing the loss. I just can't come to terms with the artist's absence. Several passes at providing a brief synopsis of what he meant to me have been inadequate. Alas, my despair "Ain't No New Thing".


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Along with a few friends, generous business and dozens of musicians, my friend C. organized Midcoast Cares: A Benefit For Joplin (Facebook login required). Please join me at Crosstown Station on Wednesday.

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: Tom Harrell, The Vaccines, My Morning Jacket, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Robert Pollard, Eliane Elias, John Adams, Playing For Change 2, Black Stone Cherry, Kate Bush, Death Cab for Cutie, Eddie Vedder, The Melvins, J.D. Souther, Flogging Molly and Jim Snidero.

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I reviewed The Kansas City Symphony's Celebration at the Station.

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"Is this live?" Miles Bonny interviewed Dudley Perkins.

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I'm enjoying NPR's free downloads of Aloe Blacc and Bob Mould performances. Grab 'em here.

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Kansas City Click: Buckethead returns to Crossroads KC on Tuesday.

Ha Ha Tonka is one of a dozen or so acts participating in Wednesday's benefit at Crosstown Station.

My favorite Joe Ely song isn't available at YouTube, so I'm forced to "Settle For Love". The Texas troubadour performs at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kansas City Wine

I'd been waiting for the moment for years. I've loved hanging out in the Jazz District for as long as I've been able to drive. In past decade, however, the area's live music offerings have been long on quality and short on quantity. I've typically attended a single event at a time in the 18th & Vine area.

Last night, however, I finally succeeded in experiencing a couple hours of musically rewarding club-hopping on weeknight that wasn't boosted by a festival or a major event. It sounds minor, but I was absolutely euphoric.

I began at the Blue Room, where about 30 people were taking in Makuza. Many in the small but sexy crowd danced. Everyone laughed when the malaprop-prone bandleader referenced "an internal joke." The sound of a blues trio led by Millage Gilbert pulled me in to Danny's Big Easy across the street. An even rowdier crowd was drinking and dancing to covers of familiar hits by Albert King, B.B. King and Slim Harpo.

"You take the drink," a sketchy guy told his wobbly dance partner as "Since I Met You Baby" concluded, "I take the purse."

He wasn't kidding. I decided to head to the Blues & Jazz Juke House before the obligation to thwart theft (or worse) spoiled my fun. The third club was more crowded still. So fun! Join me next time, won't you?

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This think piece by Billboard's editorial director is fascinating.

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Listen to snippets of the new live album by Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian here.

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Mike Stover's notes on the destruction in Joplin are very moving.

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Kansas City Click: The latest installment of Mark Lowrey vs. Hip Hop takes place Friday at Crosstown Station. It all began here. (I'm one of the Kansas City Skinny guys standing around in the parking lot.)

Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars appear Saturday at Independence Events Center.

Adler's Appetite hits the VooDoo Lounge on Sunday.

Cowboy Mouth play Crossroads KC on Monday.

(Original image of Danny's Big Easy by There Stands the Glass.)

Gabba Gaga: We Accept You, One of Us

"Gabba Gabba, We Accept You, One of Us!"


"Everybody's doing it." That's my excuse for purchasing Lady Gaga's new album for ninety-nine cents at Amazon yesterday. Sometimes a hopeless outsider just wants to feel like a part of something bigger. Pop culture provides an immediate bond with all who choose to participate. I haven't watched a single episode of American Idol this season. I don't go to movies. I only know Charlie Sheen from films about baseball and war. Yet my investment in Born This Way makes me a participant in what may be music's single biggest sales event of the year.

All of the above is at least partially true. I actually wanted to test Amazon's servers. The download literally took three hours. And one song, "Judas," never arrived. (I have yet to receive a response to email to customer service.) (UPDATE : Amazon successfully resolved the issue on May 26.)

The music? Oh yeah, that... Well, I liked Madonna back in the day. And Lady Gaga is probably no better or worse. As far as state-of-the-art disposable pop goes, however, I prefer the Black Eyed Peas and Rhymes-With-Snake.

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This week's other new releases, in order of personal preference: Art Brut, Smod, David Binney, MMG Presents: Self Made, Vol. 1, Sean Jones (album EPK), Joseph Arthur, Los Tigres Del Norte, Stephen Marley, Thurston Moore, Vieux Farka Toure, David Bazan, Ari Hoenig, Boris, Foster the People, Alex Sipiagin, Duff McKagan, Brad Paisley, Jadakiss, White Denim, Chip Taylor and Robin Guthrie.

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I reviewed Vanilla Ice, Jonathan Butler and Warren Haynes over the weekend.

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More acts have been added to Kanrocksas. Here's the revised list.

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I'd never heard of MerQury, but his video for "Rhythm of the Night," shot in Kansas City, looks expensive. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: Vedera play the Riot Room on Tuesday.

The Riot Room hosts The Givers on Wednesday.

Hermon Mehari oversees a tribute to Miles Davis at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

On the Clock

When smoking was prohibited from most of the area's public buildings a few years ago, the most noxious element associated with live music vanished. Finances aside, my new primary obstacle is time, or rather, the lack of it. Just like most civilians, I crawl out of bed around 6 a.m. Standing around in a club after midnight doesn't appeal to me. That's why I rejoiced when a 15-minute countdown clock (pictured) was posted during the intermission of last night's concert by Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience. Sure enough, the lights went down when the clock reached 0:00. Such consideration for fans is all too rare. I may never forgive one artist who kept his (former) fans needlessly waiting for over two hours in 2009.

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I may be lonesome, on'ry and mean, but I have nothing but nice things to say about Thursday's outing by Jason Bonham's band.

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Here's a snippet of a new remix of the Blue Riddim Band's "Nancy Reagan." (Via Wayward Blog.)

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Here's a clip from Toumastin, the forthcoming album from Aratan N Tinariwen. (Via BigSteveNO.)

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Bay Area hip hop star Messy Marv allegedly performs Friday at the Scottish Rite Temple.

Hammerlord returns to the Riot Room on Saturday.

Alaturka plays Jardine's on Sunday.

A free jam session takes place every Monday at the American Jazz Museum's Blue Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Gypsy Folk Circus of Dirty Bourbon River Show

Dirty Bourbon River Show- "Spectacular & Magnificent Day" (video)

In an unsolicited pitch to your humble correspondent, a member of Dirty Bourbon River Show characterized his band's approach as "New Orleans Gypsy Folk Circus." There's no way I could pass on that.

Sure enough, I adore the collective's Volume 2. The new album demonstrates that the members of Dirty Bourbon River Show hold Kurt Weill and Professor Longhair in equally high regard.

While the band's pithy description is unique, Dirty Bourbon River Show is hardly the first act to stumble down the same neon-lit path. The genre's godfather, of course, is Tom Waits. Calexico, Gogel Bordello and Nick Cave are kissing cousins. Honorary influences include Chet Baker, Leonard Cohen, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt and Jimmy Scott.

That's mighty fine company for circus folk.


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This week's new releases, in order of personal preference: Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, James Carter, Meredith Monk, Ran Blake, Tinie Tempah, JD Allen, Iggy Pop, Hank III, Killer Mike, Levon Helm, Matraca Berg, New Boyz, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Ben Harper, Face to Face, The Elected, Moby and Elvin Bishop.

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Busta Rhymes, Twista and Yelawolf join Tech N9ne on "Worldwide Choppers". Cha!

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Snooky Young has died. (Initial tip from BGO.)

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Here's raw footage of a performance by new Kansas City band BeardKCrazy. It's like a mashup of King Sunny Ade's Syncro System and Miles Davis' On the Corner.

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Rockfest! Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Portugal the Man appear at the Record Bar on Tuesday.

Max Justus is on Wednesday's bill at the Record Bar.

Jason Bonham does this Thursday at the Voodoo Lounge.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Ultraviolence: Tyler the Creator vs. Atmosphere

Atmosphere- "Just For Show" video
Tyler the Creator- "Yonkers" video

I intended to dedicate my listening time on Tuesday to Goblin, the new album by Tyler the Creator. Yet I found it difficult to tear myself away from The Family Sign, the latest release from Atmosphere. Filled with pain songs about death and disappointment, The Family Sign hits close to home.

Atmosphere may be old hat, but Slug and Ant enjoyed hot-new-thing status just a decade ago. Slug now raps convincingly about the travails of adulthood. And while he name-checks Gang Starr, songs like "Who I'll Never Be" show that Slug is also down with the classic rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The nihilistic Goblin doesn't connect with me in the same way. I find Slug's portrait of a "Bad Bad Daddy" far more distressing than Tyler's Clockwork Orange-style tales of ultraviolence.

Besides, Tyler's attempts to shock listeners don't always work in the land of Tech N9ne. Been there. Done that. Anyone can smash something. Only experience allows the ramifications of anarchy to be wholly understood. Slug and Ant get it. Tyler will learn soon enough.


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Here's a new track from Miles Bonny's forthcoming album.

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Kansas City Click: Will Mathews plays guitar Friday at the Blue Room

Friends think I'm kidding when I express enthusiasm for Rockfest. Don't tell anyone, but I'd go to Saturday's festival even if I wasn't being paid to attend.

James Harman, one of the most under-appreciated men in blues, visits BB's Lawnside BBQ on Sunday.

Reptet and Beard Crazy perform at the Record Bar on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Captain Black Big Band

Captain Black Big Band EPK

One thing, as they say, leads to another. Little did I know when I named Bobby Watson's The Gates BBQ Suite my top album of 2010 that I'd soon become immersed in big band jazz. My favorite new album in the form is Orrin Evans' Captain Black Big Band. Evans, as jazz obsessives know (and the rest of the world doesn't care about), is a Watson protege. Boasting a bevy of ringers like saxophonist Tim Warfield, the Philadelphia-based big band is raucous but squarely within the tradition. Evans' arrangement on the first minute of "Inheritance" epitomizes everything that's good about the powerfully soulful groove that only be attained by a big band. "Jena 6," the title of one adventurous composition, reflects the band's contemporary sensibility. The illicit speakeasy atmosphere of live recording on the Posi-Tone label is entirely winning.

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Today's new releases, in the order of my personal preference: Tyler the Creator, Jesu, Raphael Saadiq, Samantha Fish/Cassie Taylor/Dani Wilde, Manchester Orchestra, Randy Newman, Gerald Clayton, Black Label Society, Colin Vallon and Patrice Moret, Okkervil River, Nigeria 70- Sweet Times: Afro-Funk Highlife, Sea & Cake, Booker T. Jones, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Anvil, The Cars, Larry Goldings, Blue October, Bruce Barth Trio, Man Man and Greg Brown.

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I'm genuinely impressed by Samantha Fish and company's take on the Rolling Stones' "B*tch".

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Guitarist Cornell Dupree has died.

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John Walker of the Walker Brothers has died.

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Kansas City Click: Tim Whitmer plays at Accurso's on Tuesdays.

My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult is ostensibly appearing Wednesday at El Torreon.

Jessica Lea Mayfield is at the Record Bar on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Garage a Trois- Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil

Always Be Evil, But Stay Happy EPK

Like many of my associates, I'm prone to occasionally waxing poetic as I recall the ill-fated band Morphine. Nothing will ever replace the work of the late Mark Sandman, but with Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil, the new album by Garage a Trois, sorrowful Morphine fans can find at least a temporary cure for their pain.

Much of the album seems like a tense prelude to unspeakable acts of violence. The atmospheric "Chimp and Flower" would be perfect for the opening credit sequence of a disturbing horror film. The cinematic musicality of the album's quieter moments even brings Ry Cooder's excellent soundtrack work to mind.

Although vibraphonist Mike Dillon (a sometime Kansas Citian) and saxophonist Skerik are members of The Dead Kenny G's and Garage a Trois, the latter band is substantially more polished. The presence of drummer Stanton Moore and new music gadfly Marco Benevento help steer the noirish instrumental band toward the mainstream. I've witnessed the Dead Kenny G's serve as a successful opening act for Primus, but Garage a Trois would fit comfortably on the same bill with Medeski Martin & Wood, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones or the Flaming Lips.

Take heed, my fellow sad sacks- this compelling new album will keep you on the path of evil.


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I reviewed the Moody Blues' concert Thursday at the Midland Theater. I also reviewed a collaboration between NewEar and the Owen/Cox Dance Ensemble last week.

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Here's the tranquil scene at Charlie Parker's grave earlier this week. This is my happy place.

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Who are the cool kids on Kansas City's music scene? Here's an interesting list.

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Kansas City Click: Karrin Allyson will showcase her new album Saturday at the Folly Theater.

The wonderful Ledisi appears with Kem and Donell Jones at Municipal Auditorium on Sunday.

Millie Edwards sings at the Phoenix on Mondays.

The Abel Ramirez Big Band appears at the former site of the Gold Buffet on Tuesdays.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Here Comes the Water: Dengue Fever's Cannibal Courtship

Cannibal Courtship EPK

Cannibal Courtship, the new album by Dengue Fever, is good. But it's not as good as this. Or this. Or this. A deliberately kitschy homage to vintage Cambodian pop, the album is a lot of fun. Much of it, however, is just plain wacky. Even though I'm down on Cannibal Courtship, I hope I get a chance to see the band this year. I'll be the guy hollering for "Cement Slippers", my favorite song on the new album.

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: Shinedown (recorded in Kansas City, 2010), Karrin Allyson, Big Scoob, Loudon Wainwright III (box set), Brandi Carlile, Musiq Soulchild, Beastie Boys, Sixx: A.M., Kelly Price, Fleet Foxes, Galactic, Tara Nevins, Jennifer Lopez and Priscilla Ahn.

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I love the lady, but I absolutely detest Emmylou Harris' latest release. So whiny!

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Kansas City Click: Social Distortion returns to the Beaumont Club on Tuesday.

Danzig plays the VooDoo on Wednesday.

Bob Seger, the "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" entertains at the Sprint Center on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Feelin' Groovy: Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What

So Beautiful Or So What EPK

Like many avid music fans, I'm constantly in search of the thrill of the new. Established, tried-and-true artists, consequently, don't always grab my attention. Earlier this week I reluctantly cued up Lucinda Williams' new Blessed album. It's really nice. With the same sort of initial misgivings, I recently began listening to Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What.

"Ain't no song like an old song," Simon sings on "Love & Blessings."

Sometimes I forget just how true that is. The new album is a natural extension of the same smart but playful grooves that have characterized his entire career. Besides, the album's gospel, African and South American flourishes are already familiar in popular music today in large part because Simon was doing that stuff forty years ago.

Now excuse me while I get back to glorifying my shiny new toys.


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Krystle Warren! (Video tip via Sam Wisman.)

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The video for "All I Kno Is Hood" shows why I'm a fan of Big Scoob and Krizz Kaliko. I'm less impressed by Ron Ron's new tribute to Run-DMC.

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I L.O.V.E. the Go! Team.

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I'm awed by the video documentation of Dustin O'Halloran's performance at HBC Berlin.

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"Run the World (Girls)," the jigsaw puzzle that passes as her new single, makes my role as a shameless Beyonce apologist rather difficult.

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Did you know that a compilation of Henry Rollins' favorite Blue Note recordings has been issued by the jazz label?

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Kansas City Click: Doug MacLeod appears Friday at BB's Lawnside BBQ.

The Whigs play the Riot Room on Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band celebrate May Day at the Record Bar.

Manchester Orchestra headline Monday at the Beaumont Club.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Shiftless When Idle: Notes on Sunday's Tribute to the Replacements

Take it from a guy who was there- The Replacements weren't a good live band. Sunday's tribute show at the Record Bar, consequently, was an attractive proposition. And coming as it did on Easter, I was able to celebrate in a fashion appropriate to the occasion.

Dead Girls opened the show with "Little Mascara." They went on to play Big Star's "September Gurls," The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (a learned friend informed me that Westerberg covered it for the I Am Sam soundtrack) and Kiss' "Black Diamond." Another friend amusingly characterized the set as a "tribute to a Replacements tribute."

Although the quality of the subsequent performers didn't dissipate, the remainder of the night represented a case of diminishing returns. I just wasn't feeling it. Only when Steve Tulipana's band was joined by a three-piece horn section that included excellent jazz saxophonist Rich Wheeler for a crackling rendition of "Can't Hardly Wait" did I get chills.

You guessed it- I left "Unsatisfied".

(The Pitch provides proper pictures.)

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: James Farm, Bill Frisell, Of Montreal, Emmylou Harris, Eric Alexander, Prefuse 73, MF Doom, Otep, Julian Lage, Tindersticks, Cachao, Explosions In the Sky, Various- The Sue Story, Bootsy Collins, Ricky Dillard, Irvin Mayfield, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juvenile, NightShade, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Etta Jones & Houston Person, Lightnin' Malcolm, Bowling For Soup and Thao & Mirah.

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I reviewed reviewed last night's concert by Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan. I reviewed Aaron Lewis' performance in the same venue last week.

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Huey Meaux has died. I only spoke to him a couple times, but I represented Meaux's incredible catalog for years.

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That voice! Phoebe Snow has died.

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Hazel Dickens died last week. Not every folk artist can be Joan Baez, you know.

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Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex has died.

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I interviewed Clayton McDonnell of MaxJazz at Plastic Sax.

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Kanrocksas.

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Kansas City Click: The Beaumont seems like an awfully big venue for The Black Lips, but the band is headlining at the Westport venue Tuesday.

Kinky Friedman does his thing at Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

The Photo Atlas perform at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber

Shaolin Jazz EPK

If you suspect that classic Wu-Tang Clan material re-imagined as the work of a jazz-based collective would be exactly my thing, well, you have me pegged. I represent precisely the target audience for DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber.

The train-spotting aspect of the new free mixtape has already provided me with hours of pleasure.

Is that the Blackbyrds on "The High Priestess of Chessboxin'"? Wait, is that Fela during this interlude? Hey, that's Pharoah Sanders' "Astral Traveling" behind "C.R.E.A.M."! I can't believe he thought to combine Ramsey Lewis' version of "Quinn the Eskimo" and "Method Man." Is DJ 2-Tone Jones mocking Redman and Method Man's juvenile "How High"? Hilarious!

Is Shaolin Jazz greater than the sum of its parts? No, of course not. Herbie Hancock's essential Blue Note sessions and Liquid Swords are already perfect. But DJ 2-Tone Jones has nonetheless created something new, something that should also have lasting value.

Aside from dealing with the noxious nature of Mediafire, adventurous There Stands the Glass readers and Gil Scott-Heron fans have nothing to lose. Go get it. "The combination," as Raekwon suggested, will make your "eyes bleed."

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I reviewed Mac Lethal's new North Korean BBQ mixtape. (Spoiler: I like it a lot.)

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UMKC professor Zhou Long was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music this week.

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Gerard Smith of TV on the Radio has died.

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Terry Currier reports that Kent Morrill of the Fabulous Wailers has died.

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Big band leader Orrin Tucker died April 9.

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Kansas City Click: I'll break my KC-only rule to recommend Soul Track Mind's Thursday appearance at the Bottleneck in Lawrence. RIYL: Charles Bradley, Delbert McClinton and Eddie Hinton.

Longtime There Stands the Glass favorite Steddy P. tops Friday's bill at the Record Bar.

Red Line Chemistry have an acoustic in-store lined up at FYE in Independence on Saturday.

Here comes a regular. I'll be at the Record Bar on Sunday. Here's an invitation I made at Card Karma.

Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan hit the VooDoo on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Crate Digging with DJ P

As friends posted updates about their Record Store Day activities last Saturday, I considered inviting them over to my home for an impromptu sale. I could always use the money and my neglected collection takes up a lot of space. Even so, I was sucked into the vinyl vortex the following day when I heard that DJ P was performing in front of Zebedee's. I like DJ P in part because we both understand that hip hop, metal and reggae albums belong in the same bin. Footage from 2006 shows that DJ P was ahead of the curve. Inevitably, I wound up buying more jazz and R&B vinyl. I just can't help myself.

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With features from many of the town's top names, The Popper's "For the Mo" will almost certainly be the Kansas City-area's top music video of 2011. (Initial tip via Tony's Kansas City.) It also reminds me that it's been far too long since I've heard "Check My Posture", one of my favorite songs of 2008.

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Randy Wood, founder of Dot Records, died last week. Jazz blogger Marc Myers provides valuable perspective on Wood's legacy.

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I'm misty blue. A storm destroyed Malaco Records last week.

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I recently reviewed performances by Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer and the Del McCoury Band with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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I've done a disservice to myself and to There Stands the Glass readers by not regularly listing the new releases that most excite me. In order of personal preference, here's a checklist of artists with albums out today: Ralph Stanley, Les Nubians, Dead Rock West, Berner, Gorillaz, Walt Weiskopf, High Llamas, DJ Quick, Willie Clayton (If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough To Keep Me...How In The World Do You Think It Can Bring Me Back), Various- Shattered Dreams: Funky Blues 1967-78, Various- Impulse! @50: First Impulse - The Creed Taylor Collection, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Allen Toussaint (Lost Sessions), Erwin Schrott, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Duff McKagan, Old Time Religion- Rare Recordings Of Jerry Lee Lewis In Church Preachin', Shoutin', and Singin', Samuel Blaser & Paul Motian and Cam'ron.

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I made an e-card invitation for a show I plan to attend on Easter. Feel free to join me.

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Here's a new Kickstarter funding request from the People's Liberation Big Band.

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Kansas City Click: The Barclay Martin Ensemble return to Jardine's on Tuesday.

The Hudson Falcons play Davey's on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Robert Parris at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

I attended an organ recital Monday. On purpose. I overcame my bias against Episcopal churches to hear Robert Parris perform at Saint Paul's.

Parris doesn't look like the kind of guy who spends much time around 808s, but he opened the concert with an original composition that seemed as if it was directly inspired by hip hop. The low end of his Sonata II was dope.

The brilliance of J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E minor, S. 548 allowed me to conduct a spontaneous exercise in astral projection. The complete version of Julius Reubke's challenging Sonata on the 94th Psalm had many in the audience of 150 squirming impatiently in the unforgiving wooden pews. Not me.

I'm looking forward to future American Guild of Organists events.

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Here's the money line from Tim Finn's interesting survey of music retail: Kelly Corcoran of Love Garden suggests that "The new interest in vinyl is from people mostly interested in the same 500 records." You mean to tell me that the trend-chasing of hipsters hasn't increased the value of my complete collection of Cameo albums?

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A Facebook friend challenged people to list their favorite fifteen songs by the Kinks. Here's what I posted: Oklahoma U.S.A., Picture Book, All Day and All of the Night, Where Have All the Good Times Gone, You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Alcohol, Low Budget, Stop Your Sobbing, Tired of Waiting, The Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Celluloid Heroes, A Rock'n'Roll Fantasy and This Is Where I Belong.

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Mashup of the year? (Via Meesha.)

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Jazz violinist BIlly Bang has died.

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Chicago blues man Lacy Gibson has died.

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It's astounding that a guy who played with Django Reinhardt is alive and continuing to make groundbreaking music. I watched NPR's live webcast of Martial Solal's gig last night. It was really good. The cumulative viewership never surpassed 300. That's not so good.

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The newly announced Wakarusa schedule poses several intriguing choices for attendees of the festival- My Morning Jacket or Galactic? Umphrey's McGee or Ha Ha Tonka? Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings or Lucero?

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Ces Cru's new video features footage from its January 15 gig opening for Tech N9ne at the Beaumont. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: The weekly KC Songwriter Forum takes place Thursday at the Brick.

Diverse plays the music of Michael Jackson at the Record Bar on Friday.

Terence Blanchard performs at the Gem Theater on Saturday.

Alaturka return to Jardine's on Sunday.

Pepper Rabbit top Monday's bill at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)