Review: Quixotic Fusion

I guess I'm a little slow. I'd seen Quixotic Fusion several times, but it wasn't until Sunday's free show at Crossroads KC that I understood the significance of the music and performance troupe. Hippies, punk rockers, theater people, suits, children and geezers were awestruck by Sunday's display. (It looked and sounded a lot like this.) I'm immune to Quixotic Fusion's charms, but it's finally apparent to me that the Kansas City collective is at the vanguard of fulfilling the heightened expectations of today's audiences.

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I've seen Lil Wayne perform four or five times now. Last night's performance was my favorite. Here's my review.

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Bill Frisell has a John Lennon cover band. Listen here.

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The Leopards' Kansas City Slickers album has been reissued on vinyl. "Dancing In the Snow" is pretty amazing. (Tip via FP.)

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Race Riot Suite, the forthcoming album by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, will find a spot in my year-end top ten list. I posted a miniature review at Plastic Sax.

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A new Connie Smith album? Heck yes!

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I realize that Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber have died, but i just can't deal with those losses right now.

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Kansas City Click: Strange but true- Diamond Head performs at Knuckleheads on Tuesday.

Hidden Pictures are on the bill at The Brick on Wednesday.

I suspect that my favorite Steely Dan song will be played Thursday at Starlight Theater.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Pack A.D.- Unpersons

The Black Keys recently reminded me of something I'd come dangerously close to forgetting. A talented blues duo is capable of making people lose their minds. As the band from Akron played to a riotous crowd of over 10,000 at a racetrack, I saw fistfights, make-out sessions, temper tantrums and convulsive vomiting. Unpersons, the forthcoming release by The Pack A.D., contains a similarly sinister and potent energy. The Canadian duo of Maya Miller and Becky Blackmake make mean, dirty music meant to incite bad deeds. Asking if The Pack A.D. is as good as, say, Heartless Bastards misses the point. The music contained on Unpersons doesn't inspire such pointy-headed theorizing. The Pack A.D. provides an ideal soundtrack for fucking shit up drunken hijinks and meaningless acts of vandalism.

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The RFT offers a great interview with St. Louis treasure Joe Edwards.

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Here's the scoop on the 2011 edition of Crossroads Music Fest.

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Kansas City rapper Neko is interviewed at Credentials Hip Hop.

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This Farm Aid photo set is stunning.

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The new The War On Drugs is Boss!

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Kansas City Click: Brad Leali leads a band Thursday and Friday at The Blue Room.

The Black House Improvisors' Collective headline a free show Friday at La Esquina.

I might "Go Crazy" at Young Jeezy's concert Saturday at the Beaumont Club.

Marbin perform Sunday at The Record Bar.

Janet Jackson plays Starlight Theater on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Watch the Throne

Did you know that There Stands the Glass takes requests? A couple readers have asked me to post my thoughts on Watch the Throne. Largely because I love "event" albums, I'm happy to oblige. In an increasingly fragmented world, it's reassuring to know that every once in a while everyone (everyone who shares my love of hip hop and popular culture, anyway) is listening to the same thing at the same time. And I imagine they're all smiling. Watch the Throne is hilarious. Sometimes it's even funny on purpose. (Zing!) It's not nearly as good as Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, but it's still essential. For one thing, the most prominent samples are of Curtis Mayfield, Otis Redding and Nina Simone. That's like kryptonite to would-be haters with my predilections. Want more? Ghostface Killah's review of Watch the Throne is rather remarkable.

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I reviewed Theory of a Deadman's concert last Friday. I suppose I deserve the barb made by commenter 323, but dang… Nickelback.

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Top City! I'm impressed by the video for "Hood Boi by KO Streetz.

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"The Line (Super Soul)", a new single by D/Will and Les Izmore, is available as a free download.

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I do this Plastic Sax thing.

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Kansas City Click: The Loneliest Monk plays The Record Bar on Monday.

Everette DeVan has a weekly gig at The Phoenix on Tuesdays.

Janelle Monae opens for Katy Perry at The Sprint Center on Wedneday.

(Original photo by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: JJ Grey at Crossroads KC

Who wouldn't want to sound like Otis Redding? I respect JJ Grey's musical ambitions. As I tweeted last night from Crossroads KC, Grey is no Eddie Hinton, but he ain't bad. The Floridian's backing band included a trumpeter, saxophonist, organist and a guitarist who doubled on pedal steel. Grey is doing it right. Yet most of the 1,500 people in attendance were only there for headliner Jonny Lang. They wanted nothing to do with Grey's throwback R&B. (I opted not to stick around for this.)


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Vanilla Ice, Snoop Dogg and Eminem have performed in Kansas City this year. Lil Wayne plays here later this month. The Jay-Z and Kanye West tour comes to town in November. That means that six of the best-selling hip hop artists of all time will have performed in Kansas City in 2011. Missing- The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Outkast, Nelly, 50 Cent, and obviously, Tupac and Biggie.

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Ubiquitous of Ces Cru stars in the video for Reggie B's "Celeste."

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Uh oh. An impeccable lineup at the world's most famous jazz festival attracted a combined 12,500 fans last weekend. Here's The New York Times' review.

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Kansas City Click: I hope to catch Matt Otto at the Blue Room on Thursday.

I can't imagine who Howard Iceberg was referring to in his email solicitation for his Friday gig: As a once-in-a-lifetime special accommodation to those of you who like my songs but hate my singing (you know who you are), this Friday at The Writers Place I will be reading the lyrics to some of my songs as if they were poetry. Following which I will punish the attendees by singing a few songs anyway. The dope: This Friday, Aug 12th, 8:00pm, Writers Place.

The Dwarves open for Nashville Pussy Saturday at The Riot Room.

I've had many awkward moments at previous Pitch Music Awards ceremonies. This year's edition takes place Sunday at The Uptown Theater.

More of my picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Kanrocksas

I loved Kanrocksas. My notes are included in the coverage here and here. The best part of the fledgling festival? Excellent sound. The bar for outdoor productions in the Kansas City area has been raised. My ten favorite performances of the weekend:

1. A Perfect Circle
2. The Black Keys
3. The Flaming Lips
4. Doomtree
5. Best Coast
6. Fitz & The Tantrums
7. Kid Cudi
8. Ween
9. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
10. STS9

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Even though Kanrocksas was a good time, nothing I heard at the festival was as electrifying as My Morning Jacket's performance last Wednesday at The Uptown Theater. Here's my review.

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Until I read it in an obituary, I never knew that Gene McDaniels was born in Kansas City.

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I'm just as excited about Watch the Throne as anyone. Even so, I completely respect Chuck D's diss track "Notice- Know This".

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Kansas City Click: Abel Ramirez plays the former Gold Buffet on Tuesday.

Mike Dillon joins Snuff Jazz Wednesday at Grunauer.

Hospital Ships joins Cowboy Indian Bear at The Brick on Wednesday.

(Original image of an A Perfect Circle fan's t-shirt by There Stands the Glass.)

Bill Morrissey, 1951-2011

Years before I was employed by the record label, the budget-priced Rounder Folk compilation was one of the first titles I bought in the then-new CD format. The exhausted tone and cracked voice displayed on Bill Morrissey's "My Old Town" led me to believe that the man was well into his 60s. I was shocked when I discovered that he was still young. A combination of Hank Williams and Robert Frost, the New England-based singer-songwriter rarely toured in the Midwest. I saw him perform just once. His bearing at a Rounder Records convention in Cambridge made me realize that his songs about hard living were probably based on actual experience. "These Cold Fingers", for instance, details a botched marriage proposal, alcoholism, shattered ambition and shooting a debilitated dog. Morrissey died July 23. This fine appreciation of Morrissey's career provides valuable context.

There are some saints in hiding by the river in the reeds/And they're turning down every train that don't feel the right speed. Sing them this song when you pass by, it'll be your last good deed. Ah babe, it's true, the saints are down every line waiting just for you.

"Night Train," Bill Morrissey

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ECM's audio player for Levon Eskenian's The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble transports me to another realm.

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Here's nice news for bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma.

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This just in- Bjork's new song sounds just like Bjork.

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You'd think I'd love the new single by Mocean Worker. I hate it.

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I took no pleasure in trashing Snoop Dogg's performance in my town Tuesday. Here's my review.

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I reviewed last night's performance by Paul Thorn.

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I reviewed Big Scoob's Damn Fool album.

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"Yoga doesn't make you invisible!" I adore The Ettes.

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I suppose this marks the return of the "death blog," as my highly-valued friend BGO once put it. I still intend to note the recent passing of greats like Kenny Baker.

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Kansas City Click: My weekly show previews for Ink are here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

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.)