Album Review: The Wood Brothers- The Muse

The year-end top-ten-album list I just submitted to the official gatekeepers is dominated by hip-hop and jazz entries.  I'm pleased with my choices, but obviously a brief list won't fully represent my listening habits.  For instance, I listen to a lot of folk and folk-rock ranging from favorite albums by the late Bill Morrissey to current folk scare acts like the Head and the Heart that are inflicted on me by members of my compound.  Because its relaxed tone is reminiscent of creaky old albums by The Band, I'm particularly partial to The Muse, the latest effort by The Wood Brothers.  I'm not about to forsake my beloved jazz, hip-hop and metal for The Muse, but it's pretty solid.  Here's the video for the album's title track.


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I reviewed Harry Connick's concert at the Midland theater on Sunday.

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Kansas City rapper Ace Duce has died.

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Dalima, a Kansas City rapper associated with Tech N9ne, was involved in a shooting in Salina several months ago.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Composer John Tavener has died.  I reviewed a performance of one of his works in 2011.

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The video for Josh Berwanger's "Time Traveler" is RIYL: Warriors (the movie), 1989, Cheap Trick. 

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Marcus Yates, the artist known as Obergeek just a few months ago, has released Dark Taupe Schemata . RIYL: XV, Tech N9ne, Kid Cudi.

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Danny Brown's cameo is my favorite part of the new interactive Bob Dylan video that's threatening to explode the internet today.

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Esperanza Spalding campaigns for the closure of Guantanamo in "We Are America".

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Death's edition of "What's In My Bag" is pretty great.

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El Pelon del Mikrophone's "No voy a llorar" is my idea of a good time.

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Here's a track from Neneh Cherry's forthcoming solo album, her first in 16 years.  RIYL: M.I.A., The Slits, Roni Size.

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I mentioned Marco Polo's PA2's The Director's Cut in the previous post.  I finally got around to listening to the supremely entertaining 80-minute project that serves as a tribute to old-school hip-hop.  RIYL: Pharoahe Monch, Large Professor, King Tee.

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Oh, Kanye West,, how I love you!

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By request- here's the soundtrack of my childhood: "Hee hee he haw haw haw".

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: M.I.A.- Matangi

I've been waiting for Matangi for most of my life.  The concept of "The Music of Tomorrow" has always fascinated me.  But now that it's finally arrived in the form of M.I.A.'s fourth album, I find myself a bit nonplussed.  Her vaguely militant "Life During Wartime"-style stance and synthesis of world pop is meant to be experienced communally.  Listening to Matangi on headphones is all wrong.  Songs like "Attention" need to be felt in a nightclub or concert hall.  Until I locate a willing DJ, I'll have NME's video feature on M.I.A. on repeat.


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In spite of the (deservedly) negative tone of my review, I actually enjoyed last night's concert featuring 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne, Juicy J, Tyga, Rocko and Kidd Kidd. 

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I reviewed Karrin Allyson's new Yuletide Hideaway album at Plastic Sax.

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Reach and Reggie B are featured on "Wrong Girl", a track on Marco Polo's star-laden PA2: The Director's Cut album.

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Here's a video for Approach's "Of a 1,000".  RIYL: 785, wordplay, grainy black-and-white film.

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Evalyn Awake's new single "Red" is RIYL: Chevelle, Trivium, Rev Theory.

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Danny Alexander's essay about attending a recent Del Lords concert is excellent.

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Hey, anyone remember Vinx?  The one-time area resident released Love Never Comes Too Late in April.  RIYL: Seal, Oleta Adams, John Legend.

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The video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dream Baby Dream" is nice.  RIYL: slow motion, Suicide, arena rock.

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The Gospel According to Sam, a compilation of homemade 1963 recordings of Mississippi bluesman Sam Langhorn, was released this week.  RIYL: John Hurt, tape hiss, Furry Lewis.

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John Legend's new album Love in the Future is excellent.  RIYL: Stevie Wonder, luxury brands, Donny Hathaway.

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Here's 17 minutes of Gary Burton and Julian Lage performing in the NPR offices. So good.

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Death Grips has released a free new album.  RIYL: end times, dub, Anonymous.

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Hearing the Biggie remix of Lorde's "Royals" sandwiched between Chris Brown and Drake on the radio makes me giddy.

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Phil, a loyal reader of There Stands the Glass, recommends the Blues Unlimited podcast.

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The video for Mick Turner's "The Bird Catcher" is messed up.  RIYL: the actress Karen Black (really!), the Dirty Three, nightmares.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Akkilles- Something You'd Say

Something You'd Say is one of the prettiest rock-based albums I've encountered in 2013.  If that sounds like a backhanded compliment coming from me, well, you're right.  I prefer my rock with a heaping helping of rage and blood.  Yet Akkilles has something special going on.  On a gorgeously-produced album of songs that otherwise average well under five minutes, the second track of Something You'd Say is a nine-minute jam that evokes the Grateful Dead-by-the-way-of My Morning Jacket.  The gambit by the Kansas City-based indie rock band may not work for everyone, but I love it.  The remainder of the tracks are hazy pop songs, part David Crosby and part Yo La Tengo.  Yet Akkilles manages to avoid the dreaded stomp-folk dreck that's infested less assured musicians.  Imbued with a sense of exhaustion, Something You'd Say has become my come-down album of choice.


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I reviewed Tech N9ne's return to the Midland last week.

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I reviewed the performance by John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett at the Uptown Theater on Sunday.

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Jordan MacDonald, an aspiring rapper from Prairie Village, was killed last week.  The Prairie Village Post provides audio clips in its report.

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Charlie Chesterman has died.  Back in my roots-rock days, I wore a Scruffy the Cat t-shirt until it was in tatters.

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Here's footage of Radkey performing on a Dutch radio station.

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Everyone who loves Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs should know that Light In the Attic recently reissued Bobby Whitlock's first two solo albums.  RIYL: Leon Russell, bellbottom jeans, Delaney & Bonnie.

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I have a great deal of affection for Earl, Syd and Nardwuar.

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I'm pleased but perplexed that Omar Souleyman is the "world music" star of the moment.  (The publicist for his label deserves a raise.)  The Syrian's new Wenu Wenu is RIYL: maps, Shanachie Records, passports.

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I made it through all three hours of last night's broadcast of the Country Music Awards (with a little help from my DVR).  Gloom, despair and agony…

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include Tamar Braxton, Bun B, Cut Copy, Eminem, Howie Gelb, the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack, Kronos Quartet, MIA, Kellie Pickler, Matt Pryor, Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs and Tinie Tempah.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Phil Neal & the Wornalls at the RecordBar

I should have been drinking Guinness and wearing an Eddie & the Hot Rods t-shirt rather than enjoying Boulevard Pale Ale while bundled in a sweater.  Attending Phil Neal & the Wornalls' recent matinee performance at the RecordBar was akin to stepping into a London pub in 1976.  The earnest band banged out pub rock with casual grace. 

Ever since I reviewed the delightful album Lonely Tonight in February, I'd been meaning to catch the band.  Better late than never. 

Neal comes by the no-frills sound honestly.  Check out his 1983 video for "2 Time Loser".  Thirty years later, Neal's pop aspirations have been replaced with gritty defiance.

Aside from the shaky vocals I referenced in my album review, the band- particularly lead guitarist Gary Paredes- played with admirable fortitude.  While callow audiences might be put off by the multi-generational composition of his band, Neal's perseverance inspires me.


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Josh Berwanger's Strange Stains is RIYL: Dwight Twilley, Lindsey Buckingham, the Shoes.  (Tip via Tim Finn.)

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A favorite parlor game in the There Stands the Glass compound is determining which version of a popular song is best.  The winner of the "Both Sides Now" entry is Dave Van Ronk. 

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Care to watch grainy footage of Don Ho and Tom Jones singing Willie Nelson's "Night Life"?  Of course you do.

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Disappointed!  Robert Glasper's Black Radio 2 is a self-indulgent mess.  Most of the raps are corny while the melismatic vocalists sound way too blessed out. 

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Boy George's album is remarkably solid.  Check out "King of Everything".  RIYL: Culture Club, Culture, Club Med. 

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I enjoyed Arcade Fire's new Reflektor album far more than the band's 2010 breakthrough album The Suburbs. RIYL: Let's Dance-era David Bowie, NPR, Chic.

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I really wanted to like Alan Jackson's Bluegrass Album album, but it just brought me down.  RIYL: The Grand Ole Opry, moonshine, poor execution. 

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Skeletonwitch's Serpents Unleashed is excellent.  RIYL: dirt, Torche, beer.

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I'm glad to have listened to Allen Tousssaint's Songbook once, but the live recording accentuates the brilliant man's weaknesses.  RIYL: Bobby Short, cabaret, Elvis Costello. 

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Malaco re-upped a fine promotional video for a 1999 Little Milton album. 

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include titles by Trace Adkins, Arcade Fire, Bad Religion (Christmas Songs!), Bardo Pond, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Forsyth, Robert Glasper, Roy Harper, Toby Keith, Los Lobos, Nick Lowe, Johnny Mathis, Minor Alps, Juana Molina, Warbringer and White Denim.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

My introduction to Lou Reed was sloppy.  I bought cutouts of albums including The Bells, Take No Prisoners and Metal Machine Music at a record store at the Metro North shopping mall when I was a kid.  My initial response was understandable- "This guy's a jerk!" 

Only when I absorbed the Velvet Underground's albums a few years later was I able to understand Reed's significance beyond those problematic albums.  

The release of Magic and Loss in 1992 completely altered my perception of Reed.  The meditation on death was released when the Grim Reaper was wreaking havoc all around me.  Reed's new song cycle helped me come to grips with my grief and with my own mortality.

I've never waited for my man or kissed a he, but Reed's despairing songs on Magic and Loss speak directly to me.  In spite of Magic and Loss, I never stopped thinking that Reed was a jerk.  And I loved him just the same.


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I reviewed Ricky Skaggs's collaboration with Bruce Hornsby at Yardley Hall on Friday.

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The Kansas City-area debut of Vusi Mahlasela at Yardley Hall on Sunday thrilled me.  The South African known as "The Voice" performed a solo set of freedom songs. 

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My real-life friend Pete Lubin hilariously reviews Humble Pie's Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore.  Loving Humble Pie as I do makes his knowing digs even funnier.

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My internet friend Pamela Espeland wrote a fascinating review of a Ginger Baker concert in Minneapolis.

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The three songs available for streaming from Tightrope, the new album by the 3 Cohens- Anat, Avishai and Yuval- are delightful.  RIYL: odd instrumentation, klezmer, West Coast cool.

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Courtney Barnett's music is pretty interesting.  RIYL: Michael Hurley, Roy Harper, Beck.

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Charles Bradley says the Eagles "saved my life" in his  "What's In My Bag? segment. 

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Samba Touré's Albala is exquisite. RIYL: Ali Farka Touré, earth, Jimi Hendrix.

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Black Friday vinyl of interest to There Stands the Glass: Blind Boys Of Alabama/Jason Isbell & John Paul White, Bob Dylan, the Flaming Lips, Nick Lowe, Nas and the Robert Glasper Experiment.

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Here's something you don't see everyday- a video of a "cover photo shoot" for a jazz album that features partial nudity.  The inspirational twist makes it worth your while.  The footage is related to Ted Nash's new big band album Chakra, which is RIYL: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Charles Mingus, Steve Lacy.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Reggie B- DNA

I've never been a big fan of the Innate Sounds vibe.  The flighty funk, scat-happy vocals and meandering jazz beats I associate with the label just aren't my bag.  Yet DNA, the new recording by sometime Innate Sounds artist Reggie B, instantly connected with me.  The 70-plus-minute recording is based on the foundations laid down by Prince, J Dilla and Roy Ayers.  The project also contains embellishments inspired by R. Kelly, Teddy Riley, Bob James and Bootsy Collins.  While derivative, the mix works.  DNA is one of my favorite albums of the year by a Kansas City-based artist.


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I reviewed concerts by Sara Bareilles, Bonnie Raitt and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra last week.

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Ronald Shannon Jackson has died.

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Jazz bassist Butch Warren has died.

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Noel Harrison has died.

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The doofus at Plastic Sax reviewed A Kansas City Trumpet Summit.

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KCUR aired a ten-minute feature on Mike Stover.

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Mac Lethal is in his wheelhouse in the In Other News segment for Pharrell Williams' channel.

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Shame is the latest release by Mike Borgia & the Problems.

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Tim Horner's The Head of the Circle is RIYL: Joe Locke, Ted Nash, mainstream jazz.

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The EPK for the Robert Glasper Experiment's Black Radio 2 is exceedingly annoying.

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Revocation made a video for "Fracked".  RIYL: environmental activism, death metal, headbanging.

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Danny Brown's Old has its moments.  RIYL: Richard Pryor, substance abuse, A$AP Rocky.

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I don't invest much time worrying about the ongoing debates related to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.  Here are my five personal favorites- not the best or the most important artists- among the current batch of nominees: LL Cool J, The Meters, N.W.A., the Replacements and the Zombies.

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Trivium's Vengeance Falls is RIYL: Metallica, energy drinks, Guitar Hero.

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I adore Deer Tick's new album Negativity.  RIYL: Rick Danko, the Gourds, John Prine's Pink Cadillac.

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Here's additional recent footage of Charlie Musselwhite performing at a tribute to Little Walter.

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Tommy McCook's classic Reggae In Jazz was just reissued.  RIYL: The Skatalites, life, Duke Reid.

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A forthcoming collection of Lone Justice recordings from 1984 features liner notes by Chris Morris.

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include AFI, Best Coast, Cage, Brandy Clark, Brett Dennen, Tom Harrell, DJ Khaled, Metal Church, Motorhead, Najee, Ednita Nazario, Polica, Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones, Omar Souleyman and Linda Thompson.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.  Also, "Am I Evil?" - you may or may not see me at the Diamond Head show tonight (October 22) at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Ron Gutierrez at KC Live!

Ron Gutierrez's reputation as the Latin Luther received an enormous boost at the KC Live! stage in the Power & Light district on Sunday.  A woman standing next to me lost her composure during Gutierrez's spot-on rendition of Luther Vandross' "A House Is Not a Home." 

"He's reincarnated!" she screamed.

Backed by a six-piece band, Gutierrez's versions of songs associated with Marvin Gaye, Al Green, the Spinners and the Commodores showcased his incredible voice.  By the time he closed his hour-long set with McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," many in the audience of over 1,500 had forgotten that they had been waiting to hear Bryson.  

I've had the good fortune to hear Gutierrez perform in a variety of contexts.  He appears at jazz clubs, has worked with ensembles led by the late Kerry Strayer including the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and has become a go-to artist for National Anthem duties at professional sporting events.  He never fails to awe his audience.  Gutierrez isn't merely soulful.  His lustrous voice is impossibly pure.

After Sunday's star-making performance opening for Bryson, the Latin Luther may also come to be known as the Maxwell of the Midwest and Kansas City's Nat King Cole.


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Philip Chevron of the Pogues has died.

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Doug Ramsey reports that Oscar Castro-Neves has died.

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I reviewed the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival. 

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"Thank God" is Krizz Kaliko's latest video.

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Cowboy Indian Bear's new video for "Let It Down" is lovely.

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Here's a video recap of Dancefestopia. 

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Approach made an 11-minute documentary about the making of his new album.

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Hidden Pictures has released a new 3-song EP.

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Marc Myers offers an inside peek at his interview with Ginger Baker.

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I recently discovered a remarkable "music video" Jimmy Martin made for "20/20 Vision."

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I suppose I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate Matana Roberts' Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile.  RIYL: John Zorn, advanced degrees, AACM.

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Ponder the Mystery, William Shatner's new prog-rock album, is a hoot.

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I cosign OFWGKTA's "Look".

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Gary Numan is an interesting cat.

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Riff Raff remains my favorite troll.

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A new box set containing material Woody Guthrie recorded for the Feds is titled American Radical Patriot.

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"Am I getting to deep here for you?"- Sonny Rollins.

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Leron Thomas' new album Whatever is good but not great.  RIYL: Christian Scott, Sean Jones, Harish Raghavan.

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A coffee table book about Houston's hip hop scene?  That's ridiculous.  But I want it.

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There Stands the Glass reader BGO encouraged me to share this NPR-sponsored performance by saxophonist Melissa Aldana.  The kid has great ideas.  RIYL: Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre. 

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Jill Scott is featured in a video from the Robert Glasper Experiment's forthcoming album.

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I'm entranced by The City Under the City, the new release by L'Orange & Stik Figa.  Also released today: Anberlin. Jon Batiste, Mary J. Blige, Brandy Clark, Cults, Death Angel, Devin the Dude, Dismemberment Plan, Tim Hecker, Will Hoge, Boldy James, Glenn Lewis, Lucius, Paul McCartney, Morcheeba, Willie Nelson, Gary Numan, Aaron Parks, Pelican, Quadriga Consort, Red Fang, Ralph Towner, Trivium and Young Dro.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: King Khan and the Shrines- Idle No More

I have a hunch that Idle No More, the new album by King Khan and the Shrines, will come to be considered a classic recording.  The busy horn section and frenzied attack find precisely the right level of obstreperousness for a garage rock/R&B revivalist project in 2013.  Yet an album like Idle No More needs to be field tested. I haven't  the time, stamina or the cab fare to determine its true worth.  Initial clinical trials, however, indicate that it's a masterpiece of psychotic reaction.


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The Midwest Music Foundation has released the free 21-track compilation Midwestern Audio Vol. 2 - Electric Hullabaloo. 

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The Revisionists- a band featuring Brad Cox, Betse Ellis, Jeff Harshbarger, Kasey Rausch and Mike Stover- is featured in a video produced by KCUR.

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Radkey performed on Later… with Jools Holland.

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Yawn Johnson's self-titled mix tape is available at Bandcamp.  RIYL: Danny Brown, 816, Death Grips.

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MilkDrop and D/Will made a video for "Ayo D!".

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Cheers! The Telegraph reports on the boozy state of the pop charts.

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My cousin is featured in a Tiny Desk Concert.

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Kneebody's new album The Line is RIYL: Snarky Puppy, the Project H, jazz nerds.  The band is cosigned by Luciana Souza, Meshell Ndegeocello and Brad Meldhau in its EPK.

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Tyler, the Creator- not Miley Cyrus- embodies the zeitgeist.  Experience the many moods of "Tamale".

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Here's the ECM player for Tim Berne and Snakeoil's Shadow Man. RIYL: Andrew Hill, Richard Davis, Eric Dolphy.

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After I absorb the new Pusha T album, I hope to break the seal on many other albums released today.  The There Stands the Glass list includes Pepe Aguilar, Alter Bridge, Danny Brown, V.V. Brown, Cage the Elephant, CBGB: Original Motion PIcture Soundtrack, Miley Cyrus, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Darkside, Deap Vally, Patty Griffin, Albert Hammond, Jr., Lyfe Jennings, Jesu, Tim Kasher, Korn, Amos Lee, Scott Miller, Harold Lopez Nussa, Of Montreal, Anders Osborne, Gretchen Parlato, Parquet Courts, Maurizio Pollini, Lee Renaldo & the Dust, RJD2, Kenny Rogers, William Shatner, Sleigh Bells, Stone Temple Pilots and Yuja Wang.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

They Wasn't Satisfied Unless I Picked the Cotton Myself

The ire directed at Kanye West following his loopy BBC interview annoys me.  West's eccentricities fuel his musical brilliance.  I've grown even more enamored of Yeezus since I raved about the album in June.  Besides, West's outlandish persona is nothing new.  I recently watched Soul Power, the fascinating documentary about the concert in Zaire that coincided with the so-called Rumble in the Jungle.  The film includes many provocative statements by Don King, Muhammad Ali and James Brown.  West is clearly in the same linage of great Americans.  "New Slaves" indeed.

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My favorite bands at Buzz Beach Ball were Kitten, Daughter and Hanni El Khatib.  Here's my review.

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The money line from Forbes' profile of the Strange Music empire- "merchandise, which totals roughly $6.1 million annually; music, which brings in about $6.5 million; and touring, which adds closer to $7 million."  (Link via Tony's Kansas City.)

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A promotional video for the lowercase kansas hip hop showcase is interesting.

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Here's the video for Ces Cru's "Seven Chakras"

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"Romance Dawn" is Radkey's latest video.

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Henry Gray and Barbara Carr are the artists I'd most like to see at the 16th Blues Masters at the Crossroads concerts in Salina.  (Link via BGO.)

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One-woman band Coldbeat one-ups bands like Best Coast in the dream/garage/pop sweepstakes.  I'm smitten by "Worms".

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Vijay Iyer was awarded a MacArthur genius grant.

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Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi's Tiny Desk Concert is extraordinary. RIYL: Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, grace, John Lee Hooker.

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I'm infatuated with Las Kellies. The Argentine trio may be a glorious mess live, but the new album Total Exposure recalls Fine Young Cannibals, the Human League and Culture Club.

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Moby openly confesses his love of Yes in his "What's In My Bag?" segment.  I appreciate his candor.

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This week's new releases of particular interest to There Stands the Glass include John Abercrombie, Blind Boys of Alabama, Blitzen Trapper, Anna Calvi, Deltron 3030, Jeremy Denk, Dr. Dog, Elf Power, Johnny Flynn, Haim, Hank 3, K-Ci & Jojo, Lorde, Moby, Nelly, Quasi, Charlie Robison, Justin Timberlake and Randy Travis.

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Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.  And here's a promising late booking- Krystle Warren will perform Sunday at the KC Live stage in the Power & Light district.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Dave Holland- Prism

Dave Holland was on bass as Miles Davis unleashed the unholy sound that came to be known as jazz fusion.  I've repeatedly acknowledged my uneasy relationship with the genre at this site.  Much of it- including some of the stuff I like- is the worst sort of wankery.  Holland rectifies most of those excesses with the startling new album Prism.  The lineup- guitarist Kevin Eubanks, pianist Craig Taborn, Holland and drummer Eric Harland- isn't afraid to get dirty.  The only embarrassing element of Prism is the cheesy album art.


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Jackie Lomax has died.

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Jimmy Ponder has died.

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Until Friday, I'd never thought much of Mumford & Sons.  The folk band forced me to reevaluate their worth with an excellent performance in Bonner Springs.  Here's my review of the band's final show for the foreseeable future.

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I reviewed Miguel Zenon's transcendent appearance at the Blue Room last night.  Here's footage of the show.

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I reviewed Chuck Haddix's Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker at Plastic Sax.

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Enter the Riddim is the latest album by the Blue Riddim Band.  RIYL: Kansas City music history, Joe Higgs, Trojan Records.

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Radkey's forthcoming four-song EP Devil Fruit is RIYL the Misfits, the Ramones, Danzig.  And yeah, it's worthy of those comparisons.

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The administrator of the Middle of the Map Fest's Facebook account recently queried fans about which acts they'd like to see at the 2014 festival.  The organizers' tastes aren't exactly simpatico with my preferences, but here are three artists that meet the aesthetics of both MotM and TSTG that might fall within the festival's budget: Flying Lotus, Gary Numan and Nicolas Jaar.

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It's nice to see Ron Gutierrez getting a lot of high-profile work.  I'm a fan.

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"I need a miracle."  Even though it's undoubtedly worth every penny, I just can't pull the trigger on $100 tickets for the Lyric Opera's "The Capulets & the Montagues" starring Joyce DiDonato. 

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Oh, for Pete's sake.  Eugene Chadbourne has recorded an album of Merle Haggard covers.  It's titled- steel yourself- Merles Just Want To Have Fun.  Here's "I Take a Lot of Pride In Who I Am".  RIYL: making enemies, being alone, straightjackets.

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Jazz-oriented guitarist Todd Clouser made a rock album.  Man with No Country is RIYL: Marc Ribot, Lou Reed, Charlie Hunter.

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"Aheym", the title track of Kronos Quartet's forthcoming album, is a powerful piece of music.  RIYL: Bryce Dessner, high drama, string quartets.

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Travel Guide, the new Ralph Towner album, promises to be lovely.  RIYL: acoustic Pat Metheny, guitar shops, Paco de Lucía.

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I opted for an R&B concert over Rancid's appearance in Lawrence last Saturday.  Thankfully, a fan shot some video.

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No disrespect for the senseless death of Ella, but Cemetery Deer would be an excellent band name.

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After I give the latest release by Rhymes-with-Lake (the rapper's attorneys have forced Google to send me cease-and-desist notifications for simply mentioning his name at this site) a fair shot, I intend to get around to today's new releases by Alan Jackson, Pete Anderson, Black Label Society, Deer Tick, Gov't Mule, Ha Ha Tonka, Elton John, Tim Kasher, Jimmy LaFave, Mazzy Star, Bill O'Connell & the Latin Jazz All-Stars, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band, the Raybeats, Danya Stephens, Touche Amore, Rokia Traore, Allen Toussaint and John Zorn & Thurston Moore.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass  Hey, Mr. Holland- you can use the embedded photo for your next album cover.)

Concert Review: The Mavericks at Knuckleheads

I anticipated that I'd be a part of a coterie of a few hundred nostalgic fans of The Mavericks as I drove to Knuckleheads last Thursday.

After all, the concert was competing against two free high-profile country shows.  Charlie Daniels was playing the kickoff concert of the Flatlands Music Festival.  Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders were on the KC Live! stage at the Power & Light District.  Who'd be willing pay an exorbitant amount of money ($40 in advance and $45 day of show) to see a band that peaked almost twenty years ago when free entertainment was on tap?

It turns out that Kansas City is home to over 1,000 moneyed alternative country fans who probably wouldn't be caught dead at a Charlie Daniels show and wouldn't feel comfortable patronizing the Power & Light District.

And man, these people loved the Mavericks.   Trampoline may be one of my favorite albums of all time, but I couldn't begin to join the majority of the audience in singing along to most every song Thursday.  This rough fan footage captures the atmosphere.

I'd attended a couple of front man Raul Malo's solo performances in recent years, but I hadn't seen the Mavericks since a 1990s gig at Guitars & Cadillacs.   The recently reunited band was supplemented by a horn section, an accordionist and two or three additional multi-instrumentalists.  The large band played over two hours.

Yeah, I got my money's worth.  Here's Tim Finn's proper review.


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Miranda Lambert won me over at the Flatlands Country Music Festival.  Here's my review.

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Ray Dolby has died.

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Patrick Neas interviewed Joyce DiDonato in advance of her performance in "The Capulets and the Montagues" at the Lyric Opera.

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Here are videos for Tech N9ne's "Dwamn" and Krizz Kaliko's "Night Time".

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Jim James participated in Lawrence High School's Classroom Sessions program.

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Roscoe Mitchell's Not Yet is RIYL: Anthony Davis, John Cage, Anthony Braxton.

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Essential Tremors,  the new album by J Roddy Walston & the Business, is RIYL: Jack White, Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin.

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I dig British hip-hop.  The Menagerie's "Are You Serious?" is RIYL: The Streets, Dizzee Rascal, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

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A recent 70-minute performance by the Dave King Trio is streaming at YouTube.

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Roy Smeck shreds.  (Via There Stands the Glass reader Phil.)

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include Avicii, Bill Callahan, Carcass, Todd Clouser, Elvis Costello & the Roots, Crystal Stilts, Kenny Garrett, Garland Jeffreys (!), Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Mark Lanegan, the Del McCoury Band, MGMT, MMG, Nightmares On Wax, Gregory Porter, Sidi Touré, Why?, Windhand and the 1975.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Janelle Monáe- The Electric Lady

I'm among the dozens of people in my circle of acquaintances who are actively cheering for Janelle Monáe.  Professional music critics, hometown boosters and multi-generational members of the There Stands the Glass compound are among the people hoping that the Wyandotte County native becomes the Prince of the new millennium.   

Her potential is tantalizing.  Monáe was riveting both times I've seen her perform.  But her recordings haven't matched her ambition.  To be blunt, Metropolis: Suite One (The Chase) and The ArchAndroid are kind of whack.  I had hoped that with The Electric Lady, released today, Monáe would finally realize her obvious greatness.  Alas, it's not the one. 

The project seems like three different albums.  There's solid funk and R&B, trifling pop and a few eccentric oddities that advance the album's science fiction theme.

The good stuff is really good.  Prince passes the torch to Monáe on the solid "Give 'em What They Love."  And to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite music critics, the single "Q.U.E.E.N." bumps in my whip.  Monáe resembles a true funkateer on title track. The ballad "Primetime" is what I've always wanted to hear from Alicia Keys.

Several songs exude a heavy 1970s vibe.  Monáe goes hard on the old-school R&B of "Ghetto Woman."  The excellent "Victory" sounds so much like Teena Marie that I have to assume it's a deliberate tribute to the late star.  "Can't Live Without Your Love" is a delectable love song.  "Sally Ride" is the only one of three or four James Bond-inspired songs that click with me.

Then there's the failed pop experiments.  The post-Chic disco of "We Were Rock & Roll" could be a Bruno Mars outtake.  Transforming Juicy J's "Bandz a Make Her Dance" into a song of empowerment is a cool idea, but the oppressively cheery jangle of "Dance Apocalyptic" is annoying.  It's one of several tracks that seem tailored to the Fueled By Ramen audience.   The album closer "What An Experience" reminds me of a Sean Kingston ditty.

While it has plenty of convincing moments, The Electric Lady simply isn't the new Dirty Mind, Controversy or 1999.  I reserve the right to revise my opinion after I witness people reacting to the album in a public setting and after I catch Monáe's concert at the Uptown Theater in November.  Until then, I'll be the guy with "Q.U.E.E.N." on repeat.


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I reviewed Johnny Mathis' appearance at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre on Friday and Iron Maiden's show at the Sprint Center on Saturday.

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Lisa Henry's performance Thursday at Kansas City Kansas Community College impressed me.

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John "Juke" Logan has died.

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The Grisly Hand made a music video for "That's Not Affection".

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Approach's Vanilla Brass was posted to Bandcamp on September 5.  RIYL: Mac Lethal, Doomtree, AWOL One.

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Lennon Bone's new EP is titled Call It a Custom.  RIYL: Ha Ha Tonka, the Whigs, Blitzen Trapper.

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Breakfast With Doctor Gonzo, the latest release by Steddy P and DJ Mahf, was released on Tuesday.

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Here's a vlog by the Mills Record Co.

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You can't un-hear Lizzo's "Batches & Cookies".  RIYL: Lazerbeak, Lil Mama, Sister Carol. 

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Gummy Soul remixed Souls of Mischief's album 93 'til Infinity.

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Paul McCartney's "New" put a spell on me.

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ECM provides a sample of Trios, the new album from Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow.

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It took me two days to fight my way through Hesitation Marks, the new album from Nine Inch Nails.  I thought it'd never end.  The horns are cool, though.

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Sketches of Ethiopia isn't my favorite Mulatu Astatke album.  Even so, it's wonderful. RIYL: Duke Ellington, life, James Brown.

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"Hi! My name is…"

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The video for Oddarrang's "Self Portrait" makes me wonder if Explosions In the Sky-style impressionism represents the commercial salvation of jazz.

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Roberto Fonseca's Yo was released in Europe last year but wasn't issued here until August 28.  RIYL: Irakere, Gonalo Rubalcaba, Edmar Castaneda.

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Bombino's Tiny Desk Concert doesn't really work for me.

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I'm living for Fito Olivares' return to Kansas City on Sunday, September 15.

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After giving Janelle Monáe a few more tries, I'll listen to the latest releases by Ralph Alessi, Arctic Monkeys, Carla Bley, Body/Head, Ry Cooder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Samantha Fish, Steep Canyon Rangers, Bryn Terfel, Trombone Shorty, 2 Chainz, J Roddy Walston & the Business, Jimmy Webb, The Weeknd and- heaven help me- the Prog Collective.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Vieux Farka Touré- Mon Pays

Vieux Farka Touré has served as my mental health counselor for the past ten days.  It's my understanding that his new album Mon Pays addresses the horrors afflicting his native Mali, but the album has consoled me as I struggle with my decidedly less dramatic personal issues.  The rapturously beautiful album lacks the startling "new thing" element that characterized his father Ali Farka Touré's crossover albums in the 1990s.  Yet Mon Pays' sense of familiarity brings me comfort.  Blessed relief is just a click away.

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Tim Finn wrote a remembrance of Abigail Henderson.

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Sathima Bea Benjamin has died.

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ReJoyce, a new Joyce DiDonato compilation, contains six previously-unreleased tracks.

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I reviewed Harold O'Neal's Man On the Street album at Plastic Sax.

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I recently stumbled across Dereck Higgins talking about the French label BYG Actuel on his YouTube channel.  I love everything about this guy.

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Kentucky Knife Fight's Hush Hush is RIYL: The Hold Steady, Lucero, Vic Chesnutt. 

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A$AP Ferg's Trap Lord is as harrowing as Mon Pays is comforting.

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The EPK for Linda Oh's Sun Pictures reflects the album's charms.  RIYL: Kurt Rosenwinkel, Matt Wilson, Todd Clouser.

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Light In the Attic is releasing a massive box set of material originally released by Lee Hazelwood Industries.

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Here's footage of Steve Coleman's Five Elements tearing it up.

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Four Fists is a new collaboration between P.O.S and Astronautalis.  RIYL: TV On the Radio, Nine Inch Nails, Beck.

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The trailer for Narco Cultura is fantastic.

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This week's new releases of interest to There Stands the Glass include Tamar Braxton, Richard Buckner, Neko Case, Joyce DiDonato, Dave Holland's Prism (here's a fusion-tastic sample), Jaheim, King Khan & The Shrines, Kreator, John Legend, Glenn Lewis, Nine Inch Nails, North Mississippi Allstars, Okkervil River, Raheem DeVaughn, a collaboration between Julian Lage and Fred Hersch, a new version of Verdi's Requiem and the Numero Group's Forte compilation.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Dreams I'll Never See

The disorienting sense that my recent reality is actually an extended waking dream was heightened by my experiences in an odd little town at Lake Erie last week.

Soon after I checked into a 1950s-style motel, I heard a band performing nearby.  A stellar version of "The Weight" sounded as if it was being played by the Avett Brothers.  I quickly made the one-block walk to the biker bar that was hosting the band.  

The musicians- a motley crew of middle-aged rockers in sequins and blue jeans- wasn't much to look at.  And they didn't sound good in close proximity either.  The band launched into a bevy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet covers when I grabbed a seat.  Several bikers played air guitar to "Dreams I'll Never See".  I washed down a sandwich prepared by Chef Mic with a couple beers as I observed the surreal scene.

As I tried to collect myself back at the motel, the band transformed again as it launched into a series of excellent covers of frat-rock songs like "Expressway to Your Heart."  Wake me up when it's over.


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I wrote a fall jazz preview for The Kansas City Star.

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Yet another piano trio!  I reviewed the Paul Shinn Trio's Reason Pure at Plastic Sax.

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Billboard cites the success of Strange Music.

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Reach's Loosies is available as a free download.  RIYL: KRS-One, Gang Starr, Rakim.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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D/Will's Lamb & Lion is also available at Bandcamp.  RIYL: Kanye West, Gil Scott-Heron, A Tribe Called Quest.

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The Numero Group published the track listing of its new Eccentric Soul: The Forte Label compilation.

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Yeah, I watched MTV's VMA show on Sunday.  Pontificating on drummed-up controversies isn't my thing.  The fact that not a single rock or EDM act performed at the event is far more interesting to me than the calculated shenanigans of pop stars.

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Buika shines in a Tiny Desk Concert.

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Dent May's Warm Blanket is RIYL: Destroyer, George Harrison, Randy Newman.

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The Akku Quartet's Stages of Sleep album is RIYL: Tortoise, Pink Floyd, Charles Lloyd.

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The new releases of the most interest to me this week include titles by Avenged Sevenfold, Belle & Sebastian, Big Sean, Black Joe Lewis, Devil Driver, Franz Ferdinand, Robbie Fulks, Goodie Mob, Juicy J, Lorde, Maps for Travelers, Dent May (see above), Pieces of a Dream and Quiet Corral.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here every Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Julian Waterfall Pollack Trio- Waves of Albion

For a guy who claims to have had his fill of piano trios, I'm spending a lot of time listening to the format in 2013.  The passing of Cedar Walton served as a bittersweet excuse to dig out a few of the pianist's recordings from the Museum of Dead People located in my dusty basement.  Hearing Walton work with David Williams and Billy Higgins on the sublime Manhattan Afternoon soothed my troubled soul. 

Walton's lyrical work helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of Waves of Albion, the excellent new album by Julian Waterfall Pollack.  Pollack and his colleagues don't attempt to replicate the work of Walton, Williams and Higgins.  Instead, they work in the entirely different conception associated with Brad Mehldau and Esbjörn Svensson. 

With Waves of Albion, Pollack contributes something new to the stylish sound of the new millennium.  A sense of deep spirituality pervades the album.  Elegiac versions of "Amazing Grace" and "Shenendoah" serve as its emotional core.  Jazz pianists including Duke Ellington and Mary Lou Williams have explored sacred music.   Yet to my knowledge, Pollack is the first of the new wave of pianists to explore religious themes. 

While the title of "I Don't Believe In Love Anymore" indicates that Pollack had other things on his mind as he composed the mournful piece, I hear it as a spiritual elegy.  Even a cover of Bon Iver's "Flume" sounds like a devotional exploration.  As with the recordings of Mehldau and Svensson, the sound field of Waves of Albion places each musician on equal footing.  Bassist Noah Garabedian propels each selection with no less force than Pollack or drummer Evan Hughes. 

How sweet the sound, indeed.


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I reviewed a concert featuring Peter Frampton, B.B. King, Sonny Landreth and Davy Knowles.

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Pianist Marian McPartland has died.

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Albert Murray has died.

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Allen Lanier of Blue Oyster Cult has died.

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"Scars" is the latest video from Krizz Kaliko.

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Here's an EPK for Samantha Fish's Black Wind Howlin' album.

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I've only listened to Earl Sweatshirt's Doris twice.  It's going to take time to decide if the dense album is a classic, a disjointed mess or merely an interesting experiment.  RIYL: Bob Dylan, OFWGKTA, The Chronic.

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Derrick Hodges' disappointing Live Today sounds more like a resume than a proper album.  RIYL: Robert Glasper, Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke. 

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King Krule's "Easy Easy" picks up where the Jam and the Arctic Monkeys left off.  (Tip via S.S.)

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Jashwha Moses' fine roots-rock-reggae album No War On Earth is RIYL: Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Augustus Pablo.

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Diarrhea Planet's I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams is a shockingly great.  RIYL: Green Day, Tame Impala, Fidlar.

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My friend at The Daily Record turned me on to Terrace Martin's 3ChordFold. Guests include Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper and Snoop Dogg.  The lush production is recommended to fans of those artists.

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Gosh!  Bakersfield, the 2013 album by Vince Gill and Paul Franklin, contains worlds of fun.  RIYL: Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Chris Hillman.

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Volto!'s Incitare is a solid jazz fusion album.  RIYL: Tool, instrument shops, Billy Cobham.

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A recent interview with Orrin Keepnews about the early days of Riverside Records is pretty great.

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Minimal research alert. Good Vibrations appears to be a movie about the Undertones, the troubles in Ireland and a music retailer.

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What a huge week for exciting new releases!  The list includes A$AP Ferg, Belle & Sebastian, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Stefano Bollani and Hamilton de Holanda, Crocodiles, Devildriver, Diarrhea Planet, Bob Dylan's Another Self Portrait (1969-1971): The Bootleg Series Vol. 10, Earl Sweatshirt's Doris, Tim Easton, Robbie Fulks, Philip Glass, the Greencards, Juicy J, Krizz Kaliko's Son of Sam, King Krule, Black Joe Lewis, No Age, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ty Segall and Superchunk.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Tompall Glaser, 1933-2013

My dad wore out the grooves of Wanted!: The Outlaws.  The album resounded hundreds of times in our home in the years following its release in 1976.  I relished the repetition, although I was a little creeped out by the lusty way my dad sang along to the songs about women.  Tompall Glaser, one of the four artists featured on the compilation, died Tuesday.  Glaser's rendition of "T For Texas" was my introduction to Jimmie Rodgers.  Put another log on the fire.


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Eydie Gormé has died.  (Video selection via BGO.)

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Jody Payne, Willie Nelson's guitarist, has died.

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Akkilles' Something You'd Say is streaming at Bandcamp.  RIYL: Sea Change, America (the band), Toro y Moi.

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Bowinero's Asterism is recommended if you like Antennas Up, Modest Mouse, Young the Giant. 

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The Floozies' new single ""Love, Sex and Fancy Things"" is RIYL: "Blurred Lines," "More Bounce To the Ounce" and "Suit & Tie."

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Antennas Up has a new video for The Awkward Phase".

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Red Kate's When the Trouble Comes is RIYL: the Big Boys, the Wipers, Naked Raygun.

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The video for Tech N9ne's "Party the Pain Away" is what you thought it was. 

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Dolls on Fire created a video for "Fem vs the Volcano".

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Tim Finn checks in with Matt Pryor of the Get Up Kids.

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I'm glad hundreds of thousands of people are excited about Kendrick Lamar's explosive verse on Big Sean's "Control."  I dig it too.  A similar reaction supposedly greeted Coleman Hawkins' famous solo on "Body and Soul" in 1939.  My ongoing fantasy is that a similar number of active music lovers will lose their collective minds over a new solo by someone like Rudresh Mahanthappa. 

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Thanks in large part to the contributions of Julian Lage, Gary Burton's Guided Tour is one of my favorite jazz albums of 2013.  Here's the EPK.

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The critical acclaim that's greeted Grant Hart's unlistenable new album The Argument strikes me as insane.

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Music critics occasionally know what they're talking about.  Ka's The Night's Gambit is every bit as good as the scores of breathless reviews suggest.  RIYL: Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Cut Chemist.

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The National's set at last weekend's Outside Lands festival featured the Kronos Quartet and Bob Weir. My interest in the mopey band is renewed.

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Myron & E's retro soul album Broadway sounds incredible.  Unfortunately, it's done in by extremely awkward lyrics.

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José James' new Come To My Door EP compliments his stunning full-length 2013 album.

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I recommend No Age's An Object to fans of the harsh post-punk sound of 1983. 

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Trillwave 3 is the deliriously fun new mixtape by mashup masters the Hood Internet. 

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I'll eventually get around to listening to this week's new releases by Glen Campbell, Bela Fleck, Valerie June, K. Michelle, Stevie Stone, Washed Out and Barrence Whitfield and the Savages.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Revocation- S/T

I'm going through some extremely difficult stuff at the moment.  While my first instinct is to throw a pity party while I put soul tracks like "I Wish It Would Rain" on repeat, I'm using Revocation's new self-titled album to help me work out a bit of my frustration.  The Boston-based band has created one of the year's most devastating albums.  The opening track "The Hive" is representative of the project.  It's brutal music for bleak times.  


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George Duke has died.  I recently wrote about Duke here and here.

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"Cowboy" Jack Clement has died.

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Tech N9ne claims that "I'm gonna be the first rapper to cross over to black folk" on "B.I.T.C.H.".  His new album debuted at #4 on Billboard's Top 200 chart.

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Christian McBride's first album of 2013 didn't do anything for me.  I'm hoping for different results from his new Out Here release.  Here's the EPK.

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CSS turned me on to As Mercenárias in their charming episode  of "What's In My Bag?"

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Myron & E's "Do It Do It Disco" is my jam.  RIYL: Sam and Dave, Joe Simon, the Dells.

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I enjoy The Vigil, Chick Corea's new old-school fusion release.  The amazing album cover is, ahem, truly memorable.

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The Flaming Lips and Animal Collective are participating in Cassette Store Day.  Of course they are.

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Here's a video for "Of Many, One", a track from the forthcoming album by Brian Haas and Matt Chamberlain.  RIYL: the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Critters Buggin, Philip Glass.

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One of my preachers is also a folk singer.

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Here's a nice video feature about Afropunk.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: The Pitch Music Showcase

The annual Pitch Music Showcase is one of my favorite events of the summer.  Friday's party was no exception.  Here are the three best things I took in during the three-and-a-half hours I spent in Westport.

1. Gee Watts at the Riot Room patio
I was charmed by the way in which the young rapper adapted his performance to the pitifully meager audience of about a dozen members of his entourage and 20 unrelated onlookers.  He set the tone by referring to the intimate setting as a "poetry reading."  Although he performed a few off-color selections like "Nasty", his low-key delivery on wrenching material like  "Premature Hate" floored me.  Between selections, Watts shared his views on God, capitalism and friendship.  He even broke down one or two of his songs in the style of Rap Genius.

2. La Guerre at the RecordBar
I've seen Katlyn Conroy perform several times as a member of Cowboy Indian Bear.  I've also enjoyed her recordings.  Not until I witnessed her sing for about a dozen people at the RecordBar, however, did I grasp that her voice is a truly magnificent instrument.

3. Info Gates at the Riot Room patio
Info Gates, a hip-hop producer, songwriter and performer, was joined by Ubiquitous, Godemis and Les Izmore.  It looked and sounded a lot like this.


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I reviewed Saturday's concert by the Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, Gogol Bordello and the Virgins.

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Strange Music continues to crank out product.  "Why Me", is a track on Krizz Kaliko's new Son of Sam album, his fifth in six years.

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Mills Record Company provides a nice analysis of the significance of the Get Up Kids' Four Minute Mile.

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Mary Halvorson's stellar set at last weekend's Newport Jazz Festival is available as a free download.  RIYL: Henry Threadgill, Marc Ribot, Charles Mingus.

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I'm looking forward to hearing this week's new releases by Gary Burton, the Civil Wars, Chick Corea, Iwrestledabearonce, Christian McBride, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Polyphonic Spree, Elvis at Stax: Deluxe Edition, Revocation, Terje Rypdal, Beating The Petrillo Ban: The Late December 1947 Modern Sessions and Mutazione - Italian Electronic & New Wave Underground 1980 - 1988

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Kansas City Click: Amon Amarth open for Rob Zombie at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater on Monday.

The Floozies perform Tuesday at Crossroads KC.

T.J. Martley performs with Bill McKemy and Matt Leifer at Unity of Kansas City North on Wednesday.

John Velghe & the Prodigal Sons appear at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image of Gee Watts by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review- Daora: Underground Sounds of Urban Brasil

Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical changed my life 23 years ago.  I had been only vaguely aware of Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso prior to purchasing the David Byrne-curated CD.  Hearing a handful of their most accessible songs on a single set opened my ears to a universe of sounds.  I feel much the same way about the new compilation Daora: Underground Sounds of Urban Brasil.  The lengthy album contains contemporary hip-hop, funk, post-MPB, indie rock, Afrobeat and reggae of Brasil.  About a third of it is astoundingly great.  Having only been aware of a handful of the featured artists, I've embarked on a delightful new journey of discovery.

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I reviewed Tuesday's concert by the Postal Service and Mates of State.

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Kerry Strayer, a major player on Kansas City's jazz scene, has died.

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Serj Tankian sings the hook on Tech N9ne's "Straight Out the Gate".

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Numero Group is reissuing material recorded for Kansas City's Forte label.

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Minden's video for "What's More Than Appropriate?" transfixed me.  The Way Back's video for "Terrified" is less ambitious.

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I tried to get into F**k Buttons, but all I hear is a stylish version of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

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Homebodies will be able to watch live streams of this weekend's Lollapalooza, Pickathon and Newport Jazz festivals.

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"I'm up against brass cleaning!"  Footage of Action Bronson's appearance at an old folk's home makes me smile.

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Ole Smokey's remixes of classic rock, funk, jazz and pop tracks are a hoot. 

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)