Album Review: D/Will- Reset

I had the pleasure of attending a small listening party for D/Will's Reset album last month.  I'd delayed reviewing the masterful recording partly because its unconventional nature makes it difficult to analyze.

Only after enduring a new release that's likely to be my least favorite Kansas City album of 2014 did I begin to fully appreciate the subtle brilliance of Reset.

Rather than being obsessed by the shallow topics of marijuana and rap status that consume many of his contemporaries, D/Will engages in a profound examination of spirituality.  Kanye West may be the only hip-hop artist to address the topic of salvation with as much finesse as D/Will.  Yet characterizing Reset as a Christian album wouldn't be accurate.

Reset is a bold reckoning of what it means to reside in America.

D/Will isn't a great rapper but he's an excellent producer.  The surprising array of sounds on Reset enhances the project's cultivated message.  "Meeting With God" relects the album's intent.


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Here's my review of T-Pain's woefully under-attended concert at Crossroads KC.

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I reviewed Nickel Creek's concert at the Uptown Theater.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment about the Phantastics to KCUR's Up To Date.

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Radkey was featured in USA Today.

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Mac Lethal has, as they say, found his lane.  Here's his new Mozart rap.

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John Blake has died.  I bought the violinist's album Twinkling of an Eye as a new release in 1985. 

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Jean Redpath has died.  (Via BGO.)

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The band name and album title of the National Jazz Trio of Scotland's Standards, Vol. III are amusingly misleading.  Bill Wells' project is RIYL: Belle and Sebastian, nuance, Robert Wyatt.  "Surprising Word" isn't the best track on the album, but the video is solid.

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The Messenger's Illusory Blues is RIYL: Kansas, 1975, Renaissance.  Here's the video for “Somniloquist”.

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Action Bronson is hilarious.

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I'm not convinced that Benjamin Booker is all that.  The self-titled album of the current media darling is RIYL: Kings of Leon, NPR, the Black Keys.

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Rittz owns it.

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Bless their metallic hearts.  The current lineup of the stalwart thrash band Overkill sounds better than ever on White Devil Armory, the New Jersey band's seventeenth studio album.  Here's the video for "Armorist".

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The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer is worthwhile.

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My latest obsession: the music of the Lebanese singer Fairuz.

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"I don't know how you can sit there and listen to that mess."  That's what a member of my compound told me as I was ingesting Wiring, a new all-star jazz collaboration.  RIYL: Vijay Iyer, annoying others, Reggie Workman.

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I spent the remainder of the day cowering under my desk in a fetal position after I watched the videos for Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" and Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" back-to-back last week.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Top 25 Tracks of the Decade (So Far)

Pitchfork's polemical The 200 Best Tracks of the Decade (so far) post inspired me to compile my own list.  Although I don't necessarily share Pitchfork's sensibility, my smaller list includes eight of the same selections.  Where's the jazz?  Where's the metal?  Well, when I think about individual songs, I think about R&B and hip-hop.  All 25 of these songs released during the past 55 months thrill me.  Here's the Spotify playlist.

The Top 25 Tracks of the Decade (So Far)
1. Pusha T with Kendrick Lamar- "Nosetalgia"
2. Kendrick Lamar- "B****, Don't Kill My Vibe"
3. Lorde- "Royals"
4. Janelle Monae with Erykah Badu- "Q.U.E.E.N."
5. Jay-Z and Kanye West- "N***** In Paris"

6. Ledisi- "Pieces of Me"
7. Kanye West- "All of the Lights"
8. Tyler, the Creator- "Yonkers"
9. Earl Sweatshirt- "Chum"
10. Tech N9ne- "Worldwide Choppers"

11. Frank Ocean- "Thinkin' 'Bout You"
12. Jill Scott with Anthony Hamilton- "So In Love"
13. Josh Thompson- "Way Out Here"
14. Kanye West- "New Slaves"
15. John Legend- "All of Me"

16. Chrisette Michele- "A Couple of Forevers"
17. Miranda Lambert- "Baggage Claim"
18. Sleigh Bells- "Rill Rill"
19. Skating Polly- "So In Love"
20. Lil Debbie with Riff Raff- "Michelle Obama"

21. Nas and Damian Marley- "As We Enter"
22. Danny Brown- "Fields"
23. E-40- "Function"
24. LCD Soundsystem- "Drunk Girls"
25. Michael Jackson- "Love Never Felt So Good"

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Cretin Hop

Punk may have won several battles during the past few decades, but it's clearly lost the war against mainstream rock. 

I visited a friend who runs the vinyl department at 7th Heaven on my way to Starlight Theatre for last night's concert by Boston and Kansas.  He told me that young vinyl enthusiasts are purchasing scads of Boston records. 

Sure enough, I spotted several groups of teens among the audience that almost filled the venue. 

Boston and The Ramones were both released in 1976.  Thirty-eight years later, Tom Scholz faithfully recreates "Peace of Mind" for thousands of admirers while every original member of the Ramones is dead.  A new album by the post-Boston metal band Godsmack topped Billboard's album charts this week. 

Punk's defeat doesn't bother me much.  While I prefer "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" to "Peace of Mind," I've always liked "More Than a Feeling" more than "Smells Like Teen Spirit."


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I reviewed a concert by Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn.

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I reviewed Joan Sebastian's first and final appearance in Kansas.

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Ziggy Marley performed at Crossroads KC this week.  Here's my review.

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Here's my review of Boston and Kansas.

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I contributed Local Listen segments to KCUR's "Up To Date" featuring The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Nuthatch-47.

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Dwight Frizzell's "Slippages" is very nice.

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Kasai Allstars' Beware the Fetish may be my favorite groove-based album of the year.

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Falty DL's In the Wild is as fresh as everyone says.  RIYL: Pole, vertigo, Flying Lotus.

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A lot of people enjoy making fun of Godsmack.  I'm not among them. The new album 1000hp is RIYL: Disturbed, life outside an ivory tower, Shinedown.  Here's the title track.

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Baxter Dury looks and sounds uncannily like his pop in the video for "Pleasure".

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Captain Black Big Band's Mother's Touch is RIYL: Orrin Evans, relevant swing, Charles Mingus.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ces Cru- Codename: Ego Stripper

My knock on Ces Cru has always centered on the content of the Kansas City duo's lyrics.  Godemis and Ubiquitous possess great flows, superior intelligence and wondrous energy, but I'm not terribly interested in songs about inebriation, conspiracy theories or their standing in the rap game.  Yet everything comes together on Codename: Ego Stripper.  I still prefer the beats on Ces Cru's self-released stuff, but there's no denying the additional power provided by the typically slick Strange Music production.  Besides, "Pressure" references my late friend Anne Winter.  I don't know where Codename: Ego Stripper will debut on Billboard's charts this week, but the project is clearly one of the best Kansas City albums of 2014.


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Teen pop sensation Gracie Schram made a video for "Yellow Shoes".

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The video for Shy Boys' "Life Is Peachy" is amusing.

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Dutch Newman's "Go Chicken Go" isn't about the Kansas City restaurant.

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Electric Needle Room have released a split EP with the Pennsylvania band the Worsh Ahts.

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I can't get the late Jimmy Scott out of my mind as I listen to Cold World, the new album by Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens.  RIYL: The Soul Stirrers, God, Albertina Walker.  Here's a video for "Sinner".

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Miriam of Norton Records has released an album of her own.  "My Love Has Gone" is the first single.

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Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio is an uncompromising jazz recording led by the winner of the 2013 Thelonious Monk competition.  RIYL: Matt Otto, freedom, Sonny Rollins.

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Lawrence English's noise on Wilderness of Mirrors is right up my alley.  Here's "Hapless Gatherer".  RIYL: the hum of machinery, Harold Budd, ringing ears.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Morris Day and the Time at the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival

It's always a relief when oldies concerts don't make me feel embarrassed for the artists and ashamed of myself for revisiting the past.  An appearance by Morris Day and the Time at the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival on Saturday could have been a disaster.  I ponied up $15 in spite of the dubious circumstances.  The delightful 90-minute show on the back lawn of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum exceeded my expectations.  The expert band powered by original drummer Jellybean Johnson and fronted by the wildly entertaining Morris Day faithfully recreated old favorites including "Ice Cream Castles," "777-9311," "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" and "Jungle Love."  The smiles of the fans participating in a dance contest reflect my appreciation.


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Here's my review of Mötley Crüe's final concert in Kansas City.

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Drummer Idris Muhammad has died.

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The brouhaha over The New Yorker's Sonny Rollins satire is ridiculous.  Is jazz isn't so fragile that it can't withstand a joke?  Here's the great man's reaction.

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Chuck D and Mavis Staples collaborate on "Give We the Pride."

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Is Clipping's CLPPNG a parody?  I can't tell.  Sounds great, though.  RIYL: Earl Sweatshirt, confusion, Death Grips.

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Friends & Lovers, the latest release from Marsha Ambrosius, is quite nice.  RIYL: Alicia Keys, freaks, Keyshia Cole.

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I'm fascinated by the bombastic sound of Hiromi's Alive.  RIYL: Brand X, rock production, Eldar Djangarov.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Phil Neal & the Wornalls- Lifeline

I'm accustomed to embarrassing myself on the radio.  My latest faux pas occurred while I was talking up the latest album by Phil Neal & the Wornalls.  I suggested that I'd just as soon catch the Kansas City band at the RecordBar as make an investment in a ticket for Tom Petty & the Heartbreaker's concert at Sprint Center.  A colleague quickly pointed out that Petty's concert had been canceled.  Even so, I stand by my sentiment.  The Wornalls may not be as accomplished as the Heartbreakers and Neal's vocal range is even more limited than Petty's.  Yet the songs on the new album Lifeline are raw, honest and entirely relevant to my life.


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I spent over eight happy hours at Warped Tour on Thursday.  Here's my review.

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Last week's Local Listen segment for KCUR's Up To Date featured Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats.  This week's feature focused on the People's Liberation Big Band. 

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Bent Edge Punk documents Kansas City's early punk and new wave scene.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Impossibly strange fact: fans attending a Kansas City Kings game in 1978 were given free copies of Ian Matthews' Stealin' Home.  The album is being reissued by Omnivore Recordings.

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Is Nicholas Payton trolling on his new project Numbers?  The twelve pleasant grooves are almost interchangeable.  RIYL: soulful background music, Decoy, high concept.

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Ex-Cult's Midnight Passenger is very good.  RIYL: Iceage, thinking about the Sex Pistols, Stooges.

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Nothing's Guilty of Everything is RIYL: Deafheaven, brooding, My Bloody Valentine.

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Raheem DeVaughn's graphic King of Loveland 2 is RIYL: Prince, you already know, the Isley Brothers.

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".38 Airweight", the solid new single from Doomtree, is RIYL: Minneapolis, Aesop Rock, smart rappers.

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I intended to briefly audition Trampled By Turtles' Wild Animals.  Before I knew it, I'd enjoyed the entire album.  Twice.  RIYL: American Beauty, mornings, Fleet Foxes.

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It seems like several lifetimes ago that I loved Scruffy the Cat.  I spend a few hazy nights catching the band at the Lone Star and Parody Hall.  Here's the trailer for a new compilation of the band's roots rock. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Beach Music

My biggest concern while spending a few days in the California sunshine has stepping on a stingray.  The blissful environment wreaks havoc on my sonic acumen.  Of all the music I hear on the beach and on the boardwalk, the only two styles that sound right are contemporary country/pop hits like Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" and classic West Coast hip-hop like Snoop Dogg's "Up Jump Tha Boogie".  I have little doubt that had I been raised in this environment, my interest in jazz would be negligible and my knowledge of ska would be deeper than the Pacific Ocean.


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Here's my Local Listen feature about Quixotic for KCUR's Up To Date.

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D/Will created a video for "Meeting With God."

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Gee Watts' latest video is "Gator Dance/Dreams".

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I prefer Richard Reed Parry's new classical album Music For Heart and Breathto the output of Arcade Fire.  RIYL: Nico Muhly, string sections, Terry Riley.

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The guys in Deltron 3030 reveal what's in their bags.

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Sean Jones' im.pro.vise never before seen is a fine mainstream jazz album.  RIYL: Orrin Evans, tradition, Wynton Marsalis.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Eric Taylor at Knuckleheads

Eric Taylor threatened to shoot me last night. 

I walked into the back room of Knuckleheads shortly after Taylor's first set began.  I was immediately entranced by the folk songs and halting speech of the Texan.  Even so, I was compelled to respond to a couple text messages about 15 minutes after I took a seat among the audience of ten. 

Taylor took offense. 

In a profanity laced tirade in which he referenced his open carry license, he demanded that I "turn off my f*cking cell phone."  Partly because his stage set consisted of a glass of red wine, a prescription pill canister and an unopened bottle of water, I heeded his warning without objection. 

I passed on appearances by Richard Buckner and Old Crow Medicine Show/Carolina Chocolate Drops in favor of paying $15 to see Taylor for the first time.  Still haunted by my failure to witness a performance by Townes Van Zandt, I figured I'd take a flier on Taylor.  Sure enough, Taylor told a tale or two about his former running buddy.

Taylor's stories were at the core of his two sets.  He spoke about the series of strokes he'd suffered, the deafness in his right ear, the physical pain he associates with abandonment by women, Pentecostal snake handling, heroin and moonshine.  A recording of Taylor's tribute to Bill Morrissey captures the tone of last night's performance.

His approach is in keeping with the Texas troubadour tradition of Vince Bell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Billy Joe Shaver and his ex-wife Nanci Griffith.  A glowing profile in The Houston Chronicle serves as a helpful introduction for the uninitiated. 

I called Taylor out on his threat after the show.  He insisted that his ominous warning was merely "a bit" and that the prescription bottle was just a prop that contained guitar picks.  The mea culpa was unconvincing.


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I reviewed a concert by Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo and Rick Springfield.

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Johnny Winter has died.  His production of Muddy Waters' Hard Again was among my primary entry points to blues. 

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Elaine Stritch has died.

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"Sound Bite" is a track from Ces Cru's forthcoming Ego Stripper album.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Charlie Haden, 1937-2014

Charlie Haden played a crucial role in molding me into the listener I am today.  Here are just three examples of the many ways in which Haden expanded my appreciation and understanding of music.

As a nascent jazz fan in the pre-internet era, I became aware of the provocatively titled Liberation Music Orchestra.  When I finally got my hands on a copy of the 1969  album, I didn't know what to make of it.  It's not "jazz."  Haden helped me to realize that musical boundaries don't really exist. 

The 1991 album Haunted Heart caused me to reevaluate music I'd written off as pablum.  By incorporating old recordings of Jo Stafford and Jeri Southern into Quartet West's concept album, Haden convinced me to drop my bias against pre-rock pop vocalists.  My subsequent flirtation with music by the likes of Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney has yet to cease.

Finally, Haden's gorgeous collaborations with Pat Metheny reminded me of the immense power of austerity.  As a lover of noise and groove, I require quiet works like Beyond the Missouri Sky keep me centered.

Haden died last week.


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I reviewed a concert by Gavin DeGraw, Matt Nathanson and Mary Lambert.

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I featured Jorge Arana Trio's Oso at Plastic Sax.

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Here's my Local Listen segment on Ensemble Ibérica.

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The Mahoots' Girl From Topeka is probably my favorite project by my friend Steve Wilson since No Price On Earth, the classic 1982 album by the Thumbs.  RIYL: Alex Chilton, rock and roll hearts, Guided By Voices.

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Dom Chronicles' video for "Get Focused" was shot at the castle-like structure in the Jazz District.

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Stik Figa made a video for "The Book of Chad".

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Tommy Ramone has died.

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After a career filled with good albums, Jim Lauderdale finally made a great one.  I'm a Song is RIYL: Buck Owens, 1965, George Jones.

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Leela James' Fall For You is solid.  RIYL: Anthony Hamilton, adulthood, Mary J. Blige.

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Should Brian Wilson decide to take a naked romp on a Brazilian beach, Sébastien Tellier's L'Aventura would make an ideal soundtrack for the outing.

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David Binney's Anacapa is a wonderful mainstream jazz album.  RIYL: Pat Metheny, imagination, Wayne Shorter.

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Nick Waterhouse's Holly is RIYL: Hanni El Khatib, Uma Thurman's character in Pulp Fiction, The Blasters.

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The Village Voice's examination of the origins of Bob Marley's Legend is fascinating.

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Bobby Hutcherson's Enjoy the View fails to hold my attention.  RIYL: David Sanborn, Blue Note Records, Joey DeFrancesco.

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The cowboy rides away with a gross of $60 million.  The financials of 2014's top tours are fascinating.

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Cyrus Chestnut's Midnight Melodies is a fine live piano trio album. 

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Good on Metallica.

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Sage Francis is very angry.  Copper Gone is RIYL: Mac Lethal, sour grapes, Aesop Rock.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Radkey- Spotify Sessions

My friends look at me as if I'm a heretic every time I mention Radkey's striking resemblance to the Misfits and Glenn Danzig.  I guess I didn't get the memo that pointing out the obvious characteristic of the St. Joseph trio is forbidden.  I happen to adore Danzig, so my taboo commentary isn't an indictment.  My primary concern about the young band's prospects are related to the quality of their songs.  The raw power of Radkey's live performances, however, is incontestable.  That's why the new Spotify Sessions is my favorite Radkey recording.


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I would have enjoyed last week's concert by François Rabbath even more if the woman next to me hadn't been chomping on gum.  Here's my review.

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I reviewed a concert by Sarah McLachlan at Starlight Theatre.

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I review Everette DeVan's new album at Plastic Sax.

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D/Will's 13-minute mixtape Ready. Aim. Beautiful is nice.

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The blasphemers behind the Studio Rio project have extracted the original vocals from iconic songs and recast them in Brazilian settings.  Listen to them mess with Billie Holiday's "You've Changed".  Welcome to the future.

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Drums are dumb.  That's my takeaway from Scott Feiner's A View From Below.  A Brazilian hand drum replaces a drum kit on the fascinating release.  The trio's keyboardist provides the low end while the fusion-happy guitarist is given plenty of room to meander.

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Lizzo's new album LizzoBangers is delightful.  RIYL: Lazerbeak, honesty, Missy Elliott.

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I can't believe that I'm infatuated with a Judas Priest album in 2014. Redeemer of Souls is surprisingly solid.

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As a concept album, CunninLynguists' Strange Journey, Volume Three is terrible.  As pure entertainment, it's very good.  RIYL: Grieves, rhyming dictionaries, Aesop Rock.

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Mournful Congregation's Concrescence Of The Sophia is RIYL: funerals, Tombs, 20-minute death metal jams.

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Kendrick Lamar parodied ignorant rappers on "Backseat Freestyle."  Most of These Days, the new album by his label mate Ab-Soul, sounds like the moronic music Lamar mocked.  Largely because it could have been great, the project infuriates me.  Here's Lamar's contribution to the mess.  RIYL: Kendrick Lamar, darkness, Jay Rock.

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Ginger Baker's Why? is RIYL: Charlie Watts' jazz, Charles Mingus, Jack Bruce's jazz.

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A lot of the cool kids are touting Forgetting the Present, the latest release by the Mogwai-affiliated Remember Remember.  My verdict?  It's a propulsive new age album.  RIYL: Shadowfax, the healing properties of crystals, Nightnoise.

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Bill Frisell goes surfing.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Bobby Womack, 1944-2004

I was late to Bobby Womack's party.  By the time I purchased the CD pictured above in the early '90s, I'd already become conversant with the works of most soul greats.  Hearing songs like "Lookin' For a Love," "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" and "Across 110th Street" for the first time was stunning.  I wondered how these gems weren't played alongside familiar radio hits by James Brown and Al Green.  After finally catching up with Womack, I was able to enjoy subsequent albums as new releases.  Womack died last week.  Here's Raphael Saadiq's new tribute song.

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I reviewed Saturday's concert by Tech N9ne, Freddie Gibbs, Jarren Benton and the Psych Ward Druggies.

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I reviewed Ray LaMontagne's concert at Starlight Theatre.

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I yakked about music on KCUR's Up To Date last week.  Here's the stream.

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Lee McBee has died.

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Tech N9ne made a video for "Fear."

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Here's the trailer for Arrows Into Infinity, a new documentary about Charles Lloyd.

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I'm a Led Zeppelin freak but I'm not an apologist.  Here's essential documentation of LedZep's transgressions.  The insidious ads are a small price to pay.  (Tip via There Stands the Glass reader Phil.)

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Har Mar Superstar stars in the excellent video for Trampled By Turtles' "Wild Animals."

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Jimmy Cobb's The Original Mob bores me to tears.  I suppose that makes me a bad person.

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It's not exactly funky, but Worry Later by the unapologetically geeky jazz trio of Ben Goldberg, Adam Levy and Smith Dobson is a sublime tribute to Monk. 

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Mastodon's latest release sounds exactly like another Mastodon album.  Here's the video for "High Road".  RIYL: size, The Mars Volta, volume.

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It takes 2 hours and 35 minutes to play the new compilation Role: New Sounds of Brazil.  Much of it is exemplary.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Love Never Felt So Good: Music Midway in 2014

Top Shows of 2014
When I look at the list of my favorite live performances of the first six months of 2014, I'm certain that I'm one of the most fortunate people on the planet.

1. Bettye LaVette- Knuckleheads
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Midland theater
3. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Topeka Performing Arts Center
4. Marijuana Deathsquads- RecordBar
5. Kraftwerk- Sony Centre (Toronto)
6. Tony Bennett- Muriel Kauffman Theatre
7. Pharaoh Sanders- Blues Alley (Washington D.C.)
8. Nicola Benedetti- Folly Theater
9. Wolf Eyes- Riot Room patio
10. Pusha T- Midland theater

11. Suicidal Tendencies- Uptown Theater
12. Thy Art Is Murder- Aftershock
13. Regina Carter- Helzberg Hall
14. John Cale- Lawrence Arts Center
15. St. Vincent- Liberty Hall
16. Ladysmith Black Mambazo- Liberty Hall
17. Fitz & the Tantrums- KC Live
18. Allen Toussaint- Folly Theater
19. Black Label Society- Penn Valley Park
20. Bahia Orchestra Project- Helzberg Hall

21. Maze- Municipal Auditorium
22. Brad Mehldau Trio- Folly Theater
23. Jaleel Shaw with the Jeff Harshbarger Trio- Take Five Coffee + Bar
24. Brendan Kinsella- Grant Recital Hall
25. John Scofield- Folly Theater 

Top 50 Albums
Few things provide me with a bigger thrill than listening to an album for the first time.  Digital streaming, consequently, has been a godsend.  I've already listened to 234 new releases in their entirety in 2014.  My 50 favorites are listed below.  Here's a corresponding Spotify playlist.

1. St. Vincent- St. Vincent
2. Kris Bowers- Heroes + Misfits
3. Da Cruz- Disco e Progresso
4. Toni Braxton and Babyface- Love, Marriage & Divorce
5. Kelis- Food
6. Young Fathers- Dead
7. Danilo Pérez- Panama 500
8. Down- Down IV: Part II
9. Ambrose Akinmusire- The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint
10. Joyce Yang- Wild Dreams

11. Rick Ross- Mastermind
12. Drive-By Truckers- English Oceans
13. F*cked Up- Glass Boys
14. Takuya Kuroda- Rising Son
15. Skating Polly- Steilacoom
16. Ledisi- The Truth
17. Guided By Voices- Motivational Jumpsuit
18. Vampire- Vampire
19. Souljazz Orchestra- Inner Fire
20. Bohren & Der Club of Gore- Piano Nights

21. Against Me!- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
22. José James- While You Were Sleeping
23. Coltsblood- Into the Unfathomable Abyss
24. Jason Eady- Daylight & Dark
25. Juilliard String Quartet- Elliott Carter: The Five String Quartets
26. Angelique Kidjo- Eve
27. Regina Carter- Southern Comforts
28. The Pretty Reckless- Going To Hell
29. Perfect Pussy- Say Yes To Love
30. Leon Russell- Life Journey

31. De La Tierra- De La Tierra
32. Simone Dinnerstein- Bach: Inventions & Sinfonias
33. Pharoahe Monch- Post Tramatic Stress Disorder
34. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Kin
35. Future- Honest
36. Jack White- Lazaretto
37. Joshua Redman- Trios Live
38. Stephen Malkmus- Wig Out at Jagbags
39. Tech N9ne- Strangeulation
40. The War On Drugs- Lost In the Dream

41. Ume- Monuments
42. Bixiga 70- Ocupai
43. Diverse- Our Journey
44. Mike Dillon- Band of Outsiders
45. Lord Mantis- Death Mask
46. Michael Jackson- Xscape
47. Beck- Morning Phase
48. My Brothers & Sisters- Violet Music, Vol. 1
49. Zara McFarlane- If You Knew Her
50. Pharrell Williams- Girl

Reissues, Compilations and Soundtracks
1. Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978
2. The Sound of Siam, Volume 2- Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970-1982
3. Miles Davis- Miles at The Fillmore: Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 3
4. Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75
5. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton (soundtrack)

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Opry Lament

The Grand Ole Opry took a lot of my money in the 1990s.  I felt like a doofus every time I joined the throngs of tourists for the Opry's cheesy skits in the soulless environs of the Opryland Hotel complex.  Yet those were the only times I saw legends including Roy Acuff, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jack Greene, Jimmy C. Newman, Johnny Russell, Hank Snow and Porter Wagoner perform.  Newman died on June 21.  Here's scratchy old footage of "Alligator Man."


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I reviewed Monday's concert by Peter Murphy, Ringo Deathstarr and Cinemaphonic.

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Why isn't Charlie Hunter a star?  Hunter and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey performed at the Brick last Thursday.  Here's my review.

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"Hometown", a collabo between Kansas City's Skiem Hiem and Oakland's the Jacka, may be the definitive Kansas City music video of 2014.

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Stik Figa represents Topeka in the video for "Knowhere."

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Take me to the river.  Mabon "Teenie" Hodges has died.

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I comment on the late Horace Silver's connection to Kansas City here. 

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Gerry Goffin has died.

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I adore songs about God, Satan and Elvis.  Nick Cave's performance at the Midland on Wednesday, consequently, made me deliriously happy.  Tim Finn reviewed the show.

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I would pay good money to watch a comment reconstruction depicting the moronic chatter attached to a video of T.I. and Iggy Azalea's "No Mediocre".

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A lot of critics are hailing Willie Nelson's Band of Brothers as a comeback album.  Longtime readers of There Stands the Glass know that I'm quite fond of many of his recent releases.  Band of Brothers is merely adequate.  Here's the video for the title track.

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The Roots' …and then you shoot your cousin is a strange album. RIYL: N.E.R.D, middle age, De La Soul.

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"Release your wiggle!"  Big Freedia's Just Be Free is RIYL: 5th Ward Weebie, New Orleans, Sissy Nobby.

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José James' No Beginning, No End was my #5 album in 2013.  I have yet to make up my mind about his new While You Were Sleeping.  RIYL: Roy Ayers, risk takers, War.

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Because I've long admired Ian McLagan, I'm predisposed to love everything about his (average) new album. United States is RIYL: pubs, the Faces, taverns.

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Joshua Redman's Trios Live is fire.  RIYL: Sonny Rollins, live albums, James Carter.

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Raise your hand if you've been waiting decades for Jonathan Richman to quit goofing around and finally make another album in the vein of the Modern Lovers.  The members of Parquet Courts have taken matters into their own hands.  Sunbathing Animal is RIYL: Lou Reed, wondering what happened to Jonathan Richman, Pavement.

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Die Antwoord's transgressive Donker Mag is surely a sign of end times.  RIYL: Rob Zombie, drone strikes, 2 Live Crew.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Event Review: PorchFest KC

I attended two ambitious new festivals in Kansas City last weekend.

Boulevardia resembled a Plaza Art Fair for millennials. While I had a good time hanging out with my friends, I wasn't drinking or eating, disallowing me three-quarters of the pleasures noted in the large-scale event's description as "a nation rich in beer, food, music and beer." Most of the bands from elsewhere didn't appeal to me either. Maybe next year I'll be able to quench my thirst while listening to headliners I enjoy.

PorchFest KC, however, was right up my alley. Dozens of porches in the neighborhood southeast of the intersection of State Line and Westport Road served as stages for an eclectic mix of performances by amateur and professional musicians.

Kids, dogs and friendly adults wandered from yard to yard taking in the sounds. A psychobilly trio had a loud PA that attracted a correspondingly large crowd. I heard the dudes in the top photo play groovy versions of "Friend of the Devil" and "I Know You Rider." Timbers, an Americana band, pleased an enthusiastic audience. The tango/classical duo in the photo below played the best music I heard Saturday.

Lots of people were drinking beer at PorchFest.  But unlike my experience at Boulevardia, I didn't feel like I needed to down a few alcoholic beverages in order to relax.


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Bettye LaVette's outing at Knuckleheads on Monday is my new favorite show of the year. Here's my review.

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I reviewed the Knuckleheads debuts of Judy Collins and Don McLean.

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I saw Pharaoh Sanders at Blues Alley in Washington D.C. last week. My notes are at Plastic Sax.

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Casey Kasem has died.

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The Rainmakers shred. (Via BGO.)

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Wussy's Attica! is RIYL: Vic Chesnutt, small towns, Drive-By Truckers.

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Jack White is the Led Zeppelin of the new millennium. Lazaretto is RIYL: Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III.

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Willie Watson's stark Folk Singer, Vol. 1 is RIYL: Doc Watson, the Smithsonian-Folkways label, Furry Lewis.

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If I'm ever forced to listen to a Conor Oberst project on repeat, I'd like it to be his new Upside Down Mountain. RIYL: Fred Neill, Omaha, Tim Buckley.

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Our Year, the latest from Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, is delightful. RIYL: Conway & Loretta, the old Austin, George & Tammy.

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The Everymen's Givin' Up On Free Jazz is RIYL: The Hold Steady, New Jersey, Meatloaf. Here's the ridiculous video for "Spain."



(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Jimmy Scott, 1925-2014

As with a lot of people I knew at the time, I was floored by Jimmy Scott's so-called comeback albums released by Sire Records in the early '90s.  The idea that a living, breathing double of Billie Holiday existed seemed extraordinary.  In 2000, I had the privilege of escorting Scott around the fairgrounds of the New Orleans Jazz Fest & Heritage Festival in my capacity as a sales rep for Milestone Records, his label at the time.  In spite of the oppressive heat, suffocating dust and my insistence that he get to autograph-signing events on schedule, Scott was unflaggingly gracious.  He died yesterday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

"You Won't Find Onassis in Mullinville, Kansas"

I don't get starstruck by musicians.  The power held by politicians, however, puts me in awe of elected officials.

That's why I was intent on exploring much of the world they inhabit during a recent trip to Washington D.C.  I spent hours in the galleries of the House and Senate and roamed the halls of Congressional office buildings like a teenage groupie in search of her favorite teen idols. 

My first trek to the Kennedy Center was an integral part of that experience.  I witnessed guest artists Nicola Benedetti (a violinist I reviewed at the Folly Theater in February) and cellist Leonard Elschenbroich perform Brahms and Tchaikovsky with the National Symphony Orchestra. 

The performance was more than fine, but I was just as interested in gazing at the Watergate building from the riverside patio and wondering how often the honorary trustees Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hilary Rodham Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan and Rosalynn Carter visit the Kennedy Center as I was in analyzing the music.

For the record, the sprawling complex may be much larger than Kansas City's Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, but it's not nearly as nice.  And while I sat directly behind a famous actress, I was disappointed that I didn't spot a single politician. 


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I featured 77 Jefferson in last week's segment of KCUR's Local Listen.

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Mills Record Company made a nice video of a performance by the Ray-Tones at the record store.

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Various Blonde made a video for "Downtown Frown".

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The KC Cypher Series ends its second season on a low note.

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Here a trailer for The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, a documentary about Nat Hentoff.

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The Neil Cowley Trio's Touch and Flee is RIYL: the Brad Mehldau Trio, European jazz, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.  Here's an album trailer.

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Bixiga 70's Ocupai is RIYL: Fela, Brazilians playing African music, Antibalas.

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The lo-fi production and plaintive keening of Tim Cohen's voice on the Fresh & Only's House of Spirits put me in mind of Mekons.  RIYL: 1985, Fear and Whiskey, American Music Club.

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Lee Fields repeats a successful formula on Emma Jean.  Solomon Burke, don't fix it if it ain't broke, Wilson Pickett.

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File under uneasy listening. Say Anything's Hebrews is RIYL: the Get Up Kids, diaries, Brand New.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: F*cked Up- Glass Boys

I've seen at least three variations of the same exchange on my social media feeds.  After a fan raves about the new Bob Mould album, one of his pals dismisses the positivity by suggesting that Hüsker Dü was superior.  Who has time for nostalgia when F*cked Up just released Glass Boys?  Without ever sounding like it's aping its predecessors, F*cked Up combines the melodic rage of Hüsker Dü with Pete Townshend's rebellious theorizing. I'll blow the dust off my collection of Hüsker Dü vinyl on the SST label once I've had my fill of Glass Boys, but I don't anticipate that happening anytime soon.


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I reviewed Rockfest on Saturday.  And for the record, my report noted the Aaron Lewis incident that subsequently became a meme. 

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My notes on Sunday's performance by Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey are at Plastic Sax.

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Here's a new video for a track on the Gee Watts album I reviewed at There Stands the Glass on April 12.

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A cameo by Music Millennium's Terry Currier makes Bob Mould's "I Don't Know You Anymore" my favorite music video of 2014.

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Not surprisingly, the new compilation Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75 is excellent.

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Just when I begin to think that I'm completely over mainstream jazz, Theo Croker's AfroPhysicist saves the day for swing.  RIYL: Dee Dee Bridgewater, your father's jazz, Roy Hargrove.

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Blu's Good to Be Home may be a good album, but I just can't deal with the knob-twisting production.  RIYL: 9th Wonder, annoying modulation, Digable Planets.

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The release of Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse is testing the limits of my love/hate relationship with Mariah Carey.

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Black Stone Cherry's blend of Southern rock and metal has long appealed to me, but the new album Magic Mountain isn't very good.

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A few tantalizing moments on Meshell Ndegeocello's Comet, Come To Me cause me to marvel that she's not more popular than Prince.  The worst moments remind me of why she remains a cult artist.  RIYL: Janelle Monáe, arty dance music, Daft Punk.

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The guys in Parquet Courts put great records in their bags.

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Owen Pallett's In Conflict is an accessible entry point for anyone looking to investigate the avant/pop/classical composer's work.  RIYL: Ned Rorem, art galleries, Arcade Fire.

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It's nice that Dave and Phil Alvin put their differences aside to perform the songs of Big Bill Broonzy on Common Ground.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: The Sound of Siam, Volume 2- Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970-1982

Where has this been all my life? The Sound of Siam, Volume 2- Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970-1982 represents yet another heretofore undiscovered rabbit hole. 

The 19 tracks newly compiled by the Soundwaves label are somehow simultaneously foreign and familiar.  Onuma Singsiri's "Lam Plearn Toe Lhong Tong" sounds like a collision of a psychedelic garage rock band and a traditional Celtic ensemble.  The hypnotic "Mainaa Tam Pom Loey" by Panom Promma references "I Put a Spell On You" and "Summertime."   The deranged instrumentation on Yenjit Porntawi's "Lam Plearn Gok Kaa Kao" may or may not include a gamelan and oddly-tuned woodwinds.

One thing leads to another, of course, so I've taken to prowling YouTube channels like this.  There seems to be an endless supply of entrancing Thai music that blends folk music with Western styles.  I don't know whether to be elated or despondent that my list of obsessions just became a little longer. 


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A free concert by Peter Noone's version of Herman's Hermits amused me last night.  The best bits were Noone's baiting the audience of 3,500 with redneck jokes and a Sex Pistols reference at the opening of "I'm Henry the VIII".  Noone looked and sounded great.

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Cashgang's "1Hunnid" is a fine reproduction of Future.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Bears and Company made a video for "Occurrence in the Wildwood".

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The Lucky created a video for "Red Light/Red Lover".

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Lily Allen sounds like Lorde's jaded big sister on Sheezus.  I'm not sure why, but Sheezus reminds of spotty Elton John albums like Rock of the Westies.  Here's the audacious title track.  RIYL: comedy, 2014, irony.

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The handwringing over a possible Led Zeppelin semi-reunion is silly when contemporary bands like Cormorant are building on the band's legacy in obscurity.  Here's "Sold As a Crow".  RIYL: Opeth, metal, Jimmy Page.

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Aborted's Necrotic Manifesto sounds just like you'd think.

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A Long Way to the Beginning, the new Robert Glasper-produced album by Sean Kuti & Egypt 80, is disappointing.  Here's a video for the opening track. RIYL: Fela, Occupy Wall Street, Hearts of Darkness.

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Chuck Inglish's Convertibles is a first-rate hip-hop party album.  RIYL: The Cool Kids, molly, Mac Miller.

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Arty folk-rock like Sharon Van Etten's Are We There is like kryptonite to me in 2014.  I'm sure the album is every bit as good as its advocates claim, but it's just not where I'm at.  RIYL: Patti Smith, depression, the National.

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So angry!  OFWGKTA affiliate Trash Talk showcases its hardcore punk on No Peace.  RIYL: Anti-Flag, moshing, Off!

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Based on the trailer, We Are the Best! looks excellent.

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Mykki Blanco's "She Gutta" is worthwhile beyond its considerable shock value.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Aloe Blacc- Lift Your Spirit

It happened as I watched the NFL draft earlier this month.  "I'm the Man," the ubiquitous hit by Aloe Blacc, was used as bumper music during the broadcast.  Already weary of the song, I began to actively loathe "I'm the Man." 

Burnout was inevitable.  The song's blockbuster potential was immediately apparent when it popped up in December.  But what about the rest of Blacc's album Lift Your Spirit?

Well, it's more of the same.  The third track is a version of "Wake Me Up," the inescapable Avicii hit featuring Blacc's vocal.  The shameless hooks of "Here Today" and "Can You Do This" make the biggest hits of One Direction and Ariana Grande seem likes studies in subtlety.

"Owe It All," the closing track that sounds like a late period gem by the Four Tops, is one of two or three selections that successfully seduced me.  I have little doubt that several additional songs will win me over when I see Blacc perform.

I have nothing against blatantly commercial music, but Lift Your Spirit resembles a collection of expertly crafted advertising jingles.


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I reviewed Tony Bennett's concert at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.

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Sunstroke?  I saw ghosts at Union Station yesterday.

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My Brothers & Sisters' "How To Move What To Wear" was my pick of the week for KCUR's Local Listen segment.  It's my favorite song from the band's Violet Music: Volume One album.

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Metatone's video for "When the Dreams Come" is excellent.

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The trailer for a 1974 music festival in Sedalia is hilarious.

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A recent edition of Barry Lee's Signal To Noise program on KKFI featured music from the collection of the late Anne Winter.  (Via Tim Finn.)

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Herb Jeffries, "the bronze buckaroo," has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Motivational Jumpsuit, the latest outburst from Guided By Voices, is unaccountably excellent.  RIYL: Rubber Soul, weirdos, Robyn Hitchcock.

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Medeski Martin & Wood's collaboration with Nels Cline on The Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2 contains plenty of fine skronk, funk and noodling. Here's a track.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Sidewise- Made of Matches

I lost track of the number of paying jobs I've had when the number passed 25.  Maybe the bots at Social Security or the IRS will sort it all out for me someday.  I've disliked a lot of those jobs, but I'm proud of almost all of them. 

Factories, warehouses, upscale office complexes, and yes, record stores, are among my former workplaces.  I've worn steel-toe boots and fancy ties.  The wide range of settings has erased many of my biases. 

That's why I have little patience for people who feel compelled to go out of their way to bash bands like Nickelback.  Not only do I not dislike Nickelback, I sincerely like Puddle of Mudd.  Many of the band's original fans have been my co-workers.  I've also worked alongside guys who consider Rockfest the highlight of their social calendars.

I have nothing but admiration for Sidewise's new album Made of Matches.  Sure, the Kansas City band is simply rearranging pieces of songs by the likes of Saliva, Five Finger Death Punch and Seether, but the recording rings true. 

Sidewise doesn't pretend to be innovative.  And there are times when I simply want to unwind to loud and unchallenging music.  I just spent a couple hours in the heat hacking at poison ivy.  Made of Matches sounds perfect right now.


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My thoughts about Saturday's tribute to the Jazz at Massey Hall concert are posted at Plastic Sax.

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Tim Finn reports that the Beautiful Bodies recently signed to Epitaph Records.

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Cowboy Indian Bear has released the 7-song EP Vandeventer.

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"Fix" is a new track by Reach.

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Teddy Dibble talks about records again.

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Tech N9ne released a video for "Hard".

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Jerry Vale has died.

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Da Cruz's Disco e Progresso is enthralling.  Here's a video for the opening track.  RIYL: Jorge Ben, Brasil, Chic.

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Pigeon John's Encino Man is RIYL: Kid Cudi, wild parties hosted by smart nerds, the B52s.

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The ECM player for Driftwood, guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's collaboration with Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade, has my name written all over it.

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Curtis Harding's Soul Power is RIYL: Hanni El Khatib, American music, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.

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Holy moly!  Down's Down IV – Part II is excellent.  RIYL: Black Sabbath, sludge, Masters of Reality.

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Marie et Marion, the latest release by Anonymous 4, rubs me the wrong way.  RIYL: incense, Chanticleer, church pews.

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Everyday Robots, the wistful and ramshackle new album by Damon Albarn, is RIYL: Paul Weller, merrie olde England, Thom Yorke.

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Sérgio Dias of Os Mutantes includes an album by the Swingle Singers (!) on his list of influential albums.

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I hadn't missed Dipset.  Here's Cam'ron's comeback song "Dipsh*ts".

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I began prepping for doomsday immediately after watching Die Antwoord's video for "Pitbull".  (Via S.S.)

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)