October 13, 2024

The Top 25 Kansas City Albums of the Past 25 Years (excluding jazz)

October 13, 2024

Geographically isolated and persistently ostracized by coastal tastemakers, Kansas City’s various music communities have developed unhealthy underdog postures since 2000. The wrong artists, consequently, are often embraced for erroneous reasons. The following ranking of one observer’s favorite albums by Kansas City artists released in the first 25 years of the new millennium is intended as a benevolent corrective. It’s also a celebration of excellence. Artists are limited to single selections. A corresponding list of jazz albums is here.

1. Fat Tone- Only in Killa City (2002)

2. Tech N9ne- Everready (2006)

3. Joyce DiDonato- Diva, Divo (2011)

4. Blackstarkids- Surf (2020)

5. Making Movies- A La Deriva (2014)

6. Mac Lethal- 11:11 (2007)

7. Ron Ron- Mr. No It All (2007)

8. Janelle Monaé- The ArchAndroid (2010)

9. Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys- The Spectacular Sadness of… (2000)

10. SleazyWorld Go- Where the Shooters Be (2022)

11. Huerco S.- Plonk (2022)

12. The Grisly Hand- Country Singles (2013)

13. Little Hatch- Rock With Me Baby (2003)

14. Rich the Factor- Rose Out the Concrete (2016)

15. Kelly Hunt- Even the Sparrow (2019)

16. Sandbox Percussion- Seven Pillars (2021)

17. Stik Figa- The City Under the City (2013)

18. Samantha Fish- Chills & Fever (2017)

19. Coalesce- Ox (2009)

20. Waxahatchee- Tigers Blood (2024)

21. Ces Cru- Capture Enemy Soldiers (2004)

22. The Get Up Kids- There Are Rules (2011)

23. Ebony Tusks- Heal Thyself (2020)

24. Krystle Warren- Circles (2009)

25. Reggie and the Full Effect- Songs Not to Get Married To (2005)

William Brownlee

July 14, 2022

Concert Review: Show Me the Body with Soul Glo, Wifi Gawd, Ebony Tusks and Piss Kinks at recordBar

William Brownlee

July 14, 2022

Original image of Piss Kinks by There Stands the Glass.

A five-band bill at recordBar on Wednesday, July 13, confirmed that multi-genre shows are the best shows. More than 300 people paid $25 apiece to experience the four-hour showcase of experimental punk and hip-hop.

The eventful evening opened with the farewell performance of the furious Kansas City quartet Piss Kinks. Skin was bared, instruments were abused and ears were violated.

Ebony Tusks, a Kansas trio that seemingly shares my belief that Yeezus is the best Kanye West album, followed. I’d previously witnessed the industrial hip-hop crew fizzle in front of befuddled spectators, but the members of Ebony Tusks had Wednesday’s crowd in the palms of their hands.

WifiGawd didn’t stand a chance following Ebony Tusks’ triumph. I didn’t care for the marijuana-obsessed Washington D.C. rapper before Wednesday. I like him even less after enduring his cliche-ridden outing.

Stage diving began in earnest during screamo revivalists Soul Glo’s dynamic set. One of the breakout bands of 2022, the Philadelphians almost lived up to the hype. Traces of Gang of Four make the headlining band Show Me the Body an even more interesting proposition.

Yet the atmosphere suddenly turned sinister during the New York band’s brief headlining appearance. A couple creeps insisted on rubbing their sopping-wet t-shirts on each of the 200 people still in the building. A young woman separated from her friends openly wept.

Violence on and around the stage resulted in at least two contested ejections and what appeared to be a fan’s broken nose. The chaos appealed to me. After all, both rock and roll and hip-hop are supposed to be dangerous.

William Brownlee

November 7, 2020

The Top Kansas City Albums and EPs of 2020

William Brownlee

November 7, 2020

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

As part of an ongoing effort to preserve my sanity in a preposterously challenging year, I choose to believe Ty of Blackstarkids was joking when he recently told a journalist he was unable to secure the interest of a single Kansas City based record label. I fell in love with his trio in February after hearing just 30 seconds of “Sounds Like Fun,” the first song on Blackstarkids’ self-released debut EP. Ty’s group subsequently signed a pact with the prestigious London based Dirty Hit consortium. Blackstarkids is the most exciting act to emerge from Kansas City in years.

Top 25 Kansas City Albums of 2020

1. Blackstarkids- Whatever, Man (My review.)

2. Bobby Watson- Keepin' It Real (My review.)

3. Molly Hammer- I'm Feeling Mellow (My review.)

4. Mike Dillon- Rosewood (My review.)

5. Ebony Tusks- Heal Thyself

6. Steve Cardenas- Blue Has a Range (My review.)

7. Shiner- Schadenfreude

8. Pat Metheny- From This Place (My review.)

9. Rich the Factor- Blaccfish (My review.)

10. The Freedom Affair- Freedom Is Love

11. Brian Scarborough- Sunflower Song (My review.)