The Top Kansas City Albums and EPs of 2026 (so far)

The Top 25 Kansas City Albums of 2026 (so far)
1. Joyce DiDonato and Time For Three- Emily: No Prisoner Be
My associated concert review.

2. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Triological
My review.

3. Kevin Morby- Little Wide Open
“Alone in the middle of middle America.”

4. Stik Figa and Heather Grey- Cold Comfort
Adult hip-hop.

5. Mike Dillon and Nolatet- Somethin’ to Relax With
My review.

6. Pat Metheny- Side-Eye III+
My review.

7. Samantha Fish- Paper Doll: Live at the Bijou
Knoxville rocks.

8. Hermon Mehari and NO(w) Beauty- (Un)seen
My review.

9. Betty Bryant- Nothin’ Better to Do
My review.

10. Shawn Edward Hansen- Station To Station 3: Sound Installation, Black
Dark hum.

11. Seth Andrew Davis and Project C4- Techno Chapel
My review.

12. LeVelle- All In Love
Grown and sexy R&B.

13. Brandon Draper- Handpan Meditations
A new age for New Age.

14. Metropolis Ensemble, Erik Hall and Sandbox Percussion- Canto Ostinato
Elite new music.

15. Shawn Edward Hansen and Sterling Holman- SHSH
Not so quiet.

16. Joey Cool- Time Will Tell
It’s his time.

17. Jason Stein, Seth Andrew Davis and Adam Shead- Forge
My review.

18. Shawn Edward Hansen and Sean Julian- The God's Script
Semi-sacred.

19. Shawn Edward Hansen and Nathan Pape- Banquets of All Intolerables
Plink plank.

20. Shawn Edward Hansen- Station To Station 2: Sound Installation, Yellow
Ground control.

21. Natalie Prauser- Everything Is Fine
Honky tonkin’.

22. Chris Hazelton- In Rotation
My review.

23. Cheery- All the Life I Long for is Waiting in Liverpool
June 26 release.

24. Shawn Edward Hansen- you can’t take it with you
YOLO.

25. Norman Brown- Authentically Norman
My review.

The Top Ten Kansas City EPs of 2026 (so far)
1. Stik Figa- It mean sumthin’ to me
Consequential.

2. RMW- W
Winning.

3. Mortal Coil/Legalize Homicide- Split
Deadly.

4. Rich The Factor- Rose Out the Concrete 3
KC’s the town.

5. RMW and God’s Computer- God Doesn’t Play Dice
Snake eyes.

6. Alaskan Tapes- Blank Slate, Open Space
Saxophone and piano.

7. Rich The Factor- Orca Alley
Real whale music.

8. RMW- Hermès Link
Name brand.

9. Unity Ticket- Unity Ticket
If the kids are united…

10. RMW- Zombie
Undead.

The year-end tally for 2025 is here.

The Top Kansas City Albums of 2022 (So Far)

Little of the music made by artists from Kansas City receives substantial attention from outsiders. The ongoing disintegration of the area’s traditional media outlets exacerbates the negligence. Consequently, waiting until the end of the year to recognize the recordings on this list didn’t seem right. Yet this site has never been mistaken for a popularity contest. A few of the most notable new releases- including a fine album by Kansas City’s most popular band- didn’t make the cut. People baffled by the snub of a notable group will find my monthly surveys reveal an allergy to fizzy indie-pop. While I’m displeased by the gender disparity, I didn’t adjust the rankings for representational purposes.

1. Joyce DiDonato- Eden

Straight outta Prairie Village.

2. Arnold Young and the Roughtet- Fear Is the Mind Killer

My review.

3. The Adam Larson Trio- With Love From Chicago

My review.

4. Making Movies- Xopa

The band’s best since 2014’s A la Deriva.

5. LeVelle- My Journey Continues

My review.

6. Kevin Morby- This Is a Photograph

Bob’s New Morning meets Van’s Veedon Fleece.

7. Huerco S.- Plonk

Ambient ear candy.

8. Flora- ​​Emerald City

Over the rainbow.

9. Stik Figa and August Fanon- Heresy

“Posdnuos mixed with Pac.”

10. The Creepy Jingles- Take Me at My Wordplay

The best garage (rock) in town.

11. Dutch Newman- This Too Shall Pass, Pt. 2

Triumphant sobriety.

12. Rich the Factor- NFT Scritch

KC’s whale.

13. Seth Andrew Davis, Kyle Hutchins, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh- Quartet, Vol. 1

My review.

14. Addison Frei- Time and Again

My review.

15. Belle & The Vertigo Waves- Lorelai

Let’s live together.

16. Marty Bush- The Long Way Home

The year’s best reboot.

17. Stephen Martin- High Plains

My review.

18. Seth Andrew Davis- Highways Jammed with Broken Heroes

My review.

19. Kevin “Church” Johnson- Brown Liquor Music

Potent.

20. Ben Baker, Seth Andrew Davis, Krista Kopper and Evan Verploegh- EMS

My review.

21. Norman Brown- Let's Get Away

My review.

22. Josh Nelson Bob Bowman Collective- Tomorrow Is Not Promised

My review.

23. Seth Andrew Davis and Evan Verploegh- Hunter

My review.

24. Thumbs- Trunk Wired Shut

Rock-and-roll lifers.

25. Jeff Shirley- Blue Gold

My review.

Album Review: The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection

Original image of St. Joan of Arc Chapel at Marquette University by There Stands the Glass.

Failing to direct my attention to the weekly rollout of 25 digital reissues of albums on The Gospel Truth Records label is among the biggest mistakes I’ve made during the pandemic.  The uplifting sets by gospel artists released by the subsidiary of Stax Records in the 1970s would have given me much-needed strength.

The recent release of The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection improves my attitude dramatically.  The powerfully funky assertions of liberation theology make the two-hour set consisting of the A and B sides of 17 singles essential for fans of Southern soul, protest music and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of 1970s black gospel beyond the Staple Singers.

The Rance Allen Group, the biggest name on the set, is represented by five strong singles.  But it’s the deep cuts that make compilations like The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection rewarding.  Charles and Annette May’s "Keep My Baby Warm" is startlingly sensual.  Joshie Jo Armstead’s "Ride Out the Storm" is an anthem for our time.  The 21st Century’s “Who’s Supposed to be Raising Who” may be the most danceable parental guidance diatribe ever laid down.

Several tracks are blatant repurposings of secular hits, but the results reflect divine inspiration rather than commercial desperation.  Only two wildly out of place selections by Blue Aquarius- a psychedelic band dedicated to Prem Rawat- kill the vibe.  It’s going to be difficult to tear myself away from the other 32 tracks to finally dig into the reissues of full albums by each act.

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I review Norman Brown’s Heart to Heart at Plastic Sax.

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Opera update: I watched 182 operas during the first six months of the pandemic.  The Lithuanian National Opera & Ballet’s 2020 production of Sergei Prokofiev’s "The Gambler" is a recent highlight.