July 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Gran Teatre del Liceu’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Falstaff” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Play Time- Magic Object
My review.

2. Lesley Mok- transient
My review.

3. Charli xcx- Music, Fashion, Film
Pop nihilism.

4. Oscar Maydon- Música En Mi Jetski 
The cure for the summertime blues.

5. Matt Otto- Ephemeral
My review.

6. Nu Jazz- Un Jazz
My review.

7. Orquesta Akokán- América!
Mambo!

8. Punch Brothers- The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers
Highfalutin pickin’.

9. Willow- The Thread
Arena-jazz.

10. Jack White- Frozen Charlotte
He’s back in Wichita.

The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Gary Stewart- One Track Mind
Jukin’.

2. Seamus Blake- EH!: Plays the Music of Eddie Harris
Trying to make it real.

3. Nicholas Payton and Butcher Brown- A Supreme Blue
A bad idea made good.

The Top Ten Songs of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Shenseea- “Brucksweat”
Sweltering.

2. Larry June and DJ Fresh- “Organic Motion”
Blurry.

3. Tinashe- “Crash Out”
Psychotic reaction.

4. Ken Carson with Playboi Carti- “deaf note”
What?

5. Fathers- “STUB”
Nate Smith, Kiefer, Carrtoons and Kenny Beats.

6. Dinner Party- "Piece of Mind"
Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin and 9th Wonder.

7. Syd featuring James Fauntleroy- "Any Time"
Diamonds and pearls.

8. Nick Hakim- “The Reason”
Slow jam.

9. Show Me the Body- “Do What’s Right (Happy)”
Backsliding.

10. Rome Streetz featuring Westside Gunn- "Marathon Or Race"
Tortoise and hare.

The Top Ten Performances of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams and John Doe at Starlight Theatre
My review.

2. Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society’s “A Convocation of Exoplanets” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My review.

3. Graham Nash at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

4. Gerald Spaits’ Sax & Violins at Greenwood Social Hall
My review.

5. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at the Ship
My Instagram snapshot.

6. The Overland Park Civic Band at Thompson Park
My Instagram clip.

7. JWB with Ernest Melton at 515 Music Hub
My Instagram clip.

8. Trinity Jazz Ensemble at Prairie Baptist Church
My Instagram clip.

9. Eboni Fondren at Vine Street Brewing
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Sally’s Tomato at Black Dolphin
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

July 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Glyndebourne’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of July 2025
1. Clipse- Let God Sort Em Out
Culturally inappropriate.

2. Tyler, The Creator- Don’t Tap the Glass
Provocative.

3. Dom Salvador, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad- JID024
Miraculous samba.

4. Charlie Hunter and Ella Feingold- Different Strokes for Different Folks
My kind of party.

5. Dino Saluzzi- El Viejo Caminante
Heartbreaking bandoneon.

6. Teddy Abrams- Preludes
A new form of pianism.

7. Myke Towers- Island Boyz
Endless summer.

8. Burna Boy- No Sign of Weakness
Muscular pop.

9. Theon Cross- Affirmations (Live at Blue Note New York)
Hilariously loud.

10. Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist- Alfredo 2
Old school.

The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of July 2025
1. Nick Drake- The Making of Five Leaves Left
Deep in the weeds.

2. Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley- Flashing Spirits
Live in 1988.

3. Paul Weller- Find El Dorado
Covers of premium obscurities.

The Top Ten Songs of July 2025
1. MC Yallah- “Tunyedde”
Straight outta Kampala.

2. John Glacier- “Fly With Me”
Moonshot.

3. Cécile McLorin Salvant- "Oh Snap"
Kitchen sink.

4. Syd- “Die for This”
Alive.

5. Olivia Dean- “Lady Lady”
Groovy groovy.

6. Jorja Smith- "With You"
Bliss.

7. Che- “Ba$$”
Molly anthem.

8. DJ Snake featuring J Balvin- “Noventa”
Siren song.

9. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills featuring Chris Dave- "Taka"
A-team.

10. Trio of Bloom- "Queen King"
Nels Cline, Craig Taborn and Marcus Gilmore.

The Top Ten Performances of July 2025
1. Woody Guthrie Folk Festival (Okemah)
My notes.

2. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
My Instagram clip.

3. Elvis Costello & The Imposters at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram clip.

4. Crystal Gayle at Ameristar Casino
My review.

5. Nick Hmeljak, Henry Scamurra, Isaiah Petrie, Jordan Faught and Jaylen Ward at Westport Coffee House
My review.

6. Made in France at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Summerfest at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
My notes.

8. Stan Kessler, Aaron Sizemore, Craig Akin and Taylor Babb at the Music House
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Michael August and Nell Levin at the Woody Guthrie Center (Tulsa)
Instagram snapshot.

10. Matt Hopper, Gerald Spaits and Todd Strait at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

February 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Cicely Tyson and Sammy Davis Jr. in the trailer for A Man Called Adam by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in February)

1. Benoît Delbecq- The Weight of Light

My review.

2. Pooh Shiesty- Shiesty Season

Brrrrd.

3. Benjamin Grosvenor- Liszt

My review.

4. Quatuor Bozzini- Alvin Lucier: Navigations

Creepy drones and controlled cacophonies.

5. Archie Shepp and Jason Moran- Let My People Go

A feast in the wilderness.

6. Femi and Made Kuti- Legacy+: Stop the Hate and For(e)ward

Family tradition.

7. Cassandra Jenkins- An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

Astral minutes.

8. Tindersticks- Distractions

Focused.

9. Pink Sweat$- Pink Planet

Softer than John Legend.

10. R+R=Now- Live

Genius plus hubris equals fascinating complications.

Top Ten Songs (released in February)

1. Syd- "Missing Out"

Fomo.

2. Nana Yamato- “Burning Desire’

Temperature rising.

3. H.E.R.- "Fight For You"

Throwback anthem.

4. Kevin Gates- "Plug Daughter 2"

Roadside assistance.

5. Polo G- "GNF (OKOKOK)"

I care a lot.

6. Cardi B- "Up"

Once upon a time...

7. Ariana Grande- “Test Drive”

Ride or die.

8. Cherry Glazerr- "Big Bang"

Universal.

9. Sada K- "You"

Nothing compares.

10 Nick Cave and Warren Ellis- “Albuquerque”

Stasis.

Top Ten Movies (viewed for the first time in February, in lieu of live music)

1. A Man Called Adam (1966)

Miles ahead.

2. The Silver Chalice (1954)

Astoundingly bad or exceptionally good?

3. The Golden Coach (1952)

Jean Renoir’s luminescent critique of colonialism.

4. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)

An odd but stellar interpretation of Carson McCullers’ novel.

5. It Should Happen to You (1954)

Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon are adorable.

6. Juarez (1939)

¡Viva México!

7. Native Son (1951)

Richard Wright stars in an uneven rendering of his classic work.

8. Murder, She Said (1961)

Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple is just too much.

9. Treasure Island (1934)

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.

10. His House (2020)

Political asylum as horror.

January’s recap and a link to last year’s monthly surveys is here.