St. Vincent, All Born Screaming The fun thing about a new St. Vincent album dropping is that you never really know what it’s going to sound like. Thankfully, this reinvention is more successful than her last one on Daddy’s Home. I think the majority of listeners will be pleased to find that faux 70s rock has been left behind. But welcome return to form aside, this album still has its faults. Mainly that it’s very uneven. It falls flat out of the starting blocks, and stumbles a little on the landing. The first couple of songs and last few songs are nothing noteworthy, but the middle of the alb ..read more

Taylor Swift, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Taylor Swift’s eleventh album arrives hot on the heels of what was probably her biggest year so far. This monumental hype has resulted in this album getting a lot of extreme reactions on the internet. It’s either the greatest album ever, or the worst album ever. But the truth is that this might be the most middle of the road album in her discography. Musically, the album is fine. It does suffer from being a bit monotonous, but there’s enough variation and manic flourishes when needed that I didn’t find it boring or difficult to sit through. But it h ..read more

Within the heartbeat of Salina’s music scene, one name resonates with unwavering versatility and boundless passion: Cash Hollistah. To call him a mere hip-hop artist would be to overlook the depth of his commitment. He’s a catalyst for change, a testament to the transformative power of music and giving. Cash Hollistah stands as a shining example of what it means to invest in the future. A beacon of hope in the community, he extends his hand not just in music but in service. Through initiatives like The Cash Hollistah Scholarship, he illuminates pathways for the next generation, empowering them ..read more

Maggie Rogers, Don’t Forget Me For an album called Don’t Forget Me, this album is extremely forgettable. I had to go back through and try to remember which song I had picked as my favorite, which is never a good sign. It just kind of all blends together in this melancholic haze. And the production is super lackluster. Her voice doesn’t sit in the mix at all. Favorite song: “The Kill ..read more

03/31/24 Chucks, Hays, KS Within a dimly lit basement bar near FHSU campus on Easter Sunday, Chuck’s in Hays hosted an evening of rock featuring Denver’s The Salesmen who were passing thru on their 2020l4 Door To Door Tour, accompanied on this show by Miles on End and Tree Kitty. Miles on End Continuing to explore their three-piece lineup and sound, Miles on End feel more and more comfortable in exploring what their sound is capable of, bringing more of a pop-rock sound and catchy choruses and riffs with their new songs, while holding true to what makes them fun to listen to. The Salesmen ..read more

There’s no shortage of music or characters in Lawrence, and this weeks Spotlight focuses on the self-proclaimed “Wierdo Rock Band”, Lizard Brain Trust. The intro to their Spotify bio reads as such: “After a fourth failed attempt to perform a submarine exorcism, Lawrence, Kansas band Lizard Brain Trust gave up their collective desire to rid the world of clown demons, sold the remainder of their comic books, and agreed to start an indie rock band.” If that doesn’t speak volumes to you about who they are, well, perhaps the clown demons have already gotten to you. Always a blast to see live, take ..read more

03/30/24 Bad Times, Hays, KS Bad Times in Hays is all about providing a variety of music options for the community. While their shows have featured a large amount of rock/metal bands, they also showcase a number of Folk, Americana, Acoustic, etc. Since COVID, the music scene has thinned out a bit, and bringing the music scene together is the key to building back up that audience. “It all started, like, we ride motorcycles, some of us do, some of us don’t. We’re just a group of friends and wanted a place that we could all just hang out and work on them together. And then a couple of us were in ..read more

04/05/24 The Midland, Kansas City, MO We Don’t Need a Doctor. We need more Peter Frampton! It was a windy, crisp night for Grammy winner and 2024 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Nominee (why has he not been inducted yet?) Peter Frampton to make a stop at one of Kansas City’s iconic theatres, The Midland Theatre for his “Never Say Never” tour. Peter opened his two-and-a-half-hour set with an impressive video collage while playing Golden Goose. The video collage was nice to reminisce about, and from the “oohs” and “ahhs” from others in attendance; they enjoyed it as well.  Tonight was not my first ..read more

Vampire Weekend Only God Was Above Us This week saw some heavy hitters releasing albums. Namely J. Cole, The Black Keys, and Vampire Weekend. Out of these three, I can confidently say this is by far the best album of the bunch. I’ll be honest, I did not know what to expect from this album. I’m not really familiar with Vampire Weekend, but this album turned me into a fan. Holy Christ, this album is extremely good. Honestly, this might be one of the best albums I’ve reviewed so far on these weekly reviews. Every song on here is great, and the production is perfect. I hate making comparisons bet ..read more

03/16/24 Clay Center, KS St Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Clay Center, KS… Hey, Harrison. Yea. It’s way past St. Patty’s Day. It’s past Easter, even. I know, just…just work with me on this. Fine. Anyways, St Patrick’s Day in Clay Center this year featured the first Family Fun Fest, an event put on by Rodney and Sylvia Hunter (aka DJ Lightning Rod and DJ Thunder) and Dwayne Peay. Since Covid, the need to get families out in communities seems to have be an issue for locales of all sizes, and Clay Center is no exception. This years inaugural event featured Live Music, Vendors, Bouncy Houses, and ..read more