Footage of Alex Cunningham, Seth Andrew Davis, Damon Smith and Weasel Walter improvising at Charlotte Street Foundation continues to fill me with joy nine months after I posted the brief clip to Instagram. Branches Choke, fifty minutes of gleeful entropy recorded in Kansas City the day after that performance, is similarly provocative. The cover art evokes the anarchic punk band Crass while the album possesses the ear-splitting racket of glass bottles shattering in an empty recycling bin. The Kansas City guitarist Davis sounds like he’s torturing a Slinky toy. The St. Louis tandem of bassist Smith and fiddler Cunninghim occasionally synchronize their agonized groaning. The thumps and rattles produced by New York percussionist Weasel Walter are funny even without the riotous visuals. The outrageous Branches Choke is astounding.
July 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency
(Screenshot of the trailer for Grand Théâtre de Genève’s 2022 production of Turandot by There Stands the Glass.)
Top Ten Albums (released July 1-25)
1. Moor Mother- Jazz Codes
2. Anna Butterss- Activities
Illicit.
3. Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison and Ted Nash- Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley
4. Kirk Knuffke Trio- Gravity Without Airs
Afloat with Michael Bisio and Matthew Shipp.
5. Kali Malone- Living Torch
Simmering drones.
6. ZZ Top- Raw
Live at Gruene Hall in 2019.
7. Flo Milli- You Still Here, Ho?
I’ve been here for years.
8. Katalyst- Jazz Is Dead 013
Clean slate.
9. Plínio Fernandes- Saudade
10. Ty Segall- Hello, Hi
Swinging sixties.
Top Ten Songs (Released July 1-25)
1. Charles Stepney- "That's the Way of the World"
My childhood was based on a lie.
2. Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation- "How Good It Is"
Blessings.
3. Emmanuel Jal with Nyayiena William and Elizabeth Nyajuok- "Ebul"
“A little bit of courage, a little bit of knowledge.”
4. DJ Premier with Remy Ma and Rapsody- "Remy Rap"
Def.
5. Cardi B with Kanye West and Lil Durk- "Hot Sh*t"
Supa dupa fly.
6. Megan Thee Stallion featuring Future- "Pressurelicious"
Pressed to get it.
7. Ciara featuring Coast Contra- "Jump"
Set this thing off right.
8. Fred Again- "Jungle"
Wild.
9. Dochii- "B*tch I'm Nice"
Fact.
10. Lil Uzi Vert- "Issa Hit"
Yeah, it is.
Top Ten Performances (July 1-24)
1. The Salvation Choir at Theis Park
2. Show Me the Body with Soul Glo, Wifi Gawd, Ebony Tusks and Piss Kinks at recordBar
3. Phillip Greenlief with Midwestern and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Bushranger Records
4. Animal Collective with Spirit of the Beehive at the Truman
5. Alex Cunningham, Seth Davis, Damon Smith, Evan Verplough and Weasel Walter at Charlotte Street Foundation
6. The Dave Scott Quartet and Arnold Young’s RoughTet at Westport Coffee House
7. Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak at Starlight Theatre
8. Lester “Duck” Warner and Eclipse Trio at the Blue Room
9. Dylan Pyles at Manor Records
10. Midwest Chamber Ensemble at Prairie Baptist Church
Baroque in the afternoon.
Last month’s survey is here.