Music Stories

Performer and KCK native, Janelle Monae, is known for her gender-bending clothing and futuristic soul-meets-funk music. Keeping in her style, Monae just released her latest music video, "Q.U.E.E.N.", featuring neo-soul singer, Erykah Badu.

Many young, urban men see rap music as a ticket to a better, more prosperous life. But few ever even get a start in the music industry.

Twenty-two year old Gee Watts, however, has as good a chance as any. His new mixtape Watts Up has been featured in several major music industry publications and blogs.  

Bill Shapiro is bringing Richard Thompson to the Folly Theater on June 6th.  This week on Cyprus Avenue, we look at Thompson's storied recording career.

This weekend marks the release of Country Singles, the first full-length album for The Grisly Hand. The band played their first shows in Kansas City about four years ago and mixes country, soul, blues, folk, rock and pop.

Gamelan music is the orchestral music of Indonesia which is primarily from the islands of Bali and Java. Over a decade ago, Kansas City became home to a hand crafted Gamelan from Indonesia that was fine tuned and given a blessing from a Balinese Hindu high priests. On this Central Standard the director of Kansas City's Gamelan group Gamelan Genta Kasturi, Patrick Alonzo Conway – he plays in the group and even composes pieces for the group, and is an eclectic composer and member of the People’s Liberation Big Band.