Koufax

Kansas Citians tend to take things for granted, especially when it comes to some of the city's most well-known mainstays. (Whether you realize it or not, barbecue in almost every other part of the world tastes like boiled cow with ketchup on it.) It's not surprising, then, that Koufax — that ubiquitous piano-pop outfit from nearby Lawrence — often gets overlooked when the roll of successful local bands is called. Which is sad, really, because on all three of its critically acclaimed albums, lead singer Robert Suchan's Joe Jacksoneque drawling, layered over a jazzy, upbeat soundtrack, makes for one of the most accessible, original sounds to come out of KC — or anywhere, really — in a long time.