St. Louis Music Blog

Have seen The Sham recently. BEST indie band around. They have a distinctive sound. Every member of the band show extreme talent.
VOTE THE SHAM

What happened to Midwest Avengers? Didn't they win Best Hip Hop Band the last two years? Why aren't they nominated? Just wondering.......

this is phuckin stupid. although many respectable names get on this list, they leave out so many real good artists who should be getting recognition. this shit-is fake.

there need to be links to the artists' music

@guy redding -- i'll add in links to places you can hear music next week. it'll take me a bit to track things down, but it'll happen.

PS-killer poster this year...

My vote goes to Kentucky Knife Fight- what an awesome sound and the album is killer!!!!!

Alvin Jett and the Phat noiZ HONEYBOWL CD release Party!!!! May 2nd Saturday!!! 3rd original self-released CD On Sale at party! Part of the proceeds go to KDHX 88.1! Alvin Jett and the Phat noiZ is on "Show Me St. Louis" Monday, April 27th at 3pm on channel 5 KSDK St. Louis. Alvin Jett and the Phat noiZ will be LIVE on KDHX's "The Rhythm Section" hosted by Andy Coco on KDHX at 88.1 FM or online at KDHX.org, April 28th 2 and 4 pm. Vote for them for BEST BLUES BAND!!

It is an honor to be on here alongside some of STL's DJ royalty. thanks RFT!

Go Northwoods! But where's MESSY JIVERSON???

- THUMP

I heard the Midwest Avengers are endorsing the homie Tef Poe,I agree they should've been nominated ..but since they're not Poe is getting my vote

@Shanghai: i've been in meetings all day. believe it or not, my job isn't just to run this blog.

the facts are:

*anyone who knows me knows that a sure-fire way to annoy me is to attempt to kiss my ass. insincerity is one of my pet peeves. so i can assure that anyone attempting to kiss my ass, it'll get 'em nowhere.

*if anybody knows a local musician rich enough to be buying me drinks, i'm all ears. the occasional bartender gives me a free drink. not musicians. i can't remember the last time someone in a local band bought me a drink. and bands have nothing to do with whether or not i'm let into a show for free. if a venue can't or won't let me in for free, i pay. that's the truth. hell, i paid my way to SXSW this year, guys.

i went back and looked at the ballot, and the only times i had a drink with a musician or a band, were perhaps times when we were having drinks together, purchased independently, or in a situation where it's non-work related. besides the point that, like i said above, i don't drink much if i go out, if at all. and buying me drinks and shit isn't going to curry favor. see above. it makes me uncomfortable when people do that, in fact.

*plenty of bands have done tour diaries for me. they're the bands that play shows outside of st. louis. in short: johnny o and the jerks, riddle of steel, gentleman auction house, bunnygrunt, riddle of steel. am i forgetting anyone? if i hear a band is going on tour, i ask them to write. sometimes they say yes, sometimes they say no. it has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with who's going where.

funny that nobody thinks i was favoring the monads when i asked them to do one a few months ago. i was under the mistaken impression that hearing about a local band touring Kosovo might be something interesting people hear wanted to read about. it's my job as a journalist to find interesting content involving st. louis and its music community.

*finally, i didn't bother initially responding to these "facts" because i don't think anyone will believe what i say anyway. i'm not sure how much more transparent i can be about how the nominees were chosen; hell, i put up a blog post asking EVERYONE IN ST. LOUIS for their opinions, which really helped. where were all of you complainers then? i solicited opinions from trusted folks/musicians/venues in town, took these along with my observations and listening, and figured out a ballot.

i really don't know what to tell people, because i'm an honest person, i don't lie or bullshit. i don't sit around dreaming up ways to screw people over, i don't sit around thinking of how to exclude bands, i don't chortle like Mr. Burns or some crap thinking of how i can be malicious. i have better things to do -- like trying to find good things going on in this city and asking people what's going on and what's up. i'm sorry if that's not good enough for some people, but i'm only one person trying to cover a very large, diverse (and sometimes splintered) music scene, with limited budget and resources.

you can choose to believe that or not. but *this* is the truth.

EXERCISE is awesome! Vote for them when the time comes.
www.myspace.com/exerciseaudio

So Annie, can you honestly say that u haven't had a drink with any of the members of any bands nominated in the last year? & u haven't gotten n free @ any shows? & you have no pull over who gets nominated? I mean being the "Music Editor" & all with ur own weekly column, u don't think some of these bands r trying to suck up 2 u? everyone knows the music awards r political and the only reason all these bands are mad they didn't get nominated is because they didn't kiss enough of the right ass! Looks like Earthworms kissed all the right ass with their A to Z European tour blog. Like i said b4 i'm not a fan of rap but i wonder........ What category would midwest avengers have fit n? Oh!!! the same category as ur friends Earthworms!!! I'm sure this will get erased b4 anyone gets to read it but Annie, stop acting like u didn't have anything 2 do with the bands that got picked. & if you didn't then the RFT is out of touch with the music scene when the "Music Editor" has no part in the choosing of bands 4 the music awards. & to the bands that didn't get nominated: play bigger & better shows, play out of town, & get radio play. U don't need the RFT music awards to prove how good u r. it's just a press kit stuffer, u don't get anything for it, just bragging rights until another band knocks u out or u don't get nominated the next year(ha ha)

Kentucky Knife Fight all the way baby!!! Yeah YEAH!!!

I have never "had a drink" with Annie Zaleski, and I'm pretty sure no one in my band has either, but we were nominated for best new band. Hope that says something..

thanks for your support and sweet comments everyone! see you around..

love,
exercise

::in response to Ms. Annie::

I never said your JOB was to run this blog. But it is what it is...you are "the Music Editor" so you have some say-so in all of this...I'm sure. You are right, people are going to have something to say, be displeased or what have you, that's why it's called having an opinion. You have stated yours and I have CLEARLY stated mine. I'm callin' it like I see it. Nuff said!

(laughing her ass off at the high school level drama this creates every year)

I think it's soooooo funny how pissed off everyone gets at awards time. The readers get all pissed off and shit and accuse the music department of playing favorites and nominating their homies and shit. The writers deny it. Alls you have to do is look closely and it becomes really transparent. If they want you to win, you WILL win. Last year, they wanted that Clownvis dude to win something so badly they created a category just for him--A category that wasn't part of the awards in the past and isn't a part of them this year. If they have a lot of bands they like they'll nominate more bands, while they put less bands in categories they don't care about. Checkit: Hip-Hop, blues, country, funk, etc. each have 5 bands, while indie and pop have six. Know what I'm saying? So every year y'all complain and the writers get all defensive and shit. The more the writers assure us this is all legit, the more it sounds like it's not.

But for real...bands don't kick any less booty if they aren't nominated. Bands like the Midwest Avengers are still gonna bring it every time. Really though, it's just the RFT. Who rilly cares? They'll probably go bankrupt like all the other papers anywayz.

Hi, my name is John Harrington and I'm in The Midwest Avengers. Our manager told me to check this blog out, and I'm disgusted! Our name has been thrown around on here like Antwan with a pocket full of ninja stars, and it’s got to stop! I appreciate all the "true" fans on here that support us and I want to thank you, but we can fight our own battles. And the people hiding behind our name using it to take shots @ the RFT and Annie Zalenski are cowards.

Here's my opinion: Yeah it sucks to not get nominated when you know you meet the "criteria" of nomination. We have always pushed the limits of hip hop in STL, and busted our asses to see that hip hop gets the same fair treatment as every other genre of music, and will continue to until we die. That's what the name stands for, and we've been doing it since 1992. So yeah, it also sucks to not get nominated for Lifetime Achievement.

Everyone knows we've won 7 of these awards since they started doing it, and we just won the last two years in a row. So again, yes it sucks to not get nominated this year. But life goes on, and this award doesn't determine who we are. Our hard work and our fans love for our music is what makes us great! Believe me, I have 7 of these things sitting on my mantle and we've never been interviewed by the RFT, so what does that tell you? The RFT is going to do what it wants, when it wants, and how it was wants. And there is nothing we can do about it.

Speaking of which, what I said at last years awards was: We'd like to thank the RFT & the fans that voted for us, and it's an honor to accept this award, but our band is too big (as in size) to play in the Elvis room. The sound down there sucks and it backed up and flooded with raw sewage. Could you please put hip hop in a better room next time? If that got us banned from the awards, then so be it! Nobody's going to mistreat hip hop on my watch. PERIOD! Don't get me wrong I love all music and I'm friends with at least one person or band in almost every category, but I'll fight you over hip hop!

There are so many reasons we probably didn't get nominated. Maybe the people who nominated Jason and the Beast or splitface and June 16th (who I like and it’s good to see them both get some recognition for what they do!)Never heard of us before. Or maybe because we don't play Blueberry Hill's Duckroom every other week, or in the loop more than two - three times a year for that matter. There's a whole world out there go and get some! Or maybe nobody that works there likes us and thinks we suck, who knows? But I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

But the reason I hope we didn't get nominated is because we've won 7 times and they want other people to get a chance to win. That's not just ego talking either, you put name "Midwest Avengers" on the ballot we win every time! The only one we ever lost was to Nelly after he sold 10 million copies. That's because we've been in the trenches fighting racism, throwing keg parties, and stretching the boundaries of local underground hip hop for 17 years (can you say lifetime achievement?)with no end in sight! So we got the fans and the name recognition, not to mention fans in other cities across America who vote online, internet exposure, videos and radio play. 1+2=3 it's not brain surgery! Yet we didn't get nominated? I thought last years winner got nominated automatically?

I must admit I was pissed when I didn't see our name, but I feel like the hip hop categories are right on (except for us not being in it). And I think whoever wins it is worthy and will be a great representative of STL hip hop, plus I'm friends with all of them so I will be there to applaud and congratulate them. Also I'd like to commend the RFT for breaking it up into solo & duo/group categories. Should have been done a long time ago! But I do agree that the categories with 5 nominees should have another one added to them to so they will be even with the other one's, that's only fair. Annie, can you make that happen? I'll get a petition going if you like.

Speaking of friends, I consider Annie Zalenski my friend and a friend of Midwest Avengers, so I don't take attacks to her character lightly. I'm sure her job is hard enough without all of this bitching, whining, and accusations about the RFT conspiracy to screw bands out of nominations and her role in it. Who cares? it's not like we could stop it if we wanted to, and the only way we'd find out that it was true, would be if someone who works there were to expose it. And believe me that's not going to happen.

I'm confused about the nut riding & drink buying thing. Yeah I've had drinks with Annie maybe once or twice, but as you can see that doesn't get you nominated. Not that that was the reason I was hanging out with her in the first place. Still, she took a chance to come see us play. Not knowing whether we sucked or not, (which we didn't) and it just so happened we had some friends in common. And the rest is history. I would hope as a friend she would have nominated us. If not then hey, maybe she only had so many votes? We don't blame her for what happened, so why should you? Leave her alone; she doesn't come to your job kicking dicks out of your mouth does she? No, so let here do her's. Fucking bloggers! I swear! If you got that much time go do some community service!

One more thing before I go. This music award doesn't get you money; it doesn't get you a record deal. But it will get you exposure, shows, and some ammo for your press kit. Yeah, you get your picture in the paper and a little right up. "If" you win, you get bragging rights and get a sometimes plastic, glass, wood, or metal trophy to take home and put on your mantle. It's a good look, but outside of STL no one cares. Shit, ask any of the local bands that tour out of state. Those other cities all got their own news weekly's music awards to worry about so..... Or ask all of the local bands on the radio that get play on the point, the beat or what ever local radio station that supports good local music. They don't care about the RFT Music Awards; they got bigger fish to fry.

So that's the official John Harrington/Midwest Avengers Response. I'm sure some people won't like it and have some thing smart to say about it. And like the cowards you are you won't say it to my face. But if you'd like to, I'll be at Cicero's Thursday April 30th with Illphonics! Come see the reigning "Best Hip Hop Group" play songs from our new cd called Headbanger Hip Hop"! Good luck to all of the nominees!

come on, folks...let's try to focus here...deep fried coffee....who's with me?

P.S.
We are putting together Bad KSHE Classics Stag Nite for Christmas time. The master list is here, http://rockclassics.tripod.com/albums1.html.
Send your requests for songs you might wanna do to me at moynonet@gmail.com.
Sorry to hijack your forum, but I figured this was the best way to reach a teeming masses of hipster douchebags.

I second that nomination...

but you know, it don't come easy.

Clearly there is a conspiracy here. I mean look at all the bands nominated for Best Indie Band. Seriously, just take a look, every single band nominated starts with either a T or an S.
I wish RFT would stop with their pro- T & S agenda and give the rest of the alphabet its fair chance in the indie scene, seriously.

sweet...feuds....this takes me back to great Bettencourt/Cherone feud of aught seven...

Hey I'm just glad you could put aside your differences and come together...

Congrats to LOGOS!!! Glad to see the music community giving you the props you deserve.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...what feud? I never argued with Mr. Bettencourt...I mean, sure voices were raised, names were called...sure, it hurt...you know what they say, there's no plastic surgery for mental scars...so I cried myself to sleep for a while, but the shock therapy helped...I don't have health insurance, so I had to do it the old fashioned way, but you know...what doesn't kill us...

I guess what I really mean is, please don't leave me again, nuno...

hugs and kisses.

@JP: actually, last year 609 stepped up and let the orphaned hip-hop artists perform there. it was a nice gesture, and people really pulled together -- from musicians to the clubs and stage managers -- to make that happen.

as for the space: funny that what you describe often makes people nostalgic -- at least when they're talking about the old cicero's, which from what i gather had similar problems and a similar layout.

Yo Yo Yo Harrington you little biatch \"we suck like yo mama on a case of cold dicks\" is the kind of bullshit lyrics and \'rhymes\' you guys write that is why no RFT nomination for your punk asss. when you want to have a conversation let me know and i will stop by the McDonalds where you work you day job at and bust a big mac on that ass! Word holmes!

Ok Greg, you evidently missed the point of the last message I posted. If you are so tough, cool, hard or whatever you are, put your whole name on here. Be a man and Back your words up! It’s pretty clear that you’re an untalented hater with nothing better to do (critics criticize but have no talent themselves that’s why they sit on the sidelines and watch). The cold dicks comment had nothing to do with lyrics, just yo mama (by the way tell her I got another king size serta mattress she can use when it’s time to change her tampon). Who even says “yo yo yo”, “bust a big mac on that ass”, and “Word holmes” anymore? Seems like you’re trying to be something your not. Or are you trying to make fun of hip hop culture by using outdated slang to cover up the fact that you can’t rhyme?
You are definitely not an emcee, and you probably work some dead end job that you hate.
Just because your boss molests you on a daily basis doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me. And just so you know Midwest Avengers pays my bills. I’m a musician; I play shows and sell music for a living. It bought me a house and paid off my car. So I could care less of what you think about my crew. You really don‘t want to see me! But if you can muster up the courage, I will be @ Cicero’s this Thursday from 6pm until midnight, ask for me @ the door. Better yet I’ll put you on the list. Looking forward to “talking” to you.

check out Nathan Blake Lynn.
www.nathanblakelynn.com
myspace.com/nathanblakelynn

I'll tell you who pisses me off...Kip Winger...motherlover better check himself...

unless, of course, nuno likes him...then he's aces in my books.

thank bejeezus...it means so much...ore than words, even...

I kind of burned some bridges when I quit the taco bell last month...my manager was such a jerk.

@ The Observer....

Shut the fuck up. Let people say what they want to say. It doesnt sound like they are whining or complaining. They sound like they are explaining the situation...Go and observe these nuts!

Mhurs arent a new band... they've been playing for over 3 years in the st louis area. the only thing they are new to is playing at the bluebird/firebird.

Letter!!!

By now everyone has seen the photos taken from a reasonably-priced suite several floors up in The Moonrise Hotel by paparazzi armed with telephoto lenses who recently caught Bob Reuter, Kim Massie, Pokey LaFarge, Erin Bode, and DJ Needles with their pants down during a champagne-fueled orgy at Annie Zaleski's rooftop pool above her penthouse in The Riverfront Times fortress. The city finally knew for sure just who you've got to slam to get a Slammy.
However, details are slowly emerging regarding a darker side to this "Sweatin' To The Oldies" themed party (yes, that AtoZ's a freaky one!) Once assured their anonymity, the photographers insisted that there were several others at the soiree, but that somehow no trace of them appeared on the film. When asked how that could be, there was only one conclusion they could offer, though they all hesitated with apparent disbelief and fear: vampirism. Sources say that those exhibiting the most uncivilized behaviors were the ones who did not appear in the photos, including Fred Friction, Thumpasaurus, The Rumdrum Ramblers, Celia, Raglani, and Gumbohead.
It seems that there are forces beyond simple favoritism and drink-buying at work here; more sinister forces that are manipulating the St. Louis music scene to achieve a goal more diabolical than that of Mardi Gras Inc.
While carefully tailing a scootering Fred Friction, one investigator noticed a sheet of paper fall from Mr. Friction's duffle. He retrieved it and ultimately returned to his studio apartment. After careful examining the small and seemingly blank page, he discovered that there was an invisible writing on the page that could only be seen when the paper was held up to the moonlight. Though the writing was in a language unfamiliar to him, an afternoon spent at Star Clipper rewarded him with the finding of a young man (or eleventh-level warlock to some of you in the role-playing community) who could translate.
The blank page was actually an invitation, for vampire only, to the secret Slammy celebration. The underground event is to include a variety of blood-soaked entertainment where the losers become snacks: Gold Tooth and Glass Teeth battle in a cage to determine which is a worse dental affliction, DJ Mahf; Alvin Jett & the PhaT NoiZ Blues Band; Scripts 'N Screwz; .e; and Vandalyzm will compete in a Spelling Bee, Say Panther; Murder City Players; and Rough Shop will play that whisper-in-your-neighbor's-ear Telephone game, and Bunnygrunt will simply be told everyone they've ever loved is moving away until they die of sorrow.
When night finally comes the vampires will emerge and feast on the attendees of the contrived 2009 Riverfront Times Music Awards presentation. Contracts between the vampires, City of St. Louis shadow governments, and Joe Edwards has guaranteed no mortal will get out alive...
Which makes Nite Owl and Midwest Avengers the luckiest performers in town.

but what if we think you should have been nominated in the traditional country category?

Just posing the question.

Touche...

VOTE THE MHURS!

Vote 4 the mhurs as best new band!

if i never wouldve blown my head off, i think i would of loved the mhurs.
vote for The Mhurs as best new band!

vote for The Mhurs as best new band!

The Mhurs are all i been listening to in prison. definately vote for them as best new band!

NORTHWOODS will definitely take best new band... saw those guys at Loyal Earth Festival... SO SICK!

golly, mhurs...do you want to win?

I hear you'll win a big fat recording contract, as well as a mansion and a yacht...

But I also heard the losers would be sacrificed to a giant gold statue of Beetle Bob...

That's what I heard....

exercise? really? they shouldn't be in the 'new' band category. losing a member and keeping the same sound doesn't constitute a new band. it just makes you sound worse, that's all. BERLIN WHALE IS DONE. GET OVER IT. DO SOMETHING NEW.
like the mhurs. they have a lovely sound. and enjoyable band members who aren't predictable as all hell. oh, and one of which is a black dude. yeah. MHURS/talent ONWARD!

You can buy Annie Z all the drinks you want. Her real friends know what really makes her engine crank. That is a steady diet of percoset, meth, and lots of clown-porn; the kind where one of the clowns dies. If you can score enough of that, brother...you might just win this thing. Thanks for the nod RFT and we would love to play the party.

Secondly, I'm upset that none of the Rock bands are fighting. So here goes. Logos- We played a show together and I think the oldest guy is like 16. Because of them we got no beer backstage, and we played sad. I will beat you to death in the street with a bag of your moms cold dicks...or somthing... Goldtooth-I used do do alot of drugs too (mostly with members of Goldtooth) but you don't see me writing a bunch of songs about it. Same thing...beat down..mom..bag of dicks. Shame Club-no riffs...beat you up...Luca Brasi- hair band...streetfight...suckerdickpunch...The Feed-Musical hacks that couldn't play their way out of a wet paper bag on fire. With that said. Vote The Incurables.

Jimmy from the Incurables was my first guitar teacher, when he was maybe 18 & I was maybe 14. Therefore Jimmy is directly responsible for the existence of Bunnygrunt. How could you possibly in good conscience vote for somebody who did that to St Louis?

wow..people really taking this serious Trackstar and John I co sign every single thing you two said, and for the record this is my first year being nominated as a solo artist and I appreciate the love prior to this I was always in some form of a group,alot of people on here are doing alot of dissing and thats cool because I believe as a artist you've gotta take the good with the bad,I don't have a problem with supporters of the music voicing their opinions but I refuse to let another musician disrespect me but thats another story within itself..anyways man on some real I'm happy to be young and nominated I mean Lebron has to get a chance sometime, it can't be the Michael Jordan era forever ..thats how I look at it, but thats not a disrespectful comment towards anyone in particular..I'm just saying I'm young and very active in the scene and I'm really not trying to wait any much longer for my recognition..I fuck's with M.W.A. I'm on their new album and I worked for John's mother..needless to say I know them outside of music..fuck it too much typing..jus saying I'm happy to be nominated..

vote the mhurs!
stop hating on any band nominated.

""mhurred out" is a faggot" should look into getting some basic lessons in grammar & syntax. C'mon, people! This is the internet! We have standards to uphold!

We have no feuds, do not know Ms. Zaleski and aren't for or against the Mhurs. We are just happy to be nominated. Many thanks to the RFT for the nod. Actually, we like everyone in our category (except for Jimmy, of course), so....here's our pitch:

We are a band. We do rock. Do we rock the best? You decide.

http://www.myspace.com/lucabrasirocks

Vote LUCABRASI for best rock band.

Sorry, little guy, I've got a girlfriend, so you're on your own. But if you're lonely, and you probably are, maybe the Mhurs wouldn't mind if you worked on their dicks a little more.

Now go post another 50 "vote for the Mhurs" comments on here and leave the grown ups alone.

hugs and kisses, BFF, have a kick ass summer!

Best DJ's...

ROB LEMON, GARY MAC and VINNY TROIA.

Quite possibly in the Midwest entirely. :)

I would like to thank Jimmy for that bag of dicks he sent over. They were great! I went ahead and dropped them off at your Mom's like you asked. Thanks again for the dicks!

Looking forward to June 7th!

http://www.myspace.com/lucabrasirocks

Vote LUCABRASI for best rock band!

The Northwoods are a really great folk duo and i have met the guys and they're really cool and extremely nice

Northwoods rock, one of the best acts in this scene right now.