St. Louis Music Blog

Earthworms just unearthed (get it?) a new single, "Circles," which was produced by Ben Bounce and features Raashan Ahmad. The song is a taste from the band's forthcoming album, Midnight at the Capricorn. You can download the single and pre-order the album at earthwormshiphop.com.

Also, grrl-punks the Midtown Thieves disbanded earlier this year, just after finishing a seven-song album with Peter Dycus at Shine Studios. The band uploaded it to MySpace, however, along with some snazzy album art. Check it out!
​

In yesterday's election, St. Louis County voters overwhelmingly passed a smoking ban. What this means:

Lately, it's felt like every old-school St. Louis band is playing shows again. The Unconscious is performing at the Pageant on Monday, December 28. Pale Divine just announced its second reunion show on Tuesday, December 29. And New World Spirits' reunion show is set for January 16, 2010. But an email from Mark Heinz confirms that another beloved STL act, Fragile Porcelain Mice, are no more. Says the email, which is taken from the band's official website:

First, because of various circumstances, we will not be performing our annual Thanksgiving show this year. This news is a great disappointment to us--not just because we won't be performing, but because we look forward to meeting up and chatting with all of our loyal fans who have celebrated the holiday of turkey and rock with us over the years.

Head on over to Daytrotter today, where the featured spotlight artist is Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three. LaFarge dropped by the Rock Island studios and performed *four* unreleased songs. Congrats! His latest album, Riverboat Soul, is also available -- but for now, only if you buy one at a LaFarge concert. (It'll be in stores and on iTunes in January.) Check out three new studio songs here.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xmas_tree.svg

​Well, at least the 24-7 Christmas music didn't start in St. Louis this year until November 1. (Last year, if you remember, it started on October 10, after Movin' 101.1 prepared to flip to sports talk from upbeat music.) But yes, after hip-hop stalwart The Beat (100.3 FM) announced on Friday that it was switching formats, the constant holiday music began in earnest yesterday. Heck, the Halloween candy is still on sale, and we already can't escape good cheer and holiday schmaltz. Sure, nothing compares to hearing the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York," Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" for the first time in a season -- but will they grow stale by December 22 when the holiday season really kicks into high gear?

Rhino Records

​

Rhino Records just sent over a press release with the tracklisting and cover art for the soundtrack of the St. Louis-shot Up In the Air . Due December 1, the collection contains cuts from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Elliott Smith and CSNY, among others. And as we reported recently, local Kevin Renick is also included with his song "Up in the Air," which the email describes like this:

UP IN THE AIR includes two previously unreleased tracks with unique personal connections to Reitman. The first is "Help Yourself" by Chicago-based singer-songwriter Sad Brad Smith. Reitman discovered Smith through his brother-in-law, who became a fan after seeing a performance by Smith at a Chicago coffee shop. The second track, "Up In The Air" by Kevin Renick, was personally handed to Reitman on a cassette during a speaking engagement in St. Louis. A recently laid off Renick had heard Reitman was working on a film adaptation to the popular book and had written this song with the story in mind. The track, complete with Renick's spoken word introduction included on the original cassette, now plays over the end credits.

Full tracklisting after the jump.

Kurt Cobain

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic

​
Ready to feel old? Nirvana's landmark debut, Bleach, turns twenty years old this year. (I'm pretty sure I have a few T-shirts as old as this. Really.) Before Nevermind made Nirvana a mainstream sensation, the lower-than-lo-fi buzzsawing of Bleach captivated the few who caught the band on tour or heard the LP. Sub Pop is reissuing a two-CD version of the album on Tuesday, which features a live Nirvana show from 1990. And our sister paper the Seattle Weekly published some illuminating stories about the players and circumstances involved with the album, including:

*Bassist Krist Novoselic interviewing Bleach drummers Chad Channing and Dale Crover.

*An interview with Jack Endino, who recorded demos for the Bleach sessions.

*Gillian G. Gaar puts Bleach in historical context -- what it meant then and what it means now

In late 2008, St. Louis native Nick Conceller left the electropop band Men, Women & Children, a band formed by ex-Glassjaw guitarist Todd Weinstock. Recently, Weinstock and Conceller formed the band Cubic Zirconia, which carries on MW&C's dance bent -- albeit with a darker, trip-hop/hip-hop vibe. Here's an interview with Conceller and vocalist Tiombe Lockhart.

Scion Radio 17: Cubic Zirconia Interview from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

The St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) announced its schedule a few weeks ago -- and as always, the fest has plenty of offerings for music-doc buffs and local music fans. SLIFF runs from November 12 to 22; all ticket info and locations of the films can be found at this link.

Among the documentaries:
*Chops, which follows a Florida high school jazz band as it prepares for and performs at NYC's Essentially Ellington Festival.

*Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense, a survey of the modern jazz scene. Interviews, live performances and club scenes include Ravi Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Medeski Martin & Wood and Bill Frisell.

*Old Dog, New Trick and The Pride of St. Louis. Two separate shorts, the latter focusing on local classic-rock heroes Mama's Pride and the former documenting the life of Steve Scorfina, of Pavlov's Dog. A concert with Danny Liston and Steve Scorfina is taking place later after the November 20 screening at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room.

*The Rink. Keegan Hamilton wrote about this movie over the summer; it's an homage to the roller-skating whizzes in St. Louis' African-American communities.

Ian wisely pointed out that last week U2 announced some 2010 U.S. tour dates -- and St. Louis is not on the list. I did some checking around and confirmed that nope, the dates originally rumored turned out to be false. Ah well! The band's in Chicago again on July 6, 2010. And who knows what might happen with a third leg of the tour? 

Chad Garrison over at the Daily RFT has the news that St. Louis passed a smoking ban today in most bars and restaurants. The exceptions?

The amended bill excludes casinos and bars smaller than 2,000 square feet in size.

Okay, so, help me out here: How big is 2000 square feet? Approximately to what does that compare, in terms of local clubs and venues? Anyone know?

Edit, 4:45 p.m.: Commenter Scott beat me to the punch in posting this. Garrison has another blogpost that explains what went down at the meeting today, and talking about when it might go into effect. This is part of it:

As it stands now, the city ordinance would become law on January 1, 2011, but only if voters in St. Louis County approve a smoking ban at the ballots on November 3.

Anyone have any insights on this?

Congrats goes out to photographer Scott Spychalski, whose photo of Tom Waits graces the back cover of the forthcoming live album, Glitter and Doom. The best part about this? Spychalski shot the photo right here in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox last June. Here's our review, and a whole slideshow of his photos from the concert. Check out the chosen photo below! (H/T to Jason Harper for sending me the link)

The May Day Orchestra dropped me a line a few weeks ago to report that it's penned another "folk opera" and plans to debut it on Friday, October 30, at the Black Bear Bakery. Details!

The first May Day Orchestra project concerned Lucy Parsons and the anarchist labor leaders of Chicago in the 1880s. A recording of this material is available as a vinyl album and will be available as a digital download in November.

This next May Day Orchestra project has a different theme and a different sound. The subject is Ota Benga, a pygmy who was taken from the Belgian colony in the Congo in the early 1900s and brought to the World's Fair in Saint Louis. The songs tell the story of the Congo and follow Ota Benga's journey to a strange new home in the United States. The May Day Orchestra, this time calling itself "The Ota Benga Family Band," will perform this new piece of music in the style of the first "folk opera." The band includes Tim Rakel (Bad Folk, The Union Electric), Kevin Buckley (Grace Basement) and three members of the band Tenement Ruth: Melissa Anderson, Dave Anderson and Mary Williams.

*Lou Barlow had some nice things to say about St. Louis and his KDHX session on a tour blog on Paste Magazine's website. Check it out! (H/T to 5 Score Pachyderm) He opened for Dinosaur Jr.

*The blog Turntabling.net went on a pilgrimage to record stores around the country in recent weeks. They stopped at Vintage Vinyl and the Record Exchange (and tried to stop at Euclid, but they were closed). However, nice things were said!

So, Tom Petty's Twitter account has been leaking the tracklisting to the forthcoming Petty live boxed set, The Live Anthology. And it looks like the Lou's 2006 show is being represented by the inclusion of "Square One." This thing is a monster, by the way, judging from a press release Petty's label sent around last week:

The collection brings together material from 1978-2007 culled from hundreds of hours of live concert recordings covering every era of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' tours and represents the best tracks as chosen by producers Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Ryan Ulyate.

The Live Anthology will come in multiple configurations including a 5CD collector's deluxe box set available only at Best Buy that will include a first-of-its-kind audio-only Blu-ray disc. The collector's deluxe package will be in Best Buy stores on November 22nd. All other configurations will be in stores and available online on November 24th.

In case you haven't perused the paper yet this week, don't miss out on the fact that Not Waving But Drowning is doing a reunion show this Friday Saturday night at Fubar. They were before my time, but Ryan Wasoba says: 

 ...the tragedy of Not Waving But Drowning has more to do with timing than geography: By its early-'00s breakup, NWBD was too sentimental for hardcore purists and too spastic for the burgeoning emo crowd. The group's proto-screamo would have been groundbreaking had it existed a few years earlier - and yet many bands have since turned similar juxtapositions of Sabbath riffs and Bane breakdowns into profitable careers. 

On October 23 at 8 p.m., KWUR is sponsoring a free screening of We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out. The documentary focuses on the modern music scene there, including Black Lips, Deerhunter and Mastodon (who's at the Pageant tonight). Fun will be playing at Brown Hall 100 on the campus of Wash U. (It's also a play on words of the legendary documentary Athens, Ga: Inside/Out.)

Heard this rumor last night, but it turns out Kevin Johnson confirmed this Friday: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be playing the 1975 classic album Born to Run in its entirely at the Scottrade Center show on Sunday, October 25.

Really, though, fans in front should be more alert for something else: BRUCE CROWD-SURFING. Yes, the Boss has been jumping into the audience, Warped Tour-style, at recent shows. Is there anything that man can't do?

It was a busy weekend for shows in the Lou. If you missed any of our five(!) reviews, check 'em out below --

*They Might Be Giants at the Pageant, Friday, October 9
*Maxwell, Chrisette Michele and Common at the Scottrade Center, Friday, October 9
*Bottle Rockets, Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, Friday, October 9 AND Saturday, October 10
*Riddle of Steel reunion, Firebird, Saturday, October 10

The Loop will be bumping tonight. First up, the Bottle Rockets is doing a two-night stand at the Duck Room, tonight and tomorrow night. Both shows start at 9 p.m., Otis Gibbs is opening each night and tickets are $15. (Nope, the shows aren't yet sold out.) Judging by the band's opening set before the Wallflowers over the summer, I suggest bringing your rocking shoes.

Just a bit up Delmar, Devon Allman's Honeytribe is celebrating ten years together with two shows at Cicero's. Tickets are $12 per night, with a $3 minor surcharge. Allman will be heading to Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, in January, to record the follow-up to 2006's Touch.

A few weeks ago, we reported that Kevin Renick's song "Up in the Air" was set for inclusion in the George Clooney movie Up In the Air. My colleague in LA, Randy Roberts, saw a screening of the movie, and confirmed its inclusion. Says the Daily RFT:

And then there's the closing song, "Up In the Air," which runs during the credits and was written by former Riverfront Times proofreader Kevin Renick (!). It's a soft acoustic song composed by the St. Louis-based writer and musician. As the credits rolled and I saw his name, I wondered: Is that the same persnickety guy who saved my ass at least once a week? Indeed, it is. Renick wrote it, Reitman told me after the screening, after getting laid off from a job.

Congrats!

*The video game LEGO Rock Band is due out later this year. And two of the artists included in the game are Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Why yes, you can totally play "Let's Dance," as a plastic model of Bowie croons along. The game's attention to detail is incredible: Iggy's abs are killer, and the blockhead Bowie has two different-colored eyes. Awesome. Video trailer below; photo right here. (Tip via Topless Robot via USA Today)

Thanks to an A to Z reader, who pointed out that City Art Supply (3215 Cherokee Street) -- which has been hosting free shows as of late, including one last weekend with well-respected out-of-towners Alexis Gideon and Shelley Short -- has closed, according to its website. More information as it becomes known (or relevant).

Farm Aid is on Sunday, October 4, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, and for those of you who don't have tickets yet, get crackin': Livenation says that general admission lawn tickets are sold out, and only limited reserved-seating tickets remain. We'll have complete coverage online and in next week's RFT, so stay tuned!

In case you missed it yesterday, the RFT's 2009 best of issue is now live. Check it out here.

Sad news over at the Daily RFT: John Van Hoogstraat, who co-owned Stella Blues and Three Monkeys on Morganford, committed suicide. Police found him inside the recently closed Stella Blues establishment on Monday. More information at that blog post.

Those of us in the Lou know these Ludo albums intimately, but now the rest of the country has the chance to experience 'em: The band is reissuing its self-titled debut and the Broken Bride EP. To sweeten the deal, the iTunes edition of Ludo has a bonus song ("Elektra's Complex") and features a free live disc of an August 2004 Mississippi Nights gig, a.k.a. Ludo's first-birthday show. 

*Foo Fighters have put up a new song, "Wheels" for listening on YouTube. Houston Press gurus say it sounds like Tom Petty. I agree. 

metalsucks.net

​
BY D.X. FERRIS

Down is the kind of band that would own classic-rock radio if heritage stations hadn't stopped seriously updating their playlists after the first Black Crowes album. The supergroup features Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo and members of Crowbar, Eyehategod and COC. If COC's "Stare Too Long" isn't the greatest classic-rock song of the 21st century, then Down's metal-plated Southern rock anthem "Stone the Crow" is. Down guitarist Pepper Keenan had a hand in both.

"It belongs on the radio," Keenan says of "Crow." "If one jackass would have taken a chance and put it on the radio, it would have taken off. To this day, we play this song, and kids know every damn word. It's like playing 'Freebird' or something."

Granted, for curious baby boomers, the band's metal-heavy latest album, 2007's Down III: Over the Under, probably isn't the best place to start. But for this leg of the tour, the group is concentrating on material from its platinum first album, its most accessible effort. At a recent show, they faithfully covered Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" -- and web video made that song alone look totally worth the price of admission.

Also on the bill tonight at Pop's is Seattle's seminal hard-rock band the Melvins, a sludge machine that's equal parts Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, punk and a Panzer tank. This tour marks the band's 25th anniversary.

"I said this to Buzz [Osborne, frontman-guitarist] the other night, I said, 'Dude, I think you're one of the greatest American rock and roll bands that exists on the planet.' They're half Grand Funk Railroad, half Black Flag. It's just the craziest amalgamation of American music stuck into one band. Incredible."

Down guitarist Pepper Keenan answered some extra questions for A to Z below.

Farm Aid is on October 4, less than two weeks away! Over at the Blender, Kevin Johnson has details about more lineup additions for the show. Notable names include Ernie Isley, Ryan Bingham and Billy Joe Shaver. And over at Gut Check, Ian notes that Willie Nelson is a fan of Pappy's Smokehouse -- largely because of the shirt they're selling to benefit Farm Aid. Cool!