Blogs

(Photos and review by Annie Zaleski; entire Flickr set here.)

(Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard)

The central appeal of the 2006 movie Once is what happens when creativity and attraction intertwine in musical and romantic chemistry. Stars Glen Hansard (an Irish street busker) and Marketa Irglova (a pianist) find each other and experience a simple, but sweet, jolt: the irresistible pull toward another person, the intangible magnet spark, the intoxicating emotional rush and aching longing that come with dewy love.

The movie’s storyline – and Hansard and Irglova’s real-life musical collaboration, the Swell Season -- became even more poignant when it was revealed that the on-screen duo became an actual couple. This collusion of reality and fantasy is the stuff of which fairy tales (and fan fiction) are made; the couple’s heartbreakingly gorgeous harmonies and obvious songwriting gifts only exacerbated its ideal image.

Without that cinematic pixie dust surrounding Hansard and Irglova’s relationship, though, what’s left is reality – which perhaps isn’t quite as idealized or glamorous (although probably no less satisfying). At one point during the Swell Season’s sold out show at the Pageant on Tuesday night, Hansard embraced Irglova and sweetly slow-danced with her – and bless her heart, she looked embarrassed at such a public display.

(Hansard)

More

(Photos and review by Annie Zaleski; entire Flickr set here)

Tegan and Sara haven't performed in St. Louis in years -- a fact Tegan mentioned in our interview outtakes and Sara reinforced at the pair's sold-out Pageant show on Sunday night. However, the charming onstage motormouth (at this show, that was mainly the jean jacket-sporting Sara) came to the conclusion that St. Louis "wasn't as dangerous" as she thought.

Tegan Quin:

Tegan and Sara Slide Show from Sunday, May 4, 2008 at The Pageant

Sara Quin:

Such banter (and a wholly impressive live show) ensured that the Canadian duo's arrival back to town was certainly worth the wait. The sisters began the set strong, with the So Jealous cut "I Know, I Know, I Know," the title track from its latest album, The Con and then another Jealous fave, "Walking With a Ghost."

More

(Review by Roy Kasten; photos by Dana Plonka)

Saturday night at a capacity Duck Room, the Bottle Rockets started where most bands finish. They tore through “24 Hours a Day,” the hardest, most direct rocker in their catalog, like they’d spent the night warming up on Stooges and AC/DC covers, like they wanted to sum up a show that hadn’t even happened yet in a collision of ferocious guitars and militantly precise drumming.

But the band really was just getting started. After an opening set from Otis Gibbs (Indiana’s answer to Billy Bragg), vocalist Brian Henneman stood in front of a simple back line of three Fender amps, one Ampeg bass rig and zero acoustic guitars. He declared that the band considered setting up in the corner by the bar and standing on tables to give the impression of the low basement ceilings found in the old Cicero’s. (Another thing you didn’t know about the Bottle Rockets: The band’s first gig was to be at Cicero’s in December 1992; the show was snowed out.)

(Brian Henneman)

More

All photos by Annie Zaleski. More after the jump.

Fuck Buttons:
(Andrew Hung)

(Hung and Benjamin John Power)

Caribou:
(Dan Snaith)

More

You tired of me blogging yet? We making Monday morning entertaining? Hope so. Here's a fabulous photo of Alicia Keys, to preview Kristy Wendt's review of her show last night at the Scottrade Center, which will be up shortly. Kristy also took this photo.

(See more photos here at this post.)

The Duke Spirit has all of the ingredients it should take to make a lasting first impression and win over new audiences. Liela Moss is a captivating presence, a confident lead singer with a classic voice that takes cues from Björk’s adventurous melodies and Nico’s dark sensuality. The quartet behind her was just as poised, laying off tight, raucous versions of songs from this year’s amazing Neptune.

It’s surprising and unfortunate, then, that the London quintet’s diverse, high-energy set on Friday night (where it opened for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) wasn’t enough to rein in the wandering attention spans of the Pageant crowd. With a sound reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s early work with producer Joe Boyd, the Duke Spirit’s performance conjured images of ‘60s-London psychedelia, but didn’t rely on nostalgia or other throwback gimmickry for impact. Catchy single “The Step and the Walk” did seem to get through to the somewhat restless audience, and by the set’s end there was definitely a buzz in the room. Hopefully the band will give St. Louis another chance, as it would great to see them again on a headlining tour at a smaller club.

(BRMC, by Annie Zaleski)

Unlike its May 2007 St. Louis show (which was more or less a snoozefest), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club showed up and wasted no time in dialing up the intensity level: The Los Angeles trio blasted out of the gate with “666 Conducer” and “Berlin,” both from its most recent full-length release Baby 81.

More

The cough-syrupy elixir of Red Bull and vodka was a necessary evil at around 11 p.m. last night at Dantes, while the decently danceable opener Bernard Jones throbbed in the background and kept “that one guy” (okay, periodically four guys) boogieing until Kaskade began his set after midnight.

(photo by Kristy Wendt)

Red Bull’s saccharine charge wasn’t unlike the cerebral experience of Kaskade’s remixes; these were beats that tripped the insulin receptors and bypassed the digestive system in an artificially sweet high suitable for a Saturday night. Kaskade is irrefutably pop-influenced, and uses vocal segues well, suspending them between beats so that they hang unaccompanied, like an expectation, before the synthetic pop of a familiar tune is mixed in -- most notably during the night’s hit, the melody to Eurythmics' “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” dubbed with Timbaland’s “Apologize.” This particular combination of old(er) and new pop seemed like an ultimate nod to Kaskade’s influences, and I would have liked to have heard more, especially considering how clever and contagious (and crowd-pleasing) it was.

While the crowd at 11 p.m. was sparse...

More

Review coming very soon, but in the meantime check out some of my snaps from the show. Being able to sit down = Annie can actually take clear photos. Click on any picture for a larger version; a slideshow is also coming soon.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Turner:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Peter Hayes:

The Duke Spirit's Liela Moss:

Hayes:

More

You have to feel for New Pornographers keyboardist/accordionist/vocalist Kathryn Calder. When she’s playing with the British Columbia, Canada, indie-pop trio Immaculate Machine, her clear, piercing vocals help earn the co-ed band accolades and acclaim. But when she’s touring with the Vancouver, Canada, power-indie-pop troupe New Pornographers, she’s the Skipper to Neko Case’s Barbie, the singer whose talents are too often overlooked if she’s sharing lead vocals with main songwriter A.C. Newman.

(Kathryn Calder photo by Annie Zaleski)

Calder had an especially tough task at the New Pornographers show Saturday night at the Pageant. Case had abruptly left the tour several days earlier due to a broken ankle, a sudden departure that bummed out many fans (especially since the show had been billed as the Neko-fortified lineup, the one many consider far superior). But Calder did a fantastic job filling her absence, matching lead vocalist Newman harmony-for-harmony on songs from the band’s latest album, Challengers (“All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Earth,” “My Rights Versus Yours”) and Twin Cinema highlights (“Use It,” “The Jessica Numbers,” “Jackie Dressed in Cobras”).

Unfortunately, the other four New Pornographers – especially keyboardist/MacBook manipulator Blaine Thurier and guitarist Todd Fancey -- looked bored out of their minds. It’s a raging cliché to say that a band is going through the motions, but that’s exactly what transpired on stage. All barely moved or looking interested in what they were playing, even on catalog highlights such as “Mass Romantic” and “The Laws Have Changed.” Needless to say, the vast majority of the crowd was unengaged, whether it was due to the lackluster performance or simple disinterest.

More

“Back in the '80s, one way to fuckin' a girl was to give her a cassette, a cassette tape, man.”
-- Overheard in a South St. Louis establishment, April 2008.

I think he meant a mix tape, really. The cassette, packed with a variety of songs and hand-written liner notes. She'd see that you love that Sheena Easton song, but your masculinity would be validated with the inclusion of that Judas Priest rocker (a twist of irony you would get a few years later).

Slide Show!

The cassette eventually tape gave way to CD-Rs and then to podcasts. Today, the cassette tape is pretty much dead in mainstream music. But the plastic cartridge still offers a medium that's appealing to artists and musicians. So much so, that musicians, far from being driven by monetary pursuits, still put out cassette-only releases (gasp!).

The local purveyor of such arty releases, Cherokee Street's aPop Records, exhibited some of its wares at the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis this week. The exhibit continues through Sunday, April 20, with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; "with booze," reads a MySpace bulletin about the event. Ask an aPop employee if she has an iPod, and you'll get a knee-jerk "fuck no" for an answer.

Check out some the finest works in the exhibit here: photos.

-- Nick Lucchesi

The difference between Dan Deacon and virtually all other avant-garde or performance art is the audience interaction. You go to see a Stan Brakhage film or get caught up watching a bizarre street performer and you just stand still, stare, and inevitably end up thinking, “Wow, this is just bizarre.” Not so at a Dan Deacon concert. Not even close.

Slide Show!

The man and the music are definitely strange, to say the least. One look at the guy (pudgy, balding, middle-aged, with big goofy glasses, and a Goodwill wardrobe) and his stage set-up (a rat’s nest of cords and distortion boxes all covered with neon masking tape, and topped off by a glowing crystal skull), and you know you’re in for something wild.

As he’s known to do, Deacon set up his equipment on a table just in front of the stage and was quickly surrounded by audience members. After he led a brief stretching/stand up comedy routine, all the house lights were turned off and he had the crowd count down from ten like a rocket launch. When they hit zero, he pressed play on his iPod shuffle taped to a banana, and started “Okie Dokie,” his most high energy and accessible song. Madness ensued. Short of the infamous Girl Talk concert a few months back, it was the most energetic, dance-friendly, buck-wild crowd I’ve seen in St. Louis.

More

Though it has been open just about a month, The Gramophone (4243 Manchester Avenue) in the Grove neighborhood played host to one of DJ'ing's biggest names on Thursday night – DJ Madlib. Though the show wasn't promoted on Madlib's MySpace page, a bulletin by his record label, Stones Throw (and a blog post here) alerted St. Louisans about the show.

See pictures of the show, the people, the records, here.

More

If the Good Life is Tim Kasher’s outlet for his acoustic-softie side, then Cursive is how he lets his inner metalhead emerge. How else to explain the latter’s fantastic Gargoyle show on Sunday night, where a mosh pit broke out during the encore? (Yes, thanks to a certain tasing incident last year, this made B&D security folks very nervous, especially since people were losing their shit in the front rows and pushing forward violently.)

Such passion is a hallmark of Cursive’s bulldozing sax-skronk – a particular brand of throttling post-indie-punk that’s evolved so seamlessly that it’s hard to remember that they used to have a cellist in the band. Vocalist/guitarist Kasher’s raw-throated screams and revealing lyrics create beautiful agony that's intrinsic to the popularity and timelessness of Cursive’s music.

The Saddle Creek veterans debuted a ton of new songs last night, most of which were fantastic and stood up to its extensive back catalog. On “Couldn’t Love You,” corrugated riffs, Kasher’s nasally howls and organ/flute(!) parts combined to resemble the Cure, while the Good Life-like) “What Have I Done?” was harrowing, heart-wrenching (and nearly acoustic). “Race With the Devil” was a slow-burning number conjured a spikier Sunny Day Real Estate, while set-closer “Hips” began slow and sad and ended in a frenzy of jackhammer drums and guitars and Kasher yelping with wild-eyed panic.

The audience was particularly pleased with cuts from 2003’s The Ugly Organ (“Art Is Hard,” “A Gentleman Caller,” “Sierra”), while choice bits culled from 2006’s Happy Hollow (“Big Bang,” “Bad Sects”) and even a chestnut from 2000’s Domestica “The Casualty” also drew a warm response.

Despite Kasher’s observation that the crowd was rather sedate – he tried to liven things up by telling a story about playing putt-putt in Iowa, to some avail – Cursive sequenced its set perfectly, so that it kept building in intensity and volume without losing control. This meant that by the time the band lit into Hollow’s “Dorothy at 40” at the very end of the night, the song’s thundering beats and guitars felt like the apocalypse – but yet never descended into complete chaos.

I heard most of Capgun Coup's set from the lobby, because my feet couldn't handle standing on the concrete/linoleum floor for very long. But what I hears wafting through the door was, well, an acquired taste, as the band's quavering off-key vocals and earthy folk were sickly sweet and sing-songy; think early (Takeoffs and Landings) Rilo Kiley and Tilly and the Wall.

So Many Dynamos opened the night, and it’s obvious the band’s been on tour, as its set was super tight, danceable and propulsive. Even a broken snare drum (and a reference to a Limp Bizkit song “Break Stuff”) couldn’t ruin the night, which included the local debut of new song “These Bones” (which is the song I wrote about in the story here). Look for them to hit Canada in May, along with shows alongside Ra Ra Riot and Meneguar.

(reviews and photos by Annie Zaleski)

(Video by Will Jones; words and photos by Annie Zaleski)

As commenter Jeff weighed in below, it's tough to describe the experience of seeing Explosions in the Sky beyond "wow." The Austin instrumental quartet is no-frills: Its stage setup utilizes no videos or flashy props (beyond a Texas flag and moody midnight lighting) and the band kept stage banter to a bare minimum (read: a sincere, genial greeting before the show began).

(guitarist Mark Smith, bassist Mike James)

This lack of visual distractions means that the band’s hard-to-categorize music becomes the primary focus of its concerts -- which it was during Explosions’ very first St. Louis show, Saturday night at a packed Pageant. As it is on their albums, the band’s post-rock is the very definition of cinematic in person. (Think Sigur Ros, only with a lot less roar and a lot more time spent listening to Mogwai and American indie rock). The multiple-guitar attack created abstract musical moods best summed up by adjectives: watery, mournful, ferocious, blissful, distressed, lonely, calm.

The cumulative effect was awe-inspiring and chill- (and tear-) inducing, sometimes achingly so. Explosions is the perfect concert during which to bliss out, to let emotion take over, to let life’s worries bubble to the surface in order to then float away. In short, the band creates an environment of emotional catharsis with its music. It’s challenging to the heart as much as it is to the brain.

The band members seem to find the same release as the audience, as their onstage demeanor was a visceral, physical experience. Multiple times during the set, bassist Michael James nearly ended up crouched down on the floor (see picture), as did guitarist Munaf Rayani. (The latter also grabbed drumsticks and shared percussive duties with Chris Hrasky on one song.) The three front-line players swung and crouched like jungle animals, creating a bizarre sort of interpretive dance recital.

By the end, the trio was almost punching its instruments like prizefighting boxers (see the clip above). It’s a testament to the intensity and emotion Explosions in the Sky pours into its music – and to the rushes of adrenaline and energy surging through both venue and band during this amazing show.

If you have a setlist, please post below in the comments.

If you are a fan of St. Louis hip-hop and you weren’t in the vicinity of the Delmar Loop last Friday (March 21), then you are wack. It was a banner evening for the Lou underground as virtually every quality rapper in the city was showcased at one event or another.

(photo by Keegan Hamilton)

Things kicked off at Vintage Vinyl with an in-store performance from Black Spade (pictured). Fresh off a performance at SXSW and a slobbering Pitchfork review authored by RFT alum Ben Westhoff, Spade celebrated the release of his debut solo album To Serve With Love by kicking out thirty minutes worth of tracks from his new LP. The crowd, dotted with Spade’s family and a who's-who of the St. Louis underground, lined the aisles of Vintage and provided plenty of fodder for Spade’s playful stage banter.

MP3: Black Spade, "Actioneer (Waajeed Remix)"

The energy carried over to the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, where Tef Poe, Rockwell Knuckles, Chaundon (a North Carolina native who collaborates with Vandalzym and the Justus League), Gotta Be Karim and Vandalyzm all performed.

Fresh off a bout of food poisoning, Poe battled a weak voice for much of the night but was rescued by the dynamic duo of Family Affair who joined Tef on the stage for the set’s strongest song. RFT cover boy Rockwell Knuckles was up next, and he delivered what may have been the strongest set of the night: twenty minutes of pure, honest, hard-hitting hip-hop.

After Chaundon showcased some killer 9th Wonder-produced tracks, the stage was left to Vandalyzm and Gotta Be Karim, who took the stage together and put the evening on ice. Like Spade, Karim was celebrating the release of a new record, his Bean Pie EP, which dropped officially on March 21.

-Keegan Hamilton