So, the Dive Poets will be embarking on a tour in June 2011. Dates are to be determined, but bassist Jeff York notes he won't be along for the ride. (Neither will drummer, Renato Durante.) Bummer for sure, although both men have a formidable fill-in: Beth Bombara. To show off this slightly modified configuration, the band and Bombara recently filmed a video for the song "Longtime Gal." It's quite lovely, as you'll see below:

The other day, Tef Poe released a new single and video, "Out the Kitchen." The latter is found below; as you can hear, it's a measured, forceful song. A remix of the tune (which you can also snag below) has a featured appearance from GLC, who's part of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label. While Poe and a whole slew of fellow Force members are in Austin for SXSW (more on that next week), he and GLC will be filming a video for the "Out the Kitchen" remix. Oh and by the way: GLC will also be playing at the Gramophone on March 21.

MP3: Tef Poe, "Out the Kitchen" (featuring GLC)

Judging by all the quality music that's surfaced in recent weeks, Cicero's is the place to be tonight if you dig local hip-hop. On the bill is Tef Poe -- who shared thoughts about his new album, War Machine, and his 2011 plans with A to Z earlier this week -- the Chalk Boyz, Whiteout and Family Affair. The latter act is releasing a new mixtape, Before the Return, on January 31, and a few days ago it unveiled a track from the release, "Rotation." It's a creative leap forward for the act, a brisk, catchy tune with hooks, taut percussion and scratching galore. Check it out below. The Cicero's show starts at 8:30 p.m., and admission is $7.

Over the holidays, Rockwell Knuckles unleashed the video for his killer 2010 track, "Silly Human." Says Rocky about the video, on Twitter, "Nothin' says lovin' like a conceptual video about brainwaves transferred into cyberspace." That's about right.

Rockwell Knuckles Silly Human Music Video from TrulusersTV on Vimeo.

Last week, we named Bryant Stewart one of our twelve artists not to overlook in 2011. Well, it's not next year yet, but he has already delivered a formidable release: a new video for the song "We On," from the forthcoming Not Quite There. A stinging rock guitar sizzles in the background, matching Stewart's foreboding flow. Totally addictive. Check it out:

"We On"

We all know Corle 2 Da is incredibly pro-St. Louis, but his new track is so incredibly pro-South Butt, we asked the controversial apparel company's lawyer, Al Watkins, if Corle 2 Da got paid to do it.

Said Watkins: "This was a spontaneous gesture by the rapper, who in his own right is a genuinely talented artist." Mmm-hm.

The Gay Blades are a glammy, strident pop-rock band which recently released a new album, Savages. To spice up the tour surrounding it, the group has written a song for each city it's visiting -- including St. Louis! (The Gay Blades are at Cicero's tonight.) Says singer/guitarist James Dean Wells about the Lou's tune, "The Gateway To Your Heart":

"I was tour managing a Finnish band called Rubik this summer and when we were in St. Louis, they informed me that a Finnish architect was responsible for the beautiful landmark. So I figured that arch, "America's Gateway", would be the central figure in this story. The other being a schizophrenic homeless dude on a bicycle staring at it, waiting for a lost love to materialize. Seemed like a good idea..."

Hear it below.

MP3: The Gay Blades, "The Gateway To Your Heart"

(Every day in December, we'll be posting holiday jams for your enjoyment. Have any favorites you want featured? Email me.)

Hoboken, New Jersey, noisemongers Yo La Tengo are known for their (mostly) annual Hanukkah residency, where special guests and pals join the trio in seasonal merriment. In honor of the first night of Hanukkah, A to Z presents some vintage live YLT footage. This particular cover of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" has a local bent: It was filmed at old Cicero's in 1987, ostensibly for the show Psychotic Reaction. (Another video from that same session, "House Fall Down," is below.)

As November wanes toward its inevitable tryptophan haze, and St. Louisians begin preparations for the holiday slog, a quick reminder of the not so distant past -- 75 degree days, sunlight until 9 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. -- is more than welcome.

The Sheldon recently debuted a new St. Louis anthem, "Live it Up in New St. Lou," a bluesy little number penned by the Sheldon's Executive Director, Paul Reuter. The song and accompanying video extol the virtues of River City. The latter features imagery of familiar landmarks that'll make you want to give St. Louis a big wet kiss and maybe a little pat on the butt for being so damn beautiful.

Allow us to do so in song:

So what's the story behind the tune?

The lovely folks over at Vevo finally got around to putting together an excellent Go Show from Nelly's surprise performance with the St. Lunatics at Blueberry Hill last month. "Move That Body" is the third single and maybe our favorite earworm off Nelly's forthcoming album, 5.0, which will be released stateside November 16. The single "Just a Dream" just rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, as of today. Congrats!