Music Taster's Choice

Jason and the Scorchers @ Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO

2012-01-19T12:49:00.003-05:00

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson

I consider myself an out with the old, in with the new kinda guy when it comes to celebrating a new year. And to kick off the New Year, I wrote a review of a fairly new band’s recently released album; as for album reviewing, that was also new. But with all of the things I love that are new, I have not forgotten the things that first turned me on to music. Throughout my love affair with music, there have been certain concerts and moments that I can recall with great detail. One of these moments was the first time I heard Jason and the Scorchers' music. I had moved this memory to the back of my mind but it was brought back to the forefront a couple of days before my review of their live show. I remember I had first heard their music on one of those early 80's radio segments where listeners could vote songs onto a station's playlist. Their music caught my attention with its blend of country and rock, two genres of music I liked but had not heard together. So fast forward some, dare I say 30 years later, I have a chance to cover Jason and the Scorchers. Let me clear my schedule. All cleared!

First off, I want to say thank you to Off Broadway for bringing these quality shows to St. Louis. It is a real treat to see the fast-risers and veterans of the music world at their intimate venue. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Jason and the Scorchers. The band has two remaining founding members in Jason Ringenberg (vocals/guitar/harmonica) and Warner E. Hodges (guitar/vocals). Hodges, in my opinion, is way underrated on the guitar god scale. Al Collins (bass) and Pontus Snibb (drums) round out this current version of the band. Jason and the guys brought an over capacity crowd to Off Broadway; thirty years in the music biz, that’s what you get. Brian Henneman, founding member of the Bottle Rockets, set the tone for the evening. Brian played some Bottle Rockets' faves and heightened this oversized audience’s anticipation level by ending his set with a couple of Bottle Rockets sing-a-longs. While Brian was onstage, Warner E. Hodges watched as a fan, from the bar tapping his boots (complete with spurs) and applauding when the time was right. Off in the corner by the bar, I spotted a man taking in Brian’s set. This man somehow looked out of place with his black jeans, graying sideburns and John Deere t-shirt. The man happened to be Jason Ringenberg. At that moment I thought of how out of place Jason must have felt while forming the Scorchers and melding two forms of music that typically don't go together.

As the band took the stage, Jason now in his red satin, rhinestone-studded jacket, white shirt, black ascot, and a road weary cowboy hat, gave the impression he was surveying the audience to see how this show was gonna go down. Mr. Ringenberg didn’t have to wait very long to find out the answer to his question after the rousing round of applause the band received after launching into “Mona Lee”. The band seemed a little slow to warm up but once they hit their stride, they were unstoppable. Throughout the night, Jason shared many tales of his thirty years on the road and some insight as to how songs were written and those that helped write some of these songs. The band threw a new song into their setlist, “Thanks for the Ride”, which basically thanks the fans for their years of support. Stacie Collins, wife of Al Collins, lit up the Off Broadway stage with her version of the band's “200 Proof Lovin”, as well as one of her own songs, ”Lend the Devil a Hand “ from her latest album, Sometimes Ya Gotta… Stacie had the stage presence of a rabid cat and she may have had on the coolest shoes of the evening, a pair of black leather Chuck Taylors. Taking full advantage of what Stacie started, the band kept things rolling slowing, only briefly, for “Bible and a Gun”. During “Bible and a Gun”, I felt compelled to check Twitter. To my surprise, I saw a tweet from Off Broadway, “Brian Henneman on stage now, JATS next @Offbroawaystl, Todd Snider maybe”. Now that would be the icing on the cake if that happened.

Warner E. Hodges blew the roof off of Off Broadway with his growling guitar and vocals during “Better Than This”. He and the Scorchers injected new life into one of the few covers they performed, the Byrds “Drugstore Truck Drivin’ Man”. The band wound down the pre-encore portion of their set with “Broken Whiskey Glass” and “Moonshine Guy”, both of which only left you wanting more of the band. By now, a combination of the suspense of a possible appearance by Todd Snider and the frenzy of covering Jason and the Scorchers was almost more than I could take. Hold on kids we ain’t done yet. Brian Henneman and Warner shared the guitar work of the first encore, ”If Money Talks”. And then all suspicions of a Todd Snider appearance were confirmed. Jason began to explain his collaborations on the PBS series Farmer Jason and in particular, a song he had performed with Snider on the show, “He’s a Moose on the Loose”. With a formal introduction, Snider took the stage after his sold out show at The Sheldon earlier in the evening. Snider, Henneman, and Ringenberg proceeded to play a Scorchers' version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, a version that probably woke John Denver from his eternal rest. By now, Off Broadway was at near collapse as this one-song supergroup left the stage for a second time.

Returning for a second encore, Jason and the boys burnt down what was left of this night of pure rock and roll rowdiness with the song that first got my attention, “White Lies”. When the band left the stage and the house music came up, I had a feeling similar to the one I had in 2006 while at Busch Stadium, witnessing the Cardinals winning the World Series: "Ok, that was fun. What do we do now?” Well, just as I did in 2006. I soaked in the moment, and told myself, “You have just seen something you may never see again”. Thanks to Mike Farley of Michael J. Media Group and Deb Whittington for making it all possible. Photos of the show are below:

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Album Review: Girl Talk by Middle Class Fashion

2012-01-12T12:56:00.003-05:00

Words by Duane Clawson

In 2012, I’m going to venture in to some new territory with an occasional album review. The catalyst for this review arrived in my inbox on January 5th. Jenn Malzone, of the band Middle Class Fashion, sent me a copy of the band’s upcoming release Girl Talk. As most know, I do my best work in-person, so a quick check of the calendar revealed I would be working my real job on the night of the release party. Damn the luck. Alright, guess I’ll give the album a listen and maybe catch the band on a different night.

From the opening notes of “Lightning Bugs”, I knew this band needed some press. The band was formed in early 2010 by Jenn Malzone (vocals/keyboards) and Brad Vaughn (drums), two bandmates from the St. Louis-based band, Paper Dolls. A third bandmate, from Malzone’s other band Tight Pants Syndrome, Brian McClelland (bass) was acquired to round out this trio. The band’s website describes their sound as “Tegan and Sarah scoring a Tim Burton movie with Danny Elfman. Couldn’t have said it better myself. As I said, the first track, “Lightning Bugs”, caught my attention with its catchy piano line and witty lyrics which explore the possibility of trapping feelings in a jar like lightning bugs. “Powder Blue” follows with an equally attractive piano piece and Malzone’s voice hypnotizes on this number. The third track is a song entitled “My Attack”, which is intended to be a mean song but leaves one with the feel of a 70’s TV show theme-song and overall groovyness. The fun police and 80’s keyboards are summoned for “Fun Whoa”, a song about a good time that was had, but now I’m moving on. The male vocals have a chance to blend with Malzone’s on “Jamie” and the boys do a respectable job.

Next up, the title track “Girl Talk”, which briefly sums up all of the things that girls yak about and all of the emotions involved. “Abomination” has a great mix of a Gilbert and Sullivan piano, Dresden Dolls vocals, and 70’s synthesizer. After the track “Vacation” my second favorite song on this alubm can be found, ” July 31st”. This song has a dark feel which is brought to life through Malzone’s vocals and an eerie-sounding piano score. The tenth and eleventh tracks, “Griffin” and ”Barbarella” respectively, are in a perfect spot on the album as they are a couple of the weaker numbers found on this production. “Sugar Hrt Candy” brings it back to life with the band’s signature pop sound and great opening lyric, “You’re my sugar heart candy/just give me cavities/It’s pretty clear you’re no good for me”. The album comes to a peaceful end with Malzone toning down her vocals for the final two tracks, “Sweet” and “Birthday”. A fair number of three-piece bands, in my opinion, often have holes in their sound but this full length album should be a model for other three-piece bands to follow. With a full, rich sound and a rare playfulness, Middle Class Fashion brings a breath of fresh air to the St. Louis music scene.

The album is set for release on January 14th. The album release and show with Scarlet Tanager and Cassie Morgan + the Lonely Pine will be held at Foam Coffee & Beer. Don't forget to check out (and download for free) their debut EP on their Facebook BandPage.

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Aaron Kamm and the One Drops @ 2720 Cherokee, St. Louis, MO

2012-01-10T21:12:00.001-05:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

The most common theme heard before Aaron Kamm and the One Drops took the stage @ 2720 Cherokee was, “You’re gonna like this band”. As with most shows I have covered this year, I knew very little about this band. All I knew was the band had a cool name and their Facebook page had some cool music on it. I was hoping that the band’s name and a snippet of their music would be the formula for a great live show. As I entered 2720 Cherokee, I was asked by the bouncer if I had seen this band before, to which I told him no. He said it was one of his favorite bands to see at 2720. The crowd was growing for this Wednesday night show, a good indicator that this band might be good. I found a table for my camera bag and my adult beverage. I also shared the table with a couple from Litchfield Illinois, a 112-mile round trip, another indicator this band might be good. Again, I was asked by this couple if I had seen the band before. Again, the answer was no. Once again I heard, “You’re gonna like this band”.

Shortly after 10pm, Aaron Kamm (guitar/vocals), Sean Raila (drums), and Andy Lee Dorris (bass) took the 2720 stage. It didn’t take long to hear why this band had such a large following. With the ability to play the smoothest of Reggae blends or break out in a jam that would rival a live version of “Freebird”, this band had something for everyone. A look at the audience for this show was also proof there was something for everyone. Be it the coolest of hipsters or an older guy, like me, every subculture seemed to be represented at this show. The band’s Facebook page list of influences includes Peter Tosh; the Allman Brothers, and Sublime, bits of all of these bands can be heard in the band’s sound. Aaron and the Drops also played one of the longest sets of any local bands I have covered this year. Their set clocked in at right around the three-hour mark with a 20-minute intermission. A couple of songs that deserve attention are “Southtown” and “Lil Ruby”. In “Southtown”, the band shows off their chops throughout this song with flourishes of jam band, reggae, and blues. “Lil Ruby” starts off with a groovy shuffle and then breaks out in a jam band styled chorus which abruptly ends and returns you to the shuffle that started it all. The band has two albums out there, titled Gnu-Gnu and Grow, both can be picked up at CD Baby, iTunes, and at the band’s website. The band also has the honor of having both of their albums in December’s Top 10 playlist at Jam's Space. As the band left the stage, drummer Sean Raila introduced himself to me. At the end of our conversation, I was reminded of a passage from my last review, “Bands put it out there; it’s your job to find it”. I asked Sean, “Where have you guys been“ and his reply was simple, “Right here”. Thanks to Aaron Kamm and the One Drops for allowing me to cover the show and 2720 for their hospitality. Pictures of the show are below:

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Last to Show First to Go Release Show / Jump Starts / Treehouse @ the Sheldon Ballroom, St. Louis, MO

2011-12-27T23:10:00.004-05:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

Sometimes in life, things happen that are totally unexpected and just when I think no one sees what I write, I am reminded how far these words travel. After a small mention of the St. Louis band Pretty Little Empire in my Ume article, I was contacted through Facebook by Ryan Albritton. Ryan has recorded Pretty Little Empire at his studio, R&R Music Labs in St. Louis. He asked about the background of Music Taster’s Choice (MTC) and the conversation worked it’s self into the possibility of MTC covering an upcoming show. The upcoming show was Last to Show First to Go’s (LTSFTG) upcoming EP release party at the Sheldon Concert Hall Ballroom. So when all was said and done, what started out as a simple concert review turned into interviews, an album review, and concert coverage. With all of this going on, I will attempt to put it all into some sort of chronological order. I’ll get it all started with a little bit of the history surrounding the formation of LTSFTG.

The band was formed out of two groups of musicians; the first group consisting of Jay Lewis (Upright Bass/Cello), Phil Valko (Percussion/Vocals), and Miriam Keller (Trumpet/Vocals) who all played in jazz combos and different bands while attending college. Bredon Jones (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocals) and Mikey Naucas (Lead Guitar/Vocals/Harmonica/Trumpet/Keyboards) are long time collaborators and complete the second group of musicians. The band was officially formed in 2007 and in 2010, Jay and Phil were reunited by fate around the same time LTSFTG was in the market for a bass player. Jay relayed that after his audition for the bass player spot he left his bass amp at the audition so the band had no choice but to invite him back. Jay told me via email that Bredon and Mikey come up with the bones of the band’s songs. The rest of the band builds it out and workshops it from there. Miriam writes the band’s horn arrangements while Mikey is also considered a co-writer of the horn parts. Jay goes on to explain some of the bands influences include Tom Petty, Beck, and Wilco.

LTSFTG’s The Farmer John EP is a follow up to Short Cuts, which was released in 2010. I asked the band about how they settled on a name for this EP. Bredon Jones stated that the song “Farmer John” originally titled “Farmer John the Alchemist” was the ideological core of the album and knew it was going to be the first song on the EP. Bredon goes on to explain the title in more detail, “as someone who builds my moral belief structure from the ground up - literally, from the land, the earth, up - it makes the most sense to start with the one that addresses our culture's treatment of the land and our earthly resources”. The EP leads off with “Cracks”, a song which begins with the trumpet stylings of Miriam Keller and after a small lead break we are introduced to the somewhat plain but somehow enchanting vocals of Bredon Jones. The smooth flow of “Cracks” is the perfect introduction to LTSFTG’s sound and Bredon’s thinking-man lyrics. The second track, “Far Be It”, demonstrates the band’s diversity from the beginning with a muted horn, Spanish guitar, finger-plucked bass, and Pink Floyd-inspired percussion produced with circular saw blades. Somewhere around the 3 minute and 30-second mark, Jay Lewis demonstrates his talents with a finger plucked breakdown on the stand up bass. Cut number three, “Dirt”, is a man’s quest to find some dirt in the city but to no avail. Mikey shows a flash of his guitar playing ability with some great slide work near the end of this tune. Track four, the title track, “Farmer John”, leads off with Miriam and Mikey on twin trumpets. The tone is reminiscent of the horns heard on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, but Mikey and Miriam produce a sound that is clearly LTSFTG. The fifth track, ”Worked Like a Charm”, begins with the earthiness of a vintage of Neil Young song. With its slow moving acoustic guitar and harmonica one’s mind could be transported to a summer evening spent on an old friend’s front porch in Middle America. The EP closes with “Short Cuts”, where Jay Lewis shows off his chops on the cello at the onset of this song. As “Short Cuts” builds from Jay’s cello and Bredon’s soft vocals, each band member has a chance to shine. Phil Valko finally gets a chance to show his prowess behind the drum kit by providing a solid marching beat around the midway point of this number. The Farmer John EP is top notch listening music. Throughout this review I listened to each track repeatedly. Each time I found a little musical nugget I had missed; and that to me this is what listening to music is all about. Bands put it out there, it’s your job to find it. Before I close this portion of the review I have to mention the work of Ryan Albritton and Ryan Lewis, co-owners of R&R Music Labs. The Ryans do a great job capturing and bringing life to each member of this band. Their tireless effort to promote St. Louis area musicians through the STL Loud project is just what this city needs. Thanks for all you do.

Onward to December 9^th, I finally got the chance to meet Ryan and some the band at The Farmer John EP release party held the Sheldon Concert Hall Ballroom in St. Louis. As most everyone knows, I have only been writing and photographing for MTC since April. Every now and then, as a lover of music in general, I step back and tell myself ‘I get to do some cool shit’. This EP release party fell into the cool shit category. To see the show of support for local musicians and to see how proud the band was to show off their recently completed works was almost enough to put a lump in ones throat. When I first entered the ballroom I almost immediately found Ryan A. by a table which displayed all three of the STL Loud albums and releases by all three bands on the evening’s bill. The rolling sounds of Treehouse started off the evening’s festivities but, unfortunately, as with most opening bands the sound wasn’t quite as dialed in as it should have been which in turn detracted a bit from their sound. I would really like to catch this band under different circumstances and hopefully I’ll get the chance review one of their shows in the future. The second band to take the stage at the Sheldon was Jump Starts. Almost instantly I recognized a familiar face, Justin Johnson of Pretty Little Empire. Justin has teamed up with Sarah Ross on drums to provide St. Louis with less abrasive version of the White Stripes. Justin’s Roy Orbisonesqe voice pairs nicely with Sarah’s backing vocal talents. Jump Starts did a great job of putting an air of anticipation in the room and prepping the audience for LTSFTG.

Around tenish, LTSFTG took the stage for their moment in the sun. With a near-capacity audience giving support with a warm reception, the band launched into “Cracks” which also happens to be the first song on the EP. Second on the band’s extensive setlist was one of my personal faves from Farmer John, “Far Be It”. Songs three and four “Fears of All” and “Running in the Rain” are tracks from the 2010 release Short Cuts. The band’s fifth choice was a brand new song, “Subtle Blend”, which should be featured on LTSFTG’s next recording. The sixth song was a cover of Andrew Bird’s “A Nervous Tic of the Head to the Left”. I was not familiar with any of Andrew Bird’s music, so a thank you to LTSFTG for introducing me to his music. Song seven in the set, “Dirt” from the EP, started off with Bredon entertaining the concert attendees with the story of how the song came to be. Another new tune “Everything’s Fine, America” found its way into the eighth spot on the setlist. Bredon said this song will also find its way onto the band’s next project. It should also be noted this was the first time this song was played live. Number nine, my favorite song from the EP “Worked Like a Charm”, had some members of the audience slow dancing in far off corners of the Sheldon Ballroom. Song ten, a cover of Cake’s “Sheep Go to Heaven” brought life back to room with its rousing sing-a-long chorus. The band wound down the night with “Now We Are Drowning”, the third new song of night, followed by “Farmer John” and “Short Cuts”. LTSFTG left the stage to a great round of applause for their solid efforts. LTSFTG did a very good job of reproducing all of the songs on the EP. Both cover songs chosen for the evening were excellent choices. The band took these songs and really made them their own. Finished, finally, this article was truly a labor of love, a love of the music, and a love of what I do. Thanks a bunch to Ryan Albritton for making all of this possible and to the members of LTSFTG for their input, emails, and making darn fine music. Photos of the show are below:

Treehouse

Jump Starts

Last to Show First to Go

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Infected Mushroom / STodd / Miss J @ 2720 Cherokee, St. Louis, MO

2011-12-09T17:31:00.003-05:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

If one was looking to burn off a portion of their Thanksgiving feast, 2720 Cherokee was the place to be on this Thanksgiving night. I love to venture outside of my element and tonight was one of those said ventures. This was my first visit to 2720, which provides a vast array of artist from DJ sets to an upcoming soul & funk review. 2720 provided plenty of entertainment throughout the evening. Two gentlemen entertained with a fire show during the DJ sets; one working fireballs attached to chains followed by another twirling fire batons. Girls scantily clad in boy shorts and sports bras worked lighted hula hoops throughout the night. And if all of this could not hold your attention, the ongoing fashion show provided by the 2720 patrons surely would. I took this show to see Infected Mushroom, a band I have been a fan of for a few years now. I became a fan through the strangest of circumstances. While DJing a 16-year old's birthday party, a kid asked if I had any Infected Mushroom. I said, “get away from me kid, I’m a man of the law and haven’t had any shrooms since high school”. The kid produced an Infected Mushroom CD and I felt stupid but I thanked the kid for turning me on to a different kind of mushroom. Alright enough of my silliness, on with this review.

Miss J got the 2720 crowd loose with her skills behind the mixer. STodd, another St. Louis-area DJ, pumped and primed 2720 with his psytrance mixes and a perfect fit for this bill. For those who have not heard Infected Mushroom, they are a tightly wound ball of psychedelic trance, heavy metal, and electronica. Infected Mushroom spices up their brand of psychedelic trance by playing a live set. The band consists of a guitarist (Tom Cunningham), keyboards/synths (Erez Aizen), drummer (Rogerio Jardim), and singer (Amit Duvdevani). Infected Mushroom began in as a collaboration between Aizen and Duvdevani in 1998. This resulted in the production of an album The Gathering, released in 1999. The duo has since released six more albums with a new album to be released some time in 2012. The audience on hand was much larger than I anticipated for a Thanksgiving night and one of the more active audiences of the shows I covered this year. The sound system utilized by 2720 was reminiscent of the seventies and eighties. The system sat on the floor and reproduced Infected Mushroom’s sound in thunderous fashion. Again, my Etymotic ear plugs came in quite handy.

Duvdevani and Aizen are study in varying contrast while onstage. Duvdevani is in continuous motion while Aizen is content behind his bank of synthesizers and keyboards. Tom Cunningham could easily win a Slash lookalike contest and brings a heavy metal edge to the Mushroom sound. For an hour and half the audience was in non-stop bounce mode and oblivious to the guy with the camera (me) attempting to freeze images of the band. Two highlights of the evening for me were Mushroom covering the Foo Fighters' “The Pretender” and including a song in their setlist that first turned me on to the band, “Becoming Insane”. When all was said and done Infected Mushroom left the 2720 crowd sweaty and in a psychedelic trance state that only their music can produce. A big thanks to Sophie McNeil and Randy Siedman from the Infected Mushroom team and 2720 Cherokee for their hospitality. Pictures of the show are below:

Miss J

STodd

Infected Mushroom

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Sharon Little @ Cicero's, St. Louis, MO

2011-11-21T22:28:00.003-05:00

Pictures by Duane Clawson, words and video by Scott

This particular day started just after 2am, as I made my way to St. Louis for a friend's wedding. Unbeknownst to me, Duane, my St. Louis contributor, had plans for covering a show that night and he invited me to go. With no intentions on attending any show while I was in St. Louis, how could I resist the chance to cover a show in a city I have never seen a show in?? I couldn't, plain and simple. I jumped at the chance, as Duane and I, have yet been to the modestly-sized venue, which reminded me of Norman, OK's Opolis, at Cicero's and it would be an adventure for both of us.

As we waited entry into Cicero's venue space, Miss Little passed through us as she was searching for a dressing area. Unknown to me was just about everything about Miss Little, as my only information was found on Wikipedia on my trip on various highways and interstates; please note, I was not driving while I was browsing the web. Don't do that. But as Duane and I found our seats and grabbed the coolest of beverages, I was surprised by the moxie of the petite Little. Full of modesty and sincerity, Sharon was especially grateful to the modest crowd at Cicero's, most of which caught her while she toured with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. But the pint-sized songbird had anything but a tiny voice, as she belted out some very soulful and emotional vocals during her 45-minute set. Her music is quite diverse, as some songs could be mistaken as pure pop goodness while others edged on blues and country. With the help of an acoustic guitar, her set was rather stripped down but none of the music was missed as her vocals made the mood of each song and she made sure that you felt how the song was meant to be heard. I was quite impressed with her set and she made a fan of me that night, even though she did point Duane and I out for taking photos of her performance. I would definitely catch her, especially if she is playing at an intimate venue, as you can really feel her music and its emotion. Photos and a video of the show are below:

enjoy.

Tinariwen @ the Loft, Dallas, TX

2011-11-10T19:14:00.004-05:00

I will, at times, complain about the minuscule commute from my apartment to my work or the minor annoyances of first world problems. But in retrospect, these minute struggles pale in comparison to the hardships that the members of Tinariwen have faced on a daily basis growing up in war torn Africa. The Tuareg musicians from Mali have not only faced the complexities of Third World separation but also the harsh realities of conflict and loss. They have overcome these obstacles and ultimately formed a band that produces some of the best music to ever grace the world. With the release of their fifth studio album, Tassili, they have embarked on a world tour and, luckily, graced the intimate confines of the Loft, set atop the Gilleys complex.

Talking with the house manager of the Loft, it was clear that Tinariwen was perhaps the most diverse artist the venue had seen and was a welcomed sight for he and I both. But as I waited for the members of Tinariwen to take the stage, I was taken back by the lack of support these magnificent musicians had on this night. It was almost shameful. But by time they had strapped on their respective instruments and proceeded into their set, the crowd had grown by three fold and produced a modest, yet appreciative crowd. Dressed in traditional Tuareg attired, the members of Tinariwen took the stage and jumped into their hour and a half minute set. The music, formed around minimal drums, grooving bass lines, and multiple guitars provided great excitement in the venue as many of its visitors clapped in unison as the music was a breathe of fresh air. It was nothing you have ever heard before, especially live and in person. With rotating lead vocals by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, the group complimented each other in the best way possible and made some of the best music I have seen all year. In the end, there was nothing special about the set with no flashy lights and production but it was one of the best shows I have seen in a while and definitely one I will not soon forget. Pictures and a video of the show are below:

enjoy.

Ume @ the Firebird, St. Louis, MO

2011-11-02T16:59:00.002-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

It cannot be an easy task playing music in a sports town. Ume had this unenviable task on this Thursday night in St. Louis. For those that may have been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks, the St. Louis Cardinals were in the World Series playing a possible elimination game six as Ume was attempting to play some music. Lauren Larson, Ume’s front woman, did a great job of appealing to St. Louis’s love of baseball and music. Mrs. Larson was standing next to me as she told her parents that she would hold on as long as she could before she took the stage at The Firebird. Finally at 11:20pm, Lauren, Eric, and Rachel took the stage to perform for a large Thursday night crowd. This was Ume’s second appearance in St. Louis in the past three months; see LouFest. I have had the luxury of seeing Ume at the St. Louis music festival and tonight at the Firebird, but I much prefer the intimacy of the Firebird to the big stage of Loufest.

Ume is a potent mix of powerful guitar riffs and sirenesque vocals. If I were to make comparisons of Lauren’s voice, two artists would come to mind: Kim Deal of the Breeders and Melissa Auf der Maur, the former Hole bassist. When Mrs. Larson first straps on her Fender Strat, one almost laughs at the size of her instrument in comparison to her small stature; the two are almost equal. If there are any doubts that this pint-sized young lady can handle her instrument, they are soon removed as the opening notes of “The Conductor” hit the Firebird’s PA's. Attempting to get a clear image of Lauren is almost impossible due to her nonstop thrashing during almost every song. The band slows down for just a brief second during “Sunshower” only to return with the sonic thump of “Captive” from the newly released album, Phantoms. During the song “Burst”, a mini mosh pit broke out and this, to me, was a demonstration of how Ume’s music can appeal to almost anyone. Ume is a band that is best experienced live. After the show, a gentleman came up to me and asked who I was taking pictures for. I told him MTC and handed him a business card. I asked if he was related to anyone in the band. With his heart full of pride, he said “Well hell ya, I’m her daddy”. Dad, as well as the members of Ume, should be proud of their work up to this point and the success that is sure to follow. A big thank you to Tim from Shaker Maker PR for inviting me to cover the show and our friends at the Firebird. Pictures of the show are below:

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Explosions in the Sky / the Burning Hotels @ Winspear Opera House, Dallas, TX

2011-10-31T22:38:00.002-04:00

Isn't funny how things work out? I was very bummed the last time Explosions in the Sky was scheduled to play in Dallas, as I missed out on ticket and press opportunities. I, in turn, covered TV on the Radio and Broken Social Scene at the House of Blues. Fortunate for me, the weather did not cooperate and the outdoor Explosions show at Strauss Square could not be held and was canceled. That night, I enjoyed a fiery performance from Brooklyn's TVoTR and proclaimed myself lucky as I had made the 'right' choice. But I was not without regret and sympathy, as I would l have loved to had the opportunity to see the band I haven't seen since 2007 (Meachem Auditorium, University of Oklahoma) and felt awful for those who had, not only their night ruined, but missed on seeing Explosions perform. But as luck would find it, the band rescheduled to perform the Winspear Opera House and I found myself in the good graces of Explosions' press relations and was once again in the presence of the explosive quintet from Austin.

Perhaps the only downside to the evening was that I arrived late to the Winspear and only caught the two last songs of the Burning Hotels. As I walked into the majestic Opera House, I was greeted by the energetic sounds of"Beard", the latest and greatest track from the Burning Hotels' self-titled effort, released earlier this year. The band's sound has really been polished and resonated well within the Winspear's walls. The crowd, whom was standing the last two songs, soaked in the electro-pop offerings from the Fort Worth products and craved more as the band wound down their final track. These guys are definitely on the up and up and are one of my favorite local bands. They are mainstay in the local music scene and one worth checking out. With their plentiful dates in the DFW area, there's no excuse for not catching them.

As the crowd grew in anticipation, it was obvious something was awry. The nearly sold out Opera House was barely three quarters full minutes before Explosions took stage. It was clearly apparent that the rescheduled date and World Series game took its toll on the capacity, but those in attendance were not deterred by the absence of their fellow concert goers. As the time wound down between sets, the house music's volume increased by two fold and everyone knew it was only a matter of seconds before the band took their respective places onstage. With prior experience of an Explosions concert, I was fully prepared for an auditory assault and brought my Ety·Plugs for safe measure, but only a few notes into the performance, it was clear that the sound was not in excess but rather in rich clarity and great acoustics.

Opening with "The Only Moment We Were Alone", the band' manifesto was crystal clear: We are here to rock your face off. The subtle sequences, most of which are melodic and dreamy, are infused with cascades of raw energy and sheer power. But even with the amount of sound coming out of the Opera House's strategically-placed PA's, the music flowed freely and was without distortion. It was indeed the perfect pairing for this show. In a venue that routinely books and exhibits the highest forms of art, Explosions' music could compete with the most exquisite, orchestrated soundscapes and the images created by said music could send your imagination to places unknown but places you want to visit. It's seemingly hard to believe that Explosions employs three guitarists, all of which with different tones and sounds. Most bands with that many strings would produce strictly noise, but Explosions somehow creates a collage of notes that combine to build some of the greatest post-rock songs known to man. The nearly career-spanding set list was full of sonic goodness and probably couldn't have been better in my opinion. Since it was a seated affair at the Winspear, it was almost offensive to hear the obnoxious shouts or see the aimless dancers in the middle of the aisles. Call me crazy but if everyone but you is sitting down, you should probably sit down too. Outside of these few annoyances, Explosions set was seemless and flawless. Ending with my personal favorite, "The Birth and Death of the Day" and the conclusive "The Moon Is Down", the show ended on the highest of notes. Unfortunately, the band did not extend their set with an encore but the crowd handled it well, as they were still in awe of their fantastic performance. It was a great night. Pictures of the show are below:

enjoy.

Project/Object @ Old Rock House, St. Louis, MO

2011-10-31T20:06:00.005-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

Before my father passed away, he shared many stories of bands he had seen in his lifetime. The stories of Pink Floyd in Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the 70’s on their Animals tour or Uriah Heap opening for Jimi Hendrix. So hearing these stories I could only imagine what those concerts were like. Along with his stories, my father also introduced me to much of the music of the 60's and 70's. This is where I learned about a fellow named Frank Zappa. At first, I only heard the lyrics of Frank’s songs and found them to be quite humorous. As I dove deeper into this Frank Zappa music, I also discovered he was a gifted guitar player and continually surrounded himself with highly-talented musicians. So with all of the above mentioned knowledge, I have often thought how great it would have been to see a Zappa show. But unfortunately, Frank left us in 1993 and my opportunity was missed. So fast forward some 18 odd years later, I’m off to photograph a Frank Zappa tribute (I’ll use the term loosely) band. Two gentlemen that were fortunate enough to share a stage with Frank Zappa were Ike Willis and Ray White, who performed in many incarnations of Frank’s backing bands during the 70's and 80's. Andre Cholmondeley founded the band in 1990 or so, starting with Ike in 1996 and has since hired over a dozen various Zappa alumni to play with them. Ray handled the duties of rhythm guitar and backing vocals while Ike, also a talented guitar player, but is most remembered as 'the Joe', the narrative voice heard throughout the Joe’s Garage rock opera albums. Besides Ike and Ray, Cholmondeley has included the talents of Napoleon Murphy Brock, Denny Walley, Mike Keneally, Don Preston, Ed Mann, Arthur Barrow, Bunk Gardner, Robert Martin, Jimmy Carl Black, Al Malkin, Bruce Bickford, Roy Estrada, Bob and Thana Harris, as well as Candy Zappa, Gary Lucas, Ed Palermo, Jerry Cucurullo and many others.

The Ike Willis story is one that also contains a local connection as Ike was a student at Washington University in St. Louis when he was discovered by Mr. Zappa. This night at Old Rock House had many of Ike Willis’s family and friends on hand to share in the excitement of Ike’s return to St. Louis. One thing that was refreshing to see was the band chose to perform some of Frank’s more obscure titles. Project/Object opened the show with “Montana”, a song that introduces the audience to the genius of Frank Zappa through its musical composition. P/O didn't forget to cover the Mothers of Invention era as the next two songs were from said era “Everyday Trouble” and “Florentine Pogen”. The next song performed by P/O was one that had been tucked away in my memory for many years, “Flakes” was Frank Zappa’s insight to the dumbing down of America (yes, even in 1979) and contains the great lyric:

"I'm a moron 'n' this is my wife

she’s frosting a cake

with a paper knife.

All what we got here's

American made.

It's a little bit cheesey,

But it's nicely displayed."

Project/Object played the music of Zappa in two sets, all totaling darn near three hours of Frank Zappa music. P/O wound up their first set with “Cosmik Debris”, a song that requires biblical scholars to decode its musical content. The band recreated this masterpiece with precision. As they took a break, I was schooled by two serious fans of Zappa and his music. I thought I had some musical knowledge but these guys knew every musician that played on every Zappa album and what bands they were in, before and after Zappa. I was hoping the band would hurry up and get back on stage; I was feeling stupid.

The band rescued me by returning to the stage and picking up where they had left off with “Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy”, a song that gives Ike’s voice a workout with its lyrical content. In the middle of the second set, Ray White had his chance to shine with “In France”, a song from the 1984 album Them or Us. This song gives you the impression it was written for Mr. White’s vocal talents. Project/Object doesn’t tour with a 12-piece band, ala Zappa, but each musician does a great job of filling any musical hole that may have been left with these missing instruments. This was demonstrated when P/O covered the original, horn-laden “Hot-Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel”. In this second set, the band performed an epic piece of music that is aptly named “King Kong”. "King Kong” is a musical behemoth that infuses jazz pieces with psychedelic guitar and keyboard licks. The last four songs of the night allowed each member of the band to shine. “Mr. Green Genes” is a guitar opus which provides flashes of guitar brilliance from Ray, Ike, and my new favorite guitar player, Andre Cholmondeley. "Echidna's Arf (Of You)" and "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing” morphed into one and featured Ike as bandleader pointing out band mates when it was their time to shine. These songs produced more stellar guitar work and duels between keyboardist Eric Svalgärd, bass player Dave Johnsen, and Ryan Berg on drums. In researching my story I came across an article which broke down the musical content of, "Echidna's Arf (Of You)”. The article said most Zappa tribute bands would not touch this piece of music. I guess the writer of that article has never seen Project/Object.

I can honestly say that I have never been to a three-hour show that has gone by so fast. So as they say, all good things must end but one more wow before this show was over. Project/Object left the Old Rock Houe stage smoking with their rendition of “Zomby Woof” with Ike and Andre traded guitar riffs during this hard rocking Zappa classic. In many ways, this band is as diverse as Zappa was himself, with musicians that come and go and talented musicians in the band that are relatively unknown to the rest of the world. All of these things are an extension of Zappa. Luckily, Ike and Ray were there and shared in the genius of Zappa and continue to share that genius with the rest of us. Thank You. Pictures of the show are below:

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Plain White T's / The Summer Set / The Downtown Fiction / Allison Park @ Harlen Hunter Stadium, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO

2011-10-26T13:54:00.006-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

This night started out pretty darn sweet with limited travel time. The venue was only about a half-mile from my domicile. This show was on the campus of Lindenwood University and the kickoff to their homecoming weekend. The organizers of this concert brought in some great talent at a student friendly price. So after securing my pass, free Chick-fil-A sandwich, and a free 5 Hour Energy drink, I was ready to cover the show.

Being on a college campus can be highly entertaining and one never knows what they might see. Tonight, I saw a guy in the front row in a banana suit, college kids taking a nap on the turf of Harlen Hunter Stadium, and a young lady finding constellations with her phone app. This night, I also became a sports reporter. Having access to the Cardinals/Brewers game on the sound guy’s laptop, I relayed continual score updates to audience members. On the bill were Allison Park, the Downtown Fiction, the Summer Set, and the Plain White T’s. Every band played highly energetic sets and left the college kids with great memories of their homecoming weekend.

The Plain White T’s set was a great demonstration of how this band has evolved from punk rockers to grown up musicians and songwriters. Plain White T’s covered their whole musical career but favored their last two albums’s The Wonders of Younger and Big Bad World. For some reason, during this show I had the reoccurring thought, “Oh yeah, I forgot these guys did this song”. There were two things that got my attention during their performance: 1. how close the live sound was to the record and 2. De'Mar Hamilton is an excellent drummer. Great moments from this show were of course Tom Higgenson’s acoustic rendition of “Hey There Delilah” and the harmonizing of the audience during “1,2,3,4”. I captured some great images from this show so I will now shut up and let the pictures do the talking. Thank yous are in line for Lindenwood and the Plain White T’s for letting me cover the show. Pictures of the show are below:

Allison Park

The Downtown Fiction

The Summer Set

Plain White T's

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Santah / Army Navy / Pretty Little Empire @ The Firebird, St. Louis, MO

2011-10-12T21:26:00.002-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

Okay, off to another weird, wacky, wonderful show at the Firebird. There are things at the Firebird that happen nowhere else on the planet. For starters, on this Wednesday night, as many nights before the audience started positioning themselves in half circle about 15 feet from the stage. Now mind you, there is nothing preventing the audience from coming closer to the stage. Then as usual, the band onstage encourages forward momentum and everyone steps toward the stage. Pretty Little Empire was the band that encouraged forward momentum on this night. It was a pleasure to finally hear what the rest of St. Louis has been buzzing about. Pretty Little Empire covers a vast array of musical genres, flavors of country, folk, rock, and an occasional punk-rock guitar riff makes this band a cut above the rest in the St. Louis music scene.

Pretty Little Empire is Justin Johnson (acoustic guitar and vocals), William Godfred (lead guitar), Evan O’Neal (drums) and Wade Durbin (bass). Formed in 2008 out of the ashes of the St. Louis-based band Kang Rhee, PLE has quickly banged out two albums. In 2009 PLE released their debut album, “Sweet Sweet Hands”, and then released “Reasons and Rooms” in 2010. Justin Johnson’s voice at times could be mistaken for Chris Isaak’s. PLE’s scary good harmonies and honed musicianship seem to have produced quite a following in St. Louis. In my research of PLE, I came across an interview in which Wade Durbin was asked what Pretty Little Empire means, a question he had no answer for. I think I may have an answer. PLE is slowly but surely building their own pretty little musical empire in St. Louis.

When the band Army Navy signed on as a support act with Santah, I’m sure they did not know much their support would be needed. I will relay a story later which defines the term support act. Army Navy is an indie rock band from L.A. but I found out this band also has some St. Louis ties. Drummer Douglas Randall is from St. Charles, a suburb of St. Louis and had family members present in the Firebird audience. Army Navy has been tagged with the label of power pop, yes maybe, but in an 80’s kind of way. Myself being a child of the 80s, heard a strong resemblance to Modern English. More on Army Navy can be found on their Facebook page.

Santah, the headliner of the evening had just begun a mini tour of 25 dates, with St. Louis being the opening night. The band was not starting the tour well as their trusty van nicknamed HAP, had puked on them in Indiana. All of the band’s gear and merchandise were in the van. So as I mentioned earlier it may have been a blessing to be touring with Army Navy as the members of Santah now had to use Army Navy’s instruments. Lead singer and guitarist Stanton McConnell relayed this story and apologized in advance to the Firebird audience for any mishaps that may occur throughout their set. Now with all this ugliness going on, Santah managed themselves and their music like true professionals and made the best of a bad situation. The day before the current tour began Santah performed an excellent Daytrotter sessions set that can be found here and which is also an excellent representation of the band’s live sound. Santah’s groove is pure Midwest, as it should be for a band that calls Illinois home.

When searching Santah on Amazon, you get the “see related items” section names like Bon Iver, City and Colour, and Explosions in the Sky pop up, all good comparisons to Santah’s brand of music. Songs that beg for your attention from this band are “Neighbors and Cousins” and “Chips of Paint”. I asked Santah’s lead guitarist Vivian McConnell for a setlist and she said she would have to transpose it from a cell phone. She wrote the setlist on a page from the band’s mailing list notebook, on the top of the page there was a picture of a bunch of grapes and below the pic of the grapes there is a saying, “This is one of those moments where neatness counts”. I would say that line serves as a dual reminder to those writing their mailing address and also to the band on how to approach the music. On this night in St. Louis, Santah followed those words of wisdom perfectly. I would like to thank Santah’s PR team SolidPR for allowing me to cover the show and as always the Firebird for their hospitality. Pictures of the show are below:

Pretty Little Empire

Army Navy

Santah

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Ten out of Tenn @ Old Rock House, St. Louis, MO

2011-10-11T17:08:00.002-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

Now this is a cool formula. You take your singer/songwriter buddies out on tour with you and introduce the world to their music. I bet the record execs in Nashville hate these guys.   As much as I hate to type it, this is kind of like American Idol on tour but with real talent. In a way, I was dreading writing this article. In no way did my dread have anything to do with Ten Out of Tenn’s performance. The dread was how do you take a stage full of talent, give each member their just praise, do the research on each artist, and include the highlights of the show. So instead of me rambling for days and days, I’ll condense it the best I can and hope that someday I can see each artist individually for review purposes.   The group began in 2005 with Kristen and Trent Dabbs and a handful of their singer/songwriter friends. Over the past six years, members have came and went but the level of talent remains constant.

This year’s incarnation of Ten out of Tenn consists of Amy Stroup, Gabe Dixon, Katie Herzig, K.S. Rhoads, Tyler James, Matthew Perryman Jones, Trent Dabbs, Butterfly Boucher, Jeremy Lister, Andrew Belle, and the steady backbeat provider on the drums, Will Sayles. Ten transformed the stage of the Old Rock House in to a revolving door as at any given time group members performed duets, swapped instruments, while others left the stage for break on the Old Rock House’s side patio. It should also be mentioned that many of Ten’s members have solo projects and have had their songs featured in various TV shows. To begin the evening Ten out of Tenn placed Gabe Dixon in the spotlight first with an original called “Running on Fumes”. This song may have been an appropriate choice as the group is winding down their current tour. To be noted, each member of Ten performs two songs during the course of the evening. Jeremy Lister followed up with “Turn the Pages”, a song that would fit nicely in Coldplay’s music catalog.

Katie Herzig took her place behind the keyboard for her song, “Make a Noise”, that just happens to be on her album “The Waking Sleep”, which just happens to have dropped the Tuesday preceding her performance in St. Louis. Matthew Perryman Jones showcased his writing talents during “Rain or Shine”. Not to outdone by Matthew, Amy Stroup showcased a woman’s ability to write as good as any of the boys with the breathy tune “Just You”. Trent Dabbs took a moment to shine with “Mountain Song”, a Neil Young-styled driving rhythm is prevalent throughout this song. Andrew Belle held the Old Rock House audience’s attention with the haunting “In My Veins”. K. S. Rhoads made his contribution with “Where I Come From”, which conjures up memories of Simon and Garfunkel. Butterfly Boucher brought the rock with her song “5678”. Tyler James rounded out the first round of music paying homage to the sounds of The Band with “Mama Hold”.

It would be very easy for me to go in to great detail on every song performed by each artist during their second go round on stage. In my opinion, each musician saved their best stuff for last. So I will only hit the highlights of round two. Katie Herzig and Andrew Belle changed up the setlist with their duet on “Static Waves”, a song that apparently had been dropped from the set but was brought back by popular demand. Katie Herzig is a perfect duet partner for Andrew Belle’s voice. K.S. Rhoads mesmerized with his one-man band production entitled “Invincible Fortress”, a song that starts off with a loop of K.S. beatboxing joined by loops of keyboard, guitar, and vocals. Trent Dabbs picked up the pace of the show with his song “Neil Young”. This song is written in the hope that Mr. Dabbs music will someday have the same powerful effect on someone as a Neil Young song.

Tyler James combines pieces of the Eagles, Little Feat, The Greatful Dead, and K.S. Rhoads slide guitar work in his rockin creation “Old Brass Billy”. “Wish You Well” placed the vocal and songwriting talents of Katie Herzig front and center. “Wish You Well” is a breakup song but in turn thanks a partner for the time that was shared and maybe Katie’s way of thanking her Ten bandmates. I was highly anticipating all members of Ten out of Tenn return to the stage for an encore and was not disappointed when they did. One member of Ten proclaimed they were from Tennessee and could not leave without performing a song that represented their state. The song chosen was Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. The Ten cast, complete with horn section left the stage, single file, and snaked through crowd while performing “Ring of Fire”, even making their way up to Old Rock House’s balcony. As Ten left the building I realized I had just witnessed something very special.

I have stated before that I love doing what I do for Music Taster’s Choice and tonight was no exception. I have also mentioned that I get to be a part of the human interactions that happen when it all comes together. Again, tonight was no exception.   Before Trent Dabbs launched into his song “Neil Young”, he said how great it was to share the stage with the members of Ten.   Dabbs also said that the Ten out of Tenn tour had one more week left and likened it to the last week of camp before everyone went their separate ways. Probably not too many people noticed the slight quiver in Trent Dabbs chin as he was making the analogy of the tour ending to camp ending. That slight quiver told me how proud Mr. Dabbs was of this assembled cast, as he should be.

For more on Ten out of Tenn please feel free to visit their website. A sampling of each of the members of Ten out of Tenn’s music can be found at the band's Myspace page.   I would like to give a big thank you to Nathalie Levey of Katie Herzig’s team for the invite to cover the show and to an unnamed security guy at Old Rock House for making my job easier. Pictures of the show are below:

Jeremy Lister

Katie Herzig

Matthew Perryman Jones

Amy Stroup

Trent Dabbs

K.S. Rhoads

Butterfly Boucher

Andrew Belle

Tyler James

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Video: Panda Bear @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

2011-10-03T22:52:00.002-04:00

With enough smoke to fill a haunted house and enough visuals and strobe lighting to send the crowd into a week-long epileptic seizure, the Panda Bear show at Granada Theater was definitely one of a kind. Coupled with the amazing music of indie genius Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, the show was one of the best I have seen this year. The highly-anticipated show was a nonstop stream of Tomboy, Panda Bear's latest effort and climaxed with his two most recognized tracks, "Comfy in Nautica" and "Bros" from his much-loved third release Person Pitch. I was lucky enough to catch Noah headlining his own show as opposed to performing with a festival, in which his set and music were far less appreciated. Outside of the crazy amount of smoke Granada continuously pumped into the space, it was a fantastic night of music. Videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps / Scarlet Tanager @ Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO

2011-10-03T21:50:00.003-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

The bar. They took the whole effin’ bar. Okay, they didn’t take the whole bar but its size had been greatly reduced. Apparently Off Broadway chose to do some remodeling since I last covered a show in July. During my extended wait, as Daredevil Christopher Wright had canceled,I quizzed my bartender on the changes at Off Broadway, she said they had considered a bar reduction for some time to increase seating capacity. Alright, enough about the bar. Let’s talk music.

Scarlet Tanager, “a medium-sized American songbird”, in this instance a band, kicked off this night of music with their fresh brand of folk music. The band was formed in 2010 in St. Louis by the husband and wife duo of Susan and Michael Logsdon. But Scarlet Tanager does not one but two husband and wife teams in the band as Josh and Jordan Shepherd share duties on keyboards and guitar. The fifth wheels of this large band are Matt Davidson on drums and Dustin Kent on bass. At times on stage, the chemistry between Susan and Michael is very noticeable on a personal and professional level. At one point during their set, the duo shared a microphone, a moment reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in a folksy kind of way. I have to give kudos to this band for producing a very cool video for their song “Tumbleweed”, which can be seen here. Being a fan of music in general, I love a band that dust off a classic and reintroduces it to the world as Scarlet Tanager does with a song I had never heard before, Patsy Cline’s “Gotta Lot of Rhythm”. They did an excellent job of recreating this classic. If you’re interested their latest effort American Songbird, it can be had at their Bandcamp.

The folksy theme of the evening continued with Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, who have made a great musical journey in a very short span of time. With humble beginnings in Minnesota, the band put out their first album in 2008 with Backyard Tent Set. Since their 2008 debut, the band has managed seven national tours and if that kind of touring doesn’t get your name out there, I don’t know what will. I really love the casualness in this current insurgence of folk music and Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps do it keep it casual. As Miss Smith and the band took the stage, I noticed the setlist had been written on napkins, which told me that during Scarlet Tanager’s set, Miss Smith was at the merch table writing a setlist. Spontaneity. I love it. This show at Off Broadway was the sixth stop on their current tour in support of the new album Little Wind. Over half of the band's time on stage included material from the new album. It should also be mentioned that it was overheard that this their fourth visit to St. Louis this year. I think they like us.

They got the show going with “Closing the Doors”, a song that with its shuffling backbeat and toe tapping rhythms, immediately gets you interested in this band. “Lack of Height”, the second song performed by the band starts off with a keyboard piece that compliments Caroline’s lyric, which states “I’m dreaming of you”. This piece of music is something that might have fit well on an Edie Brickell album back in the day. Two songs I would like to recognize from the new album are “Calliope” and “Eagle’s Nest”, both of which were performed this night. These two songs represent this bands versatility. Be it “Calliope’s” up-tempo gallop or “Eagle’s Nest” opening acapella harmonies, this band switches gears without a hitch. As Caroline and the group were leaving the stage after performing “Denim Boy”, the cries of one more song began. The Goodnight Sleeps had left the stage leaving Caroline to do the encore solo. Caroline chose to do an excellent rendition of “She Ain’t Got It”, which created a great campfire sing a long vibe at Off Broadway. Even after four stops in St. Louis this year, there was a cry of one more before Caroline finished her encore. In this current era of prefabbed , cookie-cutter music, seeing shows like this are truly enjoyable. American bands searching for the American dream. Pictures and a video of the show are below:

Scarlet Tanager

Caroline Smith and Goodnight Sleeps

Contributed by Duane Clawson

Japandroids / Bass Drum of Death @ Bryan Street Tavern, Dallas, TX

2011-09-22T18:19:00.003-04:00

I had been debating whether or not to include this show on the site, but ultimately, it was too good to leave off. I mean, when I heard Japandroids were coming through Dallas and at such an intimate venue, I gobbled up a ticket the same day. For those of you who weren't following me at the time, I first saw Japandroids perform at New York City's fantastic venue, Piano's, in 2009 and included that performance in my top ten best of that year. The amount of energy these two put into that show was unreal and the amount of sound they created was amazing. I mean, had it not been for a Beatle named Paul McCartney and a little UK band named Muse, I would have put these guys at the top of the list. It was just that good.

So fast forwarding to 2011, I rolled up to Bryan Street Tavern to inspect the space as I had never been there before. The bar are was pretty standard and the venue space was pretty plain. These are not bad things, trust me. I felt as I had been transported back to NYC and was about to watch them perform in a similar space I had previously seen them at. Thoughts of nostalgia floated through my head and only made me think of all the good times I had in the Big Apple. But my present is now in Dallas and there's no place I'd rather be. Opening the show was Bass Drum of Death, who are typically a two-man band, but who have enlisted the services of a second guitarist on tour. As Duane pointed out last month, these boys are loud. With the smaller space and a close proximity to the amps and PA's, it was only natural for their set to be loud. Their set was pretty great and I really enjoyed them despite not knowing much of their catalog. Nothing flashy, just good 'ol garage rock.

As Bass Drum winded down, the crowd had continued to grow until the space had been filled to the brim. As Dave and Brian were setting up their gear, I made sure to have the best vantage point of the show, as I knew I was going to take photos and as much video as I could of their set. Oddly enough, I was standing in the exact same place I stood while watching them at Piano's. But as they took the stage and warmed up the crowd, I knew this show was going to be different than before, other than the new material. For starters, these guys have polished off their somewhat raw sound. Tracks such as "Young Hearts Spark Fire" and "The Boys Are Leaving Town" were spot on and duo's delivery only made them better. During the evening, the band played three new tracks from their forthcoming album (including the much blogged about "Adrenaline Nightshift") but it was the songs from their debut album, Post-Nothing, is what the crowd came to see; lest we not forget last year's "Younger Us". The show was straight-forward and everything a show should be. Great exchanges between band and crowd and finely-tuned machine created nothing but memories and mayhem. Videos and pictures of the show are below:

enjoy.

Deadmau5 @ Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX

2011-09-21T22:19:00.003-04:00

You just know when you're trying to get to a show but Mother Nature just isn't cooperating, that in the end, that show is gonna be awesome. On Sunday evening, after months of drought and infrequent drizzles, downpours of rain and gusts of wind prevented me from walking the three blocks to Palladium Ballroom for nearly half an hour. At the promised land was one Joel Zimmerman, who the civilized world knows as the electronic artist Deadmau5. While I was in New York, Deadmau5 exploded onto the electronic scene and was selling out venues left and right. And as luck would have it, I was given a golden ticket to cover one of his sold out shows at Terminal 5. And as life taketh away, I had to go to Washington DC for Thanksgiving and would miss his run of shows entirely. So finally seeing Deadmau5 was not just a half-hours walk to Palladium, it was two years in the making.

After dodging most of the sheets of rain and safely inside the confines of the Ballroom, I was rudely welcomed by Excision, as he had just unleashed his 'bass cannon' and rumbled a stretch of jet engine fury into my unsuspecting ears. In go the ear plugs. His dubstep happy set was paired with visuals upon two large screens to his sides, most of which looked like screensavers and visualizers for iTunes. The crowd ate it up though. I noticed the same thing at Identity Festival is that Dallas has really embraced dubstep and will come out in droves to hear it. But as much as the rest of the crowd was enjoying the bass-heavy set, I began to wander around the Ballroom, casually taking in his set as I was there for one artist, and one artist only. The Mau5.

Standing amongst a field of glowing Mau5 ears, the first notes of Deadmau5's set were finally heard. As the crowd roared, Deadmau5's stage was finally revealed as the black curtain fell and the iconic Mau5 head was unveiled to the waiting crowd. It wasn't until Joel finally struck up the first that this outrageous stage lighting and unrivaled visuals were set into place. Outside of acts like KISS and Muse, Joel's setup was quite impressive and one of the best I've seen, especially for an electronic act; though Steve Aoki's setup was pretty cool at ID. Regardless, Joel's music is what the crowd came to hear and they couldn't help but dance wildly. With his precise track exchanges and track selection, it was nothing less than an outright dance party. About a third way their his set, Joel removed his Mau5 head and controlled his set in the confines of a ball cap. But fear not, the other dozen or so homemade Mau5 heads that roamed the Ballroom space made up for the absence of Joel's. But by the second third of his set had concluded, he donned his Mau5 head once again before he was joined onstage with Sofi for performances of "Sofi Needs a Ladder" and "One Trick Pony". Not shortly after, Joel ended his initial set with a fantastic version of "Ghosts N Stuff" before descending off stage. After rounds of chants, cheers, and applause, Joel finally emerged for another round of tracks before graciously leaving the crowd in awe. This show by all means was a fantastic event, one worth waiting two years to see. Pictures of the show are below:

enjoy.

TV on the Radio / Broken Social Scene @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

2011-09-19T23:02:00.005-04:00

It was fairly noticeable by those who frequent concerts in Dallas that this past week was definitely rare and definitely welcomed. The annual Austin City Limits Festival was to occur over three days starting on Friday and numerous shows sprouted up in Dallas the days before. These 'spillover' shows featured some heavy-hitters and great lineups, such was the case at Friday night's TV on the Radio and Broken Social Scene gig over at the House of Blues. Alone, TV on the Radio are a worthy pick for any night of the week but adding indie greats Broken Social Scene as an opener...are you serious? This show was too good to be true and I was more than obliged to take my eyes and ears to this one.

I have been lucky enough to catch both of these bands prior to Friday's show, so the bar was set relatively high for their performances. Broken Social Scene, and their rotating cast of members, brought to the House of Blues stage a musical soundscape of sonic excellence. The variances between the multiple guitars were noticeably different but when combined and performed as one, it was truly a marvel to listen to. The chemistry among this band is a marvel within itself. With so many members, you would think that the performance would become jumbled and hectic but that was not the case. Members performing side by side, others casually talking during collaborative guitar riffs, or simple pats on the back and nods to each other signified a true sense of togetherness and it really does show when you listen to the music. As good as BSS's catalog is, a real gem was revealed when the band covered Modest Mouse's "The World At Large"; or what they called 'a cover of a cover'. They put a fantastic spin on an already great song and the crowd accepted warmly. Broken Social Scene could have filled up the HOB on their own but just having the chance to share their music with the present crowd and performing with such a strong-knit group of musicians, I think they considered the night a great success and the crowd agreed.

Being excited to see TV on the Radio was a bit of an understatement when I heard I was going to be covering this show. I have only seen the band perform once, in the smoke-filled confines of Oklahoma City's Diamond Ballroom and Duane recently saw them perform at LouFest. I have since seen Tunde and Kyp perform respective solo shows in New York but they did not compare to the sheer brilliance of TV on the Radio's live set. Unfortunately for me, I leave my Ety·Plugs at home and knew I was going to be in for auditory onslaught as TVoTR do not hold any punches when it comes to sound. Not thirty seconds into the opening "Caffeinated Consciousness", the noise level went well past ten but in the best way possible. The band's sound is so strong and it hits you in the gut but you find yourself wanting me. Music is what we wanted and music is what we got as there was minimal banter and movement from the band outside of Mr. Adebimpe, who covered almost every inch of the stage whether singing or dancing. I had the chance to hang out with Tunde a couple times while in New York and his onstage persona is so much different to his actual, quiet demeanor...he is a beast onstage. The set list was very heavy of Nine Types of Light but they did perform the obscure track "Young Liars" and delivered favorites such as "Staring at the Sun" and "Wolf Like Me" with unmatched ferocity and presence. After a three-song encore, the band was very gracious to those in attendance and triumphantly marched off stage to huge cheers and a thunderous ovation. Like BSS, I think TVoTR was satisfied with their performance. Those in the crowd agreed. Pictures of the show are below:

Broken Social Scene

TV on the Radio

enjoy.

Big Muddy Blues Festival @ Laclede’s Landing, St.Louis, MO

2011-09-14T20:21:00.003-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

Two hidden gems native to St. Louis: blues music and Laclede’s Landing. First, a brief history lesson on blues music. Blues music, as many know, was born out of the Mississippi Delta and progressed north to Chicago. Around the 1950’s, blues became electrified. The St. Louis area became a hotbed for this style of blues. Laclede’s Landing was once a trading epicenter for St. Louis due to its close proximity to the Mississippi River. Today Laclede’s Landing is an epicenter for nightlife in St. Louis. The Landing is home to many St. Louis bars, restaurants, and the Big Muddy Blues Festival (TBMBF). This year was the 16^th installment of TBMBF, featuring 30 bands over two days. TBMBF was the exclamation point at the end of St. Louis Bluesweek. A little extra celebration was in order as St. Louis was recently named the recipient of The National Blues Museum and Hall of Fame.

TBMBF features three stages for your listening pleasure. The two smaller (free) stages are at the corners of Morgan and 2^nd St. and Lucas and 2^nd St. The main stage is located at 1^st and Lucas St. This year, TBMBF unfortunately had to charge admission to the main stage area, but only eight bucks to see five great bands. After covering LouFest the weekend before TBMBF, I had high expectations and was not disappointed. I was only able to cover one day of TBMBF and chose Saturday. Saturday started off on the main stage with local legend, Kim Massie. Kim Massie can take any style of music and make it her own, with a voice as big and powerful as the Mississippi River, flowing not far behind the main stage. Kim Massie let everyone know the blues was alive and well in St. Louis.

After taking in a majority of Kim Massie’s performance, I took a stroll to see what else the festival had to offer. As I wandered up Lucas St., I found more blues as Marcel Strong & the Apostles were playing to a gathering crowd in the shade of the buildings. People were already beginning to feel the effects of music and alcohol, as dancing in the streets soon began. As I meandered down 2^nd St., I noticed some of the bars had set up grilling stations, cooking various meats which added a fragrant backdrop for the festival. At the corner of Morgan and 2^nd St., I stopped to listen to the Lucky Old Sons (LOS) band. LOS is a great mix of the boogie-woogie piano and yakety sax sound. They also have an album out and can be found here.

As I made the circuit around the block, I noticed it was time to venture back to the main stage to catch Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys (BSaHFRB). BSaHFRB took what was old and made it new again. Big Sandy leads the Fly Rite Boys with a voice that belongs in 50’s and 60’s and BSaHFRB remind us that the blues can take many shapes and forms. For more on BSaHFRB and a sampling of their music, please visit them at their Myspace page. After BSaHFRB enjoyable set, I noticed for September 3^rd, this day was becoming extremely hot and I needed a beverage. I made my way back to 2^nd St. and caught the Paul Niehaus Band covering blues classics and they had a growing number of street dancers. While on the other corner the Ground Floor Band were playing original blues tunes mixed with funked-up versions of songs by the Rolling Stones and others.

Oh, by the way, I forgot I made my way up here to get something to drink. I finally found a perfect place to cool off and enjoy a Diet Pepsi (yes, I said Diet Pepsi) at Heartbreakers Rock and Roll Saloon. After the cool down, it was time to get back to music journalism; well, at least I thought so. Let the rain begin. As it turned out, the passing 15-minute shower was not a bad thing and it began to cool things off a bit. The shower did not slow down the festival by any means as people continued to dance in the street during Paul Niehaus’s set. I left the excitement of 2^nd St. and headed back to the main stage to catch one of the highlights of this Saturday, Cee Cee James. Ms. James and her band set the tone for the remainder of the evening, with a true representation of the electrified St. Louis blues.

While covering Cee Cee James powerful set, I received a pleasant surprise. I was invited backstage with unlimited access to the stage and photography vantage points. As much as I would have liked to continue to roam the festival, the growing audience was beginning to plant their lawn chairs, and settle in for a night of blues music. In between Ms. James set and watching Kim Wilson’s crew set up the stage, I noticed that many were willing to pay the eight bucks to see the bands on the main stage. As I have said in a past article, there are always ridiculously low prices to see great music in St. Louis. Following Cee Cee James was Kim Wilson, lead vocalist and founding member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kim Wilson put on a blues clinic at TBMBF. Mr. Wilson brings to the harmonica what Eddie Van Halen brings to the guitar. In the middle of their set, the band walked off stage and left Kim and his harmonica alone for a 10-minute harmonica solo. Now there’s something you don’t hear every day.

To close out a diverse music day, Roy Gaines took the main stage at TBMBF and made it his bitch. Roy Gaines is a true blues legend and has been perfecting the blues since 1934. A legend in his own right, Roy has sat in on sessions with music legends such as the Everly Brothers, the Supremes, Bobby Darin, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight. Mr. Gaines also brings to the stage a large band that at times made you feel you were seeing a modern day incarnation of Count Basie. As Mr. Gaines was winding down his night, I was doing the same. I’m beat another 12-hour day of music coverage and a great history lesson of the blues and music in general. I found my way up from the main stage to find my gracious host Emily Kochan, Executive Producer of TBMBF, and thanked her for a great evening of music and hospitality. As I started walking up Morgan St. to my car, I glanced back on TBMBF as people from all walks of life were enjoying the music. I thought to myself, music truly is a universal language. Pictures from Saturday are below:

Kim Massie

Marcel Strong and the Apostles

Lucky Old Sons

Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys

Ground Floor Band

Paul Niehaus Band

Cee Cee James

Kim Wilson

Roy Gaines

Contributed by Duane Clawson

LouFest Day Two @ Forest Park, St. Louis, MO

2011-09-09T22:05:00.001-04:00

Pictures and words by Duane Clawson

After a complete overload of my senses from Day One of Loufest, I had a great night’s sleep and was prepared to tackle Day Two. I had noticed there were mass amounts of live interactions in the press room via Twitter, Facebook, and live photo postings. I said this would be a great day to bring my laptop and try some of my own live postings for MTC.

Day Two started with a set from Old Lights. Old Lights hail from St.louis and were a safe way to open this second day of music. Nothing too hard or too soft from this band, just fun rock music. Jumbling Towers, another St. Louis product, began to warm up the Orange Stage. JT produces music that sounds like it's up to something sneaky. The best analogy I could give of Josiah DeBoer's vocals would be to imagine a court jester attempting to sing. Somehow JT makes it all work as one cohesive unit. Ume, who the hell is Ume? Relatively obscure front woman Lauren Larson and her band were about to introduce themselves to St. Louis. In Egyptian times, if you were convicted of a crime, as punishment, you could put in a sack with a monkey and a snake and tossed in the water. Now with this in mind, imagine the ruckus that would make. This, my friends, is what Ume brought to Loufest.

In stark contrast to Ume, Lost in the Trees brought their lazy, lunchtime listening music. LITT claimed they were new to the festival scene but did a nice job of relaxing the crowd on this Sunday afternoon. Following LITT, the Low Anthem took their place on the Blue Stage. TLA sounds were complementary of LITT. A few months back, I reviewed TLA's set at Vintage Vinyl and not to be critical, but TLA is best viewed in a small venue. This band is not powerful enough for a big environment. In the press room many asked at times if TLA had finished their set early. Nope ,they were playing that soft.

So after Loufest nap time, Das Racist brought everyone to attention with a good ‘ol dose of bass-filled hip hop. I am by no means a big fan of hip hop music, but this crew out of Brooklyn made rap music that was appealing to the ear. I then made my way back to the Blue Stage to catch a set from !!! (Chk,Chk,Chk). !!! finished what Das Racist had started. Nic Offer, !!!’s frontman, is listed on the band’s Myspace page as Crowd Control; that would be an appropriate assessment. The press room was buzzing after !!!’s Loufest performance. Nic Offer was a nonstop flow of electricity that powered this band. Climbing atop the eight bass cabinets, on either side of the stage, Nic danced, air humped, and performed fellatio on his microphone, all to the cheers and delight of the large Loufest audience.

The next valley on this musical roller coaster was Cat Power. Cat Power front woman, Chan Marshall, captivated Loufest with her supermodel looks and siren-like vocals. Due to other commercial endorsements, Chan is not considered press friendly; therefore, photographers were only allowed to shoot during her first song. During the first couple songs of Cat Power’s set, Ms. Marshall perched herself in a position that was very inaccessible to photographers. There was much grumbling in the press area as Cat Power faded into the sunset. TV on the Radio brought Loufest to a close and what a close it was. I had heard TVOTR was loud but loud can be interpreted many ways; no, this was loud. TVOTR played a monstrous set of heavy soul that could be felt throughout one’s body. TVOTR also provided one of the better light shows of the weekend in which I thought at any moment a pilot may have mistaken TVOTR’s stage for a runway at Lambert Airport.

As TVOTR were winding down the night, I was headed back to the press tent. I posted one last picture on the MTC’s Facebook page and with the glow of my laptop, I reflected on the past two days. Not just the music, but the whole festival experience. I thought of the human interactions, the brief friendships that arose from being confined in one space for a couple of days. I reflected back on an image I had captured while Kings Go Forth played behind me. The image was of a woman and a little girl dancing on a carefree sunny Saturday afternoon. I thought of the sunset as Cat Power played through a few drops of rain. I thought of !!!’s Nic Offer moving through the crowd, stopping to put his arm around a young man in a wheelchair and the smile on that young man’s face after the encounter. So I will take with me a lifetime of memories from these two days in August and was once again reminded of how music has the power to move us. Pictures from Day Two are below:

Old Lights

Jumbling Towers

Ume

Lost in the Trees

The Low Anthem

Das Racist

!!!

Cat Power

TV on the Radio

Contributed by Duane Clawson