No Longer Singular Stuff

A to Z has pictures of last night's Menomena show.

Singular Stuff

Music Sucks has some pictures from Monday night's Fiery Furnaces show.

Pictures from Head of Femur and Jon Hardy & The Public

Last week, I caught Jon Hardy & The Public, Head of Femur and Walkie Talkie USA.

I have been enjoying JH&TP's new CD, Working in Love for a few weekes now. The band was energetic and engaging live, and Jon's voice sounded great. I would definitely recommend you check them out live ifyou get a chance:









Head of Femur was next. They were appreciative of the crowd, but I felt bad there weren't more people to enjoy their solid set:







Walkie Talkie USA finished out the night. They were loud and had a decent-sized, enthusiastic crowd for a Thursday night. I had to leave early, and my camera died before there set, but I did get to catch their cover of The Soft Boys "I Wanna Destroy You."

Menomena, Jumbling Towers & Illinois at the Billiken Club

(Tonight, I have a guest contributor, AJS, a man of many mysteries. He also writes a column at insidestl.com...):

On Tuesday, October 30, the Billiken Club in St. Louis will be hosting a "Hallowindie" show, which includes Menomena, Illinois, and locals Jumbling Towers. The best part about this show is that its FREE. Yes, FREE. If you haven't heard Jumbling Towers yet, I recommend getting there at the start time and checking them out. The band's excellent debut release has led to appearances at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City and Pygmalion Festival in Champaign, Illinois, and they've been one of the highest-charting unsigned bands on college and non-commercial radio in recent months.

Portland's Menomena headlines the show, and although I haven't seen them yet, their 2007 release Friend and Foe (Barsuk) has held up as one of the most critically-acclaimed CDs of the year, so I'm definitely looking forward to checking them out. Illinois should be interesting as well - in addition to touring with Menomena, they've also hit the road with The Hold Steady (one of my personal favorites). The band features a very unique brand of banjo-driven indie rock.....

MP3:
Menomena - Wet and Rusting
Jumbling Towers - Coward
Illinois - Alone Again
Illinois - Screendoor

Fiery Furnaces at The Duck Room

The Fiery Furnaces are playing tonight at Blueberry Hill's The Duck Room with Pit er Pat. Check it out.

The Fiery Furnaces - "Ex-Guru":

Mystery Mix Monday

MYSTERY MIX, VOL. 17

Here's last week's playlist:

Vol. 16

1. Foals - Mathletics
2. The Changes - Water of the Gods
3. Siberian - Belgian Beer and Catholic Girls
4. Beastie Boys - The Melee
5. Eugene Blacknell - The Trip
6. Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
7. A Sides - Diamonds
8. The American Analog Set - Punk As Fuck
9. Sleeping States - September, Maybe

Ring, Cicada

Ring, Cicada played a rare show two weeks ago at the Bluebird. Here's some footage:

Head of Femur, Jon Hardy & The Public and Walkie Talkie USA

There is a great show at The Bluebird tonight featuring Head of Femur, from Chicago, and St. Louis' very own Jon Hardy & The Public and Walkie Talke USA. Head of Femur plays catchy indie pop with some strands of psychedelia fuzz and brit pop harmonies thrown in for good measure. Walkie Talkie USA plays down and dirty buzzsaw rock and features veterans of the St. Louis music scene.

Jon Hardy & The Public just released an excellent album called Working in Love, and I have been listening to it nonstop for two weeks. The band has been described as alt-country, but their use of horms, xylophones and shimmering guitars makes them far more than that. The sound exists somewhere between Magnolia Electric Co. and Doves, and singer Jon Hardy's voice evokes Brent Best, Rufus Wainwright and a reverb-less Jim james. You should definitely check them out.

MP3s:
Head of Femur - Leader and the Falcon
Head of Femur - Curve That Byrd
Head of Femur - Elliott Gould Is In California Split
Jon Hardy & The Public - Love Gone Wrong
Jon Hardy & The Public - Cassius Clay
Walkie Talkie USA - Devil's Dog

Mystery Mix Monday

MYSTERY MIX, VOL. 16

Here's last week's playlist:

Vol. 15

1. Tokyo Police Club - Your English Is Good
2. Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
3. New Young Pony Club - The Bomb
4. Blonde Redhead - 23
5. Blur - Country House
6. The Future Kings of Nowhere - I Want You
7. Page France - Hat and Rabbit
8. DeVotchKa - How It Ends

Girl Talk Interview

The Girl Talk show at The Gargoyle on Nov. 9th has been sold out for a while now (although they will be releasing 50 or so tickets at the door on the day of the show), but Music Sucks has an interview with Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis. Check it out.

Mystery Mix Monday

I hope everyone had a great weekend; the weather in St. Louis yesterday definitely could not be beat. Here's this week's installation of the Mystery Mix series:

MYSTERY MIX, VOL. 15

Here's last week's playlist:

Vol. 14

1. The Fiery Furnaces - Ex-Guru
2. The Heavenly States - The Race
3. Jumbling Towers - He's A Cop Now
4. Fire Engines - Everything's Roses
5. The Fucking Eagles - When Will I Be Loved?
6. The Scourge of the Sea - Out of the Trash
7. The 75s - Finders Keepers
8. Grandaddy - Elevate Myself
9. Devo - Jerkin' Back'n'Forth
10. Stephen Malkmus - No More Shoes

Andy Samberg: SNL Digital Short “People Getting Punched Just Before Eating”

I was half asleep when I watched this last night, but it rubbed me just the right way:

Adam Franklin tonight at The Bluebird

Adam Franklin, of Swervedriver fame, is playing tonight at The Bluebird with two great St. Louis bands: Finn's Motel and Stella Mora.


MP3s:
Adam Franklin - Birdsong (moonshiner version)
Adam Franklin - Cannery Row
Adam Franklin - The Hitcher

The Show Me Blowout

I had computer problems yesterday, so I couldn't do a post about this, but it definitely deserves some attention: The Show-Me Blowout! There are some great garage-rock bands playing this weekend at Off Broadway, including a bunch of St. Louis bands. I feel horrible that I didn't the post up sooner, because I really wanted to tell you about The Cripplers/Left Arm/show last night and The Vultures/The 75s show this afternoon. However, I can tell you about the great lineup tonight - The Geargrinders, Thee Fine Lines, The Von Hodads, Monte Carlos, and The Nevermores.

White Rabbits, White Denim & Jon Hardy

Tonight at the Biliken Club (Happy Birthday to me!), White Rabbits, White Denim, and Jon Hardy & the Public (playing as jon Hardy and the Whites). White Rabbits played St. Louis just a few weeks ago and in just that month, they have gained even more momentum and popularity among the kids. Jon Hardy & the Public just released the excellent new album, Working In Love, so be sure to pick up a copy at the show.

MP3's:
White Denim - Wet Sand

GAH Recording Blog

The good people of Gentleman Auction House have created a blog to keep you updated on the process of the recording of their first full length album at Silver Sonya Studios in Arlington, Virginia. You can check it out here.

Mystery Mix Monday

MYSTERY MIX, VOL 14

Here's last week's playlist:

Vol. 13

1. The Weakerthans - Relative Surplus Value
2. Tullycraft - The Punks Are Writing Love Songs
3. Beirut - A Sunday Smile
4. The Hibernauts - Scissors
5. The Pinker Tones - L'Heroes
6. Seabear - I Sing I Swim
7. The Bicycles - Paris Be Mine
8. Tunng - Bullets
9. Somme - Zeal

The Twilight Sad & Ghost in Light

The Twilight Sad & Ghost in Light are playing at the Biliken Club tonight, in what is also Ghost in Light's final show. According to an email from the band, guitarist Chandler has "decided to part ways with Ghost in Light to pursue other things in his life." The band has a new EP that is currently being mastered and will be available for download as soon as they get it back (you can bet on me putting at least one track up here, too). So, if the great pop of Scotland's The Twilight Sad isn't enought to get you out, seeing the final show of one of St. Louis' great bands should be.

MP3's:
The Twilight Sad - And She Would Darken The Memory
Ghost in Light - The Snow is Soaking My Shoes

The Twilight Sad - Cold Days From the Birdhouse:

Mystery Mix Monday

Happy October -- it's my favorite month of the year, despite the fact that the Cardinals aren't playing baseball during the month for the first time in years and the fact that the Rams are 0-4. At least Mizzou is 4-0.

Here's your Mystery Mix:

MYSTERY MIX, VOL. 13

Here's last week's playlist:

Vol. 12

1. Pinback - From Nothing to Nowhere
2. White Rabbits - Kid on My Shoulders
3. Figurines - Hey, Girl
4. Midlake - Roscoe
5. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
6. Council on Fidelity - Corpse on the Shore
7. Roddy Woomble - Every Line Of A Long Moment
8. Arab Strap - There Is No Ending
9. Circle Jerks - Behind the Door

Radiohead - In Rainbows

By now, I'm sure you've heard that Radiohead is releasing their seventh full length album, called In Rainbows... next week. That's right, Radiohead is VERY GOOD at keeping secrets. You can download the new album next Wednesday, October 10th from the band's website. That's my birthday, so happy birthday to me. You also can pay WHATEVER YOU WANT for it. You can also buy a huge wicked awesome-yet-wicked expensive box set that features an extra CD and collector-weight vinyl and other goodies for 40 pounds, plus shipping, which would be international shipping for most people in the world. If you go that route, you can still download the album next Tuesday, but you'll have to wait until December to get all the extra goodies.

In Rainbows Tracklist
15 Step
Bodysnatchers
Nude
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
All I Need
Faust ARP
Reckoner
House of Cards
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Videotape

Bonus Disc:
MK 1
Down is the New Up
Go Slowly
MK 2
Last Flowers
Up on the Ladder
Bangers and Mash
4 Minute Warning