Most Popular
- Pokey LaFarge forges his own path through old-time country and blues
- Kevin Renick finds hope in tragedy, thanks to Up in the Air
- David Bazan wrestles with tough questions on his solo debut
- SXSTL: St. Louis sends several representatives to Austin for this year's SXSW festivities
- With its fourth album, The Constant, Story of the Year stays the course
Reader's Picks
Top Recommendations
A short list of St. Louis's most popular hot spots.
-
Charlie Gitto's-The Hill
St. Louis, MO -
Blueberry Hill
University City, MO -
Saint Louis Zoo
St. Louis, MO -
Harpo's
Chesterfield, MO -
Lucas Park Grille
St. Louis, MO -
Bar Louie
St. Louis, MO
Recent Blog Posts
Family of Charles "Cookie" Thornton Evicted From Home in Meacham Park
Thu Mar 18, 2:56 PM
Medieval Castle Under Construction in Ozarks
Thu Mar 18, 1:45 PM
Homespun: Last to Show First To Go, Short Cuts
Thu Mar 18, 3:15 PM
New Tunes Thursday: Tilts Rocks Your Face, while Fallout Finds His Groove
Thu Mar 18, 2:27 PM
Ian Froeb's 100 Favorite St. Louis Dishes, #94: Onion Soup at Brasserie by Niche
Thu Mar 18, 3:00 PM
Learn the Art of Soup with Local Harvest's Clara Moore
Thu Mar 18, 2:00 PM
Morgan Ensberg and The Night the Lights Went Out for Lidge
Tue Mar 16, 3:37 PM
The Tigers' Draw: The Tigers
Mon Mar 15, 2:17 PM
National Features >
SF Weekly
Turning the Tables
"Hey, Mr. Deejay: Bend over and spread 'em."
By Lois Beckett
City Pages
Big Farma
Meet the Minnesotans who receive federal subsidies for not growing anything.
By Matt Snyders
Village Voice
Rent-a-Wreck
We begin our countdown of New York's Ten Worst Landlords.
By Elizabeth Dwoskin
Broward-Palm Beach New Times
The Grow House Murder
The sweet smell of ganja was a dead giveaway. So was the dead body in the freezer.
By Gail Shepherd
Diane Birch
9 p.m. Tuesday, August 11. Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Boulevard.
Share
By Roy Kasten
Published on August 03, 2009 at 2:42pm
From the glistening, resonant electric piano chords that open the terrific single "Nothing But a Miracle," Diane Birch stakes out her territory. Her rhythm 'n' blues 'n' pop emanates from the honky-tonk chateau of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, or maybe the "Stoned Soul Picnic" of Laura Nyro, especially when the Southern soul backup sisters enter bearing the gospel truth and a smooth horn section. These aren't mere allusions for Birch, who gets what makes '70s soul-pop soar: the emotional connection, the uncloying hooks and, above all, the singing. Though produced by the retro-architects behind Joss Stone's debut, 2009's Bible Belt, Birch's first album for EMI, sounds sui generis, delivered by the voice of a preacher's daughter and a soul mate of Carole King.
Now Click This
