Email Author Christian Schaeffer

2007 Stories by Christian Schaeffer

• The Transmitters

  published December 26, 2007

  Singer and guitarist Kip Loui has served time in bands such as Belle Starr and the Rockhouse Ramblers, playing country- and folk-indebted songs... More >>

• Dirty Dozen Brass Band

  published December 26, 2007

  The most interesting brass bands out of New Orleans tread the line between tradition and innovation — perhaps by using, say, sousaphones,... More >>

• Wayans Back Machine

  published December 19, 2007

  To ruthlessly mock an art form is cruel; to mock an art form with a heavy dose of love can lead to comedy gold. Such is the case with the 1988... More >>

• R 'n' R with a Li'l RR

  published December 19, 2007

  What is the holiday season without an imaginary trip on a model railway? A failure of epic proportions, that's what. The annual Gardenland... More >>

• Local Motion

  published December 19, 2007

  We began running the Homespun column in the music section almost a year ago, with the intent of giving a dedicated space to the records being... More >>

• One Meelyun Lights!

  published December 12, 2007

  Of the many charms to be found in Affton, Grant's Farm (10501 Gravois Road; 314-843-1700 or More >>

• Kick Out the (Holiday) Jams

  published December 12, 2007

  Forget boy bands and Barry Manilow: Christmas music may be the ultimate guilty pleasure. It's inherently corny, unrepentantly joyful and the... More >>

• Elsie Parker & the Poor People of Paris

  published December 12, 2007

  In "Give Paris One More Chance," Jonathan Richman claims that "the home of Piaf and Chevalier/Must have done something right to get passion that... More >>

• Various Artists

  published December 5, 2007

  For six years running, Bert Dax honcho Matt Harnish has curated a Christmas compilation that's served a dual purpose: spreading a little... More >>

• Left Arm

  published November 28, 2007

  The garage-rock combo Left Arm started as a two-piece, morphed briefly into a quartet and has now settled in as a nervy, primal trio. It's an... More >>

• Big D and the Kids Table

  published November 28, 2007

  Third-wave ska bands have the benefit of hindsight. They can cherry-pick the best bits from the Jamaican innovators, the British two-tone... More >>

• A Tree for You and Me

  published November 21, 2007

  Located in the middle of Saint Louis University's urban oasis, the historic Samuel Cupples House (3673 West Pine Mall) is a grand jewel on the... More >>

• Thank Us Before and After

  published November 21, 2007

  The all-night diner has long been a home away from home for a certain stripe of night owl: The over-the-road trucker, the third-shifter and the... More >>

• The In?

  published November 21, 2007

  The In? plays a mish-mash of musical styles that sounds tailor-made for the local barroom. There are traces of electric blues, some ramped-up... More >>

• Suzanne Vega

  published November 21, 2007

  Beauty & Crime is Suzanne Vega's first record in six years and her first for the venerable jazz imprint Blue Note Records. But... More >>

• Jon Hardy & the Public

  published November 14, 2007

  Jon Hardy's voice is both strong and soft, which means he's able to belt out full-bodied declarations with vocals that are like the texture of... More >>

• Of Montreal

  published November 14, 2007

  Longtime Of Montreal fans are probably still scratching their heads over the band's transformation from paisley-printed jangle-popsters to... More >>

• Saturday Looks Good to Me

  published November 14, 2007

  Songwriter and guitarist Fred Thomas leads the rotating cast of Saturday Looks Good to Me, a band that supplements its low-key indie... More >>

• Post 'n' Found

  published November 7, 2007

  Peeping Toms, eavesdroppers and cyber-snoopers can now rejoice: The practice of poking into the private lives of strangers has been transformed... More >>

• Bad Folk
  Bad Folk/Rats and People

  published November 7, 2007

  Bad Folk excels at taking an antiquated form (acoustic folk music) and giving it modern relevance. Case in point: For the band's new,... More >>

• Arty Party Over Here

  published October 31, 2007

  The good people behind the South City Open Studio and Gallery (SCOSAG) are dedicated to providing artistic instruction and inspiration to the... More >>

• Quief Quota

  published October 31, 2007

  While you can't always judge an album (or book) by its cover, sometimes the liner notes give you a pretty clear impression of the music inside.... More >>

• So They Say

  published October 24, 2007

  The local quartet So They Say sounds at home in its chosen format on its second full-length for respected indie label Fearless Records. Life in... More >>

• Fiery Furnaces/Pit Er Pat

  published October 24, 2007

  On Widow City, the Fiery Furnaces continue to assume the role of the 21st-century Sparks — a pair of siblings creating... More >>

• Head of Femur

  published October 24, 2007

  In the past few years, Head of Femur has limned back its sound from the kitchen-sink freakouts of early tours to a more guitar-centric... More >>