Email Author Christian Schaeffer

2009 Stories by Christian Schaeffer

• SXSWow: In the weeks leading up to and after SXSW, St. Louis draws some of music's biggest talents to town. This year is no exception.

  published March 11, 2009

  Andrew Bird is one hell of a whistler. He takes the relatively simple act of passing air between pursed lips and turns it into a... More >>

• Dogtown's Big Day

  published March 11, 2009

  As cultural stereotypes go, the Irish don't have it so bad. Unlike the austere German and the haughty Frenchman, the conception of the... More >>

• Theresa Andersson

  published March 11, 2009

  If the sound of New Orleans is the sound of several cultures colliding, then Theresa Andersson adds a Nordic twist to the amalgam of... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Isaac Hayes, "Walk on By"

  published Mar 04, 2009

  The Singer: Stax recording artist, Shaft theme singer, King of New York, voice of South Park's Chef and Scientologist: Isaac Hayes amassed quite the rap sheet before his death last year. He ... More >>

• The Virtualous Life

  published March 4, 2009

  Remember the "virtual reality" craze of the mid-'90s, when cutting-edge video game technology meant strapping on a futuristic football helmet and... More >>

• Homespun: Bad Folk

  published March 4, 2009

  Bad Folk released its long-awaited sophomore record online a few weeks ago, but unfortunately, the quintet no longer exists: It broke up late... More >>

• Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

  published March 4, 2009

  There are few things St. Louis alt-country fans love more than big ol' heaps of hoosier affectations — those rusticated, folksy aphorisms... More >>

• All-Star Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

  published March 4, 2009

  Singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt casts a shadow like few others in the genre have. You can attribute this to the Texas troubadour's cult... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Sade, "The Sweetest Taboo"

  published Feb 25, 2009

  The Singer: Born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria, the singer known as Sade found her way to music a few years after arriving in London to pursue a career in fashion. In 1982 Sade formed the band that sh... More >>

• The Humanoids Year of the Snake seven-inch and The 75s Stereo EP

  published February 25, 2009

  The Humanoids play fast, sharp punk-rock songs with an even split of grit and humor, so it's fitting that the quintet's most recent release... More >>

• Homespun: The Linemen, Reconsider

  published Feb 19, 2009

  In this week's Homespun column, I took a few listens to Reconsider, the sophomore effort from local country quartet the Linemen. Here's an excerpt: "...if the band's debut was a showcase for [lead si... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, "Where is the Lover"

  published Feb 18, 2009

  The Singers: Though born in Chicago, Donny Hathaway was raised in St. Louis: He grew up in a housing project in the Carr Square neighborhood and attending Vashon High School. Hathaway began singing go... More >>

• Homespun: The Linemen

  published February 18, 2009

  On "Easier," a track from the Linemen's sophomore album, Reconsider, singer and guitarist Kevin Butterfield compares falling in love to... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Gladys Knight & the Pips, "Midnight Train to Georgia"

  published Feb 11, 2009

  The Singer: Hailing from Atlanta, Gladys Knight fronted her brother and two cousins in the Pips from 1953 to the late '80s, though the best-known incarnation of the Pips recorded between 1967 and 1975... More >>

• Homespun: Celia

  published February 11, 2009

  Celia Shacklett keeps busy as the leader of Celia's Big Rock Band and as a member of Mark Pagano's Firedog. (Both bands are part of the... More >>

• The Pointer Sisters

  published February 11, 2009

  When looking back on the Pointer Sisters' career, it's easy to be blinded by the neon sheen of "I'm So Excited," the trio's biggest hit... More >>

• Al Jarreau

  published February 11, 2009

  Something about Al Jarreau's voice has always been hard to pin down. His nimble jazz phrasing isn't built for soul music, and his... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing"

  published Feb 04, 2009

  The Singer: Marvin Gaye needs no introduction. The man basically perfected the Slow Jam with "Let's Get It On" and contributed more to the body of soul music than anyone before or after. This week's j... More >>

• Dig It

  published February 4, 2009

  Beach volleyball may be the most perfect of summer sports: It's normally played near open water, it's fairly low-impact and it requires a modicum... More >>

• Stranger than Friction: Beloved Lou music champion Fred Friction discusses his debut solo album and new venue

  published February 4, 2009

  Every musical community has its share of characters, bon vivants and hangers-on. Some show up just to see and be seen, while others actually... More >>

• Homespun: Jason and the Beast

  published February 4, 2009

  Jason Braun fancies himself more of a poet than a rapper; he makes that much clear with the references found on his debut EP's opening track,... More >>

• Love Songs and Murder Ballads

  published February 4, 2009

  When you think about it, most songs center on one of two things: love or rage. (Only if you're lucky do songs address the intersection of the... More >>

• Working Class Hero: A tag-team review of Bruce Springsteen's new studio album

  published February 4, 2009

  Last week, Bruce Springsteen released Working on a Dream, his sixteenth studio album. To mark the occasion, writers Steve Kozel and... More >>

• Homespun: John Maxfield

  published January 28, 2009

  Airy, open piano chords, brushed drums and organ accents usher in John Maxfield's latest record with the cocktail-jazz instrumental "Theme to... More >>

• Hump Day Slow Jam of the Week: Smokey Robinson, "Being with You"

  published Jan 28, 2009

  The Singer: Along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson was a triple threat for Motown Records: a great singer, hit songwriter and an architect of the label's sound. Most people can name... More >>