Email Author Christian Schaeffer

2011 Stories by Christian Schaeffer

• Troubadour Dali

  published August 4, 2011

  Troubadour Dali writes pretty good songs, but the psych-rock band is better at making albums. Its swirling sonic palette doesn't alter much... More >>

• Jill Scott

  published August 4, 2011

  For many of us, the neighborhood block parties of yore were mostly sedate affairs — some room-temperature macaroni salad, maybe a... More >>

• Sade and John Legend at Scottrade Center, 7/28/11: Review, Photos, Setlist

  published Jul 29, 2011

  If a lead singer can ever be a cipher, Sade Adu certainly inhabits that paradox. As an artist, she resists both interpretations and expectations. She rarely grants interviews; she's released two album... More >>

• Homespun: The Union Electric

  published July 28, 2011

  The Union Electric prefers to release its music in seven-inch spurts — this two-song sliver of wax is the group's third such release in... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Fleet Foxes and Alela Diane at the Pageant, 7/19/2011: Review, Photos and Setlist

  published Jul 20, 2011

  Fleet Foxes | Alela Diane The Pageant July 19, 2011 There were occasional wafts of pot smoke in the air, but Robin Pecknold was in the mood for something a little more over-the-counter. "Are there an... More >>

• Magic City

  published July 21, 2011

  Magic City isn't on any map, but our guess is that the mythical burg sits somewhere in the middle of the Mississippi Delta's blues, New... More >>

• Journey/Foreigner/Night Ranger

  published July 21, 2011

  The summer tradition of the classic-rock triple bill often amounts to little more than a game of three-card Monte with rock's remaining... More >>

• Blitzen Trapper

  published July 21, 2011

  Based on the title track of Blitzen Trapper's Destroyer of the Void, you'd be forgiven for thinking that all bands from the... More >>

• Meet Scarlet Tanager, St. Louis' Most Adorable New Band

  published Jul 12, 2011

  In this past week's Homespun column, we spent some time with Scarlet Tanager's American Songbird, an album of sweetly sung, enthusiastically performed pop songs. The band also put together an unforget... More >>

• Homespun: Ryan Spearman

  published July 14, 2011

  Ryan Spearman, an open-mic night host, guitar instructor and fine folk singer, isn't kidding around when he talks about "going green." His... More >>

• Bo-Keys

  published July 14, 2011

  As far as cred-building résumés go, few groups can get near the Bo-Keys. The instrumental Memphis group has its roots in... More >>

• Centro-matic and Sarah Jaffe, 7/5/11: Review, Setlist, Photos

  published Jul 06, 2011

  Centro-matic | Sarah Jaffe Off Broadway July 5, 2011 In a perfect world, the makers of Auto-Tune - the vocal pitch-correction software that makes starlets sing like robots - would come out with a Wil... More >>

• Homespun: Scarlet Tanager

  published July 7, 2011

  Last week, a little-known sextet called Scarlet Tanager released a whimsical, high-production-value video for the song "Tumbleweed." In the... More >>

• BeauSoleil

  published July 7, 2011

  With post-Katrina sympathies still high and Crescent City love coming fast and furious in part thanks to David Simon's Treme, it's easy... More >>

• Indie Rock Ice Cream Social

  published July 7, 2011

  You have to hand it to local impresario Mike Tomko — when he creates an event, he makes it memorable, whimsical and annual. He's getting... More >>

• Fête le Maplewood

  published June 30, 2011

  The apocryphal phrase "let them eat cake," often attributed to Marie Antoinette, carries with it a sense of obliviousness to the everyday... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Elvis Costello & the Imposters at the Pageant, 7/1/2011: Review, Photos and Setlist

  published Jul 02, 2011

  Elvis Costello & the Imposters The Pageant July 1, 2011 When Elvis Costello finally sells out, quits working as a tireless singer, songwriter and music scholar, and takes over Celine Dion's gig in La... More >>

• Warm Jets USA

  published June 30, 2011

  Amid the heavenly host of St. Louis music-scene lifers, Jason Hutto is a guardian angel in dark shades and a jacket. He's served as producer,... More >>

• Nicole Atkins

  published June 30, 2011

  The major-label heartbreak that effectively buried Nicole Atkins' debut Neptune City (which was delayed and eventually languished... More >>

• Cardinals Red, White and BOOO!

  published June 23, 2011

  On the occasion of our nation's birth, it's tempting to wax eloquent about what makes our country great and about what truly captures the American... More >>

• The Feed Returns to Off Broadway Tonight: Listen to New Songs

  published Jun 24, 2011

  Local piano-driven rock trio the Feed has been coming out of a long hibernation over the past few months. But if you were among the sold-out Off Broadway crowd that saw them rip up "Obviously 5 Believ... More >>

• STL Loud Volume 2

  published June 23, 2011

  Scenes, sounds and styles change too quickly to document them with any real speed or scope. Ryan Albritton and the studio he co-manages, R&R... More >>

• Matt & Kim/The Thermals

  published June 23, 2011

  The insta-party jams of Matt & Kim aren't tough to break down. The duo's tunes are fun, shouty sing-alongs that hit the brain's pleasure... More >>

• Get In Gear

  published June 9, 2011

  As any seasoned gearhound can tell you, searching for that elusive piece of musical equipment can be a lonely task — scouring want ads and... More >>

• Jump Starts

  published June 16, 2011

  Ask enough local showgoers and scene-makers about the break-out prospects for local bands, and you'll know that the smart money is on Pretty... More >>