Email Author Ryan Wasoba

2008 Stories by Ryan Wasoba

• We made you a mixtape! 2008: The year in music.

  published December 17, 2008

  2008 was a weird year for music. Gloom and doom predictions about sinking album sales overshadowed the industry, and labels seemed to... More >>

• Ear Burns: Our critics spew some haterade about 2008's bummer songs, albums and events

  published December 17, 2008

  The end of the year is a time for critics to reflect on the best music they heard in the past twelve months. But such positivity neglects the... More >>

• Mannheim Steamroller

  published December 3, 2008

  Mannheim Steamroller plays neo-classical Yuletide prog, which celebrates the joys of Christmas with an epic fruitcake of orchestral... More >>

• Yes

  published November 26, 2008

  In the Yes masterpiece "Close to the Edge," Jon Anderson simply describes life's dual nature: "I get up, I get down." With Anderson and... More >>

• The Agony of Victory: Alkaline Trio storms back with its new album

  published November 12, 2008

  Death, blood, gore and booze: These are the prime subjects addressed by Alkaline Trio, the Chicago powerhouse which has been exploring the dark... More >>

• Castanets

  published November 12, 2008

  Bearded guy plus guitar plus home-recording setup plus dingy motel in middle-of-nowhere Nevada equals City of Refuge, the latest album... More >>

• Japanther

  published November 12, 2008

  If Cementland, the post-industrial park built by City Museum mastermind Bob Cassilly, seems like an unusual spot for a rock show, keep in mind... More >>

• Young Widows

  published November 5, 2008

  The members of Young Widows wear their influences on their sleeves; in fact, it's easy to imagine homemade Fugazi and Dazzling Killmen... More >>

• Parts & Labor

  published October 22, 2008

  Even at low volumes, Parts & Labor's 2006 Jagjaguwar release Stay Afraid was the loudest record of that year: It kicked, screamed... More >>

• Tesla

  published October 1, 2008

  The police reports say suicide and conspiracy theorists suspect Courtney Love, but has anybody thought to check Kurt Cobain's shotgun for the... More >>

• Awesome Color

  published September 24, 2008

  The psychedelic-rock checklist results for the Michigan power trio Awesome Color read like this: tie-dye reminiscent name, check; wicked... More >>

• Lagwagon

  published September 17, 2008

  Lagwagon may have won the award for most self-aware album title of the year with its new EP, I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen... More >>

• Evangelicals

  published September 10, 2008

  Not only are Norman, Oklahoma's Evangelicals shinier than most shimmering pop bands, but its frilly edges are rougher and sharper than... More >>

• Two writers debate the pros and cons of indie-rock/Afropop sensations Vampire Weekend, who are making their St. Louis debut on September 10

  published September 3, 2008

  The pace of the blog-driven indie-rock world has reached a point where sometimes a backlash will set in almost before the frontlash gets rolling.... More >>

• These Are Powers

  published September 3, 2008

  It makes sense that members of These Are Powers split their time between Brooklyn and Chicago; the band's relentless noise rock is equal... More >>

• Koufax

  published August 20, 2008

  For pop-rockers Koufax, Strugglers is more than just the title of their most recent full-length: It's also an appropriate epithet... More >>

• Butterfly Assassins

  published August 13, 2008

  With reference points including Ugly Organ-era Cursive, Interpol and the cinematic scores of Danny Elfman, Chicago's Butterfly... More >>

• "Weird Al" Yankovic dares to be honest about Straight Outta Lynwood and his songwriting process, while Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin takes B-Sides on a ride with his new album, The Glass Passenger

  published August 6, 2008

  "Longevity" is not a word we usually associate with novelty artists, but "Weird Al" Yankovic has trumped his Dr. Demento peers by releasing twelve... More >>

• Bryan Adams plays songs from his new album, 11, (and plenty of hits!) on Monday night at the Sheldon — acoustic!

  published July 30, 2008

  11 is Bryan Adam's eleventh studio album. It features eleven tracks and is released exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, where it sells... More >>

• Math the Band/Harry and the Potters

  published July 30, 2008

  Math the Band was born when students in a college-credit high school calculus class hacked their graphing calculators to make glitchy,... More >>

• Ted Nugent

  published July 30, 2008

  Without Ted Nugent, the infrastructure of independent music as we know it could be drastically different. In the '70s, hits "Cat Scratch... More >>

• The Toadies

  published July 23, 2008

  Today's youngsters may have familiarized themselves with the Toadies' "Possum Kingdom" through Guitar Hero II, but in the game's... More >>

• Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

  published July 16, 2008

  With corporate-sponsored rock tours, it's rare to see the connection between the artists and the product placement. (For instance, what does... More >>

• Valient Thorr

  published July 16, 2008

  Valient Thorr sounds like Motörhead's Lemmy talking your ear off about batshit-crazy UFO theories and government conspiracies at... More >>

• Gravy Train!!!!

  published July 9, 2008

  These days, it seems that every chump with a Fruity Loops bootleg and short-shorts has their own ironic/electronic solo project, but few have... More >>