Death Cab for Cutie

The Six Best Shitty-Sounding Records

Before we begin, let us clarify that "shitty" and "bad" are not the same. Bad-sounding records aim for a certain result and fall short. Shitty-sounding records result from conscious decisions consciously executed. Here are the six best shitty-sounding records. If your favorite entry is missing from ... More >>

The Class War Between Food Culture and Music Culture

Art and life co-habitate, informing, imitating, and enriching each other constantly. Each week in Better Living Through Music, RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba explores this symbiotic relationship I'm a sucker for the Food Network. Chopped is my jam, I have strong opinions about specific Iron Chefs, an ... More >>

Blind Pilot at Plush, 3/2/12: Review, Photos, Setlist

Blind Pilot | Cataldo Plush March 2, 2012 The crowd had gathered in Midtown to see Blind Pilot, the charming, affable and endlessly melodic folk band from Portland, Oregon whose star has been steadily rising since 2009. But the concert was as much a rock show as it was a proving ground for Plush, t ... More >>

Now, Now

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 30. Cicero's, 6691 Delmar Boulevard, University City.

Six Indie Rock Songs That Sound Like Christian Rock Songs

Image via.​A plethora of compelling music has come from indie rock's complicated relationship with Christianity: Sufjan Stevens' folk hymns, David Bazan's tormented crises, the Thermals' blasphemous pop punk. These are the polar opposite of today's contemporary Christian rock, with its overt p ... More >>

Melt-Banana And The Black Angels Lead This Week's Show Announcements

Like snorting Adderall off a Hello Kitty doll, Melt-Banana's terse noisy punk will eat yr brain.​ Japanese anti-heroes Melt-Banana embark on a U.S. tour this fall, and guess where they're gonna be? Cicero's. Guess where they're not gonna to be? New York City. Bah, that rules. If we're keeping ... More >>

So Many Dynamos' Griffin Kay: The Exit Interview Before His Final Show

Corey WoodruffThis man, one Griffin Kay, is leaving So Many Dynamos Monday for cooler pastures. ​In the time it takes him to explain what he'll miss about his band, guitarist Griffin Kay has driven home from work, opened the door, said hi to his new wife, and cracked open a beer. When he gets ... More >>

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

Fleet Foxes. Photos by Christian Schaeffer​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 any Claritin users in the house?" asked the Fleet Fox ... More >>

The Five Saddest CDs You Can Buy for Under $2 at Best Buy

​Best Buy has a certain number of CDs it sells for preposterously cheap. Let's be clear: This isn't a bargain bin situation, where they clearly just upend the refuse in a cardboard dumpster and let people dive in. This is actual stock, kept on shelves, that in most cases sold (poorly, obviousl ... More >>

The Lonely Forest/Margot & the Nuclear So & So's

8 p.m. Wednesday October 13. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Review: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Telekinesis Pop Into the Firebird, Tuesday, August 31

Michael DauphinSomeone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin!​When the Firebird announced the Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin / Telekinesis show several months back, one couldn't help but wonder why these bands haven't joined forces already. Both serve up indelible, candy-coated power pop; both ... More >>

LouFest, Day One: So Many Dynamos, Adam Reichmann and Built to Spill

(A to Z has several writers and photographers covering LouFest. Reviews and photos of the other bands from the first day are coming in separate posts.) Day one of LouFest is in the books. Guys, don't tell the St. Louis naysayers and boo-birds who like to bitch and moan about how much the city suc ... More >>

Owl City

8 p.m. Wednesday, May 5. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Review Setlist Photos: Mark Knopfler Thrills the Fabulous Fox With Understated Beauty, Thursday, April 22

There was nothing flashy about Mark Knopfler's show last night at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. The fanciest thing about the two-hour set was the occasional unveiling of a "guitar-cam": a camera on the end of his guitar that magnified his hands as he performed classics such as "Sultans of Swing." Photo ... More >>

Video: See the Phillie Phanatic Do a Terrifying Lady Gaga Impression

Call it the difference between the American and National league, perhaps? Seattle tapped Death Cab for Cutie for its opening day entertainment. But in Philadelphia? Well, in Philadelphia, they do things differently there. Here's video of the Phillie Phanatic dancing to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" whil ... More >>

Hometown Proud: The top ten local releases of 2009

10 Things to Do Under $10 in St. Louis This Weekend, November 13-15

Remain non-broke all the way through Monday with the following suggestions for having fun on a budget this weekend. Looking for live music? We have that for you too, with our weekend concert calendar. It's also one of the best weekends all year long to see a movie in St. Louis.​Everything is Terri ... More >>

Tonight's MP3 Bonanza! Holiday Shores, King Khan & BBQ Show, Failures' Union/Cheap Girls

King Khan & BBQ Show Where: Off Broadway Playing With: Those Darlins, Jesse Irwin Sounds Like: What Keegan Hamilton said here and here. RIYL: Chuck Berry, Black Flag, psych-rock/garage-soul MP3: King Khan & BBQ Show, "Third Ave."

Paramore

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 3. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Relient K

8 p.m. Saturday, October 24. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard's Jack Kerouac-Inspired CD Out This Fall

When I spoke with Jay Farrar a few months ago, he mentioned that the Jack Kerouac-inspired project he recorded with Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard was "in the works, and it could possibly come out in the fall, like around October." Good estimate: A press release just landed in my inbox stating t ... More >>

Little America: Son Volt's new LP, American Central Dust, has deep reverence for — and curiosity about — history

Ra Ra Riot, Maps and Atlases and Princeton at the Firebird, Sunday, September 20

After selling out the Billiken Club in March, Ra Ra Riot and Maps and Atlases are returning to town on Sunday, September 20, at the Firebird. Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 day of show and go on sale on Friday, June 19! Here's a clip of RRR's "Dying is Fine," as a bunch of stuffed bunnies -- a.k.a. ... More >>

Fitter, Happier, More Productive: Roma 79, Praise the Divide

(Tuesdays can be a trying day here in Club Land at the RFT. It's deadline day for the show/concert listings, and this fact hangs over my head just like all of those foreboding elementary school (and high school and college) homework assignments that I would inevitably put off to the l ... More >>

Sneak Preview Stream of a New So Many Dynamos Song, "Friendarmy"

Sneak preview of the week: Head over to the MP3 page on mixer Alex Newport's website, where he has a new So Many Dynamos song called "Friendarmy" streaming. It's from the band's forthcoming Vagrant album The Loud Wars, which is still due April 7. In case you didn't realize it, Newport -- who's worke ... More >>

Vintage Vinyl's Top 50 Best-Selling CDs and Top 25 Best-Selling LPs of 2008

Vintage Vinyl just released its list of best-selling LPs and CDs of 2008. (Physical product? Remember that?) Interesting to see how many local releases -- and how much hip-hop/R&B/rap -- is on the CD list, while how much old (and new) indie rock is on the LP list. Looks like you kids are downloa ... More >>

Readers get fired up about smoking bans and Hanifan

An Open Letter to MTV Regarding MTVMusic

Interview Outtakes: Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie

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

MP3 Download: Rewind, the '80s Covers Project from Buffet Libre

2008 Music Award Nominees: Best Indie Band

Mr. Gnome

9 p.m. Saturday, May 24. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street

MP3 Download: Tokyo Police Club, "Tessellate (Tom Campesinos! Remix)"

St. Louis Bands at SXSW

Deep Blue Something: Back from the Dead, and the Ocean Blue Leads Me Back to Chris Walla and St. Louis

Kick Out the (Holiday) Jams

Here are ten holiday releases to deck your halls.

Umbrellas

7 p.m. Thursday, August 16. Creepy Crawl, 3524 Washington Boulevard.

Jesse Lacey / Kevin Devine

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 8. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Outtakes: The Long Winters

Snuggling up with the Long Winters

John Roderick makes lyrical non-sequiturs an art form.

Our top DVD picks for the week of April 11.

Head of the Class

Spouse

Tuesday, October 18; Frederick's Music Lounge (4454 Chippewa Street)

Beat Happenings

Music news you can use

Marrying the Mainstream

White men learned to dance, and the emoting was as thick as the eyeliner on the years best pop-rock records.

Smells Like Indie Spirit

Music that made the world safe for the word "alternative" again.

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Death Cab for Cutie

Transatlanticism (Barsuk Records)

List-omania

RFT music geeks pick the best recordings of 2001