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Treat Your Band Like Your Job and it Just Might Be

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Should My Band Hire a Publicist?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

The 14 Best Music-Related GIFs We Discovered in 2012

Editor's Note: The end of 2012 is upon us (also the end of the world, if you believe in that sort of thing), so we thought we'd put a cap on things by sharing some of our personal favorite shows, albums, events and general shenanigans. Join us as we indulge in some navel-gazing! Once upon a time, I ... More >>

Fresco Kane on 106 & Park: "I Get My Confidence From Doing it for So Long in St. Louis"

East St. Louis rapper Fresco Kane has been working in this city for a long time (you may know him as Gena). In September, we wrote about his recently finalized deal with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def records. They both made an appearance recently on BET's 106 & Park to make the introduction to the rest ... More >>

There's No Shaming in Getting Famous

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Connecticut Shooting: Mayor Slay Laments That Missouri's Hands Are Tied On Gun Control

St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay just posted the following statement on Facebook in reference to the horrific mass shooting today at a school in Newtown, Connecticut: Our city's prayers are with the children of Sandy Hook Elementary. I read the terrible news while sitting through interviews after w ... More >>

Five Surefire Moves for Karaoke

Karaoke can be a dangerous endeavor. What can you sing that won't make friends shun you? How can you go balls-out during your next performance? Each week in "Ask a Karaoke Host," RFT Music writer and professional karaoke host Allison Babka answers your burning questions about maximizing your melodio ... More >>

The Ten Most Egregious Tax Loopholes in the U.S.

Every St. Louis Release: August 2012

Update, 8/10: Several new additions, mostly courtesy of STL Mixtapes, are below. Find yourself some new music. This is pretty self-explanatory, really -- here you will find every musical project released in the St. Louis area (we're interpreting pretty broadly) in July 2012, listed in alphabetical ... More >>

Eleven Things Every Independent Artist Should Work On

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

Fun-Run Phenomenon Must Die!

Allow me to pull my pants up to my nipples before I get started.Ahh. That's better. Now where was I? Oh, yeah. These -- I don't know what you call them -- fun runs? Themed 5Ks? Costumed, sweat-fests? They are what's truly wrong with America. (Yes, worse even than Taylor Swift.) What is it about toda ... More >>

Guess Where I'm Eating this Chicken Shawarma and Win $25 to Graham's Grill and Bayou Bar!

All this talk of The Avengers (we definitely didn't see it twice or anything) and shawarma makes Gut Check a hungry blog. Guess where we ate this lovely pile of poultry and win $25 to Graham's Grill and Bayou Bar (612 West Woodbine Avenue, Kirkwood; 314-965-2003). Rules: To be eligible, you must le ... More >>

Eric Church finds broad appeal by not looking

Yonder Mountain String Band at the Pageant: Win Tickets

Yonder Mountain String Band will play back-to-back shows this weekend at the Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard, 314-726-6161). Friday and Saturday's shows both start at 7:30 p.m. and feature Brown Bird as opener. We have a pair of tickets for both shows, and we'd like to send a few of you fine folks ... More >>

Tidbits from Siete Luminarias, Taste-D-Burger, Fuzzy's Taco Shop

​- George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine has the always-exciting news of a new restaurant on Cherokee Street: Siete Luminarias is now open at 2818 Cherokee, serving traditional taqueria fare and at least a couple of dishes new to the area. Siete Luminarias is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Visit the r ... More >>

Could Missouri's Repealed "Facebook Law" Have Prevented a Teacher's "Nasty" Texts?

Image viaNasty textin' is not very teacherly. ​Folks who had supported Missouri's "Facebook Law," (which, before its repeal in October, had banned Facebook friendships between teachers and students) are not going to like this little tale out of Springfield. A 13-year-old boy testified last week in ... More >>

Chop Shop Food Truck Launches Today

via Facebook​You know, I was just thinking it's been too long -- 24 hours, at least, maybe 48 -- since a new food truck hit the streets of St. Louis. Today, Chop Shop will make its maiden voyage, arriving at Purina headquarters (Chouteau Avenue between South Tucker Boulevard and South Seventh Stre ... More >>

The Bleeding Deacon Closes Temporarily, Possibly to Relocate

​Rumors swirled on Twitter and Facebook over the weekend that the Bleeding Deacon Public House (4123 Chippewa Street; 314-772-1813) would close after business yesterday, November 27. Gabe Hartwig of the Post-Dispatch even tweeted confirmation of the news by a Bleeding Deacon employee.However, gene ... More >>

Google Music: The Future Home of Independent Musicians?

There has never been one place you could go to find out everything you needed about any band anywhere. Imagine: One resource that operates like an instantaneous card catalogue for current music. Among the many that have tried, none has the potential of Google Music Artist Hub. Google Music made it ... More >>

BitterSweet Bakery to Close November 23

​BitterSweet Bakery (2200 Gravois Avenue; 314-771-3500) will close its doors on Wednesday, November 23, the bakery and restaurant announced on its Facebook page today. (Tip of the hat to George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine for the news.)BitterSweet is no longer taking custom orders. It will hold a s ... More >>

Win Chromeo Tickets!

​Chromeo will be at the Pageant on Monday, packing a ton of dance nostalgia and an equal measure of good humor. As Christian Schaeffer's preview mentions, last year's Business Casual continued a path down the same very funky vein the duo's explored all along. So of course you want to go, and ... More >>

Win Black Angels Tickets!

Black Angels in April. Photo by Jon Gitchoff​Austin's heaviest purveyors of psych return to Old Rock House this weekend -- the band played a sold-out show there in April, and provoked our reviewer to say, "Drugs are well and good, but this, this was a high to die for." Not only do you not ha ... More >>

Win Arctic Monkeys Tickets!

The Arctic Monkeys will play the Pageant tonight with the Smith Westerns, and we just got a few tickets to give away! Obviously time is of the essence here, so hustle over to our Facebook page and submit your entries. Important: you must be able to come collect your tickets at our office in the Loop ... More >>

Win They Might Be Giants Tickets!

​They Might Be Giants returns to the Pageant tomorrow night in support of this summer's Join Us. And we just got a pair of last minute tickets we'd like to give you. Obviously we're working with a short time frame here -- you must be able to collect the tickets from our office in the Loop betw ... More >>

Facebook Seeks to Dismiss Illinois Class-Action; Mothers Claim Children Exploited

​Facebook has asked a federal judge in southern Illinois to dismiss a class-action lawsuit filed in June on behalf of two Granite City moms. The suit filed on behalf of the children of Melissa Dawes and Jennifer DeYoung alleges that Facebook inappropriately uses its "like" feature to monitor the ... More >>

Interview: Amanda Rainey of Dubb Nubb and Special Passenger Records

Cory Taylor Cox ​In this week's print issue, we spent some time with Delia and Hannah Rainey, the twin sisters of Dubb Nubb, and older sister, drummer and Special Passenger Records owner Amanda Rainey. Below is some of our interview with Amanda, in which she provides the label's history and ph ... More >>

Where to Celebrate National Farmers' Market Week

Holly FannNicola Macpherson and her son Henry at the Maplewood Farmers' Market.​Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that over 1,000 new farmers' markets have popped up around the country since last year, making a total of 7,175 markets operating in the U.S. currently. This n ... More >>

Death Cab For Cutie Will Be Probably Won't Be At Vintage Vinyl At 6 p.m. TODAY! [Update]

GO GO GO​Final Update: Atlantic's web team accidentally posted the announcement to Death Cab's page instead of Marc Broussard's. Read more here. Update #2 (IMPORTANT): The initial post (and its sixty-plus ecstatic comments) has disappeared from Death Cab's Facebook Page and Twitter feed, whic ... More >>

Missouri Teachers Seek Clarity on New Law Prohibiting Them From "Friending" Students

Some teachers are giving the new law a big thumbs down.​Under a new Missouri law, teachers who "friend" a current or former student on Facebook could soon run afoul of state codes. Senate Bill 54 first raised flags back in June when a teacher urged its veto after he used Facebook to help locate st ... More >>

Lawsuit Claims Facebook Illegally Uses Minors for Advertisements

Mothers dislike their kids being used in Facebook ads.​Have you seen those advertisements on Facebook that show one of your friends endorsing a certain product? The ad could be for a local restaurant or maybe a national retailer and features your friend's mugshot next to something saying that he o ... More >>

Why Restaurants Shouldn't Cross-Post From Facebook to Twitter

Social media experts -- no, we don't know exactly what that entails -- often debate the pros and cons of cross-posting messages from Facebook to Twitter. On one hand, businesses want to reach as many potential customers with their message as possible. On the other, bombarding people with the same me ... More >>

Joplin Teachers Urge Nixon to Veto Facebook Bill

State Representative Jane Cunningham has no problem with child labor -- but boy is Facebook dangerous to Missouri's youngsters!​The Missouri Legislature passed a bill two weeks ago designed to protect children from predatory school teachers. But the bill has stirred up some surprising opposition - ... More >>

Budweiser's Encouraging You To Grow a Beard for the Planet

Zach Galifianakis: bro-dawg, beardo, and apparently huge environmentalist.​Things we have learned about dudes from beer commercials: Dudes like beer and camaraderie, and they dislike effort and fussy groomy things like shaving.So -- and again, our research here is based entirely on Beer Commercial ... More >>

"Gentleman" Jim Gates still knows a hit when he hears one

Comment of the Day: Is It Okay For Blacks to Have Race-Based Agenda?

Today's comment comes in a response to a post about how four black Missouri legislators lined up with Republicans to override Governor Jay Nixon's veto of the state's new congressional districts. In voting with the Republicans, the four Democratic defectors ensured that the districts of Missouri's t ... More >>

Who Made That Lionel Richie Missing Person Poster? Randy Osborne, Ex-RFT Staffer, Knows

Randy Osborne?Street art, internet meme, or both? That is the question.​But let me start by saying ... I love you. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about art. Specifically, street art. As Exit Through the Gift Shop so poignantly illuminated, street art has in recent years become qui ... More >>

Point & Clique: The 2011 RFT St. Louis Web Awards

Cross the Mississippi in Style in a Gondola!

No, not this kind.​Tonight, the architect Michael Van Valkenburgh and CityArchRiver2015 will presenting his firm's winning plan from this summer's contest to redesign the grounds around the Arch. Indulge your inner architect and check it out, 6 p.m. at the Ferrara Theater downtown. (They would dig ... More >>

Ten shows, concerts and benefits to attend between December 23 and 29

Ten Things To Do in St. Louis: December 23-29

Wikimedia CommonsA scene from Christmas Holidays at Merryvale​For local clubs, the week after Christmas can be rather dead. Out-of-town touring acts take a break for the holidays, while locals tend to rest up, spend time with family and save their energy for New Year's Eve. (The exception to t ... More >>

Chipotle Offers Facebook Users Buy One, Get One Free Deal

...or without eating a few burritos.​Have you seen The Social Network? You should. It's a great movie. One of my favorite parts is a brief moment when Mark Zuckerberg (as played by Jesse Eisenberg) is brainstorming what will become Facebook. On a dry-erase board he's made three columns to compare ... More >>

Ten Halloween-Themed Things To Do This Weekend

Evan Swigart/Wikimedia Commons​It's Halloween weekend! Spooky! Don your best costume and head out to the following events. Don't forget to check our main music page for more concerts going on around town this weekend. Friday: Skate or Die! @ The St. Louis Skatium Rollerskating, live bands and ... More >>

St. Louis to Hold Satellite 'Rally to Restore Sanity'

​Why should those jerks in Washington, D.C. get to have all the fun? How come they get to write all those witty signs--"putting the 'dumb' into 'freedom'"? How come we don't get to go to the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert-hosted Rally to Restore Sanity and March to Keep Fear Alive? Why don't ... More >>

Paul F. Tompkins To Play the Firebird, Transform Comedy Industry

Seth OlenickPaul F. Tompkins will bust your gut on Saturday! Lit'rally. ​Did we lurve Paul F. Tompkins the most on Mr. Show, Tenacious D, VH1's Best Week Ever or his stand-up? No matter. You can catch his act at the Firebird on Saturday night thanks to a new business model: if 300 people on Facebo ... More >>

Photos: Kings of Leon's Pigeon Invades Nashville, Infiltrates Brooks & Dunn's Camp

In light of yesterday's announcement that Kings of Leon would be making up its abbreviated July 23 show in September, A to Z thought it was time to post a few pigeon-related photos. First, a friend sent over this photo of the Kings of Leon section at the Nashville record store Grimey's, taken a few ... More >>

Life Sherpa vs. Real-Life Sherpa: What is the point of this debate?

Tenzing Norgay: ACTUAL real-life Sherpa​Today's work was very gratifying. The overfed Westerners make it to the sacred summit of Jomolungma, blessed mother Everest. We all laughed for joy. No one fell into a crevasse or met an untimely end.They only needed oxygen ten times or so, and luckily their ... More >>

St. Louis Continues to Next Round of The Other Guys Premiere Battle

Gunning for a St. Louis premiere. ​Did you feel like a winner when you woke up this morning? No? How about one-fifth of a winner? Because that's what you should feel like!The Other Guys stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg announced yesterday via a Facebook video that St. Louis is one of ... More >>

10 Things to Do for $10 This Weekend in St. Louis, March 12-14, 2010

We've moved! A to Z will be the new setting of this popular weekly list. Many of the events were music-centric to begin with, so this feels like a good home. Now on with it: If you want to have fun this weekend but stay on-budget, here are our ten suggestions that'll each cost you $10 or less. As al ... More >>

Hey, There's a Facebook in my Gmail! Is Anyone Buzzing Over Google Buzz?

​Google launched a new service called Buzz this week. It's not a stand alone product, it's an enhancement to Gmail. It's also represents the company's latest foray into the social media realm with updates similar to Facebook and the ability to embed media and links. It's curious that this is happe ... More >>