Indie Rock and Indie Pop

Yo La Tengo's Six Best Cover Songs

Legendary Hoboken, New Jersey indie rock trio Yo La Tengo is gracing the Pageant with its presence this Thursday, January 31. The band is notoriously unpredictable live, in part thanks to its virtual encyclopedia of cover songs. Here is a list of Yo La Tengo's six best cover songs. Let us know your ... More >>

The Flaming Lips at LouFest, 8/26/12: Review, Photos and Setlist

The Flaming Lips LouFest 2012: Blue Stage Sunday, August 26 "Fuck the rain," says Wayne Coyne at the beginning of the Flaming Lips set last night at LouFest. It was an appropriate if not re-energizing way to kick-off a set delayed 35 minutes due to a torrential downpour coupled with lightning; a se ... More >>

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 >>

Win A Pair Of Two-Day LouFest Passes! [Update]

​LouFest is a week away. The weather forecast is hot but manageable, though it's not like we much care given how great the lineup is: TV on the Radio, the Roots, Cat Power, Deerhunter, and plenty more. And you can go for free -- we've got a pair of two-day passes looking for a loving home. W ... More >>

Announcing The Official Before LouFest Party

​LouFest is just over two weeks, and our excitement is reaching unhealthy levels. You already know the headliners: The Roots, TV On The Radio, The Hold Steady, Deerhunter, !!!, Cat Power, etc. The local lineup is impressive as well: Jon Hardy & the Public, Old Lights and Troubadour Dali lead t ... 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 >>

Okkervil River And Wye Oak Are Coming To The Pageant

​Okkervil River is coming to the Pageant! And Wye Oak is opening! The show's on September 20th -- tickets are $16 ($19 day of show) and go on sale July 22nd at 5 p.m. Okkervil River, touring in support of the recently released I Am Very Far, went to the head of the mid-to-late-Aughts indie ... More >>

Matt & Kim with the Thermals at the Pageant, 6/23/11: Review and Photos

Photo by Jason Stoff​Matt and Kim | The Thermals | Le Blorr Thursday, June 23 The Pageant Only the most bitter cynic can leave a Matt & Kim show without experiencing at least some amount of fun. Sure, the Brooklyn duo's brand of hyperactive, simple synth pop isn't for everyone, but it's hard ... More >>

This Week's New Releases: Bon Iver, Jill Scott, Weird Al Yankovic

​Each Tuesday, record store clerks unpack boxes of albums and re-stock shelves with this week's newest music releases. There's a whole bunch of good stuff, so we've gathered a few notable albums as a starting. This batch includes parody craftsman Weird Al Yankovic, Grammy-winning singer Jill S ... More >>

The Arcade Fire/The National

7 p.m. Thursday, April 21. Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Avenue.

Belle and Sebastian Wants You to Write About Love For a Contest Deemed "The Coolest Thing Ever" by Matador Records

Image viaBelle and Sebastian write about love​The process of acquiring music is not what it used to be. Although many collectors still purchase music the old fashioned way (say, by digging through rows of records and CDs at record stores) artists and labels have been forced to get more creativ ... More >>

Interview: Potty-mouthed Violinist Owen Pallett on "Bro Music," Sexuality and His Career

David WaldmanOwen Pallett, performing live.​In conversation, composer/violinist/songwriter Owen Pallett is outspoken. This might surprise those familiar with his music - from the serene orchestration on his acclaimed 2010 record, Heartland, and his previous work under the Final Fantasy moniker ... More >>

Interview: Male Bonding's Kevin Hendrick

Steve Gullick​Best Coast and Male Bonding are opening the Gargoyle's semester tonight. The show starts at 9 p.m. We've already interviewed Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino. But Male Bonding deserves some attention as well: The UK trio released its (excellent) Sub Pop debut, Nothing Hurts, earlie ... 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 >>

She & Him's M. Ward talks about the creative process on his latest collection of timeless pop

Chiddy Bang

8 p.m. Thursday, August 12. Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street.

Win a Pair of Two-Day Passes to LouFest!

​LouFest is now mere weeks away. Are you excited? (You should be!) Do you have tickets yet? If not, well, then this blogpost is for you: A to Z has a pair of two-day passes to give away to one lucky person. That's right -- a free pair of passes so you can see Broken Social Scene, She & Him, Lu ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of June 14, 2010

* = coming to town, = local act Gaslight Anthem's American Slang​Vintage Vinyl 1. Drake---Thank Me Later 2. Nas & Damian Marley---Distant Relatives 3. Black Keys---Brothers 4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers---Mojo* 5. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals---Grace Potter & The Nocturnals 6. Gaslight A ... More >>

Blitzen Trapper

8 p.m. Monday, June 21. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of June 7, 2010

* = coming to town, = local act Sleigh Bells' Treats​Euclid Records 1. Black Keys - Brothers 2. Sleigh Bells - Treats 3. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms 4. Ratatat - LP4 5. Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer Of The Void* 6. Flaming Lips - Dark Side of the Moon 7. LCD Sou ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of May 24- May 30, 2010

* = coming to town, = local ​Euclid Records 1. Black Keys - Brothers* 2. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms 3. Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street 4. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening 5. Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards 6. White Stripes - Under Great White Norther ... More >>

LouFest Makes a Lineup Change

Lee HarrisBottle Rockets at KDHX's Midwest Mayhem, 5/14/10​The Bottle Rockets are now opening LouFest on Saturday, August 28. Local folk act Northwoods, who was previously scheduled, had to drop off due to a scheduling conflict. The BoRox will play at noon, kicking off the two-day festival of ... More >>

Interview: IHEARTCOMIX founder Franki Chan Talks Dancefloor Killers, Fillers and New Music Trends

World-renowned DJ and IHEARTCOMIX founder Franki Chan plays The Gramophone on May 1.​St. Louis has seen some major names in bloghouse come to town as of late: JFK of MSTRKRFT, Le Castle Vania and Designer Drugs. But this Saturday, you can see one of the most sought-after DJs on the circuit tod ... More >>

Matt Pond PA hunkers down to release The Dark Leaves and tour with Ben Folds

Arctic Monkeys

8 p.m. Sunday, April 11. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Tegan and Sara find that Sainthood suits them quite well, thank you very much

Bear Ceuse Chosen as Free MP3 Of the Day on Spinner

Bear Ceuse's "Kiss Another" was Spinner's "Free MP3 of the Day" yesterday. He's in good company: Other recent recipients include indie-rock heavyweights Quasi, Fiery Furnaces and the Weakerthans. You can snag Bear Ceuse's entire EP for free as well.

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of January 25

As always, asterisks indicate bands coming through St. Louis... Vintage Vinyl 1. MURPHY LEE---You See Me 2. BEACH HOUSE---Teen Dream 3. VAMPIRE WEEKEND---Contra 4. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG---IRM 5. ANVIL---This Is Thirteen 6. SPOON---Transference 7. MAGNETIC FIELDS---Realism* 8. TEDDY PENDERGRASS---Ess ... More >>

Coachella's 2010 Lineup Announced, Makes Heads Explode

Coachella announced its 2010 lineup this morning -- and heads all over the country exploded because of the lineup. The list of bands/performers includes (but isn't limited to) Thom Yorke, Jay-Z, Pavement, Faith No More, Public Image Limited, Echo & the Bunnymen, Them Crooked Vultures, the Specials, ... More >>

Top Sellers At Area Record Stores for 2009

Who says the record store is dead? Not us here in St. Louis, where both Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records sold a lot of tunes. Below, please find the top selling albums from both stores, including a separate top vinyl list from VV. Enjoy! Vintage Vinyl: Top CDs ​1. Murphy Lee - You See Me 2. ... More >>

Hype Machine: The ten most overrated albums of the decade

The Best of 2009 in Music

Allison Weiss

9 p.m. Tuesday, December 22. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Tonight! Local H at the Firebird TV on the Radio MP3

Local H is playing tonight at the Firebird. One Lone Car and Kinch open. We'll have a review tomorrow. In the meantime, here's an amazing TV On the Radio cover. MP3: Local H, "Wolf Like Me" (TV on the Radio cover)

Double Talk: The Watson Twins get comfortable stepping into the spotlight

Show Review: Ghostland Observatory and DJ Lord at the Pageant (SoCo underCOVER show), October 15

marqueemag.com/tag/ghostland-observatory/​Few indie bands are as divisive as Ghostland Observatory. For every fan and critic who fawns over its catchy dance punk grooves, there are others who decry tthe band as "robot rock for the flyover states" or, as Pitchfork infamously panned "Daft Punk for f ... More >>

Sunset Rubdown

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 21. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Light My Way: Old Lights' David Beeman gets by with a little help from his friends

Show Review Photos Setlists: Brand New and Manchester Orchestra at the Pageant, October 6, 2009

Brand New means business during its shows. The goal of its live experience is to exorcise demons, to provoke thought and, above all, produce catharsis. Looking for a night of frivolous entertainment? Go see another show instead. These Long Islanders are kicking out the post-hardcore, post-grunge, po ... More >>

Built to Spill

8 p.m. Tuesday, September 29. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Ra Ra Riot

8:30 p.m. Sunday, September 20. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of August 31-September 7

Every Monday, A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. (Vintage Vinyl will return next week -- they had catastrophic email problems last week.) An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without furt ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of August 24-30

Every Monday, A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. (Vintage Vinyl will be added once it arrives!) An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without further ado: Euclid Records 1. Bottle Rockets ... More >>

2009's Pitchfork Coverage: Videos, Interviews and Photos of Flaming Lips, Vivian Girls, Fucked Up, Black Lips, M83, more!

Last weekend, Nick Lucchesi headed up to Chicago to cover this year's Pitchfork Music Festival. In case you missed his reports, here's a handy-dandy list of links to his photos, interviews and reviews: *A Flaming Lips photo essay *A video interview with M83's Anthony Gonzalez *Black Lips and the N ... More >>

All Forked Up: Pitchfork Music Festival Day 1

That's Doug Martsch of Built to Spill behind that hat.It's the end of Day 1 of Pitchfork Music Festival here in Chicago, which by Sunday, should see 40 bands play and welcome 50,000 -- ahem, hipsters -- through the fences of Union Park. More than a few bands who have made their way through St. Louis ... More >>

Bad Veins/Dead Confederate/The Domani International

9 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Homespun: Target Market

Up On The Moon
(Afternoon Records)

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

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