Jay Farrar

Son Volt Returns with release of new album, Honky Tonk

Son Volt's Jay Farrar on Honky Tonk, Ralph Mooney, Bending the Rules and More

In this week's print edition, Senior Writer Roy Kasten interviews Jay Farrar, longtime leader of Son Volt and first-time author, about the band's new album Honky Tonk (due out March 5) and his new book Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs (due out March 19). "The impetus to write the book was born out of ... More >>

Help Us Select The 2013 RFT Music Awards Nominees

It's that time of year again! Each year RFT Music recognizes the hard work and exceptional talent of St. Louis' local musicians with the RFT Music Awards. In addition, our summer awards showcase on Washington Avenue provides St. Louisans a chance to see over 80 of these bands and musicians in action ... More >>

Euclid Records' 50 Best-Selling Albums of 2012

Euclid Records -- one of several excellent purveyors of music in this town and our 2012 winner for Best Record Store -- has just released its top 50 sellers of 2012. It's an interesting list for several reasons. It bears almost no resemblance to Billboard's list, of course. But it also speaks to the ... More >>

The 17 Best Fans, Musical Moments and Trends at LouFest 2012: Day One

17. Twenty-Five Percent of the Girl Talk Crowd Girl Talk only makes sense -- and I do mean only -- if you are dancing. Otherwise it's just your very pop-savvy friend's iTunes playlist on schizophrenic overdrive. So kudos to those bumping various body parts and whipping around beach balls -- there w ... More >>

The Fourteen Best Forgotten Woody Guthrie Covers

No American songwriter has produced a more malleable, sing-able and shareable body of work than Woodrow Wilson Guthrie. Decades after his death, his archives continue to yield sweet, unfinished fruit for the likes of Jay Farrar, Billy Bragg and the Klezmatics (for starters) and his songs continue to ... More >>

The 2012 RFT Music Award Winners

And this officially ends the 2012 RFT Music Awards and Showcase. Look in this week's print edition for the complete list of winners and a few thoughts on the whole thing from me, but in the meantime you can see who won each of the 25 categories below. They've been bolded.

The 2012 RFT Music Awards Nominees

That's right, sports fans, it's once again time for the big ol' love letter to St. Louis music known as the RFT Music Awards and Showcase. The nominating committee has made its arguments and to show for it we have five of the best bands and artists in 25 categories. Many of these fine musicians wil ... More >>

Wilco and Jay Farrar will Release Woody Guthrie Tribute Albums This Year. Separately.

Photos by Jason StoffIf nothing else, Jay Farrar (left) and Jeff Tweedy (right) agree on Woody Guthrie.​Over the weekend, Billy Bragg announced that he and Wilco would release a third installment in their Mermaid Avenue series. The albums draw inspiration from Woody Guthrie's notebooks of unre ... More >>

Jay Farrar's Woody Guthrie Tribute Album, New Multitudes, is Out in February

Woody Guthrie left behind notebooks full of words, snippets and entire lyrics. The Woody Guthrie Foundation, led by his daughter Nora, has been lending them to artists to create music around his words. You may remember the series' most successful installment to date, Wilco and Billy Bragg's collabor ... More >>

Best St. Louis Shows of 2011: Part Two

Tom LampeJay Farrar on the pedal steel for Colonel Ford​New Year's Eve isn't just amateur hour. It's a night-long, clown-car traffic jam of colossally defeated expectations, a dispiriting exercise in futility, even, or especially, when you're somewhere somewhat less coastal than Rio. In St. L ... More >>

Jay Farrar and Bobby Bare Jr. At The Sheldon Concert Hall, 10/21/11: Review And Setlist

Sarah Samples and the SheldonJay Farrar soundcheck at the Sheldon​ Jay Farrar | Bobby Bare Jr. The Sheldon Concert Hall October 21, 2011 The worst thing you can say about any form of popular music, but rock music especially, is that it is polite. Let it be wild and outrageous, energetic and en ... More >>

The Ten Best Things to do in St. Louis This Weekend: October 21 to 23

Jay Farrar plays the Sheldon tonight.​The October madness continues. Jay Farrar plays a rare show at the Sheldon tonight, the Blind Eyes debut its new, four-piece lineup at the Stagger Inn tomorrow and guitar god Buddy Guy makes a visit to the Family Arena. Plus: both Volcanoes and Palace rel ... More >>

Chris Mills

9 p.m. Thursday, June 23. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Still Be Around: A Tribute to Uncle Tupelo

8 p.m. Saturday, December 4. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

This Week's Show Flyers for June 17-23, 2010

Feel that? It's the weekend breathing its hot breath on the back of your neck. If you're looking to get sweaty this weekend and hear some live music, take a look at these show flyers for concerts going on tonight through next Wednesday. If you'd like to see your music-related flyer included in this ... More >>

Jay Farrar

9 p.m. Thursday, June 17. The Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street.

The Colonel Ford Trio Plays a Surprise Gig -- With Surprise Guests -- at Iron Barley (Hint: Rhymes with Ton Bolt)

Tom LampeColonel Ford performs at Iron Barley on Saturday night​Dale Fisher sent the message on Twitter at 9:44 p.m. Saturday night: "Guess it's not a secret at this point. Jay Farrar playing w/ Colonel Ford trio on Iron Barley patio in 15 minutes. Sweet." The band, a changing assortment of l ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 2 to November 8

Every Monday, A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without further ado: Apop Records 1 Lightning Bolt: Earthly Delights 2 Leonard Cohen: Live Songs ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Leonard Cohen at the Fox Theatre and Son Volt at the Pageant

A great weekend to be outside and that's what how many of us spent it -- but on Friday and Saturday night there were two great shows to check out, if you could get a ticket. Here's a recap of our weekend coverage:Son Volt at the PageantSun Volt played the Pageant on Friday night. Read the concert re ... More >>

Show Review: Son Volt at the Pageant, Friday, November 6

No matter how many people he knows at a St. Louis Son Volt show, Jay Farrar will always be the guy who played a big part in creating the "alt. country" genre. Twenty years after Uncle Tupelo's heyday, Farrar and the current Son Volt line-up stay true to their roots without being strangled by them, ... More >>

Son Volt

8 p.m. Friday, November 6. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of October 26 - November 1

Euclid Records 1. Rosanne Cash - The List 2. Jay Farrar/Ben Gibbard - One Fast Move Or I'm Gone 3. Swell Season - Strict Joy* 4. REM - Live At The Olympia 5. OST - Where The Wild Things Are 6. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood* 7. Chuck Prophet - Let Fr ... More >>

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard Set Tour Dates

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard are playing four shows in October, to celebrate the release of their Jack Kerouac-inspired collaboration, One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur. The closest tour date is October 26 in Chicago at Lincoln Hall -- and judging by the band backing the pair, a road trip m ... More >>

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

The Spirit of St. Louis

Two of the Lou's famous rockers fill us in on their favorites of 2007 — and what the next year holds.

Introducing Jay Farrar

With a talented rotating cast of characters behind him, the local hero has never sounded more rejuvenated.

The Song Remains the Shame

Mound City Music Fest

Saturday, December 10; The Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard)

Letters

Week of June 8, 2005

Bull Run and the Everlasting Gobstopper

If Jay Farrar's titles don't have to make sense, then neither do ours

Anders Parker at the Mound City Music Festival

Saturday, December 11; Mississippi Nights

Terror Blues

Radar Station chats with Jay Farrar on the most depressing day of the year

The Son Also Rises

Jay Farrar's band is reborn, Nelly sells, and some guys from the 'burbs get signed

Damn Tall

Unreal chats with some lovely ladies and gets the scoop from Jay Farrar-endorsed candidate Mark Smith (who's perfectly lovely too); plus, Bill Haas gets a love letter and Unreal heads to court

Jay Farrar

Stone, Steel & Bright Lights (Transmit Sound)

The 2004 RFT Music Awards

Riverfront Times Music Awards '04

'03, Oh My!

Our critics weigh in on a questionable year’s best music

Steal the Crumbs

Some so-called friends pay tribute to Uncle Tupelo

The Terroirist

Jay Farrar calls Terroir Blues a "back to basics" album. It's not.

2003 Music Awards

The readers spoke, and the RFT music staff listened. Find out who's large and in charge on the St. Louis music scene.

Various Artists

The Slaughter Rule: Original Soundtrack (Bloodshot Records)

Cry Uncle

For Uncle Tupelo fans, there's No Depression in reissue heaven

Tradition's Slave

A selection of the local music scene's best and brightest offerings

Jay Farrar with the Rockhouse Trio

Saturday, November 30; Mississippi Nights

2002 Riverfront Times Music Award Winners

Your verdict is in: Check out St. Louis’ favorite local musicians.

Farrar and Away

With Sebastopol, Jay Farrar has made one of the finest and most unusual records of his storied career

Best Raconteur

Pops Farrar

Room to Roam

Son Volt returns to St. Louis to support Wide Swing Tremolo