Jay Farrar

Ryan Spearman's Pain & Time: Read Our Homespun Review

Ryan Spearman is too nice of a guy to talk dirty. His good-natured drawl and perennially laid-back air make even the obvious double-entendres of Mississippi John Hurt's "Candy Man Blues" sound almost innocent. But as the title suggests, Pain & Time is not lightweight on the lyrical themes (especiall ... More >>

Country: Meet the 2012 RFT Music Award Nominees

The 2012 Riverfront Times Music Showcase is two weeks away. And if that is our own St. Louis Music holiday, then consider this the season: Throughout May, we've been making our cases for all 125 bands and artists nominated for an RFT Music Award this year, introducing the nominees from one or more o ... More >>

Mississippi Nights' Final Jam Session Occurred Five Years Ago Today

In theory, music venues are interchangeable. If one especially great place shuts down, another spot surely will rise elsewhere. But there's something disquieting about the closure of an especially memorable venue. Even years later, I'm still bummed about how Shattered - a Columbia, Missouri, insti ... More >>

New Year's Eve in St. Louis: Ten Best Things to Do Under $10

It's a metaphor: We do not advocate infant boozing. ​The best part of New Year's Eve is getting ready for it. The worst part is usually right around 11:57pm, when it dawns that you just blew a couple hundred dollars to end up chugging pink Andre curbside while your best friend blows chunks in ... More >>

Joe Lally and Tandoori Knights Lead This Week's Show Announcements

Bloodshot Bill and King Khan are coming to Off Broadway in November as Tandoori Nights. ​ All hail shirtless wonder King Khan, for he is headed back to St. Louis with his homey Bloodshot Bill as Tandoori Knights. The wild duo will be at Off Broadway on November 25. Allegedly, they started play ... More >>

Jay Farrar to be Featured in The Sheldon Sessions

​Alt-country mainstay Jay Farrar will be performing at The Sheldon on October 21, at 8 p.m. as the first installment of The Sheldon Sessions in collaboration with KDHX 88.1. The Sheldon Series is presented and funded by the PNC Arts Alive initiative from the PNC Foundation, which granted the ... More >>

Ten Best Things To Do This Weekend in St. Louis: December 10 to 12

​The first potential Snowpocalypse of the year is supposedly due this weekend. Be afraid. Be very afraid. (Note: I'm being facetious.) Check out some more music shenanigans here -- and ten other notable events below. Friday Colonel Ford Trio @ Pi, Delmar Loop Enjoy a little vintage-country fl ... More >>

St. Louis Show Announcements: Week of March 17

Hum​The Pageant *Jordin Sparks/Kate Voegele, May 15 *Passion Pit/Tokyo Police Club, June 23 Old Rock House *The Middle East, April 5 *Cameron McGill, May 5 *Hum, May 22 *Annuals/Most Serene Republic, May 23 *Jay Farrar, June 17 Busch Stadium *Eagles/Dixie Chicks, June 24

Jay Farrar, Passion Pit to Announce Shows in St. Louis

[Update, 4:45 p.m. Monday, 3/15: The Passion Pit show was just announced for Wednesday, June 23. The opener will be Tokyo Police Club, who hasn't been here since a Creepy Crawl show many, many moons ago. Tickets are $20 in advance, $24 day of show, and are on sale Friday at 5 p.m.] My spies have be ... More >>

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 >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of January 11 to 17

Although Vampire Weekend dominated both stores this week, I would just like to note that Dr. Dre's The Chronic was a top seller at Vintage Vinyl last week. Proof that it's always Dre Day. Euclid Records 1. Vampire Weekend - Contra 2. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind 3. Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom L ... More >>

Review: The Union Electric's 7"

REVIEW BY JASON TOON On pedigree alone, the Union Electric is an intriguing proposition. Singer/guitarist/banjo-picker Tim Rakehell spent several years (and several releases) leading Bad Folk through the darkest backwoods of acoustic Americana, sometimes as the band's only member. Guitarist Glenn B ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of December 14 - December 20

Euclid Records 1. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 2. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom Live 3. Neil Young - Dreaming Man Live '92 4. Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart 5. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP 6. Norah Jones - The Fall 7. Vince ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of December 7-13

Vintage Vinyl 1. THEM CROOKED VULTURES---Them Crooked Vultures 2. CLIPSE---Til The Casket Drops 3. MELANIE FIONA---The Bridge 4. GUCCI MANE---State Vs. Radric Davis 5. BLAKROC---Blakroc 6. JOHN MAYER---Battle Studies* 7. VARIOUS ARTISTS---Daptone Gold 8. TOM WAITS---Glitter & Doom Live 9. PASSION PI ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 23 - November 29

Euclid Records 1. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Live Anthology 2. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 3. Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart 4. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom Live 5. Bottle Rockets - Lean Forward 6. Swell Season - Strict J ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 16-22

Vintage Vinyl 1. ALL TIME LOW---Nothing Personal 2. BOYS LIKE GIRLS---Love Drunk 3. JOSH GOLDEN---Josh Golden 4. 50 CENT---Before I Self-Destruct 5. THEM CROOKED VULTURES---Them Crooked Vultures 6. JOHN MAYER---Battle Studies* 7. RAKIM---Seventh Seal 8. NORAH JONES---The Fall 9. BOYS LIKE GIRLS---Bo ... More >>

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 >>

Interview Outtakes: Son Volt's Jay Farrar

In this week's paper, I interviewed Son Volt's Jay Farrar. SV's latest, American Central Dust, arrived in stores last week. He spoke about song inspirations (and a forthcoming project with Ben Gibbard) in print; below find more talk about side project Gob Iron, and the connection between Uncle Tupel ... More >>

Homespun: Bad Folk

Part of the Problem
(self-released)

Fifteen things you might not know about the Bottle Rockets, on their fifteenth birthday

Melody Den

Melody Den (Perdition Records)

Son Volt Releases a Double Vinyl LP, Chant and Strum

Homespun: Jumbling Towers

Jumbling Towers (self-released)

R.I.P. Mississippi Nights

The lights go out at a fabled club — but only after one hell of a party.

Living on Channel Z

B-Sides asks a cadre of local musicians to reminisce about Chuck Berry as he turns 80, while Dr. Zhivegas get down with their debut disc.

Music Showcase Schedule

The complete low-down on this year's nominated acts

And the Nominees Are...

Get a load of the nominees for our annual music awards extravaganza

Here Fell Some Mighty Folks

Hoobellatoo celebrates the found & lost

Rock You Like a Hurricane

The local music scene comes together to raise money for Katrina's victims

Three's Company

B-Sides sees triple with Alkaline Trio, crunches numbers with Son Volt and gives Billy Idol some career advice

Letters

Week of June 15, 2005

Thanksgiving Buffet

Radar Station serves up some between-turkey bites

Brown Eyed Handsome Fans

A new CD aims to reclaim Chuck Berry for St. Louis

Richard Buckner

Saturday, July 17; Off Broadway

Richmond Fontaine

Saturday, June 26; Frederick's Music Lounge

Sing Uncle

Uncle Tupelo: The Voice of Missouri

Dawn Kinnard

Saturday, January 24; Frederick's Music Lounge

The Boys Are Back in Town

Gateway Men's Chorus sings out

Trophy Room

The Schlafly Tap Room plays host to the RFT Music Awards presentation

Corey Saathoff and the Brain Regiment with Anamude and Melody Den

Friday, February 28; Commonspace (615 North Grand)

Sounds Around Town

Week of November 27, 2002

Pageant Winners

Who showed up -- and who didn't -- to collect their RFT Music Awards

If We Make It Across Delmar

Our intrepid reporter gets her fill of St. Louis' best music

Kelly Joe Phelps with Jeff Lang

Friday, April 19; Off Broadway

Festus Tornadoes

The Bottle Rockets rediscover themselves -- by covering their longtime idol, Doug Sahm

List-omania

RFT music geeks pick the best recordings of 2001

Centro-matic with the Deathray Davies and Shelby

Friday, Sept. 7; Hi-Pointe

Tune Town

St. Louis welcomes three acts you won't want to miss

Cue Up the Tunes

KDHX-FM's "Celebrity Barbecue" promises a smorgasbord of music

Best Electric Guitarist: John Horton