Less Than Jake

The Six Indie Rock Songs That Sound Most Like Ska Songs

Indie rock is the vaguest of all genres, sort of the "none of the above" of rock and roll. There are no hard and fast rules. In rare cases, the result sounds an awful lot like ska. Here are the six indie rock songs that sound most like ska songs. Let us know your favorites in the comments. Oi.

Nostalgia Is The Enemy Of Critique

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. In order to review music, one must judge the song/album/artist subjectively, only associating it wi ... More >>

The Six Most Misguided Career Moves By Ska Bands

This week, Reel Big Fish, The Pilfers, and Mu330's Dan Potthast play The Pageant. 'Tis a rarity among ska bills, in that each artist progressed through its career but never fully moved away from its birth genre. Others' careers have been less successful, both artistically and commercially. Here are ... More >>

The Best Concerts in St. Louis This Week: January 14 to 20

Whenever Kiernan Maletsky (remember that guy?) first announced to our small freelance music writing staff that Daniel Hill would be taking over the reigns at RFT Music, it was sort of emotional. Kiernan put in some really heartfelt words. It was nice. Daniel's response? He assured us all that the se ... More >>

Win Tickets to Reel Big Fish at the Pageant

Reel Big Fish is coming to the Pageant on Tuesday, January 15, and we have a pair of tickets right here at RFT Music headquarters just waiting for you. The band will be joined on stage by the Pilfers and Dan Potthast of hometown ska heroes MU330. See also: - The Six Best Cover Songs By Ska Bands - ... More >>

The Six Best Non-Metal Songs About Heavy Metal

Songwriters love riffing on folklore, be it nursery rhymes or Biblical parables. Over the years, heavy metal has developed its own brand of legend, so much so that stylistically disparate musicians have used it as a springboard for creatively disparate songs. Here are the six best non-metal songs ab ... More >>

Less Than Jake at the Firebird, 9/19/12: Highlights

Less Than Jake The Firebird Sept. 19, 2012 Remember when ska enjoyed that revival in the '90s? And remember when Less Than Jake said, "This ska thing is great, but it could use some pop punk, too?" And remember when it combined those things to such great effect that critics said, "This shit will ne ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From September 17 to 23

I think I dropped several IQ points over the weekend when I attended / reviewed the Odd Future show at the Pageant on Friday. My headache has subsided, but matters of intelligent thought or focus are still coming slowly and proving difficult. In other words, I can't think of anything to write here, ... More >>

The Six Best Cover Songs By Ska Bands

About ten years after its decline, third wave ska still seems like an oddity in the history of rock and roll. One principal tenant of the genre was the cover song. It was sometimes a formulaic practice, but it continues to be a way for the ska community (yes, such thing exists and its bonds are stro ... More >>

Inspectah Deck, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Less Than Jake and More in This Week's New Show Announcements

Here again: every newly announced show for the week! On page one you'll find a quick list of shows that particularly caught our attention, followed by embedded YouTube videos; there, you can check out some of the artists you may not be familiar with. Page two contains our complete listing of new sho ... More >>

The Six Best Presidents Of The United States Of America Songs

Just as Thanksgiving was a reminder of Irish rock band the Cranberries, today's national holiday is a celebration of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and quirky Seattle alternative rock trio the Presidents Of The United States Of America. For your Presidents Day, enjoy this list of the six best PO ... More >>

40 Best St. Louis Releases of 2011: Part Three

​As you may have noticed, we were excited to be St. Louis music fans this year. And there is no more substantial document of the sound of this city in 2011 than the music released by its bands and artists. It is not an exaggeration to guess that the releases in the metro area number in the th ... More >>

Listen to Dan Potthast of Mu330's New Band: Dan P and The Bricks

Image via​​Local third-wave ska legend Mu330 is getting more attention than usual. First, there is the upcoming reunion show with its original 1994 Press-era lineup. Now, the band's singer Dan Potthast has revealed a new group, Dan P and The Bricks. The ten-piece outfit also features four me ... More >>

Go Download The New Humanoids Record For Free!

Back in July, we ran a feature on St. Louis' favorite melodic, pop-core playboys, the Humanoids. The band was gearing up for the release of its new self-titled album on FreeMusicFirst.org., and about to embark on the highly-regarded punk rock package tour featuring Off With Their Heads, Dead to Me a ... More >>

Vent Up Road Wars: The Vans Warped Tour Anagrams Game For The Whole Family

​The Vans Warped Tour is upon us: in two days 65 bands will play the St. Louis leg at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. In honor of the occasion, we've constructed anagrams of varying descriptive accuracy for every band playing. The anagrams are listed below; their corresponding actual band ... More >>

The Humanoids' Hard Work Pays Off

Mike Jones on I Hate Punk Rock Records and his 75 Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose LPs

photo courtesy of Mike Jones​As major record labels continue to consolidate their lineups, it might seem an unlikely time to start an independent record label. Yet, for Mike Jones, founder of I Hate Punk Rock Records, starting his label in the mid 2000s came as naturally as expanding his perso ... More >>

Vans Warped Tour 2011 St. Louis: Jack's Mannequin, Lucero, Yelawolf, Against Me! and Local Ties

​Ah, early August in St. Louis. It's the time of year for thunderstorms, unbearable humidity -- and the Vans Warped Tour. Yes, the annual traveling punk-rock summer camp is coming to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on August 3. Some of the acts playing the St. Louis date of the festival incl ... More >>

Show Review: Dropkick Murphys, Against Me!, Off With Their Heads at the Pageant, Saturday, March 5

Todd Owyoung​It may have been Mardi Gras in Soulard, but Saturday night in University City, you would have assumed St. Patrick's Day showed up a little early. Covered in green, Mardi Gras beads and Guinness-infused grins, thousands shuffled into the Pageant to take in the beloved Boston punker ... More >>

Less Than Jake

Doors at 7 p.m. Friday, February 11. Pop's, 401 Monsanto Avenue, Sauget, Illinois.

Eight Songs Less Than Jake Should Cover

​Less Than Jake's upcoming February 11 show at Pop's has inspired A to Z to reminisce over the lost art of the ska/punk cover. The beauty is in its simplicity: It's the same song you know and love, just played faster and louder and splattered with horn lines. Less Than Jake has mastered the co ... More >>

Show Announcements: Week of October 28

Warpaint can't get enough of Nellyville; the blissed out rock quartet from Los Angeles will be back in town for the third time since June on November 19 at The Gargoyle.​ Cicero's *Triggers, November 3 Euclid Records *JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, November 6 *The Sights, November 6 Europe Nig ... More >>

Ska Is Dead 4 Tour

7 p.m. Sunday, November 8. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Happy Birthday, Punk: The Vans Warped Tour turns fifteen years young

Show Review Setlist: "Weird Al" Yankovic at Family Arena, Friday, August 8

Less Than Jake/Goldfinger

7 p.m. Monday, July 7. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Summer Concert Calendar: Hit all the high notes this summer with our expanded concert listings

St. Louis Concert Calendar: July 25, 2007

PEZheads

These guys don’t a give a rip about the candy. It’s all about the plastic dispensers.

St. Louis Concert Calendar: June 19

St. Louis Concert Calendar: June 15, 2007

2007 RFT Music Showcase

Week of May 31, 2007

"I'm sure people who even hate G.W. get sick of reading your dribble.

Get over it, you bleeding-heart liberal pieces of shit!"

Punk-o-Rama

Hot fun in the summertime with Warped Tour

Sounds Around Town

Week of October 29, 2003

Sounds Around Town

Week of August 7, 2002

Vans Warped Tour

Tuesday, July 13; Riverport

Sound Checks