Ryan Wasoba

Here is the Difference Between "Good" Music and "Cool" Music

The comment that a band is "good at what it does" is a polite attempt to acknowledge the talents of a group outside of one's wheelhouse. But the phrase tends to come off as a dismissive, backhanded compliment, the type of statement a person makes to avoid actually forming an opinion. The underlying ... More >>

Better Living: What is the Real Value of Physical Media?

Art and life cohabitate, informing, imitating and enriching each other constantly. Each week in Better Living Through Music, RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba explores this symbiotic relationship. When the finish line is in sight during a recording project, I often ask the artist what the release plans ... More >>

Better Living: When Music Doesn't Fit

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. Last night, I did not attend the greatest concert of my life. Alarm Will Sound, the New York miniature o ... More >>

Undead Format: Dissecting The Cassette Revival

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. My first musical memory involved a cassette tape of Michael Jackson's Thriller. I was in the backseat of ... More >>

The Illusion Of Volume: Understanding Compression

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. The CALM Act was enacted two months ago, causing television commercials to maintain the same or lower vol ... More >>

Here's a Look at So Many Dynamos in the RFT Over the Years

This week's music feature on So Many Dynamos is the latest piece on the band in the pages of the RFT. In that feature, singer/keyboardist/guitarist Aaron Stovall says the group's latest release (a self-titled EP that comes in the form of a digital download whose only physical presence is a SMD 'frid ... More >>

The Ten Best Concerts in St. Louis this Week: January 28 to February 3

February's shaping up to be a pretty crazy month for music. And by crazy, I mean crazy. With the likes of Lady Gaga and Blowfly in only the first week, it'll be hard to compete with the level of shenanigans that are sure to ensue (also, what's this business about Bearhug?). Hell, we're not exactly s ... More >>

InFest STL Tournament Of Champions: Round One, FIGHT!

This Saturday and Sunday, a few dozen local and regional bands perform at InFest STL, a two-day indie festival at 2720 Cherokee. The event is totally free. This is not a battle of the bands, and the acts are in no way competing with each other, but that's no reason not to pit twenty-five confirmed a ... More >>

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 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 >>

The Merits Of Reading Music

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. There is a modern tendency among musicians to shun the practice of reading music. I understand why, si ... More >>

Nelly's 7th Annual Black & White Ball: A Diary of Our Crash Course in County Grammar

Nelly's 7th Annual Black & White ball was this weekend at the St. Louis Science Center. The charity event brought out some of the city's best and brightest, all dressed in finery for an evening of music, food, drinks and hobnobbery. Also in attendance were a couple Stag-swilling chumps with absolute ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From December 10 to 16

And now a Public Service Announcement from RFT Music: It's wintertime, folks, and you know what that means: It's cold! And as we all know, in the cold, everything dies. The trees, the bugs, at least one ill-prepared bird I found in my side yard -- and most important for the purposes of this post: t ... More >>

Gig Musicians Vs. Show Musicians

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 This weekend, I am playing guitar at a wedding. I do not know the bride nor the groom beyond email formal ... More >>

The Class War Between Food Culture and Music Culture

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 I'm a sucker for the Food Network. Chopped is my jam, I have strong opinions about specific Iron Chefs, an ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From October 8 to 14

Before we get into it: I am sure you are all already aware that White Rabbits is playing in town this week. And I am sure you've all seen this ubiquitous press photo, wherein all the members of the band are sprawled lazily on the floor, haphazardly surrounded by their hopelessly-tangled instrument c ... More >>

72 St. Louis Musicians Record the Soundtrack for Laumeier Sculpture Park

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 This weekend, the Site/Sound exhibition opens at Laumeier Sculpture Park. Local electronic sensei Eric Hal ... More >>

Dan Deacon Wants to "Kill Monsanto"

Dan Deacon will play the Firebird this Sunday. It will be a good time; in this week's print issue RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba gets you up to speed: "The solo performer built a reputation making tongue-in-cheek electro pop and treating his shows like enormous games of Simon Says." But Deacon has mo ... More >>

Homespun: Ryan Wasoba

Music for No Reason
ryanwasoba.bandcamp.com

Ryan Wasoba's Music for No Reason: Read the Homespun Review and Listen

It probably comes as no surprise that about half of your music critic friends here at Riverfront Times have, at one time or another, performed in working bands themselves. The same drive that leads to critical analysis or championing/deriding new music dovetails with a desire to write and play music ... More >>

Listen Like You Mean It

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. If I could pick one attitude of mine that would look sweet on a T-shirt or tattoo, possibly in metal font ... More >>

Music Music vs. Words Music

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. Earlier this week, I wrote a piece for RFT Music poking fun of the modern concept of genre that spawns ph ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From May 21 to May 27

We'll start this post off by recognizing the fact that yes, Red Hot Chili Peppers is playing in town on Friday (Scottrade Center); as is Local H (Firebird), but Friday is already well-represented below with another what-is-this-1996 artist, Snoop Dogg, playing at Pop's and roots-reggae pioneer Might ... More >>

Metal: Meet the 2012 RFT Music Award Nominees

The 2012 Riverfront Times Music Showcase is a month away. And if that is our own St. Louis Music holiday, then consider this the season: Over the next month, we'll be making our cases for all 125 bands and artists nominated for an RFT Music Award this year. Each weekday between now and the showcase ... More >>

RFT Spring Arts Guide 2012: Music

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From April 23 to 29

Did everyone survive Record Store Day weekend? Between the deluge of live music and the generous amounts of free beer -- not to mention the throngs of people -- we can understand how one might be tempted to take it easy this week. Please remember, though, that taking it easy is for square nerd loser ... More >>

Name This Band: The Artist Formerly Known As Stinkfoot

At RFT Music, we know that deciding on a band name is not easy. We're here to help. In our series Name This Band, we invite local musicians to answer some questions about their startup groups. Using this information, we will suggest three names. You can vote on your favorite in the comments or sugge ... More >>

Homespun: Lantern Lights

Lantern Lights
lanternlightsmusic.com

40 Best St. Louis Releases of 2011: Part Eight

​Part One: The Union Electric, Sweet Tooth, King Kong Magnetics, Warm Jets USA Part Two: Glass Teeth, Ryan Spearman, the Breaks and Adult Fur Part Three: Rum Drum Ramblers, Humanoids, Old Lights and Volcanoes Part Four: Bo & the Locomotive, Rockwell Knuckles, Dubb Nubb and Palace Part Five: S ... More >>

Biggest St. Louis Music News Stories of 2011: Part Two

Tower Groove Records Formed Tower Groove Records aims to bring bands out of dingy south-city basements and into, well, other dingy south-city basements. The collective won't be funding the release of records but hopes to utilize the cumulative talents and experience of its members to make it easier ... More >>

The Gorge's Prehistoric Relapse: Listen

​The Gorge is here: its full-length debut, Prehistoric Relapse, gets an official release tomorrow night at the Firebird at a show the band will headline. In this week's feature, Ryan Wasoba examines the band, its disparate influences (Coltrane, Stravinsky and Refused, to name three), and its ... More >>

Interview Outtakes: Ultimate Fakebook Drummer Eric Melina on Returning to Touring

​In this week's paper, Ryan Wasoba chatted with Ultimate Fakebook drummer Eric Melin, to mark the occasion of the band playing at the Firebird on Sunday, December 19. (The Orbz, Dead Girls and the Highway, Companion are also on the bill.) The power-pop cult heroes released a new album, Daydrea ... More >>

The Riverfront Times' Music Lesson Number One: How to Use a Vibraslap Like Cake

​Tonight, Cake is returning to St. Louis with a sold-out show at the Pageant. Last week, we printed an interview with multi-instrumentalist Vince DiFiore, in which writer Ryan Wasoba discussed the band's frequent use of an instrument called the vibraslap. What is that, exactly? Well, the inaug ... More >>

Interview Outtakes: Firebrand Recording Co-Owner Brian Scheffer on the Studio's Origins

courtesy of the Blind EyesThe Blind Eyes chilling at Firebrand​Tomorrow night, Off Broadway is hosting the Firebrand Recording Showcase, which features the Blind Eyes, Kentucky Knife Fight and the Humanoids. Tickets are $10 for those over 21, $13 for those under, and the show starts at 9 p.m. ... More >>

Recap: "The State of the Music Scene" Discussion at the Luminary Center for the Arts

Diana BenantiMike Cracchiolo, Annie Zaleski, Ryan Wasoba and Matt Strom were the panelists at last night's State of the Music Scene discussionvThursday at the Luminary Center for the Arts.​ Some admitted music nerds talked shop, St. Louis and "the scene" last Thursday at The Luminary Center f ... More >>

Review: The Aquabats, Mustard Plug and Samuriot at the Firebird, Sunday, March 21

MC Bat Commander's ill-fitting uniform barely contained his pot belly as he announced, "It's been seven years since we've played here, but we've been working out the entire time." Later in the set, he pulled three children from the front row on stage and chucked them one Ryan WasobaA tattoo spotted ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Photos from Santarchy 2009, Designer Drugs at Shock City Music, Dillinger Escape Plan at Pop's, a Review of Trans Siberian Orchestra

It's Monday, December 14. Happy Monkey Day, National Bouillabaisse Day and while we're at it, happy birthday to Nostradamus. Here's a recap of our weekend coverage:Santarchy '09Photo: Egan O'KeefeRevelers with Santarchy '09 made their way to about 20 bars in St. Louis on Saturday. See more photos he ... More >>

Homespun: HUMDRUM

Individual Man
(self-released)

Not Waving But Drowning Reunion Show, This Friday at Fubar

In case you haven't perused the paper yet this week, don't miss out on the fact that Not Waving But Drowning is doing a reunion show this Friday night at Fubar. They were before my time, but Ryan Wasoba says:  ...the tragedy of Not Waving But Drowning has more to do with timing than geogra ... More >>

Today! Warped Tour at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Crabcore.

The Warped Tour starts today at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. I'm heading out there in a bit to survey the scene, but if you're stuck at work, Ryan Wasoba's piece on the bands there pretty much covers it.One amusing thing that's been making the rounds of message boards, though: There's a band ... More >>

Rock Math: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Greatest Hits

(Welcome to Rock Math, where each week Ryan Wasoba will explain a newly released album with the aid of a mathematical equation.) Band: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Album: Greatest Hits Label: Columbia (available exclusively at Wal-Mart) Equation: Equation of an Ellipse ... More >>

Rock Math: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion

(Welcome to Rock Math, where each week Ryan Wasoba will explain a newly released album with the aid of a mathematical equation.) Band: Animal Collective Album: Merriweather Post Pavilion Label: Domino (vinyl out now, CD release on 1/20) Equation: Quadratic Formula

Interview: Australian Pink Floyd keyboardist Jason Sawford

Tegan and Sara: Story Outtakes from This Week's Music Feature

Readers question Ian's taste and tell us to leave glowsticks at home.

Daily Web Crawl

Sean Nelson Talks His Solo Stuff, Robyn HItchcock, Harvey Danger

Introducing the Band, Part One: Ryan Wasoba's Bass Day

So Many Dynamos Van Wreck -- But The Band is Okay!

Berlin Whale CD release show -- Tonight at Cicero's!