Ska

Out Every Night: The Best Shows in St. Louis from April 1 to 7

Spring has sprung (supposedly)! Celebrate by checking out the spry variety of shows going on this week. There's plenty to see, including an assortment of traveling acts such as Useless Eaters, Night Birds, Deerhoof and Hot 8 Brass Band. Get hopped up on all that leftover Easter candy and see what re ... More >>

The Best Shows at SXSW 2013

This year, our sister papers at the Houston Press music blog Rocks Off and Dallas Observer music blog DC-9 at Night teamed up to bring you only the choicest moments from last week's SXSW madness. See Also: -The Scene at SXSW: Here's What You Are Missing -SXSW 2013: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Spai ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows in St. Louis from March 18 to 24

Sorry, spring breakers! We know, we know -- Animal Collective postponing their St. Louis show throws a huge wrench into the works, along with all this freezing and wet mucky, gloomy sadness outside the window. Chin up, music fans. There's plenty of other bands to make donning some galoshes and splas ... 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 >>

Lemmon's to Host Benefit for Gerry Lundquist of MU330 and Skankin' Pickle

RFT Music recently caught wind of some concerning news regarding Gerry Lundquist, beloved trombonist of ska-punk pioneers Mu330 and Skankin' Pickle. Apparently the "Ayatolla of Rock n'Rollah" has run into some health issues which have resulted in mounting medical bills and significant out-of-pocket ... More >>

2012: The Year in St. Louis Music

Ask a Mexican: Why do Mexicans love ska?

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From October 22 to 28

This week's list is a bonus-deluxe-super edition, with TEN shows instead of the usual nine, on account of this Tuesday getting twice its usual attention. There's good reason: Tuesday night features separate appearances by both ska legend the Skatalites and nihilistic post-punk pioneer Swans. They're ... More >>

The Six Abandoned Songs Most Worth Reevaluating

Sometimes we just need to take a break from a song. One can only hear the same words and melody so many times until it loses all meaning, like saying "sandals" or "popcorn" a few dozen times. Unfortunately, some great songs are never revisited -- maybe because of overkill, maybe because of the stigm ... More >>

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 >>

Less Than Jake

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

Interview: Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij on His Checkered Ska Past, Confounding Critics -- and Why Vampire Weekend is a Punk Band

Annie ZaleskiVampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, taken at the Pageant in 2008​If you're reading this, you've probably already made up your mind about Vampire Weekend. Most find the New York quartet's music either delicious or disgusting, with very few people in the "just okay" camp. Speaking to A t ... More >>

An Under Cover Weekend returns for more cover-song shenanigans

Over the Weekend: Hum, the English Beat, Wrecking Ball Swings, Mini Lady Gaga

If you're one of the seven people who didn't watch the Lost finale last night -- or see any of the show, ever -- you can breathe a little easier this morning. Drive-time radio talkers won't be wheezing about it on-air any longer and publications ranging from your uncle's blog to the New York Times w ... More >>

The Year 2008 in Band Names, by the Onion's A.V. Club

This is probably my favorite round-up of the year: The A.V. Club's list of funny, asinine, ridiculous, awesome or just plain terrible band names. The entire list is well worth perusing, but my favorites include the following sections: REWORKING PROPER NAMES & TRADEMARKSSega GenocideWeird Al Qaed ... More >>

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

Show Review: Murphy's Law, Cross Examination at Fubar, 7/29/08

The English Beat: A Video Compendium

Show Review: Warped Tour at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Tuesday, July 1

B-Sides makes sense of Iron & Wine while Lemuria continues to Get Better

Fishbone

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 21. City Museum, 701 North 15th Street.

The Sterns

7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24. Creepy Crawl (3524 Washington Boulevard).

The Unreal Guide To Soulard Mardi Gras

Welcome, Willkommen, Bienvenue, Aloha, Shalom, Howdy!

Gwen Stefani

The Sweet Escape (Interscope)

Mad Caddies

8 p.m. Thursday, November 16. The Gargoyle on the campus of Washington University (Forsyth and Skinker boulevards).

2006 RFT Music Awards

Dean C. Minderman|Kristyn Pomranz|Andrew Miller|Kristie McClanahan|Christian Schaeffer|Andrew Miller|Ben Westhoff|Annie Zaleski|Brooke Foster|Jaime Lees|Roy Kasten

Music Showcase Schedule

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

Big D and the Kids Table

7 p.m. Wednesday, July 19. Creepy Crawl (3524 Washington Boulevard).

Sail Away

B-Sides interprets Enya's cryptic language, scream alongside the vocal guru to the metal stars, and dream up some tribute bands we'd like to see

Suicide Machines

Tuesday, November 29; Creepy Crawl (412 North Tucker Boulevard)

Core Meltdown

A local rap troupe breaks up, while Captured! By Robots is Star Trekkin' into town

Goldfinger

Saturday, July 30; S.O.K.A. Fest at Family Arena (2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles)

Buffet of Champions

You came, you saw, you voted: the winners of the 2005 Riverfront Times Music Awards

Michigan Rag

Everybody loves the Ann Arbor Film Fest

Dropkick Murphys

Tuesday, September 16; Mississippi Nights

MU330

Friday, January 10; Creepy Crawl

Bittersweet Symphony

Band Together, a local orchestra that performs for free, does much more than represent the gay and lesbian musical community

The Specials

Saturday, Feb. 12; Galaxy

DEAR PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE

Anniver-ska-ry Party

The Ska-O-Rama celebrates its fifth year with a multiband bash at the Casa Loma

Listening Post

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

Christian rock combines the Lord's message with the devil's beat. Sometimes the result is exhilaration. Sometimes it's god-awful confusion.

Hit Parade

Guitars on Mars

Gary Lucas has performed with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, John Zorn and Allen Ginsberg. Now he's visiting St. Louis to perform alongside the silent film The Golem.

Sound Checks

Listening Post

This Week

Roland Alphonso: 1931-1998

RFT Reader Picks