Stevie Wonder

Your Guide to the Bands of RFT's Music Showcase

The Six Best Namedrops In Song

Musicians frequently reference each other, consciously or otherwise. Usually the reference is something subtle, like a chord progression or a melodic phrase. For those less subtle moments, here are the six best name-drops in song. Let us know your favorites in the comments, but make sure that your p ... More >>

'Come Dancing' with Local Bands at Kinks Tribute Show, KDHX Benefit

That's where the big bands Used to come and play My sister went there On a Saturday -- "Come Dancing" Ten local bands hope you'll believe in the power of Ray Davies and "come dancing" during a benefit concert for KDHX 88.1 FM tomorrow, March 30. Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy: A Tribute to the Kinks ... More >>

RFT's 5 Favorite Tweeters in St. Louis

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said, "You cannot step twice into the same stream." Nor can you click twice into the same Twitter. But the following five members of our city's Twattering class seem like a good read every time we wade in -- if for only 135 characters.

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From September 4 to 9

Well I don't know about you, but I was certainly not impressed by so-called "Tropical Storm" Isaac. Yeah, it rained a little, but the way people were talking about it made it seem like we would all be awash over the weekend -- my neighbor even asked me on Friday if I had enough groceries and batteri ... More >>

Coachella 4/20: Let's Talk About Weed

Yesterday was 4/20. It was also Coachella. And so, the percentage of festival-goers who were stoned rose from a paltry 75 percent to a full 98 percent. (These estimates come courtesy of our editor, Ben Westhoff, who did a small survey with a margin of error of plus or minus 45 percent.) Believe it ... More >>

Homespun: Jason & the Beast

Made This for You: The Mix Tape as Literature
jasonandthebeast.com

Inside Cirque Du Soliel's Michael Jackson Tribute with St. Louis Trumpeter Keyon Harrold

Courtesy of Cirque Du Soliel Michael Jackson: Still filling arenas.​Trumpeter Keyon Harrold has spent much of his professional life in the relatively laid-back atmosphere of jazz clubs and recording studios. But when the St. Louis native performs in his hometown this week, he'll be in the midd ... More >>

The Six Best Key Changes In Pop Music

The key change is an essential device in the pop canon. Play song, move chords and melody up a half step or so, continue in new key until otherwise noted. It's simple, really, and often effective, which is why it has been employed to the point of abuse. Here are the six best key changes in pop music ... More >>

Jon Hardy Fractures Two Vertebrae In "Freak Accident", Cancels All Upcoming Shows

Courtesy of Jon Hardy ​Jon Hardy, of black-tie, blue-collar rock band Jon Hardy & the Public, was in a St. Louis park last Sunday, the 11th when what he will only describe as a "freak accident" sent him to the hospital. He wound up with two fractured vertebrae, some minor bleeding in his brain ... More >>

St. Louis Native David Sanborn Returns With DMS

​After more than 40 years in the music business, one might think that saxophonist David Sanborn has done it all. From playing at Woodstock with the Butterfield Blues Band, to performing on dozens of hit records with artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to David Bowie, to a successful solo career ... More >>

Homespun: Devon Allman's Honeytribe

Space Age Blues
(Provogue)

Interview: Janelle Monae Discusses Androids, "the Other" and Making the Music That Moves You

Andrew Zaeh​Janelle Monae has the voice of an R&B diva, the dancin' feet of a young James Brown and style so unique she puts Lady Gaga to shame. Originally hailing from Kansas City, Kansas -- an article in our sister paper, the Pitch, explains more -- Monae travelled to Atlanta by way of New ... More >>

2010 Music Showcase: 1 night, 50+ bands, 5 bucks this Saturday on Wash. Ave.

Show Review Photos Setlist: Nick Jonas and the Administration, Diane Birch at the Pageant, Tuesday, January 19

Context is everything. Tell someone you're going to see Prince's band circa the New Power Generation, and the night's cred is through the roof. But tell someone you're going to see the same band - but fronted by teenpop heartthrob Nick Jonas -- and suddenly the show has a very different connotation. ... More >>

The Top Ten St. Louis Concerts of 2009

We reviewed a lot of shows this year -- nearly 100, judging by the number of posts in the "Show Reviews" archive. Deciding which 2009 concerts comprised the creme de la creme wasn't easy, to say the least. However, the following stood out from the pack. What did we miss? What were your favorites thi ... More >>

The Ten Worst Christmas Songs. Ever.

Wikimedia Commons​Before we get to the list, I want to make clear that this is not a Christmas-bashing article, but simply a piece listing ten Christmas songs that are so awful they should never be played again for any reason. I love Christmas, I love the season and I love the spirit -- and th ... More >>

Show Review: R. Kelly at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, Tuesday, December 8

If much of last night's R. Kelly concert at the Fabulous Fox Theatre felt like a victory lap, it's because the man had reason to celebrate. As the show wound down, he acknowledged the elephant in the room: The infamous court case in which Kelly was accused -- and found not guilty -- of fourteen coun ... More >>

The Distance to Here: The Natural Selection bridges the gap between St. Louis and Denver to hone its funk-disco attack

Review Photos Setlist: Coldplay, Amadou & Mariam and Kitty, Daisy & Lewis at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, July 24

Last night at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Coldplay delivered exactly the type of set you would want from it - and then some. That's not snark, either: For nearly two hours, the British quartet unleashed hit after hit after hit with little self-indulgence and plenty of spectacle. In fact, th ... More >>

Out of Africa: Béla Fleck discusses the origins of his cross-genre "Africa Project"

Second Spin: Rufus and Chaka, Masterjam

Artist: Rufus and Chaka Album: Masterjam From: Vintage Vinyl Year: 1979 Label: MCA Records What it sounds like: The awkward, disco, Jan Brady middle child between Kool and the Gang and Thriller.

Barack Obama in St. Louis: A Photo Essay

Top 5 "Weird Al" Yankovic Videos

B-Sides takes a Jazz Journey and says hello to Ne-Yo

Fist City: Rockwell Knuckles aims to punch through St. Louis hip-hop's glass ceiling

Party Pooper

The Wii's latest pool game is a cue stick in the mud.

Walking in Your Footsteps

Local musicians and writers weigh in on the Police's legacy in St. Louis -- then and now.

Donavon Frankenreiter

8 p.m. Friday, December 8. The Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard).

Music Showcase Schedule

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

Late to the Game

Kanye West tries to live up to the hype -- and nearly succeeds

Ask a Negro Leaguer

Week of July 27, 2005

Papal Bull

We introduce the highly scientific Marsalis Apostasy Index, teach you how to make your own Irish songs and discover the soundtrack to a vasectomy

Not Norah

St. Louis jazz singer Erin Bode is her own woman

Hot in Here

Hotstyle's MCs are old-school from the Lou

Riverfront Times Music Awards '04

Geoff Kessell

Saturday, December 13; Borders Books and Music on Brentwood

Todd Rundgren

Friday, July 18; Pageant

Joan Osborne

How Sweet It Is (Womanly Hips/Compendia)

Glorious Glut

Could '02' mean "Oh, too many records?"

Detroit Wheel

The biggest reason the Rams won't make the playoffs is now the Lions' leading receiver

Christian McBride Quartet

Wednesday-Saturday, April 10-13; Jazz at the Bistro

Soul Survivor

Twenty-seven years ago, Shuggie Otis released one amazing record. Maybe now it'll get its due.

Wild At Heart

Dan Randant's eclectic Wildstone Audio record label releases music from the city's most accomplished musicians

Soul and Inspiration

A fellow musician shares his memories of John Rudebeck

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Strip Search

Looking for Ozark culture amid the neon, glitter and traffic of Highway 76 in Branson

Sound Checks

Teenagers in Love

This Week