The Clash (Band)

The Ten Worst Best Of Lists In Music

Lists will inevitably be remembered as the highest point of pop-culture Internet journalism. Why? BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM. Sometimes, however, the sure-fire can't-miss format of the list fails us from a journalistic standpoint. Here are ten of the worst music-related lists that I could find before goi ... More >>

More Than a Missing Link: Widowspeak and the Dear Records Connection

In this week's print feature, Widowspeak lead singer/songwriter Molly Hamilton spoke both about Almanac, her band's excellent new album, and the band's Pacific Northwest roots. Hamilton is from Tacoma, as is current bassist Dylan Treleven. Original Widowspeak drummer Michael Stasiak grew up in Lakew ... More >>

Karaoke Night Sucks; What Do You Do?

Karaoke can be a dangerous endeavor. What can you sing that won't make friends shun you? How can you go balls-out during your next performance? Each week in "Ask a Karaoke Host," RFT Music writer and professional karaoke host Allison Babka answers your burning questions about maximizing your melodio ... More >>

The 50 Commandments of SXSW

You're going to South by Southwest, right? Or you're already there? One of those things is bound to be true. Well, we here at RFT Music have got some advice for you, and we've managed to format it all into the style of commandments, because one of our favorite things to do is pretend we're angry God ... More >>

Ten Bands You Never Would Have Thought Used to Be Good

It's a common cliché by now: Some snobby, balding guy with glasses in every bar across America rants and raves about how he only likes "the old stuff" by every band. "I liked the first record," is his creed. This character floats around, bumming everyone out and sucking all the fun out of a karaoke ... More >>

Band Mom is The Man: Five Musicians with Politician Parents

Sen. Daniel Inouye, who passed this week, was present for some of the 20th Century's pivotal events. Born in Hawaii in 1924, he witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack as a medical volunteer. He enlisted in the Army and fought in World War II; there he lost an arm and still stayed in the service until 194 ... More >>

Gaslight Anthem

7 p.m. Tuesday, December 4. Pop's, 401 Monsanto Avenue, Sauget, Illinois.

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From October 29 to November 4

Well I'm feeling pretty good about myself today. Over the weekend I managed to get myself kicked out of the Justin Bieber concert at Scottrade Center while working on a review, proving that even in my old age I still got it. In my youth I was actually quite capable of being kicked out of any and all ... More >>

Queenormous, Dogs of Society at Off Broadway, 8/21/12: Highlights

Queenormous, with Dogs of Society Off Broadway Aug. 21, 2012 When considering music icons Queen, the Bee Gees and Elton John, most people think of riveting performance combined with over-the-top theatrics and costumes. I know I certainly do. But last night's "Tribute Trifecta" at Off Broadway didn' ... More >>

Outernational Toured Mexican Border Towns Before Its EP Release in Edwardsville

Outernational is a band to which music writers love making comparisons about politically outspoken musicians of yesteryear. Just about all of them stick. Yes, the New York-based rock group agrees with Woody Guthrie about whose land this is, shares the musical eclecticism of Joe Strummer (the Clash) ... More >>

Homespun: Aquitaine

American Pulverizer, Part 1
www.reverbnation.com/aquitaine

Aquitaine's American Pulverizer, Part 1: Review and Full EP Stream

Ed. Aquitaine's new record, released last week at the Firebird, is the subject of this week's Homespun column. You may not know the name Aquitaine unless you're a Francophile, a visitor to the Pyrenees or a Middle Ages buff, so a quick brush-up is in order: The band formed last year as Supermoon, c ... More >>

The Ten Best Shows In St. Louis This Weekend: June 29 to July 1

This weekend (Friday, to be specific) St. Louis will play host to the record releases of three of its finer bands: CaveofswordS release its debut offering on Friday at Heavy Anchor (click here for a profile of the band by Christian Shaeffer), Aquataine (formerly Supermoon, then Super Maroon) release ... More >>

The Ten Best Shows In St. Louis This Weekend: June 8 to 10

Another weekend of great St. Louis shows: Hot 104.1's Super Jam is this weekend at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, and in case you missed it Master P got added to the already stacked bill -- No Limit soldiers, take note. Twangfest also continues this weekend with shows Friday and Saturday at Off Broa ... More >>

You Have One More Day to Submit Your Band for An Under Cover Weekend Six

The annual hero-halloween for St. Louis bands known as An Under Cover Weekend* is scheduled for September 7 and 8 at the Firebird. Want to show everyone your excellent Spice Girls impression (someone please do this)? Now's your chance. The event is taking submissions for another 31 hours as of this ... More >>

Music from Final Fantasy at Powell Hall, 3/23-3/24/12: Review, Photos and Setlist

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Powell Hall March 23 and March 24, 2012 The most interesting aspect of a Final Fantasy concert could be the audience. The orchestra was often met with thunderous applause and screaming between pieces or at the start of familiar and popular songs -- more like ... More >>

The 33 1/3 Series is Accepting Submissions

​Earlier this month, Spin announced that it is moving most of its album reviews to Twitter. Music writing is getting shorter, not longer, and yet the 33 1/3 Series, which has the gall to publish entire books on albums that aren't even current, soldiers on. There are 85 installments in print n ... More >>

7 Shot Screamers

9:30 p.m. Friday, December 23. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Street Dogs

8 p.m. Wednesday, November 30. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Bob Gruen Is a Rock & Roll Primary Source

The Kitchens are Alive with the Sound of Music

Image via​After a recent lunch at a Chinese hog trough buffet where we were lulled into stupor by the gentle tones of "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" on the sound system and one too many sticks of chicken meat, we've been thinking a lot about music and food. Turns out we're not the only ones. Around the s ... More >>

The Raincoats and Grass Widow at the Double Door, Chicago, 9/19/11: Review and Setlists

The Raincoats. Photo by Mike Appelstein​The Raincoats | Grass Widow The Double Door September 19, 2011 After three decades of sporadic activity, it's about time the Raincoats played the Midwest. This legendary late '70s/early' 80s London band toured the East and West coasts during its init ... More >>

From The Beatles To Arctic Monkeys: How The Five Waves Of British Invasion Stack Up

This and that Union Jack dress that Ginger Spice wore are just part of a list of uncomfortable moments in British invasion history.​Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner looked dapper and distinctively British on the cover of SPIN's recent Success Issue. The slight singer sports a skinny suit th ... More >>

2011 RFT Music Awards Winners: Best Rock Band: Kentucky Knife Fight

Ask a Mexican: Why do Mexicans come to this country illegally instead of legally?

The Trashcan Sinatras' resurgence continues with a new acoustic tour and plenty of give-and-take with its loyal fans

Review: The Godfathers at Off Broadway, Tuesday, February 22

​When we interviewed lead Godfather Peter Coyne, he spoke of possessing a spirit of "revenge." But revenge, though sweet, is not always easy. The band, which recorded its best-known hits in the 1980s, was scheduled to play the first show of its American comeback tour at Off Broadway. However, unsp ... More >>

Twelve Music-Based Documentaries Screening at the Saint Louis International Film Festival

The movie Do It Again.​The annual St. Louis International Film Festival (that's SLIFF for short) began last night and runs through November 21. As it does every year, SLIFF features a generous selection of music-related documentaries. Here's the rundown. For the RFT's full coverage of the film ... More >>

R.I.P. Ari Up of the Slits

​More sad news for music fans this morning: Ari Up of the Slits (real name: Arianna Forster) died yesterday. She was 48. John Lydon of the Sex Pistols broke the news via his website. (His wife, Nora, is Up's mother.) A cause of death was not immediately known; Lydon's note only mentioned "a se ... More >>

A Road Playlist for Tony La Russa

TLR, Bob Schneider and the Twitter bird. Don't ask me, but the image works.​Tony La Russa is driving home. Rather than flying home after the season, he's taking his time heading back to the Bay Area this year and recreating a trip he took in 1996, which you all may recall was the year he took over ... More >>

Edgar Wright's Pilgrim creates a lovable, fast-paced pop-culture explosion

Interview Outtakes: Chris Shiflett on His Guitar Heroes, Being a Dad and the Status of Foo Fighters

Jack Butler​ Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants -- the rootsier side project of the Foo Fighters guitarist -- will be at the Old Rock House tonight. The show's at 8 p.m. and tickets are $8. We chatted with Shiflett in this week's paper. Read on below for some outtakes in which he discusses h ... More >>

Last Collector Standing: Long-time Local Musician (and Current Euclid Records Employee) Rob Wagoner

Jon ScorfinaRob Wagoner, of Bent, Adoring Heirs, Ultraman and Euclid Records fame​Rob Wagoner's record room is quite literally a room dedicated to collecting. Besides his massive 4000-piece record collection (which is painstakingly alphabetized with the loving help of his wife, Kim), his upsta ... More >>

Nightclubbing: South City Pinball, Punk and PBR Emporium The Silver Ballroom

(Welcome to Nightclubbing, our new weekly feature where we highlight new bars and clubs in town -- or remind you of some old favorites you may have forgotten. Hear of any new bars/clubs/venues opening? Email our clubs editor, Diana Benanti.) Diana BenantiSilver Ballroom owner Steve "Doc" Dachroeden ... More >>

Tone Rodent Working with Martin Atkins, Spacemen 3's Drummer, Rosco (Sterling Roswell)

myspace.com/tonerodent​How do you get Public Image Limited/Pigface/Damage Manual member Martin Atkins and Spacemen 3 drummer Rosco to work with you? As Tone Rodent discovered, just ask. The long-running -- and loud -- local shoegaze/noise act recently recorded some new music with both men, who ... More >>

Homespun: Steve Ewing

Zodiac
(self-released)

The Gaslight Anthem

8 p.m. Thursday, September 10. Pop's, 401 Monsanto Avenue, Sauget, Illinois.

Street Dogs

9 p.m. Tuesday, October 7. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.

The Cops

9 p.m. Saturday, April 19. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street

The Whigs

7 p.m. Thursday, February 14. Creepy Crawl, 3524 Washington Boulevard

Steel Pulse

8 p.m. Friday, July 27. Budweiser Main Stage, on the Arch grounds, as part of Live on the Levee.

Walking in Your Footsteps

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

Arctic Monkeys

Favourite Worst Nightmare (Warner Brothers/Domino)

Olympian Gold

God of War II enters the pantheon of classic games.

The Good, the Bad & the Queen

The Good, the Bad & the Queen (Virgin)

Rancid

8 p.m. Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29. Mississippi Nights (914 North First Street).

Teenage Frames, 22 Jacks, Very Secretary, Silver Standard

Fri., Feb. 18; Washington University's Gargoyle

JOE STRUMMER

Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (Hellcat/Epitaph)

THE CLASH

From Here to Eternity (Epic)

PARTY POLITICS

Billy Bragg brings Woody Guthrie back to vibrant life