The Flaming Lips

The Worst Things About 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 >>

Should My Band Hire a Publicist?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Kanrocksas Early Bird Tickets on Sale at 10 a.m. Today

Kanrocksas (a festival at the NASCAR Speedway just west of Kansas City, so named for...never mind) debuted big in 2011, going toe-to-toe with Lollapalooza and featuring many of the same names (including Eminem, Muse and A Perfect Circle). They took the year off in 2012 due to renovations to the Spee ... More >>

The Ten Best Concerts of the Summer

Well, the white trousers are back in storage and the river flotation seat with tall-boy sized cup-holders is deflated. We may have a few warm days ahead still, but summer is behind us. Lest it all fade into a haze of sweating (so it was hot this summer...), we here at RFT Music have preserved the bi ... More >>

LouFest Postponed Due to Rain: [UPDATE - It's Back, and Flaming Lips Will Still Play]

This year's LouFest has featured much more rain and much less Wi-Fi than in year's past. The presence of the former has caused delay in today's proceedings, whereas the lack of the latter has left RFT Music staffers in attendance unable to update the public in any traditionally timely fashion. Never ... More >>

Matisyahu Will Perform for Free at Vintage Vinyl Next Week

Matisyahu, the newly clean-shaven Hasidic rapper/singer, will be appearing on August 16 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in support of Sublime with Rome. Exciting, yes, but not compared to his just-announced free in-store at Vintage Vinyl (6610 Delmar Blvd). This follows recent appearances by bi ... More >>

A Comprehensive Guide to Record Store Day 2012

This just in: Vinyl is BACK! Now in its fifth year, Record Store Day has made its international mark, recognized by labels, bands, and collectors worldwide. Celebrating the cultural impact of the independent record store, RSD offers everything from live performances to special discounts to limited e ... More >>

LouFest Lineup 2012: The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, Dinosaur Jr., Cotton Mather and More

The LouFest 2012 Lineup is here: the Flaming Lips and Girl Talk get top billing and there's plenty of depth. Dinosaur Jr. and Cotton Mather for you reunion fans. King Tuff, Little Barrie and THEESatisfaction for those looking for new sounds. Cults and Hacienda will act as a musical speedramp to get ... 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 >>

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 >>

Dr. Dog

8:30 p.m. Saturday, November 5. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Black Moth Super Rainbow's Tobacco On The New Album (Maybe), Drugs and Prank Calls

​For a guy who makes some of weird sounding shit, Tom Fec is a pretty normal dude. He exercises. He dreams of giving up, getting fat and going bald. He loves the '80s, but not in a lame, ironic way. But Fec crafts day-glo hallucinogenic pop with Black Moth Super Rainbow, and drops bass like a ... More >>

The Six Best Song Count Offs

​In popular song, the count off is a tool of function. Somebody counts from one to four (or three, or if people have even once compared the band to Don Cabellero, seven), and the musicians know when to begin playing and how quickly to play. Some have used the countoff as a jumping off point fo ... More >>

Chris Mills

9 p.m. Thursday, June 23. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Homespun: Ptarmigan, The Forest Darling

So, Really, How About That Ariel Pink Vintage Vinyl Performance...

Reviewer Chrissy Wilmes mentioned Ariel Pink's Vintage Vinyl in-store performance in her Flaming Lips review -- but of course, over the weekend video surfaced. Here's one in which Pink curses out an audience member for heckling (a gesture that may or may not have been planned): Writer Mike Appels ... More >>

Show Announcements: Week of September 9

The Flaming Lips show has been sold out for weeks, but those without tickets can catch openers and noveau-weirdos Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at Vintage Vinyl on September 17. ​ 2720 Cherokee *HD4000, September 11 *Protomen, September 10 560 Music Center *Wadada Leo Smith's The Golden Qua ... More >>

Gogol Bordello

8 p.m. Friday, August 6. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's Dark Night of the Soul (Finally) Gets an Official Release

EMI RecordsDavid Lynch, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse​Last spring, the late Mark Linkous (a.k.a. the man behind Sparklehorse) attempted to release what would be one of his final projects, Dark Night of the Soul. The album was a collaboration between Linkous and infamous musician/producer, Dang ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of June 28-July 5

= local, * = coming to town Wolf Parade's latest album, Expo 86​ Euclid Records 1. Wolf Parade -- Expo 86 2. Black Keys -- Brothers 3. Rolling Stones -- Exile on Main St. 4. Robert Randolph & the Family Band -- We Walk This Road 5. Band of Horses -- Infinite Arms 6. ... More >>

Twelve Vans Warped Tour Bands You Can Admit in Public You're Going to See

The Vans Warped tour returns to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis on Monday, July 5. Like every year, the tour has its fair share of bands that appeal mostly to "the kids" -- Hey Monday, Never Shout Never, the Cab, etc. But this year's model features plenty of acts with actual musical c ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 30-December 6

Late reporting from record stores this week, sorry! As always, as the asterisk means someone is coming to town. Euclid Records 1. Blackroc- Blackroc 2. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 3. David Rawlings Machine - A Friend Of A Friend 4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Live Anthology 5. ... More >>

Top Sellers at Area Record Stores: Week of November 2 to November 8

Every Monday, A to Z publishes the best-selling releases from area independent record stores from the preceding week. An asterisk after an album name indicates that the act is coming to town. And so without further ado: Apop Records 1 Lightning Bolt: Earthly Delights 2 Leonard Cohen: Live Songs ... More >>

Starlight Mints

8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Martian Chronicles: Wayne Coyne and Kliph Scurlock discuss the Flaming Lips' fantastical film freakout, Christmas on Mars

Learn, Artist! and Shed Shot vs. Territories and Trades Tonight at the Way Out Club

War at Soldiers Memorial This Weekend -- And Other Weird Band/Location Pairings...

Menomena Photos from October 30's Billiken Club Show

St. Louis Weekend Round-up: September 28-30

Under Spells

B-Sides talks to the Comas about their latest release and downloads Iron & Wine's "The Boy With a Coin"

Goldrush

The Heart Is the Place (Better Looking)

The Starlight Mints

9 p.m. Friday, May 4. Blueberry Hill's Duck Room (6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City).

This Just In, Tuesday, April 10

Future Imperfect

Renaissance is black and white and a little dead all over

Local Motion: Walkie Talkie U.S.A.

9 p.m. Tuesday, August 15. Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue).

Robbie Lee

Sleep, Memory (I and Ear)

Lama Said Knock You Out

Tibetan singing is awesome

The Starlight Mints

Thursday, March 18; the Gargoyle at Washington University

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Week of March 10, 2004

Old News

Reissues of classics are the gifts that keep on giving

Various Artists

Maybe This Christmas Too? (Nettwerk America)

Chumbawamba/The Flaming Lips

Tubthumping (remix) (Kotch)/Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell (Warner Bros.)

Best Electronics for the Audiophile

Best Sound Audio/Video Design Group

Glorious Glut

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

Lip Service

Steven Drozd talks about a decade's worth of weirdness with the Flaming Lips

Looper with the Flaming Lips

Thursday, March 16; Firehouse