Theresa Payne

The 2013 RFT Music Showcase Schedule

The 2013 RFT Music Showcase is a week and a half away! Mark your calendar and save the date; on June 1 it all goes down on Washington Avenue. Sixty bands and artists, ten stages, ten bucks -- all the excellent St. Louis music you can absorb in one twelve hour span. Be sure to check out our ongoing ... More >>

The 2013 RFT Music Awards Nominees

Well, it's that time again, folks! Each year, we at RFT Music HQ present the RFT Music Awards, an annual celebration of the best and brightest musical acts St. Louis has to offer. The nominees are chosen by a crack team of industry insiders, dedicated die-hards and various other musical minds from o ... More >>

Five Questions: Hit-Making Producer Tech Supreme Talks St. Louis Hip-Hop

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

The Best Hip-Hop Release to Come Out of Saint Louis This Year

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

The Bands Leading St. Louis' Ass-Shaking Groove Revival

Editor's Note: The end of 2012 is upon us (also the end of the world, if you believe in that sort of thing), so we thought we'd put a cap on things by sharing some of our personal favorite shows, albums, events and general shenanigans. Join us as we indulge in some navel-gazing! I'm a music writer ... More >>

The 50 Best St. Louis Records of 2012

Slideshow: Album Art of the 50 Best St. Louis Records of 2012

The Mayan Apocalypse Plans of Eight St. Louis Musicians

The Mayan Calendar says 2012 is the end: This Friday, December 21, specifically. and John Cusack likely won't be around to save our sorry asses. While some folks may be hoarding dish soap and cashing in on fear of the Mayan apocalypse, St. Louis musicians are having none of that. We asked local pe ... More >>

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jukebox The Ghost, Lindsey Stirling and More in This Week's New Show Announcements

Here again: every newly announced show for the week! On page one you'll find a quick list of shows that particularly caught our attention, followed by embedded YouTube videos; there, you can check out some of the artists you may not be familiar with. Page two contains our complete listing of new sho ... More >>

27 Hip-Hop Videos You Should Know from St. Louis and Beyond

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From August 6 to August 12

This week's picks feature three rather large (as in a lot of bands) festival-type shows -- four if you count the 90s-fest happening at Verizon on Tuesday. On Friday, STL is the Movement 3 will go down at the Firebird; rappers Tef Poe, A-Game, Vega, Step or Get Left, Domino Effect, and ATG will perfo ... More >>

Life or Death by Music

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

50-Plus St. Louis Hip-Hop Artists You Should Know

Editor: Tef Poe is an artist from St. Louis City. Through powerful imagery and complicated honesty, he has earned a reputation as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis, which is about much more than one place. Poe has been featured in music publications such as XXL and Urb Magazine. ... More >>

The 2012 RFT Music Award Winners

And this officially ends the 2012 RFT Music Awards and Showcase. Look in this week's print edition for the complete list of winners and a few thoughts on the whole thing from me, but in the meantime you can see who won each of the 25 categories below. They've been bolded.

The 2012 RFT Music Showcase Lineup for June 2

R&B: Meet the 2012 RFT Music Award Nominees

The 2012 Riverfront Times Music Showcase is a week away. And if that is our own St. Louis Music holiday, then consider this the season: Throughout May, we've been making our cases for all 125 bands and artists nominated for an RFT Music Award this year, introducing the nominees from one or more of o ... More >>

The 2012 RFT Music Awards Nominees

That's right, sports fans, it's once again time for the big ol' love letter to St. Louis music known as the RFT Music Awards and Showcase. The nominating committee has made its arguments and to show for it we have five of the best bands and artists in 25 categories. Many of these fine musicians wil ... More >>

The Ten Best Shows this Weekend: February 24 to 26

Have you sufficiently recovered from last night's EP releases from Theresa Payne and iLLPHONiCS? Good, because there's more new local music in the hopper: Water Liars will release its much-ballyhooed debut, Phantom Limb, tonight at Off Broadway, and Lantern Lights will do the same at Foam Coffee & B ... More >>

Soulful siren Theresa Payne finds her voice

40 Best St. Louis Releases of 2011: Part Nine

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: Sleepy Ki ... More >>

40 Best St. Louis Releases of 2011: Part Four

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

Musicians, venue owners and organizers found new ways to make people care this year

Black Spade's The Sweetest Revenge: Release Show Tonight at the Gramophone

Black Spade looms as large as any artist in St. Louis. He's releasing a new LP tonight with a show at the Gramophone (4243 Manchester Avenue, 314-531-5700). Artists on the bill include Black Spade (obviously), Rockwell Knuckles, Tef Poe, Nato Caliph, Theresa Payne, DJ Needles, and DJ Agile One. Admi ... More >>

Ten Best Things to Do in St. Louis This Weekend: September 30 to October 2

Mount Eerie. Photo by Wheat Wurtzburger​It's the end of the week and it's hard to imagine better weather. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it this weekend, including (count 'em) three outdoor festivals that involve standout locals: Midtown Alley Fest, Grove Fest and Euclid Recor ... More >>

Theresa Payne Wins Budweiser Superfest Contest

​Theresa Payne, no stranger to winning things recently, emerged victorious in this weekend's Budweiser Superfest Opening Act contest. Her prize? A spot on the big stage at Thursday's Jill Scott Summer Block Party and $5,000. Yep: Five thousand. Congratulations, Theresa! The Force member comp ... More >>

Tef Poe On What The Scene Needs, Where He Is In Life and His New Song "Satellite" (Listen)

Courtesy of Tef Poe​"I'm trying my best to introduce a new Tef Poe sound every time I release something. My goal is to make some of my misplaced aggression sound beautiful," says Tef Poe. His undiluted honesty and clarity of vision have always made Tef one of the most arresting rappers in St. ... More >>

The 2011 Riverfront Times Music Awards Winners

2011 RFT Music Awards Winners: Best Soul/R&B (Solo Artist): Theresa Payne

The Force: Meet Your RFT Showcase Main Stage Headliners

Jennifer Silverberg​Seems a little redundant at this point to introduce you to the Force. You've heard their names, seen their videos, worn the pits and lands off your copy of Everybody Wins, and you'll be seeing them on the Showcase mainstage for free, free, free. We talked to Finsta, Hot 104 ... More >>

2011 RFT Showcase Schedule

​Twelve days until the 2011 RFT Music Showcase: June 4th on Washington Avenue. We admit some bias, but this year's lineup couldn't be much better. 78 of St. Louis' best, at the current tally, spread over sixteen stages and twelve hours. We'll give you the outdoor stage (which is free) lineup r ... More >>

Your 2011 RFT Showcase Lineup Is Here

​Here it is: Your lineup for the 2011 Riverfront Times Music Showcase. On June 4th, the 74 bands, DJs, performers and musicians listed below will all be on Washington Avenue. Five bucks gets you a wristband to see everything. There will be one (free) outdoor stage this year, with music from 2 ... More >>

StarStrukk Productions, the locals responsible for "Shy Ronnie" and "Like A Boss," are still rising

Rockwell Knuckles

You're Fucking Out, I'm Fucking In
http://www.smokingsection.uproxx.com

Rockwell Knuckles Releases His New Album Today

​It's always great to wake up on a Monday morning, check Twitter and see that an album you've been anticipating has been unexpectedly released. Today that honor goes to Force member Rockwell Knuckles, who unleashed You're F*ckin Out, I'm F*ckin In via the Smoking Section. Rocky's follow-up to ... More >>

Tef Poe fights against complacency, and defies pigeonholing, with War Machine

Tef Poe Working On New Music with Black Spade, Rockwell Knuckles

​Yesterday, Tef Poe talked to us about War Machine, his latest album. Below, he reveals what he's up to this year -- and some new local artists we should keep an eye on. Tef will be playing at Cicero's on Friday, January 14, with Family Affair and the Chalk Boyz. He'll also be opening for Fred ... More >>

Interview: Tef Poe on War Machine, His Fantastic New Album

courtesy of Tef Poe​Tef Poe's War Machine is a nineteen-track tour de force. The Force member's musical versatility has always been his calling card, and so it's not surprise that Machine embraces diversity and defies pigeonholing. Genre-wise, it touches on warm R&B, ominous hip-hop, celebrato ... More >>

2010: The Year In Music

Twelve Local Artists Not to Overlook in 2011

​A lot of local artists cross A to Z's way. Some send us albums; others Tweet at us. Still others drop us email. (Hint: We love email. Especially if it's telling us about who you are and what you're up to. Even if we don't respond, we read everything.) But despite the constant hum of informati ... More >>

Five New Local Songs to Hear: Pokey LaFarge, Tef Poe, Illphonics, Dots Not Feathers, Jon Hardy & the Public

In recent weeks, a bunch of local musicians unleashed new tunes on the masses. Here's a brief round-up. Know of anything else? Leave a comment. Tef Poe​ Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three, "Brick Thieves" Occasional RFT contributor Bill Streeter is making a documentary about the city's uniqu ... More >>

Photos Video: Tef Poe and The Force Own the Gramophone

photo by Keegan HamiltonThe Force was out in, um, force at the Gramophone on Friday​Just when it seems like the monthly (or thereabouts) hip-hop extravaganzas hosted by the Force at the Gramophone are getting stale, they go and put on a show like last Friday's. Basically the same cadre of artists ... More >>