Wilco (Band)

The Ten Best Shows in St. Louis This Weekend: June 14 to 16

It has been a crazy, crazy crime-filled week in St. Louis. Let's all go to some shows and try to forget about it for a while, okay? Just please, for the love of dogs, be careful out there! This weekend, look for new releases from Bob Reuter's Alley Ghost and the Blu Skies, check out the extensive li ... More >>

The Killers, Wilco, The National, Alabama Shakes to Headline LouFest [UPDATE - Tickets On Sale Now]

[Update May 3: LouFest tickets are on sale now! Click through this link to purchase yours.] It's official! No need for further speculation, the LouFest lineup has been announced. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 3, at 10 a.m. You can purchase them at www.loufest.com. A limited number of $75 two-day ... More >>

People Bitching About LouFest: Presented to You by the Internet

This week's LouFest lineup announcement has stirred up a lot of conversation in the city of St. Louis. The festival's new partnership with C3 Presents has served as a lightning rod of sorts: There are those who are excited about the veteran production company's ability to draw some big names, and th ... More >>

LouFest Lineup 2013: Here Is Our Best (Educated!) Guess

This morning LouFest launched a guessing game for its 2013 line-up, releasing a Wheel of Fortune-like thing with fill-in-the-blank band names and plans to release one letter a day between today and Monday, April 29. The first clue is the letter "U," which makes nine appearances in the line-up. In th ... More >>

The Six Indie Rock Songs That Sound Most Like Ska Songs

Indie rock is the vaguest of all genres, sort of the "none of the above" of rock and roll. There are no hard and fast rules. In rare cases, the result sounds an awful lot like ska. Here are the six indie rock songs that sound most like ska songs. Let us know your favorites in the comments. Oi.

Poster Children

The Six Best Non-Metal Songs About Heavy Metal

Songwriters love riffing on folklore, be it nursery rhymes or Biblical parables. Over the years, heavy metal has developed its own brand of legend, so much so that stylistically disparate musicians have used it as a springboard for creatively disparate songs. Here are the six best non-metal songs ab ... More >>

Out Every Night: The Best Shows From September 24 to 30

So there's news about the news in the news this week: We here at the RFT have new owners. Some of you may be aware of Backpage.com and the controversy it has caused for many alt-weeklies across the country -- well, we are no longer affiliated, so that's that. And aside from that, it's business as us ... More >>

Six Ways to Get the Most Out of the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band Show

Reverend Peyton and his big damn band will be at the Firebird tonight. The last time they rolled through St. Louis there was quite a bit of competition in terms of entertainment; Wilco played at the newly opened Peabody Opera House, President Obama visited our fair city, Arctic Monkeys played to a p ... More >>

Cloud Nothings at the Luminary Center for the Arts, 7/16/12: Review, Photos and Setlist

Cloud Nothings | 1, 2, 3 | Volcanoes July 16, 2012 Luminary Center for the Arts Local Band Volcanoes described the evening's sound before it ever happened. "We get together in my basement to practice and piss my parents off. Seriously, this is what pisses my parents off," says Eric Peters. Cloud No ... More >>

Speakers in Code's Jason Gonulsen: "That's All Everything Really Is: An Opinion"

St. Louis bloggers Jason Gonulsen and Katie Guymon met when they began collaborating on a singer-songwriter column for the online publication, Glide. Their column was named "Strangers Almanac", an allusion to an album from Ryan Adam's first band, Whiskeytown. "Katie and I listen to a lot of differen ... More >>

The New fun. Fan's Guide to the Format

Statistically speaking, you or some iTunes user you know has, ton-i-i-i-i-ight, confirmed that he and someone else are both young and proceeded to set the world on fire. fun., America's least search-engine-optimizable band--and, somehow, the first rock band since Nickelback to debut on top of the ... More >>

The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration Kicks Off in Tulsa

On Saturday the world's foremost Woody Guthrie scholars gathered at the University of Tulsa to discuss how Guthrie's Oklahoma roots shaped his music and the Sooner State musicians who've followed in his footsteps. "Different Shades of Red: Woody Guthrie and the Oklahoma Experience at 100" is the fir ... More >>

Jay Farrar's Woody Guthrie Tribute Album, New Multitudes, is Out in February

Woody Guthrie left behind notebooks full of words, snippets and entire lyrics. The Woody Guthrie Foundation, led by his daughter Nora, has been lending them to artists to create music around his words. You may remember the series' most successful installment to date, Wilco and Billy Bragg's collabor ... More >>

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound

9 p.m. Saturday, December 10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Ice To See You Again, Peabody

The Six Best "Bad" Guitar Solos

Eddie Van Halen demonstrates the exact opposite of this idea.​The guitar solo has become an integral part of the rock and roll formula, either as a melodic counterpoint to a vocal line or an excuse for showing off. But there's a different kind of solo out there. The kind that, by all technical ... More >>

Jeff Tweedy Does The Black Eyed Peas: "I Gotta Feeling," "Rock That Body" and "My Humps"

"People love that shit."​We will stop giving you daily updates on Wilco and/or Jeff Tweedy when it/he stops doing awesome stuff. For your Friday afternoon viewing pleasure, we present the entire Black Eyed Peas cover set Tweedy performed at this week's release of Dan Sinker's The F***ing Epic ... More >>

Jeff Tweedy's Family Band, The Raccoonists, Has Its First Single

The Raccoonists Tumblr Page​Jeff Tweedy has never been known for broadcasting his intentions. So it should come as no surprise that, if he were to start a band with his two sons, Spencer and Sam, they would release their first song as a b-side on a 7" collaboration project with Deerhoof. Tha ... More >>

The Five Saddest CDs You Can Buy for Under $2 at Best Buy

​Best Buy has a certain number of CDs it sells for preposterously cheap. Let's be clear: This isn't a bargain bin situation, where they clearly just upend the refuse in a cardboard dumpster and let people dive in. This is actual stock, kept on shelves, that in most cases sold (poorly, obviousl ... More >>

John Henry & the Engine

Sad Face of Yours EP
www.johnhenryandtheengine.com

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound Lead Indie Rock Ice Cream Social Lineup

Photo courtesy of JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound​We have just received the details on this year's Indie Rock Ice Cream Social, a yearly summertime party fueled by sugar and music. Chicago's JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, which played a well-received set at last year's Twangfest, leads a bill rou ... More >>

Euclid Records: Label Updates on New Sleepy Kitty, Troubadour Dali and a Painkillers Reissue

Jon ScorfinaSleepy Kitty, with their record collection​After Joe Schwab filled A to Z in on Euclid Records' pop-up store at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival, he chatted about what the store's record label -- uh, Euclid Records -- is up to. First, the next installment in its "Euclid Sessions" seve ... More >>

Ten Artists We'd Like to See at LouFest 2011

Last week LouFest announced the dates of its second festival and immediately started selling discounted two-day passes to brave souls willing to buy without knowing the line-up in advance. No word on when an official announcement will be made about who'll be playing. But in the meantime, it's fun ... More >>

Show Review: Second Night of Beat 'n' Soul Offers Garage-Rock Fuzz and Sweet Soul Sounds

Christian SchaefferThe Fleshtones atop Off Broadway's bar​The promise of rock & roll has always been the promise of being forever young, and last night the patrons at Off Broadway got a good argument for music's gift of eternal youth. The inaugural weekend of the (hopefully) annual Beat 'n' So ... More >>

Mayor Slay Proclaims Today "Jeff Tweedy Day" in St. Louis

A few hours before Wilco's Jeff Tweedy played a rousing solo set at LouFest, Mayor Slay proclaimed it "Jeff Tweedy Day" in St. Louis. The presentation of the proclamation wasn't public; it happened backstage during the afternoon, so there was really nothing to see. (And unfortunately, I don't think ... More >>

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

Show Review: Minus the Bear, Everest and Mini Mansions at the Firebird, Monday, July 12

​On paper, Monday night seemed like an ideal night to stay in, recuperate from the weekend and avoid the unbearable mugginess and St. Louis heat. But the sold-out Firebird crowd was having none of that: Last night's Minus the Bear show was one of the most successful - and sweatiest - shows the ... More >>

Interview: Blitzen Trapper's Eric Earley on Timeless Music, His Dream Opening Slot and Describing The Band's Tunes

Todd Reoth​Eric Earley started Blitzen Trapper with just a guitar, his Portland basement studio and an insatiable desire to create. After its 2007 breakthrough, Wild Mountain Nation, the band jumped into a life of vans, planes, festivals, and opening slots for Wilco, Fleet Foxes and Iron & Win ... More >>

10 Things to Do for $10 This Weekend in St. Louis, March 26-28, 2010

This weekend's cheap cost-effective distractions include free wine tasting, improv comedy, rap music from the Holy Land and an LGBTQ film festival, all for $10 or less.Cloud Nine at Webster University (Friday)Fans of provocative and innovative theater will find much to their liking in Caryl Churchil ... More >>

Review: Retribution Gospel Choir at the Firebird, Tuesday, February 16

Cameron Wittig​When Duluth, Minnesota's Retribution Gospel Choir last came to St. Louis -- as the opener for Wilco's three-night stand at the Pageant in 2008 -- the big stage swallowed its elasticized guitar textures and glacial tempos. Last night's show at the Firebird, however, was another s ... More >>

Top Sellers At Area Record Stores for 2009

Who says the record store is dead? Not us here in St. Louis, where both Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records sold a lot of tunes. Below, please find the top selling albums from both stores, including a separate top vinyl list from VV. Enjoy! Vintage Vinyl: Top CDs ​1. Murphy Lee - You See Me 2. ... More >>

Farm Aid

12:30 p.m. Sunday, October 4. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights.

Homespun: Grace Basement

Gunmetal Gray
(Undertow Records)

The Dive Bomber: Tears in My Beer at Haney's Place

The Dive Bomber: Now on Thursdays!One night last year, my husband and I stopped by Rick's Place, our favorite bar, to find a new sign with a new name. We peered in the window long enough to notice a new jukebox and far too many people. Overcome with grief, we left without setting foot in the renam ... More >>

Geoff Koch

9 p.m. Tuesday, December 23. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

D.I.Y. Now for the Future: The Undertow Collective and Magnolia Summer are using technology to modernize their D.I.Y. creative vision

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

9 p.m. Saturday, January 26. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Jesse Lacey / Kevin Devine

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 8. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Rock the Vote

The 2007 RFT Music Awards winners are here!

Goldrush

The Heart Is the Place (Better Looking)

Looking South (XSW)

St. Louis bands make a fine showing at Austin's annual indie-rock spring break.

RFT 2006 Music Showcase

Bigger, better, and more dang fun than ever

Last Call (Again)

The Hi-Pointe shuts its doors, even as the RFT Music Awards lineup shines the spotlight on St. Louis' best.

Mother Superior

A to Z: Cheerleader extraordinaire.

Fiesta, Forever

We're having a music awards party, and everyone's invited!

Five Style with Five Block Shot and Box-O-Car

Thursday, May 18; Side Door

PARTY POLITICS

Billy Bragg brings Woody Guthrie back to vibrant life

Golden Rockets

Perfect Circles

The RFT music editor advises you on his favorite music of 1998