The 2013 Riverfront Times Music Showcase is this weekend! Think of it as St. Louis music's own official holiday and consider this the season. Throughout May we at RFT Music have been working hard to make our cases for all 130 bands and artists nominated for an RFT Music Award this year in 26 categories. Read on and get yourself acquainted, and we'll see you at the showcase! Check out this post for the full schedule. Then, create your own showcase schedule with this handy custom scheduler, courtesy of the fine folks at Do314.com!
Vote for all categories at the official 2013 RFT Music Showcase Readers' Poll.
Previously: - Soul/Funk - Jazz - Hard Rock - Hardcore - R&B - Singer/Songwriter - Pop - Indie Rock - Psych - Folk - Electronic/Dance - Experimental - Cover - Country - Blues - Chamber Pop - Metal - Americana
Bruiser Queen
Loud and messy, lean and mean, catchy and snarling, fast and unguarded, the music of Bruiser Queen demolishes any facile notions of garage rock. Based in just two musicians, lead singer and guitarist Morgan Nusbaum and drummer Jason Potter, Bruiser Queen wouldn't pull a punch if the world depended on it throwing the fight. Nusbaum's range as a singer, from a cutting snarl to a spiraling metallic wail, and Potter's crash-and-jab attack on the drums make for a potent, dance-inducing rock & roll show. -Roy Kasten
https://www.facebook.com/bruiserqueen http://www.bruiserqueen.com http://bruiserqueen.bandcamp.com
Kentucky Knife Fight
It's hard to define what exactly Kentucky Knife Fight did this past year that propelled its artistic breakthrough. It's not like the band was bad before; its enthusiastic brand of twangy blues-rock made KKF St. Louis' quintessential crowd-pleasing bar band, and the group's road-honed chemistry and chops have always been formidable. But now Kentucky Knife Fight seems capable of much more. Maybe it's because the group has broadened its sound to encompass influences from different genres. It's possible that it's the expanded instrumentation. It could just be as simple as the songwriting, both musically and lyrically, being better than ever. Whatever it is, there's never been a better time to jump on the Kentucky Knife Fight bandwagon. -Bob McMahon
https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyKnifeFight http://www.kentuckyknifefight.net http://kentuckyknifefight.bandcamp.com http://www.reverbnation.com/kentuckyknifefight https://twitter.com/KentuckyKnife http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/KentuckyKnifeFight
Kisser
Spastic and heavy, Kisser approaches psychedelia with punk fervor. The trio creates a head space while taking on progressions of early kraut rock. The drums feel airy while feeding room to brainy bass riffs. The guitar reeks with noise, drawing from organic sounds to paint on schizophrenic songs. Kisser keeps a psych-rock core with deep hooks and spaced breaks. Vocals are subtle while disparate, lending a helping hand to Kisser's heady but approachable sound. Kisser's initial EP Black and Red features cuts that drone with a musical mantra and break with frantic melodies. Take in the cross-hatching of the old and new, and bring your earplugs. -Joseph Hess
https://www.facebook.com/KisserSTL http://kisserer.tumblr.com http://kisser.bandcamp.com
