Little Big Bangs
Before it was nothing, and before it was mushmaus, a clandestine operation was afoot on Cherokee Street. An abandoned-looking space calling itself Pig Slop housed some of the rowdiest shows in St. Louis. One of its best moments came when Little Big Bangs opened for Brooklyn's Japanther. Sweaty, shirtless audience members swung from the ceiling rafters like their ape ancestors, pumping with pure passion and adreneline, while kids pushed and shoved each other back and forth across the floor. Little Big Bang's Lucy Dougherty, Ryan Macias, Eric Boschen (who share vocal, guitar and bass duties), and drummer Drew Gowran played a ferocious game of round robin with Japanther. Had '90s grunge the spine of a scorpion and power pop's soul-sucking catchiness, it would sound like Little Big Bangs brawling version of policially skewed punk that bumps, hips and crosses its arms alongside anarchy. -Blair Stiles
https://www.facebook.com/littlebigbangs http://littlebigbangs.bandcamp.com
Via Dove
Via Dove has some major swagger — and well-earned swagger, at that. Equal parts Rolling Stones, Soundgarden and U2, Via Dove pushes sweaty, carnal rock & roll that occasionally veers into pure rapture. Ballads or rockers, Via Dove's songs have a fiery heartbeat — a steady hum that reminds you that these tunes are about living. That hum is all the more pronounced these days, with new band members adding an even fuller sound through keys, a gazillion guitars and all the ass-shakin' tambourine you can handle. As a bonus at the live show, vocalist Andy Shadburne evokes the late Michael Hutchence's smolder and has eye sex with seemingly every audience member, smoothly drawing you into the band's thrall. With so many genres and subgenres of music these days, straight-up rock sometimes is overlooked. Via Dove is the band that shoves it back into your face and makes you wonder how you went without it for so long. -Allison Babka
https://www.facebook.com/viadove http://www.viadove.com http://twitter.com/viadove
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
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