Black Panties The surprise wild card strikes again. Luc Michalski went from having an angry one-man band to forming the Gateway City's best answer to blown-out Ramones worship a la the Spits or pill-chugging rock & roll akin to Jay Reatard's short-lived solo career. Now with full band in tow, a human mic stand in local pretty boy Reuben Hemmer, some touring on its resume and a new record on the way, Black Panties is quickly becoming a favorite of local punks and rock & rollers alike.
Times Beach Times Beach have done the impossible, making complicated music catchy as all hell. The band's self-described "raw pop" sound will confuse the sides of your brain into thinking it's either designing a video game or floating down a river of LSD. It might help to compare the band to Paintbox without the fast hardcore parts, or what it would sound like if you got sucked into your television while playing Kirby on NES.
The Haddonfields Ever look at a band and think, "Man, the riffs are great, the drummer's tight, but I can't stand the way that guy sings"? Well with greater St. Louis/Illinois area's pop-punk veterans the Haddonfields, this dilemma is nonexistent, as you are given the option of four different singers. Then, as a bonus, they are all great and you'd probably be wrong to think otherwise. Short and fast songs played the style of the Queers and Screeching Weasel, the Haddonfields sing about about how certain girls are great while other ones suck, various VHS titles, booze, food and booze & food hybrids. The pop-punk revolution (with a few Poison covers) will not be broadcast; it'll be passed out on the floor at the Silver Ballroom.
