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Recent Articles By Roy Kasten

  • The Campbell Brothers
    8 p.m. Friday, February 15 and 11 a.m. Saturday, February 16. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Boulevard
  • Nina Nastasia
    8:30 p.m. Saturday, February 9. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Richard Thompson
    8 p.m. Monday, February 11. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard
  • Parachute Musical
    9 p.m. Friday, February 1. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Giant Bear
    9 p.m. Wednesday, February 6. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Recent Articles By Paul Friswold

Recent Articles By Dean C. Minderman

  • B.B. King
    7:30 p.m. Wednesday February 13. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles.
  • Chris Botti
    8 p.m. Friday January 18 and Saturday January 19. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Boulevard.
  • Smooth Operators
    Schoolhouse Rock's songwriter celebrates a few special birthdays in St. Louis while we pit Kenny G vs. Trans-Siberian Orchestra in a fight to the holiday death.
  • Preservation Blues

    Local niche labels keep the music coming.

  • Backstoppers Benefit
    7 p.m. Sunday November 4. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard.

Recent Articles By Andrew Miller

  • Tesla
    7 p.m. Saturday, February 16. Pop's, 1403 Mississippi Avenue, Sauget, Illinois
  • Oh, Sleeper
    6 p.m., Monday, January 7. Creepy Crawl, 3524 Washington Boulevard.
  • Light This City
    6 p.m. Monday, November 26. Pop's, 1403 Mississippi Avenue, Sauget, Illinois.
  • The Action Design
    8:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 28. Cicero's, 6691 Delmar Boulevard, University City
  • Xasthur
    Defective Epitaph

Recent Articles By Alison Sieloff

Recent Articles By Christian Schaeffer

Recent Articles By Brooke Foster

Recent Articles By Annie Zaleski

  • Sleep State
    8 p.m. Saturday, February 9. Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, 3301 Lemp Avenue.
  • Soft
    9 p.m. Tuesday, February 12. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Lloyd Dobler Effect
    9 p.m. Monday, January 14. Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.
  • Career (Remix)
    The trials and tribulations of R. Kelly.
  • The Aviation Club
    9 p.m. Friday, January 4. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Recent Articles By Jaime Lees

National Features

  • Phoenix New Times
    Canine Crusaders

    That drug-sniffing dog up ahead? He may not be your best friend.

    By Ray Stern
  • Broward-Palm Beach New Times
    The Muscle Men

    Thanks to a string of Florida "anti-aging clinics," baseball's steroid scandal isn't limited to superstars.

    By Michael J. Mooney
  • Miami New Times
    Picked On

    Farm workers earn nada in America's green-bean capital.

    By Janine Zeitlin
  • Village Voice
    "Why I'm No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal"

    An election-season essay from one of America's greatest playwrights.

    By David Mamet


Ghost in Light
www.myspace.com/ghostinlight
 It's a mistake to pigeonhole Ghost in Light as merely an "ambient" outfit. Since reconfiguring itself as a trio, GiL has become quite comfortable (and more adept) at integrating doses of throttling post-rock and dynamic volume shifts with its quieter moments. In fact, in concert is where the band truly shines: Though each individual member is talented in his own right — Shae Moseley's ferocious, rock-steady drumming anchors Chandler Evans' intricate guitar work and Josh Evans' evocative, heartfelt vocals — Ghost in Light's music becomes greater than the sum of its parts. (AZ)
Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, 8 p.m.


Say Panther
www.myspace.com/saypanther
 There's very little that isn't earnest about Say Panther, from the way the collective signs off its MySpace announcements ("Yours Truly, Say Panther" is a personal favorite) to its sweetly shambolic tunes — which combine the orchestral glee of the Arcade Fire or Beulah (trumpet! cello!) with dashes of echoing new-wave rock and Britpop's merry melodicism. Then again, Say Panther's pure-of-heart nature is what makes the young co-ed band such a joy to experience, both on disc and in concert. (AZ)
Cicero's, 6 p.m.


So Many Dynamos
www.myspace.com/somanydynamos
 Haters like to dismiss So Many Dynamos as a clone of the Dismemberment Plan, a beloved bunch of prog-dance geeks from Washington, D.C. But not only does the Edwardsville quartet see the D-Plan's dorkdom — it raises the nerditude by incorporating spiky post-punk, zippy electro and (of course) stone-cold, Yes-styled prog-i-tude. Just try to resist headbanging through the heavy-metal breakdowns in "Progress" or breaking out your snappiest dance moves during "We Vibrate, We Do." (AZ)
Cicero's, 9 p.m.



Best Jazz Artist


Willie Akins A seasoned veteran who commands respect for his musical ability — and inspires affection with his humility and humanity — saxophonist Willie Akins represents the gold standard among local mainstream jazz players. Akins performs bop, ballads, blues and standards with equal aplomb, swinging authoritatively on the uptempo numbers and unfurling fat-toned, meditative lines on the slow ones. He's also been a mentor and teacher to many younger musicians, someone always willing to share his knowledge, both explicitly and by example. (DCM)


Hamiet Bluiett
www.hamietbluiett.com
 Considered by jazz critics to be the most important baritone sax player of his generation, Hamiet Bluiett ranks with Gerry Mulligan, Harry Carney and a few others as one of the greatest ever to pick up the instrument. As such, his place in jazz history would be secure even if he hadn't also co-founded the groundbreaking World Saxophone Quartet, which helped pave the way for successive generations of jazz musicians seeking to embrace both tradition and innovation. Bluiett's busy schedule still keeps him on the road for much of the year, making his occasional hometown appearances that much more of a treat. (DCM)


Erin Bode
www.myspace.com/erinbodeband
 Erin Bode's career seems to have stayed on a steady upward trajectory over the past year. She's sung in showcase clubs across the U.S., appeared twice on national television, toured again in Europe, and even done some high-profile charity work, helping put together a CD to benefit a girls' school in South Africa. Bode's pop-jazz sensibility cuts across musical boundaries, uniting listeners of otherwise disparate tastes, and her crystalline voice and personal charm seem more than sufficient to ensure future success, no matter what stylistic direction her muse takes her. (DCM)


Dave Stone Trio Thanks in large part to his weekly stint at Mangia Italiano, saxophonist Dave Stone is something of a south-side saint, a bespectacled hero of the horn and a favorite of South Grand dwellers. While this has helped make him known around town, it's also made him easy to ignore. That would be a mistake: His trio works mostly in the realm of jazz standards, and it does so with respect to its musical forebears, while using the framework of these classics to showcase considerable improvisational talents. (CS)
Riddle's Penultimate Café & Wine Bar, 8 p.m.


Brian Sullivan Quartet
www.jazzresin.com/bsq.html
 Drummer and band leader Brian Sullivan isn't genre-shy. He's gotten his rocks off with the Tripdaddys and swung with twang-punks the Round-Ups, but he's best known for bridging the gap between progressive, electrified jazz and traditional hard bebop. He has the flair and range of a gifted percussionist, crafting sounds and polyrhythms from his kit like a master conguero. His quartet, a mainstay from the Delmar Lounge to Erato, features a rotating cast, but at this Sunday's showcase he'll be joined by Bill Schafer on tenor sax, Sadeeq Holmes on keys and Bob DeBoo on double bass. (RK)
Brandt's, 9 p.m.



Best Live Act


Berlin Whale
www.myspace.com/berlinwhale
 The true test of a live band is whether it can convert non-fans by the end of a show. That's Berlin Whale's special talent. While all the quartet's songs quiver with shimmy-shaking rhythms — snugly lace up those dancing shoes — "Sweet Sixteen" is clearly its best song. An off-kilter keyboard drones, then white-tornado drumming and see-sawing riffs chime in; all crescendo together into the song's opening lines, which sound like they're being sung by a gang of misfit cheerleaders. (AZ)
Cicero's, 10 p.m.


Femme Fatality
www.myspace.com/femmefatality
 Femme Fatality built its whole concept around an electroclash-y live show: two dudes hopping around on stage, singing over pre-recorded keyboard compositions and tarted-up like the teenage girls who comprise their audience. But Femme Fatality quickly stopped being a joke and became one of the most marketable bands in town. With the recent addition of three new band members, multiple instruments and a record contract (with Atlanta label Stickfigure), things are getting serious. What began as a funny idea has now grown to fill a big, gaping hole in the city's electro scene. Hey, somebody's got to make the kids dance. (JL)


Riddle of Steel
www.myspace.com/riddleofsteelband
 After spending a few years cycling through drummers, Spinal Tap-style, Riddle of Steel has finally settled on Rob Smith (who's also in Traindodge and resembles Animal the Muppet live) — a gesture toward lineup continuity that's made all the difference in the band's live shows. In fact, the phrases "face-melting," "brain-bending" and "eardrum-bursting" come to mind to describe the power trio's rock maelstrom, which is a heady mix of meedly-meedly-mee riffage and Failure-style melodic sludge. (AZ)


7 Shot Screamers
www.myspace.com/7shotscreamers
 Tours with punk legends (i.e. X's Exene Cervenka) and the occasional one-off big-deal gigs (the CD-release parties for Nekromantix in California, a gig at SXSW) have helped the 7 Shot Screamers become one of the city's rowdiest bands. Chris Powers manhandles his upright bass as if it were half its size, while singer Mike Leahy darts around the stage like a toddler on a sugar high — whether the band's lashing out punkabilly originals or an appropriately doomy cover of the Stones' "Paint It Black." (AZ)
Main Outdoor Stage, 5 p.m.


So Many Dynamos
www.myspace.com/somanydynamos
 So Many Dynamos are always on the road with somebody, whether it's a Nintendo-core outfit (HORSE the Band) or a group that's a bit more up its stylistic alley (nerd-rock heroes Harvey Danger). The quartet's tight, entertaining live set certainly reflects this constant pavement-pounding: Drummer Norm Kunstel's beats stop on a dime in synch with Aaron Stovall's robotic-precise keyboard, while guitarists Ryan Wasoba and Griffin Kay provide plenty of self-deprecating humor and manic thrashing from the sides. (AZ)
Cicero's, 9 p.m.



Best Local Release (on a label)


Blinded Black Under the Sunrise (SideCho) www.myspace.com/blindedblack
 This emo sextet has turned heartache and disillusionment into hard-hitting epics. Under the Sunrise doesn't skimp on glossy production, but its slickness doesn't detract from the complexities of Blinded Black's arrangements — it's an integral aspect of the band's sound. Singer Jeff Nizick leads the band through time changes and tempo shifts while the twin guitars switch between chugging chords and nimble solos. Chuck Kraus may be the band's secret weapon when he steps in on harmony and background vocals — and his synthesizer leads add a touch of spaced-out prog-rock to the mix. (CS)

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