Photo by Dusdin Condren Let us escape for a nightBreathe the silence.I am aloneBut I am alone in this room with you. Sharon Van Etten released Tramp in February, which will soon be released as a deluxe edition, and while it’s certainly a demanding, emotional listen, it’s well worth your precious time. Van Etten just … Read more
Photo credit: Whitney McGraw Cotton Jones, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height of the 10 to Spin playlist you made for us last winter. I love thee to the level of your previous Pajammy Jam of the Day. I love you … Read more
Okay, we’re so excited about the 2011 LouFest Music Festival that we could just pee our pants. Jason, Darren, and I had almost too much fun at last August’s inaugural event in Forest Park. (We met Jeff Tweedy! And have pictures to prove it!) Although the line-up hasn’t been announced just yet (fingers crossed for mid-March), LouFest … Read more
Back in September of 2010, we made Union Tree Review’s “Let Me Be” the Pajammy Jam of the Day (as in a slow, made for bedtime kinda song). We wrote that “Let Me Be” is a chugging, acoustic train, reminiscent of Ryan Adams: brilliant lyricism, piano in all the right places, plenty o’ references to booze … Read more
Union Tree Review If you’ve got a big toe halfway dipped into the pool of Saint Louis music, you know that Saturday is one heck of a big night. Yes, folks, it’s the double album release party for both Union Tree Review and Bo and the Locomotive, two fantastic bands ’round these parts that tend … Read more
Photo by Jason Stoff September 9th and 10th marks the fifth annual An Under Cover Weekend, a celebration of live music at The Firebird where local bands cover their favorite artists/bands. The rules surrounding the event are simple: be awesome, don’t be obscure, and play the hits. And while the awesome local bands will be … Read more
Photo Credit: Katie Guymon A lead singer and an athlete are not the same. An athlete can easily cover up an injury or sickness and deliver a legendary performance. Hell, one of Michael Jordan’s best games came in a playoff-pressured situation where he needed multiple IVs because of the flu. A musician having a cold … Read more
US English, the Saint Louis duo of James and Brea McAnally, just released the EP, Used Future, on Post Literate today! It’s the second effort in the now two-thirds complete trilogy, promised in the fall of 2010 when the two dropped the inaugural EP, What Frontier, on our asses. Here’s what US English says about … Read more
Hey y’all. Speakers in Code is co-hosting the upcoming Mates of State and Generationals show at The Firebird on Halloween night. The only thing that’s gonna be creepy is how much I fawn all over these indie-pop music makers. If you live in Saint Louis and you fancy yourself a tastemaker of sorts, you’ll want … Read more
Photo courtesy of The Blind Eyes Last Friday, we had the pleasure of seeing our friends, The Blind Eyes, headline an all local show (well, almost all local…The ACBs from Kansas City completed the bill) for the first time since adding a fourth member to the line-up. Andy White, on guitar, rounds out the band’s … Read more
Last night, a football player (we’re pretending one of the dead ones from Beetlejuice), a lizard man of sorts, a panda, a vampire, and a cool-as-shit ghost drummer (with sunglasses and a straw hat!) – otherwise known as the Generationals touring band – lit up The Firebird’s stage for a primo Halloween dance party. Two … Read more
They knocked your socks off at LouFest. Or, maybe you weren’t there. In any event, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to see Kings Go Forth this Saturday night at The Firebird in Saint Louis. Go back for seconds…or find out what you missed! It’ll be a par-tay to remember. Superhero Killer and Exploding … Read more
Photo by Shervin Lainez I’ve been a Mynabirds fan since the band’s inception, doting on singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn more than sporadically on this here blog. I’ll keep this interview introduction simple: after talking with her, I think I’m in love. A whip-smart, creative, grounded/groundbreaking woman is, of course, not an anomaly, but I still feel … Read more
On Today’s Jam of the Day, “Body of Work,” the second single from The Mynabirds’ upcoming album, GENERALS, percussion is a main character, taking center stage again after its original work in the lead single, “Generals.” However, while the latter is a drumming battle cry, this new track contains a steady global beat that’s as … Read more
Photo by Nathan Presley On February 8th, Saint Louis frequenters, Heartless Bastards, will make another welcomed stop in the Gateway to the West. This time, they’re playing The Firebird. This time, Hacienda is opening. And, this time, we have a pair of tickets to give away. The band’s new record, Arrow, is out on February … Read more
Here in Saint Louis, Missouri, we are currently enjoying an almost 70 degree day in February. Yup, I’m sitting near an open window with nary a sleeve to warm my pasty arms. It’s good for the soul. That’s why it’s so apropos that this new jam from Reptar (former recipent of Jam of the Day … Read more
Photo credit: Douglas Garfield Yesterday, fellow Speakers in Code writer, Matt, gave us a Jam of the Day that slowly eases from winter to this relatively newfound spring weather. However, today, I bring you a JOTD that definitely doesn’t hide the fact that it’s ready to shed its winter skin and spend a little time … Read more
Photo by LeAnn Mueller A year from now, things won’t be the same for ZZ Ward. The multifaceted and absurdly talented artist who grew up in Roseburg, Oregon should take a deep breath now, because those 1.1 million views for her video, “Put the Gun Down,” will soon seem ordinary. And the day is arriving … Read more
An Under Cover Weekend needs no introduction in certain St. Louis circles. The wildly successful Friday-Saturday showcase has a very simple formula: local bands, who otherwise would be playing their original material, dedicate an evening to covering one of their favorite bands. This year, the eighth version of AUCW, features a stacked lineup including St. … Read more
You were the last of a dying breed Prone to wander but born to lead Neulore is a duo from Nashville, and if Adam Agin and William T. Cook keep writing catchy songs like “Shadow of a Man,” which was featured on Grey’s Anatomy, chances are they’re gonna be just fine. Jump right in with … Read more
Photo by Dusdin Condren So some say love is a burning thing That it makes a fiery ring Oh but I know love as a caging thing Just a killer come to call from some awful dream A funny thing happened the other day while I cranked Phosphorescent’s Muchacho on vinyl. Perhaps it was the … Read more
Photo by Pascal Amoyel Lily & Madeleine released their self-titled debut album in 2013, and the duo will be playing at The Firebird on Wednesday, April 9th. You can read our interview with them here. We have TWO pairs of tickets to give away to the show, but before we get to details on how … Read more
All photos by Jason Gonulsen The room is quiet, but Jillette Johnson prefers to be much more than that. Her voice is not subtle, and this trait suits her songs well; she often sings words that yearn for engagement. “You guys are so far away,” she says. “But you don’t feel so far away.” That’s … Read more
Photo by Vanessa Heins Good one going down tonight at The Firebird in St. Louis, as Said The Whale hits town as they near the release of their new album, hawaiii (due September 17 via Hidden Pony Records). We’re happy to report that it’s a fabulous album, with several standouts, including “I Love You,” which … Read more
Jillette Johnson is 24, but her songs sound much older. They travel in and out of relationships, like they’ve spent time in the deepest of ditches. Their characters have been abused, yes; but they always fight back, searching for a true identity. Johnson’s voice is sometimes sweet, but don’t let that fool you into thinking … Read more
Photo by Anna Palma Dear St. Louis: Yeasayer is coming to The Firebird on June 27th, and we want to send you to the show. So, you know, you can get your electro-rock on, or something like that, on a hot summer night at The Bird. The band from Brooklyn released Fragrant World in 2012. … Read more
Photo by Louis Kwok of Music Vs Man I’m a steady hand, I’m a Dodgers fan. I’m a leading brand of a one night stand. I’m a ladies man. Joshua Tillman, who now performs and records under the name Father John Misty, used to be a dishwasher. I know this because he told us last … Read more
Photo by Shae Detar You could argue that this isn’t music for the upcoming winter, but really, think about that for a second. There’s something soothing about Washed Out, something exploratory that’s not obsessed with yet another immediate hook. What Ernest Greene, the man behind Washed Out, is creating here is tough to label. And … Read more
Here’s this week’s Speakers in Code endorsed live shows in St. Louis and The Triangle!Saint Louis6/12 – Twangfest: Ha Ha Tonka + Jason and the Scorchers @ Blueberry Hill [buy tickets]6/14 – Dawes + Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros @ The Pageant [buy tickets]6/15 – Mumford & Sons @ Off Broadway [sold out]6/15 – … Read more
I, for one, happen to like the recent saturation of synth in the once downtrodden genre of bedroom pop. I mean, it’s still pretty awesome music to play when I’m finally laying down for the night, but it somehow makes things seem all dark and mysterious now. That is – until my dog Angus hops … Read more