JAIMEVILLE.COM

Flyer Supplier: Thomas Crone’s Old Crap is St. Louis History
By Jaime Lees
Thu., Jan. 19 2012 at 11:09 AM

​As a long-time member of St. Louis media, Thomas Crone has been it all: author, journalist, photographer, DJ, webmaster, blogger, videographer, producer, director, actor, publisher, panelist and editor. (Including a spell as music editor of this fine publication.)

The dude works on, like, ten projects at a time and seems to have no problem fitting in another job when inspiration strikes him. Crone is always up to something and, luckily, we music fans are frequently the beneficiaries of his hard work.

He’s spent years as a man-about-town, documenting St. Louis history and reporting on local bands. His latest project is a combination of these two interests. As part of his Second Set column at the St. Louis Beacon, he’s been digging out and scanning all of his old show flyers and posting them to a set in his Flickr site.

We did a quick interview with Mr. Crone today and he explained, “As I’m starting a year-long writing project for the stlbeacon.org, I wanted to finally organize my old collection, which has been split up into several, plastic storage boxes. Last night, I hit the mother lode, finding a bunch of pieces that I thought were lost to time. What’s interesting now is figuring out which were outright harvested off of walls by me, which were lent to me for some project or another, and how many will need to be returned. In one case, I have a loan from someone recently accused of murder. Realizing that was a real shocker; but so many of these evoke some type of interesting or unusual emotion. I’m hopeful that they bring the same for others.”

There are over 50 images in the collection now, and Crone plans to post around 25 more per day and promises, “In addition to the flyers, there will also be ticket stubs, zine covers, press photos, bios a few contract riders…. might wind up with a few hundred pieces by the end of the weekend.”

He plans to move all of these images to SilverTrayOnline.com in the near future, but for now there are already flyers posted to Flickr for you to enjoy from Cicero’s, Creepy Crawl, Lo, Tangerine, the Bernard Pub, the Hi-Pointe, the Lemp Brewery, the Mad Art Gallery, Mississippi Nights, Rocket Bar, Side Door, Stages, etc.

Scans and donations of your old flyers will be considered in the future. Keep an eye out for news on this endeavor at ThomasCrone.com and look for future flyers to be posted at SilverTrayOnline.com.

• link: Riverfront Times

Dana Smith with his painting of Tim Rakel

Dana Smith, St. Louis Painter, Celebrates Local Musicians with Southtown Famous
By Jaime Lees
Thu., Jan. 12 2012 at 6:09 AM

​For local painter Dana Smith, art and music have always been intertwined. He can he found in the dark corners of music venues, his face obscured by a large lens, capturing live shots of local bands that he’ll later use as a guide for his paintings. The sounds, sights and people of St. Louis are his muse — Smith finds constant inspiration in the friends, music and buildings that surround him. And though he is, in all respects, a guy who prefers to stay behind the camera, his soft-spoken exterior masks a prolific artistic dynamo.

Smith spent his teen years traveling the country as a sponsored skateboarder. It was during some adventures on the West Coast that he first encountered designers who did graphics for skate companies, artists and photographers. He explains, “I was always interested in art but never knew how to approach it. But on those trips, I met people who would just do it.”

Even though he didn’t have any training or any idea what he was doing, one day when he was about eighteen years old he just started painting. Around this same time Smith began many years a musician the South City music scene, playing in the Wormwood Scrubs, the Baysayboos, Asbestos Sister and Cloister. He found ripe subject material in the bands he frequently watched and shared stages with, and eventually decided to concentrate his efforts on painting the local musicians that he felt compelled to celebrate.

Steve Scariano at the Duck Room, painting by Dana Smith

​Over time, this hobby turned into his passion. He now paints for hours nearly every day, sometimes working on three paintings simultaneously. Smith’s love for the music is clearly infused into his alive, vibrant canvases. There’s something about the way that he presents light and movement that allows his paintings radiate energy. He captures not just big rock scenes, but the smaller moments, too — giving the observer the feeling of actually being at the show. This unique quality has put Smith’s work in high demand. In addition to filling requests from individual patrons, Smith has also been commissioned by local businesses, including the Royale on South Kingshighway and the Old Rock House, where he works as a sort-of artist-in-residence, painting many of the national touring acts that have played the venue.

Smith’s talents have been tapped for other music-related projects, as well. He’s illustrated show flyers for friends’ bands (including Gringo Star), provided artwork for Vintage Vinyl’s Record Store Day compilation release, had pieces featured on the music website Daytrotter.com and his painting of Bunnygrunt was used by the band as the cover of its last full length album.

Bunnygrunt at CBCB, painting by Dana Smith

​His enthusiasm for capturing local underground bands has resulted in an unexpected consequence: Smith has become an accidental custodian of both the current and past south side scene. Over the years he’s produced paintings of many of the big names that rule the small stages: Mark Early (Glass Teeth), Darin Gray (Dazzling Killmen, Grand Ulena), Dottie Georges (.e), Jerry Green (Potomac Accord), Eric Hall, Fred Friction, JJ Hamon (Magic City), Jason Hutto (Phonocaptors, Warm Jets USA), James Weber Jr. (Julia Sets), Tim Rakel (Bad Folk, Union Electric), Tony Renner, Steve Scariano (Finn’s Motel) and Mark Stephens (Highway Matrons, Accelerando).

Smith’s documenting skills also extend to the venues and spaces that housed these performances. Places like the Duck Room, the Firebird, Frederick’s Music Lounge, the Hi-Pointe, Lemmon’s, Mad Art Gallery, Mississippi Nights, Penny Studios, Radio Cherokee, the Schlafly Tap Room, the Sheldon Ballroom, the Typo Cafe, the Way Out Club and White Flag are all represented in his paintings and illustrations. Details like the diamond-shaped wood wall design at Off Broadway (now hidden behind the red curtain) and the neon beer signs at CBGB fill the background of his pieces, offering familiar clues to the location of the performance and adding extra depth and detail to Smith’s paintings.

Rats and People at Off Broadway, painting by Dana Smith

Smith’s first proper retrospective of his work with local bands is being held this month at Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts on Cherokee Street. The show is called Southtown Famous (a nod to the Bunnygrunt song of the same name) and it will display about 40 pieces of Smith’s work throughout the years. The opening is this Saturday, with music supplied for the evening by .e, of course. The show runs though February 4th, and Fort Gondo is open every Saturday afternoon. Read our interview with the artist and then go check out some paintings of your St. Louis musical heroes and neighbors.

Jason Rook at Radio Penny, painting by Dana Smith

Jaime Lees: Tell me about your upcoming show.

Dana Smith: Well, it’s gonna be a collection of paintings from the last seven or eight years. In 2003 or 2004 I had the idea that I was just going to start focusing on St. Louis businesses and people. So most of the people are musicians because that’s what I’m interested in. The idea for this show was to pull all of these paintings together because they’ve never all been shown together.

How do you choose who you are going to paint?

I don’t know… That’s an interesting question. I guess it has to do with how they play or what they play and if I have an interest in it. Because I am kind of picky sometimes, but I don’t know why. A lot of times I’ll just have a camera with me, and I won’t plan on taking any photos or anything. And then something will just hit me and I think, “I have to photograph that.”

But for me, It’s very important that when I do my own paintings that I work from my own photograph. I know I could just pick anything off of the net, but I went to the show. I stood there all night. I sang along. I was right there. And then the photo that I got was my photo. And no one else got that image or that angle or whatever; it’s all me. I go there and I stand there and I wait and I soak up the atmosphere. And all of that goes into it when you’re painting because you experienced it.

Did you ever want to paint somebody specific but couldn’t get the right picture?

Yes! There are a few people who I want to photograph but the circumstances haven’t worked out or I haven’t put myself in the position to get the photo or anything. I want to do one of Jeff Robtoy. And Chris Powers. And I’d like to get a good one of Jim Utz DJing or something. When I was a kid going to Mississippi Nights I’d see him all the time. And I’d be like “Who is that guy? He’s so cool!”

Is it important to you that you always paint live shots? Most of your paintings are from the audience’s point of view, instead of being backstage with somebody sitting down and you take their photo and then paint it.

Well, yeah, if I had that access then I’d love to do stuff like that, too. And sometimes I do. There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes and I’ll snap a photo of that. But I don’t want anything posed. It would feel fake. I don’t want them to know the photo is being taken. I try hang out in the back and try to be inconspicuous.

The Phonocaptors at CBGB, painting by Dana Smith

That’s how it is in the Phonocaptors painting that you are using for promotion, right? They weren’t playing in that shot.

Yeah, that was the idea. That photo is from 2003 or something, and I didn’t paint it until two years later. Those are the kind of scenes that I was really into capturing. In that painting they’re setting up. And the guy off to the left is Steve Pick and the woman in the middle is Karen [Ried]. But they didn’t know I was taking the photo. They’re just hanging out and talking and setting up and [Jason] Hutto is walking around with a cigarette and getting ready and everything. And I thought that captured perfectly what it’s like to be at CBGB when they’re about to play.

So how has your painting style changed over the years?

I used to do a lot of older paintings just out of my imagination. Just make stuff up, you know? And I liked it but now I prefer to paint from something. It could be a live thing or a photograph. My style is still very rudimentary. Very simple, very rough. But I like to get all the little details in there and make it so that you can recognize that it’s Lemmon’s or the Royale or whatever. And so I pay more attention to details now.

Who buys the paintings? I know bands want to buy their own a lot — does that happen all of the time?

No, and I don’t do the paintings thinking that the band will buy it. It just depends. Sometimes I’ll sell a painting and it will be someone specific in it and I’ll ask, “Oh, do you know the person in the painting?” and the buyer will say “No, I just like it.” And that’s really cool when that happens.

Do you explain to them who is in the painting?

Well, I used to because it, like, meant a lot to me. [laughs] I’d explain who it was and what bands they’d been in. But I realized after I did that a couple of times that the buyer usually doesn’t care. [laughs] So I don’t really do that anymore unless they ask.

N Nomurai at the Way Out Club, painting by Dana Smith

​Why are you inspired to paint locals?

When I started out every night I’d be somewhere — at a show or hanging out at a recording session or whatever. This was eight or nine years ago. And there would be awesome stuff going on musically. But it was like “No one is going to know about it.” You’d think, “Who cares what happened nine years ago on a Tuesday night at Frederick’s Music Lounge?” But, like, I cared. Eric Hall would do a show. And I would think “Eric Hall is fucking great. People should know who he is.” And now he’s getting recognition and stuff, but that was kind of the idea back then.

These people that I would hang out with and see perform were doing great stuff. But there was no audience. There was no one there. They weren’t making a living at it or anything. So the idea was to somehow capture this. And sure, you could take a photograph or whatever. And I like photographs, but when you paint it is like you have to spend time painting the nose and getting the light right…

And I love painting pro bands, but at the same time I still want to do local artists and buildings and scenery in St. Louis and paint that and if someone is interested in it, that’s great. But I’m still going to do it. Because the way that you feel when you paint… Well, you paint…

Right.

It’s just a great feeling! And it’s the only thing I know that gives me that feeling.

Tony Renner at Mad Art, painting by Dana Smith

• link: Riverfront Times
• link: Dana Smith’s website
• link: Southtown Famous event info
• link: Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts

Tower Groove Records Carnival at Off Broadway, September 4
by Jaime Lees

This event was both an introduction and a fundraiser. Tower Groove Records was a brand new collective and this was its formal introduction into society — it’s débutante ball. This all-day show was hosted at Off Broadway and featured around twenty local bands playing both inside on the stage outside in the courtyard.

The carnival included Warm Jets USA, Catholic Guilt, The City of Takers, Accelerando, Bunnygrunt, Death of Yeti, Peck of Dirt, Doom Town, The Feed, The St. Louis Shuffle, Tone Rodent, Beth Bombarda, Bug Chaser, Ransom Note, The Skekses, Fred Friction, The Hot Liquors, Theodore and Magic City. The bands played abbreviated sets and when it wasn’t their turn to perform, they ran homemade carnival games to raise money. The party was fueled by love and run by volunteers. (As a fan of local music, I volunteered some time that day, too.)

This was a very heart-warming, feel-good, charitable event — the kind of thing that usually happens at the end of the year. It was bustling all day with both volunteers and revelers; families were out with their little kids, dads munched hot dogs while moms helped their kids play a game of ring toss. (Named ‘My Ding a-Ring’ as a nod to STL music legend Chuck Berry.) The weather cooperated with a welcome break in both heat and rain, and people were streaming in all day. There was smiling, laughing, toe-tapping and even a bit of headbanging.

At then end of the (long, long) day, all of the people power had paid off. The group raised enough money to fund it’s second big project: the TGR debut release, a double-vinyl LP featuring all of the bands involved. Look for the record early next year and for more big news from Tower Groove Records to be announced soon.

Oh Shit Moment: Looked to my left, there was Fred Friction dressed like a clown and smiling at the crowd. Looked to my right, there was TGR founder Adam Hesed (of Magic City) dressed as a ringmaster and smiling at the crowd. Both looked delighted and relieved.

Highlight of the Night: During Catholic Guilt’s mid-day set, the unpredictable noise musicians were joined by a bunch of random kids in the crowd who wanted to rock. The kids were provided with instruments and they played along in the gravel in front of the stage. [pictured, video footage here]

• link: Riverfront Times

Humanoids | Self titled
by Jaime Lees

We in St. Louis have always known that our pop-punk Humanoids were a first-rate band. With two albums, a few 7″ and tons of touring under their belts, it was only a matter of time before our little treasure received national attention. Word-of-mouth recommendations reached Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake and Fiorello now promotes the Humanoids on his label Paper and Plastick. The self-titled album came out this autumn and it was just in time– we fans have been waiting for far too long to get a copy of songs that we’ve learned and loved from the high-energy live shows. The new album is offered to stream or download for free at freemusicfirst.org, and it’s so good that you’ll feel guilty for not having to pay for it.

Key Track: “Future Perfect”– it’s a song that you hear once and then you know it forever. And the catchy chorus makes it an instant sing-along hit.

Place You’re Most Likely to Hear the Artist: The Silver Ballroom. At this South Side punk rock pinball bar the drinks are cheap, the owners/employees are amazing and the juke box is full of both punk classics and our favorite local bands.

Listen: You can stream (and download) the whole damn album for free here

• link: Riverfront Times

100 St. Louis Bands, 100 Drink Pairings: A Comprehensive Guide
By Jaime Lees
Fri., Nov. 11 2011

​Oh, the interwebz. You give us so many awesome gifts. You even take things that are already awesome, and then you put a kitten on them and make them even awesomer. For that we thank you.

Today we celebrate Drinkify.org. This site is hot stuff this week — it’s being posted all over social media web sites and linked in emails. Drinkify is an online drinking guide that pairs the music you are listening to with a suggested cocktail. It’s kind of like having your own personal smart, crunk sommelier.

The design is simple: you type in a band name, click a button that reads “What Should I Drink” and then Drinkify sends you back a photo of the band and and ingredient list with instructions. Drinkify’s output is based on a combination of search results, including band biographies, images and top tracks. The drink suggestions are usually cocktails, and many of them are eerily-similar to the fancy-folk drinks that are served up at the Royale.

Because there is so much information available online, the results are sometimes scary-accurate. For example, if a band puts its favorite beer in its bio, that is probably the beer that Drinkify will suggest.

To test out the site and get a representative sample of the responses supplied by Drinkify, I searched for every band and performer who was nominated for our RFT Music Awards this year plus some classic St. Louis performers and a few personal favorites.

The results ranged from W.T.F. (Pokey LaFarge) to SHOCKINGLY ACCURATE (Sex Robots) to YEAH, PROBABLY (Funky Butt Brass Band) to THAT’S RAW (Murphy Lee).

Of course, there were some glitches; it’s not a perfect system. But there were some cool surprises, too. Here’s a few findings of my research:

• Drinkify didn’t offer a suggested cocktail for every band I tried or it returned the wrong result. Which is a shame, really, because I’d like to buy Magic City a drink. (Ed. seconded.)
• Sometimes Drinkify gave cocktail result but with no band picture included to certify that this drink was, indeed, for this band. I decided that these results probably couldn’t be relied upon, until I searched for .e. Drinkify says that when listening to .e, the suggested cocktail is 12 oz. of marijuana, served on the rocks. Yeah, that sounds about right.
• Drinkify is totally postmodern. It is aware of itself and of other memes. For instance, a search for the Jumpstarts resulted with a suggestion of “4 oz. of White whine.”

Read more…

Sex Robots: Fables of the Deconstruction
By Jaime Lees

It only takes one good local concert (or few strong drinks) and I’m primed to begin my often repeated sermon about how this city is filled with a disproportionate number of good people and great bands. St. Louis is not that big; we have no right to be so awesome. But like an opportunistic fungus, art finds fertile ground in the oppressive weather and dank basements of the Midwest. The right people just seem to find each other, and when the magic is poppin’ it seems like nothing short of divine intervention.

That is why, with a heavy heart, I called up singer/guitarist Mario Viele and asked him about his upcoming semi-permanent move to New York. Viele is a ridiculously skilled musician. He seems to jump on any instrument with a virtuosity rarely witnessed — dude really does play the guitar just like he’s ringing a bell. Truthfully, his ubiquitous talent would be flat-out annoying if he wasn’t so damn humble.

Though only in his mid twenties, Viele has left deep footprints all over the local scene. His own label, Roadhouse Tunes, promotes and presses local records and his recent bands include St. Louis favorites such as Bunnygrunt, the Pubes and Sex Robots.

I’m not ashamed to say that Sex Robots have saved my life, or at least my wee rocker heart, on more than one occasion. I’ve had some of the best nights of my life watching the Robots play energetic, shambolic sets in dirty dive bars. The bands hooked-out sound and simple melodies reflect everything amazing about rock and roll, all rolled up into tight, two-and-a-half minute songs. I’m too young to have seen the Replacements in their prime, but I can’t help but imagine that a Robots show is very similar.

With only two more local shows scheduled, Viele’s upcoming move, rumors of bassist Tracey Morrissey going back to school and drummer Maysam Attaran working with a new band, the future of the Robots appeared grim. Robots go bye-bye? Really, I couldn’t stand the thought.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, I caught up with Viele a few days ago to discuss the status of Sex Robots. He was with Bunnygrunt, finishing recording its album at Bel*Air Studio in Athens, Georgia. When his duties were complete he called to set the record straight. After I relayed my breathless, fangirl fear that his move marks the end of the Sex Robots, Viele seemed to try hard not to laugh, reassuring me that I couldn’t be more wrong. Me? Wrong? I guess there’s a first time for everything.

“The thing I like about 2009 is that there’s definite plans,” Viele explains, “There’s plans to tour and make an album and because of that, our working energy is going towards making those things happen and therefore everything else, as far as where we are and where we will be, is all kind of a big x-variable, and that’s really cool.”

Sex Robots have one show scheduled tonight at Mangia and another set for February 13 at the Schlafly Tap Room, but are going on an East coast tour between these dates, with plans to record an album in St. Louis in the summer and tour again in the fall. Viele, for one, relishes traveling and the time on the road and seems completely unconcerned with the upcoming change of surroundings or the strength of the band.

“I feel that if we went and recorded now, it wouldn’t be as good as if we took a little time away and then got back together to play it out. That way it will be all worked out, but also be totally fresh. I’m following what my brain says and my brain wants two things: to make music and tour. I just do what my brain says. The voice in my brain goes ‘Hey, do this’ and I go ‘Okay, Brain, I don’t know why, but I trust you.’

“I’m getting to the point where I trust what my brain tells me to do. I just look at it as, the more we’re traveling, the more I see it as gaining ability to write and operate from anywhere. It’s an adventure. I think of the band as the best excuse ever to make ridiculous decisions and go on the road with my best friends.”

• article – link
• Sex Robots – MySpace

Rats and People Silent Movie Show
Date/Time:Fri., December 5, 9:00pm
Jaime Lees

The recent break-up of local favorites Rats and People was a major blow to the soul of the St. Louis music scene. Known for its strong storytelling and spirited instrumentation, the Rats filled a niche we didn’t even know existed. But this dissolution has a big, fat silver lining: It leaves more time for the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra — which has the same players, but is a different project altogether. Ever the multitalented multiinstrumentalists, the Orchestra has both scored movies and played live accompaniment to silent films. The latter performances are where the tiny orchestra shines, because the custom music so perfectly captures the mood and matches the film that you forget it’s even playing. (And that’s the highest compliment.) Come see the Orchestra work its magic on Buster Keaton’s Go West on Friday night.

• article – link
• Rats and People MPO – website
• Rats and People MPO – MySpace

Wooden Kites
7 p.m. Friday, June 6. Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Delmar Boulevard.
By Jaime Lees
Published on June 04, 2008

Between playing shows, recording an album and keeping commitments to various other musical projects, it’s a wonder that any of the Wooden Kites have had time to sleep, much less weather life’s other tedious obligations. The band plays out relentlessly, earning fans night after night with its combination of earnest emotion and a stormy (yet controlled) musical presentation. All of this practice has solidified the songs on the band’s debut album, The Orchard — which is a fusion of bold, swinging compositions (“Miranda Avery”), pirate-inspired anthems (“Sailin’ Song”), drinking ditties (“You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three”) and climactic, transcendent indie rock (“Bumble”). Think local folk-punks Rats and People mixed with Bright Eyes — only better.

• article – link
• Wooden Kites – MySpace

RFT Music Awards Nominees: St. Louis’ Best and Brightest
Published on May 28, 2008

Please follow this link to read about the nominees listed below.

Best Americana/Folk – Rum Drum Ramblers
Best Untraditional Americana/Folk – Rats & People
Best Funk/Soul/R&B – Kim Massie
Best Hard Rock/Metal – Head On Collision
Best Local Release (self-released) -
Rats & People’s The City of Passersby
Best New Artist – The Livers + Wooden Kites
Best Pop Band – Sex Robots
Best Punk/Hardcore – The Humanoids

• article – link
• Head On Collision – MySpace
• Humanoids – MySpace
• The Livers – MySpace
• Kim Massie – website
• Rats & People – MySpace
• Rum Drum Ramblers – MySpace
• Sex Robots – MySpace
• Wooden Kites – MySpace

Rock & Roll Prom
9 p.m. Friday, May 23. The Way Out Club, 2525 South Jefferson Avenue
By Jaime Lees
Published on May 21, 2008

Aside from its New Years Eve celebration, the Rock & Roll Prom is one of the biggest annual events at the Way Out Club. This themed party nearly always fills the venue to capacity, as patrons come out from all corners of the city, all outfitted in their best prom dresses and suits and looking for a good time. This years sub-theme is “zombies,” so expect some extra bloody pageantry and pale-faced hilarity. The entertainment lineup includes favorites of the club, like the horn-heavy psychobilly of the Devil Baby Freakshow and the shambolic roots rock of Tijuana Hercules. Velcro Lewis & His 100 Proof Band and Alas, Poor Yorick round out the bill.

• article – link
• The Devil Baby Freakshow – MySpace

Using Their Illusion: Ferocious — and funny — locals the Livers hope video builds the radio star
By Jaime Lees
Published: April 23, 2008
9 p.m. Friday, April 25. The Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street. $7 21-plus, $10 under 21. No phone.www.myspace.com/bluebirdstl.

BFFs Scot Freeman and Luke Roulston hit a rough patch last year. Mired in typical twentysomething malaise, they found themselves working too hard, drinking too much and continually complaining about their lack of a creative outlet. Both were seasoned musicians who admired each other’s skills and former bands (Freeman’s Chiaroscuro and Roulston’s Poe’s Music for Weirdos), and so as an extension of their bromance, these multi-instrumentalists decided to quit their bitching and put together a new band.

There was just one problem: They only wanted to play with each other.

Freeman and Roulston began trying to find a way to multiply their sound without adding any extra people. They jokingly wished they could form a band with clones of themselves to fill out the empty instrument positions. As the story goes, one day Roulston said, “What if we just did that?” And so after considerable preparation and months of trial and error, they managed to invent something brand new: a four-person rock band with just two band members.

This is accomplished by both Livers playing guitar in front of a prerecorded video of themselves as the rhythm section (with Roulston on bass and Freeman on drums). But the virtual band members don’t just play, they also have names (Karl and Merl), distinctive personalities and sassy attitudes. Through the magic of painstaking video editing and green-screen wizardry, all four band members have the ability to interact with each other. (In fact, the video Livers frequently talk back to the live Livers.)

This elaborate presentation is helped along by Zak Thenhaus, the unofficial third (fifth?) Liver. Similar to the Wizard of Oz, Thenhaus fills the role of the unseen magical man behind the curtain (or video screen) who assists the real-life Livers in their video interactions, largely by handing them props. Between songs every last Liver gets to catch a break as hilarious commercial-like clips — such as a Laverne & Shirley spoof, or one for Evan Williams brand whiskey — appear on the video screen. (These riotous, between-song bits are also known as the “interstitiary videos” in Freeman’s professional-speak.)

The result is both spectacularly effective and logistically bewildering. Roulston dryly explains, “Yeah, it’s kind of our motto: ‘To do everything the hardest way possible.’”

Entering the Livers’ headquarters — a.k.a. Roulston’s spacious Benton Park bedroom — one immediately begins to get an idea of just how detailed the band’s production process must be to pull off this kind of act. The vast space is part living area and part artist workshop, with enough cameras, lights and cables to outfit a television studio. In addition to the clothes, electronics, books and numerous art pieces strewn around, tiny strips of green tape on the wood floors mark frequently used instrument and filming positions. It is here that all of the “rhythm section” and comedic segments are taped.

Though these ingenious videos and fun live additions make the band instantly unique, without competent songwriting and playing prowess, the Livers would be little more than an interesting live art project. But the band’s tunes stand alone and can be enjoyed, even separate from its shtick.

The admitted “control freaks” extended their hands-on attitude to their debut album, Vino in Uriam Mutando, which they self-mixed. Recorded locally at Firebrand Recording studios, Vino sounds strikingly professional (with solid lyrics, wicked riffs and intimidatingly heavy drum hits) and contains recordings of a few songs that are quickly becoming audience favorites. Freeman’s “Autistic Girlfriend” was written as a “rock juggernaut” about a cold lady with insincere feelings and “a hole where her heart should go.” In contrast, Roulston’s “She-Wolf” is a wistful, gently sung pop-punk musing on missed opportunities and misdirected emotions. Other standout tracks include the sweetly seductive “Humble Plight” (a salute to the pleasures of love and makin’ love) and “2 Legs to Dance,” a jolting bass-and-beat-filled swoop into the world of dance rock that implores listeners to get up, get drunk and start dancing.

Between the Livers’ unprecedented musical presentation and strong tunes, it’s rumored that the young band has already been fielding label and distribution interest. When questioned on this development, both guys just smile and coyly decline to discuss this topic on the record, claiming superstition. It wouldn’t be surprising; the band contains the kind of natural charisma and overflowing raw talent that label scouts are always looking to unearth. Plus, Freeman and Roulston seem to have a very brotherly relationship — where both compliments and playful ribbing are common — and both are good-natured, smart and funny as hell.

On meshing their musical styles:
Scot Freeman: Luke’s music is really complicated and the time signatures are all weird and stuff and I can only play, like, uh…
Luke Roulston: 3/4 and 4/4 or a combination thereof. [Laughs]
Freeman: Yeah! Really, just like, Top 40. I just wanna play riffs and sing soaring choruses and that kind of stuff. So when I write a song it’s usually really simple but his stuff is all over the place and I’m like, “I’m gonna go ahead and dumb this shit down.”
Roulston: Well, that’s called “rocking it up.”

On their perfectionism in the videos:
Freeman: I think I’ve worked harder on this than on anything I’ve worked on, ever. There have been times that my actual job has bummed me out, but there have been times with this shit where I wanna cry.
Roulston: It’s toil.
Freeman: There’s been times when we worked on this 50 or 60 hours a week, while still working our regular jobs 40 hours a week. I mean, [we were] working to the point where it’s almost ruined friendships and relationships.
Roulston: But the best thing about it is, the other members of the band? They don’t seem to argue! [Laughs]
Freeman: On the videos, I’m of the opinion that Luke could pretty much fake it, that he could hit some wrong notes. But he refuses. He refuses to hit one wrong note, even though it wouldn’t matter.
Roulston: If there was a bass player [in the audience] that actually had perfect pitch and knew his shit, he would know.
Freeman: And that’s why he obsesses. We’ll get done taping and he’s like “I missed a note,” and I’m like “I played it fucking perfectly! I’m bleeding!” and he’s like “Let’s do it again.” And I’m like “Fuck!” and I fucking duct-tape my hand back together, [and] do it again.

On the band’s sound and influences:
Roulston: Thus far, we’ve been compared to ’90s music. But I love ’90s music. Our big influences are the Jesus Lizard and the Pixies and Nirvana and the Foo Fighters and, you know, just hard-hitting drums. And he [Freeman] plays better than most drummers I’ve ever seen.
Freeman: Yeah, all my favorite bands are fucking gone. Jesus Lizard and fuckin’ Seaweed, Failure, whatever. Bands that nobody remembers.
Roulston: At least the Pixies came back, I guess. You know what I liked? When Frank Black came to the Duck Room. That was a really fucking awesome show. I have nothing but respect for him. Actually, I have nothing but respect for anybody in the Pixies. They’re just… God! What a great fucking band! I would say, like, that’s the band that I would aspire to lick their…
Freeman: Junk!

• article – link
• interview outtakes – link
• The Livers – videos
• The Livers – MySpace
• Lo-Fi St. Louis – video link

Whenever my fellow St. Louisans asked if I liked local favs Shame Club, my standard response was “I like them as dudes, but I just can’t hang with their tunes.” I’d last seen the band a couple of years ago and wasn’t impressed. It wasn’t at all bad, I just didn’t *get it*. And you know what’s a damn shame? That I had to come all the way to Austin to find out that my hometown band is bitchin’ after all.

I went to see the band at the Small Stone Records showcase last night and was not at all prepared for the bombastic blast. Each band member is electrifying and the dynamic combination produces everything you could want in a hard rock band: shredding guitar licks, thumping bass grooves, evil drum beats and wailing vocals. Holy shit, I’ve seen the light.

Andrew Elstner, singer and guitarist for fellow St. Louis band Riddle of Steel was along for the trip as roadie/groupie/merch dude, and it was his band that gave me a revelation about a year ago. Let’s call it the Revelation of Steel. I’d also filed his band in the “cool, but not awesome” section in the list of local bands in my head. After not seeing the band for years, I accidentally caught it at a random bar show and they blew me away. Much to my delight, practice does, indeed, make perfect and the Riddle prompted me to go back to bands I’d previously avoided and give them a second listen.

So now the same thing has happened with Shame Club. A band that was previously alright is now super tight. Man, do I feel like a tool. Hey, Shame Club, I’m down with you. And I take back any smack I’ve ever spoken about any local band ever. Don’t disregard your hometown superstars, kids. They might just rock you.

– Jaime Lees

• article link
• also, article on the Village Voice blog – link
• Shame Club – website

The Livers
9 p.m. Tuesday, December 25. Way Out Club, 2525 South Jefferson Avenue.
By Jaime Lees
Published: December 19, 2007

Up-and-coming locals the Livers put on one of the most interesting live shows in St. Louis. Though the band consists of just two members — Scot Freeman and Luke Roulston — it multiplies its live sound by playing electric guitars in front of a pre-recorded video of Freeman on drums and Roulston on bass. (The pair has even worked out witty banter-and-joke exchanges between the band members and their video-selves.) The resulting sound is that of a full four-member band, but without the two extra dudes to drink up the beer allowance. The Livers aren’t all gimmick, though: The band impresses with sharp lyrics, searing riffs and grunge-heavy drums, meaning its songs sound like solid ’90s rock. (But in a great, Dave Grohl-y kind of way, we swear.) Plus, the Livers’ live show is fun, diverse and full of unlikely covers (like Elastica’s “Stutter”) and cheeky crowd interaction.

• article link
• The Livers – MySpace

Ghosts of Christmas Past
The Skeletons reunite, we gift some of St. Louis’ best bands and remember Ike Turner.
By Jaime Lees
Published: December 19, 2007

‘Tis the season, y’all: Everyone is celebrating the love and warmth that surrounds Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Festivus, but let’s not forget what the holiday season is really about: getting stuff. With that in mind, we’ve decided to choose presents for all of the bands participating in this weekend’s two-night A Very Merry Christmas Spectacular at Off Broadway. (click to continue)

• article link

2007: The Year in Movies and Music
By Jaime Lees
Published: December 19, 2007

LCD Soundsystem’s self-titled 2005 release stands as the album that made me finally, truly believe in new electronic music. But Sound of Silver was a huge step up — and my ultimate album of 2007. It had everything I wanted: fun, super-fresh style, beauty and plenty of beats. “All My Friends” is elegant and touching, “Someone Great” is bloop-bloop perfection and the hand claps and joyous shouts of “a-woohoo!” in “Watch The Tapes” are majorly addictive.

Still, my favorite part of the music year was when an android stork dropped down from outer space and delivered us Radiohead’s In Rainbows. The media hullabaloo surrounding the surprise release sucked me in whole (because I’m a dork and I love shit like that). And while I remain fascinated by the band’s alien marketing techniques, the album had the chops to back up the hype. It’s pretty, glitchy, bittersweet and epic — in short, everything you would expect from a Radiohead album. However, In Rainbows is instantly more accessible than Amnesiac, Kid A or even Hail to the Thief. Around the same time as the album’s release, the band started leaking performances on its Web site, including live versions of album tracks and my new favorite cover ever: Radiohead playing New Order’s “Ceremony.”

My heart swelled with pride when the Arcade Fire released Neon Bible, and then both fans and critics welcomed the album’s lush, bountiful orchestration. Arcade Fire fans have formed a near-cultish church surrounding the band, but their worship might be justified. “Intervention,” “Ocean of Noise,” “(Antichrist Television Blues)” and “My Body Is a Cage” are nothing short of magical and could easily be mistaken for the rapturous hymns of a new religion. Everyone was primed for a backlash against the indie darlings, but you can’t argue with songs this beautiful.

As far as independent releases, at the beginning of the year I was gifted with an advanced copy of AA Bondy’s recently released American Hearts, and it’s been in heavy rotation ever since. The solo singer-songwriter put aside his former life as the lead singer of scorching glam-grungers Verbena in favor of a more earthy, exposed adventure. Bondy composes lonely tales of complicated redemption, teetering between the delicate confusion of Dylan and the hopeful pride of Springsteen. His soulful voice is soothing and softly Southern, making American Hearts a perfect Sunday-morning album.

I also happened upon tons of great local releases this year. The Humanoids’ Are Born is my favorite; the songs are pure punk and the band straight-up shames most other locals with its energy and authenticity. Rats and People’s The City of Passersby is dense and enchanting, and quite a few songs on the Bureau’s We Make Plans In Secret deserve repeated spins. Finally, Riddle of Steel’s 1985 wasn’t released until the end of this year, but I can safely predict that it will rock me through 2008. (click to read all)
— Jaime Lees

• article link
• AA Bondy – MySpace
• Arcade Fire – website
• Bureau – website
• Humanoids – MySpace
• LCD Soundsystem – website
• Radiohead – website
• Rats and People – MySpace
• Riddle of Steel – MySpace

Read It In Books
Rats and People hide in a basement, can’t take a compliment, secretly dig proper literature.
By Jaime Lees
Published: August 22, 2007

Weeks before I sit down with Brien Seyle and Matt Pace of Rats and People, they predict that they will give a bad interview. We make plans to discuss the band’s new album, The City Of Passersby, but they are filled with apprehension. Reluctant to explain City‘s songs, the pair doesn’t wish to be quizzed. They’re not trying to be difficult; they’re just not sure what they will have to say.

Seyle and Pace don’t seem to understand that they’re in one of the most interesting and original bands in St. Louis. Born from the ashes of punk-pirate legends the Whole Sick Crew, Rats and People easily blends genres and invents a style of its own: post-punk folklore.

Lead vocalist Seyle maintains his nasally, Dead Milkmen-esque manner of singing, but the Rats leave behind the Irish-beer-soaked swagger of Whole Sick Crew. Genres such as folk, blues, rock and bluegrass are distorted with non-traditional instruments, such as Jeremy Quinn’s glockenspiel and accordion and Pace’s trumpet and piano. The latter — who came from local pop favorites the Baysayboos — also tackles the formidable job of arranging Rats and People’s music.

Recorded by Rats and People bassist Garry Moore (a former professional sound engineer) in what Seyle describes as “the closet of a closet,” there is nothing amateur about the sound of The City of Passersby. Despite lush orchestration, the songs have a considerable delicacy, never once sounding cacophonous or over-produced. With the exception of the gorgeous, Pace-penned “Ohio,” Seyle wrote most of City‘s lyrics, which unfold in a story-telling style of prose.

In the early days of the band, Seyle and drummer Rob Laptad and Jason Matthews (of the Monads) toiled night after night in a basement practice space. After a year of heavy frustration attempting to solidify its songs, Rats and People added Pace and the group finally coalesced. Since those first shaky months, there have been a few other lineup changes (including the departure of the busy and beloved Matthews and, more recently, fiddle player Beth Dill), but the core of the band remains strong.

With a little prodding, Seyle and Pace talked for an hour and a half straight, spilling out hilarious stories and heartwarming hopes. Gracious, quick to compliment each other and completely humble (if not self-deprecating), they conclude nearly every answer with a self-conscious roll of the eyes and an apology similar to “God, that sounds so pretentious.” They are also fond of passing praise on to current (and former) band members. While they seem to actually enjoy explaining their creative process, they are still cautious when delving into specifics, citing a mutual love for misunderstood lyrics. But the fact is, once the duo gets going, its love for the band and City won’t allow them to contain themselves.

Jaime Lees: First of all, please explain how Rats and People got started.

Brien Seyle: Robby [Laptad] and I were in the Bureau of Sabotage together, that later grew up to be the Bureau. Then we quit that band to found the Whole Sick Crew, which was a band that I dreamed of starting since I was, like, sixteen — ’cause I wanted to rip off the Pogues and sing songs about pirates. We eventually had to break up to lose the shtick factor.

Well, I liked that band.

Matt Pace: I liked that band, too!

Seyle: A lot of people liked that band, but the Whole Sick Crew were more publicly consumable because of the shtick. But more important than that is the Baysayboos, man.

Pace: [Bashfully] I don’t know if it’s more important…

Seyle: We loved the Baysayboos.

Pace: And we loved the Whole Sick Crew. We loved each other. The Baysayboos played with the Bureau of Sabotage, too. Brien looked like he was imported from somewhere. The rest of the band was, like, grooving, and Brien was doing his little spastic thing.

This seems like a very St. Louis album: There’s a fleur-de-lis in the CD packaging, a song called “Filthy Little River,” lyrics that mention red brick, a map included of what appears to be the city with neighborhoods labeled with song titles…

Seyle: The City Of Passersby is kind of St. Louis in another dimension. It’s totally sci-fi, unfortunately. I’m totally reaching for profound. I always stop right short of profound — and then it’s just sci-fi, you know? I try really hard to make lyrics that reflect different things in our lives, but since I’m so story-driven, it always ends up being totally fucking D&D [Dungeons & Dragons]. I really don’t want to be pretentious, but I also wanna try really hard and make something awesome, but that’s a fucking hard line to walk.

The feelings in the lyrics are modern, but the stories seem kind of…

Seyle: Ye oldie timey?

Yeah, are the stories related?

Seyle: I’m vehemently opposed to the idea of this album as a concept album, but together it’s easy to imagine them all happening in the same place. But all of the characters in each of the songs are all so focused on their own dilemmas that they don’t even know that one step to the right there is a completely different, just as grave, dilemma going on.

The more I listened to it, the more the stories kind of fit together, as a collection. I kept thinking of (Geoffrey Chaucer’s) The Canterbury Tales.

Seyle: It’s a catalogue of stories, yeah, but God! A Canterbury Tales album? [Laughs] Maybe we should have written the whole album in Middle English!

Well, you all seem very talented, individually. Are you all multi-instrumental?

Pace: We all jump in here and there. I play a lot of different things within the band, but if the Devil challenged us to a duel, I’d pick up the guitar.

I understand you do all of the arrangements and orchestration? You take all the pieces and make them work? You’re like the Timbaland of the Rats and People.

Pace: [Laughs] Ha! I am! [Thinks, pauses, gets serious] The cool thing about [the band] is that it’s everyone playing honestly on an instrument. You could write the coolest shit in the world, but it’s not going to sound as cool as six people playing the instrument they play, live. I don’t mean to sound pretentious, but I think that’s one of the charms of our band.

What band do you feel closest to in town? Who are your contemporaries?

Pace and Seyle: [simultaneously] Bad Folk.

Seyle: Actually, we’re going to do a split seven-inch with Bad Folk, their song is “Saw a Circus” and ours is “I Sang to Heather Nethereye.” It’s about a prostitute.

Uh..”Nether… eye”? Like “down there”?

Seyle: Yeah. [Stops, looks freaked out] Holy shit! The word “nethereye” [sic] is from Chaucer! Dude, you had my number! There’s no Chaucer on this album, specifically, but Chaucer definitely plays a part… apparently.

• article link
• interview outtakes link
• Rats and People – MySpace

Rock the Vote
The 2007 RFT Music Awards winners are here!
Published: June 13, 2007

• article link

2007 RFT Music Showcase
Week of May 31, 2007
By Roy Kasten , Paul Friswold , Dean C. Minderman , Andrew Miller , Alison Sieloff , Christian Schaeffer , Brooke Foster , Annie Zaleski , and Jaime Lees
Published: May 30, 2007

• article link

Local Motion: Clownvis Presley
10 p.m. Wednesday, January 24. Way Out Club (2525 South Jefferson Avenue).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 17, 2007

Elvis Presley is dead, but his ghost is alive and shakin’ his polyester-covered ass all over town in the form of Clownvis Presley, the side project and alter-ego of 7 Shot Screamers frontman Mike Leahy (who, naturally, dresses and acts like Elvis, but has the painted face and sly demeanor of a circus clown). Clownvis is an old-time “song-and-dance guy,” a true performer who will do anything for a laugh; he’s just as likely to sing as he is to pull a string of handkerchiefs out of his nose. This week he’s debuting a vaudeville-type show at the Way Out Club: In addition to performing impressive Elvis covers in a bedazzled white jumper, Clownvis will play host to a variety of guests, including burlesque dancers, bands, singers and comedians.

• article link
• Clownvis Presley – MySpace

Local Motion: Marcheski, Lenarsky and DaBreezy
Tuesday, October 3. Creepy Crawl, (3524 Washington Boulevard)
By Jaime Lees
Published: September 27, 2006

Marcheski, Lenarsky and Dabreezy (MLD) is a hilarious rap group composed of white boys from Creve Coeur. Though they’re more like a comedy troupe than Eminem, they tout “rhymes as addictive as crystal meth sold in Pacific.” Nearly all of their tracks proclaim their love for Nellyville, and most of their topics are St. Louis-specific: Pujols, BBQ, the perils of living in the county and how to roll on the east side. MLD have even invented their own word: “stunk,” a new way to describe getting drunk in the STL. (Use it like this: “Man, I was so stunk on South Grand last night, even chicks at the gothic coffee shop looked good!”) For a further good time, check them out at www.myspace.com/mldprdvv.

• article link
• MLD – MySpace

Music Showcase Schedule
The complete low-down on this year’s nominated acts
Published: September 06, 2006

• article link

Local Motion: Walkie Talkie U.S.A.
9 p.m. Tuesday, August 15. Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue).
By Jaime Lees
Published: August 09, 2006

St. Louis finally has a south-side supergroup. Jason Hutto (formerly of Midwest indie-rock favorites the Phonocaptors and Sexicolor) recently formed Walkie Talkie U.S.A. (www.myspace.com /walkietalkieusa) with members of Red Eyed Driver and two former members of Nadine. Walkie Talkie U.S.A. is making new, refreshing rock music while welcoming collaborations with friends in Bunnygrunt and the Sex Robots. This collision of talent results in songs that are as diverse as they are textured. Main songwriter Hutto mixes the cocksure swagger of the Phonocaptors with the catchy choruses of Sexicolor to create radiant, powerfully addictive pop songs. Their sound incorporates layers of bold power guitar, arresting harmonies, glam posturing and even twinkling, trippy Flaming Lips-ish delicacies. Don’t miss this one.

• article link
• Walkie Talkie U.S.A. – MySpace