Photo by Ella Brandon More on Flickr »
A sold-out show at WashU’s the Gargoyle marked the headlining conclusion of WashU Hip Hop Week, much to the delight of hip-hop fans and b-boys alike. But on a night that held the promise of poetry, there was but one letter of the alphabet that stood out: the letter M. Read More »
Written by , filed under Live and tagged RJD2, The Gargoyle.
Self described as superstars, Detroit’s wild bunch Electric Six offers listeners a little bit of everything. Based in rock, you also get some new wave, pop and a just a touch of disco from time to time. As a result, Electric Six gives us nothing new to music but offers up some catchy tracks. Read More »
Written by , filed under New Music and tagged Electric Six, Kill.
Thanks to our friends at Sleepy Kitty Graphic Arts, we’ve printed the classic Eleven logo onto ridiculously soft Anvil 100% ring-spun organic cotton. It looks good, feels good, and with a little bit of salt, it even tastes good*. So take a gander over into our new “Merch” section, and pick yourself out a few; one for now, and one for when your roommate borrows it and never gives it back.
*Note: Eleven Media Group, LLC, is not liable for any damages incurred by shirt ingestion.
Written by , filed under Uncategorized and tagged Best shirt in the entire world.
We All Have Hooks For Hands, an indie folk-pop band of early-twenty-year-olds from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has already begun to make an impact. Their second LP, The Shape of Energy, was recently released last month, and the band will be making their second appearance in St. Louis this fall at the Firebird on November 29th. The band has six touring members, and ELEVEN was lucky to speak with a few of them before their concert in St. Louis in October.
We All Have Hooks For Hands – Made Up of Tiny Lights
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Written by , filed under Q+A and tagged The Shape of Energy, We All Have Hooks For Hands.
As anyone who has ever ventured into a bright-boxed American supermarket or completed a generic Google search can tell you, an overabundance of choices is often more overwhelming than it is liberating. In creative terms, limiting oneself to a few expressive ingredients and getting the most mileage out of each of them can often yield more exciting results than being set loose in a vast studio-sea of instruments. It’s for this reason that the third and newest LP from Russian Circles, an instrumental rock/metal trio from Chicago, IL, feels so refreshing in 2009. Throughout Geneva the Russian Circles achieve a wide-screen, cinematic feel without employing a veritable neighborhood of co-conspirators (a fashionable trend as of late). Instead, they take the three conventional instruments of their genre, electric guitar, bass, and drum kit, and then spread them out with a palpable sense of urgency to enveloping, starry expanses.
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Written by , filed under New Music and tagged Geneva, Russian Circles, Suicide Squeeze.
Photo by Allegra Fisher More on Flickr »
Peter Morén, Björn Yttling, and John Eriksson must be the happiest indie rock group ever to earn pitchfork fame. They kicked off their Friday night show at the Gargoyle with a whistling contest to pick a guest star from the audience to accompany them on stage during “Young Folks,” the well-known crowd favorite. This playful game would forecast a jubilant mood for the coming show, which opened with a drawn-out and escalating intro to “Amsterdam.” This energy built by crescendo and back lighting would persist for the rest of the night. Read More »
Written by , filed under Live and tagged Peter Bjorn and John, The Gargoyle.
By Nathan Burrell. More on Flickr
Written by , filed under Live and tagged Off Broadway, Those Darlins.
By Matt Ström. More on Flickr
Last Wednesday, Eleven put on the first in a series of events to introduce St. Louis to its burgeoning music scene. After Ian Jones (aka Parisian, half of Safety Words) started things off, Cold Bear Scout put on a great show, and Philadelphia natives Grandchildren showed up later to play an absolutely mind-blowing set. Eleven’s HQ was packed with friends old and new, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all again in the future. In the meantime, check out the photos on Flickr.
Written by , filed under Live and tagged 11/11, Cold Bear Scout, Eleven HQ, Grandchildren, Parisian.
Photo by Andrew Dowd More on Flickr »
Despite the inquisitive nature of their name, WHY? made it a point not to leave many questions unanswered on Wednesday night at the Firebird. Armed with tambourines, maracas, and a distinct vocal style combining singsong melodies and fast-paced rhymes, lead singer Yoni Wolf swayed with the mic and delivered, compelling the audience standing only a few inches away in the intimate venue. Read More »
Written by , filed under Live and tagged The Firebird, WHY?.
Several months ago, I heard perhaps the best MGMT Kids Remix available and began to wonder if there was more to a group named Chiddy Bang than a millisecond of humor. Since then, the group has released multiple tracks that have made me ashamed of my initial inclination. Most recently, the band’s drop of “The Swelly Express” adds credulity to The Cool Kids Postulate: Suburban youths with a good education in rap history and a beat machine can flow with the best of them. With the artful production of Xaphoon Jones, who may be best known for his breathtaking Kanye/Radiohead/Lupe, Passion Pit/Beyonce/Biggie, MGMT/Bob Marley mash-ups, and the lyrical mastery of Chidera “Proto” Anamege, the Philly group fills that niche of talented, well-swaggered, and youthful rap.
Hear “The Swelly Express”:
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Written by , filed under New Music and tagged Chiddy Bang, Chidera "Proto" Anamege, The Swelly Express, Xaphoon Jones.