Jack Splash is a renaissance man,  fronting award winning projects (PlantLife and The Heart Attack) and producing countless others (from Alicia Keys to Missy Elliot).  Most impressively, though, is the range of mastery he demonstrates over these many different styles.  In the lead-up to his summer debut solo release, Technology and Love Might Save Us All, he has been releasing mixtapes flexing his ability to produce and perform.  The track “It’s Not the Same” from King of the Beats Volume 1 shows Splash kickin’ it old school with early 90s electro/g-funk SoCal beats and providing the hip-hop storytelling of the OG lifestyle to back it up.

Jack Splash – “It’s Not the Same”

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Written by Jonathan Fritz, filed under New Music and tagged It's Not the Same, Jack Splash, King of the Beats Volume 1.

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Rodrigo y Gabriela play acoustic guitar. But, don’t make the mistake of expecting a flamenco set from this duo – they play all out rock ‘n’ roll, and their concert at the Pageant was no exception. The set opened against a backdrop of red slashes, foreshadowing the rush of sound that was to come. Read More »

Written by Spencer Graham, filed under Live and tagged Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Pageant.

Dear Vincent CD Release Show w/ Natural Selection and Chariots

Friday, Mar 12th
Where: Off Broadway
When: 8 PM

Dear Vincent, a project originally conceived by lead singer/songwriter Brian Steel to answer letters written by Vincent Van Gogh, has grown as a band in the two years and change since its inception. With Kevin Kelly, Chris Fenter, Ariadne Holliday, and Mat Harris now filling out the roster, Dear Vincent plays folk songs on folk instruments and never lacks for depth. Culminating their development as a band worthy of St. Louis’ attention, the band is releasing their new album So Long Winter This Friday. With St. Louis/Denver favorites Natural Selection and up-and-comers Chariots to complete the lineup, Off Broadway will be well-attended; so arrive early, and stay late.

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Written by Eleven Magazine, filed under Upcoming and tagged 2720 Cherokee, Mimosa.

Photo by Lyle Owerko.

September 1, 2009, David Bazan released his, not just critically, but controversially acclaimed album Curse Your Branches: the aptly nicknamed “breakup with God” album. I had a short phone chat with King David about the record and what it meant to him. Read More »

Written by Tawaine Noah, filed under Q+A, Upcoming and tagged David Bazan, The Old Rock House.

Pierced Arrows are old people.  Well, relatively anyway.  They’re an Oregon based husband and wife duo, and they’re well in to their fifties, playing music longer than most of us have been alive.  Fred and Toody Cole, joined in this state by Kelly Halliburton on drums, are a garage rock staple.  In a previous incarnation, the Coles were Dead Moon.  Dead Moon released a massive 16 alums before disbanding, and now with Halliburton, they released their sophomore effort for their new group, Pierced Arrows, on Vice records. Read More »

Written by Hannah Steele, filed under New Music and tagged Descending Shadows, Pierced Arrows, Vice Records.

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Written by Ryan Dornfeld, filed under Live and tagged Off Broadway, Those Darlins.

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Written by Eleven Magazine, filed under Live and tagged Mahjongg, The Firebird.

Photo by Bailey Mohr. More on Flickr

Written by Eleven Magazine, filed under Live and tagged Foam, Jon Baker.

Thursday, Mar 4th

Hollywood Holt w/ DJ Clockwork and Drace

Where: the Gramophone
When: 9 PM

Starting the weekend on Thursday never hurt anyone – and, to kick it off right, there’s no doubt you’ll need to get down with Hollywood Holt at the Gramophone tonight.  It’ll be a great night of DJ sets, and if you RSVP and arrive before 10 PM, free PBR (one or two is better than none)!

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Written by Jonathan Fritz, filed under Upcoming and tagged Foam, Hollywood Holt, Off Broadway, the Gramophone, Those Darlins.

Enter Apop Records, a Wunderkammern of Exotic Sounds, Curio Publications, and Psychotronic Cinema! Wunder-what? you might ask. Yes, Apop Records truly is a “wonder chamber” or “cabinet of curiosities.” It also happens to be home of business owner, Tiffany Minx. Minx established Apop Records with business partner, Dustin Newman, in the unassuming town of Columbia, MO in 2004. Specializing in the realms of sub/counter/fringe culture, avant garde & experimental music/cinema, obscure literature, and contemporary wonders, Apop has remained a vital part of the Cherokee St. community since their move to St. Louis in 2007. I had an opportunity to catch up with Tiffany and discuss Apop Records’ Past, Present, and Future.

Why did you choose to move Apop Records to Cherokee St?

Tiffany:

Even though Dustin had lived in St. Louis before, I don’t think either of us had a really good sense of where the right place would be for the shop. Delmar, to me, continues to be one of the only actually flourishing areas for independent business (this of course, discounting Clayton and CWE for obvious yuppie-laden reasons) but we knew that even if we could afford it, we didn’t want to be on Delmar. We wanted to be somewhere more music oriented and DIY; or somewhere else that wasn’t already branded with an image.
Many of our friends lived in South City; the shows we attended when visiting were at SC locales (Radio Cherokee, Lemp, CBGBs); and in general, it seemed a more down to earth neighborhood with a lot of potential and interesting activity.

Because the once prominent commercial district had been in such a dormant state–except, of course, the active Mexican community that really pioneered business here after the street’s initial decay–the existing infrastructure and reasonable rents/property prices encouraged opportunity for those of us who lacked the capital backing of larger businesses but could compensate with a unique vision and determination.

Could we do better on Delmar or S Grand? Likely. The burden of taxing all one’s resources running a small business is further compounded by the fact that anyone who opens shop on Cherokee also takes on the job of street promoter and community revitalizer, which can be pretty overwhelming and disappointing at times. Since we’ve opened, we’ve seen more than a dozen of one-of-a-kind businesses and shops open on Cherokee — shops that would make a killing in better ‘hoods, but still struggle mainly due to lack of foot traffic and city awareness of the street. Yet, only one of these businesses has thus gone under, and considering how much turn over you see on Delmar, well, I think that’s a testament to the exceptional work ethic and fierce determination of entrepreneurs and organizers here.

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Written by Josh Levi, filed under Local Profile and tagged APOP Records, Cherokee Street, Tiffany Minx.