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.

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Bring in your floor toms, glass beer bottles, and fiery angst. Loosen your guitar strings until they’re an echo of an empty sound. Find someone primo to record you (in St. Louis, it’s Ryan Wasoba), and borrow a few friends for the band. Blend these ingredients on “liquefy” for 30 seconds (adding your own spices, of course), and you’ve got the base for a great EP.

Cold Bear Scout – Some Other Dirty Things

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Cold Bear Scout’s Let’s Meet the Sun and Moon is one such confection. The project is a product of Steven Colbert’s creative vision, and several musicians from Exercise/Berlin Whale and So Many Dynamos make appearances. The EP showcases the innovation and manipulation of instruments and sound that have become the trademark of the St. Louis independent music scene. Rolling, war-like drums on “Bad Parts” are foiled by almost whimsical, carnival-like melodies on “From Time to Time.” CBS draws from the polarities of human experience, twisting them into darker reflections of life.

The album shows that everything from the gleeful to the staid can be dirtied and hollowed, though these sentiments are occasionally over-exposed in Steven Colbert’s lyricism. Sometimes the severity of the lyrics on songs like “Porcelain Honey” (“I’m one of those really fucked up people/stay out drinking so I never feel a thing”) have pangs of exaggeration. CBS is strongest when these intensities are communicated in the instrumentals. At points the drum kit is dismantled so that each part can be utilized (“Some Other Dirty Things” does it best), and all Colbert’s friends are invited to join in.

The larger group of musicians adds skill to each layer of the sound, maintaining an impressive attention to detail. The dual electric guitars on “Bad Parts” dance and shadow each other with such a refined precision. In the vein of Nick Zinner, they can tend to the melodic particulars without losing a sense of improvisation. Pick up this EP. Celebrate that friends in our neighborhood are working hard to give us great music.

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