Eleven 8.2: December/January 2012

2 Jan. ’12

MUSIC, COMMUNITY, AND CULTURE LOCAL FEATURE

PLUSH

Building Midtown’s next big venue

NATIONAL FEATURE Palace · Jay Farrar · Kings Go Forth · Ou Oú · Paper diamond

TUNE-YARDS

Throwing new audiences for a loop

VOLCANOES AT THE CITY MUSEUM

ELEVEN PICKS 2011 — WHAT ROCKED THIS YEAR —

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contents

DEPT. OF

PERIODICAL LITERATURE ST. LOUIS, MO

issue no. 8, volume 2

the usual 3 Letter from the Editor 4 Essentials 5 Eleven in Action features 7

STL Loud Dogtown's R&R Music Labs announces a new format for 2012, as they bring local musicians together to build a scene.

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Cherokee Print League The Cherokee Print League's fourth annual Holiday Sale drew crowds in droves for neighborhood holiday cheer.

10 Baby Blues Showcase 11 Remixed: Paper Diamond 12 ex'treme School neW MusiC 13 Short List 13 Palace 13 ou oĂş 13 dubb nubb 14 Campfire Club 14 family Might 14 volcanoes

december/January 2012

live MusiC Musicalendar 17 Review Spotlight 19 Upcoming Shows 19 features

tUnE-yArDs 21 Amidst months of touring, tunE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus reveals some secrets to her music magic and takes you somewhere else.

Eleven Picks 2011 23 The magazine looks back on its most Eleven year yet.

Plush 27 loCal Neighborhood of the Month 29 Old North Restoration Group's Executive Director Sean Thomas gives Eleven an overview of what's new in beautiful Old North.

Neighborhood Watch 30 Our favorite local establishments in St.Louis.

ELEVEN searches for original bars, restaurants, and everything in-between in order to uncover the best in our city.

More online @ elevenmusicmag.com

the usual

Hello St.Louis!

Perhaps it is conceited to think that such a year would fall within our lifetimes, but it’s hard not to look back on 2011 and think that this year has been a pivotal one for St. Louis. 2011 saw the birth of so many new cultural forces and the rejuvenation of so many old ones.

The census revealed that St. Louis gained more college-educated 25to 34-year-olds than any other American city (an 87% increase in that population over the previous decade), and our downtown population increased by 359%. For getting labeled so often as a depressed Rust Belt city past its heyday, STL certainly has a lot of statistical evidence and “St. Louis Doesn’t Suck” headlines to indicate otherwise.

In 2011, we St. Louisans welcomed nextSTL’s Open/Closed summit, the St. Louis Arts Project, and the monthly Cherokee Stroll; record labels FarFetched Records, the LOUD Label, and Tower Groove Records; an onslaught of food trucks and microbreweries; and a slew of other new businesses. We brought back LouFest, Midtown Alley Fest, Pecha Kucha, and SLOUP. Then, we saved establishments like the Del Taco Saucer, Pevely Dairy (at least thus far), and Pratzel’s Bakery, just by making enough noise. We redesigned the Arch grounds.

We won one of the most dramatic World Series ever. And Chuck Berry is still kickin’.

At Mayor Francis Slay’s St. Louis Sustainability Summit on December 6th-7th, the City’s Sustainability Director Catherine Werner concluded the event with a notion that technology contributed to St. Louis’ recent population influx. So often we hear from our officials

and executives that the way to attract young people and to revitalize the city is to create science and technology jobs. But did you know that the arts get 11 million visitors every year – more than do the Cardinals, Rams, and Blues combined? Young people who have marketable skills do not move to cities just for jobs (especially not in technology); rather, technology makes it possible for educated and skilled people to work from anywhere and choose where they live.

They make that choice based on the livability of a city – its cost of living, its cultural amenities, its vibe. These factors are all ones in which St. Louis excels.

2011 has been the year of grassroots. In my job, I so often encounter entrepreneurs, community projects, and creatives looking to break the model. In fact, it seems almost exclusively that the ventures that do break traditional models are the ones that succeed in our unique city. I am the first to admit what amazing established institutions St. Louis has – but look at what we achieved in 2011, the grass roots way. Are we to believe that the activist spirit abound in St. Louis City has nothing to do with it?

Take this thought with you as you enter the new year, 2012. (After all, some theories claim it will be our last.) Do something big. Here and now. If ever there were a time and place to make it happen, St. Louis today is it.

Thanks for reading. Now get out there, St. Louis.

Staff Credits

Online Contributors: Ryan Marian, Tara Pham, Hugh Scott, Blair Stiles, Scott Trausch, Christyn Trelow

Publisher Hugh Scott Managing Editor Tara Pham Cover Photo Nate Burrell Table of Contents Photos Nate Burrell, Lee Kuehner, Tara Pham

– Tara Pham, Managing Editor

Promotions, Distribution, and Consultation Jesse Gernigin, Ali Sehizadeh Advisory Board: Barbara Brinkman, Lee Crockett, Jill Gubin, Clifford Holekamp, David Strom, Frans VanOudenallen Founded in 2006 by a group including Jonathan Fritz, Josh Petersel, and Matthew Ström.

Design Matthew Ström, Zachary Ford, Tara Pham

Eleven Magazine PO Box 23355 St. Louis, MO 63156

Intern Blair Stiles

Interested in advertising? advertising@elevenmusicmag.com

Contributing Writers Matthew Florew, Kelly Glueck, Dakota Hommes, Cassie Kohler, Tara Pham, Joseph Roberts, Hugh Scott, Gina Sigillito, Blair Stiles, Matt Stuttler, Scott Trausch, Christyn Trelow

Want to get involved? getinvolved@elevenmusicmag.com

Photographers Nate Burrell, Kelly Glueck, Lee Kuehner, Jim Newberry, Tara Pham, Hugh Scott, Madison Thorn, Spring Waugh

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Have A question for us? info@elevenmusicmag.com ONLINE twitter.com/elevenmag facebook.com/ElevenMagazine elevenmusicmag.com

the usual

Essentials (The hottest gear and gadgets to keep you on the cutting edge of useful technology and music fashion.)

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1 T-shirts from Out of Print Clothing: Wear your bibliophilia on your sleeve - or your chest - with a throwback design from Out of Print Clothing. Find your friends' favorite covers to give a personalized gift. $28, outofprintclothing.com. 2 ETY路Plugs by Etymotic Research: Protect your hearing and your favorite concert-goers' with Etymotic earplugs. You can get this high-fidelity sound reduction by 20 dB, available in five colors and with a flexible carrying pouch. $12.95, etymotic.com. 3 BoomBot Dr. X 1 by BoomBotix: The BB1portable speaker is built for the active music lover - with a clip-on feature, a one-year "whatever happens" warranty, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Light, compact, durable, and full of character, the Boombotix speaker family gives the gift of mobile sound to the skater or urban explorer in your family. $44.99, boombotix.com. 4 2012 Calendar by Paper Boat Studios: This beautifully letterpressed, handbound calendar draws inspiration from spirograph art and gives you 12 months' worth of art you can tear out and admire. This desktopsized calendar makes a charming and practical stocking stuffer. $30, Paper Boat Studios, 23081/2 Cherokee St., paperboatstudios.com.

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the usual

ELEVEN IN ACTION (We were busy this fall - here's some proof.)

Kevin and Dorfrocker’s Nox become friends at Soulard Oktoberfest, October 8th. »

Danny of Palace plays at Eleven’s Happy Hour at Nebula Coworking. »

Arthur & the Librarian charm a large audience at All Along Press at Eleven’s 11/11/11 Cherokee Street Bash. »

R&R Music Labs' Ryan Lewis and Ryan Albritton share a laugh in the studio. »

Locals get Loud by tara Pham, photos by nate Burrell

Funky Butt Brass Band is a New Orleans-inspired, six-piece brass band; Rockwell Knuckles, a musically transdisciplinary staple in local hip hop; Superhero Killer, a brand new mash-up of four experienced funksters; Fire Dog, a self-proclaimed “pop rock harmony explosion”; and The Reeling Gilly, drummer-led, vocally-charged Americana.

It seems these five local music acts have nothing in common, other than their hometown. In fact, they unite on the STL LOUD 3 compilation, released in November on the Dogtown-based R&R Music Labs’ Loud Label. Since its debut in January 2011, the STL LOUD series has become something of an instant classic in St. Louis, combining a true diversity of homegrown talent on periodically released EPs. The samplers of all-original recordings boast

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such alumni as Pretty Little Empire, Illphonics, Last to Show First to Go, Andy Berkhout, The Orbz, and Via Dove, among others.

The project is the brainchild of Ryan Albritton, 25, and Ryan Lewis, 27. The two met studying music theory and audio engineering at Forest Park St. Louis Community College, wound up locking themselves into the recording studios there late night after late night, and started a

student-run record label there called FoPa Records with Matt Keune and Jason Bass.

Eventually, the Ryans dedicated a year to building the R&R Music Labs recording studio in their Dogtown basement. STL LOUD reflects their respective musician backgrounds, technical production skills, and love for the city of St. Louis.

“We’re dealing with this large variety in music. That’s the beautiful thing about the project – having these different things together to represent the diversity of St.

features

" We’re dealing with this large variety in music. That’s the beautiful thing about the project – having these different things together to represent the diversity of St. Louis " Below, left: Grover Stewart of Superhero Killer lays down the beat for their tune "Smile" on STL Loud 3. Below, right: Guitarist Jay Summers shreds. »

Louis and to celebrate it in the local music scene,” says Lewis, R&R’s lead engineer and mixing engineer. The challenge, he says, is combining so many artists and genres into one “harmonious package” – and quickly, producing and promoting a multi-artist EP every five months or so.

Albritton, while second engineer and mastering engineer at the Labs, also takes the helm of the Loud Label, busying himself with booking, marketing, and the general business of music in St. Louis. In Albritton’s apparent online manifesto dated July 2010, STL LOUD on the whole is an act of “advocacy” for “livability” in his city. It’s about uniting a fragmented St. Louis region through the culture and vibrancy of local music.

The fourth and fifth STL LOUD volumes are already in the works. Unlike the previous volumes, Volumes 4 and 5 will be full-lengths with eight artists each. The

STL LOUD process is a months-long recruitment of musicians from every corner of the local scene (or more accurately, of multiple scenes); intimate recording sessions into wee morning hours; promotion, promotion, promotion; and the culminating finale, a release show. With the larger lineups for Volumes 4 and 5, these releases will be festival-style in the spring and fall of next year.

“If you have one genre, then you are going after a specific group of people. I want a diverse group of people to come out to these [STL LOUD release shows],” says Albritton. Casting a wide net is a risky approach to developing a local music scene, but Albritton sees it as harnessing numbers for an organic evolution of the industry. “Music, just the whole industry, is kind of in an interesting, weird place right now because the old way of doing things is kind of fading, and it hasn’t landed on

its feet yet to figure out where it’s gonna go next. And I think we’re all lucky to be a part of that because… majority rules at this point.”

Lewis echoes Albritton’s sentiments, while addressing the task of growing professional musicianship in St. Louis: “The bottom line of it all: the city, we, need to mobilize the crowds.”

Lewis goes on to say, “This town does not support its scene properly. That’s why we’re doing this project. We’re trying to build this scene up.” The release of STL LOUD 3 means good exposure for bands like Superhero Killer, who opened for Kings Go Forth in November and release their debut EP at Cicero's on January 20.

Likewise, The Reeling Gilly is due to drop their first album this winter. If the goal is to summon fresh ears for these local acts, STL LOUD is doing it. »

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features

Printers Nick Francel of Robotic Arms Press and Mike Pennecamp of I Hate Mike Pennecamp sell their work and sip PBRs at Fort Gondo. »

Printer's Holiday

by Blair Stiles, photos by Tara Pham

Cherokee Print League's Holiday Sale brings shoppers and spirit to South City.

The Cherokee Print League held its fourth annual Holiday Sale on Saturday, December 3rd. Every year, the printmakers of St. Louis congregate on Cherokee Street to promote their art to the public. Attracting art connoisseurs and holiday shoppers alike, the sale includes print-related work like letterpress printing, screen printing, and painted fabrics. It brought close to 50 local and national vendors this year, nearly double the number since the CPL’s first sale four years ago.

Morning sun and rare 50-degree December weather welcomed all-ages crowds in droves for the event, which coincided with the first day of the 28th Annual Cherokee Antique Row Cookie Spree, on Cherokee Street east of South Jefferson Avenue.

All Along Press owner Elysia Mann says the sale originally formed out of the shared desire between Cherokee printmaking businesses like All Along, Firecracker Press, and Sleepy Kitty to “celebrate printmaking and the [Cherokee] neighborhood… We like to be positive and work together,” states Mann. In addition,

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the three companies looked to give its audience “something to hold in [their] hands.”

“The first year we had maybe 800 people come to the street… it’s doubled now,” notes Mann’s partner Steven Brien, These numbers include a varied demographic of local residents and visitors from Illinois to Ohio, coming to Cherokee to either sell their artwork or peruse the famously colorful neighborhood.

The growth of the CPL’s Holiday Sale benefits the printmakers in more ways than one. “It helps us to remember to be excited about where we are,” says Mann, citing the Latino community, music scene, and underground culture as positives Cherokee has to offer.

Accompanying All Along Press were 13 other official venues, like print shops Firecracker Press, Paper Boat Studios, STL Stylehouse, and more. Further exhibiting Cherokee’s art community, Aisle 1 Gallery, Drew Henry Salon and Gallery, Fort Gondo, and Snowflake Gallery all showcased collections with the event.

The addition of the galleries is new to the Holiday Sale.

The Holiday Sale featured passports that included a map, a Landmarks Association walking tour schedule, fun facts about the printmakers and history of the street, and blank pages to get stamped by each of the vendors in the sale. At least 20 stamps qualified patrons for prizes, claimable at Porter Teleo.

As Mann sees it, walking the street during the Holiday Sale emphasizes the cool factor of manual printmaking. She concludes with a laugh, “Lameness doesn’t happen in printmaking.” »

features Nikki Hill belted out an upbeat set at the Baby Blues Showcase, backed by a band including her husband Matt Hill. »

Baby got blues Young musicians play the Baby Blues Showcase at BB's Jazz, Blues, and Soups while also supporting charity.

by Tara Pham, photo by Madison Thorn For six hours on Sunday, November 27th, hundreds of people showed to support the Baby Blues Showcase, celebrating its 10th birthday. For 10 consecutive years, the showcase has given the stage of St. Louis’ premiere blues venue, BB’s Jazz, Blues, and Soups, to blues musicians under 30 years old for the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving. This year, the event had a dual philanthropic element: accepting food can donations, and holding a raffle to raise funds for Play It Forward, a local program that gets musical instruments into the hands of needy children in the St. Louis area and supports school music programs.

The local Bottoms Up Blues Gang originally began the showcase as a way to book themselves on the BB’s stage. BUBG guitarist Jeremy Segel-Moss elaborates, “A little over ten years ago… BB’s was like the Fox [Theatre] to us – because that’s where we went to go see our favorite musicians. And so we were all sitting in the parking lot… wondering how we can get a gig at BB’s. And we just thought of it like activists. It was like, ‘Y’know, we can never get a gig at BB’s [by ourselves], but if we get all the young people together, we could have a show on a night when they’re not doing anything’ – which was the Sunday after Thanksgiving… We got whomever we knew together and did it. Then we did it every year, and then we outgrew it because it was 30 and under... And so then we just kept putting it on. But it all happened because we wanted a gig at BB’s. That was our first gig at BB’s, the first Baby Blues Showcase.”

Since 2001, the Baby Blues Showcase has become a stellar platform for local and national blues musicians to gain recognition from all sorts of audiences, including the older blues crowd

and newcomers who do not consider themselves blues fans.

“The music is already excellent,” Segel-Moss describes, “and it’s now got a community of people that comes to support [the performers]. Like, they’ve watched some of these kids grow up on stage. Marquise [Knox] would be a perfect example.” The now 20-year-old phenom Knox played the showcase as his first big show at age 15 and has since toured in Europe and won numerous nominations and awards, including the Living Blues Best Debut Artist Award for his album MANCHILD. This year’s lineup included Knox, as well as Derek Bonn, Elliot Sowell, Rum Drum Ramblers, Paul Niehaus IV, and more. The show’s youngest were East St. Louis Senior High School’s Miles Davis cover band, Miles To Go Jazztet. Bottoms Up Blues Gang singer Kari Liston emceed.

“We aged ourselves out of our own show,” laughs Segel-Moss.

With its ongoing success, the Baby Blues Showcase is leaving young blues musicians to find new reasons to sing the blues. »

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features

REMIXED (Mixing and mashing styles isn’t easy.

We share with you a band which artfully navigates among genres with a nod to an electronic vibe.)

Paper Diamond

by Matt Stuttler, photo by Tara Pham

Paper Diamond is the electronic project of Alex B – a vehicle for him to play 18 music festivals this past summer and an excuse for him to run a Colorado-based multi-business called ELM and OAK (Exclusive Limited Merchandise and One-Of-A-Kinds), that is simultaneously a record company, design firm, clothing line, and art gallery. The ever-busy Alex B finally got a chance to sit, with Eleven at 2720 Cherokee.

Eleven: You’re a Kansas City, KS, native but live in Boulder, CO, how to play bass, drums, keyboard, and everything else, too. So he now. How did you find the Midwest scene to be, and why Boulder started me on bass, and I found out the bass was kind of my main now? instrument for a long time. I was in bands touring playing bass and Paper Diamond: I moved to Tennessee for college. I went to music everything else, but I play keyboard, bass, drums. I can scratch. school there, for music production. I left [Kansas City] when I was freshly-turned 17… The scene wasn’t electronic back then. We 11: When you perform live, is it all digital? were listening to 311 and Incubus (laughs), and rap music and hip PD: Basically, I use Ableton Live on stage… and I have all of my hop. I was listening to electronic music, but really I was an instrutracks that I’ve ever made and all my multi-tracks, so I can bring mentalist so when I first heard bands like in drums from one song and start to blend Sound Tribe [Sector 9] and people doing "I’m obsessed with listening the bass part and everything else from a electronic music with actual instrudifferent song. It’s all improvised when I to old records and soul music get up there… I programmed some stuff for ments, that was kind of my segue into really being into electronic music, and the iPad, so I can actually control my whole and funk and jazz and old that moved me into liking house and then show via wi-fi. So I can perform my whole rock and whatever. That’s drum & bass and then in turn dubstep show wirelessly, and I can move around the and glitch-hop… but at the same time why I think my stuff sounds stage and interact with the crowd.

I’m obsessed with listening to old records the way it does." and soul music and funk and jazz and old 11: What about the process behind your rock and whatever. That’s why I think my recorded music? stuff sounds the way it does – because I don’t really fit into one cer- PD: I have closets of keyboards. I have a room just for records. I tain thing, it’s a whole bunch of different things melded together. start off with instruments. It’s different every time, and that’s 11: What instruments do you play?

PD: I started with violin when I was four, and then when I was 12, I started playing guitar, and I started taking guitar lessons, and my teacher told me to be a well-rounded musician, I needed to learn

what keeps it interesting. Sometimes I’ll make a song on my QWERTY keyboard. It’s just whenever inspiration hits, which seems to be fairly frequently, I just use what’s available in front of me and can make shit.

More of this interview at elevenmusicmag.com »

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features

School's In Nelly parters with Vatterott College to open new music production institute on Laclede's Landing. story and photos by T P ara

ham

November 28th marked the first day of classes at the Vatterott College ex’treme Institute by Nelly, a new music production school in what was once Nelly’s sports bar and grill Skybox. Since the Skybox, the building at 800 North 3rd Street has gone through several iterations of failed restaurants. The ex’treme Institute appears to be the final step in the evolution of the Laclede’s Landing building.

The ex’treme Institute is a true team effort between rap mogul Nelly; his sound engineer and the institute’s Executive Director of Technology and Sound Engineering, Carl Nappa; and the Chief Executive Officer and President of Vatterott Educational Centers, Pam Bell. In just four months, they constructed a full-service recording and design school within the walls of the 9,000-square foot facility. Amenities include instrumental and vocal recording studios, mastering stations, and multiple computer labs, some with dozens of synthesizers and mixers for classes like “How to Make a Beat.” The premise of the school is to offer well-rounded vocational training in all the creative aspects that a music career entails. Accordingly, students can enroll in a variety of music production, graphic and web design, and videography courses à la carte.

Carl Nappa, Nelly, and Pam Bell discuss their vision for the ex'treme Institute. »

At the institute’s private grand opening, Nelly shared several thoughts: “This is the definition of trying to put on for your city… You’re talking about education, you’re talking about inspiring, you’re talking about creativity, and you’re talking about something that could ultimately be ground-breaking. This is possibly the first school of its kind… Period.”

The site seems extravagant, considering they have only four staff members listed on the school’s website. Hopefully, as the institute gains more publicity and reputation, student enrollment will meet the ambitions of Vatterott College and Nelly.

Nelly considers the Vatterott College ex’treme Institute a legacy worth investing in. In ranking his achievements, he said, “Outside of doing things to help save lives… this right here is the next best thing. Because this is something than can continue on… This is bigger than Nelly. I don’t have to be around 20 years from now for this to be possible. ’How did we ever get along without it?’ I’m hoping that statement is made years from now…

That’s what we’re in it for.” »

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reviews

NEW MUSIC (After sifting through recent and upcoming album releases, we bring you reviews of our favorite new material.)

Palace Palace EP Self-Released

This Month’s best R Reissue

Local release

With their infectious hooks, melodic harmonies, and wise nursery rhymes, the St. Louis indie pop band Palace is making a splash that has spread far beyond the metro area.

Recorded in just four months, their selftitled EP features the best and the brightest

Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures Black Keys El Camino Childish Gambino Camp Kid Sister Kiss & Tell EP Last to Show First to Go The Farmer John EP Lil B BasedGod Velli / Silent President M.E.D. Classic Rihanna Talk That Talk The Roots Undun Strange Boys Live Music Various Artists A Very Bert Dax Christmas Vol. 9 Buy it

Borrow it

Ou Oú Builded Self-Released

Toss it

check out

ELEVENMUSICMAG.COM for more new music!

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Ou Où is the inventive, collaborative sounds of St. Louis performers Travis Bursik and Patrick Weston. Their newest release, Builded, is a three-song collection of whirry and and experimental live electronic tunes recorded onto a four-track console. Listeners into like-minded drone acts Fuck Buttons and Washed Out may find that Ou Où fits nicely into an hours-long playlist.

The EP’s first track, “Bildung,” drives dreamy synths and droning bass kicks into a cascading dirty glitch jam, clocking in right at 14 minutes. “Berries” is more abrasive and dancier, with haunting vocal samples drowning out the beat into a dreamscape of synthesizer loops before bringing back the percussion just enough to lead out the track.

The EP closer “Better Sea” dabbles with thicker bass synthesizers, higher pitched tones, and metallic bells. It creates an ambient aura reminiscent of opening and closing pulmonary valves.

Builded raves as half an hour of very deliberate soundscapes that numb the listener into instrumental electronic bliss. Through their construction of this moody atmospheric soundtrack, Ou Oú have birthed intricate sounds perfect for chilling out and just listening to the electronic waves. » - Matt Stuttler

of the local scene. Mastered by Matt Kuene, who serves as the amazing sound engineer at The Gramophone, Palace exudes an ultra-professional sound without feeling over-produced. As multi-instrumentalist Jamie Finch recalls, “We just got really lucky with incredibly talented people who know us extremely well.” Palace is more than lucky; they’re damned gifted. Easing between the harmonies of the classic ‘60s girl groups on track “I’m Still Learning” and the edgy, dark groove of “Neighborhood Kid,” the foursome fronted by Finch and Matt Kavanagh defy genre. With her incredible range, Jamie often channels Gwen Stefani during her days with No Doubt. “Show and Tell” has a lushness that calls to mind Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The whimsical group has been captivating fans with their live shows and this Friday will be no exception when they take the stage at the Gramophone in celebration of their electrifying new EP. » - Gina Sigillito

Dubb Nubb Sunrise Sleepy Eyed Spesh Pass Records Dubb Nubb’s second full-length album, Sunrise Sleepy Eyed, is a concerted step for teenaged Hannah and Delia Rainey to define their musical voice. The STL-native twins’ simple acoustics take cues from obvious current indie folk influences, as evident in the Fleet Foxes-replicated introduction of “Tennessee Mountains.” The small range of their high-pitched squawking vocals, reminiscent of Joanna Newsom or Kimya Dawson, though charming, tires after a few songs. “Meteor Showers,” like several tracks on the album, is saved by the classical string accompaniment from cellist Cecilia Miller and violinist Emily Downing, who add a melancholy drone to the Raineys’ upbeat ukulele and guitar.

Credit is definitely due, as songwriting maturity shines in “Gravestones”; meaningful lyrics complement the crescendos in guitar, violin, and vocals. The true gem of the album, “Mound City Baby,” is steeped in hometown inspiration, filled out with romantic descriptions and a touch of blues. This finale track is bound to evoke nostalgia for the riverfront for city natives.

Youthfully written and full of potential, Sunrise Sleepy Eyed gives credence to Dubb Nubb as a band to watch. » - Cassie Kohler

reviews

The Campfire Club Tin Can Telephone Self-Released With their newest release, Tin Can Telephone, St. Louis locals The Campfire Club are on to a delightfully unique formula: one part alt-country and bluegrass stomp, one part smoky analogue reverb and a healthy dose of STL pride. “Faulty tape machines, liquor, beautiful disasters and unbelievably true stories are what Tin Can Telephone is made of,” Campfire Club member Ryne Watts said.

“This is our "midwest-istential" document of freedom, pain, guilt, regret, love, loss, dreams, and belief. It's the melodies and lyrics in my head seen to fruition.”

Banjos, fiddles, and harmonicas pop up all over Tin Can Telephone, adding to the supremely intimate country vibe provided by the analogue recording process. Even the machine itself is woven into the atmosphere of the album: “We bought our new (old) reel-to-reel from a precarious, backwoods, character who kept a chainsaw on his couch, convex mirrors in the corners of his rooms, and walls lined with heavily-marked topography maps,” Watts said.

In particular, “The Banjo Song,” a cheerful, romping ode to life in St. Louis (featuring plenty of jolly banjo, of course), and “Devil’s in the Details,” a thoughtful and chilly song, both stand out as highlight tracks – yet as a whole, the album is held together by a cohesive sonic theme. Each song fits snugly and cozily with the rest and play off of very similar and what ultimately become familiar motifs after a few listens: the highs are lighthearted and jubilant; the lows are quiet and delicate; and throughout it all, The Campfire Club maintains a comfortable warmth.

There’s no doubt that Tin Can Telephone will leave you with that good ol’ nostalgic feelin’.

Blame the banjos. » - Matthew Flores

Family Might Family Might Self-Released Complete with intricate guitar noodling, propulsive drumming, and multiple vocalists battling to out-scream one another, teenaged quartet Family Might ooze timeless emo punk rock that will certainly make you heave yourself into a sweaty stupor. After a string of EPs, St. Peters’ own Tyler Groves, Conor Murphy, Tommy Pini, and Sam Reynolds finally lay down a full-length album (albeit only eight tracks), self-titled, self-released, and chock-full of melodic songs, angular riffs, and banshee wailing vocals.

Family Might is a refreshing and passionate listen from the opening track, “Friends with Elephants,” which catches the band sounding like Sunny Day Real Estate in the garage next door. There’s a duality within these songs: “In the Dirt” captures the excitement and angst of post-adolescence but also strives to create reflective soundscapes not unlike those of Explosions in the Sky. “Eventually Dies” calls to mind a youthful, simmering Cursive, while “Big League Chew” would fit just fine along the pop-punk of Warped Tour.

The ever-present hollering makes the band sound, at times, like a screamo doowop group, and the album has its share of rough patches due to the lo-fi recording.

These moments may endear some and certainly don’t detract from the overall album, as long as those math-rock guitar histrionics surface frequently. Family Might is the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that encapsulates the exuberance and torment of a certain youth, and no one would express that better than these barely legal dudes. » - Joseph Roberts

Volcanoes Heavy Hands Hi Fi Octopi Recordings There is talent hidden in every crevice of this city; or in this case, St. Charles.

Homegrown boys Eric Peters and Jon Ryan make up Volcanoes and deliver their first full-length album to the region’s progressive rock fans. Heavy Hands, originally released on emerging local label Hi Fi Octopi Recordings, will be re-released by Minneapolis-based Afternoon Records.

From wacky one-liner lyrics to hyperintense instrumentals, Volcanoes impressively dominates the idea of a bass-drum partnership. A repetitive, duo-driven echo effect maintains tension throughout the album. The introduction to each song begins with a simple, slower rhythm that builds into grungier, synthesizer-drenched funk-rock. Within this formula, each song has a unique treasure – whether it is lyrics, riffs, or drum breaks.

Volcanoes is meant to be consumed live. Dissolving the discriminatory segmentation between genres in the local rock scene, Volcanoes charms fans of everyone from The White Stripes to The Sounds to Portugal the Man. Volcanoes clearly demonstrate individual musicianship on Heavy Hands’ anthemic first track, “Everything Is On Fire.” And the finale song, “…And Then We Destroyed Each Other,” is the catchiest and most entertaining on the album. It offers a relatable perspective on heartbreak, with lyrics such as “Now I can’t listen to love songs anymore/but it’s cool man ‘cause I got other stuff to listen to.” » - Christyn Trelow

elevenmusicmag.com | ELEVEN | 14

live Want to have your show listed?

E-mail listings@elevenmusicmag.com!

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DEC 23 Mike Apirion Band, The Feed 29 Jack Grelle, The Hobosexuals

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DEC 22 Bottoms Up Blues Gang JAN 5 Little Rachel 7 Scott Kay and the Continentals 26 Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three 28 The Rum Drum Ramblers

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DEC 22 Sarah Jane & the Blue Notes 29 Following the Water 30 The Zonkeys

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Pig Slop Studios 2831 Cherokee Street, 63118

2720 Cherokee 2720 Cherokee Street, 63118

17 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

REVIEW

FishBone @ The FireBird December 7th, 2011

Angelo C. Moore skanked and danced across the stage at The Firebird with the same energy and ferocity that he has had for 30 years as frontman of Fishbone. A carnival of raw aural power, Fishbone’s set spanned three decades of blasting horns and wailing guitars.

Like a ska-core version of Frank Zappa, Fishbone ran off the hits, “Ma and Pa”, “Bonin’ In The Boneyard”, “Lyin’ Ass Bitch,” and “Cholly” were just some of the highlights from their action-packed set. » - Hugh Scott, photo by Lee Kuehner

PREVIEW

ELECTRIC IS THE LOVE - Laumeier Sculpture Park Through January 22 – Free

Laumeier Scultpure Park is renowned for its monolithic sculptural outdoor exhibits; yet, the audience for these sculptures remains unaware of the Museum Building’s indoor gallery. Hoping to bring the audience indoors, or, as curator Dana Turkovic states, “bring the outdoors in,” Laumeier Sculpture Park chose a broad scope of artists, including local avant-garde composer Eric Hall, to articulate the meaning behind modern man’s relationship with technology for an exhibition called Electric is the Love. In tapping the sound artist for the first time, Turkovic’s work evolved into a direct collaboration with Hall. The result is wholly interactive.

Thematically focused on the omnipresence of technology, this ninth installment of the Kranzberg Exhibition Series follows

the participant as he or she moves around the physical space. Inciting man’s primal curiosity, the work lets the viewer choose the sounds he or she will create. An entire room with blank walls, zoned sensors, and speakers that play distorted sounds (ranging from a heartbeat akin to that in Pink Floyd’s “Speak to Me/Breathe,” to various animalistic and calming woodland sounds), Hall’s exhibit succeeds in diminishing the boundaries between technology and human. He melds the two elements together in a pleasing synthesis of viewer participation and sound. Be sure to experience it yourself before the exhibit closes on January 22nd.

Additionally, Eric Hall will be Laumeier’s 2012 Composer in Residence. » - Blair Stiles

live REVIEW

3301 Lemp Avenue, 63118

October 9th, 2011

DEC 23 30 JAN 2 Seakings Navigator, Spastic Plastic 13 The Reptilian, Living and Wrestling 18 Caution Children, Flashlights 31 Bhob Rainey, epicycle, Hefner Fuck Detector, Bears Incorporated

The Santa Fe-based band Beirut hypnotized the Pageant, with lead singer Zach Condon’s rich melodies and signature vibrato romantically resonating over a collection of horns and Perrin Cloutiers’ Balkan-influenced accordion. The band played much of their new album The Rip Tide and 2006 favorite Gulag Orkestar.

Their relatively short set was followed two progressively more energetic and impressive encores – the finale of which included an instrumental dance number that had the entire house moving, Eastern European-style. To those who missed the show, Condon promised a return visit. » - review and photo by Kelly Glueck

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The Heavy Anchor 5226 Gravois Avenue, 63116

DEC Dinofight, Spot Ons, Jedi Nighties 29 Lame Boyz, Realism, DJLG 30

JAN 6 The Reebs, The Hailmary’s 14 Jack Buck, Coward, Magic City Fumer, Tok, Damned Holy Rollers 20

Off Broadway

PREVIEW

Pecha Kucha - Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar January 26 – Free

Non-profit coalition of STL-minded individuals Pecha Kucha St. Louis is about to turn three years old. And most people still can’t say its name quite right. Still, tons of people turn out for their events, in which 12 or so local presenters are each given exactly six minutes and 40 seconds with 20 presentation slides to share what they are passionate about in St. Louis. An almost bizarrely diverse spectrum of presenters embody the many idiosyncrasies of the city: in regular emcee, Director of the Preservation Research Office Michael Allen, and in such alumni presenters as “Project Runway” designer Michael Drummond, St. Louis Arts Project organizer Liz Deichmann, Falk Harrison Vice President of Social Media Chris Reimer (i.e. @RizzoTees), and Urban Review STL blogger Stave Patterson.

“Pecha Kucha Night represents an incredible opportunity for us to debunk the naysayers, skirt the political quagmires, outshine the negative media messages, and refocus the dialogue on what makes this

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Beirut @ The pageant

city great: the personalities, the creative thinkers, the musicians, the urban fabric, the rich cultural heritage, the innovators and entrepreneurs, right here in our midst,” explains PKSTL cofounder Jeannette Thompson. She, along with Jay Davis, borrowed the presentation style concept from Tokyo’s original Pecha Kucha Night, which began in 2003.

Thompson adds, “We are really working hard to uncover the unusual and release the passion from wherever it may live. So we look for that when people approach us with an idea. We do not want anything that sounds like it will directly promote an organization – no matter how great and meaningful it might be… By far the most successful presentations are those that are pure story telling… just a glimpse into the lives and the work of the people who are up there.”

The next batch of presentations comprise Pecha Kucha St. Louis #8 on January 26th, in the basement of the Bridge, located on the corner of Locust and N. 10th street. » - Blair Stiles

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3511 Lemp Ave, 63118 DEC Union Electric, Tef Poe 22 Murder By Death, Royal Smokestacks 29 Ransom Note, Magic City 30 The Blind Eyes, Kentucky Knife Fight 31 JAN Dots Not Feathers, Via Dove, Palace 20 The Vondrukes, The Lulus 21 Samantha Crain, Old Lights 25 STL LOUD Label Showcase 26

Pop's 4140 Manchester Avenue, 63110

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DEC Kold Kace, Freakz R Us, RiSYN 22 I Have Bomb, Age of Awakening 28 Thomas & Lexi, Manx, Trayswyre Machine Head, Suicide Silence

JAN 5 17

For more reviews and previews, check out elevenmusicmag.com. elevenmusicmag.com | ELEVEN | 18

Q+A Simply put, Bob Log III is a blues musician. A one-man band always outfitted in helmet and jumpsuit, he delivers live show as an experience. Though his songs are mostly about sex and "doing whatever the hell you want," his performance is about music and incredible skill: Singing, guitar, kick drum, high hat, two drum machines, and a clap pedal all happen at once. Eleven got a glimpse into the absurd mind of Bob Log III before his show at Off Broadway on October 12th.

Bob Log III

by Dakota Hommes, photo by Lee Kuehner

Recently, Eleven sat down with Jay Farrar, of Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo fame, in a back booth at the Soulard institution, McGurk’s. The Belleville native talked about his latest projects with Son Volt and with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, as well as the state of St. Louis music.

Eleven: How old were you when you learned guitar, and how did you learn?

Bob Log III: Well, I first started to play guitar when I was 11. Umm, I didn't necessarily LEARN to play guitar when I was 11, but I started. And how did I learn? I just picked it up, put on a record and started just making noise, like the record was making – or tried to anyway. Just start hitting it. "Beat that thing every fuckin’ day," that was the plan.

11: Where are you from and where do you live now?

BL3: I'm from Tuscon, Arizona but I live in Melbourne, Australia.

11: Is it true that the toilets flow backwards in Australia?

BL3: I've never seen that happen because

11: St. Louis tends to produce these bands – like Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, John Hartford in the ‘60’s, and Pokey LaFarge today – with a tie to the past. What do you think it is about St. Louis that brings that sense of heritage out in musicians?

JF: St. Louis has character, St. Louis has soul, and if anybody doubts that, they just need to read Kevin Belford’s book Devil At The Confluence. St. Louis is steeped in musical history. It was a major conduit for musical ideas flowing up the Mississippi River and, later, Highway 61.

11: St. Louis has trouble promoting itself. As someone who has been a working musician in St. Louis for 25 years, you see other cities promote themselves. What does St. Louis do differently from those other cities?

JF: It’s the age-old inferiority complex that St. Louis has… I think slowly things are changing. I just heard the mayor [Francis Slay] say last night that St. Louis has the most of a certain demographic, like 25- to [34-]year-olds, moving back into this city than anywhere else in the country. That’s a good sign. »

we don't have a swirley toilet, we've just got a whoooosh! toilet. It just all goes straight.

11: Besides Evel Knievel, what are some of your influences?

BL3: Well, Angus from AC/DC. I kinda liked Superman when I was a kid. And, uh, I like pole-vaulters. I think that they do a good job getting over that pole…

And it's kind of a sport you kinda have to do alone. There's no real "team" polevaulting… I play like pole-vaulting of music. It's kinda like you kinda gotta be alone to do it the way it's done right.

11: If you weren't a musician or a polevaulter, what would you be?

BL3: Yeah, I have no idea. I've never even thought about that. Hmm... nope, no idea. (laughs) Never occurred to me. »

Jay Farrar

by Hugh Scott, photo by Spring Waugh

Eleven: What are you up to?

Jay Farrar: I’ve been keeping busy the last 6 months writing and recording another Son Volt record, which at this point is pretty much done, but there is another project going on concurrently, working with 3 other guys: Anders Parker, Will Johnson from Centro-matic, and Jim James from My Morning Jacket.

Essentially, it’s working with Nora Guthrie, working with Woody Guthrie lyrics. Picking concepts out of his journals...

Nora Guthrie puts out at least one record a year, of different artists coming to be inspired by Woody’s words and artwork…

It’s slated for release in early 2012…

It’s a great dynamic, being able to step away from our normal projects and work in different environment with a different sort of camaraderie.

For more of ELEVEN's interviews with Bob Log III, Jay Farrar, and Kings Go Forth, check out elevenmusicmag.com. »

19 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

Q+A

Kings Go Forth

by Scott Trausch, photo by Jim Newberry

The sleeper hit of LouFest 2011, Kings Go Forth returned to St. Louis, to the Firebird on November 19th. KGF bassist and founder Andy Noble reveals to Eleven his obsession with independent vinyl records and rejecting throwback novelty.

11: Kings Go Forth is a ton of people of different ages. How did you bring everybody together in the first place?

AN: Well, I met Black Wolf at my record shop [Lotus Land in Milwaukee, WI]. I knew some of the other guys for a long time. I was playing in a Latin group at the time ,so I took a bunch of guys from the Latin band. That group was people from around town.

11: So with those different kind of people in the band, is it mostly you and Black Wolf as the creative driving forces, or does everybody contribute?

AN: For the album, it was. Most of the people in the group don’t really know anything about soul and funk music, just very much in passing. I wish they did, to tell you the truth; it would take a lot of the [load] off my shoulders. They just don’t. They’re not even trying to tell you they do – they just don’t. So for that kind of music, I kind of have to [lead], by default.

11: So if you’re the driving force, who would you name as some of your biggest influences? It’s hard not to hear Curtis Mayfield-like, funky soul coming through and, at the same time, Latin and disco rhythms.

AN: The thing is, my inspiration for that group is not any artist, it’s just the fact that I dig [for records], these obscure 45s. They were

usually the imitators of famous people. I mean, Northern Soul has gotten media lately, so people started to understand the concept of independent – that white college kids didn’t come up with independent music, they just named it. Independent music has existed in Milwaukee actually, but also in America, for a very, very long time. So that’s the stuff that inspires me: the original independent stuff.

11: So if you consider yourself independent music, where do you see yourself fitting into the American musical landscape right now?

AN: Whether it’s been by the record label or DJing or the record store or the band or whatever, if I could have one thing that I would like to say that I helped accomplish in America in my time, it is to make people consider [funk and soul] again to be a Saturday night music, you know, like as a viable dance club music and not just as a relic thing.

11: It’s interesting that you don’t want the music to become a relic kind of thing, because a lot of people talk about KGF as a soulrevival group. What do you think about tacking the “revival” on?

AN: It’s kind of bullshit. It’s 50-percent valid and 50-percent bullshit. The valid part of it is that, yeah, the only throwback thing I can think of is that we are recording things in a way that is very outdated. I understand that. My counter-argument to that would be that it’s cheap, and I don’t know how to do anything else. Nothing I’m doing is supposed to be funny; nothing is supposed to be a sly reference to the past... Words are like anything else: They pick up a lot of baggage. »

elevenmusicmag.com | ELEVEN | 20

features

Merrill Garbus is nothing less than a sorceress.

Inside an Outsider's Mind

by Tara Pham, illustration by Zachary Ford

¶ As tUnE-yArDs (along with bassist Nate Brenner and a rotating backing band), Garbus concocts a formula of one part soulful serenade, one part gruff yodeling, one part raw ukulele, one part dancey horns, and one part straight beatz.

With the release of their sophomore album w h o k i l l, tUnEyArDs has been touring non-stop, hitting festivals and clubs all over North America and Europe. Before her sold-out show at Off Broadway on November 8th, 2011, Garbus discussed with Eleven touring, songwriting, home, and family.

Eleven: At this point, you’ve played such a wide spectrum of venues around the world. Where are your favorite places to play? What kinds of venues do you like to play?

Merrill Garbus: We’ve been doing everything from the tiniest basement and café shows a couple years ago… [to] big festivals or open for bigger bands. Or playing alongside Yoko Ono. (laughs)… I thought that 5,000-person venues would be, like, my kinda thing…

Then we opened for Beirut, and I realized I was terrified by that many people. I’m just learning. It’s changing. Nate [Brenner, tUnEYards bassist] and I were talking about… our favorite venues…

Capacity-wise, they are sort of small compared to what we might do in the future. But maybe we do multiple nights at places or we do residencies in smaller cities like St. Louis or Detroit or Milwaukee – where we just wanna hang out for a few days and play 400-capacity clubs a few nights in a row. 400, that’s a nice number.

11: The recording process was very different between your first album, BiRd BrAiNs, and your latest, w h o k i l l. Coming into w h o k i l l with label support, were you expecting to play it to so many people?

"It has always been sort of my preference to be an outsider... It was a really big deal for me to move all the way out there, and with that came a lot of freedom from my past," says New England-native Garbus about moving to Oakland, CA. »

21 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

To read more of ELEVEN's interview with Merril Garbus, check out elevenmusicmag.com »

"For what was going on for me in my life, it was really relieving to just be able to be self-sufficient."

MG: I don’t think we ever predicted what would happen with this album…

Compared to the last one, it’s acted… way more mainstream or able to touch many more thousands of people that I ever could imagine. It’s constantly surprising to me. I’m constantly trying to keep up with my own life. You really need to prepare for the fact that you’re going on tour for two years, or you really need to prepare for the fact that you can’t just walk out into a venue without talking to 20 people because people actually know who you are now – all these things that still feel really weird to me but that clearly I need to get better at accepting.

11: What do you think makes this album more accessible than BiRd BrAiNs? MG: First of all, there’s a lot of fuzziness in the sound on BiRd BrAiNs. Although that doesn’t bother me – in fact, that might bring me in more to a recording – I realize that for the majority of people… that kind of feels unprofessional enough to them, to have a recording sound “lo-fi” – whatever that means… It’s complicated enough for them that they really don’t identify with it. I think that for [w h o k i l l], although it’s still fuzzy, it’s still more sonically acceptable than the last album. I’m realizing also that I may have improved my song writing. (laughs) I have a better grasp on what I’m doing, and sometimes that’s hard to admit to myself because I do love that first album so much, but I think I’m growing and getting better at what I do.

11: It seems like the songs that I was drawn to on your albums when they first each came out, or the songs that live audiences have been responding most strongly to, are not the songs that promoters were pushing or that blogs were hyping. So, do write albums with singles in mind? Or do those hits just identify themselves in the process of writing and recording and touring?

MG: I appreciate that people still listen to albums, to pick out the songs that are singles for them… I’m not gonna lie; some songs I really write to fill specific roles.

When I wrote “My Country,” I was like, “Okay, I really want an album starter, and I want it to… have the same function as “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” on [Michael Jackson’s] Thriller. I do sometimes write songs like that… But then, like, “Powa” and “Hatari,” they just came to be the way that they are. They just sort of manifested themselves, I would say. And I really value those songs that just make themselves apparent. And then I have to figure out what role they are gonna play within an album but knowing that they’re special somehow.

It’s such a miracle to have people appreciate my songs they way that I appreciate them. Like, really value them and care for them in a way that I do. I never expected that. It’s really cool.

11: And now are you going through that songwriting process deliberately incorporating your bandmate Nate Brenner or the fact that you know you’ll have a backing band, as opposed to before when you were mostly by yourself?

MG: Definitely Nate’s a big part of the songs now, for sure… I found someone who gets what I’m trying to do and has very little ego or very little attachment to what he is trying to prove. With him, I definitely feel like I found a really great collaborator that feels very safe to me… I can do only so many things at a time: I can create the loop, get the drum beats going, I can play ukulele over it, sing over it, loop the vocals, whatever. I can do these very many things, but something I just do not have the limbs for is then to play a bass line underneath it.

I’m for sure leaving room for him in that regard… This new song we’ve been performing is one that I worked on with this vocal ensemble… Well, I did it on the looping pedal first, then with them. And then on

tour, we added the saxophone for a bunch of the vocal parts that I had done. The songs are coming about in very different ways lately. I’m just trying to follow them.

11: Given that your music largely depends on layering and looping, what would your music sound like if you didn’t have technology?

MG: It might actually sound the same. It’d just be that I would need either more limbs or more people to do it… When I started tUnE-yArDs, it was just me and a ukulele, and the looping pedal allowed me to have a backing beat. I just wanted rhythm in there somehow. At that point, I totally might have done it with a drummer… but for what was going on for me in my life, it was really relieving to just be able to be self-sufficient. And just to be able to say, to have the freedom to say what is mine, what do I want to say, and what it only mine – not what’s mine with another person’s voice in there but really what’s my solo voice. So I would say without technology, coming to that solo voice would have been a lot more challenging, and it might’ve taken me a while longer to figure out that sense of independence and that sense of who I am, apart from the other relationships – personal and musical – that I have.

11: Why the face paint when you are performing?

MG: For ceremony, I guess? I really depend upon a sense of going into another sphere when I go on stage. There’s so much going on in the day that gets in my head. So much of people applauding you that can get to your head, and I really want to steer far away from that in my life. For me, it’s really important to make that place a spiritual place. The stage is really a ceremonial and ritual and spiritual place. The face paint is just sort of a part of that preparation, to make sure that I’m giving myself a moment to say, “Okay, you’re about to go somewhere else. So, get ready.” »

elevenmusicmag.com | ELEVEN | 22

Eric Peters and Jon Ryan of Volcanoes are so excited – and with good reason.

Over the past year, they’ve built an adoring fan base, from both their Lindenwood University peers and the St. Louis rockers who have heard their October release Heavy Hands. Soon, Afternoon Records will release a re-mastered version of the album. Peters says of the original, “We didn’t master it all – we just turned it up!”

Catch these guys live for a show that’s fast, sweaty, and loud. »

photo by Nate Burrell

23 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

On September 26th, 2011, St. Louis lost Bob Cassilly, world-renowned sculptor, founder of the City Museum, and allaround character. While his vision for destinations like the City Museum and Cementland enhanced St. Louis as a city, his legacy remains in his ability to enable the other artists to create freely. Cassilly’s spirit will continue to drive people to push boundaries and pursue innovation.

photo by Nate Burrell

Jake Wheeler's tall bikes are not necessarily for big people. They are necessarily for people with big ideas. St. Louis has some amazing folks who prefer to manifest their activism on two wheels. Though the moonlit shenanigans of the FBC (that is, the Fucking Biking Club) are nothing new – riding for their 83rd month in January – St. Louis has had a fresh surge of bicyclist advocacy in other forms. Great Rivers Greenway has progressed on connecting more and more of the St. Louis metropolitan area with bicycle paths, like the St. Vincent Greenway. St. Louis Bicycle Works continues its work in bicycle education and rebuilding out of their new, decked-out Soulard location.

South Grand Delivered, a South City-based business that brings restaurant fare to your doorstep by bicycle, will expand to Downtown St. Louis in the coming year. They have also been a part of organizing The Lit-Up Alley Cat Series, which pits bikers against each other to hit specified St. Louis landmarks and race back to party at the HandleBar. Like-minded organizations like Cherokee Street Bikes, Local Harvest, SpokedSTL, and STL STyLehouse co-sponsor the event series to get more pedaled explorers out into the city.

photo by Tara Pham

25 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

Mastermind Damon Davis has taken his experience with hip hop duo Scripts ‘N Screws and design collective Civil Ape to start FarFetched Records. FarFetched is a digital imprint that will sell music in conjunction with other multimedia art, reestablishing people’s physical and intellectual relationships with the music they own.

Davis asserts, “The point of FarFetched is to wake people up,” demanding reform of the arts based on merit and recognition. By combining a variety of artists, genres, and media, FarFetched’s sentiments very much mirror those of other new local label, Tower Groove Records. Tower Groove also unites a spectrum of bands – over 20 of them, in fact – to mutually promote each other, share resources, and release a compilation. Local labels across the board are banding together a fragmented STL scene to make the region a place for creative cross-pollination, so loud that the national scene has to pay attention.

photo by Tara Pham

elevenmusicmag.com | ELEVEN | 26

27 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

features

Creative Chaos

St. Louis' newest venue dresses up DiY

story and photos by tara Pham

don T LeT The name FooL you. Plush St. Louis may sound like a bling-heavy, yuppie nightclub on Washington Avenue, but, in fact, it is Midtown’s next big thing: a four-story, 800-capacity, art-infused full-service restaurant, event space, and music venue. Plush opens at 3224 Locust Street in the next month, finally filling the unmet need in St. Louis for a venue sized between Off Broadway and The Pageant.

The DIY-chic venue comes from the mind and heart of Maebelle Reed, St. Louis native and founder of 11-year-old Plush Tucson. Reed decided she wanted to bring her brand home to St. Louis, and along with her, booking agent Kris Kerry. Kerry has booked Plush Tucson for ten years and has already gotten Plush St. Louis on the right track to offer shows in an eclectic range of music genres. Confirmed so far are a handful of local shows in January, as well as national bands like Blind Pilot (March 2) and Hot Chelle Rae (May 3).

Plush’s Locust Street building was once a residential development. At Reed’s busily artistic hands, it has become a labyrinth of re-purposed furniture, fixtures, and tapestries. There is a schizophrenic charm to the mismatched and seemingly methodless madness; yet, the overall effect is an inviting, all-purpose hangout.

The space is swanky enough for businesses’ best-dressed VIP parties and messy enough for friends’ late-night chats. Plush St. Louis fits the bill for a night out in Midtown. » Reed and her team of creative cohorts have revamped Plush's historic building largely with found and upcycled materials. Still, the building maintains remnants from its time as a luxury residential development and thus defies classification. »

1909 Locust Avenue @tincanlocust Live music Saturday Improv Shop 1st and 3rd Thursday Poker Wednesdays, Trivia Thursdays 3157 Morgnford Road @tincanmf Live music Friday, Saturday & Sunday Trivia Wendesdays

tincantavern.com Over 90 Canned Libations • $2 Beers, All Day, Every Day Home-Style Food • Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee & More!

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local

Neighborhood of the month:

OLD NORTH

There is something big happening in North St. Louis. Eleven took a tour of the neighborhood with Sean Thomas, Executive Director of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group and chatted with him at the neighborhood coffee shop, La Mancha Coffeehouse. » - Hugh Scott

Eleven: What is the history of Old North and the new Crown Square?

Sean Thomas: The neighborhood goes back to 1860 when it was originally a separate village from the City of St. Louis from 1860 until 1941, when it was absorbed into the City. It grew into being one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the City by the end of the 1800s and into the early part of the 1900s. But then, like a lot of urban neighborhoods across the country, it experienced decades of serious decline, depopulation, building abandonment, disinvestment – all those urban blight-related issues. In the ‘70s, the City converted the two blocks of the main portion of the commercial corridor [14th Street] to a pedestrian mall with trees lining the middle, hoping that would revive it, and it failed miserably. The residents here have for years been advocating a reopening of the street, and it wasn’t really until momentum from previous developments and enough outside investor confidence that we could get the financing to do the new development. That started officially in 2007, and it took a little more than 3 years to rehab and re-open the street.

11: It’s amazing how different the 14th Street Pedestrian Mall looks.

ST: A lot of people from St. Louis, if they have been here at all, have been to Crown Candy, and for years, if they would come to Crown Candy and stand in line, they would look across the street and see a dead zone. They would see a ghost town. And that reinforced the abandoned feel of it, and it of course blocked [the view of] The Arch. We have one of the best views in town right down 14th Street here, and for years they had trees right down the middle so you couldn’t even enjoy that view!

People waiting in line at Crown Candy now recognize that they don’t have to grab their ice cream cone and high tail it out of here. They can actually go for a walk down the street and do some window-shopping while they are here. – which is a fantastic thing.

This is a community that is alive and growing.

11: Have you seen broader momentum growing specifically because of the rehab of Crown Square?

ST: You can certainly argue that success breeds success. It’s sort of the opposite of the broken window theory. It does have that ripple effect. It’s getting better and better in the small ways.

11: Obviously fighting the perception of the North Side is one of the toughest challenges you face. How do to overcome that?

ST: The perception shapes our ability to attract businesses, and attracting business shapes our capacity to attract residents. Some of these we have to prime the pump ourselves, such as the Grocery Co-Op, instead of expecting someone from the outside to come in and establish a store. And that do-it-yourself attitude is really ingrained in this neighborhood. It adds to the character of the neighborhood when it’s owned by and created by the community.

29 | ELEVEN | elevenmusicmag.com

Sean Thomas at his office.

" That do-it-yourself attitude is really ingrained in this neighborhood. It adds to the character of the neighborhood when it’s owned by and created by the community. "

The 14th Street Pedestrian Mall, looking toward the Arch.

local

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Leading the pack among local microbreweries, Urban Chestnut offers fine artisanal American beers, like their flagship brew, Winged Nut. Midtown 3229 Washington Ave. (63103) 776-6599 | urbanchestnut.com

Cherokee Street 2101 Cherokee St. (63118) 776-6599 | themudhousestl.com

Mangia Italiano

J. Gravity Strings

It’s always a good time at Mangia, whether you’re looking for fresh pasta and a glass of wine, or a slice of pizza and a cold beer. There’s new late night drink specials now, too.

Situated on the banks of the big muddy, Gravity Strings buys, sells, repairs, and restores guitars, banjos, mandolins and amplifiers for over 30 years.

South Grand 3145 Grand Blvd. (63118) 664.8585 | dineatmangia.com

Soulard 1546 S. Broadway (63104) 241-0190 | gravitystrings.com

STL Stylehouse

FOAM Coffee & Beer

St. Louis-inspired wearables, custom screen printing, and graphic design. You can't spell STYLE without STL!

Paid Advertising

The Mud House Nothing beats some good gossip with a buddy, over a latte almost too pretty to drink... almost. Breakfast served all day and the best club sandwich you've ever had.

Off-beat decor, snack plates, free WiFi, and weekly events and live shows, and you’ve got the definitive place to work by day or hang out by night on Cherokee.

Cherokee Street 3159 Cherokee St. (63118) 494-7763 | stl-style.com/

Cherokee Street 3359 S. Jefferson Ave. (63118) 772-2100 | foamstl.com

South Grand Delivered

Blueberry Hill

Craving the flavors of South Grand but don't want to leave the house? South Grand Delivered gets the best South City flavors straight to your door - by bike!

A Landmark restaurant and music club filled with pop culture memorabilia and famous for great food — directly across from the new Chuck Berry Statue!

South Grand By phone - 270-2276 southgranddelivered.com

The Loop 6504 Delmar Blvd. (63130) 727-4444 | blueberryhill.com

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st. louis lou is

No Talk. All Action.

Launch a startup in 54 hours in St. Louis this January.

January 27-29, 2012 T-REx Incubator 615 Olive Street,12th Floor

Early Bird Registration: Regular Registration:

$49 before Dec. 29 $75 until sold out

Register @ st.louis.startupweekend.org or follow & friend us: @startupwkndstl • facebook.com/startupwkndstl