‘The veil of extreme uncomfortableness’ An interview with Quintron and Miss Pussycat

quintronandmisspussycat.com / Zack Smith

Longtime St. Louis favorites Quintron and Miss Pussycat are making their way up the Mississippi from their home in New Orleans this Friday. The band brings its mix of homemade electronic instruments and puppet craft in support of “Sucre Du Sauvage,” an album recorded as an art exhibit last year at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

In two recent phone conversations, Quintron discussed his St. Louis roots, the discomfort of recording as an exhibit, and his new title of Grammy nominee. Miss Pussycat shared some secrets to making her puppet shows, and fun things to do with rubberized fabric.

Robin Wheeler: You do have a St. Louis connection…

Quintron: Very much. If I can say I’m from anywhere, which is hard being a military brat … I’ve lived in New Orleans longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life, but I had my formative growing-up years in St. Louis, Missouri.

RW: Of course, the question that follows is, where did you go to high school?

Q: Parkway North. My dad worked at McDonnell Douglas and we lived in Florissant for a long time. Then we moved to Creve Couer. He was in the National Guard and he was also an engineer.

RW: How did you come about recording your new album in the art museum in New Orleans?

Q: The curator of the contemporary wing of the New Orleans Museum of Art asked us to do something. She wanted to do, like, a retrospective exhibit of our work. She wanted to do something for a show. I’m not a visual artist. Miss Pussycat’s a visual artist, and that makes sense, with her puppets. She’s a painter and photographer.

I was like, I don’t know what you want me to do because I don’t do that kind of thing. So I thought, well, I know. I’ll use this opportunity to make a really weird experiment on myself [laughs]. Set up a recording studio and record an album in the museum. We had full 24-hour access. It was like we were employees and could be there anytime, day or night.

I ended up doing a lot of work when people weren’t there because I found it very difficult to work with the public there. I thought I could tune them out, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t. It was really annoying and I hated it when people were there, actually. I devised all kinds of ways to make it work. I’d turn my back to the public and rope myself off. I’d blast white noise in the room so I could just tune out the chatter, and nothing ever lifted the veil of extreme uncomfortableness. That part of the experiment was a failure, in a way. But having access to the museum — the whole experience — I wouldn’t trade for the world. I’m happy with the album. I wouldn’t have made that record in any other circumstances.

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Posted by | May 15, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

Concert review: The Polyphonic Spree (with New Fumes and Sweet Lee Morrow) raise all voices at the Duck Room, Friday, May 11

The Polyphonic Spree at the Duck Room in St. Louis. May 11, 2012

The Polyphonic Spree. Photo by Kate McDaniel.

Down the stairs and past the bar, a screen on the Duck Room stage displayed a jerky psychedelic image resembling a collage of contorted faces.

The disco ball spun slowly in the foreground as the stage was prepared for New Fumes to perform. Leaving his position behind the merchandise table, a tall, thin, man humbly approached the stage and looped a guitar over his shoulder as he crouched behind. He carried the unassuming air of a roadie, but this was the sole member of New Fumes, a psychedelic rock and dance act on Tim DeLaughter’s Good Records label from Dallas.

“Hi, I’m Daniel,” he began, placing a goat mask atop his head. “I have a pretty brief set so if you don’t like my music don’t worry, it will be over soon.” As he began with a trippy swirl of electronic chaos he smoothly launched into a psychedelic rendition of the Star Wars theme. With equally trippy video playing on the background screen the crowd roared with approval. Continuing to paint his tapestry of electronic psychedelia, New Fumes gained the respect of many attendees who applauded as he left the stage just as humbly as he had entered.

The second performer, Sweet Lee Morrow, took the stage also as a lone member act. However, the shy and quiet nature of the previous performer was contrasted by a much more vocal and confident display of folk and pop-rock piano and guitar tunes. Moving from behind his keyboard, he kneeled as he took hold of his guitar. Placing the headstock on his finger, he offered the crowd a bonus balancing act before submitting a final set of gracious jams.

As the crowd prepared for what they hoped would be an extraordinarily uplifting time with the Polyphonic Spree a red curtain was stretched across the front of the stage. A Vaudeville-sounding tune sprinkled out from the speakers as the spotlighted disco ball spun and sent sparkled light squares across the room.

Scissors punctured the curtain from behind. The shape of a heart was cut out as the piano began to play softly. Blasting into a full-band chorus, lead singer, Tim DeLaughter, cut the curtain in half, revealing a crew of 13 people playing and singing in white robes. A single red heart adorned each robe as a symbol of the group’s message.

Horns blared over dual percussion. Keys and a cello added to the mix with four females lending vocal support to DeLaughter. By the end of the first song the band was conducting an audience-aided sing-along. Throughout the evening some sang the lyrics like gospel while others simply stood and smiled. And of course, Beatle Bob was there rocking away in the front row.

The band set included the hits “Hold Me Now” and “Light and Day,” but also offered up a smoothly transitioned set of lesser-known crowd pleasers like “Soldier Girl.” One of the major highlights of the evening was the band’s rousing cover of the Who’s “Pinball Wizard.” The band danced and grooved as DeLaughter led the show, grabbing the rafters as he leaned toward the crowd.

Following a triumphant, horn-focused finale the band took a short break before returning to gracious cheers. Playing another three songs, the Spree’s symphony entertained the packed house as they true their hands to the ceiling in celebration. As the end of the last song approached, the crowd chanted with the harmonies of the band, “All in good time, raise our voices.”

The band members slowly left the stage in pairs until all that remained was DeLaughter with his hand on the rafters extending his microphone to the choir in the crowd. Bowing in appreciation DeLaughter waved as he followed his crew exiting the stage.

Posted by | May 13, 2012 | Concerts | 1 Comment 

Event review: KDHX fans and DJs share love, music and chaos at Midwest Mayhem at the City Museum, Thursday, May 10

Funky Butt Brass Band outside the City Museum at Midwest Mayhem 2012

Funky Butt Brass Band outside the City Museum. Photo by Sara Finke.

St. Louis music fans of all stripes gathered at the City Museum for Midwest Mayhem on Thursday evening to celebrate with the city’s independent radio station, 88.1 KDHX.

While walking towards the entrance one could glimpse the familiar school bus extending over the street as the mantis praying from above seemed to bless the mayhem ahead.

The night began with the sounds of Bob Reuter’s Alley Ghost welcoming patrons at the first floor Whale Stage (Reuter is host of Bob’s Scratchy Records on Friday afternoons on 88.1 KDHX). The crowd continued to grow throughout the evening as attendees wandered and climbed through four floors of entertainment including an excellent variety of live music, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, spin sessions by DJs, burlesque performers and even an in-house vintage clothing shop featuring its own side stage.

Like KDHX, the City Museum is ever evolving. Areas under construction at last year’s event were now open to exploration as renovations were being done on new sections. The evening was highlighted by musical acts ranging from traditional folk and country to modern rock and electronica.

Opening on the second floor, synth-pop group Née provided dance tunes beneath white icicle lights hanging from the ceiling. Meanwhile, the third floor was washed over by the folk and country blend of the Five and Dimers. On the other side of the building, burlesque performers entertained a packed house with three sets that included a grand finale male performer.

As the night continued, featured drinks by New Belgium and Sailor Jerry ensured a well-lubricated evening. Javier Mendoza was second to take the Whale Stage; the St. Louis veteran offered up a selection of singer-songwriter rock tunes attracting familiar fans and passers by who were simply following their ears.

Up again on the third floor, the Lawn Chair Brigade was present and in full effect as they marched around, snap-folding their chairs and providing a welcomed pre-show for the KDHX Blues Band (which included long-time 88.1 KDHX DJs Papa Ray, Art Dwyer, Ron Edwards and Michael McHenry). The crowd continued to expand as the band wielded wildly entertaining harmonica solos over lively and tight blues jams, attracting a wide variety of listeners.

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Posted by | May 11, 2012 | Concerts, KDHX, Music | Comment 

‘Let’s see what feels good’ An interview with Brothers Lazaroff

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It’s been a big spring for Brothers Lazaroff. They stormed South by Southwest, armed with genre-bending remixes of Austin pal Elizabeth McQueen’s retro jazz before returning to St. Louis to release their new album, “Science Won.”

Rather, they launched the new album into the world with a series of three shows: an electric gig with Cree Rider at the Gramophone, an acoustic show in the Focal Point’s Local Heroes series and a brunch set with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound at Lola.

Recently, I shared lunch with David and Jeff Lazaroff at Market Grill to discuss the roots of their music, the making of the new album and new projects.
        
Robin Wheeler: One of my first experiences seeing you was at the Uncle Tupelo tribute in 2010. I was in the balcony with my friend, who was also at the original Uncle Tupelo shows, and we both said, “They get it. This is what Uncle Tupelo would have sounded like had they not imploded.”

David Lazaroff: Honestly, we had to learn a lot about them. We didn’t know the catalog because we’re more Wilco fans. But we love old-time music. We didn’t come at it so much from the punk angle. We came at it from the country angle. More the Dylan, folk side of the things.

RW: You did “No Depression,” right

DL: We did “Watch Me Fall.”

Jeff Lazaroff: And then we did …

DL and JL: “I Wanna be Your Dog.”

RW: You guys got it. Whether you’d done your research or came from the background.

JL: I think more than anything we are, as a band, we’re friends, and it’s not necessarily about our individual talents. It’s about the sound we all make together. I think that’s the one thing we got from them is a return to that spirit of getting into old time and folk music, but coming at it from a rock perspective. That’s how we learned playing. Learning old Stanley Brothers and all the old bluegrass. And not having to be flat pickers. Not having to be bluegrass musicians, per se. That’s why, when we found the song “No Depression,” it really was an easy transition with the style we’ve developed with this unit over the past four years. We play old fiddle tunes and make them our own.

DL: Like a lot of other musicians we like to walk our influences backwards. Here’s who we love. Who did they love? Walk it back a few generations. I got into the punkier side of things later. Like getting into Sonic Youth … I think “Sonic Nurse” was their first album I owned. It was kind of cool timing to do that thing. I had that Iggy Pop album with “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” so when we were asked to do it, we were ready.

JL: We practice every Tuesday night. We make a meal and we practice. Every time one of these KDHX tribute nights has come, it’s been a good excuse for us all to dive into that artist. We’ll be geeky about them and learn six or seven tunes, do the ones that feel good and let the band decide.

DL: You can feel the ones you should do. I think for the Dylan one we ran through 20 tunes.

RW: Last night I listened to “American Artifact” back-to-back with “Science Won.” How did you get from point A to point B? Listening to “American Artifact,” there’s the feel of this being what Uncle Tupelo might have sounded like had they not broken up, and now you’re getting into more groovy and jazzy, but there’s still slide guitar undertone. So, what happened?

DL: We used to use all Austin musicians for our recordings. That’s where I lived for 13 years.

JL: He was still living in Austin with that recording.

DL: Yeah. That recording featured Gary Newcomb on pedal steel. He played with a band called Li’l Cap’n Travis that was Wilco-derived. The drummer was a woman named Stacy Hoobler who had more of a punk thing. We put that band together for that album, specifically. And then we recorded with Jacob Detering here at Red Pill, and we asked him for some recommendations for local musicians. He turned us on to [drummer] Grover [Stewart], and then Grover helped us find [bassist] Teddy [Brookins]. We went out to see Grover play one night and we found [keyboardist] Mo [Egeston]. And this all happened within a year. This is our fourth year with a solid unit. I think with the last album, “Give ‘Em What They Need,” we tried to throw it against the wall. We had developed this new style that was a combination of the groove-based styles Grover, Teddy and Mo brought, and our Americana, psychedelic thing.

We loved “Give ‘Em What They Need,” but we felt it was a little too dense. We did a lot of overdubs. Then we wanted to do the opposite. We developed an acoustic sound for certain gigs, and people really responded to it. It was a natural thing: “Oh, we have this acoustic feel where Grover uses brushes, but still being Grover. Teddy’s playing acoustic bass, but still being Teddy. And Mo’s a piano player to start. We just went in there and had this thought of, let’s see if we can do no overdubs. It had a jazzier feel. A lot of it is the grooves. Being an acoustic instrumentation, we all played the same instrument for every song, the same miking techniques, and we didn’t do any overdubs. They’re kind of folky instrumentation, but challenging ourselves to not do standard grooves on any tune.

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Posted by | May 11, 2012 | Interviews, Local, Music | Comment 

Thursday morning music news: Brian Eno explains the 20th century, Ed Helms goes bluegrass and we say goodbye to Adam Yauch and Michael Burks

Adam Yauch. Courtesy of Fabio Venni and commons.wikimedia.org

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys succumbed to cancer this week. Read Sasha Frere-Jones’ excellent tribute to the late MCA.

Stream two new songs by Animal Collective.

Pop Matters ranks 15 overlooked albums of the ’90s.

Tom Gabel, lead singer of Against Me!, goes public about his experience with gender dysphoria and will begin living openly as a transgender woman.

J. Tillman, aka Father John Misty, aka former Fleet Foxes drummer, loves mushrooms, and we’re not talking Morchella ascocarps here.

Mushrooms are recommended while watching John Hamm and Reggie Watts pay tribute to “Taxi.”

Matthew Weiner spent $250K to get a Beatles song on “Mad Men.” Was it worth it?

According to the Seattle Weekly, some greatest hits albums really are great.

The week in St. Louis concert announcements features new dates from Norah Jones, Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart, Josh Ritter and Old Crow Medicine Show.

RIP bluesman Michael Burks.

In the following video, cat barfing is mashed up with Deadmau5. You’ve been warned.

No Doubt is set to release its first album in over a decade.

First grader quotes LMFAO, gets suspended, comes back.

Watch Brian Eno dish on the evolution of visual and musical arts in the 20th century.

NPR is streaming new albums by Best Coast, Beach House and Sara Watkins.

Musicians make music. Boxers punch. And nary the twain should meet.

Back in the day, Axl Rose penned a mean letter to the editor.

The latest Live at KDHX sessions feature Reckless Kelly, Emily Wells, the Right Now and JD McPherson.

Rock Book Show, a one-stop website for the latest on music book news, features interviews with Mac Randall about “Exit Music: The Story Of Radiohead” and RJ Smith on “The One: The Life and Music of James Brown.”

Jason Pierce of Spiritualized chats with the A.V. Club about the band’s new album, “Sweet Heart Sweet Light.”

The Chicago Reader looks at the rise and fall and rise of Chicago house music.

NPR talks to Santigold about pop music and songwriting.

Surrender to the dark side of electronica with this list at Flavorwire.

You like music, so it’s not too late to take part in #musicdiary2012.

Ed Helms of “The Office” is making a bluegrass album.

For some bands, Instagram is a way of life.

Posted by | May 10, 2012 | Music, News | Comment 

Festival review: Rockin’ and rollin’ on the river at the Beale Street Music Festival, May 5 and 6

Buddy Guy at Beale Street Music Festival. Photo by Joanna Kleine.

Thousands of music fans made their way to the “land of the delta blues” last weekend for the annual Beale Street Music Festival. This was my fifth time attending the long-running fest, part of the city’s month-long Memphis in May celebration in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The violent storms and flooding of the past two years were replaced this year with sweltering heat and humidity, having fans wallowing in sweat instead of mud. The temperatures weren’t the only thing that was hot, however — the lineup was pretty amazing too. Unfortunately, we had to miss the opening night of the festival, which included heavy-hitters like guitar legend Johnny Winter, jam kings My Morning Jacket and indie diva Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine.

Arriving Saturday afternoon, we made it to the Bud Light Stage just in time to see our own hometown heroes Son Volt bring a little slice of the ‘Lou to Memphis. A decent crowd of Farrar loyalists gathered up close as the band took the stage — Jay looking a bit like Johnny Cash, clad all in black with thick sideburns. The band fought some loud feedback as they began, but it was quickly rectified as they eased into “Down to the Wire” from the band’s most recent album, “American Central Dust,” the twang of Mark Spencer’s pedal steel guitar cutting through the thick, humid air.

Son Volt played for just over an hour, turning out a comprehensive set spanning its catalog of material, including a suite of songs from the acclaimed debut album “Trace” to the delight of old school fans. A set highlight was the gorgeous “Highways and Cigarettes” from 2007′s “The Search,” featuring Spencer’s pedal steel married with Gary Hunt’s mandolin and Farrar’s haunting vocals. Farrar humored Uncle Tupelo fans by closing out with the classic “Chickamauga.”

In Memphis, music and BBQ go hand in hand, and the festival offers many options for local fare. We opted to singe our taste buds with some of Uncle Lou’s Famous Sweet and Spicy fried chicken, licking the fiery sauce from our fingers as blues legend Buddy Guy tore up the Orion Stage behind us. At 76 years old, Guy can still shred on the guitar and work the stage like the pro he is — even coming down into the crowd to play for a bit to the delight of fans. In addition to his own classics, he played inspired covers of “Fever” (appropriate considering the heat) and Cream’s “Strange Brew.”

Next we headed back to the Bud Light stage to check out ’80s Brit rockers the Cult. Lead singer Ian Astbury looked out of place in the sweltering Memphis sun in a thick black jacket and jeans, two fluffy foxtails dangling from his belt. His voice sounded relatively unchanged and guitarist Billy Duffy proved he is still worthy as well on classics like “Fire Woman,” “Wild Flower,” “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Love Removal Machine.” A few tunes from the band’s brand new album, “Choice of Weapon,” seemed to fall flat with the audience, however, including the dark “Lucifer.” Having grown up on the Cult, it was fun to hear some of these songs played live again, but overall, they seemed to be trying a bit too hard to at times to relive their glory days.

With the sun finally setting and the full “super moon” rising above the trees, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took to the stage. I admit, I’d never seen Potter before, though many have told me how great she is live. She indeed lived up to the hype. Alternating on the guitar and keys, tossing her long, blonde hair around as she belted out songs like her hit “Paris (Ooh La La),” Potter and her band proved they can hold down a festival crowd of thousands in addition to the smaller venues they play more frequently.

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Posted by | May 9, 2012 | Concerts | 1 Comment 

Concert review: The Fray (with Dia Frampton) jump into the Pageant, Tuesday, May 8

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On Tuesday night, the Fray sold out the Pageant with ease. The fans struck out from every borough of St. Louis to see the spectacle and feel pop-rock piano music splash over them. Did someone order a Rolling Rock? No? Damn, wrong band.

Dia Frampton, former contestant and runner-up on the first season of “The Voice,” took the stage promptly with her sister, Meg, on bass. The six-piece band offered a touching version of Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Dia’s oddly southern lilt (she’s from Utah) helmed the chorus with power and created new insight into the song as she danced about in her bare feet and white, diaphanous dress. The starlet didn’t fair as well during a cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” where she faltered over the “make it last all night!” part during the chorus, her vocals awash in the muddy mix.

The Fray began its headlining set with “The Fighter,” from 2012′s “Scars & Stories.” Isaac Slade’s shaved, bald head glistened under the lights. The wail of Ben Wysocki’s trebly, electric guitar bled into the warmth of Jeremy McCoy’s bass. The audience could be heard under every word of the chorus that Slade carefully uttered.

Slade adjusted his unblemished, Elton-John-on-a-yacht jacket, hopped on his piano positioned stage center and belted out “Syndicate,” from the band’s 2009 self-titled record. On “You Found Me,” the singer ventured into the audience and up to the second level of the Pageant. Camera phones appeared in every hand as he passed by delivering lines in falsetto.

Soon, Slade returned to the stage wearing a dark jacket. “The Wind” featured Slade on a Korg synthesizer and the band supporting him with velvety vocals. During “Happiness,” the singer wrapped the song’s heart-breaking lyrics over a quiet bed of instrumentation: “Happiness feels a lot like sorrow.”

Before “Turn Me On,” Slade confessed that when the band toured with U2 they played the song much too fast, “like a Foo Fighters tune.” Slade chuckled and broke into the radio-friendly jangler, which, to me, played more like a Maroon 5 track than anything by the Foo Fighters.

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Posted by | May 9, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Festival review: MerleFest turns 25 with Americana stars small, big and massive, April 26-29

Béla Fleck at MerleFest 2012. flickr.com/photos/cpthornton/7154846982

It’s easy to underestimate the impact that MerleFest has on Americana music, and for anyone who hasn’t attended, it’s perhaps equally easy to overlook.

Initially a tribute to the late Merle Watson, Doc Watson’s son and musical partner, the festival has evolved into one of the biggest of its kind, on par only with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco, both of which draw between 70 and 80,000 people each year.

One of the many things that set MerleFest apart is that it is the first large-scale event of the season. Jerry Douglas has played at every festival since it began 25 years ago, and he noted from the stage this year that it’s like coming out of hibernation, a chance to see how so many musical friends have wintered. For everyone who arrives from anywhere north of Wilkesboro, N.C. — as I do each year — it’s the first time to wear shorts, sneeze at the pollen and get a good burn.

It’s also a community festival. Wilkesboro is as far from San Fran, and indeed any metropolis, as you can get. Four thousand volunteers work the grounds, take the tickets and run the shows, North Carolina’s answer to the Oberammergau.

Still, there is a kind of an industry trade show vibe, which is nice too, as it feels a bit like being in the center of something big — and, well, you are. The new names on the roster are often ones to take note of, if only because this is a venue that has brought so many artists to larger audience recognition. (This is the festival that gave first big breaks to Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show, Martha Scanlon, Tift Merritt, and indeed many others.) And the big names are also out in force, this year including Douglas, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Punch Brothers, Los Lobos, Dailey and Vincent, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Béla Fleck, Claire Lynch, Marty Stuart and Tony Rice.

Ultimately, there’s a lot going on. And while everyone has their own tastes, and bring their own perspectives, here are some thoughts on the events of this year:

Run, don’t walk, to see Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks.

There is a growing interest in the music of the ’20s and ’30s, though this is a band that seems to have arrived via time machine from that era. Complete with banjos, fiddle, ukes, scrub board and a singing saw, the novelty actually comes in how fun and vibrant the music is. Recordings don’t do it justice, and in any case it’s a bit of a job to get a hold of the band’s two releases. They started out busking on the streets of Asheville, though for the last two years they have rocked MerleFest.

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Posted by | May 8, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

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