Video Premiere: Pretty Little Empire’s ‘All I Know’

Pretty Little Empire - "All I Know" Video

Video still by Joseph Fitzgerald

Pretty Little Empire is a force in the St. Louis music scene. The affable quartet’s sophomore release “Reasons and Rooms” was one of the best locally-produced records of 2010, and their inspired, rock-solid live sets have only been getting better over time, with no bound in sight.

The band is currently hard at work on LP number three, with recording taking place at Cherokee Street’s Native Sound studio. While we wait to hear what they’re cooking up, perched at the edge of the seat, they have been kind enough to temper our thirst by releasing a video for their non-album cut “All I Know.” The song has been a staple of their live shows and was released in 2011 on the “STL LOUD Vol. 2″ compilation.

This burning, mysterious track is a keeper, and it gets proper visual treatment thanks to a few of the band’s talented friends. I recommend that you experience it with headphones on, video set to full screen.

Posted by | February 3, 2012 | Local, News, Video/Film | Comment 

Michael Dauphin’s top 10 tracks of 2011 (video playlist edition)

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Photo by Nate Burrell.

While 2011 certainly provided plenty of top-shelf records, I want to do KDHX readers a solid, and as opposed to you running out and buying every album I mention, like I know you certainly would, I put together a cheat sheet of some of my favorite songs. That way, you can save your hard-earned cash, and bypass seeking out the complete albums, in favor of just buying the individual tracks. 

In the end, you get a serviceable mix of killer tunes from 2011, you save a couple bucks — and maybe donate those extra bucks to KDHX — and everybody wins. And heck, who knows, maybe one of these songs will motivate you to go and buy the whole album. So the artist wins, too. Everybody wins!

Happy holidays, friends.

“Ache With Me” – Against Me!: Perhaps one of the most subdued tunes so far outta Gainesville’s rock ‘n’roll punkers. Tom Gabel trades in his topical, guttural growl for a breezy stroll as a wallflower. A welcomed departure with excellent results.

“Black Hills” – Gardens & Villa: This track comes from one of the most underrated albums from 2011. Anchored by layered synths, bells and vibraphone chimes ring along as Chris Lynch hits Prince-like high notes. Commingling textures of plush, orchestral indie and pure pop melody, “Black Hills” showcases all of G&V’s strengths packed into three romantic minutes.

“Black Betty and the Moon” – Horrible Crowes: Gaslight Anthem singer, Brian Fallon, is an undeniable talent. If you don’t dig his music, you have to at least hand it to the guy for his passion. He also wears his influences boldly on his sleeve. With Horrible Crowes, Fallon channels the spirits of Tom Waits, Greg Dulli and, of course, Bruce Springsteen.

“Blue Tip” – The Cars: Like all great songs by the Cars, you can tell this is one of its songs within the first few seconds. The muted chug and beepy-boopy melody instantly has you grabbing for your shades bobbing your head. Ric Ocasek is back, and new wave music has finally been put back in its place. It’s no wonder why the Strokes were thinking about hanging it up.

“The Bump” – Deer Tick: With enough jangle and slop to make the ‘Mats jealous, 2011 saw Deer Tick come through with its finest album yet. “The Bump” harnesses everything the band does best: fucking off with reckless disregard for anything except providing a rock ‘n’ roll party.

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Posted by | December 24, 2011 | Music, Video/Film | 1 Comment 

They Might Be Giants return to St. Louis and the Pageant, tonight

facebook.com/theymightbegiants

They Might Be Giants know a thing or two about staying power. With a fun and arty sound the band continues to pull out surprises and memorable pop songs.

Originally a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, They Might Be Giants has remained a pillar in indie rock over the last three decades. The band has maintained a hefty cult following since the mid-’80s with their nerdy personas and smart songwriting. Eccentricity also largely contributed to the band’s popularity. When the duo first started writing together, they used their original songs on a Dial-a-Song phone line’s answering machine in an attempt to share their music. Odd and memorable videos accompanied the group’s popular songs such as “Don’t Lets Start” and “Ana Ng.”

The band flirted briefly with the mainstream with their early ’90s albums and adopted a full live band. Many devoted fans felt estranged and betrayed that their band appeared on MTV and changed up their less conventional sound. But They Might Be Giants were always a little too quirky to do what’s expected of an alternative band; and that was quite clear when the band began releasing children’s albums such as “Here Comes the 123′s,” “Here Comes the ABC’s” and “Here Comes Science” throughout the last decade.

After creating original music for animated movies and collaborating on children’s books They Might Be Giants return to the adult-oriented rock with 2011′s “Join Us.”

KDHX welcomes They Might Be Giants to the Pageant on Saturday, September 24.

They Might Be Giants: Live at KDHX 10/9/09

This div will be replaced

Launch player

Posted by | September 24, 2011 | Concerts, Video/Film | Comment 

With ‘Pearl Jam Twenty’ Cameron Crowe composes a love letter for fans

A young Eddie Vedder / pj20.com

A young Eddie Vedder / pj20.com

After standing in a line that extended around the side of the Tivoli Theater in the U-City loop clear to the back of the adjacent parking lot and into the alley Tuesday evening, we finally took our seats for the sold-out, one-night-only theatrical premiere of the highly anticipated Cameron Crowe documentary “Pearl Jam Twenty.”

This film is essentially a two-hour love letter to one of the greatest rock bands of the last two decades on their 20th anniversary, directed by one of the most beloved rock journalists and filmmakers of our time. This is quite simply a movie for the fans. It almost assuredly wouldn’t have been as effective in any other hands but Crowe’s. A rock journalist and contributing editor for Rolling Stone since the tender age of 18, as well as the director of popular films like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Say Anything,” “Singles,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous,” Crowe has deep ties to Seattle and its legendary music scene.

Crowe moved to the Emerald City (home of his now ex-wife Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart) in the mid-’80s, as the legendary grunge scene was just burgeoning with bands like Green River and Mudhoney. Crowe is wise in paying tribute to Pearl Jam’s true roots in the beginning of “Pearl Jam Twenty” highlighting the rise and fall of Mother Love Bone, the beloved Seattle band that included future Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard. The film shows some rare early live footage of Mother Love Bone and its tragic hero, lead singer Andrew Wood, who died suddenly of a heroin overdose in 1990 just before the band released its acclaimed debut album, “Apple.”

It’s fair to say that without Mother Love Bone, there would be no Pearl Jam, and Crowe digs deep with Gossard and Ament, as well as Soundgarden front-man Chris Cornell, who lived with Wood and was a close friend, getting them to open up and speak candidly about how Wood’s death affected them. Crowe was known in his early days at Rolling Stone for being a reporter who was trusted by bands that trusted no one, getting them to show their true selves in ways that other reporters just couldn’t. He succeeds in the same manner with these interviews.

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Posted by | September 22, 2011 | Music, Video/Film | Comment 

An Under Cover Weekend video playlist

In anticipation of seeing some excellent St. Louis artists cover some of the best artists on the planet during An Under Cover Weekend (an event welcomed by KDHX), I threw together a list of favorite songs by the artists who will be honored on September 9 and 10 at the Firebird.

September 9

AC/DC “Back in Black”

Aside from the fact that it contains one of the most recognizable riffs that ever exited a Marshall stack, the story behind “Back in Black” is what makes it my favorite AC/DC tune. It was written as a tribute to former vocalist Bon Scott, who had died six months prior to its release and was sung by new vocalist Brian Johnson, whom Scott had previously requested replace him if something should ever happen to him.

Marvin Gaye “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”

Although this song was written in 1971, the words sound as if they were pulled from today’s news stories. As timeless as Marvin Gaye’s tunes are, I almost wish this one was a relic of the past.

Cake “Short Skirt Long Jacket”

Cake is one of those bands that you can’t truly appreciate until you see them performing live. This ode to workplace lust has everything you need: A catchy hook, driving drums, and a vibraslap.

Stevie Wonder “Superstition”

Stevie Wonder is a master at everything he does, but his funkier works are my favorites. This song always reminds me of the silly superstitions that my grandmother used to believe.

Electric Light Orchestra “Do Ya”

I don’t think it’s possible to hear an ELO song without nodding your head. The crunchy guitar riffs in this one get me every time.

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Posted by | September 8, 2011 | Concerts, Video/Film | 2 Comments 

Video: Tower Groove Records Carnival performing artists

Socialism has gotten a bad rap of late — OK, at least since the 19th century — but the collectivism, share-and-share-alike spirit of Tower Groove Records is pretty inspiring. The coalition of umpteen St. Louis bands has a mission of getting the word, and the records, out about a pretty wide range of rock, folk, punk and experimental music in town.

Welcomed by KDHX, the Tower Groove Records Carnival, an event aimed at funding a sampler of the bands, happens this Sunday at Off Broadway. Some 19 or so bands will be performing short sets, both inside and out, and games, food, clowns and a silent auction are also on tap. The carnival runs from 2 p.m. to midnite.

So I put together a list of four videos of recent Live at KDHX sessions by some of the Tower Groove Bands.

Hope to see you at the carnival on Sunday.

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Posted by | September 3, 2011 | Local, Music, Video/Film | Comment 

A master and a masterpiece: Pablo Casals and the Bach ‘Cello Suites’

Pablo Casals

wikipedia/commons

Editor’s note: 57 years ago this month, Pablo Casals, at the age of 77, gave a remarkable performance from Bach’s legendary “Cello Suites” in an ancient abbey in France. The recital was filmed, resulting in a rare document of the maestro.

Tom Healy reflects on Casals and the “Cello Suites” in this review of a recently reprinted, classic study of Bach’s masterpiece. Amazing video of Casals playing in the abbey after the jump.

“The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece”
Eric Siblin

Grove Press, 2011 reprint, 336 pp.

“The difference between the reputation Bach enjoyed in his lifetime and that which he accumulated posthumously is one of the remarkable phenomena in the history of music.” – Percy M. Young

I consider J. S. Bach’s “Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin” the most beautiful music I have ever heard. Like nearly all of my (sadly limited) favorite classical music, Bach demands many hours of attentive listening. An appreciation of him is all the more rewarding because I used to live in fear of Bach and the possibility that his music was beyond my comprehension; his was the exalted realm of people I held in awe: Yngwie Malmsteen and Yo Yo Ma, the torment of my musical inadequacies made incarnate.

At any rate, after a slow initial sneak attack, Bach’s “Cello Suites” still challenge me. With one instrument to focus on, in time I am confident that I am hearing nearly everything, whereas in a symphony of voices, I am easily lost.

For musicians Bach can be an ideal frame of reference for harmony and tonality. Working within Baroque and Lutheran liturgical constraints that are severely limited by today’s standards, he constantly finds unforeseen avenues and manages to sound fresh 300 years later. You could do worse.

With Bach, the moment we presume intimacy, materials shift and re-assemble to generate new twists and new expectations which are in turn, unfailingly, crushed. Here is an unusually detached means of our watching our little minds at work, struggling with the defeats of our incessant, spontaneously-generated assumptions. Sometimes Bach, obviously the consummate music listener, seems a mischievously amused presence.

Most of what I know about writing music stems from songwriting, where what starts as in impenetrable confusing mass gradually recedes, (though things unforeseen and serendipitously magical remain.) An eventual familiarity is attained, though something, with any luck (if it is good), is left deliberately resistant to interpretation — some calculatedly non-resolving and non-resolvable stuff — some of it in the lyrics.

With Bach’s violin “Sonatas and Partitas” and similarly with the “Cello Suites,” I am not sure it is possible to feel a secure orientation, or even to remember entire sequences and transitions, at least not without complete immersion on a scale akin to practicing them every day as cello legend Pablo Casals did. They deepen.

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Posted by | August 10, 2011 | Music, Video/Film | Comment 

The making of Née’s “Magic Love” video

Née

John Donahoe

Since the release of The Hands of Thieves EP, Kristin Dennis of Née has spent the last several months becoming a “pop” artist — a requirement of which, is of course, the music video.

Though the inspiration for the choreography was a result of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Kristin’s concept for the “Magic Love” video was aimed more towards a “junior high talent competition” feel.

“I asked my friends Lauren Keefer and Kimber Hall if they would be interested in choreographing and performing with me,” she explains by e-mail, “and, as good lady friends, they agreed. We had several multiple-hour practices at the studio I share with David Beeman on Cherokee where we watched videos that had certain vibes I was hoping to capture. Lauren and Kimber really added a lot to the process of choreographing as well as refining the creative direction of the video. Of course, the boys were really amazing as well. I am proud to have friends that I can work with who see what I’m trying to accomplish and can get behind it and really add to the effort in meaningful ways. Also, Off Broadway was the absolute perfect place to shoot. I had it in mind from the beginning, but when we got there and I was testing the lights… it became magic.”

Of all opportunities afforded to pop artists, Kristin is particularly fond of the requirement that one not take oneself too seriously.

“Née’s songs are often lyrically heavy,” she says, “but placing those sentiments in a much lighter sonic setting takes it beyond the ‘I’m writing a song about my feeeeelings’ arena and into a place where I feel I can be far more creative with my approach and do things that might be out of place if I was trying to be more Elliott Smith.”

And she is looking forward to expanding on that vibe as she continues work on the new Née record, which she hopes to release in September. Also in the next month you can look forward to more Née videos, a B-side and a cover of the Robyn song, “Call Your Girlfriend,” which will have an open casting call.

“We shot [“Magic Love”] without a crew or any budget (although I totally did spend $20 on sequins at Hobby Lobby),” she stresses. “David [Beeman] hit the lights, Lex [Herbert] hit the boombox and the stage light and Mic [Boshans] pressed record on my camera.”

So that’s how it came together, with a lot of practice, patience and even more sequins.

Magic Love by Née (Official Video) from Kristin Dennis on Vimeo.

Directed by Kristin Dennis
Shot at Off Broadway 6/27/11
Choreography by Kristin Dennis, Kimber Hall and Lauren Keefer
Cast: David Beeman, Michael Boshans, Kristin Dennis, Kimber Hall, Lex Herbert, Lauren Keefer
Budget: $20
Crew Members: See Cast Members

Posted by | July 15, 2011 | Music, Video/Film | Comment 

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