Concert review and setlist: Kelly Clarkson (with Matt Nathanson) puts on vocal clinic at the Fabulous Fox, Friday, March 16

Louis Kwok

Touring on her latest album, “Stronger,” Texan Kelly Clarkson put on a stunning vocal clinic Friday night at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis.

Released in October, the record has garnered her usual high success and will surely continue to produce hit singles this year.

The original 2002 American Idol has enjoyed more staying power than the rest, consistently charting hit records while collecting a broad fan base. As a pop star, she’s proven to be less predictable, less dramatic and less auto-tuned than the rest.

Even so, haters have always followed Clarkson, criticizing everything from her sexual orientation to her weight.

Clarkson took the criticism head on Friday night before taking the stage. As the sold-out crowd buzzed in anticipation, faux tabloid headlines were projected on a transparent curtain, flashing words like “Single,” “Failure” and, especially, “Fat.”

When she hit the stage and launched into “Darkside,” she didn’t look fat or unsuccessful to me. In fact, I’d be shocked if she’s still single. Guiding a rapturous crowd through a diverse set of rock, gospel, soul and pop, Clarkson’s show in a sense was a big middle finger to the critics.

Judging from her music selection, Clarkson could rightly be called a record collector nerd who happens to be a pop megastar. Her anthems pay the bills, but Clarkson seemed most energized pulling off ballads and offbeat covers.

After dazzling the crowd with rockers like “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” Clarkson and her crack band changed gears with a dark, industrial version of Florence and the Machine’s “Heavy In Your Arms.” It was the first of many surprises during the night.

Huddling together at the front of the stage, the band played a prolonged and engaging acoustic set. With their informal, living-room-jam setup, the band could have been playing at the Venice Café, complete with their eclectic, sticker-laden upright piano.

All the while, Clarkson displayed astonishing vocal range and power.

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Posted by | March 19, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert review: Pomegranates (with Men Working in Trees, Library Voices and the Lighthouse and the Whaler) return fully ripe to the Firebird, Sunday, March 11

Pomegranates at the Firebird in St. Louis, March 11, 2012

Pomegranates at the Firebird. Photo by Jamie DeVillez.

On the way to SXSW, a slew of bands stopped by the Firebird to sow some new spring seeds and leave some tasty arils. Pomegranates headlined an artsy-rock heavy lineup of bands local, national and Canadian.

Possibly tuning up longer than they had time to play, I watched Men Working in Trees working on instruments that used to be trees. When finally tuned, they pumped out bright indie pop with rude-boy walking bass lines, which would held portent for the night. About midway through the set the lead singer regretted not having any “things” at the merch booth. Having “things” is very important to the economic part of being a band. Not only does it get you additional money, but it also gets you renown. It’s what makes the record turn.

However, “things” contrast with consumerism moderne where you pare down a CD collection, vinyl, photographs, notebooks and relationships into a single device. Anytime you can follow your brain on a path like that, there’s some good music underscoring it. So, in that sense, they were almost a religious experience.

After the locals the seven-piece ensemble that is Library Voices took the over the stage. On their way to SXSW from Canada, St. Louis was the furthest south they had ever ventured. Despite not playing any ska at all they somehow got the crowd skanking. Yes, that reads skanking and should
be interpreted as skanking hard. Even the guy with the five-toed Vibram shoes kept going after getting goose-stepped on.

The Lighthouse and the Whaler were next in line to inherit the stage and running-man crowd. It has to be difficult to create resplendently-soaring music on top of a driving beat when you have two violins. The Ohioans somehow did so. Next to the drummer sat an additional floor tom, snare and tambourine. These were steadily wielded with the speed of propellers. Stable melodies took residence like Venice over a mercurial foundation of rhythm.

It was hard to tell if the crowd had gotten smaller or if everyone was just standing closer together by the time Pomegranates took the stage. Cute may not be the right word to describe Pomegranates, but it’s the first word that comes to mind when you see their adorable boyish faces
and pink guitar. Their looks did not betray their sound, but they did belie the amount of power Pomegranates can breed. Though the crowd was small, the energy was plentiful. By encore time, the venue stunk of a 20-year-old locker room.

Heavy on reverb and retro, Pomegranates brought cassettes as one of their “things” that were available for only a limited time. But then again, isn’t everything only available for a limited time?

See more photos from the show.

Posted by | March 12, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert review: Blind Pilot’s ‘We are the Tide’ tour rolls into St. Louis with style, at Plush, Friday, March 2

Blind Pilot at Plush in St. Louis, March 2, 2012

Meghan McGlynn

Why do I even care what a few strangers from Kentucky think of a St. Louis crowd? Why would it bother me when one of them tells me about the Blind Pilot show they attended earlier in the tour at Headliners in Louisville?

Or why would I care that the Louisville crowd had quieted down so obediently during the encore of “Three Rounds and a Sound” that the only noises besides the unplugged band and Israel Nebeker’s sincere voice was the clink of the bartender as he dropped ice into a glass? I’ll never understand why someone shouts “f&%*ing Frat Boy Shut Up!” while trying to get another person to quiet down, but I do know one sure way to silence a few loud talkers — sing louder.

Which I’m proud to say is exactly what a packed house full of rapt music lovers did at Plush in St. Louis on Friday night. Mr. Louisville, you keep quiet, ’cause this rowdy St. Louis crowd knows how to party, and apparently, how to join in on a sing-along.

Beyond the touching encore, there were many great moments in this KDHX-welcomed show: such as when Dave Jorgensen played trumpet for “I Buried a Bone” or Kati Claborn pulled out the dulcimer, or Israel set up a pump organ for “New York,” the final track on their latest album, “We Are the Tide,” and a perfect example of just how earnest their songwriting can get. The ancient-looking organ breathed with the song, exhaling sounds digital organs only approximate.

I have no song favorite: the eponymous “We Are the Tide” became an instant road-trip repeat on a recent drive to Memphis; “The Colored Night” is an all-day-you-must-hum-if-you-can’t-sing-along kind of song; and their opener “Keep Her Right” gave Israel a crush-worthiness that leant Blind Pilot an appeal much wider than just the beard-and-belly set which can dominate the folk music scene.

If you’ve never heard of Blind Pilot, then I’ll take full credit here and now. Go Spotify them as soon as you can, because they just might be your next favorite band.

Wait. Do something even more odd, actually go to a record store and buy the CD, so this fantastic band of six from Portland can keep filling their straight-up awesome blue vintage ’71 Crown tour bus with gas and keep playing great shows. That’s right: How does a six-piece band lugging a pump organ from venue-to-venue and city-to-city travel? The blue bus is a kitsch mobile of the highest order. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t run on recycled cooking oil and happy thoughts. But of course, you can’t travel to a place where only real feelings happen and everyone plays banjos and dulcimers in a commercial luxury coach bus.

But I digress. I’m fawning over them a little, and clearly, I have a man crush on this band (perhaps not as enamored as my girlfriend when she first saw Israel take the stage), but it’s not like I drove all the way to Louisville to see a band.

Still, you probably get my point: Blind Pilot is worth the trip, because Blind Pilot is a band that’s going places.

Posted by | March 4, 2012 | Concerts | 1 Comment 

‘Keeping each other on our toes’ An interview with drummer Darren King of MuteMath

facebook.com/mutemath

With an album released last October and a new video for the single “Allies” recently posted, MuteMath has set its sights on St. Louis for a show at the Pageant.

In the middle of a tour for “Odd Soul,” the four-piece band blends ’70s flair with searing drums, pop vocals, manic crescendos and sharp-as-nails guitar work.

MuteMath is always ready to surprise with wild stage antics and swagger; its show this Tuesday at the Pageant should be no exception. I recently interviewed drummer Darren King by phone about growing up in a small town in Missouri, his work with other artists’ remixes and MuteMath’s approach to performing on stage.

Will Kyle: So you are originally from Missouri?

Darren King: Marshfield, Missouri, born and raised.

You were there till you were how old?

Eighteen.

Marshfield sounds like one of those towns that has a Walmart, a high school and a courthouse and that’s it, right?

Yup, and a Sonic.

How did growing up in a small town affect you musically? Did you start playing when you were there?

I played in the high school marching band and I went to church in Springfield [Missouri]. They allowed me to play drums there and be pretty exuberant and didn’t try to stifle me. I recently realized they always let me play the drums really loudly and really poorly. They were always supportive, because I think they could tell I was passionate about it.

I also had a lot of time alone. I was an outsider, a weird kid, and quiet. So I had a lot of time alone to practice. I had an Australian Shepherd as a pet. When I got home from school I had a dog to greet and my first Pearl drum set I could just hit. I got a lot of stuff out of my system that way.

Besides playing with the church, when did you get in your first band?

My first band was called “Fish Gate.” I was also in a band called “Sunday Grunge,” all Christian-type bands. One of them had a lead singer, a girl; I had a big crush on her. I quit the band because I thought we shouldn’t be in a band and date. We didn’t end up dating, but we’re good friends now. I loved those opportunities to play in little coffee houses growing up.

My best friend John was a drummer too and inspired me greatly. We would always challenge each other musically, trading licks and fills. We always kept each other on our toes.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

As a kid, I originally wanted to be a Disney animator, and then I wanted to be Michael Jordan. I got these five basketballs, but they were of no use to me, as I was horrible, no matter how hard I tried. One day, I aired the basketballs up to different pitches and started drumming along on them with my feet. I realized I ought to be a drummer

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Posted by | February 27, 2012 | Interviews | 1 Comment 

Album review: Paul McCartney charms with ‘Kisses on the Bottom’

Paul McCartney
“Kisses on the Bottom”
Hear Music

“Kisses on the Bottom” is a collection of standards by Paul McCartney. This style of music is in McCartney’s DNA, every bit as much as the music of Little Richard or Carl Perkins.

Long before becoming a Beatle, Paul McCartney was exposed to the pop songs of the ’30s and ’40s through the strong influence of his father James, who played mostly ragtime jazz in the Jim Mac Jazz Band in the ’20s. McCartney’s father also would play the pop songs of the last 10 to 20 years at home with young Paul and the family gathered around the piano.

Those tunes never left McCartney and it was through them that he learned how to structure a pop song, how to sing harmonies and how to move the listener. His career is dotted with examples of his fondness of the standard and that style: “Till There Was You,” “Honey Pie,” “You Gave Me the Answer,” “A Room with a View” and “The Very Thought of You.” This album has been on his mind for a very long time.

Including the bonus tracks found on deluxe versions of the CD, released February 7 on the Hear Music label (jointly formed by Concord Music and Starbucks), there are 14 tracks; all are standards save for three McCartney-penned numbers (two new, one from 1979) written with the feel and style of the others. The songs hang together well — stylishly, instrumentally and lyrically.

Lyrically these songs are born out of an era when pop music was meant to lift the spirits. America had been through the Great Depression, then WWII. In Liverpool in 1942 Paul McCartney was born when the scars of the German bombing were still clearly visible throughout the urban landscape.

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Posted by | February 21, 2012 | Album Reviews | Comment 

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 | 1 Comment 

Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst expands its Black History Month celebration

The Beatles and Little Richard, 1962. Photo by Les Chadwick for Mersey Beat.

Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst covers many genres and sub-genres — British Invasion, Mersey beat, folk rock, garage rock, power pop, jangle pop, pub jock — but without the influence of African Americans it’s doubtful that many of those genres would exist, and if they did they would most likely not merit our attention.

It is because of this that I will be recognizing and celebrating those contributions by setting aside the four February shows (February 2, 9, 16 and 23) on P!TBBB.

This year I’ll be expanding said celebration. During the show’s first three years, the month featured three weeks of the bands that appear regularly on P!TBBB covering blues, soul R&B and other material either written by or performed by African Americans. The last show of the month has featured selections from the first three shows performed by the songs’ originators.

This year valis from Trip Inside This House will be joining me and providing the music for the February 2 show. Trip Inside This House is valis’ weekly exploration of the last 40 plus years of psychedelia; he will be bringing that expertise to P!TBBB. The show will feature two hours of music by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Muddy Waters and the Temptations, which will showcase the  contributions African Americans have made to psychedelia.

The remaining three shows will revert to the format from the last three years of Februaries. Those shows have not been finalized yet, but will no doubt mine selections from the following: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers, the Kinks, the Searchers, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Tony Jackson, Manfred Mann and many more. You can expect to hear original versions by bands and performers like: Brenda Holloway, the Supremes, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Otis Redding to name several.

So, please join me (and valis) and celebrate Black History Month as we pay tribute to and celebrate the unique, dynamic and undeniable contributions made by African Americans to the music of Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst (and beyond).

Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst airs Thursday mornings, 5-7 a.m. Central on 88.1 KDHX.

Posted by | January 30, 2012 | Culture, KDHX, Music | Comment 

Album review: Nada Surf’s return to adolescence on ‘The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy’

Nada Surf
“The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy”
Barsuk

Ever the ones to ignore music industry convention, Nada Surf is obviously moving in a different direction with “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy.” The album, released by Barsuk/City Slang on January 24, is a snappier, more buoyant effort than the softer, ardent sound that has defined much of the better-known indie corners (Death Cab for Cutie, the Shins, Bon Iver) for the past several years. It’s certainly more upbeat than 2003′s earnest “Let Go” or 2005′s mercurial ”The Weight Is a Gift,” and in a way, this makes the album more reminiscent of the band’s angsty-yet-unpretentious 1996 breakout hit, “Popular.”

The tempo of “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy” rarely relents, though, which lends the feeling of forced amiability. I’m not asking for the perpetual nubbly sweater-wearing whisper of a Death Cab For Cutie record, but a little disaffection wouldn’t kill anyone. Although I kept waiting for a little crunch, itch, or well-deserved lyrical gripe, “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy” is actually pretty innocuous, the crisp guitars and gentle harmonizing in songs like “Waiting For Something,” “Jules and Jim” and “Looking Through” sounding less like a cohesive release and more like a quietly-marketed Goo Goo Dolls/Gin Blossoms/Third Eye Blind project.

The general lyrical theme suggests a nostalgia for carefree, promise-rich youth. Sometimes this is more subtle, as with the repeating phrase “recursive tulips” in “The Moon Is Calling,” and sometimes so obvious it’s silly, as in “Teenage Dreams” or the line “I can’t believe the future’s happening to me” in “The Future.”

Combined with guitarist and lead vocalist Matthew Caws’ forever-young falsetto, it all suggests the juvenile hopefulness of youth but none of the anxiety. I don’t mean to imply that all good music is borne out of misery, but one of Nada Surf’s songwriting gifts has been an acerbic wit delivered with unapologetic directness. I don’t know if the intention was to return to a simpler way to write songs, but the band is cleverer than this, and has been gutsier in the past.

This is not to say there are no bright points. There are a few instrumental saving graces on this album: the mournful trumpet in the otherwise ordinary breakup song “Let the Fight Do the Fighting,” for instance, or the shimmery strings in “When I Was Young.” The constructed distortion of “Clear Eye Clouded Mind” leads off the album, and the other full song standout, “No Snow On the Mountain,” brings a tinge of the disaffection I so badly wanted. Unfortunately, this Hail Mary of a song comes too late and after too much passionless, textureless soft rock.

The name Nada Surf refers to an existential state of nothingness, or perhaps a Buddhist state of non-attachment. It’s about living in a sea of quiet static, I guess, and although fitting to play in the background somewhere, unfortunately, quiet static is how the album sounds. After a nearly 20-year-long career, “The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy” is less about stars and more about indifference.

Posted by | January 27, 2012 | Album Reviews | Comment 

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