If memory serves, I first stumbled across Hoots & Hellmouth at a show -- Why was I there? Who was I with? -- four years ago at Off Broadway.

Charlie Parr is a Duluth-based country blues musician, a juxtaposition of location and genre which is only surprising if you haven't heard of Bob Dylan.

With the not quite over-night success of tUnE-yArDs, it appears that the immediate forecast calls for more chopped and drizzled rhythms, the clink and clatter and whirring whiz bang of more-is-always-never-enough lo-fi sample upon sample.

St. Louis locals Middle Class Fashion deliver upbeat, piano-driven pop with their first full-length album, "Girl Talk."

I'm sucker for a good stereo mix of doubled or tripled drums -- see every other track on "Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshima" -- and also a pushover when it comes to the bass stating the hook -- see jazz -- but I'm on the fence when it comes to blowing bubbles in music. I suppose there are some days when I just really need to hear "Octopus' Garden," but it's been a while.

Deck the halls with boughs of great music this season. 88.1 KDHX presents KDHXmas 2011: A Holiday Sampler -- 12 festive tracks, recorded live at KDHX.

A St. Louis Christmas legacy marches on with "A Very Bert Dax Christmas Volume 9." The latest CD of Christmas songs from St. Louis artists will be released this week with four CD release shows around town.

You've heard of the guilty pleasure, one of the silliest concepts ever. Here's one that's even sillier: the intellectual pleasure.

Who knows how I stumbled across boho, neo-folk, semi-popular singer-songwriter Cameron McGill. The song I first heard was "What You Wanted," from McGill's 2006 album Street Ballads & Murderesques.

Bon Iver is set to release a new album in June. Should Justin Vernon's side project Gayngs feel threatened? One can hope.

The Dirtbombs, one of the greatest live rock & roll bands you've never seen -- all right, some of you have -- are going techno. This can't be good.