The lone-man outfit Thankful Tree took the Off Broadway stage after 9 p.m. with looping swells of guitar and brash puffs of harmonica to build the sonic backbones.

Pretty Little Empire and Scarlet Tanager gave a raucous crowd at Off Broadway plenty to celebrate on Saturday night.

"Get my [guitar] strings out of the toliet!" Welcome to a recording session for the new Pretty Little Empire record at Native Sound studios.

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.

Will's like a crazy, young stripper. Always, like, wreckin' cars, and like, overdosing, and like, you have to rush him to the hospital.

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.

Midtown Alley Street Fest took over Locust Street from Garrison Avenue to Hotel Ignacio on Saturday.

Three St. Louis local favorites plus one from Texas filled the Firebird to capacity with hungry fans Saturday night. 

High fives and raised drinks abounded at the Firebird on Saturday night. The occasion for the celebratory conduct was the dual album release show for St. Louis indie rock bands, Bo and the Locomotive and Union Tree Review.

Letting loose yet maintaining a command of the stage at all times, Old Lights puts on an impressive show at Off Broadway.

“…you’re the one that’s been causing all them riots over in vietnam. immediately turns t a bunch of people an says if elected, he’ll have me electrocuted publicly on the next fourth of july. i look around an all these people he’s talking to are carry blowtorches / needless t say, i split fast go back t the nice quiet country…”(2)

An ensemble of talented local bands led those in attendance at Off Broadway to an onslaught of fun and excitement.

All photos by Ben Mudd. 

It didn't feel much like a Monday night at Old Rock House last night as folks packed in close to the stage to catch Seattle folk-rockers the Cave Singers.

The St. Louis music scene can at times seem anemic, stubbornly hanging onto the past. I used to hate the sheer preponderance of classic rock stations, the mass illusion that all great music was recorded and waxed in the '70s, and that everything else was pop, rap or worse.

To follow up its modest, lo-fi debut, Pretty Little Empire revved up its rhythms and tuned up its harmonies, resulting in Reasons and Rooms, a second album that should expand its audience far beyond St. Louis.

Justin Johnson, one of the lead singers with Pretty Little Empire, and Sarah Ross, known for her work with Paper Dolls, have combined for the Jump Starts, an acoustic folk rock duo that spotlights harmonies and jittery, bouncy rhythms.