I had heard of Wildbirds and Peacedrums before watching their Take Away Show, but I knew absolutely nothing about them.  After watching the husband-and-wife duo from Sweden perform inside of a boxing ring with nothing more than drums and vocals I was hooked. 

I have to say I was skeptical at first.  After all having only a drummer and a singer seems a little too minimalistic to work in practice.  Yet while listening to Wildbirds and Peacedrums I don’t find myself missing the myriad of instruments found in so many other bands.  In fact I’m surprised how many different sounds, pitches, and rhythms can be created with so little. 

Since the band’s 2009 release Snake they have branched out a bit from their bare-bones approach.  This year’s LP Rivers (a combination of two separate EPs out now via The Control Group) finds Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin recording with the Schola Cantorum Reykjavík Chamber Choir,  a 12-piece made famous for their work with Bjork.  

While half of the album is still focused mostly on Andreas’ percussion and Mariam’s gorgeous voice, the addition of the chamber choir adds a beautiful complimentary element to the music.  Take a listen to “Fight For Me” from Rivers  and enjoy the Take Away Show videos – they are amazing.

• MP3: Wildbirds and Peacedrums – “Fight For Me”
• Buy: Wildbirds and Peacedrums – Rivers

I’ve been seeing the name Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. pop up a lot lately.  They were featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered and they recently recorded a session with Daytrotter.  That being said it took me quite a while to get around to listening to the actual music.  Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the amount of new music emerging and I have to cut myself off from hearing anything new.  Having just emerged from one of these self-imposed new music exiles, I found myself giving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. a listen.  After taking in their Daytrotter session and listening to their four-song Horse Power EP (out now via Quite Scientific Records) I have to say giving something new a chance was well worth it. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are a duo from Detroit (that would explain the name) consisting of Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott.  They make minimalistic electric folk-pop that is absolutely lovely.  They remind me of the Beach Boys trying their hand at the whole Postal Service sound.  Actually the final song on the EP is a cover of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” and the song suits the band perfectly.  You can catch Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (along with The Hood Internet) at Cicero’s on Thursday, September 16 at 8:55pm.  Their set will be part of the PLAY:stl music festival that will be going on September 15-18 throughout the Delmar Loop.  Check out this link for a full schedule of all of the bands you can catch during the festival.

Take a listen to “Vocal Chords” from the Horse Power EP below and enjoy the video for “Nothing But Our Love”:

• MP3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “Vocal Chords”
• Buy: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Horse Power EP

I’ve been uploading/posting LouFest videos like crazy so I didn’t get a chance to post some of the new releases that hit the shelves yesterday.  To be honest I haven’t listened to a single note of this Jenny and Johnny business, party due to fear that it will suck and partly due to a full plate of music.  That being said I’m looking forward to I’m Having Fun Now, the debut LP from couple Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice.  Here are some other new (day old, but still fresh) releases to check out:

• Bobby Bare Jr. – A Storm A Tree My Mother’s Head
• Carl Broemel – All Birds Say
• Dominant Legs – Young at Love and Life
• Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
• Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms (deluxe edition)
• Philip Selway – Familial
• Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses – Junky Start
• The Weepies – Be My Thrill
• Yo Gabba Gabba – Music Is Awesome Volume 2

• MP3: Jenny and Johnny – “Scissor Runner”
• Buy: Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now

• MP3: Neon Indian – “9 Psychic Chasms” (Anoraak remix) 2
• Buy: Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms

• MP3: Carl Broemel – “Heaven Knows”
• Buy: Carl Broemel – All Birds Say

• MP3: Bobby Bare Jr. – “Sad Smile”
• Buy: Bobby Bare Jr. – A Storm A Tree My Mother’s Head

• MP3: Dominant Legs – “About My Girls”
• Buy: Dominant Legs – Young at Love and Life

I mentioned yesterday in my LouFest Video Roundup post for Saturday that Broken Social Scene stole the show that day and probably the whole festival.  That being said the other performance that sticks in my head as I’m typing has to be Jeff Tweedy’s solo set.  The crowd was definitely bigger on Sunday as a whole and once Tweedy took the stage the crowd seemed to swell and pop with electricity - people were there to see their hometown boy make yet another triumphant return. 

I’ve only been a St. Louisan for five years, but it didn’t take me long to realize that Jeff’s acceptance of Chicago as his hometown rubs many people in Belleville (where he’s actually from) and St. Louis (where he played with Uncle Tupelo) the wrong way.  Yet there he was up on stage talking about the New Madrid fault after messing up a few of the words to the classic Uncle Tupelo tune “New Madrid”, as his thoughts drifted to the giant earthquake the Saint Louis area had coming its way.  Then there was the audience member that shouted to Tweedy that he needed to pay his tab at Cicero’s, to which Jeff replied “Pay my tab at Cicero’s?  No way I don’t owe anybody, they owe me”. 

It was the good old hometown banter that really made his peformance for me.  He seemed to have half a smile cocked during his entire set, always on the verge of cracking up and losing it.  He even joked that he should have sent Cicero’s his rehab bill and after someone shouted that he had made the weather better with his music he said “yeah I did that.  It’s Jeff Tweedy day, I can do pretty much anything” (see my video below where he also states his dislike for the misuse of the word literally). 

Jeff Tweedy was having a good time and it wasn’t hard to tell where he was from.  At the end of the night Jeff said “It’s nice being so close to home”.  It was nice having you in the Lou again Jeff, thanks for the good times and the great songs.  I wanted nothing more than for Jeff to play ”Shot In The Arm” and wouldn’t you know it he closed his set with my favorite Wilco tune.  Here’s your day 2 video roundup, enjoy my videos (a few got the HD treatment – I need another memory card) and here’s to doing it all over again next year. 

Kim Massie @ LouFest 8.29.10

Magnolia Summer @ LouFest 8.29.10

Carolina Chocolate Drops @ LouFest 8.29.10

Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons @ LouFest 8.29.10

Fruit Bats @ LouFest 8.29.10

Jeff Tweedy @ LouFest 8.29.10

She & Him @ LouFest 8.29.10

I’m still sorting through my thoughts about the first ever LouFest.  It was an incredible music experience for the city of Saint Louis and it has left me feeling like my best friend just left town.  I still can’t get over the fact that I was able to hop on my bike and watch many of my favorite bands rock out in Forest Park.  If you weren’t able to make it to the festival I recorded video of nearly all of the bands performing on Saturday and Sunday. 

Unexpectedly I have to say that Broken Social Scene stole the festival as far as I’m concerned.  They were really in tune with the Saint Louis pride we all felt during the show and they made sure to spread the love.  Hopefully the support St. Louisans showed by heading to Forest Park this weekend will be enough to keep this festival going for many years to come. 

Enjoy my videos/pictures and make sure to check in at RFT’s A to Z blog and KDHX’s blog for some great show reviews and photos.  Oh yeah and for those who were unaware yesterday was officially Jeff Tweedy day here in St. Louis, so you really shouldn’t have gone to work on Monday. 

Bottle Rockets @ LouFest 8.28.10

 stephaniesid @ LouFest 8.28.10

So Many Dynamos @ LouFest 8.28.10

Adam Reichmann @ LouFest 8.28.10

Titus Andronicus @ LouFest 8.28.10

Lucero @ LouFest 8.28.10

Airborne Toxic Event @ LouFest 8.28.10

Built To Spill @ LouFest 8.28.10

Broken Social Scene @ LouFest 8.28.10

No that’s not a typo Deer Tick is coming to Off Broadway on October 31 (Halloween!).  I can’t even begin to imagine the mayhem that will go on at this show, but I for one wouldn’t miss it for anything.  I’m sure the costumes will be out in full force, both on stage and in the crowd.  Personally I’ve been searching for a giant Tick costume, but we’ll see what I can come up with.

Last week I posted another track from Deer Tick’s slow burning LP The Black Dirt Sessions and posted their upcoming tour dates.  Last week there was no St. Louis date listed (not surprising since they were just here), but today Deer Tick tweeted a date at Off Broadway much to my surprise.  I wasn’t alone in being a bit sceptical, but after emailing Deer Tick’s PR guy it seems that the date is legit.  Deer Tick on Halloween, good lord this is going to kick some major ass.

Here’s some videos of Deer Tick as the Sex Pistols from Halloween of 2009- maybe we’ll get some cover action in the Lou this year.

The first day of LouFest was nothing short of a smashing success.  I still can’t get over the simple fact that I biked 5 minutes from my house to my local park (Forest Park) and saw Broken Social Scene, Built To Spill, The Airborne Toxic Event, Lucero, Titus Andronicus, Adam Reichmann, So Many Dynamos, stephaniesid, and Bottle Rockets.  Where else can you do that?  (have fun trying to bike to Lollapalooza) 

I got to the festival grounds right around 12:00 as the Bottle Rockets started their set.  The bike valet parking was incredibly easy to use and I didn’t even have to wait in line at the end of the night to pick up my trusty steed.  The crowd started out thin, but picked up as the day went on.  Never once though did I have to wait in line to use the johnny on the spot nor did I ever feel like the it was over-crowded.  In fact my wife and I were able to lay our blanket down and go as we pleased without a problem.  The weather was great yesterday and looks to be just as nice today (Sunday, August 29), but make sure to bring some sunscreen as shade is hard to come by.  Being able to refill water bottles was great, but a line does begin to form as more and more people arrive. 

 All in all the festival’s first day was a tremendous gift to St. Louis that I hope continues on through the years.  It felt like a dream staring up at the moon in Forest Park as Broken Social Scene created a transcendent atmosphere.  Come on out to Forest Park today, you won’t be disappointed.  Here’s a preview of today’s acts in the order you’ll be able to see them play.  (my videos from yesterday’s festivities are being uploaded as I type(

Sunday, August 29:

Noon

Kim Massie

1:00

Magnolia Summer

2:00

Carolina Chocolate Drops

3:00

Gentleman Auction House

4:00

Cory Chisel & the Wandering sons

5:00

Fruit Bats

6:00

Alejandro Escovedo

7:00

Jeff Tweedy

8:30

She & Him

Happy LouFest day!  It’s Saturday, August 28 and that means Forest Park is ready for its inaugural music festival.  After checking out the grounds last night and looking at the weather report today (it’s going to be quite nice) I am as giddy as could be.  Make sure to check yesterday’s preview post for today’s music schedule (sounds confusing I know) to prepare yourself for all that today has to offer.  If you’re a twitterer you can follow all of the LouFest buzz in real time at loufesttweets.com. 

Enough about today though, because tomorrow will offer up another onslaught of music for us STLers.  Starting at 1pm on Sunday local St. Louis rockers Magnolia Summer will take the stage and offer up their brand of self-described “strummy Americana sound somewhere between Son Volt and the Pernice Brothers”.  Having released 2 digital EPs after the release of 2009’s excellent Lines From The Frame don’t expect Magnolia Summer to slow down any time soon. 

Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Grabau took the time to answer my questions, which you can find below.  Chris also stopped by St. Louis Public Radio yesterday along with festival organizer Brian Cohen to talk all thingsLouFest and play a few tunes on the CityScape program.  You can listen to the interview/performance here.

1.)  What can people expect from a typical Magnolia Summer show?

Since the beginning, I have been flexible with the the number of musicians who perform live with the band.  I like the opportunity to play with arrangements and see what other musicians bring to the table.  While it’s partly out of necessity – several guys in the band play in other bands – I like how a revolving group of people keep things interesting and elicits new arrangements.  I think that approach helps make every show relatively unique.
 

2.)  What are some of your favorite venues to play when you’re out on tour?

We don’t tour as much as we would like but I have always enjoyed Austin.  I love the Continental Club in Austin.  In Chicago, Schubas and the Hideout are great places to play as well.  However,  one of my favorite places to see a band and to play is Off Broadway in St. Louis.  There’s some kind of magic about that place.    
 

 3.)  What’s the most memorable thing to happen to you guys while on tour?

By in large, we’re kinda a low drama group – but I will say that we actually eat incredibly well when traveling out of town.  John Horton has a knack for finding the best local place to eat. 

4.)  What are some of your favorite bands and/or albums out there right now?

It depends on the day but over the last couple of months, I’ve been in a bit of a rediscovery mode.  Specifically, Pavement’s catalog with the extended remasters.  I have also been finding a lot of great old blues and soul records through emusic (Howlin’ Wolf, Son House, John Lee Hooker and Henry Townsend).  Vieux Farka Toure’s Fondo is amazing.  Start with Vieux’s Fondo then check out his live CD that came out a few months ago.  I just discovered the new Superchunk record and its also fantastic.  Conversely, I’ve been listening to Jónsi and Alex’s Riceboy Sleeps. 
 

 5.)  Any tips for local bands/artists trying to make a career in the world of music?

Jason McEntire from Sawhorse says it best, “The song is boss.”  Strive for the long haul and make your own body of work. 

Hopefully you’ve been enjoying the LouFest-heavy content on the blog the last couple of weeks, because there’s only going to be more.  The powers that be at LouFest have been nice enough to give me a press pass for the festival and I will be all over Forest Park covering the festivities this weekend. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again LouFest has set itself apart by working towards being as sustainable as possible, while putting on an incredible show at the same time.  With incredible national acts like She & Him, Broken Social Scene, Jeff Tweedy, and Built To Spill there’s something for every music fan to enjoy.  Beyond the big names LouFest has also highlighted St. Louis’ fantastic and growing music scene by including several local acts. 

One of those local acts has made a name for themselves far from the confines of the Lou, but remain connected to the local music scene.  So Many Dynamos‘ latest LP Loud Wars was produced by Death Cab’s Chris Walla and contains the synth-heavy, guitar-hooked, high-energy tunes the band has become known for.  Make sure to catch So Many Dynamos at LouFest this Saturday at 2pm sharp and read on to see the band’s answers to my questions.

1.)    What can people expect from a typical So Many Dynamos show?

 I think as we get older  less guitars get thrown, less bodies flail about the stage, and fewer bad jokes get told (that last one might not be true, actually). With our songs, the energy is built into the music.  We’re happy to leave the on-stage shenanigans to the kids. Although, at the end the set you are guaranteed to find four sweaty dudes staring back at you.

 2.)    What are some of your favorite venues to play when you’re out on tour?

We’re happy to play wherever anyone has some floor space (especially in Athens or Boston). Said floor space is also helpful for sleeping purposes.

 3.)    What’s the most memorable thing to happen to you guys while on tour?

Lots of bands come back from tour with stories of excess (see: Motley Crue’s tour diary ‘The Dirt’).  However, while touring Europe our night of obligatory Amsterdamian excess was also perhaps our most miserable.  Maybe it was the fact that we found our hostel via a Google search for ‘The Most Awesome Hostel in Amsterdam’ and wound up in the heart of the Red-Light District where all of Europe’s mindless party people converge to, urg, mindlessly party; maybe it was the depressing sight of drugged women in shop-front windows looking eerily similar to the mannequins we had just seen in London; or maybe the illegality of drugs is what makes them fun in the first place (probably not), but our first night in Amsterdam flat out sucked.  The next morning, we rented bikes determined to see the better parts of the city we knew we were missing. Being one in a sea of local cyclists in Amsterdam after such a demoralizing night renewed my faith in humanity, and was enough to count as my European tour highlight.

4.)    What are some of your favorite bands and/or albums out there right now?

 As a band it seems like we’ve been really into rhythmic centered music lately like Tears for Fears, Fool’s Gold, and the New York Noise Compilation which features Konk and Liquid Liquid among others. I personally have been looking even further backwards, searching for music to satiate my funky needs. So far Fela Kuti’s album ‘Zombie’ and Miles Davis’ ‘On the Corner’ have been the most successful.  A few of us saw LCD Soundsystem at Pitchfork over the summer and came back feeling very inspired.

 5.)    Any tips for local bands/artists trying to make a career in the world of music?

 I’m not very good at counting syllables, but I think this might be a Haiku, or not:

                Do not have any money making ambitions

                Play music with people who are also your friends

                Love St. Louis, it will love you back

Tomorrow’s the big day.  LouFest kicks off Saturday at noon and continues on through Sunday at Forest Park in St. Louis (gates open at 11am both days).  In an effort to keep the excitement level high and get through this final day of the week I’ve put together a little video preview for each band in the order you’ll be able to see them starting with Saturday.  Enjoy the previews and make sure to check out the previous interviews/previews and the LouFest Mixtape! 

If you’re from St. Louis make sure you come on out to the festival this weekend and support what will hopefully be the first of many future LouFests.  This festival aims to be something special both with the bands you’ll be able to see and the experience you’ll take away with you.  Leave no trace may be difficult when it comes to festivals, but this might be the closest yet.  Remember today is the last day (through noon) that you can order tickets for will-call pickup, after that you’ll have to have your cash ready at the gates.  For a list of what you can and can’t bring in to the festival check out LouFest.com.

• LouFest on Twitter: @LouFestSTL
• LouFest on Facebook: LouFest Music Festival
• LouFest Festival Map:

Saturday, August 28:

 12:00

Bottle Rockets

1:00

stephaniesid

2:00

So Many Dynamos

3:00

Adam Reichmann and the Ghosts of Electricity

4:00

Titus Andronicus

5:00

Lucero

6:00

The Airborne Toxic Event

7:00

Built To Spill

8:30

Broken Social Scene