PLAYBACK:stl

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profiles: we are scientists, the go! team, so many dynamos, mackenzie phillips

WWW PLAYBACKSTL COM

reviews: kate bush, gorillaz, syriana, nick hornby, sexy chix, brian wilson

features: fish in a barrel, pretentious record store guy, music & industry news

DECEMBER FREE

DECEMBER 2005

A Look Back It’s natural to set aside some time for reflection. And what better time for that than the end of the year? A look back at the highlights, the low points, what worked, what didn’t—all with an eye toward what you’ll want to do differently next year. This month, we’re indulging in an even further look back...all the way back to the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, in fact. Our writers and editors are excited about quite a few of the retro shows coming to town this month, including Neil Diamond, the Psychedelic Furs, and the Spin Doctors (“What’s Going On Here?”). In “Elliot Goes,” the boys have pulled out their very best vintage to pay homage to global greats U2. (Don’t even ask what preparations our live music editor has already begun to make for the Rolling Stones.) Now spinning in the Hollerbach household: Christmas tunes by such classic acts as Brian Wilson and the Skaggs Family. All of this will pave the way nicely for January’s best of 2005 retrospective. Because you want to know (or maybe because we just enjoy making lists), we’ll be sharing with your what rocked our worlds (and blew out a subwoofer or two) this year. Have any lists you want to share with us? Send ’em along to contact@playbackstl.com. Before you dive into these pages, let us at PLAYBACK:stl be the first to wish you a happy new year. (If live music is a part of your plans Dec. 31, may we suggest the lovely and rocking Lord Baltimore at Cicero’s?) that midnight kiss one to remember. And don’t forget: Having a designated driver is not just a good idea, it’s a life saver.

Using Our Powers for Good I just wanted to say thanks for trying to expose the rest of the world to Matt Good through your review of In a Coma. It’s nice to see that someone around here actually gets what good music is. Now if we could only get him to come down to the States (well other than northern border states) and give us one of his rock shows the way he knows how to. Not to rub it in, but I did get a chance to see him—back in ’99 in Buffalo, New York (where I’m originally from) when it was still MGB [Matthew Good Band]. It was a tour in support of Beautiful Midnight. Great show! | Chet Woods Alas, we’ve yet to see Mr. Good live, but we do get to speak to him soon about his inspiration and ideology. Watch for our profile in January.

In the Spirit of Backlisted... 1. Keep up the good work. I’ve been reading your magazine since its inception and have been a subscriber for a little while. 2. I’m so glad you’re updating your Web site! 3. I don’t know how much traffic you get at your magazine box by Busch…maybe the Metro traffic helps, but placing another one on Washington Avenue downtown would be great. There’s great lunchtime and weekend foot traffic. And the weekend traffic has a higher ratio of people who’d appreciate your magazine than the average group of passers by. | Vihar Sheth You’re not the only one glad we’re updating our Web site; we, too, are ecstatic about the redesign and all its new functionality. The plan is to go live with the new design

December 1. Of course, transitioning nearly four years of old content will take some time, so be prepared to hop between sites if you’re looking for archived material. But it will all be worth it, we promise. Don’t forget to bookmark www.playbackstl.com and visit often, as Web exclusives and updated content go live throughout the month.

Ambition, Abnormal or Otherwise Hello, Webmaster. Our names are Nicole Faust and Deidre Davis, two girls who very much appreciate Playback’s presence in STL’s scene. We’ve become avid readers, and when stumbling across the blurb about Scott Randall and Fragile Porcelain Mice, we became inspired to send in our “feedback.” We happen to attend the very high school that Randall is less famous for teaching at, heh. We are both aspiring “journalists” looking for any and every experience in magazine publication and writing, specifically in entertainment, before we head off to college to pursue the aforementioned. We were wondering if there was a place for contribution from two abnormally ambitious 17-year-olds at Playback...? We’d appreciate any type of response: advice, ideas, outlets, blah, even rejection. | Nicole Faust and Deidre Davis We love ambitious 17-year-olds! Ahem... What we meant to say was that we love ambitious and talented writers of any age. Nicole and Deidre have their first assignment; watch this space for the results of their labors. LETTERS POLICY All letters to the editor are subject to publication. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Letters are of the opinion of the writers and do not necessarily represent the beliefs of PLAYBACK:stl.

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PUBLISHER

Two Weasels Press LLC

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So Many Dynamos

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ART DIRECTOR

Jim Dunn

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Gorillaz, Marah, Bright Eyes

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Snapshot of Kansas City

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Bryan A. Hollerbach BOOK EDITOR

Stephen Schenkenberg

A Grey Christmas Xmas Listening to Rock Your Stockings Off Hudson Bell, Flyleaf, The Go Station, Goldfrapp, The Meadows, Ris Paul Ric, Sevendust, Tiara, This Bird Has Flown, The Village Green Iron & Wine and Calexico The Best DVDs of 2005 Syriana, Selections From the 2005 Rural Route Film Festival, Touch the Sound Rikki Ducornet, Ronald Sukenick, Benjamin Kunkel, Jane Smiley, Nick Hornby Robert Kirkman/Ryat Ottley, Best of the Spirit, Sexy Chix, The Further Adventures of One-Page Filler Man, Too Much Coffee Man Magazine

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Steven J. Davis

Laura Hamlett

The Go! Team

Kate Bush, Antony & the Johnsons, Big Bad Zero, The Green Pajamas, Propagandhi, Skaggs Family, Supernatural, Thrice, Warhammer 48k, Brian Wilson

Drag the River, Mound City Music Fest, PLAYBACK:stl Twinkly Lights Holiday Show, Neil Diamond, The Psychedelic Furs, The Spin Doctors, Cake on Cake

MANAGING EDITOR

Mackenzie Phillips

We Are Scientists

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TIM NORDWIND and DAMIAN KULASH of OK GO at Mississippi Nights. More photos online at www.playbackstl.com. Photo by Jim Dunn.

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FILM EDITOR

Pete Timmermann LIVE MUSIC EDITOR

Brian McClelland THEATER EDITOR

Tyson Blanquart COMICS EDITOR

Jason Green EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Kevin Renick CREATIVE CONSULTANT

Bruce Burton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Kimberly Faulhaber INTERNS

Varun Chalivendra, Jeremiah Pyles, Madeline Straatmann CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Carlos Ruiz CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tyson Blanquart, Jon Butler, Jim Campbell, Shandy Casteel, Laura Ann Checkett, J. Church, Thomas Crone, Nate Dewart, Kimberly Faulhaber, Daniel Green, Jason Green, Janelle Greenwood, Laura Hamlett, Mary Beth Hascall, Cory Hoehn, Kaylen Hoffman, Bryan A. Hollerbach, Preston Jones, Mandy Jordan, Byron Kerman, John Kujawski, Tom Lange, Sarah Lenzini, Brian McClelland, Sean Moeller, Daniel O’Malley, Jim Ousley, Jon Rayfield, Kevin Renick, Aaron Richter, Stephen Schenkenberg, Madeline Straatmann, Pete Timmermann, Steven Vance, Amy Woods Butler, Rudy Zapf COVER PHOTOGRAPH

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PLAYBACK:stl is your monthly source for music news, previews, interviews, and reviews. Read about the latest movies, books, art, theater, and find out what our columnists have to say, too. All in PLAYBACK:stl and on our Web site www.playbackstl.com. Want more? Get it at home. Promote your business, event, or band on our pages. Buy a T-shirt. Or, maybe you want to join us in making PLAYBACK:stl a national source for today’s best entertainment. Find out more at:

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DECEMBER 2005

Madonna Chooses Shiny Things, High Disco Kicks Over Substance, We Act Surprised | Fashion alert: Running short on cute eras to “pay homage” to, Madonna’s taken to sporting a Studio 54–inspired look: feathered ’do complemented by sparkly hairnet, diamonds glued to eyelashes (well, where do you store your extra diamonds, plebes?), and crotchaccentuating purple spandex pantless unitard with superhero boots that could only exist in a godless, Tom Ford–less world. (We just realized that this look kind of reminds us of that lady who hosts the morning calisthenics show on PBS—possible root of our anger?) Listen, Madge, let’s snip off that Kabbalah string and get real: Is Studio 54 really tribute-worthy? Even the splashiest of the flamboyant now avert their eyes from a place where Liza with a Z popped pills and orgied up with Joel Grey and Truman Capote. Also, you were already a part of the 54 scene toward the end of its heyday—do you grasp the tragedy of going retro with a look that you already wore? But we’re being shallow—let’s instead focus on the songs, like future single “I Love New York”: “I don’t like cities, but I like New York/Other places make me feel like a dork...If you don’t like my attitude, then you can eff off/Just go to Texas, isn’t that where they golf?” Um, we haven’t seen the liner notes for the album, but here’s hoping that Lourdes wrote that. And yes, we hate ourselves just a little bit for giving Madonna exactly what she wants—more press—but at least we’ve managed to ignore Gwen Stefani’s deeply offensive “ghetto fabulous” look. No promises for 2006, though. Federline Leaks Rap Lyrics, Validates This Column’s Moniker | Remember birthdays when you were a kid? How after you opened the presents and your friends went home, you just kind of sat there dazed, not able to choose the first toy to play with? Yeah, that’s how the leaked snippet of Kevin Federline’s rap single “Ya’ll Ain’t Ready” (insert your own “No, we certainly weren’t” joke here) makes us feel. Where the fuck do we start? The Casio-keyboard-rhumba-setting backing track? Fucking awesome. His disastrous poor man’s Eminem/ Kid Rock/Crazy Town vocal stylings (shugah, baby), complete with random sibilant “s”? Outstanding. That this is what he’s been spending all his time on while Brit pooped out a kid? Classic. But really, if you want to know, it’s the lyrics that make us happiest. Much like the times when we’re tempted to simply print Fred Durst’s most recent blog entry verbatim and call it a column, we would love to share

Hey there, FIAB readers—Melissa Etheridge here. I don’t know if you’ve gotten any of my press releases, but I recently beat cancer—that’s right, carcinoma, the big C, the Great Attention-Getter. I assume that 95% of you are giving me a standing O right now, so I’ll pause for a sec and let you collect yourself... OK, thanks guys. You’re my inspiration, early detection is the key, and so forth. Now, for the other 5% who rolled their eyes: Guess what, bitches? I’ve got news for you: I’m untouchable. Go ahead and try to mock me—I’ll even help you out with some lyrics from my new single “I Run for Life”: “I run for hope/I run to feel/I run for the truth/for all that is real/I run for your mother, your sister, your wife/I run for you and me, my friend, I run for life.” Do you smell something? I think it’s that half-baked poetry! Ha! But if you so much as snicker, maybe quote a line in jest—suddenly you’re the dick in the room. Someone might even share their own boringass cancer experience with you. Ha! I’ve got a free pass, motherfuckers! I’ve wanted to get this haircut for years. Years! I’m a “wash ’n’ go” kind of gal, you know? But my agent kept telling me, “The red state-ers will stop buying your albums, Missy—it’s too butch.” Well go ahead and hate on the buzz cut now, Margie Midwest. I had cancer! Fucking cancer! You’ll be ostracized by anyone who ever bought a pink ribbon magnet at the gas station. And check out this pose—I know I look like an asshole! I’m screwing with ya, snarky bastards! I’ve gone mad with power! Mad! Next up: memoir! Muwhahahaha! the entire work with you here. Sadly, that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the people who acted like assholes this month, so here’s but a small sampling: “I know you wish you was in my position/’Cause I keep getting in situations that you wish you was in, cousin/’Cause I’m not your brother/Not your uncle/I ain’t your daddy too/Stepping in this game and you ain’t got a clue/My prediction is that ya’ll gonna hate me/And this style that we create straight 2008/Back then they called me K-Fed/But you can call me ‘Daddy’ instead.” Word.

White Agrees to Buy World a Coke, Considers Chucking Mountain Dew Can at World’s Face | So Jack White has reportedly gone the way of Elton John, Ray Charles, and several dead movie stars by signing on to shill for CocaCola. White has admitted to being a lifelong Coke enthusiast (ahem), calling the beverage “the greatest drink ever made by man.” Oh really? Forgetting a little something called apple juice? Anyway, White recently confirmed the rumor, which began circulating in August (we decided to hold off reporting until we could be sure this wasn’t another disappointing “Janet Jackson has a kid!” false alarm), that he composed a new song to be used in a worldwide Coke marketing campaign. No word on when this thing will air or whether the White Stripes will appear in the ads, but in our heads it goes a little something like this: Wide shot of Jack addressing a band of smiling, red-costumed soldiers, bottles of Coke in hand. He is amassing a seven-nation army...of refreshment. Meg can march in the back and bang a drum, as long as she doesn’t sing. Goddamn, we’re good at this. Drink up, kids. Public Service Announcement: Viewing Trapped in the Closet Prevents Your Dying in Vain | Are you looking for a purpose or direction in life? Something your shitty relationship, poorquality H, and mid-level marketing job have somehow failed to provide? Put down that Bible, losers—FIAB has the answer. We recently took the initiative to rent the DVD of this chefd’oeuvre—many laughed at us, some simply stared with mouths agape, but we knew we were on to something when we saw cover art featuring the major players in various states of soap-opera tableau. And friends, R. Kelly never disappoints. Is it hyperbole? Satire? DSM-IV categorized mental illness? Who cares? It made us want to live! We won’t ruin your personal “Closet Experience” by giving too much away… OK, a midget stripper craps his pants. (Right now, poor dignified Peter Dinklage is throwing his hands up in defeat.) And don’t worry if you haven’t gotten your fill when the final line is delivered (“That ho was me!”), because Kelly plans to continue this life-affirming work on the stage and/or in your local multiplex. So, in conclusion, experience TitC and waste no more time “fearing the reaper.” Good day. | The above are the opinions of Fish in a Barrel, and not necessarily those of the editors of PLAYBACK:stl. Just the funny ones. And the ones who were outbid on eBay for a yarmulke from Brett Gurewitz’s 1975 bar mitzvah. Contributors: Kimberly Faulhaber, Sarah Lenzini

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SO MANY DYNAMOS LEGAL TENDER | By Daniel O’Malley o Many Dynamos aren’t the type of band looking to “get signed” or “make it” in the music business, says guitarist Ryan Wasoba by telephone. But mistaking that apparent disinterest in the business for laziness or a lack of ambition would be absurd. In the group’s three-year existence, they’ve played some 200 shows, 100 of them within the last year, a stat Wasoba is particularly proud of. And care about the business or not, the group’s debut When I Explode saw them catapulted from the St. Louis scene to the national spotlight, if only briefly, receiving mention in magazines from Spin to Entertainment Weekly. And their live show certainly dispels any notions of laziness. The four band mates bounce around the stage, clearly enjoying the frenzied rush of their own keyboards, dual jagged guitars, and rapid-fire drumming. “I think some bands you’re supposed to move to and some bands you’re supposed to just kind of watch,” Wasoba says. “We try to be a band that you’re supposed to move to.” They understand that some people feel awkward dancing at shows, but it’s certainly appreciated when they can look out from the stage and see their own enthusiasm rubbing off. Wasoba sees everything from the point of view of a music fan. “We all grew up being unhealthily obsessed with Weezer and then later unhealthily obsessed with the Dismemberment Plan and Q and Not U, so we know what it’s like to be fans.” Which is why the current state of radio concerns him. While he was growing up, there was a steady stream of Weezer on the FM dial. He even thought a lot of the one-hit wonder bands were awesome. What about kids now? “They turn on the radio and they hear nu-metal or whatever else, and that’s what’s gonna shape them subconsciously.” Wasoba also remembers what it’s like to be an underage fan. After all, it was only a year or two ago that he was playing a gig in a Seattle bar, not yet 21, and the staff made the band wait outside ’til show time, and even escorted them from the stage to the bathroom once they were allowed in. That’s why Wasoba appreciates the way so many St. Louis venues cater to the all-ages crowd. “We won’t play a 21-and-up show in St. Louis,” he says. “We have a strict anti-21-and-up policy.” Right now the band isn’t playing too many shows at all, but that’s only so they have time to work on their new record. This phone call

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actually can’t last too much longer because the band is getting together tonight to work on new songs. “We spent so much time touring this summer on a record that’s been out for a year and a half now,” Wasoba says. “When I Explode is a really great representation of the band we were two years ago, but we’re not that band anymore. “The only thing that was regrettable about When I Explode was how rushed it was,” Wasoba continues. “We tracked everything in four days and mixed everything in three. All the tracking was done in Chicago and all the mixing was done in D.C. I think at the time we thought that you couldn’t make a record in St. Louis, that there just weren’t studios here for it, but we’ve proven ourselves wrong.” Back to that disinterest in “making it” in the business: A while back, Wasoba talked about how satisfied the band was with Skrocki Records, how they had no interest in scoring a deal with a larger label. Considering the suc-

cesses they’ve enjoyed so far, it seemed like a position that might be difficult to maintain as they plan their next album. It’s refreshing then to hear that the group’s still content. “This comes off so cheesy, but I think the only thing we’re actually worried about is just trying to make the best record we can right now—the most honest and representative record we can—and then naively thinking that everything will work out after that.” Now it’s a few weeks later and So Many Dynamos are the last of four bands on the bill at the Hi-Pointe. It’s been a long night fraught with sound problems for the other bands, so they’re keeping their show short and sweet. Before a crowd already familiar with their music, they blaze through highlights from When I Explode, mixing in some of the new songs. Judging by the crowd—there’s a good percentage of dancers—the new record will go over pretty well.

THIS COMES OFF SO CHEESY, BUT I THINK THE ONLY THING WE’RE ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST RECORD WE CAN RIGHT NOW—THE MOST HONEST AND REPRESENTATIVE RECORD WE CAN—AND THEN NAIVELY THINKING THAT EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT AFTER THAT. | Catch So Many Dynamos on tour in December… 12/9: Charleston, IL, Boneyard’s House; 12/14: West Lafayette, IN, Morton Community Center; 12/15: St. Louis, Creepy Crawl; 12/16: Springfield, MO, Outland Ballroom

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WE ARE SCIENTISTS WRITING LETTERS TO ESME | By Sean Moeller here’s a terribly great concentration of succor in alcohol (amazingly, not a listed main ingredient) and nightly sleep, primarily because there’s a terribly great amount of grief in life and love, separately and in partnership, that needs to be blacked completely away when nothing else will do. Tagged as the relaxants of choice, something soft and warm or hard and burny going down can part the clouds for a couple hours or, at the very least, numb the nerves into a daze. We choose these methods not so much for their longevity, but for their alacrity and precision. A whisky and Coke brings ebullition or introspection and sleep brings clean white sheets and the promise of dawn. Which is better? It’s hard to say…but they both work wonders. We Are Scientists, a three-piece from New York City, is a band that carefully teeters between the medicinal benefits of booze, fresh air, a down pillow, a good laugh, and a great book. The title of the band’s debut record, With Love and Squalor—an exemplary take on the post-punk of Hot Hot Heat and the chilling but invigorating melancholy of Anne Summers, set to be released next month on Virgin Records—is lifted directly from a J.D. Salinger short story about an American GI visiting London during World War II. X, as the soldier is called, encounters a young girl in a teahouse after having watched her practicing in a local church’s children’s choir minutes before. The girl, Esme, asks him to please write a story exclusively for her one day, but to remember not to make it “childish and silly.” She would prefer for it to be about squalor, saying, “I’m extremely interested in stories about squalor.” Esme tells X goodbye and wishes for him to make it back to America with all his faculties intact, promising to write him. The story ends in Bavaria, two weeks after V-E Day, with X in the hospital and depressed, finding the lost letter from Esme for the first time: “Suddenly, almost ecstatically, he felt sleepy. You can take a really sleepy man, Esme, and he always stands a chance of again becoming a man with all his fac—with all his f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s intact.”

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| We Are Scientists are on tour in Europe this month...12/1: Birmingham, GB; 12/2: Bologna, IT; 12/3: Milan, IT; 12/4: Rome, IT; 12/6: Paris, FR; 12/8: Heidelberg, DE; 12/9: Berlin, DE; 12/10: Munich, DE; 12/11: Eindhoven, DE; 12/12: Brussels, BEL; 12/13: Amsterdam, NE

It’s comforting to think that We Are Scientists lead singer Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain, and drummer Michael Tapper write to Esme often, draping false hope, lost hope, and glimmers of hope over nights and occurrences that have the breaths of desperation and sadness, but still inspire a sweaty dance and a smile rather than a rafter beam and a rope. They write anthems of delicious carriage, stocking them with the flat tire and the breakup, but also the fuck-all toasting to another crummy day survived. “I think there was some review in the U.K. that said that all the songs were about drinking and girls. Keith was really baffled by that, because he thought drinking was only mentioned three times on the record,” Cain said. “People seem to think it’s more about that than it really is. We do drink every night, but the record’s more about a sense of existential anxiety that can be applied to a relationship or something broader. You can say that drinking is one of the common symptoms that someone’s experiencing that anxiety. But people drink for 150,000 reasons. “Keith’s lyrics are broad, but they’re definitely not as broad as fucking Creed lyrics. And there’s always hope in there. The music conveys a sense of urgency, but absolutely not doom or despair. It’s longing and frustration and urgency and a feeling of sadness that’s almost like joy. There’s an element of sort of fetishizing sadness. That’s what makes Hemingway novels so great. They put sadness on a pedestal with joy. You don’t feel depressed; you feel happy. There’s nobody like J.D. Salinger for that. The tambour of his writing is parallel to what the album has, and that’s why we felt that that reference was relevant.”

The band has been together for almost five years—wholly transplanting itself from Los Angeles to New York years ago—but is just now getting out among the masses and really humping it. The trio broke in the United Kingdom during the summer and is, for the first time, exploring America intimately. “Things are going great in the U.K. I’d hate to say that things are going better there than here, because that would imply that things are going badly here. We’re just in the early stages here,” Cain said. “We’ve never been a huge touring band. We’ve played almost exclusively in L.A. and New York. For the first four years of the life of the band, it was kind of a hobby. We had jobs that we were into; we didn’t quit our jobs until six months ago. We’ve probably gone on four road trips as a band before this tour, and always with others—friends of ours in Bishop Allen would take us out. “This is definitely our job now. We’re doing it because we can. We loved living in New York and being with our friends. It sucks like hell that we can’t do that anymore. It was fun for about two weeks and then it was like, ‘Holy shit, this really fucking sucks.’ It’s not even like some crazy dream job that’s fulfilling all the time. We’ve started to accept the costs. We just finally felt like the music was good enough that we could reasonably do this. If it had taken us touring our asses off for years for us to see support from ticket sales or label interest, it never would have happened.” All of the buzz from overseas has made the going easier. “It’s felt like we’re not stepping down from one ladder just so we can start climbing another one here,” Cain said. “There’s a sense of promise.”

DECEMBER 2005

SCHOOLKID RIOTING 10 YEARS TOO LATE

THE GO! TEAM | By Kaylen Hoffman he Go! Team is happy. They are in the United States for the first time, in one of the most cultured cities in our fair country (San Francisco), and what happens? Ninja meets a 40-year-old man who calls himself Uncle Chuckie, and the rest is history: “I told him we were from London, England,” she says, “and he goes,‘London? You’re from London? You mean there are more like you? I can’t believe this; I have to call my wife.’” Uncle Chuckie goes on, in fact, to call his wife in New York City and have her “listen to [Ninja’s] accent.” For one not familiar with Ninja, she is the sassy lady MC of the Go! Team, and she has obviously been well-schooled for years about hip-hop and rhyming. For one not familiar with the Go! Team, it is a six-piece band that was born in Brighton. Ian Parton is perhaps the father of this baby—he spent countless hours in his bedroom recycling pieces of vinyl into infectious beats, mishmashed with samples from his favorite songs, among other things. After he had added Sam Dook on guitar, banjo, and drums, Jamie Bell on bass, Chi on drums, and Silke on every instrument ever created, there was still something missing. Enter Ninja. “I grew up listening to a lot of hip-hop music,” Ninja says. “I listened to everything from classical to pop to jazz, but I really emphasized hip-hop.” Ninja was the answer to Parton’s prayers. After Parton sent her a CD of the then-fivesome jamming, Ninja was quick to respond with enthusiasm. As the conductor of the sextet, her schooling in hip-hop beats, breaks, and rhymes was the perfect complement to the cacophony of

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| The Go! Team are on tour in Europe this month...12/1: Basel, SWI; 12/2: Bologna, ITA; 12/3: Rome, ITA; 12/4: Torino, ITA; 12/5: Zurich, SWI; 12/6: Vienna, AUT; 12/8: Brussels, BEL

sound that the multi-instrumentalist band had created. Their sounds expose such influences as Sonic Youth, Vince Guaraldi, the Jackson 5, and East Compton Clovers. One hears pieces of their past on this album—double-dutch after school, Motown, schoolyard chanting, Parappa the Rapper video games, and pieces of movie scores all appear on their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. The outcome of this symphony of sound is an exuberant blast of summertime block-party fun. “I think that there shouldn’t be one word to describe [my work],” Ninja said. “There should be a hundred words to describe it. But if there had to be one, it would be lazy, chaotic, hectic…” The Go! Team knows how to work together as a band. It was decided early in the game that their stage presence would not compete with laptops or decks, but real instruments. Samples are used in some songs (20 to 25, at some points), but for the most part, Ninja’s voice battles various brass, string, and percussion instruments. “I get stuck with the tambourine, but I used to play recorder when I was in primary school.” She pauses for a second. “And now I’m 24 years old and get to play again. That was really fun for me.” One would imagine that the entire Team feels this way. The band must adore going on stage every night, jamming out on various instruments with schoolyard-chanting children on loop in the background, all the while enjoying distorted samples, fuzzy guitars, lots of yelling, double drumming, and hugs all around.

Thunder, Lightning, Strike has gotten rave reviews from numerous publications. Urb Magazine calls the Go! Team “the perfect anti-pop beast,” The New Yorker exclaims how the album “embraces the bright side of life,” and Time Out New York compares their sound to “Belle and Sebastian covering the Jackson 5 during a double-dutch competition.” The album was even nominated for the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize. With songs like “Junior Kickstart,” one can imagine Rocky warming up for the big fight. “Everyone’s a VIP to Someone” sounds like it could be in a Lassie film, and “Huddle Formation” could perhaps be set in a movie with lots of girls running around in cute outfits. The album is a collection of gems that never get old, even when played over and over. The artists may have many bands that they take after, but what are their influences? “There was an album by a band named Loose Ends, a British soul band from the ’80s, early ’90s, and I really liked their stuff,” Ninja said. “I used to make tapes of whole radio shows. I had loads and loads of tapes.” One does not specifically hear soul music when playing the album, but it is understandable how it influenced the band. So does the Go! Team want to take over the world? “Well, we won’t ever do that,” Ninja laughed. “It’s about making the music, and not making the band commercial or a national discovery. We’re going to keep it special by keeping a cult following. When there are different cultures and different backgrounds, all together in one room, enjoying the music of one person—that’s what I love about it.”

“THERE SHOULD BE A HUNDRED WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT. BUT IF THERE HAD TO BE ONE, IT WOULD BE LAZY, CHAOTIC, HECTIC…”

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Sony BMG learned the hard way recently that you might think your technology is clever and elaborately hidden, but there’s always somebody out there smarter than you. That’s just what programmer and blogger Mark Russinovich proved while tinkering with Sony BMG’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) when he stumbled upon the XCP (extended copy protection) software the company has been placing on recent releases including Our Lady Peace, the Coral, and the Dead 60s. Besides limiting the uses of a particular disc, the software used some of the same techniques virus writers use to bury itself deep within the Windows operating system where it is extremely difficult to remove. The PR hit Sony BMG has taken has been extraordinary, forcing the company to make XCP-free versions of the CDs available, while Amazon has offered a refund to anyone who purchased one of the 52 recordings. Even the behemoth Microsoft found the software malevolent and has readied a utility to remove the offending code in the company’s next malicious software removal tool update. Of course, as can be expected, users of the Apple and Linux software platforms were unaffected by any of these events. According to a note on the band’s Web site posted by frontman Robert Smith, the Cure are entering the studio in January to begin recording the follow-up to last year’s self-titled release. Smith writes, “We are still on course for a summer release, as it’s all in the preparation.” Most notable will be the absence of keyboardist Roger O’Donnell and guitarist Perry Bamonte, who left band earlier this year. Smith tapped former guitarist Porl Thompson to rejoin the leaner lineup. Scotland’s greatest band ever (as decided by a three-month public poll released at the beginning of this year), Belle & Sebastian, are set to release their latest album in early February. The Life Pursuit promises to be a change for the Scots, who ditched their old instruments and recorded in Los Angeles using Beck producer Tony Hoffer. Manchester crooner Morrissey is also getting set to unleash a follow-up to last year’s You Are the Quarry at the end of March, entitled Ringleader of the Tormentors. Many find the music of British rockers Kaiser Chiefs to be infectious, but no one anticipated a posting like this on the band’s Web site in mind: “These are the first shows in Kaiser Chiefs history we have cancelled. The cancellation is caused by an outbreak a highly

FROM TOP: MORRISSEY (photo courtesy Virgin Records), BELLE & SEBASTIAN (photo courtesy Ground Control Touring), and THE CURE (photo by Jim Dunn)

contagious and rare virus in our travel party. Unfortunately this has led to enforced cancellation of all Kaiser Chiefs gigs this week until each of the band has the all-clear following medical tests. We apologise for any disappointment this may cause and hope you understand the strange circumstances that have lead to this. We hope it’s not too long before we have the chance to visit Spain again.” The band was forced to cancel a string of dates in Spain because of the still as yet undisclosed medical malady. Jed Maheu, a former Sub Pop promotions employee who received a Gold Record of the

Postal Service’s 2003 hit Give Up for his contributions in helping sell the album, is auctioning off the memento on eBay. The description for the auction details Maheu’s quest to find his roots in Eurasia before returning to this year’s CMJ festival and realizing how much soul sucking the music industry is responsible for. His answer to this: “I believe that as a man you should lead by example so for my first foray into ‘world betterment’ as I like to call it I have decided to start my own publicity and marketing company.” He is auctioning off the record to help fund his new ludicrously named Dudes PR. The initial reserve price of $6,217.14 (figured by a calculation of his input to the actual profit of the record) was recently lowered to $3,716.66. A Los Angeles judge released Courtney Love November 18 from her inpatient rehab, stating: “You’re doing really well. I’m really pleased with the reports. I certainly hope you keep up the good progress. You’re definitely going in the right direction.” Love will spend what’s left of her six-month sentence as an outpatient, going to counseling, submitting to random urine tests, and attending 12-step meetings. In just four short years, the Shortlist Prize went from obscurity to being broadcast on MTV. Now one of the best-known awards for independent and groundbreaking musical achievements is no more. The team behind the Shortlist, Greg Spots and Tom Sarig, differed on the future direction and vision of the award and have parted ways. Sarig has announced plans to launch the New Pantheon award next year without the participation of Spots. We made mention last month of the five curators taking part in the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, and now comes word that a sixth has been added. Devandra Banhart will join the group to program acts for a single day of the festival. Also last month, if talk of your musical habit emptying your wallet wasn’t enough, a recent Rolling Stone report on the oftenignored subject of music-related hearing loss may make you think twice about whether listening to that Shakira album—even as a joke—is worth it. As the article states, “More than 28 million Americans currently have some degree of hearing loss, according to the National Institute on Deafness, and as baby boomers age, the number is expected to climb to as high as 78 million by 2030.” Please, if you’re going to go deaf, make sure you choose your music carefully.

NOVEMBER 2005

KATE BUSH AERIAL (COLUMBIA) Twelve years is an eternity in the music business. Entire genres have flourished and faded within that span of time. Through it all, the dedicated fans of the singular English songstress Kate Bush waited, hoping for the drought to end, forced to content themselves with the latest release by Tori Amos or Fiona Apple—imitators and pretenders who pale slightly in comparison, sure, but better than silence and endless wondering. But as suddenly as she’d disappeared came thin, thrilling trickles of news: Bush was writing new songs. She was working with nowdeceased composer Michael Kamen. Her new album might possibly be released in 2003…or perhaps 2005. At last, it was confirmed; the interminable hiatus was over. The Rubberband Girl was snapping back into action. So what of Aerial, Bush’s first new material in over a decade? For those bracing themselves for some brain-rattling revelations, stunning sonic developments, or even explanations as to Bush’s whereabouts the past 12 years, you’ll need to adjust your expectations. Bush hasn’t been doing much aside from living her life, experiencing the day-to-day doldrums of domesticity. Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of Aerial is that it’s a two-disc concept album, split neatly in ’tween. The first disc (“A Sea of Honey”) is a closely observed dissection of the quiet hours spent staring out the window whilst folding laundry, and the second (“A Sky of Honey”) is a nine-part suite built around recurring motifs of light and lilting birdsong,

tracing a day from afternoon through dusk, night, and the following day’s sunrise. Bush’s trademark eccentricity is in full effect throughout Aerial. “Pi” is a delirious Fibonacci spiral that finds her literally parsing out numbers as a metaphor for all-consuming passion. “Bertie” is an unabashed love song to her son (born in 1998) that fairly drips baroque strings. “Mrs. Bartolozzi,” a stark, sensual sketch, is goosed by the unexpected heat of sudden passion and some oddball onomatopoeia, while “Joanni” is an ominous valentine to Joan of Arc. “A Sky of Honey” is even more willfully obtuse than the songs on the first disc. Taken as a whole, the conceptual suite works a beautiful sort of thematic magic, although “An Architect’s Dream” is a particular standout. Bush has always been at her best when attempting to reconcile her bifurcated creative personality—the avant-garde, esoteric classicist and the forward-thinking rock chick whose intensely personal style has inspired a generation of acolytes. Not that she necessarily needed to, but Bush easily proves she hasn’t missed a beat in her extended absence. Aerial would likely be just as vital and ambitious had it been released five years ago. As it stands, it’s one of this year’s best. | Preston Jones ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS YOU ARE MY SISTER (SECRETLY CANADIAN) If there’s any song released this year that better conjures vivid images of windswept winter landscapes than Antony & the Johnsons’ “You Are My Sister,” I haven’t heard it.

Culled from the avant-garde New York maestro’s superb sophomore album released earlier this year, I Am a Bird Now, it’s a delicate paean to sibling affection and perhaps an oblique tribute to one of Antony’s idols, Boy George, who duets with Antony on the track. The throaty, autumnal pairing exudes a strange soulfulness—much like all of Antony’s catalog, it evokes a feeling you can’t quite put your finger on, but you’re certain you’ve never heard anything remotely like it before. This EP-cum-maxi-single—four songs in 15 minutes—feels like an expansive suite of chamber-pop songs, stolen from the parlor of a reclusive, eccentric songsmith that may or may not have tutored the likes of Colin Meloy or Sufjan Stevens. “Poorest Ear” builds from an aching, contemplative monologue into a drawing room rave-up; clarinet, snare drum, and piano collide like a music box being elegantly smashed into a wall. “Forest of Love,” with its plucked strings and earnest piano, is another excellent showcase for Antony’s entrancing vibrato; a quite hopeful piece, it’s gilded with bizarre turns of phrase that solidify this rare bird’s crack’d mirror worldview. The final and shortest song, “Paddy’s Gone,” is a heartbreaking dirge—like some unearthed aural artifact from an art-damaged ’50s crooner, this hypnotic track lingers like a half-remembered dream. By now, those phrases—“weird,” “rare,” “odd,” and “avant garde”—should clue you in, if you’re unfamiliar, that Antony is an acquired taste; his hushed compositions invite stillness and attention as well as a tolerance for vocal affectations. Like some weird cousin of Emily Dickinson, Antony crafts enigmatic, literary pop gems that skate the very edge of indie music—given a chance, it’s breathtaking and unforgettable. While the I Am Your Sister EP is certainly worth tracking down and enjoying, those seekcontinued on page 10

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Play by Play ing an entrée into the haunting, ambiguous world of Antony & the Johnsons would be better served by first exploring I Am a Bird Now. That’s not to say that Bird is any less peculiar than this EP, but it does frame Antony’s aesthetic in a more forgiving context—given the dearth of genuine creativity in the music world these days, those of Antony’s ilk need all the breaks they can get. | Preston Jones

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BIG BAD ZERO IMAGINATION AMERICA (S/R) The rapid-fire drums begin and, right out of the gate, Nick Mattera sings, “Tired of waiting, slowly fading/but this gift they gave me just won’t ever let me go.” This Las Vegas foursome—Mattera (vocals, rhythm guitar), Dave Meeks (guitar, backing vocals), Dan Gauthier (bass, backing vocals), and Rob Whited (drums, percussion)—has long been a favorite of mine. And though that major-label contract remains frustratingly out of their grasp (for now; really, it’s just a matter of time), they continue to write, record, and perform. And that first line of “Not Done”—itself the first song on Imagination America, their latest CD—captures the magic, the drive, and the gift that is BBZ. This album’s more straightforward and rocking than its predecessor, Your Beautiful Mistake. In many ways, it’s also a happier disc, minus the emotionally honest breakup songs that comprised much of Mistake. Mattera has a unique, slightly nasal, yet commanding vocal style. On “Fall Down,” he professes, “And we’re never alright/something better comes along.” The disc’s title track finds him nearly chanting the stanzas before he lets loose vocally. This politically charged song, incorporating dubs from presidential and other speeches, asks, “Soldiers go on, lay your guns down/listen to the sound of someone begging you to let them dream again.” Following the stripped down, emotionally honest “Waiting for a Sign”—which, again, finds Mattera following his muse—is “Someone,” a rocking, sweet, straightforward love song. The song craft is pure pop rock and radio friendly, with a catchy guitar line, uplifting rhythm, changedup bridge, and soaring vocals. Here, Whited proves his prowess, adding just the right variety to the percussion to keep the song moving but not predictable. “Lose Ourselves” is simple and catchy; you’ll soon find yourself singing along. BBZ

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amps it up a notch with “How Will I Go Out”; Meeks’ runaway guitar leads the way as Mattera playfully reveals, “Yesterday I got an envelope with someone’s lipstick that I didn’t know/I replied, I like the shape of your imagination.” The easy way his voice slips into falsetto is positively divine. “Orano” is a personal favorite—soulful and rhythmic, its sound and lyrics perfectly capture the wideeyed innocence of youth, of summers that never seemed to end. (Kudos, too, to Gauthier for his perfectly placed blues riff.) The melodic “Colored Walls” gives way to soaring possibilities of make-believe in “Who Would You Be.” Closing out the disc beautifully is the anthemic “Try for Me,” which finds Mattera pleading, “We’re hanging on to our last string ’cause we were magic/and this is magic.” Optimistic, heartbreaking, realistic, inspiring, heartfelt—Big Bad Zero is all this, and more. Just imagine the possibilities, follow your dreams, and make them happen… | Laura Hamlett THE GREEN PAJAMAS 21ST CENTURY SEANCE (HIDDEN AGENDA) It amazes me to keep encountering unfamiliar groups who have already released numerous albums. Seattle’s the Green Pajamas have been around for two decades, but they’ve apparently suffered the restrictive fate of being a “critic’s band,” continuously raved about in the ’zines, but generally unknown to the public. Will 21st Century Séance, their latest effort, change that? Hard to say. TGP don’t exactly sound like any other specific band, and if I thought it would be useful to more than about seven people, I might say something like “a few dollops of Frogs and the Nourallah Brothers with a pinch of Kinks and one or two U2 croutons.” Basically, this is a subtly psychedelic band whose members like fuzzy chords and a farfisa organ here and there. They blend a kind of sincere, melancholy romanticism with a little bit of whimsy, and they lead with their literate, contemplative selves more than their purely physical selves. Does that help at all? The Pajamas’ main singer and songwriter is Jeff Kelly, who—true to the album’s title— seems haunted by a few things. “It is an album about childhood, but also about getting older, growing up, and not being able to go back,” Kelly writes in the album’s press release. The music supports this. On the short “Claire,” the

singer tells us, “I wish I were 12 years old, just like Claire”—and you even hear childlike voices singing along with him. The moody tune “The Black Guitar” features Kelly going from a low octave to a higher one, with stirringly simple chords and evocative lyrics: “Her skin smells like summer/Like youth gone by/Her lips taste like sadness/I feel I might start to cry.” As one given to bouts of similar nostalgic yearning, I was quite touched by such songs. Some of the music is fairly peppy indie rock that you can enjoy casually, though. “Chip Chop” is a brisk little rocker that repeats a simple musical sequence enough times that it positively sticks in your mind—and the arrangement finds the instruments stopping periodically and just letting the vocals carry you forward. “Pale as the Dead” sounds like a tune from the late ’60s except for the modern production; it serves up both organ and psychedelic guitar in a fetching manner. The stirring harmonies and elegant arrangement of “Alibi” would sound great on any college radio station, and “Gazelle” manages to convey a little of U2’s confidence and musical grandiosity—and does so convincingly. “God has touched her body with a cruel beauty/If this creature has a name, it would be a gazelle/In the October sun, red and fleeting,” sings Kelly. Striking stuff, and it’s even more so on subsequent listens. The Green Pajamas aren’t flashy, but they’re good enough to warrant more than just the “college rock” tag. Any group drawing on a compelling aesthetic of being spooked by themes of love and loss deserves a ghost of a chance of reaching an appreciative audience. | Kevin Renick PROPAGANDHI POTEMKIN CITY LIMITS (FAT WRECK CHORDS) Considering what passes for punk rock these days, one can almost be forgiven for not remembering there are bands out there still living up to high standards and practices, lighting up a record as only true power chords and polemical lyrics can. Although it’s been almost four and a half years since their last release, it’s great to see bands like Propogandhi still dancing to their own refrain. The new album Potemkin City Limits is a reassuring piece of pure left-wing spittle—the dial doesn’t go much further in this direction than this trio of Winnipeg lads. “Liberal” may even be too slight a word for a group that has given

us such incendiary and sentimental songs as “Homophobes Are Just Mad Cuz They Can’t Get Laid,” “The Only Good Fascist Is a Dead Fascist,” and “I Was a Pre-Teen McCarthyist.” You can just feel the hairs grow taut on the back of every right-winger’s neck. Potemkin City Limits falls right in line with the band’s other work by continuing their mode of constantly changing, shifting music and lyrical wanderings with each new album, and now brings some of the strongest enlightenment yet with fully developed songs that stretch the band’s talents in more multifaceted directions. Musically and lyrically, it’s some of Propagandhi’s finest work. While the band took a small hit in 1997 when the insightful John K. Samson left to form the Weakerthans, Propagandhi has continued its wayward anarchist punk march with aplomb. Although the band likes to playfully tell the story of founding member Chris Hannah leaving in 2003 and swiftly being replaced by “more rounded musician” Glen Lambert, it’s readily apparent Lambert is merely an alter ego for Hannah, as the two share identical voices and guitar licks. Those mischievously scampish punks are a riot, but on this record, the witty asides and ironic peevishness are mostly gone, replaced by a more defiantly harsh brimstone, even uncoiling the requisite George Bush samples accompanied by laugh track. On the opener “A Speculative Fiction,” the initial brittle notes are quickly suffused by a boiling singular intensity, while tunes like “Impending Halfhead” deliver full-on thrash from the outset. Some tracks, like the prog-lined “Bringer of Greater Things” and “Cut into the Earth,” pull back the battering beats, wrapping the lyrics in more wailing and plaintive notes. Listeners needn’t be dialed directly in to Propagandhi’s politics to get the music; it’s a perfectly lobbed punk grenade by itself. Maybe it’s not the ingenious marvels of the mid-’90s that the band unleashed, but Potemkin City Limits is a little bit of a purposeful force—welcome indeed after all the factory-farmed, shrink-wrapped punk kids are being fed today. | Shandy Casteel SKAGGS FAMILY A SKAGGS FAMILY CHRISTMAS (S/R) ’Tis the season—yes, that s e a s o n — w h i ch means that every soul nowadays exuding yuletide jollity may well find a (mis)match in some contemporary Grinch scowling down at Who-ville. In that respect, readers and potential listeners in the latter

category should avoid with all their might A Skaggs Family Christmas. A companion piece to a holiday TV special, the 13-track Skaggs Family Records release (duh) constitutes a family affair both literally and figuratively. Mainly motivating it, of course, is influential multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs, joined here by his wife, Sharon, herself one of the core members of the musical Whites, and five of their kin of both genders, ranging in age from 16 to 75. Moreover, reflecting the disc’s origin in a family sing-along two years past, the septet avoids anything even approximating unorthodoxy—no covers here of the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” for instance. Rather, the Skaggs and White families present the listener with various traditionals, other standards, and similar songs, many of them reflecting the clan’s masterful background in bluegrass. If A Skaggs Family Christmas eschews iconoclasm, in that light, it by no means scants vivacity—some of these tracks, in fact, positively romp. From that perspective, an instrumental version of the traditional “Deck the Halls” may mark the CD’s zenith; it opens with Skaggs’ impeccable mandolin, continues with solos by the members of Kentucky Thunder (his backing band), and concludes with all of the players joining in a bravura take on the theme. Otherwise included are fine interpretations of such chestnuts as “Little Drummer Boy,” “White Christmas,” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Especially memorable: clan patriarch Buck White’s jaunty “Hangin’ Round the Mistletoe,” a sweet flashback to the days when a kiss under the sprig could still make magic. | Bryan A. Hollerbach SUPERNATURAL S.P.I.T. (UP ABOVE) As an aspiring rapper, I can tell you one thing definitively: Freestyling is hard. To come up with a rhythmically precise, logical chain of words while being funny, poignant, and above all keeping with a tightly constricted rhyme scheme is one of the most difficult forms of improvisation. More impressive is to freestyle with such skill that you gain national—and international—recognition without even releasing a record. In fact, it is all but unheard of…until now. The rapper is Supernatural, and the album is entitled S.P.I.T., or Spiritual Poetry Ignites Thought. Before I continue, let it be said here and now that Supernatural is un-fuck-wit-able on the microphone. Widely hailed as the king of

freestyle, Supernatural has proven himself to be at the top of the rap game. He can perform a whole set of improvised material, often engaging the crowd by asking for objects or sheets of paper he will incorporate effortlessly into his rhymes. Before S.P.I.T., Nat’s only release in his decade-long career was a compilation of live freestyles. So needless to say, his first studio release was hotly anticipated the world over. It is no surprise that Supernatural pulled some top-shelf talent for help with his first studio album. A slew of rappers and producers contribute, including Chali2Na, Vitamin D, DJ Khalil, Evidence, and Raekwon. The beats all make your head nod severely; the DJ scratches are all excellent, even if they play the same “Rhyme about what I see on stage, like Supernatural” sample a few too many times. All the guest artists bring their A-game. Throughout the album, Nat weaves stories of his upbringing and struggle to become a great rapper—both in the savagely competitive rap world, and in his own mind—that attempt to convey triumph over adversity. But what is surprising is how un-Supernatural he ends up sounding over such a well-produced album. One of Nat’s greatest strengths is hyping a crowd, using their energy (and objects) to make opponents fall flat and even the harshest critic nod in approval. But when given all the time in the world and the best resources of production and guest drops, you’d think Nat would sound less like he was…freestyling. That last sentence was distressing to write because, ultimately, I aspire to have even a tenth of the freestyle talent Supernatural possesses. He is also exceptional at telling a story—though again, the more obviously freestyled moments tend to follow an extemporaneous tack, which is often distracting when handling such complex social and personal material. Perhaps the best suggestion I have for to listeners is to not expect a lot of insane written material. When approached from the perspective that the brother is freestyling, the final verdict is infinitely more favorable. | Jon Rayfield THRICE VHEISSU (ISLAND) Thrice set the bar pretty high for themselves early on. Their album The Illusion of Safety hit the melodic hardcore nail squarely on the head, fusing impassioned, screaming vocals with alternately intricate and bombastic instrumentation. It was no real surprise then when their major label debut The continued on page 13

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Play by Play Artist in the Ambulance didn’t quite stack up to their previous effort. The latter may have fared better on the charts—entering at number 16 on the Billboard 200—but that might have more to do with the support Island put behind it than the actual music. All things considered, recording Vheissu may have been the smartest move Thrice could’ve made right now. Easily their most experimental album to date, Vheissu smashes down all the walls that seemed to bind the group to any straight-ahead hardcore path. But it’s not as if they’ve abandoned their roots, as some will surely say. The lead single “Image of the Invisible” alone should lay those claims to rest. Elsewhere, Vheissu is peppered with synthesizers and keyboards that add a whole new depth. If Thrice existed in two dimensions before, they’ve now leapt to three or four with a more enveloping, atmospheric sound. The choice of producer Steve Osborne was sound, as parts of Vheissu are reminiscent of another of his projects, Doves—were you to attach jumper cables and give the Englishmen a hefty dose of electricity. The record’s pitfall is that, at times, the sonic experimentation begins to lose focus and veer dangerously close to self-indulgence. Take the ambient electronic noise of “Atlantic,” for example. But then there are tracks like “Music Box,” a number guitarist Teppei Teranishi arranged around the melody of a cheap Japanese music box he bought on tour. Like much of the album, the song would appear to be dangerous territory for the band, but it’s a surprising success. | Daniel O’Malley WARHAMMER 48K UBER OM (EMERGENCY UMBRELLA/COLLECTIVE) Bob Dylan gives the best advice. Imploring his band to “play fucking loud” at a 1966 show in Manchester, Dylan gave a kiss off to the sea of jeers echoing from an audience all hot and bothered that their folk godhead had gone electric. Much to my surprise, I found the same message upon cracking open Uber Om, the debut record from Warhammer 48K. “Play fucking loud,” seemingly scribbled in Sharpie, jumped out from atop the disc—a bit brash but nevertheless incredible advice. So I did just that—I played it fucking loud. And, as if fulfilling some uncanny prophecy set forth by Dylan’s mythic three words, volume reigned supreme, and it was good.

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Warhammer, a Columbia, Mo., four-piece, recorded Uber Om’s six songs in Olympia, Wash., with desperate-for-work Unwound bassist Vern Rumsey, who organizes the band’s cluttered barrage of sound into a cohesive record that works wonders when played through headphones. The unbridled metal sits most prominent, but it’s not without moments of well-developed calm amid the eye of the storm. With no time for the sick and weary to duck and cover, Uber Om explodes at its opening moments with the sludgy bass and paintpeeling guitars of “Get Bodacious.” Guitarists Stephen Haslag and Tyler Creath layer their riffs with precision and aggressive distortion, clearly utilizing both channels of the stereo for an effect that is as energizing as it is maddening. Drummer Cooper Crain and bassist Patrick Kopine, both former members of fallen Columbia band the One Inch Punch, follow suit by harnessing the spotlight on “Citizen Pain,” a track that changes paths after 40 seconds, only to be fueled by the best two minutes of bass work I’ve heard all year. “Haunted Abortion,” though it isn’t the record’s most notable moment upon first listen, sticks out as Warhammer’s crowning achievement, both in displaying the group’s sonic prowess and showing a keen ear for when restraint serves the composition best. Recorded as two distinct songs mashed together, the track opens with a phenomenal display of the band’s mastery of tension release. After an eerie break, the second section begins with the amplifier hum, muffled guitar, and slicing punches from the rhythm section. A hushed vocal intro reminiscent of the quieter moments from Slint and Nirvana breaks into a scream as Kopine’s bass barrels through and one guitar chugs along with the track’s initial riff, later transitioning into sloppy, mashed power chords, while the other lets fly a barrage of ungodly effects pedals. On “Total Eclipse,” a perfectly placed cello flutters upward to unleash the demon snarl of metal grind without overdoing the track’s intensity and maintaining these precious moments as the “relaxed” portion of the record—a theme that continues through the beginning of the following track, “Do You Need Help Walking.” Following a meandering guitar lead, “Walking” teases with several false build-ups before slamming into a churning death metal dirge, complete with satanically bellowed vocals and howling canines. Warhammer isn’t a ratty group of kids trying to make as much noise as it possibly can—as one might infer from the whole “play fucking loud” deal. Even with Uber Om’s moments of brutality, the juxtaposition of calmer segments

draws out the record’s creativity and sets the band apart from noiseniks who just want to blow a few speakers. | Aaron Richter BRIAN WILSON WHAT I REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (ARISTA) Oh, the record store bins are quite full/But each Tuesday’s grim and spiteful/So if the newbies are leaving you cold/Spin the old, spin the old, spin the old! Those who sneer at the mention of Brian Wilson will enjoy yet another opportunity to flaunt their contempt for the Beach Boys’ mastermind with the issuance of his latest CD, What I Really Want for Christmas. Let them. The rest of us, meanwhile, can relish the new holiday disc, which features the same musicians who backed him last year on the (literally) career-defining Smile. Because congenital hipsters abideth not the earnest, one can’t help but suspect that they and other stunted sorts scorn Wilson for his utter lack of irony. By way of example, fully two-thirds of this 15-track Arista release comprises traditionals, among them “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The First Noel,” and “Auld Lang Syne,” all boasting new arrangements by him, all presented with unapologetic pageantry. Elsewhere, Bernie Taupin provides the lyrics to the title track, one of two new compositions here, and Wilson even nervily (yet quite serviceably) revisits “Little Saint Nick,” one of many past collaborations with his perennial nemesis, Mike Love. Awash with harmonies and melodies, resplendent in its symphonic jubilance, What I Really Want for Christmas closes with an a cappella version of “Silent Night”—almost. “Hi, this is Brian,” Wilson remarks directly following that chestnut. “I’d like to wish all of you and your families a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.” After everything preceding that wish, only a pre-haunting Scrooge could doubt the man’s sincerity, and even after all this time, after all the pharmacological and emotional travails, after all the bad cess and worse press, the music still testifies to his genius. A first-rate gift. If folks only just play these tracks/Mr. Wilson will make ’em feel swell/’Cept the “I hate this holiday” hacks/Who’ll be aurally sent straight to— | Bryan A. Hollerbach NEW ON THE WEB...Check out “Quickies,” our new ultra-quick CD reviews.

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GORILLAZ MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (NOV. 5)

Not many sold-out concerts begin with a Daffy Duck cartoon. Then again, when the audience bought these tickets, cartoon characters were exactly what they were paying to see—four, in particular: 2D, Murdoc, Russel, and Noodle. For five consecutive nights, the members of Gorillaz graced Manchester, England with their live music. For the portion of the world who have been living under a rock the past five years, Gorillaz are a hip-hop, electronica band fronted by four cartoon characters and led by Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Building on the success of their self-titled debut, Gorillaz released their sophomore album, Demon Days, earlier this year to further critical acclaim. And on this rare mini-tour, all of Gorillaz’ collaborators came together once again to perform the new CD in its entirety. When the curtain was raised to the delight of the cheering fans, brightly colored light panels created silhouettes of about 30 people. While a listen to the CD makes it obvious that a live production of music this layered would require numerous contributors, actually seeing them all on stage at once is startling. The Opera House stage is not huge, but it managed to accommodate a 14-piece string orchestra, drummers, several guitarists and bassists, Albarn on the piano, and a collection of background singers—not to mention guest musicians such as Ike Turner, De La Soul, Shaun Ryder, Roots Manuva, and Neneh Cherry. In addition, a children’s choir of about 25 was featured on “Dirty Harry,” as was an equally sized gospel choir on “White Light,” “Fire Coming Out of a Monkey’s Head,” and “Don’t Get Lost in Heaven.” While the cartoon characters created by Jamie Hewlett took a back seat to the live musicians, life-size puppets of 2D and Murdoc kept a watchful eye on the proceedings from a balcony. Behind the flesh-and-blood musicians on stage stood a large projection screen that showed Hewlett’s cartoons to enhance the musical experience. Perhaps it was the Opera House personnel, who instructed everyone to stay in their seats, or maybe the audience was simply enthralled with the experience, but they remained relatively subdued throughout the performance. For a show with so much hype attached to it, there was no screaming or shouts of “I love you, Damon!” The audience focused on the music. By the time the encore arrived, conducted by Murdoc and 2D from the balcony, the static in the air announced the audience was ready for another set. When the curtain was raised, Albarn stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight to sing the single “Hong Kong,” accompanied by Zeng Zhen on the Chinese zither. The show was a success for everyone. Nobody got thrown out for dancing, my camera wasn’t confiscated, and Gorillaz proved their sincerity as a legitimate band, not just a medley of musicians hiding behind the images of cartoon characters. | Madeline Straatmann

Photos by RYAN HAMLETT

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ABOVE: GORILLAZ (photo by Madeline Straatmann), JAMES MERCER of THE SHINS at VEGOOSE (photo by Ryan Hoelting), JULIETTE LEWIS of JULIETTE & THE LICKS (photo by Jim Dunn).

REVIEWED THIS MONTH ON THE WEB: Atmosphere Leo Chears Disturbed

Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s w/Juliette & the Licks Murder by Death

My Morning Jacket Spoon Vegoose Festival

MARAH OFF BROADWAY, ST. LOUIS (NOV. 4) St. Louis has become a significant outpost for Marah. Their amp tubes had barely warmed when Dave Bielanko pronounced that it was a pleasure to be back, and that they would be playing for a long time. By the show’s last notes, almost 3 hours and 27 songs later, the band had ripped through a healthy portion of four of their six albums (exceptions being 2002’s Owen Morris–produced experiment and the recent Santa-ful album). Those wishing to hear more of Marah’s holiday cheer will not have to wait long, as Bielanko announced that the band would be back for Xmas. The band lineup has congealed beyond the brothers Bielanko, and the members have worked their way into a complementary comfort level. While Marah has never been shy about mixing things up, there seems to be a greater confidence in allowing the angles of arrangements to migrate. Marah have always been a sonic tangle of a

DECEMBER 2005

record collection—ranging from Motown to new wave to punk rock to a Mummer’s parade (and beyond), all filtered through these two brothers—and it feels more and more like the rest of the band is fully participatory in forming that stew. It would appear that feeling more comfortable spreading this weight is energizing to the brothers, as well. It is fitting that Marah recently released a Christmas album, for to hear them perform is to see a band of giddy kids opening and sharing presents, delighting in each. Perhaps the most concise thing that I can say about this visit with Marah is that they seem remarkably comfortable. Mid-show, I looked around Off Broadway, seeing that it was full but not packed, and knew that a traveling five-piece cannot be making a fortune on nights like this. Marah have been around the block and taken their knocks a time or two, or more. Theirs cannot be the naïve euphoria of the road. Yet here they are, glad to be back in a burg that its residents love to bemoan, playing their hearts out long past what might be considered acceptable or even gracious. This, more than the nuanced lyrics or the quirky hooks, is why you should be glad you were there or sorry you missed it: Marah gives life to the clichÊ that they are doing what they are doing because it is what they love to do. | Steven Vance

CAMERON MCGILL

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BRIGHT EYES JESSE AUDITORIUM, COLUMBIA (NOV. 12) Conor Oberst may be small, handsome, and seemingly delicate, but do not be misled—he is angry, esoteric, and politically charged. Each time I see him perform, it becomes more and more clear that his is a career I want to follow (perhaps religiously). The Missouri show, originally scheduled for St. Louis, was moved to Columbia due to Oberst’s current Clear Channel boycott. (Early in the show, he apologized to the audience for any inconvenience the move may have caused, as it was announced after tickets had already gone on sale in St. Louis.) The band took the stage just after 10 p.m., and Oberst made his way to the mic. The rest of the musicians sat quietly as he began “Don’t Know When But a Day Is Gonna Come,� which started with a solo guitar and the biting vocals: “Is it true what I heard about the Son of God?/Did he come to save, did he come at all?/And if I dried his feet with my dirty hair/would he make me clean again?� Toward the middle of the song, the band exploded and Oberst’s quiet presence turned fierce with a furious kind of stomping, like a passionate little tantrum right before the bridge. If ever it were visually apparent that a performer’s art is an extension of his personal and creative angst, it so exists in Oberst’s every breath and movement.

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Thursday, December 1 6:00 - 9:00 pm 7E HAVE A SPECIAL HOLIDAY TREAT THIS MONTH #AMERON -C'ILL WITH A BOOMING VOICE AND A LYRICAL IMAGINATION IS OUR SPECIAL GIFT TO YOU 7E LL HAVE A DJ SPINNING WITH 6* 2YAN 7YLIE TIL AND THEN #AMERON WILL DAZZLE %NJOY THIS SWEET MIX OF CULTURE WITH LOCAL HIPSTERS AND THE ARTS LOVING CROWD !DMISSION IS FREE AND SO ARE THE DELICIOUS TREATS CREATED BY 0ABLO 7EISS OF +ITCHEN+ $RINKS ARE ONLY A DONATION TO THE #ONTEMPORARY 'UESTS MUST BE OR OLDER TO ENTER 3EE YOU AT THE #ONTEMPORARY 7ASHINGTON 3ELECT .IGHTS WITH THE .EW 9EAR *ANUARY &EBRUARY AND -ARCH

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December 22, 2005 8:00 pm til 3:00 am presents

Lafayette’s Pub & Grill

NEW YEAR’S EVE @

CICERO’S

W Grant Essig, John Nikos, Barb Soetebier and guests. DJ Nestor spinning until 3:00am. Hosted by Eric Ketzer.

in Soulard located just North of the Soulard Market on 7th street Beatle Bob will conduct a Beatle Bob Dance-A-Like contest with a $100 prize for the winner.

2 Stages: 4 Hours of Continuous Music

Suggested Minimum Donation $5

Champagne Toast at Midnight, Balloon Drop, and All Hats and Noisemakers Provided

DECEMBER December 2: SIDE OF FIVES, DRAWPOINTE, ARYTHMA, ESSENCE OF LOGIC Tickets: $5 • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 8pm December 3: VICTOR WOOTEN Tickets: $20 • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 7:30pm December 9: AMPSTL LOCAL SHOWCASE Tickets: $8 • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 7:30pm

$12 FEATURING from Oxford, MS

SHADY DEAL,

Doors 8:30 18+ to enter

December 10: BandB WELCOMES Lowercase, Think Thank Thunk, The Junior Varsity Tickets: $7 adv/$9 dos • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 7:30pm

Tickets may be

December 13: IRON AND WINE w/CALEXICO Tickets: $18 adv/$20 dos • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 8pm

Winner of the 2005 Cicero’s purchased in advance by visiting our website Battle of the Bands

THE UPRIGHT ANIMALS, & LORD BALTIMORE

December 16: BRAVE COMBO Tickets: $15 • All ages welcome Doors: 8pm • Show: 9pm

www.ciceros-stl.com or by calling 800-594-TIXX (Cicero’s does not sell advance tickets on-site)

Every Monday Madahoochi • Every Wednesday Alabaster Brown • Every Friday Jake’s Leg

LIVE MUSIC NIGHTLY PIZZA AND GIGANTIC BEER SELECTION ALWAYS

December 17: AMPSTL LOCAL SHOWCASE Tickets: $8 • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 7:30pm TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL METROTIX OUTLETS OR CHARGE BY PHONE AT 534-1111. $2 SURCHARGE FOR MINORS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

December 30: BandB WELCOMES Minutes to Midnight CD Release Party Tickets: $8 • All ages welcome Doors: 7pm • Show: 7:30pm COMING UP: 2/11: LESS THAN JAKE, 3/18: THE ACADMEY IS..., 3/24: COWBOY MOUTH

914 N. FIRST STREET • ST. LOUIS, MO. 63102 • 314•421•3853 • WWW.MISSISSIPPINIGHTS.COM

DECEMBER 2005

Backstage Pass

from page 15

Although Oberst performed mostly songs from his older albums, early in the set he threw in “Old Soul Song for the New World Order,” from this year’s I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning. A new song, “Napoleon’s Hat,” made an appearance halfway through the set, after which, a guy from the audience yelled out, “You make me wish I had a uterus!” Apparently everyone’s in love with Conor Oberst, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to being easy on the eyes, he’s an absolutely captivating vocalist. The allure of his unusual vocals is captured in sounds that roll forward and conclude at strangely sharp consonants. His trembling voice may seem to some like an amateur’s nervous quiver, though each sound is calculated, pure, and unapologetic. There is a universal frustration embodied in his unfocused, machine-gun vibrato and in the low notes that rumble and hover in his throat, hesitating slightly in his mouth before making a casual exit. And fuck if his timing isn’t wonderfully unpredictable and striking. During “Lua,” with Oberst again standing alone center-stage, he nearly whispered through the microphone as the entire crowd watched in absolute silence. It was one of the most beautiful concert moments in my collection of beautiful concert moments. He finished the song and walked offstage, flashing a peace sign as he left us. The whole band came back for a four-song encore, including “Gold Mine Gutted,” from this year’s other release, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. It was the only time Oberst put his guitar down and moved to the keyboard. The evening ended with “June on the West Coast,” a particularly cruel selection considering that immediately afterward I had to fight the November wind on the way back to my car, and back to Kansas City. Oh, Conor, why must you toy with me? | Mandy Jordan 17

LIVE MUSIC FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK • PITCHERS ARE ALWAYS $5 EVERY MONDAY IS OPEN MIC HIP-HOP

SHOWS NOT TO MISS IN DECEMBER!

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Thurs 12/1–Sun 12/4 Emergenza International Battle of the Bands–go to www.emergenza.net for listings TUESDAY NIGHTS Collective Records DJ Spin Thurs 12/8 Foundry Field Recordings, Target Market, Team Up! Fri 12/9 Droids Attack Sat 12/10 Tripdaddys, Aces and Eights, Johnny O & the Jerks Wed 12/14 Glow, Eclectic Fusion Fri 12/16 Twangbang! w/Strawfoot, Monads, *Bad Folk Sat 12/17 NonProphet Theater Co.’s Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine Fri 12/23 Kristeen Young Christmas w/Brian Henneman & Not Quite Nashville

1001 McCAUSLAND AVE. • (314) 781-4716 FOR ADDITIONAL LISTINGS, PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.HI-POINTE.COM

SNAPSHOT OF KANSAS CITY THE CROSSROADS DISTRICT | By Rudy Zapf

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Considering the ebb and flow of its art scene, Kansas City might as well be on one of the coasts. The fluidity of momentum seems as ever changing and cyclical as lunardetermined tides. For a brief decade, the city will glimmer in a capriciously dubbed “gilded age,” ornamenting itself with hot new galleries that dangle precariously above the financial precipice, barely secured on a shoestring of cool. Strings break, knots slip, and then for the next dreary five or dime years, locals bemoan the cultural wasteland that their town has become, redeemed only by the Art Institute, the Nelson, and a few stubborn strongholds. In the past ten years, the arts in Kansas City have again been riding an upswing, largely due to the reclamation power of the arts, particularly in the Crossroads district. For years, it was an urban area ripe for revitalization, a languishing no-man’s-land just south of downtown. Empty warehouses could be bought for next to nothing, transformed by tireless artists with strong work ethics and pugnacity. The district became home to more than 60 art businesses and organizations, with developers and architects very cautiously following the artists’ lead. The monthly “First Friday” became the biggest regular event in town, with over 40 galleries and design studios open late, aided by free trolleys providing transport throughout the evening. Unfortunately, this arts-driven success story has proved to be its own garrote. In recent years, the assessments and tax bills for rehabbed buildings have doubled, even tripled. As is often the case in urban renewal, those who worked hard to bring about change are being squeezed by their own gentrification efforts. Some resident artists and gallery owners are worried that the skyrocketing property taxes will force them out, which begs the rhetorical question: “If the galleries and colorfuls leave, what will be the district’s drawing card?” Though the Crossroads’ pioneers are smarting from property inflation and a citywide bureaucracy that does little to positively address their problems, there are still more than enough art venues to make Kanas City worth a weekend trip. A recent visit offered more gallery experiences than a single day could hold. One particular block in the district (Baltimore

Avenue, between 20th and 21st Streets) hosts at least seven galleries and art societies. It’s difficult to determine the exact number, because within the huge warehouses typical of this district, one art space merges into another, often without clearly defined boarders. Leedy-Voulkos becomes the Backroom, which becomes the Beth Allison, which leads into the Opie Gallery and the Vault. One door down is the Sherry Leedy, and next to that the Society for Contemporary Photography. In addition to its dense population of galleries, the Crossroads is also home to Grand Arts Organization, Belger Arts Center, and an extension of KCAI (the Art Institute).

MICHAEL EASTMAN THE AMERICAN SHOW SHERRY LEEDY CONTEMPORARY ART

On a certain Saturday in November (the day after a First Friday event), the galleries seemed unnaturally subdued, gingerly recovering from the previous night. It was, in effect, the perfect time to actually encounter the artworks. Among the venerable among KC galleries, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art holds a certain pedigree, and with good reason. Currently on display was Michael Eastman’s series of large, exquisitely lit cibachrome prints, The American Show. Bearing signifying titles such as “Texas Stage” and “Memphis Doorway,” the photos offer color-drenched slices of Americana, each as carefully composed and cropped as a meticulously followed recipe. Uninhabited, the buildings and interiors are humble, homely, yet unabashed. The photographer imbues them with a sympathetic respect that would slump into nostalgia under a less rigorous hand. Eastman’s superlative use

of light and color enable us to take stock of the mute and often invisible icons of America’s quickly disappearing past. JEFFREY DACOSTA DEAD SPACE BETH ALLISON GALLERY

Hidden among the labyrinth of the cavernous repository of galleries on Baltimore, there is a quiet subterranean venue, the Beth Allison Gallery. During November, the gallery displayed an installation created by Jeffrey DaCosta. The proverbial “day after” was a perfect time to experience this piece. Along the entire length of the narrow, whitewashed, low-ceilinged room, sand was banked up on both sides, leaving a sunken path in the middle. Standing at attention, two rows of 18 bronze rifles (Calashnikov 47 and M4 Carbine) flanked the aisle, a small flame rising from the end of each barrel. The effect was—pardon the pun—luminous. Brilliant, even. With a seemingly simple composition, the artist had created a contemplative space open to interpretation for all audience members. In the brief artist’s statement, mounted unobtrusively on the end wall, DaCosta cites familial military service as an influence, and that the rifles refer to “reverence, memory, and life itself.” The small wavering flames, posted as sentinels, granted those who serve and those who die a symbol for their humanity. It is significant that the differing origins of the rifles gave a global obeisance to our human family. Dead Space felt very much like a holy place, one for introspection and remembrance. DaCosta’s evocative work would be an appropriate piece to include in either a war memorial or peace museum. Out of pure luck, the artist was on site that day; he graciously discussed his exploration of processes and hinted at (though not quite stated) the symbolism in his installation. Assiduously avoiding any language of dogma, the artist was eager to learn about his audience’s impressions, rather than impose a predetermined imperative upon it. The artist offered two surprises before we parted: one, that he himself had served time in the military, and two, that he is yet completing his final semester at the Art Institute. Considering the quality of this young man’s work, and the depth of commitment that the community’s artists hold for their city, it’s clear that tides are rolling in its favor.

DECEMBER 2005

THE WORK OF SCOTT HARRISON, ONE OF “THE MARKED MEN,” IS FEATURED AT THE PHILIP SLEIN GALLERY IN DECEMBER.

Thru Dec. 3: “Festivus” celebrated with discounts at Laclede’s Landing locations (www.lacledeslanding.org) Thru Dec. 11: Webster Univ. Conservatory of Theatre presents The Memory of Water at Loretto-Hilton Ctr. (314-968-7128) Thru Dec. 23: St. Charles Christmas Traditions, Wed.–Sun. on S. Main St. with historic characters, intl. Santas, Christmas carolers, crafts for kids, and shopping (www.stcharleschristmas.com) Thru Dec. 30: U.S. Bank Wild Lights holiday lights display at St. Louis Zoo (314-781-0900, www.stlzoo.org) Thru Jan. 1: St. Louis County Parks Winter Wonderland huge lights display at Tilles Park in Ladue Thru Jan. 6: Art St. Louis XXI exhibition at Art St. Louis (www.artstlouis.net) Thru March: Owl Prowl night hikes with owl calling at World Bird Sanctuary (636-861-3225, www.world birdsanctuary.org) Fri.: Friday Nights Live entertainment & cash bar at St. Louis Science Ctr. (314-289-4444, www.slsc.org) Dec. 1: Philippe Parreno’s The Boy From Mars opens as part of New Media Series at St. Louis Art Museum (314-721-0072, www.slam.org) Dec. 1: Select Nights with music by Cameron McGill, $1 beer, & complimentary appetizers by Kitchen K at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (www.contemporarystl.org) Dec. 2: White Christmas movie singalong with refreshments & prizes at St. Louis County Library HQ (314-9943300, www.slcl.org) Dec. 2–3: Former child-prodigy artist Alexandra Nechita appears at Wentworth Gallery of Westfield Shoppingtown West County (314-821-8884) Dec. 2–4: Washington Univ. Performing Arts Dept. presents dance performance Reach/Rebound featuring choreography by Alonzo King, at Edison Theatre (314-534-1111, www.metrotix.com) Dec. 2–11: Tin Ceiling presents Dylan Thomas poetic drama Under Milk Wood at the Tin Ceiling (3159 Cherokee, 314-351-6652, www.tinceiling.org) Dec. 3: Film Crash screened at Mo.

By Byron Kerman

History Museum, followed by discussion on racial stereotypes (314-7464599, www.mohistory.org) Dec. 3: St. Louis County Parks Candy Cane Hunt at Faust Park (www.stlouisco.com/parks) Dec. 3: West End Arts Council Wintermarkt with crafts, kids’ activities, cider, baked goods, live music, carriage rides, & blacksmithing demos at Kingsbury & Des Peres Aves. (314-862-5122) Dec. 3: Christmas Is for the Birds featuring Santa photos with live raptor bird at World Bird Sanctuary (636861-3225, www.worldbirdsanctuary.org) Dec. 3–4: Cherokee-Lemp Cookie Spree at Cherokee St. antiques stores (www.cherokeeantiquerow.com) Dec. 3, 10, & 17: Gingerbread-house workshops at Eckert’s of Belleville (www.eckerts.com) Dec. 5: Robot fashion show at Ground Floor in Belleville (www.thegroundfloor.us) Dec. 6: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Chamber group performs at Tower Grove Park’s Piper Palm House (314-7712679, www.towergrovepark.org) Dec. 6: Word in Motion Warrior Poet Award Ceremony honoring Shirley LeFlore & Michael Castro at SqWires (314-443-4357) Dec. 6: Echo Theatre Play Reading Series staged reading of Christopher Durang’s Mrs. Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge at Soulard Coffee Garden (314995-2123, www.echotheatrecompany.org) Dec. 6-22: Art for AIDS by students to benefit St. Louis Effort for AIDS at UMSL’s Gallery Visio (314-516-7922) Dec. 7: Strange Brew: Cult Films at Schlafly Bottleworks features skateboarding doc Dogtown & Z-Boys, sponsored by Webster Films (314-9687487, www.webster.edu/filmseries.html) Dec. 8: Author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Doris Kearns Goodwin speaks at St. Louis County Library HQ (314-9949411, www.slcl.org) Dec. 9–10: Gateway Men’s Chorus Holly Jolly Hollywood Concert at Grandel Theatre (314-621-7286, www.gatewaymenschorus.org) Dec. 9–18: St. Louis Ballet pres-

| More listings online at www.playbackstl.com/Events

ents The Nutcracker at Edison Theatre (www.metrotix.com) Dec. 10–Jan. 28: Works by Wallace Herndon Smith at galleries at Sheldon Concert Hall (www.sheldonconcerthall.org) Dec. 11: Biggest ToyMan Toy Convention of year at Machinist Hall (636-332-0807) Dec. 11: Handel’s Messiah sing-along at Washington Univ.’s Graham Chapel (314-935-5581) Dec. 11–March 4: Daguerrotypes to Digital and Portfolio/Progressions exhibit at St. Louis Artists Guild (314-7276266, www.stlouisartistsguild.org) Dec. 16: A Gospel Chsistmas with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, IN UNISON Chorus, & vocalist Walter Hawkins at Powell Hall (www.slso.org) Dec. 16: Winter Glow sing-along choral performance & lantern procession at St. Louis Art Museum (www.slam.org) Dec. 16–Jan. 16: Gend-etics, art by Aron Fischer, at Fort Gondo (314772-3628, artaron@gmail.com) Dec. 18: Chanukah: Festival of Lights music, dance, cookie-decorating, crafts, Israeli “shuk” (marketplace) vendors, & menorah-lighting ceremony at Mo. Botanical Garden (www.mobot.org) Dec. 25: International Free Food & Watch Movies on TV Day Dec. 27: Raja the elephant’s birthday party at the St. Louis Zoo (314781-0900, www.stlzoo.org) Dec. 28: Kwanzaa: Festival of the First Fruits with storytelling, craft & jewelry displays, African drumming, & musical performances at Mo. Botanical Garden (www.mobot.org) Dec. 29: Big River Hurricane Relief Concert with New Orleans jazz musicians Jeremy Davenport, Ellis Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, & more at Sheldon (www.sheldonconcerthall.org) Dec. 30: Kwanzaa program with music, storytelling, tours, refreshments, & kids’ crafts at St. Louis Art Museum (www.slam.org) Dec. 30–31: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performs live accompaniment to screening of Charles Chaplin silent City Lights at Powell Hall (www.slso.org) Dec. 31: First Night in Grand Center (314-289-8121, www.firstnightstl.org)

A poetry reading by K. Curtis Lyle is not so much a performance as a group ritual. Lyle gesticulates and chants like a shaman, weaving a spell, working his juju. Come, come, come hear him at Readings at the Schlafly Tap Room Dec. 1. He’s joined by poet Marcellus Leonard (http://belz.net/readings). Phil Slein’s devotion to underground art again yields up the best eye candy on Washington Avenue. The Marked Men: 6 Influential Tattooists, which features flash art by the legendary Don Ed Hardy, bows at Philip Slein Gallery, Dec. 2–30. The gallery also offers a mess of old-fashioned letterpress posters and such in Eric Woods: Firecracker Press. Woods’ handmade retro greeting cards, journals, and similar merch fairly scream out “classy Christmas gift” (314621-4634, www.philipsleingallery.com). Rasputina. Two gals with cellos; one dude on the drums. Corsets. Funereal ditties. The black humor of songs like “Howard Hughes,” “Kate Moss,” and “The Donner Party.” The aural equivalent of an Edward Gorey cartoon. The most tightly controlled and the funniest onstage commentary between songs ever (“Our undergarments may be soiled, but our hearts remain pure”; “The rumor that the Full House twins abused a priest, and that animals were involved, rages on. But, we still perform their music”; “Julie Andrews comes into me and tells me to do bad things. She tells me to sing and spin, spin closer to the edge of the Alpine mountaintop”). Dec. 10 at Pop’s (www.rasputina.com). Can you honestly see Blade Runner too many times? Are your bored with Sean Young’s smoldering robot gaze and her cigarettes? Are you tired of the Vangelis electronic-noir soundtrack? Are you sick of Rutger Hauer’s big suicide speech? How could you be? Replicants and their secret lovers are making tracks for the Five Decades of Science-Fiction Cinema series at the St. Louis County Library – Mid County Branch for the Dec. 13 screening of the Ridley Scott masterpiece (314-721-3008, www.slcl.org). Oh, Jesus, it’s Christmas. End the hypocrisy of it all with the NonProphet Theatre’s Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine sketch-comedy show at the St. Louis Science Center. The SLSC’s young/hip/trendazoid Friday Nights Live party welcomes the proudly offensive comedy troupe for an evening of interactive mirth, mistletoe, and mommymake-it-stop (314-289-4444, www.slsc.org).

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DRAG THE RIVER w/TWO COW GARAGE, TRAILER PARK TRAVOLTAS at THE RED SEA December 3, 8 p.m. | 21+ TICKETS: $7 | CALL: 314-962-0649 There’s no “drag” in Drag the River; this genuine, gritty roots-rock outfit from Fort Collins, Colo., has the gift of making a genre rife with posers and pale imitators seem like their own personal invention. Singer/songwriter/guitarists Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass front this fivepiece, who have inspired not a few writers to hail their rough-hewn “whiskey-soaked alt-country” ii in various publications. They invite such descriptions, of course; many of their songs are about the fine art of imbibing or the circumstances motivating one to do so. “Modern Drunkard,” from last year’s highspirited Hey Buddies EP, is a good example. And fat-free barroom stompers like “Columbus Stockade Blues” are positively made for killing a few brain cells with something cold and frosty. “Deminer” does so much with its guitar-bassdrums simplicity in a mere two and a half minutes that it’s downright astonishing. Drag the River don’t bother with frills or production tricks, but then again, they don’t just kick out the jams to rev up the rowdies, either. They’re tight, impassioned, and truly muscular in the way they balance emotion with pure energy. “Raising hell’s still in our blood/It gets tough to stay down/It keeps getting harder,” they sing on the wearily nostalgic “So Long Hoss,” a song that acknowledges the toll taken by days and nights of hard livin’ and hard partyin’. But the band is seemingly in its prime right now, having released several vigorous studio recordings (including 2002’s excellent Closed) and a couple of live ones, too. It’s hard to pin down why a group like Drag the River sounds better and more like the real deal than countless peers, but come on down to the Red Sea and theorize for yourself. The other bands on this bill are aces all the way, too. No O’Doul’s drinkers allowed! | Kevin Renick

BAHA ROCK CLUB

BILLIKEN CLUB

305 N. Main St. | St. Charles, Mo. 63301 636-949-0466 | www.baharockclub.com Mon: Karaoke Wed–Thurs.: Big Daddy Rob 12/2: Mandown 12/3: Sonic Tonic 12/6: Devil’s Playthings, Krammit 12/9: Five Time Zero 12/10: Bittersweet 12/13: Farmaceuticals, Unburied 12/16: Lucy Titus 12/17: Ben Wah Bob 12/20: Stadie 12/23: Electric Sky 12/27: Oak Burrow 12/31: Mandown

20 N. Grand Blvd. | St. Louis, Mo. 63103 314-977-2020 | http://billikenclub.slu.edu 12/3: Head of Femur w/The Bruces, Brain Regiment 12/5: Jump, Little Children w/Red Eyed Driver 12/8: Javier Mendoza Band

BALABAN’S 405 N. Euclid Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63108 314-361-8085 12/4: Fairchild 12/6: Erin Bode Group 12/11: Gene Lynn 12/13: Dave Venn 12/18: Kim Massey 12/20: Erin Bode Group 12/27: Erin Bode Group

700 S. Broadway | St. Louis, Mo. 63102 314-436-5222 | www.bbsjazzbluessoups.com 12/1: Leroy Pierson 7p, Carey Bell Blues Band 10p 12/2: Leroy Pierson 7p, Chris Beard Blues Band 10p 12/3: Larry Griffin & Eric McSpadden 7p, Bennie Smith & Urban Blues Express 10p 12/4: The On Call Band 7p, Brian Curran & Folk’n’Bluesgrass 11:30p 12/5: Sessions Jazz Big Band 8p, Larry Griffin 11:30 p 12/6: The Biscuits of Blues 9:30p 12/7: On Call Blues Band 9:30p 12/8: Leroy Pierson 7p, Rich McDonough Blues Band 10p 12/9: Leroy Pierson 7p, Billy Peek Blues Band 10p 12/10: Tom “Papa” Ray & Tom Maloney 7p, Soulard Blues Band 10p 12/11: The On Call Band 7p, Brian Curran & Folk’n’Bluesgrass 11:30p 12/12: Sessions Jazz Big Band 8p, Bottoms Up Blues Gang 11:30p 12/13: Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz Blues Band 9:30p 12/14: Cryin’ Shame Blues Band 9:30p 12/15: Leroy Pierson 7p, Rich McDonough Blues Band 10p 12/16: Leroy Pierson 7p, Arthur Williams Blues Masters 10p 12/17: The Fabulous Foehners 7p, Bennie Smith & Urban Blues Express 11:30p 12/18: The On Call Band 7p, Brian Curran & Folk’n’Bluesgrass 11:30p 12/19: Biscuits of Blues 8p, Bootigrabbers Delight 11:30p 12/20: New Rising Sun Blues Band 9:30p 12/21: Cryin’ Shame Blues Band 9:30p 12/22: Leroy Pierson 7p, Rich McDonough Blues Band 10p 12/23: Leroy Pierson 7p, Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz Blues Band 10p 12/24: Tom Hall 7p, Cryin’ Shame Blues Band 10p 12/26: Biscuits of Blues 8p, Bottoms Up Blues Gang 11:30p 12/27: Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz Blues Band 9:30p 12/28: Alvin Youngblood Hart, Arthur Williams & Larry Griffin, The Foehners, Tom Hall 9p 12/29: Leroy Pierson, Alice Spencer & friends, Brian Curran & Folk’n’Bluesgrass, Willie & the BlueCats, Bottoms Up Blues Gang 9:30p 12/30: Leroy Pierson 7p, The Bel Airs 10p 12/31: Arthur Williams Blues Masters 8p, Bennie Smith & Urban Blues Express 11:30p

BLUE NOTE 17 N. 9th St. | Columbia, Mo. 65201 573-874-1944 | www.thebluenote.com 12/1: Asleep at the Wheel 12/2: Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers, Split Lip Rayfield 12/3: Stevie Stone Unleashed, The Cuor, Chopper, Dr. Savage, Freeza Burn 12/4: Lou Donaldson featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith 12/7: The Black Neil Diamond 12/8: Chris Hatfield, Chino, Devaughn, Meech 12/9: Jon Nicholson 12/10: Trapt, for the World 12/16: Modern Day Zero, Morning After, Seven, Tobi Kai & the Strays

BLUEBERRY HILL 6504 Delmar Blvd. | University City, Mo. 63130

MOUND CITY MUSIC FEST w/SON VOLT, PATTERSON HOOD, JOE PERNICE, & VIC CHESNUTT at THE PAGEANT December 10, 7 p.m. | all ages TICKETS: $30–35 | CALL: 314-726-6161 Scoot that nativity scene from beneath the tree and make room for a big ol’ gift-wrapped box of roots-rock and alt-country goodness. The Mound City Music Fest makes its second St. Louis appearance, with all money generated from the show going to the Music Maker’s New Orleans Musicians Fund and South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children. Needless to say, the MCMF is more important than ever in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Other funds will stay right here in town for the SCOSAG, which provides year-round visual and musical arts education while making it affordable for low income households in St. Louis. Of course, you don’t have to think about any of that stuff to enjoy this great night of music. The newly reconfigured Sun Volt will be hitting the Pageant stage, playing lots of tunes from their critically praised 2005 platter Okemah and the Melody of Riot. Joining Jay Farrar and the boys will be Patterson Hood of Drive by Truckers, Joe Pernice of the heavenly melodic Pernice Brothers, and the ever-quirky and delightfully self-loathing Vic Chesnutt. So come on, holiday shoppers! Put some hope in somebody’s stocking this year and get your stompin’ boots on for what is sure to be a very memorable Saturday night in the Loop. | Jim Ousley

314-727-0880 | www.blueberryhill.com 12/3: Dave Simon’s Rock School 12/4: Arvin Mitchell 12/6: Judd and Maggie w/Brandy Johnson 12/9: PLAYBACK:stl Holiday Show w/The Its!, The Maxtone 4, & eero 12/14: Chuck Berry 12/15: Spin Doctors 12/31: New Year’s Eve Loop Underground Special Edition: The Treez, The Earth Worms, The Royal Illite, Forty ’til Five, The Frozen Food Section

BOTTLENECK BLUES BAR Ameristar Casino – St. Charles 1260 Main St. | St. Charles, Mo. 63301 636-940-4966 | www.ameristarcasinos.com 12/1-3: Jackson Hill 8p 12/1-4: LaNise Kirk 7/9p 12/1-5: Pennsylvania Slim 5p 12/2-3: Shrinking Violets 9p 12/6-11: Sha Bang 7/9p 12/7-12: Hudson & the Hoo Doo Cats 5p 12/8: Don McLean 7p, 9p 12/8-10: Skye Moore 8p 12/9-10: The Well Hungarians 9p 12/13-18: BB Secrist 7/9p 12/14-19: Galaxy 5p 12/15-17: Breakaway 8p 12/16-17: Dr. Zhivegas 9p 12/20-25: Platinum Café 7/9p 12/21-26: Arvell & Company 5p 12/22-24: Sable 8p 12/23-24: Boom 9p 12/27-30: Memphis All Stars 7/9p 12/28-30: Hudson & the Hoo Doo Cats 5p 12/29-31: Trixie Delight 8p 12/30-31: That 80s Band 9p

BRANDT’S 6525 Delmar Blvd. | University City, Mo. 63130 314-727-3663 | www.brandtscafe.com 12/1: Hugh “Peanuts” Whalum 12/2: Trio Tres Bien 12/3: Mae Wheeler 12/6: Victoria and Bosch 12/7: Hugh “Peanuts” Whalum 12/9: Amy Erlich 12/10: Mae Wheeler 12/13: Victoria and Bosch 12/15: Hugh “Peanuts” Whalum 12/16: Gene Lynn 12/17: Mae Wheeler 12/20: Victoria and Bosch 12/22: Hugh “Peanuts” Whalum 12/23: Erin Bode 12/30: Trio Tres Bien 12/31: Kim Massie w/Mae Wheeler

BROADWAY OYSTER BAR 736 S. Broadway | St. Louis, Mo. 63102 314-621-8811 | www.broadwayoysterbar.com 12/1: The Greyhounds w/Dogtown Allstars 12/2: Morgantown’s Duane Allman Tribute 12/3: Soulard Blues Band 12/4: Phat Bottomed Monks 12/5: Soulard Blues Band 12/6: Big Bamou 12/8: Mike Zito Band 12/9: Diesel Island 12/10: Gumbohead 12/11: Not Quite Nashville 4p, Johnny Fox 9p 12/12: Soulard Blues Band 12/13: Big Bamou 12/14: Tiny Crows 12/15: Rikers Mailbox 12/16: Dangerous Kitchen 12/17: Dogtown Allstars 12/18: Bottoms Up Blues Gang 4p, Tim Sessions 9p 12/19: Soulard Blues Band 12/20: Big Bamou 12/21: Johnny Fox

THE ITS; photo by JEREMI AND ANIA

DECEMBER 2005

PLAYBACK:stl TWINKLY LIGHTS HOLIDAY SHOW w/THE ITS!, THE MAXTONE 4, & EERO

As your fearless editors, we consider it our job to go forth and discover new music, then bring it to you. That’s precisely what we’ve done with the Its!, a Chicago pop-dance-rock band we met at South Park in September. This month, we’ll be bringing ’em to you. Trust us: They’re infectious, and ridiculously good. Their self-titled debut is a stunningly uplifting collection of manic pop music. “We weren’t trying to sound like any one thing in particular,” says keyboardist Eric Quinlan. “We just wanted to put together a solid record [from] start to finish that had a lot of heart behind it for upbeat rock ’n’ roll.” The Its! play music for all the right reasons. “Play and write from the soul and the rest is elementary, my dear Watson,” says Quinlan wisely. “It is somewhat unfortunate that many people equate your social status as a band with who you’re hanging out with, who you’re on tour with, or what magazine you’re in this month (no offense). Sometimes everything you want or need is an inch from your nose, staring right back at you, so take advantage of it.” www.theits.com

at BLUEBERRY HILL’S DUCK ROOM December 9, 8 p.m. | 21+ TICKETS: $6 | CALL: 314-727-4444

St. Louis’ own Maxtone 4, fronted by PLAYBACK:stl live music editor Brian McClelland, writes catchy songs with power chords and witty lyrics. This four-piece got its start back in the days of It’s that time of year again! We don’t care if you’ve been bad Kennealy’s open mics, with newest member Mike Hellebusch joinor good; our only concern is do you wanna rock? ’Cause we’ve ing last year. “It’s St. Louis bands like the Boorays and the Finns that inspired me to do this in the first place,” says McClelland, “so I got one hell of a lineup on tap for you tonight. 12/22: Arkamo Rangers 12/23: Brian Elder Project 12/26: Soulard Blues Band 12/27: Big Bamou 12/28: Not Quite Nashville 12/30: Cumberland Gap 12/31: John Lisi & Delta Funk

CICERO’S 6691 Delmar Blvd. | University City, Mo. 63130 314- 862-0009 | www.ciceros-stl.com 12/1: Happy Endings, Minutes too Far, Let Go, The Story Changes 12/2: Jake’s Leg 12/3: The Lab, Grant Essig, Sunday Runners, Polar Bear Project 12/5: Madahoochi 12/8: Speakeasy 12/9: Jake’s Leg 12/10: Midwest Music Explosion w/Building Rome, Our Great Escape, On Tracy Lane, Bi-Level 12/11: Phat Bottomed Monks 12/12: Madahooci 12/15: Max Allen Band 12/16: Jake’s Leg, Dave Simon’s Rock School 12/17: Honey Tribe w/Devon Allman, Rob Nicholas, A Moment’s Notice 12/18: Poetry Night 12/19: Madahoochi 12/22: Modern Red w/Anchondo, Jamie Shields 12/23: Jakes Leg 12/26: Bockman and J.S. Blueprint 12/29: Liquid Groove Theory & Chelsea Grove 12/30: Jake’s Leg 12/31: PLAYBACK:stl presents Lord Baltimore w/Shady Deal, The Upright Animals

COMEDY FORUM 4141 N. Cloverleaf Dr. | St. Peters, MO 63376 636-498-1234 | www.comedyforum.com 12/2-3: Kevin McPeek 12/9-10: Brian Green 12/10: Optimistic 12/14: Open Mic Night 12/16-7: Justin Leon 12/19: Satisfaction 12/23: David Graham 12/30-1: Mike Dambra

was excited when an ex-Booray contacted me about playing guitar in my band.” M4 is currently in the studio, working on its follow up to last year’s well-received Go Steady, but we’ve managed to pull them away for one night, all in the name of mistletoe. “I just want us to have fun making music we can be proud of,” McClelland says. “And if that includes a bigger audience, fantastic, but I’d be more than happy ending up playing with my friends in a stinky basement somewhere, looking for the buzz that comes with finding that magic chord change.” You hear that, St. Louis? Let’s make some stink! www.maxtonefour.com Eero—named for St. Louis Arch architect Eero Saarinen—is a duo with a rotating cast of guest musicians. (Tonight’s show, for example, will feature the tambourine talents of Aaron James.) Derek Bayer, the songwriting half of the duo, sings and plays guitar; Bill Wheeler rounds out the band on drums. The two longtime musicians formed their own project last year. “The turning point from the other bands had to do with spinning wheels and no mileage,” says Bayer. Keeping their membership roster at two meant “less schedule, less head battles, less equipment—you name it. And, it’s cool to experiment with new sounds and to have people say, ‘How did you get this full sound with two guys?’” Eero’s debut EP, Completely Over the Moment, is due in January, so expect a taste of things to come as you chug that spiked egg nog…er, nutmeg’d PBR. www.eeromusic.com | Laura Hamlett

COOKIES JAZZ & MORE

INALE

#20 Allen Ave. | Webster Groves, Mo. 314-962-JAZZ | www.CookiesJazz.com 12/1: Kim Portnoy Trio 12/3: Kim Massey 12/8: Curt Landes Trio 12/9: Stevens & Foster 12/10: Uvee Hayes & Roland Johnson 12/15: Valerie Tichacek Sextet 12/16: Tom Kennedy Quartet 12/17: Danita Thompson & Trio Tres Bien 12/22: Dan Smith Quintet & Debby Lennon 12/23-4: Bob Rowe Organ Trio 12/29: Carolbeth True Trio 12/30: Erin Bode Quartet

8025 Bonhomme Ave. | Clayton, Mo 63105 314-863-8631 | www.finale-stl.com 12/1: The Fabulous Motown Revue 12/2: Finale Funk Flashback Holiday Show 12/3: Dean Christopher 12/7: Arvell & Company’s Funky Holiday Show 12/8: Vince Varvel 12/9-10: Erin Bode Holiday Standards 12/14-15: Sinatra Songbook w/Tom Heitman & the Steve Schankman Orchestra 12/16: Wild Cool & Swingin 12/17: Javier Mendoza Band 12/22: Brian Vander Ark 12/30: The Raven Moon Band

CREEPY CRAWL

FOCAL POINT

412 N. Tucker | St. Louis, Mo. 63101 314-621-9993 | www.creepycrawl.com 12/4: Look What I Did 3:30p, Milemarker 7:30p 12/5: “Hell Fire Couch Chicken” w/Scattered Shadows, Vengeance is Mine, Harkonin 12/6: Danny Diablo, Ringworm, Agents of Man 12/7: Time Is the Enemy, In This Moment, Auburn Serene, Autumn Bleeds Red 12/9: “Mooose Juice” hosted by Beetlejuice feat. Vampire Mooose, Scorched Earth, Serious w/M2 Girls & Dwarf Tossing 12/10: Myspace Queen, Christine Dolce aka ForBiddeN, Northwoods, Novella, Ava Wait, Behind the Blindfold, Addien 12/13: Transition, Far-Less, Chasing Victory, Sullivan 12/15: Horse the Band, So Many Dynamos, Think Thank Thunk, When Sorrow Fails, Dressed For a Funeral 12/16: Gentleman Auction House, Michigan Avenue, RevelationSeven 12/17: Hellogoodbye, The Rocket Summer, Hit the Lights, David Melillo 12/20: Plain White T’s, Spitalfield, Audition, The Dreamscene 12/22: Femme Fatality, Hyperbubble, Murder Happens, Electrozoids 12/27: Fear the Sky, The Dreamscene, The Cause, Micahveil, Waking in Ashes 12/28: Cities Ablaze, Linda’s Dead, Harlot, Autumn Bleeds Red, Battle of Marathon 12/31: The TripDaddys, 7 Shot Screamers, The Pubes, Johnny O & the Jerks

2720 Sutton | Maplewood, Mo. 63143 314-781-4200 | www.thefocalpoint.org 12/3: Switchback 12/10: Lehto and Wright 12/17: Rough Shop

FOX THEATRE 527 N. Grand Blvd. | St. Louis, Mo. 63107 636-534-1111 | www.fabulousfox.com thru 12/4: Wicked 12/6-11: Riverdance 12/16-19: A Christmas Carol 12/20: The Andy Williams Christmas Show 12/27-1/1: Annie

FREDERICK’S MUSIC LOUNGE 4454 Chippewa | St. Louis, Mo. 63116 314-351-5711 | www.fredericksmusiclounge.com Mon: “Mischief Monday” Live Music Thurs: Steve Hinson’s Ragtime Open Mic 12/1: Noiseday Hootenanny Open Mic & Jam Session 12/2: Tinhorn, James Apollo 12/3: Wormwood Scrubs 12/5: Mischief Monday 12/6: 500 Miles to Memphis 12/7: Sterling Waters & Charlie Parr 12/8: Noiseday Hootenanny Open Mic & Jam Session 12/9: Backyard Tire Fire, Joe Kile 12/10: The Commodes 12/12: Dead Boy & the Elephant Men 12/14: Patrice Pike 12/15: Noiseday Hootenanny Open Mic & Jam Session 12/16: Jackhead, Stace England & the Cairo Project

12/17: Moonshine Sway, the Chemtrails 12/18: Mischief Monday w/The Tripdaddys 12/20: Vampire Lezbos 12/22: Noiseday Hootenanny Open Mic & Jam Session 12/23: Diesel Island 12/24: Naked & Shameless 12/26: Mischief Monday 12/28: PLAYBACK:stl presents KaiserCartel w/Corey Saathoff 12/29: Noiseday Hootenanny Open Mic & Jam Session 12/30: Magnolia Summer, the Transmitters 12/31: Frederick’s New Year’s Even Party

HAMMERSTONE’S 2028 S. 9th St. | St. Louis, Mo. 63104 314-773-5565 Sun: JammSession w/VooDoo Blues 4p, Erik Brooks 8:30p Mon: Tim Albert 8p Tues: Lucky Dan & Naked Mike 7p Wed: Park Avenue 8p Sun: Voodoo Blues 4p, Erik Brooks 8:30p 12/1: Shakey Ground 8p 12/2: Patty & the Hit Men 9p 12/3: Rondo’s Blues Deluxe 3p, Uncle Albert 9p 12/8: Patty & the Hit Men 8p 12/9: Uncle Albert 9p 12/10: Prairie Dogs 3p, Fairchild 9p 12/15: Shakey Ground 8p 12/16: Uncle Albert 9p 12/17: Rondo’s Blues Deluxe 3p, Fairchild 9p 12/22: Patty & the Hit Men 8p 12/23: Uncle Albert 9p 12/29: Prairie Dogs 8p 12/30: Uncle Albert 9p 12/31: Rondo’s Blues Deluxe 3p, The Sportsmen 9p

HARRAH’S VOO DOO LOUNGE 777 Casino Center Dr. | Maryland Heights, Mo. 63043 314-770-8100 | www.harrahs.com 12/15: Psychedelic Furs

JAZZ AT THE BISTRO 3536 Washington Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63103 314-531-1012 | www.jazzatthebistro.com thru 12/3: Lou Donaldson 12/9-10: Carol Beth Trio 12/14-17: Ray Vega’s Latin Jazz Quintet

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LEMP NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS CENTER 3301 Lemp Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 314-771-1096 | www.lemp-arts.org 12/4: Dave Stone, Mark Sarich, Danny McClain 12/11: Stunning, Conformists, Warhammer 48k 12/13: Crime in Stereo, Dead Hearts 12/14: The Body, Ziggerot, Ghost Ice, Dancing Feet March to War 12/16: Freedom 12/17: Jumpman, Tiny Pies, Kevin Morby, Puppet Show 12/26-29: beSTLast Show 12/31: sXe New Year’s

MAGEE’S 4500 Clayton Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63110 314-535-8061 Mon: Open Mic w/Heather Barth

MANGIA ITALIANO

NEIL DIAMOND at SAVVIS CENTER December 11, 8 p.m. | all ages TICKETS: $42.50–75 | CALL: 314-622-5400 Singer/songwriter Neil Diamond will be making his way to the Gateway City to perform his oneof-a-kind heartwarming music—with his original touring band in tow. Diamond, who started his career all the way back in 1962, has a knack for penning songs that stick in your head after iv you hear them. On his latest album, 12 Songs, the crooner teamed up with legendary producer Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash) for a career makeover, a move proving that while there may be some dust on the bottle, there is still plenty of gas—and talent—in the tank. When the two met, both realized they shared the same passion for good music. For his part, Rubin kept a tight reign on how the record came together. According to Diamond’s liner notes, “For both of us it was visceral, passionate, and could even be an elevating experience. It turned out that we served the same mistress—music, and that was to become our first real connection.” That connection flourished as Rubin gave Diamond the needed time to lock himself up in a room with a stack of yellow legal pads and a guitar—allowing him to concentrate on creating the best lyrics he could. The result of the two mega-stars’ collaboration is a stripped-down, powerful collection of songs—arguably Diamond’s best work since 1980’s The Jazz Singer. While Diamond should be showcasing his latest album on this tour, one can also expect to be treated to his classic pop masterpieces “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and, of course, the anthemic, fist-pumping “America.” Don’t miss your chance to check out one of America’s best performers as he sets out to prove that while fads may come and go, solid songwriting will always be in style. | Jim Campbell

3145 S. Grand Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 314-664-8585 | www.dineatmangia.com Sun: Reggae Dub Spin w/Gabe & Dino Mon: Open mic w/Kieran Malloy Wed: Eightyfourglyde DJ Spin Fri: Dave Stone Trio 12/1: Long John Thomas & the Duffs 12/3: The Brian Sullivan Quartet 12/8: Jimmy Griffin 12/10: Tom Woods & Friends 12/15: Stuart Johnson 12/17: The Good Griefs 12/22: Matt McGaughey 12/29: The Ransom Note 12/31: Red Eyed Driver

12/7: 105.7 HoHo Show w/311, Alien Ant Farm, Living Things 12/9: Ludo w/Loser’s Luck, The Dog & Everything, Hush Sound 12/10: PLAYBACK:stl presents Mound City Music Fest w/Son Volt, Patterson Hood, Vic Chesnut, Joe Pernice 12/17: 101.1 River of Toys w/Collective Soul, Ben Folds, Anna Nalick, Natasha Bedingfield 12/20: 105.7 HoHo Show w/Fall Out Boy, Coheed & Cambria, For the World 12/21-23: El Monstero y Los Masked Avengers 12/28: Kingofthehill 12/30: Lojic w/Seven 12/31: Dr. Zhivegas

PJ’S MARTINI & WINE BAR 127 W. Jefferson | Kirkwood, Mo. 63122 314-966-2001 12/2: Musyc 12/3: Blues Judge 12/9: Ticket to the Beatles 12/10: The Melroys 12/16: Sol 12/17: Early Review 12/23: The Sportsmen 12/30: Racketbox

POP’S 1403 Mississippi | Sauget, Ill. 62201 618-274-6720 | www.popsrocks.com

THE MARTINI BAR 4004 Peach Ct. | Columbia, Mo. 65203 573-256-8550 | www.themartinibar.biz 12/2: Shawn Kellerman 12/3: Murali Coryell 12/9: Bobby Carson 12/10: Hilary Scott Band 12/16: Chump Change 12/17: Kim Massie 12/31: Scott Holt

MISSISSIPPI NIGHTS 914 N. First St. | St. Louis, Mo. 63102 314-421-3853 | www.mississippinights.com 12/3: Victor Wooten 12/13: Iron & Wine w/Calexico 12/16: Brave Combo

MOJO’S 1013 Park Ave. | Columbia, Mo. 65201 573-875-0588 | www.mojoscolumbia.com 12/1: Lojic, Zack Hexum, Dead Language 12/2: Videology, Bockman 12/3: Witch’s Hat CD release w/The Doxies, The Confident Years 12/5: Milemarker, Lords 12/9: Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys 12/10: The Wilders 12/17: The Unfashionables, The Frustrated Bachelors 12/30: John D’Agastino & the Fried Crawdaddies 12/31: The Bel Airs

OFF BROADWAY 3509 Lemp Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 314-773-3363 | www.offbroadwaystl.com 12/2: Ashborne, My Weapon of Choice, Discount Firearm 12/3: Grumass 12/9: Dale Watson & His Lone Stars, Matt Poss & the Wild Bunch 12/10: SONiA, Disappear Fear 12/17: Freakwater, the Zincs 12/22: The High 5’s, Slow Parade, Gentlemen Auction House

THE PAGEANT 6161 Delmar Blvd. | St. Louis, Mo. 63112 314-726-6161 | www.thepageant.com

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS at HARRAH’S VOODOO LOUNGE December 15, 8 p.m. | 21+ TICKETS: $23–25 | CALL: 314-771-8100 It’s been 25 years since that British band with the strange name and gravel-voiced singer released its self-titled debut LP. With harsh, awkwardsounding, yet irresistible songs (including what would become the title track for the John Hughes classic Pretty in Pink), The Psychedelic Furs set the stage for what would become one of the longeststanding British musical success stories. Coming at the end of punk rock and before the onset of new wave, the Furs had a sound that was of the present yet still, for the most part, enduring. Songs such as “Love My Way,” “The Ghost in You,” and “House” still captivate the way they did at first listen. Despite the band’s ten-year hiatus—which found Butler exhibiting paintings in New York galleries—the reunited Psychedelic Furs promise to be as strong as ever. Core members (and brothers) Richard and Tim Butler (bass) and John Ashton (guitar) have been joined by Frank Ferrer (drums, ex–Love Spit Love) and Amanda Kramer (keys, ex–World Party) to create what promises to be an impressive and cohesive lineup. Following Richard Butler’s early 2006 solo debut, look for a brand-new Furs album next year, as well. | Laura Hamlett

Sun.: 105.7 the Point Sunday Night Local Show 12/3: Supreme Fighting Challenge 12/5: From First to Last w/Haste the Day, He Is Legend, Dead Reckless 12/6: From Autumn to Ashes w/Emery, Classic Case, Biology 12/9: As I Lay Dying w/Norma Jean, Madball, A Life Once Lost 12/10: Battery 12/12: Rasputina w/Dame Darcy 12/14: Funeral for a Friend w/A Static Lullaby, Hopesfall, Lovehatehero, Paramore, Lodis C 12/17: Lithium

RADIO CHEROKEE 3227 Cherokee St. | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 www.radiocherokee.net 12/3: Iron Doves, The Timer, Year of the Bastard 12/9: Mystechs, Super Fun Yeah Rocketship, Electrozoids 12/15: abcBlackout, Cake on Cake, Brandon Baker

THE RED SEA 6511 Delmar Blvd. | University City, Mo. 63130 314-863-0099 12/1: Elements of Improv w/Fattback, Old Kinderhook, The Collective, Elements of, the Sean Maloney Band, & the Evolutions 12/2: Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter; DJ Mystafia 12/3: Two Cow Garage w/Drag the River & the Trailer Park Travoltas 12/4: Jason Greenwald w/the Aquatic Record 12/5: Open Mic night; Donny Carver 12/6: Crackjaw w/7th Day; Eff to Gee w/Jesse Irwin 12/7: MakNasty; Mikey Dread w/the All Night Party Band 12/8: Elements of Reggae w/Mikey Dread; Elements of, the Sean Maloney Band & Moondog Freed 12/9: Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter; DJ Mystafia 12/10: Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter 12/11: Little Ace; the Greg Dunn Band 12/12: Open mic night; Donny Carver 12/13: The Affair w/The Collective 12/14: MakNasty 12/15: John Maxfield, Elements of, Sean Maloney Band 12/16: Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter; DJ Mystafia 12/17: B-Side Logic, Demierge ; Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter 12/18: Parted by Illusion w/Addien & Instant Iguana; Steven Colbert & BO 12/19: Open mic night; Donny Carver 12/20: Godheim, Coma & Lurking Beneath 12/21: MakNasty 12/22: The Sean Maloney Band w/Elements of 12/23: Nonstop reggae; DJ Mystafia 12/24: Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter 12/26: Open mic night; Donny Carver 12/28: MakNasty 12/29: The Sean Maloney Band, w/Elements of 12/30: Nonstop reggae; DJ Mystafia 12/31: New Year’s Eve rock ’n’ roll bash; Nonstop reggae feat. Jodi Carter

RIDDLE’S PENULTIMATE 6307 Delmar | U. City, Mo. 63130 314-725-6985 | www.riddlescafe.com Sun: The John Norment Quartet Tues: Brian Curran w/Folkn’BLUESgrass Wed: Ptah Williams 12/1: The Uncle Albert Band 12/2: Jazz Renaissance 12/3: The Swirl Band 12/8: Mr. Chris 12/9: Zydeco Crawdaddys 12/10: The Uncle Albert Band 12/15: The Uncle Albert Band 12/16: Barefoot Jones 12/17: The Swirl Band 12/22: Mr. Chris 12/31: The Uncle Albert Band

DECEMBER 2005

12/14: U2 w/Kanye West 12/23: Trans-Siberian Orchestra

SCHLAFLY BOTTLEWORKS 13375 Olive | Chesterfield, Mo. 63017 314-878-3886 Thurs: The Perry Woods Experience Sat: Jeff Gwantley

SAVVIS CENTER 1401 Clark Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63103 314-622-5400 | www.savviscenter.net 12/2: Keith Urban w/Little Big Town 12/3: Gaither Homecoming Tour 12/11: Neil Diamond

7260 Southwest Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63143 314-241-BEER | www.schlafly.com 12/2: Squirrel Hunters 12/3: Cumberland Gap 12/10: Cumberland Gap 12/16: Crazy Rhythm 12/17: Cumberland Gap 12/23: Matt Taul Trio 12/30: Barely Here 12/31: Black Velvet & Bluegrass

SCHLAFLY TAP ROOM 2100 Locust St. | St. Louis, Mo. 63103 314-241-BEER | www.schlafly.com 12/11: The Courthouse Steps 12/26: The Flying Mules

THE SHANTI 825 Allen Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63104 314-241-4772 Tues: Open Mic w/Kimmy V

SHELDON CONCERT HALL

THE SPIN DOCTORS at BLUEBERRY HILL’S DUCK ROOM December 15, 9 p.m. | 21+ TICKETS: $12–14 | CALL: 314-727-4444 Pop audiences can be a fickle bunch, and nobody knows that better than the Spin Doctors. Pocketful of Kryptonite, the New York band’s 1991 debut, was a hit of ungodly proportions, selling over eight million copies and spawning the most omnipresent radio hit of the mid-’90s with “Two Princes.” Turn It Upside Down, their rushed 1994 follow-up, leaned more heavily on jam-band tendencies than the tight pop tunes (“Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”) that made them superstars, and inevitably stalled on the charts. The Spin Doctors soldiered on past diminishing audiences and label woes until 1999, when the final nail in the coffin arrived in the form of throat cancer, rendering singer Chris Barron voiceless. A comeback seemed not only unlikely but impossible. Not so fast. In a turnaround as unlikely as their initial rise to superstardom, Barron beat cancer, founding guitarist Eric Schenkman and bassist Mark White returned to the fold, and Universal signed on to release the band’s first album in six years. Nice Talking to Me finds the band giving a bluesier, Southern rock edge on their Phish-style jam-funk. “We went into the studio trying to be ourselves rather than find a whole new sound,” reports Barron, lead singer/Shaggy lookalike. “We wanted to bring ourselves into the 21st century but retain the classic elements that make us an old-school, no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll band.” | Jason Green

3648 Washington Blvd. | St. Louis, Mo. 63108 314-533-9900 | www.sheldonconcerthall.org thru 12/4: Sandra Reaves Phillips 12/6: Peter Mayer 12/7: Christopher Parkening w/Jubilant Sykes 12/13: Sound F/X 12/15: Mitzi McDonald & Keltic Reign Holiday Show 12/18: Early Music St. Louis Renaissance Christmas 12/19: St. Louis Irish Arts Christmas Show

SQWIRE’S 1415 S. 18th St. | St. Louis, Mo. 63104 314-865-3522 12/1: Tom Byrne 6:30 p 12/2: Tom Hall 5p, Isam & Engel 8p 12/3: Johnson & Clark 8p 12/4: Monica Casey 11a, Chris Griffith 5:30p 12/7: Dave Black 6p 12/8: Stuart Johnson 6:30p 12/9: Pierce Crask 5p, Mo & Dawn 8p 12/10: Blue Monks Unplugged 8p 12/11: Matt Murdick 11a, Chris Griffith 5:30p 12/13: Vince Varvel 6p 12/14: Dave Black 6p 12/15: Tom Byrne 6:30p 12/17: Todd Mosby Duo 8p 12/18: Bill Murphy 11a, Tom Hall/Chris Griffith 5p 12/21: Dave Black 6p 12/22: Stuart Johnson 6:30p 12/23: Pierce Crask 5p, Mo & Dawn 8p 12/27: Vince Varvel 6p 12/28: Dave Black 6p 12/29: Tom Byrne 6:30p 12/30: Tom Hall 5p, Isam & Engel 8p 12/31: Chris Griffith 6:30p, S.O.L. 10p

ST. LOUIS CASA LOMA BALLROOM 3354 Iowa | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 314-664-8000 | www.casalomaballroom.com 12/2: Gateway City Big Band 12/3: Hudson & the HooDoo Cats 12/9: Ambassadors of Swing 12/10: The Contors 12/16: Knights of Swing 12/17: Z Band & “Elvis” 12/31: Chubby Carrier

STRATFORD BAR & GRILL 800 S. Highway Dr. | Fenton, Mo. 63026 636-343-5757 | www.stratfordbar.com 12/2: Joe Dirt 12/3: Dixie Express 12/8: Haywire 12/9: Thunderhead 12/10: Candy Coburn 12/17: Southbound 55 12/22: Haywire 12/30: Ultraviolets 12/31: Haywire, Mr. Wizzard

THREE-1-THREE 20 Mascoutah Ave. | Belleville, Ill. 62220 618-239-6885 | www.three-1-three.com Sun: The Sunday Social w/DJ Imran Mon: Park Avenue Trio Wed-Thurs: John Farrar 11a Thurs: DJ Kelly Dell, Just J, Andreas Ardesco Fri: Derek Thomas 11a 12/3: Earsol 12/4: Drag the River, Two Cow Garage

CAKE ON CAKE w/abcBLACKOUT, BRANDON BAKER at RADIO CHEROKEE December 15, 8 p.m. | all ages TICKETS: $5 | INFO: radiocherokee.net

“Your dreams will come true today,” sings Helena Sundin on the first track of Cake on Cake’s debut album, I See No Stars. Well, it was more of a wish, really—a wish that when I played this album, it would reflect the more ethereal, mysterious side of the Scandinavian aesthetic rather than the more aggressive, garage-rocky side that the Swedes, in particular, are infatuated with. That wish was granted in spades. Cake on Cake—essentially a one-woman band—falls generally into the eclectic, VENICE CAFÉ 1906 Pestalozzi | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 glitchy fairyland electronica terrain favored by 314-772-5994 | www.thevenicecafe.com groups like Mum and Efterklang, and to some Mon: Open mic night extent, Norway’s Hanne Hukkelberg (perhaps the 12/1: Coal Train nearest stylistic corollary overall, minus the theatri12/2: Domino Kings 12/3: 56 Hope Road cal aplomb). The primary difference is that this is 12/9: Dangerous Kitchen a single, soft female voice (albeit one doing lots 12/16: Roundups of self-harmonizing), clearly singing in English but 12/17: Jake’s Leg surrounded by a wide array of gorgeously recorded 12/22: Bottoms Up Blues Gang 12/29: Preston Clarke instruments including piano, melodica, xylophone, guitar, triangle, tablas, maraccas, flutes, and odd WAY OUT CLUB things like “guitar pitch pipe” and “glass animals.” 2525 S. Jefferson Ave. | St. Louis, Mo. 63118 314-664-7638 | www.wayoutclub.com The results are whimsical and spellbinding. And 12/1: Fertilizer Bomb, Mothra’s Mutha because there aren’t many records like this com12/2: Bad Folk, Good Griefs, Red Eyed Driver ing out of Sweden specifically, there’s a wonderful 12/3: Operation: Rock, Left Arm, Ghost in Light freshness and vitality to Cake on Cake’s music that 12/5: Spiders & Cowboys 12/7: Aces & Eights, the Pubes evokes a sonic botanical garden. There’s something 12/9: Sparks Thugs sweet and lovely everywhere you go on this abun12/10: Bert Dax Christmas Show dant 20-track disc. It’s all original, too, save for a 12/13: Goodnight Ghost, the Living Blue, Tomko surprising cover of Mojave 3’s “Tomorrow’s Taken.” 12/14: Fat Back 12/15: Gentleman Auction House, Ghost in Light, Planes It’ll be absolutely fascinating to see how Sundin for Spaces, Casey Reid & Mike Tomko reproduces all this stuff on stage at Radio Cherokee 12/16: Semi-OK for her debut appearance here. Let’s go down and 12/17: Hibernauts, Cruel Cuts welcome this delightful Swedish lass to our shores; 12/20: Goombata, Seth Barnhart 12/21: Billy Coma, Tin Whiskey a few slices of this Cake on Cake are bound to be 12/22: Sex Robots, This Is the News mighty tasty, indeed. | Kevin Renick

TOUHILL PERFORMING ARTS CTR.

Univ. of Mo. – St. Louis | St. Louis, Mo. 63121 314-516-4949 | www.touhill.org 12/1: Student Chamber Music Concert 12/2: UMSL Symphonic Band Concert; St. Louis Philharmonic 12/4: ASQ “Serious Passion” 12/6: Community Chorus Concert 12/9-11: Ambassadors of Harmony; MADCO 12/12: Genesis Jazz Project

12/23: 7 Shot Screamers, the Choir 12/24: Holy Hand Grenades 12/28: Achalachia 12/29: The Smokeables 12/30: Kurt Is Gay, Reebs 12/31: Bitch Slap Barbie, Fifth Row Felons, That’s My Daughter

WANT YOUR CALENDAR TO BE SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF MUSIC LOVERS EVERY MONTH? E-MAIL YOUR LISTINGS BY THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH TO CALENDAR@PLAYBACKSTL.COM

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Compiled by J. Church

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Rough Shop will release their official debut, Far Past the Outskirts, at the Focal Point on Dec. 17. Canny attendees will have a chance to obtain that much-anticipated disc before it streets in January. “All members of Rough Shop will be at the Rough Shop CD release party,” the band’s John Wendland observes with characteristically understated humor. “What a concept!” “I have the honor of beginning the morning with what we fondly call ‘Cosmic Percussion,’” beatmeister Robert Fishbone relates of World Peace Day, scheduled to start at Central Reform Congregation on Dec. 31 at (gulp!) 6 a.m. The five- to ten-minute piece involves gongs, Bundt pans, a turtle shell, and other uncommon percussive instruments. “No time signature, just an ever-evolving series of waves whose purpose is to wash over those assembled and provide an opening to what follows,” Fishbone tells us, “which is spoken word, songs, and prayers from some very talented folks. A nice way to begin the end of the year.” A new bassist is playing with rockers Essence of Logic: Drew Franklin. “Drew hails from U. City,” frontman Jeff Nations notes, “and has seen local success with Core Project, the Collective, and several local cover bands.” Also according to Nations, upcoming for Franklin and his new bandmates are a Dec. 22 gig at the Phoenix and a January slot in the Ticketmaster New Music Spotlight at the Pageant. Ken McCray (ex–Riddle of Steel) has officially joined Shame Club. The band will be on tour again and recording new material for a third CD starting in 2006. Minutes to Midnight will be releasing a new CD shortly, as will Miles of Wire. The Gentleman Callers have parted ways with organ player Mike Young; however, they have been writing and rehearsing with organ/ electric piano player Seth Porter. Their debut CD, Don’t Say What It Is, is out now. Bitch Slap Barbie tracks “Change of Power” and “Wishful Thinking”—from the upcoming EP Latex Sex Monkeys—are available at www.myspace.com/bitchslapbarbie. Former Stir, Gravity Kills, and Apartment 26 drummer-turned-record producer Brad Booker has landed several of his self-

ROUGH SHOP

produced songs on MTV’s new series, Score, hosted by Ryan Cabrera. Meanwhile Booker’s St. Louis–based production company, Bookermusic Inc., continues to produce local acts. www.bookermusic.com St. Louis–based Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ Blues Band have advanced to the semifinals of the International Blues Competition to be held in Memphis Jan. 26–28. Andy Conrad & the Bellheads will be donating all the money received from the sales of the disc Everyday Peepholes to the local St. Louis chapter of Dream Factory, a nonprofit organization granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses To learn more, visit www.stldreamfactory.org. After nearly five years of steady writing, recording, and performing, EKe has decided to call it quits. Former SevenStar bassist Jaclyn Mayer has been invited to complete the new lineup for Movie Star Kiss out in L.A. Wish her well as she ventures out to Cali at the end of December. MSK’s new CD, Starting Over, is now available on iTunes. www.moviestarkiss.com St. Louis/Greenville, Ill.–based David Wise of The Wisemanagement Company recently negotiated singer/songwriter Caleb Engstrom’s signing to Texas label Right Place Records (www.rightplace.tv). Another band Wise represents, Berry, has also recently been signed by the label. Spaide’s lead single “Always” has been picking up quality spins at KATZ’s 100. 3 The Beat in recent weeks. An accompanying video for the single will be released before the year is out, as will Spaide’s new album, This Herre City. Die Symphony has uncovered an assortment of unreleased songs and home-brewed demo versions. This collection of rare tracks

will only be available online as a digital-download on Apple’s iTunes, Napster, MSN Music, or your favorite download store. Lapush taped a performance for Last Call With Carson Daly Nov 23. The show will air Friday, Dec. 2 on NBC. The band’s next St. Louis show is Dec. 16 at the Creepy Crawl. www.lapush.net Glow’s CD release party for their new disc, The Years, will be at the Hi-Pointe Dec. 14. Spring Clock Wonder will soon be releasing a collection of demos in album form. Check out four of the cuts at www.myspace.com/ springclockwonder. SCW also has music in Demonica, Soul Huntress, a film being released early December. Family Jewels, the new Lord Baltimore disc, is finally here. www.lordbaltimoresuck s.com The Sheldon Art Galleries presents “Wallace Herndon Smith,” a selection of over 30 paintings and watercolor drawings by the St. Louis artist. An opening reception will be held Friday, Dec. 9 from 5–7 p.m. and the show will run through Jan. 28 in the Bellwether Gallery of St. Louis Artists.

DECEMBER 2005

STEVEN J. DAVIS SHAW’S GALLERY | By Thomas Crone On a recent Thursday afternoon, with the sun setting and the breeze whipping about, the indoor and outdoor spaces of Shaw’s Gallery just seemed to work. There was a special feeling in the outdoor patio, and despite the cold day, those classic metal chairs were inviting. Indoors, the two gallery rooms—full of amazing woodwork; heck, let’s just give this place the “Best Woodwork in a Gallery” award—had a particularly cozy vibe. Owner Nathan Clark and associate Steven J. Davis have certainly created a great and flexible space at Shaw’s (4065 Shaw), just blocks from the Botanical Garden. What didn’t work that afternoon was my tape deck. Instead of being able to interview the elusive co-curator Steven J. Davis in person, I had to settle for a personal tour and rather esoteric response, detailed below. Now that I’ve seen the space, I’m embarrassed to say I’ve not been in before. I’m assuming a lot of people are still getting their first looks. Yes, well, first looks are free, of course. We actually filed a copyright on the second look. But it’s just a donation/honor system if you look twice. So, if you look more than once, just leave some favorable currency in the tip jar. We encourage multiple looks. What’s a general impression that you regularly hear? My neighbor carpools to work and his ride honks early in the morning. I regularly hear this and it is impressionable. Our gallery guests talk most of the old-world woodworking. And overall attention to detail in the renovation.

GRANT ESSIG

PHOTO BY THOMAS CRONE

How’d you get involved in the gallery? My wife’s best friend from high school’s mother recommended my particular skill set to her second (or third) husband’s son. His exwife called me while I was in Chicago and set up an interview for a finish carpentry position to complete the apartments above the gallery. So I showed up with my tools, and a few sketches/models later, we had a vision. Your artistic background seems pretty varied. What’s one format or medium that you always enjoy working in? You had to ask this. That is like asking what my favorite spice is, when some days I taste fresh rosemary and other days I just settle for burnt, smoky popcorn. Actually, carpentry

and monkey-bridges are in my bloodline. I also appreciate digital bird callers. It sounds like a number of people showing in the gallery are neighborhood residents. They all found you, simply as a neighboring business? We have worked with artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nebraska, Iowa, Florida, Kansas City, and the ever-ripe St. Louis. Yeah, a few artists also happen to live a few blocks away. The garden out front is a really nice touch. Who’s got the green thumb? Nate has a thing for ferns. We all did some stone setting around the pond. The koi fish are just starters. We hope to have native toads and lizards in the habitat next spring. I do believe the garden is enchanted. Where did all the woodwork come from? Those are some beautiful pieces, especially in the westernmost room. Salvaged from exactly where, I know not... There’s a chance for a cafe in the space? Yeah, it seems ideal. Maybe a panini shop with great coffee. This place is meant to be appreciated by local inhabitants and curious passer-bys. The neighborhood has been inquisitive and supportive with every event. And, lastly, what’s your exact title at Shaw’s Gallery? How about anything but “jack of all trades.” I ain’t no handyman. | The Independent Art Market, expanded from four to 13 artists, will be taking place at Shaw’s Gallery December 10–11. Visit www.independentartmarket.org for information on artists and times.

By John Kujawski Here are just three of the great original St. Louis bands that play around town on a regular basis. Check them out as soon as you can. Sleep Machine | Sleep Machine is kind of an ironic name for a band that’s as lively and exciting as this one. With its own innovative, heavy sound, Sleep Machine has both a strong, charismatic lead singer and an edgy bassist named 2Shay. Even in the heaviest of songs, he comes off as someone who could easily be playing jazz or funk. When mixed with the great guitar parts and solid drum

beats, Sleep Machine’s sound is impossible to resist. At Pop’s last month, the band’s set ended with a surprise ballad, leaving people wanting more. Blame Gary | It’s easy to become a fan of Blame Gary if you have ever seen them perform live: This five-piece brings a tremendous amount of energy to the stage. The band certainly has no problem writing catchy, up-tempo, modern rock songs. Though the members have varied a bit throughout the group’s history, the band boasts a confident lead singer as well as four solid musicians

who put everything they possibly can into their music. Their stage antics are lively, their hooks catchy and appealing. When Knives Go Skyward | A lot of great bands come out of small towns. Take When Knives Go Skyward, a great name for this four-piece with an edge. This is a super-heavy band with great riffs, hard-hitting chords, and enough explosive energy to send any metalhead to his feet. When lead singer Chad K. screams and performs with intensity, it’s obvious he’s one performer who can certainly hold an audience’s attention.

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| For inclusion in “Come Out and Play,” please send audition, show, or other theater news to theater@playbackstl.com by the 15th of each month. Visit www.playbackstl.com/play for weekly updates.

Compiled by Tyson Blanquart

Best Performance, Best Direction, and Outstanding Productions are planned. For tickets or more information, please call 314276-8165. For a complete list of participating companies and shows in competition, visit www.kevinklineawards.org

SHOWS OPENING | PROFESSIONAL

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The Broadway Center of Arts presents Holiday Follies Dec. 2 & 9 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 3 & 10 at 2 p.m. in the Mainstage Theater (124-126 E. Main St., Belleville). Tickets are $10/$8 students & seniors, and can be purchased at the box office; call 618-233-0431 for reservations. www.broadway centerofarts.com The Lemming Armada presents David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries Dec. 2–17 at the Lemming Armada (119a W. Main St., Belleville). Shows are Fri. & Sat. at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14/$12 students & seniors, available at all MetroTix outlets (314-534-1111, www.metrotix.com). www.lemmingarmada.com. The International Playground Refuge Youth Performing Arts Club presents Why You Talkin’ ’Bout My Mama? Performances are Dec 9 & 10, at 6:30 p.m. at New City School, 209 Waterman Ave. A donation of $10 is suggested. For information or reservations, call 314-348-1191 or visit www.stlcenterforsurvivors.org. The New Jewish Theater presents William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice through Dec. 18 at the Sarah & Abraham Studio Theatre in the Jewish Community Center (2 Millstone Campus Dr., Creve Coeur); the show is directed by Robin Weatherall. The show is performed Wed., Thurs., & Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 & 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($20–24) are available at the box office; for reservations, call 314-442-3283. www.newjewishtheatre.org The Laughs on the Landing Danger League presents Kevin Cohea’s strip club comedy Ho Ho Ho: A Christmas Show Dec. 16 (opening night Naughty and Nice Costume Party), 18–20, & 22 at 801 N. 2nd St. Tickets are $10 advance/$15 door. Also at Laughs on the Landing is Mikey Manker’s one-man sketch comedy show Alcohol, Fame, and Sketch-Comedy Dec. 17 at 11 p.m. Tickets are $5, available at the door. Call 314-241-LAFF for tickets and more information. www.laughsonthelanding.com The NonProphet Theater Company presents The Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine at the St. Louis Science Center Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. (all ages), and at the Hi-Pointe (1001 McCausland) Dec. 17 at 9 p.m. (21+). The show is directed by Bob Mitchell. Tickets are $10; e-mail reservation @nonprophets.com for reservations. www.nptco.org Continuing through Dec. 4 at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis is at the third and final show in the its Off-Ramp series, Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, directed by John Ruocco. Performances are Thurs.–Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. at the Grandel Theater (3610 Grandel Sq.). On the Rep’s Browning Mainstage (Loretto-Hilton Center for Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves), The Reduced Shakespeare Company continues Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor’s All the Great Books [abridged]— directed by Martin—through Dec. 30. For a full timetable of showtimes and ticket prices or to purchase tickets, call 314-968-4925 or visit www.repstl.org. Muddy Waters Theatre Company presents Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love Dec. 2–11 at the Theatre at St. John’s (5000 Washington Pl.); the show is directed by Jerry McAdams. Performances Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. Tickets—$16 adults/$13 students & seniors—are available at the box office. www.muddywaterstheatre.com The Zim Zam Kok Show presents the final episode of its sketch-comedy series at Laughs on the Landing (801

AUDITIONS

THE NEW JEWISH THEATRE presents THE MERCHANT OF VENICE THROUGH DEC. 18. Photo by Lisa Mandel.

N. 2nd St.) Dec. 15 at 10 p.m. The show is directed by Matt Kahler. Tickets are $10; call 314-241-LAFF for reservations. www.zimzamkok.com Continuing through Dec. 4 at The Fabulous Fox Theater is the US Bank Broadway Series production of Stephen Schwartz & Winnie Holzman’s Wicked (sold out). Also this month are Riverdance (Dec. 6–11; tickets: $28–70); Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (Dec. 16–19; tickets: $13.50–30.50); and the US Bank Broadway Series of Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan’s Annie: The Musical (Dec. 27–Jan. 1; tickets: $16.45–52). For a complete timetable of showtimes, visit www.fabulousfox.com; for tickets, visit any MetroTix location or call 314-534-1111.

SHOWS OPENING | COMMUNITY The Clayton Community Theatre continues A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room through Dec. 4. at the Little Theatre at Clayton High School (1 Mark Twain Cir.); shows at 8 p.m. Thurs.–Sat., and 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Tickets are $12 adults/$10 students & seniors, available at the box office or all MetroTix locations. For more information, call 314-854-6646 or visit www.PlacesEveryone.org. K’s Theatrical Korps presents Connie Rey’s Sanders’ Family Christmas Dec. 2–11 at the Kuppinger Auditorium at St. John the Baptists’ Church (4200 Delor). Shows at 8 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Tickets—$12 adults/$10 students & seniors/$7 children 7–12—are available at the box office. For reservations, call 314-351-8984. www.kurtainkall.org

SHOWS OPENING | COLLEGE The Webster University Conservatory of Theater Arts presents The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stevenson through Dec. 11 on Stage III, 470 E. Lockwood Ave., with shows at 7:30 p.m. Thurs.–Sat. and 2 p.m. Sun. Tickets are $10, available by phone at 314-968-7128 or at the box office.

THEATER NEWS New Line Theater will host its annual Holiday Dinner at Wild Flower Restaurant (4500 Laclede at Euclid) on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. RSVPs are required by Dec. 2. Dinner tickets are $26 and include dinner, birthday cake celebrating New Line’s 15th season, and a champagne toast; call 314-7736526 or e-mail newchaz64@aol.com. The first annual Kevin Kline Awards—recognizing professional theater in St. Louis—will be presented March 20in the restored Robert’s Orpheum Theatre. Awards including

The Broadway Center of Arts is holding auditions for Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias Dec. 17–18 at 1 p.m. in the Mainstage Theater, 124-126 E. Main St., Belleville. The show, directed by Evangeline M. Zeller, will run late Feb.–early Mar. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. For more information, call 618-233-0431 or e-mail bcaarts@charter.net. St. Peters Act II will hold auditions for Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 & 11 at the St. Peters Community and Arts Center, 1035 St. Peters Howell Rd. Roles available for 12 males and 4 females. In addition to actors, Act II welcomes volunteers for sound and lights, stage manager, property manager, set construction, etc. The director for this show, which runs Feb. 10–19, will be Debi Gravemann. For more information, contact assistant director Stephanie Blum at 314-239-4897. First Run Theatre, an all-volunteer company dedicated to producing new plays by St. Louis–area playwrights, is accepting resumes for directors for the 2006-’07 season; contact d_weiss@firstruntheatre.com if interested. This is a creative opportunity to contribute to the playability of a new script, to bring a play to life for the first time, and to work with a committed group of talented, exciting people. First Run is also interested in helping recent college theater graduates with directing experience in college to expand their resumes. Soundstage Productions will hold auditions for Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home Dec. 5–6 from 6–9 p.m. at HH Studio (2600 Sutton, Maplewood). Roles are available for five men and three women of all ages. Sarah Armstrong will direct, will performances Feb. 3–18. Visit www.soundstagepr oductions.net or call 314-968-8070 for more information. Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis will hold auditions for Julius Caesar Dec. 2–3 at the Repertory Theatre Rehearsal Hall, 17 S. Old Orchard Ave. The director will be Joe Discher of Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Robert Townsend, SFSTL Producing Director, will conduct the auditions, with the show running May 24–June 18. All roles are open; performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Bring two copies of your photo and resume and be prepared with two brief contrasting Shakespeare monologues. To schedule an audition, call 314361-0101. For more information, visit www.sfstl.com. St. Louis Community College at Forest Park will hold auditions for the St. Louis premier of the two-act play Johnnie Taylor Is Gone Dec. 2 (7–9:30 p.m.) & 3 (1–3:30 p.m.) in the Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts (5600 Oakland Ave.). Roles for four African-American women, 20–50 years old, and six African-American men, 20–60 years old. Those auditioning should come prepared with a two-minute monologue; there also will be cold readings from the script. For more information, call 314-644-9387. The O’Fallon Repertory Theatre will hold auditions for its Feb. production of The Sound of Music on Dec. 11 at the O’Fallon Municipal Ctr. (400 Civic Park Dr.). Bring sheet music and be prepared to sing 16 bars of a song in your key. There will also be a dance audition. For more information, call 636-379-5606.

DECEMBER 2005

XMAS MUSIC TO ROCK

A GREY CHRISTMAS | By Jon Butler

By Shandy Casteel So, I have this friend. Let’s call him Jon B., or perhaps J. Butler. Anyhow, this friend travels to a local barbershop for his tri-monthly haircut shortly after his 23rd birthday. He sits down, hypnotized by the familiar buzz of the shears when suddenly the spell is broken. Sweet Jesus, there are grey hairs all over the place. “Uh, excuse me, sir,” the friend stammers. “Did you, like, forget to clean this smock when you were cutting some old guy’s hair?” “Nope, that’s all you, brother,” the barber replies. He points to his own head and says, “I’ve got more than a few myself, and as long as they stay there, I don’t give a shit what color they are.” There’s wisdom in those words, but they offered little comfort to my friend as he received his first bitchslap from Father Time. It starts with a few grey hairs, and then escalates to untold horrors of advancing age. Soon enough, I could be complaining about my “bad back” or “crap knee,” injured in some bygone sporting event of epic proportions—the details of which I will surely exaggerate to anyone willing to listen. Far too humiliating to admit, the lower back finally threw in the towel while lifting a bag of peat moss in the ole garden. Let’s not even mention the inevitable loss of mental acumen, as I’ve been suffering from that long enough already. According to my father, who is perfect in all things and immune from visits to Planet Dumbass, blame for my deficient brain cells rests solely with my mother. This means that, 20 years from now, I will lose things on a daily basis, but never really lose them. At first, “somebody stole it.” This usually applies to her purse, but the occasional hairbrush has been subject to theft on particularly bad days. In reality, these objects usually hide in plain sight, leading her to deduce, “You damn kids must have moved it or something.” Sadly, I’m prone to many of these lapses already. Yes, Gerald Butler is perfect in all things mental (or at least errs when no one is looking), but his physical condition has suffered along the years. Thirty years from now, I can

look forward to a detached retina, leaving me mostly blind in one eye. This will serve as a double-edged sword as a parent. On one hand, my children will call me “One-Eyed Jon” behind my back, in whispers of fearful awe that befit a healthy home and ensure I never become a eunuch Buddy Dad. Unfortunately, a loss of depth perception will transform a drive in the family automobile into a truly religious experience. Watching the old man weave to and fro on the highway was eerily reminiscent to a marathon Mario Kart session, and we all thank God that his preferred SUV company cars are equipped to handle rough terrain—curbs at the grocery store, for example. If you’ve seen those fancy new sensors on luxury cars that tell the driver when he or she is getting too close to an object, you understand my mom’s function. Except instead of a friendly beep, she employed a frantic shriek. So, in the hopes of stemming the physical and mental deformities sure to befall me under the ravages of advancing age, I humbly present the following Christmas wish list— cribbed liberally from late-night infomercials. Bowflex. Chuck Norris uses it to pump up his “bis, tris, and pecs,” and the Chuckster looks pretty damn good for an old guy. If I supplement this Draconian piece of home workout equipment with a notso-healthy regimen of Sly Stallone’s Instone brand of barely legal steroids, I will be chiseled from granite. Granted, a heart attack seems inevitable, but no pain, no gain. Extenze. If it’s good enough for Ron “The Hedgehog” Jeremy, then certainly Jon “The Jonaconda” Butler could use a boost to “that most special of male body parts.” Age seems to shrink everything, so with these magic pills I’d be packing a package the size of a baseball bat well into my golden years. Furthermore, these pills should negate the shrinkage factor of Nostones—er, Instone—on my Get Huge lifestyle. continued on page 27

Give your copy of Partridge Family Christmas a rest this year and turn these holiday ditties all the way up to 11. 1. The Pogues | “Fairytale of New York” Irish folk-punk masterwork voted last year on VH1 UK to be the best Christmas song ever. No argument here, not with lines like: “Happy Christmas your arse/I pray God it’s our last.” 2. John Lennon | “Happy X-mas (War Is We hate to be this predictable, but the song still chokes us up, and considering what’s going on around the world these days, is frighteningly current. 3. Band Aid | “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Twenty years later, do you think they know it’s Christmas yet? We hope so, because the world can’t take another catastrophe like the recent remake. 4. The Ramones | “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” Leave it to punk rockers to get the real meaning of Christmas. 5. David Bowie and Bing Crosby | “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” A cross-generational moment that actually worked. 6. Darlene Love | “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” Has this been in a thousand films or is that just our imagination? It still rocks and is pure Phil Spector—before he started shooting people, of course. 7. Stiff Little Fingers | “White Christmas” All right, maybe it makes you want to grab a beer and start trashing your tree, but it’s still sweet. 8. David Sedaris | “Front Row Center With Thaddeus Bristol” Not a tune, we confess, but the entire audio book of Holidays on Ice should be as required as a viewing of A Christmas Story. Need proof? “In the role of Mary, six-year-old Shannon Burke just barely manages to pass herself off as a virgin.” 9. Billy Mack | “Christmas Is All Around” An ironically penned gem from Bill Nighy’s irrepressible Billy Mack character in the near-perfect film Love Actually. Corny, but oh, so fun.

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Every Monday at midnight: DJ Dirty Dan - Every Tuesday at midnight: Wacky Wilson’s Weird Wednesday Night Movies - Every Wednesday @ at midnight: Hump Day Sonic Meltdown w/Al Swacker - Every Thursday at 11: The Mephistophilian DJ spin - Every Friday & Saturday at midnight: The Vintage Vinyl All-Stars - Every Sunday @ at midnight: Scott’s Satanic Sunday Night Slaughter w/DJ Snarzdar

SCHEDULE 12/4; ES: Look What I Did, Contra, TBA 12/4: LSL Milemarker, Lords, Stabbed by Words, Target Market 12/6: Danny Diablo, Ringworm, Agents of Man, TBA 12/7: Media Lab, Time Is the Enemy, In This Moment, Auburn Serene, Autumn Bleeds Red 12/9: Mooose Juice hosted by Beeltejuice from Howard Stern: Vampire Mooose, Scorched Earth, TBA; dwarf tossing between bands 12/13: Transition, Far-Less, Chasing Victory, Sullivan 12/9: VAMPIRE MOOOSE 12/15: Horse the Band, So Many Dynamos, Think Thank Thunk, When Sorrow Fails, Dressed for a Funeral 12/16: Gentleman Auction House, Michigan Avenue, RevelationSeven, TBA 12/17: Hellogoodbye, The Rocket Summer, Hit the Lights, David, Melillo 12/20: Plain White T’s, Spitalfield, Audition 12/22: Femme Fatality, Hyperbubble, Murder Happens, Electrozoids 12/27: Fear the Sky, The Dreamscene, The Cause, Micahveil, Waking in Ashes 12/22: FEMME 12/28; Cities Ablaze, Linda’s Dead, Harlot FATALITY 12/31 (cover inclusive of hospitality): The Tripdaddys, 7 Shot Screamers, The Pubes, Johnny O. & the Jerks

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DECEMBER 2005

HUDSON BELL WHEN THE SUN IS THE MOON (MONITOR) When the Sun is the Moon offers seven tracks of distortion and elongated guitar riffs accenting a timeless tale of misunderstood youth. Quick to adhere to Connor Oberst–reminiscent how-to-lose-the-girl ramblings, Bell replaces definitive hooks with a toast to literary idlings and preface-style banters of love, loss, and chemical substances. Alas, while Sun’s Neil Young–inspired electric/acoustic folk tales are promising, the disc gently falls to the irony found in the first and standout track, “Slow Burn.” Such is a collection of songs igniting a violent flame upon inception, only to fizzle and flail upon exit. Bell’s spirit is here, but his head left the relationship somewhere in the middle. | Laura Ann Checkett FLYLEAF FLYLEAF (OCTONE) If you’ve ever wondered what Sinéad O’Connor would sound like in a hard rock band, you need to check out Flyleaf’s selftitled debut. Lacey Mosley’s vocals are powerful, sensual (when needed), and empowering. Backed up by four metal-minded lads, this lass seems ready to take on the world. Not only is the music aggressive and exciting, these kids write some nifty lyrics. For example, three cuts deep on “Cassie,” Mosley’s vocals are haunting as she repeatedly asks, “Do you believe in God?” As the song ends, the music drops and she simply quips, “And I will pull the trigger.” Flyleaf has successfully interwoven sharp melodies, catchy lyrics, and best of all, Mosley’s fierce vocals. | Jim Campbell THE GO STATION QUIET ZONE (EDGE DELAY) The Go Station is going places. This fivesong EP delivers a sound that’s New York via London, filling out each song beautifully. The Go Station aren’t trying to be hip, they’re just trying to do what they do best: unify elevating harmonics with thoughtful content. Each track stands up remarkably well. Stylistically, “Hold On” and “Another Day” are reminiscent of early Oasis, while opening track “Wandering Away” feels like something Josh Kelly would take a crack at. The Go Station deserves a green light for Quiet Zone. | Janelle Greenwood GOLDFRAPP NUMBER 1 EP (MUTE) Goldfrapp’s new CD is already out in Europe but America has to make do with a five-song EP. The duo has searched many corridors creating otherworldly and twining music; Number 1 lands somewhere in between the soft and the hard. Mostly reflecting the sounds of the

’80s, the title track has a rhythm reminiscent of the Human League’s “Seconds” with the melody of INXS’ “Shabooh Shoobah” barbwired around Allison Goldfrapp’s undisturbed and confident voice. B-sides “Beautiful” and “All Night Operator” are actually more evocative of the band’s previous work. The duo has a firm grasp of what it’s doing, although many of its influences shine rather brightly. This is Goldfrapp’s closest to pop so far. | Cory Hoehn THE MEADOWS THE MEADOWS (SINGLE RECORDINGS) The classic pop-rock sound of the Meadows evokes a picturesque summer evening on a grassy knoll overlooking a small town or big city—soundtrack material for any heart-wrenching teenage love story. (Not surprisingly, track four, “Younger Yesterday,” is featured in the film Little Manhattan.) Contrary to the youthful spirit, this album is nothing but mature. The songs are catchy and take you everywhere a pop song should in under four minutes, and the production is phenomenally rich. It’s obvious that the Meadows are heavy-hitting veterans: They wrote, produced, mixed, and mastered nearly all 12 songs. At creating a pop hit, these guys should be called “the Masters.” | Nate Dewart RIS PAUL RIC PURPLE BLAZE (ACADEMY FIGHT SONG) Purple Blaze is a relief of sorts. Solo efforts following the breakup of remarkably radiant bands usually end up being poorly regurgitated renditions of the original or struggle ineffectively to distance themselves from the old material. Ris Paul Ric (aka Christopher Paul Richards, ex–Q and Not U guitarist/vocalist), however, nimbly writes his way through this dicey terrain in his solo debut. The record is self-assured, piled with lissome numbers and short whispers of songs communicably sketched through guitar delays and muted vocals. Standouts like the breathless opener “Purple Haze,” the bossa nova seduction of “The Sleeparound,” and the affected jangling of “Valerie Teardrop” are heartening sounds of things probably yet to come. | Shandy Casteel SEVENDUST NEXT (WINEDARK) During the apex of the nu-metal scene in the ’90s, Sevendust stood out among a sea of angry, pissed-off white guys by featuring an angry, pissed-off black guy named Lajon Witherspoon as lead vocalist. Witherspoon’s voice has formidable range, and the band appeared to be turning a corner with the release of “Angel’s Son,” a mostly acoustic track that hinted at a more melodic future. Unfortunately, with Next, Sevendust is ready to party like it’s

1999 all over again. Boasting 11 tracks of Korny, crunching guitars and screaming angst, the album is sure to delight suburbanite middleschool students, but will fall on deaf ears of aging listeners expecting any semblance of melody. Next, indeed. | Jon Butler TIARA CHAINED TO THE CROWN (WE WANT ACTION) Bittersweet Columbus, Ohio, indie-pop outfit Tiara soften up their already delicate pop sound with their latest release, Chained to the Crown. Main songwriter and frontman Eric Rottmayer’s voice and wistful melodies mix Michael Penn’s melancholic vocal phrasings with Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood’s reedy timbre to create an assured collection of moodily gorgeous alt-country tinged indiepop. Standout tracks “We Learned From the Best”⎯with its pensive, halting verse exploding into a soaring, minor-key chorus chiming with high-end barre-chords⎯and the chugging lap steel ballad “The Next Face” make for heady yet intimate listening custom-made for unrepentant romantics who prefer their weekends rainy. | Brian McClelland VARIOUS ARTISTS | THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN: A 40TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES’ RUBBER SOUL (RAZOR & TIE) Cover albums are a sketchy enterprise, but they get exponentially sketchier when the artists featured on said album are as disparate as the Donnas and Low, as is the case with This Bird Has Flown. The best that one could hope for is to enjoy the songs by your favorite bands and just skip over the rest. As for me, I quite like the Fiery Furnaces’ rendition of “Norwegian Wood,” and Sufjan Stevens’ “What Goes On” isn’t bad, but I can do without the rest of the album. | Pete Timmermann THE VILLAGE GREEN THE VILLAGE GREEN (S/R) Taking their name from the Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society, this new pop-rock group from Portland, Ore., is quite gutsy. A talented vocalist and songwriter, J. Nicholas Allard sounds a little scuffed around the edges. Allard is backed by a seasoned group of musicians, with the band’s debut EP recalling such Brit greats as Supergrass and Blur. An audible sneer bleeds through the speakers, especially on “Get Up, Get Out, Get High.” “Under the Covers” is radio friendly from the first note, beginning with strong guitars and including a nice melody along with a memorable chorus. With dregs of stoner tendencies in the song titles, the Village Green sound like they will be hanging out for quite some time. | Mary Beth Hascall

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by Bosco (with illustration help from Carlos Ruiz)

As the year draws to a close, it’s time But what’s this? Bosco’s even for reflection, for looking back. Henry and more retro, all decked out in Elliot are looking back a couple of decades, his ’70s garb for the big Neil Diamond concert. ready to relive the ’80s with U2.

“We’re not worthy!” Elliot and Henry cry, kissing Bosco’s disco-booted feet.

| Catch Iron & Wine and Calexico on tour in December...12/2: Atlantic City, House of Blues; 12/ 3: Philadelphia, Electric Factory; 12/4–6: New York, Webster Hall; 12/7: Boston, Avalon; 12/8: Montreal, Spectrum de Montreal; 12/9: Toronto, Docks Concert Theatre; 12/10: Detroit, Majestic Theatre; 12/11: Chicago, Congress Theatre; 12/13: St. Louis, Mississippi Nights; 12/14: Louisville, Headliners; 12/15: Nashville, Mercy Lounge; 12/16: Atlanta, Variety Playhouse

hink back to the last great hug you received. Spark the memory that leads you to the reason for needing the comfort. It must have been something bad, something serious—because that’s when a hug becomes more than a chest-to-chest squeeze, vacuous and drafty, all arms and no heart. What was it that you needed warmth from? Was it an unexpected phone call that meant a sudden illness or accident befalling a loved one? Was it the cooling of another’s feelings for you being unexpectedly grasped? Now picture if you will the face of the person who gave you that embrace. If they didn’t bear a slight resemblance to a brainy lumberjack, with a bushy, brawny beard that offers a standing invitation to crumbs and sparrows for shelter, that hug could have been better. Maybe you were in a hurry, but your impatience took you to the wrong person. And who am I to really be sure? It could just be that Sam Beam sounds better equipped to deliver solace than anyone you could possibly have in your life. His records—though full of cripplingly sweet somberness and dark happiness—make the Floridian sound like the world’s greatest hugger, though there’s an outside chance that he doesn’t hold you long enough, or half means it, or can’t wait for the awkwardness to be over; hell, he might even have a weak handshake. However, I personally think it’s speculative and unhealthy to even think that way. Beam’s got it. PHOTOS BY DENNIS KLEIMAN

SEAN MOELLER TALKS WITH IRON & WINE’S SAM BEAM ABOUT KIDS, WRITING, AND A NEW TOUR WITH CALEXICO

Beam is from Miami, the one that Will Smith doesn’t talk about at parties. Actually, it’s not the place that’s shaped the music that Beam writes and records under the name Iron & Wine, but Beam himself. He seems to come from a place that is all serenity. He seems the type to envy cats for getting to seek out the sunny patches of heat that poke through curtains and windows onto carpet, lying in them for hours and hours every day. He speaks like he’s always in a library and sings like he’s in an even stricter, quieter one. “I guess I’m kind of laid back, but my wife might tell you a different thing,” Beam said by telephone from his home.

He gets up early in the mornings when he’s between tours, having to get his two schoolaged daughters ready and off to school. He and his wife, Kim, just had their third daughter last year and fatherhood has given Beam even more of an understanding of the human connection that he’s found himself writing about continually since he released his debut record, The Creek Drank the Cradle, on Sub Pop Records in 2002, the indirect result of a Seattle friend passing a tape of songs on to another friend who was the editor of Yeti magazine. The song “Dead Man’s Will” was featured on a magazine CD compilation and Beam soon after got a phone call from the label (you know, the one that made Nirvana the band that Courtney Love sues on behalf of) with the desire to put his stuff out. Our Endless Numbered Days received wildly enthusiastic acclaim from journalists and music lovers alike in 2004, and this year’s Woman King EP was minialbum of similarly sparse tales of loves gone awry and charmingly chivalrous odes to women that have been left behind or dealt a raw deal. “It’s kind of hard to put into words how having children changes the way you think,” Beam said. “It teaches you a lot about yourself. They kind of paint my perspective. I don’t write songs to them, just like I don’t write letters to people, but they do change your whole perspective. You start living your life for other people instead of yourself. It teaches

you a greater connection between people. You walk around on the sidewalks and see that everyone’s in the cycle.” Beam’s been writing songs for close to two decades now but has only been recording for a third of that time. Earlier in his career, after arriving in Florida from the Virginia Commonwealth Art School by way of his birthplace in Columbia, S.C., Beam focused more of his energy on film and cinematography. Up until two years ago, he was a professor of cinematography at the International Fine Arts College in Miami. He’s a man of few words, speaking in short and confident sentences lined with, amazingly enough, some form of naivety to what he does so beautifully for a living. It comes across that his gentle and precious poetry finds him as if by chance, in the way of an idiot savant. (Beam admits to reading a lot of Charles Simic; take from that what you will.) Novelist and former New York Press music critic J.T. Leroy says of Beam’s output, “Gorgeous music, but the brilliant lyrics seemed to be an accident or broadcast in from some frequency only musicians can hear. Like Bob Dylan says in the L.A. Times interview with Robert Hilburn, ‘It’s like a ghost writing a song like that. It gives you the song and it goes away… You don’t know what it means. Except the ghost picked me to write the song.’” “Inspiration is a weird bird, you know?” Beam said. “It kind of comes from all over the place. Sometimes songs come from stories I’ve

heard and sometimes it’s just pure imagination. I don’t mean to be difficult, but it’s just hard to say. The recent stuff I’ve been writing, I guess is more politically inspired, but I don’t write political songs. It’s a lot easier, in hindsight, to say that a song was about such and such; I just don’t think about it that much. You kind of do it and move on. It’s easier to see inside a song after some time away from it.” Playing the songs live, he said, rarely gives him any new insight or a peek at an alternate or hidden meaning. “Honestly, I’m trying to remember the words,” he admitted. Out again for the second tour—in support of a collaborative effort called In the Reins made with Arizona friends Calexico as his backing band—Beam was able to take some of his older, unused songs and throw them into a blender, giving his accomplices the freedom to make them what he never thought they’d be. “They were all older songs that I had lying around. They were quite older, actually, from around the time I wrote the first record. There were some I thought would be fun to have interpreted by

their musical insights. That was kind of the spirit of the project,” he said. “We’d always kind of toyed with the idea of doing this. Playing with them [on the first tour] was, particularly, a lot of fun.” For a long while, Beam made it a point in interviews to mention that songwriting was just a hobby to him. He was serious about it, but it wasn’t a job for him. He tries to forget that things have changed. “I try to still approach it with the attitude that it is a hobby,” he said. “I just have an excuse when my wife wants me to wash the dishes. I like to use it.” Who are we kidding? Sam Beam knows exactly what he’s doing.

your community. your radio. kdhx.org

DECEMBER 2005

THE BEST DVDs OF 2005 | By Pete Timmermann Despite the fact that DVD is still a relatively new format, great old films never before released on DVD, or prior releases in better, more bonus feature-laden formats, come out on an almost weekly basis. These DVDs are often overlooked in favor of the never-ebbing crop of new films so, as a sort of holiday giftbuying guide, here is a list of the best releases of obscure older movies of the past year. The single best DVD release of this type of the year is The Errol Morris DVD Collection (IFC Film/MGM, $49.96), which compiles three early documentaries of Morris’ (who won an Oscar in 2004 for The Fog of War): The Thin Blue Line, Gates of Heaven, and Vernon, Florida. The Thin Blue Line is about a man wrongly accused of killing a cop; upon the original 1988 release of the film, the defendant was exonerated as a result of evidence presented in the film. Gates of Heaven is a documentary about pet cemeteries that is improbably affecting—Roger Ebert has said on many occasions that he feels it is one of the ten best films of all time. And Vernon, Florida is a lighthearted doc about the very weird denizens of the title town, including a man who has a pet turtle that he thinks is a gopher, and a husband and wife with a jar of recreating sand. Both Vernon and Gates had been out of print on VHS for over a decade (a few years ago, I paid $50 for a used copy of Gates on VHS and $100 for Vernon), so it’s especially nice that these odd films are much more readily available now. And if this box set doesn’t sate your appetite for Morris’ exceptional films, the release of his television series, First Person (IFC Films/MGM, $39.98) is good, too. Another great, long-unavailable documentary to find release this year is Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (Docurama, $26.95). (The sequel has been readily available for some time now by the same distributor.) I guess the marketability of Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger has been upped after the success of last year’s Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.

One of my favorite Jean-Luc Godard films, Weekend (New Yorker, $29.95), finally saw its release after the distributor presumably sat on the rights for several years (they released it on video a handful of years ago). Now if they can be coerced into releasing a lot of the other great things in their back catalogue—especially Jacques Rivette’s Celine and Julie Go Boating—I’d be very happy. The most fertile land for really unique movies right now is East Asia, and a handful of the best films from this area have found release in recent months. The three-disc Hanzo the Razor box set (HVE, $59.95) is a welcome addition to any samurai film collection (the inimitable tagline on the back of the box is, “He’s dirtier than Harry and shaftier than Shaft!”). Tropical Malady (Strand, $24.99), the winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes 2004 and one of my favorite films of recent years, was rarely shown in theaters, but has been recently made available on DVD. Another great film that never quite saw wide distribution is Save the Green Planet! (Koch Lorber, $29.98), a screwy South Korean sci-fi comedy. A new presence on the international film scene is Tartan Video, who have long had a name in England, but just recently infiltrated the U.S. market. While they are probably best known for bringing Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy to theaters, they do a good job of releasing cultural oddities on DVD, including Catherine Breillat’s appalling Anatomy of Hell ($24.99). In Tartan’s Asian Extreme line of DVDs, you’ll find such winners as Tetsuo: The Iron Man ($24.99) and A Tale of Two Sisters ($24.99). A more lasting presence in the U.S. market has been Zeitgeist, who released both Kirby Dick’s (2005 Oscar nominee for Twist of Faith) SLIFF 2002 alumnus Chain Camera ($29.99) and the 2004 Webster Film Series alumnus Cowards Bend the Knee ($29.99), which is one of Canadian weirdo Guy Maddin’s (The Saddest Music in the World) best films yet. Finally, no list of the best DVD releases

JEAN-LUC GODARD’S WEEKEND

of any given year is complete without mentioning the work of the Criterion Collection, whose work is no secret to film buffs. The best Criterion releases of the year have been My Own Private Idaho ($39.95), The Man Who Fell to Earth ($39.95), and Le Samouraï ($29.95). The former two come with nicely bound books, with Earth—which has had a number of incarnations on DVD—especially notable as it resurrects David Bowie’s commentary on the film, last heard on the Criterion laserdisc release. Of course, this is just skimming the surface of the DVDs released this year, as I completely ignored TV-on-DVD releases as well as new films. Still, hopefully it will offer a good starting point for tracking down the best weird shit that came out on our favorite home video this past year.

The Butler Did It

from page 19

Botox. At 23, some may say I’m too young to inject botulism into my face. And to them I say, “Stop hatin’, beeyotch.” Four years of undergraduate midterms and final exams have taken their toll, and I need to regain the youthful countenance of my prime. With luck, it will end there—although years of diligent Nip/ Tuck viewing have taught me that anything’s possible in plastic surgery these days. Actually, screw it. While I’d love for Just For Men’s patented Grecian formula to turn back the clock a year or so, one fact remains: George Clooney epitomized pimpin’ as a saltand-pepper man, and clearly I’ve been chosen to carry his legacy into the new millennium. Laugh if you want, but some day I may finally be in the position to convincingly lie about my age and nail the oversexed, Desperate Housewife milf I’ve wanted under my Christmas tree since I hit puberty. Oh, what a merry Christmas that would be, indeed. Self-centered, snarky humor aside: Best wishes to you and yours during the holiday season. May you receive nothing but good times with good people… And perhaps an Xbox 360 that you’d love to share with a poor, greying writer.

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SYRIANA (WARNER BROS., R)

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It wasn’t until I made my weekly trip to the gas station that I began to fully appreciate Syriana. As I stood and watched the price of the fill-up pass the $20 mark, I began to mull over the questions spawned by the film. Why was I paying absurdly high amounts of money for gasoline while at the same time oil companies were reporting huge profits? What had people gone through to get me the ten gallons of gas I was putting in my tank? Were people tortured for it? Had anyone died or been killed? Had the CIA played a vital part in providing fuel for my car? These are the questions asked in Syriana, the new film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for writing Traffic. The film revolves around the lives of four people who, whether they know it or not, are key players in the battle for petroleum. Robert Barnes (George Clooney) is a career CIA officer who has unquestionably devoted his life to fighting terrorism in the Middle East, but begins to question how he is now being used by the government. Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is a family man and oil broker who, after the death of his son, throws himself into trying to help a Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) who wants his country to play a bigger role in the supplying oil to the world. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is a lawyer involved in the merger of two giant oil companies. Wasim (Mazhar Munir) is a Pakistani teenager unable to find work who is befriended by an Islamic instructor with ulterior motives. Few of these characters ever directly interact with one another, but the events of their lives are all interrelated. Syriana plays out almost identically like Traffic (there were times I was convinced Steven Soderbergh must have been hiding behind Gaghan giving him pointers), only now instead of cocaine, oil is the drug nobody can seem to get enough of. At one point in the film, the quest for oil is described as “a

fight to the death,” and between the graphic torture scenes, smart bomb attacks, and suicide missions, Syriana depicts it as nothing short of that. Gaghan’s last film as director, Abandon, bombed, and so with Syriana he’s essentially going back to a proven formula that still works, and his choice to focus on as hot a topic as the oil industry was also a good one. The film has no clear-cut good guys or bad guys, nor does anyone win definitively in the end. Gaghan wisely lets the individual lives of the characters do the story telling, which frees the audience to draw its own conclusions about the film’s message. If anything, the worst part of Syriana is it will make your next trip to the gas station far more conflicting than it used to be. | Tom Lange SELECTIONS FROM THE 2005 RURAL ROUTE FILM FESTIVAL (RURAL ROUTE FILMS, NR)

Being a film festival buff, I always like it when remote festivals tour their best findings around America, such as the way the Ann Arbor Film Festival often does, showcasing the best in new experimental cinema. One touring film festival program I had never come across before is the Rural Route Film Festival, which originates as a festival of films either by or about rural America (as its title implies) that runs first in New York City. The format is the same as other familiar touring festival programs (the festival compiles a 90- to 120-minute program of its best short films), but what differentiates the Rural Route package is that it has a much lower standard of quality than other festival programs. In this particular case, the program is 111 minutes long and is made up of roughly a dozen films, and of these films, only one—the three-minute-long “The Endangered P-Money Bird”—stands out as being worth seeing. One of the more touted shorts in the program is a Bonnie “Prince” Billy music video, but the video in question is for the Greatest Palace

Music version of “Agnes, Queen of Sorrow,” which has been widely available on both the Internet and the single for some time now. Sure, there are some gems in redneck dialogue to be found elsewhere in the program (one of my favorites is when a woman with a pet rooster says, “I’d really like to think that I would have the nerve to actually humanely end an animal’s life and honor it by eating its delicious flesh”), and some of the films have funny titles or topics—such as “Pretty Ladies, Fast Horses,” an alarming short documentary about cowgirls, or “Two or Three Things I Know About Ohio,” which is about bait, or yet another film about a phenomenon known as “tractor square dancing,” which, among other things, features the only socially acceptable time for a redneck to dress in drag—but still, while these films sound kitschily interesting, they are far more fun in theory than in practice. The whole kitsch factor is another upsetting feature of this program. The majority of the films seem to have been made in earnest by or about the lives of rural Americans; indeed, such is the mission statement for the festival as a whole. But the fact that it is being screened on the campus of a university in the middle of St. Louis implies that its ideal audience will come to laugh at the films’ central characters, not with them. | Pete Timmermann | Selections from the 2005 Rural Route Film Festival will screen in the Winifred-Moore Auditorium on the campus of Webster University December 6 and 13 at 7 p.m.. Visit www.webster.edu/filmseries for more information. TOUCH THE SOUND (SHADOW DISTRIBUTION, NR)

Thomas Riedelsheimer’s latest documentary can be summed up best in the words of one of its featured musicians: “It starts from listening, and it ends with listening,” states Fred Frith. “It’s all about listening. Period.” In the movie, Riedelsheimer (Rivers and Tides) follows Grammy Award–winning percussionist Evelyn Glennie as she travels around the world, recording not only her col-

DECEMBER 2005

laborations with other musicians, but also her thoughts on the significance of music and, more generically, sound. Anything has the potential to be an instrument in Glennie’s world, from a heap of rubbish to an overturned ashtray. Like most drummers, she beats her way through the world, striking any surface with whatever implement is at hand, be it drumsticks or chopsticks. Unlike most musicians, though, Glennie is profoundly deaf, and has been since the age of 12. Perhaps that’s the reason why she has such a philosophical take on sound, a subject few of us give any thought to beyond what playlists to download to our iPods. At a young age and with the help of an exceptional teacher, Glennie learned that by discarding her hearing aids and focusing on the vibrations of sounds, she could transform her whole body into a resonant chamber, a kind of visceral tuning fork. Her ears were damaged, but the palms of her hands, the soles of her feet, and the hollow of her chest were not, and by studying where different sounds flowed into her, she learned to hear with her whole body. There are moments of pure beauty in this movie: watching as Glennie’s hands, each holding two furry-headed mallets, fly over the bars of a xylophone, producing a magical sound; observing her as she instructs a

hearing-impaired student in finding the sound made by striking a drum; seeing the magic spell she casts over the harried crowd of New York’s Grand Central Station by sending her drum solo sailing along the curved arches of the old building. The movie works best when it shows her performing. Unfortunately, there are far too many moments when the cameras linger on tableaux of water dripping, tires thrumming, and wind buffeting flags. It’s interesting to see Glennie and fellow musician Frith test surfaces for musical resonance—drawing a bow through the holes of an old grate, throwing spools of paper through the air to hear the sound as they unravel—but for a more visually oriented public, this kind of thing quickly grows ponderous and dull. It’s akin to reading a writer’s notebooks instead of his masterpiece, or dwelling on a painter’s sketchpad instead of viewing his finished canvases. Glennie clearly has something interesting to say about sound, music, space, and body, but in the end, you’d rather just listen to her play. Preferably in a concert hall, and not a movie theater. | Amy Woods Butler

PLAYBACK:stl invites you to a special sneak preview of Syriana, Monday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre. Download a free pass for two at: www.playbackstl.com/Events

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK RIKKI DUCORNET | THE WORD “DESIRE” (DALKEY ARCHIVE; 193 pgs; $12.95)

RONALD SUKENICK | LAST FALL (FC2; 200 pgs; $15.95)

The American novelist Ronald Sukenick died of a degenerative muscle disease in 2004. His legacy includes not only his numerous works of fiction and criticism but also a collection of publications and presses that attempt to maintain a place for innovative writing in contemporary literary culture. Directly, Sukenick founded the Fiction Collective (now FC2) as a publishing venue for experimental fiction, as well as American Book Review, which focuses its attention largely on new works of experimental fiction and poetry and in general works to remind us that the sort of book discussion to be found in The New York Times Book Review or The New York Review of Books does not begin to get at the variety of serious writing to be discovered at smaller presses more dedicated to literature than commerce. Indirectly, Sukenick forged an alliance of sorts with the Center for Book Culture, which publishes the journals Context and the Review of Contemporary Fiction and helped to subsidize Dalkey Archive Press, which publishes new fiction—especially fiction in translation—and preserves an invaluable backlist of important if unjustly neglected innovative fiction published during the last century or so. Together, FC2 and Dalkey Archive probably represent the most concerted and successful effort in American publishing to present an alternative to mainstream “literary fiction” that is at least as “literary” without being stylized and “serious” in a conventionally earnest way. Unorthodox storytelling (as well as imaginative reconsiderations of storytelling itself) and challenges to the dominance or realism are the norm at these presses, and both qualities can be found in two of their recent releases, The Word “Desire” by Rikki Ducornet (actually a reprint by Dalkey Archive of a 1997 book first published by Henry Holt) and Sukenick’s own final novel, Last Fall. Both books will provide readers with something other than familiar reading experiences, and both will introduce new readers to authors whose other works are well worth seeking out. (Five of Ducornet’s other books are available at Dalkey Archive, while many of

| By Daniel Green

Sukenick’s previous books—including such seminal experimental fictions as 98.6 and The Death of the Novel and Other Stories—are also available on FC2’s backlist.) Ducornet writes erotically charged fables and fairy tales to some degree reminiscent of the fiction of the British writer Angela Carter. As its title suggests, The Word “Desire” is indeed focused on love and sex, especially on moments of sexual awakening, of recognition of the irresistible power of desire. In “The Chess Set of Ivory,” the book’s first story, a young girl is confronted with her mother’s infidelity and its effect on her father, a professor teaching in Egypt. In “Roseveine,” a man tells the story of his childhood infatuation with a mature woman (his mother’s friend) that has, to say the least, contributed to his apparent insanity. While telling the tale of her own sexual awakening, the narrator of “The Many Tenses of Wanting” sets forth what might be the primary theme of the book: “I believe it is so that one’s sexuality is fixed at an early age. One is impressionable and a visual experience has the impress of a firebrand. I mean one sees something so puissant it sets the mind on fire, an inextinguishable fire that—if it cools to embers with the passage of hours and days—can be rekindled by a random word.” In one of the collection’s best stories, “The Foxed Mirror,” a priest otherwise repulsed by sex (“the thought of a woman’s thighs is terrible”) becomes sexually obsessed with a male artist. Perhaps the most outrageous stories (which is saying something) are “Fortune,” narrated by the pet dog of Napoleon’s Josephine, and “Opium’” about a dying Pope who is suckled by a wet nurse. While plot descriptions such as these do begin to suggest the extraordinary qualities of Ducornet’s fiction, the reader will also find her stories replete with vividly rendered scenes, etched by Ducornet’s incisive prose style, and satisfyingly bizarre plot turns. Sukenick’s Last Fall shares something of Ducornet’s surrealistic approach, although in this case the novel’s skewed perspective on specifically contemporary reality—the novel is set in New York just before and just after the events of 9/11, and contains a very compelling account of the immediate aftermath of the Trade Tower collapses—might more accurately be characterized as what the

novelist John Barth called “irrealism.” The characters and events depicted in Last Fall are located just on the other side of the line separating the plausible from the implausible (although one might say that 9/11 represents the moment when the unreality of American life can no longer be exaggerated), but not so far as to make them unrecognizable as a version of the world we readers must otherwise inhabit. It tells the story of the “Museum of Temporary Art” and those associated with it, its plot (which is mostly displaced by the ongoing historical events) centering on an ostensible theft from the museum’s collection. This theft remains the novel’s unresolved mystery, since a museum of “temporary” art has no collection: It was a matter of theft, but the problem was that nobody knew what had been stolen. The museum was banking on my expertise as a professor of post-contemporary art both to identify the stolen work and, if possible, to get it back. None of this had been made public and, in fact, even the personnel of the museum were unaware, except for a vague feeling of unease, which was itself part of the evidence. Because the feeling that something, something important, was gone was a factor. That is, how else, other that through feeling, were they to know that something was gone when they didn’t know what it was? Last Fall is a more straightforwardly rendered narrative than most of Sukenick’s fiction (although it does move from character to character in a way that requires the reader’s careful attention). It does not much feature the kind of play with typography and sentence boundaries typical of Sukenick’s other work, and while readers new to Sukenick might find this beneficial and Last Fall a more accessible introduction to his brand of experimental fiction, others might prefer his less explicitly allegorical, more formally challenging work. Nonetheless, the posthumous publication of Ronald Sukenick’s final novel is a valuable reminder that he was a figure central to the flourishing of American postmodern fiction, an important writer whose achievement is now complete and available for discovery and rediscovery by readers looking for an alternative to the “mainstream” in American fiction.

DECEMBER 2005

BENJAMIN KUNKEL | INDECISION (RANDOM HOUSE; 241 pgs; $21.95)

Here’s an underwhelming, press-gathering novel from a founding editor of n + 1, a new press-gathering journal of literature, politics, and culture. Twenty-eight-year-old narrator Dwight Wilmerding works in tech support for Pfizer, and he’s credible—and at certain moments even lovable—as the wiseguy underachiever who’s privately taken with his public unimpressiveness. Kunkel gives him an initially interesting problem (“chronic indecision”) and a few sharp insights (“Here in New York I have been mistaking the commotion for my own”), but lays a track for the story that rarely feels worth taking. There’s a new experimental drug promising “ironclad resolutions,” a global and sincere search for love, and half-hearted nods to incest and suicide. By the novel’s end—with a predictable revelation about the drug, a high school reunion speech, and a joke about Canadian pronunciation—it was clear that Kunkel had lost his shot at saving the story. Indecision is clever but without much matter, like the “fond and useless ‘Adiós’” Dwight sends to someone—a character who could’ve been a reader—passing momentarily through his world. | Stephen Schenkenberg JANE SMILEY | 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE NOVEL (KNOPF; 591 pgs; $26.95) According to its Pulitzer Prize–winning author, this well-intentioned, meandering book should be used “like an old trunk full of fabric samples or a box of costume jewelry—it is not to be read through from beginning to end in search of a cohesive argument, but to be rummaged about in, in search of something interesting or striking.” As Smiley admits, there is little cohesion in the hundreds of pages of essays that make up part of the book, nor in the list of, and commentary on, 100 novels she read or reread for this project. There is, however, plenty of fun to be had for the bookworm—pages and pages of writers and books brought together like fish in an aquarium. How much interest you have in the obscure kinds among them (Tobias Smollett’s The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker?) will depend in part on your reason for standing in front of the tank. And there are good reasons: fresh perspectives on classics (she offers reasonable

criticisms of Lolita and The Great Gatsby), learning about others’ ideas of the novel (“The author’s job, according to [Virginia] Woolf, is to preserve exceptional moments, not to award them to exceptional people”), or, of course, Smiley’s own ideas (“If I have to pick a single institution that the novel has changed, and whose changes have in turn fundamentally changed the way people live, I would pick marriage”). Like many list-driven books of this kind, 13 Ways is a volume I’ll probably enjoy more the longer it’s on my shelf, as I eventually travel or re-travel the paths she’s described taking. For the present, I’ll remember that despite the tough going of much of this book, there exist a few well-articulated and even moving statements of why reading fiction matters. Among them, there’s this: “If the novel has died for men (and some publishers and critics say that men read fewer novels than they used to), then the inner lives of their friends and family members are a degree more closed to them than before. If the novel dies, or never lives, for children and teenagers who spend their time watching TV or playing video games, then they will always be somewhat mystified by others, and by themselves as well.” | Stephen Schenkenberg NICK HORNBY | A LONG WAY DOWN (RIVERHEAD; 333 pgs; $24.95)

Not surprisingly, Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down—recently short-listed for the Whitbread Book Award—was optioned by film producers even before hitting bookstore shelves. Hornby is, after all, a finely tuned fabulist with a finger on the pulse of the hipster zeitgeist, and that’s the sort of literary talent that seems to lend itself well to cinema. That, and his unbelievable knack for crafting dialogue and carving up addictive first-person tales which read like perfectly rounded screenplay treatments. Fortunately, Hornby never blatantly smashes the reader upside the head with contrived coolness. His pop reverence, amusingly compelling characters, and plainspoken narratives are always tethered to bigger heartstrings. It’s an uneasy alliance when commercially appealing books take shape from more internal philosophical wanderings, which is why Hornby’s novels are not as tacit as they first appear. Whether it is Rob’s actions causing Laura to have an abortion in High Fidelity, Marcus’ mother’s attempted suicide in About a Boy, or the prickly existential dilemmas of How to Be Good, Hornby packs a little punch into each of his breezy books. While A Long Way Down aspires the highest depths and themes yet for Hornby, its misses are equally further from their marks. The novel is broken into four intertwining lives that fate brings together on a rooftop where each had come in hopes of settling their

misfired relationships and selfish doubts by tossing themselves overboard. None of them do, and so disgraced morning show personality Martin, failed American rocker and self-styled intellectual JJ, weary and woeful mother Maureen, and little-understood angry Jess form a pact as only characters in a novel do, and clamber down from their precipice to rejoin the merry-go-round that is life. As Jess says, it’s their very own Fab Four: “I just mean that I could tell we needed JJ, and so when he appeared it felt right. He wasn’t Ringo, though. He was more like Paul. Maureen was Ringo, except she wasn’t very funny. I was George, except I wasn’t shy or spiritual. Martin was John, except he wasn’t talented or cool. Thinking about it, maybe we were more like another group with four people in it.” Even when his characters are less than the sum of their rhetorical wit, Hornby’s writing is a crispy cynical snack that goes down well. This book delivers on that talent; take the moment when JJ preens about his own reading habits: “Earlier that week—Christmas Day, to be exact—I’d finished Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, which is a totally awesome novel. I was actually going to jump with a copy, not only because it would have been kinda cool, and would’ve added a little mystique to my death, but because it might have been a good way of getting people to read it.” I hope no one gets to feeling the same about A Long Way Down, because it ultimately isn’t worthy of a jump. The book doesn’t hold up to Hornby’s other work, its characters sway too much to the unlikable, though maybe that is something creative casting can fix in the film version. Fans of Hornby’s writing will find minimal pleasure here, even after it finally lands. | Shandy Casteel

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THREE TO READ Ryan Ottley draws INVINCIBLE

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Legend: W=writer | A=artist | P=penciler | I=inker

BEST OF THE SPIRIT (DC COMICS; 192 pgs FC; $14.99) (W/A: WILL EISNER) “Legendary” doesn’t even begin to describe Will Eisner, inventor of the graphic novel and one of the most vital creators in the history of sequential art. Eisner, who passed away in January at age 87, first gained fame with The Spirit, the masked protector of Central City, in stories printed in newspapers in the 1940s and ’50s. In this new collection, DC has gathered a batch of Eisner’s finest Spirit stories in one place (plus an all-new intro by Neil Gaiman), providing the perfect primer for the uninitiated. Any fan of comic art would do well to pick up this collection of killer detective stories as a first step in studying the master.

INTERVIEW ROBERT KIRKMAN AND RYAN OTTLEY For anyone who has ever put pen to paper to try to create their own comics, the career of Robert Kirkman is the ultimate inspiration, moving from struggling self-publisher to underground hit to the go-to guy at Marvel in barely a half decade. It all started in 1999, when Kirkman and artist Tony Moore began publishing the hilarious religious parable-cum-action epic Battle Pope as Studio Funk-O-Tron. “Self-publishing wasn’t fun,” says Kirkman. “Way too much work.” Kirkman’s writing caught the eye of Erik Larsen, who encouraged Kirkman and artist Cory Walker to make the move to Image Comics. “Erik Larsen really liked Cory Walker’s art, which he had seen in a SuperPatriot pinup Cory did,” Kirkman recalls. “He suggested we do a SuperPatriot mini [SuperPatriot: America’s Fighting Force], since Cory was so good at drawing the guy. From there on out, I did all my books at Image.” Kirkman’s first two creator-owned books for Image couldn’t have been more different. The Walking Dead, featuring Battle Pope’s Moore on art, took the cliché of a world swarmed with zombies and instead focused on the human drama of the survivors. “I like to think of The Walking Dead as a very dramatic book,” says Kirkman, “so much so that the ‘zombie’ part takes a back seat.” Meanwhile, Invincible, with Walker on art, tackled the tried-and-true superhero epic, with a teenaged Mark Grayson developing superpowers and attempting to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Omni-Man, who carries a dark secret. Kirkman’s writing is uniformly excellent on both books, with dramatic scripts that never skimp on the laughs and a litany of genuinely shocking twists. The audience for both books steadily grew through uniformly positive word of mouth, eventually catching the eye of Marvel, who signed Kirkman to a unique exclusive contract that allowed him to continue his creator-owned books at Image. “I’ve often said, when you do creator-owned stuff, the main selling point of the book is you,” notes Kirkman. “When you do corporate-owned books, the characters are a big part of the sales. So to a certain extent

Shipping this month

SEXY CHIX (DARK HORSE; 104 pgs B&W; $12.95) (W/A: VARIOUS)

I think there are a lot of people buying my Marvel work that don’t even know who I am.” Kirkman has taken full advantage of what Marvel has to offer in Marvel Team-Up, from heavyweights like Spider-Man and Wolverine to the second-tier heroes making up the upcoming “League of Losers” arc, and will soon add the insanely popular Ultimate X-Men to his already lengthy resume. The busiest man in comics, Kirkman still creates The Walking Dead, with new artist Charlie Adlard, and Invincible, with Ryan Ottley taking over the art chores. “It just became clear that Cory Walker wasn’t going to be able to keep up with a monthly schedule,” notes Kirkman, “and with Cory’s blessing, I asked Ryan to stay on full time.” The pair’s work on Invincible has been nothing short of phenomenal , resulting (in this writer’s opinion, anyway) in, hands down, the best superhero comic published today. Getting to draw the book is a treat for Ottley, one of its biggest fans. “The stories are so great on this book,” says Ottley. “I’m just happy to be working on [it]. That blurb we put on the cover every month—‘Probably the best superhero comic in the universe’—I believe that, and I think it becomes more true every month.” | Jason Green Read more with Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley online at www.playbackstl.com.

Could this finally be that Lady Death– Vampirella–Wonder Woman three-for-all you’ve been waiting for? Hardly. It’s a sad fact that women often get the short end of the stick in the world of comics, both as characters and creators, but Dark Horse’s new anthology is a big step in the right direction. Sexy Chix collects stories from the finest females in the comics biz, from underground favorites like Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) and Roberta Gregory (Bitchy Bitch) to mainstream talents like Gail Simone (Action Comics). A must-have for alt-comics fans, and a great excuse for fanboys to yank their heads out of their mylar bags and try something different. THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ONEPAGE FILLER MAN (IMAGE; 140 pgs B&W; $11.99) (W/A: JIM MAHFOOD)

Do you have any friends who are a little…y’know, crazy? The kind of friend who would laugh at talking footwear named Chad the Lying Sock Puppet flushing a small child down a toilet? If the answer is yes, be sure to snag a copy of One-Page Filler Man, the latest bit of insanity from Jim Mahfood (Grrl Scounts, Clerks). Mahfood’s got a twisted sense of humor and a dense art style that’s consistently teetering on the edge of insanity, a combination sure to appeal to fans of fellow maniacs Jhonen Vasquez (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac) and Marc Hempel (Tug & Buster). | Jason Green

DECEMBER 2005

IN REVIEW TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN MAGAZINE #21 (ADHESIVE PRESS; 65 pgs B&W; $4.95) (W/A: VARIOUS; PUBLISHED BY SHANNON WHEELER)

Too Much Coffee Man Magazine is imbued with all the black humor that we’ve come to expect from TMCM creator Shannon Wheeler. Joe Sayers’ “Passing Periods” strip imagines a 15-year-old girl whose parents welcome her to the world of dating—by setting her up with the old man who works at the supermarket. Sid Givens interviews a friend whose wife was a bank robber and, it turns out, a cheat. “One night I came upstairs from my office to the living room,” he relates. “The room was dark, and there was a couple making out in front of a raging fire. It was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen…except that it was my wife and my best friend. By the way, don’t get married.” That’s not all you’ll get… There’s a perverted little strip from the ever-sensitive and horny Jeffrey Brown, and a deeply disturbing jaw-dropper of a story called “Birthday” by Jed

Alexander, in which the author is discovered by his parents while masturbating to an old video of his own birth (shiver). Wheeler’s own TMCM strips are always worth it, and here, he’s at his best when he goes “meta.” For instance, a man, for no particular reason, screams more and more angrily at a cat. Finally, he takes a running kick at the cat and boots it right out of the panel. In the next comic, an armchair-psychologist commentator breaks down why the man kicked the cat. His portentous, annoying explanation continues until he himself is kicked out of the final panel. Playing with form—it’s a good thing. The reviews section has more of that unsparing wit. Drew Winchester’s “Remake-oRama” reviews no less than 30 films and their remakes. “Steve Martin is the undisputed King Whore of remakes,” he writes, “with Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Father of the Bride, The Out-of-Towners, Cheaper by the Dozen, and the forthcoming Pink Panther to his credit. He should be strung up by his ball hair and mummified in electrical tape until he gets serious again.” Reviewer Matthew

Speer ponders the possibility of a Muslim version of the Christian endof-times Left Behind books, to be called Dude, Where’s My Virgin? But the very blackest and best thing of all in TMCM #21 is a devastating war-protest comic by Peter Conrad. A legion of babbling idiots in jingoistic T-shirts blankets the land. They’re ugly Americans, awash in the glory of team sports, Jesus, SUVs, and anything red, white, and blue. The final panel is a jarring splashpage that reads “Meanwhile…” and shows a planeload of coffins draped with American flags. The anger is blunt, revelatory, and brilliant. Bravo. | Byron Kerman

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MACKENZIE PHILLIPS GROWING UP IN A WORLD WITHOUT RULES MACKENZIE PHILLIPS AT HOME, AND ONSTAGE AS LILY ST. REGIS IN ANNIE, ACCOMPANIED BY ROOSTER (SCOTT WILLIS) AND MISS HANNIGAN (ALENE ROBERTSON). Annie photo by Chris Bennion

tarring in the role of Lily St. Regis in this year’s touring production of Annie is one of the original bad girls with a heart of gold, Mackenzie Phillips. Recently, we got the opportunity to talk to the diverse actress about growing up in a musical family—her father was John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas—her time as Julie Cooper on One Day at a Time, and, of course, her role in Annie. Let’s talk a little about your past. What was it like growing up in the world of the Mamas and the Papas? It was really different. In my growing up, my dad’s friends were like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I had a very different perspective on family life—just because it was so permissive. There weren’t any rules and you could do what you want. I don’t really suggest that—but it was fun and I managed to survive it. Coming from a musical family, what was the last CD you bought? The new System of a Down CD. I have an 18-year-old son; we rock out. One of your first noteworthy roles was as Carol in American Graffiti. When you were filming it, did you have any idea how huge that film was going to become? Honestly, I thought we were making an educational movie. I was 12 years old; I didn’t know it was going to be an actual movie. So when it became what it became, it was very shocking to me. Moving on to your role as Julie Cooper in One Day at a Time…what was your favorite part of that role? Julie was a brat—she was a rotten little kid with a heart of gold. I loved playing Julie. I got to be Julie for nine years; I got to grow into

S

ANNIE photo by Chris Bennion

the character. I think that is every TV actor’s dream: to get a series that runs for a long time, so you can create a character like that. What was your favorite episode of that whole series? I really liked [laughs] when Julie became a Jesus freak. It cracked me up. Do you keep in contact with Bonnie Franklin or Valerie Bertinelli? I do; we run into each other here and there and Valerie and I e-mail a fair amount. What about Schneider [Pat Harrington]? Not so much. I love him so much; I just haven’t kept in touch with him. You have had some interesting episodic roles on a series of shows. What was it like to be on Beverly Hills 90210 and E.R.? Do you like those types of roles where you can drop in, make a splash, and leave them wanting more? You know, what I’d really like to do is be on an hour drama and be like, not the lead—I’d like to be the fourth or fifth lead—where you get to be the same character every week, but you are only in a few scenes. Do you mean like Willie Garson’s role as Stanford Blatch in Sex and the City? Exactly. Let’s move on to your role as Rizzo in the stage version of Grease. How perfect was that role for you? It was perfect for me. I mean, when someone says “Who were you in Grease?” I want to

| By Jim Campbell

say, “Duh! Who do you think I was?” I think I may be a little old to play the role now, but ten years ago it was a blast. Have you ever been to St. Louis? You know, I think I was in St. Louis before; I think I did Same Time Next Year in St. Louis. I know I played there with my dad and the Mamas and the Papas years ago. How did you get involved with Annie? It just came up on the table, and it seemed like a fun thing to do. Then it turned out my fiancée, Keith Levenson, signed on to be the musical director/conductor of the show, so we travel together on the road. It’s fantastic. How long have you been in the role? Four months. The tour will be out for a year and I signed on for the first six months. Keith and I will have to have a conversation about how long we will want to stay. If you could have any role in any Broadway play, what would it be? Oh gosh, I don’t know. I would love to play Elphaba in Wicked—I love those books. But I am so not familiar with Broadway stuff; I just don’t know. You had your birthday November 10. What does Mackenzie Phillips do for a birthday party? It was so quiet. My son and I went and got tattoos: I got the three wise monkeys as the Paul Frank monkey and he got pinup girl and a nautical star. You sound like a really good mom. I am a really good mom—even though I go get tattoos with my son. How are your sisters Chynna and Bijou doing? Very, very well. Bijou is deeply involved with That 70’s Show’s Danny Masterson. They are such a cute couple. They have been together over a year. What does the future hold for you? Oh, if only you could tell me. I have no idea; I wish I had a crystal ball. I am having so much fun with this job; I don’t really want to stop yet. | Annie plays in St. Louis at the Fabulous Fox Theatre December 27 through January 1.

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RIYL

TOP 50

PLAYBACK:stl and RIYL (Recommended If You Like) give you the real top 50, based on radio play from hundreds of stations across the country. For expanded charts, go to www.PLAYBACK:stl.com/riyl. WEIGHTED vs. UNWEIGHTED The RIYL Music weighted chart recognizes that some stations are simply more “influential” than others. Stations are assigned a value between 1 and 6; a #1 chart position is assigned 30 points and then multiplied by the station’s weight. For example, an artist charting #1 at a station weighted “2” is assigned 60 points, while a #1 charting at a “5” is assigned 150 points. Once RIYL’s robots have calculated the chart values for each artist, they simply sort by points. Long live the king! The RIYL Music unweighted chart feels that every voice should be heard...and believes every voice is equal. Stations are stations. No favorites, just pure data. A #1 chart position is assigned 30 points while a #30 chart position is assigned 1 point. Once RIYL’s army of robots has calculated the chart values for each artist, they press the “sort by points” button. Voila. Power to the people! www.riylmusic.com

1. MY MORNING JACKET | Z 2. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE | Broken Social Scene 3. FRANZ FERDINAND | You Could Have It So Much Better 4. THE GO! TEAM | Thunder, Lightning, Strike 5. WOLF PARADE | Apologies to the Queen Mary 6. DANGER DOOM | The Mouse and the Mask 7. STRAYLIGHT RUN | Prepare to Be Wrong 8. FIONA APPLE | Extraordinary Machine 9. SUN KIL MOON | Tiny Cities 10. V/A | This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul 11. INT’L NOISE CONSPIRACY | Armed Love 12. ROGUE WAVE | Descended Like Vultures 13. THRICE | Vheissu 14. MATT POND PA | Several Arrows Later 15. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE | Plans 16. TOM VEK | We Have Sound 17. GANG OF FOUR | Return the Gift 18. SILVER JEWS | Tanglewood Numbers 19. METRIC | Live It Out 20. ATMOSPHERE | You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having 21. TAPES ’N TAPES | The Loon 22. THE CAPES | Hello 23. THE FIERY FURNACES | Rehearsing My Choir 24. BLACKALICIOUS | The Craft

WEIGHTED

25. SIGUR ROS | Takk 26. LADYTRON | Witching Hour 27. ABERDEEN CITY | The Freezing Atlantic 28. COHEED & CAMBRIA | Good Apollo, I’m Burning... 29. THE PIXIES | Sell Out 2004 Reunion Tour 30. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE | Feels 31. GRANDADDY | Excerpts From the Diary of Todd Zilla 32. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS | Twin Cinema 33. DEVENDRA BANHART | Cripple Crow 34. BROADCAST | Tender Buttons 35. LIGHTNING BOLT | Hypermagic Mountain 36. V/A | Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack 37. AMERICAN ANALOG SET | Set Free 38. NEIL DIAMOND | 12 Songs 39. MORNINGWOOD | Morningwood 40. CONSTANTINES | Tournament of Hearts 41. BOARDS OF CANADA | The Campfire Headphase 42. DEERHOOF | The Runners Four 43. THE LIVING THINGS | Ahead of the Lions 44. LAGWAGON | Resolve 45. CLIENTELE | Strange Geometry 46. DIOS MALOS | Dios Malos 47. SOCRATIC | Lunch for the Sky 48. CALLA | Collisions 49. LADY SOVEREIGN | Vertically Challenged 50. DEPECHE MODE | Playing the Angel

UNWEIGHTED

1. MY MORNING JACKET | Z 2. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE | Broken Social Scene 3. FRANZ FERDINAND | You Could Have It so Much Better 4. THE GO! TEAM | Thunder, Lightning, Strike 5. DANGER DOOM | The Mouse and the Mask 6. STRAYLIGHT RUN | Prepare to Be Wrong 7. WOLF PARADE | Apologies to the Queen Mary 8. SUN KIL MOON | Tiny Cities 9. ROGUE WAVE | Descended Like Vultures 10. FIONA APPLE | Extraordinary Machine 11. V/A | This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul 12. INT’L NOISE CONSPIRACY | Armed Love 13. ATMOSPHERE | You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having 14. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE | Plans 15. MATT POND PA | Several Arrows Later 16. TOM VEK | We Have Sound 17. THRICE | Vheissu 18. GANG OF FOUR | Return the Gift 19. METRIC | Live It Out 20. SILVER JEWS | Tanglewood Numbers 21. THE FIERY FURNACES | Rehearsing My Choir 22. BLACKALICIOUS | The Craft 23. BROADCAST | Tender Buttons 24. THE CAPES | Hello

25. TAPES ’N TAPES | The Loon 26. SIGUR ROS | Takk 27. LADYTRON | Witching Hour 28. ABERDEEN CITY | The Freezing Atlantic 29. COHEED & CAMBRIA | Good Apollo, I’m Burning... 30. CLIENTELE | Strange Geometry 31. DEVENDRA BANHART | Cripple Crow 32. THE PIXIES | Sell Out 2004 Reunion Tour 33. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE | Feels 34. V/A | Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack 35. BOARDS OF CANADA | The Campfire Headphase 36. AMERICAN ANALOG SET | Set Free 37. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS | Twin Cinema 38. LIGHTNING BOLT | Hypermagic Mountain 39. MORNINGWOOD | Morningwood 40. NEIL DIAMOND | 12 Songs 41. IRON & WINE/CALEXICO | In the Reins 42. CONSTANTINES | Tournament of Hearts 43. SOCRATIC | Lunch for the Sky 44. GRANDADDY | Excerpts From the Diary of Todd Zilla 45. CALLA | Collisions 46. DEPECHE MODE | Playing the Angel 47. THE EXIT | Home for an Island 48. JIMMY EAT WORLD | Stay on My Side Tonight 49. DIOS MALOS | Dios Malos 50. DEERHOOF | The Runners Four

COMING NEXT MONTH: THE BEST OF 2005 The editors and writers of PLAYBACK:stl gather to bring you their favorite CDs, performances from concerts and theater, movies, books, and whatever else they feel has made 2005 a year to remember. On stands, at your favorite locations, and on the Web January 1, 2006.

ON THE WEB THIS MONTH: WIN BIG WITH PLAYBACK:stl Throughout December, win tickets to see Sigur Rós at the Pageant, the PLAYBACK:stl holiday show, Iron & Wine with Calexico at Mississippi Nights, Syriana, and copies of First Avenue bootleg CD. Visit us at www.playbackstl.com.

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