thomascrone.com

Like, Sunday

2008-05-12T09:27:00.001-07:00

Compliments of Tyson Blanquart, I'm reminded by this note that I signed on for duty with the NonProphets and that the time is nigh. Beyond the embarrassingly kind words, here's the pertinent info for your Sunday, May 18 plans.

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St Louis, MO- The NonProphet Theater Company, after rounding out its second theatrical season of critically acclaimed productions, gets back to what they do best: making people laugh.

The NonProphets bring their award winning sketch comedy show- The Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine- back into the city of St. Louis with two special appearances at legendary music club Off Broadway on Sunday, May 18 and Saturday, June 14. The show, which is now celebrating its eleventh year, takes 24 original sketches and pits them against the backdrop of a twisted bingo game in which the audience controls the order of the show and prizes are won by a lucky few. The show is a non-stop evening of break-neck comedy that will leave you exhausted and hoarse by night's end.

The NonProphets are also excited to announce that the two forthcoming shows will be guest-hosted by some of St. Louis' finest home-grown talent:

Sunday, May 18, 2008 – Writer, blogger, DJ, photographer, professor and savvy many about town Thomas Crone will host the festivities. Thomas has written for the Riverfront Times, The Post-Dispatch and is part of the local publication and blog 52^nd City. You can also hear Thomas Monday nights on KDHX 88.1 FM's show Topic A. A long time supporter of the NonProphets and St. Louis civic pride, the NonProphets are excited and honored to have him host. (Edit: the check is in the mail.)

Saturday, June 14, 2008 – The Chanteuse with the Sweet Caboose, the Mistress with a Derriere Beyond Compare, the Hostest with the Mostest, Lola van Ella, St. Louis' up-and-coming burlesque queen will host the second of the two shows. Lola is a regular performer with the Alley Cat Revue at Rue 13 on Washington Avenue, and has performed her delightful strip-tease and acrobatic abilities all over the city of St. Louis as well as all over the world. Lola brings a touch of class to an otherwise bawdy show, and the NonProphets are excited to have her return to their stage.

Each show begins at 8:00pm, and tickets are $10 at the door.

Off Broadway (located at 3509 Lemp in the Historic Cherokee-Lemp District in South City) is one of St. Louis' legendary music venues and boasts one of the best bar staffs in town. The venue, which recently went smoke-free, hearkens back the atmosphere created by the NonProphets' previous home, the late, lamented Hi Pointe Café.

Directing the shows will be NonProphet founder and Artistic Director Robert A. Mitchell, and cast members include Nicole Angeli, Aaron Orion Baker, Tyson Blanquart, Paula Dean, Jonathan Ellison, Chris "Mr." Jones, Theresa Masters, Ben Ritchie, Suzanne Roussin, B. Weller and Kirsten Wylder with special guests Brian Hyde and John Shepherd. The multi-talented Sarah Holt runs the show as Stage Manager.

Reservations are not necessary, but more info can be obtained by visiting their Web site at http://www.nptco.org or by calling 314-752-5075.

Off Broadway is a 21+ venue.

Link fun & radio show

2008-05-11T18:51:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night, Amanda Doyle and I will be joined on Topic A (nearly typed in as The Wire, a second ago) by James Collier, who pens (as in writes and illustrates) a blog called Acting White. It's an interesting read, for sure, and should yield some good conversation tomorrow, 'tween 7:30 - 8:00 p.m.

The look at that site sent me on a strange run of web-reading, with some of the items well worth sharing. The first one's got an obvious link to the above, the rest...

White people don't like soccer, but like talking about liking soccer.

Bar admits to being gay. Some classic Onion, for sure.

Vegetarians aren't all granola-chewing hippies.

And in a bit of video viewing, a trailer for a Michael Almereyda film that I wish would just go and get released already.

Share a link, pals.

Ministry, Chicago; Me, St. Louis

2008-05-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

About a week back, I thought to look at Ministry's homepage, wondering if the group's tour was still going; and, for that matter, was still skipping St. Louis. Turns out the answers were "yes" and "yes," with a pair of shows added at Chicago's House of Blues this weekend, a four-night stint including what's reputed to be the group's final (ever!) show tomorrow night. Gripped with the fear of missing my fifth-favorite band's last gig, I tossed out a note to potential interested parties, getting a tepid response, for the most part. Though my main man, Jim Utz, did set me up with not only ticket-buying tips, but also an itinerary to get to get to Chicago-and-back for $42 via Megabus, with an 8:30 departure on Sunday morning and a 5:25 a.m. arrival on Monday.

For days, I debated this 20-odd-hour, turnaround trip, turning it into not only a matter of whether, or not, to see/hear a band I really wanted to see/hear. Instead, the decision became some type of strange, existential journey. I mean: I'm too old for floor-sleeping, too aged for six-in-a-Tercel jaunts to see bands, too poor to simply fling a C-note at a musical whim, etc., etc., etc. How easy it is to turn the easy into the difficult!

Woke up today, though, with a debit card ready, clicking away for the show ticket first. Turns out that sometime between last night and this morning, the gig sold-out. Oh.

Since I'm plunging for meaning here, two options seem likely.

* I didn't really want to go, using the multiple days of hand-wringing to allow the final tickets to be snapped up by closer-to-the-show (and I dare say, lesser) fans. In this scenario, my actual fandom comes into great question, as well as my willingness to do things that are vaguely uncomfortable, things like sitting in a bus for 11-hours.

Or...

* The gods of fate were actually looking out for me. Had I bought the ticket and walked the .9-miles from the bus to the venue, I'd have plunked down my ticket, gone in, watched the two heavy metal openers, eventually dipping into Ministry's pit, where I'd be sucker-punched by a roided-out, 22-year-old gym attendant in a Mushroomhead t-shirt, which would set off a melee, end-resulting in my chipping six teeth, which would amount to about $560 in resentful dental work. I like to think this is the more likely, if somewhat ethereal scenario.

Ugh. Guess I'll just watch the videos, while I sort all that out.

May's 13

2008-05-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

If you've peeked at a calendar, you might see that we've passed the first day, or two, of May, but things have been busy around the information age workshop lately. We now officially declare the beginning of May at thomascrone.com with the wildly-popular May's 13.

Performance, Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre: At some point in the last year, I decided to pursue a hobby of catching more live theatre. At least one show per month and/or all the shows of certain companies. Things are holding steady so far this year, with the latest production caught being the Magic Smoking Monkey's hilarious send-up of "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park." Delightful to see longtime monkeys like Amy Elz, Julie Layton and Jim Ousley onstage. And equally fun to catch the performance in what was obviously a sold-out (and hot!) RAC space. Can't wait for next year. Where do we sign the petition for two Monkey shows a year?

Daily read, St. Louis Beacon: Sometimes, it takes a while to retrain your daily surfing habits. A couple things on my guilty pleasure list should be stricken, while a few castor oil-type sites should be added. The St. Louis Beacon's luckily got enough interesting content for me to become a regular reader, giving me some civic fiber as I go. Lots of familiar names in the ranks; looking forward to seeing some new ones crop up, as well. My daily surf's a bit smarter thanks to the Beacon.

Advertorial, Cafe Chat: While on the topic of newspapers and their kin, I'll note that a piece I alluded to a few weeks ago has come into being. The Cafe Chat advertorial feature in the RFT is live, with an interview with Michael Johnson (of, oh, 25 local restaurants) the first of the lot. Still strange seeing my name in the RFT, in any context, but such is life. Strange.

Browsing options, Firecracker Press: The publisher of many collectible posters, flyers, magazines and the like has up and moved, from the somewhat remote location it called home above the Chippewa viaduct to a nice, new location in a classic Cherokee Street storefront, just across from Apop Records and near to many of the hipper new Cherokee spots. Congrats to Eric, Matty and the crew for their digs. Next time you're in the neighborhood, pop in. They'd be happy to let you browse and watch some work come off the line.

Mag sections, Apop: This month, we're flowing from one idea to the next, so we have to take a moment to sing the praises of the magazine and zine sections at Apop Records. I've spent too much money there over the past month, snapping up a variety of cool, cheap zines, many of them in the black-and-white, cut-and-paste style of my relative youth. Happy to see those coming around again. And happier to see a place selling. Not since the days of the old Whiz Bam have I seen a finer collection of truly indie zines and print ephemera. Nice.

Question, the incorporation of fish into the ol' diet: So, any vegetarian readers today? Any of you go from veg-only to eating fish? How'd that work out for you? The bones and muscles are barking and serious consideration is going into the adoption of fish (dead, dead, decapitated and scaled, dead fish!) into my daily diet. Need some info. One friend is advising the eating of buffalo and beef, instead, but something's saying that ain't going to happen. But dead fish? Maybe. Thoughts are welcome.

Hobby, urban exploration: A couple new spots have been accessed by the membership of the UEU 314 in recent weeks and photos will be going live on flickr in the near future. Here's the rub with flickr, for me: I'm stuck at 999 shots. I have been for weeks. I don't know why this is an issue, but I want the 1,000th to have some kick and I can't seem to find that shot. What a weirdo. Anyway, take a peep at the flickr button on the right in a couple days. Should finally crack this mental block by then.

Flickr photographer, Lachance: Some props for Lachance, who is not Alicia Lachance, but who is a phenomenal photographer of industry and cities. Damn.

Season, the end of a school semester: Is there a finer season than school's end? I don't believe so. And I love fall. But the first/second week of May? Oh, how sweet!

Trend, babies: Okay, friends, who's expecting next? Who's due next? Out with the info, please.

Cable show, Miss Rap Supreme: Trying to diversify my cable bad habits, and Ego Trip's Miss Rap Supreme seemed a way to bring some flava to my evening TV zombie-ing. Sadly, the femme-cee's are just not bringing the dramatic heat I require in my crap TV viewing habits. Maybe the fact that actual talent is involved in competing in the show is ruining it for me. Hard to say. Giving this one a few more episodes, though my German favorite, Lionezz, has been shown the door. (Ach, nein!) Thinking that the Discovery show about crab fishermen might be next on the list.

Beer, Pyramid Apricot Ale: I love it, I merely like it, I love it. Such is life.

YouTube video/song/obsession, "Four Horsemen," Aprhodite's Child: Ladies and gentlemen, I leave you with a cut that's been playing daily for weeks, if not months. Must find new musical obsession. Until then, zone out to the following, at your back-mask-frightening risk.

Chronology, I

2008-04-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

Factor in these bits. All factual.

You live in an region that's recently had an earthquake. When it occurs, you, like thousands of others, wonder what's happening, jarred and somewhat, for lack of a better phrase, "goofed up" at the moment of impact.

You have a pair of glasses. The left lens, for whatever reason, tends to fall out. It has just fallen out. And it sits, without one lens, on a shelf.

You have a phone, the Verizon EnV, which isn't a good phone. These phones break. Constantly. Tonight, your latest (third) EnV is broken. Not just sporting the recently-acquired cracked face, but also a battery problem, which seems to require hours of charging for minutes of use.

You live on a block which has given you trouble recently. A few shots here. An attempted bum-rush there. Enough activity of a nasty nature to what you wonder what's next.

Despite this, your green light bulb, which illuminates your front porch (you have a green awning; somehow the two seem sympathetic, what with the green awning, the green bulb), has just burned out, which draws only a shrug and "a something-to-do tomorrow" vibe.

Put the combination together. Sequence this. Or not. As you see fit.

New site, stories @ thevitalvoice.com

2008-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Now that Lucas Hudson's come on as editor of The Vital Voice, I've started doing some entertainment writing for the publication. The paper's new website has debuted this week. If you've not seen it, follow the links here.

A review of Mikeymoe's. Took three visits to research.

A summary of South City drinking culture. Took 18 years to research.

Enjoy.

52nd City : Saturday

2008-04-25T09:07:00.001-07:00

What's classier than Playboy and Maxim and much easier to hide under your mattress or in your sock drawer? SEXY--52nd City Magazine's ninth issue. Join us at the Snowflake on Saturday, April 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. for some delightfully cheeky food, drink, music, and entertainment. This issue includes a free CD from the SOUND issue--and a party at Snowflake never disappoints.

Sexy brings to mind love and 52nd City is is a labor of love for us; each issue, we cover our print costs by the skin of our teeth. Hence we currently have a little PayPal button on our homepage so that those who would like to support the cause with $1, $5 or, with glitter and blessings upon your soul, $25, you can donate to our general print fund. Our only costs are for the printing of the magazine. We don't pay ourselves, and unfortunately, can't pay our contributors at this point either (someday, oh someday). We will gladly accept your donation to our print fund. Any amount is appreciated and we will acknowledge you on our friends page (unless you ask us not to).

ALSO - this will be our last issue with a cover price. As of our summer issue (FOOD), 52nd City will be distributed free of charge - look for us in venues across the city, including ones thatcarry us now. We are looking forward to widening the exposure of the St. Louis artists and writers who contribute their work to our pages.

Again, everyone is welcome this Saturday, no donations required, and we hope you'll make it out. For more info on the party, the SEXY issue or all things 52nd City related, pop over to our site.

Where: Snowflake, 3156 Cherokee Street
When: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Time: 4:00-7:00pm
Admission: Free

Wednesday - 6:20 p.m. - Channel 5

2008-04-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Last-second news, but STL United FC will be featured tonight on News Channel 5's sportscast at 6:20 p.m. If there's video to be grabbed, I'll embed the piece tomorrow.

Update: the piece can be found here. Having a little trouble playing back the piece, any tips?

Back in The Journal

2008-04-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Blake Ashby came to Webster and spoke.

I sent an e-mail "press release" a few hours before the lecture.

From these events was born a cover story in this past week's Journal.

Proof that: you always, always, always feed the press.

Face it: you need a chief blogger

2008-04-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

And I need a job.*

Let's talk.

Unfortunately, the gig I really wanted is now taken. Link to come.

(*Thanks ACC.)

Hey, DJ

2008-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

So lazy, I am! Forgetting to post up DJ gigs, like this week's dual spin with Jim Utz at the Halo. Oops.

So, uh...

Tonight!: The Royale, 6-10. So windy, only CDs will make the cut. That's how windy it is, really.

Friday, April 25: The Royale, 10 p.m.-1:17 a.m. Records and CDs, yo. And is there an iPod in my future? Someone send me to some bargain buys!

Thursday, May 1: The Halo Bar, 10:30 p.m.-2:27 a.m. Only records, for celebration on the day of contemplation and lamentation for all International Workers of the World. Not sure what band will be in the Pageant on this evening, but I'm hoping for something more sympatico than this week's Musiq Soulchild. Let me tell, his fans were not digging me, particularly.

April's 13

2008-04-02T16:13:00.001-07:00

Cultural event, Catholic school picnics: Checking the calendar. It's about that time of year, yes, indeed. A time for marginal $2 food items, crazy-looking rides, crazier-looking ride operators and a guaranteed good time... as long as the local teens don't start a gang fight. Yeah-uh!

Newspaper, The Vital Voice: At the risk of slighting any other newspapers fitting the description, my favorite bi-weekly publication formerly targeting the GLBT audience, but now morphing into a wider, progressive niche has to be... The Vital Voice. Especially since editor Lucas Hudson's on-board and because they started writing me checks. If you've not picked up the paper recently, or clicked on the website, please do. One or the other. Or both. Thanks.

Challenges, The AFI Top 100: After a couple of disappointing films in a row and a Netflix membership that's lapsed, I've found myself raiding the stacks of Webster U's Emerson Library for videos, informed by the twin American Film Institute Top 100 Film lists, from 1998 and 2007. Can't say all the films to date have been a joy -- "The Searchers" is something more than a dull, two-hour excursion into mid-20th century racism? really? -- but the process has been vaguely enjoyable, despite the lack of foreign films and docs. But enough qualifiers. The AFI list is fun to work through, especially if you're an obsessive completist.

Magazine, "Relevant": Like to think I know a few magazines, but I'd never heard of "Relevant" until now. The mag's centered around "God. Life. Progressive Culture." and I'm totally cool with two of those ideas. Despite a few editorial pieces not particularly up my alley, I have to say that the newest Relevant is well-designed, very readable and a real surprise, which is always fun when searching the mag racks.

Reality show, "Split Ends": Two hair stylists. Swapping places. Meeting new people. Working with new systems. Maybe learning something along the way. What a stupid idea! And what a perfectly enjoyable waste of an hour!

Flickr user, Monstromo: Until recently, I didn't realize that my neighbor took photos, let alone loaded them onto photo-sharing services. Glad I know, now. Some wacky stuff in here. Moon Mullins? I mean... really. What?

Wacky theatre, "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park": Do not miss this show. Why would you even consider that possibility?

Christmas gift opportunities, Historic Soccer Videotapes: Would love those STL Stars vids, definitely; you're the best!

YouTube oddity, "Flintstones Sell Cigarettes": Every semester, during advertising class sessions, this video brings on the chuckles, from students too young to reasonably appreciate the full cultural impact of "The Flintstones." If you've not seen Fred and Barney out back o' the house, lighting up, please enjoy.

Coffeehouse, Cairdeas: I'm not a Dogtown resident, but since my car keeps breaking down and my mechanic's in the neighborhood, I'm now a quasi-regular at this joint. I even can ID some of the other, weird regulars, including one mean Irishman that I've run into on each visit. A charmer, that one. At any rate, I like the spot and like it even more when a postmodern horror film star is behind the counter.

Used book rack, Apop: What the hell is playing in that shop? Ever! That's my question. Seriously, what the hell? Just check out that book rack, though. Some nutty selections up thurr.

South Broadway gay bar options, Korners: Walked in. Took a minute to sort out what was happening. Somehow, it actually took a minute, instead of three-seconds. How amusing. And how loud! Ten people making the sound of a thousand, so happy were they.

KDHX pledge opportunity, "Topic A": Wouldn't you know it? The spring membership drive is nigh. And what better opportunity to give than at 7:30 p.m. CST on Monday, April 21? The station, Amanda, Amanda's unborn baby and I all thank you for your consideration and loose purse strings.

RFT

2008-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'll be starting a new adver-feature(tte) for the RFT in a couple issues, most likely April 17. More details as they become available.

Check back tomorrow, for the wildly-popular monthly Thirteen feature.

Wheels

2008-03-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Could use some. Four of 'em. On one, non-wack vehicle.

I've you've got a line on a ride, let me know.

Three key factors are:

1. Affordability.
2. Timeliness.
3. Well... affordability.

Thanks for any localized tips, ala, "my uncle's in the business and is a real pleasure to work with," etc.

Moving closer to Muhammad Ali

2008-03-28T12:19:00.001-07:00

In my last (ever) amateur boxing match, I got worked over at Cherokee Rec Center. In my corner was trainer Buddy Shaw.

Last night, Buddy Shaw was the primary corner man for Cory Spinks, in a world championship bout at Scottrade Center.

Also in the corner, was Cory's dad, Leon Spinks.

Who, of course, way back in the day, defeated Muhammad Ali.

Even if it's only me, I find this extremely hilarious. Gotta work this tenuous angle, somehow... who knows an editor at Ring Magazine?

Belz: Outta Here

2008-03-27T10:15:00.001-07:00

He's leaving us.

Oh, sure, some will lament Aaron Belz the Poet, the Dad, the Advocate for Local Arts. I'll take a moment to note that: he's got of the sharpest elbows I've ever encountered on a basketball court (a latter day Wes Unseld, I'd reckon); his Facebook-ing skills rival those of a Mehlville HS ninth-grader; and he's one of those cats that can take a stolen scooter and turn it into a local legend. So let's add all of that to our collective, embittered, Exiting Stage Left bio, shall we?

The comedic poetic stylings of Aaron Belz are soon to move west, way west. With the news now public, we'll go ahead and post the grim details, while noting that there's a chance to catch the man in his very natural habitat in the next week:

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To those of you who are or might be attending my reading at Regional Arts Commission next Tuesday evening:

I've accepted a position at a college in L.A. and will be moving out there in July. This might be the last time I get to see some of you in a while, so I hope you'll come let me shake your hand and raise my eyebrows at you in a slightly creepy way.

Remember - the reading is free, and so is the wine.
http://belz. wordpress. com/2008/ 03/10/rac- poster/

PLEASE BRING $10 for a COPY OF THE BOOK if you don't have it yet. I want to sell and sign some of those.

Love,
Aaron

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Not answered in the above: When's the garage sale?

Pics

2008-03-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Bunch up at flickr. Should be working on taxes. I'm not.

I'm putting up a bunch of photos at flickr.

Eastside ramblings, buildings accessed (but not fully) and a wealth o' Melo's highlight this installment. I need me some people pics!

Ed Box(x)

2008-03-18T22:16:00.001-07:00

Interesting piece on a new blog, written by John Clements and referencing a photo from my flickr site.

Located here.

It's an interesting and increasing small world.

A, (anonymous)

2008-03-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, like, I'm in this movie. For maybe 25-seconds. I'm awesome.

It's screening on the 27th, at the Contemporary. You can hit the hotlink here, or the read the text below. Word has it that many of the folks involved will be on-hand and that organized-yet-improvised hijinks will ensue. Potentially even from those who cameo. Nice.

--------

3.27.2008: Film Screening: A, (anonymous)

6:00 pm, Free admission

Directed by Daniel Bowers and shot in St. Louis, this mockumentary explores the world of support groups and 12 step programs. Gavin Tartowski has been called a quack, a cult-leader, and a barista who sees himself as a guru. Looking for a support group to help him with his compulsion to wear extremely tight pants, Gavin was turned away from 12-step programs like AA, NA, and GA. "Why all the labels?" Gavin asks. "Why not put all problems under one umbrella? That is why I created A. I want to help people no matter what their challenges are." Members begin to work through their own inner-demons and start to see the value in their lives. Although Tartowski's methods are less than orthodox, his ability to heal is indisputable.

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis will collaborate with B-Side Films, a film distribution company based in Austin, Texas, to present a film series of independent films from local, national, and international filmmakers. We will be teaming up with B-Side every Thursday night during the month of March to bring you their latest releases free of charge!

Playlists

2008-03-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

In lieu of doing of needed, "serious" work, I'm going to toss up some playlists from recent KDHX shows.

Thursday, March 13, The Underworld, 2 - 4 p.m., sub for Doug Morgan (artist - song - album). Note: all STL set.

Hour one: Junkbox, Need to Explain, Out of the Gate Again; Treeweasels, She Denies Them, Three; Belinda Chaire, Riding a Wave, Growing up Naked; The Nukes, Five Years Left, State of Missouri; Phonocaptors, Broom Factory, Futura Phono; Uncle Tupelo, The Long Cut, Anodyne; Tinhorn, Take the Line, Adios-Exactly-Goodbye; Shelby, Steady Stars, Steady Stars; The Love Experts, Cuba Street, Cuba Street; The Boorays, Band of Gold, Pumpkin Pie Crustacean; Jon Rosen, Silence, The King of Las Vegas; Drift, Beehive, Suddenly the World's Glass is Half-Full; The Getaway Car, The System, First Gear; Tripstar, Becoming, At the Instar Motel.

Hour two: Rough Shop, Dance all Night, Live at Kemper Museum CD sampler; Painkillers, Dork on the Moon, unreleased compilation; The Ambassadors, California, The Ambassadors; Bunnygrunt, Names of Trees, Jen-Fi; Stranded Lads, Someday, Reservoir I & II; Corporate Humour, Not that Good, unreleased compilation; The Red Squares, Separated Lives, Jumping on the Bed; Finn's Motel, Thanks to Gravity, unreleased bonus tracks of Escape Velocity; Judge Nothing, Nashville, Riveter; The Dead Celebrities, X-Ray Eyes, The Many Moods of the Dead Celebrities; The Ded Bugs, Bandwagon, Planet of Blood; The Urge, Bread, Bust Me Dat Forty; Cloister, Possibilities, Recorduroy; WaterWorks, I Hear the Voice, WaterWorks; The Imps, Secrets, Innocence is Full of Pleasure; The Blastoids, Eat Like You Mean It, The Blastoids; Crushed, Trophy, The Closed Room.

Tuesday, March 4, Suffragette City, 10 p.m.-midnight, sub for Rene Spencer Saller.

Hour one: Klaatu, Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, Klaatu; Monade, Etoile, Monstre Cosmic; James Combs, OK It's Sunday, Nice Dream if You Can Get It; Cat Power, New York, Jukebox; The Warlocks, So Paranoid, Heavy Deavy Skull Lover; Black Angels, Empire, Passover; PJ Harvey, Grow Grow Grow, White Chalk; Kendra Smith, Stars are in Your Eyes, The Guild of Temporal Adventurers; Siguar Ros, Salka, Huart; Adam Franklin, Morning Rain, Bolts of Melody; Mark Gardener, To Get Me Through; These Beautiful Ghosts; Mojave 3, Who Do You Love?, Out of Tune.

Hour two: Dandy Warhols, Holding Me Up, Odditorium or the Warlords of Mars; Calliope, Hello... Spaceman?, I Can See You with My Eyes Closed; Thom Yorke, Harrowdown Hill, The Eraser; Bob Mould, Stupid Now, District Line; The Red Romance, Break Away, The Red Romance; The Bureau, Human Coal, We Make Plans in Secret; I Am the World Trade Center, The Postcard, Tight Connection; Brad Laner, Find Out, Neighbor Singing; High Violets, Love is Blinding, To Where You Are; Mercury Rev, I Only Have Eyes for You, Goddess on a HiWay; His Name is Alive, Letter, Stars on E.S.P.; The Orange Peels, California Blue, Circling the Sun; Aimee Mann, Lost in Space, Lost in Space; New Pornographers, The Jessica Numbers, Twin Cinema.

Much more music

2008-03-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today: filling in for Doug Morgan on The Underworld, 2 -4 p.m., on KDHX, 88.1 fm.

Tomorrow, March 14: early set at Royale, 6- 10 p.m., 3132 S. Kingshighway.

Week from tomorrow, March 21: switching out for the late set at Royale with the outstanding Mark Early; he'll be spinning my usual slot on the 28th, with Chicagoan and STL expat Jamie Hays.

March's 13

2008-03-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's still March. Deadline made, for a change.

Soccer team: It's on.

Band, I: Klaatu is a group that somehow escaped me for several decades, but the Canadian prog rock group has infiltrated my daily listening habits with songs like "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," as lyrically ridiculous as they are strangely hooky. (Which I initially typed as "kooky," which would also be correct.) I'm not sure if this is a fast-burning crush, but having most of their vinyl priced at $4.99 at Euclid made it an affordable relationship worth pursuing.

Band, II: Speaking of trippy, the full edition of Sigur Ros' "Heima" film is now found on YouTube, a sprawling 90-plus minutes of Icelandic beauty, both aural and visual. Damned awesome. Don't cheat and scroll through. Watch in total.

Band, III: My last musical obsession of the month is Mandrill, a group that was fully brought to my attention with a cover story on the fantastic Wax Poetics. On the same run that yielded the Klaatu vinyl from above, I scored a variety of Mandrill vinyl, including the stellar "Beast from the East," "Mandrilland," "We are One" and "Mandrill Is." Slip this on and it's a party at anyone's house.

Hoopster: SLU senior Danny Brown wouldn't know me from the man-on-the-moon, but I've enjoyed watching him play at the Scottrade for the last four years. His recent dunk at Saint Joseph's is online for eternity. "Oh, my goodness, Danny Brown! Elevating and flushing!"

Docs, I: Warholia has climbed on my obsession charts in recent years. Having watched virtually everything Warhol-related on Netflix (including the recent and HORRIFIC "Factory Girl"), I was excited to see "A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory" on the Webster U. Film Series calendar. With director Esther Robinson in the house on a recent Sunday evening, the film played to a mid-sized audience of students, artists and (I hope) fellow Warholians. What a beautiful, dreamy, intriguingly-crafted film. Can't wait to catch it again, hoping to glean all the little things that slipped past me the first time.

Docs, II: A week later at Webster, "Billy the Kid" played, and Jennifer Venditti's doc drew an assortment of the, let's call them, "more-unique" students from the Webster community. Perfect! After all, the film's a look at a quirky kid rambling through his sophomore year at a rural Maine high school, the ultimate outsider captured in verite style during his most vulnerable year(s). While I'm of the belief that there's an incredible amount of inherent cruelness to the film - most people seeing this (and most of those needing to see this) would laugh at, rather than with Billy - all high school misfits will find some poignancy and lots of pain in these 87-minutes. What a disturbing work, bouyed by positive press and sold as a story that champions the underdog.

Book: Speaking of high school, Jonathan Franzen attended Webster Groves High School the better part of a decade ahead of me, but the stories he tells in "The Discomfort Zone" ring weirdly true. After all, we both had Mr. Knight as a principal. On the other hand, Franzen eventually found a place in the school and generally doesn't seem to hate Webster Groves' society and culture, which would differentiate him from me on two important points. I'm enjoying this memoir, with only a few pages remaining. You can read it online here.

Flickr poster: Don't know Manganite, a photographer from Bonn, Germany. Wouldn't mind meeting his acquaintance, though. What an eye.

Blogger, redux: Patterson's blogging. Good for him. I look forward to vigorous disagreement shortly.

Addiction, kicked: I am over The Fan Show. Haven't been in weeks. Have felt the twitch on Sundays. Have tuned in. But have not attended. Kurt Labelle, you're on my list.

Website: Being a fan of photography and history, it was pleasure to get clued into a fine site called Shorpy, which seems to be a clearinghouse for outrageous amounts of miscellaneous photographs, documenting the American scene of the last century.

Restaurant: Iron Barley. Gotta go there more.

Music

2008-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Two chances to spin music this week.

Tuesday: KDHX, 10 -midnight, filling in for Rene Spencer Saller on "Suffragette City."

Wednesday, Halo Bar, 10:30 - 2:30, filling in for the inimitable Jim Utz.

Any requests?

Willy Zep

2008-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Back in town and teaching! Good stuff.

Two DJ gigs of note

2008-02-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

New venue, whee!

I've celebrated the possibility of this DJ gig by investing the entire night's pay in mega-quantities of records from both Euclid and the Record Exchange. Luckily, it's come through, so all is well.

So, I'm debut DJ-ing here:

Wednesday, March 5
10:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.
Halo Bar, 6161 Delmar

In the meantime, I'll be at the Royale, like, tomorrow. A pleasure it'd be to see you, with a completely new box:

Friday, February 23
10:00 p.m. - 1:15 a.m.
The Royale, 3132 S. Kingshighway