MUSIC: Faves Of 2007

My favorite music of 2007, presented in alphabetical order:

Carbon/Silicon---The Last Post
www.carbonsiliconinc.com/

Peter Case---Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John
www.petercase.com/

Jarvis Cocker---Jarvis
www.myspace.com/jarvspace

The Coral---Roots And Echoes
www.thecoral.co.uk/

The Detroit Cobras---Tied & True
www.detroitcobras.org/

John Doe---A Year In The Wilderness
www.theejohndoe.com/

Mitch Easter---Dynamico
www.mitcheaster.com/

Bryan Ferry---Dylanesque
www.bryanferry.com/

John Fogerty---Revival
www.johnfogerty.com/

Future Clouds And Radar---Future Clouds And Radar
www.starapplekingdom.com/

The Go---Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride
http://www.myspace.com/thegodetroit

Ian Hunter---Shrunken Heads
www.ianhunter.com/

Richard Lloyd---The Radiant Monkey
www.richardlloyd.com/

Midwest Music Liquidators---Various recordings only available (for now) on their myspace page.
www.myspace.com/midwestmusicliquidators

The Museum Mutters---Various recordings only available (for now) on their myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/themuseummutters

Outrageous Cherry---Stay Happy
http://www.myspace.com/outrageouscherry

Prince---Planet Earth
www.3121.com/

The Skeletons---Alive In The Nineties
soursnow.blogspot.com/

Son Volt---The Search
www.sonvolt.net/

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band---Magic
www.brucespringsteen.net/

The Stabilisers---Wanna do the Wild Plastic Brane Love Thing?
www.thestabilisers.com/

Stephen Stills---Just Roll Tape
www.stephenstillsmusic.org/

Ben Vaughn---Designs In Music
benvaughn.net/

Wilco---Sky Blue Sky
www.wilcoworld.net/

MUSIC: Ike Turner RIP

ST. LOUIS WALK OF FAME: IKE TURNER
Ike Turner played a profound role in shaping American music. His band’s 1951 single “Rocket 88” is often regarded as the first rock & roll record. As a talent scout and A&R man, he discovered or recorded many blues legends, including Elmore James, Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf. Turner moved to East St. Louis in 1954, and his Kings of Rhythm became a top rhythm & blues act in St. Louis. In the 1960s the group’s sound evolved into the pulsating rock and roll of Ike & Tina Turner. Famous for his boogie-woogie piano and whammy-bar guitar signatures, Turner produced hits such as “A Fool In Love,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” and “Proud Mary.” Ike Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

STEVE ROCK: New Prisonshake Singles Out Now!

Get 'em while they're hot, here.

STEVE ROCK: Prisonshake 7" Pre-Order

Be the first on your block to pre-order the new Prisonshake singles, here.

First Autumn In The New House

In the backyard with Boomer and the pumpkins.

STEVE ROCK: Finn's Motel At The Bluebird, Saturday, October 13th

Saturday, October 13th, Finn's Motel play new St. Louis venue The Bluebird, 2706 Olive, St. Louis, MO 63103. We're opening for Adam Franklin of Swervedriver. We play at 9pm. Cover: $10.00 21+/$12.00 minors (18+).

STEVE ROCK: Prisonshake's Dirty Moons Completed!

News of the completion of our forthcoming double album, Dirty Moons, plus a stream of the first two songs on it, here.

STEVE ROCK: Finn's Motel Named "Best Pop Band" By RFT

The Riverfronttimes has named Finn's Motel "Best Pop Band" in it's annual Best Of St. Louis edition.

Here's the blurb from the issue:

Best Pop Band (2007)
Finn's Motel
Joe Thebeau's no stranger to the local music community, seeing as he's been playing and constructing music as a member of various bands for many years. But he's struck pure-pop gold with his current project, Finn's Motel, a rotating cast of musicians and personalities that proves just how smart music can be. Literally and figuratively: The scientific references dotting the stellar single "Of Cycles and Engines" — one of the year's best, a bit of jangle-grime that's insidiously catchy — set a brainiac tone that continues throughout the band's debut CD, Escape Velocity. Thebeau's voice has the higher-register lilt of Superchunk's Mac McCaughan, while the spring-loaded choruses and boisterous garage-grunge riffs sound like Guided by Voices with a Ph.D. — and Velocity's dreamier moments conjure the Pernice Brothers, or Wilco with a shoegazing problem. Despite such erudite touchstones, Finn's Motel's tunes never get swallowed by academic preciousness; if anything, they want to make you drive down the road at top speed on a sunny day.

POLITICS: KO's "President Of Hypocrisy"

Keith Olbermann gives what the Democratic response on the Senate floor yesterday should have been, here.

MUSIC: Ian Hunter Piano Enters Rock Hall of Fame

Though I personally think the piano used on "All The Way From Memphis" may be more deserving of the honor, what the heck. By way of Harp, here.

MUSIC: Are you ready, boots?

Lee Hazlewood, RIP...

STEVE ROCK: Upcoming Finn's Motel Shows

Finn's Motel plays at 9pm, Thursday, August 9 at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60622.

Here's a nice little show preview blurb on us from the Chicago Tribune:
Post-industrial boom slowdown has turned a couple ragged old cities (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Providence) into thriving arts scenes due to cheap rents and nothin' to do -- but unfortunately, St. Louis hasn't seen this sort of turnaround. It seems like it's been a good decade since the Lou had some real rock talents to boast about. Given all of this, it's no surprise that a little wonder of a band like Finn's Motel could escape notice. The basement recording project of Joe Thebeau, Finn's Motel's "Escape Velocity" (Scat) is a rough power-pop gem: churlish bar rock with some Midwestern sheen (think Cheap Trick, rather than indie rock). It's a real charmer.

Friday, August 10, we bring the "Affton Sound" to Affton when we play the Ten Mile House, 9420 Gravois Rd Affton, MO 63123 with our buddies, the fabulous Tinhorn. The Ten Mile House is a couple of blocks past St. Louis landmark Phil's BBQ, and a long wiffle ball home run from Joe's house where Escape Velocity was birthed and recorded. It's also a couple of miles from the house I grew up in. And have no fear urban hipsters, there's plenty of safe and free parking at the Ten Mile House. Should be a really fun show.

And here's an early heads up:
On October 13th we're playing new St. Louis venue The Bluebird, 2706 Olive, opening for Adam Franklin of Swervedriver. Swervedriver's 1993 classic Mezcal Head is one of my all-time favorite albums.

POLITICS: Generation Chickenhawk

Max Blumenthal visits the College Republican National Convention and delivers a must see video. Check it out and pay attention to a couple of particularly embarassing young GOP tools from St. Louis, here.

POLITICS: Rudy Pot Calls Vitter Kettle Black

Given Giuliani's history as a serial adulterer, this is pretty rich. As Tony Soprano might ask, "Where do you get the balls?" Check out the nerve of this scumbag, by way of the CNN Political Ticker, here.

POLITICS/MUST SEE TV: Michael Moore Calls Out Wolf Blitzer

As the saying goes, there's nothing like live TV. Check out the fun by way of Crooks And Liars, here.

STEVE ROCK: 2 Finn's Motel Shows This Weekend

Two Finn's Motel shows this weekend:

Saturday, June 2nd at The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd. Show starts at 8pm, we're scheduled second between Jesse Irwin and The Trip Daddys, and our set starts at 9pm.

Sunday, June 3rd at The Halo Bar, 6161 Delmar Blvd. We play at 9:30pm as part of the RFT Music Awards Showcase.

Our good buddy Chris Grabau of Magnolia Summer will be on guitar with us for these shows. Chris will be filling in for Robert Griffin, who is up in Chicago mixing the forthcoming Prisonshake album.

Man's Best Friend(s)

The kids are eight years old today. Happy Birthday Boomer & Soda Can!

Boomer & Soda Can


Soda Can


Boomer

MUSIC: Dr. Jockenstein, RIP

During the golden era of American Funk and R&B of the late 1970's, the AM radio of my '68 Chevy Malibu was permanently locked on WESL, a fabulous hard core R&B station just across the river in East St. Louis, Illinois. As genius as it was entertaining, WESL back then was as definitive "old school" radio as it gets. It was simply amazing. Back in that day WESL had a roster full of outstanding DJs, every one of them a Hall Of Famer, and none was better than The Doctor... Dr. Jockenstein. I was in college at the time, but I think I learned more about life and the real ways of the world listening to Jockenstein and his WESL cohorts than I ever learned in any college classroom...

MUSIC: Andrew Hill, RIP

My favorite donk jazz pianist has passed...

POLITICS: Keith Torches Rudy's Fear Mongering

I believe there is no more loathsome and despicable 2008 presidential candidate than Rudy Giuliani. Looks like the great Keith Olbermann agrees with me, here.

POLITICS: Sam Fox Nomination Withdrawn

HA! HA!

STEVE ROCK: SXSW Photos & Recap

I was only in Austin for a day and a half, so I didn't see and do nearly as much as I did last year, but here is some of what I did manage to see...

On Friday night Prisonshake played the Blender Bar, and we found ourselves sandwiched on the bill between two modern garage bands from Boston, Muck & The Mires and the Downbeat 5, respectively. Both bands were full of very nice people who all delivered the live rocking goods.

Muck & The Mires









The Downbeat 5

















Aussie legends The Hoodoo Gurus were also on our bill, and are as great a live band now as they were 20 years ago.

Head Guru Dave Falkner.














After our set I ran over to the Hilton and caught Chris Stamey & Peter Holsapple.




Me & my old pal Peter Holsapple, seconds before he hit the stage.
















Old Cicero's doormen reunion: Doug Enkler & the legendary Jim Utz, at the Twangfest/KDHX Party.










Detroit's Deadstring Bros. rocked inside at Jovita's like a motherfucker. Imagine the Stones doing a whole set of "Tumbling Dice" and you kinda get the idea. A tremendous rock band.


The Figgs were far and away the best rock band I saw in Austin. A riveting, well-oiled, and truly inspiring live band!

Figgs bass god Pete Donnelly. I bow at his feet in total awe...

My St. Louis and Undertow homies Waterloo, at Jovita's.


Graham Parker tore the roof off Jovita's for three songs with The Figgs.

Old mates: Doug Enkler & Graham Parker.

Murph of Sloan, trying to "book some studio time" at the close of David Cross' party at Red 7 Patio.

Doug Enkler & me, Target parking lot, Austin. Don't ask...

STEVE ROCK: Finn's Motel at SXSW: Twangfest/KDHX Party at Jovita's & Red 7 Patio 3/17/07

We started the day with a less-than-fresh hangover set outside at the Twangfest/KDHX Party at the wonderful Mexican restaurant, Jovita's. But we redeemed ourselves later that evening at the Red 7 Patio with a solid, rocking set.

Joe Thebeau rocking the patio at Jovita's.
















Robert Griffin, Patrick Hawley, Joe Thebeau, my good side.





Joe rocking the Red 7 Patio.
















Joe & Griff.
















Patrick, bringing the donk.














Me & Joe.















(Photos by Enk)

STEVE ROCK: Prisonshake at SXSW: Blender Bar 3/16/07

We rocked the nut particularly hard in front of a really great crowd at Blender Bar. Threw a little donk in for good measure, too. Enkler was truly on fire and delivered a heroic performance of hot rock...


Doug Enkler & me.

More Enk & me.

Robert Griffin & Enk.

More Griff & Enk.

Me, Enk, & Joe Thebeau.

These are the jokes, lady...











(Photos by Tom Lunt)

STEVE ROCK: Prisonshake SXSW Review

From Annie Zaleski's Riverfront Times SXSW blog:

Prisonshake came out of hibernation on Friday night and blew the roof off the absurd scene at a venue called the Blender (as in, magazine) Bar at the Ritz. Playing on a small half-moon stage draped by red curtains that was dwarfed by a giant Texas flag continuously waving on a TV over the bar (à la a yule log), the post-everything group schooled younger bands in what raw, dirty and messy sounds like. Riveting vocalist Doug Enkler contorted his body and flailed around the tiny stage howling like a man possessed – and nearly beheaded bandmates several times with the mic stand — as the group jumped from gnarled noise, metal snarls, doom-disco, post-garage and instrumental psych-rock. (Enkler’s self-deprecating stage banter, of which there were too many instances to mention, also entertained nearly as much.) Anticipation for Prisonshake’s upcoming album(s) Year of the Donk: high.

STEVE ROCK: SXSW Bound...

I'm heading down to Austin to play South By Southwest again. This year I'm pulling double duty with Prisonshake and Finn's Motel. Here's the scoop on both:

Prisonshake (SXSW blurb, download/stream, & website)
Friday, March 16
Blender Bar at the Ritz (320 E. 6th St.)
9:40pm

Finn's Motel (SXSW blurb, download/stream, & website)
Saturday, March 17
Twangfest/KDHX Day Party
Jovita's (1617 S. First St.)
1:30pm (outside stage)
and
Red 7 Patio (611 E. 7th St.)
8:30pm

If you're down there and can make it to any of our shows, do say hi and let's buy each other a drink. Though my stay in Austin will be much shorter this year, I'll still provide a full report and photos here upon my return...

POLITICS: Tom Eagleton, RIP

Missouri's classiest statesman. A major loss...

POLITICS: Sticking It To Sam Fox

John Kerry and Barack Obama stick it to someone I'm ashamed to say lives in the same city that I do, courtesy of the Huffington Post, here.

STEVE ROCK: Finn's Motel At Billiken Club

Finn's Motel play The Billiken Club this Saturday night, February 17th. The Billiken Club is located in the lower level of the Busch Student Center at the corner of Grand and Laclede, on the campus of Saint Louis University. Gentleman Auction House are also on the bill.


This show is free, all ages, and open to the public!

POLITICS: Obama's Springfield Speech

"And as people have looked away in disillusionment and frustration, we know what's filled the void. The cynics, and the lobbyists, and the special interests who've turned our government into a game only they can afford to play. They write the checks and you get stuck with the bills, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government, but we're here today to take it back. The time for that politics is over. It's time to turn the page."---Senator Barack Obama

Obama really knocked it out of the park today as he declared his presidential candidacy, sounding even more like Bobby Kennedy than he has before. What I liked best was the overall global tone of the speech while still wrapping it as a conversation with Americans. It was as if he was saying to the rest of the world that not all Americans are bigoted goons and war mongering fuckwads, while reassuring those of us who don't happen to be bigoted goons and war mongering fuckwads that we are not alone and someone is on our side. A hell of a lot more inspiring than anything yet to come out of the mouths of Edwards or Clinton. I also dug his very shrewd and JFK-like generational call to arms. The Baby Boomers have had their two shots with Clinton & Bush, time for the generational political torch to be passed. One has to believe the kids can't possibly screw things up more than my generation has.