Saint Louis Musicians Unite : 2017-12-17

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Wake: The #MayDayOrchestra CD Release w/ #Keokuk + #RawEarth Sat. 12/30 @Schlafly Tap Room

The May Day Orchestra will be unveiling their third, full- length record on Saturday, December 30th at the Schlafly Tap Room featuring a bill packed full with culture. "Wake" is being released on Rankoutsider Records. St. Louis Public Radio just did an article about them and St. Louis Magazine also highlighted the new album.The band's latest personnel is Tim Rakel (Union Electric, Bad Folk) on vocals and guitar, Mary DeLeonardis (Tenement Ruth) on drums, Jake DeLeonardis (Jackhead) on bass, plus Charlie Tabing (Jackhead) on lead guitar. Raw Earth will initiate things starting the night off at 9:00 pm for this free show. They are a mix of urban tribal and world style music using past, present and futuristic elements of every kind and instument also focused with the familiarity of country blues. Rounding the night off is the four-piece rock outfit Keokuk and their self-titled "Hi-Fidelic" sound. Continue on below to visit the artists online and to learn more on The May Day Orchestra.

- Visit The May Day Orchestra on Facebook or Bandcamp

- Visit Keokuk on their Website, Facebook or Bandcamp

- Visit Raw Earth on their Website or Facebook

The May Day Orchestra has been producing folk operas since 2008 and their name was taken from their very first one written called "May Day, or Songs For Lucy Parsons". The group features Tim Rakel along with many St. Louis area musicians and mostly unique only to one act. They play songs about the labor movement of the 1880's and the anarchists of Chicago from that piece. The second "Ota Benga" is about colonialism in the Congo regarding a pygmy man kept at the World's Fair in 1904 and the Bronx Zoo. Their latest one contemplates the history of colonial resistance in Kenya. Very intellectual, political, socio-conscious subject matter tackling human rights issues and morals along with themes of struggle and injustice of the human condition.

From the @SKINGRAFT_Rex News Desk: #Yowie Evolution & Black Christmas Show w/ @JrClooneymusic + #SkinTags Sat. 12/30 @FoamSTL

Hot off the news desk at St. Louis record label Skingraft Records is the latest on Yowie. This St. Louis based artist is about to transform and evolve. Again.

As all YOWIE trackers know, the beast is prone to bursts of intense activity, followed by a period of hibernation. The last time YOWIE went subterranean; after recording "Damning With Faint Praise"; it re-emerged with the current lineup of Trull / Wonsewitz / Defenestrator, the lineup that created “Synchromysticism".

- AVAILABLE NOW to ORDER at the
SKiN GRAFT PAYPAL Shop or our BANDCAMP Store.

Well, here we are again. This incarnation of the band will perform one last time in its native habitat of St. Louis, Missouri on December 30th, 2017, at Foam (3359 S Jefferson Ave, St. Louis 63118), with Skin Tags and Jr. Clooney. Foam chose these new fairly new acts to support this show in the spirit of newness and change according yo the Facebook event. The band will play an extra long "European" style set to say goodbye to this lineup.The next step in YOWIE evolution is already underway and new potential Yowie limbs, organs, and other appendages are starting to sprout and take form. Visit HERE for the event details on Facebook. The show goes from 9:00 pm to midnight on Saturday, December 30th.

When announcements are ready to be made, we will certainly keep you posted. But to be clear: YOWIE has no intention of disbanding. The band will just mutate into a different form, assuming Darwin smiles upon us. And he hasn't let us down so far...

- Visit Yowie on Facebook or Bandcamp

Jr. Clooney is from St. Louis and blend jazz fusion and math rock rock along with emo in a groovy fashion. They have been performing around the midwest for a couple of years, or so. The group first released an EP, followed up their latest single "Divin'". This past May they had Megyme Productions record a couple of live videos at Lighthouse Sounds in Alton, IL. Watch "Divin'" and "Moxie" on YouTube. The event at Foam will be their first time playing there. The venue describes them as awesome virtuosic performers on the event page.

- Visit Jr Clooney on Facebook or Bandcamp

Female punk rock trio Skin Tags are from St. Louis who have been playing throught the midwest for a couple of years now. They first released a split 7" and that was followed up a year later with a demo. This show will be their debut at Foam. The venue describes them as visceral and compelling punk on their event description.

- Visit Skin Tags on Facebook or Bandcamp

Monday, December 18, 2017

Mirror Of Man: @Polyshades Album Release w/ #PonoAM #Grandhouse #TheMindframes Sat. 12/23 @ Bottle + Barrel (Alton, IL)

Polyshades is proud to present their 1st Annual Very, Merry, Magical Holiday Extravaganza happening this Saturday, December 23rd at Bottle & Barrel in Alton, Illinois. This is also an album release show as they will be celebrating their first full-length disk called "Mirror Of Man". Scheduled to perform that night is also Pono AM, Grand House and The Mindframes. The show starts at 8:00 pm and is $5.00. Visit HERE for the event details on Facebook. Continue on below to visit the artists online and to experience their music.

- Polyshades: (STL, MO)

Genre: Rock

* Sample the new album on Amazon *

* (Coming to Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, etc. on the December 23rd.) *

https://www.facebook.com/polyshadesband/

https://www.polyshades.bandcamp.com

- Pono AM: (STL, MO)

Genre: Rock, Garage, Glam, Psych., Surf.

* (3 song EP "Here's Pono AM") *

https://www.facebook.com/ponoamstl

http://ponoam.bandcamp.com

- Grand House: (Granite City, IL)

Genre: Chill, Psych. Rock.

* (Self-Titled EP) *

https://www.facebook.com/GrandHouseband

https://www.grandhouse.bandcamp.com

- The Mindframes: (Alton, IL)

Genre: Indica Blues

* ("Don't You Ever" - Debut Single recorded at Alton, Illinois' Lighthouse Sounds.) *

https://www.facebook.com/themindframesmusic

https://themindframes.bandcamp.com/releases

Holiday Ball By @phatbuddhapro ft. CD Release By @niteowlhiphop w/ Performances From #OlSkool @ZionReggaeMusic #TheScandaleros Fri. 12/22 @AtomicCowboySTL + @bootlegstl

This Friday, December 22nd the St. Louis recording studio Phat Buddha Productions is putting on a Holiday Ball at Atomic Cowboy & The Bootleg in the Grove. Nite Owl is releasing his unexpected 18th album and will be performing also. Also appearing live are more of the studio's clients and friends Ol' Skool, Zion Albert, plus The Scandaleros.They will be playing the new Nite Owl disk "When The Smoke Clear" that night at a listening party there, as well. The new CD will be available for $10.00. Later on DJ Stan Da Man will be spinning also. The live show starts at 8:30 pm and concludes at midnight. This is a 21 and up event. It costs $5.00 in advance or the same price day of show. Visit HERE for the event details on Facebook. Continue on below for a brief description and links for each artist. Follow on for a biography on each one also.

- Nite Owl: (STL, MO, Hip - Hop)

Watch Nite Owl's New "Try Your Luck" Video On YouTube.

Vist his website HERE or give him a "like" on Facebook.

- Ol' Skool: (STL, MO, Rhythm & Blues)

https://g.co/kgs/QTUk3T

- Zion: (STL, MO, Reggae)

https://www.zionreggaemusic.com

- The Scandaleros: (STL, MO, Jam Band)

https://www.facebook.com/thescandaleros

- Stan Da Man: (STL, MO, DJ)

https://www.facebook.com/djstandaman

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Nite Owl Biography: (Source - Website)

Nite Owl has been booked to perform live more than any other Hip Hop artist or group in the St. Louis area. He solidified that his name would not be forgotten after winning the Best Independently Released Album in the Riverfront Times Music Awards for his album "Now You Can Boo Me". To date, he has released 17 independent albums.

Nite Owl uniquely performs hip hop music along-side a live band and DJ, which makes his shows something exciting and new. His performances are innumerable, but include being the show opener for The Roots, Talib Kweli and Little Brother, and Waka Flocka Flame. He also performed in the first ever HOT 104.1FM Super Jam Concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis. Nite Owl took home 1st place in the HOT 104.1FM Koch Madness Competition, after competing with 208 other St. Louis Hip Hop artists.

Nite Owl was awarded "Best Hip Hop Artist" in the Riverfront Times Music Awards, proving that he only gets better and has outlasted many other indie artists in his region. Ultimately you will want to cheer for this St. Louis talent extraordinaire, as he's created a sweet blend of musical styles. His style embodies the integrity of underground lyrical hip hop music, paired with the characteristics of commercial mass appeal.

Nite Owl and T.E.A.M. NiTRO have been astounding audiences and giving music critics something to rave about. His bar is set high, and he works hard to give his fans new music rapidly and consistently. Nite Owl's music is timeless, authentic, and real. Nite Owl's Hip Hop resume is impressive, but more importantly, his music speaks for itself.

"My live show is exciting, and when people see it, it's not often they forget who I am", says Nite Owl.

PRESS:

"He is not your typical St. Louis rapper."
- St. Louis American

"It's to Academy Hill's credit that such lyrics come off as sincere instead of trite and tired. In fact, that love for the b-boy lifestyle comes through on Jewelry: It's the kind of record that is comfortable referencing Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" on one track and Wu-Tang Clan on the next."
- Christian Schaeffer, Riverfront Times "Homespun"

"Underground-meets-commercial...often compared to Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West."
- St. Louis Post Dispatch

"In the studio, his flow is certainly reminiscent of the laid-back insightfulness of Jay-Z or Common, but on the stage he stakes out a territory that is all his own."
- Washington University Cadenza

"The versatile wordsmith's live performances are, for lack of a better term, legendary."
- St. Louis Whirl

"In what I saw of his shows...despite the gender, age and racial make-up of the crowd, he moved all over the stage, jumping around in such an animated way that the crowd felt compelled to join him. I was sold."
- Eleven Magazine

"Nite Owl hit a confident stride with Now You Can Boo Me, an old-school, heavily soul-influenced (and sometimes minimalist) hip hop record that matched spare, languid beats with cutting and satirical wordplay."
- Riverfront Times

"The Missouri underground hip-hop scene gets its own supergroup in Academy Hill, which is comprised of locals Nite Owl and DJ Sno alongside the Kansas City-based emcee James Christos."
- Christian Schaeffer , Riverfront Times "Homespun"

"Working again with producer, Kenautis Smith, Owl has crafted an album full of laid back flow and sophisticated samples, a true hybrid of hip-hop and soul that's sometimes reminiscent of Lupe Fiasco, Tony! Toni! Tone! and other times Anthony Hamilton."
- Riverfront Times

"Since relocating back to St. Louis a few years back, one would be hard pressed to find a harder working MC than Nite Owl."
- Vintagevinyl.com

"Witnessing his thoughtful rhymes and expert showmanship on stage only proves that any party would do well to have some Nite Owl on the back burner incase things slow down."
- Washington University Cadenza

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Ol'Skool Biography: (Source - Wikipedia)

Ol' Skool is an American new jack swing and urban R&B group from St. Louis, Missouri that consisted of Jason Little (vocals), Jerome "Pookie" Lane (vocals), Tony Herron (vocals), Curtis Jefferson (vocals, bass) and Bobby Crawford (vocals, drum programming, keyboards). After putting out their debut single, "Set You Free", in late 1997, they were discovered by Keith Sweat, who executive produced and guest-appeared on their debut album, Ol' Skool, released in February 1998. Their follow-up album, R.S.V.P., was issued in 2000.

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Zion Albert Biography: (Source - Website)

Zion was given a “Best New Artist Awards” after his performance from Thompson’s Productions. With a voice and style reminiscent of the foundation Reggae artist of the 70′s, Zion has brought back the soul of classic Roots into contemporary Reggae music. Through his latest singles “Upright” and “Poor Man Crying”, Zion carries a torch of the foundation pioneers that carried the infectious drum & bass sounds of Reggae to international heights. Mixed at Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong Studio in Jamaica,

“Upright” and “Poor Man Crying” demonstrate Zion’s knack for packing searing social commentary and spiritual revelations into pulsating drum rifts. Fiercely private of his sound, style and packaging, Zion has seen fit to master all aspects of musical creation. From song writing to playing the instruments to engineering. Born in rural Dominica West Indies, Zion’s musical landscape was shaped at an early age by the messages of perseverance, endurance and self and spiritual empowerment in the Roots Reggae Movement of the 70′s. It was after moving to St. Croix, that Zion blew away a local music producer with songs like “United We Stand” and “Here Comes The Woman”. He demonstrated the depth and consciousness of an older soul trapped inside a humble and quiet 16 year old. “While everyone my age used to listen to more younger popular music, I was drawn to conscious Reggae music. I never really choose to do music- it was just inside of me. Once I learned to play the guitar as a teenager, it was like a natural thing. It was just Jah’s guidance”. Since immigrating to the United States, Zion’s music has spread from the Caribbean to the Southern and Midwestern states where he has built a sizable following as one of the few Caribbean artists in these Hip Hop dominated communities. Performing at events such as The Texas Summer Music Conference and The Hip Hop Action Summit Network. With his sights set on the seasoned Caribbean audiences of the Northeast, Zion wowed the producers of New York’s premiere outdoor Reggae festival Irie Jamboree in 2005. So much so, that he was invited back to bring down the house again in 2006. Zion was the sole roots artist invited by Dancehall legend, Bounty Killer, to perform at the New York Launch of Saddle to the East 2006, where he won over scores of hardcore Dancehall fans. “Zion words” My biggest goal is to come back home to help my people and spread the message of hope, togetherness, and love, Peace. My greatest accomplishment is recording at Tuff Gong Int’l Bob Marley’s studio in Jamaica.—– In 2006 Zion form a band calling the band Zion And The Lion Roots Band. Since then, In November 8 of 2012 the band has opening up for a number of international artist Like The Wailers Band. Check more of Zion on Facebook.

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Scandaleros Biography: (Source - FB)

The Scandaleros are a multi-genre quintet formed in 2009. is made up of a group of veteran St. Louis musicians with years of experience recording and performing with some of the top bands in the region. They have played multiple festivals in the midwest and have shared the stage with some of the best acts the area has to offer, plus numerous national acts also.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Songs About Mountains: #Tortuga Debut CD Release Via @bigmuddyrecords + #TheAughtNaughts Live Thurs. 12/21 @offbroadwaystl (Free Show By @urbanchesnut)

Big Muddy Records country artist Tortuga will be releasing their full-length, debut album "Songs About Mountains" this coming Thursday night at Off Broadway. If you are not familiar with the music project know that it features songs written by Mike Leahy (7 Shot Screamers)
and features Mat Wilson, Jenny Roques, the Baricevic Bros, and more. The album artwork was created by Ashley Hohman.

Sharing the stage and providing local support is The Aught Naughts which features members of The Monads. This new band recently performed it's first show this past September. They consist of Pat Eagan, Jenna Shivelbine and Matt Shivelbine.

Again, the show is Thursday, December 21st and it is presented by Urban Chesnut. That means it's a free show. The doors open at 7 pm and the show starts at 8 pm. Visit HERE for the event details on Facebook. Continue on below to visit the artists online and to experience their music.

- Tortuga: (STL, MO, Country)

https://www.facebook.com/tortugastl

http://tortugastl.bandcamp.com

Watch their latest video "The Offer" recorded live at Lo-Fi Cherokee 2016

- The Aught Naughts: (STL, MO, Country)

https://www.facebook.com/The-Aught-Naughts-166032417294478/

Ring In 2018: #STL #MUSIC & Beyond #NYE2017 Concerts

It's time to plan your New Year's Eve and there are plenty of great options. Each event has a start and finish time listed along with artist links and venue links. The venue and event links are not highlighted, so just click on the appropriate name. This list covers Missouri and Southern/Central Illinois. Any new events that come in since this was posted will get added here.There area are couple of reunion shows and consists mostly of original music. However, there are some cover/tribute bands listed along with a few DJ's. Be sure to tell us your favorte new release in #STLMU2017. Happy Holidays.

1:00am - 5:00am

The Historic Late Night Jam Session @ Mutual Musicians Foundation (KC)

- If you happen to be in the area Saturday night into early Sunday morning and are a late-night owl.

9:30am - 1:00pm

R. Scott Bryan @ Stone Spiral Coffee

11:00am - 1:30am

NEW YEARS EVE Swing Jazz Brunch with Miss Jubilee & The Humdingers, Sweetie & the Toothaches, Joe Metzka Blues Trio, The Jazz Troubadours with Special Guest vocalist Katie Turnbull @ Evangeline's Bistro & Music House