Entries Tagged With: shame club

Shame Club at SXSW

At 12:53pm Mar 15, 2008

Whenever my fellow St. Louisans asked if I liked local favs Shame Club, my standard response was "I like them as dudes, but I just can't hang with their tunes." I'd last seen the band a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed. It wasn't at all bad, I just didn't *get it*. And you know what's a damn shame? That I had to come all the way to Austin to find out that my hometown band is bitchin' after all.

I went to see the band at the Small Stone Records showcase last night and was not at all prepared for the bombastic blast. Each band member is electrifying and the dynamic combination produces everything you could want in a hard rock band: shredding guitar licks, thumping bass grooves, evil drum beats and wailing vocals. Holy shit, I've seen the light.

Andrew Elstner, singer and guitarist for fellow St. Louis band Riddle of Steel was along for the trip as roadie/groupie/merch dude, and it was his band that gave me a revelation about a year ago. Let's call it the Revelation of Steel. I'd also filed his band in the "cool, but not awesome" section in the list of local bands in my head. After not seeing the band for years, I accidentally caught it at a random bar show and they blew me away. Much to my delight, practice does, indeed, make perfect and the Riddle prompted me to go back to bands I'd previously avoided and give them a second listen.

So now the same thing has happened with Shame Club. A band that was previously alright is now super tight. Man, do I feel like a tool. Hey, Shame Club, I'm down with you. And I take back any smack I've ever spoken about any local band ever. Don't disregard your hometown superstars, kids. They might just rock you.

-- Jaime Lees

Shae Moseley adds, "St. Louis' loudest band and riff-rock preservationists Shame Club meant business from the first note of its tinnitus-inducing set on Friday night as part of the Small Stone Records showcase at SXSW. The Detroit label just released the band's new full length Come On." Here are two videos he shot.

Shame Club:


Shame Club, Part Deux:

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St. Louis Bands at SXSW

At 03:08pm Mar 03, 2008

Well, the final verdict is in as to who's going to be at SXSW from St. Louis this year. Behold!

Gentleman Auction House: Big things are afoot for indie darlings Gentleman Auction House in 2008. With a record deal in hand from Columbia’s Emergency Umbrella Records, the septet is gearing up to release an EP, The Book of Matches, and then its debut full-length, Alphabet Graveyard. The latter features plenty of songs the septet has honed during its recent live shows. In other words, expect sugar-spun indie rock sprinkled with wispy harmonies, twinkling orchestration and plenty of visceral grooves, including a Rick James sound-a-like (no, really) and a reggae number that shouldn’t work -- but does. (11 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, Club 115)

Magnolia Summer: Chris Grabau – and whatever band mates he can rope into coming with him – performs as Magnolia Summer during Undertow Records’ annual SXSW showcase. That night generally feels more like a family picnic than a music industry event, and this year is no different: Caleb Engstrom, Glossary and the Monahans, among others, will join Magnolia Summer on the bill. Grabau and Co. are playing a rare local show at Off Broadway on Saturday, March 22, while new songs – which are often augmented by gorgeous fiddle parts from Grace Basement’s Kevin Buckley – are also on the horizon. (Thursday, March 13, Habana Calle 6 Patio)

Ludo: After years of playing renegade SXSW gigs for anyone who would listen, Ludo has graduated to a plum official showcase slot on the strength of its new album, You’re Awful, I Love You. This debut for Island Records showcases the quintet’s strongest songwriting yet – while maintaining its commitment to scrambling together power-pop, Moog-punk, ska and fuzz-rock. Appearing with Ludo at SXSW will be the band’s March tourmate, the Presidents of the United States of America. (8:50 p.m. Thursday, March 13, Cedar Door)

Shame Club: After Shame Club released the smoldering Come On late last year, the Detroit stoner-rock label Small Stone Records swooped in, signed the quartet and decided to re-release On to a wider audience. The label’s excitement is understandable: With touchstones as diverse as Dinosaur Jr., Sly and the Family stone and Led Zeppelin, the album is like a sequel to the Dazed and Confused soundtrack -- or a really great classic rock station where the DJs have an encyclopedic knowledge of music history to impart. Bring your earplugs, because Shame Club always turns the amps up to eleven. (10 p.m. Friday, March 14, Room 710)

Story of the Year: The Lou screamo kingpins sound rejuvenated on “Wake Up,” the lead single from their April 22-released album, The Black Swan. Recorded for new label Epitaph Records, “Wake Up” is an adrenaline-inducing punk-pop anthem that’s slick without being sterile. The quintet will be whirling and shredding its collective vocal cords on Warped Tour all summer. (1 a.m. Friday, March 14, Habana Annex Backyard)

Club-hopping at night is only part of the SXSW fun, however. After all, everyone needs a cocktail (or three) to ward off the previous night’s hangover.

Twangfest and KDHX (88.1 FM) are again co-sponsoring a two-day afternoon soiree at Jovita’s. Thursday’s line-up includes Ha Ha Tonka, Black Diamond Heavies, David Bazan, Scott H. Biram. On Saturday, locals Jon Hardy and the Public – think an indie-soul version of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe’s trenchant power-pop – will share the stage with Wussy, Steve Poltz, the Redwalls, Chuck Prophet and more.

The St. Louis University on-campus venue the Billiken Club is also curating its own stage on Thursday afternoon, in conjunction with the Twangfest/KDHX party. Appearing will be the “This Is American Music” lineup (including the Drams and Grand Champeen); the experimental electro duo Pattern is Movement; heartfelt Neil Young-ish folkies Deer Tick; Gentleman Auction House and keyboard-prog spazzes So Many Dynamos. The latter bunch of gearheads is fresh off finishing its third full-length, which it worked on with an impressive list of collaborators, such as Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla and mixer Alex Newport (At the Drive-In).

Piano-heavy, guitar-less trio The Feed is performing at several day parties; the Ben Folds-meets-Clash act should have a new record out sometime this year. F5 Records labelmates Earthworms and Nato Caliph will also be showcasing their new material at some day parties. The former released Bottle Full of Bourbon in January, while the latter unleashed Cipher Inside last year. And finally, singer-songwriter Geoff Koch is also doing the day-party circuit, before he heads to Nashville in April to record with Wilco’s Ken Coomer.

-- Annie Zaleski

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Riddle of Steel, Shame Club Playing SXSW

At 05:01pm Jan 12, 2008

The things you learn via MySpace.

First, last week Riddle of Steel let slip that it's playing at SXSW -- which happens to fall during the same week 1985 is released to the non-regional masses (that would be Tuesday, March 11). Once its show is completely confirmed, I'll update.

Second, Small Stone Records signees Shame Club posted its showcase day and time via a bulletin last night. It's one of the coveted evening showcases; the lineup is pretty killer.

Friday 03/14/2008 @ Room 710, Small Stone Records Showcase stage

8 p.m. Shame Club
9 p.m. Roadsaw
10 p.m. Dixie Witch
11 p.m. Puny Human
12 mid Brain Police
1 a.m. Sasquatch

From the murmurings I'm hearing, St. Louis is going to be represented in a major way in Austin this year. I'll have more details once they're confirmed.

-- Annie Zaleski
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