A Love Letter to the Blank Space
Dear Blank Space,
From the first moment one walks into your… (ahem) Blank Space, they know they’re in the right place. Whether they’re there to see a musical act, an art show or have a deep discussion about our existence on the planet and what it really means – the Blank Space (2847 Cherokee Street, Saint Louis MO 63118) is the perfect place for anyone at all. From the floor to ceiling bookshelves, with books you can actually borrow, to the racks of classic records (really good jazz, funk, rock or whatever you can think of), the ambient feeling is that of total comfort. You are at peace with yourself and that makes everyone who enters your doors feel the same way. You have so many different types of events that there can’t help but be a diverse crowd on any given night. Your exposed brick walls and high ornate ceilings remind us of the depth of the history of our brick city, and the basement is like coming home to your parents basement where you had your first kiss, drank your first drop of alcohol and subsequently vomited (there is no vomit in the basement, just painting a picture).
Your owner, Kaveh Razani, is one of the greatest, most peaceful people you will ever meet. Word on the street is that he was once a political campaign organizer in Washington, D.C. and became disillusioned with the partisan politics and all of the ills of the Washington machine and decided to pursue his passion in the arts. The culmination of that was the purchase and development of your space on Cherokee Street on the south side of St. Louis. Since then you have/he has hosted 100’s of events from St. Louis Reclamation Arts to the Bump & Hustle – a party based on funk, soul, boogie, hip hop, reggae and more music all on vinyl, to Evolver St. Louis discussions that seek to make the world more aware of itself. Every event has its own personality, but you stay the same – calm, cool and on the cutting edge of St. Louis culture. The coolest people come to hang there, not to mention local legend Black Spade covering the door and bar from time to time (when he’s not making incredible music with other local and dynamic independent music artists). Otherwise a really cool guy named Bob handles the bar. Some truly beautiful and innovative art shows have been done in your space and it really gives creative people an opportunity to have a home where they can feel free to express themselves fully and for others to witness these expressions.
Blank Space… I love you. Don’t ever change.
Sincerely,
a native Saint Louisan
Home-made junk you won’t want to throw out
DJ MAHF
DJ Mahf has been holding down St. Louis and Kansas City since the late nineties after he picked DJing as his chosen path. His rise has been slow and Steddy (get it), but he’s built a great foundation and other local DJs may want to take note. Mahf’s latest mixtape “Home Made Junk Vol. 3” is bananas! Think Jazzy Jeff, Summertime with a Midwestern feel. These mixtapes just get better and better. There are plenty of mashups that will surprise and thrill the music lover in us all.
Mahf guarantees that he and the Indyground Crew will bringing us MUCH more music in the coming seasons. For now, just sit back and listen…
STL LOUD v.4: Pride For Our City
If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a native St. Louisan. This company (VMG) was founded to add to the culture of independent music here in St. Louis. So it’s always heartening to see some other folks that love our town too, making great music and representing the city that we love so well. Ryan Albritton and Ryan Lewis over at R&R Music Labs are cultivating that music and they’re promoting some of the artists that make the fantastic music being born here too. Some of the musicians are on their studio’s companion record label (The Loud Label). A few others join in on the festivities for good measure.
With St. Louis staples like Bo and the Locomotive, Jump Starts, The Union Electric, Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters, Ellen the Felon and Dots Not Feathers and some newer groups like Treehouse and Peach, STL LOUD v.4: Pride For Our City comes with some heavy hitting music. The compilation is mostly groovy tunes from great bands, this new installment of STL LOUD just goes to show that the music scene here is getting stronger and stronger. With melodic tunes like “Oh My God” from Dots Not Feathers and funk parties in song form, like “Peace of Mind” from Big Brother Thunder and the Master blasters and , STL LOUD gives you a variety of musical styles. Contrast those with the rockin “An Experiment In Isolation” by Peach and the folksy rendition of the Jump Starts’ “There You Are” and you find that any music lover would have a ball to come and enjoy the scene for a weekend or a week, or just end up staying because you come to love the city as much as any native does.
It’s not merely a suggestion to pick up this project. it’s a must. As the NPR sequence taught us, we have to support these artists in any way we can (especially monetarily) to keep them making the music we have come to love. So click the link and go grab your copy, just in time for that July 4th party you’ve been sweating the playlist for. Just put this on and click the repeat all button.
Superhero Killer: The EP
Superhero Killer – The EP
If I had to describe this band in one word, it would be: Funky! I got a chance to see these guys at the Loud Label Memorial Day Party 2012 along with Truth, Treehouse and Luster. The other bands had a strong performance, but these guys stole the show! I happened to get they’re EP while was there (thanks Ryan!) and I liked it so much, that I thought you might too. Here are my thoughts (be warned, the word “funk” with be used gratuitously):
Starting out with “Keep On Riding”, we are transported into a futuristic funk palace fit for a “Prince”. Lead singer, Donald Williams belts out the verses while Jesse Gannon funks it out on the keys. Donald describes a situation we can all identify with, failure. Those who succeed usually fail a lot first, but they keep on riding and their true friends ride along. “Trusty Gun” starts off with a somber piano run, setting us up for Williams to tell us about an impending storm. The girl in the song, said: trusty gun, is one who sticks around through it all, including any downpours of misfortune. On the next track, Jay Summers gives some righteous guitar riffs as Donald paints a picture of a young woman who has lost her way and is looking for a thrill. This song seems a little slowed down for Superhero Killer, but this girl wants to go “Faster”. With Grover Stewart (the funky drummer, drummin’) funkin’ things up with some snare triplets, the song “Feast to Famine” warns us not to go too far when we’re on top. Williams reminds us that it’s never too late to change our ways when it comes to recognizing that the times in our lives, whether feast or famine won’t last forever. Bringing up the anchor spot is “World”, a funked out tune about stardom. The lyrics lament of the price of fame and being completely visible to the public eye. Such poignant words, everybody knows what you’re doin, everybody knows where you been. If this is up, maybe I should stay… If this is up, maybe I should stay underground,” remind us that not all musicians have a need to be famous, because once you go there, you can’t go back. This is a great EP! Look for more from Superhero Killer later this year and keep an eye on The Loud Label as they bring us more quality music from the Lou.
Album Review: Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters EP
“Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters burnin’ up the airwaves with their new hit…” This is the phrase that keeps coming to mind when I think of the amazing name for this funk/soul band. The name reminds me of the typical 50’s and 60’s disc jockey bringing you new music from soul music titans like Motown or Stax. This band isn’t far off from those classic sounds.
Drew Franklin walks us through each song with a funky bass line and the soulful foundation is laid by Matt Vianelo on guitar and Michael Loveman (what a great last name) on keys. Gabe Bonfill keeps you nodding your head to the beat while he’s accented by Jeff Burns on percussion. Ben Moore (alto sax) and Terry Grohman (tenor sax) open it all up to the groove that this band achieves with their distinctively funky sound. Sheri Facchin brings it all home with her sultry vocals, singing lyrics for all the lovers in us – creating a really great, live sounding project.
I had a chance to see these beautiful people perform at Euclid Records for National Record Store Day a few weeks ago and the experience is one you MUST SEE for yourself. Sherri sings beautifully, but songs like ‘Giggin” and ‘Na Baixa’ are so funky, you’ll want to put them on repeat as you dance around your living room floor. I hope to see much more of this group in STL in the future. Make sure you find out what they’re up to from the link above and purchase an EP if you have the chance. I definitely love this copy I’m listening to.
Verse Utility Media 