Bald Eagle Is No More

The local rockers have called it quits, according to a bulletin posted on theirspace. The have also posted some unissued, unmixed and unmastered [swan] songs for their followers. Read the full bulletin after the jump.

Shows This Week

When I was Culture Editor at my campus paper in undergrad, we took pretty much any interview publicists could throw at us. Because we thought it would be hilarious if our alternative student paper interviewed, well, let’s face it, a sexist d-bag, and also in part because we had a photo of his hair hanging in our office for an “identify the hair-metal rocker’s hair and win free salsa lessons” readers’ contest, we accepted an interview with Bret Michaels. There isn’t much more of a story here, but the look on my buddy Joe’s face when he picked up the phone and said “Dude…it’s Bret Michaels” was priceless.  Michaels brings his Rock of Love Tour to The Blue Note on Thursday. Herpes is not guaranteed. 

Local hip hop artist Steddy P is at The Blue Fugue on Friday and St. Louis twangers The Reebs are there on Saturday.

Eastside has Cockelberr Slough and and acoustic set from Ghost in the Machine on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, The Blue Note has a power pop showcase featuring local acts Spectravox, The Unfashionables, The Goldbugs and The New Lost Souls.

Shows This Week

Mojo’s has a metal night Tuesday featuring He Who Dredz, Eli The Iceman, and The Anatomy Of.

If you didn’t already know, Ben Folds is playing on 9th Street on Wednesday.

Thursday, Cherry Street Artisan welcomes the jazzy folk (or folky jazz) stylings of Eva Ellingsworth. Something tells me this is the show of the week.

The Blue Note hosts Bald Eagle offshoot Coward this Friday, along with Cpt. Captain (formerly Nascar Diarrhea–don’t tell me that name backfired) and Burger Kingdom.

Pat Boone’s Farm play at the Blue Fugue this Friday, and wah-wah lovers The Underground Blues Division are there on Saturday. Dude, they like, play the guitar with their teeth…

News Flash: Brian Williams Wants My Job

NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams has launched a new online series called “BriTunes” for the benefit of everyone who thinks “I want to listen to whatever Brian Williams listens to.” In all seriousness, Williams, who I guess is an avid music fan (?) will interview emerging artists for the series, and the inaugural segment profiled Rhode Island folk-rock outfit Deer Tick.

Why does this matter? Maybe because I reviewed Deer Tick for Song of the Day almost two years ago when they self-released their first album, War Elephant (they reissued this album in 2008 on Partisan Records).

Shows This Week…end

Hey all,

Sorry for the lack of activity in recent weeks. It is the end of the semester, so my life has been dominated by ground-breaking (not really) research and time-wasting (indubitably) Facebook App games. Damn you, Mafia Wars!

There are some shows of note this week. 

Reverend Horton Heat is at The Blue Note TONIGHT. 

John Henry and the Engine are playing at The Blue Fugue with Ha Ha Tonka tomorrow. According to a recent MySpace post, JH&TE are booking a ton of summer dates that they will announce shortly.

Saturday, Cherry Street Artisan welcomes back the Abusers. The Mid-Missouri punk band rocked the joint in December with their first show in 20 years. In the interests of full disclosure, one of my editors at The Missourian, Scott Swafford, is the frontman. But I figured this fact would actually be more of a draw for the ironically-minded. Yes, I know that’s not how you use that word. The band is good, though, and performs original 70s punk tunes with the occasional Ramones cover thrown in.

Thanks for your patience regarding my absence. Hopefully everything will be back to normal by next Wednesday. Until then, keep the rock on!

Eastside Tavern Knows How To Use Itspace

Eastside Tavern wants you to repost its Myspace bulletins. Why should you care? Does free alcohol mean nothing to you? The bar’s bar is now offering free drinks to its loyal reposters. It may also offer  free show admission further down the line. Sal’s Myspace bulletin after the jump.

Mando Diao Give The People What They Want

Mando Diao have finally announced a release date for Give Me Fire, the Swedish group’s fourth album. Fifth, if you include Never Seen The Light Of Day, which has yet to see the light of day in the US. 

Give Me Fire is out July 14.

The Return Of Shows This Week

Now that I finally have my act together, here are some shows this week. The theme this week would appear to be quality over quantity.

The French Kicks are at Mojo’s Monday while The Goldbugs play the Blue Fugue.

Cherry Street Artisan will host the EPIC (MU literary magazine) launch party on Thursday. 

Of Montreal will rock The Blue Note on Friday, and Eastside Tavern has an ’80s retro dance party on Saturday.

Bald Eagle Has A Blog

Emergency Umbrella rockers Bald Eagle have started a blog to announce band news, circulate video and quell rumors that the band is breaking up (does it count as a rumor if only two people heard about it?).

This Blog Is Terrible

Forgive my absence–I went on vacation to San Francisco and had every intention of at least leaving a “Shows This Week” post for everyone stuck in Columbia over Spring Break–but I went on vacation to San Francisco and, as happens to everyone who departs for the Bay Area, felt way too important to remember the Midwest. 

Now, I just feel guilty.

To make it up, here is a video from one of my favorite discoveries this year: The Four Kicks. The Nashville band makes music that music that comes out of Nashville should sound like: melodic, harmonic, epic, Southern rock-ic. The video, which features clips from the group’s recent tour, is cute at times, hilarious at others.

As though that weren’t enough, the band is playing at a bunch of middle and high schools in Minnesota in May. Anyone want to chaperone?