Orion Pax

Orion Pax's live show is a force to be reckoned with. They left me trembling with ringing ears, feeling as though I had been slugged in the face. Former This City Is Sinking member AJ joined with two fellow Saint Louisans, Casey and Garrett. They formed the band that is Orion Pax. AJ, the guitarist, plays through two screaming loud Emperor cabs, and Garrett, their bassist plays through an equally loud 4x12 Ampeg stack. Combined with the shatteringly loud drumming by Casey, Orion Pax brings the noise to the DIY scene here in Saint Louis. They hold a likeness to bands such as ISIS, or Pelican.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/thetrueprime
Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?gwjmuwxtizt

Calendar of Events for September at Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center

September 2010

Fri 10 AHLEUCHATISTAS/ Eric Hall/ Corrigan Brothers
Sat 11 ANIMAL LOVER (Former GUMBI)/ Queers in the Headlight/ Men Working in Trees/Cole Weiche
Wed 15 Morgan's Orange/ Eriksen Goetz/ Early Morning Fire/ Curtis Tinsley
Sun 19 CANCELLED - Xrin Arms/Demeanor/ Oblive
Mon 20 The Horror The Horror (member fo Br'er)/ Tom Hill
Wed 22 Creeper (from Toronto)/ Canyons/ Foreign Theaters/ Orion Pax
Fri 24 Self PROCLAIMED NARCISSIST/ The Jaguar Shark/ Engaged/
Sat 25 Sweet Talk/ The Please and Thank Yous/ Scienasaurus Rex
Sun 26 the Extraordinaires/
Mon 27 Bent Life /Feeding Lies /Sore Throat Syndrome /Yajirobe
Tue 28 Little Teeth/ We're Wolf/ Jaffa/ Googolplexia
Wed 29 This Piano Plays Itself/ Humdrum/ At Yalta

Jordan Knecht

A Saint Louis native, and now a Chicago resident, Jordan Knecht is the kind of musician anyone can relate to. His timid but powerful croonings layered over samples played through a field recorder layered over modest but unique guitar-work haunt audiences. His lyrics remind me of a country western singer missing his home and family and friends. His second passion makes itself known in his self-recorded, self printed records. They are beautifully designed, thoughtfully folded, and intricately hand screen printed, every last one of them. (They are available through his MySpace). DIY indeed, Jordan makes beautiful music and equally beautiful records.

Jordan playing "Water" live in Vancouver June 15th, 2010
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/jordanknecht
No Mediafire download in this post, but you can buy his handmade records through his MySpace.

The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center - South Saint Louis, MO

Saint Louis' finest, most long-lasting (17 years and counting), and arguably the best DIY venue The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center is located in beautiful South Saint Louis on Lemp Ave, just off of Arsenal Street, blocks away from the Busch Brewery, houses a variety of musical ventures ranging from an orchestral program for inner city youth to an experimental venue at night. Performers come from a wealth of destinations covering the globe, including Tokyo, Berlin, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Milan, Sweden, Rome, and Beirut. Genres include but are not limited to: free improvisation, electro-acoustic, folk, hardcore, punk, post-punk, rock, math rock, noise, grind, and no-wave. Bands that frequent the Lemp are Fixed Orbit, Family Might, Midwestern monsters Native, Cloudmouth, The Reptilian, Canyons, Jordan Knecht,  Orion Pax, and At Yalta, just to name a few. A calendar of events can be found directly at the Center's website. The Lemp is run by a tight-knit group of friends on a board of directors that meet monthly to discuss the future of the Lemp, what should be changed, etc. It is headed by Mark Sarich, the brains behind the whole project, whom I will be (hopefully) interviewing for a later post. His vision is to provide a musical environment for the youth of today to access a more broad horizon on music, and get a less commercial taste of musical exploration. Mark and the rest of the Lemp board members prohibit alcohol, drugs, and reckless behavior. To assure that this creed is upheld, they are very choosy about who they allow to perform, keeping their standards intact. That being said, the importance of this venue to the Midwest, and the USA as a whole, is incredibly significant to the artists who perform there, the people who run the place, and the dedicated people who come to every show.

The Center, located at 3301 Lemp
St. Louis, MO 63118

Family Might - 2010 EP

Family Might is a four piece band out of Saint Louis comprised of Tommy Pini, Sam Reynolds (of the formerly mentioned band Fixed Orbit), Tyler Groves, and Sam Naumann. They make music that, at times, reminds me of early 90's emo. At other times, their tunes remind me of complex math rock bands that throw together poly rhythms and tap guitars to make a wall of noise. At other times, Family Might reminds me of lightning speed 90's pop punk bands. Whatever the case, their music is equally as important as Fixed Orbit. Their demo, entitled "2010" frequents my iPod, and is on several mix CDs I've given to friends. They are indeed one of my favorite Saint Louis bands.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/fixedorbit
BandCamp download:  http://familymight.bandcamp.com

Family Might at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center in South Saint Louis, Missouri

Fixed Orbit - DEMO

Fixed Orbit is a five piece from Saint Louis, Missouri that makes very important music. Their lyrics are fervent with angst and anger, desire for more open mindedness, and a desperate cry for today's youth to find more things in life to be profound. "If you think that nothing's profound, this life will take you down." Members include Josh Oberman, Michael Eby, Vince Bono, and Sam Reynolds. These young men are important to the midwestern scene, and the Saint Louis scene alike. Keep making good music, guys.
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/fixedorbit
http://www.mediafire.com/?iwwonczj5te - Mediafire download