We Joined Twitter (because JJ said so) and Other Happenings!

The Skekses are at the cutting edge of 2009 technology: we've got a twitter handle! Follow us at @SkeksesStLouis .

We've got two gigs with St. Louis' best homebrew coming up:
On August 24th, we'll be at the Schlafly Tap Room with our old buds Peck of Dirt.
On September 7th, we are playing at Art Outside, a yearly outdoor fair at Schlafly Bottleworks.  It's a three day shindig, with other bands including Middle Class Fashion, the Nevermores, and the Lonesome Threesome. We play at about 7 on Saturday. Besides tunes, over 50 artists sell their wares alongside Schlafly's wonderful brews. You can read all about this cool stuff here!

Lastly, we have a few copies of the Curse My Name EP left for sale at our upcoming shows.  If you feel impatient, click on the title to download your copy now.

Thanks for everything! We love you, St. Lou.

TGR 45!!!

Hey friends, recently we headed back into Jason Hutto's studio to record our side of the Tower Groove Records 45 for April. Not only is our single split with local geniuses CaveOfSwords, we are pleased to announce that the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra is accompanying us on our side. Two violins, viola, trumpet and trombone back up our fresh recording of "O Crow." Also, Magic City's Adam Hesed graces the track with some accordion action. We can't wait for you to hear the single and jam out.
In the meantime, you can catch us Thursday, Jan 31st with Robert Sarazin Blake. Check our Upcoming Shows section to see our plans going into spring, including our 45 release show on April 27th! Thanks for listening, and we'll see you soon.

What's New?

We haven't posted since the springtime, as we've been playing shows, working multiple jobs, same-old same-old.
However, we will be back in the glowing presence of Jason Hutto soon to record our side for April's Tower Groove Records 45, and that is glorious business indeed.
The next time you can catch us will be December 27th at the Heavy Anchor, with our buddies the Hobosexuals and the beautiful Letters to Memphis.
Hope you all are well. Long days and pleasant nights.

Weekend Re-Cap--KDHX Session--and your last chance to vote in the RFT poll!

Hey, friends. For the past two weeks, the Skekses have been hitting the local festival circuit. Who needs Lollapalooza (is that still a thing?) and Newport when we have Tower Groove Records and Big Muddy?
For the weekend of the 18th-20th, we had the honor of witnessing and taking part in the Tower Groove double-LP release.  Our set was at the Sunday Brunch show, with the legendary Fred Friction and local ear-busters Bug Chaser.  We managed to wake up and play on time (one o'clock), preparing us for an even earlier set at the Tap Room the following week.
We took a little time to stop by KDHX on Monday, in our quartet form.  Check this out: KDHX Live Performance.
Thank you to Paul Stark for interviewing us--the interview will air on June 2nd, at 88.1fm, in the early hour of 8 in the morning.  Thanks also to Jon and Kyle for their lovely sound work, and to Roy Kasten for always making us sound magical in his descriptions.
But we weren't done there.  This past weekend, The Skekses played two daytime shows in the 95+ degree heat.  Saturday was the Schlafly Market and Pork Shop, a day long event at the Tap Room downtown.  We kicked off the day at noon, and were thrilled with the crowd, sound, and of course the grub.  Schlafly roasted six whole pigs for the occasion--if this were a tribal community, that would be a high honor indeed.

Sunday we were invited to play the Big Muddy Records Chili Cookoff--this, too, was a delightful event. Seven teams presented chilis of varying flavors and styles, and celebrity judges (including Bill Streeter, the man behind Lo-Fi videos, and Adam Hoskins of the South City Three, who is kind enough to play guitar with us when Evan is stuck at work).

Photo by Bill Streeter

The RFT wrote a fine blog about all the festivities here.
As our singer is a freckly redhead, we would like to take the time here to repeat our thanks to the organizers of both events.  There was plenty of shade and water, and obviously both events were planned and executed with St. Louis' wacky heat waves in mind.  Thank goodness.

Lastly, we would like to point out that this is the last week to vote in the RFT's yearly music poll.  We are nominated in the folk category, and you can access the poll by clicking right here.

Thanks for everything, guys.  We will see you June 2nd, at 9:45 pm, at the Dubliner, taking our part in the yearly Riverfront Times madness.  Share in the crazy with us. See you soon.

RFT "Folk" Category Write-up!

Hey everyone, we are pleased to see our name come up in the "Folk" category for the Riverfront Times' annual music issue.

Kelsey Whipple reports:
"Fronted by Elly Herget's sympathetic drawl, The Skekses produce world-weary folk so stark and introspective that it could soundtrack both a Wild West film and a Diablo Cody vehicle. (Actually, the now-defunct HBO show Deadwood would be perfect.) Funneled through lyrical references to crime, love and metaphorical monsters, that lilt partners with tender, paired-down instrumentation dedicated to the sounds of yesterlust: temperate banjo, acoustic guitar, upright bass and lazy, wandering beats measured out through maracas and tambourine. The group, which has seen several lineup shifts since its inception, has expanded into a regular trio and occasional quartet . The band hit its stride and signature with its 2010 debut, Notes on the Collapse of an Alternate Universe, and features on Tower Groove's latest label compilation. The first full recording with the current lineup,Curse My Name, comes out June 8. "

Thanks so much to Kelsey and the RFT. Click here to see the full "Meet the Folk" article!

And let us say, it is so lovely to be in a category with such upstanding musicians.  The Lulus, Cassie Morgan, Ryan Spearman, and the Campfire Club are all stunning acts.  We ask for your vote, but let your conscience be your guide. We are just immensely pleased to be included on this impressive list.

Til next time--and that next time will be soon, I bet--
--E&E&A

BEHOLD: Our Lo-Fi Video!

A scant few weeks ago, Bill Streeter and his crack team of sound and video masters arranged a day-long shoot on Cherokee Street, comprised of fourteen bands and fourteen locations.  We shot our video at Cherokee Bikes, and it debuted on Tuesday.

We cannot express our gratitude at being included in this beautiful project enough.

In other news, voting has gone live for the RFT music issue. Vote for the Skekses for "Best Folk" here.

Video Mania!

Howdy folks! We've recorded three live videos in the past two weekends, and the weather and the company couldn't have been better.
Last weekend, Bill Streeter's Lo-Fi Productions stormed Cherokee street, recording 14 bands in 14 locations all along the street.  We recorded "Lonely Cowgirl" at Cherokee bikes, amongst various wrenches and wheels.  The video is due out in the next two or three weeks, and we can't wait to see it. Catch Evan in Pretty Little Empire's video as well, and Anne with Rough Shop and Fred Friction, not to mention the other ten bands who participated!
We caught fair weather between storms this weekend, and made two videos for Show Me Shows, with Jarred Gastreich on video and STL LOUD's Ryan Albritton running sound.  The videos were shot in Ellen's home country, the deep boondocks of Spanish Lake.

JJ rolled with us for accordion and banjo duty; Kiernan Maletsky of the RFT also came to interview.  Here's one of Jarred's beautiful shots:

The Show Me vids will be available a little later, closer to summer.  

Now that this moving picture business is out of the way, the Skekses are taking on the spring season of festivals around town.  Next Saturday is Record Store Day, a national holiday of which I'm sure you are aware.  We are kicking off the Tower (Groove) Power Hour at Vintage Vinyl, noon o'clock.  Click the link for a full listing of Tower Groove events throughout the weekend, and make sure to get your advanced copy of the LP Compilation in honor of the holiday!

Thanks for checking in with us little ole Skekses.  More updates to come.

--Elly, Evan, Anne