The word “success” can mean many things. It can be measured by the level of income an individual makes a year. It can be shown by owning a house, a car, by having a certain prestige in your field or title at your job. For musicians, “success” could be having a record deal, going on tour, having a single on the radio. For Josh Levi, success is more about inspiring people than anything else. Levi is a St. Louis musician, music writer and concert promoter and has been involved in the music scene for nearly a decade. He promotes local music on his blog, Flood Yr Face, and both online and in print for the entertainment, arts and culture newspaper the Riverfront Times. On top of promoting and writing about music, Levi also plays guitar in nrml ppl and performs as a one man experimental noise band under various pseudonyms.

Levi had a chance to talk about how he measures success outside of the mainstream definition in the above audio interview. The photos of Levi below were taken at Floating Laboratories in St. Louis, MO.

Photo by Anthony Ryan Tripoli

Michael Gerhardt is a unique individual. Bassist of Jack Buck, a St. Louis, MO based hardcore noise rock band, Gerhardt has played in bands for more than ten years. Starting in high school punk bands, Gerhardt has played guitar, bass, drums and lead vocals in groups of all styles and is still a wellspring of musical ideas. His bandmates describe him as a “riff machine” as he seems to have an endless supply of bass lines and guitar parts in stock. In the video below, Gerhardt explains why he prefers bass to guitar, how he got into “heavy” music to begin with and shows off his tattoos. He also plays a few riffs.

David Wolk of Cranky Yellow | Photo Chase Macri

“Overall I’d say I was just relieved. To have had the experience, and it was awesome, and being able to just kind of move on from there.”

As previously reported on this site, last we left David Wolk he had decided to shut down Cranky Yellow, his arts and crafts “junk” store, art gallery, performance and events space. After running into various troubles with city ordinances, and not receiving the help he expected from local government officials, Wolk took a new job, closed his shop, sold or gave away most of his products, cleaned and repaired the storefront, and moved his home from the apartment above the store to another a few blocks away. He did this all in a month. Relief is one thing Wolk felt, but it wasn’t the only feeling Wolk had.

Packing up what was over three years of your life in a single month, and letting go of what was your passion is intense. Wolk describes it as “Crazy, I guess. It was awful. Which is why I gave most of the stuff away.”

Despite the tumultuous circumstances surrounding the move, Wolk is glad things have settled down. “It’s totally a relief. I think it will feel even better once the new incarnation of Cranky happens and it’s transitioning to the next point,” Wolk says. “Everything will have settled into place.”

That reality, the next chapter in the story of Cranky Yellow, is coming very soon. Wolk again, “Two weeks ago I said ‘It’ll be any minute now’ I was going to launch the new website but I haven’t been able to invest as much time as I need to get it all finished up.” The site is coming together slowly and Wolk is still optimistic saying the site could be live as soon as two months from now. In the meantime, Wolk is appreciating the break.

“My sanity has gotten better. I feel so much better than I did. I guess I couldn’t realize that when I buried underneath everything, but now that I’m not—I feel lighter.”

David Wolk describes some of the things he plans to sell on the new Cranky Yellow site once it launches in the video below.

“Like, an easy starter pack. Why don’t they invest the time and money to make a starter pack?”

David Wolk, owner of Cranky Yellow, the arts and crafts shop that deals primarily in “junk”, think it’s too difficult to start a small business. His shop, as previously reported on this site, had fallen on hard times. After multiple summons to court for failure to report earnings taxes, having their sales tax identification number revoked by the Missouri Department of Revenue, and finally having permission to use their basement for any sort of “assemblies”, Cranky Yellow has decided to close its doors for good.

On September 10th, via the stores Twitter account, Wolk announced the stores closing:

After much tough internal debate I've decided to close the Cranky Yellow space for good. It's devastating but neccassary. Outta here by Nov.

September 10, 2011 12:57 pm via FacebookReplyRetweetFavorite

@crankyyellow

Cranky Yellow

The announcement came on the heels of what seemed like roadblock after roadblock to getting the store’s doors reopened. According to Wolk, the trouble all started back in February. “The first thing was a summons to court over not paying an earnings tax” he said, “which they claimed I had paid in 2008 but I didn’t because I didn’t know what it was when they took me to court over it. But that got taken care of once I started talking about it on Twitter. Actually, they were really helpful. That was actually the only interaction with the city that had ever been helpful.”

At the same time Wolk received a summons for paying earnings tax, the Missouri Department of Revenue revoked the shops sales tax identification number which rendered both his business license, and occupancy permit invalid. Wolk described the process of getting his sales tax number back as a “headache”.

“So the state can pull that number and make it impossible to continue operating,” he said, “I drove out four or five times to meet with them and each time they would find something that wasn’t right and I would have to drive back and get all my paperwork and drive back again. The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”

To make matters worse, while in the midst of clearing up Cranky Yellow’s tax problems, Wolk receives another court summons for not having a commercial dumpster for the shop’s waste. Every business on Cherokee St., where Cranky Yellow was located, is required to provide their own dumpster because the city does not provide trash pickup for small businesses. According to Wolk, many other businesses on Cherokee are turning a blind eye to the ordinance.

“Many other businesses on the street don’t have commercial dumpsters and were like ‘Keep your head down, don’t talk about it so we don’t get in trouble,’” he said. “Which isn’t very helpful.”

If it’s a community-wide problem and everyone is potentially in violation than it seems like something should be done.”

Dustin Newman, co-owner of APOP Records, another shop just down the block from Cranky Yellow, was surprised at the notice that they were in violation of the cities trash laws:

“That was brand new to us. They ended up throwing it out because Tiffany [Minx, co-owner of APOP] lives here and we really don’t use the dumpster for the store. So, we were able to clear it out. But, we had no idea about that. No one ever said anything. I wouldn’t even know where to look for something like that.”

Wolk expressed frustration with how difficult it was to find information too: “That whole experience was awful through the whole trash thing, because the number that went along with that court summons went to an answering machine that no one ever called you back from,” He went on to explain that calling the Citizens’ Service Bureau was a dead-end too and even his local Alderman wouldn’t call him back.

The final nail in the coffin was when the city barred the use of Cranky Yellow’s basement for lack of an occupancy permit. After the basement suffered water damage and mold growth—and considering the amount of money it would take to get the space back into shape—Wolk decided he was done.

He said: “It was one thing after another really. So, I put yellow up on the window and we just started talking behind the scenes just what the plan was. And initially I was going to try to buy a building in St. Louis. So I did a lot of looking at buildings that were for sale and what not. And that ended up going not as well as I wanted it to. Once I found a place I wanted, I couldn’t find the funding in order to buy it. ”

“Because with all the problems in the basement of the space I was at could all be fixed, but I would have to spend a lot of money. Invest a lot of money and time into the basement to get it up to code and that’s kind of futile because I don’t own the space,” he said, “I had enough.”

After dismal turnout for two fundraisers, and getting denied small business loans to open a new space, Wolk closed the shop for good and has been putting all of the leftover goods on the street for free.

He said: “It’s interesting, whenever I put the first giant load on the sidewalk and put the announcement on Facebook and Twitter people came down and took all of it. Literally, took all of it. It would have been totally awesome if people had swarmed the store and bought all of that. Most of that stuff had been sitting in the store for months and months and months, but as soon as it’s free it’s hot.”

Wolk does plan to continue the Cranky Yellow brand. His knick knacks, art projects and good will be available at his website and he hopes one day to reopen a physical store. “I will have to buy a building so I can do it how I want to do it, and be okay with investing everything up to code. If I can find the right space, at the right place and the right time I think it will happen again.”

That time may been sooner than you think, as Wolk and the rest of the crew behind Cranky Yellow are still brainstorming other interesting ways of getting out there beyond just online. “We’ve been talking about doing a Cranky Mobile. Trying to capitalize on the food trucks success. Like, who cares about a food truck, how about a junk truck?”

Get yourself down to 2847 Cherokee and pop into the store.

After years of doing business, the retail art shop that sells kitschy odds and ends as well as curates local, national and international art shows and concerts started receiving court summons and notice after notice from the City of St. Louis. The notices were for back taxes, improper trash disposal and, most recently, a letter disallowing “assemblies” in their multi-use basement for their lack of certificate of occupancy. Wolk expounds “‘Assemblies’ refers to the plethora of independent art exhibitions, musical performances and theater acts we’ve hosted since moving into the space”.

The “cease and desist” letter was the final straw, or in this case notice, that broke Cranky’s back. According to Wolk, “The individuals that illegally ‘assemble’ here represent 35% of our monthly income. An influx of funds that is seriously helpful; without which it will be difficult to meet our monthly expenses!” In light of that loss of income, on July 1st Wolk announced Cranky Yellow was closing its doors for an “indefinite amount of time”.

While a closed shop sounds like death for a retail space, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Wolk and Cranky Yellow. Fans of the shop, local musicians and artists are pledging overwhelming support both financially and emotionally. Even the mayor’s office has been supportive. According to press secretary Kara Bowlin for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay “All they have to do is get a certificate of occupancy for their basement and then they can use the basement again”. Bowlin went on to add “We’re happy to help.”

The shops closing was posted on Cranky Yellow’s website and the comments section is filled with promises of support to help get the shop back up to code and in compliance with the city. We will see if the support will be enough fuel Wolk’s passion to overcome the roadblocks and reopen. That way he will not be bitter and jaded, just cranky.

Sources:
Benanti, D. (2011, March 16). Cranky Yellow, Cherokee Street Oddity Emporium, Tries to Fight City Hall.
Retrieved from

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2011/03/cranky_yellow_2847_cherokee_street_st_louis_city_hall_mayor_slay_website_hours.php

Wolk, D. (2011, March 3). Small Time Woes… Or Why St. Louis Independents Must Survive.
Retreived from

http://www.crankyyellow.com/2011/03/13/part-one-cranky-yellow/

Benanti, D. (2011, July 5). Cranky Yellow Closes Its Doors — For Now — After Receiving Another Notice from City Hall.
Retrieved from

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2011/07/cranky_yellow_closed_occupancy_mold_assemblies.php

Wolk, D. (2011, July 1). Cranky Stopped.
Retrieved from

http://www.crankyyellow.com/2011/07/01/cranky-stopped/?

Union Tree Review like to keep things local. By local, I don’t simply mean to the city of St. Louis, but to the very neighborhood they live and play music. Union Tree Review describe themselves as a Cherokee Street band, and they are an ideal candidate to lead the charge of reviving the St. Louis music scene, or rather shine a spotlight on how awesome it is already.

The evidence can be found looking no further than the street they call home. Surrounded by burgeoning arts scene, awesome ethnic food, and tons of people involved in all aspects of local music, one could be content never leaving the block again. This setting is the perfect climate for Union Tree Review’s blend of indie rock and alt country. By adding viola and the occasional horn section to the soothing warmth of singer Tawaine Noah’s voice, their songs shine in the small venues and coffee houses of which their neighborhood is in abundance.

Union Tree Review look to bring elements of the Cherokee community together for their next album. Drummer Matt Strom explains “We’re going to hopefully create an entire album from writing the songs to the people recording, producing and mixing the songs to the people making the album art all within five blocks of each other.”

While Cherokee St. may be tight-knit, Union Tree are tired of the city’s insularity. Noah expounds upon his frustration: “For a while, everyone had their own band and they were wrapped up in that. ‘Oh, you have a band? Well, good luck!’” UTR think St. Louis bands need to be more proactive in promoting shows – and the group practices what they preach. However, guitarist Jordan Howe explains how spreading the word only about yourself isn’t good enough: “You want everyone to work and succeed. If we get a lot of people at our show and Humdrum plays too, maybe more people will come to the next Humdrum show.” It’s this level of cooperation that will elevate not only Union Tree Review, but the entire St. Louis music scene. Isn’t that what “keeping things local” is all about?

Quick Tracks:

“Foreign Eyes”
Simple, sweet but melancholy folk tune with great harmonies, viola and horns that accent the emotion of feeling old at the age of twenty four. One listen, and you can see how it was written after a breakup in winter, while staring out a window over a cup of coffee and shot of whisky.

“Let Me Be”
Song for the over-worked and under-paid, otherwise known as the anthem of the young, post-collegiate city dweller whose frontier is growing up. Slower, low key Ra Ra Riot and Anathallo meet Ryan Adams. This song is itching to be heard live.

You can hear some of Union Tree Review’s music at Myspace and Facebook
They also have a Twitter

1.) “Just Do It” by Breather Resist from Only in the Morning.
2.) “Suicide Soundtrack” by Scarlet from Cult Classic.
3.) “Framce” by Botch from An Anthology of Dead Ends.
4.) “Gleamer” by Intronaut from Void.
5.) “There Will Be No More Scum” by Frodus from And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea.
6.) “The Deadly Rhythm” by Refused from The Shape of Punk to Come.
7.) “Gift” by Old Man Gloom from Christmas.
8.) “Eagles Become Vultures” by Converge from You Fail Me.
9.) “Guignol Serene” by Trap Them from Seizures in Barren Praise.
10.) “Go Ape” by Spitfire from Self-Help.
11.) “Hexagram” by the Deftones from their self-titled LP.
12.) “I Hate Almost Every Person I Come In Contact With” by Curl Up and Die from We May Be Through With the Past… EP.
13.) “43% Burnt” by the Dillinger Escape Plan from Calculating Infinity.
14.) “Mirrorf***** ” by Young Widows from Settle Down City.
15.) “January 1979″ by mewithoutYou from Catch For Us the Foxes.
16.) “D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” by Modern Life is War from Witness.
17.) “Cayman Tongue” by Cave In from their brand new EP Planets of Old.

Overall I’m pretty satisfied. For my taste in hardcore and metal it was pretty difficult to get the mix to breath a little and not have every song hit like a sledgehammer. I also included a few cuts that I hoped my intended audience would enjoy since he’s not entirely “into” hardcore. The Frodus song and the mewithoutYou song I might have saved for a different mix, but they definitely helped keep things more varied.

Anyone making any mixes lately?

1.) I’m In A Bad Way by Satisfact
2.) Put All Your Eggs In One Basket by Marnie Stern
3.) Grass by Animal Collective
4.) Atlas by Battles
5.) Wingwalker by Shellac
6.) Hi-Life by Simonnewcomb
7.) Sex Automata by Ex Models
8.) They Don’t Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids by Liars
9.) Animal Man by Lungfish
10.) Cut Self Not by Faraquet
11.) King’s Dominion by Black Eyes
12.) Letter to ZZ Top by U.S. Maple
13.) Good Morning, Caption by Slint

And it’s all really good stuff. As you may notice, this mix contains a lot of 90sish post-hardcore and harder electronic “rock” music. There is a forthcoming “softer” mix coming soon from what I hear anyway. Time will tell.

Now I have to respond with a mix of my own containing hopefully all unheard of stuff by Mr. Bursik who seems to be himself a rather versed music appreciator. I think I’m going to make mine a two volume set since I listen to so much hardcore to make a good mix. I haven’t made one of these for quite some time so I’ll have to work on it and listen to it over the course of a few days.

Other than that, I’ve been in the Lou for a few weeks and have yet to hang out with too many people. If I’m free, I’m pretty much always down so hit me up.

*hint hint* *wink wink*