Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
John Horton, Michelle Rae, Danny Hommes, and Tim McAvin of Karate Bikini
Rock bands come and go, sometimes establishing themselves, other times fading into “what coulda been” territory. Right now, the local club scene’s blessed with rock acts of all sonic stripes and at all different points in their careers. What follows is a subjective list, a trio of acts you might not have checked out—yet.
DinoFight!
It can be tough to be a nonsibling in a three-piece band that’s got one set of family members. But Lindsay Cranmer, guitarist for DinoFight!, has gotten used to the dynamic, thanks to the efforts of bassist/vocalist Cory Perkins and drummer Cody Perkins. “I would say the arguments can come frequently,” she says, “because of that whole unconditional love aspect.”
Though they cut their teeth in different outfits, the bandmates grew up together, attending Ritenour High School. After marking time with other bands in college and just beyond, Cranmer and the sisters Perkins formed the present trio. Like many bands, they struggle for a dictionary definition of DinoFight!, though Cranmer offers, “I would call it prog-punk. That’s probably too nice. I’m interested in prog, but we’re not that technical. There is punk. And there’s a surf influence, all the way around.”
The group’s future is very much unwritten. In the past two months, DinoFight! has been writing and recording more tracks, likely for a late-summer EP. And it’s plotting more action out of town, with gigs in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Kansas City. Locally, the hope is to keep building on success at indie venues like The Heavy Anchor, Lemmons, and El Leñador. The group wants to bolster its Bandcamp page (dinofight.bandcamp.com). And, simply, it wants to keep progressing to make its live shows all they can be, both sonically and in terms of drawing power.
“Definitely,” Cranmer says, “the more people, the more fun.”
Dear Genre
Andre Cataldo’s all of 20, but the performer and songwriter doesn’t lack confidence. “This is all still new to me,” he says. “It’s fresh, and I’m still learning. I find it very interesting to see things coming at me for the first time. In a few months, I’ll probably look back and think this or that could’ve come together differently, but…”
After coming out of the gate with a strong debut EP, You Put the Fear in Atmosphere, Cataldo broadened his approach. Now working with a full backing band and producer Kevin Gates, Cataldo put out the rip raw shapes EP earlier this year. On the strength of the new cuts, he was invited to a songwriting competition in New York this month, which he’ll undertake solo, without the safety of his band.
“I truly think that this is a great place for Dear Genre to be right now,” Cataldo says. “I’ve been taking away a lot of tips and tricks. It’s been enlightening. I love each of the songs equally. They’re perfect for everything I’ve intended for them to be. The sound is perfect, and Kevin’s been great. We’ve spent a lot of time together, transferring brain waves. People get down on me for trying different styles, thinking that you should try one, and then stick with it forever. But one of my songs could be completely hard, stripped down, and aggressive. Another could be calm, John Lennon–esque, and about love. There’s no definition to what Dear Genre is, other than that it’s ever-changing.”
And that could be true to his life at large, too, as Cataldo isn’t averse to relocation.
“I’d encourage it,” he says. “I’m looking for a new scene of like-minded people who inspire me.”
St. Louis has got him for now—but maybe not for long.
Karate Bikini
If Karate Bikini played basketball instead of high-quality rock ’n’ roll, you’d figure on it being a deep team, with playmakers at multiple positions, all adept at every phase of the game. The band has songwriters and multi-instrumentalists all around, with decades of experience in playing local clubs. The analogy’s a bit of a silly one, though, because the group’s got six players, one more than is necessary for the hard court.
The band’s led by bassist, singer, and songwriter Tim McAvin, who’s ably surrounded by guitarists Gabe Doiron and John Horton, drummer Danny Hommes, sax player Michelle Rae, and Rich Ives on keys.
“You know, I love being the bass player and the songwriter,” says McAvin. “I get to lay the foundation. I’m on the bottom, and get to create more of the overall sound there. On guitar, in our band, it’s about the color. The guitar interplay with Johnny and Gabe is really top-notch. They…have a lot of great tones, some getting really kind of psychedelic. And Danny’s so solid in his drumming. I’d really say that he plays the song, rather than playing the drums.”
The group’s new album, the eight-song Sauce of the Applehorse, was intentionally cut quickly, after some roster shifting. “One huge thing about this record is that everything was fresh,” says McAvin. “We had four practices after a lineup change. I thought, ‘Let’s record this; let’s not worry about playing out too much.’ The recording aspect was really quick and really good.”
As for the results, we say start with “Medic”—though McAvin’s heard that “Liar’s Parade” and “It’s a Gas” are the most single-ready contributions. “I’m easily influenced,” he says. “Whatever people say is their favorite track is mine, too.”
For more information, visit myspace.com/dinofightstl, deargenre.com, and facebook.com/karatebikini.
