Brothers Lazaroff

Rank Artist Recording Label
1 BROTHERS LAZAROFF Day And Night Room 18
2 DUNGEN Allas Sak Mexican Summer
3 BULLY Feels Like Startime
4 HEARTLESS BASTARDS Restless Ones Partisan
5 MISS MOLLY SIMMS One Way Ticket Self-Released
6 LOS LOBOS Gates Of Gold 429
7 LITTLE BIG BANGS Star Power Self-Released
8 STRAWBERRY RUNNERS "Hatcher Creek" [Single] Self-Released
9 BOTTLE ROCKETS South Broadway Athletic Club Bloodshot
10 DESTROYER Poison Season Merge
11 JR JR Jr Jr Warner Bros
12 DAVE ALVIN AND PHIL ALVIN Lost Time Yep Roc
13 EDITORS In Dream Pias
14 VARIOUS ARTISTS Daptone Gold II Daptone
15 BEACH HOUSE Depression Cherry Sub Pop
16 WILCO Star Wars dBpm
17 SMALL BLACK Best Blues Jagjaguwar
18 DEATH BY UNGA BUNGA Tell Me Why EP Jansen Plateproduksjon
19 MERCURY REV The Light In You Bella Union
20 NEW MASTERSOUNDS Made For Pleasure Royal Potato Family
21 LOW Ones And Sixes Sub Pop
22 WIDOWSPEAK All Yours Captured Tracks
23 LUCERO All A Man Should Do ATO
24 KURT VILE B'lieve I'm Goin Down... Matador
25 TAMARYN Cranekiss Mexican Summer
26 NEW ORDER Music Complete Mute
27 FRATELLIS Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied Cooking Vinyl
28 DARLINGSIDE Birds Say Self-Released
29 CHEMICAL BROTHERS Born In The Echoes Astralwerks
30 ANDRA DAY Cheers To The Fall Warner Bros. - kdhx.org

Rank Artist Recording Label
1 BROTHERS LAZAROFF Day And Night Self-Released
2 DAVE ALVIN AND PHIL ALVIN Lost Time Yep Roc
3 BOTTLE ROCKETS South Broadway Athletic Club Bloodshot
4 CALEXICO Edge Of The Sun (Deluxe)
5 LOW CUT CONNIE Hi Honey Contender
6 WILCO Star Wars dBpm
7 HEARTLESS BASTARDS Restless Ones Partisan
8 GARY CLARK JR. The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim Warner Bros.
9 LOS LOBOS Gates Of Gold 429
10 CREE RIDER FAMILY BAND Let The River Rise Self-Released
11 OUGHT Sun Coming Down Constellation
12 MISS MOLLY SIMMS One Way Ticket Self-Released
13 LIBERTINES Anthems For Doomed Youth Harvest
14 BEACH HOUSE Depression Cherry Sub Pop
15 BEIRUT No No No 4AD
16 DILLY DALLY Sore Partisan
17 YOUTH LAGOON Savage Hills Ballroom Fat Possum
18 VARIOUS ARTISTS True Detective (Music From The HBO Series) Harvest
19 ARCS Yours, Dreamily Nonesuch
20 FRATELLIS Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied Cooking Vinyl
21 BULLY Feels Like Startime
22 WARREN HAYNES Ashes And Dust Concord
23 JASON ISBELL Something More Than Free Southeastern
24 SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Gone By Dawn Hardly Art
25 SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN The High Country Polyvinyl
26 LUCERO All A Man Should Do ATO
27 ATLAS GENIUS Inanimate Objects Warner Bros.
28 POPULAR MECHANICS Onramp To Irrelevance Self-Released
29 DANIEL ROMANO If I've Only One Time Askin' New West
30 DARLINGSIDE Birds Say Self-Released - kdhx.org

Rank Artist Recording Label
1 BROTHERS LAZAROFF Day And Night Self-Released
2 BEACH HOUSE Depression Cherry Sub Pop
3 MYNABIRDS Lovers Know Saddle Creek
4 FOALS What Went Down Warner
5 BEIRUT No No No 4AD
6 DEATH BY UNGA BUNGA Tell Me Why EP Jansen Plateproduksjon
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS True Detective (Music From The HBO Series) Harvest
8 DESTROYER Poison Season Merge
9 HEARTLESS BASTARDS Restless Ones Partisan
10 YO LA TENGO Stuff Like That There Matador
11 WIDOWSPEAK All Yours Captured Tracks
12 LOS LOBOS Gates Of Gold 429
13 TORTUGA West Of Eden EP Big Muddy
14 BOTTLE ROCKETS South Broadway Athletic Club Bloodshot
15 CALEXICO Edge Of The Sun Anti
16 CRAIG FINN Faith In The Future Partisan
17 TAME IMPALA Currents Interscope
18 ARCS Yours, Dreamily Nonesuch
19 KACEY MUSGRAVES Pageant Material Mercury
20 CREE RIDER FAMILY BAND Let The River Rise Self-Released
21 TELEKINESIS Ad Infinitum Merge
22 BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES Under The Savage Sky Bloodshot
23 NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night Sweats Stax
24 BIG HARP Waveless Majestic Litter
25 MAC DEMARCO Another One Captured Tracks
26 WAXAHATCHEE Ivy Tripp Merge
27 GARDENS AND VILLA Music For Dogs Secretly Canadian
28 GARY CLARK JR. The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim Warner Bros.
29 LITTLE BOOTS Working Girl Dim Mak-On Repeat
30 HUGH CORNWELL The Fall And Rise Of Hugh Cornwell Invisible Hands - kdhx.org

Rank Artist Recording Label
1 BROTHERS LAZAROFF Day And Night Self-Released
2 DESTROYER Poison Season Merge
3 LOW Ones And Sixes Sub Pop
4 TAME IMPALA Currents Interscope
5 KACEY MUSGRAVES Pageant Material
6 BIG HARP Waveless Majestic Litter
7 WILCO Star Wars dBpm
8 HEARTLESS BASTARDS Restless Ones Partisan
9 CREE RIDER FAMILY BAND Let The River Rise Self-Released
10 FOALS What Went Down Warner
11 ARCS Yours, Dreamily Nonesuch
12 TOMMY KEENE Laugh In The Dark Second Motion
13 DECEMBERISTS What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Capitol
14 DAVE DREBES St. Louis Voodoo Self-Released
15 BECK "Dreams" [Single] Capitol
16 YO LA TENGO Stuff Like That There Matador
17 BOTTLE ROCKETS South Broadway Athletic Club Bloodshot
18 TAMARYN Cranekiss Mexican Summer
19 BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES Under The Savage Sky Bloodshot
20 MAC DEMARCO Another One Captured Tracks
21 LEON BRIDGES Coming Home Columbia
22 BEN FOLDS So There New West
23 RICKED WICKY King Heavy Metal GBV
24 JAMIE XX In Colour Young Turks
25 VINTAGE TROUBLE 1 Hopeful Rd McGhee
26 FFS FFS Domino
27 BUNNYGRUNT Volume 4 Happy Happy Birthday To Me
28 GALACTIC Into The Deep Mascot
29 FRATELLIS Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied Cooking Vinyl
30 THE SWORD High Country Razor And Tie - kdhx.org

It started with a Jukebox.

It was late, well past midnight, and the four members of the Brothers Lazaroff had just arrived in Austin, Texas, for the SXSW music festival. Over the next three days, the St. Louis rock band was scheduled to play eight or nine gigs. The tired musicians probably could all have used a little sleep, but first, they had to find some food.

They ended up in a small Mexican joint north of town. The restaurant was almost completely empty, but that didn’t stop the staff from blasting Norteño music from a video jukebox in the middle of the dining room. The bandmates didn’t recognize the music — it didn’t sound anything like the artists that they were familiar with — but by the time their food came, the four of them were singing along loudly.

“It was all this amazing Mexican music with high-def videos,” says David Lazaroff, who fronts the band with his brother Jeff. “The music was unlike anything we had ever heard, with big bass and synthesizers. It was almost like reggae, but with this rootsy Texas Mexican influence.”

“Even though it wasn’t a genre we were familiar with, there was a lot of stuff within it that felt familiar and we were able to connect with,” remembers Jeff Lazaroff.

When it came time for the band to get started on its new album, Day and Night, its members still hadn’t shaken the memory of that jukebox. As any Brothers Lazaroff fan already knows, the group plays a style of music that is hard to label under one genre, pulling from elements of bluegrass, jazz, blues, Americana and, of course, rock & roll. Jeff and David say they are not particularly concerned with defining their genre. When they hit the studio to record Day and Night, they set out to tap into the energy that they had felt that night in Austin.

“I think when we started playing, when we were really young, we would love to play a bluegrass song or we would love to play a Stones-y rock song. We liked those genre divisions,” says Jeff. “Now, the songs that feel the best are the ones that feel genreless. They kind of feel like they have just become a Brothers Lazaroff song.”

While the group has created an impressive discography over the past ten years, its live show is where it truly shines. When they perform, the two brothers share the stage with their long time bandmates Grover Stewart on drums and Teddy Brookins on bass. About a year ago, Nate Carpenter joined the band on piano, expanding the quartet into a quintet. The group is not a jam band — it's members tend to keep their soloing to a minimum — but there is an exhilarating spontaneity to its live sets, with each member silently drawing from the momentum of the others.

Unlike previous albums, where the band has gone into the studio with complete songs and a clearly defined vision of the final product, on this record, the group wanted to replicate the spontaneity of its live set. To do this, Stewart and the two brothers went into the studio with only vague ideas for the songs. Then they wrote the compositions on the spot, allowing them to form naturally. When they left the studio, they didn’t have a finished product, but they had laid just enough groundwork to complete the record from home.

“We took the tapes into our home studio, which we just built, and we were able to not be on the clock for a lot of the overdubbing,” says David. “Working in the basement was really cool because we were there every week — it’s where we’re most comfortable. When you’re in a studio it’s a really artificial environment — it’s like, 'OK got to perform' — but when the mics are always on and all you need to do is press record, you can afford to be more experimental.”

In the end, the brothers agree, it all comes down to that same feeling they tapped into at the Texas bar.

“I think with our past records we did a little bit more of what felt like genre, but this felt more like energy,” says Jeff. “We always view music more in terms of energy exchange with each other. Everything has to keep the energy.” - Riverfront Times

Since 2009, David and Jeff Lazaroff have been writing and releasing some of the most interesting and eclectic music in the city, pulling from a wide range of inspirations -- from Americana to psych-rock to jazz to world music, and everything in between -- to consistently bring energetic and memorable sounds to the streets of St. Louis. Along with their bandmates, Grover Stewart (drums), Teddy Brookins (bass) and Mo Egeston (keyboards), the aptly named Brothers Lazaroff have released four full-length efforts over the years, each well-received by critics and fans alike.

Saturday, October 3 will mark the release of the group's fifth LP, Day and Night. The album also represents a departure for the band -- Nate Carpenter (Messy Jiverson, Downstereo) replaces Egeston on keyboards, the band's first lineup change in seven years.

broslazdayandnight.jpg
The recording process was different this time as well. Whereas in the past the band would come to the studio with complete compositions, this record saw more writing during the sessions. David and Jeff brought Stewart along to Red Pill Entertainment Studios to work out some loose ideas, and soon the songs that would become Day and Night began to come to life.

"For these sessions we were writing bridges, interludes and new verses on the spot," David says. "The ease of working with just drums and guitars made it so we didn't have to relay new chord changes, melodic or harmonic ideas that developed on the fly. The intuitive communication we have with Grover after nine years of working together allowed us to create in the moment, providing for a lot of surprises and happy accidents."

From there, Brookins laid down his bass parts. Keyboards were completed by both Egeston and Carpenter, with each recording about half the record. During the editing process, the band decided the record needed something more.

"We wanted to explore some of the borderland sounds, both real and imagined, inspired by time spent in Austin and our New Orleans roots," Jeff says.

"We had the idea of using violin and trumpet lines throughout the album as opposed to a bunch of solos," David says.

The band brought Chicago-based composer/musician Stuart Rosenberg in to handle violin, and tapped the Funky Butt Brass Band's Adam Hucke for the trumpet and coronet. As a finishing touch, Denver sound artist Paco Proano mixed found sounds and field recordings from a recent trip to Spain and Morroco in the tracks.

Brothers Lazaroff teamed up with Brian McClelland of Blip Blap Video to produce videos for two songs from the new album, "Sacred Geometry" and "Mary." The latter, premiering today on RFT Music, stars Yo Gabba Gabba actress Kemba Russell, and was shot primarily at Pop's Blue Moon and on Cherokee Street during the this year's Cinco de Mayo celebration. - Riverfront Times

Hypnotic, lush and exhilirating, the latest from Brothers Lazaroff builds upon the veteran St. Louis band's soul and psych-influenced sound with horns, strings and synths. It's the kind of song that just might stay on your mind "Day and Night." - kdhx.org

Who?
Elizabeth McQueen is the former frontwoman for country music juggernaut Asleep at the Wheel. This disc features renditions of songs from her 2010 album The Laziest Girl in Town. Said album, which received an array of accolades in and around Texas, gets the reboot treatment from St. Louis’ soul-freakout-folk band Brothers Lazaroff, who also included their own contribution “Dreamin.” Whereas the 2010 LP was full of large-scale jazz ballads, The Laziest Remix incorporates hints of R&B and hip-hop.

How is it?
Pretty damn fabulous.

Opener “Laziest Girl in Town,” is a Cole Porter song that McQueen absolutely crushes from the very first seconds. There’s flickers of blips and bleeps that give the song an energy and pulse that’s different from the original, but never once does the song feel distorted, askew or off-kilter. Spoken word vocals from Brothers Lazaroff enter the fray near the three-minute mark and threaten to tear the song asunder, but McQueen, being the consummate pro she is, steers the song back towards the promised land and absolutely slays it. Though it borders heavily on lounge jazz, there’s still something captivating and hypnotic about her vocals and the song is a bonafide winner.

McQueen and Brothers Lazaroff sizzle on the sleek, steamy and sexy “Mind of Men,” a brassy ballad with armfuls of attitude and a cynicism that scolds, shivers and shakes from the very onset. After the snark and sass of “Mind of Men,” McQueen and company do a 360 and enter the world of doe-eyed romance on “Just Let Go.” Of all the songs thus far, this is the first where the remix sounds better than the original and actually bolsters its execution.

“You’re to Blame” shares much of the same execution as “Just Let Go” and once again finds Brothers Lazaroff’s sonic flourishes to be truly exemplary. Of all the songs on the EP few if any are stronger than the boisterous and jubilant “Gone Solid Gone,” which features first-rate guest vocals from St. Louis hip-hop artist Thelonious Kryptonite and lazy cooing from McQueen. The disc concludes with Brother Lazaroff’s original “Dreamin,” a languorous and luminescent melange of sterling vocals, shimmering guitars and an airy brilliance that lingers long after the final second.

What makes The Laziest Remix well worth revisiting is how effortless it is, how sonically deep it dives and how expertly produced it is. This is a disc with few if any flaws and armfuls of lasting impact. While both artists are probably not on the radar of most that frequent this site, those who want more from music than what’s on the surface, should certainly spend 30 minutes with this gem.

Recommended If You Like
Hell if I know what to compare this to


Tracklsting
1. Laziest Girl in Town (remix)
2. Mind of Men (remix)
3. Just Let Go (remix)
4. You’re to Blame (remix)
5. Gone Solid Gone (remix)
6. Dreamin’ (remix)

All songs by McQueen, except “Laziest Girl in Town,” by Cole Porter; “Dreamin,’” by Brothers Lazaroff; and “Gone Solid Gone,” by McQueen and David Sanger. - AbsolutePunk.net

In a remix to Austin-based singer Elizabeth McQueen's The Laziest Girl in Town album, Brothers Lazaroff join forces with McQueen to create a jazzy, electronic, R&B EP. This EP is one of those that you listen to with quality headphones or a great sound system so you can really hear Brothers Lazaroff's amazing instrumentals.
Track 5, "Gone Solid Gone," really sticks out because of featured artist Thelonius Kryptonite. His smoother vocals were preferred over McQueen’s tone on this track. Don't get me wrong, McQueen has a great voice, especially with her old-school singing style, but Thelonius gives the song such a twist by incorporating his rapping talents.
The opening track on this EP, “Laziest Girl in Town,” is just so mellow and relaxing. McQueen’s voice reminds me of real old-school R&B, the kind that you slowly nod to. And of course Brother Lazaroff is just sick at doing what they do—such a smooth track and a great way to introduce Brother Lazaroff and McQueen.
The fourth track, ”You're to blame,” has one of the best instrumentals on this entire EP. Brothers Lazaroff clearly express how crafted they are on this track. That cool kind of electronic melody along with the background singers and McQueen is so fluid.
Overall, a pretty good EP if you're into a modern, jazzy feel. - WSBU 88.3 The Buzz

After eight years riding shotgun with Asleep at the Wheel, Elizabeth McQueen makes a U-turn. Reworking songs from her solo jazz LP, 2010's The Laziest Girl in Town, the local honky-tonker teams up with St. Louis quintet Brothers Lazaroff to add atmospheric grooves across six tracks on The Laziest Remix. Her vocals still slink and pop on the Cole Porter title track and "You're to Blame," but braced with Lazaroff's eclectic riffs and up-tempo back-beats, "Gone Solid Gone" cuts experimental funk and hip-hop, and "Just Let Go" soars against a bed of noise. On her own once again, McQueen proves ever entrancing and always a surprise. - The Austin Chronicle

On this inaugural On the Edge, we have quite the unique artist of the week. Really it is more so

the collaboration of two artists whose career paths had previously led them to opposite ends of

the musical spectrum. Elizabeth McQueen provides the vocals and it is her songs from her 2010

album, The Laziest Girl in Town, being featured on the album. But it is the instrumentation

and the innovation to refashion and re-envision the songs brought by soul- freak out- folk band,

Brothers Lazaroff. Brothers Lazaroff brings hints of hip-hop, reggae, soundscapes and electronic

music into her American roots style and her jazzy vocals bounce and flow over the music. The

result is an indie-pop record with nostalgia sprinkled all throughout it.



Elizabeth McQueen isn’t one to let herself become pigeonholed, starting off her career traveling

with a western swing band and releasing a country/rock-esque record, 2003’s Fresh Up Club.

McQueen then went almost completely away from country with her tribute to Pub Rock in 2010,

Happy Doing What We’re Doing. Stepping away from her Americana roots, she ventured into

the world of vocal jazz which in turn led her to her current stop working with Brothers Lazaroff

and creating what I can only describe as indie jazz pop rock.



This album is not traditional by any standards (but then again does indie rock really have

traditional standards?) but its soul is in its uniqueness. We have welcomed and incorporated 80’s

synths, low fi guitar, swirling soundscapes and punk rocks snarling vocals into our indie rock, I

think we can find room for a sprinkle of jazz every once in a while.



Along with Elizabeth McQueen we also have new music from Nick Waterhouse, The Pixies,

Foster the People (Whose new album, Supermodel, comes out on March 18th…bout time), and

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. hitting the rotation this week. - On The Edge

The crowd was dense and the air was chilled last Saturday night as we anxiously waited outside Lamberts Downtown Barbecue to see Elizabeth McQueen, fresh off her departure from Asleep at the Wheel.

After eight years, a Grammy nomination and over a million miles on the road with the group, Elizabeth was saying goodbye and hitting the stage with some close friends she made along the way.

The show was held to celebrate the release of McQueen’s new EP, The Laziest Remix. It’s a collaboration with St. Louis-based band Brothers Lazaroff that beautifully infuses a number of different genres into songs from McQueen’s latest album, The Laziest Girl in Town. The event also promoted local with a portion of the proceeds going to Black Fret, an Austin non-profit that provides grants to local musicians.


Once inside Lamberts, I was ushered upstairs and greeted by the lovely Sarah Sharp of The Jitterbug Vipers and a copy of the EP. Album in hand, I stepped into an even thicker gathering and was soon taken by the jazzy swoon Elizabeth has come to be known for in more recent years. She delicately shook us out of our element with her relaxed, seemingly effortless vocals on the phenomenal remix of “Laziest Girl in Town.”


McQueen got everyone in the crowd involved with her infectious enthusiasm on the remixes of “You’re to Blame” and “Gone Solid Gone,” which both had plenty of choral “ba-da’s” and “da-da’s” to sing along to. My favorite track among the remixes, “Mind of Men,” was flawlessly executed with the combination of spacey keys, rhythmic bass lines, dreamy guitar riffs, a solid hip-hop beat and McQueen’s encapsulating vocals. I was blown away.

Though, one of the most beautiful moments of the show came when McQueen invited Katie Holmes, new vocalist and fiddle player for Asleep at the Wheel, up on stage with her to perform a wonderful version of the jazz standard, “Careless Love”. They harmonized brilliantly and as I took a look around the crowd, every face was smiling. It was refreshing to see such grace and humility from a huge name in the Texas music scene to a rising star of that same scene.

Elizabeth McQueen on Stage with Katie Holmes
Elizabeth McQueen on stage with Katie Holmes and Brothers Lazaroff (Photo credit: Duggan Flanakin)
The show featured several other local music stars performing alongside McQueen, including Erin Ivey, Jazz Mills, and Nakia. The musicians seemed to be interspersed among the crowd, rather than appearing from a backstage area. In fact, I found myself right next to Ivey at one point. I’m a huge fan of her and McQueen, but I refrained from saying hello because of the obscene amount of meat I had just eaten and the effect it may have had on my breath.


All in all, both The Laziest Remix release and the celebratory performance with her friends only strengthened the already stout faith I had in any musical endeavor McQueen may choose to take on. Let’s all hope she continues to make music for many years to come. - The Austinot

Lamberts hosted local Austin musician Elizabeth McQueen for an EP release party for her solo effort The Laziest Remix, collaboration with Austinite David Lazaroff and his soul-freak-out folk band Brothers Lazaroff.

A press release for McQueen describes the EP as “five songs solidly based in the tradition of mid 20th century vocal jazz from her 2010 release The Laziest Girl in Town, plus one song from The Brothers’ catalogue and infuses them with elements of hip-hop, noise rock, R&B and reggae.”

McQueen and the Brothers Lazaroff delivered on that promise to an enthusiastic crowd on Saturday January 11th. Joining them on the stage were several artists including Jazz Mills, Erin Ivey, Sarah Sharp, Katie Holmes, and Riders Against the Storm.

Elizabeth McQueen 500x403 Show Review: Elizabeth McQueen holds EP release party (Austin)

Elizabeth McQueen is comfortable on the stage. Her graceful, energetic presence filled the room as her guests joined her to sing some ruckus, jazz inspired hits with a little splash of folk. She joked toward the end of the set that this was her first solo gig since Asleep with the Wheel. McQueen is at home on the stage and she’s good at entertaining the crowd with her perky humor between songs. Lamberts was packed, the crowd was boisterous, and she kept the good times coming for a good cause – Black Fret. A nonprofit dedicated to music, their site summarizes the group’s mission as an: - Listen Hear

The Brothers Lazaroff describe their work in terms of being both a two-man writing team and a five-man band. For brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff, the songs are the foundation; they typically write those together and helm the eventual recording process. The overall sound of the group comes together, though, when drummer Grover Stewart, bassist Teddy Brookins, and keyboardist Mo Egeston come to their weekly Tuesday-night practices, adding an eclectic, swinging tinge to the duo’s Americana-born tracks.


“For a long time,” David says, “I was based out of Austin. We played with the best players we could find. This sound that we’ve developed was written in a lot of roots-music traditions. That can only be done with the players assembled. This unit plays in a certain way, and these songs could be played in a lot of different ways. But [this band] is the first to be able to pull off what we’re going for. We’ve been influenced by them. The sounds in your head are always changed when played with other musicians.”


Over the band’s half-decade together, it has undertaken a real variety of collaborative experiences. Not content to simply play an average monthly club show, the members have sought out unique and challenging ways to work with other musicians. They’ve seldom shied from a collaborative role, working with klezmer, hip-hop, and even circus acts. In some respects, that makes the traditional notion of career climbing that much harder, but it makes the overall experience a lot more enjoyable.


“Our approach has always been about incremental improvement,” Jeff says. “It’s a slow burn. Obviously, your career can be struck by lightning, and that’s great. But over the years, we’ve looked back and said that ‘this year was better than the year before,’ or we’ve marveled at the opportunities that have come up.”


Of late, the group has undertaken a major collaborative project with vocalist Elizabeth McQueen. After years of touring and recording with the Austin group Asleep at the Wheel, McQueen’s making the solo break, and part of that process involves continuing work with the Brothers Lazaroff. This month, the new unit is set to release The Laziest Remix to St. Louis audiences; the EP features five songs from McQueen’s 2010 album The Laziest Girl in Town, along with one Brothers Lazaroff original, sung by McQueen.


“Austin’s one of the few music-industry towns in the country, and she’s one of the top female vocalists there,” Jeff says. “We’re honored that she’s chosen to do this collaboration with us. And it’s great that we’ve known her for a decade. It’s nice to work with people you’ve known for a while, rather than someone new, who’s going to have a different vision.”


All of the Brothers Lazaroff players add new touches to the songs on The Laziest Remix, which are also altered by Jacob Detering of the studio Red Pill. The band considers him the sixth member of Brothers Lazaroff. “I definitely rely on him for musical feedback,” David says. “It almost feels like he has the same role that a band member does. He has great ears and great ideas.” “And he’s able to work with material that might not be his aesthetic,” Jeff adds, “but still applies a solid level of recording.”


Currently, the band is pushing the Laziest Remix project, while continuing to work on writing and recording. And the group hopes to further its use of video. With Tuesday-night rehearsals a weekly staple, the members plan to bring in new artists once a month to rehearse and perform together, largely for kicks, but also to record videos for a monthly series.


With the band’s history of working with other folks, that type of opportunity is just going to keep coming around. And employing both new media and old-fashioned hustle will keep the Brothers Lazaroff in the local scene’s consciousness.


But at the core, always, is songwriting. “I like writing songs with Jeff,” David says. “Nothing’s more fun than sitting in a room and writing songs with him. The first thing we do is hit record on a tape machine. And then getting to play with Teddy, Grover, and Mo, and having radio stations playing you, having clubs around the country to play in—that’s folk music, working the wheels. But it’s also satisfying to the soul, it’s fulfilling and meaningful, playing things that you want to play.” - St. Louis Magazine

Spins Artist Album Label
117 Middle Class Fashion Jungle Blip Blap!
93 The Blind Eyes World Record EP Self-released
90 Son Volt Honky Tonk Rounder
77 Kentucky Knife Fight Hush Hush Self-released
74 Sleepy Kitty Projection Room Euclid
71 Grace Basement Wheel Within a Wheel Avonmore
68 Melody Den Storylines Perdition
58 Brothers Lazaroff Hope, Fear, Youth Self-released
45 Cumberland Gap Dreams of Living Self-released
45 Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Third Man
41 The Dive Poets Married to Your Ghost Self-released
40 Half Knots Proof Self-released
39 Al Holliday Made It Through the Mill, Again Self-released
39 Whoa Thunder You're Under Attack Blip Blap!
39 Beth Bombara Raise Your Flag EP Self-released
38 The Trophy Mules Sorry Motel Self-released
35 Bruiser Queen In Your Room EP Self-released
35 The Wilhelms Film at 11 Perdition
33 Tight Pants Syndrome All Alive EP Blip Blap!
31 Pretty Little Empire Pretty Little Empire Extension Chord
28 Ryan Spearman Pain & Time Green Strum
27 Ransom Note Big Soul Tower Groove
23 Blu Skies Ghost of Design Self-released
22 Dutch Schultz A Block Away Self-released
22 Ellen the Felon Bang Bang Bang Self-released
22 Lyal Strickland Balanced on Barbed Wire Self-released
22 Old Salt Union Western Skies Self-released
21 The Dock Ellis Band Bad Songs and Waltzes Self-released
20 The Union Electric Out in the Street / Mysteries of St. Louis 7" Rankoutsider - KDHX 88.1

Spins Artist Album Label
117 Middle Class Fashion Jungle Blip Blap!
93 The Blind Eyes World Record EP Self-released
90 Son Volt Honky Tonk Rounder
86 Neko Case The Worst Things Get... Anti-
81 Veronica Falls Waiting for Something to Happen Slumberland
80 The James Hunter Six Minute by Minute Concord Jazz
77 Kentucky Knife Fight Hush Hush Self-released
76 Camera Obscura Desire Lines 4AD
76 Daft Punk Random Access Memories Columbia
74 Sleepy Kitty Projection Room Euclid
71 Grace Basement Wheel Within a Wheel Avonmore
70 Yo La Tengo Fade Matador
68 Melody Den Storylines Perdition
68 Villagers {Awayland} Domino
64 Richard Thompson Electric New West
62 The National Trouble Will Find Me 4AD
60 Jason Isbell Southeastern Thirty Tigers
58 Brothers Lazaroff Hope, Fear, Youth Self-released
58 Bettie Serveert Oh, Mayhem! Second Motion
58 JJ Grey & Mofro This River Alligator
56 Billy Bragg Tooth & Nail Cooking Vinyl
56 Booker T Sound the Alarm Stax
51 Charles Bradley Victim of Love Daptone
49 David Bowie The Next Day Columbia
49 Mount Moriah Miracle Temple Merge
48 Phosphorescent Muchacho Dead Oceans
48 Sturgill Simpson High Top Mountain Thirty Tigers
46 Jerry Johnson Many Moods of Saxman Jerry J Self-released
46 Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison Cheater's Game Thirty Tigers
45 Cumberland Gap Dreams of Living Self-released
45 Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Third Man
45 Slaid Cleaves Still Fighting the War Music Road
45 Thao & the Get Down Stay Down We the Common Ribbon Music
44 Elephant Stone Elephant Stone Hidden Pony
44 Iron & Wine Ghost on Ghost Nonesuch
44 Jesse Dee On My Mind/In My Heart Alligator
42 The Black Angels Indigo Meadow Blue Horizon
42 Earl Sweatshirt Doris Columbia
42 Josh Ritter The Beast in Its Tracks Pytheas
42 Toro y Moi Anything in Return Carpark
42 Washed Out Paracosm Sub Pop
41 The Dive Poets Married to Your Ghost Self-released
40 Half Knots Proof Self-released
39 Al Holliday Made It Through the Mill, Again Self-released
39 Whoa Thunder You're Under Attack Blip Blap!
39 Caitlin Rose The Stand-In ATO
39 The Cave Singers Naomi Jagjaguwar
39 My Bloody Valentine M B V mbv
38 Beth Bombara Raise Your Flag EP Self-released
38 The Trophy Mules Sorry Motel Self-released
38 Bleached Ride Your Heart Dead Oceans
38 Eleanor Friedberger Personal Record Merge
38 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Push the Sky Away Bad Seed
37 Bleeding Rainbow Yeah Right Kanine
37 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City XL
36 Arctic Monkeys AM Domino
36 Elvis Costello and the Roots Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs Blue Note
36 Franz Ferdinand Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action Domino
36 Free Energy Love Sign Self-released
36 The Men New Moon Sacred Bones
35 Bruiser Queen In Your Room EP Self-released
35 The Wilhelms Film at 11 Perdition
35 Alice Russell To Dust Tru Thoughts
35 The Carper Family Old-Fashioned Gal Self-released
35 Gregory Isaacs Gregory Isaacs Remixed Necessary Mayhem
35 JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound Howl Bloodshot
35 King Khan and the Shrines Idle No More Merge
35 Willie Nile American Ride River House
34 Blitzen Trapper VII Vagrant
34 Foals Holy Fire Warner Bros.
34 Laura Veirs Warp and Weft Raven Marching Band
34 Mavis Staples One True Vine Anti-
33 Tight Pants Syndrome All Alive EP Blip Blap!
33 Phoenix Bankrupt! Atlantic UK
32 Belle and Sebastian The Third Eye Centre Matador
32 Night Beds Country Sleep Secretly Canadian
32 Superchunk I Hate Music Merge
31 Pretty Little Empire Pretty Little Empire Extension Chord
31 Arcade Fire Reflektor Merge
31 Cold War Kids Dear Miss Lonelyhearts Co-operative Music
31 Dawes Stories Don't End HUB
31 Johnny Marr The Messenger New Voodoo
31 Patty Griffin American Kid New West
31 Telekinesis Dormarion Merge
31 They Might Be Giants Nanobots Idlewild
30 Austra Olympia ADA
30 Dark Dark Dark Who Needs Who Supply and Demand
30 Ivan & Alyosha All the Times We Had Dualtone - KDHX 88.1

Brothers Lazaroff - "Hope, Fear, Youth" (Self-released)
The brothers and company veer towards Wilco-style complexities and classic soul without neglecting their folk lyric roots and jammy sensibility. They continue to evolve in unexpected directions while remaining true to their base. Standout track: "Dance While You Can" - KDHX 88.1

BROTHERS LAZAROFF

You would be forgiven for wondering if, after playing music together for years, David and Jeff Lazaroff are sick of each other. While non-musical siblings might need a break from so much togetherness, the Brothers Lazaroff thrive on their familial bond and use it to propel their groove-roots compositions. The 2013 album Hope, Fear, Youth highlights the brothers' songwriting prowess while welcoming other accomplished local musicians into their extended family, serving up plenty of head-bobbin', Dylan-esque twang-rock that heralds summer days of porch sittin'. - St. Louis Riverfront Times

One doesn't join the world's foremost Western swing band lightly, and one leaves it even less so. When Austin singer and songwriter Elizabeth McQueen signed up for Asleep at the Wheel in 2005, she had no choice but to throw herself into the role fully, never quite guessing that's she'd wind up with a Grammy nomination and a duet with Willie Nelson to boot.
But her retirement from the Wheel at the beginning of this year hasn't meant retirement from music -- though raising a family when your husband is the drummer in a touring machine isn't a waltz across the sawdust floor. McQueen, one of Austin's finest and most versatile voices, is already working on a new a solo album and continuing her collaboration with St. Louis' Brothers Lazaroff on a recently-released project: The Laziest Remix for her last solo album The Laziest Girl in Town.

As McQueen explains, the remix EP both breathed new life into her own music and pointed the direction for future projects with the Brothers Lazaroff. McQueen returns to St. Louis for a release party with the Brothers at the Demo STL on Saturday, February 22.

Roy Kasten: What triggered the decision to leave Asleep at the Wheel?

Elizabeth McQueen: I'd been in Asleep at the Wheel for eight and half years, and five of those years I was traveling with small children, because my husband David [Sanger] plays in the band too. I always knew that once we took our second daughter out on the road I would be getting out when our oldest was starting kindergarten. It was fun to be a family on the road; it was an awesome adventure. But it had gotten exhausting and expensive. It was time. Creatively, I'd been working on the Laziest Remix record with Brothers Lazaroff, and it had just come out, and it all just happened at once. It was the beginning of a new year; it was time to start a new thing. There were no ill feelings between me and the band.

And I imagine home schooling on the Asleep at the Wheel bus was not an option.

We didn't actually take the kids on the bus. A tour bus is not place for a child. We actually had our own Sprinter van that we would travel around in. So we were driving ourselves to gigs, and that was brutal on the Asleep at the Wheel schedule. They have three drivers and can go wherever they want to. We actually did consider home schooling, but the longer we had kids the less we considered trying to do that on the road.

What one thing stands out about what you learned during your years with the Wheel?

For me there are a ton of things. I went in there as a novice; I'd only been playing music seriously for about seven years when I got that gig. I was pretty young. It was like school for me. I thought I could sing when I joined Asleep at the Wheel, but I really learned how to sing in that band. I learned how to be a prepared side guy. Singers often don't have to learn that. They're in charge, they put the band together, but they aren't necessarily part of the band. I learned to be always ready for whatever was thrown at me.

I also got to watch Ray Benson for eight and a half years. It's really good to have someone like that as a model. He works all the time. He's always trying to create opportunities for the band. You go to bed and he's talking to someone on the phone; you get up in the morning and he's already on the phone. I feel like I learned, not everything, but just a ton out there. My musicianship was comparatively low when I went in and I'm coming out much stronger as a musician.

Asleep at the Wheel had its own identity, following and reputation, and then you joined up. Did you just fit into that or did you have to change or adapt to that world?

Both. I was lucky to find a gig that was a good fit for my voice. I have an old-school, mid-20th-century-jazz voice. That doesn't fit into all modern forms of music. I also do a lot of harmony singing and that's something I love. I went in there as Elizabeth McQueen, roots-rock singer, and kind of had to conform to the Wheel identity, for sure. That's not a bad thing. Because that identity is really high-caliber musicianship. You're expected to be able to do anything at any time.

I'm guessing you met David Lazaroff through your husband, or was that before?

I knew David Lazaroff way before I knew David Sanger. When I moved to Austin with the big plan that I was going to play music for a living, he was one of the first people I started to play music with. We did gigs together. I met Jeff [Lazaroff] and met some cool musicians through David's group, and we would go on tours with Brothers Lazaroff, and they would play on my records and I would sing on theirs. David is the closest thing I have to a musical brother. He and Jeff are my musical siblings.

Was it their idea to do a remix CD?

I had heard the Verve Remix series in my early twenties when I was an intern at our local radio station, KUT in Austin, and I had an idea that I wanted to do something similar. So when I did Laziest Girl in Town I thought about doing a remix. And I talked to Brothers Lazaroff, but then I got pregnant, and that fell to the wayside. But we came back to it and were in the right mindset together. We decided to do a Kickstarter for it, and then we did the rest of the remix record, and it's been awesome to collaborate. David and I were really tight when he lived here, but when he moved back to St. Louis, our friendship, as friendships do when people live thousands of miles a part, we only saw each other occasionally. But working on this project I was able to connect with them again in a really deep way.

Did you work on the remix EP together in the same place at the same time?

We did not. I sent David the stems for the album, and they would go into the studio with the guys. David and Jeff did most of the producing. There was a back and forth, and we were rarely in the same place at the same time. I did come to St. Louis to record the song "Dreamin'" [a bonus track on the EP], but that was the only time we were in the studio together for the EP.

Does this feel like a true remix or does it feel more like a re-recording?

We call them remixes. They are literally remix versions. Brothers Lazaroff would take a piano track and run it backwards, or a saxophone track and run it through all kinds of effects. They used a lot of the rhythm tracks as a basis to start the remixes. But they are really re-imaginings, re-thinkings of the songs, which is cool.

One of the things that stands out is how rhythmically rich the remix is, even polyrhythmic on some tracks. But the way you sing, your voice can move around those denser rhythms.

A lot of that was Jeff and David taking the original vocal track and stretching and warping it. But having to sing these songs live, I actually like the remix versions more than the original versions. In general they have more of a vibe. I hate to use such a generic term, but I have a much clearer picture of some of the tracks. The original album was kind of a genre study. I wanted to do something in the style of 20th-century vocal jazz records that were recorded at the same time, like Ella Fitzgerald or Nina Simone. But the remixes are more their own unique pieces as opposed to a genre study of another era. - St. Louis Riverfront Times

February 21, 2014 5:00 am • By Kevin C. Johnson kjohnson@post-dispatch.com 314-340-81910


St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff may have struck gold with Asleep at the Wheel singer Elizabeth McQueen.
The two have recorded a new EP, “The Laziest Remix” under the name Elizabeth McQueen Meet Brothers Lazaroff. The EP features Brothers Lazaroff remixing and reimagining McQueen’s 2010 solo record “The Laziest Girl in Town” in all sorts of ways.

A show Saturday night at the Demo will celebrate the project.

McQueen, who has left Asleep at the Wheel, has “a very natural, unfiltered way of singing,” says David Lazaroff. “And she comes from a lot of the same music that we do. We grew up on the same music. She’s an authentic jazz singer really steeped in all the music from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. But she can also belt out rock like anybody else.”

Lazaroff says the collaboration with McQueen goes back more than a decade, when he was living in Austin, Texas. Brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff met McQueen shortly after that.

Brothers Lazaroff also includes Grover Stewart, Teddy Brookins and Mo Egeston.

“She’s one of our oldest musical friends,” says David Lazaroff. “I was on the road with her playing guitar around 2003-2005. We would tour and we’d do St. Louis and she was part of the family. She’s like a sister to us. When you’re playing music with people, you get close to people really quickly.”

The Brothers Lazaroff worked and played with McQueen until about 2005, when she started singing with her husband in Asleep at the Wheel.
When time allowed, McQueen worked on other projects, including recording “Sitting on Top of the World” with Willie Nelson for his Grammy-nominated “Willie and the Wheel” project and releasing her 2010 album “The Laziest Girl in Town.”

While promoting that album in St. Louis, Brothers Lazaroff backed her up.
“We did a take on some of her tunes then,” Lazaroff says.

McQueen had inquired about Brothers Lazaroff remixing for her in the past, but it hadn’t happened until now.
“This was an opportunity to mess around with some of her tunes — put a twist on it,” Lazaroff says. “She got excited, and we got excited.”

McQueen’s song “Mind of Men” originated as a fast swing song, but Lazaroff says “we cut in it half, and made it hip-hop, D’Angelo style, put a ‘Voodoo’ twist on it. It’s still jazzy, but it’s more like a neo-jazz feel with neo-hip-hop.”
The title cut to “The Laziest Girl in Town” is a Cole Porter tune, and for “The Laziest Remix” it was transformed into a dub reggae tune. “It’s crazy, but it works. We ended up chopping her voice so it fit.”

St. Louis rapper Thelonius Kryptonite was brought in for “Gone Solid Gone,” which began as a straight swing tune but was totally twisted with an underscoring hip-hop beat. A new feeling was put on her vocal phrasings, and the cut has the feel of an old record.

The concert for Elizabeth McQueen Meet Brothers Lazaroff will be a typical Brothers Lazaroff affair, with many types of music from many artists.

McQueen will pair with Kryptonite onstage for the first time.

“She’d never done anything with a rapper before,” Lazaroff says. “She’s going from Western swing to old-school jazz and stepping out and doing stuff she has always wanted to do. It’s fun to see people’s reactions.”

There’s even a bit of poetry in the form of Cheeraz Gorman, who wrote a piece inspired by Brothers Lazaroff’s “Dance While You Can.”

The pair hope to keep “The Laziest Remix” going by taking it on the road. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Written by Francisco Fisher

Brothers Lazaroff is a band that melds genres, and they might share brainwaves, too. David and Jeff Lazaroff could be a pair of telepathic siblings. But it's more likely that the brothers' compatibility onstage comes from playing music and writing songs together since their high school days. The duo carried on composing as a team for more than a decade while David Lazaroff lived in Austin, and all the while the songwriters continued to develop their roots-driven sound. Currently reunited in St. Louis, the fraternal front men are a staple of the local music scene and draw crowds all over town.
Besides a possible secret language, the brothers are equipped with earnest songwriting and an earthy sound peppered with jazz-inspired riffs and fuzzy solos. The remainder of the quintet they've led for more than four years includes Grover Stewart on drums, Teddy Brookins on bass and Mo Egeston on keys. Both in the studio and onstage, the evidence is clear that the group has developed an intuition and familiarity that allows each player to create something unexpected.
Whether Brothers Lazaroff is guiding you through a slow-paced ballad or a heady jam, each member of the group stays cohesive and poised to create something ear-catching. The group's fourth and latest release, "Hope, Fear, Youth," lends new songs to the Brothers' repertoire, with melodies bound to get stuck in your head. - KDHX.org 88.1FM; September 27, 2013

"The songs on Hope, Fear, Youth are revisited remnants of Lazaroff past and yet still resonate with tales of truth and life experience. This record is one of the most vividly written and masterfully recorded works of art to come from St. Louis this year."
Nick Garcia, St. Louis Public Radio-Arch City Radio Hour

"I've been a fan of these guys before they were these guys, but 'Battle Hymn' may be Brothers Lazaroff most beautiful song to date. And that's saying something." February 2013
Roy Kasten, KDHX 88.1 FM; St. Louis, MO.

"Their new release, "Science Won," blends styles and genres to create something entirely new about the oldest theme in the world -- family...No single sound prevails. Instead, stitches of jazz, folk, country and rock create the fabric. It doesn't make for a quick, throw-away listen. Much of the album's appeal comes from discovering the layers. Listen one day, and the jazz influence stands out. The next day, it's the poetic lyricism and strong visual imagery. Later, the rooted folkiness of the guitar arrangements comes through. It's subjective to mood, setting and listener experience."
Robin Wheeler, Freelance Music Writer for KDHX.org; St. Louis, MO

"To be clear, Jeff and David Lazaroff — the look-alike, but not twin siblings of BROTHERS LAZAROFF— have moved beyond all things folk, even as their songwriting retains its connection to their heroes: Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Backed up by the supremely tight rhythm section of Teddy Brookins and Grover Stewart and pushed into the funkosphere by jazz and electronic maestro Mo Egeston on keyboards, Brothers Lazaroff can jam your ass and stir your heart."

Riverfront Times quote for 2010 St. Louis Music Awards (BROTHERS LAZAROFF are the 2010 Music Awards winner for Best American/Folk Band in St. Louis)

"BROTHERS LAZAROFF craft intelligent lyrics with textured music that sounds terrific! Lots of brothers try Jeff and David deliver!"

Bryan Beck, KGRS 107.1 FM; Austin, TX

"On Give ‘em What They Need, St. Louis band BROTHERS LAZAROFF takes a hard left turn into the psychedelic wonderland of the studio. As always, the blood brothers Jeff and David Lazaroff are backed by musical brothers Mo Egeston (keyboards), Teddy Brookins (bass) and Grover Stewart (drums); together they drive all their funk, rock, Americana and jam tendencies through a dense and chaotic landscape of noisy discoveries. The 12 songs bleed together, one into the next; the themes pick up where the band’s last album, American Artifact, left off. Dissolution, chaos, fear and confusion dominate; it’s a dark album but there’s much beauty and power in the darkness, new ways of thinking and making music out of the wreckage of emotions and sounds."

Roy Kasten, KDHX 88.1 FM; St. Louis, MO

"The Brothers Lazaroff were on last night at Off Broadway with their amazing dynamics and genre play, introducing the audience to a "[New] Way of Thinking"...a Brothers Lazaroff way of thinking."

Will Kyle, Freelance Music Writer for KDHX.org; St. Louis, MO

“Give 'em What They Need is the third record by BROTHERS LAZAROFF, and with each release Jeff and David Lazaroff add more soul and more brave experimentation to their rootsy music."

Christian Schaeffer, the Riverfront Times;St. Louis, MO

"Give 'em What They Need is one of my top ten albums of the year! I have listened to it over and over, and I like it more every time I hear it! When I hear a record like this, it re-affirms my faith that music can be taken in a direction that I have never heard before, in a way that both rocks like a mother, yet soothes my soul at the same time. Absolutely brilliant! I don't know how the hell to describe them. A little Americana, rock, soul, and jam band sound mixed together. The best band in St. Louis. Seriously, this album is a life changer. Buy it NOW!"

Pat Wolfe, KDHX 88.1FM; St. Louis, MO

"Bros Laz defy genres and definition on its new album, Give 'em What They Need. Jazz, blues, soul, twang, folk and rock -- all have a place on the album."

Annie Zaleski, the Riverfront Times, St. Louis, MO

"The brothers and company took a break from their instruments to open the Carter Family's "No Depression" a cappella, and motioned for the audience to join them in song. For the first time all night, the sold-out crowd quieted, then joined the band in what morphed into a spiritual ceremony of voices, anchored with the organ and sto - various

A Brothers Lazaroff concert is bound to include songs fans can’t find on any Brothers Lazaroff album.

The eclectic, American-rooted band, fronted by brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff, is prone to augment its sets with songs from the early days — from before the current lineup with Grover Stewart on drums, Teddy Brookins on bass and Mo Egeston on keyboards.

These songs date back a decade, in some cases even further, and mostly were recorded in Austin, Texas.
“Some of the songs were from albums from college, and we recorded them on machines that weren’t state-of-the-art technology,” David Lazaroff says. “We didn’t feel they represent what we do quality-wise, as we’ve developed ourselves and changed our style and vibe building off the influences of Teddy and Grover and Mo.”
Some came from early releases (and nonreleases), such as “Pure Delight” (2005), Jeff Lazaroff’s “Row of Trees” (2004) and his self-titled album (2001), and David Lazaroff’s “Melancholy Cracks” (2003).

“People would ask us what CD has this song and what CD had that song, and we didn’t have a recorded version anymore,” Lazaroff says.

Now, fans can add those missing songs to their collections with “Hope, Fear, Youth.” The full band entered the studio eight months ago and re-recorded new versions of those songs in one night and in one take.
“The songs take on a whole new life with this group,” he says. “It’s very interesting and fun stuff and sounds really sick. It’s not an overthought studio album. We went in there and tried to get a live feel.”

Also, says Lazaroff, “most people don’t know this backstory and will enjoy the CD as if it was new. No one will say this sounds like songs written a long time ago.”

Lazaroff says the songs represent the general theme of hope and fear and the youthful energy of those emotions, hence the title “Hope, Fear, Youth.”

Also featured on the project is Austin musician Gary Newcomb, who plays pedal steel and acoustic guitars.

One song, “Dance While You Can,” originally had a ska-blues shuffle feel that was changed into a house-disco feel. “Time’s Quickly Fleeting” is a bluegrass tune, which often served as a closer for Brothers Lazaroff, and was given a gospel sheen.

“People always asked where they could buy that one,” Lazaroff says.

Singer Coco Soul is featured on bonus song “Pure Delight,” along with Tom “Papa” Ray.” “Cluck Ole Hen” is the other bonus cut.
Brothers Lazaroff celebrate the release of “Hope, Fear, Youth” with a block party Saturday afternoon at Vintage Vinyl.
“We really wanted the feel of a block party and wanted to do something different,” Lazaroff says, “so instead of a nighttime studio release, we went for a daytime release.”

They’ll be performing with acts on the album including Coco Soul and Ray, along with a lineup that includes Thelonius Kryptonite, Jenny and the Late Nite, Mo E All-Stars, Jonezy, Mathias, Capo and more.

“It’s gonna be a party and a chance to feature some of the people who’ve helped us,” he says. “You’ll be able to bring the kids.” - St. Louis Post Dispatch; September, 27 2013

St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff is nothing if not prolific. But despite (or maybe because of) the brothers' work ethic, they consistently craft music with soulful intelligence. The sweeping, almost Robbie Robertson-esque "Battle Hymn" is the latest case in point. - KDHX.org 88.1FM; September 25, 2013

Brothers and best buds David and Jeff Lazaroff have the type of close-knit relationship that all siblings ought to aspire to. The duo has written songs together on guitars since their high school days and officially began playing under the name Brothers Lazaroff around 2003. For the past five-and-a-half-years, the brothers have made local musicians Grover Stewart (drums), Teddy Brookins (bass) and Mo Egeston (keyboards) part of their extended family. On Saturday, September 28, the group will release its fourth release: Hope, Fear, Youth....rest of the article can be read by clicking the URL - Riverfront Times; September 20, 2013

Jeff and David Lazaroff stop by the studio to talk about the Block Party on Saturday September 28th outside of Vintage Vinyl in celebration of their new album, Hope Fear Youth. Some songs on the new album are Brothers Lazaroff staples that are finally seeing an official release, and others are older songs from their youth re-imagined with the current members of Brothers Lazaroff. Jeff and David also play acoustic versions of songs from Hope Fear Youth. - St. Louis Public Radio: Arch City Radio Hour; September, 16 2013

'Science Won' #3 on list of top local album spins. - KDHX.org 88.1FM; December 17, 2012

'Science Won' #10 on list including National and Local Acts - KDHX.org 881.FM; December 17, 2012

Hope, Fear, Youth in top National and Local Spins listing - KDHX.org 88.1FM; July 8, 2013

In the interest of full disclosure, Brothers Lazaroff and I are old friends, so feel free to consider that when reading my review. However, my personal history perhaps allows me a bit of a special perspective and appreciation of context when discussing Science Won, their most recent self-released album. It was originally released in April, but they had an additional “limited vinyl” release just a month or so ago, so that’s why I’m reviewing the album now. It’s also appropriate that our mutual hero (and some may suggest, obsession), Bob Dylan, just released his newest album Tempest this month. To me the influence of Dylan is crystal clear. Brothers Lazaroff are always searching and exploring just like Bob does. They are without a doubt rooted in American song, but they seem to constantly challenge their audience and coax them out of their comfort zone.

For those who don’t know, Science Won is Brothers Lazaroff’s fourth official album though there were a number of early Jeff Lazaroff Band and David Lazaroff solo releases that pre-dated the time when David moved back to the city of his birth, St. Louis, after living in Austin, Texas for a number of years. They are an accomplished songwriting team and particularly adept at enlisting other great musicians to their cause. The band, consisting of Grover Stewart on drums, Teddy Brookins on bass, and Mo Egeston on keyboards along with the interplay between Jeff’s solid guitar rhythms and David’s unique and expressive Robbie Robertson-esque leads make for exciting live shows and extremely creative work in the studio. In addition to superb musicianship and thoughtful lyrics, the band also features familiar lifting harmonies that convey the comfort and trust that only brothers can produce together. Very well known in the burgeoning local St. Louis music scene and to some extent in Austin, they are lamentably less known outside of the area. My hope is that changes.

Science Won continues to expand the band’s catalog of heady Americana. This album finds the guys nearly entirely acoustic and with very limited (if any) overdubs. I suppose you could call it their most “folky” record to date due to the acoustic sound pallet featured here (acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, piano, and brushes on a snare), but the way these songs are constructed and performed — one ear towards pop sensibilities and the other towards exploratory revelry — listeners are pushed past the usual folk boundaries. In lyric, song structure, melody, and instrumental delivery; this album moves with a certain unpretentious bop that owes its demeanor as much to the gracious and adventurous characters of these artists themselves as it does to their appreciation for all the jazz and folk artists that inspired them.

“Where You Going Now?” starts the album off and despite its rather ominous and accusatory choral tone, the music is sweet, down-to-Earth, and refreshing — perhaps even hopeful. My absolute favorite song on this album is the third song “Under the Tree” (see below for recorded version via bandcamp and an extremely impressive live version via youtube). The lyrics here highlight the sometimes oppressive influence of our past and how as adults we now come face to face with our failings as we stand judged by the ghostly projections of our parents and grandparents and those of whom we may see as greater generations. Yet, the second verse finds a bit more balance in that the singer sees the plurality of judging opinions and in that finds the freedom to plead for his own way and perhaps the rest of our generation in “Can’t we just find our own quiet place under the tree?” It’s beautiful and powerfully redemptive. However, later verses seem to subtly recognize the paradox inherent in pure subjectivity. Here we finally find true balance somewhere closer to respect for our past and each other’s opinions rather than fear or even disdain.

There is a lot to like on this album, and I think it has such a breadth that lots of different people could find lots of their own unique preferences towards different songs for entirely different reasons. “Picking Up Sticks” and “35 Summers” are two of my favorites due to their somewhat darker and stranger tones, lyrics, and structures. I love the acoustic guitar on the truly beautiful “When Light Betrays the Night” with its edgy fret buzz that’s comparable to how a flamenco picker may use it to raw biting perfection. Then of course there’s the seemingly Stereolab-inspired beauty “It’s All Relative” which was such a pleasant surprise when I first heard it. Check it out for yourself and find whatever fancies you in this album and try to figure out for yourself whether you really think Science Won. - Common Folk Music; September 26, 2012

We're now halfway through another year, and you've heard thousands of great songs on KDHX. Here's a look at the top album spins for the first half of 2012.
These are the albums that have excited us enough to play them over and over again. And that says a lot about the strength of a good album, especially since KDHX DJs have the freedom to choose what we want to share with our listeners week after week. The year's not over yet, but here's the rundown of our collective favorites. So far.
Like the spin results at the end of 2011, there are a few expected list-toppers and more than a few surprises. If you'd like to follow along with our ever-changing weekly charts, bookmark or subscribe to our charts page.
Be sure to check out the 88.1 KDHX DJ top 10 favorite albums of midyear 2012 and become a fan of your favorite show to join in on the discussion of all these midyear lists.
Midyear 2012 Top 40 National and Local Spins
* Denotes local artist
Spins Artist Album Label
86 Rough Shop * Beneath the South Side Bridge Perdition Records
77 Middle Class Fashion * Girl Talk Blip Blap!
70 Chuck Prophet Temple Beautiful Yep Roc
66 Dr. Dog Be the Void ANTI-
61 Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yim Yames New Multitudes Rounder
59 Various Artists Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Universal
56 Heartless Bastards Arrow Partisan Records
55 Hospitality Hospitality Merge
52 Tennis Young & Old Fat Possum Records
52 Dr. John Locked Down Nonesuch
51 Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Columbia
51 Guided By Voices Let's Go Eat the Factory GBV
50 Craig Finn Clear Heart Full Eyes Vagrant
50 Leonard Cohen Old Ideas Columbia
47 Imperial Teen Feel the Sound Merge Records
45 Kevin Gordon Gloryland Kevin Gordon
44 Andrew Bird Break it Yourself Mom + Pop
44 Jack White Blunderbuss Third Man/Columbia
44 Kathleen Edwards Voyageur Zoe
44 First Aid Kit The Lion's Roar Wichita
43 Carolina Chocolate Drops Leaving Eden Nonesuch
43 Nada Surf The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy Barsuk
42 Brothers Lazaroff * Science Won Self-Released
41 The Shins Port Of Morrow Columbia
39 The Little Willies For the Good Times Milking Bull
39 Best Coast The Only Place Mexican Summer
37 Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls Atlantic
37 Gotye Making Mirrors Universal Republic
36 Lee Ranaldo Between The Times & The Tides Matador / Hostess
35 Allo Darlin' Europe Slumberland
35 The Magnetic Fields Love At The Bottom Of The Sea Merge
33 Beach House Bloom Sub Pop
33 The Vondrukes * Runaway, Goodbye Love Self-released
32 Justin Townes Earle Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now Bloodshot Records
32 Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror Mom + Pop
32 Kelly Hogan I Like to Keep Myself in Pain ANTI-
32 Sharon Van Etten Tramp Jagjaguwar
30 Ray Wylie Hubbard The Grifter's Hymnal Bordello
30 Lee Fields & The Expressions Faithful Man Truth & Soul Records
30 Polica Give You The Ghost Totally Gross National Product
- KDHX.org 88.1FM; July 2, 2012

We're now halfway through another year, and you've heard thousands of great songs on KDHX. Here's a look at the top album spins for the first half of 2012.
These are the albums that have excited us enough to play them over and over again. And that says a lot about the strength of a good album, especially since KDHX DJs have the freedom to choose what we want to share with our listeners week after week. The year's not over yet, but here's the rundown of our collective favorites. So far.
Like the spin results at the end of 2011, there are a few expected list-toppers and more than a few surprises. If you'd like to follow along with our ever-changing weekly charts, bookmark or subscribe to our charts page.
Be sure to check out the 88.1 KDHX DJ top 10 favorite albums of midyear 2012 and become a fan of your favorite show to join in on the discussion of all these midyear lists.
Midyear 2012 Top 40 National and Local Spins
* Denotes local artist
Spins Artist Album Label
86 Rough Shop * Beneath the South Side Bridge Perdition Records
77 Middle Class Fashion * Girl Talk Blip Blap!
70 Chuck Prophet Temple Beautiful Yep Roc
66 Dr. Dog Be the Void ANTI-
61 Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yim Yames New Multitudes Rounder
59 Various Artists Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Universal
56 Heartless Bastards Arrow Partisan Records
55 Hospitality Hospitality Merge
52 Tennis Young & Old Fat Possum Records
52 Dr. John Locked Down Nonesuch
51 Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Columbia
51 Guided By Voices Let's Go Eat the Factory GBV
50 Craig Finn Clear Heart Full Eyes Vagrant
50 Leonard Cohen Old Ideas Columbia
47 Imperial Teen Feel the Sound Merge Records
45 Kevin Gordon Gloryland Kevin Gordon
44 Andrew Bird Break it Yourself Mom + Pop
44 Jack White Blunderbuss Third Man/Columbia
44 Kathleen Edwards Voyageur Zoe
44 First Aid Kit The Lion's Roar Wichita
43 Carolina Chocolate Drops Leaving Eden Nonesuch
43 Nada Surf The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy Barsuk
42 Brothers Lazaroff * Science Won Self-Released
41 The Shins Port Of Morrow Columbia
39 The Little Willies For the Good Times Milking Bull
39 Best Coast The Only Place Mexican Summer
37 Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls Atlantic
37 Gotye Making Mirrors Universal Republic
36 Lee Ranaldo Between The Times & The Tides Matador / Hostess
35 Allo Darlin' Europe Slumberland
35 The Magnetic Fields Love At The Bottom Of The Sea Merge
33 Beach House Bloom Sub Pop
33 The Vondrukes * Runaway, Goodbye Love Self-released
32 Justin Townes Earle Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now Bloodshot Records
32 Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror Mom + Pop
32 Kelly Hogan I Like to Keep Myself in Pain ANTI-
32 Sharon Van Etten Tramp Jagjaguwar
30 Ray Wylie Hubbard The Grifter's Hymnal Bordello
30 Lee Fields & The Expressions Faithful Man Truth & Soul Records
30 Polica Give You The Ghost Totally Gross National Product
- KDHX.org 88.1FM; July 2, 2012

The holiday season brings an overload of Christmas-themed shows at concert venues, nightclubs and more. Hanukkah has taken a back seat to Christmas when it comes to holiday concerts and shows.

"There are not as many people doing Hanukkah parties on the hipper side of things," says David Lazaroff, one of the members of the eclectic St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff, along with his brother Jeff Lazaroff.

"A lot of the Jewish-centric events get put on through synagogues, and they're not as tied into the music scene and arts scene," says Lazaroff, noting that "White Christmas" composer Irving Berlin was Jewish. "Jews assimilated into society really well, whether we're playing Christmas music or country music."

Brothers Lazaroff is doing its part to represent Hanukkah to the fullest with a little help from its friends. The band is performing tonight at Off Broadway after the Kinky Friedman concert there, calling its show with a lineup of other acts the Hanukkah Hullabaloo Kinky Friedman After-Party.

"We know a lot of really talented Jewish songwriters and musicians in town, people connected to that scene, and decided to put something together and make it fun," Lazaroff says.

Brothers Lazaroff will perform songs that he describes as upbeat and danceable, along with a special set of klezmer music. Will Soll's Klezmer Conspiracy will focus on East European street music from the 1900s to the 1930s.

The Vaad, a new band formed by Ben Kaplan, will make its live debut, featuring members of Magnolia Summer, the Bottle Rockets and Melody Den.

"It's post-rock noise experimental stuff that I think has Eastern European themes," Lazaroff says. "I'm not sure what he'll come out with, but it will be fun stuff."

James Stone Goodman, a local rabbi as well as a singer, songwriter and poet, will read a series of poems he wrote about Hanukkah, accompanying himself on an oud, a Middle Eastern string instrument.

DJ Goldie will spin a "Chosen Set" of songs featuring artists of Jewish heritage including Amy Winehouse, the Beastie Boys, producers Scott Storch and Rick Rubin, and DJ Mark Ronson.

"She's gonna dig deep, and she's gonna play a bunch of different stuff that has some Jewish connection to it, and hopefully it'll be hip-hop-centric," Lazaroff says.

Also, latkes will be fried on stage, bringing even more authenticity to the event.

Lazaroff says he is glad he can kick off this event with an artist such as the Texas-based Friedman as the backbone.

"He's known as a mystery writer and for being a provocative songwriter from the '60s and '70s. His thing is exposing racism and anti-Semitism, and he's a real character. We're big fans."

The idea behind the event is cultural in nature, not religious, Lazaroff says.

"There are so many talented musicians in town with varying degrees of Jewishness," he says. "And being Jewish isn't all about the religion. It's also about the culture."
- St. Louis Post Dispatch; December 2, 2011

St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff is brimming with all sorts of fresh ideas for its latest project, "Science Won."

At the top of the list may be a new direction for the band, which is fronted by brothers Jeff (guitar, vocals) and David Lazaroff (guitar, vocals), with Grover Stewart (drums, vocals), Teddy Brookins (bass, vocals) and Mo Egeston (keyboards).

For "Science Won," Brothers Lazaroff took an acoustic turn.

"We had a few experiences in the last year where we had to play more acoustic, more stripped down, and had a nice response," David Lazaroff says. "We really love acoustic and roots music. We really wanted to make a really stripped-down record, just Brothers making music in a room, as if we were playing in a kitchen or living room."

The result, which follows the albums "Give 'Em What They Need" (2010) and "American Artifact" (2009), is the band's most organic-sounding project.

The majority of the songs on "Science Won" run less than three minutes, which is rare for Brothers Lazaroff. The total length of the project is 38 minutes.

"We really challenged ourselves not having long solos and long parts," Lazaroff says. "It felt a bit more dynamic to keep it short. There's something about trying to do the opposite of what you did the last time."

Lazaroff says he isn't sure how long the band will stay in acoustic mode.

"Jeff and I are always writing and searching for new sounds," he says. "Some people love our more rootsy acoustic vibe, and some people love it when we're trying to be bombastic and mixing all the Americana with neo soul and acid jazz."

In an effort to promote "Science Won," Brothers Lazaroff asked musician friends to record cover versions of songs on the album. (Find the videos at brotherslazaroff.com/videoproject.)

Brothers Lazaroff will celebrate the release of "Science Won" with three concerts Friday through Sunday. Saturday night's concert at the Focal Point will include "Science Won" performed in its entirety.
- St. Louis Post Dispatch; April 20, 2012

Brothers Lazaroff brought their serene blend of roots and Americana to Off Broadway to open for Kentucky Knife Fight.
The five-piece started early to a partially-formed crowd, but that didn't stop them from blasting out the rock, funk, country swing and a host of other genres, a seamless reduction resulting in the band's indelible sound. David Lazaroff's acid jazz guitar opening to "I See Her" woke up those in the audience who were sleeping, while Mo Egeston's stately keys supported Teddy Brookins's fluid and effortless bass line. Jeff Lazaroff's vocals on "Where You Going Now?" conjured the silk of Jeff Tweedy, yet stood on their own as a warm counterpart to the playful "I'm curious about you" tune.
Grover Stewart offered up a slew of sick fills on "Run With the Horses," as David unleashed one of his many impressive power solos. "It's All Relative" featured a jazzy Phish presence and a heady jam. On "She Loves to Dance" (dancing becoming the theme of their set), Brookins' bass strap fell off, but he reattached it with a smile, not missing a note in a display of pure panache. Brothers Lazaroff closed with the existential "Old Way of Thinking," from 2010's "Give 'Em What They Need." The warmth of Egeston's organ led the song into a surprising chorus turn-around with plenty of room for an instrumental rock-out. The Brothers Lazaroff were on last night at Off Broadway with their amazing dynamics and genre play, introducing the audience to a "[New] Way of Thinking:" A Brothers Lazaroff way of thinking. - KDHX.org 88.1FM; July 1, 2012

Brothers Lazaroff are ever-evolving. From their Austin-inspired alt-country beginnings, they've added new layers of other forms of American music with each album.
Their new release, "Science Won," blends styles and genres to create something entirely new about the oldest theme in the world -- family.
Album opener "Where Are You Going Now" hints at their rootsy strengths with acoustic strings, modernized with Grover Stewart's brushed drums and minimalist jazz guitar riffs under brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff's harmonized chorus. Combined with image-laden lyrics, the whole creates a multi-layered scene of modern domesticity that carries through the album.
Mo Egeston starts the darker "I See Her" with a fleeting moment of improvised jazz piano that morphs into Stewart's steady percussion and Teddy Brookins' subtle bass that roots the song. This piano-drum-bass foundation rolls through the entire album, topped with the Lazaroff's more folk-flavored guitars, especially on "Picking Up Sticks."
No single sound prevails. Instead, stitches of jazz, folk, country and rock create the fabric. It doesn't make for a quick, throw-away listen. Much of the album's appeal comes from discovering the layers. Listen one day, and the jazz influence stands out. The next day, it's the poetic lyricism and strong visual imagery. Later, the rooted folkiness of the guitar arrangements comes through. It's subjective to mood, setting and listener experience.
"Sometimes I feel so defined by what my ancestors said," begins "Under the Tree," continuing the theme of coming to terms with family, ancestry and generational expectation. "35 Summers" picks up the idea with its images of "some crazy old woman rambling on and on, talking about the kids, the ones that don't belong."
"Where Light Betrays Night" pairs sweet vocal harmonies with sparse instrumentation that twists into a funk riff, then straightens itself, twisting and turning to the end when it blends into "Keep it Dark"'s catchiness that belies the lyrics.
The last quarter of the album is devoted to the more positive aspects of the theme, starting with wedding-ready love song "I Could Stay Here for the Rest of My Life," to the tongue-in-cheek "It's All Relative." The climax of the album's story, the song sums up what every family does: loves, fails, tries to do right, fights, succeeds, and keeps moving, all with no set pattern and rules.
"The Waltz of No Time" begins the album's end. Taking a waltz meter with minimalist, modern instrumentation to set a scene of rooted timelessness that dips its toe into jazzy chaos before going silent.
The title track concludes the album with a return to the band's folk roots. Sparkling acoustic strings shine over a quiet rhythm section, closing the album with, "She never would admit that science won." What science? Not sure. Science of genetics, or human chemistry, perhaps. Science of evolution that fuels change and the marriage of species, be they mammal or musical. - KDHX.org 88.1FM; April 19, 2012

It's been a big spring for Brothers Lazaroff. They stormed South by Southwest, armed with genre-bending remixes of Austin pal Elizabeth McQueen's retro jazz before returning to St. Louis to release their new album, "Science Won."
Rather, they launched the new album into the world with a series of three shows: an electric gig with Cree Rider at the Gramophone, an acoustic show in the Focal Point's Local Heroes series and a brunch set with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound at Lola.
Recently, I shared lunch with David and Jeff Lazaroff at Market Grill to discuss the roots of their music, the making of the new album and new projects.
Robin Wheeler: One of my first experiences seeing you was at the Uncle Tupelo tribute in 2010. I was in the balcony with my friend, who was also at the original Uncle Tupelo shows, and we both said, "They get it. This is what Uncle Tupelo would have sounded like had they not imploded."
David Lazaroff: Honestly, we had to learn a lot about them. We didn't know the catalog because we're more Wilco fans. But we love old-time music. We didn't come at it so much from the punk angle. We came at it from the country angle. More the Dylan, folk side of the things.
RW: You did "No Depression," right?
DL: We did "Watch Me Fall."
Jeff Lazaroff: And then we did …
DL and JL: "I Wanna be Your Dog."
RW: You guys got it. Whether you'd done your research or came from the background.
JL: I think more than anything we are, as a band, we're friends, and it's not necessarily about our individual talents. It's about the sound we all make together. I think that's the one thing we got from them is a return to that spirit of getting into old time and folk music, but coming at it from a rock perspective. That's how we learned playing. Learning old Stanley Brothers and all the old bluegrass. And not having to be flat pickers. Not having to be bluegrass musicians, per se. That's why, when we found the song "No Depression," it really was an easy transition with the style we've developed with this unit over the past four years. We play old fiddle tunes and make them our own.
DL: Like a lot of other musicians we like to walk our influences backwards. Here's who we love. Who did they love? Walk it back a few generations. I got into the punkier side of things later. Like getting into Sonic Youth … I think "Sonic Nurse" was their first album I owned. It was kind of cool timing to do that thing. I had that Iggy Pop album with "I Wanna Be Your Dog," so when we were asked to do it, we were ready.
JL: We practice every Tuesday night. We make a meal and we practice. Every time one of these KDHX tribute nights has come, it's been a good excuse for us all to dive into that artist. We'll be geeky about them and learn six or seven tunes, do the ones that feel good and let the band decide.
DL: You can feel the ones you should do. I think for the Dylan one we ran through 20 tunes.
RW: Last night I listened to "American Artifact" back-to-back with "Science Won." How did you get from point A to point B? Listening to "American Artifact," there's the feel of this being what Uncle Tupelo might have sounded like had they not broken up, and now you're getting into more groovy and jazzy, but there's still slide guitar undertone. So, what happened?
DL: We used to use all Austin musicians for our recordings. That's where I lived for 13 years.
JL: He was still living in Austin with that recording.
DL: Yeah. That recording featured Gary Newcomb on pedal steel. He played with a band called Li'l Cap'n Travis that was Wilco-derived. The drummer was a woman named Stacy Hoobler who had more of a punk thing. We put that band together for that album, specifically. And then we recorded with Jacob Detering here at Red Pill, and we asked him for some recommendations for local musicians. He turned us on to [drummer] Grover [Stewart], and then Grover helped us find [bassist] Teddy [Brookins]. We went out to see Grover play one night and we found [keyboardist] Mo [Egeston]. And this all happened within a year. This is our fourth year with a solid unit. I think with the last album, "Give 'Em What They Need," we tried to throw it against the wall. We had developed this new style that was a combination of the groove-based styles Grover, Teddy and Mo brought, and our Americana, psychedelic thing.
We loved "Give 'Em What They Need," but we felt it was a little too dense. We did a lot of overdubs. Then we wanted to do the opposite. We developed an acoustic sound for certain gigs, and people really responded to it. It was a natural thing: "Oh, we have this acoustic feel where Grover uses brushes, but still being Grover. Teddy's playing acoustic bass, but still being Teddy. And Mo's a piano player to start. We just went in there and had this thought of, let's see if we can do no overdubs. It had a jazzier feel. A lot of it is the grooves. Being an acoustic instrumentation, we all played the same instrument for every song, the same miking techni - KDHX.org 88.1FM; May, 11 2012

Best Americana/Folk Band (Untraditional)
Brothers Lazaroff - Riverfront Times; June 23, 2010

So much music, so little time. As the year draws to a close, find out what was hot on 88.1 KDHX as we look back at the Top Album Spins of 2010. - Written by KDHX; December 20,2010

88.1 KDHX loves music from around the globe, but we have a special passion for music from right here in St. Louis. 2010 was a great year for local artists; this list provides a snapshot of some of the hottest releases. - Written by KDHX; December 20, 2010

On Give ‘Em What They Need, St. Louis band Brothers Lazaroff takes a hard left turn into the psychedelic wonderland of the studio. As always, the blood brothers Jeff and Dave Lazaroff are backed by musical brothers Mo Egeston (keyboards), Teddy Brookins (bass) and Grover Stewart (drums); together they drive all their funk, rock, Americana and jam tendencies through a dense and chaotic landscape of noisy discoveries. The 12 songs bleed together, one into the next; the themes pick up where the band’s last album, American Artifact, left off. Dissolution, chaos, fear and confusion dominate; it’s a dark album but there’s much beauty and power in the darkness, new ways of thinking and making music out of the wreckage of emotions and sounds. - KDHX, Posted by Roy Kasten; November 12, 2010

Brothers Lazaroff are the feature of KDHX’s Local Artist Spotlight. Their new album is Give Em’ What They Need. Brothers Lazaroff are a roots rock/American band, with moments of electronica and funk. - KDHX, Written by Local Artist Spotlight; November 15th, 2010

Three releases into its repertoire, Brothers Lazaroff is going to "Give 'Em What They Need."

That's the name of the group's new release, which will be the focus of a blowout CD release party tonight at Lola.

Brothers Lazaroff, led by Jeff and David Lazaroff, came up with the title after noticing reactions to its music.

"We found it interesting that different scenes were being turned on by things they aren't normally turned on by," Jeff Lazaroff says. "The Americana scene turned on to some of our funkier stuff, and we've seen the urban scene digging our country stuff. They think they want this, so we said let's give them what they need."

This is encouraging to Brothers Lazaroff because "music is so separated nowadays," Lazaroff says. "It used to collide all the time. If people heard something funky and liked it, it didn't matter who it was. But now there's specific genres, and our exposing people to different genres has an interesting effect."

The members of Brothers Lazaroff believe in being themselves instead of trying to fit into comfortable molds.

"Our approach is for ourselves rather than trying to be calculated and stylized," David Lazaroff says.

Helping the brothers find newer sides to their music, from neo-soul to house to acid jazz, are drummer Grover Stewart, bassist Teddy Brookins and keyboardist Mo Egeston, all of St. Louis.

It's Brothers Lazaroff's first time recording with its live band instead of Austin, Texas, musicians.

"We're combining styles that appeal to us and the people we're playing with, so it's true to us. We're creating our own language and turning to each other for new music," David Lazaroff says.

For the CD release party for "Give 'Em What They Need," which follows last year's "American Artifact," the band has lined up a number of varied St. Louis acts.

"What we're trying to do is present the music that we love, and that's a lot of different styles," Jeff Lazaroff says. "It's just about great music."

David Lazaroff adds: "That's the thing about Lola. It's a place about giving people what they need. It's a restaurant, a club, a venue, a bar, with jazz, country, rockabilly, house and DJs. It's very open to whatever you want to do. It may not be a traditional venue for a CD release, but we're excited to do something there." - BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON • Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic; November 12, 2010

For their latest album, "Give ‘Em What They Need," the Brothers Lazaroff have brought it all back home.

In part, that's meant literally. Not long ago, David Lazaroff moved back to St. Louis from Austin, Texas, his home for the last 13 years, to join his older brother Jeff and end the band's peripatetic existence.

But it's true figuratively as well. The album reflects influences and attitudes the Brothers gleaned from the St. Louis music scene, which is in some ways more expansive than Austin's emphasis on roots-music styles.

"There's a little bit more diversity of music here, " David says. "There's an openness."

"The guys we play with here, they have their backgrounds in house music, acid jazz, neo-soul and funk," Jeff says. "It's a cool combination."

Indeed, the guys Jeff refers to represent a new beginning for the band as well. "Give ‘Em What They Need" represents the first time the Brothers Lazaroff have recorded exclusively with St. Louis musicians - drummer Grover Stewart, bassist Teddy Brookins, and keyboardist Mo Egeston. The Brothers' previous efforts - 2006's "Pure Delight" and 2009's "American Artifact" - were made with sidemen from Austin and Chicago.

The band recorded the new album in St. Louis, using a somewhat unusual method that the Lazaroffs insist keeps the music fresh and fun to play.

"David and I write together and we like to not over-rehearse it or even show it to the band until we get into the studio," Jeff says. "We feel that gives the songs a first-thought-best-thought approach."

"It feels like you're getting the birth of the song," David adds, noting that the band is usually able to nail the performance on the first or second take. "We have a lot of trust in our guys."

The brothers grew up in an unincorporated area between Chesterfield and Creve Coeur and started playing together when David was in high school and Jeff (five years his elder) was in college.

"We would hang out and play old rock songs and old roots music songs, country and bluegrass and stuff like that," David says.

Eventually, they began writing their own tunes, sharing in the work.

"We share everything," Jeff says. "One of us might come up with a song title and say, ‘Hey, this would be a good song,' and we'll flesh out the lyrics from there, or maybe one of us will come up with a riff or a chord progression."

Their partnership continued even after David moved to Austin. They'd write songs by phone and over the Internet, and Jeff would travel to Austin for performances. Eventually, they decided to work out of St. Louis permanently and set about putting their current band together.

The Brothers' roots influence remains strong on "Give ‘Em What They Need," but it's accented with electronica, drum ‘n' bass, and other, more experimental sounds.

"We feel like everything is connected," David says. "We like the roots music and we like experimental and we love noise music." And in terms of the musical styles the band members might contribute to the mix, he says, "We're not into micromanaging people."

Nor are they into controlling one another. Unlike other rock and roll siblings, the Brothers Lazaroff emphasize playing off of each other's strengths, not exploiting their weaknesses.

"We're really open to each other in the creative process," Jeff says. "If you look back at the Kinks or the Louvin Brothers or almost any other brother band, they almost all hate each other. We said to each other a long time ago, we're not going to be the Everly Brothers. We're going to remember what's important. And being brothers is more important than being musicians. We keep our ego in check and put family where it belongs on the priority list." - St. Louis Jewish Light By Dan Durchholz; December 1, 2010

I just got this CD in the mail and played it three times through. Jeff Lazaroff (main lead singer) has finally persuaded brother David (main guitarist) to return home to St. Louis, but the band will be back and forth anyway, given that Lindsay Greene (bass) and Gary Newcomb (pedal steel extraordinaire!) live in Austin and the lads just cannot get good tacos that far north. Also featured on the CD are Stacy Hoobler on drums and percussion and Jeremy Schildcrout on harmonica — but trust me, there are PLENTY of people (Dave Sanger and his lovely bride Elizabeth McQueen, for example) who love to play music with THESE guys.
THIS is the record I had long been waiting for — consistent in its sound and with the songs like, “When the Bottom Falls Out” (dark) and “Let It Be Love” (yeah!) and “Creeks Don’t Rise” (sounds like a Robbie Robertson song to me). The opening cut begins with Newcomb’s signature sound, and then Jeff’s raspy voice promises that “I’ll See You Through.” The title cut is a real rocker — this is, after all, an Indie rock band of sorts. More guitars on “Ain’t Gonna Let You In” (I think this is David singing here?) — this has a little of the sound of “Eight Miles High.” “Dreamin’” is a ballad sure enough, with lots of pedal steel and passion. The final cut, “Lament,” is a poet’s version of a Bob Seger song, one to be played late late at night. I have to run so I will not tell the WHOLE story of this record — but just get it and tell the band they HAVE to get here for about six or seven shows a year at the very least.

P.S. I played American Artifact several times over last week while driving through the beautiful Vermont countryside — and let me tell you, the juxtaposition of David Lazaroff’s fuzztone guitar and Gary Newcomb’s unequaled pedal steel make this one of the best traveling records in a long time. The final cut, “Lament,” is nearly nine minutes of pure bliss — Jeff’s spoken vocals reminding us along the way that “paying attention” reaps huge rewards and does not (despite the “paying”) cost a dime — Gary says this is some of his very best work ever, and I concur. The boys will be down later this year for another round of shows. - FLANFIRE...bringing life to Austin Music by Duggan Flanakin; published September 9, 2009

Brothers in Arms: Now settled back in St. Louis, the Brothers Lazaroff mines its own distinctive American artifacts. By Roy Kasten

It's lunchtime, and Hodak's in south St. Louis is jumping. Jeff and Dave, the Brothers Lazaroff, are having fried chicken, cod, beets and iced tea, and their interviewer is having the same — hold the fried chicken, but add a side of awkward questions. Dave reaches for the pause button on the tape recorder. They've got family in town, after all.

Question: What are two nice Jewish boys from the Midwest doing messing around with country music?

Answer: I don't know. Go ask Dylan that! Or Ray Benson or Junior Brown or Robbie Robertson.

Point taken, and besides, the Brothers Lazaroff doesn't play country, not anymore, not the kind you'd recognize as alt, progressive, Americana or otherwise, though the departure isn't a simple casting-off. One listen to the Brothers' new self-released album, American Artifact — with its stinging and expressive pedal steel, plaintive melodies, waltz and shuffle rhythms, and close harmonies — makes clear its affection for and mastery of American roots idioms. It's a connection that has served the band well as it's built an audience in Austin, Texas, where brother Dave has lived over the last ten years. But the way the Lazaroffs approach roots — with psychedelic layers and rhythmic force — isn't the way it's usually done in Austin.

"Down in Austin the roots and the psychedelic don't mix," Dave says. "Maybe they do in a Cosmic Cowboy kind of way, but not in that Dylan and the Dead, Midwestern funky thing."

Though separated by five years, Jeff (lead lyricist, singer and elder) and Dave (lead guitarist, singer, sonic guide) are often mistaken for twins. Their Bob Dylan beards, dark shades, wiry builds and manner of holding a stage — with relaxed cool and intuitive responses — are artifacts of a lifetime of filial music. However, the pair's career as a band — the brothers have always seen their music in a group context — has been a slow burn and build, in part because of its long-distance relationship.

The Lazaroffs have been largely associated with the Austin scene, where Dave attended school, pursued a solo career, played in bluegrass bands, and worked as a side man for the likes of Elizabeth McQueen and Michael Fracasso, while Jeff, who was also recording and performing as a "solo" artist, traveled down to Texas to assemble their first album (2007's Pure Delight, which was produced by David Sanger of Asleep at the Wheel), and work the Austin clubs with what musicians they could hire.

This year, the brothers decided to bring it all back home to St. Louis (they grew up in Creve Coeur) and have put together one of the more striking, tight and steady bands in town, in keyboardist Mo Egeston, drummer Grover Stewart and bassist Teddy Brookins. The veterans of the funk, jazz, drum & bass, swing and world-music scenes in town had never played with singer-songwriters before, but they've radically altered the Lazaroffs' sound. The trio adds muscle to the rhythms, expands arrangements with funk and jazz, and grooves without ever descending into aimless jams — all while daring the brothers to jump out of their literate, open-ended songwriting skins.

The band was gathered via MySpace after the sessions for American Artifact, starting with Stewart. Brookins was cherry-picked from Stewart's friends list, and Egeston, whom the brothers first saw playing the keytar with Lamar Harris at the Delmar Restaurant & Lounge, came onboard last. "We're all from St. Louis," Jeff says. "And that gives us that thump, that driving, live sound. Our stuff can be done so rootsy, but we'd rather destroy it a little bit."

The Lazaroffs are reluctant to take credit for one side or the other of songwriting — the process is open, though it often starts with lyrics and basic chords from Jeff, structures that are always subject to revision and criticism.

"Usually, if you play something for the other person, you'll know yourself that, er, it sucks," Dave says. "You'll know that you have something, but it's not good yet," Jeff interjects. "Honesty isn't the issue. Everything is up for discussion, for saying, 'Let's just mess with it.' It's never, 'Here's the song, don't change it.' I'm always hesitant to say I've written something. I don't think I could do what I've done without David. The song has always felt somewhat superficial until it gets manifested together."

Adds Dave: "We have roles. If Jeff doesn't think something is strong, I believe him. If musically, I'm bothered by something, he'll defer."

American Artifact, their second album under the Brothers Lazaroff name, was recorded at Sawhorse Studios with Jacob Detering. They tracked twelve songs over the course of two days, with minimal overdubs. "It was fast, but Dave and I have recorded a lot together," Jeff says. "And the bass player [Lindsay Greene] has worked with us for a long time." Gary Newcomb, - Riverfront Times; published June 23, 2009

LISTEN TO THIS RECORD! Accept "Pure Delight" before it destroys you! Brothers Lazaroff craft intelligent lyrics with textured music that sounds terrific! Lots of brothers try Jeff and David deliver!

Bryan Beck
Morning Show DJ
All Radio Production
107.1 KGSR
Emmis Austin Radio
- Bryan Beck; 107.1 KGSR Austin, TX

Tomorrow night, local roots-music heartthrobs David and Jeff Lazaroff, who front Brothers Lazaroff, take the stage at Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue, 314.773.3363) to celebrate the release of their second CD, American Artifact, and based on an advance promo copy of the disc nabbed at Twangfest 13 earlier this month, that event should justify braving summer's first heat wave. With American Artifact, the Lazaroffs and their ace band continue a thoughtful, assured exploration of roots music on 13 tracks often tinged with a bleakness suited to the present. In particular, the third, "When the Bottom Falls Out," conflates our economic and martial woes, mournfully observing, "To be woken from our slumber feels like an attack." A constant and ominous conditionality, meanwhile, suffuses the antepenult, "Creeks Don't Rise." Elsewhere, "I'll See You Through," the midtempo opener, focuses achingly on a stagnant relationship, counterpoised by the guitar jangle of the title track, which follows it and which features vocals like a barroom swagger and percussion like a muscle car at an inconvenient stoplight. Track 8 perhaps constitutes American Artifact's acme, though; that track, "Let It Be Love," radiates gorgeously understated yearning. Recommended?both the disc and the Off Broadway performance.
- NEON MEMES- Arch Musings From Bryan Hollerbach; published June 26, 2009

...Gotta save some props for Brothers Lazaroff -- David who lives in Austin and Jeff who (still) lives in St. Louis, brought down the guys from their band to play a few shows. Brunch at Jo's featured in the band the lovely Elizabeth McQueen on guitar and vocals, Dave Sanger on percussion, the immortal Lindsay Greene playing keyboard and accordion, St. Louis' Teddy Brookins (their amazing bass player), drummer Grover Stewart, Jerry Hagins on banjo, and of course the ever-present Gary Newcomb on pedal steel. This was a collection of songs mostly NOT on the band's "Pure Delight,"and featured a few oldies, "Row of Trees," "Union of the Soul," and the new "Let It Be Love" -- all amazing. Elizabeth has been covering the brothers' "Dreamin'" so naturally she sang it at Jo's. Jeff has this voice that is better than a massage -- well, almost! - Flanfire...bringing life to Austin Music by Duggan Flanakin; published June 1, 2008

O Brother Here art thou- at Twangfest 13 (twangfest.com). Brothers Lazaroff- St.Louian Jeff L. and his Austinite sib, David- hit the Duck Room June 11 as part of this year's edition of that local multiple-day, genre, and venue musical bash. Two years back, they recoded Pure Delight, 12 tracks of jangly joviality featuring everything from euphonious cacophony to easy swing. For more on the bros, visit brotherslazaroff.com...and then catch 'em at the festival. - St. Louis Magazine; June 2009

Tomorrow night, local roots-music heartthrobs David and Jeff Lazaroff, who front Brothers Lazaroff, take the stage at Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Avenue, 314.773.3363) to celebrate the release of their second CD, American Artifact, and based on an advance promo copy of the disc nabbed at Twangfest 13 earlier this month, that event should justify braving summer's first heat wave. With American Artifact, the Lazaroffs and their ace band continue a thoughtful, assured exploration of roots music on 13 tracks often tinged with a bleakness suited to the present. In particular, the third, "When the Bottom Falls Out," conflates our economic and martial woes, mournfully observing, "To be woken from our slumber feels like an attack." A constant and ominous conditionality, meanwhile, suffuses the antepenult, "Creeks Don't Rise." Elsewhere, "I'll See You Through," the midtempo opener, focuses achingly on a stagnant relationship, counterpoised by the guitar jangle of the title track, which follows it and which features vocals like a barroom swagger and percussion like a muscle car at an inconvenient stoplight. Track 8 perhaps constitutes American Artifact's acme, though; that track, "Let It Be Love," radiates gorgeously understated yearning. Recommended?both the disc and the Off Broadway performance.
- NEON MEMES- Arch Musings From Bryan Hollerbach; published June 26, 2009

Brothers Lazaroff’s fifth album is a feat of heart and professionalism. David and Jeff Lazaroff have deepened their spirit of collaboration, composing more in studio than ever before, and Stuart Rosenberg on violin and the Funky Butt Brass Band’s Adam Hucke on trumpet and coronet add thick beams of melody and narrative to the band’s five man lineup.

Day and Night starts in a brief whirr of confusion. Distorted drone and electric feedback give way to a shimmering tapestry that lilts along into the lonely title song: “you’ve been on my mind day and night, when the cold wind blows, and there’s no place to go.” The ascending cadence of Rosenberg’s violin lifts us from “the hanging threads of reverence” toward a faint hope of the sun rising in the east. “Read It in the News” adds banjo and the pangs of youth who “hang on every word,” as they see “photographs in black and white, blurred bodies in motion.” One can’t help but hear St. Louis’ racial struggles, again with a hope that the city will come “out on top in the end.”

The album’s first single, “Mary,” is far and away the most upbeat track, like a zydeco Merry Go Round, driven with rolling drums, firm thumping bass, and alt-country guitar. Still, the lyrics still ring with a lonely displacement: “Girl, you belong in the country, why’d you ever come round this way?” “We Will Stand” adds some funk, continuing the fuzzy electric undertones with syncopated bridges. “Sacred Geometry” is an off-kilter jam, with frantic trumpet buzzing around like a horde of bees. “Just Wanna Know Your Name” sounds like a New Orleans bar jam, adding the excitement a crowd singing back the song’s title line.

To the brothers’ credit, no one person or genre dominates on this album: it is a full team effort unfolding in thick layers of roots music. Even through the pervasive loneliness in the lyrics, Day and Night is a real ruckus of an album. Nelda Kerr - Eleven Music Magazine