Alternative Top 5 List, October 25, 2020

Some refreshing breaths of fresh air this week - we have a new No. 1, and this time it doesn't suck. Julien Baker's Faith Healer debuts on the charts at the No. 1 spot and Arlo Parks, who debuted on this blog last week, lands on the chart at the No. 2 spot with Green Eyes.  

Lana Del Rey's pop song Let Me Love You Like A Woman falls from No. 1 to No. 3.  If you don't have anything nice to say . . . 

Gorillaz' The Pink Phantom, a collaboration with Elton John sounding exactly what you'd think Elton John singing with Gorillaz would sound like, is like a booger that you just can't shake off your finger.  It remains in the Top 5 for its fourth straight week, its second at the No. 4 spot. 

Sharon Van Etten manages to make it onto the Top 5 by singing with Local Natives on their No. 5 song, Lemon.  Her Let Go from the Pepe The Frog documentary is still on the chart as No. 22.  

Looking down the list, Fleet Foxes continue their improbable journey through the chart.  Can I Believe You was No. 19 two weeks ago, moved up to No. 4 and then dropped to No. 9, is still on the charts for a fifth straight week at a respectable No. 17.  Where it goes next is anyone's guess. 

Adrienne Lenker (Big Thief) now has two songs in the Top 40 - Zombie Girl debuts at No. 23, right behind Sharon Van Etten, and her Dragon Eyes is at No. 40.  

No more Julia Holter or The Antlers gracing these charts.  The rest you can hear for yourself on the radio.  

List compiled "from over 70 alt and new release sources" by alt.nwmsc.com   Enjoy!

The Decemberists at The Fox Theater, Atlanta, April 11, 2017

Julien Baker opened!  The Decemberists are workshopping some new material, apparently for a forthcoming album, for this tour and opened the set with a long, involved song cycle revolving around an old Celtic poem.

Shaky Knees Retrospective, Day 3 Part One

On paper, Sunday, Day Three of Shaky Knees, looked like the best day of the festival (Sunday > Friday > Saturday), and in practice it worked out that way too.  The weather was still sunny but unseasonably cool, and what's not to love about a day that starts off with a set by

Julien Baker (Ponce de Leon Stage)

Like she did earlier this year at Aisle 5, she wore her "Sad Songs Make Me Feel Better" t-shirt, and with the relatively small audience for her opening-hour set, she managed to convey the same sense of wounded intimacy on the big Ponce stage as she did at the smaller club. In fact, the set seemed all the more special as only a few of us were there, those in the know about how great her songwriting and performing are, sharing a deep emotional secret with each other and with Baker as she sang.

One of the planned highlights of Day Three was the opportunity to catch both the bands Ought and Parquet Courts on the same day, so after Julien Baker, we headed over to the Peachtree Stage and our adopted home of the VIP pavilion for the set by

Ought (Peachtree Stage)

Montreal's Ought formed in 2011, drawing on their city's underground political scene, loft parties, and D.I.Y. culture. Fronted by singer/guitarist Tim Beeler, the band melded unlikely influences from both high-energy mid-'90s emo bands and airy, early college rock acts like the Feelies and Talking Heads. 

It was our first time catching Ought, and they more than lived up to our very high expectations.  The set was witty, urgent, literate, and post-ironic all at the same time.

It was around this time that the festival organizers fed the VIP crowd (two meals a day catered by Fox Bros. BBQ), so we stayed around the VIP pavilion and ate while waited for the next set, which was performed by Scotland's

Frightened Rabbit (Peachtree)

Okay, we'll admit it, the only song we know by Frightened Rabbit is 2009's Swim Until You Can't See Land, which they didn't even perform, so we were kind of out of it.  Most of their songs sounded very much like the kind of songs that the band that wrote Swim would write, but we were still struggling to find a point of access, other than Scott Hutchison's brogue during his frequent and hilarious stage banter.  

Our other problem was that the whole point of the first half of the day was to catch both Ought and Parquet Courts on the same day, and as the latter was on immediately after the former, and over on the other side of the Shaky Bridge of Death, we were looking at our watches (actually, phones) throughout Frightened Rabbit's set and then left early in order to go catch

Parquet Courts (Boulevard Stage) 

Parquet Courts, the band, were dwarfed by the giant Boulevard Stage, but cheekily advertised who they were one cheesy, ultra-low-budget sign behind them.   

Parquet Courts play noisy indie rock with jagged punk edges borrowed from late-'90s guitar-heavy alternative acts. The band began in 2010 when the former Texans relocated to Brooklyn and began practicing and gigging regularly.  Centered around Fergus & Geronimo songwriter Andrew Savage, the band also includes guitarist Austin Brown, who shares vocal duties.  

The band is hugely prolific and have churned out at least three full LPs in the past few years, as well as a handful of EPs and some other recordings under the name "Parkay Quarts."  The problem is that even those of us who try to keep up with the band are disappointed to not hear our favorite at least relatively recent songs.  No Stoned and Starving from 2012's Light Up Gold, and while the set definitely kicked some serious ass, even those of us who've heard this year's Human Performance were often at a loss after Berlin Got Blurry.  Hey, we're not complaining (well, maybe we are a little), it was a great set, but a band with as many songs and recordings as Parquet Courts deserves a longer set than the 60 minutes allocated by the festival.

But again, it was worth it, and the thrill of hearing them and Ought on the same day, even if separated by free VIP barbeque and a Frightened Rabbit set, was pretty satisfying.

We were now half-way through the third and final day of Shaky Knees and heading for the home stretch.  We'll wrap up this retrospective tomorrow. Here's your parting shot.

This Week's Shows (Shaky Knees Edition)

So this is it - Shaky Knees week, time for the fourth edition of Atlanta's annual indie and alt-rock festival.  There's only a handful of other shows this week as most clubs and venues aren't even trying to compete, and others are hosting official Shaky Knees Late-Night Shows.  We've listed a few of those other shows that are happening this week, but most of this post consists of our picks for Shaky Knees - it's not meant to be a comprehensive guide but just one fan's strategy to get through the five stages and three days of music.  Your preferences, we're sure, will differ.

As always, please keep in mind that musicians and night-club proprietors lead complicated lives and I'm prone to errors, mistakes, typos, and fubars; it's advisable to confirm any of the information below on your own before making plans.

MONDAY, MAY 9

Dead Meadow, Reverends, Midnight Larks (The Earl)

Dead Meadow are critically praised hard rockers who blend Black Sabbath riffs and dreamy layers of guitar-fuzz bliss with singer Jason Simon's high-pitched melodic croon.

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Uncle Van & The Buzzards of Fuzz, Blue Tower, Bleach Garden, '94 Broncos (529)

Atlanta's Uncle Van and the Buzzards of Fuzz refuse to let rock and roll die with their fuzzed-out psychedelic tunes and gritty, lo-fi aesthetic.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Born Ruffians, On An On (Aisle 5)

Born Ruffians are a clever and tuneful Canadian indie rock band fuses hooky guitar jangle with moody, folk-influenced melodies.  Minneapolis' On An On consists of former Scattered Trees members Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci and Ryne Estwing.

Born Ruffians at The Earl, April 24, 2013

On An On at The Drunken Unicorn, April 10, 2013

Collective Soul (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)

First of two sold-out nights where Georgia-based post-grunge band Collective Soul, who rode strong hooks to the charts in the '90s and beyond, will be filming a live documentary.

THURSDAY, MAY 12

Maya, Kudzu Kids, Pallow (The Earl)

Maya are three "psychedelic punk musicians from Atlanta, GA with some sonic finesse for your entertainment."

Dromez, Filth, Ironing, Dux (Mammal Gallery)

Four industrial/noise bands for your mid-week entertainment.

Collective Soul (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)

Second of two sold-out nights where Collective Soul will be filming a live documentary.

FRIDAY, MAY 13

Beach Slang (12:30-1:00, Shaky Knees)

Beach Slang are a punky indie rock trio from Philadelphia heavily influenced by the Replacements. Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can still catch them at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at The Earl on Friday night.

Saintseneca (1:00-1:45, Shaky Knees)

Ever-evolving group from Ohio that began as a folk band, but evolved to become a mercurial folk-rock ensemble,  melding folk music from Appalachian and international traditions to postmodern pop and acoustically driven indie rock.

Kaleo (1:45-2:30, Shaky Knees)

Kaleo are an indie folk-rock quartet from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. we've never heard them before, but their video on the Shaky Knees web site sounds promising.

The Front Bottoms (2:30-3:15, Shaky Knees)

This eclectic indie rock duo from New Jersey blend punk, pop, and rock with witty, surreal lyrics, and are probably worth the long walk to the far-distant Boulevard Stage.  Or we could always break for lunch. 

Wolf Alice (3:15-4:15, Shaky Knees)

Led by vocalist Ellie Rowsell, this North London act mixes folk and electronic elements with vintage '90s indie rock.

Crystal Fighters (4:15-5:15, Shaky Knees)

Spain's Crystal Fighters, a folktronic band that combines Basque folk instruments with drum loops, heavy synth, and lilting vocals, were formed after singer Laure recovered a diary of her deceased reclusive grandfather while visiting his Basque country home. Inside his notebook was the skeleton of an incomplete opera, whose name the band took as its title.  Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can catch still Crystal Fighters at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Vinyl on Friday night.

Against Me! (5:15-6:15, Shaky Knees)

A onetime solo acoustic act that evolved into a full-fledged old-school punk band by 2007.  More changes followed a May 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, when lead singer Tom Gabel announced his gender dysphoria, plans to transition to living as a woman, and assumption of the name Laura Jane Grace. Against Me! release their album Transgender Dysphoria Blues in 2012.  On the other hand, nothing against the transgender issue (good for her!), but I've never been a big fan of their music, so this might be a good time to get some refreshments and find a good vantage spot for Savage's set.

Savages (6:15-7:15, Shaky Knees)
OMG, Savages.  The British all-female post-punk quartet plays its own brand of noisy, blistering music.  A festival highlight, in my opinion.

Bloc Party (7:15-8:15, Shaky Knees)

A chance to finally see one of my favorite bands of 2005, an ambitious and eclectic art punk quartet based in London that mixes angular, percussive tracks with edgy pop and atmospheric ballads.  One more to check off the bucket list.

The Kills (8:15-9:30, Shaky Knees)

The Anglo-American duo of Alison Mosshart, formerly of the Florida punk band Discount, and drummer/guitarist/vocalist Jamie Hince, plays fiery garage rock with blues grit, new wave cool, and loads of feedback.

The Kills at Crystal Ballroom, MFNW (RIP), 2011

Jane's Addiction (9:30-11:00, Shaky Knees)

Innovative rockers led by Perry Farrell, who united hard rock and alternative in the late '80s with their critically acclaimed work and who pretty much invented the DIY festival with their Lollapalooza shows.

SATURDAY, MAY 14

Speedy Ortiz, Charlie Hilton (529)

In the best non-Shaky Knees show of the weekend, the Massachusetts quartet Speedy Ortiz combine creative songwriting, quirky time signatures, and all the brash artiness of '90s indie rock, led by singer/guitarist Sadie Dupuis.  Opener Charlie Hilton was the frontman of the band Blouse.  If you don't have tickets to Shaky Knees and for some reason don't want to go to one of the official Late Night Shows, then by all means go to 529 to see Speedy Ortiz up close and personal in the intimate confines of 529.

Speedy Ortiz at Shaky Knees, 2015

Son Little (12:50-1:15, Shaky Knees)

If we don't wind up oversleeping and getting to the festival late on Saturday, we can catch Aaron Livingston, the potent and deeply personal soul/R&B collaborator with Roots and Rjd2.

Strand of Oaks (1:15-2:00, Shaky Knees)

Strand of Oaks is an Indiana-based band that specializes in bold and anthemic indie-Americana that draws from classic rock and folk.  We missed them last year when they played The Earl, so this is a good chance to make up for what we missed.

Drew Holcombe & The Neighbors (2:00-2:45, Shaky Knees)

Drew Holcomb is an earnest songwriter. That’s his strength, and his somewhat melancholy tenor voice -- which can get husky and smoky when he needs it to -- makes everything seem intimate and urgent. Holcomb and his band, the Neighbors, work a sort of folky pop-country territory, sounding at times like a muted, less vital Nashville version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and like Petty, Holcomb's lyrics only occasionally match his attitude.

JJ Grey & Mofro (2:45-3:45, Shaky Knees)

Florida band that mixes funk, soul, rock, and blues for a rootsy, swampy sound with a reputation as an exciting live act.

Shakey Graves (3:45-4:45, Shaky Knees)

Shaky Graves is the stage name of Austin-based "hobo folk" singer, songwriter, musician, and actor Alejandro Rose-Garcia.

Deer Tick (4:45-5:45, Shaky Knees)

Veterans of Shaky Knees 2014, Deer Tick are indie roots rockers from Rhode Island, led by the intimate songwriting and ragged but tender vocals of John McCauley.

Deer Tick at Shaky Knees, 2014

Phosphorescent (5:45-6-45, Shaky Knees)

The brainchild of Athens-based singer-songwriter Mathew Houck, Phosphorescent have released a string of critically acclaimed, country-tinged rock albums.  Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can still catch Phosphorescent at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Terminal West on Friday night.

Phosphorescent at Center Stage, January 25, 2014

Silversun Pickups (7:15-8:15, Shaky Knees)

These L.A. alternative rockers have been weaving layered guitars and effects around surging, melodic tunes for years now, but they still get our fists up and pumping every time we hear the violent part of Lazy Eye.  Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can still catch the Silversuns at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Center Stage on Friday night.  However, this might also be a good time to take advantage of all the Dads over at the Peachtree Stage watching Huey Lewis and the News, and sneak over to the Ponce Stage to get a good spot for The Decemberists. 

Silversun Pickups at MFNW (RIP) 2012 

The Decemberists (7:45-9:00, Shaky Knees)

There's a time overlap between The Silversun's set and this, so some hard choices have to be made, but we're intent on catching this sophisticated yet folk-tinged indie pop band from Portland with a hyperliterate edge provided by vocalist Colin Meloy. These American treasures show what the presence of something like Powell's Book Store can do to a city's music scene.

The Decemberists at Variety Playhouse, April 11, 2015

My Morning Jacket (9:00-11:00, Shaky Knees)

My Morning Jacket are a revered Kentucky combo that stands halfway between indie rock and alt-country, combining twangy, rural sounds with a thick rock onslaught, and a jam-band approach to live sets.  The opportunity to catch back-to-back sets by The Decemberists and MMJ is one of the main reasons to attend this year's Shaky Knees.

My Morning Jacket at McMenamins Edgefield, October 2012

SUNDAY, MAY 15

Julien Baker (12:00-12:45, Shaky Knees)

A cruel lineup choice:  the festival planners are forcing us to choose between Brooklyn's Caveman and Memphis' Julien Baker for the Sunday opener, not even letting us consider sleeping in on the morning.  I'm not sure how Baker's sensitive and emotional ballads, which span a shaky middle ground between heart-wrenching and cathartic, will hold up in a festival setting, but that's part of the reason for picking her set over Caveman's.

Julien Baker at Aisle 5, January 29, 2016

Ought (12:45-1:30, Shaky Knees)

This Montreal-based, hyperliterate, occasionally Fall-esque indie quartet merges the frenetic energy of dance party pop with the politics and urgency of the D.I.Y. scene, and is fast becoming one of our favorites, so we're looking forward to catching this early Shaky Knees set.

Murder By Death (1:30-2:15, Shaky Knees)

Shadowy and narrative indie rock band blending plaintive Americana and rootsy folk influences, Murder By Death feature a female cellist, so you have to love that.  Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can still catch the band at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Vinyl on Saturday night.

Murder By Death at MFNW (RIP) 2013

Frightened Rabbit (2:15-3:15, Shaky Knees)

Scottish indie rockers marked by sparse arrangements and the plaintive singing of Scott Hutchinson. Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can catch Frightened Rabbit (with Caveman!) at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Terminal West Saturday night.

Parquet Courts  (3:15-4:15, Shaky Knees)

Another cruel lineup choice, with Parquet Courts on at the same time as Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Even though it's been sounding like UMO is playing at the top of their form lately, I can't resist the idea of a day with sets by both Ought and Parquet Courts. Spinning off from Fergus & Geronimo, Brooklyn-based Texas expats Parquet Courts makes a jaggedly noisy sound they dub "Americana punk." Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets can still catch Parquet Courts at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at The Earl on Saturday night.

Parquet Courts at The Earl, January 29, 2015

St. Paul & The Broken Bones (4:15-5:15, Shaky Knees)

St. Paul & The Broken Bones are a tight sextet with a gospel-tinged neo-soul garage sound complete with horns and a dynamic lead singer who can sound just like Otis Redding when he wants to.

St. Paul & The Broken Bones at Egyptian Ballroom, December 27, 2014

The Black  Angels (5:15-6:15, Shaky Knees)

Shoe-gazer swirliness and old-fashioned psychedelia meet in Texas-based Black Angels' music.  We haven't seen these guys live in over 5 years now.

Black Angels at The Earl, November 14, 2010 

The Head & The Heart (6:15-7:15, Shaky Knees)

The Head & The Heart are a Seattle-based group whose music splits the difference between acoustic folk, Americana, and pop. After the pretentiousness of their show at The Buckhead Theater, we vowed we had gone to our last THATH show, but what else am we going to do at this hour, go watch The Deftones?

The Head & The Heart at Buckhead Theater, November 12, 2013

Explosions In The Sky (7:15-8:30, Shaky Knees)

Explosions In The Sky are a popular Austin-based instrumental post-rock quartet known for moody, cinematic compositions drawing from a number of sonic sources. Those of you without Shaky Knees tickets might still be able to catch EITS at a Shaky Knees Late Night Show at Variety Playhouse on Saturday night, provided you already have tickets to the sold-out show.

Explosions In The Sky at The Tabernacle, September 29, 2011

Florence + The Machine (8:30-10:00, Shaky Knees)

Hailing from South London, Florence Welch writes songs that occupy the same confessional territory as gossip-loving, genre-bending contemporaries like Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, Adele, and Lily Allen and the moody, classic art rock of Kate Bush, blending pop, soul, and Baroque arrangements into a sound that has earned the young artist considerable buzz.

Julien Baker at Aisle 5, Atlanta, January 28, 2015

"Wish I could write songs about anything other than death," Julien Baker sang as the very first line of the very first song (Sprained Ankle) of her heartbreaking and beautiful set last night at Aisle 5. Wearing a tee-shirt with the words, "Sad Songs Make Me Feel Better," she proceeded to perform those songs that she wrote about death, and also about fragility and addiction and the grace of God.  

It was transcendent even when it was depressing.

Atlanta's Old Sea Brigade, led by the vocals and guitar of Ben Cramer, opened with a spare set of introspective songs, dedicating their song Georgia to Baker, who returned the favor during her set and dedicated a song to them.  

Julien Baker took the stage alone, without a band or much equipment on her stage, just a mic stand and a guitar amp.  The stark setting befitted the vulnerable nature of her voice and songwriting, leaving her nowhere to hide as she sang her personal and intimate songs.  She had the filled-to-capacity Aisle 5 audience spellbound and quiet, entranced as we were by the spell of her songs. 

In Everybody Does, she sang,

I know I'm probably a filthy wreckage you would wish you'd never touch
You're gonna run, you're gonna run, when you find out who I am
You're gonna run, you're gonna run, it's alright, everybody does.

without sounding self-pitying or indulgent, just painfully honest and exposed.  Her songs would be downright depressing if it weren't for the beatific nature of her singing and the stark beauty of her amplified guitar, and we were relieved to hear her humor and apparent good will during her stage banter - it would be unbearable to think that she was really that sad and despairing in real life.

The Aisle 5 audience was quite young (it was an all-ages show) and I was heartened to see such a young crowd so respectful and so engaged by challenging songs about such difficult subject matter.  

Julien Baker's debut album, Sprained Ankle, was released last October, but still managed to make several critic's Best Of 2015 lists.  Reviewing the album in StereoGum, Gabriela Tully Claymore wrote, 

To say that Sprained Ankle is “devastating” is a gaping understatement. This is the type of album that opens up like a sinkhole and drags you into an emotional wellspring before you have a second to recognize how bottomless Baker’s heartbreak is. Sprained Ankle is heavy, heavier than seems possible for her numbered years on this earth, a collection of life events retold in shadowy detail. Those vague shapes begin to take a more concrete form the second, third, fourth time you listen to the album. Baker’s lyricism is unabashedly explicit, and Sprained Ankle discusses depression, substance abuse, and general crises of faith in detail and her admissions are brave. Baker speaks to God directly throughout (“I think there’s a God and he hears either way/ When I rejoice and complain”) and is finally answered on the album’s closer, Go Home.

Last night, for her encore, Baker performed Go Home, with its references to drinking bleach and closing lines "I know my body is just dirty clothes; I'm tired of washing my hands and I wanna go home."

Since the release of Sprained Ankle and its critical acclaim, Baker has been invited to perform at a number of this year's music festivals, including Atlanta's Shaky Knees.  After the quiet intimacy of her Aisle 5 set, it's hard to picture a noisy and distracted festival crowd appreciating her songs, but after watching Baker last night, I'm starting to wonder if there's anything she can't do.

This Week's Shows (1/25 - 1/31)

There's good music coming soon - really, there is - but it ain't here yet and this week, frankly and at the risk of offending some of the bands listed below, is more just about keeping the stages warm until the good music finally arrives.  It's not all bad, and there are a few stand-out sets here and there, but we otherwise just have more of the same garage/punk bands at the usual venues, a Top 40 pop singer, another Bowie tribute, two nights of a jam band, a whole lot of country-tinged singer/songwriters, and of course, EDM and hip hop.  If you play your cards right, you can also hear cover bands of both Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, Tom Petty, Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, and Chuck Berry, and even get three nights of a Led Zeppelin tribute.  The best show of the week isn't until the very end - Sunday's Bully show at The Drunken Unicorn (thank dog for the Unicorn), and Thursday's Julien Baker show at Aisle 5 should be great, but until then, it may be a good week to finally go see the new Star Wars movie if you haven't done so yet.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25 

★Dot.s,  100 Watt Horse, Moses Nesh, Liminal Space (529)

Okay, this one should be good - Atlanta's Dot.s started as Ryan James' solo project and has since grown to a five-piece group combining acoustics, electronics and layered vocal harmonies, and their album Jellyfiss alternates complex rock songs with comedy sketches.  Athen's 100 Watt Horse is a folk-rock project, and Moses Nesh calls himself a "bluesman from the future."

Cross Me, Eternal Sleep, Malicious Wounding, Mental State, Conduit (Purgatory at Masquerade)

Hardcore from Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and parts unknown. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 

Jerome Newton & The Band Who Fell To Earth (529)

Another Bowie tribute ala the Bowie In Sweats show at The Earl a couple weeks ago. The setlist for this show will focus on Bowie’s work from 1969-1974, and includes not only well known material such as Space Oddity, Changes, and selections from the Ziggy album, but also deeper tracks such as Sweet Thing and Cracked Actor.

Marrow, Sima Cunningham, Misery Loves Chachi (The Earl)

Marrow, not to be confused with The Marrows, who played 529 last week, is a new band featuring former Kids These Days members Macie Stewart (keys/guitar/vocals), Liam Cunningham (guitar/vocals) and Lane Beckstrom (bass/vocals), along with drummer Matt Carroll.  Chicago's Sima Cunningham her been called “an incredibly powerful and self-assured performer, with a smoky, sexy voice.”  In 2014, Cunningham debuted her new experimental rock duo, Homme, with Marrow's Macie Stewart.  Openers Misery Loves Chachi is an indie, dream-pop band from Atlanta, combining chill-wave, Motown and African rhythms with post-modern chord changes and jazz harmonies.

Adelitas Way, Failure Anthem, Through Fire, Eye On Attraction, Thoughts Are Nuclear (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Adelitas Way, a rock band out of Las Vegas, will headline a show on the Purgatory stage at the godforsaken Masquerade. Failure Anthem is a five-man "active rock" band out of Greensboro, North Carolina, while Through Fire are from Omaha.  Eye on Attraction are a progressive/alternative rock band out of Scranton, Pennsylvania fronted by the vocals of Amber Sauls.  Openers Thoughts Are Nuclear is from LaGrange, Georgia.

Jess Glynne, Conrad Sewell (Terminal West)

Jess Glynne's I Cry When I Laugh North American Tour comes to Atlanta, where it sold out Terminal West and here's the thing - I had no idea who Jess Glynne even was until I saw her on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah last Tuesday night. So now I at least know that she's an English singer and songwriter in the tradition of Any Winehouse and Adele, and Wikipedia tells me that she rose to prominence as a featured artist on Clean Bandit's (who?) single Rather Be and Route 94's (again, who?) My Love, both of which I'm told reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 2014. Her debut solo single, Right Here, reached the Top 10 that year, and if you're a fan, I hope you've already got a ticket because it's sold out.

Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams (Eddie's Attic)

Larry Campbell is a multi-instrumentalist who moves freely between rock, blues, country, folk and Celtic, playing guitar, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel, cittern, dobro and banjo. Campbell's wife, Teresa Williams, will play the opening set. Both Campbell and Williams were members of the Levon Helm Band, and Teresa has toured as a member of Phil Lesh & Friends, and has been featured with Further and Bob Weir's post-Grateful Dead projects.

Cedar Hill (Steve's Live Music)
Cedar Hill is a bluegrass group from Atlanta with a high energy show that features variety, comedy and entertainment, tight harmony, unique vocal arrangements, and masterful picking on the 5-­string banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar and electric bass.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 

Robert Earl Keen, The Roosevelts (Variety Playhouse)

Texas troubadour Robert Earl King will headline this show, with mandolin-based country rockers The Roosevelts opening.  Why are all troubadours from Texas?

Uniform, GHB, Enoch Ramone & The Ebola Boys, COPS, Death Stuff (The Earl)

A night of raw, unadorned punk.  Atlanta's Uniform consists of two-thirds of Wymyn’s Prysyn (vocalist and guitarist Josh Feigert and drummer Bobby Michaud), as well as bassist Matt Gibson Hatcher (Cheap Art, Slugga), and Bobby’s brother, guitarist David Michaud (Dasher, Stepdad SS). GHB, who just played The Earl last Wednesday with Wymyn's Prysyn, will bring their bratty punk attitude back to the club. Enoch Ramone's album, ER​+​EB Jr​.​Esq​.​III, consists of six under-two-minute punk songs; on their Bandcamp page, their tags include comedy, puke rock, and punk rock. Atlanta's COPs features Jesse Smith of Gentleman Jesse in a more ferocious, contemptuous setting. Death Stuff are a punk band from Bloomington, Indiana.  Bring ear plugs and be ready to mosh.

Uniform opening for Parquet Courts at The Earl, January 2015 

Wake, Grammar Tree, Chew, Okinawa88 (529)

Wake is an experimental non-profit hip-hop collective out of Atlanta.   All of Wake's work is planned to be released for free. "The collective feels art is not something to be owned. The creative process is to be shared and used for growth and education, not profit."  Openers Okinawa88 are an Atlanta hip hop/digi-funk duo, and it's probably a safe bet to assume the bands in between will be of similar style.

City Mouse, Frankie Boots, The Darnell Boys (Eddie's Attic)

City Mouse is Atlanta-based songwriters Brian Revels and Michael Hudgins, backed by Jenna Mobley on bass.  Frankie Boots leads a folk rock/Americana band out of San Francisco. Athens' The Darnell Boys were raised on country and blues, including the Allman Brothers Band and Hank Williams Sr.

Ania La Candela, Jerry Fields (Steve's Live Music)
Dancer Ania La Candela and percussionist Jerry Fields provide a night of flamenco dance and music, joined by Doble T on guitar and singer Kevin Wilson.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

★Julien Baker, Old Sea Brigade (Aisle 5)

Memphis' Julien Baker is a young singer/songwriter whom I just discovered - in fact, I only learned about her just now, while researching This Weeks Shows. However, the New York Times' Jon Caramanica included her album Sprained Ankle in his Top 10 for 2015, stating "In a superb year for women in indie rock, Ms. Baker’s voice stood out for its frailty and its determination. These songs limn a woman in decay, dying but alert enough to catalog every last indignity."  NPR's Ann Powers said "The raw nerves feeding this twenty-year-old's confessional songwriting can be overwhelming, but there's also much consideration and grace in her voice as she takes on loneliness, self-loathing, skin hunger and her insistent God's grace."  Baker has been included in the line-up for this year's Shaky Knees Festival, but this set at Aisle 5 may provide a more suitably intimate setting to hear her songs.

G-Eazy, A$AP Ferg, Marc E. Bassy, Nef The Pharaoh (The Tabernacle)

Rapper G-Eazy's When It's Dark Out tour, which sold out three nights at New York's Terminal 5 earlier this year, comes through Atlanta for a show at The Tab.

Reel Big Fish, The Maxies, Suburban Legends (Heaven at Masquerade)
Reel Big Fish was one of the legions of Southern California ska-punk bands to edge into the mainstream following the mid-’90s success of No Doubt and Sublime. Like most of their peers, the band was distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, juvenile humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska. The group cultivated an underground following that broke into the mainstream in the summer of 1997, when their single Sell Out became a modern rock radio and MTV favorite. The members of The Maxies were born in Greenland but have settled into Southern California, and play punk, punk pop, power pop, and garage rock.  So Cal ska rockers Suburban Legends open.

Peach Kings, Deaf Poets, Spines, Twin Criminal (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Downstairs from the Reel Big Fish ska-fest, Peach Kings, the rock noir duo of Paige Wood and Steven Dies, will headline the Purgatory stage.  Peach Kings' sexy and relatable songs are animated with a raw vibe and raucous stage presence often compared to The Kills and The White Stripes.  Deaf Poets are the Miami Beach duo of Sean Wouters and Nicolas Espinosa, whose music has the starkness of garage rock combined with the eagerness of ’80s punk, and some bluesy melancholy mixed in for good measure.  Spines are a post-punk noise rock band from Atlanta.  Twin Criminals opens.

Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands (Steve's Live Music)

Crystal Bright’s songs reflect her background in anthropology and ethnomusicology and her experiences playing and singing  in Mariachi, Chinese, Balinese Gamelan, Ugandan, Samba, and other styles. While singing, she alternates between playing accordion, musical saw, piano, adungu (a Ugandan harp), concertina, and bombo (Argentine drum).

The Welcome Home, Bridges, Son & Thief (Smith's Olde Bar)
Word was that Smith’s Olde Bar, an Atlanta institution since 1993, was going to close, but the club now has a new lease on life with the help of Atlanta real estate developer Hendon Properties. As a result, we can now have Athens Night at Smiths on a Thursday evening.  The Welcome Home is an indie rock band out of Athens, Bridges is a folk-rock band out of Athens, and Son & Thief are another indie rock band out of Athens.  

Dang Dang Dang, Highriders, Scragglers, Ben Trickey (The Earl)

We assume this will be a night of southern rock and alt country.  Dang Dang Dang has been billed as a "powerhouse" featuring "Rick Dang in an exclusive appearance straight from his bar stool in East Atlanta."  Not much else about them is known to us, or about Highriders, other than they've played several times at the Star Community Bar.  The Scragglers are apparently an Atlanta country rock band featuring members of Bigfoot, and opener Ben Trickey "strums and sings about the dark, emotional side of life as an imperfect man."

The Hooten Hallers, Deadly Lo-Fi, Georgia Slim (Star Community Bar)
The Hooten Hallers are a blues, soul, and rock n' roll band from Columbia, Missouri known for their raucous live shows and are heavily influenced by American roots music. Atlanta's Deadly Lo-Fi performs both as a one-man band with Rev. T (Travis) and also as a duo with Mr. Skeleton Man (Seth Moody), when available. Georgia Slim of I Want Whiskey opens.

King Furu, Dream Culture, Wieuca, Fake Flowers (The Mammal Gallery)
Okay, this one's got me: I can't tell if King Furu is the headlining band or the name of the event - you'll have to go to the show to find out for yourself if you're curious.  However, Dream Culture is apparently a psychedelic rock band based out of Athens.  Wiuca call themselves a "post-hippie" band and were described by Athens' Flagpole Magazine as “A fuzz-heavy, slightly countrified version of the sort of wistful slacker-rock pioneered by Pavement and Dinosaur Jr.” Atlanta indie rock trio Fake Flowers plays lush, propulsive pop songs, combining elements of shoegaze, post-punk, surf, and psychedelia. Live art by Mac Stewart doing the show.

Angie Aparo (Eddie's Attic)

Angie Aparo is the father of Anthony Aparo, who played Eddies' last week, and a highly respected and accomplished singer and performer in his own right. Angie has appeared on stage and in recordings with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Edwin McCain, Matchbox20, and the Zac Brown Band, but don't hold that against him.

Zoso – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute (Variety Playhouse)

The first of a three-night stand by this tribute band.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

An Evening With Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (The Fox Theater)

You have to admit, as much as you want to dislike the blue-eyed Seattle rapper, you have to admire him for at least speaking out on this issue, especially since it's so incredibly awkward coming from him. On White Privilege II, the white rapper questions both his position within hip-hop and as a white person unsure of his role in the struggle of black people fighting injustice.  It might get preachy at times, but he could have just played it safe, released Thrift Shop II, and gone for the money.

Art Garfunkel In Close-Up (Buckhead Theater)

Folk-rock and harmony legend Art Garfunkel's one man show comes, appropriately, to Buckhead. Reserved-seat tickets for this show start at $60 and range up to a jaw-dropping $125 ($135 day-of-show), so expect an audience of the truly devoted, devoid of the merely curious.  I wonder if there'll be anybody left at Johnny's Hideaway during this set.

Yani Mo, Nino Augustine & the OPE Band, Allen Thomas & The Family Orchestra (Aisle 5)

Yani Mo, "the lioness with nine lives," an Atlanta-based MC, headlines a free hip-hop show at Aisle 5. Originally from Panama, rapper Nino Augustine recently formed the OPE Band in Atlanta.  Allen Thomas opens.

Voodoo Visionary, King Koda, The Night Shift (Smith's Olde Bar)
Atlanta's Voodoo Visionary improvisational dance funk balances deep grooving bass and funky drum beats with keys and guitar to create a sound the group calls "psychofunk." Influenced by a wide array of artists such as Parliament Funkadelic, the Grateful Dead, Talking Heads, and Medeski Martin & Wood, Voodoo Visionary has their own unique sound. King Coda is a four-piece progressive rock band with influences in funk, punk, bluegrass, psychedelic, electronic, jazz, improvisation, and classical music.  Openers The Night Shift feature heavy, dance-type rock riffs.

The Weeks, Chief Scout (The Earl)

A second night of country rock at The Earl, this time featuring The Weeks.  Opener Chief Scout is the pet project of Athens-based songwriter and guitarist Trey Rosenkampff, who has been gathering buzz for his scrappy guitar pyrotechnics and energetic live shows.

The Breaks, Howl The Wolf, Bast, Lost In Chaos (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
The Breaks are an old-school three-piece punk band from Atlanta.  Influences of Atlanta's Howl The Wolf include Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice in Chains.  Bast are a melodic rock band out of Atlanta.  Lost In Chaos opens.

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out (Eddie's Attic)

An early bluegrass show at Eddie's.

Sierra Hull (Eddie's Attic)

A later bluegrass show at Eddie's.

Onchi, Ancient Whales (529)

Onchi is a punk rock band from Decatur.  Thunderous power trio Ancient Whales (Asheville) perform melodic garage rock songs.

HeRobust, Mike Floss (Terminal West)

An EDM night.  HeRobust, otherwise known as Hayden Kramer, is an electronic producer from Atlanta.  Mike Floss is a rapper from Nashville who will appear at this May's Shaky Beats EDM festival.

Andrew & the Disapyramids, Night Terrors, Sonic Graffiti (Star Community Bar)
Where the bros are: Andrew & The Disapyramids are an Atlanta covers band that plays 60s beach music, British invasion/mod rocks songs, late-50s sock hop rock, and frat rock.  Raunchy punk band Night Terrors are members of Atlanta's The El Caminos with Tom Jerzawitz on vocals.  Openers Sonic Graffiti play rock, punk, blues, garage, and "soulful voodoo funk."

moe., Dumpstaphunk (The Tabernacle)

The first of a two-night stand by these two jam bands.

Domino - A Van Morrison Experience (Steve's Live Music)
I think the title is pretty much self-explanatory.

Zoso – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute (Variety Playhouse)

The second of a three-night stand by this tribute band.  

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Tedo Stone, Oak House, Sydney Eloise & The Palms (The Earl)

Tedo Stone has a new album, Marshes, out featuring his fusion of throwback southern vibes, indie rock hooks and a wall-of-sound resonance.  Athens, Georgia trio Oak House employs "dark tonalities with liberal rhythmic experimentation while featuring driving rock-riffage and pulsing electronic undercurrents." Sydney Eloise & the Palms’ debut Faces is a classic-pop meditation combing ’50s balladry, Phil Spector-style Walls of Sound, ’60s psych pop, ’70s Laurel Canyon country and more. 

The Purkinje Shift, Crown the Cake, Swots (529)
The Purkinje Shift, originally active from 1996-2000, have reformed and promise "a big, mathy party."  Crown The Cake is a rock outfit from Columbia, SC. SWOTS is a five piece rock band from Atlanta.

Sea Ghost, Wray, Sleep Dance (Mammal Gallery)

Sea Ghost Plays "pop jams with guitars."  Birmingham, Alabama's Wray isn’t afraid to revel in repetition, churning seamless grooves firmly in the tradition of NEU!, Faust, or Can.   Sleep Dance, a rock band out of Atlanta, open.

The PsychoDevilles, Crazy Man Crazy and V-8 Death Car (Star Community Bar)
If you didn't get enough rockabilly last week at The Reverend Horton Heat/Unknown Hinson/Nashville Pussy show, or just need a fresh dose for this week, The PsychoDevilles may have just the thing for you. Included on the bill are Crazy Man Crazy from Savannah, and V-8 Death Car from Montgomery, Alabama.

Susi French Connection (Eddie's Attic)

A seven-piece band plays a variety of 70’s music—from classic soul to country to disco—and insists the tables get moved for dancing. We'll see how well that works with Eddie's strict silence policy. Two shows - one at 7:00 pm and one at 9:30.

moe., Dumpstaphunk (The Tabernacle)

The second and final of the two-night stand by these two jam bands.

McLovins, Fox Street, Mister F (Aisle 5)

Another jam-band oriented lineup featuring Connecticut's McLovins, Colorado's Fox Street, and upstate New York's Mister F.  It may be possible to catch some of this set after the moe./Dumpstaphunk set if you hadn't got enough jam in you after a night at The Tabernacle.  Apparently, this is the last night of the McLovins/Mister F tour.

The Stoneberrys (Rolling Stones Tribute Band) (Steve's Live Music)
The only explanation needed here is that the band covers both the Stones AND Chuck Berry.

Rumors: Fleetwood Mac Tribute, The Dirty Doors: Doors Tribute Band, Refugee: Tom Petty Tribute (Smith's Olde Bar)
Bonus points for rich white people - there are $75 VIP tables available for this show.

Zoso – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute (Variety Playhouse)

The third and last of a three-night stand by this tribute band.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31

★★Bully, Palehound (Drunken Unicorn)

Probably the best show of the week.  Bully are a melodic, punky, indie-rock band. The New Yorker wrote, "On Trying, the single from this Nashville band's debut album, Feels Like, the lead singer, Alicia Bognanno, recalls River Cuomo's droll lyricism and pulls off a damn good scream, singing about useless college degrees and imminent menstruation with the charisma of a star.  She interned at the Chicago recording studio of the grunge legend Steve Albini, the engineer behind formative early-nineties albums, such as Nirvana's In Utero, and her education in straight-to-tape recording shines through the album's fuzz."  Bully parts ways with their former tourmates, Metz, and for this leg of their tour will be joined by Palehound (Boston's Ellen Kempner), who had been touring with Torres, including one date with Julien Baker opening (see how everything comes together?). 

Naughty By Nature, KeyBoy (Heaven at Masquerade)
Naughty By Nature were discovered by fellow New Jersey native and then-emerging hip-hop artist Queen Latifah, who eventually signed the group to her management company, Flavor Unit, and helped them land a deal with Tommy Boy Records.  The kings of the hip-hop anthem are now on their 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour. Opener Key Vincent McCarthy, better known by his stage name KeyBoy, is an underground hip hop artist and record producer from Hutchinson, Kansas.

Victoria Canal (Eddie's Attic)

Those wanting to end their weekend on a quieter note than Bully or Naughty By Nature may want to consider Victoria Canal's solo set at Eddie's Canal is an Atlanta-based, 17-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for intimacy and poignancy in her performances, packing intelligent lyrics and a soulful delivery into her powerful message.  This will be an EP release show.

Mouths of Babes (Eddie's Attic)

Second show at Eddie's will feature Ty Greenstein (of Girlyman) and Ingrid Elizabeth (of Coyote Grace) as Mouths of Babes.  Mouths of Babes' sound has elements of blues, folk and soul, and the two songwriters juggle harmonies, guitar, bass, foot percussion, cajon, banjo, harmonica, and ukulele from song to song.

Jamie Laval Show (Steve's Live Music)
Celtic music.