This Week's Shows (3/21 - 3/27)

The Great Backwash:  With SXSW wrapping up in Austin today (Sunday), many bands are returning home or continuing their tours, and thus a second wave of bands are passing through the ATL, contributing to a pretty-good week of music.  Also, for some reason, Eddie's Attic is really stepping it up this week, featuring not only folk royalty Lucy Wainwright Roche, but also the adorable and irrepressible Basia Bulat, the moody Mount Moriah, and emerging stars Lily & Madeline.  Way to go, Eddie's!

You may also note that I've cut down on the number of listings.  Frankly, life is too short to waste time researching backgrounds, styles, and trivia of all of those hardcore, pop punk, and metal bands playing at the three stages of the god-forsaken Masquerade, or all of the unknown singer-songwriters passing through Smith's Olde Bar, and let's face it, Steve's Live Music is nothing but an after-dinner date-night destination for suburban white people.  I'll scan through those venue's offerings and note anything that looks worthwhile, but you don't need to wade through the complete listings and I'm not interested in writing those complete listings.  So there, I said it.   

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, MARCH 21

★Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Tedo Stone (Variety Playhouse)

Like James Brown?  Charles Bradley was a JB impersonator before he found his own voice, but the soul styling and hard-work ethic of the master remains.  Plus Bradley is one of the most humble, most grateful and kindest musicians to grace a stage.  

Charles Bradley at Bumbershoot, 2011

Pusha T, Lil Bibby, G Herbo (Center Stage)
The Darkest Before Dawn Tour comes through the ATL.

Lucy Wainwright Roche and Suzzy Roche, Barnaby Bright (Eddie's Attic)

Talk about musical roots: Lucy Wainwright Roche is the daughter of singer-songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and Suzzy Roche, who, along with her sisters Maggie and Terre Roche, make up the vocal group The Roches.  Known for their unique harmonies, The Roches were major influences on the careers of the Indigo Girls, and Lucy has toured as an opening act for the Indigo Girls and the duo is featured on a couple of Lucy's songs.  Lucy is also the half-sister of singer-songwriters Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright (whose late mother Kate was half of the Canadian folk duo Kate & Anna McGarrigle).

Kevin Garrett (Aisle 5)

Alas, not former Celtic great and current Timberwolf Kevin Garnett, but Pittsburgh soul-pop musician Kevin Garrett, now based out of Brooklyn.

Little Simz, Go Dreamer (Vinyl)

Islington, England's Little Simz is a tough-rhyming rapper whose approach is equally effective over jagged and smooth productions. She is also known as an actor for her recurring roles on the BBC's Spirit Warriors and E4's Youngers.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22

Palm, Warehouse, Gnarwhal, Dicaprio (529)

Philadelphia's Palm have been compared to everyone from Guerilla Toss, Women and Deerhoof to King Crimson and Unwound.   Atlanta's Warehouse finds its inspirations in Brazil’s bossa nova and tropicalia movements; their debut album Tesseract is a departure from some of their earlier new-wave material, and highlights more classic rock elements, matched by Elaine Edenfield’s guttural vocals.

House of Peace (Aisle 5)

Not to be confused with the Christian music band of the same name, the House of Peace tour is actually five very diverse international house music, EDM and funk DJs.

Forever Came Calling, Major League, Sudden Suspension, Lights After Dark, Summer Wars (Drunken Unicorn)
Pop punk.  A Masquerade-produced show held at the Unicorn.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23

★Basia Bulat, Daniel Martin Moore (Eddie's Attic)

Basia Bulat is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter known for performing with an autoharp, who became one of the indie world's most talked about newcomers with the release of her first full-length album, 2007's Oh, My Darling.  We've seen her before at Eddie's, as well as The Earl opening for Seattle's Pickwick.

★Summer Twins, The Shivas, Black Linen, Koko Beware (529)

Summer Twins are sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown, who write dream-pop and rock 'n' roll songs with a touch of California sun. They formed in 2008 with a focus on singing pop harmonies atop garage rock inspired by the ’50s and ’60s. We saw Seattle's The Shivas at an early-day KEXP show at Portland's The Doug Fir during MFNW (RIP) 2013 (dude-I-was-there video below), and later had brunch at the table next to them at the diner upstairs.

Astronauts ETC, Harriet Brown, Skybison (The Earl)

Oakland, California's Astronauts ETC are a "supermelodic pulp/arena pop" band touring after their appearances as SXSW.

A Night of David Bowie with The Ziggy Stardust Tribute (Terminal West)

These Bowie tribute shows are becoming a regular thing around town - this one will feature Timi Conley, Andrew Hanmer, Jay Rodgers, Chris McKay, Kristoffer Dede Giddens, Michael Wegner, and John James.

Real Friends, Movements (The Masquerade)
Sold Out

Kitten, Keeps, The Greeting Committee (Hell at The Masquerade)

LA quartet Kitten play '80s post-punk-influenced dance-rock and synth pop, fronted by dynamic (and very young) lead singer Chloe Chaidez,

Dreamers, Arkells (Purgatory at The Masquerade)

Brooklyn indie pop-rockers Dreamers play infectious rock in the vein of Surfer Blood and the Vaccines.  Arkells are an alternative rock band originally from Hamilton, Ontario that are named after Arkell Street near McMaster University.

Sad Fish, Misery Loves Chachi, Friendship, Lea Lea (Mammal Gallery)

Sad Fish plays Brazilian freak surf rock.   Atlanta's Misery Loves Chachi is an indie, dream-pop band combining chill-wave, Motown and African rhythms with post-modern chord changes and jazz harmonies. Friendship are from Philadelphia, and Lea Lea is an Atlanta-based experimental folktronica performer.

The Gordon Vernick Quartet (Red Light Cafe)

Every Wednesday night, The Gordon Vernick Quartet performs a few numbers and then invites other musicians and singers to join them on stage for a jam session. The quartet features Kevin Bales on keyboard, Marlon Patton on drums, Craig Shaw on bass, and Dr. Gordon Vernick on trumpet. There's no cover charge and plenty of free parking. Whether you're a professional or amateur musician, you're welcome to sit in; everyone who wants to perform will be given a chance to play.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

Hippie Sabotage, Alex Wiley, Kembe X (Terminal West)
Sold Out.

★Mount Moriah, Elephant Micah (Eddie's Attic)

Steeped in the dark, misty mountain lore of their Appalachian homeland and brimming with the fuzzed-out dark twang of their pasts, North Carolina-based alt-Americana outfit Mount Moriah blend the neo-traditional indie folk of the Low Anthem with the fire and brimstone of Sixteen Horsepower. Formed in the late 2000s by Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller, both of whom had spent considerable time at the opposite end of the folk spectrum as members of Bellafea (post-punk) and Horseback (psych-metal), respectively, the project grew out the pair's long friendship and shared love of American folk music.  After some drastic shifts in sound and line-up, the band's sound has settled into a sweet, melancholy strain of folk music.  Their song Calvander was recently selected by Minnesota Public Radio as The Current Song of the Day.

Jenks Miller (left) with Rose Cross at Hopscotch Festival, 2014

The Broadcast, Autumn Attics (The Earl)

Described as a modern day “Grace Slick meets Led Zeppelin,” Asheville’s The Broadcast is led by female powerhouse Caitlin Krisko.  Drawing much of their sound from 70s classic rock, The Broadcast are known for their explosive live performances.

Shepherds, Deep State, Mighty (529)

Atlanta post-punk noise/soul outfit Shepherds is fronted by guitarist Jonathan Merenivitch (Janelle Monae, Del Venicci, Dog Bite, and probably more).

Shepherds at Artlantis

The Malah, Universal Sigh (Aisle 5)

The Malah are a live-electronic trio who have been playing their organic, electro-grooves since 2003.

Sam Outlaw, Whitney Rose (Vinyl)

Sam Outlaw is a country music singer-songwriter who calls his music "SoCal country," country music refashioned with a Southern California vibe of the classic honky-tonk and troubadour pop.

Teedra Moses, DJ Tabone (The Loft)

Teedra Moses is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter born and raised in New Orleans to a gospel singing mother, and brings a little bit of that fervor to her own vocal style.

Jeff Austin Band, Brit La Palm, Seth Winters (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)

Jeff Austin is a member of Yonder Mountain String Band.

Supersuckers, Jesse Dayton, Dead Soldiers (Star Community Bar)

Supersuckers are a party band that formed in 1988, playing a gleefully trashy brand of throttling, rockabilly-flavored garage punk. Their lyrics are a raucous, over-the-top celebration of sex, booze, drugs, Satan, and whatever other vices the band can think of, all glorified with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Save for an abrupt and temporary detour into hardcore honky tonk, their approach stayed relatively consistent through the '90s.

Upstate Rubdown, Cortez Garza (Red Light Cafe)

Upstate Rubdown is a group of rowdy musicians dedicated to creating fun and provocative acoustic pop music, with clever rhythms and harmonies. The band's influences range anywhere from traditional to classical and from jazz/show tunes to funk, with a shared love of soul, motown, and classic R&B, for a unique sound.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

★★Marshall Allen+James Harrar: Soloriens Tetrad, Faun and a Pan Flute, To Too My (Mammal Gallery)

2014's set by legendary Sun Ra alto saxophonist Marshall Allen and experimental filmmaker and musician James Harrar, performing together as Cinema Soloriens, was one of the highlights of that year.  This year, they're performing as Soloriens Tetrad, and percussionist Klimchak and guitarist Chris Yonker (Hello Ocho) will join in for the performance.  Atlanta avant-gardists Faun and a Pan Flute and To Too My open.

Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics (The Earl)

An Atlanta institution since 2007 featuring soulful lead vocals and a full horn section, Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics make earthy old-school '50s and '60s-style R&B.  Upon arriving in Atlanta from Gainesville, Florida, they landed a residency at the Star Bar and built a strong local following, and in 2010 and 2011, Creative Loafing voted them Atlanta's best soul band.

Shampoo, Crown Larks, Omni, Clothes (529)

Atlanta synthpop band Shampoo say they sound like "solo George Michael and the Congos songs where the high harmony dude sings lead."

Anderson East, Andrew Combs (Terminal West)

Athens, Alabama (the other Athens) singer and songwriter Anderson East's music is a potent, heartfelt fusion of soul, rhythm & blues, gospel, early rock & roll, and a dash of country.

Karbomb, Seagulls, Campaign, Spray Tan, Breaux (Star Community Bar)

This will be an LP release party for the Karbomb/Seagulls split album.

Yacht Rock Revue (Variety Playhouse)

Performing Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon and The Beatles’ Abbey Road.

Norma Jean, He Is Legend, Forevermore, Rival Choir (Drunken Unicorn)

Norma Jean is a heavy, loud, rock 'n' roll band from Atlanta.

Jerry Garcia Band Cover Band, BYOG (Aisle 5)

I think the title's pretty self-explanatory.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26

★Lily and Madeleine, Shannon Hayden (Eddie's Attic)

Lily & Madeleine are a folk-pop sister duo from Indianapolis.  The New York Times wrote that "the thing that flags them as extraordinary is their sibling vocal blend, deep and seamless and relaxed."

★Nomen Novum, FiatNil, Pamela_ & Her Sons, Anticipation (529)  

A record release show for Atlanta's admirable Deer Bear Wolf Records, featuring Nomen Novum, FiatNil (Graham Moore and Magicicada). Pamela_ & Her Sons, and a DJ set by Anticipation.

Nomen Novum opening for Future Islands at Variety Playhouse, February 27, 2015

★Dale Watson & His Lonestars, Cold Heart Canyon (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 

Dale Watson is a Texas Country singer, guitarist, songwriter, and self-published author based in Austin. He champions "Ameripolitan" as a new genre of original music and has positioned himself as a tattooed, stubbornly independent outsider who is interested in recording authentic country music, and as a result, has become a favorite of critics and alt-country fans.

Rusted Root (Variety Playhouse)

Pittsburgh's Rusted Root are known for their fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, and Native American influences. The band achieved fame in 1994 with its platinum-selling album When I Woke, which included hit single Send Me On My Way. The song has been featured prominently in many films and commercials, and Rusted Root has sold more than three million albums worldwide.

A-Wa, Jaffa Road (Terminal West)

The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival Purim Party.  According to NPR, Israeli sister act A-Wa (Tair, Liron and Tagel Haim) "pull inspiration from their Yemeni Jewish roots, as well as exploring commonalities with their Arab neighbors, including language; the band usually sings in Yemeni Arabic."  NPR's All Songs Considered even singled them out for mention among the myriad bands at SXSW, especially after they sang a lullaby in Bob Boilen's hotel room.  The video for their song Habib Galbi (Love of My Heart) was filmed near their home village in the barren desert of Israel's far south. 

Newark Wilder, Fake Flowers, Sea Ghost (Drunken Unicorn)

Newark Wilder’s debut album, Vanessa Atalanta, produced by Luciano Giarrano at East Atlanta's The Cottage, is a diverse cornucopia of psychedelic punk that utilizes sneering guitars, punchy basslines, steadfast drums, and the swagger of frontman Benjamin Kinzer, a classically trained cellist.

Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles, The Royal Hounds, Little Lesley and the Bloodshots (Star Community Bar)

Rockabilly.

Bongzilla, Black Cobra, Kings Destroy, Lo-Pan (The Earl)
Madison, Wisconsin's Bongzilla play an extremely thick and heavy, powerful mega-rock laced with homegrown, psychedelic sludge-core.

India Shawn, MeLo-X, Boyslashfriend, Kiya Lacey (Aisle 5)
LA singer and songwriter India Shawn utilizes a fearless experimentation with R&B elements and her smooth voice to connect with listeners.  India’s songs have spiritual and emotional components, and in 2013, Solange Knowles featured India’s popular track, I’m Alive, on her Saint Heron compilation album

Reza Sadeghi (Center Stage)

Reza Sadeghi is an Iranian pop singer and songwriter who has been singing since his childhood, when he began chanting the  Qur’an at school.

Junior Boys, Jessy Lanza, Borys  (The Loft)

Hamilton, Ontario-based electronic pop group, Junior Boys are a duo influenced by a number of underground and commercial sectors, including post-disco, arty synth pop, minimal techno, U.K. garage, and certain contemporary rap production styles.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

★Takenobu (Eddie's Attic)
A CD release show for the Andrew Bird of the cello.

Takenobu at 529, July 5, 2013

This Week's Shows (2/29 - 3/6)

This is a great week for fans of hip-hop, with shows in town by Common, Ty Dolla $ign, Diamond D, and the Beastie Boys' DJ Hurricane, as well as Sunday night's Silentó-headlined nae-nae danceathon, and for fans of contemporary R&B, with smooth crooners like Leon Bridges and King in town and the inimitable CeeLo Green at Terminal West on Thursday night.  But after last Saturday night's bonanza of shows, this is not exactly a stellar week for Atlanta fans of a certain type of indie rock music, and by "stellar" I mean the term literally - there are very few stars next to the sets below and no two-star sets at all, and to be honest, at least one of those stars feels like a mercy rating to me. But fear not, indie fans, for March Madness is right around the corner, and very soon now there will be more stellar shows than you'll be able to attend.

As a reminder, 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, FEBRUARY 29

King (The Loft)

King is a female R&B trio from LA with an eclectic sound which Ebony Magazine described by noting “King bypasses the impulse to categorize musicians into a singular box by falling somewhere in the utopian realm of nostalgic R&B, futuristic soul and folksy-bluesy jazz." 

DJ Jared Swilley (529)

Jared Swilley of The Black Lips has been making the rounds lately, doing DJ sets in support of various shows around town.  This evening, he will be the sole attraction for a set at 529,

TUESDAY, MARCH 1

Leon Bridges, Son Little (The Tabernacle)

If the retro 70s, sweet soul sound of King appeals to you, you'll want to catch Leon Bridges as well. Leon Bridges is a gospel and soul singer from Fort Worth, Texas best known for his song Coming Home, which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify.  Opener Son Little is Philadelphia R&B musician Aaron Livingston.

Doro, Madame Mayhem (Variety Playhouse)

Doro Pesch, the self-proclaimed Queen of Rock & Metal, started in 1982 as the lead singer for Warlock. Embarking on a solo career in 1989, Doro toured extensively, building her following and working with Gene Simmons and Lemmy Kilmister.  Manhattan-born Madame Mayhem is an ‘in your face’ hard rocker with an attitude somewhere between metal and glam rock.

Great Good Fine OK, Handsome Ghost (Aisle 5)
Great Good Fine Ok, the Brooklyn synthpop duo of Jon Sandler and Luke Moellman, achieved online popularity with their anthemic blend of dreamy electro flutters, R&B beats and lush, expansive pop, which has been compared to M83, Phoenix and Passion Pit.  Opener Handsome Ghost is a pop and electro band from Boston.

Chelsea Grin, Oceans Ate Alaska, Lorna Shore, Wage War, Desert Flower (Hell at The Masquerade)

Metal.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

Cory McAbee's The Small Star Seminar (The Earl)

Okay, this one looks like it could be different.  Cory McAbee is best known as writer, director, songwriter and composer for the films, The American Astronaut, Stingray Sam, Crazy and Thief, and as singer/songwriter for The Billy Nayer Show. In December of 2014, McAbee began recording and producing Small Star Seminar, his first solo album, which was first performed live in Wroclaw, Poland in March, 2015.  The performance revolves around a singing motivational speaker who urges people to give up their goals, stop reaching for the stars, and to start looking for the stars within their own minds. The set features optimistic songs about quitting, accepting one’s own limitations, and the power of sitting quietly. As an encore, McAbee will address the theory of “Deep Astronomy” and answer questions from the audience. This tour is being documented for use in an upcoming feature film, written and directed by McAbee. Audience participation is welcome.  This is the sort of high-concept stuff that usually only David Byrne comes up with.

William Singe (Terminal West)

A sold-out show by the soulful, Sydney, Australia based singer, songwriter and producer William Singe, best known for his online videos that have amassed hundreds of millions of YouTube and Facebook views.

Future, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Donald (The Tabernacle)

Future is a popular Atlanta hip-hop artist who, between 2015 and 2016, became the fastest artist to chart three number one albums on the Billboard 20.  Future makes prevalent use of Auto-Tune in his songs, both rapping and singing with the effect. Pitchfork Media wrote that Future "finds a multitude of ways for the software to accentuate and color emotion," noting that he "miraculously shows that it's still possible for Auto-Tune to be an interesting artistic tool."  Ty Dolla $ign is a hip-hop and R&B artist from Los Angeles who both sings and raps, combining elements of hip hop and contemporary R&B. Atlanta rapper Lil Donald opens.

Rachel Platten, Eric Hutchinson, Christina Grimmie (Center Stage)
Rachel Platten is a pop singer and songwriter from Boston whose Fight Song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart.  Eric Hutchinson plays soulful pop music and is also known for the sharp, often colorful suits he wears on stage and on his album covers. Christina Grimmie is known on YouTube as "zeldaxlove64" and finished third in Season 6 of The Voice.

Parker Gispert, Brian Revels (Eddie's Attic)
Parker Gispert is the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of Athens trio, The Whigs.  Brian Revels is a 25 year-old singer/songwriter also from Athens.

Common Kings, Tomorrow's Bad Seeds (Vinyl)
Common Kings are Pacific Islanders who produce pop songs with rock, reggae, R&B and classic soul influences.   Their Hits & Mrs. Tour includes Tomorrow's Bad Seeds. a reggae-rock band made up of five musicians from Hermosa Beach, California.

Shmu, Skull Buddha, Basketball Movie (The Mammal Gallery)
Shmu is Sam Chown, an experimental, glitchadelic, shoegaze musician from either Austin or Toronto, depending on whether you believe Bandcamp or Facebook (why not drop in and ask him yourself?).   Skull Buddha is Atlanta electronic musicians Gage Gilmore and  Eric Grantham. Basketball Movie opened for Warehouse and Red Sea at 529 on February 8 and will open here.

Old Salt Union, I Want Whiskey, Front Porch Session Players (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Old Salt Union are influenced by the bluegrass of The Del McCoury Band and Sam Bush, but also by Bill Evans, Danny Elfman, Punch Brothers, and many others.  Atlanta's I Want Whisky transforms punk into southern roots music by incorporating traditional styles and instrumentation, a wide range of influences (including Lead Belly, Bill Monroe, The Pogues, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Woody Guthrie), and what some may call "subversive" subject matter.  Front Porch Session Players started out as a group of neighbors and friends that gathered on a porch in Grant Park to play music and entertain themselves.

The Gordon Vernick Quartet (Red Light Cafe)
Every Wednesday night, The Gordon Vernick Quartet performs a few numbers and then invites other musicians and singers to join them on stage for a jam session. The quartet features Kevin Bales on keyboard, Marlon Patton on drums, Craig Shaw on bass, and Dr. Gordon Vernick on trumpet. There's no cover charge and plenty of free parking. Whether you're a professional or amateur musician, you're welcome to sit in; everyone who wants to perform will be given a chance to play.

Star & Micey, Ben Trickey (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
The core members of Memphis indie folk-rock band Star & Micey are two brothers without the same last name, Geoff Smith and Joshua Cosby.  Their video for I Can't Wait is fun to watch if you like seeing people getting slapped across the face as much as I do.  Atlanta folk singer Ben Trickey began writing songs in 2001 and has shared the stage with Damien Jurado, Richard Buckner, and Horse Feathers, among others. The Blue Indian’s Cameron Barham wrote that he was intrigued by "the seemingly effortless vibrato in [Trickey’s] voice which was a perfect complement for the content of his songs.”

Taake, Young and In The Way, Vattnet Viskar, Cloak (Hell at The Masquerade)

Metal.

Crawl, Long Live the Goat, Pagan (529)

Part of 529's free Wednesdays of Mass Destruction series of metal bands and DJs playing their heaviest tunes, this time featuring Atlanta's southern sludge/whiskey doom band Crawl and instrumental doom band Pagan, and Chicago's Long Live the Goat. Be sure to bring some donation money to this no-cover show for the touring bands.  Why do I provide details on metal bands at 529 but not for the godforsaken Masquerade?  Well, because, that's why.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3

★CeeLo Green, Escort (Terminal West)

Atlanta polymath CeeLo Green is among many other things, a singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman who came to initial prominence as a member of the Southern hip-hop group Goodie Mob and later as part of the soul duo Gnarls Barkley with producer Danger Mouse. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career.  Opener Escort is a contemporary disco band based out of Brooklyn and fronted by Adeline Michèle; their live performances feature a 17-piece band.

Reverend Hylton, Blood on the Harp, Cold Heart Canyon (The Earl)

This is an album release show for Atlanta's Reverend Hylton, an Americana outlaw singer-songwriter who blends rowdy country songs with heartfelt ballads.  After three and a half years of playing in a jam band, the Reverend went back to his roots with songs about traveling, heartache, and addiction.  Blood On The Harp is an Americana/bluegrass band from Atlanta; they played The Star Bar back on February 20 along with bluegrass band Cold Heart Canyon, who will open this show as well.

★Quantic, Xenia Rubinos, Byron the Aquarius (Aisle 5)
Quantic is the recording alias of British-born musician, Will Holland. Holland's travels have lead him to record, collaborate and perform all over the world, and his skills as a guitarist, accordionist, DJ, studio engineer and music compiler have earned him an international fanbase. He cut his teeth with downtempo and instrumental-beats releases, then developed a fresh and original take on the renaissance of funk, soul and Afrobeat with the Quantic Soul Orchestra, and in 2005, he collaborated on the salsa hit Mi Swing Es Tropical. Xenia Rubinos uses her powerful voice to create beats and melodies from scratch. Her sound grows from a wide palette of influences ranging from Caribbean rhythms and beat music to minimalism and indie rock, all delivered with a soulful punk aura. Xenia’s ecstatic songs feature layered beats, crunchy keyboards, and driving syncopated rhythms.  Opener Byron the Aquarius experiments with hip-hop, EDM, jazz and house elements and has worked with Flying Lotus, among others.  The Birmingham-based musician played here at Aisle 5 back on February 4.

Quantic DJing at The Earl, March 12, 2015

Kayla Steen, Yancey, Dux (529)

A fundraiser show for Ladyfest Atlanta 2016, an annual feminist arts and music festival by and for women and gender-nonconforming people, celebrates and encourages community while also precipitating critical action, especially as it relates to gender-centered oppression.  The line-up includes Kayla Steen, a rising singer featured on Mvstermind's ADD (Artistic Day Dreaming) and has recorded with NecRomancer.  Yancey is from the band Man Up, Yancey, who've been playing around town quite a bit as of late.  Dux is the experiment in improvised cello and analog synthesizers of Chelsea Dunn and Casey Battaglino.  

Guttermouth, The Cryptics, Antagonizers ATL (Star Community Bar)
Guttermouth is a punk band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach and infamous for their outrageous lyrics and behavior, which are deliberately explicit, offensive and intended to shock, though usually in a humorous and sarcastic manner. They were banned from performing in Canada for eighteen months and had to leave the 2004 Warped Tour due to controversy over their political views and attitudes towards other performers.  The Cryptics are a punk band from Dover, New Hampshire.  Antagonizers ATL are a working-class street rock 'n' roll band from, as their name implies, Atlanta.

Aqueous, Broccoli Samurai, Jack's River (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Aqueous is a Buffalo, NY, rock/groove powerhouse,  Broccoli Samurai is a Cleveland jamtronica and EDM project.   Georgia's Jack's River plays blues rock with a raw funkadelic twist.

ROAR! (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
A midnight show at Smith's featuring Roar!, consisting of Carly Meyers (trombone, vocals, Moog, Taurus bass pedals) and Adam Gertner (drums, sampler, SPDS, OP-1).

Jesse & The Great Perhaps (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Jesse & The Great Perhaps features quirky instrumentation, heavy vocal arrangements, and always a surprise or two. The band started in early 2011, when Woodstock, Georgia's Jesse Nighswonger started playing ukulele shows around the Atlanta area.  Nighwsonger performed a solo acoustic set at The Drunken Unicorn back on February 26.

The Vinyl Suns, Misslefish, Highly Trusted Men (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Athens' Vinyl Suns call themselves a blues-rock band but also dabble in soul, southern rock, funk, latin, and progressive rock.   Misslefish are an Atlanta-based post-hardcore band.  Opener Highly Trusted Men is a four-piece rock band from Dawsonville, Georgia.

Hair of the Dog (Red Light Cafe)
Cajun band Hair of the Dog plays a high-energy mix of zydeco, blues, and honky tonk.

Nathan Angelo, Elenowen (Eddie's Attic)
Nathan Angelo plays soulful piano-pop; opener Elenowen are husband-and-wife singer/songwriters who appeared on the inaugural season of The Voice.

The Mersey Beatles (Variety Playhouse)
This Beatles tribute act are actually from Liverpool and got their start at the same Cavern Club in Hamburg, Germany where the Beatles got started.  Author Julia Baird, John Lennon's sister, will be in attendance to "sign" (i.e., sell) her book Imagine This: Growing Up with My Brother John Lennon.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

The Main Squeeze (Terminal West)

The Main Squeeze is a funk band from Bloomington, Indiana, and currently residing in Chicago. Since coming together in late 2009, they've have managed to establish a unique sound and identity in a short period of time. 

Great Peacock, Quaildogs, Motel Radio (The Earl)

Nashville folk band Great Peacock's harmony-heavy, guitar-driven debut album Making Ghosts occupies the middle ground between rootsy, down-home Americana and super-sized arena pop-rock. Atlanta's Quaildogs set sad lyrics to happy music and played Terminal West back on February 6. Opener Motel Radio are a folk-rock band out of New Orleans.

Illegal Drugs, Tongue Party, Vincas, Cissy (Drunken Unicorn)
Atlanta's Illegal Drugs include members of Turf War and Hawks and deal in punk, rock, goth, and grunge; they opened for Ty Segall bandmate CFM at The Earl on February 22.  Minneapolis' Tongue Party play smoked-out fuzz punk.  Georgia's Vincas deal in scuzzed-out psychedelic punk and art-damaged frenzied space rock.   Openers Cissy are a noise/grunge band from Atlanta who headlined a show at The Star Bar back on February 19.

Bag Raiders, Plastic Plates (Vinyl)
Bag Raiders are an Australian electro-pop band founded in 2006 by mainstays Jack Glass and Chris Stracey.  Sydney's Plastic Plates is DJ and producer Felix Bloxsom, who is best known for his drumming and percussion and was the 2004 Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year.

Wuki, Niko the Kid (Aisle 5)
Wuki is the genre-blending solo project of Denver-based producer Kris Barman. Influenced by the sounds of the Detroit ghettotech and Chicago footwork scenes, Barman’s ability to seamlessly mix booty, breaks, electro, and house into hard-hitting club-shakers has become a trademark of the Wuki sound. Opener Niko The Kid is a German/American producer based out of LA with a refreshing approach to soul-house music.

Lebo & the Rattler, Loudermilk + Moon, Jeremiah Percival, Beast (The Mammal Gallery)
Lebo & the Rattler is the folk project of Atlanta musicians Suzanne Baker and Dylan Valvo, who focus on traditional and old-time mountain music, covering everything from murder ballads and Deep South blues to fiddle songs from the Appalachians.  Loudermilk + Moon call themselves a "buttery" five-piece folk band from Atlanta that strives to sound like no one else, with soft voices wading in a milky sea of samba grooves to deep brash floor toms carrying fiery yells and animal chants. Jeremiah Percival and Beast open, and while I don't know anything about them, it's a mistake to just assume they're folk bands as well, given The Mammal Gallery's proclivity toward mixing things up.

Diamond D, DJ Hurricane (529)
An all-45s DJ set of hip hop, funk, soul, and breaks featuring Diamond D, a Grammy-winning hip-hop producer, MC, and DJ from The Bronx and one of the founding members of legendary NY crew DITC.  Guest DJ Hurricane is a hip-hop DJ, producer and rapper who was the Beastie Boys' DJ from 1986-1997.

Thelma & The Sleaze, Dinos Boys, DJ Poppin' Pietro (Star Community Bar)
Thelma & The Sleaze are a Nashville-based power-trio sludge fest.  Dinos Boys are a punk/garage band from Atlanta.  DJ Poppin' Pietro opens.

Repeat Repeat, Grand, American Roommates (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
East Nashville trio Repeat Repeat call themselves an urban surf adventure in candyland flower pop. Grand is an alternative/pop band from Athens.  American Roommates is a five-piece indie-rock band from Nashville by way of Columbus, Georgia, that draws inspiration from Modest Mouse to Talking Heads.

Pink Talking Fish, The Orange Constant (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Pink Talking Fish is a Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish tribute band.  The Orange Constant is an alternative jam rock band originally from Statesboro, Georgia.

Sean McConnell, Joseph Lemay (Eddie's Attic)
Sean McConnell is a Boston singer/songwriter performing a style of music that he describes as "lyric driven roots rock with soul."   Joseph Lemay is a Tennessee rock and Americana singer-songwriter.

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours (Red Light Cafe)
The first of a two-night stand by Nashville's Antsy McClain & the Trailer Park Troubadours, "a revolving cadre of top-notch pickers who can play cowboy jazz, Tex-Mex waltzes, country ballads, and soulful R&B dance tunes without breaking a sweat" (All Music).

State Champs, Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, Like Pacific (Heaven at The Masquerade)
State Champs is a pop-punk band from Albany, NY.  Neck Deep is a pop-punk band from Wrexham, UK.  Knuckle Puck is a pop-punk band from Chicago, IL.  Like Pacific is a pop-punk band from Toronto, CA.  Unfortunately, this show is sold out, kids.

Tribute - A Celebration of The Allman Brothers Band (Steve's Live Music)
Self-explanatory, I believe.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

★Dropkick Murphys, Tiger Army, Darkbuster (The Tabernacle)

The Dropkick Murphys are a Celtic punk band from Quincy, Massachusetts known for their loud, energetic live shows. The band initially made a name for themselves through constant touring and yearly St. Patrick's Day shows held in and around Boston. The song I'm Shipping Up to Boston was featured in the 2006 movie The Departed, and remains one of their best-known songs ("I lost my leg!!!").  Dropkick Murphys played Shaky Knees in 2014 when the festival was held at Atlantic Station, but we missed most of their set because we were at another stage watching Man Man.  At The Tabernacle, they will be supported by LA psychobilly band Tiger Army and Boston punks Darkbuster,who are known largely for their songs about the joys of heavy drinking.

★Mothers, Warehouse, Red Sea (The Earl)

Mothers began as the solo project of Athens visual artist Kristine Leschper, who is also a self-taught songwriter and multi-instrumentalist influenced by acts such as Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, The Microphones, and Neutral Milk Hotel; she later developed a love for experimental music, math rock, and noise artists. As a result, her music contains non-traditional song structures and flirts between strength and vulnerability. The full band formed about eighteen months ago and the addition of three superb musicians and has elevated Mothers to an entirely new level. Atlanta's Warehouse finds its inspirations in Brazil’s bossa nova and tropicalia movements; their debut album Tesseract is a departure from some of their earlier new-wave material, and highlights more classic rock elements, matched by Elaine Edenfield’s guttural vocals. Red Sea opened for Warehouse at The Earl on February 8, and will be opening again here - Red Sea's sound has been called noise/drone pop, progressive noise rock, and dream pop.




The Floozies, SunSquabi, Flamingosis (Buckhead Theater)
The Floozies are Lawrence, Kansas producer/guitarist Matt Hill and drummer Mark Hill.  The duo's combination of cutting-edge electronic production and party-rocking funk energizes crowds and turns venues into epic dance parties. Colorado trio Sunsquabi is a live electronic/jam band breaking down expectations of what a “live-electronic” band should sound like. Opener Flamingosis is an electronic music producer, beatboxer and entertainer.

Haywyre, Skymatic (Terminal West)
Haywyre consists of multi-instrumentalist Martin Vogt, who performs progressive electronic music with memorable melodies and jazz/classically influenced chord progressions.  Atlanta's Skymatic serves up a fresh melodic electronic music experience with live violin, guitar and synth/piano.

Starbenders, Kudzu Kids, Brooklynn (Drunken Unicorn)
Starbenders are a punk-art pop-bubbleglam band from Atlanta,  They will be supported by Kudzu Kids, a rock band from Jasper, Georgia fronted by the vocals and guitar of Krista Williamson. Opener Brooklynn call themselves a  "soul pop 'n' roll" band.

★Michelle Malone (Eddie's Attic)
Malone is a frequent performer at Eddie's; one can say that Michelle Malone is to Eddie's Attic what Cannibal Corpse is to The Masquerade.  Over the course of Malone's career, she's collaborated with artists from Gregg Allman to Indigo Girls, released more than a dozen records and went indie when it still took guts. Equal parts bad-ass guitar slinger and sweet songstress, Malone artfully balances her penchant for ripping it through the roof with masterful lyrical introspection with vocals that range from sublime to raucous.

Michelle Malone at Music Midtown, 1994

Big Brutus, Chelsea Shag, Band & the Beat (529)
Big Brutus is Atlanta singer-songwriter Sean Bryant.  Chelsea Shag plays pop, jazz, blues, R&B, and soul in the manner of James Brown, Amy Winehouse, and Erykah Badu; if you missed her at Eddie's Attic on February 10, this is your chance to catch up.  Band & The Beat is Tracy and James Tritten, a husband-wife dream pop duo from Raleigh NC.

King Guru, Terror Pigeon, Meth Dad, EVE (Maggie Schneider + Absolutely), Ian and the Ekonomy (The Mammal Gallery)
East Wave Asian Fusion presents Alpha Epsilon Pi's 7th Annual Battle of the Bands and Art Show for charity. The audience gets to choose who wins the Audience Choice award. All proceeds go to the Gift of Life, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, and Heroes to Heroes charities.

The Kentucky Bridgeburners, Rocket 350, Bigfoot, Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters, Trash Hats (Star Community Bar)
A mixed-bag show of redneck underground bands.  The Kentucky Bridgeburners are not from Kentucky but are an incendiary rock 'n' roll gospel band from Atlanta featuring members of Nashville Pussy (who are not from Nashville), Nine Pound Hammer and the 45's. Not since John the Baptist screamed his words of inspiration and motivation has there been gospel music performed with this much passion and conviction.  Meanwhile, Rocket 350 is an Atlanta rockabilly institution,  Bigfoot is a 70's stoner rock band,  Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters play garage rock,  and Trash Hats is a garage/punk band from Elon, NC.

The Muckers, Battlefield Collective (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
The Muckers are a brand-new Atlanta folk-rock band blending punk, Irish, gypsy, sea shanties, country, bluegrass and everything else under the sun.  Battlefield Collective blend bluegrass, Americana, roots, and rockabilly to create their band's unique sound.

Pat Cooper, Sam Grayson, Whiskey Dixie (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Pat Cooper is an up-and-coming Nashville country singer/songwriter, and Sam Grayson is a rising singer/songwriter from John's Creek, Georgia.  Whiskey Dixie is a southern soul rock band from Calhoun, Georgia.

Darcy Malone & The Tangle, Joanna Duff, Southern Bred Co, (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
So this is a thing now?  Three shows a night at Smith's?  Sure, I've got nothing better to do that to look up nine to fifteen performers a night (sad thing is that's true).  Anyhow, Darcy Malone & The Tangle headline this late show at Smith's with their merger of Darcy’s background in soul and pop with her husband Christopher Boye’s love of indie/underground rock 'n' roll. Joanna Duff's set includes music, jokes, and audience participation with Duff's vocals and guitar backed by cello and drums. Athens band Southern Bred Co. play  classic-, alternative-, and blues-rock and funk.

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours (Red Light Cafe)
The second of the two-night stand by Nashville's Antsy McClain & the Trailer Park Troubadours.

Ben Caplan (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Ben Caplan is a Canadian folk musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose huge beard and unruly mane is as visually striking as he is aurally compelling.

Pierce Pettis (Steve's Live Music) 
Nashville singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis has had his songs covered by artists ranging from Garth Brooks and Dion to Joan Baez and Art Garfunkel.

The Sledgehammers - A Peter Gabriel Tribute (Steve's Live Music)
Late show at Steve's doing exactly what their name implies.

A Legacy Unwritten, Awaken the Ancient, Call Me Ishmael, Dead Morals. WitchKing, Deadblo (Hell at the Masquerade)

Metal.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

Silentó, iLoveMemphis, DLOW, We Are Toonz, 99 Percent, Team NueEra, DJ Double J (The Tabernacle)
With a line-up of seven bands, this looks like it should be a show at the godforsaken Masquerade, but it's actually a stop in something called Let's Dance - The Tour 2016, a celebration of hip-hop dance headlined by Silentó, the young Atlanta rapper behind the viral video and dance sensation Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).

Okay, let's break this down for us old people.  Nae Nae is a popular hip-hop dance move that involves planting your feet and swaying, one hand up in the air and the other hand down low.  You've probably seen NFL and NBA athletes perform the move after scoring, if you don't already have sick nae nae moves down of your own.   Atlanta's We Are Toonz, who are also on the bill, are credited with inventing the dance with their 2013 song Drop That NaeNae, and say the move is based on the humorous dancing of the character Shanae'nae played by Martin Lawrence in the 90s sitcom Martin. Urban Dictionary advises that this dance should only be done by females between the ages of 7-17, but do a simple Google search and you'll find celebrities from Jeremy Lin, Stephen Curry, and Dwight Howard to Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus (of course) to even Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton doing the dance.

Also on the bill is iLoveMemphis, the rapper known for the single Hit the Quan, a dance move where you "get down low and swing your arms" that was made popular by Atlanta's Rich Homie Quan. Chicago's DLOW ("Determined, Loyal, Optimistic, and Willing to Learn") is Daryon Simmons, a hip-hop dancer, rapper, and choreographer known for his bop dance moves (see the 1:22 mark on the Silentó video for a bop demo).  99 Percent are rappers Camoflage and JayB from Vallejo, California. Team NueEra got on the nae nae/whip bandwagon with the King Imprint video So Turnt Up featuring rapper Yung Lucky. DJ Double D is from Luxemburg, so I guess the dance is popular in Europe, too.  Note the early (4:00 pm) starting time - there's a lot of performers to squeeze into this show.

★Creepoid, The Powder Room, Motherfucker (The Earl)

Philadelphia's Creepoid play with the grunge-filled chaos of Sonic Youth but also the finesse of shoegaze acts like Swervedriver or Slowdive, but this is no mere genre exercise - Creepoid is for real, and the dual vocals of guitarist Sean Miller and bassist Anna Troxell soar like an airy wave that envelope the listener. The Powder Room is a powerhouse trio made up of rock veterans playing hardcore punk, hard rock and shoegaze.  Opener Motherfucker is an all-female hardcore trio from Athens.

 

Denny Laine (Eddie's Attic)
Denny Laine is an original member of the Moody Blues and a co-founder of the band Wings along with Paul and Linda McCartney, and will feature hits from his time in both the Moody Blues and Wings.  He'll also include songs from his solo catalog, but do you really think anyone's there to hear those?

Mark Farner (Variety Playhouse)
Another nostalgia set: the former lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad will cover and revisit the hard-rock trio's music.

Alex Wong, Korby Lenker, Megan Slankard (Red Light Cafe)
Three singer-songwriters on the Doers And Dreamers Tour celebrating the spirit of the modern independent artist.  "The musician of today is a part of a rapidly growing movement of artists who are making a living on a grass roots, fan-forward, DIY level. Our mission at Doers And Dreamers is to embody the spirit of independent creativity."

Bogues, Smallville, Light The Avenue, Cap (Purgatory at The Masquerade)

Bogues is a member of Murfreesboro, Tennessee pop-punk band Left Home, who is touring with Smallville.  Light the Avenue is a pop-punk band from Atlanta, GA.  Cap is a pop-punk band from Atlanta, GA.

Sam Lewis (Eddie's Attic)

A late set at Eddie's featuring Sam Lewis, a Nashville singer-songwriter.

Back in the Saddle (Steve's Live Music)
Western swing.

This Week's Shows (2/8 - 2/15)

With Valentine's Day at the end of the week, we note that love, unfortunately, does not last forever, but it can last for more than a single night:  the theme this week seems to be two-night stands, and the best of this week's two-night stands is Wilco's at The Tabernacle.  The week also includes several showcases for up-and-coming and unusual Atlanta bands, and you should consider checking out at least one of those several showcases.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

★Emily Wells, Lorna Dune (The Earl)

Emily Wells at 529, October 17, 2012

Performer, producer, and composer Emily Wells is known for her use of classical and modern instrumentation as well as her deft approach to live sampling. Classically trained as a violinist, Wells also performs using acoustic drums, synthesizers, and beat machines. She has toured extensively in the US and Europe and continues to hone her brand of hip hop-influenced string-laden baroque pop on her new album, Promise, which just came out last week.  Lorna Dune is the solo synthesizer project of Brooklyn-based experimental musician Lorna Krier.

★Warehouse, Mega Bog, Red Sea, Basketball Movie (529)

This is one of those showcase sets mentioned at the top of the post.  Warehouse are an Atlanta band not burdened by an obligation to provide accurate self-description.  On their Facebook page, they describe their genre as classic Americana futurism (whatever that is) and as jaded jazz/jock rock (ditto), while their  bio states the five-piece band is inspired by Brazil’s bossa nova and tropicalia movements.  However, none or possibly all of these descriptions are accurate, as the band actually sounds like this:

Here are the other bands.  You're on your own with regard to openers Basketball Movie.

exwhy, Narrow/Arrow, Many Rooms, Sleep Dance (Purgatory at The Masquerade)

Atlanta's exwhy incorporate solid bass and drum play, spacey guitars, and powerful melodies to back puzzle-like lyrics that serve as "Easter eggs hidden in plain view.”  Narrow/Arrow  are a post-hardcore/indie folk/emo revival band from Ohio.  Many Rooms is Brianna Hunt's acoustic/ambient faith-based project "dedicated to making music that reaches out to every personality and every faith with the hope of ultimately furthering the kingdom of God" (good luck with that).  Sleep Dance's intricate guitar work, ambient guitar sound, and complex percussion straddles the boundaries of acoustic rock, jazz, and indie rock.

Lawrence Trailer (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
Lawrence Trailer is a singer/songwriter based out of Brooklyn, NY. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a loop station, Lawrence utilizes vocal, guitar, and percussion loops to enhance his music.

John Kadlecik Band, Caryn Womack (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
John Kadlecik co-founded the Dark Star Orchestra in 1997 and later joined Furthur.  John now lives near Washington, DC and when not on the road with Furthur performs with the newly formed and simply named John K Band.  Cartersville, Georgia's Caryn Womack grew up on gospel hymns and mountain music, and her folksy harmonies and often haunting lyrics reveal a soul that's aged beyond her true years. 

UNC Clef Hangers (Buckhead Theater)
Oh, sweet jesus - if you go to this show I will lose all respect for you and you won't be allowed back to this web site.  Christ, go see Pitch Perfect I and II and get it out of your system if you have to, but whatever you do, don't go see this show.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9

★Pleasures, Must Be The Holy Ghost, Slowriter, Joshua Loner (The Earl)

Fronted by Katherine Kelly, Pleasures are from the swamplands of Southwest Florida and refer to their sound as "dark and doomy sex music for robots," although they sound more like The-Residents-meet-Animal-Collective to me.  They are on tour with Raleigh's loop-crazed Must Be The Holy Ghost, who we saw at a day party during 2014's Hopscotch Fest.  For this show, the touring bands will be supported by Atlanta's Slowriter (Bryan Taylor) and opener Joshua Loner, both of whom evoke the psychedelic freak-folk aesthetic of Sung Tongs-period AC. 

Must Be The Holy Ghost at Hopscotch, September 2014

2Cellos (Fox Theater)

Croatia's 2Cellos always remind me of Spinal Tap's amplifiers that go up to 11.  "You like cellos? Well, we've got two cellos!  For those times that one cello just isn't enough."

Fleshgod Apocalypse, Carach Angren, Abigail Williams (Hell at The Masquerade)

Italy’s brutal/symphonic Fleshgod Apocalypse's unique blend of technical death metal and symphonic elements have quickly made them everybody's favorite spaghetti metal band. The Dutch band Carach Angren's album Where The Corpses Sink Forever features their shimmering and whirring guitars, dashes of rasping vocals, and bone-rattling drums. Opener Abigail Williams is a black metal band from Phoenix.

The Pines, Kristen Englenz (Eddie's Attic)

The sound of The Pines fuses ethereal, otherworldly, heart-piercing songs with earthy, darkly romantic and rough-hewn visionary tales, and Rolling Stone has called their music "quietly gripping" stark-country.  The Pines' song Hanging From the Earth off of their Above The Prairie album was the February 4, 2016 Song of the Day on Minnesota Public Radio's influential The Current. Atlanta's Kristen Englenz is a soulful singer possessing a range and depth of feeling that has led many to compare her to vocal greats such as Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell. Kristen’s sound is enhanced by guest musicians George Kotler-Wallace (Book of Colors) on pedal steel, and Ryan Donald (Little Tybee/Adron) on bass.

White Violet, Roman Gianarthur, Allan Rayman, Seratones (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Athens/Nashville four-piece White Violet's second album, Stay Lost, was a more upbeat sequel to the band's dreamy and dark debut Hiding, Mingling. Roman Gianarthur is a singer, composer, arranger, producer, and performer.   Allan Rayman is a Toronto native with a soulful country voice that winds in and out of a dreamlike state over a mix of alternative rock and hip-hop elements.  The Seratones are an Atlanta quartet that aim to rock their audiences' socks off, bring the house down, and blow people's minds.

Carey Murdock, Ellie Lawrence (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
Augusta's Carey Murdock plays more than 200 shows annually and has been called “Springsteen meets Harry Connick, Jr.”  North Georgia-based performer Ellie Lawrence launched her debut EP Sea the Ocean after her appearance on The Voice.

Hair of the Dog (Steve's Live Music)
A Mardi Gras party featuring Hair of the Dog's mix of Cajun, blues, and honky tonk.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

★★Wilco, Girlpool (The Tabernacle)
The first of the week's two-night stands.  Wilco have been making good-to-great records for over two decades now, the latest being last year's Star Wars. Opener Girlpool is a Los Angeles folk-punk band consisting of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad.

Lolo, The Mosleys, Chelsea Shag (Eddie's Attic)
Lolo is a 27-year-old Tennessee-bred singer who, at 18, landed a role in a Broadway musical and later moved to London to record her debut album, Wasted In Jackson, a collection of southern soul songs about heartbreak, before traveling back to the US and releasing her Comeback Queen EP last summer. In 2013, The Mosleys (Rachel and Stephen) won an Open Mic competition at Zac Brown's Southern Ground in Senoia, Georgia, and were then invited to record their EP, Beneath the Trees and Stars, in Atlanta. Chelsea Shag plays pop, jazz, blues, R&B, and soul "all in one."

The Waves, Five40, Oceanstone, Roots of a Rebellion (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
The Waves are a skate rock band formed in Atlanta.  Five40 are reggae rockers who have performed at festivals and venues across the South. Florida's Oceanstone play epic jams and believe in creating a fun-loving party environment for the audience to dance and rejoice.  Nashville's Roots of a Rebellion play heavy reggae-rock-dub music for the soul.

Simo, The Humble, Stonerider (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
Nashville power trio Simo play a fusion of jazz improvisation, downhome blues and classic R&B, as well as these genres’ psychedelic Brit Invasion and countrified Southern-rock manifestations. The Humble's beginnings were in the beer-soaked basements of Philadelphia, where they gained a reputation for their progressive song writing and energetic live performances. Stonerider are a lean, focused rock band who have toured both the U.S. and Europe.

The Gordon Vernick Quartet (Red Light Cafe)
Every Wednesday, The Gordon Vernick Quartet perform a few numbers then invite other musicians and singers to join them on stage for a Jazz Jam Session. The quartet features Kevin Bales on keyboard, Marlon Patton on drums, Craig Shaw on bass, and Dr. Gordon Vernick on trumpet. There's no cover charge and plenty of free, secure parking. Whether you're a professional or amateur musician, you're welcome to sit in — everyone who wants to perform will be given a chance to play.

Levitation Jones, Toadface, JuJu Beats, Parrotice (Aisle 5)
EDM

Big Eyes (529)
Big Eyes is Brooklyn garage rocker Kait Eldridge.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

★★Wilco, Girlpool (The Tabernacle)
Second of Wilco's two-night stand.

★Newark Wilder, Pop Weirdos, Clothes, Coma Specter (Mammal Gallery)
Another of those Atlanta showcase sets, with five hip Atlanta bands at one of the hippest venues in the city. Newark Wilder’s debut album, Vanessa Atalanta, produced by Luciano Giarrano at East Atlanta's The Cottage, is a diverse cornucopia of psychedelic punk that utilizes sneering guitars, punchy basslines, steadfast drums, and the swagger of frontman Benjamin Kinzer, a classically trained cellist.  Pop Weirdos describe themselves as "a couple college kids from Atlanta who really, really like Pet Sounds;" their album Alcudia was also mastered by Luciano at The Cottage.  Clothes are an Atlanta avant-garde trio that plays experimental hip-hop, math-rock, noise-rock, prog, and jazz, often all at the same time.  You'll have to go the the Mammal Gallery to learn more about Coma Specter yourself, as they're that new.

★Kinky Freidman, Brian Molnar, The Jugtime Ragband (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Kinky Friedman is a stogie-waving, black-hat-wearing "Texas Jewboy" singer, storyteller, tequila purveyor, animal rescuer, and full-time iconoclast. Though renowned for writing some of outlaw country’s most outrageous songs, authoring bestsellers and running for governor of Texas, his 45-year career includes touring with Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue; recording with Clapton, most of the Band and Ringo Starr; appearing on Saturday Night Live and at the Grand Ole Opry; and writing one of Nelson Mandela’s favorite songs. He also became the protagonist of his own crime novels, because even he couldn’t invent "a character that could out-kink Kinky Friedman."  Brian Molnar is an acoustic singer-songwriter.  Openers The Jugtime Ragband is not jug band, ragtime, or dixieland, but an energetic amalgamation of all three immersed in an early New Orleans sound with a style that also incorporates a little blues, a bit of swing, and some gospel tones.

Aileen Loy & Till Someone Loses An Eye, The Thimblerig Circus (The Earl)
This show is billed as Bloody Valentines – An Evening of Murder Ballads, Obsession & Love Gone Horribly Wrong, and is highlighted by Aileen Loy's Tom Waits-ish growling vocals, which are "like velvet wrapped around roughly cut wood." Her stage presence and commitment to a song reportedly make her live shows a must-see event. The Thimblerig Circus are an Atlanta-based comedy circus show.

Marbin (529)
Although not a two-night stand, Marbin, a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, will play two sets at 529 on Thursday night.

Lightning Orchestra Band, Kebbi Williams & The Wolfpack (Aisle 5)
Funk.

Joe McGuinness Trio, Bill Sheffield (Eddie's Attic)
Joe McGuinness won the Atlanta Blues Challenge in 2008, and since then has been hitting the Atlanta scene with his acoustic guitar, powerful voice, innovative songwriting, and banjo stylings. Bill Sheffield's guitar hints of John Hurt and Blind Willie Johnson.

Cranford Hollow, Lord Nelson (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
Cranford Hollow play a mix of southern rock, Appalachian fiddle music and American rock 'n' roll. Lord Nelson is two brothers, one trombone, backbone bass, pocket drums, and Dirty South guitar playing accessible and original rock 'n' roll.

BoomBox, Ramona Wouters (Terminal West)
Another of the week's two-night sets, this one an EDM show at Terminal West.  BoomBox are the electronic duo of Russ Randolph and Zion Rock Godchaux, bringing their Bits & Pieces Tour to Atlanta.  Antwerp's Ramona Wouters opens.

At The Gates, Decapitated, The Haunted, Harms Way (Heaven at The Masquerade)

At The Gates are a death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden.  They will be supported by Gothenburg's metal band The Haunted, and by Decapitated, a teenage death metal act from Krosno, Poland.  Harm's Way, a Chicago hardcore band, open.  

Blue Healer, Antbrain (Purgatory at The Masquerade)

Downstairs from the Scandinavian metal fest upstairs, Blue Healer will play their "pop music with teeth" on the Purgatory stage of the godforsaken Masquerade.  Atlanta's Antbrain will open with their self described “slop-pop.”

Jon Stickley Trio, Control Burn (Red Light Cafe)
With roots in gypsy jazz, bluegrass, and hip-hop, Jon Stickley Trio combines rapid-fire flatpicking guitar with sultry and wild, yet refined, violin melodies. Control Burn is an acoustic trio based in Atlanta that combines bluegrass, country, blues and jazz.

Mark Michelson & Friends (Steve's Live Music)
An Eagles tribute jam in memory of Glenn Frey.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12

Todd Rundgren (Center Stage)
Few rock artists have managed to maintain a career as long as Rundgren's nearly 45-year run and manage to still sound relevant.  The New Yorker notes, "At sixty-seven, the classic rocker Rundgren is showing no signs of slowing down, or losing his relevance, as the music industry shifts toward more electronic sounds,  He started his career in the baroque-pop realm, back in the late sixties, then various mind-altering substances expanded his sonic palette into more psychedelic territory, yielding a slew of early-seventies hits, like I Saw the Light.  These days, Rundgren's embracing dance music, an odd choice for an aging rocker, but he still performs with a live band and logs time with Ringo Starr's act."

Yonder Mountain String Band (Variety Playhouse)

The first night of another two-night stand.  Yonder Mountain String Band has redefined bluegrass music, expanding the traditional acoustic genre beyond its previously established boundaries by steadily pushing the envelope into the realms of rock n’ roll and improvisation.

Celebration of the Life and Music of David Bowie (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
Both a tribute and a charity set featuring performances by Pls Pls, Pin Ups, Jade Lemons & The Crimson Lust, Joey Huffman, Gaynarcs, Cha Tolliver, Bad Spell, Bottle Kids, Brent Floyd, and Angela Wolff playing the music of you-know-who.

Timmy's Organism, Video, Regression 696 (The Earl)
Tim Lampinen’s (Epileptix, Clone Defects, Human Eye) Audio Social Dissent 2016 Tour brings art punk to Atlanta along with Texas' Video.  Regression 696 opens.

Big Jesus, Lume, Mighty (529)
Big Jesus is an alternative heavy rock band from Atlanta.  Lume is a post-grunge post-hardcore post-rock shoegaze band from Chicago. Opener Mighty is Angelo Fiaretti's post-pop project from Pittsburgh, PA.

The Head, Rock Eupora, Slang, Man Up Yancey (Drunken Unicorn) 
Another Atlanta band showcase.  The Head are an Atlanta rock trio.  Rock Eupora is Mississippi musician Clayton Waller.   Slang are a storytelling, alternative cabaret glam band. Atlanta's Man Up, Yancey, who opened for Des Ark at 529 on January 19, open this show, too.

Shrunken Head, Map of the Moon, Mike Snowden (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Shrunken Head can be described as a true rock band with their signature wall of guitars backed by a solid rhythm section. Map of the Moon play a volatile mix of noise/pop/shoegaze.  Opener Mike Snowden handcrafts unique guitars out of discarded cigar boxes and high quality exotic hard woods.

BoomBox, Ramona Wouters (Terminal West)
The second night of BoomBox' Bits & Pieces EDM tour at Terminal West.

Psymbionic, Craz, Tyku (Aisle 5)
More EDM

9 String Theory with Barynya (Steve's Live Music)
9 String Theory is the musical collaboration of Russian domra virtuoso Angelina Galashenkova­ Reed and American classical guitarist John Huston.  They will be joined by Mikhail Smirnov and Elina Karokhina from Barynya for this early show at Steve's.

Donna Hopkins & Friends (Steve's Live Music)
For the late-night show at Steve's, Alabama singer-songwriter Donna Hopkins will perform.

Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Cryptopsy, Abysmal Dawn (Heaven at The Masquerade) 

Big night at the godforsaken Masquerade with all three stages active, and it seems like Cannibal Corpse, "the biggest death metal band in the world” are always playing on one of those stages (how many times have they played here?).  Florida death metal band Obituary switched their name from Xecutioner before they hit the big time. Cryptopsy is an extreme metal band from Montreal.  LA's death metal/black metal/thrash band Abysmal Dawn open.

Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Lex The Hex Master, Trilogy (Hell at The Masquerade)

Both Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Lex The Hex Master, and as far as I know Trilogy are clown-faced rappers from Detroit on the Majik Ninja Entertainment label and formerly associated with Psychopathic Records (former label of Twiztid as well as Insane Clown Posse).  Expect to meet some Juggalos at the show.  

The Vivid Things (Purgatory at The Masquerade)

Say what you will about the godforsaken Masquerade (and I say a lot, little of it good), but you have to give them kudos for this: on Friday night, downstairs from the Cannibal Corpse show, they'll be housing a benefit show by Atlanta's alternative rock cover band The Vivid Things for Journey Men’s Shelter on Ponce, a mission of the Druid Hills United Methodist Church.  All proceeds and a percentage of bar sales will be donated to the shelter.

Pell, Daye Jack (Vinyl)
New Orleans' rapper Pell brings his Only In Your Dreams Tour to Vinyl.  Nigerian-born experimental hip-hop artist Daye Jack opens.

John McCutcheon (Eddie's Attic)
The Wisconsin folk singer will perform an early set at Eddie's.

Patrick Davis (Eddie's Attic)
Country singer Patrick Davis will perform the late set at Eddie's.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Lotus, Michal Menert And The Pretty Fantastics, Marc Brownstein (The Tabernacle)
Lotus are equal parts EDM and instrumental post-rock, and have been mixing EDM and a live jam band approach for years now as they continue to be staples of that style. Similarly, Michal Menert is on a coast-to-coast, retro-hued, electro-soul tour featuring live horns, keys, guitar, bass, and drums, plus his own production. Marc Brownstein opens with a DJ set.

Yonder Mountain String Band (Variety Playhouse)

Second of the two-night stand at Variety Playhouse

Anders Osborne, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers (Center Stage)
New Orleans’ Anders Osborne plays fiery blues anthems and tumultuous confessional songs punctuated with a raw guitar.  Amy Helm is a singer-songwriter and daughter of The Band drummer Levon Helm.

Tom Rush (Eddie's Attic)
Music legend Tom Rush, who helped shape the folk revival of the '60s and its renaissance in the '80s and '90s, will perform an early set at Eddie's. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks have all cited Tom as major influences, and his early recordings introduced the world to Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. He subsequently brought attention to emerging artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.

Sleep Therapy, Skin Jobs, A Drug Called Tradition (529)
Sleep Therapy continues their aggressive brand of shoegaze and dream pop after an almost five-year hiatus.  Skin Jobs are an Atlanta punk band that take their name from a Philip K. Dick novel.  A Drug Called Tradition features members of Abby Gogo and Tikka, and a sound ranging from the laid back vibe of Kurt Vile to the guitar stylings of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, with elements of Krautrock and the prog psych of early Pink Floyd.

Dirty Bourbon River Show, Rodeo Twister (The Earl)
Dirty Bourbon River Show play New Orleans big-brass circus rock. Chris Bopst, the original founding bassist for GWAR, called Dirty Bourbon River Show "the best band in the world.” Opener Rodeo Twister is an original rockabilly and country trio from Atlanta.

The Gypsies, Sweetbay, Sweet Grass Sally (Vinyl)
The Gypsies and Sweetbay are two blues rock trios from Newnan, Georgia.  Sweet Grass Sally blend rock, country, folk, and blues.

★The Midnight Larks, Shantih Shantih, Coma Girls, Emily Marie Palmer & Jeffrey Butzer (Star Community Bar)
Billed as the Black Hearts Ball Anti-Valentines Day Party, this is yet another showcase of interesting Atlanta bands in a week full of such showcases.  Midnight Larks are a mostly-female trio that weaves harmonies in a psych rock, dark country, and garage surf-noir setting.  Shantih Shantih is a four-piece all-female band from Atlanta playing fuzzed out rock 'n' roll drawing from ‘60s psych and ‘80s dream pop.  The Coma Girls, however, are guys and play Americana roots rock.  Atlanta musical chameleon Jeffrey Butzer will be debuting his new project with Emily Marie Palmer at this show.

Dan Baird and Homemade Sin (Eddie's Attic)

A late-night set from founding member and chief songwriter for the Georgia Satellites, Dan Baird.

The Everyday Anthem, Dot 22, Third Season, Sunnycide (Hell at Masquerade)

Headliners The Everyday Anthem are an alternative rock band from Atlanta.  They will be supported by Dot 22, a pop-rock band from Cumming, Georgia, and Third Season, a punk band from Atlanta. Openers Sunnycide just played The Masquerade back on January 18 when they opened for Warn The Duke. 

★Flower, Rad-isaurus Rex, King Guru, Lea Lea, Sad Fish, Swim Lessons (Purgatory at Masquerade)

Another showcase for new and up-and-coming Atlanta bands trying out new things that aren't necessarily metal or punk.  Flower's frontman Jack Fowler is the vocalist for exwhy (see Monday night) who turned his attention to showcasing his more vulnerable side with Flower.  Their recent album, Waste of Life,  is a raw and heartfelt soundscape that alternates between the ethereal and the gritty as Fowler pours his heart and soul into a brutally honest and surprisingly emotional collection of songs. Rad-isaurus Rex is an embodiment of the raw spirit and DIY attitude of garage rock.  King Guru is an Atlanta-based independent band influenced by jazz, rock, pop, and soul.  Lea Lea is an Atlanta-based experimental folktronica performer.   Sad Fish play Brazilian freak surf rock.  Swim Lessons is San Luis Obispo's Christopher Kenneth-Lee's fuzz folk band.

Delphium Blues, Alchemy (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
An early show at Smith's featuring Delphinium Blues, a blues/folk trio from Atlanta featuring lead vocalist Lindsay Hawkins. Opener Alchemy is a rock band from Atlanta with the unlikely description of Rage Against the Machine/Portishead/Muse meets Adelle.

Dylan Michael & The Family, The First Stone, Other Brother (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar) 
A late show at Smith's featuring Dylan Michael & The Family's scrappy rock sound with hints of blues, classic rock and modern-day pop.  The First Stone is an eclectic culmination of working-class musicians from Atlanta with a sound described as indie folk-rock infused with funk.  Opener Other Brother is an Atlanta-based rock quartet.

Jazz Is Phish (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Jazz Is Phish is an instrumental tribute band to Phish inspired by the popular Grateful Dead tribute, Jazz is Dead.  Jazz is Phish features members of The Giant Country Horns (Phish), Snarky Puppy, Dave Matthews Band, Victor Wooten Band, Sun Ra Arketra, Strange Design, and more.

★Juliana Huxtable (The Mammal Gallery)
An art performance by NYC producer Juliana Huxtable (House of LaDosha), Cole (NYC), Yung Yang (Athens), No Eyes (Atlanta's Seanny Georgie), C Powers (Savannah), The Queen's Feast (Atlanta), DJ College Lesbian (Atlanta's 88.5 FM), and live graphics by Alessandra Hoshor. Attendees are invited to submit their own sextape-themed visual recordings/performances in advance for projection during the set.  The set is billed both as ShartThrob (6)6(6) and Mixtuplet Sextape, so expect a lot of weirdness, but in a good way.

Rush 120 - Pamela_ and her sons from Alessandra Hoshor on Vimeo.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Okay, it Valentine's Day.  Here's a quick guide to help you select the appropriate shows to share with your loved one (or ones).

Hymen Moments, Hank & Cupcakes, Starbenders, Sex BBQ (The Earl)
Does anything say "Happy Valentine's Day" more than band names Sex BBQ and Hymen Moments? Hymen Moments are an all-female Misfits cover band.  Brooklyn-based duo Hank & Cupcakes create their dance-pop sound using bass guitar pedals, stand-up drumming, and vocals.  Kimi Shelter and her band StarBenders blend power rock with stick-in-the-mind pop melodies.  But the best reason to go to this show may well be East Atlanta surf-rock space wizards Sex BBQ, who will likely charm the audience with their eclectic mix of off-the-wall party music.

Sex BBQ opening for Hospitality at 529, Feb. 22, 2014

Meshell Ndegeocello (Terminal West)
An authentic musical thinker and an uncompromising artist, Meshell has sojourned into soul, spoken word, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, all bound by a lyrical, spiritual search for love, justice, respect, resolution, and happiness.  If you're really, truly in love, take your significant other to this show.

Carly Rae Jepsen, Fairground Saints (Variety Playhouse)
Jepsen's Gimme Love pop-music tour comes to Atlanta on Valentine's Day.  LA-based, bluegrass-influenced Fairground Saints open. If you're in love but under 16, this would be the show for you tonight.

Lucy Kaplansky (Eddie's Attic)
Kaplansky was described by The New York Times as "a truly gifted performer...full of enchanting songs," Blending country, folk and pop styles, she covers country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons and pop favorites by Lennon/McCartney and Nick Lowe. An in-demand harmony singers, Kaplansky has performed with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, and Tom Rush (see Saturday night) discoveries Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.  If you're over 45 and still in love, this could be the show for you.

Bryson Tiller, They (Center Stage)
First of a two-night stand of the Trapsoul Tour by this 22-year-old singer/songwriter/rapper from Louisville, Kentucky.  If you're in love and want to go to this show, you better already have tickets because both nights are already sold out.

Jennifer Daniels (Steve's Live Music)
Jennifer Daniels' power rivals that of Ani DiFranco, and her angelic melodies and lyrical rhythms are reminiscent of Dido or Sarah McLachlan. This is a Valentine's Day dinner show, so if' you're in love but also hungry, this is your show.

The Funeral Portrait, Vanity Strikes, After Me The Flood, Fighting Sides, Take Me Alive, Next Year’s End (Purgatory at Masquerade)
The members of shoegaze band The Funeral Portrait are no strangers to the Atlanta scene, having played in various other projects in the area in recent years. Vanity Strikes feature a hard-hitting sound and an electric live performance.  Atlanta's After Me The Flood is a metal band.  Fighting Sides, Take Me Alive and Next Year's End are Atlanta pop punk/rock bands. If you're not in love and want to go to a show alone, I think we've got you covered here.

St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
If you're too high or drunk to even know it's Valentine's Day, you might enjoy this festival-style show featuring rock and metal bands Howl the Wolf, Mercury Down, OutFront, Sarah and the Safeword, Lights After Dark, World's Greatest Dad, Kudzu Kids, The Forsaken Prodigy, PzzyFoot, Honeywheel, and Concrete Orange.