And now we're in the calm after the storm. After last week's stampede of musicians through Atlanta on their way to SXSW, we're now faced with a relatively slow week because virtually every band worth hearing is in Austin, Texas, playing a virtually endless series of showcases, promos, day parties, and street jams. A few late stragglers are still passing through (XXYYXX and Larry and His Flask, for example), and it's a great opportunity for local bands who weren't invited to SXSW to play the city's stages, but other than that, there's not a whole lot going on until all of those bands begin their return trips from Austin. Even having St. Patrick's Day in this week doesn't bring much to this city's stages, especially since The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly have already passed through town.
One more thing, and on a personal note: I know these listings aren't about me, but I just have to say that this week's post was particularly challenging and difficult for me to compile. Mid-week, my computer died and I was, for a day or two, without a laptop, but worse, my new replacement didn't have any of my trusted and reliable software, bookmarks, etc., on which I rely to compile these listings. Not to mention that I lost all of my photographs and over 100 gigs of MP3 files.
Impermanence, baby. Life is change.
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.
One more thing, and on a personal note: I know these listings aren't about me, but I just have to say that this week's post was particularly challenging and difficult for me to compile. Mid-week, my computer died and I was, for a day or two, without a laptop, but worse, my new replacement didn't have any of my trusted and reliable software, bookmarks, etc., on which I rely to compile these listings. Not to mention that I lost all of my photographs and over 100 gigs of MP3 files.
Impermanence, baby. Life is change.
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 14
Coheed & Cambria (The Tabernacle)
"These rafter-rattling prog-rockers have an affinity for high-concept albums; past releases have tied into their grand, interplanetary sci-fi saga called The Amory Wars. On The Color Before The Sun, the band's eighth album, the group makes a left turn with bracing, autobiographical lyrics and more modest orchestral scope" (The NY Times).
Charlie Puth, Phoebe Ryan, Sophie Beem (Terminal West)
Pop singer, songwriter, and Berklee College alum Charlie Puth began his career with acoustic covers uploaded to YouTube, and last year he released his debut single Marvin Gaye, a duet with Meghan Trainor. He gained more exposure as a featured vocalist on Wiz Khalifa's See You Again, recorded as a tribute to actor Paul Walker for the soundtrack to Furious 7. Phoebe Ryan's energy and charisma strikes frequent comparison to the likes of Tove Lo and other Scandinavian pop artists. Opener Sophie Beem is 16 years old and in the eleventh grade (really).
Charlie Puth, Phoebe Ryan, Sophie Beem (Terminal West)
Pop singer, songwriter, and Berklee College alum Charlie Puth began his career with acoustic covers uploaded to YouTube, and last year he released his debut single Marvin Gaye, a duet with Meghan Trainor. He gained more exposure as a featured vocalist on Wiz Khalifa's See You Again, recorded as a tribute to actor Paul Walker for the soundtrack to Furious 7. Phoebe Ryan's energy and charisma strikes frequent comparison to the likes of Tove Lo and other Scandinavian pop artists. Opener Sophie Beem is 16 years old and in the eleventh grade (really).
Weedeater, Author & Punisher, Today is The Day, Lord Dying (The Earl)
Weedeater is a stoner metal band that formed in Wilmington, North Carolina in the 90s as the side project of vocalist/bassist "Dixie" Dave Collins, who was otherwise engaged with sludge metal cult favorites Buzzov*en at the time. Author & Punisher is the industrial doom/drone project of San Diego bassist and vocalist Tristan Shone and his drone and dub machines. Nashville's Today Is the Day emerged in 1992 as a trio lead by founder, guitarist, and vocalist Steve Austin, combining the musical proficiency of King Crimson with the intensity, volume, and power of Slayer, utilizing everything from found samples to acoustic instruments to synthesizers to all-out death metal and grindcore beats. Portland's Lord Dying opens.
Sniper 66, Drink & Destroy Crew, Invasion (529)
Oi! is a subgenre of punk that originated in the UK in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and working class youth. The Oi! movement was partly a response to the perception that many participants in the early punk scene were posers, "trendy university people using long words, trying to be artistic...and losing touch". Oi! shares many similarities with folk music; in addition to its often simple musical structure, it is also brutally honest and usually tells stories based in truth. For example, Austin's Sniper 66 features brash, hard-hitting punk, played tight and crisp with bullet-paced drums. Atlanta's Drink & Destroy Crew delivers a blend of street punk that includes elements of Oi! pop punk, and hardcore. Atlanta's Invasion will open with punk rock, hardcore and Oi!.
Pentagram, Mondo Drag, Crawl (Hell at The Masquerade)
Pentagram have been churning out hard rock/doom metal for over four decades. At the onset of the 1970’s, the DC band helped procreate a behemoth called “heavy metal,” and ten years later, they went to plant the seed of what would grow to be known as “doom.”
Open Circuit, Kissing Electric, Nelward (Aisle 5)
Open Circuit will be an improvised psychedelic journey of galactic proportions with guest appearances/sit-ins - a fusion of jazz/electronics/rock and everything in between. Kissing Electric is a Atlanta trio with a combination of pop, modern jazz, and electronic music. Nelward is the solo project of Atlanta musician Nick Elward, who describes himself as melodic and jazz fusion-ish.
★Ancient Warfare, The Stargazer Lilies, Absence of Ocean (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
While the band name suggests metal, Ancient Warfare is actually a Lexington, Kentucky quartet that plays cinematic Americana focused around the songwriting, singing, and guitar playing of Echo Wilcox. Her lyrics are anchored by multi-instrumentalist Emily Hagihara, classically trained violinist Rachael Yanarella, and bassist Derek Rhineheimer. Throughout their musical career, The Stargazer Lilies released three albums as a dream pop/shoegaze/psychedelic duo and two albums as The Stargazer Lilies. Absence of Ocean is a shoegaze band from Atlanta, that incorporates both post-rock and electronic elements to create lush soundscapes within hypnotic songs.
Somos, Petal, The Superweaks, Auspice (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Pentagram, Mondo Drag, Crawl (Hell at The Masquerade)
Pentagram have been churning out hard rock/doom metal for over four decades. At the onset of the 1970’s, the DC band helped procreate a behemoth called “heavy metal,” and ten years later, they went to plant the seed of what would grow to be known as “doom.”
Open Circuit, Kissing Electric, Nelward (Aisle 5)
Open Circuit will be an improvised psychedelic journey of galactic proportions with guest appearances/sit-ins - a fusion of jazz/electronics/rock and everything in between. Kissing Electric is a Atlanta trio with a combination of pop, modern jazz, and electronic music. Nelward is the solo project of Atlanta musician Nick Elward, who describes himself as melodic and jazz fusion-ish.
★Ancient Warfare, The Stargazer Lilies, Absence of Ocean (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
While the band name suggests metal, Ancient Warfare is actually a Lexington, Kentucky quartet that plays cinematic Americana focused around the songwriting, singing, and guitar playing of Echo Wilcox. Her lyrics are anchored by multi-instrumentalist Emily Hagihara, classically trained violinist Rachael Yanarella, and bassist Derek Rhineheimer. Throughout their musical career, The Stargazer Lilies released three albums as a dream pop/shoegaze/psychedelic duo and two albums as The Stargazer Lilies. Absence of Ocean is a shoegaze band from Atlanta, that incorporates both post-rock and electronic elements to create lush soundscapes within hypnotic songs.
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| Stargazer Lilies at 529, February 14, 2014 |
Rock.
The Word Alive, Fit For A King, Out Came the Wolves, Hounds (Heaven at The Masquerade)
Metal.
Sean Tyrell (Steve's Live Music)
Irish (why isn't he playing here Thursday?).
The Word Alive, Fit For A King, Out Came the Wolves, Hounds (Heaven at The Masquerade)
Metal.
Sean Tyrell (Steve's Live Music)
Irish (why isn't he playing here Thursday?).
TUESDAY, MARCH 15
★XXYYXX, Jim-E Stack (Terminal West)
Orlando's XXYYXX is producer Marcel Everett, who works out of his bedroom creating harmonious music that provokes emotion and transmits vivid images of peace and still sadness. The Terminal West bio lists his age as 16, but when we saw him at MFNW (RIP) in 2013, his bio listed his age as 17, so let's just say he's young and not try to get too specific. Jim-E Stack grew up in San Francisco, playing drums in school bands, to honed his craft as a teenager in New Orleans, and later moved to New York City, and channels his world into a heartfelt sound, deeply rooted in house music.
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| XXYYXX at Roseland Theater, MFNW (RIP) 2013 |
★Larry & His Flask, The Great Perhaps. Aree & the Pure Heart (The Drunken Unicorn)
True story: on the same day of MFNW (RIP) 2013 that we saw XXYYXX at the Roseland Theater, we also saw Redmond, Oregon's Larry & His Flask at Dante's. Regarding that performance, we wrote, "To say this band was energetic would be an understatement. Their sound was reminiscent of the Andew Jackson Jihad, and not only did they play their peculiar brand of Appalachian folk-punk fast and loud, encouraging the audience to dance, holler at them, or at least to do something, but the members themselves were jumping around, crashing into each other, and appearing to be having a blast on stage. At one point, the bass player leaped up and grabbed a rail hanging from the ceiling, and swung himself back and forth over the audience. These guys were madmen." Jesse & The Great Perhaps started in early 2011, when Woodstock, Georgia's Jesse Nighswonger started playing ukulele shows around the Atlanta area. The band features quirky instrumentation, heavy vocal arrangements, and always a surprise or two. Aree & the Pure Heart are an Atlanta punk trio fronted by vocalist Aree.
Exwhy, Between Symmetries, Bird Laww (529)
True story: on the same day of MFNW (RIP) 2013 that we saw XXYYXX at the Roseland Theater, we also saw Redmond, Oregon's Larry & His Flask at Dante's. Regarding that performance, we wrote, "To say this band was energetic would be an understatement. Their sound was reminiscent of the Andew Jackson Jihad, and not only did they play their peculiar brand of Appalachian folk-punk fast and loud, encouraging the audience to dance, holler at them, or at least to do something, but the members themselves were jumping around, crashing into each other, and appearing to be having a blast on stage. At one point, the bass player leaped up and grabbed a rail hanging from the ceiling, and swung himself back and forth over the audience. These guys were madmen." Jesse & The Great Perhaps started in early 2011, when Woodstock, Georgia's Jesse Nighswonger started playing ukulele shows around the Atlanta area. The band features quirky instrumentation, heavy vocal arrangements, and always a surprise or two. Aree & the Pure Heart are an Atlanta punk trio fronted by vocalist Aree.
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| Larry & His Flask at Dantes, MFNW (RIP) 2013 |
Atlanta's exwhy, fronted by Jack Fowler, 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.” Savannah's Between Symmetries play rock, hard rock, punk, and grunge. Opener Bird Laww are a sweaty rock band from Atlanta.
The Whiskey Gentry, Sara Rachele (The Earl)
Atlanta's The Whiskey Gentry are a “toe-tapping, steamrolling kind of band, its fingers picking deep into fields of bluegrass…with a punk-inspired kick drum” (Paste), playing some country, some bluegrass, occasional honky-tonk, western swing, country rock, and even some Slavic numbers that would make Beirut proud. Opener Sara Rachele is an independent singer-songwriter from Decatur.
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| The Whiskey Gentry at the 2013 Red Stripe Midsummer Music and Food Festival inCandler Park |
Le Butcherettes, The Dead Ships (Hell at The Masquerade)
Le Butcherettes was created by vocalist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender. Their live act, featuring 1950s fashions and props such as brooms, feather dusters, and bloody aprons, as well as artificial blood, flour, eggs, meat, and a real pig's head on stage, quickly achieved acclaim in the Mexican underground scene. LA’s howling garage rock trio The Dead Ships open.
Ceschi, Gregory Pepper & His Problems, Wake, Tommy V (The Mammal Gallery)
New Haven's Ceschi is a folk-rap/hip-hop/indie rock/punk project of Ceschi Ramos and friends. Gregory Pepper plays DIY pinball pop from Guelph, Ontario. Wake is a hip-hop, experimental, noise band from Atlanta. Tommy V opens.
Black Pussy (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Portland's Black Pussy plays heavy, bluesy rock with clear influences of Kyuss, Hendrix and The Who, an have found a niche in the stoner-rock movement. The band uses a massive 44 speakers when playing live; however, their classic, upbeat, relentlessly hooky tracks have earned the term "stoner pop," sort of like The Cars meets Black Sabbath.
Chamomile and Whiskey, The Brookses, Hill Roberts (Red Light Cafe)
Chamomile and Whiskey play an eclectic blend of raucous roots rock, drunken Irish songs, and mountain funk. The Brookses are a daughter/father duo playing traditional folk, country and blues. Singer-songwriter Hill Roberts opens.
Kip Winger, Tyler Fillmore (Eddie's Attic)
Kip Winger, formerly of the metal band Winger, going solo as a singer-songwriter.
Mystery Skulls, French Horn Rebellion, Culture Culture (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Electro-pop.
Come Back Alice, Donna Hopkins Band (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Southern gypsy funk and blues.
Shawn Spencer Band (Steve's Live Music)
Modern Americana band with old school pop sensibilities.
Le Butcherettes was created by vocalist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender. Their live act, featuring 1950s fashions and props such as brooms, feather dusters, and bloody aprons, as well as artificial blood, flour, eggs, meat, and a real pig's head on stage, quickly achieved acclaim in the Mexican underground scene. LA’s howling garage rock trio The Dead Ships open.
Ceschi, Gregory Pepper & His Problems, Wake, Tommy V (The Mammal Gallery)
New Haven's Ceschi is a folk-rap/hip-hop/indie rock/punk project of Ceschi Ramos and friends. Gregory Pepper plays DIY pinball pop from Guelph, Ontario. Wake is a hip-hop, experimental, noise band from Atlanta. Tommy V opens.
Black Pussy (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Portland's Black Pussy plays heavy, bluesy rock with clear influences of Kyuss, Hendrix and The Who, an have found a niche in the stoner-rock movement. The band uses a massive 44 speakers when playing live; however, their classic, upbeat, relentlessly hooky tracks have earned the term "stoner pop," sort of like The Cars meets Black Sabbath.
Chamomile and Whiskey, The Brookses, Hill Roberts (Red Light Cafe)
Chamomile and Whiskey play an eclectic blend of raucous roots rock, drunken Irish songs, and mountain funk. The Brookses are a daughter/father duo playing traditional folk, country and blues. Singer-songwriter Hill Roberts opens.
Kip Winger, Tyler Fillmore (Eddie's Attic)
Kip Winger, formerly of the metal band Winger, going solo as a singer-songwriter.
Mystery Skulls, French Horn Rebellion, Culture Culture (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Electro-pop.
Come Back Alice, Donna Hopkins Band (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Southern gypsy funk and blues.
Shawn Spencer Band (Steve's Live Music)
Modern Americana band with old school pop sensibilities.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
Rickie Lee Jones (Variety Playhouse)
From her 1979 debut onward, Rickie Lee Jones has proved to be an original, mixing beatnik-based poetic sensibilities with R&B, jazz, folk, and pop. Most of her commercial success came at the outset of her career, but a restless creative spirit - combined with a stubborn refusal to fit comfortably into any one musical niche - sealed her ultimate destiny as that of a highly regarded cult heroine. Interestingly, Variety Playhouse is billing this as "An Intimate Evening With Rickie Lee Jones," begging the question of just how intimate an evening this will be. Will we have exchanged Facebook friend requests by the end of the show? Will we all be having sex? Will we all be getting on the tour bus together and travelling with Jones to her next show? We may need to all go to this show to find out for ourselves. Poguetry in Motion (Terminal West)
Pogues founding member Spider Stacy announced last year that he will be curating Poguetry In Motion ¬ the music of the Pogues played live with bands of his choosing. The first band he has chosen to work with is Grammy-nominated Cajun band Lost Bayou Ramblers, and Spider and the Ramblers will be playing Pogues songs at Terminal West this evening.
Moon Honey, Sleep Dance, Fox Grin (The Drunken Unicorn)
Baton Rouge band Moon Honey, made up of guitarist Andrew Martin and vocalist Jessica Ramsey, play psychedelic pop with a 70's Top 40 influence that might appeal to some fans of early Kate Bush or Joanna Newsome, but to others (including me) they sound a bit too contrived and derivative. Atlanta's Sleep Dance and Fox Grin open.
Hot Wives, Quiet Hollers, Fake Image, The Marrows (529)
Hot Wives play distorted rock and garage songs "that will make you drive fast, drink, and get in a fight." Louisville's Quiet Hollers is a vehicle for singer/songwriter Shadwick Wilde's reverb-soaked stream-of-consciousness confessionals and literate, hook-laden narratives, blasted through tube amps in swirls of violin and piano with a strong post-hardcore influence. Fake Image is a noise punk quartet from Atlanta. Openers The Marrows are punkers with a penchant for the psychedelic straight from the basements and garages of Atlanta.
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.
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.
Dynamic Duo (The Loft)
Dynamic Duo, formed in 2004, is the hip-hop duo of Korea's Choiza and Gaeko, originally members of the underground hip-hop crew CB Mass.
Bird Dog Jubilee, The Gypsie (Aisle 5)
Bird Dog Jubilee is a southern jam band from Atlanta, Georgia, with a sound that blends classic and psychedelic rock with a touch of the blues.
Crystal Bowersox, Julia Haltigan (Eddie's Attic)
First of a two-night stand at Eddie's by American Idol semi-finalist Crystal Bowersox.
Secrets, Palisades, Too Close To Touch (Hell at The Masquerade)
Post-hardcore/punk pop.
Neil Garrard (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Electronic rock.
Marlatov Cocktail Swingers (Steve's Live Music)
Neil Garrard (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Electronic rock.
Marlatov Cocktail Swingers (Steve's Live Music)
Swing.
THURSDAY, MARCH 17 (St. Patrick's Day)
The Darnell Boys, Old Salt Union, Max and Maggie (The Earl)
There are at least three Darnells in Athens' The Darnell Boys, who play their Americana laced with blues, country, and soul. Old Salt Union stretches the boundaries of traditional bluegrass music by incorporating in-depth musical arrangements, a catchy hook, and a pop sensibility. Max and Maggie are a high-energy, old-time Americana music duo based in Atlanta.
The Rocket Summer, Farro (Vinyl)
The Rocket Summer is the solo project of Dallas multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer Bryce Avary. The Rocket Summer's indie rock power pop, with its optimistic lyrics and upbeat rhythms, has been compared to Ben Folds, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Jackson. Josh Farro is best known as the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of Paramore. He is currently pursuing a solo career as the lead vocalist and guitarist of his self-named band.
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Dead 27's (Terminal West)
New York soul-funk outfit Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds originally formed in 2008 in the Catskill Mountains, before powerhouse vocalist Arleigh Kincheloe and her harmonica-playing brother Jackson headed to New York City to put together a fully fledged soul ensemble. They've built up a reputation as a dynamic live band who mix soul, funk, blues, rock, and country. Charleston, SC's Dead 27s have been described as a Southern blend of rock and soul.
Crystal Bowersox, Julia Haltigan (Eddie's Attic)
Second of the two-night stand at Eddie's by American Idol semi-finalist Crystal Bowersox.
Horror Business, Nevermind, Devomatix (Star Community Bar)
Cover bands for The Misfirs, Nirvana, and Devo, respectively.
Lucidea, The Nadis Warriors, T.I.M.E.S. (Aisle 5)
EDM.
The Bent Phonographs, Woodsong, Vox Titan (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Alternative Rock
Ferris & The Wheels, Drucker, Ides of June (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Todd Prusin Experience, Alex and Todd (Red Light Cafe)
Rock.
Gigamesh, Solidisco (Hell at The Masquerade)
Pop.
Mark Michelson & Friends (Steve's Live Music)
British Invasion.
The Rocket Summer is the solo project of Dallas multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer Bryce Avary. The Rocket Summer's indie rock power pop, with its optimistic lyrics and upbeat rhythms, has been compared to Ben Folds, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Jackson. Josh Farro is best known as the former lead guitarist and backing vocalist of Paramore. He is currently pursuing a solo career as the lead vocalist and guitarist of his self-named band.
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Dead 27's (Terminal West)
New York soul-funk outfit Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds originally formed in 2008 in the Catskill Mountains, before powerhouse vocalist Arleigh Kincheloe and her harmonica-playing brother Jackson headed to New York City to put together a fully fledged soul ensemble. They've built up a reputation as a dynamic live band who mix soul, funk, blues, rock, and country. Charleston, SC's Dead 27s have been described as a Southern blend of rock and soul.
Crystal Bowersox, Julia Haltigan (Eddie's Attic)
Second of the two-night stand at Eddie's by American Idol semi-finalist Crystal Bowersox.
Horror Business, Nevermind, Devomatix (Star Community Bar)
Cover bands for The Misfirs, Nirvana, and Devo, respectively.
Lucidea, The Nadis Warriors, T.I.M.E.S. (Aisle 5)
EDM.
The Bent Phonographs, Woodsong, Vox Titan (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Alternative Rock
Ferris & The Wheels, Drucker, Ides of June (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Todd Prusin Experience, Alex and Todd (Red Light Cafe)
Rock.
Gigamesh, Solidisco (Hell at The Masquerade)
Pop.
Mark Michelson & Friends (Steve's Live Music)
British Invasion.
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
The Infamous Stringdusters, Nicki Bluhm And The Gramblers (Variety Playhouse)
Formed in 2006, Nashville's Infamous Stringdusters manage to balance old-time bluegrass playing with indie jam-grass sensibilities. The rootsy, country, R&B, and blues-soaked San Francisco-based Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers are centered around vocalist Bluhm and her husband, keyboardist Tim.
The Werks, Consider The Source, BIG Something (Terminal West)
The Werks fuse psychedelic shredding, wailing organ, and slap bass with synthesizers and modern dance beats to produce a blend of jam-rock and deep electronic funk. Consider The Source is an instrumental trio from New York, who've traveled to India, and whose music combines influences from Turkish, Bulgarian, North and South Indian styles with jazz and fusion, and then filter it through their own heavy, rock and psychedelic styles. North Carolina's Big Something is known for their high-energy live performances, making them a popular staple for East Coast music festivals.
PLS PLS, The Locksmyth, Slowriter (The Earl)
Three Atlanta bands. PLS PLS ("please please") play melodic electronic infused alternative rock; frontman Dan Dixon has been a staple of the independent Atlanta music scene for over a decade now. The Locksmyth was an avant-garde alt/blues-rock band. Slowriter is Bryan Taylor, whose music rises from a creative flow of all sorts of sounds, clips, vocals and beats to form a unique blend of music that is "infectiously catchy and strikingly quirky.”
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| PLS PLS at Criminal Records, L5Fest, 2013 |
Count Bass D, Dillon Maurer (529)
Rapper, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Count Bass D has been the quintessential underground hip-hop musician for the past twenty years. Based in Nashville, he uniquely eschews sampling techniques in favor of recording his own keyboard/bass/drum grooves completely live in the studio. Atlanta rapper, DJ, producer, and master chef Dillon Vaughan Maurer opens.
SafetySuit (The Loft)
SafetSuit is a alternative pop/rock band from Tulsa currently based in Nashville and known for its energetic live performances.
Ben Nevis, Boo Reefa, Drew Williams (The Drunken Unicorn)
Ben Nevis is an Atlanta indie rock band. Boo Reefa is an Atlanta-based indie-folk act comprised of brother and sister Andrew and Laura Leidner and their friend, guitarist, Andrew Hale. Drew Williams is vocalist and guitarist for Atlanta folk-rock band Dear Mr. Peasant.
Migrant Worker, Allen Thompson Band, Lindsay Rakers (Red Light Cafe)
Atlanta's Migrant Worker play Americana, country and rock. Joining them will be Nashville psychedelic roots rockers Allen Thompson Band. Opening the night will be local songwriter Lindsay Rakers.
Erick Baker (Eddie's Attic)
A sold-out set by at Eddie's by singer-songwriter Erick Baker.
Matthew Mayfield (Eddie's Attic)
A late-night set at Eddies by Birmingham native Matthew Mayfield.
So Much Light, Alicia Walter, Smooth Aviator, Brother Mary (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
SafetySuit (The Loft)
SafetSuit is a alternative pop/rock band from Tulsa currently based in Nashville and known for its energetic live performances.
Ben Nevis, Boo Reefa, Drew Williams (The Drunken Unicorn)
Ben Nevis is an Atlanta indie rock band. Boo Reefa is an Atlanta-based indie-folk act comprised of brother and sister Andrew and Laura Leidner and their friend, guitarist, Andrew Hale. Drew Williams is vocalist and guitarist for Atlanta folk-rock band Dear Mr. Peasant.
Migrant Worker, Allen Thompson Band, Lindsay Rakers (Red Light Cafe)
Atlanta's Migrant Worker play Americana, country and rock. Joining them will be Nashville psychedelic roots rockers Allen Thompson Band. Opening the night will be local songwriter Lindsay Rakers.
Erick Baker (Eddie's Attic)
A sold-out set by at Eddie's by singer-songwriter Erick Baker.
Matthew Mayfield (Eddie's Attic)
A late-night set at Eddies by Birmingham native Matthew Mayfield.
So Much Light, Alicia Walter, Smooth Aviator, Brother Mary (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Electro-pop.
Truth, Organik, Variant (Aisle 5)
EDM.
Fighting Sides, World's Greatest Dad, Heartless Romantic (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Pop punk.
A Slow Boar To China, The Dreaded Marco, Navajo Joe (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Absynthe Makes the Art Garfunkel (Steve's Live Music)
Simon and Garfunkel tribute.
Truth, Organik, Variant (Aisle 5)
EDM.
Fighting Sides, World's Greatest Dad, Heartless Romantic (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Pop punk.
A Slow Boar To China, The Dreaded Marco, Navajo Joe (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Absynthe Makes the Art Garfunkel (Steve's Live Music)
Simon and Garfunkel tribute.
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
★Tinashe, The Shadowboxers, Ryan Hemsworth (Center Stage)
Tinashe is a forward-thinking R&B singer-songwriter, producer and dancer known for her electrifying, genre-bending take on modern R&B and pop. Tinashe found fame for her DJ Mustard-produced single 2 On featuring Schoolboy Q and has continued to prove herself as an exciting artist. Her new album, Joyride, comes out soon, and she shares this bill with Atlanta pop band The Shadowboxers. Canadian producer and DJ Ryan Hemsworth, who was recently selected to perform in the Hundred Waters-curated Arcosanti festival, FORM, opens.
Lee Fields & The Expressions, White Lion Shim Sung And The Lightning Orchestra Band (Terminal West)
Lee Fields is an R&B and soul artist from North Carolina who has been called "Little JB" for his physical and vocal resemblance with James Brown. White Lion Shim Sung is a new Atlanta funk/afrobeat/pop super group led by Travis Murphy and backed by the deeply grooving Lightning Orchestra.
Small Reactions, Through the Sparks, Black Linen, Flower (The Earl)
Tinashe is a forward-thinking R&B singer-songwriter, producer and dancer known for her electrifying, genre-bending take on modern R&B and pop. Tinashe found fame for her DJ Mustard-produced single 2 On featuring Schoolboy Q and has continued to prove herself as an exciting artist. Her new album, Joyride, comes out soon, and she shares this bill with Atlanta pop band The Shadowboxers. Canadian producer and DJ Ryan Hemsworth, who was recently selected to perform in the Hundred Waters-curated Arcosanti festival, FORM, opens.
Lee Fields & The Expressions, White Lion Shim Sung And The Lightning Orchestra Band (Terminal West)
Lee Fields is an R&B and soul artist from North Carolina who has been called "Little JB" for his physical and vocal resemblance with James Brown. White Lion Shim Sung is a new Atlanta funk/afrobeat/pop super group led by Travis Murphy and backed by the deeply grooving Lightning Orchestra.
Small Reactions, Through the Sparks, Black Linen, Flower (The Earl)
The music of Atlanta's Small Reactions has tinges of new wave and post punk; it's often angular, sometimes surfy, and generally quick. Through The Sparks are a veteran Birmingham, Alabama indie-psych band fronted by Jody Nelson. The songs of Atlanta old-meets-new garage-rockers Black Linen fall somewhere between ‘60s Britpop and a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. Flower has been playing around town a lot lately - they just played The Drunken Unicorn on March 10. Frontman Jack Fowler is also the vocalist for Atlanta's exwhy and has turned his attention to showcasing his more vulnerable side, pouring his heart and soul into brutally honest and surprisingly emotional songs.
DOT.S, Culture Culture, Grandchildren, Grand Prize Winners From Last Year, Moloq (The Mammal Gallery)
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. Culture Culture are a synth-pop/electro-pop band from Atlanta. Grandchildren describe themselves as an orchestral pop band with tight beats from Philadelphia. The sound of Atlanta's Grand Prize Winners From Last Year has been compared to Outkast-meets-Green Day. Finally, Atlanta's Moloq is Jake Aron's combination of pop, experimental, electronic, rock, noise, psychedelic, and funk.
DOT.S, Culture Culture, Grandchildren, Grand Prize Winners From Last Year, Moloq (The Mammal Gallery)
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. Culture Culture are a synth-pop/electro-pop band from Atlanta. Grandchildren describe themselves as an orchestral pop band with tight beats from Philadelphia. The sound of Atlanta's Grand Prize Winners From Last Year has been compared to Outkast-meets-Green Day. Finally, Atlanta's Moloq is Jake Aron's combination of pop, experimental, electronic, rock, noise, psychedelic, and funk.
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| DOT.S at The Earl, September 12, 2014 |
We The Kings, AJR, She Is We, Elena Coats & The Brothers James (The Loft)
Bradenton, Florida's We The Kings and a melodic emo pop band who produce Top 40 singles and include duets with pop stars like Demi Lovato on their songs. NY-based indie pop trio AJR mix barbershop harmonies, electronic music, and other styles into their sound. She Is We is the current project of pop singer Rachel Taylor. Elena Coats & The Brothers James open.
Chantae Cann, Journey To Golden (Vinyl)
Chantae Cann’s music blends the exploratory sounds of jazz with the feel good vibes of soul to inspire, uplift and encourage the lives of others through music. Journey To Golden opens.
Jib Kidder, Mans Trash, Victor St. Baloo, Clothes, Wey (529)
Jib Kidder is multimedia collagist Sean Schuster-Craig, who grew up in Georgia and was inspired by the Southern hip-hop scene. He has self-released many electronic albums and mixtapes under the Kid Slizzard name, but since 2008 has released albums of everything from plaintive folk balladry to bass mixtapes to makeshift low-budget gamelan. Equally eclectic Mans Trash from Athens manages to evoke Philadelphia soul, video game chiptunes, jangle pop, and freak folk, often in the course of one song. Atlanta's Victor St. Baloo plays "lyrical post-folk, contemporary whatever, post 9/11 no irony acoustic songs from the heart." Clothes and Wey open.
Rumours, The Dirty Doors, Refugee (Star Community Bar)
Cover bands for Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, and Tom Petty, respectively.
Glen Pridgen Band, The Beggar's Guild Reunion, Jon Harris Band, Gabe Jones (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Chris Connelly, Aaron Gibson Trio (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Singer-songwriters.
Blackfox, Kenny Howes & The Wow, Dot 22 (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
A late power-pop show at the Atlanta Room.
John Zedd (Eddie's Attic)
Singer-songwriter.
Alan Doyle & the Beautiful Gypsies (Eddie's Attic)
A sold-out late show at Eddie's by Newfoundland's Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea).
Voodoo Visionary, The Groove Orient, Dead Affect (Aisle 5)
Voodoo Visionary is an improvisational funk/dance band from Atlanta.
Abbath, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch, Tribulation (Heaven at The Masquerade)
The Bastard Suns, Urban Legend, Like Mike (Hell at The Masquerade)
Rumours, The Dirty Doors, Refugee (Star Community Bar)Cover bands for Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, and Tom Petty, respectively.
Glen Pridgen Band, The Beggar's Guild Reunion, Jon Harris Band, Gabe Jones (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Rock.
Chris Connelly, Aaron Gibson Trio (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Singer-songwriters.
Blackfox, Kenny Howes & The Wow, Dot 22 (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
A late power-pop show at the Atlanta Room.
John Zedd (Eddie's Attic)
Singer-songwriter.
A sold-out late show at Eddie's by Newfoundland's Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea).
Voodoo Visionary, The Groove Orient, Dead Affect (Aisle 5)
Voodoo Visionary is an improvisational funk/dance band from Atlanta.
Abbath, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch, Tribulation (Heaven at The Masquerade)
Metal.
The Bastard Suns, Urban Legend, Like Mike (Hell at The Masquerade)
Alternative and pop punk.
Bonaventure Quartet (Steve's Live Music)
Jazz.
The Clermonts (Red Light Cafe)
Party-rock cover band.
Bonaventure Quartet (Steve's Live Music)
Jazz.
The Clermonts (Red Light Cafe)
Party-rock cover band.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20
Wiki, Antwon (Aisle 5)
Patrick "Wiki" Morales is a member of Harlem left-field hip-hop collective Ratking, but is probably best known for his appearance on Earl Sweatshirt's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside LP. Antwon is a hip hop artist from San Jose, who Spin described as "an affable guy who might have one of rap's biggest, best-sounding voices, which he usually focuses on goofy jokes and surprisingly sweet bedroom raps." Antwon has often been compared to The Notorious B.I.G., although he's named Kid Rock as the greatest influence.
Wiki, Antwon (Aisle 5)
Patrick "Wiki" Morales is a member of Harlem left-field hip-hop collective Ratking, but is probably best known for his appearance on Earl Sweatshirt's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside LP. Antwon is a hip hop artist from San Jose, who Spin described as "an affable guy who might have one of rap's biggest, best-sounding voices, which he usually focuses on goofy jokes and surprisingly sweet bedroom raps." Antwon has often been compared to The Notorious B.I.G., although he's named Kid Rock as the greatest influence.
Majid Jordan (Vinyl)
Majid Jordan is a Canadian producing and performing duo composed of Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman. Jordan, originally from Toronto, and Majid, arriving in Toronto by way of Bahrain, met as students at the University of Toronto in 2011. This show is sold out.
Joey Muha, Elijah Stavely (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Metal drummers.
Sarah Potenza, Lilly Hiatt (Eddie's Attic)
Singer-songwriters.
Mickie James, Steve Guettler (Eddie's Attic)
More singer-songwriters.
