A Jay Reatard Tribute Show at Lenny’s Bar, Sept.4

Jay Reatard, the punk rock artist that died suddenly in January of this year at 29 years old, will be honored this Saturday night at Lenny’s Bar through a tribute concert, where several bands will be covering Jay Reatard songs that have impacted their music and life.  Matador Records, Jay Reatard’s record label, is co-sponsoring the event along with Criminal Records, and DieIndy Records.

Bands contributing performances of Jay Reatard songs include:

Sarin Mchugh and the Everymen (NJ)
Three Happenin Guys (Alabama)
Horrible Idea (Athens)
Customers (ATL)
Hip To Death (ATL)
Mourdella (ATL)
Shining Path (Alabama)
DJ KEVY DUTY

Lenny’s Bar 486 Decatur Rd Atlanta, 21+, 7pm

Video: Before the Solstice, “Clouds”

“Will there be clouds in your weather report?”  Atlanta-based band,  Before the Solstice has produced a new video to go along with their newest single off their self-titled debut album.  The video, co-directed by Chris Fuller, Judas Moon and Before the Solstice frontman, Clint Bussey is steeped in symbolism, which is expected of the band, but the video also presents a storyline that follows the various personas of a single man, played by Judas Moon, as he struggles against the extreme polarities of his being and into a peaceful balance.

You can download the newest Before the Solstice release for free at NoiseTrade.com.

Photo by Gail Fountain

Bigfoot E.P. Release Party at The Star Bar Friday 8/27

Bigfoot sighting in Atlanta and he is going to be shaking is his ass at The Star Bar for Bigfoot’s E.P. Release party, so get out to the Star Bar and shake yours with some  down home Southern Boogie Metal featuring Bigfoot, Stone Mountain Freeway, BeItThe Means at The Star Bar Friday 8/27

Bigfoot formed out of the Ashes of Artimus Pyledriver and Gonzalez.Gonzalez broke up as well as Artimus Pyledriver, so what happened is Jim Hall and Michael Faulkner of Pyledriver got Kevin Watford of Gonzalez off of his lazy ass to play drums. Then they enlist monster riff god Evil Jim (Evils, Spectremen, and Asphalt Blaster) to play some leads and finalized the band with Jett Bryant of Rock City Dropouts with Sludgy, fuzz filled driving Les Pauls, a great low end groove and Jett’s prowling vocals, Bigfoot are leaving their foot prints all over the south.

Click here for more information on Bigfoot!

Also on the bill is former Pyledriver singer, Dave Slocum and his new band Stone Mountain Freeway. Featuring ex-members of Artimus Pyledriver and Red River Revival with Dave on Vocals, Brad Kemp and Miles Griffin on guitars, Zack Hembree on Bass and Joey Robertson on drums.Stone Mountain Freeway are bringing the riff-laden swagger of yesteryear into a new generation of heavy, ass-stomping rock and roll.

Stone Mountain Freeway formed in February of 2010 and has already begun recording demos for their self-released EP (hopefully due out in late spring).

Click here for More information on Stone Mountain Freeway
Opening the show is BEITTHEMEANS
Bigfoot, Stone Mountain Freeway, Be It The Means at The Star Bar Friday 8/27

Doors 8:30pm
$8

Check out Bigfoot Jamming at last years Little Five Points Halloween fest.

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Live Review: Dragonette @ The Drunken Unicorn

Tonight was a load of firsts. And, first of all, it was fantastic. The sound was spot on – discrete key and guitar riffs, punching bass. The drums were thorough and distinct, each beat hammered out with – who would’ve thought – glowing sticks. The vocals were loud enough and clear enough; it was easy to make out words through verses and choruses alike, whether you knew the songs or not. Crowd participated sing-a-longs were encouraged and obliged.

I expected a show of hands and lights from the rockin’ Canadian electro-pop trio that is Dragonette, and that’s what they brought. Touring in support of Mixin to Thrill, the follow-up remix album to their most recent full-length, and this summer’s single, Our Summer Volcano, this was actually Dragonette’s first time to Atlanta. They brought lights and spunk, too, and a sound that was, beneath all that, simplistic and sincere. [Read more]

Fiend Without a Face At Vinyl 8/20 Featuring Members of Mastodon

You probably never imaged that the musicians from metal-juggernaut Mastodon- a band who’ve fashioned monstrous epics like Leviathan and Blood Mountain- could have you dancing a wild, unbridled jig in a crowded saloon, your drink sloshing about carelessly in one hand while your belt flails and whirls overhead like a helicopter blade in the other. Believe me, that’s only because you haven’t yet discovered Fiend Without A Face. A side project of Mastodon’s guitarist / vocalist Brent Hinds and drummer Brann Dailor, Fiend Without A Face are a bizarre and undeniably fun amalgam of the rockabilly and surf genres, producing a bastard lovechild that the band’s founders have dubbed ‘surfabilly’ (see, you take the ‘surf’ from surf, and the ‘billy’ from rockabilly and then…well, never mind).- Radu CatrinaWest End Motel features guitarist Brent Hinds (Mastodon, Fiend Without A Face) and vocalist Tom Cheshire (All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, Rent Boys, Kidd Boom Boom, Indigo Boys) playing sparse and love-damaged acoustic country songs that fall in line with the low and lonesome likes of Gram Parsons, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Buck Owens. Their songs are sad and infinitely compelling; earnest and driven by desire, regret, loathing, catharsis, self-destruction and repair.

Also on the bill is  The Whores
FIEND WITHOUT A FACEW/ WEST END MOTEL, THE WHORES

Friday, August 20th, 2010
Doors 8 PM / Show 9 PM
$10
General Admission
18+
http://www.myspace.com/fiendwithoutafaceband

The Vaselines are Back

Before The Kills or Cowboy & Indian, An Horse or Ratatat, there were The Vaselines – a two-piece indie inspiration that went straight from Scotland to Sub Pop. And then, before many outside of that cult following knew what had happened, they were gone, broken up, disbanded.

Two ironies encompassed The Vaselines’ existence as the calendar spilled over and into the 90’s: (1) they would become more popularly remembered as the band that Kurt Cobain liked to rip off and (2) by the time their first full-length record came out, they’d be done with the band business. I guess, even now, The Vaselines’ trek might be unknown to many. What, you thought Nirvana actually wrote tunes like “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam,” “Molly’s Lips” or “Son of a Gun?” No, no, no, my friends – these were borrowed.

Though it might have taken some time, those first tunes are still regarded as ‘indie gold,’ according to Sour Duck and others. You can imagine, then, the excitement (and missed, ageist feelings) surrounding the band’s current, 20+ year follow-up record, Sex With an X, due out in the states on September 14. For a taste of the new sound, cruise over to Sub Pop for a free download of both the title track, another new one, “I Hate the 80’s,” and a goldie, “Son of a Gun.” [Read more]

Wolf Parade on Tour in November!

Following their current European tour, followed by a stop in Moscow, Wolf Parade announces that they’ll continue traveling. Today the band released the following list of U.S. dates for November:

11/03 – Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theatre
11/04 – Philadelphia, PA, Trocadero
11/05 – Baltimore, MD, Ram’s Head Live
11/06 – Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theatre
11/08 – Charleston, SC, Music Farm
11/09 – Orlando, FL, Social
11/10 – Miami, FL, Fillmore Miami Beach
11/12 – Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse [Read more]

Show Preview: New Terminus at The Earl, August 11

New Terminus is a new Atlanta band comprised of ex-members of Sunday Drive Bye and The Jonesplan.  They offer upbeat, guitar-driven rock in the vein of Weezer, with noticeable influences from Foo Fighters and Built to Spill.  Their accessible sound finds it’s strength in lush vocals, catchy hooks, and memorable guitar riffs.

Among the band’s new singles, “Ancient Photograph” stands out as a high-energy, post-punk gem of a melody with vocal styling reminiscent of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), while “It Seems Obscene” is a more laid-back ride on pretty guitar work and a captivating storyline.  New Terminus has three singles available on their BandCamp site for only $2.

New Terminus will be playing their debut show at The Earl on August 11 with two Atlanta indie rock forces, The Holland Dutch and What Happened to Your Fire, Tiger?

The EARL 488 Flat Shoals Ave Atlanta
Wednesday, August 11
21+
Doors 8:30 pm

Laserbeam Kitty Friday, July 30 – Sonen and Attention System

Laserbeam Kitty is your Friday night fix for dressing quirky and dancing to a live band/DJ mash-up. The event is self-described as ‘Atlanta’s monthly indie-electro-dance-rock party.’ It’s true!

Local band, Sonen, fits this description, and they’re the lovely presenters behind Laserbeam Kitty. Held on the last Friday of every month at the Highland Inn Ballroom, this event features both local and national bands, artists and Atlanta’s own DJs – Brain Parris and Keith Evans (familiar to those of you who’ve done Wednesday MJQ nights).

This Friday’s (July 30) installation of Laserbeam Kitty is a special one. Sonen will be performing. If you haven’t heard this trio before, I recommend you browse over to their site and check out the latest release, Devious Device, the 8-song, synth driven, dance goodness that came out barely a month ago.

This month’s Laserbeam Kitty is also special because local darkwavers, Attention System, are playing it. Another personal recommendation, Attention System is a real stage-show treat. These guys deliver thick, precise guitars overlaid with hooky vocals and keys and backed by pocket driven bass and beats. The energy of it all will have you dancing right off the bat. Trust me. [Read more]

The Orkids, Kite to the Moon, Efren, and Strange Planet on July 29

A night of electro-dance pop power, rowdy and over-the-top antics, complete with an ariel trapeze act, alongside magical and penetrating songwriting and complex, spacey rock comes to Lenny’s Bar on July 29, featuring The Orkids, Kite to the Moon, Efren, and Strange Planet.

The Orkids are an impressive electro-rock group with incredibly infectious dance tunes to keep you moving all night!  They sound like the best of Metric, the most danceable of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs with the energy-full beats of Phoenix. They recently played AthFest along with Kite to the Moon, who will be revving you up with their insane stage show, featuring trapeze aerialists, Tiger Girlz, and costume-clad band members, as they engage in their signature inventive, psychedelic pop.  Kite to the Moon use rock-n-roll as a tool for outrageous fun and it works!

Efren’s impeccable and moving melodies are sure to strike a chord somewhere deep within you. This talented songwriter might be juxtaposed to the high energy emissions from The Orkids and Kite to the Moon, but the band will surely make a fan out of you with their psychedelic, folk rock sound reminiscent of Bon Iver or Iron and Wine.  Finally, Strange Planet will kick things off with their blend of heavy, yet smooth spacey rock.  Strange Planet’s sound is equal parts The Flaming Lips and Black Sabbath, the result being mesmerizing arrangements of dreamy and layered rock. [Read more]

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