5GB With Cadillac Jones; Playing The Earl, Saturday, June 2nd

The stoop is where it started and your rump is where it ends. That’s Cadillac Jones for you. For over 10 years, this band has been the main staple of the Atlanta funk scene. Standing on the shoulders of giants like Herbie Hancock, the Crusaders and John Coltrane, Cadillac Jones’ sound is one part jazz, one part funk, and three sheets to the wind. The Band combines driving rhythms, tight melodies and improvisational jams to create a sound that grinds the hips and tickles the mind. They joined us for our 5GB series before their show on Saturday at The Earl

What was the first gig you ever attended?

My first concert was Styx at the Hartford Coliseum in 1983. They were supporting their album Kilroy Was Here. Remember the song “Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto? Yeah, that one….I was 15 years old and LOVED IT!

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

Cadillac Jones opened up for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the legendary but now defunct Echo Lounge back in 2004. I was a huge fan of the band, and was thrilled to knock back straight scotch with Ms. Jones prior to our set. Up until then I wasn’t sure how many folks in Atlanta paid attention to the funk/soul genre – but the place was packed on a Tuesday night. Great night of funk music!

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

That’s a hard one, there have been so many, but I would say for pure excitement and high energy, it would be Primus at the Paradise Club in Boston, circa 1990. I had no idea the bass could be played so percussively [Side note: I'm the bass player for CJ] Smashing Pumpkins at the Point playing the entire Siamese Dream album live for the first time a few years later was a very close second. They recorded the album here in Atlanta, and seemed pretty excited to play it in front of a tightly packed, and very smoky, room of drunken rockers.

What is the gig you would most like to play?

Realistically? I love the Budos Band out of Brooklyn, and they are playing the Bear Creek Festival in Live Oak, Florida this November, as is Cadillac Jones. http://bearcreekmusicfestival.com/ We’d love to open up for them. Pure fantasy? Opening for The Beastie Boys.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

I can’t say enough about our current line up (Gary Kurz, Robbie Nelson, Chris Case, Will Scruggs, Jonathan Lloyd, Norm Ficke, and Travis Cottle) so it would be a dream come true if they would all show up on time and help load the equipment! Since that’s not likely to happen, it would be really cool to hand the bass over to George Porter, Jr. and see what magic he’d mix up with Cadillac Jones. That would be some good schoolin’!

Catch Cadillac Jones, Saturday, June 2nd at The Earl

What’s Up Thursday?

I cannot get this song out of my head this morning, so I figured I would share with y’all! I hope this day brings you all sorts of goodness…here’s what I got planned for ya today.

-The Georgia Music Nominee Awards Showcase is starting off at the Peachtree Tavern with performances by  Angela Reign, East Dixie Boys, Ty Bates, Neil Cribbs, The Train Wrecks, The Relucant Saints and more.

-With his Nashville based Orchestra, Justin Kalk pens and performs a fresh brand of Rock & Roll, Hip Hop, Bluegrass and Jazz influenced Pop sounds. The songs are monster packed with catchy vocals, Olympic solos, swampy organ and a radical evolution of bass and beat madness. See him tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-Chinua Hawk has performed with Celine Dion, written songs with Wyclef Jean and performed backing vocals on his CD “The Preachers Son”. He has also worked in the studio with Kanye West and Talib Kweli “Just to Get by.” Catch him tonight at Eddie’s Attic.

-The River will be at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight for Kick the Robot. This show is in conjunction with Hard Rock Cafe giving away a trip for 2 to London for the Hard Rock Calling Concert In Hyde Park. The River will be doing a live remote from the cafe.

-Chickens and pigs are proud to return to the EARL for their 6th annual bob dylan birthday bash, celebrating the 71st birthday of the Bard of the Changing of the Guard. The band backs 23 great local singers on a mix of classic and obscure dylan tunes. All proceeds benefit www.ovariancycle.org, an organization working to develop an early detection test for ovarian cancer.

-Tonight at Center Stage catch Jack Preston & The Dojo Collective, Everett James, Milo & Otis.

Atlanta Artist Gets Placed In TV Show, “Don’t Trust The B In Apt. 23″ By Atlanta Placement Company

Who says you have to be in Hollywood do you get your music placed in TV or film? Atlanta hip hop artist, Yac-Yan Da Biznessman’s song “Good, Good” got placed in ABC’s hit sitcom Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23″‘ (ep. 106 “It’s Just Sex), AND the  song was placed by local music licensing company, Affix Music. One of the core beliefs at Affix is that TV placements can be a core component to the success of Urban Music makers – within just days of the “Good Good” placement, we have seen this belief proven true once again.  New fans sparked a social media wave (including this fan-created youtube video: http://bit.ly/yacvid) that boosted the artist’s online presence significantly.

The best part about all of this, is that Simon Horrocks, one of the head honchos of the Georgia Music Partners, met Music Supervisor, Andrea von Foerster, here in Atlanta last May at a NARIP event entitled   “How to Get Your Music Placed in TV & Film.”

Looks like Atlanta is starting to become a power player in the placement business!

About Affix Music

Affix Music is a music licensing company specializing in placing pre-cleared, premium independent Urban music for television, film, advertising, games and digital media. Affix uses talent behind many of today’s popular and up-and-coming Urban acts to give productions a contemporary competitive edge. The company’s clients include Warner Bros. Pictures, ABC, Viacom, NBC/Universal, ESPN, TBS and Cartoon Network. Urban music is today’s pop, and our catalog incorporates a broad spectrum of the best in pop, electronic, rap/hip-hop, r&b, soul, jazz, blues and gospel. Affix’s pre-clearance system and user-friendly Web platform connect media producers to search, select, audition and license with confidence.

For more information about the company visit www.affixmusic.com 

Win Tickets! See Chappo Saturday, June 2nd @ Vinyl

Indie rockers, Chappo are blowing up in the alternative world with their catchy tune “Come Home.” They are playing Vinyl on Saturday, and we are GIVING AWAY TICKETS! Catch this band before they become the next “it” band!

CD Review: Matthew Perryman Jones – Land of the Living; Playing The Loft June 22

Land of the Living
Matthew Perryman Jones
Cante Jondo Records

By Ellen Eldridge

Every once in a while the perfect storm of melody, emotion and timing collides with a listener in an unexpected way. Finding a new artist or a new album to truly fall in love with doesn’t happen every week, but something about stumbling across Matthew Perryman Jones’ Land of the Living resurrects an inner spirit and faith in music. Not that the music is terribly “original” or the sort of thing fans of groups like Band of Horses or even The Cure couldn’t collapse into on a bad day or use as the soundtrack to a summer road trip, but these songs stand out with passion behind the riffs and inside the building vocal crescendos in the same way that struck me when I fell in love with The Cure and Band of Horses.

What Land of the Living does best is introduces the new energy of Matthew Perryman Jones – and artist who has been around for awhile, but yet some may not yet know. While some of the squealing guitars in “Poisoning the Wells” may bring a depressed tone tapped by rising anxiety, the temperance of the vocals in songs like “Won’t Let You Down Again” keep Land of the Living from sliding too closely into the territory of Morrissey. I hesitate in making comparisons because the ones I feel would be closest land around targets that don’t resonate as well as Jones’ work does. This may well be entirely personal; the fact that I spend most of my time listening closely to poetic lyrics wrapped tightly around accompanying instrumentation means that, for me, an artist has to hit those nerves with both the music and the lyrics. The storm surrounds as the drums thunder and the vocals rain down – that is what Jones does well. Nothing that certain albums by Ryan Adams or hasn’t done, but this is new. It’s a worthy contribution to an over-saturated music scene.

Lyrically, Jones does his poetry well. In “Sleeping with a Stranger,” Jones hits the highest part of his range as he sings “Oh, kiss my heart awake. We’re so far away. I’m sleeping with a stranger.” Reading the lines doesn’t do the presentation justice. One of my favorite paragraphs/verses/stanzas exists in “Keep It on the Inside” and calls out to the life of a touring musician: “I’ve been living like a ghost in a cage of steel with the gate wide open on a battlefield.” The wonderful description easily depicts a steel stage facing the crowd, and even locally touring musicians can identify with the feeling of living like a ghost when so much time in preparation and traveling allows for just that brief time in front of the fans where the energy flows back and forth – it’s just enough to keep going.

There comes a time in every man’s life when he must question the principles of his culture, his community, and his ancestors. Some may ignore the questions, while others, particularly artists, wrestle with them until something new and lasting is formed from the struggle. Shortly written after the death of his father, Matthew Perryman Jones’ latest record, Land of the Living is a courageous personal Odyssey through life’s most troubled waters of love and loss, and communicates the process by which we grieve, and the fight to find restored hope. Land of the Living is an intense wringing of words, emotions, and melody from the rags of Jones’ solitude, but are an account of his truth found in the pain. Fans of mellow music inspired by the sounds of strings and the subtle allusion to hope should give Matthew Perryman Jones a listen. Land of the Living acts as a metaphor for finding new music that will not disappoint. Visit http://www.mpjmusic.com/ and come out to The Loft on June 22 for the show.

What’s Up Wednesday?

I love it when music is born into the world. There is something magical that happens when music with meaning starts seeping out into the world…it’s like the first drops of rain before a hurricane. Magical. I hope that whatever you do on this Wednesday, music finds its way to you.

-My dear friend Jesse Malin is in Atlanta tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar. He is THE coolest person in NYC, so do yourself a favor and go check him out!

-Doom rockers, Church of Misery, are at The Earl tonight with Hail Hornet. Should be scary.

-Georgia americana songwriter, Tyler Lyle is at Eddie’s Attic  tonight with Kevin So.

-At the Drunken Unicorn tonight you will find Corner Kid, England In 1819, Nobra Noma entertaining the masses.

-Our good buddies at Star Bar always have something amazing going on…Tonight you can check Andrew & the Dispyramids, Ghost Bikini, the Marques.

Get Tickets To See The Shins In Advance! Playing Cobb Energy Centre, October 8th

Hear ye, Hear ye!! As you all know, we at Atlanta Music Guide, just LOVE it when we get to giveaway cool swag to our readers, and we have a little something to give you on this Tuesday! The Shins are coming to Atlanta on Oct. 8th, playing at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and we are offering an EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY for our readers to buy tickets in advance before the general public, beginning at 10AM, THIS THURSDAY, May 31st!

Just enter the password “AMG” for the Presale on Thursday. Tickets available via Ticketmaster.

Hangout Music Fest Review: Interview with Big Gigantic

By Justin Lyons

The third annual Hangout Music Festival started with an official kick off party last Thursday with multiple acts on two stages. One of the headliners of the event was electronic music duo Big Gigantic who returned for their second consecutive year on the beach. I was able to chat with Dominic Lallil (saxophone/production) and Jeremy Salken (drummer) about Hangout, the Colorado music scene, Electronic Dance Music and more.

Big Gigantic had the opportunity to kick off Hangout last night at the official pre-party, how was the overall response?

(Jeremy) It was great. I believe the late night ended up selling out and it was awesome. The crowd was super energetic and it had a great vibe.

How was your performance different than last year at Hangout? 

(Dominic) Its been a year so a little different. The crowd was just awesome last night and it was great way to kick off the weekend. Everyone had a great time and it was cool to have our own headlining set, that was the main difference. Last year was super fun, we had a great afternoon set and then we had a late night with Pretty Lights that was great.

Nocturnal is your most recent release. What has been the feedback from fans on the album?

(Dominic) Awesome response. We’ve had great feedback. Still riding that and playing a lot of music off the album and we just put out another remix a few days ago. We’re gonna continue that trend all summer with a lot of different sounds. Some heavier stuff without saxophone and some with saxophone. We’ll put out more remixes this summer and put together another album in the next year.

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Picture Book: Royal Thunder – May 26, 2012@ The Earl

Photos by Ken Lackner

Full gallery after the jump.

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5GB With Jesse Malin; Playing Smith’s Olde Bar, Wednesday, May 30th

Not only is Jesse Malin a bad ass musician, entrepreneur, and debatably the coolest person in NYC, he just so happens to be a friend of mine.  For those of you who might not be aware, Jesse Malin began playing live the age of twelve years old in the seminal hardcore band Heart Attack, releasing the first NYC hardcore seven inch, God Is Dead, on Damaged Goods Records. Before he turned fourteen, Jesse continued to tour North America with Heart Attack and released two more records with the band.  In the early 1990’s, Jesse and his childhood pals formed the rock and roll band D Generation and released three albums, touring the globe several times over before parting ways in 1999. Malin’s other projects have included On Your Sleeve, a covers record featuring a schizophrenic mix of his favorite songs including everything from Elton John to the The Kills and Jim Croce to The Hold Steady, The Finger (We Are Fuck You) with Ryan Adams, Johnny T, and Colin Burns and the Rodeo Queens, a side project with Green Day formed very, very late at night. Jesse was also the music supervisor on Burning Down The House: The Story of CBGB, directed by Many Stein, and recently reconnected with Stein as an associate producer on 2012’s Bad Brains: Band in DC, co-directed by Stein and Ben Logan. He also and hosts a monthly radio show on Sirius’s Spectrum with John Varvatos entitled “New York Nights.” He joined us for our 5GB series before his show tomorrow at Smith’s Olde Bar.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

Kiss at Madison Square Garden many moons ago. I was in the Kiss army, I did wear my mother’s plattform shoes around the house, made spaceman clothes out of aluminum foil and even tried this bit at the public school talent show spitting heinz ketchup as blood and smashing a Japanese imitation Les Paul.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

Opening for Ryan Adams solo acoustic, scared to death at The Olympia Theater in Dublin…or maybe it was the China Theater in Stockholm, Sweden. They had swastikas all over the walls. I thought I was going to be out numbered and turned into a living room fixture til I realized it was an Indian symbol. PS The gig was a lot of fun.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

Probably The Bad Brains at CBGB’s in the early 80′s. Back flips, pure speed, anger, reggae, punk and PMA (that’s positive mental attitude).

What is the gig you would most like to play?

Opening up for Neil Young & Crazy Horse or headlining Madison Square Garden high powered on wheat grass and hometown pride.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

Neil Young, again, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Bob Dylan, Big Audio Dynamite, Sam Cooke (if we could get him back), Suicide, The Kills The National, Squeeze, The Waldos and Paul Simon. If The Hold Steady and Gaslight Anthem were available throw them in and maybe give Joni Mitchell a call. Also, please, Lucinda Williams. Might be a bloody festival, might have a to bring electric socks with a 9-volt battery, a plastic or heft bag style poncho and a hip flask full of Don Julio plus a 6 pack of Emergen-C and a silky speedo.

Catch Jesse Malin, Wednesday May 30th at Smith’s Olde Bar

What’s Up Tuesday?

Hey y’all! Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I’m sure that getting up this morning was a little bit difficult, but just keep reminding yourself that it is only a four day work week!  My first song of the day today, was Spacehog, so I thought i would share with you!

Not too much to kick off the musical week, but if you feel like going out, here are some cool events we suggest:

-For Simone Felice, his self-titled Team Love solo debut has literally been a lifetime in the making. As the former drummer, writer and vocalist of The Felice Brothers explains, “This album is the one I’ve had buried away, somewhere in my weird heart.” Catch him tonight at Eddie’s Attic.

-Northwestern indie folkster, Rocky Votolato is at The Drunken Unicorn tonight.

-Tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar, catch the beats from local hip hop acts, N.I.K.K.A Da Jukebox, Resident Stone, and Soultrap.

-Finnish Black Metal. Those words should be enough for you to want to make sure you schedule a confession after seeing Horna tonight at the 529.

-Calling all MC’s! Red Bull EmSee is an invitation-only MC battle series designed to find the best freestyle rappers in the country – giving them a national platform to showcase their skills. The last MC with a mic in his hand will earn an trip to Los Angeles to record at Red Bull Studio with a headlining producer of his choice. Let the final battle begin! Red Bull EmSee is free to attend. Ages 18+ Tonight at the Masquerade.

Hangout Music Fest 2012 Review: Sunday, May 20th, 2012 – Gulf Shores, AL

By Justin Lyons
The final days of a festival weekend are typically tough to rise for, but this year Sunday seemed a little more chill than previous years. Luckily, a trip to the VIP section at the Hangout Main Stage made the day quite a bit more relaxing than previous years. The duel aqua pools complete with faux plastic grass were a great place to take in the sounds and hear other festival goers favorite acts of the weekend. The fenced in corner also made it easy to leisurely set up a place to stand in the sand for acts like Michael Franti and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Complimentary beer and water didn’t hurt either.

Big Freedia & The Divas – Xbox Stage – 12:45-1:45
Musically, I wouldn’t say Big Freedia offers more than strip club anthems, but the live show was one to remember. Big Freedia’s bass heavy bounce music act featured underground hits like “Azz Everywhere” and “Gin In My System”. While Freedia shouted commands at the audience, her crew of booty dancers made early Sunday look like what I imagine Magic City is like on a Saturday night.

Michael Franti & Spearhead – Hangout Main Stage – 2:45-3:45
As one of the few acts to make an appearance at all three years of Hangout, Michael Franti is essentially the “unofficial” mayor of Gulf Shores. Franti’s music embodies the precise culture festival organizers hope to provide in a laid back mindset that promotes positivity and fun. Franti had a permanent smile as he performed beach ready reggae hits like “The Sound of Sunshine” and his biggest hit “Say Hey (I Love You)”. He even let other artists in on the fun as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros leader Alex Ebert and Alabama’s own Kristy Lee joined for a group song. With the amount of dancing that happened in the sand on Sunday, most would agree if Michael Franti returned to Hangout every year.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Hangout Main Stage – 5:00-6:30
13 musicians is a lot of people on stage for any act, but Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros manage to make it look effortless and artful. Frontman Alex Ebert may have looked like a ‘70’s drifter, but he played the part of live wire band leader as he jump-started the set leaping into the crowd in Sunday’s best performance. The crooner bounced around the stage and perched on speakers as he belted hits like “40 Day Dream” and incited a Hangout sing-along for “Janglin’”. For the most part, other members of the band seemed to feed off Eberts antics, smiling watching the lead singer interact with fans and jamming to instructed piano solos. The new tracks from Here (including “Man On Fire” and “That’s What’s Up”) were sure-fire hits that were a great showcase of Jade Castrino’s talents and had fans dancing in the white sand. The only flaw in the chemistry of the indie standouts was the clear annoyance Jade had for Alex. She seemed to avoid Ebert any time he floated by, but they seemed to reconcile as he briefly set up the band’s biggest hit “Home” and detailed Jade’s pitch of the now famous first line “Alabama, Arkansas”. He recalled that he wasn’t sure what the song would be, but Alabama sure felt like “home” at Hangout.

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AMG Weekend Pics! Holiday Weekend Fun with Bret Michaels, Maps and Atlases, and Other Great Bands

Whether you are hitting the road or staying in Atlanta, this Memorial Weekend is sure to be busy and fun! Great shows and events Friday through Monday! Shout out to our troops and veterans. We thank you for all that you have done and all that you do for our country!

Friday, May 24- Maps and Atlases with Special Guests at The Earl

On tour promoting their first full length album, Perch Patchwork!

Friday, May 24- New Kingston at the Drunken Unicorn

New Kingston is a young vocalist/instrumentalist Reggae group, that consists of three brothers.

Friday, May 24- Dr. Gordon Vernick directing the 16 piece Big Band with Annie Sellick at Eddie’s Attic

16 of the finest jazz musicians in the Southeast bring you an evening of great Big Band music.

Saturday, May 25 – Bret Michaels at The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater

Pack your cooler full of your favorite adult beverages and snacks and hit up The Fred for a great rock show with Poison front man.

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Live Review: Damien Jurado – The Earl

By Margaret Price

“Have you heard the new Damien Jurado album?” I asked my friend on a chilly March afternoon.

“Nope, I don’t think so. But I did love the crocheted poncho he wore at Pickathon. Every. Day,” she replied, and I instantly knew I needed to see this man live. Fortunately for me, I was able to witness, in all his unassuming flesh, the enigmatic singer-songwriter who has drawn (rightfully so) comparisons to Neil Young, Lou Reed and Jim Morrison, who the Seattle Times recently called “Seattle’s folk-boom godfather,” who often weaves melodic tales so intricate that they could be mistaken for short stories, at the Earl on Wednesday night.

Jurado, this time decidedly poncho-less yet surprisingly shoe-less, played to a modest but earnest audience, not overwhelmingly strong in numbers yet clearly true fans with heart. The band, appropriately flannelled and black t-shirt clad, all at once appeared and, before the crowd had a chance to silence its idle chitchat or even become aware of the musicians on the stage, launched into “Nothing is the News” off of Jurado’s newest release, Maraqopa, his voice strong and unstrained. The remainder of songs played that night was mostly from this album, although Jurado dipped into previous releases Caught in the Trees and Saint Bartlett, as well as the previously unrecorded track “Horizons,” which shimmered in its psychedelic fervor.

“I don’t know how many of you go to church, but this is us bringing it to you,” he finally addressed the audience, his first spoken words of the evening as the band recreated the cheerful, handclap revivalism of “Let Us All In,” the last song in his set with the full setup.

Not skipping a beat, the band left the stage and Jurado settled into an intimate solo set, beginning with the plaintive despondency of “Rachel and Cali” and moving onto “Sheets” and “Everything Trying.” Damien, surveying the crowd from behind brooding, shifty eyes unplugged his acoustic guitar and stepped over the row of amps to play “Arkansas” directly to the audience itself. “This is the last song, and this is how it should be done,” he matter-of-factly stated, and the crowd naturally agreed.

Catching up with Jurado after the show, who had casually walked back behind the merch table to shill cds and vinyl, an off-handed remark from a bystander (“Hey, man, do you wanna go party after this?”) led to him recounting a rather succinct story about how he hadn’t had a drink since the age of 17, when an unfortunate incident involving the smashing of a 40 bottle on someone’s head landed him in jail. Wondering if this was just one of the fanciful stories he’s so one to create, I realized it didn’t really matter. As a man of so few words, the ones he does use clearly merit a listen.

Set List

Nothing is the News

Maraqopa

This Time Next Year

Reel to Reel

Working Titles

Everyone A Star

Museum of Flight

Horizons

Horizons (phase)

Let Us All In

Encore

Rachel and Cali

Sheets

Everything Trying

Arkansas

Hangout Music Fest 2012 Review: Saturday, May 19th, 2012 – Gulf Shores, AL

By Justin Lyons

Hangout Music Festival must have made a concerted effort of getting fans to the grounds earlier than previous years. Day two of the weekend continued the trend in scheduling quality, overlapping sets of Athens, GA’s Futurebirds, the head-nodding EDM of Archnemesis and indie poppers Givers. Luckily, if walking on the sand wasn’t your ideal mode of transportation, Hangout shuttles and promotional rides from Chevrolet were available to get to the festival faster. Hangout’s much maligned shuttle service was completely overhauled from 2011 with a new, experienced provider. The improvements included safer, fenced waiting areas, quicker access to buses with more drivers readily available and Krispy Kreme donuts on the evening ride home. Who would complain about that?

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