CD Review: Stone Temple Pilots — Stone Temple Pilots; Playing Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, October 3

Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Atlantic

By Ellen Eldridge

The biting announcement of Core’s “Dead and Bloated,” released in 1992, has been replaced with the underhanded pinch of “Between The Lines,” which, along with lyrics in several songs including the chorus to “Hazy Daze,” could be a reflection of feelings expressed toward Mary Weiland’s book Fall To Pieces about the bipolar depression and drug addiction she suffered while married to frontman Scott Weiland. Certainly, the single acts as a love song riddled with references in the chorus to “taking drugs” and it speaks as one of the harder rock songs on Stone Temple Pilots and has climbed its way up the charts quite quickly. … Continue Reading

CD Review: The District Attorneys — Orders From

The District Attorneys
Orders Form
Self-Released

By Eileen Tilson

It is highly unlikely that someone who sat for the bar exam would be considered a laid-back individual. Thus it is ironic that when a band from Athens dubbing themselves The District Attorneys, they have the ability to transport you to the hazy days of summer where all you need is some PBR, good friends, and the road. These non-lawyers have accomplished just that. On their latest EP Orders From, The District Attorneys have created a seven-song EP that would easily make them an appropriate opener for The Rolling Stones circa 1963. … Continue Reading

AMG Weekend Picks: Young Orchids, Caddy Shack, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Deer Tick and Crowded House!

We’re all looking forward to a weekend inside, with cool drinks and the AC turned up way, way high. So for this week’s Weekend Picks, we’re staying away from the outdoor events and have even included a movie at The Fox, because when it gets this hot, sometimes you just want to sit in a dark room and laugh for a couple of hours. We’ve also started including events that are  going on sale this weekend too, not least because it reminds us that fall is just a month and a bit away. Enjoy! … Continue Reading

CD Review: Miniature Tigers — Fortress; Playing Star Bar, August 20

Miniature Tigers
Fortress
Modern Art/LG

By Eileen Tilson

Once upon a time there was a woman who ate her very first pot brownie. This “space cake” as she so cleverly called it, took about 45 minutes to effect her, starting at her tingling toes, and riding her blood waves, until her entire body felt like it was in slow motion. Everything was funny, everything was mellow, and for a brief period of time, everything seemed right in the world. This same orbit can be felt by listening to Brooklyn-via-Phoenix band Miniature Tigers’ latest album Fortress. The record is produced by Morning Benders’ Chris Chu, who brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the project through his eclectic use of echo bits, snappy snare, and twinkling synth effects. This is the lovechild of the Monkeys and the Beach Boys growing up in the Heart of Hipster Cool, Williamsburg. … Continue Reading

Bits and Bobs: Wavves, Badly Drawn Boy, Terry Gilliam, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, BigChampagne

- Nathan Williams is bringing his Wavves, which means madness, back to Atlanta following the release of his second Fat Possum Record, King of the Beach, out August 3. Wavves will be hitting Drunken Unicorn September 30, and tickets go on sale at noon today. You can check out the whole of the new record over on Fat Possum’s website.

- The lovely Badly Drawn Boy has released a demo of the track “In Safe Hands,” a song from his upcoming record It’s What I’m Thinking, Pt 1, coming out in October in England. Check it out on Stereogum.

- For those sporty-minded ones reading the blog, you might be interested to know Athens is hosting its first half-marathon on October 23 and 24. There will also be a pasta dinner and reception available. Proceeds all go to benefit AthFest, Inc. More information and registration at athensgahalf.com.

- Incredible filmmaker and Monty Python lad Terry Gilliam is going to direct Arcade Fire‘s webcast of their Madison Square Gardens show. Oh the giddy excitement! Paste has the story.

- Kanye West debuted some of his new stuff at a – very – low-key event at the Facebook headquarters. We’re talking chill here – he’s standing on what looks like the table in the conference room, with no backing track, no mic, no people, just the man and his words. Slightly bizarre but we like getting surprises like his from Kanye. And he’s looking sharp. Check out the  videos over on Pitchfork.

- And speaking of Facebook, popularity, music and the like, half-locally-owned-company BigChampagne (an Atlanta/Beverly Hills based company) has been stirring the music industry press over the past week or so with the release of their Ultimate Chart, which basically does what it says on the tin: using all the data from “Song and Album Sales, Radio Airplay, Online Audio and Video Plays, and Fans/Friends/Followers.” The top 10 right now ranges from Lady Gaga to B.O.B. to Eminem, so we’d say it’s pretty darn accurate!

CD Review: M.I.A. – /\/\/\Y/\ (Maya); Playing The Tabernacle, September 16

M.I.A.

/\/\/\Y/\ (Maya)

N.E.E.T. Recordings

By Giles Turnbull

This album has everything, from paranoia to power tools, and that’s just the first 60 seconds. If you loved Arular and Kala, then Maya, M.I.A.’s third studio album, won’t disappoint! It’s full of the same quirky lyrics, infectious tunes and banging beats that’ll keep you dancing along, but the more you listen, the more you’ll find. … Continue Reading

Bits and Bobs: The Felice Brothers, The Love Language, The Drums, Downtown Restaurant Week

- After the departure and consequential heart surgery of drummer/singer Simone Felice, The Felice Brothers are back and are off on tour. They’ll be coming to Atlanta for a show at The EARL on November 6.

- In other coming-to-The-EARL news, the lovely Love Language are coming on September 3!

- Perfect summer (evidenced in the video below) indie pop band The Drums are finally coming to Atlanta for a show at The Loft with Surfer Blood. Tickets go on sale July 30.

- Downtown Restaurant Week started yesterday, and actually runs for two weeks until August 8. There are a ton of great $25 and $35 prix fixe menus to choose from, but we personally will be going for Spoon, The Social, BLT and Thrive.

CD Review: Steve Miller Band — Bingo!; Playing Verizon Wireless Ampitheater, July 30

Steve Miller Band
Bingo!
Roadrunner

By Al Kaufman

Steve Miller has sold exactly 1.6 gazillion copies of the Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974-78. In the ’80s, every single person in the United States either owned a copy or knew a person who owned a copy. For college freshmen, the album came in the orientation packet. If you turned on a rock radio station, you heard “Space Cowboy,” “Take the Money and Run,” or, mostly, “The Joker.” … Continue Reading

CD Review: Kylie Minogue — Aphrodite

Kylie Minogue
Aphrodite
Astralwerks

By Cory Albertson

Critics and the public alike enjoy comparing pop’s various princesses in an effort to see who’s ripping off who with what outfit or which one’s beating the other on the charts. But when you’re Kylie Minogue and you have over two decades of experience as pop royalty, releasing new material becomes not so much a competition with the likes of Madonna or Lady Gaga, but rather a competition with your own hits. Twenty-two years after her debut album Kylie (which gave us her cutesy version of the “The Loco-Motion”) and nine years since her worldwide smash “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” Minogue has outdone even herself (and, yes, many of her contemporaries) with her latest album Aphrodite. … Continue Reading

Live Review: Future Islands at 529, July 19

By David Courtright

Somehow this was my first experience at 529. I’ve seen the gory insides of most of the dive bars and music joints in this town, but for one reason or another, this was my maiden voyage into the cramped, smoky, and entirely magical world that is 529. As previously mentioned, Future Islands have made quite an impact on me. So it was nothing but a delight that my first experience at this place was with them. … Continue Reading