 The Devil's back with a vengance..and it's bigger and better. The Devil Stole The Beat is taking over Fuego Spanish grill in Midtown during AMC+F next week, and the party series will kick off in full swing next Wednesday August 10th at 11:00pm. Thursday - Saturday will feature some of Atlanta's most promising acts in the afternoon, such as The Hiss, Snowden, A Fir-Ju Well, Minamina Goodsong, Second Shift, and many many more. Drinks will be flowing, and thanks to Miller High Life and SPARKS energy drink, they will be FREE. So come join us, bands, and industry members for a most debaucherous time!
 With the Atlantis Music Conference + Festival next week, we decided to highlight some bands and showcases we think are worth checking out rather than having a featured band this month. Click here to check out our showcase picks. We'll be out and about at the Atlantis shows, parties, and the return of The Devil Stole The Beat series, so check back for a recap and photos of the aftermath!
Check out clips from the making of the new Oasis video The Importance Of Being Idle, starring Rhys Ifans. The track is taken from the band's latest album Don't Believe The Truth. Oasis play HiFi Buys Amphitheatre on Tuesday September 27th along with Jet and Kasabian. Speaking of Kasabian, photos from this week's Downtown Rocks are now up on our website. Again, The Loft and Vinyl played host to an unofficial after party where the band proceeded to get as drunk as possible until 3:15am and catching their 5:30am flight in the most rock 'n roll fashion. Lead singer Tom Meighan recalled the first night of their US tour which kicked off at The Loft back in May, remarking that The Loft "was one of the best gigs of the tour and a great place to play."
Open Mic Madness has moved from its normal August slot to October 3-8 at Smith's Olde Bar! Past winners include Avenge Vegas, The Whigs, and Bain Mattox. Music madman (and Atlanta Music Guide Music Awards host) Josh Rifkind runs the annual single elimination tournament, which features over 120 bands/musicians performing their original music. Prizes include two full days at Nickel & Dime Recording Studios with platinum producer Don McCollister, a performance slot on The Rock Boat, and more. To register and find out more information, visit www.openmicmadness.com.
Photos from this weekend's 99X Downtown Rocks with Switchfoot, Spoon, Rehab, and Heavy Mojo are now up on our Downtown Rocks page. This week's free show will feature Ben Folds, Kasabian, and two great local acts - Red Letter Agent and Linger - so get there early!
 GIVEAWAY - It's not every day that we get to give away tickets for big rap shows, but then again, it's not every day that our hometown kings of crunk, Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz , stroll through town with the likes of Eminem and D12 , 50 Cent and G-Unit , Obie Trice , and more. So, in order to celebrate, we're giving away a pair of tickets to the Anger Management Tour at Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre next Sunday July 31st, courtesy of House of Blues. If you want the tickets, email us a short rap at info@atlantamusicguide.com of why AMG is so awesome, and the best one wins. A winner will be drawn and notified on Friday July 29th. Bling!
How about some LSD..? Atlanta Music Guide presents a special night at The Loft on August 19th. Our friends in Lead Singer Disease (LSD) are doing a special show, and we heard that if you like hometown hero Butch Walker, then this is a band you really won't want to miss (wink). Doors will open up at 8pm, with AMG's own Iain spinning records, cds, and whatever he can get his hands on throughout the show. Sons of William, featuring former local musician Joe Stark, are also on the bill. Lead Singer Disease hits the stage around 10pm. This show is now sold out.
99X has added Kasabian to July 30th's Downtown Rocks lineup. This will be the Brit rockers' only appearance in Atlanta until their return with Jet and Oasis at Hifi Buys Amphitheatre in September. Click here for photos from this past weekend's Downtown Rocks with Weezer, The Bravery, The Dead 60's, and Second Shift!
BRING IT ON!  COMING THIS SEPTEMBER TO THE LOFT - The Atlanta Music Guide Awards V2.0! Cast your vote for this year's awards on our Ballot Page right now. This year's awards are going to be bigger, better, and crazier! Atlanta music scene's resident madman and founder of Open Mic Madness, Josh Rifkind, will be hosting the event, and there are going to be some big surprises in store. Some categories have been added, some have been scrapped, and the favorites have stayed. Rally for your favorite bands, and cast your ballot on Tuesday! To see photos from last year's event and to view last year's winners, click here. And remember kids, no cheating ! Bands found trying to 'stuff the ballots' will be disqualified.
3 day wristbands are now on sale for next month's Atlantis Music Conference + Festival. A showcase wristband gains access to the AMC+F Opening Party and Red Carpet Limo Roll at club eleven50 on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 as well over 350 artist showcases held in 18 music venues across Atlanta from Thursday, August 11 – Saturday, August 13, 2005. The wristbands are only $30 each ($25 for 99X Freeloaders) and are available from www.ticketalternative.com.
 Rose Parade, a film tribute to the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith will premiere Wednesday (tonight) at Eyedrum. The screening party starts at 7:30pm, with live music from Snowden, Hotel, and more. The film and documentary screen at 9:00pm. www.eyedrum.org
All Star Nights Atlanta's Music Industry Networking Party Version 2.0 will take place on Thursday at Cosmopolitain Lounge in Midtown. There will be door prizes including 'extreme makeovers' courtesy of Rockit Salon, a photo shoot from Usedfilm.com, Braves tickets, concert tickets, and more. UPN Atlanta will be on hand filming for an upcoming episode. Doors open to the public at 8pm. For more information, visit www.allstarnightsatlanta.com.
Vision will reopen its doors after an extensive refit and buzz building delay on Saturday July 16th at 9pm. The club will feature 6 different areas including Heaven, Bliss, Circle, The Red Room, Skybar and the Main Room. AMG will be at the VIP opening on Thursday night and will report back soon! www.visionatlanta.com
Graphic Noise will be at the Museum of Design (located inside the Marquis II Office Tower in Downtown Atlanta) from July 28 - August 20th. The exhibit will feature a large collection of contemporary concert posters from modern artists, with a vast array of techniques and styles. The opening reception will take place on Thursday July 29th from 6-9pm, with a live VJ playing videos and an after party on the museum patio featuring live music from Brash Music artists Sam's Crossing and Tiger Tiger . For more information, visit www.museumofdesign.org.
 The Gates of Berlin will release their debut CD Mercurius at the Drunken Unicorn this Thursday July 14th with The Mr. Move and Hankshaw. The Atlanta band recently won the Miller Lite/99X Battle of the Bands and landed a slot to play at Milwaukee's Summerfest right before The Donnas' set, along with an Atlantis Music Conference/Downtown Rocks opening slot on August 13th for Garbage. The Gates of Berlin combine the best elements of pop and rock, adding a pinch of Southern influences that makes Mercurius an amalgamation of songs that would make fans of everyone from Scissor Sisters to Bright Eyes happy. www.thegatesofberlin.com
Those who braved the rain and went to the kickoff of 99X's Downtown Rocks this past Saturday caught a phenomenal set from Stereophonics and packed crowds for Cake, Swedish band The Caesars, and fellow Atlantans Trances Arc. We'll be out and about taking photos each week, so check back every Monday to see our coverage. Check out our photos from Saturday to see what you missed!
 This year's Drive Invasion takes place September 3rd & 4th. The Starlight Six Drive-In on Moreland Ave will host the 2 day event which will feature music from The Woggles, Gravy Boat, Lust, The Infernals, Hillbilly Werewolf, The Butchers, Nine Pound Hammer, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, The Penetrators, Johnny Knox & Hi-Test, Sonoramic Commando, Caroline & The Ramblers, The Blue Jays, Slim Chance & The Convicts and more. This year's movies include The Big Doll House, Blood Bath, Count Yorga Vampire, Dr Phibes Rises Again and others TBA. Tickets are available now from www.TicketAlternative.com. For more info, visit www.driveinvasion.com.
Refused TV is offering a really cool way to help spread the word about your band. If you are in a band that is working really hard to get the word out, and are looking for new options, get in touch with Anne Lee Huffman (Associate Producer Refused TV) anne@refused.tv | www.myspace.com/annelee
 Check out our new featured band for July - Variac! The four piece has been slowly making a name for themselves in the Atlanta scene, and they'll be releasing their first EP, Fitted Phrase, at the 10 High next Friday July 15th with Linger and The Julius Airwave. You can read about the band in our Features section. www.variacgo.com
If you can't get enough of unplugged music, Media Play at Merchant's Walk are hosting Thursday Night Live , a series of free in-store performances every Thursday night this Summer featuring local singer/songwriters like Kevn Kinney of Drivin n Cryin. To see the lineup, visit the Thursday Night Live page.
Be Original! at Miami Circle is proud to present a solo exhibit featuring Atlanta's TODD ALEXANDER. LIFE = ENERGY explores the duality of life in both urban and natural settings through the eyes of this exciting young artist. Opening Reception with the artist. Saturday, August 6th - 6 to 10pm www.beoriginalart.com Call 404.842.0022 for more information.
Psychadelic trance duo Infected Mushroom are bringing their dark electronic music, complete with bizarre imagery (we've been told little people dancing on stage and images of brains hanging on hooks) on their first American tour. If you want to experience this eerie Israeli electronica firsthand, the duo will be coming to Compound on July 8th. www.infected-mushroom.com
 Sanction Saturdays is coming to The Loft on Saturday night, brought to you by Atlanta Music Guide, Stella Artois, and Absolut! Each weekend in July, guest DJs will be spinning in the VIP room, starting off next Saturday July 9th with DJ Todd Almighty from Post Modern Video Night. The upcoming weeks include sets from Randy and Chaz of The Booze on July 16th, and Atlanta Music Guide 's own Iain on July 23rd. Sanction Saturdays is free and 21 & over. Doors open up at 10:00pm. www.theloftatl.com
Attention all DJs! - Our friend Zack Arias of Usedfilm needs a DJ and his/her turntables for 1-2 hours on Thursday June 30th for a photo shoot. The shoot will take place around downtown Atlanta for national ad dealing with sound and recording industry magazines. The DJ will receive $100 compensation and copies of the photos for promotional use. If you're interested in working on this project, please contact Zack with your information and a link to some photos of yourself at zack@usedfilm.com.
Embrace has cancelled their Atlanta appearance on July 6th at The Loft in order to play Bob Geldof's Live 8 benefit. However, Long-View and Augustana, both incredible bands on tour with Embrace, are still playing. Long-View last came to Atlanta with Phoenix and Dogs Die in Hot Cars, while Augustana last appeared with Stereophonics. We're still having a big after party for the bands that night, so come on out and join us! Click here to buy tickets and score your after party passes.
 GIVEAWAY - Some of our favorite local bands are playing The Loft on June 30th, and they want you to come free of charge! Second Shift, Y-O-U, and Modern Skirts are giving away 3 pairs of tickets to their all ages show. The winners will also receive grab bags from the band featuring a copy of Y-O-U 's new disc Everything is Shifting, Modern Skirts' This is Winning & Thinking EP , and Second Shift stickers, buttons, shirts, and demos. Congratulations to Ryan Hertel, Lauren Maxwell, and Anna Leary! This is an early show, so doors are at 8:00pm. For those 21 & over, stay late, drink, and party as the bands spin some of their favorite tunes!
Heavy Mojo ’s highly anticipated first album, It is What it is debuted as the #6 best selling independent album and the #18 best selling album in the nation according to StreetPulse’s daily sales chart. The seven piece group’s CD outsold records by acclaimed artists such as 50 Cent, The Killers, Nine Inch Nails, and Weezer on its first day. It is What it Is also was the #3 best selling release at Criminal Records, Atlanta’s largest independent record store, only following new CDs from Coldplay and The White Stripes. Click here to preview the CD!
 99X Downtown Rocks free concert series has returned to Underground Atlanta. Bands like Weezer, Garbage, Cake, and more will headline the weekly shows during the Summer on Saturday nights. Local bands like Second Shift, Red Letter Agent, Linger, Trances Arc, and Subject2Change are also attached to the bills. www.99x.com
We now have our interviews from Music Midtown weekend with Gordon, the bassist of Bloc Party, and Brian and Mark of Louis XIV up in the Features section. Click here to read what they had to say. |
