Tentonic celebrate the release their new EP Sterling on Friday, March 9th at The Loft. Trances Arc and Modern Society are also on the bill. Check out our review of the record . Tickets available here. More info www.tentonic.com

Looks like Ticket Alternative has started selling tickets to The Earl (CLICK HERE) - Rumour has it that Criminal Records will become their first outlet next month. The record store in Little Five Points will sell tickets to all events with a lower service charge that those that TA currently charges online - (how can they get it any lower!!??)

Coco Montoya, red hot blues guitarist from Texas, plays Smith's Olde Bar on Tuesday, February 20. His album Dirty Deal, on the esteemed Alligator record label, is getting plenty of raves from critics.

It's Over! Rumors rumoring that the Purevolume/Pump Audio opening night party at The Loft was a sordid & smokey affair. Hope you all recovered!

The Devil Stole The Beat marched on... 16 showcasing acts, two nights, at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta. $6 for one night, $10 for both nights. Entry landed you a DiscRevolt sampler card with music from all 16 acts that performed. Check out the music here.

Thursday, The BMI showcase went off without a hitch!. Talkers talking about the stellar performances. Seems all the bands were in fine form!

The Devil Stole The Beat wrapped up Friday with ASCAP showcasing eight of the Southeast's premiere up-and-coming bands and singer/songwriters at Smiths Olde Bar (1580 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324). T

Late night on Friday, folks ended up at Lenny's for TRASHED. Or so we've heard. We were passed out after 3 days of non-stop cigarettes & alchohol!

KAISER CHIEFS will be embarking on a full US tour this Spring, and will be performing on the main stage at Coachella. No Atlanta dat yet :( Check out the video for the first single “Ruby” - WM | QT - more info www.kaisercheifs.co.uk

Midnight Movies is bringing its trademark cinematic pop to the Smith's Olde Bar,Wednesday, Feb. 14. The quartet is heading out on tour with Alexi Murdoch in support of anticipated sophomore LP, LION THE GIRL, due April 24 on New Line Records (The Sounds, Robbers on High Street). Harking back to the psychedelic '60s yet pushing forward into the post-modern pastiche, LION THE GIRL, is filled with noirish images of L.A., all the while addressing the push and pull of love. Anchored by frontwoman Olivier's bewitching vocals and Larry Schemel's buzzing guitars, it whirs and pops, prompting URB Magazine to proclaim, "the album is a schizophrenic patchwork of pop hooks, ethereal fuzz and whispers of Grace Slick". www.midnightmovies.net

Here Come The Selmanaires! It is the month for love, and The Selmanaires have truly won our hearts. With guest tambourine shakers and memorable melodies, we had to highlight them as our February band of the month!

Kings of Leon will be premiering a new single from their record BECAUSE OF THE TIMES this Friday, 2/2 on MySpace. Be the first to check it out. MySpace page - http://www.myspace.com/kingsofleon

Rockin' for puppies and kittens! Head down to Trackside Tavern in Decatur on Saturday January 27th for a lively benefit show for local group Rescue Me! Animal Project. Rescue Me helps place strays into permanent, loving homes. The event will feature a performance by Beautiful Mess, as well as a silent auction, drawings, and drink specials. Admission is free! Music starts at 9pm. Check out the official flyer for more details.

Asobi Seksu are playing The Drunken Unicorn on Monday March 19th. Check out an interview with the band and our friends at TALive! Tickets are available from www.ticketalternative.com

99X is bringing its free Sunday School on the Road concert series to Vinyl this month. These local music showcases kick off at 9pm, and the next one takes place this Thursday January 18th with Athens' Rare Birds, Nate Nelson, and Pasadena. The series wraps up on the 25th with a show from Good Friday Experiment and Stokeswood. www.vinylatlanta.com.

Show announced! Former AMG-featured band All the Saints will be opening for dance-punk rockers The Rapture on January 27th at The Masquerade! It sounded like an odd fit at first, but considering The Rapture last toured with BRMC the combo makes a little more sense.

It's official! The Devil Stole The Beat is back in '07. Feb 14th-16th. Wednesday Feb 14, will find them at the sadly famous opening night launch party that started this hot mess! This year in honor of Valentines Day, it's a Bleeding Hearts Riot! Backroom at The Loft (1374 W. Peachtree), 9pm. Thurs & Fri they'll head down the road for two nights of live music at the nearing legendary Smith's Olde Bar . 16 bands, maybe a special guest or two. Main stage & Atlanta Room. For more info visit www.thedevilstolethebeat.com.

Details:
BMI Showcase
Atlanta Room (songwriters)
8p Sonia Leigh (Atlanta)
9p Andy Zipf (Washington, DC)
10p Audrey Spillman (Nashville)
11p Right Away, Great Captain! (Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra) (Atlanta)

Main Room (full band)
830p The Less (Atlanta)
930p Nathan Angelo (Atlanta)
1030p Owen Beverly (Jackson, MS)
1130p The Working Title (Charleston, SC)
Find tickets

ASCAP Showcase
Atlanta Room (songwriters)
8p Corey Crowder (Greenville, SC)
9p Anna Becker (Orlando)
10p B. Young (Nashville)
11p Warren Ullom (From The Judies) (Atlanta)

Main Room (full band)
830p Summerbirds In The Cellar (Athens/Orlando)
930p How I Became The Bomb (Nashville, TN)
1030p Rouletta (Atlanta)
1130p Dead Confederate (Atlanta)
Find tickets

The "Play it Forward" benefit concert for Rock Against Cancer has been scheduled for March 2nd at Vinyl in Atlanta. This special Friday night performance will feature three of the hottest regional bands, Beautiful Mess , Moses Mayfield , and Grayson Manor . Doors open at 8 pm and the show starts at 9 pm. Tickets are $10 at ticketalternative.com, 18+ general admission. Rock Against Cancer's programs provide children and families respite from the long and painful cancer treatment process using Music Therapy, while helping garner public awareness and support for the youngest survivors of cancer.

Local venue and recording studio The 585 was shut down abruptly on Saturday night when undercover cops raided the Manchester Orchestra show. It's not clear at this time what violations were cited, but alcohol was being "given away" and The 585 had not yet secured a liquor license. Pair that with an all ages crowd and recent publicity in Creative Loafing, and you're probably asking for trouble. The venue's future is unclear, but we'll keep you posted as we learn more! For a play by play account of the night, check out this Manchester Orchestra fan's blog.

Let's get the year started right! AMG is proud to announce our January featured band of the month: Deerhunter. Check out what singer Bradford Cox has to say about their recent success and the challenges ahead...oh, and "punk rock grandma."

"Local rockers Y-O-U are off to a great start in 2007. After being picked by Rolling Stone as one of the "25 Best Bands on Myspace," the 3 piece has decided to put their new CD Flashlights online for free. Visit the band's Myspace page at www.myspace.com/pleaserock to hear the album, produced by Geoff Melkonian (Five Eight, Second Shift, Modern Skirts). Be on the look out soon for their video for "The Physics of Giving," directed by the Chapman Brothers of Homestar Runner fame.

Legenday singer James Brown died Christmas morning in a hospital in Atlanta. He was 73. Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music. From the 1950s, when Brown had his first R&B hit, "Please, Please, Please" in 1956, through the mid-1970s, Brown went on a frenzy of cross-country tours, concerts and new songs earning himself the nickname "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business". he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He won a Grammy award for lifetime achievement in 1992, as well as in 1965 for "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (best R&B recording) and for "Living In America" in 1987 (best R&B vocal performance, male.)

The Zac Brown Band show scheduled on December 31st at The Saloon in Atlanta, GA has been cancelled. The Zac Brown Band is playing a new show on December 31st at The Alley in Rome, GA. If you're interested in purchasing tickets to the new show in Rome, GA, please go to ticketalternative.com. A spokesperson from Ticket Alternative said "We're really sorry for the trouble this causes, especially at this time of year." In order to compensate you for your inconvenience, the organizers of the event are offering a special discounted rate for customers that purchased tickets to the original show. If you have any questions, please contact Ticket Alternative Customer Service at 877-725-8849.

New Year's Eve is only 2 weeks away! TALive! has your guide to the biggest parties in the Atlanta - click www.talive.com - If you're heading out of town to the west coast this New Years Eve be sure to check out The Killers and Carman Electra at Gridlock NYE at Paramount Picture Studio Lot.