Michelle Malone is almost as big an Atlanta institution as The Varsity. Her rocking blues have caused many to kick some dust off their boots. She can get down and raunchy and sweet and spiritual. She’s the kid sister Bonnie Raitt always wanted, or possibly the secret love child of Raitt and one Keith Richards.

Malone released her 11^th CD, Day 2, late last year. In her extended interview with Atlanta Music Guide back in October 2012,  which you can read here, she talked about how personal this record is for her. On it, she deals with issues such as the death of her father and her new found relationship with her mother. She puts in her opinion of the immigration issue in the US, and talks of her idiotic difficulties with the IRS.

Although the Agnes Scott alum owns her own record label, SBS Records, for the last six months Malone has been doing what she likes to do most of all; touring. But she took a few minutes out of her time to answer some quick questions we threw at her in rapid fire succession.

When we last talked, you mentioned how personal songs about your father, such as “Marlboro Man” and “St. Peter” were sort of a roller coaster ride for you to sing live. Sometimes you really enjoyed singing them and other times they just seemed like too much. Now that you’ve been singing them for a while, has the way you’ve approached them on stage changed?

Nope, but I don’t sing “St. Peter” live, and I don’t sing “Marlboro Man” every show, only when requested.

What kind of reception has “Immigration Game” been getting, especially on your gigs in the deep south?

Half love it and smile and giggle and clap, half fold their arms in protest.

It was three years between Debris and Day 2. Will it be 2015 before we hear new stuff from you again?

Likely sooner.

You used to be “Moanin’ Michelle Malone,” but on your last two albums you are just “Michelle Malone.” Don’t you moan anymore?

Sorry, I don’t know how to answer that without incriminating myself.

Michelle Malone plays two shows at Eddie’s Attic on Saturday, March 30th. Grab your tickets now!

Led by bands such as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers, folk-rock is enjoying a revival. People keep coming back to the earthiness of the music. The songs are pretty and melodic, with lots of harmonies and enough hooks to stay wedged between your ears for a few days, or at least until the next listen.

This re-emergence of folk-rock can only be a good thing for the Milk Carton Kids.  With The Ash & Clay, the duo of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan have created a timeless, if minimalist, selection of songs bathed in harmonies and sweet guitar sounds.

Pattengale and Ryan harmonize like Simon and Garfunkel, to the point where their two voices almost sound like one.  Whether it be over open and rich guitar sounds, such as on “Hope of a Lifetime”, or on gentle bluegrass numbers like “Honey, Honey” and “Heaven”, (“They promised me Heaven, I was hoping for something more.”) their voices take center stage.

And therein lies the trouble with The Ash & Clay. There is only so much that can be done with minimalist folk.  They add that touch of aforementioned bluegrass, and “Snake Eyes” takes on a ghostly eeriness that their Anti- label-mate, Jolie Holland, is known for, but mostly the CD just moves on, from one pretty little song to the next. It becomes so calming that it is almost jarring when a song such as “Promised Land” or “On the Mend” kicks in, if only because they do not harmonize, making the songs feel even more minimalist. The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons understand that sometimes they need to kick out at least one jam or two just to keep people listening. The Milk Carton Kids sometimes seem content to just disappear.

Milk Carton Kids play two shows at Eddie’s Attic on Thursday, April 18^th. Get tickets here.

By Al Kaufman

Eliot Bronson is the type of songwriter who could squeeze out something meaningful about taking out the trash. He writes heartfelt songs with dark humor and backs them with his resonant voice and swampy instruments. Back in his hometown of Baltimore, he was dubbed a “folk-singing wunderkind.” He then moved to Atlanta and started the Brilliant Inventions with Josh Lamkin. The duo quickly won the Best New Local Music Act in the 2008 Creative Loafing Reader’s Poll.  The band broke up in 2010. Lamkin became a full-time photographer while Bronson released his first solo record, Blackbirds, to wide critical acclaim. Bronson just released his second CD, Milwaukee, with a backing band, Yonder Orphans. The band includes Sugarland’s original guitarist, Bret Hartley, and BoDeans drummer Kevin Leahy. The album pays tribute to Rodney Lanier, who, until his death in 2011, was one of the most beloved musicians in Charlotte, NC, fronting bands such as Jolene and Sea of Cortez.

Bronson talked about the differences between being part of a duo and going solo, as well as his relationship with Rodney Lanier.

The new album, especially the title cut, “Milwaukee,” is about Charlotte musician, Rodney Lanier, who died of esophageal cancer a little over a year ago. You begin the song with, “I didn’t really know you, not that well.” How well did you know Lanier and when did you realize you needed you needed to write about him?

It probably sounds cliché, but that song just came to me fully formed. I wrote it a few days after Rodney passed. I picked up my guitar, sang that first line and the rest just tumbled out behind it. I didn’t know him all that well, but we’d known each other for years. He worked the door at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, where I play a lot. He had a little bit of a gruff exterior, and he hated The Brilliant Inventions for the first couple years we played there. Somehow we made a connection over time, and, especially towards the end, were starting to become good friends. We were just getting closer when we lost him.

It’s one thing to have to write a song like “Milwaukee.” It can be cathartic. But to have to then sing it every night; is that difficult? Does it bring up the same emotions every night?

 Thank you. Sometimes it is hard. But I don’t shy away from that kind of thing anymore. I don’t want to become numb. Music reminds me to feel.

Why did the Brilliant Inventions break up?

We had a good long run. In the end, Josh was ready for a more stable life. He met a great girl and didn’t want to be on the road all the time. This is a really hard way to live and I don’t blame him for wanting something a little more secure. I’m just not built that way. I have to do this. I don’t know why, but I just have to.

After being part of a duo for so long, how is it different being a solo artist who puts his own band together? Do you have the final say in Yonder Orphans decisions, or is it a group thing?

It is really different. In the duo we were equal partners, who didn’t always have the same artistic vision. We would occasionally get into bitter fights over the direction we wanted to move in. Now I’m in charge and free to make music exactly the way I want to. At the same time, I’m working with some incredibly talented musicians, and I would be crazy not listen to their ideas and suggestions. Recording the album was really a band effort. It wouldn’t be nearly as good if I just called all the shots.

Eliot Bronson and Yonder Orphans play Eddie’s Attic on Friday, March 22^nd. Get tickets here.

San Francisco’s Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers spend a lot of time on the road. The band, with Nicki on vocals, husband Tim Bluhm (of The Mother Hips) and Deren Ney on lead guitar, Steve Adams on bass , Dave Mulligan on rhythm guitar, and Mike Curry on drums released Driftwood in 2011 (after Bluhm released Toby’s Song with her husband in 2008). The album had a great lo-fi, country rock charm to it. The band toured extensively behind it. To kill time, they often recorded themselves playing songs while riding to gigs in their van. Their cover of Hall and Oates “I Can’t Go for That” received over 2 million hits on You Tube. Since then, their Van Sessions, as they have come to be known, have covered everyone from Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run” to George Michael’s “Faith;” from the Commodores “Easy” to Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It for the Boy.” They cover everyone from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell,  from Whitney Houston to Madonna.

Bluhm and the Gramblers plan on releasing a concept album in the near future and have already released two songs from it; “Little Too Late” and “Ravenous.” Both have more of a ‘70s psychedelic rock feel to them. They are on the road supporting their new material, which only gives them more time to produce more Van Sessions. Nicki spent some time talking about their cover song performances.

 You guys have really become known for your Van Sessions. How do you decide which song to sing?

We typically just do a big brainstorming session in the van. Everyone throws out ideas and when the right song comes up, it’s usually unanimous.

What are the logistics like for these songs? What recording equipment do you use and how long does it take to set it up?

We used to use an iPhone 4 to record but I just upgraded to an iPhone 5. All the video and audio are done on the iPhone, nothing fancy. Once we have the song dialed in and ready to record, we’ll do a few test runs to see if the mix is right. Sometimes we have to rearrange ourselves to correct the mix; if the guitar needs to be louder, the guitar player will scoot up a bench or something like that.

Is there a lot of rehearsal involved for the Van Session songs?

When we’re in the van, we have nothing but time. We definitely take the effort to learn the song as intimately as we can so we can best represent it in our renditions. That’s what it’s all about for us, getting inside the song and dissecting it. It keeps us on our toes.

Any chance of a Van Sessions album in the future?

Anything is possible! Part of the charm of the Van Sessions though is all the imperfections…road noise, traffic, lights. The visuals are also a crucial part of the Van Sessions. I’m not sure the audio could stand alone. That’s what recording studios are for.

While your early songs had more of a Americana/country edge to them, your new stuff feels more like it came of the Grace Slick/Stevie Nicks ‘70s. Your long hair, jeans, and sunglasses have a certain ‘70s flair as well. Were you born too late?

Ha, maybe. I was born in the ‘70s, just barely though. I guess it’s still in my genetic make-up.

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers play Smith’s Olde Bar with You Me and Apollo on Thursday, March 21^st. Get tickets here.

By Al Kaufman

If you’re old enough to remember to Athens music invasion of the ‘80s, you have a friend in A Fragile Tomorrow. Although they hail from Charlestown, SC, twin brothers Sean (vocals, guitar) and Dom (drums, piano) Kelly, their brother Brendan Kelly (guitar), and friend Shaun Rhoades (bass) seem as Athens as REM. First off, they have that great jangle pop sound, which has really come to the forefront on their new album, Be Nice, Be Careful, thanks to producer Mitch Easter, who fronted Let’s Active and produced Pylon and early REM albums. Amy Ray also appears on the new album, the result of a friendship that began when A Fragile Tomorrow started touring with the Indigo Girls in 2010.

But it’s not just that. Everywhere these guys go they make friends with people from an earlier generation, be it the Bangles, Rhode Island’s Cowsills, or South Carolina’s Danielle Howle. They all fall victim to the boys’ infectious melodies and personalities (all of which is certainly not on scene in the hilarious video for “Kernersville,” the first single from the new album.

Dom Kelly talked with Atlanta Music Guide about the dynamic of the band and their love of the people and sounds of some 30 years ago.

 I’m concerned about the dynamics of this band. Usually twins have their own language, and a third sibling would feel left out. A fourth, unrelated, person would feel even more left out. How do you guys make this work, and are there times when it hasn’t?

 We get that concern a lot from people, but really, we all work extremely well together. Obviously, being identical, Sean and I are very in sync the majority of the time. We enjoy working together, and really feed off of each other in a way that may be hard for non-multiples to understand. Sean and I lost our triplet brother Paul when we were 6-years-old, and while it has been tough to deal with the real feeling that a piece is physically missing from who we are, we have been able to partially fill that void with the work we do together. Our brother Brendan, though, works just as well in that equation. He brings another perspective to our work that is still on the same level as Sean and I, but comes from a different place. As far as Shaun Rhoades goes, when he first joined the band 7 years ago, it was an interesting thing to have to try and figure out how to incorporate the views and perspective of an outside person into what we do. Shaun comes from a completely different background than we do, both musically and personally, and it took some getting used to at first. He wound up living with us for the first 2 years, and we quickly became family. The last 7 years with him in the band have proven to be a growing period for all of us, and the cohesive way we’ve learned to work together really shines with this new record.

You seem to have so many friends from the ‘80s Athens scene (Indigo Girls, REM, Don Dixon, Drivin’ and Cryin’, etc.), but were barely born then. How did these friendships come about?

Well it’s definitely no coincidence that these people were all huge figures in that scene back in the ‘80s, and we’re now friends with them. We (my brothers and I) grew up a little north of New York City, and from a young age, were exposed to this music. Sean has been a huge REM fan for years, and growing up listening to all those records and being turned onto this type of music definitely influenced what we do now. It all pretty much started, really, with Hootie and The Blowfish. We played Cracked Rear View nonstop in our home, and from a young age, decided we wanted to be them. Sean and I were 12 (and Brendan 9) when we first met those guys, and we quickly became friends. Through them we obviously met Peter Holsapple, who has become our mentor and one of our biggest supporters, as well as Susan Cowsill. We connected with Susan immediately, and over the years have formed this mother/son relationship with her. We now know all of the Cowsills, and consider them to be family. We first met Don Dixon when Sean and I were 15, and he found out about us after Sean sent him our second record (produced by Malcolm Burn). Dixon flipped out about the record (and called Peter Holsapple about us), and we’ve been friends ever since. The Indigo Girls friendship happened really organically after an Indigo Girls concert Sean and I went to when we were 16. We waited in the alley behind the theater in upstate NY for an hour and a half to meet them, and had Sulli (their guitar tech) leave a note saying that “friends of Danielle Howle” were waiting outside after the show. We chatted with Amy Ray for a while, gave her a copy of our second record, and wound up keeping in touch. She loved the record, and when we were making our third record (with Danielle Howle producing), asked Amy if she’d sing on it. Since then, we’ve done a lot of touring with Indigo Girls, were featured on their latest live record, and sang on Amy Ray’s most recent solo record. Amy also sings on “Daylight” on our new record Be Nice Be Careful. As far as Drivin’ N Cryin’ goes, we’ve just been fans for a while, and because of all the connections we had together, were able to meet/open for them. Such a great band and awesome guys. The touring relationships/friendships we’ve formed with others like The Bangles and Matthew Sweet have stemmed out of our friendships with all those we’ve met along the way, and the fact that these people we idolize love what we’re doing, that is an amazing feeling. It’s all coming full circle.

The new album, Be Nice, Be Careful, was produced by Mitch Easter, who could be considered the king of jangle pop. What did you learn from having him twist the knobs?

Well, we’ve always dreamed of working with Mitch. He was number one on our list of possible producers for this record, and when we finalized the details to get it going, it set in that it was really happening. It was an amazing experience working with Mitch. First of all, Fidelitorium {Easter’s recording studio] is on another planet. The endless selection of instruments was not only super fun, but really inspiring. Having Mitch’s ears and expertise was something we didn’t take for granted, and it worked out so well in the end. We wanted the record to have that REM Murmur sound and feel to it, and Mitch actually said the experience with us reminded him a lot doing that record with REM. That was incredible to hear, and I think that’s why we’re so proud of this record. One of the coolest parts of the whole thing was when Don Dixon came in to sing on the song “Crooked Smiles and Greedy Hands,” and we were able to see him and Mitch working together. It was pretty surreal for us, as huge REM, Let’s Active, The dB’s, fans, to watch the two people that made these incredible records together working on our record right in front of us.

Why hasn’t jangle power-pop received the notoriety it so justly deserves?

That’s a tough one. I think we all have talked about this before, and we agree that, with the exception of maybe a couple random bands over the years, it’s never really caught on in the mainstream as much as it should have. I think there were bands that did pretty well, but certain things just don’t catch on. There have definitely been some mainstream bands that are clearly influenced by those early jangle-pop bands, but the genre as a whole never was grasped by the mainstream music listener. Honestly, one of our main goals is to bring this genre to the mainstream and make it “cool” again. We’re all super young, and while most people our ages have no idea who half the bands that influence us, or even that we tour with, are, they seem to really like what we’re doing, and that gives us hope for the genre as a whole. If we can be the ambassadors for our generation to the jangle powerpop movement, that would be incredible.

It looks like you guys did your own stunts on the “Kernersville” video. Did anyone get hurt?

Ah, yes, we did indeed do our own stunts (although we almost hired [Detroit Tiger first baseman] Prince Fielder as a double for Shaun Rhoades). There were very few injuries that ensued from filming the “Kernserville” video – the only substantial one being the hurt our egos suffered at the hands of our friends’ testimonials. Other than that (discounting the fact that I had my appendix removed only 3 days prior to filming), everything that day was way too much fun.

 A Fragile Tomorrow play Eddie’s Attic with Rachael Sage and Marcelo Fruet on Tuesday, March 19^th.