By Jhoni Jackson Orange County outfit Cosmonauts boasts a blend of chaos and comedowns in their forever-fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll repertoire. Last year’s If You Wanna Die Then I Wanna Die (Burger Records) hits both amped-up, anxious highs and droning, lost-in-lament lows with equal intensity. Nailing an energetic, raucous jam like “Motorcycle #1” is a feat in [...]
By Jhoni Jackson Even if it were not part of a fundraiser for a great organization, 500 Songs for Kids would still make for a memorable event. Lineups consisting entirely of covers based on a theme played by some of Atlanta’s best musicians? Count me in. The fact that it’s for a great cause simply [...]
By Jhoni Jackson Will somebody let Billy from Portland’s Mean Jeans borrow a guitar for their set at the Mess-Around tomorrow? Because the one he’s been using for years was smashed last week—during the first song of the first show of tour, in fact. The notoriously raucous party-punks are known for a few things: Wild [...]
By Jhoni Jackson There’s a little bit of L-U-V hidden in the lineup of this year’s Mess-Around. Two of the annual weekend throwdown’s most theatrical performers, Hether Fortune of Oakland’s Wax Idols and Tim Gick of Lafayette, Indiana’s TV Ghost, married in February. Their Friday-night sets at the EARL are part of a joint tour [...]
By Jhoni Jackson Jennifer and Jessica Clavin, sisters and former members of all-girl post-punk outfit Mika Miko, are poised to garner even greater success than the much-beloved (but now defunct) band achieved. The Clavin’s debut LP as Bleached—which was several years in the making—is finally out, and the reception’s been more than ideal. This time, [...]
By Jhoni Jackson Wayne “the Train” Hancock is a honky-tonk hero, a bona fide blessing to both country and rockabilly. Since the ‘90s—and that includes his latest LP, Ride—he’s stuck to his signature guns: earnest storytelling, premium pickin’ and, more often than not, a swingin’ tempo. It makes sense that Hancock’s responses to our 5GB [...]
By Jhoni Jackson South Florida native Roberto Lange, better known as Helado Negro, has lent a hand to various projects, like mixing Bear in Heaven’s Beast Rest Forth Mouth and producing Prefuse 73’s Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian. But generally, his solo work over the past five years has been in Spanish—until now. On Invisible Life, [...]
By Jhoni Jackson If you’re at all familiar with Cory Branan, you won’t be too surprised by his answers to our 5GB series. The Memphis-based artist’s work follows the storytelling vein of classic country and folk, and his responses reflect how deeply that tendency is rooted within him. He doesn’t give many short answers—he can’t [...]
By Jhoni Jackson I just knew Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw of Maryland-bred indie-folk act Cotton Jones were coupled up. Back in 2010, I reviewed a Dutchess and the Duke show for which Cotton Jones opened. (For AMG and at the same venue, no less.) Their vocal exchanges were so adorable, so intimate. I mentioned [...]
By Jhoni Jackson The bill at the EARL this Thursday is practically a sonic rejection of Valentine’s Day traditions. None of these bands are going to croon the soundtrack to your candlelit, arm-entwined sip of wine. More likely they’ll score your evening of white-knuckled can-crushing and drunken ex-bashing. The anti-cupid sentiment will abound—or at least [...]
By Jhoni Jackson Six years is a long time in the blogosphere. But that’s about how long Ohmpark, the independent music blog that champions locally-bred bands, has survived. Founder Davy Minor runs the outlet by a rigid credo, which is arguably its key to success: Can he “honestly recommend and endorse every single musician” on [...]
By Jhoni Jackson The now-defunct (or at least on a long hiatus) troupe the Back Pockets often divided music fans into two sides: Those who appreciated the band’s live theatrics, and those who thought the shenanigans were a distraction from the weirdo folk-rock tunes. Now you can have both. There’s no need to choose. You [...]
By Jhoni Jackson If 2012 wasn’t your best year, there’s a way for you to close it out with at least a modicum sense of accomplishment: Conquer a New Year’s Eve challenge. The entire city will be buzzing, of course, but East Atlanta Village is hosting particularly stellar trifecta of NYE parties. The EARL scored [...]
By Jhoni Jackson IndieATL, the Georgia State University arm that simultaneously schools students on video-making and supports the city’s independent music scene, has more than a few reasons to celebrate. Tonight at 529, Baby Baby, El Fossil and other local acts will aid the web only live music series in high-fiving the holiday season—but that’s [...]
By Jhoni Jackson The term garage gains hyphens from a slew of neighboring genres: Garage-punk, garage-rock, garage-pop. What about garage-folk? While two-word terms rarely manage to fully describe a band, that’s the most brevity-conscious way to describe the Babies. The Brooklyn band was co-founded about three years ago by Kevin Morby of Woods and Cassie [...]
Picture Book: Avett Brothers @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater 5/17
Photos by: CatMax Photography, LLC
Picture Book: Clutch @ Center Stage
Pictures & Review By Deidra Pinion If you were coming to see Clutch at Center Stage, you probably noticed that almost, if not every seat, was filled. Clutch started touring in March 2013 in support of their new album, Earth Rocker. People of all ages lined the theater. I was told that I was in [...]
Picture Book: Titus Andronicus @ The EARL 5/14 & Criminal Records 5/15
Photos by Hillery Terenzi: So So Glos: Titus Andronicus: Criminal Records In-Store Performance:
Picture Book & Live Review: Justin Furstenfeld @ Center Stage 5/14
Photos and review by Jenna Hughes The atmosphere at Center Stage was quiet and calm on Tuesday night as fans eagerly awaited the stripped down solo performance of Justin Furstenfeld (of Blue October). The standing room floor was transformed into a seating area and those seats filled up fast with dedicated fans. Strangers chatted and [...]
5GB Interview: Cosmonauts; Playing 529 Thursday, May 16
By Jhoni Jackson Orange County outfit Cosmonauts boasts a blend of chaos and comedowns in their forever-fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll repertoire. Last year’s If You Wanna Die Then I Wanna Die (Burger Records) hits both amped-up, anxious highs and droning, lost-in-lament lows with equal intensity. Nailing an energetic, raucous jam like “Motorcycle #1” is a feat in [...]
5GB Interview w/ Twin Sister; Playing TONIGHT (5/15) @ 529
Twin Sister trade in a brand of dreamy pop that’s equal parts Galaxie 500, Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac, and Lynchian weirdness. They claim it will make you feel good enough to hook up with that one person you’re not supposed to hook up with. UH-OH! We caught up with the band before they hit the road [...]
5GB with Beth Hart – playing Smith’s Olde Bar Tuesday May 7
By Ellen Eldridge Beth Hart brought her life experiences, both positive and negative, together for her April 2 release, Bang Bang Boom Boom, which was produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Jimmy Page/The Black Crowes, Dream Theater). The Kennedy Center Honors show-stopping performance of Jeff Beck and Beth Hart’s “I’d Rather Go Blind” [...]
5GB Interview: Telekinesis; Playing @ The Drunken Unicorn 5/4!
Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner, an indie rocker based out of Seattle who is currently signed to Merge Records. The band was signed to Merge Records in early 2009, and shortly afterward released the eponymously named debut album Telekinesis! on April 7, 2009. With the recent release of their third album, Dormarion, Telekinesis was ready [...]
5GB Interview w/ Device – Playing @ Center Stage 5/3!
By Ellen Eldridge David Draiman of Disturbed, and ex-Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo recently collaborated together to construct Device. The self-titled debut released April 9, taking strands from hard rock, industrial and electronica to form a focused, fierce and fiery new machine. It all started while the Grammy Award-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse Disturbed was on hiatus. Lenardo [...]
5GB Interview: Kelly McFarling Playing @ Eddie’s Attic 4/27!
Atlanta, GA raised Kelly McFarling and gave her space to find her powerful voice in its church choirs and baseball stadiums, but it was San Francisco that gave her the encouragement and community to solidify her original sound. She has spent the past three years selling out shows in both her hometown and her adopted [...]
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