- Rosanne Cash, country star and daughter of the legend that is Johnny Cash, will be signing her book, Composed, at Agnes Scott College’s Presser Hall on August 14. The event is presented by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival (AJC DBF) and Yuengling Beer and is hosted by Agnes Scott and A Cappella Books, and will include a performance by Cash herself. She’ll also be auctioning off the custom-made guitar she’ll be playing, which was given to her by Yuengling Beer. Tickets include a copy of the book.

- Band of Horses play The Fabulous Fox Theatre on October 30, and the pre-sale starts tomorrow, Thursday, July 8 – the password is BULLDOGS. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, July 9.

- Scissor Sisters come to the Buckhead Theatre on August 21. Expect a sparkly, glittery experience that will fill you with joy and all things good (hint: we can’t wait for this one!). Tickets go on sale on Saturday, July 10.

- R.E.M. will release a special two-disc set of the band’s third album, Fables of the Reconstruction, in honor of the record’s 25th anniversary. Apparently, “The new edition features the digitally remastered original album, plus 14 previously unreleased demo recordings, cut prior to the album’s studio sessions, including one long-sought track that has never been released. The album will also be released on 180g vinyl.” Yup, it’s fancy. The tracks will be steaming on MOG until the record’s release on July 13.

- Our hometown hero Big Boi released his long-awaited solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty, yesterday, and we’re pretty sure you picked up a copy. As a little treat, here’s the video for the latest single from that record, “Follow Us,” featuring local lads Vonnegutt.

Looks like it was a busy weekend, with a fabulous awards show, an epic U.K. festival and more. Here’s some bits and bobs we think you should know about:

- The famed frozen yogurt company Pinkberry has opened its first Georgia shop on Cobb Parkway. Atlanta Dish was there and has some crazy yummy-looking pics. Just in time to beat this sweltering heat then.

- OhmPark pieces together the details for upcoming local festival ATL Throwdown! at cool warehouse venue Goat Farm on August 21. Expect sets from the likes of All The Saints, The N.E.C., The Selmanaires, Carnivores, Mermaids and maybe some sort of Bradford Cox-related group too.

- Over the ocean and far away, Glastonbury celebrated 40 years of bands playing music in a huge field (note: this is something of an understatement). Lots of highlights out there, but we dig Snoop Dogg’s performance with Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, Muse’s rendition of “Where The Streets Have No Name” with The Edge, and Ray Davies (complete with choir) doing “Waterloo Sunset.”

- The BET Awards had some much-talked-about performances, like Kanye’s “comeback,” Chris Brown’s emotional MJ tribute, and locals TI, Usher, B.o.B (all of which can be viewed at Idolator and Janelle Monae (who blew the roof off with her Prince tribute – which impressed the man himself too).

- One of our faves, Brett Harris, has been featured over at Paste Magazine as the Best of What’s Next.

- And finally, we’re a little late posting this one, but it needed to be mentioned. Scissor Sisters covered Kylie Minogue‘s lovely new single “All The Lovers,” in bluegrass style, which is a perfect testament to a hero of both Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears and Minogue: Dolly Parton. Apparently Kylie performed each of her new tracks in the style of Dolly to make sure they all lived up to her standards. We love the result.

Hooray for the weekend! It’s MidSummer Music Fest time! Sponsored by Red Stripe Light, the day-long event this Saturday, June 19 is packed with an artist market, family activities, a corn hole tournament and much more! Musical guests include Lefty Williams, Soulphonics and Ruby Velle, Gringo Star, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Wailers and Better Than Ezra.

For the third year in a row, the festival will be hosted at Candler Park and is free to the public. Attendees 21 and up will have the opportunity to purchase a wrist band to buy beer ($5 before 5 p.m., $10 after 5 p.m.) to benefit the Candler Park Neighborhood Association to help make park improvements.

MidSummer Music Fest
Saturday, June 19
Candler Park – 1400 McLendon Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307

Get festival updates via Twitter at twitter.com/MidSmrMusicFest

It’s getting hotter, more humid and grossly muggy in Atlanta – time for outdoor weekend festivals! This weekend is the 3rd Annual Art-B-Que in Avondale Estates – and to us, that means rad local art & crafts, delicious BBQ and some of the coolest bands intown!

The band lineup for the Art-B-Que is looking good. Starting off with an opening night show at Alcove Gallery, followed by two full days of music. Some of the coolest bands in town are going to be performing – from acoustic folk to indie rock. Check out the full lineup below!

Friday June 11
(Main Stage)

9:30 p.m. – Snagglepuss at Alcove Gallery

Saturday June 12
(Main Stage)

11 a.m. – Last Chance Runaround
12 p.m. – Curvature
1 p.m. – Underhill Rose
2 p.m. – High Strung String Band
3 p.m. – Cinetrope
4 p.m. – The Holland Dutch
5:15 p.m. -The Biters
6:30 p.m. – The Booze
7:45 p.m. – Warm In The Wake
9:00 p.m. – Gringo Star

11:00 p.m. Late Night Party w/ The Goldest & Mystery guests

(Acoustic Stage)

11 a.m. – Jana Wolf
12 p.m. – Underhill Rose
1 p.m. – The BEANS ( Heidi Polyea, Allison Adams, Ashley Filip, Billy Gewin, Tom Wolfe, Cindy Craven) 2pm- The BEANS (cont.)
3 p.m. – The BEANS (cont.)
4 p.m. – High Strung String Band
5 p.m. – Tone Star
6 p.m. – Sue Wilkinson
7 p.m. – Steel String Session

Sunday June 13
(Main Stage)

11 a.m. – The Wheels
12:30 p.m. – Heather Luttrell
1:45 p.m. – The Soundmen
3 p.m. – Son Red
4:15 p.m. – El Caminos
5:30 p.m. – Van Heineken

(Acoustic Stage)

11 a.m. – John Mickelson
12 p.m. – Myles Brown
1 p.m. – Ben Holst and Melanie Hammet
2 p.m. – Mark Desandre
3 p.m. – Third Lobby
4 p.m. – Tone Star
5 p.m. – Underhill Rose

Thinking about going to this event? Stay informed via Twitter at twitter.com/art_b_que

Friday, June 4 – Yelawolf and Hollyweerd at Smith’s Olde Bar
Yelawolf has got to be in a good mood these days. Last week the Alabama-based rapper opened for Big Boi at a secret free show at the Yaarab Shriner Temple. Pretty sure it doesn’t get any cooler than that. Tonight Yelawolf will be sharing the stage with ATL’s own Hollyweerd - who are also everywhere these days. We recommend you attend this event, you know, if you like a good time.

Friday, June 4 – The Coathangers, HotChaCha, Cars Can Be Blue, Pizza Party at 529
Atlanta’s punk rock darlings the Coathangers would probably snarl at us for calling them darlings. Ladies, we mean it in the most bad-ass way possible. Seriously. Last time we caught the Coats they were rocking at Estoriafest with the Barreracudas and Gentlemen Jesse. Tonight they’ll be packing out 529 with equally amazing bands HotChaCha, Cars Can Be Blue and Pizza Party!

Saturday, June 5 – ARTLANTIS – Druid Hills Baptist Church
Here’s the deal – we love supporting local bands. LOVE. We have this blog here dedicated to music! We also love local artists! Atlanta is booming with great artists and art related events. One of these events happens to combine local art with local music! ARTLANTIS, hosted by the folks at Beep Beep Gallery is this Saturday at the Druid Hills Baptist Church on Ponce. Bands on the bill include Carnivores, Thy Mighty Contract, Abby Go Go, Mermaids, Buffalo Bangers and Lindsay Appel. The event will go on from 10 a.m. til 7  p.m. and get this – it’s FREE!

Saturday, June 5 – 3rd Annual Psychobilly Freakout Festival – Star Bar
Psychobilly fans unite! Star Bar is housing the 3rd Annual Psychobilly Freakout Festival this Saturday night! The Right Rev Andy hosts – bands performing the fest include The Hollowbody Hellraisers, King Daddy Polecats, The Atomic Rockets.

FACT: Halloween is too much fun to only celebrate once a year.

The folks at The Starlight Six Drive-In and Silver Scream Spookshow agree. Dress up in your scariest and get down at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Monster Bash on Sunday, June 6 – it’s Halloween in June!

What to expect from the Monster Bash 2010?

- Miss Monster Bash!
- Brain eating contest!
- Blast Off Burlesque!
- Live bands all day long – Iron Maiden All Star Tribute, Daikaiju, Apocalyptic Vision, The Luchagors and Grinder Nova!
- Creature Double Feature: Kingdom of the Spider and Grizzly!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Monster Bash
Starlight Six Drive In
Sunday, June 6

Yes, we know it’s 120+ days away, but it was impossible to not get all giddy about HOToberFest 2010. We decided that we had no other choice but to share this wonderful event with everyone. On Saturday, October 2, HOToberfest combines the (free of charge) Glenwood Park neighborhood festival with live music, sustainability information, kids area, food, art and more, AND a ticketed Oktoberfest style beer tasting and the nation’s largest consumer judged craft beer competition. Sign us up.

Aside from being an awesome event for any beer lover, 100% of proceeds from HOToberFest will be donated to several organizations in support of their various efforts toward sustainability. So, it’s for a good cause. Drink on friends, drink on.

You can purchase General Admission tickets to the Beer Garten, or you can purchase the limited number VIP tickets that’ll get you into the private tasting tent which includes 40+ exclusive craft beers.

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

VIP TICKETS

The Swell Season – Low Rising from estampie on Vimeo.

Friday, May 28 – The Swell Season, Justin Townes Earle at Atlanta Symphony Hall
Even if you don’t think you know The Swell Season, chances are you probably do. Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer/pianist Markéta Irglová starred in the 2007 hit indie film Once, recorded the Academy Award winning soundtrack, and since have been on the road touring as The Swell Season. The duo, backed by an amazing full band will be at the prestigious Atlanta Symphony Hall tonight. Bloodshot Records Americana musician Justin Townes Earle opens. GET TICKETS HERE.

Saturday, May 29 – Innocent When You Dream: The Music Of Tom Waits with Jeffrey Butzer & Tom Cheshire at The EARL
What better way to welcome another nasty humid Atlanta summer then with music from the bourbon-soaked legend, Tom Waits. Jeffrey Butzer (Jeffrey Butzer and the Bicycle Eaters, Midwives) and Tom Cheshire (All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, West End Motel) host their tribute to Mr. Waits this Saturday night at the EARL. Plan on hearing the classics, the rarities and a couple extra rarities (because that’s the kind of thing you should expect from two oddballs paying tribute to king oddball.) GET TICKETS HERE.

Sunday, May 30 – Third Annual Rockin’ Blues, Brews & BBQ at Park Tavern
Let’s face it, hosting your own Memorial Day weekend backyard BBQ is fun, but wouldn’t you rather not have to spend the day watching after your nosey neighbors, over cooking your burgers and worrying ”do we have enough coleslaw?”  How do you measure how much is too much coleslaw anyway? Worry no more, Park Tavern has your back. The third annual Rockin’ Blues, Brews & BBQ is this Sunday, and like the two years before, we’re pumped about what’s going down: three live blues bands, hit-the-spot cold brews and delicious BBQ – need we say more?  The party goes from 2 p.m. – 11 p.m., bands start at 3 p.m. and Park Tavern’s grill master will be serving up BBQ, ribs and fried oysters! GET TICKETS HERE.

The 2010 Athens Popfest, scheduled August 10-14 in various venues across Athens, has announced a stellar lineup of performers including Mission of Burma, Apples in Stereo, Keith John Adams, Joe Jack Talcum (Dead Milkmen), indie-pop legends Go Sailor, and over 60 more.

A limited number of $40 full festival passes are available online until Friday, May 28. Tickets will then rise in price to $45. Individual day tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Stay up-to-date with Athens Popfest via Twitter at twitter.com/athenspopfest

If there’s one thing we love most about this city (apart from the music scene, naturally), it’s the food. We have a dizzying array of restaurants and “Top Chefs” to choose from, great Southern comfort cuisine, delicious soul food, tons of ethnic diversity, crazy fusion and exciting experimentation. And once a year all of the elements come together to celebrate the food of this city at Taste of Atlanta. This year, the event will take place October 23 and 24, and tickets go on sale August 23 at Ticket Alternative.

The ninth annual Taste of Atlanta has some new editions, like the Go-Green Village, which will welcome one of our favorite local companies Farmer D as well as other stalls featuring local and eco-friendly products. Other special guests include The Meal Makeover Moms – Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex. There will be many more chefs and celebrity guests to be announced. And then of course there are the usual fantastic selection local restaurants providing samples for us all to choose from. Needless to say, we can’t wait!

General admission tickets ($25 in advance, $35 at the door) include 15 taste coupons and VIP tickets ($75 in advance, $85 at the door) include 20 taste coupons included and entry into Wine+Beer+Cocktail Tasting Tents and Seminars.