Q&A with Wild West Picture Show; Playing Reunion Show at Eddie’s Attic, August 27

By Scott Roberts

One of the busiest and most beloved bands on the local Atlanta scene during the 1990s was Wild West Picture Show. Their ahead-of-the curve blend of country, rock, and punk influences never failed to please crowds and fill bars and clubs in the metro area and beyond. After more than a decade of working on myriad other musical ventures, the original members (bassist Brillo, drummer Michael Lee Gamble, singer Keli Mercadante, and guitarists David Robinson and Bill Shadle), as well as a few latter-era players, have decided to do a one-off reunion at Eddie’s Attic on Friday, August 27. AMG wanted to find out how and why this reunion came about, so we asked gregarious bassist Brillo a few questions; we also asked lovely lead singer Keli Mercadante the same questions, but she graciously deferred to Brillo’s answers.

So, how did this reunion come about?

Well, when I knew that I would be getting out of prison and Michael Lee contacted Keli, David Robinson and me, I knew that I had to get involved. We really did miss playing together and had talked about doing a full-on, old school WWPS reunion for years.  David Robinson agreed to fly in from Portland to do the show and I think that Keli had already planned to do the annual WWPS birthday party with us so things just kind of fell into place; plus my parole officer is pretty cool about letting me playing Eddie’s Attic. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Debutaunts; Playing Vinyl, August 13

By Alec Wooden

It’s hard for band’s to stand out these days – no one knows that better than bands themselves. Atlanta-via-Gainesville indie-pop quartet Debutaunts is no exception; respecting the challenges ahead of them to break out but feeling more at home than ever with a new city, a new record (Why Can’t We Have Fun) and a good outlook for what lies ahead.

You guys are newcomers to the Atlanta scene, so describe your sound for those yet to hear you.

Jazek Creacy: We all have way different backgrounds in music. It was all just a culmination of everything we wanted, because we’re all together on it. One person isn’t saying, “This is how it’s gonna be, this is how it’s gonna sound.” So it all came together like that.

Jonny Shupert: With our first record, it was a little bit more progressive and we tried not let anything influence the music. And then on the new one (Why Can’t We Have Fun), we kind of went back to our roots, like Motown, ‘60s rock, ‘80s rock – but mostly pop. This is not my quote, but from another review, someone said, “If Madonna and the Smiths tried to write a Beatles song.”

Creacy: The older records were way more progressive. But we realized that it’s 10 times harder to write a truly good pop song.

Why do people consider “pop” a dirty word?

Jeff Margaritondo: People don’t appreciate “commercial” music. But it doesn’t have to be “commercial” to be “pop,” which is the distinction that a lot of people fail to make. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Murray Attaway of Bomber City; Playing The EARL with Tiger! Tiger!, August 13

By Scott Roberts

During the “golden age” of southern jangle-pop in the 1980s, few bands had the energy, humor, eclecticism, and pure musical chops of Marietta’s (and later, the World’s!) Guadalcanal Diary. After the band broke up near the end of that magical decade, singer/songwriter Murray Attaway enjoyed a respectable solo career, re-formed the band briefly near the latter part of the ‘90s, and then seemed to mostly disappear from the public radar. He has now emerged with a new band, Bomber City (which includes, among others, former Diary guitar hero Jeff Walls), who recently made their debut in Athens, and will make their Atlanta debut this Friday the 13^th at The EARL. With varying degrees of seriousness, Attaway recently answered a few questions from Atlanta Music Guide.

How long has Bomber City’s lineup been together?

We started last fall as a result of my fielding myriad requests for performances via Facebook, etc. But Jeff (Walls) and I have made some version of music together since 1981, and, really, before that, as early as mid-70s. Pat Patterson [drums], Diana Crowe (vocals) and Jeff and I were in the original incarnation of Hillbilly Frankenstein. Billy Holmes (keyboards, violin, guitar, whatever) did some work with me on a couple of film scores in the 90s. And, now, Pat, Phyllis (Walls – bass), and Jeff are in a band called the Nairobi Trio. So this is a very new band that has been together for a very long time. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Hot Hot Heat; Playing Masquerade’s Hell Stage, August 31

By Alec Wooden

Now in their second decade as one of Canada’s finest musical exports, there aren’t many places Hot Hot Heat hasn’t been. International tours. Their music in movies. TV. Commercials. Video Games. Three EPs and nearly twice as many LPs. To be sure, they’ve been busy since their 1999 inception. Not that there’s any thought of slowing down; as leader Steve Bays points out, they’re probably the most comfortable they have been at any point in that stretch. Fresh off the June release of Future Breeds, the band’s latest studio album, Bays discusses the new record, his favorite Canadian artist and which song he always wishes he’d written.

Talk about Future Breeds. Are you happy with the way it came out?

This was the first time we’ve had the confidence to make an album without asking for the opinions or help of a producer, engineer or record label. This blurred the line between writing, rehearsing, experimenting and recording so it has a strange energy that I don’t hear on many records. The older I get, the more important it is to me to carve out a unique little niche in the world and create a musical identity that will stand a chance at resonating beyond just the album cycle. I need to feel like we’re doing something that represents freedom of expression and rebellion from the restrictions of the typical rock machine, and I think Future Breeds pushes us closer towards those goals. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Mikky Ekko; Playing Unplugged in the Park

By Eileen Tilson

True art has the ability to haunt those who expose themselves to it. A truly great album has the ability to stop time, giving its listeners an escape for 45 minutes away from the world, and then haunting your life forever. Jeff Buckley, Sigur Ros, Elliot Smith, all men synonymous with making the sort of great art that seeps into your soul slowly, now must add another to their ranking: Mikky Ekko, the young ingenue from Nashville, who is gracing the stage this Sunday, as part of the Unplugged in the Park series hosted by 99X.

The first time I listened to Grace by Jeff Buckley, I did not understand it. I had to listen to the album over and over, before one day, it hit me, and washed over me, drowning my ears. I had the same experience listening to your music. What do you hope the immediate reaction to your music is?

I hope the listener doesn’t just import the record and toss it.  I hope they eventually leave it in their car stereo for eight months.  I’d love to have a listener put at ease just enough to pull out special pieces of the record for a second listen. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Steel Train; Playing Drunken Unicorn with Young Giant and Rachel Goodrich, July 12

By Alec Wooden

It’s often no coincidence when a band releases an eponymous record a few releases deep into its discography (save Weezer. There’s nothing deep there … just a total loss of creativity – wait, did I say that out loud?). It’s also not rocket science unlocking the underlying meaning — a rebirth, a remake, a fresh start, new beginning – choose your metaphor. Steel Train follows this maxim, and for the New Jersey rockers, the shoe fits. Recently split from long time label Drive Thru Records, the quintet is happy on its own, feeling born again and free to explore new musical territory on Steel Train, self-released on June 29. Frontman Jack Antonoff talks to AMG about the band’s transformation, touring habits, and what the future holds for Steel Train.

I’m curious how your outlook on Steel Train’s “sound” has changed over the last six or so years since the release of 1969 EP, an homage to the year that was said to define “your sound.”

The way we felt making [1969 EP] is probably the opposite of how we feel now. At the time, we were younger and just sort of coming up, and it’s really easy to look towards the past. Now, there’s a really exciting round of great bands coming out with new and interesting music — and I’m way more concerned with being a part of something current. It’s a confidence thing. You’ve got to reach some level of confidence personally and also within your career that allows you to say, “Well, maybe my generation isn’t a joke.” I don’t think anyone ever made anything really, really inspiring just by picking up where someone left off. Any band that I listen to right now that sounds like something else, I always just end up putting on an old Beatles record or something because it made me think of that. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Rooney: Playing The Loft, July 10

By Alec Wooden

On the surface, Los Angeles-based rock band Rooney has had it rough over the last 12 months. They’ve lost a label (Geffen) and a bass player (Matt Winter), all the while cutting a new record for the first time without benefits of mountains of label aid, engineers and producers. It takes little time talking to guitarist Taylor Locke, however, to figure out that the opposite is quite true. Instead of “losing” a label, they feel freed from one. Winter is gone, but has become no less a friend and avid supporter. And Eureka, the new and aforementioned uphill climb of a record, has left the band energized and excited about controlling their own direction more so than at any time in the past decade. One week into the band’s summer tour, Locke talks about all the reasons why, perhaps now more than ever, Rooney feels right at home within themselves.

What are we to expect sonically from Eureka?

Everyone these days uses the word “organic” in every album review … so I’ll try and shy away from that. The record has a polished sound to it, but slightly less so than our past records. Louie [Stephens, keyboardist] played lots of upright piano, which lends a cozy, barroom feel to the songs. I played more slide guitar than usual. Ned [Brower, drums] takes a lead vocal on one track. Matt [Winter, recently departed bassist] played much more active bass lines. However, you’ll still get plenty of synthesizer hooks, and of course, Robert [Schwartzman]’s voice, which are hallmarks of our groups’ sound. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Magnapop’s Ruthie Morris; Playing The EARL, June 11

By Scott Roberts

The release of a new CD is always reason to celebrate, but for Atlanta veteran rockers Magnapop, this Friday’s show at The EARL in honor of Chase Park, the band’s fifth album since their 1992 debut, it seems a bit beyond just a celebration. After several delays, including at least one official “act of God” – last October’s floods here in Atlanta ruined the entire first pressings of the CD – the band is poised to finally unleash a new batch of  their unique brand of muscular melodicism on the world. Guitarist/co-songwriter Ruthie Morris was kind enough to answer a few questions about the show and the CD.

When did you guys record the album? How long did it take to record it?

We recorded Chase Park at Chase Park in 2009 over three consecutive long weekends.

Was the recording process on Chase Park basically the same as it’s been for Magnapop in the past, or was it significantly different (recorded more quickly? over time? more/less overdubs? etc.)?

The recording process for CP was basically the same as it has been for other records: First, we did lots of preproduction on our own. We always try to record the songs as demos first to be able to step back and add or take things out in the next recording. We did record this album rather quickly … six days recording and three days of mixing. As far as overdubs go, we fit in as much as time would allow. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Greg Laswell; Playing Vinyl, June 1

By Alec Wooden

Sad songs aren’t for everyone. Some musicians don’t like to write them; some find they simply can’t. Greg Laswell doesn’t fit either description. Laswell, a West Coast-born multi-instrumentalist now based in New York, thrives on them, producing ever-pleasant piano/guitar pop-rock from often dark origins (by the way, don’t make “sad” synonymous with “boring” or “soft.” Any particular Laswell song isn’t necessarily either). You probably know Greg Laswell, even if not by name. His music has been featured in a laundry list of TV shows — “Smallville,” “One Tree Hill,” “CSI: Miami,” “90210,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “True Blood” to name a few — from the handful of records he’s released since 2003. Halfway through a nation-spanning tour behind the release of his latest record, Take A Bow, Laswell talks about his approach to writing the new record, seeing his songs in on television and the souvenirs he gathers on the road.

Guitar vs. piano: which instrument is the most natural to you? Do you tend to write more on one than the other?

I feel more natural on the the piano and it is my first love, but I think I have written more songs on guitar.

You’ve hugely benefited from TV placement over the years. I know some artists don’t like seeing their work as part of another’s vision, but it’s such an undeniably huge springboard these days. What’s your take on it?

My parents taught me to share.  I think artists who don’t like seeing their work as part of another’s vision are silly.  Every single one of their listeners is doing just that.  I believe that once a song is written, it doesn’t belong to me anymore … like raising a kid the best you can and then sending him/her off to college.  I want the best for them and I hope I raised them right, but my job is done. I’d be a bad parent if I tried to control their future. I’d also be an asshole. … Continue Reading

Q&A with Mishka; Playing Smith’s Olde Bar on May 28

By Alec Wooden

Born in Bermuda and raised largely on his parents sailboat, reggae-folk rocker Mishka‘s music career began by chance when a record executive heard a rough demo in the mid ’90s and quickly signed him to UK label Creation Records for a relationship that lasted two records and garnered a substantial buzz within the UK. Over a decade later, life has come full circle — the hype is back, thanks in large part to iTunes dubbing him 2009′s “Best New Artist.” Mishka’s attitude on life and music hasn’t changed much, though his home in the latter has. Residing now on actor Matthew McConaughey’s J.K. Livin’ label (a relationship also fostered completely by chance), the ever laid-back Mishka has a new record (Talk About), the golden touch of producer Butch Walker (two tracks on Talk About) and the makings of a musical resurgence he doesn’t plan on wasting.

So you’re checking in from Hawaii, right?

Ya man. Moved out here about seven months ago I guess. I love it. I’m a wind surfer, ya know, so it’s great for me. I love being by the beach.

Talk a little about your musical upbringing.

My musical upbringing was a pretty broad landscape. I grew up listening to a lot folk music and 70′s reggae and some rock, classical, everything. My parents were really into listening to music. So I had a strong musical foundation as far as listening. There’s a lot of musicians in my family. My big sister plays guitar and sings. My father can play harmonica, my mother liked to sing. There’s a lot of music in my family. It’s just sort of natural thing that I was always around, ya know? It just sort of grew and grew as I grew up. I love it. It’s part of life.

What’s your general philosophy as an artist?

I’m about one love. That’s the inspiration in my music. I really just look forward to being out there onstage doing the music. That’s what it’s about. There’s so much inbetween – getting there to that place where you’re actually playing your music. There’s planes, trains and automobiles and hotels and all the time in between, so it’s always just nice to be playing and that’s what I look forward to the most.

How does that fit in with the J.K. Livin’ (“Just Keep Livin’”) label philosophy?

JK Livin’ is Matthew’s [McConaughey] label that originally started as a movie production company. He started to branch out because he really liked my music. It’s hard for me to say what the actual philosophy of the label is other than that’s just the reality of living – you just keep doing it. … Continue Reading