By Ellen Eldridge

Full gallery after the jump.

Happy almost-weekend day everyone! We’ve got great gigs and even a kick ass beer festival to keep you chugging along through this brisk ‘n’ sunny weekend. And don’t forget to check out the tickets going on sale below!

Thursday, February 9 – Colour Revolt at Vinyl

Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull brings his side project Right Away, Great Captain! to celebrate Colour Revolt’s release of their EP on vinyl.

Thursday, February 9 – Jordan Knight at The Loft

Former New Kid on the Block Jordan Knight is all grown up now, and is taking his smooth tunes to The Loft tonight.

Friday, February 10 – The Explorers Club at Vinyl

With pop harmonies that could rival that of The Beach Boys, South Carolina’s Explorers Club will be wowing audiences at Vinyl on Friday night. Local indie dance lads Sealions open.

Friday, February 10 Soulphonics and Ruby Velle at The EARL

Get your hefty dose of soul and funk with Atlanta’s own brassy Soulphonics.

Friday, February 10 – Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds at Atlanta Civic Center

Legendary songwriter and crooner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds brings his massive catalog to the stage on Friday night.

Friday, February 10 – The Polyphonic Spree at Center Stage

The huge multi-instrumentalist cult/group comes back to live music after a too-long absence.

Saturday, February 11 – Winter Beer Carnival at Atlantic Station

Back again for a third year, bigger and better than ever with more games, beer AND a ferris wheel, the Winter Beer Carnival will be packed with good times on Saturday.

Saturday, February 11 – The Whiskey Gentry at The EARL

We don’t try to pin down the wonder that is the country/rock/bluegrass/indie experience of The Whiskey Gentry. We just sit back, grab a drink and enjoy the ride. You should too.

Sunday, February 12 – Willie Nelson at The Tabernacle

Country legend Willie Nelson is still kickin’ and croonin’, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Atlanta for a special Sunday show.

On Sales:

Greensky Bluegrass at Smith’s Olde Bar, March 27 – on sale Friday, February 10

An Evening with John Wesley Harding – Rick Moody – Joe Pernice at Eddie’s Attic, March 29 – on sale Friday, February 10

Pink Martini at Symphony Hall Atlanta, April 1 – on sale Friday, February 10

The Trews at Smith’s Olde Bar, May 16 – on sale Friday, February 10

City and Colour at Buckhead Theatre, June 7 – on sale Friday, February 10

By Eileen Tilson

You know I have to say this one is kind of special to me. Not only am I a HUGE fan of American Aquarium, but I am also pretty proud to say I have met these Raleigh boys and they are some of the nicest bunch of boys you would want to meet. Having just finished their latest album produced by the ridiculously talented Jason Isbell, I can say with confidence that American Aquarium are going to be making some pretty big waves in the upcoming year. Tomorrow they will be opening for Oklahoma’s Samantha Crain at Smith’s Olde Bar. These guys might be a little scruffy around the edges, but my goodness will they show you a good time. We were joined by Ryan Johnson of American Aquarium before their show tomorrow night.

What was the first gig you ever went to?

Circa 1987.  I was turning 5 years old and my parents took me to what would have been any other kids’ greatest birthday party ever.  All my friends and family were coming…it was going to be great.  It was at Showbiz Pizza.  Awesome, right!?  I was especially excited to see this cool “animal band” I’d been hearing so much about.  I guess we had been there for like an hour or so…I don’t know…I was 5.  Honestly, all I remember is being horrified by the animatronic devil-bear and his minions.  There was gold tinsel, a giant rainbow backdrop, the devil-bear… I cried and then pissed my pants.  Seriously.  There are pictures online…of the devil-bear…not my pee pants.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed at?

Any Raleigh show. It’s our home. I love playing Raleigh. We just recorded and are about to release a live album called “Live in Raleigh”.  If you get a chance to come to one of our shows pick it up and you can get an idea of what it is like!.

What is the best gig you have ever been to?

We have spent the last 3 years playing at least 250 shows per year so it’s very rare that we get to go to shows that we are not already playing.  That being said, last year we got the chance to see the Jason Isbell and Hayes Carl tour with Shovels and Rope opening.  All three of these bands are ridiculously talented.  If you haven’t seen them live or God forbid you haven’t heard them…make it happen.

Gig you would most like to play?

Letterman.  Then our parents would love us.  Mom/Dad, if you are reading this…that was a joke.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

Here are the easy ones: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Dylan, Death Cab, Dr. Dog, the Stones, David Bazan, Dawes…even though some these bands wouldn’t be the best pairing for American Aquarium sharing the bill with any of these people would be a lot of fun.  But really I just want to hang out with Danny McBride.  I’ve heard he’s a big music fan…maybe he plays…maybe he has a band.  I wanna play with that band.  At Slim’s in Raleigh, NC or at the White Water Tavern in Little Rock, AR.

Catch American Aquarium tomorrow at Smith’s Olde Bar

By Eileen Tilson

Hello my little sweet ones! I can’t help but to turn into my 9 year old self right now cause, JORDAN KNIGHT IS IN ATLANTA!! AHHHHH!! He was totally my favorite New Kid! Luckily for you who might not be having fantasies from their childhood, there are a ton of great shows in Atlanta tonight so do yourself a favor and go see at least one!

-The cute one out of the ever so awesome 80′s boy band, New Kids on the Block, Jordan Knight, is pretending to prove that he is all grown up tonight at The Loft, but we all know that crowd will be predominately female.

-Atlanta’s version of hot young boy singer, Ben Deignan, will also be swaying the younger ladies at Smith’s Olde Bar. Ben never disappoints, and I am sure that room will be packed.

It’s a busy day in the Center Stage Complex! Downstairs in Vinyl Colour Revolt will be rocking out, with special guest appearance from Manchester Orchestra’s frontman, Andy Hull.

L.A.’s indie rockers, The Jealous Sound, who have toured with the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate, will be making their stop tonight at The Earl.

-Nashville’s budding duo, Sweet Alizabeth, is the newest collaboration between Bethany Dick-Olds and Liz Langford. If you’re a fan of the Alison Krauss/Joni MItchell sound, then you will probably love these two. Check them out tonight at Eddie’s Attic.

-Calling all you PHISH HEADS! Trey Anastasio is in town and he will be keeping the high going at the Atlanta Symphony Hall.

-A darling in the electro world, Steve Aoki, will be doing his annual spinning tonight at The Tabernacle. Joining him is dubstep favorite Datsik and  newcomer Alvin Risk.

By Eileen Tilson

Nothing makes me prouder to say I am from Atlanta then to watch a band I have know from infancy grow into a force. I met the District Attorneys about a year ago, and have watched contently as they have been featured on mega-blogs such as Large Hearted Boy, My Old Kentucky Blog, and Rollo and Grady. The boys have a lot coming up in the next few months including playing shows at SXSW and the Savannah Stopover Festival on March 9th and releasing their first full length album Slowburner. The 12-song album was produced/engineered by Drew Vandenberg (Deerhunter, The Whigs, Modern Skirts, Futurebirds, Patterson Hood) at Chase Park Transduction and will be released on This Is American Music (Glossary, Bohannons) in the late spring!

By Ken Lackner (www.kenlacknerphotography.com)

Full gallery after the jump.

Sleepy Vikings:

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun:

Review by Stephanie Roman (http://www.stephanieroman.com); photo by: William Buckley

Attention System reminded us that it has been three years since they last appeared at the Star Bar. Since releasing the critically acclaimed debut album Wait for My Signal, the band has quickly become known for putting on the best electro-rock dance show in town. They haven’t performed live in Atlanta since November, and their fans were hungry!

Whether playing out to five hundred people or only five, the band holds nothing back. Attention System’s high-energy live performance includes synchronized lasers, which scan the crowd and cut rhythmic pulses across the stage. As they launched into their third song, a laser and amp overload temporarily paralyzed the Star Bar’s sound system. At any given show, Attention System’s overall wattage consumption would likely overwhelm Nikola Tesla.

They teased the crowd, “We only have 172 more songs to go!” And with the inclination of every band member to give every drop of energy at every show — I almost believed it.

Attention System writes about the end of the world and living like each day is your last. While that may sound depressing, attending a show will remind you how much you love your friends and love rock music. They make it easy to get caught up in their positive energy — whether you’re dancing at the front of the room, or smiling and singing along with the fans. A highly recommended experience.

Joshua Broughton (vocals, guitar) of Attention System takes a moment to answer a few questions for AMG:

Which band or artist would you love to perform with at your dream gig?

I’d absolutely love to play a show with David Bowie. In my mind, that guy did more for the idea of the rock and roll concert experience than anyone else. The other guys in the band would answer the question differently. Brian is a fan of The Paper Chase and their amazing ability to engage an audience; Jonathan might pick Steve Earle or the Rolling Stones; Jason would go synth-pop with Ladytron; and Chris would probably choose a sludge metal great like Neurosis.

Each of you seems to give 100 percent of your energy at each performance. How do you recover the next day?

My remedy for post-concert recovery is very simple and very effective, but not very exciting, I’m afraid. Get some sleep, take a shower, have a quick limber-up-and-push-some-weight style workout, and try not to move for the rest of the day. Like at all. Even typing hurts.

If it really were the end of the world, where would you like to play your last show?

That’s a tough question! I’d like to think that we’d pull the grand ole’ Titanic scene, only with more leather and big belt buckles and shiny things. You know, the earth is splitting apart from the tidal force of an incoming black hole, the ground breaking into shards of rock—and there we are, yelling “YOU BEST DANCE, THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!!” to all the folks who’ve supported us over the years.

So yeah: Atlanta. If we’re lucky enough to have a few friends that want to spend their last moments with our buzz saws in their ears, we’d be honored to do it.

Attention System plays The Drunken Unicorn on March 30.

Cloud Nothings
Attack on Memory
Carpark

By Al Kaufman

Almost every band for the past five years has made the lead of song for their album, if not their best one, at least one that reaches out and grabs, that pulls the listener in. Dylan Baldi, the man behind Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings, does just the opposite. “No Future/No Past” is a long, bass-driven droning number that seems to go on for much longer than its four-and-a-half minutes. But that’s sort of the point. On this Steve Albini-produced sophomore record, Baldi wants you to forget all about the Cloud Nothings more simplistic past. This is a new band with a new sound, even if that sound is Weezer on Quaaludes.

But that sound changes, for the better, on track two. “Wasted Days” gives out more of a garage vibe, until the hypnotic instrumental that ends the song kicks in. Again, unnecessary and overlong, but more bearable here. “Fall In” is a sort of alt-country/punk, like an Uncle Tupelo/Green Day mash-up that somehow works. And by song four, “Stay Useless,” the band has found its straight-ahead garage sound. “No Sentiment” gets a bit Gothy, but the CD ends with “Cut You,” a no-holds barred rocker that the Strokes would be proud to call their own. It is the best song on the album, and also the last. The Cloud Nothings do things backwards here, but for those who put in the effort, the end result is worth the wait.

Cloud Nothings play The EARL with A Classic Education and Gold Bears on February 17.

Mississippi indie rockers Colour Revolt are darlings in the cool kids world. Having toured with the likes of toured with Dinosaur Jr., Black Lips, Okkervil River, Menomena, Paper Rival, Explosions in the Sky, Malajube, Anathallo, and Manchester Orchestra, they are no strangers to the scene. On February 7th, 2012, the debut Colour Revolt EP will be released on VINYL for the very first time. This special Limited Edition of 1,000 will come on 180-Gram CLEAR 12″ vinyl and will include a download card with the Colour Revolt EP + 2005′s out of print “Makeshift EP”. To celebrate the release, Colour Revolt will play a select number of shows in which they will perform the EP from start to finish (plus other favorites). Joining them on stage tomorrow will be Andy Hull (from Manchester Orchestra) and his side project, Great Captain. Jesse from Colour Revolt joined us as part of our 5GB series before their show Thursday.

What was the first gig you ever went to?

It was a city festival called Jubilee Jam in downtown Jackson, MS. I was 10 or 11 and went with a neighbor of mine. I subsequently crowd surfed for the first time to a band, Collective Soul. It was a bad night for both of us. The lead singer was hit with a water bottle in the face and in what i remember as a British accent for some reason, cursedly promised to never return to Jackson. I was thrown onto some large fellow’s girlfriend a number of times throughout my “surfing” at which point he began to take both of my shoes and throw them in opposite directions. At the end of the night I was walking around sock footed. I found both of my shoes with another friend of mine who claimed he had been struck by both at separate times in the head.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed at?

Historically for some reason when we play our best, there’s no one there. Literally like the other band(s) and people who work there. That’s it. Either way though, that’s a tough question to nail down because for me, it’s not really about a place or tons of people being there for it to be “the best.” If everyone is connected with the songs and feeling them, I feel great. If for some reason I can’t connect, I’ll feel like it was a horrible show. But bad shows have to be left there too. I’ve seen them turn into bad weeks because we couldn’t get over the first show. Bad shows are just that and have to be learned from. If we can perform the songs now without something going wrong, a lot of shows are the best for us now.

What is the best gig you have ever been to?

I have a Top 5….Sigur Ros – Valentines Day at the Ryman in Nashville 2006. Chad Vangaalen at Proud Larry’s in Oxford, MS 2006. Arcade Fire at House of Blues New Orleans 2005. Tom Waits in Birmingham, AL 2008. Mark Kozelek at some church in Austin 2008. Also Wilco in Meridian, MS in 2007 and Dave Bazan at Murray State in Kentucky in ’02 was pretty great.

Gig you would most like to play?

I’d really like to do a Breeders curated ATP fest. Really though I’d just like to play overseas. We’ve never been so that’s a goal I’d like to accomplish this year for sure.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

Well the new coachella line up is pretty dreamy. Honestly, for a long time I said At The Drive In and Refused would be on my dream bill but now that seems cliche. Probably Tom waits, The Breeders and Mark Kozelek at the Tabernacle is pretty close to perfect in my mind. What I think would really be the greatest show (as well as a funny mix of people) would be if Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, Deerhoof and probably Chad Vangaalen all start a band that play at the Tabernacle. That’s my dream.

Catch Colour Revolt tomorrow at Vinyl

By Eileen Tilson

Well I am just basically gonna tell you what exactly you need to go see today (not like I don’t do that everyday!). But Tuesdays are for lovers, and there are some pretty amazing shows coming through Atlanta tonight that you should definitely go and see!

-First up! I know I have been harping on Graffiti6 lately, (and trust me they are amazing) but make sure and stay and see headliners, Augustana, who cease to disappoint tonight at Vinyl.

-You just can’t ever go wrong with a New Orleans funk rock band! If you want to be highly entertained while probably losing some calories while boogying, then head over to Smith’s Olde Bar to see Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes.

-Over at the 529, you can catch Dirty Hotel Sunshine and Attractive 80′s women making hipster heads bop.

-Everyone needs a little country in their lives. Personally, I try and listen to country for at least an hour…ok maybe a half an hour each day. Get your dose of country tonight at Dixie Tavern where Patrick Scott will be trying to follow in Chicken Fried dreams.