Live Review and Q&A: Carnivores at the High Museum of Art, January 28

Review and photos by Stephanie Roman

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. last Saturday night, a line of young artists and muses snaked to the entrance of the High Museum. For only $7, college students could gain access to the museum’s permanent collection, two bands, one DJ, two art workshops, and the museum’s featured exhibition, Picasso to Warhol: 14 Modern Masters. To fuel up for all of this, I grabbed a cup of coffee at the Warhol-themed Max’s Kansas City. Next, I took a peek inside two rooms where students could create jewelry inspired by Alexander Calder, and modern drip paintings like Pollock. The event continued until midnight, and must have hosted hundreds of students. I even spotted the Museum’s Director, Michael Shapiro, stopping by to check out the music.

Atlanta’s own modern masters, Carnivores, took the stage around 9pm. Pablo Gnecco provided original light projection artwork behind the band for an authentic 1960s vibe. Carnivores sound different every time I see them, but tonight’s set included energetic garage and psychedelic rock. The band closed with a cover of (what else?) “Pablo Picasso,” originally released by The Modern Lovers and notably recorded by David Bowie in 2003. After their set, DJ Santiago Paramo warmed up the dance floor with Latin-inspired grooves echoing throughout the atrium of the Stent Wing. The entire night was a true delight, and I hope the High Museum continues to provide this type of opportunity for young people to flirt with fashion, art, and music.

We snagged Carnivores drummer Ross Politi at The Factory for a few questions too:

If Carnivores were a Campbell’s Soup flavor, which would you be?

They would be the one that sparkles in the night sky. Filled with Noodle Rainbows and Twirling Seaweed Comets, crashing upon the canned goods isle at every Kroger and Whole Foods in the Southeast. … Continue Reading

AMG Weekend Picks: Carnivores, Old 97′s, Larkin Poe and More!

Brrrrrr! Wrap up warm folks, this chilly weather isn’t messing around. It’ll get a bit milder over the weekend, but regardless, the wintery temperatures shouldn’t deter you from getting to some great gigs. Local music is especially being represented well this weekend, with record releases and more abound! And if you fancy the field-trip, get up to Athens for Old 97′s. Don’t forget to check the bottom of the post – we have a slew of on sales coming up on Friday and Saturday for the impending onslaught of spring shows. … Continue Reading

The EARL Presents Carnivores on January 20 for its 7-Inch Series

By Ellen Eldridge

On Friday January 20 Carnivores will play The EARL’s 7-inch release series where fans can come to hear Carnivores, The Coathangers, and Frank Boyles of Balkans for $5, and take home a limited color vinyl 7-inch. Caitlin Lang (keyboards) and Ross Politi (drums) of Carnivores said, “This is our first time releasing an official “Live at The Earl” 7-inch. The overall experience has been great. It is really nice to know that a local institution, like The EARL, reaches out to local acts to support their growth within the industry. We picked a couple tracks from two different shows.  “Georgia Power Company” was taken from a show we had with Davila 666 about a year ago, and “Prom Night” was taken from our most recent show with Thee Oh Sees.”

While many fans prefer the ease and convenience of downloading music one song or album at a time off sites like iTunes or even Amazon.com, the traditional feel and sound quality of a 7-inch stimulates fans’ connection with a band. Lang and Politi said, “I think that people feel safe when they buy 7-inches.  The metric system is taking over the world and the 7 inch record is one of the last lingering artifacts of the “Great American Era.”  I also think they are fairly cheap and less of a commitment. You would hope when you buy a 7-inch that these two songs should be something special if someone put the effort into specifically pressing them.  And, also, they are classic in the sense that early rock n’ roll artists like Buddy Holly only released singles before albums became popular later on.  It’s traditional like that.”

This 7-inch release is one in a line of records recorded and released at The EARL, with previous bands involved including The Coathangers and Noot D’Noot. Says Damon Hare of The EARL, “Essentially the idea for the records has been one of my boss’s dreams since he’s been affiliated with The EARL.  We have close to 13 years worth of board recordings so we thought it’d be an interesting way of promoting the club along with giving the bands involved a free merch item for them to sell.  Not sure if it brings much to the community but something for geeks to collect.”

Of course, The EARL treats its guests to the 7-inch included with the admission price so coming out to one of these series shows helps the local music scene. The outreach itself makes a big difference for both the bands and the fans. Staying savvy and creative can mean the difference between staying in business these days as well.

For those unfamiliar with Carnivores, the band consists of Philip Frobos, Nathaniel Higgins, Caitlin Lang, Billy John Mitchel, and Ross Politi. According to Lang and Politi, “They came together through a series of events. Not too great of a back story… basically this ooze fell into a sewer and a half-man half-rat trained us to play instruments, and named us after his favorite country rock heroes.”

Get out and see the show at The EARL on January 20, if not for the chance to support the music scene, then for the chance to get a limited color vinyl.

Picture Book: Subsonics, Carnivores, Howlies at The EARL, August 12

By Michael Koenig (http://vacantmoon.viewbook.com/)

Full gallery after the jump.

… Continue Reading

Celebrate The EARL’s 12th Anniversary with Dead Confederate, Noot D’Noot and More!

It’s crazy to think that The EARL has be a part of East Atlanta’s brilliant music scene for 12 years now. We think this is a great reason to celebrate with ace music over a whole weekend. On Friday, July 8 Dead Confederate kicks off the celebrations for a sweet $10. And then on Saturday, July 9, Noot D’Noot give away their  Live At The EARL 7-inch with admission, and play some smooth eclectic Atlanta funk with Mathis Hunter and the Rinse and Carnivores. All for only $5. We can’t wait!

AMG’s Top Atlanta Releases of 2010

Hey! It’s another Best of 2010 List! We almost chose to forgo the usual list-making duties that every writer/blogger/music-lover/mother-and-your-brother goes through at this time of year, but we just couldn’t stop ourselves from giving these locals another lil’ pat on the back for making us rock out, chill out, and groove on a bit more this year.

Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid

It should really go without saying that Janelle tops our list (after all, she’s topped countless others, like those of The Guardian and the AP). We’ve been admires of her for an awfully long time, and said of her first full-length album, “There will be references to future worlds, poetic social commentary, sharp sounds mixing every genre from Stax soul to Studio 54 disco to mountain bluegrass to sweet Tin Pan Alley, and so much more than you could every dream of.”

The Selmanaires – An Animated Shadow

The lads released lots of bits and pieces throughout the year, but it was EP An Animated Shadow that saw the longest and most involved release. We said it “sees the band getting even mellower and more experimental, but thankfully still listenable and terribly enjoyable. Lovely stuff.” With founding member Tommy Chung now in New York, we’re interested to see how the band further develops. … Continue Reading

Bits and Bobs: Plain White T’s, Ted Leo, JEFF the Brotherhood, Angie Aparo

- Poppy alternative rockers Plain White T’s, who everyone and their mother know from their mammoth hit “Hey There Delilah,” are coming to Atlanta for a gig at The Loft on February 16. Tickets are going on sale Friday, December 17 at noon.

- Atlanta music fans will definitely want to catch a solo Ted Leo as he makes his vague “transitions,” as well as a (also solo) set from our own Gentleman Jesse, and a full-band rock ‘n’ roll set from Carnivores. They will all be at Drunken Unicorn on February 4.

- 529 will ring in the New Year in psychedelic grunge style, with Nashville’s JEFF The Brotherhood. They will be joined by Heavy Cream, GG King, Mermaids and Knaves Grave for a full night of rock.

- For their first show of 2011, Smith’s Olde Bar will be bringing in Atlanta’s own Angie Aparo. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m.

Picture Book: Best Coast, Cults, Carnivores at Drunken Unicorn, September 10

By Matthew Smith (www.shadowboxerphoto.com)

Full gallery after the jump

… Continue Reading

Win Tickets to See Young Antiques, Colour Revolt and More at The EARL

We have some more great tickets to give away for August shows at The EARL. As always, be sure to sign up for The EARL’s mailing list HERE before you enter so that you’re qualified.

Carnivores are really proving to be one of Atlanta’s brightest bands at the moment, with some new stuff that’ll just blow your socks off. They play on August 16.

For a local flavor that has been marinating a little longer, try the lovely Young Antiques, who play on August 19.

Colour Revolt are going it alone now that they’ve left Fat Possum, so check out what they’ve been up to since that departure when they play on August 20.

And lastly, the raw rock ‘n’ roll sounds of Allnightprowlingwolves take over The EARL on August 21.

Fill out the form below to enter the competition.

Bits and Bobs: Pinkberry, ATL Throwdown, Glastonbury, BET Awards and More!

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. … Continue Reading

AMG Weekend Picks: Yelawolf, ARTLANTIS, Psychobilly Freakout and More!

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.

Win Tickets for The Selmanaires with Carnivores and Magnapop Shows at The EARL!

We have a couple of great ticket giveaways for shows at The EARL. As always, make sure you have signed up for The EARL’s mailing list HERE before you enter, to ensure your ability to win. Then just email us at win@ticketalternative.com with the band name in the subject line for your chance to win.

The Selmanaires and Carnivores team together on June 3 for a night of great local sounds. Check out The Selmainaires’ latest lovely nugget “Sinister Season” and then email win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win.

Local legends Magnapop celebrate a record release with Whale Fall on June 11. Email win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win.

AMG’s Weekend Picks: OK Go, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Batata Doce, A Fight to the Death CD Release and So Much More!

Oh weekend, sweet weekend – we meet again. Tons of great shows this weekend, let us know what you think and where you’ll be!

Thursday, May 13
OK GO @ The Loft – GET TICKETS HERE
OK GO afterparty with Tim Nordwind of OK GO DJ SET @ Star Bar – FREE!
Caribou, Toro y Moi @ The EARL – GET TICKETS HERE – SOLD OUT!
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings @ Center Stage – GET TICKETS HERE

Friday, May 14
The Verve Pipe @ Smiths Olde Bar – GET TICKETS HERE
Deadbolt @ Star Bar – TICKETS AT DOOR
Little Feat @ Variety Playhouse – GET TICKETS HERE
Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 Play Dream Syndicate (night one) @ 529 – GET TICKETS HERE
Batata Doce (farewell show) @ Drunken Unicorn – TICKETS AT DOOR

Saturday, May 15
HAWKS, Carnivores, Barreracudas @ The EARL – GET TICKETS HERE
A Fight to the Death CD Release @ Star Bar – TICKETS AT DOOR
Steve Wynn & the Miracle Dream Syndicate (night two) @ 529 – GET TICKETS HERE
The Dirty Guv’nahs @ Smiths Olde Bar – GET TICKETS HERE

Get Ready for The Atlanta Mess-Around, April 23-24 at The EARL and 529

The Atlanta Mess-Around is back with a weekend packed full of musical goodies! Nearly two-dozen bands will grace the stages at the EARL and 529 for the Douchemaster, Rob’s House and Triple D’s hosted annual event on April 23-24.

A limited number of two-day passes are still available, which allow entry to both nights at the EARL as well as a Saturday matinee at 529 (limited by venue capacity).

Two Day Pass

Friday April 23 @ 529 Matinee:

Gaye Blades
Customers
Bukkake Boys
Ralph

Friday April 23 @ The EARL:

Davila 666
The Urinals
CoCocoma
GG King
Bad Sports
Barreracudas

Friday tickets

Saturday April 24 @ 529 Matinee:

Gentleman Jesse & His Men
Wizzard Sleeve
The Frantic
Georgiana Starlington
Carnivores
Games

$5 or free with 2 day pass!

Saturday April 24 @ The EARL:

Reigning Sound
Paul Collins Beat
King Louie’s Missing Monuments
White Wires
Woven Bones
Predator

Saturday tickets