5GB With Death On Two Wheels; Playing With Sleeper Agent @ The Basement At Graveyard Tavern, May 17th

If you are even slightly into the Atlanta music scene, then you know that Trae Vedder from Death on Two Wheels is one of the hardest working musicians in our pretty little city. Trae and band are playing with indie darlings, Sleeper Agent tomorrow at The Basement at Graveyard Tavern, and he joined us for our 5GB series before the show tomorrow.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

First concert: (big show)

Hank Williams, Jr. Bocephus himself. When I was 5 years old at the Macon Coliseum. Our baby blue Ford Escort station wagon broke down on the way. The tickets were so expensive ad we couldn’t miss the show. So rather than a wrecker, my Pops called a taxi and to the show we went. I remember that he played “Tear In My Beer” with a giant screen (or is it called a hologram today?) of Hank Williams, Sr. playing the song behind him in unison. It was pretty incredible.

First gig: (real show/gig)

Skatastrophe, Ten Toes Up, and Blue Druids at the Barnesville Train Depot. I was like 12 or so. My folks dropped me off. I wasn’t as cool as all the punk rockers then and I’m still not today. But I love punk rock shows. Concrete rooms filled with the sounds of Peavey. I wish every show was a punk rock show.

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

My first and only other band ever was called Goliath Johnson, or GoJo for short. We rented out the American Legion Hall in my hometown, Forsyth, GA, and played our first show ever. Our drummer had to quite before the show because his lawyer dad was afraid of the legal ramifications of throwing our own show and the possibility of underage drinking. My uncle filled in. A punk rock band that I met in Griffin played with us, Downtrodden. It was rad. No arrests. Just lots of f-bombs and cigarettes.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

Foo Fighters in Birmingham with two stages in one arena. Against Me! opening up for them. Local H at Big Day Out at the horse park, first bloody nose I ever saw from moshing. Or Cowboy Mouth at the same show. He climbed the rafters and made the whole crowd sit down and jump up all together. Or Amazing Royal Crowns at the same show. I did the worm through the circle pit, then asked Leslie Fram to skank with me … she turned me down. :/

Gig you would most like to play?

Playing at The Tabernacle would be a dream. Opening for Foo Fighters has always been something I associated with success. It’d be rad to sing with Joe Cocker or Lee Dorsey on stage.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

immy Hendrix, Motörhead, & Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Catch Death on Two Wheels with Sleeper Agent at The Basement at Graveyard Tavern, Thursday May 17th 

What’s Up Wednesday?

By Eileen Tilson/ @tktalt_tn

Sorry for the late start guys, there is some jerk cold that keep trying to sneak into my system, making it increasingly hard for me to keep my eyes open! But I am determined not to get sick for the holidays! Here is your Wednesday update on all things music in our fine city.

-Join the wonderful folks at ATL Collective as they host their monthly album show at Eddie’s Attic. Tonight they present covers of Burl Ives’, “Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!” Featuring performances by: The Shadowboxers, Eliot Bronson, Lauren St. Jane, and Death on Two Wheels.

-Those crazy folks in the Atlanta Funk Society will be getting down tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-Ex-deadboy and the Elephantmen and ex-Acid Bath’s Dax Riggs will be at The Earl tonight, with featured performances by Andrew Combs.

-Gotta love the 529, they are always so much cooler than the rest of us! Tonight they present : Rockin’ Christmas at 529, where if you come dressed as Santa, you could win some swag. Performances tonight from Accidents, Where’s Your Fire, Tiger, and Young Antiques. 

Whatta Ya Thankful Fer? Death On Two Wheels; Playing The Stuffing, Nov. 23

By Eileen Tilson/ @tktalt_tn

What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving? Is it the food, family, and the ever so pleasant effects of tryptophan after filling your belly with turkey? Well for us it is The Stuffing, and i don’t mean the squishy bready stuff. Next wednesday, November 23, our favorite boys Manchester Orchestra & Favorite Gentlemen Recordings are excited to announce their 2nd annual thanksgiving celebration – THE STUFFING! Hosted at the Center Stage Complex, tickets are only $25 and that gets you access to all three venues (Vinyl, The Loft, Center Stage). This year’s lineup is pretty stellar and includes: Manchester Orchestra, Cage The Elephant, The Dear Hunter, Kevin Devine,  O’Brother, All Get Out, Death On Two Wheels, Harrison Hudson, Right Away, Great Captain!, Gobotron, A: The Color, Big Jesus,  and Junior Astronomers. Leading up to the show Atlanta Music Guide will be asking all the bands just what they are thankful this year. First up, our dear friend Trae Vedder from Death On Two Wheels.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

First, we slay The Stuffing with all of our FG brethrens. Soon thereafter, I board a plane to NYC first thing in the morn to spend Thanksgiving with my ladyfriend. She, a veggie-lover, myself, a southern bread traditional sort, but we’re all good, our combined menu serves us both well. It’s our first time cooking an entire holiday meal all on our own, should be interesting, wish us luck!

Describe your perfect Thanksgiving meal.

Fried turkey by my Pops, chicken pie by my Ma, dressing from my Grandma, chocolate cake by my Granny … deviled eggs by somebody, and a bucket of KFC extra crispy from the laziest aunt/uncle/cousin in the room … throw in some kind of casserole, some macaroni, black eyed peas, mash pototoes, and turnip greens … and maybe some homemade ice cream and/or carrot cake. Seconds? Yes, please!

What’s your most memorable Thanksgiving?

We were on tour and homeless on the west coast for Thanksgiving a few years back. We actually slept in the van and on the beach (armed with pocket knives) in Santa Monica on Thanksgiving Eve. We were recording with our pals Ned and Taylor from Rooney at the time. They headed out of town for the holiday weekend, but before doing so, offered us full and free reign over their home. A genuine gesture that will never be forgotten, and a classic case of friends becoming family, forever thankful Browers! Alas, we wanted some vegetables for Thanksgiving, but had no budget for a real deal meal, but Papa John’s was open and the rest won’t do it…PIZZA FOR THANKSGIVING, BOOM!

What are you the most thankful for?

I’m thankful for an extremely loving and supportive family. That sounds like a generic answer, but it’s simply the truth. They are always there for me, and stand by me, through each and every one of the ups, downs, and in-betweens. I can’t imagine having a better family to call my own, and I love them from the bottom of my heart. I’m also incredibly thankful for each of my fellow band members, thank you for being you Paul, Greg, J., and Dan!

What’s Up Thursday?

By Eileen Tilson/ @tktalt_tn

Congratulations to Gregg Allman and the Zac Brown Band for representing Georgia right last night at the CMA awards doing an amazing version of our state song!  This week has been such a blast, and now we are officially about to roll into the weekend. If you need some help kicking off your plans, here are some fun shows to check out.

- Nathan Angelo is worth seeing. Not only has this talented musician toured with the likes of the Fray, Zac Brown Band, Marc Broussard and Matt Wertz, he is also an incredibly nice person! Support this home town boy, tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-If you are feeling a little scrappy tonight, saunter yourself over to the Masquerade where Ben Nichols will be spitting the truth with his band Lucero. Joining them is Atlanta’s own, Death on Two Wheels.

-Indie-rock veterans, Mister Heavenly, will be playing at The Earl tonight with Mr. Dream. Hopefully their music won’t live up to the same characteristics as their names suggest!

-Do you like southern inspired funk? I sure do, which is I love me some Delta Saints, who will be playing tonight at Vinyl with Jeremy Aggers. 

-For our own little soul inspired funk, make sure and check out Atlanta’s son, Ben Deignan, will be shaking his tail feathers tonight as part of the Live at the Loews Atlanta Hotel.

What’s Up Wednesday?

Before I tell you about all the awesome happenings in Atlanta tonight, please forgive me for the inconsistency of posts! I know I have been all over the place lately, but computers are back up and running, and we should be right back on track! So without further ado, here are some awesome musical events to keep you entertained tonight.

-The Queen Bee of the 80′s, Cyndi Lauper, will be having a whole lot of fun at the Cobb Energy Centre tonight.

-Oh, and tonight at The Earl, Charlotte’s own Benji Hughes will be doing it up right. You might remember some of his songs from hit shows like  90210 and How I Met Your Mother. With a new record out, this is a show not to be missed!

-Everyone’s fave Perez Hilton approved celebrity boyfriend, turned Coy-friend, Ryan Cabrera is showing his softer side tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-One of my FAVORITE nights in Atlanta, is at Eddie’s Attic tonight. The ATL Collective presents the Beatles Revolver, featuring performances from Death on Two Wheels, Micah Dalton, and Molly Parden.

-There are some talented singer/songwriters playing tonight at Wonderroot. If you find yourself in the West End tonight, make sure and check out Allison Weiss, Bess Rogers, Places To Hide, Night Driving in Small Towns.

-Canadian pop duo, PS I Love You will be fuzz popping it up at the 529. Joining them will be Mood Rings and Red Sea.

On Sale Today: Manchester Orchestra’s 2nd Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Celebration “The Stuffing”

By Eileen Tilson

Local boys, Manchester Orchestra are spreading the holiday cheer again with their annual,”The Stuffing” showing returns to the Center Stage Atlanta music complex on November 23, featuring Manchester Orchestra, Cage The Elephant, White Denim, The Dear Hunter, All Get Out, Death on Two Wheels, Gobotron, Right Away Great Captain!, Harrison Hudson, A: The Color, Big Jesus, Jr. Astronomers & more!

Tickets on sale, today, Tuesday, Oct 4 – $25 General admission

Center Stage Schedule:
White Denim
Cage The Elephant
Manchester Orchestra

The Loft Schedule:

Death On Two Wheels
All Get Out
The Dear Hunter

Vinyl Schedule:
Jr Astronomers
Big Jesus
A: The Color
Harrison Hudson
Gobotron / Right Away Great Captain!

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: Lauryn Hill, Broken Social Scene, Death On Two Wheels and More!

- Center Stage just announced that musical recluse (who is slowly coming back out into the open) Lauryn Hill will be playing the venue January 14. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, December 23 at 10 a.m.

- Indie rock collective Broken Social Scene is coming to The Buckhead Theatre February 10. Tickets are on sale now!

- Our very own local rawkers Death On Two Wheels have given us all a lovely little gem of a Christmas present – a free download of their cover of “Jingle Bell Rock”! You can download it for free HERE.

- After seeing all those tax breaks for film makers in Georgia, the music industry folks around here have founded nonprofit organization Georgia Music Partners to try and get some of that incentive action for studios and the like. It seems like the main issue is that “The Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment tax credit, which is credited with driving business to the state, does not address major segments of the music industry, such as sound recording or live entertainment,” according to the organization’s press release. We’re looking forward to seeing how they’re going to sort this all out for our hard-working musicians, producers, club-owners and everyone else with a piece of the Georgia Music Pie.

- The Modern Lovers proto-punk legend Jonathan Richman plays two shows at The Highland Inn Ballroom February 18 and 19. Tickets are on sale now!

Manchester Orchestra Bring Their Favorite Gentlemen to Center Stage on Thanksgiving Eve

We’re super-excited to hear that Manchester Orchestra’s label Favorite Gentlemen is going to be putting on an awesome Thanksgiving feast. A feast of bands that is! On Wednesday, November 24, Manchester Orchestra will be taking the stage with bands like Dead Confederate, Kevin Devine, Death On Two Wheels, Harrison Hudson, All Get Out and more at the Center Stage Complex. Oh and there will also be a killer Midnight DJ Party after Manchester Orchestra finish their headline set. Phew. Should be a great night that will surely get you enough of an appetite to stuff your face with all the usual turkey nonsense the next day.

Win Tickets to Death On Two Wheels at The Masquerade, July 30!

As we’ve mentioned before, Atlanta rockers Death On Two Wheels are kicking off their tour with The Rocketboys at The Masquerade on July 30. And we have a pair of tickets to give away for the show – just fill out the form below for your chance to win.

Bits and Bobs: Matisyahu, Death on Two Wheels, Helen Mirren, Last Chance Runaround, Dark Night of the Soul

- Matisyahu will be joined by the new reincarnation of Sublime, Sublime with Rome, for a super-mellow night of reggae at The Masquerade on July 23.

- Tickets are now on sale for Kenny Leon’s True Colors 2010-2011 season. And if you order your subscription by July 15, you’ll get two free tickets for the always-popular Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity. The offer expires tomorrow (Thursday, July 15) so get on this now. More information here.

- Local rock ‘n’ roll heroes Death on Two Wheels will be kicking off their summer tour with The Rocketboys at The Masquerade on July 30.

- Our favorite harp-wielding folk rock duo Last Chance Runaround will be playing Decatur’s ace watering hole Twain’s on … Continue Reading

The Fat Boy Chronicles Taps Into the ATL Music Scene For Soundtrack – Movie Premier June 30 at The Plaza Theater

Inspired by a true story, The Fat Boy Chronicles reveals the emotionally painful world obese teens experience in the face of a thin-obsessed society. At age 14, 5’5″ Jimmy weighs in at 187 pounds. Outside the comfort of his family and church, life for Jimmy is a constant struggle. The cruel taunts of his classmates make going to school or playing sports a humiliating experience. Yet, he still manages to focus on his goals — to lose weight and win over the girl of his dreams.

Music Supervisor for the film, Kim Burdges (Mixtape Atlanta), tapped into the Atlanta music scene to create the perfect soundtrack for The Fat Boy Chronicles. Atlanta bands such as Weapons of Audio, Death On Two Wheels, Y-O-U, The Judies and All Get Out are featured in the film.

Mixtape Atlanta and Tin Roof Films present The Atlanta Premiere of The Fat Boy Chronicles. Cast, filmmakers, bands from the soundtrack, and other notables are all coming out to celebrate the release of this featured film based on the popular book by the same name.

Red carpet starts at 7 p.m.  and the film starts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket to premiere includes free admission to after-part/concert at Vinyl featuring performances by All Get Out and Weapons of Audio. Both bands’ music is featured in the film.

CD Review: Death On Two Wheels — Again for the First Time EP

By Eric Chavez

Let’s face it, Separation of Church & Fate led many fans to want more.  Now Death on Two Wheels are back at it again with Again for the First Time. With just a handful of songs, the EP is rather short, even for an EP, but like many EPs, the disc gives fans something to chew on, and done so without the extra fat. We all enjoy the LPs, but honestly, the longer the record, the more chances for filler.

The EP is most enjoyable when Death on Two Wheels calms things down and not try too hard. The opener and closer, “Calling Us All Back Home” and “Two Dollar Bills,” smooth the edges of this otherwise rocky road. The latter more is reminiscent of 80’s rock ballads and “Calling Us All Back Home” calls on The Beatles for inspiration. Everything about the song, from the psychedelic breaks, to the acoustic rock sound, drips with the rhythm of The Fab Four. … Continue Reading

AMG SXSW Q & A with Trae Vedder of Death On Two Wheels

We’re always happy when bands we love start making the transition from local band to touring band to signed band. Atlanta’s Death On Two Wheels has made those transitions. Recently signed to Favorite Gentlemen (Manchester Orchestra, All Get Out, Kevin Devin), Death On Two Wheels has had a rather enjoyable ride. As the lads prep for an exciting week of music in Austin, we sent our SXSW Q & A to DO2W front man, Trae Vedder.

You’re soon to be on the road to SXSW! According to Google maps, the trip from ATL to Austin = approx. 16 hours driving. What are your three essential road trip albums?

The Whigs – Mission Control
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Soundtrack

Fast food, gas station snacks, local diners – where are you most likely to stop for grub on this trip?

Pilot & Loves.
Preferably the ones with Subways and McDonalds.  We never refill our sweet tea at different locations.

There is a band playing at every venue, bar and BBQ joint in Austin – who are you most excited to see?

Dawes, Danielson, Andrew W.K., Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Madi Diaz, The Walkmen, 40 Watt / Athens Party, Wax Fang

Bring them sweet tea and catch Death On Two Wheels at SXSW:

RedGorilla Music Festival
The Blind Pig Pub
317 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Wednesday, March 17 3 p.m.

Favorite Gentlemen / Ticket Alternative Showcase
The Belmont
305 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Thursday, March 18 Midnight

RedGorilla Music Festival
The Blind Pig Pub
317 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Saturday, March 19 3 p.m.

Win a Pair of Tickets for Death On Two Wheels with US Royalty at 529 on March 13

We have a pair of tickets AND a digital download of their album to give away for Death On Two Wheels‘ show with US Royalty at 529 on March 13. Simply email us at win@ticketalternative.com with “DeathOnTwoWheels” in the subject for your chance to win the tickets.