Atlanta Music Guide

Team Luis Presents The Bohannons and More @ Star Bar, July 11

We strongly recommend checking out this show at Star Bar on Saturday night. Luis has impeccable taste, and these bands look hot to trot:

Alive Records' Left Lane Cruiser
UK's High Plane Drifters (music featured on "CSI Miami")
Chattanooga's The Bohannons

Texas country punk Restavrant

Black Keys’ Drummer Patrick Carney's New Band Drummer @ EARL, October 16 - Free Song Download

Drummer, the new band from Black Keys' Patrick Carney, is coming to The EARL on October 16, just after the September 29 release of the debut record from the band, Feel Good Together. We have a little taste of what to expect from the album in the form of a free download of the title track, which is available here. And, by the sounds of it, you can expect some nice fuzzy guitars, a good college rock sound, dreamy vocals and, obviously, some great, enigmatic, hypnotic drumming.

The band also has members from Teeth of the Hydra, Party of Helicopters, Beaten Awake, Houseguest and Six Parts Seven. All past drummers. You can buy tickets for The EARL show on Ticket Alternative starting Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m.

Free Download for Today The Moon, Tomorrow the Sun's "Never Always Good (Free Magic Remix)"

It's nearing the end of the week and for many of us it's also getting to that time when we need a little boost to see us unto the weekend. Luckily Atlanta's own Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is here to give us that much-needed shove. That shove comes in the form of a free download of "Never Always Good," remixed by Brooklyn DJ Free Magic. Download the song here.

The band has a ton of Atlanta dates coming up so be sure to catch them lots this summer. They'll be at the Drunken Unicorn July 10, The Graveyard July 18, Star Bar July 23, 529 August 3, and finally back to Drunken Unicorn August 20 (tickets for that gig available here).

CD Review: Dave Daniels -- Just Like Ghosts

Dave Daniels
Just Like Ghosts

By Al Kaufman

Atlantan, by way of Florida, Dave Daniels has a cute little story in the liner notes of his CD. It seems he was arrested for jaywalking and when the jail guard asked him what type of music he played, he couldn't answer him. The angry guard locked him up for the night. Daniels ends his story with this line: "On this record, finally, I can answer him with just one word: American."

A3C's URB Showcase Announced! October 2 @ 529

We've just gotten the lineup for the first showcase of the A3C Hip Hop Festival, coming up this fall in East Atlanta. The URB Showcase will featuring B.o.B. AKA Bobby Ray, Spree Wilson, Buff 1 and Those Chosen, and will take place at 529 on October 2. Tickets for the festival are already available on Ticket Alternative.

CD Review: Elonzo -- All My Life

Elonzo
All My Life

By Eileen Tilson

Dan Bourdeau, drummer for South Carolina band Elonzo, explains that a lot of the inspiration his wife and brother-in-law received in putting together their debut album, All My Life, comes from the post-Victorian home on E. White St. in Rock Hill, S.C., that the three of them live in: “It remains beautiful despite being a bit dilapidated.” This illusion provides the perfect back drop to Elonzo’s sound. Despite the fact that their songs are simple and dripping of sad introspection of a self proclaimed sinner, they are an honest representation of a sweet southern town, in which time seems to stand still.

CANCELED: Vampire Lezbos at Drunken Unicorn on July 8

Tonight's Vampire Lezbos show at Drunken Unicorn has been canceled. No word on whether or not it will be rescheduled yet.

CD Review: Drew Smith -- Drew Smith's Lonely Choir

Drew Smith
Drew Smith's Lonely Choir
Fat Caddy Records

By Al Kaufman

Austinite Drew Smith is everything that's right with CDs, both musically and aesthetically. For the visual sense, this is a gorgeous CD. Dave Schwab's intricate pen and ink drawings are whimsical, and the artistry on the liner notes is brilliant. This is a wonderfully packaged CD.

What is so amazing is that the music is just as great. Andrew Smith is a gifted songwriter who wears his influences on his sleeve. In case you wondered who they are, he opens the CD with the bouncy piano tune, "Nilsson Sings Newman," about a loserish guy who thinks his life will get a little better if he can convince his girlfriend to listen to Harry's album of Randy's songs.

The Tom Collins Reunion, The Minus 5 and More for The EARL

We have a few awesome shows just announced for The EARL that we think are worth bringing to your attention.

First up is the reunion show for The Tom Collins, an Atlanta band who everyone has been waiting to awaken from their slumber. They'll play with Ponderosa on August 21, and tickets are available at Ticket Alternative.

Dark glam rockers Sleepy Sun will be joining Atlanta's NEC on September 5. You can get your tickets here now.

The Fruit Bats will be bringing their twee indie folk rock on September 6. Get your tickets at Ticket Alternative.

And finally, The Minus 5 (yes, that Minus 5, with album guest spots from members of Wilco and The Decemberists) will be touring with current members Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon. They'll be stopping in Atlanta on September 27. Check out the marvellous bit of college pop goodness above in the form of the band's video for "Groove Supply." Tickets are on sale on Ticket Alternative now.

Limited Number of $33 A3C Three-Day Passes Available!

We have a limited amount of $33 three-day passes for the upcoming A3C Hip Hop Festival up for sale on Ticket Alternative right now, which get you priority access to many of the shows, as well as early access and entry to other special events, so get them fast before the full-price ones come along.

Cobra Starship @ Vinyl, August 19 - On Sale Wednesday, July 8 at Noon!

Known for their previous associations with Pete Wentz and currently for having Leighton Meester feature on their latest track "Good Girls Go Bad," Cobra Starship have been making waves with some pretty famous friends. But they're keeping their fans of their own accord, with some killer songs grabbing the attention - and keeping it - of many.

The band plays Vinyl with Friday Night Boys, The Plasticines and DJ Skeet on August 19. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, July 8 at Ticket Alternative.

Music Man--I've Got Friends (For Now)

I find and develop bands for a major label. People often ask me what a typical day looks like for someone who does what I do. The truth is there isn’t a typical day. Each day is very different from the next, each day is unpredictable…

A couple of months ago I flew to Chicago to meet an artist that a friend of mine told me about. He sent me her music over iChat one afternoon, and I instantly loved what I heard. It took me back to early nineties-era Liz Phair or Sheryl Crow. The attitude was cool, the lyrics (which she also wrote) were mature, and the song itself sounded like something I would listen to regularly. It sounded like something everyone would listen to regularly. He then told me the artist’s age…ELEVEN. I couldn’t believe it. Given the caliber of music I would have put money on her being in her early to mid-twenties with a lot of song-writing under her belt, but nope-ELEVEN. I had to see for myself so I quickly booked a trip to Chicago to meet her and her, well, parents (I can honestly say that this was the first time I met an artist that was interested in working with whose parents were my age). I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to there, but it turns out she was the real deal. She had a solid voice live, she was a good guitar player, and she had that “it” factor that we all look for, but can’t quite place our finger on what “it” is.

CD Review: Yourself and the Air -- Friend of all Breeds EP

Yourself and the Air

Friend of all Breeds EP

Hands Organic

By Samantha Parvin

If “indie” has come to describe a particular style of music, Yourself and the Air are the poster children for the genre. The Friend of all Breeds five-song EP is polished and well-rehearsed; it makes sense, which is less easy to find these days than one may think. The milieu of sounds created by sturdy drums, rhythm and lead guitars, and precise vocals painted with semi-heavy effects is satisfying and lacks little. “So You’ve Come to Mingle” features a glockenspiel and “Less is Less” has a triangle, which adds a magical, ultra-pop dynamic. 

CD Review: Lord Cut-Glass -- Lord Cut-Glass

Lord Cut-Glass

Lord Cut-Glass

Chemikal Underground

By Julia Reidy

Ex-Delgado Alun Woodward’s lilting Scottish accent wraps itself around the haunting, intricate instrumental arrangements in his songs. His debut LP under the moniker Lord Cut-Glass — named for a character in the radio play Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas — turns seamlessly from folk to waltz to military march to a ditty about being the “product of the modern man.” Each song is a fleshed-out stand-alone composition, a full story and an entire piece of music in its own right. Listening to Lord Cut-Glass as an album feels like being at the theater; one can almost feel the velvet of the curtains and the see the glow of the stage lights.

Maybe it’s because most of the phrasing seems directly derivative of theatrical song composition in the best way. Woodward plays with tempo and volume in a manner that creates interest and tension, helped in his efforts by drummer Paul Savage (also formerly of The Delgados), as well as a large collection of Glasgow classical musicians. Together, they man a toy piano, a full horn section, an accordion and slews of sweeping strings; they supply choral backup singing to supplement Woodward’s fast-picked acoustic guitar and produce his bizarre mental collages.

Win Tickets for Slightly Stoopid and Snoop Dogg's Blazed and Confused Tour

The Blazed and Confused Tour will be blazing through Atlanta on July 30 when they stop at the Masquerade for a show, bringing along with them Snoop Dogg, Slightly Stoopid and Stephen Marley. We have a couple of pairs of tickets to give away to some lucky winners - just email us win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win.

CD Review: Phoenix -- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Glass Note Records

By Eileen Tilson

When most people visit Paris, they are overwhelmed by how incredibly beautiful and luminescent the “City of Lights” is; the city literally glows, and at night can be a spectacular sight. Ironically, most of these tourists do not realize that underneath Paris lies an entire city of darkness. The Catacombs of Paris house the bones of over six million Parisians, creating a labyrinth of skulls in these old underground quarries. The catacombs are a burial site, illegal party spot, graffiti museum, and unusual respite from the city rolled into one. Not many people realize the great antithesis that is Paris: on the surface bright and romantic, and deep down cryptic and layered. 

Parisian four-piece Phoenix captures this dichotomy in their latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This is the fourth album for the Frenchmen, and is their most creatively complex release yet. Rumor has it that music industry legend Daniel Glass heard the band, and the next morning hopped on a plane to Paris, refusing to leave until they signed with him on Glass Note Records. The record is fast and immediate, making you feel like you are in a secret underground Parisian all night dance party that you never want to leave.

CD Review: The Empties -- The Empties

The Empties
The Empties
Slush Fund Records

By Eileen Tilson

There must be something in the water of Athens. It draws musicians in like the Pied Piper, giving them the belief that maybe one day Micheal Stipe or John Bell is going to walk into Tasty World on the night you are playing and decided to take your band on the road. There is an invisible fortress around the city that likes to proclaim from their towers that Athens is a Music Mecca, and thus everything that comes from Athens has the Midas touch. This was at least the case with longtime friends Ben Willis and Matt Knutson of The Empties, when they decided to pack up their catchy lyrics and pop rock tunes, and leave their hometown of Denver for the mysterious indie-Hollywood known as Athens, Ga.

Ticket Alternative's July 4th Holiday Hours

We're going to be closed Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 in honor of (what else?) the July 4th holiday weekend. Like everyone else we'll be eating burgers and watching fireworks. We'll be back bright and early on Monday. Have fun everybody and stay safe!

Live Review: Dreams So Real at AthFest, June 28

By Scott Roberts; photo by Sue Volkert

During the initial heyday of Athens music back in the early to middle 1980s, most of that city’s bands were purveying either a sort of quirky, danceable artsiness (Pylon, Love Tractor, Method Actors) or a folk-fueled, Southern jangle-pop (REM, Buzz of Delight, Art in the Dark). One band, however, opted for a more muscular, classic-rock approach to their still melodic music that made them stand out from the crowd. That band was Dreams So Real, who reunited for the first time in nearly a decade to play AthFest 2009.

Music Man--Late Night TV

I find and develop bands for a major label. It’s called A&R (Artist & Repertoire). It’s a great job, maybe the greatest in the world, at least in my opinion.  People often ask me what a typical day looks like for someone who does what I do. The truth is, there isn’t a typical day. Every day is very different from the next, each day is unpredictable.

“ATL-LGA”--That’s what my Twitter feed says once or twice a month as I make my way to our New York office for my monthly (or bi-monthly) meetings. The most recent trip was two weeks ago, and it didn't just include the usual meetings I go up for, this trip was way cooler.