Posts Tagged ‘Atlanta’

NEIGHBOR LADY – ” Oh Honey / Let It Bleed “

Posted: April 21, 2018 in MUSIC
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Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Neighbor Lady‘s new track “Oh Honey” starts off with a guitar riff that makes me feel like I’m in an old soda pop store in the 1950s. Girls walking around in big poodle skirts, fresh melts being served, and “Oh Honey” is playing in the background on the jukebox. Neighbor Lady is Emily Braden, Jack Blauvelt, Merideth Hanscom, and Andrew McFarland. Their debut LP, Maybe Later, consists of seven songs and drops May 11,

The track moves between two worlds. The first being really chill and simple sounding verses. Inviting you to relax, calm down and really listen to the lyrics. The second world is a more rebellious and in your face chorus, that brings with it powerful and honest lyrics.

The music video for Oh Honey is shot entirely on an iPhone 8 by the band. It seems like it was shot when the band was on tour and just messing around together. There are shots of the band playing in playgrounds, basket ball courts and next to a lake. What stands out is the use of color. From a rainbow umbrella to the band smearing different colored paints on glass,the use of color takes a leading role in this music video.

This video also has cats –wait for it–and dogs! Cats rolling around in leaves, dogs in the bath and being carried. What else could you want! The cats and dogs, images of the band dancing in the street, them chillin’ on the beach and climbing trees, gives the video a “home movie,” kind of feel. Comforting to watch but fun and powerful to listen to.

Their second single offering, Oh Honey, and it’s something of a departure from the almost bleak, emotionally draining brilliance of Let It Bleed. Here there’s more of a classic pop feel to proceedings; the pronounced, percussive piano, intricate country-influenced guitar work and propulsive drum beats could almost lure you into thinking this is actually quite upbeat. Thankfully, like, let’s face it, nearly all the best music, there’s still a touch of the darkness, Emily Braden’s stunningly melodic vocal, sharing a tale of a friendship fallen apart at the hands of a shared romantic interest. A mixture of barbed put downs and genuine regrets, it’s a track that walks from guilt to defiance and back again. Neighbor Lady are only two tracks in, could be a new name to watch.

OMNI – ” Sunset Preacher “

Posted: April 19, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Omni Release Sharp New Single "Sunset Preacher" Off New 7"

Atlanta post-punk trio Omni are back with a sharp new song, “Sunset Preacher,” off their new 7-inch. Sunset Preacher b/w Confessional, which follows 2017’s Multi-Task LP, is out April 20 via Chunklet.

Max Freedman called Multi-Task a collection of “hectic but contained collages of young, restless, lonely, and broke twenty-somethings overextending their way through life.” “Sunset Preacher” continues in that vein, finding the band ripping up their signature nimble sound and starting again. Its rhythmic breakdown is sleek yet aggressive, with bright guitar shrieks and pulsing beats.

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RAZOR BOYS – ” Razor Boys “

Posted: February 15, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Even though few have heard of Atlanta’s Razor Boys they can easily be considered trailblazers to the 80s glam rock scene. Dating back to as early as 1975 the Razor Boys were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They recorded their debut album in 1978 but the deep south obviously wasn’t very keen on a band of boys with teazed hair, scarves and makeup playing sleazy punk rock; that was more suited to Los Angeles or New York. As for timing, well the New York Dolls had played their final show in December of 1976, and Marc Bolan was killed in a car crash in September of 1977. Glam was in trouble.

There were way too many legendary punk records released in 1978 to mention but by that time glam leaning punk rock didn’t have much of a hold. Sure the The Sweet had a huge hit in 1979 and Slade released the wicked Slade Alive 2, but the Razor Boys played way heavier and sleazier rock and roll than either of those bands. They were more MC5 and Stooges, than bubblegum.

The next wave the Razor Boys could have ridden was the hair rock scene of the early 80s had they waited about 5 years. Bands like Mötley Crüe and Hanoi Rocks managed to blast off and make it a career but again, the Razor Boys were more raw and punk than Hanoi, and less metal than Crüe – think a heavier Teenage Head (who had long hair and wore makeup too).

The Razor Boys had the look down, they had the sound down – they just couldn’t get a deal and the record was never released. It’s a similar story to the Hollywood Brats who had broken up in 1974 well before their album was finally released in 1980.

So here we are, 2018 and Chicago’s HoZac Archival Records has unearthed the Razor Boys’ debut and released it digitally and as a black vinyl pressing of 500 copies with printed inner sleeve. Only 40 years late but  man is it worth the wait!

Opener “Toys” rocks with an Ace Frehley riff and a T Rex swagger, “Sweet Chablis” sounds like early Aerosmith soaked in Dixie moonshine. “Ragamuffin” is a dirty punked out Stooges/Dead Boys jam, while “Shakin’ It All the Time” is the most Teenage Head track here, Chuck Berry riffs and all. “Get Rich Quick” is a trashy rock and roll number with some wild drumming and “Needle Fever” sounds like a lost track from L.A.M.F.

Perhaps they mined their roots a little for “Shitfaced” with its southern rock strut and bastardized riff from Skynyrd’s “What’s Your Name“. “Wolf Spider” and “The Last Rocker” are trashy Electric Warrior rockers and “Highschool” cops an early Generation X feel even though the two were contemporaries.

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So as you can see, the Razor Boys were there. They were knocking on the door, they could’ve been contenders. They’d even opened for the likes of the Dead Boys, the Ramones, and Bon Scott era AC/DC. It’s too bad no one answered the door because “Atlanta 1978” is the embodiment of killer trashy punk and roll.

Chaz Westbrook (vocals), Bobby Werblin (drums), Dee Minor (bass), Ronnie Razor (guitar and vocals)

ART SCHOOL JOCKS – ” Art School Jocks ” EP

Posted: February 10, 2018 in MUSIC
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Art School Jocks

Art School Jocks is a self described “existential basement pop” band from Atlanta, Georgia. Ali Bragg (drums, vox), Camille Lindsley (bass, vox), Deborah Hudson (guitar, vox) and Dianna Settles (guitar, vox) began playing together in late summer/early fall 2015. Song themes vary spanning from romantic love to sociopolitical concerns, to mental wellness.

Art School Jocks all girl group that describe their music as “existential basement pop.” Their songs tell of the frustrations that are rooted in womanhood, from not feeling safe when walking alone at night, to having to be nice to a man just because it is expected from you. The emotionally fueled lyrics are paired with fuzzy guitars  deadpan vocals and harmonies from all four.

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STARBENDERS – ” Blood “

Posted: February 5, 2018 in MUSIC
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Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Starbenders are the half way home for misunderstood misfits, fringers and glam punks. Front-woman, Kimi Shelter and her gang have concocted a perfect alchemic blend of androgynous rock and roll power with “stuck in your brain” pop melodies. Imagine David Bowie playing 7 minutes in heaven with Debbie Harry.

Shelter began working with producer, Nico Constantine (Lady Gaga , Program The Dead, Institution Records) in 2014 who encouraged her to start a band. Aaron Lecesne was the first call Shelter made. The duo were best of friends and had intense music crushes on each other. The genesis of Starbenders took form. Guitarist, Kriss Tokaji, entered the scene in early 2015 after the band witnessed him laying waste to a guitar at a shitty house party in the middle of no where. “We couldn’t believe our ears and eyes! Our prayers had been answered!”, beams Shelter. The dream line up crystallized in 2017 with the entrance of drummer, Emily Moon. “It was the final piece to the puzzle. The band was in the middle of a transition and I thought to check craigslist of all places when I came across Emily’s ad.” shared Lecesne. After responding to the band’s cryptic email, Moon met up with them that same night. It was love at first site.

Band Members
Kimi Shelter – lead vox/guitars
Aaron Lecesne – bass
Emily Moon – drums
Kriss Tokaji- guitars/vox

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA – ” A Black Mile to the Surface “

Posted: January 15, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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They may hail from Atlanta, Georgia, but Manchester Orchestra’s British indie rock influences — certainly not limited to their band name — spill out all over their fifth full-length album. Their sound doesn’t derive from the airtight punk influences of decades past; rather, there’s an anthemic, widescreen feel to nearly every song on A Black Mile to the Surface.

Over a decade on from their debut, Manchester Orchestra still easily strike the fear of God into their listeners. The Andy Hull-led project has never been about quiet devastation – it’s about the extremities of the emotional spectrum and the internal conflicts that come with going there. “The Gold” immediately asserted itself as a career-best track for the band in the lead-up to the release of A Black Mile to the Surface. Indeed, as excellent as that record was, it never quite scaled the same heights elsewhere on its tracklisting. Heavenly harmonies, heart-on-sleeve lyrics and strikingly-beautiful arrangements: “The Gold,”

“The Gold” tumbles along with an intricate, syncopated beat, occasionally stopping dead in its tracks as Hull emotes the hook: “I believed you were crazy / You believe that you loved me.” Elsewhere a dark, almost apocalyptic feel invades songs like “The Moth”, where the intertwining guitar and drums loom over the vocals, creating an urgent texture. “There’s a way out / There’s a way in,” Hull repeats insistently.

Manchester Orchestra — singer/songwriter/guitarist Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince, and drummer Tim Very — bring a great deal of skill and vitality to their rock formula.

The band occasionally dials down the dramatics in favor of more low-key arrangements, such as on “The Alien”, where the heavy surrealism of the lyrics is paired up with indie folk tropes like muted drums and a heavy acoustic vibe. The song wraps up with a dream-like coda that somehow evokes the hypnotic harmonies of Elliott Smith. Clearly, Manchester Orchestra have their influences cut out for them. “The Part”, one of the album’s eloquent highlights, is all heavily reverberated vocals accompanied by stark acoustic guitar. The song’s chorus (“I still want to know each part of you”) is simple and unadorned but underscores the deep level of emotion the band is working with.

A Black Mile to the Surface may get knocked for being a downer, an almost self-conscious one. But for all the melodrama, there’s plenty of smart arrangements and well-crafted musical ideas released on July 29th, 2017 through Loma Vista Recordings

FLAMINGO SHADOW – ” Riding On The Wind “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Flamingo Shadow are in their own words “a genre-hopping, tropical punk band”. Recently the band released their new single, Riding On The Wind, their first new material since their 2016 debut EP, Vibe Control.

The track is a beautiful merging of styles, the vocal has a bright new-wave quality, fluttering above tremulous guitars that float ethereally around frenetic bass-lines and driving, post-punk influenced beats. It builds to a thrilling crescendo as the vocal becomes an impassioned yelp, repeating the line, “I’m good man, don’t you worry”, as the music swells to a brilliantly energetic finale. With an as yet untitled debut album on the way in the Spring, Flamingo Shadow sound like a band ready for huge things in the coming year.

Riding On The Wind is out now. Click HERE for more information on Flamingo Shadow.

OMNI – ” Multi-Task “

Posted: December 28, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Multi-Task couldn’t be a more perfect name for Omni’s sophomore LP and follow-up to 2016 debut Deluxe. It’s the musical and lyrical equivalent of everything happening at once. With newly sharp production and even jerkier guitars than before, guitarist (and former Deerhunter member) Frankie Broyles, bassist/vocalist Philip Frobos and drummer Doug Bleichner create hectic but contained collages of young, restless, lonely, and broke twentysomethings overextending their way through life. Of special note is how much anxiety Omni can impart with so few elements. “Date Night” which chronicles the worries over an expensive romantic encounter, uses one guitar, bass, and a drum kit to successfully convey his mental state. “Tuxedo Blues” gets by on a pounding drum line and the album’s shrillest guitar work, Frobos’s bass again taking a backseat as he recounts a fairly eventful and stressful evening.

The COATHANGERS – ” Captain’s Dead “

Posted: December 21, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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In June, Atlanta punk trio The Coathangers released their “Parasite” EP, which comes a little over a year after their last long player, Nosebleed Weekend. So far we’ve heard “Captain’s Dead,” and now the band has released a creepy accompanying video for the track.

Directed by Matt Odom, the clip has guitarist-vocalist Julia Kugel, drummer Stephanie Luke and bassist Meredith Franco in full cheerleader garb, except this pep rally isn’t like any you attended in high school. The Coathangers’ squad is gothic and ghoulish  maybe even a little undead.

“The song is about a very interesting and difficult time of personal transition that happened at the end of last year, which coincided with a changing political climate ushered in by the election of Donald Trump as president,” Kugel  says. “It was like the Trump ethos of savage ignorance was taking over every aspect of life, and then a realization that all things do circle and come back. The reward for malicious action is often a bag of shit, one way or another.

The video was shot by good friend and longtime Coathangers collaborator Matt Odom in and around our house in Long Beach. The badass cheerleaders were a play on the whole captain of the squad thing. We wanted this video to be a bit random and weird to the observer, yet the clip soaked in personal meaning. feels a bit like a feverish nightmare… a hex on assholes.”

ALGIERS – ” The Underside of Power “

Posted: November 7, 2017 in MUSIC
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“I heard someone say once that you don’t know what real power is until you’re on the wrong side of it,” Algiers front man Franklin Fisher has said about his band’s title track to the album The Underside of Power, came out on June 23rd via Matador Records. The psych-soul troubadours are mindful of privilege — who has it and who does not here, choosing to point out how the have-nots are particularly vulnerable to those in positions of authority. “I’ve seen the dead walk among the living,” Fisher sings against a stomping beat, reminding us to look beyond our individual and collective bubbles.

Responsible for one of the most critically applauded LPs of the year The Underside Of Power, US experimental ‘dystopian soul’ quartet Algiers will play the U.K in November.
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia and featuring former Bloc Party sticksman Mat Tong among their ranks, The Underside Of Power scored unanimous praise, Clash lauding the disc ‘It is one of the year’s very best albums, and sets out Algiers as one of the decade’s very best bands’.
Signed to US indie powerhouse Matador (Savages, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo), the LP was produced by Adrian Utley of cherished group influence Portishead.  Fronted by the stunning vocals of Franklin James Fisher, their lyrics draw inspiration from the present tumultuous age, the group’s music a dazzling combination of classic sixties soul and post-punk experimentation influenced by Afrobeat, Big Black, Public Image Limited and Nina Simone, alongside the film scores of John Carpenter and Wendy Carlos.
With the new album surely set to be a staple of the year end lists and a European stadium tour opening for Depeche Mode recently completed, 2017 is shaping up to be Algiers’ biggest year to date.
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