THIS FRIDAY. the beep beep gallery is at 696 Charles Allen Dr across Ponce De Leon from the Taco Bell. STARTS AT 9 P.M. AND IS $5. All bands are great and worth your rainy time.
TEENAGE COOL KIDS (DENTON TEXAS)
THE SUNGLASSES (ATL)
SMALL REACTIONS (ATL)
I went out of town for a bit. I’m sure you missed me.
James Joyce of Noot ‘D Noot and the Beyond Failure blog is behind a really interesting project. He is mapping the connection between Atlanta bands of this decade and last in a “genome.” Look at this in the full-screen mode, it’s a little more legible.
And you should be reading the Beyond Failure blog. It’s interesting, obsessive, archival and necessary in order to preserve the history of our scenes for posterity. Good work James!
The Wrister/North Trolls 7″ is now out and should be in some local stores. Wrister played its last show last night with Minneapolis’s Off With Their Heads. There may be an “official” last show in the future, but nothing is certain as of now.
I swear there was something else I wanted to post, but I can’t think of it for the life of me. Welcome to my blog, I take it very seriously.
EDIT: And of course I remembered it later in the day. I was going to mention that Atlas Sound, the electronic-based side-project of Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, will release its new album, Logos, on October 20 via Kranky. I really enjoyed last year’s Let the Blind Lead… (In fact, here’s my glowing review of it). Needless to say I’m looking forward to this new one. I’d post the cover art, but it’s rather embarassing and I think I’m doing us all a greater service by not. Check out a new song here.
DO NOT BE FOOLISH. THE CHOICE IS CLEAR.
HAI. You been looking for me? This is me. Really. I’m purposely not updating this more often. Har har.
Buncha outstanding shows coming up, many featuring Atlanta bands:
Thursday will be the last Bukkake Boys show for 2009 at WonderRoot. The singer, is moving to Narnia for awhile. This will be a locals-packed show, including Predator, Die Ficken and more. There will also be a band from Boston performing, so this mug is $7.
Friday at the EARL is a Chunklet-sponsored show of Harvey Milk and Torche. What a bill! Sure, these are “big” bands, but they’re also “big” Georgia bands! $12 adv/$15 dos.
Saturday is Gentleman Jesse at the EARL…bump that. Go to Apache Cafe and see Edan. Chances are if you’ve ever enjoyed white guys doing hip-hop, you know Edan from his 2005 Beauty and the Beat. BOOM!
Just a heads up, because I’m involved: August 5 at 529 is gonna be a redonkulous show, featuring the North Trolls (who will have a split 7″ with Wrister before the summer’s out), Customers (still ex-Carbonas and Beat Beat Beat) and a fantastical power-pop band from Anaheim, California, The Makeout Party. Check out those tracks; they’re bangers! More info to come!
American Cheeseburger is back together. That was quick. Apparently Jeff Rapier, bassist of Athens metalheads The Dumps has replaced James Greer. So look out for more shows from them in the Athens and Atlanta area soon.
One of my favorite local labels, Army of Bad Luck, has launched a website. Right now it’s pretty sparse, but bookmark (or add to your RSS feeds) this to purchase new releases and get news on shows and upcoming releases.
This weekend will see the third Fringe Binge take over the Star Bar. My man Paul has put a lot of work into it and I’m hoping it goes off without a hitch. I would hope you’re going already, so I’ll just go ahead and post the schedule, courtesy of the Star Bar:
| FRI July 17 |
Reactionary Records Presents FRINGE BINGE III presented by Reactionary Records: 1:00 Poison Arrows 12:15 Stolen Hearts 11:40 Barreracudas 11:00 GG King 10:15 Abby GoGo 9:45 Electric Cycles Downstairs: The Jaguars |
8PM $10 |
| SAT July 18 |
FRINGE BINGE III presented by Reactionary Records: 12:30 Paul Collins Beat 11:30 All Night Drug Prowling Wolves 11:10 Peter Stubb 10:30 Customers 10:00 Predator 9:00 Giant Tigers Downstairs: |
7PM $10 |
(Both words in the post title are real; look them up for fun.)
A t-shirt currently for sale on eBay to defray Bobby Ubangi's funeral costs
More sad news I’m afraid: BJ Womack aka Bobby Ubangi, longtime Atlanta musician/doorman/wild & crazy guy, passed away last night after a year-long battle with terminal lung cancer. It’s said that he passed just as a benefit for his funeral costs was slated to begin, featuring another Renegades “reunion.” Instead, Joe Bradley and Cole Alexander performed a few songs before Bradford Cox and Will Greene joined them on stage. You can watch the full set here. I assume tonight’s sold out Black Lips show at the EARL is still happening. If you’re in Atlanta with no July 4 plans, consider attending the final Carbonas show at 529. Predator, Barreracudas, and The Customers will play, and all proceeds will go to BJ’s funeral costs as well. If you’re not in Atlanta, consider donating either here or here. Both are reputable, 100% trusted avenues to show support to a loved, will-be-missed guy.
When I was in high school and this crop of neo-garage rock was starting up in Atlanta, I would go see bands like the Carbonas and Black Lips and think, “Man these guys suck.” But then I started to see The Lids, who I thought were just great, and despite their girl-group leanings, didn’t act as polished, instead arguing, drinking and blantantly messing up songs onstage. They reminded me so much of San Francisco’s Supercharger, who were just like the coolest band on Earth (and still are), and via the transitive property, I found the Lids to also be the coolest band on the planet, or at least in Atlanta. The 7 Inch Atlanta guy recently reviewed their debut 7″, read up on that to get an idea of what they were going for, then track it down, as well as their LP. They just meant the world to me. Look also for Gaye Blades 7″s, Bobby and the Soft Spots 7″s and the recently-released full-length LP Inside the Mind of Bobby Ubangi on Rob’s House Records. Here is some media for you to check out to familiarize yourself with BJ’s work: Go Bobby Go.
At least he’s not suffering anymore. See ya around dude.
Some other shows you could also check out this weekend:
Tonight at WonderRoot is P.S. Eliot, along with locals Campaign and Ilsa Brown.
Friday is WRAS’s annual benefit concert at Eyedrum. The Spooks, Thy Mighty Contract and Zoroaster will play. They got themselves a great lineup this year and very few music-oriented organizations in Atlanta deserve monetary support more than WRAS. Check it out.
Athens, Ga.’s Georgia Theatre venue caught fire this morning and was damaged extensively. The roof collapsed, and there have thankfully been no reports of injuries. Cause is still unknown. I’m extending my condolences and best wishes to owner Wilmot Greene, as I know the exorbitant amounts of money he has sunk into the venue since becoming owner in 2004, making it one of the pre-eminent jam band/alt-country-focused venues in the country. I’ve had harsh criticism for them in the past, particularly regarding their ticketing policies for rap concerts, vis-a-vis block ticketing, but that’s all in the past.
I’m sure a town like Athens is in a very bad place economically right now and to lose (hopefully only temporarily) one of its main historical attractions, especially the weekend before AthFest, must be devestating. If you do go to Athens for AthFest, you’ll more than likely walk past that block. Do be respectful. Too much bad stuff has happened on that block the past two years.
Best of luck to Greene and the Theatre’s employees.
UPDATE: Not sure his source, but my buddy Josh Weiss is acquainted with Greene and says Greene plans to rebuild as outside walls are still existing.
UPDATE 2: Flagpole is now reporting that a large crack has formed in the outside theater of the wall and the fire marshal is currently unsure about the integrity of the building. Georgia Theatre AthFest shows are in the process of being moved to the Morton Theatre on Washington St. near the 40 Watt.
UPDATE 3: Last year, the indie-pop band Venice is Sinking recorded an album at the Georgia Theatre using just two microphones while playing live on-stage. The album is still unreleased. So now, every bit of funding they earn toward pressing the album will go to the Theatre/Greene. Or something. Details are still a little vague. But I’m sure if you made a contribution/contacted the band, they would fill you in or keep you updated. So that’s an option for the helpless-feeling fans out there.
Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.
AthFest is next weekend, June 25-28. That site has all of the lineups, venue locations and ticketing information you could need. And where to park your brats while you get drunk. Atlanta note: The Black Lips play Friday night on the outdoor stage at 9 p.m. Additional note: Dead Confederate plays before them and sucks.
If you prefer to stay in Atlanta that weekend, Corndogorama will go down in East Atlanta Village. To be frank, you could see every band playing in a month’s span in Atlanta for $5. But corndogs are nice. No, go to Athens. You’ll have fun. I promise.
Actually, if you’re not gonna go to Athens, fuck Corndogorama and come to the show my roommate booked for his band at the Beep Beep Gallery. Austin, TX’s pop-punk band The Anchor is gonna play with Wrister and Fox Trotsky. California’s Dude Jams are also on the bill and we are currently discussing how much they sound exactly like FYP/Toys That Kill (a good thing). Oh yeah, it’s an afternoon BBQ! 5:30 p.m. $5. Near that one Taco Bell.
My buddies are making power moves around town so I wanted to give a little shout. So So Death and Vegan Coke are playing for free at Criminal Records Saturday afternoon. North Trolls and Small Reactions play 529 for free Monday night. Carnivores and Predator play at the Foot Clan HQ Saturday night ($5) with a cool band from Arizona called Francis Harold and the Holograms. The interesting thing is the same time that Vegan Coke joint goes down at Criminal, Francis Harold will play at…Urban Outfitters. And I know you know where that is.
I need a nap.
It’s been a long time, I shouldn’t have left you, without a dope post to step to. Stuff has been happening in the A, for sure, but I didn’t see it necessary to get bogged down in the little things. So here’s what’s coming up that’s gonna be great. I know it.
The Sunglasses just went on tour. If you’re in the Southeast, check their Myspace for dates starting this week. A 7″ should be out on Army of Bad Luck this summer.
Athens’s Chrissakes are soon to release a split 12″ with Baltimore’s The Convocation Of… on the local TransRuin Records, the same label that will also release an LP for the aforementioned Sunglasses this summer (that’s a 7″ and LP on two different labels, folks). I have to plead ignorance to The Convocation’s music, except that it features Tonie Joy, he of legendary punk bands Born Against and Moss Icon, making this one of the coolest things that’s happened to a Georgia underground band in quite some time. Congrats to those dudes, and I hope it sells well. TransRuin appears to be setting itself up to sell these records via Myspace. Stay tuned.
The Customers have their 7″ release show June 2 at the 529. Predator will also play. That 7″ will be on Rob’s House Records, and I’m sure available in most local record stores.
Lastly, I put together a show for next Monday, June 8, at the 529 in East Atlanta Village. It’s gone through many permutations (a New York City band had to cancel), but will now feature Bukkake Boys, Skin Problems and a new noise act I’m unfamiliar with called Pleasure Cruise. As it’s all local, it will be just three or four dollars and get underway at 9 p.m. Come say hello and shake my hand.
If you’ve bought advance tickets for any smaller, independently-produced shows in the area in the past two years, it was probably through the budding Ticket Alternative. I’ve personally been wondering where they came from, who they are and so on for some time, and maybe you have, too. Well, the AJC has the scoop.
You may recall that I included Durham, NC-via-England musician Dan Melchior’s 2008 Christmas for the Crows as one of my top albums of last year. Melchior and his band Das Menace also have a recently released sprawling double-LP entitled Thankyou Very Much that will likely also take a top spot in my yearly list (and is available directly from Dan on Myspace who sends personalized notes with orders). Lucky for Atlantans, he is also an accomplished visual artist whose artwork is currently showcased at Eyedrum. The above image is a sample of his work. You can stop by Eyedrum’s gallery hours Friday, 3 to 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 6 pm. Then he and Das Menace will play with Gentleman Jesse at Eyedrum, Saturday June 13 to celebrate the closing of his exhibition. Exciting!
The Black Lips will play The EARL July 2 to celebrate the EARL’s 10th anniversary. Tickets are available at badearl.com and are apparently going fast. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If Athens music excites you and you’re the type of person who travels there weekly to catch up on new bands and stay informed in that scene, then consider voting in the annual Flagpole Music Awards, to be presented during this year’s Athfest. You have until May 29 to vote, and once you vote, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail that you must respond to in order to have your vote count.
Lastly, if you’re not doing anything Thursday, come to the 529 bar in East Atlanta. I’ve spent enough time chit-chatting on this blog about the glory that is Thomas Function, but Dude City Productions is lucky to have booked them for a one-off show! The show starts at 9 pm, is $7 and will have openers by the names of Carnivores and Paper Knives. Then a few of us (including yours truly) will rock the decks, ones and twos, whatever you want to call them. Come out for a great time! Are you following our Twitter updates?
