Crib Notes

No metal band that’s worth its salt is scared of a little rain. So when talk of moving Corndogorama’s headlining act Zoroaster to the inside stage at Lenny’s spread throughout the crowd Sunday night, the natives became restless. Black clouds rumbled overhead and icy fingers of lighting stretched across the nighttime sky. But rather than tuck tails and seek shelter, Zoroaster raised its fists to the heavens and called down the thunder into a career defining performance.

The Zoroaster experience is not as defined by songs, as it is by the low, gut-pummeling rumble and head-nod rhythms that emanate from the wall of Orange and Sunn amps that wrap around the stage.

In the battle between Zoroaster and nature’s fury, Zoroaster emerged victorious on this night. And in their wake, a battlefield littered with half-eaten corndog sticks and bleeding eardrums were all that remained of “The Year of the Mustard King.”

Not a single drop of rain fell during Zoroaster’s show, and even though the band braved the elements, sadly, not many Corndogorama goers braved it out with them. Last year, Mastodon held down the same closing spot on the bill. It was a historic performance and the place was packed. Homeless people gathered around on the sidewalk across the street to throw their fists in the air and there was hardly enough room in the whole parking lot to accommodate the masses. But this year was different.

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Hi folks! We’ve returned today for the third and final part in the Corndogorama - Year of the Mustard King playlist trilogy.

For our last installment of meaty and tasty music, we’re focusing on ol’ fashioned yellow mustard. Bright yellow and tangy, American yellow mustard is a classic companion for many a summertime treat. Similarly, the bands on the yellow mustard playlist recall traditional rock and roll music— from the country-tinged to the modern and radio-ready.

Yellow Mustard playlist

Yellow Mustard tracklisting
1. Caddle - Mississippi Doublewide
2. The Bouldercrest Singing Group - Corndog Blues
3. Will Rogers Outfit - Walkin’ Home from War
4. The Hiss - Don’t Leave Me Out Here
5. Sunday Drive By - Calling Out
6. Young Antiques - Radio Kill Radio

PS: If, by chance, you begin missing our delicious mustard posts and happen to be in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, there’s always the World Famous Mustard Museum.

Rob’s House Records is releasing two new 7-inches on Tuesday, July 1.
First up is the “San Francisco” b/w “Ponytail” single from Jack Of Heart. “Departing completely from the static-soaked, overdriven throb prerogative of their previous bands, Jack Of Heart is a new conglomeration of Piero from the Fatals and Demon’s Claws, and Benji from the Creteens. Their sound takes off down the tender side of the switchblade, and erupts with such an unassuming immediacy that it’s tough to pinpoint the first time it slithers through your head. With a decidedly less noisy sentiment in place, Jack Of Heart combine echoed and chilling guitars that form those little icy patches that cause you to slip, and fall in love.”

—Todd Killings, Victim of time.

The second record being released on the first is the “Man In The Woods” b/w “Foxhole Madness” single from Lover! “Rich Crook has already blazed a frightfully righteous pop pathway with Lover!, showcasing the hidden songwriting talents he kept to himself with such notable bands as the Reatards, Lost Sounds, and Viva L’American Death Ray. Once his songs reached the surface in The Knaughty Knights, it was apparent that Crook needed his own vehicle to spread his pop sense to the outer limits of the rock’n roll underworld.”

— Todd Killings, Victim of Time.

Both Records are being pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl and can be pre-ordered by clicking here.

by Joeff Davis 

Daniel Johnston performed Thursday night at the Variety Playhouse. He greeted the audience by telling a story of a dream he had about a man being sentenced to death for trying to commit suicide. “In the back of the courtroom the man was saying, ‘No, no, no,’” he said. “And that man was me.”

It seemed like a strange way to greet an audience, but it set the tone for his two sets of
depressingly uplifting and cathartic music.

“Basic purity” is how one audience member described it. But it felt terribly amateur at first. His guitar playing sounded simplistic and his singing (if you can call it that) painfully weird. But as the show progressed and his confidence grew, the lyrics he sang painted a stark truth. And the voice he sang in breathed a sincerity one rarely feels at concerts.

Johnston performed two sets. During the acoustic part of the show, he played a couple of songs alone on guitar before being joined by an acoustic guitarist. Throughout the set, his
tightly gripped fists shook at his waist as he spoke, read and sang his lyrics from a beat-up music stand. His songs were constantly punctuated by shouts of “We love you Danny!” from the audience, with members emotionally singing along.

“Where am I,” Johnston asked at one point. After being told he was in Atlanta by shouts from audience members, he replied: “Is that a state or a town?”

In the second half of the show, the opening band the Hymns joined him. The Hymns, a good looking band of hipsters who jumped around the stage with typical rock ‘n’ roll antics, formed a sharp contrast with Johnston who wore a stained gray t-shirt and black pants, and rarely opened his eyes to look at the audience.

“I love him because he has been through a lot and I can identify with that,” said one audience member during the break.

After returning for the encore, Johnston wished everybody a Merry Christmas and ended on a hopeful note singing “True Love Will Find You.”

This Saturday, the Atlanta History Center’s Woodruff Auditorium will play host to some famous faces, including one Atlanta native.

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, formerly one-third of girl group TLC, will be in Atlanta with rolling out’s Female Success Factor, an entrepreneurial seminar for women that will offer panel discussions and networking opportunities. She will serve as a panelist at the event.

Chilli recently appeared on the BET Awards and has plans to release her first solo album, Bipolar, this September.

Female Success Factor is also hosted by the CoverGirl Queen Collection, which will be offering free makeovers for the first 50 guests. Other giveaways will take place at the reception following the event. CoverGirl will also be presenting Jamika Pessoa, their Atlanta finalist in the Every Woman is a Queen online model casting call.

In addition to Chilli, Caryn Ward, from CW’s “The Game,” blogger Necole Bitchie and Faith Morris, President of Owens Morris Communications, will participate in the panel discussions.

Hey there, guys and gals! We’re back for the second installment of the Corndogorama - Year of the Mustard King playlist.

Today, we’re focusing on honey mustard, the go-to sweet sauce for your chicken fingers, french fries and, of course, corndogs. Like the condiment, the bands on the honey mustard playlist are all on the sweet side. Of course, the kick is often waiting just underneath that sing-along chorus, so don’t let your guard down for too long.

Honey Mustard playlist

The tracklisting
1. Snowden - Anti-Anti
2. James Hall - Evil Twin
3. David Railey and the Picture of Health - No Bullets/Words
4. The Holland Dutch - The Kids Are All Grown
5. Make the Fur Fly - No Surprise
6. Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause - When You See Him

Fri., June 27

Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein. $25-$75. 7 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive. 404-249-6400. — Chart topping new album and recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Emmylou Harris headlines this impressive lineup, followed by mandolin picker Bush and bluegrass duo Gaudrea and Klein.

Behind the Sun. Free. 10 p.m. Luby’s Live, 1098 Herrington Rd. 678-442-0088. — Since Anthony Kiedis and crew aren’t on tour, the next best thing is Atlanta’s only Red Hot Chili Pepper tribute band, Behind the Sun.

Sat., June 28

Cruis-o-Matic. $5. Eddie’s Attics, 515-B N. McDonough St. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — Founded in the 70s but influenced by the 60s, this self-proclaimed ultimate human jukebox will pound out the best tunes from classic faves like Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly and The Monkees.

Anthony David. $15. 9 p.m. Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St. 404-249-6400. www.centerstage-atlanta.com. — Desert Storm vet and first artist signed to Indie.Arie’s new label, Soulbird, Anthony David is half blues, half soul and totally electrifying, performing for the release of his first major-label album, Acey Ducey.

Sun., June 29

GA to PA Tour with Seven Miles Walking and Uppers Downers Screamers Laughers. $6. The Five Spot, 1123 Euclid Ave. 404-223-1100. www.fivespot-atl.com. — Punk rock quartet Seven Miles Walking and Orlando progressive-rock outfit Uppers Downers Screamers Laughers kick off the six-show tour at The Five Spot that’ll span the East Coast in seven days.

Moods Music
1131 Euclid Ave.
404-653-0724

For week ending 6/27/2008

1. Anthony David Acey Duecy
2. Unwrapped Vol. 5
3. Dwele Sketches Of A Man
4. Ledisi Lost & Found
5. Sy Smith Conflict
6. Conya Doss Still
7. Liv Warfield Embrace Me
8. Eric Roberson Left
9. Al Green Lay It Down
10. Hil St Soul Black Rose

Decatur CD
356 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
404-371-9090

For week ending 6/26/2008

1. Alejandro Escovedo Real Animal
2. Coldplay Viva La Vida
3. Emmylou Harris All I Intended to Be
4. Sigur Ros Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
5. Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
6. King Khan and the Shrines The Supreme Genius Of…
7. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer
8. Al Green Lay it Down
9. Foxboro Hot Tubs Stop Drop and Roll!!!
10. Guitar Red Lightnin’ in a Bottle

Criminal Records
466 Moreland Avenue
404-215-9511

For week ending 6/26/2008

1. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges
2. Cold Play Viva La Vida
3. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer
4. Silver Jews Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
5. Jay Reatard Singles, O6-07
6. Islands Arms Way
7. N.E.R.D Seeing Sounds
8. Alejandro Escovedo Real Animal
9. Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs
10. Fleet Foxes S/T

Ella Guru Records
2993 N. Druid Hills Road
404.325.1350

For week ending 6/23/2008

1. Coldplay Viva la Vida
2. Alejandro Escovedo Real Animal
3. Sigur Ros Med Sud Ieyrum
4. Supergrass Diamond Hoo Ha
5. Fleet Foxes S/T
6. Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer
7. Sloan Parallel Play
8. Peter Gabriel and Various Artists Big Blue Ball
9. Etran Finatawa Desert Crossroads
10. My Morning Jacket Evil Urges

Hip-hop heads are often baffled by rock acts and all that “crazy rocker shit” they do, like supposedly eating bat heads, pissing on stage, writing songs about Yellow Submarines, romancing dead boys, shooting up heroin, and moving to Berlin.

Perhaps because people accept the harsh reality put forth in many rap songs and the behavior of these weird dudes who can’t get jobs as the rule rather than the exception, they neglect how psychotic and insane most rappers are.

As I write this, I am trying to bypass shock and just try to look at abnormal behavior for what it is. I grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s and pretty much still have plenty growing to do, but as a result of living in these times I have come to accept a lot of ridiculous things as normal so forgive me if I overlook anyone.

Here are some of the strangest artists around and brief explanations as to why I’m so weirded out by them.

Bizzy Bone
DRUNK THUG ANGEL

He was the most controversial member of Bone Thugz N Harmony — possibly the strangest and highest selling rap group ever. They had strong Christian undertones yet dark horror film imagery (grim reaperesque wraiths wielding scythes were featured prominently in their artwork) and the structure of their names resembled the seven dwarfs (Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Layzie, Krayzie, etc).

He claims to come from a background of “thugism” (whatever the hell that means) and was even abducted as child and featured as an adult on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted,” telling the story of his childhood abduction. He was kicked out of Bone Thugs over money disputes, but his expulsion from the group also seemed to coincide with a strange explosion of his already overly-religious tendencies.

Now he rolls around with weird Mortal Kombat henchmen (as seen in this video), gets more effeminate by the day, and seems to have no problem reconciling his reckless alcohol use with his love for Jesus. He’s integral to the foundations of the tongue-twisting style of rapping but now he tongue twists in tongues!!!

Bjork
SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF YOU AND WILL BEAT YOUR ASS

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Hey dear readers, and lovers of all things South Carolina. I have two tickets to see Edwin McCain performing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. (Local fave Meghan Coffee opens!) I can’t use ’em. But I’m sure somebody can. Email me at davidlee.simmons@creativeloafing.com. First come, first rocked.

 

(Photo courtesy Turner South)