Crib Notes

Califone’s show at the Earl tonight has been canceled. Refunds for tickets are available at point of purchase.

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Mon., Oct. 26 Future of the Left, Hawks and Predator. $7. 9 p.m. 529, 529 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-228-6769.

Future of the Left consists of singer/guitarist Andy “Falco” Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the Ammanford-based group Jarcrew. … The band were signed to Too Pure who had also signed Mclusky, however the umbrella company Beggars Group disbanded Too Pure transferring the band to 4AD; most famous for signing the Pixies in the mid eighties.

Wed., Oct. 28 Lead by saxophone player Julian Julien, Fractale is a Parisian five-piece jazz/electro ensemble that melds traditional jazz and rock ideas with improvisation and a computer-generated bent to arrive at a simple, melodic sound. The music is cinematic in scope, and vastly experimental. $8. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655.

Wed., Oct 28 Cocktoberfest featuring:  Stolen Hearts, Pillow Talk DJ’s (in bikinis) with Misty Waters and the return of the Star Bar Dating Game. $5. 9 p.m.  Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. 404-681-9018.

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Much like ’07’s North Star Deserter, Vic Chesnutt’s At the Cut finds Athens’ grim folkie still soaring beyond the devices of a traditional singer/songwriter. Many of the players who made North Star Deserter so bold and beautiful, including members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and former Fugazi vocalist/guitarist Guy Picciotto, have returned. But whereas North Star crystallized Chesnutt’s stark visions into swirls of strings, rhythms and dissonance, here the expansive sound feels natural. “Coward” opens with epic drama, and Picciotto’s guitar adds terse immediacy to “Phillip Guston,” while “Granny” wilts with somber remembrance. Riding these peaks and valleys is emotionally exhausting, but if you’re a fan you already know the kind of pain you’re in for. At the Cut doesn’t hold North Star’s surprises, but it’s a stunning companion album. (Constellation Records) 4 stars out of 5

“Flirted With You All My Life”

“Philip Guston”

“Chain”

(Photo Courtesy Constellation Records)

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Here at Criminal we love Halloween. What with monsters, ghosts, scary movies, adult costume (*cough* Eric knows what I’m talking about) parties, and all things creepy and ghoulish, Halloween is the top of the most. So to help us celebrate in spooky fashion, we thought we’d turn the store over to Professor Morte’s Silver Sream Spookshow. Prof.Morte.

On Sunday, October 25 at 2:30pm, Professor Morte and his cast of goblins and monsters will “Atomic Stomp” Criminal by performing hits off their brand new CD Building the Perfect Monster. Thrill to classics like “Witch Doctor” and soon to be classics “Surfin’ in the Black Lagoon” and “Lon Chaney” (What!? No Lugosi?) and many more. Morte, Wretch & Pandora are expecting you. You had better be here or suffer the consequences. Bwah ha ha ha!! Hot damn! That’s entertainment.

Watch for an interview with the abominable Professor Morte next week.

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Allen Taylor (sampler, synth, percussion), Drew Haddon (effects), Chris Daresta (bass, vocals) and David Mansfield (drums, vocals) are the four fresh faces that make up the dance punk outfit, Roman Photos. Last month they began passing around a limited number of hand-made live demo CDs as their introduction to the world. The recordings contained within capture two of their earliest live performances at 529, and document the jump-off point for their spacey, bass and drum-heavy grooves.

Chad Radford:  Tell me about the live demo that you just gave me.
David Mansfield:  The demo compiles excerpts from a couple of shows that we did at 529. It was Drew’s idea to put it together.

These were some of your first shows, correct?
DM:  Yeah. Originally we were all part of a similar band that sounded different back in May, but the lineup didn’t work out and we reformed as Roman Photos. We went for more of a dance sound, and added Allen to the line-up to do miscellaneous things with the songs. I dropped the guitar and started playing drums and it became something different altogether.

Drew Haddon: We didn’t have a name until the week before our first show. Before this we really sounded more like the Rapture or Gang of Four because of the guitar, but Mansfiled is a really solid disco kind of drummer and when he dropped the guitar things started sounding really dancey, really fast.

Roman Photos play 529 tonight (Thurs., Oct. 22) with Thy Mighty Contract and Club Awesome. $3. 9 p.m.

The plays a free show at Vacation Gallery & Boutique on Fri., Oct. 30. 9 p.m.

“Ribcage” mp3

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Tealights’ six-song debut is a sweeping marriage of laptop textures and bold strings sculpting dramatic moods that are very pretty but brittle. Take Us By Sea is the backbone of a musical vernacular driven by dark romanticism set adrift in modern classical and experimental arrangements. Like Claude Debussy on a date with Björk, surrealism and impressionism mingle in the dramatic male/female wailing in “Wait.” The lingering string melodies heard over front lady Nancy Shim’s cool voice provide the weeping heart of the CD. The grand finale “No Sound to Hear” layers a procession of live and electronic instruments alongside a reluctant new age croon in a short, delicate burst of chaos. With so much swelling emotion, these songs err on being too precious for rock ‘n’ roll ears. But the accomplished musicianship and elegant bent of Take Us By Sea will melt the hardest of hearts. (self-released) 4 stars out of 5

“Clouds” mp3

(Photo Courtesy Tealights)

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Bradford Cox has declared that Logos is an “extroverted” album that isn’t about him, but I couldn’t disagree more. The second solo full-length from Deerhunter’s leader is the inward journey of a world-weary voice dealing with the natural order of the universe — all awash in soft-focus, pop tones. Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) of Animal Collective lends his voice and sampling blueprints to “Walkabout,” and Stereolab’s angelic voice Laetitia Sadier drives “Quick Canal.” These couplings feel like vacations from the Id, Ego, Superego clash commencing beneath the happy exteriors of “Sheila” and “Logos.” Each is bound by fairytale bliss and distress under gorgeous façades. With repeated listens, Logos reveals greater staying power than its predecessor, and though it’s not the catchiest or the most unpredictable album Cox has made, it’s the strongest one so far under the Atlas Sound moniker. (Kranky) 4 stars out of 5

(Photo Courtesy Kranky)

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UNTIED AND TRUE: Untied States adds pop to their psychedelic mix.

Three years have passed since Untied States checked in with 2006’s Retail Detail. Since then, a lot has changed for the unhinged art-rock ensemble centered around Colin Arnstein and Skip Engelbrecht. Their third full-length, Instant Everything, Constant Nothing drops this month on the Paris-based Distile Records, and it’s a concerted stab at making a pop record — albeit one filtered through the schizoid, post-industrial psychedelia that’s been their calling card all along.

“Blues, punk, rock and roll … all of these things freaked people out at one point in time, and we want to freak people out, too. But we want the music to be timeless,” says Arnstein, who shares vocal and guitar duties with Engelbrecht. “A great example of what we’re aiming for is Joy Division. Their records scare you. They were stepping out on so much of a limb that you don’t know if you’re comfortable listening to it.”

Continue Reading “Untied States goes pop without going soft”

(Photo By Chad Radford )

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Earlier this week Andy Hopkins of long-defunct acoustic/indie rock/experimental duo FLAP, who is reuniting to play this Friday night (Oct. 23) at 529, checked-in to give us a run down on the band’s history.

-This will be the first FLAP show in over 11 years, so it’s fair to call it a reunion. The band pretty much went dormant when I moved to Chicago in the Fall of 1998.

-FLAP was active between 1989 and 1998, so it would also be fair to call our show the “20th anniversary show.”

-In the early period, between 1989 and 1993, FLAP was primarily just me and Matt Miller, performing as an acoustic duo. We released two cassette albums in this format, Honkey Donkey, and Guitarded.

-In the period between 1993 and 1998 we primarily played as a rock trio, with our drummer Jason Gillis. We released three CDs during this period: PAL, Buldugs Or The Kid Is Hot Tonite, and Flap Am In The House.

-During all periods of FLAP we reserved the right to break away into all kinds of experimental formats, including cheap electronics, and full rock bands with guest singers.

-The reunion show at 529 will focus mostly on the early two-guitar instrumental period of intense jazz-math-grass compositions.

-”Walkin’ The Bug” is from our very first release Honkey Donkey in 1990. Honkey Donkey was recorded quite well by David ‘Zod’ Watkins, and was only (to date) ever released on cassette, the preferred format of the era.

“Walkin’ the Bug” mp3

(Photo courtesy FLAP)

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Tealights play 529 on Tues., Oct. 20. Tealights’ self-released debut CD, Take Us By Sea (out this month), is a sweeping marriage of laptop textures and bold strings sculpting dramatic moods that are very pretty, but very brittle. Take Us By Sea is the backbone of a musical vernacular driven by dark romanticism set adrift in modern classical and experimental arrangements. Like Claude Debussy on a date with Björk, surrealism and impressionism mingle in the dramatic male/female wailing in “Wait.” The lingering string melodies over front lady Nancy Shim’s cool voice are the weeping heart of the CD. White Hinterland from Portland, Ore., opens the show.$7. 9 p.m. 529 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-228-6769.
Tealights “Clouds” mp3

Har Mar Superstar

Wed., Oct. 21 Imagine a sweat-soaked love child of Ron Jeremy and Meatloaf who’s blessed with the soulful pipes of Stevie Wonder and wearing only a pair of tighty whities and a Cheshire Cat grin — that’s Har Mar Superstar. The hirsute sexual dynamo returns with his fourth album, Dark Touches. La Chanson and Roman Photos warm up the stage for him. $8-$10. 9 p.m. The Drunken Unicorn.

Also on Wed., Oct. 21 All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, GG King and Jeffrey Butzer are playing at 529. It’s a release party for a brand new ANDPW 7-inch, titled “Drank Irish.” $6. 9 p.m. 529 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-228-6769.

GG King “Drug Zoo” mp3
Jeffrey Butzer “Theme For A Tailor” mp3
ANDPW “Drank Irish” mp3

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For this week’s Vibe feature story I put together what essentially turned out to be a 900 word record review of Om’s latest four-song masterpiece God is Good, which was actually a nice change from the standard 150 words that our reviews usually get.

This long-form dissection of their new album happened en lieu of an actual interview with new drummer Emil Amos and bass player Al Cisneros, but not for any lack of trying. Truth be told Emil and Al did get back with me — after we had to go to press. I know… Om was formed out the ashes of Sleep, who set the standard for stoner metal with the monumental riff fest known as Dopesmoker back in ‘98. There’s a bevy of stoner jokes to made here, but who am I to judge?

Here is abridged version of the Q&A we did online, only minutes before they walked on-stage in Detroit.

Hello Emil. First, how did you come to be a part of Om?
Emil Amos: Om and Grails did a couple tours together where we’d often stay up late after the shows and talk a lot of random music science/philosophy. A couple months later Al called me out of the blue one day while I was at work and explained everything about Chris’ departure. We scheduled a time to record the Sub Pop seven-inch before we’d even played together and gave ourselves a couple days beforehand to put it together. After that he began to fly up to Portland and stay with me periodically while we wrote the record for Drag City.

Did you detect any backlash from Om fans when the line-up changed?

Sure, a little bit… But they didn’t really have any material to go on so part of the backlash was pretty innocent. If a random 10 second video of us improvising on a random night somewhere in Finland appeared on YouTube there were some people that took that as the band’s entire new direction.

Om, Lichens and Six Organs of Admittance play the Earl tonight (Sat., Oct. 17). $12-$14. 9 p.m. 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950.

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Last week I caught up with drummer David Prowse whom, along with guitarist David King, make up the Vancouver noise punk duo Japandroids, to discuss everything from their debut full-length Post-Nothing, to life as Canadians on the American road.

Chad Radford:  Your album is called Post-Nothing, which sounds like a loaded title.
David Prowse:  It’s like a dig at how calling something “post-this” or “post-that” has reached a level of ridiculousness. A long time ago Brian started referring to us as post-nothing, and it went up on our Myspace page and kind of stuck. It’s totally a tongue-in-cheek kind joke, so we decided to go with it for the name of the album.

Do you get a lot of post references when people write about you?
We get a million different kinds of weird references. Everybody tries to come up with an original way of labeling the band — one label that our friends like the most is “electromash.” I don’t know what that means or how it describes our band at all… We get all kinds of weird labels like that. No-Fi… Shit Gaze.

Shit Gaze is one of my favorites. It doesn’t sound like a compliment at all though, huh?
No, it certainly doesn’t.

Japandroids “Young Hearts Spark Fire” mp3

Japandroids, Real Estate and Surfer Blood play 529 tonight (Sat., Oct. 17). $8-$10. 9 p.m. 529 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-228-6769.

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Murph., J., Lou.

Before Dinosaur Jr. heads over to play at Variety Playhouse tomorrow night (Sat. Oct. 17), J., Lou and Murph will play a free, acoustic in-store set at Criminal Records at 6:30 p.m.

The neighborhood is already preparing for the madness of the annual L5P Halloween parade.  Beer and vendor tents are up and there’s a seasonal chill in the air. Could there be better atmosphere to take in an acoustic Dinosaur Jr. set of classics and Jams from their brilliant second post-reformation album, Farm?

NPR caught up with DINOSAUR JR. for their recent show at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. The result? A complete recording of the concert including an opening solo set from Lou Barlow. The set includes selections from the band’s latest release, Farm, and a few old favorites.

Criminal Records is located at 1154-A Euclid Ave. 404-215-9511.

(Photo courtesy Jagjaguwar)

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Goodnight Unknown, Lou Barlow’s second solo album, is less of the grand personal statement that was Emoh and more like a lost Sebadoh album. Here, the posturing of a songwriter with a capital S gives way to a patchwork of comfortable pop tunes. “Sharing” jumps to life with a punk beat, but as the title track unfolds, the mood becomes serene. “Too Much Freedom” embraces folk(ish) form, driving the album’s austere moments. “One Machine, One Long Flight” revisits the spirit of slacker insurrection like a fond memory, while “The Right” carries the fey confusion of the Sebadoh classic “Rebound.” The album’s strengths lie in its tamed, not-so-lo-fi sound qualities over Barlow’s ability to deliver such a lingering phrase as “modesty will prevail/but modesty won’t provide,” without being a total downer. Adulthood has mellowed the emotional hooligan, but Barlow is aging gracefully. (Merge) 4 stars out of 5

Lou Barlow with Dinosaur Jr. $28.50. 8:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 17. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

(Photo courtesy Merge)

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The artfully noise-damaged LA synth-punk outfit Static Static is coming to town and they’re playing one and only show — a free in-store at Reactionary Records in East Atlanta tonight (Wed., Oct. 14) and that’s it — nothing booked later that night anywhere else.

If you’re familiar with the group’s singular take on aggressive and antagonistic hybrid of new wave/post-apocalyptic rock than you know this is not to be missed.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Gun Club, Devo and the Stranglers are all appropriate references, but dropping these names doesn’t fully capture the kind of raw, mutant grit of the group’s live show — and in such tight quarters, there’s bound to be some property damage left in their wake.

Reactionary Records is located at 465-A Flat Shoals Ave., across the street from the Earl. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is free but the band is taking donations.

(Photo courtesy Static Static)

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It is often said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Despite the warm reception that Atlanta trio Living Rooms has received during its short 10 months together, fans and detractors alike have uttered the same criticism: They sound like Animal Collective. The comparison is hard to avoid for Seth Bolton (vocals, sampler, beats), Ryan Luce (guitar, synthesizer), and Sean Telo (sampler, effects); even they don’t deny the allegation.

“They are our biggest influence,” Bolton says. “People hear similar things when we play and think Animal Collective because they’ve received so much notice. It’s a compliment, actually.”

“Error” mp3

Continue reading “Living Rooms sounds like Animal Collective … almost”

(Photo courtesy Allan Taylor)

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Clockwise from top: Tommy Chung, Mario Schambon, Jason and Herb Harris (Photo by Carl La Pan)

Atlas Sound fires up the tour machine once again, this time Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox has enlisted the Selmanaires to serve as his backing band for this show of ghostly pop. Stereolab-esque post-rock Brits Broadcast play in support of their latest release, Broadcast & The Focus Group Investigate. The Selmanaires pull double duty as they open the show Thursday night, Oct. 14. $15. 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950.

Chad Radford: So what’s up with the Atlas Sound tour; the Selmanaires are the Atlas Sound band for the tour with Broadcast and you’re opening the shows as well?
Tommy Chung: Yes. Bradford has been collaborating with Broadcast for a little while and we were always jealous because Broadcast has been one of our favorite bands pretty much since they became a band. Bradford asked Herb if we wanted to go too, and it was like, ‘let me think about it… Um yeah!’ A week later Bradford said he was sick of being a one-man sampler show and asked how we felt about being the backing band too. It sounded cool so we did one practice with him before a Dirty Projectors show and within the first ten minutes he asked us to play that show. We learned four songs, stretched them out and did like a 10-minute cover of “What Goes On” by the Velvet Underground.

We’ve always had a connection with Deerhunter. Our very first show out was in 2003 with Deerhunter at MJQ before the Drunken Unicorn even existed. It was Deerhunter, Tabitha and we were the openers — back when we were still stand up bass, Wurlitzer and acoustic guitar. After that we pretty much played with Deerhunter every month at Lenny’s. It feels like things have come full-circle now that we’re playing with Atlas Sound.

The Selmanaires “Resonance Alright” mp3

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Tues., Oct. 13.
When not singing and playing guitar for critical darlings TV on the Radio, Kyp Malone is a perennial songwriter whose work – as a solo artist and with the band Iran – has remained a sleeper. Malone’s latest, self-titled offering under the name RAIN MACHINE finds him spilling a mixed bag of jazz, bluegrass, funk and sometimes subdued, sometimes blistering guitar excursions. Naturally, this swan dive into free-form musical strumming lands on the personal, self-indulgent, humdrum side, but if you’re patient, his eclectic palette and sobering voice and rhythms are rich with anti-pop depth. Neo-folk songstress Sharon Van Etten opens. The Earl $15-$17. 8:30 p.m. , 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950.

Rain Machine, “Smiling Black Faces” mp3

Wed., Oct. 14
Super Soul Party w/ the Soulphonics & Ruby Velle. No cover before 10 p.m. $5 after. The Star Bar. 437 Moreland Ave. 404-681-9018.

(Thee Oh Sees photo courtesy 230 Publicity)

Wed., Oct. 14
With his latest In The Red-released LP, Help, San Francisco guitarist/auteur John Dwyer fronts Thee Oh Sees to summon the demons of West Coast psychedelia circa ‘68, then swan-dives into scorched ether, melody and distortion.Mobile, Alabama resident doom wave rockers Wizard Sleeve and Indiana post-punks TV Ghost open. $8 (adv). $10 (door). 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950.

(Atlas Sound photo by Lockett Pundt)

Thurs., Oct. 15
ATLAS SOUND, BROADCAST, SELMANAIRES Atlas Sound fires up the tour machine once again, this time Deerhunter frontman Brandford Cox has enlisted the Selmanaires to serve as his backing band for this show of ghostly pop drones. Stereolab-esque post-rock Brits Broadcast play in support of their latest release, Broadcast & The Focus Group Investigate. The Selmanaires pull double duty as they open the show. $15. 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950.

Atlas Sound feat. Noah Lennox “Walkabout” mp3

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There’s a summery quietude to Real Estate’s “Fake Blues” b/w “Pool Swimmers” single that could be described as haunting if both songs weren’t imbued with such warmth and nostalgia. The reverb-drenched pop number “Fake Blues” builds on the simple interplay of rolling drums, lazy guitars and a voice that embodies a sweet croon and innocence. “Pool Swimmers” follows suit with just as much slow jangle and charm. Like primitive descendants of the Sundays, Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star, the genius of Real Estate’s songs lies not in any quantifiable skill or adept playing, but in how their soft-focus arrangements coalesce into mildly noisy, totally captivating clouds of melody and atmosphere. (Woodsist) 4 stars out of 5
Real Estate with Japandroids and Surfer Blood. $8-$10. 9 p.m. Sat., Oct. 17. 529, 529 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-228-6769. www.529atl.com.

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When not singing and playing guitar for critical darlings TV on the Radio, Kyp Malone is a perennial songwriter whose work – as a solo artist and with the band Iran – has remained a sleeper. Malone’s latest, self-titled offering under the name RAIN MACHINE finds him spilling a mixed bag of jazz, bluegrass, funk and sometimes subdued, sometimes blistering guitar excursions. Naturally, this swan dive into free-form musical strumming lands on the personal, self-indulgent, humdrum side, but if you’re patient, his eclectic palette and sobering voice and rhythms are rich with anti-pop depth. Neo-folk songstress Sharon Van Etten opens the show.

“Smiling Black Faces” mp3

$15-$17. Tues., Oct. 13. 8:30 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950.

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