Crib Notes

For today’s Roll Call we call out Paul Collins of the Beat.

Who are you?
Paul Collins, founding member of The Nerves and The Beat, proud participant of the DIY movement in the late seventies in America… Proud father and eternal rock n roller.

Describe yourself in three words.
Smart, tough, cute.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
John Lennon, Chuck Berry, Kieth Moon, Elvis, Beethoven, Jesus Christ.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Hitler, Bush, Nixon, Reagen and Mussolini.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Imagine,” “Yesterday,” “Nadine,” “Louie, Louie.”

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
Presley.

LP, CD or MP3?
MP3.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
AssBook.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
The Jonahs Brothers.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Sophia Loren or Jane Fonda when she was doing Barbarella!

The Paul Collins Beat plays the Earl on Sat., Jan. 24th with Gentleman Jesse and Poison Arrows. $10. 9 p.m. 488 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-522-3950.

(Photo courtesy of Paul Collins).

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The folks over at RecordStoreDay.com are giving away a free download of a super secret Christmas song collaboration that will only be free on Christmas Eve. and Christmas Day.

Apparently upper management wants to keep who it is a secret, but if you look at the banner ad above you can probably figure out most of the equation.

If you’re interests are piqued, go check it out.

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It’s hard out here for an entertainment blogger.

Just ask Gyant of SOHH.com, who posted a rant yesterday claiming that Young Jeezy’s security jacked up his photographer Wednesday at the Tabernacle. The Atlanta-based rapper’s local concert coincided with the release of his third solo joint, The Recession. (Read CL’s feature on the new release.)

Apparently, Gyant was especially flabbergasted by the treatment considering how “cool” he’s been to Young Jeezy, CTE, and the rest of the industry’s corporate thugs:

Let’s be crystal clear on one thing artists, record executives and promoters; if we are as ‘cool’ as you claim to be then it’s only natural that I’d expect you to look out for me and whomever is in my company when I’m at your event –especially if I’m an invited media outlet. …

Don’t get it twisted, I am not some wet behind the ears journalist who will take whatever you give me. I’ve pounded the pavement for almost 5 years in Atlanta. I’ve covered everything and I have probably covered it twice. I’ve turned blind eyes on your scandals [sometimes] and sometimes I even bite my tongue or put down my keyboard when all your business gets spilled out on Front Street.

I’m no rookie and I expect to be treated accordingly. Putting it plainly, I want/demand my respect!

Read the full blog here.

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CL has launched a new blog called Sideshow that exists merely so happy party-goers can see their happy faces the day after. We want to help people remember exactly how much fun they had before they were hungover. And we need a couple awesome photographers to do that.

We’ll be giving you the access to the coolest shows, parties and festivals. You’ll be posting wicked photos to our website. And we’ll pay you. It’s an exceedingly symbiotic relationship.

If you think you’re down for the task or know someone who is, contact me at taralynne.pixley@cln.com. Send me some shots you’ve taken that pass for “nightlife photos” (i.e. you and your friends at a party, drinking in your backyard or wreaking havoc elsewhere) and you just might get picked to be CL’s photo ambassador to the nightcrawlers of Atlanta.

Email me with any questions but check out the Sideshow photo galleries first to get an idea of what we’re looking for. Don’t send me photos of your dog, your grandma or that artsy shot of a fire hydrant. Party pics, people.

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For anyone who was involved in the Atlanta music scene in the late 70s and early 80s, Russell Shaw was the most influential writer in the city.

He wrote CL’s popular “Music Menu” feature from 1978 until 1984 and was a fixture at local clubs. He championed bands he liked and wasn’t afraid to write witheringly about the ones he didn’t.

After he left Atlanta, Shaw lived in Portland and was the author of seven books. He was a blogger for the Huffington Post and for zdnet.com.

Shaw, 60, died March 14 in a hotel room in San Jose, where he was going to cover a Emerging Technologies Conference for zdnet.com. He complained to a co-worker that he caught a bug on the plane taking him there, and died later that evening. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

A funeral service is scheduled for March 23 in Florida, but no details are yet available.

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At the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards taping last Saturday, Oct. 13, DJ Drama spun his usual Gangsta Grillz mix during the event’s frequent production intervals. (During the three-hour taping, there was a performance and an award presentation, followed by a short intermission while BET’s producers set up the next performance.) I wish DJ Drama had reflected the international spirit of the awards by incorporating music from other regions, but he frustratingly stuck to his all-Southern, all-gangsta repertoire. One track he played perked my ears, however: a killer cut from Mr. Three Stacks.

Yes, Andre 3000 has destroyed yet another remix this year. It’s the remix to Jay-Z’s “30 Something” cut from Kingdom Come, and Andre breathes fire on it. I know it’s only October, but can we just give the Comeback Player of the Year award to him already? If you need more convincing, read Rodney Carmichael’s story on Andre 3000 in CL’s Aug. 1 issue here.

Today, MTV.com’s Mixtape Monday column reported that DJ Drama is releasing a new Gangsta Grillz mix CD (Gangsta Grillz 17: The Album B4 the Album) as a prelude to his Gangsta Grillz album, which finally drops Dec. 4. (More on that later.) The mix CD will include Andre 3000’s take on “30 Something.” But if you can’t wait that long, Concreteloop.com just posted a version of the track for your downloading pleasure.

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Last weekend, the Atlantis Music Conference marked its 10th anniversary with a weekend of panel discussions, concerts and networking parties, most of which were centered at the CW Atlanta complex. Since it was the final weekend of the summer — autumn officially began Sunday, Sept. 23 — there were great events happening all over the city, and I only got a chance to spend Friday afternoon at Atlantis.

First, I took in “Get in the Van” Touring 101 at Vinyl, which featured my good friend Fiona Bloom, who promotes events and publicizes artists through her New York-based company the Bloom Effect. (Her Atlanta clients include Anthony David and Melissa Young.) Others on the panel included Greg Green, talent buyer at the Masquerade; and Greg Diekroeger, former chairman of the National Association of Campus Activities. It was pretty dense stuff, and you could see aspiring musicians diligently taking notes as the panelists talked.

I went over to “Beatin Up Da Block” Producers Panel and Beat Battle, which was held inside Center Stage Atlanta. Most of the seats in the theater were filled, and with good reason: Sitting at the dais were DJ Toomp, Focus, Isaac “Ike Dirty” Hayes III, Don Cannon, Khao Cates and Jaz-O. Save for Jaz-O, who hails from New York (and is famous for mentoring Jay-Z), these are some of the more successful producers in Atlanta.

The audience, most of them fledging MCs and producers, was almost obnoxiously reverent, and applauded loudly after each panelist spoke. Focus, an in-house producer at Aftermath Entertainment, said that his first meeting with Dr. Dre was like a scene out of The Godfather. Aphilliates member Don Cannon noted that “Go Crazy,” the song that established him as a producer, was originally a mixtape track for T.I. until Young Jeezy coerced Cannon to give him the beat. DJ Toomp, who’s blowing up for Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” talked about making his first record for Raheem the Dream in the 10th grade, and subsequently becoming a “superstar” at his high school.

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Polow da Don, the producer behind pop-rap hits like Fergie’s “London Bridge” and “The Glamorous Life” and Rich Boy’s “Throw Some D’s,” has always been feeling himself. (For some background info, check out Edward Garnes’ Dec. 27, 2006, story here.) Judging by a recent interview with allhiphop.com, however, Polow’s arrogance has reached new heights. This is what he had to say when the writer asked about his dating preferences:

AllHipHop.com: Now, you call yourself the “King of All White Girls.” Elaborate on that for me.

Polow Da Don: Just the “King of the White Girls.” I ain’t self proclaimed but I run with it. [Laughs] There was a stage in my life where I went crazy with dating white women. I have nothing against black women, but they’re raised differently. White women are raised to respect and serve their men. Black women are taught to question [their men]. Black women look at submission as being weak. White women look at submission as being a woman. And anyone who has a problem with this statement is ignorant. Just look at the divine order: it goes God, man, woman, child.

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I had a bad feeling about Morrissey’s concert at Chastain Park Amphitheater Friday, July 20. Ever since I moved to Atlanta, I’ve heard bad things about the wine-and-cheese crowds that patronize the Classic Chastain concert series during the summer: how disconnected and self-involved they are, and how they talk loudly over the music. So I decided not to go, even though I felt bad about missing the show. When I read Andisheh Nouraee’s review, I was happy I wasn’t there.

Well, Morrissey is doing a final run of U.S. dates before heading back into the studio to record a follow-up to his last album, Ringleader of the Tormentors. Shockingly, the itinerary consists solely of major markets and makeup dates from when he got sick in June and had to cancel a bunch of shows — and Atlanta! Guess he thought that Chastain gig really sucked, too. The concert happens Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Tabernacle — not one of my favorite venues, but sure to attract a livelier crowd.

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MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA: Tours in hot-ass vans pay off.

(Photo by Don Vancleave)

Manchester Orchestra hasn’t been in Atlanta all year. Instead, the pop-rock band has been on one national tour after another — first as an opening act for Brand New, then as a co-headlining act with Colour Revolt.

For most bands, this means sitting in a hot-ass van, trying not to piss each other off. But Manchester Orchestra has built serious momentum through its road work. In June, it played a well-received set at Bonnaroo. Then RED Distribution, which is owned by Sony Music, decided to distribute its 2006 full-length, I’m like a Virgin Losing a Child.

Earlier this week, I was a judge at Open Mic Madness at Smith’s Olde Bar (more on that later), and happened to be seated next to Jay Harren, former 99x (WNNX-FM) personality and current A&R man for Columbia Records. I asked him who he had signed lately, and he mentioned Manchester Orchestra. Turns out the band will record its third album for Columbia; in a unique twist, its second album (due in 2008) will be released through its independent label, Favorite Gentlemen, with distribution from RED.

If you don’t know who Manchester Orchestra is, you can acquaint yourself through an April 11 profile I wrote here. Then you can purchase tickets for the band’s next hometown gig. The group just announced its latest coup — an opening slot on the Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle fall tour, which hits the Fox Theater on Oct. 9.

Not enough for you? On Sept. 6, Manchester Orchestra will make its television debut when it plays “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

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Almost seven months after an arrest that made national headlines, nearly everything has returned to normal for DJ Drama and the Aphilliates. Last week, the crew took over Hot 107.9 (WHTA-FM)’s nighttime programming. You can now hear Gangsta Grillz radio Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m.-midnight, as well as the usual Saturday showcase from 8-10 p.m. To celebrate, the Aphilliates held a weekend-long series of parties, including a July 29 “celebrity launch party” at Club Motion hosted by T.I.

The crew’s run of now infamous Gangsta Grillz mixtapes has slowed tremendously, but they still come out quietly on occasion. This month, the Aphilliates put out one with Gorilla Zoe and Block Entertainment called Hood Diaries.

Finally, what’s up with the Gangsta Grillz album? A quick call to an Atlantic rep revealed that it’s scheduled for 2007, which means it may come out, or it may not. (Remember how DJ Clue used to drop his compilations in December?)

As you know by now, I like to refer readers to past CL articles, especially if I’ve written them. I didn’t write the first CL article on DJ Drama; that honor goes to Chris Hall, who wrote an April 20, 2005, piece on the one-time king of mixtapes. You can read it here.

For some background on Drama’s run-in with the law, check out my February 21, 2007, story here.

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Janelle Monáe, an alien from outer space

Last Saturday, I ran into Delvin Franklin, Janelle Monáe’s manager, at the massive FunkJazz Kafé event at the Tabernacle. (More on FunkJazz Kafé in a minute.) The first thing I asked him was, “What’s up with the Metropolis EP?” First it was scheduled for May 23, and then it was pushed back to Aug. 21.

But Franklin promises the EP will come out very soon. Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase is now scheduled for release on Sept. 18. The album artwork, which is reminiscent of Björk’s classic “All Is Full of Love” video, is on display at Monáe’s MySpace page.

And I said, “Whew!” I thought the thing was never going to come out. Still, I ain’t going to believe it until I see it.

If you aren’t hyped about Janelle Monáe yet, read my profile from the May 2 issue of CL here.

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I wanted to make sure I posted this announcement before it’s too late … but former CL cover subject and soul eccentric Janelle Monáe is holding an open casting call for the video to her single “Violet Stars Happy Hunting.” The casting call runs from 4-9 p.m. at Morehouse College’s Sale Hall Chapel. And yes, you are requested to wear some kind of goofy, ’50s-inspired outfit. Further details, taken from a MySpace post she sent out on Sun., July 29, are below.

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I’m mystified by the Coathangers. Not because I don’t like them, but because they seemed to come out of nowhere this winter and were suddenly, like, everywhere, playing at all the nightclubs and being seen with all the “cool” Atlanta bands.

Perhaps that’s why the four ladies draw polarized reactions. I’ve heard people call the Coathangers a great band, and heard others dismiss it as a bunch of scenester savants. I find this last criticism ironic because the Atlanta underground rock scene is mostly a man’s club filled with twentysomething musicians who pride themselves on being idiot savants. Now you have four women doing the same thing, so what’s the difference?

When I hear about a band that gets as popular as the Coathangers, I usually run in the other direction. I know this is antithetical to my job as a journalist, but I can’t stand hype. And that isn’t a dis: I haven’t heard nor seen the Coathangers before, so I can’t give an opinion. Maybe the Coathangers are worth all the attention.

Anyway, the real reason for this post is to announce the Coathangers are dropping a self-titled album on Rob’s House Records Sept. 1. The group is celebrating the occasion with a Sept. 4 CD-release party at Star Bar. Who knows … maybe you’ll even see me in the crowd, singing along to “Nestle in My Boobies.” The track listing, which you’ll find below, comes courtesy of Fanatic Promotion publicist (and former Atlanta nightlife promoter) Kasey Price.

Finally, if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, read Ellis Jones’ April 4 profile of the Coathangers here.

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