Crib Notes

Twenty-nine years ago, Ray Charles performed “Georgia On My Mind” at the Georgia General Assembly after Georgia declared it the official state song.

Random fact: The songwriter, Stuart Gorell, wrote it to musician Hoagy Carmichael’s sister, who coincidentally happened to be named Georgia.

Years later, Atlanta rapper Ludacris used a sample of Ray Charles’ version of the song in the hook for his own song, “Georgia.”

Since you can trace both anthems back to Carmichael’s sister, does that mean she was the ultimate Georgia peach?

Thank Secretary of State Karen C. Handel for the historical tidbit.

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Illustrator Richard Krolewicz, aka boyshapedbox, has started a Flickr group devoted to famous songs rendered as charts or graphs. It’s open to the public.

The contributions are hit-and-miss, but when they hit, they’re hilarious.

For example (click to enlarge):

brianmn

Let me know

The Evita one is my new desktop.

I had some free time yesterday, so I made my own, too:

WhatINeed

If you contribute any, let me know.

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Urban Living, CL’s monthly “Shelter from bland living” section, is back, and looking for a few cool homes. Apartments, lofts and condos are also eligible. If you live in a neighborhood where CL is available and your place is unique somehow — interesting-looking, history-filled or funky fun — leave a comment below with a description, or e-mail chante.lagon@creativeloafing.com.

Maybe your love of film noir has turned your pad into a virtual movie set. Or maybe you’ve painstakingly renovated the original 19th-century wood design. Commercial kitchen in the basement? Secret hallways? Panic rooms? That’s all cool stuff.

Once you leave a comment, we’ll follow up and ask for a photo or two. Just keep in mind that if we feature your home in Urban Living this spring, you’ll be opening up your home to CL readers … so tidy up already.

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(Photo taken from IGN.com)

Next month, Andre 3000 will issue … a new OutKast album? No, it’s another Hollywood confection. If you thought Four Brothers was frothy, check out Semi-Pro, a Will Farrell movie that parodies the American Basketball Association league of the ’70s. Andre Benjamin plays Clarence Coffee Black, a baller of Julius Erving proportions. The screenplay comes from Scot Armstrong, who wrote the popcorn classic Old School. Semi-Pro hits theaters on Feb. 29. Check out the trailer below.

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(Photo courtesy http://duetonline.net)

We’re pleased to announce more reasons for folks to come check out our annual Fiction Contest party at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, at Eyedrum. Not only were we blessed with a record number of submissions this year, but we’ve also got some cool sponsors (Café Intermezzo, Chattahoochee Review) and cool judges (David Fulmer, Joshilyn Jackson, Fiona Zedde).

Now we’re a bit geeked to have confirmed one of the more mood-enhancing musical acts in town in the form of Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel. Featuring Scott Burland (pictured, at right) on theremin and Frank Schultz on lap steel, this duet is often described as experimental, ambient and minimalist — their music seems to come more in surges and streaks, strains and swoops, with stops and starts thrown in for good measure. You might call it sonic! It’s intoxicating stuff that stands on its own or as a heady soundtrack behind the winning entries, which will be read by the winners at the end of the evening.

Check out this U.K. appearance …

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If you’re out and about this season and spot someone who looks like Francine Reed singing a Christmas carol by a Salvation Army bucket, it probably is Francine Reed singing a Christmas carol by a Salvation Army bucket.

“At Christmas, when I go by a Salvation Army bucket, I’ll stop and sing a few minutes,” Reed said when we checked in with the beloved jazz/blues singer the other day. “You know how everybody just walks past them, and I want to give them some attention. I was on the other side of that many years ago.”

Reed’s Christmas CD — Here Comes Frani Claus — is unfortunately out of print. But she says it’s her favorite time of year. “I love the holidays,” she says. “Smiles are what people need right now.”

Discovering Francine Reed singing a Christmas carol outside a grocery store? Yes, that’s a guaranteed smile.

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(photo © Jonathan Wenk/TWC 2007)

In this week’s issue I took a rather broad-sided look at the slew of rock-related movies that have been released in 2007, “Rocking in a hard place” — particularly the rock biopic, which seems to have been practically reinvented whether as a documentary or as a feature film.

I’d dashed off the piece for a Wednesday deadline but failed to check to see if all the movies mentioned were still in local theaters. Fortunately, all but one of the films, Kurt Cobain: About a Son, are still around, most notably the recently released Todd Haynes film I’m Not There — about Bob Dylan.

Also fortunate is the fact that our film critics have reviewed each of the movies, so I’d definitely recommend checking out Felicia Feaster’s reviews of I’m Not There and Control, as well as Curt Holman’s reviews of Across the Universe and Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten. One caveat: A quick glance at our Movie Times reveals that Across the Universe, Control and Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten are all hanging by a thread. (Both Control and Strummer have moved over to the Plaza Theatre, which for some reason does have its own kind of rock ’n’roll vibe.)

Finally, a question: What’s your favorite rock ’n’ roll movie, or rock biopic, for that matter?

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You know that saying: Have your people call my people.

Well, Regina Spektor’s people weren’t returning phone calls when our people called to set up an interview. So to make up for it, they’ve given us a couple of free passes to her Atlanta show at the Tabernacle on Thursday, Nov. 15.

The first person who hits me up at music@creativeloafing.com wins a pair of tickets to the show.

Our people will call your people. I promise.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The party’s over. We got a winner. Yay, Christa!

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Guess what’s on sale at eBay.com:

Thanks to Maurice Garland for the tip.

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Tomorrow — Saturday, Oct. 13 — the Coathangers are filming a music video at the infamous Rob’s House, and the band is inviting its fans to participate. Here’s the bulletin sent ’round on MySpace:

on Saturday October 13, we’re shooting a video for The Coathangers at Rob’s House (1318 Ormewood Avenue). we would like to invite all who would like to see a free show and be in a music video. we need folks as extras at the show so if you’re interested in acting, please contact me (www.myspace.com/robshouserecords). time for the show is 4 - 7.

this is not a real real show - its a music video shoot but its supposed to be like a house show. the director has asked for people to dress like you’re going to a show; the more over the top, the better. anyway, we’ll have a keg too so it’ll be fun - we’d love if a few folks could stick around past the 7pm time to be featured extras.

love,
Rob’s House Records

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