Crib Notes

Man or Astro-man? will make a triumphant return to the stage at Whirly Ball Atlanta on Fri., March 5. All the Saints plus another act will open the show. Read an interview with MOAM? drummer Birdstuff at Chunklet. Tickets are $17-$20 and are on sale now through Ticket Alternative. Doors open at 9 p.m. Music starts at 9:30 p.m. 608 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell. 770.998.6161.

“Atlanta Has A Heart” is a benefit concert for 3-year-old Lana Turner, daughter of Brit and Shannon Turner. Brit is the drummer for Blackberry Smoke. Lana was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma Cancer in December 2009. 100 percent of the proceeds go to The Lana Turner Cancer Fund. Music starts at 8 p.m. with a performance by GRIP, followed by an all star jam with members of Drivin N Cryin, Lee Roy Parnell, Conner Christian, .38 Special, Jupiter Coyote, Jackyl, Atlanta Rythym Section, Fozzy, Stuck Mojo and more, including players from the Atlanta Braves. Kaedy Kiley from 97.1 The River (WSRV-FM) will be on hand to MC. Due to the venue’s limited capacity, only 400 tickets will be sold. Advance tickets can be purchased at Etix. Sat. Feb. 13. $15 8 p.m. The Peachtree Tavern, 3179 Peachtree Road. (James Kelly contributed to this report.)

Extras are needed to participate in a video shoot for the song “I See Georgia” from Drivin N Cryin’s latest album, Great American Bubble Factory. The shoot will take place in McDonough on Tues., Feb 2, from noon until 6 p.m. If you want to participate, you have to commit to being there the whole time period. For more information contact Ken@VintageEarthMusic.com.

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N.E.C.’s “It’s Right” from Kombo Ch on Vimeo.

Fri., Jan. 29 — The N.E.C., All the Saints, Predator, Jovantes Known for wielding dense, improvised psychedelic rock, the N.E.C celebrates the release of Is, a new CD/cassette/LP (Double Phantom) that merges the group’s signature rhythmic experiments with refined and heady hooks guiding the haze. The group’s Lexington, Ky., counterpart Jovantes also perform, while terse and respectively arty and amped-up locals All the Saints and Predator open. $7. 9 p.m. 529. 404-228-6769.

Fri., Jan. 29 — Sonen, Living Rooms, DJ Brian Parris. Call for price. 9 p.m. The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756.

Fri., Jan. 29 — The Preakness, Whale Fall, Social Studies The Preakness drummer Matt Glagola is moving to New Orleans, effectively bringing an end to the Preakness, at least for the foreseeable future. It is uncertain how or if Atlanta’s damaged and long-standing indie pop trio will carry on, but this will be the band’s final show. Whale Fall and experimental hip-hop duo Social Studies are also on the bill. $7. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950.
Social Studies “Assignment 2″ mp3

Fri., Jan. 29 — The Pinx, Dead Rabbits, Masters of Persian Music, Drew Kohl, and Kyle Robbins. Call for price. 8 p.m. WonderRoot. 982 Memorial Drive. 404-254-5955.
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Once again 97 Estoria is celebrating their annual Estoria fest this Saturday, May 9.

The show is free and the music is scheduled to being sometime in the neighborhood of 4-4:30 p.m.  Bands performing this year include:   Noot d’ Noot, Rizzudo, GG King, All the Saints, Hawks and Predator.

Half of this year’s line-up can be heard on Creative Loafing’s the Mixt A vol. 1 compilation.

97 Estoria is located at 727 Wylie St., just beyond the Krog St. tunnel in Cabbagetown. 404-522-0966.

(Photo courtesy 97 Estoria)

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All the Saints have released a music video for the song “Sheffield” from their Touch & Go/Quarterstick Records debut full-length, Fire On Corridor X.

All the Saints “Sheffield” from Touch and Go/Quarterstick on Vimeo.

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The Creative Loafing team survived the brutal drive to and from Austin for this year’s South By Southwest festival, kept alive only by gallons of gas station coffee and truck stop tacos.

While we chased down every free meal and drink ticket we could find, we also managed to see a tiny fraction of the 1,900 bands that played this year. Sure, everyone is talking about it today, but we didn’t see Kanye or Metallica. We’re OK with that. Check out a rundown of our favorite moments from the festival after the jump.

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Sad news hit the indie rock world today when one of it’s longest running major players Touch and Go Records announced that the company was drastically reducing in size, axing its distribution arm and laying off several employees. These harsh cuts are the result of the current state of the economy making it too difficult for the label to continue operating as is.

That said, the label still exists, but to what extent, and how it will affect recent signees such as Mi Ami and Atlanta’s All the Saints remains to be seen. After owner Corey Rusk released his official statement today, he later told Pitchforkmedia.com that the label may begin releasing new music at some point in the future, but as of right now nothing is certain. In the meantime it also remains to be seen how T&G distributed labels such as Merge, Drag City and Suicide Squeeze — who recently signed the Coathangers — will be affected as well.

Here is the complete text of Corey Rusk’s statement:

“It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels. Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records.

“Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations. Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go. We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.

“Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings.”

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For today’s Roll Call we call out Matthew Lambert from All the Saints.

Who are you?
I am Matthew Allen Lambert.

Describe yourself in three words.
Confused. In tune

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
Neil Young and Mark Grace it’s a tie. I love them both equally.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Right now I would have to say the rude hourly woman at the check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson last night. She was so mean. That’s all I can think of. I don’t hold grudges very well.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Amazing Grace.”

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
A hybrid Elvis would be cool. I would probably take Costello solely because of “Watching the Detectives,” but my mother would kill me. She would take Elvis P. over Jesus and Bear Bryant I think.

LP, CD or MP3?
I have to say vinyl. Oh the warmth and crackle. The only real way to listen to a record in its truest form, is on vinyl, through headphones. You flip the record, cue the songs, read the liner notes, smell the cover, all that. But I do love having the ability to make mixes with MP3’s.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
A trend of people spending all of their money on records. Tuck your shirt in.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
It’s pretty much on its way but I’ll say the whole “Indie” thing. Vomit. “Indie” is “Hair Metal” or “Emo” or something. It starts from something fresh and cool and then America torques it up to like 11 and shit. By the end it just becomes so heartless and boring.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
I can’t play spin the bottle.

“Sheffield” MP3

All the Saints play the Drunken Unicorn on Wed., Dec. 31 with Atlas Sound and the Balkans. $15. 10 p.m. Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place.

(Photo by Skylar Reeves)

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Merriweather Post Pavilion

This week Criminal Records announced that the store will host a New Year’s Day listening party for Animal Collective’s forthcoming album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, due Jan. 6th on vinyl and Jan. 20th on CD. The album was recorded at Oxford, Mississippi’s Sweet Tea Recording Studio with Atlanta’s very own Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley, All the Saints, Constellations) at the helm and is being released by Domino.

The listening party starts at 4 p.m. on Thurs., Jan. 1st. According to Criminal’s website the store will be open from noon ’til 6 p.m. or so on New Year’s Day and will be offering greens, black-eyed peas and hopefully a few other good luck foods to foster high hopes for the upcoming year.

in the meantime Criminal’s free weekly Beer Thirty concerts continue every Saturday afternoon. Thus far the schedule includes:

Dec. 13th — The Features at 4 p.m.
Jan. 3rd @ — Electric Cycles (formerly El Capitan) at 4 p.m.
Jan. 17th — Batata Doce at 4 p.m.
Feb. 7th — Young Antiques at 4 p.m.

Bands or DJs interested in performing can contact Shannon@criminal.com for details and availability.

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Brothers Gil Mantera and the Ultimate Donny get the party started with a breeze of soft-focus dance pop ripped right out of 1980-something and planted in the here and now. On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss GIL MANTERA’S PARTY DREAM as a spectacle of white leather, spandex and sensitive hair, but the live shows are undeniably entertaining. Think of an emotionally wrought hybrid of Kraftwerk and Tears for Fears, armed with bedroom eyes and Flashdance feet, and you know what to expect from the show Wed., SEPT. 10. Death Pill (featuring Negashi of Supreeme), Math Candy and Deepest Desires open. $7. 9 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Road. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.

THE N.E.C., ALL THE SAINTS, ADVENTURE Local rockers the N.E.C. continue their monthlong residency at the Star Bar with a show of psych-damaged garage punk. All the Saints applies the psychedelic approach to a sound that’s rooted much more deeply in a surreal pop terrain as the group crafts arching walls of dense resonance that blur the lines between goth, metal, noise and an emotionally charged dirge of rhythm and feedback. Adventure opens. $3. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — Chad Radford

THE WHIGS, TOKYO POLICE CLUB Athens trio the Whigs slalom through their catchy indie rock like Wile E. Coyote strapped to an Acme rocket, beaming power-pop ebullience and anxious, shifty winsomeness. Their second album, Mission Control, ambles from laconic rock waltzes (”Sleep Sunshine”) to jagged dance-punk (”Production City”), reprising a bevy of styles without missing a step. Ontario’s Tokyo Police Club plays energetic indie pop keyed by swirling keyboards and punchy, danceable rhythms. The colorful, caffeinated abandon of their new album, Elephant Shell, is as infectious as a room of snotty first graders. $15. 9 p.m. 40 Watt Club, Athens. 706-549-7871. www.40watt.com. — Chris Parker

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Back in July Crib Notes called out All the Saints as Atlanta’s next band to “succeed on their own merits.” It looks like the chickens are coming home to roost! Today (Tues, Sept. 9)  Chicago’s Touch & Go Records announced that they have signed a deal with All the Saints.

This just in from T&G…

“We could not be happier to announce that All the Saints have joined the roster here at Touch and Go Records! The band’s scorching debut album Fire On Corridor X will be released in North America digitally on September 9th and on wax November 4th (all formats available in Europe November 3/UK November 17).The cd version of Fire On Corridor X is available now on Killer Pimp Records.

Climbing a wall of sound imbued with equal amounts of noise and melody, All the Saints Fire On Corridor X rains down in sonic sheets.  The debut full length from this crew may be steeped in a heavy psych/drone tradition, but under the din lay songs that contradict the cacophony.

Comprised of singer/guitarist Matt Lambert, bassist/co-vocalist Titus Brown, and drummer Jim Crook, All the Saints is an Atlanta-by-way-of Alabama behemoth, a power trio with wattage to spare.  All the Saints will go out on the road with A Place To Bury Strangers for a handful of shows in late October, including a stop at CMJ New Music Marathon.

Psychedelic yet direct, raging but tuneful, expect to hear plenty more from All the Saints in the coming months.”

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All the Saints have secretly risen through the ranks to rise up and out of Atlanta, and position themselves as one the most likely to succeed on their own merits. The group occupies a strange and exotic place that lies somewhere between droning art rock and epic psychedelia that’s punctuated by a heavy dose of metal riffs. But make no mistake, ATS is not to be confused with a metal band. The group crafts a Southern-fried shoe gaze sound that’s carries an understated goth/dark Brit. pop sulk that gives rise to a sound that leaves plenty of room in which to roam around.

Their debut full-length, Fire on Corridor X on Killer Pimp Records is an engaging listen to be sure, but the soft production qualities choke a bit of the punch out of the songs. This is a band that crafts a fiery sound, and a much more jagged rendering would serve these songs well. But ATS on CD is a much less visceral experience than witnessing the group in the flesh. Toning down the dirge for Fire in Corridor X for this recording shows a marked leap from the production witnessed on the group’s ‘06 self-titled EP.

But the songs are good, and naturally, it goes with out saying that the best way to take in this band, especially if it’s for your first time, is to catch a live show. Conveniently they just happen to be playing at Art Opening tomorrow, Saturday July 19 at Vacation Boutique & Gallery in the Virginia Highlands. The show features the art work of former ATL resident and NYC transplant Jeremy Parker. The show is free, but donations are encouraged. Music begins at 8 p.m. and there will be free Colt 45 for everyone.

For more information click here or call Vacation at 404-875-4413.

(Photo taken from All the Saints Myspace Page)

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