Crib Notes

PAULA NELSON, SHANE BRIDGES Yeah, she’s Willie’s daughter, and her thing is very typical Texas country-blues. The girl can sing, but we’ve heard most of this before. If you dig the blues, be there. Macon’s Americana guy Shane Bridges opens. $6, 8PM. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. – James Kelly

GRAILS Portland, Ore.’s purveyors of avant-garde metal return in support of their darkest and dirtiest offering yet, Doomsdayer’s Holiday. The latest release details epic, instrumental riffage and atmospheres that find sludgy, metal drums intertwining with washes of Middle Eastern textures and a white-hot tussle between harmony and distortion. For their Fri. Nov. 14th show, electronic music pioneers the Silver Apples surf the sine waves, carving out deep, psychedelic grooves. Led by the mysterious Simeon Coxe III, Silver Apples craft songs that are as addictive today as they were when the group emerged from the New York art-rock scene circa 1967. Athens’ instrumental math rockers A.Armada open. $10. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — Chad Radford

(Photo Credit: Todd V. Wolfson)

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There are two shows worth checking out tonight. First up at The Earl:FAUN FABLES, JEFFREY BÜTZER Singer/frontwoman Dawn McCarthy, although raised in Washington, tends to favor a musical (and artistic) palette that veers toward British folk with avant-garde leanings. While not exactly like labelmate Joanna Newsom, she attracts a similar audience with her chirping, innocent vocals and acoustic, fairyish approach. Sweet, challenging, occasionally weird but always intriguing, she is still very much an acquired taste. Welcome local opener Butzer back from France, where his cabaret art-pop reportedly was well-received. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Hal Horowitz

And if that’s not your thing, you can head over to the Drunken Unicorn for…

MARGOT & THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO’S The Indianapolis octet’s debut, The Dust of Retreat, balances careening, string- and horn-fueled arrangements with sweet, melodious broken-hearted odes, lightened by a bit of playfulness, as on “Paper Kitten Nightmare,” where Richard Edwards meows the chorus like an old Meow Mix commercial. Unlike many chamber-pop-oriented acts, Margot rocks convincingly (”Barfight Revolution, Power Violence”) despite their preference for ringing, folk-tinged melodies. In September they make their Epic debut with two different albums, Animal and Not Animal, with varying song selections, one of the label’s choosing and one of their own. $10. 10 p.m. Drunken Unicorn. 404-870-0575. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net.
– Chris Parker

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Submitted by: Jason R. Jensen

The Young Livers w/Grabass Charlestons @ Drunken Unicorn. Thurs., Aug. 14

The only thing better than seeing a great band right before they take off on a massive tour through the U.S. and Europe is seeing them in an empty club with about 30 other people that belong in the “Who’s Who” of the Atlanta music scene. Gainesville, Fla.-based Young Livers stand a good chance of replicating the success of Against Me!, and with a super loud double guitar sound the band just about shamed me into wishing I’d brought earplugs. The closing band was Grabass Charlestons — the Young Livers’ No Idea labelmates. Grabass seemed to get everyone pumped but my friend and I got bored halfway through and went across the street to Cameli’s to listen to awful karaoke and drink Jameson.

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Ethan Miller is best-known as the main man responsible for churning out the the droning art metal of his other band, Comets on Fire. But with Howlin Rain performing this Friday night, JUNE 6, Miller helms a show of baroque, psychedelic rock jams that are laced with nods to the avant-garde. But above all else, Howlin Rain is a rock band that’s rooted in the traditions of Jefferson Airplane in the ’60s, the Byrds in their psychedelic heyday and the good Grateful Dead records.

The group’s second full-length, Magnificent Fiend, released under the wings of Rick Rubin’s American Recordings, is rife with big, gospel explosions of organ wash and harmonic riffage that glows with the kaleidoscopic aura of San Francisco circa ‘66. $8. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net.

If you can’t make it to the Drunken Unicorn and would prefer the the more intimate settings of a FREE in-store performance, Howlin Rain will also be performing at Criminal Records in L5P earlier in the evening at 7 p.m.

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Maybe you have to be high or just extremely intoxicated to enjoy a Kenny Crucial performance. Unfortunately, I was neither of these things when I saw Mack Messiah at the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, May 21.

Despite his status as a local music icon, there was nothing profound or amazing about Crucial’s performance, and his attempts to be the intense rock star figure made him look insane, and not in a good, crazy rock and roll way. A heavy air of unease jostled everyone in the room. The typical hipsters were there, coolly sipping their PBR’s, only this time they were clutching them tightly with fear. Instead of dancing to the music they looked confused and uncomfortable, shifting from side to side, trying unsuccessfully to nod their heads to the Casio beat.

Looks of sheer disbelief and confusion spread throughout the room as Crucial resembled a deranged mole from the “Whac-a-Mole” game at Chuck E. Cheese … the one you’re supposed to bop with a mallet. Veins bulging and eyes wide, instead of popping out of a hole, he was popping up and down behind his music stand.

The music was not bad, and I actually enjoyed myself more when Crucial wasn’t screaming/singing. Their sound was a mutant hybrid of glam rock, psychedelic pop, and I would assume funk since one of the songs was titled “Funky Like Your Daddy.” It would have been fun and easy to dance to if everyone wasn’t so focused on Crucial, wondering what crazy thing he was going to do next. The saving grace of the performance was 18-year-old bass, keytar and omnicord player Monika Julien, who stood out even above the supposedly legendary Crucial. Julien met Crucial at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin. According to her, the two hit it off and soon began practicing together. Wednesday was the first time Julien had performed with Mack Messiah, but she has been a member of local experimental hardcore band When Rocky Beat the Russian for about a year now.

Fiercely hunched over while playing her omnichord, Julien was really into what she was doing and it was obvious through her prevailing sound and the modest smile on her face. Not modest at all, Crucial was really into what he was doing as well; however, he was obviously more into himself. Instead of a modest smile, he screamed at the audience and ended the show with his fists pumping in the air shouting, “Bow to me!”

Red faced and eyes full of rage, he no longer resembled the deranged but harmless Chuck E. Cheese mole. In fact, he suddenly looked more like the devil himself and after that little escapade, the band might best be served by calling itself Mack Lucifer.

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SOLO DEERHUNTER: Bradford Cox does his thing at his Atlas Sound CD release performance, Tues., Feb. 19.

Click here to read Mosi Reeves’ story on Cox and his new release.

(All photos by Alan Friedman)

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(photo by Jessica Miller)

The speed-rapping hip-hop artist BUSDRIVER makes complex satire that touches on race, cultural politics and societal trends with aplomb. But if Roadkillovercoat, released earlier this year, was sometimes difficult to follow, then his live appearances are dazzling and overwhelming tours de force. He’s already played Atlanta once this year as an opening act for RJD2. This time, he plays Thurs., NOV. 8, with Daedelus, the electronic dandy who just released an EP on Ninja Tune, Fair Weather Friends, highlighted by a rework of TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Antimc, Chris Devoe and DJ Gnosis open. $8. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place. 404-870-0575. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net.

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(photo by Austin Peters and Nick Darmstaedter)

Atlanta natives Supreeme are coming home to Atlanta this Sunday for one quick show at Drunken Unicorn before returning to NYC. Members Tom Cruz, King Self and Negashi Armada will be performing new songs off their latest mixtape, American Badass. Negashi gave me a quick rundown of the mixtape, saying, “American Badass is an irreverent, rebellious freedom party … with raps that are simultaneously genius and childish, and infectious beats that are stripped down to the bare essentials.”

American Badass features guest spots from Murs, Taz Arnold (of Sa-Ra), J Young, Killa T and Mickey Factz. Free copy to anyone who comes out. Check ‘em out, they just got named Best Local Hip-hop Act in Atlanta in our recent Best of Atlanta 2007 issue. And it makes sense — they’re young, fresh, energetic and always put on a fun show. And this Sunday night, you know they’ll be on point and feeling the hometown love.

Supreeme performs with Proton, the Dreamer and Mach 5 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Drunken Unicorn. $10. 18 and up. Check out their latest songs and what they’ve been doing at www.myspace.com/supreemesupreeme.

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For the third year, the Other Sound Music Festival will be providing a showcase for great Atlanta bands. The fest is Sept. 6-9, and will take place at the Drunken Unicorn, Lenny’s, 11:11 Teahouse and the Earl. If you go, make sure not to miss the rugged rock ‘n’ roll of the All Night Drug Prowling Wolves.

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