Crib Notes

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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Since GENTLEMAN JESSE dropped his debut 7-inch, “I Don’t Wanna Know,” back in ’06, Atlanta’s consummate power-pop innovator has exerted a sweeping influence over the collective consciousness of the city’s native rock scenes. The emphasis he places on the art of songwriting, and the quick, concise pop inflections he’s mastered rise above the common vernacular of garage slop and punk-rock jitters. While the rest of the city’s other bands have watched and followed, he continues to reach for a higher plane of musicianship. Whether performing as the right-hand man in the new Paul Collins Beat, or wielding a bass guitar in the Carbonas, a local music renaissance has fallen upon Atlanta, and much of it is at the hands of Gentleman Jesse Smith. www.myspace.com/gentlemanjesse.

See BOA After Dark

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Ex Humans

Gentleman Jesse, Ex Humans, and Customers play a warehouse show at the Footclan Headquarters located at 205 Holtzclaw St., Unit G, this Sunday afternoon.

The music will start at 3 p.m. (supposedly) and Gentleman Jesse is playing first.

It should also be said that this will be the last warehouse show/party at the Footclan Warehouse as all of the people who live there are moving out soon.

Josh Martin left Atlanta for New York in October 2007. The former guitar player for local punk staples Beat Beat Beat and Carbonas was passing through the Big Apple while on tour when he fell in love with the city. So much so that he decided, on a whim, to stay there for good. “I needed a change of scenery,” he offers dryly from his basement apartment in Brooklyn. Continue reading …

(Photo courtesy Ex Humans)

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NPR.org’s “Song of the Day” today comes courtesy hometown heroes Gentleman Jesse and His Men. The track, “All I Need Tonight,” is described by the blurb’s author (that is, me) as:

…mostly just an excuse for frontman Jesse Smith and his background singers to belt out the track’s euphoric chorus — “All I need tonight is youuuuuu” — again and again. Sure, there’s a marginal backstory involving a girl who isn’t taking the narrator’s calls, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering how quickly he decides to find a new woman to float his boat. Turns out you aren’t the only thing he needs tonight, after all. But who cares? Young love never makes sense, so why should sublime pop?

You can catch up onCreative Loafing’s coverage of the band here and here. Also check out my recent feature on Jesse’s label Douchemaster Records in Crawdaddy.

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Six months ago Bobby Ubangi (B. Jay Womack) of local punk/garage rock/shit-fi bands the Gaye Blades and the Soft Spots was diagnosed with stage IV small cell lung cancer that had spread to his brain. The prognosis was terminal. Chemo and radiation treatments would slow down the cancer, but he was given a life expectancy of about six more months. The time came and went without incident, and when everything seemed to be working, Womack learned that the cancer had spread to his liver, and when that goes, he goes.

At the time he was initially diagnosed, I asked B. Jay if there was anything that he wanted to do; something that he had always wanted to but never had the time, and without hesitation he said, “I want to go to the beach.”

Plans were made and put off a couple of times, but when the latest round of bad news came down the pike it seemed that a trip to the beach was in order sooner than later.

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Call it the home field advantage, but ex-Nerves drummer Paul Collins’ show at the Earl Saturday night was fantastic to say the least. Not to say that his last show at the Earl back in August wasn’t a good one, but this grand unveiling of the line-up of the Beat, featuring Jesse Smith (bass), Dave Rahn (drums) and Warren Bailey (guitar), wielded a much stronger dose of chemistry than what the prior Beat brought last time around. If ever there was a time to catch Paul Collins, it was Saturday night.

It’s interesting to note that at the same time Paul Collins’ Beat was tearing it up at the Earl, British Ska band the English Beat was playing across town at the Loft, which has to have set some sort of historical precedent. In case you aren’t familiar with the story, the English Beat has to alter their name in the states because Mr. Collins already had the name for his far superior power pop outfit. Photographer Perry Julien shot some photos at the other Beat show .

(Photos by Chad Radford)

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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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Back in December 2005, garage punk and power pop luminary Gentleman Jesse Smith and Die Slaughterhaus Records owner Mark Naumann scrambled to get a Christmas 7-inch out in time for the holidays.

They failed.

“The team of me and Mark just isn’t a very productive one,” Smith laughs. “Mark slept on it a little and [the band] totally missed our deadline to have the song to him.”

The record’s sleeves didn’t show up until months later. As a result, it’s the only Gentleman Jesse vinyl release that’s never demanded a repress. Christmas songs come a dollar a dozen in December when people actually enjoy, or at least tolerate, the seasonal cheer. A Christmas record that comes out after the holiday doesn’t stand a chance. Want proof? Even though only 500 copies were pressed three years ago, the release still sits on shelves in pretty much any record store in town.

That’s not to say the songs are bad by any means. The record is a split single between the long dead Gentleman Jesse and His Men moniker, and Fever B (a.k.a. Brian Hermosillo of Donny Denim, the Fevers and the Sweet Faces). On the a-side Gentleman Jesse’s “Christmas Hangover” is a concise, barreling anthem that counters a scaled down intro with busy licks and holiday cheer. On the flip-side Fever B’s “Down with Christmas” is a primitive, anti-holiday mantra that builds on the grooves of gritty rock ‘n’ roll.

Both numbers fit perfectly as opposite sides of a very catchy single. But bad timing has kept it from becoming notable. “The records showed up on Christmas eve eve.,” Smith adds. “We had them in time to give one to my parents without a cover and that was about it.”

This year there’s plenty of time before Christmas, and still plenty of Gentleman Jesse’s “Christmas Hangover” to be had.

Gentleman Jesse plays w/ the Long Shadows. $5. 9 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 25. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-522-3950.

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In the December issue of Spin Magazine’s monthly list of “Songs You Need to Download Now,” Atlanta’s Gentleman Jesse Smith gets a shout out for the a-side of his debut 7-inch single, “I Don’t Wanna Know.”

Normally we here at Crib Notes would recommend that you go out and buy the 7-inch that was released in 2006 by local label DoucheMaster Records. But sadly it is long out of print and you have no choice but to settle for a digital file.

At any rate, if you’re not already familiar with the tune that put Gentleman Jesse on the map you are a couple of years behind the curve, and like Spin suggests, go out and get it right now. As soon as you have digested that, go get the full-length which came out earlier this year on DoucheMaster. You won’t be disappointed.

“I Don’t Wanna Know” MP3

(Photo by Laura Hull)

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For Today’s Roll Call we call out Atlanta power pop extraordinaire, Gentleman Jesse Smith.

Who are you?
Gentleman Jesse.

Describe yourself in three words.
Song Carpenter Extraordinaire.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
Bruce Springsteen. My girlfriend met him at her work. She said he was supercool and asking about the music she was listening to. We went to see him on that last tour and it was amazing.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
I’m not much for slapping faces. I’m more of a stern talking to kinda guy. That be said I would like to slap bad drivers, bad tippers and Bad Company (the band).

What song do you wish you had written?
Anything that King Tuff or NOBUNNY wrote.

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
Elvis Presley. Fat of course.

LP, CD or MP3?
LP. what are those other ones?

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
I think I’m going to start LARPing. You know running around in the woods pretending to sword fight with some nerds. Anybody in?

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Starting a garage band with no idea what garage music is. It did not start in 2001. Do some fucking homework.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
A gentleman would not discuss these matters.

Gentleman Jesse plays The Earl as part of the Atlanta Mess-Around fest. on Sat., Nov. 15th. Two day passes are available for $20. Tickets are $12 at the door.

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The work, of Montreal visual artist Luc Paradis, is up on the walls at Vacation Gallery & Boutique as of today (Thursday October 30th).

The opening begins at 7 p.m. A new incarnation of local band the Gaye Blades, dubbed Blade2, which features the band’s normal line-up + Gentelman Jesse Smith playing guitar.

Vacation is located at 674a North Highland Ave. (404-875-4413).

Photo courtesy of Vacation Gallery & Boutique

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BLUE MOUNTAIN Despite nearly a decade of hard touring and raw, rollicking shows, Mississippi alt-country trio Blue Mountain tossed in the greasy, sweat-soaked towel in 2001. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Cary Hudson made a stab at a solo career, but despite their quality his albums never connected, so it’s reformation time. Touring to support two new discs — one of original music and a rerecorded “hits” set — Mountain combines backwoods, slinky picking with amped-up energy. At its best, the threesome’s energetic, sizzling gigs left newcomers raving and existing fans wondering why they weren’t stars. Andy Friedman & the Other Failures and Amy Speace & the Tearjerks get the party started. $12. 7 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — HH

PIERCED ARROWS Rural Oregon outsiders Dead Moon called it quits in 2006. But after decades spent crafting rugged, outlaw garage rock as a lifestyle choice, retirement just wasn’t their style. In the downtime, the husband-and-wife team of Fred and Toody Cole recharged their batteries to return as PIERCED ARROWS. Their debut full-length, Straight to the Heart, is a dark, groove-driven nod to the power of loud and lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll. Gentleman Jesse and Coffin Bound open. $8-$10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com – CR

(Photo by Brad Hodge)

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This is perhaps the best Friday this city has seen in a long time, and if you’re looking to go out and see some shows tonight, you’re in luck, but you’re going to have to make some executive decisions.

First and foremost there is the screening of Michael Tully and Matthew Robison’s documentary film, Silver Jew showing over at Eyedrum.

Robison, who is also involved with the Atlanta rock doc., We Fun (currently in production) will be in attendance. $5. 9 p.m. (doors) Film starts at 10 p.m. Money from door sales goes to B Jay Womack who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org.

Over at Lenny’s Intelligence, Gentleman Jesse, Vera Fang and HOWLIES are playing a FREE show over at Lenny’s. Intelligence is at the forefront of the new no-wave junk-rock art clatter that so dominates the cutting edge of abrasive post-punk in 2008. The group’s sound is brash, damaged, alien and filled with angst and hooks. Local power-pop ambassador Gentleman Jesse brings things back to a more earthbound pop sound with a triumphant return to the stage. Vera Fang and Howlies open. 9 p.m. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com.

Stereolab photo by Sabrina Tabuchi

The Variety Playhouse plays host to Stereolab’s stop in support of Chemical Chords, the group’s best album in years. Stereolab’s penchant for crafting droning rhythms, Moog jams and space-age bachelor-pad music set a precedent for experimental sounds in the ’90s. With Chemical Chords (their 4AD debut), the pop explorers churn out their catchiest songs this side of the millennium. Recent material such as “Pop Molecule,” “Cellulose Sunshine” and “Daisy Click Clack” channel the “groop’s” cosmic music into digestible bursts of short pop songs. Tonight, expect nothing less than a headlong trip into melancholia and ’60s psych pop, sans kitsch. Atlas Sound (aka Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox) also performs. Herb and Jason Harris of the Selmanaires open. $20-$22.50. 8:30 p.m. , 1099 Euclid Ave. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

There’s a Hank Williams Sr. tribute show at The Star Bar, featuring Slim Chance, Dave Weil (Blacktop Rockets), Caroline Engel, Phil Anderson, Bill Fleming, Danny Pope, Craig Rafuse, Ted Weldon and several others (and just so you know, this is a non-smoking event). $10. 9 p.m. 404-681-5740. www.starbar.net.

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This morning Pitchfork posted a long overdue review of Gentleman Jesse’s debut album on DoucheMaster Records (whom, by the way received a CL Best Of Atlanta award this week for critic’s pick for best local record label).

Unlike the pukey face review that Vice gave him this month, Pitchfork likes Gentleman Jesse so much that they bestowed upon him an empowering 8.1 rating.

Read the review here.

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Shortly after the Fringe Binge came to an end on Saturday night (Aug. 2) at The Star Bar Gentleman Jesse Smith’s guitar was stolen.

The missing guitar is a 70’s Danelectro hollow body guitar that’s missing a volume knob. According to Smith it is “incredibly rare and irreplaceable. Basically if I see one I will know it was mine.”
If anyone has any information concerning the guitar’s whereabouts please send an e-mail here.

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The show at Rob’s House this Saturday, July 26th was a well-kept secret… sort of. There wasn’t as much as a peep on the internet or in the local media about the Black Lips playing a free house show in East Atlanta, but word-of-mouth brought about 100 – 150 people out, which actually made it about the perfect sized crowd.

The flier that you see to your left didn’t even show up until the day of the show.

Regardless, the basement at 1318 Ormewood Ave. felt like a scene from Dante’s Infero as Predator, Gentleman Jesse and Carbonas exploded in a haze of smoke and unbearable heat. Sweat-soaked bodies packed the tiny dungeon as Gentleman Jesse played its final show before bassist Dustin Nigro moves off to NYC. This show also served as a successful test run for the group with new guitarist Adrian Barrera (also of the Hiss).

For many long-time but estranged fans, seeing the Black Lips in a basement was a refreshing reminder of the days when most local venues wouldn’t even give the group the time of day for fear of property damage. Back then the Black Lips had nowhere else to play but house shows. Seeing them tear it up in such a cramped and sweaty environment was a return to the good old days. It was also the last show at Rob’s House before the label’s founder Trey Lindsay moves off to New York as well.

Could there have been a better way to bring an end to the era? The show was a visceral return to form that literally brought it all back home.

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Today’s Air Loaf features CL’s Chanté LaGon and Chad Radford chatting about the concerts happening around town this weekend including AthFest, Gentleman Jesse, Dion Farris and Hubcap City.

Air Loaf is broadcast weekdays on 1690 WMLB-AM at approximately 8:10 a.m., 12:20 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.

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