Crib Notes

CHAOS BY DESIGN

Sweaty strangers in flannel are grabbing my ass in a warehouse off Dekalb Avenue. Half a pint of Wild Turkey convinced me it’d be a good idea to free fall from the rafters into a sea of hipsters. Maybe I just couldn’t hear him correctly over the blaring amps of the Black Lips, but a wild turkey has never steered me wrong before. Fuck it. It’s chaos by design, and it’s a beautiful thing.

It’s a Saturday night and we’re in superstar hip-hop photographer Zach Wolfe’s studio. He’s quite possibly the coolest person, other than Chad Radford, to hail from the home of Captain James Tiberion Kirk. A pasty white boy from Iowa and he has the Dirty South in the palm of his hand. The guy has his adopted city railed out on a table and it’s yelling, Snort This.

Problem: Zach’s grandiose studio has an equally substantial August power bill.

Solution: Let’s party.

A couple hours of preparation, a couple of runs to Green’s, and a couple hundred kids turn up for a guerilla-style Black Lips show. A benefit fit for scoundrels.
(more…)

Bookmark to:

Before they were Black Lips they were the Renegades, and they revert to their early former hooligan selves very rarely these days. Tonight is one such occasion as the Renegades return to play a benefit show at the Drunken Unicorn to raise money to cover the funeral expenses for the subject of CL’s cover story this week, Bobby Ubangi.

Baby Dinosaur Vs. Extinction, Pizza Party, and Trip Hop Cowboy are also performing. All proceeds are being donated to the funeral fund.

Anyone interested in donating to the Bobby Ubangi Funeral Fund can do so via send Paypal.

Link disabled.

Note: Funeral donations are no longer being accepted. Thank you to everyone who has contributed.

Cost for the show is $5 for 21+, $7 for under 21. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the show starts promptly at 9:15 p.m. The Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Since I have Power of Attorney responsibilities I am using my personal Paypal account to transfer all of funds received directly to cover the costs of funeral expenses.

(Photo by Chad Radford)

Bookmark to:

Ecstasy, Valium and Xanax seem to be the new drug cocktail of choice these days. Well, at least for lead singer Nathan Williams of Wavves. Is it any wonder he doesn’t even remember what Pitchfork has called, “the most epic onstage meltdown a band of their small size could conjure“?

In his latest Pitchfork interview, he sets the record straight, sort of:

“I can’t fuck up once? If people think that I’m not going to fuck up, there’s no reason to even come and watch me.”

Note to Nathan: Leave the big boy drugs to Motley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses.

Bookmark to:

Armando Celentano – supreme keeper of ye olde Drunken Unicorn and Black Lips tour manager.

My mixtape

1. “Waiting Room”- Fugazi
2. “Star Wars Theme” – John Williams
3. Crack the Skye (the whole damn album) – Mastodon
4. “Lexicon Devil”- the Germs
5. “Mouth Breather” – the Jesus Lizard
6. “Two Highways”- Allison Krauss & Union Station
7. “Holland 1945″- Neutral Milk Hotel
8. “Ether”- Gang of Four
9. “Got Your Money”- ol’ Dirty Bastard
10. “Coolidge” – the Decendents

My favorite band?
I’m torn here between Mastodon and Gentleman Jesse and His Men. I think I’ll have to go with GJ though. We just went on tour with them for a month and their songs were totally getting stuck in my head to the point where I was craving seeing their set every night just so I could have some peace of mind. Power pop is the future and Gentleman Jesse and His Men are the Jonahs Brothers of the ATL scene.

Check out Mixtape Love: CL Music Issue ‘09

Bookmark to:

Nashville-based film maker Matthew Robison’s (Silver Jew) much ballyhooed, but yet to be released Atlanta rock documentary We Fun premieres at the Atlanta Film Festival this Saturday night (April 18.)

The film is showing on screen no. 4 at the Midtown Art Cinema on Sat., April 18 and again at 2:05 p.m. on screen no. 6 on  Wed., April 22.

Bookmark to:

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.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

From Vice:

The Black Lips recent expedition to India was marked by a series of fairly seismic culture shocks. Everything from bottle-throwing fans at a gig in Pune, to livid show promoters in Chennai who chased them out of the country, all in response to a bunch of full-frontal punk rock provocateurs from Atlanta.

See the video.

Bookmark to:

This week Vice Records unveiled “Short Fuse,” the second song to emerge from the Black Lips’ forthcoming full-length, 200 Million Thousand (due out February 24th).

While there has been much rumor and speculation about how the new Black Lips album takes the group in a different direction than their previous recordings, “Short Fuse” gives the world a substantial look at where the group is heading.

Download “Short Fuse”

Bookmark to:

Earlier today producer/director Matthew Robison sent Crib Notes a new cut of the trailer for the forthcoming Atlanta rock scene documentary, We Fun.

WARNING: The trailer features a few swear words, so if you are at work put on a pair of headphones.

Bookmark to:

According to a post on the Black Lips’ blog the group had it’s current tour of India canceled and had to flee the country to avoid going to jail over a matter of indecent exposure on “Campus Rock Idol,” which is pretty much India’s version of “American Idol.”

“When we got to the hotel our tour guide informed us that the that the Campus Rock Idols sponsors were pressing charges and that the police would make their arrest. At that point our tour driver informed us we would have to drive six hours to get to the next town and cross state lines where we would be out of the Tamil authorities’ jurisdiction, because apparently the jail in Chennai is no joke. Word on the street said that it was teeming with tuberculosis, violence and live maggots so instead of risking going there we fled the scene. The drive ended up taking 10 hours because of a horrific accident on the road. We were also informed that all of the shows on our tour had been canceled effectively fucking all funds for the trip. This was a cultural clashing shit storm.”

The post on the group’s blog also explains that the group fled to Berlin where it is holed up with their Indian ally King Khan, working on a new EP.

If only “American Idol” could be this exciting… The Black Lips’ album 200 Million Thousand hits the streets via Vice Records on Feb. 24th. No word yet on the above mentioned EP.

(Photo by Dan Arnold)

Bookmark to:

Atlanta’s favorite rock and roll sons the Black Lips are set to release their third Vice Records offering, 200 Million Thousand on Feb. 24th.

To celebrate the group has launched an official contest for fans and film makers to create their own video for “Starting Over” from the forthcoming album. The contest runs from Mon., Jan. 12th (yesterday) until Sun., Feb. 15th.

The winning director will receive a feature on the homepage of Vimeo.com, an “extra special” 7″ for the new song, “Short Fuse,” and a signed copy of 200 Million Thousand.

“Starting Over” From The Black Lips’ 200 Million Thousand.

Tour dates after the jump.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

By Thomas Wheatley

Local bands and DJs are coming together to raise funds and awareness after a Dec. 3 home invasion in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood rattled both the community and Atlanta music scene.

On Thursday night at 9 p.m. at the Highland Inn Ballroom on North Highland Avenue, the Gaye Blades — which includes members of the Black Lips — and Noot d’ Noot, along with a “special surprise guest,” will headline a night of raffle giveaways to benefit local musician and DJ Chris Devoe and community activist Rachael Spiewak of SoPo Bicycle Co-op. Guest DJs will also spin records throughout the night.

Criminal Records, Youngblood Gallery, Sweetgrass Salon, Charis Books & More and other local businesses are contributing items for the raffle.

“Our tagline for the event is ‘It’s a neighborhood watch,’” says Suzy Moran, one of the fundraiser organizers. “We want it to be a benefit [for the victims], but also a way for the community to come together.”

Organizers are requesting a $5 donation at the door to help the victims.

Bookmark to:

The title for the Black Lips‘ new LP has been unveiled as 200 Million Thousand.

The album will feature 14 brand new songs, recorded in Atlanta with Mike Wright at the former New Street Gallery spot in Avondale Estates. The album will hit the streets via Vice Records on Feb. 24th, which will be followed by some pretty lengthy touring throughout both the U.S. and the U.K.

In the meantime, starting tomorrow night  Cole and Jared from the Black Lips are DJing every Tues. night at 529 in East Atlanta (formerly the Village) at 529 Flat Shoals Rd. across the street from the Flat Iron.

(Photo by Chad Radford).

Click below to see 200 Million Thousand track list and tour dates:

(more…)

Bookmark to:

For today’s installment of Roll Call we call out Bobby Ubangi.

Who are you?
Bobby Ubangi of the Gaye Blades and the Soft Spots

Describe yourself in three words.
Knowing, growing and showing

Who — dead or alive — would you most like to meet?
B. Kliban.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Sarah Palin

What song do you wish you had written?
“Little Red Book” by Love

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
Fucking… the Pres.

LP, CD or MP3?
Laser disc.

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

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
UtiliKilts

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
9 to 5-era Dolly Parton with Jane Fonda watching.

Bobby Ubangi M.C.’s the Atlanta Mess-Around Festival at The Earl this weekend (Fri., Nov. 14th-Sat., Nov. 15th). Two day passes are available for $20. Tickets are $12 at the door.

(Photo by King Khan)

Bookmark to:

Over the last decade the ghostly garage punk band the Spooks have haunted Atlanta’s clubs, terrorizing audiences with spectral sounds, and often times dousing onlookers with gallons of blood and severed animal limbs.

The phantasmal five-piece materializes mostly around Halloween to rattle their chains and unleash an unholy cacophony of haunted house rock and roll, usually dressed in tattered white sheets. No one knows who they are or why their unquiet and spirits still linger on earth. Their connection to Atlanta bands the Black Lips, the Kiwis and Baby Dinosaurs vs. Extinction are not clear — aside from the Die Slaughterhaus Records logo that marks their debut LP, Death From beyond the Grave.

The album’s 3-D cover art seals a Pandora’s box of echo-heavy rock, disembodied moans and sinister cackles and Theremin squiggles that emanate from somewhere beyond the realm of the living. … and the songs, “Ceremonial Death March,” “California Boys” and “Now I’m Gonna Steal Your Soul” spell out the ghoulish M.O. that drives their beach blanket blood bath sound with horrific clarity.

To put it plainly, the Spooks are a band of evil spirits who roam the earth and posses the bodies of local musicians to play their songs. Rumors abound that they will materialize at the Star Bar on Halloween night to celebrate the release of Death From Beyond the Grave.

Despite warnings from all who have encountered these ghastly ghouls I sought them out. A few failed attempts to summon them on a Ouija board went by, but they made their presence known in a séance that gripped me with fear in the former New Street Gallery in Avondale. After a few ill-advised taunts the planchette darted violently from letter to letter, spelling the answers to my questions. Soon enough their earth-bound hosts materialized before me in a haze of dense smoke and reverb.

I am duty bound not to reveal the names of the bodies of the living whom they inhabit, out of fear of exorcism. But after some coaxing they agreed to an interview…

Can you tell me your names?

Spook1-2: No!
Spook3: Where we’re from there is no need for names.
Spook4: Bodies are temporal things anyway, they just come and go. A spirit is an eternal form.
Spook5: We didn’t write these songs anyway. We channeled them. Beethoven was decomposing and we stole his sheet music.

How did you die?

Spook1: In various attrocious ways.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

On the evening of Thursday, October 16th, the Black Lips plus Die Slaughterhaus Records owner Mark Nauman took the stage at the Earl to resurrect the now legendary Renegades — the short-lived, pre-Black Lips incarnation … the one that earned them the rowdy reputation that kept them off of most stages in town for a long long while.

The group appeared onstage after sets from opening bands Jack of Hearts, Goodnight Loving and Stolen Minks.

After giving a shout to their original drummer Bradley Harris, who died from an accidental overdose a few years back, Jared announced “the last time I played these songs I could not grow facial hair.”

This was the first time the Renegades’ name had even been uttered in town for nearly a decade.

If not for the one and only sleeveless and posthumous 7-inch the group released via Die Slaughterhaus a few years ago there would be nothing more than rumors and exaggerated memories to prove that the band ever even existed.

At the show Nauman threw handfuls of generic-looking old Renegades cassette tape recordings into the audience, but they were snatched up just as quickly as they flew through the air. A few tapes even clashed against in-coming beer cans and geysers of beer spray erupting from the tumultuous crowd.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

Last week Dry Ink Magazine posted a video piece that documents the final show at Rob’s House in East Atlanta before the label’s founder Trey Lindsay moved to New York. The video features interviews and segments of performances by Carbonas, Gentleman Jesse, the Black Lips. Drunken chatter from all of the above punctuates a marathon of interviews conducted by Tom Cheshire of All Night Drug Prowling Wolves.

The video does a good d job of capturing the mood (and the heat) of the last show there before handing the reigns over to the Danger House crew.

The video can be seen here.

Bookmark to:

Last night Brontez from the Bay Area band Gravy Train responded via Myspace to my earlier post about his “She’s Over It” column in Maximum Rock and Roll calling Jared Swilley of the Black Lips a racist. I don’t think he liked it. Be warned, it is long and full of objectionable language.

Subject: you gotta lot of nerve fat man……

Body:

its lucky for you that i can’t post this on your website so i guess ill just have to settle for you.

FUCK YOU. First of all the reason i didn’t initially respond to you email for a comment Mr. Radford is that i figured that you were friends with Jared and would defend his fucked up behavior AND I WAS RIGHT. My MAIN problem with this article is that it presents us as ALL hanging out telling racist jokes TOGETHER and THEN Funx got all hurt AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE. If you had read my article you would know that the reason we are upset is because Funx was the ONLY ONE UP when 5 white boys SHE DIDN’T KNOW (Jared included)verbally attacked her and said some serious racist shit. Even if i were to entertain the whole “they were just joking” explanation (which i fucking won’t) what gives five white boys the authority to “joke” like this with a Latina women they don’t know? thats scary and fucked up. I don’t give a fuck how many black people Jared is friends with or that he grew up in black churches (i grew up in black churches too bitch-so what?)It obviously didn’t teach him shit if he thinks it’s cool to behave like this. I didn’t even print to worst of what he said (i.e. shit like how he thinks the south should have won the Civil War-wow Jared did you learn that in black churches too?). Shame on you Mr Radford, what do you have invested in defending this fucked upness? You paint us in this article as humorless PC whiners-AS FUCKING IF. We aren’t humorless- we just don’t laugh at shit that ain’t funny. Five white boys (two who were there from the start of the night-Jared and some fat boy-and three that came out of nowhere) corner this lone girl, read her to filth, and you Radford think that this is perfectly fine and even go so far as to co-sign on this behavior in this article. The thing about racists is most are never going to admit to it. Duh. I grew up in Alabama and have seen it ALL honey. i even knew racists that had mixed race kids. These days it all plays out as some weird shadow game. If Jared had any character he would grab some balls and admit he did something fucked up and do the descent thing and at least apologize. Instead he opts to paint us as whiny PC’ers (you ever notice how people want to paint you as “sensitive” or “PC” when they want to be able to say/do fucked up shit to you?) who aren’t in on the “inside joke”. You don’t fool me NONE Jared. Just because you know some black people doesn’t mean you get to say fucked up shit about Mexicans ( black people don’t need an “ally” like you on our team). Funx is NOT some humorless girl and she clearly states everything she heard in that room as OVERTLY RACIST and NOT in a “jokeing” tone at all. You can hide behind your post-racist white liberal bullshit in the guise of “provocative humor” all you want but i got your card.This faggot ain’t havin it. In fact SHE’S OVER IT. I hate this whole “joking on the square” angle that saturates hipster circles where they say they’re joking but really theres some part underneath thats getting off on the fact that they’re saying fucked up shit to someone. sooooo slimy. Why don’t you admit to all your fans your view on things such as the Civil War/Palestine/Mexicans and MAKE SURE not to hold back (you SURE AS FUCK had alot of opinions on it that night.)Not that the soul-less hipster trash that saturates the scene would care or even remember for a month but it would be alot more honest than the shit your pulling now. as far as contacting you about Vice Records BULLSHIT. That was for the Younger Lovers NOT Gravy Train and thats before i knew about the level of dick you were and BESIDES i wouldn’t be apart of any team that would have you as a member. You think my article was childish? FUCK YOU. I think your behavior was childish and BRUTAL. YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE BUT TO CLOWN YOU, LITTLE GIRL. You think my article was “15 years ago”? I think your world view is from last century. You wanna call my crew “sensitive”? We’ll i’ve made some conclusions about your crew myself: y’all are a bunch of fucked up white boys sittin down South defending each others fucked up behavior. Not that what your pulling doesn’t go down on the West Coast and EVERYWHERE but theres just something about it that stings even more to me. maybe cause i grew up in it. in the end its a hard job being completely right but its all i have to hold on to. feel free to email me, im not done bitching at you [Ed. note: email removed].
GET BENT,
Brontez

Bookmark to:

I recently flew to New York City to catch the Black Lips, Deerhunter, and King Khan & the Shrines play a free show August 3, at McCarren Pool in Brooklyn.

It was worth the trip. The bands played to an insanely packed crowd of thousands of kids, young and old. It was so surreal standing onstage looking out at the wave of people covering the pool so thick you could barely see the cement floor.

The show was sweaty, loud, unpredictable, and a little bit chaotic — sounds like an Atlanta show to me.

I spent ten days in the city. This is what I saw:

(more…)

Bookmark to:

This Saturday night Fringe Factory returns to The Highland Inn Ballroom with yet another themed party. This time around it’s the “Summer Love Revelation,” and word on the street is that it’s a mushroom themed party. What exactly that means remains to be determined, but the interior of the ballroom will be decorated with some pretty ambitious and elaborate mushroom decorations that the ladies of Fringe Factory spent a lot of time putting together, so it will be worth checking out for the props alone.

DJ Soulmarcosa from North Carolina heads up the turntables with a set of vintage rock and roll, mod rock et. al., and special guest DJ Jared Swilley of the Black Lips fills in with a set of doo-wop and rock and roll records.

Swilley’s infamously reckless other band The Gaye Blades are also set to perform. The last few shows they’ve done have been unexpectedly tight, so this one is not to be missed, especially since this is their last show together before guitar player and Rob’s House Records owner Trey Lindsay moves away to go to school in New York City.

There will also be music provided by hosts and resident DJs Suzy Q & Vikki V., as well as a psychedelic light show and vintage, 16mm visuals provided by the OP SHOPPE.

The party starts at 9 p.m. and the Gaye Blades go on around 11:00 p.m. Cover is $7. The Highland Inn Ballroom is located at 644 N. Highland Ave. For more information look online at www.myspace.com/highlandinnloungeatlanta.

Bookmark to: