Crib Notes

NOT SO STRAIGHT: Torche

When it comes to metal, humor is a strange thing. Unless you’re Spinal Tap, jokes make awkward bunkmates with so much aggressive behavior, but Athens’ sludge rockers Harvey Milk and the thunderously uplifting trio Torche (Atlanta/Miami) balance fiery songs with laconic humor that dovetails nicely with their respective sounds. But neither one of them are what you would call a typical metal band.

Torche’s guitarist/vocalist Steve Brooks doesn’t even like using the term “metal” when talking about his band’s sprawling, post-rock numbers. “Metal is just something different altogether, although it is the gayest music around,” he says before offering up a laundry list of what makes metal so gay: sweaty men wearing leather and long-hair, beating each other up and bro’ing down in the pit. “It’s very gay,” he adds.

Continue reading “Metal, the gayest music in town”

(Photo by Lauren Roero)

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If you like extra cheese with your punk rock idol worship, than Personal & the Pizza’s are for you.

Hailing from the greasiest pizza joints on the Jersey shore, the group melts straight-up Stooges and Ramones riffs into their songs about breakups and brass-knuckle fights, all with a thick Jersey drawl.

Don’t think about it too hard; it’s a situationist punk novelty show that’s best illustrated by such cheesy, existential anthems as “I Don’t Wanna Be No Personal Pizza,” “I Can Read” and “Tearjerker.” These lunk-heads season their pain with plenty of pepperoni, causing a pizza party to break out everywhere they go. Coconut Coolouts and Barreracudas open.

$8. 9 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950.

(Photo courtesy Personal & the Pizzas)

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Pistolero, Royal Bangs, What Happened to Your Fire Tiger? play the Earl tomorrow night (Sat. July 18). $7. 9 p.m.

Pistolero’s “Yellow House” mp3

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The Coathangers have come a long way since releasing a self-titled debut in September 2007. Scramble, the sophomore album from Atlanta’s premier lady punk quartet (their first was released on Rob’s House) is full of the noisy, yappy, sometimes endearing, and sometimes squelching chatter that has made them such a divisive act. But there’s an air of confidence driving the sharper writing and visceral deliveries on such songs as “Toomerhead” and “Arthritus Sux.”

The slower tempo heard on the album’s stand-out cut, “Stop, Stomp, Stompin,’” and the piano and noise-laced chant of “Sonic You” channel the tension of the group’s chaotic beginnings into a more refined sound. Continue reading.

See how much their time in the trenches has honed their terse, punk rock anthems tonight when they headline a show at the Earl with Can Can and Judi Chicago.

$8. 8 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-522-3950.

The Coathangers “Stop, Stomp, Stompin” mp3

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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One of the latest Sub Pop success stories to come down the pike, Handsome Furs, play the Earl tonight, headlining a show with Dri and the Cinnamon Band.

According to Sub Pop’s site:

Handsome Furs are not a message band and they are not political, but Handsome Furs are a message band and they are political.

The juxtaposition of cold, metronomic, electronic beats, courtesy of Alexei Perry, with the jagged, dissonant and frail, broken or breaking, guitars of Dan Boeckner portray what it is to be a human being at the bottom of the 21st century.

$12. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-522-3950.

(Photo courtesy Sub Pop)

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There are a couple of good shows going on tonight in East Atlanta. If bleak and somewhat feminine, though mostly androgynous new wave electro pop skulk is your bag, Telepathe is headlining a show over at 529. The Living Rooms and Lemonade open. The cover is $8 and the show starts around 9 p.m.

If a catchier, ’60s inspired psyche rock sound is your thing, the Black Hollies from Jersey City are playing at the Earl. Reckless Hearts from Milwaukee and Atlanta’s Stolen Hearts also perform. $8. Doors open at 8:30.

Telepathe’s “Lights Go Down” mp3

(Photo by Eliza Douglas)

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Portugal. The Man, Batata Doce and Noel Stephen. $10. 9 p.m. Sat., June 13. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.

Portugal. The Man does whatever the hell they want to when it comes to making music.

Ranging from alternative, to post-hardcore and even all the way to country — whatever the genre may be — these guys have the balls to make any kind of music that suits their mood. Touring in the wake of their fourth studio album in four years, The Satanic Satanist, the band proves that being prolific is its only priority.

“Honestly, I think we should be putting out more music,” lead singer Jouh Baldwin Gourley told Alternative Press. “It keeps you thinking, keeps you growing and progressing. If you stop and let it sit for too long, I feel like you start to lose track of where you were going.”
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The ever-elusive Cat Power is scheduled to perform at the Earl’s tenth anniversary celebration on on Sun., July 12. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Fri., June 12 at ticketalternative.com.

Read Chad Radford’s recent interview with Elizabeth Goodman, whose unauthorized biography Cat Power A Good Woman was released in April. In the interview, Goodman talks about her own struggle to come to terms with Chan Marshall’s resistance to the biography and how writing the introduction after she’d completed the book allowed her to put things in perspective:

It goes without saying that it troubled me that she was as upset by this as she was, and one of the things that concerned me when I first wrote the introduction was that people were going to think that there was this really wild and scathing story being told here, and there isn’t. This is the story of what happened to me when I was writing this book, but I don’t want people to think it’s some sort of expose of the secret dark side of this artist. The book is the biography that I researched and reported with the interviews that I was able to get by going to Atlanta and South Carolina and being here in New York. That’s the story. If people are expecting a dark and aggressively exploitative telling of her tale, they’re going to be disappointed. The thing that I wonder about most is what it is that she really finds so threatening about what’s now in print and in book stores.

Read the entire interview.

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the Meat Puppets

On Tues., June 16, the Meat Puppets will hold an in-store meet-and-greet and play a few songs at Decatur CD around 6:30 p.m. before heading off to the play a show at the EARL later that night.

Of course there will be beer on-hand, and this Meat Puppet event doubles as a PAWS Atlanta benefit.

Some extra perks:
*Present your ticket for the show at the Earl and you’ll get an original, hand-drawn piece of artwork from the band.
*If you buy a copy of their new album, Sewn Together, or any of their previous titles while you’re there you get a signed poster.

Decatur CD is located at 356 W. Ponce De Leon Ave. near downtown Decatur. 404-371-9090.

(Photo courtesy Daffodill Publicity)

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Judging the Atlanta regional air guitar competition at the Earl on Monday night (June 1) turned out to be a lot more fun than I could have ever imagined. After all, the entire thing was sponsored by Boone’s Farm, a name that many of us have trusted since childhood.

But even though the tour manager repeatedly delivered ice cold bottles of the pink, diabetic coma-inducing wine-like substance to the judges table, I stuck with PBR — for the most part.

I was a bit out of my element having never judged an air guitar competition before, but that made it all the more exciting.

Before the show started, me and another judge, who goes by the name ODM and works for Project 96.1, were taken outside where the third judge, named Django briefed us on the criteria by which we were to judge the contestants.

1.) Technical merit
The performers don’t have to know what notes they’re playing, but keep an eye on their invisible fretwork and if it jives with the music.

2.) Stage Presence
Anyone can do it in the privacy of their bedroom. Few have what it takes to rock a crowd of hundreds, even thousands — all without an instrument.

3.) Airness
The last criteria is the most difficult to define, yet often the most decisive one of all. It’s a feeling that you get when you know you’re watching something magical. It’s like gleaming the cube … transcending to an intangible time and place… You can’t really put airness into words, but like pornography, you know it when you see it.

All of these things were judged on an Olympic figure skating scale of 4.0-6.0.

After being briefed I entered the club again to find a young lady friend cowering in the corner, draped in the shadow of a tall man dressed in a unitard and Afro wig, calling himself the Fro and explaining that air guitar is indeed a sport worthy of the Olympics.

View a gallery of photos from the Atlanta regional air guitar championchips

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Shred heads unite! The Atlanta Regional Air Guitar Championships goes down at the Earl tonight.

25 cities. 1 winner. 0 guitars.

Yours truly will be in the judge’s seat.

(Photo by Misha Vladimireskiy)

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With Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One was one of the originators of hip-hop as social commentary. His conscious rhymes inspired the likes of Public Enemy, N.W.A. and a generation of acts willing to use their music to address discrimination, street violence and inner city injustice.

Though today’s commercial rap rarely gets so philosophical, KRS is still around to tell it like it is. And this week the legendary MC assembles the ATL All-stars, which includes the likes of Killer Mike, Bone Crusher, Nappy Roots and Dres tha Beatnik, for some similarly cerebral vibes. This official Hip Hop Appreciation Week concert features more than a dozen rappers, with DJs Majestik and Feel X providing the beats and scratches.

It’s not often that this much talent of any kind is assembled in such a small venue, so if you’re a hip-hop fan on any level you owe it to yourself to check out this show. For the full schedule of Hip Hop Appreciation Week, visit hhawatl2009.wordpress.com.

$20. 10 p.m. Thurs., May 21. The Loft, 1374 West Peachtree St. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

Turntables on the Hudson. After becoming one of New York’s most popular events, Turntables on the Hudson has grown into a traveling night of house beats and worldly vibes. Hosted by DJs Nickodemus and Mariano, with live percussionist Nappy G, TOTH brought the show to Halo last year and returns this weekend as part of the Intown Getdown series.

$5. 10 p.m. Fri., May 22. Halo Lounge, 817 W. Peachtree St. N.W. 404-962-7333. www.halolounge.com.

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Max Arbes and CL’s Chad Radford discuss upcoming music for the weekend, including Dan Sartain at the Earl (Friday, May 15) and Deerhunter’s new digital EP, Rainwater Cassette Exchange, release on Monday, May 18.

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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Warren Hudson/The Owner LLC.com

My Mixtape

1. Tom Waits – “(Looking for) the Heart of Saturday Night”
2. Van Morrison – “The Healing Game/Domino”
3. The Clash – “London Calling”
4. Beatles – “A Day in the Life”
5. Yo La Tengo – “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”
6. Dire Straits – “Telegraph Road”
7. Otis Redding – “Dock of the Bay”
8. Spoon – “Don’t Make Me a Target”
9. Wilco – “I’m the Man Who Loves You”
10. Byrds – “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” /Gram Parsons – “Hickory Wind”

My favorite Atlanta-based music act/band of the moment:
Gentleman Jesse & His Men - Getting better live with each show I see. Wonderful, uptempo pop songs with an edge.

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Damon Hare – Triple D’s Productions, Assistant Talent Buyer for the Earl

My mixtape

1. “Radio Radio” – The Kids
2. “They Walked In Line” – Joy Division/Warsaw
3. “They Call Her Action” – Le Shok
4. “Cables” – Big Black
5. “Departure” – Crystal Stilts
6. “Hey! Orpheus” – The Make Up
7. “Rebellious Jukebox” – The Fall
8. “Draws an 8″ – Pleasure Forever
9. “Send Me A Postcard” – The Shocking Blue
10. “Working Too Hard” – The Beat

Favorite Atlanta-based artist: I currently have two favorites. Lonesome and the Meeks Family are both full of respectable Atlanta alumni currently doing something new and refreshing. Neither have releases but they’re probably around the corner. Keep your ears open for that.

Check out Mixtape Love: CL Music Issue ‘09

(Photo courtesy Damon Hare)

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When Charles Walker opens his mouth, the sounds of ’60s soul come tumbling out. With the aid of his backing band the Dynamites, the 65-year-old soul man delivers what Dynamites bandleader/guitarist Bill Elder calls “authentic, full-on, super-hard-drivin’ funk — and the soul bag, too.”

But it’s not all about gruntin’ and groanin’. Walker’s soaring soul sounds like a mix of Johnny Adams and the high tenor of Sam Moore of the legendary ’60s duo Sam and Dave.

Like many soul greats, Walker honed his craft in church. “I wasn’t really what you’d call a true gospel singer, but I still have those flavors,” he says. “I did start in the church, but worked my way out of it.”

In 1960, when he was 16, he left his hometown of Nashville to try his luck in New York. Walker was hired right away as an opening act for James Brown’s backing outfit, the J.C. Davis Band, which had heard him in Nashville.

Continue reading “Charles Walker and the Dynamites blow up the spot

(Photo courtesy Charles Walker and the Dynamites)

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CL’s Chanté LaGon and Chad Radford chat abut upcoming shows for the weekend, including Carnivores at 529 (Fri., May 1), Herman Hitson at the Drunken Unicorn (Sat., May 2), and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the Earl (Sun., May 3).

Check out this week’s Sound Menu for a more comprehensive list of upcoming shows.

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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INCESTUOUS: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

With a cringe-worthy moniker and musical restraint that makes Belle & Sebastian sound like Quiet Riot, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart are not for the casual indie-pop listener. But for fans of fuzzy-guitar-drenched melodies, melancholy songwriting and well-crafted shoegaze, they don’t come any finer.

Formed in 2007, the New York quartet has rocketed to the top of the pops (or at least the top of the blogosphere) through its ’90s-throwback, wall of sound stylings, which have drawn comparisons to bands like My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain. After releasing a string of singles and EPs and being hyped by outlets such as Stereogum, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart released its self-titled debut in February. The album quickly won praises from the likes of the New York Times and Pitchfork, which named it “Best New Music.” The album “mixes sparkling melodies with an undercurrent of sad bastard mopery,” Pitchfork’s Ian Cohen wrote, castigating critics who peg the band as derivative. “You’re just being a dick if you think the past has some kind of patent on that. That’s just the way good pop music works.”

Continue reading “The Pains of Being Pure at Heart wear it on their sleeves”

(Photo by Pavla Kopecna)

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CL’s Chanté LaGon and Chad Radford chat about upcoming shows for the weekend, including Tealights at the Drunken Unicorn (Sat., April 25), Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu at Wonderroot (Sat., April 25), and Richard Lloyd at the Earl (Sun., April 26).

Check out this week’s Sound Menu for a more comprehensive list of upcoming shows.

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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