Fresh Loaf

Michael Vick’s pit bulls are getting the celeb-reality treatment. The much-pitied animals will be featured on the upcoming season of the National Geographic Channel’s “Dogtown,” according to a recent story in the Hollywood Reporter.

National Geographic Channel said Monday that its new series “Dogtown” will spend the next few months documenting the attempted rehabilitation of 22 dogs that belonged to jailed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and are now residing at Dogtown, the Best Friends animal sanctuary in Utah.

“Dogtown” is in production on new episodes set to premiere in the summer.

The series will focus on four of the toughest cases as the experts at Dogtown try to “resocialize these seriously aggressive pit bulls.”

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CAFÉ TACUBA LAST THURSDAY AT MASQUERADE: One of the band’s less-enthusiastic fans

(photo by Joeff Davis)

Even by the Masquerade’s high standards, the audience at Mexican quartet Café Tacuba’s one-night stand last Thursday was wildly enthusiastic. From dancing and cheering loudly for more than two hours, to rushing the stage, grabbing the microphone and shouting out lyrics while lead singer Ruben Ortega smiled approvingly, the band’s audience proved its devotion for all things Tacuba.

The Mexican quartet didn’t disappoint, either, offering up a poptastic mash embracing alternative-rock, ska and punk, while referencing Depeche Mod’s “Policy of Truth” and the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The band’s misstep: not setting up a merchandise table so fans could buy T-shirts and copies of its new CD, Sino. It would have made a killing that night.

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Heather Kuldell, a former music editor here at the Loaf, once told me that we’re only aware of all the musicians who pass away because it’s the Internet age. So when jazz greats like Max Roach (who died Aug. 16) and Joe Zawinul (who died Sept. 11) pass away, we learn about it instantly instead of when the next issue of Mojo or Rolling Stone comes out. I think that’s a good thing, if only because we’re reminded that popular music has a glorious past as well as temporal present and uncertain future.

With that in mind, give it up for Bobby Byrd, who passed away from cancer Sept. 12 at his home in Loganville, Ga. Byrd was a mentor to the late great James Brown, and later became his keyboardist and flamboyant hypeman on classics such as “Sex Machine.” His “I Know You Got Soul” is one of the sampling cornerstones of late ’80s hip-hop. It was Eric B. & Rakim’s unlicensed sampling of “I Know You Got Soul” in 1987 that led James Brown to dis the group on “I’m Real,” claiming, “Stop using my voice on your records till I’m paid in full.”

For more on James Brown, read Scott Freeman’s story from the Jan. 10 issue here. But if James Brown was the king of funk, then Bobby Byrd was the earl. Rest in peace.

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I had a bad feeling about Morrissey’s concert at Chastain Park Amphitheater Friday, July 20. Ever since I moved to Atlanta, I’ve heard bad things about the wine-and-cheese crowds that patronize the Classic Chastain concert series during the summer: how disconnected and self-involved they are, and how they talk loudly over the music. So I decided not to go, even though I felt bad about missing the show. When I read Andisheh Nouraee’s review, I was happy I wasn’t there.

Well, Morrissey is doing a final run of U.S. dates before heading back into the studio to record a follow-up to his last album, Ringleader of the Tormentors. Shockingly, the itinerary consists solely of major markets and makeup dates from when he got sick in June and had to cancel a bunch of shows — and Atlanta! Guess he thought that Chastain gig really sucked, too. The concert happens Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Tabernacle — not one of my favorite venues, but sure to attract a livelier crowd.

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In the July 30 issue of the New Yorker, Ian Parker writes about the bonobo phenomenon in a story called “Swingers.” Bonobos, he writes, have recently earned a media reputation as love monkeys, gentle beasts who — unlike the warring chimpanzee — have copious amounts of sex, usually get along, and live in female-dominated communities.

During the article, Parker debunks the work of Frans de Waal, the Dutch-born, Atlanta-based professor and primatologist who teaches at Emory University. De Waal co-wrote a 1997 best-seller about bonobos, Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape. His research led Time magazine to name him one of the Time 100 “people who shape our world” earlier this year.

Parker doesn’t outright dismiss de Waal’s research. But he makes several digs that seem condescending. He notes several times that de Waal’s research was “limited to bonobos in captivity,” namely the San Diego Zoo, not in the wild. “It is a frustration to some,” writes Parker, that de Waal, “who is the most frequently quoted authority on the species, has never seen a wild bonobo.”

Parker takes pains to note that wild bonobo behavior is less idyllic than the pop image, and argues that the San Diego bonobos that de Waal researched are domesticated. Parker quotes another professor, USC’s Craig Sanford, as saying, “Stuck together, bored out of their minds — what is there to do except eat and have sex?”

Finally, Parker contrasts de Waal’s seemingly lazy approach with Gottfried Hohmann, a German scientist with a reputation for “chilliness” who nevertheless travels to the Congo for months at a time, attempting to observe bonobos in their natural habitat. Compared to the ornery but diligent Hohmann, de Waal comes off as a publicity hound seeking to paint bonobos as the love monkeys:

The Forgotten Ape presented itself as a European tonic to American prudishness and the vested interests of chimpanzee scientists. The bonobo was gentle, horny, and — de Waal did not quite say it — Dutch.

All told, “Swingers” is a pretty devastating critique. To my knowledge, de Waal hasn’t made any public comments about the piece. Perhaps he’ll have something to say when classes at Emory commence later this month. In the meantime, you can read the story here.

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For the first single from his USDA crew, Young Jeezy is tapping into an honored hip-hop tradition: dedicating a whole song to white girls. (See Ice Cube, Murs, et cetera). But being the major baller he is, Jeezy is taking it a step further. He’s dedicating an entire promotions campaign to the fairest of them all, and he’s asking the white women of the world to join him.

According to a press release posted on AllHipHop.com, Jeezy is assembling “all-white female street teams in various cities” to promote USDA’s “White Girl” single and the forthcoming album Young Jeezy presents USDA: Cold Summer. Applicants must be between the ages of 18-24.

“For the first time in the rap game history, we finna get us a street team of nothing but pretty white girls to promote this single,” said Slick Pulla. “The blondes, the brunettes, the green eyes, the grey eyes, the red heads, the freckles, all that man.”

Only fresh-faced babes straight out of a “Girls Gone Wild” taping need apply. All the ugly girls, step back — what do you think this is, “Ugly Betty”? White girls who want to be down with the Snowman (or simply want to protest his sexism) should send an email to whitegirl@corporatethugzent.com.

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Bean Summer is best known as the booking agent for Lenny’s Bar, one of the coolest nightclubs in Atlanta. By day, however, he’s Ben Worley, an MFA student at Georgia State University’s Ernest G. Welch School on Art and Design.

Bean’s work currently appears in the school’s 2007 Juried Student Exhibition. The opening party takes place Thursday, April 5, at the school gallery from 6-8 p.m., during Downtown Artswalk, and the exhibit lasts until April 19. If you can’t make it, check out Bean’s work on his website, Neb Productions.

Photo of Bean from The Midnight Socialite’s website.

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On CNN’s website, there is a story called “Being a millionaire just isn’t the same these days.” Example A is Renee Weese, an Atlanta woman who reaped a windfall when she sold her startup insurance company:

Not that long ago, the word “millionaire” conjured up visions of chauffeured limousines and extravagant shopping trips and elegant yachts. These days, a millionaire is more likely to be the guy or gal next door who saved carefully — and perhaps benefited from the sharp run-up in housing prices — but still worries about covering the exploding costs of children’s educations, caring for aging parents and funding their own retirements.

Weese, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, credits her good financial fortune to good-paying jobs and windfalls when her startup insurance company went public and, later, when it was taken over by a bigger insurer. Still, Weese worries about how far the money will go.

As she puts it: “I know I have more money than a lot of people do. But I don’t feel I can sit back on my heels. I have lots of years ahead of me, and elderly parents I help financially a bit, and kids and grandkids.”

Obviously, this is a woman who has never known the value of a general assistance check or a big block of welfare cheese. Myself, I would love to gross a million dollars, check into a two-bedroom apartment, trick it out with a plasma TV, buy a Toyota Corolla and spend the rest of my life dining out at Burger King and T.G.I. Fridays.

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If you read my Short List pick on Rodrigo y Gabriela in Creative Loafing’s March 15 issue, and subsequently decided to check out the Mexico-to-Ireland guitar duo at the Five Spot Cafe, then you know that the March 17 show was abruptly canceled. The reason? Rodrigo Sanchez, according to a news item on Jambase.com, can’t get a visa from the U.S. Embassy:

A renowned Mexican guitarist, member of the ATO Recording artists Rodrigo Y Gabriela, has been hold up here for over two weeks since the United States Embassy declined to renew his P-1 Entertainer Visa. This unexpected situation has led to the cancellation of half a dozen U.S. shows on Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s current tour, and put in jeopardy many other major concerts and promotional appearances.

Rodrigo y Gabriela have already played in the country this year, and have logged appearances on Jay Leno, David Letterman and Craig Ferguson’s late-night talk shows. Unfortunately, according to the Jambase story, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City says that Sanchez is “an individual with a similar name who is barred from receiving a visa.” That’s bureaucracy for you.

Rodrigo Sanchez photo by Enda Casey.

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So, how was SXSW? I didn’t go this year; I stayed home and watched the NCAA men’s basketball tournament instead. (Obviously, I had more fun than you.) But, judging from my list of Atlanta bands traveling to this year’s blowout, the Black Lips played an insane amount of shows. I counted six scheduled performances; after I finished the list, I learned about two more, including a slot at Vice Records’ infamously debauched conference-closing party.

No surprise, then, that the New York Times called the group “Hardest Working Band at SXSW.” I don’t know if all the shows will help move more copies of Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo, but it should generate buzz for the Black Lips’ forthcoming album.

You can view the NYT video here. For a good history of the Black Lips, read Chad Radford’s story from the May 7, 2003 issue of Creative Loafing.

Oh, and by the way, the above photo of the Black Lips’ February 20 Criminal Records gig was taken from Vice Records’ website.

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“I told y’all! I can’t be stopped!” screams DJ Drama near the end of “Takin’ Pictures,” the lead single from his upcoming Gangsta Grillz compilation. Dang, man, didn’t you learn nothin? But in all fairness, he doesn’t really spit on the track, instead gathering T.I.,Young Jeezy, Young Buck, Rick Ross, Jim Jones and Willie the Kid to drop rhymes, and former DMX producer Dame Grease to screw and chop the beat. Most of them talk about doing illegal shit — Young Jeezy raps, “Certified plat, you’d think I’d rather make hits/Between me and you, I’d rather flip bricks” — before the screwed-up chorus drops in with “feds takin’ pictures.” Best line: Willie the Kid’s “They takin’ pictures ’cause I’m fly like a skywriter.”

Drama’s Gangsta Grillz: The Album drops May 15.

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Here is the complete list for Atlanta bands appearing at SXSW. (If you need listings for individual days, check out my previous posts.) Some of these guys will be all over the place: Black Lips, for example, are playing six shows that week, while Deerhunter, the Woggles and Snowden are playing five. Others, like Seely spin-off Silver Lake, will be there on now-you-see ‘em, now-you-don’t status.

At any rate, if you get lonely amid the barbecue and beer junkets, you’ll know where to go to find a friendly face. Don’t thank me, just put my check in the mail.

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Last night, I was summoned to Patchwerk Studios for Rich Boy’s listening party. Rich Boy, as many of you may know, is the Mobile, Ala. rapper who temporarily ran hip-hop nightclubs with “Throw Some D’s.” He’s coming out with his self-titled debut on Interscope Tuesday, March 13.

But don’t think I have some special hookup because I was invited to hear the record pre-release. There were over 100 people at the listening party, including a lot of power players. Some of the folks I recognized include Ozone magazine publisher Julia Beverly, various Aphilliates (DJ Drama, Don Cannon and DJ Sense), Hot 107.9 (WHTA-FM) music director Stix Malone, J-Bo from YoungBloodZ, Big Gipp, Disturbing tha Peace CEO Chaka Zulu, BME Recordings co-owner Vince Phillips, and V-103 (WVEE-FM) DJ Greg Street. Plus, it was a barbecue with chicken, hot dogs, burgers, mac ‘n’ cheese (which was on-point) and various other delicacies. And of course, there was an open bar …

Eventually Polow da Don, who executive-produced the album, ushered everyone into Patchwerk’s main studio for the listening session. There were so many people at the party, however, that someone actually monitored the door to the main studio, redirecting traffic to a second room when it got packed.

As various cuts from the album were cued up, Polow da Don played host. He kept referring to his six-pack and saying he lost a lot of weight. I guess he’s trying to jump off on some Timbaland-type shit. (Before blowing up last year with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, the super-producer told me he wanted to become a body builder. Seriously.)

“The album will get awards,” said Polow da Don while introducing the album. “We may even get a Grammy.” Well, I don’t know about that. But some of the tracks were OK. “Boy Looka Here,” which is the next single, has a nice, massive bass drum pounding underneath it. “Good Things” is an R&B flavored ballad “for the ladies,” and “Ghetto Rich” is a potential crossover move featuring John Legend on the hook.

As the songs played, Rich Boy didn’t say much, and let Polow da Don do all the talking. Meanwhile, as a battery of photographers surrounded him and took pictures, he bobbed and geeked out to the songs.

“He beat an attempted murder charge. It taught him a lot of things about life,” said Polow da Don of Rich Boy. “He deserves to win.”

Thanks to Michelle Shell and Vince Phillips for the invite.

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Here’s the SXSW schedule for Saturday, March 17. Tomorrow, I’ll compile everything into a big list, and then y’all Austin-bound folks will be set.

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Here is the March 16 lineup for the Atlanta-contingent SXSW schedule. And as for those TBAs? Don’t worry … I’m going to update the schedule as more information comes in, all the way up to SXSW week. Then it’s party time, baby!

Look for March 17 on Monday.

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It’s raining cats and dogs in Little Five Points, and I ain’t even three sheets to the wind. But my heart is warmed by the thought that many of you will soon be partying at SXSW. I will be there in spirit, too, thanks to this handy guide of ATL bands that will guide your efforts through the beer-drenched weekend.

Hoist a Sam Adams for me, and look for the March 16 list tomorrow.

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Over the next several days, I will post all of the Atlanta performers appearing at SXSW 2007. Yeah, you can find some of this info on the official SXSW site. But let me do the work for you, my friend. I’ll add private parties and unofficial daytime performances that you won’t find there, and update these posts when I gather more info.

This will be the authoritative list for ATL in Austin. Clip and save! Here’s the lineup for March 14:

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I’ve been a little delinquent in my planned roundup of festival appearances by Atlanta’s finest (and Athens, too). To add insult to injury, here’s some really old news courtesy of Josh Savage of power-punk band Beat Beat Beat. The group is playing at Radio Heartbeat Records’ Powerpop Festival next month.

“It’s going to be Carbonas, Gentlemen Jesse & His Men, this band from Chicago that’s on our label [Douchemaster] called the Busy Signals, and this band from Portland called the Nice Boys. They’re really good,” said Josh in his usual motormouth style. Sounds great!

If you’re in Brooklyn at the end of March, check out the festival. It takes place March 29-April 1 at Southpaw, and Beat Beat Beat plays March 31. If you’re headed to Austin, Texas, well, hell, Beat Beat Beat will be there, too. More on SXSWxAtlanta shortly.

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The sun is shining in Atlanta today. It’s also really cold. Still, the
sunshine makes my thoughts turn to warmer months, when Coldlanta
finally turns into Hotlanta. Another harbinger of springtime: novelty
rap songs. Yes, ever since Lil Jon’s “Get Low” conquered the world
three years ago, Atlanta has become a fountain of springtime hits that
move your feet and boggle your brain.

This year a prime candidate is the Alliance’s “Tattoo.” Surely you’ve
heard the chorus blaring � “Tat-tat-we tatted up” � on Hot 107.9
WHTA-FM. It even features Fabo, the guy with the tube socks from D4L.
It’s mindless. It’s fun. And if the Alliance’s label, NCE Records, can
score a distribution deal with a major label, America might just get
“tatted up” in 2007.

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So far, the festival watch for Atlanta artists has yielded slim pickings. Here’s what we’ve got:

Coachella: The Athens weirdos in Of Montreal say they’re playing there. But I didn’t see their name on the official website. Maybe they’re lying?

Bonnaroo: The Nashville, Tenn. shindig has Widespread Panic (unless you count former locals David Cross and Sound Tribe Sector 9. And I don’t). Not to worry…after hiring enough trendy bands to attract skeptical hipsters, Bonnaroo usually fills out its side stages with plenty of Atlanta singer/songwriter types.

Langerado: More Widespread Panic. Better get to know them well. Athens dub-reggae-hippies Dubconscious will be there, too. And former local Cat Power, who can’t seem to give a decent solo performance, will have the Dirty Delta Blues Band to help her smarten up.

Next up: SXSW, WMC and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Stay tuned.

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It is with considerable sadness that I report Ken Batie passed away
yesterday. I am still gathering details on what exactly happened. But I
know that Batie suffered from poor health for many years. That didn’t
stop him from being active in the local scene, however. As recently as
last month, he could be seen at DJ Lamarrous’ James Brown tribute,
standing on the sidelines with his now-familiar walking cane,
appreciating it all. His gregarious nature and acceptance of life’s
sometimes cruel twists makes his death, which (judging from early, unsubstantiated reports) occured in a traffic accident, all the more painful.

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The Grammy Awards are usually a sonorous affair, and this year was no
exception. Chris Brown was so out of breath from dancing that he could
barely huff out the words to his 2-year-old song “Run It.” Give me
Prince any day. And why the hell was T.I. rapping over his backing
track during Justin Timberlake’s chaotic performance of �My Love”?
Bleah. Still, the sour look on his face when Ludacris beat him out for
Best Rap Album was priceless.
\n
\nI found myself staring at the computer more often than actually watching the ceremony. Unfortunately, I missed the Police. (How was it?) Nevertheless, congratulations are in order to the locals who took home hardware. Below you’ll find the Atlanta artists who won at the Grammys. Thanks to PR superlady Rachel Rosenberg at Edelman for the list.

\n
\nBrian Michael Cox (1):
\nBest R&B Song: �Be Without You� (Songwriter)
\n
\nGnarls Barkley (2):
\nBest Alternative Music Album: St. Elsewhere (Artist)
\nBest Urban/Alternative Performance: �Crazy�
\n
\nJohnta Austin (1):
\nBest R&B Song: �Be Without You� (Songwriter)
\n
\nVan Hunt (1):
\nBest R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: �Family Affair�
\n
\nT.I. (2):
\nBest Rap Solo Performance: �What You Know�
\nBest Rap/Sung Collaboration: �My Love�
\n
\nLudacris (2):
\nBest Rap Album: Release Therapy
\nBest Rap Song: �Money Maker�
\n
\nJennifer Nettles (1):
\nBest Country Collaboration with Vocals: �Who Says You Can’t Go Home�
\n
\nThird Day (1):
\nBest Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: Wherever You Are
\n
\nJimmy Carter (1):
“,1]
);
D(["mb","\nBest Spoken Word Album: Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis
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//–>

I found myself staring at the computer more often than actually
watching the ceremony. Unfortunately, I missed the Police. (How was
it?) Nevertheless, congratulations are in order to the locals who took
home hardware. Below you’ll find the Atlanta artists who won at the
Grammys. Thanks to PR superlady Rachel Rosenberg at Edelman for the
list.

(more…)

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As everyone in town knows by now, indie-rock tastemaker Pitchfork is a
big fan of Deerhunter. The site awarded the band’s Cryptograms an 8.9
(out of 10) rating, and designated it as “Best New Music.” Deerhunter
will also play during Pitchfork and booking agent Windish Agency’s
party at SXSW, held this year March 9-18. SXSW is a huge deal, drawing
tens of thousands of people to Austin, Texas every spring.

Deerhunter isn’t the only band from Atlanta making the SXSW trip. Lots
of locals, and maybe even you, my dear reader, are going to the biggest
music festival in the country. Or perhaps you’re making the trek to
Langerado, Winter Music Conference, Bonnaroo or Coachella. Although I
won’t see you at most of these wonderful shindigs (shed a tear for me),
I will more than happily share tips on where you can find your local
heroes during festival season. Watch this space. In the meantime, you
can learn more about Deerhunter in a story I wrote for Creative
Loafing’s Dec. 22, 2005, issue.

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Last fall, Goodnight Records drew national attention for the first time, thanks to the Close’s album Sun, Burn.
So what is the Atlanta label going to do to celebrate? Relocate to New
York, of course. “I am moving April 1st to NYC and will be taking
Goodnight Records and my band the Blue Hour with me,” writes owner
Keith Vogelsong in an e-mail. He promises more details on the move in
the next few days, and also swears he’ll stay involved in local rock,
albeit from afar. Stay tuned for more details in Creative Loafing’s February 14 issue.

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Blood Sugar Sex Magick and Pearl Jam’s Vs. there) and a way station for Train, OutKast and many, many others.
\n
\nBut Clark’s musical legacy extends beyond Southern Tracks. As a teenage member of Tommy Roe and the Satins, he toured on Dick Clark’s 1962 Caravan of Stars, opening for Sam Cooke. He was a session drummer for Roy Orbison, too.
\n
\nYou can read more facts about Clark in a biography posted on Southern Tracks’ home page. A memorial event for him is set for Tues., Feb. 13, at First Baptist Church of Woodstock at 1 p.m. Finally, look for Lee Valentine Smith’s upcoming tribute to him in Creative Loafing’s Feb. 14 issue.
\n
\n

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);
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//–>
Atlanta engineer, producer, and record man Mike Clark passed away Feb.
1. Clark is best known as the owner of top local studio Southern
Tracks. It was an early recording home for famed producer Brendan
O’Brien (he worked on tracks for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magick and Pearl Jam’s Vs. there) and a way station for Train, OutKast and many, many others.

But Clark’s musical legacy extends beyond Southern Tracks. As a teenage
member of Tommy Roe and the Satins, he toured on Dick Clark’s 1962
Caravan of Stars, opening for Sam Cooke. He was a session drummer for
Roy Orbison, too.

You can read more facts about Clark in a biography posted on Southern
Tracks’ home page. A memorial event for him is set for Tues., Feb. 13,
at First Baptist Church of Woodstock at 1 p.m. Finally, look for Lee
Valentine Smith’s upcoming tribute to him in Creative Loafing’s Feb. 14 issue.

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