The Walkmen Interview: Who does Ham have the hots for?

The Walkmen
Sun. March 09, 2008
The EARL
Atlanta, GA


We haven't heard much from The Walkmen since their prolific 2006 year when they released a note-for-note cover of the Harry Nilson/John Lennon record "Pussy Cats" AND original full-length "A Hundred Miles Off." But now the New York band is back on the road, and they've got a record in the works for a Spring release. We swapped e-mails with the band's singer and webmaster Hamilton Leithauser as the band makes its way down to Atlanta for a show at The EARL with Vampire Weekend.

TAlive: I love the "reviews" section on yours site! Who usually writes those, and what inspired you to post reviews of restaurants and movies? Any plans on expanding that section to include, for example, hotels or even other bands?
Hamilton: Thanks. I write a bunch of them, and Walt usually writes the rest. I once wrote a review of a jail. I've thought about hotels and books. I wrote some book reviews for my friend's website www.themillionsblog.com which was actually more fun than I'd imagined. Maybe I'll do music but that's probably not a good way to make friends.

TAlive: Speaking of hotels, what kind of accommodations do The Walkmen usually end up at? Are you crashing on couches and floors or booking rooms in hotels/motels? Have you ever been stuck somewhere particularly abysmal while on the road?
Hamilton: Walt has a knack for choosing the room with bed bugs. It's happened only to him, and maybe four times. One time we travelled from Beaumont, Texas to Austin...usually a three to four hour ride...in 27 hours because of the Hurricane Rita evacuation. On the radio people were crying, and they kept playing a version of The Beatles "Lovely Rita" with the chorus "Lovely Riiiiita Hurr-rricane." I slept on the roof of the van for about 4 hours.

TAlive: When you do have time to actually explore the city when you're on tour, how do you figure out where to go? Do you read up beforehand, stumble across things by accident, ask people around you?
Hamilton: Honestly, we usually ask each other, and we usually don't get very far, and we never seem to learn better.

TAlive: How did you prepare for the Pussy Cats recording? Was it just a lot of listening to the record over and over? Was a substantial amount of boozing necessary to get your mind in the right place?
Hamilton: Prepare? We didn't even know what the hell was going on at the time.

TAlive: Do you play any of the Pussycats covers live?
Hamilton: A few. Honestly our versions live are not very inspired so we avoid it.


TAlive: I've seen The Walkmen live twice, and I'm always impressed with how much more aggressive the vocals sound. Is this a sign of things to come for The Walkmen? Does your next album have more of a punk rock edge?
Hamilton: Actually I'd say the punk is sort of phasing out. We still have tons of juice up there, but it's a different flavor of juice. Like carrot juice.

TAlive: When I first heard Vampire Weekend a couple months ago, I immediately thought there was something Walkmen-esque in their music I couldn't quite put my finger on... now you're paired up for a few tour dates. How did your bands come together?
Hamilton: A guy in their band named "Ezra" used to be our intern at Marcata. I think what that meant was that Walt, Paul, and Matt interviewed and hired him as an intern and then realized they had absolutely no idea why, and they never got it together to work with him. They all talk fondly about him though. I've heard the name for years. I've never met the guy or heard the tunes though.

TAlive: If you could tour with any band out there now, who would you pick?
Hamilton: I'd like to tour with Neil Hamburger the comedian.

TAlive: We've got an Emma in the office, and she would like to know why exactly she should bring you a lemon...or any fruit for that matter. [note: see MP3 below...]
Hamilton: Because I have the hots for her.

TAlive: What is the story of Marcata? Is it just a studio space or do you have management based there?
Hamilton: It was just a studio. But man, what a studio!! We used to say "the hiss is free". It is gone now. I believe it's a Columbia art-student dorm. So now all those pampered pretentious pricks can rest their precious little heads on our dead dream. Ooooh wee!!

TAlive: Finally, the "FAQ" page on your site suggests to me that you're tired of dealing with the same questions over and over...and maybe you're not a big fan of interviews really at all. Was this a total pain in the ass? If so, how would you describe that pain? More of a throbbing pain or a sharp sting?
Hamilton: I didn't mean it that way at all. I just thought it was kind of funny to have a FAQ on our dumb little website. I think maybe I should put up more navigational questions. Like "How do I get from the "Music" section back to the "News" section...and the answer will be "Click on the "News" button, you will then see the "News" page displayed on your computer screen."

TAlive: Cheers! See you at The EARL! Have a meal there before your show...they have excellent food, and I’m sure it’ll get a 5-star review from the band.
Hamilton: Yeah, I do like the food there. Positive marks all around. See you there.

www.marcata.net/walkmen

Listen! "Emma, Get Me A Lemon"- The Walkmen

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Manchester Orchestra: We love 'em...Pitchfork doesn't

Manchester Orchestra
January 25, 2008
The Loft
Atlanta, GA


Manchester is gonna rock the box this Friday at the Loft. We love those dudes. They've been on the grind for the past two years plus promoting their record "Im Like A Virgin Losing A Child." Pitchfork finally decided to review the record and they enlisted a retarded high school student to do it. Read it here:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/47830-im-like-a-virgin-losing-a-child

Check out Andy from an in-studio Sunday School session he did last year:

"Wolves at Night" - Manchester Orchestra
"Where Have You Been"- Manchester Orchestra

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Party with the Stars from Dancing with the Stars!

Dancing with the Stars Party
w/ Almost Amy
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Andrews Upstairs
Atlanta, Georgia


Can't get enough of Dancing with the Stars? Before the high profile tour hits the stage at Gwinnett Arena on Friday, Andrews Upstairs will be hosting a pre-party...and you're invited!

Music will be provided by Derek Hough's band Almost Amy. Don't recognize the name? Well, you're probably more familiar with Derek's sister, Julianne Hough. She was the gorgeous dancer paired with Dancing with the Stars winner Helio Castroneves! You'll also recognize the other member of Almost Amy: ballroom dancer Mark Ballas!

You'll even get a chance to say "hello" to Mark and Derek at the meet and greet after the show. This is a great opportunity for super fans who want to get pumped up for the show on Friday.

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Liars latest experiment: Writing actual songs. Liars at The EARL Feb. 14th

You'd be hard pressed to find a t-shirt or bumper sticker declaring that "Liars are for Lovers," but that's what Atlanta is getting on Valentine's Day. Three-piece experimental rock outfit Liars are coming to The EARL in support of their latest, self-titled release. While Liars' previous records have been largely conceptional, "Liars" has shocked critics with its relatively straightforward approach.

TA live gave Liars singer Angus Andrew a ring in Los Angeles to learn more about his unique development as a songwriter and what we can expect on this upcoming tour.

TAlive: Hey Angus how are you?
Angus: I’m good. How are you?

TAlive: Excellent. Where are you right now?
Angus: I’m in downtown Los Angeles. Where are you?

TAlive: We’re in Atlanta, and we’re looking forward to having you back here soon.
Angus: Oh yeah! It’s going to be fun.

TAlive: Last time you came down here you ended up stealing away one of our bands. You grabbed Deerhunter and took them off on tour with you.
Angus: That’s right.

TAlive: Was that the first time you had seen them [opening for Liars at Drunken Unicorn] or had you heard them before? What drew you to their music? How did the tour go?
Angus: Oh it went awesome! I forget how we knew them. I think we knew them from them playing a show in L.A. But yeah, we took them on that tour of The States and then right after that we took them to Europe as well. That was really fun because they had never played Europe before.

TAlive: Right, I know they were really excited about that opportunity.
Angus: Yeah, man. It’s totally cool to see someone’s face when they see Europe for the first time.

TAlive: So, when you come back to Atlanta it’s going to Valentine’s Day!
Angus: No way!

TAlive: Do you think Liars would be a good date night show?
Angus: Oh well, I’m definitely going to try and make it now that I know it’s going to be Valentine’s Day. We’ll play only love songs. So, everyone should come with their dates.

TAlive: If you had to pick, do you think there is a Liars song that has a bit of romance in it? A little bit of love?
Angus: Yeah, it would probably “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack,” I guess.

TAlive: With this new record, “Liars,” you recorded your parts in Berlin. What drew you to Berlin?
Angus: It’s like escapism, really. When I first went to Berlin, it was mostly because I was freaked out about living in America. I wanted to go somewhere in Europe, and preferably where I didn’t speak the language, so that I would be like an alien and nobody would talk to me, and I could get some work done. The history of the place is amazing.Berlin particularly because they are so aware of their history there. They’re extremely on the other end now, you know. It’s all about individual’s rights, and I’m really down for that.

TAlive: Did you feel like the city inspired your song writing at all?
Angus: In a way. It’s kind of more to do with how much solitude I could get. In that way, it helped a lot. Because, like I said, I don’t speak German. It meant that just going to get the milk in the morning was a big ordeal. That makes it fun and interesting. And, Berlin is just so full of historical bits and pieces, you know? There’s still bullet holes in the walls. You can be inspired just by going out and getting the milk. I think it does help any kind of creativity, really, by putting yourself in a position that you’re not used to. It helps you to redefine yourself.

TAlive: It seems that that need to be challenged by new places and new things is reflected in your lifestyle as much as your music. You’re moving around constantly, and your albums each have their own identity.
Angus: Yeah, that’s just how I was brought up. We were always moving around. I was born in The Philippines and I lived in Australia for a while. I always got a sense that there were so many opportunities for different types of lifestyles around the world, and I guess I’m interested in trying as many of them as possible. I think that any time you make some sort of drastic change like that it gives you the rare chance for reevaluation. And, it helps to redefine yourself each time, I suppose. That’s what’s fun about it. I think the music can only benefit from that, in a sense. I find it difficult to imagine sort of staying in one spot forever just as I imagine it difficult making the same type of music for every record. It just comes naturally, I think.

TAlive: When you approach a new record, is the goal of the record premeditated or do you just start writing and end up piecing together the concept later?
Angus: Well, each of the records that we did before this album we would sit down and discuss it a lot and make sure that there was sort of a thread, at least, that we could tie up the whole album with and make it neat and have a bow on it.

But, this album was completely different in that way. We began writing without any kind of discussion and just went off and had fun with it, really; just going in any direction we wanted. Aaron [Hemphill] and I did end up coming together on one idea, which was that we just wanted to concentrate on writing songs rather than being concerned about the album as a whole. We began to think of songs in particular that we appreciate because of what they are and what they talk about. Particularly, what it’s like to be younger and to appreciate music and how, when we were younger, it was more about like, the guitar solo, rather than where the record was made or who made. So, we just tried to think about music as a more visceral thing rather than a conceptual, mental process. We were going for the gut rather than the head sort of thing.

TAlive: That’s interesting because it seems like the opposite direction of most bands’ growth. Usually they start out with a more straightforward, simple approach and then later in their career they feel they need to be more challenging and go for a concept record. Whereas, with Liars, you seem to have deconstructed instead.
Angus: Yeah, I know...I think we began with sound rather than notes and pieces rather than songs. It’s just been this sort of backward progression towards a more traditional approach and a more basic sort of appreciation of song. It’s interesting because it’s valid to say that this album is an extreme commercial album. In the end, it’s really our most experimental because we’ve never gone so far as to try and make real songs!

TAlive: It’s all relative, I guess, to the artist.
Angus: It’s all relative in a sort of reverse dynamic. (Laughs)

TAlivE: Along the same lines, you had said in a previous interview that you never felt like a songwriter until this album. How did you view yourself as a musician earlier?
Angus: Just piecing ideas together. I came into music on the backend of visual arts. It seemed like another medium, you know? Using sound and instruments together to create, I found it relatively easy to create pieces or songs with lyrics and things like that. And slowly I learned to make those things more and more cohesive. I never really ever felt I could, I don’t know, sit down and just play and sing a song to anyone. Like, a really musician guy. I think that’s where people start! But, that’s not where I began. So, it’s only recently that I’ve come to be able to do that sort of thing, and I have a real appreciation for being able to do that sort of thing.

TAlive: Do you still find time for photography?
Angus: No. When I finished art school and actually a bit earlier, I sort of stopped taking photographs all together. I came to some sort of theoretical crisis about how many photographs have been taken by so many people in the world. It’s just a point I reached at school where I found the limitations of a two-dimensional image to be too much. I first began to work with video and computer animation and sound. That was just the final link before I started making songs. So, no, I haven’t taken photographs in a long time. But, still video I love to make, and I still do computer graphic stuff.

TAlive: What can we expect as far as a set list for the upcoming tour?
Angus: It’s funny you should mention that. It’s been interesting to look and recognize that we have a bit of a back catalog. I love that statement, “back catalog.” Haha! So, there’s a lot of songs to choose from actually, and it’s a lot of fun to put together a set list in an interesting way. It won’t just be from our new album, but certainly the new album stuff is meant to be live and we do concentrate on that. It’s fun, though, to pull out some stuff from years past. You can expect a lot of….stuff.

TAlive: Is it too early to determine what’s next for Liars after this supporting tour?
Angus: We’re going to try to take a little bit of time, a little bit longer to make the next record. I intend to live in Los Angeles with the other guys, so I suppose one thing is we’re going to try to work together which we’ve never really done before.

TAlive: That makes me wonder if you ever compose while on tour since that’s one of those rare opportunities when you all have instruments and you’re all together.
Angus: It’s not from a lack of being together that we don’t write together. It’s more the idea that.. it just doesn’t work. We’ve certainly tried it; just stand together and play. But for some reason, it’s just not the most productive way for us. I just sort of think we can go around that somehow. But no, we don’t write anything on tour. I find it difficult enough to just… tour! (laughs)

TAlive: Well, from what you’ve said about your time in Berlin, it sounds like you are the kind of person who prefers to just work alone with your creativity.
Angus: Yeah, very much so. I appreciate any kind of solitude at all. It’s really good for me. I almost find that the process of writing together in a group is almost illogical. To me, it seems like if we’re going to do a painting, and we all decided to paint at the same time on a board as opposed to one of us taking initiative to map it all out. I think the latter always works for a better song, but I certainly am aware that the majority of great songs have been written in band format.. so there must be something to it!

TAlive: I guess if you are following the laws of music a little more closely as far as playing in a certain key, than you can improvise together more smoothly.
Angus: I know, but you gotta know notes and keys, don’t you?

TAlive: It’s a more technical approach, but maybe a little more boring because you become limited within that box.
Angus: That’s certainly the way I’ve been thinking…but as you know I’m slightly on this revised mode, leaning more and more towards the norm or traditional.. and whether or not I’ll allow that to happen is another question. It’s certainly something new for us, and, therefore, interesting and worth the challenge.

For the weird romantics and the dateless alike, Liars tickets are on sale now!

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Interview with The Whigs! Athens' rising stars look forward to CD release and a big '08

I first stumbled across The Whigs at a packed show in Athens’ intimate Tasty World bar about five years ago. I was in awe of the frenzied crowd supporting this young band, and my first impression was that “damn, these guys must have a lot of friends in town.” I don’t know for sure if The Whigs had any formal fraternal connections, but it certainly felt that way at the show; a crowded room of drunk, dancing fanatics all raising their beers in appreciation of The Whigs’ rollicking, energetic performance. Sure, it’s a good time now, but where will these fans be in four years once everyone’s graduated?

Turns out, The Whigs had a lot more than a local following. Their debut release, “Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip” made a connection with listeners and media critics across the nation. The homemade recording was enough for Rolling Stone to herald The Whigs as one of the top artists to watch, and the accolades kept coming. Before long, they were picked up by the prestigious ATO label, and now the boys are gearing up for the release of “Mission Control,” their highly anticipated sophomore record.

TA live had a chat with singer Parker Gispert about the upcoming release and the band’s big plans for 2008.

TAlive: Hey Parker! So, this looks like a huge year for The Whigs. It’s amazing I saw you back at Tasty World and now… Letterman?
Parker: Yeah, Letterman is going to be insane! It’s going to be great.

TAlive: Is that something ATO hooked up for you? How did that happen?
Parker: I’m not really sure. Our manager Josh [Rifkind] just called us up and said, “Hey, you’re playing on Letterman in three weeks on January 28th.” And we’re like, “Hell yeah!”

TAlive: Do you feel like there was a specific turning point in your career when you knew that, yes, this band is going places? A time when you realized that things were really going to happen for this band?
Parker: Not really. Everything has been gradually positive for us since the beginning. Not in any crazy quick fashion. Just sort of slowly but surely been going well for us. We always had high hopes in terms of wanting to make a lot of records, and have this be what we do with our time.

TAlive: When did you first get connected with you manager Josh? Was it by winning his battle of the bands contest Open Mic Madness or did he know you before?
Parker: No no, we met him through Open Mic Madness. And, if you win his competition, you go on this cruise ship with him; play a show on it [The Rock Boat]. So, we drove down to Florida in a car with him for eight hours which was pretty eye opening if you've never met Josh before. Haha! But yeah, we just got along with him very well, and I think about a year later he started managing us.

TAlive: Athens is such a transient town with students coming and going all the time. Does it still feel like the hometown crowd when you return, even though many of the people that were there when you got started have since graduated or moved out?
Parker: Yeah, it’s actually really cool like that. It’s nice to go home, and, you know, it is home. You have your bedroom…But like you said, it’s just always a different town even six months later. It seems like all the time your friends will just be gone. Have you ever spent a summer in Athens? Like for summer school or something?

TAlive: Yeah, it’s pretty dead…it’s a totally different place.
Paker: Yeah, it’s kind of like you get home and there’s different people back home, and you kind of end up hanging out with people that you might not have hung out with if everybody always stayed in town. So, it’s kind of cool to be at home but to always be meeting new people. It’s a really cool place to live.

TAlive: On the last record you went over to L.A. to record. What was it like in that very professional studio environment? Did you feel uncomfortable at first, or was it just exciting
Parker: It actually felt really comfortable going from recording the first album in a house…Before, we were doing a lot of the micing ourselves and with a friend of ours. When you can just go into a place where they’ve made thousands of records and work with a producer whose made a bunch of albums you love, you can just relax and worry about playing guitar and singing. You know it’s going to sound really good. There was never a doubt about the quality of the producer or the studio we’re in. It just allows you to have your head in the right place and just focus on having a good performance and that kind of stuff. So it was really comfortable and really relaxing, actually.

TAlive: Besides the quality of the recording, what other differences do you see between this album and your first? Has your approach to songwriting changed at all?
Parker: Yeah, hopefully we’ve learned some things from the first record. You know, you always set those personal goals for yourself. Hopefully the lyrics are a little better and hopefully the songwriting is a little more focused. There’s definitely an effort to not really change a ton of the things that were important to us on the first go ‘round. It wasn’t like we set out to make a completely different record. We knew that sonically it was going to sound different. It being two years later, there were going to be changes that we probably couldn’t even see that were going to be happening to the music, you know?

TAlive: And as of fairly recently you have become labelmates with Radiohead!
Parker: That’s true. Pretty awesome!

TAlive: What was your reaction to the way they handled their last release?
Parker: They’re one of the only bands that really has the power to do that and to really make it work. I don’t really understand why a lot of bands that are where they are wouldn’t do that. For instance, Pearl Jam on their last record. They were in the same exact scenario and they actually signed with RCA, with J Records, and I thought they were going to do what Radiohead did, and they didn’t. It was cool to see Radiohead actually do it and then even cooler to see, once they did, decide to go with the label that they went with. The ATO guys, having worked with them, I know what they are all about it. It just made sense that Radiohead would see all the great things about the label and want to work with them.

TAlive: You guys were fairly selective in going with ATO. A lot of other labels had approached you before you finally settled with them.
Parker: Right.

TAlive: So, there must have been something special that you saw in ATO as well.
Parker: They were just straightforward people which is not always the case in this business. There wasn’t a lot of talk or, for lack of a better term, bullshit. They just said, “We really like your band. We like your album. We don’t want to re-record it. We don’t want to do anything weird. We just want to make it so more people can hear it, and we want to help you in any way we can for the next record.” There wasn’t really a lot of courting or anything. They said they were interested and they showed that they were interested by offering us a deal, which was much appreciated.

TAlive: I noticed that at the Flagpole Music Awards in Athens this past year, Of Montreal won a ton of stuff and the audience’s reaction a little…bitter? Cynical? I don’t know, it definitely didn’t feel like enthusiastic support for a local success story. The Whigs are another one of the few Athens bands that has really achieved a great deal of national exposure… have you felt any sense of resentment from the other bands in Athens?
Parker: That’s a good question. We’re not really home that much, so, I don’t know if we could really get a sense of that resentment if there was that kind of thing. Flagpole thrashed our first album pretty hard... I don’t know. It seems like people have been really supportive. I think it helps that we’ve toured a lot, and we’re known for being a hard working band; not just someone who just tours a little bit and got really lucky or something like that. So, I think that helps and I think Of Montreal is kind of the same way.

There are just so many bands in Athens and there are so many great bands, so it wouldn’t surprise me if people were feeling that way about us. You can’t help but identify with that mindset because there are probably lots of bands who are equally deserving of maybe some of the accolades that we’ve been given. For me personally, I can’t really worry about anybody’s resentment or any of that kind of stuff. We’re proud of what we’re doing and we’re working hard.

Tickets to The Whigs CD release at The EARL on Jan. 25th are almost sold out! Buy your tickets now.

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Just added! 99X Sinner's Ball

99X Sinner's Ball feat.....The Black Lips!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Opera Nightclub
Atlanta, Georgia


What band will provide the soundtrack to your annual debauchry in Atlanta this February? We've got the answer, but we're not telling...yet. Check back tomorrow morning and we'll have tickets available for Atlanta's premier Mardi Gras party!

Psst...tickets go on sale today (Jan. 9th) at 5:00 p.m.!

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Local band gets slot opening for their hero: Jimmy Gnecco at Vinyl

Jimmy Gnecco of OURS
Wed December 19, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA

If you never had the opportunity to witness the grace and power of Jeff Buckley's soaring vocals live, you might appreciate the magic of Jimmy Gnecco. As the frontman for Ours, Gnecco has tugged on heartstrings with his phenomenal range and tone.

Gnecco is especially mesmerizing when he plays solo. Electric guitars and heavy percussion can never match the awesome versatility and emotion of Gnecco's vocal performance. It's almost shocking to see this little, petite man on stage unleash such an overwhelming sound.

Members of local Atlanta band Novah have expressed their infinite excitement about opening the show.

"We are thrilled to support someone who we've admired and respected for years" says Matt Vetter, who plays guitar for Novah. "I've seen Jimmy perform solo and with his band on seven different occasions, andeach time I was blown away."

ours.net

novahmusic.com

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Celebrate an Americana Christmas this Friday in Atlanta!

The Beggar's Guild
Fri. December 21, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA


While the temperature is dropping as it is finally feeling like winter, things are sure to be heating up at Vinyl this Friday night. Local favorite the Beggars’ Guild is wrapping up a stellar year with an Americana Christmas show with Pasadena and Joshua Fletcher and the Six Shot romance.

Since the release of their first EP Breaking Me Down last January, The Beggars’ Guild have kept busy in 2007. Playing local festivals Oysterfest and Summerfest gave these Atlanta boys the chops for their Bonnaroo debut last summer. They have also been no stranger to the Atlanta airways getting spins on both 99X and DaveFM.

Come out this Friday to enjoy old favorites "21" and "Minnesota" and new songs that will be released on their first LP in early 2008.

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MF Doom Update

Thanks to all who commented on the MF Doom show at MJQ in Atlanta last week. You are definitely not alone in feeling disapointed and frustrated. Feel free to continue to use this forum to vent!

In the meantime, here is the latest word from Tight Bros. Network who booked the show. Randy posted the following message on MySpace this week (please note: Although Randy included Mr. Dumile's personal info in his post, we chose not to publish that information here. If you would like to express your anger, please direct comments to MF Doom's MySpace page or talk to Tight Bros. about contacting them directly):

"Many apologies go to all of you who came out to the MF DOOM show last night at MJQ and paid $30 of your hard earned money only to watch him lip sinc for 20 minutes at 1:30 in the morning. This was by far one of the single worst experiences I’ve had as a club promoter and I sincerely apologize if you walked away feeling cheated. To make matters even worse MF DOOMS appointed doorman took off with all the money from the door after the show! As soon as we realized the money was stolen we decided to help ourselves to all of MF DOOMS merchandise which included a bunch of T shirts and posters. So, in an effort to make it up to everyone who walked away feeling cheated, we’re giving away all the merchandise for free so come and get it while supplies last!! And if that’s not enough, feel free to let MF DOOM aka Daniel Dumile know how you really feel by calling him at his home in Kennesaw Georgia.

DANIEL T DUMILE
xxxx xxxxxx DR NW
KENNESAW GA xxxxx-xxxx
(xxx) xxx-xxxx

All the best,

Randy Castello / Tight Bros Network"

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Band of Horses: 4th show added in Atlanta!

Band of Horses
Sun December 30, 3007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA

Alright kids, you have one more chance to catch Band of Horses in the ever so intimate EARL. They have decided to fill in their scheduled an add a show on Sunday, in between their Friday, Saturday, and New Years Eve performances. The first three shows sold out in under 10 minutes, so go ahead and get your credit card ready!

Tickets go on sale TODAY, Friday December 14th, at 10:00am EST.

Remember, there is a 4 ticket limit and if you try to grab more than that you're going to end up with nothing. So be nice, play by the rules, and log on early!

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Black Lips add New Years Eve show in Atlanta

Black Lips
Mon December 31, 2007
The Drunken Unicorn
Atlanta, GA



This just in! A brand new New Year's Eve show has just been added. The Black Lips will tear apart The Drunken Unicorn in what will surely be the rowdiest party in Atlanta. If you like your NYE party served up raw, uncensored, and intense this is your show.

We'll have a full feature on all the exciting NYE events on the horizon coming up soon! In the meantime, don't be one of those poor saps who says, "ah, I'll think about New Years after Christmas" because by that time tickets will be gone. In fact, NYE tickets make a great Christmas present, so browse our listings and find the party that's right for you and someone special.

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DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist at The Loft in Atlanta

DJ Shadow
Mon. January 21, 2008
The Loft
Atlanta, GA


Atlanta has enjoyed a slew of impressive DJs and producers coming through as of late, and DJ Shadow is certainly no exception.

For some reason I always thought he was British, but it turns out that Josh Davis is in fact from Davis, California. He began his DJ career on air with UC Davis radio station KDVS. On the side he was cutting tracks and make innovations in instrumental hip-hop and sampling.

Speaking of sampling, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, DJ Shadow's debut full-length "Endtroducing" was the "First Completely Sampled Album" ever!

Since that record came out in 1996, DJ Shadow has colloborated with scores of artists and producers, including DJ Cut Chemist who will be appearing with him at The Loft!

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The EARL announces awesome lineup for 2008

Although it's only December, record highs in Atlanta make it feel like spring is in the air! It's easy to take a stroll in the sunshine and imagine it's a warm March evening down in the East Atlanta Village. Let's forget for a moment that two frigid months are surely on their way, and add to the illusion by browsing our 2008 calendar.

The EARL just added a slew of great acts, starting with an unlikely Valetine's Day show...here are some highlights with more info to come!


Liars w/ No Age
2/14/2008
Find Tickets (On sale Sat. December 15th!)

Dead Meadow & special guests
2/18/2008
Find Tickets

Snowden & special guests
2/22/2008
Find Tickets

Beach House w/ Papercuts
3/1/2008
Find Tickets

The Walkmen w/ Vampire Weekend
3/9/2008
Find Tickets

The Black Lips w/ Quinton
3/22/2008
Find Tickets

The Dirtbombs w/ Kelly Stoltz
4/2/2008
Find Tickets

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Gunther brings Champagne, Glamour, Sex to Atlanta

Günther & The Sunshine Girls
Sat. December 15, 2007
The Loft
Atlanta, GA

When news of Günther's arrival in Atlanta hit our office today, several female co-works fainted, another squealed, and the men desperately drew on moustaches. America is not ready for Sweden's Günther and the Sunshine Girls. Like Zoolander fronting Ace of Base, Günther will seduce you. Please listen to the delightfully creepy "Ding ding dong song" on his Myspace page and then, as we all did, go immediately to Ticket Alternative to purchase tickets. VIP tickets get you a meet and greet with the man himself! Sexytime guaranteed.

If you need any more convincing, browse his many photo-centric sites:
http://www.gunthernet.com/ (not for the feint of heart!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guntherlove/ (the captions are priceless)

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Calling all Bad Santas and Hot Ms. Clauses!

The Holiday Ho-Down
Fri December 14, 2007
The Loft
Atlanta GA


Looking for a little fun to start off the holiday season? Atlanta’s own Southern rockers, Blackberry Smoke and DJ Patrick Scott want to help you get into the holiday spirit. Add in a mechanical bull, PBR, hot Ms. Clauses and Bad Santas, and you have yourself a Holiday Ho-Down! Come drink and be merry bumpkin style at The Loft on Friday December 14th. Oh, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots.

Great music, mechanical bull, PBR and helping the kiddies! What more could you ask for in a holiday party?

Blackberry Smoke is a southern rock band hailing from Atlanta, GA. The band has headlined all over the U.S. and even opened for acts such as Blackfoot, 38 Special and Lynyrd Sknyrd. Their sound has been compared to many, and influences of bluegrass, gospel and rock and roll are evident in the band’s music. Some simply describe Blackberry Smoke’s sound as “balls out rock and roll.” With a strong following and a great live show, there is no doubt that you will be entertained.

http://www.blackberrysmoke.com/

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Give the gift of love to animals in need this season!

In this season of giving, there are a number events across Atlanta benefiting animal shelters and adoption agencies. If you can't bring a furry friend into your own home this Christmas, you can still do your part to help them find a family!

Paws for Applause
Thurs. December 13, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, Georgia


Benefiting Paws Atlanta and featuring performances by The Modern Society, Helios, The Status, and Calling All Stars.

"Give a Pet a Home for Christmas" Fundraiser
Thurs. December 20, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, Georgia

Benefiting Alcovy Pet Rescue and featuring performances by El Capitan and Thee Scallywags.

Doggies On The Catwalk
Thurs. January 17, 2008
Grady High School Gymnasium
Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta s Grady High School and its acclaimed fashion division, UrbanCouture, have teamed up with Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) to launch a pet fashion fundraiser appropriately tagged Doggies on the Catwalk.

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MF Doom at MJQ: Metal, Fire, and Ice

MF Doom w/ Mobonix

Thurs December 13, 2007

MJQ Concourse
Atlanta, GA

This event will be filmed for an upcoming release, and they are pulling out all the stops! Check out the official press release:

MF DOOM is best known for his collaborations with Dangermouse (Danger Doom, Epitaph) and Madlib (MADVILLAIN, Stones Throw). DOOM wanted to do an intimate show for 500 of his truest fans and MJQ offers a unique platform.

This will be an event to remember; including video filming for upcoming release. FIRE eaters in the parking lot. A large ICE sculpture of the MF DOOM mask for fan photo ops. The upgraded sound system for this event is going to ensure the maximum METAL FACE EXPERIENCE! It is also rumored that there will be models painted to resemble METAL to facilitate fan appreciation giveaways.

Also performing will be MOBONIX and MR. K members of MF DOOM s METAL FACE AKADEMY crew. MOBONIX is gearing up for the release of his long -awaited full length record, THIRD WORLD AMERICA featuring production by Bean One, Danspeak, and MF DOOM.Also performing will be Budah Tye ( Universal Vibe Squad) Local support acts to be announced. Deejays will be Atlanta's own Apple Jac and underground-wizard Steve Deniro. This event will be hosted by Dres the Beatnik.

Advance tickets are $25. Tickets will be $30.00 day of show.The price of tickets at the door will be discounted by $5 with the donation of a canned good.

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Dan Deacon's Ultimate Reality: Schwarzenegger inspired?

Dan Deacon w/ Ultimate Reality
Monday, January 07, 2008
Eyedrum

Atlanta, Georgia


We had to read the description twice before we believed it. Frankly, I'm still skeptical:

"Ultimate Reality is a collaborative performance by Baltimore's Dan Deacon and Jimmy Joe Roche. It combines an intense musical composition for electronics and drums with a psychedelic montage of Arnold Schwarzenegger films that is projected at a monumental scale. The live energy of the performance has allowed the piece to freely move between art and music venues and grant it a wide audience of appreciation. The touring group also includes Jeremy Hyman (from Ponytail) and Kevin O Meara (from Video Hippoes) on drums. "

As if having the mad scientist of electronic music in the house wasn't enough! People, a "psychedelic montage of Arnold Schwarzenegger!!!" Eyedrum really knows how to drum up some unique performers. This is surely not to be missed, and make sure your friends get tickets too because they won't believe you when you tell them about the show later.

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Vincent Gallo's RRIICCEE on tour now

RRIICCEE
December 05, 2007
Eyedrum
Atlanta, GA

December 08, 2007
Rock and Roll Hotel
Washington, D.C.


Actor/producer/artist Vincent Gallo has a new project with Hole's Eric Erlandson, but I have no idea what it sounds like and, in some ways, neither does the band. Apparently RRIICCEE comes to town with no pre-written material and no plans to ever enter a recording studio. For all intents and purposes the music will all be composed live on stage, and every show will be different. It's avant garde, certainly, but don't call it "improv."

“Improvisation is not a good word for what we’re doing," says Gallo. "It’s more a gesture of composing and performing at the same time, always hoping to avoid musical cliché or jamming. We’ve chosen not to go into a studio in a traditional way like other bands have done in the past: to make recordings, cut them up, dub on them, fine tune and mix them, and then release them as an album, then later, go on tour, pantomiming those recordings over and over each night as a form of cabaret. Instead, for a long time now, we’ve chosen to remain open, to grow and change more naturally, and when we play live, the music is often created during the performance. If we choose to record a performance, the recording itself is only evidence of that creative moment. The purpose of recording then, is to listen back for enjoyment.”

Would you expect anything else from Mr. Gallo? Knowing his fondness for the pretentious it's no surprise that he doesn't subscribe to the conventions of the common musician...Whether this will work to his benefit is yet to be seen, but at the very least you are guaranteed a unique performance! It will be interesting to see what he comes up with and how his performance is received.

http://www.rriiccee.com

P.S. Check out Gallo in those new Belvedere vodka ad on TV as well. . .

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Vince Neil Plays Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta's 15th Anniversary!

Motley Crue's Vince Neil
Friday November 16, 2007
Hard Rock's Velvet Underground
Atlanta, GA

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your umlauts. Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil will be putting both the “hard” and the“rock” into Hard Rock Café’s 15th Anniversary Bash in Atlanta!

What better way to celebrate the club's 15 years in Atlanta than with a legendary artist whose career spans nearly twice as long?

Neil first joined The Crüe back 1981, and by the middle of the decade they were heralded as the biggest thing in rock. Since then, Neil has gone solo, rejoined the band, and gone solo again. Never one to hide from the limelight, Neil even made the jump into reality as a cast member on the first season of The Surreal Life.

Neil’s supporting lineup currently consists of Slaughter members Jeff Blando and Dana Strum, as well as drummer Zoltan Chaney. Don't you want to see someone named Zoltan live in person??

You can feel good about partying as well, as a portion of the proceeds from this event will go towards the Sklyar Neil Memorial Fund. Vince set up the fund in honor his daughter Sklyar who tragically lost the battle with cancer at the age of four. The fund endeavors to raise awareness and funding for the research and treatment of various children’s illnesses.

http://www.vinceneil.net

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