Show of the Month
The Selmanaires / The 63 Crayons / Deerhunter
The 40 Watt
Athens, GA
July 28
Athens’ The 63 Crayons recently had a burst of shows after disappearing for several months. During this period, key songwriter and singer/guitarist Charlie Johnston had painful back surgery that involved screws being implanted into his spine, causing him to grow an inch taller. It’s rumored that the band’s unreleased new album, Save Us, stemmed from the world of painkillers.
Starting in Roanoke, VA and migrating south to Athens, GA, The 63 Crayons have dropped their bass player and original drummer and have officially added “the” as a prefix because the web domain was cheaper. Now with Elephant Six family man Derek Almstead (Elf Power, Circulatory System, M Coast, the Instruments, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t, ex-Of Montreal) on drums, experimental noise expert Ben Davis on samplers and Theremin and Johnston’s wife, Suzanne Allison, impressively playing double keyboards to make up for the absent bass, it looks like the group has solidified a confident roster.
After a rocking inaugural Athens set by Atlanta’s The Selmanaires, who, like The 63 Crayons, have a debut release on the streets, The 63 Crayons played a set that primarily consisted of new songs. Johnston’s excitement and nervous energy was evident in his jittery foot tapping and energetic yelps that came out at appropriate times in choruses. Davis’s cosmic Theremin tones and what seemed to be improvised samples added an electronic/psychedelic quality to the group that sets it apart from the ‘60s pop revival that’s been infiltrating the indie rock scene.
Their songs ranged from happy tunes about everyday nothing to politically humorous calls-for-action to a voice-filtered rap about science. The crowd responded quite positively when Johnston broke out into dance during the choruses of one particular song. Allison provided backing vocals and fed off of John C. Reilly-doppelganger Almstead for cues. The 63 Crayons’ new tracks sounded darker with deeper lyrics than their sugary pop-smothered 2004 first full-length album, Good People, which included subjects such as siblings, teachers, jello and rocketships, proving that they are still just kids at heart. Good People is available on Athens label Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records. Fans and new listeners alike were glad The 63 Crayons have returned.
Atlanta experimental/punk group Deerhunter headlined and turned things up a bit. The group’s guitarists played most of the show with their backs turned towards the audience, feeling the music and letting all attention fall on lead singer and performance artist Bradford Cox as he contorted to different positions and toyed with knobs and instruments, creating sounds and noises while displaying a rock star charisma.
Deerhunter’s set was shuffled with catchy, beat-heavy rock songs and long, ambient, psychedelic soundscapes. Just when you think you’ve got their sound figured out, they do something completely different to throw you off. Deerhunter is a group that loves the unpredictability of art and will continue to alter its performances to evade anything close to being considered average.
-Review & photo by Alex Adan
The Drownout /
Rantings of Eva
The Loft
Atlanta, GA
August 4
This night was a homecoming show of sorts. Atlanta-based band the Drownout played The Loft after touring all over the United States, and they came through with an energetic performance. Although The Loft normally has brilliant sound, whatever was going on at the soundboards at this show was not meshing with anyone on stage. The Drownout certainly has some memorable and attractive songs to showcase for listeners. The sound could best be described as an indie/pop combination that’s meant to get the crowd up and moving, which the Drownout easily accomplished; there were a number of flailing bodies parked right up front and center.
Following the Drownout, Rantings of Eva took the stage for its set. As the band got ready to play, lead singer Ryan Flanagan discovered he was unable to locate his guitar. As anyone can imagine, trying to play your best set while worrying about the whereabouts of a most expensive and vital piece of equipment might be enough to rattle even the most seasoned performer. However, Flanagan managed to pull himself together by the third song (after a couple of mishaps with sound, once again) and performed with the grace and professionalism for which he is known. Chris Langley’s drums wailed above the noise in the room and coming from the bar while Flanagan’s voice echoed with an angelic and soothing quality. This band’s tight set captivated most of the room.
It’s clear that the recorded material is going to hit hard on the indie rock circuit. Rantings of Eva seems to be one of those bands that can pull it off in a live setting, and after all the hiccups presented to them at the beginning of the set, they should be commended for their tact and ability to regain composure and play a memorable show.
-Leah K. Baker
The Beggars’ Guild / American Aquarium / Chris Unck and the Harmonica Lewinskys
10 High Club
Atlanta, GA
August 3
The Beggars’ Guild, a band quickly making a name for itself on the local Atlanta circuit, kickstarted the night with lead singer TJ Edmond laying down the perfect foundation with a Tom Petty-esque sound that’s closely mixed with alt-country inspired music. This band has an eerie way of grabbing the listener’s attention, which was apparent when a crowd-member shouted out a request for the well-known favorite, “Minnesota.” On “21,” a noticeable gallup-sounding beat coming from the drums happily fed on the guitars, which were somewhat reminiscent of alt-country heroes the Old 97’s. The closing song rocked out in a fashion that could be compared to the bluesy rock of Creedence Clearwater Revival or the Allman Brothers.
Next up was a band out of Raleigh, NC called American Aquarium. They had a lot to live up to after the Beggars’ Guild and seemed to fall far short. The vocals were sub-par as BJ Barham’s monotonous tone was consistently off key. In addition, the drums could not keep up or slow down with the tempo of the rest of the band in more than a couple of instances. Worse, the band failed to make any connection with the crowd. At the end of one song, no one in the room seemed to acknowledge that there had been a band playing in the first place.
To finish off the evening, Atlanta’s Chris Unck and the Harmonica Lewinskys came forth to plant the seed that set a mood similar to a reawakening. Boasting raspy vocals (think Rod Stewart), Unck managed to give the crowd a pick-me-up with songs about drinking heavily and making life’s little mistakes. This band uses a plethora of instruments that make the entire performance interesting and captivating. Deke Spears hit the drums with a powerful fury throughout, mastering the exact raw rock sound that’s needed to complement twangy, blues-driven guitars. At one point, Unck took a seat and brought out the lap steel, which he slid along in the smoothest of ways on a couple of songs. Of course, given the band’s name, the harmonica had to come out at some point. The audience seemed visibly joyful to hear the harmonica on “Got No Sleep.”
An overall stellar live performance and emphasis on originality should make this up-and-coming band a must-see staple in the Southeastern music scene.
-Review & photo by Leah K. Baker
Swank Sinatra / Lylas / The Liverhearts
Lenny’s Bar
Atlanta, GA
August 4
Atlanta’s Swank Sinatra started the night off with its blend of rock and playful pop. While the band’s name is a humorous play on words, Swank Sinatra’s sound is mostly all swank and no Sinatra. Funky bass lines from Brandon Pittman come together with the speedy drumming of Derreck Dempster and the ’70s-style guitar licks of Bob Place, who may look familiar from his small role in the Tom Green movie Road Trip that was filmed at various schools around Atlanta.
Place and Pittman alternated and teamed up on their strong vocals and witty, imaginative lyrics. Pittman also doubled up duties by playing keyboards on several songs to add a spacey, mystical ambiance to the set. Dressed in vintage garb that consisted of striped pants and silky shirts, the two frontmen exchanged banter between each song that received a few chuckles from the crowd.
The high energy of Swank Sinatra was brought back to earth by Nashville’s quiet and serene Lylas, which, most middle school girls know, stands for Love You Like A Sister. The group’s pop music sounded like Belle & Sebastian with a folk twist. Lead singer and guitarist Kyle Hamlett sang softly with a rhythm like Elvis Costello but a sound smooth with each verse escaping with every breath.
At one point in the set, he gave the audience a choice of a waltz or a two-step, claiming the two Joshes will dance to whatever is chosen. The waltz won and Hamlett’s bass-playing brother Josh and non-related touring drummer Josh proceeded to waltz throughout the crowd, spreading their spirit and causing others to join in, shortly turning Lenny’s into a make-believe ballroom like a woman wearing a jock strap.
Australian Xavia Nou added a feminine voice to the mix as well as a bit of egg shaking. Other instruments utilized in the group included a double-neck pedal steel guitar, keyboards, and maracas. Lylas played a mellow and relaxing set that was quickly awakened by Atlanta’s the Liverhearts, who closed the night with their unique rocky post-punk. Or was it punky post-rock? Either way, it was good and loud.
-Review & photo by Alex Adan
Bumblebeats / The Spooks
The Drunken Unicorn
Atlanta, GA
August 9
There aren’t high expectations for a band that has never practiced before, so no one was really let down by the premier performance from Atlanta’s all-girl improvisational punk band, Bumblebeats. As the ladies took stage they were unsure of who was to play what instrument, but they settled for something and began to shout over each other and attempt to create songs. The collective of drunk, cute, scantily clad girls tried to cover songs, but what came out was often unidentifiable. They switched around positions, with some dancing or rolling around on stage.
Decorated with Sharpie tattoos, the girls appeared to have fun and become more of an experimental performance art group, with one putting a plastic bag over her head and shaving her legs during the set. They successfully garnered the devoted attention of the entire audience.
Despite wearing white sheets in the South and having a name that may be derogatory to African-Americans, the Spooks have no intention of offending anyone — unless you don’t like beer, punk rock or cash money. This mysterious group of apparitions is composed of the members of Atlanta’s the Black Lips, Deerhunter and Kiwis of the South Pacific. The group successfully used dirty bed sheets and reverb to the max to create vivacious spirits that would scare the crap out of Casper.
The Spooks sound just like you would imagine if ghosts could play music. Punk ghosts that is — kind of like The Return of the Living Dead but not zombies. Their use of Theremin and keyboard give that eerie sound that overlays the twangy guitar and pounding bass that is familiar to their parts. The crowd was pulsating and jumping around to their sound, with the drunk girls from the opening band falling all over the front of the stage, dancing, pushing, slapping and titty-punching.
Instead of the group’s usual display of dead animals (they’ve performed with a pig’s head, a squid and a cow’s head in the past), the Spooks opted to incorporate cash into their show. Holding a wad of ones in hand, lead spook Cole Alexander led the audience around in anticipation of his palm’s release that resulted in a monetary shower sure to excite the crowd and bring them to the front. He even threw out a $20 bill at one point in the set. The show was wild and fun, with beer being thrown about and cans flying through the air like any performance brought to you by Die Slaughterhaus! Records.'
-Review & photos by Alex Adan
The Judies / Bones
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
August 17
Despite his renowned guitar prowess, Warren Ullom led the Judies through a tight, energetic set at East Atlanta’s the EARL without ever touching a string. A risky move, perhaps, but new acquisition Matt Greenia and his Telecaster filled the guitarist role well (plus he sang backups), giving Ullom the space he needed to shuffle and writhe with the mic stand (drink-in-hand) and bang on the keys when seated.
The Thursday-night crowd started out sparse but peaked and leveled out midway through the Judies’ set. “If you’ve been on MySpace, this song’s been on there for fuckin’ ever,” Ullom remarked before breaking into “Rainyday Roads,” which was clearly the audience favorite. Immediately following was the extraordinary “Did You Did You Not.” Throughout the set, Ullom’s clear, precise voice folded up and down the scales like a snake climbing stairs. The band also included a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Me and My Arrow,” which was sparse and understated in just the right places so that the songwriting could speak for itself.
Following the Judies was Louisiana’s Bones. Bones’ most impressive aspect was that, despite being a two-piece, their sound was surprisingly full. The actual songs, however, bemused the crowd at best. With lyrics stuffed full of hackneyed kitsch (what high school punk band doesn’t have a song called “Sexploitation?”), Bones are truly gifted at playing but need to revisit the drawing board when it comes to songwriting.
An upright bass occupied center stage like a third band member, occasionally being groped by singer/bassist Michael Miller. With just two cymbals (including the hi-hat), a floor tom, a kick and a snare, drummer Scott Campbell managed to keep (somewhat) interesting a set of songs that should have grown much more grating much more quickly. Campbell also occasionally reached to his right and played keyboard lines, all the while keeping up the beat.
“I could have gone to medical school,” Miller boasted. “Now we travel around doing drugs and fucking underage girls in the van / What have you done with your life?” This theme dominated Miller’s lyrics and on-stage banter: he repeatedly came right out and announced what should have been revealed through the song’s storytelling. Another example was his saying “This song is about my big dick,” and then, in the ensuing song, directly (and redundantly) referring to his penis with his choke-and-grunt vocals. The listener loses incentive to listen once the joke is laid out so tactlessly. Miller and Campbell were selling their new five-song EP, which translates their sound much better than does their live show. -William Cane
Garlington / Vaya
The 585
Atlanta, GA
August 12
One of the first shows to grace Atlanta’s newest music venue, The 585, took place with two bands from the Atlanta area. Garlington trekked down the interstate from northern Georgia to bring its sound to the city. Opening the evening, the band members exploded with a vengeance of rock that could mostly be pinned as a sound that comes straight from the alternative era found 10 years ago coupled with an updated twist. Garlington’s overall sound suggests that they may have been influenced by Live or, more recently, Hoobastank. This makes for an interesting sound that the crowd responded to in a positive way. It can be looked at as outdated, but it’s still nostalgic and fits into the rock scene. Halfway through the set, the band pulled out a cover of the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun,” which lead singer Garth Rivers managed to pull off with much ease. At times, the bass seemed a little bit off from the rest of the band, but the superb display of drum technique and guitars seemed to balance out that uncertainty. The catchiest tune they played, “Watchout,” flaunts the moody lyrics that are the trademark of emo bands, but aside from the unison of hair slinging that Garlington has down pat, they’re unquestionably a rock band — and one well worth checking out.
After Garlington broke down their instruments, a band from Atlanta called Vaya took the reigns and drove the show home with a heavier style of rock. Vaya is fronted by a singer with no instrument who hops around on stage belting out lyrics while the rest of the band stays back and focuses on hitting each note with precision. One of the songs had a distinct sound that mirrored emo/punk/pop heroes Panic! At the Disco, and this made for an upbeat ending to the night. The overall performance was certainly energetic and boasted the confidence of in-your-face rock.
-Leah K. Baker
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