Lowcountry Blues Bash
Multiple Venues
Charleston, SC
February 9-18, 2007

The 17th Annual Blues Bash in Charleston, South Carolina had a bigger and consistently better following than previous years. Maybe additional televised publicity helped. But, more likely than not, it was the consistent quality of music featured that bore responsibility for the crowds. Classic and ever-alluring, as blues is known to be, the 10-day event has fans coming back for more, night after night, venue after venue.
Two of the most energetic performers this year were Chick Willis and Linda Rodney. Chick Willis, dressed to the nines and with wireless Stratocaster in tow, leapt off the stage to get up close with his audience and wail away on the guitar. He sang with passion, humor and charm, often repeating his catchphrase "Ain't nothing but a party y'all" throughout his performance. Willis wrapped it up with his biggest hit, "Stoop Down Baby," a song from the early 1970s that is great for doing the Shag, the state dance.
Linda Rodney, a.k.a. Chocolate Thunder, is a lively singer from upstate. Her voice can really blow an audience away with its volume and strength. Rodney had boundless enthusiasm as she marched, sashayed, danced and clapped to the beat of her backup band. The energy rose with each song during her performance as if the next song was intended to be bigger and better than the last.
If a fan were seeking a storm offstage, Mighty Lester was a must-see. Mighty Lester is a six-piece band playing guitar, trumpet, sax, baritone sax and drums. Their sound had big band/rhythm and blues appeal and of all the shows at the Bash, theirs had the most raucous audience, who gyrated eagerly in the little corridor of the venue.
Johnny Rawls is a main contender for class act. A Mississippi bluesman whose rhythms stick with you long after the show is over, Rawls and two other guitarists play red metallic Fender guitars and wear long jackets that are black with gold vertical stripes. As if their presence wasn't dazzling enough, Rawls and his band kept the crowd captivated and enthused. Halfway through the show, the band's bassist took the mic; apparently Rawls wasn't the only talented vocalist in the band.
Robert Lighthouse, with his simple, skillful acoustic delivery, brought his audience back to the roots. Playing an acoustic/electric with either a harp or harmonica simultaneously, his presentation was reminiscent of Dylan's, but the material was straight out of the Mississippi Delta all the way up to Tennessee.
Jeff Norwood and Little Jimmy also played harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar. They melded country and blues in their show, reminding the audience of the blues' universality, even when the keys and styles seem to come from very different cultural directions.
Harmonica Shah was also a great lyricist as he wailed away on his harmonica, accompanied by electric guitar. Working-class blues and a love for young ladies were delivered with a smile and a sense of humor, making a cool, rainy night a little warmer along the marshes of Charleston.
Drink Small, the Blues Doctor, is a Bash legend for his rhyming talk and classic, simple blues ditties. The circular church's congregation clapped and foot-tapped along at this special service while Drink gazed up into the church's domes, his voice wafting around the rafters. Small really comes alive on the fretboard and takes pride in playing without effects pedals.
At the Bash, it's rare to find an exclusive blues act like Drink Small or Robert Lighthouse. Its typically blues-rock or zydeco, a soul or funk act. That being said, each act knows its roots. For them, playing blues is a fish-to-water scenario.

-Review by Kathleen Wehle; photo by Dereck Shawn Curry

How I Became The Bomb / Plex Plex / The Clutters
The Mercy Lounge
Nashville, TN
January 20, 2007

It was The Mercy Lounge's birthday, and in celebration of this fact, a lineup of suitably impressive indie rock beckoned. In a mere four years, The Mercy has become cemented in Nashville's indie-rock framework, hosted countless local happenings, as well as shows by Muse, Yo La Tengo, Cat Power, etc. So tonight's free showing of Jetpack, Plex Plex, The Clutters and How I Became The Bomb came as little surprise. Naturally it was free, but the bar made an absolute killing; hence, a lot of people were shuffling around merrily, swaying and bobbing to the buoyant, pleasantly seamless sound of co-ed quartet Plex Plex. Nearly everything about Plex Plex is solid: jumpy New Order bass lines and driving rhythms juxtapose texturally with ringing U2 guitars. The deceptively portentous voice of androgynously skinny frontwoman Amanda X hung in smoke-saturated air, perfect note for note. Altogether, they are consummately professional, carrying their entire set of danceable early-1980s synth-pop with glib maturity and poise.
The Clutters'three-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust dynamism did even more to loosen the room. Bashing out song after sub-three minute song, singer/guitarist Doug Lehmann unleashed howls and pulled guitar-god poses like they're going out of style - which they probably are. Pitched somewhere between the heyday of punk and grunge, their candid sonic intent and absence of pretense only served to augment their charm.
Dodgy handle notwithstanding, How I Became The Bomb ruled the night like zombie kings. They are the clear heir-apparent to The Features' local rock throne, having in a short time set themselves far apart from the incessant reams of new bands being launched in Nashville. It all begins with singer Jon Burr - he's a funny, cherubic sort, oozing with charisma, weird-sexy vibes and possibly gravy, and he commands the stage. All dramatic posturing and fey, blushing glances, his star was undimmed even when some ignorant slob heckled him; he only bristled slightly, almost imperceptibly, and let it roll off his back. It's an otherworldly, admirable confidence he possesses, and the rest of the band took on his personality, delivering the entirety of their only release, the Let's Go! EP, as the crowd (minus the one aforementioned idiot, presumably) ate it all up. Moving from the anthemic stomp of "Bar Song" to several quirky new-ish synth-a-longs that likewise went down well (and even chucking in a mesmerizing cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway" for good measure), How I Became The Bomb seemed able and ready, at least in terms of songs and showcasing them, for the big time. After the crowd's demands for an encore were satisfied, The Mercy Lounge slowly emptied, leaving a mess of bottles, stickiness, and, unfortunately, cigarette butts.

-Andrew J. Smithson

8-Track Gorilla & the Love Handles / Dan Melchior und Das Menace / Tiger! Tiger! / The Woggles
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
February 9, 2007

The night started off with a little bit of odd comedy from Athens' 8-Track Gorilla & the Love Handles, a guy in a gorilla suit doing karaoke while three hot girls interpretively danced behind him. The gorilla's vocals weren't up to snuff, but the general novelty of the act was entertainment enough, as he took extended air guitar solos on his fluorescent and fur-fringed acoustic guitar. But one can't see a musical ape at The EARL without being reminded of Atlanta's blue Sass Parilla, the Singing Gorilla, and then wondering if every city has its own legendary costumed entertainment animal.
Durham, North Carolina's Dan Melchior und Das Menace was next and made jaws drop and feet tap upon hearing their catchy and unique post-punk. Melchior (pronounced Mel-key-ore), originally from London, sang with a nasally British-accented whine and played blues-fueled garage rock that stretched from picky strums to soaring riffs and sounded like an airport of guitars taking off. Katie O'Brien provided a low and steady bass line while looking mysterious, calm and a little like Phoebe Cates in her black turtleneck dress and boots.
Atlanta's Tiger! Tiger! increased the female presence of the evening with Buffi Aguero's sultry and snarling vocals and rock guitar, as well as Susanne Gibboney's sexy bass. Gibboney's lip curls made her look like a cross between Elvis Presley and Joan Cusack. Shane Pringle played guitar and provided soulful saxophone solos on one song. The heartbeat of the group was the shaded Sam Leyja's peppy organ, which gave the group a unique and upbeat sound.
Headlining the evening were Atlanta's gods of garage, The Woggles, who sent jolts of energy over the crowd like a defibrillator. Their basic song structures turned every single song into a dance gem and made it impossible not to sing-along to the clear and repetitive choruses. Like Melchior, half the band is from England and offers an escape from the usual Southern drawl Atlanta is accustomed to. Lead singer Manfred "The Professor" Jones has spanned the globe, starting in England, becoming an Atlanta transplant for a good number of years and most recently moving to Los Angeles to become "Mighty Manfred" of the Sirius satellite radio branch of Little Steven's Underground Garage.
The Professor's soulful singing was enhanced by his dance moves and struts through the crowd that resulted in him wriggling on the floor and jumping up onto the bar. His white blouse was covered in bar room filth and started to look more like the black blouses sported by bassist Patrick "Buzz Hangstrom" O'Connor and guitarist Jeff "Flesh Hammer" Walls. Drummer Dan "Dan Elektro" Hall had his own style, wearing a jacket over his ruffled tuxedo shirt and sitting unusually high at his drum set. The Woggles' vintage sound and exuberance made for a tired and sweaty audience, and an unforgettable performance.

-Review & photo by Alex Adan

Parade / Happy Birthday Amy
Springwater
Nashville, TN
February 10, 2007

It may not have been her birthday, but she was the center of attention, and it sure was a party. Amy Smith, lead vocalist and keys player for rising Nashville indie-pop trio Happy Birthday Amy, could not draw eyes better if she glowed in the dark. And at times during their set at Springwater, it almost seemed like she did.
In person, she seems easy to befriend and quick with a giggle, and she is quietly affectionate with her husband, HBA's bassist, Dillon Smith. But onstage, her focus and intensity were palpable, and her expressive lyrics captured the crowd. There is something very powerful and naturally sensual about her vocal style, something that blends the vocal fluttering of Joanna Newsom and the strength of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. But it's the layering of HBA's sound that really makes it work, from Amy's soaring, flurrying vocals to her pounding, melodic key work, from Miles Cramer's vigorous drums to Dillon's speedy bass lines.
Springwater may be a dive, but the musicians onstage were nothing short of professional. When Dillon's bass amp stopped working mid-song, it took him no more than 30 seconds to dash offstage, secure a new amp, carry it onstage, plug it in and jump back into the song. Meanwhile, Amy and Cramer continued playing without so much as a second's hesitation, and the end of the song sparked an explosion of applause from a very crowded room.
Opening the night was Parade, an Atlanta-based foursome offering driving rock with urban-pop flair, whose tight set was rich in keys, cymbals and ghostly-pretty melodies. It was the first date of a 10-night tour with Happy Birthday Amy, and the beginning of a busy year for both bands. Parade has a new EP, Answer Me, in the works for a summer release, followed by another tour of the Southeast and West Coast. HBA's own new record, which is as-of-yet untitled, will be their first full-length album and is scheduled for release this summer.
Their recordings sometimes feature a guest horn player, who was absent from the Springwater show - but Amy apologized brightly and the set never seemed lacking. Happy Birthday Amy opened with a new song, "Machines," near the end of which all instrumentation stopped; it was then just Amy, and then Dillon, and then Cramer, singing in rounds a capella, and the audience was transfixed.
Throughout much of the set, Cramer seemed to be in his own drumming trance, rolling his head back with closed eyes, his arms crashing down on his kit. Though too professional to let such energy alter the tempo or spoil the sonic balance, HBA's goal was clear and achieved: tell a good story, lyrically and musically, but don't forget it's a party.

-Review by Kat Amano; photo by Terry Price

The Judy Garland Deathsquad / The Can Kickers / Those Counterclockwise / The Ackleys
Cave 9
Birmingham, AL
February 10, 2007

Cave 9 is a room - a loft really - decorated with graffiti, busted out sheet rock and a couple of worn couches that can be reached by a flight of rickety stairs. There's little room, no bar and one bathroom. With all of the charm of your best friend's basement, the non-profit venue exists almost exclusively for local artists. And despite its modest means, some of the best bands in Birmingham play there consistently.
The line-up on February 10 made for a phenomenal show. The Judy Garland Deathsquad opened the show with a unique blend of politically-charged folk and punk-rock. The band shot through a quick set off of the stage, directly in front of the audience. Playing acoustic guitar, bass and mandolin, the Deathsquad's members sang in equal measure and performed songs with such intellectual references as Voltaire's Candide.
The Connecticut-based Can Kickers, the only non-local act of the night, were up next with a frenzied Appalachian style of country. Playing through a mix of original music and country standards like "Froggy Went a Courtin'" with awe-inspiring speed and intensity, The Can Kickers had the audience in a full faux hoedown. Midway through the set, the band jumped off stage with instruments in hand (drummer Doug Schaefer grabbed a washboard) and struck up a song in the middle of the crowd while Schaefer ran around his bandmates maniacally. As the audience began to follow suit, a spiral of concert-goers formed, spinning around the band.
But despite The Can Kicker's theatrics, it was Those Counterclockwise that stole the show. The Huntsville-based band dominated the stage with a barrage of frying pans, kazoos and more hipster-chic rhythms than you can shake a kitchen appliance at. The most notable peculiarity of the band was the rhythm section. Those Counterclockwise sports two drummers, who play from a single kit. The drum kit is split with one drummer sitting behind a bass drum and a tom while the other mans a snare and cymbals, with a shared tom between them, adding tandem drumming to their list of tricks. Toward the close of their last song, one of the drummers started stripping down the kit while the other kept the beat on the cymbals. He then strapped the bass drum around his neck and marched off the stage while banging on the drum. Each band member then donned a drum and followed. They snaked through the audience and paraded out the door, across the street and to their van as the dumbfounded crowd clamored out onto the street to watch the spectacle.
Cave 9 stalwarts and Birmingham sweethearts, The Ackleys, closed out the night with a short set featuring a couple of new songs added to a list of old favorites. Sadly, The Ackleys were the least of the acts. Playing off the stage like The Judy Garland Deathsquad, the band lost its acoustics for the most part, making it nearly impossible to hear the vocals clearly. But this was a small complaint for a band that plays so professionally and comfortably together. And it's an even smaller complaint for an otherwise incredible show.

-Review & photo by David Feltman

Morning State / The Futurists
The Masquerade
Atlanta, GA
February 10, 2007

February 10 was a refreshing night for Atlanta's local music scene as Morning State and The Futurists took the stage to a packed house at The Masquerade.
Morning State warmed the audience up by putting on a simple, no-frills rock show. This relatively new band played a consistently strong set, which seemed to smoothly transition from one funky pop song to another. Upon first glance, one wouldn't assume such a young bunch could display the kind of command and prowess over their instruments as they ultimately did. The combination of loud drum beats, intricate guitar work and alluring bass lines made for a raw rock performance that was truly impressive. Morning State proved that they are more than your latest run-of-the-mill garage band. Along with an evident indie-rock sound, they simultaneously possess a broader appeal by nicely packaging thought-provoking lyrics into catchy choruses. By the end of their set, the growing audience was not only bobbing their heads to the music, but also singing along. Keep your eye out for Morning State. They are undoubtedly a band that holds a lot of promise for the future.
Despite a couple technical difficulties, The Futurists were the stars of the night. Anticipation grew as the lights dimmed and the audience crowded around the stage. The Futurists played a show that was not only pleasing to the ear, but also to the eye. The stage was showered in balloons, glitter and confetti - no doubt an influence of The Flaming Lips' elaborate stage shows. Regardless of this stylistic infringement, the props added to the excitement and ensured the crowd that it was in for a psychedelic treat.
John Lindsey's pure and drawn-out vocals were in pleasant juxtaposition to the skillfully played dance-rock hooks, making for a unique upbeat sound. The highlight of their performance was their charming stage presence. The boys' camaraderie and playfulness captivated the audience and made for a fun show.
The Futurists successfully provided the full package, mesmerizing their eager fans by hitting on several key performance aspects, including eye-candy (in every sense of the word), soaring vocals, special guest performances, impressive instrumentation and overall pizzazz.
Although Morning State and The Futurists are significantly different, they do share a couple things in common: both are indie-rock bands with mainstream appeal and are proof that local music fans have something to look forward to.

-Review & photo by Nelly Khalil

Winter Jamfest
Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
February 10, 2007

With the cold months setting in, many are anxiously awaiting the coming spring and summer for the chance to once again soak in the annual outdoor festivals, such as Coachella and Bonnaroo. But some just cannot wait to get the jamming going. Enter Athens, Georgia's Terrapin Brewing Company and Leeway's Home Grown Music Network. The festival, now in its third year of existence, traveled around the Southeast for weeks, including stops in Florida, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Headliner, Macon, Georgia's Moonshine Still, played every show while other, more local acts took turns sharing the stage with the national-touring jamband favorite.
First up on the night was Atlanta's own Aerial 2012. This group, which has been touring for over six years, blends an atmospheric concoction of drum 'n' bass and roots music. The spacey sextet featured a dual, male/female singing contribution with programmed and live drumming augmented by various integrations of saxophone, guitars and electronic wind instrumentation. They even managed to throw in a cover of Bob Marley's "War" that would impress any drum 'n' bass/jungle enthusiast.
Next, Athens' DJ Number Five, half of local hip-hop staple Classic City Breaks, held the crowd with low-key beats and simple scratches until Captain Soularcat took the stage. This group from Rome, Georgia played a bar-ready set of country-fried rock closely centered around other Georgia natives such as The Allman Brothers Band and Widespread Panic. Moonshine Still guitarist David Shore joined in to share licks as they finished a set packed with tracks from their album Three Rivers Point.
Before Moonshine Still's set, Dirty Digits took to the turntables to woo the bustling crowd with his smooth scratches and seamless record interplay. Finally, the six members of Moonshine Still rushed the stage. The band has evolved their sound into a cleaner and edgier take on their southern rock. With many personnel changes already having taken place and a couple more to come, the performance was both a send off and a glimpse towards a full season of outdoor festivals and headlining theatre tours.

-Review & photo by Jason James

Variac / The Coathangers
Lenny's Bar
Atlanta, GA
February 16

The Coathangers have developed an incredible buzz in the Atlanta music scene. At this point, they seem to be one of the hardest-working bands in the city. They are putting the fun back in rock and one viewing should demonstrate to the public just what the excitement is all about. Their show at Lenny's seemed an ideal pairing, as they are fresh from working on tracks with Variac guitarist Kris Sampson at Nickel and Dime Studios.
One really appealing aspect of their stage show was how the band members truly come off as friends. While some bands give off the impression that one member is trying to monopolize the spotlight, there was none of that sentiment with The Coathangers. The band members naturally switched off instruments, and they exuded a camaraderie in a rousing performance of their provocative material. "Don't Touch my Shit" was the ultimate tribute to crazed possessiveness. With a chorus that asserted "Leave my shit alone" and an insistent telephone ring on the keyboard, the song took the listener into this twilight zone where the things we love become objects of true horror. This is not to say that the attitude was limited to anarchy. At times there was an incredible sweetness in the vocals of Crook Kid Coathanger. And while this fact may be one of the true strengths of the band, they may not want to abandon a reputation that has been built on their velvet assault.
Variac has been intentionally in the midst of redefining itself. As the garage-band scene has peaked, the band has recognized the need for a new approach. Blending Americana with more traditional rock, Variac used the Lenny's show to win over the audience. Kris Sampson's slide-guitar work added to the appeal of this transformation, and with real emotional depth to his delivery, singer J.T. Hall adapted well to this approach. The rootsy sound also came off nicely in Ryan Pitchford's guitar work. But the band members came alive when they hit their classics. With his hair (and guitar) flying in the air, Sampson showed the audience is exciting about this band. It also allowed Hall to be more animated. This is not to say, though, that there wasn't a bittersweet quality in the new material.

-Review by Kenny Crucial; photo by Heather Haberkern

Ninja Gun
Lenny's Bar
Atlanta, GA
February 17, 2007

Valdosta's Ninja Gun is a bit of change from the norm down in the swamplands.
Wrapping up a two-day tour of Athens and Atlanta with regular tour mates Sirprize Fighter from Gainesville, Florida, the quartet ripped through a 30-plus minute set at Lenny's. Ninja Gun had success with its first release, Smooth Transitions, on the Barracuda Sounds record label. That album spawned airplay on MTV's The Real World and various tours throughout the East Coast and Midwest, as well as spots at The Fest! punk extravaganza in Gainesville for the past four years, playing alongside indie heavyweights such as Ted Leo, Dillinger 4, Minus the Bear and others.
Headed by singer/guitarist Jonathan Coody, who prides himself on being raised on a pig farm, Ninja Gun cultivates a sound that combines equal parts T. Rex boogie, tear-in-your-beer country and searing punk chords with raucous drumming from Coody's cousin, Jeffrey Haineault. The band neglected old favorites this night in exchange for newly scribed tunes from its forthcoming release, which is being recorded as demos at the band's doublewide trailer on family land in rural Brooks County.
The sometimes-shaky bass attacks of Jacob Sparks held solid on this night and displayed the discipline of hardcore rhythmic lines needed in Spark's other outfit, Fire On The Mountain. Rhythm guitarist Thad Megow also seemed to have gotten his chops together and allowed Coody to maintain a clear assertion with his lyrics, telling tales of sad times and making new, smoother transitions musically.
The crowd, which contained a large sample of Valdostians now transplanted to Atlanta, ate up the new tunes and showed their allegiance to the country-punk heroes of southern Georgia. The group is definitely expanding its fan base and the songwriting is expanding to include new archetypes of sound, while not losing its identity or unabashed charisma. Their set ended with their amorous rendition of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy," leaving Lenny's with a fuzz guitar freak out.

-Review & photo by Jason James