SHOW OF THE MONTH

South By SouthWest: Wax Fang / The Constellations / Dark Meat / Trances Arc / Anna Kramer and the Lost Cuse / The Pendletons / Morning State / Modern Skirts / The Selmanaires / The Coathangers / Beat Beat Beat / Jay Reatard

Austin, TX

March 12-15, 2008

The Southeast was incredibly well represented in Austin’s South by Southwest this year, giving more evidence that the region’s music scenes are growing by leaps and bounds. This is merely a selection of the fantastic groups that played.

Wednesday night had Louisville, Ky.’s Wax Fang rocking Maggie May’s. Equal parts Southern rock, shoegazer and indie pop, the band was a true tour de force, ploughing through a rambling yet concise set. Later that night Atlanta hipster super-group The Constellations played at Dirty Dog. An amalgamation of folks from Snowden, Gnarls Barkley and The Gates of Berlin, The Constellations are a mish-mash of ‘60s psychedelia, ‘70s soul, funky hip-hop, indie rock and that indescribable quality that Atlanta folks like Janelle Monae, Gnarls Barkley, Outkast and the rest of The Dungeon Family possess. Elijah Jones (The Gates of Berlin) is the perfect frontman, rapping, crooning and growling like Beck would if he had the confidence and joy of Tim DeLaughter.

The next night saw the wonder that is Dark Meat pack onto the stage at the Vice party. Running over the usual 17 members, the Athens army of sound took the audience by storm, decked out in war paint and glitter, throwing confetti and glow sticks to the crowd. The group sounds like a marching band drunk on metal psychedelia, like Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk just got a shot of Metallica’s early days. The Southern-fried horns blew steadily over the raging guitars and vocals, driving the set like a steam train.

Southeast Performer’s own Georgia music showcase took over Chain Drive Friday night, presented with Downtown Athens Recording Company (DARC) and Indie Outlaw. Trances Arc opened the night, with Eric Toledo’s vocals sounding clear and stadium-ready. The band’s sound filled every nook and cranny with defiant rock loaded with a hefty dose of pop sensibility thrown in. Next, Anna Kramer and the Lost Cause set up the band’s minimal equipment. The trio might only be made up of bass, guitar and drums, but the sound still packs a whallop, with good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll licks and growling vocals. The Pendletons brought their infectious brand of indie pop that is pure Athens - unabashedly sunny and merry. The overall feeling of merriment followed into Morning State’s set, with several Pendletons joining the band on stage for a raucous sing-a-long. Following in the Athens tradition of joyous pop was Modern Skirts, who brought charming songs that instantly disarm the listener. All this led up to The Selmanaires, who, already sweaty from a previous gig, closed out the night. From entrancing world beats to straight-up garage rock to psychedelic grooves, The Selmanaires’ set was eclectic yet tight.

The following afternoon saw The Coathangers play two back-to-back sets, first outside at Waterloo Park and then, after the girls packed up and rushed off, at the Rob’s House/Douchemaster showcase at Beerland. Looking fresh and well-suited to the Austin sunshine and hectic SXSW schedule, The Coathangers’ punk antics were never more endearing and catchy.

Later that afternoon at Beerland, the girls confessed rushing off quicker than needed to catch Beat Beat Beat’s last show (which actually ended being second to last, after the band announced a show for the following day). The band’s straight up punk rock will surely be missed in Atlanta and beyond.

Memphis’ Jay Reatard followed Beat Beat Beat with his usual shambolic taste of driving rock, wrapped up in a tasty chaotic frenzy.

The next day was Sunday, and saw everyone who hadn’t already left driving home with sore feet and bellies full of barbeque and whiskey.

Until next year then.

-Review & photos by Leila Regan-Porter

A3C Hip Hop Festival: Mojo Swagger / Dillon Maurer / Contra Verse / Gripplyaz / Hollyweerds / DJ Kleevver / B.o.B / Blu / The Juice Crew
CW Midtown Music Complex
Atlanta, GA

March 20-22, 2008

This year’s fourth annual A3C Hip Hop Festival, held at Atlanta’s CW Music Midtown Complex, delivered three days of record-scratching, beat-breaking, neck-rocking, slick-spinning hip-hop. Each night featured a line-up of hip-hop acts ranging from local artists to consistent national headliners.

Playing to an audience that has never heard your music can be a tough feat to overcome, but Atlanta MC Mojo Swagger rocked the mic during Thursday night’s show at Vinyl as if he were performing at Madison Square. Wearing a boxing glove on his left hand, Swagger described his love for hip-hop to the crowd saying, “Hip-hop makes me feel open. Like smoking my first blunt, kissing my first girl, buying my first car, having my first drink.” MC Dillon Maurer showcased the fun side of hip-hop during his set, while duo Contra Verse dedicated a song to the downside of the mainstream music industry.

On Friday night, Gripplyaz opened the show at Center Stage, followed by eclectic crew Hollyweerds. DJ Klever held the whole night together, kicking tunes from the turntables in-between acts. B.o.B. brought an electric energy to the stage during songs “Haterz” and “Addicted to the Nightlife,” even doing jumping jacks as a part of his performance. Los Angeles MC Blu spit his well-constructed lyrics sans hype man with merely a mic and a Heineken, rhyming, “Heard you was looking for a weapon. My tongue’s right here.”

The evening closed with the much-anticipated reunion of one of hip-hop’s pioneer groups The Juice Crew. Big Daddy Kane was unable to attend due to problems with his blood pressure, but Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Craig G, and MC Shan, performed their old hits and debuted a couple of new ones. MC Shan, a recent Atlanta transplant, rhymed some of his old lyrics over new school beats, while Biz Markie reminded the audience of the power of the beatbox. Biz Markie sang one of his landmark hits, “Just a Friend,” giving the audience permission to sing, whether they could hold a note or not.

Hip-hop has always been about ego, the sheer ability to showcase your skill, prove yourself, or at the very least make your audience believe in what you can do, even if they haven’t seen it yet. A3C celebrates hip-hop by providing a stage for pioneers to exemplify the culture’s history and newcomers to carry on its legacy.

-Review by Amena Brown

Photo by Jason Reed

Look Mexico / Bear Colony / O’Brother
The Earl

Atlanta, GA

February 27, 2008

Solo guitar began O’Brother’s Wednesday night show at The Earl. The Atlanta five-piece’s raw, round electric sound permeated the club with a long instrumental intro emanating from its three-axe setup. O’Brother is competent and confident. The band’s overwhelmingly “atmospheric” sound comes across emotive, but doesn’t connect immediately with the audience. The soft, My Bloody Valentine-reminiscent vocals blend in with the meshing guitar arpeggios and long instrumental interludes rather than standing out in front of them. O’Brother appeared at its best with startling unison drum and bass reentry after a silence and with its use of polymeter, sustained single notes and effective crescendos.

The next band to take the stage was North Little Rock, Arkansas Bear Colony. Propelled by the dramatic story of frontman Vince Griffin’s false diagnosis with a terminal illness and subsequent recovery, the band brought its expansively large sound with them, assisted by Look Mexico drummer Josh Mikel in addition to the band’s own. Bear Colony’s sound is bright, loud, manic, at times slide guitar-driven, and punctuated by truly fascinating percussion that sounds like laptop rhythms a la The Postal Service, but is actually produced live via dual drum cadences. It’s very compelling, and surprising based on the band’s recordings, which betray a slightly quieter sensibility. The group sampled much of the material from its debut LP, We Came Here to Die, released last year on Esperanza Plantation. The back-story only gives weight to personal lyrics, like, “The plans you thought you had leave you when you need them the most,” sung by a squinting Griffin, and buoyed upward by shiny, minimalist keys and plenty of reverb.

Last on the bill for the night was Tallahassee, Fla.’s Look Mexico. The band’s punk/alt-rock/southern tunes swept over the sleepy crowd, as the intimidatingly technical Mikel performed his second set of the night on the drum kit. The band’s shimmery guitar and moving bass lines rode under Matt Agrella’s vocals, alternately tenor and ‘80s hair band treble. A song or two regressed into loopy, experimental jam-outs. Though the performance was tight and clean enough, the band’s sense of humor seems to be what sets it apart. Agrella preceded one song with a joke about manatees, and during another, the whole band sat down as he sang from his knees. Fans in the crowd joined them, creating an impromptu musical sit-in.

-Review & photo by Julia ReidyGiantBear / HootsandHellmouth / Warmin the Wake

Giant Bear / Hoots and Hellmouth / Warm in the Wake
Eddie’s Attic

Decatur, GA

March 5, 2008

Giant Bear opened with an interesting choice, “Communist,” with its delicate progression into a growling commentary on the Golden Rule - “And your friends and neighbors treat you like the neighbor that you are.” In a day where adding a cello seems to be a fallback to create depth in the studio, Giant Bear integrate the instrument into its signature. Jana Misener, cellist, is also responsible for the band’s soulful female vocals. Her voice creates a dynamic against the male vocals that follow more of a Tom Waitsian swagger.

On “Wyoming,” Mike Larrivee brought out the sandy twang of his pedal steel. “Las Vegas” showcased all three vocals well, and featured Larrivee on mandolin. The band also debuted new songs, namely “Charleston,” which reflected flamenco guitar style. The band members all proved their versatility, as Jeff White, Robert Humphreys and Larrivee all rotated out on who played which guitar/bass/mandolin. The band closed out the set with “Nashville.”

From the moment Hoots and Hellmouth’s set began, the group’s harmonies were tight and the instrumentation seemed nearly flawless. It was the kind of execution that cures what ails and beckons neck-hairs to stand on end. According to the group’s website, this four-piece is looking for a drummer, but that was not evident in the performance. Instead the band members would keep time by thrusting their feet into the floorboards of the stage with every stroke of the guitar, mandolin or pluck of the upright bass. These guys seem like the Samsons of Americana: their hair seemed to help them play, flipping from side to side as they strummed and stomped fervently. These guys don’t just play songs with their hands. They play music with their entire bodies.

Warm in the Wake put on a decent homecoming show for friends, neighbors and people who just happened to wander by. Keyboardist Dan Barker seems largely responsible for their dreamy brand of rock, adding UFO blips and beeps at times, or Chemical Brothers-inspired synth at others (especially notable on the final song, “American Prehistoric”). During one song he pulled out a harmonica, playing along with both instruments.
The band played a new track called “Jet Stream,” which led into “Joseph Campbell” ending with a fantastic piano interlude. Frontman Chris Rowell switched to acoustic on the next few tracks, which added resonance to jazz-sensible tracks such as “Airport Girl” and a little twang to southern-rock reminiscent “She’d Never Seen It.” From the Gold Dust Trail EP, “What You Seek” was especially captivating live, starting with a mess of sound from the keyboard before snapping nicely back into the order of the song. All in all, welcome return from a hometown favorite.

-Review by Nicole King

Gravel Undertone / Lazer/Wulf / McClane / Holy Liars
Lenny’s Bar

Atlanta, GA

March 19, 2008

Athens, Ga. Southern rock outfit Holy Liars opened what ultimately became almost a clinic in rock guitar virtuosity. They brought their rough and rollicking, up-tempo hard rockabilly to the stage, and when their set concluded audience members demanded one more, so an impromptu encore followed - unusual for an opening act.

Next up was Atlanta grindcore five-piece McClane (self-declared “Brutal Atlanta Metal”). The band’s frontman wielded a lit cigar in his gesticulating hand throughout the performance, shrouding himself in a cloud of smoke and leaving a trail behind him as he paced the stage.

The evening’s highlight arrived in the form of Athens, Ga. instrumental trio Lazer/Wulf (oft-classified as “art metal,” but never quite verbally captured). The genre-bending group played selections from its forthcoming EP, The Void That Isn’t, scheduled to release later this year, as well as older material from its aptly-titled 2006 demo, Demo-lition!. The band parted with its second guitarist and lead vocalist over the past year, and have had to restructure compositions accordingly. Guitarist/found objects-player Bryan Aiken and bassist Sean Peiffer do some yelling and a little singing in lieu of a lead singer. Though vocalists generally remain the most immediate conduit between band and audience, the batch of new material Lazer/Wulf performed admirably maintains the relatable quality that for so long has been the hallmark of this unexpectedly magnetic group. The group has fully embraced this new instrumental three-piece status, true to its heavy roots but presenting an audience with material so interesting (and now conspicuously lacking the type of abrasive vocals that drive many away from the metal genre), that listeners latch right on. Among the multitude of disparate but somehow complementary styles the band explores, the new songs feature a heavy drum-and-bass element (Peiffer and drummer Mathius York feeding on each other’s energy), most notably a stunning oil drum/drum kit duet during “Lagarto,” an exploration into Morse code intended to evoke images of crushing metal and sunken submarines.

The set’s closer, “Rhinos Don’t Play,” from Demo-lition!, was by far the night’s standout, not only because of its excellent composition, but because Robert Green from McClane appeared at the side of the stage wielding a trumpet as the song neared it’s groovy B-section - one that usually requires a trumpet solo performed by Peiffer. This impromptu guest soloist compounded the set’s air of wonder and awe.

Rounding out the night, Atlanta’s progressive rock act Gravel Undertone graced the stage, featuring violinist Hiroko Matsuda in a pink rabbit suit. The four-piece likewise has a metal direction to its music, but breaking with the usual setup for such bands, lead singer Sean Thompson plays guitar as well. Had all the odd spectacles of the evening been able to stand side by side at the end - Holy Liars’ checkered shirts and Monopoly Man facial hair, McClane’s cigar cloud, Lazer/Wulf’s face paint and Kamikaze headbands and Gravel Undertone’s fluffy bunny - it would have a been a strange sight indeed.

-Review & photo by Julia Reidy

Gringo Star / Baby Dinosaur vs. Extinction / Mourdella/ Sister Circuit
The Earl

Atlanta, GA

March 6, 2008

Nudge. Nudge. “Man, these guys are awesome!” An overheard conversation: “Can you believe it?” Another nudge, from a different audience member, “Holy shit!”
If a group can be judged by its audience reaction, Gringo Star is the best band to come out of Atlanta in (at least) the last year. Even assuming most of The EARL’s sparse Thursday night crowd was already fans of Gringo Star (or A Fir-JuWell, the band’s earlier incarnation), the band’s recent 7-inch release party marked one of the band’s best performances.

Punk/garage act Baby Dinosaur vs. Extinction set the show’s tone early, playing a short, energetic and possibly blasphemous set just before Gringo Star. Fellow Atlanta band Mourdella played a brief set, with the band’s Jessica Juggz alternating between hula-hooping, arguing over the set list with her fellow band members, and covering lead vocals for three of the band’s four-song set.

Baby Dinosaur vs. Extinction’s deliberately sloppy, wildly improvised performance provided a good contrast for Gringo Star, who played next (after Sister Circuit’s brief sound check).

Though a few more spectators had filtered in while Sister Circuit set up, The EARL’s back room still felt unusually empty by the time Gringo Star began playing. The band took the stage bathed in The EARL’s blue spotlights, and immediately launched into its signature take on ‘60s-style psych-tinged rock. A good sized section of the crowd was dancing (or, in a few spots, almost pogoing) by the end of the first song, and the spectator’s energy only increased as the show continued. Predictably, the highlights of the show were Gringo Star’s more chorus-heavy songs, especially “All Y’all” and the encore, a cover of Sam the Sham’s “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” played almost entirely straight except for a few intervals of avant-guard-ish noise rock.

Watching Gringo Star play, the observer is struck by the band’s professionalism. The band’s performances and playing have a quality of almost mechanical precision that never detracts from the music’s beating soul. Even when, as in that Thursday night performance, the rhythm was interrupted by a false start, the overall quality of Gringo Star’s show never dipped below exceptional.

-Review & photo by Ben Grad

Poverty Branch / History /SnailsIn Folklore
The BackBooth
Orlando, FL
March 6, 2008

It was not shaping up to be a great night for a show in Orlando. First, there was the all day (and all night) downpour to contend with, then The Dark Romantics had to cancel because they had to head to the hospital instead of the venue, added to that, one of the members of Snails In Folklore was too ill to make the show, and lastly, the lead singer of Poverty Branch was battling the flu. Fortunately the show did go on.

Orlando-based Snails In Folklore started the night with their experimental, progressive, punk flavored rock. The band, Justin Bean (guitar, vocals, electric kazoo), Danny Harrell (bass, keyboards) and Ben Petersen (drums), was without violinist Ali Hoffman for this show, but carried on despite her absence. The group’s music is primarily improvisational instrumental, devoid of conventional song structure, played so intensely that the members’ erratic movements led to many near collisions onstage. Some songs in the set list had no working titles, but the group did play “Bite Down To The Nubbins,” “Making Up For Lost Time” and “Creatures Of Habit.”

Indie rock band History was on stage next. Matt Caron (vocals, guitar), Scott Ososky (analog keys), Melissa Parker (digital keys, vocals) and Patrick O’Neal (drums) were joined by a fill in bassist Mark Freeman (from Kingsbury) as they played several songs from their recently released full-length debut Ghosts In The City, including “Bloody Death of Murder,” “It’s Ladies Night Somewhere” and “Colonel Mustard in the Meth Lab with a Sledge Hammer.” As if their song titles alone weren’t enough to introduce the audience to their sense of humor, the central Florida-based band at first introduced themselves as Justice, and then Vampire Weekend, which became a running joke during the set as Ososky said later, “Hey you tell them we are Vampire Weekend yet?”

The club had filled up by the time headliner Poverty Branch hit the stage, another band well known for its wild sense of humor on and off stage. The group played several songs from its CD Putting the Old Horse Down, including “Death Rides A Midnight Train,” “Michigan Street” and “The Ballad Of Lacy May.” Davey Khaos (vocals, guitar), Kyle Van Cleave (bass), Jonny “Jabberwalk” Purvis (lead guitar), Kyle “Sir Chesterfield” Cox (keyboard, guitar) and JP “Big Rig McGurt” Pratt (drums) played a spirited high-energy set showcasing their indie folk rock sound, with Khaos breaking a couple of guitar strings during the show. The band closed its set with another song from the CD, the highly popular “House Fire,” with most of the audience dutifully singing along.

The crowd wasn’t ready to let it end yet, and encouraged (or threatened) the band back to the stage. Poverty Branch finished out the night with “Black And White” from its upcoming CD, Space.

-Review & photo by Kat Coffin

Two Way Radio / The Third Man / The Tennessee Boltsmokers / The Bo-Keys / Brad Postlethwaite and the Memphis Mafia / Jump Back Jake
Ground Zero

Memphis, TN

March 8, 2008

Memphis is known worldwide as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and home of the blues. The bands that played the Six Degrees of Memphis showcase showed that Memphis still has a backbeat you can’t lose and a groove other cities would kill for. The show was a fundraiser for bands headed to the annual South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

Makeshift recording artists Two Way Radio started things off with a great set of staples from its Residential Llama album as well as songs from the band’s anticipated follow-up due out later this year. Singer Kate Crowder’s irresistibly sweet voice is the perfect complement to the band’s dreamy, lush and layered pop song writing.

The Third Man features three guitars and keyboards in addition to bass and drums. The band’s varied songwriting makes pigeonholing the band tough, although the Radiohead influence is undeniable. This set was more straightforward than the band’s recorded output, which often features layered vocals and complex guitar work in an atmospheric soundscape that seems to be a mile wide and parsecs deep.

Next up were Madjack recording artists The Tennessee Boltsmokers who played a solid set of what might best be described as traditional bluegrass and with an unmistakable Memphis-centric blues overlay.

The highlight of the night was Memphis soul torchbearers The Bo-Keys. If they sound like a modern day Booker T. and the MGs, there are several good reasons for that: drummer Willie Hall was in Booker T. and the MGs; guitarist Skip Pitts co-wrote the theme from Shaft with Isaac Hayes at Stax. Not one of them has lost an ounce of what has always made Memphis Soul grittier, dirtier and just plain superior to even the best music Motown produced. Holding it all together, as always, was bassist and band leader Scott Bomar, who scored Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan for writer/director Craig Brewer. The set was made all the better by the addition of guest vocalist Harvey Scales.

Brad Postlethwaite and the Memphis Mafia (Snowglobe minus Tim Reagan) is Makeshift Music’s star band for a reason. The group is not afraid to add unusual elements (musical saw, for example) to its consistently good songwriting.

Steady and danceable, Jump Back Jake is the perfect band to close down a show and shut ‘er down right. You’d never know bandleader Jake Rabinbach was from New York, because Jump Back Jake employs such classic Memphis soul hooks and horns.
People from all over the world know Memphis music, and as the Six Degrees of Memphis showcase headed south to Austin, it was clear Memphis has still got it where it counts.

-Review by Marvin Stockwell; photos by J.D. Reager

Toubab Krewe
Cat’s Cradle

Carboro, NC

February 28 2008

Toubab Krewe has presence, and an atmosphere completely unique to anything happening musically today. These boys are delivering rhythmic puzzles so hypnotic it can be temporarily confusing. Exotic bass lines, striking drum patterns, swirling guitar riffs create a foreign sound local only to the minds that make up the talent, experience and worldly knowledge of the Krewe. The group’s performance was a blazing example of its very own brand of rock ‘n’ roll music fused with influences from Africa and beyond.
Guitarist Drew Heller has a particular way of plucking his strings - careful, almost ticklish, yet powerful and completely distinct. Most of the songs feature his personalized style in a lead guitar context, but he also provides a heavy backbeat that, in many songs, is the driving force behind the whole assembly.

At this particular performance, it seemed as if Toubab Krewe was radiating from the heavier side of life, fleshing out a dark and more ominous sound. Luke Quaranta and Teal Brown’s percussive artillery only added to the fierce deep-jungle vibe, giving a certain weight and crunch to some of the songs that shaped the overall sound, especially during the first set.

Things lightened up at the beginning of the second set. Justin Perkins mounted his Ngoni, a stringed instrument indigenous to the Mali region of West Africa, and the forecast became sunnier. Perkins also took the crowd around the world by extended soloing called “Biriminting” on the Kora, a 21-stringed harp. In West Africa, an experienced Kora player is knows as a “Jali,” meaning oral historian or bard. Justin Perkins is quite the Jali who had plenty to say. One moment of confusion arose amongst the band when Heller’s amplifier blew out, but all order was restored and Toubab Krewe continued to storm through their extensive canon of truly unique music, keeping the enraptured audience in motion.

Toubab Krewe will undoubtedly continue to cement its place in music as an unprecedented entity, fusing rock with the obscure rhythms and melodies of the Dark Continent.

-Review & photo by Dan Reeves