7" Atlanta

Under the Radar

2011-11-27T19:40:00.001-08:00

Friends and old blog followers: please check out my new distro's website. It's the only place to get the limited edition Tacocat pin!

I'm moving

2011-02-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

The new home of all things 7 Inch Atlanta is at the radio show's blog. Bookmark it.

Balkans to release "Edita V" 7" as preview of debut full-length

2011-01-10T13:43:00.001-08:00

Here's an announcement about this forthcoming 7" posted on the Balkans' blog on January 5:

Our third Double Phantom release is coming out on February 22nd in the US and April 4th in the UK. It will feature a-side “Edita V” and b-side “Cave.” Be sure to be on the look out for it on vinyl 7” and on iTunes. We will stream the new songs here soooon! and play a FREE release show at the Star Bar in Atlanta February 24th with our friends HAWKS, N.E.C., and Soft Opening. Debut LP coming sooonn...

"Edita V" can be downloaded here and will appear both on the next 7", which will have a press run of 300, and the band's debut LP. I'm assuming the cleaner yet still "lo-fi" sound of this track is the product of the band's recent work with ace producer Kris Sampson, who is probably best known to my listeners and readers for his work with Derek Lyn Plastic and The Coathangers.

Thanks to Banter Media & Management for the free MP3.

7" Atlanta Radio Presents a Year-End Extravaganza

2010-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

My final episode of 2010 airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. on The WOLF (www.westga.edu/thewolf) and will feature an incomplete list of songs from the year's best albums and singles, an interview with Gentleman Jesse Smith, and special songs by bands that just scream "Merry Christmas" (Anti-Heros, Run-DMC, etc.).

New York stole my heart

2010-10-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

I made my way to New York during Fall Break (Oct. 13-17), requiring me to fly on an airplane and leave the Southeast for the first time in my life. While there, I got to see one of my all-time favorites yet again and for the first time caught a Vivian Girls side project live and in person.

On Friday, I got to see 7 Inch Atlanta Radio pal Joe Jack Talcum once again. I had already seen him in Chattanooga and Athens back in the summer. This time, Joe was playing Bruar Falls backed by members of Samuel Locke Ward's band. He didn't bust out multiple harmonicas this time, and the set seemed shorter than the ones I saw in the South back in August, but it was still a singalong good time. What else? It was Joe's birthday! Also, I snagged a copy of his Butterfly Joe CD he did with Dean Clean and a couple of other musicians back in 2000. This one had been out of print for a while, and apparently a distro or store somewhere found a case or two of unopened copies.

Also on the bill was home recording legend R. Stevie Moore. I don't think it'd be too absurdly childish to point out that he looks like Santa Claus:
The next night was equally amazing, as The Babies shared the Cake Shop stage with The K-Holes and Hunx and His Punx.

K-Holes, a band I've been championing for quite some time, feature former Atlantans Jack and Julie Hines and scoarched through a nice warm-up set for a show they had the next day in Boston. The coolest part about seeing them was getting a copy of a limited run cassette with Black Lips demos from Jack's time with the band (Flower Spirit sessions, I'm assuming) on one side and some K-Holes tracks on the other.

The Babies were next, a Woods/Bossy/Vivian Girls supergroup of sorts with two awesome 7"s under their belts and a slew of catchy songs. Here's what they sounded like. Here's what they looked like:

Hunx closed out the night and was the last band I got to catch during my short vacation. Their songs were all sugary-sweet, danceable garage-pop. Seth is quite the showman and he LOVES the band name Magnums. True story.

By the time Sunday rolled around and I boarded a plane for the second time in my life, I had lots of memories from back-to-back nights of seeing bands featuring the guitarist from one of my favorites.

Self-promotion

2010-10-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Check out my radio show, which is now over 20 episodes old, every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio (www.westga.edu/thewolf). Past guests have included the likes of Adrian Barrera, Ty Segall, Joe Jack Talcum, and Best Coast, just to name a few.

Podcastpalooza!

2010-10-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Check out three new podcasts featuring The Girls At Dawn, Best Coast, and Derek Lyn Plastic! The latter is my 20th episode, with Derek in the studio with his acoustic guitar.

You can also listen to all three episodes on the player at the bottom of this page.

Another batch of reviews!

2010-09-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Here's some new-ish 7" I am digging, and you should, too.

Mermaids: "Holiday" b/w "Whirlpool" (Pretty Ambitious Records)
Mermaids' two-song debut takes the fun-in-the-sun leanings shared by many contemporary bands back to the garage. The beach parties this combination of Atlanta scene veterans and promising youngsters evoke with their music have more dancing, beer, and girls than the ones you'd picture while listening to the snoozecore of (fill in the blank) Beach(es). "Whirlpool," the b-side, is a nice, quick punch of 60's-inpsired pop, while the lengthier "Holiday" will totally drench you with harmonies and the steady drumming that has made Ryan Fetter Atlanta's current go-to drummer.

Knaves Grave: "I Don't Wanna Be Yr A.A.R.P." b/w "Shitty Sunrise" (Army of Bad Luck Records)
Atlanta's Knaves Grave plays guitar-driven, pop-inspired punk, and if you've seen them live, you know they play it loud. These songs, the a-side especially, are summertime anthems in a year when it apparently is going to stay hot until Christmas. Both tunes scream "I don't want to grow up" both lyrically and musically. Me either.

Step Dads: debut 7" (NMG Records)
Derek Lyn Plastic screaming his way through songs with titles like "Grim Reaper," "Power Slut" (Supertramp was already taken), "I Hate Haiti," and "Love Jail." Nothing else needs to be said, except that Paul Harper (Deerhunter, Facehugger) wrote and played all the guitar parts, which totally shred. "I Hate Haiti" is probably the catchiest of all the Derek Lyn Plastic-related songs released this year, so don't be scared away by the title. There's obviously a chuckle or two to be had here, but that does not take away from the fact that these guys recorded a damn good hardcore record.

Magnums: Young Romans 7" (NMG Records)
Here's another Derek Lyn Plastic production, with a different Facehugger vet in David Spence on guitar and yours truly on vocals. Spence shines with Spits-inspired guitar weirdness on "Young Romans", but the b-side tracks are the keepers. "Baa Baa White Sheep" is about the type of people you'll have to contend with if you, like me, make a career out of being a college student. "Fetishists Anonymous" through humor reveals that pretty much all of us get off to weird stuff. The next time I insult one of your bands while hiding behind a computer screen, remember that I'm the one who rhymed "electric shock" and "Willard Scott."

K-Holes: Swamp Fires 7" (11th Hour Records)
Former Atlantans, Georgiana Starlington/Wild Choir bandmates, and spouses Jack and Julie Hines provide the local ties to this raw garage rock unit from Brooklyn. "Swamp Fires" is bluesy, swampy rock with horns, while the more upbeat "Werewolf (With a Tan?)" is a female-fronted take on early rock and roll. Based on their two current bands, I'd be willing to guess there's a wide array of awesome records at the Hines residence.

That all was horribly biased.

Radio SNAFU

2010-09-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Due to miscommunication between myself and the folks at The WOLF, the Best Coast interview did not air last night. I apologize to anyone who tuned in and was disappointed.

Best Coast is going to be on the show tonight, plus record reviews!

2010-09-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to share, so this is a good day to start a new tradition of posting combination radio show updates and record reviews. I miss blogging but remain way too busy to update this site as often as I did back in the day. Still, I figure a weekly posting like this is managable.

Tonight on the radio show (10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio), check out my slightly informative/slightly comedic interview with Ali, Bobb, and Bethany from Best Coast. It's not every day that I interview a band when they are coming off a sold-out show. but I was able to chat with the trio at Criminal Records a day after their Drunken Unicorn show. I gave Ali (shown above) one of my radio show flyers (the original one designed by Hip to Death frontman John Breedlove)while she was still a Vivian Girl and a few weeks before the premiere episode aired. Little did I know, she would someday be a guest on the show. The podcast version of tonight's episode, as well as a podcast featuring my The Girls at Dawn interview, will be posted in the next few days.

Speaking of Vivian Girls:

The Beets/Cassie Ramone split 7" (Psychic Lunch Records):

Not only do I get Ali on my show this week. I have also had records featuring her former Vivian Girls bandmates arriving at 7 Inch Atlanta headquarters the past couple of days.

The first to arrive was this split, which features Cassie Ramone's instantly-recognizable artwork and handwriting and came in a package along with a live Dead Ghosts LP and an Indian Wars/Fungi Girls split.

The Beets' side opens with a tune called "I Don't Know" that fails to really hook me in, but it is followed by a keeper called "Matters Nothing." The latter is pure satirical psychedelia that would make both Joe Jack Talcum and any of today's garage punk heavyweights proud.

Cassie's songs were the reason I preordered this slab of blue wax, and once again the second song is the strongest. "What Do They Know" is a mellow soundscape that shows off Cassie's vocals and allows her to flex her songwriting muscle. It's a nice taste of what direction she might go in as a solo artist, but by no means does it reach "Lakehouse" or "Tell The World" levels of amazing. "Where We Were" does approach those heights, as it borrows a little from Neil Young's acoustic output and The Velvet Underground.

All Saints Day "I'll Come Around" b/w "Only Time Will Tell" (Art Fag Recordings):
Here's another Vivian Girls side project featuring the band's bass player, "Kickball" Katy Goodman, and Gregg Foreman from Cat Power. The a-side has been floating around the blogsphere for what seems like half a year or longer, so you probably already know it pairs dreamy guitar and organ distortion with the girl-group inspired harmonies that set apart Katy and Cassie's primary band. The b-side does not stray far from this winning formula, though the vocals on this one are more beautifully haunting and Foreman's guitar work is more at the forefront (couldn't resist the bad pun there). Between this, her solo stuff that will come out soon on Hardly Art Records, and future Vivian Girls releases, expect to hear a lot more from Katy.

Gentleman Jesse and His Men "She's a Trap" b/w "I Won't Say Goodbye" (Douchemaster Records):
The latest by the Atlanta band most qualified to rock the free world is hopefully a preview of their much-anticipated sophomore album. If I did not know any better, I would think "She's a Trap" was inspired by the band's relationship with Paul Collins. We all know better, though, because Jesse Smith has been responsible for popriffic riffs and hooks since he started this band (if you don't believe me, check out their new Burger Records cassette). The flipside, "I Won't Say Goodbye," is a slowed-down tear-jerker. This one, like first album gem "Sidewalks," shows that Smith is as good at penning a sensitive ballad as he is at recapturing the classic powerpop magic harnassed by a talented few, including the before-mentioned Paul Collins. GJ has recently toured a lot and added Milton from brother band The Barreracudas as organist. If the next album is as good as this single, there will be plenty more out-of-town venues and festivals wanting to book these guys.

Gold-Bears debut 7" (Magic Marker Records):
Here's a local band that might still be flying under your radar though they already have this solid 7" under their belts. Gold-Bears have the pop sensibilities and jangle and fuzz of 90's britpop stalwarts like Boyracer, whose guitarist, Stewart Anderson, appears on standout track "Jezzer." The other songs are a distorted powerpop anthem for the working man called "Tally" and the slowed down, sentimental "HK Song." All three tracks are guitar-driven pop songs with vocals that convey emotion in spades without wavering. This may be similar to some of the edgier pop or shoegaze records in your collection, but Gold-Bears are to my knowledge the best(and possibly the only) Georgia band of their kind this side of Athens.

The radio show is back for a second season!

2010-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

7 Inch Atlanta! Radio is back for a second season. For this week’s season premiere, Ty Segall (pronounced Sea-Gull) and his band will make an appearance. Don’t expect any insight into his music, but do prepare yourself for some good laughs! This week’s tunes are by The Bobby Soxx, Beat Beat Beat, Theoretical Girls, Ty Segall, Devo, The Wet Dreams, Alice Cooper, The Dead Milkmen, The Spits, Dow Jones and The Industrials, The Only Ones, TSOL, Go Sailor, Ramones, The Boys, DDT, Lost Kids, Slaughter and the Dogs, and Deerhunter.

You'll also get to hear Ty and I sing gospel songs and you'll find out if this lady is a space alien:

Things will get even more awesome next week when Joe Jack Talcum is my special guest. You read that right!

Don West is on my show... sorta

2010-07-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Check him out tonight!
http://www.westga.edu/thewolf/index_13444.php
10 p.m. EST on The WOLF Internet Radio!

Did you sit around and miss me while I was gone?

2010-07-27T02:56:00.000-07:00

June 23? Wow, it’s been a minute since I posted here.

I generally have tried to avoid talking about myself on this blog, but I feel like the handful that still check this space to see if I’ve gotten back into the blogging game should know why 7 Inch Atlanta pretty much died a sudden death.

This summer, I have been working with The Georgia Humanities Council and the University of West Georgia’s Center for Public History on a Smithsonian (!) exhibit on traditional music called New Harmonies. I am currently part of a three-scholar team that is studying traditional music in the state so we can help localize the exhibit. Basically, New Harmonies has exhibit panels every site will have to set up, and we will provide Georgia-specific literature for the sites that get the exhibit when it passes through the state in 2012.

Between that and my graduate thesis on underground music in Atlanta (the working title right now is Kids Like You and Me: Punk and Undergound Music in Atlanta: 1978-2010), you can imagine that if I am awake, I am probably writing or reading about music.

Somebody has got to do the research I am doing for those two academic projects, and plenty of other people are blogging. When I first felt burnt out, there was no question about what had to go first.

The 7 Inch Atlanta name still exists through my radio show and podcast (which I am way behind on uploading those, aren’t I?), so check that out. If you have given me a record that never got reviewed, do not fret because getting played on college radio is way cooler than being blogged about by an ex-news reporter who cannot get writing out of his system.

Thanks to everyone who put me on a guest list, gave me a record, or merely said a kind word about the blog. It was fun for two years and kept me with an excuse to write and track down new music.

7 Inch Atlanta Radio's tenth episode, featuring G.G. King!

2010-06-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

Greg King is this week's guest, and I'm going to play a hidden backwards message from a G.G. King song!

Also, tune in to hear a song from my buddy Derek Lyn Plastic's new CD, which officially drops on July 4.

Tonight at 10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio!

Woven Bones are this week's guests on the podcast

2010-06-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

They were already one of my favorite bands. Now I know they are kickass people after a conversation that included references to Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, and of course Adrian vs. Predator.

http://7inchatlanta.podomatic.com/entry/2010-06-20T10_16_07-07_00

Episode 9 featuring Woven Bones

2010-06-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

Tonight's show features all three Woven Bones as they discuss their sound, tribal drumming allegations, Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, Adrian vs. Predator, the Gentleman Jesse Admiration Society, and more. The show will also feature songs from bands ranging from The Busy Signals and Carbonas to Lou Reed and The Buzzcocks.

Check it out tonight at 10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio (www.westga.edu/thewolf).

New podcast and probable future forecast

2010-06-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

The new podcast is here:

http://7inchatlanta.podomatic.com/entry/2010-06-14T13_58_05-07_00

I'm considering making the radio show/podcast the main thing I do music-related and have the blog mainly serve as a tool to promote the show.

I'm running behind

2010-06-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

The podcast and a couple of reviews should be coming your way in the next two days.

Cassie Ramone and Titus Andronicus cover Weezer

2010-06-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Cassie went to high school with some, if not all, of the guys from this band, which makes me long for a Black Lips/Tilly & The Wall mash-up. By this logic, that means Magnums and Sloppy Meateaters teaming up for a Nirvana cover is not a terrible idea (even though it is).

Decisions, decisions

2010-06-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Friday: Go see The Humms at The Drunken Unicorn or the Baby Dinosaurs release party at 529?

Saturday: Welcome Predator and Balkans back home or check out Woven Bones at The Earl?

These are good problems to have!

Baby Dinosaur's first paired with Bobby's rawest release

2010-06-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Artist: Baby Dinosaurs vs. Bobby and The Spoft Spots
Title: Split 7"
Label: Die Slaughterhaus Records
Release date: June 2010
Release number: DSH-042

The newest Die Slaughterhaus release splits two of the final songs recorded by the late Bobby Ubangi with a couple of tracks from party-pop queens Baby Dinosaurs vs. Extinction.

Of the bands that captured my interest when I first started blogging, Baby Dinosaurs vs. Extinction is the last to release something on vinyl. That's why it's no surprise that I could not wait to get my hands on this one. Their songs, the delightfully tacky (don't sue me, Hooters) "Coke Dick" and a punked-up cover of "I Won't Tell", are fun as hell to hear on vinyl, even if you've heard both dozens of times live at The Star Bar or house shows. Their ode to drug-fueled impotence is the real gem here, as they have taken a page from Frantic and wrote a song about a drug that's probably as easy to score in town as weed and at times has made people within the scene more lazy and more broke.

The Soft Spots side brings us a version of "Make You Mine" that might be the rawest Bobby Ubangi-related release ever, including the tracks from that great Lids 7", and a rough-plodding cover of Link Wray's "Rumble". This, like an earlier Soft Spots 7" co-released by Die Slaughterhaus and Rob's House, captures well Ubangi's love for simple three-chord rock and roll. Is this as good as Ubangi's solo releases that came out while he was battling cancer? No, but these rough around the edges recordings definitely have a place in his small but rich back catalog.

News and Notes

2010-06-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

* Suicide Squeeze is now taking pre-orders for a Coathangers remixes 7" featuring Dan Deacon's "143" remix and Judi Chicago's take on "Arthritis Sux". Only 250 were pressed on green vinyl. Five hundred more black vinyl copies are also available. Another Coathangers 7" will be out late this year on Die Slaughterhaus records, meaning they are getting priority over Adrian vs. Predator. Any excuse to bring that up...

* This AJC article says The Judies will try to carry on with different frontmen from different bands. I don't miss my old job as a crime reporter for a newspaper, so I am trying to avoid sharing my opinions on this situation. I'm merely trying to correct yesterday's assumption that the band is now defunct.

* Old news, but The Woven Bones got a well-deserved 4 out of 4 stars for their new LP from the L.A. Times. Woven Bones will be back in Atlanta this Saturday at The Earl.

* Older news, but my main musical inspiration, Joe Jack Talcum, will be appearing at Athens Pop Fest this August along with other heavy hitters like Quintron and Miss Pussycat, The Wedding Present, Go Sailor, and Mission of Burma. Also scheduled are some Georgia-based favorites like Cars Can Be Blue, The Humms, and Gold-Bears.

Two special guests tonight on the show!

2010-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Two of the best in the world at what they do are going to make this week's 7 Inch Atlanta Radio (10 p.m. tonight on The WOLF, www.westga.edu/thewolf) a can't miss show!
First, I am going to talk to Lance, the drummer of The Spits, about The A-Team, album artwork, and the band's future LP with In The Red.

Then listen as Cole Alexander gives his side of the Almighty Defenders/Lindsay Lohan story.

It should be a fun show, with tunes by G.G. King, Bobby and The Soft Spots, Baby Dinosaurs vs. Extinction, German Measles, Balkans, Sneaky Pinks, and more.

Ohio's best primitive, trilingual, all-girl punk band crashes a Die Slaughterhaus party

2010-06-08T16:55:00.001-07:00

Die Slaughterhaus Records hosted the first of two straight Friday night shows at 529last weekend, with Cleveland's HotChaCha stealing the show.

Opening the show was Athens-based comedic duo Cars Can Be Blue, as they busted out a couple of new, poppy songs and quite a few old, slightly perverse favorites. As usual, Nate and Becky's on-stage banter was as funny as the songs themselves. Mark from Die Slaughterhaus and I were almost in tears when Nate was describing the play at home version of Cars Can Be Blue, which was a cross between the old Life board game and those VHS-enhanced games from the early 90's.

Up next was Pizza Party, a slightly sloppy thrash and hardcore band reminiscent of Suicidal Tendencies. There was not as much crowd activity as there usually is at 529 when a faster punk band is on stage, but that is not because Pizza Party did not emit equal parts humor and rage. It was a lot of fun to see Jessica Juzz play bass in a band. She's one of those people who does a lot of different things well, though I think I prefer seeing her as a fearless frontwoman.

On third and stealing the show was the tribe of Ohio ladies known as HotChaCha. If you have heard any of their recordings, including their brand new LP, you know this group is good. If you have not seen them live, though, you don't know how awesome they truly are. Though they sound different, I would imagine if HotChaCha's multilingual predecessors from Kleenex/Liliput reformed they would give off the same tribal vibe when performing live. When lead singer Jovana told us from stage that the group was facing transmission issues with their van, I decided immediately that a trip to the nearest ATM was in order. Pricey vehicle repairs suck and this band doesn't, so everyone was done a favor when they sold me their LP.

Closing out the night was Atlanta's best party band, The Coathangers. They have gotten a lot of love lately here on 7 Inch Atlanta, so there's no need to rehash old reviews about how much fun it is to see this band. Instead, let's go ahead and get excited about the Die Slaughterhaus 7" they will be recording soon. Now that will be a fun 7" release show. Maybe, if we are all lucky, HotChaCha will come back and play that one!

One could safely assume...

2010-06-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

this spells the end of The Judies.

Episode 7 download, featuring nothing but cover songs and an interview with Alex from Crusaders of Love

2010-06-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

This week's podcast features Alex from Crusaders of Love telling a couple of stories about his pal King Louie and a slew of cover songs by bands like Nobunny, The Spits, G.G. King, Quadiliacha, Black Tambourine, and more.

Spits play show of the year

2010-06-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Spits/Nobunny bill at The Earl was pretty much guaranteed to be one of the best nights of rock and roll in Atlanta this summer, and the show delivered mainly due to the headliner's ability to overcome a few early fuck-ups.

A couple of local groups opened the festivities. I missed The Customers' set, but I did get to see G.G. King's set of mostly new songs. For some reason, Greg's metal influences seemed more obvious than usual on this given night.

Nobunny and his current backup band then hit the stage, with the frontman wearing his trademark creepy as fuck and likely smelly from wear and tear mask. The country-influenced song that started off the set and the bizzare mish-mash of songs, including a Spinal Tap number and Gentleman Jesse's "I Don't Wanna Know (Where You've Been Tonight)", toward the end were definite highlights, but everything in between was lacking compared to past Nobunny stops in Atlanta. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad set at all, but Nobunny and his crew definitely have better shows. Such is life on the road.

The Spits came roaring out with lights and smoke, a skull backdrop, and 1960's style wide neckties, but they faced some problems of their own. An unplugged guitar and a broken bass string or two early in the set would have derailed almost anyone else, but these guys persevered and ended up having probably the best and most enjoyable set I have seen all year. I was pumping my fist and singing along and so was the guy to my left (Joe from The Black Lips) and to my right (Mark from Die Slaughterhaus Records). Hell, Clay from G.G. King even crowd surfed for the first time in his life during all the excitement. The Spits said goodnight before the last five or six songs, but they kept coming at us with quick blasts of weirdo punk rock. I didn't want it to end, no matter how exausted the guys on stage looked. To reiterate, it was the best thing I've seen all year, including a certain show at 529.

I'm behind and looking ahead to tonight

2010-06-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Nobunny was a little disappointing Wednesday, but The Spits went above and beyond when they had a chance to save the night. More about that show in a few days.

Tonight, head to The Earl to see Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, and The Barreracudas before you venture over to see Hot Cha Cha, The Coathangers, Pizza Party, and Cars Can Be Blue at 529.

And on Saturday, your best bet is seeing local indie-pop band Gold-Bears at The Drunken Unicorn when they play with Spectralux and The Sunshine Factory.

Have a good time all the time with the all cover songs edition of 7 Inch Atlanta Radio!

2010-06-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

This week’s episode features a special guest appearance by Alex from Crusaders Of Love as he tells a couple of funny stories about King Louie. Also check out covers done by The Ramones, Beat Beat Beat, Plexi 3, Nobunny, The Spits, G.G. King, Carbonas, Quadiliacha, Baby Shakes, The Wolfmen, Crusaders of Love, Finally P...unk, Black Lips, The Spooks, Those Darlins, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, Dum Dum Girls, Black Tambourine, Mika Miko, and The Stolen Minks. 10 p.m. EST on The WOLF (www.westga.edu/thewolf.

Death dance rock for brainiacs

2010-06-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Artist: Death Domain
Title: 3-song 7"
Label: Army of Bad Luck
Release date: January 2010
Release number: ABL016

Death Domain is awkward dance beats mixed with brainy lyrics that could only have been written by a molecular microbiology student like longtime SIDS member Adam Stroupe.

Stroupe is not just a student, though, as Creative Loafing's Chad Radford reported last year that the reason he moved to Baltimore was to persue his Ph.D. at John Hopkins University. So if these lyrics go over your head (I'm a graduate student and I don't know what the fuck "Toxoplasma Gondii" means), he's not showing off. He's writing about what's prominent in his life the moment he sits down to compose a song, and that's what good songwriters do.

The a-side, "Toxoplasma Gondii", is like a really cerebral and less dance-worthy Gary Numan song. It's pretty catchy stuff, even if the science nerd lyrics will probably zoom right over your head.

The two b-sides are a little more experimental, like SIDs without the crazy, unpredictable punk approach. "From My Window" has a title most of us can pronounce and sounds like it is about a tourtured, distant admirer and not something over our heads about cells splitting or whatever.

This three song release is a hard one to define. It's too smooth to be punk or industrial and way more cerebral than even the most arsty-farsty noise rock songs.

What else? It has a glow-in-the-dark cover!

Great night in a strange environment

2010-06-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday's main attraction in Atlanta was a great grouping of bands at an unusual venue. The Barreracudas, Crusaders of Love, Ex-Humans, Biters, and The Booze all played Eastside Lounge's tiny, five feet off the ground stage. Seriously, jumping off that thing would be a Randy Savage elbow drop instead of a stage dive. Once I got past how bizarre it was to hang with my friends and see their bands in a totally different kind of venue, I had a blast.
You know the bill is stacked when Adrian and company are curtain-jerking. They played another solid set of newish songs that'll probably be on an upcoming LP.
My new friend Alex (he's going to be on the radio show tomorrow) and the other French guys and girl from Crusaders of Love were fantastic, playing cuts from their Douchemaster LP. They were cool people and a great band to boot. The interview I did with Alex is labeled on my computer as being recorded at 5:30 a.m., and I believe it, as none of us actually slept that night. Hurry back, guys.

Ex-Humans from Brooklyn were next playing basic, three-piece, ass-scorching punk rock. As you can see, former Carbonas and Beat Beat Beat guitarist Josh Martin is their lead singer. The real treat in their set was a guest appearance by Stalkers frontman Andy Animal on a Troggs cover.

On a side note, I tried to interview Andy after the sho but drunkenly forgot to press record. Oops.

After that, the tiny upstairs area of the Eastside Lounge was packed, so I just listened to The Biters and The Booze from downstairs. I could hear them loud and clear.

The Biters continues to crank out great rock and roll that is a cross between early pop-inspired punk like The Boys and the arena-filling rock of Cheap Trick. This was my first time seeing them with Tuk's brother Travis on bass, and they did not miss a beat. Forget any silly hangups you might have about haircuts or these guys' past bands, because The Biters are the real shit.

The Booze closed the party with their tribute act that kind of sounds like The Strokes doing Rolling Stones covers. You're probably right and I'm the only one who hears The Strokes when I see The Booze live. This is definitely a talented group, though, and it never ceases to amaze me that Randy can keep finding guys in Georgia with the Mod look who also are good musicians.

What was it like seeing rock and roll in an environment like the Eastside Lounge? It was way more enjoyable than expected. All of us overgrown punk kids were pretty much the only ones there, and the staff liked us enough to play a Bad Brains DVD for the folks congregated at the bar. Will ESL start having the kind of kickass shows we see at 529? Probably not, but I wish them luck because the more venues catering to our bands, the better.

Two of the best in the game are coming to town

2010-06-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

Garage-pop genius Nobunny and West Coast punk revivalists The Spits are coming together tomorrow to play The Earl along with local favorites The Customers and G.G. King. It'll be two of the best acts from the original Mess-Around back together.

It's a wonder I waited this long to make a big deal out of this show, as The Spits are one of my favorites and had the best album of 2009.

Noise explosion tomorrow at 529

2010-05-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

This should be a good one tomorrow night at 529. Twin Stumps is a Brooklyn-area noise band that recently released their debut LP. The other bands are locals, including classic hardcore punk juggernaut Bukkake Boys. Big Dad, a Hawks side project, will be playing their first show.

A split... sort of, and it's worth a listen

2010-05-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Artist: Georgiana Starlington/Wild Choir
Title: Split 7"
Label: Rob's House Records
Release date: April 2010
Release number: rhr057

Here's a new Rob's House release that technically is a split 7", as Georgiana Starlington and Wild Choir is a pair of bands with shared members and slightly different takes garage-punk.

The backbone of both Brooklyn-based bands is former Black Lips guitarist Jack Hines and his wife and fellow Die Slaughterhaus alum, Julie. The couple is also in the slightly more awesome K-Holes. Joining them in Georgiana Starlington and Wild Choir is Deerhunter drummer Moses Archuleta and Rob's House co-owner and former Liverheart and Gaye Blade Trey Lindsey.

The Georgiana Starlington side offers "Brave Wolf", which is the kind of jangly, country and western inspired tune fans of the groups Army of Bad Luck debut would expect. Jack sings this one, and I've always thought he ironically sounds like a cross between Cole and Joe. Is that because of shared influences, or is there such a thing as a Dunwoody accent?

"Cryin' Over You" by Wild Choir is the flipside, and it is a little less country and a lot more rock and roll. It is a raw take on some really old rock and roll and soul influences. It's good enough to be a Georgiana Starlington track, and I bet a lot of people who see this band live don't know that they are technically hearing a different band when the quartet breaks out this song.

I'd rather have BMW target us than Scion. Just saying...

2010-05-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a BMW advertisement featuring "Cinco de Mayo" by Golden Triangle.

That's the coolest thing since that Hunx Lenscrafters commerical I've never actually seen.

Too good to be called a "side project"

2010-05-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Artist: The Babies
Title: "Meet Me In The City" b/w "Somebody Else"
Label: Make a Mess
Release date: Spring 2010

The second release by this Woods/Vivian Girls collaboration finds Cassie Ramone relegated to backup vocals while Woods' Kevin Morby takes center stage. If letting the guy on bass occasionally nab vocal duties from a girl with an instantly recognizable voice worked for Plexi 3, then it could (and did) work for The Babies.

The title track is indiepop meets garage-punk with girlgroup style backup vocals. And, best of all, there's a sweet mini guitar solo toward the end of this one. These lyrics and this song would not have worked as well with Cassie singing lead, so the switch was a good decision.

"Somebody Else" is similar but faster and presumably more punk-inspired. There's some outstanding lyrics and great guitar work going on here. In fact, I think this band might be a bit too awesome to be called a "side project".

This week's podcast stars Adrian Barrera

2010-05-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

7 Inch Atlanta's exclusive interview with Adrian Barrera is now available in handy podcast form. Also tune in to hear songs by Barreracudas, Predator, Dum Dum Girls, Crusaders Of Love, The Customers, Roky Erickson and The Aliens, Carbonas, The Original Three, Thee Oh Sees, The Hussy, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Paul Collins Beat, The Babies, All Saints Day, The Wax Museums, Cola Freaks, Gold Ghost, and The Bukkake Boys.

7 Inch Atlanta invades Athens

2010-05-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Nate from Cars Can Be Blue and The Trashcans has kindly invited me to his Athens shindigs for months, and I finally made it out to Ben's Bikes last Sunday to see Heavy Cream, several awesome bands that were scheduled to appear, and a nice surprise at the end of the night.
The Trashcans, a garage rock three-piece with ties to both Atlanta and Athens, opened. Though I've been following this band since they started last summer, I had not seen them in a while because lately they've almost exclusively played Athens. It was a fun set, and they sounded tighter than they did when I last saw them (which I'm pretty sure was in the Watch Yr Head House basement).
The Vingettes from Minnesota were next. Don't they just look like a band I would praise now and mention as often as possible later? They were, and I will.

They were a fun two-piece band that was kind of bluesy like our hometown boys from Dead Rabbits. The primary singer (seen above) had a voice that reminded me of one of the ladies from Sleater-Kinney. They even busted out a cover of "Stand By Me" and seemed to enjoy interacting with the audience.

Apparently, the band is going to relocate to Memphis. Let's hope that leads to their Atlanta debut. One of the girls told me they didn't come to our city because they had no Atlanta connections. Hopefully, the guys from The Trashcans have fixed that, because I think you Atlanta folks would eat this band up.
Before I move on to Heavy Cream, has anyone noticed that 1) most of my half-decent pictures make it look like the guy from American Cheeseburger was the only one in the audience (which wasn't true) and 2) the placement of the industrial light fixture makes it look like light is coming out of the nearest musician's butt? Anyhow, moving on...
I was bummed that I missed Heavy Cream the day before in Atlanta because I picked Estoriafest instead. Never fear, because the girls and guy from that band were willing to pull triple duty for us Georgians. Earlier in the evening, they played an Athens bar with their tourmates from JEFF the Brotherhood and, as stated before, they played 529 in Atlanta the previous night.
Lots of Atlantans had told me I'd eat up what this band brings to the table, and I did. Hell, their soundcheck alone was almost worth driving to Athens, as they shredded through a cover of "Mother" by Danzig (which, let's face it, is kind of useless without the video).
The Humms were the last scheduled band, and they, like The Trashcans, are even better than before. It's pretty much a completely new band with a new bass player and my buddy Zig Zag Youngblood from Pipsqueak behind the drum kit. It is impossible to not dance to this band's songs, and I, for one, can't wait to hear their Lemonland LP.

The night was not over, it turned out, because JEFF The Brotherhood decided Heavy Cream should not be the only ones who pulled triple duty. I can't say I saw much of their set, as I took part in a fruitless quest to find Sunday beer, but I can't praise the two touring bands enough for coming out and partying with the crowd at Ben's Bikes.

The sights and smells of Estoriafest

2010-05-28T16:30:00.001-07:00

(Photos except for the second and third Tornado Town shots courtesy of Kevin Borke)

Last week's Estoriafest was fun in the shade for day drunks and local music enthusiasts and was headlined by a couple of bands that have a new LP in the works.
Tornado Town opened, as they apparently are known for breaking up and then reforming to play at restaurants.
As you can see, this band features familiar faces working with different people and dipping their musical feet into a slightly different style.
The highlight, aside from Will Greene's guitarist faces (people had to chug a beer everytime he made one. Same went later for Ryan from Mermaids and his drummer faces.), was a heart-felt and well-executed cover of "Bobby is a Lover" by The Gaye Blades performed in tribute to Bobby Ubangi. Nice one, guys.
Glen Iris, another familiar faces doing something a little different band, was next, and they were way more awesome than I remembered them being when I saw them about a year and a half ago. They play some pretty hard and bluesy stuff and have a two guitars and no bass lineup.
Mermaids were next and they stole the show. Every good thing I had heard about this slightly spacey, sorta garagely, and definitely surfy combo is true. They mix the experience of former Gringo Star member Matt McCalvin, Joey from Knife and the 4th Ward Daggers, and former Barberries drummer Ryan Fetter with a couple of really young guys who are also members of The Clap.
The Coathangers then treated the fairly large and inebriated crowd to a couple of brand-new songs, including one where Candice drums and Stephanie takes over keyboard duties.

After the best party band in town exited the stage, The Barreracudas kept the fun going with their newest powerpop gems that likely will be on their debut long-player and old favorites like "Diet Coke".

Adrian Barrera and Warren Bailey were not done for the night, though, as they continued playing in the sweltering heat with their other band, Gentleman Jesse and His Men. Like The Barreracudas, Jesse and his men have a batch of new songs that will someday be on a Douchemaster LP. This was not a standard Gentleman Jesse show, though, because Dave Rahn had a dental emergency and Greg King had to replace him on short notice. The band still sounded great, because when Greg drums the songs end up being faster.

It's really happening this time

2010-05-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Be there.

German Measles take the noise out of noisepop

2010-05-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Artist: The German Measles
Title: "Color Vibration" b/w "I Don't Like Your Friends"
Label: Wild World Records
Release date: March 2010

The Brooklyn boys in The German Measles (was Rubella already claimed as a band name?) take the noise out of today's noisepop, which allows some pretty good lyrics to shine.

"Color Vibrations" sounds like it is really about colors and is not some kind of artsy metaphor. How nerdy yet punk is that? The "whoa ooooh" backups give this a pop quality that would keep this song from sounding out of place if it followed Gentleman Jesse on a mixtape.

The flipside, "I Don't Like Your Friends", is as straightforward as its title suggests. I don't throw around comparisons to an all-time favorite too often, but the slightly humorous yet brutally honest lyrics of this one paired with its singalong chorus allow me to imagine what this would sound like if it was covered by The Dead Milkmen. Actually, there's no point in wondering what a cover would sound like just yet, as there are still hours of enjoyment to be spent listening to the original.

Don't forget my interview with Adrian

2010-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

He's not turning his back on the radio anymore!

Har har har.

Check it out at www.westga.edu/thewolf tonight at 10 p.m. EST.

The Sour Notes were tonight's positive note

2010-05-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

I scoped out that Sour Notes show I posted about earlier tonight at The Earl, and I'm glad I gave them and The Tealights a chance.

Little Tybee opened, but since The Earl starts weekday shows at a decent hour, I sadly missed their whole set.

When I got there, the band that invited me, The Sour Notes, was already setting up. Before I talk about their music, do they not have the coolest band name? Anyways, Jared Boulanger has brought this Austin-based band back with a new lineup. He is now joined by three girls and another guy behind the drum kit, and collectively they are more than capable of adding a harder edge when needed to their electronic indiepop soundscapes. This band is definitely worth catching if their summer tour passes through your town.

Closing out the night The Tealights, a local band that cranks out beautiful, pofessionally-played songs that are more classy and polished than what I am used to hearing.

As you can probably imagine, I did not recognize anyone at The Earl aside from the door guy and bartender because these bands draw a different crowd than, say, The Barreracudas. That's okay, though, because it was kind of fun to go to a familiar place and feel sort of like a visitor instead of a participant (At home, he's a tourist).

"Georganne" is Balkans' most polished offering to date

2010-05-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Artist: Balkans
Title: Balkans Play "Georganne"
Label: Double Phantom Records
Release date: May 2010

Balkans are back with more slightly surfy,somewhat psychedelic rock and roll, and this time they sound way more polished than before.

A-siders "Bill Spills" and "Leopard Print" bring the surfy, punk influenced sound of earlier Balkans offerings and really showcase Stanley's badass drumming and Frankie's mellow yet mighty vocals.

The title track and b-side, "Georganne", has the same hypnotic effect as a Jacuzzi Boys song, but instead of sounding like my favorite Miami trio this sounds more like really heavy, punk-influenced shoegazing music.

Like numerous Atlanta bands before them, including their tourmates Predator, this group's willingness to play out often has translated into a more polished unit capable of writing and recording songs that top their earlier output. Bringing in one of the city's unsung talents in The N.E.C.'s Cyrus Shahmir ro record and mix this 7" helped the band's cause, as well.

Check these young guys out if they pass through your town this summer. Here's some upcoming shows, including dates for their brief East Coast tour with Predator:

May 29 - Atlanta - Spring 4th Teen Party w/ Predator, Tom P Atlanta
May 30 - Athens - Farm 255 w/ Predator, Bambara
May 31 - Columbia - New Brookland w/ Predator, Mercy Mecry Me
June 2 - Philidelphia - Danger Danger w/ Predator, Power Animal
June 3 - Brooklyn - Bruar Falls w/ Predator, K-Holes
Jun 5 - Brooklyn - Union Pool w/ Predator, The Stalkers
Jun 6 - Brooklyn - Death By Audio w/ Predator, So So Glos
Jun 8 - Nashville - Glen Danzig's House w/ Predator, Canonmen
Jun 9 - Montgomery - Trap House w/ Predator, Shining Path
Jun 10 - Mobile - Alabama Music Box w/ Predator
Jun 11 - Atlanta - Wells Street Warehouse w/ Predator Atlanta, Georgia
Aug 21 - Atlanta - Goat Farm Fest w/ All the Saints, NEC, Hawks + MORE
Sept 25 - Atlanta - High Museum of Art w/ Back Pockets, Phonepunk

The Sour Notes are in town tonight

2010-05-25T15:05:00.001-07:00

The Sour Notes are back together and will be in Atlanta tonight. Check it out.

7 Inch Atlanta Radio goes one-on-one with Adrian Barrera

2010-05-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Check out an exclusive interview with Adrian Barrera (The Hiss, Gentleman Jesse, Barreracudas) tomorrow on 7 Inch Atlanta Radio! Tune in to hear Adrian's thoughts on time travel and the upcoming Barreracudas and Gentleman Jesse albums. You will also hear songs by groups like The Customers, The Babies, Paul Collins' Beat, Gold Ghost, The Wax Museums, Predator, Cola Freaks, and more. Check it out tomorrow at 10 p.m. EST on The WOLF Internet Radio, www.westga.edu/thewolf.

More timeliness here at 7 Inch Atlanta

2010-05-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

The fifth podcast is now available (several hours late) here, on iTunes, and on the player at the bottom of the page. Starting this Wednesday at 10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio(www.westga.edu/TheWOLF), things are going to be a little different. This week, I've got a short, pre-taped interview with Adrian Barrera, and you'll get to hear clips of the man himself talking about Estoriafest, upcoming tours and records for The Barreracudas and Gentleman Jesse, and how he's constantly learning more about songwriting by working with people like Jesse and Paul Collins.

Documentary makes a stop at David's house

2010-05-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Local solo artist and Attractive Eighties Women member Steve LaBate is part of an ongoing project called 40 Nights of Rock and Roll, where he and a filmmaker friend are going to see 40 concerts in 40 cities this summer. One of the stops so far was in Atlanta. Not only did they stop in Atlanta, they went to DAVE MAGNUM'S HOUSE! It's a shame they didn't film a certain band's recording sessions instead. That'd make for riveting viewing. I'm just kidding, of course, as it's awesome that they filed Tendaberry.

Better than Bubba?

2010-05-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm going to scope this out today. I hope it's better than Corndogorama and Bubbapalooza (gag me) combined!!!

Hopefully this will be followed by Magnums practice. It definitely will be followed by a trip to Athens to see Heavy Cream and a slew of other bands at Ben's Bikes.

Happy Birthday delivers the goods

2010-05-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Artist: Happy Birthday
Title: Self-titled LP
Label: Sub-Pop Records
Release date: Winter 2010

Kyle Thomas of King Tuff fame has outdone himself yet again with his newest band, Happy Birthday, and their Sub-Pop debut LP.

Album opener “Girls FM” is the real diamond here. There’s no telling how many plays this song has gotten at 7 Inch Atlanta Headquarters since I snagged a copy of this LP in late March. This song, like most of the album, is bizarre enough to appeal to us overgrown punk kids and is well written and sounds clean and professional enough to please the pickiest indie rock connoisseur. Few bands possess that kind of crossover appeal. I guess that’s why this group is on Sub-Pop, right?

This album comes out the gate stong, and it does not let up. In fact, all eleven tracks are keepers.

Tracks like “Cracked”, “Maxine The Teenage Eskimo”, and “Subliminal Message” allow Thomas to step outside of the powerpop box that perfectly packages his King Tuff persona and write equally good yet more experimental songs.

More mellow numbers like “Perverted Girl” and “Fun” show off Thomas’ songwriting skill almost as well as his King Tuff material.

There’s plenty of variety on this album beyond the experimental and mellow. “Zit” is a balls-out punk song, and those never get old. Towards the end of the album, you’ll hear songs in “I Want To Stay (I Run Away)” and “Pink Strawberry Shake” that make it sound like Happy Birthday would rather be the modern answer to Electric Light Orchestra than The Rolling Stones.

Come December, this, along with the debut long-players by Dum Dum Girls and Crusaders of Love, will be in the album of the year argument.

Oops, or a boner (in the traditional sense of the term)

2010-05-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

Notice something odd about my last post? I thought that Crusaders of Love show was this week, when the poster clearly says May 27. No one called me out on this, so I guess no one paid attention close enough to say, "Hmmm, I should check this out tonight."

Those other shows, to the best of my knowledge, really did happen.

An option-packed Thursday

2010-05-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

The can't miss for tomorrow night is this:Three of Atlanta's finest plus The Crusaders of Love and Exhumans at one of the crunkest (do people still say that?) spots in town.

If that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can go up the street to 529 and see Gold Ghost's last show under that name and Frankie's last gig as their drummer. The Clap are also playing 529, and they are awesome. Or you could go to Lenny's and see my Trashcans pals.

So many choices.

Episode 5 airs tonight

2010-05-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Episode 5 airs tonight at 10 p.m. EST on The WOLF (www.westga.edu/thewolf) and will celebrate several of 7 Inch Atlanta’s Mess Around favorites (better a month late than never!) with songs by The Dutchess & The Duke, Black Flag, Bad Sports, Woven Bones, White Wires, Mika Miko, The Black Lips, The Lids, Quadiliacha, Those Darlins, Jay Reatard, Magnums, Coffin Bound, Plexi 3, Vivian Girls, Happy Birthday, King Louie’s Missing Monuments, Wizzard Sleeve, APA, and Black Tambourine.

This will be the final episode with the simple me playing songs and talking to myself format. Interviews with some of your local favorites will start popping up next Wednesday if I can con anyone at Estoriafest Saturday or the Heavy Cream show Sunday in Athens into talking to me!

All Saint's Day 7" coming this summer

2010-05-18T11:23:00.001-07:00

All Saint's Day (Kickball Katy from Vivian Girls and Gregg Foreman from Cat Power) will have their debut 7", "It'll Come Around" b/w "Only Time Will Tell" released sometime this summer on Art Fag Recordings. Those Art Fag people, they know what's good.

It's video week here at 7 Inch Atlanta

2010-05-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Remember when I promised these? They are videos from Record Store Day of one of my personal favorites, Those Darlins. The last video is of one of their brand new songs that likely will be on the new LP they plan to record later this year.

The guy who yells "100 more" was a nasty hippie who smelled like piss. He was literally on my heels, so I didn't feel bad when I needed to fart midway through the song. True story.

Davila 666!

2010-05-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Wild Choir/Georgiana Starlington from The Mess Around

2010-05-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the songs from a new Rob's House release that technically is a split 7" as performed at the Mess Around. I say technically because both Georgiana Starlington and Wild Choir feature Jack and Julie Hines, Moses Archuleta from Deerhunter, and Rob's House/Sing Sing Records co-owner Trey Lindsey.

Episode 4 is now available to download

2010-05-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

Check it out on Podomatic and the bottom of this page or wait a day and nab it from iTunes.

The Crusaders of Love unleash undergound pop goodness, Douchemaster style

2010-05-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Artist: The Crusaders of Love
Title: Never Grow Up
Label: Douchemaster Records
Release date: March 16, 2010
Release number: DMR 036
Vinyl color: Split yellow and red vinyl

Atlanta’s favorite garage-pop Frenchmen, The Crusaders of Love, decided to sound more “pop” than “garage” and cut out psychedelic influences altogether on their debut Douchemaster long-player. This slight change in direction led to a one of this year’s finest albums.

For the most part, this release is the undergound pop goodness we've all come to expect from Douchemaster and is anchored by should-be hits like powerpop gem “Can’t Get Enough” and the Gentleman Jesse-esque “Better When I’m Gone.”

A lot of the songs are unapologetic ‘60’s pop worship reminiscent of Gentleman Jesse Smith’s other band, The Gaye Blades, and even The Booze. While they don’t necessarily sound just like their bands, The Crusaders of Love at least have similar record collections to local songwriters Smith, Jared Swilley, and Randy Michael.

This pop worship led to dance- and sing-alongs in “Good Time All the Time” and “Time” that’ll be stuck in your memory somewhere in between your grocery list and your mom’s birthday.

Other highlights include slowed-down, mellow garage rocker “If You Want To Try” and the lightning fast “Looking For Us,” which for some reason reminds me of The Hiss. I guess that means this one would have been a hit in 2001. It would have been a worthy hit then, and it would be a worthy hit now if people outside of our little garage-punk world would give bands like this one a chance.

The album ends on a strong note with an effective cover of King Louie’s “Looking For a Heart,” which features some of the best guitar work on the whole album.

If you are wondering where real rock and roll has gone, you probably haven’t heard this album yet. You’ll likely be hearing more from these guys in the future, because people who play real shit and appreciate the classics always outlast the trends.

Barreracudas, Hawks, and more. And it's for a good cause.

2010-05-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

I'm out of town and not at an exciting place, so go take my spot in the crowd.

News and Notes

2010-05-14T13:11:00.001-07:00

* The Biters are now the only band in town with its own customized skateboard deck. You heard it here first!
* Atlanta's Gaye Blades (featuring members of The Carbonas, Predator, Black Lips, and Gentleman Jesse, just to name a few) have covered The Rolling Stones' classic "Ruby Tuesday" for one of those Norton Records split 7"s. The flipside is Brooklyn's The Girls At Dawn with a cover of "That Girl Belongs To Yesterday", a Richards-Jagger pinned tune made famous by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Pitney.

Jacuzzi Boys impress on Cinco De Mayo

2010-05-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

(Photos courtesy of Kevin Bourke)
The last time I was out and about in Atlanta was on Cinco De Mayo, and Miami's Jacuzzi Boys and our hometown Coathangers were playing what was guaranteed to be a solid show The Earl.

The Earl took a page from The Highland Inn's book and started on time, causing those of us who were still wrapping up finals to miss The Sunglasses. Which is a shame, because they are one of those bands that has really grown on me over the past year and a half.

I did see most of The Coathangers' set, including the best live version of "Don't Touch My Shit" I've ever heard. It is worth restating that these girls have gotten much tighter since they started touring. People who dismiss them should really give them a second or third chance.

Closing out the night was The Jacuzzi Boys, and based on their set they are really on top of their game right now. Gabe is someone else I like who I can credit with having one of garage-punk's unique voices. They played most of the good songs from their Florida's Dying LP, including the awesomeness that is "Planet of the Dreamers," which you can hear in the first episode of our radio show. I think the best thing about the Jacuzzi Boys is their music screams Florida. They have a tune about wrestling alligators, for Christsakes!

After the show wrapped up, I walked across the street to 529 to catch most of Doomed Youth's set and to hear Chet Knight DJing. Doomed Youth are a year older, a little less UK '82-ish, and a lot more metal than they were when I last saw them play at the old Danger House basement. It was fun, and some tough looking old dudes in the crowd danced like it was 1989.

Some Mess-Around videos from YouTube land

2010-05-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here's some Paul Collins on his birthday:

And this was just brilliant:

News and notes

2010-05-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

* The Drunken Unicorn now has a blog which previews shows and gives us descriptions of acts ranging from awesome (Hermon Hitson) to shit (Wheatus). Plus, that mock American Apparel ad with Little Jake is the header.

* There will be a cool show at Ben's Bikes in Athens on March 23 featuring The Vignettes, Heavy Cream, The Mermaids, Knaves Grave, The Humms, and The Trashcans. Heavy Cream will be in Atlanta the night before playing that 529 show with JEFF the Brotherhood. Neither show should be missed.

Episode 4 brings us the digital age

2010-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Episode 4 airs tonight at 10 p.m. EST at www.westga.edu/thewolf and was made without the music I’ve ripped from vinyl because of some changes at The WOLF. The good news is the stuff I’ve ripped from CD is quality and is by bands like Those Darlins, The Goodnight Loving, Beat Beat Beat, The Coathangers, D.C. Snipers, The Baby Shakes, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, The Cute Lepers, The Powerchords, Finally Punk, The Stolen Minks, Cars Can Be Blue, The Carbonas, Vivian Girls, The Black Lips, The Weekenders, Electric Shadows, The Vandals, Hotpants Romance, and The Spooks. That’s 20 songs by 20 bands, with 12 of those bands making their 7 Inch Atlanta Radio debut!

Gold Ghost's free EP, just in time for the band to change their name

2010-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Gold Ghost is an Atlanta band with familiar faces in Dan Wakefield (formerly of Abby Go-Go, Ominous Castle, and Facehugger) and Balkans' Frankie Broyles playing a slightly different style of music. They've apparently added another former Abby Go-Go member in drummer Paul McPherson. I'm not sure if he's replacing anyone or if they are a four-piece now. Also, the all-knowing Facebook tells me that the band is about to change their name.

Let the season of giving here at 7 Inch Atlanta continue as we present the artists currently known as Gold Ghost's EP 101.

Happy second birthday!

2010-05-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

This blog is two years old today, which made for a good excuse to look at past posts and remember stuff like some of my favorite records from the last two years, new groups like G.G. King and The Barreracudas emerging, old favorites like The Carbonas and Mika Miko calling it a day, plus other memories ranging from the absurd to the tragic.

Just looking at 2010 so far tells you how much fun there is to be had if you go out to shows in Atlanta. This year alone, we've had the Mess Around, which proved to be a huge success, and now we all get to look forward to seeing The Spits and Nobunny on the same bill in the near future. Not that their show will be this awesome.

(I didn't draw this. Honest.)

As far as releases in 2010 go, most of the bright spots have come from our friends in Brooklyn or on the West Coast. That could change, though, once Derek Lyn Plastic, Predator, Gentleman Jesse, and The Barreracudas wrap up their new LPs.

Dum Dum Girls have a sensitive side

2010-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Artist:Dum Dum Girls
Title: I Will Be
Label: Sub-Pop/HoZac records
Release date: March 2010

Fuzzed-out garage-punk queen Dee Dee and the The Dum Dum Girls show their sensitive side with their debut LP, which was co-released earlier this year by HoZac and Sub-Pop records.

Early songs like “Catholicked” offered a haunting and dreary yet beautiful vibe that set Dum Dum Girls apart from comparable groups like Brilliant Colors. Since then, the band has shown a penchant for ‘60’s inspired pop gems like “Jail La La” and “Brite Futures”.

Would most of the songs on the first Dum Dum Girls full-length be chilling like cuts from the now classic Captured Tracks 12” or poppy like Sub-Pop single “Jail La La”, which appears on the album?

The answer, aside from the dreary goodness of “Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout” and Dee Dee singing beautifully in German on “Oh Mein Me”, is none of the above, as our favorite modern songstress has gotten all sweet on us. So sweet and sentimental that her husband makes a guest appearance and the picture on the cover is a picture of her mother.

“Rest of Our Lives” is a excellently-written mellow love song that would make Burt Bacharach proud. This song is when you will figure out that “Jesus dies for somebody’s sins, but not mine” has given way to “Your eyes consume me”. It might be the best Dum Dum Girls song to date, and that’s saying something.

The saccharine overdose continues with “Blank Girl”, a duet between Dee Dee and her husband, which I loved after the second listen. What killed the first listen was I thought her husband was saying, “It’s so sweet to see you naked” instead of “It’s so sweet to see you make it.” I should have known the lyrics could not get that bad with this band.

A couple of upbeat songs in “Yours Alone” and the title track are about falling in love, while “It Only Takes One Night” and “Everybody’s Out” is about the fear of losing the person you love.

The band gave its own twist to a trio of covers on their Blissed Out cassette, including a Black Tambourine cover that still gets lots of plays at 7 Inch Atlanta Headquarters. The cover de jure on this release is “Baby Don’t Go”, which totally got the hauntingly beautiful treatment that makes the line “I never had a mother, I hardly knew my dad” sound so much more depressing.

It’s early to be arguing this, but I would be surprised if anything comes out between now and December that will keep the album of the year race from coming down to this and Happy Birthday’s debut long-player.

Another newbie/freebie, and this one is by This Piano Plays Itself

2010-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Atmospheric rockers This Piano Plays Itself has a new album, As The House..., dropping May 21.

Here's the tracklist:
1. As The House...
2. Who We Were
3. Where We Lived
4. What Happened
5. How We Left
6. When We Got There
7. Why We Stayed
8. ...It Fills With Light

Dying to hear at least one track? Never fear, because 7 Inch Atlanta is sharing "Who We Were" (right click and save as) with our readers and This Piano Plays Itself's fans.

The album release party will be May 21 at The Drunken Unicorn and will also feature Untied States and Nomen Novum. Admission to this $8, 18+ show will include a free CD.

Tuesday is 7 Inch Atlanta's second birthday!

2010-05-09T23:10:00.001-07:00

Last year, I celebrated with Plexi 3 and Double Dynamite. The latter partied so hard that they haven't played a show since! What will I do this year? I've got a whole day to decide. I'll probably just post about what the past two years have been like and talk about where the blog and radio show are heading.

Fuck it, I'll go ahead and say where the radio show is heading. When I get back to my show-going ways in a week or two, I will have a nice digital recorder the government bought me (grant money) and I plan on using that for both station IDs and brief interview clips. The next step toward having a much better radio show will come as soon as July and as late as September, which is when I will finally start having a live show.

Episode 3 is now available for you radio listeners

2010-05-09T21:31:00.001-07:00

Episode 3 is up on Podomatic, it'll be on iTunes soon, and it's also at the bottom of the page on the media player.

We've got a 10-57

2010-05-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Black Lips guitarist and wristwatch pitchman Ian St. Pe told me the other night that someone broke into his hotel room and stole his world-famous grill. We do not condone violence here at 7 Inch Atlanta, but if you see someone around Atlanta with Ian's grill in their mouth, you should at least give them a pretty harsh guilt trip.

New Back Pockets album for free

2010-05-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Back Pockets album for free at this link, courtesy of band member Adam Bruneau and his Rabbits Full of Magic blog. Adam has done a little bit of everything musically and visually, and he's even a member of The Spooks, so you should support him, his blog, and his various projects.

Nevermind Cinco De Mayo, Here's Episode 3!

2010-05-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

Tune in tomorrow night at 10 p.m. to The WOLF (www.westga.edu/thewolf) and hear The Carbonas, Vivian Girls, Love Collector, G.G. King, The Spits, Balkans, The Pets, Mika Miko, Brilliant Colors, Japanese Motors, The Wipers, The Stolen Minks, The Dead Milkmen, The King Khan and BBQ Show, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, The Impulse International, Frankie Rose, The Beaters, Burning Yellows, and Jay Reatard.

Old news: Day 2 of the Mess-Around

2010-05-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

The second day of the Mess-Around may have topped the first overall, even if no individual set was quite as awesome as the show Davila 666 put on Friday.

When I arrived at 529, Games had already played. The band apparently features Jeremy Thompson of Carbonas/Busy Signals/Sing Sing Records fame and a personal favorite of mine in The Weight's Joseph Plunkett.

I did see Georgiana Starlington and loved their set. They've got a star-studded lineup now, as Rob's House co-owner Trey Lindsey and Deerhunter drummer Moses Archuleta are permanently in the fold along with former Black Lips guitarist Jack Hines and his wife Julie. The Hines family splits singing duties as they play mellow, country and western-inspired rock and roll.

I somehow missed The Carnivores, but fortunately had a spot up front for Frantic. Brannon and Mike work great together, as we all know, and for this set they were joined by Ryan Bell from The Bukkake Boys on bass, Dave Rahn playing guitar until his knuckles bled, and Greg King back at home behind a drum kit. The crowd went ape shit, the band sounded good, and "WhiteTown" is still one of the most kickass punk songs to ever come out of our city.

Wizzard Sleeve is a bunch of multi-tasking, garage rocking Alabamians who I had to listen to from the doorway because 529 was packed by this stage and I foolishly stepped outside for fresh air after Frantic was finished pile driving me. Wizzard Sleeve was a favorite of several friends, and hopefully the next time they pass through I will both hear and see them live.

The place was packed for Gentleman Jesse and His Men, so I watched them from the bar and enjoyed old favorites and some good new songs that hopefully will be on the LP they apparently have almost wrapped up.

Once festivities at The Earl began, it was time for Predator to blow quite a few of our out of town visitors off stage. They get better and better, which is amazing when you consider that they were awesome to begin with.

Woven Bones was one of the bands I wanted to see the most, and they did not disappoint. Dum Dum Girls might be more cheerful sounding here lately, but this trio is still willing to give you your fix of lo-fi, drown-out dreariness. They have added a new drummer since I saw them last (she told me she joined the fold around SXSW time), and she's the perfect fit for this group. Here's to a good show when they come back to Atlanta this summer and a great debut LP when it drops later this month.

The White Wires then played hyperactive garage-pop that was a well-measured mix of sweet and silly. They were a blast to watch, and they looked like they had a blast playing.

King Louie has gotten all poppy on us with his Missing Monuments, and while he's spinning an unbroken wheel, he still comes across as one of the most creative minds in the game.

By the time Paul Collins' Beat, featuring members of Gentleman Jesse as the backup band, hit the stage, I was wasted and doing interpretive dances to "Rock and Roll Girl." True story. No need to be ashamed, though, as I was not the only one dancing the night away. Paul and friends were great, as always, playing all of the hits and some of the songs that kind of sound like the hits.

Closing out the night was Reigning Sound, featuring the legendary Greg Cartwright. They staged yet another singalong, as all of the people with tired feet and worn-out livers and bladders were willing to enjoy one last set before heading home after one hell of a weekend.

Episode 2 is now available to download

2010-05-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the sounds of "My Love Will Follow Me" and Adrian's ongoing war with Predator! Download it now from Podomatic or wait a day or two and nab it from iTunes.

Or you could just listen via the nifty new media player I've posted at the very bottom of the page.

Happy Birthday, Jay

2010-04-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

He would have turned 30 today.

Greg Ginn in Atlanta tomorrow night

2010-04-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

BLUE TOWERS GALLERY “BENEFIT FOR THE ABOLOTIAN OF MARIJUANA PROHIBITION"
675 METROPOLITAN PARK WAY #1113 - BLUE TOWER GALLERY
ATLANTA, GA 30304

DOORS TIME: 6PM | SHOW TIME: 9:30PM | 18+ | $10

Improvised, Instrumental, Psychedelic Rock Jazz Latin Blues sound, with 150+ 100% Improvised live sets within the last year. For this Tour, Greg Ginn is playing bass/gtr w/Gary Piazza on the guitar + New Moonson’s Sean Hutchinson on drums. All music is free as downloads from http://gregginn.com If you like them/feel they are worthwhile to pay for, we suggest making a donation to http://kittenrescue.org

Not exactly Magnaminous

2010-04-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

When a guy named Dave Magnum, known primarily for playing bass and keyboards with groups like Derek Lyn Plastic and Facehugger, wanted a new project in which he could play lead guitar, he wrestled longtime confidant and local Minister of Propaganda Bo Magnum away from his Baptist coloring book long enough to write three sometimes self-righteously angry and always light-heartedly hilarious punk songs intended to sound like The Dead Milkmen, The Spits, and Chrome having a knife fight by the banks of Armuchee Creek. Throw in Derek Lyn Plastic on bass and the rumored future involvement of Greg King (Carbonas, G.G. King, Frantic) on drums and you've got a pretty potent mix.

Magnums, like Armuchee, are not on the map, but they do have a Myspace page for those of you who still use that site.

AVP 2 redux

2010-04-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 of the radio show is definitely airing tonight at 10 p.m. EST on The WOLF Internet Radio, www.westga.edu/thewolf.

The Black Lips smoke clowns like you on the b-ball court*

2010-04-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

I don't envy their Band of Ballers opponents, especially not Da Juiceman.

* Remember that commercial I'm referencing in the title? It was the original don't smoke/do drugs campaign that ironically was so obnoxious that you wanted to go down the wrong path out of spite.

A new G.G. King 7", with 100 percent more subliminal messages!

2010-04-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Artist: G.G. King
Title: Babbling Voices
Label: Local Cross
Release date: April 2010

Almost lost in all the recent Mess Around excitement was this release by one of Atlanta's most consistent punk bands.

The A-side is "Babbling Voices", which has been in the G.G. King live repoitore for some time now and was one of the songs featured on the band's "Last of the Night Wiggers" demo cassette. I'm not sure if this is a fancied up version of the demo, which featured only King and bass player Chris Van Etten, or a different version featuring the full band. Either way, it's good enough that you'll wish you had babbling voices dictating to you lyrics and riffs like these.

The flipside, "Insomnia", is a furious number that, had it been released 30 years earlier, would be considered a hardcore song. Folks who check this out because of the Carbonas connections will be pleased with this one, as Greg has not sang this fast since the Euro Tour EP. For better or worse, those same Carbonaites have never heard Greg or his band descend slowly into what I want to believe is a Satanic subliminal message at the end. He's probably saying something about cheeseburgers. Or cross-eyed cats. Or Timmy Wormbutt.

Atlanta Mess Around: Day 1

2010-04-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

The much-anticipated Atlanta Mess Around lived up to the hype, as it was two days of awesome punk and garage rock sounds from current and former Atlantans and some out-of-town favorites. It was like an early Christmas present the dudes at Rob's House, Douchemaster, and Triple D's tirelessly put together for all of us to enjoy. It was like Disneyland for punks or Spring Break in PCB for poor kids. Hell, it was Corndogorama with better bands.

Opening 529's afternoon festivities on Friday for all of us pre-dawn drunks was those angry young men from Ralph. These Wells Street Warehouse regulars got the early crowd ready to hear more classic-style hardcore from Bukkake Boys. Hopefully, the inclusion of these two bands will open people who may not have heard them otherwise up to checking out the local hardcore scene.

On third was The Customers, one of several good bands to emerge from the ashes of groups like The Carbonas, Beat Beat Beat, and The Heart Attacks. I'm glad the early shows were part of this festival, as they gave bands like The Customers a chance to play for visitors from Florida, Canada, and a few places in between.
Closing out Friday's early show was the star-studded Gaye Blades. The one consistent member of this band is Jared Swilley, and nowadays he is joined in the band by Gentleman Jesse Smith, John Kang, and Mike Beavers. I quite frankly was not sure if I would enjoy the band without Bobby Ubangi, but the new lineup grew on me as soon as they started ripping through songs inspired by the golden age or rock and roll. The highlight of their set and the entire early show was a touching and rocking performance of "Bobby is a Lover".

Notice Jesse's pink Rickenbacher. I don't know a lot about guitars, but I do know that thing looks badass.

Waiting for an eternity to get served tacos at a local restaurant caused me to miss The Barreracudas, but I did catch the rest of the nightcap.

The first band I caught was Bad Sports, a solid outfit from The Wax Museums family tree that reminded me a little of their Austin/Dentoncore forefathers The Marked Men.

G.G. King was next with their ever-growing set of awesome punk songs, and they were followed by Chicago's standard-bearing garage punks, CoCoComa. I surprisingly had never heard CoCoComa, so I got to discover for the first time a band with a live sound that is poppy and oh so infectious.

The legendary Urinals were next to last, and the songs they played can be pigeonholed into three narrow categories. The songs we all wanted to hear sounded like classic no-frills punk rock, a few more adventurous songs sounded like stripped-down Wipers demos, and the rest sounded like bar rock. Aside from the song or three that resembled bar rock, the bright spots really shined, and it is not hard to figure out why Mika Miko and that whole Smell crowd seemingly look up to this group.

Closing the party was as good a party band as you are going to find. In fact, with all due respect to our hometown Coathangers, Davila 666 are the best party band you are going to find. These guys from Puerto Rico floor audiences with dance-worthy songs beefed up by chantalong choruses that owe as much to The Misfits as they do to any earlier or contemporary Latino punk band. They were as tight and exciting a band as I have seen in recent memory.

What a weekend!

2010-04-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

I've got plenty to post about in the coming days. Right now, though, I'm physically recovering from the weekend and emotionally adjusting to being back around people who do everything but rock hard.

The Mess-Around is finally here!

2010-04-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today is the big day. If you see someone in a Dead Milkmen shirt singing along with The Urinals, say hello.
I'll admit it. I wouldn't know/like that song if it were not for Mika Miko.

See you dudes in the pit.

More Sub-Pop goodness from Record Store Day

2010-04-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Artist: Happy Birthday
Title: "Shampoo" b/w "Alien"
Label: Sub-Pop Records
Release date: April 17, 2010

Kyle Thomas of King Tuff and honorary fifth Vivian Girl fame and his Sub-Pop group Happy Birthday also had an exclusive 7" come out on Record Store Day.

Happy Birthday's Sub-Pop LP has been played a lot here at 7" Atlanta headquarters since it came out, mainly because "Girls FM" is neck and neck with a song Thomas recorded in the "Best Song of 2010" race. Needless to say, expectations were high when I first dropped the needle, and Happy Birthday did not spoil my listening party.

Those of us who are used to two minute songs will not get bored before "Shampoo" ends, because there is all kinds of futuristic racket going on and, most importantly, there's a catchy hook.

"Alien" (the other thing that battles Predator, har har!) is a songwriting and weird-out pop clinic that could only be taught by Thomas.

These songs are good enough to be on the second Happy Birthday album or at least some kind of Sub-Pop compilation, as they need to be heard by more than us collector types.

Dum Dum Girls, Male Bonding split RSD exclusive

2010-04-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Artist: Dum Dum Girls and Male Bonding
Title: Split 7"
Label: Sub-Pop Records
Release date: April 17, 2010

Here's a Record Store Day find featuring two solid tracks from a couple of Sub-Pop's newest and best recording stars.

The Dum Dum Girls' offering, "Pay For Me", captures everything that's right about this band. On this song and others, the band does the whole Black Tambourine crossed with 60's pop thing as well as anyone, and their choruses are usually beefed up to where it sounds like a whole army of Dee Dees are shouting their hearts out.

Male Bonding is an awesome three-piece band from England who, like The Dum Dum Girls, recently signed with the label Nirvana made famous. Their song for this release is called "Before It's Gone" and, like their countrywomen from Wet Dog, this group's take on fuzzed-out post-punk makes for some dance-worthy tunes.

The simple yet durable packaging is cool, and like most record labels Sub Pop kindly gives you a download card.

When Everything Goes Wrong

2010-04-21T19:19:00.001-07:00

The five or six people who have tuned in to the show are hearing last week's episode. It's like I've fallen into a time warp. Does this mean Saturday is Record Store Day again?

Adrian vs. Predator vs. Episode 2

2010-04-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 is tonight at 10 p.m. EST and, as mentioned before, will feature The Customers, Carbonas, Bobby Ubangi, Vivian Girls (their brand new single, to be specific), King Khan and The Shrines, The North Trolls, The Barberries, The Coathangers, The Goodnight Loving, The Barreracudas, Predator, Brilliant Colors, Buzzer, The Girls At Dawn, G.G. King, Black Lips, Derek Lyn Plastic, The Dead Milkmen, DDT, Neon Christ, Electric Shadows, and Nobunny.

Check it out on www.westga.edu/thewolf!

The Mess-Around hype machine begins!

2010-04-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

How awesome will it be to finally see The Urinals? Will we all really fuck someone we normally wouldn't get to fuck, just like Travis Flagel has pretty much promised us Rob's House supporters? How many of these fancy pants out-of-town bands will get blown off the stage by Predator? We'll all find out together this weekend.

Until then, check out this awesome collection of MP3s compiled by Chad Radford. It includes a new G.G. King song!

7 Inch Atlanta now has a podcast!

2010-04-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on right now. I haven't even done much to promote this weekend's Atlanta Mess-Around, my band Magnums recorded some demos on Freaknik weekend ("Young Romans" isn't half bad), and the second episode of the radio show airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. If you missed episode one or would like to hear it again, you can download it at the new 7 Inch Atlanta podomatic page or listen to it on the audio player at the very bottom of the page.

The Biters E.P. is ready to drop

2010-04-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Biters' debut E.P. is available through their website for only $11 plus shipping. It'll be on 10" white vinyl and hopefully will feature this song:

Record Store Day: an alternative to Freaknik

2010-04-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Record Store Day was a blast, as I got all kinds of cool new music and saw one of my current favorites and some of my friends perform at a couple of different record stores.

I planned the whole day around getting to Criminal Records by 2 so I would not miss Those Darlins. When I got there, it was aroud 1 and my Bukkake Boys pals were about to plow through a brief set. It would not be unfair to say the Record Store Day crowd were by and large disturbed or, at the very least, confused by the Bukaake Boys' testosterone-filled brand of hardcore punk. I ate it up, as always, and so did a couple of high school kids. This one kid in particular could not have been a day over 17 and was having a ball. I hope he starts going to the Wells Street Warehouse hardcore shows, because we're all getting old around here and we need younger people to latch onto what's been happening in Atlanta for the past decade. It's a shame bands like Bukkake Boys have to play Criminal Records or someone's living room to really be seen by youngsters, because they are the kind of band I would have adored as a high schooler.

While Those Darlins were setting up their gear, I got in line to purchase the new Devo 12", a copy of We Fun, and exclusive RSD 7"s by Sub-Pop stars Dum Dum Girls and Happy Birthday. All of that aside from the movie should help beef up my internet radio playlists.

Those Darlins then played a fun set packed full of familiar tunes and some new songs they hope to record this fall for their second LP. Their best new one was about having a "fun stick party." It, like most of my favorite Those Darlins songs, was both cute and rocking. Expect a video or three from their set in the coming days.

By the end of Those Darlins' set, I felt I had done enough at Criminal. I had bought some awesome limited edition records, seen some friends perform, and watched one of my favorite out of town acts wow a packed record store on a pretend Capitalist holiday.

But the aventure was not over, as festivities had not begun yet at Reactionary Records. I arrived in East Atlanta in time to see sountrack music virtuoso Jeffrey Butzer:

Three acts later, my Facehugger friends unleashed their new lineup and sound. It was not their best show, but I do have high hopes for the new lineup. Derek Lyn Plastic recently recorded some stuff for them, and the track from those sessions that I have heard is a good one.

Making a time-tested formula less sweet and more weird

2010-04-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

Artist: Burning Yellows
Title: "Urinal Cakes" b/w "Drought
Label: HoZac Records
Release date: April 2010
Vinyl color: The first 200 were gold and came with a special sleeve different from the one shown here.

A girl-fronted, fuzzed-out, and organ heavy pop group from the hotbed of hip that is Portland? What else could you ask for?

Burning Yellows deliver on the oddly named track "Urinal Cakes", as it sounds like a psyched-out Frankie Rose composition. "Drought" ironically sounds like a shower of guitar noise is trying to drown out the vocalist, making it the kind of post-punk song that is too noisy to be a dance sensation and too abrasive to be a love song.

This band, like Wet Dog, takes a time-tested formula and makes it a little less sweet and a lot more weird. There should be more bands like that.

Record Store Day 2010!

2010-04-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

I received my state income tax return today, so it practically is a stipend for tomorrow's record store day. I hope to nab a for sale copy of We Fun, the special edition 7"s by Happy Birthday and Ty Segall (which I think is a split with someone else), and the new Black Tambourine comp (which is not a RSD special. I just want it really bad.).

The soundtrack for my end of the semester shopping spree will include Those Darlins at Criminal Records around 2 p.m. and then Facehugger and The North Trolls if they haven't played already at Reactionary Records. Support record stores. Support the economy. Buy American (unless there is a Wet Dog special I haven't heard about yet)!

We're on the air

2010-04-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

www.westga.edu/TheWOLF

Radio launch!

2010-04-13T17:40:00.001-07:00

7 Inch Atlanta Radio will, barring a technical snag, be on the air finally! Check it out tomorrow night at 10 p.m. on The WOLF Internet Radio (www.westga.edu/TheWOLF) and hear music by Black Lips, Carbonas, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, G.G. King, The Wet Dreams, The Splinters, The Coathangers, Zero Boys, The Spits, Derek Lyn Plastic, Vivian Girls , Plexi 3, Jacuzzi Boys, Jay Reatard, The Lids, Dum Dum Girls, The Stalkers, Exhumans, Barreracudas, Predator, and The Bukkake Boys.

If you can't listen tomorrow, check out the repeat on Sunday at 10 p.m. or patiently wait while I figure out how to set up a podcast sharing page.

This is short notice and I'm paranoid that everything will go wrong, so expect the promotion blitz to be for Episode 2, which happens to fall on the station's launch date.

Dum Dum Girls continue to dominate, or the real reason I've been so high on cassettes lately

2010-04-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Artist: Dum Dum Girls
Title: "Blissed Out" cassette
Label: Art Fag Recordings/Sub Pop
Release date: 2009?

This cassette, which you can still get from Art Fag Recordings, is already a rarity if you stubbornly want the Sub Pop version because Dee Dee and friends are on the right end of some well-deserved hype.

You've probably heard several of the 11 songs on this cassette, but not like this. "Hey Sis", "Catholicked", "Put a Sock In It", and "Brite Futures" sound equally brilliant yet noticably different with cassette tape hiss than they do with vinyl pops and crackles, so hearing them in a different format is a valid reason to track this one down.

There's a few songs that are new, or at least I had never heard them. The first song on the cassette, "Ship of Love", downplays the dreariness of most Dum Dum Girls standards and instead plays up Dee Dee's 1960's pop influences. "Mercury Mary" has a title that makes me think of David Bowie and a sound that is reminiscent of Black Tambourine. The cassette ends with a couple of quality tracks that had not been on my radar called "Longhair" and "Dream Away Life".

Speaking of Black Tam, "Throw Aggi Off The Bridge" is my favorite track of theirs, and Dee Dee must like it, too, as an effective cover of the song appears on the A-side. Other covers on this cassette are an amazing garage rock version of Delta 5's first single, "Mind Your Own Business", and a take on "Let It Be Me" that sadly sounds more like "Where Do You Run To?" played at the wrong speed. That should not be a surprise, though, as Frankie Rose wrote "Where Do You Run To?" and she was drummer in the original live version of Dum Dum Girls, so Frankie and Dee Dee probably have similar taste in music and have probably listened to their favorite records together at some point.

For more about Dum Dum Girls, check out this neat interview with Dee Dee and a live show download I found on Philadelphia's Girl About Town blog.

While I'm talking about porn...

2010-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

I googled my blog's name out of boredom (you've done it too, so don't judge) and accidentally found an adult DVD message board on which someone has started a thread about Those Darlins and has reposted on there pretty much everything I've written about the band and even a couple of shots I've taken of the girls in action. As if Dirtnap using one of my reviews on their site was not flattering enough...

Those Darlins will be back in town this Saturday at Criminal Records for Record Store Day. That will also be the day you can get the recently-released and barely watchable We Fun documentary at Criminal for only $9.99. The list price will be over $20, so if you want a copy Saturday will be a good time to pick one up.

Facehugger show tonight

2010-04-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Go see this tonight if you get the chance, because Paul, Jaye Marie, and Dave Magnum from Facehugger have lots of new jams.I'm currently listening to that Dum Dum Girls cassette (they cover "Throw Aggi Off The Bridge"!) and its cover art is naughty, so I guess I'll be posting more tits very soon.

That's why I get for giving DDG top priority over that Zap Cassettes Sampler I still haven't reviewed, right?