Crib Notes

Title: Out of Time
Released on: March 11, 1991
Favorite tracks: “Radio Song,” “Losing My Religion,” “Low,” “Country Feedback”

Out of Time represents a peak for REM. It’s one of their most commercially successful of their albums, with “Losing My Religion” being their biggest hit single and possibly their “most famous” song. It turned the band from a popular college/alternative act to a popular mainstream band.

And Out of Time took REM to the big-time without compromising their artistic integrity, unless you count the ever-increasing intelligibility of Stipe’s singing to be a compromise. It’s like the listening audience finally “got” REM – or maybe REM and the audience met each other halfway. Because the band’s sound definitely changed. Looking back at Chronic Town, Murmur and Reckoning, it’s amazing how different the band sounds. The philosophy of songwriting, the prominence of the vocals, Buck’s once-trademark guitar style – all have gone through a transition. But it’s a “the same, only different” kind of transformation: I recognize the songs as “REM songs” (which is not something I’d say for Automatic for the People).

It’s interesting to compare them in this regard to U2, college-rock contemporaries turned arena rock acts. U2’s sound has evolved too, and they’ve dabbled in different directions, but they’ve remained in a narrower continuum than REM ever did.

Does “Losing My Religion” qualify as one of the most unlikely hit singles of all time? The Wikipedia entry has this quote: “According to Peter Buck, when Warner Bros. heard the album that was to take them to the top, they were dumbfounded: “You think the one with the lead mandolin should be the first single?!””

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

It’s hard out here for an entertainment blogger.

Just ask Gyant of SOHH.com, who posted a rant yesterday claiming that Young Jeezy’s security jacked up his photographer Wednesday at the Tabernacle. The Atlanta-based rapper’s local concert coincided with the release of his third solo joint, The Recession. (Read CL’s feature on the new release.)

Apparently, Gyant was especially flabbergasted by the treatment considering how “cool” he’s been to Young Jeezy, CTE, and the rest of the industry’s corporate thugs:

Let’s be crystal clear on one thing artists, record executives and promoters; if we are as ‘cool’ as you claim to be then it’s only natural that I’d expect you to look out for me and whomever is in my company when I’m at your event –especially if I’m an invited media outlet. …

Don’t get it twisted, I am not some wet behind the ears journalist who will take whatever you give me. I’ve pounded the pavement for almost 5 years in Atlanta. I’ve covered everything and I have probably covered it twice. I’ve turned blind eyes on your scandals [sometimes] and sometimes I even bite my tongue or put down my keyboard when all your business gets spilled out on Front Street.

I’m no rookie and I expect to be treated accordingly. Putting it plainly, I want/demand my respect!

Read the full blog here.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

The Coathangers (courtesy of the Coathangers)

Atlanta lady post-punk foursome the Coathangers announced today that they have signed on with Seattle’s Suicide Squeeze Records. The group is currently writing the follow-up to their self-titled 2007 full-length for Rob’s House Records. The new album is due out in spring of ’09 and comes on the heels of the “Shake Shake” b/w “Dream Boat” 7-inch released by Suicide Squeeze earlier this year.

More details will be announces as they come in…

The Coathangers Tour Dates:

Sat., Sept. 6 - Atlanta GA, Lenny’s
Fri., Sept 19 - Jacksonville MS, 121 Millsaps w/ These Are Powers
Sat., Sept. 20 - Birmingham AL, The Bottle Tree w/ These Are Powers
Sun., Sept. 21 - Atlanta GA, Eyedrum w/ These Are Powers, Jana Hunter

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

This is third and final installment of a three-day journal that I kept while trying to make sense of Dragon*Con ‘08

Monday, Sept. 1

Tango and Grant from Ghost Hunters talk about what scares them the most

I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it Dragon*Con again today or not. I had already endured two-days of intense crowds and the filking…

But when I read on the schedule that the guys from TAPS were giving one more panel discussion about the scariest things they’ve encountered on their ghost hunting excursions, I figured why not.

It was good. Grant Wilson and Dave Tango were joined by a couple of other ghost hunters, including Robb Demarest from “Ghost Hunters International.” Dustin Pari from “GHI” was there too. Jason Hawes skipped out so he could be with his daughter for her birthday… Bummer.

Not much music going on afterward, but I wandered around in a zombie-like state, looking at costumes and telling myself to leave. I stumbled upon Cedric once again, this time he was playing a violin with a handful of other violin players in the lobby at The Hyatt.

The night before he had given me a Bedlam Bards CD, titled On the Drift Music Inspired By Firefly and Serenity. The night before he had also made a few allusions to “the Browncoast”, and the back of the disc said that the CD was dedicated to the women’s rights organization, Equality Now. So I decided to follow up with him and about the shows, that inspired the songs, the Browncoats, and about the connection to Equality Now. This is what he had to say…

“Okay, ‘Firefly’ was a short-lived TV show created by Joss Whedon, who is better known for ‘Buffy the Vampire-Slayer.’ Fans of ‘Firefly’ are known as Browncoats, kind of the way that fans of ‘Star Trek’ are known as Trekkies. (The term ‘Browncoat’ is taken from the term for soldiers who fought in a rebellion in the past of the ‘Firefly’ story).

Browncoats value a spirit of community and mutual support, a willingness to stand up against difficult odds, and resistance to oppressive regimes, whether fictional or real.

In my experience, Browncoats are fun people to be around, even if the conversation has nothing to do with ‘Firefly’ (and it often doesn’t). In addition to getting together for fun, Browncoats gather to support various causes, including the recent writers’ strike and numerous charities.

Joss Whedon’s favorite charity is Equality Now, a worldwide organization that advocates for women’s rights. (EN was founded by a student of Whedon’s mother, actually, and Whedon himself has been honored by EN for his positive portrayals of women in fiction).

Some people say the organization is too controversial, but I see nothing controversial about calling for the passage and enforcement of reasonable rape laws, the end of cutting off little girl’s clitorises, and enforcement of human trafficking laws here in the U.S.

Every year around Joss Whedon’s birthday, Browncoats across the world host screenings of his movie Serenity to raise money for Equality Now, in an effort called Can’t Stop the Serenity. Since 2006, the organization has raised over $160,000; this year, I auctioned two performances which combined raised over $8,000 for CSTS. For more information, check out www.cantstoptheserenity.com

And with that I withdraw from Dragon*Con ‘08.

Back to MARTA, back to the real world.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

This Friday night (Sept. 5)  Beep Beep Gallery will present its first “officially Beep Beep-curated” art show at Aurora Coffee in L5P, located at 468 Moreland Ave. right next door to Criminal Records.

The show features new works by Atlanta illustrator and designer Dosa Kim.

The show is titled “Weight,” and will be on the walls at Aurora from Fri., Sept. 5th through Wed., Oct. 1.

Local elctronic music artist Chris Devoe will provide music at the opening reception on Friday night from 7-10 p.m.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Beginning this Thursday night (Sept. 4 ) Kirkwood Ballers Club will keep the party going late-night with DJ Zano at the controls every Thursday night at The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge, from 10 p.m. ’til 2 a.m.

Zano is already a become a regular fixture at the KBC, spinning sets of dub, bugged-out turntablism, funk and electro minimalism. As of this Thurs. these sets will extend beyond the Ballers Club, which typically wrap-up around midnight. So now the the vibe will go on for as long as the law will allow.

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Manchester Orchestra photo courtesy of Big Hassle

On October 14^th Manchester Orchestra is releasing a limited edition EP/DVD, titled Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind (Canvasback Music/Favorite Gentlemen Recordings). The EP/DVD combo features Sam Erickson’s documentary film, What’s Left Behind, three live tracks and two new songs.

The first song on the EP, “I Can Feel A Hot One,” will be featured in the Sept. 15th episode of The CW’s “Gossip Girl.”

This week the group is convening at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tenn to begin working on their sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing (co-produced by Joe Chicarelli (The Shins, My Morning Jacket).

MO frontman Andy Hull will also be releasing the second part of his solo-project, the Right Away, Great Captain! Trilogy, titled The Eventually Home which is slated for a Nov. 11^th release.

All of these releases will be available exclusively though indie retailers. For more information look online at ThinkIndie.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

This is part two of a three-day journal that I kept while trying to make sense of Dragon*Con ‘08

Day 2
Sun., Aug. 31.

Hawke

Filking. It sounds like a ridiculous and disgusting porno term, but according to Wikipedia, “filk is folk music, usually with a science fiction or fantasy theme. But this definition is not exact. Filkers have been known to write filk songs about a variety of topics, including but not limited to tangentially-related topics such as computers and cats. The other common definition is anthropological (and recursive): Filk is what is sung or performed by the network of people who originally gathered to sing at science fiction/fantasy conventions. Yet another definition focuses on filking as a community of those interested in filk music and who form part of the social network self-identified with filking.”

Of course I am duty bound to look further than Wikipedia’s suspect entries. So when I learned that a filk concert was taking place Sunday night. I hopped on MARTA after dinner. I stopped by Aurora in L5P to grab a coffee first and bumped in to CL staff writer Thomas Wheatley. Thomas said he was at Dragon*Con the night before from about 11:30 p.m. until 3:45 a.m.

“What’s Dragon*Con like at 3:45 in the morning?” I asked. Then I remembered seeing a video the day before. It featured a woman passionately kissing a Storm Trooper under the words “What happens at Dragon*Con stays at Dragon*Con.”

I didn’t pry any further.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

Four years ago, the Boston Globe ran a story that exposed the darker side of hitting the lottery jackpot. As expected, most achieved instant popularity as they spent winnings on expensive cars and lavish vacations. But many also shared an overwhelming sense of isolation as distant relatives came out of the woodwork seeking financial gain.

Psychologists call it sudden-wealth syndrome. Hip-hop refers to it as the Biggie Smalls theory: Mo’ money, mo’ problems.

“When I come home,” Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy states via phone, “I have to deal with my family and friends. These are people I’ve been knowing that are going through real hard times. You can’t save everybody; It’s just real, especially when you come from [equally hard times].”

And you thought he was all about clubbin’ with Usher.

It’s not your fault, though. Cats like Jeezy have built careers spitting hot 16s about cool cars and buying out bars. No other genre of music has created a wider gap between the fantasy it depicts and the reality lived by its fan base. Mainstream rappers have painted such lavish images of themselves that it’s hard to distinguish the truth.

Read the rest of this article here. 

(Photo courtesy Def Jam)

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites

This is part one of a three-day journal that I kept while trying to make sense of Dragon*Con ‘08

Day 1

Storm Trooper

Sat., Aug. 30. 11:15 a.m. I had to work last nights so I didn’t make it to the opening night of Dragon*Con, and I can’t remember what time the Storm Trooper parade from 5 points to Peachtree Center starts today. I hope I didn’t miss it.

11:30 a.m. Damn. According to Dragon Con’s website the Storm Troopers started marching at 10 a.m. I missed it again.

12:30 p.m. The MARTA train ride went by faster than I had anticipated. All told the jog from Inman Park to 5 Points to Peachtree Center took about 20 minutes. Good timing, I guess.

The long, slow escalator ride from the train to the surface at Peachtree Center is a tough one, though. If I stare too long at the top of the escalator I start feeling woozy. The best thing to do is look at my shoes and dwell on existential dilemmas, such as why is a music journalist keeping a diary of Dragon*Con?

12:15 p.m. I was still a block away from the Hyatt when it hit me: This place is completely out of control. There are nerds everywhere and they’re mingling with beautiful women wearing costumes that conceal very little; and they’re all having the times of their lives.

The hotel staff looks worried.

What was that fifth element again?

A young woman wearing what appears to be a few pieces of toilet paper or very thin cloth of some sort wrapped around her naked body passed me on the right. On the left, a giant Gingerbread man is posing for pictures (NOTE: Remember to bring my real camera tomorrow, ‘cause this cell phone camera won’t do these people justice). Little Red Riding Hood, several Jokers and a gang of ninjas and Boba Fetts followed in their wake.

This must be something akin to the kind of fear and loathing that Hunter S. Thompson felt when he took those first, fateful steps into that hotel lobby in Las Vegas so many years ago, but I’m not on drugs. Not yet anyway.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bookmark to:

Hide Sites