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CD Review: Yourself and the Air -- Friend of all Breeds EP

Yourself and the Air

Friend of all Breeds EP

Hands Organic

By Samantha Parvin

If “indie” has come to describe a particular style of music, Yourself and the Air are the poster children for the genre. The Friend of all Breeds five-song EP is polished and well-rehearsed; it makes sense, which is less easy to find these days than one may think. The milieu of sounds created by sturdy drums, rhythm and lead guitars, and precise vocals painted with semi-heavy effects is satisfying and lacks little. “So You’ve Come to Mingle” features a glockenspiel and “Less is Less” has a triangle, which adds a magical, ultra-pop dynamic. 

Soulsavers Feat. Mark Lanegan @ Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC, September 21

You might not have heard of Soulsavers, the English remix/production duo of Rich Machin and Ian Glover, but you have probably heard of the musicians associated with them. Most notable and closely related to the band is Mark Lanegan, who has been a stalwart of indie music for decades, from his first band Screaming Trees, to being heavily involved with Queens of the Stone Age and leading The Gutter Twins. He'll be taking the lead vocals of the band's upcoming record, Broken, to be released August 10 as well as touring with them to this date.

Other notables who are involved with the new project include Mike Patton (Faith No More), Jason Pierce (Spiritualized), Richard Hawley and Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers). Phew! With guys like that lining up to take part in the album, the live show is bound to be impressive. Tickets are available now through Ticket Alternative.

CANCELED: Tyler Hilton @ The Revolution Music Room in Litte Rock, AR, July 21

Tyler Hilton's July 21 show at the Revolution Music Room in Little Rock has been canceled. Tickets have been refunded. No word on whether or not there will be a rescheduled performance.

CD Review: Lord Cut-Glass -- Lord Cut-Glass

Lord Cut-Glass

Lord Cut-Glass

Chemikal Underground

By Julia Reidy

Ex-Delgado Alun Woodward’s lilting Scottish accent wraps itself around the haunting, intricate instrumental arrangements in his songs. His debut LP under the moniker Lord Cut-Glass — named for a character in the radio play Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas — turns seamlessly from folk to waltz to military march to a ditty about being the “product of the modern man.” Each song is a fleshed-out stand-alone composition, a full story and an entire piece of music in its own right. Listening to Lord Cut-Glass as an album feels like being at the theater; one can almost feel the velvet of the curtains and the see the glow of the stage lights.

Maybe it’s because most of the phrasing seems directly derivative of theatrical song composition in the best way. Woodward plays with tempo and volume in a manner that creates interest and tension, helped in his efforts by drummer Paul Savage (also formerly of The Delgados), as well as a large collection of Glasgow classical musicians. Together, they man a toy piano, a full horn section, an accordion and slews of sweeping strings; they supply choral backup singing to supplement Woodward’s fast-picked acoustic guitar and produce his bizarre mental collages.

CD Review: Regina Spektor -- Far

Regina Spektor
Far
Sire

By Al Kaufman

Regina Spektor is a poet. As such, she has license to be nonsensical and downright weird if she so desires. She can talk about making a "computer out of macaroni pieces," or boldly state that "blue is the most human color." But she can also utilize beautiful metaphor. When she says, "It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song," like she does on "Eet," she creates an extremely relatable line. But Spektor continues to delve into the subject deeper and deeper, making it feel more and more personal.

DVD Review: Farmer Jason -- It's a . . . Farmer Jason!

Farmer Jason
It's a . . . Farmer Jason!
Kid Rhino

By Al Kaufman

“Kid’s music” is always a term that makes parents cringe. Incessant blips and beeps interacting with tinny music, high pitched voices and simplistic feel-good rhymes are enough to make any adult rethink parenthood. But lately, rock and rollers have entered the kid’s genre and made it not only tolerable, but downright pleasant for parents. People like Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants and Asylum Street Spankers have saved many a parent from reaching for that bottle of Valium.

Add Jason Ringenberg’s name to the list. Ringenberg was the frontman for the groundbreaking country-punk band, Jason and the Scorchers. The story goes that he wanted to make something for his two little daughters to remember him by when he was on the road. Since his family lives on a farm in Tennessee, he created the Farmer Jason moniker. He released A Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason for fun and never thought it would be his biggest selling disc. He followed that with Rockin’ in the Forest with Farmer Jason and an Emmy Award winning Nashville Public Television Show, It’s a Farmer Jason.

CD Review: Phoenix -- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Glass Note Records

By Eileen Tilson

When most people visit Paris, they are overwhelmed by how incredibly beautiful and luminescent the “City of Lights” is; the city literally glows, and at night can be a spectacular sight. Ironically, most of these tourists do not realize that underneath Paris lies an entire city of darkness. The Catacombs of Paris house the bones of over six million Parisians, creating a labyrinth of skulls in these old underground quarries. The catacombs are a burial site, illegal party spot, graffiti museum, and unusual respite from the city rolled into one. Not many people realize the great antithesis that is Paris: on the surface bright and romantic, and deep down cryptic and layered. 

Parisian four-piece Phoenix captures this dichotomy in their latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This is the fourth album for the Frenchmen, and is their most creatively complex release yet. Rumor has it that music industry legend Daniel Glass heard the band, and the next morning hopped on a plane to Paris, refusing to leave until they signed with him on Glass Note Records. The record is fast and immediate, making you feel like you are in a secret underground Parisian all night dance party that you never want to leave.

Ticket Alternative's July 4th Holiday Hours

We're going to be closed Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 in honor of (what else?) the July 4th holiday weekend. Like everyone else we'll be eating burgers and watching fireworks. We'll be back bright and early on Monday.

Jack Penate, Chali 2NA (of Jurassic 5) and New Model Army Playing Rock and Roll Hotel

We have some great shows to announce for Washington, DC venue Rock and Roll Hotel.

The first gig coming up is Chali 2na, of the seminal hip-hop act Jurassic 5, who will be playing on July 11. Tickets are available now at Ticket Alternative.

Next up is the undeniably likeable Jack Penate, whose mix of smart dance and sharp indie rock will get folks moving on the dancefloor, especially if the video above is anything to go by. He plays on September 18 and tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, July 26) at noon on Ticket Alternative.

Lastly, New Model Army will be coming to Rock and Roll Hotel on September 30. Tickets are already on sale on Ticket Alternative.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Mum and Pinback for Black Cat in Washington, DC

We just got three awesome new shows from the Black Cat in DC.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, which just went on sale last Friday, June 19, will be playing on September 30. You can buy tickets for the show now at Ticket Alternative.

Pinback plays on October 28 and Mum plays on October 23. Tickets for both events will be going on sale this Friday, June 26 at noon on Ticket Alternative. We've even put up a little, adorable video of the Icelandic band up here for you to mellow out to.

Leila's Three Picks of the Week

I know it's a little late in the day, but here's my three picks for this marvelous week:

Elbow - with a just stunning latest release, The Seldom Seen Kid, Guy Garvey leads his band of men into lush, grandeous songs with sweeping strings and luscious musical landscapes. As I said in our Atlanta Music Guide blog, "If the above video of the band playing "One Day Like This" (from their new record, The Seldom Seen Kid) to a crowd of thousands at Glastonbury, complete with huge string section, doesn't give you chills, you must be dead." They're about to embark on a North American tour too.

Little Boots - we just reviewed her American debut, Illuminations, and I have to say her track "New In Town" is gloriously addictive with squishy beats and screaching keyboards spurs on Victoria Hesketh's sassy lyrics and cooing vocals.

Jarvis - also known as Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, we think he just needs one name now. He's indie rock's godfather, the Madonna of Britpop. His latest release, Further Complications, has an extra dose of rock swagger, while keeping with his observational, wry humor.

Taste of Atlanta Announce Early Additions to Restaurant List

We have an enormous list of the first Atlanta restaurants that will be taking part in this year's Taste of Atlanta. The two-day event won't be take place until October 10 and 11, but the list is already enough to get people excited. And if you are a restaurant owner interested in signing up, there's still a few spaces left - just email Shelly Gardner at shelly@tasteofatlanta.com.

Restaurants already signed up include:

o         5 Seasons Brewery

o         Atlanta Fish Market

o         Amazing Cakes Bakery

o         Blue Moon Pizza

o         Buckhead Diner

o         C&S Seafood

o         California Dreaming

o         Cellar 56

o         Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café

o         Cookie Studio

o         Crepe Revolution

o         Desta

o         Dolce

o         Dogwood

o         Genki Noodles and Sushi

o         Geisha House

o         Highland Bakery

o         Il Mulino

o         Jim n’ Nick’s

o         Johnny Rockets

o         Joli Kobe

o         Joey D’s Oak Room

o         La Grotta

o         Legal Sea Foods

o         Market W Buckhead

o         Mary Mac’s Tea Room

o         Max Lager’s

o         Mediterranean  Grill

o         Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream

o         Mosaic

o         New York Prime

o         Nirvana Café

o         Olive Bistro

o         ONE. midtown kitchen

o         PARISH

o         Parkers on Ponce

o         Paschal’s

o         Sal Grosso Brazilian Steak House

o         Sambuca

o         Savu at W Perimeter

o         Spice Market W Midtown

o         Six Feet Under

o         Sogno Gelato

o         Steamhouse Lounge

o         Straits Atlanta

o         Sun Dial

o         Sweet Auburn

o         Taco Mac

o         TAP

o         Tin Lizzy’s

o         The Grape Wine Bar & Bistro

o         The Melting Pot

o         The Tavern at Phipps

o         Vickery’s

o         Waffle House

o         West Egg

o         Wolfgang Puck

Trashcan Sinatras, Own City and School of Seven Bells Coming to Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, DC

We have a trio of great shows to announce for Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, DC.

Long-running British band Trashcan Sinatras are touring in support of their latest release, In The Music, and will be playing Rock and Roll Hotel on August 13. Tickets are available now at Ticket Alternative.

Owl City tickets just went on sale for their show on September 12. Get your tickets at Ticket Alternative.

Lastly, School of Seven Bells will be bringing their dreamy shoegazer indie electronica (check the video above for great examples) to Rock and Roll Hotel on September 27. Tickets are available at Ticket Alternative.

Days of the New and Crystal Method Coming to Juanita's in Little Rock

We just had two awesome acts confirmed for shows at Juanita's in Little Rock, Ark.

Days of the New will be playing Juanita's on July 10. Tickets are available now on Ticket Alternative.

Also, electronic duo Crystal Method (pictured) are touring in support of their new record Divided By Night, and will be performing at Juanita's on August 4. Get your tickets at Ticket Alternative now.

CANCELED: Billy Joe Shaver at Revolution Music Room in Little Rock, AR

We've just gotten word that the Billy Joe Shaver show at Revolution Music Room in Little Rock, Ark. has been canceled. Tickets are being refunded.

CD Review: Foma -- Inverness

Foma

Inverness

By Eileen Tilson

Sitting right on the cusp between EP and LP at eight tracks and 25 minutes in length, Inverness is full of complexities in its design and build yet is very organic in its execution. Listing contributions from six musicians (Edward M. Burch, Chani Hawthorne, Jeffrey Schmidt, Hun Kim, Charith Premawardhana and Isaac Bonnell), the record is generally constructed around jangly acoustic guitars, chiming electric guitars, and a tandem of viola and cello lines to flesh out the melodic structures.

CD Review: Todd Snider -- The Excitement Plan

Todd Snider

The Excitement Plan

Yep Roc Records

By Noel Wurst

I was 16 years old when Snider’s first album, Songs for the Daily Planet, came out. “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” was a hidden track on it (remember how awesome hidden tracks were?) and it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard in my life. I bought the album, and “Grunge” is the only song I remember ever listening to more than one time. It’s also still funny today.

Win Tickets for Upcoming Shows at Rock and Roll Hotel in DC!

We have a great slew of tickets for you to win from Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, DC. Simply email us at win@ticketalternative.com with the band name in the subject line for your chance to win a pair of tickets.

First up is The Dillinger Escape Plan (above), who play Rock and Roll Hotel on June 11. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com to win or buy your tickets at Ticket Alternative.

Apostle of Hustle performs on June 12. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com to win or buy your tickets here.

Drop Dead Gorgeous play on June 17. Email us at win@ticketalternative.comm to win or buy your tickets here.

Nightmare of You stop by DC on June 19. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com to win or buy your tickets here.

Telepathe play Rock and Roll Hotel on June 25. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com to win or buy your tickets here. And while you're at it, check out our review of the band's latest release here.

And lastly, The Wooden Birds play on June 26. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com to win or buy your tickets here.

L.A. Tool and Die Premiere New Video for "Don't Touch My Mustache" with Show in Charlotte Tonight!

I'm a big fan of North Carolina's L.A. Tool and Die, a brilliantly quirky indie rock band that can rock the hilarity as well as the tender. Falling on the hilarity side is their new video for "Don't Touch My Mustache," which features a host of singing and dancing unicorn hand-puppets as well as a host of other be-mustached guests.

The video is getting its official premiere tonight in Charlotte so if you are in the area go! They will also be joined by Casper and the Cookies and I Was Totally Destroying It, two more ace bands.

Leila's Three Picks of the Week

In a new Friday feature, cleverly titled Leila's Three Picks of the Week, I (Leila, your fearless editor of this blog and promotions director at Ticket Alternative) will be picking three bands to share with you each week. They'll be amazing, so feel free to check them out, links are provided for. Go on, they won't bite. Promise.

Elizabeth and the Catapult - With Karen Carpenter coos and a stunning array of genres to overcome, from indie pop to alt country to Bacharachian odes, Elizabeth and the Catapult are too adorable to garner anything other than utter swoons. They're also playing gigs at The Red and Black (June 19, tickets here) and Rock and Roll Hotel (with Greg Laswell July 16, tickets here).

Bombadil - about to release their second record, these Huck Finn look-a-likes are looking to follow in the footsteps of their label mates The Avett Brothers by crossing genres (from bluegrass to folk to South American to twee indie rock) using stellar songwriting, overwhelming all in their path with their talent.

 

Princeton - a twee modern indie pop take on the sweeping arrangements of the Beach Boys' sunny baroque pop.