Batata Doce @ Criminal Records (1/17/09)

Last Saturday I dropped by the new Criminal Records to see Atlanta’s Batata Doce play a free in-store show. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen the new store, but since I haven’t really mentioned it before yet here, I have to say it is pretty awesome. The old store was definitely a bit too cramped to browse around comfortably, but the new place is perfect. The fancy new stage they have inside pimped out with Orange amps sounds great. Batata Doce killed it:


Click here to read the entire post…

So Many Records To Buy

Yesterday was a massive record release date. Here’s the list of the interesting ones, and while I’m only halfway through this list currently, I’ve yet to find one that isn’t good:

Marnie Stern: This Is It…
Deerhoof: Offend Maggie
Department Of Eagles: In Ear Park
Antony And the Johnsons: Another World EP
Lambchop: OH (Ohio)
Land Of Talk: Some Are Lakes
Castanets: City OF Refuge
Annuals: Such Fun
El Guincho: Alegranza
Rosebuds: Life Like

if you’re looking for a physical place to walk into and buy records like these, you could go to my favourite shop, Criminal Records in Little Five Points. From Tomorrow to Sunday they will be having a 25% sale on most items to get ready for the move next week to their new location. Criminal Records will still be in Little Five Points, just in a place 3 times the size of the old store over at 1154-A Euclid Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 between Bang-On and The Porter Bar. It’s even going to have a full stage inside for in-store performances. It’s unclear what’s going on with the old location, as before i had heard rumours they were going to keep that for comics and games, but it now seems like they are taking everything to the new place.

That’s not the only record store that moved, as Ella Guru, a joint I had heard about but never seen, is now in a new location as well near Inman Park/L5P. I really haven’t been to too many Atlanta record store outside of Criminal, Wax ‘n’ Facts, and Vacation. And all of those old rave/techno record stores that don’t exist anymore. I hear Decatur CD is cool, but I rarely go to Decatur. Are there any other cool record shops in Atlanta I’m missing?

Anyways, here’s some classic performances at the old Criminal Records store:

Mastodon:

Black Lips:

Dungen:

Click here to read the entire post…

Record Store Day In Atlanta: Dead Confederate, The Coathangers, Club Awesome

I spent a few hours last weekend at Criminal Records for their Record Store Day celebration. Here are the three local bands who played there that matter most:

Dead Confederate:

We’ve been talking about them for a while now around Ohmpark and the justified hype is starting to get some traction on the webs post-SXSW. Earfarm spent some time with them while they were down in Austin and has a bunch of cool material. Speaking of SXSW, you can get an entire performance here. Southern Shelter has just put up a show on their site where Dead Confederate played nothing but Sonic Youth covers at The 40 Watt in Athens earlier this year here. A sample:

Dead Confederate : Silver Rocket (Sonic Youth cover)
At Criminal:

They are touring steadily this summer, so go check them out:

23 May – Seattle, WA @ KEXP
24 May – Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch! Festival
28 May – Washington D.C. @ DC9
29 May – New York, NY @ Piano’s
30 May – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
31 May – Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
1 June – Boston, MA @ TT the Bears
4 June – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
5 June – Asheville, NC @ The Rocket Club
6 June – Knoxville, TN @ Barley’s
7 June – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
14 June – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
17 June – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Company*
18 June – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff*
19 June – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre*
20 June – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern*
24 June – Sacramento, CA @ Empire Room*
25 June – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom*
26 June – Spokane, WA @ Big Easy – Spokane*
5 July – Rothbury, MI @ Rothbury Festival

* w/ Drive by Trucker

The Coathangers

The Coathangers quick rise to ATLien elite status last year is an interesting phenomenon, and while I’m not the biggest fan of bands getting popular in this town solely because of their stage act and attitude rather than their music, these girls back up their their brash aura with clever lyrics and catchy tunes. I stumbled across this great remix of one my favourite Coathangers songs on the ‘net last night:

The Coathangers : Parcheezie (Griff Remix ft. Fitzgerald)
Here they are doing that song last Saturday:

And Kimcriminal has one up too, she has tons of vids of in-store Criminal Record performances you an check out here.

They are also on summer tour, so go to a show:

2 May – Atlanta, GA @ The Star Bar
9 May – Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Old Bar (500 Songs For Kids)
15 May – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
16 May – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
23 May – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
7 June – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
9 June – Nasheville, TN @ Springwater Supper Club
10 June – Hot Springs, AK @ The Exchange
11 June – Fayetteville, AK @ New Deli House *
12 June – Wichita, KS @ Barleycorns *
13 June – Norman, OK @ Opolis *
14 June – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
15 June – Austin, TX @ Emo’s *
2 July – Detroit, MI @ Alvin’s
3 July – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
6 July – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor

* w/ El Paso Hot Button

Club Awesome

Atlanta’s Club Awesome, known for their pool parties and “Whyte Tygre” suit, are what I would describe as in the greater post-punk/post-pop vicinity. I arrived too late to get some video of their show, but I did pick up a handmade advance copy of their debut album, and it is really good. Here’s a track:

Club Awesome : Trainwreck
They have a few shows coming up:

3 May – Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar (500 Songs For Kids)
25 May – Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox (We Festival)
29 June – Atlanta, GA @ Lenny’s (Corndogarama)
5 July – Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar (July 4 Weekend Fest)

Live Review: The Coathangers (9/4/2007) Criminal Records

Last Tuesday afternoon I went down to Little Five Points to catch the Coathangers doing a free in-store performance at Criminal Records. The uber-hipsters were out and about in what seemed an almost surreal scene. The theme for the day The Coathangers were going with was “Dreams Come True”, a reference to their out-of-nowhere ascension in the Atlanta music scene. They repped it well with an armada of props including balloons, bubble machines, pink clouds, miniature live horses, a live monkey, candy gift packs, and a unicorn pinata. They played outside the front door of the store to a huge crowd, and even Mastodon‘s Brent Hinds came to check it out. As they played what i thought to be a good set, there were a couple of things that struck me. First, the music was really good for as much as their reputation for being bad musicians is floated around, and i feel like on a sonic level they have a really interesting vision that has enormous potential if they can improve and master their instruments. Secondly, despite the over-the-topness of their image, and the props, and the hype, there’s something about them that feels really genuine. It felt like they really don’t take themselves that seriously and they seem to be more surprised about how big they’ve become than anyone else. I bought a copy of their self-titled album and have been pleasantly surprised by what a good album it is too. I thought it might be a bunch of filler around already popular songs like “Nestle In My Boobies”, but there is something interesting going on throughout.

So my take on The Coathangers now is this, i like them, and they may be over-hyped relative to all of the great talent in the Atlanta music scene, but they aren’t just some hacks playing dress-up and they certainly have the potential to become one of Atlanta’s greatest but they will now have some high expectations to live up to, which comes with any band that blows up so quickly, and hopefully they are up for the challenge. They will be at the 40 Watt in Athens with the Black Lips and The Selmanaires Wednesday night and at the Drunken Unicorn Thursday night with Shock Cinema, Dragons Of Zynth Chainstereo, and The Skylarks (formerly the band Variac) so check them out for yourself.

Coathangers Myspace

Buy The Coathangers

Coathangers : The Coathangers : Shut the Fuck Up

Coathangers : The Coathangers : Parking Lot

Photos: Parade 6-17-07 at Criminal Records- Atlanta, GA

(Click for larger photos)

Parade

Live Videos And Photos: Deerhunter (4-2-2007) Criminal Records

Monday we went down to check out Deerhunter doing an in-store performance at Criminal Records. I picked up their new EP, Fluorescent Grey, and it is great. Biggie C tooks some photos:

I video taped the show and it was the first show I’ve ever video taped. Check it out in low-def:

“Cryptograms”:

“White Ink”:

“Hazel St”:

“Spring Hall Convert”:

“Flourescent Grey”/”Tech School”:

« Newer Posts