Underground Hottlanta: The Orphins
The Orphins were one of the very first bands to get me interested in Atlanta’s music scene. They were really the first band where I thought, I would get into this act even if they weren’t local. When I picked up their 2004 full-length release, Drowning Cupid, I listened to it non-stop for months. I had been anxiously awaiting a follow up for 5 years now, and just as I had begun to lose hope and start to believe that The Orphins may just have become a forgotten relic of the scene’s past, they have reemerged with an outstanding new record. Where Drowning Cupid had an almost monochrome feel to it, Wish You Well sees the band becoming much more dynamic and varied in their approach. The sound is still unmistakably their own distinct brand, but there is a maturity present that greatly compliments what they do. All and all, it was well worth the wait. Wish You Well is also the first release on Atlanta’s newest local label, Adair Park, which will also be putting out This Piano Plays Itself’s next record. Here’s a taste of the newest tunes from one of Atlanta’s greatest bands of the last decade:
I interviewed Orphins‘ guitarist/vocalist Thomas Barnwell via email, so check it out:
Me: 5 years have elapsed since your last album, I’m curious about the
reasons for such an unusually long break between records?
TB: We had a number of pitfalls. We originally did the recording with Keith Vogelsong from Goodnight records who put out our first record, and he was going to put out our second one. Believe it or not, we started recording this record about a year after Drowning Cupid came out. We tracked everything and tinkered with it for about 6 months before deciding that it really wasn’t the sound we were going for. We wanted everything to sound big, meaning loud vocals, thick bass, and heavy drums. We really wanted it to represent what we do live more than the last record did. The first recording of Wish You Well had a very clean and polished sound to it and the instruments sounded overly isolated.
So we began the process of re-tracking the instruments, when our producer, Keith, suddenly decided to move to New York. We tried for awhile to mix and produce from afar but realized the process was too tedious.
So, after awhile of sitting around wondering what we should do, round three of the recording consisted of us buying some nice mics and pre-amps, re-tracking everything ourselves, and mixing the album at my house. It perhaps became a bit of a record that we didn’t know when to stop working on. We almost had too much freedom to do what we wanted to with it, and with no producer to answer to, the process went on and on. Daniel took it upon himself to really learn how to mix properly, and I think he really did a great job. It was a long exhaustive process, but we finally landed on something we really liked, and we learned how to record an album in the process. We sent the final tracks to Goodnight Records who had apparently dried up since it’s move to New York. So we sat on the record for a few months until I spoke with Gavin from Stickfigure who decided to released it on his indie label called Adair Park.
So we recorded it almost three times and took a long time to polish it. Other than that.. jobs, school, relationships, other bands, houses.. all I can say is that life took over for a minute.
Me: You are also in Thy Mighty Contract. Do you approach writing music differently for TMC than The Orphins, and if so, could you describe the differences in how you approach each?
TB: I intentionally go for a different sound when I write for Thy Mighty Contract. While The Orphins play on The Pixies, Deerhoof, The Smiths, and The Flaming Lips side of my music tastes, with Thy Mighty Contract I look to stuff more like Emperor, Mika Miko, At The Gates, and old hardcore acts like Union of Uranus for inspiration. When we started Thy Mighty Contract, I decided that if I was going to be in two bands, I wanted them to sound distinctly different from one another, because what’s the point in being in two bands that sound exactly the same? I tend to do a lot more piecing together of songs bit by bit in Thy Mighty Contract, where as in The Orphins, its not uncommon for one of us to write a song completed with lyrics before we even present it to the band. Neither band has a real definitive way in which we write songs. In both bands, everyone tends to bring stuff to the table. On Wish You Well, a number of the songs were written by Daniel on his computer as midi tracks.
Me: You’ve been involved in the Atlanta music scene for at least a decade now, how has the scene changed over that time and how do you feel about it right now?
TB: The scene seems to come in waves, with lots of great moments. 2001-2003 was a great time for music in Atlanta with lots of house shows and excellent bands. 6 months ago I thought the scene was really happening with bands like Vera Fang and Fagstatic. We still have a ton of great bands, but overall the tide seems to be out at the moment.
Me: What do you think about the current state of music and the music industry as a whole?
TB: We have always either done our releases on small labels or as DIY releases, so I am kind of disconnected from the formal music industry. I can tell you that I know CD sales are suffering, and therefore labels are suffering, and small labels especially seem to be hit hard by the lack of CD sales. Because of this, small labels are more reluctant to put stuff out unless they think it really has a chance of doing well. Actual physical CDs seem to be becoming an unnecessary counterpart or gesture when it comes to musical releases since everyone listens to the music on their computer and their mp3 players anyways. We print CDs more so we can have something to send to radio and press, and to have something that someone can buy at our shows. But from what I can tell, music sales really seem to happen more online these days. I think we are at a strange time in which all labels, big and small, are going to have to reevaluate how they do what they do.
Me: What do The Orphins have planned next and do you have any new projects on the horizon?
TB: No new projects on the horizon for me. Two active bands is enough for now. The Orphins have an EP in the works we want to record and release to keep the flow of new stuff coming. We want to get out there and play some out of state shows once the new record picks up a bit. Thy Mighty Contract is planning to record again, and we hope to release that recording by the end of the year. And most importantly… no more 5 years break.
The Orphins play The Other Sound Festival this Saturday at Criminal Records following Yo La Tengo’s in-store performance.
Photo by Clint Miller
- Posted by Davy Minor on September 15, 2009 at 5:04 pm
- 1 Comment
What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?
Atlanta bands playing Nophest:
Jungol
If you aren’t familiar with Jungol, you might be familiar with Liquid Jungle, the band’s former incarnation. Centered around brothers Josh and Graham Yoder, this group has actually been soldiering the local scene for most of the decade. I caught them a few times back in the day when jambands ruled a hefty portion of the underground music turf, and while they were certainly part of that scene, I remember there being a little something different about these guys. They had something special that the typical neo-hippie brahs didn’t have. Fast forward to now, and Jungol have evolved into an excellent band that writes beautiful, concise pop songs infused with a heart of prog, as showcased on their newest record, Places. I think my favourite thing about this album is how so much intricacy and subtly is veiled behind the pleasantly appealing melodies in the forefront. Make sure to pick up a copy, because it still hasn’t stopped growing on me:
Nerd Parade
As the name of their band would imply, Nerd Parade aren’t concerned with their style being hip, they’re just busy making good music. Usually it is hard for me to dig into conservative leaning music like this, employing pop music and rock ‘n’ roll from every corner of the late 20th century, but this band just puts it all together masterfully. Their newest record, The Span Of A Life, is ridiculously dynamic, bouncing around between so many different influences and styles while Abby Wren and Randy Garcia trade vocal duties when they aren’t both differing to extended instrumental jam outs. What is also striking about the album, is how seamlessly it all flows together. It is all one colossal composition, and it’s been an integral part of my summer soundtrack. Check it out:
Nerd Parade : Dead Air & Denial
Nerd Parade : One Million Wooden Arches
- Posted by Davy Minor on August 6, 2009 at 5:22 am
- 1 Comment
Underground Hottlanta: Club Awesome
Often times I become frustrated with bands that put all of their effort into costumes and stage presence at the expense of their music, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good show. There is a difference between enhancing your performance and distracting from your lack of talent. Good music can be a fun too, and Atlanta’s Club Awesome are great example of how to achieve on both of these levels. Sure, the “Whyte Tygre” suit and the pool parties are a gimmick, but underneath the flash there is real substance to their art.
I first got a handmade copy of their debut album, Dynamos, well over a year ago, but it seemed to just recently get a proper release. Returning to the album and jamming it hard again has been just as enjoyable as the first time I was rocking it, the true test of a good record. Bands known for being energetic live often have trouble reproducing their magic on a recording, but this album manages to translate their over-the-top stage act into pure sonic intensity perfectly. There are a horde of bands in this city competing to be the “funnest”, but as far as studio work goes, the party doesn’t get much better than Dynamos.
Here are some videos from their recent performance at Criminal Records:
Starting today, Club Awesome are hitting the road for a micro-tour with fellow Atlanta goodness Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun. So if you are in any of these cities, be sure to catch a show:
Club Awesome & Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun Tour Dates:
5/20: Murfreesboro, TN @ The Temptation Club
5/21: Asheville, NC @ Stella’s
5/23: Chapel Hill, NC @ Mansion 462
5/24: Wilmington, NC @ WE Fest
- Posted by Davy Minor on May 20, 2009 at 12:33 pm
- 1 Comment
What The Hell Am I Listening To?!?
The three best Spring 2009 releases from Georgia:
Lotus Plaza
While Bradford Cox gets the lion share of credit and attention when people talk about Deerhunter, the band is far from a solo endeavor. The quiet genius of Lockett Pundt is the ying to Cox’s yang. His debut album under his code name, Lotus Plaza, demonstrates not only the impressive talent Pundt possesses, but the music itself parallels his seemingly humble, stoic stage persona. Everything has this weird, distant detachment to its sound and the whole thing feels like a background. What initially attracted me to Deerhunter in the first place were the ambient, instrumental jams on Cryptograms, and those ideas seemed to be fleshed out much further on The Floodlight Collective. I feel like I peel back a new layer every time I listen to this record, so be advised this is a grower that may not hit you that hard upon your first listen, but I think it is one of the best to come out this year.
Mastodon
Mastodon have returned with a record that is more psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll than metal. At times it reminds me of the best of Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd, but still remains completely a thing all its own. The record showcases just how successful this band is at straddling the line between arena rock massiveness and avant-garde artfulness. Crack The Skye is a logical progression for the band, and the best thing about this album is that it gives you exactly what you were expecting and hoping for from the follow up to Blood Mountain. I know I had some giant expectations, and they have been completely fulfilled. Here are the first two tracks to start your journey:
Venice Is Sinking
photo by: Ian Darken
Athens’ Venice Is Sinking have finally unveiled their sophomore effort, AZAR, and it is a gorgeous yet surprisingly difficult release. Something about the pacing makes it hard to penetrate, and it has taken me a while to learn to love this record, but love it I do. It is simply unapologetic about its heavy employment of emotional builds and pushing dreamy lushness to its limits. Seven songs are strung together by the four part instrumental title track combing the best of both worlds between conceptualism and exceptional pop music. With Arcade Fire fallen back to Earth and Sufjan Stevens missing in action, the symphonic indie rock approach has become a lot less hip these days, but fashionable or not, Venice Is Sinking have created an outstanding collection of music that you should pick up:
Venice Is Sinking : Iron Range
Buy AZAR
- Posted by Davy Minor on April 13, 2009 at 6:06 am
- 1 Comment
Atlanta Hottnesses: All The Saints, Untied States, Nomen Novum, Gringo Star, Spooks, Black Lips
So much great Atlanta music, so little posts…
All The Saints
All The Saints @ Drunken Unicorn (6/7/08)
All The Saints have just released a couple of tasty nuggets. First, they have a new song on their myspace called “Host” from a split 7″ between them and These Arms Are Snakes. It’s a nice, laid back psych-jam. They also just released a video for “Sheffield”, a song from last year’s spectacular Fire On Corridor X:
Untied States
Untied States @ The Earl (2/20/07)
Any minute now, Untied States will be releasing their latest record, Instant Everything, Constant Nothing. You can get a preview at their myspace with 3 tracks from it up right now. There is hardly a band in this city I would claim is better than these guys, so I am very excited about this album. Untied States is pop music as art at its best. Here is video of them performing one of the new songs live, “Not Fences, Mere Masks”:
You should own both of their previous, essential records:
Buy Retail Detail
Buy Ineffable, By Design
Nomen Novum
Not content with already dropping one of this year’s best albums so far in their debut full-length, November, Atlanta’s dynamic duo Nomen Novum have big plans for 2009. They have four more releases slated to drop:
Upcoming releases for 2009:
ATL GA in 5 words – lathe cut 7″ picturedisc
free digital EP no.2
Paradises – LP
split 7″ w/ Scenisk Värld
They just posted an unmastered cut from their upcoming second album on their myspace. The song is called “Paradises 3″, and it combines some lush synthy stuff with a bunch of samples of people talking and noise. The guitar driven era of November and Mantis Man is clearly long gone, but this new loop based Nomen Novum is pretty rad. Although, I’m going to drop one more golden oldie on you, the B-side to the Mantis Man 7″:
Download Room For Rent for free
They are putting together a west coast tour for May, but you Atlanta folks can see them live in a couple of weeks (April 13) with Ohmpark favs Royal Bangs at some place I’ve never heard of called Capsule. Also, I cannot stress it enough, if you have not listened to November yet, you are seriously missing out:
Gringo Star
Gringo Star @ Smith’s (3/8/07)
The steadily touring machine that is Gringo Star recently recorded a WOXY session. You can find lots of other sessions including ones from Dead Confederate and Here We Go Magic here. Listen to this show below:
Track Listing:
Tonight The Moon Doesn’t Matter
Ask Me Why
- interview -
Come On Now
Rebel Kind
The Spooks & The Black Lips
New videos from both of these similarly contructed bands. The video for Black Lips‘ “I’ll Be With You” pours on the charm and nostalgia for a holiday heart warmer. In contrast, the Spooks‘ vid for “California Boys”, directed by their own Adam Bruneau (Kiwis), is trippy and ghoulish. Enjoy them both:
Black Lips “I’ll Be With You”:
Spooks “California Boys”:
Buy Death From Beyond The Grave
- Posted by Davy Minor on March 30, 2009 at 3:45 am
- No Comments
Underground Hottlanta: Thy Mighty Contract
Thy Mighty Contract @ We No Fun
Atlanta supergroup Thy Mighty Contract just released their self-titled debut album last week on Room 10. Thy Mighty Contract is made up of members of Blame Game, Fagstatic, I Would Set Myself on Fire For You, The Orphins, Narcolepsy, Gold Standard and SIDS, and the project manages to blend some very distinct styles into a delectable new flavour which amplifies each of the member’s individual strengths. In terms of supergroups, it doesn’t get much better. It’s great to hear some more of Thomas Barnwell’s signature guitar sound as it seems like I have been waiting an eternity for a new Orphins record. Orphins‘ Daniel Upton also mixed this album, so their fingerprint is very present, but Lindsey Harbour’s vocals take the thing in a completely different direction. Her voice has this weird, almost Kim Gordon-esque character to it behind the punky yelling and screaming that I absolutely love. The record is a brutal but beautiful blast that seems to end too soon. Here’s a few cuts:
Thy Mighty Contract : Conjugal Freelance
Thy Mighty Contract : Partners In Crime
Read an interview from Pine with the band
Here is a video of them at Corndogorama last year:
You can catch Thy Mighty Contract live on the following dates:
4/18 @ Criminal Records (Record Store Day)
5/8 @ 529
6/16 @ Lenny’s
And finally, Hawks‘ Mike Keenan designed the artwork:
- Posted by Davy Minor on March 24, 2009 at 4:46 pm
- 1 Comment
Underground Hottlanta: Nomen Novum
Moorish Idols @ Home Park Fest 2007
Much like how Merriweather Post Pavilion has set the bar very high for 2009 albums on a nationwide level, Nomen Novum’s debut full-length, November, may very well end up being the best album to come out of Atlanta this year. For those of you who are not in the know, Nomen Novum is currently made up of two thirds of the now defunct Moorish Idols. The only official record that Moorish Idols released during their tenure was a self-titled EP. That album was our favourite EP from 2007, and I really can’t recommend it enough.
The brainchild of both bands, David Norbery, disbanded Moorish Idols and decided to start over fresh to better express his vision. He focused his attention on his solo project called Nomen Novum, which is literally Latin for “New Name”. I was honestly a bit skeptical at first about the change of direction because I loved the old incarnation so much, but I underestimated one of Atlanta’s best sonic artists. November is a matured, less restrained effort than Moorish Idols, and manages to expand on all of the magic and brilliance that made me a fan in the first place.
What is also interesting about the album is that it is actually a bit of a relic in relation to where Nomen Novum is musically right now. Over the course of last year, the project went from being a full band, to a solo act, to finally a duo comprised of Norbery and fellow Moorish Idols veteran Mark Godfrey. For the better part of last year, Nomen Novum abandoned the guitar driven approach found on November and moved in a loop based direction. At the beginning of this year, the two gathered a small group of close friends in an empty room and recorded the performance. The resulting EP is called Room For Rent and was released for free digitally around the same time they released November. The two releases are almost polar opposite sorts of records. As the band travels farther and farther away from their Moorish Idols roots, there is something truly astonishing about an artist that can continue to redefine themselves and the resulting art continue to be consistently excellent.
I hit up David Norbery via email to get the straight dope on the Nomen Novum happenings:
Me: What was the process like in making November? Where was it recorded? Who was involved?
Him: I started Nomen Novum around August 2007, as a sort of open-ended solo project. I had a lot of songs backed up and wanted to get them out fast (that didn’t exactly happen.) It was a very transitional time for me; my band of several years was ending, I had been through a painful breakup but was starting a new relationship, and some of my best friends had moved away. It was very sad but at the same time I felt a new sense of awareness and freedom to try something new. The album opens with an alarm clock, and a lot of the songs involve awakening from, or coming to terms with a stagnant or ending era. There’s plenty of melancholy and nostalgia but also optimism for the future. Alex Martin played drums on three tracks and gockenspiel on one, everything else is me. I recorded it in my small practice space/studio (formerly my parents’ garage,) where Mantis Man and the Moorish Idols EP were also made. Erik Olson and I mixed it at my house, and Carl Saff in Chicago mastered it. I designed the art and made the outer sleeves and Imprint in Florida did the discs and inserts. The album was delayed for a number of reasons, mainly because I chose to put out the Mantis Man 7” first, and try playing the songs live with a band.
Me: I noticed you had many different lineups for live Nomen Novum shows last year. Have you settled into a permanent lineup now, or will this project be one that remains in constant flux?
Him: We played a handful of local shows with rotating members and formed a tighter quartet for a short tour with the Orphins, but the “band” thing never quite gelled. We weren’t all on the same page stylistically, and I was getting more into repetitive, loop based songwriting, which didn’t always require accompaniment. After the tour I did a solo set at WonderRoot, playing drums and guitar to prerecorded loops. I was kind of nervous but it went really well. The material was more conceptual and process-oriented, and wouldn’t have worked in the context of a band. Mark joined and we did another small tour with him on keyboard/laptop and me on guitar, drums and sampler. Since then we’ve gotten more into working with field recordings, and our last few shows haven’t had guitar or drums at all. We’ve discussed working with other musicians but working as a duo hasn’t been a limitation – the standard guitar/bass/drum format, on the other hand, was extremely limiting.
Me: Could you describe what the scene was like when you recorded Room For Rent? Do you have a favourite random moment that showed up on the recording?
Him: Room For Rent was really fun to make. I pitched the idea to Mark as a kind of musical installation. We had an empty bedrom in my house and wanted to take advantage of the acoustics before someone else moved in, so I brought my PA and we threw together a little party. About sixteen of our friends came. The room was tiny and people were constantly entering and leaving, very casual. We got beer and snacks and turned blacklights on. The performance sounds better now than it probably did at the time; I think a lot of our friends thought it was just weird. We tried to keep it loose and interactive, and I think people got a kick out of hearing their conversations looped. There’s a pause at the beginning of “Ready 4 Kidz” where my friend Sean asks if we want some pizza while we play, and that cracked me up so much I actually turned it up during mixing.
Me: What do you and Nomen Novum have planned for 2009?
Him: Mark and I have been collecting samples and live recordings, and figuring out how we want to use them on the new record. I just got a laptop and we’re going to start swapping tracks back and forth via FTP. We also have about an EP’s worth of slightly older tracks that I’m eager to finish and release somehow. A lot of stuff will probably end up on our website, which is a project in itself. I really need to get on the ball about promoting November – I still don’t even have that many copies assembled, which is stupid considering the time and money I’ve spent on the project. I’m supposed to get together with my friend Joey soon to finish editing a video he shot for “Permanent Makeup,” and I’m also trying to plan a tour before my vacation days expire. So I guess that’s a lot. Oh, and shirts! I’m making new tie-dyed shirts.
Me: How do you feel about the Atlanta music scene?
Him: Our scene has a lot of potential – places like WonderRoot, Vacation and 529 are all great examples of people taking initiative and making something cool happen. That said, I am still pretty ambivalent about most of the music that’s coming out of Atlanta – I wish local bands would take more risks instead of staying in comfort zones. I used to go to tons of shows but now I mainly just go to Kirkwood Ballers Club. That’s where the most interesting music is coming from these days and that’s where whatever’s “next” will probably start.
Ok, so here’s some media to get you hooked:
Download Room For Rent for free
- Posted by Davy Minor on February 13, 2009 at 6:04 am
- 1 Comment
The Quest For The Best Atlanta Music Of 2008
No Face @ The Drunken Unicorn (12/3/08)
I’m just finishing up my best Atlanta music list of 2008 and I figured I would talk about a few of the contenders I hadn’t discussed yet this year. When I make my suggested show listings each week, I try to look into as many acts as I can that I don’t recognize playing The Earl or The Drunken Unicorn because their booking is so consistently high quality. I stumbled across an Altanta band I had never heard of called No Face and really loved the couple of songs I heard. I went to see them earlier this month at the Drunken Unicorn, and unfortunately it was very disappointing. Luckily I bought their album before they played, because their album and their live show are as different as night and day. All of You Mean So Much To Me’s strengths are absent from their 3-piece concert setup with uninspiring drumming and bass playing completely drowning out the soft vocals and occasional guitar playing from Chandler Kelley, the obvious brains behind the operation. It’s a shame, but I won’t hold it against his excellent record that I highly recommend getting. The carefully crafted instrumentation perfectly accentuates Kelley’s endearing song-writing, and there seems enormous potential from this ATLien if he can put together a stage act that rivals his splendid studio work.
No Face : If I Found Somewhere To Live
Fag Static
If screamy vocals are an impenetrable fortress between you and enjoying a band, than you should probably skip over this. If you can get beyond that, or even better, get on the vibe with them, this album is incredible. I had never got around to obtaining a copy of this until a few weeks ago, but I have been thoroughly jamming it ever since. Fag Static include half of the retired Atlanta band Blame Game. Fag Static is now actually a dead band as well, as the BG kids continue to jump around from project to project (Keep your ears out for Sunglasses and a Thy Mighty Contract record). So, before this album becomes just another buried treasure of this city’s scene, get hip to it:
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun
Last weekend when I was out in East Atlanta, I ran into a couple of the members of the now defunct Atlanta band Parade. They had come from the Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun show that I had totally forgot about and they highly recommended the band, so I bought both of their records(both came out this year). Upon listening to them, I discovered there are an enormous amount of parallels between Parade and TTMTTS. TTTMTTS is almost a bit too reminiscent honestly, but packaged in a more accessible, dance-rock-dance sort of way. While their songwriting may not be quite as tremendous as Parade’s yet, their execution is rather impressive. They certainly seem to have all the makings of a successful band in this city.
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun : The Lightning Exhibit : Terrain
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun : Hurry Up And Wait : Never. Always. Good.
Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun myspace
Expect my best Atlanta albums of 2008 list by the end of the weekend.
- Posted by Davy Minor on December 27, 2008 at 4:53 am
- No Comments
