Videos: Dead Confederate, Twin Tigers, Morning State @ The Earl (3/27/2009)

Morning State:

Twin Tigers:


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Photos: Dead Confederate, Twin Tigers, Morning State @ The Earl (3/27/09)

Morning State:

More Morning State photos here




Twin Tigers:

More Twin Tigers photos here




Dead Confederate:

More Dead Confederate photos here

Live Review: Athfest (6/21/2008) Athens, Ga

Last Saturday I left the Big A for the Little A. I arrived in downtown Athens mid-afternoon and checked out the scene. There were lots of arts and crafts tables setup along the road and the crowd was very family friendly. It reminded me of the Atlanta neighborhood festivals like Inman Park Fest or Virginia Highlands Summerfest. None of the musical acts on the outdoor stages were really my style, so I went to check out the Wired Dance Musical Festival at some bar called Blur.

The place itself was really cool, with video game machines and TVs setup everywhere and a swank looking waterfall behind the bar. They had a DJ and people doing art on the stage inside and then another DJ outside on their deck. I hung out there for a while, but it wasn’t really my style of techno either.


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Album Review: You Know People I Know People

Morning State: You Know People I Know People

Morning State finally released their debut full-length album last week after having to scrap the first recording due to their label collapsing. You can read all about that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-esque storyline here. The album released is actually from a second, separate recording session earlier this year with Asa Leffer (The Whigs, Dark Meat, The Pendletons) at DARC in Athens, GA over an 11 day span.

The album opens with “Sad Is When I’m Driving” and is the perfect intro track to this band. At moments it is melodic and reserve, others it is rocking hard delivering the best of its collective members. Sweet and concise guitar riffs, driving rhythms on the drums, straightforward, catchy hooks from vocalist Russ Ledford, and a tease of their bottled up potential to jam out. The album builds up momentum with the short second track, “Hurry, Hurry”, before they drop one of the obvious hit songs, “Never So Strange.” The version of this track seems so much more laid back and tentative from what I remember of it live. It helps with the overall flow of the album, but something about the song itself seems lacking.

“Grown Up (Atlanta)” is up next and is my favourite song on this record. I usually go back and listen to this one again every time I put You Know People in my CD player. It channels everything I enjoy about bands like The Foo Fighters and Queens Of the Stone Age. The jam at the end of the next track,”On A Walk,” really sells the guitar work on this album. Evey riff they employ seems to be the right decision for the particular feel they are trying achieve.

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Morning State New Album Finally About To Drop, Tourdates

Morning State‘s debut full-length, You Know People I Know People, is about to drop in a couple of weeks after some drama had delayed it. They had recorded the album last year and before it got released their record label collapsed so they were forced to re-record the entire thing this year over an 11 day span. The finished product sounds really good and I’ll have a full review of the album when it comes out on May 6th. Next week they will leave on a short tour in support of it:

04/23 Birmingham, AL The Nick
04/24 Athens, GA Farm 225
04/25 Chattanooga, TN JJ’s Bohemia
04/26 Atlanta, GA Star Bar
04/28 Charleston, SC Tin Roof
04/30 Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern
05/05 Atlanta, GA The Earl*
05/06 Athens, GA Caledonia Lounge (CD Release Party)*
05/10 New York, NY Mercury Lounge*
05/15 Atlanta, GA Star Bar (Big Trouble In Little 5 / CD Release Party) w/ Casper and The Cookies

*w/ XYZ Affair and JukeBox the Ghost

Here’s the new single that has been circling around the Internets:

Never So Strange

And you can listen to their WRAS 88.5 FM acoustic session here.

Monday Mash-Up

March is going to be a crazy month here at Ohmpark. This week, I’m heading down to South Florida to catch Langerado. As soon as i get back from that next week, I’m flying to Austin to catch SXSW. Before coming back from that, I’m heading out to Savannah for some post-St.Patrick’s Day partying. Between all of that, postings here may get a bit erratic, but barring uncooperative Internet or getting arrested for public intoxication, I should have some hardcore coverage of the events as they happen. As soon as all of that is over, we are going to begin working on an entirely new and different layout for the site that is going to be really cool. Thanks for reading Ohmpark, and spread the word!

The Morning State album, You Know People I Know People, that they had to re-record after issues with their former label is finally seeing a release date on May 3rd. Here’s the new single:

Morning State : You Know People I Know People : Oh Yeah

Outkast‘s Andre 3000 is planning on putting out a solo album this year.

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**Exclusive** Morning State – Live at Album 88


photo by Biggie C

So back in November, I had the pleasure of getting to do an interview with the band Morning State for the college radio station Album 88.5 WRAS, here in Atlanta. While doing the interview, we recorded a couple of acoustic versions of some tracks from their upcoming new album that has been in some label limbo for a while.

Their infectious sound in this stripped down avenue of approach is really reminiscent of Britt Daniel and Spoon. These acoustic renditions are a online EXCLUSIVE here at Ohmpark and I really hope you guys enjoy them!

Oh Yeah (Acoustic) – Morning State

Out For A Walk (Acoustic) – Morning State

AND a heads up…

These guys are playing a show TONIGHT at the Drunken Unicorn with DE NOVO DAHL & SLEEP THERAPY, so hopefully I’ll see you guys there!

Buy Tix to the show HERE

Live Photos, Videos, And Review: Yeasayer, MGMT, Morning State (1/18/2008) The Earl

Before throwing down at 1084 for our party last week, we went down to The Earl to catch this great show. First up was Atlanta’s own Morning State. They had just recently recorded their first full-length album and the label they had just signed to went under, so they had to go and re-record the entire album with Asa Leffert (Dark Meat, The Pendletons, The Whigs) in Athens, Ga so they could release it. Recording an album is a big undertaking, so I’m sure having to do the whole thing again would be frustrating, but it looks like they’ve made the most of it:

“The whole label thing sucked. It was really nice to have someone tell us that they were going to front the money for our album and release it and spend a bunch of cash on marketing it. When the label folded we had hoped to keep what we recorded but in order to do that we would have had to sign another contract and we decided it was best to walk away from that whole mess and just do it all over,” says frontman Russ Ledford. “We’re really excited to have a chance to re-make the album though and create something even better. We also have a lot of energy because of this whole situation, and I think that’ll really come out in the recordings.”

This recent show they brought it hard and I think they were the best I’ve seen them live yet:


Photo by Biggie C

Next up was Yeasayer, whose album All Hour Cymbals I’ve been jamming hard since I discovered it. The four-piece were incredible live and had so much energy on stage. The lead singer somehow cut his hand when he was jumping on his monitor and had blood running down his arm for half of the show, but it didn’t seem to phase him too much. Biggie C took some photos:


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Photos: Band Together: A Benefit For Refugee Family Services ft. Morning State, Mack Messiah, The Pendletons, Preston Craig, Delta Company @ The Earl

Wednesday night people from around the Atlanta community gathered to raise money and awareness for Refugee Family Services. Sorry to Delta Company for not getting photos because the first time I got to the earl that night I forgot my camera battery and had to run home to get it. Shout out to Preston Craig for playing in between sets. Thanks to Alex, Julie, and all the other people from Refugee Family services for putting this great event together.

The Pendletons

Mack Messiah

Morning State

Video of the Day: Carlos Santana

So I had Zack and Russell from the band Morning State in the studio with me at Album 88 tonight and we got to talking about these parody videos with classic guitar players shredding real badly that I had to share. The guy’s channel that these are off of is full of these parody videos. Enjoy!

Ohmpark Presents: Band Together

We have one more big music event left this year, and here it is:

That’s right, a ton of great tunes for an even greater cause. Check it:


Some of Georgia’s hottest indie music acts have united to play the first ever “Band Together” benefit for Refugee Family Services on November 28th at the Earl. Bringing local musicians together to raise awareness about the growing refugee community in Atlanta, Band Together will be a night of entertainment to benefit Refugee Family Services. The line-up for the evening includes local bands: Morning State, The Pendletons, Delta Company, and Mack Messiah. Also, DJ Preston Craig (KISSAtlanta/Decatur Social Club) will be on hand to MC the event and will DJ between live sets.

Morning State and The Pendletons recently performed at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York, attracting significant national press attention. Morning State received a sterling live review from SPIN Magazine, among others. Athens, GA’s The Pendletons brought its unique brand of pop-leaning indie rock to sets with Casper and the Cookies, The Silent Years, Dead Confederate, and more. DJ Preston Craig has established himself as a revered DJ, event promoter, and local music advocate. Check out a powerful feature story on Craig in Creative Loafing. Mack Messiah has long been a staple of the Atlanta music scene, and frontman Kenny Crucial has gained significant attention as “Atlanta’s Biggest Music Fan” (Atlanta Music Guide). Delta Company is a new lo-fi blues rock group featuring several veteran Atlanta musicians.

The Band Together event hopes to bring the pressing issue of the needs of Atlanta refugees to the local arts and music community. “Band Together is a great opportunity to enjoy great local music while also supporting the refugee community”, says Rahul Desai, New Arrivals Coordinator at Refugee Family Services.

Raffles for a variety of prizes from supportive local businesses will also be held: Sweetgrass Wellness Spa, The Kingfisher Café, Brick Store Pub, Decatur CD, Java Monkey, Sevananda Natural Foods Market, Criminal Records, Abbadabbas, and Ten Thousand Villages. The Ohmpark Atlanta Music Blog is a lead media sponsor of the event, and artist advocacy firm indie outlaw (home to Morning State and The Pendletons) is also providing publicity sponsorship.

Atlanta is the seventh largest destination in the United States for international refugees seeking to rebuild their lives. More than 35,000 refugees have arrived in the past decade to Georgia, joining a thriving international community – sharing art, culture and cuisine while contributing greatly to the community. These women, men and children are among 14 million refugees worldwide that have been forced to flee violent persecution in their homeland but have been given an opportunity by the U.S. government to rebuild their lives in the safe haven of the metro Atlanta community.

About Refugee Family Services:
Refugee Family Services (RFS) is a metro Atlanta nonprofit organization that supports the efforts of refugee/immigrant women and children to achieve self-sufficiency in the United States by providing education and economic opportunity. RFS provides services in 20 languages to more than 2,500 refugee women and their families each year. RFS programs include women’s support, including health education, life skills, English as a second language, domestic violence crisis intervention and prevention and job placement. Programs focused for children and youth refugees include support with school transition, after school programs, tutoring and a summer camp.

Resources:
Morning State: http://www.myspace.com/morningstate
DJ Preston Craig / Decatur Social Club: http://www.myspace.com/kissatlanta
Mack Messiah: http://www.myspace.com/mackmessiah
The Pendletons: http://www.myspace.com/pendletons
Delta Company: http://www.myspace.com/deltacotheband

Lead Sponsors:
Refugee Family Services: http://www.refugeefamilyservices.org/
Ohmpark: http://www.ohmpark.com
indie outlaw: http://www.indieoutlaw.com

Here’s a little preview:

Morning State : Spectacular
The Pendletons : Not Gonna Stop
The Pendletons:

Delta Company : Travelin’ Pains
Mack Messiah : Hungry Soul

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