Now, history tells me that there is no way February can maintain the same pace in terms of the quantity and quality of music, but looking down this sizable list of upcoming releases, I see no reason why lightning can’t strike twice. Already we’ve been handed another pulverizing post-metal jam courtesy of Stallone and there’s a lot of great stuff to wade through on the not one, but TWO heRobust releases that came out yesterday. And while there is enough music here to keep anybody busy for a few weeks, there are always records I have overlooked and new bands that I haven’t accounted for. So who knows? Maybe February will turn out to be an even better month for Atlanta music. Anything is possible, and so far 2012 has shown signs that this may be a watershed year for the local scene. Whether or not that turns out to be true is anyone’s guess, but I, for one, can’t wait to hear what comes next.

heRobust – Late Night
Release Date: February 1
Label: Saturate Records

Release Info:
The first of two releases out this month from experimental beatsmith heRobust, Late Night is available digitally now through Saturate Records. Order includes a limited-edition 7″ while supplies last.

Late Night tracklist:
01. Facebook Lift
02. Finders Bleepers
03. Coma Toast
04. Atlantarctica
05. Souled Out
06. Frontman Bandwidth
07. Dopplegang Bang
08. In Da Lab

heRobust – Morning After
Release Date: February 1
Label: Saturate Records

Release Info:
The second of two releases out this month from experimental beatsmith heRobust, Morning After is available digitally now through Saturate Records. Order includes a limited-edition 7″ while supplies last.

Morning After tracklist:
01. Crystalinstrumental
02. Swagriculture
03. Abdominull
04. Cup Song
05. Free Whole Less
06. Chaka Con Artist
07. Rhode Kill
08. Superfume

More Info:
Web: www.herobust.com
Bandcamp: www.herobust.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/herobust

Stallone – “The Battle of Miami”
Release Date: February 1
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Featuring members of MonstrO and Big Jesus, instrumental post-metal titans Stallone have made their third single, “The Battle of Miami,” available as a free download on their Bandcamp page.

“The Battle of Miami” tracklist:
01. The Battle of Miami

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.stallone.bandcamp.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/stallonestallone

The Quaildogs – Extended Play
Release Date: February 1
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Local alt-country outfit the Quaildogs have released their five-song debut EP, Extended Play. The record is available now as a digital download and will be available on CD on February 18.

The Quaildogs will celebrate the release of Extended Play on Saturday, February 18th at Vinyl. Supporting them will be Georgia. Doors open at 8pm. $10 gets you in.

Extended Play tracklist:
01. Medicated
02. Down
03. Em
04. Fine by Me
05. Waiting On You

More Info:
Web: www.thequaildogs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQuaildogs
Bandcamp: www.thequaildogs.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thequaildogs

Sleepy Genes – “Passion People”
Release Date: February 1
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Atlanta rockers Sleepy Genes have released the first of four singles in what is a grouped release that will be titled the People EP. Each single will feature a similar but unique cover and will be available on CD and digitally.

“Passion People” tracklist:
01. Passion People

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.sleepygenes.bandcamp.com

Tree Witch – Evil Twin
Release Date: February 7
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Experimental soundscapist Tree Witch is set to release another ambient drone-infested EP. The five-song Evil Twin will be available for download through the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Evil Twin tracklist:
01. Drone 1 [Abmaj
02. Succession of Ordinary Days
03. Evil Twin
04. Drone 2 [Dmaj]
05. Old House

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.treewitch.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/treewitchmusic

Lyric Jones – Jones St.
Release Date: February 7
Label: Jones 4 Lyric

Release Info:
One of Atlanta’s finest and most versatile emcees—male or female—Lyric Jones drops her debut full-length, Jones St., next Tuesday. It will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

Jones St. tracklist:
01. Appetizer Menu
02. Trapped in the City Lights
03. Gotta Go (feat. Aleon Craft & Playboy Tre)
04. 23rd St.
05. Where’s the Rent (Interlude)
06. Fearless (feat. Young Scolla)
07. Loss On Repeat (feat. Esperanza Spalding)
08. Tin Can
09. Sunshine (Remix)
10. Where You Atl – Lil John Roberts (Interlude)
11. Downtime (feat. J-Live)
12. Mr. DC
13. Middle of the World
14. Sha Dop (feat. StaHHr & Methuzulah)
15. Yousa ILL Emcee – Phife Dawg of ATCQ (Interlude)
16. 20 Mins

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.lyricjones.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelyricjones
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lyricjones

CUSSES – CUSSES
Release Date: February 11
Label: HA! Records

Release Info:
Savannah rockers CUSSES have been making a sizable splash in the ATL and their stock should only grow with the release of their self-titled debut. It will be available on CD, vinyl and through most digital retailers.

CUSSES will celebrate the release of their self-titled debut LP on Saturday, February 11th at 529. Supporting them will be Cloudeater and ODIST. Doors open at 8:30pm. $5 gets you in.

CUSSES tracklist:
01. The Wait is Over
02. Head On a Stick
03. Blood Everywhere
04. Hey You
05. Goosebump
06. Worst Enemy
07. Cuss
08. Custody
09. Don’t Give In
10. Memorial

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.cusses.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cusses

The Sexual Side Effects – High Maintenance
Release Date: February 11
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Eclectic alt-rockers the Sexual Side Effects will release their debut EP, High Maintenance, on February 11th. The five-song effort will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

The Sexual Side Effects will celebrate the release of High Maintenance on Saturday, February 11th at the Masquerade. Supporting them will be DJ Tiny Tears, DJ Westwood-A-Go-Go, DJ Dr. Sax and MC Dax ExclamationPoint. Doors open at 9pm. $10 gets you in.

High Maintenance tracklist:
01. Aurora
02. All She’ll Ever Hurt
03. I’m in Love With a Girl (But She Used to be a Man)
04. An Hour Ago
05. Aurora (Acoustic)

More Info:
Web: www.thesexualsideeffects.com
Bandcamp: www.thesexualsideeffects.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sseband
Twitter: www.twitter.com/the_sse

Baby Baby – “Haters”
Release Date: February 14
Label: The Gospel of Rhythm Recordings

Release Info:
Local “fun rockers” Baby Baby are set to release a new single this Valentine’s Day called “Haters.” It will be available through their label’s Bandcamp page and through most digital retailers.

Haters tracklist:
01. Haters
02. Haters (clean)

More Info:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/babybabylovesyou
Twitter: www.twitter.com/babybabyband

Superpill – Hey Mary
Release Date: February 14
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Garage-punk trio Superpill are set to release a new two-song single this Valentine’s Day. It will be a digital-only effort available through the group’s Bandcamp page.

Hey Mary tracklist:
01. Hey Mary
02. Brain Dead Bitch

More Info:
Web: www.superpill.posterous.com
Bandcamp: www.superpill.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/superpill

img src=”http://latestdisgrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/babybaby.jpg” alt=”Baby Baby” title=”Baby Baby” width=”615″ height=”383″ class=”posts” />

Baby Baby – “Haters”
Release Date: February 14
Label: The Gospel of Rhythm Recordings

Release Info:
Local “fun rockers” Baby Baby are set to release a new single this Valentine’s Day called “Haters.” It will be available through their label’s Bandcamp page and through most digital retailers.

Haters tracklist:
01. Haters
02. Haters (clean)

More Info:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/babybabylovesyou
Twitter: www.twitter.com/babybabyband

Eliza Kelley – Broken
Release Date: February 18
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Singer-songwriter Eliza Kelley (also of Divine Isis) is set to release her debut full-length later this month. The ten-song LP will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

Eliza Kelley will celebrate the release of Broken on Saturday, February 18th at Red Light Cafe. Doors open at 9pm. Admission in $7.

Broken tracklist:
01. Urgency
02. Savior
03. Wash of Love
04. The Mistress Song
05. Broken
06. Colors
07. Perspective
08. The Garden
09. Stranger
10. Done with You

More Info:
Web: www.elizakelley.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheElizaKelleyProject

Damon Moon & the Whispering Drifters – Lungs, Dirt & Dreams
Release Date: February 21
Label: Adair Park Recordings

Release Info:
Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters’ much-anticipated sophomore full-length will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters will celebrate the release of Lungs, Dirt & Dreams on Saturday, February 25th at the Basement. Supporting them will be Sleepy Genes and Cassandras. Doors open at 9pm.

Lungs, Dirt & Dreams tracklist:
01. June 22, AR
02. Lungs, Dirt & Dreams
03. We Nominate Ourselves as Heroes of Our Own Stories
04. Further On
05. Restless Roads End
06. Robert Pirsig’s Blues
07. The Fool
08. Ten Sleep, WY
09. Loose Ends
10. Seasonal Suite No. 62
11. Gild the Lily
12. We Make Our Own Traditions, Homesick Blues

More Info:
Web: www.lungsdirtanddreams.com
Bandcamp: www.dmatwd.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dmatwd
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dmatwd

Vancouver – Elegant Violence Since 1985
Release Date: February 24
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Singer-songwriter Chris Adams, aka Vancouver, has a new record coming out at the end of the month. The nine-song full-length will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

Vancouver will celebrate the release of Elegant Violence Since 1985 on Friday, February 24th at the Masquerade. Supporting him will be Austin Archer, Fyn, Ghost Town Commons and Jesse the Great Perhaps. Doors open at 7pm. $6 gets you in.

Elegant Violence Since 1985 tracklist:
01.Tri Color Shuffle
02. Bat Girl
03. La Porte
04. Speckled Red
05. Scorpio
06. Heavy Heart
07. Love Me If You Dare
08. Stepping Stone
09. Granted

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.vancouveratl.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Vancouveratl

StoneRider – Fountains Left to Wake
Release Date: February 24
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Bluesy stoner rock trio StoneRider are ready to unveil their sophomore full-length, Fountains Left to Wake, on February 24th. It will be available on CD and through most digital outlets.

StoneRider will celebrate the release of Fountains Left to Wake on Friday, February 24th at Avatar. Doors open at 9pm. Admission is FREE.

Fountains Left to Wake tracklist:
01. When I Was Young
02. Trigger Happy
03. Undercover
04. Hot Summer Nights
05. You Don’t Even Have to Try
06. When the Sun Goes Down
07. Say I Won’t
08. El Dorado
09. Fire And Brimstone
10. Red Moon
11. Show Me The Light
12. Too Many Times
13. Lady And I
14. Interlude
15. Don’t Forget to Breathe
16. The Sleeper

More Info:
Web: www.stoneriderband.com
Bandcamp: www.stonerider.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stoneriderband

Cute Boots – Born and Raised 7″
Release Date: February 25
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
February 25th marks the release date for Cute Boots’ debut 7″ Born and Raised. The two-song single will be available on vinyl (of course) and through most digital retailers.

Cute Boots will celebrate the release of the Born and Raised 7″ on Saturday, February 25th at the Earl. Supporting them will be Sealions, and Natalie Prass. Doors open at 9pm. $7 gets you in.

Born and Raised 7″ tracklist:
Side A
01. The Fire
Side B
02. Tread No Longer, Friend

More Info:
Web: www.cutebootsband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CuteBootsBand

Cassandras – Invitation to Love
Release Date: February 25
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
The cover art and tracklist order is still undecided, but it looks fairly certain that a new Cassandras EP will make its way into the world on February 24th. It will be available on CD and through most digital retailers.

Cassandras will celebrate the release of Invitation to Love on Saturday, February 25th at the Basement. Headlining the show will be Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters. Sleepy Genes will also perform. Doors open at 9pm.

Invitation to Love tracklist:
01. No Time for Sleeping
02. This Love
03. Not Likely
04. Never Coming Back
05. Slow Boat Coming

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.cassandras.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cassandrasmusic

HALMOS – Vicious Cycle
Release Date: February 25
Label: Self-released

Release Info:
Local riffmongers HALMOS bring their crushing guitars and aggressive Southern grooves to their new EP, Vicious Cycle. The five-song effort will be available on limited-edition CD and through most digital retailers.

HALMOS will celebrate the release of Vicious Cycle on Saturday, February 25th at the Masquerade. Headlining the show will be Order of the Owl. Wolves and Jackals and Demonaut will also perform. Doors open at 8pm. $6 gets you in.

Vicious Cycle tracklist:
01. Datura
02. Patterns
03. Theory
04. Prophet of Two
05. Antithesis Superstructure

More Info:
Web: www.halmosband.wordpress.com
Bandcamp: www.halmosband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/halmosband

It’s finally settled.

When MonstrO guitarist Juan Montoya and Big Jesus drummer Evan Diprima released “La Cobra” in April of last year, there was some question as to whether the duo was truly serious about their endeavor or if Stallone was merely an occasional diversion for shits and grins. Since that time, the twosome’s creative output has been sporadic—another thunderous post-metal jam called “Wondrous Beast” was revealed in May followed by the duo’s hilarious video for “La Cobra,” released just last month. And while all of it has been excellent—sometimes enthralling—stuff, you can’t help but feel that it’s the work of two bros just horsing around in the studio and having a shitload of fun in the process. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s not exactly the recipe for a long-term commitment.

But last night things got a little more serious. The band announced via Facebook they had recruited bassist C.J. Ridings (Big Jesus) and guitarist Thomas Gonzalez to fill out the roster—additions which will allow the group to begin booking and playing shows, the first of which will take place on Monday, February 27th at 529. To celebrate the announcement, Stallone also released a titanic third single, “The Battle of MIami,” which finds the band sounding heavier and more sonically ambitious than ever before. Touchstones would include Russian Circles and maybe Isis, but this is definitely Montoya’s show meaning you’ll get all the pulverizing classic metal galloping and psychedelic Southern sludge riffage you can handle. Check it out below and then head over to the group’s Bandcamp where you can snag the track—and everything else they’ve done—for free.

Stallone will make its live debut on Monday, February 27th at 529. Supporting them will be Wymns Prysyn and Nigredo. Doors open at 9pm. Admission is FREE.

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.stallone.bandcamp.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/stallonestallone

Does anybody else remember a semi-grungy, somewhat punk foursome out of Seattle called Hammerbox? In 1993 the band released their sophomore LP, Numb, and I probably spent the next two years devouring every second of that record. I only bring them up now because I miss the hell out of that band and up-and-coming Savannah trio CUSSES happens to remind me of them—the angular guitars, the driving rhythms, the heavy hooks and taut energy. Frontwoman Angel Bond has a similar attitude and vocal approach as Hammberbox’s Carrie Akre and I’m really enjoying what she’s doing here on “Worst Enemy,” the latest single from the band’s forthcoming self-titled debut on HA! Records. The song’s traditional song structure isn’t exactly revelatory—much like this Bob Jones-directed studio-to-stage video, it strikes all the familiar chords and goes exactly where you expect it to. But I can’t deny that the guitars have some teeth and Bond manages to project a passionate persona while still striking a smoky, ultra-cool pose. That’s no easy trick to pull off and definitely reason enough to keep an ear out for CUSSES in 2012.

CUSSES celebrates the release of their self-titled debut LP on Saturday, February 11th at 529. Supporting them will be Cloudeater and ODIST. Doors open at 8:30pm. $5 gets you in.

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.cusses.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cusses

Click on a photo to enlarge.

© Copyright 2012 Brandon Belcher

If you paid attention to Atlanta music in the early-to-mid ’00s, you may have run across a seven-man post-punk juggernaut called Partisan that featured a young Lee Tesche (now with Lyonnais) on guitar and Ryan Mahan on bass. The band fluctuated between scathing punk-hardcore and more experimental, pop and rock deconstruction, but everything they did—not matter how abberrant or abrasive—was daring and unapologetically political. I liked the band so much that I signed them to my then fledgling (now defunct) record label, Reason Y Records, and managed to release a couple of full-lengths before the band’s untimely demise in the late summer of 2006.

Recently, Tesche made me privy to a project he has been working on with Mahan and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Franklin James Fisher since Partisan called it quits. Named Algiers, the group is in many ways the logical musical heir to Partisan, trading away some of the former band’s rage and vitriol in exchange for a more nuanced sound steeped in gospel, soul and experimental noise. But judging from their first 7-inch—out today via Double Phantom Records—the music remains just as dark, acerbic and refreshingly unpredictable.

Opening salvo “Blood” is an eerie slave-folk spiritual that utilizes stomping hand claps and rattlesnake tambourine to conjure an atmosphere of deep dread. But it isn’t until the spectral bursts of atonal guitar begin to drift in that everything congeals and you realize how potent the song really is. It’s an absolute stunner of a track and easily one of the most compelling and unique pieces of music that I’ve heard in quite some time.

Stream “Blood” and the single’s B-side, “Black Eunuch,” below and then head over to Double Phantom to snag yourself a copy. The record will also be available for free at Criminal Records with the purchase of any Geographic North, Double Phantom and/or Hoss Records release.

More Info:
Web: www.algierstheband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Algierstheband
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlgiersMusic

THIS WEEK’S BEST BET:

The Kills
w/ JEFF the Brotherhood, Hunters
Wednesday, February 1
The Masquerade – 695 North Avenue in Atlanta 30308
Admission $20 / Purchase Tickets

You’d think that Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince would have run out of ideas by now. After all their, set-up is so simple—just some guitars and a drum machine cranking out punchy, pop-infused blues jams. But over the course of their four studio albums and four EPs, the duo have managed to turn their decidedly minimalist approach into a slow-simmering, smoky-cool art form. Few bands exhibit the degree of sleazy sexual tension that the Kills routinely deliver and there’s a lot to be said about their ability to wring so much seductive noise out of music that’s fundamentally dark and vicious. But therein lies the magic. You could criticize the twosome for playing it so close to the hilt and sticking with the limited contours of their base garage rock aesthetic record after record (although I’d argue that the group’s latest album, Blood Pressures, is the most expansive of their career), but with a chemistry this intense and an arsenal of dirty hooks that bite and snarl, you’d be hard-pressed to find a band with as much badass attitude and swagger as the Kills.

THE BEST OF THE REST:

Scott H. Biram
w/ Lydia Loveless
Monday, January 30
The Earl – 466 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316
Admission $10 / Purchase Tickets

Order of the Owl
w/ Death of Kings, Prime Mover
Tuesday, January 31
Star Zone – 4500 Satellite Blvd NW #1240 in Duluth 30096
Admission is FREE

Jeff Mangum
An Evening with Jeff Mangum
Wednesday, February 1
Variety Playhouse – 1099 Euclid Avenue in Atlanta 30307
SOLD OUT!

Cassandras
w/ The Shape, Sleepy Genes
Wednesday, February 1
The Drunken Unicorn – 736 Ponce De Leon Place NE in Atlanta 30306
Admission $6

Hip to Death
w/ Methods of Espionage, The Flannels
Wednesday, February 1
529 – 529 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316
Admission $5

Swank Sinatra
w/ New Terminus, Mice in Cars
Wednesday, February 1
Star Bar – 437 Moreland Avenue in Atlanta 30307
Admission $5

Adron
w/ Spirits and the Melchizedek Children, We the Lion
Thursday, February 2
The Earl – 466 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316
Admission $7 / Purchase Tickets

Liturgy
w/ When Pain is King, Scarab
Thursday, February 2
The Masquerade – 695 North Avenue in Atlanta 30308
Admission $20 / Purchase Tickets

From Exile
w/ Lazer/Wulf, Brain
Friday, February 3
The Drunken Unicorn – 736 Ponce De Leon Place NE in Atlanta 30306
Admission $7

Pillage & Plunder
w/The Violent, Absence of Ocean, Full Net
Friday, February 3
WonderRoot – 982 Memorial Drive SE in Atlanta 30316
Admission $5

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun
w/ Sleepy Vikings, The Pauses
Friday, February 3
529 – 529 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316
Admission $7

Weird Wives
w/ A. Grimes, Death Domain
Saturday, February 4
529 – 529 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316
Admission is FREE

Attention System
w/ Death is a Dialogue, Five Knives, Kid Portugal
Saturday, February 4
Star Bar – 437 Moreland Avenue in Atlanta 30307
Admission $8

Recently, I expressed my preference for the more manic and aggressive Mice in Cars—the one with the slashing guitars and screamed vocals. But after watching this indieATL session, I have to admit that this more atmospheric version—the one with the textured grooves and melodic singing—isn’t bad in a pinch. Taken from their 2009 EP, 53 Bicycles and a Dead Man, “All Birds Are Edible” finds the trio doing their best Hum impression with the echoing ambiance of the trio’s more spacious musings paving the way for some seriously thunderous, alt-rock riffage. It’s a well-worn sound that’s been done countless times before, but Mice in Cars manage to keep things dynamic and fairly interesting.

More Info:
Bandcamp: www.miceincars.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miceincars
Twitter: www.twitter.com/miceincars

Remember when you were in high school—how weird, awkward and wonderful every relationship was? How everything seemed stuffed to overflowing with some inscrutably deeper meaning and life-or-death urgency like the universe would collapse in on itself RIGHT NOW if you didn’t spend every waking second in one another’s company? Man, that shit was stressful. And also incredibly, maddeningly awesome.

This new video from Savannah’s Dare Dukes taps into that same sense of nostalgia and innocence when our minds and bodies were bound to the impulsive whims of young love. There’s something sweet and endearing about this young couple who flee the confines of suburbia in order to spend the day exploring Austin on their bicycles. Director Max Benitez does an excellent job of keeping the mood light and whimsical (nice flat 360s, dude) without losing the romantic allure of travel, escape and star-crossed souls. It’s not exactly Romeo and Juliet, but it retains a certain poetic spirit nonetheless. Simply fantastic.

More Info:
Web: www.daredukes.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dare.dukes
Bandcamp: www.daredukes.bandcamp.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/daredukes

Now that the black specter of SOPA/PIPA has been temporarily lifted (although the more despicable and dangerous international ACTA treaty has now reared its head), it’s interesting to go back and listen to these two new tracks from Drew Haddon—alias Warning Light—written in protest of the obscenely toxic online legislation. There’s a palpable sense of looming dread that weaves through his dark, brooding synth drones and minimalist percussion—they feel malevolently cold and distant, cut off from almost any vestige of humanity. In this sense, these songs sound less like angry protest and more like a document of the disgust and unease felt by so many who saw the future of an open internet threatened by government’s vast overreach. It’s powerfully unnerving music and a bleak reminder for all of us to remain steadfast and vigilant in our opposition.

Give a listen to the single’s first track, “Blacked Out,” below and then head over to Warning Light’s Bandcamp page where you can grab both tracks for whatever price you choose.

More Info:
Web: www.warninglight.blogspot.com
Bandcamp: www.warninglight.bandcamp.com

Click on a photo to enlarge.

© Copyright 2012 Brandon Belcher