Saturday, October 30, 2010

Saturday, November 13th is the Lighthouse & The Whaler

The Lighthouse & The Whaler perform at the Drunken Unicorn on Saturday, November 13th, 2010.



Despite its nautical name, The Lighthouse and the Whaler was born in a field. It was a warm day in Northern Ohio, and three local musicians – Michael LoPresti, Aaron Smith and Evan Storey – had gathered for an outdoor photo shoot. While waiting for the photographer to arrive, the ad hoc trio took up their instruments and tried their hands at a musical collaboration. “We went into the field, set up some chairs and started playing some chords, layering them on top of an original melody line,” explains LoPresti. “As we played, we were blown away by how catchy it was.” So were the people passing by the field—people who parked their cars on the side of the road to listen and take pictures of this newly formed band. “That’s the first moment we realized this is something we should do.”

Since its founding, The Lighthouse and the Whaler has continued its grassroots approach. In late 2008 it self-produced its first EP, A Whisper, A Clamour. The band’s blend of ethereal folk and sweeping harmonies quickly caught the attention of Paste, which featured the band’s first single – “Field Song” – on its acclaimed CD sampler. The band also earned early praise and recognition from Under the Radar and FILTER, which in July 2009 declared The Lighthouse and the Whaler its “Unsigned Band of the Month.”

While holding odd jobs as graphic designers, grocery clerks and freelance musicians, the band worked for its rightful place in the Midwest music scene, before embarking on its first tours of the East and West Coasts. During these self-directed tours and local shows, The Lighthouse and the Whaler shared the stage with notable indie and Americana acts including Sufjan Stevens, A.A. Bondy, Alejandro Escevedo, Hallelujah the Hills, Ha Ha Tonka and Margot and The Nuclear So and So's.

These live performances gave The Lighthouse and the Whaler exposure to new audiences and offered a chance to experiment with and manipulate new songs before heading to the studio. After nine months of writing and tinkering in Cleveland, The Lighthouse and the Whaler released its debut, self-titled LP in 2010, just as they were named “Best Indie Artist” at the 2010 Cleveland Music Awards. Described as “colorful, eccentric and fantastically triumphant,” the album showcases the band’s ability to take seemingly simple instrumentations and layer them into something powerful and strong. “Windows” and “Of the Heavens and the Earth” offer punctuated melodies and sustained harmonies, while “Under Mountain, Under Ground” billows with energy and emotion.

“Our music is brewing underneath,” says LoPresti. “You won’t find the emotional thing you grab right away, but you feel the depth of where it comes from,” depth that is greatly influenced by the band members’ studies in literature, philosophy and theology, as well as their spiritual upbringings. The band also takes inspiration from other musicians, especially those of the 1960s who used rock and folk in countercultural ways. But even this band, which takes its name from Moby Dick, knows music is more than taking a chapter out of someone else’s book.

“I can draw back to certain songs or albums because they were meaningful in a particular moment,” LoPresti recalls. “We want people to interpret and correlate our music with experiences in their own lives: struggles, triumphs, good times and bad. We’ve equated music to be something by which people can really be changed and moved. There’s something beautiful in music and powerful in music and when faced with a choice of this or other things – other ways to make money or other ways to fill our heads – we would choose this every time.”

The Lighthouse & The Whaler on Facebook

The Mad Flight are opening the show.



The Mad Flight is Paul Cantrell, David Fountain and Heath Ladnier. I recently had the pleasure of asking Paul a few questions. You should really give it a read as the answers are well thought out and really portray a devoted view on the artistic world to which the band contributes. He has some good things to say about many Atlanta bands and whats going on around the city in the music community. The Mad Flight is an indie band with a really unique sound. As you'll find out below…these guys have been working and perfecting their sound for some time and they are on the verge of making things happen for themselves. They have an indie sound with what I call a Sinatra twist throughout. They have a sort of dream effect to many of their songs which puts off a real sense of passion in the music. They say below that they wail, howl and croon and I think that just about describes it perfectly. They will be replacing the lower quality demos on their myspace with higher quality stuff really soon and I can't wait for that. I'm also hoping to book them at the beatlanta house soon. They are playing at 529 on October 1st for the It's Elephants fair well show so make it out to that….I think beatlanta will. The pictures were provided by the band and they were nice enough to include links to all the bands they mention. The video is not beatlanta video but just one I found on youtube shot by Matthew Walker, In Stereo Photography. Sit, look, read….

B: When did The Mad Flight form? Who plays what? How does everyone know each other?

Dave and I met the summer we turned 18. We recorded and played shows for a few years, mostly acoustic. Then I moved John, my best friend from Baltimore, down here to play drums. Before long, Dave went off to NYU for grad school, and I went back to Baltimore to finish a novel. When the two of us moved back here, we agreed to reform the band as two bands—one for my songs, one for Dave’s. Then our best friend, John, was murdered in the bar where he working. The Mad Flight formed two months later, in March of 2009. That was around the time that Heath and I met, but he didn’t start playing drums with us until recently. I’m pretty sure that Heath and Dave met on a Fur Bus that my friends rented for my birthday last year, but that’s another story. I howl and croon and play guitar. Dave wails and soars and plays bass. Heath doles thunder.

B: Do you have any albums out now or coming soon that we should know about?

We plan to record an album in the next few months.

B: Do you have any upcoming shows and/or tour plans?

On Friday, October 1st, we’re playing a free show at 529 with our good friends, It’s Elephant’s. It will be their last show together, and it means a lot to us to be a part of it.

B: What are your goals as a band?

To live out our years in heat of blood.

B: Describe a Mad Flight show.

Garrett, from It’s Elephant’s and The Letters Organize, once described our sound as “towering, romantic.” He’s a kind man. There’s also the bombastic element to what we do, but it’s all within what feels like a pretty sturdy melodic framework.

B: What experience above all others do you hope fans take away from the show?

I think that if you’re going to take time in your life to see a band, then that band should do everything it can to give you the time of your life.

B: Tell us about your writing process.

Usually I’ll play with the words for a while, working out the relation between sound and sense. On a good day, that relation will be informed by the melody and by what the entire band is doing in the arrangement. As for the music, I try to have all of the parts worked out first. Then Dave and Heath find better parts to play.

B: Describe your music in one word.

In a fit of headiness, I once asked Dave what the aesthetic constant was. All he said was, “Rocking.”

B: Are there any major influences that influence your sound or made you want to start your band?

Any given song will have its own set of influences. Some people have said that we sound like a mash-up of early Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead—them in a bar fight, or some such. And by “bar” they mean Robert Pollard’s basement. Those are flattering comparisons, but they probably have more to do with tone than with the songs themselves.

B: Are there any major influences the entire band shares, music or otherwise?

I think we all agreed on early Weezer. Heath has been known to call people over late at night to perform the blue album in its entirety. I recall that at one point we also agreed on the early, piano-driven Muse material, like “Absolution.” Dave’s a walking encyclopedia of music, and I haven’t heard of half the bands that Heath references. Our individual influences run the gamut, but they meet in unexpected ways that we like.

B: Describe the Atlanta music scene in one word.

Lush.

B: What local bands would you recommend to your fans and fans of local music?

I admire the ways that Abby Gogo and The N.E.C. are expanding shoegaze. Howlies, Gold-Bears, CAN CAN, All the Saints, Mermaids, and Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun all put on a hell of a show. This Piano Plays Itself, Mice in Cars, Imagination Head, and Lacuna M. are doing impressive things in terms of conceptualization and structure, albeit in drastically different ways. The same goes for what Dave Daniels is doing with Americana. Anything involving Tom Cheshire is going to make for a great night. I’ve also made no secret of my hope that The Long Shadows will reunite. There are too many to list. I openly defy anyone to try shaking a stick at how many amazing bands are in this city.

B: What are your favorite non-local bands?

Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets is a great band out of Florida. Sleeping in the Aviary. Deleted Scenes. The Dead Science. Heath just turned me on to Colour Revolt. They’re great, too.

B: Whats your favorite place to hang in Atlanta?

Probably East Atlanta Village. Wherever there’s a good show in town that night.

B: What was the last album you bought?

That Tenement Halls album from a few years ago.

B: How do you advertise your shows?

Word of mouth and the usual websites. We’re on Facebook.

B: Any closing statements or thoughts or anything about the band or your music you want folks to know?

This band has been a long time coming. The old rehearsal demos we have online don’t do anyone much justice. We’ll have better, proper recordings available soon. In the meantime, come see us for yourselves.

Interview by Adam Keen of BeAtlanta.com

The Mad Flight on Facebook

Man Made Sea are the openers.



Man Made Sea is a folk-rock/indie band that hails from LaGrange, Georgia. This high energy band consists of four close friends who have been playing music together for over 5+ years in many different genres, and who separately have been in several local bands performing throughout Georgia and neighboring areas. The band draws influences from Hank Williams to Modest Mouse to The Felice Brothers. With each his own musical talent, the band has its own consistently unique style drawing fans from all backgrounds, and delivering memorable performances every time. Each song and performance speaks with a level of maturity uncommon in such young voices.

As a new band we're still new to this, so cut us a break. We'll play anywhere really, a venue, a bar, a house, your friend's backyard, your friend's parent's barn house, you name it. We're willing to travel too, so don't hesitate.

Man Made Sea Facebook


$5, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

An interview with the Lighthouse & The Whaler @ Atlanta's A List

Friday, October 29, 2010

Chunklet Magazine Presents: Priestess on Friday, November 12th, 2010

Chunklet Magazine presents Priestess on Friday, November 12th, 2010 at the Drunken Unicorn.



While the rest of the world were keeping their sites on the “Montreal Music Explosion” in the winter of 2003, a band of merry miscreants brazenly turned a blind eye to their poppy surroundings and just hunkered down in their dank rehearsal space, wood shedding on what would become their blazing debut record.
After much industry ballyhoo garnered from their intense live set Priestess finally signed a deal with Indica Records in 2004 and released what is widely regarded as one of Canada’s greatest hard rock debuts ever Hello Master. Unlike most hard rock/metal bands that relied solely on ballast and blast to sear their message into gray matter Priestess had a special trick up their sleeve – they could actually write a song that could walk the rope between being infectious just downright viscous. Armed with far more hooks than your average metal band their unique style of pop driven melody with metal muscle and Marshall stack attack quickly earned them a die hard fan base weary of death metal grunts and other metal cliches. It seems not only was the metal/hard rock underground listening but also shortly after its release major label RCA would perk up some ears and quickly inked a deal with the band, re-releasing the debut and only increasing Preistess’ global grasp. With major label muscle now behind them the band was able to pick up momentum the way REAL bands have been doing it for years – hitting the road hard. Their incessant touring included sharing the stage with such heavy hitters as Black Label Society, Converge, Mastodon, Motorhead, Gwar and others with their sound equally comfortable sharing a stage with Iron Maiden as it was with Dinosaur Jr.

2007 was a watershed year for the band with even more touring including a support slot for Megadeth in the U.K. and reaching even more fans when their song “Lay Down” was featured in the video game Guitar Hero III; Legends of Rock
After numerous false starts that were beyond the band’s control they would finally spend the fall of 2008 in Los Angeles under the watchful guise of producer David Schiffman (System of a Down, Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails) recording their crowning achievement Prior to the Fire. If their calling card Hello Master was considered lethal this sophomore effort easily trumps it with a devastating display of heaving heaviosity and a newfound sense of innovation that will have other so called metal bands nipping at their heels. On every track the band remains hungry, fierce and focused throughout with their signature melodic elements still in check but this time around they also scale to new lofty heights and let their progressive rock and hard psych tendencies add to the dynamics, density and drama.

Prior to the Fire will be dropping in the fall of 09, the band will hit the road harder than ever before with 2010 already shaping up to be their biggest year yet.
“It wasn’t exactly the easiest record to make,” says singer/guitarist Mikey Hepner “but the hard work definitely paid off and we’re really, really proud of the end result. We’ve done so much touring and seen so much since our first record that it only galvanized our feelings of what the band is and what the band is definitely not. When we were writing the songs that would make up Prior to the Fire we really meant for them to be heard live. We just can’t wait to finally get on tour again and really do them justice – which is playing them live.”

Priestess on Facebook

Naam will be the second act of the evening.



Beyond the conceptual physical language structure created by mankind, the definition of the name lies in internal rhythm, the internal sound that a man experiences. Those who embrace Naam have the key to the door of mysteries and miracles, as Naam exists in the Divine plane and shines through to the Physical plane, bringing healing and self-renewal.

Disgusted by the lack of heavy, psychedelic rock and roll, We deliver our deafening sermon to bring a new dawn for all civilization. The vast seas cannot drown Us, the darkest caverns cannot conceal Us, We will conquer insurmountable foes. We are war, We are peace, We are time and space, We are infinite, We are Naam.

Naam on Facebook

Hex Machine are the first act of the night.



"It’s funny that a band should share the same name as what the ladies call me! *Ahem*, returning to reality, Hex Machine are a long-running project out of Virginia that has had it’s share of members come and go, yet press on with noise rock filth of the highest caliber. I know right now there’s a small current of bands that are championing the AmRep sound, and I’m happy about that. Though I think Hex Machine might win the title for hitting it square between the eyes, what with it’s early 90’s feedback-laden, fuzzy recording. The early Today Is the Day screeches and howls, seething vocals and tortured rhythms are most noticeable. The pounding fuzz of old Hammerhead records beat to shit acting as a conduit for Hex machine’s playing, and their daily worship at the alter of Halo Of Flies... it’s all there. They eat Guzzard for breakfast and shit out The Cows at the end of the day. And for all that I applaud them. It’s a bitter, pissed off listen that hurts in a good way. Somewhere Tom Hazelmeyer is shooting off a rifle in their honor."

Hex Machine on Facebook

$10 in adv, $12 DOS, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Night Driving In Small Towns perform on Wednesday, November 10th

Night Driving In Small Towns are headlining on Wednesday, November 10th, 2010



Night Driving in Small Towns are land dwellers. Having moved from small south Georgia towns to the city of Atlanta in 2008, the band has seen its share of topography. So has their music. Having navigated the spaces between artsy folk pop and brazen indie rock, their sound is sometimes gutsy, sometimes reserved, but always premeditated.

The group’s musical content originates from the songwriting duo of Andrea Rogers and Colby Wright. The two have written together for almost a decade, getting their craft down to a weird science in the process. Wright provides a lush musical backdrop for Rogers’s intimate lyrics, an amalgamation that has been described as a “potent cocktail” of sound (Michael Shaunessy, Flagpole). This intoxicating vibe led to Night Driving’s inclusion in a 2008 list of the “Top 25 Bands on Myspace” as determined by Rolling Stone, as well as their subsequent inclusion on the roster of Atlanta’s Lower 40 Records.

The band’s debut album on the Lower 40 label will be released April 20, 2010. Night Driving in Small Towns are currently playing regionally in support of the record.

Night Driving In Small Towns Facebook

Schooner are the second performer of the evening.



Schooner is from Carrboro, NC. We run our mouth from time to time. We enjoy experimenting with simple song structures and sounds and aesthetically tend to go for understatement. We play disheveled pop that moves from mellow sad-eyed tunes to erratic rock numbers highlighted by boy-girl harmonies and existential lyrics.

Schooner started from a 4-track project by Reid Johnson in 2003, and soon turned into a full band. The current lineup includes Reid Johnson, Billy Alphin (The Ashley Stove, The Rosebuds), Maria Albani (Organos, Pleasant, Un Deux Trois), and Chris Badger (Hotel Lights). We've released 2 full-lengths: 2004's "You Forget About Your Heart" (Pox World Empire), and 2007's "Hold on Too Tight" (54,' 40° or Fight!) as well as a couple of limited edition EP's we've sold out of. Our latest EP release "Duck Kee Sessions" recorded at Jerry Kee's "Duck Kee Studios" (Superchunk, Kingsbury Manx, Polvo) has been released exclusively on Cytunes.org, a music downloading site that donates all proceeds to brain cancer research. (http://cytunes.org/album/62)

"What a fucking marvellous band." (Sian Claire Owen, Americana UK)

"The quality of frontman Reid Johnson's songwriting is consistently high. No lulls, no hints of attempting to cover a lack of inspiration, no filler, not a single welcome overstayed. Classic stuff, in other words" (Eric J. Ianelli, Copper Press)

"(Schooner) simultaneously marry “swooning vintage pop, fuzzy Guided By Voices-ish rock and woozy Sinatra/Hazlewood-like country...rarely has a sibling relationship created something this harmonious." (Rebecca Raber, CMJ)

“asking Schooner to travel in one direction would diminish the intimate joys.” (Harp)

Schooner on Facebook

Wages are the opener.



All of Wages available recordings were created at Echo Mountain with producer Hank Sullivant, Godfather of Transmutilation.

Wages on Facebook

$5, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday, November 8th is the Freelance Whales

The Freelance Whales will be performing at the Drunken Unicorn on Monday, November 8th, 2010



"The handclapping indie pop of Freelance Whales was born on the streets and subways of New York City after the band's formation in Queens at the end of 2008. After amassing a collection of miscellaneous instruments, including a harmonium and waterphone, frontman Judah Dadone enlisted the help of fellow musicians Kevin Read, Doris Cellar, Jake Hyman, and Chuck Criss to realize his D.I.Y.-sounding, folk-inspired pop songs. To perfect its sound, the band took to the streets busking and playing at various venues in and around New York City, including Staten Island's Farm Colony. At the beginning of 2009 and with a collection of songs written, they set about recording their debut, Weathervanes. The self-released album picked up favorable reviews on various Internet blogs with the band being compared to Arcade Fire -- mainly for its use of unusual instruments -- and Sufjan Stevens. In September 2009 they signed a deal with Frenchkiss Records to release Weathervanes internationally in 2010." - Richard Wilson

Freelance Whales on Facebook

Miniature Tigers are the opener.



"Although declared "one of the 25 best bands on MySpace" by Rolling Stone in late 2006, Miniature Tigers rose to wider attention with the release of their 2008 debut, Tell It to the Volcano. The band was founded by songwriter Charlie Brand, an Arizona native who avoided his state's sky-high temperatures by writing songs in his bedroom. The resulting material paired Brand's acoustic guitar with a wide range of pop influences -- the Cars' strut, Weezer's snark, Phil Spector's polish -- and Miniature Tigers soon inked a deal with Modern Art Records, a label co-founded by fellow Phoenix-based group Chronic Future. With drummer Rick Schaier, guitarist Algernon Quashie, and bassist Alex Gerber also on board, Miniature Tigers released the breezy Tell It to the Volcano in September 2008.

Between the cross-country tours that followed, Miniature Tigers found enough downtime to pull up stakes and move to Brooklyn, where Charlie Brand began writing songs that were more experimental than Tell It to the Volcano's acoustic-based pop. Members of Neon Indian and the Morning Benders were enlisted to produce the material, which was recorded in upstate New York and released in summer 2010 as Fortress." - Andrew Leahey

Miniature Tigers on Facebook

$10 in ADV, $12 DOS, ALL AGES
Doors @ 8 pm, THIS SHOW WILL BE OVER BY 12 AM!

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fang Island will be at the Drunken Unicorn on Saturday, November 6th, 2010

The Drunken Unicorn and Chunklet Magazine present

Fang Island on Saturday, November 6th.



Fang Island are: Jason Bartell, Chris Georges, Nicholas Andrew Sadler, Michael Jacober, Marc St. Sauveur

“If this is the arena rock of the future, send me a ticket.” — Pitchfork

“A triumphant, heavily riffed, primarily instrumental epic, whiplashing through six minutes of smiling prog jams, and as many tempos as passages, before settling into one last minute of uplifting chants.” — Stereogum

“Life-affirming prog guitar anthems.” – Seattle Stranger

Fang Island describes its sound as “everyone high-fiving everyone.” And, the Brooklyn quintet’s anthemic and soaring songs make it quite possibly one of few bands befitting such description.

Its finger-tapping guitar lines, chanted vocals, triumphant harmonies and overall perky songs hearken to the sort of “Total Music” of the Fucking Champs, Jay Reatard, Ponytail, Kraftwerk, Marnie Stern, Thin Lizzy, et al. But, perhaps more so, its songs are like the music in your head at that moment when everything feels just right: that first kiss, that high score on the video game, buying your first small nation in cash… you know, good stuff.

Fang Island began, oddly enough, as an art school project while the band members were attending the prodigious Rhode Island School of Design (also the foundation for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savvy Fav, Six Finger Satellite and some band called the Talking Heads.) According to guitarist Jason Bartell, the goal was to “make music for people who like music.” That is, music without irony that harnesses its uplifting qualities. Just like a classic rock song or classical symphony can stir us emotionally, Fang Island exists to unlock that spirit.

Fang Island is guitarist Jason Bartell, bassist Michael Jacober, guitarist Chris Georges, guitarist Nicholas Andrew Sadler, and drummer Marc St. Sauveur. They all share collective group vocal harmonies and the occasional hand claps. While Sadler is also known for his role in the debauched rock band Daughters, it is only his fretboard skill that translates between the two groups.

Self Titled begins appropriately with the sound of erupting fireworks on “Dreams of Dreams” leading into a cascading chorus of ringing guitar notes before the group vocal harmonies chime in with the mantra, “they all are within my reach, they are free.” The second song, “Careful Crossers” launches in beneath the vocals with a chorus of gleaming guitar harmonies smeared over the marching, syncopated rhythm section. Elsewhere, tracks like “Sideswiper” hearken to the metal-laced positivity of Andrew WK. “Daisy” sounds like a unique collaboration between the Fucking Champs and Jay Reatard. Throughout the album, it’s like listening to the cool version of classic rock — the type of anthemic pop — without the cheesiness — that you wished Journey and Boston could’ve made.

Fang Island’s Self Titled album was released on February 23, 2010 on Sargent House.

Fang Island website

Delicate Steve is performing second.



"Somebody started talking about Delicate Steve over the summer of 2010. The band turned up on Governor's Island supporting Yeasayer. They were from New Jersey but were living together as a band in a shambling house in the woods of Warwick, NY. There was a month-long residency at Union Pool in Brooklyn where it seemed like any Brooklyn based artist not on the road showed up. Members of Dirty Projectors, TV on the Radio, Yeasayer, Javelin, Fang Island, Hella... And strangely, a bunch of best-selling authors. Maybe more strangely, packed rooms of dancing people in a Brooklyn rock club. And record company people. Mostly not dancing. Whether Luaka Bop was dancing or not, we can not say." - Jermy Leeuwis, Editor at MusicRemedy

Delicate Steve website

Reptar are the openers.



"The much lauded Reptar brought the night to a close. All the hype surrounding these guys is just as big as the electro pop sound they create, and deservedly so. They really are really good. Bright, accessible and sincerely inclusive their music moved the crowd across the dance floor with imperceptible ease. But Reptar doesn’t just make you want to dance, they make you want to join the band. While the usual comparisons to Animal Collective and the Talking Heads are indeed apt what is truly amazing is that this group has just begun. If they stick together and keep at it, they have the potential to create something in the next few years that defies all comparison. Watching Reptar evolve is going to be quite a sight." - Austin Darnell

Reptar on Myspace

$12 in adv, $14 DOS, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Performer Magazine Presents Qurious on Friday, November 5th, 2010

Performer Magazine presents: Qurious on Friday, November 5th, 2010



"The crowd was entranced, unable to keep from dancing along with these bioluminescent ambassadors of electronica" - Flagpole

"Each track is a varied experiment in electronics with plenty of headphone tantalizing tones" - Good Pop, Bad Pop

Qurious website

Living Rooms are performing third.



"put your headphones on...."

Living Rooms on Facebook

Goldilocks are the second act.



the world of goldilocks is one of splendor and magnificence, rarely glimpsed by the older generation.

Goldilocks on Facebook

Negashi Armada is the opening performer.



Im from Atlanta. I like rapping in the basement over cheap shit. My sign is Aries and Im cheap but decadent. I am not kidding when i say my music is religious, it is the power of Allah that moves me to create but the arrogance of man that makes me think its all about me. So fuck yall.

Negashi Armada on Facebook

$5 for 21+, $7 for < 21, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Callers is performing on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Callers are headlining the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
 

Ryan and Sara met Don at a show at Melvin's, a bar on St. Claude in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans. Ryan and Sara had just begun writing and recording songs together on an old 4-track with a mic hanging from the blade of a ceiling fan in the middle of that stifling sweaty summer, but they would soon part ways and leave New Orleans. Over the next couple of years they relocated to Providence together and later settled in Brooklyn where Don had also settled after Katrina.

Life of Love is the first collection of songs Callers wrote and recorded exclusively in New York as a three-piece. Naturally the band's sound grew in volume in response to the volume of the city; however, they held on to what makes them so consistently affecting: their raw spartan style, anchored by Sara's sensually tough vocals, and Ryan and Don's Southern-honed chops as multi-instrumentalists.

The album started with the band's cover of Wire's "Heartbeat", and the idea of creating something simple and cathartic. Using borrowed amps and mics, in bedrooms and in studios, and by the grace of their good friends, Callers recorded Life of Love in intense spurts over the course of a year. Unlike the experimental ballads on their debut Fortune, the new songs pulse with gritty urgency, colored by the sounds of damaged gear and the earnest spirit of a middle-school gospel choir. The result is an album stripped to the core, an expression of the inexpressible space between us and the places we inhabit and the people we share those places with.


Sara Crawford & The Cult Following are performing second.
 

Sara Crawford  is a singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. Also, she is a produced playwright/screenwriter, an actress/performer, and a published poet.

Voted Reader's Pick Best Local Songwriter and runner-up for Best Vocalist in Creative Loafing Best of Atlanta 2010



Lady Lazarus is the opener.
 

"Fans of shadowy dream-pop will be pleased to discover San Jose's Lady Lazarus, whose ephemeral music for voice and piano makes Grouper  sound overproduced. "The Eye in the Eye of the Storm" barely fulfills the minimum conditions of song. The piano part could be a novice exercise: In 4/4 time, the left hand drops a sustained chord as the right climbs a C major scale-- eight consecutive white keys-- over and over. That's it. The vocal line comes and goes casually, without fanfare. The tape machine runs loudly nearby. These rudimentary qualities allow us to feel how deeply inhabited and intimately alone the music is. Her voice is lovely, and nothing is over- or undersold. With slight drags, hesitations, and lunges on the piano, she wrings emotional volumes from that endlessly cycling scale. Though it's left implicit, you can feel the turbulence all around it, like a blizzard at at window. It makes this moment of uncanny stillness a shelter you want to stay inside. It's really slight, and more than ample." - Brian Howe


$5 in adv, $8 DOS, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm   
Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations:  Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Saturday, October 30th is a Zombie Prom: Hollywood Undead!

Saturday, October 30th, 2010 is a Zombie Prom: Hollywood Undead - that's right, undead Hollywood is invading the Drunken Unicorn for Halloween. Please dress accordingly!



Performing will be 1994, Zombies! Zombies!, Mega Collider and
The Outset



The Outset are from Philadelphia, PA and they have just finished their debut ep.

The Outset on Myspace

$10, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Friday, October 15, 2010

On Friday, October 29th, 2010, Old Canes will be performing at the Drunken Unicorn.

Old Canes will be headlining the Drunken Unicorn on Friday, October 29th, 2010.



Drum tracks laid to tape on a snowy winter day. Perhaps surprising to imagine, given the album's warmth and unabashed exuberance, but that's how the foundation was built for Feral Harmonic, the sophomore album from Old Canes.

That's how it began and would continue on throughout the album's creation: always with drum tracks recorded, coincidentally, on the first days of snow in the winter. Chris Crisci would add the rest of the instrumentation himself over the following months, with the additional help of a revolving cast of musicians contributing various parts. And with production regularly interrupted by one thing or another - touring, work, other projects, life in general - it took him three and a half years to complete the album in his basement studio (now known as the Toyshop).

Well worth the wait, the music on Feral Harmonic is bold and loud. While folk music at heart, the presentation is far from traditional, with the songs drawing elements from different influences (such as indie and even punk rock), and the rulebook of contemporary recording thrown out the window. "Production value, fidelity, a low noise floor, whatever, are all beside the point," says Crisci. "The only things I care about are the idea and the energy. Music loses out when the focus is on slick production, and not on expressing what matters most in a song."

The energy and ideas on Feral Harmonic are palpable starting with song one, "Little Bird Courage", as the album launches with joyous, barreling drums, furiously strummed guitars, and glistening toy piano that erupts into a chorus of trumpets. Cautiously plucked banjo forewarns the ominous lessons of "Trust", while cascading guitars, trumpets, and pounding drums build to a boisterous roar, contrasting the lyrical lover's lament in "Stuck". The album closes, after all, with wistful "Southern Radio", which features only Crisci's weathered voice and an acoustic guitar.

The songs tackle the idea that fear can be transcended, that the human spirit flies in the face of life's complications, hurdles, and pain. "The words are all over the place, like life, and half the time I don't know if I'm happy or sad, or both," says Crisci. "I wrote what I was feeling at the time, and so the songs go from one extreme to the other." All of life's energies, contrasts and complements - strength and weakness, courage and fear, joy and despair - are in Feral Harmonic, a wild state of musical harmony and sounds as unfettered and irrepressible as the intent with which it was crafted.

Old Canes began in 2004 as a new project for Appleseed Cast front man Crisci. It was born out of a few acoustic melodies he had written and performed impromptu when Appleseed Cast was uncharacteristically asked to perform acoustically at an in-store performance in Europe. Inspired by a second creative outlet, and the reaction the fledgling songs received, Crisci began recording these and more, calling on a host of musician friends to fill out the parts. Old Canes' debut, Early Morning Hymns, was released in July 2004 on Second Nature Recordings.
Contributors to Feral Harmonic are: John Anderson (White Whale, Boys Life), drums; Kelly Hangauer (4th Of July), trumpet; Jeff Stoltz (Drakkar Sauna), harmophone; Joey Henry (Calamity Cubes), backing vocals; Jordan Geiger (Minus Story, Hospital Ships), backing vocals; Lucas Oswald (Minus Story, Hospital Ships), backing vocals, cello, hammer dulcimer; John Momberg (The Dactyls, Appleseed Cast), drums; and Tyler French (original Old Canes drummer turned union organizer), drums.

Old Canes on Myspace

Evan Andree is performing second.



Evan Andree was conceived in Florida in 1986 and born there in 1987, literally.

Now he just plays music.

Evan Andree website

Ten Ohm Smoke are the openers.



Ten Ohm Smoke are a new band that does not have a bio yet.

Ten Ohm Smoke on Facebook

$6 in adv, $8 DOS, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Thursday, October 28th, Smoke Or Fire is performing

Smoke Or Fire performs at the Drunken Unicorn on Thursday, October 28th, 2010.



Smoke or Fire is the latest of gritty post-hardcore bands to emerge from the Southeast's plentiful punk scene. Some say we are influenced by our predecessors like Hot Water Music and Avail, but we also blend in some additional elements of Americana with hints of The Replacements and Springsteen.

Our "debut" album, Above The City, was co-produced by Fat Mike and was released in March 2005. It’s 14 songs of socially-conscious Southern-fried punk rock from a band that relies on our musical merits rather than imagery gimmicks or a trendy sound. Fashion-core be damned, Smoke or Fire’s upbeat and earnest brand of rock flies in the face of the musical carpetbaggers prevalent today. Refreshing concept, no?

Smoke Or Fire on Facebook

Noise By Numbers is the third performer.



"Though two of its members have much higher-profile pedigrees — Dan “Vapid” Schafer has played in Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales, as well as leading the Methadones, and Jeff Dean is in the Bomb — their new collaboration, Nosie By Numbers, with bassist Rick Uncapher (Textbook) and drummer Jimmy Lucido could easily be overlooked outside the punk underground, and that would be a shame. Noise By Numbers draws inspiration from the fertile ’80s indie-rock scene of Husker Du, the Replacements, Dinosaur Jr. and their ilk as well as classic Chicago punk sounds like Naked Raygun and the Effigies to inject a heaping dose of sing-along melody into every propulsive and hard-hitting groove, making for an instantly familiar yet somehow distinctive and fresh-sounding formula." -Jim DeRogatis

Noise By Numbers on Facebook

The Magnificent are performing second.



The Magnificent are a band from the North of England. They sing about stuff that affects their lives. Important things like pigeon fancying, coal mining, big balls, brewing beer, cutting down trees, playing squash, bureaucracy, coalition governments that don't work and whippets.

Their sound has been compared to Pinhead Gunpowder, The Replacements, Billy Bragg, The Clash, Alkaline Trio and maybe someone being sick. If you are American, the music sounds English. If you are English, you have never heard of this band.

The Magnificent website

Campaign open the show.



Campaign are 5 dudes from Atlanta.

Campaign on Myspace

$6 in adv, $8 DOS, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Riot Before will be performing at the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, October 27th

The Riot Before are headlining the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, October 27th, 2010.



Growing up, our parents always told us that hard work would pay off. They probably meant something about going to school, putting in long hours at the office, and eventually settling down to a well-paying job and a family. The classic American Dream. Unfortunately, a small percentage of children were infected with the treacherous rhythms of rock and roll, forgoing conventional ideals and constructing a dream of their own. Ditch school, ignore the real world, move to a strange town, start a band, work your ass off, go on tour forever with your best friends. That’s how Brett Adams, vocalist/guitarist of the Riot Before, ended up in Richmond, Virginia in late 2005. Fresh out of college and determined to delay the inevitable monotony of real life, he packed up and left California for the heart of Dixie.

Soon enough, Adams had recruited bassist Cory Manning (ex-Your Fellow Rebels) and shred-master Garrett Berneche (ex-Brand New Disaster) to fill out the line-up, and after trying a revolving cast of drummers eventually clicked with Freddy Clarke (ex-bicycle extraordinaire). Restless to hit the road, they began booking their first tour without a van or much of a plan other than to see America and play some shows along the way. In their first year as a band, they toured America four times and played over 150 shows. At the end of it all, they recorded a seven song EP, “So Long, The Lighthouse” for Quote-Unquote Records at Minimum Wage Studios in Richmond.

Since then, the Riot Before has been in constant motion. A 7” split with California’s Broadway Calls on Say-10 Records followed shortly, accompanied by endless touring along the well-worn roads of DIY America, basement upon basement and dive bars galore. By mid-2007, Brett, Cory, and Freddy had all taken to couch-surfing during their brief stays at home so they wouldn’t have to waste rent money on apartments they never lived in. The road had become their home. Garrett didn’t take to the constant touring so well, and quit the band in early 2008, two months before The Riot Before were set to start tracking their new record. After scrambling to find a new guitarist, Cory called up former bandmate Jon Greeley to step in. Greeley fit perfectly, and the revitalized band set about furiously practicing for what would become “Fists Buried in Pockets.” At the same time, Adams admits to having gone through considerable personal changes, stepping away from his long-standing religious and political beliefs and adopting a more nihilistic view on humanity, an isolated lifestyle providing the bitter inspiration to continue writing and rocking in the face of seemingly utter helplessness.

Recorded in May 2008 at Detached Sound Recording in Richmond, Virginia, “Fists Buried in Pockets” personifies the ethical struggles we’ve all faced when considering the harsh reality of the world, from its corrupt political regimes to unjust human rights. A silver lining of hope seeps through the album, as The Riot Before continue to prove that a unified scene of hard-working individuals can take it upon themselves and improve their world. Over the course of eleven songs, The Riot Before range from jaded isolationism to triumphant defiance, demonstrating a depth usually reserved for much older bands. They can’t stand to be home, so count on seeing them on the road for a long time to come.

The Riot Before on Facebook

Red City Radio are the second act.



Alternative Press said:

"These five songs show some serious promise." 4 out of 5 stars

Sloane Daley of Punknews.org said:

"...in terms of of composition they beat just about any band playing this style of music today. Every song on here is a winner -- completely authentic, earnest and catchy."

Punknews.org said:

"This is exactly the type of gravelly, upbeat punk rock with a market already cornered by No Idea and Kiss of Death. Some bands just do it better than others, though, and I guess Red City Radio are doing it so well that a bigger label noticed and stepped up to the plate for them."

"This EP . . . is definitely one of the better examples of it in recent memory."

"The general carmraderie and energy here gives Latterman, New Bruises and Hot Water Music fans in general new reasons to continue breathing."

Red City Radio on Facebook

40 Hells are the openers.





40 Hells on Facebook

$6 in adv, $8 DOS, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Thursday, October 21st the RESET presents A HALLOWEEN SMASHOUT

The Reset presents a HALLOWEEN SMASHOUT on Thursday, October 21st in MJQ's / The Drunken Unicorn's Cafe.



Performing will be DJ Dug Boogie, DJ Fudge and DJ Deliver - for more info about these DJ's click this link.

$5, 21+
Doors @ 10 pm

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Small Black will be performing at the Drunken Unicorn on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Tight Bros and Ok Productions presents Small Black on Tuesday, October 26th at the Drunken Unicorn.



"Noisy yet wistful electro-indie pop group Small Black started with a name and worked backward: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, OR night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, NY and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician who had mutual friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in Kolenik’s uncle’s attic to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending the winter of 2008-2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on the duo's own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs," as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt, soon after. The band played several dates at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, adding Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik’s previous band, Slowlands, to fill out its live lineup. Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, who reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, the band also released a split single with the likeminded Washed Out, with whom Small Black also went on tour. Their first full-length album was expected later in 2010." - Heather Phares

Small Black on Facebook

Class Actress are performing second.



“Brooklyn’s very own Madonna.” – New York Press

“Unabashedly slick electro-pop beats juxtaposed with coy, romantically depressed vocals courtesy of star-in-the-making Elizabeth Harper.” –New York Magazine (Cover Story) Brooklyn’s Sonic Boom – The 40 Songs That Define the Sound

“[Harper's] passion proves to be the same kind of compelling counterweight to frosty sonics that helped make the music of her influences so memorable.” – Pitchfork (“Rising Artist”)

Class Actress website

Living Rooms are the opener.



"It is often said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Despite the warm reception that Atlanta trio Living Rooms has received during its short 10 months together, fans and detractors alike have uttered the same criticism: They sound like Animal Collective; even they don't deny the allegation.

"They are our biggest influence," Seth Bolton says. "People hear similar things when we play and think Animal Collective because they've received so much notice. It's a compliment, actually."

Even their single-file, navel-gazing stage presence bares a resemblance to AC's lineup, which is just another hazard of the trade. "We have the same kind of setup that they use, and really there's no other way to do what we do," Bolton says. "Making music with samplers is like doing math when playing live," he adds. "You can't get into a groove like you can with a guitar, because you're thinking about procedures, and if you hit the wrong sample you can't play another note; you've ruined the whole song." Luce reiterates the need for concentration during their shows. "It's the fear of messing up that drives everything we do."

The group released its debut Family Taste 7-inch (Double Phantom) this month, which stands as a substantial document of the band's true identity and even dispels a bit of the Animal Collective chatter. On the A-side, the dark, meandering "Error" pits bubbling electronics over an aching voice that intentionally blends into a mélange of serene and abrasive textures. The brighter bounce of "How You Do It" builds on obtuse melodies that flow naturally into each other under a dull, nonintrusive hue of cottage production. It's a summery sound that's never quite as hippy-dippy as Animal Collective, but definitely cut from the same cloth." - Chad Radford

Living Rooms on Myspace

$8, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Monday, October 25th Otophobia is performing a reunion show!

Otophobia is performing a reunion show on Monday, October 25th at the Drunken Unicorn.



Here is a review of their final lp - "Malignant" - "Although I don't know if I will ever recover emotionally of psychologically from the trauma caused by the fact Slap A Ham Records is closing up shop, I can take some small comfort in this, their final release. I was born in Pittsburgh so it ruffles my feathers a bit to admit a band haling from Philadelphia is great, but I'm a man, I can do it. OTOPHOBIA are a solid mix of grindcore and crust. One song they will be tearing through a track sounding like PHOBIA's little brother (a brother Otto, perhaps?) then the next song will be rife with classic hardcore riffing and gargled vocals so crusty you can almost smell the halitosis. Lyrically the band forgo socio-political ranting and focus on follies and foibles closer to home. The decry every type of scene idiot you can think of... the tough guys, the hypocrites, the posers, the drunks, etc. There are 21 tracks in just under 30 minutes that range in length from three seconds to over four minutes, with most clocking in around the one minute mark. The vinyl version of this is on Deep Six and, as you know, I always recommend you get the wax, but with all apologies to Bob and Christine at Deep Six, this is the last damn SAH release ever. What kind of complete chowderhead would NOT buy this? Certainly nobody reading this zine is that stupid." - Jeb Branin

Otophobia on Last.fm

Hellshock are the third band of the evening.



Hellshock is a Crust Punk band from Portland, Oregon that was formed in 2000. They combine a brand of “Dark” Crust Punk with Hardcore Punk, and Thrash Metal. Lyrically, the band writes almost exclusively about war. The five-piece has ex-members of Remains of the Day, Atrocious Madness, From Ashes Rise, and Detestation. The band is still active today.

Hellshock on Myspace

Age from Japan are performing second.



Metallic crust from Japan with heavy riffs, fast rhythms and influences from the UK crust lords of 80's (Amebix,Axegrinder,Antisect). AGE (Armed Government’s Error) was born from the ashes of Hakuchi, they have have released 2 cd's and several ep's ( "Inside darkness" ep, "Four wings" ep"The spider rules your emotions" ep and a split w Deride), they have also covered I.C.B.M and Fallen from Grace for the first japanese tribute to Amebix.

Age on Myspace

Spewtilator is opening the show.



Fast Atlanta thrash metal. Influences: Satan, beer, gravity bongs, decaying flesh, taco bell.

Spewtilator on Facebook

$8 in adv, $8 DOS, 18+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 is the Sorry No Ferrari "Ternary" cd release show!

Sorry No Ferrari are releasing their debut full length entitled "Ternary" on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 at the Drunken Unicorn.



"In many ways, Sorry No Ferrari's first full length record Ternary plays out like an old Yes record might if it were released today. The band plays quick, intricate music that vacillates between time signatures and changes on a dime. Where their first EPs, Oh, Snap! and The Get Down Syndrome, featured a mostly math rock sound, Ternary enters into prog rock territory by focusing equally on melody, rhythm, and theme.

For Ternary, the theme is artificial intelligence. Opening the album is a three part, 17-minute suite that sets the stage for a story of technological singularity. Essentially, in such a scenario, intelligent devices become more intelligent than their human creators, and therefore become dominant. This theme is already pretty ambitious, but what makes it even more of an undertaking is that Sorry No Ferrari is an instrumental band.

So, everything they do to tell their story must be done through sound. Throughout the 40 minutes it takes to get from beginning to end, Ternary reveals itself as a cohesive and linear unit, which perfectly captures this story and the music of this band." - Sean Zearfoss / Performer Magazine

Sorry No Ferrari on Facebook

From Exile are the second act of the evening.



From Exile was essentially a studio project through 2009. Our newly finished effort, “Monolith”, has been met with praise from all parts of the world – truly a testament to the era in which we live and the capacity for an independent band to reach far and wide. Thanks to all of you who have stuck around and followed our progress.

From Exile website

Hello, Ocho are opening the show.



Seeing life unfold.

Hello, Ocho on Facebook

$8, 21+
ADMISSION INCLUDES A FREE COPY OF THE CD
Doors @ 9 pm

Friday, October 8, 2010

Ahleuchatistas is performing on Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Ahleuchatistas is headlining at the Drunken Unicorn on Friday, October 22nd, 2010.



In 2010, the musical project known as Ahleuchatistas (AH - LOO - CHA - TEES - TAS) began performing new music for guitar & drums duet. Shane Perlowin plays guitar and Ryan Oslance plays drums. This arrangement of the band officially premiered at the 2010 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 28th and was followed by 23 concerts in Europe from March 31st to April 25th. (Incidentally, this tour finished with an extended stay in Dresden, Germany due to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, which spewed ash into Europe’s airspace and grounded all flights for a week. So it goes.) Production of a new album is underway and tour dates are forthcoming.

Since its inception in 2002, the music of Ahleuchatistas has always been difficult to pin down with words. The current sound has broadened the band’s palette with elements of noise, African music, ambient/drone, Chinese traditional music, minimalism, classical music, and electronica. It blends block-form, thru-composition, and improvisational musical strategies. Perlowin and Oslance have a unique psychic interplay that can be incredibly elastic or razor-sharp tight. Ominous walls of sound morph into tight-knight rhythmic figures, haunting melodies float over martial drumming, roaring moments of sustained tension acquiesce into screaming silence, a musical promise is fulfilled. On the earliest recordings an interest in pure sound and texture can be heard on select cuts. This tendency became more prevalent with each successive album. The new music continues to push in this direction, still with the characteristic rhythmic intensity. Rock and roll!

Ahleuchatistas on Facebook

Scaffolds are performing second.



Scaffolds is an experimental trance and psychedelic drone orchestra featuring members of Nigredo.

Scaffolds on Myspace

Hopi Torvald is the opener.



This is the solo work of Nathan Brown (Tree Creature)...sometimes its pretty and sometimes it's rather not.

Hopi Torvald on Facebook

$8, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Hunter Valentine will be performing at the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Hunter Valentine will be headlining the Drunken Unicorn on Wednesday, October 20th, 2010.



Go in, nail 'em and go home exhausted. Such a simple victory has been the mission of rock bands for decades. It's a noble pursuit; a Do It Yourself mentality that compels musicians to obliterate with powerful songs propelled by live passion and vitality.

That's Hunter Valentine.

Blasting out their inimitable rock since the summer of 2004, Hunter Valentine has blossomed, establishing a devoted fan base via their self-financed eponymous 2005 EP and building on that foundation with their 2007 full-length The Impatient Romantic (True North Records). Razing crowds from coast to coast in their decrepit van, nailing select European and U.S. Cities over the course of 200-plus shows, the trio has garnered an international fan base as they build out of their native Canada. Hunter Valentine are now poised to break through with their gripping follow up Lessons From the Late Night (Tommy Boy/Fontana/Universal).

Raucous and direct, the outfit comprised of vocalist/guitarist Kiyomi McCloskey, bassist Adrienne Lloyd and drummer Laura Petracca exemplifies girls with a united goal, intense friendship, respect and ability that solidifies their edgy albeit refined music. There's no hyperbole when it comes to Hunter Valentine. Everything has a direct message, delivered with a devout refusal for glitz or glamour. The hard line says it all, conveyed by confident, unbridled rock 'n' roll.

For McCloskey, Lloyd and Petracca, Hunter Valentine isn't a job or an ambition. It's their essence, and it comes through loud and clear on Lessons From the Late Night. The album (a harder and more dominant affair than their previous releases) finds the trio rediscovering their own unrivalled live sound as well as embracing their own reality: tough girls with a passion for the rock 'n' roll life; souls who know nothing other than the importance of perfecting their craft, chasing their hunger to tour in vans and sleeping on fan floors for the thrill of playing live.

Such sentiments are the epitome of Lessons From the Late Night. Recorded at Toronto's Chemical Sound Studios by producer Ian Blurton (Weakerthans, Cursed, Skydiggers), adherence to capturing their live spirit on tape has resulted in another rugged blast of the band's congenital Do It Yourself ethics. The end results display a rawer, more confident Hunter Valentine.

“This record is a lot more aggressive and a bit more honest; an accurate portrayal of what we sound like live,” McCloskey announces. “We wanted to capture what we do on stage; something a lot more stripped down and away from any polished version of us. If there was a mistake, we left it in so the record has character. It shows our personalities through the music. Clearly I am nowhere near perfect, so why would I want an album that sounds perfect?”

As primary lyricist, McCloskey draws on her real-life experiences for Lessons From the Late Night's thematic thrust. “I'm inspired by a situation, picture or emotion that I just can't shake from my head,” she apprises. “It could be the sad look of a girl I see on the bus weekly that has been imprinted on my mind, someone crossing me in a friendship, the passing of a relative, watching someone struggle with addiction or whatever needs to be processed within a song in order for me to move forward in life. If I didn't have songwriting I would probably be locked up by now.”

Most importantly though, Lessons From the Late Night finds Hunter Valentine returning to their core, unleashing their live prowess onto record. Performing is their passion; where they make lifelong fans due to an unbreakable calling to have fun no matter what. At that, Hunter Valentine delivers with engaging, upbeat shows that blindside and never relent.

“It's a kick ass, high energy, entertaining, heartbreaking, heart racing, rush of emotions. You leave satisfied but wanting more,” Petracca asserts. “This band is my family; my life. This is our primary goal and we have the opportunity to excel at music so we're into it full-throttle. This is the only thing we want to do until we master it. The day we step away is the day we've done it all and there's nothing more we can do.”

That's DIY.

That's Hunter Valentine.

Hunter Valentine on Facebook

Authors Apology is performing second.



the authors apology formed in 1997 in atlanta (be honest it was actually snellville) georgia as simply a way to keep track of the songs that keith bailey began write and record. he was constantly absorbed in the music that was around him: everything from his parents old vinyl he grew up with, to various influences his fellow music enthusiast and cousin jef siler would introduce to him.

As they stumbled together recreating history through singers and songwriters they had missed out on in the 60’s and 70’s, as well as making frequent stops to the lcoal record shops for new stuff, they created a band called CLEMENTE (www.clementetheband.com) which would lay much of the foundation of keiths musical endeavors.

As time passed, keith created the authors apology as a meager attempt at creating his own songs on borrowed four-tracks and documenting periods of time and notebooks of real and imaginary characters that began to consume most of his life. after years of writing, going through line-up changes with clemente, fellow band-mate jef relocating to california and australia, as well as a marriage to his wife linda, the authors apology grew from a stack of off-time demo tapes and learning-curve melodies to something he could really stand behind.

With friends casey yarbrough, luciano giarrano, harry baxley, and robert heublein joining him to steady the heartbeat and nurture a growth in sound through percussion and instrumentation the authors apology has begun a new path for anyone who’s a sucker for b-sides and cheap dates. sorry for all the things they haven’t done.

Authors Apology on Facebook

Gun Party are the openers.



Gun Party is a pistol of American rock and roll in your mouth. Gun Party is not allowed within 250 yards of children.

Gun Party on Myspace

$5 in adv, $8 DOS, 21+
Doors @ 9 pm

Advance tickets available @ Ticket Alternative, Criminal Records,
Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and the following CD Warehouse locations: Buford, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville and Roswell.