Breakdown, Low Down, Rundown: Part 1 (Atlanta)

Written & Photographic Content by Stephanie Augello

This here is a little info/photo synopsis of some performers that I was fortunate enough to catch live in Atlanta, GA at the end of 2011.  I highly recommend you take future opportunities to do the same.

Sleepy Genes
Upcoming Shows:
Feb. 1st @ The Drunken Unicorn
Feb. 11th @ The Star Bar
Feb. 25th @ The Basement

March 8th @ The Five Spot
March 20th @ The Drunken Unicorn
Press Contact: sssleepygenesss@gmail.com 

PromisingChord.com described their live performance as "an adrenaline rush" that takes you "on a roller coaster ride of sound."  For a full review of the Sleepy Genes' December 15th performance at The Star Bar, which includes a video, follow this link.
The band has also posted a video teaser for their new single 'Passion People.'





The Back Pockets
Website: http://thebackpockets.bandcamp.com/
Booking Contact: thebackpockets@gmail.com

The Back Pockets are currently running a Kickstarter.com campaign to finance some of their upcoming endeavors.  The band is planning "an 'epic circle America tour' beginning March 8th and ending May 6th 2012, while creating a short film...".  They are seeking to spread the word across the country about their "elaborate shows," while concurrently promoting their new album.  The Back Pockets aim to raise $7,500 by February 11th, and are already close to reaching that monetary goal.


The Serenaders
Upcoming Shows:
March 3rd @ The Old Crow, Sandy Springs
March 10th @ Molly Macpherson's, Savannah
Website: http://www.theserenaders.com/
Contact: http://www.theserenaders.com/contact


Since 2007, this Atlanta-based outfit has been combining rock and country influences to create a sound style they've termed "modern retrobilly."  In 2011, they released their 1st LP, "My One and Only You," and have lately been immersed in the final production stages for their 'Without Warning' music video.  The Serenaders are also currently compiling a 5-track EP, to be produced by Bruce Butkovitch and Open Sky Studio.

Davina & the Harlots
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Davina.and.The.Harlots
Booking Contact: davimasi@gmail.com

 







Fronted by Davi Masi (aka, Davi D'lish), this cabaret/burlesque troupe is comprised of a list of sultry ladies, known by performance monikers such as Lucy Lipstick, Savvy G., Mona VaVoom, Sugar Cayne, Josette J'adore, Molotov Moxie, Creole Kittay and Aqualencia Litré.  I had the opportunity to see them at their 'Christmas Cabaret,' and the girls also recently performed with Blair Crimmins & the Hookers at the Variety Playhouse, at which the video below was shot.

Book Club (The Video)

Atlanta's Book Club would like to showcase the brand new music video for their song 'Cold, Cold Year.'  The track is part of their LP "Ghost," and this accompanying video was shot in Paris during December 2011.  I have bestowed upon you two separate viewing options, which were bestowed upon me via Gmail.


Vimeo

"Cold Cold Year" by Book Club (music video) from Book Club (The Band) on Vimeo.


YouTube



According to Book Club's Facebook Page, this "modern folk quintet...navigates today's indie-folk sea with a rare honesty and classicism.  The band honors the folk tradition, yet is unbound by it; every song is a fresh take on an old history."  The co-ed harmonies of Robbie Horlick and Leigh Anne Macquarrie are "thoughtfully embellished by cello, double bass, pedal steel, melodica, glockenspiel, saxophone, percussion and more."  Book Club released their 1st LP, "Ghost" this past August.  To hear more of their work, please follow this link.  

Starting Stopover a Second Time

Written & Photographic Content by Stephanie Augello

The 2nd annual Savannah Stopover Festival will be held from March 7th-11th in - you guessed it - Savannah, GA.  Featuring over 60 bands, a number of sponsorships, design contests and volunteer opportunities, the festival promises to elevate the small town's music scene even further.

Savannah, GA is a pretty small town.  It's also a pretty town - and a pretty strange town - full of conflicting classes and circumstances.  I express these sentiments from a firsthand perspective, because I spent 5 years becoming familiar with that place - 1st as a visitor; then as a student at the Savannah College of Art & Design; and lastly as an affiliate of the local music scene.

In addition to being possessed (Yes, I'm using the term loosely...) with the qualities listed above, Savannah is also a place filled to the brim with talented, dedicated musicians and artists, who are determined to firmly place their pin on the great indie rock map of the world.  While involving myself with the Savannah scene, I had the privilege of working with such seasoned local acts as Dare Dukes, General Oglethorpe & the Panhandlers, Cusses and Jamison Murphy, as well as a number of awesome bands from surrounding cities.  My experiences there have obviously had a lasting influence on my personal and professional lives.  That's why, when the Savannah Stopover Festival was launched last year, though I'd since moved back to frigid New York, I felt a feeling of accomplishment and happiness on behalf of the city that had become my 2nd home.

 

The Savannah Stopover Festival has been designed as a means for up and coming indie bands to trampoline their way to Austin's SXSW, and according to the festival's official site, events will take "place across multiple venues within walking distance of all Savannah has to offer."  This year's line-up includes Turbo Fruits, Spanish Pioneers, Sleepy Vikings, Country Mice and The Minutes, as well as many others.  
Based out of Dublin, Ireland, The Minutes are Mark Austin (Vocals/Guitar), Tom Cosgrave (Bass/Vocals) and Shane Kinsella (Drums/Vocals).  They describe their sound as being that of "...proper rock n' roll, born in the 50s, dragged kicking and screaming through the late 20th Century, a ragged flag passed from generation to generation under the stewardship of true believers...".  The Minutes have recently played alongside Flogging Molly, and were noted by HotPress.com in the site's write-up of 50 Irish Acts You Have to Hear .  
I initially came into contact with this band during the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, held in New York City this past October.  They were part of the 1st night's line-up at Brooklyn Bowl, at which I was scheduled as a photographer.  I also had the opportunity to engage in some casual conversation with Austin, Cosgrave and Kinsella in between sets.  Despite their current industry success, the guys from The Minutes struck me as being a pretty down-to-earth group.  That's always a nice thing to encounter.  
Their debut album "Marcata" drops in the UK on January 30th, and you can download a free preview track of their new single 'Heartbreaker' here.  Below are some of the pictures I snapped of them during CMJ.









Tickets for the 2012 Savannah Stopover Festival are still available.  Single day passes, as well as VIP options, are being offered, and prices range from $15-$120.  In addition, Stopover is still accepting gig request forms from bands via the festival website.  The submission deadline is January 27th, and it costs just $5 for artists to process that such request.  If you and your band would like to contribute to this year's shenanigans, follow this link.  Good luck to all who apply!