USA
Atlanta-based journalist, musician and freelance writer currently working for GSU's award-winning newspaper, The Signal.
Wide-eyed with a mind as blank as John Locke's tabula rasa, a young boy watches his father dazzling crowds with a set that's only half prepared. The other half relies on fiery spontaneity, in-the-moment artistry, and inimitable creativity. His father casts a shadow decades long, enough to encompass an entire lifetime's worth of influence.
The fuzzed-out euphoria of Small Reactions' songwriting always tells a story that's more freewheeling than the group's actual biography. For the last five years, the post-punk foursome has stumbled over the usual misgivings of a fresh band fighting for its own breath in an oversaturated world of angular guitars and yearning energy.
The odds never agreed with Waking Astronomer. In many ways it was pure chance that led five talented musicians with various backgrounds to all gather in a cramped Westside room and emerge as one of the most exciting local supergroups in years.
Starting today (June 12), a lone piece of farmland in a remote stretch of Tennessee will be converted into a musical wonderland with a temporary population of close to 100,000 eager citizens. There is no central figure or leadership in this magical pop-up city of superjams and psychedelic fountains, but if there ever was a mayor of Bonnaroo, it would undoubtedly be Ashley Capps.
In an age where label rivalries, (occasionally fatal) Twitter feuds, and champagne bottle assaults dominate Atlanta's hip-hop consciousness, Trinidad James flexes his positivity. The 26-year-old Trinidad-born, Atlanta-bred rapper has been laying low since the overnight success of his 2012 club opus "All Gold Everything" lit up radios worldwide.
Hearing Wayne Shorter speak is like watching a music history book burst to life. To put it simply, he's a living giant. The career of the illustrious jazz saxophonist straddles two centuries and his influence is sure to straddle countless more.
Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is an artist defined by contradictions. She's classically trained with a punk rock ethos. She stage dives in high heels. Her last album, 2011's critically acclaimed Strange Mercy, reveled in the contrast between roaring chaos and easily digestible melodies. St.
From Jimi Hendrix scorching his guitar to Skrillex performing on a rotating stage complete with a hot tub, the festival experience has always been about the live show. Since EDM's meteoric rise to the top of festival bills worldwide, there has been a frantic race to prove who can dazzle crowds with a combination of live technological prowess and consistent musical precision.
Baby Baby's sophomore album, Big Boy Baller Club (Gospel of Rhythm), starts off like a megaton bomb blowing away everything in sight. The ultimate distillation of the Atlanta five-piece's "fun rock" ethos comes within seconds of its explosive opener, "Turnip."
Mountain Oasis, an electronic music summit hosted in Asheville, N.C., finished its first year by bringing together some of the brightest and most innovate minds in electronic, experimental and indie music. There was a host of shows that were simply once-in-a-lifetime experiences: a Neutral Milk Hotel reunion, and the emergence of reclusive acoustic legend Daniel Johnston.
The Black Lips are the valedictorians of Atlanta garage rock. The quartet emerged from Dunwoody in 1999, and over a decade of infamous stage antics, punk ethics, and a relentless touring schedule have cemented their place in Atlanta's musical lexicon.
Akron/Family is one of the few bands that can turn indecisiveness into a positive advantage. Every album finds the New York-based psych-rock trio dipping into stylistic opposites. "Meek Warrior" (2005)flared from free jazz odysseys to hushed, intimate folk while 2009′s lauded "Set Em' Wild, Set Em' Free" celebrated funky buildups and psychedelic crescendos.
The Goat Farm's sprawling, dilapidated warehouses don't need any help providing an eerie Halloween backdrop. With proximity to the deafening drone of trains and a history that dates back over a century, the mill-turned-arts-center already feels like the home of a masked killer.
On October 5, Castleberry Hill will be transformed into a sensory playground for a dedicated group of artists to test their creative whims on a grand scale. This playground is known as Flux Night, a collection of sights, sounds, and even smells.
Prep for Music Midtown with this list of recent releases from some of its headliners like Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age and 2 Chainz. Arctic Monkeys Latest Album: "AM" The Arctic Monkeys have grown up. The spastic, high octane, post-punk marking their earliest releases gave way to the sort of brooding, self-examination that typifies adulthood.
Every year countless venues in Atlanta compete ferociously for the top spots on Creative Loafing's "Best of ATL" list. One of the most contentious awards is the title of Atlanta's "Best Performance Venue." There are a dizzying number of performance venues in Atlanta, but this year Georgia State's own underdog is making a compelling argument on why they deserve the honor.
Rob Sheffield is a Rolling Stone columnist and music journalist who published the acclaimed novel “Life is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time”. His latest novel, “Turn Around Bright Eyes...
Every Labor Day weekend among the hordes of cosplayers marching in Downtown, among the gay pride flags flying in Piedmont Park, among the roar of NASCAR fans
One of the most prestigious cultural ambassadors from Georgia State is an oft-forgotten family of ardent music aficionados only known as the humble, disembodied voices of Album 88.
Or is he just trying to cash in on the anti-consumer trend?
Each of these unique Atlanta venues provide history, nightlife and music — and you don’t have to be 21 to get in on the fun.
Ten of the most in-demand albums of the year are set to release just in time for summer listening.
Profiles of four up and coming GSU bands
The shifting trends of cigarette culture and the unseen dangers of being a social smoker
A talk with Record Store Day co-founder on why physical music remains relevant
'Spring Breakers' star and director discuss the film
A conversation with absurdist gurus Tim and Eric about their first cinematic excursion, Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie.
A roundtable with Seth Rogen and Will Reiser about death and neuroticism in their new movie, 50/50.
A look with Ladytron keyboardist Reuben Wu on how to stay relevant without hitting the charts.
A beginners guide to the blissfully deafening sound of dubstep, told through the life of Atlantas own dubstep pioneer, Ployd.
A rundown of Baby Baby's sonic storm at the Drunken Unicorn.