Blog: Confessions Of A Music Addict

Here's a fun little event featuring a way to help out some adorable furry pals. Head over to the Family Dog in Morningside (love this place; get Shawn to make you a fun drink!) on June 22nd from 4pm on to help benefit homeless puppy doggies through Barking Hound Village . It's free to hang out, and 10% of the proceeds go to BHV Rescue. We looooove puppy doggies!

I like signs that light up. I also like this song.

Free show at the Star Bar June 16th presented by Team Luis! Ya got Baby Baby headlinin' this shizz! This is a band I can get behind thanks to their quirky lyrics and dancey dance tunes. You should go, because it's all, like, FREE and stuff!

I'll admit it, it's been a quick minute since I've caught up with the Arctic Monkeys . At least since that "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" bit was playing all over the damn place. I'll give them this, the buzz they create is almost immeasurable. I managed to find a couple places to preview a bit of this new album they released this week, Suck It and See (love the album title, btw, guys). What to say, what to say...the music iteself is full gritty, grabby rock yum. Their use of guitars is so [...]

Just a heads up that one of the most amazing bands I've ever had the pleasure of exposing my critical ears to has dropped a new album, The Bedroom Demos . That band is Stars . I've been privy to them for a few years, and they never do me wrong. You've got the ethereal lady vocals that meet up with breathy man vocals and electronic/rock music in a most beautiful way. Looks like my favorite from them of all time, "My Favourite Book" is on there in a more calm-like version. Ahhhh, thank you, Stars. I needed [...]

Got a little submission from this band from Atlanta called Noel Stephen & the Darlings . Can I just say "praise the musical gods!"?! If you're familiar with another band that used to hang around these parts called Snowden , this guy's voice reminds me Jordan Jeffares' fabulous vocality. Noel Stephen boasts some pretty great music behind those adorable vocals, too. Always a plus! It's a cross between folky obscure indie boomness, alt-country twang, and old-school saloon music (check out "Constellation" from the link above to see what I mean). I like them even [...]

Our buddy Team Luis is throwin' a show with Cousin Dan next Friday, June 10th. No time listed, however, Star Bar doesn't get kickin' til around 9pm, so that's a good indication of when you can expect sound check. Or somethin'. While I've heard plenty about this dood, this is the first time I've checked it out. You like Chromeo ? You should. They're awesome. Anyway, Cousin Dan is like Chromeo. When I tell the man about this, he's gonna insist we hit every Cousin Dan show. Hey look! I'm nice and I'm [...]

When you drop names like "the Bravery" and "Louis XIV" - I listen! I did not know about the Shapes until they magically floated into my inbox, and after listening and feeling like I'd reverted to my post-teenage pop punk haven, I suddenly felt a twinge of my favorite band, the Old 97s, because of how angry this song is. And, I super love it! This is the anthem for the "We Hate People" club, which I have a long-standing membership in. So, check out The Shapes' "I'm OK." The [...]

Check it out, yo. The Georgia Theatre in Athens is about back on its feet after that terrible fire incident a couple years ago. They're coming back with a bang - just look at the scheduled line-up: August 01: The Glands, with Madeline. Post-show free dance party with Immuzikation August 02: Chuck Leavell and Friends, with SNAP! August 03: [...]

Hey y'all, do ya like art? Do ya like music? Me, too! That's why I'm gonna head down to 1085 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 (it's that Druid Hills Baptist Church there by the corner of Ponce and N. Highland) on Saturday, June 4th. There you'll find ARTlantis ! It's music, and art, and cool people who aren't at the Va-Hi Summerfest ridiculousness. Line-up of musical guest can be found here . My frand, Jenny Birdsong , will have some of her hawt art up there, so you should look for it. Broaden your [...]

I get lots of fun stuff in my inbox. I feel better after I weigh in on it, pass it along, and then delete it. It's like cleaning. So, let's try to put a dent in some of the latest submissions. ->Pretty Bird: Sometimes, I wonder what the hell kinda drugs people are on that make them think that anyone would want a recording of their music. Like, hey, if you were hanging out on a bender making some music in the woods, it probably sounded awesome then. Because you're all into it and stuff. I'm [...]

Hey, if you want something to fill your Saturday evening void while you're stuck in Atlanta and all your friends are at the beach for Memorial Day festivities, you should totally go out. And drink. At Zoo Atlanta. Yeah, that's right! Zoo Atlanta's annual Brew at the Zoo is happening this weekend. I went last year and had a blast. I mean, you can drink craft beer and wine while gawking at the adorable zoo animals! Then, once you've spiraled around the grounds, you can party down by the main gate with a wide variety of musical [...]

Thought I would list a few shows of interest in case anyone is looking for fun stuff to listen to live. - Chastain seems to have a pretty stellar line-up this summer of some noteworthy acts. >>June 19th: Hall & Oates - I already tix to this one. Ima stand up and make monster faces when they sing "Maneater." It's gonna be so great! tickets >>June 22nd: Chris Issak - I wonder if he'll have Helena Christensen rolling around on stage? tickets [...]

I've been wanting to check out this band live and in-person for a while. Life always gets in the way. I think I may have finally caught a break! This Friday, May 20, at the new Basement under Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta, Wolves are playing. If you're into electro pop rock new wave dancey awesome, then you should check them out. Listen to them on bandcamp (or below) and then tell me it's nothing short of Dave Gahan's rebirth. Twenty Something by Wolves

So, I have this friend who produces music, and we were havin' some beers one day, and he's like, "Leah, you gotta hear this chick I'm working with. She is the FUTURE!" Now, I don't typically buy into that kind of hype. I didn't, at least, until he insisted I take a listen. Ho. Ly. Fudgesicles. Nadia Marie . She plays the guitar. She is simply ridiculous on the mike. I'm trying to figure out why this girl hasn't been given a multi-million dollar record deal, yet. It's weird. She's got this kind of retro (and by [...]

September 16-18 in the most fantastic city in the US: Austin, TX. Find the line-up here . Personally, I think I might have to sell a kidney to make it out there for this. The list of acts is ridonkulously top notch.

Got a sweet little tip on an amazing lady who will be in Atlanta tomorrow night at Variety Playhouse opening for Raphael Saadiq . Her name is Yuna and she's got a really incredible, dream-like voice that sort of reminds me of Marketa Irglova from The Swell Season , the chick from the Weepies , or (and, stay with me on this one) the Murmurs from the 90s. Am I the only one who remembers them and how awesome they were? Annnnywho, Yuna's got the clout of FADER behind [...]

The older I get, the more I tend to gravitate to chick music. And, by that, I mean music made by chicks. Jenny Lewis . Florence and the Machine . Grace Potter . And the list goes on. Caught wind of this little three piece from Brooklyn (go figure), Vivian Girls , and decided to listen to a few ditties. I'm so torn about how I feel about this. One hand, it's like they're the female version of Balkans with the irritating lead vocals, that in some instances, sound so [...]

I'm pretty baffled at how someone who looks the way she looks can sound the way she sounds. Typically when I hear such an outpouring of soul, I expect there to be a lot more meat behind it. This woman somehow manages to apply a layer of thick smooth buttah on all of the words lined up to exit her mouth, to the point that when they finally hit air, you've been exposed to nothing short of bone-chilling bluesy awesome. I just wanna listen all day. In a rundown hotel on the Mississippi Delta, or someplace. Gotta [...]

See, this is what happens when you tell your musically inclined friends that you've been riding a wave of musical notes molded from poo; they send you something they think you'll looooove. In my case, Reptar has been passed along. Wasn't Reptar a character in "Rugrats"? Or was that something else? Why do I even know that? Anyway... Other than almost having a meltdown caused from hallucinations after visiting their website , I can totally see myself spinning their Of Montrealesque tunes while I'm scrubbing the grout from the bathroom tile. Because, [...]