hissing lawns

The FEST 14 announces first 267 bands in lineup

by Tom Cartmel • April 22, 2015

Gainesville, FL institution The FEST has unveiled a new website and the first 267 bands committed to this year’s massive takeover of the city October 30th through November 1st. Highlights include Lagwagon, The Menzingers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Off With Their Heads, Banner Pilot and a ton more.

Pre Fest also returns to Ybor City/Tampa for the third year, featuring 75 or so Fest bands, many of whom will be playing special sets of whole albums, rarities and the like. If you like punk rock, PBR, and alt culture camaraderie, this festival is a blast.

Check out last year’s highlights:

And take a look at this year’s lineup so far. Rumor has it that as many as 100 more bands may be added!

ICYMI: We announced the initial Big Pre-Fest in Little Ybor 3 and #FEST14 lineup last night!!Lagwagon, Desaparecidos,…

Posted by THE FEST on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

And a couple pictures from the archives:

Lagwagon at Fun Fun Fun Fest.

Creepoid at FEST 13.

And finally, beware the FEST schedule, it’s insane.

Natalie Prass at Hang Fire – photos

by bill • April 21, 2015

Here’s Natalie Prass at SXSW in March with “Why Don’t You Believe in Me?” produced by Matthew E. White:

Her self-titled debut album has been out for a few months, but the L.A. Times finally reviewed it this week:

Nine effervescent songs that swirl with brass, strings and Prass’ acrobatic voice, “Natalie Prass” surrounds a classic American songsmith with vivid arrangements. She cites composers including Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin and Burt Bacharach’s work with Dionne Warwick as touchstones, and their influence is apparent. Bacharach’s exclamatory arrangements are certainly an influence, but Prass and company are their own thing.

In yet another gig lined up by MusicFile Productions, Prass made a stop at Hang Fire on March 25th. Tom and I both fought the darkness to get a few shots of the show, which brought a great crowd out on a Wednesday night, but we’ve been a little slack about getting pics posted.

Prass has an easy charisma and, with nothing flashy at all, commanded the space. If you haven’t heard of her yet, you will soon.

Ryley Walker opened with a powerful set, but we didn’t manage any photos at all since he remained in the abject darkness of the Hang Fire stage. Prass wandered around the room, and that’s when Tom and I took most of these shots — the first few are his, the next set mine (I resorted to flash, which I hate). Not ideal conditions for photos, but you can get a sense of the vibe in the room:

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Kylesa featured on Nirvana tribute compilation

by Tom Cartmel • April 21, 2015

Do we need another Nirvana tribute album? Do we need to hear the ubiquitous songs of Nevermind ever again? The answer to both is a resounding “yes” when the bands covering the tunes are the quality of local metal heroes Kylesa, Savannah favorites Torche, and other genre big names including Young Widows, Cave In, Boris, Nothing, and Thou.

Each cover seems to do the original justice, a rarity in this kind of cover album. The bands put their own noisey/heavy/sludgy/psychedelic stamp on classics like “Breed”, “Lithium”, “Come As You Are”, and “In Bloom”.

Don’t expect carbon copy covers, but if you like a little experimentation and noise, this Robotic Empire release is totally worth checking out. Stream the Record Store Day release, or better yet, purchase it here.

<a href="http://roboticempire.bandcamp.com/album/whatever-nevermind">Whatever Nevermind by Robotic Empire</a>

Kylesa

Torche

The Bread And Butter Band at ArtLab Sessions – photos

by JWaits • April 20, 2015

The Bread And Butter Band from Asheville, N.C. performed at ArtLab Sessions; video coming soon.

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COEDS at ArtLab Sessions – photos

by JWaits • April 20, 2015

Savannah’s own COEDS made a stop into ArtLab Sessions; video coming soon.

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Fucked Up to play all ages Savannah show

by Tom Cartmel • April 20, 2015

I have literally never been more excited to write a headline in my life. For those of you who are in the know….HOLY SHIT, YOU GUYS, FUCKED UP IS PLAYING SAVANNAH! SERIOUSLY.

Okay, now with a bit more restraint, and details. Polaris Prize-winning experimental post hardcore outfit Fucked Up is playing an all ages MusicFile Productions show at Southern Pine Company on July 1st, supporting the band’s upcoming EP Year of the Hare, the seventh release in their Chinese Zodiac series.

Fucked Up will expand their live lineup to nine members with friends from DOOMSQUAD, who are also on the bill. Savannah’s own Crazy Bag Lady deservedly opens.

If you’re still a little lost, Fucked Up is a 6 piece rock band out of Toronto. While they started as a hardcore punk band releasing a string of 7″ singles, their first full length album Hidden World showed an experimental side, adding strings and compositional elements not usually associated with the genre. The experimentation continued with the next effort Chemistry of Common Life, which won the Polaris Music Prize, given to the Canadian album with the highest artistic merit. After rumors of a breakup, Fucked Up produced David Comes to Life, a rock opera set in Thatcher era England (for real) that received nearly universal acclaim, was nominated for another Polaris Music Prize, and was named Spin magazine’s #1 album of the year. Glass Boys followed in 2014.

In addition to the full lengths, Fucked Up has put out a series of EPs based on the Chinese Zodiac at a pace of roughly one a year, the upcoming Year of the Hare on Deathwish Inc. being the 7th installment. The EPs indulge the band’s progressive side, often featuring collaborators and tracks running 15 minutes or more.

While they have won accolades for their recordings, the band’s true strength is their live show. Singer Damian Abraham quickly disappears into the crowd, barking vocals and often sharing the mic with fans. Meanwhile, the band is a super tight, riffing juggernaut on the stage behind him. I say without hesitation that they are one of the most powerful live bands I have seen in the last several years.

According to today’s press release from MusicFile, tickets go on sale Friday, April 24th at noon (Savannah time) for $15.00 on Ticketfly. This show is ALL AGES (no alcohol will be sold) and is one of just 10 U.S. dates on this tour.

In conclusion…. HOLY SHIT, YOU GUYS, FUCKED UP IS PLAYING SAVANNAH! SERIOUSLY.

Here are some pics from All Tomorrow’s Parties New York 2010 and Fun Fun Fun Fest (Austin, TX) 2012.

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This Frontier Needs Heroes at ArtLab Sessions – photos

by JWaits • April 19, 2015

This Frontier Needs Heroes at ArtLab Sessions today in Savannah (video coming soon):

The Strokes, Pixies, Mastodon, Brand New, James Blake headline Shaky Knees — and that’s just day 1

by bill • April 18, 2015

Shaky Knees Music Festival has only been around since 2013, but the 3-day event (May 8-10) in Atlanta has a thrilling lineup that, in our opinion, rivals any other 2015 U.S. festival.

Just consider day 1. The Strokes, Pixies, Mastodon, Brand New, TV On The Radio, and James Blake are among the bands at the top of the list, but I’m sure there are some indie music lovers out there who are even more excited about the acts that play earlier on Friday: Surfer Blood kicks things off on the main stage at 12:30 p.m. with afternoon sets across the 5 stages by the likes of The Kooks, Mac DeMarco, Tennis, Manchester Orchestra, and more.

With a lineup this good, there are sure some tough choices for attendees. For example, the 6:15 p.m. Friday time slot has Death From Above 1979, TV On The Radio, and the Mountain Goats. The 8:15 slot has Pixies, Brand New, and James Blake.

The Saturday and Sunday headliners include The Avett Brothers, Wilco, Social Distortion, Tame Impala, Ryan Adams, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Old Crow Medicine Show, and, yes, Neutral Milk Hotel.

Click here for the detailed schedule by day.

This 3rd installment of Shaky Knees takes place in Atlanta’s Central Park, which many folks don’t seem to know about even though it occupies about 17 acres at the southeast edge of Midtown:

Central Park was the home of Music Midtown for at least one year, and the festival map shows that Shaky Knees’ smaller stages will be across Pine Street in parking lots near the Atlanta Civic Center, leaving ample room for the five stages, food trucks, vendors, and various services.

The 3-day early bird passes were only $125, but the current price of $215 seems like a bargain given the sheer quality of the acts. Click here for ticket info. There are late night shows that are ticketed separately.

We covered Shaky Knees in 2014 and are thrilled to be providing some coverage again this year. We put together a Shaky Knees day 1 Spotify playlist, and we’ll soon post a single playlist with days 2 and 3. We made a few random choices here, although for the most part we chose songs that were especially popular on Spotify.

We’ll have more about Shaky Knees soon.

KiTTENFEST is upon us — April 17-19 at new performance space near Savannah River

by bill • April 16, 2015

Garrett previewed Kittenfest — one of the most ambitious new developments we’ve seen in a while for the Savannah music scene — back in February, and there are obviously lots more details available about it now.

In Do Savannah, Cory Chambers writes:

The festival has already become a highly anticipated annual event in New Jersey, starting when its founder, Sarah Florio, turned 15 years old. She had bands play in her father’s backyard to celebrate her birthday, and the party was so positive, attendees demanded another.

Now taking place at the home for Jersey’s minor league baseball Cardinals, the fest has grown into a force in the Northeast, hosting 135 bands and 3,500 attendees.

In Connect Savannah, Anna Chandler writes:

Kittenfest Savannah is conveniently located right across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge (324 Speedway Boulevard is the proper address; locals will know it as the area behind the old fireworks stand). It’ll take place on a tucked-away, marsh side piece of land owned by a local businessman; the Florios have helped him clean up the property in the past and knew it’d be just right for the festivities.

“He spent the last four years clearing the place out—he’s actually got goats there to keep the area clear for him,” says Florio. “There’s a viewing area as soon as you pull into the property. There will be parking on the right…and once you go through the gate and past the stage, there’s a gigantic camping area.”

There is a variety of logistical info on the KiTTENFEST Facebook event page, but it looks like you’ll have to go to Do to see the detailed schedule. Music starts at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are latenight EDM sets on Friday and Saturday, and things will be rocking all the way till midnight on Sunday.

Check out the lineup by day:

Larry Jack’s Magical Music Tour – 4/16/2015 – 4/22/2015

by Larry Jack Sammons • April 16, 2015

Hey guys,
It looks things are picking up again lately downtown. There are several good shows every day, several choices to make. Here is a quick look at some of the shows.

Thursday 16th
A Fragile Tomorrow – Wormhole
On the Cinder, Jeff Two Names and the Born Agains – Jinx ($6)
Syndicate – Barrelhouse South
Cape Fear w/ Party Dad, Mummbls, House of Gunt, C. Powers and Plazafiles – Hang Fire

Friday 17th
Bread And Butter – Rail Pub
Concord America, Wet Socks, DJ MP3WAY – Hang Fire
Dank Sinatra – Congress Street Social Club
Eight-Ohm Resistance – Jazz’d
Jon Lee’s Apparitions – Dub’s
Little Bird, Seawater – Barrelhouse South
Magic Rocks – Molly MacPherson’s
Niche, Irata – Jinx
Silver Screen Orchestra, Blackrune – Sentient Bean

Saturday 18th
Hypnotics – City Market (4p, Savannah Parrothead Club Benefit)
Accomplices, New Country Rehab – Congress Street Social Club
Bushfire Stank Grass – Tybee Social Club
Driverside, Them Dirty Roses – World Of Club
Hellzapoppin Sideshow Circus with Savannah Sweet Tease and A.M. Rodriguez – Jinx
Royal Noise – Barrelhouse South
Sarah Poole – Molly MacPherson’s
Skiples – bar.food
This Frontier Needs Heroes – Sentient Bean
The Last Waltz Ensemble – Mars Theater
Movers & Shakers, Kaleb Craft – Paddy O’Shea’s

Monday 20th
Accomplices – Tybee Social Club
Sunglow, Iska Dhaaf, Generation Pill, The Clambake Zine – Hang Fire

Tuesday 21st
Host, Twin Foxes – Graveface Records (7p)
City Hotel Solo Sessions – Foxy Loxy (7p)

Wednesday 22nd
Shroud Eater w/ R&R Bingo – Jinx

City Hotel at ArtLab Sessions – videos

by JWaits • April 15, 2015

Savannah’s own City Hotel recorded three songs at ArtLab Sessions, in anticipation of their recent CD release Dogged Days. ArtLab has a full schedule for the next few months, and some surprising acts will be making an appearance. We’ll be sure to keep everyone aware of their ‘doings’ as the recordings and imagery become available. In the meantime check out these videos from one of Savannah’s newest DIY musical platforms.

Savannah Stopover still attracting praise, new videos released

by bill • April 14, 2015

Savannah Stopover ended over a month ago, but the 3-day indie music fest is still reverberating around town and around the country. Here’s a roundup of some of the festival press that came out in recent weeks, including in the last few days, plus links to some video sessions.

First, you might want to check out Paste Magazine‘s Photos + Recap: Savannah Stopover 2015 by Ryan Splitlog. An excerpt:

By design, the shows are personal. Much like Savannah, the festival is warm, affable, and the barriers between performer and audience are almost invisible. Artists attend each other’s shows, and you get the feeling that everyone is equally excited to be here. This isn’t just another tour date, Stopover means something to bands performing.

We love this piece by John Walaszek, for Pigeons & Planes, I Would Rather Go to a Smaller Festival Than Lollapalooza:

I still love Lollapalooza and it holds a special place in my heart, but over the past five years I’ve enjoyed it less each time. Maybe I’m a cynic, maybe I’m just getting older and maybe I’m becoming one of those “fuck the mainstream” people, but witnessing this festival in Savannah run off the energy of people who genuinely want to hear and discover new music was inspiring.

Like discovering a great band before they blow up, finding a small, awesome festival can be just as exciting.

Those sentiments were echoed in CMJ‘s Savannah Stopover Festival: March 5-7, 2015 by Alix Piorun:

a really wonderful festival overall, which had enough diversity for any music fan to find something to jump along too. The whole vibe of the Savannah Stopover in general is nothing but positive, and due to it’s laid back, southern nature, everyone and everything is just a little more charming than your usual overwhelming big music fest.

The Blue Indian has just posted Savannah Stopover 2015: Review + Photos, with words and pics by Sarah Weitman and Petee Worrell (Petee is of course also a contributor to hissing lawns).

And The Blue Indian has also released Savannah Stopover 2015 Sessions Presented by Dollhouse Studios. ~~I’d embed a couple of those videos here, but they all appear to be “unlisted,” which means I’d be sort of an asshole to embed them. Click on through to check them out.~~ The videos are now all publicly listed. Here’s one of my favorite Stopover 2015 acts — Capsula — at Dollhouse:

Jon Chattman has also just published A-Sides With Jon Chattman: One Month Later, Savannah Stopover Still Resonates at the Huffington Post. Chattman has some high praise for the fest and the musicians, and also includes a few videos, mostly shot at the artists’ lounge in the old Sub Zero bar on Broughton Street. Here’s Penicillin Baby: