Look, we know we throw a lot of new music at you. We also know that not everyone who comes to this site has the time to be as involved with or informed about the local scene as maybe they’d like to be. So for those casual readers who either can’t or have no interest in keeping up with the parade of artists we try to cover, who may not know the difference between Bitter and Biters, we have created our TRIPLE THREAT feature. The premise is simple: every Friday our writers will put their heads together and come up with three tracks that grabbed our attention over that week. Then we tell you why the songs are great and worth listening to. That’s it. Maybe some weeks we’ll have a guest commentator come in and share their favorites, but the format will always remain the same: three songs, some words, and we out. Enjoy.
Mutual Jerk – “He’s Harmless”
From the upcoming Mutual Jerk 7″
In the Atlanta punk scene, social commentary often takes a back seat to political angst and nihilistic rambling, but Mutual Jerk’s new single “He’s Harmless” takes on an issue often swept under the rug by DIY communities. The problem of victim-shaming and rape/abuse apologists has plagued local music scenes for far too long, often with white boys getting a pass at the expense of the community. Tyler Roberts’ impassioned lyrics are snarky as usual, but on the new track they’re grounded in an awareness of how deeply this infection is rooted in Atlanta. Mutual Jerk’s deconstruction of hardcore might have roots in Saccharine Trust, but their willingness to take on a critical issue rather than direct their energy against the same tired targets punks have railed against for years is as refreshing as it is necessary. – Russell Rockwell
The Mutual Jerk 7″ is out May 1.
Mutual Jerk will perform on Saturday, April 1 at the Earl in support of HAWKS (Record Release/Final Show) and the Sunglasses. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: mutualjerk.bandcamp.com
Flower – “Hysteria”
From the upcoming EP, Death By Internet
I forget, all the time, that music from the ’90s actually existed when I was a child. I know, doi, but put yrself in this millennial’s shoes for a minute: as an 8-year-old, you weren’t digging for Dinosaur Jr. or the Lemonheads in the local record store. If you were like me, you surfed the pre-natal cyberspace with America Online, poked and prodded through Geocities sites of dancing Mario GIFs, and bumbled into IRC chatrooms for half-baked role-plays. So when Flower wedded ’90s alt-rock with the birth of the internet here on “Hysteria,” I tripped out a bit. How crazy! While youngsters like me lost ourselves in the digital frontier, teenagers a decade older embarked on a totally divergent journey in sound. Who came out the wiser, I wonder? Dunno — but Flower came out OK, cos this is ACE. – Lee Adcock
Death By Internet is out March 31 via Megafuss.
Flower will celebrate the release of Death By Internet on Thu., March 30 at 529. They will be supported by worlds greatest dad and Piss Shy. Doors open at 9 p.m. Donations encouraged. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: floweratl.com
Bandcamp: floweratl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @floweratl
Instagram: @floweratlanta
SoundCloud: @floweratl
Twitter: @floweratl
Kudzu Kids – “Rain”
From the upcoming EP, Lady
There’s a serene quality to Krista Williamson’s voice that often overshadows the subtle complexities of the band’s structural underpinnings. That’s meant as neither praise nor dig, but as mere statement of fact — this is a band driven in large part by melody and poetry, by projection and inflection. So maybe it’s no surprise that I initially overlooked the gentle prods and leisurely stroll of “Rain” as simple accompaniment rather than as the prime initiator — the calm, composed instigator. Everything on the surface here is bright and glistening like the last vestiges of a sun shower trickling down a window pane. But it’s all a trap. Beneath is a thick current of tension, anxiety, fear, frustration. “Here is that house that I never wanna go back to / and here is that house that I never wanna see,” Williamson warns us, and hopefully we listen. “Rain” may sound like a dream, but draw back the curtains for a moment and you’ll discover a nightmare lurking. – Guillermo Castro
Kudzu Kids will perform on Mon., March 13 at the Mammal Gallery. They will be supported by Sombered, Bunny Boy, Bilge Rat, and Clearance. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. 18+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: kudzukids.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @kudzukidsofficial