Okay, you know the drill. Three songs meant to highlight some of the best music we’ve heard coming out of the local scene. For a long time, TRIPLE THREAT was one of Immersive’s anchors, but then the world got significantly more fucked than usual, and it took us a while to grow accustomed to the seismic shift. Six months into the pandemic and Atlanta music remains mired in the biggest existential threat of our lifetime. Live music is out of the question for the foreseeable future, beloved DIY institutions are shutting their doors forever, and it feels like we’re all standing around, waiting for the next bomb to drop.
And yet, there are glimmers of hope. Organizations like Southern Fried Queer Pride are stepping up to fill the DIY void while others are recommitting themselves to the future of the community. But none of it would mean much if artists and musicians weren’t still creating. With live shows an impossibility, local bands and songwriters have poured their energy into writing, recording, and rethinking their musical identity. From a creative standpoint, it’s been a fertile period, as evidenced by the impressive trio of songs below. The apocalypse may be lurking just around the corner, but at least it will come with one hell of a soundtrack. – Guillermo Castro
Jelani Imani – “ONE (neo)”
From the standalone single
Braggadocio, even the metaphorical kind, is most effective when it’s delivered with cool confidence. Rapper and vocalist Jelani Imani approaches his music with a songwriter’s ear, bolstering his nimble bars with a bevy of wavy hooks. On “ONE (neo),” the first of two new cuts Imani recently unveiled, he taps into the ‘chosen one’ lore of The Matrix movie franchise over a shimmering beat from Seattle producer wzrd. On its face that sounds like the sort of golden child posturing reserved for hitmakers like Drake, but Imani claims the mantle with tongue-twisting bravado and a watchful eye. “Fake love is the shit I’m against / Paranoia, I don’t know its intent,” he confides before taking aim at doubters and “leeches.” It’s a poised and self-assured performance; after all, the first step towards divinity is belief. – Avery Shepherd
More Info
Web: jelaniimani.com
Facebook: @jelaniesco
Instagram: @shitjelani
SoundCloud: @jelaniimani
Twitter: @shitjelani
Entertainment – “Maggot Church”
From the standalone single
The aggression of the comeback single from Entertainment is immediate and shocking. Echoing waves of reverb jostle and crash into shores of emptiness as if the five rivers of hell were poured into a singular torrent. 12 years after the release of their singular LP Gender, the Athens goth group bestow “Maggot Church” on the shadows of the south, a thunderous release that multiplies the tension of their previous work while retaining much of the glam and traditional goth melancholy that characterized their debut. The track, which was released with supporting remixes, isn’t a one-off for the band, but instead signals more new work, including a two-part EP that will drop later this year. – Russell Rockwell
More Info
Bandcamp: entertainment.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @EntertainmentBandOfficial
Instagram: @entertainment.band.forever
Champagne Colored Cars – “Fever Dream: Season 3”
From the upcoming LP, Tourism
The dynamic rhythms and spindly guitar lines that make up the new single from Champagne Colored Cars highlight an evolution in the band’s sound that rife with possibilities. While technical wizardry has long been one of the trio’s core strengths, it’s exciting to hear the group augment their dexterous math rock with hints of post-rock atmosphere and driving indie rock. Overall, “Fever Dream: Season 3” feels less congested than much of the group’s previous work, allowing Tyler Perkins’ understated vocals to slide further into the forefront. But don’t get it twisted. Champagne Colored Cars still dazzle with speed and precision. This time around, however, it comes with a healthy dose of melodic songcraft. – GC
Tourism is out Dec. 4 via Choke Artist and Old Press Records. Pre-orders are available here and here.
More Info
Bandcamp: champagnecoloredcars.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @champagnecoloredcars
Instagram: @champagnecoloredcars
SoundCloud: @champagne-colored-cars
Twitter: @triplefuckingc