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.
A Drug Called Tradition – “Depression Stone”
From the upcoming LP, Medicine Music
The key to good psychedelic rock is found in the tension between immediacy and repetition. It’s a fine balance which allows the listener to lose track of time and appreciate the riffs whether the song is a two-minute rager or a ten-minute epic. The new track from A Drug Called Tradition hits the fulcrum dead on with ’70s swagger and confidence to spare. The snarl of “Depression Stone” has more in common with Alice Cooper than Pink Floyd, but it’s a good look for the band, and proof ADCT can hit rock and roll high points while burying the listener beneath woozy psychedelia. – Russell Rockwell
“Depression Stone” is the first single from Medicine Music, due out later this spring.
More Info
Web: adrugcalledtradition.com
Bandcamp: adrugcalledtradition.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @a_drug_called_tradition
SoundCloud: @adrugcalledtraditionband
Credit: Jimmy Hubbard
Royal Thunder – “April Showers”
From the upcoming LP, Wick
For a few years now, Royal Thunder have been slogging through the turbid sludge metal waters, attempting to stake a name for themselves on a label (Relapse Records) that never really suited the band’s classic rock meets grunge vibes. So it should be no surprise that after a relatively quiet 2016, the group has emerged with a new record and label in tow. “April Showers” is the first single to be revealed off their upcoming Wick LP on Spinefarm Records, and the band’s spacious grooves and brooding menace has never sounded better. Mlny Parsonz has always had a powerhouse voice and here it’s placed front and center, just above the track’s tumultuous backdrop, which frankly, is where it should always stay. All in all, it’s a potent effort and a clear signal that Royal Thunder are poised to remain one of the city’s most compelling purveyors of heavy rock. – Guillermo Castro
“April Showers” is the first single from Wick, out April 7.
More Info
Bandcamp: royalthunder.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @RoyalThunderMusic
SoundCloud: @royalthunderofficial
Twitter: @RoyalThunderAtl
Credit: Nick Sheridan
AyOh – “Juego”
Drawing influence from instrumental hip-hop titans such as J. Dilla and Madlib, AyOh strives to blend summertime bliss with ethereal ambience. His latest single, “Juego,” does just that. The Valentine’s Day release was no doubt designed to set the mood for evening activities. Hinting at a Latin flair in both the title and in the beginning of the song, the beat morphs into a head-bobbing, late-night drive groove. However, we find the song pairs equally well with an ice-cold beverage on a front porch or poolside. With two singles already out in 2017, and an new LP slated for later in they year, expect a plethora of AyOh’s tasty beats to drop throughout the coming months. – Joshua Quandt
More Info
Bandcamp: ayyohh.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @AyOhBeats
SoundCloud: @awomusic
Twitter: @AyOh____