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.
Art School Jocks – “Just A Gwen”
From the upcoming self-titled EP
Despite the occasional show, Art School Jocks were quiet most of 2016. It was rumored that they were sitting on a few tracks, possibly even a record, but had some big news coming up. This week’s announcement that the band signed to Father/Daughter records seemed to prove the gossip around town correct, but more importantly it’s a sign that we’ll hear more music from the art rock band soon. The first sample of their upcoming EP, “Just A Gwen,” finds the band building a backdrop of understated slacker pop beneath scintillating lyrics. The persistent guitars are hauntingly catchy as the band provides a visceral exposé on the rape culture which permeates the everyday lives of women. – Russell Rockwell
Art School Jock’s debut EP is out June 2. Pre-orders available here.
More Info
Facebook: @artschooljocks
Instagram: @artschooljocks
SoundCloud: @artschooljocks
Atlas Greene – “Broken Lines”
From the standalone single
Anyone who’s been down a SoundCloud rabbit hole can attest to the endless waves of aspiring artists, amateurs, and hobbyists that lurk round every other click. Too often it feels like wading through a vast sea of faceless mediocrity with only a few small islands of promise leading to even tinier and more distant peninsulas of greatness. With an LP and a steady stream of singles under his belt, it would seem that Atlanta’s Atlas Greene has the drive to be more artist than amateur, and his latest cut — the murky, muted “Broken Lines” — proves there’s no small amount of potential in the rapper and producer’s game. Overall, it’s a sticky, cerebral track backed by a melancholy hook and gauzy production. But it’s that sudden beat shift and closing curveball that will make you hit rewind. – Avery Shepherd
More Info
Web: atlasgreeneraps.com
Facebook: @atlasgreeneraps
SoundCloud: @atlasgreeneraps
Indentikit – “El Árbol Fantástico”
From the standalone single
Been focused on sixes this week. If the Callous Daoboys are the six-pack of warm PBRs that you plan to down right now (because, you know, weekend), then Identikit is a six-pack of fine chilled wine, the kind that you’d be embarrassed to pronounce in a fancy restaurant in fear of butchering the name. A seamless blend of bossa nova and latin jazz, “El Árbol Fantástico” features a feisty ensemble of top-notch musicians, so crazy tight that you’ll wonder why you’ve never heard of them before. No, really. As far as I can tell, Identikit only exist online through this single, a witty Facebook page, and a handful of gigs in Atlanta’s underbelly. Where on earth did this saucy gang hail from? Who knows, but let’s hope they reveal the rest of their classy repertoire at a later date. (And maybe by then, we’ll know how to pronounce that type of wine in public.) – Lee Adcock
More Info
Bandcamp: identikitatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @identikitatl