Coming off the traumatic year we just had, it’s hard to simply wipe the slate clean. But sometimes letting go of the past is the only way towards progress. Yes, local music remains on a calamitous precipice and we’ve lost too much (R.I.P. Mammal Gallery, Music Room, Caledonia Lounge, Sound Table, and more), but with the passage of the much-needed Save Our Stages Act and the vaccine rollout underway, relief appears to be on the horizon for an industry decimated by the pandemic. Still, let’s not kid ourselves; it’s going to be a long, difficult road forward.
For the moment, however, let’s set aside any grand designs and focus on what’s in front of us. Judging from all the Bandcamp alerts and promo emails popping into our inbox lately, I’d say local artists are eager to break out of isolation and connect with their communities once again. To that end, Immersive Atlanta is excited to continue our TRIPLE THREAT feature. While the premise has always been simple—a spotlight on three new songs that have captivated our attention—over the years it’s helped guide our coverage and keep tabs on the local scene. We hope it’s helped you keep up, too. So here you go: Three tracks that topped our local playlist this week. Press play and enjoy. – Guillermo Castro
Clan Destined – “On 10”
From the “On 10” b/w “I Swear” Single
Dropped on the tenth anniversary of the release of their last LP, “On 10” marks a titanic return for Clan Destined. It’s a celebration of everything that made the duo such a potent force in Atlanta hip-hop—dramatic boom-bap beats, clever sampling, and an onslaught of heady rhymes from DT (Dustin Teague) and AmDex (Yamin Semali). “I don’t fit in, I ain’t gotta / I ain’t proper, I ain’t prim,” DT announces at the onset before leveling the track with a barrage of street-level flexes and cosmic wisdom. Not to be outdone, AmDex snatches the baton and unleashes his own flurry of witty boasts and epic putdowns: “I’ve been moving in a faster motion / Your lens pathetic / You can’t catch it with the frames per second that you’re boasting.” Simply put, the whole thing is straight fucking heat, and I can’t get enough. Like the intro says, “Shit feel GOOD!” – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: clan-destined.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @clandmusic
Twitter: @clan_destined
Hospice – “Palmetto”
From the self-titled EP
Maybe it’s their size, but palmetto bugs have a grotesque personality, an individualism that isn’t shared by smaller roaches. It’s a lust for life evident in their furious takeoffs and preening antennae. On their new track, Hospice romance the revulsion and transform the skin-crawling, summer evening ubiquity into a claustrophobic ode to the creature’s heinous beauty. The sinister two-piece is composed of Graham Tavel on synths and Brannon Greene (Predator, Nag) on guitar and vocals, and “Palmetto” is the perfect example of how the duo combine early iterations of electronica with classic punk. The tightly wound chaos and vintage drum machines invoke Vector Command and Clock DVA, and the mechanical result is a perfect fit for Greene’s jackhammer haiku delivery. – Russell Rockwell
The Hospice EP (not to be confused with the Hospice LP released in 2018) is out now.
More Info
Bandcamp: hospiceatlanta.bandcamp.com
>Reverend Hylton – “Emily”
From the LP, Leave the Door Open
After years of nonstop touring, Reverend Hylton had to suddenly stop when the pandemic hit. While there are many obvious reasons why that’s a total bummer, the silver lining is that it gave the singer-songwriter a chance to work with producer Robert Green on his latest, Leave the Door Open. It’s one of his most dynamic and moving records yet, channeling ’70s country icons like Jim Croce or John Prine with fully fleshed-out arrangements of older songs from his catalog, as well as some new gems to treasure. On “Emily,” Hylton sings about loss and the open road as he leads his band through a delicate barroom waltz complete with jangle piano and swoons of pedal steel. While there are not so many open roads to be had right now, the mixture of melancholy and conviction feels familiar like watching state lines pass through your headlights. – Ethan Fogus
Leave the Door Open is out now.
More Info
Web: justinhylton.com
Bandcamp: reverendhylton.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @revhylton
Instagram: @revhylton
Twitter: @revhylton