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.
Credit: Onyee Ijebuonwu
Michael Cera Palin – “Portrait of a Man on a Couch With Cats”
From the EP, “I Don’t Know How to Explain It”
Maturity sure is elusive. The 20-year-olds and 21-year-olds chew through their angst and beg for peace in adulthood, like there’s a highlighter yellow finish line strung across the track after a certain distance. Truth is, I can’t assure anyone where inner peace awaits them, or if that concrete point exists at all. This elder millennial is still learning the self-care lessons mentioned in Michael Cera Palin’s rollicking “Portrait of a Man On a Couch With Cats,” like how to deal with that crippling shyness at gigs: “Farewell, fairweather friends / I’ll see you when I’m feeling more eloquent.” Elliott Brabant has a leg up on me, though: where my mundane qualms spill out into the world as just flat pixels on lighted screens, MCP pump the palpitations of yr frantic heart into an audible rush, amplifying all that drama with the hookiest of hooks. Not only is the struggle real, but it’s irresistible to stomp along to. As Brabant himself admits, his demons aren’t unique—which is precisely why even so-called adults can also relish the imperfect exorcism toward the end: “I’M STILL HERE! I’M STILL TRYING! I STILL FEAR / THAT I’M LYING AND IT’S REALLY NOT FINE!” Welcome to adolescence, dude. – Lee Adcock
Michael Cera Palin will celebrate the release of “I Don’t Know How to Explain It” on Sat., Feb. 10 at the Bakery alongside Ammonia Wash, Champagne Colored Cars, Drowning Lessons, and Thommassons. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $5. All profits go to RAINN. All ages.
More Info
Bandcamp: michaelcerapalin.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @mcpatl
Twitter: @mcp_emo
Yani Mo – “NO CAP”
From the standalone single
It’s only been a couple of months since the Lithonia native dropped her last project, The Moment, but the new track from Yani Mo is easily her best yet. All the chill, playful vibes are gone, and what remains is straight up FIRE. On “NO CAP” Yani Mo reunites with producer ProRow and their chemistry is obvious even if the track represents a new direction for the collaborators. Throughout the cut, Yani Mo’s breathless flow competes with deadly production, but what ties it all together is her scalpel-like word choice. This isn’t the first time a rapper has rhymed Coretta with Beretta, but never before has it cut this hard. – Russell Rockwell
Yani Mo will perform on Fri., Feb. 23 at 529 alongside Linqua Franqa (Record Release), John.AVERAGE, Day Tripper, and Luxury Vehicle. Doors open at 9 p.m. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: yanimomusic.com
Bandcamp: yanimo.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @itsyanimo
Instagram: @yanimo_
SoundCloud: @yanimo
Twitter: @yani_mo
Post Hunk – “Winder”
From the new single, Sex Life/Winder
Post Hunk is quite a departure from John Pierce’s past work as guitarist in Man Up, Yancey and as current multi-instrumentalist in electronic trio, Shouldies. Originally a solo excursion, indie nerds may be easily reminded of the cassette-damaged R. Stevie Moore, part in thanks to Pierce’s love for lo-fi production and his slight genre-hopping from song to song. And like the one-man-band corner of the musical world, Post Hunk has been an opportunity for Pierce to showcase not just his love for dad rock but his inner emotional landscape. His most recent dirge, “Winder,” presents an Americana twang which hearkens to the simplistic solemnity of ‘70s country-folk long buried by overproduced redneck radio country and post-Creed grunge goofies. All notations of forlorn feels are expressed through a tasteful stoic stance, packed tightly within encrypted idioms lurking inside Post Hunk’s varied range of sound. With additional backing by Alex Teich, “Winder”’s moody gallop lends to a glimmering sliver of evolving vulnerability, further actualized by the layers of reverb-drenched guitar. The track is out today on Bandcamp, alongside the murkier, Residents-tinged “Sex Life.” – Sunni Johnson
Post Hunk will perform on Mon., Feb. 26 at 529 alongside the Hernies and Ama. Doors open at 9 p.m. $57-7 suggested donation. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: posthunk.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @PostHunk
Instagram: @posthunkatl
Twitter: @PostHunk