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: Ben Rayner
Black Lips – “Can’t Hold On”
From the upcoming LP, Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?
Atlanta’s own Southern psych rockers Black Lips have unveiled the first single from their upcoming eighth studio LP, Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art? The song’s momentum ranges from body-swaying to head-banging, slipping seamlessly between the two. It opens up with a warm synth swelling beneath a spiky guitar lead before kicking you in the chest with an explosive drum roll and scuzzy rhythms. “Can’t Hold On” could have been pulled from a time capsule with guitar tone reminiscent of the Rolling Stone’s “Paint It Black” and massive, moaning horns that range from Motown to mariachi. Black Lips are masters of their craft and if this track is any indicator of what to expect from the LP, there should be plenty more woozy garage-punk on the way. – Blake Chapman
Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art? is out May 5 through Vice Records.
More Info
Web: black-lips.com
Facebook: @theblacklips
SoundCloud: @the-black-lips
Twitter: @TheBlackLips
Mr. Brown – “Southbound”
From a yet-to-be-titled EP, releasing summer 2017
While some of us look back on the legacy of Phife Dawg (Rest in Peace) and Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah (Happy Birthday, RIP), we ask ourselves where is the music that gives us the same feelings they did? Well, Mr. Brown of Super Lario Bros recently released “Southbound,” the total hip-hop package we need. Out the gate, the production from Billy Topps and scratches courtesy of Yamin Semali provide a build-up any b-boy would love, before cutting to the verse where Brown lays some smooth bravado bars to create an all-inclusive vibe. As a fan of his previous release with Super Lario Bros, It’s a Long Story, I appreciate how he continues to support the city with a strong-shout out to East Atlanta Village. The summer only looks to get hotter from here. – Starletta Watson
More Info
Web: kinglario.com
Bandcamp: superlariobros.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @mrbrownacid
CREDIT: ASHLEE RUBAN
Man Up, Yancey – “Color Me Happy”
From the Man Up, Yancey and Linda split EP
We who follow the hometown heroes, who buy the cassettes and the 7-inches — why do we swear allegiance to the underground? Myriad are the reasons for us all, but I can see and hear half a dozen in Man Up, Yancey. Listen to “Color Me Happy,” check Yancey Ballard’s gurgling growls and wavering croaks over the swaggering power pop riffs. Voices like this — still raw, still amoebic, still finding a foothold in limbo — are what pull us to the DIY mentality. We turn to the underground, because we belong among the displaced. Here’s hoping that Man Up dig deeper into this fertile middle ground between Cheap Trick and Protomartyr, cos we’ll happily follow. – Lee Adcock
Man Up, Yancey will celebrate the release of their split EP with Linda tonight at Papa Pale’s Playhouse. They will be supported by Linda, Kississippi, Prince Daddy & the Hyena, and Thalmus Rasula. Doors open at 8 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Safe space.
More Info
Bandcamp: manup-yancey.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @manupyancey
Instagram: @manupyancey
SoundCloud: @man-up-yancey
Twitter: @manupyancey