Okay, you know the drill. Three songs meant to highlight some of the best music we’ve heard coming out of the local scene. For a long time, TRIPLE THREAT was one of Immersive’s anchors, but then the world got significantly more fucked than usual, and it took us a while to grow accustomed to the seismic shift. Six months into the pandemic and Atlanta music remains mired in the biggest existential threat of our lifetime. Live music is out of the question for the foreseeable future, beloved DIY institutions are shutting their doors forever, and it feels like we’re all standing around, waiting for the next bomb to drop.
And yet, there are glimmers of hope. Organizations like Southern Fried Queer Pride are stepping up to fill the DIY void while others are recommitting themselves to the future of the community. But none of it would mean much if artists and musicians weren’t still out there creating. With live shows an impossibility, local bands and songwriters have poured their energy into writing, recording, and rethinking their musical identity. From a creative standpoint, it’s been a fertile period, as evidenced by the impressive trio of songs below. The apocalypse may be lurking just around the corner, but at least it will come with one hell of a soundtrack. – Guillermo Castro
True Blossom – “Serious Boys”
From the forthcoming LP, In Bliss
The Balearic intro and insistent synths of True Blossom’s new single harness the beauty of Gold Coast vistas while recalling the insightful sounds of ‘80s disco auteurs filtered through Bryan Ferry’s excess brow sweat. Throughout “Serious Boys,” the evolving pop group build up a colorful swath of house and electronica elements to use as a foil against a saxophone solo that sneaks in under the cover of pastel linens. It’s a surprisingly dense track and to relegate its summer sound to now-shuttered dance floors is to disregard the complexity of the songwriting and the chameleonic nature of True Blossom, who now seem intent on exploring beyond their usual ‘80s hi-fi orbit. Avalon this is not, but the added density exposes a different angle of the band and teases the listener with what their second LP may entail. – Russell Rockwell
In Bliss is out Oct. 23 via Citrus City Records. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Facebook: @trueblossomatlanta
Instagram: @trueblossomband
Twitter: @TrueBlossomBand
The Queendom – “Dear Diary”
From the standalone single
Leave it to the Queendom to release a current-day banger inspired by a ‘90s sitcom. The Atlanta duo have shown themselves adept at threading the needle between spontaneity and planned orchestration, and while “Dear Diary” leans more towards the former, there are enough quirky wrinkles and detours to make this a well-organized effort. AUDIADASOUND’s production is nimble and clever, switching up grooves with clarity and purpose. But it’s the exchange of verses with Rocket Rhonnie that gives the track its defiant oomph. Self-love may be in question and healing may take time, but with every bar the Queendom prove they have the strength to persevere and put an end to all the fuckery. – Avery Shepherd
More Info
Facebook: @TheQueendomReign
Instagram: @queendomreign
SoundCloud: @queendomreign
Twitter: @queendomreign
Warm Red – “Comes Out”
From the forthcoming LP, Decades of Breakfast
There are already three tracks available from Warm Red’s upcoming sophomore release, and you owe it to yourself to dive deep into each of them. To the uninitiated, the songs offer us a steady glimpse into the group’s unique confluence of possibilities: Tense, panic-ridden hardcore; gritty angular punk freakouts; hip-thrusting bursts of abrasive noise-rock. It all makes for a whirring, chaotic rush, but as “Comes Out,” the LP’s lead track attests, it’s Warm Red’s penchant for marrying melody to their contorted grooves (not to mention a healthy dose of anxious energy) that makes their music so cathartic and formidable. – GC
Decades of Breakfast is out Oct. 1 via State Laughter Records. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Bandcamp: warmred.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @warm.red