Decatur CD's Upcoming Show Guide - August

Oh, hello. Here are some shows you should go see in August:

August 1 - Unknown Hinson @ The EARL
August 1 - Gentleman Jesse/Howlies/The Forty-Fives @ Star Bar
August 2 - Chopper/The Orphins/Woman @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 2 - Carbonas/Rubber City Rebels/Knife & the 4th Ward Daggers @ Star Bar
August 2 - The Selmanaires @ The EARL
August 4 - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti @ Eyedrum
August 4 - Coffinbound/The Mammals/The Points @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 5 - Amos Lee @ Variety Playhouse
August 7 - Zoroaster/All the Saints @ The EARL
August 8 - Is She Weird, Is She White (Pixies tribute band) @ The EARL
August 9 - Subsonics/Thee Crucials/Barberries @ Lenny's
August 11 - Gnarls Barkley @ Variety Playhouse
August 12 - Titus Andronicus @ The EARL
August 13 - The Silver Beats (Japanese Beatles tribute band) @ Variety Playhouse
August 14 - The Faint @ Variety Playhouse
August 15 - Rodrigo y Gabriela @ The Tabernacle
August 16 - The Hiss/Apache/Electric Shadows/The NEC @ The EARL
August 17 - The Melvins/Big Business @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 19 - Margot and the Nuclear So and So's @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 20 - Dark Meat/Oneida/Dirty Faces @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 22 - Dead Confederate @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 23 - Xiu Xiu @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 24 - Love as Laughter/Oxford Collapse @ The Drunken Unicorn
August 27 - Paul Collins' Beat/Gentleman Jesse @ The EARL
August 27 - My Morning Jacket @ The Fox Theatre
August 28 - Elf Power @ The EARL
August 29 - Howlies (single-release show) @ The EARL
August 30 - The Coathangers/Knife & the 4th Ward Daggers @ Lenny's

Flickr shout-out!

And now, to introduce a new blog feature we'll pull out from time to time until we run out of material: Flickr shout-out! Here's how it works: we'll troll Flickr for photos of Decatur CD (Yeah, we know. We're so vain. We probably thing this blog post is about us.), then post the ones we like. If you have a photo you'd like considered, give us a shout. If you want us to take down a photo of yours that we've posted, just say the word. Above is a shot by username nate steiner. We've featured the trash can we've lovingly dubbed The Decatur CD Art Project a couple times in the past, but he did a better job. Well done, sir, and thanks for the photo.

New. Release. Tuesday.

It is SO hot outside right now as we type this. Lo and behold, July dropped a pretty powerful release day on us in the middle of the oppressive heat. Stop by tomorrow, enjoy the air conditioning (it's FREE, after all) and pick up one or more new releases from the following artists:

Avett Brothers (EP)
U2 (deluxe reissues - Boy, October and War - on vinyl too!)
Black Kids
David Bowie (live '72 reissue - on vinyl too!)
Nine Inch Nails
Paul Weller
Dr. Dog (on vinyl too!)
Noot D Noot
High Places
Willie Nile
Scott Walker (reissue)
Maria Muldaur
Buddy Guy (on vinyl too!)
CSS
Sugarland (fan reissue)
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Samantha Crain (EP)
Brendan Canning
Miley Cyrus (don't laugh...we know some of you have kids)
Bodies of Water
...and more!

New vinyl:
Tilly and the Wall - O
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
Billy Bragg - Mr. Love & Justice

The DCD Lost & Found returns!

It's been a while since we've done a lost and found post, so we probably had it coming. Suffice it to say, if the glasses Young Eliot is wearing in the photo above belong to you, make haste to Decatur CD and pick them up. They're on the counter near the cash register, and if you don't claim them soon (they've been here for well over a week now), we might be forced to put them on Michael Bublé. He's a big fan of eyewear, so act fast!

Spin Cycle - 7/18/08

Creative Loafing posted the latest Spin Cycle yesterday, though they're apparently not calling it Spin Cycle anymore. No matter, as we'll probably keep calling it that anyway. We like silly puns. Hot off the interweb presses, have a look:

Indie record store sales: Atlanta's weekly top 10 lists

A Cappella and Decatur CD featured books

If you subscribe to our semi-weekly newsletter (and you really should; the right hand side of this website can help you out), you may have already read this. But we're all about our seven-month-old books section, and happy to give you any reasons at all to peruse it. Here's one more...staff recommended books:

Warren sez...
Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer by Chris Salewicz
This is a thoroughly engaging account of Joe Strummer and the formation of a band that would dramatically change the profile of rock and activism forever. Joe was an idealist and a terror all at once, always embarking on his own musical course. Knowing how much I like his music with the Mescaleros, I'm already missing all the musical collaborations that were undoubtedly to come, including, yes, in my opinion, a reunion with Mick Jones.

Eliot sez...
White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s by Joe Boyd
White Bicycles is named after the catchy single by the London psychedelic rock band Tomorrow. The book, however, opens with author Joe Boyd hunting down long-forgotten American blues-singers. Clearly, Boyd had a hand in all kinds of music during the 1960s. And because he was one of the few people in the biz that didn't have LSD for breakfast every morning, he remembers it all. Whether recounting a scathing castigation from Coleman Hawkins or offering his condolences to a grieving Fairport Convention, Boyd's gripping stories add a new depth to some of the best-loved music of the '60s while also introducing his audience to some lesser-known acts. It all adds up to what Brian Eno calls "the best music book I've read in years." And who are we to doubt Brian Eno?

Austin sez...
Heavy Metal Fun Time Activity Book by Aye Jay (with foreword by Andrew WK)
Metal and crayons don't mix, you say? Bite your tongue! (Or, more in keeping with the spirit of this book, cut it off and feed it to one of the members of Gwar.) This hilarious collection includes all sorts of fun games with metal themes. Help Spinal Tap through a backstage area maze. Connect the dots and color in Dimebag Darrell's (RIP) goatee. Unscramble the names of seven bands Mike Patton has fronted. The book is a hoot, an ideal sincere gift to your metal-loving friend or a gag gift for most anyone who enjoys music. But don't take my word for it...take Ronnie James Dio's! "At last, an activity book for metal heads. From Slipknot to Spinal Tap, the brain teasers are all there. Use some magic and the answers are sure to come."

Gentleman Jesse is in the house.

Hey, kids! You like power pop at its finest? Dig on The Raspberries, Nick Lowe, Jonathan Richman, Big Star and other great melodic rock like that? Well, boy howdy, do we have a record recommendation for you. It's been a long time coming, following a handful of seven inches which we also stock, but Gentleman Jesse finally unleashed his proper full-length debut on the world. It's our favorite local jam in a long time, and we highly advise you to check it out.

But don't take our word for it. Jesse Smith has been written up kindly in Creative Loafing, Dry Ink (here again, too), the new Stomp and Stammer, and a number of other publications. He's been in numerous bands over the years, and currently plays bass for some other local faves of ours, Carbonas, but this project is all his, as he writes the songs, sings them and plays guitar. Oh, and did we mention he works at Brick Store? Bonus points right there.

But more than our words can explain, his music really does the talking. Check out his MySpace page, have a listen to "I Don't Wanna Know" (hint: it's the song on top with over 20,000 plays), and then just try to tell us you didn't love it. Although that particular track isn't on the new album, a baker's dozen other ones are, and they're in precisely the same vein.

Now, at the moment, it's only available on vinyl from our friends at local imprint Douchemaster Records. But it sounds fantastic in that format, so if you have a record player, do take advantage. We're told we'll have CDs in soon, so be sure to ask if you'd prefer a plastic disc. Oh, and if you'd like to hear it, we'll play it for you. It would be a real shame if you missed out on what is one of our favorite records of 2008.

New. Release. Tuesday.

All right, so, maybe this week is lacking a little bit in quantity, but we've got some quality to make up for it. If you haven't heard the new Hold Steady record then you haven't been to Decatur CD in the last month or so. It's a grand, rockin' good time. Austin says he hasn't had so much fun listening to that band since the last time those dudes played The EARL. He can't quite remember all of that one, but it was a blast. Anyway, come in and listen to it; we think you'll be sold as well. Also, there are a few others:

The Hold Steady
John Mellencamp
Nas
The Dark Knight (soundtrack)
David Banner
American Teen (soundtrack)
...and more!

Spin Cycle - 7/11/08

Happy Friday, friends and neighbors. Have a look at the latest Spin Cycle, at the link below this sentence:

Spin Cycle: Top 10 albums sales

Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Creative Loafing voting reminder

If we've told you once, we've told you a thousand times. All right, maybe we've only told you once. But the deadline is tomorrow (Friday, July 11), so go vote for your favorite Atlanta everything! And while you're at it, vote for Decatur CD:

Best of Creative Loafing Atlanta

New. Release. Tuesday.

Pardon us while we nurse our live-music hangovers from the weekend. Twas a good time, though. Austin and Eliot caught King Khan and The Shrines (Who have an excellent compilation out right now, come to think of it. Ask us to put it on the next time you're in the store!) at Lenny's on Friday. Then, Austin and Warren went to see Tom Waits (click that link for Paste's photos from the show) at the Fox on Saturday. Phew! Meanwhile, in the recorded-music category, we have these new entries this week:

Beck
Joe Strummer (DVD)
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis (yes, together)
Ratatat
The Baseball Project (Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey)
Abe Vigoda
Ron Sexsmith
Patti Smith/Kevin Shields (yes, together...spoken word, too)
Saul Williams
Del McCoury
Architecture in Helsinki (EP)
Jean Grae
Weeds (soundtrack)
Albert Hammond Jr.
The Melvins
Mika Miko
Alabama 3
Duke Ellington (live)
Alison Moyet
...and more!

Ellis Nassour/Caroline & The Ramblers photos!

Long overdue photos from our Ellis Nassour reading abound! Caroline & the Ramblers killed it and Ellis gave us some interesting background on his book. Basically, if you weren't there you missed out. That'll teach you for slacking. Show up next time or we'll blog-taunt you a second time!

New. Release. Tuesday.

We remember when that guy pictured above on the left worked at Eddie's Attic right down the street. The photo is from a performance (at the Attic, incidentally) a few years back. Obviously, John Mayer has come quite a way since his humble beginnings in Georgia. In fact, he has new live album (recorded in Los Angeles) out today. But he's just one of this week's new release artists. The list isn't as long as it's been lately (frankly, we were spoiled by June), but there are some goodies. Enjoy:

John Mayer (live)
Earlimart
Willie Nelson (reissue)
Alkaline Trio
Van Morrison (reissues)
Los Lonely Boys
Kansas (reissue)
...and more!