Ticket Giveaway: Dream Syndicate Sat Sept. 27 @ the Earl

The last time Steve Wynn was at the Earl, his Baseball Project put on a whale of a show that our own Warren Hudson considers to be one of the best of the year. That concert will not be an easy one to top, but expect just that to happen this Friday and Saturday (Sept 26 and 27) as Wynn returns to front the reunited Dream Syndicate, jangly standard-bearers of Los Angeles's Paisley Underground. Dream Syndicate's AllMusic bio lists the band alongside the likes of R.E.M. and the Velvet Underground as a forefather of modern indie rock--praise that is equally lofty and deserved.

As such, we're honored to be giving away a pair of tickets to the Saturday show. Dream Syndicate will be playing their 1984 album Medicine Show in its entirety along with some additional selections from throughout their career. It's not often you get the chance to see indie rock royalty in such an intimate setting, much less for free! And be sure to get there in time for the openers as Dream Syndicate will be joined by fellow legends of the Los Angeles underground Savage Republic and up-and-coming locals the Small Reactions.

To enter, make use of our battered but trusty entry box on the counter!

Ticket Giveaway: John Hiatt with Tedeschi Trucks Band at Chastain Park

Already awesome enough to release John Hiatt's stellar Terms of My Surrender two months ago, the fine folks at New West Records have ratcheted their awesomeness to the next level by giving us a pair of tickets to give away to Hiatt opening for Tedeschi Trucks Band this Friday at Chastain Park. Warren has only just finished raving about the last John Hiatt show at Variety Playhouse and he guarantees Hiatt and his band will not disappoint. The presence of Tedeschi Trucks Band is simply icing on the cake.

To get your free pair of tickets, come by the store and utilize our high-tech entry system on the counter. Again, the show is this Friday, so hurry down here and enter for your chance to win. And if you do win, say hi to Warren at the concert. Even Atlanta's Friday rush hour traffic can't keep him away from a John Hiatt concert.

Beatles in Mono, You in T-shirt!

Almost any discussion of the Beatles will lead to an argument. Whether it's early Beatles versus later Beatles, Lennon versus McCartney, Revolver versus Abbey Road or mustachioed Ringo versus whiskerless Ringo, Beatles aficionados just can't come together. Everyone agrees, however, that the Fab Four's catalogue sounds best in mono.

With today's release of the Beatles' mono catalogue on 180 gram vinyl, it is easier than ever to hear Liverpool's finest the way they were meant to be heard. Every album (except the stereo-only Abbey Road and Let It Be) is available individually with painstakingly recreated original packaging or in an awe-inspiring box set also featuring a hardbound book of photos and essays. Additionally, Mono Masters, previously only included in the mono CD box, compiles the band's mono singles and b-sides into a handsome 3xLP package.

Whatever your level of Fab Four fanaticism, we've got something for you. If you're quick to react, you'll get something extra. See that comfy blue t-shirt above? It can be yours for free if you're one of the first to buy either two of the individual albums, Mono Masters, or the box set. Quantities are very limited so act fast if you want to dress sharp!

Open Up a Can of...Vinyl Reissues!

Please forgive the bad pun above in deference to the good news it heralds. After years of unavailability, the first four albums by krautrock legends Can have been reissued on vinyl. Each and every one of these albums merits repeated listening--and not just for Jaki Liebezeit's spectacular drumming, even if Liebezeit is always worth the price of admission on his own.

Monster Movie, highlighted by "Yoo Doo Right," features a conventional-for-Can sound and underrated original vocalist Malcolm Mooney. The informatively-titled Soundtracks, a collection of Can's work for films, introduced the inimitable Damo Suzuki. The following albums, Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi, are the magnum opi of Can's oeuvre and essential listening for anyone with even a passing interest in experimental rock music. Where Tago Mago swirls with nonstop psychedelic intensity, Ege Bamyasi at times harnesses that chaos into songs like the groovy "Vitamin C" and the downright poppy "I'm So Green."

Each of these albums is remastered and includes a download code. Now is the perfect time to figure out why so many bands list Can as an influence.