The 2009 Stickfigure Recordings Showcase


Below is a
list of all the bands playing each show. Also, each show is $5 for
21+ and $8 for < 21 and all shows are 18+.

Wednesday January 21st

Sorry No Ferrari
The Subliminator
Harken The Hands Askew

Sorry No Ferrari –
Sorry no Ferrari is an instrumental rock band. Since it's conception
in Fall 2004, the band has released two E.P.'s on Alaska Records and
Stickfigure Records respectively, undergone two east-coast tours, and
played over 60 shows. The band is currently working on their debut
full-length record tentatively titled "Ternary".
www.myspace.com/sorrynoferrari

The Subliminator –
Atlanta's Serson Brannen, veteran spacerocker, started the
Subliminator project in '05. After years as a member of Spaceseed he
is now a solo act and was immediately sighned to Atlanta's Scared
records. "Recalibrated" his first release for the label achieved
critical acclaim and another, "Rake" (Quick,what's a rake?) is out
now.He has collected two of Creative Loafing's Best of Atlanta awards
in '06 and '07. Relentless touring (Who else do you know that tours by
motorcycle?) has kept him in the public eye and he has been taking the
avant-garde/underground scene by storm. Combining vocals and theremins
his sound is unique, original,eclectic, hard edged and brings rock n'
roll flash to dark sonic art.

“Ex-Spaceseed wordsmith/gizmoist Serson Brannen explores the outer
limits of high tech spoken word space art on Recalibrated, and as the
new high priest of the temple of cosmic slam poetry he fills a void
that's been sadly vacant since the heady acid daze of Robert Calvert,
Daevid Allen, and Gilli Smyth. Reminiscent in some ways of Nik
Turner's Xitintotoday (though without the Egyptian mythos) and Mother
Gong's more overtly poetic forays into spiritualized psychedelic rock
speak, Recalibrated often sounds like Jack Kerouac teleported to the
21st Century and loaded into a Macintosh. Brannen's verbal
gymnastics, especially on pieces like "The Lone Gunman Theory" and
"Seduction," mix conspiracy theory and alien abduction with inner
visions of the apocalypse to come. Accompanied by theremin, an
assortment of processors, and some occasional synthesizer and
synthetic percussion, Brannen conducts hypnotic séances that at times
morph into electronic ragas for Shivas of the cyber age. This is
especially the case on "Alabama Meltdown," the most innervating of
the nine tracks on Recalibrated. Primal electronic rhythms from the
silicon jungle power Brannen's demonic rantchant through the secret
history of an alien invasion on American soil. It's a harrowing
12-minute mini-epic through a surreal alternate reality that's
guaranteed to put you into a soild-state trance without having to
resort to any of your favorite psychoactive chemicals. One can only
imagine what a live Subliminator gig must be like, but if
Recalibrated is any indication, it must be a real space
owwwwwwtttttt!” – Aural Innovations #32
www.myspace.com/thesubliminator

Harken The Hands Askew –
Harken The Hands Askew is the solo venture of Aaron Wamack who
currently plays guitar in O’Brother and played drums for Me and Him
Call It Us. Harkens The Hands Askew was formerly known as Me.
Harken the Hands Askew debut full length has been in the works for
four plus years and it is a well thought out pop / drone masterpiece
that is amazingly big and deep for a solo project. It is scheduled
for release in 2009.
www.myspace.com/helloiamme

Thursday January 22nd:

Strezo CD Release Show
Tealights
Envie
Nerdkween

Strezo –
Formerly known as Kristen Strezo and the Czech Republic, Strezo’s
debut “this balance” has been reissued as a real cd instead of a
cd-r.
Utilizing abstract guitar, propulsive percussion with intensive
vocals, “this balance” showcase a unique new sound. The primary
members of Strezo are vocalist Kristen Strezo and
multi-instrumentalist Robert Filippo. Using prior experiences from
the hard rock band Hdeonists Maybe, as well as theatre experience,
Strezo have created a unique blend of pop and theatre using elements
of rock, electronica, ambient soundscapes and world-beat percussion.
Originally from Chicago, Strezo have relocated to Atlanta, Georiga.
“Kristen’s delicate and thickly emotive vocals plait over and around
a bevy of ethereally understated, complex soundscapes and world beats
creating a distinctively charged flavor of art rock.” - Church of Girl
Radio
“Beethoven once posited that what is most powerful about music is not
the notes played, but rather, the silence between the notes which
draws the strongest emotional reactions. This band understands that.”
- Chris Riter, Chicago writer / director
“Strezo took the stage with a unique and surprising performance. With
drums, guitar, dulcimer and keys Strezo had an indie sound that had
everyone wondering what would happen next.” – Sophie Creole, music
festival writer
“Strezo’s “this balance” is one of those compilations which show the
hallmark of good artistry combining originality, deep personal
expression and genuine experimentation with unique sounds and
rhythmic mixes.” – Wo! Magazine
“One Of The Most original and mature works I’ve heard this year.” –
Mercury United Media
Strezo will be celebrating the release of their brand new full
length as well.
www.myspace.com/strezomusic

Tealights –
TEALIGHTS was founded in June '08 by members Mikey Johnson, Nancy
Shim, and Mary Knight. Though the project itself may be fairly new,
the three are no strange faces in Atlanta. They are more familiarly
recognized as former members of One Hand Loves the Other, Creative
Loafing's choice as Atlanta's Best Pop Act of 2007.

Nancy Shim (instrumental composer/pianist/flautist) was introduced to
Mikey Johnson, electronics whiz behind Music for People (Stickfigure)
in Oct '06. Having been classically-trained to compose using modern
notation, Shim became intrigued with Johnson's ability to write using
graphic notation, and vice versa. The two became a dynamic duo in
creating the final music sound for One Hand Loves the Other, and
their debut was nationally released in June '07. The self-titled
debut was chosen as one of Atlanta's Best Albums of 2007 and garnered
much press that year. When OHLTO's cellist left to pursue a business
opportunity that month, the talented Mary Knight came into OHLTO's
hands to mark her position as the permanent cellist.

By April '08, the four-piece began struggling with high tension at a
constant peak. Johnson, Shim, and Knight eventually left OHLTO in May
to pursue a fresh and more dynamic alternative. This new project
earned the name tealights, and in June, the band found itself writing
what would be its new sound. Knight, an experienced rock
singer-songwriter, impressed the band with her delivery. In no time,
her fluttery, luminous brand of vocals would blend with the more
delicate yet enticingly droning tone of Shim's, creating the perfect
balance for tealights. To accentuate the brilliance of Johnson's
electronic style, drummer Brett Kelly was later added, ascending the
band to another exhilarating dimension.

In Sept '08, tealights debuted its new sound in Atlanta and publicly
released their demo tracks. Tealights now consists of vox harmonies,
electronic beats, drums, synths, keyboard, guitar, bass, cello,
flute, and accordion. They plan to release their first EP in March
'09, followed by a southeastern tour in April.
www.myspace.com/tealightstheband

Envie-

Nelson betrays a classical education as soon as she sits down at the
keyboard, but she uses it to create attractive pop/rock and
mainstream hard rock treatments of her melodic tunes; the harp is
employed as if it were a loud acoustic guitar, and creates an unusual
sonic touch… As indie bands go, Envie is surprisingly accessible,
which makes the possibility of a pickup by a larger label seem
likely.
All Music Guide – allmusicguide.com

… a rewarding and challenging listen…
Creating Loafing Atlanta

Envie is an evocative group like no other in the Atlanta area. Their
self-titled debut disc ably reveals how the band has solidified and
energized its sound in the past couple of years. Intricate and pretty
art-rock with a punchy pop undercurrent, the CD will likely appeal to
the Kate Bush fan in your family. Jarboe, who employs Nelson for many
of her live and recorded projects, returns the favor, appearing on
guest vocals for one song here.
Stomp and Stammer

The group deftly hops from lamentful dirge to high-tempo romp,
welding the sounds of their instruments into an intoxicating mix,
then splitting off into solos - and how often can you catch a harp
solo at the Caledonia?
Flagpole Magazine

One of those albums that surprised me. It’s rare for an album to grow
on me as fast as this one has, but the, that’s why I’m talking about
it here. Immensly enjoyable.
Aiding & Abetting

Envie’s sound has evolved from its calm and subdued beginnings into a
full, operatic style of rock that is original and quite gripping; even
with the more conventional instruments coming out into the forefront,
the band has nevertheless carved out a very unique niche.
Southeastern Performer

The lead singer has a pretty voice and a few numbers swelled from
quiet to intense. Dreamy stuff that's stirring and simultaneously
depressing.
Degenerate Press

Seeing Envie live is a treat, because Renee is precision controlled
fury.
Propeller Skies
www.myspace.com/enviemusic

Nerdkween-
“Synergy” is the debut full length release by nerdkween on
Stickfigure Records. nerdkween is the moniker of Atlanta chanteuse
Monica Arrington. The discerning music types have already heard and
praised the three nerdkween demos passed around the Atlanta
underground music scene since 2000. nerdkween has played shows in
support of acts like The Aisler Set, Hella, Islands and Drakkar Sauna
over the years to develop her own entrancing performance. Now
Arrington is ready to introduce her music to the rest of the world.
Nerdkween’s music is an innovative combination of experimental
soundscapes and delicate simplicity. The album, “Synergy” is the long
awaited formal recording distributed on the Stickfigure label.

“Synergy” is a dark, moody testament of melancholy and revelations.
Brushed with nerdkween’s signature voice which has been described as
raggedly sweet, the music seeps into your soul. The music penned by
nerdkween is truly “post modern”. Styles and influences are blended
and morphed into songs that appear aloof but place a permanent snag
on your heart. nerdkween prefers a lo-fi format to deliver her
messages which is a bold choice in today’s overly dubbed and glossed
music industry. Quite simply because this makes her music a true
reflection of the human condition.
www.myspace.com/nerdkween

Friday January 23rd:

Antic Clay
Retconned
Backseat Dreamer
Warning Light

Antic Clay-
"Hilarious Death Blues is a dark, smoldering journey into isolated
Americana. It's country music that's silently aware of the impending
apocalypse, and doesn't pine over lost love and and the daily grind
of an oppressive job. It's a low and lonesome sound that holds a
mirror to existential angst and rages against entropy, ennui, murk
and miasma with flourishing, poetic beauty." --Chad Radford
"Let yourself get taken in by the dark times emerging from this
virile and exiled dumper, vessel of all the ancient echoes. The
funerary heart for decadent Mormon. Antic Clay is not only about a
more electrification prone to tension even if the man does cast his
painful strength and his discreet vision and his wild poet
constitution in the events. With Antic Clay, it is not only about
rooting oneself in a rotten compost, reluctant to sustain a tree with
hardly any ancestry. From the brave and brotherly clap hands’ running,
and to this can be added the tangle of a harmonica, which blades have
been replaced by scraps of biting winds, combined with
guitar-textures, knocking, eager for glissando dirt, so far and so
close, breath of whiskey in the inside. The whitened bones of the
horse’s carcass as primal harp, under the best of circumstances
accompanying the bruised dusty yet glamorous murmurs of the
death-a-billy cantor from an old incandescent Myssouri. Reverend
Antic Clay is this curse of rebellious god, resisting song-writing,
constantly swaying between hope and destruction, between, tabula
rasa, erasing it all and the stoic and profound renunciation."
--Manuel Aubert a.k.a. BlackBird Merle Leonce Bone, Tours, France,
Friday, June 8th. 2007. (Translation: Paula Antunes)
Michael Bradley (aka Antic Clay) started the southern-gothic band
MYSSOURI in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. Drawing influences from Nick
Cave, Johnny Cash, The Doors, 16 Horsepower and Joy Division, the
band burned a dark and bright scar on the Georgia scene, playing
myriad shows, festivals and conferences, including CMJ twice, and
opening for well-known acts such as The Damned, Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club, Concrete Blonde, Reverend Horton Heat, Detroit
Cobras, The Angels Of Light, The Gunga Din, Waco Brothers and more.
But they never were able to tour, and perhaps because of that the
fire burned out after 7 years and 3 records.
Myssouri disbanded in 2003. Bradley has continued on, playing
stripped-down shows with his acoustic guitar and harmonica, and the
artistic direction hinted at when he had Myssouri covering songs by
the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Lee Hazlewood (and of course Johnny
Cash) has become his clear and chosen path.
He adopted the name Antic Clay and traveled to a friend's studio in
the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. From these sessions comes
the audacious double-cd debut "Hilarious Death Blues", a title
inspired, like the pseudonym Antic Clay, by the dark westerns of
reknowned American novelist Cormac McCarthy. Bradley/Clay sang, wrote
and played most everything on the album, which has a feeling about it
both archaic and modern, heavy on the reverb and sparse on the
instrumentation like old Sun Studios recordings, very much inspired
by late night lost highway AM radio, vintage country songs and the
mythology of the Old West, although the lyrical content is far too
dark and cynical to make it on the Grand Ole Opry. HDB puts you in an
old dark wooden room with only a burlap curtain against the night
wind, and a guttering tallow candle's incandescent dance across your
old bottle of bourbon. It is best listened to loud. And alone.
There are bluesy dirges, somber western ballads, dissonant
foot-stompers, tavern songs and even an unlikely sea shanty. The lone
cover, "Decades" by Joy Division, is barely recognizable as the
'post-punk' classic. It is stripped to the root with guitar,
harmonica, voice and violin, and made all the more powerful for it.
HILARIOUS DEATH BLUES is 3+ years in the making, and is more of a
document of a period of time in a writer's life than a statement of
intent. Indeed, Bradley's new side-project of vintage country covers
"SINNERS AND SONGRIDERS" may reveal much about the future path for
Antic Clay, strongly hinted at in the lonesome country swagger of the
song "Non-Prophet Blues" (from album B, "The Horseless Rider).
Dark night in Nashville, here we come.
www.myspace.com/anticclay

Retconned –
Since 1998, Retconned’s dry synthetic sneer and total disinterest in
the art-less mimicry of so-called punks has been misunderstood as a
gimmick and saddled with inappropriate labels like “art rock,”
“performance art” and “experimental.” There is nothing artful about
the momentary absolutism of a Retconned performance and nothing
experimental about turning up the distortion. Retconned writes songs
about people trying to get by. You might have missed the back story:
Retconned, a.k.a. Jonathan Lukens, a young ATL punk prone to
introversion and foul luck, fits of rock n’ roll neurasthenia, odd
haircuts, and odd diatribe finds himself sole survivor in the reverse
Horatio Alger world of house shows and D.I.Y. make-good. Hijinx ensue
and folks bicker and flee.
Poisoned by fallout, Lukens begins working with sampler and
sequencer. While he has no real love for the electronic music of the
time, band members are hard to come by, and the sounds he’s looking
to produce have no real analogs in the world of guitar, bass, and
drums. Lukens names this new band Retconned, jargon for retroactive
continuity. Shows were played. Towns were fled in haste.
www.myspace.com/retconned

Backseat Dreamer-
The events of dreams are often impossible, or unlikely to occur, in
physical reality: they are also outside the control of the dreamer.
The exception to this is known as lucid dreaming, in which dreamers
realize that they are dreaming, and are sometimes capable of changing
their dream environment and controlling various aspects of the dream.
The dream environment is often much more realistic in a lucid dream,
and the senses heightened.
Sean Neuse is Backseat Dreamer. Sean started to seriously focus on
writing and recording for this project around winter of 2006, after a
couple years of drumming for dirty electro group Culture Prophet.
Being in that band inspired Sean to do something dancy and
electronic, but at the same time Sean has set out to do something
completely different being inspired by My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus
and Mary Chain’s “Pyscho Candy”, early 4ad material, early factory
material ,Slow Dive, Joy Division / New Order, Tom Tom Club, Depeche
Mode, Brian Eno, Berlin, Bowie, Suicide and on and on and on.
It’s hard for Sean to say what his influences are, he likes a lot of
old school funk, soul, R & B, disco, rap, jazz, avant gard
experimental stuff, old country, folk, post punk, 70's punk. Glam,
new wave, no wave, dream pop, shoegaze, dance, electronic...oh and
Iggy Pop too. Sean is inspired by all kinds of old and new shit
constantly.


www.myspace.com/backseatdreamer

Warning Lights-
Warning Lights is Drew Haddon (formerly of suitcases and tree
creature). Warning Lights has released several CDrs ("Double Single,"
"Night Flight," "2," "Labor," "Subterrain") and tapes ("Night drive
through the country," "Texture Tones," "Demology+Complications EP")
since its beginning in 2004 under the names D Haddon and Warning
Lights. Every release strives to acheive the long stated goal of
creating intelligent and enjoyable ambient music with a slight
experimental edge. Each release is another stepping stone towards the
ultimate goal of creating Eternal Music, or rather, music you can
listen to ad infinitum. "Eternity Drones" is currently the newest and
most impressive warning light release. There are seven tracks totaling
for over sixty minutes of soothing keyboard driven dark drone which
could appeal to fans of growing, coil and Pauline oliveros among
others.
www.myspace.com/warninglight

Saturday January 24th:

The Feeding Fingers – CD Release Show
Entertainment
Tenth To The Moon
Lid Emba

The Feeding Fingers-
The Feeding Fingers is a band from Atlanta, Georgia that is a
darkwave trio fronted by international award-winning animator, Justin
Curfman supported by bassist Todd Caras (formerly of eNTERTAINME.nt)
and percussionist Daniel Hunt.
The Feeding Fingers are reminiscent of the Cure, Depeche Mode, X-Mal
Deutschland, Joy Division and the Cocteau Twins among others. Through
their often minimalist and hypnotic percussive elements with droning
yet fluid and dynamic bass structures combined with heavily sustained
guitar work and finalized with bizarre dream-inspired lyrics woes
fans. The Feeding Fingers has a definite appeal for those who crave
an element of dark surrealism in their music.
www.myspace.com/thefeedingfingers

Entertainment-
Listening to "Gender" is like going to a black-tie event with your
beautiful actress-model girlfriend, being told by some friends and
your manager that this band you absolutely have to hear if you
haven't already is playing, having your coat taken for you before you
remember to move your wallet from the front pocket where there's
always the chance it might fall out like it does sometimes in cabs,
especially since it doesn't even take much jostling to make anything
fall out of that pocket, especially your wallet, but you can't do
anything but worry about it now because your agent drags you thru
room after room thru throngs of people, some of whom recognize you
and try to get your attention but it's too late because now you're in
the ballroom and here they are on this bandstand surrounded by
really-well dressed people who you now notice are all wearing
costumes even though no one told you this was a costume party and
when you ask your manager about it you can't hear his answer, can't
hear why he forgot to mention the costume thing or why for example it
wasn't mentioned on the invitation about costumes, and your
actress-model girlfriend is posing in a party mask for an impromptu
picture taken by an inscrutable figure wearing what appears to be
very expensive tatters whose sweat has mingled with make-up and the
hor dourves you never saw being served and you immediately regret
your decision to pull her mask when everyone near you reaches for
your face and you're sure they know it's your face and try to focus
on this great band whose drums sound like cannons and whose guitar
sounds like desperate attempts to both heal multiple lacerations and
to inflict deep cuts upon one's self and yet you nod and nod and nod
and agree that yes this must be true, this is how that one tune goes,
yes but now you're dizzy because it's too hot in the ballroom and you
are not surrounded by anyone you know anymore, maybe they were taken
off, maybe they were kidnapped, who knows, and the vocals you try to
wrap your head around only remind you that you're on your own and
that before you even got dressed for this shindig they were playing,
that before you even woke up this morning, they were playing, that
before you were born mon ami they were playing this most beautiful
discord, this patient better noise. And you say to yourself, Christ
this shit is good even though it may have been engineered to destroy
you. "The work that was left behind all those parties ago came back
with a vengeance in Entertainment" you'd write if you ever survived
this thing, "they brought it back to relevance" you'd say, but your
actress-model girlfriend whispers in your ear to just shut the fuck
up and listen. So you do. And it's amazing. -Jacob Kline.
www.myspace.com/entertainment

Tenth To The Moon-
PRELUDE:

A dimly lit laboratory. The camera pans across an oblong steel tank.
Pause… tension builds… Suddenly! A frenzied figure leaps out,
grunting, bellowing, and then scurrying out of frame. Where did it
go? A safe bet: to wreak havoc in the civilized world. A scene from
Ken Russell’s Altered States, sure, but it might also serve as a
visual allegory for Atlanta, Georgia’s Tenth To The Moon and the
tense, free-wheeling vibe their self-titled debut album projects. In
its tangled dance between primal urges and modern technology the disc
plugs into an alchemy of opposites that blows past rational culture on
its way toward unhinged, instinctual catharsis, punking cliché
peddlers in the process.

CHRONICLE:

Prior to spending most of the 90’s with notorious tribal-goths Pineal
Ventana, Tenth To The Moon founder/singer Mitchell Foy helmed
psychedelic punks King-Kill/33 as part of Atlanta’s late 80’s rock
scene. Synth wiz Doug Hughes took part in Atlanta’s early 80’s
industrial scene and eventually teamed with Foy for studio work with
PV. Reuniting as a duo in early ‘00, the two have steadily expanded
the T ’’ Moon line-up into the quad it is today.

Recording for the CD began last September with a trip by Foy to
Seizures Palace studio in Brooklyn, New York for basic drum tracking.
The remainder of the record was completed at Tenth Central, the band’s
lab and launch pad, by Hughes, Foy, and then-bassist Tim Shea. But
this was not a simple process of tracking a bunch of finished songs.
Cuts like the tumultuous “Coming To Call” and “Deadbeat Bath” reach
deep into the group’s convoluted history when electronics were their
sole weapons of choice. Armed with pounding percussion and live bass
the band ruthlessly slashed and burned the tunes, recasting them
until glowing with new life. Improvisations were yanked from the
vaults and songs like the cavernous “Silence” emerged, while brand
new tracks like “House On Stilts” and “Turned On Targets” were carved
from mere ideas.

Additionally, friends were called upon to add flesh to the bones of
songs pumping blood but in need of an adrenalin boost. Pineal Ventana
alumni Shane Pringle (Tiger! Tiger!) and vocalist Clara Clamp can be
heard on the post-punk “Kadaver Dogs”. Former Hex Error leader Jason
Hatcher adds guitar to the punk/prog attack of “Nails and Females”
and the sci-fi sonic shitstorm “Connected At Birth” (with Envie’s
Renee Nelson on backing vox). Kathleen Hairston from Mars Killed Mary
lends stunning vox to the tribal, otherworldly “mantramanon” a song
that features sitar from Travis Kotler – another Ventana alum - who
also drops blistering guitar onto the rocking “House On Stilts”.
Current Tenth drummer Sean Moore (Lid Emba) joined the band in time
to lay down the percussive bedrock for jumpy hyper-rant “Avoidance”.

EPILOG

Tenth To The Moon’s self-titled debut is released on August 26th via
Stickfigure Records and ISP. On it the band have combined their
extensive experience and mutual disregard for convention to whip up
an electro-soaked, neoteric/archaic rock record that rebounds fresh
from the oversaturated muck of global mediocrity. Listen as the
unexpected lurks around every bend and a rollicking journey becomes a
trial by fire, challenging the plucky listener right up until the
world-shattering finale.
www.myspace.com/tenthtothemoon

Lid Emba-
Many moons ago: a stoner high school outcast, began hurting the world
by playing drums to records, advanced by accident and monomania. Then:
ambition infected the purity, I was forever doomed. Many bands and
genres and postures followed: new wave, art-punk, porno core
(original mid-80s lineup of the impotent sea snakes), ersatz funk and
college-radio hepcat jive. 1997: formed post-prog unit 3d5spd and – in
addition to hitting things – contributed sampling, synths and software
abuse over the course of 4 CDs. The democratically rejected sonics
catalyzed the creation of Lid Emba, my personal dictatorship. 3d5spd
evaporated in 2004 and Lid Emba moved in permanently.
www.myspace.com/lidemba

All shows are $5 for 21+, $8 for under 21, 18 + each night


gavin
stickfigure
01/20/2009

 

Atlanta Public Relations, Atlanta Entertainment PR, Music Promotions, Industrial Strength Promotions, ISP-Music, Atlanta Event & Music Promotions