Archives For Nashville Concerts

Interview: COIN

LarryKloess —  February 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

COIN

 

Cause A Scene’s Adam Naylor recently had a chance to chat with Nashville’s latest buzz band, COIN, to get to know the guys and their music a little better. Hilarity ensued.

How did you guys come up with your band name?

“We were on this eternal search for this one word that had never been used for a musical project. For all we knew,    every single word had already been taken. Just when I thought we would have to  take on the likes of a terrible name like ‘Titan and the Predators’ or ‘Casual Friday’, I found the unlikely. I was looking through race horse winners in a book in an antique store; there, I saw a horse by the name of Golden Coin. I like both of those words.” – Chase

Where in the world would you most like to go on tour?

“Australia seems like some kind of paradise.”- Joe

“I want to see everything; I want to play everywhere. However, the UK seems to have great appeal to me. I feel like success in a European market would be very neat.” – Ryan

From where do you draw your inspiration for the band?

“I find lyrics in a textbook and melodies while playing Sega Genesis. I am strangely inspired by the 90s. Oh, I have a love affair with Talking Heads. So, David Byrne often inspires me.” – Chase

“Coffee.” – Zach

“I try to rely on my mind when it comes to Coin. Obviously, I have influences, but I am always trying to create the thing that hasn’t been created.”- Ryan
“I just want to dance and feel good. Whatever does that, yes.”- Joe

When are you planning on releasing your album? Does it have a name already?

“You can expect to see a seven track EP in the Spring entitled ‘1992’.
“I think you’ll like it. Well, maybe not. But, I’d like to think that you would.”- Joe

What is your favorite thing about Nashville?

“I love the general camaraderie among all the artists and people in this town. Everyone is so supportive. It also seems like Nashville is in the middle of somewhat of a renaissance; so, that’s pretty  neat to be here for that. Also, the food isn’t too bad.”- Joe and Chase

“Broadway.” – Zach

“FROTHY MONKEY”- Everyone, in unison.

 

COIN’s upcoming shows:

East Nashville Underground      Nashville, TN               Feb 16

The Jewish Mother Hilltop         Virginia Beach, VA       Feb 21

The Jewish Mother Hilltop         Virginia Beach, VA       Feb 22

The Social                                 Orlando, FL                  Apr 9

Atlas Genius

LarryKloess —  February 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

Atlas Genius

A farmer who relies on his crops for a living will plow and plant his fields in order to receive a good return at harvest time. It is not enough to have a bounty of sunshine, rich soil or adequate rainfall. He has a role to play. The real risk, however, is in the gamble with the weather. The hopeful farmer can spend toilsome hours preparing his acres and still yield nothing in a season of drought or flood. Such is the music industry. Many artists and bands enter into it with high hopes of building a fan base and traveling the world, but find that they don’t end up traveling so far from home and their only avid fans still put new socks in their stockings. Success, as in the fields, is dependent upon many variables. In the case of Atlas Genius, a four-piece band from Adelaide, South Australia, that variable was timing.

I first heard of Atlas Genius last spring when my friend, Jordan, returned from spending a few months in Australia. She played a song called ‘Trojans’ through her iPod dock and said that this band was blowing up over there. The song was contagious and attached itself to the inside of my skull. After learning a little more about them, I found out that they had almost called it quits and were going to return all of their focus to school. However, their springtime arrived just in time. Dozens of record labels began to contact them and after spending last spring in the states, themselves, they decided to sign with Warner Bros. Their debut EP, “Through the Looking Glass”, continued to receive warm welcomes from new fans worldwide.

Keith Jeffrey, Michael Jeffrey, Steven Jeffrey and Darren Sell took a different approach than most bands in the making of the album. For two years, they spent their days building their own studio that fit to their likings, and played shows at night covering songs by bands like The Police and The Beatles. “We had a lot of song ideas and it was important to us to have our own studio where we could experiment and hone in on our sound,” drummer Michael Jeffrey shared.

Just a year later, their lives have drastically transformed. They are beginning to be a common name on iTunes charts, they are selling out most of their shows, and they have recently finished their first full-length album, titled “When It Was Now”, available on February 19th, and you can pre-order your own copy now on iTunes. You can also download a free song off of their new album on their website. It’s funny to think that the guys of Atlas Genius were known mainly as a cover band for almost three years and now they’re on their way to being covered by other bands.

With a colorful groove, stirring beats and catchy melodies, it’s hard not to like them. Try them out for yourself and they might become one of your favorites, too. For some bands, it’s all in the timing. Atlas Genius stuck it out through the drought and now they are riding upon a deluge that is carrying them around the world, and picking us up along the way.

– Adam Naylor

The band will be touring the US extensively throughout 2013, with a stop in Nashville for 3rd & Lindsley’s “Nashville Sunday Night” on June 9. If the first leg of their tour is any indication, you may want to get your tickets well in advance as every show has sold out thus far. With their debut album “When It Was Now” out on February 19, we’ll be hearing quite a bit from these Aussies for years to come.

Machines Are People Too

LarryKloess —  January 30, 2013 — Leave a comment

MRP2

The pulsing dance beats and wailing synth riffs that Machines Are People Too dish out are atypical to the sounds most think of when they hear music from the east Tennessee hills. Formed in Chattanooga in 2010 by Brian Sylvester (vocals) and JJ Clark (production) and quickly joined by additions Cain Lassiter (keys) and Ivan Garcia (drums), they began infecting the Southeast with a sound uniquely their own.

With synth-pop instrumentals and hauntingly distinctive vocals from Sylvester, the band has spent the last two years touring across the country playing a wide range of venues spanning local bars and clubs, to festivals such as Bonnaroo and Nocturnal Wonderland. In July of 2012, they released their first EP, Dreams, produced by Lars Stalfors, who has worked with the likes of The Mars Volta and Matt & Kim. Dreams represents the band’s eclectic range spanning five tracks. The composition begins with the trance inducing dance tune, “Freaks,” and closes with the more subtle and emotive, “Better Than This.” Dreams is available for purchase on iTunes.

While Machines Are People Too got their start in Chattanooga, several of the members grew up in Nashville, and they have not forgotten their music city roots. The band has played a number of shows around the city lending their diverse sounds to the ever-growing cultural and musical melting pot that is Nashville. Their most recent Nashville appearance was at Mercy Lounge’s 10 Year Anniversary Party, alongside other talented acts such as, Magnolia Sons, Cherub and Jeff the Brotherhood.

You can catch the next Machines Are People Too experience on February 15th at The East Room, where they will be headlining the Winter 2013 East Nashville Underground. They are also due to play at the Showercap Festival in Athens, GA on April 20th. The band recently finished recording the first track for their second EP that is set to release this spring.

– Christian Lerchenfeld

Family of the Year

LarryKloess —  January 26, 2013 — Leave a comment

Family of the Year

It is likely that “let me go” is the first phrase many of us ever heard uttered by the Los Angeles based band,Family of the Year, in their hit song, “Hero”. It is just as likely that we might go against their request, as none of us will be letting them go any time soon. With so many bands vying for our attention, FOTY stands uniquely apart from the many, due in part to their tight chemistry both on and off the stage. Just like a family, Joseph Keefe, Sebastian Keefe, Alex Walker, Jamesy Buckey and Christina Schroeter lived under the same roof in Los Angeles while recording their first full-length album, ‘Loma Vista’. When asked about living in such close quarters, they admitted that there was only one bed and one couch in the whole house. Sebastian shared, “It was fun, really fun,” and quickly added, “would never do it again.” Lucky for us, we get to reap the benefits of all their long, meticulous hours in that crowded house on Loma Vista Drive.

‘Loma Vista’ offers a seamless mixture of complementary styles while staying true to its name, just like, yep, a family. You want dance-y? Boom (boom, tap), you got it. Need more melancholy and reflective? It’s there for you, love. Unlike a family, however, FOTY has grown at an excessive rate in only just over three years, having formed in 2009. They have toured with bands such as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Good Old War, Mumford & Sons and Bell Brigade. They were selected out of almost 700 bands to open for Ben Folds and the Boston Pops Orchestra in Boston, MA after only two previous live performances as a band. Not only that, but they are already selling out venues in the United States, as well as across Europe.

When asked what they would like to say to their fans, Joseph responded, “We don’t know what we’re doing.” Still, it appears that they are doing it well, and it’s that kind of honesty that gains trust and support from a perceptive listening audience. As Family of the Year‘s music continues to fall on fresh ears, their family of fans will continue to grow, and, even though they don’t want to be our hero, we just might go against them on that, too.

Family of the Year will be playing tomorrow night at 3rd & Lindsley as part of Lightning 100’s “Nashville Sunday Night”. Tickets are still available for the show with The Devil Makes Three and Sturgill Simpson at the 3rd & Lindsley website. Hope to see you all there!

Adam Naylor

If you’re ready for a rock show, you need to head out to Exit/In this Friday night. Just sayin’. We won’t be mad at you if you’re not there, but we can’t promise you won’t be mad at yourself if you miss it. For those about to rock, we salute you.