With the extreme amount of music people get exposed to it’s hard to set yourself apart.  Record producers want you to believe that they all have the secret, that if you follow their formula, use the equiptment they like and wish really really hard (hearts being pure) that your dreams will come true.  The fact is that it isn’t true.  First you have to figure out what your idea of success is.  Is it getting a major label record deal?  Is it being esteemed by blogs like this one?  Or is it simply knowing at the end of the day that you made something thats worthhwhile regaurdless of what critics (like me) think?

The Goldest is not a tough listen, it’s really enjoyable and exudes integrity.  The production is second to none even if it can be a little sterile.  But the songwriting keeps you hanging on with beautiful pop melodies that seem to say “lighten up” as they smile at you.  It’s funny that I just got this EP on labor day because it seems a little late as this is an incredibly strong summer evening record.  If you want a comparison for The Goldest, at first it may come across as Cardigans but then seems to follow a little closer to Tilly and the Wall with it’s seriously well thought out vocal part harmonies, but you’ll come to the final conclusion I did.

This is what ABBA would write if they were around today.

Seriously think about it.  ABBA was a group comprised of a couple other pairings who decided to get together.  The song FMGold even seems to elude to the ABBA gold recording which is still one of the best selling albums in the world, and people forget at times that a lot of what ABBA did (aside from the vocal harmonies) was very reflective of their time.  Had they gained popularity when the Todaies dominated the radio and Major Label music in general had abandoned any kind of quality standards for pop in general, The Goldest it a pretty good presumption of what would have come out.

It’s an all star cast too.  Justin Grey from once famed Atlanta band 3d5spd, Matt Chenoweth of Brain Box, Susannah Wallace of Long Knives, Kevin Wallace from Jupiter Watts, Tracey Clark from Preakness even lends a hand on a track.  It’s a hell of a Resume.

I’m startled and amazed that this record isn’t everywhere.  BTW You don’t have to buy it.  They’re GIVING IT AWAY ON MYSPACE.  Unbelievable.

Click here to download all these tracks.

P.S. did you notice they only have 99 friends on myspace?  Talk about them now for 10 bagillion indie points.

A quick note for the musicians:  This is what all your shows should look like.

Defiance, OH - Oh Susquehanna

Defiance, OH/Ghost Mice - Tanks Tanks Tanks

Defiance, OH played a really good show last night.  I’d call it incredible, but it was exactly the sort of show I expected, given how well suited Wonderroot is for a band like Defiance, OH (folk-punk, mostly acoustic, high energy).

Indyana Jonz, opening for Defiance, OH, also played a good set.  They’re a rap group who’ve recently relocated to Atlanta from Hammond, Indiana, and they’ve been using Wonderroot as a practice and recording space.  The crowd was too packed for me to get a good look at their setup, but it sounds like they’ve added a lot of synth to their sound since the move, as well as drums, electric guitar, and bass.  The core of the band share vocal duties expertly, with one member transitioning to hype man as the other takes up a song’s main lyrics.  While the Indyana Jonz has a ways to go until they reach “must listen” status, their performance last night was promising, and a nice preview of what Atlanta’s indy music scene would sound like with more of a rap-focused sound.

Though the concert ended around 1am, Wonderroot’s parking lot was filled with circles of kids talking and laughing well after all the bands had finished loading out - a perfect testament to how, even after spending only a few hours at Wonderroot, the venue begins to feel like home.  I’m very much looking forward to Wonderroot’s next few months.

The Turtle Neck Store - Alterno-poise

The Turtle Neck Store - Kitchen Sink

I’m not afraid to say I’m Knot A Frayed. The solidly blithe spirit of The Turtle Neck Store is overtly inherent in the title of their first e.p. Yeah. I’m a sucker for a pun, I’ll admit, but this little album has much, much more going for it than a witty title. It’s just plain good. I’m Knot A Frayed can get pretty congested at times with guitars playing clever counterpoint to one another, rolling Tina Weymouthesque bass lines, and enormous, lush vocal harmonies that manifest themselves from seemingly nowhere. However, thanks to a clean, fluid production they’ve managed to make every little nook and cranny of the sound chime right through.

It’s always great when you hear a new band that obviously loves what they’re doing. The Turtle Neck Store isn’t just trying to entertain their listeners; these guys are also entertaining themselves. This is undeniably apparent seeing as there’s not one remotely tedious note on this album. Start I’m Knot A Frayed and you’ll be nodding along and grinning like an idiot in no time.

Hawks played a pretty packed show Monday at 97 Estoria.  The show lived up to the crowd too - high energy, lots of grabbing audience members, and quite a few headbutts.  Plus, Hawks play this really grindy post-hardcore sound that worked surprisingly well for the bar.

The band’s in the middle of that evolution between only playing house shows, and moving towards “larger” venues like Wonderroot and Star Bar.  So it’s a really interesting time to catch one of their shows - they do a great job of destroying the usual band/audience member barriers that you’ll see even in relatively small venues.

Have You Heard is booking and sponsoring free shows every Monday night at 97 Estoria through 2009.  We’re focusing on underappreciated “just about to be awesome”-type bands - these locals will be household names in a few years, so come see them before they sellout!

We’re not leaving any ambiguity about how fun we think Judi Chicago is, and this video proves it.

Have You Heard Session: Judi Chicago from HaveYouHeard on Vimeo.