Fun, film, and family!

Can it really be the end of November? How has the year gone by so quickly?  Well, somehow it's already the week of Thanksgiving which means that many of you are away visiting your families and preparing yourselves to enjoy a bit of time off and a selection of tasty foods.  Well, how would like a serving of scrumptious tunes to go with your delicious meal?

First off, I'll start with something you may be familiar with: the Fuzz of the Month!  Every month, local joy-inducing band the Warm Fuzzies gives out a newly released free song on their website.  How awesome is that!  Go ahead and get yourself a taste of their latest tunes right here.

Lucky for us, the Warm Fuzzies aren't the only band sharing some free tunes right now!  Doctor Squid has gotten in on the action as well.  Every week for the next few weeks, they'll be debuting a fresh new song, and they're releasing the latest one today!  You can get your hands on these songs over on their website.  Best of all, you'll be able to catch both of these bands in action on December 5th at the fourth annual Squidmas event over at the Melting Point.  I just can't wait for this year's festive celebration of tunes and cheer!

And finally, if you're craving even more awesome songs, we've just uploaded a bunch of the videos that we've recorded over the past few months onto the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel.  Feast your eyes on tons of live show videos, like the Constellations one above, from this year's Music Midtown and more!

Hope you all have an amazing week!

Sights to see & incredible things to come!

It's going to be an exciting next few weeks! Not only are we in the midst of Popfest here in Athens, but Halloween shows are looming in the near future as well. On top of this, many of our local bands are gearing up to head to New York for the CMJ Southeast Showcase, and, to my surprise, it looks like I'll be joining them. Wow, I've got a lot to do to get ready! To tide you over till we cover that awesome festival, let's reminisce about Music Midtown, shall we? Here's some of our very best shots from that magical event, and just like always, we've got over 50 more up on our Facebook page. Feast your eyes!

Coldplay's Johnny Buckland rocks the stage

A ball covered in water is tossed into the crowd to cool the fans off

The Black Keys set up their inflatables

A sea of 40,000 people gathers in anticipation

For all of the awesome pictures taken at Music Midtown, check out our full album here!

Music Midtown 2011: Coldplay leaves us nearly speechless

Coldplay. It was the one word dancing across everybody's lips. The crowd was rife with joyful anticipation, and echoing cheers erupted the second the roadies stepped onstage to set up. About an hour before the band's set was scheduled to begin, the fans suddenly burst into song, the melody of Viva La Vida issuing forth from the crowd in unison. My friend Jordan and I turned to each other in awe, and at that moment, I knew that this show would truly be like nothing I had ever experienced or even imagined before.

Heralding Coldplay's grand entrance, the music heard before the "feature presentation" at movie theaters blasted through the giant speakers. Then golden fireworks exploded into the air as huge balloons of many colors bounced and flew over the heads of the fans. As the band hit its first note, colorful lasers wove and spread overhead. Even if I could have been heard over the near 40,000 people that stood behind us, I would have been speechless. The beauty and the spectacle of it all was just astounding! And there we were, in the very front row, drinking it all in.

Filled with yellow light, the stage shined in the darkness as they fittingly played their hit Yellow. A few tunes later, frontman Chris Martin suggested that the fans join in to "do one together if that's alright with you," launching into Nobody Said It Was Easy. The fans responded eagerly as voices all across the park rose up in unison to sing the song. Coldplay soon followed this with a cover of R.E.M.'s Everybody Hurts in honor of their recent breakup. Tears filled the eyes of many in the crowd as they played the tribute to this band from our very own town that they dearly loved as well.

Honestly, I couldn't believe the love this internationally acclaimed band had for each and every one of their fans and all of those bands that rocked the stage with them too. Singer Chris even managed to slip shoutouts to the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant into their song Politik. As the beat of the drums and the powerful bass vibrated through every part of my body during their set, I pinched myself just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The lights, the sounds, the joy... I was just in shock from it all. Much too soon, the band left the stage, but we all knew they'd be back. To lure them out for the inevitable encore, the fans surprised me once again. Rather than yelling for it or merely cheering, they joined together and, in one voice, sang the melody of Viva La Vida once more. Overcome by the beauty of this, I merely listened to them, amazed and utterly content. Not a minute went by before Coldplay was back yet again, to finish out the night with a cover of Georgia On My Mind which flowed seamlessly into their final tunes.

Music Midtown was, without a doubt, one of the coolest, most unbelievable experiences I've ever been lucky enough to have. What a mind-blowingly amazing night!

For all of our coverage of the exciting experience that was Music Midtown 2011, click here!

Music Midtown 2011: The Black Keys blow us away

As the cool air of dusk wafted over the eager crowd, the many thousands of fans that filled Piedmont Park squeezed together, buzzing with excitement. While we waited, two giant inflatables - a tree and a gargantuan tire - emerged from the stage. Then beach balls flew into the audience as the Black Keys stepped out to begin their set. Flavored with blues and funk elements, the band's rock sound permeated the park as their incredible energy inspired everyone in the crowd to move to the beat. Once they had finished their first song, the cheering began. Now, I've been to hundreds of concerts and shows over the past few years, but never have I experienced anything like this. The cheering was just deafening, like a massive tornado blasting through the crowd. I was in pure awe of the Black Keys' power. Between an intense drum/guitar mid-song jam session and their performance of the hit Tighten Up which had the fans singing along gleefully, the audience was absolutely absorbed in their set from start to finish. It was purely amazing!

When the band had played their final note, my friend Jordan and I turned around to find that we were completely caged in for the hour wait until Coldplay would take the stage. There were masses of people as far as we could see in every direction, and although I had really wanted to catch Cage the Elephant's set, barring teleportation there was just no way I was getting past those thousands of fans, much less getting back to my spot after they had finished. Luck was still with me that day, though, and I was able to hear many of the songs from all the way across the park. Best of all, the crowd by the main stage grew quiet just to listen as they played Back Against the Wall, one of my favorites of their tunes. Truly, even from as far away as I was, Cage the Elephant sounded amazing!

Even now, days later, I can't believe how incredible this whole day was... and the big finale with Coldplay was still yet to come!

For all of our coverage of the exciting experience that was Music Midtown 2011, click here!

Music Midtown 2011: The Joy Formidable and Manchester Orchestra own the stage

Now matter how hard you try, festivals like these will always give you an awkward sunburn. Always. But Music Midtown was definitely worth the scorching heat!

As 3 PM rolled around, my friend Jordan and I could hear the faint sounds of Walk the Moon playing the other stage while we alternated between searching for sustenance and staking our claim on our chosen spot near the main stage. Moments later, an ever growing crowd of thousands gathered behind us for the Joy Formidable's first tune. Having never heard of the Welsh rockers, I was quite curious about them, particularly when a large group of fans began gleefully discussing them and trying to get the attention of their roadies before the start of the set. Suddenly, an old time music track began to play as the band members appeared, garnering thunderous applause from the massive crowd. Within seconds, the band was owning the stage with their strong rock sound and edgy appeal. Their incredibly charismatic female lead vocalist Ritzy threw herself into every song, and the guys followed suit, simply going wild onstage. The crowd just ate it all up. Cheers rang out throughout their set, especially when bassist Rhydian sang a bit in a high falsetto voice, and it soon became clear that many of the fans up front were there just for this band. One fan had even crafted a "Keep Calm and Rock On" sign featuring Queen Elizabeth and the Union Jack flag for the band although, as the members pointed out, they're from North Wales which is not quite the same as Britain. Then, to finish out their show, the Joy Formidable members threw and smashed their instruments as one could only expect from such rockstars. Quite a show!

Once the band had finished, I embraced the chance to stretch my legs and check out Band of Skulls over on the stage across the way. I didn't have to wait long before they rocked their well-known song Light of the Morning, heard on this year's Ford Mustang commercials and the Hangover 2 trailers. It's always cool to see the bands behind those songs that you can't help but know play live!

Then it was time to secure my place in front of the main stage once more for Manchester Orchestra. The last time I saw these guys was at my very first music festival, Summerfest, the very same festival, in fact, where I discovered the music of the Constellations. Now, two years later, Manchester Orchestra's sound seemed a bit harder and darker than I remember, but their fans still knew all the words to their songs just as they did back then. From the very first tune, people were mouthing along with the lyrics to old favorites like Everything to Nothing and a few newer songs as well. Some fans were even fistpumping to the tunes. The image that truly stuck with me, though, was that of nearly every fan in the front row texting their friends about the show at the same time. Oh, this modern age!

Wow, I can't believe I'd already seen so many awesome bands, and the show was barely halfway through! As the crowd continued to grow, I eagerly awaited the experiences to come.

For all of our coverage of the exciting experience that was Music Midtown 2011, click here!

Music Midtown 2011: The Constellations rock the park

I never even imagined that I'd actually get to go to Music Midtown. Since the massive, annual mid-Atlanta festival disappeared six years ago, it was barely a blip on my radar until I discovered that longtime blog favorite the Constellations would be rockin' the stage for the event's return this year. Then to my utter surprise, thanks to the TV show Better Mornings Atlanta, my penchant for staying up all night, and an extraordinary amount of luck, I found myself collecting two tickets at Will Call on Saturday morning with my friend Jordan of Athens Music Junkie. As we entered the gates, I was positively brimming with excitement for my very first huge concert headlined by an internationally-acclaimed act. Really, though, I had no idea just what an incredible day was in store for me!

The festival was just beginning as Jordan and I stepped onto the soft grass inside Piedmont Park. New York band the Postelles kicked off the concert with some jazzy, fun tunes as they played over on the "Great Southeast Music Hall" stage (which will be known from here on out as the "other" stage). Tons of people had already arrived, staking out their spots and laying down blankets all across the sloping landscape. In front of the "Electric Ballroom" stage (the "main" stage, naturally), people lined the press gate, presumably in anticipation for the unbelievable lineup that was to grace that stage. Jordan and I managed to nab one of the last few open spots beside the gate, getting the momentary added bonus of a hint of shade while we were there.

Then, just before two, it was the Constellations' turn to blast us with their tunes. After a year of yearning to see them again, my dreams were finally fulfilled as they leapt onstage. Immediately launching into their awesome song Love is a Murder, they pumped up the sea of fans with their energy. Indeed, their dark yet dance-inducing, psych rock sound and one-of-a-kind style never fail to be crowd-pleasers, and the thousands already in attendance clapped along joyfully as they played. The band served up a set full of big hits and more than a few brand new tunes including the ever-popular and delightfully sexy Felicia, and they even brought up singer Ruby Velle to lend her beautiful voice to their songs. As the sun beat down on the backs of all of the listeners, the Constellations finished their show with the Atlanta-soaked, theatrical tune, Step Right Up while Jamie Gordon, the keyboardist, bounded into the crowd in a radical display of fan love, shocking everyone especially the security guys.

What a performance! I just can't get enough of seeing these guys in action. And who could have guessed that this would just be the beginning of the mind-blowing experiences that I would have at Music Midtown? Purely incredible!

For all of our coverage of the exciting experience that was Music Midtown 2011, click here!

Off to Music Midtown... Be back soon!

Really, I've just barely passed the age of 3 in music scene experience years so I'm always on the lookout for more exciting events to enjoy and shows to see. While it's true that I grew up hearing the words "music midtown, " until recently I didn't really know what they meant, and so, most tragically, I never had the chance to attend Atlanta's own celebration of tunes. Now, by some stroke of incredible luck, I've got tickets to Saturday's show where the lineup includes blog favorite the Constellations as well as the bands Manchester Orchestra, Coldplay, and so many more! Stay tuned for reviews from the show coming next week.  Hope you all have a great weekend, and hey, if you're planning to go to this year's Music Midtown too, I can't wait to see you there!