Ha Ha Tonka cancels solo tour dates after Mar. 3

It's not bad news, except for those of us who will miss them (read: me and some other Atlantans on Mar. 5). According to their manager, the folk-rockers have signed on to play on a different tour that will give them more exposure. More on who you can catch with Ha Ha Tonka as details are released.

Surfer Blood at Criminal Records, Atlanta, Feb. 19

Unfortunately we missed the actual show at the Drunken Unicorn. You can watch video clips below for the following songs (or pieces of songs) at the mini-show inside Criminal Records, Little 5 Points:

Floating Vibes
Swim
Twin Peaks
Take it Easy

Surfer Blood seemed young, fresh, and charmingly unprepared for the kind of attention that the media machine is throwing at them. Their percussionist has the most interesting and developed stage presence, but you can't tell much from a short, free record store show. I will pay attention to their next effort because I still can't get a couple of their guitar hooks out of my head.

You can see clips from other shows I've seen in the past year on my YouTube channel, here.

Surfer Blood washes into Atlanta this Friday

Surfer Blood, from West Palm Beach, FL, is touring behind their debut album Astro Coast, released last month. They will be playing the cozy Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta this Friday, Feb. 19.

Surfer Blood has filled an interesting niche in my music diet for the last couple of weeks. Though they garner comparisons to Weezer or Built to Spill, they scratch the itch left by Ambulance LTD, whose first LP several years ago left me dazed and satisfied for months. They build nicely layered, thick, sound walls and smart concise hooks. They have passed our immediacy test, remaining equally interesting to me and my three children (whose musical tastes are diverse). Check out their single "Swim" here; everyone writing about them calls it anthemic, and I can't disagree. My favorite track, however, is "Floating Vibes" because it's rich in surf punk reverberations. Pitchfork's review of the album is here.

Next week's music post will more than likely about Nneka's "Concrete Jungle," released two weeks ago. With comparisons to Tracy Chapman, Lauryn Hill, and Neneh Cherry, I just could not resist pulling it down from Emusic today. Here is a New York Times review of a recent performance.

Snow in Atlanta . . .

. . . is like a fish that needs a bicycle. Or something.

Doc Chey's opens in Grant Park today!

Peace, love, and noodles for all!

Madeline, Ha Ha Tonka, and some musico-literary analysis on the way

Madeline - WonderRoot, Atlanta - this Sunday, Feb 7

Madeline Adams and the White Flag Band are touring behind a new EP. Madeline herself has several solo albums and has been performing live music since she was 15. She hails from Athens, GA, and builds sweet folk melodies with intimate and sometimes serrated lyrics. I have made vigilant attempts to feminize my music catalog over the last three years. She is ranks in the top three, next to Thao and Kimya Dawson. I am excited to see her this weekend.

Ha Ha Tonka - The Star Bar, Atlanta - March 5

These guys are an eclectic mix I have been digesting and re-chewing for months. I grabbed their first album off of Emusic just because of the cover art, the title (Buckle in the Bible Belt) and 2 of the 30-second track previews. Since then, my oldest son and I have become strong fans. Their newest album, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, is richer and more mature than the first. The band's songs are powerfully literary; they construct the rare experience of a unified aesthetic product. As the concert grows closer, I plan to post  short pieces of scholarly reflection on a handful of the newer songs, maybe one per day for a week.

For anyone who needs an introduction, Ha Ha Tonka have live sessions you can listen to on Daytrotter and HearYa. The narrative of their time in the HearYa studio and Woody's excitement about introducing his son to the band struck chords with me.

When you least expect it . . .

. . . the carpet-raptor may strike. Ouch!

At the end of kid-times this week, we have lots of things to remember: roller-hockey gear inauguration, KNEX dinosaur set exploration, Pop-Pop's 4 hour wooden owl project, peer-tutor success, sloppy joes, Astro-Boy, reading together at night, earlier bedtimes, chocolate-covered pretzels, awaiting Doc Chey's openingin the 'hood, and the Avett Brothers (again).

Rise and shine wood-chuck chuckers . . .

. . . put on your booties, 'cause it's cooooold out there.

You want a prediction about the weather? You're asking the wrong Phil. It's going to be cold. It's going to be gray. And it's going to last you for the rest of your life.

Just a quick blog tribute to one of the 3 best comedy movies of all time. Where do you see yourself in five years?