Jonny & Shim

Athens, Georgia is a hotbed of up and coming music. It seems everyone is starting a band and trying to breakthrough there. (R.E.M., The B-52's, Widespread Panic and Alabama Shakes all cut their teeth there after all.) Jonny & Shim are a pop-rock looking to be the next big thing. And the funny thing is-they just might be.

On their self-titled EP, Jonny & Shim navigate laid back beats and melodic guitars that would fit in nicely on a Sublime record or even Jason Mraz. They shine on tracks like the groove filled "Blurry" which has a summer-y hook masking darker lyrics- "All of my days they're getting blurry/I was born to live and die". It's a definite highlight. 

But it's on the expansive sounding "One Little Lie," filled with soaring vocals and lush guitars, that really show Jonny & Shim's potential. It starts with clean guitars and snares but melds into a harmonious chorus. It's on this track where they shine both musically and lyrically. If this EP is any indication of where this band is headed, there are big things in store. 

Jonny & Shim- Facebook
Blurry-


One Little Lie

The Whigs

Things have been pretty slow around these parts lately. Posts have been a little slack partly due to the fact that I've just not really been excited about a ton of bands lately, and partly because it's summer and I'm out and about a lot. With that said, I decided to dig a little into my own personal iTunes for some dustier finds. During my time at The University of Georgia in Athens, I got wind of a lot of native bands. The Whigs are one of many that actually have the goods.

Their album Mission Control came out early last year amid a ton of positive buzz. They craft tightly wound rollicking songs and aren't afraid to find that pop hook. Lead singer Parker Gispert has an urgent voice that makes every song listenable. Their best track off the album is I Got Ideas a powerful, horn-ridden song with a great beat for hand claps. The verses start off with beat driven guitars before giving way to a rush in the chorus. The Whigs may not be the newest band around these parts but hey, if you've never of them, they're new to you.

The Whigs-Myspace
I Got Ideas-

Dead Confederate

A band from my old stomping grounds in Athens, GA. Dead Confederate may be one of the best named bands I have come across in a long while, and their music is pretty great as well. Their sound has been compared to that of My Morning Jacket, but I hear a little Kings of Leon in there as well. Dead Confederate have an alternative southern grunge vibe going on, which suits them very well. Lead singer Hardy Morris has a strain in his voice that fits the dark, descriptive lyrics very well.

Their debut LP, Wrecking Ball, is loaded with songs that set a mood every time you listen to them. Their first single, and best song I've heard from them, The Rat, is a moody song with scathing lyrics about betrayal (Shoot from the back/ take good aim/ make sure I'm dead/bang, bang). It simmers on the verses and boils over for the chorus. Dead Confederate's music is dirty, Southern rock at its brooding best.

Dead Confederate- Facebook
The Rat-

The Films

This band holds some significance to me because I saw them in concert twice in Athens, GA with a friend of mine. The headliner was Will Hoge and nobody had ever heard of The Films. We didn't know what to expect, but I ended up liking them better than the main attraction. Think of them as a better sounding version of The Strokes. Their songs are very straight forward and all together easy on the ears.

Their debut album Don't Dance Rattlesnake is filled with quick and dirty ditties about love, drinking, and partying. But strangely one of the best songs I heard that night (I'm Not Gonna Call You) isn't anywhere to be found on the album. But they make up for it with the beat driven chorus of Strange Hands and the more polished alt-rock Belt Loops. The Films thrive on that underground club, recorded in the basement feel without all the bad songs that usually result. A very solid effort from a band that is just one song away from hitting it big.

The Films- Myspace
Belt Loops-