Friday night in Atlanta, the Drunken Unicorn will host a coterie of New York bands to support the local power pop pilgrims, Gentleman Jesse And His Men. Billed as "New York Invades Atlanta," the show offers an interesting intersection of sounds ranging from the pop-tainted glam of Electric Shadows to the gambolling country twang of The Weight. A line up that mixes sounds and genres is a sure way to keep an evening interesting, and with a mixed crowd like this, you can bet there'll be some dude with feathered hair and pointy boots scooting out at the end of the evening with some girl in a half-shirt and a straw cowboy hat, ready to make some magic.
Making a splash earlier this year with the release of their debut single on Douchemaster Records, Gentleman Jesse And His Men play dulcet tunes that are infectious, tender, and fall in line with the classic sounds of mid 70s power pop. Front man Jesse Smith, who also plays bass for the long-running Atlanta punk outfit, the Carbonas, has a gift for crafting the sort of well-timed, hook friendly songs that go perfect with the prospect of summer love. Keep an eye out for their debut full-length on Douchemaster sometime later this year.
Also on Douchemaster, Electric Shadows pull back to a sound that spans the same junction where the Flamin' Groovies made their home almost 30 years prior. That comfortable nook where glam sounds slide into power pop with the same waltzing gusto as a suede fringe jacket, these guys pull it off brilliantly. Their debut single last year frothed with the sort of hooks that pay homage to a time that has long since past, without coming off too kitschy. Opening the show are New York's Golden Triangle.
Here's a video clip of Golden Triangle performing Redd Kross's "Annette's Got The Hits" at the Glasslands Gallery in Brookyn last May...
