The Constellations - Southern Gothic

I had the fortune of seeing a handful of bands this summer that seemed (god knows why) to be floating just below the radar of both the international music press and the sizeable fanbases they deserve.   I can think of no more deserving band than Atlanta`s own `supergroup` The Constellations whose Southern Gothic is a multi-genre tour de force that reflects lyricists Elijah Jones carefully laced narrative about the lost (or found) hours in one mythical night in Atlanta between the hours of 2 am and 12 pm.   Although both Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mobb) and Asher Roth make appearances on two tracks the entire album is chock a block with highlights.  Reflective as it is of a really strong stable of players spending, undoubtedly too long in the studio, with a master producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) it`s hard to point to one track that stands out over another, it just drives forward into a milky white peasoup fog with no care or concern for the set of headlights coming out of the darkness ahead of it.

Here`s a nice live clip from the 99X radio station from last summer (which doesn`t begin to do justice to even their current lineup or the album cut, but gives you dear listener a sense )

The Constellations - "Setback"

Atlanta `Supergroup` The Constellations

I saw alot of amazing bands this summer, I met alot of amazing musicians, I met even more amazing fans, but hands down the Coolest Mutherfugging Band On The Planet these days has got to be Atlanta, Georgia's own The Constellations. Their combination of bombastic chops, heavy swagger rock, rocksteady bass, unabashed synthesizer and congo use and coolass chiquita backing vocals all made for both an epic liveshow and fortunately in person they are just as fucking badass as they are onstage.

Here's a movie I made of their stunning performance in the Black Sheep Stage tent (July 11, 2010) set to the lead track off of Southern Gothic (classed as 'religious' recording) Setback.



They've been dubbed a 'supergroup' by locals "having initially formed when vocalist Elijah Jones teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) to create Southern Gothic. Jones and Allen tossed ideas around for two years before finally recording. Now the band and its ever-changing line-up of Atlanta musicians is playing sold-out shows in Atlanta’s most popular venues, from the Earl, Star Bar, Lenny’s, the Drunken Unicorn, and even Athens’ the 40 Watt."

Different listeners will hear their own slate of influences in the sludgy sweet psychedelic riffage that is found on The Constellations fine fine record. Steeped in street culture, hard drug use references Southern Gothic has oddly more in common with collaborator Cee-Lo (Goodie Mobb, Gnarls Barkley) than other famous Georgia groups including The Allman Bros. Band, REM and Widespread Panic.

Here's a link to a youtube video (disabled by their big record company Virgin/EMI's request) Introducing The Constellations.