Back Down South

Music Monday – Explosions in the Sky

Photographed in Athens, GA via iPhone

Explosions in the Sky was my introduction to the instrumental indie rock world. I was in high school, and I’d heard nothing like it. Their album How Stange, Innocence, changed my music world as I knew it. These little mini symphonies blew my mind, one that was, at the time, full of Blink 182. They stirred emotions in ways that I didn’t know music could, and for that, I will be ever indebted to their work. With every album they released, my love grew deeper for this Austin band.

Mark and I went to their show at Georgia Theatre on Thursday night, and I lost it twice. I was in such awe, blown away by the loudest music I’d ever heard.

Their much deserved popularity skyrocketed both from the Friday Night Lights movie and show.
Moment of silence to remember the best TV show ever………
Without a doubt, “Your Hand in Mine” from The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place is one of their most popular songs, and definitely one of my favorites. This post wouldn’t be right without sharing it.

02 Your Hand in Mine [W_Strings]

Stream: “Your Hand in Mine (W/ Strings)” … then do yourself a favor and listen to the full version.

Their 2011 release, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is mostly dominated by drummer Chris Hrasky’s drum kit, and I’m a big fan of it. Pitchfork Media puts it perfectly:

The guitars tend to hang on particular figures or throw up an e-bowed haze, and Hrasky is the one who can cut through that. On “Trembling Hands” his drum kit is the lead instrument as he unleashes Keith Moon-worthy torrents of snare, tom, and cymbal, throwing himself at the guitars as though they were a wall to break through.

03 – Trembling Hands

Stream: “Trembling Hands”

Do yourself one more favor and watch the “Postcard from 1972” music video. It’s one of the most beautiful videos I’ve ever seen and also another favorite song from their latest album.

Ben

Photographed in Auburn, GA

Raised in:
Dalton, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Favorite southern spot to photograph:
Probably anywhere near the Georgia coast. I’m not really into the beach, but I love the landscape down there. Huge oak trees and spanish moss are make me happy. Cumberland Island is a special place in particular, but by far the most impressive wedding venue I’ve ever seen was a private residence on Sea Island. Also, the Chattooga Club in Cashiers, North Carolina was also just mind blowingly gorgeous.

Now would ya look at that:
My friend Ben of Pure Gold Photo second shooting this wedding with me.

Nick at Night

Photographed in Nashville, TN

Raised in:
Hendersonville, Tennessee

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

Favorite meal in Nashville:
Currently, my newest love is the Germantown Cafe, Eastside or Germantown variety. Starting with their exceptional french onion soup, some fried yeast rolls, and finishing with the fish of the day-all washed down with a whiskey ginger. Complete with a fantastic view of the city and the Capitol lawn.

Now would ya look at that:
You met Nick before Brier & Moss had officially launched. Now, he and Jonathan are two of my favorite boys in the bow tie business.

Music Monday – Elenowen

Photographed by Jamie Clayton

To prove that not every reality show is a waste of time, I discovered Elenowen on the first season of The Voice. Their rendition of “Falling Slowly” left me speechless, and that evening I snagged their album, Pulling Back the Veil, on iTunes, officially becoming a fan. At the end of May, Elenowen released a new EP, and I was blown away again. From start to finish, all five songs are solid. I am just so glad that Elenowen had the chance to earn recognition from the reality show ‘The Voice’, because I know I am not the only one that would’ve snagged their music after hearing their performance. It doesn’t come as much surprise that she got recognized this way, after all the show is incredibly popular, and the huge target audience that TV gets these days, would have seen adverts and clips to intrigue them into it! You can even find some of these Infinity Dish data statistics to back this up, here! After all, TV is popular especially in the evenings when people sit down for some wind-down time and to spend time with their family with this some entertainment. However, it’s a shame that not all amazing artists get this platform to share their talent and music! It’s truly unjustifiable that some people are putting out great music and getting no plays on Spotify and other platforms and just getting swamped under the hundreds of thousands of other artists. It would help if these artists purchased their own Spotify plays; this would boost them up and make them more easily noticed by possible fans. With the success Elenowen is receiving currently, they won’t need to buy any Spotify plays any time soon! Josh and Nicole are touring the south this summer and were kind enough to pause a moment to let us get to know them a bit.

02 Blood and Bones

Stream: “Blood and Bones”

______

Raised in:
Josh: Knoxville, Tennessee
Nicole: Franklin, Tennessee

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

A few words about the recently released EP:
We’ve spent the past couple years really honing in on what our sound is, and this EP is a good summary of what we’ve learned & where we’re headed. It’s a more defined, duo sound that focuses on the struggles and victories we’ve faced as a married couple & as human beings. We also try to maintain a high level of honesty and vulnerability in each song so listeners can connect to each song.

Favorite southern getaway spot:
Josh’s parent’s lake house on Lake Loudon in Lenoir City, Tennessee. This is where we fell in love as 15 and 16 year olds – building fires, grilling out, cliff jumping, tubing, etc. Can’t beat it.

Now would ya look at that:
Photographed by Jamie in Nashville with a Rolleiflex.

On Him:

On Her:

______

Buy Elenowen EP on iTunes or stream on Spotify.

Subscribe to Go Back Down South, my Spotify playlist for all the songs featured here.

Caroline

Photographed in Athens, GA

Raised in:
Spring, Texas

Lives in:
Jasper, Georgia

Summer beers of choice:
Every summer, Dos Equis Lager is my go to. I am extremely seasonal with my beer and refuse to drink Dos Equis unless it’s hot outside. This summer, a new addition to my favorite beer list is Shiner‘s Ruby Redbird. For me, it’s a game changer, because I despise grapefruit, yet I somehow loved this beer. I recommend putting it in the freezer first and making it a tad slushy. Finally, I’ve been loving Sweetwater Blue. Once summer hits, there are always blueberries in my fridge, so naturally I’m gravitating to this beer.

Now would ya look at that:
Snapped right before eating the best meal we’ve had in Athens at Five & Ten.

Causing a Scene

Photographed in Nashville, TN

Raised in:
FL, KY, TN, TX. I was born in Clearwater, Florida and moved six times before graduating high school. I’ve always felt like Nashville was home though. 

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

Favorite music spot in Nashville:
The Ryman. There’s just nothing else like a show at the Mother Church. The acoustics, the atmosphere, the history – everything is perfect about it. I’ve been to about twenty five shows there and I count many of them among the best I’ve ever seen.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Larry, the man behind Cause a Scene Music, officially started earlier this year. The series features many local and national touring acts. “I’m a huge fan of the community that is fostered through having a band play in the house and the fellowship between guests who are from very different social circles.” Larry has hosted ten shows through May with ten more booked between now and August. Follow the blog and Facebook if you’re interested in catching a great house show in Nashville.

Music Monday – Us & Our Daughters

My best friend sent me this music video and I was sold. I didn’t need to hear another song, I’d already fallen in love. Philip and Lia LaRue wrote their debut EP, Songs About Us, in the midst of trials, and claim to have fallen for each other all over again during the writing process. “Instead of walking away from each other or pretending there wasn’t a problem, we decided to write songs,” Phillip said. “We’re glad we did.” (source)

I could not respect the honestly in their songwriting more, making their collection of music a small but powerful one. Songs with words about cancer, and questions like “how do we keep this spark alive?” manage to be incredibly beautiful with the blend of the couples’ vulnerability and damn good vocals.

03 Honey

Stream: “Honey”

Purchase Songs About Us on iTunes.
Subscribe to Go Back Down South, my Spotify  playlist for all the songs featured here.

Music Monday – The Black Cadillacs

Photographed by Logan Burkhart

Dear readers – you have been awesome lately at recommending great bands to me. Thanks to Wes Davenport, The Black Cadillacs have a new fan in me, because what is there not to like about blues-based rock ‘n roll bred in Tennessee?

Young Giant – Classic Fool

Stream: “Classic Fool”

______

Raised in:
Will – Knoxville, Tennessee
Matthew – Memphis, Tennessee
Philip – Memphis, Tennessee
John – Orlando, Florida
Adam – Nashville, Tennessee
Kevin – Knoxville, Tennessee

Lives in:
Knoxville, Tennessee

Favorite Knoxville venue to play:
The Bijou Theatre. It’s world renowned for its sound quality and has featured famous acts from all over the world. Having said that, we’ve played some great shows at our favorite bar, Preservation Pub. It’s a great atmosphere and a really rowdy time.

Now would ya look at that:
Our wardrobe for the photo shoot was largely supplied by Marc Nelson Denim, a company based in Knoxville. Our jeans for the shoot were Marc Nelson as well as the leather jackets on Matthew and Kevin. Our look is stylistically based on a southern, blue collar aesthetic. We like down to earth, approachable, but well considered style for the most part.

______

Their sophomore LP, Run, releases tomorrow, and you can download two songs from it on NoiseTrade for free right now (“Classic Fool” and “Run Run”). They were kind enough to let me stream their new album and seriously y’all…get it first thing tomorrow.

California Girl

Photographed in Nashville, TN

Raised in:
Saratoga, California

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

What brought you to the south:
After graduating from college in San Diego, and after a little stint in Austin, Teach For America assigned me to Nashville to teach for two years. Three years later, I’m still here because of the things that make the South unlike any other place: hospitality, front porches, rocking chairs, sweet tea, gorgeous autumns, rich history, and the amazing people.

Now would ya look at that:

  • J. Crew sweater and shorts.
  • Necklace found on etsy.
  • Watch worn by her mom in college.
  • Guess shoes.
Page 45 of 56
1 … 43 44 45 46 47 … 56