Check out his website or Wes Ables on MySpace.

This left-handed guitarist is anything but what you expect. Upon first look at James (Hawkeye) Pierce’s long flowing dreadlocks and stylish glasses one might assume they are going to hear reggae music or a poetry reading. Finding more in common with Punk and Country, Hawkeye Pierce has now teamed up with Russell Owens on drums and things are more upbeat and danceable than ever.

Check out Hawkeye Pierce on Facebook.

other sound 2010, walk from the gallows

An aggressive and celebratory mixture of whiskey and cigarettes, Walk from the Gallows plays down-home country folk-punk that makes you want to either shake your fist or punch somebody in the face in a dark smoky bar somewhere in the middle of Mississippi.

Joseph Lazzari and fiance Kathryn Humphrey sing honest and heartfelt songs about the trials and tribulations of growing up in a big and oftentimes cruel world.

Check out Walk from the Gallows on Myspace.

other sound 2010, skin jobs

Skin Jobs is one of Atlanta’s newest bands, but these musicians are anything but newcomers to our music scene. Rick Moore and David Lane of Lay Down Mains have joined forces with Brandon Arnold, frontman from The Preakness, and drummer Mack Cole, who has played in numerous Atlanta groups.

This lineup proves to be catchier and more straight-forward than Lay Down Mains, but heavier and more high-energy than The Preakness. These guys have found a very happy medium and this will only be the group’s third show.

In fact, Skin Jobs is so brand-spanking new there’s no band page yet, but check out members’ former incarnations as Lay Down Mains on MySpace or The Preakness on MySpace.

other sound 2010, starfighter

This brand new 3-piece consists of songwriting team Justin Sias and Russell Owens from Batata Doce and Missile Command. Drummer Jody Burt (AKA RocknRoll Machine) and keyboardist Stephanie Mma add a collective new twist and the result is sci-fi spy music piped through a retro tropical paradise. Expect laser guns, spaceships, catchy hooks and smoke machines. The band makes its live debut at this year’s Other Sound Festival.

Check out band members’ former projects Batata Doce on Myspace or Missile Command on Myspace.

other sound 2010, west end motel

All-star hobosexuals featuring some of Atlanta’s most colorful and popular musicians. Tom Cheshire met Brent Hinds on a corner under a bridge in 1993. They were panhandling and drinking cough syrup and songs started spewing out of them. Throw Mike Shina, Stiff Penalty and Ben Thrower into the mix and you got a good time. The cast of musicians is always changing. I have seen them play with a 16 piece orchestra and I have seen them play with just Tom Cheshire tap dancing and a Chinese girl playing the tuba. Either way, it’s always a good night out. Songs of loss and laughter and maybe even a new lease on life. I can’t think of a better way to spend a fall evening. Wear something nice.

Check out West End Motel on Myspace.

authors apology, other sound 2010

Authors Apology’s multi-instrumentalist Keith Bailey started by walking around Atlanta with a four-track, creating a stack of off-time demo tapes and learning-curve melodies. From there, some veteran stewards of Atlanta’s indie scene jumped on board, helping Bailey gel his demos into driven, indie-pop crowd-pleasers.

Check out Authors Apology’s website, find their music on MySpace, or follow them on Facebook.

what happened to your fire, tiger, other sound 2010

What Happened to Your Fire, Tiger’s textured silky sound is fueled by singer Hilary Yarbrough’s (Aviator) Fender Rhodes, and Bryan Slusher’s (Slushco) lush guitar lines. A thunderous current of drums by Corey Pallon (Pistolero) roils under the surface and singer Carrie Hodge (Parade) provides the stabilizing rhythmic foundation on bass. Dark lyrics and haunting female harmonies make for a moody listen. Four lead singers from four other bands makes WHTYFT a supergroup of sorts.

Check out What Happened to Your Fire, Tiger?’s music on MySpace.

other sound 2006

THE OTHER SOUND 2009 COMPILATION CD is a one of a kind introduction to the ethos of the Atlanta music scene. Beyond the dirty dirty and beyond the derivative, Other Sound 2009 presents an abstract South that defies boundaries. Including cosmopolitan, cinematic compositions from Jeffrey Butzer and A Fight to the Death, epic arrangements from Untied States and the Orphins, Other Sound 2009 makes grand declarations of demarcation beyond the Mason-Dixon line. The casio beat-driven showmanship of acts like Judi Chicago and Falcon Lords butt up against the clean guitars of Author’s Apology and the psychedlic pop of the Selmanaires, making Other Sound 2009 essential listening for those looking to navigate the uncharted edges of the Atlanta music scene.

Proceeds from the sale of the OtherSound 2009 CD promote the musicians playing the festival.

Jeffrey Butzer – The quirky and intimate world of charming multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Butzer has quickly captured the attention of fans throughout Europe, Asia and the US. In concert, this post modern Morricone is a visual and aural surprise, displaying a remarkable talent of simultaneously playing multiple instruments. Butzer is like Kurt Weill with a toy piano, creating layered, theatrical compositions that stand far above most others.

The Selmanairess – The Selmanaires were one of the featured bands in “We Fun” and deserved every minute. One of Atlanta’s prized indie bands, their constantly evolving sound veers from psychedelic pop to newer, experimental ambient works the band has labeled “celestial primitive.” They are back on tour with Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox … this time as the backing band for his solo project, Atlas Sound.

Judi Chicago – Judi Chicago is Atlanta’s own super megaton bomb, one packing a payload of fat, fuzzy synth basslines and drumbeats. This electro-dance trio is exploding locally, and gaining a large following in the UK, with a spectacle of tight shorts and fearlessly erotic, pansexual stage antics. Judi Chicago starts dance riots wherever they go, occasionally pulling double duty as house DJs.

The Orphins – The Orphins’ much anticipated second full-release, “Wish You Well” features more of the interesting compositions and wry sense of humor that earned them some of the most loyal fans in Atlanta. Equally capable of epic songs as they are with quirky melodies, The Orphins’ brand of melodically schizophrenic hooks and thunderous rhythms often erupt in a dance-punk blast off.

Book of Colors – Book of Colors’ low-fi style mixes acoustic, chamber-pop compositions with dream-soaked, introspective narratives. Ryan Gregory’s wistful, wandering violin anchors their songs, which reflect a band still forming their unique voice. American-Brazilian Andre Paraguassu and company bring a melancholic appeal that is nothing short of engaging.

Future Shock – Future Shock’s prolific offerings and earnest street salesmanship has delivered their brand of Punk Funk to the Atlanta scene in a most efficient manner. Led by brothers Jeremy Daniels and Boy Floyd, the band’s sound is heavily influenced by their mother’s soul singing, but their alchemy of sound is noteworthy on interpretation alone. As a fun, energy-packed duo that both raps and shreds, FutureShock is impacting the local scene with their style of go-get it.

Club Awesome – Club Awesome may have once been better known for their penchant to throw swimming pool parties, but with their new rhythm section and debut full-length, “Dynamos,” the band is deservedly getting as much attention for their music as for their antics. Tight, sing-along songs buttressed by confident vocals make tasty ear candy, and if they’re performing in vintage golf suits or Speedos, that’s just icing on the cake.

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun – Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun has quickly become one of the most sought-out bands in the local scene. This prominence is due in part to vocalist Lauren Gibson, whose confident voice cuts through distorted guitars and hammering drums, giving the group’s brand of industrial dance a compelling center. A tight-knit unit, it is the band’s onstage performances, driven by a sense of purpose and sincerity, which marks them as a solid contender for Next Big Thing.

Untied States – Untied States straddles the line between abstract and explicit, creating art-rock that emerges a bit to the left of the current Atlanta scene. Though they maintain a semblance of structure to lure you in, Untied States’ manic expression is an audible illustration of attention deficit order. Often chaotic and always experimental, Untied States has a sound that is in a word, epic.

A Fight to the Death – A Fight to the Death describe themselves as “Avant-Western-Americana-Gypsy music built with Latin and Mediterranean rhythms, surf twang, and melodies fit for lonely midnight drives through the desert.” Those late-night drives are a cinematic trip that Jim Jarmusch could have produced, as rag-tag companions speed past the sullen plains of middle age, searching for an oasis where still waters run deep.

The Wild – The Wild’s celebratory storytelling and punk-folksy delivery makes you wonder how such clean guitars could get your body shaking so hard. Led by Witt Wisebram, The Wild aspire to a sound that is defiant in the manner of Bob Dylan or Joe Strummer, creating awareness of larger issues while still keeping the music first and foremost.

Grand Prize Winners – Talented musicians specializing in a club-rousing mix of hip-hop, soul and rock, the self-deprecatingly named Grand Prize Winners from Last Year are anything but old news. Members K Slaughter, Believe, Platypus Jones and Whiteshoes Blue mix traditional guitar/bass/drums with toy xylophones and the occasional trumpet or trombone, shifting from new wave to rap to fist-pumping rock. Your head will bob to the beat, but the brain inside won’t know what to expect next.

This Piano Plays Itself – This Piano Plays Itself gracefully infuses electronic beats with lush guitars and hushed vocals; a sound reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine mixed with Slint’s dynamic song structures. This Piano Plays Itself is capable of epic storytelling that whirls and whisks lyrical ideas repeating throughout songs until they gain new meaning. We are big fans of this new Atlanta band, who are gaining admirers with each performance.

Authors Apology – Authors Apology’s multi-instrumentalist Keith Bailey started by walking around Atlanta with a four-track, creating a stack of off-time demo tapes and learning-curve melodies. From there, some veteran stewards of Atlanta’s indie scene jumped on board, helping Bailey gel his demos into driven, indie-pop crowd-pleasers.

Feeding Fingers – One gets the impression that Justin Curfman – award-winning animator/filmmaker and Feeding Fingers mastermind – sleeps very little. And not just because of his relentless pursuit of various artistic endeavors. The band’s dark and old-school new wave sound is complimented by Curfman’s strong tenor voice and luscious reverb guitar, a mix that recalls the more anguished and atmospheric moments of The Cure and Bauhaus.

Falcon Lords – When the Falcon Lords are not hanging out in their lair, solving crimes and debating world issues, they are performing in super hero action suits that perfectly mimic a comic book introduction of fantastic proportions. Lord Falconhorn is often seen renegading through town, unexpectedly, sometimes without a costume. Evil-doers beware! The Falcon Lords will shut down your gangster deeds.

13 Day Mission – We first met these progsters at the ISP Space where they melted faces and shredded trepidation with their jazzed-up, psyched-out sound. Led by the tireless Bret Philips, founder of Hijacking Music & the Ozone Lair Recording Studio, 13 Day Mission’s raison d’etre is simple: the band tours, records, and throws house parties where they are friendly to touring bands “as long they rock.”