I was thoroughly entertained by The Constellations’ electric performance at Spaceland in April, so I was thrilled to hear the Georgian supergroup has announced an extensive series of dates through November, including another stop here in SoCal accompanied by Electric Six. The tour will take them all over the country as they bring the seedy, soulful sounds of their debut album Southern Gothic to the masses, and since once is never enough when it comes to catching The Constellations’ live show (or listening to their album, for that matter), I’m definitely excited for a repeat performance. Anyone going to be joining me?
As per usual, we at LA Music Blog are excited about quite a few albums being released this week. How about you? Anything you’re dying to get your hands on? Check out some of the albums we’ll soon be playing on repeat below, and let us know what you’ll be picking up in the comments.
The Roots – How I Got Over
Really digging this album, and I’m especially fond of the track “Right On” featuring Joanna Newsom. Check it out.
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I had the pleasure of seeing and subsequently reviewing the eight-piece collective known as The Constellations this year at SXSW. I was truly blown away and have been eagerly waiting the release of Southern Gothic ever since. Now the time has finally come, and the wait has been worth it.
As I said last week, it would have taken a natural disaster to prevent me from making it to the Constellations/Postelles show at Spaceland Monday night. Thankfully, no such catastrophe struck (although a by-the-book doorman almost prevented us from bringing a camera into the venue), and now I can bring you my recap of a show worth infinitely more than the ticket price (free!).
The Constellations
Showtime:
8:30 PM
Spaceland |
Los Angeles, CA
Helen Stellar, The Postelles and The Constellations
Monday, April 12th, 2010
8:30 p.m.
FREE FREE FREE FREE
Spaceland
1717 Silverlake Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Constellations’ special mix of hip-hop, synth-pop, and downright-soulful Southern rock was a fantastic way for the Pure Volume House party to wind down Friday evening. From the moment frontman Elijah Jones took the mic, the crowd was at full attention, and the Atlanta-based super-group’s synth-powered, bohemian hip-rock had all in attendance eating from their music-filled hands.
When I first saw that the Constellations’ string of tour dates this spring includes a few headlining shows, a series of opening dates with Hockey (March 11-April 8), a stop at SXSW (March 18-21), and a five night residency in London (March 1-5), but no shows in LA, I was just a wee bit devastated. While the songs on the Atlanta supergroup’s upcoming debut, Southern Gothic, might not have been constructed with the stage in mind, I have a hunch that their shady themes and steady beats will sound best in a setting where low lights, furtive glances, and moving hips are the norm. Thankfully, LA Music Blog’s interview with band frontman, Elijah Jones, has given me renewed hope that a Los Angeles show might become a reality before the June 8th release of the album. Read on to hear what Jones has to say about a possible visit to LA in April, the literary origins of the album title, and working with the man who’s bringing back reverb.
You know those bands that you run across and just can’t stop thinking about? For me, right now, that band is the Atlanta-based group The Constellations. They came across my desk about 2 days ago, and now I am solely responsible for about 50 of the plays on their MySpace. Singer Elijah Jones stated that Tom Waits and Cee-Lo are two of his musical heroes. It definitely shows in the group’s songwriting with “Step Right Up (A Tribute to Waits)” & “Love is a Murder,” a personal favorite of mine in which Jones’ hero Cee-Lo drops in a few lines.
