We at the A-List have been engaged in an internal debate for some weeks about what to do on November 4th.  Yankee Rose will probably be at some book club somewhere, but regular record reviewer Alex and I have been going round and round about the music for the evening.  He insists that we need to give Blind Pilot another chance at the EARL after being a bit underwhelmed by their performance opening for The Decemberists earlier this year at the Tabernacle.  He says they will do better in the more intimate East Atlanta setting (we’re quite sure they will).  We, on the other hand, have been arguing for King Khan & the BBQ Show at Star Bar.

We’ve been in the mood for some serious/not-so serious garage rock for some time and the possibility of a backyard throwdown just adds to the allure, so we put in our vote to hang in Little Five.  We think we already know where those other two are going to end up, but we didn’t make up our mind until last week when we finally grabbed a copy of Those Darlins self-titled debut long player.  Y’see, that’s cuz Those Darlins is opening for King Khan at the Star Bar (and we’ve been talkin’ like this since we been listn’n to their great record all week long.)

Those Darlins jump out atcha with the rollicking opener “Red Light Love” followed by the decidedly more country “Wild One.”  It doesn’t take long to figure out that Those Darlins are what would have happened if a couple of nice girls from Hendersonville wandered into Music City and hooked up with those puck rock boys who hung at that place under the bridge.

They certainly are not the first girls to grab their country drawls and try on the psychobilly skirts, but they still sound fresh.  They keep it country with songs about Mama (“Mama’s Heart” and “Snaggle Tooth Mama”) and skillets (“Keep my Skillet”) but they waited until the second to last track to steal our hearts.  That track, “DUI or Die” reveals the dangers of losing your license after a bout with the bottle and trying to make it back home on a bike.  Self-realized girls that they are they “blame it all on the booze.”  We really can’t wait to see them realize it all at Little Five Point’s Community Bar. Check out this cool animated video for “Red Light Love.”

I’m not going to start this by telling you that I am guilt-ridden, because I am not. I just don’t get that way. Nonetheless, I do realize that some of you out there in A-List Land don’t just tune in for the fine grammer and careful proofreding. Some of you might actually use this little list to look cool at the interweb cafe, impress cute boys, or even plan your week.

For those in the last category, I have let you down this week. No links (e.g., Papa Grows Funk), wrong links (e.g., Saturday Night Sabotage), missed shows (e.g., Broken Social Scene), ugh. Worst A-List Ever!

So with the same misguided sense of responsibility that prompted the Worst President Ever to send hundreds of thousands of troops into Persia to look for nukes, I am sending out the…drum roll please… Atlanta’s A-List Addendum. (don’t get used to it).

This Week’s add, uh, end, uh…ummm

Even as I am typing, Papa Grows Funk is getting ready to take the stage at Smith’s. With some luck I will be done in time to hear the quintet dedicated to rebuilding New Orleans the way it should be rebuilt…one groove at a time. If I cut this short it will be because I would rather be there.

Now it’s time for the shameless plug of the week. Go to Saturday Night Sabatoge at Depot sponsored in part by the hippest of the new energy drinks Whynatte. It is a Jennifer Lester Production and based on that alone I couldn’t think of a better reason to go.

Friday night may be the show that you don’t miss based on the potential ridiculousness of it all.
King Khan & BBQ Show will be at Lenny’s. I will not go into the difference between King Khan & the Shrines and this act (while different they are partially the same) or the duo’s prior collaboration in the Canadian band, Spaceshits. What matters is that Blacksnake will be there likely performing with the kind of reckless stupidity you might expect from a much better looking looking man (given his propensity for getting mostly naked). Anyway, they have been called doo-wop garage (really) so abandon sensibility and have a PBR for me. I will be in Knoxville trying to scalp a ticket to see Iron and Wine at the Bijou.

Finally you will have two chances this weekend to see my friend Charles Williams and his acclaimed (somewhere by someone) jazz ensemble, Bonaventure Quartet this weekend. This tends toward the traditional but these people are remarkably talented and that is a good reason to make the time. If that isn’t enough of a reason their 3PM Saturday afternoon appearance at Decatur CD will be free. There will also be free beer though BYOB is also encouraged (somebody’s got to cover for the slobs who bogart the freebies). If that’s too early in the day for you, I understand. Try to make out on Sunday night around 7:30 to catch them at Eddie’s Attic.

That’s Atlanta’s Amended A-List and farewell Angelina.