Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

The guy pictured above came in the other day, and, after we complimented him on his costume, replied, "What costume?" He then dematerialized into a puff of smoke. Weird. At any rate, it's Halloween, and we hope you're all having a safe time tricking and/or treating. We weren't entirely festive this year. Which is to say, there aren't a lot of decorations to speak of around DCD HQ or employees dressed up like, um, stuff. But we are still here this evening, soldiering on in the name of music and acting generally spooky. Stop by and drop off some candy if you feel so inclined.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

New. Release. Tuesday.

We're a tad late this week on the new release update, and the tardiness comes with an apology. However, if you're on our e-mail list (see right hand column of this here webpage), you already know what's new this week. But for you slackers, here's an update, complete with the soundtrack to the above icon (portrayed by Cate Blanchett):

I'm Not There (soundtrack)
Arrested Development
Control (soundtrack)
Blues Traveler (covers)
Joy Division (reissues)
Levon Helm
Saves the Day
Britney Spears
Damian Marley
Taking Back Sunday
Tegan and Sara (reissue)
Thursday
...and more!

Have a question? Looking for something particular? Holler at us. We accept blog comments, MySpace messages, e-mails, phone calls and good ol' fashioned in-person communication. The choice is yours.

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

Techung photos

If you were there, you witnessed the magic of Techung. If you weren't, well, we took some pictures. Enjoy, and be sure to join us in a couple weeks (Nov. 9-11) for some more free, live music action. That's all we can say right now, but stay tuned!







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Monday, October 22, 2007

New. Release. Tuesday.

Fresh off a fun week where we hosted Techung, we've found ourselves on the eve of Tuesday once again. How did that happen? New releases, you say? Yeah, we got some of those. Have a look at this week's artist list, led by that interesting (and pretty stunning, to our ears) pair above:

Robert Plant/Alison Krauss
Neil Young
Neko Case (reissues)
Babyshambles
Castanets
Saturday Looks Good to Me
Can (retrospective)
Dave Gahan
Supersilent
Phosphorescent
Jesu (EP)
Eric Clapton (box set)
Prefuse 73
Dwight Yoakam (Buck Owens covers)
Serj Tankian
Of Montreal (reissue)
Turbonegro (reissues)
Black Dice (EP)
...and more!

We'll see you soon!

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Monday, October 15, 2007

Reminder: Techung at Decatur CD This Wednesday!


Fresh off the news that he and his fellow Tibetan musicians have sold out Emory's Carlos Museum show, Tibetan singer-songwriter extraordinaire Techung has arrived in Atlanta and is gearing up for his performance at Decatur CD. You, meanwhile, should start gearing up to stop by the store at 7:00 pm this Wednesday for what is now your only chance to see Techung in an intimate setting.

We really can't stress enough what an incredible opportunity it is to be able to see the achingly beautiful music of Tibet live and in person. Seriously, I'm even more excited about this than I am for an Akron/Family concert! We think everybody should be able to dig Techung's gentle tunes, but fans of world music should take special note.

So, stop on by the store at 7:00 pm on Wednesday and support both a great musician and a great cause. Do yourself a favor! This is something you may never get the chance to experience again. And feel free to bring the whole family. We'll see you Wednesday...

New. Release. Tuesday.

No time for wit this evening, Dr. Jones. Have a look at the artists with new stuff on our shelves in the 'morrow, led by that guy above and his famed Athens rock band. (But don't miss out on the other Athens band as well.) Enjoy:

R.E.M. (live)
Pylon (first time on CD!)
Johnny Cash (live)
Collective Soul
Gov't Mule
Merle Haggard (live)
The Fatal Flying Guilloteens
Jimmy Eat World
Luther Vandross (box set)
Soulsavers
Aretha Franklin (reissue)
Waylon Jennings (live)
Kenna
The Fray (EP)
Maritime
Angie Stone
Michael Buble (Christmas EP)
Jimi Hendrix (live)
DJ Spooky
Umphrey's McGee (live)
Dwight Yoakam (live)
Underworld
...and more!

Let us know, as usual...

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Saturday, October 13, 2007

Decatur CD-approved upcoming shows

There are a ton of great shows coming to town soon, so we thought it wise to point you in the general direction of as many of them as possible. The ultra-prolific songwriter pictured above is playing The Fox tomorrow night, and that's just one of about 20 great shows coming in the next week or so. Have a look at the list, and remember that we're an official Ticket Alternative vendor, which means you can purchase tickets to shows at The EARL, Drunken Unicorn, The Loft, Andrew's Upstairs, Vinyl and more.

TONIGHT: The Donnas @ The EARL
TONIGHT: George Carlin @ The Fox
TONIGHT: Sunset Rubdown @ Drunken Unicorn
Sunday, Oct. 14: Earlimart and Office @ The EARL
Sunday, Oct. 14: Ryan Adams @ The Fox
Monday, Oct. 15: Jay Reatard, The Coathangers and Baby Shakes @ Lenny's
Tuesday, Oct. 16: Jesu @ The EARL
Tuesday, Oct. 16: Andy Hull (of Manchester Orchestra) and Owen @ Drunken Unicorn
Wednesday, Oct. 17: Qui (David Yow of The Jesus Lizard!) @ The EARL
Wednesday, Oct. 17: Pieta Brown @ Eddie's Attic
Wednesday, Oct. 17: Hot Hot Heat @ The Loft
Thursday, Oct. 18: Mary Gauthier @ The Five Spot
Thursday, Oct. 18: Quadiliacha and All Night Drug Prowling Wolves @ Drunken Unicorn
Thursday, Oct. 18: Damo Suzuki (of some uknown group called Can) @ Eyedrum
Thursday, Oct. 18: Amelia White and Anne McCue @ Eddie's Attic
Friday, Oct. 19: Film School and Eulogies @ The EARL
Friday, Oct. 19: Elevado @ Lenny's
Friday, Oct. 19: Gogol Bordello @ The Roxy
Saturday, Oct. 20: Jason Isbell and The Whigs @ Variety Playhouse
Sunday, Oct. 21: Magik Markers @ Drunken Unicorn

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

Mary Gauthier @ The Five Spot - 10/18/07

A week from today, country/folk singer of the highest regard, Mary Gauthier, will perform at The Five Spot. The last time she was in town, we had an insanely packed in-store performance here, and her latest album, Between Daylight and Dark, is fantastic (not to mention, one of our recent best sellers). Needless to say, we're very excited that she's back in Atlanta. So excited that we're posting the advertisement (see above) that ran in today's Creative Loafing. As it says, if you come to the store and pick up Gauthier's new album, you get a limited edition lithograph. Hurry though, because they're limited. Thanks to our friends at Universal/Lost Highway, and if you have a chance, go check out this show.

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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Techung In-Store Performance


We here at Decatur CD are proud to present what just might be our most exciting in-store performance yet, the prolific Tibetan singer-songwriter Techung. Techung will be performing in store at Decatur CD on October 17th at 7 pm. After growing up in exile in Dharamsala, India, Techung now lives in San Fransisco. Though he is best known for his performance of traditional Tibetan music, Techung is no stranger to contemporary music. The satin-voiced singer has gathered quite an impressive resume over the past several years that includes scoring the popular IMAX film Everest and opening for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What does all that mean? It means he's going to put on an incredible show.

Oh, and, about the Dalai Lama? Well, His Holiness is delivering a free speech that is open to the public at Centennial Park on Monday, October 22nd. The gates will open at 1pm and musical entertainment begins at 3pm. Be sure to get there on time for Techung's performance and stick around for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of hearing the Dalai Lama speak. Don't forget to check out the many other great events taking place at Emory in honor of His Holiness's visit, including a full concert by Techung, accompanied by Sonam Lhamo, Tsering Phuntsok, and Tenzin Kalsang at Emory's Carlos Museum on October 19th at 7pm. There's a lot of great stuff going on a Emory this month. Don't miss out!

So, friendly blog-readers, make good on this rare chance to experience the beautiful music of Tibet for free right here in the friendly, intimate confines of Decatur CD and maybe even support a good cause (Emory's Students for a Free Tibet). Events this cool and important don't happen a lot, folks. So, stop on by the store (bring the family!) on October 17th at 7pm for something truly special, the music of Techung.

Monday, October 08, 2007

New. Release. Tuesday.

You might as well call tomorrow Indie Rock Tuesday, if only because that particular genre shines the strongest in terms of releases. Band of Horses, Beirut, Sunset Rubdown, The Fiery Furnaces and Jens Lekman (picture above, he's the creator of Austin's favorite album of the year...seriously, he won't stop talking about it...just ask him) all present the music world with new material in the 'morrow. However, there is all kinds of other styles popping up in the list below, so have a look and we'll see you soon:

Jens Lekman
Band of Horses
LeAnn Rimes
Beirut
Vanessa Carlton
The Fiery Furnaces
Deadstring Brothers
Electric Six
Debbie Harry
Doveman
Robert Wyatt
Eric Clapton (two-disc best of)
Sunset Rubdown
Puddle of Mudd
Fatboy Slim
The Fall (live)
Celebration
Old Time Relijun
Robert Pollard (two-disc)
Jesu (EP)
Cass McCombs
Johnossi
Kid Rock
Josh Groban
Rick Ross
Enon
Extra Golden
...and many more!

Let us know what you're looking for, folks.

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Sunday, October 07, 2007

This is a Lot of Concerts... Days 26-30


The toll of a month of concerts really hit hard in the last week. That is to say, it's never a good thing when you diet consists solely of Taco Bell and energy drinks. With that said, I found that cheesy bean & rice burritos go rather nicely with raspberry turbo tea.

September 26th presented an unforeseen problem: my radio show, which runs 10pm to midnight on Wednesdays (on WMRE.fm...tune in!). With none of the late night venues having shows, that confined my concert-going-time to earlier than ten. So, I took one for the team and went down to the Variety to see Animal Collective....'s opener, Tickly Feather. I was not exactly impressed. I wish I had seen the Animal Collective show, though, as we've gotten wildly conflicting reports, ranging from "selt-indulgent" to "transcendent." Were you there? What did you think? Regardless of what you thought of it, I can guarantee that my radio show was better!

Shameless, delusional self-promotion aside, I still had four concerts to see, starting with one final September trip to the Drunken Unicorn for Deerhunter and No Age. Ironically, given the lack of late-night music the night before, Deerhunter came on too late for me (you can become immune to energy drinks apparently), but No Age provided me with enough chaotic rock for one evening. Noise is the new guitar solo, and No Age's intense set showed off how cool that trend can be when done right. With their Sub Pop contract freshly inked, these guys are one to watch.

By the 28th, my exhaustion and lack of proper nourishment were plainly apparent. Fortunately, a cure was in sight. No, not the end of the month...Akron/Family! Even though it required a flight to Boston to see them, Akron/Family did not disappoint, rejuvenating me and absolutely bringing down the house at Harper's Ferry. Akron completely enthralled a crowd that was far and away the biggest I'd seen them get. Even the stoic indie kids were dancing and jumping by the end of the set. Miles, Seth, Dana and their pals Megafun and Greg Davis ended the night at 2:30 am, singing, a capella, the Dead's "I Know You Rider." And I do miss Akron/Family now that their tour has gone from the U.S. You don't have to see them seven times a year like I do, but, seriously, folks, go see this band. They're not for everyone, but if they do click with you, it's positively joyous.

In the wake of that fabulous show, I received bad news, the Mountain Goats show I was planning to see in Northampton was canceled! Bummed about missing one of my favorite bands, I was heartened by the ease with which I found a replacement: Fujiya & Miyagi. So, after taking in a Red Sox game, I made my way to the Middle East. After having to present 17 government-sanctioned forms of identification, undergoing a retina scan, and facing strict interrogation by a C.I.A. agent, I was allowed into the club just in time to catch Dirty on Purpose, who are a lot like Slowdive without the interesting parts. Their hazy daze is entrancing live, though I'd imagine a record of theirs would be rather dull. Fujiya & Miyagi had a bit of a tough time reproducing their songs, but the post-krautrockers (how's that for music geek terminology?) really impressed me with a handful of cuts from their upcoming release.

On the 30th, I found myself back in the familiar confines of the Eyedrum, for the multinational noise trio, the Konk Pack. I was not drawn in by the inclusion of a former member of Henry Cow, but rather by Thomas Lehn (above), a mainstay of the EAI scene. Konk Pack utilize more percussion than most groups in their style and are better off for it, as it really spices up Lehn's mesmerizing synthesizer. A relaxing end to a chaotic month.

And, on the 1st of October, he rested. Check back soon for a final wrap of the month, including all the startling numbers and a full list of bands!

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Spin Cycle

It's that time again. The time where Creative Loafing posts best seller lists from local record stores. Have a look, and see what our #1 was. We'll give you a heavy-handed hint: Its cover is posted above. Enjoy:

Spin Cycle: Atlanta's top 10

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Friday, October 05, 2007

This is a Lot of Concerts... Days 20-25


Sorry it's been a while since I updated the progress of my concert-going madness, but I've been in hibernation since September ended. With all that catching up to do, I'll go ahead and get started...

When you think about Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is 45-minute guitar solos. Alright, maybe that's just me. Nonetheless, Peelander-Z flew in the face of my ideas about Japanese music with their high-energy punk-rock set on the 20th at the Drunken Unicorn. For all their energy, the band didn't impress me much. They were good, but there are a half-dozen punk bands in Atlanta alone that blow Peelander out of the water.

The next night, our friends from Secretly Canadian gave me a hand and got me into the Magnolia Electric Company show at the Earl for free! Jason Molina and company made sure I got well more than my money's worth, turning in a marathon set as consistent as their discography. It's hard to imagine anyone disliking Magnolia's hearty brand of folk rock. Molina may look like Leon Redbone these days, but he sounds a lot more like Neil Young.

September 22nd brought more free rock (thanks to our friends at Interscope this time), which is always a good thing. It's especially good when that band is the Queens of the Stone Age. With a great set-up and a packed house, QotSA rocked the Tabernacle with a tight, propulsive set.
Things got a little sweaty, but who cares about smelling good when you're rocking?

Right about now, you're probably thinking to yourselves, "Wait, Bob Dylan was here on the 22nd! Why didn't he see Dylan?" Well, I saw him on the 23rd in Clemson! How was it? Let's put it this way: Bob Dylan came out on stage wearing a ridiculous black jacket, a silly hat, and pants with gold stripes. Anyone but Bob Dylan would have looked like an idiot. That's how his performance was too: If it had been anyone but Bob Dylan, it would've been terrible. But, it was Bob Dylan, so it was great.

The 24th brought me back to Atlanta and my home away from home for September, the Drunken Unicorn. Ecstatic Sunshine opened with some really impressive blissed-out guitar noise. A sick Bradford Cox, under his Atlas Sound moniker, soldiered through and put on a quality show as well. But the night belonged to the awkward genius of Dave Longstreth and the Dirty Projectors. Their Black Flag covers have twice the punch live as they do on record, while they lost the annoying quality they had Rise Above. For the second time this year, the Dirty Projectors rocked the Unicorn and reminded me why they're one of my favorite bands around today.

So, who's in favor of a shuttle between The Earl and the Drunken Unicorn? It would certainly make it easier to do things like see Meg Baird (above) echo Sandy Denny with her powerful voice and beautiful guitarwork before taking in the catchy power-pop of Gentleman Jesse & His Men. Heck, if they had that shuttle, maybe I could've stuck around for the Carbonas, but unfortunately schoolwork called. Nonetheless, Baird and Jesse were two of my absolute favorites of the month.

Whew, just thinking back to the good ol' days of September makes me tired, so I'll leave you and remind you to check back soon for the exciting conclusion, featuring another plane ride, a canceled show, and, of course, Akron/Family.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

A blog post for all the freeloaders...

Of course, we kid with that title. We love free stuff too! And lucky for you, we have plenty of it to give out. For instance, if you pick up the new Foo Fighters, the new Bob Dylan three-disc retrospective, the new Cave Singers (cool, young band on Matador), or the new Sea Wolf (cool, young band on Dangerbird), you get a seven-inch record of that respective artist while supplies last. Come in to the store and take a look at these singles; they're great stuff.

Additionally, we've got a TON of concert tickets (thanks to our friends at Live Nation) to give away. Just the list of artists is overwhelming: Gogol Bordello, Lorenna McKennitt, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter (a couple of funny dudes), Gov't Mule, Paolo Nutini, Sinead O'Connor, Motion City Soundtrack, Cowboy Mouth, Mute Math, Raul Malo and Mum. Not bad, huh? All the shows happen in October and November, and we've got at least a pair to each and every one. Stop by the store and drop your name into one of the various giveaway boxes.

And hey, don't say we never gave you nothing...

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Monday, October 01, 2007

New. Release. Tuesday.

Tomorrow is a pretty fantastic release day, all things considered. There are some massive names and some great releases from smaller names as well. That young feller above, though he's aged a little over the years, has a new record, and we've been playing (and enjoying) it quite a bit. Many others, so let's get with the list:

Bruce Springsteen
PJ Harvey
Bob Dylan (three-disc retrospective)
Dashboard Confessional
John Fogerty
The Sadies
Jose Gonzalez
Sharon Jones
Cake (b-sides and rarities)
David Byrne (live)
Sondre Lerche (soundtrack)
Clockcleaner
Depeche Mode (reissue)
Mick Jagger (best of)
Aceyalone
J.J. Cale (rarities)
Over the Rhine (Christmas)
The Cult
Eliza Gilkyson (live)
Richard Hawley
Annie Lennox
Matchbox Twenty (best of)
Kevin Michael
Megadeth (box set)
The Pipettes
Chuck Prophet
We are Wolves
Sunburned Hand of the Man
...and more!

Let us know what you want. It's our job to deliver the hotness for you. Thanks, y'all...

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