Mixtape Atlanta

The Reel Mix: GLEE-THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE

In many ways, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie is a propaganda film. It is not so much used to recruit new viewers of the television hit, because chances are you will only see this film if you are a fan of the series. Instead the movie weaves in stories of "real" teens, who are battling or have overcome, social and personal issues in the face of criticism and insecurity. The testimonials of the teenagers who have discovered strength by watching the television show is touching and also a little advertorial, but the one thing the film stresses most is not to judge.

In terms of the actual Glee cast performances, they are charming as always with highlights including Amber Riley's (Mercedes) "Ain't No Way," The Warblers' "Teenage Dream," Lea Michele's (Rachel) "Don't Rain on My Parade," and Cory Monteith's (Finn) "Jessie's Girl." Although Gwyneth Paltrow makes a guest appearance to lead the cast in her rendition of "Forget You," there are some notable absences including Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester and Broadway vet and Glee Club leader Matthew Morrison's Mr. Schuester.

If you are looking for an enjoyable film to lift your spirits and lead you in a sing-along, this is your movie. If you are looking to learn more about your favorite Glee characters and the actors that play them, you will be disappointed by the lack of behind-the-scences footage.

Experience Reptar's EP

The boys of Reptar- aptly named after the Godzilla-like dinosaur from Rugrats - attend various colleges, but their foundation is set in Athens and University of Georgia. Synth pop in nature with elements of funk and lo-fi, their sound is a cocktail of Animal Collective, Twin Shadow, and Passion Pit mixed with some classically funky rhythms from Bootsy Collins and Prince served with a twist of Vampire Weekend.

The band is made up of Andrew McFarland, Ryan Engleberger, William Kennedy, and lead singer Graham Ulicny (who definitely channels Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend). The band started playing shows as Reptar in December 2008 and quickly built up quite a fan base deeply rooted in the Southeast. They recently generated a lot of buzz after being one of the most talked about new bands at SXSW 2011. As performers they have put out various tracks, but their debut full-length EP (interestingly titled Oblangle Fizz Y’all) was officially released earlier this month. Allowing them to live up to the recent hype they have stirred up, it is a solid EP with each track offering something slightly different to experience. However, all seem to gravitate back toward a series of funky, electronic samples.

The album opens with odd sounds simulating tribal chanting in “Blast Off.” Some 1980’s influences shine through early on. The track shifts rather quickly into an instrumental, which I think really illustrates what kind of musicality the band truly encompasses. The latter section of the track softens up a bit letting back in the chanting the listener hears in the beginning. It is almost a bit hypnotic. “Blast Off” sets the tone for the album leaving the listener salivating for sure.

The second track, “Rainbounce,” starts off much lighter and has a little bit of a reggae sound to it; this provides further evidence of Reptar's versatility. As the track progresses, the song transforms into a heavier sort of rock in contrast to the rest of the EP and the listener is really exposed to Graham Ulicny’s vocal range. This track absolutely brings everything to the table, revealing that Reptar does not set any limits for itself.

As the EP evolves the listener gets a sense that Reptar enjoys injecting a variety of different noises into their music. This is especially evident in the EP’s third track, “Context Clues,” where you can hear such sounds as an owl’s hoot, crickets chirping, and the ring of an alarm or a telephone. As sounds build, the listener gets hit with an awesome synth break that forms the foundation for the rest of the track. The repetition of phrases and the addition of smooth horns at the end is an excellent touch to an already incredible song.

The album closes with a track entitled “Phoenetics”, which opens up with a soft piano riff and simple vocals. With the addition of various instruments that include an accordion, the listener almost gets a sense of ease and comfort. The energy of the final track is definitely bright and cheerful and the piano was an excellent way to wind the album down and leave the listener wanting more.

Mixtape THIS: The one song I would add to my mixtape from Oblangle Fizz Y'all would undoubtedly be the fourth track, which is entitled “Stuck in My Id.” From Tom Jenkinson, "It is truly a sum of its parts, from the charming guitar riffs to the odd synthy pops and bangs; you just know it took ages to come up with. The cleverly vox fed vocals manage to still remain clean, whilst retaining that sun kissed lo-fi feel that calms, binds, and themes the entire track."

Stuck in My Id

Download "Stuck in My Id" for free! Right click the player above to download. (MAC: Choose "Download Linked File As"| PC: Choose "Save Target As")

Adam Wishon

See Reptar perform live with Quiet Hooves, Cute Boots, We the Lion, and more for FREE Thursday, August 25 at Star Bar. Show starts at 9PM...did we mention it's free?

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Reptar Rocks for the Kids

Access the Arts 2012

Sunday, August 21 Cobb Energy and Performing Arts Centre opened its doors to welcome families and theatre lovers to celebrate their upcoming Gas South Broadway Series for the 2011-2012 season. Mixtape Atlanta provided a themed photo booth equipped with costumes and props to celebrate two of the season's most anticipated shows: Rain and Young Frankenstein. Download your photo booth photos here!

Dawes and Alison Krauss Draw a Crowd

Saturday, August 13, Dawes opened for country and bluegrass legend Alison Krauss at The Fox Theatre. Though not yet a household name, Dawes brought a mellow vibe and a country feel that was far from cliche and contrived. While playing in front of what seemed to be a backdrop of sheets hanging off a clothes line, Dawes sounded the way they looked: like a laid-back party in no hurry to end. Unfortunately, their set had to come to an end, and it seemed to end too soon. After a short thirty minutes, Dawes left the stage, but not without leaving their mark. With a weather-worn rasp akin to that of Levon Helm, they sounded like a calmer version of the Band with the knack for lyrical specificity not unlike Paul Simon. They played with an organic confidence that showed they were not new to preforming, but had the southern hospitality to leave out any kind of unatractive arrogance. A Dawes record may never get a spin on 94.9 The Bull, but they may not only be considered an opening act for long, either.

Alison Krauss & Union Station then took the stage for a 28 song set- totaling two hours and fifteen minutes- and the crowd was happy to give her all the time in the world. With a career-span of nearly 25 years, Krauss has plenty of tunes to choose from. With a handful of radio singles, country-folk tunes, bluegrass traditionals, instrumentals, and more, a fan quickly finds out that an Alison Krauss & Union Station performance is not a highlight of her career, instead, it's a healthy survey of country music over the last 65 years.

Krauss played quite a few songs off her record Paper Airplane, released earlier this year. She opened the show with the title track and following the sequence of the record, they rolled into "Dust Bowl Children," an upbeat number led by guitarist and vocalist Dan Tyminski. Later on, country music veteran and Grammy award winner Jerry Douglas took the stage for a dobro instrumental where he incorporated bits of his own tune, as well as Chick Corea's classic "Spain." Later on, Tyminski played his well known rendition of "Man Of Constant Sorrow," from the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Krauss closed out the set with an obvious favorite of our city, "Oh Atlanta."

Krauss and the band then crowded around the microphone in true bluegrass fashion and played a medley of her hits and crowd favorites including "Down To The River To Pray," also from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? film, her largely successful radio hit, "When You Say Nothing At All," and "Whiskey Lullaby," among others. Throughout the night, the crowd never lost interest, but instead held onto every angelic note that poured from her mouth. She captivated the audience with a sense of humor, an obvious love of musicianship and simplicity, but most of all, she drew them in with classic songs and beautiful voice.

Ben Israel

Yacht Rock Revival Captains Hat Photos

Saturday, August 13 Please Rock presented the first Yacht Rock Revival at East Andrews Complex. Not only did the smoothest rockers in town perform two energetic sets, but they shared the stage with original yacht rockers Ambrosia, Little River Band, Walter Egan, Player's Peter Beckett, and founding members of Starbuck.

Although the talented band line-up kept the audience swaying like smooth seas, many captains and captainettes on deck commemorated the event by getting their Captains Hat Headshot taken in Mixtape Atlanta's themed photo booth. Get your photos here!

Visit PleaseRock.com for all things Yacht Rock and for more photos from the event on and offstage.

Take A Ride

Opening in Atlanta movie theaters on August 26 is director Mario Van Peebles latest film, Redemption Road. Dripping in soulful music and picturesque Southern landscapes, the film follows two men (Michael Clarke Duncan, Morgan Simpson) that make an unlikely pair as they embark on a road trip that is more about the journey than the destination. Luke Perry, Tom Skerritt, and Taryn Manning also star. Check out the movie's trailer for your first look at the film.

The Boys Are Back in Town

Saturday, August 13 Ponderosa is returning to Smith's Olde Bar for a special performance after spending most of the summer working on their second album. As their first album Moonlight Revival continues to gain popularity on the music charts as well as among fans and critics, these talented Atlanta rockers are working on innovating their already hypnotic sound. Working with producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, MGMT, Ok Go), Ponderosa is delving deeper into broadening and experimenting their established rock sound as well as treating fans to a different sound from the band.

Be one of the first to hear Ponderosa's new songs on Saturday, August 13 at Smith's. Also on the bill are The Bridges, Thomas Hardy (Dead Confederate), and Kathryn Brawley; if you are looking for some of the most talented artists in Atlanta you will find them all under one roof on Saturday. Doors open at 8PM and great music lasts all night. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 day of show.

Oh Captain, My Captain Hat

The smoothsters of Yacht Rock Revue are no strangers to parties on and off the boat, but Saturday, August 13 they are docking into East Andrews Complex for their biggest event to date. From 3PM to midnight on August 13, Please Rock presents The Greatest Yacht Rock Revival in the Universe featuring original yacht rockers Little River Band, Ambrosia, Walter Egan, Player's Peter Beckett, members of Starbuck, as well as Yacht Rock Revue.

As if this summit of smoothness is not impressive enough, all in attendance will be part of history- seriously- as Yacht Rock Revue attempts to set the Guinness World Record for "The Most People Wearing Captain's Hats." Don't you want to be remembered by history? General admission tickets are $25 or $35 (including captain's hat).

VIP tickets are also available for $75, which include:
Priority VIP entrance
Private Hospitality Room shared with Artists
Private air conditioned bar
Air conditioned restrooms
YRR T-Shirt
Captain's hat for Guiness World Record
YRR Aviator Sunglasses
Signed Festival Poster
Limited edition festival laminate

Mixtape Atlanta will also be at the party with a special Captain's Hat Headshot Photo Booth to commemorate the occasion and provide you with your new captain license photo...or Facebook profile pic.

Atlanta's favorite food trucks will also be on hand, including King of Pops, Yumbii, The Pickle, The Pup Truck, The Fry Guy, and Westside Creamery. Since of all Atlanta will likely be there, you should too. Buy tickets now before this event sells out. Get tickets!

Night 6- Hot Stuff

Night 6 of 500 Songs for Kids 2011 had both levels of Smith's Olde Bar rocking. Southern Ground Artists Levi Lowrey, Sonia Leigh, and Nic Cowan played to an intimate sold-out crowd in the Atlanta Room, while the countdown of 500 Greatest Feel Good Songs of All Time continued upstairs. Both Cowan and Lowrey played songs off the countdown after their Atlanta Room set, including one of the night's highlights- Lowrey's version of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." See video below.

Ziggy The RockStar & The Branches started the night off to a great start with the youngsters spot on note-for-note rendition of The Jackson 5's "ABC. Several members of Please Rock played throughout the night from Yacht Rock Schooner, Alyssa Olson, and Alyssa and Peter Olson's charming duet of "Anyone Else But You" from Juno. The Falcon Lords turned M.I.A.'s "money stealing" "Paper Planes" into a "money saving" jingle. Songs for Kids Foundation members (Kendra Gurkin, Josh Rifkind, Sanjay Kothair, and Justin Kerenyi)- performing as Lady and The Tramps- delivered some holiday cheer with their festive take on SNL's Christmas song, originally made famous by Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Horatio Sanz. The Orkids also added some sporty flair to The Knife's "Heartbeats." Check out Night 6's photos!

View performances below by Levi Lowrey, Nic Cowan, Lady and The Tramps, Yacht Rock Schooner, Yacht Rock Schooner with Alyssa Olson, Alyssa and Peter Olson, The Falcon Lords, Matthew Chenoweth, Bruce Butkovich, and Friends, The Orkids, Ziggy The RockStar & The Branches, J.G. Spence, and Universal Kingdom.

Trading Places and Faces

Last fall, celebrity watchers were all a flutter as Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, and Olivia Wilde were spotted hanging out at local Atlanta hot spots. Although I'm sure they were charmed by Atlanta's southern hospitality, these A-listers were actually in town filming The Change-Up. The latest comedy by director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) and writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover) revolves around best friends (Reynolds and Bateman) accidental switching bodies and lives.

The Change-Up opens nationwide on August 5, but Mixtape Atlanta wants to give you a first peek at this Atlanta based comedy. To win a pair of passes to an advanced screening of the film on Tuesday, August 2 at Atlantic Station, simply let us know who you'd like to change places with if given the chance. Send us an email at [email protected] with your ultimate "Change-up" person in the subject line. Winners will be notified by noon on August 2.