Atlanta’s Book Club, a modern folk quintet founded by Robbie Horlick (of indie rockers Cassavetes), navigates today’s indie-folk sea with a rare honesty and classicism. The band honors the folk tradition, yet is unbound by it; every song is a fresh take on an old history. Anchored by the rich and sweetly-sung co-ed harmonies of Horlick and Leigh Anne Macquarrie, their arrangements range from that of a lone nylon guitar to songs thoughtfully embellished by cello, double bass, pedal steel, melodica, glockenspiel, saxophone, percussion, and more. Paying simultaneous homage to their traditional, and their modern, influences, Book Club draws easy comparisons to She & Him, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and The Dutchess and Duke one minute, and Patsy Cline, The Carter Family, and Fleetwood Mac the next.
Book Club on Facebook
Multi-instrumentalist Tracy Shedd provides just that with her piano debut EP88, as seductive guitar melodies and string arrangements whirl around her silky, plush vocals. The grandeur of Tracy Shedd’s follow-up to Cigarettes & Smoke Machines (Teenbeat, 2008) proves she is only, as she sings in “How Your Eyes Affect Me,” “scratching the surface.”
EP88, Shedd’s first release written on piano, includes a supporting cast of standout Tucson musicians: husband James Tritten on guitar, and friends Becca Hummer on bass guitar, viola, and cello, Michael Hummer (Becca’s husband; PH8) on drums for “How Your Eyes Affect Me,” and Tasha Sabatino (Loveland, Lemon Drop Gang) on drums for “Husbands & Wives.” Stomp And Stammer felt Shedd’s “tales of the desire to fight through a strained relationship” on Cigarettes & Smoke Machines were autobiographical. If this was true, then Shedd has gained much wisdom and is now here for you, as she gloriously proclaims “tell me it all” on “City At Night,” “I’ll listen to all your ideas” on “How Your Eyes Affect Me,” and “If you ever need a friend, I’ll be the one that you can come running to” with “West Inn Love.” Shedd’s truthfulness with her lyrics has never been as forthcoming and prospective.
Tracy Shedd on Facebook
Virginia Plane is Atlanta singer/songwriter Mary O. Harrison, usually accompanied by McGregor Button, Tracy Clark, and Govind Dixit. Virginia Plane plays folk pop music marked by the sweet clarity of Mary O's vocals. On tour, Mary O. plays solo Virginia Plane shows.
Virginia Plane on Facebook
The Good Graces was formed in early 2007 when I picked up a $90 guitar from Atlanta’s late great Lakewood Antiques Market and started fiddling around with some simple chords and melodies. It wasn’t long before those simple chords and melodies turned into catchy, heartfelt indiepop tunes. Having been through a tumultous divorce just three years prior, I guess failed relationships were on my mind. So I began exploring themes of heartache and hope, while both relecting on the past and looking forward to a happy future. The songs came very easily for me, so much that many of them seemed to write themselves.
It wasn’t long before the opportunity to play shows presented itself; the first was a short solo set at “See Through Souls,” an annual window art showcase put on by my friend Jenn Nelson. I played early in the day to a handful of friends, but one of them was John McNicholas. I had recently started playing with John in the Mary O. Harrison band (a great pop band for whom I played drums), so I knew he was an amazing player. So when he, perhaps jokingly, said that his own set was to serve as his audition for my band, I snatched him up quicker than you could say “twee.” With John on lead guitar, our style began to take shape, resulting in an atmospheric blend of shoegaze and folk.
The Good Graces on Facebook
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