Who doesn’t hate Atlanta’s best failing music critic, Jeff Clark? Attractive Eighties Women debase Jeff in this interview and call him a “coward.”

And even though he’s talking about a band whose members I am familiar with, it doesn’t make up for the fact that he’s a butt plug. No trackback for you:

It’s Elephant’s have a new, nine-song, 22-minute EP out called Gets Along. If I was drunk right now I’d probably say they sound like some satanic merger of Three Dog Night and Canned Heat, but the sober truth is they’re even worse than that. They’re solidly in the running for the most awful local band I’ve heard so far this century. That’s beating out a metric ton of competition, folks!

A free download of It’s Elephant’s debut LP, “Little Trouble in Chinatown,” is available at www.threefortysevenaugusta.com. (Credit: Photo provided)

It’s Elephant’s recorded their 2008 album, “Little Trouble in Chinatown” at Nickel and Dime studios, a converted theatre in Avondale Estates, Ga.

The facility’s 25-foot ceilings helped contribute to the record’s warm, natural production. Velvet curtains added to the vibe.

“There was something about being in that space,” says It’s Elephant’s multi-instrumentalist David Fountain.

Unfortunately Nickel and Dime is now closed, Fountain says; a “victim of the whole economy thing.”

“Little Trouble” is a worthy relic of the studio. The song titles reveal a punk rock/ Charles Bukowski sense of humor.

“Brightside of An Ulser” scatters bar room truths over four chords. On “Two Beers & Mr. Coffee,” frontman Brent Jay digs deep over guitar geometry and horn section punctuation.

Based in Atlanta, It’s Elephant’s is giving away “Little Trouble” for free, and not just the download available atwww.threefortysevenaugusta.com. Physical copies are gratis too.

“The philosophy behind that is if people come hear us and we’re a band they’ve never heard of they’re probably not going to pay $10 (for a CD),” Fountain says. “This way people can listen to us and become fans of our music. I think the compact disc as a medium is sort of dying.”

Initially, Fountain began working with It’s Elephant’s—which also includes bassist Barrett Range and drummer Justin Shotwell—as “somewhat of a producer.” Eventually he was brought in as a full-time member: the musical equivalent of baseball’s utility infielder.
Fountain added piano, steel guitar, mandolin and even horns to the “Little Trouble” material.

Although he digs his role as It’s Elephant’s resident Brian Jones, Fountain enjoys playing keys the best. That trend will likely continue as he recently picked up a 1968 Wurlitzer electric piano.

“Sonically, the combination of guitar and piano has a little bit more weight and gravity,” Fountain says. “I also like playing pedal steel a lot although I don’t know what I’m doing.”

It’s Elephant’s is currently touring the Southeast, with upcoming stops in Athens, Ga., and Mobile, Ala. In the van, the band has been listening to Big Star, The Pixies and Tears for Fears, Fountain says.

And they’ve already begun work on a follow-up to “Little Trouble.” Fountain describes the new tunes as “Fugazi meets the Beach Boys.”

“At the heart of it is very fuzzy pop music; it’s like a teddy bear gone wrong,” he says.

It’s Elephants: ‘Like a teddy bear gone wrong’ [Metromix Greenville]

From redandblack.com, out of Athens, GA:

It’s Elephant’s has a musical style as peculiar as the band’s name.

Mixing eclectic instrumentation and shifting warped rhythms with raw vocal vigor and a subtle pop sensibility, the Atlanta natives will take the stage in Athens Saturday night.

Composed of vocalist/guitarist Brent Jay, guitarist/vocalist Garrett Range, multi-instrumentalist David Fountain and drummer Justin Shotwell, the four-piece creates music that practically defies classification.

“We’ve called ourselves ‘fuzzy pop’ before,” Shotwell said. “But we like to say our music is Fugazi meets The Beach Boys.”

Jay also cited a hodgepodge of dissimilar influences, including The Velvet Underground, Dr. Dog, The Beatles and Otis Redding.

An inside peek at how the group’s eclecticism comes about: Jay and Range craft the songs initially, with Jay writing nearly all of the lyrics.

“I like to look at myself from the outside in and pick myself apart,” Jay said. “But as of late I have been writing about things I’m watching other people go through – kind of like I am giving them advice from my point of view.”

Fountain, who plays trumpet, lap steel and mandolin, among other instruments, embellishes upon Jay’s and Range’s framework to elevate the music beyond the realm of most other rock groups.

“(The variety of instruments) adds texture,” Shotwell said. “I think a lot of bands do the two-guitar-bass-drums kind of thing. Not that that’s a bad thing at all, but for us, it’s something that kind of jumps out at us.”

The diverse musical characteristics of It’s Elephant’s are on display at www.threefortysevenaugusta.com, where the band’s first release, “Little Trouble in Chinatown,” is available for free – no strings attached.

It’s not every day a band simply gives away its debut album. So what exactly motivated It’s Elephant’s to take this approach?

“The main pro is just getting people to listen to it,” Shotwell said. “When you play shows, people are already paying to get in and paying for drinks and stuff, and sometimes they don’t have money to purchase a CD.”

“We wanted to get it out there to as many people as we could, and it’s been very effective,” he said.

Shotwell, the newest addition to It’s Elephant’s, assumed drumming duties in November 2008 after original drummer Matthew Compton amicably split from the group.

Although he doesn’t feature on “Little Trouble in Chinatown,” Shotwell has known the other members of It’s Elephant’s for years. As such, his integration into the lineup as a permanent member has been smooth.

“He had the same drive and motivation we had, but on the writing tip he completed our band,” Jay said. “He is our Dave Grohl, our John Bonham. He just plays the exact beats we hear in our heads.”

With the new lineup intact, It’s Elephant’s is busy cutting its follow-up, slated for release sometime at the end of May. An official name has not yet been announced.

“We’re going to sell (the new record) and get some cash together, so the next time we put a record out it all comes from the band,” Shotwell said. “We’ll try to make the band self-sufficient.”

On Saturday night, It’s Elephant’s ensures it will deliver.

“We are just having a blast. To me, the most important thing is to have a good time,” he said.

It’s Elephant’s plays Tasty World this Saturday, March 7, with Magnolia Suns and Mass Solo Revolt.

Free record earns It’s Elephant’s more ears [redandblack.com]

Photo by the inimitable Ray Hardy.

To me, Buddy Holly defines cool. He was tall, good-looking, super sweet and a great songwriter. This cover is me trying to be that cool for two minutes.

Cherokee – Peggy Sue (Buddy Holly cover)

Oh, and I’m moving to 367 Augusta: those guys know how to frigging party.

Audio download: Live at WREK 1/20/09

[Live at WREK]

This was done as a promo for Chris Hamer’s upcoming solo art show In the company of thieves. Jan. 24 @ The Bench. www.myspace.com/urbnpop.

So i have a new track i’d like to share. It’s titled Salty Sea. It’s about my fear of flying, cleansing, starting over, all that stuff. It was recorded in a bed room in Lancaster, PA by a guy named Nick Currin. It was recorded in about 2 hours and I did all of the instruments. I’ve had this song in my head and demoed for over 2 years.

With “Salty Sea,” Cherokee sentimentalizes all the things that make the winter season worth bundling up for.

Free track:
Cherokee – Salty Sea