Sound Menu June 13 2001 Thur

THE FAINT — Leading a new wave of post-punk influenced synth bands, Nebraska’s the Faint progressed from more guitar-oriented rock on their debut Media to herky-jerky, angular keyboard-driven dark pop on their sophomore album, Blank-Wave Arcade. This go round, the Faint preview songs from their new album, due in August, which continues in the synth-pop vein but with a harder, more personal edge. 40 Watt Club/Athens (Ware)

GENTLE READERS, SUSI FRENCH CONNECTION, WEAKLAZYLIAR — The Gentle Readers politely skim through several volumes of intelligent rock and jazz-influenced music. The Suzi French Connection offer a few guilty pleasures as they present a Readers Digest condensed version of the ’80s best and worst hits. See Weaklazyliar in Earshot. Eddie’s Attic (Smith)

THE GET HUSTLE, ELECTROSLEEP INTERNATIONAL — The Get Hustle walk a fine line between happy-go-lucky melody and quirky atonality. The result is mirth-making mischievousness that, depending on your mood, is either endearing or wearisome. They do manage to get down to rocking now and then, but usually have something more obtuse on their minds. Local spazzo gestalt-rockers Electrosleep currently are one of the most exciting bands working the punk houses and rock dives. MJQ Concourse (Foy)

SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH, THE FAULTS — Opening for former bandmate Scott Miller (see article, p. 81) with some no-frills rough-and-tumble rock from Knoxville, the Faults take the alt-country sensibility of their former incarnation as part of the V-Roys and make it less alt, less country. The result is refreshingly gimmick-free rock songsmanship with just the slightest hint of a Memphis shoot-kicking stomp. Smith’s Olde Bar (Hutchinson)

SPACIOUS INTERNATIONAL — Kissed with ’60s bossa/lounge groove, ’80s lo-fi underwater synth and ’90s low-key indie vocals, Spacious International sets up camp in a quiet, peaceful spot in the musical woods. Cool in a sad kind of way, the bittersweet shag of this Tampa-based five-piece would provide a good soundtrack for a movie about a melancholy ’60s playboy. The Earl (Hutchinson)

THE TONE MUTTS — The Tone Mutts powerfully redeem themselves with their soulful Phish-on-a-sedative electric jams, despite the sing-songy, superficial vocals. While the instrumentation isn’t terribly unorthodox or original, these talented musicians (and doctors-by-day) make for one of those bands that might make you want to dance. Brandyhouse (Mossman)

ANDALUZ: Tarde Latina, DJ Carlos Morales

APACHE CAFE: The Free Spirits with members of the Chronicle

THE ATRIUM: Dance Party Club

BILLY’S: Bellum Rose Band

BLIND WILLIE’S: Houserocker Johnson & the Shadows

BLUE RACCOON: Open jam with Bill Sheffield

BLUE SKY TAVERN: Open blues jam with Ron Cooley & Hard Times

BRANDYHOUSE: Tone Mutts, Tonohoney

BRIDGES: Vocalist Paula Harris with Doug Jervey on keys

BUFFALO’S-SHANNON MALL: Al Brock

CAFE 290: The Mike Kelly Quartet

CAJUN KITCHEN: Ice Cream Dessert

THE CHAMBER: Club Fetish

CHECKERED PARROT: Mike Russell

CHURCHILL GROUNDS: Jerry Fields, Vecino del Mundo

CJ’S LANDING: Bullee, Sasquatch

CLUB GENO’S: Charles Lattimon

COMEAUX’S: Mudcat

COWBOYS: Talent Night

DAILEY’S DOWNSTAIRS: Atlanta Blaze

DARK HORSE TAVERN: Popaganda, Dan Adams Band, Sonomama

DARWIN’S: X Miss Americas

THE EARL: Low Life Quartet, Spacious International, Les Follies Noires

ECHO LOUNGE: Royal Finger Bowl, special guests

ECLIPSE DI LUNA: Trio Latino Band

EDDIE’S ATTIC: Gentle Readers, Susi French Connection, Weaklazyliar

1848 CAFE-ALPHARETTA: Jazz with Yusef Sharif

FAT MATT’S RIB SHACK: Chickenshack

40 WATT CLUB-ATHENS: The Faint, Jet By Day

FUZZY’S: Work in Progress

HARVEST CAFE: Open-mic

JAKE’S ROADHOUSE: Dysfunction Junktion, Ghost Trane

KAYA: Cancun Nights with DJ Carlos Morales

KAZOO’S: Band X

KILLER CREEK: Showtyme Jazz Duo

LUBY’S: Code Blue

METROPOLITAN PIZZA: Fursday Nite Lounge

MJQ CONCOURSE: The Get Hustle, Electrosleep International

MURPHY’S LAW: The Chat Man

9 LIVES SALOON: Flowers for Luci, Animal Filter, Cyco, Zero Machine

NOMENCLATURE MUSEUM: “Booty Bumps” with resident booty king Chris Leclair

NORTHSIDE TAVERN: The Breeze Kings

PECKERHEAD BREWERY-DOUGLASVILLE: Rock ‘n’ roll karaoke

PIPER’S PUB: Brad Large

POPPER’S: Open jam with Steve Hawkins

SAMBUCA JAZZ CAFE: World Mambo Mission

SMITH’S OLDE BAR: Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, Heritage Cherry

SOMBER REPTILE: Edgewood

SPONDIVITS: Don Law

THE STRAND THEATER: Further Seems Forever

STUDIO 72: DJ Special T & Shakim

SWEET DEVIL MOON: DJ Red

VIOLETTE RESTAURANT: Jus Jazz featuring Dave Wallis, Eddie Taylor, Dan Coy, Shack Lewis, Rita Graham

WHISKER’S TAVERN-DUNWOODY: The Eric Austin Band

WOODEN NICKEL: Angry Monkey Project