West End Motel is a conglomerate of losers and poets and hobo-sexuals. Tom Cheshire met Brent Hinds in Atlanta on a corner under a bridge in 1993. They were panhandling and drinking cough syrup and songs just started spewing out of them. Songs were written on an acoustic guitar and a bucket for drums with the occasional toy piano in the background. Much booze was consumed and late nights turned in to early mornings. They write and sing for the underdog and give the listener a glimmer of hope. Originally the band wanted to sound like Simon and Garfunkel hanging out with Ethel Merman but the end result sounds more like Nick Cave fronting Gogol Bordello. The songs have taken on a life of their own and have never sounded the same twice. The music is honest, like a Filipino kid tap dancing in the wind. These men love music, it is that simple and they write for people who love music. They write songs of loss and laughter and maybe even a new lease on life. They are a gospel band, they are a soul band, they are a band of gypsies. Do yourself a favor and check this now.
RICER
Atlanta based Ricer return to the scene of the crime with their bigger & badder "XXX+SIZE", the follow-up to 2010's debut release "#2's". Are you ready? To prime you, lets have a quick history lesson. Ricer was formed in Atlanta in late 2009. Their current line-up consists of: Brandi Turner, the singer/slinger who can make both your eyes tear up & your ears bleed with one swoop of her six strin gs; Dallas Peavy, the cymbal smashing man crush of any number of Atlanta bands who can kill you with a wink of his eye; and Billy Duncan, the tattooed master of the four string who once made Judge Joe Brown beg for mercy. It was this lineup that made the Chinese officially change the year 2010 to the year of the "Ricer-Chicken" in honor of the cover star of their awe-inspiring debut. It's 2011 now and Ricer is set to unleash the follow-up that will make the whole world take notice, not just the Chinese. "XXX+SIZE" expands the Ricer sound while also refining it. From the poppy punk of Switch and Ladyfingers, (think of the band Ricer); to the otherworldly, almost film noirish One on One and Strangers, (not unlike a darker Ricer); to the neo-musique concréte UN/Terror Kids, (like Ricer collaborating with long time noise provocateur Sequence 3); to Bleeder, (think of Ricer crushing your soul & spirit then helping you up so they might crush your conception of listening to anything but Ricer); "XXX+SIZE" has, to borrow the motto of WREK's Destroy All Music, - "something for everyone". China got it in 2010, now 2011 will be the year of Ricer for the rest of the world. Are you ready? For the future? For the Mad, Heavy....HEAT!!
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