Atlanta Film Festival Opening Gala to Feature Stanley Nelson’s “Freedom Riders,” April 15

The Atlanta Film Festival is one of those gems that can be easily forgotten in the giddiness of the first signs of spring warmth. Yet it features some amazing creations as well as thrilling guests. The festival kicks off this year with a screening of Stanley Nelson’s Freedom Riders, a phenomenal piece of work about the 1961 Freedom Rides:

“Nearly 50 years after dozens of college students, Black and White, boarded two buses and risked their lives to challenge Jim Crow’s stranglehold and to push a nation to act, Freedom Riders is a film that documents a critical moment in American history and presents an amazing account of our nation’s conscience embodied in the actions of the young.”

The screening keeps up the festival’s tradition of introducing – or reacquainting – audiences with unsung heroes of American history. The film’s creator Stanley Nelson himself will be there, as well as many noted Civil Rights participants.

Leila’s Three Picks of the Week

Did you miss the feature last week? We had an office outing, complete with massive quantities of Mexican food, so had to cut the day short, which meant this poor little feature got cut. But now it's back and better than ever! Or, at least, hopefully just as good as it usually is.

Karen O & the Kids – Don't tell me you haven't heard the delightful song Karen O and various other uber-cool musicians have recorded for Where The Wild Things Are? Well then listen to "All Is Love" via the video at the top of the post and get your cheerful on.

The Whiskey Gentry – The Atlanta music scene was pretty bummed out when Missy Gossip and the Secret Keepers, a rockin' indie band with a hefty dose of tradional country, broke up just as they were getting started. For many of us, they could do no wrong. But thankfully, there's a new band that has risen out of those ashes to heal our hurt, and that band is The Whiskey Gentry. The band's debut EP was reviewed on our sister site Atlanta Music Guide, and we proclaimed it was "how music ought to be," with banjos, mandolins and fiddles filling out the group's country-fried curves nicely. They'll be playing The EARL on September 9 with Mike LaSage and the Stumbling Troubadours, and tickets are available at Ticket Alternative.

Slaraffenland – I've been keen on this hard-to-spell, impossible-to-pronounce Danish band since I saw them at SXSW. Over at Atlanta Music Guide, their debut record was reviewed to high praise, with a sound that we've never heard before yet is not in the beyond-bizarro category. It's glorious, soaring and deep with layer upon layer of vocals and looped sounds. Though it might be tough to categorize it sure ain't difficult to love, so even the most intimidated of music fans should check them out.

CD/DVD Review: Arctic Monkeys — Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo DVD & Live in Texas Bonus CD

Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo DVD & Live in Texas bonus
CD

Warp Films / Domino Records / Bang Bang Films

EMI Music Publishing

By Samantha Parvin

If you are looking for fresh, jump-around Britpop for your
ears, you have come to the right place. 
Arctic Monkeys’ double live disc is truly for the fans. As digital downloading becomes the “norm” in
audio sales, more and more artists are releasing box sets, special editions
and vinyl albums. The band did make
public a special edition box set, only 5,000 ever made, which boasts a vinyl
version of the Texas 2006 live album and portrait postcard art of the band
members. In addition, Arctic Monkeys has
fashioned a recession-friendly alternative package, which packs a 19-track performance
DVD from the last gig on their 2007 world tour at the Apollo in Manchester, England,
and a 10-track live bonus CD. 

… Continue Reading

Atlanta Film Festival Passes, Opening and Closing Ceremonies Tickets On Sale Now

Our sister site Atlanta Music Guide just posted a blog about the Atlanta Film Festival and the tickets we have available on Ticket Alternative. Click here to read more.