All the Saints

Tonight, on the recommendation of both KISSAtlanta and Atlanta Music Guide, I went to see local trio All the Saints play at The EARL. Simply put, they're loud and they rocked the joint. All the Saints are an interesting case -- a local band with virtually no recorded output that's garnering significant buzz and crowds after only a handful of live shows.

I was struck by how different they sound than every other band I've heard from ATL; they venture into dark psychedelica along the lines of early Sabbath, Floyd, and Zeppelin. This ain't pop, and this ain't dance music with jangly guitars and tambourines. I hate to characterize them as "stoner rock" or "swamp rock" but those terms might give you a decent idea of their sound. I'm not as familiar with their more contemporary influences (Federation X, Dead Meadow, Zoroaster, and Verbena) but I imagine they'll ring a bell for those of you more familiar with this genre than yours truly. Here today are a couple demo tracks that All the Saints recently recorded in a band member's basement. They're fairly raw, but they provide a good example of All the Saints' sound.

All the Saints - Jesus is from Birmingham (demo)
All the Saints - Hard Lung (demo)

Is it just me, or there a blatant "War Pigs" tease at 3:10 of "Jesus is from Birmingham"?

All the Saints is currently in the studio with Billy Bennett recording their first EP. If Bennett's recent work with The Whigs is any indication, the EP should capture the raw power and murky grit of their stage show. At least I sure as hell hope so.

For more on the band, I highly suggest checking out the aforementioned posts on KISSAtlanta and Atlanta Music Guide. They're both much more in-depth and informative than this entry. They also, of course, have a MySpace page.

I'd also like to point out that they cite Mark Grace as an influence on their MySpace page. I can only assume that the band is incredibly adept at executing the hit-and-run. I also assume they'll agree with me that Chris "Spuds" Sabo should have never won the 1988 Rookie of the Year award. Grace was robbed, plain and simple.