Shaky Knees Music Festival 2013 Preview

A really nice new entry on the music festival game is Atlanta’s Shaky Knees. The festival brings the rock, from Suthron to indie & more, to Historic Fourth Ward Park and Masquerade Music Park for two days, Saturday & Sunday, May 4th & 5th:

SATURDAY, MAY 4th

Band of Horses, O4W Park Stage, 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM Before the current, unceasing wave of alt-country, there was Seattle’s Band of Horses (QRO live review), who broke through with debut Everything All the Time and “Funeral” in 2006. While guitarist/co-founder Matt Brooke left after that for Grand Archives (QRO live review), singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell kept on the trail, with the following year’s Cease to Begin (QRO review). Band of Horses (QRO photos at a festival) dropped a little off the radar following that, but came back in 2010 with Infinite Arms (QRO review), a more polished record in ways good & bad, but picked it up last year with Mirage Rock (QRO review), and are riding (QRO live review) from festival to festival (QRO photos at a festival).

Jim James, Masq MP Stage, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM The main man behind alt-country stars My Morning Jacket (QRO album review) and a member of the Monsters of Folk (QRO album review), Jim James recently stepped out solo with Regions of Light and Sound of God (QRO review), which is just as good as your high expectations. Jeff Tweedy better watch out – there’s a new king of alt-country!

J Roddy Walston, North Ave. Stage, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM J Roddy Walston brings the rock, both as frontman for J Roddy Walston & The Business (QRO photos outdoors) and solo.

Gary Clark Jr, O4W Stage, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Austin’s Gary Clark Jr. (QRO photos at a festival in Austin) is the latest artist to be said to be ‘bringing blues back’ – when did it ever leave? And if it did, it’s surely come back many times since then (just look at Jack White…) – but Clark is certainly keeping it going, like on Austin City Limits (QRO live review on ACL).

Lucero, Masq MP Stage, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM These cowpunkers (QRO photos) arrive at today’s workingman’s punk from the southern, country/punk end of things. Singer/guitarist Ben Nichols did his own thing with a solo record and ‘Revival Tour’ (QRO photos at a festival) with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music – QRO photos) and Tim Barry (Avail), but the band has since gone big-time, including 2009’s 1372 Overtone Park (QRO review) and last year’s Women & Work (QRO review). But live & outdoors (QRO photos outdoors), they stay true to their roots (QRO photos at a festival).

The Orwells, North Ave. Stage, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Illinois’ The Orwells graduated from high school early to pursue their rock ‘n’ roll dreams, and started living up to them with last year’s debut Remember When.

The Joy Formidable, O4W Park Stage, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Welsh powerhouse The Joy Formidable (QRO live review) has already taken Europe, Canada (QRO photos at a festival in Canada), Australia and even The States (QRO photos) by storm with expertly played opening slots alongside Passion Pit (QRO live review), Temper Trap (QRO live review) and Editors (QRO album review). The impressive trio (QRO photos) got a killer live show (QRO live review) to go with 2010’s killer The Big Roar (QRO review), and now they’ve got follow-up Wolf’s Law (QRO review) – so be ready for a jolly good time (QRO photos at a festival)! Be sure to catch killer frontwoman Ritzy Bryan as she rocks Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) with bassist Rhydian Dafydd (QRO interview) and exuberant drummer Matt Thomas (QRO live review).

Moon Taxi, Masq MP Stage, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Moon Taxi (QRO photos) cross the dashed lines between indie, jam, progressive, and rock.

Hanni El Khatib, North Ave. Stage, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Cali skateboarder Hanni El Khatib has found new life on the guitar, with his sophomore record produced by Dan Auerbach (QRO album review) of The Black Keys (QRO album review).

Vintage Trouble, O4W Park Stage, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM From Hollywood, Vintage Trouble (QRO photos at a festival) brings some soul & funk to Shaky Knees.

Also: You, Me and Apollo, Masq MP Stage, 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Roadkill Ghost Choir, North Ave. Stage, 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Robert Ellis, O4W Park Stage, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Death On Two Wheels, Masq MP Stage, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Tumbleweed Wanderers, North Ave. Stage, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

The Black Angels and Goat, Heaven, 11:30 PM

The party doesn’t stop just because the parks close down for the night. Head over to rock club Heaven for The Black Angels (QRO spotlight on), with openers Goat, at 11:30 PM. The Austin band (QRO photos), fronted by Alex Mass (QRO interview), bring the psychedelic rock of this year’s Indigo Meadow (QRO review) and 2010’s Phosphene Dream (QRO review) to the evening (QRO photos outdoors at a festival).

SUNDAY, MAY 5th

The Lumineers, O4W Park Stage, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM Folk trio from Colorado (QRO photos at a festival), The Lumineers (QRO live review) are known for their songs riddled with cello, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and charming vocals. Their songs are jauntily and nonabrasive tunes with a sing-along vibe (QRO photos). The have been touring in support of last spring’s self-titled release.

Drive-By Truckers, Masq MP Stage, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM The Suthron, ‘three-axe attack’ of Drive-By Truckers comes from the backcountry of Alabama & Georgia to Hotlanta. They’ve kept strong since the 2007 departure of Jason Isbell (QRO photos at a festival), in 2008 with the charting Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, and even higher with 2010’s The Big To-Do and the following year’s Go-Go Boots (QRO review).

The Antlers, North Ave. Stage, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM The newest of the next wave of Brooklyn acts is The Antlers (QRO photos), who first blew people away (QRO live review) with epic concept album Hospice, then opened for the likes of Ra Ra Riot (QRO live review, opening for Ra Ra Riot), Editors (QRO album review – QRO photos, opening for Editors) and The National (QRO spotlight on – QRO photos, opening for The National). But now they’ve graduated to headlining their own big gigs (QRO live review, outdoors & headlining), and came out in 2011 with follow-up Burst Apart (QRO review).

Dr. Dog, O4W Park Stage, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Shaky Knees has some of the jam-festival with Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog (QRO photos), who have become a festival regular (QRO photos at a festival) since 2008’s commercial breakthrough Fate (QRO review) launched them into headlining status (QRO photos headlining a festival). Unfortunately, Fate wasn’t anything special (QRO photos), but Dr. Dog make a lot of people happy live (QRO photos outdoors), especially outdoors (QRO live review outdoors at a festival), so expect the “Sweetness”, along with material from 2010’s still-middling Shame, Shame (QRO review) and last year’s also okay Be the Void (QRO review).

Kurt Vile & The Violators, Masq MP Stage, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Even amongst all the lo-fi guitar-punks out there, Kurt Vile (QRO photos at a festival) has made a name for himself. The former member of The War On Drugs (QRO live review), Kurt Vile has since formed his own ensemble with his Violators, and contributed to/opened for alt-punk guitar god J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr. – QRO live review) on his solo record, Several Shades of Why (QRO review), and subsequent tour (plus Dinosaur Jr.’s You’re Living All Over Me show in NYC). However, he’s since evolved into a frontman of his own (QRO live review).

Oberhofer, North Ave. Stage, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Brad Oberhofer founded his namesake band (QRO photos at a festival) to perform live shows, but it’s turned into a regular gig as things have gotten bigger & bigger for the band (QRO photos outdoors) since releasing debut Time Capsules II last year.

Delta Spirit, O4W Park Stage, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Out of San Diego comes the indie-Americana/soul of Delta Spirit (QRO photos), who come to Shaky Knees (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s great self-titled record (QRO review). Just watch out for frontman Matthew Vasquez (QRO photos going crazy at a festival)…

Murder by Death, Masq MP Stage, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Murder by Death (QRO photos) have kept it up well since emerging out of college town Bloomington, Indiana. They’ve got a loyal fan base who will be out in force, while the band mixes between older material and tracks from 2012’s Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon and 2010’s Good Morning, Magpie (QRO review).

The Heartless Bastards, North Ave. Stage, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Erika Wennerstrom’s (QRO photos) Heartless Bastards (QRO live review) emerged from the same post-industrial Ohio Rust Belt blues-rock revival as The Black Keys (QRO album review), who discovered the group (QRO photos at a festival). However, after 2009’s The Mountain (QRO review), the group (QRO photos) left Black Keys’ Fat Possum label for Partisan for last year’s Arrow (QRO review), along with playing bigger stages (QRO photos) and festivals (QRO photos at a festival).

Also: Shovels & Rope, O4W Park Stage, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Frontier Ruckus, Masq MP Stage, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM T. Hardy Morris, North Ave. Stage, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM Von Grey, Masq MP Stage, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Swear & Shake, North Ave. Stage, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM