Sugarland’s “The Incredible Machine” has been certified platinum, with sales surpassing 1 million copies.

The disc was released in October, a few weeks too late for eligibility in this year’s Grammy Awards.

This coronation for “Machine” means Sugarland has reached platinum or multiplatinum status for the fourth consecutive time, with total album sales of about 9 million.

The duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will hit the road March 3 for most of 2011, ending with an Oct. 22 date in Atlanta at a yet-to-be-announced venue.

Continue reading Sugarland’s “Machine” reaches platinum status »

Larry The Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and host Reno Collier entertained a sizable crowd of comedy enthusiasts Saturday night at Philips Arena. Each of the three comic stars did about 45 minutes of solo material on the stage in the middle of the Philips Arena floor, then they all appeared together and collaborated for a fifteen minute finale which included answering questions and requests posed by audience members.

Atlanta’s own Jeff Foxworthy  is widely known for his redneck jokes, and his act goes well beyond to explore the humour in everyday family interactions and human nature. Foxworthy currently hosts the hit show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, which airs on FOX and is in syndication.  One of the most respected and successful comedians in the United States, Foxworthy is the largest selling comedy-recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy Award nominee and a best-selling author.

Larry The Cable Guy  has his signature catchphrase, “Git-R-Done”, and …

Continue reading Jeff Foxworthy, Larry The Cable Guy & Bill Engvall Entertain At Philips Arena Saturday Night »

Singer-songwriter Jolie Holland plays Eddie's Attic Saturday with TV on the Radio guitarist Kyp Malone. Photo: Scott Irvine

FRIDAY
Yo La Tengo
These indie pop darlings have had music critics scouring their thesauruses for superlatives since 1986’s debut album, “Ride the Tiger.” The New Jersey-spawned, Velvet Underground-inspired trio continues to release acclaimed albums, including 2009’s “Popular Songs,” their 12th and most recent.
8:30 p.m. Jan. 28. $22.50; $20 in advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.

SATURDAY
Jolie Holland, Kyp Malone
From her stunning 2004 album, “Escondida” (which landed on many year-end Top 10 lists), to 2008’s “The Living and the Dead,” Holland gave us a string of three stellar releases. The stripped-down sound is a haunted twist on rootsy Americana piped in from some hallucinogenic dream world where Billie Holiday jams with the Carter Family as Nick Cave hovers nearby. She’s joined by Anti-Records label mate …

Continue reading Live music picks: Jan. 28-Feb. 3 »

Atlanta’s Philips Arena has been ranked the fourth busiest arena in the U.S., according to industry trade magazine Pollstar.

The rankings, based on 2010 total year-end concert and event ticket sales, placed the 21,000 (concert) capacity arena behind Madison Square Garden, Staples Center in Los Angeles and Dallas’ American Airlines Arena. The venue also ranked No. 12 worldwide.

Philips, which also placed fourth on the list in 2009, scored ticket sales of more than 508,000 thanks in part to sold-out shows by Usher, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber and Zac Brown Band.

Its 2011 itinerary includes Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift and a just-announced spring Bon Jovi show.

Continue reading Philips Arena fourth busiest in the U.S. »

A compilation CD of local Georgia artists has been unveiled by the Georgia Music Industry Association.

The 19-song disc, “The Pulse of Georgia Music,” includes tunes from Wil Hodge, Tom Desmond, Melissa Gordon Rhine and Steve Rickard and is available at 25 Best Buy locations throughout the state and at www.gmia.org for $9.99.

Continue reading GMIA releases local artists CD »

Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham will bring his band the Dead Horses to the Loft on March 25. Bingham scored the Oscar last year for best original song for "The Weary Kind," written for the film "Crazy Heart." Photo: Anna Axster / UMG Nashville

ON SALE NOW
Asobi Seksu. 8:30 p.m. March 21. The EARL. $10. TA.
Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Liam Gerner. 9 p.m. March 25. The Loft. $20. TA.
Sebadoh. 8:30 p.m. March 28. The EARL. $16. TA.
J Mascis, Kurt Vile and the Violators. 8:30 p.m. April 7. The EARL. $20. TA.
Young Widows, My Disco, Hawks. 8:30 p.m. May 3. The EARL. $10. TA.

ON SALE JAN. 28
George Winston. 8 p.m. March 4. Variety Playhouse. $32.50; $30 in advance. TM.
The Joy Formidable, the Lonely Forest. 8:30 p.m. March 22. The EARL. $12; $10 in advance. TA.
Mimosa. 9 p.m. March 26. Masquerade. $15. TM.
Red State, U.S.A. Tour with Kevin Smith. 8 p.m. March 29. $45-$65. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. TM.
Lee Ritenour. 7:30 p.m. April 3. Variety Playhouse. …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Jan. 25 »

Linkin Park performed Sunday night at the nearly full Philips Arena on their “A Thousand Suns Tour”, with two British electronic bands, Pendulum and Does It Offend You, Yeah?, warming up the crowd. Alternative-rap-rock icons Linkin Park formed in 1996 in Augora Hills, California.  In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay. The band’s most recent studio album, A Thousand Suns, was released on September 8, 2010. Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards.

AJC photographer Robb Cohen covered the show with his camera. Check out the 17-photo online gallery. What did you think of  the  show? How many times have you seen Linkin Park in concert?

(Photo Credit: Robb D. Cohen/ www.robbsphotos.com)  For other concert photography linked to Access Atlanta, please visit  Atlanta Concert Photography Galleries.)

Continue reading Linkin Park Conquers Nearly Full Philips Arena Sunday Night »

Photo: Thaddaeus McAdams

Keri Hilson breezed back home Thursday night for a brief performance at Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta.

The invite-only event, sponsored by Hennessy Black to celebrate the Metro PCS launch of the 4G LTE Samsung mobile phone, worked well in the airy gallery, even if it isn’t a prime concert space.

Not that it mattered much, considering Hilson, looking typically luminous in a black and cream striped ensemble, sang to a track for about 15 minutes.

During the four-song set, which included “Hustler,” “Knock You Down” and “Pretty Girl Rock,” Hilson was surrounded by a phalanx of camera-wielding fans all but shoving their hardware in her face.

But Hilson managed to create enough personal space to sing, telling the ladies in the crowd of a couple of hundred, “The biggest mistake I ever made was that I was dealing with a bunch of boys, not men. So that means, no boys allowed.”

The tie-in to her album, also called “No Boys Allowed,” wasn’t exactly …

Continue reading Keri Hilson pops up at private show in ATL »

Alan Jackson and his record label since the start of his career have parted ways.

Jackson said in a statement that it “just seems to me like the time may be right to change things up a bit and see what comes next.”

Sony Music Nashville/Arista Nashville released a terse statement earlier in the day that wished Jackson well, called the proceedings an “amicable parting” and confirmed that the country legend delivered his final recordings to the company.

Jackson, the first artist signed to Arista Nashville when the label was founded in 1989, has sold more than 50 million albums.

The singer/songwriter is readying a tour of Canada and Australia and working on songs for a new album.

He’s currently represented by management company the co-op, which also reps Loretta Lynn, and the William Morris Endeavor.

Continue reading Alan Jackson parts ways with longtime record label »

Swedish electro-pop quartet Little Dragon comes to the Masquerade on Tuesday. Photo: Seek

FRIDAY
PleaseRock Presents
Members of Yacht Rock Revue, Please PleaseRock Me and Nigels With Attitude will perform Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” the Beatles’ “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” and XTC’s “Black Sea.” These local musicians are probably best know in their Yacht Rock Revue guise, playing smooth ’70s rock, but this show finds them taking on some of rock’s most beloved music. As a bonus, they’ll try to sync their performance of “Dark Side of the Moon” to “The Wizard of Oz” in a tribute to the way the two classics of different eras seem to fit together when played simultaneously. Well, that’s what some people say.
8:30 p.m. Jan. 21. $12; $10 in advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.

FRIDAY
Girl Talk
Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) mashes together A-ha, Beyonce, Devo, Ludacris, Radiohead, Nicki Minaj, Nirvana, Simon and Garfunkel, …

Continue reading Live music picks: Jan. 21-27 »