Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (front, pink shirt, blond hair), travel with nine other musicians in the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Photo: Taylor Crothers

Butch Trucks recently joked that he wished the Allman Brothers could tour more frequently, but too many members of the band have side projects marking up the calendar.

His nephew, Derek Trucks, is guilty as charged.

The longtime leader of The Derek Trucks Band, the guitarist – to whom the word amazing applies without being hyperbolic – has a new focus these days: The Tedeschi Trucks Band, the 11-piece outfit he fronts with his wife, the blues-soul singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi.

The group, which also includes Allman alum Oteil Burbridge on bass, won a Grammy for best blues album for “Revelator,” its debut last year. For their second recording, the band released the live “Everybody’s Talkin’.”

Through Labor Day, they’re playing a handful of shows with B.B. King – including a Sunday stop at Chastain Park …

Continue reading Derek Trucks talks B.B. King, real musicianship and working with his wife »

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz opened for Nicki Minaj in L.A. earlier this month. Photo: Getty Images

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has good reason to pop the champagne this week.

His official debut album, “Based on a T.R.U. Story,” opened in the top slot of the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 147,000 copies.

The College Park native also known as Tauheed Epps, is a protégé of Ludacris’ and former member of Playaz Circle.

He’s had a lot of chart action lately, guesting on Kanye West’s “Mercy” and Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap.” His own “No Lie,” the first single from “T.R.U. Story” featuring Drake, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Chainz, who earlier this year had opening stints with Drake and Nicki Minaj, including her stop at the Fox last month, will embark on his own tour starting Aug. 30 in Norfolk, Va.

No Atlanta dates are on the itinerary so far, though he did hold an album release party at the city’s Esso Nightclub and Ultra …

Continue reading Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has No. 1 album in country »

Loretta Lynn is not only a country icon, but a refreshingly candid interview. Photos: Russ Harrington

Few legends are as candid as Loretta Lynn.

Many are so robotically polished that they’ll dodge a question or spout a rote answer rather than go off script.

Not Lynn. She has no script. Her frankness and sass haven’t diminished a whit in 80 years and, as a bonus, she’s an accommodating and cheerful subject.

With a repertoire of more than 50 albums and almost 90 singles (16 that went No. 1), Lynn’s pioneer status as a female country music singer-songwriter is unparalleled.

She’s also still on the road several times a month – Friday she hits Chastain Park Amphitheatre – and her life story is being turned into a Broadway show starring a hand-picked Zooey Deschanel.

Last week, Lynn chatted from her ranch in Tennessee about the play, her life and her love of Alan Jackson.

We’ll just get out of the way now and let her do the rest.

Q. What keeps you touring, especially …

Continue reading Loretta Lynn: ‘I’m as country as cornbread’ »

No one will ever question the eclectic ambitions of The Wood Brothers. Which is why their decision to take on Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” on a recent installment of the “A.V. Club Undercover” isn’t surprising – it’s just a really cool version of the song.

Check out Chris Wood (also of Medeski, Martin & Wood) on bass, Oliver Wood on guitar and percussionist Jano Rix on a specially-named guitar.

Oliver Wood has plenty of Atlanta ties, though he recently moved to Nashville, and the band will release “Live Volume 2: Nail and Tooth” Aug. 28 on Zac Brown’s Southern Ground label.

The guys also performed on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last night.

The Wood Brothers cover Michael Jackson

Continue reading The Wood Brothers take on Michael Jackson »

A couple of music notes for you today:

• This year’s “Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” will move to Nashville and air live from the Bridgestone Arena at 10 p.m. Dec. 5 on CBS.

This is the fifth time the Grammy noms have been announced inside a live music event (though most of the nominations are actually announced on www.grammy.com that night), but the first time the show has taken place outside of Los Angeles.

It’s definitely a coup for Nashville, which is home to the CMA Awards (Nov. 1) and in recent years lost the Dove Awards to Atlanta (and we just lost the Soul Train Awards to Las Vegas, so on and on it goes).

Performers and presenters will be announced in coming weeks. The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the Staples Center at 8 p.m. Feb. 13, also on CBS.

• The next round of “VH1 Storytellers” is an estrogen-fest. Pink, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift are the featured artists this upcoming season, according to EW.com.

Swift at her Australian tour …

Continue reading Grammy nominations concert set »

Melissa Etheridge will play Atlanta Symphony Hall in November. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 24. Photo: Lester Cohen

ON SALE NOW
Sneaker Pimps Atlanta featuring Cyhi the Prynce. Part of an eight-city US tour featuring a display of limited, rare, and custom sneakers. 8 p.m. Aug. 31. The Loft. $20. TA.
Raju Lama. 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Center Stage. $15. TM.
Leagues. 9 p.m. Oct. 12.  Vinyl. $12; $10 in advance. TA.
The Dirty Guv’nahs. 8 p.m. Nov. 2. The Loft. $15; $12 in advance. TA.

ON SALE AUG. 22
Red Wanting Blue. 8:30 p.m. Nov. 29. Vinyl. $12; $10 in advance. TA.

ON SALE AUG. 24
The Wallflowers. Sept. 24. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $25 in advance. TA.
EDUBB. Oct. 4. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Yarn. Oct. 6. Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta Room. $8 in advance. TA.
Silversun Pickups, Cloud Nothings, Atlas Genius. 7 p.m. Oct. 9. Tabernacle. $30. LN.
Ben Miller Band. Oct. 17. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Alex Cuba. 8 …

Continue reading Tickets: Melissa Etheridge, Psychedelic Furs, the Wallflowers, Silversun Pickups »

Dave Stewart might be the busiest man on the planet. Hear that, Seacrest? Photo credit: Courtesy MSO PR

[I'm on with my rock 'n' roll pal Kaedy Kiely at 97.1 The River every Wednesday at 6:50 and 7:50 a.m. to talk about the latest rock news. Tune in to see what's up!]

Hearing Dave Stewart’s name usually conjures an image of him cavorting with Annie Lennox, his partner in beautifully quirky ‘80s pop.

While Stewart will indelibly be linked to Eurythmics, whose British New Wave-soul leanings produced such classics as “Would I Lie to You,” “Here Comes the Rain Again” and the much-covered “Sweet Dreams,” it would be hard to find another musician with more varied interests than this man.

Consider: Over the years he’s produced recordings from everyone from Jon Bon Jovi to Ringo Starr to most recently, Stevie Nicks and Joss Stone.

Between 2009 and 2011 came the birth of SuperHeavy, the supergroup consisting of Stewart, Stone, Mick Jagger and Indian composer A. R. …

Continue reading Dave Stewart a true Renaissance man »

Those who have always found The Darkness ridiculous aren’t going to change their minds after hearing “Hot Cakes,” the third album from the retro-glam rockers, and first since their sort-of breakup in 2006.

 But those who found the band’s spandex, teased hair and serrated guitars deliciously mindless and unabashedly fun will wolf down this return like a plate of, well, you know.

 The Darkness – the original foursome of singer Justin Hawkins, his guitarist brother Dan, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham – waste zero time getting to the vapid point on the blues rock stomper “Every Inch of You” that opens the album.

 “I wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to be a vet. Until I heard ‘Communication Breakdown’ on a TDK D90 cassette,” Justin squeals, along with some sexually suggestive lyrics that are quite hilarious.

 The beauty of The Darkness is that the band has never taken itself seriously, but manages to create winsome, punch-the-air arena …

Continue reading Tuesday Tunes: Spotlight on The Darkness »

The Soul Train Awards are taking a midnight train to Las Vegas.

The show, held in Atlanta the past three years, will move west this year because Centric, the network that produces the event, is creating a three-day “experience” based around the star-studded gathering.

A spokesperson for Centric said Las Vegas presented unique opportunities to include a comedy showcase and concert to supplement the iconic awards show, which is expected to take place in November.

Atlanta is still the site of the BET Hip-Hop Awards, which will tape here next month (more details coming tomorrow) and air Oct. 9. According to Centric, the city “will always be a key destination for our networks’ original programming.”

The network hasn’t ruled out returning the Soul Train Awards to Atlanta in the future.

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Continue reading Soul Train Awards leaving Atlanta »

Jason Aldean brought his blockbuster tour to Lakewood for two nights this summer. Photo credit. Robb D. Cohen

Jason Aldean is keeping the momentum of his stellar year going with a new album.

“Night Train” arrives Oct. 16, the fifth album from the Macon-born country singer.

First single “Take a Little Ride” already set a record by selling more digital downloads its first week than any male country artist in history (to be fair, that history is only a few years old since the digital revolution took over).

The album will feature a collaboration with tour mates Luke Bryan and Eric Church on “The Only Way I Know”; producer Michael Knox is also back for the fifth time, along with Aldean’s long-traveled road band, which has also played on all of his albums.

Aldean has much to live up to with “Night Train.” His last album, “My Kinda Party,” has sold nearly 3 million copies since its release in November 2010 and spawned five consecutive No. 1 hits.

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Continue reading Jason Aldean to get aboard the ‘Night Train’ this fall »