10 Local Artists You Should Check Out In August

1. Hush Money opening for Crobot in Purgatory on 8/1

• Emerging from the foothills of the southern Appalachian mountains, Hush Money is an alternative southern rock band rooted in vintage rock, blues, and country
• Truly a family affair, the band is formed by brothers Greg and Seth Weaver, who are accompanied by their cousin Nathaniel Newberry and friend, Caleb Logan. The group got their start in early 2010, collaborating together on a variety of projects until Hush Money found its sound in 2016
• Hush Money delivers on giving you an authentic hard rock sound from their deep, raspy vocals, to their instrumentation (a driving rhythm section and slide guitar mixed with classic-rock inspired solos.) Check it out on their newest album, Industry Standard
• For Fans Of: Pearl Jam, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws

2. Young Mountain opening for MENU in Purgatory on 8/4

• With bright, captivating vocals, entrancing and ethereal guitar tones, shoegazey soundscapes, and lyrics that yank out your heart comes the six-piece that is Young Mountain
• Making the best of any bad situation and turning tragedy into beauty is what Young Mountain is all about. The members came together in 2018, writing as a means to cope with the loss of Jason Mays’s (guitar, keys) father – even taking their namesake from a This Will Destroy You Album (the last album Mays got to share with his dad.) This inspired the release of their debut single, “James Albert”
• The band (composed of past and present members of Woe, Is Me!, FUTURESELF, The Funeral Portrait, and more) released their debut EP, If You Leave, in 2022, which tackles loss, heartache, and mental illness. Check out their music video for “If You Leave” and be on the lookout for fresh music as the band is currently working on new material
• For Fans Of: This Will Destroy You, Daughter, Circa Survive

• Feeling the weight of the pandemic, the vibrancy of the Atlanta DIY scene, and finding more than enough time on their hands with quarantine, roommates Dan Pulido (bass), Alex Tuisku (drums/vocals), and Keron Robinson (guitar) came together with Isaax Bishop (saxophone/percussion) to start Vessel in 2020 
• “Tight-grooved yet exploratory Athens art school punk, the band is adept in creating calculated, indie dance rock that still maintains a joyous and lively sound.” In an interview with Voyage Atlanta, Pulido explains, “I think the goal, musically, is to write songs that strike a balance between simplicity and complexity with the added benefit of being danceable.”
• After their release of their debut singles, “Whatcha Doin” and “Telephone,” Vessel received the honorable description: “It’s dance music for bookish types, rock for the stressed and well dressed, punk for those who can’t and won’t stand still in our gentrified malaise.” – Milo McGehee and Jake Van Valkenburg
• For Fans Of: Black Country, New Road, Squid, Water From Your Eyes

4. Malefic opening for Profanatica at The Loft on 8/5

• Crushing, blackened, death, thrash – all words to describe the progressive metal power hounds that are Malefic, who have been around the ATL since as early as 2007. After a short hiatus in 2009, the members came back together reinvigorated and ready to take the Atlanta metal scene by storm
• In 2021, Malefic dropped a new LP featuring their new sound, entitled Altar of Locusts. The first song, “Flesh Vehicle,” starts with a calming aura before taking off in a complete chaotic frenzy and hectic rage
• Check out the music video for their demo, “Blood of the Throne,” here
• For Fans of: Wilderun, Descend, Luna’s Call

5. TAYLOR ALXNDR hosting Y’all Ball in Purgatory on 8/5

• TAYLOR ALXNDR knows exactly what they want and does it all: social activist, community organizer, entertainer, drag queen, singer, and founder of a local nonprofit
• Raised in the rural outskirts of metro Atlanta, they started performing their live shows – a mixture of drag, video, and music – in 2011, getting their start at dive bars participating in the local drag scene. In 2017, they broke through with their debut single, “Nightwork,” which is a fun, sexy ode to the underbelly of nightlife. They have since released a myriad of singles and LPs, with the most recent being her 2022 album, 1993. Since ALXNDR’s start, they have gone on to perform with Charli XCX, King Princess, Junglepussy, and more
• In 2014, ALXNDR co-founded Southern Fried Queer Pride, an organization aimed to empower Black queer and QTPOC centered communities in the South through the arts, after realizing the lack of safe, southern spaces in existence for black and brown queer folks. They’ve done incredible work, including raising funds for a community space; dive into their work here 
• For Fans Of: Bob the Drag Queen, Miss Fame, Alaska

6. alejandra playing Ascension in Purgatory on 8/6

• Emerging in Atlanta in 2021, Mexican-American neo soul / R&B singer alejandra brings a softcore melody to the scene, soothing the saddest of souls 
• Defying typical Latin genre boundaries with her earthy expressiveness and silky sensual vocals, alejandra fuses soulful rhythmic melodies with Spanglish lyrics to express the beauty and struggle within the duality of her identity
• Relatively new to the scene but hungry with material, alejandra has released two EPs this year alone – mujer esquiva and calle ikigai – which both fuse elements of Hip Hop, Jazz, and R&B and feature El Colmillo
• For Fans Of: Combo Chimbita, Indigo De Souza, ELIZA

7. Fox Wound playing a live set for Emo Nite in Purgatory on 8/11

• Since their 2016 release In Passing, You Too Faded and playing Wrecking Ball, post-hardcore four-piece Fox Wound has been garnering national attention. Undergoing lineup changes and playing within/pushing the confines of genre boundaries, they’ve released a handful of records that make them, at their core, Atlanta emo 
• In 2019, they sat down with Get Alternative, discussing their softer approach on writing the album, It Could Happen to You, which almost has a surfy indie pop vibe fused with shoegaze – check it out and compare it to their most recent LP, Death Blossoms in a Trauma Year, which hones back in on their heavier roots and expresses a deep, cathartic release 
• In an Immersive Atlanta review, Guillermo Castro describes their sound as “tempestuous guitars, tightly wound rhythms, loud/soft dynamics, and confessional lyrics that aren’t afraid to claw at old scars and expose them to the world” 
• For Fans Of: Loma Prieta, Touché Amoré, Seahaven

8. Sister Sleep opening for Alesana in Hell on 8/14

• The Atlanta-based quintet came together in 2020 after years of being roommates and friends, forming over a shared passion for the 2000s alternative/emo music scene, horror films, and queer storytelling
• Since they started, their goal has been to go beyond making fun music, but, as lead singer Barry Shelton said, “to provide representation for people like myself – whether it’s empowering the LGBTQ+ community or embracing body positivity, we use this band as a vehicle to connect with as many people as possible.” They’ve caught the attention of Atlanta and beyond by using their authentic voice, going on to open for nationally-touring acts such as The Funeral Portrait and Versus Me
• Check out their newest single, “The Arsonist” if you feel like popping off, and read up on the Ghost Killer Entertainment review of it here
• For Fans Of: Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Mayday Parade

9. Torn Soul opening for Left To Suffer / Distant in Hell on 8/18

• Coming together in 2018, the metal five-piece Torn Soul pulls inspiration from a variety of subgenres – death metal, nu metal, black metal, tech death, and more – to influence their heavy, hectic, dark, and brooding sound
• In a 2020 Concert Hopper review, the metal act was described as appearing “youthful” while taking everyone by surprise: “the band did not come to mess around, tearing into a set that was filled with blistering riffs and thunderous drum blasts all set to guttural vocals. All of this amassed into a performance and sound that far superseded” expectations
• Releasing three singles last year, “Detest”, “The Watcher”, and “Bleak,” Torn Soul is making moves. Watch their music video for “The Watcher” to witness the band’s performance shots, covered in (fake) blood
• For Fans Of: Traitors, God Of Nothing, Left To Suffer

10. TRASHCLUB opening for Family Dinner at 529 on 8/26

• Indie garage rock three-piece TRASHCLUB describes themselves as “1970’s style punk goes to Venice Beach,” and that could not be more perfect. Wiping away the complexities of bands layering backing tracks and lots of instrumentation, TRASHCLUB goes back to the roots of punk – making music that’s minimalistic; just vocals, loud guitars, drums, and bass – with an upbeat drive to every song that just implores listeners to dance 
• Since their debut single, “Outta My Head” in 2016, the band has put out two full lengths albums, as well as three singles in 2023 – the most recent being “TIFLS (Main)” singing a commonality we can all relate to: “Today I Feel Like Shit” 
• If you’ve ever seen Shameless or Animal Kingdom, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of TRASHCLUB because their songs have been featured in both TV shows
• For Fans Of: Fidlar, Japandroids, The Black Keys

Written by: Hannah Lemke