10 Local Artists You Should Check Out in September

1. Golden Habits opening for Autopilot in Purgatory on 9/15

• With their first single dropping just last year, Golden Habits is relatively new to the scene but their chemistry as a band and as musicians makes them stand out. The four-piece, alt-rock project started as a happy accident (one jam with a couple of new friends quickly turned into a natural spark that they had no choice but to ignite). Ever since, they’ve held an unwavering commitment to their music, making it work across country lines as their drummer currently resides in Peru.
• With tight drums, clean riffs, and substantial vocals, Golden Habits brings a sound reminiscent of their musical inspirations like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N’ Roses
• Check out their most recent single, “Forever,” if you’re looking for a punchy, guitar-solo-driven release of emotions about coming to terms with something you’re not proud of. Or, if you’re feeling more of a flirty, catchy groove, check out “Next Level”
• For Fans Of: Highly Suspect, Colony House, The Blue Stones

2. Vangas opening for Lowertown in Purgatory on 9/16

• A post-punk group that’s been tearing through the Atlanta scene, Vangas put out their first single, “Skin,” in 2019 and have since released a handful of singles and two full-lengths – the most recent being their 2023 self-titled
• Immersive Atlanta describes their song, “Dog Walker” as, “the sound someone processing extreme emotional pain and letting it bleed out across five gut-wrenching minutes” with its “final assault, a punishing tempest of stomping riffs, corrosive feedback, and sinister voices chanting in the distance where everything finally comes unhinged”
• In 2020, Record Turnover dubbed them as the best new band that they’d heard all year
• For Fans Of: Meth Wax, Snõõper, Black Midi

• Based in Athens, Triangle Fire is a female-fronted three-piece punk band that first came together in 2011
• Their style has been dubbed as “pizza punk with extra thick crust” to illustrate how they hop around from various loud, fast genres while performing live. Check out some of their demos to see for yourself
• Triangle Fire makes it their mission to support issues that they find socially important including feminism, queer rights, environmentalism, mental health, addiction, and more
• For Fans Of: Whores, Minor Threat, Discharge

4. The Illustrated opening for Bad Luck. in Purgatory on 9/20

• The now four-piece first started as a trio in 2020, with the original members coming together after meeting at the Atlanta Institute of Music. After the release of their debut EP, the bassist joined, completing the band’s current lineup. They’ve dubbed themselves as alternative with a unique take – fusing together elements of ambient sounds, classic rock-inspired power, and synth-pop undertones 
• Gentle, beachy, indie-leaning vocals balance out a synced, driving rhythm section complemented by bright guitar tones that fuse together strong lyricism
• Hear their musical journey by starting with their debut single, “Yourself In Someone Else”, and then listening to their 2023 release of “Colors”
• For Fans of: City and Colour, The Cure, The 1975

5. Cloak opening for UADA in Purgatory on 9/21

• Formed in 2013, this Atlanta quartet are not only opening for UADA’s Atlanta show, but they are also joining them as support for additional shows on the band’s North American Tour
• Cloak fuses their rock influences with a gothic take on black metal as they’re inspired by artists such as Danzig, Motörhead, and Watain
• Check out their 2023 album that was first conceptualized in the middle of the pandemic, Black Flame Eternal, which dives deep into spirituality and sticking it to the man
• For Fans Of: Watain, Dissection, Mayhem

6. World Is Watching opening for Tigercub at Vinyl on 9/25

• With their first release dropping on Spotify in 2017, alt-rock band, World Is Watching, formed as a means of escape for the members – a way of overcoming their differences and finding peace in the midst of a chaotic world
• Get sentimental by listening to their 2022 ballad, “Deepest Love”
• Watch the band ward off the neighborhood bullies in their 2023 music video for  “Too Cool”
• For Fans Of: The Wldlfe, Vacation Manor

7. Hail Gail opening for Whitehall in Purgatory on 9/26

• Pulling inspiration from grunge, punk, and early alternative, Hail Gail formed at a college dorm party with the intention of having a strong feminist message backing every song. Their goal as a band? “to inspire femmes to live their truths authentically and to take no shit from anyone”
• With crunchy guitar/bass tones and dissonant harmonies, Hail Gail is a fresh wave of the ‘90s Riot Grrrl movement
• Their 2022 single, “Lunatic (Won’t You)” brings back the comforting feelings of early 2000s female pop singers, while their latest, “Famished,” takes you on a ride full of power, punch, and revenge
• For Fans Of: Skating Polly, Amyl and The Sniffers, Sleater-Kinney

8. Playytime opening for Soul Glo & Zulu in Hell on 9/27

• With heavy guitars, brutal drums, and poetic lyrics, hardcore five-piece Playytime creates songs that are “candidly painful reflections” 
• Playytime’s destructive, spitfire sound came from an amalgamation of the members’ diverse influences – ranging from rap to punk, shoegaze, noise, and post-punk
• First releasing a raw demo tape in 2018, the band has performed with acts including Show Me the Body and Warish, but started to garner a bigger following during the pandemic with their online promotional videos for their debut album, The Fun Never Ends
• For Fans Of: Jesus Piece, Gel, Scowl

9. floral print opening for Foyer Red at The Drunken Unicorn on 9/28

• With two EPs, an album, and a handful of singles under their belt, floral print has been practicing the art of honing their craft since their first release, Woo, in 2016
• The trio swirls post-punk, drone, and math rock into self described “deconstructionist pop” with emotional intensity in every song 
• Releasing music that primarily focuses on the ways we deal with change, floral print encapsulates growth in every form of the word – with their self-titled EP acting as a statement of celebratory transition, and their 2017 LP, mirror stages, echoing the anxiety that comes with finding your place amidst breakneck change and uncertainty 
• For Fans Of: They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Hotline TNT, Computerwife

10. Yosemite in Black opening for Ithaca at 529 on 9/28

• Formed in 2018 after a jam with the guitarist and bassist, Atlanta four-piece, Yosemite in Black, has been releasing music on Spotify since 2020, with their first being debut single, “Same Story”
• Coining the term “Hippie Hardcore”, the group is a mix of hardcore and deathcore with groovy, harsh riffs and lyrical content that tackles social commentary such as domestic violence and growing up in the south as a member of LGBTQ+ community
• Check out their most recent EP, Pretty as a Peach, if you’re looking to dive into more of their movement toward the hardcore-realm
• For Fans Of: Judiciary, Incendiary, Suicide Silence

Written By: Hannah Lemke