This column will attempt to gather some discerning information about what goes on in Atlanta, musically speaking. It will separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, and will do so on a regular basis. There will also be coverage of related topics and events, as well as a rundown of worthy new releases.

04/15/02

With that in mind, let us first take a quick gander at two outdoor festivals that loom large on the horizon: Music Midtown and the Dogwood Festival. The latter has more appeal for me – invariably less crowded and much more manageable. Not to mention the fact that it's free. It takes place on April 12th through the 14th in the leafy environs of Piedmont Park, and artists worth catching include Kate Campbell, Randall Bramblett, The Drifters, Beth Wood, Freak The Jones and the remarkable Jennifer Daniels. For more info, call 404 329 0501, or go the website. Speaking of Daniels; she played a great set at Eddie's Attic a couple of weeks ago, and her album Dive & Fly is a lovely piece of work.

And now to the behemoth that is Music Midtown, which has become a victim of its own success. It's practically insufferable. The sheer volume of people, the heat, the sea of concrete, the difficulty of navigating from one stage to another and the sound bleeding everywhere makes for more of a chore than a pleasure. Still, if you want to brave it, I would recommend that you see Doria Roberts, Bo Didley Garbage, Oliver Mtukudzi, Pete Yorn, Greta Lee, June Carter Cash, Jethro Tull and Bonnie Raitt. Then of course, for comic relief, we have David Lee Roth, who's always good for a laugh. The whole sorry mess will unfold on the first weekend of May.

On to other things: One of our more interesting local bands, Diestra, is local no more. They are relocating to Miami. Can't blame them, really. Their heady mix of rock and Latin dance is more appreciated in the balmy tropics. Let's hope they come back here from time to time.

I attended a showcase at Stankonia Studios for Chiedza, a new artist who reminded me somewhat of a younger Stevie Wonder. Not bad at all. Fine set of dreadlocks, too. The powers-that-be at Hitts magazine are behind this guy, so expect to hear more from him.

Shows Worth Catching: Robert Earl Keen at Variety Playhouse on April 11th. Latest album is Gravitational Forces (Lost Highway). Over The Rhine at Smith's on April 14th. A re-united Concrete Blonde at Variety on April 15th. Look out for a new album as well. Also at Variety, Paul Kelly, introduces his latest work, Nothing But A Dream (Cooking Vinyl) on April 18th. Caitlin Cary brings her wonderful self and songs from her solo record to Smith's on April 24th. Not to be missed.

Notable New Releases: Ed Harcourt Let The Monsters Out (Capitol); Ultimate Fakebook Open Up And Say Awesome (Initial). Neil Finn 7 Worlds Collide (Nettwerk): Live album with guests . Also on DVD. Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Lisa Germano and Ed O'Brien & Phil Selway from Radiohead.

Until next time..