Band Profile: The Constellations

September 1, 2011 0 Comments

The Constellations will be playing Music Midtown on Saturday, September 4th along with fellow ATLers Manchester Orchestra and many other great bands. Details here.

BIO: “The Constellations, Atlanta’s latest local supergroup, creates a funky 70s vibe, through the mixture of Gorillaz inspired twang and smooth vocals. Their debut album, Southern Gothic, dropping this Spring, features tracks produced by Ben Allen, the Grammy award winning mixer for Animal Collective, Gnarles Barkley and Matt and Kim. The album also includes some great collaborations with both Cee Lo and Asher Roth, as well as a tribute to Tom Waits in the track “Step Right Up”.”

ALBUM REVIEW OF “SOUTHERN GOTHIC” FROM THE CONSTELLATIONS…
by Adam Keen of beatlanta

Released June 22nd, 2010…

The Constellations Southern Gothic is an electronic funk machine boasting hip-hop grooves and ultra pop dance flavor. Put the album in your player and you’re immediately greeted with sound waves that force your entire body into motion. Each track is a well thought out explosion of musical elements forming threads of sound that take on life like strands of DNA; a group of 8 mixing multiple guitars, keys, drums, percussion and 2 background singers…The Constellations.

The opening track Setback greets you with studio effects and distorted keys until a bubbly pop keyboard driven tune leads you into front man Elijah Jones’ rap inspired vocal storming. Songs like the next track Perfect Day, Weighing Me Down and What I see give you a preview of singer Jones’ sometimes smooth, boogieman like approach to his vocals; creeping up on you like a shadow in an alley, seducing you into a dark circus of imaginative narratives. Overall, however, the album is filled with funky, dance infused grooves that are sure to get any dance floor hopping. The song Step Right up ends in an awesome electronic disco breakdown after Jones leads you on a journey through Atlanta, citing many of the city’s famous nightlife happenings, including The Clermont Lounge and the Drunken Unicorn. He even name drops some door guys and the Clermont’s famous can crushing Blondie. Be sure to check out guest singer Cee-Lo on the track Love is a Murder as well as the always fantastic radio hit Felicia, a song about a girl who gives great head.

Elijah Jones vocal stylings are filled with soulful vibrations that mix hip-hop influences with an unrestrained rock spirit. His lyrics are ripe with sharp metaphors and philosophical wonderings all while creatively managing to inject his home town of Atlanta into his songwriting and lyrical process. He is the perfect lead to such a talented, diverse and divergent super group of 8. Us ATLers should feel a noteworthy connection to what The Constellations bring to our city. They are cleverly and rapidly taking a lead as one of Atlanta’s premier breakout bands and Southern Gothic is sure to catapult them even further.