It was a HOT release party last night for the Constellationsi Sothern Gothic at the Clermont (meant literally). Check out the gallery of amazing shots that Kevin Chambers got from the gig:

Click through the pictures to see full-size and more.
Visit Kevin’s website to see his sculpture and other art!

Today marks the big label release of The Constellations‘ Southern Gothic on Virgin Records. If you’ve been keeping up, I’m a big fan, going back to The eclectic group of Atlanta indie music veterans is lead by frontman Elijah Jones, who has been working on the album for two years now, writing and recording with producer Ben Allen. The album features cameos by Cee-lo Green, Asher Roth, and Jones’ niece and nephew.

There is a theme throughout the album, in which Jones sets out to describe a night in the life of Atlanta’s underbelly of partiers, druggies and boozehounds. The albums is terrifically eclectic, blending rock into progressive electronic rhythms and well soaked with fat bass grooves. The sound of individual tracks are all over the place though- the mark of an album that started out as studio experiments. You won’t be able to recommend it to friends by saying: “it sounds like _____”, but you will recommend it.

Some of the tracks on Southern Gothic have been in my “favorites” playlist for so long, they’re kind of like old friends now. I first stumbled across “Love Is A Murder” two summers back- and was instantly addicted to that buzz-saw bass line and catchy keyboard-laced chorus. Another favorite on the album is the haunting “December”, which opens with a baroque minuet, and was a chilling (in more than one way) listen while gliding through ice-cover streets during the past winter’s stormageddon. My favorite track of the album is definitely “Felicia”- just an insatiably danceable groove track that will defy anyone to stand still during a live performance.

Southern Gothic is available today at Amazon.com.

The Constellations – Setback (Kickdrums Remix)