R to L: Erin Watson, Davina Masicyzk, Katy Keene, Emily Boyd, Brittany Huntman, Shawn Williams, Elizabeth Hiott & Julie Arko

It’s official…Elvis is alive and well and living in Atlanta. At least in the hearts and minds of the seven girls in the all-female Elvis tribute band, the Pelvis Breastlies, that is. Formed just a little over a month ago, the group has already had a successful debut gig at The Inman Park Festival and The 5 Spot, the city has been plastered by the bands highly recognizable logo stickers, and their Facebook fan page gains more loyal followers by the minute. With their first full-length show all set for July 1st at The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge, it appears that the Pelvis Breastlies have Atlanta “All Shook Up!”

Rumors have already been swirling around as to the how the band actually came to fruition. I had heard everything from a joke, to a dare, to a drunken idea at a bar in Little 5 Points. Shawn Williams (99X) , the masterminding engineer of the PB’s , laughingly set the record straight. “Ha! The rumors are already beginning? The concept actually began with my obsession with Elvis. Katy Keene (keys) and I had been talking about starting a band. One night, I was sitting at home listening to some Elvis, and it hit me! I was like “Hey Shawn, let’s start an all female Elvis Tribute Band!” I thought of a play on the words Elvis Presley…and came up with Pelvis Breastlies. I’m always coming up with crazy ideas, new hobbies, projects, but this one is, by far, my absolute favorite! I made a Facebook page, and asked if any females, who love Elvis, wanted to be in an all female Elvis tribute band. The seven of us barely knew one another, but after our first practice, we all realized that we ladies had an awesome connection…and natural talent (some of them had never played an instrument before).” And so it came to be that Shawn Williams (guitar), Katy Keene (keys), Elizabeth Hiott (drums), Emily Boyd (ukelele), Davina Masicyzk (percussion), Brittany Huntman (bass) and Erin Watson (lead vocals) were cosmically brought together by fate.

Front and center of the band is Erin Watson (100.5), who has an amazing stage presence to go along with her sultry vocals. I asked Watson about her vocal/stage background and how it feels to be representing “The King”. “I’ve always known I wanted to sing and perform. My family used to say I had too much personality for such a young girl. I think that was just a nice way of saying, “This girl’s too much to handle!” I come from a musical family. Both of my parents sang all the time. My mom played piano, while my aunts and uncles would pick and sing Gospel songs. Since I was about two years old, I used to dress up like Jem (the cartoon rockstar from the 80′s) and would sing and dance around the house. I’ve always loved being on stage, whether in plays or in the choir. I’ve never had any formal training, just a genuine love for music and using my voice. All I’ve wanted to do since I was too young to know any different was sing, play music, and travel while doing it. I’ve been in three other bands, and still have my original band, Altovox, but, I feel like this band is so special. All the girls are on the same page about what we want out of this…to pay the best tribute to the “King” as possible and look good while doing it! I love Shawn Williams, for being the quirky girl that she is and making this dream become a reality.”

Manager, Julie Arko, commented on the unprecedented positive support of the group. “Considering the band has only been together for a little over a month, the response has been overwhelmingly amazing! We started getting contacted almost immediately by venue owners, photographers, etc, wanting to be a part of this idea, and to offer their help. It’s been fantastic! Right now, the girls are just working really hard to bring more great music to the local venues as quickly as possible.“

At this juncture, the future of the Pelvis Breastlies looks infinitely promising. With the musical and marketing talents of each member, this band appears to be on the fast track to destinations unknown. I asked Shawn about her plan and vision for the group and where she sees the Pelvis Breastlies ultimately ending up. “Well, I never really had a “plan” of how this whole amazing adventure would go. The energy in these ladies, the love for Elvis, and the love from our friends and their friends, has kinda blown me away. It’s beyond exciting!! We are just taking things as they come at us. We would love to play venues outside of Georgia, Elvis festivals, train stations, etc.. The main point of this whole idea was to have fun and to help in any way that I can, to keep Elvis’ music around for generations to come.”

Your next chance to catch the brilliantly bedazzled Pelvis Breastlies live is July 1, 2010 at The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. Tickets are not available yet, but I am predicting a line around the block. Until then, here is a link to some amateur video that captured a very impromptu performance at The Five Spot last weekend.

Sample if you like: Breaking Benjamin, Red, Trapt, Crossfade
Sound: Alternative / Pop / Rock
Location: Atlanta, GA

Atlanta power trio, FERVoR, recently released their new single, “Habitual”. The band had a release party in the song’s honor on January 29th at The Hard Rock in Atlanta, just before the band left for a three month tour across the country. A new EP will be released later this year, and fans can enjoy “Habitual” to hold them over in the meantime. The song has been embraced by their fans and circulating in conversations across the local music scene. Existing fans can expect FERVoR to stay true to the sound they’ve always loved, with the music not sounding like something they’ve already heard. Those new to FERVoR will get a taste of the band at its best, as it has already proven to win over fresh followers. The song opens with a taunting, yet inviting sound foreshadowing the theme to come. The song’s lyrics are sexual, with a steamy chorus of foreplay and teasing from his unrequited love. The smooth, hypnotic vocals are paired with a deep bass and hard hitting drums, making the song sound intense and far from crybaby pop. The bridge features drums that build with anticipation and a provoking guitar, sealing the song as explosive and impressive. Similar to the theme of Offspring’s “Self Esteem” this song could be a radio hit, as well as the new anthem for girls working the poles. As always, FERVoR delivers a song that’s easy to connect with on many levels. Everyone can relate to the tormented lyrics and the music appeals to a wide fan base. The single is available for purchase now both on iTunes and CDBaby.

RFR Rating:
Both Rock Fists Up
lml lml

FERVoR is:
Vocals/ Guitar- Low Kung
Bass- Nathan Sturge
Drums- Justin Little

www.myspace.com/fervor  

You can purchase FERVoR’s single “Habitual” from iTunes or cdbaby.
iTunes click on this link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/habitual/id351967966
cdbaby click on this link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fervorrock4

Upcoming Shows:

Feb 12 2010 8:00P
Mike’s Corner Pocket
Jefferson City, Missouri

Feb 13 2010 8:00P
Andrews
Denver, Colorado

Feb 15 2010 9:00P
The Bouquet
Boise, Idaho

Feb 16 2010 6:00P
The Blvd
Spokane, Washington

Feb 17 2010 8:00P
Cedarwood Dome
Milton, Washington

Feb 18 2010 9:00P
Fuel
Seattle, Washington

Feb 19 2010 9:00P
Tiger Bar
Portland, Oregon

Feb 21 2010 9:00P
Fantasy Hall
Lancaster, California

Feb 22 2010 8:30P
TRiP
Santa Monica, California

Feb 23 2010 8:00P
diPiazza’s
Long Beach, California

Feb 24 2010 9:00P
Copper State Tavern
Phoenix, Arizona

Feb 26 2010 10:00P
Sundance’s Place
Prescott, Arizona

Feb 28 2010 7:00P
The Orchid Chamber
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Mar 3 2010 10:00P
Headhunters
Austin, Texas

Mar 5 2010 9:30P
The Forum
New Orleans, Louisiana

Mar 6 2010 9:00P
The Nick
Birmingham, Alabama

Mar 7 2010 8:00P
Liquid Scrips
Orlando, Florida

Mar 10 2010 9:00P
The Village Tavern
Charleston, South Carolina

Mar 11 2010 9:00P
House of Tunes Music Hall
Beaufort, South Carolina

Mar 12 2010 8:00P
The Rock-It Club
Bluefield, West Virginia

Mar 13 2010 9:00P
Zakk’s Coffeehouse
Murfreesboro, North Carolina

Mar 17 2010 2:00P
SXSW (3/17-3/21)
Austin, Texas

Mar 20 2010 7:00P
The Chuggin Monkey (Red Gorilla Music Fest @ SXSW)
Austin, Texas

Apr 16 2010 9:00P
Vinyl
Atlanta, Georgia

Director: Chuck Moore
DP: Pete Wages
Label: 50 Records
Location: Atlanta, GA

Elevation has recently released their video for “Razoreyes”, a song with today’s popular electronic rock sound paired with the edgy, modish look of its members. The beginning has a dramatic tone, opening the video with the band appearing on a TV to actress, Kimberly Stewart. This leads into dark lighting with brightly colored lights highlighting the background, awkward camera angles and close-ups of the guys, and shots that go in and out of focus. This approach gives it a very MTV, modern rock feel. The video quality is professional, allowing the band to put their best foot forward, no apologies required. The way the director chose to use the lights is really what makes the video pop and avoid the lack luster of an almost bare room. The song itself goes back and forth from a playful rift to a more intense chorus, and the director definitely accentuated these changes in melody. The tortured actress wanders during the video and eventually axes the TV, a use of symbolism that coincides with the lyrics. Elevation has certainly proven itself with their video as well as their album “Strangelove” that they are making moves in the local music scene. They not only demand attention, but deserve it.

ROCK FIST REVIEWS would also like to congratulate Elevation on winning MTVU’s “The Freshman” video competition. The guys beat out four other artists and the video is now in on-air rotation.

Elevation’s debut record “Strangelove” is available for purchase now at iTunes and Best Buy.

Links:
www.myspace.com/elevation
www.youtube.com/elevationband
www.facebook.com/home.php#/elevationband?ref=ts
http://50entertainment.com

Director/ Producer: Tim Daust (Reelmind Studios)
Label: Lower 40 Records
Location: Atlanta, GA

Music videos can be very expensive. This is especially true for local bands that already have enough financial woes to worry about, like merch and gas to get to shows. However, Reel Mind Studios proves that you don’t need to roll out the high dollars to get good film quality and a video you can take pride in. Director and producer, Tim Daust, managed to capture the essence of who Chris Unck is and of the song’s meaning. The clips on the street and in the tattoo parlor give it a rustic, indie vibe that the everyday Joe can relate to, which also meshes well with the lyrics. As the video opens, we see Chris getting tattooed at local Atlanta parlor, 13 Roses Tattoos. Throughout the duration of the song we see him walking through the East Atlanta bar district and Krog Street, where local graffetti makes for excellent back drops. Joined by a blonde beauty, we see simple romantic interactions from teasing to walking side by side illustrating a connection and connecting with viewers as well. The video is simple and thus accents the song.

NEW Album “Ridiculous Ridiculous” available now on iTunes.

Chris Unck MySpace: www.myspace.com/chrisunck
Lower 40 Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=chris+unck+%26+The+black+roses&init=quick#/group.php?gid=55070663965
Lower 40 MySpace: www.myspace.com/lower40