In Tune: Warren Hudson, owner of Decatur CD
After Decatur CD owner Warren Hudson had sent a dozen customers to Walmart for the new DVD from local country sensations Sugarland because of their exclusive distribution deal with the big-box retailer, he made his disapproval public by penning an open letter to the band. It stated, “By shutting the door on independent record
In Tune: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ didn’t set out to take a twelve-year hiatus. For the decade and a half following its formation in 1985, the Atlanta band was tireless, putting out eight albums and touring with bands such as the Who, the Allman Brothers, and R.E.M. The success of 1991’s “Fly Me Courageous” and R
In Tune: Lovell Sisters
In 2005, Jessica Lovell, now twenty-three, was nearly through her premed program at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, when she and younger sisters Megan, twenty, and Rebecca, eighteen, played one of their first gigs as a band—to a listening audience of more than 4 million. The show? A Prairie Home Companion’s teen talent contest on NPR, which the Calhoun, Georgia, trio won with their practiced vocal harmonies, wholesome vibe, and blend of acoustic country and bluegrass. As listene
In Tune: Bryan-Michael Cox
Songwriter, producer, and four-time Grammy Award–winner Bryan-Michael Cox—aka B. Cox—is the man behind some of R&B’s biggest hits, including number ones for Usher (“Burn”), Mariah Carey (“Don’t Forget About Us”), and Mary J. Blige (“Be Without You”). The single thirty-one-year-old is based in Atlanta, but you’re just as likely to find him in L.A., Houston, or New York, writing for artists such as Toni Braxton, Ron I
In Tune: Collective Soul
The four members of Collective Soul spent nearly three months in lead vocalist Ed Roland’s South Carolina lakeside cabin earlier this year, swimming, playing Ping-Pong, and most importantly, writing and recording their latest release, due out August 25. Their second self-titled album, referred to as the “rabbit record” be
In Tune: Maestro.fm
Greg Shrader, cofounder of online start-up Maestro.fm, is outside a Decatur coffee shop listening to his favorite Atlanta band, The Constellations, on his iPhone. He has never downloaded the tune onto his phone, and it’s not taking up any space there—his copy of the song is miles away on his personal computer. But as long as Maestro.fm’s Connector software is
In Tune: Big Boi
In a ten-minute conversation with Big Boi, you can learn a lot, such as the perils of robbing his wife’s boutique, the ways in which Shirley Franklin has let down Atlanta, and how he wishes his financial advisers had told him to invest in gold. Big Boi, whose Christian name is Antwan Patton, is one-half of Outkast and one hundred percent his own man. We sat down with him in Austin, Texas, minutes before he took the stage for a 12:40 a.m. set at the annual South-by-Southwest music conferenc