As host of Local Load-In on 100.9 The Creek, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to share some of the great original independent music coming out of Central Georgia. There is a wealth of staggering talent, boundless creativity, and striking diversity in these parts that cannot be denied. These albums and singles (in no particular order) offer just a sample of the bountiful crop of music that popped up from Central Georgia in the past year (or so) and as I like to say on the show, “I hope you find something new, something you like, and something to remind you that Macon has a lot to offer if you just go out there and give a listen.” -Justin Cutway
Jak the Act
Still Not Content
Jak the Act’s Still Not Content slices through the ear with razor-sharp wit, restless rhythm, and near-flawless production. Stylish and clever, this album drips cool. Jak the Act walks a lyrical edge between stream of consciousness and thesaurus-like precision, with a flow that is mesmerizing. Supported by the classic beats of collaborator Bear and channeling basement-show energy, Still Not Content gets loose enough to stay fun while maintaining a level of defiant cool. This results in a disarmingly complex album.
Giant DeNiro
Live from The Creek (EP)
The self-described absurdist punk outfit Giant DeNiro from Milledgeville has been churning out irreverent and eclectically minded singles for a little over a year. The three listener friendly songs on Live from The Creek are a perfect example of how Giant DeNiro has mastered the balance between terrifyingly goofy and shockingly emotional. No topic or musical expression is off limits for this group of hard-working, energetic, and slyly insightful musicians. When I got to meet and interview the band for Local Load-In and hear these stripped-down versions of their tunes, I was floored. You will be too… and maybe a little more prepared for the impending eternal cat war.
blue.
And All Things Considered (EP)
Missing that 90s pop-punk sound in the modern musical soundscape? On And All Things Considered the Milledgeville power trio blue. delivers that same raw energy and straight-ahead rock mentality in a concise and powerful package. The chugging guitar riffs, driving bass, and thunderously precise drums provide the perfect backdrop for the passionate vocals. This classic musical mix is combined with personal and authentic lyrics, exploring themes like addiction, anxiety, and loss. It leaves the listener feeling thoughtfully provoked, slightly bruised, and oddly comforted.
Blacc Mel
Business and Pleasure
Business and Pleasure by Blacc Mel is a velvet-gloved handshake hiding a brass knuckle grip. The motivating hooks and wise verses could sound just as comfortable in boardrooms as they do in the neighborhood. There’s a Southern slickness here (polished, but never too clean). Hustle anthems slow dance with late-night confessionals and spirituals, all the while inspiring growth and change. Blacc Mel crafts his art like a man who knows both sides of the deal and derives empowerment from rhyming about it. It’s grown-folk rap: stylish, savvy, and smooth as aged bourbon.
Sabir
Space to Grow
On Space to Grow, Sabir tackles growth, motivation, and persistence with introspective lyrics that resonate universally. His emotional and captivating delivery creates feels like it’s part advice, part cautionary tale. There’s a touch of vulnerability in every note, but also resolve. Sabir skillfully combines this talent with soulful beats, laid back rhythms, and a range of sonic shifts. Space to Grow demonstrates that in life (and in music), confidence and reflection can be as entertaining as they are fulfilling.
Macon Music Revue
Macon Music Revue
Macon Music Revue brings Macon’s musical DNA to life each and every week at Grant’s Lounge with reverence and a genuine sense of reinvention. This is the next generation of Macon’s uber-talented and passionate musicians, not just showcasing its history but embodying its spirit. Macon Music Revue’s self-titled homage to the soul, grit, and groove of this city is full of well-known classics and a few deep cuts. Recorded at world famous Capricorn Studios, each track is a study in precision, production, and feel. The whole album is sprinkled with a horn section that takes this thoughtfully chosen group of songs to the next level. This isn’t nostalgia – it’s renewal, sung loud and played proud from our hometown to the world.
Out this Summer
Robert Hudgins
Lunar Promise
With Lunar Promise, Robert Hudgins uses his incomparable understanding of digital creation (and perhaps a bit of moon dust) to make catchy instrumentals that are as cool as they are intellectual. His technology-fueled creativity is often driven by brilliant computer crafted bass melodies. It sounds like a love letter written in glitch and rhythm, sealed with hypnotic harmonies. Hudgins weaves a familiar sense of warmth with these modern techniques, building tracks that can as easily be the soundtrack to the cosmos as a simple walk downtown. Lunar Promise invites you to drift, listen, and maybe even dance a little.
Singles
- Tier Blue — Get It From You
Catchy, yet aggressive. Pop savvy, but guitar driven. - Lunar Lighthouse — Can’t Stay
Epic in scope. Dancy by nature. Sonically intense. - Oh Dorian — total solar eclipse (to say I love you is all that I can do)
Glitchy, ambient, and expansive, like a peaceful digital ocean. - New Saint Nicholas — Death is on my Back
Haunting sounds and contemplative lyrics crafted to vulnerable perfection. - Andy Johnson — Dumpster Diving
Sensationally slick guitar lines with a funky blues sensibility. - Erica Carr — Wonder
Gorgeously vintage sound + a timeless song= eloquent easy vibes - Bometheus — Level Up
Incredibly cool indie-pop leaning tune with clever throwback vibes. - Shy Company — Growing Pains
The gritty truth presented with glorious sonic perfection. - Sweet Earth Flying — Cloud Stuberfield
Sit back, relax, and try to keep track of your mind… - Blak 9earl — Southern Soul PAAAARRRRTTYYYY
Just turn it up and get down! - Washed Out — Got Your Back
Easy, electric beat for which the chill wave band is known. - Mike Clark Jr. — Keep on Steppin
You can’t help but bob your head or line dance to this one.
