Colder weather lures indie rock musicians to the South

Bathed in the red hue of stage lights, Seattle's Pretty Girls Make Graves brought their unique brand of indie rock to Center Stage in Midtown. Supporting She Wants Revenge's current tour, PGMG returned to Atlanta for their fifth time since forming in 2001.

The 'Nique had a chance to discuss touring, growing as a band, and enjoying our own Dirty South with bassist and back-up vocalist Derek Fudesco, and lead vocalist Andrea Zollo; guitarist Jay Clark, multi-instrumentalist Leona Marrs, and percussionist Nick Dewitt round out the quintet.

Named after the Smith's song and Jack Kerouac quote of the same name, PGMG venture on their second tour of 2006, this time as a supporting act, at the request of She Wants Revenge.

When asked to compare headlining a tour earlier this year with their current supporting roles, Fudesco stated the experience was less stressful and more enjoyable.

This is not the first time PGMG, signed to Matador records, has toured with major label acts; previous tours have included the likes of such radio-popular acts as Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand. Matador is also home to Atlanta-native Cat Power.

PGMG released their third LP, Élan Vital earlier this year. The band derived the title from the French philosophy regarding the hypothetical force to cause development of organisms, which fits as Élan Vital takes a decidedly different approach.

With the departure of guitarist Nathan Thelen in 2004, and the introduction of Marrs, PGMG's music evolved from a foundation of dueling, frantic guitars to a layered sound, involving more keyboards and the inclusion of an accordion, courtesy of Ms. Marrs.

When asked about fans reaction to sonic evolution presented in Élan Vital both Fudesco and Zollo agreed that a majority of younger fans lost interest.While this may spell financial disaster in an industry that often prays on the fickle teenage dollar, Fudesco is indifferent: "We don't care," he said.

For an act with half a decade of experience, three full-length releases, and tours with major-label bands all under their collective belt, do PGMG plan to make the expected migration to a major label? "No. Matador is really good to us... everyone is really cool," Fudesco said.

The night's first act, Los Angeles' Monsters Are Waiting, opened the show. Reminiscent of sugary-sweet female vocals à la Cardigans set against a heavier backdrop of standard distorted guitars, bass, and drums, Monsters Are Waiting warmed the crowd for PGMG's performance. PGMG's live show included an equal serving of tracks from their popular 2003 release The New Romance and the more recent Élan Vital, with the conclusion coming from the latter's "Selling the Wind," which featured PGMG's multi-instrumentalist Marrs on accordion. Afterwards, She Wants Revenge assumed the stage.

A fledgling band formed in 2005 of former rap producers and signed to Fred Durst's ironically-named Flawless Records, She Wants Revenge seemed to indicate that sometimes, lighting effects, stage fog and droning bass lines can comprise the majority of a "live" show.

If Depeche Mode and Joy Division left a child for adoption, it would be named She Wants Revenge.

Did PGMG enjoy another visit to the Dirty South? Fudesco and Zollo both share an affinity for southern food, the iconic southern beverage sweet tea and A-town's own OutKast: "They're hard to beat," Zollo said. Favorite Atlanta hot spots to visit include Little Five Points and The Clairemont Lounge, which Fudesco and Zollo both agree has a very "David Lynch-eque quality."

Initially signed to Lookout! Records, PGMG's first track off their first LP Good Health asks, "Do you remember what the music meant?" Their earnest performance that night answers their 2002 release with a resounding yes. The members of PGMG plan to rejoin their respective side projects and return to Seattle after the conclusion of their current tour.