FROM LEFT: TK, davis chatfield, sarah-brooks levine > Maria “Poni” Silver: You walk down the ISSUE the ettes street and people are THE FOUR finished our fourth like, “Hi!” MEMBERS of the album in London. Hames: And you’re Jeremy “Jem” Cohen: AMERICA Ettes have spent like, “What the fuck time in New York It’s coming out some- do you want?! Don’t THE NIte NIte City, Los Angeles, time in spring. touch my wallet!” myspace.com/niteniteband Berlin, and North Hames: It’s a Cohen: It’s nice how nashvilleFrom the honky tonks on Broadway to the house parties hidden down side FROM LEFT: tk, charles, tk Carolina, but they change—we recorded supportive the com- streets, this Southern metropolis makes good on the nickname Music City. seem most at the last album in town munity is, no matter But what you won’t learn from a Taylor Swift song is that Nashville also has home in Nashville— at a friend’s studio in what music you play. a thriving community of designers, artists, and entrepreneurs who have especially the after- five days, and a bunch Everyone just wants turned it into the coolest city you’ve never visited. noon we meet them of Nashville musicians to help out and is at their favorite local stopped by. really cool. BY REBECCA WILLA DAVIS. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KRISTIN EDDINGTON dive, Dino’s. Over Cohen: It’s Joe Meek French fries and a meets psychedelic- IS NASHVILLE POPULATION: 596,462 pyschometal-surf- REALLY MUSIC FACT: “The pitcher (or two) of Grand Ole Opry” has broadcast CITY? every Friday and Saturday night since beer, the beat punk Ettes. 1925, making it the longest continuously band talk to us Cohen: There’s truth running live radio program in the world. hans condor YOU MOVED TO to that name. myspace.com/thatbandhanscondor about moving to the NASHVILLE BY Hames: You’re better South and working ACCIDENT—BEN FROM LEFT: ivan, seth, tk off just asking, “What on a new album. FOLDS ASKED YOU TO HOUSE-SIT instrument do you WHAT HAVE YOU FOR HIM AND YOU play?” rather than, BEEN UP TO SINCE STAYED. WHAT’S “Are you a musician?” The Parting Gifts, RELEASING YOUR SURPRISED YOU Silver: Or, “Are you in THIRD ALBUM, DO Coco’s side project MOST ABOUT THE a band?” I don’t even with Greg Cartwright, YOU WANT POWER? CITY? know anybody who are relesing their Lindsay “Coco” Hames: Everybody’s debut album FROM LEFT: johnny “shoulders” cauffiel, maria “poni” silver, Hames: We just isn’t. myspace.com/ Strychnine Dandelion lindsay “coco” hames, and jeremy “jem” cohen. nice. theettes this month. useless eaters myspace.com/uselesseatersmemphis 12th avenue south, the street next FROM LEFT: tk, tk, and daniel to halcyon bike pujol shop, is perfect for TRISTEN exploring on two IT’S BETWEEN SETS at Nashville’s iconic wheels. here are a bluegrass venue, The Station Inn, but Tristen few places to stop: Gaspadarek can’t help but tap her toes to the beat of some imagined song. “I was a B urG er U P singer from the time I could actually talk,” 2901 12TH AVE. S. Truffled fries, Jack Daniels she says, dark chocolate eyes expanding maple ketchup, and juicy as if she can hardly believe it herself. She beef burgers sourced from PUJOL learned to play the piano at age eight, and the Triple L Ranch in nearby myspace.com/danielluccapujol Franklin round out the started writing songs at 14, but it was only superb menu here. FROM LEFT: credit tktktk when she came down to Nashville to record an album in 2007 that Gaspadarek—who Katy K’S Ranch diarrhea planet performing at the nashville’s DressING dead party at glenn danzig’s house. goes by just Tristen onstage—decided to get serious about music. Her sound, which 2407 12TH AVE. S. This vintage emporium has she describes as “neo-traditionalist pop,” is been around for a while, as much about telling stories as showcas- and the just-opened store- ing her sweet, soulful voice, both of which within-a-store, Closet Case NASHVILLE’S DEAD Vintage, has one of the most YOU DON’T HAVE to enter Glenn Danzig’s House to know having shows because this is a weird big space with a stage,” are on display on a 7-inch she released last carefully-curated selections that there’s something happening in this police precinct- he explains after a last-minute show he threw for NYLON. month and a full length, Charlatans at the halcyon bike shop in the city. turned-music venue named in honor of the Misfits frontman. Not only did he catch the attention of local bands like Heavy Garden Gate, out a February 2011. LAS Paletas Cream, Pujol, and Cy Barkley, who regularly play at Glenn myspace.com/tristentristen On a quiet, residential street, guys with long hair and head- TALLEST TREES ALTHOUGH IT’S made gear, from giv- Parker was a band includes Tyler) and 2907 12TH AVE. S. bands and girls wearing platform shoes and crop tops mill Danzig’s House and are often the focus of his posts, but myspace.com/tallesttrees ONLY 9 a.m., sweat ing us a two-wheel manager and book- an art book by Infinity Cool down from a long ride about on the sidewalk, smoking cigarettes, drinking 40s, and also Nashville celebrities like Jack White, who recently had is already starting tour of Nashville. “It’s ing agent, has found Cat’s Bob Orall. “It with an avocado, tamarind, FROM LEFT: zack, seth, wez or chili hot chocolate chatting quietly. But it’s only once you go through the metal Nashville’s Dead curate two nights of shows at the Third Man to trickle down our simple little things, a way to meld her was kind of uninten- gourmet popsicle from this door and enter this concrete bunker that you hear it: loud rock Records space. (We spotted White’s Dead Weather cohort, necks as we bike like a bicycle ride, that creative interests with tional—we wanted upscale hole-in-the-wall. ’n’ roll that will leave your ears ringing for days. Nashville is Jack Lawrence, at aforementioned free, all-ages show.) And down a tree-lined resi- completely change her business venture. Halcyon to be a com- lation (the city was full of creative types attracted to the cheap rent and laid-back while Todd has big plans for Nashville’s Dead—including a dential street and turn your day,” she says, Shop mechanics munity place, but the just awarded an $8 lifestyle, but only in the past couple of years has anyone tried label to put out his friends’ music—the bottom line remains onto a bustling com- smiling as we lock include members bike shop has been million grant for more to harness this energy. Chief among them is Ben Todd, who pretty basic: “Everybody loves to party; I threw this together mercial strip behind up our bikes to get from Nashville bands a connecting place bike initiatives), the started the local music blog Nashville’s Dead a year ago with in two days and everybody came out and partied so hard. As Elise Tyler. Not even breakfast at Fido, a Jeff the Brotherhood, for a lot of different shop runs a non-profit a friend (who has since moved to New York City). Just a few long as I can put on shows with good bands for cheap and the 95 degree heat is nearby café (whose Heavy Cream, and people, which is cool arm, which teaches weeks after launching the site, Todd moved into a new apart- it’s all ages, I’ll keep doing this forever.” stopping the co-own- name was inspired by Natural Child, and to see,” she says. It’s homeless and under- ment, and inspiration struck: “It was like, alright, let’s start nashvillesdead.com er of Halcyon Bike the previous tenant, for sale are creative not just hipsters who privileged youths NATURAL CHILD Shop, a two-year-old a pet store). Tyler, goods like bike bags are supported by how to work on two- myspace.com/naturalchildband store that sells used who before opening by local designer Halcyon; in addition wheelers in exchange bicycles, recycled and Halcyon with her Alexia Abegg (whose to serving Nashville’s Album covers, press photos, live shots…if you’re a Nashville for free bikes. SOUND OFF new parts, and locally now-husband Andrew sewing co-op growing biking popu- band, Bekah Cope has probably snapped your photo. six up-and-coming nashville bands halcyonbike.com bekahcope.com 000 you need to know. THIRD MAN JEFF THE INFINITY RECORDS CAT BROTHERHOOD THERE ARE A lot of rules at Jack White’s Third Man LAST MARCH, JAKE and Jamin Orrall of Jeff Records. Visitors are not permitted to take pho- The brothers Orrall have where jeff the been playing music the Brotherhood decided to make a change. tos of the office (which features mounted buffalo together since 2001—and “We both quit our jobs, moved out of places, brotherhood go to get over a hangover: heads, hippo skulls, and floor-to-ceiling images of have been running a music put our stuff in storage, and tried to book as label for nearly as long. the Stooges), employees are not allowed to wear many shows in New York as we could,” explains anything but white or yellow button-down shirts, and Infinity Cat’s past-and- LA HacIenda present roster is a who’s younger sibling Jake.