After Dark

Shouting out Atlanta's latest and greatest of the after-dark hours in our Best of issue has become an annual litmus test for the city's place on a larger cultural map. From the outside looking in, avant-garde rockers Deerhunter are still riding the wave of their fifth, and possibly career-defining, album Monomania. On the radio, the pep rally bellow of "2 Chainzzz" has become impossible to avoid. But here at home, in the wake of the country's recent economic woes, Atlanta's musical communities have grown tighter, the sounds that bind each one becoming increasingly defined. This year, a homegrown metal scene - best personified by the black-clad headbangers of Disfigurement and their growing fascination with the outlandish, gory aesthetics of a classic '80s sound - became a dominant force. Underground MC Scotty ATL broke adventurous new ground with his F.A.I.T.H. mixtape.

From Mayhem to heRobust to Distal, electronic music pushed the outer limits of club music. Progress and nostalgia found equal footing in Atlanta over the last year. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the ragtime and jittery rock of Cabbagetown songwriter Blair Crimmins' latest album, Sing-a-Longs. Fresh trends are revealing themselves in the likes of young indie rockers Warehouse, drummer Joe Sweat, and rising hip-hop star Rich Homie Quan. Naming the city's best artists is no easy task. We're lucky there's so much incredible talent to choose from.

— Chad Radford, Music Editor

Best Local DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » After Dark » Critics Pick

Martina McFlyy

She's a lady DJ who isn't afraid to sweat her perm out. And that ain't the half. Since graduating from Scratch DJ Academy two years ago, former Georgia State University Music Management major Martina McFlyy continues to be the choice party rocker among local tastemakers, promoters, and cool kids, bymore...

She's a lady DJ who isn't afraid to sweat her perm out. And that ain't the half. Since graduating from Scratch DJ Academy two years ago, former Georgia State University Music Management major Martina McFlyy continues to be the choice party rocker among local tastemakers, promoters, and cool kids, by bumping everything from Marvin Gaye to Major Lazer. For party-proven tenacity, check out the "TRIPPY" mixtape she put together for Reebok Classic this year. "www.martinamcflyy.com". less...

BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » After Dark » Critics Pick

Noot d' Noot

No one gets a party started quite like Noot d' Noot. If the collective experience of eight musicians who've spent their time in the trenches, wrapping their heads around everything from punk, funk, math rock, soul, jazz, and hip-hop has taught the group anything, it's how to make bodies move. "www.myspace.com/nootdnoot".more...

No one gets a party started quite like Noot d' Noot. If the collective experience of eight musicians who've spent their time in the trenches, wrapping their heads around everything from punk, funk, math rock, soul, jazz, and hip-hop has taught the group anything, it's how to make bodies move. "www.myspace.com/nootdnoot". less...

BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Archives » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » After Dark » Critics Pick

Octopus Bar (Permanently Closed)

When it comes to late-night dining, no one in Atlanta does it better than chefs Angus Brown and Nhan Le at Octopus Bar. Period. The ever-changing menu is almost always worthy of a culinary boner. Count on favorites such as smoky bulgogi barbecue with lettuce wraps, a discerning selection of raw oysters,more...

When it comes to late-night dining, no one in Atlanta does it better than chefs Angus Brown and Nhan Le at Octopus Bar. Period. The ever-changing menu is almost always worthy of a culinary boner. Count on favorites such as smoky bulgogi barbecue with lettuce wraps, a discerning selection of raw oysters, and the best lobster roll in the city. less...