FOLLOWING SEVERAL DATES opening for Nine Inch Nails in August and early September with his band Deerhunter, local experimental musician Bradford Cox finds himself yet again touring in support of a giant of the '90s alternative rock scene. This time Cox's solo project, Atlas Sound, will open for Stereolab.
On its debut album "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel," released earlier this year, as well as on "Logos," an album scheduled for release this fall that was accidentally leaked online last month, Atlas Sound proves to be a more ambient project that recalls the likes of the Velvet Underground, Brian Eno and Sonic Youth. And while Deerhunter has been known to put on an outrageously energetic live show, Atlas Sound's mix of guitars, electronics, found sounds and vocals is much more subdued, with Cox reproducing these audio collages alone in a live setting.
Atlas Sound's melancholy is the result of Cox recounting some of the most tragic moments of his life with cryptic lyrics and droning, reverb-laden instrumentation. So anyone expecting the over-the-top theatricality of Deerhunter (which was actually toned down during the band's stint with Nine Inch Nails) might be surprised to find this more ethereal side of Cox.
As Atlas Sound finds itself right in the middle of its leg of the Stereolab tour, the Athens native returns to two towns he calls home this weekend before hitting the road yet again with Deerhunter starting with a hometown Halloween performance at Variety Playhouse. And with that tour keeping him on the road until December, you never know when Atlas Sound might take to an Atlanta stage again.
THE 411: Stereolab with Atlas Sound and Harris Twins. $20 in advance; $22.50 at the door. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 26. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave., Little Five Points. 404-524-7354, www.variety-playhouse.com.
$15. 9 p.m. Sept. 27. 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St., Athens. 706-549-7871, www.deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com, www.40watt.com.