The Burning Angels

"Cunningham takes lead vocals with a distinctively raspy, gravelly tone that is sweetened by Garcia's backing vocals. " - Flagpole Magazine

"The Burning Angels...Hell yes. It even sounds like it will tear your heart out." - Dan Sumner

"The Burning Angels...Hell yes. It even sounds like it will tear your heart out." - Dan Sumner

"The Burning Angels new release, Last Flickering Light, demonstrates a fuller & more hopping sound. " - Country Fried Rock

"Cunningham takes you to that place where sweet tea, heartbreak and slow trains never get old." - Underground Sound

"Cunningham takes you to that place where sweet tea, heartbreak and slow trains never get old." - Underground Sound

That red white & blue guitar, Buck Owens & electric Waylon all influenced Cunningham, right up until the burgeoning music scene around the University of Georgia in the late 1970s, where the neighborhood kids had regular escapades to Wuxtry Records to listen to Television (the band) and then return the opened records. - Country Fried Rock

That red white & blue guitar, Buck Owens & electric Waylon all influenced Cunningham, right up until the burgeoning music scene around the University of Georgia in the late 1970s, where the neighborhood kids had regular escapades to Wuxtry Records to listen to Television (the band) and then return the opened records. - Country Fried Rock

It’s going to be a pretty great week for Southern music in Athens, from blues to folk and beyond. The Burning Angels will embody that Southern spirit, at the same time as distinct as an Allman Brothers guitar solo and as diverse as brands of barbeque sauce produced from Texas to South Carolina.

“We like to call it Americana soul,” said Mark Cunningham, lead vocalist/guitar player of The Burning Angels and an Athens native. “But we also like to keep it so it’s kind of indescribable on a lot of stuff.”

The band is a five-piece — two guitars, bass, drums and violin — and for the past year has kept a steady schedule of shows pumped up with a very Athenian variety of rockin’ folk.

Cunningham, who was raised in Athens in the ’70s and ’80s, saw the rise of bands such as R.E.M., Pylon and the Flat Duo Jets in their prime, and paired his appreciation for the new indie vibe with his love of songwriters like Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons. From this, his song writing style was born, and he has performed in various acts around town since then.

“You know, I’ve been writing songs forever and playing in bands for a long time — [songs] just come to me,” Cunningham said. “The meter and the melody, I like to just kinda pair it to how I’m feeling.”

Rounding out Cunningham’s emotionally-loaded but cerebrally-balanced vocalizing is Natalie Garcia, who harmonizes in that oh-so-sweet Southern way (definitely some June Carter/Johnny Cash dynamic there).

Garcia matches Cunningham’s mistiness with beauty, and the songs have a familiarity that anyone who’s ever had a glass of sweet tea on a front porch will recognize.

Cunningham promises the band doesn’t just sit and strum as folk musicians are sometimes wont to do.

“It’s energetic,” he said. “We get at it pretty hard. We like to hit people hard comin’ out of the gate, take ’em up then take ’em down with our mellow stuff, then take ’em back up and then end the show.”

Occasional specials guests for a little onstage reinterpretation is not unheard of either, and The Burning Angels travel in some pretty well-renowned circles. They were in the top two for the Flagpole Upstart of the Year award last year, and have played shows with local favorites like The Whigs and Drive-By Truckers.

The band’s début album was also recently recorded by celebrated local producer John Keane, and is due out in December.

“We been just really hittin’ kinda hard in the music scene in the last year,” Cunningham said, and it doesn’t look like they have any intention of burning out any time soon. - The Red and Black

It’s going to be a pretty great week for Southern music in Athens, from blues to folk and beyond. The Burning Angels will embody that Southern spirit, at the same time as distinct as an Allman Brothers guitar solo and as diverse as brands of barbeque sauce produced from Texas to South Carolina.

“We like to call it Americana soul,” said Mark Cunningham, lead vocalist/guitar player of The Burning Angels and an Athens native. “But we also like to keep it so it’s kind of indescribable on a lot of stuff.”

The band is a five-piece — two guitars, bass, drums and violin — and for the past year has kept a steady schedule of shows pumped up with a very Athenian variety of rockin’ folk.

Cunningham, who was raised in Athens in the ’70s and ’80s, saw the rise of bands such as R.E.M., Pylon and the Flat Duo Jets in their prime, and paired his appreciation for the new indie vibe with his love of songwriters like Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons. From this, his song writing style was born, and he has performed in various acts around town since then.

“You know, I’ve been writing songs forever and playing in bands for a long time — [songs] just come to me,” Cunningham said. “The meter and the melody, I like to just kinda pair it to how I’m feeling.”

Rounding out Cunningham’s emotionally-loaded but cerebrally-balanced vocalizing is Natalie Garcia, who harmonizes in that oh-so-sweet Southern way (definitely some June Carter/Johnny Cash dynamic there).

Garcia matches Cunningham’s mistiness with beauty, and the songs have a familiarity that anyone who’s ever had a glass of sweet tea on a front porch will recognize.

Cunningham promises the band doesn’t just sit and strum as folk musicians are sometimes wont to do.

“It’s energetic,” he said. “We get at it pretty hard. We like to hit people hard comin’ out of the gate, take ’em up then take ’em down with our mellow stuff, then take ’em back up and then end the show.”

Occasional specials guests for a little onstage reinterpretation is not unheard of either, and The Burning Angels travel in some pretty well-renowned circles. They were in the top two for the Flagpole Upstart of the Year award last year, and have played shows with local favorites like The Whigs and Drive-By Truckers.

The band’s début album was also recently recorded by celebrated local producer John Keane, and is due out in December.

“We been just really hittin’ kinda hard in the music scene in the last year,” Cunningham said, and it doesn’t look like they have any intention of burning out any time soon. - The Red and Black

Formed in August this year, this group rolls all its influences up into its own brand of Americana soul. While the above lineup is mostly consistent, the group does bring on guest musicians from time to time, including Matt Dyson on dobro and banjo. Cunningham takes lead vocals with a distinctively raspy, gravelly tone that is sweetened by Garcia's backing vocals. There is definitely a country feel, but there are elements of old folk and even pop there, too. The Burning Angels are currently working on their debut album, The Descent, which should be ready by the spring of 2010 with your help! The group is accepting donations at Kickstarter.com to put toward the recording, packaging and distribution of the album. Prior to that release, The Burning Angels are planning to hit the road hard in January, and there are plenty of times you can catch 'em right here in Athens before that. Take a trip down that old dusty road at www.myspace.com/burningangels09.

Next show: Thursday, Nov. 5th @ Caledonia Lounge

- Flagpole Magazine

Formed in August this year, this group rolls all its influences up into its own brand of Americana soul. While the above lineup is mostly consistent, the group does bring on guest musicians from time to time, including Matt Dyson on dobro and banjo. Cunningham takes lead vocals with a distinctively raspy, gravelly tone that is sweetened by Garcia's backing vocals. There is definitely a country feel, but there are elements of old folk and even pop there, too. The Burning Angels are currently working on their debut album, The Descent, which should be ready by the spring of 2010 with your help! The group is accepting donations at Kickstarter.com to put toward the recording, packaging and distribution of the album. Prior to that release, The Burning Angels are planning to hit the road hard in January, and there are plenty of times you can catch 'em right here in Athens before that. Take a trip down that old dusty road at www.myspace.com/burningangels09.

Next show: Thursday, Nov. 5th @ Caledonia Lounge

- Flagpole Magazine