Rising stars and local boys, The Constellations, are set to release their debut album, Southern Gothic, on EMI’s Virgin Records June 22. The album is all about Atlanta life after hours, while the day-walkers are fast asleep. A musically diverse amalgamation of punk rock, indie, hip-hop and even some synth thrown in for good measure, Southern Gothic is filled with ATL flavor and reflects the cultural diversity found in the city’s nightspots. “Atlanta is strange,” says frontman Elijah Jones. “Because we’re all basically pushed together.”

Southern Gothic is a musical journey featuring rich instrumentals, layered harmonies and lyrics that will get caught in your brain on repeat. The album’s opening track, Setback, is a synth pop rock diddy with outer space-inspired surprises. Its blend of almost ‘50s bebop melodies, electronics and forceful vocals merge to create a track that is sure to have your body swaying and your head bobbing to the beat. Step Right Up builds a fantastic circus-like atmosphere with sinister front vocals describing an evening spent along Ponce de Leon Avenue and in Little Five Points at places like the historic Clermont Lounge, The Drunken Unicorn and The Star Bar. The melodic R&B-style female vocals on backup lend just the right je ne sais quoi  to the track.

The Constellations are: Jones on vocals, Ryan Davis on guitar and keys, Wes Hoffman on bass, Nackers on drums, Jamie Gordon on keys, Trevor Birdsong on guitar, and Alaina Terry and Shab Bashiri on background vocals and percussion. Southern Gothic was produced by Ben H. Allen of Animal Collective and Gnarls Barkley fame and features guest appearances by the likes of Cee-Lo and Asher Roth.

MDT Hint: The band is currently giving away a FREE mp3 download of Setback at its site www.theconstellationsmusic.com, but you can also win the CD before you can buy it by entering the MyDailyThread Ultimate Tastemaker Sweepstakes.