Uncle Rock

Sunday, December 16 @ Melting Point

originally published December 12, 2007

Kids are, generally speaking, the harshest critics. They don't tend to be insulting, but they will demonstrate very clearly (and nearly immediately) that they like a certain piece of music and dislike another. In short, you'll never see 'em get bogged down in adding up the pros and cons of a given band; they'll either dance or they won't.

That said, kids have given Uncle Rock their overwhelming vote of approval (as have the New York Times, Sirius Satellite Radio and Cookie Magazine) due to his engaging live performances and his three albums Here We Go!, Plays Well With Others and Uncle Rock U. Robert Burke Warren played with Athens band Go Van Go back in the mid-'80s before moving up to New York to spend a solid 16 years rocking out with The Fleshtones. He also played the role of Buddy Holly in a production of The Buddy Holly Story in the West End of London, England. Ironically, after playing in critically acclaimed bands and portraying a legend, Warren will reach his greatest heights of fame via an audience who just wants to see the nice man with the guitar.

Uncle Rock's music is, of course, aimed at children. However, similar to classic cartoons which were also ostensibly for children, there's a good amount of clever, catchy and high-brow humor in his songs that will appeal to adults, too. "While there are plenty of celebratory, goofy sing-a-longs, the material doesn't shy away from shadowy elements of life, often showing how music can help one to face the dragon in the closet," says Warren. "Kids understand instinctively how music can help when dealing with a dragon in the closet. And I don't want to know any adults who don't." Family-priced tickets for the 4 p.m. show are available at www.meltingpointathens.com.

Gordon Lamb

Austre Giltrap

w/ Rat Babies, Goodbye Donovan, Beatrix Kiddo

Tuesday, December 18 @ Tasty World

originally published December 12, 2007

Lawrenceville/ Athens band Austre Giltrap has kept extremely busy since forming a couple of years back. Although mostly dedicated to playing live, the band has recorded a number of tracks which are available online, but, as of right now, the group has no proper album. Lead guitarist Parker Newell says, "These songs are planned to be released via CD in the forthcoming month. We just felt like it would be fair to the fans, or anyone who wanted to listen, [to] go ahead and put them up on the [web]."

The band, which recently recorded a live session at WUOG 90.5 FM, will play at Tasty World; according to Newell, that's really the band's natural habitat. "For me, that's when everything comes alive. You know, it's all about the connection with the audience, exchanging energy with everyone," he say. "The audience is what makes the show. You know, they're the lifeblood of this whole thing." Austre Giltrap features members Sarah Wilson (drums), Newell, Trey Duke (bass, vocals) and Matty Maher (vocals), and plays a blend of youthfully inspired guitar rock mixed with a healthy dose of mainstream alternative sounds.

When I first heard the group a year or so ago, I was happy to hear anything come out of Lawrenceville; now, I'm a little more on the fence. There's still elements of genuine creativity present, but there seems to be an industry-styled artificial slickness creeping into the band's sound. Hopefully, Austre Giltrap will continue to seek its own path.

When asked about the origin of the band's name, Newell says, "If you want to know about our name, you'll have to ask us in person." If you're interested, by all means, head to the show and inquire.

Gordon Lamb