Threats & Promises

Music News And Gossip

originally published May 5, 2004

Okay, so I'm still kicking myself for having missed what was reportedly the best performance by Tortoise to have ever graced Athens. What, you never heard of someone taking a 13-hour nap before? Sheesh...

Thoughts, Prayers and More: Amy Dykes, the spirited voice behind local disco-pop duo I Am The World Trade Center, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. Dykes and musical partner Dan Geller have been wrapping up a national tour (the same tour that saw Dykes requiring stitches due to some late-night driving in Texas) to support their upcoming third release The Cover Up, out on Gammon Records June 29. While in Virginia, Dykes was having trouble breathing and noticed some unusual swelling; she immediately went to a hospital. The two have canceled their upcoming performances and Dykes has made preparations to undergo treatment here in Athens. Any who've met Amy know that she's simply a pleasure; we wish her the best, and more. All correspondence can be sent to P.O. Box 829 Athens, GA 30603. [Chris Hassiotis]

Radio-a-go-go: Now that Twilight Criterium's up, it's time for another marathon-type event. From 12 noon on Saturday, May 8 to 12 noon on Monday, May 11, WUOG 90.5 FM staffers Mitch Jones, Lars Gotrich and Phillip Buchanan will each DJ a 24-hour set of break radio.

threats-standins.jpg

Unconstrained by normal regulations, they'll be free to play whatever they want, for a day straight. Says Gotrich, "Any contributions by local restaurants or coffee shops to keep our scrawny bodies moving would be greatly appreciated. We like burritos, pizza, coffee, chai, ginger ale, donuts, burgers, well-prepared tofu and fried chicken." Email him at lmd@wuog.org. Is this all voluntary? Did no one else sign up? Tune in, find out. [Chris Hassiotis]

Did You Say Something?: As if my hearing was already bad enough from 20+ years of loud rock shows, Southern Bitch and The Stand-Ins just took it down another notch. The volume at The Stand-Ins' CD release show a couple of weeks back at The Caledonia Lounge was seriously one of the loudest shows I've seen in awhile, and I wouldn't forgive them if they weren't so damn good that night. Although I didn't hear any of the reported "grunge" influence in their sound, what was present was plenty of hard pop American style. Also, the band did a spot-on cover of Duran Duran's paean to skin flicks "Girls on Film." I would recommend picking up their newly released CD Clean Slate wherever you normally buy that sort of thing. Southern Bitch has gotten a little less southern-sounding as the band has created a more universal style for itself. Sure, you can still pound beers and rock your ass off listening to them, but they've definitely added a little Detroit to go with that Alabama and North Florida.

Now Can We Design Some Legal Sanity?: Los Angeles based rapper Murs has collaborated with ex-Athens resident DJ Danger Mouse (AKA: Brian Burton) on the track "To A Black Boy" which will be released on the second volume of The Free Design Redesigned. The album, which is a tribute to 1960s schmaltzy - albeit very catchy - pop group The Free Design will be released by Light In The Attic Records in June. I've heard the track and it's pretty damn good. The lyrics Murs lays over the track deal with the tragic case of Rome, GA

threats-murs.jpg

resident and honor student Marcus Dixon who has been sitting in jail as a result of minimum sentencing nightmares and a healthy dose of draconian law to boot. For more information on either, visit www.lightintheattic.net or www.actforjustice.com.

New Bands Are Always Best: I've said it a million times that if you're bored with Athens music, just wait and something cool will come along. While I'm not particularly bored with Athens music at all, new-ish Athens band Parade is a reason to get excited about pop music again. Although the members have been working together over the past couple of years sending tracks to each other over the Internet, they are more focused on becoming a live phenomenon, and to this end they have just completed their debut EP. It's available for download from their website. The band has crafted a pop sound somewhere between the upstart beat of a K Records band and the dreamy cool of a Sarah Records (R.I.P.) band. They are currently booking their first shows in Athens so please keep your eyes peeled and your ears open. For more information and MP3s, head to www.weareparade.com.

Worth The Parking Hassle: Downtown Athens Recording Company is busy as hell these days. They've competed the new Sharks And Minnows album The Cost of Living and apparently it's getting rave reviews all over the place. So that's a good thing. Also, the studio has been recording stuff from Felix Culpa (which is the new project by former Fountains member Jeff Andrews), Peri Mason, The Victrolas, Bill Kirch, Mutual Admiration Society, Eclectic Roots Ensemble, The Emergency, SoundWar and Reason. The studio has been working in tandem with Atlanta's Two Sheds records, with whom they have a long association, on recording tracks for the upcoming tribute to DC's Jawbox. Heros Severum recorded the track "Whitney Walks" for the album and Great Lake Wrecks contributed "Empire Of One." News that will further solidify the relationship between Two Sheds, A.D.R.C. and Heros Severum is the news that J. Robbins, currently of Channels and formerly of Burning Airlines, Jawbox and Government Issue will be back in Athens in the next couple of months to produce/ record the newest album by Heros Severum. Robbins previously produced the band's 2002 release Wonderful Educated Bear, which was one of the finest things to come out that whole year. The new album should be available in the fall. For more information on the studio, please see www.darcsound.com. For more information on Two Sheds Records, check out www.twoshedsmusic.com and for information on J. Robbins, see www.jrobbins.net.

Crazy, Sexy, Cool: Do you like rap music? Do you feel impossibly unhip when you try to rap? Would you like another white guy to do it for you so you can just live vicariously through him? Well, Atlanta-based Master Of Ceremonies MC Chris has got your medicine. While I'm not sure exactly what his "shtick" could be called, it has been aptly described by some as "expressin' geek pain." Good enough for me. The guy is genuinely funny and knows his limitations, which is always charming and gentlemanly. His beats and tracks are fairly top-notch, though, and make a listen to him as much a musical experience as a comedic one. (No, I'm not being cruel; he means to be funny.) Apparently, I'm far from the only one that thinks this, as the man just released his third album titled Eatings Not Cheating (previous album titles? Life's A Bitch And I'm Her Pimp and Knowing Is Half The Hassle). In his other life, he makes dat cheese cartooning for the Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" programming. In other MC Chris news, a band of very special children known as Good Charlotte got ahold of some of his stuff and started playing it before all of their mega-huge brat-fests (also known as concerts). So apparently this has garnered some label attention for Chris, but who knows how this will go. The man is currently planning his new nationwide tour for summer and fall of this year and I'd like to throw Athens' hat in the ring as a potential site. For more info, MP3s and hilarity point your mouse to www.mcchris.com.

With that, I'm off like a prom dress. Please keep your news coming in and reference either me or Threats & Promises in the subject line of all emails. Did you know that with the lights out it's less dangerous via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-2360; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.

Gordon Lamb