Music News & Gossip

Threats & Promises

Music News And Gossip

originally published February 16, 2005


Hola, amigos. Yeah, whatever. Another week has passed and you know what that means, don't you? Another cattle call of events and news that will undoubtedly prove not only edifying but also extremely worthwhile. Yo, check it…

And That's That: As reported a few weeks ago in these here pages, the local pop heroes in Col. Knowledge & the Lickity-Splits were offered a record deal by Los Angeles-based Alive Records. Wouldn't you know the very day that news hit the streets the band was actually putting the signed contracts in the mail! A newly mastered Fall In Love All Over Again With Col. Knowledge & the Lickity-Splits is scheduled for a May release. The band's recent show over at the Caledonia (with 63 Crayons and Murder Beach) is a testament to the popularity of pure, unadulterated guitar-pop still present in this town. This makes my heart very glad.

Time Is Running Out: That's right, guys. It's time to submit all you interested bands to go ahead and submit your applications for the 2005 Florida Music Festival. This year Flagpole and AthensMusic.net will present an "Athens Showcase" at the Orlando event and will choose four or five local bands to perform. Described as "similar to South By Southwest with more of local/ regional focus like AthFest," the FMF takes place in Orlando, FL, May 18—21. Any Athens band that submits an application will receive a $5 discount off the $30 submission cost. However, all bands must write "Flagpole/ AthensMusic.net" on their submission forms in order to receive the discount. All submissions must be mailed, too, so don't depend on a late night email session to pull you through. Even if your band isn't selected for a showcase, you'll still receive a pass which will allow one person to attend all music showcases and workshops/industry panels. It works out to be a pretty good deal. The deadline for showcase submissions is Monday, Feb. 28. For submission forms and more information, please see www.floridamusicfestival.com.

Indigo Girls

Going Fast: Last week the 40 Watt announced a show that's coming up in early March, and tickets are already selling quickly. On Tuesday, March 1, Atlanta's Indigo Girls and Athens/ Atlanta group Magnapop perform a show that'll raise funds for the Craddock Center, a nonprofit North Georgia philanthropic group involved in a variety of education and health initiatives that benefit the region. Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers will perform an acoustic set, and tickets are near sold out, so if this kind of thing's your gig, hit up www.pitchatent.com to buy the $27 tickets. On-line ticket sales will stop on or about Sunday, Feb. 27, according to the website. [Chris Hassiotis]

Not Selling Yet, But Will: Pop rock icon Elvis Costello swings through Athens on Wednesday, April 27 with his longtime band the Imposters. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 a.m. at the Classic Center box office, and the venue opens up the phone order option at 10 a.m. They'll also be available through www.classiccenter.com or www.jomoentertainment.com, and cost $35. Costello's touring hot on the heels of two new albums, and has a live DVD release coming up this spring; expect this show to sell fast. [CH]

Extra! Extra!: Cool things are afoot in the old location of Elixir Recording. The building, a pretty nondescript place directly across the street from the entrance to the 40 Watt Club on Washington Street next door to Sunshine Cycles, has recently become home to Extra Records. The newest child in the Wuxtry Records family, Extra is stocked exclusively from the tons (literally, tons) of used vinyl and overstock/ budget-oriented CDs that have accumulated at the Atlanta and Athens Wuxtry stores. Here's the deal: all vinyl goes for $1.99 a pound. Yes you read that right. (A normal LP weighs somewhere right around one pound, by the way.) CDs sell for $4.99 each or three for $10. The store's under the auspices of Mike Turner and Eric Hernandez (owners of local label Happy Happy Birthday To Me). Extra Records will also host the occasional show - the next one being a Wednesday, Feb. 16 performance featuring K Records' own Wolf Colonel and Athens bands Visitations and Heroic Livers. For more information, please call Wuxtry downtown at 369-9428.

Strangers Talk Only 'Bout the Weather: On Saturday, Feb. 19, the Athens Institute of Contemporary Art is hosting a CD release celebration/ listening party for local band Weather Radio. Active until about 2001, the band's recently released a collection of songs called The Rest of Weather Radio (see review on p. 34). The event begins at 7:30 p.m. and will incorporate multi-media projection of slides and Super-8 films from Weather Radio performances. Tonight's event also raises money for the medical bills of Weather Radio bandleader Angie Grass; Grass - also owner of Flicker Bar & Theatre, an organizer of the Flicker Film Society, a founder of the Daily Co-op grocery and a talented visual artist - was in 2001 diagnosed with chronic fatigue immune disorder syndrome and fibromyalgia. The event's suggested donation is $6—$9. Read more about Angie Grass' art now showing at ATHICA in Art notes on p. 17. [CH]

Most Important Thing This Whole Week: Record store Low Yo Yo Stuff and restaurant Clocked have teamed up to bring Athens the best show of this entire week! On Saturday, Feb. 19 they'll present Eugene Chadbourne and Han Bennink at the Caledonia Lounge and I suggest very strongly that you be there. Percussionist Bennink has shared the studio/stage with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Misha Mengelberg, Don Cherry, Peter Brötzmann and Derek Bailey; Chadbourne has had a storied career which has seen his guitar playing take the form of rock/ pop, rockabilly, avant-folk-jazz, a one-off collaboration with Camper Van Beethoven (under the moniker Camper Van Chadbourne), and improvisational performances topped off with his unique vocal stylings and, many times, his protest lyrics. Chadbourne was a regular performer here in Athens during the early 1990s and would play the Downstairs (now known as DT's Downunder) every few months or so to enthusiastic crowds. Also on the bill this night is The Garbage Island Big Band featuring guest performers John Fernandes, Erik Hinds and Heather McIntosh. Very important note: Chadbourne and Bennink will be playing first this night, so show up early and stay late.

New Folks On The Block: You may have noticed a new store pop up over at 129 N. Hull St. recently. The place is called CD Swap and is owned by an effusively friendly guy named Randy Rutherford. He decided last year to move his operation from its original home in Loganville, GA (where it had been for 2+ years) and move it up to Athens to create a place that was like "a music store crossed with Spencer's Gifts." Dedicated to pleasing nearly all types of customers, Rutherford has stocked his store with both new and used CDs, DVDs, old-school video games and vinyl. Rutherford's also stocking T-shirts, "glassware," hats, patches, posters and pretty much all types of music and lifestyle accessories. In addition to all this, Kathy Rutherford, Randy's wife, has a small women's boutique named Five Easy Pieces in a section of the store featuring "high end clothing" and other whatnot. A "grand opening" bash for CD Swap takes place at the Georgia Theatre on Wednesday, March 2, featuring Rutherford's own band Five Easy Pieces and local band Repeater (formerly Taylor's Crime). Customers that buy anything priced $5 or more between then and now get free admission to the show. Rutherford's also looking for some more bands to round out the bill, so give him a call if interested. You can visit the store on the web at www.cd-swap.com or call 549-1011. Or, y'know, you could always just stop on by.

Deadline Approaching: Submissions are still open for this year's AthFest compilation CD. Ghostmeat Records and AthFest every year consider Athens-based acts ands solo artists, so swing by either Musician's Warehouse location to pick up/ drop off a submission form, which is also available as a pdf file on-line at www.athfest.com. AthFest always prefers unreleased songs, b-sides and exclusive stuff, but they're happy to hear anything. Deadline is Monday, Feb. 28. Shoot for the rainbow. [CH]

So much for all that. Please, for the love of God, get your news in early and always mention either me or Threats & Promises in the subject line of all emails. I'm just lookin' for a kiss via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-9523, ext. 203; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb

Gordon Lamb

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