originally published December 27, 2006

Okay gang, this is the final Threats & Promises of 2006, so pat yourselves on the back for sticking with me the whole time. Feel free to buy me a drink, too. You're reading Flagpole's year-end issue, which covers two weeks; since the paper doesn't publish again until Wednesday, Jan. 10, you're getting a heaping helping of news this time around. As I lead you into 2007, everyone hold hands and look both ways…

Second Chances: Nic Goodson of local band Sleepy Horses was admitted to the hospital a few weeks back after taking an overdose of sleeping pills and spent five days in intensive care and three days in a regular ward before being released. Goodson reports that he's been suffering lately from depression and that, by all medical accounts, is incredibly lucky to be alive. "Right now, I am recovering back in Texas," says Goodson via email. "One of my legs is paralyzed but is slowly coming out of it. I am resting and learning to walk again. I plan to return to Athens very soon… hopefully in January, at which point I plan on continuing my music and beginning my second life." All shows by the heavy-touring Sleepy Horses have been canceled for now, and Nic, we're all pulling for you from this end. Goodson and the band can be contacted via www.myspace.com/sleepyhorses.

Down 316: So you say you're bummed that many Athens clubs can't be open on Sunday, Dec. 31? And that you haven't gotten an invitation to any cool parties? And that, screw it, you're just going to go ring in the New Year in Atlanta? Well buddy, you won't be alone, as a bunch of Athens acts are flooding that town to the west. Widespread Panic is playing at the Roxy on Friday, Dec. 29 and at Philips Arena on Saturday, Dec. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 31. Dubconscious and Reason:Biodynamics fill out Smith's Olde Bar on Dec. 30–31, and the Drive-By Truckers also have a back-to-back stint those same two nights at the Variety Playhouse.

All Packed Up: Continuing in the ATL takeover, local bluegrass steamroller Packway Handle Band is setting up an Atlanta residency of sorts. The band will perform every Tuesday night in January at Smith's Olde Bar, so if you're a bluegrass fan, swing on down for the 8 p.m. shows (or at least call your city friends and have 'em stop by to buy our boys a brew).

So Hungry: The mighty Jucifer swings through town on Monday, Jan. 8 at the Georgia Theatre, and the duo reports it'll probably be the last time Jucifer plays in Athens for a while - maybe even a whole year - as a tour of the West is up next for Amber'n'Ed, and then Canada, and then Europe, all to spread the word about the heavy new disc If Thine Enemy Hunger.

A Soviet's Return: I don’t think anyone would have ever seen this one coming, but former Atlanta band Some Soviet Station has decided to reunite at least for one show. The former house-show-staple, which contained future Paper Lions members and Athenians Chris McNeal, Justin Snyder and Jesse Smith, will open for Mission of Burma at Atlanta’s EARL on Saturday, Jan. 13. Well, that’s a good enough reason to reunite, right? Tickets are still available, but going quickly at $20 a pop, so grab ‘em while you can over at www.okproductions.net.

Klein Keeps Kicking: Local songwriter and world-traveler Adam Klein continues to ply his craft all over the place. For example, the dude just did a string of his solo acoustic shows throughout the Northeast and will do a few more up that way after he takes off to Israel for a few weeks. His return to Athens will happen Monday, Jan. 22 over at Tasty World. Sure, that’s a ways off, but you can check out some new recordings he has posted online over at www.myspace.com/adamkleinmusic.

Upcoming And Cool: Sure, your schedule is all a-jumble because of the holidays, but come January, you’re gonna need stuff to do, right? Well, there’s a lot of cool upcoming shows and since advance tickets are available for the ones I’m gonna mention, that gives them priority since someone else obviously thinks you should plan ahead, also. On Saturday, Jan 20, the Melting Point hosts “An Intimate Evening with Five Eight” and tickets are available over at www.meltingpointathens.com. The 40 Watt hosts Camera Obscura on Friday, Jan. 19, The Lemonheads on Saturday, Jan. 27 and the mighty Mastodon along with the equally killer Converge on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Ticket info is available at www.40watt.com. Don’t say no one told ya.

Just A Small-town Boy: By now, everyone in the free world knows that Danger Mouse (AKA Brian Burton) lived in Athens for a while before going off and getting all famous by doing a lot of stuff. But what some of you may not know is that the man who recorded and mixed the Gnarls Barkley album St. Elsewhere, currently nominated for Album of the Year by the Grammy people along with the single “Crazy” up for Record of the Year, is a true-life Athens native named Ben H. Allen. Allen owns and operates Maze Studios in Atlanta, which also houses Cee-Lo Green’s personal writing room. Allen has worked with lots of artists, including Christina Aguilera, P. Diddy, Mase and more, and is currently involved in putting together a Gorillaz-type project called The Constellations which will feature musicians and vocalists from Athens and Atlanta. Very cool, sir, and congratulations.

Certainly Better Than Pearls: So there's this new "a diamond is forever" commercial on TV where a dude creepily puts a diamond necklace on his sleeping lady's neck. It's got Cat Power singing a version of the Cat Stevens song "How Can I Tell You." Seen it? Local musician Liz Durrett recently posted on her MySpace blog that the ad agency behind the commercial had contacted her to submit demo versions of several songs in consideration for the same commercial. The agency ultimately went with the Cat Power cover, but you can hear Durrett's version at www.myspace.com/lizdurrett.

Pop Eats Itself: Of Montreal's colossal new album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is coming fast, and the band's label Polyvinyl Records is making sure there's a bunch of stuff for fans to buy. The new EP Icons, Abstract Thee, featuring songs not available on Hissing Fauna, is available only at shows or online. The "She's a Rejecter" 7" record is available on either blue or yellow vinyl, and it features that song, another Hissing Fauna track ("Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider") and the unavailable-anywhere-else B-side "Little Rock." You can also nab yourself a copy of the aimed-at-deejays, black-label, limited-to-500-copies 12" vinyl pressing featuring the tracks "Faberge Falls For Shuggie" and "She's a Rejecter." Add to that posters and package deals where you can get copies of all six Of Montreal Polyvinyl full-lengths for just $50, and you pretty much owe it to yourself to at least take a gander over at www.polyvinylrecords.com. (Oh, and then there's this: people who buy copies of the new Of Montreal disc online will receive it more than a week before it's available in stores. Be the coolest kid on your block!) Of Montreal next plays Athens on Saturday, Mar. 24 at the 40 Watt Club.

Strong Start: New Athens band Down With The Woo made its local debut a couple of weeks back opening for the Roosevelt reunion show at the 40 Watt Club. The already-busy band, which came from the remnants of the truly incredible Heros Severum, had an EP available at the show which I failed to grab, but you can sample some of it over at www.myspace.com/downwiththewoo. I haven't yet come up with the words to accurately describe this band, and so far “minimal funk” and “post-punk” have run through my brain, but none seem to do justice. I’m gonna work on this.

To The Max: Well, last week's threat turned out to be a promise in the case of The Max Canada. Downtown bar Room 13 has been purchased by local dudes Shannon Marshall (formerly a fixture at Lunch Paper) and Neal Nelson, and they are to take over the joint as of Jan. 1, 2007. Nelson reports that the staff will remain, as will all the pool tables, and that, yes, there will be some live shows happening. Although there is no assuredness that live shows will happen several nights a week (that’s actually doubtful), Nelson says the idea is to never charge a cover for shows. He also adds, “I can’t imagine not having bands. We want to see them!” The first show scheduled for the newly-christened room is the metal-charged Baroness, on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

The Winner Is…: This is the time of year when every cob-nobbler with a pen scrawls out a “Top Ten” list or some such thing, so I figured I’d go ahead and ruin their day. Hands down, without a doubt, the local-ish record title of the year goes to Atlanta band The Despised for the album Punk! It’s Not For Rich Kids Anymore. There may have been better music, and there certainly were better-looking groups out there, but no one beats this title at all.

As we slide into a new year, I urge all of you to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Happy New Year via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.

Gordon Lamb