originally published January 10, 2007

So this is Happy New Year. Hope it’s been, um, happy so far for you folks. A lot of news and stuff has piled up since we last spoke, so let’s jump in feet first. Jump for my love below…

One Thing to Remember: As generally happens around this time of year, the new edition of the Flagpole Athens Music Directory is currently under construction and coming together fast. To get your local band, label, store or service listed - or to update your existing listing - just visit www.flagpole.com and click on the handy button that'll take you right to an easy-to-use form. This thing’s invaluable, and will help you book gigs, find equipment and work towards a more successful life. Among other features, bands can able to post mp3s and pictures.

Um, Dude, Did You Mail That Yet?: It’s time for any of you local musicians and bands that want to be considered for the 2007 AthFest compilation CD. Only submissions for Athens bands are being considered for inclusion. The deadline is Jan. 31, and you’ll have to visit www.athfest.com and download the application. All previous AthFest compilations are still available, so if you're for whatever reason unfamiliar with them, go to the website and check them out. For more on the process behind the album, watch out for Flagpole's interview with Russ Hallauer, the guy behind the comp, in next week's paper.

Woof: So the 40 Watt Club is hosting a benefit concert for Athens Canine Rescue on Friday, Jan. 12. Titled "Rock for Paws," the event features a bevy of talented local songwriters: Summer Hymns, Count Kellam and his backing band and Leslie Helpert in her new trio with Neal Fountain and Jeff Reilly. Tickets cost $8 and are on sale now at downtown record shops.

Can’t Bust His Flavin: Local musician Jesse Flavin is currently busy finishing up a full-length recorded project with engineer Andy Baker and plans to have everything done by mid-January. Although he hasn’t decided if he’s going to - pending a willing coconspirator who will assist - release the project under a “band name” or simply under the name "Jesse Flavin," he did reveal that the project is packed with quality local folks. Like who? Well, scout, how about Liz Durrett, Rob Lomax, Brent Jones, Jeremy Wheatley, Colin Jones and Amanda Kapousouz, that’s who.

This Is Mattox Country: Hard-working dude Bain Mattox is currently recording a solo acoustic album with legend John Keane and will wrap it up soon. At least, he’d better wrap it up soon, because he’s planned a release show for Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Flicker Theatre & Bar. Mattox, who released his album Prizefighter in 2005, had a pretty big year in 2006 and, so far, this year seems to be going okay as well. Visit him over at www.myspace.com/bainmattox.

A Banner Year: The folks behind Atlanta’s Philips Arena have raised a permanent banner in the facility to commemorate and honor Widespread Panic's 15 consecutive sellout shows at the space. Dating back to 1999, Widespread Panic has consistently packed its shows at Philips Arena and, as Arena president Bob Williams said, “Widespread Panic's 15 consecutive sellouts at Philips Arena over an eight-year span is a remarkable feat.” Widespread Panic fans summed up the occasion by uttering a collective “Dude!” and heading to the falafel stand. The banner was raised during the group's Dec. 31, 2006, show at the arena.

What A Thrilla: Current Nebraska resident Orenda Fink, one half of the superb-but-disbanded ex-Athenian band Azure Ray, has a new outfit called Art in Manila. Hilariously (at least to me), the band was originally named Art Bell, but due to potential legal problems, it was changed. Formed by Fink and Adrianne Verhoeven (The Anniversary), the band is mind-bogglingly packed with talent, including Dan McCarthy (Bright Eyes, Mayday) on keyboards, Steve Bartolomei (guitar), Ryan Fox (bass) and drummer Corey Broman. Already the group has recorded an as-yet-unreleased debut album with Joel Petersen of Broken Spindles and, more famously, The Faint. Currently searching for a label, I can’t imagine there won’t be a few chomping at the bit to put this out. Listen ahead over at www.myspace.com/artinmanila.

Five Albums, Five Years, No Shows: What do you call a band that has been around for five years and recorded five albums but has never played live? Well, you call them Wickets. Okay, that first sentence isn’t totally fair because these guys haven’t really been “a band” in the traditional sense at all. What happens is that main songwriter Ryan Matthews composes stuff, then gets together every so often with collaborator Brandt Sims and records an album. These two have recently added local man-about-town (and songwriter himself) Spencer Rich on drums, though, and Sims has just become a full-time Athens resident. So the plan now is to find a bass player and start playing shows. The music of Wickets is heavily melodic and can stretch from straight-up indie rock fuzz to semi-mellow balladry. Either way, I’m intrigued and curious to hear more. It’ll have the same effect on you when you sample it at www.myspace.com/ryanmatthews1.

Blacky New Year: Ryan Cox (Sailor Winters) and his Black Noise label have stayed busy over the past couple of months, which saw Sailor Winters receiving praise for its track on the Silber Sounds Of Christmas compilation released by Silber Records of Raleigh, NC. Cox reports, also, that Sailor Winters is still moving an “ass-load” of records via Japan’s Nat Records and he is currently working on his next album to be titled The Puritan; Cox has plans for a split release with Japanese band Corrupted. Sailor Winters next plays live at the Stickfigure Records showcase at Atlanta’s Drunken Unicorn on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The Way The Cookie Rocks: Casper & the Cookies finished up 2006 by retreating into the studio. Included in the batch of recordings the band is doing is a new Christmas song which should be released this coming July. The Optimist's Club, the group's 2006 release, was among the notable releases in Athens music last year, so all eyes should stay on these guys. Casper & the Cookies next play Athens on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Caledonia Lounge.

Two Clubs, Bub: Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records has delivered on the long-awaited CD-R club that honcho Mike Turner has threatened for a while. The first edition of the club, which works exactly like the label's traditional subscription-based 7” singles club, was a release by an early Keith John Adams project called Zuno Men, the Maybellines, the Ocelots and The Gift Machine. The next edition will feature Pegasuses-XL, Titans of Filth, The Passerines and Faintest Ideas; each CD-R is limited to 150 copies. In other news, the label’s 7” single club is getting underway and each of these 2007 releases is limited to a mere 600 each. So basically, if you want to subscribe to either, hop over to www.hhbtm.com and do this really soon.

That wasn’t a bad start at all. Just like last year, keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Stay warm and start more fires 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