originally published February 28, 2007

Is it just me or has this year already started to fly by? Yeah, okay, it’s still only February, but it seems like it was only last week that my chestnuts were roasting. It’s probably just me. So never mind. Really. Look below to see what's going on these days…

Still Plowing: Athens punk band Guff , which has kept pop punk alive and well for several years now, has finished its newest album for Go Kart Records and a release date is set for June. Titled Symphony of Voices, the album was produced by Charlie Paulson (Goldfinger) and Noah Shain (Orson, All Day Sucker, American Pearl). Featuring 12 brand-new tracks, the release will include a cover of Journey’s “I Can See It In Your Eyes” produced by Journey vocalist Steve Perry himself. Somewhere in Athens right now, The Folk Yous are green with jealousy. Check out more Guff stuff over at www.myspace.com/guff.

Still Developing: The unofficial word is that some members of the Drive-By Truckers have been spending some time down in Muscle Shoals, AL, working on some new recordings with soul veteran Bettye LaVette . Consistently under the radar until her 2005 album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise caught some ears, LaVette has since the early '60s worked country, pop and R&B into her sound, so a pairing with the Truckers should be a natural. Whether the guys are playing on a new album or just helping with production duties wasn't clear, and when contacted, Trucker Patterson Hood declined to elaborate.

Minimal But Major: Longtime Athens music enthusiast and generally great guy (even though once in 1997 he held up the ticket line for a U2 tour at the Publix in Winder) Justin Kau has made his foray into the recording arts. His debut album under the moniker People Under The Sun was recorded with help from Will Cullen Hart (Circulatory System), Davey Wrathgabar (Visitations), Andrew Rieger (Elf Power) and Derek Almstead (M Coast). The only “instrumentation” on the album is Kau’s own voice, which is manipulated in different ways, alternating between grating and compellingly soothing. And I imagine that was the whole point. Either way, I dig it lots. Hopefully, this is merely the first of many things Kau will do, and it's now available in local record shops. Find more info about Kau & Co. over at www.sweetpeareview.com.

More Noise: Kudos should be given to all the bands, not to mention the audience, that gratefully produced and abided several hours of pure noise last week at the underground release party for the new Athens noise compilation Deeded to Itself . Coming courtesy of new label Thor’s Rubber Hammer , the local nature of the album extends to the title itself - which is an obvious allusion to the Tree That Owns Itself. The album features tracks from Garbage Island , Altruizine , Chartreuse , Sailor Winters , Better People , Killick and Telenovela and is sequenced in such a way that makes it less jarring than other noise comps. Indeed, for a noise compilation, this thing is very musical, in a traditional sense. It’s a limited release of 200, so you should grab one ASAP. For more info, please see www.myspace.com/thorsrubberhammerproductions.

Hey Baby, What’s Your Sign?: Nutria keyboardist-vocalist Jay Gonzales has a new gig in town as a "lounge singer" and piano player over at Kingpins Bowl & Brew every Wednesday night from 8 to 11 p.m. No, I’m not kidding. He describes the assignment as "basically the bizarro rock geek version of the typical lounge piano guy. I'll be doing a bunch of '50s and '60s crooner and rock-and-roll stuff, British invasion favorites, '70s AM radio hits, bubblegum classics, some ‘

yacht rock’for the Caledonia crowd and maybe some Sinatra or Bing Crosby.” His first night in this role is Wednesday, Feb. 28, so I would encourage y’all to head over there and sit at the bar, put some bread in his jar and say, “Man, what are you doing here?” Sundays, Now For More Than Just A Hangover: Speaking of Kingpins , the venue is looking to start booking a handful of shows every month in its refurbished side room, and Nutria helps kick off that tradition. On Sunday, Mar. 4, Nutria will open for Americana stalwart act The Silos at the Homewood Village bowling alley. Show starts around 8 p.m. and will probably cost around $5, according to Kingpins' manager.

Major Recognition: The late Athens bluesman Neal Pattman is featured on the new CD/ DVD release by Kenny Wayne Shepherd . 10 Days Out-Blues shows Pattman performing with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble; the footage was filmed in 2004, and Pattman passed away in May of 2005 at age 79. His distinctive harmonica playing and vocals were quite a thing to hear and enjoy. Pattman learned his craft from his father in the Athens countryside - yes, Athens used to have a countryside - in the early part of the 20th century. Someone, build this man a statue.

Go Ahead And Release This: Normally I wouldn’t get all bunged up and ask a band to go ahead and release its demos so everyone can hear them, but dammit, The Lolligags need to go ahead and do this. Last week, their four-song demo landed in my hands and it’s the best, most authentically New Wave music produced in Athens since The Capricorns used to live here. Theirs even has a touch of psychedelia on the track “Staircase Mystery.” It’s probably no coincidence that this track shares a title with the 1979 single from Siouxsie & the Banshees, as The Lolligags make no bones about that band's influence, but it’s an original Lolligags composition. Oh, just go listen to them over at www.myspace.com/thelolligags.

Absolutely Untrue: A few weeks back, Flagpole ran a story on Charlotte, NC, label Morisen Records and made big hay that local act The Pendletons was not only courted but also signed by the label. Well, although accurate at the time, that’s just not true anymore according to the band. The guys seemed set to go ahead, but received an offer from the label and passed on it. Plans are to self-release their upcoming album this spring. The band says, “We haven’t signed with Morisen and are not going to.” To check out what Morisen is missing, please see www.myspace.com/pendletons or catch the band at Tasty World on Thursday, Mar. 8.

The State Of The Country: Local songwriter and musician Cliff Corr , frontman for the band Blueline , was selected as one of only 64 contestants from around the nation to be part of CMT’s "Music City Madness . " The competition is structured similarly to March Madness in college basketball. Curiously, for a competitor in a contest sponsored by County Music Television, Corr doesn’t list a single country artist as an influence on his website. Rather, he cites Dave Matthews, Sister Hazel, Collective Soul, Hootie & the Blowfish, Tom Waits and Sarah McLachlan. For more info on the contest, visit www.madness.cmt.com and to hear Corr’s music, go to www.myspace.com/cliffcorrmusic.

War And Rumors Of War: The 29th Annual Athens Human Rights Festival is hosting its “Battle of the Bands” fundraiser over at Tasty World on Saturday, Mar. 24, and the reason I’m mentioning it so early is this: if you want to sign your band up you better hop to it. There are adult and teen categories, and the winners get to perform at the downtown festival in May. Interested parties should contact Sue at 770-725-2652 or ahrf_bob@yahoo.

What About Prom, Blaine?: My Morning Jacket returns to Athens for a two-night stand with the theme “Under The Sea . ” The two-night prom-themed event bills itself as just the thing to “make up for all the proms you missed,” but since this is already sold completely out, if you don’t have tickets then you’re still a never-gone-to-prom loser. Ticket holders must keep in mind that in order to gain access to all the groovy decorations, refreshments and fine music, you must be appropriately dressed in futuristic/ retro prom wear and you will apparently not be admitted without it. Fortunately, there's no alcohol pledge for this event - drink it up!

And we’re out. Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. It’s got groove, it’s got meaning 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