originally published June 20, 2007

This week's column is special, folks, because, you know, it's AthFest time and all and chances are high that some out of towners will pick this up and see what we have to say this week. So, y'all talk among yourselves while I talk to them. You can listen in if you want. Start eavesdropping below…

Get Happening!: So the 2007 Flagpole Athens Music Awards Show will rock the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 21, with performances by acts like Tin Cup Prophette, The Empties, Bear, Ben Stevens, Grogus and more! We'll be handing out multiple awards in local music - you can find the finalists in each category here. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., show starts promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $6 in advance and are available at the Flagpole office, SchoolKids Records or the Morton, and cost $8 at the door. AthFest wristband holders, however, get in for only $4. For more info, call Flagpole at 706-549-9523. See you there!

New, Live: Saturday night AthFest headliner The Whigs has a new EP available through music site www.Rhapsody.com. The recording was done live in the studio during this year's South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX, and features five songs, including the too-close-to-an-R.E.M.-song-title "Half the World Away." This is the first available recording featuring new bass player Sam Gunn (Iron Hero), so all his fans should check it out. Most hilarious thing, though, about visiting Rhapsody is the "suggested" items that are supposed to tie-in with the item you're viewing. When I went to look for this Whigs EP, I was also encouraged to try items by Wilco, Bloc Party and Gorillaz. Man, that's like looking for Cheap Trick and getting recommendations for Amy Winehouse, The B-52's and Parliament. Go see for yourself over at www.rhapsody.com/thewhigs/rhapsodyoriginals.

Well, It's Happening This Year!: All day long on Saturday, June 23, Detour and Little Kings will host Wired 2007: The Athens Electronic Music Festival presented by Dash Productions. The 12-hour event begins at 2 p.m. and is free with an AthFest wristband or a mere $10 at the door. This is the fifth Wired Festival, and although billed as an "electronic music festival," a more apt description would be "premier Southeastern deejay showcase," because that's what you'll get. Styles include drum'n'bass, downtempo, house, trance, breaks, hip-hop, industrial, mashup and old school. The event will also feature video game systems to play with, break dancing exhibitions and more. More than 40 deejays will participate, and I can't be the only one who finds this totally thrilling. Get full details, including artist lineup, in the AthFest Program inserted in this issue, and more stuff over at www.athensedm.com.

Just So You Know…: Anyone that has any bucks left over by the time We Versus The Shark takes the stage at the 40 Watt on Saturday, June 23 at 12:30 a.m. - which is actually Sunday morning, but I digress - will have the opportunity to pick up a copy of the band's newly released EP/DVD titled EP Of Bees EP/ We Wanted A New Government, Not Odd Time Signatures. The entire name of the release is more than a mouthful, but, having absorbed all the band's previous work, I'd say it's definitely worth a listen.

Use This Stuff: There's always a danger when new owners take over a formerly-beloved space. I admit it upfront that I was worried when Lunch Paper was bought by the folks who own Repent, but my fears have been proven largely unfounded. Repent has very much upped the metal/ punk rock/ Goth/ fetish ante on the west end of downtown, which couldn't make me happier. Before the changeover took place, there were rampant rumors about no more shows at the space, but Repent has consistently booked a calendar packed with stuff, and has more shows currently scheduled and announced than heavyweights like the 40 Watt and the Georgia Theatre. Wanna get booked over there? Just keep in mind what the powers that be say: "We like the heavy but will book just about anything," so give Repent a try by dropping a line over at new booking-specific site www.myspace.com/bookingrepent.

Workingman Blues: The story goes like this: brothers Ian and Joshua Schwarber write songs together for years, move from Ohio to Atlanta in 2002 and get a band together, move back to Ohio and then move here to Athens in late 2006. Working under the name Blue Flashing Light, the band has just finished its debut album which was recorded at Cleveland, OH, studio The Lava Room and locally at PigPen Studio and John Keane Studio. The Schwarbers' brand of mainstream pop rock is exactly the type of thing that drives me batty, but is, conversely, loved by radio programmers, wedding planners and fly-by-night PR companies. They'll be playing over at Tasty World on Thursday, June 21 with The Critical Darlings and The Julia Dream. Curious? Then go look at www.myspace.com/blueflashinglightemup.

And The Award For Most Detail Goes To…: The members of local rock band The Critical Darlings have announced that Drive-By Truckers drummer Brad Morgan will collaborate with the band when it records the track "Something Unseen" for an upcoming project next week with engineer David Barbe. No insult to Morgan, but I'm much more impressed that pianist Mike Garson will also join the band to record. Ever heard David Bowie's "We Are The Dead," "Aladdin Sane" or "Young Americans"? That's Garson on piano. So, yeah, that's a hell of a feather in bandleader Chris McKay's cap. In other news, if you've ever wanted to get email updates from a band that read like small novels, go ahead and sign up over at www.myspace.com/criticaldarlings or visit www.criticaldarlings.com. The volume of writing over there is astounding.

You Will Never Need This Information: Anyone remember a faceless, Frisbee-by-the-river type of band in Athens named Nelo? Well, the members have up and moved back to Austin, TX, and have changed their name to Nello. Find the band and its self-described "pop-rock songs and powerful condensed jams" over at www.myspace.com/nelloband.

Summertime Special: Ever wondered what happens inside the legendary walls of the Chase Park Transduction studios? Well, now with nine separate engineers under his umbrella, honcho David Barbe has made a super deal for bands in town. Since a couple of the engineers - Mark Brut and Nate Nelson - are pretty new, sessions with them are, for now, a mere $30 an hour. After that, it goes up according to which engineer you want. Thing is, though, bands getting the inexpensive deal will still have access to all the same super-sweet gear and rooms as everyone else. Not a bad way to make a killer demo, or even an EP's worth of stuff, wouldn't ya say? Go check out www.chaseparktransduction.com and do two things. One, contact the studio and book your band, and two, plead with those guys to update their front page.

As always, troops, be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Stop, look and listen 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