originally published December 19, 2007

Ah, the Christmas season. Roasting chestnuts, mistletoe, stockings hung with care, consumer debt piling on like a reform-school football team, etc. At least your weekly dose of Athens music news is free, right? Dose up below…

Three Way Tie: Music Hates You has seen the release of its long-awaited three-way split compilation with Nashville's Christine and Atlanta's Zoroaster. Coming courtesy of Terminal Doom Records, it's most likely an essential accouterment for this year's family gathering. In other news, work continues relatively unabated on a new full-length by Music Hates You; the band will next appear locally over at Tasty World on Jan. 12 with Subrig Destroyer, Zoroaster and Sourvein. For more information, including some secret house shows the group may be playing, please check out www.myspace.com/musichatesyou.

Out Now, But Different: The previously announced remix album by Atlanta/Athens band One Hand Loves The Other is out as we speak. Limited to a mere 200 copies, the album features remixes of One Hand Loves The Other songs by Treasure Fingers, Jukebox Lungs, Filthy Sanchez, Like Clockwork, Sidelmann and Music For People. Titled One Hand Loves The Remix, the album is out on perennial Atlanta favorite Stickfigure Recordings, and can be sampled over at www.myspace.com/onehandlovestheremix.

Congrats To Our Boys: Several local (and related) bands made the trip up to Asheville, NC (land of my birth!) last weekend to play the 19th Annual Xmas Festival. Presented by Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule), performers included Warm in The Wake, Jason Isbell, Mother Jackson, Sleepy Horses, Kevn Kinney, Don Chambers, Col. Bruce Hampton and Stockholm Syndrome. Now, I can't be 100-percent sure, but I'm fairly certain these guys gave headliners Jackson Browne and Peter Frampton a good run for their money. More information about the sold-out event can be seen over at www.xmasjam.com.

Friendly Split In A New Direction: The newly christened M Coast, which had formed as a strategic partnership between Marshmallow Coast man Andy Gonzales and musician Derek Almstead, has now split up, with Gonzales going his own way and the rest of the bandmembers going theirs. Gonzales, now performing under the moniker Andy From Denver, played an impressive short set a couple of weeks ago at The Caledonia, debuting his self-contained, one-man performance to an enthusiastic crowd. Almstead and the others - Emily Growden and Carlton Owens - are now performing under the name Faster Circuits and have posted online their debut song "Mystical Shit" (which is not a cover of the classic King Missile song of the same name; it's something completely new). Almstead says, "M Coast's split was totally amicable. Andy called me up and expressed that he'd like to do more stripped-down electro-pop, which is something he'd been hinting at recently. I had been wrestling with how to combine our new tunes, as his are more in that direction while mine are heading into darker psyche territory. It's sad that it didn't work out, but bands rarely do! We are all still great friends." Dig both new bands via www.myspace.com/fastercircuits and www.myspace.com/andyfromdenvermusic.

A Jewish Cowboy In Their Pot O' Gold: Local songmeister and world traveler Adam Klein slid down the rainbow into Ireland for a few shows last week, and his current tour across the pond will also take him further around the United Kingdom and to the Netherlands. Impressively, Klein was interviewed and played an acoustic session for Irish National Radio, and will do the same thing in Glasgow, Scotland, and open for blues performer Bob Pearce. In other news, Klein is busy mixing his next album Western Tales & Trails, and the expected release date is March of 2008. A veritable all-star band accompanies Klein on the recording, including Randall Bramblett, Phillip McArdle, AJ Adams, David Blackmon, John Neff, Jess Franklin, Carlton Owens, Andrew Hamner and Raphael McGregor. Lots more Klein info is available over at www.adam-klein.com.

Double Extra Special: Local psych-electronic band Pegasuses-XL will see its newest album, The Antiphon, released in early 2008 via Brooklyn, NY label The Earnest Jennings Record Company. A few new songs are already up online and are significantly different from the band's previous recordings, demonstrating a more mature, thoughtful approach to composition and songwriting. Basically, the stuff is great and really shows the guys getting into the meat of their instruments and arrangements rather than bludgeoning and hammering their way through. True, I liked the old stuff, too, but this new record is, like, wow. Give a listen over at www.myspace.com/pegasuses.

Buy 'Em Now And Get There Early: Tickets are on sale now for the Athens date of Yo La Tengo's current "almost-acoustic" tour. The deservedly legendary New Jersey band will play The Melting Point on Monday, Jan. 14 and tickets are $17.50 advance and $20 at the door. Well, actually $19.50 advance because there's a ridiculous $2 "convenience fee" tacked on. So save 50 cents and get 'em early. The show is 18 and up and is a general admission, seated show. You'll want to arrive early, though, and sit in the lower levels because the upper floor of the Melting Point sports a very sharp incline and pretty much defines "nosebleed" section. Also on the bill: Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. All in all, a pretty reasonable price for a solid, rare bill. Of special note: the members of Yo La Tengo have long said they do not like to play Athens because 40 Watt audiences talk all the way through a set. So, for once, por favor, shut the hell up and listen to the band. For tickets and info, please see www.meltingpointathens.com.

And I'm off to stand under the mistletoe. Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. The grabbing hands grab all they can 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