originally published June 4, 2008

Hello, people. Welcome back for another affirming round of local music news. Get sanctified below…

That's All Folks: Jimmy Hughes has announced the final shows for his band Folklore… at least for quite a while. The band has been on a two-month hiatus since Hughes has been touring with Elf Power, and on top of that he is moving to Philadelphia in August. You can say your goodbyes at Go Bar on Friday, June 6 when Folklore plays with Cleveland's The Dreadful Yawns, or catch the set with Elf Power at AthFest June on 20. There may be some last-minute house parties or surprises before the final departure, so tune in to www.myspace.com/folkloreband for updates. [Michelle Gilzenrat].

The New Hardcore: New summer hardcore jams are coming your way courtesy of brand new local band Nationale. Composed of Matt Reilly (ex-Five Stars for Failure), Carrie Jones, Zack Thrower and Jake Duvall (ex-Life Is a Fight), the band promises, in the most convenient terms, “screamy, emotive hardcore.” (It should be noted, however, that this is distinct from the tag of “screamo,” which pretty much lost all relevance circa 1998.) Nationale will play over at the Flicker Theatre & Bar on Wednesday, June 4 along with Louisiana’s Thou and local death metal group Peregrine. The band recorded its first demo mere days ago, and eventually, you should be able to sample stuff over at www.myspace.com/nationale706.

This Is a Public Service Announcement: The lineup for the 2008 Athens PopFest has been announced, and highlights for this year include Texas psych-masters Roky Erickson and the Explosives, the first show in over eight years by Elephant 6 artists The Music Tapes, legendary indie-riot band Boyracer, a relative handful of top local bands, and absolutely tons of bands from across the nation and overseas. Yes, I am part of the organization team for this year's event, so there’s your disclosure. All in all, a total of 84 bands will perform at the 2008 Athens PopFest which runs August 12-16 at Ciné, the 40 Watt, the Caledonia Lounge, Flicker Theatre & Bar and Little Kings Shuffle Club. Full five-day passes are $60 and available now. Individual day passes will go on sale at a later date, and I’ll keep you abreast of those developments. For all official info, tickets and the full lineup of artists, please see www.athenspopfest.com.

Everyday People: Local band/project Better People (AKA Doug Patterson) has been so happy with the solid critical reception of his latest release, Salvia Inside the Broken Home, that he’s decided to let people download it for free over at www.myspace.com/thismachinekillscops. Hard copies of the release are still available, naturally, via Thor’s Rubber Hammer Productions, and they can be contacted at www.myspace.com/thorsrubberhammerproductions. Look for a full review of this record here in Flagpole soon, but for now, suffice it to say that the record contains a lot of noise and a lot of art going on; but I hesitate to pigeonhole it as an “art-noise” project. It’s got something deeper going on than that tag suggests.

My New Favorite: For all of you who think nothing new or creative ever happens around here, let me introduce you to My Greatest Heist. So far, the band's sole member is composer/performer Wyatt Strother, but he’s trying to at least get a drummer on board. Still, that hasn’t slowed the one-man band down as he’s recorded all his own backing tracks to accompany his live keyboard and vocals. He’s only been playing out for a few months, and has only lived in town about a year, but I find him completely engaging and charming. His songs are heavily melodic, well constructed and totally entertaining. If anything in Athens screams "pure indie pop for now people," My Greatest Heist certainly does. Check out his demos over at www.myspace.com/mygreatestheist.

Eastern Noises: The new management of Jittery Joe's on the Eastside is looking to mix things up a little on Sunday nights - specifically seeking to host events similar to those that happened at the dearly departed X-Ray Café - he’s seeking experimental artists of all stripes. This means no John Mayer wannabees, no Sarah McLachlan caterwauling, no singer/songwriter nothin'! Also, no full drum kits. There’s precious few outlets for experimental music in Athens, and I tip my hat to manager Scott Creney for opening his shop to such projects. So, anyone that wants to do something different, please hit him up over at www.myspace.com/jitteryjoeseast and get yourself booked.

Always Welcome: Longtime Athens musicians just have a way of finding each other, don’t they? Case in point is the new band composed of Jay Nackashi, Alex Nackashi, Jesse Flavin and Larry Tenner named Brave New Citizen. Most will know Jay Nackashi not only from his stellar design work which can be found around town, but his popular band Empire State which made more than a minor stir around these parts. Add to this Tenner’s decades-long musician status with various bands, and Flavin’s résumé reading similarly (in addition to his solo work), and you’ve got an all-star cast made up of people who would never consider themselves stars at all. Which is totally the Athens way, isn’t it? At any rate, give them a listen over at www.myspace.com/bravenewcitizen and catch the debut show Saturday, June 7 over at the Caledonia Lounge with Don Chambers, Killick and Craig Lieske also on the bill.

And we’re out for this week. As always, be sure to keep your news coming in, and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. I don’t wanna walk around with you via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post to P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA, 30603.

Gordon Lamb