Back again and news is still flying around here like bugs at your picnic. Since I've been waiting patiently for Paris Hilton to return my phone calls, I figured I'd take a few moments and let y'all in on what's been going on. Don't hate a guy for trying...

It's a Reminder: As first detailed in last week's column, this Friday, Dec. 12, The Friends Of WUGA will host their "Musicians' Marketplace" at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education on the UGA campus. Our local National Public Radio affiliate WUGA 91.7 FM will be the primary beneficiary of the benefit, and local musicians are invited to participate by simply bringing records, CDs or whatever and set up on one of the provided tables to peddle their wares. The event runs from 4–6 p.m. For more information, contact Pat Priest at ppriest@charter.net or JoE Silva at joe.silva@usg.edu.

Mo' Money, Mo' Music: Brown Frown needs your help! The molten band's planning on heading into the studio with Chris Bishop on Dec 16 and 17, but they need a little more dough, as they're "hoping to finish a new three- or four-song single and begin work on [their] first proper full-length album," according to drummer Matt Hudgins. Swing by the rock show/dance party with the Frown and More Arrows at the Engine Room on Monday, Dec. 15. And why don't you drop by www.brownfuckingfrown.com? [Chris Hassiotis]

C'mon, it's for a Cause: Athens BreastFest is still looking for acts to fill out its compilation-CD and live-performance lineup. Specifically, the group wants a bluegrass act, a gospel one, an acoustic performer and acts of all types for specific slots in late March of next year. Send music sample and contact information to Billy Headrick at sunscar22@yahoo.com, by January 1. [CH]

Simply Gorgeous And Worth The Wait: Prolific local band Summer Hymns spent the better part of the last few weeks holed up on one of the upper floors of the Tasty World building with engineers Chris Colbert and Asa Leffer. Apparently the room has an incredible live sound

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and capturing it isn't as hard as one might think. You know how some people say that buildings have ghosts? Well I can only imagine locals exploring the place 100 years from now and being spooked by the image of Zachary Gresham and co. singing sweetly from the rafters while ghosts of refrigerators and ovens dance around them. (The building was home to Athens Refrigeration And Appliance, Inc. for some 50 years before Tasty World moved in.) At any rate, remember the EP I reported they were working on earlier this year? I managed to get my grubby paws on one and while it's longer than EP length, clocking in at a full 10 tracks, it's not epic in its quality either. What it is, however, is a sweet sampling of tracks, any of which could be a radio single. Rumor was that this stuff was gonna be a mix of studio trickery and oddball stuff, but I don't hear it. Completely enjoyable and unsettlingly pretty. The only thing is that this doesn't get released officially until February, so you'll have to listen to more radio to catch it this soon. For more info go to www.misrarecords.com or www.summerhymns.com.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Not only have Athens' own Drive-By Truckers been appearing in virtually every print media outlet known to man this year, they have garnered a few very impressive, high-profile fans along the way. The latest among these is author Stephen King. In the December 5 issue of Entertainment Weekly, King lists the Truckers among his recommended bands. He also suggests people check out Kid Rock and Marty Stuart also, so make from this what you will. Oh, by the way, this tidbit came to me via a reader who wrote in, so don't think you have to be in a band to drop me a news item. I want to hear from all of you.

Just In Case That $100 Bill Is Burning A Hole In Your Pocket: Athens band Stewart & Winfield are probably going blow to up huge next year. As in John Mayer huge. As in dating Jennifer Love Hewitt huge. At least if this year's activity is anything to judge by. Not only has the band continued to sell thousands of albums, play to sold-out crowds everywhere (including a recent gig sponsored by Atlanta's Z-93 FM) and topped bills at a couple of different festivals, they are also going to bring down the house at The Atlanta Renaissance Hotel on New Year's Eve. The event, sponsored by USA Entertainment, will feature five different "party rooms" and 10 different "sponsor-themed bars." Man, someone's gonna go to jail, I can just feel it. In addition to Stewart & Winfield other acts on the bill include Serene and The Splitz Motown Band. Tickets are $100 a pop, but at 1:30 a.m. they'll be serving breakfast and you know how eggs have gone up in price this year. If you want to experience more Stewart & Winfield than is probably healthy, head over to Athensmusic.net and purchase their "Holiday Package": five CD's, a sticker and an autographed photo for a mere $60. For more information check out www.usaentertainment.com or www.stewartandwinfield.com

How About That $7.95?: I don't know about you guys, but I'm addicted to those huge, expensive British rock magazines like Mojo, Uncut, NME, etc. At any rate, this month's issue of Uncut features R.E.M. on the cover and, in a huge feature story, the band deconstructs the track listing of their newest release In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003. Among the usual smarmy British music journalism one is actually treated to a nice read and it's interesting, at least to me, to hear the band talk of the history behind many of the songs and to see which ones they truly regard as their best work. In a related time-line, it's revealed that Michael Stipe, who maintains a residence in New York's Greenwich Village, actually witnessed first-hand the crashing of the second plane into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Stipe spent the rest of the day handing his cell phone out to distraught survivors on the street enabling them to attempt to contact loved ones. Considering that I would have been scared to death to venture outside my doors that day, I can only say that this fact adds enormously to my already huge reserve of respect for the man.

Local Lyric For This Week: A lot of hype has been surrounding Athens rapper Bubba Sparxxx since his phoenix-like rise from the ashes of what was once considered a flash-in-the-pan career, but has anyone actually paid attention to the man's lyrics? This is more than country-boy-made-good. This is poetry, as far as I'm concerned, and as such I give you these lines from his current chart-success "Deliverance": "The leaves on the ground, winter's comin' again/ Solid on the surface as I crumble within/ But legends are made out of honorable men." Damn.

And that's all we've got for you this week. remember, as always, to get in where you fit in and reference me or Threats & Promises in the subject lines of all emails. Speaking of which, sling me some gin and juice via email music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-2360; via fax at 548-8981; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.

Gordon Lamb