Music News & Gossip
Jan 22, 2003
Threats & Promises
Music News and Gossip
Ok, punters, this column is going 100% local starting right now. So, all you people creating noise and general mayhem with your music need to get serious about getting your news to me. Now that you're not competing with national stuff for space, you have no excuse. On with the show:
Get It Together and For Chrissakes' Send It To Us: It's time once again for the annual Flagpole Athens Music Directory. It's the only comprehensive listing of bands, music-related services and venues for our happenin' little town. There's a form in this issue, or submit via the "Music Directory 2003" button on our website, www.flagpole.com. Don't delay, deadline is February 7!
Readin', Ritin', Rock and Roll: Coming to The University Of Georgia on February 3 will be the nationally touring program Grammy in The Schools brought to you by the same people that gave Vanilla Ice a "Best Rap Artist" award, The Grammy Foundation. Actually, it looks to be an impressive program showing people how to get involved in careers in the music industry. According to their website, a key component of this year's program will be the issue of downloading music and it's ramifications on the record industry. The 40 Watt Club will be hosting a special "Women in Music" panel discussion and showcase the night before. Whether you're interested in fighting the beast from the inside or brown-nosing your way through life, check out Grammy.com for details.
Vigilantes At The Door: One of Athens' most beloved exports, Bill Mallonee, will be heading off on yet another North American tour at the end of this month with former Will And The Bushmen honcho Will Kimbrough. Mallonee, formerly of the Vigilantes Of Love, has also expressed a desire to play oddball shows on his days off, and a willingness to do house shows also. This immediately brings to mind the living room tour that Pat Dinizio, ex-Smithereens leader/songwriter, did a few years back. The open dates are going fast, though, so if anyone out there in the heartland wants this to go down on your verandah, you better hightail it over to billandvol.com or write tim@wildwoodagency and throw your name in the hat.
That's Not A Pistol, It's A Gunnison: Athens improv rockers Gunnison have completed a new self-titled CD they plan on releasing this Friday at Tasty World in a show with the free-form jazz gurus in Squat. The CD was recorded live at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta and was produced by Danny Silvestri; and the show to promote it, if the CD is any indication, should be a good one. Go to www.gunnisonmusic.com for more info and check out the review of the record on p. 30. [Sarah Lee]
In Other New CD News, Let Me Tell You a Storey: The Odyssey Studio has released the debut album of Athens' own hip hop up and comer Tobios Storey entitled Last In the Field. The record is chock full of ethereal back beats and synthesizers coupled with razor sharp lyrics and vocal delivery, and features performances by Athens musicians Patrick Rives (drums and owner of The Odyssey Studio); William Camilus Perdue (DJ); Jared Sciullo (guitars); and Rachael Frey (keyboards). This record is good. I mean it. This guy's going places. You should check out www.TheOdysseyStudio.com/Storey for more. [Sarah Lee]
Submit To Me: Any and all Athens bands, and ONLY Athens bands, that wish to be considered for inclusion on the 2003 AthFest CD better get their act together and submit their songs ASAP. Of course, you have until February 28 to get them in, but if someone doesn't prod you you'll never get it done. This will be the 6th Annual compilation, all lovingly created and released by local label Ghostmeat Records, featuring local bands and generally spreading the good word about AthFest. If you want to get in on the action, take a CD or CD-ROM with your music on it down to Musicians Warehouse, 447 E. Clayton St., and fill out the submission forms.
OK! Now Lets Make Some Damn Money, Honey: Athens punk assault team Guff has inked a deal with label Go Kart Records, and if all goes well, their full length debut for the label will land in stores sometime around Summer 2003. For those that can't wait, the band's new EP Guff Is A Disaster is going to be released February 11. These guys give it up live over six months of the year out on the road so hometown shows are few and far between. When they do light up a local stage, however, not a damn thing is disappointing. Good work guys. Congrats.
WUOG Gets Back On Track: Now that they're out of the sometimes great/sometimes dreadful free-form programming of "break radio," WUOG 90.5 F.M. is back on track with a full schedule with its local performance show "Live In The Lobby." Upcoming sets include Thursday, Jan. 23, Dodd Ferrelle & the Tinfoil Stars; Thursday, Jan. 30, ElemeN.O.P.; Tuesday, Feb. 4, Matt Megrue; Thursday, Feb. 6, Ishues. Looks like things are shaping up with a much more diverse schedule over there at Memorial Hall and I, for one, salute them.
Marshall Discovers Missing Man: Athens free-form musician, promoter and writer Marshall Marrotte has been up to some serious investigative journalism lately. After searching for, and finding (!), legendary jazz bass player Henry Grimes, Marrotte chronicles his mysterious disappearance from the music scene and what the artist's been up to for the past several years. Grimes was a bass player with artists such as Albert Ayler, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and a ludicrously long list of others that could continue past the end of this page. Marrotte has been able to get Grimes' story published in no less than two of the world's most respected avant-culture publications, those being the January 2003 issues of Signal To Noise and The Wire. As a side note, in the very same issue of The Wire, local record shop Lo Yo-Yo Stuff has their "Top 15" favorite recent records listed alongside Sonic Youth's favorite recent records.
My Sentiments Exactly: Athens has long been a magnet for bands from all over the nation who wish to relocate to a more enthusiastic and fertile area for creativity. The latest import to the Classic City comes in the form of "folkish" pop group The Dittos. Formerly of Tallahassee, FL they will be throwing things down at The Flicker Theatre & Bar on Thursday, January 23. The band recently informed Flagpole that as of right now they have managed to achieve what most bands never do: temporary financial security. Apparently bandmember Brandon Taj Hanick has converted his van into an ice cream truck and fellow member Danny Padgett managed to get some cash from suing Wal-Mart, although for what I have no idea. Your best bet is to go to the show and get the scoop directly. You can gather more info and other junk over at 35mmrecordings.com.
Bright Lights, Big City: Athens-area country singer/songwriter Ricky Fitzpatrick has just returned from a rather fruitful trip up to Nashville, TN. While there he managed to play gigs at legendary nightspots such as The Bluebird Cafe, The Broken Spoke and the Douglas Corner Cafe. Apparently he's been looking for a publisher for his songs and has gotten some good feedback and made some invaluable contacts. I wish him well and hope he won't forget us when he's big.
Remember to make some noise and let me know. And by the way, please don't send email in HTML format. It's a real pain in the ass. Pass the dutchie via email to 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
Get It Together and For Chrissakes' Send It To Us: It's time once again for the annual Flagpole Athens Music Directory. It's the only comprehensive listing of bands, music-related services and venues for our happenin' little town. There's a form in this issue, or submit via the "Music Directory 2003" button on our website, www.flagpole.com. Don't delay, deadline is February 7!
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Vigilantes At The Door: One of Athens' most beloved exports, Bill Mallonee, will be heading off on yet another North American tour at the end of this month with former Will And The Bushmen honcho Will Kimbrough. Mallonee, formerly of the Vigilantes Of Love, has also expressed a desire to play oddball shows on his days off, and a willingness to do house shows also. This immediately brings to mind the living room tour that Pat Dinizio, ex-Smithereens leader/songwriter, did a few years back. The open dates are going fast, though, so if anyone out there in the heartland wants this to go down on your verandah, you better hightail it over to billandvol.com or write tim@wildwoodagency and throw your name in the hat.
That's Not A Pistol, It's A Gunnison: Athens improv rockers Gunnison have completed a new self-titled CD they plan on releasing this Friday at Tasty World in a show with the free-form jazz gurus in Squat. The CD was recorded live at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta and was produced by Danny Silvestri; and the show to promote it, if the CD is any indication, should be a good one. Go to www.gunnisonmusic.com for more info and check out the review of the record on p. 30. [Sarah Lee]
| |
In Other New CD News, Let Me Tell You a Storey: The Odyssey Studio has released the debut album of Athens' own hip hop up and comer Tobios Storey entitled Last In the Field. The record is chock full of ethereal back beats and synthesizers coupled with razor sharp lyrics and vocal delivery, and features performances by Athens musicians Patrick Rives (drums and owner of The Odyssey Studio); William Camilus Perdue (DJ); Jared Sciullo (guitars); and Rachael Frey (keyboards). This record is good. I mean it. This guy's going places. You should check out www.TheOdysseyStudio.com/Storey for more. [Sarah Lee]
| |
Submit To Me: Any and all Athens bands, and ONLY Athens bands, that wish to be considered for inclusion on the 2003 AthFest CD better get their act together and submit their songs ASAP. Of course, you have until February 28 to get them in, but if someone doesn't prod you you'll never get it done. This will be the 6th Annual compilation, all lovingly created and released by local label Ghostmeat Records, featuring local bands and generally spreading the good word about AthFest. If you want to get in on the action, take a CD or CD-ROM with your music on it down to Musicians Warehouse, 447 E. Clayton St., and fill out the submission forms.
| |
OK! Now Lets Make Some Damn Money, Honey: Athens punk assault team Guff has inked a deal with label Go Kart Records, and if all goes well, their full length debut for the label will land in stores sometime around Summer 2003. For those that can't wait, the band's new EP Guff Is A Disaster is going to be released February 11. These guys give it up live over six months of the year out on the road so hometown shows are few and far between. When they do light up a local stage, however, not a damn thing is disappointing. Good work guys. Congrats.
WUOG Gets Back On Track: Now that they're out of the sometimes great/sometimes dreadful free-form programming of "break radio," WUOG 90.5 F.M. is back on track with a full schedule with its local performance show "Live In The Lobby." Upcoming sets include Thursday, Jan. 23, Dodd Ferrelle & the Tinfoil Stars; Thursday, Jan. 30, ElemeN.O.P.; Tuesday, Feb. 4, Matt Megrue; Thursday, Feb. 6, Ishues. Looks like things are shaping up with a much more diverse schedule over there at Memorial Hall and I, for one, salute them.
| |
Marshall Discovers Missing Man: Athens free-form musician, promoter and writer Marshall Marrotte has been up to some serious investigative journalism lately. After searching for, and finding (!), legendary jazz bass player Henry Grimes, Marrotte chronicles his mysterious disappearance from the music scene and what the artist's been up to for the past several years. Grimes was a bass player with artists such as Albert Ayler, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and a ludicrously long list of others that could continue past the end of this page. Marrotte has been able to get Grimes' story published in no less than two of the world's most respected avant-culture publications, those being the January 2003 issues of Signal To Noise and The Wire. As a side note, in the very same issue of The Wire, local record shop Lo Yo-Yo Stuff has their "Top 15" favorite recent records listed alongside Sonic Youth's favorite recent records.
My Sentiments Exactly: Athens has long been a magnet for bands from all over the nation who wish to relocate to a more enthusiastic and fertile area for creativity. The latest import to the Classic City comes in the form of "folkish" pop group The Dittos. Formerly of Tallahassee, FL they will be throwing things down at The Flicker Theatre & Bar on Thursday, January 23. The band recently informed Flagpole that as of right now they have managed to achieve what most bands never do: temporary financial security. Apparently bandmember Brandon Taj Hanick has converted his van into an ice cream truck and fellow member Danny Padgett managed to get some cash from suing Wal-Mart, although for what I have no idea. Your best bet is to go to the show and get the scoop directly. You can gather more info and other junk over at 35mmrecordings.com.
Bright Lights, Big City: Athens-area country singer/songwriter Ricky Fitzpatrick has just returned from a rather fruitful trip up to Nashville, TN. While there he managed to play gigs at legendary nightspots such as The Bluebird Cafe, The Broken Spoke and the Douglas Corner Cafe. Apparently he's been looking for a publisher for his songs and has gotten some good feedback and made some invaluable contacts. I wish him well and hope he won't forget us when he's big.
Remember to make some noise and let me know. And by the way, please don't send email in HTML format. It's a real pain in the ass. Pass the dutchie via email to 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
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