Music News & Gossip
Nov 26, 2003
Threats & Promises
Music News And Gossip
Well, here we are at the end of the month and I've yet to really feel festive or anything like that. Could it be I'm a curmudgeon? A stick in the mud? Naw, who would think that? At any rate, save this week's paper so you have something to read while you're getting over your tryptophan high this week...
Catch Her Now: Athens/Atlanta singer/songwriter Kitty Snyder,
who has one of the sweetest voices in the South, will be taking an indefinite hiatus from performing after her show in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Smith's Olde Bar. While Snyder will continue to perform backing vocals for Atlanta act Elevado, she explains that the break is to concentrate on other artistic endeavors and that it will be a "long while" until she returns to the stage with her own work. Let's just hope that in the interim she doesn't go for the freakout-recluse-madwoman-thing like Chan Marshall (AKA Cat Power).
Oh, Hell Yes!: Athens superstar Bubba Sparxxx has teamed up with Pastor Troy (whom I still haven't forgiven for pulling a no-show at Insomnia that time) and Sean Paul. The collaboration is called New Money and fans can expect the debut album in 2004.
In a truly bizarre occurrence, Sparxxx will see his latest single "Back In The Mud" get the remix treatment from adolescent rockers Blink-182. Sparxxx also will have his track "Comin' Round" featured on the "We Are The World" compilation being produced by Internet music magazine Pitchfork.com. I don't know about you but this kind of stuff makes me wanna take the laces out of my shoes and drive around the block really slowly about 500 times.
They Still Rock Harder Than Me And You Both: Rocking out in their fifteenth (!) year, Five-Eight has been busy lately. The band just celebrated bassist Dan Horowitz's birthday with a bash over at Atlanta's 10 High, rocked New York's CBGB's during CMJ and has a new MP3 available for the track "I'm Still Around." Time was that you had to cut off both your arms to fit into the crowd at a Five-Eight show here in Athens, and while the hype may have subsided over the years, the tunes never have. No Athens dates are currently booked, but if you've not ever seen tha band, or even if it's been a while, you would do good to get out there. For more information stop by www.fiveeight.com.
After Sex And Drugs Get Boring, They Always Seem To Turn To Golf: Ever wonder why rockers seem to turn to golf after years of defining a partying image? Hell, it makes almost perverse sense for the guys in Hootie and the Blowfish to fart around on some grass with a little white ball, but what about PGA tour participant Alice Cooper? If'n you wanna see one of Athens' own go down in flames this way, then get yourself down to Orlando, FL on January 31, 2004 for the Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic for the "John Bell And Friends Benefit Bash." Bell, of Widespread Panic fame, will be performing with The North Mississippi Allstars, Michael Nichol, Jerry Joseph and others. The show goes down at Orlando's House Of Blues and is a benefit for the fight against Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Damn, now I feel bad about sort of making fun of it. For more information please see www.widespreadpanic.com or www.fightsma.com.
Get Your Learn On: Musician's Warehouse has just announced the establishment of five spankin' new music lesson rooms. They're over in the Showcase store - the one over by Georgia Square Mall. Warehouse honcho Ed Magruder is looking for qualified, experienced teachers for all instruments - that means guitar, bass, drums, piano, keyboard and orchestral and brass instruments. Says Magruder: "We have always wanted to offer the opportunity for more people to get musical training." Drop your resume, including information specifically about music background and teaching experience, to sales@yourmusicstore.com. [Chris Hassiotis]
Their Own Songs Are So Much Better, But What Do I Know: Local Athens label BumbleBear Records, along with North Carolina's AAJ Records, has released a tribute compilation to what can only be considered one of the most overrated and, at least for me, nearly impossible-to-listen-to bands of the past ten years: Seattle's Tullycraft. On the bright side, though, premiere Athens bands such as Bugs Eat Books and Murder Beach (who smoked the competition at the Engine Room a couple of weeks back) are featured doing their thing to the band's songs. It's a fair bet that at least the re-workings will be listenable. Other than this unfortunate offering, both labels have a slew of quality stuff worth your time, especially BumbleBear's "Free Label" releases. Sorry, but when it comes to tribute CDs it really seems like we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here. For more info please see www.bumblebear.com or www.aajrecords.com.
Local Lyric For This Week: It's common knowledge around town - or should be - that Bill Mallonee is simply an amazing lyricist. The man's instinct toward describing the human condition is uncanny. This line comes from the track "All Or Nothing" off of his 2002 release Fetal Position and can be used as emotional fuel for all who need it: "There's always the risk and there's always the chance/ But courage beats every little lousy circumstance... ain't about winning it's more about the trying/ Sometimes you bring up the water when the well is dry."
And that's all for this week. Have a good holiday and we'll talk later. Remember to get your news to me early and often or I'm just gonna make stuff up about you. As always, reference either me or Threats And Promises in your email subject lines. Shake it like a Polaroid picture 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
Catch Her Now: Athens/Atlanta singer/songwriter Kitty Snyder,
| |
Oh, Hell Yes!: Athens superstar Bubba Sparxxx has teamed up with Pastor Troy (whom I still haven't forgiven for pulling a no-show at Insomnia that time) and Sean Paul. The collaboration is called New Money and fans can expect the debut album in 2004.
| |
They Still Rock Harder Than Me And You Both: Rocking out in their fifteenth (!) year, Five-Eight has been busy lately. The band just celebrated bassist Dan Horowitz's birthday with a bash over at Atlanta's 10 High, rocked New York's CBGB's during CMJ and has a new MP3 available for the track "I'm Still Around." Time was that you had to cut off both your arms to fit into the crowd at a Five-Eight show here in Athens, and while the hype may have subsided over the years, the tunes never have. No Athens dates are currently booked, but if you've not ever seen tha band, or even if it's been a while, you would do good to get out there. For more information stop by www.fiveeight.com.
After Sex And Drugs Get Boring, They Always Seem To Turn To Golf: Ever wonder why rockers seem to turn to golf after years of defining a partying image? Hell, it makes almost perverse sense for the guys in Hootie and the Blowfish to fart around on some grass with a little white ball, but what about PGA tour participant Alice Cooper? If'n you wanna see one of Athens' own go down in flames this way, then get yourself down to Orlando, FL on January 31, 2004 for the Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic for the "John Bell And Friends Benefit Bash." Bell, of Widespread Panic fame, will be performing with The North Mississippi Allstars, Michael Nichol, Jerry Joseph and others. The show goes down at Orlando's House Of Blues and is a benefit for the fight against Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Damn, now I feel bad about sort of making fun of it. For more information please see www.widespreadpanic.com or www.fightsma.com.
Get Your Learn On: Musician's Warehouse has just announced the establishment of five spankin' new music lesson rooms. They're over in the Showcase store - the one over by Georgia Square Mall. Warehouse honcho Ed Magruder is looking for qualified, experienced teachers for all instruments - that means guitar, bass, drums, piano, keyboard and orchestral and brass instruments. Says Magruder: "We have always wanted to offer the opportunity for more people to get musical training." Drop your resume, including information specifically about music background and teaching experience, to sales@yourmusicstore.com. [Chris Hassiotis]
Their Own Songs Are So Much Better, But What Do I Know: Local Athens label BumbleBear Records, along with North Carolina's AAJ Records, has released a tribute compilation to what can only be considered one of the most overrated and, at least for me, nearly impossible-to-listen-to bands of the past ten years: Seattle's Tullycraft. On the bright side, though, premiere Athens bands such as Bugs Eat Books and Murder Beach (who smoked the competition at the Engine Room a couple of weeks back) are featured doing their thing to the band's songs. It's a fair bet that at least the re-workings will be listenable. Other than this unfortunate offering, both labels have a slew of quality stuff worth your time, especially BumbleBear's "Free Label" releases. Sorry, but when it comes to tribute CDs it really seems like we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here. For more info please see www.bumblebear.com or www.aajrecords.com.
Local Lyric For This Week: It's common knowledge around town - or should be - that Bill Mallonee is simply an amazing lyricist. The man's instinct toward describing the human condition is uncanny. This line comes from the track "All Or Nothing" off of his 2002 release Fetal Position and can be used as emotional fuel for all who need it: "There's always the risk and there's always the chance/ But courage beats every little lousy circumstance... ain't about winning it's more about the trying/ Sometimes you bring up the water when the well is dry."
And that's all for this week. Have a good holiday and we'll talk later. Remember to get your news to me early and often or I'm just gonna make stuff up about you. As always, reference either me or Threats And Promises in your email subject lines. Shake it like a Polaroid picture 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
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