Music News & Gossip
Apr 28, 2004
Threats & Promises
Music News And Gossip
Folks, this is one of those frustrating weeks where I know a lot of stuff about a few new bands in town, but since none of it is confirmed absolutely I can't lay the good news on you just yet. Oh well, let's make do with what we do know...
Hell, I'd Drive It: Local act Boulevard will be releasing its new album entitled Signal over at Tasty World on Thursday, April 29, with The Outfit and Baby Black - well, that would've been the case if the shipment of albums had shown up on time. As it stands, the show will be a "listening party" featuring performances of the new songs, and the official release party has been pushed back until mid-May at the 40 Watt. Athens area studio maestro Tom Lewis, who has been recording bands almost since the concept of "band" was invented, handled the production on this one. Boulevard rocks in the same way that a less-frantic Undertones or a more focused Ride might have rocked. In other words, it rocks very nicely. The band is set to tour the East Coast during May and June so you might be inclined to catch the band now before road-weariness and scurvy set in. For more info please see www.boulevardrock.com.
Less Talkin', More Fuckin' Shit Up: While it would be an injustice to the band to label it simply "heavy metal," I shall include that term because it's easiest to wrap one's head around when describing Athens' own Sci Fu. The band has just released its newest album Destructo and the first 200 copies feature very well-crafted handmade artwork. Currently the album is available locally at Low Yo Yo Stuff Records and the band's shows. The full-color sleeves function like a gatefold-LP cover and indeed the CD itself is tucked into an inner sleeve. So maybe this will make you feel as if you're holding a tiny, shiny record. That's not how I felt, but I'm not you, so I can't say. I can tell you that when this sees its vinyl release, the packaging will be a bigger replica of the short-run, handmade version. At any rate, the band, which is best known for its combination of "traditional" hard-rock/ metal sounds, manages to shove a lot more down the throat of this type of monster. There's actually quite a bit of creative, interesting stuff going on in the midst of all of Sci Fu's work and closer listening is rewarded. The band will be playing at the Human Rights Festival downtown on the evening of Saturday, May 1. Could it be that this time slot was given to Sci Fu because the guys rock so hard that the heavens recede in their presence? Go see them and decide.
One To Remember: On Wednesday, May 5, the fabulous 40 Watt will host Athens' long-running Five-Eight and indie rock encyclopedia entry Sebadoh (see p. XX). Five-Eight's track "The Liquor Song" off the band's newest self-produced and self-titled album was recently featured on National Public Radio's "All Songs Considered." This marks the second time such praise found its way to the band; the first was in 2002 in recognition of the beautiful album The Good Nurse. On the band's website, the current publicists speak of Five-Eight as a band that knows how to survive. I guess that's true, considering all the band has had to endure (death, divorce, line-up changes, label troubles, etc.), but I would say that the band doesn't merely survive, it also thrives. Leader Mike Mantione is quite simply one of the most passionate, soul-searching songwriters this town has seen since the band's inception 15 years ago. Sebadoh is a legend unto itself whose pedigree cannot be denied. Since I can't really tell you a whole lot more than you're already likely to know, perhaps you'll be gratified by visiting www.sebadoh.com. For more information on Five-Eight please go to www.fiveeight.com.
Start A Rumor? Who me?: I have it on good information that reclusive songwriter Will Oldham (Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, etc.)
will be performing in Athens on Saturday, June 12. And while the show has been confirmed, you'll hear it first in Threats & Promises that it'll take place out at the Orange Twin community. Just keep this little tidbit for future reference.
It All Went Down In May: May Day - the radical workers holiday started in 1886 in Chicago's Haymarket Square - is largely ignored in popular U.S. culture in favor of the more state-friendly Labor Day. While various socialist labor groups over the years have attempted to re-popularize the holiday, their intense politicization of the day has led their efforts to be relatively fruitless. In Athens, however, you can celebrate May Day with a day full of bands and workshops. Over at 666 Pulaski there will be a May Day Festival featuring Hope For Agoldensummer, The Gerbils, Madeline and the Milk Crate Rustlers. The event benefits the local chapter of Food Not Bombs, whose volunteers can be seen downtown each weekend feeding the homeless or otherwise needy with vegetarian meals. The workshops begin at 3 p.m. and the music starts at 5 p.m. No matter how you feel about the role the labor movement - either radical and mainstream - in U.S. history, the fact remains that an enormous part of our culture has been molded by it. For this reason alone you should be interested.
Final Notes: Go to the fabulous 40 Watt and welcome I Am The World Trade Center and Paper Lions back from tour on Friday, May 7. They will both be playing at the 40 Watt with Polyvinyl recording artists Decibully. The recently reformed Daisy
played an incredible opening set for The Fall a couple of weeks back. I was not alone in the opinion that the 21st century Daisy was actually quite a bit better and the tunes more forcefully executed than the early-1990s Daisy. Maybe our ears are playing tricks on us but either way it was damn fine. We Versus The Shark have mastered the art of rocking one's face off with multi-layered angular-guitar patterns and then unleashing a flurry of catchy melody at the right moment. The quartet co-headlined the 40 Watt show recently with Hello Sir label cofounders Cinemechanica; it was a fine way to spend an evening, and WVTS' show-opening version of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang" was an unexpected surprise.
And that's all. Be sure to get your news in early and often. Always reference either me or Threats & Promises in the subject lines of all email correspondence and kick it live via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-2360; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb
Hell, I'd Drive It: Local act Boulevard will be releasing its new album entitled Signal over at Tasty World on Thursday, April 29, with The Outfit and Baby Black - well, that would've been the case if the shipment of albums had shown up on time. As it stands, the show will be a "listening party" featuring performances of the new songs, and the official release party has been pushed back until mid-May at the 40 Watt. Athens area studio maestro Tom Lewis, who has been recording bands almost since the concept of "band" was invented, handled the production on this one. Boulevard rocks in the same way that a less-frantic Undertones or a more focused Ride might have rocked. In other words, it rocks very nicely. The band is set to tour the East Coast during May and June so you might be inclined to catch the band now before road-weariness and scurvy set in. For more info please see www.boulevardrock.com.
Less Talkin', More Fuckin' Shit Up: While it would be an injustice to the band to label it simply "heavy metal," I shall include that term because it's easiest to wrap one's head around when describing Athens' own Sci Fu. The band has just released its newest album Destructo and the first 200 copies feature very well-crafted handmade artwork. Currently the album is available locally at Low Yo Yo Stuff Records and the band's shows. The full-color sleeves function like a gatefold-LP cover and indeed the CD itself is tucked into an inner sleeve. So maybe this will make you feel as if you're holding a tiny, shiny record. That's not how I felt, but I'm not you, so I can't say. I can tell you that when this sees its vinyl release, the packaging will be a bigger replica of the short-run, handmade version. At any rate, the band, which is best known for its combination of "traditional" hard-rock/ metal sounds, manages to shove a lot more down the throat of this type of monster. There's actually quite a bit of creative, interesting stuff going on in the midst of all of Sci Fu's work and closer listening is rewarded. The band will be playing at the Human Rights Festival downtown on the evening of Saturday, May 1. Could it be that this time slot was given to Sci Fu because the guys rock so hard that the heavens recede in their presence? Go see them and decide.
One To Remember: On Wednesday, May 5, the fabulous 40 Watt will host Athens' long-running Five-Eight and indie rock encyclopedia entry Sebadoh (see p. XX). Five-Eight's track "The Liquor Song" off the band's newest self-produced and self-titled album was recently featured on National Public Radio's "All Songs Considered." This marks the second time such praise found its way to the band; the first was in 2002 in recognition of the beautiful album The Good Nurse. On the band's website, the current publicists speak of Five-Eight as a band that knows how to survive. I guess that's true, considering all the band has had to endure (death, divorce, line-up changes, label troubles, etc.), but I would say that the band doesn't merely survive, it also thrives. Leader Mike Mantione is quite simply one of the most passionate, soul-searching songwriters this town has seen since the band's inception 15 years ago. Sebadoh is a legend unto itself whose pedigree cannot be denied. Since I can't really tell you a whole lot more than you're already likely to know, perhaps you'll be gratified by visiting www.sebadoh.com. For more information on Five-Eight please go to www.fiveeight.com.
Start A Rumor? Who me?: I have it on good information that reclusive songwriter Will Oldham (Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Palace, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, etc.)
| |
It All Went Down In May: May Day - the radical workers holiday started in 1886 in Chicago's Haymarket Square - is largely ignored in popular U.S. culture in favor of the more state-friendly Labor Day. While various socialist labor groups over the years have attempted to re-popularize the holiday, their intense politicization of the day has led their efforts to be relatively fruitless. In Athens, however, you can celebrate May Day with a day full of bands and workshops. Over at 666 Pulaski there will be a May Day Festival featuring Hope For Agoldensummer, The Gerbils, Madeline and the Milk Crate Rustlers. The event benefits the local chapter of Food Not Bombs, whose volunteers can be seen downtown each weekend feeding the homeless or otherwise needy with vegetarian meals. The workshops begin at 3 p.m. and the music starts at 5 p.m. No matter how you feel about the role the labor movement - either radical and mainstream - in U.S. history, the fact remains that an enormous part of our culture has been molded by it. For this reason alone you should be interested.
Final Notes: Go to the fabulous 40 Watt and welcome I Am The World Trade Center and Paper Lions back from tour on Friday, May 7. They will both be playing at the 40 Watt with Polyvinyl recording artists Decibully. The recently reformed Daisy
| |
And that's all. Be sure to get your news in early and often. Always reference either me or Threats & Promises in the subject lines of all email correspondence and kick it live via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-2360; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb
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