Whew, some weeks fly by and you don't even know where the time went. Well, maybe you do, but I don't. At any rate, Here's a quick rundown of a bunch of stuff that's going on. Fasten your seatbelts…

New Music Everywhere: The somewhat lazy days of summer is a good time for bands to woodshed and record some stuff. To that end the new EP by the self-consciously non-pretentious Athens rock band The Unusual Suspects (formerly Matt Megrue & The Unusual Suspects) has been recorded and will be available by Summer's end. Also, new demo CDs are available from solid newcomers Tracer Matula and Life Is A Fight. A great thing about demos is that they're cheap to buy, and in many cases the band will just give you one. This way if you love them, you can say you knew them when, and if you hate them you get out of the deal for next to nothing. For more information please see www.tracermatula.com, www.lifeisafight.tk and www.mattmegrue.com.

That Means There's Four Of Them: Athens favorite the Georgia Guitar Quartet has been picked up for representation by the Pennsylvania-based Joanne Rile Artist Management. The band has performed at Rile sponsored events in the past but is now fully under their management wing. In other Quartet news, member Kyle Dawkins has made available downloads from his new album Walls Became The World which will be available on the website of the UK-based label Fat Cat records. You can get them by going to http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/home.php. Or if that's just too much of a hassle, you can also visit www.kyledawkins.com.

You Want More Art? You Got More Art!: Local artist/musician Deb Davis has an art opening this week and more than a few of you will be interested, so pay attention. Davis, who plays with local favorite Hope For Agoldensummer and her own project called My Siamese Self, will display her paintings in her show "The Sugar Water Routine." Live music will be provided by Hope For Agoldensummer and Anna Kramer. The show will open Thursday, July 29, from 7-11 p.m. at Ashton's Café in Decatur. (As a side note to Daemon Records, who sent the press release on this event: I love your label and I like about half of your artists, but I don't need any label giving me suggestions about how to write about their bands. So stop it.) For more information please see www.daemonrecords.com or www.ashtonscafe.com.

Patterson Saves The World: Superb Athens songwriter Patterson Hood recently trekked out to sunny California and took along the equally talented Athens musician Don Chambers with him. Together they played Los Angeles and San Francisco. Here's to hoping things went well for them. In other news, Patterson Hood, along with Jason Isbell and others, just played a benefit for The Democratic National Convention at Boston's Middle East Club. Apparently "many Democratic leaders and elected officials" were in attendance and while it is not known if this performance caused the crowd to spontaneously join hands a la Kerry and Edwards, there's no reason to assume it didn't. Am I the only one catching the irony of a Democratic National Convention benefit being held at a place called the Middle East? For more information please see www.rockfordemocracy.com.

Comped: New West Records, home to the Drive-By Truckers and Vic Chesnutt has been good to a number of Athens musicians. The California-based record label has just released the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2003 Collection: Live from Austin, Texas compilation album; R.E.M. headlined the festival in September of last year, and the album features an energized version of the band's call-to-arms "Bad Day." The festival commemorated 30 years of the popular public television show "Austin City Limits. You'll also find the Drive-By Truckers song "Outfit" on the comp, and the Truckers are scheduled to appear at this year's festival as well. Check out these two live cuts of Athens music, and you'll also find on the album tracks from Bright Eyes, Steve Earle, Kings of Leon and Ben Harper, among others. [Chris Hassiotis]

Now, It's Everywhere: Andy LeMaster's Now It's Overhead is gathering so much press it's retarded. Most of it's overwhelmingly positive, even when it's being snarky. To wit, the on-line magazine Pitchfork Media just gave the band's latest release, the beautiful Fall Back Open, seven out of ten stars. Pitchfork, which is famous for making indie kids mad by damning their idols, is generally spot-on when it comes to record reviews so you can take this one to the bank. Also, Now It's Overhead just released its newest single, "Wait in Line," which also features a video and two b-sides. One is a cover of the Magnetic Fields track "The Book of love" and a remix of the title track done by labelmates The Faint. Speaking of, September sees the release of The Faint's Wet From Birth, with a track featuring Azure Ray's lovely ladies providing backing vocals.

Enuff Z'nuff: I only point this out about Espresso Royale Caffe because I go there so frequently and like their coffee, food and employees. But about the constant playing of "literary" indie band The Decemberists on the in-store system. C'mon, already: while listening to The Decemberists all the time is fine, I guess, if that's what you want to do to yourself, why not head up the block to Wuxtry or SchoolKids? You can find entire sections devoted to Neutral Milk Hotel music just waiting to be bought. Hell, maybe if this short-sighted behavior keeps up, Flagpole will even buy a copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea for ERC. Accept this letter, this plea, this note as it's intended: for your own good. I mean, seriously, why drink non-fat decaf all the time when you can have the real stuff? [Chris Hassiotis]

Athens Music Quote Of The Week: "When I was a kid I hated pants and underwear." - Winston Parker, of Life Is A Fight and WUOG 90.5 FM, outside the Caledonia Lounge.

Also: Just one more week until Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records puts on its inaugural Athens PopFest. Pick up a copy of next week's paper for a comprehensive guide that'll make sure you get yours and that you get it good. [Chris Hassiotis]

And that's it for this week, guys. Please get it to me early and often. As always, include my name or Threats & Promises in the subject line of all emails and shout at the devil via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-9523, ext. 214; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.
Gordon Lamb