Music News & Gossip
Oct 1, 2003
Threats & Promises
Okay, pull up your socks and listen. Lots to talk about this week so pay attention and take notes. And we're off...
Time To Reap What Has Been Sown: Popular Athens act Stewart & Winfield has announced that it will be kicking off a fall tour by performing at The Great Southern Music Harvest Festival. Taking place in Live Oak, FL, the festival is billed as "North Central Florida's largest music festival." While I have no idea what its competition in this category would be, the show does have a packed bill featuring heavy-drawing acts such as Bob Weir with Ratdog, De La Soul, the Charlie Hunter Trio and Steel Pulse among many, many others. In addition to circle dancing and camping, the festival also offers attendees opportunities to rent a golf cart, go canoeing and play ultimate Frisbee. This goes down the weekend of October 10-12 and information can be had over at www.gsmusicharvest.com.
Yet Again, They've Got The Goods: Atlanta's Criminal Records continues it series of in-store performances this month and, dammit, what these guys lack in stock and selection they make up for in enthusiasm and spirit. At any rate, Wednesday, Oct. 8, will see a performance by the perpetually changing Brian Jonestown Massacre and on Saturday, Oct. 11, the insufferable freak-show known as The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players will stink up the joint real good. Have fun!
So This Artist Walks Into A Bar...: Yet again the worlds of Athens music and Athens art collide to beautiful and fulfilling effect. First, multi-instrumentalist Dain Marx, best known for his work with Athens own Zumm Zumm, has his artwork featured upon the long-awaited
Carrie Nations/This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb 7" that has finally been released. Also, local artist/enthusiast/mayoral candidate Todd Edward Bak was the one with his artwork all over last year's debut CD by Carrie Nations. He also recently designed, along with artist Stormee Keber, the new t-shirt benefiting The Tite Pockets Community Space. Bak has been a fixture of the Athens rock and bar scene for several years now and is finally getting some well-deserved recognition for his cartoons and artwork. Check out his stuff here in the Flagpole as well. Recently, Bak was featured in the comic anthology "Studygroup 12." Look for Marx's and Bak's work over at Bizarro Wuxtry or anyplace else that is willing to give it a shot on the shelves. Congrats, guys.
No Reason To Buy Anything Non-Local For Awhile: Every now and again Athens scores a sonic boom by virtue of a ton of quality local releases all dropping at the same time. You would be doing just fine if all you bought for the next few weeks was local music (homegrown is always sweeter). At any rate, here's the rundown of hot-off-the-presses stuff you are gonna wanna check out: Jet By Day's Kindercore Records debut (the second release for the band) Cascadia should satiate the fans that have been eagerly awaiting its release for months now. Bain Mattox has self-released his self-titled album. Also, don't forget the sophomore album by major-label superstar and Athens homeboy Bubba Sparxxx. If you haven't heard "Deliverance" by now, you haven't been paying attention.
More New Stuff To Come: The aforementioned Kindercore Records, one of the only labels in recent memory that has been able to successfully reinvent itself and continue to breathe new life into the Athens rock scene, has a couple of new signings. First up is New York's Palomar. Musically, the band bears more than a passing resemblance to Athens own Murder Beach and has previously released its infectious, driven pop via The Self-Starter Foundation. Next up is Australia's Gersey which can most easily be compared to big-melodic-bands such as Coldplay, Radiohead or even a less bombastic U2. Kindercore has licensed Gersey's album Storms Dressed As Stars from their Australian label Trifekta Records. Also upcoming are new albums by I Am The World Trade Center and Japancakes.
Paranoid Athenians: There's a shuttle bus heading down from Athens to Atlanta on Monday, Oct. 6, for the Radiohead concert.
Any way to avoid the ATL traffic's a good idea, and the bus comes loaded with snacks and drinks (though feel free to bring your own). Passage on the bus costs $20, and the bus leaves from the parking lot of the Epps Bridge Rd. Home Depot around 5 p.m.
If you've got tickets and would like to share a tour bus with like-minded fans, contact Mary Beth Waldron via email at mbw922@yahoo.com or call her at 353-1820. [Chris Hassiotis]
Closing the Doors: Mainstream radio-rockers Three Doors Down will perform at the Classic Center on Thursday, Oct. 9. But wait! Before you get all frisky for the photogenic-and-sensitive guitar slingers, know this: you probably can't go. That's right... the concert's closed to the public and there are no tickets on sale, as it's a "by-invitation-only" kind of deal. The only way to guarantee a spot in the crowd is to listen to 103.7 FM or 99X and win tickets. But if you're all about Three Doors Down, you're probably already listening. [CH]
Final Notes: Joseph Plunket has been playing out around town more and more lately. Anyone interested in a healthy dose of Gram Parsons-meets-The Replacements would do well to keep their eyes open for him; Myrtle Beach, SC "goth" band Something About Vampires And Sluts succeeded in thoroughly wasting the time of the crowd gathered to see them open for The Agenda and I Am The World Trade Center at the 40 Watt a couple of weeks ago. Athens hasn't been hit with this big a musical fraud since The Dave Matthews Cover Band took root here; Local indie rock act Andros is making some headway, recording some takes down with Asa Leffer at Skylab, and is playing a Wednesday, Oct. 1, gig at the Caledonia - check 'em out; Take care of each other and have fun this week. Keep warm.
And we're off to see the wizard. Keep the news coming in and, as always, reference either Threats & Promises or me in your email subject lines. Send me a fishin' pole and a bottle o' shine 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
Time To Reap What Has Been Sown: Popular Athens act Stewart & Winfield has announced that it will be kicking off a fall tour by performing at The Great Southern Music Harvest Festival. Taking place in Live Oak, FL, the festival is billed as "North Central Florida's largest music festival." While I have no idea what its competition in this category would be, the show does have a packed bill featuring heavy-drawing acts such as Bob Weir with Ratdog, De La Soul, the Charlie Hunter Trio and Steel Pulse among many, many others. In addition to circle dancing and camping, the festival also offers attendees opportunities to rent a golf cart, go canoeing and play ultimate Frisbee. This goes down the weekend of October 10-12 and information can be had over at www.gsmusicharvest.com.
Yet Again, They've Got The Goods: Atlanta's Criminal Records continues it series of in-store performances this month and, dammit, what these guys lack in stock and selection they make up for in enthusiasm and spirit. At any rate, Wednesday, Oct. 8, will see a performance by the perpetually changing Brian Jonestown Massacre and on Saturday, Oct. 11, the insufferable freak-show known as The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players will stink up the joint real good. Have fun!
So This Artist Walks Into A Bar...: Yet again the worlds of Athens music and Athens art collide to beautiful and fulfilling effect. First, multi-instrumentalist Dain Marx, best known for his work with Athens own Zumm Zumm, has his artwork featured upon the long-awaited
| |
Carrie Nations/This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb 7" that has finally been released. Also, local artist/enthusiast/mayoral candidate Todd Edward Bak was the one with his artwork all over last year's debut CD by Carrie Nations. He also recently designed, along with artist Stormee Keber, the new t-shirt benefiting The Tite Pockets Community Space. Bak has been a fixture of the Athens rock and bar scene for several years now and is finally getting some well-deserved recognition for his cartoons and artwork. Check out his stuff here in the Flagpole as well. Recently, Bak was featured in the comic anthology "Studygroup 12." Look for Marx's and Bak's work over at Bizarro Wuxtry or anyplace else that is willing to give it a shot on the shelves. Congrats, guys.
No Reason To Buy Anything Non-Local For Awhile: Every now and again Athens scores a sonic boom by virtue of a ton of quality local releases all dropping at the same time. You would be doing just fine if all you bought for the next few weeks was local music (homegrown is always sweeter). At any rate, here's the rundown of hot-off-the-presses stuff you are gonna wanna check out: Jet By Day's Kindercore Records debut (the second release for the band) Cascadia should satiate the fans that have been eagerly awaiting its release for months now. Bain Mattox has self-released his self-titled album. Also, don't forget the sophomore album by major-label superstar and Athens homeboy Bubba Sparxxx. If you haven't heard "Deliverance" by now, you haven't been paying attention.
More New Stuff To Come: The aforementioned Kindercore Records, one of the only labels in recent memory that has been able to successfully reinvent itself and continue to breathe new life into the Athens rock scene, has a couple of new signings. First up is New York's Palomar. Musically, the band bears more than a passing resemblance to Athens own Murder Beach and has previously released its infectious, driven pop via The Self-Starter Foundation. Next up is Australia's Gersey which can most easily be compared to big-melodic-bands such as Coldplay, Radiohead or even a less bombastic U2. Kindercore has licensed Gersey's album Storms Dressed As Stars from their Australian label Trifekta Records. Also upcoming are new albums by I Am The World Trade Center and Japancakes.
Paranoid Athenians: There's a shuttle bus heading down from Athens to Atlanta on Monday, Oct. 6, for the Radiohead concert.
| |
If you've got tickets and would like to share a tour bus with like-minded fans, contact Mary Beth Waldron via email at mbw922@yahoo.com or call her at 353-1820. [Chris Hassiotis]
Closing the Doors: Mainstream radio-rockers Three Doors Down will perform at the Classic Center on Thursday, Oct. 9. But wait! Before you get all frisky for the photogenic-and-sensitive guitar slingers, know this: you probably can't go. That's right... the concert's closed to the public and there are no tickets on sale, as it's a "by-invitation-only" kind of deal. The only way to guarantee a spot in the crowd is to listen to 103.7 FM or 99X and win tickets. But if you're all about Three Doors Down, you're probably already listening. [CH]
Final Notes: Joseph Plunket has been playing out around town more and more lately. Anyone interested in a healthy dose of Gram Parsons-meets-The Replacements would do well to keep their eyes open for him; Myrtle Beach, SC "goth" band Something About Vampires And Sluts succeeded in thoroughly wasting the time of the crowd gathered to see them open for The Agenda and I Am The World Trade Center at the 40 Watt a couple of weeks ago. Athens hasn't been hit with this big a musical fraud since The Dave Matthews Cover Band took root here; Local indie rock act Andros is making some headway, recording some takes down with Asa Leffer at Skylab, and is playing a Wednesday, Oct. 1, gig at the Caledonia - check 'em out; Take care of each other and have fun this week. Keep warm.
And we're off to see the wizard. Keep the news coming in and, as always, reference either Threats & Promises or me in your email subject lines. Send me a fishin' pole and a bottle o' shine 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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