A DREAM IN SOUND: Pre-orders are now open for the four-song collaborative EP between Andrew Reiger (Elf Power) and the late W. Cullen Hart (Olivia Tremor Control). It’s titled Leap Through Poisoned Air and will see release on Orange Twin Records. These tracks were recorded way back in 1999–2000 when the pair were roommates. The notes for the record say that Hart was responsible for the music and that Reiger handled lyrics and melodies. You can preview a bit of it as the song “Treasures In The Magic Hole” is available for streaming. As of this writing, there were fewer than 75 copies left of this 500-copy limited edition vinyl release. You can, of course, always purchase a digital copy, but if you want the vinyl you’d better act now. Find it at orangetwinrecords.bandcamp.com.
MOOD AND GROOVE: It’s been almost a year to the date since Garett Hatch released his last full-length album, Amachi. He’s back now with a new single, “Where To Go,” and it’s a sound that may surprise longtime listeners. Compositionally this sits alongside all of Hatch’s best work, but whereas he’s known for crafting aggressive, guitar-oriented rock songs, this new one is smoothed out, seamless and just overall groovy. It’s a tad psychedelic, but also very close to the kind of thing that would have been proud to appear during the midst of the birth of post-punk, when bands couldn’t decide if they wanted to be architects, anarchists or investment analysts. His next full-length album is slated for release in June. In other news, Hatch will appear live at Flicker Theatre and Bar on Friday, Apr. 11 opening for Lee Bains III. Because you’re people of good taste, you’ll likely already be there at Flicker for the release party for the split 7-inch by Jay Gonzalez and Sloan Brothers, which happens earlier that night from 7–9 p.m. So just stick around and make a night of it. Find the new song over at garetthatch.bandcamp.com.
PAY ATTENTION AND LISTEN TO ME: The newest Athens collaboration will have just come out by the time you read this. It’s a new single named “Sinking Ship” by rapper/hip-hop artist Bryant Perez and Mux Blank (JOKERJOKERGallery, Rat Babies, JOKERJOKERTV, et al), and it’s the first collaboration between these two. It’s available to hear on all major streaming services. The music was created by Perez taking snippets and samples created by Blank and adding a bassline and polishing up some musical aspects. The result is a cool production with a darkly moody electro style. The song itself deals with mental health struggles, but is stationed in reality by solid resolve to overcome one’s struggles. There’s a companion performance art series by Blank that started on Mar. 16 and will run through Mar. 26 named “Ship’s Log.” There are deeply personal diary entries that accompany this, and Mux told me, “The whole performance will evolve day to day. I’m telling a story, leaving a bit of mystery hanging there that makes sense if someone follows along.” For all other information, please see mrblankisdead.com. When you first arrive there you’ll click through to an important fundraiser for JOKERJOKERtv that I urge you not to ignore without reading through first. From there you can learn more at mrblankisdead.com/category/mr-blank/sinking-ship, and catch up musically with Perez over at bryantperezmusic.bandcamp.com.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS: Musician Matthew Pulver has a new project named Semplica Girls that, thus far, is a recording-only concern with him making demos in a closet. While he aims to take these songs, and more, into a proper studio sometime this year, he’s released four demos in 2025 already. The first, “Gone,” is the best introduction to this and is a low, synth-smothered track not unlike Salem, but with a lot less baggage. From there the songs get poppier but have some surprising elements in them, like the very slight dub influence on “city songs, no. 2.” Then “crashout” joins in with its broken R&B and trip-hop rhythm. The most recent track available is “get it how you live,” and it follows along the same lines as “crashout” but with a cool and somewhat funereal ending. I’m interested to see where he takes this, but for now, these’ll do. Find them all at semplicagirlsband.bandcamp.com.
10 STEPS TO PERFECTION: Now decades-long Athens creative artist Space Brother has a new album out as we speak named Lost Loops, and it’s released courtesy of Bear Tooth Collective which was started by Savannah’s own hip-hop hero Cunabear. Space Brother started this particular project back in 2017, and this release includes some old stuff, some new stuff, and some reworkings of old material. But, in any case, everything here was composed over the past eight years. This collection of music isn’t quite as far out there as some other Brother stuff, but it’s not exactly tightly tethered, either. Loosely speaking, these 10 tracks fall right on the experimental side of what used to be called backpack rap (i.e. hip hop with a conscious slant). My favorites here include “Occupied Zone,” the lead single “The Prism Of Being,” and “Don’t Dab Your Eye Out.” Find this and a whole lot more over at spacebrother.bandcamp.com.
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