UPDATE: A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that a 7-inch was in the works for 1980s Athens band Banned 37. In a very quick turn of events, this project was put on the backburner, as there’s now officially a 14-song cassette of the group’s recordings planned for release this fall. The tape comes courtesy of Athens artist Marcel Sletten and his label Primordial Void. That’s all that’s known for now, so keep your ears peeled, and I’ll update this news again when appropriate. Get up to speed by tuning in to soundcloud.com/kennethaguar70, and familiarize yourself with Primordial Void at primordialvoid.bandcamp.com.
WAVE AND SAY HEY: Young Athens group Panic Wave released a four-song EP named Alternative Modes of Space Travel earlier this month. Honestly, it’s more of a demo than anything and showcases the band flexing around a few different styles, albeit all within the pop-rock territory. Close listening reveals some real kernels of gems, and these bode well for the group. Specifically, the at-first-blush semi-bombastic opening song “No Mercy” unfolds itself into a nicely paced tune with a solid chorus. Similarly, the carnival-esque “City of Chaos” rises to its purported drama and succeeds admirably in delivering a decent amount of heft. All in all, an encouraging collection that points to a bright future. Check it out at panicwave1.bandcamp.com.
PARTY’S STILL GOING: Since I last mentioned Eric The Hat/partydead, two more releases have come out. The three-track Delphs, on which Eric Hat is joined by Tim Haley, and the six-track from drape by ben. The former establishes itself quite candidly at the halfway point of the 33-minute-long “DELPHADULT.” After weaving through a pleasant but forceful ambient style, the track reduces itself into what sounds like mechanical breath. That is, the breath of a machine. This gives way to its own breakdown before the track eventually comes full circle. Also of note here is the slight nod to the chopped-and-screwed production style on “DELPHCARE.” The latter is by far the more aggressive of these two releases and exists largely in a drape of noise and static while retreating sometimes to reveal interesting drum patterns and snatches of melody. Find each at ericthehat.bandcamp.com.
BLUES YOU CAN USE: If you missed the first installment of the Rick Fowler Acoustic Band’s residency at Athentic Brewing Co., you’ve still got three more shots and an entire season to make it work. He’ll be bringing the blues back around Thursdays June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3. These are early shows, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., but it wouldn’t hurt to check that time before you head over. Fowler’s resume needs no embellishment nor defense as his work is well known throughout the Southeast, not the least of which for his mighty list of classic collaborations. Also, while his sound is markedly different these days, I’d encourage all you rockers out there to hunt down some tunes from his early 1980s hard rock/heavy metal band Fortnox. It’s totally worth the quest. For all other information, please see facebook.com/athenticbrewing, and check out some tunes on major streaming services and soundcloud.com/rick-fowler-band.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE: You know that thing about the universe sending you things you didn’t know you needed? Well, the universe approached at least the halfway mark by sending me the new 13-track collection of clear-the-deck tracks from Jackson McLendon named, yes I swear, Downwind From the Perfect Taco. In the album notes he says, “This is a collection of half-baked musical ideas and spontaneous compositions from the past couple of years.” And that may be true. But, even so, as a sketchbook this is pretty interesting stuff, and lord knows I’ve heard less complete work released as actual albums before. There’s an overall sense of isolation here even when a specific tune itself might be relatively uplifting (“Into The Mud (Now!)”). This moves through several moods while retaining its sense of separation, including narcolepsy (“Name No Name”), futuristic exercise music (“Intermission”), and even something approaching an experimental Nick Drake vibe (“Mangel-wurzel”). Find this at jacksonmclendon.bandcamp.com.
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