EXTRA, DEXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: The mighty garage and rockabilly figurehead Dex Romweber (Flat Duo Jets) will return to the Flicker Theatre & Bar this Thursday, Sept. 1 and Friday, Sept. 2. Tickets from his previously scheduled show last September will be honored. So, kudos to all who managed to keep up with those. To grab advance tickets, head to Eventbrite.com and search for “Dexter Romweber.” In advance, these shows will run you $12 each night or $20 for both. No clue what this will cost at the door, but I can tell you that if you’ve never seen Dex perform, then you’re in for a real treat. Those who know know what I’m talking about. For an exceedingly tiny peek into the man’s music, please see dexromweber.bandcamp.com. Opening each night is the new-to-town duo Instant Smile whom I’d encourage you to learn more about over at instantsmileband.com.
ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS: There’s a new album out that forges together the talents of prolific experimental composer Killick Hinds and jazz and prog guitarist John Miley (Breathlanes, Cosmic Charlie). This collaborative release, credited to each, is titled By Dint of Intonation. One thing I’ve always respected and admired about Killick is his ability to work very quickly and maintain supreme focus on the task at hand. To this end, everything here was performed in the order presented, with no overdubs or editing, and the pair completed the record in two hours. The result is a nice, unselfconscious and unpretentious grouping of tunes that don’t just play off each other, but with each other. It’s tempting to describe this as freeform, because some forms are observably present, but nothing here is beholden to any tradition or style. Most lovely here are probably the back-to-back tracks “Scrapey” and the cleverly titled “Scratches of Spain.” Find this at killick.bandcamp.com.
SPEAK UP: Did y’all know that Athens band Whisper Kiss has been around making music for 14 years? Neither did I, but that’s what they told me when announcing the brand-new full-length Long is The Ride. So, pay better attention, I guess? Composed of decades-long Athens musician Michael Wegner (Abbey Road Live, Cosmic Charlie), Shelley Lotus (vocals) and Karen Bergmann (cello), the group now has four albums under its belt in the past decade. The whole album’s vibe is a slightly melancholy affair, mainly due to the persistent emotional weight of the cello, shored up and carried by pleasant melodies and strong vocal performances. Whisper Kiss will celebrate the album’s release at Buvez on Saturday, Sept. 10. Find the group’s music on Spotify and other major streaming services.
SING OUT!: The Meridian Women’s Chorus went on a two-year hiatus, but recently announced it’s back. The choral group is open to all women who would like to participate and has no auditions. Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 12:30–1:45 p.m. at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (800 West Lake Dr.) starting Thursday, Sept. 8. The group’s next concert is Dec. 8. To get involved, or gather more information, please contact director Stacie Court at stacie.court@gmail com or 706-424-9516. To find out more without having to actually talk to anyone first, please see meridianwomenschorus.org.
NONE MORE BLACK: Following up last year’s EP The Horror I, goth deathrockers Entertainment now bring you The Horror II. The three-song release arrives courtesy of Atlanta’s Stickfigure Records. The notes for the EP mention that these tracks were largely written in isolation with very little input from even live-show-playing members of the band. And, to be honest, they sound exactly like that. Thing is, though, that The Horror I was written the same way. Whereas that record is a lushly performed EP, The Horror II dumps the listener into a dark pit of doom with a discernibly plodding structure and sub-mid-tempo playing. That’s no insult, either. Sometimes that’s just the way we like it. Dig this in its entirety at stickfigurerecordings.bandcamp.com.
THIS WON’T TAKE LONG: Now, from the “totally unnecessary but still kind of fun” category, comes Screwy Chopper Vol. 4 from Killa Cabbi. As you can gather, this is the fourth mixtape the DJ has made in this style, which is the classic production technique of chopping and screwing (i.e. cutting up and slowing down) various pop tracks. Featured artists include Lizzo, Bruno Mars, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa and Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish and more. Chances are very good I’ll never listen to this again—and even better, I’ll have forgotten it completely by the time you read this—but it wasn’t a bad way to spend half an hour or so when I spun it. Find this and other releases over at echobassrecords.bandcamp.com.
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