SOMEONE’S GOTTA STAY: Four Eyes, the now decade-old songwriting and recording moniker of musician and author Erin Lovett, has a new EP named The Freaky EP. Lovett notes that this is her fourth Halloween-time release. But don’t worry. It has nothing at all to do with Halloween, thankfully. The record distinguishes itself quickly with opening track “Vampires” and its plucked rhythm. Second song, “The Dead Can’t Rest,” ups the ante even more with its organ-grinder melody and Smiths-styled lyricism. The final three songs—the harmonium-underscored “Magic 8 Ball” and the gentle acoustic numbers “The Brightest Flashlight” and “Never Change”—are more aligned with the reflection and introspection for which Four Eyes is known. And even though the record opens in an apparently new direction, the tail end of it reminds us that, as long as there’s a Four Eyes, we can expect a halo of melancholy to be somewhere in the vicinity, even if it’s just off being polished. All in all, it’s another gem. Check this out at foureyesathens.bandcamp.com.
IT’S A SUNSHINE DAY: Drew Beskin & The Sunshine will celebrate the release of its album Somewhere Sideways Same As You Friday, Oct. 28 at Ciné. Annie Leeth opens the show. After the group performs the entire record, they’ll play a full Beatles cover set. Now, keep in mind that Beskin is also the main man behind Oasis tribute band Broasis, so if anyone knows full well how to ape the Beatles, it’d be him. This is also a Halloween costume-type party so if you feel like dressing up, please do. Doors are at 8 p.m., Annie Leeth plays at 9 p.m., The Sunshine plays at 10 p.m., and the “Sunshine Beatles” play at 11 p.m. For more information, please see drewbeskin.com, facebook.com/DrewBeskin and drewbeskin.bandcamp.com.
I NEED THAT RECORD: Of all the dream addresses an Athens-area record dealer could score, proprietor Jimmy Bryant scored about the best one. His record store, Rock Nobster, is located at B, 52 N Main St. in Watkinsville, which can also be written as “52 North Main St., Suite B,” but I like the other way much better, and it’s a certainty Bryant does, too. Anyway, as the newest member of Athens’ record-dealing community, he deserves a shout out. Bryant is to-the-point and hilarious, to boot. In an email to me he said, “Rock Nobster sells vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, VHS tapes, 8-tracks, turntables and lunch boxes. We do not sell vintage T-shirts. Please sell us your entire record collection… I have read 1,000 novels, I have seen 1,000 movies, I have been to 1,000 concerts, I have listened to 1,000 records. At least 5,000 works of auditory art are on sale in my store, and I hope you will visit soon.” The store is closed on Wednesday but otherwise open 1–8 p.m. every day. Is that enough information for you to take the trip? It is for me! For more information, please see rocknobster.com and facebook.com/rocknobster.
PALS FOREVER: A new split 7” single is on the cusp of release, and it’s between Sloan Simpson’s project Sloan Brothers and his new co-writing collaboration with Robert Schneider (Apples In Stereo) named Obligatory Refractions. The record comes courtesy of Chunklet Industries. It features four songs, two from each act. The Sloan Brothers tracks are very upbeat, catchy, and for the lovelorn pretty relatable. His tunesmithing is totally recognizable to anyone who’s heard his debut album System Update which was released this past July. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I worked with him very closely on this release in multiple capacities.) They are, however, much more pop-oriented and immediate. The Obligatory Refractions songs switch between the musique concrète of “Robert’s Psychotropic Teatime” (its very title a nod to Pink Floyd’s “Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast”) and the sweet, dreamy “Stranger In My Head,” which is the main collaborative piece in this first instance of the pair’s published co-writing. Simpson reports they’re currently “in the process of remotely co-writing and recording a full LP.” But until then, check this out when it goes on sale Friday, Oct. 28. If history is any indication, you’ll likely get to sample it several days early, too, over at chunklet.bandcamp.com, which is also where you’d place your purchase. For more information, please see facebook.com/SloanBrothersMusic and facebook.com/obligatoryrefractions.
BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT: Sure, I know. You’ve “already got Halloween plans.” But this is Athens, and nothing says “Athens” like plans changing at the last minute. So you should know that there’s a pretty cool show happening over at The Globe this night. Vocalist Nathan Gray (from Delaware’s BoySetsFire) is coming through town with new-ish group The Iron Roses, and they’ll be playing with Beat Up and Noise Mountain. The Iron Roses are just as tuneful and memorable as BoySetsFire, although they do make more use of slower tempos. Doors are at 9 p.m., music starts at 10 p.m., and it’ll cost ya 10 bucks. For more information, please see facebook.com/TheIronRoses.
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