HEY Y’ALL: I wanted to use this space this week to very quickly say welcome aboard to all the new folks in town just beginning to explore our music and arts scene. There’s so much to see and do, and it all happens seven days a week. Don’t be afraid to head out and see some bands you’ve never heard of. Chances are very good that hardly anyone else has heard of them either. Another thing to note is that the Athens music scene is in a near-constant state of reinvention. Feel free to make it your own. And, whatever you do, don’t be discouraged by any of the sour old-timers in town who are committed to living in a time capsule. You haven’t missed anything. With that, let’s jump into this week’s news.
THE NOMAD TELLS US: Preorders are open now for the new album by the Orbiting Human Circus, which is the catch-all moniker for the ongoing musical magic of Julian Koster (Music Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel, et al). The new album, which arrives Nov. 17 courtesy of Koster’s longtime label home Merge Records, is named Quartet Plus Two. The first single, “I Cover The Waterfront,” is available now. In other exciting news, Koster will bring the Orbiting Human Circus to town Thursday, Sept. 21 to perform as a duo at the 40 Watt. Advance tickets are on sale now for $15 at 40watt.com. To preorder the new album, please see mergerecords.com/product/quartet_plus_two. For all other information, please head to orbitinghumancircus.com.
GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME: Pop masters Casper & The Cookies have a song included on a new compilation out of Canada named We Are Time Mixtape Vol. 1, which comes out Aug. 25 on the We Are Time label. The song included is the group’s cover of the Michael Guthrie Band’s song “Sorry About That.” It was recorded way back in 2014 with engineer Matt Tamasin at Japanski Studios. And it’s a total rocker, too, which is unsurprising considering the Cookies’ talent as well as the quality of the source material. Fans of classic power pop should respond strongly to this. I’ve no idea what the rest of the compilation sounds like, but set your calendar for the 25th and then click over to wearetime.bandcamp.com to check out the whole thing.
GO OUTSIDE: The third annual September Days Festival will happen Sept. 29–30 at Southern Brewing Company. Tickets are available now, and advance prices are $20 per day or $35 for a two-day pass. These bump up by five bucks each once the event begins. This lineup is hella stacked, so pay attention. Featured acts on Sept. 29 are Terminally Phil, Nicholas Mallis, Thayer Sarrano, McKendrick Bearden, Parker Gispert Band and Modern Skirts. For Sept. 30, you’ll get Wonderland Rangers, Ancient Infant, Meredith Tilton, Hunlo, Patio, Sarah Mootz, CDSM, Monsoon, Shehehe and Upchuck. For more information, please see facebook.com/AubreyEntertainmentAthensGA.
GOOD GUYS: Long-running garage rockers The Grawks have released a perfectly serviceable two-song single recently, and it includes the tracks “Without You” and a cover of The Standells’ “Good Guys Don’t Wear White” (originally titled “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White” by the original artists in 1966). The first trucks along just fine with loads of fat guitar riffs and other rock stuff. The second is a faithful tribute to the original and totally enjoyable. And that’s really all there is to say about these. Find ‘em on Spotify and other services. For more information, please see thegrawks.com.
I WANNA DO WHATEVER COMMON PEOPLE DO: Folky Americana-ish group The Broken String Band will release its newest single “Girl In The Monkey Hat” on Aug. 30. It’s an acceptable entry into the band’s catalog and has a few old jazz references as well. This is the kind of music you hear when you’re watching, say, a mid-20th century western film and there’s a hobo dancing in a saloon and his clothes are tattered but his shoes are polished. Find this at thebrokenstringband.bandcamp.com once it’s released.
ART IN THE DARK: There’s a slew of upcoming dates for the popular Dark Entries Goth Karaoke at Buvez, so write these down. Upcoming dates are Fridays, Aug. 25, Sept. 1 and 9, Oct. 13 and 27, and Saturday, Nov. 25. You don’t have to be a goth fan to enjoy this, but it helps. The organizers have approximately one billion songs from which to choose, though, so your post punk, hardcore, pop punk, alternative, etc. needs should all be met. Check out facebook.com/darkentriesathens.
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