GUESSING TIME IS GONE: Now that everyone in town has presumably recovered from David Barbe’s 60th birthday bash at the 40 Watt Club, here’s some nice related news: Propeller Sound Recordings has its re-release of Barbe’s band Mercyland’s 1989 album No Feet On The Cowling available for pre-order as we speak. The whole thing was remixed by Barbe himself, so you know these songs are being showcased exactly as intended. This was re-released on compact disc back in the 1990s by Rykodisc, but this new remixed and remastered version—while also available as a CD—is coming out on vinyl, too. This record was magnificent when it came out, but now stands as testimony to the specifically fertile ground Athens held for musicians at that time, as well as the pure songwriting talent of the three men on this album. The release is scheduled for Nov. 3. In other news, I don’t even want to tell you how many years I walked around thinking that a “cowling” was, like, a baby cow. For more information and to place your order, please see propellersoundrecordings.com.
WE ALL SHINE ON: In a nicely creative move, local hip-hop artist P.O. the Priceless One released a video montage and musical tribute to John Lennon. Having not known much about Lennon and his legacy, P.O. (née Anthony Hill) was initially spurred on by being asked to perform on Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance” during the recent sold-out Athens In Harmony event at The Foundry. As he learned more about Lennon and his life, he was both intrigued and inspired. His newly released video featured his own music about halfway through; the beat was built by him from a foundation of Lennon samples to which he added drums and melodies, as well as handling all the chopping, editing and vocals. The end result is surprisingly touching and emotionally resonant. He released this on Lennon’s birthday, which was Oct. 9. You can find it at @pothepriceless1 on Instagram.
WORTH THE WAIT: After four EPs in four years, the debut full-length released from electronic compositional outfit Ohmu is upon us. It’s titled When Will Our Forever Longing Be Satiated, and project head Winston Parker celebrated its release last week. Parker’s music can range from the blissful half-light of liminal spaces to the heavily burdened depths of darkness, and he can make the switch between the two seem perfectly natural, as well (e.g. the space between 2:15 and 5:00 on the title track). There are a couple of shorter tracks on here, but most run between seven and eight minutes long. Far from being indulgent, though, these spacious pieces provide just enough canvas for Parker to really stretch out and, similarly, provide the listener with enough time to sink deeply into each. Find this at ohmushell.bandcamp.com.
BIG BLUE MARBLE: The next Sonic Space event at ATHICA happens Sunday, Oct. 15. It will feature a performance by Michael Pierce’s project sweetearthflying. Pierce is well known in the Athens experimental scene for his work with The Electric Nature and other collaborative projects. I’ve generally been quite taken by his work, and this is a cool event, so swing by. This performance is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is a part of the Historic Athens Porchfest. Get up to speed with Pierce’s music at sweetearthflying.bandcamp.com.
ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET: Kimberly Morgan York is in the throes of celebrating her new four-song EP, Devil Songs and Other Such Nonsense, which comes out this Friday. The night before, Thursday, Oct. 12, she’ll be performing with her band at Nowhere Bar, and if you miss that, you can still catch her during her performance at Porchfest Sunday, Oct. 15. The record starts off with a fine cover of Terry Gibb’s 1981 smash Country hit “Somebody’s Knockin’” and then swims around in the deep end of classic 1960s country, although the final song, “Other Such Nonsense,” does creep into the ‘70s a little bit. Find this wherever you’re used to finding your music these days, and for more information, please see kimberlymorganyork.com.
PAIN REDUCTION CENTER: Songwriter and musician Brandon Steinhauer released an absolutely lovely EP last month under the name Spitehound, with the EP titled Tourniquet. These five songs are evocative, compelling and a welcome surprise treat. These songs are all centered on acoustic guitar but one, “Therapy,” rocks a little harder than expected. Beyond this singular deviation, Steinhauer positively channels Elliott Smith, a little Nick Drake (especially on “Oxblood”) and, while he may be unaware of this next particular comparison, there are also slight shades of Koncak (Nuçi Phillips’ project circa mid-1990s). Find this at spitehound.bandcamp.com and consider spending all winter with it. For more information, please see linktr.ee/spitehound.
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