PRAYERS FOR RAIN: From the seemingly non-stop stream of archival live recordings, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Widespread Panic hasn’t released a studio album since 2015’s Street Dogs. However, in 2020 the band released the studio single “Sundown Betty,” and just a couple of weeks ago they released another new studio single, “Little By Little.” Speculation among fans has, of course, led to chatter of a new album being in the works, considering the band has also introduced several new songs to its live sets in relatively short order. This newest song is a loud, heavy rocker for the band with a solidly bluesy main riff. The next times the band plays anywhere even sort of close to Athens, and where tickets may still be available, are Apr. 25 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and May 24–25 at Memphis, TN’s Radians Amphitheater. For all other information, please see widespreadpanic.com.
A PIRATE LOOKS AT FIFTY: It’s been six years since any new music was heard from Sailor Winters, the years-long black noise/experimental project from composer Ryan Cox. But new-ish label Propitious Artifacts—helmed by the supremely dedicated and knowledgeable Gavin Frederick of Stickfigure Recordings—just released the new 13-track Sailor Winters album Blue Lines. The pieces here are arranged very much like a proper album, which is nice in a genre that sometimes seems so committed to just throwing things at the wall. Specific highlights are the relentlessly rhythmic “But A Gift,” the brief piano interlude “Doll House” and its sonic neighbor “Jardious.” The strongest piece on the whole album, though, is the howling “Portal Of Ran,” which is the aural equivalent of being sucked into a glitch-digital whirlpool of noise for which there’s no way out but through. Find this new one at propitiousartifacts.bandcamp.com, and once you feel comfortable diving more deeply, head over to sailorwinters.bandcamp.com.
OPEN CALL: Longtime Athens musician and creative force Mux Blank (Mr. Blank, Rat Babies, et al) has once again put out the call for musicians, artists, filmmakers, performers of all stripes, comedians, animators, etc. to submit videos for inclusion on JOKERJOKERtv. This is the weekly video program produced by Blank and some other dedicated hands that has been moving along at a very steady clip for quite a while. For more information about this particular submission process, and for more information on JOKERJOKERtv in general, please see jokerjokertv.com/submit and jokerjokertv.com, respectively.
THIS IS THE GAME THAT MOVES AS YOU PLAY: I honestly can’t immediately think of another Athens-area project/band/thing so committed to its own metamorphosis as Foreign Dots. Unless, of course, the narrative for this utterly mysterious and anonymous project is just a clear-the-decks recording concern, and this is all coming from a creative mind that just loves several genres. That said, in the past seven months Foreign Dots has moved from the solid trashy doom metal of its debut DNA Pig to the four-track indie pop-rock aesthetic of its newest EP, I Remember How Young He Was. If there were ever a marriage between, say, Dinosaur Jr. and Ween, this would be it. There are a couple of melodies here that are reminiscent of Parquet Courts, too. Quite enjoyable stuff here, save for the shambolic twang of “Twig,” which isn’t very good at all. Anyway, find this and everything else over at foreigndots.bandcamp.com.
WHY DON’T WE SING THIS SONG ALL TOGETHER?: The first 2024 performance by The Georgia Women of Song happens Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens (780 Timothy Road). This concert features a knockout level of Athens vocal talent, including the jazz-pop artist Marty Winkler, Susan Staley (Solstice Sisters), Kate Morrissey Stahl (Kate Morrissey Band), Lisa Cesnik Ferguson (Kate Morrissey Band, et al), and Maggie Mason Hunter (The Warblers, Solstice Sisters). This show costs $10, and doors open at 6 p.m. A press release distributed last week noted that, “As with past GWOS concerts, there’ll be solo performances, duets, trios and even choir-like serenades featuring all five singers, with the music, both originals and cover tunes, spanning every American genre, from rock and pop to folk and R&B.”
ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS: The HeAthens Homecoming Cookout and Auction, the annual event hosted in coordination with the Drive-By Truckers’ homecoming shows, happens Saturday, Feb. 17 from 12–4 p.m. at Nuçi’s Space. This event is free, open to the public, and the silent auction runs until 3 p.m. For all other information, please see nuci.org/heathens-homecoming.
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