GREEN MOUNTAIN MUSIC: of Montreal is going to give its new album, Lady On The Cusp, a couple of weeks to stew in the public consciousness before setting off on a packed June tour. The album from the long-running Kevin Barnes-led project is the group’s 19th full-length record and is set for release May 17, courtesy of the band’s longtime label PolyVinyl. The first single from the album, “Yung Hearts Bleed Free,” is available now. Significantly, this is the final of Montreal album to be recorded in Athens. Barnes moved to Vermont a little while back. You can discuss this with him, though, when the band kicks off its tour here in Athens on May 31 at the Georgia Theatre with Brooklyn’s Godcaster, which already has a decent following here in town and just played a hot show at Ciné. For more information, please see ofmontreal.net.
WAY TO GET BORN: A birthday party of sorts celebrating the 28th sun cycle of twins Will and Lars Heffner (each of Heffner, natch) will happen at Paloma Park Saturday, Mar. 23. Heffner is playing this event at 10 p.m. Also on the bill is Free Ride, billed as “Athens Premier 1970s Hard Rock Cover Band,” and, if that’s indeed the case, they’ve got a lot to live up to with that name when they go on at 11:30 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., though, so you can get good and ready in your own particular way for this throw down. This event is free and open to the public. Literally what other information could you possibly need?
C’MON, GET HAPPY: Submission time has ended for this year’s Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award. Word has just come through, though, that Mobile, AL-based singer-songwriter Abe Partridge is the featured performer at the awards show itself on May 2 at the 40 Watt Club. That’s not a lot to go on yet, sure, but I figured some of you might like to know this news and maybe get a jump on familiarizing yourself with his music, if you’re not already. Check him out over at abepartridge.com.
THE MOST ZEN PLACE ON THE DIAL: Athensgeorgialive.com recently launched wORT Radio. As you might be able to discern immediately, these call letters are a reference to our own Ort, aka William Orten Carlton, who died Jan. 21, 2023. Coordinator and friend of Ort’s Frank Russell mentioned in an email to Flagpole that this station was created specifically at the request of Ort and represented his final project regarding Athens music. The declaration on the station’s site says, “wORT is keeping the memory of William Orten Carlton alive, celebrating the Athens, GA music scene and supporting local and visiting artists and their music.” Well, that sounds A-OK to me.
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: Mux Blank, chief executive officer of Rat Babies, JOKER JOKER Gallery, JOKERJOKERtv, Mr. Blank Toys, etc. will host the annual Weirdo Yard Sale on Saturday, Mar. 23. This event happens at the gallery located on 145 Vine St. Basically, a whole bunch of self-proclaimed weirdos will load up this sale with cool vintage items, kitschy doo-dads, 20th century gewgaws, art, music, electronics, practical household items, etc. You know, a yard sale, but with weird stuff amplified. Sure, this isn’t normally the type of thing I cover, but this news has enough tentacles in the music scene that I’m certain it’s appreciated by a good number of you. So, you’re welcome.
HELL IS ‘ROUND THE CORNER: I had to reach back into my notes to put this on the page, and technically it’s old news, I suppose, but the curious album by Mt. Mars named Hyperreal 93 came out last December. While Athens now has a heretofore nearly unimaginable number of folks making electronic and associated types of music, Mt. Mars is the only artist I know of doing this particular type of electro stuff locally. Without diving into a track by track analysis, suffice it to say that this should appeal to fans of Atari Teenage Riot, Tricky, select tracks by Ministry, aggressive drum and bass, et al. And, OK I lied; I do want to mention the track “Menticide,” which is among the most hardcore here with its spectacularly realized rhythm and menacing vocals. Find this at mtmars.bandcamp.com, and explore a bunch more at soundcloud.com/mtmars.
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