SIX JAZZ FUNK GREATS: Marcel Sletten is certainly getting no sleep these days between his impressive live show and release schedule. Last week he released his new album Heather And Birch on his Primordial Void label. It starts off the bat with one of the noisiest and most brutal tracks he’s ever made, “Revenant,” which is just packed to its gills with static, noise and feedback. “The Long Suicide” is of a similar mood but less so, and it’s tempting to treat “Elizabeth St, Red Hook, NY” with the same observations, but that one is actually very pretty and soothing both by comparison and on its own. What I’m most excited about on this record are Sletten’s explorations in dance music, as evidenced by the only slightly sub-hardcore “Waterfront.” Sletten will perform at Ciné on Friday, Sept. 27 along with In A Kythe and the Los Angeles-based Twig Harper. Harper, in addition to his sleeve-long list of impressive collaborations and associations (Wolf Eyes, Kim Gordon’s Body/Head, Andrew W.K., et al) he released a compelling chunk of work on Primordial Void itself back in 2021 named Two Variations for the Shadow of the Absolute. That can be found over at primordialvoid.bandcamp.com, as can Sletten’s new album which is also available as a compact disc.
HALF A WORLD AWAY: William Orten “Ort” Carlton famously said in Athens, Ga: Inside/Out that, “The B-52s started the music scene as we think of it.” And, as was the case with an uncountable number of his observations, this is absolutely true. But, to crib a line from C.S.Lewis, there is a deeper magic from before the dawn of time. The Athens-Clarke Library will host speaker Chris Jones in a talk called “The Athens Music Scene Before It Was Famous” on Oct. 10. Jones, a University of Georgia graduate, will be set up in the library’s Heritage Room and explore the vibrant scene enjoyed here in the 1950s and ‘60s. During these years, Athens was home and host to a number of local teen-scene type bands, as well as a regular touring spot for similar acts from across the state and region. Ever heard of The Athens Rogues, Suntower or Dirk & Tony? Chances seem good you will! The event runs from 6:30–7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please see athenslibrary.org.
HOME AGAIN: Fiddler Ivan Strunin released his whopping 15-track album The First Day of December earlier this year, but even before then, his list of Athens-area collaborators would make similar roots-folk-blues-jazz artists green with jealousy. There’s not room to include them all, but you can count Susan Staley and Maggie Mason Hunter (Solstice Sisters) and Tommy Jordan among them. His new album features the mind boggling lineup of Strunin, Dirk Powell, Michael Doucet, Trey Boudreaux, Jimmy Breaux, Cedric Watson and Amelia Powell. You can read the story of how this all came to be on his website. The record begins with the hot boogie of “Zydeco Minor Swing,” and it’s a foot stomper to be sure. The sweetly delivered, Powell-composed title track comes next. Other, specific highlights for me are the funky “Fire On The Bayou,” “La Fille de Quatorze Ans” and “I Already Know the Blues.” People, there’s not a single dud nor dead spot on this whole album. This is available as a digital download or compact disc over at ivanstrunin.bandcamp.com, and for more information, please see ivanonthefiddle.com.
AFTER BATHING ON BAXTER: Athens band Robe has always seemed like a band with new wave dreams but indie rock execution. Thus far, it’s served them well. On its newest single “Finger Tourniquet,” the group embraces light psychedelia that sometimes veers slightly into Captain Beefheart territory. This bubbly and airy tune, though, has a big fat bottom courtesy of bassist Rhett Fuller. That’s a good thing, too, because it keeps the tune anchored in a very secure way while the rest of the group goes about their semi-baroque quest. Chalk this up to yet another feather in Robe’s cap and while you’re doing that why not just go listen to it at robeathens.bandcamp.com.
THE BIG PAYBACK: The first full-band release from Split Silk was released this month courtesy of British Columbia label Tomb Tree Tapes. Previous releases were the sole work of founder Lucca Cassandra Carver. The group now includes Carver, Lucía Alejandra Carreno and Will Morris. While each song here has either been recorded or performed live previously, these are each the first recorded versions with this lineup. I’ve written about all these songs before so let it be sufficient to say my original analysis of its overall vibe being one of noisy catharsis with its roots in the 1990s screamo-noise rock scene remains relevant. I would like to point your attention to the two live tracks, though, “Attune” and “Ocean Heart.” Good Lord, is this some killer rockin’ from this crew. Honestly great work here. Go headphones-in and you’ll really be able to extract a lot of subtlety. Find this at tombtreetapes.bandcamp.com, and get yourself caught up over at splitsilk.bandcamp.com.
THIS IS YOUR SLICE OF LIFE: Tickets are on sale now for the second annual Southern Gothic Festival. This is not to be confused with identically named events that have occurred in New Orleans (which is also a music-based event) and South Carolina (which is a literary event). Coordinated and presented by the good citizens in Vision Video, this two night beast comes to life Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26 at the 40 Watt Club. Tickets are $45 each night or $70 for a full weekend pass. Now, listen to this killer lineup. On Friday, featured acts are The March Violets, Korine, House Of Harm, Tears For The Dying, Panic Priest, Vincas and Miss Cherry Delight. Saturday features The Chameleons, Vision Video, Deceits and a goth dance party afterward. The organizers know that your eyeliner is gonna be twitching its way off your face in anticipation of attending the Wild Rumpus this Saturday night, so the plan is to coordinate start times so you can also enjoy that. For more information, please see instagram.com/visionvideoband, visionvideoband.com and 40watt.com.
UNTITLED: Wuxtry Records will host a listening party at Ciné Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 5–7 p.m. for the highly anticipated expanded reissue of Cornwall, UK artist Aphex Twin‘s (nee Richard James) Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2. This expanded version, to be made available on vinyl and compact disc, celebrates the original’s 30th anniversary. Your hosts this evening may also have some free promotional posters and perhaps other items from label Warp Records, too. This particular release came at a critical time in the dance music and electronic scene of the 1990s by eschewing beats of basically any kind in favor of, and the execution of which was masterful, ambient music. Contextualized, this record came out when the then-current thinking was leaning toward heavy beats (think Prodigy, Alec Empire, Chemical Brothers, et al.) and even the more chill exceptions to those (Portishead, The Orb, Massive Attack) could seem positively hardcore in comparison to James’ work on this album. Now, in the rumor department, there is a chance that Wuxtry will be able to take pre-orders for this, but you’ll need to rush down to the store and ask or call them at 706-369-9428 as soon as you can. Word on the street is that several distributors had limited stock to begin with and have rapidly sold out their pre-release allocations. If you are successful in this effort, you’ll be able to pick your copy up at the listening party. The actual street date of this is three days later, so if you’re lucky there’s your flex for the week. Visual from Wuxtry Records’ manager Nate Mitchell and dude about town Xander Witt will accompany your blissed out session this night. This event is free and open to the public. For all other questions, please call the number above or just drop into the store at 197 E. Clayton Street.
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