TO HERE KNOWS WHEN: A cool, understated project named understatements just eked out a two-track release named be nothing / be something, which is also the name of its constituent songs. They’re each pretty solidly in the shoegaze genre, but the first also owes a huge debt to classic drum and bass. The second is a nice, soothing ambient track that works fine for meditation but, even at its running time of over five minutes, is kind of too short to get the job completely done. Still, this is a neat little record that should make a fine addition to your fall playlist. Find it at understatements.bandcamp.com.
NINTENDO OUI: Thrill seekers of many stripes should be, uh, thrilled to know that our very own 8-bit rockers Bit Brigade have just released their soundtrack to 1988’s NES game Double Dragon. The popular group’s most recent previous release was back in April when they released their version of 1987’s Castlevania. I’ve never been a real video game person nor particularly interested in the industry’s growth, history or creative elements. That said, I’ve always loved Bit Brigade and the palpable excitement of the band’s live performances, and have often listened to their recordings in a context-free environment. So, if they can sell me so hard, can you even imagine how great this is if this is your scene? Currently on yet another tour, which will last until the end of November, the band next plays Athens Jan. 18 at The Georgia Theatre. Find the new record and their catalog over at bitbrigade.bandcamp.com, and learn everything at bitbrigade.com.
HE’S GOT YOU, BOO: Phantom Dan and his band will celebrate the release of his newest EP Are You A Phase Of The Dark? Friday, Nov. 15 at Flicker Theatre & Bar. He’s slowly released these songs one by one since April, so you should already be well-familiar with the anthemic pop-punk angle of “Bad Habits,” “We Were Kings” and “Get So Low.” The new-ish final track is “Sleep It Off,” and it follows directly in the footsteps of its predecessors but with some new production techniques that keep it fresh. The EP technically comes out the next day, so look for it on all major streaming services. Stay informed via facebook.com/phantomdanmusic. Also on the bill are Trvy & The Enemy and GODS.
SPACE IS THE PLACE: ATHICA will host its next instance of Sonic Space Friday, Nov. 15, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and music starting at 8 p.m. Featured is classical and world music guitarist Joe Leone with his group Tribe Of Three. In addition to the decades-long Athens musician Leone, the group includes percussionist Louis Romanos and multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Raj, each of whom has an impressive and enviable resume. The suggested donation tonight is $10. For more information on ATHICA, Sonic Space and this lineup in particular, please see athica.org.
ROCKS BUT IN FRENCH: It’s been two years since we heard from The Pierres for any length of recorded time. The band has solved all that now and just released the brand new five-song EP Hot And Muggy. It opens with the appropriately sweaty title which sets the mood for the whole thing with its melodic post-punk tendencies filtered through an MC5-meets-Pere Ubu lens. Particular highlights here are “Ice Bath,” the aforementioned title song, and the loud and furious closing track “Anitsa.” Find this quickly at thepierres2.bandcamp.com.
THERE’S NO OTHER WAY: Tangential Athenian DJ Knetter Gek released his newest full-length album, Abnormaltown, late last week. Stepping a bit away from his former work, he leans hard into the psychedelic with this one from the very first track, “Five Dollar Freakout.” If you remain unconvinced, just wait until you reach the third track, “PBR By Porchlight,” and you’ll swear you’re listening to something released during the baggy heyday that overtook the UK for a while in the early 1990s. Then the seriously Revolver-worthy sitar on “Twin Oranges Of Destruction (Sitarical)” takes the listener further inside this new universe he’s built. The very next track—and the next most obvious nod to our Athens scene, among many—“Milk And Cookies (Tremor Control),” is a tad less on the psych tip, but a bit more on the happy house side of things. Seriously, I’ve been so overwhelmingly impressed with this dude’s work that this is one of the precious few albums in recent memory that I wish was twice as long. Find it at djknettergek.bandcamp.com, and learn more at djknettergek.com.
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