INSPECT AND SELECT: The nomination season is open for the 2025 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards. Nominations are being accepted until Mar. 20. These annual awards are presented and administered by the Classic City Rotary. Eligibility isn’t terribly strict. Songs need to have been released during 2024 and have been made available to the public initially via an album or streaming site, or otherwise provided directly from the artist to the public. The songwriter or co-songwriters must “reside in Athens-Clarke County or a contiguous county—Barrow, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Madison or Jackson—to be eligible.” Anyone may make nominations, including artists themselves. There are no restrictions on style or genre. This year’s awards show happens at the 40 Watt Club on May 1. For nominations and information on the prizes, please see vicchesnuttaward.com.
WHITE LIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF INFINITY: The new album by one of the currently most compelling groups in town, Bone Bag, is out now. This one takes the already difficult band further into the realms of the inscrutable. Whereas last summer’s Glimmer maintained, no matter how seemingly tenuous, a relationship with the rock tradition, this new full-length named Distorted Number 3: Bag shreds that union thoroughly where only the slightest of clues referencing such are intact. Namely, only the tracks “cuck” and “dlairsvill” exist anywhere in that lineage. The sheer sonic aggressiveness of this also, in a way, places it in a pre-language arena that it both wears as a badge and struggles to escape. Specific highlights here are opening track “welt” as well as heavy work of “big ass pile of money” and “pumpernickel.” Honestly, I think “poke,” with its numbingly repeated phrasing, best represents the whole here. None of this is easy, but every bit of it is worth it. Find it over at hardtackk.bandcamp.com.
GOOD CITIZENS OF THE MONTH: Newnan-based podcast In Loving Recollection just released a new compilation that y’all are going to want to know about. It’s titled We’ll Get Through This: Songs For A More Perfect Union, was released on the day of the U.S. presidential inauguration Jan. 20, and 100% of its proceeds will go to the ACLU. The stunning part of all this is, somehow, Athens indie-pop legend—literally the band that launched Kindercore Records—Kincaid, reunited to record a brand new song with longtime Athens musician Kevin Lane. The song is named “Hot Fries.” Another Athens-related inclusion, Joe Rowe, delivered an unreleased Glands song named “Mike on the Bike.” Other artists appearing on this include Lou Turner (Nashville), Milan McAlevey (Maine), Light Heat (Philadelphia) and more. You can grab this over at inlovingrecollection.bandcamp.com, and for more information, please see inlovingrecollection.com. You’ll also want to carve out some time to listen to some episodes. There’s loads of good material over there.
A SONG FOR YOU: Folky pop group lighthearted, centered around the twins Gracie Huffman and Eliza Lemmon, has released its first single off its upcoming album. The song, “Borrowed,” is a sweepingly breezy tune complete with strings, a nicely swooping backward guitar and its founders’ strong vocals. This, as well as the band’s other work, is available on all major streaming services. If you want to catch this live, then head over to The Foundry, a venue that desperately needs its own dedicated website again, on Saturday, Jan. 25. Also on the bill are Khaliko—not to be confused with Athens rapper Kaliko—and Karma Kat. For tickets and all other information, please see lightheartedband.com.
THE BOYS ARE BACK: The Granfalloons have released their first new music, a single named “I’m Good,” in 16 years. The band (Seth Hendershot, Matthew Williams, Tommy Somerville, AJ Adams and Chuck Bradburn) recorded the track with engineer Adams at Nuçi’s Space’s Amplify Recording Studio. It starts off and continues with a nice Stones-y riff, the whole song is punctuated subtly by Somerville’s keyboards, and the smooth pedal steel provided by Adams does nothing to disabuse listeners of this reference. No word yet as to whether this is a one-off, stand-alone song or part of an upcoming release but, you know, as soon as I know you’ll know. For now, find this on all major streaming platforms, and for more information, please see facebook.com/thegranfalloons.
MARLO THOMAS REDUX: Ritika Sharma, who performs as simply Ritika, spent a few years here in town recently as a student, and during that time she launched her songwriting and performing career. In the past couple of years she’s released a handful of singles, and her newest, “Mrs. Donahue,” was released last week. The tune itself is very nicely layered in a way that only reveals itself thoroughly when listening with headphones. Ritika’s vocals are smooth as butter and relaxing in a very chill way that nicely complements the sometimes agitated tune. Find this on all major streaming services, and head to ritikasmusic.com for all other information.
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