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Threats & Promises

Eight Pictures’ Show Your Work, And More Music News and Gossip

PERIPHERAL PATHWAYS: There’s been a steady, albeit unpredictable, drip of new Nerve Clinic tracks coming out over the past several years, and the latest is “Shaping Shadows.” Composer and musician Monty Greene, the brains behind ATHICA’s Sonic Space series, delivers a deeply introspective piece of music that subtly shifts moods between blissful resignation and resolute action. That is to say it’s both narcotic and inspiring. Structurally it rests its sound on the shoulders of drum and bass, expansive space rock, atmospheric goth and industrial, and a dash of trip hop. Dig it and a whole lot more over at youtube.com/@nerveclinic

STAGES & PAGES: Flicker Theatre & Bar will host an event named “Shadow Country: Poems Inspired by Drive-By TruckersSouthern Rock Opera – A Community Reading” Wednesday, Feb. 12. This reading, occurring the first day of the Truckers’ HeAthens Homecoming, runs from 4–5:30 p.m. It’s sprung from a project coordinated by Truckers fan Glenn Raucher. There’s actually a significant amount of material already in the project’s coffers. The whole concept is described as “A poetry project ‘reverse-engineering’ songs from Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera into poetry monologues in the voices of characters not in the songs, but just off stage, involved in the actions, places, moments depicted in Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley’s remarkable songs.” Suggested donation is 10 bucks, which will go to benefit Nuçi’s Space. For more information on all this, please see medium.com/@glennraucher

SIT WITH IT A WHILE: Russ Hallauer (Sunbrain, The Lures, Ghostmeat Records) recently released his newest full-length album When The Moon Pulls In The Waves, his first new music since 2020’s Suspect Wings. I didn’t expect it to grab me so quickly, but Hallauer comes out of the gate with one of his best songs ever, “Any Death Will Do.” In addition to being sincerely and very sweetly romantic, it’s also the only time in my lifetime, outside The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” that this sentiment has been successfully delivered. So, from here, there’s nowhere to go but down. Hallauer, however, pulls his weight throughout the eight songs here. Stylistically, in the simplest terms, it’s electric guitar-based singer-songwriter tracks. The title song ranks as the second best thing here, but other specific highlights are “Rye Whiskey,” “The Potomac Don’t Give A Damn,” and the relatively upbeat “Birthday Song.” Find this on all major streaming services, and for more information, please see facebook.com/ghostmeatrecords

CLOCKED IN: I’ve never met J. Harrison in person, but I sure like his style. Working under the moniker Eight Pictures he’s just released a four-song set of solidly indie-rock demo tracks named Show Your Work. That title alone is enough to get kudos from me, but the songs themselves are where it’s at. This opens with the fantastically catchy and swingingly urgent “Kick” which has those chugga-chugga guitar riffs in its bridge not at all unlike Superchunk. From there, “Fifteen Months” pays pretty stark musical tribute to The Smiths, “Do Nothing” is a decently constructed pop song with a shaggy guitar solo to boot, and “Line” is just a straightforward romantic plea but little else. The only real hump to get over here are his vocals, which are kind of all over the place, but these are also demos, so I’m over it. Find this at eightpictures.bandcamp.com.

AN EARLY SPRING: Preorders are open now for the digital version of The Rishis’ upcoming self-titled full-length album, which will arrive courtesy of Cloud Recordings and Primordial Void. Two songs, the Baroque pop “Coloring” and the simple rocker “Robot Factory,” are out now. The whole thing comes out Feb. 21. While The Rishis have existed for over 10 years the group’s profile has risen substantially over the past few years, and this new album is chock full of special guests. Check it out at primordialvoid.bandcamp.com, and keep up at facebook.com/therishisband and cloudrecordings.com

HEAR ME OUT: Self-described “psychfunk” band Seeking Approval—which, let’s admit, is about the most on-the-nose band name ever—has a new five-song EP out now named Spaces In-Between. It was recorded at Chase Park with Annie Leeth and Jason Nesmith at the controls. I’m not groovy enough to dig the first song, “Put It All On Me,” at all, but I give the band a thumbs up for truth in advertising. The Floyd-ian “All In Time” is also worth yours, and “Almighty Dollar” is basically Sam and Dave fronting The Allman Brothers Band. In the end I was most partial to the fuzzed out rocker “Brainscape” and the carefree Teenage Fanclub vibes of “The Happy Song.” Find this at seekingapproval.bandcamp.com.

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