EACH ONE TEACH ONE: Tickets are on sale now for the eighth annual Athens In Harmony concert, which will take place this year at UGA’s Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall Sunday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Pay attention because this event will most likely sell out. Athens In Harmony features collaborative performances matched up between Athens artists in the rap/hip-hop/R&B arena with those in the rock/pop arena. This event is a benefit for the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $35 for premium seating and $15 for students of all ages. For tickets, please see pac.uga.edu/event/athens-in-harmony.
CLOCKED IN: You’ve got until Wednesday, Feb. 26 to sign yourself and your workmates up for this year’s Athens Business Rocks competition. The deal is that local workplaces form themed bands—generally a tribute to other bands, but feel free to get creative with it—then compete as a benefit for Nuçi’s Space. This competition is among the most popular fundraisers that Nuçi’s has ever conceived. The competition this year is May 3 at the 40 Watt Club. For all rules, guidelines and other specifics, please see nuci.org/abr.
C’MON OVER: The dudes in The Wraps seem like nice enough guys in that boyishly collegiate way. If you’ve stumbled into The Roadhouse at any point over the past few months, you may have seen them plowing through their particular brand of power pop. If you’re feeling particularly romantic, you can catch them again over there on Friday, Feb. 14, when they celebrate the release of the new single “Goodnight.” It’s a little bit schmaltzy and a little bit waltzy, and perches its entire self atop a 1950s-era doo-wop melody. I’m far more partial to the group’s tunes like the Urge Overkill-ish “All It Was” and pure guitar pop of “Good Luck, Babe,” both of which you can find on the band’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@TubeGangTV. Find this new one, and a few others, after it’s released this week over at Spotify and other major streaming services.
GOOD TIMES AND GREAT OLDIES: Pre-orders are open now for Chunklet Industries’ 7-inch vinyl release of the first batch of Bar-B-Q Killers songs that Chunklet head Henry Owings and engineers David Barbe and Jason Nesmith have been hard at work both resurrecting and beautifying. The first release is a 7-inch named Part 1: The Last Shit which is, if you’ve even a passing familiarity with this classic Athens combo, instantly recognizable as completely appropriate. These were recorded with John Keane at his studio in 1986. As one of the foundational groups among the then-bubbling-under heavier rock scene in Athens, Bar-B-Q Killers were guitar-oriented, intelligently provocative, artfully offensive, and—essentially—separated the hip from the square. The actual record doesn’t get released until Mar. 7, so you’ll have to sit on your hands a bit but it’s worth it. Order it over at chunklet.bandcamp.com.
DARK SIDE OF THE TUNE: You know that particular breed of melodic metal that pulls from alt-rock, atmospheric metal, post-hardcore, big chorus emo and the like? Well, Ashes To Omens has all that in spades, and just feels like one of those groups that is right at the precipice of something big happening. Last week the band released a new single, “The Tide,” from its upcoming EP Vessels and Vices. It was produced by Michael Guevarez (Enox). and it totally sounds like it, too, in a good way. Find it on all major streaming services, and keep up with everything at facebook.com/ashestoomensofficial.
DIGGIN’ FOR FIRE: And since the whole theme of this week’s column seems to be teasing out bits of new releases, how about another one? Punky indie duo Penny Loafer announced that its debut EP Daily Deal is slated for release Mar. 28, which feels like forever. The first single, “Fridge,” is out now. It takes a minute for it to really kick into gear, but once it does it’s as slacker authentic as anything that came before. While you’re checking it out, though, stick around and listen to “Lynx” which the band released last year. The both of them together kind of helps bring the whole aesthetic into clearer view. Find it all over at pennyloafer.bandcamp.com.
TIP YOUR BARTENDER: Leeding Blind is back with another double-dose of its indie country. The two newly-released tracks here, “Chalk Outline” and “Mail Order Bride,” are both mildly humorous and not as over the top as say, Redneck Greece was. A previous, much more demo-sounding version of the second tune was released in March 2024. Nothing terribly mindblowing here, but these songs are a fine addition to the group’s lineage. I mean, it’s not Beyonce, but it’s still pretty damn country. Find it at sunshinecrooks.bandcamp.com.
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