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Music Archive
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It's Blitz!
by Casey DeHoedt
New York trio The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have come a long way since their 2003 success Fever To Tell, however their latest full-length It's Blitz! offers little krieg to no bop as they've glammed up their no-wave tendencies.
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Longview: The New And Old Green Days
by Alex Orellana
Once upon a time there was a band called Green Day. They had a singer named Billie Joe, a bassist named Mike, and a drummer named Tré . They made music, they grew up, and then they made more. Sounds like something with a happy ending, doesn’t it?
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Sugarland, 40 Watt Club, 2/26/2009
by Kelli Hilderbrand
There is something sweet about the Grammy award-winning country duo, Sugarland, something electric and downright sexy. Lead-vocalist Jennifer Nettles and guitarist Kristian Bush kicked off their Love on the Inside tour Thursday night at the historic 40 Watt Club in Athens. Nettles, 34, and Bush, 38, impressed the sold-out crowd with their catchy tunes, flirtatious dance moves and instrumental talents.
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I Want My MTV Back
by Carrie Dagenhard
Growing up in the boy band-riddled, teenybopper heaven of the late 90’s doesn’t exactly arm me with the nostalgic credibility to say this, but I’m going to anyway. What the hell happened to MTV?
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Twenty-Five Years Of Murmuring In Athens: Athens Bands Play R.E.M.'s Murmur
by Chris Hassiotis
Jeff Montgomery's been a supporter of Athens since before he lived in town. He remembers coming to Athens for a CD release show for R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People and being impressed by the fact that it was a benefit show raising money for Community Connection, the local non-profit resource organization. Now he's on that organization's board, and helping organize events like November 25's "A Perfect Circle: Athens Bands Play R.E.M.'s Murmur." This event draws inspiration from "Finest Worksongs," an event in late 2006 where Athens bands chose from a variety of R.E.M. songs to cover, paying tribute to our town's most high-profile ambassadors.
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Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl:” It’s No Big Deal, It’s Innocent?
by Casey DeHoedt
In 2008 Katy Perry releases her album One of the Boys on Capitol Records. The hot new track complete with music video is “I Kissed a Girl.” Immediately it’s “discussed.”
Perry’s lyrics tell a tale of a female who “accidentally” engages in a “scandalous” kiss with another female. The narrator claims “this was never the way I planned, not my intention I got so brave, drink in hand lost my discretion.”
And kiddos, I have to admit I’m having a hard time pulling the punches on this one. So I won’t.
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Unshaken by Lucifer: Roky Erickson at the 40 Watt, 8/14/08
by Casey DeHoedt
Roky Erickson emerges from behind the curtain... No ascension of the steps – just a slight push of the velvet veil.
Since the announcement of Erickson’s PopFest performance in May, the excitement began to bubble. Now, after five hours of music the long wait is at a torrid boil. The 40 Watt is well-stocked with disciples, casual fans and a few to see what the buzz has been about.
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The Lolligags/ The Apes, PopFest, 40 Watt, 8/15/08
by Casey DeHoedt
So, where were you for the Apes? Were you there? I didn’t see you there. You shoulda been there. Not at all dismayed by a smaller crowd, the Apes tore down the stage by good old fashioned hard-hitting-performance. This foursome from our nation’s capital has forced me into dark and undiscovered terrains of my musical lexicon.
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Longhalsmottagningen/ Bad Animal/ Young Untold/ American Cheeseburger, PopFest, Little Kings, 8/16/08
by Casey DeHoedt
Saturday, back at Little Kings. It’s hot. It’s the last day of PopFest. Most have opted for the inside’s air conditioned atmosphere over the sweltering shade ‘neath the thatched umbrellas outside.
As Boyracer headlined 40 Watt the previous night, the most enthusiastic had been the Swedish fellows cheering and dancing in the crowd. Now, the two bands combine for the first set: Longhalsmottagningen. “It’s kinda cool bein' in a band you can’t pronounce,” says Boyracer’s Stewart Anderson.
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Oh Fortuna/ Marc With A C/ Hot Lava, PopFest, Flicker, 8/16/08
by Casey DeHoedt
For the last Flicker show of PopFest, I had arrived – sadly – late. The exterior empty... Oh man, is everyone still stealing some extra moments for sustenance? Entering the theater/stage/bar the place was packed as Oh Fortuna was crowded on the stage. Some sat idly on the couch, others stood on the wooden folding chairs.
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Stereolab, Chemical Chords
by Pierre Gerard-Marchant
If Chemical Chords were to be summarized in three words, they would be classic, compact and consistent. Since the very first measures of the bouncy "Neon Bag," we are unmistakably back on familiar Stereolab ground. If you never heard of the band, the album is an ideal introduction. Picture the sound of the 21st century as imagined in a sci-fi movie from the late 60s.
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Cryptacize/ The Secret History/ The Faintest Ideas/ Ruby Isle/ The Buddy System/ The Lolligags, PopFest 2008, 40 Watt, 8/15/08
by Carrie Dagenhard
Unbeknownst to me, the buildup of energy was about to reach a crescendo. Ruby Isle exploded on stage in a vibrant display of seemingly unfeasible energy. The catchy hook of the first song, “Hey hey hey that kids okay, he’s just another sucker with bills to pay” branded itself into everyone’s brain for the remainder of the evening. The set cleared the crowd of shoegazers and the floor became an 80’s dance party. Lead vocalist Mark Mallman ran and jumped across the stage and the performance even included a chair and a lion tamer bit. It seemed a constant competition between the band and crowd over who was having more fun.
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Tendaberry/ One Happy Island/ Hat Company/ Fat Planet, PopFest 2008, Little Kings, 8/15/08
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
When the bespectacled Apples frontman Rob Schneider showed in the audience, I assumed he was just there to enjoy the music.
He was really there to perform, and he wasn’t alone. Joining him were fellow Elephant 6 founders Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart, as well as Peter Erchick (Olivia Tremor Control, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t) and Charlie Johnston (The 63 Crayons, The New Sound of Numbers). Schneider and Doss formed the band, Fat Planet, while in high school in Ruston, La., and their show at the Little Kings was a reminder (or introduction) to the crowd for just how much fun it is to play in a band.
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Umbrella Tree / Noisycrane / Gospel Gossip, PopFest 2008, Flicker, 8/15/08
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
Where did Umbrella Tree come from? I know it says Nashville on their MySpace page, and the band said they came from Nashville into the microphone, and that information entered my ear and it didn’t process at all. They take three instruments (keyboard, guitar, drums), play them ridiculously tightly and then sing better than you or I, sometimes at a pretty big distance from the microphone. Zachary, the guitarist/bassist and one of two singers, said he has the same name as Zachary Gresham of local band Summer Hymns. He also has a voice that’s a dead ringer for Rufus Wainwright’s, can do some nasty harmonic fretting and had a fun time saying the name to the bands song titles, including “Bats in the Belfry.” Combine those with Jillian’s shy, reserved singing and punchy keyboard playing, and you have minor key romps that brought the house down.
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Afternoon Naps, PopFest 2008, Little Kings, 8/13/08
by Katie Miller
Popfest is nothing if not a showcase of catchy, fun loving bands and Cleveland, Ohio-based Afternoon Naps proved they fit the bill perfectly. Playing the Wednesday, 4 o’clock slot, they managed to make even the normally too-cool-to-dance Athens crowd move. Afternoon Naps used a killer combination of infectious melodies and a driving beat to get the crowd into the mood and forced them to loosen up with an enthusiastic penchant for bad jokes. They did not seem to take themselves too seriously, yet worked the crowd in their twee popish way like nobody’s business.
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Velcro Stars/Bunnygrunt/Cars Can Be Blue/ Great Lakes/Dark Meat: Popfest Reports on 40 Watt 8/14/08
by Casey DeHoedt
Rounding the Hancock/Pulaski corner a lush breeze chimes through the air and I hear a faint bassy rhythm... Can I hear the 40 Watt calling me already? To the south the horizon is gray with a red tinge; maybe it was thunder... Maybe it’s an ominous sign (tip: in rock ominous often means guaranteed good time). With a caffeine drink in one hand and cigarette in another I begin the mental preparation for another six hours of Popfest: the crowd, the bands, the hustle and bustle.
Stepping up to the venue, the smoking area is clear. A group lines the outside of Flicker – perhaps a few lingerers from the evening’s shows.
Is it too early?
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Whistling School for Boys / Judi Chicago/ Spring Tigers/ The Selmanaires/ We Versus The Shark, PopFest 2008, Little Kings, 8/13/08
by Jamie Henson
I just don’t know anymore. Last night, the second night of PopFest, at Little Kings Shuffle Club I found myself asking the same question over and over. It could have been because I started the day with a tall Sparks Black. Or it could have been the usual sleep deprivation that comes with a day that long. But I have come to the conclusion this morning that it was a vast difference between me and the music.
The day had been promising with the likes of Amo Joy! and Oh Sanders, as both being were remarkable and my kind of gettin’ down tunes. But as the day progressed into night I felt that like-mindedness with the music slip away.
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The Fish Schticks/ Bob Hay & The Jolly Beggars/ Allison Weiss/ Titans of Filth, PopFest 2008, Cine, 8/12/08
by Fran McDonald
As everyone emerged breathless and happy and a little bit drunk to smoke the final cigarette of the show and dissect the last two and a half hours, I am reminded why I am in love with Athens. Because it seems that everyone is brought together by a genuine open-minded interest in and love for music, all music. And Popfest is the perfect distillation of this Athenian quality, this drawing together of riot grrrl and old timey folk and geek chic and twee pop and drowned vocals and lyrical complexity and hard rock and roll riffs and soft banjo and handclaps. And that was only Day One.
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Bunnygrunt: the Biggest Duo Ever
by Harper Bridgers
The tight duo of Matt Harnish and Karen Ried is scheduled to perform in Athens as Bunnygrunt, with a large supporting cast to boot. Since their foundings in 1993, they have been a virtual marry-go-round of members with Matt and Karen at the helm. Touching almost every genre of pop-rock since the 60's, the music fuses these influences with their own unique, quirked-out humor and spunk. They take themselves seriously enough to keep making great music but keep it fun enough to not get burned out.
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Dreaming Away a Storm: A Q&A with Julian Koster of The Music Tapes
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
The Merge Records biography section for The Music Tapes says that the act’s founder, Julian Koster, has been “inventing new band members” over the past few years. Koster plays instruments, has instruments that appear to play themselves and others still, his singing saws, which he has said make their own music just to entertain themselves. His concerts have featured a giant metronome, which roams about in the “Minister of Longitude” video, huge clapping hands and an onstage television named “Static the Television.”
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New Bloods, The Secret Life
by Mike Turner
It doesn’t matter that the New Bloods are based out of Portland, or that their record The Secret Life is released on Olympia Washington’s Kill Rock Stars label, or that the band is an all girl trio, or even that they have a violinist instead of a guitarist. What does matter is that the New Bloods have crafted one of the better debut full length records of 2008. Their music sits somewhere between the angular post punk of the Raincoats (another all girl trio w/ violin), the moody dance grooves of ESG, and the robotic deadpan vocals that bring to mind another no-grrrl fronted band Sound Houses.
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The Chap, Mega Breakfast
by Carrie Dagenhard
Think of Mega Breakfast as a life raft in a sea of mediocre pop rock. The third album from London-based experimental pop group The Chap isn’t just catchy, it’s downright addictive. But unlike your average, run-of-the mill pop record, it’s overflowing with unpredictability. And it’s something you’ll keep on loop for more than a week.
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Luke Bryan, Georgia Theatre, 4/24
by Kelli Hilderbrand
Rising country-music sensation Luke Bryan performed to a sold out crowd at the Georgia Theatre last Thursday night.
His fan base began to grow while he attended Georgia Southern University and played in bars and clubs on the weekends. The fame he has achieved has taken him from his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia (population 2,633), to performing at sold-out stadiums across the country as an opening act for country superstar, Kenny Chesney.
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UGA's Student Run Record Label Takes The Stage
by Drew Dixon
A local Athens band is ready to step up to the next level,
leaving the comfort of the den behind.
When The Cubs signed with indie label Big Bear Records in January of this year, they didn’t know what to expect out of the literally brand-new team. Big Bear Records was founded in January as part of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Program. In the program, students create their own indie - meaning not affiliated with any of the major distribution companies like Sony or Columbia - labels appropriately dubbed Student Run Record Labels.
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Entertainment, Gender
by Carrie Dagenhard
Take one part post-punk, add a few tablespoons of synthesizers, a sprinkle of progressive goth, a pinch of glam, a hell of a lot of reverb, and you have Gender, the debut album of Athens-based Entertainment. The album is impossible to pigeonhole into one genre. It falls into a liminal space somewhere between indie dance rock and Morrissey on heroin.
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Resident Patient Works Toward New Collaborative Musical Experience
by Stephanie Friedrich
The Athens music scene has an extraordinary combination of talent, composition and variety. Resident Patient is one more example.
Eric Harris, originally of Ohio, and his two roommates, T.M. Griffin and Kyle LaPointe, collectively, Resident Patient, are breaking out of the conventional mold and making a mark in the Athens music world.
The trio, who have been involved with the music scene for a number of years, are launching a new project in town.
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Moon Unit: The Man Behind the Music
by Brittany Raines
Mark Vaughn is a man that loves music. Much of this love was sparked by an admiration for the band mewithoutYou. Vaughn was later introduced to “indie” music by his mentor when he was a sophomore in high school, and the rest is history.
“The music awoke my spirits,” Vaughn said, “It’s affect on my emotions is immense.”
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The Blood Lines, The Blood Lines
by Beth Johnson
Hailing from Canada, The Blood Lines have already had an impressive amount of success for a 2-year-old band. Their self-titled debut album won “Outstanding Rock Recording” at the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards. They have toured from Canada to China and recently played at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. They are currently working with famed producer Kevin Churko. Their sophomore is in the works to be released in 2008.
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Trances Arc, Farm 255, 4/18/08
by Beth Johnson
The first time I saw Trances Arc play live a few months ago at the 40 Watt, I immediately bought their recently-released sophomore album, XOXOX. A highly energetic band native to Athens, Trances Arc is one of the rare bands that play just as well live as they do on their record.
The quintet, which includes dual guitars and a vocalist who also serves as a keyboardist, has something to offer everyone. Their fusion of classic rock, 90's alternative, and indie pop works on so many levels. Their songs are well-written, intelligent, and purposeful, both musically and lyrically. There is always a dynamic mix of polyrhythms and countermelodies among the instrumentalists, and singer Eric Toledo has a voice that is captivating and passionate, as well as distinctive. He knows how to communicate to a crowd and demand attention.
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The Black Keys, Attack and Release
by Rebecca Elmquist
The Black Keys consist of Dan Auerbach, vocals and guitar, and Patrick Carney, drums and percussion. They came to our attention in 2002 with their first album release, The Big Come Up. Magic Potion was released in 2006. Attack and Release was a two year wait for fans of the band but could not have come at a better time. Attack and Release was originally to be a collaboration with Ike Turner, but due to his unexpected death in December of 2007 this project could not be completed.
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The Road To Athens: An Interview With UGA Music Business Program Coordinator Keith Perissi
by Kristen Fraser
Much of a musician’s life is spent on the road.
The road to Athens was quite a journey for Keith Perissi, making stops all over the U.S. and throughout Europe six times before ending in Athens, Ga.
Perissi, the UGA Music Business Program coordinator, was once the bass player for Cigar Store Indians, described as a band with a unique American roots rock style, and traveled far and wide for 15 years. During that time, Perissi also fulfilled the role of manager, booking agent, promotions director and even tax preparer.
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The Evolving Sound Of The New Pornographers Comes To Athens
by Harper Bridgers
The New Pornographers is a super-group, to say the least – in size and strength. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, the New Pornographers will grace Athens' Georgia Theater on April 17th.
Comprised of Carl Newman, Blaine Thurier, John Collins, Dan Bejar, Kathryn Calder, Kurt Dahle, Todd Fancey and Neko Case, the band is known for its power-pop songs that refuse to leave your head. Their latest album, Challengers, once again reassures its audience that great song writing flows like water in the New Pornographers' camp, as does talent.
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The OaKs, Songs For Waiting
by Lauren Hoessly
The OaKs (MySpace) album, Songs for Waiting, is an innovative album, to say the least. Released in March 2008, The OaKs band members, Ryan Costello, Matthew Antolick, Jeremy Siegel, Tim Cocking, Greg Wilson, and Melissa Reyes weave a beautiful album with intense lyrics that peer into the lives of people such as Dietrich Bonheoffer and Costello’s friend from Afghanistan. Rhythms and electric jazz sounds make Songs for Waiting an eclectic album on a musical level, as well.
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Marc Broussard's Bayou Soul Invades 40 Watt On April 17
by Justin Davidson
Athens’ 40 Watt Club is known for rock, but on April 17, it will take on the feel of a soul club as Marc Broussard brings his brand of “bayou soul” to Athens. Broussard, who released his second major album, Save our Soul, last year, has built up a rabid fan base. Broussard recently released a five-song EP and will release his third album later this year. Atlanta singer-songwriter Angie Aparo will open the show.
Broussard, who tours relentlessly, broke through with 2004’s Carencro, which featured his biggest hit thus far, “Home.” The Louisiana-based artist fuses elements of soul, blues, funk, rock, and pop together to create his unique sound that harkens back to artists such as Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye.
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Die! Die! Die!, Promises, Promises
by Allison Carter
Die! Die! Die! has lately been an opening act for Wolfmother, which is what drew me to their CD in the first place. When I first put them into my CD player I wasn’t thrilled, but continued to listen. After that first listen, Promises, Promises got lost in the mess on my desk for a few weeks, but then my friends started mentioning the band. I decided to give it a second chance.
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French Kicks, Swimming
by Gordon Lamb
Easily the most aptly named record to come out this season, Swimming sees New York’s French Kicks finally establishing its own identity. The album yearns and swoons in a seductive manner, not unlike the moment one has just prior to waking.
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We Are All Mortal: A Q&A with Bear Colony
by Allison Carter
If you put together creative minds wanting to entertain themselves occasionally you will stuble across something worth your time. Bear Colony is worth your time. The band is a combination of friends who got together to flex their creative minds and Athens Exchange was lucky enough to pick the brain of Bear Colony in an e-mail interview.
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Phantom Planet, 40 Watt Club, 3/25/2008
by Zack Gruczkowski
I hadn’t heard anything from or about Phantom Planet in a few years, other than their too good to be true licensing deal to have their hit single “California” as the theme song for the wildly popular television show The OC. So when I heard that they were playing the 40 Watt, I was more than surprised to see that they were on the road, much less in Athens.
Hands down, this was one of the coolest shows I’ve seen in this town. It was raw, real, intimate, and free of TV fame. These were just a couple of California boys looking to hang with friends and rock out on a Tuesday night. They were minimalist in gear (I couldn’t even see their single twelve-inch speaker and nameless guitar amps until the very end) and overflowing with energy.
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Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell
by Gordon Lamb
For all the hype surrounding the band, Elephant Shell is hardly an original take on, well, anything. Opening with “Centennial” the band utilizes a great vocal melody but gives us an arrangement that is straight from the Death Cab For Cutie reject bin. Most irritating are the keyboard parts on the first two songs. Every shred of Rock-n-Roll, which Tokyo Police Club clearly have the ability to perform, is watered down this way. It’s impossible to hear “In A Cave” and not immediately think one has slipped in the soundtrack to The O.C. by mistake. It’s all so perfectly blah.
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The Black Lips, 40 Watt, 3/28/2008
by Glenn Fullington
What can you expect from a free show? A gaggle of scenesters, for sure. Someone is undoubtedly going to bring the ruckus. And beer will seem free and hence more throwable having not had to pay for a ticket. Check all three for the March 28 40 Watt show.
The Black Lips headlined the show, with Pride Parade and The Selmanaires starting out the night.
The Black Lips took the stage with much fanfare. Seriously, these guys can pack the house. Of course, one must take into account the nature of a free show. My very precise calculations suppose that 1/5 of the people in attendance would not have paid to come to the show. This statistic is based on their proximity to the stage only. Another fifth would have paid for the show but only is it was cheaper than five dollars. This group I like to call the "JWB Crowd" because they will do anything to waste a Lincoln. Another 2/5 of the crowd would have been at the 40 Watt on a Friday anyway because the are the previously mentioned gaggle of scenesters.
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The New Pornographers, Challengers
by Lauren Baggett
It just takes one listen to The New Pornographer’s latest album Challengers and you are hooked. Song after song delivers overlapping vocals backed by a mélange of instruments that give real depth to this quirky album.
Challengers is The New Pornographer’s fourth full-length album release. The group formed in 1997, and its first album earned a lot of praise from critics and music lovers alike. This album is sure to be another success.
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Music Hates You, Tasty World, 3/24/2008
by Harper Bridgers
Tasty World was rocked in full force last night. Athens' own Music Hates You headlined a show featuring three acts, all with a similar sound.
Zoroaster, straight from Atlanta, and Minsk, out of Chicago, opened for Music Hates You, playing to friends, family, and the few dozen others who made it out.
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Jukebox the Ghost, Let Live And Let Ghosts
by Kathryn Durfee
When I bought my ticket to the Modern Skirts show at the 40 Watt in late February, I saw on my ticket that a band called Jukebox the Ghost would be opening for the Athens-based band. I knew nothing about Jukebox the Ghost, a three-piece from Washington, D.C., and based on previous experiences with opening bands, I didn't have high hopes.
About thirty seconds into the first song, however, Jukebox the Ghost had found a new fan. Since the show, I have listened to Jukebox the Ghost's debut album Let Live and Let Ghosts about a dozen times. The bouncy beats and catchy lyrics have not only become my anecdote to Athens-Atlanta traffic but they have made Let Live and Let Ghosts my favorite album of this year so far.
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Shapes And Sizes, Shapes And Sizes
by Harper Bridgers
Shapes and Sizes' self-titled 2006 debut on Asthmatic Kitty Records is a work of contrast. The band, hailing from Montreal, Canada, holds organization as a precious fruit in all of their pockets, which is quite apparent on this record.
Since three of its four members write for the band, the sound proves to travel from spectrum to spectrum as creative juices are left to flow.
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Ruckus Media Player Fails To Deliver Choice, Variety, Convenience
by Ryan Brooks
I spent a few hours playing around with the Ruckus program and its companion website, which must be used in tandem with the program itself in order to download music. I found was nothing I couldn’t find better elsewhere. The interface is just numbingly stupid - you have to jump back and forth between your browser and the player to download music, even though there appears to be some form of browser as soon as you start the player.
These problems are left, I assume, in the hopes that college students will go through hoops to get free music legally. Free and legal are generally good things in terms of music, and I love the fact that it is ad-supported. However, what is free isn’t always necessarily what you want...
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Bearsuit, Oh: Io
by Kathryn Durfee
U.K. indie pop/dance band Bearsuit's new album Oh: Io is a fast-paced burst of energy that's over before it becomes exhausting.
Bearsuit, together since 2001, is made up of Iain Ross, Lisa Horton, Richard Squires, Jan Robertson, Matt Hutchings, and Cerian Hutchings. Together, these six artists generate a lot of noise that works (better at some times than at others). The easiest comparison to make is of course to Scottish indie band Belle And Sebastian, but Bearsuit has far more going on underneath the hood. With quirky electronic beats and screaming vocals, Bearsuit is more like Australian band Architecture in Helsinki.
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The Teenagers, Reality Check
by Andre Gallant
Quelle Surprise.
A band of Frenchmen are making fun of the United States and our vacuous youth-driven culture. Luckily, they’ve remembered to shake some derriere while they’re at it.
Reality Check, the debut album from French indie group the Teenagers, arrives this March via the XL label and delivers enough three-chorded hummable electro-pop for a dozen Urban Outfitters commercials.
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Anti-Folk Comes To Athens: A Q & A With Jeffrey Lewis
by Gordon Lamb
Over the past decade Lewis has operated in the punk-folk underground which is often referred to as the ‘anti-folk’ scene. The term folk music tends to conjure up gentle images of singer-songwriters plucking out a variety of musings with a similar moon-June-spoon theme. The images of folk music as an authentic, working-class, rebellious phenomenon have been lost to history. Although it’s likely not his intention, what he does is reclaim folk music’s spirit and channel through a distinctly punk and indie identity.
In preparation for his show Monday, March 17 at Athens’ 40 Watt Club, where he will open for Ra Ra Riot and The Cribs, Athens Exchange asked Lewis a few questions which he graciously answered.
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You Might As Well Have Fun Doing It: A Q & A With Sia
by Lauren Baggett
Sia Furler is making her way through the States, and making noise as she goes.
Better known as just Sia, this Australian-born vocalist has earned critical acclaim for her soulful voice. Her first two solo albums were huge successes in Europe and Australia.
Sia is currently on tour promoting her new album, released in January 2008. Through the wonders of e-mail, I was able to ask Sia a few questions about her music and her newest album. And I got some interesting answers.
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Eric Church, Georgia Theatre, 2/28
by Kelli Hilderbrand
Country star Eric Church rocked out the Georgia Theatre last Thursday night. A rowdy, near sell-out crowd was packed in to hear him and his opening act, Rhett Akins.
A native from North Carolina, Church's love of music began at age four. Church entered into the country music scene two years ago with the release of his first album, Sinners Like Me. His first three singles, "How 'Bout You," "Two Pink Lines," and "Guys Like Me," helped him land tours with rock and roll legend, Bob Seger and country-star Dierks Bentley.
As the restless crowd chanted his name and the incense circulated around the stage, Church and his band hit the stage to what would be a night to remember. When the spotlight hit Church in the middle of the stage, the crowd errupted as the band started playing, "Before She Does," the opening track off his album.
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Paint The Tabernacle Green: Flogging Molly Hits Atlanta
by Stephanie Jackson
St. Patrick’s Day comes early this year, as Celtic punk band Flogging Molly invades the Tabernacle on March 6 as part of their annual Green 17 Tour. This year will be even more spectacular, as the band promotes their new album, “Float,” which will be released on March 4, by SideOneDummy Records.
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Yard Dogs Road Show Is A Musical Circus Not To Be Missed
by T.O. Lawrence
Do you like fire eaters, belly dancers and head-rattling teeth-shattering music? Do you appreciate the scream of a circus sideshow ringmaster, plenty of booze and lots and lots of pretty lights? Then the Yard Dogs Road Show is for you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This show is not for the sensitive ear.
Conquering the woes of vaudeville in the age of the talking picture is not an easy task, but one the Yard Dogs perform with gusto. A performance troupe borne from the traditions of old-western saloon shows and depression-era cabaret, you might get an idea of them from watching Carnivale or Chicago but without the benefit of their humor, noise and insanity.
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The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride
by Doug Holschuh
On the last Mountain Goats' album, Get Lonely (2006), the character in John Darnielle's song "If You See the Light" was fully aware that the villagers were coming soon to bust down his door and drag him away, and he was justifiably afraid, planning to "hide underneath the table in the dining room, knees drawn to [his] chest." Perhaps this was an indicator of Darnielle's read on the political climate of the day, or perhaps it was his own insecurities as he moved the Mountain Goats from a largely solo singer-songwriter act to a full-band. Now two years later, on the title track to the just-released Heretic Pride (4AD), the villagers have come to drag this character to the bonfire, but the character is standing firm with his head held high ("I want to cry out but I don’t scream and I don’t shout / And I feel so proud to be alive / And I feel so proud to when the reckoning arrives"). What a difference two years makes.
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The Eels, Meet The Eels: Essential Eels and Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities And Unreleased
by Gordon Lamb
First, a confession: I have always been unfairly dismissive of The Eeels. From the first time I heard the band's single "Novocaine for The Soul" circa 1996 I had thought of the band as silly and gimmicky. However, perpetual spins of the new Eels retrospective Meet The Eels: Essential Eels and its companion set Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities And Unreleased, have done more than just made me a believer in the talent of founder Mark Everett (AKA Mr. E or, simply, E.). His songs have brought me to tears. Not only has his plain-spoken lyricism spoken directly to me but his carefully layered melodies, darkly observant musings of life and the everyday have caused me to question why I was so easily dismissive over a decade ago.
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Not Coming To Your House To Break Things: A Q&A With Henry Rollins
by Alex Raffray
Henry Rollins may be best known for being the front man of influential hardcore band Black Flag, but over the years since Black Flag broke up, he has created his own fame, writing numerous books, fronting his own band, acting in movies and hosting a television show, and traveling the globe doing his own brand of spoken word. He is also an activist, having made a benefit album for the “West Memphis Three” and donating his time and money to a neighborhood orphanage. Athens Exchange was lucky enough to be able to ask him some questions, and he was kind enough to answer.
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A Q & A With Dead Meadow: Fusing Past And Present
by Harper Bridgers
Birthed out of the punk/indie scene of Washington D.C., Dead Meadow has brought back a sound far from what you'd expect. For 10 years they have been fusing 60's psychedelic tunes with modern indie vibes that produce a truly unique atmosphere.
Dead Meadow united in D.C. after childhood friends Jason Simon (vocals/guitar) and Steve Kille (bass) joined forces with drummer Mark Laughlin, who was later replaced by old friend and collaborator Stephen McCarty in 2002. Their new album, released on February 5, 2008, entitled Old Growth, embodies their guitar-driven grooves that will take you back to the original psychedelic era. The songs are as tight as their organic loose sound permits them to be. Singer/guitarist Jason Simon took some time to talk to me as they made their way across the southern United States to Athens to play at Tasty World on February 19th.
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Little Big Town, Classic Center, 2/12/08
by Rachel Atcheson
Why this band put the word “little” anywhere in their name is beyond me. From Kimberly Roads Schlapman’s hair to their energy and stage presence, everything about Little Big Town is undeniably larger than life.
The University of Georgia's University Union is to thank for bringing Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads Schlapman and Phillip Sweet to the Classic Center on Tuesday night, February 12. Or maybe it’s some of the band members’ personal connections to Athens that did it.
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The Mars Volta, The Bedlam in Goliath
by Glenn Fullington
The Bedlam in Goliath is a chilling jaunt through the twisted tale of dark magic and evil spirits. It is a dark, beautifully woven, spiritual epic. Cedric and Omar have an eerie command over music and storytelling to a masterful extent. The Mars Volta has found the bar, disassembled it and dropped it into the ocean. This is the scary kind of aural trip that you might never recover from, and may not want to.
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Shapes and Sizes, Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner
by Glenn Fullington
Shapes and Sizes is simply fun to listen to, yet far from funnily simple.
The album Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner is the group’s second full length and they clearly have found a formula that works. Stunning harmonies please my ears. And when they are thrown into sexy poppy riffs, they're even better. I had a hard time writing this because I just wanted to keep listening.
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Mountain Con, Sancho Panza
by Lauren Baggett
Seattle band Mountain Con decided to go it alone a few years ago when they parted with their record label. Now the group has emerged, independent, with its fifth album, Sancho Panza, bringing to its listeners a distinctive mash-up of rock and hip-hop style.
When they scored a major record deal, the guys of Mountain Con thought they had made it, but were soon fed up with the music business. Tired of wasting valuable studio time on the shelf and ignored, Mountain Con split from their big-time LA label planning to take their album into their own hands.
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Caribou, Andorra
by Lauren Baggett
Imagine your senses engaged. A warm breeze brushes by while you watch pinks and oranges streak the sky. You close your eyes to face the setting sun, feeling the warmth on your eyelids. If music could be playing subtly on the breeze, Mother Nature might consider taking note from Caribou’s new album Andorra.
Dan Snaith is the mastermind behind Caribou’s sound. In fact, Caribou is merely the title of his one-man band, formerly known as Manitoba. And it’s hard to believe that the complex, overlapping melodies of instrument and voice came from one person.
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Bandees, Sonic Kitchen
by Glenn Fullington
Sonic Kitchen is raunchy sugar-pop chalk full of retro and energetic songs from Bandees, the pop duo anchored by Stephen and Patricia Ann Dees. But retro isn’t original anymore and their energy is spent rehashing pop-rock staples.
This is a good album, don’t get me wrong, but it seems to be an amalgam of every successful pop ingredient thrown into the same dish; full of flavor but way too many of them.
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Sarandon, The Completist's Library
by Meredith Roberts
Sarandon, an English pop trio formed in 2003, recently released a newly compiled collection of singles in the form of a 32 track CD & LP called The Completist’s Library. Released in December via Athens’ HHBTM Records, “The Completist’s Library” compiles the previous work of the band through several personnel changes. Before The Completist’s Library these 32 tracks existed on four mini-albums.
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The Vandelles, Self-Titled EP
by Allison Carter
They are love at first sight for anyone who loves Noir Rock n’ Roll. I use love because they are really just that good.
The Vandelles’ self-titled EP, released in October 2007, has five dark and beautiful tracks for the listener's pleasure.
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Angus and Julia Stone, Chocolates And Cigarettes
by Lauren Hoessly
Family members always seem to have the best luck with creating beautiful harmonies. Point in case: Angus and Julia Stone, Australian brother-sister duo. With penetrating lyrics and stunning voices, this family band has been releasing brilliant and unique EPs for the past few years.
Categorized as folk or alternative, Chocolates and Cigarettes, Angus and Julia’s first EP - conveniently located on iTunes - offers Angus’ mellow and melodic voice in contrast to Julia’s distinctive and steady voice. It is infused with the pair's individual style and obvious flair for a variety of instruments, including the trumpet, harmonica, guitar and piano. "Babylon" and "Mango Tree" are definite album standouts.
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The Influence, Pig Radio
by Helen Bennett
Pig Radio, The Influence’s sophomore album which was released on Jan. 1, brings an exciting blend of sounds to each of its 11 tracks.
The separate tracks fit together on the CD as though each is part of the larger journey, taking the listener all the way from (day) “Break” to the end, “At Sunset,” as if an entire day has elapsed.
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Tim Gane & Sean O'Hagan, La Vie d'Artiste
by Lauren Baggett
Tim Gane of Stereolab and Sean O’Hagan of High Llamas have teamed up again for the first time since their band Turn On released its self-titled album in 1996. This go around they’ve come together to compose the score for the new French comedy La Vie d’Artiste.
The overall mood is mellow. The score’s main melody boasts ample use of violins and keyboard to soothe you and keep your head bobbing to a steady beat with shakers, techno beats and some steel drums every now and then. The tracks are quirky and perfectly fit the attitude of the film.
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Matt Ebert, R&Bewilderment
by Glenn Fullington
Matt Ebert has it. The blues, soul, a raspy voice that sounds like 30 years of whiskey and cigarettes. Musically, R&Bewilderment is well thought out and executed. The production quality is lacking, but that makes it so much better.
Matt Ebert is not signed; his album came complete with a handwritten note. Needless to say, he should be.
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Steve Smith, This Town
by Caty Dickensheets
Steve Smith, formerly of Dirty Vegas, heads in a fresh direction with his debut solo album, This Town.
After his split from Dirty Vegas, Smith, as lead singer of the Grammy winning British house band, was looking to go in new directions musically and geographically. While visiting the U.S. for a wedding, he fell in love with Massachusetts and was inspired to jump the pond. He left London with his wife and daughter and settled into the Boston area where Smith immediately set to work writing a new album.
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The High Dials, War Of The Wakening Phantoms
by Allison Carter
The High Dials have captured the magic that will send anyone into a happy stupor. Their new CD, War of the Wakening Phantoms is full of songs that just make you feel good. The thing that is different about this group is their versatile sound. Just one minute of listening to their album and you’ll think you’re listening to Belle and Sebastian; the next you think you’re listening to singer from the 90’s.
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Jill Cunniff, City Beach
by Glenn Fullington
Jill Cunniff's new album, City Beach, is a poppy acoustic jaunt through songs about pretty, laid back people who are either really good or really bad at keeping promises. Regardless, Jill stays positive about the whole situation, or at least ferociously independent (read: indifferent.)
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Freewheeling Their Way to Athens: A Q&A with Yo La Tengo
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
Athens Exchange talked with bassist James McNew, who first recorded with the band on 1992’s May I Sing With Me and also recorded solo as Dump, Jan. 8 in a phone interview. Read on to find out more about the current tour, Yo La Tengo’s two-song contribution to the I’m Not There Bob Dylan film and a couple of McNew’s fondest memories from Athens. He also shares how he met Kurt Wagner, a member of Lambchop who will perform solo at the same Melting Point concert. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m.
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Arrested Development, Since The Last Time
by Jon Pezold
The theme of reunion echoes throughout “Since the Last Time." This theme is not only for the members of the band, but one for old friends and families, too. Even in its breadth, the album captures the intimacy of a handshake, a hug, a kiss, of loved ones, long separated, reunited. The presence of world music conjures the landscape of the African diaspora, and expands the idea of reunion. “Sunshine” is a clarion call for cultural reunion, too. “Since the Last Time” achieves a musical synthesis of soul, gospel, reggae, samba, and, of course, hip-hop. Musical synthesis is a true and good starting point for any and all reunions.
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And Now We Rise: Nick Drake, Fruit Tree Re-release
by Gordon Lamb
In the 21st century, where information travels with lightening speed and is available instantaneously, there is no shortage of raw facts associated with Nick Drake. We know he grew up in a loving family, a house full of music, attended exclusive private school Marlborough before studying at Fitzwilliams College, Cambridge and was a good athlete. We know that, somewhere between 1969 and 1974, he developed a debilitating depression, moved back home and passed away from an overdose of the antidepressant Trytizol.
But the facts, as in most situations, rarely tell the whole story because they are merely signposts marking off the passage of time. The living of a life happens between them. And, while they are certainly interesting and provide for hours of thoughtful reflection and rumination, the real stuff of Nick Drake is his music.
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Castanets, In The Vines
by Drew Wheatley
It would be convenient to label In the Vines, the third album by Ray Raposa's project Castanets, as country, but it would also be unfair. That classification would ignore the elements of new age, jazz, salsa, and electronica that pervade the recording. Full of slow western ballads laden with slide guitars playing over electronic drumbeats, and plucky guitar chords matching sad, lonely trumpet notes, In the Vines is a record striking in it earnestness.
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Blue Flashing Light Talks To Æ About Charity, Opportunity, And The Future
by Mary Catherine Brutz
The power of karma is finally working its magic on one local Athens band.
Blue Flashing Light, a group who set up camp just over a year ago at Pigpen Studios, has done more than their fair share of helping out the community. They are now getting the long-awaited respect and recognition they deserve.
Blue Flashing Light will be performing Friday night along with Allie and The Bandits to raise money and awareness for the Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia.
Athens Exchange had the opportunity to talk with Ian Schwarber, frontman for Blue Flashing Light, and got the scoop from this past year’s progress to what’s in store for 2008.
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Zookeeper, Becoming All Things
by Drew Wheatley
Chris Simpson, formerly of Mineral and The Gloria Record, has returned from a two-year hiatus as frontman of Zookeeper. Their first record is this folksy collection of jingles tied together in a neat ten-song package. Its called Becoming All Things, and by "All Things" I can only suppose they mean the harmonicas, organs, tampbourines, pianos, and jangly guitars that complement the catchy pop-folk melodies that Simpson has created.
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My Teenage Stride, Ears Like Golden Bats
by Whitney Snell
Repetition is the name of the game on "Ears Like Golden Bats," the third full-length release from Brooklyn-based My Teenage Stride. Jedediah Smith is a one-man show in the studio, though several bandmates join him for the live performances.
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Sigur Rós, Hvarf-Heim
by Allison Carter
Sigur Rós has just recently released their new album Hvarf-Heim. The album is split into studio recorded songs and live acoustic songs, hence the hyphenated name.
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The Ginger Envelope, Edible Orchids CD Release Party, 40 Watt, 11/15/07
by Kathryn Durfee
Admittedly, we Athenians are a little bit spoiled when it comes to music. Not only is our town a big venue for traveling bands, we have a good many bands right here at home. With the market so saturated, it is important to take note of truly talented bands when they come along. Ginger Envelope is certainly one of these extraordinary bands. The group celebrated the release of their first full-length album, Edible Orchids with two full sets and a release party at the 40 Watt on Thursday, November 15th.
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The Ginger Envelope: A Study In Zen
by Meghan Jones
A talk with Patrick Carey of Athens’ own The Ginger Envelope would make a listener believe that they are one of those urban band legends for which everything really does come easily. With things like a drummer and a distributor more or less falling into the guys’ laps at the perfect time, the band seems more like a study into the art of “letting it be” more than the usual payoff of long, hard touring. But Carey definitely seems to have paid his dues a bit differently.
“I think patience has been rewarding in certain ways,” he said. “I’ve never been one to push myself and my craft on other people.” Lucky for listeners, everything eventually fell into place.
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Panel Discusses Cultural Influence Of Hip-Hop
by Mary Catherine Brutz
America was founded on sex, money and drugs.
This was at least one opinion shouted by an audience member last Thursday night at a panel meeting discussing the role hip-hop plays in society and what citizens can do to make it a more positive form of expression.
Over 100 people gathered in the South Instructional Plaza Auditorium on the University of Georgia campus to listen to what a variety of experts had to say about the current state of hip-hop.
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Iron & Wine, The Shepherd's Dog
by T.O. Lawrence
Iron and Wine’s junior studio album The Shepherd’s Dog follows a successful series of folk-indie releases, building upon singer/songwriter Sam Beam’s stripped-down southern sound added to complex musical layers, a method which is successful more often than not.
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Gorillaz, D-Sides
by Glenn Fullington
D-Sides is an aural trip resurrected from the back burner. The virtual band Gorillaz is behind the melodic mayhem.
In here is a double album, the first of which is a collection of b-sides. Those familiar with Demon Days (2005) will recognize a few beats and loops that are recycled on a few of the tracks, but nearly all of the 13 songs are fresh.
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YOU, Flashlights
by Stephanie Allerdice
YOU! Yes, YOU! No, not you, the band YOU. You should seriously consider checking out YOU’s new album Flashlights.
On YOU’s third album, they find that delicate balance between lyrics and music. The album starts out with the song, “The Physics of Giving (Einstein Song).” Each word is saturated with soul and the music accompanies the words well.
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For Dancing Or Thinking: A Q&A With The Lodger
by Allison Carter
Ben Siddall started The Lodger in 2004 in Leeds, England. It took the band a few years to get things going, but now the excitement about the band doesn’t seem like it is going to stop. They released their debut album Grown-Ups in June 2007. This is their first US tour and after hitting cities in the northeast their tour will finally come to Athens. They will be performing at Flicker Theatre at 8 p.m. Don’t be late!
While they were in-transit between Washington and their performance in Richmond, Va., Athens Exchange chatted with The Lodger’s Ben Siddall.
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A Conversation with Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
by Glenn Fullington
In the hallway I can smell the chlorine from the pool out the back door. I step into room 116 with Del to start the interview. He is carrying two bags, and a small amp that he throws on the bed. I take a seat on Scott’s bed.
Del put out his last solo album, Both Sides of the Brain, in 2000 and since then he says he has been working on musical theory to better his understanding of music.
“I just wanted more control over my career and my future. I didn’t want to be sitting back feeling like I was helpless,” explained the 35 year old artist.
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Mantooth Music Is Spreading the Love
by Matthew Burgoyne
"Hate is motivation, especially in the music industry. But, we like to love," says Laura Gibson, director for promotions for Mantooth Music.
On October 26, Mantooth Music will be spreading that love at a charity event for the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Research at Tasty World.
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Drink In Deep, America: A Conversation With The Hold Steady
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
Forget the presidential candidates’ blue or red ties. Toss their bloated speeches, their broad topics and their party pandering. Like it or not, the members of The Hold Steady seem to be the unofficial cultural ambassadors of this nation. Songwriter and lead vocalist Craig Finn speak-sings the map of adolescent America, usually with a pushpin stuck on the Mississippi River or Minneapolis, throughout the band’s three albums. The group even recorded “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for the Minnesota Twins, who played the band’s version at the team’s home-opener on April 2, 2007.
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iLiKETRAiNS, Elegies to Lessons Learnt
by Drew Wheatley
The bustling town of Leeds in the UK is not lacking its share of rock ‘n’ roll history. In 1970, The Who recorded what is arguably the genre’s finest live album there. A group of local Marxist social critics with a ear for post-punk came together to create Gang of Four in 1977. And the most recent Leeds act to gain acclaim, both on the islands and across the pond, is indie rock group Kaiser Chiefs. Now, a new act with a debut LP looks to add to that long string of success.
iLiKETRAiNS consists of five men playing expansive, slow, guitar-driven rock. Up to this point, their catalog consists of a two singles and a 7-track EP. On October 23, however, they will release in the US their first full-length effort, titled Elegies to Lessons Learnt, courtesy of their label Beggars Banquet.
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Patience Pays Dividends for Jennifer O'Connor
by Allison Carter
Jennifer O’Connor has been waiting patiently for the musical success she is on the verge of achieving.
Since her journey started 10 years ago in Atlanta, she has released three albums and opened for a lot of big musicians, including Mason Jennings. The summer of 2006 marked the release of her third album, Over the Mountain, Across the Valley, and Back to the Stars, which was a critical success. Just a short listen to any of the tracks clues will tell you why she's been noticed. Every song is personal, carrying something of her with it.
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Guster, Georgia Theatre, 10/16/07
by Mary Catherine Brutz
Silence fell over the crowd. The Georgia Theatre was so quiet that the sweat dripping off the band’s bodies could be heard landing on the stage.
After over 100 minutes of continuous playing Tuesday night, Guster came out for an encore which was perhaps the highlight of the evening.
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Rosie Thomas, Attucks Theater (Norfolk, VA), 10/13/07
by Lauren Hoessly
Rosie Thomas is an enigma. Her speaking voice is quite the opposite of her singing voice and her comedy routine is just as good as her songs.
I saw Rosie Thomas this past weekend at a local venue named Attucks (after the first man killed in the Boston Massacre). The venue is located deep in the heart of Norfolk and serves as a new venue for blues, jazz, and contemporary artists. Walking into the theater, armed with a friend and a camera, I arrived an hour early, and in this case it was a very wise idea. Attucks is not your normal rock club with a concrete floor, but a theater with plush red velvet seats, intermission, and candy on sale for a dollar.
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Celebration, The Modern Tribe
by Gordon Lamb
The most striking characteristic of The Modern Tribe, and that of Celebration itself, is the drumming of David Bergander who pounds out the incessant, multi-patterned rhythms. However, rather than compellingly drawing the listener in, thereby calling them to the tribe, Celebration makes one feel that banishment really isn’t all that bad.
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The Brunettes, Tasty World, 10/10/07
by Meghan Jones
Well, The Brunettes, hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, came back to Athens last Wednesday, October 10, playing at Tasty World. They were on tour for their newest album, Structure and Cosmetics, which was released back in August on Sub Pop records. Needless to say, I had high as the sky expectations, having been so thrilled with their last show. And I was even more excited that this time they were headlining!
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Ryan Adams And The Cardinals, Fox Theatre, 10/15/07
by Allison Carter
The Fox Theatre is an outstanding place to see a concert. The ceiling, really a sky inside, is filled with stars and images of castles line the walls. Add to that a behemoth disco ball, mesmerizing starry background and a Ryan Adams and the Cardinals show, then you've got a smashing evening on your hands.
Driving to Atlanta from Athens, the nothingness of 316 only built anticipation. After abstaining from his music for a day or two (which is the best thing to do before a concert) I was ready for his voice again. But I still had a little bit of waiting to do.
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Scout Niblett, This Fool Can Die Now
by Gordon Lamb
On this, her fourth proper long player, Scout Niblett (born Emma Louise Niblett) continues in the vein for which she is known: songs of longing, regret and overwhelming sadness. Admittedly, I’m much more partial to Niblett’s wail than her growl. As a performer she is much more effective in her moments of intense solitude than she is on the louder, less effective tracks (“Let Thine Heart Be Warmed”).
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Radiohead, In Rainbows
by Stephanie Allerdice
Radiohead surprised fans by announcing that they were releasing their newest album In Rainbows on the internet before it goes to stores. Not only that, but you get to chose the price you pay for it. Maybe they are trying to prove that the record companies cost more than file-sharing fans.
Sorry guys, I can’t help you there, as an impoverished college student I can barely afford shampoo, let alone CDs. I’m actually kind of glad that I chose not to “donate” money to the album. I was a little skeptical since I am not a die-hard Radiohead fan. I’ve listened to them some but I wouldn’t be able to pick out their songs on the radio.
But I’m also glad that I didn’t pay anything because In Rainbows is a little above mediocre. I had such a hard time thinking of what to say about it; I had to listen to it three times and the fact that it didn’t get any better or worse with each listening speaks to the mediocrity of the album.
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Velcro Stars, Hiroshima's Revenge
by Allison Carter
Murphreesboro, Tenn., the hometown of Velcro Stars, is about two hours away from Chattanooga, Tenn. The closeness of the two places perfectly explains the musical sound I heard on Velcro Stars’ album Hiroshima’s Revenge.
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You Can Pronounce Them Danceable: A Conversation with !!!
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
Disco-punkers !!!, whose name is pronounced as any monosyllabic sound repeated three times, most commonly, “chk chk chk,” played festivals and concerts this year throughout the world, from Chicago’s Lollapalooza to Athens, Greece’s Synch Festival. Eight or nine years ago, however, they were told they were not prepared to play in a smaller venue here in Athens, Ga.
“It’s actually kind of a private joke within the band because I remember when Mario [Andreoni] was trying to book the show, the lady booking there said, ‘I don’t think you’re ready for Tasty World,’” lead singer Nic Offer said with a laugh during our phone interview. “We still make that joke every once in a while... She was right; we weren’t ready for Tasty World. Nobody was there to see us!”
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Andrew Bird, Toad's (Richmond, VA), 9/30/2007
by Lauren Hoessly
Bird’s whistling was pitch perfect and his cheeks moved naturally as he created harmonic sounds. His motions were very loose and his tunes carried through the audience with grace and confidence. The drummer and bass player were both amazing and kept in pace with Bird’s energy. Despite the energy, after playing an hour and a half, I could tell Mr. Bird was getting tired. At first, I thought he should keep playing and satisfy the audience, but then I realized how much he gives when he plays and so I clapped; still secretly hoping he would return for just one more song – and he did.
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The Modern Skirts, Ashford Manor, 10/01/07
by Kathryn Durfee
Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Athens anymore. Last night I packed a picnic and journeyed over to Watkinsville to see the Modern Skirts play as part of Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast's Concert on the Lawn series. The Athens-based pop quartet played two full sets for the all-ages audience.
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Damien Jurado: All Alone At The 40 Watt
by Natalie Marchbanks
Damien Jurado, the band, is missing two of its members, which leaves Damien Jurado, the man, to take the stage alone.
Multi-instrumentalist Eric Fisher and cellist/vocalist Jenna Conrad, permanent members of Jurado’s band since recording the 2006 album, And Now That I’m In Your Shadow, have headed home, leaving Jurado to finish the group’s five week tour on his own.
Bolstered by a 9-year solo career, the Seattle-based singer/songwriter is accustomed to projecting his wistful refrains from an otherwise empty stage. Imparting his mellow brand of folk on a room full of feverish rock fans, however, is an entirely new experience.
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Athens Boys Choir, Jockstraps and Unicorns
by Stephanie Allerdice
Today I picked up and listened to my first spoken word CD. I figured what the heck, I listen to everything so why not give this one a try. The CD was Athens Boys Choir’s Jockstraps and Unicorns.
It didn’t make me a lifelong fan of spoken word, but the CD is pretty darn entertaining. At least entertaining enough to keep me amused and engaged for 35 minutes.
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Thee More Shallows, Book Of Bad Breaks
by Gage Henry
There is a vast difference between a person possessing exceptional taste in music and a critical music snob. I intend to avoid being the latter when declaring Thee More Shallow’s newest studio release as more a celebration of melodic entropy rather than an album composed of songs which were intentionally written and composed.
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The Going Gets Gorgeous: A Conversation With Blonde Redhead
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
The door on Blonde Redhead’s trailer has fallen off the day of a performance in Northampton, Massachusetts, and for people who have heard the group’s newest, seventh album, this news could be disconcerting.
“We’re stuck here because, well, we’re just waiting to see if we can get another trailer to come and then transfer everything onto the other trailer and then go,” drummer Simone Pace said in a phone interview with Athens Exchange on September 7.
He was calling from a parking lot.
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Copeland, Eat, Sleep, Repeat
by Glenn Fullington
The album is good. Genres seem to always be lingering in the background, afraid to come out from behind the melodic pop-done-well, but when they do it is superb. At times the sound takes on completely different personaes. The track
"Love Affair" hopscotches from piano ballad to guitar solo to loungy crooner jam, with a jazz horn section to boot.
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Fountains Of Wayne, Traffic And Weather
by Stephanie Allerdice
All bands steal from other bands. But when you sample you take melody that’s already been done and then you improve on it. Traffic And Weather takes other people’s music and makes it worse. It’s never a good idea to copy something you can’t build on. BY all means, refer to other music, but do not rely on it.
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Nick Light, The World Forgetting By The World Forgot
by Jamie Henson
The World Forgetting By The World Forgot is not party music, but fitting for those times when your reality sucks and you want to dwell on it. It lets you see through a fresher set of eyes, that is coming to grips with striving and still losing. Light's ability to console and warn us against the harshness of reality and mark a turn on those bastards who didn’t warn us is the real strength of his songwriting.
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Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger
by Allison Carter
Ryan Adams has shown diversity on his previous eight records. He has moved from his classical country music influence to his more pure rock side. Any way you look at it, Ryan Adams has been trying his luck with a wide spectrum of music genres and continues to make music his fans enjoy. His recent release, Easy Tiger, covers all of his genres.
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Daniel Johnston, Popfest 2007, 40 Watt, 8/11/07
by Gordon Lamb
Although it would be unfair to attribute the current popularity of Daniel Johnston entirely to the documentary The Devil And Daniel Johnston, a certain amount of truth lies within such attribution. How else to explain a 40 Watt crowd that was well over 600, considering the last time he played Athens, in 1999, he was in the charming, but relatively tiny (and now defunct) High Hat Club? It’s not as if his records started flying off the shelf in the past 8 years. He’s certainly not had a hit record in that time. But, if the notion of slowly spreading legendary status can be applied to the cult of Johnston, an additional 8 years before returning to town certainly hasn’t hurt the cause.
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Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Popfest 2007, 40 Watt, 8/9/07
by Gordon Lamb
More than anything else Ted Leo is a walking catalog of rock reference points which should be read as distinct from a catalog of rock clichés. Years ago I was a fan of Leo’s band Chisel but, in all honesty, had never given his solo work much of a chance. I’d heard Leo’s ill-advised cover of “Dirty Old Town." I’d read mountains of press on him. Still, never bought a record and never bothered to listen to the band. It was clear that having Leo play the Athens Popfest was a pretty big achievement for the organizers and, as a fan of things that are pretty big deals, I had a contact high.
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The Lolligags, Wired Up
by Allison Carter
The Lolligags are an Athens band comprised of a man and a woman with clearly made up names, Dallion Lollihag and RG Lollifag. As soon as I heard Dallion’s vocals combined with RG’s talent on the synth I was dancing around, despite my freshly sprained ankle. Their music is contagious. Even at work, listening to The Lolligags turned the atmosphere carefree.
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Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
by The Bridge
Here's a way to really improve this album. For some reason, I was reminded more of Stax soul than roots-rock (almost certainly because I have been listening to more of the latter lately), and I found that several songs were immensely improved once I began imagining that Al Green or Otis Redding (especially on "Hate it Here") was doing the honors. Perhaps Tweedy's voice is improving, but you can't just hop from smoking a pack a day to trying to carry an entire album's worth of lo-fi, moody songs with little to no embellishment. On Sky Blue Sky, the songs are, for the most part, ready to forgive, forget, and groove on, but Tweedy sounds like he's breaking under the weight of his own music, and that just doesn't jibe with the 'Either Way' vibe.
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Ideal Free Distribution, Ideal Free Distribution
by Kathryn Durfee
Ideal Free Distribution was born in 1997, but they could easily have been part of the late 1960s London scene. This Kentucky three-piece inspired by the Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, and other psychedelic pop groups, has recently found a home with Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records here in Athens, Georgia.
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Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
by Kathryn Durfee
Their newest album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, released July 10, is another successful experiment. Like their previous albums, Ga Ga is laden with studio and sound effects, but they never sound forced or clunky. Everything seems to fit, and I don't know how they do it.
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Mama's Love: Fresh From The Oven (And The Studio)
by Alyssa De Hayes
Long-distance relationships in college can be a gamble. Often, the bonds formed in high school can’t stand up to the tests of time apart, distance, and the busy pace of university life. Mama’s Love, a fairly new-to-the-scene local band, withstood these challenges while members lived in two different states and is now happily – and melodically – reunited in Athens.
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Tori Amos, American Doll Posse
by The Bridge
This is the best thing about Tori Amos: she's an art geek with a sense of humor, and that's rare. But the worst thing - for now - is that she's gotten a bit bloated. There's too much look-at-me kooky artistry, and the material backing it up just isn't of the same caliber as the solid, track-for-track stunners of her earlier years. I don't know what tragedy "Roosterspur Bridge" alludes to, and my guess is neither will an awful lot of listeners. Tori's insistance on expanding the artistic dimensions of her products - all five of the American Doll Posse's girls have their own blogs, fer Pete's sake - has left her neglecting the stuff that used to give her the edge. She needs to start fucking her piano stool again.
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Interruption Is The New Rhythm: A Conversation With Deerhoof
by Alexander Dimitropoulos
"To answer your question, I would have to say, 'yes,' that the quote that you said that I said, which I sort of remember saying, I very much relate to it." That is one of the few lengthy quotes that came in clearly during my long phone interview with Greg Saunier, drummer of Deerhoof. Every so often, there was an interruption in the conversation. Then whatever Saunier said before the fissure came rushing back, careening into the front of the next word or clause. Many Deerhoof songs feature a similar dynamic, a rhythm from disjunction.
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Are Mountain Goats Really Vegan? A Chat With John Darnielle
by Jessie Nelson
The Mountain Goats' music deals with thematic material drawn from mythology to the mundane flow of everyday life. He begins his latest tour at the Athens Popfest on Thursday, August 9. This tour is in support of the new album Get Lonely, which was produced by Scott Solter and is being released by 4AD Records. I had the opportunity to ask John Darnielle some questions about his new album, what he thinks of his music, his upcoming tour, and his return to Athens.
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