Where Do We Go From Here?

(Photo/Ziona Kocher)

Hard to believe that next time I post on this blog, it'll be a new year and a new decade. I had meant to take Christmas off for vacation but, well, life happened. AMJ will be back posting daily on Jan. 4th.

I can't quite express my hopes and anxieties about the new year. I'm at a point in my life where everything I know is going to change. In the upcoming months, I'll have to bid farewell to WUOG, my little refuge for years. I'll be looking for an actual job with actual income. There's a possibility that I won't be able to stay in Athens...The future is terrifying at times.

But whenever uncertainty comes our way, there comes a chance for change and new adventures. If you'd told me three years ago about this blog, this life I lead, I would've laughed in your face. Funny how the past few years has taught me that anything is possible, given enough time, the right bit of luck, and some work. Endless possibilities to learn and grow and love and live.

It's the future right? New year, new rules. Sure, it's a bit scary to not know what is ahead (or even what you'll be doing in May) but it's also freeing. I've learned so much from everyone here, especially y'all. Wherever life takes me next, I've got some valuable lessons already done.

And this may be pandering, but I'd be amiss not to thank everyone who's following us on Twitter or who is a Facebook fan or Youtube buddy. I'm also thankful for all the comments you leave, even if they lead to me licking my wounds for a while. Some big stuff will be coming our way from Athens in 2010. Our intern and other writers will be appearing a lot more, great new albums will debut, a certain band will turn 30...

So hold on tight. The future is calling. Just grab a friend, get in the van, pop on some Pylon and go.

See ya in 2010,

Jordan Stepp

Weekly Show Picks

Since time is running out before the new year, I thought I'd go ahead and toss some shows your way.


DEC 30, WEDNESDAY
40 Watt
Deities
Garbage Island
Jay Gonzales
Hot Breath

Flicker
Lee Markey
Eureka California (A new addiction of ours)

Go Bar
Tunabunny (Friends of the blog!!)
Wanda and Wonder



NEW YEAR'S EVE
Too much to list here. Check the F-pole.


JAN 1, FRIDAY
Masquerade (ATL)
The Wailers
Benefit for the "I Went Hungry" Charity


JAN 2, SATURDAY
Go Bar
Moonstone (awesome Minnesota band)
abbanna lebon
Bangutot
Timmy Tumble

40 Watt Club
The Awesomelies
Black Mold Lightning
Nana Grizol
New Socks

From the Ashes...

I didn't go yesterday. It wasn't my place to. Some things are best left to family and friends, not to people like me. The rest of us just stand outside and take our glimpses in, burying in our minds that little part of ourselves that felt some connection. There's a time for everything and everyone, names inscribed on some otherworldly scroll. We all leave part of ourselves in the hearts of our friends. That's how you become immortal.

Oh Athens. You've suffered so much this year. Lost your sons too early and watched your house burn away in the early morning on a bright summer day. It's all we can do some days to get out of bed and fill your streets. Lonely and broken-hearted.

We walk like zombies, living dead, still reeling from the shock. Battered, bruised, worn, broken and bruised. Limping, mumbling, crying, and yelling that there's still hope over the next horizon. Surely there's hope for another day. There must be hope.

And we cling to that hope. Even if it's just the hope that we can make it through the next hour. The next day. The next week. The next month. The next year. Just a bit at a time. Crawling. Then limping. Then walking. Then running. And soon, we're sprinting with borrowed wings, each feather a friend, our little lights of hope.

Oh Athens, your heart is broken and your soul is aching. But remember your wings. Those you miss dearly are the songs of your soul. The music of your life. Your friends now are family. And yes, it will be hard to listen for a while. And yes, there may always be a small twinge of pain. But you are greater than yourself.

A phoenix must rise from its own ashes. So must we. To not live life to the fullest would be an insult to those who have gone before. Shake the sorrow away, carry the memories of times past, howl in your pain, and laugh through the tears. A new day is dawning. Time to fly.

Memorial Services for Vic Chesnutt

Via Gordon Lamb, Facebook:

Memorial Services for Athens Musician Vic Chesnutt will be held at

Bridges Funeral Home, 3035 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, on Sunday, December 27, 2009, from 3:00-6:00 pm.

Following the memorial service, family and friends invite you to join them at Cine, 234 West Hancock Ave., Athens, GA
----------------------------------------------
Michael Stipe remembers Vic Chesnutt

Friends react to Vic Chesnutt's passing

Southern Shelter Presents Vic Chesnutt recordings

Vic at WUOG

Rest in Peace, Vic Chesnutt

I'm still around, in amongst the millions, cause people can't die anymore - Vic Chesnutt

Sources: New York Times, Constellation Records, and NPR

The world has lost a great talent and we have lost a great friend. Athens has suffered much this year, losing Vic is the latest horrible blow. He died today at 3 p.m. in Athens after being in a coma. Read whatever you will into other reports of exactly how he died, it doesn't matter to me. We've lost a great man far too soon.

The last time I saw Vic, Vanessa, Cathy, and I were waiting with him at Trapeze before his last 40 Watt show. It was a fierce performance, like nothing I'd seen him do before. But what I'll always remember are the laughs and quiet conversation we shared before. Vic, you bastard, I'll cling to that night forever now.

Chesnutt's career really began at the 40 Watt club where he'd play solo nights, catching the eye and ear of R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe who produced his first two albums Little and West of Rome. Stipe would later cover Chestnutt's haunting piece "Sponge." Chesnutt was also a man of film, having been the subject of a documentary Speed Racer  and appearing in the movie Sling Blade. Besides his work with Stipe, Chesnutt frequently collaborated with Widespread Panic as brute and created Dark Developments with Elf Power in 2008. He also produced Liz Durrett's album Husk.

His last two albums, At the Cut and Skitter on Take-Off have been lauded by critics as some of his best work. Haunting and brutally honest to the last, Chesnutt often poured himself into his songs, drawing on his own life experiences. Chesnutt was confined to a wheel-chair after a car accident when he was 18. He continued writing songs after he discovered he could still play guitar. He recently spoke to Spinner about health care issues and his own financial struggles with his medical expenses.

All of our thoughts and prayers are with Vic's family and friends.


More information will be posted as we confirm details.
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Vic Chesnutt in Coma (UPDATES)

(Photo/Mike White Deadlydesigns.com)

Legendary Athens songwriter Vic Chesnutt is in a coma according to reports stemming from Kristen Hersh's forum. The songwriter had apparently taken a large number of muscle relaxants about two days ago but wasn't found until 12 hours later.

There is some concern about brain damage that may have occurred due to the extensive amount of time the drugs were in his system. For now, Chesnutt remains in a deep coma.

I'll update this story as I get more info. For now, all our thoughts and prayers are with our friend Vic.
---------------UPDATES 4:05 PM----------------------
Still no word on where Chesnutt was at the time, working on that now. I'm not printing anything til I've confirmed, so check for rumors elsewhere.

The AJC has picked up the news and features a short blurb from Chesnutt's record label. New York Times is on it now too.

--------------UPDATE---------------------------

Look, I apologize for the earlier post that had reported Vic's death. At the time, I had 4 completely reliable sources saying that he had indeed passed on. As the night went on, we had 4 other completely and utterly reliable sources say that Vic was still alive. I took down the RIP post because though I was sure at the time, I now have my doubts. Either he's still in a deep coma or he's gone. I'm trying my damnedest right now to find out what the fuck is going on because I'm just as pissed as you are. I apologize for the confusion on my end, I'm just trying to find out what happened to my friend and I can't grab a straight answer.

UPDATE 12/15-----------------
Ok, so I've decided to post my sources continuously now. Again, sorry for all this shit. You'll have everything I do via Twitter so we'll figure this out together, gang.

FROM FLAGPOLE's TWITTER: Spoke with a friend who was at the hospital this morning. Vic Chesnutt is still with us although he is on life support.

FROM ATHENS BLUR, a retraction. Now to get some dye for those gray hairs they gave me.

Merry Christmas From Athens Music Junkie

Cause you can't spell MErRy Christmas without R.E.M. See ya on Monday.

New Addiction: Eureka California

With a name like Eureka California, you'd think we'd stumbled across some happy bubble-gum pop band. Yeah, forget all that. Names don't mean anything anymore. Think dirty, fuzzy pop with some flair and flail and the odd experimental touch. That's Eureka California.

I wondered why this band sounded so familiar. Turns out that it's the reincarnation of the Complete Adventurer. The duo of Jacob Ward and Wyatt Strother (Werewolves, Horse Party, and a ton of other bands I like) makes for a pretty fierce musical onslaught. Hell, they list Robyn Hitchcock, Blur, and Superchunk as influences! At least toss some indie points their way!

E.C. is releasing it's first album Eureka California is Dead on December 30th at Flicker. Check the link to the myspace for a sneak preview.

Memories of Things Never Seen

The old, yellowed pages of Tasty World Magazine number 3 lay open on my desk, begging me to pay more attention. Here's a feature on Mitch Easter, there's an interview with Fred Schnider, and look! Michael Lachowski's got his own column.

Funny how these pieces of paper and bits of ink are older than I am. I carefully turn each page, hoping that the movements won't tear the delicate and worn edges any further. It's just a peek at what life was like then. Back when Athens was a sleepy college town. Before all the bands got professional. Before I got here.

Who ARE some of these bands?! Cowface and Wheel of Cheese, Little Tigers, damn.... Moving on to the Old 40 Watt facebook photos. WOW. I know some of these people. HA! They've got to be younger than me here. Dancing like there's no tomorrow cause really, there wasn't much of one. People don't dance much like that anymore.

And look at these posters! Half are just cardboard with scrawled chalk letters proclaiming that tonight's show will be a whole dollar. The other half are these studies in hand copy/paste collage making. Here's Hitler holding a sign, two dinos doing it while mentioning the Porn Orchard show. God y'all were insane. And those band names! Boat of, Mystery Date, Kilkenny Cats, Limbo District, Art in the Dark. Yeah, don't wanna here any complaining about current band names. You started it!

I sit back in my chair and just try to picture it all. Everything's in black and white of course. Color wasn't invented yet back then, right? But all the same, I can't help but wonder what would've happened had I been around. Would the 40 Watt still be my main haunt? Or would you find me at Tyrones? Seems like it was required to be in a band at that point so would the WUOGgerz let me play bass? So many possibilities. It's all I can do to tear myself away and go to bed.

I'm one of those "it all happens for a reason" type people. So maybe one day I'll be able to know why I'm here now and not there then. I just keep going, eyes to the uncertain future and the lessons of the past resounding in my mind. Have fun. Make friends. Be loyal and true. Dance, don't think.

Yeah. Good ol' Athens.

Bambara: Blowing Your Mind, For Free

Look. In Athens there are several types of bands. There's your bands that exist merely to annoy, some to play just for friends, some that are hellbent on becoming rockstars and then the truly great bands that have talent, drive, and enough brains to have fun with it all. That last type of band describes Bambara.

I've fawned over the trio before, so the names Blaze, William, and Reid should already be familiar to you. If not, there they are. Bambara is part of the psych/grunge rock wave that is hitting Athens. The band's probably leading it as far as I'm concerned. This awesome write up about Bambara, Gift Horse, and A.Armada makes some great points. That little indie-pop/art rock haven that was Athens has morphed into a larger and more diverse creature. But that's another post. Back to Bambara fawning.

Bambara is giving away their six track album Dog Ear Days for free. Course, since it is the giving season, feel free to toss a dollar or two their way but if you're strapped for funds, it's yours for absolutely nothing. The album is a virtual showcase of everything Bambara does right.

Basically, the album's like a peach. Fuzzy, sweet, and oh so delicious. It's not really dance music but the rhythms behind the songs urge you to move. To counterbalance, you've got howling vocals and a haunting, droning guitar. It's definitely worth a listen. Tell your friends.

Gimme Shelter

When you're away from Athens for any extended amount of time, there's a good chance that you're going to miss some great live shows. It's happened to me more times than I can count. Sure, if you fiddle around enough, you might find a track or two on Youtube. But that's where Sloan Simpson's awesome site Southern Shelter comes in.

Sloan's a familiar site around the venues in town, his recording rig placed perfectly to capture the live sounds of Athens and beyond. He'll record an awesome show, mix it, and then put it up online for the whole world. It's incredible.

What prompted this last minute post? The fact that yesterday, Sloan put up Brute's Last Show. My god, talk about droolworthy. Brute was a collaboration between Vic Chesnutt and Widespread Panic. This recording has the whole final show, including my personal fave, "Aunt Avis."

But Sloan's got a whole bunch of goodies. Like Five Eight. Or Pylon. Or Bambara. It truly boarders on ridiculous. So go take a look around his site, enjoy the recordings, and dance like there's no tomorrow.

Coming Up on Athens Music Junkie

Well, vacation time is here again and that means packing the car full o' cds and old records and heading to my parent's place a little down the ways for some much needed rest. So here's what you can expect from this blog in the next 15 days or so.

I've been working hard at Flagpole to help get that "end of the year" and "end of the decade" stuff out. So many lists! Most prominent among them is the Pylon Decade in Review, as told by Michael and Vanessa. I'm also working on looking at our other big bands from Athens and their decades. The Widespread Panic Decade Roundup is already live. Expect to see some more familiar names over on the Homedrone blog as I wrap up pieces on R.E.M., of Montreal, and the Elephant 6. 'Tis a labor of love.

Blogwise, I've been meaning to do some venue highlights so expect some of that as well as some more Top 9 of '09. We've made up some Athens Christmas Carols, so beware! Also be on the lookout for random musings about the end of the decade all together and a sneak peak at the future. Yup. We're PSYCHIC!

A number of people have been asking me to do some playlists on the blog. Normally, I'm a little skittish about that but you can find everything I'm listening to (on iPod or computer at least) on my Last.fm profile. I've also been meaning to do some more stuff with MOG so here's a playlist ready made.



And a very Happy Birthday to R.E.M.'s Mike Mills. If you wanna re-live last year's epic Mike Mills Birthday Sled to Hell broadcast from WUOG, here's the link to some pictures and the feed. We're spinning "Kinky Boots" in your honor today sir.

Battle of the Bands Update

Since a few of you have been asking, here's the rundown of Monday night's Battle of the Bands, courtesy of Hank Bateman. Thanks dude.

The two Partnersoft bands were each entitled "Lionel Maiden" and "Iron Richie." Lionel Maiden covered Iron Maiden songs in the style of Lionel Richie while Iron Richie covered Lionel Richie songs in the style of Iron Maiden. The Caledonia Lounge did a great cover of Blind Melon's No Rain and the Music Business Program 3 piece band did a great version of Tom Waits' "Chocolate Jesus"
So who's going on to the finals? Expresso Royale Cafe, The Globe, The Caledonia Lounge, The 40 Watt Club, UGA Music Business Program, and one Partnersoft team. Come back on Jan. 6th for the epic final!

Weekly Show Picks

As of today, finals are done at the old University of Georgia. That means all the students are getting kicked out of dorms and those off campus are expected back home soon. We're in for a nice, slow week in Athens. Enjoy it while you can. Classes begin again Jan. 7th!

TONIGHT:
The Melting Point
90 Acre Farm
Burning Angels


THURSDAY:
Rye Bar
Efren


FRIDAY:
The Office Lounge
Strung Out Like Lights at Christmastime
Fundraiser for Empty Stocking fund
Dodd Ferrelle, Workhorses of the Entertainment and Recreation Industry,
Bo Bedingfield, Curley Maple, Burning Angels
Clay Leverett, Bloodkin

SATURDAY:
40 Watt Club
Living the Dream: Jon Guthrie Memorial Show
Love Tractor, Guff, Hayride, Supercluster
Heavy Feather, Music Hates You, Choptop
Thunderchief, Burns Like Fire, So It Goes
The Athens Band, Greg Veale & Mike Doke,
Kemp Jones, Gabriela Mejias, Bruce Neese,
Michael Guthrie

Top 9 of 09: Athens Music Caught on Film

Well, technically, we caught these following moving images on handheld digital camcorders but it's the same thing. We were lucky enough to be armed with cameras when some awesome bands played, capturing incredible performances and once in a lifetime events. Old Flippy (Jordan's Flip cam) was out for a while after Athfest but after a lot of tinkering, it's working fine now! So here they are! Our 9 Favorite AthensMusicJunkie Videos from 2009.

9.Paul McHugh in a UGA Classroom

From time to time, the professors at UGA get a clue and welcome the Athens Music scene into their classes. One telecommunications course had a treat when Paul McHugh did a solo gig during an afternoon class. Random? Yes. Awesome? Completely.

8.Warm Fuzzies at the Caldeonia

The Fuzzies were so nice to the little UGA freshmen, inviting some of the Athens music newbies up onstage for a few songs. It's stuff like that that makes us smile. This clip features the band rocking out full force.

7.Modern Skirts Pasadena

It's their "Losing My Religion," but regardless of how many times they play it, the crowd sings every word. The Modern Skirts hit on a sound that resonated with people, one that may hopefully carry them even farther in the future.

6.Supercluster I Got The Answer

One of the early performances of Supercluster caught on tape the night of the Flagpole Music Awards. Since then, the band's live show has improved 1000 fold, landing them playing this year's New Year's Eve shindig!

5.Leading Edge at Wild Wings

Jordan barely managed to grab this video, having to run from Cine all the way to Wild Wings (RIP!) and then later to the 40 Watt. Needless to say, it was all worth it, especially when presented with Leading Edge's new catchy single.

4.Oh-Ok at NEDFest

Backed by Flash to Bang Time, the dynamic duo Oh-Ok covered "Let's Get Together" much to the delight of all of us at the party. More please!

3. Dreams So Real at Athfest

The opening number of Dreams So Real's comeback set was a special one for the AMJ staff. We had just seen the band in the film Athens, GA: Inside Out and to see them live was a huge treat. Dreams So Real was the subject of Jordan's first Flagpole feature story, later turned into a podcast, so this clip occupies a very special place indeed.

2. B-52s Give Me Back My Man (Tropicana Field 8/17/09)

Staffer Ziona caught the B's doing one of the AMJ office's all time favorite songs during a show in Florida. Not only does this cut showcase Cindy's still incredible voice, it proves that our Florida branch also has a nicer camera.

1. Minus 5 Featuring Bill Berry and Mike Mills (40 Watt 9/28/09)

None of us, band included, knew that this would happen but when Bill Berry climbed behind the kit, there was just an electricity in the air. The entire performance is fantastic but some great money shots come into play. Like Pete Buck's jump and smile at 3:30, or Mike Mills and his tambourine at 4:50. That lady is Linda Pitmon, drummer and wife of Steve Wynn who just happens to be standing right next to them, strumming the guitar. Of course,  we'd be complete fools if we didn't mention the epic Scott McCaughey dead wolverine hat thing. Moments like this don't happen very often but when they do, it's nice to have a record of it.

SO many great videos. It's funny watching them all now. Mike Mills is in 4 videos, Peter Buck shows up in 6 (and he doesn't even live here!), Vanessa Briscoe Hay can be found Where's Waldo style in about 3 videos, and on and on. Did you have any favorites?

Battle for Nuci's, Part 2!

So after the ridiculously awesome first Battle of the Bands last Monday, seven more bands will rise up from their places of business and attempt to blow one another off the stage in the name of charity.

Last week Expresso Royale dominated with "Billie Jean," Tranny and the Mets (aka Transmet) did Nirvana, and the Globe did a rendition of the theme from Beverly Hills Cop by blowing into bottles. Wonder how they got them all empty, eh?

Tonight's contenders include not one but two teams from Partnersoft, the quick licks of Jimmy Johns, the have it your way Your Pie, the kick-ass Caledonia, UGA Music Business's finest music makers, ringing tones from Dial America and the home team, The 40 Watt Club.

The top 3 teams will perform in the finals on January 6th. Proceeds benefit Nuci's Space and other charities around town. Show up and support your favorites places of business!

News Roundup and Shameless Plugs!

You should've been at the Underneath the Covers show. Devo was AWESOME.

 Remember, if you want the most up to date news from Athens, Georgia's music scene, follow Blueshades on Twitter or become a Fan of AthensMusicJunkie on Facebook.

Pylon revealed a long-lost video for "Beep." Quite a trip back in time. Join the band as they go a'wandering through the country, rocking the faces off unsuspecting music fans.

Vic Chesnutt's fantastic interview with NPR is righchere.

Allison Weiss: The Tofu Baby of the Athens Music Scene. Love her or hate her, she's getting attention, especially over at AthensMusicExpress.

Don Chambers Goes Back to School:
To be lucky enough to eat lunch while Chambers sings Christmas carols. Darn kids! See more pics and other great stuff at AthensRockShow.com.

Merry Effin Christmas:
Beyond Failure has a digital download of Flagpole's Christmas Tape. If you don't download anything else, get Chesnutt's Dracular take on White Christmas.

Speaking of Flagpole:
After wading through a boatload of audio files, I found a very awesome Sound of the City guest spots from this semester. Flagpole/Caledonia's very own GORDON LAMB hosted a show in October and man, what a show it was!

NEW Video on AMJ Youtube:
After fiddling around with my Flip camera, I finally fixed it for good. Now playing on AMJYT, Vic Chesnutt, Creepy, and Abandon the Earth Mission. Also have a TON of footage from this year from Normaltown Flyers, Time Toy, Oh-Ok, Dreams So Real, Dead Confederate, Supercluster, too many R.E.M. guest appearances to count and so much more. Here's a sampling for ya.

Dr. Kenneth Fischer (Updated)

Dr. Kenneth Fischer, a longtime professor at UGA's Hugh Hodgson School of music, died around midnight on Tuesday night, according to a press release from the music school. Dr. Fischer was a well-known figure at the school, having spent many years there teaching students and eventually acting as Graduate Coordinator.

Dr. Fischer had been in surgery on Tuesday but suffered complications that ultimately led to his passing. Dr. Fischer joined the faculty in 1979, making him an incredibly important part of the music school. His students describe him as a "one of a kind person that worked so hard for his students."

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.


The funeral service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Athens on Monday December 14, at 2:30 p.m. Visitation will take place at the Lord and Stephens Funeral Home on Lexington Road in Athens on Sunday, December 13, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Weekly Show Picks!

Whew, lot going on this week. I guess everyone's trying to catch the student/teacher crowd before they leave town post-finals. Stay tuned for news updates later today.

TONIGHT

Caledonia Lounge

Eat Lightning

Gemini Cricket

Smokedog

Soapbar

THURSDAY

40 Watt

Squidmas!

Dr. Squid 

Leaving Araby

Romaneko

Go Bar

Music Hates You

Tournament

FRIDAY

40 Watt

Athens Face/Off Garage a Trois

Too many bands to list! All of them one-off performances by bands made up of randomly assigned musicians. People from Flagpole, Modern Skirts, Spring Tigers, Casper & the Cookies and more! List here!

Caledonia 

The Late B.P. Helium

The Arcs

The Melting Point

Abbey Road Live!

The Rialto Room

Holiday Songwriters in the Round (7 pm & 9:30!)

SATURDAY

Caledonia

Gift Horse

Hammer No More the Fingers

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun

GO BAR

WUOG Holiday Space Party

Abandon the Earth Mission

The Gold Party

Imuzikation

MONDAY

40 Watt Club

Battle of the Bands, Pt. 2

The Caledonia

UGA Music Business Program

Your Pie

Partner Software

Dial America

Jittery Joe's

R.E.M. Fan? There's an App for That.

Jordan's Note: I got to play with this fun little app for a short time before it came out but since I only have an Eh-phone and Ziona has an iPod touch, guess who got to do the review?

REVIEW BY ZIONA KOCHER

Are you the kind of person who is always on the go? Do you feel left out because you don't have the time to keep up with all of the latest news from R.E.M.? Have you spent hours sitting around wondering what it is that Michael Stipe is saying in the chorus of “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”? Are you currently trying to figure out when Athens Music Junkie changed from a music blog to a late night infomercial? In reference to that last question, so are we. I guess we're just so excited about the recent release of the R.E.M. iPhone app that we just can't stop ourselves from being a little cheesy. 

When I first heard that an official R.E.M. iPhone app was in the works, I was pretty excited. When I heard that it was going to be free, I was even more excited. When it was actually released, I was completely thrilled. And by completely thrilled, I mean that I downloaded it as quickly as I could and then trekked through the cold and rain to the library to test it out with wifi at my earliest convenience. It was worth it. From an aesthetic standpoint alone, the application is amazing. For an R.E.M. fan like myself, it's like magic.

Upon clicking the icon (orange and white, with the R.E.M. megaphone), a four part menu is brought up, breaking the application into four sections: Band, Music, Fan to Fan, and Store, and each section is chock full of features to explore.

Band: In many ways, the band section of the application acts as a mobile version of the R.E.M. website, and the five categories (News, Live, Photos, Lyrics and Extras/Links) are simply mobile versions of what can be found there. This is not, however, a slight towards the app in any way, as it is well organized and better suited for an iPhone or iPod than the website itself is. It is very streamlined and easy to navigate, and you can be sure that you'll be up to date on any and all breaking R.E.M. news, even when you're away from your computer. There's also a nifty little animation of Peter's Rickenbacker that pops up when the page is loading (which may or may not be my favorite part of the app).

Music: Here you'll find streaming audio clips and videos, along with liner notes, album art, and track listings for the entirety of R.E.M.'s discography. Like the band section, this provides little more than the website itself, but it looks nice and works well, so why complain? After all, it's hard to find the music videos on YouTube nowadays, and sometimes you just really need to watch the video for “Stand.”

Fan to Fan: This section of the app is definitely the most fun for fans. Here you will find photos and videos taken by fans during the 2008 tour, a handy little guide to Athens, and a cool feature where you can upload a photo whenever you're listening to an R.E.M. song. That last one, “R.E.M. and You,” is one of the few features that you really need an iPhone to take advantage of, since it would be easiest to take a picture with the built in camera and then upload it using the app.

iPod users can take advantage of this feature, too, it's just a little more complicated, as you must take a picture, put it on the iPod, and then upload it using the app (P.S. In order to upload photos, you have to have a Flickr account). The only other part that requires an iPhone rather than an iPod is the “Chat With the Band” feature, where you can call up Mike Mills whenever you want and he is required to talk to you, on a subject of your choice, for at least five minutes (OK, I'm making that one up).

Store: Just in case you haven't spent enough on swag at concerts, they're making it even easier for you to order t-shirts, posters and CDs on the go through the store section. Here you'll find a link that takes you to an R.E.M. search of the iTunes store, as well as links to the two versions of their merchandise shops. Now I personally think it would be easier to just go to the website on a computer to order a t-shirt, but I suppose there are situations when you're on your iPhone and you just REALLY need that one shirt from the tour six years ago that just went on sale. Believe me, I have no room to judge.

So for those of you who got lost along the way, I approve of this app. And really, how could I not? It's free, it looks good, and it certainly has some fun features to play with. Sure, a lot of what it provides can be found on the website, but I'm not going to complain. Go forth and download, and keep an eye out for the update, which will surely have that “Chat With the Band” feature I came up with.

-Ziona Kocher

Battle for Nuci's!

The second annual Battle of the Bands is happening TONIGHT at the famed 40 Watt Club. The last one was such a success that organizers brought it back for another round. So let's look at the contenders!

The First night's competition looks rough with the cool jazzy feel of Speakeasy, the hyped up Expresso Royale Cafe, the Italian tinged Transmetropolitan, and the grad student haven The Globe. Unfortunately, the 40 Watt, Jimmy John's, and the Grit bands had to drop out.

The entire thing is emceed by the only obvious choice, Clay Leverett. You may remember him from our Flagpole awards... And the celebrity judges for the night? None other than Wil Greene (GA Theatre) and Scott Shamp (UGA New Media).

Now, in all seriousness, each of the above establishments have a band in the competition, made up of employees and owners of said businesses. I have NO clue what any of them sound like but I promise that it'll be an evening to remember. All the money goes to Nuci's Space and other local charities. But you get a say in who advances to the next round. The top 3 vote getters from each night move on to the final show in January.

City Lights Shine So Bright All Over This Town...

(Photo/Gordon Lamb)

Her face was so bright under her blue hat that she could've lit up the entire parade with her smile. Her mom would pull her close, this little bundle of a girl no more than two, and then hold the child out, much to their mutual enjoyment. The little girl would laugh and wiggle in her mother's outstretched arms and look at the pretty lights strung in the trees of downtown Athens. Children just like her lined the streets, wrapped in so many layers of clothing that their arms couldn't touch their sides. Their parents keeping a close eye as the little ones wandered out into the street, hoping to catch a glimpse at the band they heard in the distance.

I stood with Gordon and Matt, shivering. There was chatter all around us on the corner of College Avenue. The shops were closed, all decorated with shiny lights and tinsel, begging the passerby to come in tomorrow and enjoy the season. Hot dog vendors has set up shop, letting their ketchup scented goodness waft in the breeze, reminding me that I hadn't had a bite all day.

But it didn't matter. This was the Athens Festival of Lights. My all time favorite event of the year that doesn't have the name Athfest. It's such a small town thing to do, parades. Load up all the kids on a flatbed truck, grab some PVC pipe and cotton for snow, string some lights and you've got a float. The whole town, it seemed, turned out for the parade.

It's odd but we sometimes forget the parts of our lives and city that we don't see. I never see children during my days at work and the nights downtown. But they're all around. The music scene gets so insular that it's easy to forget there are other things, other people, out there that have no connection whatsoever to what you do. But the parade's not about the music scene or UGA or the shopkeepers or the people who live on the outside of town. There's no cliques. Just a community.

Maybe it's because I had a hard time fitting into Athens when I first arrived. When you're a student at UGA, there's an automatic disconnect that occurs between yourself and the town. Your friends are all college students, you eat on campus, sleep on campus, work and live on campus. There's very little incentive to actually interact with Athens itself. But the music found me on campus and dragged me out of relative comfort, turning me around to stare into the glaring lights of the city. Lights that, on a night like tonight, sparkle with a brilliance and familiarity that I have rarely known.

As we stood and waved to the marching bands, grinning Grinches, and half-dozen decorated dump trucks, I felt at home. I wasn't born here. I wasn't raised here. I may not even get to stay here. But if there were ever a place in the world that I actually felt like myself, I found it again on the corner of College Avenue on a chilly December night.

New Addiction: Jesse Mangum

Sometimes it takes a cat knocking over your cd collection in the middle of the night to re-discover good tunes. I found Mangum's cd under my bed and remembered running into him way back in the summertime.

They say that you can meet some of the most interesting people backstage. And from my experience, it's true. While spending a nerve-shattering hour backstage at the Flagpole Awards, I happened to meet a very friendly musician by the name of Jesse Mangum. We got to talking and he asked if I would check out his site. Glad I did.

His stuff is unassuming and mostly leans toward the quieter end of the spectrum. It's a mix of singer/songwriter guitar stuff and some more technical effects on his voice. Yesterday was the perfect day for his music, soft and comforting like the rain hitting my window.

I dunno what Mangum's currently up to right now. Last I heard, he was getting into his studio work pretty hard. Regardless, the guy's worth a listen.

Weekly Show Picks

TONIGHT
40 Watt
Pride Parade
Jay Reatard

GO Bar
t'Broken Letters
Adron
Thayer Sarrano

THURSDAY
Downtown Athens
Holiday Parade of Lights!
Starts at 7 p.m.

Caledonia
Ham 1
Madeline
Nana Grizol
Geoff Reacher

Rialto Room
Modern Skirts
Thieves Market

FRIDAY
Flicker Theatre and Bar
Efren Album Release Party
w/ A Major Love event and Taylor Hollingsworth

Melting Point
Little Country Giants
Packway Handle Band

SATURDAY
40 Watt Club
Underneath the Covers Benefit

Farm 255
Bambara
Lake Inferior

MONDAY
40 Watt Club
Battle of the Bands

TUESDAY
No Where Bar
Nathan Sheppard & John Keane
 

Computers

They aren't to be trusted. Especially with files. Calendar picks coming later today. Until then, here's a video.

Language Warning.


I want a coat of cotton candy...

Tonight at WUOG: ROCKMAS!

*shrill screaming voice* CHRIIIIIIIIISTMAS TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME IS HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE

Sorry. I'm just glad to be able to finally break out the X-mas tunes instead of hiding them on my ipod in June. So in honor of the holiday, I'll be cranking out every single Athens Christmas tune I can find!

I put out the call yesterday via Twitter and Facebook and you guys responded! We've got everyone from the Drive-By Truckers to Flagpole compilations and a few borrowed cds and such. Merry Christmas indeed! Who knows? Maybe I'll throw in a few presents as well....

8 pm - Live in the Lobby

8:30ish - Sound of the City: Holiday Edition

World AIDS Day

It's officially December and the streets are decked out in glittering lights and everything is covered in red and green. But today a few of us will be wearing red ribbons not because we're feeling festive but because we're supporting the fight against AIDS. December 1st is World AIDS Day and Athens is doing its part to help find a cure. How? The way we know best: music.

You can head over to Seney-Stovall Chapel tonight for a special dance presentation by Terpiscore & Studio Dance Academy. Free condoms will be made available. Just sayin.

For more information on AIDS Athens and other non-music events taking place during World AIDS Day, check out the official website.

SATURDAY
Underneath the Covers Benefit for AIDS Athens
40 WATT
Local bands take on new identities as they rock out for AIDS ATHENS and MAC AIDS
Don Chambers + GOAT as the Pogues

Memory Gospel Dancers as Devo
Five Eight as Television
Mark Wenthe & the Cleaners as The Kinks
Matt Kurz One as The Who