I considered trying to pull an April Fool's prank on everyone, maybe something along the lines of a super secret R.E.M. show but then decided that my lovely boss-lady would probably choose a scarier punishment than staring disapprovingly over her brand new blue shades. So here's what going on this week. Remember it's spring time! Take a break, I'm sure by now you definitely deserve one.
I keep forgetting that my time is quickly running out here at the station. It feels like I've been at WUOG forever. But then I run into the new kids, the ones that never saw Memorial Hall, never walked up 94 stairs, or slept out on the roof. I go to speak about the beautiful glass ceiling and...oh. They never saw it. I'll just go back to fiddling with my records then.
I thought I had more time. I thought that I would have plenty of opportunities to showcase all my favorite bands, host with a bunch of crazy people. Every playlist counts, I guess. No more chances for any bum songs. Nothing but quality from here on out, right? Jennifer just reminded me the other day that I'll be a WUOG alum come May. An alum, as in, no longer a DJ...
I tell myself that it's just the circle of life. We come, we play, we rip a ton of cds to our harddrives, then we leave. You wonder what mark you left, if any. There are many Wuoggerz that left marks, people like K.O. and Danger Mouse. Did I make a difference? Will anyone remember that I was there?
I guess it's not really important when you had as much fun as I did. God, I've seen and done things at that damn station that some people would give their eye teeth for. Some of the most incredible people on the planet have co-hosted the show with me. Surprisingly, I've only had to threaten two of them with strangulation. All in all, I can't say that I have any regrets as far as the station goes.
So tonight begins the countdown. Only 5 more shows to go before I pick up my blue sunglasses, hat, and stack o' vinyl and bid the world I've known and loved farewell. No tears, just laughter. Now I just have to decide what will be my last song. Hard to pick one thing that represents 3 years of craziness, a bit of sadness, and some joy. I think I know just the one...
One of the first things that Andrew Iden points out to me during our phone conversation is the amount of time that has passed since the cult Athens music documentary Athens, GA: Inside Out.
"It's been something like 25 years!" he says. "SO much has happened since then, all sorts of things have changed."
No kidding. How about the massive worldwide takeover by R.E.M., the rise of the Elephant Six and their many groups, pretty much all of Widespread Panic, the retirement (and subsequent unretirement) of bands like Pylon, the emerging singer-songwriters like the late Vic Chesnutt... Yeah. A lot has happened. So, what to do? Grab a camera and start filming, of course!
Iden and his crew from Atlanta originally planned a documentary on the Elephant Six group. But they quickly found out that the E6 and the rest of Athens could not be easily separated.
"The more we got into and researched the more we realized it branches out and goes forever and ever and all these roads lead back to Athens," says Iden.
With that in mind, Outside Films changed direction to make the film more about Athens music as a whole rather than just focusing on a single subsection. But the scene is so large and complex, how in the world can anyone expect to include all these musicians? Simple answer: you can't. Instead, focus on some of the movers and shakers in town and work your way out from there.
"It's kinda our focus to use people that are more behind the scenes as spokes on the wheel so to speak. People like Sloan Simpson, Velena Vego, Gordon Lamb, they're kinda gonna be the meat and potatoes of the film and tell the story of Athens. It would be kinda cliche if we just got a bunch of musicians talking about how much they love Athens."
They have been talking to a few musicians though, and have what is possibly the last video interview that Vic Chesnutt did. All of the interviews and research are pointed at one of the most asked and least answered questions about Athens: What is it about the town that people want to form bands and still stay here?
Iden hopes to wrap up by the end of the summer and possibly get it ready for festivals and whatnot in the fall. The project remains unnamed (officially called the Athens Music Project for now) but the group claims that they'll know the title when they hear it. Andrew has sworn to keep us updated as things get rolling so stay tuned for more updates about this potentially killer Athens flick.
NOTE: This is a separate project from the "Athens Burning" film that is screening at Cine tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. That one is a documentary about the GA Theatre.
Hey guys, hope your week went well. Here's what's going on this week in Athens Music. If you've got any news tips, make sure to send them to athensmusicjunkie@gmail.com. And now, on with the show.
UGA alums got a great surprise in their mailboxes this week. The current issue of Georgia Magazine features a TON of music related articles including the UGA MBUS (and a brief unnamed mention of yours truly). It's a really interesting issue so pick one up if you can. Or just read it here.
Ok guys, I gotta admit that I absolutely love my jobs but I know there are people out there that just HATE what they do. If you're one of them, the Drive-By Truckers are seeking to ease your pain with their "Working This Job" video contest. If you've got a story about your job, make a video, upload it to Youtube and add it to the WorkingThisJobDBT group. Then email thebigtodocontest@gmail.com with your video link, name, and phone number. You could win stuff like lunch for your office, a clip from your vid in the official DBT video, and more. Extra info can be found HERE.
Speaking of the Truckers, they got a pretty good review in Rolling Stone. Also reviewed this issue is the new Whigs record. Congrats to both bands on their stars.
Another local band in the press: The Let Me Downs were featured in the UK online magazine Under Control Music. Read about it here.
So we went to see our good friends Tunabunny and Misfortune 500 the other night. Joining them were two Australian bands, one of which, Love of Diagrams, has a pretty awesome cover of Pylon's "Cool." Check it out!
The other night I was DJaying at WUOG and happened across this amazing comp called Sorry Ma, Forgot to Let Out the Cat: A Tribute to the Replacements. It included the song "Alex Chilton" so I thought it would be appropriate to play. The record's pretty awesome so check out this more in depth description via Wilfully Obscure.
You Haven't Seen Nerdy...until you see what we've got planned for the first of April. Just sayin'.
I was waiting to see when this post would go up on Homedrone. "Music Journalism in a Post-Print Era" was one of the panels at SXSW (which Gordon and I both agree are often more interesting than the bands...). There's no shortage of opinion out there about what music journalism is and how it's constantly changing. But leave it to me to add another voice to the noise.
I really love the question of what advantages established media have over all us computer hugging, Wordpress fiddling bloggers. So what do they have on us? Well, name brand recognition for one. Rolling Stone has been around for a long while that the name alone carries a huge weight. Who wouldn't want their band on the cover or between the pages of RS? Does it matter in the long run that the quality of the magazine has been slipping fast over the years? Not when your name appears in the review section apparently.
I worked for a while at a PR company. And it's very strange to observe but when given the choice, bands prefer to have their name appear in print rather than online only. Yeah, the best situation would be both print AND online but there's just something about picking up a physical copy of something and seeing your name in 12-point font on page 14. I admit that while some of the best stuff I've ever written only appears online, I tend to be more fond of what gets put into those little Flagpole bins. Forget the fact that more people see my personal writings online. You can't rip out a blogpost and put it on your wall, getting ink all over your fingers in the process.
But back to the issue (pun not intended) at hand. What do the established mags have that we don't? Name brand recognition isn't limited to just the big print boys, you know. There are plenty of music blogs out there that are pretty recognizable in certain circles. I just have to mention 3 Imaginary Girls and stereogum to some people and they automatically know the name, tone, and reliability behind the sites. Note I said "some." Very few online music journo sites have sunk into the mainstream. The one that pops into my head right now is the often cringe inducing Pitchfork. To me, it's music criticism for the 4-chan crowd, but I digress.
How much does the name mean to you? How important is it that you read someone's work in Paste rather than on Tiny Mix Tapes? A lot of why I read certain music critics is because either a) their tastes line up with mine b) they've proven reliable or c) I just like their style. I've stolen more from Neil McCormick than I'm ready to admit but hey, the guy makes me laugh and he's good at what he does. For me, it's not the medium, it's the writer and his/her message.
So why all the blogger hate? Maybe the misconception that all of us are sitting in our parents' basements, reposting mp3s and press releases without actually doing any reporting? There is plenty of that out there and those blogs give everyone a bad name. But are these blogs like this here one any threat to the establishment?
Christopher Weingarten (Rolling Stone) believes there aren't enough people that would be interested in some of these writers' opinions, much less wanting to read something from "a college-age Lester Bangs jerking off all over a Wavves record." I laughed so hard reading that. Most of us hacks did grow up hearing about the legendary Bangs and his opinions. And there are plenty of bloggers out there that will do nothing but sing the praises of one or two bands no matter how bad the music. At least I have the decency to label my fawning fits. I will completely admit my biases and you can check on 'em via my last.fm account.
But the fact of the matter is that sometimes a blog can just cover certain things better. A one man operation is far more flexible than a corporation and not bound to as many rules. The only guidelines you have are the ones you make. They're often more passionate about what they cover too. Remember, most of us don't get paid to do this stuff! But music journalism isn't as coagulated and central as it used to be. If you want breaking news, you go to a blog or small outlet, not Rolling Stone.
I can throw stuff up on the blog faster than many news outlets because AMJ is a three person operation. Videos, photos, writing, it's all edited by us. And I think that's where a lot of journalism in general is going. You have to balance speed with accuracy in the real-time web. Information now flows from the bottom up, bolstered by facebook statuses and twitter updates. Basic connections are now just as important as having the emails of band managers. You want to hear from the people, not the product.
Anyway, this is just one of many random thoughts that I'm having on this. Anybody care to comment on where you think music journalism is headed?
I feel like a complete idiot for not seeing the Lefty Hathaway band before the AthensMusicCollective show. Seriously, I see Paul all the time at the office and I never knew that he could play the keys like that. Or sing so well for that matter! Yeah, I'm just dumb.
I was completely blown away by Paul, I mean, Lefty's performance. A bit bluesy, a bit soul, a lot jam and a bit rock and roll, it's a real treat to hear. The whole roots/jam thing is hit and miss with me but any time the guys onstage did a bit of improv, it seemed effortless. Those cats are funky. Take a listen for yourself. I think you'll like what you find.
(Photo/prettykitty) Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round. They sing "I'm in love. What's that song? I'm in love with that song." - The Replacements
What is it about an artist's music that makes it reverberate? Why is there so much music out there but only some of it becomes influential? Is it the glitz and glam? The honesty? The story? I guess it depends on the person.
There was a tribute to Alex this weekend at SXSW. Some of his bandmates and friends got up onstage and did the Big Star show that he was scheduled to do. From reports, the place was packed out. No surprise there. It only takes a Google search of "alex chilton influence" to figure out that this dude was a huge part of many musicians lives. I know that rock writers by the millions were crying over Chilton. It's part of the top secret rock writer training manual. One: Develop a serious habit of some sort (booze, coffee, smoking) Two: Big Star was IT.
It's been a weird year for the so called underground. We've been losing influential musicians left and right lately. There's a sudden collective gasp followed by the sound of people knocking over their cd towers to reach their vinyl collections and drown their sorrows in the songs of dead men. It's a group thing. All the blogs post the Replacements song for Alex or talk about the last thing the suicidal singers wrote or just how sad it all is. That's just part of it.
I worry sometimes that this generation of mine will not have anyone to miss of our own. Where's our Alex Chilton? Who are our Billy Braggs and R.E.M.s and Replacements? Will there be anyone that we can all circle around when the time comes, point and say "This is what influenced us all in a small way"? Or will we continue to dive into our niches and only connect with our handful of fellows? At least we're all easier to find now.
Music needs its muses. The Velvet Underground and the Patti Smith records that everyone seemed to have bought at the same time and then formed bands. Something that you'll put on at three in the morning and listen to in the dark, mouthing the words of the songs and thinking all the while, "This is it. This is me. This is us." Hopefully, you've found at least one. If not, don't worry.
One day you'll just stumble across it. Maybe they were an old favorite band or will be your roommate's next project. What matters is that you own the emotion that the music creates. And who knows? Maybe you'll find someone else who likes the same stuff you do. Maybe you'll form a band and start the whole cycle over again...
My friend Rachel is absolutely nuts about country music, especially Brantley Gilbert. So when she was constantly tweeting about his iTunes chart position, I finally just broke down and got on iTunes to look for myself. And it turns out that ol' Georgia has been doing pretty well lately.
As of this writing, Broken Bells (featuring WUOG alum Danger Mouse) sits at the number one spot on the iTunes album spot. Atlanta's Ludacris stands at number six (and 23) and Athens' own Drive-By Truckers are at number 10 with their latest album, The Big To-Do.
Brantley Gilbert from Jefferson is at 32 and the Zac Brown band took the 38 spot along with number 73. And outside of the top 50, The Whigs are currently at number 80.
Now, I don't even remember the last time I bought something off iTunes (my last purchase seems to be a live version of Elvis Costello's "Alison"). I'm much more inclined to buy full albums and want a physical copy but it's really encouraging to see so many local artists hitting the charts.
Check out my editor Michelle's view on Broken Bells at SXSW. And all apologies for the short post, I've been overdoing the typing thing and can barely move my right arm. No worries though, we'll be back on track on Monday.
It happens every year. I'm here in Athens and a good 50% of my friends and co-conspirators are off in Austin, TX gettin' their drank on and gorging themselves on bbq and music. I used to get pretty upset about never being able to just take off a week and drop a few hundred dollars on this incredible music festival. But as the years have worn on, I've gotten used to it. Comes with the turf and somebody has to look after Athens while they're gone, right?
The scheduling around here always gets really weird because last week was UGA's Spring Break, aka no audience. Now it's SXSW, aka no bands. Ok, there are bands around playing but just one glance at some of the Austin parties reveals a very large shipment of Athens tuneage to Texas. But I get some sick, twisted glee outta following my friends' escapades through sleepless nights and consistently bad cell phone service. Seeing them turn up the week after with blurry eyes and able to only half-recall the bands they saw amuses me.
If you want the whole experience though, here's what you do: get three hours of sleep a night; walk around town for four hours toting a backpack that includes your laptop, a bunch of maps and directions, your camera equipment, and some snacks; stare into the sun while standing in front of a heater; try to fit yourself into the smallest hole you can find that reeks of weed and beer; and watch these videos. Myself? I'll just go take a nap.
Losing that hour of sleep doesn't seem so bad after all this gorgeous weather we've been having. We've got shows that will serve as the perfect soundtrack for your St. Patrick's Day festivities or to celebrate the start of spring. Dance whatever's left of the winter blues away, you've got plenty of choices.
I first heard of Ham 1 via the Athfest CD sampler. Something about the upbeat and nutty nature of "Clown Shoed Feet" caught my attention and I've been listening closely ever since.
Part of the great Orange Twin community, Ham 1 gathers together some of the talents you've probably heard before and basically leads you into a parade of musical happiness and joy. The Captain's Table includes the trademark E6 horn sections and random frantic guitar strumming, a bit of humor, and a lot of stomp and clap singalongs. Ham's a rock band, but they play in a waltzy type pattern at times. Pretty nifty.
For some reason, I find Ham 1 a bit easier to get into than some of the other Elephants. As always, I encourage you to check 'em out for yourself.
Seriously, Athens bands love the kid shows. Maybe it's the inherent kookiness or the behind the scenes creator connections. I really didn't pay much attention until my mom's preschool class started talking about of Montreal. THAT was an eye opener. Looks like we've got some young hipsters in the making on our hands! So parents, let the kiddies watch the following clips. They beat the heck outta that dinosaur Barney.
Let's see who's on Pancake Mountain! Oh look! It's....Kate Pierson!
....and Widespread Panic!
Wow! That was great! Let's head over to Yo Gabba Gabba!
Well, that's all for today's show, kids. Remember to tune in tomorrow for another great adventure here in Athenstown! Today's post was brought to you by the letters R,E,M, and the color Green.
On days when you're feeling down, just take a look at the following funny pieces about Athens. A place like this is just filled with opportunities for snarkiness...
The Watt "Collapsed" Can't decide if I was one of the freelance rock critics or the college radio dj. Guess it doesn't matter since I'm now the living undead....
Holy cow guys, there are a LOT of albums coming out of Athens this year. Seriously, it's gonna be hell trying to figure out the Flagpole awards next year. So hang on to your B-sides baby cause here we go.
Starting off in R.E.M. land, Michael Stipe has donated a sculpture to be auctioned off to benefit Partners in Health to rebuild Haiti. Partners in crime Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey are releasing one song a month through their band The Baseball Project (with the ever charming Steve Wynn and hilariously awesome Linda Pitmon). You can grab this month's at ESPN. No word on Mills. Probably working on his backswing before the Master's tourney kicks off. Back to watching their Austin City Limits gig, I guess.
Speaking of Masters, the boys in Widespread Panic have finished up their newest album at John Keane's place. Dirty Side Down will hit May 25th, featuring a song by Vic Chesnutt entitled "This Cruel Thing." John Bell chats about it here and Keane talks about it here. Featuring artwork from Marq Spusta. Additional mixing of the album provided by teh mixing kitteh. Photo by JB.
Athensmusic.net is holding a dual record release party for The Whigs and the Drive-By Truckers. The Whigs album is called In the Dark while the Truckers have moved from New West with The Big To Do. Party's on MONDAY, March 15th at Little Kings. Doors are at 8, music from the records starts at 9 and there will be a raffle. The Truckers will appear on Letterman TONIGHT and Jimmy Fallon's show on March 31st. Oh. And they're on tour with Tom Petty. And here's Drowned In Sound's take.
The Modern Skirts are playing the Caledonia Lounge? Apparently so. Wonder when that new completed album of theirs will show up...
Venice is Sinking, however, is going full force with their release, Sand and Lines. The new album comes out on June 15th, the same day as when the Georgia Theatre burned down last year. Makes sense since it was recorded live there. The band talked to Spinner about it recently. There's some pretty epic promo shots done by local photographer....
Mike White who also scored the cover of Harvey Milk's new album A Small Turn of Human Kindness. That drops May 18th. They also got some great comments from the NYTimes.
Of Montreal got their kiddie on by appearing on Yo Gabba Gabba! They're also getting a tour documentary. Craziness abounds.
And MAJOR props to the 40 Watt for naming their SXSW stagesJerry Fuchs, Vic Chesnutt, and Jon Guthrie.
And in AthensMusicJunkie news, we updated the site a bit. Hope you like it. We're always looking for suggestions so hit us up at athensmusicjunkie@gmail.com.
WHEW.
UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me by the gals at the Mike Mills Tribute site that the REM bassist has been involved with The Voice Project, which focuses on the plight of women in war torn Northern Uganda. He recorded Billy Bragg's "Sing Their Souls Back Home" at his place in LA.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a college student in possession of a trust fund must be in want of a good time. However little known the feelings or views of such a student may be on his first entering a college town, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding townies, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their bars. But what happens when all the students leave? The bands leave with them. Well, some of them do. So what's an Athenian to do? Make a video playlist and ROCK ON.
...And my coverage is one. So the other night at WUOG, Shil, my guest DJ, was rifling through our collection of records and came across a radio edit of WUOG alum DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album. It's a brilliant mash up of Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatles' White Album. Yeah, I know. I'm about 6 years late to the party. But I've been listening to it constantly, and it brought to mind quite a few things. Firstly, "All hail the awesomeness that is Danger Mouse!". Secondly, and most importantly, "Athens has a great hip-hop/rap scene. Why do I never hear about it?"
Now, I will completely admit that most rap/hip-hop really turns me off. It's completely foreign to me and I often just don't understand it at times. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't listen. Or cover it for that matter. It's ridiculous that we live this close to the capital of all things urban ATL and this stuff is largely unnoticed. So I'm at least going to try and give this some more space on the blog. I may fail, and fail grandly, but at least I'm trying. If you've got any suggestions, lemme know at athensmusicjunkie@gmail.com.
Well ladies and gents, it's Spring Break time for UGA. Yeah, I'm not sure why it's always so early either. I mean, there was snow on Tuesday! I'm headed outta Chronic Town for a bit, but we'll keep on truckin' here on the blog. First a few links...
I'll start this off by saying that I normally never listen to the heavy stuff. I'm just not that into it. So when Gordon managed to convince me to stick around for their show at the Caledonia, I was skeptical. Oh WOE to the non-believer! I think I'm in love with a hard-rocking psychedelic/punk rock band. Hooray for Chrissakes!
Listening to them, you'd expect some group of long haired guys in all black or maybe some biker punks with mohawks. But look at 'em! And the music is something I could really get into. The drums aren't the normal "flail and pray" type you tend to find around here. Add into the mix a pretty heavy and at times melodic bass, a guitar that goes from down and dirty to mind-bendingly high, and you've got a band worthy of following around.
Well that snowfall was a bit anti-climactic, don't you think? Fortunately for us, we've got some good shows this week to make up for all that misplaced excitement. Onward to Spring Break!
Do you ever listen to a song and think, "I wish (insert band here) would cover that"? You spend some time thinking whose voice would fit which song or who could do a really unique version of your favorite hit. With the news that people like Supercluster and John Keane are covering R.E.M. tunes, I thought I'd make a list of some song choices I'd like to see happen. Wishful thinking? Yeah, probably. But it is fun to pretend.
Casper and the Cookies - "Killer Tofu" from the cartoon Doug
I think the Cookies are just loopy and rockin' enough to pull off one of the greatest fake band anthems ever.For extra irony, they should play this at Go Bar, located right next to the best vegetarian restaurant in town.
Modern Skirts - "Hey Jude" by the Beatles
Yeah, the Skirts are trying to get away from the soft piano based rock of their first two albums so "Hey Jude" may not be their first choice. But the visual image of Jay just going nuts during the "HEY JUDEY JUDEY JUDEY" is worth it.
Ken Will Morton - "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan
Since Morton's voice already has a small hint of Dylan to it, why not give him a Dylan song to sing? He's got a lot more drawl than the king of songwriters but with a little bit of effort, he could pull it off.
Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings - "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss
They've done Billy Idol and sound like the Stones anyway, so why not throw in some glam rock there Chris? Possibly some facepaint, hm?
Drive-By Truckers - "Cigs, Coffee, Booze" by The Minus 5
I can just hear Cooley's twang here on a straight-forward cover of McCaughey's signature tribute to life sustaining substances. 'Course, the country feel of the original probably helps that along a lot.
Deaf Judges - "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M.
Well I certainly wasn't gonna make the best hip-hop group in Athens do the rap from "Radio Song." The Judges are a talented bunch and could make one hell of a remix/rap/freestyle out of the already frantic hit.
Like I said, any of these is a long shot but who would've thunk that Packway Handle Band would cover Madonna?
Athens Music Junkie is starting some big changes this week! So forgive our mess if you visit the site and it looks a little off. We're changing to meet the needs of our new readers, so let us know what you think!
Hey there, Athens! Aren't you looking all spiffy today? Good weekend I take it? Looks like we may be in for some colder weather soon...
WUOG is showing Athens, GA: Inside Out on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Still trying to find out where but they're bringing cinnamon buns! Breakfast for dinner and a kick-ass movie.
John Bell from Widespread Panic talks about this year's Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic and Concert here.
The UGA Music Business Program is now accepting applications for the upcoming year. It's a lot of work but the opportunities you get are just nuts.
File Under Dream Come True: Acute Records is releasing a compilation of The Method Actors! This Is Still It comes out March 9th featuring 19 tracks a liner notes from Peter Buck (naturally). You can listen to some of the awesome craziness here.
Athens Farmers Market is seeking bands who are interested in playing. According to the email, about "1,500 people come out each Saturday so it's pretty decent exposure. Due to the musicians close proximity to the audience and vendors, the PA will be set to a quiet level and no cursing is allowed, as this is a kid friendly event. The PA, mics, chords, and mic stands are all donated weekly by Nuci's Space. If interested in playing, submit a CD to: Wilma, P.O. Box 343, Athens, GA 30603 or send an MP3/web link to wilmasremedies@gmail.com."
Over on Twitter, I was in a loopy mood and asked the guys in Dead Confederate a silly question about their upcoming album. "If album 2 were a sandwich, what kind would it be?" Answer: Roast Beef. Mmmmm. Roast beef....
Swampland has a review of David Barbe and the Quick Hooks' new album Love It, Don't Choke It To Death.
The first few details of local parties at that festival that causes everyone to just up and abandon me in Athens every year, known to some as SXSW, have come from Venice is Sinking who is playing the Team Clermont party. Since most of Athens will be in Austin, who knows what mischief I'll get up to...
And finally, Twin Tigers debuted their new video for "Red Fox Run."
