About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 2000)
ADAM PAYNE Sorry Please Try Again 1 Independent release AShens-bascd singer-guitarist Adam Payne’s welt-crafted debut album closes its eyes and carefully reaches far deeper into the fragile, emotional comer of Hie human soul than any smirking demo tape currently popping out of the yup-hippie Miens scene. This highly personal collection o! acoustic pop is a clean and focused effort. Paynei per fectly enunciated soprano flirts with a slight British accent from time to time, but mostly sounds elegantly Southern. Most of the 12 songs on the album began as stripped-down, bittersweet, love songs comprised of only five or six chords on acoustic guitars. They settled nicely into tuft arrangements thanks lo com ritotions horn memters of local acts Creekwater Sound, The Fountains, King Daddy Zeb and Drmeslore. Their additional instru mental accompaniment never gels in the way of Payne's lyrical lamentations, winding vocal melodies or ‘good guy having a bad day" notions. “Lillie Heart’' hums along with a simple likable groove. Underneath a beautiful melody. "See Saw" wonders “what we could have been’ I hen gradu ally gains momentum wild an addi tional bass line. The Cal S!evens*ish ’Time" admits the reluctance and con fusion of “playing covers that represeni the notions ol others." Payne's high-pitched voice and lev/-key, straightforward playing style may remind some listeners of drowsier, early-era Neil Young or even the slow chic songs off Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors. Others may recognize Payne’s impressive ability to squeeze emotion out ol simple, honest, spare-sounding songs from the back of the head and from the bottom ot the heart. (1395 Longwood Dr., Marietta, GA 30008) Ballard lesemann CAFETERIA Knee Deep Sackbumer All-co unlry, insurgent country, No Depression... whatever. Athens band Cafeteria rocks. So what if main-song writer Taylor Joiner has a draw! and there's a bit ot a shuttle to the beat. And then there's I he matter ol steel guitar and banjo... but look at what this album is ail abotil: concise songs about love, loss and maybe a lew beets. Alt right, so it slilf sounds like country. But I’il be damned il Knee Deep doesn't rock my soul Accompanied by fine local musicians like Adam Musick. Kevin and Matt Lane, William Tonks, and many others. Joiner sings from the heart. No matter how simple the lyric, by God he means il. Check out "Stones,* wilh a great beer-soaked sing-a-long chorus; and ’Righl," in which hungover frustration flows like Pabst Blue Ribbon from the pilcher at any given Cafeteria show. From one song to Ihe next the album ends loo soon, but I never hesitated to start it right back up. Being knee deep in sorrow has never lei! so liberating. (P.O. Box 1212, Winder, GA 30680) Fritz Gibson LAST DAY DOWN Boulders In The Rock Patch lrntep«ndem release^ Credit must be given when it is due: the guys in Last Day Down can ptay their inslruments. Unfortunately, their music isnt breaking any new ground. The lyrics are banal and the arrangements are preadable. But in ihe world of Soulhem rock and contempo rary blues, blistering guilar solos go a long way. Boulders In The Rock Patch defi nitely has plenty of (hose, not lo men tion an amazing rhythm section. "Got Time?" shows that while they do have a keen sense of time, the rifling comes straight from Ihe book Hendrix wrote with “Lillie Wing," a book that has been used on many Black Crowes numbers and Pearl Jam's “Yellow Ledbetter," raising Ihe question “Got Originality?" Perhaps an untrained ear tails to pick up any subtlety in phrasing, but why search for subtlety when it’s already been done several times over. While I he pretty ballad “No Net" offers a brief change of pace, il lacks any real lyrical subs! a nee—which vocalist Ferrill Gibbs seems lo be striving for—and quickly leads back lo [he style Ihe album began with on a song ironically tilled "New Style. 11 Fans of this style ol music with hills desire for change will enjoy what Last Day Down offers to the world of music: technically proficient musician- ship and a slrong loyally !o those before il. II you’ve been waiting to find something to raise your interest in the genre, wait for something more com pelling. (125 Michele Dr,. Athens, GA 30601) Fritz Gibson UTTLERED ROCKET IPs In The Sound y Monolyth So what if I tike pop? Isn’t lhat my right? Jus! like it’s Orenda Fink's and Maria Taylors right to have a female- fronted band without being branded as Veruca Sail clones. They're talented songwriters with amazing vocals and very respectable instrumental capabili ties. Couldn't someone compare them lo someone respectable like Tanya Donnelly for a change? Ill avoid com paring them to anyone, though, and instead say that there are great pop and rock songs on this album. In ’Star,* one of the album's strongest tracks. Ihe vocals are playful without treading too close to cute, which many mate fronted rock bands can't even pull olt. "Sunday Driving" and ‘California* are down-and-dirty rock songs. On the last I rack, bassist Jackie Ferguson’s and drummer Scott Sosebee’s near-connlry swagger on Ihe verse coupled with Ihe heavy-hearted chorus makes ‘{Losl Souls) Low Tones" an ideal album closer. Little Red Rocket's got the songs lo prove their worth as a legitimate rock band. So whaPsall this fuss I’m hearing over them taking advanlage of Sosebee’s sex appeal? (P. 0. Box 900980, Boston, MA 02199) Fritz Gibson THE PLASTIC PLAN Basic Samizdat Atlanta-based instrumental new- new-wave liio Plastic Plan’s debu! album is chilly, stiff, weird and absolutely functional. The 12-soog col lection aims for the same territory once ruled by Ihe likes of Devo, Kraftwerk. Wall Of Voodoo and Altered Images {minus the squeaky vocals): a place populated by machinery, robolic figures and real horrershow rhythmic chaos. This is music completely devoid of anything resembling "the blues" for the bespectacled, sci-fi, skinny-tle set. Weil, there’s actually not a whole lot of chaos on Basic, W's tight, [ocked-rn, orderly and very mechanical. There's hardly any sign of human life, though. Aside from Ihe occasional Bonzo drum lill from drummer Colin English (ex- Toenul) or tire random accent or bent note Irom bassist Dain Johnson {ex- Merrills), things are super-chill. Tunes drone on m 4/1 or 6/4 time, powered by repeated eighth notes and a minimal selection o! chords. Much of the album involves relent lessly robotic synlh-drums-bass pat terns (no guilar whatsoever). "The Plastic invasion' opens Ihe album wilh a tumble of snare-kick beals and lorn fills 3nd nervous synlh run from key boardist Ashley Moody (ex-Servotran). ‘Speed Skate' and ‘Trapper Keeper" pound away with a quirky space station precision. The album’s strongest track, "Geodesic'—a perfect soundtrack to a documentary video montage about modern technology in ihe Western world—fays off the uptight, uptempo freakout thing enough lo breathe more loosely with a catchy melody and danceabte beal. .. the basics to any good pop 1 Line. (1132 Vi rgi ni a Ave. /9. Atlanta, GA 30306) Ballard Lesemann VOLUNTEERS fan AthFest 2000 There are many areas left that you may find match your interests. _ / ’ / 7nS^ N Athxest 2000 IMBaMI www.othfast.com If kids ore your cup of lea we need hefp with Ktdsfesi which will be held on Saturday from 2 7 and Sunday from 2-6. There is the Eyeio// Musk VWeo Showcase which needs volunteers to help set up the 40 Watt and decorate on Thursday, June 22, Other areas include the vemes, sponsor^ ortisftnorkefj and thsFfogpofa Musk Awards* it you would like to get involved, please get in touch with the volunteer chairperson, Anita Pinto either by phone at 54B-1973 ©r by e-maA at vduntee^cdrfest.com. PERHAPS YOU CAN'T fa If 16 9 W € BUT YOU CAN GIVE IT A GOOD SWIFT NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Give us a call, you owe it to yourself. Flagpole Connections is an easy, highly successful way to meet someone perfect for you. why not give it a try? Call 1 -800-738*8 109 to place yot*r FREE print adl Look for us online at: www.flagpole,com FLAGPOLE eoniiec^oiiif El PLACEfteOLE MAY 31, 2000
