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Brat Mead
Thursday, July 27
Vetran,
King of Prussia,
Push!
40 Watt Club
At a certain point,
you can stop putting a
[sic] after some band
names, assuming every
one now knows they're
just spelled that way, but
I'm not sure Vetran has
hit that point yet The
new band of 8ren Mead
(ex-Masters of the Hemisphere, among many other acts) is still at the furrowed brow stage
where one thinks, "isn't there another E in therer
But the eliminated vowel, however unintentional its advent, suggests something about the
simplicity and directness of Mead's brand of pop music. Omit needless words, letters and deck
ing around and just move straight toward the pretty. That may be too much of an extension of
Strunk & White's famous rule, but ft applies nonetheless to Vetran's songs, which are beauti
ful catchy and short. They're not especially fast-paced, but they prove that kicky isn't all that
matters, and that a hook that moves in a lazier pattern will get you just as involved as one
that requires dancing.
"The Follow Through," for example, doesn't waste time getting to the harmonies, the high
end of the vocals and the bit that sinks right into your heart to resurface like a pop splinter
that's worked its way out a couple of days later. A song like "Half Drunk" will make you feel
just like that in the best possible way. The onty potential problem here is that these tunes
work in a specific mood (summer, couch of melancholy) that might not function as well in a
different season, and perhaps a little more breadth than depth might be striven for in tone.
On the other hand, it certainly is that season at the moment, and just as most of us have a
type in the field of romantic interests, so too do we drift toward genres in music. Complaining
about loveliness is unfair when there is sometimes so little of it Now there is a little more—
that is, until Mead moves to California in a week. [Hillary Brown]
continued from page 19
rock and roll straight out of Zt/ma-era
Neil Young, and not dissimilar to
Slobberbone or Drive-By Truckers;
there* a lighter hand at work, though,
as the bands lessened the dirty
Southern influence on 2004’s expan
sive, excellent and ear-splitting release
Snake in the Grass The group has
been hard at work on an upcoming
album
TEN COUNT FALL (Tasty World)
Playing bouncy rock, Ohio* Ten Count
Fall sounds like the poppier end ol the
teen-punk spectrum, with a little bit ot
the Descendents in the band's sound,
but mostly more indistinguishable stuff
like MxPx.
TWIN POWERS (Go Bar) Danceable
New Wave and Britpop tunes. 10 p m.,
every Wednesday.
Thursday, July 27
ALTRUI2INE (Flicker) The Athens
trio ol Rob Fluhr. Leslie Grove and Rile
Thomson combines minimal percus
sion with synth. harmonica, mbira
and a number ot stringed instruments,
resulting in an atmospheric, hypnotic
sound that's manages to be both earthy
and aerial at the same time. 8:30 p m.
ANOTHER FIASCO (Tasty World) The
reconvened Fiasco comprises mem
bers of the Charlie Mars Band. Lionz
and Soul Kitchen coming together to
explore more traditional rock territory
and resurrect and modify the Fiasco
name, claiming the Police and Led
Zeppelin as influences. The new album
is called t! Never Was Enough. Every
Thursday this summer upstairs.
“BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (Last
Call) Tonight Dark Horse. The Free
Lunch Band. Carla LeFever & the
Rays and With the Sun face off in
the finals of Last Calls summer-long
competition.
BELLYACHE (Tasty World) Austin
Darnell and his brother Caleb play
country and blues originals with
harmony vocals, backed by acoustic
guitar, upright bass and singing saw.
The Athens duo* new EP is called
Porkchops & Milkshakes.
THE BODY ELECTRIC (Lunch
Paper) Out of Raleigh. NC. Melvyn
Brown. Joshua Janowiak, Christopher
McSween and Brett Wells play melodic
indie rock, relying heavily on sweet
acoustic sounds and gentle vocals
WESLEY COOK (Flanagans) From
folk-flavored theological wrestling
matches to Latin-flavored love songs,
solo guitarist Cook has an effortless
approach to his music. Cook recently
celebrated the release of his full-length
album We've Been Here Before, and for
the next three Thursdays will inhabit
Flanagan* to play his usual set and
'lots of awesome covers.’ 10:30 p m.
DANNY FEEDBACK (Lunch Paper)
A thrashy and rhythmic three-piece
from Orlando. FL. Danny Feedback
also manages to weave in some more
creative guitar work than the usual
garage clamor.
DJ MAYS (Ritz) The local deejay hosts
a night ot dancing to hip hop and Top
40 type hits. Every Thursday, Friday
and Saturday
DJ PEACH SALSA (Mercury
Lounge) John Fernandes of Dark Meat.
Circulatory System, The Instruments.
Elf Power, Mauser. The New Sound of
Numbers. Olivia Tremor Control, etc.
etc., etc., spins a wide variety of music
all night long.
FREEZE TAG (Caledonia) Local
quartet Freeze Tag ’has a much rawer
edge than most bands tfat you’d expect
to fall into the synth-pop category,*
says Flagpole writer Ben Gerrard ’The
overall effect comes out like a blend ot
bubblegum pop and ragga punk, float
ing between Ben Folds and The Clash.’
TINO GARRIDO (Farm 255) The
frontman for Orquesta Grogus will play
two sets tonight, focusing on classical
guitar music from Venezuela and tradi
tional songs from Cuba and Venezuela
(for guitar and voice). 8-10:30 p m.
See Box
HEART MONSTER (Tasty World)
Indie-rock four-piece from Clemson,
SC. Pavement and Detachment Kit are
some touchstones to the rough-edged
rock group featuring former Athenians.
KILLICK ERIK HINDS (Mercury
Lounge) The Solponticello Records
headman whips out his H'arpeggione. a
unique instrument created specifically
to Hinds’ specifications, to perform bis
original compositions, improvisations
and perhaps pieces off his rendition of
Slayer* metal classic Reign in Blood
HOT CLUB OF ATHENS (Amici)
Uptempo, swing-styled jazz in the
traditional style of Django Reinhardt.
Guitars, violins, upright bass.
Alternating Thursdays, 7:30-9 p m.
JUMPIN' JESUS CHRSSTERS
(Little Kings) This local 'oddball string
band’—Andre Kyriakou (guitar wash
board. bouzouki), Matt Payne (mando
lin). Jennifer Bartmas (mandolin). Bucky
Anderson (fiddle) and Elijah NeeSmith
(bass)—plays old-time, bluegrass and
country. They're playing following the
'Off Night Athens’ comedy event—get
the lowdown on that over on p. 15.
KIP JONES (Hilltop Grille) The local
acoustic singer-songwriter is known lor
his wide-reaching repertoire. 6 p m.
“KARAOKE” (Eastwood Pub) Every
Thursday.
“KARAOKE" (Stan's Bar & Grill)
Every Thursday.
KING OF PRUSSIA (40 Watt) King
of Prussia's upcoming album
the Scene uses shiny guitar, delayed
pianos, sci-li synths and brainy bass
parts to recreate the finely-crafted
melodies. Brandon Hanick (ex-Beijing.
Touchdown!). Brian Smith (OGLY,
The Curl, etc.) and Taylor Coggin.
A.J. Rownd and Nathan Troutman (all
formerly of The Envelopes) are the live
band, which is recommended for fans
of Badly Drawn Boy and recent Belle &
Sebastian.
CRAIG LIESKE (Flicker) Guitarist
Craig Lieske plays in tandem with film
collagist Andrea Lester’s work ’I'm
improvising to her collage of found
footage of old cartoons, instructional
films and God knows what else,’ says
Lieske. 8 30 pm.
LIXX (Wild Wing Ca!6) Featuring
former members of the popular Atlanta
'80s cover band Mcf ty. Lixx focuses on
much of the same hard-rock material.
NOSE CONE PROPHETS (Lunch
Paper) Rock band from Menlo. GA. It's
over by Rome.
PAPER TANKS (Tasty World) The one
song posted on this new local band's
MySpace page hints at atmospheric
and moody soundscapes punctuated
by acoustic guitar and open vocals.
PUFFIN (Tasty World) Catchy rock
from this Clemson, SC. four-piece,
reminiscent ct Guioed by Voices and the
Zombies. With members of long-gooe-
but-missed Athens band Sugar Shakers.
PUSHI (40 Watt) At the local band's
debut show last month, lead singer
Lauren Osborne drev. comparisons to
Siouxsie Sioux and Gwen Stefani, and
her compatriots Paul Nunn. Jeremy
Sellers and Josiah McGaughey (all
formerly of Astra) straddle atmospheric
rock and classic pop.
TFLENOVELA (Caledonia) Last year*
self-titled dtbut EP from fresh local
duo Zachary Smola and Stephanie
Clayton weaves samples and sounds
through a charming and astral bed
room-pop tapestry. They're backed
these days by either a group of locals
or a band of far-flung friends. New re
cordings may see the light ol day soon.
VETRAN (40 Watt) Frontman Bren
Mead (ex-Masters of the Hemisphere)
spent some time in New Mexico
working on solo stuff and ended up
calling it Vetran Pushing his bedroom
pop-rock into the live setting, Mead
performs tonight with a new lineup,
backed by members ol Fabulous Bird
and the Envelopes. See Box.
WHOA NELLY (Melting Point Patio)
An evening of light bluegrass music
from these local performers. 6 pm.
Friday, July 28
AUTOVAUGKN (Tasty World) Space.
the debut album from Nashville indie
lockers AutoVaughn, references anthe-
mic stuff like U2 and Duran Duran while
also going lor more contemporary me
lodic pop sounds in the Death Cab vein.
THE BEARFOOT HOOKERS (Oasis)
lhe band perlorms funky, good-hu
mored country on the entertaining
sophomore album Life at the Bar,
and is the power behind the recently
released Welcome to Athens. ' Drinkin'
Town With A Music Problem country
drinking song compilation. Known
around town for raucous shows and
a massive catalog ol songs, the guys
have blitzed audiences with country
rock for hours straight in the past.
Winner of the 2006 Flagpole Athens
Music Award for Best Country /
Americana / Roots Rock Band
CARLA LeFEVER & THE RAYS
(DT*) Local rocker Carla LeFever
has a new band with songwriting
partner Josiah Baker (Ultra Delux,
XXX Hardrive), Marv Cobb and Kenny
Brawner (Common People Band).
Carla promises some covers of AC/DC,
Dio and some of her more ’hard-
grooving* and dancey originals in the
same vein.
CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT
(Georgia Theatre) This dynamic
Chicago musicians' collective is rooted
deep'v in 70s funk married to tradi
tional efrobeat. a sound that evolved
out of Nigeria in the ‘60s and 70s.
Polyrhythmic grooves, sharp horns and
a little bit ot electronica house all make
their way into the mix.
THE CHRIST FIGURES (Mercury
Lounge) The last time Marshall
Marrotte and Jeff Chasteen played
together under this name (June of last
S, BIT ONE FRECt
AaROSUM, AUOMIff,
11am-/:3Upin
PON ICS
HYDI
Grow Lights • Fertilizer • Plant Food • Green Houses • Start Kits
imii iS'i.L'i.i
20 FLAGPOLE.COM-JULY 26,2006
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