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Wednesday, September 12
The Black Ups,
The Coathangers,
The Selmanaires
40 Watt Club
For all the geographic prox
imity of our respective towns,
you'd think that there'd be a lot
more give and take between the
Athens and Atlanta scenes. But
that drive can be daunting, and
it often takes national recogni
tion of a band from one town to start pulling in big crowds in the other (see Of Montreal or
Oeerhunter). Tonight's Black Lips show at the 40 Watt provides a way to bridge that 60-mile-
gap, with two opening bands that are just as integral to Atlanta's current scene.
If you're not familiar with the Black Lips, then you must've taken a break from music
over the past two or three years. The much-publicized Atlanta four-piece has quickly drawn
in crowds with its reputation for incendiary Kve performances, and the band popped into an
international spotlight thanks to Vice Records' strong push behind the live album Los Valientes
del Mundo Nuevo. That disc documented the Lips' chaotic blend of '60s jangle and proto-punk
garage rock, and while not the sort of thing that necessarily best conveyed the Lips' songs,
the album was successful on its own terms. This week sees the release of Good Bad Not Evil, a
new studio record [see p. 30 for a review].
The Coathangers have only played one other show in Athens—a peppy set at the Go Bar
earlier this summer—and have only been around for about a year. The new self-titled album
out last week borrows the sounds (though not the lyrical substance) of bands like Bratmobile,
Bikini Kill and the Slits, creating a thrashy girl-punk that's sometimes bratty, spastic and fun
("Shut the Fuck Up," "Nestle In My Boobies") and sometimes mean-spirited, scenestery and
fun ("Buckhead Betty").
Openers The Selmanaires have been at it for years and have retooled their sound in several
ways, experimenting with acoustic arrangements at times. The band's blend of Wire-influenced
post-punk and melodicism reminiscent of The Who has found fans in Atlanta as well as those
who'd decry these guys as simple apers; it's a trend for the night, though, the re-appropria
tion of past sounds for a current scene, and if Athens wants to get a taste of what's turning
the ears of our tight-jean cousins to the west tonight's a one-stop-shopping opportunity.
[Chris Hassiotis]
The Mack Lips
star ensemble, featuring members of
the Georgia Satellites. Houndog and
the Sundogs, covers songs by The
Band Special guests include Oliver
Wood. Ted Pecchio (The Codetalkers),
Caroline Monroe and Justin Brogdon
LITTLE FRANCIS (Little Kings)
Steven Grubbs. Jordan Noel and Alex
Nackashi play upbeat garage rock *We
sound like catchy, poppy, early punk
rock a la Stiff Little Fingers, Real Kids
or early Replacements.' says Grubbs
THE MUSICSMITHS (La Dolce Vita)
Every Thursday guitarist Brian Smith
(Georgia Guitar Quartet) and ‘lautist
Natalie Smith (Grogus) play classical
music duets 7 30-10 30 pm
NAPOLEON SOLO (Wild Wing Cate)
Napoleon Solos the multitasking one-
man-band who handies it all
N0B00Y FAMOUS i The Library)
Formerly local emcee/ producer
Nobody Famous moved to California
earlier this year and is back for a blow
out bash called ‘Growing Up Famous ’
See Box
RICHARD SHERFEY & ALL GOO’S
CHILOREN i Tasty World) Fronted
by local singer Richard Shertey, All
God’s Children includes members of
the bands hey. revolution 1 and Modern
Skirts Sherley trucks m some squarely
American, impassioned pop-iock
songs New album coming soon Part
o< Tasty World’s 10th anniversary week
end, seep 26
MARY ftCHOU (Hof Comer Coffee)
Warm-voiced Phtfly foA-rocker Mary
Schotz plays fwmkfy piano and guitar
ballads packed with head-m-the-douds
romance
SON 1 (The Library) While the pro
file of his group The Renegade/ has
dropped over the past year Athens
rapper Curtuon Jones has upped Ns
solo work, releasing Me album The
American Hero and collaborating with
numerous local artists
ITEPHAMTS »(L«te Kings)
Playful pop rock from AshevtHc NC
VocahN Stephanie Morgen’s wwgehc
kve performance has been compared to
BMh Gibbons Jems Jopdn and Prince
TODD McBRIDE & THE cooler
HEADS (40 Watt) Either solo or
with his backing band The Cooler
Heads, former Dashboard Savior Todd
McBride turns out fine roots-rock
Americana, with dtps into straightahead
pub-rocking and more rustic pieces
WALCOTT (Caledonia) This local
group deftly moves from pop-ruck
to classic rock to broader-influenced
sounds, combining Young and Floyd
ideas with more comfortable. Band-
type work
WILD SWEET ORANGE (Tasty
World) Playing accessible indie-rock
Birmingham s Wild Sweet Orange
combines the emotion ot Coldolay and
Travis with the sensitivity of “Grey’s
Anatomy' bands and atmospheric
washes of mellow sound Part ol Tasty
Worlds 10th anniversary weekend
seep 26
ZEiAZOWA (Caledonia) Polymorph,
the new album from Philty band
Zelazowa, sports nfty hard alt-rock
crafted in an early- 90s, ‘120 Minutes'
vein
Friday. Sept 14
BURN BABY BURN (Caledonia)
Thrumming bass and precise guitar-
work combine with anthemic gang
vocals, allowing this Arkansas band to
straddle technical/hardcore and more
mainstream sounds QusAisthenew
album
CASPER A THE COOKIES (Flicker)
Reminiscent of bands like Talking
Heads and the Beatles focal pop-rock
superpower Casper & the Cookies
plays a diverse set of songs built
around one concept tun The band's
infectious songs have made their way
onto the newest album The Optimist's
CM), a swinging and deeply layered
pop construction 8 30 pm
CINE MECHANICS (Caledonia) This
band's version of what can be shor
homed into the math-rock category •
unexpected time changes ♦ aggressive
rhyfhnr, ♦ abrasive vocats The band
has weathered lineup changes and
taken a few national tours and has
settled back in to Athens, releasing
a debut full-length album titled The
Martial Arts last year
DARK MEAT (40 Watt) Psychedelic
garage-rock rave-ups with both Neil
Young's sprawl and the efficient and
explosively fun sounds of the Stooges
More than a dozen members Horn sec
tion called the Vomit Lasers Backup
singing and choreographed dance
moves courtesy The Subtweeters
Costumes Facepamt More Debut al
bum Universal Indians proves there are
impressive songs beneath all that din
DEAD CONFEDERATE (Caledonia)
The Atlanta/ Athens rock group plays
‘psychedelic Southern grunge.”
Petition to the Queen is last year's ex
pansive rock album reminiscent ot My
Morning Jacket. Southern Bitch and
even Built to Spill, and the band has
been at work on new material since
See what sup with the guys on p 33
LUKE DENTON (Hot Corner Coffee)
Texas musician Luke Denton plays a
lively, living piano.and whips together
impassioned vocals tor catchy. Bruce
Hornsby- and Bitty Joel-esque tunes
DJ JOHNNY D (Loft) One ot The
Loft Lounge* rotating crew ot house
deeiays, Johnny D—whom you may
recognize trom Atlanta's 95 5 The
Beat—lays down the new dance
sounds, heavy on the hip hop every
Friday night
OJ MAHOGANY (Go Bar) Freaky
iunk, deep disco, solid soul—ifS a
cornucopia of classic ass-shakery
from the 60s, 70s and ‘80s that
OJ Mahogany, winos* of the 2007
Flagpole Athens Muse Award in the DJ
category, provides tonight
DJ MARK BELL (Bet) Starting at 11
p m every Friday and Saturday local
deejay Mark Bell focuses on the dan-
cier sounds of 20 years ago
DJREBB (Detour) Atlanta s DJ Rebb
plays Top 40, hip-hop. progressive
house and other electronic sounds
prime tor dancing
► confirmed on next page
Students
Staff
Faculty
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Wines by the
bottle, 1/2 off
the menu price
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under $60)
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237 Prince Avenue
706-316-1006
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