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INTRODUCING ATHENS' NEWEST TALENT
Nationale came on to the scene back in January of this
year. According to the band, the inspiration for its sound
comes from "many DIY bands from the mid-'90s that at the
time fell under 'screamo,' a term that's been somewhat bas
tardized since to include more mainstream, stylized music."
Thrower credits Matt Reilly, the eldest of the group, for really
steering National's direction. "We represent an interesting mix
because Matt, who is a little older than the rest of us, grew up*
MAXIMUM BUSY MUSCLE
Indie-shred
Lineup: Jay Roach and Mary Joyce. Members associ
ated with: Shitty Candy & the Circus Peanuts, Incendiary.
Influences: "Nothing" (according to the band).
There are two of them; the guy plays guitar, the girl plays
the drums and sometimes sings. The guy is unassuming Yankee
transplant Jay Roach, the girl is North Carolinian firebrand Mary
Joyce. Lazy comparisons to other co-ed twosomes
are right out because what we have here is a
case of the shreds: total weedily-weedily, liber
ally spiced with some fresh chugga-chugga. Joyce
brings the solid Chicago-style deep-dish drumming
that seems to surprise even her, whiL Roach is
responsible for the Yngwie Malmstrom shreditude.
The impressive intensity of Maximum Busy Muscle's
music is in sharp contrast to their shrug-and-smile
demeanor, and that makes it that much sweeter.
They're playing at your friend's house, go see
them. For more info see www.myspace.com/maxi-
mumbusymuscle. [Jeff Tobias]
Next show: Check website for updates
MECHANICAL ANGEL
Experimental/Alt-metal/Digital
Lineup: Eric de la Mer. Influences: Nine
Inch Nails, Deftones, Fear Factory, Prodigy,
Massive Attack.
Twenty-three-year-old Eric de la Mer
prefers to think of his music as "digital"
rather than "electronic." So, even though
he utilizes a great deal of software to cre
ate these tunes, this isn't a bunch of beeps
and blips. Mechanical Angel is full-on,
heavy alternative rock created by mix
ing digital instruments with organic, live
instruments and samples on a MacBook.
Sometimes the results are more on the
dreamy Massive Attack side, but by the
middle eight the guitars start crunching,
and de la Mer's deep, haunting vocals loom
over the mix with foreboding darkness. In a
lot of ways, de la Mer's project represents the future of home
made music and the endless possibilities provided to one man
and his computer. You'll probably want a MacBook of your own
after you stop by www.myspace.com/mechanicalangel.
Next show: Check website for updates
NATIONALE
Post-punk
Lineup: Matt Reilly, Carrie Jones, Jake Duvall and Zack
Thrower. Former members of: Life is a Fight. Influences:
Shotmaker, Kaospilot, pageninetynine, Portrait.
with the raw version of what the rest
of us eventually got into." Nationale
is also known for putting together
eclectic bills in low-key venues such
as house parties and DIY spaces. In
fact, adds Thrower, "we have a deep
hatred of stages." Feed the fear at
www.myspace.com/nationale706.
Next show: Tuesday, July 22 at
Little Kings
BAMBARA
Spacey/Aggressive/Textural
Lineup: Blaze Bateh, Reid Bateh and William Brookshire.
Influences: Nick Cave, Slowdive, Talk Talk, Fugazi, Blonde
Redhead, Mono.
This threesome has been writing music together for well
over seven years, but has existed as Bambara for just about
six months. When asked to describe the band's sound, Bateh
compared it to what you'd hear if "you break a York Peppermint
Pattie in half in close proximity to your ear." So, expect
smooth, luscious atmospherics with wafts of refreshing mint.
Get the sensation when you bite into www.mys-
pace.com/bambaraband.
Next show: Tuesday, July 22 at Caledonia
Lounge
CREEPY
Drone/New Wave/Glitter Leg
Lineup: Page Campbell, Rebekah Rogers,
Melissa Colbert, Trish Scurry and Sara-J Ursrey. Members asso
ciated with: Hope for Agoldensummer, Dark Meat, Sweet Teeth,
Claire & Bain's Maple Yum-Yum, Everybody, Everybody, Still,
Small Voice and the Joyful Noise, The Ones. Influences: Life,
men, '80s music, Golden Girls, "Charlie's Angels," Neil Young,
drinking at work.
Athens got a special Christmas present in the form of Creepy
back in December of last year. These hard drinkin' and hard
rockin' ladies have been compared to bands like ESG and The
Roches, but they prefer to describe themselves as sounding like
"wailing lady voices over a bed of reverber
ating rock echo sound... under the influ
ence of whiskey." Get creeped out over at
www.myspace.com/creepyashell.
Next *how: Wednesday, July 30 at
Caledonia Lounge
THE FLOWERS OF EVIL
Psychedelic/Doom-folk
Lineup: Trey Fowke, Mary Field, Spencer
Rich and Ryan Matthews. Shares members
with: Wickets, Suspenses Titans of Filth.
Influences: Leonard Cohen, Sun Records-
era Elvis, Joy Division, 'Twin Peaks,"
Dostoevsky.
Just like one-time Athenians The B-52s,
The Flowers of Evil chose to make their
debut on Valentine's Day at a house party.
While this isn't necessarily the soundtrack
for cuddling with your sweetie, fans of
minimalist experimentation and edgy folk
will certainly coo with affection. Fowke
describes his band's sound as featuring
"sweet baritone croons and groans from the
bottomless, deep, r j tracks pumping
pistons headed directly into some unsuspecting hell's mouth,
angels being violently stripped of their wings and bittersweet
laments of lost love..." Like the band's name suggests, there
are elements here of twisted beauty—like you left your favor
ite folk cassette in the car during a sweltering summer day and
returned to find the tunes warbled, warped and yet strangely
more compelling than before. Get twisted yourself over at
www.myspace.com/theevilofflowers.
Next show: Saturday, July 5 at Flicker Theatre & Bar
Mich8l!e Gilzenrat
NEWS & FEATURES I CALENDAR I MOVIES I A&E I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
JULY 2, 2008 • FLAGPOLE.COM 23