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14 FtAGPOLE.COM ■ MAY 26,2010
THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS
Orders From...
Independent Release
When I think of “fun in the sun,*
lawyers aren't the first thing that comes
to mind, but from now on, I will look
to Athens' District Attorneys for the
appropriate soundtrack Their summery
Americana is wrapped in a gauzy layer
of reverb that gives the songs a subtle
beach vibe But there is just a enough
pedal steel calling in the background
and jangly banjo to place the band
firmly in the South. So. instead of val
ley girls and big kahunas. The District
Attorneys pay homage to the mountains
and valleys of South Carolina and the
bluesy, boozy energy of the East Coast
An overdose of reverb seems to
be a common trend these days, in the
wake of Animal Collective. Grizzly Bear,
Surfer Blood and the like, but this is
much more organic and breezier than
all that. The smooth backing vocals
float in like wafts of honeysuckle, and
the mood remains upbeat and light
hearted throughout. Stand-out tracks
include the particularly celebratory
“Splitsvilte." with its chorus of friends
singing in the background, locomo
tive harmonica and big Southern rock
riffs. Closing track 'Jerry Ten* made
me smile with its seamless homage to
Poison, as frontman Drew Beskin hol
lers metodically, "won't be nothin’ but a
good time* mid-verse.
Orders From... Is a sizable EP
at seven tracks, but every song is
absolutely essential. Expect this gem
to make more than a few local year-end
best-of lists.
Michelle Gil2enrat
The District Attorneys are playing
the 40 Watt Club on Thursday. May 27.
JMMY GNECCO
The Heart
Bright Antenna
On Ours’ break-through 2001
release, Distorted Lullabies, the cover
features frontman Jimmy Gnecco's face
obscured by a red velvet frame. On his
debut solo record. The Heart, Gnecco
stands in full view, from the waist up,
shirtless, tft a glaring metaphor, of
course: here is Gnecco unplugged-
exposed. stripped down, vulnerable,
baring his soul. We get it.
The thing is. this record isn't full
of your typical siice-of-tife tales of
heartbreak and forgiveness. This is
an acoustic opera of emotion . Backed
by a full band or no, the focus has
always been, and could only be, on
Gnecco's heart-wTenching. acrobatic
vocals. From his aching, baritone
whisper to his angelic falsetto, Gnecco
trembles with intensity at every turn.
His sadness wallows in the misery of
a hundred tragedies At least, that's the
weight his dramatic delivery conveys.
With the lighter than usual musi- -
cal accompaniment, there are brief
moments of brightness, like the cheer
fully bounding piano intro of ‘Gravity *
Why. it’s almost uplifting, until the
vocals come in: 'Fly into the grave/
Crying to be saved/ Love was just a
phase and then it died.* Oh.
But there's something to be said for
the comfort of commiseration, and this
is a record you can really collapse into
For all its darkness, these melodies
are still beautiful, and there's no deny
ing the goosebump-raising power of
Gnecco's voice. Fans of Jeff Buckley
who might have been turned off by
Ours’ more abrasive elements will
certainly find solace here. The vocal
melody of “The Heart’ actually sounds
very much like one penned by Thom
Yorke, and 'Mystery.' with its mid
range baliadeering, sounds a bit like a
somber Rufus Wainwright So. if these
are touchstones that touch your heart,
open yours to Gnecco.
Michelle Gilzenrat
Jimmy Gnecco is playing at Vinyl
in Atlanta on Tuesday. June 1.
ROKY ERICKSON
WTTHOKXBMLRNH
True Love Cast Out All Evil
Anti-
After becoming a cause cStebre
and mounting a remarkable recovery
this past decade, the psychedelic god
returns with his first new album in
14 years. From 60 unreleased songs. •
Will Sheff curated and produced the
record with his own Okkervil River as
the backing band, so naturally their
lush, studious country flourishes are
all over it. Though ft in sharp contrast
to Erickson's gritty, lo-fi rock and roll
work (only ’John Lawman* comes
close), ft aii appropriate vehicle for
reckoning, faith and redemption—all
life themes that he explores in his
most straightforward manner ever.
Furthermore, the patient immaculately
crafted sound is an effective tapestry
for Erickson's broken-in voice.
A crude recording made by
Erickson while at Rusk State Hospital
for the Criminally insane, ‘Devotional
Number One* is a simple hymn that
crackles with hope until finally ris
ing in a heavenly post-production
swell. Other picks include the tangly
country-rock of ’Bring Back the Past*
and the tide track's last-call honky-tonk
heartbreak. The star is *6oodbye Smtk
Dreams.' a classic, burning Erickson
melody made elegantly robust.
Tore Love is a majestic landmark
work, one that powerfully frames
ErlcksonS legacy, something he would
never directly do himself With Okkervil
River's judicious handling, this national
treasure emerges from the psycho
logical abyss with one of rock history's
most welcome comebacks
Bao Le-Huu
WIDESPREAD PANIC
Dirty Side Down
ATO
Yes, Widespread Panic is back
with another hard-hitting noodle test
of a record, but this one is a bit more
mellow than Panic fans may be used
to Joining the Panic crew is longtime
producer/contributing musician John
Keane, who puts his "slick but not
slippery' touch on the band's 11th
studio album Dirty Side Down sounds
more like a continuation of 2008's Free
Somehow than a new direction. The
band has gotten into a slower, more
groovy habit, sprinkling the new mate
rial with pieces of its past influences.
■Visiting Day' strays into Drive-By
Trucker territory while 'Clinic Cynic*
would be at home on a Jimmy Buffet
album. ‘Clinic Cynic* is so laid back, it
wouldn't surprise me if Panic recorded
the thing while lying down.
But be ready tor a wrecking ball
when you hit This Cruel Thing.*
Originally penned by Vic Chesnutt
‘Cruel Thing* never made it onto a
proper record until now. Here, John
Bell channels his old friend, pushing
his usual growl into a mournful-sound
ing echo ol Chesnutt's voice. He even
manages to nail Chesnutt’s distinct way
of phrasing, breaking the central chorus
into more syllables than normal. Ifs the
emotional heart of Dirty Side Down.
The main quibble with this record
is the same one that has plagued the
band since it began recording: how can
the five energy be captured on tape? •
The band is so tight from years of play-
ingthat (he improvisation^ looseness
gets lost in the shuffle. The beauty of
a band tike Widespread doesn't come
down in a wall of sound: it’s In the little
details that shine through the cracks.
Case in point: *North.’ At first
listen, its your standard jammy
Widespread tune, but if you spin it
a few more times, rich details in the
guitar work and the percussion start to
flow out of the woodwork. Sunny Ortiz
and Todd Nance provide just enough
counterbalance to Jimmy Herrings
guitar solos that the song is saved from
sounding like a Van Halen exercise.
The same goes for "Saint Ex.* the
dark opener that twists and slithers its
way into your psyche with blistering
guibrs and a bass groove to die for.
BellS lyrics are at top form here. ‘Don't
apologize with philosophy,’ he crows,
"Come closer, tame me. Don't you
recognize we’re not enemies?*
Overall, it you’re a tan of Panic
at ail. Dirty Side Down will offer you
everything you love about the band:
intense guitar, bowling and growling
vocals, and a connective groove. But
as tar as Widespread records go. this
one is neither mind-blowing nor disap
pointing. It just is. And that's how Dirty
StdeDomshould be.
Jordan Stepp
Happy Hour Specials 4-9pm
504 off bottles and drafts * $3 Well Drinks
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196 Alps Rd. • Beechwood
706.354.6655
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