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ATHFEST PICKS
time before this band blows up. The mushroom
cloud is coming. See them before the fallout.
[David Fitzgerald]
Gift Horse
40 Watt Club. 11 p.m
Gift Horse has lost a drummer, but the
band hasn't lost any steam in its locomotive
momentum. And it's a good thing, as the
group has proven to be a thoughtful addition
to the louder side of our iocal rock scene.
Anyone who has seen Gift Horse live is aware
of the fact that it's high volume, but upon
picking up the band's debut album. Mountain
of Youth, it can be discovered that it also
flirts with high concept. Beyond the swaths
of reverb, delay and wash that make up Gift
Horse's signature sound, one can glean a
Holden Caulfield-esque lyrical tack that deals
with the growing pains of getting older. [Jeff
Tobias]
Savagist
Caledonia Lounge. Midnight
No way is AthFest ready for Savagist and
the unholy Southern summer sun to blister
and bake the revelers bouncing between
stages and vendors during, say, a Sunday
afternoon Pulaski Street Stage slot. B'ame
local noise ordinances and the small children.
Thankfully, a pub crawl element of the festival
exists. After dark and behind closed doors
you'll find the impassioned, mangy underbelly
of the local music scene. These bands play
heavy metal.
If you stumble into the Caledonia this
evening we hope your ears have a high toler
ance for volume and that you're familiar with
the Corna or Maloik hand gestures—formed
by simply extending your index and pinky
finger while holding the middle and ring fin
gers down with your thumb. For those who
plan social calendars more discemibly, visit
Savagist on MySpace and listen to 'The Feral
Bailout* to quickly understand why the band's
visage deserves to be carved into our prover
bial (and as of press time, nonexistent) local
metal Mt. Rushmore.
"What has historically been the state of
metal in Athens?* asks Savagist bassist/
vocalist Steve Miller, "It's kind of a difficult
question to answer because there generally
is not a state of metal in Athens—there's a
state of mind of metal in Athens that doesn't
really come to fruition all that much. It's good
to see bands playing metal "' he says. As for
AthFest? T've been living in Athens for 10
years, and AthFest has been very good to me."
[David Eduardo]
Turf War
Cine. Midnight
One of the most exciting bands participat
ing in Georgia s garage-rock revival. Augusta s
Turf War returns to Athens to play its emo
tive, stirring blend of loose party-rock and
Gainesville pop-punk. The foursome, soon
to be based in Atlanta, is currently mixing
10 songs the band hopes witi be
released before the end of the
summer. Turf War's live shows are
powerful, sweaty performances that
will have the crowd erupting in
sing-aiongs and careless dancing.
The band is excited to play
Athens again. A previous show
at Caledonia lounge found the
members awestruck by Matt Kurz
One. For AthFest, Turf War will play
Cine with friends Grape Soda and
The Agenda! Singer/guitarist John
Robinson says. "The show will be a
lot of fun, we plan on wylin’ out,"
adding that this will be the band's
first AthFest. [Scott Reid]
Venice Is Sinking
40 Watt Club Midnight
Venice Is Sinking has been
gracing Athens with its gorgeously
alluring chamber pop since 2004.
Since that time, bandmembers have
come and gone, but the songwnt-
ing core of Daniel Lawson and
Karolyn Troupe has remained; and
in its current incarnation, Venice's
music is the most chillingly affect
ing it has ever been. Live, the
band's lush, slow-burning music is a true plea
sure for body and soul alike. [Gabe Vodicka]
Grape Soda
Cine ,1am
Brothers from the same mother, Ryan and
Mat Lewis are Grape Soda, a drums-and-key-
board duo whose sound is much more interest
ing and fleshed out than their setup suggests.
Mat's delayed vocals and spaced-out organ
lead the group’s decidedly more melodic take
on the sort of lo-fi rock purveyed by bands
like Blank Dogs and Eat Skull. [Gabe Vodicka]
SUNDAY, JUNE 27
Holly Golightly &
The Brokeoffs
Pulaski Street Stage, 6 p.m.
Hope ran high when Holly Golightly moved
from her native England to a farm just out
side of Athens, because all of us record nerds
thought surely, this would mean regular local
shows by her and band partner Lawyer Dave.
As it turned out that's not what it meant at
alt so this rare Athens performance is a total
treat Although still known best for her role
as a member of Billy Childish garage-rock
protegees Thee Heacoatees, Golightly has
sunk herself deep into folk, blues and other
American roots music as well as embracing
the myths and mysticism of the rural South.
The Brokeoffs' latest release, Medicine County,
serves as evidence that there's a hell of a lot
of character (and characters) in them thar
hills. [Gordon Lamb]
TAQP1I1A 4»l Sgt
music, aRTS,
kids & pum pesTiuai
June 23-ai
SOI * PACKWAY HANDLE BAND
PERPETUAL GROOVE -
CRACKER • KINCHAFOONEE COWBOYS
3 FREE OUTDOOR STAGES & 17 VENUES
FLAGPOLE MUSIC AWARDS
JUNE 23,2010 FlAGPOLE.COM 19