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...While You Still Can
Y ou can never do yourself a bigger favor
than refusing to take life too seriously.
Cosmic practical jokes will keep com
ing your way at a fairly regular clip,
and your best defense is probably a
graceful gratitude. Adam Jones, drummer/key
boardist of Austin, TX art-pop duo YellowFever
(one word, thankyouverymuch), exhibits such
a disposition. Calmly speaking to Flagpole
while his young son runs amok around a park
playground, Jones fields our questions about
the many, varied and undeserved eggings his
band received in the past year.
For starters, there was the arrest. "We
do our own cooking on tour," Jones begins
laconically, "and it was the beginning of our
summer tour, and we were going to Houston
to play a show and then fly to New York to
play the Seaport Music Festival... (Guitarist/
vocalist Jennifer Moore] had brought a cook
ing knife in her backpack, and when we were
going through security they arrested her."
Moore and Jones, who resemble one another
so much they almost seem related, are at least
strong evidence that the TSA is not wont to
profile. That is to say, they look completely
harmless. "She was in jail for 24 hours in
Houston, and then they released her, and then
she had to go back for a hearing, and then
they kinda let it go. They eventually dropped
the charges in, like, September or something.
So, that's over, which is good. But we missed
a lot of shows because of that happening and
lost a lot of money. We missed our Athens
show, actually."
Following that headache, the band was
promptly handed a second one: it seems a
name change will soon be in order. "It's pretty
definite. We don't want to; we keep avoid
ing it, even though we shouldn't. This guy
that owns the copyright to the name who has
a clothing company and a band that plays
maybe every two years or something, his law
yer contacted us this last summer saying we
needed to change."
As YellowFever (our YellowFever, not this
other YellowFever) keep pretty busy, the band
has had a hard time finding the right oppor
tunity to make the switch. While blogging
for NPR, former Sleater-Kinney member Carrie
Brownstein (most recently seen co-starring
in the laughing-at/laughing-with-hipsters
comedy show "Portlandia") received a copy
of YellowFever's wonderful eponymous debut.
She tapped the duo to come on tour with her
new supergroup, Wild Flag, which features
ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss and
onetime Helium frontwoman Mary Timony.
"It would've been good to change it before
that, but they've already started making fliers
and stuff. We've been kicking around names
but haven't really found anything. Maybe we're
in denial. I'm not really sure, but it seems like
it's going to have to happen at this point."
All of these mounting pains in the ass
would probably crush a band of lesser com
posure, but cool confidence seems to be the
basic cell structure of YellowFever. The duo's
concise, unhurried songs are delivered with
a deadpan sort of sweetness by Moore and
bolstered by exceptionally dexterous keys/
drum double-duty work courtesy of Jones.
With any and all superfluous dressing stripped
away (and nary a shade of reverb or delay
effects), their bone-dry compositions are all
straight-shooting rhythms and malaria-catchy
(sorry, how could I not?) hooks. The focus
and thoughtfulness required to render songs
so perfectly minimal and neatly concentrated
would seem hard to come by for a band
fraught with so many time-consuming distrac
tions. Jones chalks their success up to the
quality of the collaboration.
"It's great," he says. "I love making music
with Jennifer. It's been the best band situa
tion I've ever been in. Things keep looking up;
things keep progressing musically, and we're
able to do more things. We get to travel more.
So, yeah, I'm happy. Things seem good."
Jeff Tobias
WHO; YellowFever, Tunabunny,
Titans of Filth, Cara Beth Sataiino
WHERE: Farm 255
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 27
HOW MUCH: FREE!
V J
PKraddy
(formerly of Glitch Mob)
with
Archnemesis and
Love and Light
Orgone
with Jazzchronic
f Spicy Salsa
Dance Lessons
and Party
Dank Sinatra
rithJahman Brahman
The Ultimate Michael Jackson
Tribute
^ HAPPY HOUR: ^
$2 WELLS and DOMESTICS
V,. 9-11 pm
Packway
Handle Band
£8l)§r3t^3t|ORSt8the2011
athens business
y
ThE McCnmmUMiSTE" - FLHEPDLE MflEflZiNE
2nd Place: Volo Trading - The One-Hitters”
3rd Place: Bel-Jean Copy/Print - “80# Cougar''
■ €gnmm
Round 1
Judges Winner:
Caledonia - “Chapped lips'*
Fundraising Winner:
Flagpole Magazine -
"The McCommunlsts'
Crowd Favorite:
SunsftftjiBicycles- -
. "Gears ftr Fears"
Round 2
Judges Winner:
Partner Software-
“Boy George Clinton"
Fundraising Winner:
Bel-Jean Cepy/Print-
“80# Cougar
Crowd Favorite: Tito Red Zone -
“What Up DawgP"
Round 3
Judges winner:
Tlte 40 Wan Club- “40 Cenr
Fundraising winner:
Voto Trading -
“The One-Hitters“
Crowd Favorite:
State Botanical Garden -
“Botiam"
Special Thank* A very special thanks :a everyone 43 Wan Club. Terrapin Brewery. Plexus Wob Creations.
Nncfs Space staff and veHuiteers, athens Art a Frame and oar Mister of Ceremonies Jeff Briggs.
Judges: Parker Bispert (The Whigs). Lisa love (BA Music Magazine!. Julian Oorto (The Whigs!.
Bevrltt Burton (ILLMJ. David Barfie (BBA Music Business Pregram!, nettle Alexander (Of Montreal!.
Davey Wrathgahar (The Vlsitatlcnsl Daniel Peiken [Athens Music Super Fan).
Brad Morgan (Drtve-By Truckers) and Patterson Hood (Drtve-3y Truckers!.
Participating bands: Sunshine Cycles • Wlsevest / White Systems / Classic Installations / AutoMax
Caledonia lounge • Flagpole Magazine • The Red Zone • Musician s Warehouse • Partner Software
Hot Breath 6lass Studio /1 Marie Adams Inc. / Ware Tutoring • DaO HeaUng a Ur Conditioning
Thrasher Photography a Design • Hendershors Coffee / Jittery loo's Tasting Room
Baxendaie Guitar • Bel-lean Copy a Print Center • Transmetropolitan • Fpttng Events • Mama's Boy
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia • 40 Watt • TSAV • Peach Mac • Volo Trading, Inc. • Noel's Space
Nupi’s Space would like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who made our
inaugural Athens Business Rocks fundraiser a huge success.
You may want to start thinking about how YOUR business will attempt to dethrone our 2011 winner.
Flagpole Magazine, in 2012. Best of luck and start practicing-
FEBRUARY 23, 2011 • FLAGP0LE.COM 17