Newspaper Page Text
Flagnnle Rucnmmenn
our SCO ra vorite hthfbst Banns
we have any AthFest advice to give you it's this:
check out a band you've never seen before. Pick
one at random. Pick one based on its name. Go see
a band because the description in the program intrigues you/
confuses you/ enrages you. Whatever it takes. That's how some
of the best musical discoveries are made. But if you aren't
feeling bold, we'll still be here to hold your hand and make a
few suggestions. Here are some of our favorites, in order of
appearance...
Easter Island: Shimmering, melodic pop from one of our
Flagpole Athens Music Awards Upstart of the Year finalists. It's
delicate and lush and beautiful, and the songs just keep get
ting better with every show. [Michelle Gilzenrat] Pulaski Street
Stage, Friday, 5 p.m.
Oryx and Crake: A huge ensemble with a sound to match,
this neo-folk outfit out of Atlanta brings heartfelt emotion
and haunting presence to their craft. A flurry of strings from
banjo to cello provides a rustic backdrop for soaring gang vocal
swells that tug at the memories of anyone who has lived and
loved in the South. [David Fitzgerald] Hull Street Stage, Friday,
6 p.m.
2
r>
Lera Lynn: Get a preview of her set at the
Flagpole Athens Music Awards on Thursday, and ™
you'll soon understand why we nominated her £
as one of this town's finest country artists. |
Whether performing solo or with a full band,
Lynn's voice and stage presence are absolutely
riveting. Ooh, and let's all request her breath
taking cover of TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like
Me," which might be even better than the
original. [MG] Pulaski Street Stage, Friday, 6:30
p.m.
Centro-matic: They can be called an
"Athens band" only tangentially (frontman
Will Johnson has spent time here and has
included Athenians in his various musical
projects through the years), but Denton,
TX's Centro-matic are no stranger to AthFest,
having given some sweaty and superb perfor
mances in years past. Perpetually awesome and
tragically underrated, the group seemingly has
been reenergized by a new record, the crisp
Candidate Waltz. [Gabe Vodicka] Pulaski Street Stage, Friday,
7:45 p.m.
a few great songs about stars... "Lucky Stars," which you
can hear on this year's AthFest CD, and the beautiful "Stars
Go On," which the band played in tribute to Jon Guthrie at
its debut (and only previous) show. But the other tracks are
pretty stellar, too. I'm looking forward to hearing the Stooges/
Pretenders-inspired "Disposable," a song Kathy Kirbo says
is about "corporate greed and its long-term effects on the
environment"—something the local activist knows a lot about.
Kirbo says this project serves as sort of an experimental play
ing ground—a place to try out alternative tunings and go off
in new directions not explored in the members' other bands.
"They are all rock-based right now," she says of The Spinoffs'
tunes, "but span from surreal, artsy rock to Deadhead-esque to
power pop. Chris [McKay] said 'space pop,' and I think he's on
to something. I like spacepop." [MG] The Globe, Friday, 11 p.m.
Hans Darkbolt: A theatrical story line set this young concept
band apart. With every new song Hans Darkbolt adds to its
supervillain's mythology, and the operatic vocals and dynamic
rock arrangements ensure that the music is as entertaining as
the lyrics. The band also recently expanded its sound, adding
horns and more keyboard parts; so, if you haven't seen these
guys in a while, it's worth a revisit. [MG] Ricker Theatre & Bar,
Friday, 11 p.m.
equal time to experimental play and rowdy head-banging. [DF]
Farm 255, Friday, 1:15 a.m.
Monahan: What a voice! If you miss Jeff Buckley, if Jimmy
Gnecco of Ours melts your black heart, if Bono gives you a bro-
ner, don't miss Monahan's set. [MG] Hull Street Stage, Saturday,
3:30 p.m.
The Whiskey Gentry: Simply put: a rock and roll hootenanny.
Rock and bluegrass instrumentation combine with neo-tradi-
tional songwriting and rhythmic rapidity to bring the band's
sound close to folk-punk, but country predominantly underlies
The Whiskey Gentry's sound. Lead vocalist Lauren Staley's
Allison Krauss-meets-Dave King (Flogging Molly) delivery has
just enough twang and pipes-a-plenty, giving the edginess
of the music a nice dose of unbridled beauty. [KC] Hull Street
Stage, Saturday, 4:45 p.m.
Jim White: One of the more legitimately talented songwrit
ers in the over-saturated Southern Gothic folk scene, Jim
White rarely struts his stuff for an audience, so when he does,
it's well worth checking out. Many know White from his role
as narrator and star of the BBC documentary
"Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus"; his
grasp on the scary, joyous truths of the new
American South informs his life and his music,
which veers between ominous serenity and
noisy, Waits-ian clang. [GV] Pulaski Street
Stage, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Dip: Here's something to mull over: Do you
think Das Racist's dorm roommates at Wesleyan
heard "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"
and thought it was brilliant? No, they probably
told them it was stupid, and they were right.
Doesn't matter: it's infectious in its stupidity
and signaled the deeper cleverness which Das
Racist has since showcased. One might cau
tiously foster similarly high hopes for Dip, the
unrelentingly goofy booty "rap" group featur
ing Christopher Grimmett and Noah Ray. True,
they may just be capitalizing on the prolifera
tion of cheap/free/stolen music software, but
if "Skinny Dip"—the genuinely great leadoff
song on their latest album Double Dip—is any
indication, they at least have a good grasp of
dynamics and a sense of fun you can't fake. Come on, Dip...
don't let us down. [JT] Go Bar, Saturday, 9 p.m.
Futurebirds: It was almost surreal watching the crowd
response to our boys over at SXSW earlier this year. Set after
set, the venues were packed, and by the end of each night
everyone was singing along and singing their praises. These
boys are on their way up. Check out this show if you dig har
monies, heartfelt Americana and a rollicking good time. [MG]
Pulaski Street Stage, Friday, 9 p.m.
Green Thrift Grocery: What's the opposite of a secret
weapon? An obvious weapon? Green Thrift Grocery's obvi
ous weapon is lead singer/guitarist Chloe Tewksbury, who
has effortlessly dashed past all the miserable shoegazers in
your favorite bands to become the most exciting performer in
Athens music right now. Unchained from her usual gig behind
the drum kit for Tunabunny, Tewksbury's brazenly unpredict
able wildness makes you feel like punk never happening never
happened. The rest of the band churns out jangly, jarring noise
pop that buttresses her deeply "free* acoustic-electric guitar
playing. A truly sustainable source of local music, and they're
only a quick walk away! [Jeff Tobias] Go Bar, Friday, 9 p.m.
'Powers: Four guitars, one drum set, all shred, all the time.
Like watching a hurricane from within the eye, 'Powers is a
quadraphonic metal maelstrom that must be experienced to be
believed. [DF] 40 Watt Club, Friday, 10 p.m.
%
The Spinoffs: Oh, my stars. An all-star lineup featuring mem
bers of Heavy Feather, The HEAP and the Critical Darlings offers
Manray: This was Flagpole's favorite new band of 2010, and
they just keep getting better. Furiously aggressive with intri
cate guitar and relentless energy... It might get loud. [MG] 40
Watt Club, Friday, 11 p.m.
Spring Tigers: With incisive lyrics, immense energy and a
melodic sensibility that would have given Blur a run for its
money, the recently revitalized Spring Tigers are steadily
reclaiming their place at the upper echelons of Athens' music
scene. The band has been busy recording its debut full-length,
and recent gigs suggest the group is toning down the pop and
turning up the rock—not that they haven't always seemed to
have a predilection for rocking out, but fans of The Strokes.will
be happy to hear Spring Tigers continuing down a more angu
lar, gritty road. Plus, the British actent is pretty sexy. Note
new set time! [Kevin Craig] Caledonia Lounge, Friday, 1 a.m.
Cinemechanica: With perfect timing and stunning synchron-
icity, these guys power through technically complicated,
mind-bending math rock with a fury usually reserved for speed
metal. Indeed, for the duration of their set, AthFest will
unquestionably be transformed into MathFest. [DF] 40 Watt
Club, Friday, 1 a.m.
Mouser: This long-running project takes the straightahead
power of psychedelic garage rock and splices on an absolutely
legendary horn-section. Tripping between ska, jazz and maria-
chi-flavored melodies, Mouser delivers a musical wallop, giving
Reptar: We've gushed about this band so much it's almost
embarrassing. The shows are a blast; the debut EP sounds
great, and we just hope that when they are sitting on top of
Pop Mountain they remember that lil' ol' Flagpole loved them
first. [MG] 40 Watt Club, Saturday, 11:45 p.m.
Sea of Dogs: What makes Sea of Dogs great is the same thing
that makes life worth living: amid the grim realities, there's
hope to be found. Emily Armond's banjo-driven songs are an
unblinking look in the mirror for narrator and listener alike,
and her band has the good taste to play quietly enough to
give the lyrics plenty of elbow room. [JT] Flicker Theatre & Bar,
Saturday, midnight
Like Totally!: Although the dancing flower and his friends
were throwing back beers and prancing with cigarettes dan
gling from their mouths at their Farm 255 debut last week,
they promise to clean things up for the kid-friendly set at
KidsFest. All the best kids shows and movies throw in a few
winks and nudges for the parents to enjoy, and Like Totally!
offers that, too. If you have any love for whimsy, it's hard not
to smile watching this colorful cast of costumed merry-makers
sing songs about friendship and discovery. I've been told that
costumes might rotate, but there's a good chance you'll see a
singing scientist, a gee-tar pickin' farmer, a dancing octopus,
a bouncy Beanie Baby and a sax-playing banana. Lots of talent
up on one stage and even more cuteness. [MG] KidsFest Stage,
Sunday, 5:00 p.m.
14 FLAGPOLE.COM-JUNE 22,2011
