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INTRODUCING ATHENS’ NEWEST TALENT
WADE BOGGS
Punk/Indie/Rock
Lineup: Ian McCord, Johnny Watson, Max Talkovich, Derek
Wiggs, Shares members with: Hot New Mexicans, Carrie
Nations. Influences: Guided By Voices, Superchunk, Sebadoh.
After five years of lineup changes, name changes (adieu,
Armpit Farters, we barely knew ye) and woodshedding a lot
of material, Wade Boggs has received clearance for go-time.
The brainchild of Ian McCord, former singer/guitarist for Carrie
Nations and bassist for Hot New Mexicans, Wade Boggs is at
once deliriously hooky and structurally wonky, especially for
a punk band. Now that McCord has shored up a solid lineup-
drummer Johnny Watson, guitarist Max Talkovich and bassist
Derek Wiggs—he can properly showcase a set of songs that are
several cuts beyond typical three-chord fare. Fact is, the songs
are replete with twisting, unexpected turns and modulations
that only a committed core of musicians could do justice.
"I feel like this band, for me, has been around since 2006,"
says McCord. "It's just been a long line of losing someboay and
then restarting, but it's been cool because it's made the songs
so much better."
A forthcoming album recorded with McCord's bandmate in
Hot New Mexicans, Patrick Jennings, will be released in some
form sometime soon. (Jeff Tobias]
Next show: Check web
site for updates.
TATERZANDRAZANDRA
Ambient/Raucous
Lineup: McKenna
Mackie, Matt Tamisin, Wade
Gunter, Jon Crandall, Erin
Alan Scott Bailey. Shares
members with: Flash to
Bang Time, Polemic, Candy
Maldonado. Influences:
Sonic Youth. Unwound,
Blonde Redhead.
I got a very '90s vibe
from TaterZandraZandra
at the band's debut gig
at Caledonia Lounge.
Frontwoman McKenna
Mackie had a sort of
grunge goddess attitude—more Kim Gordon than Courtney
Love—all pink hair, funky striped stockings and guitar riffs.
The songs felt raw but tightly constructed, backed by solid,
driving rhythms and punctuated by howling guitar.
The band refers to its music as "moody, melodic and angular
post-post-punk" and takes pride in the diversity of the band-
members' influences. "It's like fish tank fodder, crying petunias
and bloody pillow fights taking over the world!" the group
enthuses on a recent press release.
Fans of Mackie's band Polemic will probably dig this col
laboration as well, although TaterZandraZandra doesn't seem to
be quite as aggressive... But this early in the band's career, it
feels like the sound could go any which way. Oh! And there's
saxophone! Sweet.
Check out the band's song "Demographic Disaster" online at
www.reverbnation.com/taterzandrazandra.
Next show: Friday, Oct. 14 @ Caledonia Lounge (PopFest)
SLAW & ORDER
BillyJoel/ReplacesJackWhiteln/TheWhiteStnpes
Lineup: AJ Griffin, Steve Hendriksen. Shares members
with: Laminated Cat, Poncho Magic, Vespolina, Olivia Tremor
Control. Influences: The Beatles, The White Stripes, Billy Joel,
inner bitterness.
"Slaw & Order was initially conceived as a one-off thing for
SlopFest—hence the jokey barbeque-themed moniker," explains
keyboardist AJ Griffin. "But we had too much fun and got
offered more shows, so we had no choice but to tread onward."
Despite the sloppy beginnings, the awesomely named Slaw
& Order is surprisingly tight and seriously good. I know, the
name says twangy punk, but the tunes are anything but. Slaw
& Order is sweet and soulful, with AJ crooning in a sort of
Lennon-esque tenor over jazzy keyboard riffs while Hendriksen
gently keeps the rhythm, sprinkling the tunes with tambourine.
It sounds, as the band aptly phrased in its, er, "three word"
description above: like Billy Joel stepping in for Jack White in
the White Stripes.
The pair also marks a new musical direction for Hendriksen,
who was previously accustomed to playing guitar. "When I
moved to Athens, I was instantly blown away by some of this
town's killer drummers," he says. "I made the switch partially
out of a desire to join the ranks of these Athens drummers, so
I definitely owe them for that."
Griffin meanwhile has been seen all over the local music
scene—including all the "shares members with" credits above.
Most recently, he trekked across the nation as a touring mem
ber of Olivia Tremor Control. And now that the OTC tour has
wound back home, we can expect a few more shows from this
delicious duo.
Search for "Slaw & Order" on Facebook to find their fan
page with more information.
Next show: Oct. 10 @ Caledonia Lounge
KATER MASS
Punk/Rock
Lineup: Tim Gill, Phil Lewin, Nick Gomez, Andrew Epstein.
Shares members with: Reeks of Failure. Influences:
Propagandhi, The Replacements, Jawbreaker, Fugazi, The
Broadways, Minor Threat.
A punk band of intel
lectuals, the members of
Kater Mass all attend grad
school at UGA for different
disciples (sociology, his
tory and math education).
As you can imagine, after
all that studying, you need
to blow off a little steam,
and these guys do it right.
It's loud, triumphant punk
rock with catchy hooks,
wailing solos and a classic,
anthemic feel.
The boys got together
for the first time in July of
this year, and their debut
show was in August. But
just three months into
their career, the guys in
Kater Mass are already making plans to record this month, with
hopes of releasing a 7-inch EP soon after.
You can find the band online at www.facebook.com/kater-
mass. There are no studio recordings up yet, of course, but you
can hear a few of their live jams on YouTube.
Next show: Tuesday, Oct. 4 @ Go Bar.
HELEN SCOn
Dark/Folk/Pop
Lineup: Emileigh Ireland, Lindsey Jane Haddad, Hannah
Weyandt, Dena Zilber, Jason Granfield. Shares members with:
Laminated Cat, Hug Abuse, El Hollin, Werewolves, Ye Olde Sub
Shoppe. Influences: The Zombies, Camera Obscura, Syd Barrett,
Velvet Underground.
First things first: Helen Scott is not an individual but rather
the name of a new ensemble which features playful instrumen
tation, including several ukuleles plus melodica, banjo, accor
dion, clarinet and something referred to as a "pseudo bass."
"I guess I would describe the music as folk-ish pop tunes
with a hint of psychedelic rock," says Haddad.
Haddad says she met Ireland in Athens in the spring of
2009, and by fall they were "entertaining themselves by mak
ing up songs on the spot with a guitar and a synth." Over
the next couple of years and "many bottles of scotch," the
beginnings of full songs emerged. Once mutual friend/drum
mer Weyandt joined in early 2011, Helen Scott became a full-
fledged band. The band's first live performance was at Flicker
preceding Ireland and Haddad's own art show. Zilber also
hopped on board to "add an extra element to a few songs."
The group is currently working on recording demos that will
hopefully become their debut album. They also promise to post
those tunes online at helenscott.bandcamp.com very soon.
Next show: Check website for updates.
Michelle Gilzenrat music@flagpole.com
MRHtefONKA
MOCCASINS
ourannual 4
Customer
Appreciation
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232
195 e Clayton st 706-543-8425 m-s 10-7 sun 12-6 k?
/A
A Benefit for AthFest Educational Programs
Half Marathon
...for Expo operations,
course directing,
race-day operations,
runner hospitality and
other projects.
To sign up for the Athens, GA Half Marathon October 22-23, 2011,
please visit the HandsOn Northeast Georgia website at
http://volunteer.truist.com/hng/volunteer/home
OtAF
Art Classes
& Workshops
NOW ENROLLING!
OCTOBER 5,2011 • FlAGPOLE.COM 13
