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New reviews of local albums are posted regularly on flagpole.com. Here are three releases to check out this month.
Cult of Riggonia: Nematode Rodriguez Presents...
Independent Release
Like Animal Collective if that band had journeyed off some psychoac
tive deep end instead of delving into fest-friendly poptronica, Athens-
via-Macon ensemble Cult of Riggonia offers strange, tribalist-inflected
anti-pop, infused with guttural vocal ramblings and vaguely, confusingly
ethno-appropriative symbolism. The Cult, best known for its off-the-wall
live shows, is as much an experience???or, erm, a cult???as it is a band.
In the past, the group's music hasn't translated as well on wax (or
Bandcamp, or y'know, whatever). Its early releases, which date all the way
back to 2008, were basically unintelligible, the pseudo-psychotic ramblings
of a bunch of stoned 20-somethings. The first signs of real cohesion came
with last year's Riggonia Cassette series, a terrific two-part tape trip that
incorporated VHS samples and creaky electronics, putting forth a night
marish vision of retro-futurist cultural chaos.
Enter the newly released Nematode Rodriguez Presents... EP, by far the
Cult's most pop-friendly outing to date. Of course, that's not to say it's at
all pop-friendly: Experimentation is still, unquestionably, the name of the
game. Still, with its booming, blown-out rhythms and hum-along melodies,
the EP represents the first time the group's majestic live presence has been
capably captured on record. "Dwell Neo Dwell" features the downright catchiest melody the band has put to tape, and though
tunes like "Speegin Crancheevs" try their damnedest to obfuscate, their congenial cores invariably peek through, like sunshine
through the fog. [Gabe Vodicka]
Timmy Tumble and the Tumblers: Head Honey EP
Gypsy Farm
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Tim Schreiber's singing voice is a thing of majesty and wonder, a
strident but weirdly soothing squeal???Ted Leo on muscle relaxants.
Schreiber???who fronted the throwback-rock combo Col. Knowledge & the
Lickity-Splits before adopting his current moniker???is a truly magnetic, if
slightly unhinged, frontman, as anyone who has caught a Tumblers show
can attest. (Let's just say Timmy Tumble is more than a clever name.)
With Col. Knowledge, Schreiber faithfully explored the heartfelt boogie-
stomp of'60s rock and soul, doing so with an obvious reverence for his
source material. His work with the Tumblers, a group he formed in 2011, is
similarly indebted???check the Beach Boyish bells and whistles that close
out the Head Honey EP's title track???but also more willing to depart from
the format when needed.
This looseness leads to many memorable moments, like on opener
"Wave Of Her Own," where Schreiber tones down the possessed-frontman
schtick and lets his band, a well-honed all-star cast featuring members of
The HUMMS and All City Cannonballers, do its muscly, fuzzed-out thing.
"Jill," the middle track on the EP???which is available in physical form
on 7-inch vinyl???will be perhaps the most familiar-sounding tune here
to folks aware of Schreiber's musical history, but even it ventures into surprising territory, a wicked, Cheap Trick-ian guitar solo
courtesy of J.S. Dillard tearing through its midsection. Really, the only downside to Head Honey is that it's over so quickly; here's
hoping that a full-length follows before long. [Gabe Vodicka]
Timmy Tumble and the Tumblers play the 40 Watt Club as part of a Gypsy Farm showcase on Friday, Dec. 13.
WereWyatt: F[_]ck Depression
Athens Horse Party
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The new solo effort from Werewolves' Wyatt Strother is caught
in an odd limbo, making a show of modesty that obscures its
grander ambitions. Banjo and toy synths lead the charge, a tinny
pocket symphony. Each song is an attempt to make a saga out
of everyday life, where a 60-hour work week brings both extra
cash and profound sadness, and the horrors of U.S. foreign policy
intrude upon friends drinking 40s in the kitchen.
It can get heavy-handed at times, as when Strother rails
against gated communities, singing, "Teach me to give into the
hubris/ To follow the greed in my heart with conviction" (on "Bad
Examples"). But sanctimoniousness aside, Strother's songwriting is
solid. Though "Demon From the Past" loses points for goofy men
tions of slide projectors and designated drivers, the song succeeds in maintaining its melancholy conceit throughout. The wistful
"Drainage Pond" imbues teenage ennui with noble feeling and boasts a defiant line worthy of The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle:
"You'll all be pictures in a yearbook before I'm done."
The record's foundations are firm; it's just a shame that the production is sometimes scattered and that the lyrics sometimes
overstep. It's disappointing when a melody reaches for a peak that the motley instrumentation can't quite attain, or when
Strother moans about the Internet and his phone. But then there are moments, like the thrilling climax of the three-song "You
Are..." suite, or the lyrical inventiveness Strother displays in singing of "some obscure benzo... ordered off of the Silk Road."
F[_]ck Depression catches Strother in between things, but there's pleasure to be found mid-stride. [Marshall Yarbrough]
Werewolves play the downtown Transmetropolitan on Friday, Dec. 13.
SPIRITUAL & PSYCHEDELIC ARTISTS
Alex Grey AND Allyson GreyJ
Trapeze, Fire Performers and Live Music featuring: DISCUSSION
Desert Dwellers, Mihkal, Ployd, MEET & GREET
Modern Measure, Gravity A., Mesca BOOK SIGNING
$20 advance LIVE PAINTING
NYE Show
Gro-Conscious
(A collaborative ensemble/orchestra featuring
members of DubConscious and Grogus)
Jubee and the Morning After
Squisch
Robbie Dude & Andy Bruh
$10 advance
fiTiIipfilTIiH
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PRIVATE PARTIES & EVENTS
Call 706.543.8283 for info
info@newearthmusichall.com
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Saturday, Dec. 14 9am-5pm
Sunday, Dec. 15 noon-5pm
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DECEMBER 11, 2013-FLAGP0LE.COM 11