Newspaper Page Text
MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
Snotty Naughty: In the spirit of starting
off the new year with a bit of news on the
filthiest-named band in town, let me go
ahead and tell you that monster rock out
fit Motherfucker is deep into work on its
debut EP, Tae Kwon Do. The first track, "Snot
Rocket," has been released already, and it's
powerfully tuneful and mesmerizing in the way
that made everyone in the 1990s want to turn
the bass way way up. For the uninitiated, do
yourself a favor: Head to motherfuckermother-
fucker.bandcamp.com and get some on you.
The band's next show is Friday, Jan. 31 at the
Caledonia Lounge with Faster Circuits and
Hot Fudge, so be prepared. Keep up with the
trio via facebook.com/mfrocksyourfaceoff.
Minutes and Parts: Folks gathered at the 40
Watt Club Saturday, Jan. 4 to remember our
old friend Craig Lieske and to witness the
first show in a year from Garbage Island, of
which Lieske was a founding member. The
night also saw performances by Terrarium
(Circulatory System playing improvisation-
ally), The 19th Brood and several collabora
tive sets from other Athens musicians. This
was the week Lieske, who passed away Jan.
18, 2013, would have turned 49 years old.
Longtime co-conspirator Jeremiah Cymerman
also dedicated the final podcast of 2013 on
his 5049 Records website to Lieske. For the
episode, Cymerman interviewed several of the
late musician's friends, including Mitchell
King, Jeff Rieter, Jim Wilson, Chris Herron
and Tony Evans, who each shared stories
and memories. I'll warn you now: This is a
very emotional listen. It took me two passes
to get all the way through it. You can find
it at 5049records.com/craig-lieske. While
you're there, check out the rest of the site.
Cymerman spent many years playing in Athens,
and what he has created with his New York-
based label is pretty damn cool.
Stay Quiet Awhile: A shockingly beautiful and
humbling???a term I never use casually???song
crossed my path a little over a week ago. It's
the new track by Check the Signs, "Keep the
Angle Wide." It's a plaintive plea for keeping
one's eyes and spirit open to life's changes
that runs just over eight minutes long???but
it's solidly the best eight minutes of music
you will hear this week. Take the time, and let
it give you pause. If it doesn't, then I'll just
assume you're unpauseable. At its core, Check
the Signs consists of the entire Towe family
(Scott, Mindy, Mason and Lauren), and "Keep
the Angle Wide" features a supergroup-level
cast of veteran Athens musicians, including
Kemp Jones, Brent Cash, Mark Maxwell,
Janis Maxwell, Michael Wegener, Andrew
Liles and Dan Wall. Other players appearing
are Bryan Agan, Trent Johnson, Lewis Jones,
Eunice Kang, Jeff and Laurene Kershner,
Erin McCollum, Frank Jones and Frank
Smith. The track is dedicated to the memory
of Herb Guthrie, and it's the first single from
the group's upcoming album, Along the Way.
You can find a video for the song, directed by
Mason Towe, at facebook.com/CheckTheSigns.
Beat on the Traps: You'll be edified to know
that the weird world of Unus Mundus (liter
ally "one world") is still shuffling along its
crazy orbit. The group, spearheaded by long
time Athens noisemaker Steve Fitzpatrick,
includes Athenians Rob Fluhr, Cary White and
Leslie Grove. The band's latest release, Type
V Civilization, came out this past November.
All things considered, it's
probably the most easily
accessible of the group's
many recordings, in that
it's got some totally
recognizable pop tropes
mixed in with its Shaggs-
ian sense of rhythm. Find
it at unus-mundus.band
camp.com.
Picture Book: God bless
old Athens band The
Violets. Time was that
the rabble-rousers cre
ated totally rockin' punk-
influenced tunes, released
7-inch singles and played
all around the Southeast.
Lodged in Athens' perma-
memory for their "hit"
song "I Hate the Grateful
Dead" (and its hook lyric,
"I'll be grateful when
they're dead," which was
much funnier before Jerry Garcia actually,
you know, died), The Violets have established
an online presence worthy of the time of
any Athens music enthusiast. If you head to
facebook.com/TheViolets, you'll find a whole
bunch of old flyers, videos of Athens bands
like A Few Kids With Bicycles and Bar-B-Q
Killers (mostly audio with static images) and
a handful of cool old photos from our music
scene. Thanks, dudes!
A Bummeroo: Thumbs-up to Athens grindcore
homeboys Gripe for snatching a coveted NPR
Music First Listen feature out of the hands
of struggling worldbeat artists everywhere.
The band's new (and, reportedly, final) album,
In His Image, was featured on the National
Public Radio website last week along with
a nice piece written by former Athenian,
extreme music aficionado and NPR staffer Lars
Gotrich. Our trusty music editor Gabe Vodicka
explained the whole NPR/Athens connection
last week on our esteemed Homedrone blog,
but I wanted to mention it again for those
who missed it. Go stream In His Image and
plug your ears up right good via hygiene
records.bandcamp.com.
Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com
2 nd Anmi a I
CHESS ^COMMUNITY
CONFERENCE
Youth Chess Tournament/Conference
Mahler Hall / Georgia Center
f i 197 South Lumpkin $t.
Athens, Georgia 30602
Free to the public
Saturday
January is, 2014
Duors upun (a 10?30 3*tll??
Clarke County School District Superintendent
Dr. Philip Lanoue
R.E.A.C.H. ATHENS
SCHOLARSHIP
(Education Reform)
Guest Lecturers
Dr. Deryl Bailey
Tierra Destiny Reid
Local Art Display
Youth Chess Tournament
www.chessandcommunity.org
JANUARY 15, 2014 ??? FLAGPOLE.COM 15