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EEI> threats & promises
Henry Owings Releases Plus 1 Athens
PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com
STAY TUNED: Classic Athens band Ravenstone returned
with a new album not terribly long ago named Dirty, Dusty
and Divine. This is the band’s first full-length album since
2005’s Back On The Rock, but the
new album does indeed contain a
drum-driven remix of “Oilman” and
a live version of “Dance of Life,”
which was recorded back at The
Ritz around the time of Back on The
Rock’s release. Ravenstone has long
been known for the influence early
1970s Detroit-style rock had on
its sound. Now, approximately 50
years since forming, the band turns
toward a classic Detroit sound, but
this time leans more in the direction
of that city’s R&B and soul. This
is exemplified immediately on the
studio version of “Dance Of Life,”
which starts the album off. From
here, Ravenstone swings into the
funky ‘80s street vibe of “Natural Born Slaves” and then
the joyously swinging soul of “More Love.” The band’s more
heavily rocking side is visited on “Finger Puppets” and, as a
nice set of differentiators, the band slows down to acoustic
speed on “Gandhi’s Glasses” and “Don’t Pour Water.” Check
this out on all major streaming services, and stay in touch
with Ravenstone via facebook.com/RavenstoneBand and
ravenstoneband.com.
SPACE COWBOY SONGS: HHBTM Records will re release Love
Tractor’s 1988 album Themes From Venus Nov. 19. This
was the band’s fourth LP and, similarly to 1986’s This Ain’t
No Outerspace Ship, the album was one on which the band
stretched its sound out way beyond the Southern-spun
instrumentalism of its first two releases. Also similarly,
this was one that ushered in new fans while losing some
old ones. This will be available as a digital download as well
as on compact disc and vinyl. Please see lovetractor.band-
camp.com for ordering instructions and listening pleasure.
VISUAL AIDS: Chunklet magazine publisher, graphic designer
and all-around music addict Henry Owings spent the
past handful of months soliciting collections of Athens
show flyers, handbills, posters, etc. from fans, collectors
and others and assembling the images into a huge book
that is now published. It’s titled Plus 1 Athens: Show Flyers
From A Legendary Scene 1967-2002.
The book also features a foreword
by Dave Schools (Widespread
Panic) and afterword by Patterson
Hood (Drive-By Truckers), as well
as essays by Michael Lachowski
and Vanessa Hay (each of Pylon)
and Arthur Johnson (Bar-B-Q
Killers). Owings himself wrote the
introduction. This is limited to
500 hand-numbered copies and is
priced at $49.99. You can purchase it
online at chunklet.bandcamp.com/
merch/plus-l-book. In other news,
there’s a release party (hell, event!)
for the book Saturday, Nov. 13 at
129 Wolfskin Road in Arnoldsville
(aka Curtin Crowe of Pylon’s house,
which is apparently named Wolfskin). It’s free and kicks
off at 3 p.m, runs until it’s over, and featured bands so far
include Elf Power, Magnapop, Atlanta band Vangas and, as
Henry told me, “many more TBA.”
DOUBLE GRAMMY WHAMMY: The UGA Performing Arts Center
is now in the midst of its season and has a pair of Grammy
winners on deck for Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Hugh
Hodgson Hall. The center will host South Carolina’s Ranky
Tanky which “mixes Gullah culture and Lowcountry tra
ditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk and R8cB.”
Special guest Don Flemons (Carolina Chocolate Drops) is
known for his virtuosity across multiple instruments and
his mastery of early American music. Tickets range from
$35-$55 and can be purchased at ugapac.evenue.net.
SING OUT!: Songstress Marty Winkler has plans in place to
do a soft release to a limited audience of her full-length
album Songs I Never Sang for My Father. The date for this
is Dec. 5, but there are rough plans for a larger release cel
ebration next February. Largely known as a jazz and pop
vocalist, Winkler’s styles are varied but across all of them
she excels in delivering her signature helping of grit and
elegance. For more information on all this news, please see
martywinklermusicacting.com.
FANCY: Atlanta band Lynx Deluxe released its long-in-the-
can EP debut Jungleland officially last week and is also
the first act signed to the newly formed Drivin N Cryin
Records. The band has worked publicity for this release for
months and gained some traction in this area. Musically
speaking, Lynx Deluxe can be difficult to compartmentalize
and grab ahold of. Personally, I’ve sat with this for months
and have yet to craft a fully formed opinion on it. It’s a
drum-heavy record that features tastes of R8cB, surf and
regular rock and roll. You’re just gonna have to try this one
on for size. If you’d rather hear these songs performed live,
then head over to Southern Brewing Co. Friday, Nov. 19
when the band opens for Drivin N Cryin. Find more infor
mation at lynxdeluxe.com and facebook.com/lynx.deluxe. ©
BlackNerdNinja: Chills & Thrills (Indieboxkart Media) At the close, or perhaps
the height, of spooky season, BlackNerdNinja released the nine-track hip-hop
album Chills & Thrills on all platforms. "Fright Night" opens the album with a driv
ing beat heavy on the keys and thick vocal distortion weaving together imagery of
cinematic and real horror. Beat selection is key in hip hop, and it certainly stands
out here. Classic head-nod vibes carry through the tracks, with sinister and gritty
details that bring out the "chills” mentioned in the title. It comes as no surprise,
given the album’s theme and the artist’s known love of the horror genre, that the
music video for the closing track, "The Shape,” is done in the style of a slasher
film. Shot by Brasher Media, it comes complete with an enraged serial killer,
played by Nino Brown, who features on the album, although not on this track. BYVTrubb, plark pounty, YSK GIocc
and MARS also round out the album with mixed energy. "The Fall” delivers the slowest tempo highlighted and punc
tuated by the only feminine voice, while “Saved” hits you hard, makes you wrinkle your nose, then leaves just as fast
as it comes in. [Sam Lipkin]
Henry Owings
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14 FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 10, 2021