Blog posts by Dan Mistich
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Behind the Scene: Paul McHugh
Blog: Homedrone
Welcome to Behind the Scene, a biweekly series where Flagpole and Dirtty Toe Productions profile the people who work offstage to make Athens music matter.
Photo Credit: Mike White
WHO HE IS: Paul McHugh
WHAT HE DOES: Guitar technician for Drive-By Truckers
Video and Q&A after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: Pujol, No Regrets Coyote, Diarrhea Planet
Blog: Homedrone
The Parish Underground on Friday night was presenting a showcase from Nashville venueExit/In, made up bands stationed out of that city. Although that city may bring to mind country stars, the bands on the bill proved they could bring the rock just as well.
No Regrets Coyote kicked off the showcase. I caught word that Evan Donohue from Diarrhea Planet was filling in for an absent guitarist, but I couldn't tell. The band played loud and fast for a 30-minute set and seemed to impress the rest of the Diarrhea Planet guys that were hanging out in the crowd and swilling beer. There's a little early-Green Day cheekiness to the band, singing songs about the singer's hair while chugging along to straightforward rhythms held down by punchy bass riffs. It isn't as structured as the veteran punks' work, and the leads provided by Donohue gave it a character that you wouldn't find on the radio.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: Wye Oak, Bob Mould
Blog: Homedrone
Wye Oak
After my breakfast comprised of a Philly cheesesteak and chocolate custard (not as bad as it sounds, I promise), I decided to hit the convention center to see if there would be anything there worth checking out. I stumbled into The Hold Steady rocking out for the second time this week, which was a nice surprise. Thankfully for me, the band's set wasn't a repeat performance. The band crushed a few new tracks from the forthcoming Teeth Dreams and offered a very crisp rendition of "Weekenders" from their last album, Heaven is Whenever. Very nice work. Since the show was a live broadcast for KUT, the ballroom that the band played in was a little stiff, with most of the crowd either seated or laying down to nurse their hangovers from the night before. The Hold Steady have a ton of songs about partying, so it was fitting that Craig Finn took a lot of enjoyment out of seeing some folks pounding beers in the front row in the early hours of the afternoon.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: Hamell on Trial, Kurt Vile
Blog: Homedrone
Kurt Vile
After hitting the New West day party, I needed something to see. I made the trek back to the nuttiness on 6th Street and checked my phone. A friend in West Virginia had posted something on Facebook about Hamell on Trial, and since I was near the Velveeta Room, I ducked into into the New West showcase to see what that was all about.
The room was packed. Hamell busted through a 40-minute set of hilarious and insightful tunes that sounded a lot like a raunchier, more punk version of what Todd Snider does. "Ain't That Love" was a beautiful but heartbreaking song that may have been the outlier in the set, as it contained no politically motivated railings. Seriously impressive stuff, though. The dirty jokes told between songs did a good job to offset the gravity of the lyrical content, which was often as punk as anything I've heard in a decade.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: New West Records Day Party
Blog: Homedrone
The Whigs
Let me start out by saying that I'm OK, too. You do not understand how important you are to your friends and family until you are in the vicinity of a tragedy and folks begin texting or calling to make sure that you're safe. It truly means a lot. And while everyone in Austin is doing their best to have fun in spite of last night's tragedy, it is obvious that we are in the wake of something awful.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: The Hold Steady, ShredFest
Blog: Homedrone
The Hold Steady
[Editor's note: So far as we know, all Athenians in Austin are accounted for and well after the horrific late-night incident outside the Mohawk that left two dead and more than 20 injured. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected.]
My sense of time is all messed up. Added to that, I have only visited Austin during SXSW, so most of my mornings are spent wandering around aimlessly so that I can get my bearings when it comes time to catch a band.
I wanted to see Against Me! at 5 p.m., but that didn't pan out. I was directed to about three different entrances before I found the right one. I could hear Laura Jane Grace and company rocking the Hype Hotel from outside, but I had no patience. I stood near the doorway to confirm my belief that the band was as tight as ever and hit the pavement.
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SXSW in Review: The Autumn Defense
Blog: Homedrone
I am so full of tacos and Lone Star right now. Let me clarify that that statement is in no way a problem. It's just that everything I have ingested since I arrived to town has either been wrapped in a tortilla or had a single gold star on the can. Just stating the facts.
In any case, after I spent a solid hour after the Neil Young presentation telling complete strangers how awesome Pono is going to be. Where's my check, Neil? Truth be told, I would strongly consider knuckle tats that read PONO ARMY if I could hang out with Neil for a day.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: Neil Young Launches Pono Music
Blog: Homedrone
Photo Credit: John Carrico
The normal business hours at SXSW are well, sort of for business. And while I usually find all things related to venture capitalism repulsive, Neil Young was on the program. Neil has always been pro-music, so my guess was this his talk was going to be more about music than business.
I was right. I might've shown up 10 minutes late, but Neil was already in the middle of his presentation about Pono, the new music player that he is helping to promote.
More after the jump.
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SXSW in Review: Diarrhea Planet at Hotel Vegas
Blog: Homedrone
Austin is a 15-hour drive from Athens, and let’s be honest: that's a two-day trip by car. After a stop for the night in the shadiest Red Roof Inn I have ever seen in Monroe, LA, my girlfriend and I hit the last stretch of road before Texas. After having a robot whip us up a milkshake north of Tyler, TX, we were confident that we wouldn’t need to stop any more before hitting the city.
But we weren’t so lucky. Somewhere just north of Athens, TX (ha), I was pulled over by a Texas Highway Patrol Officer for speeding. It was a 75 MPH zone. My 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E can’t even go 80 MPH. When I explained to the officer that my insurance information was on my smartphone, I was asked to step out of the car. This is horseshit, I thought. There’s no way I was speeding—this guy thinks that I’m running drugs.
More after the jump.
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Behind the Scene: Kayla Schmandt
Blog: Homedrone
Welcome to Behind the Scene, a biweekly series where Flagpole and Dirtty Toe Productions profile the people who work offstage to make Athens music matter.
WHO SHE IS: Kayla Schmandt
WHAT SHE DOES: Head retail coordinator for new release promotion at Colortest
Video and Q&A after the jump.
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Live Review: Peter Buck and Alejandro Escovedo at Georgia Theatre, Friday, Feb. 28
Blog: Homedrone
The posters promoting the Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck tour read, “One Night. Two Legends.” That might have been the case at other points during the legendary musicians' current tour, but for the Athens stop, there were more than a few legends on stage.
Perhaps the surprises were spoiled a bit for me. As I wandered through the back of the Georgia Theatre looking for soundman Colm O’Reilly (who will be featured in a future installment of Behind the Scene), I walked by Buck and Escovedo’s dressing room to find them hanging out with Drivin' N' Cryin's Kevn Kinney, Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood and R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry.
More after the jump.
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Q&A with Robert Ellis
Blog: Homedrone
Photo Credit: David Ayer
Nashville-based country-folk troubadour Robert Ellis plays Normaltown Hall Thursday as part of a tour behind the songwriter's terrific new album, Lights From the Chemical Plant, out now on New West Records. Flagpole caught up with Ellis for a quick but candid chat.
Read the interview and win tickets or a vinyl copy of Ellis' new album after the jump.
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Behind the Scene: Troy Aubrey
Blog: Homedrone
Welcome to Behind the Scene, a biweekly series where Flagpole and Dirtty Toe Productions profile the people who work offstage to make Athens music matter.
WHO HE IS: Troy Aubrey
WHAT HE DOES: President of Foundry Entertainment, talent buyer at the Melting Point
Dig in after the jump.
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Behind the Scene: Cartter Fontaine
Blog: Homedrone
Welcome to Behind the Scene, a biweekly series where Flagpole and Dirtty Toe Productions profile the people who work offstage to make Athens music matter.
Cartter Fontaine
[Editor's note: Yesterday, we previewed our new web series. Today, we're kicking things off by profiling one of the folks who will be assisting us in our new endeavor.]
Who he is: Cartter Fontaine
What he does: President of Dirtty Toe Productions
Video and more after the jump.
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Interview with Joe Pug, Playing Melting Point Thursday
Blog: Homedrone
Chicago-based songwriter Joe Pug returns to town to play the Melting Point tonight. Flagpole recently caught up with the folkie for a quick chat.
Flagpole: In the early part of your career, you sent CDs by mail to anyone that requested them. Do you think you’re reaping the benefits from that now or is it hard to measure?
Joe Pug: Well, I think both. That’s how we got our foot in the door. That’s how we got our original kernel of an audience. But, how much that has had an effect down the years? That’s impossible to measure. You just have to throw a bunch of shit at the wall and hope that something sticks.
More after the jump.
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Live Review: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at 40 Watt Club, Saturday, Jan. 25
Blog: Homedrone
Band residencies at the 40 Watt have become a perennial thing to keep concertgoers busy during the winter months. In addition to the upcoming three-night stand by the Drive-By Truckers, the now-annual Camp-In has given Athens transplant David Lowery the chance to curate a weekend for his own bands and to showcase a few others included in that sonic orbit.
It’d be hard to say that Camper Van Beethoven has had anything resembling a smash hit in its 30 years of writing and performing live, but the band's songs still have the cultural resonance to make devoted fans groove around the floor like teenagers (I saw more than a few middle-aged fans raise their beers in approval during the hour-long set).
More after the jump.
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Live Review: Against Me! at 40 Watt Club, Tuesday, Jan. 21
Blog: Homedrone
Pardon me in advance for forgoing a lengthy discussion of Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace and her recent gender transition. That story has been told and re-told hundreds of times by now. Grace’s coming out is simultaneously relevant and yet irrelevant to how the band’s new record, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, will be received by the public.
More after the jump. -
Win Tickets: Q&A with Kevn Kinney, Playing The World Famous Tonight
Blog: Homedrone
Few musicians living outside of Athens have local ties that run as deep as Drivin' N Cryin' frontman Kevn Kinney. Flagpole pinned him down for a chat before his show this evening at the Melting Point The World Famous (ed. note: This show has been moved) with Chuck Mead and Angie Aparo.
We've got two pairs of tickets to this show to give away. To win, tell us why YOU deserve to go for free in the comments after the jump. We'll choose two winners at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
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Live Review: The Whigs, New Madrid, Velveteen Pink at Georgia Theatre
Blog: Homedrone
If you’re tired of making New Year’s resolutions that you can’t keep, let me offer an alternative: How about you resolve to listen to more of the bands that rang in the New Year at the Georgia Theatre Tuesday night?
Shortly after 9 p.m., New Madrid took the stage to a sizable crowd. Having won Artist of the Year at the 2013 Flagpole Athens Music Awards and garnering a recent Pitchfork mention, the band is poised to become Athens' next big thing. The group is in awfully good hands under the guidance of David Barbe, so I eagerly await the rest of its forthcoming album, Sunswimmer (due in February via Normaltown Records).
More after the jump.
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Live Review: New Madrid and What Moon Things at Caledonia Lounge, Saturday, Dec. 7
Blog: Homedrone
What Moon Things (photo via Facebook)
Hey, didn’t we say something about a '90s revival the other day? If you were at the Caledonia Lounge Saturday night, you found yourself right there in the thick of some good old guitar-rock (albeit with a few slight modifications).
After brief, yet solid, sets from Triathalon and Velocirapture, What Moon Things hit the stage with their cross-pollination of My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze-haze and Failure’s spaced-out rock. The three-piece New Paltz, NY-based outfit doesn’t yet have a proper record released (at least I can’t seem to find one), but mark my words: this band will be making waves in no time. It was a bit hard to hear the vocals over a sea of fuzzed-out guitar, but I seem to recall that there were quite a few songs about alcohol. (You’ve gotta know your audience, right?)
More after the jump.
Page 3 of 5, showing 20 records out of 82 total, starting on record 41, ending on 60
latest stories
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Homedrone | March 25, 2014 10:38am
Behind the Scene: Paul McHugh
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Homedrone | March 17, 2014 11:30am
SXSW in Review: Pujol, No Regrets Coyote, Diarrhea Planet
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Homedrone | March 15, 2014 12:16pm
SXSW in Review: Wye Oak, Bob Mould
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Homedrone | March 14, 2014 4:31pm
SXSW in Review: Hamell on Trial, Kurt Vile
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Homedrone | March 14, 2014 10:32am
SXSW in Review: New West Records Day Party
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Homedrone | March 13, 2014 11:43am
SXSW in Review: The Hold Steady, ShredFest
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Homedrone | March 12, 2014 11:36am
SXSW in Review: The Autumn Defense
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Homedrone | March 12, 2014 10:37am
SXSW in Review: Neil Young Launches Pono Music
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Homedrone | March 11, 2014 4:40pm
SXSW in Review: Diarrhea Planet at Hotel Vegas
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Homedrone | March 11, 2014 11:22am
Behind the Scene: Kayla Schmandt
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Homedrone | March 3, 2014 11:15am
Live Review: Peter Buck and Alejandro Escovedo at Georgia Theatre, Friday, Feb. 28
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Homedrone | February 25, 2014 11:51am
Q&A with Robert Ellis
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Homedrone | February 25, 2014 10:18am
Behind the Scene: Troy Aubrey
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Homedrone | February 11, 2014 10:26am
Behind the Scene: Cartter Fontaine
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Homedrone | February 6, 2014 2:33pm
Interview with Joe Pug, Playing Melting Point Thursday
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Homedrone | January 27, 2014 1:22pm
Live Review: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at 40 Watt Club, Saturday, Jan. 25
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Homedrone | January 22, 2014 3:15pm
Live Review: Against Me! at 40 Watt Club, Tuesday, Jan. 21
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Homedrone | January 9, 2014 12:20pm
Win Tickets: Q&A with Kevn Kinney, Playing The World Famous Tonight
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Homedrone | January 2, 2014 10:13am
Live Review: The Whigs, New Madrid, Velveteen Pink at Georgia Theatre
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Homedrone | December 9, 2013 11:12am
Live Review: New Madrid and What Moon Things at Caledonia Lounge, Saturday, Dec. 7