Authors | Flagpole Magazine | Athens, GA News, Music, Arts, Restaurants

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

UPDATED with Even More Bands: Flagpole's AthFest Showcase Announced

Blog: Homedrone

Dead Confederate

We've told you about a lot of the bands that will be playing AthFest. Now, we're proud to announce the lineup for Flagpole's official two-night showcase at the Georgia Theatre.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 7, 2013
Seasonal Playlist: Six Songs for Spring

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill

Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile: "Pure Pain"

While it starts with an aggressively strummed guitar and staccato drum stomp, this track soon melts into a dreamy sway and back again. The gentle lulls in this tune are my favorite soundtrack for breaks from the action of life this spring as I ponder how gorgeously lush Pulaski Street is these days (is it like this every spring?) or enjoy a dusky porch beer with friends. [Rachel Bailey]

By Gabe Vodicka | May 6, 2013
BRWA Benefit Postponed

Blog: Homedrone

The Broad River Watershed Association Benefit concert, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 5 at the Broad River Outpost, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Organizers plan to reschedule the event, which was set to feature local bands Future Ape Tapes, Sea of Dogs, Jacob Morris, Bubbly Mommy Gun, Casper and the Cookies and more.

We'll update with details when they become available.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 4, 2013
UPDATED with eBay Warning: Neutral Milk Hotel's Two 40 Watt Shows Sold Out Very Fast

Blog: Homedrone

Neutral Milk Hotel's two upcoming full-band shows at the 40 Watt, which will take place Oct. 22 and 23 of this year, went on sale at 10 a.m. this morning, and… yeah.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 3, 2013
Win a Signed Puddle of Mudd Guitar from the Birdhouse Collection

Blog: Homedrone

Puddle of Mudd

Just when you thought the Birdhouse Collection couldn't get any weirder, now the group is raffling off a guitar signed by forgettable nu-rockers Puddle of Mudd. (All the Birdhouse members have also signed the guitar, rendering it all but un-re-sellable, if you were planning to hit eBay on the way out.)

By Gabe Vodicka | May 1, 2013
Exploring the Birdhouse Collection: Five Essential Releases

Blog: Homedrone

In this week's main music feature, we went behind the scenes with the Birdhouse Collection, a nebulous and prolific local musical collective. Click through to sample some of its best output so far.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 1, 2013
Nine Inch Nails, Neutral Milk Hotel to Play Mountain Oasis

Blog: Homedrone

Nine Inch Nails

'Tis the season: on the heels of the Hopscotch Music Festival lineup, a different North Carolina-based fest has revealed its list of participating artists. Asheville's Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit, which runs from Oct. 25-27, 2013 and is being presented by the same company that once ran Moogfest (on hiatus until next year; see Flagpole's 2012 coverage), will feature not one but two vehicles for Trent Reznor's tortured tunes—alt/industrial godfathers Nine Inch Nails and Reznor's new project, How to Destroy Angels, will both perform.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2013
Complete AthFest Schedule Announced

Blog: Homedrone

The complete schedule for AthFest 2013, which takes place June 21-24 at various venues throughout Athens, has been announced. View it on the AthFest site.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2013
Live Review: Yo La Tengo at Georgia Theatre, Monday, Apr. 29

Blog: Homedrone

In my feature on Yo La Tengo from last week's paper, I noted the band's "quiet confidence." The first of the band's two sets at the Georgia Theatre last night was a prime example. Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew have been playing together for so long, their onstage chemistry is a thing of beauty; the group's opening "quiet set" found them easing through songs from its most recent album, Fade, love-drunk tunes like "The Point of It" and "I'll Be Around."

The band's tender side gave way to guitar dynamism in a raucous second set, which included classics like "Shaker" and "Sugarcube," but again leaned heavily on Fade. The "loud" version of "Ohm" sounded particularly meaty. The jaunty "Beanbag Chair" (from 2006's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass) provided what was arguably an unnecessary moment of pop levity.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2013
Flagpole Premieres: Dark Meat, 'Thems That Die (Will Be The Lucky Ones)'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

Vibrant and volatile Athens-based psych-rock supergroup Dark Meat burned brightly and toured hard for several years in the late aughts before its players scattered and the band called it quits. But recently, a majority of members found themselves back in Athens for the wedding of two of their own, and decided to lay down one last jam.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2013
Neutral Milk Hotel to Play Two Full-Band Shows at the 40 Watt

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Will Westbrook

In OH MY GAW THE INTERNET IS FREAKING news, Neutral Milk Hotel will reconvene to play a series of live shows later this year. This is cool. The good news for Athens? Two of those shows will happen at the 40 Watt Club, on Tuesday, Oct. 22 and Wednesday, Oct. 23.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 29, 2013
The Last Time Yo La Tengo Came to Athens, 37 Record Store Clerks Died

Blog: Homedrone

With Yo La Tengo returning to Athens for the first time in several years to play the Georgia Theatre tonight, it's worth looking back on the last time the legendary indie rock trio swung through town. The band's April 2002 appearance at the 40 Watt Club, as was astutely reported by The Onion at the time, resulted in the collapse of the legendary downtown venue and the presumed death of 37 record store clerks.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 29, 2013
24 Hour-ish Scavenger Film Festival Tonight

Blog: Culture Briefs

Tonight, Flicker Theatre & Bar, in association with FilmAthens, presents a screening of all the entries in the 24 Hour-ish Scavenger Film Festival. Each participating team created an under-seven-minute film that had to follow three guidelines: utilize a designated prop, include a given piece of dialogue and a secret third requirement.
The audience and judges' favorites will receive cash prizes (disclaimer: I'm one of the four judges). The screenings begin at 10 p.m., and the event is FREE. You know what to do.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 26, 2013
The New Deerhunter Album is Very, Very, Very Good

Blog: Homedrone

Whatever you're doing today, take 43 minutes and 19 seconds to listen to Monomania, the new Deerhunter album, which you can stream below courtesy of the good folks over at NPR.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 26, 2013
Stream New T. Hardy Morris: 'OK Corral'

Blog: Homedrone

Below, stream "OK Corral," the first single from T. Hardy Morris' upcoming solo debut, Audition Tapes, out July 30 via Dangerbird Records. In this setting, the Dead Confederate frontman showcases a more intricate side of himself; "OK Corral" takes cues from '60s psych-pop and rambling alt-country, Morris' crackling voice anchoring the warm tune.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 25, 2013
Hopscotch Lineup Announced

Blog: Homedrone

Spiritualized's J. Spaceman

The lineup for the Hopscotch Music Festival, which will take over downtown Raleigh, NC from Sept. 5-7, has been announced. As always, it's one of the more impressively curated summer fests, pulling from a mixture of local and regional favorites and impressive but unobvious national/international names, with a decided focus on the experimental end of the spectrum.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 24, 2013
Watch Mad Axes' New 'Maple Branch' Video

Blog: Homedrone

Below, watch the newly released video for "Maple Branch," a slow-rolling tune from local psych-rap group Mad Axes' most recent album, You Are the Real Monster. It's a striking black-and-white clip that features MCs Louie Larceny and Walter Kovax, a couple axe-wielding femmes and guest star Tom Television, who sings the tune's laconic chorus.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 23, 2013
Six Takeaways from the New York Times Article About Mike Mills' Fantasy Sports Obsession

Blog: Homedrone

In this week's Sunday paper, The New York Times published a good-natured fluff piece on the longtime fantasy sports obsession of one Mike Mills, former bassist for R.E.M. and occasional solo performer. Among the takeaways:

By Gabe Vodicka | April 22, 2013
Watch a New Whigs Video: 'Staying Alive'

Blog: Homedrone

The Whigs recently unveiled a music video for "Staying Alive," a pop-forward tune from the group's most recent LP, Enjoy the Company. Though bandmembers now reside in Nashville, they've kept Athens close; in fact, they're performing at the 40 Watt Club this Saturday, Apr. 27 with Gringo Star and Clear Plastic Masks.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 22, 2013
Adult Swim Funhouse Debuts in Athens Saturday

Blog: Culture Briefs

You may have noticed an increased level of activity on the westernmost block of Washington Street over the last day or two. It all owes to the Adult Swim Funhouse, a mysterious new venture from the hip, Atlanta-based Turner subsidiary, which makes its debut in Athens this weekend.

From the press release:

By Gabe Vodicka | April 19, 2013