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

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

Flagpole Premieres: Yallweh, 'I'll Gladly Not Sing'

Blog: Homedrone

The brainchild of songwriter Kemp Stroble (Hot Fudge, Ya'al H'ush), Yallweh's self-titled debut is the culmination of more than two years of work. Stroble began recording the album in May 2015, and wound up playing everything on it except for drums—those came courtesy of Will Dyar—and a smattering of cello and trumpet parts, contributed by Athens expats Heather McIntosh and Charlie Estes.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 11, 2017
Ciné Hosts Local Record Label Fair Saturday

Blog: Homedrone

In conjunction with this weekend's 35mm screenings of High Fidelity—the 2000 flick about the misanthropic owner of a struggling Chicago record store, played by John Cusack—Ciné will host a local record-label fair Saturday, July 8 from 1–7 p.m.

Several of Athens' finest indie labels will set up tables at the event for your browsing (and purchasing) pleasure, including HHBTM, Orange Twin, Marching Banana, Loud Baby Sounds, Nullzone, Fall Break, Gypsy Farm, Perfect Attendance and Plus 100. Might be a good time to pick up some of those new local records you've been meaning to buy?

By Gabe Vodicka | July 6, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: Hand Sand Hands, 'Vowels'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Annie Marcum

Jon Miller

Local band Hand Sand Hands—the exploratory solo project of musician Jon Miller—has maintained a low profile since releasing the Flagpole fave Good Luck With That in 2014. Now, Miller is set to return with a full-length follow-up, Bad Mountain, out July 7 via Athens label Arrowhawk Records.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 27, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: Big Morgan, 'Crater'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Allie Duke

Local rock band Big Morgan formed a few years back and quickly became a favorite of the house-party set, thanks to its manic energy and appealingly goofy songwriting. Though the band's members are arguably better known for their other projects—Juan de Fuca, Trip Lacy and Mad Ace among them—Big Morgan remains an outlet for their more primal rock and roll desires.

Today, we're psyched to premiere a new Big Morgan tune, "Crater." It's from the band's upcoming debut LP, Superpunch!, out later this summer. Stream it below:

By Gabe Vodicka | June 23, 2017
Check Out This Year's Flagpole Athens Music Award

Blog: Homedrone

If you pick up a copy of this week's print Flagpole—and you really should!—you'll get a first glimpse at this year's Flagpole Athens Music Award, which stands proud and tall on the new issue's cover, surrounded by a bunch of its action-figure friends.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2017
Here Is the AthFest 2017 Master Schedule

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones

Reverend Tribble and the Deacons play the Georgia Theatre at 9 p.m. Friday.

Need help planning your AthFest? Here's the full festival schedule, organized by date, venue and time. For performer descriptions, check out the Calendar. All of this info is also available in this week's print Flagpole, so pick one up today!

By Gabe Vodicka | June 20, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: The Eskimos, 'Surf's Down'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Sean Dunn

Athens-based psych-rock band The Eskimos called it quits in 2002, but quietly reformed in recent years, after frontman Drew Sinclair's karaoke rendition of an ABBA tune drew rave reviews from fellow patrons at a Decatur, AL bar. Or so the band would have you believe.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 20, 2017
Twenty Athens Bands Contribute Songs to Anti-Trump Compilation

Blog: Homedrone

Artwork by Graham Shirley.

In February, not long after President Trump was inaugurated, two area recording studios—engineer Mike Albanese's Espresso Machine in Athens and Jay Rodgers' Full Moon in Watkinsville—invited 20 local groups over for a marathon weekend-long recording session, during which the bands laid down new songs inspired by the election and its aftermath.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 16, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: Cicada Rhythm, 'Sky Bird' Video (Pity Party Session)

Blog: Homedrone

Folk trio Cicada Rhythm has been a Flagpole fave since the then-duo of Andrea DeMarcus and Dave Kirslis moved to Athens in 2013. In 2015, the group released its official debut via Normaltown Records. Since then, the band's been gigging steadily and working on new material.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 13, 2017
Here Are the 2017 Flagpole Athens Music Awards Finalists

Blog: Homedrone

Nihilist Cheerleader will play the Flagpole Athens Music Awards show Thursday, June 22.

Nearly 2,000 of y'all voted, and here are the results: Below, peep the finalists in all 21 categories for this year's Flagpole Athens Music Awards, which takes place next Thursday, June 22 at the Morton Theatre.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 12, 2017
Win Tickets: Animals as Leaders Play Georgia Theatre Tonight

Blog: Homedrone

D.C.-based prog-metal band Animals as Leaders play the Georgia Theatre tonight, Thursday, May 18, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader.

Tell us why you deserve 'em in the comments below. We'll choose a winner at 4 p.m.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 18, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: Tunabunny, 'Magic January'

Blog: Homedrone

Over the course of four albums, Tunabunny has put forth some of the most thrilling sounds to come out of Athens in recent memory, blending pop and rock sensibilities with avant-garde exploration, as heard on 2014's totally compelling Kingdom Technology.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 18, 2017
AthFest Reveals More 2017 Performers, Including Richard Lloyd, Muuy Biien, New Madrid and Ruby the Rabbitfoot

Blog: Homedrone

Muuy Biien

The AthFest Music and Arts Festival has revealed many more of the artists who will perform at this year’s event, the music portion of which is slated for June 23–25.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 17, 2017
Stream New Songs From Elf Power, Tunabunny, Art Contest

Blog: Homedrone

Art Contest

Looking for new sounds to stream on this cool, cloudy Thursday? Lucky for you, Flagpole dot com has you covered. Here's a sneak peek at three upcoming local records we're pretty dang excited about:

By Gabe Vodicka | May 4, 2017
Flagpole Premieres: Nihilist Cheerleader, 'And She Takes It'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Mary Merritt

If there's been one band on seemingly everyone's lips lately, it's Nihilist Cheerleader. The young punk four-piece has earned a loyal local fanbase thanks to a scrappy, melodic sound, lyrics that alternate seamlessly between playful and political, and a beyond-their-years comprehension of musical tension and release.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 28, 2017
Win Passes to Shaky Knees and Shaky Beats Festivals

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones

Next weekend, May 5–7, Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park will host the second annual Shaky Beats Festival, a three-day pop and EDM blowout featuring The Chainsmokers, Griz, Kaskade, Flosstradamus, Girl Talk, and many others.

The following weekend, May 12–14, the same location will see the fifth incarnation of the Shaky Knees Festival, Shaky Beats' rock-oriented counterpart, where LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, the XX, Ryan Adams, The Shins, Nick Murphy and tons of others will perform.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 27, 2017
WUOG's 10 Most-Played Recordings, Apr. 19–25

Blog: Homedrone

King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard's Flying Microtonal Banana

1. Tennis: Yours Conditionally (Thirty Tigers)

By Gabe Vodicka | April 25, 2017
Record Store Day Is Saturday—Here's What to Know

Blog: Homedrone

It's the most wonderful time of the year—or the reason it's impossible to get a goddamn record pressed these days, depending whom you ask. That's right: Record Store Day is back!

By Gabe Vodicka | April 21, 2017
Widespread Panic Collabs With Jittery Joe's on New Coffee Blend

Blog: Homedrone

Athens-based coffee roaster Jittery Joe's has announced it will continue its series of collaborations with local musicians with Up All Night, a blend created in partnership with local jam legends Widespread Panic.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 19, 2017
WUOG's 10 Most-Played Recordings, Apr. 12–18

Blog: Homedrone

Tennis' Yours Conditionally

1. Tennis: Yours Conditionally (Mutually Detrimental)

By Gabe Vodicka | April 18, 2017