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

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

Neutral Milk Hotel, Circulatory System to Play Pitchfork Music Festival

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Stacey-Marie Piotrowski

Circulatory System

They graced our cover last week, and this weekend Flagpole will follow Circulatory Systemup to Chicago, where the band will play the Pitchfork Music Festival (Saturday at 1:55 p.m. on the Blue Stage).

By Gabe Vodicka | July 16, 2014
WUOG GM Akeeme Martin Dismissed From Station

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Clay Reynolds

Akeeme Martin

Akeeme Martin, the general manager at WUOG 90.5 FM, the student-run UGA radio station, has been dismissed for "violations of the station's constitution, including a series of events that the Board felt misrepresented WUOG as a whole," according to an emailed press release.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 15, 2014
The Weekly Three: Wolves in the Throne Room, Shabazz Palaces, Braid

Blog: Homedrone

Shabazz Palaces

This week's new discoveries from the great beyond:

By Gabe Vodicka | July 14, 2014
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of July 14

Blog: In the Loop

Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 14, 2014
Photo: R.E.M.'s Bill Berry Drops By Oconee School of Rock

Blog: Homedrone

Via the Oconee School of Rock's Facebook page, here's a photo of R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry, who stopped by Full Moon Studio in Watkinsville today to jam out with the campers.

The OSOR's final performance, where the kids who attended this week's camp will show off their stuff, is tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) at 6 p.m. at Full Moon. It's free and open to the public.

More rock camp news after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 11, 2014
Hear a Track from Harvey Milk Bassist Stephen Tanner's New LP

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: John Fell

Local sludge/doom/post-comedic metal trio Harvey Milk has been "on hiatus" since 2010's bleak, bone-crushing, career-defining A Small Turn of Human Kindness—which, BTW, you can stream on Bandcamp, along with much of the band's back catalog.

But fans of the group have reason to celebrate today, as it has been revealed that HM bassist Stephen Tanner—he of unkempt mane and perpetually befuddled facial expression—has constructed a solo LP under the name Music Blues (!). Inspired in part by a bout of depression brought on after the death of Tanner's friend (and former Maserati drummer) Jerry Fuchs, Things Haven't Gone Well is out Aug. 26 via Thrill Jockey, and you can pre-order the album on "shit-brown vinyl" here.

Noisey's got the premiere of "91771," the record's leadoff track, along with an extended Q&A with Tanner, who recorded the album in Athens while staying at HM frontman Creston Spiers' house but now lives in New York City. Below, stream the song and check out some of the best bits from the interview:

By Gabe Vodicka | July 10, 2014
Condé Nast Traveler Features Athens in Latest Issue

Blog: Culture Briefs

White Tiger Gourmet

Another day, another listicle: This one comes courtesy of Condé Nast Traveler, which published a feature in its most recent issue titled "Skip Atlanta. Go Here Instead."

"Here," in case you hadn't surmised from the headline of this post, is good ol' Classic City, G-A—y'know, the town with all the best stuff. The magazine lists several local hotspots as examples of why Athens flat-out rulez and Atlanta straight-up droolz.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 8, 2014
Watch Chris Conley's Star Wars Fan Film, Retribution

Blog: Culture Briefs

For months, UGA wide receiver Chris Conley has been working on a Star Wars fan film with a cast and crew of friends and fans. In April, we showed you the trailer for Retribution, and now you can finally see the full results of Conley's hard work.

Below, watch the 26-minute short, which was shot on and around the UGA campus and features cameos from some recognizable local faces. It is ridiculous and nerdy and slick and basically the best thing ever.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 5, 2014
On the Rise: Hear New Music from Kingsley Bloom, Milk and the Honeys

Blog: Homedrone

Kingsley Bloom's Youtometoyou EP

A couple new discoveries to help get you through the last day of the workin' week before the BIG AMERICAN WEEKEND:

By Gabe Vodicka | July 3, 2014
What Are Your Favorite Fourth of July Jams?

Blog: Homedrone

The Fourth of July is just around the corner (it's this Friday!), which means FOOD and FIREWORKS and BEER and, most of all…

By Gabe Vodicka | July 2, 2014
Cibo Matto to Headline Athens Intensified 2014

Blog: Homedrone

News came in this morning that Cibo Matto, the inscrutable New York-based indie-pop group that came to prominence in the mid-'90s before staying quiet through much of the early part of this century, re-forming in 2011 and finally releasing a new studio LP earlier this year, will headline this year's Athens Intensified festival.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 1, 2014
Relive AthFest With This Recap Video

Blog: Homedrone

We're over a week removed from the mad glory that was AthFest 2014, but if you're feeling a bit of post-party depression, don't fret: The good folks at DTProductions are here to help with a spiffy recap video of the weekend's festivities. Check it out after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 1, 2014
Flagpole Premieres! Hot Fudge: 'Other Side of the Gates'

Blog: Homedrone

Psych-rockers Hot Fudge are gearing up to celebrate the release of a damn solid debut, #1 Tape, this Friday. In advance of the release show, we're pleased as punch to premiere the album's second single, which you can stream below.

"Other Side of the Gates" follows the pumped-up "To Be One Ask One," which you heard way back in January. Where "To Be One" was tightly wound, scuzzed-out and power-poppy, the new tune is a lovely, extended, somewhat Floydian psych jam that ends in a raucous guitar assaul

By Gabe Vodicka | June 26, 2014
Kyle Kinane to Record Stand-Up Special at 40 Watt

Blog: Culture Briefs

Kyle Kinane is no stranger to Athens, having performed here several times over the course of the last few years. So it came as no shock (though it's still pretty damn cool news) when the hirsute, gruff-voiced comedian announced on his Tumblr that he will record a new television special at the 40 Watt Club later this summer.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 25, 2014
Flagpole Premieres! The New Sound of Numbers: 'New Dance' Video

Blog: Homedrone

Local psych-wave crew The New Sound of Numbers is still riding the crest of dance-punk-y joy set in motion with its 2013 album Invisible Magnetic, out on Cloud. Today, we're happy to premiere the music video for one of the record's standout tracks, the effervescent "New Dance."

By Gabe Vodicka | June 24, 2014
UPDATED with Video: Here Are the 2014 FAMAs Winners

Blog: Homedrone

Host Tom Visions says goodnight at the end of the show.

The 2014 Flagpole Athens Music Awards kicked off the music portion of AthFest on Thursday, June 19 at the historic Morton Theatre in downtown Athens. As usual, the show was a mix of affection, affectation and absurdity.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2014
Win Tickets to Flagpole's AthFest Showcase Featuring The Coathangers, Axxa/Abraxas, More

Blog: Homedrone

Axxa/Abraxas

AthFest is upon us! And I know you're all planning to kick off this year's Club Crawl by camping out at the 40 Watt Club tonight for Flagpole's official showcase, featuring The Coathangers, Axxa/Abraxas, murk daddy flex and Shade.

The show is free with an AthFest wristband or $7 at the door without one. Don't have a wristband? Think the Flagpole showcase is the only AthFest stuff worth seeing? That's kinda crazy, but hey, we certainly can't fault you for wanting to soak up these sweet rock and psych vibes.

We've got a pair of tickets to tonight's show to give away. To win, tell us in the comments below why YOU deserve to go for free. We'll choose a winner today at 4:30 p.m.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 20, 2014
Flagpole Premieres! Semicircle: 'Underground River of Glass'

Blog: Homedrone

Since 2010, Reptar drummer Andrew McFarland has operated on the side under the nameSemicircle, attaching the moniker to "any number of little projects and experiments I did," he says, before deciding to transform it into a sort of performance art project. Early on, McFarland brought a rotating cast of characters into the fold in hopes of maintaining a vibrant, if admittedly volatile, creative atmosphere.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 19, 2014
Glow Studio's Jesse Mangum Launches Label, Shares New Brothers Track

Blog: Homedrone

Best known for manning the boards at The Glow Recording Studio just outside of town, engineer Jesse Mangum (a finalist in this year's Flagpole Athens Music Awards, BTW) has announced the launch of a new, EP-only record label, MOEKE Records.

Below, you can hear the first taste of the imprint's output, a new tune from local pop group Brothers, a band we included in this week's list of AthFest picks:

By Gabe Vodicka | June 18, 2014
Win AthFest Wristbands

Blog: Homedrone

In case you haven't heard on account of you've been livin' under a rock or some such,AthFest takes over downtown Athens this week. The music portion of the annual festival kicks off Thursday with the Flagpole Athens Music Awards show at the Morton Theatre and continues through the weekend.

Though all the outdoor concerts are free, access to the weekend's numerous Club Crawlshows—including Flagpole's star-studded showcase Friday at the 40 Watt Club—requires an entry fee, either in the form of an individual door price or an AthFest wristband.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 17, 2014