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

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Nov. 11

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 | November 11, 2013
UPDATED with Serial Numbers: Vincas, The Powder Room Have Gear Stolen on Tour

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Mike White

The Powder Room

Shit news from Chicago, where locals Vincas and The Powder Room played last night as part of their current tour. The Powder Room posts on Facebook that the van the two groups are traveling in was broken into sometime after the show and "half of our gear was stolen."

After the jump, the list of missing equipment. If you live in or know somebody in the Chicago area, please share this info and keep a look out.

By Gabe Vodicka | November 9, 2013
Flagpole Premieres! WereWyatt: Fuck Depression

Blog: Homedrone

Local songwriter Wyatt Strother is best known for fronting the poppy folk-punk band Werewolves, but while that group was on a yearlong hiatus, he hunkered down and wrote himself a solo record as WereWyatt. Flagpole is pleased to premiere the result, Fuck Depression, available today for the low price of $4 via Strother's Athens Horse Party label. (There's the cover art above.)

Though album is officially a "solo" effort, it eschews the familiar trappings of that term in favor of a lush and layered sound featuring banjo, piano, horns, drums and much more. It also explodes with positive energy; like the title suggests, the record is a rejection of loneliness, an ode to stepping into the light.

Stream it after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | November 8, 2013
Tonight in Athens: Television, Tera Melos

Blog: Homedrone

To say that tonight's Television show at the Georgia Theatre is a big deal is an understatement. It's one of three U.S. appearances the legendary NYC rockers will make this year, the other two being a stop Tuesday in San Francisco—view the setlist from that show here—and another at Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest.

This will be a special gig. Though they're absent one key cog in founding guitarist Richard Lloyd, as you can see from the video below, these dudes are still quite capable of bringing the fire.

By Gabe Vodicka | November 7, 2013
Apply for an AthFest Educates Mini-Grant

Blog: Culture Briefs

AthFest Educates has announced that the next application period for its mini-grant program will begin Monday, Nov. 11 and go through Sunday, Nov. 24. Local public schools and educational entities are encouraged to apply for one of the $250–$1,000 grants, which are intended to fund music and arts-related programs and projects.

Fall 2013 recipients included a handful of local schools and other organizations.

More info after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | November 5, 2013
The New Cars Can Be Blue Video is Spooky, Scary

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Jim Hix

Halloween was last week, but you can keep the bad vibez flowing by watching the new video from local noise-pop outfit Cars Can Be Blue. "Monster" is a tune from the band's third LP, Trace the Tension (just out on HHBTM; look for a Flagpole review next week).

Like much of the band's output, "Monster" is kitschy and caked in grime, a tough and tawdry tale of nightmarish childhood memories. The black-and-white video, directed by Jordan Reyes, is a fun if slightly unsettling watch:

By Gabe Vodicka | November 5, 2013
Tonight in Athens: Jel, Cold War Kids, RVIVR

Blog: Homedrone

Jel

Wowee, folks: there are some really righteous live-music options tonight, on the eve of All Hallow's Eve. Let's start at the Georgia Theatre—or, on its rooftop, to be exact—where Anticon co-founder/mainstay Jel, the man responsible for introducing the lo-fi/anti-fi/cloud-rap sound to the hip hop world, will headline. The openers are pretty great, too: Chicago MC Serengeti and Atlanta psych-rap crew The Difference Machine will perform.

Music and more after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 30, 2013
Win Tickets: Kurt Vile Plays 40 Watt Tonight

Blog: Homedrone

Philly folkie Kurt Vile plays the 40 Watt Club tonight, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away. To win, tell us in the comments after the jump why YOU deserve to go for free. We'll choose a winner at 4:30 p.m.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 29, 2013
Win Tickets: Chelsea Light Moving, Cinemechanica Play 40 Watt Tonight

Blog: Homedrone

Chelsea Light Moving

The Thurston Moore-led noise-rock group Chelsea Light Moving and local math-rockers Cinemechanicaplay the 40 Watt Club tonight, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away. To win, tell us in the comments after the jump why YOU deserve to go for free. We'll choose a winner today at 4:30 p.m.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 28, 2013
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Oct. 28

Blog: In the Loop

Timi Conley

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 | October 28, 2013
Bill Cody-Directed Black Lips Doc Premieres Sunday in Atlanta

Blog: Homedrone

Black Lips

Kids Like You and Me, a new documentary that follows Atlanta punks the Black Lips on a recent Middle East tour, will have its Georgia premiere at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 27. Watch the trailer and read what director Bill Cody has to say about his film after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 25, 2013
Six Things to Do This Weekend

Blog: Culture Briefs

Wild Rumpus

Photo Credit: Cindy Jerrell

1. Get intense at Athens Intensified.

2. Head up to Asheville for the Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit. If ya can't make it there, follow along as we cover it on Homedrone.

3. Hope your costume's ready! The Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle happens Saturday.

More after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 25, 2013
Live Review: Neutral Milk Hotel at 40 Watt Club, Thursday, Oct. 24

Blog: Homedrone

The 40 Watt was packed to the gills Thursday for the conclusion of Neutral Milk Hotel's three-night stand. As it was more or less a locals-only show (slash a people-who-used-to-be-locals-only show), there was a distinct vibe of cameraderie (and, er, draaank) in the air; the band, especially the newly Teen Wolf-ed Jeff Mangum, seemed to respond in kind. Also, it was real sweaty up in there.

The band's set, which began in solo-Mangum fashion with "Oh Comely" and concluded an hour or so later with the similarly stripped-down "Two Headed Boy Pt. 2" (setlist here) was fast and loose in between; in fact, it got damn near rowdy at points. During uptempo songs like "Holland, 1945" and "Ghost," Mangum led a spontaneous pogo-dance charge onstage until the whole thing began to feel, well, sorta like a house show.

More after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 25, 2013
Beyond 'Monster Mash': Athenians' Favorite Halloween Tunes

Blog: Homedrone

We know "Monster Mash." And sure, it's wonderful and all. But the fact is there's a wealth of great Halloween-y tunes out there beyond the ubiquitous holiday hit. With this in mind, we contacted a bunch of local music-minded folks to inquire about their favorite spooky seasonal jams.

Read, watch and listen after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 24, 2013
Check Out Lullwater's Dirty New Video

Blog: Homedrone

The local grunge revivalists in Lullwater released their self-titled debut albut last month, a heavy-hitting, ready-for-radio, 13-track beast that you can stream over at Guitar World.

After the jump, watch the brand new Jason Thrasher-directed video for "Albatross," the record's fifth track.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 23, 2013
Flagpole Premieres: Like Totally!, 'Veggie Wrap' Video

Blog: Homedrone

Local kindie rockers Like Totally! unleashed their debut LP, Good Mews, back in January. The album was chock-full of kid-friendly tunes that stood in awe of the many wonders of the world: rocketships, cookies, dolphins.

Now, Flagpole is happy to premiere an exclusive new track—recorded at The Glow Studio—and an accompanying music video directed by Zach Cowan.

Watch it after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 22, 2013
Watch a New Scott Low Video

Blog: Homedrone

Efren frontman Scott Low recently released a new solo album, The Stories I Shouldn't Tell, via SLO PRO Records. The album traverses some wide-ranging territory—the first single, "Cactusgrass," was a shadowy folk-hop number, while much of the album digs into a more straightforward Americana sound.

The latter is where you'll find "Stuck in the Country," the second single from the record, a video for which can be seen below. It's simple and sepia-toned and country-tinged.

Check it after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 21, 2013
Georgia Theatre Announces Pretty Lights Show, Pretty Lights Show is Sold Out

Blog: Homedrone

Colorado-based producer Pretty Lights, aka Derek Vincent Smith, aka some fella who makes that weebly wobbly electronic music all the kids are into these days, will play the Georgia Theatre next Wednesday, Oct. 23.

The announcement came around noon today, and the show sold out less than an hour later.

More after the jump.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 18, 2013
Win Tickets: of Montreal Plays 40 Watt Tonight

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Nina Barnes

Local psych-pop crew of Montreal plays the 40 Watt Club tonight, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away. To win, tell us after the jump why YOU deserve to go for free. We'll choose a winner today at 4:30 p.m.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 18, 2013
The New Elf Power Video is Vaguely Unsettling

Blog: Homedrone

When the members of Elf Power aren't weighing in on issues of local import 1,000 miles away, they're making music. When they're not doing that, they're making music videos.

After the jump, check out the somewhat spooky new music video for "Darkest Wave," a standout tune from the group's standout new record, Sunlight on the Moon.

By Gabe Vodicka | October 17, 2013