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

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

The 10 Worst 'Best of 2013 (So Far)' Lists of 2013 (So Far)

Blog: Culture Briefs

10. Time, "The Best TV Shows of 2013 (So Far)"

Literally just a list of show titles with photographs. No critical analysis at all. The epitome of lazy listmaking.

9. Stereogum, "Stereogum's Top 25 Albums of 2013 So Far"

The Strokes over Yo La Tengo? Yeah, right. Call me when you're ready to get serious, Stereogum.

8. Spin, "The 40 Best Albums of 2013 So Far"

TL;DR.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 3, 2013
Wednesday's Orange Twin Show Moved to 40 Watt

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Tobin Brogunier

Athens Cowboy Choir

So, the Orange Twin Conservation Community was all set to host its anticipated annual concert—this year featuring the Athens Cowboy Choir, the Shoal Creek Stranglers, The Darnell Boys, Art Rosenbaum and the Orange Twin Family band—and then this happened. Due to the entirely credible threat of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weather, the show has been moved into town.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 2, 2013
Ghostface Killah, Too Short, Pharoahe Monch to Play Atlanta's A3C Fest

Blog: Homedrone

Ghostface Killah

Atlanta's A3C ("All 3 Coasts") Festival has grown exponentially since its inception in 2004. What started with a narrow focus on homegrown hip hop has evolved into a truly remarkable, internationally anticipated event. This year, the fest takes place over five days—an increase over the previous three—Oct. 2-6., at various venues in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward, Little Five Points and East Atlanta Village neighborhoods.

By Gabe Vodicka | July 1, 2013
Is David Lowery's Crankiness Counterproductive?

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

David Lowery

Local guy, MBUS lecturer and Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery is no stranger to causing controversy as a result of his stance on artist rights in the digital age. On Monday, he unleashed another epic screed on his Trichordist blog, where he posted a screenshot that he claimed showed the amount of royalties he received from various Internet radio outlets last quarter. Of specific note was the payment he received from tech giant Pandora, which awarded Lowery a grand total of $16.89 in songwriting royalties for over 1 million plays of Cracker's hit 1992 song "Low."

In addition to noting that he also receives a separate performance royalty for "Low" (which is "higher but also what I would regard as unsustainable," he wrote), Lowery went on to explain:

By Gabe Vodicka | June 27, 2013
Stream New Trav Williams Album, Gideon's Army Trailer

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: HBO

Trav Williams

Below, watch the trailer for Gideon's Army, an HBO documentary directed by filmmaker Dawn Porter. The film follows the stories of three Southern public defenders striving to make a difference against intimidating odds. The film's title is a reference to the 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, which ensured legal representation for indigent clients.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 27, 2013
Friday in Review: The Whigs, Shade, The Dream Scene

Blog: AthFest

Photo Credit: Gabe Vodicka

The Whigs

Holy God, do I love The Dream Scene. Javier Morales' tunes are super-duper catchy but also subvert the pop power structure; in a live setting, the music grooves and moves but also somehow seems to exist only for and within itself. It's a trip, is what I'm saying. Last night at Flagpole's showcase on the Georgia Theatre rooftop, a three-piece version of The Dream Scene induced dancing and deliberation in equal measure from an eager crowd. Bassist Mercer West lamented the lack of distortion in his sound, but his instrument's clean, persuasive thwack served in some weird way to heighten the music's mystique.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 22, 2013
Here is the Complete AthFest Schedule

Blog: AthFest

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

Dead Confederate

If you're out and about and need a refresher on who's playing where, when, here's a handy link to all official AthFest events, listed by time and venue.

And don't forget about Flagpole's two-day Georgia Theatre showcase, featuring Reptar, Dead Confederate, murk daddy flex, Blue Blood, Yip Deceiver, The Barlettas, pacificUV, k i d s, The Dream Scene, Glasscrafts, Velveteen Pink and Easter Island! Holy shit, that's a lot of great bands!

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2013
Watch Video of Victrola Rotor Oilmen's Bill Doss Tribute

Blog: AthFest

Here's video captured by an audience member at the Athens Music Awards show last night of Victrola Rotor Oilmen (it's an anagram of—oh, you know) paying tribute to their dearly departed brother/spirit guide Bill Doss.

The group performed two Doss-penned songs: "A Sunshine Fix" and "Love Athena." The two classic Olivia Tremor Control tunes appeared on the 2000 rarities collection Presents: Singles and Beyond. And, though the occasion was somewhat solemn, last night, with of Montreal's Bryan Poole tackling Doss' guitar and vocal parts, they sounded fucking great.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2013
Here Are Your 2013 Flagpole Athens Music Award Winners

Blog: AthFest

2013 Artist of the Year New Madrid

The Flagpole Athens Music Awards show, held last night at the Morton Theatre, was a smashing success. Thanks to everyone who came out! Below is a list of all the winners. Stay tuned for a photo gallery, as well as an extended recap, to come.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2013
The Barlettas, New Madrid or Easter Island: Who Will Win Artist of the Year?

Blog: Homedrone

Easter Island

In case you haven't heard, the 2013 Flagpole Athens Music Awards show happens tonight at the Morton Theatre. In addition to a sweet slate of performances, we'll be handing out 19 awards in various categories, including Hip Hop, Rock, Experimental and so on.

But perhaps the most anticipated award is the final one: Artist of the Year, the ballot's sole write-in-only category (look at us, all democratic 'n shit), which, this year, resulted in three pretty disparate finalists. Meet them all, and hear a track from each band, below.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 20, 2013
From the Archives: Herb Guthrie's Missionary Work in Uganda

Blog: Homedrone

The news of local musician Herb Guthrie's passing was another tragic blow in a year that has dealt the Athens music community too many of them.

But while we mourn Guthrie's death, we also celebrate him for the compassionate and hard-working man he was. A February 2009 Flagpole article focused on Guthrie's missionary work in Uganda, which is where he was at the time of his death.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 18, 2013
The Music Midtown Lineup is Very Music Midtown-y

Blog: Homedrone

Jane's Addiction

Festival season marches on: The lineup for this year's Music Midtown, which happens Sept. 20–21 at Atlanta's Piedmont Park, was unveiled yesterday.

It's generally pretty OK: Along with Queens of the Stone Age, whose new album has been blowin' up the webz, the lineup features rapper Kendrick Lamar, Georgia rockers the Black Lips, French popsters Phoenix and the newly reinvigorated Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Even the headliners, Red Hot Chili Peppers and a reunited Jane's Addiction (see funny photo above), are nothing to scoff at.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 18, 2013
R.I.P. Athens Musician Herb Guthrie

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Stefan Eberhard

Herb Guthrie

Multiple sources report that Herb Guthrie, an Athens drummer known primarily for his work with the Michael Guthrie Band, has died.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 17, 2013
Help Kickstart the Morton Theatre Documentary

Blog: Culture Briefs

A Kickstarter page has been set up to help fund the production of The Soul of Athens: A History of the Morton Theatre, an upcoming documentary film by Keith B. Plummer. Plummer, a local filmmaker whose previous work includes the Civil Rights Movement doc Before the Memories Fade: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement, plans to explore the story of Monroe "Pink" Morton, the theatre's namesake, and the cultural and economic community that developed around the Morton in the early 20th Century.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 17, 2013
Win A Pair of AthFest Wristbands

Blog: Homedrone

This is it. Don't get scared now. We're giving away TWO pairs of wristbands for AthFest on our Facebook page, so head over to get the deets. We'll announce the winners next Wednesday, June 19.

Enter the contest. Do it. This could be you:

By Gabe Vodicka | June 13, 2013
Download the AthFest Club Crawl Mixtape

Blog: Homedrone

In advance of next weekend's craziness (OH MAN CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S NEXT WEEKEND? AHHHHHHHHHHHHH), the fine folks over at AthFest have put together a mixtape featuring tracks from 22 bands playing the fest's Club Crawl, including Cracker, Cicada Rhythm, Bambara, The Viking Progress, Manray and many more. Flagpole's Georgia Theatre showcase is well represented: Dead Confederate, Easter Island, murk daddy flex, pacificUV, Blue Blood and Glasscrafts all have stellar tunes on the tape.

The whole thing's available for free by clicky-clicking right here. Sit back, hit play and get excited. And get a wristband.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 13, 2013
Flagpole Athens Music Awards Finalists Announced

Blog: Homedrone

The finalists for the 2013 Flagpole Athens Music Awards have been announced. View them here. Finalists are the three bands with the most votes in each category. The winners will be announced at the star-studded Music Awards show, which takes place next Thursday, June 20 at the historic Morton Theatre.

Set to perform at the show: T. Hardy Morris, Jubee and the Morning After, Dream Boat, Victrola Rotor Oilmen (Bill Doss tribute band) and Silver Fox (Craig Lieske tribute band). Plus, a stage play courtesy of local filmmaker and musician Brett Vaughn and plenty of surprise guests.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 12, 2013
Matt Hudgins to Debut Three Videos Tonight at Ciné

Blog: Homedrone

Tonight at Ciné, Matt Hudgins and His Shit-Hot Country Band will debut not one, not two, but three new music videos: for the songs "Hello Again 5am" and "Adderall & Alcohol," taken from Hudgins' upcoming 7-inch, the coyly titled The Singles Collection: 2009-2013, as well as "Wilkes County Jail" from Hudgins' terrific 2012 solo release Better Days are Coming.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 10, 2013
Terrapin Debuts First Canned Beer

Blog: Grub Notes

RecreationALE, a "hopped up session ale" that clocks in at a quaffable 4.7%, is local beer giant Terrapin's first-ever canned concoction, which means the company is joining Oskar Blues, 21st Amendment and all those other craft breweries in the "Canned Beer Revolution." (Yes, that's a thing.)

The new brew is officially set to drop tomorrow, Saturday, June 8 at a release party taking place at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC. (Sporty!) This is the second new year-round beer Terrapin has unveiled in 2013; the Treehugger Altbier was debuted back in March.

There's the design to your right. If you can't make it to Charlotte or are, I dunno, afraid of rapids, don't worry—Terrapin says that the brew will hit Athens shelves by the end of next week.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 7, 2013
Watch the First Installment in T. Hardy Morris' 'Places in Peril' Video Series

Blog: Homedrone

In conjunction with the Georgia Trust's "Places in Peril" program, which "seeks to identify, preserve and raise awareness to historic sites threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy," local songwriter T. Hardy Morris and filmmaker/photographer/sometime Flagpole contributor Jason Thrasher are traveling to historic sites around the state of Georgia threatened by neglect and/or demolition.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 7, 2013