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

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

Hey, Let's All Forget Our Troubles and Dance to the New New Sound of Numbers Single

Blog: Homedrone

The irresistible "Invisible Magnetic" is the title track from the band's upcoming album. Get pumped.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 19, 2013
Watch a New Video from The Ice Creams (Feat. Members of The Humms)

Blog: Homedrone

Here's a newly posted video from a group called The Ice Creams, for a little ditty titled "Everyone's Got a Skeleton." The band, which features Zeke Sayer and Matthew Garrison of local band The Humms as well as drummer Stephen Findley, plays a slightly more saccharine version of The Humms' earworm-y garage-punk, impossibly catchy and lean as white meat.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 19, 2013
R.I.P. Jason Molina

Blog: Homedrone

Earlier today, Chunklet reported that Jason Molina, leader of dark-folk luminary Songs: Ohia and the more musically conservative but no less revelatory Magnolia Electric Co., passed away on Saturday, Mar. 16 due to organ failure.

Molina had been in poor health for several years, which Chunklet founder Henry Owings, a close friend of Molina's, revealed in a 2011 blog post was due to the singer's ongoing struggle with alcoholism. Despite a well-heeded call for support from friends and fans, and the release last year of Autumn Bird Songs, a set of tunes meant to accompany a book of William Schaff's artwork, Molina's addiction continued to rule his life.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 18, 2013
Mike Mills to Play Solo at Ciné, Tickets on Sale Today

Blog: Homedrone

On Friday, Mar. 29, Ciné will host an event called “Songs @ Ciné,” which will feature the songwriting and performing talents of a handful of Athens luminaries: Don Chambers, Dave Marr, Thayer Sarrano and Hardy Morris.

And, oh yeah, Mike Mills, too. The R.E.M. bassist and songwriter will perform solo for perhaps the first time in an official capacity—or, at least, the first time in a long damn time. This is big news, folks.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 12, 2013
New Madrid SXSW Tour Blog: Day 1

Blog: Homedrone

Flagpole kicks off SXSW week with part one of a tour blog from local rockers New Madrid. Look for photos and festival recaps every day this week.

So, we’ve hit the long road west for the first time as a band. Destination: Austin, TX. We left Athens Saturday afternoon, en route to Birmingham, AL’s Parkside Café. Passing through Atlanta was really as it always was. Rolling along I-20, our U-Haul trailer started spitting sparks. A fellow traveler looked at us slack-jawed and eventually mouthed through her window a bewildered warning. All in all, we made it to “The Magic City” in one piece.

This was our first time this year to play outside. The weather was right. The seasons seem to be settling past their schizophrenic leanings. Probably not, though. The stage at Parkside overlooks a back patio area that is warmly lit, with bulbs strung all around. A rock garden of sorts with an Airstream in the back. Trees were growing out of the patio. Some Stereolab pumping through the bar’s sound system was an all too perfect continuation of the car ride.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 11, 2013
Don't Be a Dummy! This Weekend's Shows to See

Blog: Homedrone

FRIDAY, MAR.8

Muuy Biien, The Milkstains, Future Virgins, Ritvals @ Caledonia Lounge: Chattanooga punks Future Virgins are the stars of this talent-packed bill.

King of Prussia, Feather Trade, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't @ Flicker Theatre & Bar: Brandon Hanick's psych-pop project returns to town after stints in Barcelona and Chicago.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 8, 2013
Big Boi and Killer Mike, DJ Shadow, Juicy J to Perform at Georgia Theatre This Spring

Blog: Homedrone

Today the Georgia Theatre announced a slate of upcoming spring shows, and there are some good ones: DJ Shadow will perform later this month (Mar. 27; enterprising local producer Murk Daddy Flex will open) and underrated Three 6 Mafia mastermind/weirdly normal person Juicy J will grace the stage on May 1. (Also: the godly Yo La Tengo on Apr. 29., a bit of news that flew weirdly under the radar.)

But perhaps the most exciting part of the announcement was that two of Atlanta's finest, Big Boi and Killer Mike, will co-headline a show on Thursday, Apr. 18. Both rappers are no strangers to Athens, having performed here separately in the past year. But the two of them together on one bill? Forget it. Show of the year.

Get on that Kryptonite below:

By Gabe Vodicka | March 7, 2013
Hendershot's, Transmet Reach Impasse Over Lease

Blog: Homedrone

Seth Hendershot. Photo via Athens Food and Culture

Representatives for Hendershot's Coffee Bar and local pizza restaurant Transmetropolitan have been unable to agree on the terms of a lease renewal for the Hendershot's space, and the coffee bar/music venue plans to vacate its current location before a temporary six-month lease is up June 30.

The adjacent properties, on Oglethorpe Ave. near the Forest Heights neighborhood, are both owned by the local Tweedell & Van Buren Oil Company, but Transmet controls the Hendershot's sublease, which is at the end of its term.

According to Transmet owner Brian Colantuno, the dispute over a new lease stems from two issues: which business will control the lot's parking spaces, and an imminent increase in rent price.

"The rent was the biggest issue," Colantuno says, alleging that Transmet's insistance that Hendershot's pay what the former considered an appropriate share of the property owner's overall increase was met with resistance. Colantuno says Transmet even offered to pay half the coffee shop's increase for the remainder of a yearlong agreement, a proposal to which lawyers representing Hendershot's initially agreed, but then rejected.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 4, 2013
Flagpole Premieres: Chris Ezelle, "The Loveless Cafe" Video

Blog: Homedrone

Welcome to Flagpole Premieres, where we debut exclusive material from local artists.

Local blues explorer Chris Ezelle continues to tease his upcoming album Monticello with a slow, steady IV drip. Track by track, Ezelle's weather-damaged folk songs roll in like one summer storm after another, hinting at what should be a terrific final product. Don't sleep on this dude.

Below, watch the exclusive Flagpole premiere of the video for "The Loveless Cafe," a vaguely narrative-driven and weirdly eerie tune featuring muted, major-chord guitar and Ezelle's raspy, halting lyrical delivery. The clip, a painfully slow-mo shot of Bourbon Street revelry, ingeniously reflects the song's good-times-gone-bad vibe.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 4, 2013
Don't Be a Dummy! This Weekend's Shows to See

Blog: Homedrone

FRIDAY, MAR. 1

of Montreal, Yip Deceiver, Linear Downfall @ 40 Watt Club: The requisite quarterly hometown performance from the oM camp comes with a special bonus:appearances from Yip Deceiver and Linear Downfall, who explore psych and dance with varying degrees of seriousness.

Spring Experimentaler Night One @ Go Bar: Featuring Motion Sickness of Time Travel, Cult of Riggonia, Throne Room, Hand Sand Hands, Basshunter64 All-Stars and Mitch Turner.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 1, 2013
Stream New Dead Confederate: "Vacations"

Blog: Homedrone

Here's the first single from Dead Confederate's upcoming third LP, In the Marrow, out Apr. 16 via Spiderbomb Records/Redeye. "Vacations" finds the local rockers exploring a familiar form: lethargic, Southern-tinged bombast anchored by the persuasive wail of singer Hardy Morris.

By Gabe Vodicka | March 1, 2013
Modern Skirts to Call it Quits

Blog: Homedrone

Rumors have been swirling for weeks, and now it's confirmed. Local pop group Modern Skirts (whose website mysteriously features a non-functional an embed of the Empire State South site) have announced they will call it quits after a final string of shows. The band has been performing together in some form for almost 10 years.

Guitarist JoJo Glidewell writes:

By Gabe Vodicka | February 28, 2013
Watch pacificUV's "Funny Girl" Video

Blog: Homedrone

Here's a newly released video for "Funny Girl," a standout tune from pacificUVs last album, WEEKENDS. It's a well-made clip courtesy of local director Brett Vaughn; make sure to watch all the way through, 'cause there's a shicking TWIST in the middle and then it gets all WEIRD at the end. CINEMA!

That's not all: The band tells Flagpole it will unveil a new single next week. "24 Frames" will be the first taste we get from the upcoming pacificUV album, After the Dream You are Awake, due in May.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 28, 2013
Daily Beast: UGA an 'Overlooked College,' Athens Apparently Has Some Sort of Music Scene

Blog: Homedrone

Earlier this week content farm legitimate news site The Daily Beast posted a list called "Amazing But Overlooked: 25 Colleges You Haven't Considered But Should" that succeeded in suckering me into linking to it (and yeah, I realize that makes me a weak person unfit for Internet). Among the schools listed was the University of Georgia, whose "overlooked merit" was Athens' "music scene." Reads the blurb:

The intense music curriculums of Berklee, Juilliard, and Curtis Institute may have merit, but Athens should be a beacon for students interested in a thriving live music scene outside the classroom. Home to the 40 Watt Club, the Melting Point, and the Georgia Theatre, Athens is known as one of the best places to catch live music in the country. The list of big-name bands that started on its stages is long, including REM, Drive-by Truckers, Indigo Girls, and Of Montreal. “What’s cool about the music scene here it that it’s so varied,” said Hilary Butschek, arts editor for the university’s paper, The Red & Black. “A lot of local band members say they came here because of the music scene.”

By Gabe Vodicka | February 28, 2013
Hear a New Song from k i d s

Blog: Homedrone

Below, stream "The Sound," a new tune from k i d s, the local pop/noise/nightmare/R&B project of K. Jared Collins. Collins reports that he will follow up last year's These Days album with an EP called are US, set to be recorded live during an upcoming performance, Saturday, Mar. 30 at Caledonia Lounge. Aside from his usual backing band, Velocirapture, Collins promises some special guests for that show, including Pretty Bird, Josh Evans of Muuy Biien and Javier Morales of The Dream Scene/Grass Giraffes.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 27, 2013
Win Tickets to The Big Bird Bash in Macon This Saturday

Blog: Homedrone

This Saturday, Mar. 2, the Big Bird Bash takes over Luther Williams Field down in Macon for a day of music. Our own Drive-By Truckers will headline the daylong festival, which also features Drivin' N' Cryin', Moon Taxi, Modern Skirts and more.

Wanna win a pair of tickets? Head over to our Facebook page for details on how to enter. We'll choose a winner this Thursday at 3 p.m. Godspeed.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 26, 2013
Twilight Americana Music Festival Performers Announced

Blog: Homedrone

Performers for the newly re-christened Twilight Americana Music Festival, which, we recently reported, takes place Apr. 25-28 at a variety of downtown venues, have been announced. The list includes some heavy-hitters, including Leon Russell, Leftover Salmon and Deer Tick, as well as a slew of notable locals: Mike Cooley, Lera Lynn, The Corduroy Road, The Darnell Boys, Jim White, Little Country Giants, Dave Marr, Don Chambers, The Kenney-Blackmon String Band, Caroline Herring, Claire Campbell, The Whiskey Gentry, Bain Mattox, Rusty Belle, W.B. Givens and Adam Klein and The Wild Fires.

More artist announcements are said to be forthcoming. For now, watch this video of Leon Russell performing "A Song For You" in 1971 and just sigh, 'cause that's all you can really do.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 22, 2013
Live Review: The World Famous Grand Opening

Blog: Homedrone

"Everything in here had a former life," co-owner David Eduardo told me last night while surveying the music (and, during daytime hours starting Monday, dining) room of The World Famous. The decor dotting the Hull Street venue does impart a certain warmth that tends to be missing from newly remodeled spaces; repurposed benches, chandeliers and curtains give it the feel of a much older place.

And it is, of course, having housed Wilson's Soul Food for 30 years—the iconic Wilson's sign hangs inside The World Famous—and Eduardo and partner Bain Mattox have taken care to let the history of the place shine through. Subtle remnants from the former tenant remain, and though there is a separate and more complex conversation to be had regarding the gentrification of downtown's west end, Mattox and Eduardo at least seem to comprehend the significance of it all.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 22, 2013
of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Performs Two Acoustic Tunes, Sings in a Weird David Byrne Voice

Blog: Homedrone

Above: a clip of Kevin Barnes of local psych-pop outfit of Montreal performing "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" as part of Vice's "Noisey Acoustics" series. (He also performed "Feminine Effects" with the help of vocalist Rebecca Cash). Barnes takes an, um, interesting approach to his solo acoustic performance of the tune; at times, his voice does a weirdly David Byrne-ish thing.

By Gabe Vodicka | February 20, 2013
Kendrick Lamar to Perform at UGA March 7

Blog: Homedrone

By Gabe Vodicka | February 20, 2013