Blog Topic: Local Music News

Homedrone: The Powder Room Suffers Van Fire, Equipment Loss

By Gordon Lamb | January 21, 2015 10:35am

Photo Credit: via Facebook

After suffering the major indignity of having a van full of gear stolen on the mean streets of Chicago last year, Athens rockers The Powder Room rallied strongly. Most recently, theyreleased their debut album, Curtains, had it pressed to vinyl, enlisted longtime Athens drummer Patrick Ferguson and headed out of town a couple of weeks ago for a short tour.

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Homedrone: Reptar Signs to Joyful Noise, Releases 7-Inch, Album Coming Soon

By Gabe Vodicka | January 14, 2015 2:30pm

Photo Credit: Photo via Facebook

Big news today from the Reptar camp: The local electro-pop group announced it has signed with Joyful Noise Recordings—the label has also been home to fellow Athens acts of Montreal and Kishi Bashi—and that its long-awaited full-length follow-up to 2012's Body Faucet is on the way, with details to be revealed soon.

In the meantime, the band is offering up a limited-edition 7-inch release featuring two songs not on the upcoming LP: "In Through the Eyelids" and "Delusional."

Buy the EP here. Watch a video celebrating the signing announcement below:

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Homedrone: Wunderkindred Brings ATH to ATL Jan. 3

By Gabe Vodicka | December 22, 2014 4:08pm

If you're looking for post-New Year's action in the metropolis to our west, look no further than Le Maison Rouge, where several Athens-based groups participate in what's being billed as a cross-cultural exchange.

The Jan. 3 concert, dubbed Wunderkindred, is the brainchild of former Athens artist and musician Kerry Jones.

The show, a collaborative effort with Atlanta-based arts organization Dashboard Co-Op, features local artists The Dream Scene, Black Paradise, Mouser, Muuy Biien, Shade and Yung Yang, as well as Jones' own Atlanta/Brooklyn-based group, Phoenicians.

Writes Jones of her vision for the event:

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Homedrone: Hear a Song From of Montreal's Upcoming Album, Aureate Gloom

By Gabe Vodicka | December 10, 2014 12:25pm

Photo Credit: Ben Rouse

News came down yesterday that of Montreal, the long-running, shape-shifting Athens-based indie-pop project helmed by songwriter Kevin Barnes, will release a new full-length Mar. 3 via Polyvinyl.

Aureate Gloom will feature the same core cast of musicians as last year's Lousy with Sylvianbriar— Clayton Rychlik, Bob Parins, Bennett Lewis and JoJo Glidewell—though if single "Bassem Sabry" is any indication, Barnes and company have ditched the garage-rock of that record in favor of a strange, stripped-down dirty-disco sound.

Stream "Bassem Sabry" below:

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Homedrone: B-52s' Kate Pierson Announces Solo Album, Drops Video

By Gabe Vodicka | December 3, 2014 3:13pm

Photo Credit: Monicanation/Wikimedia Commons

She may be a New York City gal these days, but Kate Pierson will always be known as an Athens music legend, having co-founded the B-52's in the Classic City way back in 1976.

Aside from her work with the legendary new wave outfit, Pierson has stayed busy with a steady stream of collaborations over the years. And yesterday, Pierson announced that she will release her debut solo album, Guitars and Microphones, which features contributions from Australian singer Sia (who shares songwriting duties) and The Strokes' Nick Valensi, on Feb. 17.

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Homedrone: Nuçi’s Space Hosts Free 'Giving Tuesday' Show at the 40 Watt

By Gabe Vodicka | December 1, 2014 1:00pm

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

Last month, we wrote about the ongoing efforts of Nuçi’s Space to save the dilapidated St. Mary's steeple, which sits next door to the Oconee Street music resource center.

Though the "Reconstruction of the Steeple" Indiegogo campaign—which seeks money to restore the steeple and to fund the Space's programs for the coming year—raised a whopping $50,000 in its first day, the rate of donations has since slowed dramatically.

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Homedrone: Flagpole Premieres: Hand Sand Hands, 'Pores' Video

By Gabe Vodicka | October 22, 2014 11:01am

We've been fans of local experimental rhythmsmith Jonathan Miller and his Hand Sand Hands project since Miller emigrated from the Twin Cities to Athens in 2012. Attendees at this summer's Flagpole Athens Music Awards got a taste of HSH's upcoming album, Good Luck With That, which now has a release date: Nov. 11, when you can grab the album on cassette via Arrowhawk and digitally via Autumn + Colour.

The album—there's the cover art above—features contributions from bassist Taylor Chmura and drummer Chase Merritt (both of Little Gold), who lend the music a live, full-band feel, though it loses none of HSH's sample-based strangeness.

Below, check out a video for "Pores," the record's strong lead single, filmed by the increasingly in-demand Dominar, LTD.

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Homedrone: Monsoon Hosts 'Roller Skate Night' to Fund Video

By Gabe Vodicka | October 13, 2014 12:08pm

Local rock trio Monsoon is looking to shoot a fancy music video. But, like most Athens bands, they're hard up for cash. Rather than go the Kickstarter route—"I just couldn't bring myself to ask folks for money when everyone is so tapped these days," says singer and guitarist Sienna Chandler—the band has teamed with Fun Galaxy on Cherokee Road for a night of roller skating, live music and a few special surprises.

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Homedrone: R.E.M. Is Releasing a Live DVD Box Set, Selling T-Shirts from the Monster Tour

By Blake Aued | September 26, 2014 11:39am

Little-known Big Star cover band side project R.E.M. is releasing a six-DVD set of its televised live performances.

The set, dubbed REMTV, will include R.E.M.'s 1991 and 2001 "MTV Unplugged" sets, 1998 "VH1 Storytellers" appearance, 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, a rare 1984 cover of "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (?), a 2001 concert in Cologne, France and a 2008 concert in the Athens of Greece, plus a documentary and lots more rarities and never-before-released stuff.

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Homedrone: Drive-By Truckers Release Trailer for New Live Film

By Gabe Vodicka | September 10, 2014 2:48pm

Photo Credit: David McClister

In February, the Drive-By Truckers kicked off their annual series of "homecoming" shows at the 40 Watt Club with a special, invitation-only concert where they performed their then-new record, English Oceans, in its entirety.

The show happened to coincide with the worst winter weather Georgia had seen in years. But that didn't stop the band from taking the stage, nor did it dissuade fans from coming out. An upcoming concert film, titled Black Ice Vérité, documents the English Oceansperformance, as well as the Icepocalypse that swirled just outside.

In addition to the film, the band announced it is re-releasing English Oceans as a "deluxe edition" with an additional disc of eight live songs. The whole package is out Nov. 18 viaATO.

Watch the film's trailer below:

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