Some weeks there’s a lot to say by way of introduction. This is not one of those weeks. So let’s just jump into it, shall we? Bounce on the board and point yourself below…

Heady Hour: Killick will play a special early show at Flicker Theatre & Bar on Saturday, Sept. 22. The set, featuring drummer John Norris, will kick off at 6:30 p.m. This is the first local show for Killick since he toured the East Coast this past summer. Norris and Killick came together as improvisational partners after meeting during the farewell jam for former Athenian Jeff Tobias earlier this year, and this gig marks the second time they will perform as a duo. Killick’s most recent release is the collaborative Nikola Tesla High School, which he recorded with jaw-slapping guitarist Henry Kaiser. Stream and purchase over at killick.bandcamp.com/album/nikola-tesla-high-school.

New Madrid

Do What You Did: New Madrid will play a release show for its album Yardboat at Farm 255 on Saturday, Sept. 22. The album was recorded with David Barbe at Chase Park Transduction, and it’s another one of those albums that I’m gonna need to spend some more time with. Right now, I’m on the fence between intrigued and bored, which really means that there’s enough going on in the band’s ideas but not enough in its execution. I can say, though, that New Madrid excels when sticking to straight up Americana-ish songwriting and falls short when trying to noodle around with guitar stuff. Stream the album via yardboat.com. And if you decide you’re totally in love with it but accidentally miss this show, don’t sweat it: the band plays again Sept. 29 at the Caledonia Lounge.

One Joke Over the Line: The most hilarious thing on the Internet right now can be credited to local band LIONZ, who made a ridiculous video for its ridiculous pro-marijuana legalization song “Hit The Bong.” The press release for the video refers to the band as “veteran rockers” but, you know, they’d actually have to rock first, wouldn’t they? Anyway, the song sounds basically like it was written in the deep haze between wake 'n' bake and Little Caesar’s happy hour, and the video looks like a bunch of adults that figured out how to combine green screen techniques with PowerPoint slides. The same release goes on to say that the video is “lighthearted but yet very direct,” so I’m sure LIONZ will allow me the same wiggle room when I provide my own lighthearted but very direct assessment that this is truly, undeniably awful. No matter how one feels about marijuana legalization, one thing is certain: this video/song combo has set it back at least 50 years. Don’t take my word for it. Laugh for yourself over at youtube.com/user/thelionzlionz.

Bumpin’ Bumpin’: The extremely talented yet eternally goofy gang in Pretty Bird is threatening to focus its entire near-future on fake bass, manipulated vocals and “super sexy” rap. The band debuted this material live last month and began recording a special-edition tape with Josh Evans (Muuy Biien) last week. The bandmembers' work ethic is such that this material will be available on cassette this Friday, Sept. 21, when they play Farm 255. Apparently, it will only ever be released on cassette and will most likely only be available at shows. Oh yeah, and Pretty Bird will also release a new shirt at this show. They call it a “wife-lover”—a.k.a. a fancy tank top. There’s no such thing!

Take the Pledge: Local Americana troubadour Adam Klein has launched a Pledge Music campaign to raise funds for the debut album from his group Adam Klein & The Wild Fires. Like Kickstarter, Pledge is rewards-based and uses an "all or nothing" system, where the artist must raise every dollar of his goal for it to count. Unlike Kickstarter, though, the service encourages the artist to donate a portion of proceeds to charity. Klein will donate 15 percent of money raised after the goal is met to the UN World Food Programme's work in West Africa. Pledge is a results-based service, which means that the money donated is dispensed in increments until the artist has delivered on the promised rewards packages. Sounds like a great deal all around! There's all sorts of neat stuff available, including a signed guitar, so go donate at pledgemusic.com/projects/adamklein. [Gabe Vodicka]

Silver Apples

On a Personal Note: There’s no way this isn’t going to sound like horn-tooting, so let’s just get that out of the way. There’s a new fall festival happening in town Oct. 11-13 at the Caledonia Lounge. It’s called Athens Intensified, and it’s an event I’ve been working to organize since my former partners and I decided to shut down the Athens PopFest. Significantly, Athens Intensified is not a replacement for PopFest. It’s a new thing that will hopefully foster its own identity. The headlining acts for this inaugural event are An All-Athens-Stars Tribute To Elliott Smith (Oct. 11)—a benefit for Nuçi’s Space—legendary space rock pioneers Silver Apples (Oct. 12) and punks-that-should-know-better-by-now The Queers (Oct. 13.). Supporting acts include Brothers, Entertainment, Quiet Evenings, Grim Pickins & The Bastard Congregation, Karbomb, Burns Like Fire and more. Ongoing information, including ticket sales, additional events and more can be found at facebook.com/athensintensified. Follow the haps on Twitter @Athensintense, and feel free to direct any questions to [email protected].