In the past, I've said something like, “Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends...” but everyone knows I ripped that off from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and who wants to be reminded about Emerson, Lake & Palmer? Exactly. So, forget all that. Let's just say, I'm glad you're back. Have a seat, brew the coffee and let's play some catch up…

Yip Yip Hurray: Yip Deceiver is headed out on the road for some spring cleaning leading up to SXSW in March. The impossibly catchy indie-disco combo will do a three-date East Coast run at the end of January, lay low for a few weeks, play the 40 Watt on Mar. 1, then start its trek to the desert. The band will hit the Savannah Stopover Festival, Mobile, AL and Houston, TX on the way. Although it's never a patently “bad” thing to lose half one's body weight from sweaty dancing, I'd still say catch 'em at the 40 Watt, because that's quite possibly the last time this year you'll be able to leave the show still relatively hydrated. Everything you need is located at yipdeceiver.com or facebook.com/yipdeceiver.

Less Is More: One of the most markedly improved bands of the past year has been SheHeHe, and the group's major change was really due to what it removed. An earlier incarnation of the band had its classic, twin-engine punk slathered in over-the-top lead guitar solos, which worked just fine for, say, The Stooges, but felt paternalistically oppressive and just plain old-fashioned. Now, SheHeHe—Jeff Hannan on bass, Noelle Shuck on rhythm guitar, Jason Fusco on drums, Ben Bone on lead guitar and Nicole Bechill on vocals (everyone else sings, too)—is a slimmed-down punch machine, and is prepared to release its first album, New American Jet Rock, on Feb. 8 at the Caledonia Lounge. The album was recorded at Full Moon Studios with Jay Rogers; Joel Hatstat took care of mastering. For the release show, the band will be joined by Free Mountain and Tealvox. For music head to reverbnation.com/shehehe, and for everything else, please see facebook.com/sheheheband.

Correction: A couple of weeks ago, I inadvertently led all of you astray when I told you that Sweet Knievel “formed” in 2001. This was a filthy lie! Due to my tragic misreading of the band's bio, I inferred this, but the fact is that Sweet Knievel didn't really begin properly until 2009. So, mea culpa, dudes. That link again is facebook.com/swtknvl.

Hey You Guys: Want to see your band's artwork, fliers, posters, stickers, etc., displayed in some upcoming episodes of the CW's "The Vampire Diaries?" Well, get on it now! Athens resident Georgeanne Olive, who works on the show as the buyer for set dressing, reports that there's an upcoming set being built to resemble something along the lines of NYC's legendary CBGB. That is, dark and plastered with decades of posters. She has put the call out to Athens bands to submit "posters, stickers and other band souvenirs" for this set. Since this is an actual, grown-up thing, you and any visual artists involved in the creation of your material will need to sign a release for the show's legal department. Easy peasy! If you're interested, please drop a line to [email protected] and include your name, phone, email address, band name, relevant links, etc., and the show's art department will follow up with you. Don't slack. Vampires may be thousands of years old, but they still move at a working person's pace.

This Is Relevant: I stepped into the way-back machine and went back to that time in the 1990s when Athens' bohemian cardigan sweaters and duct-taped hobo shoes mingled pretty seamlessly with Atlanta's queer Southern underground. That is, I spent some time over at smoke-cabbagetown.bandcamp.com, where you can find Smoke's Heaven on a Popsicle Stick (1994) and Another Reason to Fast (1995). Both were uploaded to the site last month, and can be downloaded for seven or eight bucks or streamed for free. A compilation of Smoke rarities, titled My Lover the Matador and featuring over 15 tracks from compilations and singles, will be released on the site at the end of April, but there are currently seven tracks from that available for you to enjoy. Don't be a bum on this. Enjoy the streams, but throw some bucks down for the downloads, too.

Not Fade Away: The memorial service for Craig Lieske will be held at the 40 Watt on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 2–4 p.m. The service is open to family and friends. Lieske passed away after a brief medical emergency on Friday, Jan. 18. A PayPal account has been set up in his name to assist his family with covering final expenses. Please donate whatever you can at drivebytruckers.com/craig.html. Thanks, y'all.