Pass The Tanning Butter!: I've spent the past several days checking out American Beach, the debut album by Honeychild. It's beach music, to be sure, but that beach exists in a hazy dream sequence where it's never too hot or windy and the sun is always rising or setting, a softly focused Coppertone ad from before we knew the sun was bad for the skin. And while imagined and composed by SJ Ursrey, it was constructed by her pals Suny Lyons, Claire and Page Campbell, Kris Deason and Rebekah Coulter. The official release show happens at Hendershot's Coffee Bar on Saturday, Nov. 2 with The Welfare Liners opening. There will even be a special non-alcoholic beverage available called the “American Beach,” and the first 100 people through the door will be treated Hawaiian-style and get a lei. Hubba hubba!

Blank Generation: Mux Blank (Rat Babies) is hosting perhaps his most ambitious event yet with his Carnivale of Black Hearts Kids Show & Dance Party Friday, Nov. 1 at New Earth Music Hall. The kids portion runs 6–10 p.m. and features music appropriate for the very little (“The Hokey Pokey” performed by Annie Paisley, “The Skeleton Dance” by Tennessee’s Cheeky Nefertiti) and sounds older kids might dig (Pride The Lycan, Mouser). Local food merchants will sell an assortment of treats that cater to pretty much any imaginable food sensitivity kids might have, and in true Blank fashion, there will be a host of other activities, like apple-bobbing, balloon animals, face-painting, pony rides (possible extra charge for this), a photo booth and more. At 10 p.m. you can throw your keys to the kids and tell 'em to get home safely, because you'll be hanging around for the dance party, which will feature music by the BeatmatchedHearts collective (aka DJ Incubus, Lexus Luthor and Pepe Cadena). Other plans include a live drum circle (oh no, Mux!), a fire performance and a costume contest based on the themes “Day of The Dead” and “All Saints Day.” This is a big undertaking, so hats off to Mr. Blank for staying on top of it all. The kids show, which is still seeking volunteers, is $5 and the dance party is $10. Drop a line to [email protected], and visit the Carnivale online at facebook.com/carnivaleblackhearts. 

Kraków Rock City: Polish label Diskette Records LTD has made good on its promise to release the new album by Je Suis France, Coleslaw III Drymouth. The cassette-only release is described by the label as “stylistically spanned from indie-pop airiness and Beefheartian absurdity” (loosely translated by me from the original Polish! Go college!). After giving it a few spins, I can't say I disagree with their assessment, and longtime fans will already know they're spot on. Also, the label's slogan is “Your New Favorite Waste of Minimal Wage,” and I'd like to nominate this as the next Je Suis France album title. Stream Coleslaw at jesuisfrance.bandcamp.com, and visit the label at facebook.com/DisketteRecordsLtd. 

The Beginning of A New Age: Congratulations go out to longtime WUOG 90.5 FM DJ and specialty show host Akeeme Martin for his appointment as the station's new general manager. Martin has been with WUOG for a full decade and is best known as the steadfast host of the "Halftime Hip Hop Show." His tenure as GM will begin in January 2014. 

Pick Your Own Plot: The debut album from Athens grunge-rockers Lullwater has been getting some thoughtful attention, but probably none so good-looking as the band's new video, which was shot by Jason Thrasher and stars Athens' Misty Sue Dennis. It's for the song “Albatross,” and it centers on a woman scorned—or just plain hard to please—and shows her systematically beating up or abusing the individual band members in various ways. These include shoving one guy in mud, throwing a bowling ball at the foot of another and smashing yet another with a pool cue and billiard balls. There's a disturbing subtext to all this (i.e. the “psycho woman” trope), and the video ends with the woman in question smiling because she got a toy prize from an arcade machine. So maybe there's another subtext here whereby the band are actually a bunch of losers who can't even provide as much happiness as a cheap stuffed animal. I dunno. It's confusing and disturbing, but you know, that's part and parcel of a lot of art, and Thrasher is nothing if not a wonderful artist. Dig it on Homedrone, poke around on Thrasher's own site and visit the muddy dudes in Lullwater at lullwatermusic.com.