Wednesday, August 31, 2005
It seems that the Salvation Army off of Sugarloaf Highway (nearing the I85/Hwy 316 intersection) is in desperate need of food and toiletries for Katrina refugees. They are at capacity and in need of immediate tangible resources. If you are driving to Atlanta in the next few days, please consider stopping by the Salvation Army with canned goods and/or toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. If you are unable to drive (also depends on the current gas shortage), you may also send goods or monetary donations to them.
Salvation Army
3455 Sugarloaf Pkwy.
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
If the Salvation Army is not your thing, the Atlanta Community Food Bank is also in immediate need as well. While I would normally suggest giving money to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund, Atlanta is presently in need of our help at this time.
Thanks for lending a hand and your heart. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated, even if it's just passing this message along to others to get the word out.
AJC is in the process of compiling a list of the top 100 southern songs. Whether the AJC can be trusted with compiling such a list remains to be seen. Here's hoping that Pavement's "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" gets included (there's gotta be a song about Athens).
Thanks to Redskins Man for the link.
Thanks to Redskins Man for the link.
Amber Valentine recently checked in over at AthensMusic.com. Sounds like they're coming back around this way in October. A Halloween-time show would be perfect.
Adrian's nicely covered the newest happenings with the Art Of It All frog(s) over at AthensWorld. Some folks might think it's a ridiculous fight to take up, some others (especially downtown business owners) might not. But it's an interesting story at the very least.
Do you like noise? There's gonna be a lot of it at the Caledonia tonight. Actually it's a big experimental night as "Jeremiah Cymerman's Big Exploitation" takes the stage. I guess it depends on if you consider experimental music to be "music" or not, but some of the most talented musicians in town'll be participating so it oughta be an interesting and rare performance at the very least. Lots more info here.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Thanks to Vet Pharmacist for the heads up on today's Red & Black which features an article about (of all things) the day jobs of local musicians. So, I figured we damn well oughta post it. Voila.
So I'm sitting on a North-South bus the other day (being a student again and all) and it reaches Human Resources, which as many people know is stopping point for many buses to be able to kinda reset their schedule to 'on time' instead of 'ahead. That means they end up sitting there for a while.
Suddenly, an obnoxious voice distracts me from my studying (Sound Wave Propagation - real fun stuff). I hear some guy talking loudly on his cell phone (this guy'll be known as "TT" from here on out - which stands for "Total Tool" ... don't wanna generalize, but he was a bit this way). He's saying stuff like: "I'm trying to get over there but this bus driver's just [effing] sitting here" over and over again in a voice that was meant so that the driver and the other few people on the bus could hear it.
Finally, TT says, "I'm gonna go figure out what the [eff]'s going on". So, super-sleuth that he is, TT walks up to the bus driver and says, "What's going on? Why are we just sitting here". The bus driver, to her credit, calmly explains that she has to stay there to help regulate the bus routes. This answer was not good enough for TT. Determined, he continued, "Can we just not do that? I have to be at Aderhold in like 15 minutes." Again, she explains that she cannot.
So, he goes off in a huff back to his seat. After pouting for about a minute, he makes a big 'ol scene getting off the bus and starts walking away (like his magic chariot's about to appear). He isn't 10 paces from the stop when the driver shuts the doors and takes off. I laughed out loud. TT got served.
Thanks to Hillary for sending us a link so we could view Jack White's latest escapades. Now, if we could only find the Iron Maiden footage!
Still Small Voice & The Joyful Noise rock the Watt tonight. F'pole gave 'em a full article already, and it's definitely worth a read.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Sounds like a lotta folks out there are in need of stress relief today. Well, what could be better than blasting the crap out of waterfowl? Enter Duck Doom Deluxe.
(Stolen from Memepool.)
(Stolen from Memepool.)
I know life must be really hard for you. What with being a redneck, barely literate, overweight, and married to Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel and all. But why can't you just keep your misery to yourself, lady? Why must you hurt others? All I wanted to do was pick out a damn greeting card. I was minding my own business and was in a pretty pleasant mood until I encountered you. Then you had to go and ruin everything.
First, I know the birthday cards are filled with hijinks and hilarity, but reading every single one you pick up out loud is a little unnecessary. Second, asking your husband's opinion on each one, is a little unneccesary as well (especially as he was very busy staring blankly into space, drooling, and doing his best to ignore you). Third, if you have a crying baby, why not see what's wrong with him? Why ignore him and make other people suffer? He might have a dookie diaper (which I could smell, by the way) or be hungry. My guess is he was probably crying because, at even such a young age, he was bemoaning his destiny, what with the ticking time bomb double-helix of DNA you provided him with at birth that ensures he will grow up to watch NASCAR in his double-wide, drink Milwaukee's Beast, and scream "Get 'ir done!" at every opportunity.
But I was in a good mood that day, and for the most part could ignore all this, since I knew my time with you was short-lived. Until Cletus turned around and saw that you were about to run over me and said "Lookit huuuunnnnnyyy..." and pointed at me. Then you, MENSA reject that you are, turned your head in the OPPOSITE direction in which he was pointing to look toward him while you pushed your FULL buggy and crying baby right over my foot (which wouldn't have been that bad had I not been wearing flip-flops). And when I howled in pain, you turned to look at me with such surprise, asking "Whassa matter with you girl?" I felt something insiude me snap a little at that point. My response, I'm sure, was shocking to you.
"What's the matter with me??? Bitch, you rolled your goddamn cart over my foot!! You knew I was standing here, and then you act surprised when you push your buggy back and hit me? Didn't you feel that speedbump which was my FOOT when you did that shit? I swear to GOD, lady, do us all a favor and put that kid up for adoption TODAY so he'll stand a chance in this world and he won't have the horror of having grown up under the care of two hillbillies like YOU!!!!!!" The big round "o" of shock that your mouths made was funny to me until it turned into a snarl of anger, and I'm sure things would have escalated if the nice young Target employee hadn't come up and offered me a chance to save 10% on my purchase today if I applied for a Target VISA, which I guess provided me with the easiest opportunity to escape you. I hobbled up to the express checkout cash register with my mangled foot and got out of there before you could try to catch up and wreak more violence upon me. It's too late to save me, but please redneck lady, change the kid's diaper and don't hurt anyone else.
Love,
Legal Bitch
Props to the birthday boy, Robo Dave. One could think of all kinds of adjectives to describe our novel TDJ commenter, but I'll leave those descriptions to you. Have a favorite quote of Robo's? A funny story? Share it in the comments section. And to Dave, hope your day is full of beer, mowing the lawn, poppers, pissing people off, and whatever else it is that you enjoy.
Mind if I vent? Some f'n thief stole $600 worth of parts off my bike this weekend, including my front shocks, tire, brakes, and front rim. Damn Oregonian-hippy-methhead thieves.
The worst part is that my bike is now my main mode of transportation... In Athens my bike was just my means of getting exercise, but here it's how I get to work. So now I gotta catch the damned bus (like a sucker) until I buy new parts.
So, my former neighbors... how should I proceed? Should I start seeking out revenge on the streets of Eugene? Should I start accusing local bike shops? Should I offer a reward for the thief's head on a platter? Should I buy an SUV and put a W sticker on it?
I swear... the hippies here are enough to turn a fella into a Repugnantcan.
P.S. After typing this post, I realized how pointless and unfunny it is. However, venting makes me feel better... so there.
P.S.S. On a lighter note... Travis and Jonathan have a new short called "My Date With Drew, Too" (takes a while to load). It's funny stuff, but parts are definitely NSFW.
The worst part is that my bike is now my main mode of transportation... In Athens my bike was just my means of getting exercise, but here it's how I get to work. So now I gotta catch the damned bus (like a sucker) until I buy new parts.
So, my former neighbors... how should I proceed? Should I start seeking out revenge on the streets of Eugene? Should I start accusing local bike shops? Should I offer a reward for the thief's head on a platter? Should I buy an SUV and put a W sticker on it?
I swear... the hippies here are enough to turn a fella into a Repugnantcan.
P.S. After typing this post, I realized how pointless and unfunny it is. However, venting makes me feel better... so there.
P.S.S. On a lighter note... Travis and Jonathan have a new short called "My Date With Drew, Too" (takes a while to load). It's funny stuff, but parts are definitely NSFW.
Anyone who listens to the radio and/or watches TV has apparently already heard of this, but my brother told me about that Joey Green (the guy who writes books about how you can use WD-40 to build a house* or whatever) has his own site called Wacky Uses. Unfortunately, it's indexed by product (and brand names at that - who knows if the generic works as well), but it's still a great read.
*= Probably not actually true.
*= Probably not actually true.
Okay, y'all Hillary's right: The Five & Ten is amazing. I mean, it's friggin' great. I know the prices are expensive to a degree, but the prix fixe helps that out, and I'm telling you: if you haven't been and you want a great meal, go there. It's really, really, really, really awesome.
I went there with Vet Pharmacist last week. Had the roasted pork shoulder with sweet potatoes, carmelized onions, mango, etc. Normally, I don't have a taste for much of that other stuff, but it all just kinda works together. It was fan-friggin'-tastic. Hillary's also right about another thing, unless you're allergic to something, just look at the main entrees (not what's on or with them) and order by that. Don't even question the sides, cause they're gonna be awesome. Trust me, if you have the means, go there.
What'd y'all do this past week(end)? Drink? Eat? Rock? Let us know what was worth it. Drop a line in the comments and maybe we'll take you up on it. (I'm doing a whole post today on something I liked.)
Friday, August 26, 2005
Big Gray has informed us of a new blog site for Team Clermont which will host mp3s and the like to showcase the bands they work with. Check it out y'all and welcome to the blogging fold Team Clermont.
Random items of interest (or maybe not) in the news today.
- It seems the Rolling Stones stage did a little bit of damage to the Red Sox field. And they were not expecting that huge stage to tear up the field?
- Apparently the "redneck woman" known as Gretchen Wilson could be in a bit of trouble. Oh, the self-proclaimed rednecks are going to have a ball with this one.
- The Sun has a slideshow of Worst Album Covers of all time. You've probably seen many of these already, but they are still funny to revisit.
So, to recap for those who have forgotten or have just joined us, these are stories from my bizarre upbringing in the REAL O.C. (Oconee County), usually starring my psycho father. He's a retired police officer, so most stories involve someone inciting violence or blowing something up, but this is a softer story...about my Dad's unconditional love for two gay bunny rabbits.
My Dad, while he would shoot a man in the face for less than you'd think, has a heart of gold when it comes to stray animals. He'd pick up dogs or cats off the side of the road or take a kitten from someone at work who was giving them away, and he'd bring the furry critter home and end up treating it better than he'd treat my mom. And sometimes, the animals came into our house through mine or my brother's doing. This was the case with the rabbits. My dad inherited one male rabbit from each of us (Thumper from my brother, and Clyde from me). And he loved those rabbits. And apparently, they loved each other.
I was in college when this happened, and I came home to pick up mail one evening, and Dad was freaking out about something. He grabbed me by the arm and said "Oh, you gotta see this." Never a good sign in our household. So he pulls me into my parents' room, and he's let both the bunnies out of their cages. They're hopping around, jumping in the air all happy and shaking their little tails when suddenly, Thumper takes off like a spark across the room and mounts Clyde and starts humping away. They separate, and Clyde chases Thumper across the room and starts banging on him. My dad is cackling and clapping, and turns to me and says "Aren't they cute doing that? It's their spring bunny mating dance! It must mean spring is here! Hop Hop Hop! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!!"
I had a moment where I could decide to hold back. But I didn't.
"Dad, your rabbits are boys and are doing it in the ass. Spear fishing for doo-doo sharks. Riding the pink torpedo. I hate to break it to you, but your rabbits are gay. And aside from that, this isn't like the groundhog popping out of it's hole and letting us know if winter's over - two rabbits doing it in the butt doesn't indicate the arrival of spring...I think." My dad's jaw dropped in shock. "They're both boys?" I replied, "Well, if they've been doing this all the time and you don't have little baby bunnies I'd hoped you'd have realized that by now."
He seemed slightly disappointed for a second until Clyde grabbed Thumper by the head, peed on him a little, and Thumper chased Clyde in the corner and started humping away with gusto in retaliation. Dad broke into hysterial laughter - "Your ass is grass now, rabbit! Get him good, boy!" My Dad's new pasttime was born - watching gay bunny rabbits chase each other around and take turns on pitcher and catcher. Clyde died a little over a year ago, and Thumper now humps one of my Dad's shoes in his memory. R.I.P. Clyde!
A couple of weeks ago, we posted the links to various interviews with bands for the kids' show Pancake Mountain. Here is one with Athens' Widespread Panic. (The question put forth to Dave Schools is hilarious.)
I saw these links on the internets somewhere and was suprised to find more than one. I would guess there's probably even more out there. But here's the answer to all your prayers, ladies. You no longer have to pee sitting down, if you so desire. There are now aids to help you do it standing up. Um, someone try it out and report back to us soon.
Don't have time for links right now. Hopefully y'all know about the Internets (yeah, I know, I'm slacking in my slacking)...
FRI: The Ritz hosts a rare weekend of local music with Venice Is Sinking, Astra, and Count playing tonight. Giant venue. Hope they pack it out. I'd love to hear VIS's sound reverberating in there, especially.
There's also a rare appearance by Producto at the Caledonia and a not-so-rare appearance by Redneck Greece at Jot 'Em Down. But y'all know about that (though the future show count is waning, I'm sure).
SAT: Kyle Dawkins and Erik Hinds both do a collaborative CD release party kinda show at Canopy Studios. I haven't heard Erik's new CD, a complete cover album of Slayer's Reign In Blood, but Kyle's CD's been done for a while, and it's really great. Kinda an earthy, Southern Folk but now with electronic backing. Odd blend, but it works well.
FRI: The Ritz hosts a rare weekend of local music with Venice Is Sinking, Astra, and Count playing tonight. Giant venue. Hope they pack it out. I'd love to hear VIS's sound reverberating in there, especially.
There's also a rare appearance by Producto at the Caledonia and a not-so-rare appearance by Redneck Greece at Jot 'Em Down. But y'all know about that (though the future show count is waning, I'm sure).
SAT: Kyle Dawkins and Erik Hinds both do a collaborative CD release party kinda show at Canopy Studios. I haven't heard Erik's new CD, a complete cover album of Slayer's Reign In Blood, but Kyle's CD's been done for a while, and it's really great. Kinda an earthy, Southern Folk but now with electronic backing. Odd blend, but it works well.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Okay, so a morning radio show (of all things) sparked a conversation between me and my gf about tipping. Or more over, when it's actually appropriate and when it's "extra" or in some cases not really warranted or appropriate. I mean, we all know you tip bartenders and waiters because they don't get paid except through tips (at least, for the most part). Then there's bellhops, valets, cabbies, people who cut your hair, etc. who it's generally agreed upon that you tip.
However, what about some borderline stuff. What about people who make your coffee? I mean, they get paid (not a lot, but they do), but there's a tip jar. Or people at some fast-food-y establishments who have tip jars out. I mean, most folks don't tip at McDonald's, but at these places, they ask for it (not naming any by name, but you can probably think of a few). Do you tip any time there's a jar present? Does the jar mean you SHOULD tip? If so, how much? If not, why?
Finally, my biggest conundrum: To-Go food from real restaurants. Do you tip the person who bags your food and rings you up? I mean, they didn't wait on you (and in many cases don't even do "expo"), but there's that tip line in the receipt, right?
So, looking for some tips on tipping. Drop a line in the comments - especially if you work in places like this. Do you hate people who don't tip or just like people more who do? All I ask is that no-one refer to their hard-earned money. If you're on this site, it's not "hard-earned".
Tenement Halls (the new ATL band featuring members of the Rock*A*Teens) plays at the Caledonia. It's really catchy stuff. I wanna say Ben Folds Five-Ish, but it's a bit heavier. I think I just say that cause there's a piano/keyboard thingy involved. Anyway I'm not a big fan of BFF, but I like Tenement Halls. And Pushbutton (the new project from Annaray frontman Chris Uhde) opens, so that oughta be worth it. More here.
But also there's Casper & The Cookies brining some upbeat rock to the Lunch Paper (which has fancy new signs now). Though they ditched "Live in the Lobby", they did bring the rock to Popfest, so that makes up for it. The only question is whether or not this show will also feature a cape. We'll have to wait and see.
So let me just admit this right up front: These mofo's are friends of mine...
Columbia, SC's Vinyl Are My Pants have just posted a few downloads on their myspace page (apparently, the songs will only be available until Aug. 28... so download 'em now). As far as I know, these are the first recorded songs by VAMP after 3-4 years of playing shows around the southeast.
Note: I'm not just promoting friends here... In fact, we try to be careful about recommending music. To get the TDJ stamp of approval is supposed to mean something (at least among our small circle of friends). Anyway, this is some great stuff. So there.
Columbia, SC's Vinyl Are My Pants have just posted a few downloads on their myspace page (apparently, the songs will only be available until Aug. 28... so download 'em now). As far as I know, these are the first recorded songs by VAMP after 3-4 years of playing shows around the southeast.
Note: I'm not just promoting friends here... In fact, we try to be careful about recommending music. To get the TDJ stamp of approval is supposed to mean something (at least among our small circle of friends). Anyway, this is some great stuff. So there.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The latest Google program has been unveiled and this time they are making it easier for you to stay in touch with friends by implementing Google Talk. I haven't had much chance to play around with it yet, but if it is anything like Google Earth, I am sure it will be cool. Plus, it's free. Free is good.
IDontLikeYouInThatWay talks about how Keanu likes old people, Brit-Brit is a polygamist (and ignorant of pediatrics), and plenty o' Tara Reid. As always with this site, there's plenty of insightful (and lewd) commentary, so be careful if your work cares about "swears".
So I was in need of a laugh this morning and decided to head on over to Crapville.com to get me started. (You just gotta love that domain name.) The first video I saw took me back to high school, when I attempted to play "quarters" the first time I was really going to drink. Needless to say, I was horrible at the game and got tanked. But imagine if you would have been playing this guy! You wouldn't stand a chance. He's got the quarter skills for sure.
However, this guy is the one that really made me laugh this morning. (Or maybe it's the guys behind him that are just not sure what to think.) Could you imagine being next to someone at a sporting event (or any event) that just busted out the moves like this? Either way, they surely helped me out of my Wednesday morning funk.
However, this guy is the one that really made me laugh this morning. (Or maybe it's the guys behind him that are just not sure what to think.) Could you imagine being next to someone at a sporting event (or any event) that just busted out the moves like this? Either way, they surely helped me out of my Wednesday morning funk.
A couple of talented singer/songwriters open up shows tonight. You can see Liz Durrett perform at the 40 Watt or (Lona/Chasers frontman) Clay Leverett play at the Georgia Theatre. Quite different speeds, but good tunes either way. Probably a more serious vibe with the former, who just completed her new album. The latter has been in the studio this past week helping Andy Lemaster begin work on a new Now It's Overhead album. Dunno what that means for his performance, but at least y'all know.
UPDATE: For those who don't read the comments, Chris Hassiotis says...
"Hey, Liz Durrett's not playing tonight according to the 40 Watt. She had to cancel and has been replaced by Annie & Her Guns. Also on the bill are Tin Cup Prophette and Mandy Jane & the Jaws of Life.
Also, Vic Chesnutt and Liz Durrett are playing at something called the Cobbham Festival on Labor Day weekend ... I am still in the process of finding out everything that's going on. But it's Sunday, Sept 4, music from about 2 p.m. until about 8 p.m. ... opening parade, kidsfest-type stuff, yard sale, theatrical performance, etc. See next week's Flagpole for more info. (Thanks, Chris!)
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Something Awful's "Photoshop Phriday" for last week as per usual delivers a mixed bag. But the funnies are great.
Just when you start losing hope for politics, along comes Vic Chesnutt to join the blogging fold! It appears he is now a blogger for The Huffington Post.
Since moving away from Athens, I've been basically friendless. So, what does one do when one has no friends????
Tool around Myspace...
Sounds depressing, right? Not really... For example, I came across Dan Matthew's profile (he's a regular TDJ commenter) and noticed that he has a screen grab of his big moment in Remember the Titans. I'd forgotten all about his cameo in that flick.
Seeing this reminded me that I never got a chance to ask Dan all the questions I'd wanted to about his acting debut:
- Was Denzel a dick?
- Is "Ryan Hurst" actually Chipper Jones' screen name?
- How did a fella named Boaz come to direct a civil rights/football flick?
- Does Kate Bosworth smell like roses?
(Answer in the comments Dan)
Tool around Myspace...
Sounds depressing, right? Not really... For example, I came across Dan Matthew's profile (he's a regular TDJ commenter) and noticed that he has a screen grab of his big moment in Remember the Titans. I'd forgotten all about his cameo in that flick.
Seeing this reminded me that I never got a chance to ask Dan all the questions I'd wanted to about his acting debut:
- Was Denzel a dick?
- Is "Ryan Hurst" actually Chipper Jones' screen name?
- How did a fella named Boaz come to direct a civil rights/football flick?
- Does Kate Bosworth smell like roses?
(Answer in the comments Dan)
The Fairburn Royals have posthumously released their Covers EP. That song from Grease is a personal favorite of mine. Well worth your downloading time and effort. There's a live version of a Morrissey cover that didn't make the cut in the Live at the 40 Watt section. So there's some free music and the last of this band's output, presumably (unless enough people ask for more says the site). Enjoy.
Monday, August 22, 2005
(NOT SAFE FOR WORK - some really gross nudity involved. But it's funny. Thanks to Mike from Commentary DVD for the link!)
Check out this interesting online gallery of postcards people have sent in that have secrets never before told to anyone.
I know nothing about this, but Desktop Publisher reports that after Patterson Hood's show last week, flyers were being passed out stating that he was gonna play at the new Jittery Joe's (Alps Shopping Center) tonight. Betsy Franck is opening, apparently. I know absolutely nothing more than that, so if you know more, drop a line in the comments. And if you're interested, check there.
UPDATE: Thanks to Chris for this info: "7pm Party with FREE Coffee drinks 7-9pm". Apparently, it's gonna be outside on the patio as well. Which is great because in this weather, all I can think about is how much I want a nice steaming cup of coffee.
What in the hell have y'all been up to? Drop us a line in the comments. We haven't heard from you in like, forever. Seriously, let us know what's good out there so we don't buy into crap. Any music rock your socks off? Any food wow you? See a good flick? Let us know!
Friday, August 19, 2005
I always wonder about the guys that do those melodramatic voice-overs in movie trailers. Here are two great humor pieces.
I begged, GLFC mitigated, and it now appears that the Angry Magic Duck has come out of quite a long sabbatical.
A few very entertaining Jimmy Kimmel "Unnecessary Censorship" clips courtesy of Karate Media (for those who don't read the comments):
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Plus one rap opera. More here. Thanks, KM!
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Plus one rap opera. More here. Thanks, KM!
FRI: "Athens 441" is back in session. The first of this fall's series features Phosphorescent, Geoff Reacher, and others. It starts at 8PM at The Morton and will be taped for future broadcast. More here and here and here.
For something kinda quiet and intimate, you can also catch The Good Ship at GO Bar or for more upbeat and "danceable", there's I Am The World Trade Center and Iron Hero at the 40 Watt (more here on that). Or the folk-y music's available too: Jonathan Byrd & Carl Lindberg at Farm 255 (which I've heard great things about, btw). That's a variety of good stuff, so some of that's gotta fit your taste somewhere.
If not, Lona covers the straight-ahead rock n' roll angle quite well over at the Caledonia. And as always, Redneck GReece and company'll be puttin' on the country and 'cue down at Jot 'Em Down sometime around 6:30 PM. But now - you can read about it! The tradition won't likely be going on too much longer, so catch it soon if you're gonna.
SAT: Nutria and the Stand-Ins bring the rock to the Caledonia. I don't know many folks who don't like Nutria. I mean, they're just catch and good. I know a few folks take issue with certain members of Nutria... but that's a whole different story (insert smiley here). Anyway, that's a great night of rock n' roll guaranteed. Those're some of the best musicians/songwriters in town. And if you ask nicely, you'll get a free CD outta the deal. Trust me, it's worth it.
Of course, afterwards (or during if rock's not your speed), DJ Cut-A-Rug & The Big Nastee'll be spinning it down at Little Kings. It's like Krush Girls, but for townies and where people (mostly the DJ's themselves) tend to get a little crazy - plus, they play a spin a cool variety of stuff.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Next up in the HHBTM Popfest 2005 audio files is the recording of Pipes You See Pipes You Don't. There are more to come so check back often. Thanks to Sloan Simpson for all things audio.
Well, this is an interesting new game, to say the least. (And I thought I had a lot of time on my hands.)
Welcome back students, now please get out of the way (actually, I'm one of you again so I guess I gotta be nice)...
Lotsa stuff going on tonight. Patterson Hood plays a set with the usual suspect backing him up at the 40 Watt. The set will surely feature lotsa songs from his upcoming album Murdering Oscar & Other Love Songs - though I have no idea when that's gonna be released.
For something math-y (if you didn't get your fill last night), there's Cinemechanica at the Caledonia or (the new and very much improved) Heros Severum at the Lunch Paper. I can't say enough about how much both of those bands have grown recently. They're both in top shape.
Oh, and before all that, if you like your music politically charged and slightly poppy - The Visitations will be on WUOG's (90.5's) "Live In The Lobby", starting at 8 PM (rock time).
But let me just say this: Those of you with any cojones will be at Stan's Bar & Grill to see Keith Sweat perform. That's right the Keith Sweat at some little bar on Baxter. If anyone gets pictures of this event (has to have Mr. Sweat himself in the shot) and sends them to us, I will buy them a drink. A nice drink. This does not include an obligation to actually hang out with me, so don't worry. I'll just buy you the drink and leave you alone. Think about it.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The Circulatory System set from HHBTM Popfest 2005 is now available via bittorrent download. Thanks to Sloan Simpson for rolling tape.
In case you missed it, AMdC's got news about local musician (& Reverend) Sam Mixon (Porn Orchard, The Sunshine Fix, Vic Chesnutt's band, etc.) and his very first solo project. Oh, he also does weddings!
Also, looks like The France is gonna play again soon - the day after my birfday (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). DeeJ - where's our scoop?
A coupla' good shows can be had tonight. You could actually catch both, if so inclined (though they're two different speeds/scenes, so likely only me and like five other people in town would wanna do that)...
First, you can see Todd McBride & The Cooler Heads at Tasty World. The event is some sort of a book release for an author Todd is friends with. Doors at 8, Music at 9, Todd & company go on around 10 - or so I've been told. Anyway, rock n' roll doesn't get much better than this, and as a friend told me this week, "I'd read anything Todd rocks for."
Also, if you like it heavier (and more mathy) Coulier and We Versus The Shark play at the 40 Watt. WVTS, who are currently writing and recording material for their next album, were particularly great at Popfest the other night.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Hillary sent over a coupla' great Gizmodo links. Firstly, the mostly grisly eating surface I've heard of, and secondly robot skin. Seriously, robot skin. Thanks, Hillary!
In response to the post about the recent Athens mention in Rolling Stone (and our ensuing discussion), Chris sent this:
"I finally got a copy of that Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide book this past week. Athens remains ranked No. 1 in terms of music scene. (The No. 8 thing in the magazine was an overall music-scene-plus-music-related-college-courses thing.) The 40 Watt is ranked the sixth best venue in the nation. Naturally, Tight Pockets is mentioned and closes the same month as the book's publication.
Several local bands (Iron Hero, Phosphorescent, etc.) mentioned, as well as several local people (Dan Korn, Paul Thomas, Don Chambers, JoE Silva, John Fernandes, etc.). Concerns about Caledonia/40 Watt mixup apply only to the magazine, not the actual book. An intro paragraph about UGA courses and R.E.M. was written by Jenny Eliscu, the book's author. Swing by Borders or something and take a look! Or by one online."
This article claims you can install OS X (the Apple operating system) on a PC harddrive. I don't know enough about tech speak to be able to dispute it (geeks?), so if you're sick of all your Mac friends (I'm now one of those) turning their noses up, go for it ... and then compare price tags.
Two words of warning: To do this, you'll have to wipe your harddrive clean or get a second and also the link inside the Lifehacker article we've linked to takes you to what looks like an actual hacking site, so that could get some folks in trouble at work.
Two words of warning: To do this, you'll have to wipe your harddrive clean or get a second and also the link inside the Lifehacker article we've linked to takes you to what looks like an actual hacking site, so that could get some folks in trouble at work.
Vet Pharmacist highlights this passage in a CNN story about some new previously unknown waterfall in some park in California:
"From his home on Grizzly Gulch a few miles from the falls' new trailhead, McDermott also said he has no problem with officials trying to draw more people into the park.
There are plenty of natural wonders out there for everybody, he said. For example, he's seen a giant manzanita shrub with a three-foot diameter stump, and he said he may be the only person to know about it.
If park officials want to build a trail to it, however, they're on their own.
"They're going to have find it themselves," he said."
Damn you, McDermott...just tell me where the giant manzanita shrub is!!!
also...
Hee-hee. They said Jerk-O-Meter!
"From his home on Grizzly Gulch a few miles from the falls' new trailhead, McDermott also said he has no problem with officials trying to draw more people into the park.
There are plenty of natural wonders out there for everybody, he said. For example, he's seen a giant manzanita shrub with a three-foot diameter stump, and he said he may be the only person to know about it.
If park officials want to build a trail to it, however, they're on their own.
"They're going to have find it themselves," he said."
Damn you, McDermott...just tell me where the giant manzanita shrub is!!!
also...
Hee-hee. They said Jerk-O-Meter!
If you read about the upcoming performance by Ravenstone in last week's Threats & Promises, here's what Advisor has to say about it:
"Michael Simpson, director of Sleepaway Camp 2 and 3, and his band Ravenstone will be performing their first show in 30 years on August 27th at the Ritz. Incredibly Strange has some related links and reviews of some of his films here."
Thanks, Advisor. Maybe someday we'll see you posting more back here.
"Michael Simpson, director of Sleepaway Camp 2 and 3, and his band Ravenstone will be performing their first show in 30 years on August 27th at the Ritz. Incredibly Strange has some related links and reviews of some of his films here."
Thanks, Advisor. Maybe someday we'll see you posting more back here.
Monday, August 15, 2005
This article is all about how to work less and accomplish more in your personal life (the only time work really counts).
A new local site features a UVA grad's thoughts on music. And he doesn't spare feelings. The site's in its infancy, so we'll see how it grows. Showing promise, though.
(Thanks to Chris for the link!)
(Thanks to Chris for the link!)
Okay, I don't know anything more about this than what Flagpole says:
"ANDY CARLSON (Ashford Manor) "Mountain music, and more!" Fiddle champ Andy Carlson, a Normaltown Flyers collaborator, is as well versed in the world of contemporary music as he is in the folk and bluegrass realms (as when he plays with his own Andy Carlson Band). He's contributed his fiddling to Vic Chesnutt's Is the Actor Happy, R.E.M.'s New Adventures in Hi-Fi and numerous albums by Billy Bragg and Uncle Tupelo. 6 p.m."
...but that sounds interesting, right? Here's the show info.
"ANDY CARLSON (Ashford Manor) "Mountain music, and more!" Fiddle champ Andy Carlson, a Normaltown Flyers collaborator, is as well versed in the world of contemporary music as he is in the folk and bluegrass realms (as when he plays with his own Andy Carlson Band). He's contributed his fiddling to Vic Chesnutt's Is the Actor Happy, R.E.M.'s New Adventures in Hi-Fi and numerous albums by Billy Bragg and Uncle Tupelo. 6 p.m."
...but that sounds interesting, right? Here's the show info.
Hey y'all, let us hear it. What'd you do/see/hear/eat/experience/interact with/etc. that you enjoyed this past week? Any particularly great moments? Share 'em in the comments.
(Note: Don't wanna hear "I mowed my lawn, then I ate a sandwich, then I washed my car, then I watched some TV" - let's hear what you really liked. Just the highlights and why they were so great.)
(Note: Don't wanna hear "I mowed my lawn, then I ate a sandwich, then I washed my car, then I watched some TV" - let's hear what you really liked. Just the highlights and why they were so great.)
Friday, August 12, 2005
This is undoubtedly one of the funniest things The Onion has written in a while. Just wanted to mention it. Also, I don't know why I always like their darkest stuff. But it's funny. (Language, NSFW.)
"Encoded the Pylon interview from the Atlanta Tonight episode from a few weeks ago. The live footage is from New Year's, when Lava Post shot the whole shebang. There's a few, brief flashes of my camerawork in there. Just look for the shaky and poorly composed shots.
Also, check out the attached photos, from the Athens Kroger on 316 (next to Home Depot). Make up your own jokes. (Yes, I like to make fun of other people's typos. I have simple pleasures)"
Last week's Olivia Tremor Control set from the Orange Twin camp is now available for download via bittorrent. It's so simple to do, don't miss out. Thanks to Sloan Simpson for being a machine when it comes to this stuff.
With the barrage of really hilarious Mr. T-related video and audio on the web, I can't remember what exactly we have and haven't posted in the past, but this clip is worth re-watching even if we have posted it before. It's got helpful life lessons and a musical number.
(Thanks to Mike from CommentaryDVD.com for the link!)
(Thanks to Mike from CommentaryDVD.com for the link!)
Popfest continues...
FRI: As with this past week, Popfest dominates the musical landscape this weekend. Tonight's schedule goes as such (or was at "press time"):
@Little Kings
3:30 PM Lake Holiday
4:00 PM The French Horns
4:45 PM The Smittens
5:30 PM Fishboy
6:15 PM Col. Knowledge and the Lickety Splits
@40 Watt Club
8:30 PM Dan Deacon
9:00 PM Kiddo
9:45 PM Poison Control Center
10:30 PM We Versus the Shark
11:15 PM Casper and the Cookies
12:00 AM Marbles
1:00 AM PYLON
And while these "surprise guests" might not've been OTC or NMH, they're pretty great. I'll definitely be around for most of these acts. More band info here.
For something (slightly) different but not too distant, Pushbutton - the new project by Annaray frontman Chris Uhde - makes its debut at Go Bar tonight. It's a little more poppy than Annaray, but somewhat similar.
And y'all know by now, for something completely different, Redneck Greece is always ready, willing, and waiting at Jot 'Em Down around 6:30 every Friday night. Cash only.
SAT: The Popfestival tonight:
@Little Kings
3:30 PM Good Lord to the Devil
4:00 PM Lil Kickers
4:30 PM Vetran
5:15 PM New Grenada
6:15 PM Ceiling Fan
@40 Watt Club
8:30 PM The Love Letter Band
9:00 PM Galactic Heroes
9:30 PM Red Pony Clock
10:30 PM Elekibass
11:00 PM 63 Crayons
11:45 PM Circulatory System
1:00 AM Of Montreal
...and that's a wrap. Between Ceiling Fan (one of their last few shows), The Love Letter Band (who was my favorite discovery of last year), Circulatory System, and Of Montreal, the fest's going out with a bang, for sure. Hopefully, Popfest 3'll be as cool (or even better) next year.
Flagpole says there's gonna be a DVD of this year's fest, so that oughta be cool. In the meantime, more here and here and here and here and here.
FRI: As with this past week, Popfest dominates the musical landscape this weekend. Tonight's schedule goes as such (or was at "press time"):
@Little Kings
3:30 PM Lake Holiday
4:00 PM The French Horns
4:45 PM The Smittens
5:30 PM Fishboy
6:15 PM Col. Knowledge and the Lickety Splits
@40 Watt Club
8:30 PM Dan Deacon
9:00 PM Kiddo
9:45 PM Poison Control Center
10:30 PM We Versus the Shark
11:15 PM Casper and the Cookies
12:00 AM Marbles
1:00 AM PYLON
And while these "surprise guests" might not've been OTC or NMH, they're pretty great. I'll definitely be around for most of these acts. More band info here.
For something (slightly) different but not too distant, Pushbutton - the new project by Annaray frontman Chris Uhde - makes its debut at Go Bar tonight. It's a little more poppy than Annaray, but somewhat similar.
And y'all know by now, for something completely different, Redneck Greece is always ready, willing, and waiting at Jot 'Em Down around 6:30 every Friday night. Cash only.
SAT: The Popfestival tonight:
@Little Kings
3:30 PM Good Lord to the Devil
4:00 PM Lil Kickers
4:30 PM Vetran
5:15 PM New Grenada
6:15 PM Ceiling Fan
@40 Watt Club
8:30 PM The Love Letter Band
9:00 PM Galactic Heroes
9:30 PM Red Pony Clock
10:30 PM Elekibass
11:00 PM 63 Crayons
11:45 PM Circulatory System
1:00 AM Of Montreal
...and that's a wrap. Between Ceiling Fan (one of their last few shows), The Love Letter Band (who was my favorite discovery of last year), Circulatory System, and Of Montreal, the fest's going out with a bang, for sure. Hopefully, Popfest 3'll be as cool (or even better) next year.
Flagpole says there's gonna be a DVD of this year's fest, so that oughta be cool. In the meantime, more here and here and here and here and here.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Pylon's website has news up about the much-rumored re-releases:
"'Gyrate Plus' is in the works
We're working on a CD re-release of our first album, Gyrate, along with our first single, Cool/Dub, and other tracks that come from that era. All of it is being remastered from the original mix-down analog tapes (with immense assistance from Jeff Calder of the Swimming Pool Q's). The package will include lots of original and new artwork and images, liner notes and stuff. We all need a copy of this anyway, so we're doing for ourselves as well. Let's hope it's done this fall!"
Of course, all but one of the songs on 'Gyrate' appear on 'Hits' as well, but hopefully they'll sound better now and maybe there'll be a few great surprises. Let's hope. In any case, it'd be nice just to have them as the original album.
Here's today's Popfest schedule:
@ Little Kings
3:30 PM Cocker Spaniels
4:00 PM Charm School
4:45 PM Mouser
5:30 PM Fabulous Bird
6:15 PM The Mega Hurts
@ the 40 Watt Club
8:30 PM Pipes You See Pipes You Don't
9:00 PM The Instruments
9:45 PM Scott E. Spillane
10:30 PM The Visitations
11:15 PM Human Television
12:00 AM Bunnygrunt
1:00 AM Tullycraft
Sad that the Gerbils won't be playing, but the Instruments show is a good rare opportunity well worth showing up for. And I'm sure Scotty'll bring the rock anyway. As usual, the complete schedule for the festival is here, and the links/info for all the bands is here. I'm tellin' ya, go check some of this out. It's a good time.
Though I do have to say, seeing Venice Is Sinking at the Georgia Theatre would be a cool thing to see as well - if you're into all the burlesque stuff afterwards.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Guess we're all rocking 7 times less hard this past year. Get with it, musicians. Otherwise we might not even twinkle in Rolling Stone's collective eye next year.
So dog lovers will really get a kick out of these videos. First, you have the dog who thinks his own paw is someone trying to steal his bone. Hilarious. Secondly, you have the dog and owner duo that has a choreographed routine to a song from "Grease." No, seriously. I've been around a lot of strange pet owners in my life, but this one just may take the cake.
Sloan Simpson has posted the last of the 3 bittorrents from the Harvey Milk shows a few weeks back. This is the 7/30/05 show from the Caledonia.
Yesterday, the Drive-By Truckers were featured on ManiaTV, a live internet television site. Watch the interview and video cut from their Live at the 40 Watt DVD.
Yesterday, the Drive-By Truckers were featured on ManiaTV, a live internet television site. Watch the interview and video cut from their Live at the 40 Watt DVD.
Today marks the 3 year anniversary of the passing of Widespread Panic co-founder and original guitarist Michael Houser from pancreatic cancer. For those that knew him or were fans of him, he will be forever remembered. Mike was a UGA student with a major in Chemistry when he met fellow bandmates John Bell and David Schools back in the mid-80s. Since that time, Houser's guitar playing - as unique as it was - has left its mark on thousands of fans. He brought the "rock" to Widespread Panic, but he also gave fans beautiful, soft melodies. Houser was the anti-rock star and he is remembered today. Here are a couple of tribute sites put together in "Mikey's" honor.
Liz Durrett's website, which was already really good, has been redesigned (by Ben McCormick) and looks great. It's got a lotta bonus mp3's that aren't on the album (some old, some new) and some new info.
I wrote Liz recently to see what she was up to. She said, "I actually just finished a new record as of about a week ago (except for sequencing and mastering) ... so I'm excited about that. It's coming out on Warm in early January. Aside from that, there's a show at the 40 watt in the works for the end of this month, and I'm trying to work up some Southeasterly (is that a word?) shows for September/October (Asheville, Birmingham, Raleigh and Wilmington)..."
Looking forward to all that. Thanks for the update, Liz!
I wrote Liz recently to see what she was up to. She said, "I actually just finished a new record as of about a week ago (except for sequencing and mastering) ... so I'm excited about that. It's coming out on Warm in early January. Aside from that, there's a show at the 40 watt in the works for the end of this month, and I'm trying to work up some Southeasterly (is that a word?) shows for September/October (Asheville, Birmingham, Raleigh and Wilmington)..."
Looking forward to all that. Thanks for the update, Liz!
The Popfest action this afternoon & tonight is all at Little King's (the place next to the Manhattan). The schedule goes as such:
4:00 PM The Elks
4:30 PM Ryan Anderson
5:00 PM The Ether Family
5:45 PM Tracer Matula
6:30 PM Folklore
8:00 PM Superfallingstars
8:30 PM Cars Can Be Blue
9:15 PM Louis
10:00 PM Eames Era
10:45 PM Palomar
11:30 AM Keith John Adams
12:15 AM Summer Hymns
1:00 AM Great Lakes & Late BP Helium
All artist info including links to websites can be found here. Tonight's particularly interesting because I don't think Great Lakes has played in a really long time, so it'd be fun to see where they're at musically.
And I know this sounds cheesy, but if you have some time I highly recommend getting a pass to the fest and just dropping by randomly. I saw some really amazing bands last year that I would've never heard of otherwise. It's worth it.
UPDATE: Sadly, no Great Lakes tonight. Schedule changes/updates here.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
This portion of the New West site just caught my eye. It's an online video documentary of the recording sessions for Vic Chesnutt's Ghetto Bells. (It's split into parts so it won't overload your computer.)
So this past weekend, I went to see the delightful new film March Of The Penguins. Little did I know what cruel fate awaited the majestic emperor penguins at the hand of the film's narrator, Morgan Freeman.
Over the course of the movie you see a pattern develop that goes something like this: the penguins seem happy in their normal environment even though they're in a constant desperate struggle to reproduce, everything continues just fine until the booming voice of Mr. Freeman cuts in and says something like, "But winter's harshest storm was yet to come..." and then penguins start dying and everything turns bad. A few lingering dead baby penguin shots later, the happy music starts up and everything fine again until you hear Morgan Freeman speak. This happens like 12 times.
Eventually you start to fear Mr. Freeman's voice. What was once a comforting, gentle, grandfatherly tone bends towards something more sinister as you realize the man is causing the deaths of tens, maybe hundreds, of penguins. What's worse, he seems to enjoy it (or at least, feels little or no remorse). You can pass it off as nature, but I know it's Freeman's sick pleasure - by the end of the film, I half expected to see him awaiting all the penguins with a speargun at the water's edge. One thing's for sure, if I'm ever walking along and I hear Morgan Freeman start speaking about adverse conditions, I'm taking cover.
That all being said, the movie was really good and I'd recommend seeing it while it's on the big screen. I just don't think they'd've sold as many tickets with the title I suggested.
You know when you leave summer camp and you talk to your newfound friends and exchange numbers like you're really gonna talk to each other again? Or when you try to describe your really fun experience elsewhere to a group of friends but in the process of the telling you and they both realize simultaneously that it sounds kinda lame in the 'real world'?
Well, the situation effects of the TV show Brat Camp seem to wear off just as quick. Guess this dude'll get to experience "Brat Camp: Poor People Edition" (jail).
Hey y'all, so it's Popfest time again. I know there's been a lot of debate back and forth about the size of this festival and its revenue potential and whatnot, but I'm really glad it's happening again cause I had a blast last year. If you missed it then, here was our re-cap.
Now, onto this year. Most info can be found here. You can also get tix all around town. This afternoon/evening's (free!) shows take place atop Wuxtry downtown and the schedule is:
Keith John Adams (3 p.m.)
Geoff Reacher (3:30 p.m.)
Marshmallow Coast (4:15 p.m.)
Shot Heard Round the World (5 p.m.)
and
The Visitations (6 p.m.)
The rest of the schedule is here. Sorry to be lazy but y'all all know how to click. If you like pop music, and I hope most of you do, then this is the place to be this week.
I'm sure that most of you mo-fos have already noticed these two non-DBT Athens-related mentions by Paste:
- As reported on AMDC last week, Paste featured Col. Knowledge and the Lickety Splits as their band of the week. Apparently, their bassist (Aaron Jollay) had a bit role in Milk Money.
- This month's issue reviewed Southern Bitch's "Snake in the Grass". They say, "Southern Bitch wails like there's no tomorrow, raging against what they see as blind American injustice, armed with a bazooka-full of seditious arena-rock riffs and a 5,000 lb. bomb of righteous indignation."
- As reported on AMDC last week, Paste featured Col. Knowledge and the Lickety Splits as their band of the week. Apparently, their bassist (Aaron Jollay) had a bit role in Milk Money.
- This month's issue reviewed Southern Bitch's "Snake in the Grass". They say, "Southern Bitch wails like there's no tomorrow, raging against what they see as blind American injustice, armed with a bazooka-full of seditious arena-rock riffs and a 5,000 lb. bomb of righteous indignation."
Monday, August 08, 2005
Rupert Murdoch does it again. Now he is taking over the MySpace empire (where I would guess, he is probably not very popular.)
PassedOutWookies.com isn't quite as amazingly hilarious as the title suggests, but it does offer a rare glimpse into the world of the sleeping hippie... okay, not that rare, really.
(Thanks to Sloan for the link.)
(Thanks to Sloan for the link.)
Thanks to Sloan Simpson, the August 29th Harvey Milk show from the EARL can now be downloaded. We also posted the link to the bittorrent of 40 Watt show last week in case you missed it.
In other Athens music news, Widespread Panic released fall tour dates this past weekend, including a few more shows with the Drive-By Truckers opening and one close to home in Macon, GA. These will be the 3rd and 4th shows this year with DBT also on their bill (5th if you count Lollapalooza). So far, the Panic folks have invited the DBT camp onstage for covers of Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones), Red Hot Momma (Parliament) and Life During Wartime (The Talking Heads.) In yet another milestone year of interesting gigs for Widespread Panic, they can also now add an invitation to the esteemed Farm Aid on their resumes. More artists for Farm Aid TBA.
In other Athens music news, Widespread Panic released fall tour dates this past weekend, including a few more shows with the Drive-By Truckers opening and one close to home in Macon, GA. These will be the 3rd and 4th shows this year with DBT also on their bill (5th if you count Lollapalooza). So far, the Panic folks have invited the DBT camp onstage for covers of Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones), Red Hot Momma (Parliament) and Life During Wartime (The Talking Heads.) In yet another milestone year of interesting gigs for Widespread Panic, they can also now add an invitation to the esteemed Farm Aid on their resumes. More artists for Farm Aid TBA.
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