Athens Blur Magazine Issue 14 by Stephen Simmons

for fans of music & those who make it Issue 14 • FREE • athensblur.com

TORO Y MOI • THE SOFT PACK • FAIR • CITIZEN COPE • Jónsi • THEE AMERICAN REVOLUTION • ROGUE WAVE • NANA GRIZOL • FREEWAY • annuals & MORE!

the whigs deliver big with album number three 10 questions The tireless work ethic of Drive-By Truckers

Experts in their field

Recharged and reformed, Field Music is back — on their own terms

editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photo pick

downbeats

the junior astronomers photo: Alex Gibbs more concert shots on p. 44

featured web content

downbeats

right now on athensblur.com read local musician Adam Kleinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog from his documentary-filming musical journey to Mali ATHENS BLUR MAGAZINE

features

Comfortable and full of confidence, The Whigs deliver big with album number three

story by Natalie David photos by Jason Thrasher

FIELD MUSIC

Reformed and recharged, Field Music’s David and Peter Brewis are back — on their own terms by Alec Wooden

ten questions

The tireless work ethic of Drive-By Truckers by Alec Wooden

features ATHENS BLUR MAGAZINE

departments

13 music c OLUMNS

12 18

FROM THE EDITOR A bittersweet sign off THE FIRST WORD: Predicting the rest of 2010 WORTH A THOUSAND: Who says you need words?

9 11

S p otlights: 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Nana Grizol Annuals Toro Y Moi Freeway Citizen Cope Fair Rogue Wave

a LSO:

13 33 48 38

36 26 44

EAR CANDY: 20 Trances Arc, The Ruby Suns, Tindersticks, Spoon, Lady Antebellum, Thee American Revolution, Jonsi,The Soft Pack, Smile Smile, Seth Augustus, The Orkids, We Are The World GEAR GUIDE Life’s too short to own bad gear This DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

a RTS & e NTERTAINMENT upcoming on the screen upcoming at athens’ cine DVD Release Calendar

c oncert shots

The Month in Photos

38 40 43

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Never has this column looked so small to me. There have been times in issues past where I’ve wondered if I had anything decent to say in filling this space to kick off the magazine (I think many would agree, the answer has often been a resounding no). In the absence of anything good to say, 500 words seems like transcribing the New Testament — now, I wish I had 5000. As many of you have undoubtedly heard, the issue of Blur you’re holding is the last, if at least just for a while. We hung on with all we had for two years — when the economy pushed, we pushed back. Sad to say, we’ve finally been pushed to a point where it’s no longer financially responsible to continue with our print product. The “thank-yous” and pats on collective backs and lists of debts owed (personally, not financially) are too lengthy to cover here. Know this: If you’ve read our magazine, thank you. If you’ve worked with/for/alongside the magazine, thank you. We owe this experience to a long list of people who have offered support, a helping hand, inspiration or simple words of encouragement. Without any one of those things, the wheels would have fallen off long ago. Someone asked me the other day what I’m most proud of. I can’t decide: — 14 issues, each better than the last — over 1000 pages in those issues — well over 250,000 words and thousands of pictures in those 14 issues, written and snapped by some of the finest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing — coverage of hundreds of bands in print and countless more online — the dozen or so interns who completed their training with us and, as we speak, are either working fantastic jobs or finishing degrees on their way to doing so — the couple dozen or so events we were proud to sponsor in the Athens area, each one a cause we were proud to get behind We could waste a lot of time damning the economy or throwing ourselves a pity party about what might have been. But in the end, we’ll choose to celebrate the 14 print products we’ve made rather than dreaming of the 14 that could have been. Time will tell what happens with Blur. We’re not dissolving the corporation, keeping in mind that what hits rock bottom must eventually climb once again. If economic circumstances prove favorable at some point, there very well may be a print product again. In the meantime, it’s possible we’ll choose to continue online. Right now, it’s too much of an uncertain time to make those decisions, none of which we take lightly or want to do in haste. Remember, none of this would have been possible — not one single issue — without the support of our advertisers. If you’ve enjoyed our product, we hope you’ll continue to support them in the future as they continue to support others in the community. It’s been a pleasure serving Athens (and beyond), and we’ve been truly honored to be a part of your musical fabric over the last couple years. Whether it’s bye for good or bye for now, we’ll be seein’ ya.

The Athens Blur Magazine P.O. Box 7117 Athens, Ga 30604 Main Office (706) 353-7799 Sales (706) 207-9091

BLUR FROM THE EDITOR

DEAR READERS

Executive Editor Alec Wooden alec@athensblur.com Director of Sales Stephen Simmons stephen@athensblur.com Account Executives Cole Taylor cole@athensblur.com Brandi Peiken brandi@athensblur.com Design Lauren Mullins, Nicole Owen, Alec Wooden Editorial Interns Jessica Cole, Zack Kraimer, Maggie Summers, Ashley Thompson Contributing Writers Matt Conner, Natalie David, Coy King, Bret Love, Ed Morales, Phil Pyle, Ned Rauch, DeMarco Williams, Jenni Williams Contributing Photographers Alyssa De Hayes, Stefan Eberhard, Wes Elkin, Justin Evans, Alex Gibbs, Ryan Myers, Daniel Peiken, Jason Thrasher

For general comments and inquiries: editorial@athensblur.com For advertising opportunities: sales@athensblur.com

Alec Wooden Executive Editor

ON THE COVER: The Whigs. Photo: Jason Thrasher

The Athens Blur Magazine issue 14, copyright©2010 By The Athens Blur Magazine, INC. The Athens Blur Magazine is an eight issue/year music and variety publication, proud to be based in the “Classic City” of Athens, Ga. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part in any way by any means unless written permission is received from the publisher. Published monthly except for each summer issue in the United States of America and distributed free of charge (limit one copy per reader, each subsequent copy is distributed at a charge of $4.95). Postmaster send address changes to The Athens Blur Magazine, P.O. Box 7117 Athens, Ga. 30604

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what lies ahead.... PredictionS for the rest of 2010 iN music by Ned Rauch We’re about a quarter of the way through the year, which means now is the perfect time to predict what will, or ought to, happen in the world of music in 2010. 1) Bruce Springsteen will cut a record with just him on guitar, Max Weinberg on drums, Garry Tallent on bass and Patti Scialfa singing backup. No overdubs, no strings. Little Steven, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons and Roy Bittan may play, too, but never may more than two of them sit in on a given track. No offense to any of those guys, but under Brendan O’Brien’s production, Springsteen’s records have become too thick with sound. He should make a record that sounds like his beloved Jersey Shore looks on a winter night: sparse, ragged and dangerous. 2) People will realize that Dirty Projectors sound more like a math problem than a rock band and, while perfectly cool and all, aren’t the super heroes of the Brooklyn music scene that critics have made them out to be. 3) Someone will build a triangular bar with a stage in each corner. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will play in one corner, Eli “Paperboy” Reed and the True Loves in another and Buddy Guy will be in the third. As soon as one band finishes a song, the next one over will start, and the audience, in the center, will just turn 45 degrees. This will go on until a band member faints or Otis Redding descends from heaven. 4) Jack White will start another band. 5) Jack White will make a solo album. 6) Jack White will call up Meg White and make another White Stripes album. 7) A musician friend of mine had occasion to hear a recent Stones recording session. Turns out Mick Jagger can play drums. The rest of the world will know this, too. 8) Rick Rubin will put out one more amazing, heartbreaking Johnny Cash record. But then he’ll stop, because Johnny Cash died seven years ago and, as B.B. King said, “When you’re dead, you’re done.” Or at least you deserve to be for a little while. In a few years, more unreleased stuff, sure, but give the guy a break. Let him rest in peace, eh?

18) Cat Power and Carla Bruni will cut a song together and regular

dudes, hipsters and French guys will gasp in

unison, “Mon dieu, that’s

wicked hot.” 9) Someone will put out a Joni Mitchell version of Rock Band/Guitar Hero, which will veer from the current template by requiring players to chart those weird chords of hers. 10) My friend Ted, who plays bass in a punk band called Beef Wellington, will go deaf — but he’ll have a great time doing so. 11) Copy editors at music mags and arts desks around the country will finally tell bands with unprintable or punctuation-ruledefying names (here’s looking at you, moe. and !!!) to fuck off. 12) Back to super heroes of the Brooklyn music scene for a minute. The London Souls, a Zeppelin-y, Sly Stone-y trio from said borough, will put on capes and fly to the rescue. Dirty Projector fans will say, “Oh, that’s what rock sounds like,” and peel off their skinny jeans, throw them in a big pile and torch ’em. 13) Commercial radio will remain lame, but that’s OK, because Internet-based radio stations will grow. Soon enough we’ll be able to tune them in while we’re driving and

those lousy commercial stations will face two choices: get with it or get gone. Besides, college radio and NPR affiliates still rock. 14) Handling fees and convenience charges on tickets to shows won’t go anywhere, and that’s a bummer. But their vexing presence will continue to drive fans to local clubs and bars, where the best music happens anyway, and there’s nothing wrong with that. 15) Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson, from The Band, will work out their differences and make a simple little record together with Garth Hudson. They won’t, actually, but they should. Then they’ll explain what “The Weight” is all about. They won’t do that, either. 16) Someone will point out that, lovable and historically significant as he may be, Ringo can’t sing. In fact, someone will say, he sings worse than some goats. Everyone will still love him, as they should, but a few of them cock their heads and say, “Yeah, you know, my grandpa’s goat carries a tune better than that guy.” 17) Blackalicious will do something great. And they won’t use Auto-Tune or Jay-Z to do it. 18) Cat Power and Carla Bruni will cut a song together and regular dudes, hipsters and French guys will gasp in unison, “Mon dieu, that’s wicked hot.” 19) Someone will steal Taylor Swift’s Grammys, or at least three of them, and head over to Bronson, Fla., with a shovel. From Thrasher Drive he or she will head south on East Main Street till they get to Bronson Cemetery. This person will wait for nightfall then walk around the cemetery 'til he or she finds the tombstone with the big, red, square guitar etched into its face and the words “Pioneer, Icon, Pharoah, Originator and Legend” carved into the base. Six feet below lies Bo Diddley, who helped invent Rock and Roll and never won a Grammy. Our midnight rambler will take a deep breath and sink the shovel into the earth, clearing out a small hole. He or she will dump Swift’s Grammy awards into it, cover them up and walk briskly back to the car, drive to town, buy a milkshake and sip it knowing that the world is now a more just place.

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music

Ned P. Rauch lives in New York City and writes for www.tendollarradioshow.com and plays guitar in the band Frankenpine.

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the two sides of theo hilton

NANA GRIZOL FRONTMAN BALANCES ART & COMMUNITY by Matt Conner

“That almost sounds conflictual,” Theo Hilton agrees with me. The two primary facets — or passions, if you will — of the Nana Grizol vocalist reside in two different social compartments making very different demands on one very frenetic life. Yet Hilton seems to not only enjoy the high energy level required, but thrive on it as well. To most, the frenzied whimsical side of Hilton stands as most recognizable. It is the artappreciating side surrounded by capable bandmates like Neutral Milk Hotel’s Laura Carter and Robbie Cucchiaro or Hot New Mexican’s Patrick Jennings. Together, the lo-fi jangling swirls of Nana Grizol remind the rest of us just how beautiful Athens musical collaborations can be. To a select few, however, Hilton becomes a bit more focused than his artistic persona. The Orange Twin Conservation Community consists of a group of people, including Hilton, seeking to create an eco-village a few miles outside of downtown Athens. The goals include environmental education and communal life — two things that require Hilton to be much more present than the touring schedule allows. “That's something I think about a lot, because it is something that's very polar,” says Hilton with a laugh. “It's almost two things that feel like they're mutually exclusive from one another. It's funny because for me, they are my passions. It's funny to be at home and I care very much about eating locally

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PHOTO COURTESY NANA GRIZOL

— local food and sustaining my local community. Then 50 percent of the time, I don't do that.They balance each other out. But it's tricky to process it — like a double life.” Even though an outsider’s perspective senses a duality of sorts, Hilton insists that somehow it works out fine. “I definitely find them conflicting, but it's in a way that always sort of works out,” he explains. “For example, we're talking about building a barn at the land, but obviously you can't help with a project like that if you're not there. The same goes for wanting to have a dog or something like that. I can't do that and be the primary caretaker for any kind of animal if I'm constantly out. There's bunches of things like that. But when there are a couple things you've spent your life focusing on, they will make space for each other.” In fact, Hilton notes that sometimes it’s the ability to leave that keeps things fresh and makes him appreciate what

NANA GRIZOL WHO’S WHO Theo Hilton (vocals), Laura Carter (trumpet), Robbie Cucchiaro (baritone), Matte Cathcart (drums), Madeline Adams (bass), Patrick Jennings (piano) LATEST RELEASE Ruth (2010) ON THE WEB www.myspace.com/ nanagrizol he has back in Athens. Also, he explains that of all the places they go, they always find likeminded individuals with which to share ideas. “I feel like our band is fortunate enough to get to go to all kinds of great places. It's amazing to go to places, particularly in Chicago, for instance, or even here in Portland, where we are right now. You see these amazing communities and see the ways

that people do things or the way they organize. You see the art that people create and you're able to bring your experiences to the table and also bring these things back home. There are a lot of great things about being able to travel around and share your thoughts with people, and have others share theirs with you.” When reflecting on his career and lifestyle, Hilton says it’s inseparable from the community from which he comes — and, therefore, remains essential to the work he’s doing. “I owe a lot of the ideas that I have to living in Athens,” explains Hilton, “even the very idea that I could spend a considerable amount of my life making music and that my friends can do that. When you have those kinds of people living around you all of the time, that helps. A lot of my favorite bands and songwriters and the people who are the most inspirational in my life are my peers here, so I think it has had a tremendous impact on my own life and music.”

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beating to a different drum The Annuals mountain music matures by Jenni Williams Deep in the Raleigh, N.C., suburbs, a talented group of pre-teen boys started a journey on the road of music. Alone at first, inspired by family and motivated by boredom, eventually their paths crossed, and the profound result — Annuals. Now an average age of 23, Annuals have increased their numbers to a full-sized band and staying busy with a fourth full-length album and numerous EP releases. The band operates under Adam Baker, songwriter and vocals, alongside Kenny Florence on lead guitar and backing vocals. Mike Robinson backs the two on bass, along with lone female Anna Spence tapping keys and backing vocals, Zak Oden on guitar and the drums and Donzel Radford also hitting drums. “I was fascinated by the drums and just since my dad was a drummer, I wanted to do it,” Baker says of starting to play at such a young age. The members met when they were twelve. “At that age, once you learn a musical instrument, and for anyone at any age, really, the first thing you look for is someone else to play with.” “We took it seriously from the start,” Baker admits, noting that they’re goal has been the same for years—to write good music. And they’re on that path still, just hoping to keep playing. “We just want to keep being able to afford our apartments,” Baker says. Baker’s comment is interesting, especially since he follows up that goal with a word of advice (and encouragement) for his fans—“I want to tell

Annuals people who read this profile to go out and download as much of our music as you can for free. None of us think we’re going to make money off our albums. We just want people to listen to our music and then come to one of our shows.” Following the band leaders' advice, concert-goers are often in for pleasant sonic surprises. “We’re not another indie band. We’re not guitar music,” says Baker. “Well, we are guitar music, but it’s beyond that. Everyone in the group brings a different musical genre to the table. We all work differently. That’s why we’re what we are.” And to back up what they are, he describes their music as “wet.” “It sounds like your being soaked in it,” Baker says. “Like, when I write a song and you hear it for the first time, it feels like someone just hit the bull’s-eye on the dunk booth, and you’ve fallen into a bowl of warm whole milk.”

WHO’S WHO Adam Baker (lead vocals), Kenny Florence (lead guitar/vocals), Mike Robinson (bass/ vocals), Anna Spence (keyboard/piano), Zak Oden (drums/guitar) and Donzel Radford (drums/ percussion) LATEST RELEASE Sweet Sister EP (2010) ON THE WEB www.annualsmusic.com With a frontman confident enough to encourage free downloads and put all expectations into a live show reveals raw talent. They’ve found the balance needed for good music. With members from every end of the musical spectrum — Baker liking experimentation with the rules of music, Florence sticking to them — they’re mixing classical,

some jazz and, yes, even a little “guitar music,” making something new and different, and soon to be, “the best music we’ve ever made,” according to Baker. That music is soon to produce Sweet Sister EP, a short collection the band has worked on for the past several months. Since their indie debut (Be He Me) in 2006 to a followup major label release on Canvasback Music, Such Fun, Baker hints that they prefer doing the shorter stuff. With this new release, the band is truer to form, having returned to their own very hands-on abilities as a collective, with Baker back in the role of producer. “The full-length albums take a really long time. It is a long process in figuring out what you want,” Baker says. “And, if it’s going to take me that long just to have an album with a certain number of songs on it, I’d rather release less and get our stuff out there.”

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toro y moi generates a buzz Chaz Bundick’s One-Man Electropop Act Looks to Break Out

TORO Y MOI WHO’S WHO Chaz Bundick LATEST RELEASE Causers of This (2010)

by Matt Conner This year will be good to Chaz Bundick. That’s an easy prediction at this point, really, considering the early buzz and attention given to Bundick’s side project turned music career under the moniker Toro Y Moi. After working on his first set of intimate electropop tracks, media outlets both overseas and domestic came calling for the South Carolina native – something that he said took him off-guard. Causers of This is his official debut on Car Park Records, the label home for acts like Dan Deacon, Beach House and Montag. It’s an ideal spot for Bundick as he learns the ropes of the modern music industry climate, but the eclectic bedroom tracks seem perfectly suited for today’s musical amalgams of mash-ups and global influences. In fact, Bundick might have a leg up on the rest of the competition. Then again, Bundick’s not giving any of it much thought. Instead, he’s simply creating the pop structures that come naturally to him. “Both of my parents sort of raised me listening to pop music,” he explains. “My dad was more towards new wave and he was into going out to shows and stuff. My mom pretty much stuck to pop music, too. It wasn’t too obscure, really. But I think that definitely made me want to create music that reminded me of my childhood and pop music from that time period.” Now 23, Bundick began songwriting nearly 10 years ago, when the results weren’t

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ON THE WEB www.myspace.com/ toroymoi

Photo: Rob KuliseK

“It’s really exciting to see what’s going to happen. I have good feelings right now. I don’t want to jinx myself or anything, but I’ve been watching what’s going on and people seem really interested.” — Chaz Bundick — nearly as striking or composed. Reflecting back, the soft-spoken songwriter laughs about those early recordings. “I still have my first recordings,” says Bundick. “I can clearly remember those early moments. I was 14 or 15 years old when I first started recording on this karaoke cassette machine. It was really bad pop/punk music. Even a week after I wrote it, I was like, ‘This really sucks.’ So those early recordings definitely weren’t my favorites.”

Once the pop/punk tendencies were worked out, it was Causers track “Freak Love” that opened the door to the new style for which Bundick would eventually become known. And once those songs began to see the light of day, it wasn’t long before Bundick says he was blindsided by the media attention. “I was totally surprised by the online press. It totally caught me off-guard. It was weird to have someone talking about my music because I never really handed it

out. Making it a musical career was always my goal and intention, so I was ready to go slow with everything. So I started putting out my music not that long ago and people just started to like it, I guess. It just snowballed like that. Kind of crazy.” “The first thing that really appeared was some website based in London, I think,” he continues. “This guy wrote a really flattering piece, this really amazing write-up that I could barely understand because it was so poetic. I was like, ‘Uh...’ But yeah, it was really cool. That was my first experience with press of any kind.” Even though he wants to take things slow, it’s hard to ignore the demand for more interviews and the buzz on the recordings from places far and near. Bundick says he takes it all in stride, but definitely has moments of excitement as well. “[The buzz] definitely has affected my expectations,” he says. “I don’t want to get my hopes too high, so I almost don’t want to talk about it. But it’s cool when people seem to like it. It’s really exciting to see what’s going to happen. I have good feelings right now. I don’t want to jinx myself or anything, but I’ve been watching what’s going on and people seem really interested. It can be bad, you know, because you don’t want to get ahead of yourself. But it’s my first record, so I just can’t help but feel excited for it.”

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THE long road ahead freeway is defined by beats, rhymes and strife — and his story is far from over by DeMarco Williams The year was 2000. The album was JayZ’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. The song was “1-900-Hustler.” The exact moment happened two minutes, eighteen seconds into the track. Some odd-pitched dude named Freeway hopped on the starstudded song with Jigga, Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek and absolutely killed it. But hip-hop had no idea who the assailant really was. After some careful detective work, we learned that Freeway was a Philly native who ran in similar circles with Beans. One freestyle led to another and the youngster got signed by Roc-a-Fella Records. The upstart’s first album was Philadelphia Freeway in ‘03. It had the banger “What We Do” on it. The second CD was ‘07’s Free At Last. “It’s Over” and “Still Got Love” thumped loudly from it. Sadly, label drama slowed momentum after its release. Half of Roc went this way, the other half went that way. Freeway went his own way, yet never quite tasted the spoils his skills warranted. “Coming from where I’m from,” Free insists, “I’d consider myself a success story.” Last May though, Freeway's third project, Philadelphia Freeway 2, dropped on unknown imprint Real Talk Entertainment to very light fanfare. Still, the optimistic MC adds, “Nobody in my family, nobody in my hood, ever did anything like this. I would definitely say I was a success story.” And honestly, we’d have to agree. Freeway's lyrics, however metaphoric or full of drug-dealing rhetoric they might be, are generally sharp. He rarely gives in to industry trends, staying true to the types of music he holds dear. His latest album, the soulful, Jake One-produced The Stimulus Package, probably best symbolizes what Free’s all about—beats, rhymes and strife. “We just come together good,” the 32-year-old father of two tells of his winning connection with the Seattlebased beatsmith. “I haven’t felt chemistry like I have with Jake since I worked with Just Blaze. It’s just a good chemistry. His

FREEWAY WHO’S WHO Freeway LATEST RELEASE The Stimulus Package (2010) ON THE WEB www.myspace.com/ freeway photo: jimmy g

beats move me. They make me want to do things.” We won’t go into details there for fear of FCC or even FBI intervention. But we will say the super smooth, 15-track Stimulus Package should go a long way to finally getting Freeway the one thing he hasn’t fully received since 2000 — across-

the-board respect. Really, when was the last time you heard the rapper’s name mentioned in top 10 debates? “I would love to be on the top 10 MC list,” Free admits. “Eventually, they’re gonna recognize. But I’m not complaining about it. I’m just workin’ it, doin’ what I gotta do.”

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dancing in the rain Citizen Cope Releases Fourth Album on New Label — His Own by Coy King

With The Rainwater LP, Citizen Cope offers the clearest distillation yet of his distinct musical approach, a laidback gumbo of acoustic blues, singer/songwriter rock ‘n’ roll and deep soul grooves. Memphis born, D.C. raised and now Brooklyn based, Citizen Cope, AKA Clarence Greenwood, began his musical journey in the mid 1990’s, when he first drew acclaim for his intimate songwriting and unique sonic fusion. His official debut album, Citizen Cope, was released in 2002, while The Clarence Greenwood Recordings followed two years later, bearing the hugely popular, widely licensed hit single “Sideways.” In April 2005, while Cope continued to tour behind his second album, his song “Son’s Gonna Rise” began appearing in Pontiac commercials and was distributed as the album’s second single. It, too, became a hit. Since then, life has been a tale of constant touring, collaborative expansion, label migrations and pioneer marketing for the artist hailed early on by the Washington Post as “the city’s most soulful export since Marvin Gaye.” Along the way, Greenwood has honed a journeyman’s studio acumen, garnering production accolades from the likes of Carlos Santana, for whom he wrote and produced a track in 2002. After several years had found him passing through three different labels, Greenwood decided to deliver his next record via a safer route for him both artistically and business wise: on his own label. Since making his debut, Cope had released three fine

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citizen cope WHO’S WHO Clarence Greenwood (guitar, vocals) LATEST RELEASE The Rainwater LP (2010) ON THE WEB www.citizencope.com albums on three different labels, an experience that proved frustrating. Having been through the industry mill, this time Greenwood was determined to take the bull by the horns and release it himself. When discussing how he came to self-release his music after many years on major labels, he opines: “A lot of labels

Photo: michael sterlingeaton

wanted to put it out, but I kept hearing things like ‘Retail’s gonna need you to do this’, or, ‘The artwork has to be like this.’ I don’t want to be led into those confines anymore. I want to be able to do it my own way. Being able to operate efficiently, not having to move buildings to do things, just seems so basic for any artistic endeavor.” The Rainwater LP comes nearly four years after Citizen Cope’s acclaimed 2006 third album Every Waking Moment. Not that Greenwood wasn’t busy — the hard working troubadour spent much of that time on the road, introducing new and old fans to his already substantial body of work. A remarkably charismatic live performer, Citizen Cope has been a committed road warrior,

taking to America’s highways and byways, often performing in places where other major artists fear to tread. “When you go to major cities, people come from all these other places and say, 'Come to this town,'” he says. “So the next time you tour, you think, ‘Okay, let’s try Tulsa, Okla., or Oxford, Miss., or Fayetteville, Ark.' It’s been amazing, every year it just gets bigger and bigger.” Like the music therein, The Rainwater LP — as well as Citizen Cope’s new RainWater Recordings, Inc. — takes its name from a deeply personal source. “It’s pure,” he says, “and it is also the name of someone that was close to me when I was growing up, so it just made sense.” Of the new songs on the album, he offers: “The songs are just representing me as a person, some people just want to write about love, other people want to write about politics but I think being conscious gives you an understanding of all kinds of things.” On songs such as “Keep Askin'” and “Jericho,” Citizen Cope and company create a hazy and elemental sound that melds such disparate inspirations as classic rock, hip hop and go-go, the interactive laidback funk sound pioneered by the great Chuck Brown in Greenwood's home turf of D.C.. His lyrical tack is freewheeling, veering from the personal “Healing Hands” to the political “The Newspaper” without ever sacrificing poignancy for power. Cope further points out that the LP in the album’s moniker is no accident. Including ten songs in an age of excessively long CDs was a very conscious artistic move, as well as paying homage to the “jaw dropping” 1970’s works that continue to inspire him. The Rainwater LP is an album crafted redolently of tunesmiths Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman, both major touchstones for the artist.

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fair and balanced Famed Producer Aaron Sprinkle Takes Time for Himself by Matt Conner The tables have turned on Aaron Sprinkle. Nearly 20 years ago, the Seattle resident followed his musical dreams, playing guitar for alternative Christian rock act Poor Old Lu. Now, he’s developed an impressive résumé turning and twisting the knobs for others as the producer for some of today’s most popular rock bands. Perhaps you’ve heard some of Sprinkle’s work without even realizing it. From MxPx to Pedro the Lion and The Almost and Copeland, Sprinkle’s a wellknown name in certain musical circles. He’s even ventured into the singer/songwriter genre with Damien Jurado and Beth Orton, among others. It’s an evergrowing list that seems to paint Sprinkle in a new light. That doesn’t mean, however, that the songwriting side of Sprinkle has faded away. In fact, many of his compositions and cowrites make their way onto the albums he’s producing, keeping the creative juices flowing. Of course, over time he’s released a few solo recordings, dabbling here and there in maintaining a personal catalog of sorts. But it wasn't until Fair was formed in 2005 that Sprinkle finally found a larger outlet for the songs he kept for himself. “Fair, for me, is kind of an escape or a diversion from working with so many other artists,” he says. “Just the freedom to be able to take a breather from that and try to realize whatever vision it is that we're feeling. I don't know that it's essential, but it's definitely an outlet for me to sort of purge stuff that's in me. “It's also just really fun for me,” he continues. “The other guys that are in the band are my

FAIR WHO’S WHO Aaron Sprinkle (lead vocals, guitars), Eric Newbill (guitar, vocals), Joey Sanchez (percussion, drums), Nick Barber (bass, vocals) LATEST RELEASE Disappearing World (2009) ON THE WEB www.fairforever.com best friends. The experience is so fulfilling in and of itself, this experience of making this record. None of us are trying to do this full-time in terms of having Fair being our sole source of income, so with that comes some freedom to just express ourselves.” With a new album, Disappearing World, Sprinkle explains the band felt it time to express some new perspectives as an honest representation of where they were both personally and professionally. “With this record, it really was about making a record that represented where we were musically and spiritually — just where each of us were at

photo COURtesy FAIR

“As a producer, I learn from everybody that I work with. I gain knowledge, experience, ideas and just an overall sense of creativity from anyone.” — Aaron Sprinkle — in our lives.” It’s interesting, then, that the honesty includes picking up ideas, tips, and input from the very bands he’s guiding. After working so often throughout the years with creative types in various genres, Sprinkle notes that he’s often coming across fresh approaches to stimulate his own work with Fair. “As a producer, I learn from everybody that I work with. I gain knowledge, experience, ideas and just an overall sense of creativity from anyone. No matter how seasoned the artist is, someone has something to teach you. I know that my experience personally being in the studio so much definitely shaped how this record came out to be.” Sprinkle’s cognizant of his place in the industry and the beauty of simply being able to make a living in the music business after two decades. And if that means from time to time he’s able to express his own

feelings, then that’s simply the icing on the cake. “It's so weird for me because in my life,performing and producing have had a role reversal,” says Sprinkle. “You know, when I first started, my focus was being in a band and focusing on my own music and making those records. Then slowly over time, it switched to where producing was the focus and then the other things became a hobby. “I considered producing a hobby in the beginning, even when I was making records for labels,” he continues. “And now, it's totally the opposite. The making of the record is the luxury, hobby-type aspect of my life. But like I said, I think there are huge benefits to doing it that way for me — just being able to make a record for the expression and creativity of it, rather than being so concerned about what people will think of this or how things will play out on the radio or whatever.”

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MUSIC

SPOTLIGHT

Finding the Light Inspired by tragedy, Rogue wave tries something new by Natalie B. David From his home in Marin County, Calif., Zach Rogue sounds calm, grateful and optimistic. He’s eager to discuss his band’s first effort in three years, titled Permalight, while sipping a cup of coffee in a brand new mug (“It’s a very 70s olive green color, which makes me feel good.”). From the conversation, it’s hard to tell that just getting to this point involved an intense physical battle — and triumph — for Rogue. In 2008, two days after playing a solo gig opening for Nada Surf, Rogue woke up with a rash covering his arms. After an hourslong wait at the emergency room, he opted to return home, where he collapsed in searing pain. When paramedics arrived, they first checked to see if he was having a heart attack or suffering an aneurysm. After ruling out both, they found the culprit to be a pair of slipped discs in his neck. For three months, Rogue could barely walk or sleep and remained mostly confined to his bed in a state of excruciating pain. Numbness, too, invaded his right hand and arm, and his future with Rogue Wave looked bleak. “I never thought someone would tell me, and the doctor told me, ‘You cannot play the guitar anymore. You can’t turn your head down. You have to stop.’ And I had almost let him convince me of that. Then, when I realized that I was just going to kind of not listen to that,” he laughs, “I did feel really free.” But Rogue Wave is no stranger to tragedy. Former bass player Evan Farrell was killed in a 2007 apartment fire, and drummer Pat Spurgeon, the subject of the documentary “D-Tour,” had been in dire need of a kidney transplant, undergoing daily dialysis until he

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photo COURtesy Rogue WAVE

rogue wave WHO’S WHO Zach Rogue (vocals, guitar, keys) Pat Spurgeon (drums), Cameron Jasper (bass), Dominic East (guitar, pedal steel, vocals) LATEST RELEASE Permalight (2010) ON THE WEB www.roguewavemusic. com finally received one that same year. Miraculously, Rogue laughs off the complications with ease. “I’ve realized it’s just another thing. I’m getting over that aspect,” says an upbeat Rogue. “There’s always some drama in one of our lives, and that’s just the way it is.” The freedom of recovery and Rogue’s decision to take back his musical career by force, pushed the once slow rocker towards a musical rebirth. After being immobilized for so long, he and Spurgeon set out to make an album that would not just move people, but make

them move. Although Rogue Wave’s previous albums, 2007's Brushfire Records debut Asleep at Heaven’s Gate, and two for seminal indie label Sub Pop, rely upon a sense of subdued beauty, Permalight shrouds that beauty in places with danceable synths and straightforward rock. Undeniably a new direction for the mainly mellow band, it’s also one that Rogue is all too aware that some of his fans won’t accept with open arms. “I think a lot of them are going to straight up hate it. I think that’s the risk you take when you try new things. And, quite frankly, I find it annoying when people play it safe. What else are we supposed to do if we’re making music if not try new things? And risk alienation?” asks Rogue. “I feel like if you have any respect for the people who listen to your music, then challenge them a little bit. Try something different and be a little unafraid to try new things.” Confident in his decision, and certainly not fearing the potential backlash, Rogue says the band put its two most synth-heavy, outsidethe-lines tunes front and center: they titled the album “Permalight” and hand picked “Good Morning

(The Future)” as the album’s first single. “Why not?” asks Rogue. “Yeah, there’s risks that people are going to hate it. And any band that I’ve ever liked before, they’ve tried things and half of the people said ‘This is crap, I’m moving on,’ and the other half said, 'Wow, I have faith in you, in your music; that you actually want to try things and you’ll deliver them.'” Also pushing the band out of their comfort zone was producer Dennis Herring. Known for his work with Elvis Costello and Modest Mouse, his pointers encouraged Rogue to be more bold and straightforward with his songwriting, eschewing lengthy intros and instrumental choruses in favor of getting to the point and hammering it home. “He would be kind of this barometer where I’d be pushing him saying, ‘No, no, no. We can’t go that far,’ but he was really encouraging us to jump off the cliff. He said music likes risk, and again, I like it when people are risky with things and try things,” says Rogue. “And maybe you fall on your face, but maybe you actually get to a really exciting place. And that’s where I wanted to go.”

ear candy

album reviews

Lady Antebellum Need You Now After the success of their first album, Lady Antebellum stuck to a formula that obviously works. Their selfwritten songs are balanced musically, with lyrics devoted to being in love, regret for not being in love and loving the little things in life. No social commentary or political agendas; just a lot about love because as they readily admit, they only write what they know. If you haven’t heard the title track by now, I’m glad you’re out of your coma. If you like “Need You Now,” then there’s nothing on this 11-track CD you’ll skip over. “Perfect Day” is a definite mood-lifter, and “Stars Out Tonight,” about being in a band, is sure to be a concert sing-along favorite. Living up to reputation, the ballads are beautifully sung and arranged and will be heard at more than a few proms this year. And if “Something ‘Bout a Woman” doesn’t have your hand tapping a beat on the steering wheel…well, sorry you slipped back into that coma. You’ll find this one in the “Country” section of iTunes, Wal-Mart or wherever you get music nowadays. I’m really not sure why, though. I like Lady Antebellum, but as near pop as they are, it’s obvious they’re part of Nashville’s agenda to make country more accessible to fans who would otherwise bypass it. I’d much rather they succeed by producing class acts like Lady Antebellum and not by inviting the slimy likes of Kid Rock and Kimbo Slice to the CMAs. — Phil Pyle The Soft Pack The Soft Pack It proves engaging when a band carries the torch of past greats while trying to shut a portion of its own history behind opaque doors. Maybe that’s why the self-titled debut by The Soft Pack is beguiling and yet a bit safe, though surely worth a listen. Formerly known as The Muslims (it was supposed to be satirical, say the four white guys), The Soft Pack shook off some haziness when creating a new album with a new name. The result is straight-ahead garage punk churned though the terse monotone of frontman Matt Lamkin, who never met an intonation he liked. The 31-minute, 10-song set pulls the listener at breakneck speed, imploring you to “C’mon” at the start, “Move Along” at the halfway point, before ending with “Parasites,” a five-minute guitar grind that’s two minutes too long but fun nonetheless (maybe they were told the album had to be at least a half-hour long). In between are homages to The Feelies (“More or Less”), Pixies (“Pull Out”) and The Strokes (“Flammable”), which I know read like lazy comparisons, but it’s unmistakable. I could expound on their expert use of the power chord, or Lamkin’s love of dour lyrics, but all you need to know is this: If two-minute garage rock is your thing, The Soft Pack has your back. But if you're looking for some musical breakthrough, not so much. A band doesn’t go from The Muslims to The Soft Pack if it’s trying to make a statement. — Ed Morales Jónsi Go You may not know Icelandic art-rockers Sigur Rós by name, but if you’ve seen films like “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” or TV shows like “24” or “CSI,” chances are you’ve heard their ethereal sound. Combining elements of experimental post-rock, atmospheric ambient music and neo-classical arrangements, their expansive compositions echo influences ranging from Cocteau Twins and Björk to Brian Eno and Steve Reich. Yet, with his angelic falsetto, otherworldly guitar and made-up “Hopelandic” language, frontman Jón Pór “Jónsi” Birgisson gives Sigur Rós a distinctive feel that separates them from any of the bands with whom they’re often compared (Radiohead, to name one). After 15 years with the band, Go marks Jónsi’s solo debut, and it’s arguably his most accessible work to date, which isn’t to say it is altogether mainstream accessible. The album finds Birgisson singing primarily in English for the first time, though his impossibly high range (which could give Mariah Carey a run for her money) will still leave you struggling to decode the lyrics. Opening with the chirping electronics, bird-like flute and pounding percussion of “Go Do,” the generally shorter songs here explore a diverse array of moods, from the insistent driving rhythm of “Animal Arithmetic” to the transcendent music box balladry of “BoyLilikoi.” My favorite track, “Sinking Friendships,” is the sort of epic for which Birgisson’s band is known, building dynamic tension and gradually adding layers of sound and unfolding into a thing of majestic beauty. “It’s the end of the end of the end,” he sings halfway through. We can only hope he’s not referring to Sigur Rós, which clearly needs Jónsi more than he needs them. — Bret Love

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the briefcase The Ruby Suns Fight Softly The latest release from Ryan McPhun — the primary personality behind The Ruby Suns — belies the singer/instrumentalist’s roots. Moving from California to New Zealand in 2004, the musical auteur formerly prided himself on collecting world samples, whether from his (newer) homeland or places as far and wide as Thailand or Kenya. Perhaps you remember “Tane Mahuta” from 2008’s

Sea Lion? It’s interesting, then, to find Fight Softly so digital. The sunniness remains, yet the guitars and drums are gone in favor of an all-synthetic diet. All in the name of staying curious, I suppose, but it’s definitely alarming to an audience ready for another feast of world constructs. Instead of the tribal rhythms and campfire rhythms of “Oh Mojave,” club-ready pulses of “Mingus and Pike” confront the listener with its shocking changes. Of course, taken on its own, Fight Softly is a solid album. McPhun’s high tenor keeps the mood lively, even if he is singing about darker themes (see “Cinco”). “Closet Astrologer” paints shimmering stars around a moody drum line, resulting in a truly beautiful moment. “How Kids Fail” twists and turns rhythmically and vocally into a compelling mix by song’s end. Let it be noted McPhun is no less exploratory or inventive on Fight Softly. He’s simply chosen new digital constraints. It remains to be seen if his audience will appreciate the change. — Matt Conner

Spoon Transference Granted, I’m a late-comer to the Spoon bandwagon. My co-worker introduced me to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga a few weeks ago, which I immediately downloaded, along with bits of Gimme Fiction. When I heard Transference would be due out soon, I got a little antsy. My expectations were high…maybe too high, because after listening to it, I felt as if I’d gone to bed with Jessica Alba and woken up with Emo Phillips. I’m sure the Spoon-faithful will say you need to listen to it a few times and take their full body of work to fully appreciate Transference, which sounds like a collection of rough B-side demos, but sorry, it didn’t come with the box set. It's been a week since I first heard it and I still don’t get it. “Goodnight Laura” and “Written in Reverse” are two worthy, coherent cuts with some actual chord progressions, but on the contrary, “In Love Forever” is the most monotonous 2:07 you’ll spend in your life — the musical equivalent of Chinese water torture. The rest of the tracks come across as disjointed, unrehearsed collections of off-key musical experiments, something resembling your son’s band rehearsal in the garage. If it were by any startup band in your town, Transference would be considered amateurish at best. But since it’s from critically-acclaimed Spoon, it’s been lauded as a work of genius. Maybe I’ll get them to record that song I wrote for my girlfriend in third grade. — Phil Pyle

Smile Smile Truth on Tape Truth on Tape is what all good musical clichés are made of —heartbreak laid on a country/pop platter. But Ryan Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme’s tangled back story as a couple make the lingering lyrics of this album ring truer than expected. [Ashley Thompson]

Seth Augustus To The Pouring Rain Seth Augustus’ sound seems to personify the word “troubadour” on this bluesy, earthy album, drawing influence from across the board. If Howlin’ Wolf and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins had drunkenly spent a night together while wearing gypsy garb and played Latin jazz the whole time, Augustus would have probably been there taking notes. [Zack Kraimer]

Orkids Paper Dolls EP The debut EP from Athens band The Orkids is one catchy pop album. Every one of its five songs could easily be a radio hit. The combination of catchy vocals and exhilarating guitar riffs makes this an album to play on repeat. It's not hard to tell they are having a rockin' good time, and one listen to these songs will leave you dancing, or at the very least nodding along with the intoxicating beat. [Maggie Summers]

Yukon Blonde Yukon Blonde

An indie-pop explosion with catchy rhythms and 80s-style basslines, but sometimes a bit too similar to the likes of others of the same genre. While some songs seem to bleed into one another, standout track “Wind Blows” gives off an atmosphere of calm and euphoric relaxation. [ Jessica Cole]

Tindersticks Falling Down A Mountain So named for a box of German matches found on a Greek beach in 1992, Tindersticks have maintained a lone vanguard of smoky, literate, chamber rock through two decades to arrive at their eighth full length, Falling Down A Mountain. Characterized by their soulfully layered and orchestrated style, Mountain comes after the band spent two years composing for fellow continental film and fashion industry icons. Suffused with a grey, cinematic field, the ten tracks point down a dark alley toward a soundtrack of what extremely attractive, wickedly intelligent people do late, late at night. Stuart Staples’ pack-a-day, brogue baritone again inculcates romance and retreat through cymbal washes, backbeats and brassy accentura to pine on the topic of the one you are after/with/lost. Though their oeuvre has historically fixated on the darker hours, here they find themselves agreeably capitulating to the more obvious appeals of love: the fun stuff, the romance and seduction that drive the ancient tale of the chase. Meant to be played as an album, mindful DJs should step away from the tables, grab a fresh martini, and perhaps mingle with the beautiful people while this record deftly keeps the party going. — Coy King

Trances Arc TA Confidence oozes from “Radians” on Trances Arc’s sophomore effort, TA – a welcome advancement from the Georgians’ debut. Not that XOXOX wasn’t a thing of beauty. Quite the opposite is true; the driving acoustics of “Peace of Mind” and plaintive, building piano of “Cold Drivers” offered some of the best pop/rock of 1997, er, 2007. But therein lies the key: can the Atlanta four piece move past their ‘90s alternative roots to something more challenging? Consider the challenge met. TA builds on everything XOXOX brought to the table and adds the maturity that comes from touring coast to coast and working their asses off to make good in today’s ever-shifting musical climate. There’s a certainty with every crisp Brad Hagen strike, every bass note from Daniel Silvestri, every guitar tone and strum from Michael Dorio. And those vocals? Eric Toledo’s been the highlight from day one. The one-two of “Radians” and “Boom City” bring an energy missing from anything on the debut — the sign of a band realizing the live show is where it’s at today. The former tune pounds with a fantastic raucous energy that recalls The Whigs or The Elms in their finest moments. “Clay Pigeons” and “Camera Gun Shy” continue the brilliant balladry often found on the XOXOX, with the latter standing as the album’s highlight. It’s a shame the state of radio is what it is, considering Trances Arc’s songs are meant for the masses. It's no matter though, since a great song always stands as a great song in front of any audience. — Matt Conner

Thee American Revolution Buddha Electrostorm Although you don’t hear the name referenced nearly as often today as it was a decade ago, the Elephant 6 legacy remains a huge influence on the Athens music scene thanks to classic recordings by bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power and of Montreal. But apparently when co-founder Robert Schneider dusted off the Elephant 6 logo back in 2007 for the Apples in Stereo album New Magnetic Wonder, it symbolized the eccentric collective’s second coming. Thee American Revolution– Schneider, brother-in-law Craig Morris (Ideal Free Distribution) and a rotating cast of friends that includes Bill Doss (Olivia Tremor Control) and John Ferguson (Apples in Stereo) — follows the arty, eclectic Elephant 6 aesthetic to the tee, offering shambling psychedelic rock that blatantly references trippy tracks ranging from Love & Rockets’ “No New Tale To Tell” (the opening “She’s Coming Down”) to Iron Butterfly’s “In A Gadda Da Vida” (“Grit Magazine”). The results tend to fall somewhere between the edgier and more experimental side of the Beatles’ ouvre and the gritty, stoner sludge of Blue Cheer, both in your face and slyly irreverent at the same time. Mainstream music fans probably won’t dig this stuff — there’s a decided premium placed on giddy garage-rock fun rather than any aspirations to pop music perfectio — but devotees of the Elephant 6 sound should be delighted. Now, if only Schneider could convince the ever-elusive Jeff Mangum to bring Neutral Milk Hotel out of retirement. — Bret Love

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the whigs deliver big with album number three story by Natalie David photos by Jason Thrasher 24

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in 2006

, Rolling Stone included The Whigs, “The next great band from R.E.M.’s hometown,” as one of 10 Artists to Watch. Four years later, we’re still watching. But The Whigs’ Parker Gispert, Julian Dorio and semi-new guy Tim Deaux take all the hype in stride. That is, if they take it at all. Speaking to the trio, you might not peg them as a next big thing. There’s no pretension, no sense of overimportance, no arrogance — just three hardworking fellas with an arsenal of solid rock jams. “When we released the first album, the press was saying ‘the next great band’ and all of that stuff,” says Gispert, The Whigs’ frontman and guitarist. “And I don’t know. I live in the same house I lived in then — nothing has really changed that crazy from my daily life.” Since forming in 2002, while Atlanta native Gispert and Dorio were enrolled at UGA, the rock trio has worked hard and literally played harder, creating and embellishing a reputation for a ferocious live show of rock ‘n’ roll mania. Sparked by their raucous live shows, a wildfire ensued, leading to a spot on Dave Matthews’ ATO records and even more national attention. After enduring some lineup changes (founding bassist Hank Sullivant left the band in 2006 to work on other projects and go on tour with MGMT — friends Sam Gunn of Iron Hero and Adam Saunders formerly of The Pendletons filled in for the interim), Deaux entered the fray in 2008 just before the release of Mission Control. The same year, they played on both Letterman and Conan, and most recently were tapped by Record of the Year Grammy winners Kings of Leon to open for them on three tours, including an arena run. “Maybe everybody is just stating the obvious,” comments Dorio, who started drumming at the age of six, about the hype, “which is, you’ve gotten the chance to play nationally and internationally, so now’s the time to either deliver or not.” On March 16, The Whigs will deliver In the Dark, an ass-kicking LP of driving rock songs that sound new yet unconsciously recognizable. You can wrack your brain trying to pinpoint their influences, but there’s still an element that is undeniably The Whigs. A departure from the band’s previous two releases — the relatively lo-fi, 2005 self-released Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip and 2008’s live-via-studio Mission Control — In the Dark steps the band forward and establishes a smooth-but-not-slick studio identity for the trio. Still chock full of garage rock goodness, In the Dark also finds the band experimenting more with dynamics and sonic textures. Tracks like “Dying,” a trippy, psychedelic guitar nightmare, and title-track “In the Dark,” a throttling sing-along with an intense, grinding, distortion-heavy outro, are balanced out by “Black Lotus” and “Kill Me Carolyne,” two tunes that, in better times for the industry, would be tearing up the rock charts. It would be a mistake to deny that rock ‘n’ roll today is a hard sell. No matter how well it's done, unless Jack

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(continued from page 25)

White is somehow involved, emerging rock bands aren’t given much notice. The garage rock revival of the early aughts has waned, having been replaced by a never-ending cycle of buzz that tends to ignore bands that aren’t synth-heavy, don’t have a list of members longer than the number of tracks on their record or owe Brian Wilson their first born. To say that rock ’n’ roll, the once mighty voice of rebellion, is now a B- or even C-list musical style isn’t too far off the mark. “It’s been that way for most of the band’s life,” says Gispert. “I don’t know why that is. We grew up listening to rock music and it always seemed like the coolest thing, like the coolest thing to do would be to be in a rock band. I guess we’re just in the minority that wants to be doing that.” Calling rock music a minority sounds, well, just wrong, but the rock trio is certainly an exception to the rule. And it’s one that doesn’t go unnoticed by Dorio — not that it changes anything as far as The Whigs are concerned. “It’s strange to imagine a rock band being a different thing right now, but the trend isn’t that. The synth pop or electro, that’s more popular, I feel,” he says. “But, you know, we’ve always been a rock band. That’s what we love and want to make. That’s the craft that we want to improve at.” Always conscious to not repeat themselves, in order to shake up the band’s creative process and evolve their sound, The Whigs took a new approach to songwriting in the sessions that would become In the Dark — they worked backwards. Whereas most bands have a singer/songwriter who develops a melody and lyrics first before collaborating with other band members to fill in drums, bass and other instruments, Gispert handed the reigns over to The Whigs’ rhythm section to get the ball rolling. “We realized there are intrinsic qualities that as a person and as a musician are going to come across in the record. It’s still me playing guitar. It’s still Julian playing drums, so it will still sound like the band,” notes Gispert. “So to make a different record, I felt like we had to change what was happening in the recipe, in the way that the music was created.” Deaux, who was writing with The Whigs for the first time, and Dorio began by bringing together bass lines and drum beats that they had been working on independently. Surprisingly, both were composing on the same wavelength and most of their pieces meshed at once. The immediate creative impetus propelled the duo into high gear. Eager to meet every day, either at home, in the practice space, or at a

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live show, the bassist and drummer pushed themselves until they had a collection of songs with intros, verses and choruses — demos as complete as they could be minus guitar and vocals. “The idea was to create this mood that Parker could just respond to almost immediately, without having to worry about guitar or anything else,” notes Deaux. “We mostly wanted him to have that natural response with melody, lyrics and then worry about the guitar kind of last.” Reversing the roles and allowing Gispert to be reactionary allowed the singer to complete the songs with the pressure off, which allowed for a more exciting creative experience without the worry of where to start building or the space to over-think. “It just liberated me to open my mouth and start singing, and hear something for the first time and pick up a guitar and just start singing along with it and, before I knew it,

include both Gnarles Barkley’s St. Elsewhere and Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, to join them in the studio. An odd choice from the looks of it, The Whigs knew he would be the guy to push them towards a more studio-minded approach to recording. “I think all three of us have been guilty of going into sixth gear from first song to last song when we play live. It’s just balls to the wall the whole time, the whole set,” says Deaux. “One of the things we were excited about, especially with working with Ben Allen with his emphasis on dynamics, was we were attempting to achieve a more dynamic thing with these tunes and the way they were recorded.” A perfect choice to produce In the Dark, Dorio admits that the band very nearly overlooked Allen as an option entirely. Although he had previously helped the band record some of their early demos, it was an email from their label that eventually

there’s a new song and I have no idea where it came from,” explains Gispert, “which is definitely very different from if I’m inspired by something and I just kind of start with it from ground zero and work it all the way through. It was really exciting for me.” The frontman also pushed himself to be a better lyricist. After being continually approached to interpret and explain his lyrics from previous albums, Gispert felt he needed to make a change and strive for clarity over smoke and mirrors. “I felt like I wasn’t doing my job if somebody had come up to me and say, ‘Hey, will you interpret your own lyrics?’ That’s what the lyrics are, interpretation of what I’m trying to say anyways,” says Gispert. “Great songs, you don’t really have to ask the person what their song is about.” At the top of their game in a live setting, for album number three, the band wanted to get their studio legs once and for all. After solidifying their straightforward rock foundation on record with Mission Control, it was important for the band to explore the advantages of the studio without betraying its garage-rock soul. In order to get those studio bearings, The Whigs picked producer, friend and long-time fan Ben H. Allen, whose credits

pointed out the obvious. “We all started laughing because somebody is sending you a bio of an old friend,” says Dorio. “And so immediately we thought it would be a great idea to work with Ben, not having to introduce yourself and shake hands with somebody and explain to them who your band is, your band’s career and what kind of record you want to make.” After tracking Mission Control in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound studios, road weary from spending more time away than at home, and ready to spend some quality time in Athens, the band opted to record In the Dark at Chase Park Transduction studios. Although the L.A. experience offered the band the rock star treatment, making the record at home felt more natural for Gispert. Instead of living out of a hotel, driving a rental car and generally being surrounded by all things foreign, recording in Athens allowed the songs to breathe and become a part of his everyday dealings — a perspective he missed on the last record. “It was really important for us to go to work at the studio and then take the CD and put it in my stereo in my bedroom, or drive around in my car on the way to breakfast the next morning and listen to the music because it’s more a part of your reality

“we to rec “To makehad a different “We had towas changehapp what recipe, in the way that the recipe, in the way

that way, when you’re at home,” says Gispert. “I remembered coming home from L.A. and listening to the record as I was driving around Athens and it was weird. It was like I had brought something home with me that didn’t happen there. “When you do it here and you’re listening to the songs, as the artist, you can sit there and listen to, you know, ‘Black Lotus,’ the second song on our album, and go ‘Oh! I remember driving to the studio that day and that’s the street I’m on right now,’” he continues. “I’m just reminded of the making of it all with making it a part of your every day reality.” In addition to the Athens sessions, the band also spent a week in Nashville working out a few tunes with producers Jay Joyce, known for his work with Cage the Elephant, and Angelo Petraglia, the unofficial 5th King of Leon. Joyce fleshed out the southern rock romp “Someone’s

change what ecord,” gispert notes, was happening inthe the pening in e music was created.” that the mu

Daughter,” while Petraglia worked his magic on In the Dark’s anthemic lead single, “Kill Me Carolyene.” The pairing with Petraglia is hardly unexpected considering how much time The Whigs spent playing alongside the Nashville band as Kings of Leon ascended their final steps to the top of the musical food chain. From the end of 2008 through most of 2009, The Whigs tagged along as openers for Kings of Leon, first playing theatres, like Atlanta’s Tabernacle, then graduating to 20,000-plus seat arenas. “Every night we would walk in and say, ‘This is unbelievable! I can’t believe we’re playing here! What are we doing here?’” says Deaux of playing the larger theatres. “And then the next tour we went on, we went from playing 8,000 seat theatres to 20,000 seat arenas and had another one of those, ‘What the hell are we doing here? This doesn’t make any sense!’” Besides just being cool (what band hasn’t, deep down, wanted to play Madison Square Garden?), the extensive time playing larger rooms was a learning experience for the upand-comers. And, luckily, it provided the band more reinforcement in their wild rock ways. “It gave us a lot of confidence because,

The whigs pose for a shot at home in athens, where they’ll release in the dark on april 8 at the hometown 40 watt club. (Photo: jason thrasher) until you’re given that stage to play on, you just don’t know if what you’re doing can translate to a really big stage, or you don’t really know what the music will sound like in a really big room like that,” says Gispert. “If you see a band at a club and then see them play someplace larger, it sounds like you’re losing something. And it was this really weird realization to play one of those big rooms and go ‘Oh! This really helps our band! Great!’” With a three-week tour with Black

Rebel Motorcycle Club lined up just before the release of In the Dark, The Whigs have no illusions of immediately jumping back into arenas, but they are getting closer. Being the next great band from Athens may be a matter of opinion, but with another Letterman appearance, plans to appear at SXSW and an upcoming co-headlining tour in the works, watching The Whigs is only going to get more interesting. Who knows — the wait B might be over soon.

ATHENS BLUR MAGAZINE

MUSIC

feature

experts

field

in their

photo courtesy field music

reformed and recharged, field music’s david and peter brewis are back — on their own terms by Alec Wooden Athens Blur Magazine: When there's a band based around two brothers, people tend to assume it's something you've been doing your whole lives together. True story? David Brewis: It's funny, we don’t come from a musical family. Our parents had a record collection but it was very much from the mainstream. We listened to records when we were little and we listened to my parents compilation tapes in the car. Immediately after we started asking questions about their record collection that maybe they didn’t know the answers to (laughs). Just stupid things really and then we started playing, trying to write songs and we started recording on a little 4-track. We played in local pubs and they didn’t seem to mind the fact that I was only 14 (laughs). We were too young to drive — mom and dad came to all of the gigs. ABM: Do you remember the point where you both decided this is what you wanted to do with your lives? DB: It’s kind of stages in that direction. We thought we could play when we first started,

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but never looked that far into the future. Around that time we heard the Black Crowes for the first time. We bought their second album and we heard their third album and we thought 'Yeah, we can do this. We can be like The Black Crowes.' It doesn’t matter that we really only wanted to look like Led Zeppelin (laughs). We at first were a cover band and we didn’t really make any good music until we started listening to music and just playing it. I’m not sure how we were able to make anything coherent out of it. We were basically a classic rock band and we started discovering a whole load of different music. We started writing things very differently and finding ourselves growing up, you know? We were just finding ourselves as musicians. And then after that it only took 6 or 7 years before I wrote new songs (laughs). A little bit of time lost, yeah? ABM: Things seemed to be on the up and up, but you took a sudden hiatus just as people were really beginning to take notice of the band. What was behind that? DB: After doing those first two records and playing a bit and getting reviews and things, we said 'Do we play this kind of

music because people say we do?' And that’s what people expect us to do. Maybe we didn’t feel strong enough or confident enough to go against that knowing that there are commercial repercussions. There are commercial repercussions to going against people’s expectations. So it seemed like the easiest thing to do was say 'We are not Field Music now.' It was the most obvious way to make it clear that those expectations were wrong. And also, we were pretty sick of each other. I was pretty sick after we finished recording Tones of Town. It was just at that moment not very much fun. We weren’t really ‘falling out,’ [but] if you’re not enjoying it, then there’s really no point in doing it. It’s just that we have to love it to do it. ABM: Coming back from that with the new record, is there more pressure? Perhaps to prove that it was 'worth it'? DB: Not really. We wouldn’t have been able to do [the new record] if there was a lot of pressure and if we had to prove something to anyone, then it would have been easier to be something else. As soon as we started talking about doing it again, we realized that we really did need that break. It helped us

figure out what exactly it is we needed to do — we learned how to get the best out of each other and how not to piss each other off (laughs). We just figured out the logistics. ABM: You're back in a pretty big way, with an ambitious double album. Was that a product of recharged, fruitful writing sessions? DB: We really didn’t have a lot of material before we started. I know Peter had a few small pieces of music which he hadn’t found a place for. Thinking about it now, we didn’t have any material and yet from the very beginning we were determined to do a double album (laughs).

“We realized that we really did need that break. It helped us figure out what exactly it is we needed to do — we learned how to get the best out of each other and how not to piss each other off.” David Brewis, Field Music

ABM: So that was decided before the writing even started? DB: Yes. We defined Field Music as being this much more freewheeling, spread out entity. We set out to do a non-concise record, one that has as much variety as we can at the time. It didn’t feel like writing the songs was a chore. We actually started and it came together quite quickly. We got to take some breaks and spend some time at home and work on our own musical ideas and finish the songs. It was like, ‘Hey, we are going to do a record but we’re not going to put that much pressure on ourselves.' It seemed to work. ABM: Do you guys write together? DB: We write tunes separately and for the most part have a pretty good idea about how songs are going to be arranged before we bring it. Accepting that is one of the things that made this record possible. It’s kind of strange, but it really feels like this record has been more planned than the previous records even though there are songs that I didn’t really plan or Pete didn’t really plan. It sounds kind of vague but that is very much how it went. If [Pete] wanted to write a song and I could tell straight away what he wanted it to sound like, I could trust him in what he’s doing and I could just do what he wanted me to do until I understood. The writing is separate and we’re that much closer to making something complete when we come together. ABM: You guys are pretty self-sufficient in all aspects of your recording career — is that something done from necessity, or because you just happen to cover all those fields with personal passions or hobbies? DB: We didn’t set out to be recording engineers, but I think what we’ve realized over the years is the extent and range of our production has been in our lives for so early in the process and we are so clear about where we want the record to go and basically we can learn what other technical skills we need faster than we can explain to someone else. The best way we can explain to a producer how we want the sound is to record it and say 'This is how we want it to sound.' I think the way we do things is an interesting model for how things are gonna go in a record industry and there’s a whole lot of money being put into making a record. It’s a switch between bands who just go in and perform their live set where you can do that in an expensive studio because you can be there for a few days. Who can afford to do what we do in a real studio? And we’ve got B enough technical skill to make things how we want them.

feature

photo courtesy thirty tigers pr

MUSIC

drive by truckers

ten questions:

Forgive Patterson Hood if he takes a moment to figure out what you’re referring to when you ask about his “current release.” Problem is, he’s got five to choose from. The release of DBT’s The Big To Do on March 2 marks the fifth Trucker related release in less than a year. Along with the new record, recent treats include 2009’s backing appearance with Booker T. Jones on PoTato Hole, a “Live from Austin, TX” CD/DVD, The Fine Print (A Collection Of Oddities and Rarities 2003 2008) and Hood’s solo work on Murdering Oscar (and Other Love Songs). Hood talks to ABM about his new release, life on the road and the endless creative energy of his band. Athens Blur Magazine: You’ve said that this is “very much a rock album,” and compare it to Southern Rock Opera. Was there a conscious effort to write songs like that? Or did it just sort of naturally evolve back to that? Patterson Hood: I kinda flubbed that comparison, as that other than sounding very much like Drive-By Truckers, it really doesn’t sound like that particular album at all. I just meant that it is more of a directsounding, rocked-up version of what we do and probably more so than anything

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since Disc 2 of SRO. Disc 2 of that album was also pretty concise about what it did as opposed to disc one that kinda rambled, which we tend to do a lot. It's very much its own album, and certainly not in any way a throwback to any previous era of this band. I truly believe that these are our glory days and that this version of the band is the finest yet on almost every level. I’m very proud of most of our albums but particularly the last one and this one.

ABM: Many artists will often try and constantly be too forward-thinking — always trying to do something new just for the sake of doing it. Does it feel good to have a project that can be described that simply (as just a solid “rock” album) and getting down to what you guys really broke out with and became known for? PH: Again, I’m afraid what I said was misleading and wrong (or at least not what I meant or was trying to convey). I always prefer to refer to our band as simply a rock

MUSIC 'n' roll band as opposed to dealing with any of the sub-genres, not because I don’t like the sub-genres as much as that I like so many of them that I never want to limit what we do to any one or two of them. Rock 'n' roll is such an all-inclusive phrase and that’s specifically what draws me to that term or label. What kind of rock? All the kinds of rock (or many at least). The important thing to me is the song, what it says and finding the most appropriate musical setting to say it in. Some songs need to be country, some soul, some '70s arena rock, some songs should swing and some should whap you over the head. I like whatever is appropriate to the song itself and fortunately right now the band is in the place where it can do any of those things effectively. This album is actually by far our most musically ambitious album ever. I think it might be our strongest lyrically, also. ABM: The inspiration largely comes from the road, a place with which the band is quite familiar. Were the songs actually written on the road, or in retrospect about life on the road? PH: Only two that I can think of actually take place on the road: “Santa Fe,” which is about being homesick, among other things, and “Girls Who Smoke,” which is on the vinyl version and is about playing the summer festival circuit in England. I did write a lot of the album out on the road, only because of necessity. I have two small children at home and I’m gone a lot. I owe it to them to try to be Dad when I’m home but the songs have to be written somewhere. It’s hard as shit [to write on the road] because writing is a solitary thing and there’s no solitude on a bus living 24 hours a day with eleven other people. I literally go weeks at a time with zero alone time, then come home to two small children and a very patient wife. I still managed to write fifty songs for this album but it makes my head hurt sometimes.

adventure for a lifetime; don’t need any more of that. I still get a good bit, but don’t look for it. All distractions have gone by the wayside, and the show is better and more important than ever. More fun than ever. I spend 21 hours every day looking forward to the three when I’m on stage. ABM: Does the band have any favorite road rituals, superstitions, activities, etc?

“

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How nice is it to have three songwriters contributing, and how have you seen her progress with her writing, in particular? PH: She has grown by lengths and bounds and we are all so very proud of what she’s done. I think “I Told You So” sounds like it could be a long lost Buddy Holly song, which is about the biggest compliment I can imagine. It is so profoundly simple, yet conveys so much. A stunning piece of

I only feel pressure from ourselves to be the best fucking rock ‘n’ roll band we can be. To be worthy of people’s very hard earned entertainment dollar during these hard times. Patterson Hood, Drive-By Truckers right now on athensblur.com hear “This Fucking Job” by Drive-By Truckers

”

writing, and so is “You Got Another.” It’s like she wrote two perfect verses. She was saying she needed to write another verse, and all of us kinda simultaneously said, “No, you just need to sing those two again and turn up the volume.” Perfect.

PH: A little wine, a little beer, a little hungry, ABM: What’s the biggest difference between the proper slant on whatever situation it is. Keep it fun and spontaneous, even if we have the DBTs of 2000 and the DBTs of 2010 (besides the obvious lineup changes, etc.)? an agenda, which we definitely do. PH: Ten years of living, breathing and ABM: Now that you’re picked up by ATO, do taking in life to the fullest in all its you feel any more pressure moving forward? complexity, and sometimes terror and PH: They have been totally kickass so far. pushing ourselves forward. “If you fall, fall By far the most supportive label we’ve frontways.” As I said, these are the glory ever encountered. I only feel pressure from days. ourselves to be the best fucking rock 'n' roll band we can be — to be worthy of ABM: It’s been quite a year or so for you guys people’s very hard-earned entertainment – a record last year, the Booker T. project, your dollar during these hard times. We tell these solo record and now The Big To Do. How do stories that are dark and spooky and often you keep the creative energy up? a little tragic or sad, but we also carry the PH: That’s what it’s all about. I live to uplift of our very survival out here. We came be creative, in whatever form it takes on. from this hard, rough place and we get to ABM: What is your favorite part of being on There’s a lot we all want to do — the trick go out and do exactly what we’ve always the road? Has that changed over the years? is getting it all done. We ain’t getting any dreamed of doing. And I even get to support younger. Has it become harder for you as your family my family from doing it. I feel enormous grows? pressure from that, but that’s a good thing. ABM: What do you think is the most PH: Unbelievably so. I want to be a great Dad and being away so much is excruciating. By the time we signed with ATO, we had important thing the Truckers took away from already proven that we could do just fine I try to channel that back into my work, in the Booker T. collaboration? without a label and probably most of the how I play and write. I initially loved the PH: I think we all learned a lot about how time fare better without, so they had to traveling and adventure, and when I was to craft a song musically. Our songs have show us that they could do something for us always been extremely lyric driven and younger, chasing girls and partying. Our we couldn’t do for ourselves. They have been making an instrumental album taught us a show is like a party but other than drinking great; they seem to really genuinely get what lot about how to make a song stand up on a few beers, I don’t really party anymore, we are and what we do and how we do it. especially on the road because it takes its own without the lyrics. Applying those everything I have to physically stay out there That’s very important to us. lessons to an album of songs as lyrically and do this. Also, I can’t afford to fuck up strong as The Big To Do has made it a better ABM: Shonna [Tucker, DBT's bassist] has because now I have a family depending on album than we could have made before me. I’ve traveled for fifteen years now so I’m emerged over the last couple records as more having worked with Booker. He’s also a hell B and more of a songwriting force for DBT. pretty over that part and I’ve had enough of a cool, sweet guy.

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Dear Blur, Thanks for the memories... â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Reign

gear guide Denon DJ DN-S700 CD/MP3 Player The DN-S700 is a new entry-level compact tabletop CD/MP3 player sporting many features from Denon DJ’s flagship professional models, including advanced MP3 functionality for easy file search and selection, CD text display, auto or manual BPM, three onboard FX, four pitch ranges, one hot start and seamless loop controls, fader start and pitch bend. It is all of these design features and functions that provide the hobbyist, true mobile entertainers and today’s aspiring DJs unprecedented creativity and showmanship opportunity at a groundbreaking price. The DN-S700 has been implemented with a new powerful DSP and large memory capacity which allows for many advanced features.

Blue Yeti USB Microphone The Yeti is the most advanced and versatile multi-pattern USB microphone available anywhere. Combining three capsules and four different pattern settings, the Yeti is the ultimate tool for creating amazing recordings, directly to your computer. THX Certified for exceptional sound and performance, the Yeti can capture anything with a clarity & ease unheard of in a USB microphone. The Yeti features Blue’s innovative triple capsule array, allowing for recording in stereo or your choice of three unique patterns, including cardioid, omnidirectional, and bidirectional, giving you recording capabilities usually requiring multiple microphones. The Yeti utilizes a high quality analog-to-digital converter to send incredible audio fidelity directly into your computer, a built-in headphone amplifier for zero-latency monitoring, and simple controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and microphone gain located directly on the microphone. The Yeti’s exceptional performance and fidelity have earned it the distinction of being the first THX Certified Microphone, a validation of Yeti’s incredibly low distortion, high fidelity, and balanced frequency response. There are no drivers to install — simply plug the Yeti into your PC or Mac, load up your favorite recording software, and record something amazing.

Sony PCM-M10 Portable Recorder Meet the smallest addition to Sony’s family of portable audio recorders. The new PCM-M10 Linear PCM Recorder adopted many of its features and style from the highly acclaimed PCM-D50 model, including rugged construction, compact size and cool design. The PCM-M10 is conveniently small on size, but packs in many cool features: a five-second pre-record buffer, WAV and MP3 format record and play, USB port for easy upload/downloads, Digital Pitch Control and a MicroSD/Memory Stick Micro slot. Providing 96 kHz 24-bit recording, a 4 GB built-in flash memory and user friendly operation, the PCM-M10 is the ideal choice for making live musical, nature sound and field recordings.

mu CO sic RNian’ E s

Novation Launchpad

Jointly designed by Ableton and Novation, Launchpad places Ableton Live at your fingertips. Whether you’re a DJ, performing musician or studio producer, Launchpad gives you all you need to truly ‘play’ Live. With a multi-color 64-button grid and dedicated scene launch buttons, Launchpad is built for triggering and manipulating clips in Live, it also offers a totally new way of controlling Ableton Live’s mixer. Launchpad’s buttons can be used to sketch out beats with drum tracks, and they can be assigned to other functions in Live using Ableton’s ‘Learn’ mode. Launchpad ships with a dedicated ‘Launchpad edition’ of Ableton Live 8.

Akai RPM8 Studio Monitors

Designed and tweaked by the same team responsible for the MPC, RPM8 reference production monitors were developed to reproduce the sound of contemporary music. Sold in pairs, RPM8 studio monitors are two-way, active, bi-amplified, nearfield loudspeakers made for producers, recording engineers, remix artists, DJs and other musicians. RPM8s perform tight, clean low-frequency response down to an impressive 39 Hz. These powerful nearfield monitors can produce up to 113dB SPL, and a bi-color LED on the front baffle indicates clipping.

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Celemony Melodyne Editor

Korg WAVEDRUM

Melodyne Editor is the first Celemony product to offer the revolutionary Direct Note Access technology. This makes possible what had previously been considered impossible: access to individual notes in polyphonic audio material. Correct wrong notes in a piano recording; change the chords in a guitar accompaniment after the recording is over; refashion a sample lick. Melodyne editor lets you do things of which, until now, you could only dream. With Melodyne editor you can edit your audio material in an intuitive and flexible way. Simply move an audio note to a different pitch or a different position. Make notes longer or shorter, louder or softer. Delete notes from chords or add new ones by copying. Transpose or quantize your material, create from it melodic, harmonic and rhythmic variations. Once you’ve experienced the power to reshape audio in this way, you won’t want to live without it.

Sonically richer, programmable and intensely sensitive, this 2nd generation WAVEDRUM is bursting with more than enough power and expression to create its own musical legend. The extreme dynamic range challenges the response of an acoustic instrument. WAVEDRUM responds instantly to any and all playing styles, from subtly-nuanced tapping and stroking to aggressive, rhythmic assaults. From traditional acoustic percussion instruments to unique sounds previously impossible to obtain, WAVEDRUM serves up an enticing treasure trove of sounds. With WAVEDRUM, you’re always in control. Instruments that normally require special techniques to play, such as tabla, conga, etc., can be played with ease. Create your own unique performance style, filled with unparalleled levels of expression and originality. Built to travel, the compact and lightweight WAVEDRUM is ideal wherever your musical dreams take you – from casual playing through to a full-on recording session or a live concert performance.

KickPort Drum Insert The KickPort is a revolutionary innovation designed to instantly improve the sound of any bass drum. The versatile, affordable KickPort allows optimum tone control, tuning, head selection and mic placement in any playing situation and is quick and easy to install. The overall result is more lows, more tone, better definition and more punch in varying acoustical environments.

Mapex Falcon Bass Drum Pedal These new pedals from Mapex are designed to be the smoothest-playing pedals ever made. The Falcon’s exclusive hollow inox steel driveshaft offers the utmost in strength without adding unwanted drag or excess weight. This increases the smooth operation of the pedal and gives Falcon a sensationally smooth feel. Because the Falcon’s footprint is more compact than other bass drum pedals, it’s easy to comfortably position between the hi-hat and snare stands. The Falcon’s easy-toreach, resistance-free Talon clamp adjustment can be tightened with one hand from a seated position, making setup quick and easy, even in the tightest spaces.

Hartke HyDrive 5210C Bass Combo With Hartke’s HyDrive series, you get the best of both worlds: the warm tone of traditional paper cones and the clear, punchy attack of aluminum. HyDrive’s patented Hybrid Cone Technology produces a speaker that uses an outside paper cone to push a warm, deep low frequency and an inner aluminum cone that produces mids and highs that cut, yet still remain sweet. One of the most important advances with the HyDrive speaker is its power-to-weight ratio. A HyDrive speaker weighs 40% less than traditional speakers and delivers 250 watts for the highest power-to-weight ratio of any bass speaker available. But the innovation runs even deeper. Because of its cast aluminum frame and neodymium magnets, HyDrive speakers operate cooler and deliver more reliable power handling at peak performance. The Hartke 5210 combines a groundbreaking speaker design and a professional, comprehensive bass amplifier in one portable, roadworthy enclosure. The result is a pioneering bass combo that is powerful, warm, articulate and exceptionally durable. Versatile and inclusive, the Hartke 5210 sets a new standard for contemporary bass combos.

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1945 – “The Nat King Cole Trio” is at the top of the charts when Billboard magazine begins a top albums chart. 1956 – “My Fair Lady” opens on Broadway.

1980 – Quincy Jones receives his first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1992 – 40,000 people attend Farm Aid in Irving, TX. 1965 – Eric Clapton says goodbye to the Yardbirds. 1984 – “Top 20 Video Countdown” premieres on MTV.

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1968 – After proposing to June Carter on national television at the London Arena, the ‘Man in Black’ Johnny Cash and country’s middle Carter sibling are married. 1995 – Then-drummer of Athens band R.E.M. Bill Berry suffers a brain aneurysm during a show in Switzerland. 1942 – The Velvet Underground’s leading man and solo glam rocker Lou Reed is born in Brooklyn, NY. 1964 – The Beatles cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Twist and Shout” is released in the U.S. 2000 – Earl Simmons, aka rapper DMX, is arrested in Cheektowaga, NY for possession of marijuana and driving without a license.

1970 – Famed criminal Charles Manson releases the album “Lies” to help pay for his defense against murder charges claiming his involvement in the TateLabianca murders. 1998 – In Australia, Liam Gallagher of Oasis is charged after he allegedly headbutts and breaks the nose of a fan. He is released on bail for $10,000. 1963 – The day country music died: Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins perish after their plane crashes near Nashville, Tenn. 2002 – “The Osbournes” reality show airs on MTV, and becomes the network’s most watched series ever.

1973 – Marijuana is found growing on Paul McCartney’s Scotland farm. He is fined 240 pounds ($387) after claiming a friend gave the seeds to him and he didn’t realize that they were cannabis seeds. 1966 - The Beach Boys song “Caroline, No” is initially released as a solo track by Brian Wilson from the Pet Sounds sessions. 1983 - Pop singer Neil Sedaka and Motownbred Stevie Wonder are inducted into The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame during the Hall’s annual New York ceremony.

1877 – Romantic Russian composer Tchaikovsky debuts his ballet “Swan Lake” that tells the story of Princess Odette, who is cursed by an evil sorcerer and turned into a swan. 1970 – Tampa, Fla. limits Janis Joplin’s First Amendment rights and fines the soul singer $200 for using obscene language onstage.

1961 – The Supremes release “I Want A Guy,” their first single. 1997 – Notorious B.I.G is murdered in Los Angeles in a drive-by shooting. was 24. 1964 – “Kissin’ Cousins,” Elvis Presley’s 14th movie is released. 1997 – Beatle Paul McCartney is knighted

1998 – Korn serves a cease-anddesist demand to an assistant principal, high school and a school district in Michigan. The school suspended a student for wearing a T-shirt that had “Korn” written on it.

1966 – Three established rockers Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay come together to form the super group Buffalo Springfield.

1979 – The Grand Ole Opry welcomes James Brown.

1994 – Kurt Cobain learns that champagne and Valium do not mix when he goes into a coma in Italy.

1992 – At the Soul Train Awards, Prince receives a lifetime achievement award.

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1965 – Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman are arrested in London for relieving themselves on the wall of the Francis Garage.

1963 – Peter, Paul, and Mary release “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

1976 – Bruce Springsteen jumps a fence at Graceland in Memphis in an attempt to see his idol, Elvis Presley.

1958 – The immortal “Yakety Yak” is recorded by The Coasters. 1995 – Madonna premieres her “Bedtime Stories” video to a crowd of 1,500 fans wearing pajamas and holding teddy bears.

1988 – Madonna debuts on Broadway in the play “Speed the Plow.”

1969 – In Amsterdam, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their “bed-in” for peace in Vietnam.

1964 – The Beatles release “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “You Can’t Do That” on Capitol Records.

1994 – Pink Floyd releases the album “The Division Bell.”

1958 – An eightyear-old Hank Williams, Jr. makes his onstage premiere in Swainsboro, GA.

1977 – The Clash release “White Riot,” their first single.

1967 – The cover of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is photographed.

1997 – Marilyn Manson severs an artery after falling off the stage at his show, and promptly calls the gig off.

1975 – The film Tommy, based on the rock opera by The Who, premieres in London.

1970 –The Faces release their first album with Rod Stewart as lead vocalist, called First Step. 1970 –The Jackson Five release “ABC.”

1978 – A&M Records sign The Police.

1979 – Eric Clapton marries George Harrison’s ex-wife, Patti “Layla” Boyd.

1964 – “In His Own Write,” John Lennon’s first book, is published.

2001 – Puff Daddy tells MTV he wants to now be known as P. Diddy.

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1995 – While he is in jail for sexual assault, Tupac Shakur’s “Me Against the World” debuts at No. 1 on the charts, making him the first rap artist ever to debut at No. 1.

1982 – Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads is killed at age 25 when his plane crashes into Ozzy’s tour bus. 1957 – Elvis Presley buys a mansion, to be later known as Graceland.

1972 – Elvis Presley records “Burning Love,” which turned out to be his last hit.

1977 – Glam giants T. Rex perform their last live concert.

1985 – Prince wins an Oscar for Best Original Score for the soundtrack of his movie Purple Rain.

1991 – Eric Clapton’s toddler son, Conor, dies after falling from a highrise window in New York City.

1967 – The Who plays its first United States show in New York.

1991 – The Black Crowes are dropped as the opening band for ZZ Top’s tour for repeatedly criticizing Miller beer, who was sponsoring the tour.

1982 – The Doobie Brothers break up. 1995 – Selena is killed by Yolanda Saldivar, who had been the president of Selena’s fan club before she was fired for embezzlement.

1992 – In the Milli-Vanilli class-action suit, the judge rules the band had to give a $3 cash rebate to anyone who could prove they bought their music before Nov. 27, 1990, which was the date the lip synching scandal was revealed.

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arts & entertainment UPCOMING ON THE SCREEN previewing what’s on deck this spring

alice in wonderland (MARCH 5) (Tim Burton) Starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and presented in 3D and Imax 3D, Alice (now 19-years-old) returns to Wonderland and encounters old friends in an attempt to end the Red Queen’s malicious reign.

GREEN ZONE

(MARCH 12) (Paul Greengrass) Director of the Bourne Supremacy and the Bourne Ultimatum returns to the big screen with a film starring Matt Damon as a rogue U.S. Military Officer who must find weapons of mass destruction before violence erupts in an already dangerous region.

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REMEMBER ME (MARCH 12) (Allen Coulter) Tyler (Rob Pattinson), an insurgent college kid, has a mangled relationship with his father due to an awful event that separated their family. Certain no one could understand what he was dealing with, Ally (Emilie de Ravin) was an unexpected friend, and her generous spirit made it easy for Tyler to fall for her. Soon, his world gets a little brighter until buried secrets make their way to the surface and threaten to rip their love apart.

OUR FAMILY WEDDING

(MARCH 12) (Rick Famuyiwa) An interracial couple announce their engagement to their unsuspecting families, and during the time leading up to the wedding, both sides try to find a way to relate, despite their cultural differences.

CITY ISLAND (MARCH 19) (Raymond De Felitta) Each person in the City Island family has a secret to tell, or in their case, not tell. The father, Vincent, is a prison guard by day and aspiring actor by night, his son has secret liaisons with the family’s hefty next door neighbor, and while he thinks his daughter is off getting a college education, she’s really perfecting her pole moves working as a stripper. Perhaps the most stable of the family, Vincent’s wife Joyce has been busy trying to reveal who the recentlyhired help is, the identity of which only Vincent knows.

clash of the titans (MARCH 26) (Louis Leterrier) In this classic tale of mythology, Zeus’s mortal son Perseus volunteers himself to lead a perilous mission to save Earth and his heritage from Hades. Perseus and his band of brigadiers venture deep into the underworld, battling both real and internal demons. If he can live up to his godly heritage, he just might be the only hope the mortals have.

LAST NIGHT

greenberg

REPO MEN

(MARCH19) (Massy Tadjedin) When a husband (Sam Worthington) ventures on a business trip with a beautiful colleague, leaving his wife to experience an unanticipated reunion with an ex-lover (Guillaume Canet), their marriage gets put to a definitive test.

(MARCH 26) (Noah Baumbach) An unhappy New York man decides to relocate to Los Angeles in an attempt to figure out his life, and while housesitting for his brother meets his brother’s assistant and instantly hits it off with her.

(APRIL 2) (Miguel Sapochnik) Set in a future where artificial organs can be bought, a man purchases a heart on credit to save his life. He struggles to make the payments on his new organ, and must go on the run to avoid repossession of his life-dependent purchase.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

(APRIL 2) (Thor Freudenthal) Greg Heffley is a skinny, physically unremarkable, quirky, wimpy kid. The wisecracking hero gets into all sorts of debauchery during his middle school life. Jeff Kinney’s best-selling book heads to the big screen as a live action film.

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arts & entertainment

BEST BETS The LAST STATION (Michael Hoffman) “The Last Station” follows the life of Russian Socialist writer Leo Tolstoy in the final year of his life — particularly the tumultuous relationship with his wife, The Countess Sofya. At the urging of his most devoted disciple, Vladimir Chertkov, Tolstoy drafts and signs a new will that leaves all of his work to the Russian people rather than his own familiy. Sofya and other family members try everything within their power to rectify the situation before time runs out on the great Russian writer.

The WHITE RIBBON

Director:Michael Haneke Starring: Ulrich Tukur Run time: 144 minutes “The White Ribbon” takes place in a German village during 1913 and 1914, depicting a tightly-knit aristocratic estate in which everyone knows their place. On the surface everything is fine. Then, as is so often the case in Haneke’s films, a small incident disrupts the calm, and starts a train of events that threatens to overwhelm the whole social order.

a prophet

creation

Director: Jaques Audiard Starring: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif Run time: 150 minutes Condemned to six years in prison at the young age of 19, Malik El Djebena cannot read or write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang who rules the prison, he is given a number of missions to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. Malik is brave and a fast learner, daring to secretly develop his own plans.

Director: Jon Amiel Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam Run time: 108 minutes Real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly portray man of science Charles Darwin and woman of faith Emma Darwin in a film focusing on the life of the author who wrote “On the Origin of Species” and changed the way the world views evolution.

check www.athenscine.com for specific show times and run dates

BEST BETS chloe (Atom Egoyan) Catherine and David are living the American Dream. She’s a doctor, he’s a professor, and they have a gifted young son. After David misses a few key events, including his own surprise birthday party, Catherine lets her suspicions get the best of her. She hires an escort, Chloe, in an attempt to prove David’s infidelity through seduction, and to report back to Catherine her findings. As Catherine scripts the encounters between the two, she finds that in so doing she got much more than she bargained for.

tales from the script

Director: Peter Hanson Starring: Allison Anders, Jane Anerson, John August Run time: 105 minutes From Lethal Weapon creator Shane Black to horror movie icon John Carpenter, screenwriters from all backgrounds come together for this documentary on the harsh realities of script writing.

BURMA VJ

the eclipse

Director: Anders Ostergaard Run time: 89 minutes

Director: Conor McPherson Starring: Ciaran Hinds, Iben Hjejleelle, Aidan Quinn Run time: 88 minutes

A documentary of the protests against Burma’s military regime in 2007, told through the eyes of a 27-yearold journalist named Joshua who must elude government intelligence agents and watch over his reporters all while filming the brutality of the uprising to keep the world informed.

check www.athenscine.com for specific show times and run dates

Michael Farr, a widowed man who believes he is seeing ghosts, falls for horror novelist Lena Morrelle and finds himself caught in a dangerous love triangle when Lena’s former lover comes back with a jealous obsession.

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upcoming dvD releases Release dates are subject to change. Check store website as these dates approach.

feb

Vampire’s Assistant: Cirque Du Freak Informant! Sorority Row September Issue Damned United The Box

mar

2012 PONYO Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story Bitch Slap

mar

Up In The Air Precious (2009) Planet 51 Capitalism: A Love Story The Boondock Saints II Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

mar

A&E DVD RELEASE CALENDAR

Twilight: New Moon The Fourth Kind Did You Hear About The Morgans? Princess And The Frog Astro Boy Pirate Radio Brief Interviews With Hideous Men

mar

The Blind Side Men Who Stare At Goats Brothers Fantastic Mr. Fox Black Balloon

mar

Sherlock Holmes Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakq uel An Education The Baader Meinhof Complex

This DVD calendar is brought to you by Visio n Video. Visit them at www.VisionVideoMovies.com

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concert shots

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. Patterson Hood @ 40 Watt (Ryan Myers) Drive-by Truckers @ 40 Watt (Daniel Peiken) Elliot Yamin @ Melting Point (Zack Kraimer) Willie Nelson @ Classic Center (Wes Elkin) We The Kings @ The Masquerade (Phil Pyle) Supercluster @ Melting Point (Daniel Peiken) Fiery Furnaces @ 40 Watt (Laurie Moot) 44

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concert shots 1

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The Wailers @ New Earth Music Hall (Stefan Eberhard) Mountain Heart @ Melting Point (Phil Pyle) All The Day Holiday @ Drunken Unicorn (Alex Gibbs) Tortoise @ The Earl (Harper Bridgers) Richard Leigh @ The Rialto Room (Ally Simmons) The Junior Astronomers @ Drunken Unicorn (Alex Gibbs) George Jones @ Classic Center (Alex Gibbs) ATHENS BLUR MAGAZINE

concert shots 1

7 Dex Romweber @ Caledonia Lounge (Zack Kraimer) Magnapop @ Melting Point (Daniel Peiken) Mayday Parade @ Masquerade (Phil Pyle) Owl City @ Melting Point (Wes Elkin) Owl City @ Melting Point (Colin Vereen) of Montreal @ 40 Watt (Alyssa De Hayes) Leo Kottke @ Melting Point (Daniel Peiken)

worth a thousand... A look inside the Georgia Theatre, February 2010. Photo: Justin Evans