Gordon Lamb

GODSPEED, MY FRIEND: On Aug. 31 longtime Athens music scene member, enthusiast and participant Jon Milavec died at age 51 from complications related to cancer treatment. He and his wife, Lynn, had been living in California for several years since their departure from Georgia, but they stayed in regular touch with friends. Milavec was known for his time spent at WUOG 90.5 FM, working as an independent publicist, and his bands Suspect Device and Stuntdouble—which often redefined the term “raucous” to also mean completely at the razor’s edge of both listenability and acceptability. As one of the fortunate group who knew him and loved him, I am confident he would smile at that assessment. He founded independent media company Mixed […]

INTO ANOTHER: Rachel and Grant Evans, the pair behind the wonderfully expressive Hooker Vision label, released a split album recently titled Dark Macramé / FM Prayer, and it’s credited to Rachel’s project Motion Sickness Of Time Travel (MSOTT) and R. Grant Evans. These recordings were captured during rehearsals for separate solo shows that took place back-to-back this past June. The MSOTT side (“Dark Macramé”) is, somewhat expectedly, composed of meditatively peaceful drones for the first several minutes, but begins to turn in mood just after the nine-minute mark. Before its conclusion it escapes, but just barely. Grant’s track, “FM Prayer” also takes up most of 20 minutes, but is much more mechanical in its execution. Melodic bleeps and bloops are […]

KEEPIN’ COOL ON SCHOOL: The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (34 School St., Watkinsville) will host Marty Winkler & Friends and Overia on Saturday, Oct. 4 as part of its live music series. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and music begins at 7 p.m. Joining the jazz/pop/folk singer, who just happens to have a four-octave range, as her band are pianist Neil Golden, bassist Mike Merva, and singers Maggie Mason Hunter and Debbie Hardagree. Local group Overia opens the show. Tickets are $15 in advance for OCAF members and $20 in advance for non-members. These prices increase to $20 and $25, respectively, at the door. For more information, please see ocaf.com and facebook.com/martywinkleractingmusic. THIS PAINTING WILL SELF-DESTRUCT: MicroTrak (Oliver Domingo, Ava […]

YOU NEED A MIRACLE: Tickets for Widespread Panic’s New Year’s run at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre went on sale last Friday. The specific dates for these shows are Dec. 29, 30 and 31. While there are multiple locales noted among Spreadheads as being particularly special venues for the band, the Fox is ranked very high on that list. I shouldn’t even have to note that these shows absolutely will sell completely out, if they haven’t already by the time you read this. For all other information, please see widespreadpanic.com. TUNE IN: Pianist and vocalist Katie Collins released her album She’s A Tenor recently, and I’d encourage setting aside some quiet time to absorb this fully. Collins wrote the 10-song album this […]

ON THE BEACH: Athens-adjacent artist Jake Chisenhall (Floral Portrait, Delorean Gray) has let slip his first release under his proper name. The five-song release is titled Be Steel, My Heart. From the first saxophone blast of opening song “Flowers Of Inez,” it’s tempting to categorize this as adult contemporary, but that temptation only lasts a few seconds. Once it’s passed, listeners will notice a distinct Beach Boys influence from vocal melodies to instrumentation and arrangement. This is clearly present on bossa nova-tinged “Beachfront Bossa” (featuring Rose Hotel), but most clearly pronounced in “Boys For The Summer.” The record’s mixing and mastering duties were pretty evenly split between Chisenhall at Blossom Sounds and Jesse Mangum at The Glow Studio, but everything […]

Libbaloops Gives Thanks , And More Music News and Gossip

PAPA, BUILD ME A BOAT: Hog-Eyed Man, the long-running folk/bluegrass/Appalachian/old time music group anchored by Jason Cade and Rob McMaken, released its sixth full-length album this summer, and it’s named Across The Sea. Turns out the title is more than appropriate as the pair are joined here by Tallahassee’s Paddy League, which is quite accomplished in both Greek and Irish music, as well as Scotland’s Michael Starkey, who plays the clawhammer banjo. The 13 tracks on the new album nearly defy critical analysis. Each is performed deftly and thoughtfully. The group’s respect for its source material is well evidenced, but Hog-Eyed Man still puts its shoulder into the work to make these tunes at least somewhat its own. Particularly inspired […]

No Chief: Bob D’Amico’s Inspiration for Multi-Sensory Live Music Performance

LIGHT-N-LIVELY: The UGA Performing Arts Center is hosting Athens-based artist Jackie Dorsey’s “Living Legends of Georgia Music” exhibition in its lobby. The show will run through Jan. 5, and the opening reception is Thursday, Aug. 28 from 5–6 p.m. This set of works—featuring watercolor paintings of Georgia legends such as Randall Bramblett, Cindy Wilson, Gregg Allman, Chuck Leavell, Mike Mills, Kevn Kinney, Chuck Leavell, Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Shawn Mullins, William Bell and Big Boi, among many others—was originally displayed at The Lyndon House Arts Center a couple of years ago. Next year, it will travel to the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art. For more information, please see jackiedorseyart.com and pac.uga.edu. OLD SCHOOL’S IN SESSION: Rapper Donny Knottsville must’ve refilled his […]

REST IN PEACE: We were saddened to learn of the passing of Athens musician Jeff Evans, 72, who died July 29. Evans was the bass player in The Original Screw Tops band, originally known as the SOB Blues Band. The band was active in both Athens and the immediate surrounding area for well over a decade, and performed original blues material as well as select covers. He is survived by his fellow band members as well as wife Joan, daughter Amanda, son Dylan, daughter-in-law Haley and grandson Archer.  ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: The Athens punks in Commüne do their tuneful best on new EP Thrash. What’s so cool about this is that, for the most part, the band exists in […]