Gordon Lamb

Hey y’all, since this is the week we’re giving thanks, I wanted to express my appreciation for your reading this column each week. I also want to thank every musician and band who claims Athens as their homebase. While my individual opinion on your work varies wildly, the fact is there’s no scene without you. And as someone who loves the Athens music scene more than many things, I thank you for another year of doing what you do. Now, let’s get into the news. AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE: The collaborative album by Don Chambers and George Davidson, produced under the project name Call Letters, is titled Haint Blue and is out now. The immediacy of this record reflects the […]

CATAPULT: Irrepressible Athens rockers Five Eight have been on a pronounced upcycle this past year, buoyed by filmmaker Mark Pilvinsky’s documentary Weirdo: The Story of Five Eight as well as the frenetic energy of its single from February, “Take Me To The Skatepark.” Now newly signed to Milford, CT label Static Era Records, with an anticipated new album in 2026, the band recently released its newest single “I’m Alone,” which is exactly the type of pick-me-up song title you’ve come to expect from these boys. The tune itself is a mid-tempo rocker that is smooth in its transitions, features some creative use of classic riff-rock, and even closes out with vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Mike Mantione’s signature emotive wail. Find this on all […]

HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE: No Yonder will host a listening and release party for its new album, Crying At The Movies, this Friday, Nov. 7 at Rook & Pawn. The 13-song album opens with the doo-wop country of “Already Too Late” before sliding into the late-’60s-ish country of the title song. Now, this record is ready to be enjoyed by anyone, but honestly, this is a songwriter’s record. Every style here circles around the same group of usual suspects of Americana influences. But the band also throws a heavy dose of rock and roll in here and really stretches its wings with Cracker-worthy “Old Soul/Body” as well as “Break My Heart Already” and “Get Rich Quick.” The album was produced by […]

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

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