Gordon Lamb

Each year the board of the Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards, named for the internationally renowned and prolific Athens musician, works to amplify the diverse voices of...

UP ON THE SUN: Composer, musician and Arfus Records head Andrew Steck has a new single out as of May 22. It’s named “Secretive” and is from his upcoming album, Regular Human Music Album, which is slated for release this summer. This new song is a vocal number from the artist, whose non-vocal productions we’ve become accustomed to. The tune itself, too, is a back-to-basics rock-influenced piece that is psychedelic in the style of Ween or maybe even a slowed-down Meat Puppets. Either way, an interesting take. Find this on streaming services and andrewsteck.bandcamp.com. For more information, please see arfusrecords.com and facebook.com/andrewsteckcomps.

CARRY ON PHENOMENON: The upcoming full-length album by Kishi Bashi, Kantos, is available for preorder now. It is described by the artist as “a party album about the possible end of humanity as we know it, at turns deeply unsettling and sublimely joyful.” It’ll be released as a compact disc, a vinyl album and digital download on Aug. 23. It features 12 tracks, and the first available, the cinematic “Colorful State,” is out now. In other news, tickets for his international fall and winter tour—which spans a huge chunk of September through December—are also on sale now. He next plays Athens on Oct. 22 at the Georgia Theater. For more information, please see kishibashi.bandcamp, kishibashi and facebook/mrkishibashi. Kantos by Kishi […]

THRASH ZONE: Athens’ bridge between the worlds of hardcore and thrash, Weaponized Flesh

LIFE IS PEACHY: Athens-via-Gainesville artist and member of the JOKERJOKERtv crew Bryant Perez has mostly spent his time musically developing as a hip-hop artist. Several months ago, though, he recorded a nu metal track named “Warning,” and the zombie-themed video for it debuted last week. Perez reports that it was his biggest ensemble production ever, including a cast of tens, professional makeup artists, some rented pro equipment, etc. The track itself is viciously short and clocks in at a mere 1:17. It also doesn’t even really kick in until the 31-second mark, so what you’ve got here is a solid 46 seconds of bass-heavy metal that certainly owes some debt to nu metal, but not all of it. Find this on major streaming services, and for more information, please see bryantperezmusic.com.

KIDS THESE DAYS: Although they just released the snappy new number “Love Wins” in May, rockers Shehehe

REMEMBER TWO THINGS: Total Recall Recordings just released two cassette tapes of releases from earlier this year. First is the three-song, two-minute-56-second-long demo from Häxorna. The whole thing is basically traditional, speedy hardcore that’s over before it barely begins. Next up is the four-song, four-minute-52-second-long Golden Lines by Joro Path

LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE: I’ve written a lot about the experimental noise vehicle partydead in these pages. At least it feels like a lot. Anyway, word came down this week that the project has just now completed its first version—titled home to love —of a planned three-version release of its planned second-to-last album. Now, if you have to say something three different times in three different ways, then it must be super important. Its architect,

DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER: Electro artist Kye Fox says in the notes of his new album Reboot that, “After 4 years of learning to survive a pandemic, a new wave of fascism, and a series of personal crises, [he’s] back and on track!” Lucky for us, too, as this is a taut collection of some nice electronic work that butts up against electropop but never takes the full deep dive in that direction. Instead, we have a group of works that feels akin to one of the golden ages of electronic composition, the 1970s. The back-to-back tracks—the Tangerine Dream-ish “Sky City” and the Numan/Dolby-esque “Hero”—bring this variety into full relief. Find this at kyefox.bandcamp.com, and for more information, go sign up for his newsletter at newsletter.kyefox.com.

GET OUTTA TOWN: The Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau, also known as “Visit Athens,” will host Amp It Up on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. at the development Avalon (400 Avalon Blvd.) in Alpharetta. The idea is to “[bring the] Athens vibe to Alpharetta.” To this end, the CVB promises free Athens-related attractions, pop-ups and different family activities. At 6 p.m., attendees will enjoy performances from A.D. Blanco and Hotel Fiction. Head to experienceavalon.com/events/amp-it-up-athens for details.