SMILE AN EVERLASTING SMILE: Jay Gonzalez, hot on the heels of his new album Roll Up a Song—which was recorded with longtime writer and lyricist Pete Smith (Adult Swim) and credited to Gonzalez Smith—will play a special show Thursday, Nov. 30 at Flicker Theatre & Bar. He’ll be joined by acclaimed band member Darren Jessee (Ben Folds Five, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sharon Van Etten, Hotel Lights), who has made quite a name for himself as a solo artist with his three albums released over the past five years. Gonzalez is headlining this show and reports that it will function as a sort of release ..read more

Fifteen years ago, a group of musicians from different backgrounds found each other at the University of Georgia. They met each other while studying for their respective degrees and have been together ever since. It was their frequencies that aligned perfectly to form one of the most prominent bands to come out of Athens in recent years. After years of playing together, the group has become a family. As for its sound, Futurebirds has perfected a Southern indie-rock cocktail of soul and passion incorporating psychedelic rock and a hint of Americana. So far, it has released four studio albums an ..read more

Founding members Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson created Sunn O))) nearly 16 years ago as an experiment. Crossing over genres such as metal, drone, contemporary composition, doom and minimalism seemed to be a unique choice, and a risky one at that. The subject at the heart of their music? Darkness. What formed out of this original idea was a purely instrumental act dedicated to sounds of both woe and audible art. The hooded group created eight albums since its formation in 1998’s Seattle. As far as its live performance, audiences claim the group is a dark, reverberating force to be reckoned ..read more

Athens musician Jay Gonzalez and Durham, NC-based musician Darren Jessee are finally pairing up for a night of pop-rock after meeting on tour in 2018. Gonzalez may be best known for his career as The Drive-By Truckers’ keyboardist and guitarist, but has also grown in popularity for his solo work. His sound gives off the vibe of a creative reimagining of what a classic AM radio would sound like paired with his own unique pop songwriting. His goal is to mold indie-pop into a new shape, his own shape. His performance this night will serve as an album release of sorts for Roll Up a Song, a collabo ..read more

When I sat down to interview Kevn Kinney, it was the first day of a rash of cold days to hit the South, and it was the first day I turned the heat on in our poorly-insulated home. The cold front stretched to Atlanta as well, and periodically throughout our interview, Kinney paused to direct the maintenance crew to his broken central heat. He told me that he and his wife Anna Jensen are used to it. They just pile the blankets on. Kinney has executed his musical career in quiet humility, from his time in Atlanta’s Drivin N Cryin to an extensive and profoundly creative solo discography. Over ..read more

Hey Y’all, Seeing as this is the week of giving thanks, I wanted to say thank you for always showing up and reading this column every week. We won’t always, or even often, agree on everything. But, the Athens music scene is a total gift to us and, specific criticisms aside, should be celebrated. So, thank you and here’s to your week being a great one. Now, let’s get into it… CHECK PLEASE: The Asymptomatics have been up to quite a bit lately, including releasing a new single, “Two Possibilities,” which was mastered by Jason Nesmith at Chase Park Transduction. The band reports this is one of the ..read more

Nuçi’s Space will host its annual event Athens Uncovered, an all-day music festival to commemorate the extensive and exciting Athens music scene past and present. This event is a fundraising event for Nuçi’s Space and will include everything attendees may need from food trucks to photo ops in the famed St. Mary’s Steeple. The event will also include a kids area for parents to enjoy the festivities and music. This year’s lineup will feature Heffner, David Barbe + (featuring Brad Morgan of Drive-By Truckers, McKendrick Bearden, Ben Hackett and Graham Powers), Wim Tapley and the Cannons, Rose Hot ..read more

After its rise to fame in the R&B genre nearly three decades ago, the Atlanta trio Kut Klose is currently making the rounds by performing its classic hits at shows around the state. Forming in 1993, Athena Cage, Lavonn Battle and Tabitha Duncan began creating their soon-to-be hits and were discovered by musician Keith Sweat. After Sweat began working with the women, they released their debut album, Surrender, in 1995, which was also produced by Sweat. The album was a hit, and they churned out three singles, “Surrender,” “Lovely Thang” and “I Like,” which rose to acclaim. Of all the music t ..read more

With Gregory Frederick behind the camera, Athens GA Live Music seeks to document local and touring bands gracing stages across the Classic City. Explore the whole archive and subscribe to the channel here. Get up to speed with recent performances below, and remember to check Flagpole‘s music calendar each week to find out about upcoming shows. Viv Awesome, Psaltery (Atlanta) and Antlered Aunt Lord played at Buvez on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The two-day Cloud Recordings Festival kicked off on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Bolo Bolo with Kiran Fernandes, Caleb Darnell, Oceanic Sound ..read more

ALL WE ARE SAYING: The most recent Athens in Harmony show that happened back in September sold out in a flash, so the organizers are hosting an encore performance Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. This event, like its original instance, takes place at The Foundry. These performances are structured by pairing up musicians across different genres (rock, hip hop, soul, gospel, etc.) to perform as duets. The crescendo of the event is a sing-along of John Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance” with new verses contributed by Athens’ hip-hop artists Nony1, P.O. The Priceless One and Cardynal. Tickets are available n ..read more