A certain feeling of opportunity descended upon Athens once the success of The B-52s was solidified, the critical acclaim of Pylon was nearly universal and, especially so, after R.E.M. began climbing the stair steps to the stars. Even in our then-tiny town scene circa early-mid 1980s, there were folks clamoring for the elusive brass ring. And, honestly, when you’re living in an environment of exceedingly low rent and an endless stream of easily obtainable service jobs—a situation that was common in Athens for probably way longer than we ever had a right to—forming a band for fun with your budd ..read more

IT’S ALL HAPPENING TODAY: Denton, TX songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Markham recorded his latest full-length album, Just Like A Dream, at Chase Park Transduction in May 2022. It was recorded and produced by David Barbe and features Kris Killingsworth (Thrift Store Cowboys) on drums and Kyle Harris (Diamond Center, Sleepy Horses) on bass. Being from Texas, this wouldn’t normally qualify for inclusion here, but it’s just got so many Athens-related aspects to it that it passed muster. And I’m glad it did, too, because this thing is great. Markham is a power-pop purist in the best sens ..read more

Athens’ own volunteer-run community television programming network, JOKERJOKERtv, is putting on a night of performances inspired by experimental band Negativland, as well as its mission of celebrating and showcasing music videos, short films, animation, interviews and live performances from local and international artists. The show will feature local acts inspired by and performing covers of songs by Negativland. These include Pylon Reenactment Society, John Kiran Fernandes, Mr Blank, Corporal Quigg, Organically Programmed, Support Group, Fermented Angels and Nerve Clinic. On May 17, JJtv will ..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. Bill Taft, Burly Ivy and Don Chambers played a birthday party and art reception for Jill Carnes at Flicker Theatre & Bar on Monday, Apr. 1. James Mastro and Alejandro Escovedo played at the 40 Watt Club on Thursday, Apr. 4 ..read more

Gospel hip-hop artist Michael Stovall, who creates under the artist name King David and is one half of the group Brothers N Christ, released a music video today for his single “Overcome.” The track will be featured on an upcoming project titled The Gospel, which is awaiting an official release date for this month. The Brothers N Christ duo has been busy, currently juggling different projects and premiering a video for “All In His Name” on Flagpole last August. Michael’s brother and other half of Brothers N Christ Rashard Stovall, who goes by IAmGodsChild, released a solo album two months ago ..read more

The Electric Nature is putting on its final Athens show before hitting the road for a 39-stop U.S. tour in support of its new album, Plastic Mind, coming out Apr. 5 via Los Angeles label Already Dead Tapes & Records. This set will feature electroacoustic trance music in honor of being joined by bands from its former folk label, Garden Portal. The first among these, Magic Tuber Stringband, is an Appalachian music duo formed by North Carolinians Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan. Next is Joseph Allred, a Tennessee-based singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer who draws from Appalachian folk ..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. Josey, Dadgum and a trio with John Kiran Fernandes, Arianna Petersen and Franklin Russell played Thursday, Mar. 25 at Flicker Theatre & Bar. That same day, we caught Acquaviva Social Club. Leah Calvert & Neal Fountain ..read more

Not long after progressive death metal band Jet Engine Dragons released its full-length Ashes of Anthemusa in 2017, guitarist and vocalist Corey Flowers left Athens for Vienna, Austria. Though the long distance temporarily limited live performances, the time spent abroad provided critical inspiration for what would eventually coalesce into the band’s long-awaited new album, Ronin. Written as a way to process—or escape from—feelings of isolation, loss of identity and purpose, rejection and culture shock, Ronin is a concept album in five tableaux that contemplates the sacrifices and suffering of ..read more

INFORMALLY YOURS: If you’ve been paying even casual attention to the Athens scene over the past five years or so, it’s been clear that there’s a new generation of bands that have planted their big pop flag in the ground. Not the underground indie pop or even pop-punk, but huge sounding, arena-ready pop. The latest of these is Casual Americans. The band just released its self-titled debut album after releasing singles for a few years. Working in a crystalline production environment worthy of The Jonas Brothers or 5 Seconds of Summer while sounding like neither, the band ushers taut melodies thr ..read more

For the second year in a row, Austin’s formidable and culture-shaping South By Southwest continued to show that while we may be done with COVID, it is clearly not done with us.  The big money, and a large amount of attention, surrounding the nine-day conference seemed to swirl around artificial intelligence, and there were fully 67 different conference events concentrated on AI, including panels, talks and book signings.  Film was still both a priority and highlight for SXSW, although the marketing efforts of specific studios and distributors felt more concentrated and specifically e ..read more