Blog: UNDERNEATHICA

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Sabbatical self-sabotage. A hiatus from self-hatred. I didn't plan on such a long silence, but I had neither time nor interest to post anything. I got into a funk at the end of the year, when I realized how estranged I have become from the tastes of the online music community. I don't feel the need to be part of the in-crowd, but the consensus among the cognoscenti was far afield from what I

Music bloggers everywhere are busy compiling their year-end lists and holiday mixtapes. Humbug, I say. I'm already looking forward to the records that are coming out next year. High Tension Wires will release their third album, "Welcome New Machine", in February on the Dirtnap label. High Tension Wires are three Marked Men plus a Riverboat Gambler.Wire will release Object 48 on December 20, 2010,

I used to think of Howe Gelb as a Bob Dylan for my generation (or at least a John Prine). His lyrics are always literate and clever, and he staked a claim on the alt-country turf when the geography of that genre had yet to be mapped. Jason and the Nashville Scorchers released their debut EP (with its rocking revision of "Absolutely Sweet Marie") in 1982 (the same year the Kinmans re-emerged as

Blogger tells me that I passed 300 posts somewhere back there, and it's only taken me the better part of five years to do it. I couldn't have stuck with it this long without my loyal readers, especially those daily comments from 独懸賞金ム and 分海賊なら. You guys are 男性の為が! !!Apropos of nothing, here's a poem what I hath recently wrot:Well, the Spaniard sported an unsightly 'stacheAs he sweltered in the

Every purse was loaded with almighty cashAs Ranaldo softly strummed,And then Thurston bit into a blackened old pearBut he'd rather have a plum!Fandom is fun, but it can cost a ton.And we gently nudged the unsightly smudgeUntil the stain was goneFrom the pants that we wonIn an online auction.Stay tuned for "Unclabbered and Admirable Palsy".The Nectarine No.9: These Days

Melvins - Youth of AmericaMission of Burma - Youth of America (courtesy of archive.org)All the Saints - Youth of America (courtesy of Southern Shelter)Regarding his dystopian punk/motorik masterpiece, Greg Sage wrote, "The song YOA itself is out of a dream I had about the future. A time where people 'over breed' themselves to the point that even the most simple thing had become the highest level

Were the 1980's really that bad (see 8/19/10 below)? There's good music to be found in any decade, if you know where to listen. There are always forward-thinking musicians creating visionary sounds. Predictions of the future that were made in the past can be amusing when they're inaccurate (like the Jetsons, jetpacks, or Disney's Tomorrowland), but they're startling when they come true.

Monday, 10/18/10: School of Seven Bells at the EARLWednesday, 10/20: Los Campesinos with Johnny Foreigner at the Variety PlayhouseSaturday, 10/23/10: Bettie Serveert with Magnapop at the EARLSaturday 10/30/10: E.S.G. at the New Earth Music Hall in Athens, as part of the Next to Last FestSunday, 10/31/10: Fiend without a Face at the EARL Halloween BashTuesday 11/02/10: JEFF the Brotherhood at 529

The Jim Jones Revue arose like a phoenix from the ashes of Thee Hypnotics. The JJR played four songs on Daytrotter this summer, including one from their brand new album, Burning Your House Down (which comes out this week).If you usually avoid the type of performers featured on Daytrotter, do yourself a favor and make an exception. Or you can listen on myspace. I generally eschew "A meets B"

Although I haven't been blogging lately, I read music blogs every week. I was right pleased to be mentioned in three of my favorites: I Blog Econo, sIBlingshot on the Bleachers, and Last Days of Man on Earth. Last Days features the Underneathica theme song (circa 1981), so grab that mp3! It's nice to be remembered by your peers.Ib (of SibLINGSHOT) wrote a comment on his blog about the sad state

Does the story behind an album's creation add to the listener's enjoyment, or detract from it? I like to know how a record was made, and what the songs signify. But sometimes I think that the stories bandied about in the news media can overshadow the music itself, and mislead potential listeners.We all know the story of the guy who got dumped by his band and his girlfriend, and how he retreated

The members of Venice Is Sinking must feel as though time moves in slow motion for their band. Their third album, Sand & Lines, was released last month, roughly a year after a fire destroyed the Georgia Theater. The group recorded Sand & Lines there back in May 2008.To add to the sensation of slow motion, Daytrotter recently made available the session that Venice Is Sinking recorded there last

My concert-going habits have also changed. I think I only went to three shows last year. So far this year, I've seen the Residents, Acrassicauda, and Wintersleep. Shows I'm looking forward to:8/14/09: Mission of Burma, Raymilland, and Oh-OK (among others) at the Athens Popfest! Raymilland's "Recordings 1979-81" is available from BDR Recordings. Linda Hopper and Ruthie Morris of Oh-OK have

"While the Allman Brothers Band... defined the Southern Rock genre, Kevin Dunn destroyed it," Tony Paris writes in his excellent review of No Great Lost, the CD anthology of Kevin Dunn's solo recordings from the 1980's. It's an impressive collection of music that sheds light on an overlooked oeuvre.Eno's solo albums of the early Seventies are an obvious touchstone, but Kevin Dunn is his own Fripp

It's interesting how technology can change your music listening habits. I grew up with radio, vinyl and cassettes. I still have my first CD player. Then came the internet, mp3's, iPods, and all the sites you could search from the comfort of your home, rather than digging through record store crates. I joined eMusic, and quit five years later after buying music from almost 600 artists. Lala

Versions Galore is back! Covers by the score! Leo's been a busy boy. Check it out: Versions Galore 2.0To celebrate, here's one of my favorite covers ever (the Revillos doing "Hungry for Love", originally by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates):

This post goes out to all the slain bloggers and the fallen bloggers: cyber comrades taken down by the Despicable Millionaires Copywrong Act. Truthfully, I had been planning this post for awhile, but I thought to dedicate it after I tried to visit my friend Leopold at Versions Galore and saw the dreaded "blog not found" page. Leopold can still be found on Facebook, and he's parked the domain,

Maybe the dudes in Wintersleep sensed that I was talking about them, because they have just announced a North American tour (with Matt Pond PA) that will include a June 24 appearance at the EARL in Atlanta. Meet me at the merch table. Also recently announced: No Great Lost, an anthology of Kevin Dunn's recordings from 1979 to 1985. Kevin is an Atlanta guitarist and former member of the Fans (

Another real new Fall album, Your Future Our Clutter, will be released on April 26 by Domino Records. It includes a cover of "Funnel of Love", a song that I blogged about here. A track-by-track description of YFOC is available at The Quietus. A vinyl single with a non-LP version of the song "Bury" will be released on Record Store Day.A Balloon Called Moaning, the 8 song EP by The Joy Formidable,