Old news
Biggie-Sized, sometimes free-form rock band Dark Meat has joined up with Vice Records. Vice is home to (ATL's) Black Lips as well as Bloc Party, Raveonettes, Justice and Chromeo.
R.E.M. has announceda release date for their next record, Accelerate (out on April 14). The boys are playing a much-anticipated show at SXSW this year. Supporting acts on the bill include Athens bands Summerbirds in the Cellar and Dead Confederate.
The Whigs are playing 10 shows with Drive-By Truckers in March and are supporting My Morning Jacket and Yo La Tengo at SXSW.
Elf Power (right) returns this spring with a new album, In A Cave (Rykodisc) Pitchfork Media profiled the band recently.
We Vs. The Shark has a really cool new project that they're going to be releasing over the next few months (in addition to their new EP).
From the Quote/Unquote Records website:
We Versus the Shark are proud to present "Murmurmur," an ongoing collection of renditions of songs we've been inspired by in the past few years. Starting today, January 1st, and finishing up on December 1st 2008, each month we'll be posting a new MP3 to Quote Unquote Records of other people's jams. Some of the songs are by artists who have gained accolades in some circles but remain obscure in others; a few will be Athens bands we're excited to big-up. We here at We Versus the Shark believe that "interpreting" (whatever) other artists is a good way to learn about structure, melody, and other things we're generally confused by. Enjoy "Murmurmur."
Check it out here.
Chris Starrs looks at the business end of the Athens music scene, present and future, in the Athens Banner-Herald.
