Kristen's Concert Picks: December brings frosty tune-filled delights!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you're truly enjoying this day of food, family, and football too. So, what are you thankful for? Me? Naturally, I'm thankful for the unbelievably rockin' Athens music scene. More specifically, I'm thankful for the absolutely amazing lineup of bands that December has in store for us! Your ears certainly won't be in any danger of freezing off with all of these nonstop music-filled experiences.

Tues, Dec 1: The Ha's Neptica Atlas & Matt Daniel from Leading Edge @ 9 PM @Tasty World Uptown
Start off the month with the public debut of The Ha's Neptica Atlas. You will not want to miss this! And Matt from Leading Edge will be performing too. Brilliant! And best of all, it's a benefit concert so you'll be helping people while you party!

Wed, Dec 2: Allison Weiss @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Oh yes, a CD release party! Don't miss your chance to check out the latest tunes from one of Athens' reigning queens of the music scene. I recently had the pleasure of seeing her sing her heart out for the WUOG listeners , and I can tell you, she truly pours her soul into these songs!

Thu, Dec 3: Madeline @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Madeline's soft dark rock is infused with a taste of southern rock as well. Something for everyone! She has quite a sound. She and her White Flag band are definitely worth your time!

Thu, Dec 3: Venice is Sinking @ 9 PM @ The 40 Watt Club
Ah, Venice is Sinking! After disappearing from the Athens music scene for a few months, they're back to treat our ears to some beautiful, soothing tunes. Excellent!

Fri, Dec 4: Efren @ 9 PM @ Flicker Theatre
Wow, December's full of CD releases! The ever-mysterious Efren is dropping his first album "Thunder and Moan" at this show. Delightful! Stay tuned for my Echoreview of his new tunes, coming soon!

Fri, Dec 4: A Postwar Drama @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
The list of bands I'm dying to see keeps getting shorter, and nothing makes me happier. Here's another band I've been hoping to check out since my Athfest research days. Soft, acoustic roots-type music is their style. Very nice!

Sat, Dec 5: Bambara @ 9 PM @ Farm 255
This ever-talented trio of loud, hard rockers is playing a free show at Farm 255. Yay! I mean, let's be honest. Their sound is just plain sexy. Everyone who's had a chance to experience their tunes agrees. And they've got some brand new ones too! Trust me. You'll want to be there.

Tues, Dec 8: Aman Amun @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge - **Postponed till January 7th**
This guy brings new meaning to the words "musical genius" every time he plays. Prepare yourself for a wonderfully impressive and creative display of art and technology intertwined with deep, soul-searching electronic rock.

Thurs, Dec 10: Doctor Squid @ 10 PM @ 40 Watt
MERRY SQUIDMAS! It's time to don your holiday-themed costumes, and get ready to rock the season in style! From what I've heard, last year's Squidmas was epic. And this year, they're playing with Romanenko, and Leaving Araby. I'm definitely not missing this one!

Sat, Dec 12: Hammer No More the Fingers & Gift Horse @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
HNMtF will give you a reason to dance! This North Carolina band knows how to make rock truly fun. With Gift Horse, another band I've heard great buzz about, on the bill, this show should be quite something!

Sat, Dec 19: Excali Brah @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
And the Caledonia does it again with another awesome December show! Excali Brah is hilarity at its finest. These costumed guys embrace the unexpected in their shows. At Athfest, outdoor rave parties were their thing. Who knows what they're going to do next?

Thu, Dec 31: Deaf Judges @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Here's another band that's up for anything! These rappers will definitely capture your attention and keep it. There's no doubt about that! And, whoa, look at the date. This will certainly be a great show to ring in 2010!


Thu, Dec 31: The Constellations @ 9 PM @ Tasty World Uptown
Back in Athens just in time to usher in the new year, it's THE CONSTELLATIONS! This show's 18+, so all you kids who've been missing out on their amazing tunes, this is your chance. No matter where you are during break, be sure get yourself to Athens for this!

Have you got a show you think should be added to this list? Comment, and let me know! Also, I'll be giving you even more shows to look forward to as I find them, so check back often. Have a truly lovely December, my pals!

The Bambara experience... An explosion of sound

Bambara rocks so hard the colors blur

Four bands on a Thursday night? Say it with me... Athens rocks!

To start off my night, I swung by WUOG's headquarters in Tate to catch Aman Amun play his second Live in the Lobby show. I just can't get enough of his new songs! The one about the mirrored mask is definitely my new favorite. I could listen to that one over and over again. His show on the 19th is going to be amazing!

A few hours later, I headed over to the Caledonia Lounge to catch the end of local Christian rock band Marriage's set. I saw them for a short time at Athfest this past summer, and it seems I'm always destined to arrive just before they finish. After their last few songs, a North Carolina band with just about the coolest name I've ever heard, Hammer No More The Fingers, stepped onto the Caledonia stage. Apparently, they played with Athens' own Bambara in their hometown a while ago, so they decided to double up again during their first visit to our city. This band totally rocked it out of the park! Their music was dance-worthy rock, filled with fun. Most adorably, one of the members brought his sister and his cousin from two different parts of the country to relish in the tunes. Bringing the family... what a sweet thing to do! I certainly hope this band visits Athens again sometime.

At midnight, Bambara began their set. Two years ago, I saw them in their previous incarnation as 23jinx, but I must say, I love their new sound! Their incredibly loud, hard rock style has captured the ears of many in the local scene and even as far away as Europe, and I can see why. It's got a wild, untamed quality to it that still manages to be quite rhythmic and invigorating. And, to my great delight, they played all of my favorites from their latest album including Shake, Native Tongue, and Lullay. Yay! This is also a band that knows how to truly embrace their rock. All of the members were fully absorbed in the music. It's a beautiful thing when a band loves what they're doing so much that it shows. Man, their energy was thrilling! They are just some generally cool guys as well. Awesome!

Seeing all of these rockin' bands was totally worth the three hours of sleep I got that night. What a time!