Rye, Doctor Squid, & the Skipperdees: Friends Old and New

Sometimes, after a slew of brand new bands, it's nice to take a step back into familiar territory, and see some rockers you know you love. Wednesday night, I had the lovely chance to catch Rye again for the first time since I checked out their latest album. Now, Rye this time around was missing two of the three band members, so it was quite a different experience than ever before. Even so, I've gotta say I enjoyed David Fallis's solo take on their southern soft rock songs. And, of course, any musician who mixes it up with covers of I Heard It Through the Grapevine and the original Toy Story's Strange Things is awesome in my book! Who doesn't dig a taste of Disney with their rock?

Next up were Tennessee natives the Skipperdees. Playing their first Athens show ever, they filled the room with soft, twangy tunes born from a mixture of voice, guitar, and banjo. The members themselves, though, were quite a surprise. It's a rare thing in Athens to find a true all-girl band, but twins Catherine and Emily Backus certainly made it work.

Then it was time for the final act of the night... Doctor Squid! It's been so long since I've seen most of my original top five bands, so this had me totally excited. After Nuci's Space came to the rescue during a bit of an issue with a dead bass, they rocked all of my favorite tunes, just like old times. Their fun pop sound had my newbie pals dancing all over the place. Ah, good times! They also debuted quite a slew of new songs, all with their unique Doctor Squid style. Sounds good! I especially loved their second-to-last brand new tune. That one was made for dancing! And then, of course, they ended the night on the highest of high notes with their hit On My Way. I will never get sick of that song! What a Wednesday!

Echoreview: Rye's self-titled debut release

This past March, I had the lucky chance to check out Rye, a band of three guys who certainly stand out among the bands of Athens. These brothers and cousins have brought back the three-part harmony in a big way. With their laid back sound, Rye's music hearkens back to the days of soft tunes and classic rock. And guess what... They're releasing their self-titled debut album today on iTunes! So what's it like?

The first track, Caroline, starts off the record with what these guys do best. Heavy on the harmonies, this song reminds me of some of the early Beatles songs. It's no surprise, then, that Rye lists the band as one of its biggest influences. Cocaine Dreamer continues the old school vibe with a hint of funk rock. I've gotta say, I really liked this one although this tune has seriously got to be the smoothest song ever written with cocaine in the title.

Then Amicalola Falls slows things down a bit with a taste of pop and a reference to one of Georgia's favorite water falls. Really Gone follows this song with a harmonious melody that features a nod to the aformentioned Beatles. And I Fall comes next, adding yet another softer track to join the two before it. This one has a sweet folk feel to it that truly brings a sense of calm to listener.

Fish in the Sea then kicks it up a notch as the most dance-inducing track of the album. Full of upbeat southern rock, this song speaks of freedom and newfound hope. Ah, how refreshing! Heavy strumming marks the beginning of the next tune, Kathryn. Sweet songs about girls certainly pepper this album, lending even more of a classic style to the band's sound. The following song One of These Days was, for me, a sort of lull in the album. However, the final melody, Today, brings the sound back around as the most feeling-intensive track on the record. Fueled by hope, the song's strong rock background drives the listener to the CD's satisfying end. Truly, the band saved the best for last with this one!

All in all, I can definitely say that the members of Rye have made themselves a very nice first album. You can give their tunes a spin for yourself on their website here, and don't miss their next Athens show at Rye Bar (how apropos!) on September 4th. Enjoy!

Groove Tangent, Venice is Sinking, and Rye: The new, the missed, and the just discovered

These past few weeks have been full of simply amazing bands. Last Saturday at Nuçi's Space, it was Groove Tangent, Rye, and Venice is Sinking that took our ears for a ride.

Groove Tangent is one of the newest bands in town, so you know I just had to check them out! Right now, they're only playing covers, but the band is hoping to make that leap into original tunes sometime in the near future. I've gotta say, though, even as a brand new cover band, their set was one to remember. To my great joy, they rocked songs I actually recognized. Well, that's quite a shock! I mean, let's be honest. Picking non-Athens tunes that I've heard before is certainly something of a feat. They played their way through pop music history, giving us hits from the sixties to the present including an impressive rendition of the Power of Love. I truly hope their original tunes will sound as awesome as that did!

Then, near the end of their set, this band of four guys gave us their own crazy rock version of Lady Gaga's "Love Game." Oh, wow. :) I think my life is finally complete. It is quite possible that nothing will ever compare to the hilarity of the moment when singer/basist Mitch sang "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick." That whole song performance had me laughing so much that, even hours later, I was still giggling hysterically, much to the confusion of my pals. I love that these guys have such a sense of humor! I'm very excited to see where they take it from here. Truly, though, no matter how many original songs they play in the future, I think they should always have a little Love Game or something in their set. Wow, what a time!

Then it was Rye's turn to show us what they've got. I've never heard of this band before, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed their sound. The three-part harmony given to us by their trio of frontmen was just plain amazing! And it made quite a picture to see them all singing together as well since there was definitely a bit of a resemblance between them. Turns out those three are all related too. I knew I guessed right! As far as their tunes went, each was rather lengthy, but their style was so nice that none of the songs seemed too long at all. One of the songs even made my friend Sheila feel like she was embarking on an adventure of sorts. Ooh, exciting!

And finally, just as darkness had fallen around us, Venice is Sinking stepped onstage. Ah, it was such a delight to see them again! It's been much too long! Back from their stint at SXSW, they filled our desirous ears with some tunes I've never heard before as well as some of the favorites I've been yearning to hear once more. They had all of us in the crowd dancing and clapping along to their rhythmic and ethereal songs. A few people were even grooving in unison right in front of the stage. Then, near the end of their set, Venice is Sinking gave us something totally unexpected. The band shared what Sheila called a lullaby version of the Black-Eyed Peas hit "I Gotta Feeling." Although it was just a cover, Venice is Sinking made it wholly and completely their own. Their style is so unique! Very nice. I'm so happy that I finally got another chance to bask in this amazing band's tunes. And, before I go, the fashion-lover in me is just bursting to mention the lovely golden dress that Karolyn wore as she and Daniel sang their way through the set. She told us she made it out of a gown she found at a thrift store. Oh, so creative in so many ways!

What a night. As the musical month of March comes to an end, I certainly hope this winning streak of purely wonderful bands continues!