What's the word?

The Athens music scene is spilling over with news and unbelievable events this week! You're just about to experience CD releases, TV debuts, and Athfest news... Hold on tight!

First up, TONIGHT's episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation (9:30/8:30c) will feature the debut of a brand new track from our massive blog favorites the Beat Geeks! We've been following this party band's progress from their very first show this past September to their rockin' stint as the opener for Ludacris till now, and we knew they had star potential from the start. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Keep an eye on these guys! Oh, and be sure not to miss your chance to move your body to their tunes this Saturday at Bad Manor as well.

After you catch Parks and Rec, head on over to the 40 Watt TONIGHT for The Orkids/Tealvox show. Can't wait for this one! Tealvox's sound is made purely awesome rock, and the Orkids will leave you dancing and singing along to their catchy pop tunes. I'm so glad these two are touring together! It's truly a match made in scene heaven.

Itching to get your hands on some brand new albums? Well, this weekend, you're in luck! Sam Sniper releases their very first CD We're Not Coming Back This Way (as reviewed right here) this FRIDAY at the Caledonia, and Pholksinger Josh and Friends will be dropping their latest record Watermelon Mountain this SATURDAY at Go Bar (review coming next week). Two CDs in one weekend? Awesome.

And finally, we've got to share the big news coming our way from the people who'll be giving us Athfest 2011. We've got our headliners! Prepare your ears for the tunes and sounds of Centro-matic, Guadalcanal Diary, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, and rockin' blog favorites Futurebirds. The anticipation begins! I can't wait for Athfest 2011. For more info, check out the official website here.

Party it up, my friends!

Tunes of love, loss, and truth

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers of Athens and beyond! To show you just how much I love you, I thought I'd share some of my latest favorites among the songs of love, loss, and general debauchery given to us by some of our local bands. Today is a day made for tunes, after all! With the help of bandcamp.com, reverbnation.com, youtube.com, and ilike.com, here are a few treats for your ears. Enjoy!

For those in the throes of love and passion, readers of this blog may remember that my friends and I have deemed Bambara's tune Native Tongue the sexiest of them all. It's just undeniable! So, once more, I wish couples a fantastic night with this one.

Not looking for romance, but in need of a serious good time with no restrictions or conscience to bring you down? Well, then, Mud Scholar's amusing and ever-so-honest tune Man Slut Logic just might be your theme song!

Or maybe you've just had enough of the one you've been with lately. Don't worry! The Orkids have got your back on this one. You can burn all those old pictures and assert your independence to the tune of their hit Paper Dolls!

Perhaps you've got your eye on a new special someone, and you're in the mood to hit the dance floor together. If that's the case, the Beat Geeks' tune Deep Down is the song for you!

But what if your crush doesn't even have a clue how feel about them? Maybe he or she doesn't even know you exist. Well, the Athens band feels your pain, and they've put that frustration into rock with their hit She Don't Even Know, complete with an award-winning music video!

Now let's end on the highest of notes! Valentine's Day is, after all, a time to celebrate love, and the Orkids have got a song for us in that regard as well. I'll send you off with their gentle and touching melody Gold.

No matter what your situation is or how you choose to celebrate, hope you all have an amazing day!

xoxo

The Music Scene: Movin' on up

Ch-ch-changes! So, here's the truth of it all. Being a graduating senior is just plain scary. This whole thing called life looms before me like some spectral, monstrous presence. Whispers of jobs and bills and paychecks haunt me in my dreams. This time period in my life can be summed up in just one word: terrifying. BUT I'm not the only one who's growing up, moving out, and taking life by the horns. Several of the bands of Athens are with me on this too!

Longtime favorites of mine, the electro-experimental experience Aman Amun and douche-pop innovator Mud Scholar will both be relocating to New York within the next few weeks. Boy, am I jealous of the people of New York right now! Don't fret, though! These two will be returning to Athens for a visit or two in some musical form this Spring. Can't wait, that's for sure!

Who else is on the up and ups? Why, the ever-popular Beat Geeks, of course! These hip hop pop kids are once again making a name for themselves in a big way. You know the show "Men of a Certain Age" on TNT? Well, on Monday, their song Strobe Lights was featured on the show! Now that, my friends, is cool. I swear to you, in a few years, these guys are going to take over the world!

Know of any other local rockers moving out, stepping in, or making it big? Be sure to let us all know! After all, our lovely scene is so dynamic, sometimes it's hard to keep up. Happy listening, everyone!

Stars in the Making: Interview with the Beat Geeks

Ever wonder what it's like to rock your tunes in front of a crowd of over 4000 people for the first time? Dying to know how it feels to open for a massively famous act like Ludacris? I was certainly curious, and I thought you might be too, so I asked the Beat Geeks to tell me a bit about their amazing homecoming concert experience! Here's what they said...

Echoreyn of Athens: So, how was it?

K Dex: The show was simply amazing.

Luke: It was an incredible experience!

Bobby: The show was REDIC!!!..Uber fun!!! UGA is where the party's at!

Echoreyn of Athens: What was the coolest part of the whole experience?

Bobby: The coolest part was seeing the crowd rocking with us...we appreciate the love, Geekers!

Luke: Seeing a sea of people jump up and down in unison is a gorgeous sight indeed.

K Dex: The coolest part was being so close to the legendary Ludacris as he took the crowd through ten years his ground breaking hits!

Echoreyn of Athens: I know I'd be terrified to perform in front of so many people. Were you all nervous?

K Dex: I was nervous until my foot hit the stage. All butterflies had to exit stage left.

Luke: You can ask the others, I was a wreck before the show. But once I stepped on stage, the butterflies went away instantly and adrenaline kicked in!

Bobby: Strangely...not really. I was just ready to JAM!

Echoreyn of Athens: I noticed you guys standing just offstage after your set. What was it like being just feet away from Ludacris as he performed?

Bobby: It was amazing!...Luda was great!...He took me back with those throwback jams....Felt like I was in high school again.

K Dex: It was unreal being so close to such a talented artist!

Luke: Bomb-bommy-bommy-bomb. I kept trying to get him to look over at me acting a fool side stage, and succeeded, several times.

Echoreyn of Athens: Wow, that must have been awesome! So, what does the future hold for the Beat Geeks?

Bobby: We just hope to continue to reach more people. Rock out more shows... and get everyone cruising the Geek wave!

K Dex: I hope we go to even bigger crowds and gain even more Geekers!

Luke: Ditto. Entertaining the world.

Echoreyn of Athens: Sounds awesome! Now, is there anything you'd like to tell your fans, those who've been with you guys since the beginning and those who just discovered you?

Bobby: I want to thank each and every one of our fans!...You all make this journey worth walking, ya dig?...We luv u all...and can't wait to *FICKET FICKET* GET DOWN with u all again! NOW THAT'S WHAT'S POPULAR!!!!

K Dex: Thanks for all the support. Thanks for rocking with us in and through the rain!

Luke: No dream is too big to reach. Trust in yourself, trust in God, trust in your team, and love people. Thanks everyone for blessing us with this experience!

Echoreyn of Athens: Well, thank you guys for letting us in on the Beat Geek experience! I've gotta say, the whole show completely blew me away!

When's your next chance to see the Beat Geeks in action? You can check them out at Bad Manor in Athens next Thursday, October 21 for Power 100.1's BFD party. Click here for tickets and more info! Have a great weekend, my friends!

Homecoming with LUDACRIS and the Beat Geeks!

UGA, let me hear you say, "LUDACRIS!" How lucky are we!?! As students this year, we had the

incredible opportunity to see one of the biggest rappers on the planet rock our homecoming show... What a night!

As the gates of Legion Field opened at 7, we were greeted by some popular djayed tunes that set mood for the awesomeness to come. Then, just after 8, blog favorites the Beat Geeks appeared. Now it's hard being the opening band for someone as highly anticipated as Ludacris, but these guys totally owned the stage! You'd think they performed for thousands of people on a daily basis, no problem. And the audience ate it up! When lead singer Luke moved his arms to the beat, the crowd moved as one with him enthusiastically. Through a downpour of rain, they rocked their newest hits as well as a few

covers including their always fun take on the popular internet sensation Bed Intruder. They even got the audience involved as they gave us their first single, Sweat (Lose Control). For a band that's new to the scene, it's nearly unbelievable that so many people in the crowd responded to their tunes with such glee. Impressive indeed!

Of course, in a crowd this large, there are always going to be those obnoxious kids that are determined to annoy everyone else around them. My suggestion for dealing with people like this is a conveniently "accidental" jab in the ribs whenever they start to spout out irritating nonsense or start pushing people to cause a riot. Not that I ever did that... Right? :P

Following the Beat Geeks, the house DJ returned to spin us some tunes as we waited for our main man, Luda. South Carolina's J. Skeezy also entertained us in the interim with more hip hop beats and lyrics, though it was kind of hard to tell when his set began since there was no real intro to their set.

Not much later, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. Calls for Ludacris rang out from every corner of the field. As the lights on the stage grew dim, cheers rose from the fans and heightened as the man himself materialized before us. Now, I've gotta say, Ludacris knows who to treat his fans right! After our long wait, he gave us hit after popular hit. Oh, "Youza a Ho," how you remind me of the old days! And unlike performers of homecomings past, Luda didn't skimp on the songs. He sang his way through the hour long set and beyond, giving us tastes of everything from his very first chart topper to his most recent tunes. My favorite part just had to be the dance he and his friend did as they sang "My Chick Bad." Totally awesome! People were going wild the whole time, and when he asked us to light up the night with lighters and cell phones, thousands of fans obliged, creating a twinkling world of wonder before the stage. No doubt about it, there's never been a better school-sponsored concert at UGA. This was definitely a show to be remembered!

It's Coming!

This. Week. Is. Going. To. Be... AWESOME! I'm serious, you guys. Prepare for an insane week of exciting events!

You may have already heard the biggest news on this list, but just in case you haven't, let me share with you what's got me super excited for this Wednesday evening. Remember the Beat Geeks, those electro-pop rappers whose professional sound had the Caledonia's crowd dancing their shoes off during their debut show in September? Well, faster than can be believed, these guys are on their way to the big time. Next week, on the 21st, they're rocking the stage at Bad Manor for radio station Power 100.1's birthday bash, but that's not all...

This week, on Wednesday at Legion Field on the UGA campus, the BEAT GEEKS will be bringing the party to a crowd of 4000 people during the sold out homecoming show in which they open for (wait for it).... LUDACRIS! That's right, our newest blog favorites are opening for one of the most famous Atlanta rappers on the scene! How amazing is this!?! If you've got a ticket, you've just got to get there early to catch these guys. Doors are at 7 PM. Tell your friends! And if you won't be at this show, don't miss the Geeks at Bad Manor. You know you want to see them before they blow up all over the world! For more info on next week's show, click here!

Now what else is exciting? Well, singer Alex McKelvey's alter ego Mud Scholar will be debuting his amusingly offensive tunes at Amici's Italian Cafe this Friday at 11 PM. Remember his album, A Must for the Dick, that we reviewed at the beginning of the month? Yup, that one! With Athens' favorite drummer Blaze Bateh (Bambara, A Jetpack Operation) providing the beats, this is sure to be a show to see. And, knowing these guys, it will prove to be an all-encompassing experience of imitation douchebaggery and general hilarity as well. Don't miss this free show!

And lastly, I've got to give a little shout out to something I've been involved with outside of the music scene lately: Project Condom. Shocking! What is this, you might ask? Well, it's a school-sponsored fashion show that promotes healthy sexual behaviors in a rather unique way. As one of the designers for the show, I had the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind dress made nearly entirely out of, you guessed it, condoms! You can check out all of the designers' whimsical creations for yourself on the runway this Tuesday at 7 PM in the Memorial Hall Ballroom on the UGA campus. Best of all, they're giving out free stuff too! I'll be modeling my own dress design during the show, and I'd absolutely love it if you all came to cheer me on.

For even more happenin' shows, check out this month's freshly updated concert picks list right here. Hope to see you all around town making the most of this unbelievable week!

No Need For A Thousand Words...

What's the best way to balance out the two extremely wordy posts below this one? Pictures, of course! Tons of pictures from all of the unbelievable bands that rocked our September will be up on the Echoreyn of Athens facebook page this afternoon, so be sure to check them out! But to tide us over until then, enjoy a visual feast of some of my favorites from the Athens band, Tealvox, Misfortune500, the Orkids, and the Beat Geeks!

Chase from the Athens band

Beau "Monkey" of the Athens band with a giant inflatable monkey

Tealvox

Misfortune500

Misfortune500 (Photo credit: Page Walker)

Chisolm of Misfortune500 (Photo credit: Page Walker)

The Orkids (Photo credit: Page Walker)

Hanging with the Beat Geeks at their first show (Photo credit: Meghan McBain)

Loved these? Don't forget to visit our facebook page for many more!

Let the Beat Geeks rock!

We, the people of Athens have been begging and pleading for more dance bands, and our pleas have finally been answered! Introducing the Beat Geeks... You haven't truly moved till you've heard their sound!

I swear to you, everything singer Luke Galloway of the Novanauts (Kalvinova) touches is utter brilliance. I wouldn't say if it wasn't true. Based out of Atlanta, the Beat Geeks, his latest project with Bobby Drake and K Poindexter, had their debut show in Athens this Thursday, and WOW! It was purely unbelievable. After just one show, these guys are well on their way to giving the Black Eyed Peas a run for their money. Everyone in the Caledonia was enthralled by the Beat Geeks' tunes, throwing their hands up in the air, jumping to the beat, and singing along to the words of their amazing single Sweat (Lose Control). Judging from the crowd's reaction, I can honestly say that the band's original tracks are all ready-made hits. In between those songs, they showed off even more of their talents with some mind-blowingly awesome covers of Usher's OMG, Mike Posner's Cooler than Me, and yes, even Antoine Dodson's internet sensation Bed Intruder.

And seriously, the fans just couldn't get enough of the Beat Geeks' R&B/dance pop style! As the show wound to a close, the room was filled with shouts of "encore" and "one more song." Encored during a debut show? It's unheard of! Because they haven't even had the chance to create enough songs to keep these ravenous fans at bay yet, they played their to-be-released single Where the Party At for us one more time. Such fun! I'm not kidding you... if you like to dance (and I know that you do), you just can't miss another spectacular Beat Geeks show!

Kristen's Concert Picks: September rocks its way in

Hey guys, it's September, and you know what that means... That's right, it's time for even more rockin' shows! Downtown is waiting for you.

Thurs, Sept 2: Leaving Araby @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt
Start off the month with a few of Leaving Araby's soft pop tunes!

Thurs, Sept 2: Yo Soy Bean @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
I've heard good things. Check 'em out!

Fri, Sept 3: Bambara @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
I knew it. You've been waiting all summer to see the kings of noise rock the stage again. Well, here's great news... They're back to blow us away again!

Sat, Sept 4: Athens & Tealvox @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt
And the youth will inherit the rock! This is certain to be one show you won't want to miss.

Thurs, Sept 9: The Beat Geeks @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Luke Galloway of the Novanauts finally brings his Atlanta-based dance pop project to Athens! Are you ready to move?

Sat, Sept 11: Of Montreal @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt

Guys dressed as pigs throwing spaghetti? Flying feathers and giant screens of color? It's Of Montreal... need I say more?

Mon, Sept 13: Nate Nelson @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
This guy is pure voice. Your ears need his songs, trust me.

Thurs, Sept 16: Half Dozen Brass Band - CD Release @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
Sometimes lyrics are overrated. The Half Dozen Brass Band takes this notion and swings with it. Ooh, and they're releasing an album too. Nice!

Fri, Sept 17: Madeline @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt
Soak in the beauty of Madeline's tunes! Ah, how refreshing.

Sat, Sept 18: Reptar & Kuroma @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt
Gotta love Reptar! These crazy fools for pop will have you dancing all night. And Kuroma? This band's been on my list of rockers to check out for a while. Sounds like a party!

Thurs, Sept 23: The Orkids @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Yes, the Orkids are back again! These guys and gals are some of my newest favorites. Get ready for some electronic pop that will have you moving your feet in no time!

Without a doubt, September is going to be wild! Of course, if you want to let the world know about a show not listed here, feel free to tell us all about it in the comments. And be sure to check back often to find out about all of the latest shows coming to a venue near you! See you around town, my friends.