Away at CMJ... Be back soon!

In the future, I shall refer to this year as the Year of the Festivals. I still just can't believe that today I'll be off to my fourth music festival since May. Yup, that's right, I'm going to CMJ in the NYC! I can't wait since it'll be my first time ever stepping into the city, and I'm even more excited about the fact that I'll get to experience the CMJ showcase with one of my favorite bands, Misfortune500. It'll even be worth having little to no internet access for half a week. :D If any of you are planning on rockin' out at CMJ too, hope I see you there! As for everyone else, I'll be back soon with some awesome coverage of the festival. Have a great weekend, my friends!

Echoreview: the Athens band's Animals EP

Recently released online, the Athens band's newest EP, Animals, is quite a step up from their earlier recordings. A few years ago, as young teens, they made a big splash on the scene with their rather impressive natural talent, but as they have matured, they've honed the quality of their craft as well. The band's classic rock style has gained a stronger, harder edge, and it's clear they've worked to produce a more cohesive sound. So what's the word on their latest tunes?

The EP begins with the title track, Animals (Mama Said), which proves to be my favorite tune on the album. The song's thundering intro provides the perfect start to the record as it builds to an intense peak before all of the band's instruments blast onto the scene. Then vocals that almost resemble those of a young Michael Jackson leap and wind their way through the tune. Listeners might remember this song from the band's music video which debuted last summer and won a Flagpole Award for Viewer's Choice Video.

Softer and slower in its execution, Rainbow drifts in next. While the song comes off as being a bit forced at times, I just love the lyrics in this one. They're so full of hope! Then She'll Wait, another of my favorite tracks, enters the scene. I very much enjoy the rolling style of this song. Something about it just makes it easy to imagine the band playing this tune in arenas, surrounded by screaming fans.

Longtime listeners of the Athens band will probably recognize the final tune on this EP as well. She Don't Even Know, the song responsible for their very first Viewer's Choice Video award in 2010, concludes the album in a stripped down, much harder and darker version of the tune. While it differs markedly from its original incarnation, whispered lyrics and sparse but satisfying backing vocals definately make this song a strong ending to the record.

Want to get your hands on these tunes so you can hear them for yourself? Well, you're in luck! They are all available for download from Bandcamp right here. Enjoy!

Sights to see & incredible things to come!

It's going to be an exciting next few weeks! Not only are we in the midst of Popfest here in Athens, but Halloween shows are looming in the near future as well. On top of this, many of our local bands are gearing up to head to New York for the CMJ Southeast Showcase, and, to my surprise, it looks like I'll be joining them. Wow, I've got a lot to do to get ready! To tide you over till we cover that awesome festival, let's reminisce about Music Midtown, shall we? Here's some of our very best shots from that magical event, and just like always, we've got over 50 more up on our Facebook page. Feast your eyes!

Coldplay's Johnny Buckland rocks the stage

A ball covered in water is tossed into the crowd to cool the fans off

The Black Keys set up their inflatables

A sea of 40,000 people gathers in anticipation

For all of the awesome pictures taken at Music Midtown, check out our full album here!

Popfest starts today!

Video created by Nick Gomez of Reeks of Failure & Kater Mass

Athens' biggest pop music festival officially starts tomorrow, but you can head on over to Transmission Merch for their kickoff party featuring David Barbe, Dead Confederate's Thomas Hardy, and the District Attorneys tonight! Check out the Popfest website here for more info. Have fun, everyone!

Keep your ears safe this October!

First off, I just want to say that yesterday's "Shameless Plugathon" on WUOG 90.5 FM was a wonderfully amazing experience. Thank you to all of those who listened in!

And now, to business. Did you know that October is National Protect Your Hearing Month? What, a whole month dedicated to ear care!?! Who comes up with these things?

But truly, though, protecting your ears is incredibly important, especially if you're a fan of the scene. Now look at that picture above. The first thing you'll probably notice about it is that it looks a whole lot like the one in the post below. Clearly, I just can't hide my great love of fedoras, and I've really got to work on changing up my expression in pictures. Alright, I'll give you that. But look closer. See those earplugs dangling around my neck? I don't go anywhere without them. For just a few bucks, I've got an instant necklace that ensures that I'll be rockin' out to my favorite tunes for years to come.

Having good hearing is of the utmost importance to a music blogger, and it's just as necessary for music fans and band members too! Don't believe me? Or perhaps you're worried about what your friends might think? Look around you! Those massively awesome musicians you came to see - the ones that have been around the scene for a while now - well, most of them are wearing earplugs too. Got to protect those eardrums so they don't miss their chance to hear the golden notes of their band's latest hit tune!

Still not convinced? Well, everyone likes free things! If you're a student at UGA (or a person who can pass for a student - yes, I'm onto you, ageless townies...), head on over to the SLC (right across from the stadium) and ask one of the kids at a help desk for a pair of earplugs. They hand 'em out as study aides, but there's no reason you can't grab yourself a few for your band of choice's next show. And hey, even if you don't want to wear them for your favorite band, there's likely to be some, shall we say, less than good bands making their noise up onstage during many of the shows you see too. The idea of losing your hearing is bad enough, but losing it to a terrible band would just be a complete tragedy now, wouldn't it?

So protect your ears with pride, my friends! Happy October!

EoA/AMJ WUOG takeover this Sunday!

This Sunday at 6 PM, Echoreyn of Athens and Athens Music Junkie are teaming up to give you two hours of our favorite local tunes on WUOG 90.5, the University of Georgia's very own student-run radio station! You're sure to hear everything from Bambara to R.E.M. and all of the rockin' madness in between. And hey, if you're a regular on the scene, you might even catch a song or two that you've fallen in love with at a live show. It's going to be a wild time!

But there's more! This weekend WUOG will give all the people of Athens the chance to determine which songs they want to hear on the radio. That's right, it's time for their annual Seize the Airwaves event! For a charitable donation of $10, which will go to a foundation created to combat AIDS, you too can nab one of the remaining spots to play your favorite radio-friendly tunes for the masses on WUOG's station.

And don't forget! Whether you're dying to find out what's new on the scene, hoping to hear your friends' bands on the radio, or just eager to rock out to some awesome Athens songs, tune in to WUOG 90.5 FM or visit their website at this link at 6 PM this Sunday!

Fighting the cold with Save Grand Canyon and Machismo

Bitter cold weather and outdoor shows seem to go hand in hand here in Athens. I can't deny, though, that some of my favorite shows in the scene have taken place in temperatures so extreme I wasn't sure if I'd leave with my fingers intact. Last Friday was another night like these. It was quite a stacked lineup with old favorites Sam Sniper and Yo Soybean mixing it up with several newer discoveries as well.

Stepping out towards the stage, I was greeted by the sound of five-piece local band Save Grand Canyon. At first, I honestly didn't know what to make of them, but although I couldn't exactly classify their unique style, their tunes instantly put a smile on my face. Dark, alt and progressive rock loosely shaped their harmony-led songs with a hint of funk edging its way in every once in a while. Just a few tunes after I had arrived, they gave us their final song of the night, an almost gothic number with a spicy, international feel that I couldn't help but love. The band is undeniably hard to describe, but I definitely hope I can catch them live again sometime soon!

After several more acts, it was Machismo's chance to rock their style for the crowd at Little Kings. Not to be outdone in the unique department, the band gave us a very upbeat, punky, and fun set of tunes made for dancing, highlighted by ridiculous vocals that almost sounded like the lead singer had ingested a generous dose of helium before the show. After only a few moments, I found that I just couldn't keep my feet from moving to the beat, so I joined the growing mass of fans that were leaping about, grooving, and fistpumping to their songs, the cold weather forgotten in their excitement. Truly, throughout the set, I felt like I was watching some sort of amusingly twisted cartoon. It was quite the surreal experience!