Written by Athens NEWS Staff   

Thursday, 19 February 2009 12:08

We have quite a load of Athens Ear Buds this week, and I am continually amazed that we're able to keep juggling this project without the whole thing collapsing to the floor. There, I jinxed it. Next week just watch, two measly Ear Buds.

We have quite a load of Athens Ear Buds this week, and I am continually amazed that we're able to keep juggling this project without the whole thing collapsing to the floor. There, I jinxed it. Next week just watch, two measly Ear Buds.

As always, a lot of this music can be easily obtained at the brick & mortar Haffa's on West Union Street in Athens. The rest should be findable on the Web. — Terry Smith, Athens Ear Buds commander-in-chief

Sam Oches, drummer for the Jarts and Bananarchy: Mumford & Sons, "Mumford & Sons" and "Love Your Ground" EPs. These four young Brits have been a band for only about a year, but their two EPs pack a wallop of potential that should be close to taking root in the states. Each EP boasts four tracks of folk Americana (for lack of a better genre descriptor; "folk" and "Americana" hardly describe anything specific these days) that holds its own against some of the best young American bluegrass acts. Banjo, mandolin, upright bass, four-part harmonies, loads of pain and spirituality - it's all here, driven home with lead singer Marcus Mumford's passionate yelp. Since these fellas have yet to be distributed in the states, you'll have to settle with tracking them down online for now.

Jay Hostetler, Lifetime resident of Athens, has spent his retirement funds on vinyl, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs and digital music: Willie Nelson, "Willie and the Wheel" (Bizmeaux Productions, 2009). What with the retro packaging, I thought this was a reissue from years ago, and in a way it is. As the liner notes explain, back in the '70s when Willie was recording for Jerry Wexler at Atlantic, Jerry wanted Willie to do a western-swing recording. It never happened but Ray Benson, the leader of Asleep at the Wheel, ended up with Jerry's western-swing albums and noticed the WN initials next to certain songs. A call to Jerry cleared things up and got this project in the works.  

If you know these performers, you know what to expect: Asleep at the Wheel are one of the best western-swing bands ever since the days of Bob Wills, and of course, Willie is a living legend and rightly so. His Texas drawl and phrasing are like no one else. This is one of the best recordings either artist has made in a while. For the first time in maybe forever, there isn't one member of Willie's band recording with him. It's just as the title says, Willie and the Wheel. Once again Willie proves he can sing anything, and in doing so he makes the world a better place.

Tom Daniels, professor of communication studies, Scripps College, OU, and bassist for Broken Ring: There are jam bands, there are progressive rock bands, and there are bands that manage to do both.  "This Is It," the newest and the fourth release from the band, Thermal and a Quarter, is a great case in point. The 10 tracks on this CD certainly reveal the influences of artists such as Steely Dan, Aerosmith and even Blood, Sweat, & Tears, but there is a unique twist in this material. Thermal and a Quarter, also known as TAAQ, originated in Bangalore, India, and it's the city they still call home. Progressive rock in their hands becomes something just a bit different from the sound that the Americanized ear would expect, and these guys deliver it in a very big way.  Definitely worth a listen.

Dan Dreifort makes noise with Indelible Beancurd and founded mySEO411.com. fIREHOSE, "Flyin' the Flannel" (Columbia, 1991). Mike Watt formed fIREHOSE in 1986 from the ashes of proto-post-punkers The Minutemen. I'm just sorry it took me 10 years to notice. Many vignettes on this album remind me of the Talking Heads more than The Minutemen. Maybe it's the instrumental tracks or the light and fruity juxtaposed with grating rhythmic spasms. A sublime cover of Daniel Johnston's "Walking the Cow," the lone track sung by Watt, is one of many standouts. There are a couple of grungey songs I could live without but it's otherwise a banner indie-rock album... albeit on a major label.

Jackie Welker, owner of the Court Street Grill in Pomeroy, director of the Pomeroy Blues & Jazz Society (PB&J's): The Soul of John Black, "Black John" (www.thesoulofjohnblack.com, Delta Groove, 2009). Wow, an amazing collection of soul from John "JB" Bigham, polished and funky tunes infused with blues, rock and hip-hop. Just may be "blues for a new generation" as it's modern, original and truly genuine.

Andie Walla, Wonky Tonk, a folk-rock/bluegrass band from Cincinnati, has found a classic folkish sound that has been revamped by young indie rockers. This group has fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and upright bass to keep the crowd grooving. Their Super Fantastic EP, released last month, has shown Wonky Tonk's unique style through catchy riffs and inspiring lyrics. Listening to Wonky Tonk, you will find yourself tapping your foot and humming along. Jasmine Poole's vocal styles are sincere and full of emotion. She has described herself as sounding like "Janis Joplin buying Bob Dylan at Walgreens."  They are getting ready to start a tour of the east coast this week, and will be making a stop in Athens at the Smiling Skull. Make sure you stop in and hear what they have to offer! Help support touring artists!

Courtney Baldasare, music editor for Speakeasy Magazine (www.speakeasymag.com): The Parlor Mob is a five-piece Jersey-based band that is exceedingly beautifully at bringing back good old soulful rock and mother f***ing roll. Clad in tight jeans, white t-shirts and leather boots topped by long mops of hair and Ray-Ban shades, these boys look the part and absolutely have the sound to back it up. Their songs tend to be tremendously involved guitar licks accompanied by pleasurably wailing lyrics. Hook tracks are "Bullet" and "Tide of Tears," though their entire (first and only) album ("And You Were a Crow," Roadrunner Records, 2008) is a musical magnum opus. To top it off, their live performances are jaw-dropping. Check them out while their shows are still manageable, before they start headlining major music festivals.

Bill Reader, assistant journalism professor at Ohio University and long-time music fan: February is a good month for F'ing, and by that I mean spending some quality time sorting through the "F" shelves of the tunes collection. Based on feedback from 'buds readers, I would bet real money that most would dig "The Good Earth" (1986, Coyote Records), the second album by the mid-'80s jangle-pop band The Feelies. Two lanky guitar geeks dueling it out, two drum kits hanging in the back, and a chick holding them all together with that signature bass line... The A side is rock ‘n roll at its best, featuring the underground hit "The High Road," the exhausting "The Last Roundup," and the sprawling mixed-tempo anthem "Slipping (Into Something)."

Same with the debut, self-titled album of another great "F" band, Flying Saucer Attack (1993, Vhf Records), the shoe-gazer darlings of the early ‘90s. Talk about fuzz and sprawl! Dropping the needle on this disk is instant elsewhere, no doubt; hearing "My Dreaming Hill" for the first time is a religious experience.
Speaking of fuzz, if weirdness is on your mind, try to scrounge up the rare acid-rock masterpiece "Padded Lounge" (1991, Midnight Records) by Milwaukee's Fabulon Triptomete.

And, finally, if you want laughs from an F'ing band, you have to dip in to The Fugs and their fugging first album (re-issued as "The Fugs First Album" in 1966 by ESP Records). Every song is a major beatnik trip, so saying that "Nothing" is the top of the heap is saying something indeed: "January, nothing. February, nothing. March and April, nothhhhh-ing. May and June, a lot more nothing..."