Perhaps the most striking aspects of The Ginger Envelope’s sound are the breathless vocals of chief songwriter Patrick Carey and the mournful colors emitted from the steel guitar of Matt “Pistol” Stoessel. And it’s because of Stoessel’s steel work that listeners might categorize the six-piece band in some sort of alt-country bin, a situation Carey says he’s finished fussing with. READ THE STORY
Legendary punk band X is giving fans the opportunity to choose the set list for its June 12 show at the 40 Watt Club, a show that will mark the band’s first appearance in Athens in at least 20 years - maybe its first appearance here ever. “I’m not sure we have (been to Athens),” says drummer D.J. Bonebrake. “I was there with Syd Straw in 1989, but I only have a vague memory of being there with X before then, sometime in the ’80s.” READ THE STORY
Perhaps the first thing one notices when listening to The Bridges is the family band’s beguiling four-part harmonies. It should come as no surprise, then, when guitarist Stacey Byrd describes the five-piece group as “harmony dorks.” “When we first started out, we were an acoustic trio, and we had harmonies throughout all our songs,” says Byrd, who with sisters Natalie (piano, guitar, vocals) and Isaaca (bass, vocals), brother Jeremy (drums) and their cousin, Brittany Painter (vocals, guitar), will visit Tasty World on Saturday. READ FULL STORY
The idea of a musical union between longtime indie-rock favorite Josh Joplin and premier alt-folk rocker Garrison Starr would stir the hearts of their fans as they ponder what exciting and new path the veteran singer-songwriters would take together. The answer comes in Joplin and Starr’s first project, the soon-to-be-released album “Among the Oak & Ash” - and while it’s pretty exciting, it’s hardly new. READ FULL STORY
9 p.m., Georgia Theatre
Ziggy Stardust is a local tribute to David Bowie featuring Timi Conley of Kite to the Moon as the man himself. His band includes Chris McKay on lead guitar, Christopher Giddens of The Empties on acoustic guitar, Andrew Hanmer of Kite to the Moon on drums, Jay Rodgers of Kite to the Moon on bass guitar, John James on saxophone and Damion Goodpaster of Heavy Mojo on keys. Opening act, The Empties, play an infectious mix of pop and garage rock. Admission is $10. www.georgiatheatre.com.
9:30 p.m., Cine
Alternative rockers Love Tractor first formed during Athens heyday in the early ’80s when the town became a Southern Mecca for musicians. Asheville, N.C.’s The Stereofidelics are a duo, consisting of Chris Padgett and Melissa McGinely, with a big sound that encompasses indie rock, bluegrass, jazz and Latin flavors. www.athenscine.com.
10 p.m., Tasty World
The Incredible Sandwich is a new local band and not a tasty treat, unless you are hungry for a spicy blend of funk, jazz, Latin sounds and rock. Admission is $5. www.myspace.com/theincrediblesandwich.
9 p.m., The Melting Point
Originally formed in 1969, Little Feat still is rocking 30 years later. The band plays a mix of funk, R&B, blues and rock that has inspired artists like Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett and The Byrds, who have all covered their songs. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. www.meltingpointathens.com
10 p.m., Georgia Theatre
Country music singer-songwriter Bryan released his debut album, “I’ll Stay Me,” on Capitol Records Nashville in 2008, and his first single, “All My Friends Say,” climbed to No. 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart. He will release his second album, “Doin’ My Thing,” in October. Fast Ryde will open. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
10 p.m., Go Bar
Brandi Price and Kyle Harris, both formerly of Sleepy Horses, are coming to Athens, the town they called home before moving to Lubbock, Texas, to form The Diamond Center. The band plays psychedelic, country-tinged rock. Madeline and Ham 1 also will play. www.myspace.com/thediamondcentermusic
10 p.m., Tasty World
Bunny Carlos plays modern rock with an alternative sound. The Half Dozen Brass Band is a collection of musicians that includes members of UGA’s Redcoat band. Local rockers Samurai Trout combine psychedelic rock with the improvisational playing style of jam bands. Admission is $5. www.tastyworld.net
Jason NeSmith got the idea washing dishes. He turned to Kay Stanton, his wife and fellow band member in Athens’ power-popping Casper & the Cookies, and said, “I know what I’ve got to do.” And so, NeSmith did it. Given the chance, he’d do it again. “I’m not sorry,” he says. “It” would be the closing trio of songs on “Modern Silence” the Cookies third full-length CD that hit stores May 12. READ FULL STORY
Dave Wakeling has accomplished much in his life, but if you ever wind up sitting next to him on an airplane and inquire what he does for a living, he’s got a succinct response. “I make people happy,” he says. The co-founder, vocalist and primary songwriter for The English Beat - whose 1970s and ’80s hits included “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” among numerous others - is back on the concert trail this summer. READ FULL STORY
“Modern Silence,” the third and latest album from Athens’ own Casper & the Cookies, is no quiet affair. Rather, it is a juggernaut of precisely recorded, crazy-fun pop rock, the purveyors of which are dangerously close to careening into full-blown silliness. Most likely, they’d have it no other way. READ FULL STORY
To augment their quirky, electro-folk songs, the members of Brooklyn-based Mixel Pixel create inventive videos and throw in plenty of visual enhancements on stage. But the trio, which began a dozen years ago austerely as a home recording project, isn’t breaking the bank to bring a breathless, arena-like stage show to a venue near you - which, in this case, is Farm 225 on Sunday. CLICK TO READ FULL STORY
