Tag: new music
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The Asymptomatics Celebrate New Single ‘Two Possibilities’ With A Live Performance at Flicker Theatre and Bar
Athens has been home to critically acclaimed bands throughout the decades, marking the Classic City as not only home to the University of Georgia and its students but also a booming hub for artists and musicians alike. One such band is the funky, weird but strangely groovy The Asymptomatics.
The Asymptomatics, or “the Asymps” as they are often called, is a band of nine members who have made “chaotic” the name of the game. Since its formation in 2019, the band has garnered a name for itself within the music community of Athens. After the release of three singles, they have now added one more to their list of original music. To celebrate the release of their brand new single, “Two Possibilities”, the Asymptomatics recruited a list of prominent local Athens bands to play at Flicker Theatre and Bar for a night of unforgiving energy and sound.
Walking into Flicker is always a surreal experience, particularly on the evening of a gig. From the outside, bypassers can hear the beat of the featured band while they smoke a cigarette and drink a beer. Walking through the red curtains that lead to the venue portion of the establishment, stationed in the room next to the bar, I could see a sea of people bobbing their heads to the band, Neat Freak, which was followed by Late Notice and finally, Bog Bod. The celebrated feature of the night, The Asymps, performed last. Between bands, members handed out flyers with the single’s cover art designed by Hollis Midriff and they discussed their excitement to play their cleanest-sounding single live for the first time.
The band’s set began as most of its sets do, with the lead singer Max Mahieu relentlessly jumping around the stage with the band, maintaining an aura of chaos that has defined the group’s career, particularly in the past year.
The single itself possesses an eccentric guitar-solo build-up in the outro. Though their MO is full-fledged passion, this song was a pleasant departure as it boasted a more meaningful and slower vibe. “Two Possibilities” explores that little gray area in life by rejecting the idea of black-and-white decisions and outcomes. A simple song to describe how intensely unsimple this life can be, especially when young, as the band members are.
“A lot of times it seems like there’s two possibilities but, you know, in reality, things are a lot deeper than that,” says Mahieu. “It’s not just decisions you make, it’s the decisions of the people around you and the ones you love that affect your life and affect their life.” Mahieu’s family is the inspiration behind the song, which was written by Mahieu and his mom, who is a musician herself.
It’s both happy and sad which is reflected by the musicians as they played with electricity and passion, making the audience feel the underlying irony of “Two Possibilities”. Mastered by Jason NeSmith at Chase Park Transduction, “Two Possibilities” incorporates a classic guitar solo from the lead guitar that amplifies the emotional aspect of the song.
“We wanted to have this big rock section at the end that instrumentally captures the emotion and the vibes of the song that the lyrics start at the beginning,” said Mahieu.
From there, the band immediately transitioned to play their classic, most-noteworthy hit “GTFO! (Gerald the Friendly Orangutan)” which was a lighthearted and silly conclusion to a great show.
Though the chaotic transformation of the Asymptomatics onstage is something that some would deem messy and unorganized, those with an ear for passion would comprehend that this gives the band its personality, hence its rising claim to fame within Athens. A funk outfit of shameless chaos and a force to behold.
“Two Possibilities” is out now on all platforms, with the Asymptomatic’s first full album slated for spring.
Hot Picks Playlist // October 7th
Need something to accompany the warm tones and eerie, anticipative air of the fall? Explore some magical releases and recent replays from artists we cherish.
Featured artists from the tracks:
Fishbug, thundering femme-fronted punk for the soul. An exciting up-and-coming gem out of Athens. Beautifully reminiscent of 00’s pop-punk jams, reclaiming the energy of that era with raw, emotive rock. Check out Inchworm, their first full-length album.
For fans of Chastity Belt, Warpaint, and Paramore.
NOV3L, danceable and syncopated punk, fused with eccentric funk and disco tones. Notably evocative of 80s art-pop and new wave punk. Flaunting weaponized lyrics of desperate political cry-outs, they authentically usher a sense of social urgency through their music. Not to mention all of this rides joyfully on the back of addictive, angular, zingy guitar riffs. Pretty much everything about this band feels postmodern in an entirely fresh sense.
For fans of Preoccupations, New Order, Talking Heads, and perhaps even The Strokes.
Wet Leg: A sudden burst of talent out of Isle of Wight, England, nailing the present-day influx of mesmerizing yet deadpan punk, started by just two seeds of impeccable talent. Lingering influences of French punk and disco are only some of my favorite facets of this duo.
For fans of The Raveonettes, Dry Cleaning, Porridge Radio.
Dora Jar: Exhilarating pop-machine riddled with electronic, hip-hop, and indie folk-rock. Singlehandedly changing the game for bedroom pop, Dora Jar’s quite on the verge of blowing up.
For fans of MARINA, dodie, Arlo Parks.
Yard Act: An additional result of the collective British rendition of 80s post-punk, Yard Act too have the potential of taking the British intellectual band scene by storm. Already having paved a considerable path of brilliance with their few released singles, Yard Act, in a similar fashion to the undefined NOV3L, naturally acquire all attributes of doomsday punk music.
For fans of Arctic Monkeys, Sleaford Mods, shame.
Amsterdam Station: “Stories from the Subtext”
It’s been about a year since the boys of Amsterdam Station released their seven song EP, Stories from the Subtext. The EP came to initiate the band’s plan for a full-length album in the coming new year. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, the band consists of Greg Jarvis, Andy Potash, Schafer Gray, and Chris Connelly.
With an alternative rock style, Amsterdam Station opens their EP with “Warden.” “Warden” exhibits a catchy, sonorous bass melody, balanced with a fluid vocals and stark guitar riffs, “City of the Dead” follows with a classic violin sound and a haunting chorus. Slower songs like, “White Dove” and “Love is a Martyr,” exemplify the band’s flexibility. While they produce heavy hitting rock ballads, AS also knows how to serenade their listeners. Furthermore, Stories from the Subtext offers cohesiveness among the tracks. The EP begins with a post-apocalyptic feel and ends on an optimistic note with “Sons and Daughters of the Revolution.”
Although the band is still developing, and will inevitably make a few changes in the future, they’ve started off on the right foot. Their sound comes together with meaningful lyrics. AS essentially encourages their listeners to hear the story behind the sound.
Don’t be fooled by these guys’ rock style, they have a soft side. In light of the holiday season, Amsterdam Station has graced us with their harmonic rendition of “Happy Xmas (War is Over).
Find more of Amsterdam Station on Soundcloud. Stick around for new material in May 2016.
Superbody x Vinyl Mag
Robert McCurry and Caleb Dills of Superbody recently released their first album, Hades Land. With a deep and dreamy synth pop style, the boys from Chattanooga have made multiple appearances in Athens, Georgia. McCurry and Dills briefly talk about their fateful history and possible upcoming albums with an air of modest humor.
VM: Superbody is a relatively new project for you two and also pretty successful. What are the challenges, if any, of beginning this new duo?
Robert: Hearing the words “success” and “Superbody” in the same sentence makes my head hurt. I would rather not expand upon the details of the achievements or disappointments of this project at this time.
VM: You guys have a lot of help with your music videos from various friends. What is the creative process like when working with other people to get your vision across? “Wings 4 Two” and “Call Me That” really coincide with your experimental style.
Caleb: Yes, the multimedia undertakings of Superbody have so far been aided by extraordinary acquaintances who happen to share our same vision. If I could afford a video camera you would not be asking me this question.
VM: How did you two get together to form Superbody? And how did you come into your own style?
C: We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. We started making music at Ricky’s Crab House on 5th and Broad. Robert had a tune. I had a beat. The end.
VM: Although you two are from Chattanooga, you play a lot in Athens. Is there a difference between the audience’s responses in the two cities? Is there any particular reason you like to play in Athens, as opposed to Chattanooga?
R: I love my children here in Athens, Georgia. I’ve developed a paternal relationship with the youth of Athens in the past few months. They give. I take.
VM: I noticed at your show in Athens that you were selling tapes of Hades Land? Why that medium? Do you also sell CD’s?
C: One crisp autumn morning, the type that you could take a bite out of if you really wanted, the cassette tapes for Hades Land appeared on our doorstep. I will gladly sell anything with our faces on it for pure profit, especially if that product is a gift. If you have any gifts for us that bear our likeness please do not hesitate to reach us by electronic mail at superbodymusic@gmail.com
VM: You recently released your first full-length album, Hades Land, any talk of upcoming releases and new material?
C: If the stars align and we don’t get drafted into the war, you can expect some new media sometime in the future.
VM: Based on your experience with your first album, is there anything you’d like to improve or change for your next album?
R: First off, we’d like to get this stray pack of dogs out of our studio! If you listen to Hades Land very closely you’ll hear ‘em! Those damned things are a headache and a half!
Deerhunter: Fading Frontier
While Deerhunter usually takes an upbeat, noise rock approach in their earlier albums, Fading Frontier exhibits a softer side. Deerhunter stays true to their experimental rock distortions but incorporates a dreamy 80’s synth-laced sound. The indie rock group recently released two singles from Fading Frontier, “Snakeskin” and “Breaker,” two of the more energetic tracks on the album. Check out Vinyl Mag’s review of the music video for “Snakeskin.”
Deerhunter’s previous album, Monomania, relied heavily on raw vocal distortions. While Monomania adhered to Deerhunter’s experimental style, Fading Frontier trails off towards a style of airy dysphoria. While “Snakeskin” initially portrayed a vibrant atmosphere, it is only one of the few upbeat tracks on the album. “Breaker,” another upbeat single, exudes a west coast, surfer vibe. Tracks like “Living my Life” and “Take Care” use a romantic echo effect, overlaid with simple melodies. High-pitched string instruments and twinkling piano sounds create an eerie effect, as heard in “Leather and Wood,” but the album still maintains Deerhunter’s cohesive rock sound.
The album ends with “Ad Astra” and “Carrion,” two tracks that purposely coincide, but why? “Ad Astra” is Latin for “to the stars.” The track ends with a vintage sound clip of a man singing in a Harry McClintlock style, “I wish I were a mole in the ground.” “Carrion” picks up where “Ad Astra” ends as front man Bradford Cox sings in an upbeat tone, “I will become a mole in the ground…It’s much too deep. What’s wrong with me? I can not see.”
In an interview with Stereogum, Cox explains, “There’s no difference in you telling me what you think the song is about and me telling you what I think the song is about, because neither of us are right or wrong.” The album comes together in its unified style. The concept of Fading Frontier coincides with the spacey, dream-like melodies of the album. Perhaps the album isn’t meant to be deeply analyzed but rather listened to as a whole; that is when the true talent of Deerhunter reveals itself.
5/5
Silversun Pickups: Better Nature
Silversun Pickups stand true to their signature indie rock sound. In their 5th full-length album, Better Nature, synth pop beats and ambient melodies contrast with rock riffs. Front man, Brian Aubert’s, androgynous vocals harmonize with back up vocalist, Nikki Monninger for a lingering, airy effect. The soft vocals alleviate the subtle guitar distortions. Aubert describes the album as “its own quantum universe. It’s kind of unstable.” Since their start in 2005 with Pikul and Carnavas, Silversun Pickups has been one of those hidden gems of a band. It wasn’t until Swoon in 2009 that Silversun Pickups came to define a part of my own personal history. With classical violin melodies and raw rock riffs, the contrast gave the album an eerie, but catchy tone.
Better Nature leans more towards the rock-pop sound but still utilizes the atmospheric sounds prevalent in previous albums. Better Nature opens with “Cradle (Better Nature),” a rhythmic, synth-laced track with repetitive, riot-like lyrics. “Pins and Needles” follows as one of the more popular tracks. With an ambient opening, the track immediately cuts to a sonorous riff. “Nightlight” follows the same format with the transition from a quiet, slow opening to Silversun Pickup’s signature deep rock rhythm. The album really makes use of echoed background shouting which gives it that pop feel but pulls back from being too electronic with the raw guitar melodies. “The Wild Kind” finishes up the album with a synthesizer opening and an upbeat melody.
Perhaps Aubert has a point calling the album its own unstable entity, but the Silversun Pickup succeed in taking their music slightly into a different direction than usual. They straddle the line between indie-rock and synthetic pop without giving either genre too much credit. In that way, the album and the general sound of Silversun Pickup is original in its own way.
3/5
Superbody: Hades Land
Superbody was born in the mountains of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the brainchild of Robert McCurry and Caleb Dills. The duo has only just begun; after 5 months, the band has produced their first full length album, Hades Land.
Vocalist, McCurry, brings the deep, pop vocals of the 80’s, while Dills softens the sonorous voice with dreamy indie sounds. The album opens with “Call Me That.” McCurry’s baritone voice flows over a harmonizing layer of twinkling melodies. The video was directed by Athens’ own, Vann Johnson. The video really embodies the band’s ethereal persona, as McCurry wakes up in a world of surrealism, surrounded by montages of plastic toy animals and magazine clippings. McCurry walks through this world with a feminine poise, which lightens the low tone of his voice and adds a bit of humor to the colorful dream.
“Hands Up” employs a more industrial, noise style with a haunting melody, but the chorus comes through with airy “ooh’s” and an uplifting riff. “Wings 4 Two” follows with sweeter sounds and lyrics. This track definitely exhibits an 80’s pop sound, with samples from a female voice, “I don’t really care where we go, baby. It could be Paris, London or Little Rock for all I care…” The synth utilization is similar to that of Desire and Chromatics. Superbody exhibits the same ambiance, but continues to include a subtle and deep, indie sound that makes it all their own.
“5678” takes on a more upbeat sound with a funky riff and more synthesizer beats. Finally, “Fools Gold” completes the debut album with a rough, rock sound combined with a dreamy synthesizer melody.
Superbody has been born, and they’re definitely a band that we’re definitely interested in watching grow. It’s rare that a band comes along and creates something new. No doubt Superbody will continue to change their sound as they evolve, but we hope they remain constant in their originality and creativity. Imagine their live shows! Check them out at the Flicker Theater on October 7th and/or the 40 Watt on November 6th.
4/5