Maybe it only seems this way, but I swear every member of every Elephant Six associated band has another band that he or she leads. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you. Hannah Jones, percussionist for The Circulatory System, provides another piece of evidence for this half-baked theory with the debut release by her latest project, The New Sound of Numbers.

Liberty Seeds is rife with layers of unusual and seemingly contradictory singsong monotone girl-group vocals. The harmonies are lush and striking but icy cold in their detachedness. I always imagine a roomful of Nico clones droning out these songs to a backdrop of kaleidoscope swirls and strobe lights.

Balancing pop with experimentalism, Liberty Seeds manages to be cohesive in its ebb and flow. Score that to their unique and fascinating vocal style. So for every “Frequency Transmission System,” which sounds like Le Tigre set to the herky-jerky rhythms of Old Time Relijin, there’s a mildly grating, tuneless psychedelic counterpart like “La.” But even with the occasional patience testing track, The New Sound of Numbers have contributed a memorable work to the E6 canon.

Mixtape tracks- Frequency Transmission System, Minimal Animal, You’ll Soon Be Singing
Freebies- None to download, sadly, but you can stream four songs from the album at the band’s MySpace page.

With a junk drawer’s worth of synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, and turntables balancing melodic acoustic guitar and drawling vocals, Geoff Reacher’s Avec Reacher C’est Plus Sur makes for a novel listen. At first the contrast of electro instrumental clutter with the traditional organic tools of a singer-songwriter can be disconcerting. It seems to waver between unique artistic expression and a horrible mess. Repeated listens tip things in Reacher’s favor as his inventive, often playful sound ultimately inspires appreciation if not enjoyment. Highlights include the hip-hop tinged, Beck-ish “Snarling Wheels of Sin” and the desolate melancholy of “Ride to the Grave.” But my favorite is the loose and funny twang pop of “Look Me in the Eye,” with its nod to The Kinks in the lines, “Well I’m not the world’s most passionate guy / But if that asshole can dance / Well then fuck it so can I.” Geoff Reacher’s intruiging electro country hybrid is definitely worth checking out.

Mixtape tracks- Look Me in the Eye, Snarling Wheels of Sin, My Heart’s a Rocket
Freebies- You Like My Song, Snarling Wheels of Sin
(And I love the comment on Reacher’s site referring to his MySpace page, “if you want em to sound crappier.”)

Yes, I talk about Athens a lot. I have a vested interest because it’s within striking distance from where I live. Even so, there sure has been a lot of great music that’s come from there. Athfest 10 is a nice sampler of some of that bands that help make up the current Athens scene. Since I rarely go to shows I have found it to be a great way to check out some of the bands I’ve only read about too.

As with any compilation or mix, and especially on one trying to document the variety of artists and styles coming from one locale, any given track will invariably appeal to some and miss the mark with others. There are a handful, especially on the first disc, that I’m not crazy about. Overall though, it’s nice selection of Athens’ musical offerings.

Disc one is made up of previously unreleased material, including REM doing a live demo of “Wanderlust” and Patterson Hood’s ( Drive-By Truckers) brooding southern rocker, “Heavy and Hanging.” I think The Whigs were a buzz band in at least one national magazine somewhat recently, but I’d never heard anything by them until checking out their nice little slab of alterna-rock with a Cobain-esque chorus, “Can’t Hear You Coming.” Local blogs tout the goodness that comes from power-poppers Nutria and I’m buying into the hype based on “Under the Clay.” There are also solid tracks by Don Chambers + GOAT, Venice Is Sinking, and Summer Hymns. Two of my favorites, though, are by bands I’d never heard of: The Bearfoot Hookers’ country chuckler “I’d Rather Two-Step (Than Twelve Step)” and a breezy but bittersweet song called “Caretaker” by Ginger Envelope.

Disc two, which draws from previous Athfest collections, is the stronger of the two. That probably has a lot to do with Ghostmeat Records being able to select the choice cuts from the earlier releases. In addition, many of the songs are also album tracks by the musicians included, as opposed to leftovers or throwaways. There’s good stuff from artists I knew before, like Drive-By Truckers, Vic Chesnutt, The Glands, Japancakes, Jucifer, and Elf Power. Some new-to-me standouts include the guitar pop of “I Believe In What You Do” by Little Red Rocket, “Hat Trick” from a pre-GOAT Don Chambers band called Vaudeville, and a super catchy indie-rock number called “Como Te Llamas” by Ceiling Fan.

I’m not sure how much interest this comp would generate outside of Athens, although several of the artists are nationally known. For me it’s been nice to hear new and familiar tracks by those I am acquainted with. As a bonus, I now have a list of a few bands whose work I will have to track down.