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.
