Optical Atlas

Orange Twin Records has updated their website with artwork and the track listing for the upcoming CD by Nana Grizol, Love It Love It (out May 13).  In addition to singer/guitarist Theo Hilton, appearing on the record are Laura Carter (Elf Power), Robbie Cucchiaro (The Music Tapes), and Madeline Adams (Madeline).  You can listen to the band’s music, and check out tour dates (still being added), at their MySpace site.

1. Circles ‘Round the Moon
2. Tambourine-N-Thyme
3. Less Than the Air
4. Motion in the Ocean
5. Voices Echo Down the Halls
6. Stop and Smell the Roses
7. Tiny Rainbows
8. Everything You Ever Hoped or Worked For
9. Broken Cityscapes
10. Theldea That Everything Could Possibly Ever be Said

The Music Tapes have updated their website with more coded messages for singing-saw gatherings.

Thanks to lou2ser.

The April 18th installment of WGSU’s The Elephant 6 Show is now available for download in our E6 Radio page.

Athens’ Next to Last Fest is releasing a compilation in May on iTunes from Touch and Go Records, Next to Last Songs Volume 2, and among the artists presented on the comp are Circulatory System, new material from whom used to be rare as a diamond until about a week and a half ago. The band is present with a new demo, which you can listen to now, via streaming, at the Next to Last MySpace page. Thanks to willyum for the head’s up.  These are good omens.

From the Minders’ MySpace page (thanks to ryanlescure for the head’s-up):

The Minders would like to thank all of our friends, families and fans for their love and support. While there will not be any more Minders records or performances, we will still be making music and new friends, which is what it’s all about!

While some of us saw this coming, this is pretty sad news. When I think of the Minders, I think first of two things. One is first hearing the band–because I was going to see them live, I bought their singles comp Cul-de-sacs and Dead Ends at a Seattle record store, then spent forty minutes or so driving aimlessly around Seattle just to hear all of those infectious songs. Instant adoration; I remember “Build” and “Paper Plane” becoming fast favorites of mine. The other memory is seeing them a second time in Salt Lake City, arriving at Kilby Court way too early, having never been there before, and running into lead Minder Martyn Leaper outside the dark club. He very helpfully showed me where the show was going to be, and cheerily chatted with me for a little while. Not too many people came to that show (it was on a Sunday night), but he performed enthusiastically anyway, covering the VU’s “Who Loves the Sun” and doing a version of “Hand on Heart” that was about twice as rocking as the version on Golden Street. Their last album, It’s a Bright Guilty World, was in my estimation the most undervalued record of 2006, a great return to form and, bringing the band full circle, even Robert Schneider, who produced their first record, was on board again for many tracks. They’ll be remembered as one of the great retro-minded indie acts of the 90’s. Which gives me an idea for the next in our series of “Essential E6 Records”…

Here is the last officially-released Minders track, from the compilation Bridging the Distance. Appropriate for the occasion, it’s a cover of ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.”

The Minders – Don’t Bring Me Down (ELO cover)

As a footnote, Minder Rebecca Cole’s new outfit is the country & western-themed Hungry Holler; their MySpace is here.

Yep, it’s a slow E6 news week, so I’ll just mention (belatedly) that the Apples in Stereo’s “Sun is Out” is featured in a new Dodge commercial, as reported here.  Kind of neat, since my Dad works for Dodge/Chrysler.  (I had nothing to do with this, though.)

Elf Power, Folklore, and Dark Meat are among the initial acts announced for this year’s AthFest in Athens, Georgia (June 18-22, held all over town). Dark Meat is one of the three headliners, the others being Modern Skirts and Dubconscious. Expect more acts to be announced shortly, eventually adding up to more than 100; I know, for example, that Casper & the Cookies will also be playing the festival. For tickets, venue, and hotel info, check out the AthFest website.

The 20th annual AthFest CD compilation will be released on May 6th, and on May 2nd a CD release party will be held at Athens’ Tasty World with Titans of Filth, The Packway Handle Band, and Timber. Admission is free. The CD features Ham1, Madeline, Titans of Filth, Hope for Agoldensummer, Dubconscious, Russian Spy Camera, and many more. You can preorder it here.