Optical Atlas

Big Fresh’s stellar album B.F.F., which I excerpted in my podcast interview with John Ferguson, is gaining a worldwide re-release from Garden Gate Records this Tuesday.  The label, which is also releasing Thee American Revolution’s debut album this November, recently partnered with Red Eye Distribution; the result is that the album previously limited to 150 copies will now be available more widely in online dealers and select record stores.

You Ain’t No Picasso recently interviewed Madeline for their My First Time segment.  Check it out.

Big Fresh will be playing two sets at Lexington’s The Dame on Saturday night, celebrating the national release of their CD Big Fresh Forever.  Tickets are $5, and the show begins at 8pm.  Last year we interviewed Big Fresh’s John Ferguson (who is also in The Apples in Stereo), and you can listen to the podcast here.

This week is the 2008 Athens Popfest! Posted below is the finalized schedule per the Popfest website:

Tuesday, August 12
Cine
8:00 PM – Fish Schticks
8:35 PM – Bob Hay & the Jolly Beggars
9:10 PM – Allison Weiss
9:45 PM – Titans of Filth

Wednesday, August 13
Little Kings
2:00 PM – Boy Genius
2:35 PM – the Hotwalls
3:15 PM – Amo Joy!
4:00 PM – Afternoon Naps
4:45 PM – Nervous Systems
5:30 PM – Oh Sanders
8:00 PM – Supercluster
8:35 PM – Blondie-Grunt
9:10 PM – Nana Grizol
9:45 PM – Hot Pants Romance
10:20 PM – the Coathangers
11:00 PM – Whistling School for Boys
11:30 PM – Judi Chicago
12:00 AM – Spring Tigers
12:35 AM – the Selmanaires
01:15 AM – We Versus the Shark

Thursday, August 14
The 40 Watt Club
8:00 PM – Patience Please
8:30 PM – Velcro Stars
9:00 PM – Bunnygrunt
9:30 PM – Cars Can Be Blue
10:15 PM – Great Lakes
11:00 PM – the Love Letter Band
11:45 PM – Dark Meat
12:30 AM – Roky Erickson & the Explosives

Little Kings
2:00 PM – That’s My Daughter
2:40 PM – Little Birds
3:20 PM – A Faulty Chromosome
4:00 PM – Panda Riot
4:45 PM – Averkiou

Flicker Theater and Bar
6:00 PM – Night Driving in Small Towns
6:45 PM – Good Graces
7:30 PM – Mary O Harrison

Caledonia
8:30 PM – the Ocelots
9:30 PM – Tom Gorrio (Baby Calendar)
10:30 PM – Twin Tigers
11:30 PM – Dead Confederate

Friday, August 15
The 40 Watt Club
8:00 PM – Cryptacize
8:30 PM – Secret History
9:10 PM – the Faintest Ideas
9:50 PM – Ruby Isle
10:30 PM – the Buddy System
11:00 PM – the Lolligags
11:30 PM – Fishboy
12:15 AM – the Apes
01:00 AM – Boyracer

Little Kings
2:00 PM – Railcars
2:40 PM – Tendaberry
3:20 PM – One Happy Island
4:00 PM – Hat Company
4:30 PM – Fat Planet

Flicker Theater and Bar
6:00 PM – Umbrella Tree
6:45 PM – Noisycrane
7:30 PM – Gospel Gossip

Cine
7:00 PM – “I Need That Record” screening

Caledonia
8:30 PM – Laminated Cat
9:30 PM – Ham 1
10:30 PM – My Teenage Stride
11:30 PM – A Armada
12:00 AM – DJ Other Voices, Other Rooms

Saturday, August 16
The 40 Watt Club
8:00 PM – the Smittens
8:30 PM – Big Fresh
9:00 PM – Thee American Revolution
9:30 PM – Pipes You See Pipes You Don’t
10:00 PM – Andy from Denver
10:30 PM – Casper & the Cookies
11:00 PM – Circulatory System
12:00 AM – Elf Power
01:00 AM – the Music Tapes

Little Kings
2:00 PM – Lognhalsmottagningen
2:15 PM – Bad Animal
3:00 PM – the Young Untold
3:30 PM – American Cheeseburger

Flicker Theater and Bar
6:00 PM – Oh Fortuna
6:45 PM – Marc with a C
7:30 PM – Hot Lava

Cine
4:15 PM – “I Need That Record” screening
7:00 PM – “I Need That Record” screening

Caledonia
8:30 PM – Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned
9:30 PM -The Arcs
10:30 PM – Baak Gwai
11:30 PM – Man Factory
12:00 AM – DJ Other Voices, Other Rooms

Sunday, August 17
Cine
4:15 PM -”I Need That Record” screening
7:00 PM -”I Need That Record” screening

You may be enjoying Athfest this weekend, but the Athens Popfest is right around the corner. This year’s festival’s closing night even features a bevy of Elephant 6 artists in a row, including, of course, the long-awaited return of The Music Tapes.

Full Festival Schedule

CINE 8.12.08
8:00 – Fish Schticks
8:35 – Bob Hay & the Jolly Beggars
9:10 – Allison Weiss
9:45 – Titans of Filth

LITTLE KINGS 8.13.08
2:00 – Boy Genius
2:35 – the Hotwalls
3:15 – Amo Joy!
4:00 – Afternoon Naps
4:45 – Nervous Systems (not confirmed yet)
5:30 – Oh Sanders
(Break time!)
8:00 – Supercluster
8:35 – Blondie-Grunt
9:10 – Nana Grizol
9:45 – Hot Pants Romance
10:20 – the Coathangers
11:00 – Whistling School for Boys
11:30 – Judi Chicago
12:00 – Spring Tigers
12:35 – the Selmanaires
1:15 – We Versus the Shark

LITTLE KINGS 8.14.08
2:00 – That’s My Daughter
2:40 – Little Birds
3:20 – A Faulty Chromosome
4:00 – Panda Riot
4:45 – Averkiou

FLICKER 8.14.08
6:00 – Night Driving in Small Towns
6:45 – Good Graces
7:30 – Mary O Harrison

CALEDONIA 8.14.08
8:30 – the Ocelots
9:30 – the Besties
10:30 – Twin Tigers
11:30 – Dead Confederate

40 WATT CLUB 8.14.08
8:00 – Patience Please
8:30 – Velcro Stars
9:00 – Bunnygrunt
9:30 – Cars Can Be Blue
10:15 – Great Lakes
11:00 – the Love Letter Band
11:45 – Dark Meat
12:30 – Roky Erickson & the Explosives

LITTLE KINGS 8.15.08
2:00 – Railcars
2:40 – Tendaberry
3:20 – One Happy Island
4:00 – Hat Company
4:30 – Fat Planet

FLICKER 8.15.08
6:00 – Oh Fortuna
6:45 – Noisycrane
7:30 – Gospel Gossip

CALEDONIA 8.15.08
8:30 – Laminated Cat
9:30 – Ham 1
10:30 – My Teenage Stride
11:30 – Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies

40 WATT 8.15.08
8:00 – Cryptacize
8:30 – Secret History
9:00 – the Faintest Ideas
9:30 – Ruby Isle
10:00 – the Buddy System
10:30 – the Lolligags
11:00 – Fishboy
11:30 – the Apes
12:15 – Boyracer
1:00 – TBA

LITTLE KINGS 8.16.08
2:00 – Lognhalsmottagningen
2:15 – Bad Animal
3:00 – the Young Untold
3:30 – Bright Lights
4:15 – American Cheeseburger

FLICKER 8.16.08
6:00 – Oh Fortuna
6:45 – Marc with a C
7:30 – Hot Lava

CALEDONIA 8.16.08
8:30 – Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned
9:30 – Thrushes
10:30 – the Sterns
11:30 – Man Factory

40 WATT 8.16.08
8:00 – the Smittens
8:30 – Big Fresh
9:00 – Thee American Revolution
9:30 – Pipes You See Pipes You Don’t
10:00 – Andy from Denver
10:30 – Casper & the Cookies
11:00 – Circulatory System
12:00 – Elf Power
1:00 – the Music Tapes

The Fifth Annual Athens Popfest lineup has been announced (well, mostly – there are still 16 more bands to be named), and in addition to featuring the long-awaited return of The Music Tapes (news which Merge Records broke a few weeks ago), Roky Erickson & the Explosives, featuring Thirteenth Floor Elevators‘ legendary frontman, will also be playing, as well as many Elephant 6-related bands such as Circulatory System, Elf Power, Thee American Revolution, Casper & the Cookies, Great Lakes, Andy from Denver, and more. Here’s the list as it stands right now:

Roky Erickson & The Explosives, The Music Tapes, Elf Power, Dark Meat, Boyracer, The Apes, Bunnygrunt, Thee American Revolution, Circulatory System, My Teenage Stride, The Faintest Ideas, We Versus the Shark, Casper & the Cookies, Cryptacize, Ruby Isle, The Great Lakes, Fishboy, Cars Can Be Blue, Love Letter Band, Andy From Denver, The Buddy System, The Smittens, Big Fresh, Supercluster, The Coathangers, The Selmanaires, Spring Tigers, Dead Confederate, Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies, Velcro Stars, Red Pony Clock, the Lolligags, Secret History, Judi Chicago, Hot Pants Romance, Nana Grizol, The Sterns, Thrushes, Laminated Cat, Fat Planet, The Ocelots, The Besties, Twin Tigers, The Afternoon Naps, Boy Genius, the Hotwalls, Amo Joy!, Oh Sanders, That’s My Daughter, Little Birds, A Faulty Chromosome, Panda Riot, Patience Please, Railcars, Tendaberry, One Happy Island, The Hat Company, The Young Untold, Bad Animal, Oh Fortuna, Good Graces, Night Driving in Small Towns, Umbrella Tree, Noisycrane, Bob Hay & the Jolly Beggars, Allison Weiss, Whistling School for Boys

Festival passes are on sale here. The festival will be held the third week in August in Athens, Georgia.

Robert Schneider’s kids’ music project Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine played last weekend’s Lexington FreeKY fest, and there’s photos and a write-up at You Ain’t No Picasso.  There really was a bubble machine!  There’s also coverage of Big Fresh’s set, which looks to have been equally entertaining, and other FreeKY acts which seem to be on an escalating scale of bizarre/wondrous.  Worth checking out.

Download MP3 Directly
Stream it on Imeem (you must have an Imeem account)

February 3rd, 2008. In this first installment of the Optical Atlas Show, we talk to John Ferguson about the new album by Lexington Kentucky’s Big Fresh, B.F.F. (Big Fresh Forever) (2008, Garden Gate Records), as well as his work with The Apples in Stereo, Ulysses, and R. Stevie Moore. Plus the debut of our theme song by The Apples in Stereo! Special thanks to John Ferguson, Robert Schneider, Marci Mars, and Craig Morris for their assistance.
Links:
Garden Gate Records
Big Fresh MySpace

Big Fresh is Lexington, Kentucky’s eclectic pop outfit led by John Ferguson (The Apples in Stereo, Ulysses) and Jeremy Midkiff. They’ve released three albums so far, and their fourth, B.F.F., due for release January 24th, will be the first release on Garden Gate Records, a label started by members of Ideal Free Distribution. B.F.F. plays like a great lost prog-rock album, as though Brian Wilson had tried to revisit Smile in the 70’s with help from ELO. Standouts include “WLUV,” a semi-ironic Summer of Love anthem which nonetheless is catchy as hell, and “WTO,” an acidic piece of politics set to a churning beat. Joined by Ben Fulton (Ulysses), Daniel Coy, and Dave Farris, Big Fresh has matured into a pretty amazing band. Their album was mastered by Robert Schneider, and will be released next Thursday, with a record release party at The Icehouse in Lexington. You can listen to their music at the band’s MySpace page, and “WLUV” has been added to the newly-updated Optical Atlas streaming jukebox.

1. Secret Public
2. WLUV
3. Janius
4. WTO
5. Joybomb #1
6. Large Crowds
7. Losing Friends to War
8. Entertainment
9. International Dateline
10. Joybomb #2
11. Satan, No
12. Jean Jammin’
13. Heat Death of the Universe