Optical Atlas

Sprawling Athens psych-jam collective Dark Meat will finally be releasing their follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Universal Indians, with Truce Opium, a 50-minute, 8-track double LP which continues their exploration into the sweaty and the trippy. This follows up their single, released in August, When the Shelter Came. You can preview a track at You Ain’t No Picasso. Truce Opium is out October 20th on Emergency Umbrella Records.

This week has gotten away from me, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I’ll be back in just a little bit with a brand new installment of The Elephant 6 Show. But in the meantime, here’s the full lineup for this weekend’s AUX 3 experimental music and art festival, to be held in Athens, GA, courtesy curator Heather McIntosh.

AUX 3 – Saturday, Feb. 21st, @ Little Kings and Ciné

3:00 Little Kings Dark Meat
3:30 Ciné Youth Movement Workshop
4:00 Little Kings GLASSPACKS
4:30 Ciné Killick
5:00 Little Kings A Horse is a Sphere
5:30 Ciné The Rectanglers
6:00 Little Kings Howling Jelly
6:00 Cine Video Program I
6:30 Ciné Our New Silence
7:00 Little Kings Dream Scene
7:30 Ciné Some Meat Out of the Eater
8:00 Little Kings Mercer Street
8:30 Ciné Lisa Yaconelli
Denise Posnak and Page Campbell
Julie Rothschild and Shawn Copeland
9:00 Ciné Video Program II
9:30 Ciné Maps and Transit
10:00 Little Kings Bill Doss presents the Flashcard Orchestra
10:30 Little Kings Brave New Citizen
11:00 Little Kings Spirit of the Falcon-XL
11:30 Ciné Medaglia d’Oro
12:30 Little Kings Icy Demons

Video

Ash Sechler
Daniel Osborne
Eddie Whelan
Javier Morales
John Michael Boling
John Crowe
Micki Davis
Robert Peterson
Seth Stephens
Winston Parker

Artist Market

Gypsies Tramps & Thieves
Laurel Hill
Rhys May
IPullPrints
Gilannie Jewelry Studios
Cherry Matador Jewelry & Soaps
CAP MAN (if he can bring his truck)
Melin Pieces Hats
Christy Wooke
Daisycakes Soaps
Genevieve Swinford
The Orchard Jewelry
Kenneth Kase
Matt Blanks
Hannah Jones
Kristen Bach
Organic Twist

I forgot to post this a few days back, but Dark Meat is about to embark on another insanity-fueled tour, culminating in a Halloween performance in New Orleans. Here are the dates, courtesy Pitchfork.

Dark Meat – Upcoming Tour Dates

09-17 Chattanooga, TN – JJ’s Bohemia #
09-18 Urbana, IL – Canopy Club (Pygmalion Festival) $
09-19 Peoria, IL – The Red Barn
09-20 St. Louis, MO – Billiken Club
09-21 Chicago, IL – Hideout Block Party #
09-22 Grinnell, IA – Gardner Lounge
09-23 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
09-24 Rock Island, IL – Daytrotter Session
09-24 Rock Island, IL – Huckleberry’s
09-25 Toronto, Ontario – The Drake
09-26 London, Ontario – Call the Office
09-27 Hamilton, Ontario – The Casbah
09-28 Guelph, Ontario – Vinyl
09-30 Ottawa, Ontario – Zaphod Beeblebrox
10-01 Montreal, Quebec – Club Lambi
10-02 Portland, ME – Space 238
10-03 New York, NY – Rocks Off Concert Cruise ^
10-04 New York, NY – Schmarket Schmotel
10-29 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre #%
10-30 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree #
10-31 New Orleans, LA – Saturn Bar #%

# with Monotonix
$ with Dan Deacon
^ with Vivian Girls
% with One Man Machine

Hi Hi Hi–that’s the Paul McCartney & Wings cover band fronted by The Late B.P. Helium–recently performed at the Team Clermont Summer Camp, and their set has been archived at Southern Shelter in MP3 and FLAC format.  Yes, they even do “Silly Love Songs!”  Download it all 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

As reported earlier, this weekend is the annual Team Clermont summer camp in Athens, and among those scheduled to perform: Tiny Sticks and Hi Hi Hi, both cover bands featuring of Montreal’s B.P. Helium.  (The former covers ESG, the latter Paul McCartney & Wings.)  B.P. will be joined by Jason NeSmith of Casper & the Cookies, Peter Erchick (Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t), Madeline, Aaron Wegelin (formerly of Elf Power), and much of Dark Meat.  F*ck This Band (covering Mclusky) and Nic Fit (covering Sonic Youth) will also be performing.  It’s a campfire singalong that starts at 9pm this Saturday night at the 40 Watt.  If I were there, I’d request “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.”

And speaking of the 40 Watt, Gnarls Barkley will be playing Tuesday August 12th, with Elf Power opening.  It’s considered a kick-off to the 2008 Athens PopFest, although you will have to buy your tickets separately (at School Kids Records 706.353.1666).

Because I have four minutes to post this and then get to work, I’m copying-and-pasting from the Team Clermont press release. Blog Journalism!

Team Clermont, the Athens, GA-based PR firm, has announced the dates and lineup of its newest Summer Festival: Team Clermont Summer Camp! Summer Camp will be held from July 31-August 2nd around Athens, Georgia. This year’s event marks the 11th year of the company’s operation and features some of Team Clermont’s favorite musical acts as well as showcasing the various talents of TC Summer Campers through arts, crafts, karaoke, kickball, Four Square, Corn Hole, dancing, drinking, and more. Team Clermont Summer Camp offers an opportunity to tour the finer clubs and sights of beautiful, bucolic Athens, Georgia, where Team Clermont makes its home. And it all culminates in a night of sing-alongs featuring members of Elf Power, of Montreal, Elf Power, We Versus the Shark, Cinemechanica, Casper & the Cookies, Dark Meat, and more covering ESG, Mclusky, and Paul McCartney and Wings songs! That’s quite a diverse lineup of favorites. Add to that performances by So Many Dynamos, Megafaun, Mostly Bears, Benji Hughes, and more, and you’re gonna want your parents to drop you off here right away!

Come to the camp where it’s towel poppin’ and panty raids 24 hours a day: Team Clermont Summer Camp!

FESTIVITIES

Thursday – 07/31
“Camp Orientation” at Caledonia Lounge, Athens, GA

So Many Dynamos
Mostly Bears
Megafaun
Benji Hughes
(18+ , 256 W Clayton St)

Friday – 08/01
Music Director Scavenger Hunt – 12PM-2PM

“Talent Night” at Little Kings featuring…
Karaoke
Dance Party with DJs Cookies & Cream
Arts & Crafts
Four Square and Corn Hole tournaments
Face Painting Station

Saturday – 08/02
Koalas vs. Walruses Kickball Showdown – 10AM-2PM
(All ages, East Athens Community Park, 705 Sunset Drive)
w/ musical performance by Graham MacRae

“Campfire Sing-Along” concert at The 40 Watt Club
(18+ , 10PM – 285 W Washington St)

Tiny Sticks (ESG cover band featuring Josh McKay of Macha/Seaworthy, Bryan Poole, Heather Heyn formerly of Dark Meat, Aaron Wegelin formerly of Elf Power)

Hi Hi Hi (covering Paul McCartney & Wings, featuring Bryan Poole from of Montreal/Dark Meat/Elf Power/the Late BP Helium and Jason Nesmith of Casper & the Cookies)

F*ck This Band (Mclusky cover band featuring Jeff Tobias of We Versus The Shark, Dark Meat and Pegasuses-XL, Scott Smith of We Versus The Shark, Andy Pruett of Cinemechanica, and Brion Kennedy)

For more information, go to Team Clermont’s website.

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