Optical Atlas

Ham1’s Jim Willingham directed this video to their instrumental “Mel Bay,” from the album The Underground Stream.

Kevin Barnes and Bryan Poole of of Montreal recently stopped by WNYC’s Soundcheck for an interview and acoustic performance, and here’s the audio (you can watch some video from the appearance here):

Nina Barnes sells and distributes her art under the name Geminitactics, and now she is selling some Skeletal Lamping-themed prints at her Etsy store, with more to come.

In non-of Montreal news, Merge Records will continue celebrating its 20-year anniversary, not just through a massive subscription-series box set, but also through a 5-day music festival, “XX Merge”, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, July 22-26. No acts have been announced yet, but The Music Tapes might be a safe bet.

Oh, and I don’t think I ever mentioned that Orange Twin now has a digital store, where you can download albums by Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power, The Visitations, Nana Grizol, The Instruments, Ham1, Madeline, and Geoff Reacher. Very nice.

Athens’ Ham1, fronted by Jim Willingham, is following up this summer’s Athens Popfest appearance by releasing the band’s third album, The Underground Stream, via Chamber of Commerce this fall.  This is almost exactly a year after their last release, the lo-fi, eclectic and winning The Captain’s Table (on Orange Twin).  Like its predecessor, The Underground Stream is a blend of surf rock instrumentals, sleepy vocals, and surrealist lyrics, as Willingham is joined by the usual Ham1 suspects: Eric Harris (Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control), Jacob Morris, and Chris Sugiuchi, with additional contributions from Lucas Jensen (Venice is Sinking) and Jason NeSmith (Casper & the Cookies), who helped engineer the album.  Best of all, for a limited time you can download the entire album for free right now at Ham1’s website.  Although collectors should note that Infinity Cat Records will issue the album on vinyl in early 2009.  

The Underground Stream,
by Ham1
1. Will You Ever See Me Again ?
2. Mel Bay
3. Toothless Frontlines
4. This Is Your Life
5. Begonia
6. Thylacine
7. Potato Gun
8. Fallen Trees
9. I Wave Back
10. Adirondack Chair
11. The Underground Stream

Athens-based singer/songwriter Liz Durrett is an acoustic folk artist, but not of the typical mold; on her latest album Outside Our Gates, she isn’t afraid of applying some gorgeous, occasionally left-field instrumentation courtesy members of HAM1, Olivia Tremor Control, Tin Cup Prophette, and Man or Astro-Man?, as well as taking contributions from her uncle, celebrated songwriter Vic Chesnutt (whose collaborative album with Elf Power, Dark Developments, is out this fall on Orange Twin). Outside Our Gates is released September 9th on WARM Electronic Recordings and iTunes. Track listing, with an MP3 courtesy Liz Durrett’s official site, is below.

Outside Our Gates,
by Liz Durrett

1. Wake to Believe
2. Wild as Them
3. In the Eaves
4. We Build Bridges
5. Lost Hiker
6. All of Them All
7. Note for a Girl
8. You Live Alone
9. Always Signs
10. Not Running
11. The Sea a Dream

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

Elf Power has announced their upcoming touring-related intentions for the year in a blog post at MySpace. In addition to playing a number of summer festivals (listed below), they will be hitting the East Coast and Midwest in July with Ham1. Their upcoming collaboration with Vic Chesnutt now has a name–Dark Developments–and they will be touring with Chesnutt through Europe and the U.S., as well. So expect more to be added to the list of confirmed dates below.

Elf Power – Upcoming Dates

06.20.08 Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre (Athfest)
07.08.08 Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox
07.09.08 Richmond, VA @ Alley Katz
07.10.08 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
07.11.08 New York, NY @ Cake Shop
07.12.08 Camden, CT @ Space
07.15.08 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
07.16.08 Lexington, KY @ Al’s Bar
07.17.08 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
07.19.08 Chicago, IL @ Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival)
07.26.08 Macon, GA @ Braggjam Festival
07.31.08 Emmaboda, Sweden @ Emmaboda Festival
08.02.08 Manchester, England @ New Century House (A Day at the Races Festival)
08.30.08 Ashevilla, NC @ Grey Eagle

Finally, our friends at Cable & Tweed have posted a number of 2007 Athens Popfest recordings, including sets by Marbles, The New Sound of Numbers, and Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t. You can download them here.

Lou2ser has kindly pointed out that Flagpole, the Athens weekly, has nominated numerous Elephant 6-related artists in their annual Athens Music Awards.  As the blurb on the voting page states, “The Flagpole Athens Music Awards Show kicks off AthFest, Athens’ annual music and arts festival, and will be held at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 19. You, the local music fan, will choose the local performers you wish to recognize by filling out this ballot.”  There are categories for each genre as well as Best Album (May ‘07 – April ‘08).  Among the bands nominated across the many categories are Andy from Denver, Casper & the Cookies, Circulatory System Phase 2, Dark Meat, Elf Power, Ham1, Japancakes, Madeline, of Montreal, and many others.  Vote here!