Week # 380                                     Pylon Performing "Cool"

December 29, 2017

                                                            Winner:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Darryl White,                                                              Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Kip Shepherd,                                                                            Huntsville, AL;  Kevin Brady, Athens, GA;  Andy  Johnson, Athens,                                                                GA;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;                                                                          Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Liam O'Hara, Seneca, AL;  Craig                                                                          Williams,  Portland, OR

 

Hint: this band really needs no introduction; their unique sound and style bridged the gap in Athens music between the B-52's and REM, although they didn't reach the heights of commercial success that those two icons did. We have used this band for New Year's Band of the Week episodes before, but this clip is one we haven't featured previously. We hope it won't be long before our panel answers this one successfully: Happy New Year everyone and good luck with the coming year of Band of the Week!!

 

 

Week #381                                      Drivin' Snow performing "Scarred but Smarter"

January 5, 2018 

                                                            Winner:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Kip                                                                                Shepherd,  Huntsville, AL;  Tim  Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Tom English,                                                              Archdale, NC;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Andy  Johnson,                                                                          Athens, GA;  Craig  Williams, Portland, OR;  Kenneth Rogers,                                                                          Atlanta, GA;  Liam  O'Hara, Seneca, AL;  Steve Fleming, Seattle                                                                    WA.

 

Hint: this group wasn't really a band at all; rather, it was some members of an Atlanta band who were staying in Athens for awhile and were joined by a well-known member of an Athens icon. A storm very much like the one that just blew up the east coast of the US blew up the Eastern Seaboard that year, dumping unusually large amounts of snow in Georgia and the Carolinas and bringing most activity to a halt while everyone dug out. The 40 Watt had a band booked for that night but they got stuck in North Carolina and called us to let us know they wouldn't be able to make the date. So, our fill-in became the group described previously, which later evolved into a regular at the Watt on Clayton under a serendipitous stage name. For our purposes, we want the name I gave the group that night they first played and is the name under which they are listed in the archives. Going back almost 30 years now, we hope you enjoy our Winter Wonderland presentation. 

 

 

Week #382                                   True Believers  performing "The Rain Won't Help You When      January 19, 2018                        It's Over"

 

                                                         Winner:  Tom English, Archdale, NC.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                         Hartstonge, London, UK;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Darryl                                                           White, Melbourne, AU;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Andy                                                                 Johnson, Athens, GA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve                                                                 Fleming, Seattle, WA.

 

This week's contest was in place of the January 12th entry which could not be completed due to computer problems. 

 

 

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Week #383                                      Chickasaw Mudd Puppies 

January 20, 2018               

                                                            Winner:  Chris Harstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Tom English,                                                                Archdale, NC;  Kip  Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Darryl White,                                                                              Melbourne,  AU;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Andy  Johnson,                                                                        Athens, GA;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  and Kenneth Rogers,                                                                  Atlanta, GA. 

 

 Hint: this was one of the popular two-piece groups that seemed to proliferate in the late 80's in Athens. Like many other groups it consisted of students from UGA who met in school and began jamming together, which led to a moderately successful career that lasted several years and a couple of recordings. Their setup was somewhat ersatz, with one member sitting in a big rocking chair onstage, mounted on a wooden frame which he attacked with boot-clad feet to the beat of the song, simulating a kick drum. We hope you'll enjoy this selection and forgive us for last week's technical troubles. Good luck everybody!!

 

 

Week #384                                       Georgia Hellhounds performing "Shape of Things"

January 26, 2018

                                                             Winner:  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                                   Hartstonge,  London, UK;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Kip                                                                         Shepherd, Huntsville,  AL;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;                                                                                     Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Craig  Williams, Portland, OR;  Steve                                                                     Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Kenneth  Rogers, Atlanta, GA.

 

Hint: this band consisted of two members from a previous band that had a hit single and then split up. These two formed another band a few years down the road and came to a venue down by the Oconee River, where this recording was made. This is one of a very few recordings not from the 40 Watt in my tape collection, and it dates to 1992. The name of this band starts with the same word as that previous effort that had the hit single. We want the name of this band and we'll award 5 points to everyone who can give us the name of the earlier band, and 10 points to anyone who can give us the name of the front man from the previous band, who is currently recovering from a serious illness. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #385                                        Kilkenny Cats

February 2, 2018

                                                              Winner:  Tom English, Archdale, NC.  Co-winners:  Kip Shepherd,                                                                  Huntsville, AL;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Andy Johnson,                                                                      Athens, GA;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Darryl  White,                                                                               Melbourne,  AU;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Steve Fleming,                                                                             Seattle,  WA;  Kenneth  Rogers, Atlanta, GA.

 

Hint: this band was one of the most popular in Athens during much of the 1980's and into the 1990's, making an appearance as one of the bands featured in the indie film Athens, GA: Inside/Out. They were obliged to endure several personnel changes but managed to do so without corrupting their signature heavy metal rock sound, which was largely due to their stalwart guitarist. Sadly, like most of the Athens bands that made the 80's decade one to remember in  the Athens music community, their career came to an end and the members moved on to other pursuits, among them a practicing attorney and a university professor. 

 

 

Week #386                                         Feelies performing "Too Far Gone"

February 9, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Tom English, Archdale, NC.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                                   Hartstonge,  London, UK;  Darryl  White, Melbourne, AU;  Kip                                                                         Shepherd,  Huntsville, AL;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;                                                                                     Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Steve                                                                     Fleming, Seattle, WA;  and  welcoming a new contender Matt                                                                       Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.

 

Hint: this band called New Jersey home and came to the Watt on Broad the month we closed its doors for the last time, and in fact played one week to the day before our last show (which appropriately featured the Amateurs). They were part of the New Wave/Indie group of bands that included Yo La Tengo and others who had a loose connection to Athens through the Athens bands that played Maxwell's in Hoboken and other venues on that side of the Hudson. The band broke up in 1992 but reformed in 2008 and is still active as of this writing. During their career, they released six studio albums, most of which were self-produced. 

 

 

Week #387                                        The New Invincibles performing "Jack the Ripper"

February 16, 2018

                                                              Winner:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Tom                                                                              English,  Archdale, NC;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Kip                                                                                Shepherd,  Huntsville, AL;  Joel Suttles, Asheville, NC;  Steve                                                                          Fleming, Seattle,  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Andy Johnson,                                                                    Athens, GA;  Tim  Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta,                                                                GA.

 

Hint: this was an Athens band that was born, bred and buried in the darker streets of Athens during the late 80's. The members were all habitues of the Athens music community and used a fondness for beach music to enjoy a sidelight in the Classic City. I can't provide much more in the way of hints than that, except to say one of the members was our first champion on Band of the Week and sadly passed away a few years ago. Another was the owner of a local record store, and he was tragically the victim of a snakebite not too long ago. Good luck everybody!!

 

 

Week #388                                       Fetchin' Bones performing "Paradise"

February 23, 2018

                                                             Winner:  Tom English, Archdale, NC.  Co-winners:  Darryl  White,                                                                   Melbourne, AU;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Kip Shepherd,                                                                     Huntsville, AL;  Matt Morris, Salem-Winston, NC;  Andy Johnson,                                                                 Athens, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle WA;  Kenneth Rogers,                                                                             Atlanta,  Craig  Williams, Portland, OR;  Chris Howard, Madison,                                                                   AL.

 

Hint: this band called North Carolina home, coming to the Watt on Broad and opening for local favorites to develop a following, which they did. They enjoyed a long-lived career that morphed into their current incarnation, which is called "Snagglepuss".   This clip features the rhythm guitarist on lead vocal, but its sound was more readily recalled for the energetic female lead vocalist.                     

 

 

Week #389                                       Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit performing "Feel March 2, 2018                                 I'm Fixin' to Die"

 

                                                             Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Tim Abbott,                                                                  Skipton, UK;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Andy Johnson,                                                                             Athens, GA;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Kenneth Rogers,                                                                       Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Chris Howard,                                                                                 Madison, AL;  Craig  Williams, Portland, OR;  Tom English,                                                                               Archdale, NC.

 

Hint: this band was one of many fronted by the lead guitarist, who was a mainstay of the Atlanta rock community for nearly 50 years. Tragically, he passed away onstage last year doing what he was born to do, play his music. His discography lists dozens of albums and his live shows became legendary before they were even completed. This clip arrives from the Watt on Clayton version 2.0.

 

 

Week #390                                       Silent Partner 

March 09, 2018

                                                             Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Tom English,                                                               Archdale, NC;  Chris  Hartstonge, London, UK;  Tim Abbott,                                                                             Skipton,  UK;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Kip  Shepherd,                                                                                 Huntsville, AL;  Steve  Fleming, Seattle, WA.

 

Hint: this band was a trio that performed at the Watt on Broad two nights before its doors closed for the final time. They opened for Glenn Phillips, although they aren't listed on my calendar because Doug didn't mention them to me since I wasn't important to his scheme of things. The leader of this impromptu group had been a member of a full band that used the same name, but they had broken up by the time I arrived in Athens. He was still performing as a duo with another member of that band, although that entity also broke up shortly after I made a demo recording for them on October 8, 1980, which fact is in my calendars. Sadly, one of the members of this group passed away a few years ago, marking another Athens musician who is no longer with us.

 

 

Week # 391                                      the Black Crowes performing "Jealous Again"

March 16, 2018  

                                                             Winner:  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL.  Co-winners:  Darryl White,                                                               Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Matt Morris,                                                                               Winston-Salem, NC;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Tim Abbott,                                                                       Skipton, UK; Lynn Berndt, Grafton, WI;  Chris Hartstonge, London,                                                               UK;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Kenneth Rogers, Athens, GA;                                                                   Steve Fleming,  Seattle, WA;  Chris  Howard, Madison, AL. 

 

Hint:  This band needs no introduction, anyone who listened to rock 'n' roll on the radio around 1990 should recognize their signature sound immediately.  Calling Marietta home, the band revolved around two brothers who were the mainstay of the band throughout their career.  Their first album, released in 1990, went multi-platinum and eventually sold more than 3 million copies.  They went on to release B studio albums before they broke up for good in 2015.

 

 

Week #392                                       Oh OK performing "Every Word Means No"

March 23, 2018

                                                             Winner:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Tom                                                                             English, Archdale, NC;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Darryl                                                                           White, Melbourne, AU;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Chris Howard,                                                                   Madison, AL;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Matt Morris,                                                                                  Winston-Salem, NC;  Andy  Johnson, Athens, GA;  Steve Fleming,                                                                Seattle, WA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA.   

 

Hint: this band formed in the early 80's as a three-piece group with only bass and drums for instrumentation. When the drummer left he was replaced and the band added a guitarist, who then left to form a duo with the previous drummer. Another guitarist was recruited and the band played on for a couple of years before finally breaking up for good. They were noted for their female vocalist, who has gone on to a very successful career in Atlanta. The clip is their cover of a Let's Active song. 

 

 

Week # 393                                        LA Wasted Youth performing "Watch the Boundary"

March 30, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL.  Co-winners:  Tom English,                                                                 Archdale, NC;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Tim Abbott,                                                                             Skipton,  UK;  Darryl White Melbourne, AU;  Andy Johnson,                                                                             Athens, GA;  Matt  Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Steve Fleming,                                                                     Seattle, WA. 

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Hint: this band was one of the punk rock bands that played the Watt on Broad in its heyday. They were somewhat unique in that they are known by three names, the first consisting of their two-word descriptive name, then one that utilizes the initials of their home city, and finally one that consists of that second name, along with the apostrophe and an "S" to make it possessive. They earned a reputation for the high energy displayed in their show content, including some exciting acrobatics by its front man. Like most bands, they encountered quite a few personnel changes, but the tenor of the band never swayed far from their hardcore punk roots. 

 

 

Week #394                                         Mystery Date performing "You Gotta Line, I'll Getta Poll (sic)

April 6, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                               Hartstonge, London, UK;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Kip                                                                               Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Matt                                                                       Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Tom                                                                     English, Archdale, NC;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA.

 

Hint: this band was one of the few all-female groups in town back in the 80's, consisting of a female guitarist and her sister on lead vocal with a rhythm section that was also all-female. They played several shows at the Watt, the one that produced this clip is the one accompanied by Athens' best-known band on the bill, along with a new band in town that had signed with Jefferson Holt's new label. We hope that provides enough details, let's find out how our panel does with these scant clues.

 

 

Week #395                                       John Cale performing "Autobiography"

April 13, 2018

                                                             Winner:  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                                       Hartstonge,  London, UK;  Kip Shepherd,  Huntsville, AL;  Andy                                                                     Johnson, Athens, Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Darryl  White,                                                               Melbourne, AU;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Kenneth Rogers,                                                                     Atlanta, GA;  Tom  English, Archdale, NC;  Craig Williams,                                                                               Portland,  OR;  Melissa  Bock, Charlotte, NC. 

 

Hint: this band consisted of a well-known member of a famous New York band from the art rock period and his backing band. They played the Watt on Broad in its heyday, February of '85. We had a large, enthusiastic crowd and the band seemed to have a good time as well. This one is so obvious we aren't going to waste your time with long-winded clues if you don't recognize the voice right away just give the clip till the halfway point and you'll know it for sure.

 

 

Week #396                                        Buzz of Delight performing "Looking for an Answer"

April 20, 2018

                                                              Winner:  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                                        Hartstonge,  London;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Tom English,                                                                Archdale,  NC;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Matt Morris,                                                                              Winston-Salem, NC; Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Kenneth                                                                              Rogers,  Atlanta, GA,  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA; Craig Williams,                                                                Portland, OR.

 

Hint: this band was a two-piece that formed in Athens around the time that we moved the 40 Watt to Main Street. It consisted of a recent high school graduate who moved to Athens after graduation because he met REM when they played his hometown the previous year. Upon arriving in Athens he played guitar in Oh Ok and participated in the busking group Community Trolls, then formed this duo with the erstwhile drummer for Oh Ok. This band then broke up when he received a contract with Columbia, moving to Los Angeles and beginning a solo career that left some hard feelings behind in the Classic City. For bonus points, we'll award 10 extra points to anyone who gives us the name of the Top 10 single that this artist released in 1991. 

 

 

Week #397                                         Galaxie 500 (misidentified)

April 27, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Tom                                                                       English, Archdale, NC;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Tim                                                                               Abbott,  Skipton, UK;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;                                                                                               Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;                                                                         Melissa Bock, Charlotte, NC;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Steve                                                                 Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA.

 

 

Week #398                                         Skinpops performing "He Was Drinkin', Drivin', Smokin' &  F"

May 4, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                               Hartstonge, London, UK; Melissa Bock, Charlotte, NC;  Kip                                                                             Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Matt                                                                           Morris,  Winston-Salem, NC;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Kenneth                                                                 Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Steve Fleming,                                                                 Seattle,  WA, Craig Williams, Portland, OR.  

 

 Hint: this band was one of the several Athens two-piece groups that seemed to proliferate in the last half of the 1980's, appearing around 1988 and performing at the Watt on Clayton several times over the next couple of years. During this show they shared the bill with the Atlanta Street Poet, Deacon Lunchbox. Their distinctive sound ought to make them easy to identify.

 

 

Week #399                                         Butthole Surfers 

May 11, 2018

                                                               Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Darryl                                                                     White, Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Tim Abbott,                                                                 Skipton, UK;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;   Chris Hartstonge,                                                                           London,  UK;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Kenneth Rogers,                                                                         Atlanta, GA; Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Robby McMahon,                                                                           Gainesville, GA;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR.

 

Hint: this band called Los Angeles and San Antonio home at different periods of their career, coming to Athens in 1986 and kidnapping a favorite local musician who had built a career performing with several Athens bands of note. Their style has been termed "experimental rock, alternative rock,neo-psychedelia, hardcore punk, noise rock, avant-garde".  They were active up till about 7 years ago.

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