–Practice–

Nuci’s Space is a non-profit resource for artists in Athens. It’s the go-to place for the quintessential struggling Athens band. They offer practice rooms that can be rented out hourly. Each one is soundproofed and has a drumset (minus cymbals) and a PA already set up. In my experience, neighbors tend to get angry when you play incredibly loudly for several hours in a row, so practice space where you can crank up the volume is a godsend. If you have a decently sized group (say 4), the $10/hour price of practicing there is easily managable on a college budget. Not having to lug around or set up a drumset or a PA saves time and effort on the part of the band as well.  Nuci’s Space also offers equipment rentals and sells some of the essentials like picks and earplugs on-site.

–Recording–

If you have a some spare cash, there are some quality recording studios right in downtown Athens. I personally reccommend the Downtown Athens Recording Company (DARC). It was started by two guys (Asa and Eric) who just love music. Eric drew up the architectural plans for the studio himself, and he and Asa act as sound engineers as well. For the quality equipment and professional sound quality they offer, their services are definitely worth the money ($300 for a 10 hour day).

If you are like many college students (broke) then there are options that will do a little less damage to your wallet. Most UGA students are unaware of the fact that on the 3rd floor of the SLC, there exists something called the Digital Media Lab. You can make an appointment here and record and mix right in the SLC! Obviously you won’t end up with a “studio quality” end-product, but if you are just trying to get some music up on your myspace page, the DML can’t be beaten in terms of price.

http://www.slc.uga.edu/technology/digitalmedia.html

It’s important to realize the sheer number of bands that play at Athfest. Some estimate that there are close to 400 bands in town. Over 100 play at Athfest every year. The great thing about the wristband is that you can club-hop during Athfest without paying exorbitant amounts of money to get into 3 or 4 separate venues. You can see the opener at one club, see two other bands play somewhere else, and end the night with another club entirely. The art part of Athfest shouldn’t be ignored, either. Athens area artists produce some quality work, and even if you don’t buy anything at the booths you should at least take a look.

Last year’s final band to play the main stage, Modern Skirts, put on a solid show. This year’s line-up hasn’t been posted yet, but rest assured it will be good. Also, you can usually get a compilation CD of “the best of Athfest” after the event is over.

This page will have the lineup when it’s released–>
http://www.athfest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=56

So Athens has a great music scene. But to the uninitiated, trying to sort out the types of music that you like to listen to from all of the bands that play each week in the ATH can be a daunting task! Well, let me make a few suggestions…

If you like your music loud, fast, and technical, you might just love We Vs. the Shark. They play really aggressive, jangly, punkish rock with some math rock influences. Math rock involves using different time signatures. You standard rock beat is 4/4, which means 4 beats per measure. Math rock has a lot of shifts between different, less comonnly used time signatures like 7/8 or something ridiculous like 13/4.  We Vs. the Shark puts on one of the loudest shows in Athens as well. Oh, and they have a girl that sings,  and plays guitar and keyboards! The only band that tops them in volume is the next band I’d recommend…Cinemechanica! Its the same genre of music, so most of the things I said about We vs. The Shark apply to them. If you like one, it is scientifically proven that you will like the other.

If loud and in your face doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, check out the post rock ensemble A. Armada. Post rock, as a genre, focuses less on hooks and vocals and tries to create layered walls of guitar sound. Many post rock songs build slowly, but the “rock” part still applies. In their live show, A. Armada usually uses minimal lighting and visual effects. Bright white light usually erupts from around their feet when they get to the most epic parts of their songs. A. Armada doesn’t have any vocals, but their songs are incredibly immersive if you have the attention span and/or inclination to listen to instrumental music.

For pure fun, nothing can top The Bit Brigade, formerly known under such names as Contraband and Megaband. Basically, a guy who is incredibly good at Nintendo games sits onstage and plays through a whole game, such as Megaman 2. The game is projected on a screen, and the band plays a really rockin’ version of the soundtrack, all little intro bits and small licks included. On one hand, its pretty nerdy, but the guys in the Bit Brigade are very talented. Those old 8 bit sound tracks sound incredible with the arrangements that they came up with.  Seeing Megaband was definitely in my top 5 most enjoyable concerts that I’ve seen in Athens.

If you are looking for something accessible but fresh, try out The Buddy System. Each of their songs has an accompanying brightly colored cartoon that they created, so each show is sort of an amalgamation of a live experience and a music video. One of their most popular songs features some indie kids fighting a king-fu horse cult. The novelty wears off after a show or two, but they are absolutely worth checking out at least once.

Watch the Buddy System on Youtube–> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTKYrim4ivs

I’ll start off with a little history lesson. Back in the day (the 1990′s) a label/musical collective called the Elephant 6 Recording Co. was born in Athens.  Elephant 6  gave birth to numerous influential bands, two of which I will be highlighting here.

–Neutral Milk Hotel–

Jeff Mangum, one of the founders of Elephant 6, was the driving force behind this band. Neutral Milk Hotel is sort of indie rock with some folk influences. Sadly, NMH is no more.  However, you can still enjoy Jeff Mangum’s wonderful songwriting through the magic of technology!

If you want to experience Neutral Milk Hotel at its best,  pick up a copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.  Before you ever hit play,  I feel that I have to preface your listening experience with a caveat. NMH is pretty strange compared to your average radio fare. Mangum’s lyrics deal with some strange metaphors and touches on subjects that your average pop band might try to shy away from (i. e. domestic abuse, war, death). This being said, Jeff Mangum is brilliant. He is a visionary songwriter; his style of singing, musical arrangement, and lyrics are all truly unique. I would suggest listening to the album from beginning to end, as it is a very cohesive work. If this is a little daunting or you aren’t sure if you like the band, try King of Carrot Flowers Pt 1, Oh Comely, and Holland 1945. These are more accessible than some of the other tracks, and hopefully they’ll get you hooked enough to give the rest a try.

–Of Montreal–

Of Montreal started out in the heyday of Elephant 6 and is still going strong. They are pretty famous nowadays, but they produced some quality records back in the day (again, the 90′s).  As I said about Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal can get pretty weird.  One of their records is a sort of concept album about Dustin Hoffman.  On the whole, their work ranges from acoustic folk-y pop to some more electronic in their newer albums. As an introduction to the band, try out The Sunlandic Twins. The Party’s Crashing us and Oslo in the summertime are my favorite tracks on the album.

If you ever get the chance, go see Of Montreal live. Their stage show includes such oddities as swordfighting glittery ninjas wearing gold football pads and many giant, multi-colored graphics of monkeys, dogs, the statue of liberty, and other things projected on big screens.

–Tasty World–

Featuring a downstairs and upstairs performance space, this venue is on the small side (about the size of your average bar). You won’t see any huge acts here, but tons of fresh talent comes through Tasty World because it isn’t as difficult to get booked there. The downside of being the first Athens venue that many bands play is that you might see some pretty terrible bands here. You might want to check out the flagpole or the band’s website before you pay to see them.

–40 Watt Club–

The 40 Watt is hands down my favorite venue.  Some of the best local acts as well as huge national acts come through here.  It’s moved several times since its inception, but it is currently located at 285 W Washington St.  Diverse crowds come here, ranging from college kids to townies, but on the whole this place is a college hipster’s heaven.  It’s stage is only about waist height off the ground, and there’s not much of a backstage area.  It’s big enough to house large crowds, but retains the intimate atmosphere of some of the smaller venues. Many bands will man their merch tables themselves after their set,  so you can actually meet and talk with many of the artists that perform there.

–The Georgia Theater–

Ah, the Georgia Theater. If you like the Roxy or the Tabernacle in Atlanta, then this is the place for you.  It’s got upstairs seating as well as a very large floor area.  A huge, rather dangerous looking ceiling fan cools the entire area, as it gets pretty packed for big shows. A lot of jam bands come through here, as well as some dancy electronic artists. Cover bands like Zoso (Led Zeppelin) and Abbey Road (The Beatles) play here at least once a year. Depending on the show the crowd will be a bit different, but expect a frattier crowd on the whole.

–Caledonia Lounge–

Only venture to the Caledonia Lounge if you are feeling a little more adventurous in your music listening.  Truly a “hole in the wall” sort of place, it’s located behind the 40 Watt and can be a little tough to find. The entrance is in what looks like a sort of alley. The inside is pretty small and drab. All that aside, I’ve seen some great shows here.  The acts that come through here are less popular than other venues, but you can experience some underground indie goodness at the Caledonia. Dress like a hipster or prepare to be out of place.