A Note to the Readers

I know it's been a long time since I posted, and I appreciate the e-mails, etc. Truth is, there haven't been a lot of music-related thoughts bursting around my brain lately. My silence has NOTHING to do with any negative comments, etc. I appreciate that people have different opinions. It's music, not geometry proofs. And I think I've shown that I'm perfectly happy to have a conversation/debate with someone, both in the comment section as well as through e-mails.

But I have been really busy lately. The band I play in has been recording an album. I have a book (e-book, technically) coming out in the next month or two, so I've been working on that as well as the book that was already in progress. I started playing in a second band. There's been sickness, vacation, holidays, snow. I live in a house that's over a hundred years old. If I had known this was going to be the coldest winter in recorded Athens history, I probably would have found another place to live.

Cold air shoots up from my hardwood floors, making sitting at a desk for long periods of time extremely uncomfortable. If I run the computer, the space heater in the bathroom, and any other appliance at the same time, it blows a fuse more often than not (today it blew because I was running the printer).

Anyway, you get the idea. We're moving in April. Here's some random Athens stuff I've noticed since the last time I wrote...

The cover of the new Modern Skirts album looks like... well, whatever the opposite of phallic might be. Sapphic? Vulvul? Yonic? Vag-tastic? Haven't heard it yet, but I noticed the download code is on the outside of the album. So I guess there's always that option.

Witches have an album out. I've been on the fence about them for a while now, but I'm really looking forward to hearing the album when I get a chance.

Have continued to enjoy seeing the bands I usually enjoy seeing. Haven't been getting out enough to see new stuff though. But I did catch Androcles & the Lion (totally by accident) and I thought they were very very good at what they did. If you're a fan of sincere, heartfelt, guitar-based Wilco pop/rock, you should probably check it out.

Have wondered if Athens Music Junkie has ever considered changing its name to Athens Music Cheerleader. I'm this close to hiding it from my facebook feed. I hate to be a cynic, but anyone who takes the grammy awards seriously (in terms of winning & losing) needs to take a long hard look in the music critic mirror.

Attended a couple of the Hacks shows at Caledonia. When I was 13-14 years old, I remember thinking that blowjobs, or pornography, or rape, or describing something really bad as 'like getting fucked in the ass' were all inherently funny. It's a shame that Caledonia has an age limit, because I'm sure Luke Fields' theory that black women are better at giving head than white women, a theory formed by watching copious amounts of pornography on the internet, would have played a whole lot better to an audience of middle-schoolers. Such is life.

And yes, that was the entirety of his joke. And yes, I'm writing this as someone who thinks that Bill Hicks represents the pinnacle of all stand-up comedy.

So in the spirit of Athens comedy, here's some music-related jokes for you. They're a little on the cruel side, but think of it as a Comedy Central roast-type thing.

What's the difference between Grape Soda and Orange Crush?
Orange Crush has a distributor.

How many managers does it take to get Modern Skirts a record deal?
More than one, apparently.

What did Jeff Tobias say when he went to the U2 concert?
Hey guys, is it cool if I sit in for a bit?

What's the difference between Grape Soda and the White Stripes?
Jack White didn't actually have sex with his sister.

How can you tell when a member of R.E.M. has been at your house?
Athens Music Junkie posts a blog about it.

What's the difference between Dead Confederate and Silverchair?
Fucked if I know.

What's the only thing worse than a copy of the new Whigs album?
Two copies of the new Whigs album.

Why is the cheapest ticket $90 to see Kenny Rogers at the Classic Center?
All that plastic surgery doesn't pay for itself.

Why is the cheapest ticket $65 to see the B-52's at the Classic Center?
Pretty sure we just covered that.

Take care, everyone.