Athens & how to live it

Which places did you visit, and which one would you bring back to Italy with you?

I did the classic fan pilgrimage, checking a few sites for directions to some truly out-of-the-way spots, like the railway tracks outside of town where the cover photo of “Murmur” was shot. I saw what was left of the deconsecrated church where R.E.M. formed, once a student dormitory, and the ruins of the wooden bridge that appears on the back cover of “Murmur”. Which place would I have brought back here to Italy with me? Wuxtry Records, the record store where Peter Buck, then a clerk there, met Michael Stipe. I'd want it back because, despite its historical importance, it was still vibrant and alive, a “young” record store, the last one I've had the chance to visit from 2012 up to today, unfortunately.

Can you point us to a couple of tracks to best capture what you consider the typical sound of the Athens scene?

The B-52's, “Rock Lobster”, for the college-town Athens, and then R.E.M. with “Crazy” (a cover of fellow Athens band Pylon) for the southern gothic Athens.

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Reconstruction of the Fables

Having built this alternative Italy–Athens bridge, we can now fully immerse ourselves in the warm, humid atmosphere of this small town not quite 100 km from Atlanta. Since R.E.M. are the quintessential gateway into Athens, I had the good fortune and pleasure of speaking, during the early days of lockdown, with the band's longtime manager, Bertis Downs, who turned out to be extremely warm and approachable. To call him “just” a manager would be an understatement, given his historic bond with the band's members, who consistently credit him as an additional member on every record.

Athens is a town deeply tied to music and culture: how is it experiencing this dramatic period marked by the Covid-19 pandemic (Michael Stipe himself recently spoke out about it in The Guardian)?

Nobody is ready to go out at this point. If someone told me my favorite bar was open tonight, I wouldn't go. And I think most people feel the same way. It's not viable as a business. If you tell a restaurant it can open, but customers don't come back, then the restaurant — which has employees, workers, and food, but not people coming back to buy it — can't stay open. And we're dealing with the same difficulty. When things reopen, maybe places with an outdoor area, like a garage or a terrace that lets people stay outside, will have an advantage. Restaurants with a patio will be better off than strictly indoor ones. I think people are too afraid of getting sick to go out and eat, because that's all the news talks about. You can make calls and hold meetings on Zoom, or go for a run, but nothing more than that. There's less and less social life, which is typically what human beings do.

Here in Italy, many musicians are responding to Covid and the ensuing lockdown by releasing unreleased material, rarities and alternate versions through their own websites or platforms like Bandcamp, streaming live or going live on social media. What about you?

Same thing: people are making a song or a collaboration with friends, things they wanted to do before, streaming it on whatever social media, Facebook or Instagram. There are various approaches, people are getting creative and want to keep sharing music, and there's a lot of great stuff out there.

Coming back to the town and its bands, what makes Athens so unique?

I think Athens has been vital all these years. People know the bands that come from here. For thirty years now, bands have been moving here to start playing in clubs and to have places to rehearse. We're close enough to a few East Coast cities, but we're not a big city, so there's a good quality of life (rent and everything else). Athens does its part to stay relevant — think of Chapel Hill, or Minneapolis: college towns with young students who go out drinking. The legal drinking age dropped and then went back up again, but that hasn't changed the situation much because there's a big fake-ID business. There's an '80s film, “Athens, GA: Inside/Out”, about that scene, the period when R.E.M., Pylon, the B-52's and many other bands were just starting out. It was a great film, and the director is making a new one that will probably come out next year. It's called “Athens Georgia 30 Years On” and it's about the same bands and what's happening in Athens beyond music: politics, race relations, agriculture. It's no longer just about the music and the cultural scene, there's a broader approach. The director is now nearly sixty, and his film will be a fine contribution to the scene.

As with the previous one, will the accompanying soundtrack be released?

I think so — I have no idea yet about the soundtrack, but there's so much music in it that I imagine it's part of the plan. I'm not directly involved, but I'd guess there will be music from a lot of bands, both well-known and obscure.

How much does the university's presence influence the music scene?

Many of the early bands (Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Pylon, and the B-52's) went to art school. There's definitely a connection, a sensibility, that students from that environment have. The way they present themselves, the look, the graphics. There's a lot more to it than just music and lyrics.

Among the new acts out there, what do you like most?

I really like a band called Fishbug, they're high schoolers. There's a thing here called Camp Amped, which is part of Nucci Space, a resource, advice and rehearsal space center for musicians that's been around for twenty years. It's a wonderful charitable place where kids learn to make music, and a lot of them keep coming back. That space teaches them not just how to play, but what it takes to make it as a band. Another band is Nihilist Cheerleader, who are college kids, and another interesting name is T Hardy Morris: he was in Dead Confederate for a long time and now he's a solo artist, he's on Bandcamp. Those are the current artists I like most.

Let me ask you to play tour guide for a moment and tell us what we absolutely have to see in Athens?

The Welcome Center actually runs a tour of Athens' historic music spots, like Tyrone's and the original 40 Watt Club (I already asked Pylon about these two essential venues, ed.), that kind of thing. I'd add Chapel Hill: it's close to several universities and all the students, music and drinking spots that come with them, and over time it's become a really lively area.

My favorites for many years have been U2. I still love seeing them live: I saw them on the "The Joshua Tree" tour in Rome, inside that big football stadium, who plays there? Roma, I think (it was the Flaminio, now abandoned, ed.). I love them and obviously I'd love to see them again once all this is over. I was never a huge fan of the Cure but lately I am, must be my age. Same goes for Pink Floyd. As a kid I didn't have an older sibling to introduce me to them and to cool music, so I only got into Roger Waters' stuff quite recently. I must have seen him 6 or 7 times in the last 10 years. He puts on incredible shows, and this year he was supposed to do a spectacular tour. It'll probably happen next year, I hope everything goes well.

Do you think a new R.E.M. will ever come along?

If I'd had more time maybe I'd have an answer, but I don't right now. I don't know, it's hard to predict, who the hell knows, the world has changed so much! I know plenty of good bands who know how to promote themselves. But will there ever be a new R.E.M., a new sensational rock band like them? I don't have a good answer for that.

***

Volume is pleasant (If you like the source)

I'd already had the pleasure of interviewing Vanessa Briscoe Hay here on OndaRock for our feature on Pylon, fresh off their star on the Athens Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If those questions were focused on the band and its recent reincarnation (Pylon Reenactment Society), this time we'll dig deeper into her role in the Athens scene. It's wonderful to see how (as with Bertis Downs too) the town's legendary figures remain involved and active in the city's affairs. Vanessa has truly been a long-distance guide to Athens' cultural and artistic landscape, and she also helped put me in touch with the other people you'll meet shortly, which is why I thank her. But let's start with the aforementioned Rolling Stone article.

How did that make you feel?

I was really happy and surprised to see Pylon at number 73 on that Rolling Stone list. I couldn't believe it: we weren't on a major label. I was also really happy to see the B-52s (#15) and R.E.M. (#6) on that list. Our single "Cool/Dub" was reissued last November by New West Records, and I believe it's now available in Europe through independent record stores.

What makes the Athens music scene so prolific year after year?

At first, there was very little to do here, so we had to create our own entertainment (laughs, ed.). I think it came down to the particular people who were here in Athens at the time, along with a great arts scene and a great record store (Chapter Three Records). It was DIY, and we were tuned in to what was happening in the wider world of music and art.

Now, there's a rich musical history that each successive generation builds on. We're a college town, so our population turns over a lot every 4-5 years. We have venues, rehearsal spaces, a music school and a music school at the University of Georgia, a local music paper (Flagpole), a student radio station and a national public radio station, recording studios, and above all, great record stores. Housing isn't as cheap as it used to be. It's not so easy for musicians and artists to get by these days.

What do you think are the unique traits of the Athens music scene?

The desire to express yourself artistically, without compromise. I also see a willingness to experiment and to enjoy the experience of making music.

How are bands and live venues reacting to the Covid-19 emergency?

There's been a bit of live streaming from artists at home and from clubs like the 40 Watt Club. Right now the venues are completely closed. Some of the venues have sold merchandise online, sold drinks, done everything they can to pay rent and keep some of their staff on. Some bars have reopened. There's a limit on the number of people allowed in. No one has any live shows planned yet. A good percentage of customers aren't wearing masks. I don't know what's going to happen. From some things I've read, small and mid-sized venues are hoping for government help. These are strange days.

What are the most interesting bands to emerge from the Athens scene in recent times, in your opinion?

It's really hard to choose: there are so many intriguing new acts here in Athens! Obviously live shows are cancelled and clubs are closed because of Covid-19 precautions. Here are some of the most recent ones I like for various reasons. A mix of genres, ages, types of music and sexual orientation. I get bored listening to the same kind of thing all the time:

Wesdaruler – R&B/Hip Hop/Soul 

Wieuca – Indie band 

Fishbug – Young indie punk

Vision Video – Post punk

Fourth Mansions – Creative acoustic (Live at the George Theatre in Athens, GA )

Lingua Franca – Hip Hop

Tears For The Dying – Goth-rock trans band

Pylon have recently announced a not-to-be-missed release: “Pylon Box”, out November 6 on New West Records. The set includes colored vinyl editions of their first two albums, “Gyrate” and “Chomp”, remastered from the original tapes and pressed on vinyl for the first time in over thirty years, “Extra” (a collection of singles, B-sides, rarities and live recordings), and “Razz Tape” – Pylon's very first recording, a previously unreleased thirteen-song session predating their official 1979 debut single, “Cool”/”Dub”, all fittingly accompanied by a 200-page full-color book packed with photos and written testimonials from some of Pylon's most famous champions: Rem, Kate Pierson, Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Steve Albini, and Jon King and Hugo Burnham of Gang of Four, just to name a few.

The name Fishbug comes up a lot. The four young high schoolers are wild, and from the music they make it's clear they're having a blast. After an EP in 2019, their debut “Inchworm”, out in April 2020, is an engaging pop-punk record that occasionally shades into grunge tones. Vanessa's description – Young indie punk – really does sum it up perfectly. There are four of them: Stella Perkins on lead vocals, Moss Ivy on guitar, Parker Dillard on bass and Isaiah Pope on drums. Another very interesting band – just as wild – are Monsoon, led by Sienna Chandler on guitar/vocals (the list of charismatic female frontwomen keeps growing in this town), with Sam Smith on bass and Joey Kegel on drums. After the good reception of their first record, 2015's “Ride A'Rolla”, driven by the title track single, the band is about to release the long-awaited follow-up, “Ghost Party”.

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Radio Free Europe

Our trip around Athens is almost at an end. We get in the car and, before saying goodbye, we take one last idealized drive through the streets of the town, turning the radio dial and tuning in to 91.7 or 94.5 FM WUGA to listen to “Athens 441”, the historic radio show hosted by Joe Silva.

Joe, how has everyday life changed because of Covid?

It's strange, to be honest. Few people can access the radio station for security reasons, so a lot of people broadcast from home. I recorded "Athens 441" from my studio, so it was easy to stay on air. But I bet there's a huge stack of freshly released records waiting for me at the station.

Is there a connection between the bands and the city's radio?

Yes! Between the work we do at WUGA and the college radio station on the University of Georgia campus (WUOG), we try to keep an eye on the bands in town. Athens is a small city, but the music community is very connected through social media, so it's really easy to know who's doing what. And even in the 21st century, people still like tuning into radio. Sometimes I bring musicians in live as Guest DJs, like with Kishi Bashi or with Of Montreal.

FM, web radio, social media: which are the most important media now for an independent/alternative radio show?

Right now, Facebook and Instagram. People are drawn to images, and they seem to appreciate it when you post photos and videos of the bands you're playing on air.

In Italy we know about the important connection between college radio and Rem's success: is there another example of a similar relationship?

There are so many. The college radio world is still important to a band's success. If you can break into the college charts, blogs will start writing about you and people will start showing up to shows once that buzz kicks in. I think Kristine Leschper's Mothers are a good example of an Athens band that's done really well recently.

Tell us something about your radio show: we can listen to you from Italy over the internet!

We've been on air for 17 years and we're heard all across Georgia through the public radio network. The internet helps, but it's nice to get letters from people who listened to the show while driving through the state. I try to play a good mix of local acts and others from further afield. There's so much music out there now that people can record at home. I could put out a new episode every day and never play the same band twice!

In your opinion, right now, which are the most important bands on the Athens music scene?

It's hard to say which is the most important: every band connects with a different audience. Rem and B-52's made Athens known all over the world, but right now bands like Of Montreal, Drive-By Truckers and Wread Panic have a big following here in America. And new groups keep popping up all the time. My current favorites are: Dream Tent, Pinky Doodle Poodle and Deep State.

(Translation contribution by Vittoria Brandoni)

Ride the wave of great music

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