Athens Ear Buds (11-5-09)

Our submissions are starting to fall off again for Athens Ear Buds. We have a lot of folks on the mailing list who have stopped participating entirely. I guess it's time to rummage through my closet for those compromising photos of certain AWOL Ear Budsters engaging in, how should I say it, eccentric sexual practices. It's amazing what a person can do with a good telephoto lens and PhotoShop.

Anyway, reputations are overrated, right?! - AEB provost and executive vice president Terry Smith

Pencil, old punk, celebrity judge, shipping/receiving guy and demo-goblin (aka Josh Ryan): It's no small feat to do Portal justice in any review. Whether you're talking about '07's "Outre`," the twisted costumes or the Murnau-esque art work that seems to accompany most of their releases, these stalwarts of Australian death/black metal who've been around since '94 seem determined to crush, confuse, nauseate and bewilder. Is this metal or is this noise? You'll ask yourself, are these guys geniuses or goons? Remember the scene in "The Fly" where they sent a dog through a teleporter, and it came out the other end inside-out but still breathing? Imagine doing the same with the band Morbid Angel, and what you have is Portal's newest release, "Swarth." Taking up where "Outre`" left off, Portal maintains the horrid atmosphere while injecting the same kind of brutality we heard on their first long player outing, "Seepia." There is nothing quiet, melodic, orchestral or synthetic about this record. It charges straight from the gate at the beginning and doesn't let up until the ghastly end. With an arsenal of tones not heard on this planet since the first machines awakened, Portal has the power to take extreme music to the next dimension. (CD out on Profound Lore records.)

Dave Alexander, Athens' resident trainspotter and Dave Rave promoter: Florence and The Machine, "Lungs" (released July 6, 2009 on Island Records). I discovered Florence and the Machine while trying to find their cover of the Candi Staton song "You've Got The Love." Sex and The City fans may recognize the Candi Staton version from the last episode of that show. After loading "Lungs" on my iPod, I have had a hard time listening to anything else. A friend tried to convince me lead singer Florence Welch sounds like Fiona Apple. While they both share dark lyrics and powerful voices, Florence reminds me more of Natalie Merchant especially over the backing of strings and percussion, which gives the songs a folksy fairy-tale sound. I recommend checking out "Rabbit Heart," "Kiss With A Fist," "Drumming," and my personal favorite "Girl With One Eye."

Terry Smith, editor of The Athens NEWS and dude who doesn't like writing political endorsements: This is unprecedented in the history of Athens Ear Buds but I want to add a quick "me, too" on Florence and the Machine. Like Dave, this is all I've been listening to lately. This British gal has a big, fine, spirited voice that can go from zero to 60 in the course of a 2:30 song. Reminds me of some of the divas whom I usually don't like, though her songwriting, which I'd compare with Patty Griffin, elevates her above most of the other big-voiced ladies. This is an unusual selection for yours truly, who usually seeks out the artists with maybe score 223 hits for their YouTube videos. Imagine my chagrin and surprise when, as I trolled for a Florence video to put online, I had to share her with 1,636,562 others. Then, adding insult to injury, I noticed in the embed field the message, "Embedding disabled by request." Well, you can go find it yourself. I'd recommend for your first taste "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)." (Here's a live version of "Girl With One Eye." Her guitar player is pretty good, too.)

Christopher Pyle, owner of Donkey Coffee and 3 Elliott Studio, plays in the local band The Jarts: Jankek, "The End of It All" (Cordwood Industries, 2004). Nobody really knows who this guy is or why he keeps putting out really bizarre records. Jandek has put out over 60 records since 1978 and has rarely been photographed or given an interview. Nothing sounds like Jandek so it would be hard to even begin to describe this stuff. With that said, he doesn't use conventional chords, and his guitar is often way out of tune. There is not much, if any, structure to his songs. If you want to hear something like you've never heard, this is for you. I find him incredibly interesting but I really need to be in the mood for this stuff. I picked this one because I like it the best for some reason but you could start anywhere with this guy. There is a fascinating documentary out on him now called "Jandek on Corwood" so if you are intrigued by the above I would recommend renting this (they have it at NetFlix). You would be able to tell if you would then want to throw down some money for his recordings.

David DeWitt, Athens NEWS writer and local personality: This Is My Suitcase, "The Keys to Cat Heaven" (Paper + Plastick, 2009). I feel as though my eardrums have just been ravaged by a sweet and sultry phonic PleasureMaster 3000. In all my years as a professional listener and audience member, this is one of the best bands I've seen live, a sentiment echoed on almost every online message board I've read about these guys. On this album is the most comprehensive collection of Suitcase recordings to date, put in a thematic order, with beautiful tempo and arc. In the interest of full disclosure, yes, these are some friends of mine. But also in the interest of full disclosure, this is the best baroque-pop quintet I've ever heard. Dripping with sugarcane and irony, shredded with breaking glass, falsetto and pure rock 'n' roll, tempered by pop piano and the glockenspiel, listen to this album loud, front-to-back and uninterrupted. You've never heard anything else like it. Find it at http://www.audiblediversiongroup.com/PaperandPlastick.