Athens Ear Buds (1-7-10)

Athens Ear Buds participation really fell off over winter break at OU, but we have enough to run with today, so I guess we'll see how it goes week to week. I will pull the plug, however, if the participation continues to be spotty and/or we don't get any new contributors.

I'm not upset at anybody about this. Actually, since I'm an Ear Bud contributor myself, I know as well as anyone what a hassle it is to come up with an especially interesting musical recommendation on a regular basis. Hell, I'm the head Ear Bud, and I couldn't even think of one for today. - Terry Smith, Athens Ear Buds epitaphographer

Greg Bikowski, bassist for The Bob Stewart Band and the Bikowski Jazz Trio, paramedic for SEOEMS: 1969 was a great year in music. That year is celebrated on "1969," the newest EP from Los Lonely Boys (Playing in Traffic Records, 2009). This band of brothers pays respect to some of the great ones. The album includes Santana's "Evil Ways," McCartney and Lennon's "She Came Though the Bathroom Window" and Jim Morrison's "Roadhouse Blues." These tunes are not just covers, but rather are extensions of these songwriters that is carried through the talents of Los Lonely Boys. While the music is familiar, the stamp that this band puts on these tunes clearly makes them their own. The sound of these brothers is tight, both the harmonies and the playing. Celebrate 2010 with "1969."

Andy Vogel just moved back in!: Kelly Ryan is a old-school folk artist you've never heard of. With her debut album "Twist," she showcases her skills of mixing the new with the old. She is the female version of Jack Johnson. "Twist" doesn't come out till next month, but in the meantime you can check out her video "Lost Cause" ( A Beck cover) on YouTube. Search for <"Lost Cause" (Beck) cover by Kelley Ryan> without the brackets, of course.

John McVicker is a local NIMBY (or not in ANYBODY's backyard): Even though Terry Riley is even older than I am, his music is very relevant to today's musicians. He's one of the giants of minimalist music, in which simple patterns are repeated as small and gradual variations unfold. Minimalism is trancey and textural and very cool. Riley's music, built on John Coltrane, John Cage and Indian classical music, has lots and lots of fans among musicians, including such hipsters as Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Robert Fripp & Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, the Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Radiohead, Animal Collective, Acid Mothers Temple, the Kronos Quartet, the late lamented Jack Rose, and even the Who (he is the "O'Riley" of their tune, "Baba O'Riley"). Put 'em all together and you've got an idea of what this guy is about. Anyway, "A Rainbow in Curved Air" (1967) was the first of his records that I discovered, and it's a fine place to start. There are only two tunes on it, the title cut and "Poppy Nogood." "Rainbow" is a shimmering feast of keyboards and percussion, while "Poppy" adds soprano sax to the mix but creates a darker, more mysterious world.

Pencil, old punk, celebrity judge and shipping/receiving guy (aka Josh Ryan): The first show of the year at Brown Town featured the first Cincinnati band to ever play there. Till Plains came through with some great energetic indie-influenced punk/core. I wanted to say "pop Punk," which others probably will, but I hear a lot more of the hardcore hallmarks and punk riffs than I'm willing to attribute to the poppier punk bands. Sure there were some guitar flourishes, better than average musicianship and some whoa-oh's but there were also some gruff, hoarse vocals. A little salt to go with the sugar if you will. These kids are obviously rooted to hardcore punk in some way. Their five-song EP (a CD deviously hidden in a seven-inch package) pretty much reflected their live show. With a great loud recording that doesn't seem digitally stale, I think I might even be willing to file this in with my vinyl.

Brandon Thompson, an Athens native who doubles as DJ B-Funk and misses Silverball and Aladdin's Castle: September, "Cry For You" (Catchy Tunes 2006). My first selection for 2010 is not an album, but a strong vocal pop track that has kept me mesmerized since I heard it about three years ago. Swedish singer September has been shopping this song around for the last four years, and it has seen mild success here in the States. The song cleverly samples the melody from Bronski Beat's "Small Town Boy" and has one of the catchiest hooks I've heard in a while. Though the subject matter has to deal with a break-up, the song has no real depth to it. But that's no reason to dismiss it. It's fun and full of energy and very catchy. If you do happen to check this one out, make sure you listen to all the mixes. This song has been re-released several times in different countries with several different remixes added to each issue. The American and UK versions are not drastically different, but there is some interesting instrumentation going on with the UK version that you may enjoy. Outside of the original mixes, I find that the Spencer Hill mix offers something dance-floor friendly but not departing too far from what makes the original great, which is the strong vocals.

Barry "Growlin" Wolfe, Athens ex-pat, ex-DJ/producer KALX Berkeley, Calif., occasional music reviewer for Blurt online magazine and Ptolemaic Terrascope: Ike Reilly (Various labels). I must say that Mr. Reilly is one of the most talented and entertaining individuals that I've run across in a while. His band, The Ike Reilly Assassination, rolls out of the Windy City and has just released its sixth album, "Hard Luck Stories." He spins some wild yarns in his lyrics, mostly about drinking, drugs and weird friends, but also offers up some very astute political/societal observations that cut to the bone. It's tempting to compare him to a cross between Bob Dylan and Lou Reed with his bluesy, punky rock, but just about any one of his albums is superior to anything that Mr. Dylan has produced in about the last 25 years. Oh yeah, his band really kicks some serious ass.

Dave Alexander, Athens' resident trainspotter and Dave Rave promoter: Fever Ray, "Fever Ray" (Mute, 2009). If you like The Knife and Swedish accents, you will probably like Fever Ray. Fever Ray is the solo project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, who you might recognize as The Knife's lead singer. Fever Ray features more of Karin's hauntingly captivating vocals and less of The Knife's signature electro synths and beats. The result is more chilled out and accessible, but still creepy and gothic sounding. Standout tracks include "When I Grow Up", "If I had a Heart" and "Seven."