originally published July 2, 2008

Here’s another week of Athens music news to keep you going through the summer doldrums. Convenient, isn’t it, how no matter what time of year it is Athens bands still dole out those drums? Yeah, I thought so. Get wowed below…

Delivered as Promised: As threatened a couple of weeks back, new local band Nationale has finished its four-song demo and packaged it up in a fancy limited edition run of 85 copies. The band is a perfect addition to the creative side of the Athens hardcore scene and operates in the welcome arena of intelligent, scream-oriented hardcore. Stylistically, Nationale is reminiscent of a second-wave emo band (circa 1989-1993) way before that term was hijacked to describe wimpy, posturing, goth-metal. Nationale is also the only Athens band I’ve ever known to give thanks to both Pablo Neruda and the 1968 Paris riots. Check it out over at www.myspace.com/nationale706 or see the Upstart Roundup on p.23 for more.

Sweet Home Athens, GA: I’ll bet any townie with a beard and swoopy haircut has no idea who Colt Ford is. I’ll also bet you that the kid in the pastel Izod shirt who just drunkenly threatened to kick your ass knows exactly who Colt Ford is. The man is getting to be nigh legendary via his seriously unique brand of deep country rap. That is, take any old country music trope (hunting, dirt roads, etc.) and Colt Ford will lay it over sinister sounding beats, thus producing a sound that is simultaneously menacing and familiar. The local fellow’s newest track, “No Trash in My Trailer,” is currently getting rotation on CMT and, seriously, I can see this dude selling millions. There are multiple videos available on his website for you to check out, or you can watch him perform on "Good Day Atlanta" (along with co-conspirator Brantley Gilbert) on Friday, July 18. If that blows your skirt up, then you might want to go see him live at Chastain Park on Saturday, July 19 when he performs with Rhett Akins and the incomprehensibly popular Corey Smith. Dig it all at www.coltford.com.

Don’t Let Me Down: Do you remember a local band from about five years back named The Letmedowns? Nope, I know you don’t. You might be interested to know, though, that these guys have bootstrapped it and gotten back on that stage and played live for the first time in that many years last week over at Tasty World to celebrate the release of their new EP The First to Leave. Although the vocals are sometimes slightly too twangy for my tastes, there’s no denying The Letmedowns have a solid handle on Replacements-style, rootsy punk. More gigs, guys? Listen in at www.myspace.com/theletmedowns.

Awesome, Awesome: OK, this is one I’ve been waiting for. Sparse and gorgeous local band The Jersey Barrier has completed its debut LP titled Steady Pace in the Slow Lane. The band will release it the week of July 6 to coincide with “Be Nice to New Jersey Week," even though none of the members are from the Garden State. The members (Greg Harmelink, Ash White, Rob Walsh, Todd Elihu and Carolyn McLanahan) were joined by old friends Bren Mead and Sean Rawls (both ex-Masters of the Hemisphere) for the song “It’s Been a Day.” (Interestingly, every member of The Jersey Barrier is related by blood or marriage except Ash White. But, I can personally vouch that he’s the kind of guy any mom would happily count among her children.) The album will be available in local stores and a slew of online sources. More info can be had by checking out www.thejerseybarrier.com.

What We Did on Our Vacation: One unavoidable fact about the rise of the Internet is that showing slides of your world journeys against the wall of your living room is now impossibly passé. Recognizing this, local popsters Casper & the Cookies have been busily releasing a video series chronicling the band's most recent trip to Japan and posting the clips, along with original music by head honcho Casper Fandango (AKA Jason Nesmith), on the web. You can find the series, named Watashi-Wa Vegetarian, by searching that term over on YouTube. In other news, the band reports that it's nearly finished recording the next full-length LP and plans to debut much of the material this August at the Athens PopFest.

Dex in the Saddle Again: Although never really living here for more than several months at a time, Dexter Romweber (Flat Duo Jets) has a permanent place in the psyche of Athens music. And, really, that’s to our benefit more than his. The now-legendary guitarist and songwriter has inked a deal with Bloodshot Records for an undisclosed number of releases, and hopefully this will be the shot in the arm his career has needed to finally reveal himself to the public at large. The first as-yet-untitled album will feature duets with Chan Marshall, Neko Case and Exene Cervenka. One particularly cool thing about the touring apparatus of the Dexter Romweber Duo is that the drummer is Dexter’s also well-known sister, Sara Romweber (Snatches of Pink, Let’s Active) who has had her hand in Southern pop music for decades. All in all, this is a very cool development, and I wish Dex nothing but the best. For more info, please see www.myspace.com/dexterromweberduo.

Antwerp, Are You Goofing on Michael? If you were wondering where you could hear what is possibly the best sounding R.E.M. tribute band, I’ve got just the thing for you. An excited group of fellows in Antwerp, Belgium has announced their existence to the world and performs its nearly note-perfect renditions of R.E.M. favorites under the moniker The 40 Watt Band. I was pretty impressed at the accuracy and attention to detail these guys have infused in their cover version and, hell, why not check them out? Listen in over at www.myspace.com/the40wattband.

Yeah, That's the Ticket: Now, for the third time, Chunklet Magazine publisher Henry Owings has released a 7" single which serves as a ticket to a show. This time around the single features Dark Meat and DJ extraordinaire Diplo. The single will be available locally at Wuxtry Records and in Atlanta at Criminal Records. It will only serve as a ticket, however, if you head to Whirlyball in Roswell, GA on Saturday, July 12 for the show featuring Dark Meat, Diplo and Noot D'Noot. The Friday, July 11 show at the 40 Watt Club will feature Dark Meat, Diplo and Future Ape Tapes. Tickets to that night will run you $8 in advance at 40watt.com or $10 at the door. For more information, please see www.chunklet.com.

Sold! The beautiful Gretsch guitar signed by all four original members of R.E.M. that was up on Ebay for auction has been sold for a cool $6,050 to a bidder in Australia. All proceeds will benefit AthFest's educational efforts. Congrats to AthFest and the winning bidder! [Michelle Gilzenrat]

And, with that, another week closes out here in the Classic City. As always, be sure to keep your news coming in, and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Put the needle on the record via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post to P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA, 30603.

Gordon Lamb