At the Price of the Union - Mechanics of Wind + Live at the Echo Lounge

Here are the downloads:

ATPOTU "Mechanics of Wind" EP

ATPOTU Live at the Echo Lounge September 7, 1999

As mentioned in previous posts here and here, At the Price of the Union was one of the top postpunk bands of Atlanta in the late 90s and I thought it would be good to round out their discography in this post. The Mechanics of Wind CD was put out by Buddy System in 1999, and I have to say that both them and Some Soviet Station really had a thing for airplane designs. As a side note, I remember going once to Peachtree Dekalb airport with Bob Medina and taking pictures of planes to potentially use in the Some Soviet Station album artwork, and we walked right out on the runway snapping photos of planes taking off and landing. I don't think that would go over so well these days. Anyhow, the live recording was provided by Henry Owings (who else would be providing a live recording at the Echo Lounge?). As the band moved on past their original songs, they really started stretching out with their music and really doing much more improvising, and these guys are the best at it. If you give them a groove, they will take it and do such amazing things with it for hours on end. I'm excited to hear their new work, as Craig and Luke have been playing together again. Maybe they can also get Josh Lott to play, as he's been living in Atlanta again, and they can just start up where they left off.

Here are the inside lyrics/info. Them and Hoover were both very big on minimal lyrics, which is simply just cool.



Here is the information from under the CD in the digipak:

Koncak - Only When The Bright Side Glows

Here is the download: Koncak - Only When The Bright Side Glows

I knew Nuci Phillips as a friend of Billy Nation when I attended UGA in 1993-1994. Nuci was a really great guy, and Billy always told me that I should play music with him sometime, but I was so busy with Car vs. Driver and other bands in Atlanta that I never brought my drums up to Athens to play. He recorded these songs from 1994-1996 with musicians such as David Barbe (Mercyland, Sugar, Buzz Hungry), Kyle Spence (Fiddlehead, Figure, Martians, Harvey Milk, etc.), and Jerry Fuchs (Martians, Turing Machine, Maserati, !!!, etc.).

Nuci's life ended tragically by suicide in 1996 after suffering from severe depression. My wife knew him better than I did and attended his funeral, but it was really a great loss to a lot of my old friends from Athens who knew and loved him. His family established a memorial foundation and Nuci's Space was opened in 1999 as a place for Athens musicians to practice and congregate, as well as assistance for psychological and health issues the musicians might be experiencing.

There is a myspace band page for Koncak, his musical project that is collected on this CD, which I am posting here as a way to keep Nuci's memory alive and celebrate his creative output, at least electronically.

Here is the cover to the CD, the one that I have. The websites show a different cover design:

Here are the liner notes for the CD:

Roosevelt - 1990-1993 CD

Here is the download: Roosevelt - 1990-1993 CD

As I have mentioned in a previous post, Roosevelt was my favorite of the early-90s post-Inside/Out, pre-Martians/Harvey Milk/etc. Athens bands. I painstakingly transferred all of the songs of theirs I owned on LP/7" and the Fuel compilation for the initial post, but Henry sent me this CD that was sold at their one reunion show in 2000, and is truly the best collection of their music. I missed that show, as I wasn't living in Athens at the time and had no idea that it happened, but I'm glad they took all of their best material and released a proper discography. The first six songs are my favorites, and make me wish they had continued playing and writing more music. It's always a shame when a band releases their best material at the end of their career. Enjoy the music, and maybe we can convince Ballard Lesemann and the other guys to do it again sometime.

Here is the inside sleeve - you can double-click on the image to expand and view more easily.

Crusher Destroyer - Live at WREK

Here is the recording for download: Crusher Destroyer Live at WREK (June 2, 1998)

Crusher Destroyer was Russ Jackson (Ansurbana, Kid Boom Boom and currently in Bald Eagle), Erv Lockett (Scout, Ostinato, Motherfucking Tourettes, Volcanism, etc.), and two other guys I can't remember at the moment. They were around in the late 90s, part of the West End C-11/C-12 scene and had a kind of improvisational heavy instrumental sound going. I'm glad Russ gave me the Live at WREK CD, as this is the perfect example of what you would listen to on that show. You would be driving around town on a Tuesday night, turn on WREK after Radio Bomb, and this comes on. It will give you something interesting to listen to for the next hour. Enjoy it.

Barrel - Discography (including Live at WREK)

Here is the download: Barrel Discography

1-9: from the "Pine and Cotton, Sand" Unreleased LP

10-11: two unreleased tracks from the session

12: from the "Innovation Manure Hauling" compilation

13-14: from the "Compatibility of Dissonance" compilation

15-23: from the Live at WREK session - January 19, 1996

Barrel were from the early to mid-nineties Georgia Tech scene that included Bite, Rebar, and several others that I am completely forgetting at the moment. They would play a lot at Dottie's, Home Park house shows and The Somber Reptile. It was at the Somber Reptile where my band Car vs. Driver met up with them and we started playing shows together. I also knew Rick Moore back when I was back in high school through my girlfriend at the time, and I remember him once showing me his new black Gibson SG, which became the guitar he played in Barrel.

Barrel started with a different rhythm section before taking Rebar's and settling down into the prime lineup of Rick Moore on guitar/vocals, David Daniell on guitar, Andrew Burnes on bass and Scott Robbins on drums. Upon initial inspection, these guys were Louisville incarnate, but over time I would say they surpassed many of the Kentuckian bands in sound, musicianship and songwriting, and they just became Barrel, completely owning their sound.

In March of 1995, they recorded their "Pine and Cotton, Sand" album with Geoff Turner up in DC (thanks, Lee, etc.). I believe it was at WGNS studios, but I am not sure. I remember them coming out to a Car vs. Driver/Scout/Plunger/Bubble Jug show put on by the Beehive Collective in DC while they were recording. Interesting note: Beehive shut its doors one month later, and an interesting article on the collective can be found here. Rick later gave me a tape copy of their tracks, but I didn't actually get a vinyl copy until this year when Sonn av Krusher played with Lay Down Mains. I burned it directly to CD on my first listen, just to get the cleanest version possible, which is the version included in this post. Also, there were two songs on the tape that I didn't recognize, so I have included them as bonus tracks. Kip Thomas gave me a tape recording of their Live at WREK session, but if I ever get a CD of the original recording from the studio, I will replace this version as this one has been listened to quite a bit. They recorded two songs for the "Compatibility of Dissonance" CD in late 1996, but I am not sure of any other recordings that exist for these guys. Rick seems to have boxes of the unreleased LP under his bed, pressed but without any artwork, so you'll have to barter with him to get one of your own.

Barrel ended sometime in late 1996, early 1997, Rick Moore joining Galanas:Cerdd with the remaining members of Freemasonry, Andrew Burns and David Daniell starting San Agustin with Bryan Fielden from The Forty-Two, and Scott Robbins teaming up with his old bandmate Gary Flom from Rebar and Ben Davis from Habeus Corpses to form The Purkinje Shift. From there, all members have gone on to millions of more bands, projects, and excursions into infinity...

Noot d' Noot In Peak Form

Noot d' Noot is on the home stretch before Dream Sanitation goes on paternity leave in August, so we have a new album being released today, with a release party tonight at 97 Estoria, and a show on Saturday at the EARL. You should really come out, we'll have a good time together.

Here is a video for the new single "Fingers Like Steeples", made by Stephen Key and Will Potter using pure glory and satisfaction as payment for a job well done.

Noot d' Noot - Fingers Like Steeples from Petrichor Inc on Vimeo.

Gray Kiser's Flyer Collection - Part One

January 15, 1994: Avail with Act of Faith, Crisis Under Control and Broken at the Somber Reptile.

Gray Kiser is the singer and sometimes guitarist of some notable bands such as Line Drive, Regicide, Gheisch, Hands Of An Angry God (HOAG), Black Venus, and Sonn Av Krusher. He also writes for the excellent blog Shiny Grey Monotone, and is by far their best contributor (sorry Ipecac) and is a great landscape architect looking for that economy to turn around, if you have any leads for him. A few months ago, he gave me his box of flyers, and I have broken them down into his Atlanta flyers (posted here), his North Carolina flyers and his San Diego flyers. I will post those later.


February 12, 1994: Line Drive with Ten Two Four, Crisis Under Control and Lifeline at the Wreck Room. An XHOLDSTRONGX Production.


Alternate flyer for same show above.

Another alternate flyer. I guess this was the same night as the Girls Against Boys, Jawbox, Freemasonry show at the Masquerade.

July 30, 1994: Chokehold with Bloodlet, Ashes, Act of Faith, Dayspring, Crisis Under Control, Car Vs. Driver, Lifeline and Line Drive at the Somber Reptile. I thought Frail also played this show, but I could be wrong.

Alternate flyer for the same show above, this one with Blade Runner artwork.

August 9, 1994: Blownapart Bastards at the Somber Reptile.

April 21, 22 and 23, 1995: Carolina Fest with 606, P.N.E., Regret, Drought, Inept, Nevermore, Halfmast, Unanswered, Crisis Under Control, The Difference, Aged 9, Brother's Keeper, Iodine, Thenceforward, Quadiliacha, Fragment, Lifeline, Endeavor, Kurbjaw, IDK, Act of Faith, Cross-Section, Deckard, Option, Tension, Strongarm, Backlash and Catharsis. Car vs. Driver was supposed to play this, but somehow we got out of it.

July 2, 1995: Snapcase with Act of Faith, The Doughnuts and Broken at the Somber Reptile. I think this was 1995, but I'm not sure as the day of the week was not listed on the flyer.

July 14-15, 1995: WillJawkBilly Fest at The Driverdome/Somber Reptile with Gheisch, Inkwell, Hickey, Line Drive, One Nature, Copout, Grade, Bleed, Channel, Cable, Hot Water Music, Introspect, Whirlybird, Assuck, Action Patrol, Onebeast (I think?), Assfactor 4, Act of Faith, Threadbare and Christie Front Drive. What a lineup.

July 17, 1995: Cap'n Jazz with Scout at The Driverdome.

July 25, 1995: Los Crudos with Inkwell, Quadiliacha and Palatka at Under The Couch.

July 27, 1995: Damnation A.D. with Enkindel, Empathy and Thenceforward at The Godless Red.

July 24, 1995: Faultline, In/Humanity and Gheisch at The Godless Red. I love the combo-flyers.

July 29, 1995: Halfman with Regicide and Year Zero at The Driverdome.

Alternate flyer for the same show above, this one has Jon Lukens' telephone number on the back.

August 10, 1995: Torches To Rome with Seein' Red and Palatka at the Driverdome. Saucemaster makes an appearance on a flyer.

September 18, 1995: Varukers with Final Warning and Regicide at the I-Defy house.

October 30, 1995: Hickey with Tres Kids at the Godless Red Athens.

November 1, 1995: Unsane with Guzzard and Beefhead at the Midtown Music Hall.

November 30, 1995: 7 Seconds with Crisis Under Control, Oneway and Undone at The Somber Reptile.

December 1, 1995: Year Zero with The hal al Shedad and Spackle at the Godless Red Athens. I like the comment about calculators and tight slacks.

December 2, 1995: Ginuine with Pink Panties and Necrolust at the Dead Body House (Athens).

February 23, 1996: Narcolepsy with Broken and Outbreak at the I-Defy house. A benefit for the coalition to abolish the fur trade.

February 28, 1996: Chokehold with Switch-On, Scout and Thenceforward at BLT's.

March 9, 1996: Grade with Fragment and Regicide at the I-Defy house. Pretty evil-looking flyer.

April 4, 1996: Cavity with Regicide at the Godless Red Athens. My first show with Regicide and the only appearance of Josh Bohannon's Hellfire Chicken Tower, which ruined Gray's living room and lost his deposit.

April 24, 1996: Tres Kids, Pink Panties, Howler Monkey and The Mystery Funk Band at the Godless Red Athens. Howler Monkey featured Spirit Assembly roadie Sloth and my ex-girlfriend Crystal Bradley. I'm not sure who The Mystery Funk Band was, but I'm sure it was awesome.

May 17, 1996: Damad with In/Humanity, Quadiliacha, The Forty-Two and Das Kriminal at BLT's.

May 31, 1996: Suppression, Eucharist and Tres Kids at the Godless Red Athens. I like the colored-in cherubs.

June 9, 1996: Floor with Galanas Cerdd and Ed Matus' Struggle at BLT's.

August 19, 1996: Short Hate Temper with Pink Panties, Army of God and Piss Poor at Buckhead Beach (Athens). Two bands from Uranus - brilliant. I believe this was the last Pink Panties show.

August 19, 1996: Strychnine with Tres Kids, Pink Panties and Regicide at the Dead Body house (Athens). Great show, I have some pictures of this one.

Alternate flyer for the same show above. More evil, less ghetto looking.

January 11, 1997: Regicide with Sarin, One Way and Charles Dahmar at the I-Defy.

January 18, 1997: Versailles with Regicide and The hal al Shedad at Tarantula. I believe this was in Tampa, and either Regicide or Hal didn't play.

March 8, 1997: Lewistown with Palatka, Pung and Quadiliacha at the Driverdome.

March 15, 1997: Clairmel with Panthro UK United #13 and Regicide at the Driverdome. The last Regicide show ever - such a disappointment.

November 8, 1997: 12 Hour Turn with Hands Of An Angry God and Swing Riot at the Godless Red Athens.

1997 (?): Hellbender with Griver, Hands Of An Angry God and The Mike Douglas. Best flyer - no venue, no date, just Doyle.

January 30, 1998: Downpour with 12 Hour Turn and Tres Kids at the Godless Red Athens. The last GR show, and Gray's last flyer. C'est la vie.