Up-and-coming bands to be featured at 'Post' launch party.
Freshmen may not know it yet, but Athens has a killer music scene.
There’s something about the college-town vibe in the middle of nowhere that seems to foster great talent from the foot-stomping, orchestral-folk of The Ridges to the heavily distorted drum and bass duo that is Silent Lions.
Luckily, we at The Post, have had the opportunity to record incredible video sessions of both of these bands as well as acts such as Corbin Marsh, Weird Science, The Knots and She Bears. On Thursday, we’ll add two more to that list — Fathers of the Revolution and Blond — with a live session and free show at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., starting at 10 p.m. for the launch of the new Post website, thepostathens.com.
Both bands have gained a lot of steam over the past year, despite all being veterans of the scene in one project or another.
Fathers of the Revolution, in fact, have been together since high school, but in a more folksy setup than the genre of “swing-deco” they profess today.
“(We) were talking about art deco specifically and how that art style is situated in a particular historical time period, early 20th century, taking classical art work and just blowing it out of proportion in really strange angular, imposing (ways),” said Daniel Spencer, bassist and vocalist for the band. “Swing deco takes elements of swing music, surf music, rock music and now we’re venturing into dancier territory — disco by way of funk music.”
Spencer leads the band on stage with his once-luscious beard that made him look like an Athens townie rather than the Ohio University student he is, but has since cut off the flowing face rug due to the summer heat.
Nonetheless, the band has a presence on stage that is supported by an intense friendship harking back to Spencer, guitarist Buddy Smith and percussionist Luke Chaffin’s days at Westfall High School in Williamsport, Ohio.
“It was this big, folky thing (in high school),” Spencer said. “It’s changed since then, it became a swing/rock thing. … We listened to lots of Django Reinhardt, and we translated that into electric.”
Joining Fathers on the bill is the newly formed band of veteran rockers, Blond. The group has been and is currently heavily involved in Athens projects such as Wheels On Fire and Speaking Suns, while individually playing in diverse groups playing folk and punk.
The group combines psychedelic rock and indie pop for a catchy and experimental take on the genre highly influenced by Tame Impala for a classification the band calls “reverb rock.”
“I literally have a playlist that’s full of Neil Young and Trap,” said Jamie Scott, guitarist and vocalist for Blond.
The group is working on a full-length follow up to the EP, “Be my Friend,” hoping to refine that sound they found on the first album. Fathers is also working on new material for an upcoming album they are recording with Athens Sessions audio engineer Shaun Livingston.
@Wilbur_Hoffman
wh092010@ohio.edu
