By JONATHON REED
The Red & Black

How soon is Now?

After nearly five years together, local rock act Now Denial finally is set to release its first album, the five-track "Swerve the Curves" EP.

The tracks were recorded at Full Moon studios in Watkinsville, and Chris Gehan was the engineer/producer.

"It came out great," bassist Steven Barry said in a telephone interview. "We spent a lot of time on it. It was a pretty lush production."

The band, which Barry described as "swaggery, a little Brit sort of neo-glam," has seen some ups and downs in its time together. The original lineup formed in Athens when the members were students, but a feel for the music has kept them around.

"The music just keeps progressing," Barry said. "We feel really excited about it."

"Swerve the Curves" is such a source of excitement for the band because it is the first time Now Denial has been able to afford the production costs.

With this excitement, Now Denial heads into the High Hat Thursday night, playing with the Drag (from Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and DJ Suiko.

I’ll make you famous

So you came to college and started a band. Now all that’s left is that big break, right?

Well, soon-to-be rock stars, here’s yet another chance to get your name known. Musician magazine is launching its 1999 Best Unsigned Band Competition, or "BUB," and is looking to find the next act for the industry to manipulate.

The BUB competition invites unsigned artists from all over the United States and Canada to submit two-song cassettes for judging by "a preliminary panel of editors and writers of major music publications."

Six lucky acts will move on to be judged by a panel of experts, including industry types from VH-1 and A&R Records.

Seeing as how this town is such a hub of talent, I’m sure someone from around here could beat out anyone from Canada.

Go forth, young musicians, and find an entry form at (www.musicianmag. com).

Va al Centro

Billed as "the right place for the wrong people," Athens’ latest addition to the bar scene, El Centro, is up and running in its second week.

Why the strange slogan?

"We’re trying to stay out of the mold of what we see downtown," said manager Dave Helsdon. Instead of seemingly "opening the doors and throwing someone behind the bar," El Centro strives to give attentive service without a bad attitude.

"We don’t want to be a frat bar or a hippie bar," Helsdon said. "We want to be the kind of place anyone can go, just to be a little different."

With pool tables and other games, Helsdon said El Centro is a place people can go and "have something more to do than drink downtown."

Located on Lumpkin Street in the same place where the Hard Drive Cafe was housed, El Centro awaits all takers.

– Jonathan Reed is a variety writer for The Red & Black. His column appears each Wednesday.