David Barbe, a fixture of the Athens music scene and respected producer and engineer, has accepted an offer from the University’s Terry College of Business to become the interim director of the Music Business Certificate Program, which was effective Aug. 1. Barbe succeeds Bruce Burch, the program’s founding co-director who resigned in July to start [...]

Students willing to go out before summer classes come to an end have at least one place to go for an exciting, entertaining show. Charlotte, N.C., rockers The New Familiars will be taking the stage July 29 at the Melting Point alongside Savannah band The Trainwrecks. “All songs are written by the band, except for [...]

They call themselves The Mermaids. Just like the mythical creatures the band is named after, members consider themselves a strange breed. “We are trying to digitize music as little as we can,” said Matt McCalvin, the band’s vocalist and guitarist. This may not seem unique until it is revealed the band’s first music release will [...]

At this point in Akron, Ohio-based duo The Black Keys’ career, comparisons to The White Stripes have become inevitable — almost expected.  But in reality, the only real similarities between the two groups are their two-member lineup and affection for the blues. Beyond these superficial parallels, guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney [...]

Listening to the Americana and folksy music recorded by a rock n’ roll-type band, with a gritty and electric theme, produces a sense of déjà vu.  The Charlotte, N.C., band, the New Familiars captures fun, modern music.  Picking up the group’s album, I immediately began to feel the familiarity the band name associates with.  With [...]

Downtown Athens would not be the music town it is without the street corner musicians: the talented individuals who have frequented the Athens sidewalks for years. Robert Whiteowl is often found on the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Street with his flute. Like other street musicians, he plays either from memory or improvises on [...]

For all the types of music found in and around Athens, one genre isn’t as prevalent as it could be.  Athens native and radio personality Joyce Littel wants to change that.  Littel, a 1979 Clarke County High School graduate, is bringing some smooth jazz and soul to the Classic City, as her Homegirl Concert Series [...]

David Wingo wings his way across the country, landing in Athens on Tuesday. Wingo and his band are coming to entertain Ciné-goers and add another stop to his U.S. music tour. He first started composing music during high school, always writing and recording his own work, but decided to begin his musical career while working [...]

If originality is a virtue, Atlanta-based band The Villains picked a good name. After signing recently with independent label Rock Ridge Music, the band re-released “Just Another Saturday Night,” its debut album, on June 29. The band’s sound brings to mind 1970s Southern rock, as well as radio pop rock in the vein of Matchbox [...]

High school garage bands are not the only bands playing cover music these days. Indie duo Mates of State, which consists of husband-and-wife team Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, released their newest covers album on June 15. The album is entitled “Crushes: The Covers Mixtape,” and is a covers-only ensemble of some of the band’s [...]