A Little Plastic Surgery

An old face, with a new look, is returning to the Old City this month with the reopening of The Underground on August 20. In conjunction with Volunteer Heat Relief, The Underground will be holding a pre-grand opening Aug. 13 and 14. Guests can bring in fans to be donated to the heat relief project in place of the night's $10 cover charge. The Underground stays true to the original structural design for the most part, while giving a face lift to the decor. A number of murals, statues, and columns—one of which is a statue nearly 20 feet tall—brings the feel of Egypt to The Underground. DJ Storm will be returning, and the reappearance of DJ Slink is also in the works. While the music remains relatively the same, the fare is not. Beer will not be back to The Underground until decisions are rendered at the beer license hearing on Aug. 17. However, 100 different flavors of European Super beer, which has a higher alcohol content and is not regulated by the beer board, are expected. There will be a wide selection of liquor. The Boiler Room will not be re-opening with the grand opening and management is looking to get permission to reinstate brown bagging in the Boiler Room. The Underground will be open Friday and Saturday nights. Cover is $5 Friday and $6 Saturday for 21 and up (for now, those 18 to 20 will not be admitted). Coming soon are plans to open Wednesday nights for "Chick Central" including various one dollar specials.

Did a Deal

Knoxville's emotional hardcore champions Past Mistakes won't have too much to be angry or sad about now that they got a record deal. The band just finalized an agreement with Seasonal Affect Recordings, a brand spanking new label based in Hudson, N.Y. The label is run by Dan Sandshaw, a noted hardcore enthusiast most known for his work on the staff of straight edge/krishnacore label Equal Vision Records. Apparently, Sandshaw has struck out on his own, choosing some hot Knoxville talent among the first bands on the Seasonal Affect roster.

Past Mistakes' first release will be a six song EP, which they plan to record next week at Knoxville's Nightsong Studio. The EP is slated for a mid-October release and will be nationally distributed through the usual hardcore outlets.

Big Apple Shout-Out

As you saw in our exhaustive list of "Knoxville records" a few issues back, this city has produced no shortage of musical talent over the years. But not many of them have ever sung about the town by name, and even fewer have incorporated the word Knoxville into their own working titles. Leave it to a group of New Yorkers to remedy that. One of the cooler, buzzier bands in NYC at the moment is an outfit called the Knoxville Girls, which Toronto's Now magazine describes as a "leering R&B and country" combo with roots in Manhattan's scuzz-rock scene. Led by Alabama native Jerry Teel—formerly of the Honeymoon Killers, the Chrome Cranks, and Little Porkchop—the band includes four other guys with impressive résumés, most notably former Bad Seed and Gun Club guitar-slinger Kid Congo Powers. The name comes, of course, from the murder ballad that was a hit for the Louvin Brothers in the '50s, which has enjoyed a strange revival in the past few years (it's been covered by the Lemonheads, among others). The band's self-titled debut album just came out on indie label In The Red. So will the Knoxville Girls ever actually come to Knoxville? Dunno. But if they do, someone keep them away from the river.

You love us. Admit it.

From the email-box—

I, too, was at the Feed Concert [reviewed by Zippy in the August 5 issue] at Campus Pub on July 23, however that seems to be the end of any similarities between myself and the Zipster!
What I saw was five very talented musicians who put on an excellent show that was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Well, almost all. I forgot about your glum ass being there—apparently against your will! You know, after the first sentence in your critique when you let it be known that you really don't like heavy metal music, the next sentence should have only been "I am not worthy," and then you should have gone to your next subject. Truly, from now on, please limit your critiquing to groups like Hanson and Backstreet Boys, and leave the heavy bands to those of us who know a good band when we hear one. We, in turn, will leave the pop music scene to you.
(And a word to the management at Metro Pulse: Never again send a boy to do a man's job!)
Signed,
"Learned that Metro Pulse isn't as 'alternative' as they would like to think!!"

Zippy responds: Did you know that the Backstreet Boys are coming to K-town in November? Oh, my fluttery heart is just a'quiver with the thought of it. They're just so dreamy. And Hanson? Mmmmm-bop indeed. Feed just doesn't look nearly as yummy as these fresh clean faces—and still doesn't even have the musical talent that Isaac has in his delicate little finger.

Wired

Those blessed with online access—and, really, by now you should get with the decade already—can download some new tunes from some local bands. Both of Todd Steed's recent projects, Apelife and The Opposable Thumbs, have new singles out, which are only available on the Internet. "The single," says Steed "is free for the civilized public worldwide and in some parts of Alabama." What you need to get it is MP3 software and the ability to connect to www.nevers.net/mp3.html. The Thumbs song will eventually be available on an upcoming CD that will hopefully be released before the Thumbs August 26 show at Moose's with The V-roys.

If that weren't enough new local music for ya, Superdrag has two new singles out—also on MP3. Dial into www.fly.to/joempire.

Quick and Dirty

Thursday: Motherwit at Java.

Friday: Stacey Earle at Bird's Eye View.

Saturday: Shannon Wright with Blank at Tomato Head.

Sunday: Barbershop Quartet at Borders.

Monday: Contemplate the inside of your navel.

Tuesday: Laura Barger at Tomato Head.

Wednesday: Blues Jam at Sassy Ann's.

—Zippy "Boy? What boy?" McDuff