In case you were wondering – no, punk is not dead in Athens, Ga. In an almost satanic fury of screeching vocals and dark psych-rock comes Woodfangs, a local Athens band with a worldly sense of attitude. On their newest album, Future Vistas (out May 26 — keep your ears open), we take a journey through what feels like every genre. Even better? Woodfangs flawlessly molds their sound to each and every one to create an album that is entirely their own.
Seriously, let me prove to you that this foursome knows how to work through the history of music. On the album’s first track, “Demolish,” they start with a very ska selection of horns before vocalist John Woodfin Harry begins his ceremonial screaming and chanting. Then, all at once, the album’s title track shoots us into modern punk, reminding one of the Black Lips if they decided to whip out a Ouija board. By “Get Away,” we’re feeling old school Brit rock – it’s hard NOT to hear the Rolling Stones in this track. Through it all, Harry’s vocals give us a nostalgic blast to high school, when the only cool band we were into was Louis XIV. Though the group’s influences are undeniable, their individuality comes in the artful way they mix said inspirations.
However, Future Vistas takes an unexpected turn in the second half of the album. “I’m Just Dumb” incorporates a twang-y guitar and lyrics with a little more truth (“I think that I’ve got friends, but I’m all alone/I think that I feel good, but I’m just stoned”). “Karma Compass” is one of the album’s best tracks – I can’t resist its subdued sense of melancholy. Finally, the last track on Future Vistas, “Flying on the Wings of Angels,” makes you wonder if you entirely imagined the record’s chaotic first half. Maybe they were just good southern boys all along.
5/5
Kate Foster is a hodgepodge of seemingly unrelated titles: writer. Blogger. Beauty and fashion junkie. Cat devotee. Art history buff. Harry Potter nerd. Cheesy 90's television fan. Sometimes-gamer. Seasonal sculptor. Mostly she’s a music enthusiast. While her heart and soul belong to 50's and 60's crooners like Etta James, Sam Cooke and Elvis Presley, one shouldn’t be surprised to find her listening to Lady Gaga or Jay-Z. Most days, though, she’s in an indie-punk mood somewhere in between - she counts the Pixies, the White Stripes, M83, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as a few of her favorites. And while you’ll typically see her bobbing her head calmly at concerts, occasionally she pulls out all the stops for bands like the Black Lips. She treasures her bruises like a child. After graduating from the University of Georgia with degrees in Journalism and Art History, Kate aspires to move to New York City. There, she hopes to continue to write. She also plans on pretending to understand the art at MoMA and stuffing her face with cronuts and one dollar pizza. Kate’s heroes range from Oscar de la Renta and Mindy Kaling to Ernest Hemingway and Rupert Giles. She practically inhales iced coffee on a daily basis. Her favorite color is yellow, and like Buddy the Elf, she considers candy a major food group. She has dreams almost every night involving the coolest architecture and interior design, and has no idea what it means. Seriously, what does that mean?!
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