AthFest: Band Bios

A look at bands playing at AthFest.

Abandon the Earth Mission (8 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — Josh McKay (ex-Macha) leads this ambient/electronic band that’s a got a tad new wave mixed in. It’s like shiny, delicious ear candy with a twist of chime. — Julie Phillips

THE AGENDA! (11 p.m. Saturday, Ciné) — For fans of the Stooges or AC/DC-awesome riffage, the hearing loss is totally worth it. — Blake Aued

Caroline Aiken (10:30 p.m. Friday, Rialto Room) — This lovely singer-songwriter hails from Atlanta and offers up gorgeous, heartfelt tunes. Rialto Room will be a perfect venue to catch her show.

The All-City Cannonballers (Midnight, Saturday, 283 Bar) — According to its MySpace profile, this band is “a new high-energy, danceable, Southern punk rock ‘n’ roll band” — and what’s not to like there? We definitely dig their jams.

The Arcs (11 p.m. Friday, Caledonia) — Loud garage rock filled with tasty guitar licks.

Kyshona Armstrong (12:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — An honest, beautiful voice that will remind you of Bonnie Raitt or Nina Samone.

The Athens Band (2 p.m. Sunday, Pulaski stage) — So young, so hard. These four area teens play hard rock like they’ve been doing it for years.

Bambara (11 p.m. Friday, 40 Watt) — Their driving punk-influenced rock is filled with tension. The sound waivers between hard rock and something more psychedelic.

Bananafish (10 p.m. Friday, Rye Bar) — This band of Canadians keeps the funk alive with a fusion of jazz and progressive rock.

David Barbe & the Quick Hooks (5 p.m. Sunday, Pulaski stage) — Veteran Athens musician David Barbe takes time off from producing records for Drive-By Truckers and performing with Patterson Hood’s backing band The Screwtopians to perform with his own band.

Henry Barbe (9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nuçi’s Space) — Son of David Barbe who is just starting to appear on the Athens music scene.

The Bearfoot Hookers (Midnight Saturday, Last Call) — They coined their beer-drinking gospel tag, and they wear it well. They mix blues, country and roadhouse rock.

Beauvilles (11 p.m. Friday, Rye Bar) — Two words: Indie rock. Florida frontman Shawn Kyle is known for his confessional singing and energy that cannot be measured.

Bodega Roja (11 p.m. Friday, Last Call) — This Atlanta sextet can get a little experimental, but its progressive rock comes off smooth.

Boo Ray & the Bad Beat Kings (5:20 p.m. Friday, Lumpkin stage) — Country music filled with electric guitars and eclectic stories. And Ray has plenty of stories to tell.

Breathlanes (10 p.m. Friday, The Globe) — The Athens ensemble can stretch from a duo to a quartet, but the music served up always improvs on psychedelic jazz.

The Burning Angels (1:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — A member of the Athens Music Collective, the quintet led by Natalie Garcia and Mark Cunningham draws on influences like Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt.

Bubba Sparxxx (9:30 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — The nationally known rapper headlines AthFest for the first time.

BUBBLY MOMMY GUN (11 p.m. Friday, Farm 255) Cutesy, woozy, indie pop reminiscent of early Of Montreal. — Blake Aued

Cars Can Be Blue (1 a.m. Friday, Ciné) — This twosome answers the question as to what Tenacious D would sound like if it featured a female singer. Catchy songs about sex and diseases.

CASPER & THE COOKIES (3 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — ’70s power pop in the vein of Big Star or the New Pornographers. — Blake Aued

Chrissakes (10 p.m. Saturday, Caledonia) — This isn’t just hard rock. It’s really screamer rock. And it is in your face.

Cinemechanica (1 a.m., 40 Watt) — An experimental rock group that packs guitar-laced surprises around every turn.

Cracker (7 p.m. Sunday, Pulaski stage) — Cracker has had some huge hits, like “Teenage Angst (What the World Needs Now)” and “Low.” I remember jamming out to both songs on XL 106.7 FM in Orlando when I was about 11 years old. Shoot, I still like those songs. The band has kept making music and has a new album out, but I really want to hear “Low.” Then my AthFest will be complete. — Joe VanHoose

Creepy (10 p.m. Friday, Go Bar) — Punk rock that is pop-friendly. They list bands like Steely Dan and the Ramones as influences.

Connelly Crowe (10 p.m. Saturday, Nuçi’s Space) — Connelly plays acoustic folk pop and draws from influences from Joni Mitchell to Counting Crows.

Etienne de Rocher (10 p.m. Saturday, Little Kings) — This former physics major dropped out to study African drums and wound up writing sugary folk-pop that garners comparisons to people like Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley.

Dead Confederate (1 a.m. Saturday, 40 Watt) — There’s a reason these guys are one of the headlining acts and already have received lots of love from Rolling Stone and Conan O’Brien. And more and more people are catching on.

DEAF JUDGES (8:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — Three old-school rappers trade off lines like the Beastie Boys over spooky Wu-Tang beats. — Blake Aued

DejA Vu (tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young presented by John Keane) (11 p.m. Saturday, The Melting Point) — Well, this one pretty much speaks for itself. John Keane is local producer extraordinaire.

Dictatortots (5:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — A collection of too many members with stage names too racy to print, these guys — and girls — play loose and free, groovy and hard, all at the same time. The rock is unapologetic and can be a little offensive, but is meant to be fun.

Dirt Reynolds (7:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — He has our interest with just his name, but we also like the beats we’ve heard from this local rap artist, whose MySpace page pretty much speaks to his confidence: “I AM hip-hop.”

Dirty Mind (Midnight Saturday, Go Bar) — Power pop that is rich in synthesizers and cool effects. It’s certainly progressive.

The District Attorneys (1 a.m. Friday, Tasty World) — There’s a little Southern soul in the indie rock they play. And by Southern soul, we mean sweet guitar and a little harmonica.

Drew Dixon (10 p.m. Saturday, Tasty World) — Dixon’s delivery is full of soul, with just the right amount of raspiness. He’s somewhere between Stevie Ray Vaughan and everything Jack Johnson wants to be.

DJRX (10 p.m. Saturday, beer tent on Lumpkin) — Expect a lot of original content from one of the better-known DJs around the University of Georgia.

David Dondero (8:20 p.m. Friday, Lumpkin stage) — The Austin, Texas, rocker pens some of the best lyrics around. His new album, “Number Zero with a Bullet,” proves once again that he’s a more-than-capable singer-songwriter. The album drops Aug. 3, but he’ll certainly play a couple of songs off it during AthFest. The lineup for this show is William Tonks, Rob Keller, Russ Hallauer, with appearances by Ken Will Morton and Wayne Wilson.

Dukes of Daville (7:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — The Dukes teeter-totter between hip-hop and radio-friendly pop.

The Dumps (1 a.m. Saturday, Tasty World) — More metal than Metallica has produced since 1996. If you’re a fan of heavy, thunderous rock, this is for you.

Easter Island (9 p.m. Friday, Go Bar) — Dark, soft pop that brings out a lot of emotion — some sad and some rather joyful.

Efren (1 a.m. Friday, Flicker) — Soft stories with some smooth guitar that can relax just about anyone.

Elite Tha Showstoppa (7:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — They don’t call him the Showstoppa for nothing. Elite is an established name in the Athens hip-hop scene, and he puts out some mad rhymes. Happy to see him on a main stage this year. — Julie Phillips

Engineering (Midnight Friday, Go Bar) — Fast-paced indie rock that flirts with punk.

Justin Evans and the Chinatown Diaries (10 p.m. Friday, Little Kings) — Justin’s got a great sound, a singer-songwriter with a little country-slide flair and some folkster stylings.

Five Eight (6:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — These veteran Athens rockers put on one of the best live shows around, which ought to inspire all the 20-something hipsters. Man, if you can bring it harder at 40 than you did 20 years ago, you’re doing something right. Also, ask bassist Dan Horowitz a joke. He’s got one in his back pocket.

Flash to Bang Time (10 p.m. Friday, Ciné) — Sexy, freaky, new wave-y darkness to set your black light to. Glow-in-the-dark plastic sticky stars not included.

Betsy Franck & the Bareknuckle Band (2:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — Betsy Franck can flat-out sing. Her voice can please anyone looking for some blues. The Bareknuckle Band also is a force to be reckoned with. There are plenty of hot guitar licks and — should Lefty Hathaway play the keys — tasty piano solos to go around. There are few bands I’d face the 100-degree heat to see. This is one of them. — Joe VanHoose

Frangipani Mayo (11 p.m. Saturday, Little Kings) — Punk music that you’re mother probably won’t like, made up of members from Nanny Island and the Incendiaries.

Free Lunch (10 p.m. Friday, Last Call) — Jazz rock with a funky element.

Free Mountain (11 p.m. Saturday, Tasty World) — This band has more hair than any other playing AthFest.

Future (Midnight Saturday, Tasty World) — Indie pop quartet out of Nashville is electric and eclectic.

The futurebirds (5 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — The Futurebirds sound older than they really are. The sound is a little sleepy and sometimes dazed, like it could come right out of the late ’60s. But the Athens band has a style and sound that is all its own. And both are good. — Joe VanHoose

Charlie Garrett Band (11 p.m. Saturday, Last Call) — Charlie Garrett has found a spot between country and rock to make his music. This band leans closer to rock than country, but there is enough twang in the delivery to let you know the songs are sincere. After seeing half his set when he opened for Ryan Bingham (not in AthFest) last month, all I’ve wanted to hear is more. — Joe VanHoose

The Georgia Healers (2 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — They’ve been the premier blues band in Athens for 25 years, and they’re still making new music.

Gift Horse (11 p.m. Saturday, 40 Watt) — Taking the wall of noise to excess with figurative smoke and fog and sometimes oddly majestic hooks. These songs demand to be taken seriously, or else.

Ginger Envelope (9 p.m. Friday, Caledonia) — Quiet alt-country folk that was made for those sad, slow days when nothing is going right. It won’t pick you up, but you’ll know you’re not alone.

THE GOLD PARTY (6 p.m. Friday, Pulaski stage) — Do you wear tight clothes and own every Pet Shop Boys record? If so, these former Boulevard and I Am the World Trade Center members’ synth-heavy disco is for you. — Blake Aued

Grape Soda (1 a.m. Saturday, Ciné) — This duo scraps guitars in favor of organs and Meg White-style drumming to create cosmic pop art.

Michael Guthrie Band (4 p.m. Sunday, Pulaski stage) — They’ve toured all over the world and brought their power pop to the masses. But — even after 40 years — the core members have not lost their edge.

Guzik (9 p.m. Saturday, Caledonia) — Rock that fans of Noble Rust, Savagist and Music Hates You will enjoy.

Half Dozen Brass Band (1 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — Athens-based jazz band with quite the pedigree. Won a Flagpole Music Award last year for best jazz band.

Ham1 (11 p.m. Saturday, Flicker) — Jim Willingham promises plenty of fun when he and his band — which blends Ennio Morricone with the Texas Playboys, among others — take the stage.

THE HEAP (7 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — Rock ’n’ roll with a full-on brass section, these guys are knock-your-socks-off, bad-ass good. — Julie Phillips

Hightide Blues (10 p.m. Friday, The Melting Point) — Nashville-based and rooted in a similar soul that Ryan Adams possesses. Some songs are in the same vein as The Black Crowes.

Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs (6 p.m. Sunday, Pulaski stage) — Holly Golightly is English and swears that is her mother-given name. She’s paired up with a guy from Texas named Lawyer Dave. I’m not really sure what his real name is. But I am sure that I like this music, which is raw and sounds 40 years old. In a few songs, you can tell they’re singing about their new home: Madison County. — Joe VanHoose

Holy Liars (10 p.m. Saturday, 40 Watt) — A hard-working, roots-rocking foursome with a hard-earned energy owing to its active tour schedule. In recent weeks, the Liars have played at both Arlene’s Grocery in New York City and the Max Canada right here in Athens. And that’s no lie.

Hot Breath (11 p.m. Saturday, Caledonia) — Described as a thrash trio, the band features the Adams family — Clem (guitar) and LoLo (vocals) — and they like it loud.

Immuzikation (9 p.m. Thursday, 40 Watt) — Alfred Lapuz Jr. fans the flames of electronica with his accomplished mixes and mashups. He could be the perfect kickoff on Thursday night to get AthFest into full swing.

DJs Immuzikation & Twin Powers (1 a.m. Friday, Go Bar) — Two of Athens hottest DJs should be going late into the night — er, morning — at Go Bar.

Incredible Sandwich (6 p.m. Saturday, Pulaski stage) — “The Sandwich” plays a friendly and familiar mix of rock, funk, jazz and jam led by Rackley Davis, who has a degree in music composition from Georgia Southern. Keyboardist Damian Kapcala is one of Athens’ busiest players, and you can hear why every time he tickles the ivories.

Jazzchronic (1 a.m. Saturday, Rye Bar) — Led by the superior reed work of Gnarly G (who plays with several other local ensembles), JazzChronic plays a bewitching blend of fast-paced styles guaranteed to keep audiences in constant motion.

The Jompson Brothers (Midnight Friday, Tasty World Uptown) — Another Nashville outfit, but not really a Nashville sound. This is raw, heavy rock.

JUNK (11 p.m. Saturday, Rye Bar) — Post-punk rock that sounds like it came from the late ‘90s.

Kaitlin Jones & the County Fair (5:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — A true representation of Western swing and folk music, fit for a few two-steps.

Gabriel Kelley & The Reins (3:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — Honest, simple Americana holding nothing back. Fans of Gillian Welch or The Jayhawks should be easily charmed.

Kinchafoonee Cowboys (7:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — They’ve been playing covers and originals in Athens for nearly 25 years, but this is their first time playing AthFest. They’re headlining, so the wait was worth it.

Kinky Waikiki (Noon Sunday, Pulaski stage) — The star of this band is the steel guitar, and there’s plenty of it.

Kite to the Moon/Timi Conley (4:20 p.m. Saturday, Lumpkin stage) — Guitarist-vocalist Timi Conley may be more familiar as the co-founder of the Fuzzy Sprouts, the inspiration behind Aqualove or an integral part of Abbey Road Live, but Kite to the Moon deserves recognition, as it plays with spunk and good humor and is not afraid to turn a simple set into a rock-show production.

The Knockouts (Midnight Saturday, The Globe) — High-voltage music rooted in bluegrass, polka, Latin, Irish and Cajun disciplines.

Matt Kurz One (11 p.m. Saturday, Go Bar) — Matt Kurz One is a one-man music factory with his left foot on the bass guitar, right foot on the snare and bass drums, hands on the guitars, and specially rigged guitar-keyboard and hi-hat. He plays a rocking blend of blues and punk.

Laissez Funk (1 a.m. Friday, Rye Bar) — A little jazzy funk fusion with some jam stirred in.

LeMaster (11 p.m. Friday, New Earth Music Hall) — When he’s not behind the soundboard at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Andy LeMaster makes tunes of his own. His band, Now It’s Overhead, has toured extensively and shared lots of stage time with Bright Eyes.

Lera Lynn (11:15 p.m. Friday, Rialto Room) — This pretty-as-you-please Athens songstress is the frontwoman for the band Birds & Wire, equally captivating when she plays solo.

Clay Leverett & Friends (6:20 p.m. Sunday, Lumpkin stage) — Whether he’s with Bright Eyes, the Chasers, Now It’s Overhead, Drive-By Truckers or doing his own show, Lona’s Clay Leverett will drum, strum and/or hum his way into your heart.

Lauren Lieu (9 p.m. Saturday, Nuçi’s Space) — Lauren’s one of the Nuçi’s Space School of Rock graduates, which offers kids ages 12-18 an after-school opportunity to bring the rock.

Lona (1 a.m. Friday, Caledonia) — See listing for Clay Leverett.

Lord Scrummage (1 a.m. Friday, Farm 255) — Wacky electro be