David DeFeis
American heavy metal singer
David DeFeis (born January 4, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer, leader and sole constant member of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.
Biography.
DeFeis comes from a theatrical family: his father is a Shakespearian actor who runs the theatre company "The Arena Players Theatre" while his sister Doreen is a gifted opera singer who performs all over Europe.
A big fan of European classical music, at 9–10 years old he was introduced to rock music by hearing the band Stalk, with his brother Damon (on organ and piano) and his sister Danae (on vocals), playing in the basement beneath his room. Damon DeFeis was later in the band Creation with future Kiss drummer Eric Carr, and died in the Gulliver's nightclub fire in 1974.
He began piano lessons at the age of eight. By age eleven, he began his career with Long Island's local heavy metal band Phoenix.
At 16 years old, he met for the first time his future partner Edward Pursino when DeFeis's band at the time, Mountain Ash, was auditioning for a gig at the high school dance. Mountain Ash was mainly a Black Sabbath cover band and, after the performance of the song "War Pigs", Pursino came over and introduced himself to DeFeis.
At the beginning of the 1980s, together with Jack Starr and Joey Ayvazian, he started the first line-up of the band Virgin Steele. They debuted in 1982 with the song "Children of the Storm" included in the compilation "U.S. Metal Vol. II".
In 1985, the guitarist Edward Pursino replaced Starr. Among the years, in their longtime relationship in Virgin Steele, DeFeis and Pursino released a lot of heavy metal classics such as the albums: "Noble Savage", "Invictus", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II".
DeFeis collects swords: his collection includes more than 20 items. In studio, sometimes he uses his swords to create particular effects for the Virgin Steele songs, and during the concerts he usually burns a sword on stage.
Voice and musical style.
DeFeis is a classically trained pianist, with a bachelor's degree in composition from S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook. As vocalist, he is self-taught, possessing around four octaves and a four notes: E2-B6. He said he was very much influenced by guitar players like Jimmy Page, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen, because he wanted to do with his voice what they did with their guitars. He is also influenced by rock singers like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan.
The major part of the lyrics DeFeis writes are mythological, dealing with subjects from especially Greek, Sumerian and Christian mythology. All of them are based on real life in some form or another.
Metal opera and theatre.
Between the end of the 1990s and the 2000s (decade), he wrote music for actors based on the Oresteia and the Greek myths related by Aeschylus. According with German artists Walter Weyers and Martina Krawulsky, with the name "Klytaimnestra": "The House of Atreus" Metal Opera (musically available on the Virgin Steele's albums "The House of Atreus Act I", "The House of Atreus Act II") was performed on stage in Germany theaters by Landestheater Production.
The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen, June 5, 1999, has been the first ever regular musical theatre show based on heavy metal concepts.
After "Klytaimnestra" success, David DeFeis & Landestheater Production extracted a second metal opera musical, named "The Rebels", from the previous Virgin Steele's albums of the Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy ("The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II", "Invictus").
In 2003, the same team released a third Metal Opera, named "Lilith", based on the material of album "Visions of Eden". "Visions of Eden" was later on published in CD in 2006.
Producer.
DeFeis owns his personal recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor").
Virgin Steele's albums are produced by DeFeis.
He also produced albums released by other artists such as: "Out of the Darkness" and "No Turning Back" by Jack Starr, "Nightmare Theatre" by Exorcist, "Stay Ugly" by Piledriver, "The Sign of the Jackal" by Damien Thorn, "Sin Will Find You Out" by Original Sin.
References.
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Angels of the Apocalypse
Angels of the Apocalypse is the second full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on May 16, 2014 in Europe and four days later in North America.
It is the second part of the trilogy created by Tolkki, written as a prequel to the previous album "The Land of New Hope".
As with the previous effort, several heavy metal singers were invited to play the characters of the story of the album, with female vocalist Elize Ryd of Amaranthe reprising her role and Floor Jansen (Nightwish, ReVamp) playing the main character. The rest of the cast includes Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire, Angra), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), Simone Simons (Epica), Caterina Nix (solo Chilean singer who is having her debut album produced by Timo Tolkki) and Zachary Stevens (ex-Savatage, Circle II Circle).
Background and recording.
The album started to be composed in August 2013 in Greece, to where Timo travelled to seek inspiration.
In October 2013, Timo Tolkki launched a news website for the project in which he announced the album, which was provisionally titled "Avalon II". Tolkki also announced he would be working with former Stratovarius bandmates Tuomo Lassila (drums) and Antti Ikonen (keyboards).
In late January, Tolkki revealed the name of the album and the remaining singers. Timo also announced that there will be a contest for guitar and keyboard players, with the winners getting a chance to perform a solo with him in one of the songs.
Once again, the artwork was created by French artist Stanis W. Decker.
Timo stated he created some songs with a specific singer in mind. The title-track will clock around 10:00. He also described the music of the album as "darker and heavier" than its predecessor, which was necessary due to the "Apocalyptic scenes described in the lyrics".
References.
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The House of Atreus Act I
The House of Atreus Act I, released in 1999, is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It has the subtitle "A Barbaric-Romantic Opera". This album is the first part of a metal opera inspired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which concerns the end of the curse on the House of Atreus. The music was intended to be the soundtrack for theatrical shows, with actors impersonating the characters of the tragedy. The metal opera was actually performed under the name "Klytaimnestra – The House Of Atreus" in European theatres from 1999 to 2001, with the production of the Memmingen Opera House company and Landestheater Production.
The song "The Fire God" first appears on the 1986 Piledriver LP "Stay Ugly".
Track listing.
All songs by David DeFeis except tracks 5, 7, 8, 15 and 18 by DeFeis / Ed Pursino

Atreides (album)
Atreides is Yannis Zouganelis' third studio album. The album contains songs written for the play of the same name which was a "montage of Greek tragedies based on the myth of the House of Atreus". The play included pieces from Oresteia by Aeschylus, Electra by Sophocles, and Iphigenia at Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris, and Orestes by Euripides translated and adapted from the Ancient Greek by Kostas Myris, who also wrote the lyrics of the songs which were sung by Vasilis Papakonstantinou. The play was performed by "Theatro Erevnas" of Dimitris Potamitis at the Mount Lycabettus theatre in Athens and later broadcast by the Greek national television ERT on 12 November 1979.
References.
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The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inspired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which concerns the end of the curse on the House of Atreus. The music was intended to be the soundtrack for theatrical shows, with actors impersonating the characters of the tragedy. The metal opera was actually performed under the name "Klytaimnestra – The House of Atreus" in European theatres from 1999 to 2001, with the production of the Memmingen Opera House company and Landestheater Production.
In 2019, "Metal Hammer" ranked it as the 12th best power metal album of all time.
Track listing.
All songs by David DeFeis except tracks 3, 8, 10, 23 by DeFeis / Edward Pursino.
References.
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Atreyu
American rock band
Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band's current line-up consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, and bassist and unclean vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight.
The band has released nine studio albums: "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses" (2002), "The Curse" (2004), "A Death-Grip on Yesterday" (2006), "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" (2007), "Congregation of the Damned" (2009), "Long Live" (2015), "In Our Wake" (2018), "Baptize" (2021), and "The Beautiful Dark of Life" (2023).
History.
Independent years (1998–2000).
Originally named Retribution, the band changed their name to "Atreyu" after the character of the same name from Michael Ende's fantasy book "The Neverending Story". The name change came because of a change of members and a progression in their musical styling. In 1998, Atreyu released an independent seven-track EP titled "Visions". The album was sold at their live performances. Their second release, was a short five-track EP titled "Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty" released by underground label Tribunal Records and featured tracks that would be re-worked for later releases. Atreyu signed with Victory Records in 2001, and their most critically acclaimed works would be to come from these releases. The lineup originally consisted of Alex Varkatzas (lead vocals), Dan Jacobs (guitar), Travis Miguel (guitar), Kyle Stanley (bass guitar). At the time of this lineup, they did not have a drummer until 1999 when Ryan Saller, a friend of the band, invited his younger brother Brandon Saller to join as the drummer.
Signed to Victory Records (2001–2006).
In 2001, Atreyu signed with Victory Records, later releasing in 2002 their first studio album "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses". Brandon Saller sang for the band as a second singer, who would become more prolific in their later releases. However, for "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses", his parts were largely confined to choruses. Music videos were filmed for the singles "Ain't Love Grand" and "Lip Gloss and Black". The latter video found significant airplay on "Headbangers Ball" and "Uranium" in fall of 2003, gaining Atreyu some of its initial mainstream attention. Kyle Stanley quit the band was replaced first by Chris Thomson, and then by Marc "Porter" McKnight in 2004.
The band's second album, "The Curse", was released in 2004, selling 450,000 copies. The band was then featured on the soundtrack to the film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" with a cover of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name". Atreyu was also featured on the to ' with "Her Portrait in Black". "Right Side of the Bed" also appeared on ', a racing video game.
Atreyu released its third studio album, "A Death-Grip on Yesterday", on March 28, 2006. The album peaked at number 9 on the "Billboard 200", with sales of 69,000. The band gained further fame when the first single, Ex's and Oh's appeared on the soundtrack to "Madden NFL 07". The album was said to have a balance of Brandon Saller's melodic singing vocals and Varkatzas's aggressive screaming, and it was met with positive reviews."
Signed to Hollywood Records (2007–2009).
In early 2007, Atreyu signed a record deal with Hollywood Records for America and an international deal with Roadrunner Records. With a new label, the band began to prepare its fourth studio album, "Lead Sails Paper Anchor". A jigsaw puzzle was released on the band's website, as the goal was to put all the audio clips of the single "Becoming the Bull" into correct order, forming the whole song.
"Lead Sails Paper Anchor" was released on August 28, 2007, and debuted at number 8 on the "Billboard 200" with first-week sales of 43,000 copies. The American release of the album had a bonus track, a cover of the song "Epic" by Faith No More while the European and Australian bonus track was a cover of "Clean Sheets" by The Descendents. The album was received with mixed reviews, and was a notable change in sound for the band.
Atreyu toured in the United States on the Taste of Chaos 2008 tour, alongside bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine, D'espairsRay, Mucc, and Blessthefall. The band also toured with co-headliners Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for My Valentine in Australia and New Zealand. They also played the United Kingdom Taste of Chaos tour, headlining with Story of the Year and As I Lay Dying.
On April 22, 2008, "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" was re-released with new cover art, two bonus tracks, a DVD, and a digital booklet. From July to August 2008, Atreyu headlined the Revolution Stage of Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution. Their setlist consisted of 45 minutes of various songs. With them on the stage were 10 Years, Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep, and Street Drum Corps. Atreyu was also a part of the KROQ-FM Epicenter '09 Show where they did a meet and greet to benefit the non-profit organization Music Saves Lives.
"Congregation of the Damned" and "Covers of the Damned" (2009–2010).
Atreyu's fifth studio album, "Congregation of the Damned", was released on October 27, 2009. The album, which was produced by Bob Marlette (who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne and Airbourne) and mixed by Rich Costey (who has worked with System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine), was said to be "darker" and "heavier" than the band's previous albums. According to lead singer Alex Varkatzas, the record is a "mix of everything we've ever done. For every song that's more melodic or rock-driven there's a total shit-kicker, and I think that's what makes us a well-rounded band." Atreyu has also described the album to "Make more sense than the other ones because they finally realize what they are".
The band started a co-headlining tour with Hollywood Undead, Escape the Fate and The Sleeping in October, and as promotion of album debut songs like "Bleeding Is a Luxury" at K-Rockathon 14 in New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, New York., and "Gallows". Atreyu also promoted the album with five webisodes, released biweekly from September 1 to October 20. Congregation of The Damned debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, selling 27,412 copies on its first week. Atreyu announced that they would be recording an EP "Covers of the Damned" with tourmates Chiodos, blessthefall, Endless Hallway, and Architects (UK). It was to be released on October 12, but was leaked on the internet on October 9. Atreyu toured Australia in November 2010 with the No Sleep Til Festival playing most locations with Dropkick Murphys, Alkaline Trio, Megadeth and many more. In December, along with Bring Me the Horizon they supported Bullet for My Valentine across the United Kingdom.
New projects and hiatus activities (2011–2013).
In January 2011, vocalist Alex Varkatzas confirmed, in a short series of Twitter postings, that the band was taking a break from touring and recording to "recharge and focus on other parts of our lives." In these same Twitter postings, Varkatzas also stated that he has been working on a new project with Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati called I Am War.
Drummer and vocalist Brandon Saller's side project Hell or Highwater (formerly named "The Black Cloud Collective") has recorded an album titled "Begin Again" released on August 9, 2011. Saller is solely the lead vocalist in this band, and this album does not feature the same metalcore elements as those of Atreyu, voicing a sound similar to bands such as Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace, the band uses only clean vocals.
In December 2011, Travis Miguel added his own endeavors to the list of Atreyu side projects with Fake Figures and their release of the EP "Hail the Sycophants". This project features an all-star lineup which includes Miguel on guitar, Rus Martin (Hotwire), Robert Bradley (Scars of Tomorrow), and Justin Pointer and Heather Baker who were both former members of Nightfall, a project that bassist Marc McKnight played for in 2003 before joining Atreyu. As of July 2012, Steve Ludwig joined Fake Figures as their new drummer and for around 18 months between 2013 and 2014 Travis played as a touring guitarist with Trapt.
On May 11, 2013, the band posted a statement asking their Facebook fans to repost their message "if you want Atreyu to write a new song for your ears to bleed to.", with a second statement explaining that they hope to return to a sound more reminiscent of their second studio album, "The Curse".
Official reunion and "Long Live" (2014–2017).
On July 1, 2014, the band officially announced that they're back making new music. It was also announced that the band plans to play live again, starting with a headlining show at Chain Reaction on September 11, 2014, and an appearance at the Aftershock Festival on September 14, 2014.
On September 5, 2014, the band released a new song on their YouTube account titled "So Others May Live" and is available on their official website, free of charge. The band was announced as one of the acts to perform in the South by So What?! festival in March at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie.
Atreyu played in Slipknot's "Knotfest" on the weekend of October 25–26, 2014.
On April 18, 2015, a 7" vinyl was released exclusively for Record Store Day. "So Others May Live" was presented on the vinyl followed by a new song "When the Day Is Done". Only 1,000 copies were made.
In April 2015, the new album, titled "Long Live" was announced to be released in September. On July 17, 2015, the band released the video for their latest single, "Long Live", via YouTube.
On September 18, 2015, the album "Long Live" was released. It peaked at number 26 on the "Billboard" 200.
"In Our Wake" and departure of Alex Varkatzas (2018–2020).
On May 22, 2018, Metal Injection reported that Atreyu frontman Alex Varkatzas had sat down with HardDrive Radio's Lou Brutus at Rock on the Range, and implied a possible new album will drop in the fall of 2018.
On August 23, 2018, Atreyu released a single titled "Anger Left Behind" and announced that their upcoming album "In Our Wake" will be released on October 12, 2018. As of September 11, Atreyu has released 3 singles including Anger Left Behind, In Our Wake, and The Time Is Now including a music video for the song In Our Wake. Atreyu did a tour to support In Our Wake throughout the Fall of 2018. Memphis May Fire, Ice Nine Kills and Sleep Signals all joined up as support.
On August 19, 2019, Atreyu announced an anniversary tour to celebrate 20 years since the band's formation. The setlist for the tour was a 20-song setlist and was chosen by fans in an online poll. The tour spanned 27 cities and featured support from Whitechapel, He Is Legend, Tempting Fate, and Santa Cruz.
In late August 2020, it was rumored that vocalist Alex Varkatzas had left the band. After some uncertainty following these reports, the band officially announced that they were parting ways with Varkatzas a month later on September 30.
"Baptize" (2020–2023).
In October 2020, the band released a single titled "Save Us". They also announced several lineup changes, including the addition of new drummer Kyle Rosa, as Brandon Saller would focus on clean singing only. Meanwhile, bassist Marc McKnight would take over screaming vocals.
On March 4, 2021, the band announced that their eighth studio album "Baptize" would be released on June 4, 2021, through Spinefarm Records. Ahead of the release, they also released two singles: "Warrior" featuring Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and "Underrated".
Series of EPs and "The Beautiful Dark of Life" (2023–present).
On April 17, 2023, the band released an EP titled "The Hope of a Spark". On August 18, the band released a second EP, "The Moment You Find Your Flame", and revealed there would be a series of EPs released in 2023, in which all the songs would end up on "The Beautiful Dark of Life", which is their next full-length album, due by the end of the year. The third and final EP of the series, "A Touch in the Dark", was released on November 3. That same day, it was revealed "The Beautiful Dark of Life" would be released on December 8.
Musical style and influences.
Atreyu has been described as metalcore, alternative metal, post-hardcore, and hard rock. According to Adrien Begrand of "PopMatters", "Atreyu is too goth to be emo, too metal to be punk, and too brazenly emotional to be metal". According to Begrand, Atreyu's music often features elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, gothic rock, hardcore punk, thrash metal, blues rock, emo, hard rock, screamo and melodic death metal.
In an interview, guitarist Dan Jacobs stated he is a really big '80s rock fan. He then went on to quote "I love all that stuff and I think that is one generation where music was done right and I try to apply that as much as possible to our music". He also went on to discuss Atreyu's influence from the Gothenburg metal scene. A few bands he mentioned that the band loves are: Arch Enemy, In Flames, Soilwork, and all those type of bands.
In an interview with "Metal Underground", bassist Porter McKnight spoke of his influences: {
In an interview with "Rock Sound", frontman Alex Varkatzas stated {
Band members.
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Timeline
Discography.
Studio albums
References.
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The Attic (band)
Swedish musical group; house band duo
The Attic is a Swedish house band duo whose members are Eric Amarillo (Erik Sundborg) and Michael Feiner that started under the name of Stereopol with the track 'Dancin' Tonight' in 2003. The two mostly perform house music songs of other artists, but they have also written their own songs.
They released a number of singles including "I Just Can't Help It", "Destiny", "In Your Eyes", "A Life To Live", "It's Beautiful" and "Baby". In 2006, they and Therese Grankvist recorded a song which they sent to Melodifestivalen; to their surprise the song was chosen to be performed in the festival. Therese, featuring The Attic, performed 'The Arrival' in the third semifinal, where they competed for the opportunity to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. On 17 February 2007 The Attic ft Therese came 7th in the semifinal and didn't qualify any further in the contest.
The band played a concert in central Chişinău, Moldova organised by mobile operator Orange on 24 May 2008.
References.
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A'tris
American indie rock band
ā'trĭs was an American indie rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 2003. The band currently consists of Mason Taylor (vocals, piano), Ben Azar (guitar), Nate Lueck (bass, background vocals, guitar), and Travis Abel (drums); while Michael Kreher and Chuck Sokol provide synthesized backdrops for live performances. In 2017, the band posted an extended play to SoundCloud, but their other social media accounts were deleted.
History.
The band was formed in 2003 by Mason Taylor and Michael Kreher, who were classmates at the Berklee College of Music. Other Berklee students were recruited to round out the band, including drummer Dave Lewis and guitarist Zach McLean. Another classmate, Chuck Sokol, was recruited to engineer the band's recordings. All of the band members later dropped out of Berklee.
After about two years, the band's lineup evolved to include Chris Ashworth (guitar), James Colazo (guitar), and Pete Wahlers (bass). This lineup recorded the debut ā'trĭs album "Appeal", released in 2005. The album received positive reviews for its "cinematic" sound and similarities to R.E.M. and Radiohead. All members other than Taylor quit the band when faced the prospect of full-time touring, though Kreher remained involved as a producer alongside Sokol.
Pete Koopmans and Pat Speece were added to the band and contributed to the 2007 EP "Of the Commons". Taylor recruited Azar, Lueck, and Abel for the band's second full-length album. That album, "Lensing," was released in 2008. Reviewers compared the album to not just Radiohead, but also Jeff Buckley, Muse, and Coldplay.
In 2017, the band posted an extended play to SoundCloud titled "Womb to War". Later that year, all social media accounts for the band except for the SoundCloud were deleted.
References.
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Atreus
King of Mycenae, father of Agamemnon and Menelaus
In Greek mythology, Atreus (, lit. 'fearless') was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. His descendants became known collectively as the Atreidae ( "Atreidai").
Atreus and his twin brother Thyestes were exiled by their father for murdering their half-brother Chrysippus in their desire for the throne of Olympia. They took refuge in Mycenae, where they ascended to the throne in the absence of King Eurystheus, who was fighting the Heracleidae. Eurystheus had meant for their stewardship to be temporary, but it became permanent after his death in battle, which ended the rule of the Perseid dynasty in Mycenae.
According to most ancient sources, Atreus was the father of Pleisthenes, but in some lyric poets (Ibycus, Bacchylides) Pleisthenides (son of Pleisthenes) is used as an alternative name for Atreus himself.
Nomenclature.
'Atreides' () is a patronymic form of Atreus which refers to one of his sons—Agamemnon or Menelaus. The plural forms, deriving from the Latin , itself from Ancient Greek 'Atreidai' (), refer to both sons collectively. 'Atreides' is commonly used to translate both the singular and plural form to English. The term can also be used for the more distant descendants of Atreus, also known as the 'House of Atreus' or the 'Atreid dynasty'. It has been suggested that the name "Attarsiya", belonging to an Ahhiyawan king of 1400 BC, may be the Hittite rendition of the Greek name.
The House of Atreus.
Tantalus.
The 'House of Atreus' begins with Tantalus. Tantalus, the son of Zeus and the maiden Pluto, enjoyed cordial relations with the gods until he decided to slay his son Pelops and feed him to the gods as a test of their omniscience. Most of the gods, as they sat down to dinner with Tantalus, immediately understood what had happened, and, because they knew the nature of the meat they were served, were appalled and did not partake. But Demeter, who was distracted due to the abduction by Hades of her daughter Persephone, obliviously ate Pelops's shoulder. The gods threw Tantalus into the underworld to spend eternity standing in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reaches for the fruit, the branches raise his intended meal from his grasp. Whenever he bends down to get a drink, the water recedes before he can drink. Thus is derived the word "tantalizing" in English. The gods brought Pelops back to life, replacing the bone in his shoulder with a bit of ivory with the help of Hephaestus, thus marking the family forever afterwards.
Pelops and Hippodamia.
Pelops married Hippodamia after winning a chariot race against her father, King Oenomaus, by arranging for the sabotage of his would-be-father-in-law's chariot which resulted in his death, at which point the story diverges into multiple versions. The sabotage was arranged by Myrtilus, a servant of the king who was killed by Pelops for one of three reasons: 1) because he had been promised the right to take Hippodamia's virginity, which Pelops retracted; 2) because he attempted to rape her, or; 3) because Pelops did not wish to share the credit for the victory. As Myrtilus died, he cursed Pelops and his line, further adding to the house's curse.
Atreus and Thyestes.
Pelops and Hippodamia had many sons; two of them were Atreus and Thyestes. Depending on myth versions, they murdered Chrysippus, who was their half-brother. Because of the murder, Hippodamia, Atreus, and Thyestes were banished to Mycenae, where Hippodamia is said to have hanged herself.
Atreus vowed to sacrifice his best lamb to Artemis. Upon searching his flock, however, Atreus discovered a golden lamb which he gave to his wife, Aerope, to hide from the goddess. She gave it to Thyestes, her lover and Atreus' brother, who then persuaded Atreus to agree that whoever had the lamb should be king. Thyestes produced the lamb and claimed the throne.
Atreus retook the throne using advice he received from Zeus, who sent Hermes to him, advising him to make Thyestes agree that if the sun rose in the west and set in the east, the throne of the kingdom should be given back to Atreus. Thyestes agreed, but then Helios did exactly that, rising where he usually set and setting where he usually rose, not standing the injustice of Thyestes' usurpation. The people then bowed to the man who had managed to reverse the circuit of the Sun.
Atreus then learned of Thyestes' and Aerope's adultery and plotted revenge. He killed Thyestes' sons and cooked them, save their hands and feet. He tricked Thyestes into eating the flesh of his own sons and then taunted him with their hands and feet. Thyestes was forced into exile for eating human flesh. Thyestes responded by asking an oracle what to do, who advised him to have a son by his daughter, Pelopia, who would then kill Atreus. However, when their son Aegisthus was first born, he was abandoned by his mother, who was ashamed of the incestuous act. A shepherd found the infant Aegisthus and gave him to Atreus, who raised him as his own son. Only as he entered adulthood did Thyestes reveal the truth to Aegisthus, that he was both father and grandfather to the boy. Aegisthus then killed Atreus, although not before Atreus and Aerope had had two sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus, and a daughter Anaxibia.
Agamemnon married Clytemnestra, and Menelaus married Helen, her famously attractive sister. Helen later left Sparta with Paris of Troy, and Menelaus called on all of his wife's former suitors to help him take her back.
Agamemnon, Iphigenia, Clytemnestra, Aegisthus, Orestes and Electra.
Prior to sailing off to war against Troy, Agamemnon had angered the goddess Artemis because he had killed a sacred deer in a sacred grove, and had then boasted that he was a better hunter than she was. When the time came, Artemis stilled the winds so that Agamemnon's fleet could not sail. A prophet named Calchas told him that in order to appease Artemis, Agamemnon would have to sacrifice the most precious thing that had come to his possession in the year he killed the sacred deer. This was his first-born daughter, Iphigenia. He sent word home for her to come (in some versions of the story on the pretense that she was to be married to Achilles). Iphigenia accepted her father's choice and was honored to be a part of the war. Clytemnestra tried to stop Iphigenia but was sent away. After doing the deed, Agamemnon's fleet was able to get under way.
While he was fighting the Trojans, his wife Clytemnestra, enraged by the murder of her daughter, began an affair with Aegisthus. When Agamemnon returned home he brought with him a new concubine, the doomed prophetess, Cassandra. Upon his arrival that evening, before the great banquet she had prepared, Clytemnestra drew a bath for him and when he came out of the bath, she put the royal purple robe on him which had no opening for his head. He was confused and tangled up. Clytemnestra then stabbed him to death.
Agamemnon's only son, Orestes, was quite young when his mother killed his father. He was sent into exile. In some versions he was sent away by Clytemnestra to avoid having him present during the murder of Agamemnon; in others his sister Electra herself rescued the infant Orestes and sent him away to protect him from their mother. In both versions he was the legitimate heir apparent and as such a potential danger to his usurper uncle.
Goaded by his sister Electra, Orestes swore revenge. He knew it was his duty to avenge his father's death, but saw also that in doing so he would have to kill his mother. He was torn between avenging his father and sparing his mother. 'It was a son's duty to kill his father's murderers, a duty that came before all others. But a son who killed his mother was abhorrent to gods and to men'.
When he prayed to Apollo, the god advised him to kill his mother. Orestes realized that he must work out the curse on his house, exact vengeance and pay with his own ruin. After Orestes murdered Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus, he wandered the land with guilt in his heart. After many years, with Apollo by his side, he pleaded to Athena. No descendant of Atreus had ever done so noble an act and 'neither he nor any descendant of his would ever again be driven into evil by the irresistible power of the past.' Thus Orestes ended the curse of the House of Atreus.
This story is the major plot line of Aeschylus's trilogy "The Oresteia".
Classical references.
Plato in his dialogue "The Statesman" tells a "famous tale" that "the sun and the stars once rose in the west, and set in the east, and that the god reversed their motion, and gave them that which they now have as a testimony to the right of Atreus." Virgil, in book IV of the "Aeneid", refers to the House of Atreus and specifically Orestes in describing the death of Dido.
Hittite records.
There is a possible reference to Atreus in a Hittite text known as the "Indictment of Madduwatta". The indictment describes several army clashes between the Greeks and the Hittites which took place around the late 15th or early 14th centuries BC. The Greek leader was a man called Attarsiya, and some scholars have speculated that Attarsiya or Attarissiya was the Hittite way of writing the Greek name Atreus. Other scholars argue that even though the name is probably Greek (since the man is described as an Ahhiyawa) and related to Atreus, the person carrying the name is not necessarily identical to the famous Atreus.
References.
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The Ataris
American rock band
The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is "So Long, Astoria" (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting single is their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" from "So Long, Astoria". The only constant member throughout their history has been singer/songwriter/guitarist Kristopher "Kris" Roe.
History.
Kung Fu Records (1996–2001).
Formed on November 1, 1996, and with the band's name a reference to the large collection of Atari video game cartridges of Roe, the band originally consisted of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kristopher Roe and guitarist Jasin Thomason. Using a 4-track, Roe wrote and recorded demos in his bedroom, using a drum machine while he searched for a full-time drummer. The band's first big break came in 1996 when Roe attended a show at the club Bogart's in Cincinnati, where Thomason passed one of the band's demo tapes to a roadie from the band. The roadie gave the tape to Joe Escalante, bassist from the band the Vandals who owned their own label, Kung Fu Records. A few weeks later, Roe received a call from Kung Fu Records, who told him they were interested in putting out their record, even though he was really only searching for a drummer. The Ataris signed to Kung Fu and the label passed the tape along to various drummers. Eventually, Roe decided upon ex-Lagwagon drummer Derrick Plourde. The band then proceeded to record their debut album "Anywhere but Here", tracking the whole thing in less than a week. The album was released on April 29, 1997 and the band held a release show party at Missing Link Records in Indianapolis on May 2.
In June 1997, Roe moved from Anderson, Indiana to Santa Barbara, California. Shortly afterward, Marko Desantis joined the band on bass for a short time. Thomason decided to leave the band to stay in Indiana, and the group toured as a three-piece for a short while. After a brief tour in October 1997, this lineup disbanded. Roe, out of money and living in a van, contemplated moving back to Indiana. But the band still had an upcoming tour booked with Dance Hall Crashers and Unwritten Law, so Roe decided to give the band one more shot. He got his friend from Santa Barbara, Mike Davenport, to play bass. Davenport shared a small rehearsal space on East Haley Street with his friend Marco Peña, who was in a different band. One day at the rehearsal space, Roe and Davenport heard the drummer of Peña's band, Chris Knapp, playing and immediately asked him to join the Ataris. While Roe and Davenport joked that Peña would be upset over them "stealing" his band's drummer, Peña surprised them by showing up at their practice the next day, strapping on his guitar, and playing along. It turned out Peña had learned all the songs from "Anywhere But Here". He joined the band as a second guitarist and the foursome went on their scheduled tour. However, Peña soon left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Patrick Riley.
From there, the band gradually increased in popularity in the underground rock scene due to their consistent touring and personal, DIY approach to the band. They then found more success with their 1998 EP "Look Forward to Failure", released on San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords. However, it wasn't until the release of "Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits" in 1999 that they started to gain widespread acclaim. The album's name comes from the name of a mobile home park along Highway 101 in Santa Barbara. Also, "...next 12 exits" refers to a nearby sign on Highway 101 North that reads "Santa Barbara, Next 12 Exits". The album contained personal, storytelling lyrics. After this album, Riley left the band to go back to school, and Marco Peña re-joined the band. In 2001 the band took part in the Vans Warped Tour. The band's third full-length studio album, "End Is Forever", was also released in 2001.
"So Long, Astoria" (2002–2004).
In 2002, the lineup changed again, with John Collura replacing Peña on guitar. Prior to this, Collura had played in his own band Beefcake who'd toured with the Ataris. He'd also done time on tour as a guitar tech for the Ataris just prior to Peña's departure.
During this same period, the Ataris' contract with Kung Fu Records expired, and the band chose to sign with Columbia Records. Later that year, they began recording their fourth full-length album and major label debut, "So Long, Astoria", released on March 4, 2003. Produced by Lou Giordano, the album's production served as a stark contrast to any of the band's past releases, as previous efforts were recorded in short time spans between tours.
"So Long, Astoria" was widely credited for introducing the Ataris to a larger mainstream audience and generating several successful singles, including "In This Diary" and "The Saddest Song". Musically, the album showcased very personal, encrypted and slightly more optimistic songwriting with a more refined, straightforward rock sound, not unlike Jimmy Eat World. This album also included their hit cover song, originally recorded by Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer", which much to the dismay of the band became their "accidental" second single after the radio station KROQ in Los Angeles started playing it, even though the band had already chosen the song "My Reply" as their second single. The single is their highest-charting single to date, reaching No. 20 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.
The band toured behind this record for most of 2003 and into early 2004 adding another guitarist (Joseph A. Farriella) to the band. That year also saw the release of a low-key live album, "Live At The Metro", along with a track on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack. So Long, Astoria sold well in excess of 700,000 copies and was certified gold. After a number of personal, financial and artistic differences, this line-up decided to go its separate ways over the summer and fall of 2004.
Davenport, interested in playing heavier music, became a founding member of the band Versus the World, while Knapp stopped playing music altogether and stayed in Santa Barbara. Details regarding the departures of Knapp and Davenport have been kept quiet for sometime, and neither camp has appeared interested in fueling any public debate or ill-will. Looking for some time off, Roe headed back to Indiana while Collura, Farriella moved back to New York; though they would later regroup to begin the recordings of the band’s next album
"Welcome the Night" (2005–2007).
After some time off, Roe and Collura later moved forward and began writing songs that would become part of the follow-up to "So Long, Astoria" titled "Welcome the Night". They held some informal practices with some friends from New York, who played in the band Park Ranger. These sessions led to three members of Park Ranger joining the Ataris: Sean Hansen on bass, Shane Chickeles on drums, and Paul Carabello on third guitar. To round out the lineup they added longtime friends Bob Hoag, formerly of Pollen and the Go Reflex (which was managed by Roe), on piano and keyboards, and Angus Cooke on cello. Cooke played cello on past Ataris records, and helped with production as well. Starting in 2005, the band began recording "Welcome the Night" at Seedy Underbelly in California, with producer Nick Launay. Writing and recording eventually took the better part of two years and was extended to multiple studios. The album was routinely delayed by Columbia.
On June 10, 2006, the band announced that it had left Columbia Records due to the label's internal disintegration. In November 2006, the Ataris started their own imprint, Isola Recordings, through Sanctuary Records and RED Distribution, and simultaneously announced the official release date of their fifth album "Welcome the Night" as February 20, 2007. "Welcome the Night" debuted at number 85 on the "Billboard" charts with over 12,000 copies sold. Following the album's release, the band embarked on a tour of the United States and Europe.
"New upcoming album" (2008–present).
In June 2008, the band began demoing at The Gallows Recording Studio in Muncie, Indiana in preparation for recording in late summer, with the aim of releasing a new album in 2009. In November, the band posted a clip of a demo online. The following month, the band entered the studio to record their next album. On December 29, it was mentioned that drums had been completed and that guitars were next. In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK. On April 12, a demo titled "All Souls' Day" was posted on the group's Myspace. In addition, it was mentioned that their next album would be released in the summer. Between April and June 2009, the band toured the US, with shows in South Africa in the middle of this trek. After this, they appeared on the 2009 Warped Tour. The finished version of "All Souls' Day" was posted online in June 2009. On August 17, 2009, the band announced they had nearly finished recording their next album, tentatively titled "Graveyard of the Atlantic". They went on a short Midwest tour in November 2009.
Between February and April 2010, the Ataris went on a cross-country US tour with Don't Panic, and then performed at the Windy City Sound Clash festival. Following this, they went on another US tour between July and September 2010. That same year, a two track EP, "All Souls' Day & the Graveyard of the Atlantic" containing just its title tracks was released under the Paper + Plastick label. In 2012, the band released a four track EP entitled "The Graveyard of the Atlantic". From 2013, the Ataris began a North American tour with Kris Roe as singer and the former members John Collura, Mike Davenport and Chris Knapp to celebrate the 10 years of their most successful album "So Long, Astoria".
In 2016, the band released a six-song EP entitled "October in This Railroad Earth" through Bandcamp. In 2017, Warped Tour announced that the Ataris was going to play on the 2017 tour. On June 18, 2017, the band released a compilation titled "Silver Turns to Rust" on Bandcamp. This compilation featured four previously released tracks from "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" and six from the previously released EP "October in this Railroad Earth".
In 2024, Kris Roe posted via the Ataris' Facebook page that the band is currently in the studio with producer and former drummer Bob Hoag to record the next album. Roe also confirmed that the band will most likely not use The Graveyard of the Atlantic album title. Roe also confirmed Bob Hoag will be recording drums on the upcoming record. On February 9, 2025, Roe confirmed bass and drums for the new record are officially recorded and is currently in the process of recording remaining guitars and vocals. On February 14, 2025, Roe confirmed Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams as one of the songs confirmed for the new album.
Musical style.
The Ataris has been described as pop-punk, emo, and punk rock. The band's influences include Descendents, Jawbreaker, All, Fugazi, Avail, the Ramones, and the Replacements.
Controversy.
While performing in Asbury Park, New Jersey on October 7, 2012, frontman Kris Roe acted hostile towards then-drummer Rob Felicetti on stage. Kris said he had "had enough" and "could not take it anymore" as the drummer was performing "off-time" throughout their set (a claim refuted by various professional drummers). A fan had captured the incident on camera, and was subsequently uploaded to social media. Roe claimed in a follow-up video regarding the incident that Felicetti was drunk during the performance, a claim Felicetti later denied. This incident led Felicetti to exit the band.
Band members.
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Discography.
Studio albums
References.
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Areti Ketime
Greek singer and santoor player (born 1989)
Areti Ketime (; born 26 July 1989) is a Greek singer and santur player. She sings traditional Greek songs of various music genres.
Early life.
Ketime was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She started learning how to play the santur at the age of six, from Aristidis Moschos and the Belarusian Angelina Tkatseva. At the age of 15 (in 2005), she became a professional performer.
Career.
In 2002, Greek musician and singer Yorgos Dalaras invited her to participate in his live appearances in Plaka together with Gerasimos Andreatos and Melina Aslanidou. In 2003, she participated in a show about Asia Minor's musical tradition show with Dalaras, Glykeria, and the orchestra Estoudiantina. In 2004, she participated in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens, with the traditional song "Mes Stou Egeou Ta Nisia" ("Into the Islands of the Aegean").
In 2005, she participated in the Greek tragedy play "Oedipus Rex" in Epidaurus, as a member of the "Chorus" led by George Dalaras. In 2008, she took part in a concert titled "Kyklamina" ("Cyclamens") in which she performed a series of songs called "Tragoudia tis Ksenitias" ("Songs of Emigration") along with George Kotsinis in Aristi, Epirus.
In 2010, she teamed up with Turkish singer Dilek Koç in a concert titled "The songs of our mutual tradition", in which they mostly performed common-root songs of Greece and Turkey, at the Half Note Jazz Club.
In 2011, she performed the Byzantine Hymns of the Holy Week live on TV shows, along with Charilaos Taliadoros and Christos Chalkias.
In 2012 she performed a concert titled "Smirneiko Minore", with Glykeria and Dilek Koç. It was a tribute to the traditional music of Asia Minor.
In 2015, she participated as a musician in children's theatre version of "Erotokritos" directed by Ilias Karellas. In May 2015, Areti Ketime made her first North American tour, in which she was accompanied by a six-piece band of musicians and also by brothers Grigoris and Petros Papaemmanouil. Later in 2015, Ketime collaborated with German DJ Shantel on the bilingual song "EastWest/Dysi Ki Anatoli", from Shantel's new album "Viva Diaspora".
During the 2015-16 season, Ketime participates in the children's theatre play "To Monon tis Zois tou Taksidion" ("The Only Journey of His Life").
In September 2017, it was announced that Areti was one of the 18 contestants participating in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. The song is written by her best friend Dimitris Karras. While the song was chosen as one of the final three songs in the selection, it was disqualified as Ketime's record label did not pay the €20,000 fee requested by ERT to finance the national final.
References.
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Music of Athens, Georgia

The music of Athens, Georgia includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M., Widespread Panic, The B-52's, and several long-time indie rock groups. Athens hosts the Athens Symphony Orchestra and other music institutions, as well as prominent local music media, such as the college radio station WUOG. Much of the modern Athens music scene relies on students from the large University of Georgia campus in the city. The University sponsors Western classical performances and groups specializing in other styles.
Athens became a center for music in the region during the Civil War and gained further fame in the early twentieth century with the founding of the Morton Theatre, which was a major touring destination for African American performers. The city's local rock music scene can be traced to the 1950s, with live music at Allen's Hamburgers in Normaltown. International attention came in the 1970s when The B–52's began releasing the first of several best-selling recordings. Athens-based rock bands have performed in a wide array of styles, and the city has never had a characteristic style of rock; most of the bands have been united only in their quirky and iconoclastic image.
Music author Richie Unterberger describes the town as an unlikely center for musical development, as a "sleepy [place where] it's difficult to imagine anyone working up a sweat, let alone playing rock music." The contributions of Athens to rock, country music, and bluegrass have earned it the nickname "the Liverpool of the South", and the city is known as one of the American birthplaces for both modern alternative rock and new wave music. Athens was home to the first and most famous college music scene in the country, beginning in the 1970s.
Music venues and institutions.
Athens' local music is based primarily in the small downtown area of the northern part of the town. The nightclub 40 Watt Club is among the most famous indie rock venues on the East Coast; the club opened on Halloween in 1978, with a band called Strictly American featuring Curtis Crowe, founder of the club and future member of the band Pylon. Other major music venues in the city include the Georgia Theater, a converted cinema that hosted both local and touring performers. The Theater burned down in June 2009, but has been fully remodeled into a state of the art music venue reopening in early August 2011), the Caledonia Lounge, the historic Foundry Music Venue (which was originally built in 1850 as an iron foundry), and the UGA Performing Arts Center, home to the Ramsey Concert Hall and the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Monroe Morton's Morton Theater became a major part of the city's African American community in the early 20th century; it claims to be the only theater from that era remaining in operation.
Athens is home to the summer music festival Athfest, the Athens Popfest and the late spring Athens Human Rights Festival and North Georgia Folk Festival. The college radio station WUOG (90.5 FM), the low-power (100.7) FM WPPP-LP and the free weekly "Flagpole" are the city's most prominent modern music media. Athens has never produced a major local label like many similar indie rock towns; the most important label of the 1970s and 1980s was DB Records, based out of Atlanta, though jangle pop pioneers Kindercore Records and Wuxtry Records were also Athens-based. Athens is home to long-running indie label Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records, which has been operating consistently since 1999.
Local music institutions include the Athens Symphony Orchestra, Athens Choral Society (founded in 1971), Athens Youth Symphony and the Athens Folk Music and Dance Society. The Athens Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1978 as a firmly non-profit, strictly volunteer organization, conducted by Albert Ligotti of the University of Georgia. The first performance came in 1979; the Orchestra now has two regular performances, one in the summer and one in the winter, and has also done shows for young people, pops concerts and Christmas concerts. In 1996, the Athens Symphony moved into its modern home, the Classic Center Theatre in downtown Athens.
The University of Georgia's Athens campus has long been an important part of local music. Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter and performer "Whispering" Bill Anderson attended UGA and used to play guitar around campus. The faculty of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music operate the Georgia Brass Quintet and Georgia Woodwind Quintet. Student institutions include the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, Men's and Women's Glee Clubs, several concert choirs, jazz bands, and brass and woodwind ensembles, the Redcoat Marching Band, the University Philharmonia and a Symphony Orchestra. The University of Georgia also has multiple a cappella groups, including With Someone Else's Money, Noteworthy, and the Accidentals, who are regionally known. The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team who play at Foley Field feature organist Matthew Kaminski (musician).
History.
The earliest music in North Georgia, including what is now Athens, was that of the Native Americans of the area, principally the Creek and the Cherokee. Athens was officially chartered in 1806, and began growing rapidly near the middle of the 19th century.
By the time of the American Civil War in the 1860s, the city was an important part of musical life in Georgia. The war accelerated the development of the city's musical importance, as Athens was largely spared widespread destruction while the larger city of Atlanta took a long time to recover. Major touring acts like the Dixie Family and The Slomans visited Athens during the war; the Dixie Family, a prominent touring group, performed disastrously, according to local newspapers, who said that the highlight of the performance came from four local African American musicians, and the Dixie Family had absconded with the concert's proceeds, which had been promised to the local Ladies Aid Society.
In the 1870s, the city was almost half African American, and local black-owned industry flourished; among the residents was Bob Cole, born in 1868 to a musically active family. Cole would later become a pioneer in African American theater, known for works like the 1898 musical "A Trip to Coontown" and the song "La Hoola Boola".
African American industry, churches and other institutions grew rapidly in prominence through the end of the 19th century. The city's African American community was well established by the beginning of the 20th century, when the corner of Lumpkin and Washington Streets became a major center for the city's black culture. This area was known as the "Hot Corner", and was owned by a number of black professional businesses, as well as many performance spaces and a renowned opera house in the Morton Building that hosted such national figures as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The Morton Theater was one of the preeminent venues in the city in the early 20th century, and is the only such theater to survive to the present, though it was not in operation for many years, until re-opening in 1993.
Origins of the modern scene.
In the 1950s, the city's musical life consisted primarily of dances at local venues like the American Legion Hall and the YMCA, where popular bandleaders included most famously Jimmy Dorsey. The Canteen was a spot in Memorial Park in Athens, which became an important performance space after local musician Terry "Mad Dog" Melton and his group began playing there in 1958. The Canteen later hosted local Motown/beach legends The Jesters, who have continued to perform from 1964 to the present.
Later in the 1960s and into the 1970s, locally prominent bands gradually changed from primarily cover bands to more well rounded groups, while the city's musical opportunities grew with the foundation of venues and institutions. This period has been called the "Normaltown River of Music", and included long-time local performers like Mad Dog Melton as well as Brian Burke, Davis Causey and Randall Bramblett, many of whom later worked with Gregg Allman, Sea Level and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
The most influential local bands to emerge from this period included the Normaltown Flyers, and Dixie Grease. Allen's Hamburgers, where the Normaltown Flyers were the house band for many years, opened in 1955 on Prince Avenue and closed there in 2004. Bars like The Last Resort (currently the Last Resort Grille restaurant) opened in the 1960s, beginning the local club scene just as some bands were beginning to gain some regional fame for Athens.
Rock.
Many members of Athens's most prominent later bands became locally renowned starting in the 1970s, including The B-52's. In the late 1970s, the 40 Watt Club became a well-known regional attraction for music fans. The early 1980s saw a host of new bands and venues appear, including the Uptown Lounge in 1984, while the city's musical subculture became more diversified. LSD, a hallucinogenic drug, was widely used in the college music scene in this era. With the local industry's growth in the 1980s, the 40 Watt Club moved to a larger space, and in 1989 the landmark Georgia Theatre was reopened as a music venue.
Studio 1093, was established in the Boulevard neighborhood by recording engineer, Jim Hawkins who had designed the studio for Capricorn Records in Macon, GA. Studio 1093 was rented to R.E.M. and remained an Athens staple until 2018 playing host to both established musicians and those just starting out.
"Ort's Oldies", a used record store on Jackson Street, and its proprietor, William Orten Carlton, commonly known as "Ort", were among the institutional figures that made the Athens music scene possible. Ort has an excellent memory for rock trivia, which served him well in running the store. Perhaps more importantly, his off-the-wall sense of humor and warmly iconoclastic personality (and his thrift-sale wardrobe) were regularly on display at parties, gigs and musical venues around town.
A final element in creating and sustaining the Athens musical culture was the University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art. The great majority of Athens' musicians and their fan base were associated with the University's liberal arts curriculum, and the School of Art, rather than the music department, was the area where the creative and musical alliances that later defined the scene began forming in the 1970s. Michael Stipe of R.E.M. was an art major (although he did not graduate), and the Art School incubated other major figures such as all four of the members of Pylon were art students there including Curtis Crowe, founding member and drummer for Pylon (band). The cinematographer for the documentary film "" was James Herbert, an art school professor. Herbert went on to direct music videos for various Athens bands including 14 for R.E.M. Rock photographer, Jason Thrasher has documented many Athens musicians in his 2017 book, "Athens Potluck."
The B–52's and R.E.M. became by far the most famous musical products of Athens in the 1980s, when both bands launched a string of hits. The B–52's formed after a St. Valentine's Day party in 1977. The members had little musical knowledge, but performed new wave music with a cheeky and humorous image and sound. They were known for their campy thrift store fashion, and their unusual and eye-catching music videos for hits like "Rock Lobster" and "Love Shack". Though The B–52's were the first Athens band to achieve national prominence, their popularity was soon eclipsed by R.E.M..
The future members of R.E.M. moved to Athens to work and/or attend the University of Georgia, including bassist Mike Mills and former drummer Bill Berry. The group began performing as R.E.M. in 1980. They became locally prominent, and released a single, "Radio Free Europe", that was a major college rock hit. Their popularity grew with a series of singles, EPs and albums that made R.E.M. the top underground band in the country, finally breaking into the mainstream with 1987's "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)."
By 1991's "Out of Time" album, which featured vocals by Kate Pierson of The B–52's —and its acclaimed follow–up "Automatic for the People" (named after the motto of Weaver D's, a local Athens soul-food eatery), R.E.M. had become one of the world's biggest rock bands. The band's style went through many evolutions but originally had a jangle pop sound and harmonies often compared to folk–rock band The Byrds; singer and songwriter Michael Stipe is known for obscure, allusive lyrics delivered in a monotonous drone. The success of R.E.M. and The B–52's brought attention from major labels and music media to Athens, and many local bands received a career boost.
Pylon (band), founded in 1979, was an American new wave/post-punk band from Athens, Georgia, United States. The band's danceable sound, a blend of new wave, post-punk, jangle pop, alternative rock and funk rock, influenced the Athens music scene and the 1980s American pop underground. AllMusic wrote that Pylon's "role as elder statesmen of the alternative rock explosion is unassailable". They released three albums, three singles and an Ep during their on and off again career. Much of their early material along with rarities was reissued by New West Records as part of a boxset titled ‘’Box’’. The boxset also includes a 200-page hardcover book with new interviews with the surviving members of the band and testimonies from members of R.E.M., The B-52's, Gang of Four, The Bongos, Mission of Burma, Sleater-Kinney, Beat Happening, and Sonic Youth, and others.
Other 1980s local bands with nationwide alternative followings included Love Tractor, Oh-OK, with Michael Stipe's sister Lynda Stipe, vocalist Linda Hopper (later of Magnapop) and future solo performer Matthew Sweet, Dreams So Real. The members of R.E.M. have remained fixtures in Athens as they have also become international stars, helping out local performers like Vic Chesnutt, the Chickasaw Mudd Puppies and Jack Logan.
The Elephant 6 Collective, a group of like-minded indie bands, gained limited nationwide exposure starting in the mid-1990s with the rise of Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power and Olivia Tremor Control. The same period saw the Kindercore Records roster find critical acclaim, including the bands Sunshine Fix, Masters of the Hemisphere, Japancakes, Love Tractor, Gresham Disco and Of Montreal. Candy, a DJ store owned by Michael Lachowski of Pylon, opened in 1998; the store became an important part of the burgeoning dance music scene that produced Danger Mouse, Phungus and DJ 43.
Other styles.
Athens is near the Blue Ridge Mountains area of North Georgia; this is an important region in the development of several varieties of folk music, including the Appalachian bluegrass style and the Piedmont blues. North Georgia's bluegrass heritage can be traced back to the 19th century, when bluegrass was a nascent style throughout Appalachia and North Georgia was home to major fiddling contests, beginning in the 1880s. A 1983 recording expedition by Art and Margo Rosenbaum documented the continued existence of many forms of folk music, including work songs, string bands, African American hymns and spirituals, banjo tunes and unaccompanied ballads; the collection includes a chapter devoted to Doc and Lucy Barnes of Athens. Athens' modern contributions to the field of bluegrass include the Packway Handle Band and BlueBilly Grit