The mention of Athens, Georgia in a musical context tends to bring to mind a certain sound or aesthetic - be it the jangly college rock of R.E.M. in the '80s, the whimsical psychedelia of the Elephant 6 movement in the '90s and since the late '90s through today, the blistering Southern rock of the Drive-By Truckers (though some, myself included, tend to think of them more as an Alabama band).

And while you can find traces of the aforementioned bands in their DNA, it was in the spirit of the Truckers that Athenian trio The Whigs brought into town this past Tuesday for a free Nu Music Nite showcase at the Horseshoe to coincide with the Canadian release of their second album Mission Control. Their songwriting isn't as ambitious in scope or narrative depth but they more than compensated with a ferocious live show built on Julian Dorio's thunderous drumming. Seriously, his kick drum could have punched a hole through a bank vault and the rest of the band was just as tight. The Whigs aren't up to anything that hasn't been done many times before and sometimes they're a bit too obvious with their cribbing but what they do, they do well and there's always a place in this world for good, loud rock'n'roll.

The good-sized crowd that had gathered for The Whigs all but cleared out by the time their tourmates - Birmingham, Alabama's Wild Sweet Orange - came on and that was their loss. The people who left, not the band's. Summing up their sound succinctly isn't easy - their roots run country but with space-rock aspirations. The resulting pushme-pullyu of delicate folkiness and psyched rock-outs definitely had my attention though there weren't any specific songs that grabbed me - it was more the overall strategy at work that I found engaging. They were touring their debut EP Whale but should have a full-length out sometime this Spring.  Should be worth checking out.

Chart, The Tripwire, The Post-Tribune, The New York Daily News and Creative Loafing all have features and interviews with The Whigs while LiveDaily.com and Gibson.com have features on Wild Sweet Orange.  Live In Toronto has some recordings of The Whigs' set on Tuesday already available to download and they'll be back in town on March 19 at the Opera House opening for the Drive-By Truckers. Of course.

Photos: Wild Sweet Orange, The Whigs @ The Horseshoe - February 5, 2008
MP3: The Whigs - "Right Hand On My Heart"
MP3: Wild Sweet Orange - "Wrestle With God"
Video: Wild Sweet Orange - "Wrestle With God"
Myspace: The Whigs

Originally published at chromewaves.net .