Whatever falls to the ground, whatever sinks in the dirt

When I was going to school in Athens, people in other towns used to ask me what the music scene was like nowadays. I guess that's something a lot of people wonder about 'cause Athens has been responsible for tons of great music over the years. Athens of course is home to legendary groups like R.E.M., The B-52s and Pylon. Talking with older Athens residents, I feel kind of sad that I wasn't there to watch one of the many shows R.E.M. played or hear the first time a B-52s song got a spin on WUOG.

One lady I know told me that back then, everyone went out to shows just to go see shows, no matter who was playing. There was this really great community of musicians and music lovers and everyone supported each other. But I think there's still that sense of camaraderie with Athens bands. Everyone in a band in Athens has at least one side project, and those side projects have people from other bands in them. Bands stick around for each others sets, borrow each others equipment, and play on each others records. I think all those things allow for so much great music to come out of that town.

While lately the Athens scene has become overrun with frat boy types starting bands that sound like some sort of Phish/Dave Matthews/Jack Johnson Frankenstein, people should take comfort in knowing that you can still go downtown to Tasty World or the Caledonia and catch Iron Hero, Coulier, or Boulevard. I'd say one of the biggest local groups in Athens right now is the "calculator funk" quartet, We Versus the Shark. The sharkies as they're affectionately called, have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans in Athens. Whenever they play a show in town, there are gonna be a ton of kids to see them. Everyone loves The Sharkies.

this is an old picture but i like it so deal

You might be asking, "Hey Shaliza, what the hell is calculator funk?" It's exactly what it sounds like silly. We Versus the Shark mostly get thrown into the Math Rock/Experimental category and would probably be enjoyed by fans of Les Savy Fav, Q and Not U, and Fugazi. Words like manic, cerebral, and quirky have been used to described their sound. There's definitely some of all of those things in the Sharkies music. But there's also something that makes you want to listen to their songs over and over again. Oh and dance too. Definitely dance. That's why the Athens kids can't get enough of them.

There was this rad picture of guitarist Samantha Paulsen on the cover of The Red and Black, UGA's student newspaper, about 2 years ago. I hadn't really heard any We Versus the Shark songs at that time, but when I saw that Sam was wearing a Pretty Girls Make Graves shirt, I figured they deserved a few listens.

Here are my three favorite tracks from the We Versus the Shark cd Ruin Everything! You can purchase it here.
You Don't Have to Kick It
Slide
Easter Island is for Lovers