Method Actors

After posting the CYHSY tour dates below, I thought once again (as I often do) of how much that band reminds me of an Athens act from a quarter-century ago. Method Actors were among the post-punk and early new wave bands that included Talking Heads, Television, and Athens comtemporaries Pylon and (to a lesser extent) The B-52's. They debuted in 1979 and released a string of LPs until 1984, garnering ample critical praise.

Jon from Underneathica has mentioned them on more than one occasion (e.g., here) and done a better job than I could ever do given my limited exposure to Method Actors material. I know they began as a duo and eventually grew into a larger outfit, with additional members joining the fray over time. The New York Times called them "more interesting than Pylon" and the UGA student newspaper hilariously called them "the most pretentious band since creation." The latter sounds not unlike reaction to a certain Brooklyn/Philly band with a lengthy name, no?

Method Actors - Do the Method
Method Actors - Dancing Underneath
Method Actors - No Condition
Method Actors - All Tomorrow's Parties [VU cover]

I'm not aware of any Method Actors releases currently in print, but I'd give a big wet kiss to anyone who'd reissue their material. They do, however, have a MySpace page (!!!). Lead vocalist Vic Varney does continue to maintain a web presence where he has available music he has been working on. I understand he remains in the Athens area, but I imagine some of my Classic City readers can elaborate on that.

If there are any Method Actors historians out there, please do update the Wikipedia entry. It's barren, and it seems they deserve more attention than the current single line. Trouser Press has a decent biographical write-up on the band and discography.

ELSEWHERE.....

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MSNBC.com's Indie Study features Of Montreal.

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The Dalai Lama has accepted a distinguished professorship at Atlanta's Emory University. That's pretty nifty, if I do say so myself.