The Bad Ends will release their debut album, The Power and the Glory, on January 20th via New West Records. The nine-song set was produced by Mike Albanese of Maserati and The Bad Ends in the band’s hometown of Athens, GA, a city that remains a breeding ground for all things alternative (and is the famous homebase of B-52’s, R.E.M, Pylon, The Elephant Six Recording Co., and more). The Bad Ends feature Mike Mantione of 90s Athens favorites Five Eight on vocals & guitar, Dave Domizi on bass & vocals, Geoff Melkonian on keyboards & vocals, Christian Lopez on guitars & mandolin, and in his first full-time band since leaving R.E.M. in 1997, the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bill Berry on drums. The debut album was recorded, produced, mastered, and manufactured entirely in Athens, GA and also features appearances from Sean Dunn of Five Eight and John Neff of Drive-By Truckers.
Today, Stereogum premiered the video for the first single “All Your Friends Are Dying,” which was directed by Lance Bangs (Jackass, Sonic Youth, Pavement). The lead single seesaws between a sinewy melodic riff and melancholic hook topped off with a shout, which Mantione likens to “dancing at the foot of a grave.” Largely shot at Berry’s home in Athens, the video also features appearances by Mike Mills of R.E.M., Vanessa Briscoe Hay of Pylon, Bob Hay of the Squalls, Frank McDonald of The Glands, a namechecked Jody Stephens of Big Star, music producer David Barbe (also of Bob Mould’s Sugar), and many more. Mantione says “The song and the video are a celebration of Athens. The song is also a tribute to Big Star and The Glands. I’m really singing it to a friend who missed this special performance of the Big Star Third album and I’m warning my friend not to miss stuff because life doesn’t last very long. The cameos were just the most fun. I got to drive around Athens with so many awesome friends. We were supposed to look glum, but once they got into the van with me, laughter would erupt. Athens had an incredible, beloved local vegetarian restaurant called The Grit which closed a day before we shot the last of the cameos. We do a drive-by of The Grit as sort of a farewell nod.”
Initially working up songs for a possible solo album to be produced by Melkonian and featuring friends Domizi and Lopez, a chance encounter between Mantione and Berry led to the group of friends jamming. After one particularly fruitful session, Bill simply proclaimed, “I’m in a band again.” The brotherhood between the musicians crystallized with this declaration.
The Bad Ends have also announced their first ever live show on Sunday, November 27th at Nuci’s Space in Athens, GA. Nuci’s Space is located in the shadow of Athens’ St. Mary’s Steeple, all that is left of the church constructed in 1871 which was the site of R.E.M.’s first-ever show on April 5th, 1980. The Bad Ends live debut will be a part of “Athens Uncovered: Steeple Edition,” a day-long festival “featuring over ten acts from Athens’ storied music scene history and present” commemorating Nuci’s Space, the R.E.M. Steeple, and their one-of-a-kind music scene. The Nuci’s Space “vision is to end the epidemic of suicide and to inspire a culture free of the stigma attached to brain illnesses and its sufferers by supporting a community-wide effort that focuses on education, prevention and access to appropriate treatment.” Please visit Nuci’s Space for more information.
