Power shifts in Elf Power’s ‘In a Cave’

• By JOHN WIRT
• Music critic
• Published: Mar 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 1:15 p.m.

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Athens, Ga., home of such famous rock bands as R.E.M., the B-52’s and Widespread Panic, also produced a run of lesser known but still worthy bands through the past four decades, including the adventurous Elf Power. 

Ryko Records is releasing Elf Power’s ninth album, a psychedelic-indie-pop opus titled “In A Cave” March 25. The band and its longtime leader, Andrew Rieger, are preparing the way for “In A Cave” through many appearances at the South By Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin and, stopping on the trip back to Georgia, a Saturday show at the Spanish Moon in Baton Rouge. 

Like Baton Rouge, Athens is home to a large institution of higher education, the University of Georgia. Unlike Louisiana’s capital, Athens’ abundance of original music bands has made the city a nationally recognized music town. 

“It’s a college town so there’s always a lot of young people who are really into music,” Elf Power’s Rieger said. “They want to go out and see music. And for musicians, Athens is a good place to live because the cost of living is fairly cheap, so you can kind of make a living doing music.” The contemporary music scene in Athens is healthy and diverse. 

“All different kinds of styles of music and lots of good bands,” Rieger said. 

Rivalry and competition are not part of the scene. 

“Oh, not really,” Rieger said. “A lot of the bands share members. Lots of people play in three and four different bands. So there’s a camaraderie, people helping each other out.”

Elf Power, too, has had many musicians go in and out of its membership. 

“There’s a pool of musicians that we draw from,” Rieger explained. “Just whoever’s available for each record or tour. It’s been fun that way. Each time you do a new record, the different musicians give it a slightly different flavor.” 

Principal songwriter though he is, Rieger has never been a little dictator wielding absolute control over Elf Power. 

“I usually write all the songs, but that’s because nobody else has volunteered to help write them,” he said.

The situation changed for “In A Cave” because guitarist Eric Harris, a former member of Athens band Olivia Tremor Control, co-wrote four songs. 

“This time, Eric came in with a bunch of really cool instrumentals,” Rieger said. “They fit with my songs and it worked out well.”