*** Various Artists

FIVE RING CIRCUS: 29 BANDS FROM ATHENS, GA

(Flip Records)

It's been more than 15 years since the B-52's and R.E.M. drew attention to the once musically anonymous Athens, Georgia. That scene still has some kind of strange allure, and Five Ring Circus is an interesting document of how eclectic it is today. There are terrific contributions from nationally known acts Syd Straw, Magnapop, Kevn Kinney, Man . . . or Astroman?, Vic Chesnutt (with Widespread Panic -- one of the set's highlights), and R.E.M. (a fiery version of "South Central Rain," from the Monster tour). The folk pop of Vigilantes of Love, the indie pop of Vaudeville, the power pop of Alex Marquez and Clifton Hill, the garage rockabilly of the Woggles, the neo-industrial/metal/hip-hop of Prozak, the neo-punk of Five-Eight, and Thumb, not to mention all of the folky, country, jazzy stuff on the second disc -- all this demonstrates the wealth of unknown talent bubbling under. At the end, there's also an often amusing 20-minute oral history about the Athens music scene that's not to be missed.

-- Michael Piantigini