own towards the west end of Washington Street, a warm glow emanates from inside the X-Ray Cafe. A small TV monitor in the cafe's window shows Jayne Mansfield holding court in a French strip joint, while a Moogy wash of sound beckons from a small speaker near the door. Inside, patrons warm themselves with hot coffee and discount sweets amid an exhibition of huge plywood bugs. "Downtown Athens is more gentrified than it used to be," explains proprietor Paul Thomas, "but this place is more like a 1920s Paris salon." After attending the University of Georgia's art programme in the early 80's, Thomas began collecting "interesting stuff" from yard sales and now envisions his shop as a communal think-tank for local artists that "embodies Athens' DIY pop surrealism".

	It's an inspirational site. The last time Patti Smith's troupe pulled into town, Lenny Kaye installed himself in the cafe, raving about how similar places no longer exist in New York. Among the racks of toys, books and records sits a collection of home-made ambient cassettes left for sale, explains Thomas, "by famous people, who want to do side-projects. A lot of these people have deals that force them to do this quietly, or they don't go out much." Such experimentalists include Elf Power's Andrew Reiger and Olivia Tremor Control's Will Hart, who share a large tumble-down house decorated in candy stripes and foil. An ideal home for Athens' new psychedelia. "Psychedelia has come back into favour," says Elf Power bassist Bryan Helium. "At the end of the gold-sniffing era in the mid-90's, where (industry) people were done looking for the next big thing, the scene got stagnant."		"It has a dreamy, smalltown climate," says McKay. "It allows people to be more stoned but also to work obsessively." "Psychedelia has flourished," says Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss, "because people come with an open mind." Doss, who looks like a Victorian apothecary in ruffled paisley shirt and vest, works at Kindercore Records' ad hoc studio, which is decorated with poodle-sized clouds of white cotton and 'hovers' above the ground on a layer of packing foam. "In New York," explains Doss, " you have to work every day just to survive. Here, you could work a 10-hour week and scrape by." Or refit your car for combat. Over the past couple of years an armada of brightly-painted spy		"I've painted every car I've owned since I was 16," says Crackerz. "My Volkswagen micro bus was the first car I added anything to, because it sort of looked like a submarine anyway. Too many drugs to early, I guess." The cars are regularly used to pursue a karaoke troubadour known as the 8-Track Gorilla - an Athens phenomenon who appears on-stage in a gorilla costume to sing over his collection of classic 8-tracks. His identity unknown, the 8-Track Gorilla is loved by all - with the exception of Crackerz and his associates "It's like a descent into the abyss. Our jaws went slack from horror. He sat down between us covered in beer and sweat and complained if we popped any of his stage balloons," says Crackerz. "But you can't stop a gorilla with your bare hands. You need an army. We're going to get him. He doesn't stand a chance."
	Most of the band's Jefferson Airplane-cum-Mudhoney sound — as heard on their debut UK release A Dream in Sound— is laid down at various home set-ups. The house, shared by members of fellow new-psychists Macha, is stuffed with zithers, nipple gongs, Nepalese shawms and marshmallow bunnies. Macha's Josh KcKay agrees with Elf Power's assessment that in Athens, the livin' is easy for the artist.		vehicles has appeared around Athens, revamped by musician Lance Crackerz.