Making friends on MySpace

First things first: if you’re on MySpace and not my friend, click here to see my profile and then add me as a friend. OK, now that I’ve gotten the pandering out of the way, I can continue on with the article.

Almost everyone on MySpace has gotten the random friend requests from bands they have never heard of. I am no exception; if anything, I’m surprised more bands haven’t contacted me in hopes of getting free exposure. You should know that I only accept friend requests from artists that are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, since the purpose of the blog is to help support the local music scene.

I’ve gotten several friend requests from bands. Some of them, frankly, have been god awful. However, once you filter out the bad artists and the ones that are not from this area, you find a few cool musicians that you’re glad took the time to seek you out. I’d like to take this opportunity to shed the spotlight on three such artists.

The Orange – This Arlington based band is going to be playing at Curtain Club Friday night. I know what you’re thinking, and stop right there. You’re thinking that this is just another stereotypical metal band. After all, they’re from Arlington, and they’re playing Curtain Club. Prepare for your preconceived notions to be shattered. The band’s sound is more of a melding of power-pop and shoegazer influences. Think Cheap Trick meets Catherine Wheel and you’re half the way there. Their trippy hooks will leave you longing to hear more from this up and coming band. Take a listen; I’m sure you’ll agree. They are easily one of the best bands to play Curtain Club in quite some time.

The LFD – All you have to do is look at their MySpace and you can tell that this is a band with a sense of humor. All the information in the bio (“We were the only three kids in school who liked both Slayer and The Carpenters”), the absurdly long and diverse list of musical interest, even the band name (short for The League of Fucking Decency) show that these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. In spite of that, the music is seriously good. There’s a certain raw charm to the songs and melodies, which I hope is not lost as the band grows musically.

Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat – I am not very knowledgeable about the blues scene around here, but I’ve seen Mr. Suhler’s name many a time in print. I’ve probably even heard him on KNON’s blues shows without even realizing it. And while I’m not an expert on blues music, I recognize talent when I hear it. The talent held by Jim and the members of Monkey Beat is unmistakable. If you have a craving for the blues, give these guys a chance, and they will satisfy your hunger.

This was by no means a complete list of all the good artists I've discovered, as I do not have the time to review every artist who sends a friend request. I will try, however, to make a point of mentioning the best ones I discover. So keep those friend requests coming. There is no such thing as an excessive amount of talent; Dallas and the surrounding cities can always use one more great band or musician. And as long as there are great new bands, I will eagerly discuss new favorites with anyone willing to listen to what I have to say.