The Lucky Thirteen: 1/31/10 - 2/6/10

Standard playlist disclaimer: any artists, record labels, etc. who do not wish to be on the playlist for any reason whatsoever, email me at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and I will gladly remove the track. And if you'd actually like to be on the playlist, you can use the same email addy to email me mp3's, and if I like the song then odds are it'll wind up on a playlist.

Now, on with the playlist:

1. "Same Old, Same Old", Hello Lover
   The Hello Lover CD release party was an absolute blast. And as to Pete Freedman's comments that the shows can be hit or miss, the two shows I've attended have squarely fallen into the category of "hit".


2. "Winter Dies", Midlake
   Pitchfork reviewed The Courage of Others and pretty much trashed the CD. I'm not going to comment about the CD as a whole, as my knowledge of the album is still limited to "Acts of Man", "Rulers Ruling All Things", and this now track. I will say that I think all three tracks are beautiful, albeit terribly melancholy. And while having a full album of such songs may prevent it from getting played at your next party, that does not make it a bad album. An album that you can't listen to every day? Perhaps. Still, I suspect this is the type of album that will grow with each listen, so I'm wondering if some of the criticisms may be premature.


3. "Love Is War", Dovetail


4. "What Turns Inside", Dove Hunter
   This Saturday brings a double serving of doves to the metroplex area. Dovetail plays that night at City Tavern, while over in Fort Worth, Dove Hunter rocks The Moon. Now all that's needed is a Prince cover band playing "When Doves Cry".


5. "Robot at the Square Dance", American Werewolf Academy
   Shame on me. I have neglected my duties of letting my readers know that AWA is back in business. I made a brief mention of their Bryan Street Tavern show, but this band is so good at what they do, they deserved to have the red carpet extended for their return to Dallas. The band will take their show to Funkytown this weekend, opening for Reverse Cuomo (yes, it's a Weezer tribute band) Friday night at The Moon.


6. "Everything Dies", Nicholas Altobelli
   I just discovered that this Thursday is Mr. Altobelli's birthday, and he'll be celebrating that evening at Dunn Bros Coffee in Addison, performing with Amber Farris (Somebody's Darling).


7. "Slideshows", Rose County Fair
   This Friday at LaGrange is the second installment of the JC Experience. Here's the Cliff Notes version of The JC Experience: John Pedigo (The O's, Boys Named Sue, Rose County Fair) and Chad Stockslagger (The King Bucks) play music, and there will be interviews, performances, and whatnot by other special guests. It should be an interesting time.


8. "We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
   I'm probably supposed to say that it was love at first listen for me with Seryn. To be honest, it wasn't. So if this track doesn't immediately grab you, it's okay. But please, give it more than one listen, because if you're like me, the song will worm its way into your head and your heart. I'm sure they'll perform this song Friday at Hailey's, along with performances by Western Giants and Baruch the Scribe.


9. "The Great Escape", Damaged Good$
   Damaged Good$ has been steadily releasing a flow of free tracks to download (click here for the link). The most recent is "WeHateDamagedGood$Too", but I have to say that the best track released so far is "The Great Escape".


10. "Duelist", True Widow
    I thought I'd heard that the Chat Room Pub had closed down, but apparently I'm wrong, because True Widow will be playing there Saturday night with The Great Tyrant and Darktown Strutters.


11. "She Hides Golden Apples", Leaving Denton
    I posted this song a few weeks ago, and I can't stop thinking about this song. Between the nice harmonies, great vocals, and the breezily catchy melody, this song is like a breath of fresh air. My only complaint of the band: play some shows!!!


12. "Give Me Back My Fleetwood Mac", The Tah-Dah's
    What do you do when you have the strange urge to post Fleetwood Mac music on your local music blog? Option 1: convince the members of Fleetwood Mac to move to the metroplex. Option 2: insert this song into the playlist, which not only invokes the name of the band, but sort of sounds like "Second Hand News" on steroids.


13. "Your Life", Smile Smile
    This is a big, big week for Smile Smile. The band is celebrating the release of Truth on Tape with two shows on Saturday. First, there's a free show at Good Records kicking off at about 4 p.m. Later that night, Smile Smile headlines at double with Giggle Party and The O's opening. I would have posted a track from the new CD, but I don't have a copy yet, so I leave you with my favorite cut from Blue Roses.