The Lucky Thirteen: 2/27/12

This is the part where I'm supposed to give some witty prologue to the playlist. I've used up all my wit in writing the blurbs on the songs and the artists, as it should be. The only thing I have left to say is this: listen and enjoy!

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 address to email me your mp3's. If I like the song, then odds are it'll wind up on a playlist.

1. "Knockout Rose", Bad Design
   I don't think that in the past two weeks there has been a single day where this song didn't get played at least twice. The unique rhythm of this track combined with the striking guitar solo keep me coming back for more. With February not even over yet, it's way too early to declare this the track of 2012. Instead, I will say that Bad Design has thrown down the metaphorical gauntlet, daring other local acts to outdo them. Let the games begin.


2. "Hotel Denalian", Bravo, Max!
   This Saturday, The Crown and Harp celebrates its one year anniversary. Yes, 1914 Greenville Avenue has become a mainstay in the local music scene for well over a decade, but this marks one year under the new moniker. Bravo, Max! will help the venue celebrate the special occasion, along with performances by Goodnight Ned and Temple Diver. And to make it a sweeter deal, there is absolutely no cover charge.


3. "All the Reasons Why", Emmeline
   Speaking of Crown and Harp, Emmeline will be spending more than her share of time at the venue this week. As usual, she hosts the Wednesday night open mic in her usual entertaining manner, sprinkling in amusing anecdotes and coaxing audience members onstage. In addition to the Wednesday show, she will also open Friday's show featuring Backwater Opera and Cassie Holt. Disclaimer: yes, I do help book at Crown and Harp, which gives me a reason to promote the shows there. I helped make these lineups for one simple reason: they're good lineups. And really, what more do you need?


4. "When Your Hope Dies at Your Feet", The Farstar
   The Farstar has made no fuss to big to do over their latest album, God Be With You, Heaven Knows the Devil Is. In a strange way, it's rather fitting. Upon first listen, the songs might not grab you immediately. But give the album a few chances, and you'll find that tracks such as this one stick in your head. So perhaps the album will quietly worm its way into the consciousness of the collective known as our local music scene.


5. "Wait for Us", Mind Spiders
   At the end of 2010, I had barely heard of this band. In that time, the buzz surrounding this band has grown for a quiet din to a deafening roar. With tunes like this that are equal parts sloppy and hook driven, it's easy to see how they've become so popular.


6. "Lay Low", Black Tie Dynasty
   Laying low seems to be exactly what ex-BTD frontman Cory Watson is doing with his latest project, Mon Julien. What I've heard seems to be moving into a more standard indie rock territory, although I've heard people say that Mon Julien stays on the same musical turf as Mr. Watson's previous band. Either way, I'd like to see them play more so I can catch them and judge for myself.


7. "Turn on Your Radio", THe BAcksliders
   Not only will Chris Bonner of THe BAcksliders celebrate a birthday this week, fans of the band have reason to celebrate. They will be headlining March 23 at the Double-Wide, their first show since the CD release of their live album last August. Allan Hayslip joins the band as the new bass player, but I suspect the band will rock as hard as ever in their live shows.


8. "Cats in the Dark", Nervous Curtains
   The wait is officially over... Nervous Curtain's latest, Fake Infinity, is available in both digital and physical format. If the latter is more your cup of tea, swing by Good Records this Thursday to pick up a copy on CD or vinyl. And while you're there, you can catch Nervous Curtains performing a set on the store's stage.


9. "Tape Number 7", Chomsky
   I kept hearing that Chomsky was playing Edgefest, and I thought there had to be another band out there named Chomsky who was playing. Nope, THIS is the Chomsky that will be at Edgefest this year. And that, my friend, is no small deal. I can only hope this will be more than a one-off deal. My fingers are crossed.


10. "Take It Back", To Coda
    Yes, the band is a young band, with all four members still in high school. And yet for a band so young, they possess an unusually strong sense of musicianship and hint that the band is capable of even more than has surfaced thus far in their young career. The band's EP is filled with catchy pop nuggets, including this, the title track. As for the live show, the powerful vocals by lead singer Heather Darwin are reason enough to catch a live show.


11. "Swagger", The Gypsy Bravado
    Congrats to the Gypsy Bravado, who were one of the Dallas finalists in the Hard Rock Rising 2012 contest. The next round takes place on March 31 at Hard Rock Cafe. The goal: to get Gypsy Bravado to perform at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. Dallas, let's make this happen.


12. "Snow in June", Little Black Dress
    Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a break and carefully examine what I'm wearing on my feet.


13. "San Francisco", Dead Beat Poetry
    Finally, here's a slight departure from the dreamy shoegaze vibes of Little Black Dress. And by slight departure, I mean an enormous change of sonic pace, and volume too. Dead Beat Poetry is full throttle rock and roll with a definite bluesy vibe in many of their tracks. But this is not some Black Keys wannabe duo. The songs, like this, are fierce and unrelenting. Don't just take my word on it though, you can see the band headlining at Liquid Lounge on Friday night, with GOBL fave Arielle opening the show.

The Lucky Thirteen: 12/21/10

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 address to email me your mp3's. If I like the song, then odds are it'll wind up on a playlist.

With all the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, let's listen to some tunes and try to get into the holiday spirit, okay?

1. "Christmas Time Is Here", Chomsky


2. "Waiting on Christmas", The Adventures of Jet
   I suppose I could do a Christmas playlist and not feature any tunes from Electric Ornaments, but it just wouldn't be right. Here are two of my faves from the CD.


3. "My Christmas List", Scott Riegel
   I first saw Mr. Riegel perform at Bryan Street Tavern along with The O's and Whiskey Glass Eye (aka Slobberbone), and there's a certain charm to this 17 year old musician that has me highly curious about where he'll go next musically. For now, enjoy this fun acoustic Christmas ditty.


4. "What I Always Wanted", Chris Holt


5. "Christmas (Doesn't Have to Be So Bad)", THe BAcksliders
   I'm lacking anything witty or insightful to say. I like Chris Holt. I like THe BAcksliders. I like these songs. Ok, on to the next song...


6. "Merry Christmas Now", Rahim Quazi
   I hope everyone has enjoyed my gift of the Rahim Quazi mp3's. What, you haven't downloaded the tracks yet? Click here and get yourself some good tunes.


7. "Winter Wonderland in Dub", Clay Pendergrass
   This is admittedly a rather long track, but I recommend sitting yourself down, relaxing, and allow yourself the time to appreciate this hypnotic gem from Mr. Pendergrass.


8. "Here It Is Christmas Time", Old 97's
   Dear Santa, I've been a good blogger (for the most part). Could you leave me a pair of Old 97's New Year's Eve tickets in my stocking?


9. "Santa Baby", Smile Smile


10. "Silent Night", Smile Smile
    Smile Smile has had quite a good year, and Truth on Tape was easily one of my favorite CDs of the year. I figured it'd be nice to have a double dose of Smile Smile.


11. "Run Rudolph Run", Reverend Horton Heat
    Definitely one of the most rocking local music Christmas tunes ever. One would expect no less from The Rev.


12. "Christmas Eve", Salim Nourallah
    There's nothing that'll get someone into the Christmas spirit than hearing Salim sing "Why can't we cheat death?". Merry Christmas!!!


13. "Christmas Time", Black Tie Dynasty
    After that last track, I figured it was either hand out Prozacs or let you hear this song. For my money, this tune is the ultimate Christmas party song. Turn it up everyone, you'll know it's Christmas time because you won't be able to fight it.

Local Edge Playlist: 12/19/10

For those expecting to see Days 5 and 6 of Christmas over the weekend, sorry. Things got hectic and well, no gifts this weekend. I hope Santa doesn't hold it against me and leave a lump of coal in my stocking. In the meantime, Mark put on his 2nd annual "It's a Local Edge Christmas, Charlie Brown" episode. Forewarning #1: there will be a notable amount of overlap between his selections and tomorrow's Lucky 13. Forewarning #2: Mark said he played centro-matic's "Fuselage", which I didn't catch. In all fairness, I don't recall him mentioning the BTD song that I know he played. Oh, and for the cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", he gave credit to Junuis Recording, but I did not hear him specify an artist. I think it may be the Dallas Family Band, but don't hold me to that. Anyways, here is what I believe to be the playlist. I promise to give a full refund of the price of this blog entry if I'm wrong.

"What I Always Wanted", Chris Holt
"Santa Baby", Smile Smile
"Jesus Christ", RTB2
"Christmas Swag", LehtMoJoe
"Up on the Housetop", The Rocketboys
"Christmas Time Is Here", Chomsky
"Merry Ex-Mas", GalleryCat
"It's Christmas time", PPT
"Last Christmas", Hendrick
"Angels We Have Heard on High", Quiet Company
"Christmas Time", Black Tie Dynasty
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)", The Polyphonic Spree

Stella!!!

Earlier this year, Fort Worth saw two of its biggest bands, Flickerstick and Black Tie Dynasty, call it quits. Yes, both acts are from the same city and each has a very large fan base. There is, however, a more significant common thread between these two bands. Both Flickerstick and BTD had the ability to reach out to a more mainstream crowd while still having a unique enough sound to appeal to a more indie rock crowd. That has always been a difficult act to pull off, but both bands were successful at doing just that. That begs the question: now that Flickerstick and Black Tie Dynasty are no more, who has the potential to fill in their footsteps?

To me, Stella Rose seems like the most likely successor to the throne. When the band played with Flickerstick on their final show, it was apparent to me that Stella Rose has the talent to become one of the biggest bands in Fort Worth, as well as the surrounding areas. The bands sound does share some definite similarities with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Lead vocalist Stephen Beatty sounds slightly like Peter Hayes, particularly on "Makin' It Easy", the opening track of Nine Caged Tigers, and "Fall Apart" definitely sounds like it could have been an album cut from Howl.

Stella Rose, however, incorporates a harder edge in many of their songs than do BRMC. Much of this can be attributed to Matthew Mabe's fierce skills on the drums. Mr. Mabe's skill is most noticeably fierce in the live shows. Ladies, take note: he often gets so hot in the live sets that he takes his shirt off. The band's energy is far more visible in their live set, where even the mellower songs have an added edge to their sound. The band draws a large following in their hometown of Fort Worth. I couldn't help but notice that it seemed the majority of the audience at Flickerstick's final show knew the words to most of the Stella Rose songs and were singing along. When an audience is that pumped for an opening band at another band's swan show, that's saying something.

My only beef with Stella Rose is that they spent TOO much time in Fort Worth. Some Dallas shows would be nice. In the meantime, they will be playing at The Moon in Fort Worth this Saturday night, along with Little Black Dress and RTB2. This is one of the best lineups I've seen in Funkytown all year, and Fort Worth residents would be smart to check this out. Heck, Dallas and Denton people would be smart to make a small road trip.

Oh, and while you're at it, you can vote for Stella Rose in the Fort Worth Weekly music awards, where they're nominated for Best Hard Rock.

Goodbye, Black Tie

Much has been said about Black Tie Dynasty ever since they announced their breakup. Since this Saturday will be their final show, I figured I needed to put in my own two cents worth. Hopefully it’s at least worth that much.

Pete Freedman from the Dallas Observer called the band “the line in the sand when it comes to area music fan tastes”, and that seems to be a very accurate statement. Judging by the comments on the DC9 blog, reaction ranged from mourning over one of the best local bands to wishing the band good riddance along with complaining about what the local music scene. I don’t particularly want to get into a discussion on the latter category, as most of those comments lacked any form of insight, unless you call hurling juvenile insults insight.

So instead of insults, or going to the opposite extreme with flowery praise, let me state the truth as I see it in regards to BTD. If you are looking for an innovative band that is always looking to push the musical envelope, then Black Tie Dynasty is not the band for you. BTD was formed around the time that Interpol was making a name for itself, and like Interpol, BTD was definitely riding the 80’s revival train. Such influences as Echo and the Bunnymen and Joy Division were blatantly obvious on their debut EP, This Stays Between Us, and well as their first full length, Movements. Although their most recent effort, Down Like Anyone, showed a definite growth in its sound, Black Tie Dynasty's sound is still firmly rooted in its trademark 80's revival sound.

What Black Tie Dynasty lacked in originality, however, the band more than made up for it in its captivating live performances. Lead vocalist Cory Watson not only possessed a powerful stage presence, his rich voice was enough to grab the attention of anyone who saw the band live. Drummer Eddie Thomas is regarded by many as one of the best drummers in Dallas; he even managed to capture a Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Musician. And while the band’s style may be less than unique, Black Tie Dynasty’s songs were catchy enough to bring the band a certain level of mainstream success, even if that success was confined to the metroplex area.

This brings me to why I think so many people are ready to jump on the BTD bashing bandwagon. The band committed what seems to be a cardinal sin within the music scene: they became successful. When Black Tie Dynasty began playing shows, all the reviews seemed to suggest that they were the great new hope for the local music scene. As the band’s fan base grew, the praise from critics seemed to shrink. By the time that BTD released their single “Tender” and the song became a staple on 102.1 KDGE, the group went from great new hope to every critic’s favorite band to ridicule. That’s a shame, especially considering the fact that “Tender” is one of the best songs to have been in regular rotation on KDGE over the past several years. From its opening keyboard hooks to close, it was one of the rare songs on the radio anymore that was worth listening to.

I can understand some of the criticisms against the band. Much of their sound is so wrapped up in the darker stylings of new wave that those who hate the sounds of that period are bound to hate Black Tie Dynasty. And Black Tie Dynasty was definitely not breaking new musical grounds. I can understand and even accept all of those complaints. What I cannot accept, however, is the fact that so much of the criticisms against Black Tie Dynasty only seemed to surface AFTER the band’s success. This is not a case of a band changing their sound in order to cash in; their sound remained constant as their fan base grew. Please, do not hate the band for whatever success it has gained during its time. This tendency for people to turn their backs on a local band once they gather any level of recognition is a problem that, if left untreated, will poison this city’s music scene. All the hipsters will complain about how the DFW music scene is so weak, when the complainers are the biggest problem with the scene.

But let’s get back to Black Tie Dynasty. Simply put, I like the band. They are a talented group of musicians whose songs are memorable and catchy. I have had many a good time at a BTD show, and I will miss their presence in the local music scene. I leave you with a video for my favorite song of theirs, “Bells”. Enjoy the video, and feel free to say goodbye to the band this Saturday at Granada.