Weekend Plans: 6/22/12

I plan on getting to the Deep Ellum Food Truck Rally early, which doesn't allow for much writing time.  That's ok, as I feel these shows speak for themselves.  Find a show or two (or more) to go see.


FRIDAY

• Deep Ellum Food Truck Rally with The Roomsounds/Ducado Vega/Home by Hovercraft
• Whiskey Folk Ramblers/Sealion/RTB2 (LaGrange)
• Dovetail/East Cameron Folklore/Parallel Play/Playtime Rabbit (The Prophet Bar)
• The Cush/Menkena (Lola's Saloon)
• Telegraph Canyon/Calhoun (The Live Oak)
• The Monco Poncho/Aristoscat/The P-Town Skanks (Double-Wide)
• The Vliets/Early Morning Creatures/O Conqueror (Dada)
• Agent Ribbons/My Kickdrum Heart (The Crown and Harp)

SATURDAY

• John Lefler EP Release/Salim & The Treefort 5/Dovetail/Doug O' Rourke (Sons of Hermann Hall)
• The Demigs/The Boom Bang/The Birds of Night/La Panther Happens (Andy's Bar)
• Art of Mistrust/Signals & Alibis/Sink or Swim (The Cellar)

I'm sure I missed something.  Be sure to post it in the comments section and chide me for my error.

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/12/12

So I think I heard something about some sort of music festival down in Austin this week. I guess this SXSW thing is sort of a big deal, right? It seems like bands don't get "discovered" there as they used to in the earlier days of the festival. Still, it's the biggest music festival in the nation, and for those looking for talent, you can find it in both the official and unofficial shows.

What I have here is thirteen acts playing the festival, along with the venue (or in some cases, the venues) that each is playing. Some are official shows, some not. To find out more details, I might recommend checking out the SXSW page (for official acts) and Austin 360 for the unofficial acts. Some of these acts already have the buzz surrounding them; all of them deserve it.

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. "My Girlfriend Is a Rock", The Nervebreakers
   The true beauty is of SXSW is that it allows young and up and coming bands opportunities for exposure. Bands like, uh... The Nervebreakers? No, any band that can claim being an opening act for the Sex Pistols in their heyday can't be called up and coming. But the band will be releasing a new album (their first in about 30 years), and now another generation will get to sample this classic Dallas true punk band. Click here for a list of their shows, times, etc.


2. "Wildly Inappropriate", The Burning Hotels
   I checked out the band's website, and it looks like they'll be playing a total of five shows in the course of three days, starting on Tuesday and ending on Thursday. At SXSW, the word overexposure does not exist.


3. "Save Me", Siren Sea
   I've really taken a liking to the band's ethereal and haunting melodies, as well as Reema Hamdan's powerful voice. They'll perform Tuesday at 11:00 pm at The Dizzy Rooster, and Wednesday at 10:00 pm at The Blind Pig. On a separate note though, what's the deal with all the animal club names?


4. "We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
   Long before Mumford and Sons made the banjo cool, The O's were using the banjo and crafting their "party bluegrass anthems", as I like to call them. They have one official SXSW show (Wed, Mar 14 at 8:30 at St. David's Bethel Hall), and two unofficial shows. The first will be at Opal Devine's Thursday night at 7 pm, and the second takes place Friday at 12:30 PM at Maria's Taco Express.


5. "Wired to Make Waves", Nervous Curtains
   The band plays twice on Wednesday (once at The Highball, then at Bernadette's Bar), and then Friday at Sidebar.


6. "It's Not Enough", Salim Nourallah
   Mr. Nourallah has kept quite the quiet profile over the past year. With the release of his CD Hit Parade on the horizon, expect to see a lot more of Salim in the coming months. He'll perform an official show Friday at Cedar Street Courtyard. Interestingly enough, Salim will share a bill with both Rhett Miller and Thomas Dolby.


7. "Towering", Seryn
   Seryn has already made a substantial name for itself, both inside and outside of the metroplex area. While I doubt any major labels will be giving out million dollar deals this year, at the very least I feel safe saying there will be plenty of buzz around the band. Check their website for dates , times, and locations.


8. "Wait for Us", Mind Spiders
   Assuming you're not partied out by Saturday night at one in the morning, check out this band (also with its share of buzz) at Valhalla. And yes, this is an official show.


9. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   A little earlier on Saturday (1:10 PM to be exact) Menkena plays the outdoor stage at Casa Chapala.


10. "Little Heart", Clint Niosi
    Mr. Niosi will be releasing new material this year. I have a feeling I'm gonna be talking about him a bit in the upcoming months. I don't feel like listing all the shows he's doing, so just click here if you want the details, okay?


11. "Fortune Teller", Jessie Frye
    Congratulations to Ms. Frye for getting mentioned in the New York Times as one of the local acts worth seeing. If you want to see why the New York Times is impressed, check her out Wednesday at 2 pm at Betsy's Bar. Or check her out Friday at 6 pm at the Omni Hotel Downtown. Or check her out Saturday at 6 pm at the Austin Hilton Hotel. Or check out her Saturday at midnight at tenOak. Or check out all those shows.


12. "Slick Shoes", The Virgin Wolves
    Like Siren Sea, Virgin Wolves are also playing The Blind Pig. They'll take the stage Thursday night about 9 pm.


13. "Indian Melody", Calhoun
    Calhoun seems to be bookending its SXSW shows, with one Tuesday night at Treasure Island (official SXSW show) at 11 pm, and two unofficial shows Saturday (Doc's Motorworks day party at 5 pm, then Bar Louie at 10 pm). And in the middle of all that, the band will sneak back up to the metroplex and play the Dallas Museum of Art Friday night. And you thought there wouldn't be any good local shows this week.

Oh, and if I forgot to mention any shows by the above acts, let me know in the comments section. And if there are other local bands playing the festival you feel are deserving of attention, the comment section is good for that too.

Ghost of Blind Lemon Radio Playlist: 5/25/11

Again, thanks to Ducado Vega and Bloodrich for hanging out with me and performing on the show. I'll get more show recommendations up later, but needless to say, their show at The Bone with The Kul, The Red 100's, and Gypsy Bravado is THE show of the weekend. Now, on with the playlist.

"Red Palomino", The Demigs
"Prepared", Jessie Frye
"New Disco", Stella Rose
"Eyes Get Bigger", Oil Boom
"Better by Design", John Lefler
"Buy You", Spookeasy
"Crawl", The Virgin Wolves
"Love Bomb", Rude King
"Flick the Moon at Mars", One Red Martian
"Daylight", El Cento
"No, MY Generation", Kirby Brown
"Desperate Times", Old 97's
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Tim Locke
"Indian Melody", Calhoun
"These Are the Dead Days", Calhoun
"Coma Rally", Coma Rally
"Tearing up the Road", Grand Street Cryers
IN STUDIO PERFORMANCE: Ducado Vega & Bloodrich
"sEVEN"
"Love/Hate"
"Hella"
"Set Me Free", The Red 100's
"Time for a Change", The O's
"Labor of Love", Smile Smile
"Ellie", Scott Riegel
"Hush", Anna Thomas
"Two Words", Taylor Marie
"Will You Be There", Pale Horse

And if you'd like me to play your songs on my Deep Ellum Radio show, send some mp3s to ghost@deepellumradio.com and if I like what I hear, I'll play it.

Snow Days

So, is anyone else getting cabin fever here? I certainly am. I haven't left the house in three days, and I'm not digging this. As a result, I have not recorded another radio show with deepellumradio as of yet. Rest assured, there will be another episode. When it is done, I will let everyone know.

In the meantime, I have a few songs for you to get you through this wintery weather. And believe it or not, they both share the same name: "Snow Day". What are the odds of two local songs sharing that name? The first of the two Snow Days comes from Calhoun's upcoming release, Heavy Sugar. I've said this before, I'll say it again: this is Calhoun's best work to date. Go ahead and take a listen to the song below:

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The second Snow Day comes from a Denton singer-songwriter by the name of Karyna Cruz. Her songs are more piano based and in a similar vain to that of Emmeline (but not as depressing of lyrics). In fact, I believe I discovered her music through Emmeline. Karyna will be performing tonight at Opening Bell Coffee, and I have no doubt she'll play this song. If you like the song, I believe it's still available as a free download thru her website. Here's a video of her performing that song last October at Cafe de Lux in Denton.



Hope these songs help put you in a better mood and better able to combat the cabin fever.

UPDATE: Karyna's Opening Bell show is NOT happening tonight. You'll just have to enjoy the video tonight instead.

The Lucky Thirteen: 1/17/10

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.

1. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   Menkena fans, this is your lucky week. Their new album, With You I'll Travel, hits iTunes this Tuesday. If you'd prefer a physical copy of the CD, go to Good Records on Thursday where the band will perform and sign copies of the CD. Then on Saturday, it's the big CD release show at LaGrange with Novaak and Mike Graff (ex-Course of Empire). I'm starting to drool just thinking about all this Menkena.


2. "New Hope PA", The Chemistry Set
   I got into a lengthy discussion with Scott Tucker from The Orange this past Friday night, and we discussed many bands that are no more, including Hi-Fi Drowning (one of his favorites EVER) and Chemistry Set (one of my favorites EVER). He was talking about what he thought was their last CD (their self-titled full length), but in fact he didn't know about their second full length, Blue Monsters. I told him about this CD, and how the opening track "New Hope PA" is one of my favorite album openers of any album. I figured I'd include it on the playlist for Scott and the rest of you to hear.


3. "Buy You", Spookeasy
   It's been a long time where I've been lured into a show while walking down the street, but that's exactly what happened to me Friday night. I passed Club Dada, liked what I heard, and paid cover for Spookeasy. Their live set is a little more rocking than the CD, which has a slight new wavish feel to it. The intro to this track almost reminds me of Cocteau Twins for some reason. But whether live or on CD, this band gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from me.


4. "Tryin' to Have a Good Time", The O's
   I'm having a hard time buying this song. The O's trying to have a good time? The O's don't try to have a good time. To use the word "try" implies a possibility of not succeeding, and The O's NEVER fail at having a good time. Like I said, The O's don't try to have a good time. If anything, good times try to have The O's.


5. "Knife Fight", Calhoun
   Bet you enjoyed that O's song, didn't you? And I'll bet you're digging this Calhoun song too, aren't you? You're probably wishing you could see both bands live right about now, correct? Well good news my friends, because both acts will play this Friday at The Moon in Fort Worth, along with Taylor Craig Mills.


6. "Save Your Breath", Camille Cortinas
   I've been noticing a marked increase in shows by Mrs. Cortinas, and that's good to see. I'm hoping this means she's getting ready for a CD release show in the very near future. No word on that yet, but I can tell you that your next opportunity to see her comes this Saturday at Opening Bell Coffee. The OBC website says it's "Camille Cortinas & Friends". Not sure who the "friends" will be, but I feel safe in saying it'll be a good show.


7. "New Disco", Stella Rose
   If you listened to my podcast of my top 40 songs of last year, many of the selections were no surprise. This track, however, got very little attention on the blog, even though it charted at a quite impressive #21. I felt now might be a good time for my readers to become better acquainted with the track.


8. "Set Me Free", The Red 100's
   Last Friday found me wandering around Deep Ellum, going from show to show. Many sets that I wanted to see I either missed or didn't see near enough of the set. The latter situation is what happened for me with The Red 100's. But what little I saw of their set had me simply in awe of the band. Remember the name Red 100's, because you'll be talking about them this year. A lot. A whole lot.


9. "Beautiful Girl", Mr. Sleaze
   After hearing this song the past few weeks on The Local Edge, I've gotta admit that this song is really growing on me. And no, I don't know who Mr. Sleaze is. His identity, for now, remains a mystery.


10. "Flower on the Wall", Kerri Arista
    I must admit to an error on my most recent blog spot. Kerri Arista's show at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse was NOT this past Friday, but will instead be this Friday. My apologies if I sent anyone out to Uncle Calvin's only to be disappointed by there being no Kerri Arista there.


11. "to the 9's", hormones
    No interesting comments on my behalf or breaking news on the bad. I just like this song.


12. "Barn Burner", The Roomsounds
    Have I mentioned that there'll be a GOBL showcase coming soon? I'll give you more details very soon, but in the meantime, I'll say that The Roomsounds will be part of the fun.


13. "Japanese Space Opera", Mazinga Phaser
    I've been trying to dig a little deeper into the history of Dallas music and research artists I was not as familiar with. I'd heard about Mazinga Phaser and started checking out tracks from their CD Abandinallhope. I'm not sure how I missed out on the band the first time around, but I'm seriously loving their shoegaze melodies and dreamy vocals now.

Local Edge Playlist: 1/2/11

"Another Year", Sunday Drive
"We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
"to the 9's", hormones
"Tunnelvisionary", The Flowers of God featuring Sarah Jaffe
"Prophet", Datahowler
"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"Stories", Heard
"Icing", Roy Robertson
"Beautiful Girl", Mr. Sleaze
"River Song", Seryn
"Killswitch", The Red 100's
"Shivonne", Menkena
"Finger Trace", Ryan Thomas Becker
"Time", Frankie 45 & Ben Martin

The Lucky Thirteen: 12/27/10

I must say that even though 2010 has not ended yet, it appears that 2011 is going to be a killer year for local music. Below I have shared just a few tracks from albums to be released next year that are among my most eagerly anticipated releases.

But first, let's talk about memories, like the corners of my mind. Misty water-colored memories of the way they were. No, there are not going to be any Streisand tunes on the playlist. I will, however, take a few moments to reflect on a few bands that called it quits in 2010.

So here's the deal: the first six tracks on the Lucky Thirteen are by bands that broke up this year, and the last seven give an opportunity to happily look forward to the metroplex's musical future.

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. "Infatuations Never Last", The Slack
   It appears that The Slack doesn't last either. The band made no fanfare, fading out quietly with their final show being an opening gig for Cas Haley. Fortunately, lead singer Chris Holt has continued releasing solo CDs. In fact, A Cosmic Joke is easily one of my favorite CDs of the year.


2. "Evil on the Highway", Dove Hunter
   Quincy Holloway is easily one of my favorite drummers in the metroplex. Now that Dove Hunter is gone, I'm wondering what project he'll take on next. If anyone knows, feel free to pass that info my way.


3. "Need a Release", the cut*off
   After about eight years together, the cut*off played their final show this past May. The band not only featured surprisingly sharp lyrics set to a Pixies meet Neil Young backdrop, but the members are some of the coolest, nicest musicians around.


4. "Undercover", Bridges and Blinking Lights
   It seems that the trend this year was for bands to quietly break up without an official farewell show. Personally, I prefer having the farewell show, but that's just me. Here's another band that opted to skip the farewell show.


5. "Fine Line", Macon Greyson
   The band has never announced the breakup, but I have it on good word that Macon Greyson are no more. Here's a track from their Uneasy CD. In case you were wondering, yes, Cindy Chaffin's blog is named after this song.


6. "Echo and the Pass", Hendrick
   In my countdown of favorite local songs of last year, "Echo and the Pass" took the number one slot. So what does the band do for an encore? Nothing apparently, as the band broke up. There was supposed to be a farewell show, but the band didn't even make it to the farewell show. What a shame.


7. "Knife Fight", Calhoun
   Enough looking back now, let's get our first taste of 2011. Calhoun's Heavy Sugar should be released early this year, and this will satisfy anyone's sweet tooth for catchy pop tunes.


8. "We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
   I finally experienced my first Seryn show recently. There has been a lot of hype surrounding the band, and after seeing them, I can tell you that should believe the hype. I don't even know where to begin in describing how amazing the band is. I do know this: you'll start seeing my face at several of their shows in 2011.


9. "Save Your Breath", Camille Cortinas
   Almost five years after Camille's first full length with Fishing for Comets, here "solo" CD should come out this year. Of course, I thought she'd have an album in 2010, but according to her, it will be released in 2011.


10. "We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
    Many local CDs will be released next year, and of course everything is available for download. I even feel safe in saying there will be a healthy number of local vinyl releases in 2011. But how many bands will be able to claim release in all of the previously mentioned formats PLUS 8-track? Only The O's.


11. "Barn Burner", The Roomsounds
    I'm not sure when in 2011 the band will release a CD, but I'm fairly certain it will happen. Also, keep your eyes on the lookout for a cool show featuring The Roomsounds. Soon. Very soon.


12. "Coffee at Midnight", The Red 100's
    The Red 100's have just started to make their mark on the local music scene. I feel safe in saying that this will be an even bigger year for The Red 100's.


13. "Shivonne", Menkena
    January 28th. Kessler Theater. CD release for With You I'll Travel. Kessler Theater. Also featuring Luna Matto and Daniel Folmer. Be there. No excuses.

The Lucky Thirteen: 12/13/10

Just for the record, next week's playlist will be an all Christmas themed playlist. I am certainly open to suggestions for songs by either bands or fans. You can send your mp3s to ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and if I like what I hear, odds are it'll wind up on next week's playlist. And as usual, if anyone wishes not to be on the list or be removed, you can use the same email address for those purposes. But seriously, why wouldn't you want your song figured?

1. "Indian Melody", Calhoun
   After hearing "Knife Fight" on The Local Edge with Mark, I was quite curious to hear more of what the band had been up to. Jordan Roberts was kind enough to send me a mp3 copy of Heavy Sugar, and this may be my favorite album the band has ever put out. Lead singer Tim Locke describes the effort as more of a return to pop. The genre of pop has been maligned over the years, particularly due to the fact that pop has become synonymous with overproduced, cookie cutter top 40 songs. This track serves as a reminder that pop, done correctly, is a most enjoyable thing.


2. "We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
   I must say, I'm proud to have debuted the new O's track on my blog this past Tuesday. The album it's from, Between the Two, will be released in February. The Calhoun and O's CDs are two of my most anticipated releases of 2011, and both acts feature Taylor Young. Coincidence? I think not.


3. "Allison", Luna Matto
   I may not have an exact record of which songs I've listened to the most within the past month, but this track would certainly have to be in the top 5.


4. "Try Try Try", Spector 45
   Many years, it has been a struggle to find good New Year's Eve shows. This year, there is an overabundance. Just for starters, Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights headline at Granada Theater, Air Review headlines at Dada, and Ishi headlines at Trees. The Spector 45/Marfalites lineup at The Bone has gotten less press than most of the other fine options, but I did not want the show to go ignored.


5. "Coffee at Midnight", The Red 100's
   Finally had the pleasure of meeting Robbie D. Love from The Red 100's. He's quite a talented guitarist, and that talent can be audibly heard in the Red 100's. It's not easy as an instrumental band to keep a listener's attention, but if tracks like this are any indication, The Red 100's will have no difficulty commanding their fan's respect.


6. "Silent Night", Smile Smile
   Here's a little holiday tune from Smile Smile to get you in the Christmas spirit.


7. "Flower on the Wall", Kerri Arista
   I've previously included her track "Walk Beside Me" on the Lucky 13, a very sweet and beautiful song. Kerri has just released a new album, 50 Different Ways, and I have a hunch that her name will become a quite familiar one in the singer-songwriter world next year. This is a small taste of what her album has to offer.
   
8. "District County Court", Daniel Folmer
   I don't have any special explanation for why I included this song, other than the fact that I like it. That's a good enough reason, right?


9. "to the 9's", hormones
   A few weeks ago, when I asked for readers to recommend tracks for the Lucky 13, I received a couple of requests for the band hormones (the band prefers the name not to be capitalized). Since I did not have any mp3s of the band at the time, that was a request that obviously could not be fulfilled. Jordan Williams finally emailed me this track, and it's a quite interesting an unique track. I mean that in a good way.


10. "The Spilling Blood Child", RTB2
    RTB2 will play Saturday night at Double-Wide for the fifth annual Orphanage benefit, along with Air Review and Old Snack.


11. "End of the Planet", The Adventures of Jet
    Sometimes I randomly type in band names and see if Grooveshark has anything by that artist. Sometimes I find myself pleasantly surprised by what's in their catalog. Case in point: Grooveshark has both Adventures of Jet CDs available in their entirity. No Bobgoblin yet, but that's still pretty amazing.


12. "...Name of Every Star", Red Monroe
    I had a conversation with Chris Demiglio of the Demigs recently, and the band Red Monroe came up in conversation. Both of us thought that the band had broken up and faded into oblivion. This is an instance where I'm glad to be wrong. The band has new material available on bandcamp, and it's a pay what you feel like deal. I suspect there'll be an official album release early next year. I'll let you know more as I do.


13. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
    Finally, I'd like to take the opportunity to give out some thank you's. Thanks to Travis Behl and the entire staff of the Green Elephant for letting me host my showcase there and making me feel welcome. Thanks to Pale Horse, for playing even minus a drummer, and thanks also to THe BAcksliders and The Black & Blue. And finally, thanks to everyone who came out and supported the showcase and the bands. Let's do this again soon, okay?

Also, keep your eye on the blog, because later today, I'll be making an announcement that you're going to want to hear. Trust me.

The Lucky Thirteen: 11/29/10

Due to difficulties with Grooveshark, today's playlist has been severely delayed. Before reading comments on the artists, I'd like to point out that two artists on this week's Lucky Thirteen, namely Phoenix Hart and Ronnie Fauss, have Black Monday specials, so hurry to take advantage!!!

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. "Christmas (Doesn't Have to Be So Bad)", THe BAcksliders
   I hope everyone has seen the major showcase announcement on the blog featuring this band as the headliner. Here's a little Christmas song from the band. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I feel it's safe to start dusting off the Christmas songs.


2. "District County Court", Daniel Folmer
   I'm not sure whether the proper artist name for this song is Daniel Folmer or Danny Rush. I just know that I'm digging this more rockin' country side of the man.


3. "Until We Meet Again", Phoenix Hart
   While at Emmeline's CD party (I'll discuss the event more later), I had the privilege of meeting Ms. Hart. She's every bit as likable as her tunes. Speaking of those tunes, you can download her album Save Love for a mere $4.99 until Tuesday, 2:00 A.M. CST. Trust me, that's a steal that you don't want to miss out on.


4. "Do You Love Me?", The Bat Mastersons
   Thanks to my friend Michelle Stockton for giving me a copy of Tales from The Edge Vol. 7 & 8, featuring this Bat Mastersons classic that I hadn't heard since it came out in 1993. It was a nice blast from the past.


5. "8587 (Birthday)", Sore Losers
   Nic Hernandez requested the duo's "Epic Outro" a few weeks back. Now I'm spotlighting my personal favorite of Sore Losers.


6. "When We Were Wild", The Orbans
   The Orbans will open for the Epic Ruins CD release show at Lola's this Saturday. Calhoun, also featured on this week's Lucky Thirteen, completes the bill.


7. "Clara", Paul Slavens
   Also this Saturday night, Opening Bell Coffee has quite the stellar lineup with Summer Ames, Garrett Owen, and Mr. Slavens. No word on whether he'll be performing songs from Alphabet Girls, Vol. I, making up songs for donations, or both.


8. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
   Ah, more good shows... this one taking place this Thursday at Rubber Gloves, with Deep Snapper and Paper Robot opening.


9. "Apocalypse (A Love Story)", Calhoun
   I've heard the band's new track, "Knife Fight", on The Local Edge with Mark. I'd love to post that song on a Lucky Thirteen, but alas, I don't have the song. Do you hear that, members of Calhoun? I'd love to play songs from your upcoming album, Heavy Sugar, but I don't have it yet. Maybe you can fix that problem? And no, I'm not too proud to hit up bands for CDs if the music is awesome enough.


10. "Shivonne", Menkena
    Menkena will opening for Birds & Batteries this Thursday at Lochrann's in Frisco. While you're there, bug Jimmy and ask him when the album's coming out.


11. "A Hundred Years", Emmeline
    A few times a year, a show takes place that is more than a nice show, but transcends into a genuinely beautiful experience. Emmeline's CD release was one of those nights. This is a very talented young lady, and I'm proud to have been a part in helping her music get out to the public. Well done, Emmeline, well done.


12. "Barn Burner", The Roomsounds
    What happens when you mix The Roomsounds, Becky Middleton, and ugly Christmas sweaters? Find out Friday night at The Prophet Bar.


13. "Driving Through Memphis", Ronnie Fauss
    Ronnie's CDs are being sold for a 2-for-1 price; click here to take advantage of this opportunity. This track is from his new CD, Mulligan, and will most likely be played Saturday when he opens for Grant Jones and the Pistol Grip Lassos at the Kessler Theater this Friday Thursday.

Local Edge Playlist: 11/28/10

"Sexy Weekend", Legsweeper
"Buyer's Remorse", Les Americains
"Virgin Eyes", Hoyotoho
"River song", Seryn
"Devil's Nest", Lalagray
"The Penitent", Whiskey Folk Ramblers
"Childhood (LehtMoJoe Remix)", GalleryCat vs. Mount Righteous
"Write for You", Goodwin
"Relying", Katie Carroll
"Allison", The Burning Hotels
"The Walls (What the Birds Know)", The Boom Boom Box
"Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
"Good Night's Rest", Tweed EQ
"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"Child and Cobra", Epic Ruins

(Just my opinion here, but the Hoyotoho song is totally sick... in a good way)

Local Edge Playlist: 11/14/10

"The Silent Tide", The Phantom Caste
"Turning Blue", Fergus and Geronimo
"You're No Good", Pale Horse
"Medicine", Daniel Folmer
"Seen It All", Fate Lions
"This Way", Foe Destroyer
"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"Buyer's Remorse", Les Americains
"Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
"Quick and Clean", Ella Minnow
"Mind in Trouble", Oil Boom
"Praying Matas", Ryan Thomas Becker
"Wooden Floors", Nicholas Altobelli
"Sad Song", Smile Smile

Local Edge Playlist: 11/7/10

"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"A Book About Us", Soft Environmental Collapse
"Awake", Air Review
"Buyer's Remorse", Les Americains
"For All I Know", Charming Gardeners
"Broken Camera", Stanton
"Medicine", Daniel Folmer
"Child and Cobra", Epic Ruins
"What Was Missing", Descender
"Black Swans", Datahowler
"Cut the Lights", Manned Missiles
"Van Occupanther (Live)", Midlake
"I'm Immune", Chris Holt
"Romance Tried to Kill Me", Cocky Americans

Local Edge Playlist: 10/31/10

I've made no secret for my love of The Local Edge with Mark. Rarely do I ever turn my radio on while at home. In fact, there's only one hour a week when that happens: Sunday night from 11 pm to midnight. Many artists that I've posted on my playlists, including The Roomsounds and Katie Carroll, I might not have discovered were it not for Mark and his show.

The one frustration that I had recently, however, was the lack of updated playlists on the KDGE website. I asked Mark if he'd mind if I posted the playlists on this site, and he said to go for it. Since then, he has updated about three months worth of playlists. Still, I will be posting these almost immediately after the show. That means if you just can't wait to find out the name of that awesome song you heard, wait no more. And Mark, if you ever fall behind on your posts again, don't worry. I've got your back.

"Cut the Lights", Manned Missiles
"You Still Love Me Blondie", Matthew and the Arrogant Sea
"New Dress", The Orbans
"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"Broken Camera", Stanton
"Dammit", Smile Smile
"Ghoul Party", Slider Pines
"My Niagra Heart", Spooky Folk
"Darker than the Night", Dead Twins
"Yellow Eyes", The Burning Hotels
"Returning to the Air", The Slow Burners
"The Great Exhibition", Roy Robertson
"You're No Good", Pale Horse
"Lonesome Tune", The Beaten Sea

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/21/10 -3/27/10

1. "Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
   This is a status update posted from my personal Facebook account: "I've just received several mastered mp3's from Luna Matto and they are freakin' amazing. Opening my email was like Christmas morning!" Not only are the songs wonderful (as I would have expected), but Jimi Bowman's production job leaves no room for complaints or even suggestions. Expect to see lots of Luna's music on my playlists for the next few weeks. Actually, expect to see lots of her music throughout the year.


2. "Will You Be There", Pale Horse
   Pale Horse is keeping their calendar full, but keep an eye out for a really special show in the near future. I'll tell you more as the date come closer.


3. "Nothing Ever Goes Right", Salim Nourallah
   Oak Cliff has slowly been transforming itself into a cool bohemian type neighborhood. Jeffrey Liles' opening of the Kessler Theater will no doubt make the area even more interesting. He has several good shows planned there, including this Friday's show featuring Nicholas Altobelli, Rahim Quazi, Chris Holt, and Mr. Nourallah.


4. "Honky Tonk Angels (Don't Happen Overnight)", Eleven Hundred Springs
   So, you live in Plano and are frustrated because you have to drive to Downtown Dallas to hear good bands live? Saturday will be a nice reprieve for you then, as Eleven Hundred Springs takes the stage at Love & War.


5. "Bragging Type", Trey Johnson
   Ever since I saw Mr. Johnson perform at Poor David's Pub the previous weekend, Mount Pelee is in heavy rotation again. This track in particular has been going through my head a lot lately. There are worse things than that.


6. "Undercover", Bridges & Blinking Lights
   I'm going to make a confession here. It's taken me a long time to get B&BL. Even the first few times I heard this track, I thought it was good but not great. Fortunately, KXT and Mark from The Local Edge have insisted on playing it repeatedly, and with each listen I grew more fond of the song. Mission accomplished: I get it now.


7. "Woman/Free", Calhoun
   Last May, Calhoun played a show at Aardvark that they said would be their last for awhile. That usually translates to "final show" and "breakup of the band". Imagine how surprised I was then to discover that the band is recording new material and planning for a new album to be released this summer. The band also posted three free downloads on their bandcamp site of tracks that will not be on the album. If these are the tracks that didn't make the cut, this bodes very well for the quality of their next release.


8. "Pretty Boys", Sara Radle
   Tonight Ms. Radle returns to Dallas with her new band, Walking Sleep. They will play at Barley House along with Happy Bullets.


9. "Knock on a Nail", Mildred
   This is one of my favorite local tracks from the early 90's, also featured on Tales from the Edge Volume 2.


10. "Sandman", Bonedome
    Speaking of the Tales from the Edge series, I previously said that George Gimarc would have put this track on one of the CDs in a heartbeat. While it's unfair of me to put words in Mr. Gimarc's mouth, the song definitely captures the early 90's alternative rock sound extremely well, and would have fit so comfortably along side such classic local bands as The Spin, Pop Poppins, Moon Festival, Bat Mastersons, and so forth. Bonedome will undoubtedly perform this song Friday night at LaGrange for the CD release show of Thinktankubator.


11. "We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
    Plano isn't the only suburb getting a local music treat. At the Flower Mound Toms shoe store, Seryn will be performing Saturday afternoon, along with possibly my favorite Austin musician, Jaimee Harris. Oso Closo was on the bill, and I'm not sure if Oso Closo offshoot Foe Destroyer will take their place or what will happen. All I know is that you have the opportunity to buy new shoes, hear good music, and help those in need all at the same time. By the way, if you don't know the story behind Toms, click on the link above.


12. "Party Like You Mean It", Damaged Good$
    I enjoyed this song from last week's playlist so much that I decided to keep the party going strong.


13. "Truth on Tape", Smile Smile
    Sometimes you play a song several times before really hearing it. This past week I finally heard "Truth on Tape" for the first time, and it is an amazing song that perfectly balances heartbreak with great soaring catchy melodies. This is easily the best song the band has recorded to date, and the rest of the album is very good as well.