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.

Lucky Thirteen: 10/26/10 (Covers Edition)

With Halloween coming up next Sunday, I wanted to do something to celebrate the day without doing the ever cliched ghosts/goblins/monsters type playlist. So instead, I'm doing what I did last year: an all covers playlist. That may not seem so Halloweenish at first, but stop and think for a second. What do most people do to celebrate this holiday? They dress up in costume, trying on a different character. In a sense, the cover song is the musical equivalent of that.

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.

1. "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", Clay Pendergrass
   I received this tune from Mr. Pendergrass at the same time as "Unicorn $", but I've been saving his reworking of the Paul Simon classic for this week.


2. "Stoned", Funland
   This is from the infamous split single released on Idol Records where Funland covers Old 97's, and Rhett and the gang return the favor.


3. "All The Pretty Girls", Lovie
   I'm not sure how well known this Judys song is known outside of Texas, but it's certainly a classic here. Lovie does quite a nice job with the song as well.


4. "Love Untold", Jayson Bales
   Thanks to Mr. Bales for sending me his cover of this Paul Westerberg song. I've been enjoying his cover at live shows, and am glad to have this to listen to whenever I feel like.


5. "Jump Into The Fire", Tripping Daisy
   Tim DeLaughter and the band remade this Harry Nilsson tune for the soundtrack to the 90's teen horror film The Craft.


6. "Love My Way", The Polyphonic Spree
   Here's another cover from Tim DeLaughter, this time reworking this 80's classic from The Psychedelic Furs. So I did two covers by DeLaughter. It beats covering "Something in the Air" three times in one night. Oh wait, Tim already did that. Open mouth, insert foot.


7. "Wicked Game", Sara Donaldson
   Sara, where have you been? Your gorgeous voice and haunting work on the cello are sorely missed around town. Whether it be covering this Chris Isaak song or playing your own music (I honestly prefer the latter), Dallas needs you.


8. "Damnit", Smile Smile
   Blink-182 has never sounded as good as when done by Smile Smile.


9. "You May Be Right", Holy Moly
   I like their cover of Billy Joel here, but I'd love to hear the band cover some Violent Femmes. The only potential problem is that with lead singer Jim Rose's voice, it might be hard to distinguish their cover from the original.


10. "Hot 'N Cold", Phoenix Hart
    I'm not the biggest Katy Perry fan (and that's putting it mildly), but Ms. Hart does a nice job with this cover. Her own material is even better than this. If you want to hear her and get new music from her, head to House of Blues Thursday night for her CD release with The Roomsounds. Don't hold me to this, but I believe that you get the CD with the price of the ticket.


11. "Keep-A-Knockin'", THe BAcksliders
    There's a good chance you'll hear their cover of this Little Richard tune this Saturday, when they perform at Kessler Theater with Floramay Holiday and Trinity River Folk.


12. "Summer Of '69", Bowling For Soup
    Oh yes I did.


13. "99 Luftballoons", Crushed Stars
    Who knew this 80's hit from Nena could sound so dreamy? As far as I'm concerned, this easily trumps the original.

The Lucky Thirteen: 10/11/10

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.

1. "Born and Raised", Trey Johnson
   Any fans of Lissie out there? If you're going to her show tonight at Granada, get there in time to catch Mr. Johnson. Dallas has few singer-songwriters that are at the same level as Trey.


2. "Allison", The Burning Hotels
   Photographer Thom Jackson shot a music video, except the video was without music. He needed someone to write a song for the video, so he asked Burning Hotels to do just that. One might think that with such short notice, the song would be rather disposable. It turns out that the opposite happened: "Allison" is easily the strongest song the band has done. I may be a little biased because of my love of 80's new wave. The song has a similar groove to Flock of Seagulls' "Wishing", except with a darker feel to it. BH, you might want to start adding synthesizers on a regular basis. Think about it.


3. "The Saint's Id", Hi-Fi Drowning
   I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction of last week's flashback Lucky Thirteen. Here's another great song from that period that there just wasn't room for.


4. "Unicorn $", Clay Pendergrass
   fans of mr. pendergrass, take note: clay and his myriad of musical incarnations will be invading good records this thursday. it's a celebration of e.e. cummings' birthday. i'm celebrating his birthday early by giving the caps button a rest.


5. "My Bangs", The Loosies
   I saw The Loosies about a year ago, and I felt the band had potential that had not been fully realized on their first effort, I Love the Loosies. Their newer material is just polished enough to allow the songs to shine without losing any of their sloppy riot grrl sound. And when I say sloppy, I mean that in the best way possible. Check them out Saturday at 2826 Arnetic for their CD release show.


6. "Young & Reckless", The Roomsounds
   The band has some really cool new tunes on their MySpace page. I'd add one of the new songs instead, but no band members have sent me the mp3's. Guys, the email above is there for a reason. Check them out live in Denton this Saturday at Hailey's, along with Gypsy Bravado, The Red 100's, and Luke Wade & No Civilians.


7. "Duelist", True Widow
   Yet another show alert: TW plays this Friday at Double-Wide. Their shows are pretty unbelievable.


8. "Wish", Ronnie Fauss
   My first show of 2010 was the two year anniversary show for Bonafide Darling. Mr. Fauss opened the show, and I heard this track for the first time. In spite of the dark and bitter lyrics (or perhaps because of it), I instantly liked the song and awaited its release. The wait is over: Ronnie Fauss' new EP, Mulligan is out. He's celebrating the release of his CD this Friday at White Rock Coffee, along with GOBL favorite Nicholas Altobelli. Speaking of White Rock Coffee, Mr. Fauss is now taking over booking there. It's a charming place, so let's hope Mr. Fauss can put it on the musical map.


9. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   Pale Horse has a Bandcamp page featuring their debut EP, Future Dimensions. The price? That's up to you. Pay what you can afford to pay. I'd encourage you to at least donate a couple of bucks before downloading. But please, do download and get to know the songs. You're going to want to know their songs for the next time you see them play. They have several shows coming up, one of which just might be put on by yours truly. Stay tuned for details...


10. "Crutch", Hannah Wilshire
    I stumbled upon this artist while wandering thru MySpace, and thought I'd share her music with you, my readers.


11. "Secular Trends", Grassfight
    Last year, Grassfight was the opening act for one of my showcases at Lakewood Bar & Grill. They're the opening act for another upcoming show, but this one's a little bit higher profile of a show. The band opens for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Trees (not Lizard Lounge) on October 24th. For those who had tickets to the BRMC show at Lizard Lounge, they'll be honored at Trees.


12. "Aim High", Chris Holt
    If you were at Mr. Holt's CD release show, you know what an amazing show it was. If you weren't, well I guess it sucks to be you.


13. "Walls", The Rocket Summer
    Although I've had difficulty getting into a lot of Bryce Avery's newer stuff, this tune still packs a major emotional punch for me.

The Lucky Thirteen: 8/30/10 (And a Day Late)

Standard 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. Also, if you just want to upload your songs to Grooveshark, that works too.

1. "City of Hate", Toadies
   On the Weekend Plans post Friday, there was one minor show I left out. Some band called Toadies playing out in New Braunsfel. Hey, it's an easy show to overlook... NOT! My bad.


2. "A Long Time", Trey Johnson
   Tuesday: new Trey Johnson (Where the East Ends) out on iTunes and in stores. I promise I'll share some more tracks off the album, but I've just been enjoying this track too much not to share it again.


3. "Accomplice", Nervous Curtains
   The folks at Gutterth are sponsoring Free Week at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio. There will be free shows all week there; you can go to the Rubber Gloves website for more info. My personal favorite pick? Nervous Curtains on Friday night. I thought "All Yesterday's Parties" was a nice enough song and all, but "Accomplice" is getting under my skin a lot deeper. For those keeping score, that's a good thing.


4. "Katie", Ray Johnston Band
   It would be easy for me to be skeptical of Ray Johnston. Athletes as musicians usually sound as good as actors trying to be musicians. Ray Johnston is the exception to that rule. He might get extra publicity for playing with the Mavericks, but the music stands firmly on its merits.


5. "Her First Party", The Deathray Davies
   DRD is supposed to have finished an album, but no telling when it will be released. The fact that DRD mastermind John Dufilho is touring with Apples in Stereo this fall suggests we'll have to wait longer.


6. "I'm Immune", Chris Holt
   I have to confess I'm only halfway thru Mr. Holt's new album, A Cosmic Joke. Still, if the second half is as good as the first half, this album could be Holt's piece de resistance.


7. "Will You Be There", Pale Horse
   Warning, BAcksliders, Warning!!! Pale Horse is trying to steal the title of "Best Live Band in Dallas" from you! They haven't done it yet, but they're working on it. Don't let this mellow, introspective song fool you: their lives shows rock with an intensity shared only by the best in town.


8. "Emulate", Spector 45
   Sometimes it takes several viewings of a band to finally "get" them. Although I've always thought Spector 45 was good, their EP release at LaGrange was what turned me from a casual fan to fully understanding the talent that Frankie 45 and the gang possess. I see many more Spector 45 shows in my future.


9. "Unicorn $", Clay Pendergrass
   As promised last week, here's a new tune from Mr. Pendergrass.


10. "Devil's Nest", Lalagray
    Ashley Myrick (aka Lalagray) will release her debut album, sharing a name with the above song. Also on the bill is my favorite Austin singer-songwriter, David Ramirez. I hear he used to live in Dallas. Does that qualify him as a "local artist"? Let the debate begin.


11. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
    Do you hate music that really rocks? If so, then do not, I repeat, DO NOT listen to this song and stick with your Michael Bolton. For the rest of you, I offer this song up to again because, well, it rocks.


12. "Pusherman", Nemesis
    While scrolling Facebook statuses, I found the video for this song posted by Pikahsso (PPT, AwkQuaruis). I had heard of Nemesis, not even being aware of the fact that they were from Dallas. The beat is admittedly repetitive, yet that works in the songs favor, as it hypnotizes the listener as opposed to boring the listener. Thanks, Pikahsso.


13. "Star Girl", Katie Carroll
    This beautiful final track from Ms. Carroll's debut album seemed the perfect way to wrap up this playlist.

The Lucky Thirteen: 8/23/10

1. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   J.R. Denson and the gang from Pale Horse were kind enough to let me adopt their EP release party this Friday at Double-Wide as a post birthday celebration. Speaking of Pale Horse, J.R. and Aaron Carder were the first victims of a GOBL interview. If you had witnessed the interview, you'd know why I call them my victims.


2. "Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
   Why, oh, why, Luna? Why do you have to play Friday night against Pale Horse? It's been too long since I've seen one of your shows. Let's change that. The sooner, the better.


3. "Teenage Dope Fiend", Flickerstick
   I got into a conversation about Flickerstick with a girl at the Airline Farewell show the previous weekend. Ever since that, the band's music has been on my mind. Here's one of my favorites from Tarantula.


4. "So in Love With You", Katie Carroll
   First of all, thanks to all who came to Opening Bell Saturday night for my birthday celebration, musicians and friends alike. And I say an extra special thanks to Ms. Carroll for tossing me the first flower during this song. It made me feel special and all.


5. "¿Dónde Está Mi Pantalones? ", Clay Pendergrass
   Mr. Pendergrass recently recorded a couple of new tracks, one of which ("Unicorn $") was originally going to be on this week's Lucky Thirteen. Alas, I couldn't download the track, so look for that track on an upcoming playlist. In the meantime, enjoy this song with the muy divertido title.
   


6. "German Chocolate Cake", Bravo Max
   I previously mentioned how John Keener from Lakewood Bar & Grill is quite the fan of this band. I'm sure he's thrilled that they'll be playing at the bar this Friday night.


7. "Turn Out Empty", The Beaten Sea
   After all the buzz that's been surrounding the band, I figured it was about time I give it a listen. I'm not going to lie; I'm not as in love with the band as many in the scene, but they do have some good tunes. "Turn Out Empty" definitely is a quite nice tune.


8. "Country Fried Quickie", Spector 45
   Pale Horse isn't the only band with an EP release show this weekend. Spector 45 will be at La Grange this weekend, and I'll be continuing post-birthday celebrations there.


9. "Shake Your Dandelion", Ishi
   After all, we all need to shake our dandelions from time to time.


10. "Tempo Bledsoe", Smile Smile
    I liked Blue Roses, but their new CD, Truth on Tape, shows that the band is growing in its songwriting abilities. The title track is easily one of the songs I've listened to the most this year, and "Tempo Bledsoe" is quite a catchy tune as well.


11. "Punchline Afternoon", Charming Gardeners
    Speaking of catchy, I just can't get enough of this tune.


12. "Alibi", The Orbans
    Here's a leftover from Peter Black's days as a Lifter that made it onto When We Were Wild. This is easily the most rocking song off the band's new album, and probably my favorite as well.


13. "Godot", Carter Albrecht
    Mike Snider and Allgood Cafe are throwing a little block party this Saturday that benefits the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation. There are too many good acts to list, so just click here to see the lineup. Sure, I could have posted a song by one of the performing artists, but it was the perfect excuse to post a Carter classic. Not that any excuse is needed.