Pre 4th of July Weekend Plans

Expect to hear more from me in the coming days. In the meantime, there are a few shows happening this weekend that I couldn't let pass without mentioning. Without further ado, here they are.


FRIDAY
Ian Moore & The Loosy Coils/Seth Walker/Rahim Quazi (The Kessler)
My Weekend Plan segment has always been a favorite of Mr. Quazi's, so it only seemed appropriate to do one on a weekend he's playing. Granted, he's only the opening slot, but any show featuring Rahim is one worth mentioning. There are few artists who not only put on a consistently good show as he does, but also even fewer who manage to keep each performance fresh and unique. My only complaint? It's taking WAY too long for the follow up to Supernatural to be released. What's up with that?
Gravity Feed/Ten Can Riot/Regetta de Faux/Geronamo/Christian Rios/Blake Mackey (Lakewood Bar & Grill)
This show is a celebration of the club's assistant manager (and friend of the Ghost) Jon Keener, and that's reason enough for me to attend. Get there early, as Blake Mackey is worth hearing. The man just might be the most talented acoustic guitar player in the metroplex. And while I've yet to hear Ten Can Riot, I've heard plenty of good reviews on the band.
Fate Lions/Soviet/Man Factory/Tape Deck Mountain (Lola's)
Power pop makes a strong showing tonight at Lola's, and Fate Lions are arguably the best power pop act in town. Soviet has often mislabeled as punk, whereas garage pop would be a much more fitting label. Either way, Soviet makes some pretty catchy tunes themselves.
The Demigs/Paper Robot/Deep Snapper (Andy's)
For those who have listened to my show on Deep Ellum Radio, you've undoubtedly heard me play The Demigs on more than one occasion. Their album Cities Can Wait is easily one of the best sounding albums of the year. Yes, the production is first rate, but more importantly, the songs match the same level of quality as the production. Fans of late 80's/early 90's pre-grunge a la Pixies will not want to miss this show.


SATURDAY
Rock-A-Tron 5000 Music Festival (Dada)
Somehow this festival almost slipped underneath my radar. I don't know if that's a sign that the show is being underpromoted or if I'm just that out of the loop. Either way, this all day event has plenty of good acts, including openers Spookeasy (2:15 pm), Sealion (8:15 pm), and Here Holy Spain (12:45 pm), all of which are playing on the indoor stage.
The Marfalites/Southern Karma/Steve Jackson/Mr. Troll (Poor David's Pub)
I previously called The Marfalites "Dallas' best kept secret in country music." Perhaps part of the reason they're not better known is that the band as of yet has not released a CD. They're working on their official CD, Three Penny and No Soul. But around the time that CD is released, they will ALSO release a live CD of Saturday's show. In fact, every one who pays the cover at Saturday's show gets their very own copy of the CD free of charge. And The Marfalites are definitely a band deserving of its own live CD, as they are easily one of the better live acts in the metroplex.
The King Bucks (Adair's)
There's been a lot more talk about The King Bucks this week due to a rather vicious writeup in the DC9 at Night blog. The author blasted the band for not having enough stage presence and not connecting with the audience. Admittedly, the band is pretty much the antithesis of flashy, but that would really not fit the Bucks. The King Bucks play simple, old school country: nothing more, nothing less. And if real country is what you're looking for, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option than the Bucks. And as for not connecting with the audience, Chad Stockslagger's banter alone shoots down any arguments that the band cannot connect with its audience. And the songs definitely connect with the audience, and really, isn't that what it's about?
Bronze Whaler/The Virgin Wolves/Binary Sunrise (Hailey's)
Tweed EQ/Bigelow Station/The Roomsounds (City Tavern)
Dead Rider/Nervous Curtains/Pinkish Black (Double-Wide)
Too many good shows, not enough time to discuss them. What a wonderful problem to have.

Weekend Plans: 5/13/11

While Friday the 13th is in theory supposed to be an unlucky day, this weekend seems to be very lucky for fans of local music. There are an abundance of good shows this weekend, more so than unusual. The only unlucky part is that you can't be in more than one place at a time. I'd need at least three of me to reasonably cover all this good music.

And while I eventually will start giving more commentary on my weekend recommendations, today will not be that day.


FRIDAY:

• RTB2/THe BAcksliders/The Demigs (Dan's Silverleaf)


• Emmeline (Roots Coffeehouse)


• The Orbans/Quaker City Nighthawks/Fate Lions (Magnolia Green Park)


• Jessie Frye/Salim Nourallah & Chris Holt/Manned Missiles (LaGrange)


• Rahim Quazi/Mora Collective/Mi Prospero (Opening Bell Coffee)


• Dallahachie Boys/The Marfalites/The Driftin' Outlaw Band (The Bone)


• The Boom Boom Box/Garbaj Kaetz/Darktown Strutters/Unconscious Collective (Pastime Tavern)

SATURDAY:

• HOMEGROWN FEST (Just click on the link for all the important info)


• The Beaten Sea/Oil Boom/Dovetail (Kessler Theater)


• Garrett Owen/Jaimee Harris/Tiger Darrow/Matthew Bridgman (Opening Bell Coffee)


• North of Autumn (Lochrann's)


• Binary Sunrise/L.A.X./Nervous Curtains/New Fumes (Club Dada)

I feel certain that I've omitted a show of significance. Show me the error of my ways in the comments section.

The Lucky Thirteen: 12/6/10

As you might have noticed, I'm just a little bit excited about my showcase this Friday at Green Elephant. For those who somehow missed my post and tweets, here's the deal: THe BAcksliders, Pale Horse, and The Black & Blues are performing a showcase of mine this Friday at The Green Elephant. And not to brag or anything, but this is going to be seriously amazing. I am super proud of this lineup, and I hope you will come and check it out.

But back to the playlist. This week, I'm spotlighting not only the artists playing my showcase this Friday, but an assortment of acts that I have had the privilege of performing at my showcases.

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. "Regular Nights", THe BAcksliders
   This is the second showcase of mine featuring THe BAcksliders. They also performed for the GOBL one year anniversary show at Club Dada in 2008.


2. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   Pale Horse has also had experience with GOBL showcases, having performed this past May at my Cavern showcase.


3. "Thinkuboutmi", Keite Young
   Unfortunately, I do not have any Black & Blues songs to share with you. I'll do the next best thing, and feature a solo track from B&B lead singer Keite Young. This guy has a serious set of pipes on him, and you need to get there good and early so that you don't miss this band.


4. "What I Always Wanted", Chris Holt
   I love it when I get to be the first to debut a song. Erv from Idol Records shared this new Christmas track from Mr. Holt, and I'm stoked to let my readers hear it now! And just so you know, Chris performed at the first GOBL showcase, which was held December 29, 2007 at Opening Bell Coffee.


5. "Borrowed Time", The Monco Poncho
   The Monco Poncho headlined my first showcase at Lakewood Bar & Grill...


6. "The Queen Himself", Fate Lions
   And Fate Lions headlined my last showcase at that venue.


7. "Rocketships", Menkena
   Menkena helped me ring in the second year anniversary of the blog with a show at City Tavern.


8. "Romance Tried to Kill Me", Cocky Americans
   Cocky Americans were on the same Cavern bill with Pale Horse. Roomsounds played that night as well.


9. "Your Virgo", Lovie
   Lovie has played two showcases of mine. The first was an Opening Bell Coffee showcase, mere days after the band won Quick magazine's 2008 Battle of the Bands. The second time, they played at Lakewood Bar & Grill along with The Felons and The Burgundys.


10. "We've Had Everything", The O's
    The O's also performed at my two year anniversary show at City Tavern. And no, you didn't miss out on the 3 year anniversary show. I didn't organize one. I guess I'll have to make #4 even bigger to make up for it.


11. "Buyer's Remorse", Les Americains
    Here's yet another in the long list of acts that played my Lakewood Bar & Grill showcases.


12. "Slideshows", Rose County Fair
    John Pedigo has done plenty of my showcases, both as half of The O's as well as this band of his. RCF played both of my showcases at Dada, both my one year anniversary show as well as my January 2009 showcase that also featured The O's, Erik Neff, and Nicholas Altobelli.


13. "She Falls", Rahim Quazi
    I believe Mr. Quazi holds the record for most GOBL showcases. He was played solo at my first showcase, then Rahim & The Supernaturals performed the Dada 1 year anniversary show, and he also played one of my Lakewood Bar & Grill shows. And I have a VERY strong feeling that he'll be adding a fourth show to his musical resume. Curious? Good.

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

The Lucky Thirteen: 8/9/10

No promises here, but I'm going to try to get back to writing more. That, and of course, I'll be posting my playlists. I don't have time for commentary now; that will come later tonight. For now, I leave you with a new edition of The Lucky Thirteen. I'm moving the playlists to Monday. I encourage anyone who likes the playlist to retweet it as part of "Music Mondays", as tweeters like to call it. And if you're not following me on Twitter, do so!

(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.)

1. "German Chocolate Cake", Bravo, Max!
   This band came highly recommended to me by John Keener from Lakewood Bar & Grill. He compared their sound to The Waterboys, and while the comparison doesn't totally fit, it fits better than any that I can come up with. It's certainly a very enjoyable pop song, and I'm curious to see what else this band is capable of.


2. "Regular Nights", THe BAcksliders
   Do you know how I knew this song was going to be good before I even heard it? I knew because it was by THe BAcksliders. Duh. I have yet to be let down by the band, and this new song shows that they've still got the goods. They'll prove it this Friday night in Sachse... that's right, Sachse. The band will play at Monkey's Pub N Grub off Highway 78. Sachse, you don't know what you're in for.


3. "If My Heart Was A Car", Old 97's
   As you might have noticed, I've switched from Hypster to Grooveshark for my playlists. Grooveshark doesn't have a lot of local music on there, but it has a surprisingly respectable selection of songs from Slobberbone and Old 97's, even going all the way back to this, my favorite track from Hitchhike to Rhome.


4. "The Message", Dem Southernfolkz
   I had good intentions in regards to blogging about the Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase. I think there's some cliche about a road paved with good intentions. Anyways, back to the DOMA showcase. Of all the performances I saw that night, none could compare to Dem Southernfolkz. Their fusion of southern soul and thought provoking hip-hop was the highlight of my evening. At the very least, DSFZ has become my new favorite rap group. Judging by the band's victory at the Dallas Observer Music Awards, I'm not the only fan.


5. "The Queen Himself", Fate Lions
   Ever since KXT put Fate Lions into regular rotation, it seems their presence in the metroplex is looming larger. That's fine by me, as this band produces some really catchy tunes such as this one. They'll be at The Prophet Bar this Saturday as part of Deep Ellum's Second Saturday, where $10 cover gets you into several clubs.


6. "It's Over Now", Lovie
   One Deep Ellum club that's not participating in the aforementioned Second Saturday is Liquid Lounge. Instead, they'll be hosting an Acoustic Chaos Reunion show, which will include Moonshot Radio (featuring members of The Burgundys) and Lovie. The show is a benefit for Ultraviolet/Cystic Fibrosis.


7. "Farewell", Shaolin Death Squad
   Finally, a metal band I can sink my teeth into. Granted, this is not exactly a serious metal band. Perhaps it's their over the top sense of humor, wardrobe, and stage antics that won me over. This is one of those rare bands like Polyphonic Spree and Spoonfed Tribe where I would say everyone needs to attend a show regardless of what preconceived notions you might have regarding the music.


8. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
   Thanks again to all who sent their mp3s for my last playlist. I discovered many good new artists as a result. Of all the songs on that playlist, however, this particular track stood out as my favorite. The opening riff is quite killer, and this song is vying for the title of "Best Hard Rock Anthem of the Year". I challenge anyone to put out a more rocking song in the remaining months of 2010.


9. "Rocket Seance", Record Hop
   Speaking of bands that rock hard, Record Hop will be at Kessler Theater this Saturday.


10. "Swelling", Sarah Jaffe
    During the first year of my blog, this was possibly my favorite song. Finally, almost three years later, "Swelling" was properly released on Suburban Nature. It's about time.


11. "Burning Pictures", The Monco Poncho
    It's long overdue, but this week I am PROMISING my readers a review of the band's CD, Miserable Man. After you read the review, check out the band Friday Night at City Tavern. We'll compare notes later.


12. "New Dress Were Her", The Orbans


13. "Farewell Republica", Airline
    This weekend it's Farewell Airline. The band plays its final show Saturday at Double-Wide, with The Orbans opening. Speaking of The Orbans, a glitch prevented me from posting "New Dress", so you'll have to settle for "Were Her". And by settle, I mean really, really, enjoy.

The Lucky Thirteen: 1/24/10 - 1/30/10

1. "Everything Dies", Nicholas Altobelli
   Ghost of Blind Lemon readers, you should feel extremely special right now. The song you're listening to here is a Ghost of Blind Lemon exclusive. That's right; you will not find this song on his MySpace. He is slowly debuting songs from his upcoming album, The Regulator, on MySpace. This past Friday, he posted "Pretend It's the Sky" on his site, and if these two tracks are any indication, I think this could prove to be his finest album yet.


2. "Lush Life", Baboon
   Ah, there's nothing quite like the smooth transition from the simple, beautiful folk melodies of Mr. Altobelli to the relaxing and tranquil sounds of Baboon. Uh, scratch that. How about this? There's nothing quite like the jarring transition from the simple, beautiful folk melodies of Mr. Altobelli to the in your face noise rock of Baboon.


3. "You Know Nothing", Inner City All-Stars
   For those who want to see good live music and help the victims of the Haitian earthquake, tonight is the perfect opportunity to do both. The Prophet Bar is hosting a unique evening of world music, ranging from hip-hop to latin to polka to reggae to tribal and just about everything in between. Some of the highlights include Brave Combo, Spoonfed Tribe, and one of my favorites to see live, Inner City All-Stars. Their fusion of New Orleans jazz and hip-hop never fails to please. All the money earned through the cover ($5) goes to the Red Cross. And if you can't make it to tonight's show, I would encourage you find another way to donate.


4. "Jason Bought a Hatchet", Giggle Party
   On the band's website, Party to Death, the band will be debuting a new song each Tuesday which will be free for 24 hours. Don't be like me, who forgot to check the site on Tuesday. As a result, instead of sharing a new track from the band, I offer you this favorite from last year.


5. "All You Do Is Crazy", Fate Lions
   Happy Birthday to Fate Lions drummer Josh Hoover. By the way, if anyone from KXT is reading this, I like it when you play this song. Feel free to continue playing this song on a very regular basis.


6. "Bowling Green", The O's
   Speaking of birthday, Taylor Young will be celebrating his b-day this Friday at City Tavern, and yes, the O's will be performing. I don't know who else will be on the lineup, but still, it's a good excuse to go out, here some cool music, and buy Taylor some birthday shots.


7. "The Royal Me", Les Americains
   I have previously said that this song reminded me of Echo and the Bunnymen. While I still think there is some truth to that statement, upon further listening I think the more accurate comparison would be to The Cult. Either way, I regard both acts as pioneers in 80's music, and while Les Americains is by no means an 80's revival band, the comparisons are meant as high forms of praise. I'll bet they'll play this track Friday night at Prophet Bar, along with the incredible Tonite Tonite and Austinites The Criminal Kind.


8. "All Yesterday's Parties", Nervous Curtains
   One of my favorite's off of Gutterth's second compilation CD, available for free download at their website.


9. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   It's been awhile since I've raved about Mark and The Local Edge. Now that Menkena is playing at The Local Edge showcase this Thursday Night along with Bridges and Blinking Lights and Dovetail at Trees, now might be a good time to resume the raving.


10. "Autumn Leaves", Danny Balis
    Fans of country, pay close attention. Boys Named Sue and The King Bucks (featuring Mr. Balis) will be battling it out at the "World Championship of Honky Tonk" this Saturday night at Sons of Hermann Hall. Who do I think will win? That's an easy one: the audience that gets to see two of Dallas' finest country bands in one night. Cop out answer? Perhaps, but don't expect me to take sides here. I think both acts exemplify all that country music should be.


11. "Shiver Me Timbers", Jokersdeck
    I routinely receive CDs in the mail. This week, however, was the first time I ever had someone FedEx a CD to me, and it was courtesy of the fine folks in Jokersdeck. The band obviously wanted to make certain I had the CD in time for this week's playlist, right before their big CD release show Saturday night at LaGrange. It's a short disc, only seven tracks long, and this track smack dab in the middle stood out to me as their best song.


12. "The Christmas Tree", Stella Rose
    Speaking of CD releases, I somehow missed the fact that Stella Rose recently released a new CD, Drag. The band has had CD release shows in Austin and Fort Worth, and as usual, has no Dallas shows even listed. I don't have the new CD as of yet, but you can listen to tracks on their MySpace page. In the meantime, this is still my favorite track of theirs. And please, Stella Rose, show some love to Dallas!


13. "So Much Better", Rahim Quazi
    I had already planned to post a song of Rahim's on the website simply because of his show Saturday night at Veritas Wine Bar. Yesterday, I received a text message from Rahim with some worrisome news. It read as follows: "Please pray for my dearest friend, Todd Keller, who is having brain surgery Sunday morning. And please pass this on to anyone that believes in the power of prayer." I do not know the status of the surgery, but my thoughts and prayers are with Todd Keller and his family as well as with his friend Rahim. And to those who believe in the power of prayer (or even positive thought), then your prayers (or thoughts) are both welcomed and encouraged. Here's hoping and praying this Saturday's show will be a celebration of Mr. Keller's recovery!