The Lucky Thirteen: 8/16/10 + Bonus Video

(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. "Punchline Afternoon", Charming Gardeners
   Authors often obsess over the first sentence of a novel, knowing how it establishes the tone of the story. Musicians likewise have to create an opening hook to a song that will be memorable to the listener. "Punchline Afternoon" has a killer intro that sets the tone for this powerhouse of a power-pop song. My hats off to Marc Solomon, Amy Curnow, and the rest of the band.


2. "The Longest Winter's Gone", The Crash That Took Me
   The band plays an all too rare show this Friday at Granada Theater, playing with Speak and Radiant.


3. ""In Reach of Fame", R. Jason Bonner
   You've probably heard that Jason is no longer with THe BAcksliders, opting to focus on his solo career. The man is responsible for writing many of the band's song, such as this track. After seeing him at Lakewood Bar & Grill, it is apparent that he has plenty of good songs in him.


4. "New Dress", The Orbans
   I've said before that this band was on the verge of hitting it big. I'm obviously not their only fan, as their album When We Were Wild is at #74 on the College Music Charts. A forewarning to my readers: expect to see lots of Orbans songs on upcoming playlists.


5. "City of Hate", Toadies
   Kirtland Records has finally released Feeler, the album that was originally supposed to be the follow up to Rubberneck. Here's my question: is it fair to call this a "new Toadies" song?


6. "Harder Than It's Ever Been", Fergus & Geronimo
   Let me make this clear: I have no objection to the music of Fergus & Geronimo. This is catchy indie rock with a slight hint of 60's pop in the songs. I also think that Fergus & Geronimo are as much Funk/R&B as Cake are Rap/Hip-Hop. I do not feel Dallas Observer should have nominated the band in that category, much less let them take home the award. I know it's late to chime in on this, but it's been weighing on me. I feel better now, having gotten that off my chest.


7. "Long Live the Live Long Day", Western Giants
   The band sent me their EP of the same name earlier this year, and while I liked it at the time, it never got the full attention from me that it deserved. After having come up several times on iTunes shuffle, I'm finding that their dreamy alt-country style is really growing on me. Fans of Pleasant Grove and Elkhart will probably really dig this.


8. "A Long Time", Trey Johnson
   I'm not ready to render a final verdict on Mr. Johnson's new album, Where the East Ends, but I will dare say that this track is one of the catchiest songs Trey has ever written. Nice work.


9. "Romance Tried to Kill Me", Cocky Americans
   Cocky Americans are now being represented by Manhandler Booking. In case you're not familiar with Manhandler, it's run by Chelsea Callahan. I wish Ms. Callahan and all her bands much success.


10. "Where the Light Is", Emmeline


11. "Paper Girl", Katie Carroll


12. "Supernatural", Rahim Quazi
    Major announcement: "The Ghost" is turning 25 next week. Really, I am turning 25. Just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and so on. Here's the point. I'm celebrating my birthday this Saturday at Opening Bell Coffee with the three aforementioned artists, as well as two out of town acts (Peter Janson and Corrine Chapman). The show starts at 6:00 with Emmeline, and cover is only $5. Don't miss this!


13. "Autumn Leaves", Danny Balis
    Since Opening Bell Coffee closes at midnight, don't be surprised if I drop by Adair's to check out Danny and the rest of the King Bucks. Oh yes, there will be fun.

As you may have heard already, Ace McNeeley passed away last Monday. My condolences and sympathies go out to his family and friends. In tribute, I offer this video of Ace's band, Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos. I think the song title sums everything up perfectly.

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/14/10 - 3/20/10

NX35 wraps up tonight, leaving you a brief breather before that OTHER major music festival in Texas. I must say, I'm disappointed by how little of the metroplex area is represented in the official SXSW showcases. Frankly, I think that as a whole, the bands playing the unofficial shows are better than most of the locals playing the official shows. Still, I'm letting you have a taste of both sides of the fence. You'll get several official bands that you'll need to pay lots of money to see, as well as many playing free unofficial showcases.

1. "Austin's Birthday", The Burning Hotels
   The official show happens Wednesday night at Jaime's at about one in the morning. What's even cooler, however, is the fact that they're playing at the Fort Worth Grab Bag show Thursday at Dominican Joe's free of charge. Their set starts at 6:30 on the outdoor stage. Other bands playing the showcase include Fate Lions, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, and Goodwin just to name a few. This is easily the king of unofficial showcases.


2. "Dawn", Nicholas Altobelli
   Here's some more unofficial fun: Nicholas Altobelli performs Saturday at Thunderbird Coffee around 7:00, where I'm sure he'll be performing songs from his upcoming release, The Regulator. (NOTE: the Thunderbirds show is cancelled)


3. "Tell It in My Ear", Fergus and Geromino
   This Teenage Cool Kids side project has gotten plenty of buzz around these parts, and they'll be trying to spread the buzz at SXSW. This is an official show starting at about 9:00 pm Saturday night at Red 7.


4. "Minor It Down", True Widow
   They'll be performing Friday night at Encore around midnight, and yes, this is an official showcase. If you haven't seen the band play live yet, then this is a must see show for you.


5. "Acts of Man", Midlake
   Here's yet another official show, this one happening Thursday night (about 1:00 AM) at Buffalo Billiards.


6. "TNT Family", Holy Moly
   I don't have a start time for their set at Darwin's Pub; all I can tell you is that it's an unofficial show Friday night.


7. "When Hammer Hits Stone", RTB2
   RTB2 is another one of the acts performing Thursday at the previously mentioned Fort Worth Grab Bag showcase. Need more RTB2? They'll also be playing Friday afternoon at Momo's club around 5:20 or so.


8. "Party Like You Mean It", Damaged Good$
   If any local artist could claim to party like they mean it, it would be Damaged Good$. Attend the party, I mean official show, Friday night (10:00 pmish) at The Independent.


9. "Robin", Little Black Dress
   For those who will arrive in Austin Wednesday night, don't miss LBD's official show at The Hideout. The set starts around 1:00 AM.


10. "Even Born Again", Sarah Jaffe
    Ms. Jaffe's set starts at 8:00 pm Thursday night at St. David's Historic Sanctuary, a quite unlikely place for a SXSW show.


11. "Have You Ever Been Down?", THe BAcksliders
    Were the folks at SXSW intimated by the wild performances and energetic rock stylings of THe BAcksliders? This band deserves all the buzz it can get. SXSW may have been intimidated, but fortunately the Electra Beauty Lounge isn't as easily scared. That's where they perform Saturday afternoon around 3 pm.


12. "Shake Your Fist", Telegraph Canyon
    It's no surprised that Telegraph Canyon, one of the most critically acclaimed bands around here as of late, is performing an official show Saturday night at The Ale House. The set time is 8:00 pm.


13. "She's from the Other Side", Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
    It used to be that each year their would be that "breakout" artist at SXSW. Norah Jones was a "breakout" artist, and perhaps our metroplex can score another breakout with JT&NL. Not only does our music community need a success story, but this band has the talent to pull it off. Check out both of their official shows: Thursday at midnight at Maggie May's and Saturday at Galaxy Room Backyard (9:00 pm). Can't afford the real shows? No worries, because they'll be performing Friday afternoon at Antone's (not sure of the set time).

And if there are any other good local acts I've forgotten to list (especially good unofficial shows), feel free to post them in the comments section.