The Lucky Thirteen: 10/31/11

Ever since I started doing my radio show, I've really backed off of the Lucky Thirteen playlists. And while the radio show meets the vast majority of my needs for sharing music, there are rare exceptions where a playlist works better. This is one of those exceptions.

As you may know, I've made a Halloween tradition out of doing a playlist consisting exclusively of cover tunes. Cover songs may not seem obviously connected to Halloween, and yet there is a connection. The cover song allows the musician to do a sonic dress up of sorts, putting on their favorite song by another artist. So for those who love a good cover as much as I do, then this playlist will be right up your alley.

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. "Hello Susie", THe BAcksliders
   When I first received this single from THe BAcksliders, I just assumed it was a new tune of theirs. When I looked at the songwriting credits, I came to realize the track was not theirs originally. Instead, a British bands from the 1960's called The Move were the original performers. So, now you know. And no, I wasn't going for a BAcksliders reference with that, but I'll keep it anyways.


2. "Shut It Down", Sarah Jaffe
   Much like how people often dress up as Halloween characters that are unlike his or her normal personality, covers can often showcase aspects of an artist's taste that would seem unlikely. This cover of Ms. Jaffe's of the Drake song would definitely qualify as unlikely. The amazing thing is how her haunting voice so brilliantly transforms the song into sultry, moody, and gorgeous. I shouldn't be surprised though. This is, after all, Sarah Jaffe.


3. "To Love Somebody", Slobberbone
   Slobberbone does a fine job of capturing the heartache of this Bee Gees classic.


4. "Dangerous", Nicholas Altobelli
   Mr. Altobelli is full of surprises. Those who know him would likely expect a cover of a Ryan Adams song, or maybe something of Sam Cooke (he has a real weakness for classic soul music). But Nicholas singing Roxette? Roxette??? Still, it's a quite interesting listen.


5. "All The Pretty Girls", Lovie
   I think this song has made it on each covers edition of my playlist that I've done. Just thought I'd share that.


6. "Driver 8", Old 97's
   Out of all the covers in the list, this one seems to sound the closest to the original. The biggest difference? Rhett Miller's voice is much less nasal than that of Michael Stipe.


7. "Folsom Prison Blues", Frankie 45 & Ben Martin
   Frankie, you're still missed.


8. "Don't Worry Baby", Little Black Dress
   LBD's cover of The Beach Boys is a perfect blend of staying true to the original while adding enough new sonic elements to keep this cover sounding fresh. The band's shoegaze style is a perfect fit for the song.


9. "Beauty School Dropout", Toadies
   Sometime back in the 1990's, someone got the idea to release Sandy Does Dallas. The concept was to have local artists cover the soundtrack to Grease. It's sad that while in many ways it has become easier for bands to record, nobody is pushing the idea of cool compilations and tribute CDs like this anymore. Heck, I'm still waiting for that Toadies tribute CD that Kirtland talked about years ago.


10. "Revolution", Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights
    This is a live recording from New Year's Eve 2009 at Granada Theater. Technically, this song was really recorded on New Year's Day. I was there for the show, and all I can say is it was the perfect choice for ringing in the new year.


11. "Never Let Me Down Again", Kristy Kruger
    Before I met or listened to Kristy Kruger, my strongest memory of her was that she won a Depeche Mode box set from the Dallas Observer. Having been such a big fan of the band back in my high school days, I envied her for winning it. So it's only fitting that I put her Depeche Mode cover on the playlist.


12. "You May Be Right", Holy Moly
    The band's new CD, Grasshopper Cowpunk, is easily the best effort ever put out by the band. But for today, I go back to Drinkin' Druggin' and Lovin' (the CD, that is) for this fun Billy Joel cover.


13. "Lithium", The Polyphonic Spree
    When Kurt Cobain sang the song, he sounded like a man in desperate need of Lithium. In the Polyphonic Spree cover, the band sounds as if they have overdosed on it.

The Lucky Thirteen: 1/31/11

As I'm sure most of you, this past week I recorded my first show for deepellumradio, the first of what I hope to be many to come. With that, however, brings a question: what should become of the Lucky Thirteen? Should I just repeat the same songs here? Is it redundant to have a playlist and a radio show? I have not yet come up with answers for those questions. I guess you could say I'm at a creative crossroads of sorts with the Lucky Thirteen. So I've decided to do what many musicians do when they're needing to put out an album but not sure what to do: release a best of retrospective type deal. I've selected thirteen tracks that, for whatever reason, have been significant musical points in past playlists. I don't know if this is goodbye to the Lucky Thirteen, but it seems a good time for reflection.
And whether or not the Lucky Thirteen continues, I encourage artists to send their mp3's to ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com for either these playlists or the radio show.

1. "Big Scar", Blackheart Society
   April 20, 2008 was the date of the first Ghost of Blind Lemon playlist. I used the last.fm playlist widget. At that time, there was no flexibility with ordering songs on the playlist. All tracks were done in alphabetical order by artist. As a result, this made the Blackheart Society song the first track on the first playlist here.


2. "Supernatural", Rahim Quazi
   The playlist has gone through many different formats and platforms: last.fm, MySpace, Hypster, and finally Grooveshark. I feel pretty safe in saying that this track has been used in each one of the formats, and just might have been featured on more playlists than any other song. "Supernatural" is a guaranteed mood picker-upper, and one of the most infectious tracks in recent local music memory.


3. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   I've been featuring this song on playlists since it was a demo on their MySpace page. It's finally seen a proper release this year, and all I can say is that it's about time.


4. "Jack Never Crashes", The Deathray Davies
   I got into a bit of a rut last year, not even doing many Lucky Thirteens for a lengthy period. I finally revived the playlist with a theme very special to me: the early years of the 2000's. Although many people view that period the beginning of the decline of Deep Ellum, that was also when I became a true local music fan. Groups like Chomsky, Sugarbomb, OHNO, [DARYL], and of course The Deathray Davies created my obsession with local music. Sometimes getting in touch with your past really can help you move into the future.


5. "Everything Dies", Nicholas Altobelli
   I've always been a big supporter of Mr. Altobelli, and I could have chosen many other tracks of his. What makes this one special, however, is the fact that he let me debut this track on my blog. He didn't debut it on Dallas Observer, The Local Edge with Mark, or with anyone else. This was the first time I'd ever gotten a chance to debut a song on the blog. As a result, this song will always be special to me.


6. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   This song fared rather well last year, considering that it made it to #1 on my year end countdown. Not too shabby, right?


7. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
   As you know, one of my favorite things as a blogger is to discover new talent. This past June, I urged new and up and coming acts to email me their mp3's for a special Lucky Thirteen consisting only of acts new to me. This particular track became a big favorite of mine during last year, and it works really well when played as loud as possible. I also feel compelled to give props to Anna Thomas, who was featured on that same playlist, and was almost included on this Lucky Thirteen.


8. "Tryin' to Have a Good Time", The O's
   The O's have definitely made it on several playlists. My first inclination was to feature "You've Got Your Heart", which came in at #2 on the 2009 year end countdown. I opted for this track instead. Some of that was because I wanted to spotlight their newer material. More than that, it's also because a GOBL fan was so excited over the inclusion of this song that she took a picture of the Grooveshark player and posted it as a Facebook profile pic. That alone is reason enough for it to make this "best of" edition.


9. "Paper Girl", Katie Carroll
   The first time this song was included on a Lucky Thirteen, there was a slight misspelling of the title. Somehow the word "girl" was spelled as "bag". But just as a rose by any other name smells as swell, this song with any other title sounds just as sweet. Call it "Paper Girl", call it "Paper Bag", or just call it a good song. And that it is.


10. "Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
    I was already playing the living daylights out of this track back in the MySpace playlist days. When Luna finally sent me the new mp3s of what was to become Happy Isn't Real, I said on my Facebook account that receiving the tracks was like Christmas day for me.


11. "Echo and the Pass", Hendrick
    This track not only was my favorite song of 2009, it's made my top 10 favorite songs of all time list. I don't mean a top 10 local tracks list; I mean top 10 songs ever. I can't explain the effect that this song has on me, but I can say that this song strikes a chord within me in a way that few songs do. If you haven't ever listened to the song before, please, do so now.


12. "sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
    Earlier, I referred to this playlist as sort of a "greatest hits". Like many greatest hits compilations, I decided to slip in a brand new song. I want to save my comments for the next radio show, so I'll simply say that I feel Ducado VeGA will be a major player in the local music scene this year.


13. "Me Quedo en Blanco", Lauren Adelle with Colin Boyd
    One of the big tricks on compilation albums is to feature one brand new song. Another trick, more often found in box sets, is to include an older never released song. Although this track charted on my top 40 podcast from last year, it never made it onto a single playlist. I always meant for her to be included, but for whatever reason, something always got in the way. Until today, that is.

Local Edge Playlist: 1/16/11

While at a show Friday night, a friend asked me about The Local Edge playlists and what the story was. I started out doing this at a point when Mark got a little behind on posting playlists from his episodes on the KDGE website. And by a little behind, I mean several months. While Mark has caught up, I do this as a show of support to the show because of all the really cool stuff he plays. So that's the story. Now, on to the show's playlist.

"Mind in Trouble", Oil Boom
"We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
"Forever Today", Soviet
"Throw Me Overboard", The Hope Trust
"sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
"Beautiful Girl", Mr. Sleaze
"Prophet", Datahowler
"I Know a Thing or Two About You", Tweed EQ
"District County Court", Daniel Folmer
"Awake", Air Review
"Dammit", Smile Smile
"Set Me Free", The Red 100's
"You're No Good", Pale Horse
"Red and White", New Science Projects
"Wooden Floors", Nicholas Altobelli

Lucky Thirteen: 1/10/11

Next week, I'll be coming at you with lots of newer stuff to help ring in '11 the right way. I still, however, have one piece of 2010 business left over. This list was originally going to hit the blog last Monday, but for obvious reasons I got sidetracked and my heart wasn't in this. Well, now it's time to get out my last 2010 list. Here are my thirteen favorite local shows of last year. These are not ranked in order of preference, but rather in the order I attended the shows. For each show, I included a song performed that evening. So listen and enjoy one last reflection on 2010.

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. Salim Nourallah/Chris Holt/Rahim Quazi/Nicholas Altobelli (March 26 - Kessler Theater)
   Song Selection: "Dalton the Prophet", Nicholas Altobelli
   All four artists put on a fabulous set, but the true star of that evening was not any individual performer, but the venue itself. This was most people's first musical experience in the Kessler Theater, and I don't know a single soul who had a complaint about that evening. The sound quality was great, but what impressed me the most was that this venue brought out an audience intent on listening to the music. It is rare to find audiences where the main goal at a show is paying attention to the music, and that is even more true in the case of acoustic music. Yet during all the sets, including the set of Nicholas Altobelli, you could have dropped a pin during the set and everyone would have heard it. Sadly to say, I haven't been back to the Kessler since. Perhaps that needs to be my New Year's Resolution.


2. Ghost of Blind Lemon Showcase: The Roomsounds/Cocky Americans/Pale Horse (May 7 - The Cavern)
   Song Selection: "Young & Reckless", The Roomsounds
   Yes, I'm biased on this one. Sue me. But seriously, it was my first Pale Horse show, and they were their usual awesome selves. Cocky Americans always put on a truly solid set, and The Roomsounds ended the night with their high energy rock country blend. All in all, it was a fun night of music.


3. Homegrown Fest (May 22 - Main Street Garden Park)
   Song Selection: "Pastel Lights", Ishi
   Wow, I don't even know where to begin on this show. First of all, to pull off a festival of essentially all local music and get a turn out of such a large proportion, that borders on being a local music miracle. My props go out to John Solis and Josh Florence for organizing this event and booking such quality acts as Air Review, Somebody's Darling, RTB2, The O's, and Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights to name only a few. But my most memorable moment of the night was dancing in the mud to Ishi's "Pastel Lights". Yes, Ishi does know how to bring the party.


4. Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase (July 17 - Various Deep Ellum Venues)
   Song Selection: "The Message", Dem Southernfolkz
   This showcase of music was hot, both figuratively and literally. Kicking the show off outside at 5 PM in a Dallas summer was not the most pleasant way to start a show. I probably would've skipped the opening outdoor act had it not been Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights, but they made the show work in spite of the heat. Fortunately, the other venues in Deep Ellum were nicely air conditioned, and there were plenty of good musical choices. Of all the performances that night, however, it's Dem Southernfolkz's gig at The Prophet Bar (small room) that stands out. Their performance was energetic, the musicianship was dead on, and the lyrical skills and content were spot on. That night DSFZ became my new favorite local hip-hop band.


5. Rahim Quazi/Katie Carroll/Emmeline (August 21 - Opening Bell Coffee)
   Song Selection: "So In Love With You", Katie Carroll
   There were two other out of towners on the lineup, and I sadly do not recall their names. Still, this night was all about the local. Yes, I will admit more bias here, as I booked all the locals as sort of a pre-birthday celebration. I was lucky enough to snag a way too rare performance by the lovely Katie Carroll, whose Paper Girl CD is filled with lovely ballads that bridge the gap between Camille Cortinas and Sarah Jaffe. The icing on the cake for me, however, was when Ms. Carroll tossed me a flower in the middle of "So in Love With You". Made me feel kinda special and stuff.


6. Pale Horse/Little Black Dress/Charlie Shafter and the Gnomes (August 27 - Double-Wide)
   Song Selection: "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   Pale Horse was part of the lineup for three of the listed shows, more than any other act. This night was the release of their Future Dimensions EP, and the band confirmed to me that the first rate performance given at the Cavern show was no fluke. The band even debuted a new song that night ("Your Heart Is A Wild Drum Beat"), and you would've thought they'd rehearsed the song a million times to get it so perfect. I would've posted that track if I had it, but you'll have to settle for "You're No Good", my #1 track of last year.


7. Spector 45/The Phuss (August 28 - LaGrange)
   Song Selection: "I Love You", Spector 45
   For the record, I created this list late last year, and was not biased by recent tragedies. I'd seen Spector 45 before, but this night was the night that, for lack of a better way of putting it, I "got" the band. Yes, I'd liked them, but this performance was the one where I finally understood both the energy and the songwriting skills of Frankie and the rest of the crew. This was also by far the most fun crowd of ANY show I did last year.


8. Whiskey Glass Eye/The O's/Scott Riegel (September 25 - Bryan Street Tavern)
   Song Selection: "Billy Prichard", Slobberbone
   Say, wasn't "Whiskey Glass Eye" a Slobberbone song? Yeah, much in the same way Old 97's have gone under the pseudonym Satellite Rides, Whiskey Glass Eye is nothing more than Slobberbone under a different name. It's fun to watch Slobberbone at a larger venue like Granada, but they really shine the most at a smaller, lower-key venue like Bryan Street Tavern. Add some brand new O's songs to the mix and the talent of young Scott Riegel, and it adds up to a great night.


9. Chris Holt (October 9 - LaGrange)
   Song Selection: "Aim High", Chris Holt
   I think it says something when by the time the CD release show hits, the entire audience seems to know all the words to your album. That's exactly what happened at Mr. Holt's CD release show for A Cosmic Joke. Contrary to what the Observer thinks, this album was an intelligent, heartfelt collection of masterfully written songs. The band did a fabulous job of bringing life to Mr. Holt's artistic vision. And on a completely unrelated note, it was a blast to hear Holt and company jam to the "Layla" outro while Goodfellas played on the LaGrange screen. Admit it, you loved it if you were there, and if you missed the show, you're kicking yourself now after hearing that, aren't you?


10. Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Featuring Rhett Miller/Ben Kweller/The O's/Doug Burr (November 6 - Granada Theater)
    Song Selection: "Big Brown Eyes", Old 97's
    Raving about Rhett Miller seems almost too easy. I admit to a very strong Miller/97's bias, and an average show by either eclipses over half of Dallas bands on their best nights. It would seem almost unfair to count this show, except for the fact that this show featured my favorite concert moment of the year, and one that'd probably go on my top ten of all time list. Rhett had just played the intro to "Big Brown Eyes", and before he uttered the first line of the song, the audience took over for him. It was a "had to be there" moment, but it was amazing to see the crowd take over the song, and to be a part of it.


11. Emmeline/Josh Cooley/Steve Jackson (November 26 - Times Ten Cellar)
    Song Selection: "A Hundred Years", Emmeline
    Over the past year that I've been following Emmeline, I feel as if I've watched her bloom as a songwriter and as a performer. Her CD release show for Early Morning Hours was Emmeline at the top of her game. Never before have I seen her perform with such confidence and command the attention of the entire room. When she closed the show with "A Hundred Years", I would have been willing to stay in Times Ten Cellar that long if she would've kept playing. Alright, maybe just 99 years.


12. Ghost of Blind Lemon Showcase: THe BAcksliders/Pale Horse/The Black & Blues (December 10 - The Green Elephant)
    Song Selection: "Talk To My Heart", THe BAcksliders
    Not that I haven't liked other lineups, but if I had to choose my favorite lineup of any GOBL showcase, this would be it. Whether it be the psychedelic progressive soul styling of Black & Blues, the surprisingly cool BRMC style stripped down Pale Horse set, or the usual full octane BAcksilders rock show, this night was as good as it gets.


13. Seryn (December 18th - Wellhouse Co. House Party)
    Song Selection: We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
    Sometimes when critics start buzzing about a particular act, I confess I can be rather skeptical. Although I liked "We Will All Be Changed", I wasn't certain if the Seryn show would live up to the hype. It didn't live up to the hype; Seryn exceeded the hype by leaps and bounds. Perhaps the intimate setting helped; there's nothing quite like watching a band in a person's home with an audience of only about fifty or so. Still, the band's skill on their instruments and perhaps the best harmonizing in Dallas, their set left me in awe. I am left now anxiously awaiting the release of their album this year. Even if it's only half as good as the performance last year, it'll be guaranteed a spot in the ten best local albums of '11.

The Ninth Day of Christmas

Congratulations to my two winners of the Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights tickets. If you don't have your tickets yet, might I recommend buying them now. The band never fails to deliver live, and I'm sure this show will be no exception.

Now, on to today's giveaway...

Today's prize comes from one of my favorite singer-songwriters in the area, Nicholas Altobelli. He's letting me give away a copy of his 2008 CD, Waiting for the Flowers to Bloom, as well as an autographed poster. That way you can show it off to your friends and talk about how you got all this before he was playing in stadiums around the world.

Alright, I'm laying it on a little thick. Besides, his music is much better suited to more intimate venues. But I will say that Mr. Altobelli not only deserves greater recognition throughout the metroplex, but his music deserves to get out beyond our city limits.

If you want the CD, all you have to do is email me at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and spell Nicholas Altobelli's name correctly in the subject line will win. Hey, it's tricker than you think. When he played a showcase of mine at Club Dada almost two years ago, his name was spelled incorrectly in the ads.

Good luck, and watch the spelling!

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

Weekend Plans: 8/27/10 - 8/28/10

Before I get into any weekend plans, let me share some good news with you, my readers. If you haven't heard about it thru the DC9 at Night article or my Facebook posts, Club Dada will be reopening its doors. Josh Florence, who runs City Tavern, will be the new head guy at Dada. The game plan is to re-open Dada by year's end. I had the privilege of hosting the 2nd anniversary showcase for my blog at City Tavern, and it was truly a pleasure to work with Mr. Florence. He is that rare breed that knows how to blend an intelligent business design with a genuine caring for the musicians that play there. I've heard some horror stories about club owners from musicians, but I have never heard any musician say anything but the kindest things about Josh. If anyone can bring Dada back to its glory days, it would be Josh.

Since Club Dada isn't back yet, you still need to plan this weekend. Here are some suggestions:


FRIDAY:
Pale Horse/Little Black Dress/Charlie Shafter and the Gnomes (Double-Wide)
Hopefully you've read the Pale Horse interview by now. I'm not sure what else I have left to say about the band that I haven't said already. It is worth mentioning, however, that the band has allowed me to adopt their EP release party as a "post-birthday celebration." Oh, and Little Black Dress always puts on a solid show, so don't miss their set either.
Ruby Jane/Luna Matto/Trinity River Folk (Kessler Theater)
The only thing disappointing in regards to Luna Mattto is that they haven't hit the big time... yet. Ms. Matto's voice is somewhat reminiscent of Neko Case, though melodically her music rests in power of a Cat Power sort of vein. And the songs? I'm gonna say it: it's as good as anything Cat Power has ever released. That's the straight up truth.

SATURDAY:
Spector 45/The Phuss (LaGrange)
What, is this the weekend for EP releases? This show celebrates the release of Break Me. Spector 45 is never lacking in energy, and this performance will probably be even more intense than is usual for the band. One request though: keep all glass bottles away from bassist Adam Carter. And no, Adam, I'm not going to let you live that down.
The Burning Hotels/Ishi/Shapes Stars Make (Lola's 6th)
Burning Hotels are long time favorites in Fort Worth, but this show marks Ishi's Funkytown debut. Admittedly, the indie rock stylings of Burning Hotels may seem an odd pairing with Ishi's self-proclaimed "folktronica." I suspect, however, that both bands will wind up with a whole new set of fans by night's end.
Holy Moly/The Orbans/Bravo, Max!/Leland Williams (The Aardvark)
It's not often where I find two shows in FW to recommend, so this is kind of a shocker for me. While I'm not familiar with Mr. Williams, every other band gets a thumbs up from me.
Nicholas Altobelli (Roots Coffeehouse)
Actually, if you count North Richland Hills as part of Fort Worth, there are three shows to choose from. I'm inclined to say that Mr. Altobelli is the area's most underrated and underappreciated singer-songwriter. In the past almost three years since his debut EP Streetcar Visions, Nicholas has steadily grown as a musician. His latest, The Regulator, is filled with song that possess a simple beauty and that will linger in your head.
Anna Thomas (Landon Winery)
At a mere fourteen years old, Anna Thomas possesses a vocal talent that many local artists twice her age would kill to have. My only complaint? Let's have some shows in Dallas for a change instead of always playing in McKinney. Then again, McKinney people need good shows too.
THe BAcksliders/Sideshow Tragedy/Not in the Face!/JBe (City Tavern)
THe BAcksliders have become quite a predictable band. You can predict, with 100% certainty, that their shows will be a massively rocking experience. I'm sure this show will not change the above statistic.
El Cento/Orange Peel Sunshine/Les Americains/Diamond Age (Kessler Theater)
Word is that Les Americains will finally be releasing an album by year's end, which is welcome news. Also, Don Cento's new project, El Cento, sounds quite promising based on the one track ("Citizen") that I've heard.
Allgood Cafe Block Party
There are too many good acts to mention, so I'm just going to hit a few highlights. On the outdoor stage, catch Trey Johnson & Chris Holt at 2 PM, King Bucks at 4 PM, The O's at 6, and Boys Named Sue at 8 PM. Make your way indoors at 10 to catch New Bohemians. Proceeds will go to several charities, including the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation.

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Here's my standard disclaimer which I've forgotten the past two weeks (fortunately no lawsuits have come my way): 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.

So I have one question for you, my readers? Are you ready to rock? I can't hear you, I said, are you ready to RAWK?!?!?

Sorry to disappoint you then, because I've decided to go a more mellow route with this week's playlist. The rock will resume next week, but for now enjoy this more subdued yet lovely playlist.

1. "D Street", Luna Matto
   Here's another of the tracks that I received from Luna Matto, and I've always enjoyed the sparse arrangement of this song. I'm sure she'll be performing it Saturday night at City Tavern, along with Darktown Strutters and Binary Sunrise.


2. "The Sticking Place", Most
   Art festival season is upon us, and this weekend will be the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and there are several bands worth checking out. While I still haven't seen Most's live set, I'm convinced that their set (Saturday, 5:00 pm at the Main Stage) will be quite captivating.


3. "Three", The Timeline Post
   I suppose it's kinda cheesy to place this song as number three on the list. What can I say? I'm not feeling all that original today. Sue me.
   
4. "...And Again", Hendrick
   Hendrick was originally scheduled to perform at the Arts Festival, but they're no longer on the lineup. That leaves only one show on their agenda this week, and that would be the Thursday night show at Trees. You know the show I'm talking about. This is the show that determines which band opens Edgefest. There is no online voting for the last round, so the only way to make certain your favorite band makes it to Edgefest is to attend Thursday night. I don't know the order of the lineup, but Bridges & Blinking Lights, Ishi, Andrew Tinker, and Criminal Shift round out the top five.


5. "The Moon", Elkhart
   How could I do a mellow playlist without adding an Elkhart song? Their CD, The Moon, is nothing less than a classic in terms of dreamy ethereal alt-country pop. It's also a rare CD that never compels me to press the skip button, and that's a true rarity in this day and age.


6. "Somebody Else", Smile Smile
   Here's yet another good track from Truth on Tape. They'll be performing Wednesday at City Tavern as part of the Home Sessions series. If you're not familiar with the Home Sessions series, the way it works is that artists perform stripped down, and then many of the tracks will later be available to stream or even download for free. Pretty cool, isn't it?


7. "The Regulator", Nicholas Altobelli
   Mr. Altobelli will be performing next Sunday at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and I'm sure he'll be playing several songs from his next album, which shares its name with the posted song.


8. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   Yo Jimmy, when we gonna meet up so you can give me the new CD? Okay, so my Brooklyn accent doesn't even come close to that of Mr. Menkena. Still, Jimmy's promised me a mastered copy of the new CD, and I'm seriously ready to listen to it.


9. "Acts of Man", Midlake
   This is an obvious choice for this mellow thirteen.


10. "Fly", GaydenLee
    I received the duo's CD, Songs for Thursday, this past week and I must say that there is a definite charm to the six songs. There's something in the songs that reminds me of the Once soundtrack, not so much because of their writing style but in spirit. When I first saw that film, I was struck by the simple sincerity of the performances and the obvious love the two felt for the music. I sense a certain amount of that admittedly intangible quality with GaydenLee. If this has you curious, check them out next Sunday at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. They play at 3:00 at the ArtLoveMagic Artist Alley.


11. "Rivers into Rum", Carter Albrecht
    I think this is the first time I've posted a track from Mr. Albrecht's solo album on a playlist. Admittedly, I couldn't do that with the MySpace playlists, but I should have addressed this problem much sooner. Still, better late than never, and this song fits in to the playlist perfectly.


12. "Together", The O's
    I'm sure than John Pedigo and Taylor Young are just having a blast over in Europe, but I'll be glad when they return and do some shows closer to Paris, Texas than Paris, France.


13. "After All Is Done", Iris Leu
    This is one of my favorites from Hushaboo that I've only seen Ms. Leu perform one time, and that was at the CD release show. I doubt she'll change that trend this Saturday when she performs at the Kessler Theater. For the record, if you haven't been there yet, change that... like, now.

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.

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/7/10 - 3/13/10

You might have heard about a little music festival up in Denton called NX35. This is the festival's second year, and I must say that the lineup is quite impressive. The thirteen artists featured in the playlist are all playing at some point during the 4 day festival. For more details, including how to buy wristbands, all the artists playing, all the venues, etc. etc. etc., then go to NX35 for all the details. The playlist only represent some of my favorite artists playing, and even at that, there are a LOT who didn't make the list who are still worth checking out.

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. "Romance Tried to Kill Me", Cocky Americans
   Performing Thursday night at J&J's Pizza, and in an unrelated note, the band headlines a benefit show tonight at Double-Wide for the employees affected by the lower Greenville fires


2. "The Vultures Are Circling", Jack With One Eye
   Performing Saturday night at Hailey's


3. "Letters to a Young Danny Kennedy", RTB2
   Performing Thursday at Dan's Silverleaf, as part of the KXT showcase


4. "Everything Dies", Nicholas Altobelli
   Performing Friday night at Jupiter House


5. "Tired of Dallas", Orange Peel Sunshine
   Performing Thursday night at Boiler Room


6. "Sunday Morning", Dem Southernfolkz
   Performing Sunday night at Andy's Bar


7. "Truth on Tape", Smile Smile
   Performing Sunday night at Boiler Room


8. "Come Closer", Shiny Around the Edges
   Performing Saturday night at Texas 8 Ball, as part of the Asthmatic Kitty Records showcase


9. "Wedding Bell Murders", The Timeline Post
   Performing Thursday night at Banter, as part of the Gutterth showcase


10. "As Hard as the Road Ahead", Western Giants
    Performing Sunday night at Sweetwater Grill & Tavern


11. "Patricia Lynn", The Crash That Took Me
    Performing Thursday night at Hailey's


12. "Barrel Chested", Slobberbone
    Performing Saturday night at Dan's Silverleaf


13. "Winter Dies", Midlake
    Performing Saturday afternoon at the North Texas Fairgrounds right before Flaming Lips take the stage, but you knew that already, didn't you?

My apologies to A.M. Ramblers, Bridges & Blinking Lights, the cut*off, Damaged Good$, The Demigs, Doug Burr, Giggle Party, The Heelers, Here Holy Spain, Jessie Frye, The Naptime Shake, Nervous Curtains, Oso Closo, PVC Street Gang, Record Hop, Sarah Jaffe, Telegraph Canyon, and all the other awesome artists who I couldn't add to the list. If I did, it would be the lucky thirty and not the lucky thirteen, which just doesn't have the same ring to it.

By the way, next week's playlist is all about SXSW, both the official and unofficial shows. If you want on the list, send your mp3s (scroll above for the email address) and you might wind up being one of the lucky thirteen.

The Lucky Thirteen: 1/31/10 - 2/6/10

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.

Now, on with the playlist:

1. "Same Old, Same Old", Hello Lover
   The Hello Lover CD release party was an absolute blast. And as to Pete Freedman's comments that the shows can be hit or miss, the two shows I've attended have squarely fallen into the category of "hit".


2. "Winter Dies", Midlake
   Pitchfork reviewed The Courage of Others and pretty much trashed the CD. I'm not going to comment about the CD as a whole, as my knowledge of the album is still limited to "Acts of Man", "Rulers Ruling All Things", and this now track. I will say that I think all three tracks are beautiful, albeit terribly melancholy. And while having a full album of such songs may prevent it from getting played at your next party, that does not make it a bad album. An album that you can't listen to every day? Perhaps. Still, I suspect this is the type of album that will grow with each listen, so I'm wondering if some of the criticisms may be premature.


3. "Love Is War", Dovetail


4. "What Turns Inside", Dove Hunter
   This Saturday brings a double serving of doves to the metroplex area. Dovetail plays that night at City Tavern, while over in Fort Worth, Dove Hunter rocks The Moon. Now all that's needed is a Prince cover band playing "When Doves Cry".


5. "Robot at the Square Dance", American Werewolf Academy
   Shame on me. I have neglected my duties of letting my readers know that AWA is back in business. I made a brief mention of their Bryan Street Tavern show, but this band is so good at what they do, they deserved to have the red carpet extended for their return to Dallas. The band will take their show to Funkytown this weekend, opening for Reverse Cuomo (yes, it's a Weezer tribute band) Friday night at The Moon.


6. "Everything Dies", Nicholas Altobelli
   I just discovered that this Thursday is Mr. Altobelli's birthday, and he'll be celebrating that evening at Dunn Bros Coffee in Addison, performing with Amber Farris (Somebody's Darling).


7. "Slideshows", Rose County Fair
   This Friday at LaGrange is the second installment of the JC Experience. Here's the Cliff Notes version of The JC Experience: John Pedigo (The O's, Boys Named Sue, Rose County Fair) and Chad Stockslagger (The King Bucks) play music, and there will be interviews, performances, and whatnot by other special guests. It should be an interesting time.


8. "We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
   I'm probably supposed to say that it was love at first listen for me with Seryn. To be honest, it wasn't. So if this track doesn't immediately grab you, it's okay. But please, give it more than one listen, because if you're like me, the song will worm its way into your head and your heart. I'm sure they'll perform this song Friday at Hailey's, along with performances by Western Giants and Baruch the Scribe.


9. "The Great Escape", Damaged Good$
   Damaged Good$ has been steadily releasing a flow of free tracks to download (click here for the link). The most recent is "WeHateDamagedGood$Too", but I have to say that the best track released so far is "The Great Escape".


10. "Duelist", True Widow
    I thought I'd heard that the Chat Room Pub had closed down, but apparently I'm wrong, because True Widow will be playing there Saturday night with The Great Tyrant and Darktown Strutters.


11. "She Hides Golden Apples", Leaving Denton
    I posted this song a few weeks ago, and I can't stop thinking about this song. Between the nice harmonies, great vocals, and the breezily catchy melody, this song is like a breath of fresh air. My only complaint of the band: play some shows!!!


12. "Give Me Back My Fleetwood Mac", The Tah-Dah's
    What do you do when you have the strange urge to post Fleetwood Mac music on your local music blog? Option 1: convince the members of Fleetwood Mac to move to the metroplex. Option 2: insert this song into the playlist, which not only invokes the name of the band, but sort of sounds like "Second Hand News" on steroids.


13. "Your Life", Smile Smile
    This is a big, big week for Smile Smile. The band is celebrating the release of Truth on Tape with two shows on Saturday. First, there's a free show at Good Records kicking off at about 4 p.m. Later that night, Smile Smile headlines at double with Giggle Party and The O's opening. I would have posted a track from the new CD, but I don't have a copy yet, so I leave you with my favorite cut from Blue Roses.