The Lucky Thirteen: 3/19/12

First off, thanks to those who have commented on the piece I wrote about Adam Carter. It's a story that has taken me this full year to get my words together. In writing about Adam, it brought a lot of painful memories to the forefront. Yet in the end, I found it a healing experience, and I hope that discussing the issue helps bring some healing to those who knew him.

Now, on to happier subjects... like local music. 35 Denton and SXSW may be over, but it seems that this week has brought a sudden wave of CD release shows. So in this week's Lucky Thirteen, I'd like to mention some CD releases I'd recommend, along with some shows that don't feature a CD release. And just for good measure, I'll throw in some other songs just because, well, just because.

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. "Space Blanket", Darstar
   


2. "Counting the Holes in My Heart", Gray, the New Black
   So you think just because I book at The Crown and Harp it means I'm going to use every opportunity I have to shamelessly promote the shows I book? Well... of course I will. Of course when you can book bands as good as Darstar and Gray the New Black, wouldn't you be wanting to share that news with everyone? So here's the deal: this Friday at Crown and Harp, doors open at 9, Velvet Guard goes on at 10, Darstar follows at 11, and Gray the New Black wraps up the night at midnight. Cover is only $5.


3. "Break My Spirit", The Roomsounds
   I've been raving about this band since the Fall of 2009. And through those years, I kept bugging the members, asking when they were going to release an album. About two and a half years later, the band will finally release its eponymous debut album. The CD release show happens Friday night at The Prophet Bar, with Madison King and Goodnight Ned opening for the band. If you buy a $12 ticket to the event, or pay $12 at the door, you get your very own copy of the CD. Speaking of Roomsounds and Prophet Bar, they'll be playing the Big Folkin' Festival on March 31st at Prophet Bar. Another venue that will be participating in the event is In Accord, and I'll be booking the lineup there. Curious? I'll be sharing more details on that very soon.


4. "When Your Hope Dies at Your Feet", The Farstar
   Speaking of CD release shows, May 4th will be The Farstar's CD release at Curtain Club. Here's a little music to help tide you over until then.


5. "Stupid Little Circles", Sara Radle
   Ms. Radle may now call Los Angeles home, but from about 2000 until the summer of 2005, she called Dallas home. And this Thursday, she'll make her way back to our fine city, as she performs at LaGrange with I Love Math and True Achiever (it's their CD release show). LaGrange seems the appropriate venue, considering that owner Rob Schumacher used to play drums for her in Lucy Loves Schroeder.


6. "Nine Stories", Signals & Alibis
   When one thinks of local shoegaze, the first three bands to come to mind are usually True Widow, Menkena, and Little Black Dress. I think it's time that Signals and Alibis gets added to the short list of quality local shoegaze acts. But don't just take my word on the matter; check them out Saturday night at Liquid Lounge.


7. "Save Me", Siren Sea
   Mix part sensual vocals, part dreamy melodies, with a dash of pop (not to be confused with Top 40), and you have the fine musical gourmet treat known as Siren Sea.


8. "Julie", Dovetail
   Whereas previously the band seemed to fall more within a Coldplayesque vibe, this new song finds the bands melding together elements of 60's psychedelia along with a bit of southern rock style. The result is the best sounding Dovetail song I have heard to date. While I haven't finished listening to the new album, Mount Karma, I suspect I'll be raving about them a lot this year. If you want to see them, they'll be having their CD release Saturday night at Granada Theater, with Salim Nourallah, RTB2, and Menkena rounding out the bill. It's hosted by The Local Edge with Mark, which only makes it awesomer.


9. "Talk to My Heart", THe BAcksliders
   The wait is almost over: Friday marks the first BAcksliders shows since August. Word is the band will be debuting a large amount of new material during their set at Double-Wide. Also on the bill are Dallas-turned-Austin band The Red 100's and Fort Worth blues rockers Quaker City Nighthawks.


10. "Little Heart", Clint Niosi
    The intro to this song is a little quite and almost sleepy, yet once the percussion begins, the tune becomes hypnotically fascinating, with Mr. Niosi's lyrics taking center stage. If the word gets out about Clint's music, he could be one of the true sleeper success stories of the year.


11. "Coke (Live)", Flickerstick
    For some reason, I've found myself going through a real Flickerstick kick as of late, having listened to the majority of their two studio albums in the last week. Of course, Flickerstick was always best experienced live. Brandin Lea, if you're reading this, what do you say to doing a reunion show?


12. "San Francisco", Dead Beat Poetry
    Another CD I've found growing on me this past week is Dead Beat Poetry's self titled EP. The band's music cannot be labelled easily. On one hand, that makes it harder to promote a band and to find the appropriate fan base. At the same time, the blend of blues, hard rock, and even a little indie only makes it a more interesting listen. Check them out Saturday at 2826 Arnetic.


13. "Winds of Antarctica", Mark Brandt
    Folk can be a hard sell in Dallas. There's not much I can think of that's a harder sell than someone singing over nothing but an acoustic guitar. Actually, I can think of one harder sell: someone playing acoustic guitar without ANY vocals. It's a difficult road that Mark Brandt has decided to travel. Fortunately, he is a talented enough guitar player to make the journey an interesting travel. Mr. Brandt will hold his CD release show Friday, with Temple Diver and Arielle opening.

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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

The Lucky Thirteen 2/14/10 - 2/20/10

Alas, we have come to that time of year, Valentine's Day. For some, it's a day of joyous celebration filled with love. To others, it's a conspiracy of a holiday created by Hallmark and chocolate companies that depresses the lonely ones. To reflect those mixed opinions of the holiday, I have created a playlist showing both the happier and the sadder aspects of that thing we call love.

Oh, and of course, I can't start a playlist without the 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.



Get Your Own Free Hypster.com Playlist.

1. "Get Used to Disappointment", Sara Radle
   Two years ago, I declared this track to be the best song about heartbreak to ever emerge from the metroplex. There's another song on this list that is now rivaling Ms. Radle's tune for the number one spot, but there's no denying the power of this story of a woman afraid of falling in love. And based on the ending of the song, those fears are well based. Any mixed tape of heartbreak songs is incomplete without this track.


2. "Every Time I Get Close to You", Eleven Hundred Springs
   It's quite a stark contrast from "Get Used to Disappointment" to this track, a honky-tonk celebration of love. This is as certain to put a smile on your face as the previous track was likely to have you feeling down.


3. "Beg You to Stay", Smile Smile
   It's hard to discuss the band's new CD, Truth on Tape, without going into the personal lives of Ryan Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme. Listening to the songs make you feel like you're eavesdropping into personal conversations between the former husband and wife. The tension between the two onstage is often very visible, yet musically the band is as solid as ever. This particular tune is a perfect blend of sweet pop melodies combined with Mr. Hamilton's earnest plea.


4. "Salome", Old 97's
   I suppose I could do a Valentine's Day playlist of songs without any Old 97's. But really, what would be the fun in that? The band's success is due to their energetic delivery of their tales of heartbreak that are always authentic without ever being maudlin.


5. "Romance Tried to Kill Me", Cocky Americans
   Have you checked out the video for the song? If not, do so now!


6. "I Still Wait", The O's
   The opening line of this tune, "I broke my heart in Arizona waiting on a train/I stood alone for several hours but you never came" is so perfect that it almost seems archetypal of country music. And when the duo hits the chorus, well, it's pretty darn awesome.


7. "Echo and the Pass", Hendrick
   If any song could dethrone Ms. Radle's track for best heartbreak song, this would be the one. Although the story is not as clearly laid out as it was by Sara, the vocal performance by Josh Hendrick is so powerful that I believe that the emotions are communicated far beyond what mere words can do. Also, more props to guitarist Hans Grubein, who is quite possibly the most underappreciated guitarist in the metroplex. Oh, and I'll bet they'll play this song Friday at House of Blues. Tickets are as cheap as $20 for a group of four (in advance).


8. "Breaking up the Love Scene", Summer Ames
   I finally received her latest EP, Complicated Daydream, which was recently reviewed in the Dallas Observer by Alan Ayo. I agree with his statements that she is indeed "above average" in her vocal talent. I also think that she has yet to reach her full potential. Still, I never felt that the CD had the "customary coffeehouse sound", and in fact, in many tunes, she defiantly breaks that mold. Anyways, I figured this song fit in quite nicely on the playlist, as it's sweet sounding enough to appeal to the hopeless romantics, yet there's a definite feeling of frustration coming from the lyrics, which the cynics will enjoy.


9. "It's Over", Danny Balis
   This song, unlike the previous, falls exclusively into the heartbreak category. I cannot think of another person in the metroplex with a voice suited better for country than Mr. Balis, and I love the steel guitars on this track. If you like your beer laced with tears, this track will do the trick.


10. "Posterchild for Tragedy", Sugarbomb
    Back in the day, few bands had as energetic of a performance as Sugarbomb, with each show feeling like the perfect party. Yet strangely enough, the band never wrote a better song than this tale of a man who loses his lover - permanently. If only the band stayed together longer, it would have been interesting to see if the band would have explored this more introspective side.


11. "Sun Rain Love", Rahim Quazi
    I wanted to place Mr. Quazi's "Coffeebreak" in last year's V-day playlist, but the song was not on his MySpace playlist (an example of why I prefer Hypster). Anyways, he suggested this track as a less depressing alternative, and I figured I'd use it this year. Next year, however, it's back to the downer of "Coffeebreak". You've been forewarned.


12. "Lies", Fishing for Comets
    "Got lost on the drive home/It's useless I suppose to hold on to something that's not there." I don't think Ms. Cortinas has written a finer line than that.


13. "The Ocean", Sara Donaldson
    There have been two times in my life where the sheer beauty of a vocal performance leaves me speechless and choked up. The first was when I heard Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" the first time, and the second was when I heard this song. The story she tells is equally beautiful and, as risk of sounding corny, it's quite touching. By the way, I usually don't post MySpace links for the singers, but Ms. Donaldson has been sneaking underneath the radar for WAY too long. Listen to more of her stuff, or better yet, buy her newest album, Leaving Winter, on iTunes. ("The Ocean" is off her first CD, ...The Beginning, which isn't on iTunes yet.