MySpace Playlist: 12/28/08

Greetings and happy belated holiday wishes from "The Ghost".

Earlier this year, I created weekly playlists on last.fm as a means of exposing readers to local music I like. When last.fm changed the way they set up playlists, it made it less feasible to do weekly playlists. It also didn't help that their library of local artists was lacking at best. I'm going to try a new tradition by creating a weekly playlist on my personal MySpace page. Each week I will spotlight ten songs; sometimes there will be a theme for the songs, and other times not so much. Either way, it gives me opportunity to share music with my readers.

Speaking of sharing music, I'm going to try to create my first ever podcast. I make no promises how it will turn out, but I'm trying to do a year end countdown, Casey Kasem style. The following ten songs are songs that unfortunately did not make the countdown. Take a good listen, and think about this: if these are the songs that DIDN'T make the countdown, imagine how killer the actual podcast is gonna be.

So, here goes the playlist:

1. "Dalton the Prophet", Nicholas Altobelli
   Thanks a lot, Nick. You send me your brilliant CD, Waiting for the Flowers to Bloom, after I made the list of songs. Actually, the truth is that it's difficult to pick a singular song off of this CD. The strength of the CD is how perfectly all the songs fit together; to take one song and isolate it seems to take away from the package. Still, "Dalton the Prophet" is an excellent song, but merely a small taste of how good this CD is.


2. "Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue", Old 97's
   I, like many, found the band's previous CD, Drag It Up, to be a letdown. Rhett and the gang came back full force this year with Blame It on Gravity. This track is easily my favorite off of the CD, and quite possibly the best song Murry Hammond has ever done with the 97's. By the way, Mr. Hammond also released a solo CD this year, titled I Don't Know Where I'm Going, but I'm on My Way, and it's easily one of the best albums of the year.


3. "Just Got Robbed", Greater Good
   This song just BARELY missed out from being in the podcast. I almost considered doing a top 14 instead of the top 13 that I plan to do just so I could include this song. Unfortunately, top 14 is kind of a weird number.


4. "Summer Ship", American Werewolf Academy
   AWA was one of the many bands that I had the privilege of getting to play the blog's one year anniversary show. Although "Summer Ship" was really released in 2007 on the Zac Crain for Mayor benefit CD, the song found a more proper release on their new CD, Triceratops.


5. "No Deliverance", Toadies
   Yay, Toadies are back, yay!


6. "The Moon", Elkhart
   Much like Nicholas Altobelli's Waiting for the Flowers to Bloom, Elkhart fell victim to the same trap. Their CD was another where the entire disc was wonderful from start to finish, but there was not the one song that stood out from the rest. So I offer you the title track as a taste of Elkhart. Keep an eye on these guys in 2009; I think this is a band whose following will grow.


7. "Stupid Girl", The Liking Strikes
   This is just such a fun and catchy song. Even the most pretentious indie hipster would have a hard time getting this tune dislodged from his or her head.


8. "Honey", Erykah Badu
   Ms. Badu hasn't sounded this good since her debut album, in my opinion.


9. "Bill Cosby", Shibboleth
   This is quite possibly the best instrumental song released all year. Runners up: everything else from Experiment in Error.


10. "Feelin' the Wait", Menkena
    Okay, I have a confession to make. I added this song to my playlist because the band is allowing anyone who posts a Menkena song on their MySpace page to download the EP free of charge. With beautiful dreamy songs like this, you'll want to do the same thing.

A Final Flicker of Sound

It may surprise some of my readers to know this, but I have always been a big fan of the band Flickerstick. I saw them for the first time in 1999 opening up for Grand Street Cryers (yet another band that never received the respect I felt they deserved). I don’t remember much about the set, except for the fact that I thought their songs were unusually catchy. It was about a year later when I got to see my second Flickerstick show, and the band had grown by leaps and bounds. One of the things that immediately caught my eye was the stage presence of lead vocalist Brandin Lea. With his Mick Jagger style strut and his ability to connect with the crowd, the band seemed destined for success.

That success almost happened. The band got the opportunity to star in VH1’s reality competition show Bands on the Run, and even went on to win the competition. Epic Records re-released their debut album, Welcoming Home the Astronauts, with some new tracks and some re-recorded tracks. The album failed to perform to expectations, and they were dropped from Epic Records. The band has maintained a highly loyal local following, almost always selling out any show they perform.

I was disappointed to learn that the band is now breaking up. Flickerstick has announced the dates for their final shows. The last Dallas show will be January 24th at House of Blues. The band will play two farewell shows on February 27th and the 28th at Aardvark, which I believe is the first venue the band ever played. The band will probably play for about two hours for each performance, which I hope will allow time for some cover songs (“Fade into You”, “Black Metallic”) and some more obscure favorites (“Execution by X-Mas Lights”). Tickets will go on sale for these shows this Friday, and I would count on all of these shows selling out. The band is known for their energetic live performances, and I think it is safe to say that Flickerstick will go out with a bang and not a whimper.

Update on the Anju Gill Fall Megabill

As you may have noticed this morning, it's kinda cold outside. Originally, there were going to be two stages of entertainment at tonight's Club Dada show: outdoors and indoors. Therefore, all the entertainment has been moved inside (big shocker, I know). It will be interesting, to say the least, to see how well the bands can stick to the schedule, which is as follows:

7:00 - acoustic girl
7:45 - The Dark Knights of Camelot
8:30 - Sparklepussy Barbie
9:15 - Dave Little Meltdown
10:00 - Tonite Tonite
10:45 - the cut*off
11:30 - The Slack
12:15 - I Love Math
1:00 - Salim Nourallah & The Noise

By the way, this will be Tonite Tonite's farewell show, so I would encourage everyone to get there in time to see Tonite Tonite's last show tonight. Lead singer Andres Negrete will be starting a new band starting next year, and I will be sure to give you all the details. See you tonight!

Weekend Review: 11/14/08

Note: I'm sure this is hardly a comprehensive guide to shows this weekend. These are just a few of the best bets I know off the top of my head. Hope this helps.

FRIDAY:
Olospo/THe BAcksliders (Club Dada)
I must confess that I don't enjoy Olospo near as much as Chris Holt's current project, The Slack. I'm not as much of a fan of the jam band stylings of Olospo. Nevertheless, the absurd level of talent held by Chris Holt is enough to make any project of his interesting and entertaining. And as usual, THe BAcksliders will rock, just like they do every show. I wonder if THe BAcksliders ever get bored with rocking and kicking musical butt with every show. Who knows?
Del Castillo/Blue Petal (Palace Theater in Grapevine)
I was much impressed with this venue when I saw Rahim Quazi and Jimmy LaFave play there several weekends ago. Del Castillo is an artist I know by name only, but I can always recommend Blue Petal. Their sound seems to be shifting, going less from the sweet acoustic vibe to almost a more rocking sound with strong hints of sensuality in lead singer Manya's vocals. Check them out to see how good (or not good) my current Blue Petal description is.
Boys Named Sue (Allgood Cafe)
Sorry, I can't think of anything to say on BNS that hasn't been said already. It's good redneck fun, and I'll leave it at that.

SATURDAY:
Anju Gill Fall Mega-Bill (Club Dada)
Read my post, Remembering Anju, for details. A few things I left out previously: Dave Little and Sparklepussy Barbie are among the entertainers, and the entertainment starts somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00, depending on the source. This is my vote for show of the weekend, and this is where I'll be.
The O's, AM Ramblers, Jason Bonner (City Tavern)
Easily the best new band of the year, The O's ,with their minimal musical set-up, have created one of the richest sounds of any band I've heard in awhile. This may only be a duo, but there is nothing lacking in their sound. And no, this is not another White Stripes wannabe duo, but rather a country duo that is more reminiscent of Everly Brothers, if I were to be forced to make a comparison to another duo. AM Ramblers have been on my list of bands to see, and from what I've heard of them, they'll fit perfectly on the lineup with the O's. It will be interesting to hear how BAckslider Jason Bonner will mesh with the rest of the lineup. It's a shame that I'll be missing this show.
Bridges & Blinking Lights/The Boom Boom Box/Cocky Americans (Double-Wide)
Cocky Americans, unlike The O's, remain on the "Best Band I'll Miss Out On" (O's are now disqualified since I've seen them). I haven't seen Boom Boom Box, but the bands feature members of Baboon, Pleasant Grove, and PiNKSTON, so I'm sure I've at least seen all the members of the band playing, even if I haven't seen them together.

Remembering Anju

It was the summer of 2004 when I met Anju Gill at an Old 97's show at the former Gypsy Tea Room. We hit it off instantly, which should be no surprise, as few people share the level of intense love of local music as either of us. We continued to see each other at shows, and I always welcomed her company. It was always a joy to see her, more so than with most people. With Anju, when she spoke to you, it was never out of polite duty. I always sensed that she was a very genuine person, interested not just in the usual chit-chat about music and such, but about the well-being of myself or whoever else she was talking to.

Fast forward almost to years later, to what seemed to be an average day of me surfing the web, specifically MySpace. I was looking at Jayme Nourallah's page and there was a banner that read "Anju we miss you". My first thought was that it was such a shame that she moved, but I wished her well. It had me curious, so I logged onto Anju's page. After reading the comments on her page, I came to the heartbreaking realization that Anju's departure was of a much more permanent nature. I never that she suffered from depression until it was too late; I learned this only after she committed suicide.

I wish I could say that Anju and I were genuinely close friends, but that wouldn't be true. So let me say something that is true: I always felt that if we had had more time, that we would have become friends. I deeply regret that I did not get to know her better. I regret even more that I didn't know what she was struggling with inside of herself. She was someone that in spite of the fact that we weren't that close, had I had an inkling of what she was going through, I would have been there for her in a heartbeat.

Since her death, the Anju Gill Foundation has been established. The purpose of this foundation is to provide support, recognition, and community for musicians in the form of sponsorship, generating awareness and by hosting and planning live events in which local artists can be recognized. This Saturday at Club Dada is Anju Gill Fall Megabill, with the $10 cover charge going towards the Anju Gill Foundation. Entertainment will be on both indoor and outdoor stages and the artist roster reads like a who's who of Dallas music. Salim Nourallah, I Love Math, the cut*off, The Slack, Tonite Tonite, and the cut*off are among the artists playing Saturday. On a sadly ironic note, indoor headliner I Love Math and outdoor headliner Salim Nourallah played a show together at Allgood Cafe about a month before Anju's death, and that was the last time I saw her. Perhaps if we're lucky, her spirit will be felt at Saturday's show.

A double dose of congratulations

I would like to thank Matt Morris, for showing that someone is interested in winning these contests. Actually, I should really thank Smile Smile for promoting this contest that I'm doing. Anyways, by naming "Waving the White Flag" in his email, he will get in Saturday night' show at Prophet Bar 100% free of charge.

Matt Morris isn't the only one who should be congratulated. Congratulations are in order for yours truly as well. Many of you know this already, but The Ghost is now engaged. No wedding date has been set yet, but I will let you know when my fiancee officially becomes Mrs. Ghost.

Here's Something to Smile Smile About

A few weeks ago, I held a ticket giveaway to see Jimmy LaFave and Rahim Quazi at the Palace Theater in Grapevine. Much to my dismay, no one won the contest even when I GAVE THE ANSWER to the trivia question in a blog entry. How depressing.

My readers, you have an opportunity to redeem yourselves. The fine people at Kirtland Records were kind enough to give me a pair of tickets to the Prophet Bar this Saturday to see The Bun To Your Hot Dog Tour. No, I don't know who came up with that goofy name. The tour features XO (members of Say Anything), Paper Mache, Shanti, and Dallas' own Smile Smile. I don't know anything about the first three bands listed, but I do know that Smile Smile is a great local band that doesn't play around these parts often enough. I've been listening to their CD Blue Roses a lot lately, and it's a gorgeous CD that's half melancholy, half uplifting, and all talent.

So, who wants to see Smile Smile Saturday night? If you want to see Smile Smile, here's what you have to do. Send me an email at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com that includes your name and you have to mention the name of one song off of Blue Roses in the email. The first person to do that wins a pair of spots on the guest list. By the way, I'm not certain, but I believe the Prophet Bar is 18+, so don't try to win if you can't get in. Good luck, and someone win these tickets please. It hurts my fragile ego when nobody even tries to win.

Something Sorta Amazing Is About to Happen

A couple of weeks ago, when mentioning Trey Johnson’s show at Allgood Café, I said it would be a “nice warmup for the show I’m looking most forward to this month.” That show arrives tonight at the House of Blues Cambridge Room as Sorta holds their long overdue CD Release Party for their new CD, simply entitled Sorta. Buttercup from San Antonio and “Best Band I’ll Miss Out On” nominees The O’s will open for the band. Cover is $15, and everyone who pays to get in receives the new Sorta disc free of charge.

This is a particularly exciting show, since this will be the first time the band has played in over a year. Many of the members of Sorta have kept themselves quite busy. Chris Holt not only has his own band, The Slack, but also plays on a regular basis with Salim Nourallah, Johnny Lloyd Rollins, and I’m sure there’s a project or five that I’m leaving out. Bassist Danny Balis is now a full time member of the King Bucks. Ward Williams packed his bags earlier this year in order to move to Nashville. The band has recently started rehearsing again to prepare for the show. It will be interesting to hear how the members sound now.

What most audience members will be focusing on, however, isn’t what is on stage, but rather what is missing from the stage. Without the musical talents of Carter Albrecht on stage, the band will not just sound incomplete, they will be incomplete. There will be no incredible keyboard solo on “Hospitals and Sex” or “85 Feet”, nor will he be wailing on guitar during “Fallinlove” or any of the other Sorta classics. The only void larger than the one left in this band is the void left in the hearts of those who had the privilege of knowing the man.

I’m sure this show will have more than its share of sadness and tears. The band, just like Carter himself, was cut short in its prime. Sorta should have been one more step in the evolution of the band rather than the final album. In spite of the sadness and loss, however, this show offers fans an opportunity to both say goodbye and celebrate the music of Sorta. And it allows another opportunity to celebrate the beautiful life of Carter Albrecht.

The Sound of Silence

Want to know what's really annoying? Being without sound on my computer. Apparently, I need to purchase a new sound card for my computer. Alas, money is something I'm always short on these days, so that may have to wait until next month, and perhaps even later. We'll see.

This is particularly annoying since two of my favorite local bands have posted new tracks that I haven't heard yet, and cannot hear until the sound card is installed. "Devil's Basement" is a new track from Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights. I have a feeling this will be one of the tracks on their upcoming Atlantic Records release. The other track is "That's How We Do Christmas" from THe BAcksliders. Admittedly, it's a tad early to be listening to Christmas music. Even so, the track is available for free download thru both last.fm and Reverb Nation. That way, you can download now, and listen once the holiday spirit moves you.

Just a random thought here: earlier this year I said JT&NL might well be the best live band in Dallas, but over the summer I changed my mind to THe BAcksliders. I think the best way to determine which band is best live would be for both acts to play together for a Ghost of Blind Lemon Showcase Showdown. Any takers for this idea?

An EXTREMELY brief look at Friday Shows

Don't have long, so I'm just giving the 3 best show options for tonight. I'm sure I'm leaving out some good stuff. Oh well.

Jimmy LaFave/Rahim Quazi (Palace Theatre)
For the record, I still haven't had ANYONE answer the trivia question to receive free tickets to this show. It's a shame, because you don't want to miss out on Rahim playing songs from his new CD, Supernatural (hint hint). I'm excited to see him play, as well as seeing this venue.
Lovie/El Gato/Happy Bullets (Club Dada)
I'm not sure of the order of the lineup. I do know, however, that this is the last show of Lovie's with Grace on drums. Fans of Lovie should make this a priority show.
Mucca Pazza/Dove Hunter/Mount Righteous/Telegraph Canyon/Stumptone/Baby Dee (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth)
Here's something for those who like a little culture with their rock n' roll. Dove Hunter is one of the most impressive live bands around, and Telegraph Canyon aren't too shabby either. Haven't seen Mount Righteous or Stumptone yet, but word of mouth on both is impressive. Easily worth the $15 admission.

Feel free to post comments telling me about the shows I forgot to list. Honestly, it won't hurt my feelings.