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 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: 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. "When Hammer Hits Stone", RTB2
   This Friday, RTB2 will join Cocky Americans and Orange Peel Sunshine onstage at Hailey's. Dallas people, fear not: the same lineup shall be repeated Saturday at Double-Wide. I also believe that both shows are CD


2. "The Longest Winter's Gone", The Crash That Took Me
   Speaking of CD releases and Double-Wide, The Crash That Took Me will be the opening act at the Hello Lover CD release party. If you've never seen the band perform their "sex rock" music (their words, not mine), Friday would be a great opportunity to do so. I would've added their song "Same Old, Same Old", but alas, I don't have the CD (or an mp3 of the song). That needs to change. Soon.


3. "I Howl at tha Moon", Morning Elephant
   Morning Elephant performs an all too rare show this Saturday at Barley House, along with Camille Cortinas performing a set of her own songs. If we're lucky, she may even join ME for a few songs.


4. "The Message", Dem Southernfolkz
   There's a push right now to get the video for this song on one of the MTV stations; I can't recall if it's MTVu or the MTV Hip-Hop station. Whichever station it is, it would be nice to have Dallas represented by such an intelligent hip-hop band as Dem Southernfolkz, a band that avoids the stereotypical rap subjects (thug life, bling, pot, etc.) in favor of thought provoking social commentary. There is a need for more hip-hop bands in this vain. Click here to watch the video.


5. "Libertine", The Buck Pets
   I was on last.fm for the first time in eons, and found that all the track from the band's 1990 album Mercurotones were available for free download. I'm ashamed to say this, but I had not heard the band until then, but I like what I hear, particularly this track. One question: why was this song not in heavy rotation on KDGE at the time?


6. "Houston", Elkhart
   For people who want a night of beautiful dreamy music, head to City Tavern this Saturday to catch Elkhart, Little Black Dress, and Menkena all in one evening. But please, if you attend, do NOT chatter over the music. These are bands that deserve the undivided attention of the audience, and for those willing to listen, your ears will be richly reward. I know I'm standing on my soapbox, but there is a strong tendency in Dallas to talk during a musician's performance, and it's the quieter bands that pay the heaviest price for the inconsideration of the talkers in the audience. These are three incredible bands that deserve respect, so please, use your ears more than your lips during their sets. That is all.


7. "Have You Ever Been Down?", THe BAcksliders


8. "Back Is Broken", Oso Closo


9. "Write for You", Goodwin
   This is the strongest linest I've seen for a show in Funkytown in a long, long time. I've raved and raved about THe BAcksliders, and I'm becoming a bigger fan of Oso Closo with each passing day. Throw in the fun straight rock of Goodwin, and you've got a winning show.


10. "Another Day in the Life", Tim Miller
    Mr. Miller recently released an EP with acoustic version of several tunes. This was not one of the songs that received the acoustic treatment, and while it would seem like a less likely choice to perform acoustic, I've heard this song stripped down and it works even better than the original heard here.


11. "Sleepwalking", Luna Matto
    Until the band releases their first 7" single, you'll have to settle for the songs on their MySpace playlist and this nice track that Ms. Matto was kind enough to share with me.


12. "The Fine Art of Bleeding", The Slack
    For what reason did I include this song? Isn't the fact that it's The Slack reason enough?


13. "Along the Seawall", Jayson Bales
    Thanks to Mr. Bales for sending me this unique version of the song. In the email he sent along with the mp3, he told me about this particular recording. Here's what he said: "This recording of the song is a live acoustic version I did in a songswap with Carter several years ago. I performed this song with the wrong string hurriedly strung on my guitar. After breaking a string, I accidentally strung another D string and stretched to a G and so essentially the guitar sounds kind of cool/weird because it has two D strings and no G string on it." Here's what I have to say. Add Mr. Bales' Springsteenesque voice to the bare bone acoustic melody, and it adds up to an emotionally intense and honest performance. This is, in a word, amazing.

MySpace Playlist: 12/13/09

Ghost of Blind Lemon's MySpace Playlist (12/13/09) on MySpace Music - Play Playlist Songs & Download Tracks

1. "Section 1 (Have A Day/Celebratory)", The Polyphonic Spree
   Granted, I have missed the last few Polyphonic Spree Christmas shows. Still, it doesn't feel right that there isn't one this year. I placed this song on the playlist in hopes of it satisfying my craving to see them live. It isn't helping. If anything, I'm missing them more now.


2. "Merry Christmas Now", Rahim Quazi
   Thanks to Mr. Quazi for uploading this holiday song. Next week's episode will (hopefully) all be songs of the season, or at least songs that somehow relate to the season. Please, start uploading your tracks now, because at this rate, I'm not going to have enough tracks to use unless I start borrowing from the LeAnn Rimes Christmas CD. Please, don't make me do that.


3. "Mermaid of Virginia", The Naptime Shake
   This song still sounds to me like a county version of early Belle & Sebastian (particularly their song "Mayfly"). This may seem an usual comparison for the band, yet I mean that as a compliment.


4. "This Crazy Life", Eleven Hundred Springs
   Sometimes it's easy for me to get behind on events, so thanks to DC9 at Night for letting me know about this new Eleven Hundred Springs track.


5. "Change Gon' Come", Dem Southernfolkz
   This Saturday marks the 4th Annual Orphanage Christmas Benefit at Double-Wide. It's sponsored by 1310 The Ticket as usual, and the musical lineup is quite strong. Dove Hunter will headline, and other performers include Dem Southernfollkz (included in the playlist), The Orbans, Sparklepussy Barbie, and DJ Slim. All proceeds go toward the Gladney Center for Adoption.


6. "City Lights", Hendrick
   This past Saturday, Hendrick opened up for Oso Closo for their annual Christmas show at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio. The two will perform together this Thursday at Granada Theater, but this time it is Hendrick that takes the top billing. Here's a track off the album other than "Echo and the Pass", which I hope my readers are not tired of. Heaven knows that I am incapable of tiring of that song.


7. "Girl from the City", The King Bucks
   The band refers to themselves as the "hardest working band in the business", and heaven knows these guys keep busy. They'll perform Saturday Thursday night at Hank's in McKinney. What, only the one show this week? Slackers. (NOTE: Thanks to my friend Michelle who corrected me on the date, and is now being offered the position of official GOBL proofreader)


8. "Sandman", Bonedome
   About a month ago, I met Allan Hayslip at Double-Wide. We chatted for awhile, and then he gave me a copy of his band's CD, Thinktankubator. I asked him to describe the sound of this project, and he told me he had heard several different comparisons, and he wasn't sure which ones were accurate. He mentioned comparison to Bowie, and the comparison seems fair for his vocals, but not so much in the melodies. I can't pinpoint the exact influences, but I will say that it strikes me as sounding like early 90's, pre Nirvana alternative. George Gimarc would've put this band on a Tales From the Edge CD in a heartbeat.


9. "Stay With Me", Sarah Jaffe
   When I discovered Ms. Jaffe was playing this Friday at J&J's Pizza, I went to her MySpace to find a track to place on the playlist. Apparently I have not been visiting her site often enough, as there were many new songs available, including the track I chose. I'm predicting this is a track from her upcoming Kirtland Records release, Suburban Nature. I'll be anxiously awaiting that release next year.


10. "Gimme Back My Fleetwood Mac", The Tah-Dah's
    Bands just don't stay broken up the way they used to. In the past couple of years, there have been too many reunions to count. Some have stayed together (Toadies, Deathray Davies), while others have only done a few shows (Chomsky, Macavity, Brutal Juice, The Tomorrowpeople). Now, The Tah-Dah's are reuniting. I'm not sure if this is a one time deal or something more permanent, although their MySpace consists almost totally of new songs. Perhaps there will be a new CD released soon. I don't have any answers to that question, but you can ask them Saturday when they play at Bryan Street Tavern with Happy Bullets and Drawn By Jaymz.

MySpace Playlist: 11/8/09

1. "Patricia Lynn", The Crash That Took Me
   Last night's TCTTM CD release show bordered on being a true force of nature. My props go out to Sons of Hermann Hall and whoever was doing sound that night, because every instrument could be heard by the audience member crystal clear. More importantly, super enormous props to Dylan Silvers and the rest of the band for putting on one of the most rocking shows I've seen all year; every member of the band is a first rate musician. If you haven't picked up Chlorine Colored Eyes, run, don't walk, to your nearest quality CD store and buy it; this is Mr. Silver's best work to date. I could rave on and on, but I'll shut up for now.


2. "I Can't Make You Happy", Ronnie Fauss
   I'm not sure I've heard a song with a bare bones minimal melody work so effectively. The verses consist of one note repeated over and over, and what should be repetitive and annoying is instead haunting and memorable (in a good way). This overly simple melody also serves another purpose even more important: it draws the attention of the listener to the emotionally frank (and well written) lyrics. Bonus points to Mr. Fauss for referencing my favorite Bob Dylan song.


3. "Saturday", Baboon
   I really wanted to add "Lush Life" to the playlist instead. Oh, the limits of MySpace. This is still a great song, and if your computer speakers aren't cranked up to full blast, then it's too quiet.


4. "Come Hell", Matthew Bridgman
   The first time I saw Mr. Bridgman perform, my car has just broken down over by Bill's Records, and my mind was only half on the performance. I saw him play this Thursday at The Pearl Cup, and was amazed by how good his performance was. The songs on his MySpace, like this one, only give the slightest indication of the level of talent he possesses.


5. "Echo and the Pass", Hendrick
   Speaking of Mr. Bridgman, he was once a member of this band. He talked about how he thinks lead singer Josh Hendrick is a fabulous songwriter. All of the songs off of Exhale are indeed great songs, expect for this track, which there are no words in the English language to appropriately describe how amazing and beautiful this song is. Please, please, PLEASE listen to this song. I can't imagine anyone being able to listen to this song and not just falling in love with it.


6. "Have You Ever Been Down?", THe BAcksliders
   Friday the 13th is your lucky day. With THe BAcksliders and Spector 45 performing at Double-Wide, how can it not be a good day?


7. "Change Gon' Come", Dem Southernfolkz
   Of course, for those who feel that Friday the 13th is bad luck, Friday's show at Trees could be used as evidence. No, I don't say that because the show is a bad show, quite to the contrary. Dem Southernfolkz will celebrate their EP release (which you can download for free here), and Dove Hunter, Mo Brown, and They Were Stars will round out this great lineup. Why is this bad luck? You can't be at Double-Wide and Trees at the same time.


8. "I'm on Fire", The Farstar
   The band's first full length CD, produced by Salim Nourallah, will be released next year. In the meantime, enjoy this catchy tune from their recently released Strange Kids EP.


9. "Maureen's House", The Marfalites
   Another band working with Mr. Nourallah is The Marfalites. Catch them Saturday night at City Tavern as they open for Grant Jones and the Pistol Grip Lassos.


10. "Meteor Shower", Rhett Miller
    I normally don't add Rhett Miller's solo material to playlists since he's been based out of LA for almost a decade now. Still, the man was born in Dallas, and I'm really looking forward to Saturday's Granada Theater show, which will be a benefit for Cystic Fibrosis. Salim Nourallah, The O's, and Shibboleth will also perform. Get your tickets now, because you don't want to miss out on this one. Short on money and can't afford tickets? Keep your eye on the blog this week; I just might be able to help you out...