The Lucky Thirteen: 3/12/12

So I think I heard something about some sort of music festival down in Austin this week. I guess this SXSW thing is sort of a big deal, right? It seems like bands don't get "discovered" there as they used to in the earlier days of the festival. Still, it's the biggest music festival in the nation, and for those looking for talent, you can find it in both the official and unofficial shows.

What I have here is thirteen acts playing the festival, along with the venue (or in some cases, the venues) that each is playing. Some are official shows, some not. To find out more details, I might recommend checking out the SXSW page (for official acts) and Austin 360 for the unofficial acts. Some of these acts already have the buzz surrounding them; all of them deserve it.

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. "My Girlfriend Is a Rock", The Nervebreakers
   The true beauty is of SXSW is that it allows young and up and coming bands opportunities for exposure. Bands like, uh... The Nervebreakers? No, any band that can claim being an opening act for the Sex Pistols in their heyday can't be called up and coming. But the band will be releasing a new album (their first in about 30 years), and now another generation will get to sample this classic Dallas true punk band. Click here for a list of their shows, times, etc.


2. "Wildly Inappropriate", The Burning Hotels
   I checked out the band's website, and it looks like they'll be playing a total of five shows in the course of three days, starting on Tuesday and ending on Thursday. At SXSW, the word overexposure does not exist.


3. "Save Me", Siren Sea
   I've really taken a liking to the band's ethereal and haunting melodies, as well as Reema Hamdan's powerful voice. They'll perform Tuesday at 11:00 pm at The Dizzy Rooster, and Wednesday at 10:00 pm at The Blind Pig. On a separate note though, what's the deal with all the animal club names?


4. "We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
   Long before Mumford and Sons made the banjo cool, The O's were using the banjo and crafting their "party bluegrass anthems", as I like to call them. They have one official SXSW show (Wed, Mar 14 at 8:30 at St. David's Bethel Hall), and two unofficial shows. The first will be at Opal Devine's Thursday night at 7 pm, and the second takes place Friday at 12:30 PM at Maria's Taco Express.


5. "Wired to Make Waves", Nervous Curtains
   The band plays twice on Wednesday (once at The Highball, then at Bernadette's Bar), and then Friday at Sidebar.


6. "It's Not Enough", Salim Nourallah
   Mr. Nourallah has kept quite the quiet profile over the past year. With the release of his CD Hit Parade on the horizon, expect to see a lot more of Salim in the coming months. He'll perform an official show Friday at Cedar Street Courtyard. Interestingly enough, Salim will share a bill with both Rhett Miller and Thomas Dolby.


7. "Towering", Seryn
   Seryn has already made a substantial name for itself, both inside and outside of the metroplex area. While I doubt any major labels will be giving out million dollar deals this year, at the very least I feel safe saying there will be plenty of buzz around the band. Check their website for dates , times, and locations.


8. "Wait for Us", Mind Spiders
   Assuming you're not partied out by Saturday night at one in the morning, check out this band (also with its share of buzz) at Valhalla. And yes, this is an official show.


9. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   A little earlier on Saturday (1:10 PM to be exact) Menkena plays the outdoor stage at Casa Chapala.


10. "Little Heart", Clint Niosi
    Mr. Niosi will be releasing new material this year. I have a feeling I'm gonna be talking about him a bit in the upcoming months. I don't feel like listing all the shows he's doing, so just click here if you want the details, okay?


11. "Fortune Teller", Jessie Frye
    Congratulations to Ms. Frye for getting mentioned in the New York Times as one of the local acts worth seeing. If you want to see why the New York Times is impressed, check her out Wednesday at 2 pm at Betsy's Bar. Or check her out Friday at 6 pm at the Omni Hotel Downtown. Or check her out Saturday at 6 pm at the Austin Hilton Hotel. Or check out her Saturday at midnight at tenOak. Or check out all those shows.


12. "Slick Shoes", The Virgin Wolves
    Like Siren Sea, Virgin Wolves are also playing The Blind Pig. They'll take the stage Thursday night about 9 pm.


13. "Indian Melody", Calhoun
    Calhoun seems to be bookending its SXSW shows, with one Tuesday night at Treasure Island (official SXSW show) at 11 pm, and two unofficial shows Saturday (Doc's Motorworks day party at 5 pm, then Bar Louie at 10 pm). And in the middle of all that, the band will sneak back up to the metroplex and play the Dallas Museum of Art Friday night. And you thought there wouldn't be any good local shows this week.

Oh, and if I forgot to mention any shows by the above acts, let me know in the comments section. And if there are other local bands playing the festival you feel are deserving of attention, the comment section is good for that too.

Pre 4th of July Weekend Plans

Expect to hear more from me in the coming days. In the meantime, there are a few shows happening this weekend that I couldn't let pass without mentioning. Without further ado, here they are.


FRIDAY
Ian Moore & The Loosy Coils/Seth Walker/Rahim Quazi (The Kessler)
My Weekend Plan segment has always been a favorite of Mr. Quazi's, so it only seemed appropriate to do one on a weekend he's playing. Granted, he's only the opening slot, but any show featuring Rahim is one worth mentioning. There are few artists who not only put on a consistently good show as he does, but also even fewer who manage to keep each performance fresh and unique. My only complaint? It's taking WAY too long for the follow up to Supernatural to be released. What's up with that?
Gravity Feed/Ten Can Riot/Regetta de Faux/Geronamo/Christian Rios/Blake Mackey (Lakewood Bar & Grill)
This show is a celebration of the club's assistant manager (and friend of the Ghost) Jon Keener, and that's reason enough for me to attend. Get there early, as Blake Mackey is worth hearing. The man just might be the most talented acoustic guitar player in the metroplex. And while I've yet to hear Ten Can Riot, I've heard plenty of good reviews on the band.
Fate Lions/Soviet/Man Factory/Tape Deck Mountain (Lola's)
Power pop makes a strong showing tonight at Lola's, and Fate Lions are arguably the best power pop act in town. Soviet has often mislabeled as punk, whereas garage pop would be a much more fitting label. Either way, Soviet makes some pretty catchy tunes themselves.
The Demigs/Paper Robot/Deep Snapper (Andy's)
For those who have listened to my show on Deep Ellum Radio, you've undoubtedly heard me play The Demigs on more than one occasion. Their album Cities Can Wait is easily one of the best sounding albums of the year. Yes, the production is first rate, but more importantly, the songs match the same level of quality as the production. Fans of late 80's/early 90's pre-grunge a la Pixies will not want to miss this show.


SATURDAY
Rock-A-Tron 5000 Music Festival (Dada)
Somehow this festival almost slipped underneath my radar. I don't know if that's a sign that the show is being underpromoted or if I'm just that out of the loop. Either way, this all day event has plenty of good acts, including openers Spookeasy (2:15 pm), Sealion (8:15 pm), and Here Holy Spain (12:45 pm), all of which are playing on the indoor stage.
The Marfalites/Southern Karma/Steve Jackson/Mr. Troll (Poor David's Pub)
I previously called The Marfalites "Dallas' best kept secret in country music." Perhaps part of the reason they're not better known is that the band as of yet has not released a CD. They're working on their official CD, Three Penny and No Soul. But around the time that CD is released, they will ALSO release a live CD of Saturday's show. In fact, every one who pays the cover at Saturday's show gets their very own copy of the CD free of charge. And The Marfalites are definitely a band deserving of its own live CD, as they are easily one of the better live acts in the metroplex.
The King Bucks (Adair's)
There's been a lot more talk about The King Bucks this week due to a rather vicious writeup in the DC9 at Night blog. The author blasted the band for not having enough stage presence and not connecting with the audience. Admittedly, the band is pretty much the antithesis of flashy, but that would really not fit the Bucks. The King Bucks play simple, old school country: nothing more, nothing less. And if real country is what you're looking for, you'll be hard pressed to find a better option than the Bucks. And as for not connecting with the audience, Chad Stockslagger's banter alone shoots down any arguments that the band cannot connect with its audience. And the songs definitely connect with the audience, and really, isn't that what it's about?
Bronze Whaler/The Virgin Wolves/Binary Sunrise (Hailey's)
Tweed EQ/Bigelow Station/The Roomsounds (City Tavern)
Dead Rider/Nervous Curtains/Pinkish Black (Double-Wide)
Too many good shows, not enough time to discuss them. What a wonderful problem to have.

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.

The Lucky Thirteen: 11/29/10

Due to difficulties with Grooveshark, today's playlist has been severely delayed. Before reading comments on the artists, I'd like to point out that two artists on this week's Lucky Thirteen, namely Phoenix Hart and Ronnie Fauss, have Black Monday specials, so hurry to take advantage!!!

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. "Christmas (Doesn't Have to Be So Bad)", THe BAcksliders
   I hope everyone has seen the major showcase announcement on the blog featuring this band as the headliner. Here's a little Christmas song from the band. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I feel it's safe to start dusting off the Christmas songs.


2. "District County Court", Daniel Folmer
   I'm not sure whether the proper artist name for this song is Daniel Folmer or Danny Rush. I just know that I'm digging this more rockin' country side of the man.


3. "Until We Meet Again", Phoenix Hart
   While at Emmeline's CD party (I'll discuss the event more later), I had the privilege of meeting Ms. Hart. She's every bit as likable as her tunes. Speaking of those tunes, you can download her album Save Love for a mere $4.99 until Tuesday, 2:00 A.M. CST. Trust me, that's a steal that you don't want to miss out on.


4. "Do You Love Me?", The Bat Mastersons
   Thanks to my friend Michelle Stockton for giving me a copy of Tales from The Edge Vol. 7 & 8, featuring this Bat Mastersons classic that I hadn't heard since it came out in 1993. It was a nice blast from the past.


5. "8587 (Birthday)", Sore Losers
   Nic Hernandez requested the duo's "Epic Outro" a few weeks back. Now I'm spotlighting my personal favorite of Sore Losers.


6. "When We Were Wild", The Orbans
   The Orbans will open for the Epic Ruins CD release show at Lola's this Saturday. Calhoun, also featured on this week's Lucky Thirteen, completes the bill.


7. "Clara", Paul Slavens
   Also this Saturday night, Opening Bell Coffee has quite the stellar lineup with Summer Ames, Garrett Owen, and Mr. Slavens. No word on whether he'll be performing songs from Alphabet Girls, Vol. I, making up songs for donations, or both.


8. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
   Ah, more good shows... this one taking place this Thursday at Rubber Gloves, with Deep Snapper and Paper Robot opening.


9. "Apocalypse (A Love Story)", Calhoun
   I've heard the band's new track, "Knife Fight", on The Local Edge with Mark. I'd love to post that song on a Lucky Thirteen, but alas, I don't have the song. Do you hear that, members of Calhoun? I'd love to play songs from your upcoming album, Heavy Sugar, but I don't have it yet. Maybe you can fix that problem? And no, I'm not too proud to hit up bands for CDs if the music is awesome enough.


10. "Shivonne", Menkena
    Menkena will opening for Birds & Batteries this Thursday at Lochrann's in Frisco. While you're there, bug Jimmy and ask him when the album's coming out.


11. "A Hundred Years", Emmeline
    A few times a year, a show takes place that is more than a nice show, but transcends into a genuinely beautiful experience. Emmeline's CD release was one of those nights. This is a very talented young lady, and I'm proud to have been a part in helping her music get out to the public. Well done, Emmeline, well done.


12. "Barn Burner", The Roomsounds
    What happens when you mix The Roomsounds, Becky Middleton, and ugly Christmas sweaters? Find out Friday night at The Prophet Bar.


13. "Driving Through Memphis", Ronnie Fauss
    Ronnie's CDs are being sold for a 2-for-1 price; click here to take advantage of this opportunity. This track is from his new CD, Mulligan, and will most likely be played Saturday when he opens for Grant Jones and the Pistol Grip Lassos at the Kessler Theater this Friday Thursday.

Local Edge Playlist: 11/28/10

"Sexy Weekend", Legsweeper
"Buyer's Remorse", Les Americains
"Virgin Eyes", Hoyotoho
"River song", Seryn
"Devil's Nest", Lalagray
"The Penitent", Whiskey Folk Ramblers
"Childhood (LehtMoJoe Remix)", GalleryCat vs. Mount Righteous
"Write for You", Goodwin
"Relying", Katie Carroll
"Allison", The Burning Hotels
"The Walls (What the Birds Know)", The Boom Boom Box
"Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
"Good Night's Rest", Tweed EQ
"Knife Fight", Calhoun
"Child and Cobra", Epic Ruins

(Just my opinion here, but the Hoyotoho song is totally sick... in a good way)

The Lucky Thirteen: 11/1/10

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.

Also, it's worth mentioning that I'm now adding links to the websites of any artists featured in the Lucky Thirteen. If you like what you hear, then go to their site and learn more.

1. "Go On", The Shapes
   I've only been waiting for the debut album of The Shapes for about six years now. For those unfamiliar with the band, here's the Cliff Notes history: when Sons of Sound ended (click here for the Cliff Notes on them), Josh McKibben formed The Upsidedowners. Josh disbanded that group in early 2004. The remaining members, not ready to quit, formed The Shapes. And six years later, the album comes out. I hear their follow-up should be released sometime in early 2017.


2. "Ma'mma Jamma", The Virgin Wolves
   Since I did the covers themed playlist last week, this song had to wait because I just (finally) got their CD. This song combines a 50's boogie beat with the rocking style heard in their song "Virtue and Vice". This is a CD you need in your collection.


3. "House of All We Left Behind", Air Review
   I was originally going to share an acoustic version of "Chasing Corporate" on the Lucky Thirteen, but the Grooveshark website stated that the frequency of the file was too low or something like that. Oh well. Check out the band this Friday when they play Trees along with Radiant* and The Orange.


4. "Calistoga Blues", Les Americains
   Speaking of shows, this band will be at Double Wide on November 12th, celebrating their LP release. I'm not sure if there will be a CD to be purchased. Frankly, I was kind of hoping they'd put it out on 8-track, but no such luck.


5. "Supernatural", Rahim Quazi
   Mr. Quazi has told me on several occasions how excited he is for his next album to be finish and released. That makes two of us. In the meantime, here's the title track to his 2008 masterpiece.


6. "Mind in Trouble", Oil Boom
   I've gotten a few tweets from this band, so I figured that at the least, I should give them a listen. This song is a nice piece of bluesy rock, and I'm curious to hear more from the band.


7. "Mama Don't Like Me", The Roomsounds
   For some reason, Grooveshark insists on calling this song Mama192. I'm very anal about correct song titles, but I didn't want to not share the song just because of Grooveshark's error.


8. "Your Wife, Your Kids, Your Family, Your Friends", Analog Rebellion
   I must confess, I didn't really get into PlayRadioPlay, but I must say that Daniel Hunter's self-proclaimed "stadium lo-fi" is really winning me over.


9. "Fishbowl", Rhett Miller
   Call it a hunch, but I doubt Mr. Miller will be performing this or any song from his 1989 debut, Mythologies.


10. "Within the Flame", Anna Thomas
    Ms. Thomas will shortly be releasing her Break Apart EP, a collection of songs that would be mature and impressive for a thirty year old woman. The fact that she's thirteen makes it almost unbelievable, but in a very good way.


11. "To Whom It May Concern", The Burning Hotels
    Can someone explain something to me? Why is it that at a Burning Hotels live show, when the band announces "this is a song about Texas", barely anyone applauds? I mean, I thought that was supposed to be the one guaranteed way to get applause from an audience. And it's a good song too, so what's the deal people?


12. "Just Incase", Year of the Ox
    Fans of quality hip-hop and rap, take note: listen to The Indie Verse every Tuesday at 4 pm for Nic Hernandez' show "The Breeding Ground". Click here to check out his site. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to the show yet, but from the songs I've heard from his playlist, this man could be to local hip-hop music what Mark from the Local Edge is to local rock music. And that's no tiny compliment.


13. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
    I'm ending this playlist with this song, because, well, it's awesome. Yeah, that about sums it up..

The Lucky Thirteen: 8/30/10 (And a Day Late)

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. Also, if you just want to upload your songs to Grooveshark, that works too.

1. "City of Hate", Toadies
   On the Weekend Plans post Friday, there was one minor show I left out. Some band called Toadies playing out in New Braunsfel. Hey, it's an easy show to overlook... NOT! My bad.


2. "A Long Time", Trey Johnson
   Tuesday: new Trey Johnson (Where the East Ends) out on iTunes and in stores. I promise I'll share some more tracks off the album, but I've just been enjoying this track too much not to share it again.


3. "Accomplice", Nervous Curtains
   The folks at Gutterth are sponsoring Free Week at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio. There will be free shows all week there; you can go to the Rubber Gloves website for more info. My personal favorite pick? Nervous Curtains on Friday night. I thought "All Yesterday's Parties" was a nice enough song and all, but "Accomplice" is getting under my skin a lot deeper. For those keeping score, that's a good thing.


4. "Katie", Ray Johnston Band
   It would be easy for me to be skeptical of Ray Johnston. Athletes as musicians usually sound as good as actors trying to be musicians. Ray Johnston is the exception to that rule. He might get extra publicity for playing with the Mavericks, but the music stands firmly on its merits.


5. "Her First Party", The Deathray Davies
   DRD is supposed to have finished an album, but no telling when it will be released. The fact that DRD mastermind John Dufilho is touring with Apples in Stereo this fall suggests we'll have to wait longer.


6. "I'm Immune", Chris Holt
   I have to confess I'm only halfway thru Mr. Holt's new album, A Cosmic Joke. Still, if the second half is as good as the first half, this album could be Holt's piece de resistance.


7. "Will You Be There", Pale Horse
   Warning, BAcksliders, Warning!!! Pale Horse is trying to steal the title of "Best Live Band in Dallas" from you! They haven't done it yet, but they're working on it. Don't let this mellow, introspective song fool you: their lives shows rock with an intensity shared only by the best in town.


8. "Emulate", Spector 45
   Sometimes it takes several viewings of a band to finally "get" them. Although I've always thought Spector 45 was good, their EP release at LaGrange was what turned me from a casual fan to fully understanding the talent that Frankie 45 and the gang possess. I see many more Spector 45 shows in my future.


9. "Unicorn $", Clay Pendergrass
   As promised last week, here's a new tune from Mr. Pendergrass.


10. "Devil's Nest", Lalagray
    Ashley Myrick (aka Lalagray) will release her debut album, sharing a name with the above song. Also on the bill is my favorite Austin singer-songwriter, David Ramirez. I hear he used to live in Dallas. Does that qualify him as a "local artist"? Let the debate begin.


11. "Virtue and Vice", The Virgin Wolves
    Do you hate music that really rocks? If so, then do not, I repeat, DO NOT listen to this song and stick with your Michael Bolton. For the rest of you, I offer this song up to again because, well, it rocks.


12. "Pusherman", Nemesis
    While scrolling Facebook statuses, I found the video for this song posted by Pikahsso (PPT, AwkQuaruis). I had heard of Nemesis, not even being aware of the fact that they were from Dallas. The beat is admittedly repetitive, yet that works in the songs favor, as it hypnotizes the listener as opposed to boring the listener. Thanks, Pikahsso.


13. "Star Girl", Katie Carroll
    This beautiful final track from Ms. Carroll's debut album seemed the perfect way to wrap up this playlist.

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.