GOBL's Top 50: #50-11

It's funny how whenever I try to take on a project like the Top 50 or the A-Z playlists, life somehow gets in the way. I'm taking a moment to get the countdown back on track. The bad news is that a number of artists will not get the level of a write up that is deserved. And for that, I apologize. I'll try to write a little something about each artist that has been neglected for the past week.

The one bright side is that doing this should have everything on track for next week, when we finally enter my picks for the top 10 local tunes of the past year.

So let's do a full recap, complete with a playlist at the end.

50. "Who's That Girl", PPT
51. "Same Old, Same Old", Hello Lover
52. "All Inside", The Felons
53. "German Chocolate Cake", Bravo, Max!
54. "The Message", Dem Southernfolkz
55. "Nip/Tuck", The Orange
56. "Icarus", Arielle
57. "We Will All Be Changed", Seryn
58. "Virtue And Vice", The Virgin Wolves
59. "Little Bear", Elkhart
60. "Love Bomb", Rude King
61. "The Great Escape", Damaged Good$
62. "Need a Release", the cut*off
63. "Were Her", The Orbans
64. "Young & Reckless", The Roomsounds
65. "Three", The Timeline Post
66. "Dalton the Prophet", Nicholas Altobelli
67. "You Pressed the Crash Button", Novaak
68. "Paper Girl", Katie Carroll
69. "Move Along", Blue Petal
70. "Pastel Lights", Ishi
71. "Seven", Ducado Vega
72. "Love That Leaves", Somebody's Darling
73. "Black Light", Macon Greyson
74. "Aim High", Chris Holt
75. "Set Me Free", The Red 100's
76. "Truth on Tape", Smile Smile
77. "Mindreader", Lovie
Harshmellow waso the first CD mailed for review by The Ghost.  While it was never formally reviewed (which happens rarely on here), the band received plenty of mentions for their super catchy tunes.  Plus, you can't beat lyrics like "Oh yeah, he loves me, he loves me not/Blah blah blah blah blah".
78. "Wire to the Walls", RTB2
Ryan Thomas Becker is arguably the best musician in Dallas right now.  While known mostly for his guitar work, this song proves that he is capable of writing an incredibly catchy tune in under 100 seconds.
79. "All Because You're Mine", Air Review
In the fall of 2009, I was at a show at Trees, chatting with John Solis.  I asked him what bands he recommend I check out.  In a separate conversation that night, I asked Pete Freedman the same question.  Both had the same response: Air Review.  My curiousity was piqued, and I was not disappointed.
80. "Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
Luna, I know you're busy with Polyphonic Spree and the like, but Dallas needs more of your music.

81. "Burning Pictures", The Monco Poncho
I remember the first time that I heard this band, I instantly fell in love and became a fan. Yes, what a lovely story.  There's only one problem with the story; it isn't true.  I must confess, it took me a few shows to understand the campy goodness that is Monco Poncho.  But underneath the western shtick, there are some really well crafted pop tunes.  And of that group of tunes, none demands repeated listens quite like "Burning Pictures".

82. "Hang On", Salim Nourallah
Mr. Nourallah usually specializes in sweet pop melodies that hide a darker story.  In this case, it's almost the reverse.  While the lyrics are hardly joyous, there is a certain level of hope mixed with the sadness, as exemplified by lyrics like, "You've gotta love this life, even when it has you beat."  NOTE: had Hit Parade been out longer, the title track might be right here instead.  Yes, it's that good.
83. "Swelling", Sarah Jaffe
When I got to attend the 2007 Wall of Sound Festival, I made a point of arriving early, mostly to see an artist I'd heard such good things about, Sarah Jaffe.  Not only was I not disappointed, the performance left me with speechless and with goosebumps.  The latter symptom is one I have experienced at every performance of hers I've attended.  And while "Vulnerable", "Clementine", and "Glorified High" are her biggest hits, I remember continually playing this track on her MySpace back in the days.  For that reason, "Swelling" gets the #17 slot.
84. "Try Try Try", Spector 45
There's no doubt that there is still a hole left in the local music world from the deaths of Frankie 45 and Adam Carter.  In fact, when you mention the band nowadays, there's a certain sadness felt when thinking about the loss of these two young men.  Yet if you listen to the music, what you hear is a band that was raw, energetic, and, well, alive.  That's the way I like to remember Spector 45.
85. "Bleeder", True Widow
It was the 2009 Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase, and I was trying to figure out which bands to see.  Unfortunately, many artists I like were scheduled against each other.  Such was the case with Doug Burr and True Widow.  I walked into The Cavern, planning on catching a few TW songs before checking out Mr. Burr.  I never made it to see Doug's set that night because I was hyptonized by True Widow's performance.  That set of theirs just might rank as my favorite performance of the past five years.

86. "For Keeps", Iris Leu
87. "What Turns Inside", Dove Hunter
88. "I Still Wait", The O's
89. "Gypsy Woman", Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights

You'll have to forgive me for not commenting on the last four songs.  I seem to be experiencing writer's block.  Perhaps to be more accurate, I'm starting to have a hard time discussing these songs in such a way that does them justice.  I simply hope to start finding the words again for the songs in the Top 10.  In the meantime, here's the playlist I promised.

T

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/5/12

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for the NX35 35 Conferette 35 Denton Festival. The event certainly seems to have a hard time sticking with a name, coming up with a new one almost every year. Hopefully this time they've gotten the name right.

Either way, the festival seems to consistently get things right on the music end. This year is no different. The mere opportunity to see The Jesus & Mary Chain perform in the metroplex for the first time in over a decade is reason enough to spend the money on the wristband. Other out of towners on the lineup include The Hood Internet, Best Coast, The Raincoats, Peaking Lights, Built to Spill, and Designer Drugs (just to name a few).

But you didn't come here to read about the out of towners, right? You know that The Ghost is almost exclusively fixated on local musics. So here's a look at thirteen of the finest local acts playing this year's 35 Denton Festival. In fact, consider this a potential schedule, as all these acts are at different times. Note that lineup times provided may change, but as of this moment, the set times are accurate.

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. "The Man with the Golden Snack", Old Snack
   Performing at 9:30 PM Thursday night at The Labb.


2. "Wither", True Widow
   Performing at 11:30 PM Thursday night at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios.


3. "Gambling Preacher and His Daughter", Whiskey Folk Ramblers
   Performing at 6:00 PM Friday evening at Main Stage #1.


4. "Knockout Rose", Bad Design
   Performing at 10:15 PM Friday night at J&J's Pizza.


5. "I Got This Fever/O Ye Devastator", Doug Burr
   Performing at 11:30 Friday night at Dan's Silverleaf.


6. "Buy You", Spookeasy
   Performing at 9:30 PM Saturday night at Banter.


7. "Forever Today", Soviet
   Performing at 10:30 PM Saturday night at Denton Square Donuts.


8. "America's Son", Air Review
   Performing at 12:45 AM Saturday night at Dan's Silverleaf.


9. "Sexy Weekend", Leg Sweeper
   Performing at 3:30 PM Sunday afternoon at Main Stage #2.


10. "Cut the Lights", Manned Missiles
    Performing at 9:30 PM Sunday night at Mellow Mushroom.


11. "Red Palomino", The Demigs
    Performing at 10:30 PM Sunday night at Denton Square Donuts.


12. "Like a Charm", Here Holy Spain
    Performing at 11:30 PM Sunday night at Abbey Underground.


13. "Remember You", The O's
    Performing at 12:30 AM Sunday night at Sweetwater.

And that's just a small sampling of the quality local music featured at 35 Denton. My apologies to A.M. Ramblers, Backwater Opera, The Blurries, The Burning Hotels, Damaged Good$, Fox and the Bird, The Hope Trust, The House Harkonnen, Jessie Frye, Museum Creatures, The Phuss, RTB2, Sealion, Shaolin Death Squad, Shiny Around the Edges, Sore Losers, and all the many other fine acts that I could not fit into the playlist.

Ghost of Blind Lemon Radio: 4/27/11

For those who have been faithfully listening to my radio show on deepellumradio, I give you my sincere thanks. To those who have not been listening, I hope to convince to start listening every Wednesday 6-8 pm CST. Perhaps if you see the fine musical selections that you're missing out on, that will convince you to turn up your computer speakers and give me a listen. So without further ado, here's this week's playlist.


"Underground", Kirby Brown
"Hotel Denalian", Bravo, Max!
"Missing Funerals", Salim Nourallah
"Hands Where Words Cannot Go", RTB2
"City of Hate", Toadies
"Carney's Lake", W.A. Fite
"Save Your Breath", Camille Cortinas
"Chasing Corporate", Air Review
"Justify or Explain", Tweed EQ
"Man with the Crooked Crown", Nicholas Altobellit
"You're No Good", Pale Horse
"Burn It Down", Here Holy Spain
"Tropicall", Soviet
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Kim Bonner
"Holy Water", Princess Tex
"Holiday", Vibrolux
"Potential Future Selves", THe BAcksliders
"Turn on Your Radio", THe BAcksliders
"sEVEN", DuCADO Vega
"Parking Lot Nights", Ghosthustler
"Set Me Free", The Red 100's
"Love Bomb", Rude King
"Charmed", The Bright
"Eyes Get Bigger", Oil Boom
"Skull Eyes", True Widow
"Three", The Timeline Post
"Sins of the Fathers", Course of Empire
"Remember You", The O's
"Pawn Shop Special", The Marfalites
"Someone Else's Blues", Greg Schroeder

And for those who have been wondering, the Ghost of Blind Lemon theme (intro song) was created by Clay Pendergrass, and the outro song is an excerpt from Rahim Quazi's "Supernatural (Reprise).

Also, feel free to email me at ghost@deepellumradio.com with song requests, suggestions for the show, or if you have an mp3 you'd like me to play.

Local Edge Playlist: 1/30/11

Another great episode, complete with a live in-studio from Pale Horse. And another Ghost of Blind Lemon reference... could it get any better?


"Blow the Speakers", Legsweeper
"Throw Me Overboard", The Hope Trust
"Marnie", Novaak

IN STUDIO: PALE HORSE
"Like a Canary"
"Your Heart Is a Wild Drum Beat"
"You're No Good"

"Skull Eyes", True Widow
"Prophet", Datahowler
"I Know a Thing or Two About You", Tweed EQ
"sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
"Better Off Dead", People on Vacation

The Lucky Thirteen: 10/11/10

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.

1. "Born and Raised", Trey Johnson
   Any fans of Lissie out there? If you're going to her show tonight at Granada, get there in time to catch Mr. Johnson. Dallas has few singer-songwriters that are at the same level as Trey.


2. "Allison", The Burning Hotels
   Photographer Thom Jackson shot a music video, except the video was without music. He needed someone to write a song for the video, so he asked Burning Hotels to do just that. One might think that with such short notice, the song would be rather disposable. It turns out that the opposite happened: "Allison" is easily the strongest song the band has done. I may be a little biased because of my love of 80's new wave. The song has a similar groove to Flock of Seagulls' "Wishing", except with a darker feel to it. BH, you might want to start adding synthesizers on a regular basis. Think about it.


3. "The Saint's Id", Hi-Fi Drowning
   I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction of last week's flashback Lucky Thirteen. Here's another great song from that period that there just wasn't room for.


4. "Unicorn $", Clay Pendergrass
   fans of mr. pendergrass, take note: clay and his myriad of musical incarnations will be invading good records this thursday. it's a celebration of e.e. cummings' birthday. i'm celebrating his birthday early by giving the caps button a rest.


5. "My Bangs", The Loosies
   I saw The Loosies about a year ago, and I felt the band had potential that had not been fully realized on their first effort, I Love the Loosies. Their newer material is just polished enough to allow the songs to shine without losing any of their sloppy riot grrl sound. And when I say sloppy, I mean that in the best way possible. Check them out Saturday at 2826 Arnetic for their CD release show.


6. "Young & Reckless", The Roomsounds
   The band has some really cool new tunes on their MySpace page. I'd add one of the new songs instead, but no band members have sent me the mp3's. Guys, the email above is there for a reason. Check them out live in Denton this Saturday at Hailey's, along with Gypsy Bravado, The Red 100's, and Luke Wade & No Civilians.


7. "Duelist", True Widow
   Yet another show alert: TW plays this Friday at Double-Wide. Their shows are pretty unbelievable.


8. "Wish", Ronnie Fauss
   My first show of 2010 was the two year anniversary show for Bonafide Darling. Mr. Fauss opened the show, and I heard this track for the first time. In spite of the dark and bitter lyrics (or perhaps because of it), I instantly liked the song and awaited its release. The wait is over: Ronnie Fauss' new EP, Mulligan is out. He's celebrating the release of his CD this Friday at White Rock Coffee, along with GOBL favorite Nicholas Altobelli. Speaking of White Rock Coffee, Mr. Fauss is now taking over booking there. It's a charming place, so let's hope Mr. Fauss can put it on the musical map.


9. "You're No Good", Pale Horse
   Pale Horse has a Bandcamp page featuring their debut EP, Future Dimensions. The price? That's up to you. Pay what you can afford to pay. I'd encourage you to at least donate a couple of bucks before downloading. But please, do download and get to know the songs. You're going to want to know their songs for the next time you see them play. They have several shows coming up, one of which just might be put on by yours truly. Stay tuned for details...


10. "Crutch", Hannah Wilshire
    I stumbled upon this artist while wandering thru MySpace, and thought I'd share her music with you, my readers.


11. "Secular Trends", Grassfight
    Last year, Grassfight was the opening act for one of my showcases at Lakewood Bar & Grill. They're the opening act for another upcoming show, but this one's a little bit higher profile of a show. The band opens for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Trees (not Lizard Lounge) on October 24th. For those who had tickets to the BRMC show at Lizard Lounge, they'll be honored at Trees.


12. "Aim High", Chris Holt
    If you were at Mr. Holt's CD release show, you know what an amazing show it was. If you weren't, well I guess it sucks to be you.


13. "Walls", The Rocket Summer
    Although I've had difficulty getting into a lot of Bryce Avery's newer stuff, this tune still packs a major emotional punch for me.

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

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. "Undercover", Bridges & Blinking Lights
   The band is keeping busy this week, playing first Friday night at the Kessler Theater (a venue so great I felt the need to add a direct link) with Nervous Curtains and Happy Bullets. The following night, they join Cocky Americans and Manned Missiles for a show at City Tavern.


2. "I Love You", Spector 45
   I would have liked to place this song in last week's playlist in order to promote the band's set at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival Saturday night. Unfortunately, this song somehow didn't fit in among the other tracks in the previous mellow themed playlist. Spector 45, not mellow? What a shocker. Although I heard several people complain about the sound quality at the Festival, I thought it was one of the best sets I've heard from the band as of yet.


3. "Libertine", The Buck Pets
   The band reunites at Trees this Saturday night, with The Boom Boom Box and Dead Beat Poetry opening.


4. "Your Virgo", Lovie
   I hope you've taken advantage of the free download of this tasty pop nugget from Lovie. Good stuff!


5. "The Impossibility of Life in the Mind of the Dying", Les Americains
   Several months ago, Robert Efurd from Les Americains sent me this track that has yet to be released on CD. Since the band plays Friday night at Prophet Bar with Austin band The Criminal Kind for their CD release show, now seemed a good time to share the track with my readers. Oh, The Roomsounds is also on the bill, and they're most definitely worth checking out.


6. "Party Like You Mean It", Damaged Good$
   What can I say, this song just seems to keep worming its way into the Lucky Thirteen. It's just cool like that.


7. "Paper Bag", Katie Carroll
   The first time I heard this track on The Local Edge, it instantly grabbed my attention. I even tweeted host Mark to find out the name of the artist. When I found that the Dallas Observer made this a free downloadable track (click here for the article and mp3), I downloaded it, listened to the song, then listened again, and again, and... well, you get the idea. I anxiously await both live shows and CDs from Ms. Carroll.


8. "Austin's Birthday", The Burning Hotels
   
9. "Chasing Corporate", Air Review
   Both bands play Trees Friday night for a stellar night of music that also features Radiant and They Were Stars. By the way, is it Radiant or Radiant*? I can never remember.


10. "Maybellene Don't", THe BAcksliders
    The Bonners (plus Taylor Young on drums) don't play these parts near as frequently as I'd like, but this Friday the band headlines a nifty little show at City Tavern. Cricket Taylor and the Electromagentics and The Action Is open for the band.
    
11. "Barrier Reef", Old 97's
    
12. "Honky Tonk Angels (Don't Happen Overnight)", Eleven Hundred Springs
    
13. "Bleeder", True Widow
    Oh yes, music festival season is still going strong, with this weekend's big event being the MusInk Festival going on at Fair Park, starting Friday night and ending Sunday night. Go to the website for all the details on bands and world class tattoo artists, but I'll tell you know that the biggest local guns per night are Old 97's for Friday night, Eleven Hundred Springs for Saturday night, and True Widow for Sunday night.

The Lucky Thirteen: 3/14/10 - 3/20/10

NX35 wraps up tonight, leaving you a brief breather before that OTHER major music festival in Texas. I must say, I'm disappointed by how little of the metroplex area is represented in the official SXSW showcases. Frankly, I think that as a whole, the bands playing the unofficial shows are better than most of the locals playing the official shows. Still, I'm letting you have a taste of both sides of the fence. You'll get several official bands that you'll need to pay lots of money to see, as well as many playing free unofficial showcases.

1. "Austin's Birthday", The Burning Hotels
   The official show happens Wednesday night at Jaime's at about one in the morning. What's even cooler, however, is the fact that they're playing at the Fort Worth Grab Bag show Thursday at Dominican Joe's free of charge. Their set starts at 6:30 on the outdoor stage. Other bands playing the showcase include Fate Lions, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, and Goodwin just to name a few. This is easily the king of unofficial showcases.


2. "Dawn", Nicholas Altobelli
   Here's some more unofficial fun: Nicholas Altobelli performs Saturday at Thunderbird Coffee around 7:00, where I'm sure he'll be performing songs from his upcoming release, The Regulator. (NOTE: the Thunderbirds show is cancelled)


3. "Tell It in My Ear", Fergus and Geromino
   This Teenage Cool Kids side project has gotten plenty of buzz around these parts, and they'll be trying to spread the buzz at SXSW. This is an official show starting at about 9:00 pm Saturday night at Red 7.


4. "Minor It Down", True Widow
   They'll be performing Friday night at Encore around midnight, and yes, this is an official showcase. If you haven't seen the band play live yet, then this is a must see show for you.


5. "Acts of Man", Midlake
   Here's yet another official show, this one happening Thursday night (about 1:00 AM) at Buffalo Billiards.


6. "TNT Family", Holy Moly
   I don't have a start time for their set at Darwin's Pub; all I can tell you is that it's an unofficial show Friday night.


7. "When Hammer Hits Stone", RTB2
   RTB2 is another one of the acts performing Thursday at the previously mentioned Fort Worth Grab Bag showcase. Need more RTB2? They'll also be playing Friday afternoon at Momo's club around 5:20 or so.


8. "Party Like You Mean It", Damaged Good$
   If any local artist could claim to party like they mean it, it would be Damaged Good$. Attend the party, I mean official show, Friday night (10:00 pmish) at The Independent.


9. "Robin", Little Black Dress
   For those who will arrive in Austin Wednesday night, don't miss LBD's official show at The Hideout. The set starts around 1:00 AM.


10. "Even Born Again", Sarah Jaffe
    Ms. Jaffe's set starts at 8:00 pm Thursday night at St. David's Historic Sanctuary, a quite unlikely place for a SXSW show.


11. "Have You Ever Been Down?", THe BAcksliders
    Were the folks at SXSW intimated by the wild performances and energetic rock stylings of THe BAcksliders? This band deserves all the buzz it can get. SXSW may have been intimidated, but fortunately the Electra Beauty Lounge isn't as easily scared. That's where they perform Saturday afternoon around 3 pm.


12. "Shake Your Fist", Telegraph Canyon
    It's no surprised that Telegraph Canyon, one of the most critically acclaimed bands around here as of late, is performing an official show Saturday night at The Ale House. The set time is 8:00 pm.


13. "She's from the Other Side", Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
    It used to be that each year their would be that "breakout" artist at SXSW. Norah Jones was a "breakout" artist, and perhaps our metroplex can score another breakout with JT&NL. Not only does our music community need a success story, but this band has the talent to pull it off. Check out both of their official shows: Thursday at midnight at Maggie May's and Saturday at Galaxy Room Backyard (9:00 pm). Can't afford the real shows? No worries, because they'll be performing Friday afternoon at Antone's (not sure of the set time).

And if there are any other good local acts I've forgotten to list (especially good unofficial shows), feel free to post them in the comments section.

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

Standard playlist disclaimer: any artists, record labels, etc. who do not wish to be on the playlist for any reason whatsoever, email me at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and I will gladly remove the track. And if you'd actually like to be on the playlist, you can use the same email addy to email me mp3's, and if I like the song then odds are it'll wind up on a playlist.

Now, on with the playlist:

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


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


3. "Love Is War", Dovetail


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Playlist: 1/10/10 - 1/16/10

If any artists that are on this playlist do not wish to be on the playlist, please email me at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and I will gladly remove the song. If, on the other hand, you'd like to be featured on the playlist but I don't have any songs by your band, feel free to email me at the same email and perhaps I'll add you on a future playlist.

Now, onto this week's playlist:

1. "For Keeps", Iris Leu
   I've searched the names of several local artists on Hypster, and frankly the current selection is underwhelming. Number of songs by The O's? Zero. Number of Chomsky songs? None. How many Midlake songs? Only one. Number of Iris Leu songs? Four. Obviously I'm not the only fan of Ms. Leu's who uses Hypster.


2. "Acts of Man", Midlake
   Oh, scratch my previous comment about the number of Midlake songs. I've placed this track off their upcoming CD, The Courage of Others, on the site now. You're welcome.


3. "Pipe Dream", The Slack
   I am officially declaring The Deep End as the first important release of 2010, and Holt and company are starting off the year on the right foot. Don't forget, the CD release show is on the 22nd of this month at Sons of Hermann Hall.


4. "All Because You're Mine", Air Review
   Their song "Chasing Corporate" ranked number six on my year end countdown, and that's definitely their most immediately accessible track. "All Because You're Mine" is one of the those songs that takes its sweet time to worm its way into your head. Once it's there, it is there and setting up permanent residence. I would probably say that after repeated listens to Landmarks, this is truly their finest track.


5. "View from the Track", Dust Congress
   The fine folks at Gutterth have created two compilations of tracks that can be downloaded for free on their website. I've been particularly enjoying this track from Compilation: One.


6. "The Spilling Blood Child", RTB2
   Have you heard about the In*And*Out Tour of 2010? Okay, so "tour" might be too strong of a word. RTB2, new GOBL fave Luna Matto, and PVC Street Gang will be playing at The Cavern this Friday, and taking the show north on 35 when they play Hailey's the next day. Make a point of attending at least one of the shows.


7. "Flat Black", True Widow
   True Widow will play at Sons of Hermann Hall with the pAper chAse and The Boom Boom Box, and I predict they will steal the show.


8. "Say Hello", Tim Miller
   According to Opening Bell Coffee's website, Tim Miller & Friends will be performing there this Saturday. As to who those friends are, I have no clue, though I'd love it if one of those friends was Sara Donaldson. I've seen the two perform together, and it's one of those situations where the sum of their performance is greater than the parts of either solo. Oh, and Jayson Bales & The Charmers open the show. For the record, it seems as if Opening Bell has a LOT of good shows booked in the upcoming weeks.
   
9. "Paperweight Eyes", Sorta
   While Hypster's selection of local artists is currently limited, I intend to change that. The beauty is that it at least allows me to expand their selection, something that is not available thru MySpace. This is particularly frustrating when a band you love has a very limited selection of tracks available. This is the case with Sorta, where their first two albums are unavailable for playlists. Here's one of my favorites off their first full length, Laugh out Loud.


10. "Echo and the Pass", Hendrick
    Once again, my congratulations go out to Hendrick, who came in at number one on my year end countdown. It has been a mission of mine to convince people to listen to this track, and I can only hope it impacts my readers the way it did me. Thank you, Hendrick, for creating this masterpiece.

MySpace Playlist: 11/1/09

A couple of thank you's before I start the playlist. First of all, I thank all of you who came out Friday night to see Iris Leu and Luna Matto. Morning Elephant was originally on the bill, but could not perform that night and the folks at LBG replaced them with Avoiding Disaster. If you haven't seen either Iris or Luna as of yet, you are so missing out. Both of them rocked the LBG in a major way.

Also, I thank everyone who has contributed to the discussion about the Dallas music movement. It always does my heart good to know that people still care about local music. Keep the discussion going, and do whatever you can to support the movement. Attend shows. Expose your friends to local music. Attend shows. Call up radio stations and encourage them to play local music. Oh, did I mention that you should attend shows?

Okay, time for me to step down from my soapbox and give you some music to listen to.

1. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   This song distills all the best qualities of Menkena (intelligent lyrics, dreamy melody) into five minutes of pure sonic bliss. This may be the band's finest work to date. The level of anticipation I have for their upcoming full length CD is a level usually reserved for local heavy hitters (Old 97's, Salim Nourallah, etc.) and if there is any justice, Menkena will reach that level of respect in Dallas and beyond.


2. "Young & Reckless", The Roomsounds
   I discovered this track last week on The Local Edge show and have listened to it repeatedly. Jangly guitars? Check. Catchy melody that sticks in your head? Check. Band with major potential? Check.


3. "Were Her", The Orbans
   Speaking of The Local Edge, The Orbans will be joining Chatterton and Shock of Pleasure at Trees Wednesday night as these three bands perform for the opportunity to play at EDGEfest. By the way, wouldn't Roomsounds be the perfect opening band for The Orbans? Those two tracks transitioned seamlessly.


4. "Luggage for Light Years", the cut*off
   If you can't catch The Orbans on Wednesday night, then catch them Saturday night at The Moon, along with Dove Hunter and this band. Fort Worth, I'm jealous of you right now.


5. "In Case You Might Forget", The Heelers
   Haven't listened to this track in forever, and decided it had been too long since I shared this song with you, my readers.


6. "Have You Ever Been Down?", THe BAcksliders
   I wanted "Keep A Knockin'" on last week's covers playlist, but alas, the band has removed that track from their MySpace. They'll be playing Double-Wide on Friday th e13th. I usually don't mention shows on playlists that are not for the current week, but I'm just that excited about seeing them.


7. "Minor It Down", True Widow
   They'll be playing at Sons of Hermann Hall Saturday night, opening for The Crash That Took Me's CD release party. I'd post a track from TCTTM's CD, except the band still hasn't posted any tracks from their upcoming CD on MySpace. What's the hold up, Dylan?


8. "Wire to the Walls", RTB2
   When Granada hosts the Destroyer show Friday night, two of Denton's finest will open the show. Both Sarah Jaffe and RTB2 will perform, and although their styles could not be more different, the one trait shared in common is first rate musicianship and quality songs. And really, what more is needed?


9. "We Gathered in Spring", Midlake
   As I eagerly anticipate the band's next CD, The Courage of Others, I've found myself listening to this track more than ever.


10. "Little Polyanna", Kristy Kruger
    This Monday is Dia de los Muertos, translated in English as "Day of the Dead." It is also the day that Lt. Col. Eric Kruger, brother to Kristy, died in the Iraq War. Every year, Kristy performs a show in honor of her brother. She will perform at Opening Bell Coffee, along with Robert Gomez and The Beaten Sea. Part of the proceeds will go to Fisherhouse, a group that helps members of the military, as well as their families. This will not only be an evening of great music, but an opportunity to pay respects to a true hero and help others who are fighting for our country.