The Lucky Thirteen: 2/6/12

When I began my shows on Deep Ellum Radio, I felt that doing a weekly playlist on top of my show would be redundant. Since I have not been able to record as many shows as usual, I'm thinking that a return of the Lucky Thirteen may be in order. So without further ado, here is this week's Lucky Thirteen. Also, forgive my briefer than usual commentary today. My brain is having a bad case of the Mondays.

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. "Gambling Preacher and His Daughter", Whiskey Folk Ramblers
   Not only is this the strongest song I've heard from the band, the video for the song is quite impressive and intriguing. Don't just take my word on it. Pause the playlist and give it a watch right below.
   
   
   


2. "Your Kiss", Parallel Play
   Time for a shameless Crown and Harp plug: check out Parallel Play, along with The Black Frames and Police cover band Regatta de Faux, this Friday night. A mere $5 cover gets you thru the door for this fine night of music. OK, my sales pitch is done... for now.


3. "My Niagra Heart", Spooky Folk
   I did a little search for Spooky Folk in the Grooveshark catalog, and to my surprise, there were a number of their songs available. After hearing this song repeatedly on The Local Edge with Mark, it inevitably grew on me. By the way, if you're not listening to his show, you're really missing out.


4. "City Bus", The Boom Boom Box
   The Boom Boom Box released their first full length CD, Until Your Eyes Get Used to the Darkness, last month. It's full of everything you expect: thundering guitars, fierce percussion, and Andrew Huffstetler's trademark scream. And yes, this is meant to be played very loud.


5. "I'm Goin' Nowhere", The Chloes
   This weekend breaks the cycle of three consecutive weekends watching The Chloes play. I'm not a stalker. Honest.


6. "sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
   Congratulations to Mr. Vega. This past Saturday, he and Zenya (keyboardist for his band, Bloodrich) got married.


7. "The Story", Emmeline
   Emmeline is one of the contenders for the Hard Rock Rising 2012 contest. The winner gets to perform at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. There are a lot of great acts competing, including Ducado Vega, Gypsy Bravado, Jessie Frye, Quincy Forte Johnson, and, well, too many more to mention. Click here to vote for your choice. And when you vote, you get to download a free track from the artist (in Emmeline's case, it's "The Story). How cool is that?


8. "The Man with the Golden Snack", Old Snack
   This is the only way that an Old Snack can be tasty.


9. "Sound City", The Burning Hotels
   I have to confess that "Beard", the lead off single from the band's self titled CD, didn't grab me as much as I expected it to. This track, on the other hand, is a much more appealing foray into new wave. This song helps prove "Allison" was no fluke.


10. "Schoolboy", Kirby Brown
    Mr. Brown will be playing what's called The Valentine Blues Ball at LaGrange this Saturday, along with Quaker City Night Hawks and Dead Mockingbirds. Looks like this should be a good alternative for those needing an Anti-Valentine's Day celebration.


11. "I'm Not to Spare (Live)", Tweed EQ
    Siren Sea are playing at The Crown and Harp on Friday, February 17th for their CD release show. I don't have the new album yet, therefore I cannot share any material. Instead, I offer you a live Tweed EQ track, since they're sharing a bill with Siren Sea.


12. "The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower", The Deathray Davies
    Mr. Dufilho will be releasing his second solo CD in a matter of months. It's an ambitious project to say the least, with guest vocals from many of Dallas' finest (Sarah Jaffe, Salim Nourallah, Will Johnson, and Ben Kweller are just a few names). Reportedly, he'll also release the 6th DRD release this year. Here's hoping that happens.


13. "I Only Have Eyes for You", Emily Riddle
    This is a song I've been wanting to share with my Deep Ellum Radio listeners, but have not had the proper opportunity to do so. It's a little more pop than what I usually listen to, and yet between Ms. Riddle's lovely voice and the intriguing melody, this track has set up a permanent residence in my head. See if it has the same effect on you.

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.

Weekend Plans: 4/29/11

I'm writing this mere minutes before I head out for the night, so forgive the brief commentary. I'm sure I'll forget a really important show, so feel free to point out any significant omissions in the comments section.

And now, the shows...


FRIDAY:
THe BAcksliders/RTB2 (Double-Wide)
Not only is this a CD release show for THe BAcksliders, but they're also recording a live CD tonight. Maybe if you shout loud enough, you'll hear yourself on the record.
Human Groove Hormone/Immigrant Punk/Paul Chrisopher Yanez/Emmeline/Suzanne KimBrell/Jennifer Bean/Audacious/Karyna Cruz/Backwater Opera/Mark Brant/Sonya Jevette (Lakewood Bar & Grill)
Check out my last blog entry for my thoughts and such.
Tweed EQ/Sir Silky (Fallout Lounge)
I hope Tweed EQ's CD release show doesn't get overlooked, considering that THe BAcksliders are playing down the street. Their album Second Tour is full of plenty of bluesy riffs and classic rock revivalism. As for Sir Silky, he'll certainly bring the party to the show.
Smile Smile (The Belmont)
Word is that the duo is working on material for album number three. You'll probably get to hear some of the new tunes tonight.
The Roomsounds, Van Darien, Pale Horse, Griffin Schmucker, Gypsy Bravado, Playtime Rabbit (The Prophet Bar)
I don't even have time to start talking about how much talent is on this lineup.

SATURDAY:
The Phuss/THe BAcksliders/The Demigs (Lola's)
THe BAcksliders bring their CD release party to Ft. Worth. Openers The Demigs had their CD release show at Dada recently, and so say it sounded tight would be an understatement. Fans of Pixies and Pavement, get their early so you don't miss them.
Pastime Tavern's 74th Anniversary Party
Highlights will include Luna Matto, Here Holy Spain, and Flowers of God (most likely sans Sarah Jaffe).
The Marfalites/These Mad Dogs of Glory (LaGrange)
Are the Marfalites the best country act in Dallas? Maybe. Are they Dallas' best kept secret in country music? Undoubtedly.
The Broadsiders/Rude King/Dog Company/Letters to Voltron (Liquid Lounge)
For those who listened to my radio show Wednesday, you heard me say that I'm usually not a ska fan. You then heard me bust out local ska band Rude King's "Love Bomb". Why? Because I am ALWAYS a fan of a good catchy song. From what I've heard, Rude King has plenty of those.
Rahim Quazi/Ryil Dylan (Claypit Restaurant)
Note to Rahim fans: Rahim will NOT be playing his usual hook-filled singer-songwriter material. Instead, he's busting out some Indian music. Fans of Mr. Quazi may be curious to see him branch out into this different musical direction.

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.

Last Minute GOBL Showcase

Recently, J.R. Denson came to me and asked me to help him recruit some opening acts for his City Tavern show this Friday. I did, and in return, he allowed me the privilege of putting the Ghost of Blind Lemon name on the lineup. And while these new additions to his show may have been last minute, this is still a first rate lineup.

Opening the show is local music legend Mike Graff, formerly of Course of Empire. I got the opportunity to see him open for Menkena's CD release show, and while I figured he'd be good based on his reputation, I was not expecting songs so catchy. He'll be playing what he refers to as his "boogie rock" songs, which feels strongly reminiscent of 70's period Lou Reed/David Bowie/Rolling Stones. Fans of that period should run, not walk, over to City Tavern by 10 to catch his set.

Next on the lineup is Tweed EQ, one of last year's nominees for Best Blues Act in last year's Dallas Observer Music Awards. While blues purists may disagree with the label of blues for the band, there's no denying that there's a hefty dose of blues in their style of gritty rock music. For those who listen to The Local Edge with Mark (which if you're not, you NEED to start doing so this Sunday), you've probably heard one of their newer songs, "I Know a Thing or Two About You". I've been hearing the track for the past few weeks, and it's always one of the highlights of Mark's show. Tweed EQ should hit the stage at about 11.

That, of course, leaves Pale Horse in the headlining slot. I'm not sure what to say that I haven't already. I'll just refer you to their ReverbNation page, filled with GOBL quotes, and remind you that "You're No Good" was my favorite local music track of 2011. Also, it's worth mentioning that the band is working on their next EP, and you'll most likely hear some of the new tracks Friday when they take the spotlight around midnight.

I know this is short notice, but I hope that you can make the necessary adjustments in your schedule to attend this show. You'll be glad you did.

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

Local Edge Playlist: 1/16/11

While at a show Friday night, a friend asked me about The Local Edge playlists and what the story was. I started out doing this at a point when Mark got a little behind on posting playlists from his episodes on the KDGE website. And by a little behind, I mean several months. While Mark has caught up, I do this as a show of support to the show because of all the really cool stuff he plays. So that's the story. Now, on to the show's playlist.

"Mind in Trouble", Oil Boom
"We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
"Forever Today", Soviet
"Throw Me Overboard", The Hope Trust
"sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
"Beautiful Girl", Mr. Sleaze
"Prophet", Datahowler
"I Know a Thing or Two About You", Tweed EQ
"District County Court", Daniel Folmer
"Awake", Air Review
"Dammit", Smile Smile
"Set Me Free", The Red 100's
"You're No Good", Pale Horse
"Red and White", New Science Projects
"Wooden Floors", Nicholas Altobelli

Local Edge Playlist: 1/9/11

"Bible Belt", Spooky Folk
"Beautiful Girl", Mr. Sleaze
"Stories", Heard
"Delilah", Soviet
"Prophet", Datahowler
"We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
"Tunnelvisionary", The Flowers of God featuring Sarah Jaffe
"sEVEN", Ducado VeGA
"Getcho Bodeee", Sir Silky
"to the 9's", hormones
"What Was Missing", Descender
"I Know a Thing Or Two About You", Tweed EQ
"Darker Than the Night", Dead Twins
"Wonderland", Glen Reynolds

Note to hormones and Ducado VeGA: you guys might want to brush up on your capitalization rules. It's just an idea.

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)