End of an Era at Adair's

Mondays, as a general rule, suck. Your body hasn't recovered from the weekend, and to make matters worse, you have to go to work. Mondays were in need of something to make them less painful, and for the past year, Adair's has helped make Monday evening make up for the rest of the day. This was accomplished through the residency of King Bucks. To quote another local band, Pleasant Grove, "nothing this beautiful could ever last." And so tonight marks the end of the band's year long Monday night residency at Adair's. Please, no tears in beers over this; that's not how the band would want the last show to go down. Instead, there should be plenty of beers, but minus the tears. Besides, it's not like there won't be more opportunities to see the band. Just check out their MySpace and you'll find plenty of shows, even a few at Adair's. But alas, none of them are on Monday.

MySpace Playlist: 4/26/09

1. "Were Here", The Orbans
   My hopes were high for the Orbans' performance last night at M2S2, and the band most definitely met those hopes. Within the two year period since the last time I saw the band (under the name The Lifters), they have gone from a good band to a band who's sound is so tight and incredible that they are inches away from being ready for the big time. The band has a lot of shows in the Dallas/Denton/Fort Worth area within the next month, and I would advise you to check one out, because they may not stick around these parts much longer.


2. "California", The O's
   What's better than seeing a performance by the O's? The answer is getting to see two performances by the O's in a day. I went from seeing them at M2S2 to catching their set at The Cavern. Amazingly enough, they played another show earlier that day. I suspect that John Pedigo and Taylor Young are either still sleeping at this moment or nursing a very nasty hangover. By the way, next time you see Mr. Pedigo, ask him to show off his new belt. It's pretty darn nifty.


3. "Doreen", Old 97's
   I thought about doing a playlist exclusively of bands whose name begin with O. I came up with The Orbans, The O's, and of course Old 97's. And then I got stumped. So much for that idea. Still, it's a miniplaylist of bands beginning with the letter O, plus it's always a good thing to have an Old 97's song on a playlist.


4. "Secrets That You Keep", J.D. Whittenburg
   Mr. Whittenburg has kept busy playing with Eastwood lately, which seems to have resulted in putting his own solo material on the backburner. Fortunately, he came out of hibernation this week to play a set at Allgood Cafe, and I know he's got another solo gig coming up. I don't remember when or where, but I saw it somewhere on the interwebs. Anyways, this is by far my favorite track off of his solo CD.


5. "On the Ground", Tripping Daisy
   Not all songs have a particularly special reason for being on my playlist. This song is the perfect example. This Tripping Daisy song came up on shuffle on iTunes yesterday, and I just felt it needed to be on this week's playlist, and so it is now.


6. "Lovable", Winslow Bright
   When I first got Winslow Bright's CD, it stayed in heavy rotation for several weeks. Alas, since I'm always discovering new bands and albums, it's easy for an album that I once raved about to be put on the backburner. I felt that it was time, however, to put Ms. Bright back on the limelight and make room in the playlist for the title track of her CD.


7. "Maybellene Don't", THe BAcksliders
   THe BAcksliders are calling this the first "single" from the album Thank You. Unless they plan on putting out another 7" (which I'd welcome) then I suspect they just mean this is their "empashis track" for lack of a better phrase. Whatever you call it, it's good rock and roll, and I'm sure you'll hear this song when they play House of Blues on May 16th.


8. "You Know Nothing", Inner City All-Stars
   Yesterday was last call for local bar Gezellig. I went to the club exaclty three times, and for all three times, Inner City All-Stars was part of the lineup. I guess I'll have to find a new place to watch the band.


9. "Lightbulbs", Something in the Wheel
   I finally got the opportunity to see the band for the first time last night, and I was quite impressed by their perfomance. Their music is a simple yet beautiful blend of folk and bluegrass, and this particular song stood out to me as one of their finest. Fans of the O's need to check out SITW.


10. "Some Sweet Day", Budapest One
    I was all excited about the upcoming Budapest One reunion show Friday night at the Fairmount in Fort Worth. Rumor has it, however, that the reunion show will not be happening after all, though the cut*off and Whiskey Folk Ramblers will definitely be playing that night. I'll let you know more as I know more.

Complete Weekend Update (aka All Shows Not Called M2S2)

FRIDAY:

• Cas Haley/Camillle Cortinas/DogDanger (Opening Bell Coffee Mosaic)
  I recently reported that Camille Cortinas was no longer using the band name of Fishing For Comets and the shows will be billed as Camille Cortinas shows. Normally her shows will feature the full FFC band, but tonight's show only features Eric Neal accompanying her. Camille consistently gives an enjoyable show that is sure to bring a smile to even the biggest scrooge's face. I've only seen DogDander once, but this project fronted by Billygoat Brink (please tell me that's a stage name) shows incredible promise.


• Eleven Hundred Springs/Tejas Brothers/Deke Dickerson/Jesse Dayton (Double-Wide)
  This show starts unusually early (7:30 to be precise) and is sure to be a big freakin' deal. Things you can count on if you go to this show: parking will be a major bitch, the music will kick serious butt, and you will probably wind up hungover the next morning.


• Matthew and the Arrogant Sea/Florene/Nervous Curtains (City Tavern)
  This is a solid lineup for fans of Denton indie rock/electronica/experimental/etc. Matthew and the Arrogant Sea may have the biggest blog following, but for my money, I'd say that Nervous Curtains are the strongest band on the lineup.

SATURDAY:

• The O's/Romp Almighty/King of the Rabbit Trail (The Cavern)
  In case you can't make M2S2, or in case one show of The O's in one day isn't enough, check them out at The Cavern. While you're there, you can pick up the brand new Romp Almighty CD, as this is their CD release party.


• Rodney Parker & The 50 Peso Reward/The Orbans (Andy's Bar)
  Obviously The O's are not the only band who are feeling the need to play a show after M2S2. By the way, have you checked out the "Were Her" video? I think that both the video and the song are beautifully produced, both looking and sounding incredible. If you live in little D, this is the show to attend.


• Rahim Quazi (Veritas)
  Rahim, why did you have to book a show here against M2S2? Seriously. You're one of Dallas' finest singer-songwriters (probably second only to Salim Nourallah in my book), and it has been forever since I've had the privilege of hearing you play live. Although a wine bar might not be where one would expect to hear such great live music, the spirits of the wine might mix with the spirit of the music in quite an intoxicating manner. If I could clone myself, I'd be here too in a split second. Oh well...

And of course, there's M2S2, but you already knew that.

M2S2 RSVP ASAP!!!

I promise, I'll get a more thorough list of good weekend shows later today. In the meantime, let me tell you a little about the biggest show of the weekend. M2S2 goes down this weekend at Life in Deep Ellum, and this will be an all day celebration. Before I start talking about the event, however, let me ask you this: have you RSVPed yet? If not, take a break from reading Ghost of Blind Lemon and RSVP. Simply send an email to m2s2@lifeindeepellum.com and when you arrive tomorrow, you'll be on the list and will not have to pay a cover charge. Sweet, huh?

Now for the details. The event kicks off at noon, with a Zounds Sounds CD release and performances by several bands featuring Zounds Sounds students. Then at 4:00 pm, the art gallery at Life in Deep Ellum will host Ear Candy, featuring many of the area's finest photographers works on display. This will include works by Ange Fitzgerald, Erica Felicella, Hal Samples, and Kate Mackley, among many others.

The main event starts at 7 pm, with artists playing in both the Mokah Coffeehouse and the main stage. I'm not even going to begin to list all the bands playing; go to M2S2 for the complete lineup. I will list a few special highlights for me:

• The Orbans will be playing, and I'm curious to hear how they've grown since they were The Lifters. Based on their new song "Were Her", they've gone from good to fabulous.


• It's been a year since I've seen RTB2, and that's way too long a wait. That changes tomorrow.


• Two GOBL favorites, Nicholas Altobelli and The O's, will play the Mokah Lounge and main stage respectively.


• Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights headline, and every time these guys play, they blow my mind.

Hope to see many smiling faces there!

Fishing For a Solo Career?

So what do you call it when a band no longer exists, but hasn't broken up? I didn't think such a thing was possible until yesterday. In a MySpace bulletin, Camille Cortinas announced that there would be no more Fishing For Comets shows. Before any FCC readers start to panic, let me put some of your fears to rest. Camille Cortinas will still be playing songs, but now as a solo artist. These will be the same songs you have come to know and love from her band. While the future gigs will be considered "solo" gigs, she will be playing with all of the same members of Fishing For Comets; there will be no change in lineup.

I got the opportunity to chat with Camille earlier today, and I asked about her reasoning behind this decision. The reasons for the switch varied from the band's internet domain expiring (goodbye fishingforcomets.com) to her frustration about venues butchering her band's name. Fishing For Comets seems pretty straight forward to me, but clubs have been notorious for misspelling names of bands. I also asked her if this signified any change in the group dynamic. Ms. Cortinas has surrounded herself with an A-grade cast of local musicians, and I wondered if her becoming a "solo" act meant a redistribution in the sharing of creative musical input. Camille put this worry of mine to rest in a hurry. Simply put, the only difference between a Fishing For Comets show and a Camille Cortinas show is the name. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and the same music by any other name will sound as sweet.

For those wanting to see Camille do her "solo" material, you can check her out this Friday at the Mosaic location of Opening Bell Coffee. Cas Haley will headline, and Dog Dander will also share the bill.

Watch This, Then Watch It Again... and Again... and Again...

I come home, check my email, and find a letter from The Orbans (previously called The Lifters for those keeping score) sending me a link to their new music video for "Were Her". I enjoyed many of the Lifters songs, most notably "Carolina", whose intro sucks you in immediately. I therefore expected good things from the new song.

What happened next came out of left field for me. This song knocked me off of my feet, and I am not sure of the last time a song had that effect on me. From the first moment, my ears were drawn to the organ intro and the guitars, and lead vocalist Peter Black's voice is quite impressive. The song begs for radio play not because it is generic and traditional Top 40 material, but instead blends a perfectly polished production quality with a melody that leavings you craving repeat listens. Simply put, this is the song you wish the radio stations would play.

The Orbans have yet to release a full length album (although they released Switchblade Waterpistol as The Lifters), so it's too early for me to say how good the band is as a whole. What I can say, however, is that if this song is indicative of the quality of their music, then The Orbans will be one of my new favorite bands.

Don't take my word on how good the song is. Here is the video for "Were Her". The credits start at the beginning of the video, and the song itself starts at about 00:19 or so. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself playing this video more than once. And by more than once, I mean you'll play it so many times that if it was a vinyl single, it'd be worn out by tomorrow.


The Best Unsigned Band in Texas!! The Orbans "Were Her" music video from Jon Todd Collins on Vimeo.

MySpace Playlist: 4/19/09

1. "Cathedrals", The Felons
   My playlist was all set and ready to be published, and The Felons had to mess it up by debuting a brand new track today. I've only seen the band once since the departure of Fred Holston on keyboard, and I always worried that his absence would leave a sonic hole in the band. This track lays to rest any worries that I've had. The track has something of a Muse-like feel, and that's not a bad thing. Not at all.


2. "Evil on the Highway", Dove Hunter
   One of the great joys of being a blogger is the array of cool people I get to meet. Angela, a recent acquaintance of mine, is a big fan of such great bands as Rose County Fair, THe BAcksliders, and The O's. She also seems to have a thing for bands with great drummers. When I think of bands with great drummers, these are the first guys that come to mind. Enjoy, Angela!


3. "Supernatural", Rahim Quazi
   I still haven't seen the new Listening Room at Club Dada, but the roster at the new side room has been first rate. This month has already seen Salim Nourallah, The Monco Poncho, and Winslow Bright performing there, among others. This Wednesday should be another killer show, with one of the favorite singer-songwriters (and one of my favorite persons for that matter) Rahim Quazi headlining. Manya Repnikova of Blue Petal and Morning Elephant (another really cool person) will be playing, as will Shanti. I know nothing about Shanti, but I'll assume Shanti is cool by the company she'll be keeping that night.


4. "The Spilling Blood Child", RTB2
   "Wire to the Walls" has been on the playlist for the past two weeks, so I decided it was time to give the song a rest. Sure, I could give RTB2 a rest on the playlist, but why would I want to do that? Besides, it gives me a great opportunity to plug their performance at this Saturday's M2S2 festival. I cannot stress this enough, people: RSVP now. Doing so will ensure your ability to get in, and to get in free of charge for that matter. If you need the info, look up my article M2S2 RSVP for all the important contact info and stuff.


5. "Pawn Shop Special", Noah Caveny
   I found Mr. Caveny's set at Sons of Hermann Hall last night to be quite enjoyable. I hadn't heard much about him before last night, but he definitely proved that his songwriting and performing chops are more than up to par.


6. "Take a Ride", Lovie
   May 9th is still a little ways off, but I figured I would add a Lovie song in hopes of drumming up a little extra excitement for the Ultraviolet showcase. By the way, if you're in a band, start saving your pennies so you can bid on the opportunity to have me review your album. I hope to have a bidding war over this so that it helps raise a lot of money to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. And I'm not going to lie, a bidding war would be a nice stroke for my ego.


7. "It's All Coming Down", Binary Sunrise
   One of the biggest problems I face as a blogger and music fan is discovering too much good music. I saw Binary Sunrise for the first time last June at Double-Wide, and I remember being impressed by their performance. Over nine months pass, and I do not manage to make it to a single Binary Sunrise show. Finally, I go to the Good Records showcase yesterday and catch them. They were even better yesterday than I recall them being at Double-Wide. Letting another nine months pass without another Binary Sunrise show would be criminal.


8. "Rocketships", Menkena
   Good news: Menkena is in the midst of recording their first proper full-length album. Bad news: as a result, it looks like there may not be many Menkena shows on the horizon in the future. Yay to the first, boo to the second.


9. "Devil's Basement", Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights
   I thought this was a good song when I listened to it on MySpace. After hearing them perform this song live yesterday at Good Records, this MP3 pales in comparison. There is a definite energy in their live performance that is near impossible to capture thru a recording. If you missed their Good Records performance, be sure to RSVP to see them headline the M2S2 festival.


10. "Clever Found a Name", Deathray Davies
    I got the opportunity to chat with DRD frontman John Dufilho at the Good Records show, and he tells me that there are some live shows on the horizon for the band. And yes, there is a Dallas date among them. I don't know if I can officially announce the date and venue for their Dallas show, but once I get the official okay, you will be the first to know. In the meantime, enjoy this DRD classic.

Ghost of Blind Lemon Sells Out... for a Good Cause

Yesterday, I revealed the lineup for the upcoming Ultraviolet showcase that will take place May 9th at Club Dada. I am always happy to promote the Ultraviolet showcase each year; I love any show that is put on in order to help a cause. This one, however, is perhaps a little more special to me than most. During my time of blogging, I have gotten to know Rebecca Robinson Dixon, lead singer of Lovie. She is truly a sweet person who always brings a smile to anyone's face that she encounters. Any opportunity to help her and/or her daughter is an opportunity I will gladly take.

Obviously, part of that is promoting the upcoming Dada show. I wanted, however, to go a step above and beyond that. This is where local photographer Ange Fitzgerald comes in; she is the woman behind the silent auction that will be taking place at the Ultraviolet showcase. Included in the auction will be art, photography, poetry, and other such creative works. I would have loved to be able to give Ms. Fitzgerald a piece of art to the auction, but there's one problem: I draw worse than your average five year old. I tried poetry. Here is one of my poems:

Roses are red,
Oranges are orange,
And I can't think of a word
That rhymes with orange.

Okay, so the poetry route isn't such a good idea either. There is one thing that I can do well, and that is write about the local music scene. So instead of art, photography, or poetry, I am auctioning off a CD review. That's right, for a minimum donation of $20 (hopefully more if there's a bidding war over yours truly), I will write a review of your band's album. I do not promise a glowing review in my blog, only a honest review. Having said that, if you are of the belief that any press is good press, then this might be the perfect opportunity to gather some extra exposure. Plus, you get good karma points for giving to an important cause, as all the money to the auction items goes to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Below is a copy of the bid form that you will find at the silent auction. Take a look at it for the basic details of how the review works. I hope to see everyone at the auction, and bring plenty of money to bid on the potential album review!

Modification to This Week's Playlist

Track number four on my playlist was originally "86 Me" by THe BAcksliders. Alas, they have removed all songs from their MySpace except for "Have You Ever Been Down?" which is the opening track on their new CD, Thank You. BAcksliders, I'm glad that you posted new music on your site and all, but next time, give me a heads up before you delete a song that I've added to my playlist, k?

Ultraviolet '09

As you can see, the lineup for this year's UltraViolet showcase has been announced, and as usual, the lineup is first rate. Here's some background info for those not in the know: Violet Dixon, daughter to Rebecca Robinson Dixon (Lovie) and _ Dixon (El Gato), was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in November of 2006. The first UltraViolet show was held the following year. The purpose remains the same: to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in hopes of eventually finding a cure for the disease.

In addition to having a stellar lineup of music, there will be a silent auction for art, poetry, and other items. As far as I know, donations are still being accepted. If you are interested in donating art, poetry, and the like, contact me and I will get you in touch with the right people. Oh, and yours truly is donating to the silent auction. I will have more on that front some other time.