Rhett Miller Tickets

I've got two pairs of tickets to give away to see Rhett Miller this Saturday at Granada Theater. Salim Nourallah, The O's, and Shibboleth all open up. I usually have some sort of trivia question that I use to give away the tickets, but I'm in such a good mood that I'll make it easier on you.

Why am I in such a good mood? One definite factor is Dallas' newest radio station, KXT. Being able to hear songs on the radio other than "Sweet Home Alabama" and that blasted Matchbox 20 song is such a relief. So to celebrate yesterday's debut of KXT, all you have to do to win the tickets is be one of the first two people to send me an email with "I heart KXT" as the subject line. In the email, please include your mailing address. Good luck, and remember, if you don't win the tickets, you can still purchase them, and proceeds go to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

MySpace Playlist: 11/8/09

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Weekend Shows

There are definitely some good options this weekend. Here's a little look:


FRIDAY:
Destroyer/Sarah Jaffe/RTB2 (Granada Theater)
No, I'm not branching out into discussing national bands, and I'm not going to say anything about Destroyer. Instead, I'd rather talk about how much ass both Ms. Jaffe and RTB2 kick. Sarah's voice has a quality to it that can send goosebumps down anyone's spine. I'm convinced she could sing the phone directory and it'd send a chill up my spine. RTB2's speciality isn't sending chills up a person's spine; the band specializes in a very raw and primal sound. Front man Ryan Thomas Becker manages to seamlessly incorporate elements of blues, soul, and garage rock in his songs. He's a rare performer who has a distinctive style, even though his songs do not sound like carbon copies of one another. Even if Destroyer wasn't on this bill, it would be a must see show.
The O's/Menkena (Allgood Cafe)
The O's have definitely become local music icons in the past year, and deservedly so. This is a hard working band that puts on one seriously entertaining show, filled with plenty of humorous banter between sets. More importantly, this is a duo of two highly talented musicias that know how to write good music. Menkena has not reached that same level of media attention, and that's a problem. I have not encountered a band with a fresher, more original sound all year than Menkena. The band will be playing songs tonight from their upcoming full length CD. Start saving your pennies, because you want this CD in your collection.

SATURDAY:
The Crash That Took Me/True Widow/Stereo Is A Lie/Gaffney (Sons of Hermann Hall)
This is the CD release party for Chlorine Colored Eyes, and the $10 cover charge includes your own copy of the CD. TCTTM's new CD has spent plenty of my time in the CD player. This effort does find the band getting even more experimental and psychedelic with its sound than on the previous CD. Yet at the same time, the sound is unmistakably TCTTM. Some of this is because of lead vocalist Dylan Silver's unmistakable voice, but I'm going out on a limb and saying that drummer Eddie Thomas' work is truly what makes the sound so distinct. This band is allowing Mr. Thomas to show off his full musical potential, something that was only hinted at during his time with Black Tie Dynasty. Oh, and True Widow is also on the bill, and their set will amaze you.
Dove Hunter/The O's/The Orbans/the cut*off (The Moon Bar)
What, is Dallas not good enough to get a lineup this killer? Any one of the bands alone would be worth the cover. Together, this surely has to be the "most bang for the buck" show.
The Felons/Tribella/Fingerless Ghost (Jack's Backyard)
The Felons are always an entertaining back to watch. Their bassist, Adam Carter, is also in the band Spector 45, and is known for doing crazy stuff onstage, sometimes resulting in bodily injury to himself (anyone remember the Spector 45 set at the DOMA showcase?). Fortunately, Felons lead singer Dave Hickmott seems to keep Mr. Carter well under control during their shows.
The Monco Poncho/The Jungle Rockers (Double-Wide)
Few local bands have a fan base as enthusiastic as that of The Monco Poncho. It would be tempting to call the band gimmicky, with their western costumes and the fans shooting cap guns between the sets. The problem, however, is that does not give the band the credit it deserves for its well written songs. In fact, if you peel away the twang from their songs, what you have are straight ahead perfect pop songs. Still, the outfits and cap guns are a lot of fun.

I'm sure I've missed some good shows. If so, post them in the comments section.

KDGE's Local Show Hits the Mark

When I first heard that KDGE was doing a new radio show, The Local Edge, I must confess my expectations were low. Don't get me wrong; it's not that I have anything against listening to local bands who want to be the next Creed or Staind. It's just that, uh, well... okay, so I do have a problem with bands trying to be the next Creed or Staind. I don't like either of those bands, so I definitely do not want to listen to local wannabes. In the past, the local shows tended to focus more on heavy alternative bands that were not to my liking.

When the current host, Mark, took over the show, I expected more of the same. I started noticing that bands I liked were mentioning that they were receiving airplay on the show. I wrote this off, expecting that he slipped in one or two quality songs into a show filled with mediocre bands. But week after week, bands I liked kept mentioning that their songs were being played on The Local Show: RTB2, Hendrick, Little Black Dress, and so forth. Curiosity set in one night, and I logged on to the EDGE's home page to do some research on the show. It turns out that Mark wasn't just selecting a few stray great songs; he was consistently building entire shows around excellent local music.

The list of artists and songs played on his show read like a roll call of GOBL favorites: Dove Hunter, Salim Nourallah, Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights, Doug Burr, Trey Johnson, THe BAcksliders, and so many more. Yes, the show definitely spotlights many of the heavy hitters in the metroplex area. Mark, however, does not limit himself to just the known names, but also provides an opportunity for smaller, less known local acts to receive airplay. Western Giants, The Roomsounds, and Grassfight are just a few bands that may not be known to the average local music fan, but that may change if Mark has his way.

Mark is not only offering bands exposure through his radio show, but also through a series of Local Edge concerts at Trees. The shows, now being held every Thursday at Trees, offer music fans the opportunity to see local acts for absolutely no cover charge. Also, all the bands playing the series will be competing for the opportunity to perform onstage at next year's Edgefest.

Yes, typically corporate owned stations could care less about local acts and quality music. That's what makes The Local Edge so refreshing; playlists this good are usually only found on podcasts and college radio stations. The fact that KDGE is willing to take a chance on such a radio show is remarkable. Mark may not be George Gimarc, but I would dare say that he's the best thing to happen to the station since Mr. Gimarc. Mark at the least has definitely done more to promote local music on the station that anyone else has since Gimarc put out the Tales from the Edge CD compilations.

That's why you, Ghost of Blind Lemon reader, need to be listening to this show every Sunday night at 11 pm. This is the kind of radio show that Dallas is in desperate need of. Between The Local Edge radio show and the shows hosted by Mark at Trees, this is opportunity for bands to branch out and reach a wider audience. I recently the state of local music on the blog, and all that has been wrong. I believe that this radio show and its host could play a major part could play a vital part in breathing much needed life into the Dallas Music Movement.

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.

A Picture (Or Poster) Is Worth 1,000 Words

I'm headed to bed, but don't forget to mark Friday on your calendars. I'm hosting quite the showcase, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces at Lakewood Bar & Grill along with some new faces. Costumes are certainly encouraged for those who enjoy Halloween, but it's okay if you don't want to (I probably will not be wearing a costume). Come, drink, eat (the LBG burgers seriously rule), and be merry!

The Dallas Music... Movement?

It has been far too long since my first true post (MySpace playlists notwithstanding). There have been a multitude of factors behind this, some of which are personal in nature. I must, however, say that there is another factor. In recent months, I have become increasingly frustrated by the state of affairs in the music community. There are far too few people give a damn about the music that comes from the metroplex area. More importantly, almost all of those who do care are musicians, club owner, record label owners, etc. In other words, the local music scene consists almost exclusively of those directly in it. There are very few genuine fans of the scene. By fans, I mean people who have no direct investment in the success of a band or musician. These are people who support who regularly attend shows for the simple love of the music. I’ve tried coming up with a list of true music fans. Not people who like one band or singer, but make a regular effort to support a variety of musicians. The sad truth is I can count those people on one hand.

This should not be a problem for a city the size of Dallas. Many cities smaller in size (Seattle and Portland come quickly to mind) do not face this. The most obvious example of this, however, is a mere three hours south from us. Austin has been called the live music capital of the world, and for good reason. There are a number of tremendously talented musicians from that area: David Ramirez, Jaimee Harris, Jarrod Dickenson, The Criminal Kind, and Scorpion Child are artists that I have discovered in the past several months, all of which are first rate artists. These musicians, however, have something that acts from this area lack. Austin musicians live in an environment that is supportive and nurturing, that encourages and rewards artistic creativity. Dallas, on the other hand, is a city that rewards musical followers and not leaders. This is a city where cover bands rake in money, while acts that perform original material struggle to find an audience. The pool of talent is at least equal to that of Austin, and in my opinion overall exceeds Austin. Yet Austin gains the title of live music capital of the world because it CARES about its musicians, and based on the way they’re treated, this city does not.

That leaves the ultimate question hanging over us: how do we change this? I’m not sure that there’s a simple answer to this question. In the next few days, I plan to discuss this issue at greater length. I may not have an answer for the larger problem, but I do have some ideas that may be steps toward a solution. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will share some of these ideas with you, and I look forward to receiving input from my readers.

I would, however, like to leave you with one thought courtesy Jimmy Menkena (lead singer of the band Menkena). During a recent conversation, we talked about the problems faced in Dallas by musicians, and one topic that came up was the idea of a scene versus a movement. Scenes come and go, almost in the blink of an eye. A movement, on the other hand, has an energy and passion behind it and leaves a lasting legacy. Will changing the phrase “Dallas music scene” to the “Dallas music movement” truly change the state of things? Changing names does not make a long term difference. What will matter is if the attitude towards local music changes. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again now: the problem is NOT a lack of quality bands. Within the past few years, I have discovered such first rate acts as Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights, THe BAcksliders, Dove Hunter, Menkena, Hendrick, Iris Leu, Luna Matto, The O’s, The Monco Poncho, Nicholas Altobelli, Elkhart, and Damaged Good$, and I’m just getting started with the list. These are artists should be heard. Scratch that: these are artists that NEED to be heard and embraced. The music coming out of the metroplex right now possesses both the quality and the sense of urgency and vitality that it warrants the upgrade in title from “scene” to “movement”. The music also warrants the upgrade in attention from all area music fans.

If you feel like I do, then do me a few favors. Forward this article to your friends, both the serious and casual music fans. Comment on my blog. It doesn’t matter if you agree with me or not, so long as you can be respectful and thoughtful in your comments. My goal with Ghost of Blind Lemon has always been to encourage growth in the local music scene. I can only do so much on my own; I need your help.

MySpace Playlist: 10/25/09

Ah, the Halloween season is upon us, and children (and overgrown children) are putting on masks and dressing up as personas different from their own. In honor of this tradition, my playlist consist solely of the musical equivalent of dress-up: the cover song.

1. "I Need U/I Need A Man", Morning Elephant
   Shameless plug time here: Morning Elephant (found here covering two Eurythmics songs) will be part of a Ghost of Blind Lemon showcase occuring this Friday at Lakewood Bar & Grill. Iris Leu, Luna Matto, and Jokersdeck will round out the bill.


2. "Lithium", The Polyphonic Spree
   Speaking of Ms. Matto, she's one of the choir members of Polyphonic Spree. This band certainly loves their cover songs; their most recent Dallas show was at least 50% covers. Not surprisingly, no cover that evening had the crowd as enthusiastic as their unlikely take on Nirvana.


3. "All The Pretty Girls", Lovie
   Here's one Texas band covering another Texas band, Pearland based The Judys. Texas, represent!


4. "Ceremony", Hello Lover
   This band fuses punk energy with a new wave sound, so New Order's "Ceremony" is a perfect fit for the band.


5. "Wicked Game", Sara Donaldson
   After I rave about an artist so many times, I feel like I'm at a loss of new things to say. I think I have reached that point with Ms. Donaldson. The great frustration for me, however, is that I think for as much as I rave about her music, there are still very few people who know her work. Check out her covering Chris Isaak, but more importanly listen to her original material. I know few musicians who are as truly multi-talented as she is.


6. "The Waiting", Petty Theft
   I typically do not put cover bands on my playlist. This week, however, seemed the perfect opportunity to do just that. Here, one of my favorite tribute bands, Petty Theft, covers (gasp!) Tom Petty. Who'd have thunk it?


7. "Come Together", Eastwood
   This Beatles track would not seem like an obvious choice for a country band such as Eastwood to cover. The funny thing is that this song fits the band so perfectly. Very nice cover, guys.


8. "Ball and Chain", Noah Caveny
   I'm glad to see that Mr. Caveny's band, The Marfalites, has been performing more frequently as of late. They do a mean cover of this Social Distortion classic.


9. "Then He Kissed Me", Lucy Loves Schroeder
   I miss this band.


10. "The Hokey Pokey", Brave Combo
    This cover may be one of the greatest musical mysteries ever recorded. Polka, as a general rule, is one of the most annoying styles of music. "The Hokey Pokey" is one of the most annoying songs ever written. Yet when Brave Combo covers this song, only the greatest of curmudgeons can deny the joy in this cover. Instead of being as torturous as one would think this cover would be, it is musical genius. And no, I cannot explain why this cover works, but it does.

Finally, I offer up a video of Iris Leu's cover of "Let It Be". I wish I had video of her rendition of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" from the GOBL 2 year anniversary party at City Tavern, but alas, I do not. Don't forget, she'll be at LBG this Friday night for my showcase. Last plug, I promise. Well, for today at least.

MySpace Playlist: 10/18/09

1. "Julianne", The Crash That Took Me
   I received the band's latest CD, Chlorine Colored Eyes, in the mailbox last week. I wish I could have put one of the song of their new effort on the playlist, but their MySpace hasn't been updated in over a month. I don't want to say too much about the CD yet, but I will tell you that it's a very interesting CD, and I don't mean that in the insulting way. The band takes much of the sound you've come to expect from them while incorporating a more experimental and psychedelic tone to the songs. Hopefully I will be posting a song from the CD in the next few weeks.


2. "Mermaid of Virginia", The Naptime Shake
   Is it just me, or does this song sound like the country equivalent of early Belle and Sebastian? Feel free to ask them that question this week, as they will play Friday night at Bryan Street Tavern, and then Saturday at Lee Harvey's. I'm not sure if they'll have copies of their debut CD Blood and Panic yet, but if so, bring a few extra bucks and buy it.


3. "Motivational", Toadies
   Turn your computer speakers to 11 for this song.


4. "Standing on the Edge of Lonely/I-40 Blues", Jayson Bales & The Charmers
   I've seen Mr. Bales perform before, but when he and his band performed Friday at Opening Bell Coffee, the band did more than exceed my expectations. Jayson Bales & The Charmers shattered my expectations. Not only is Mr. Bales excellent at both the singing and songwriting aspects of being a singer/songwriter, he has assembled a first-rate group of musicians to back him up. More than likely this performance will make the top 10 performances of the year list.


5. "Old Reactions", Trey Johnson
   I must make a severely overdue correction. The Trey Johnson/Chris Holt/Emmeline show was not last Wednesday, but is instead this Wednesday at Lakewood Bar & Grill. Note to Mr. Johnson: please correct the spelling of this track on your MySpace page. Perhaps I'm the only one who is so OCD about spelling song titles correctly, but it'd just make me feel better. Thanks.


6. "I'm on Fire", The Farstar
   Speaking of LBG, this band will have their CD release party on Friday night. Technically, it's an EP release, but close enough.


7. "Chasing Corporate", Air Review
   I know Mark, who hosts the Local Show on KDGE, has gotten behind the band. I wish the program director for the station would do the same, because this song (and this band) strike me as a band that would strike a chord with most of the station's listeners.


8. "Crudely Drawn", The Drams
   It seems that there have been more Slobberbone shows this year than Drams shows, so I thought I'd post a Drams song because I've missed getting to see them perform live.


9. "When Hammer Hits Stone", RTB2
   The band performs this Wednesday at Trees with Goodwin and Oso Closo as part of the KDGE local show series.


10. "Blumenthol (Acoustic)", Iris Leu
    Mark October 30th on your calendars. The Ghost of Blind Lemon has put on another showcase for your listening pleasure. Iris Leu, Morning Elephant, Luna Matto, and Jokersdeck will all be performing that day at Lakewood Bar & Grill. It's the day before Halloween, so feel free to dress up if you feel so inclined.

MySpace Playlist: 10/11/09

1. "Pushing Strings", Macon Greyson
   I am not happy. It appears that MG will not be playing their usual Texas/OU weekend show at Adair's. That has become my favorite thing about this weekend, and the band's Texas/OU shows are always among their most entertaining. What a shame.


2. "Supernatural", Rahim Quazi
   Fortunately, there are other show options for the Texas/OU weekend. For those looking for a less raucous celebration, Opening Bell Coffee may be your best bet. Jayson Bales will do the acoustic CD release party for his latest effort, Along the Fault Line. GOBL fave Rahim Quazi, featured here, will open the show.


3. "Duelist", True Widow
   I'm not familiar with the Vivian Girls; all I know is that they're playing this Wednesday at The Cavern along with True Widow. Since I'm not familiar with the band, this is probably premature to say, but I cannot imagine that their set could outdo True Widow. Their CD is phenomenal, and their live show is even better.


4. "Five Minutes", Binary Sunrise
   Pete Freedman recently said on the DC9 at Night blog that he knows he's "not only one in the world who can't get enough" of this song. Rest assured Pete, you're on the money on this one. I've been loving this song since my first listen too.


5. "Wishful Sinking", The Slack
   Word on the street is that The Slack will release their 2nd CD by year's end, and that none other than Idol Records will distribute the CD. I'm sure Chris Holt and the rest of the band will be performing songs off their upcoming CD when they play Friday at AllGood Cafe. In the meantime, here's the title track of the band's first effort.


6. "Back to the Beginning (Again)", Sara Donaldson
   The original version of this song appears off of her first CD, ...The Beginning. Although I miss the intro featured in the original version, the song benefits from both the extra orchestration and additional chords and melodies woven into the original melody. All in all, the update is the more intriguing and enjoyable version.


7. "Snow in June", Little Black Dress
   This Wednesday at Trees, Hendrick and Little Black Dress will perform at Trees as part of the EDGE's Local Show. This should be an evening filled with gorgeous melodies.


8. "Unfavorable Way", Trey Johnson
   This will be a busy week for Mr. Johnson, as he will play Wednesday night at Lakewood Bar & Grill with Chris Holt and one of my new favorite singer/songwriters, Emmeline. He then plays again Friday at City Tavern, along with Here, In Arms and The Orbans.


9. "Just Wanna Try", Luna Matto
   Last night's show at Amsterdam Bar for Luna Matto and RTB2 was packed, especially during Luna Matto's extraordinary set. What, you weren't there? Tsk tsk tsk.


10. "She's from the Other Side", Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights
    I'm sure this weekend's biggest post Texas/OU party will be at House of Blues, with Bleu Edmondson, Josh Weathers Band, and the allmighty JT&NL. Get your tickets while you can.