Odds & Ends

Shine on, golden warriors: Allow us to make a few enemies right here, right now, by making a hyperbolic declaration. Dallas' best chance at giving the world a Coldplay-level mega-success--one that can strike the perfect balance between mainstream adoration and critical acceptance--is Radiant. Sure, we ultimately think other local bands deserve more fame and accolades, but every time Radiant gets on a stage and belts that sky-soaring, mega-ballad rock, all we hear is an unbelievable future on top of the mainstream charts. This coming March, assuming the guys stay on schedule in the studio, the quartet will finally unleash their debut full-length, We Hope You Win, and (hopefully) prove us right.

Until then, little pushes toward national publicity can't hurt, and the guys are taking their first steps this coming Thursday when they record an hour-long concert for a new TV show called City Sessions. The program, which is scheduled to debut in March as part of a new, national satellite network called YMCtvwith as-yet-unconfirmed music and radio partners, is designed to showcase up-and-coming bands across the country--think American Bandstand without the lip-synching, audience or Dick Clark. So, um, it's nothing like American Bandstand.

We'd bitch about having to wait so long to see the results, but Radiant has cut us off at the pass by announcing an opening gig this Saturday at Curtain Club, where they'll support Dallas' best Radiohead lovers, Red Monroe. If you're the kind of reader who thinks all this "indie" stuff is too weird, then Saturday's mainstream-friendly Curtain Club show is perfect for you.

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Cute Band: We don't mean to gush about Undeniable Records two weeks in a row, but we goofed last week. After touting the Happy Bullets' recent press in Entertainment Weekly, we wondered why their labelmates, the Tah-Dahs, hadn't gotten similar press, but it turns out they had. In fact, they preceded the Bullets by a week, nabbing a spot in the October 14 "Download This" section of EW with their single "The Cute Band," and in addition, the Dahs picked up some tasty kudos from the snobby folks at CMJ last month. Our apologies. Luckily, we made up for this goof by jumping on stage during the final song of last Thursday's Cavern concert, grabbing the mike and making an ass out of ourselves, so all is forgiven...right?

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Cha-Cha for charity: Last year, a not-so-mild-mannered music fan by the name of Chelsea Callahan decided to make the most of her birthday--rather than ask for presents, she organized a benefit concert at the Gypsy Tea Room with all proceeds going toward Genesis Women's Shelter. That's all well and good, birthday girl, but because we're the miserly grammar police, we balked at the event title: "Cha Cha's First Annual Rock and Roll for Charity Gala." Honey, "first annual" doesn't count until you throw a second shindig.

Well, in the past year, Callahan has picked up a job at Crystal Clear Distribution, taken the reins as head of Double Wide booking and, yes, organized that "second annual" gala, so we're not coming with the backtalk this year. Proceeds at Saturday's Gypsy Tea Room show again go to charity--this year, understandably, the Red Cross will be the benefactor of balls-out performances by Hogpig, Spitfire Tumbleweeds and the Angelus. Really, who needs to make a wish before blowing candles out with a dream show like that? Happy 22nd birthday, Chelsea.

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Release the Soul: What's up with the lack of hip-hop appreciation at Deep Ellum's dance clubs? Sure, there are exceptions, but you're more likely to hear a rehash of K104's national-heavy playlist at hot clubs in town than original performances or worthwhile DJs. And in keeping with this unfortunate tradition, local soul singer/rapper Original Soul's CD release party has been relegated to the butt crack of club nights--this coming Wednesday, November 16, at Palm Beach Club. That crappy scheduling is a shame, because the material on Let's Talk About Usis pretty solid for an out-of-nowhere artist who shakes up rap conventions, and the show will be worth staying up late for on a Wednesday. At the very least, OS is 100 times better than those Play N Skillz chumps that are currently stinking up local airwaves. Seriously, "Latinos Stand Up," with its lame nationwide shout-outs and utter lack of a hook, is an embarrassment to the Dallas raza. Callate!