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Here's a little YouTubage from the Stone Coyotes on Sunday at iFest:

Five Dollar Friend came in from Austin to support Deep Ella's Empty Seas and Memories CD release party. HouStoned Rocks caught up with front man and guitarist Jacob Trevino and bass player David Wechsler for a Take Five interview.

Photo: JimmyEPhotography.com

We dropped by the Deep Ella CD release party at Warehouse Live last night. The group's new release, Empty Seas and Memories, just dropped; here's a preview. First up is "Systematic," second is "Undone," and finally is "Baby, You're Wrong."

All songs are written and preformed by Deep Ella with lyrics by Jeff Crowder. Deep Ella band members are Jeff Crowder (vocals, guitar), Carlos Fumero (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals), David Garcia (drums), and Jason Light (bass guitar).

For more information about Deep Ella and Empty Seas and Memories, visit www.myspace.com/deepella.

The top ten albums on the Hot/Pop Billboard's 200:

1. Avril Lavigne
The Best Damn Thing
RCA


2. Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero
Nothing

For our review of Year Zero, click here.

3. Various Artists
NOW 24
EMI/Sony BMG/Universal/Zomba
Down from its number one spot last week.

4. Bucky Covington
Bucky Covington
Lyric Street


5. Martina McBride
Waking Up Laughing
RCA Nashville


6. Akon
Konvicted
Konvict/Upfront/SRC/Universal Motown

7. Daughtry
Daughtry
RCA

8. Tim McGraw
Let It Go
Curb


9. Carrie Underwood
Some Hearts
Arista/Arista Nashville

10. Timbaland
Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Mosley/Blackground

This month for the mixtape we thought: April is a girl’s name and so is May and June, too. So we went with the theme of songs that are also girl's names. Hey, what do you expect, we’re busy catching breaking news here, we can’t devote all our creativity to one thing. If you think our choices are lame then put your music preference where your keyboard is and suggest your own. -- Dusti Rhodes

See who picked what after the jump.

Where were the bells, the saws, and the sound of clattering silverware? Neither opener Elvis Perkins in Dearland nor headliners Clap Your Hands Say Yeah matched the gorgeous layering of their CDs. A harmonium, a snare drum played with a rattle, the words, “La-la” being screamed by a drummer, and, of course, the simple sound of clapping into a microphone all comprised an eclectic evening of sound from both groups. Sometimes taking the stage together, the combined effort of both band’s albums “Some Loud Thunder” and “Ash Wednesday” may have been characterized as ambient, but noise was the night’s agenda. Glorious, strenuous noise.

The entries are rolling in for the Houston Press Clay Aiken Art Contest. You can vote for your favorite in the comments section following this blog. Now we are using the word "contest" in a loose, completely general way. We haven't figured out what the prize might be, although we do know our budget: zero. Some fans have suggested that we do a nice cover story on Clay, talking about all the great charity work that he does. Ah, no. Ditto getting Clay to sign the piece of winning art, to kiss the winning artist, or anything else that involves Clay, the newspaper or money.

We're still taking art entries. And we're still taking suggestions for the prize. Remember zero budget. Zero, zip, nada. No Clay, no paper, no money. Other than that, go crazy.

Click here to see what we've gotten so far, and be sure to vote in the comments section for your favorite.

Opie Hendrix and the Tall Boys

Opie Hendrix sent us this missive, and we thought we'd pass it on to you:

It was Thursday morning coming down, 17 hours & four states later, I am sailing the rented Ford Taurus across the Ohio river into Jeffersonville, IN. . My good friend Rick has booked the Opie Hendrix acoustic show @ the Third Base Tavern as part of the Thunder Weekend entertainment. What's that? You've never heard of Thunder Weekend? Well then, just pull up a seat and let ol' Opie tell you a story...

In a Racket column some time back, I spotlighted a few of my favorite songs about Houston. I didn’t get around to telling you about some on the other end of the spectrum, like ‘80s soft rocker-turned-Christian music mogul Chris Christian’s “Houston,” the very worst tune about Houston ever written.

There’s so much to mock about this odious pap I don’t know where to begin….There’s the sub-Air Supply strings and overall arrangement, Christian’s crooned vocals, and best of all, the cheesy fake seagulls chirping away in the background. All that plus the “I’ve never been to Houston, but I’ll write a song about it from this tourist brochure” lyrics like:

Happy Birthday Huey Long! ! !

Born in Sealy on April 25,1904 guitarist Huey Long's career began in 1925 with the Frank Davis' Louisiana Jazz Band in Houston. By 1933, he was working with Texas Guinan's Cuban Orchestra in Chicago. Over the next few years, he worked with Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1945, Huey joined the Ink Spots. The last living original Ink Spot, Huey came home to Houston in 1996.

Huey Long arriving at his 103rd birthday party at Gallery M2.

Huey surrounded by friends and fans.

One of two cakes at the party.

Man, this is some genius marketing. Check out Houston rapper Kenika’s MySpace page and listen to the first song. You know you want to add it to your profile.

We love the chorus: “Why you all on my MySpace / looking at my pictures? / I wish I had a tracker / I’d track you bitches.” But we also appreciate the part at the end when she tells us what to do when our account has been phished. Just think of it as Dirty South tech support. – Keith Plocek

According to USA Today, Yahoo music (Music.Yahoo.com) is supposed to be adding lyrics search to artist pages and top song lists. A free search engine will find song lyrics for users who enter a phrase or song title. Trouble is we can't find the search box. Oh, little search box, come out, come out wherever you are!

Nominee Marcia Ball

Ten Texans snagged nominations for the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Awards. They are:

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
Marcia Ball

Instrumentalist-Horn
Calvin Owens

Instrumentalist-Other
Sonny Rhodes - Steel Guitar

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Frankie Lee - Standing at the Crossroads
Calvin Owens Blues Orchestra - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog No More

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Frankie Lee

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen - Live in Dallas (produced by The Blue Shoe Project, Dallas)

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Diunna Greenleaf

The awards will be presented on Thursday, May 10, in Memphis, TN. XM Satellite Radio will broadcast the Blues Music Awards on the Bluesville program, (on channel 74). The Blues Foundation's 2006 Blues Music Awards will also be aired on Viacom's BET J Network.

Click here for a full list of nominees on Blues Foundation's news page.

Click here for more info on the Blues Music Awards.

Ba Cissoko and their koras, perhaps the most phallic instruments on earth:

Malcolm X look-alike dances to the New Birth Brass Band:

Trombonist Glen David Andrews and trumpeter Kenny Terry, aka “the most disgusting man on earth”:

Keiko Matsui's Moyo is being released today. The contempoary jazz pianist recorded the CD in Japan, South Africa and the U.S., joined forces with drumer Akira Jimbo, legendary trumpeter Hugh Masakela, and saxophonist Gerald Albright. Click listen to hear Moyo's title track.

Artic Monkeys' sophmore effort Favourite Worst Nightmare also hits the shelves today.

Tracks from Johnny Winter's from White, Hot & Blue and Nothin' But the Blues are being re-issued today.

Also among the reissues out today is There's a Riot Going On by Sly & the Family Stone. Click Listen to hear "Family Affair."