Double Fantasy: It always brings a smile to The Playlist’s face when local bands find the time and money to put their songs to tape. So it is with especially wide grin that we tell you of two such record releases dotting this week’s club calendar.

Ed Lemon and the Get Rights certainly display a diverse array of influences — the songs contained within the band’s debut, The Devil’s Beatin’ His Wife, produce sonic suggestions to Creedence Clearwater Revivial, the Stones’ raunchier moments, early ‘90s alt-pop bliss a la Toad the Wet Sprocket (as on the majestic “Song on Bed), The Bends-era Radiohead and even a bit of Tom Waits. But Lemon and his band of merry melody makers might best be compared to local bar-rockers extraordinaire Josh Roberts and the Hinges; while Lemon doesn’t yet possess Roberts’ gift of gab, he dwells in similar character-song territory, be it on the impressively catchy “Skinny Bones” or the bleakly humorous “Blood Brothers.” But Lemon shows a great deal of striking wit and a remarkable affinity for bluesy stomps (most especially on the Josh-Roberts-cum-Modest Mouse stompfest “12 Eyes”) on his band’s eminently impressive debut, which will be released Thursday at the Five Points Pub. Similarly boozy country-blues-rock outfit Lucas War Hero opens; doors open at 9 p.m., and admission is $5. Call 253-7888 or visit myspace.com/fivepointspub for more information.

This Machine is Me

It was remarked to The Playlist at this year’s Music Crawl that This Machine is Me has incredible breakout potential. We here at The Playlist certainly agree; give the electro-pop five-piece a break akin to the one Crossfade had a few years ago, and This Machine is Me could very well achieve some mainstream success. Indeed, being played on a modern rock station is the first step, and The Playlist was incredibly tickled to hear the absolutely awesome “Models and Bottles” getting heavy airplay on WARQ. Led by the powerhouse pipes of singer Jayna Doyle, This Machine is Me treads the same dance-rock ground of The Killers or The Bravery, but exudes sheer joy, cheer and fun instead of cheese-rock schmaltz. Indeed, the band’s authenticity is its biggest asset, and it’s on full display on the band’s stellar Make Your Move EP, being released Friday at Headliners. This Machine is Me brings some popular friends to the party: Say Vandelay, Marry a Thief and Pharon Pittman open. Doors open at 8 p.m.; admission is $7. Call 796-2333 or visit headlinerscolumbia.com for more information. (Radio promo alert: This Machine is Me appears on both WARQ and WUSC’s Columbia Beet power-hour on Friday.)

Total Dick Move Alert: Did Blake Lewis have a local band kicked off the bill for his show last Thursday at the New Brookland Tavern? Lewis’ tour handlers, according to Ryan Hurley of local outfit Dino-Mech and Tavern owner Mike Lyons, took offense to a flyer made by Dino-Mech and had the band removed from the bill. “Upon arrival,” Hurley writes in an email to Free Times, “we were informed by a friendly member of the New Brookland Tavern staff that Blake Lewis (who remained a recluse in his tour bus the entire day) had personally requested to his management that we not be allowed to play because he felt that our flyers were mocking him.” Lyons confirms the story, saying Lewis’ management “felt that the local support’s poster made fun of Blake and that it was very disrespectful. He taught me all about respect by calling my cell phone yelling and cursing at me.” “While the flyers may have been a bit tongue-in-cheek, and we don’t expect everyone to share our sense of humor, we had nothing but the utmost respect for Blake Lewis,” Hurley writes. “This can only be described as a dick move.” The Playlist thoroughly agrees.

Quick Hits: Troubadour-about-town Bentz Kirby leads an all-star cast of locals — which includes Tom Hall and the Plowboys, Devils in Disguise and more — in a tribute to Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons at Utopia on Saturday. Call 733-2222 for more information.  

The Playlist is a discussion of life, the universe and everything — but mostly music. Let us know what you think: Email music@free-times.com for more information.