Sorta :: Strange and Sad but True

2-25-08 - Sorta News
Sorta's upcoming release, titled Sorta, is due out in June. Look for a CD release party at the House of Blues in Dallas and information about pre-sales coming soon!

Just scoll down and browse the designs and sizes, then click the "buy now" button to be directed to our paypal account!

9-5-07 - Casual Gathering Planned for Thursday
to hug and remember Carter. This will be held at Kitchen 1924 in Lakewood at 8:00 pm.

Thank you all for the outpouring of sympathy and offers to help during this time of grief. I will try to keep everyone informed of memorials, benefits, etc. Please do not hesitate to email me at sortamanage@gmail.com. Thanks to those of you who have recently purchased Sorta albums.

I have been honored to have a copy of his rough mixes for the past couple of months and keep hearing one line in particular over and over again in my mind.... "I've got music in my ears." He sang it in that very powerful way that only Carter could.

Please keep Carter, Danny, Ryann, Carter's family, the Sorta family, Edie and the New Bos, Charlie Sexton, the Sparrows, and the Dallas Music Community in your thoughs and prayers.

Carter's funeral will be held on September 7, 2007 at 2:00 pm at the Parkway Hills Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. 2700 N. Parkway Blvd, off the Tollway.

Carter's family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the charity of your choice in Carter's name.

9-4-07 - from Sarah Hepola
Carter.
September 04, 2007
Food critics talk about how hard it is to come up with different ways to say “tastes good.” For Dallas music writers, it was coming up with different ways to describe Carter Albrecht. There were only so many times you could say “mega-talented” without sounding like the hack you very well might have been. And how do you describe a guy like Carter, anyway? There was the cigarette dangling from the lips. There were his long, galloping fingers on the keys. The flash of a smile from the stage. The presence. He was the great musician that other great musicians wanted to be. The first time I wrote about Carter’s band, Sorta, I kept trying out different ways to describe him. I called him “six-foot-god-knows-what” and pretty much left it at that.

I should back up. Carter Albrecht was a musician in Dallas. For as long as I knew Dallas music, he was pretty much THE musician in Dallas. He was a songwriter and classically trained pianist who played guitar and was a brilliant sideman. But I loved him best as a frontman, with his big booming voice that reminded me, in all the best ways, of Freddie Mercury. I’m pretty sure Carter disagreed with this, but he was nice about it. Which was the surprising thing about Carter, who should have had an ego bigger than his presence. He was a sweet guy. I once wrote about watching his band play while his father Ken watched in the audience. His dad was so proud. And his father kept lending me his lighter for my smokes, and high-fiving me in between songs. Later, Carter framed that article and gave it to his dad. I’d like to think this had everything to do with what a great writer I am, but I suspect it was also a cheap gift.

A few weeks after we met, Carter called me at the Dallas Observer office. He sounded as though he might have just woken up. It was 2pm, and he probably had. “Hey, what’s the name of that book about emo?” he asked me. “I’m at this Barnes & Noble and I need to buy this book and I thought you might know.” I didn’t, but Google did. “Hey, thanks, man!” he told me. I hung up, beaming that Carter Albrecht had called me from a Barnes & Noble. Me! He called me!

See, that was the strange thing about being a music editor. If you’ve seen Almost Famous, you know where this is headed. I was supposed to maintain a cold, critical distance, but some of these guys--man, I was just glad to know them. Carter was like that, along with all the guys in his bands. Danny and Ward and the two Treys and Chris. We would bullshit in the Barley House till closing time, and then stick around slurry and chainsmoking till 4am, just finishing our conversations. What did we talk about? Stupid stuff, mostly. Rolling Stones versus the Beatles. Rolling Stones versus the Who. We had the same conversations over and over, because no one could remember how the conversations ever turned out.

Around the time I moved to New York, Carter started playing with the New Bohemians. He came up to the city to do some recording with Edie Brickell, and called me one night to hang out. (Me! He called me!) I was at a Rhett Miller show at the Bowery Ballroom, and I didn’t hear the phone ring. But I’ll never forget sitting at the front bar with two girlfriends when the doors bust open and Carter Albrecht walked in, all six-foot-god-knows-what. “I thought I might find you here,” he said.

“Oh my God,” the girls said, practically at once. “Who the hell IS THAT?”
Carter had a way with the ladies. I always felt lucky that, as much as I adored Carter, I was immune to this lust. Lucky because it allowed me to sit back and enjoy the circus--the way girls’ eyes would grow big when they met him, how they’d lean in closer, toss back their hair nervously, hoping to somehow draw in this beautiful, beautiful man. It was so amusing. How you would introduce him to a girl, and a certain amount of time would tick by before they sidled up and asked, casual as can be, “So anyway, umm, does Carter have a girlfriend??”

That night when we met at the Bowery, we hopped in a cab and sped over to some crowded bar on the Lower East Side. It was late, and we were both pretty looped, and also grateful to have a little piece of the Dallas comfort we were both missing in the big city. “Those girls are hot for you!” I whispered when we got in the cab. I was hoping to orchestrate some kind of high drama, another circus I might sit back and enjoy.

“I don’t do that anymore,” he said. “I’m in love.” As much as anything he has ever done--any musical accomplishment, be it singing or writing or playing--Carter seemed so proud of this.

The last time I saw Carter Albrecht was at the Barley House in Christmas of 2005. It was late, near closing time, and it was one of the first times I’d been back since I’d left town. He and I kept hugging each other. I don’t know why. Party because we were bombed. But also because Carter, more than most people I knew, was proud of me for moving to New York. It was something he’d thought about doing, and decided against. He wanted to stay in Dallas, where his friends and his family were, and the only thing that bothered me about that decision was that I worried it meant no one outside Dallas would ever get to know him. In one of my last columns as music editor, I wrote, “Carter Albrecht, get off your barstool and get famous already.” The next time I saw him (at the bar, of course), he pulled me aside. “Hey, I have a problem with what you wrote,” he told me. My stomach dropped, and for a second, I worried I might have offended him. “I never sit on a barstool,” he said with a wink. “Everyone knows I stand.”

I loved Carter Albrecht, and many, many people loved Carter Albrecht. He was shot and killed early Monday morning. I can’t imagine a worse ending to this story than that."

9-4-07 - From Danny Balis
there is no question; were he here right now, he would think this is totally fucking gay, and i would never hear the end of it.

i found out this morning at 7:00 that my best friend was probably dead. i got the call from his girlfriend as she was being taken to the police station to be interviewed, as she saw the coroner's van and a stretcher with a covered body being loaded into it as the cops drove her from the neighborhood. about an hour and a half later, she confirmed it. my brother, bandmate, roommate, and the closest friend i have ever known had been shot to death earlier at 4:07 a.m.

we've all read the updated story in the dallas morning news, and it seems pretty accurate, according to the play-by-play of events she gave me throughout the night. what we don't know is why he ended up at the next door neighbor's back door, banging and kicking it at 4:06. nor do we know why carter acted out with his girlfriend in a manner that i have never seen in my near-ten years of friendship with him.

this was not the carter albrecht i knew. the police report failed to mention that for the previous week, he and his girlfriend were trying quit smoking with the prescription drug, "chantix". they had both started the program at the same time, and had been on it for a week. monday was supposed to be their quit day. carter had not slept much the night before, and had consumed approximately five cocktails in a two hour period on sunday eve. this was not unusual, as carter had a very good tolerance for the drink. chantix does clearly state on the box that it's drowsy effects could be intensified by alcohol. the two also complained of having crazy, insane, almost horrific dreams that week. they jokingly referred to them as "chantix dreams" when comparing them. i later learned through a close friend that he had firsthand knowledge of two separate couples who had tried to quit smoking using chantix, and in each case, one spouse had tried to kill the other with no previous domestic conflct. one was successful, and many refer to this drug as a psychotic.

was it a combination of sleep deprivation, booze, and the stop-smoking pills that sent him off? it's the only explanation i can even think of. what was described to me sounded like a walking black out. in my years of knowing him, and all the girls he dated, i have never once heard of him getting abusive or physical with them. it was not his character. especially with the woman that i know for a fact he loved dearly. unfortunately, the morning news story paints him as a batterer to the casual reader that did not know him. this, he was undeniably not.

so why banging on the next door neighbor's back door? who knows. same waking black out state? confusion thinking he was knocking on his girlfriend's door? this we will never know. any other explanation just doesn't add up.

what i can tell you about carter is that he was the best musician i have ever played with. it may sound trite, but it was an honor to play music with him, create and record with him, laugh and joke with him, for the better part of the last ten years. he was a unique musician. i don't think enough people got to hear him. not only was he the backbone of sorta, playing keys and innovative guitar, he was my favorite solo artist/bandleader i've seen closely. if you got him, you got him. he was one of a kind. a dylan. an elliott smith. he had "it". that extra something that set him apart from basically everyone else. i often joked with him that no one would really appreciate him until he died. his soulful, yet punk voice...his genius lyrics that were probably above the heads of most. and his playing. wow. today, when dozens of musicians gathered at our house, trying to make sense of this mess, i said more than once that "the thing that's so wasteful about him being gone, is that he was better than all of us." if anyone was going to save music in the dallas scene, it was him.

he had many opportunities to go to new york, LA, and could have played sideman to anyone. but he chose to stay in dallas, where his family lived, his friends played, and his loyalty was rooted. he was a character-driven slave to honesty. and i learned alot about being truthful and up-front from him. you could hear it in his voice, his words, in the general way he carried himself. he was the real deal. most of the rest of us were just poseurs next to him.

he meant the world to me. i will never see him again on this earth, and i am heartbroken from it. i can't think about tomorrow because he is supposed to be there. he is supposed to be playing his piano in the dining room, or watching the rangers while eating some crap from a greenville fast-food place. we are supposed to talk about the goofy stuff that happened on the hardline that day. we are supposed to talk about books (usually a one-sided conversation with me on the short side) and the mavs and girls and music.

but my best friend isn't here anymore. and i honestly don't know what to do.

i guess the only thing left to do, is let everyone in on something you may not have known. carter was a very intelligent guy. smart as hell. borderline genius. so my final dig on my buddy is this...the last movie he watched was "snakes on a plane". well, to his credit, he didn't watch all of it. love you, buddy.

Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, born on 06-23-1973, died on September 3, 2007. Known to all as Carter, the graduate of Southern Methodist University looked and sounded, but never acted, like a star. Singing and playing guitar and piano in a number of bands, including Sparrows, Sorta, and Edie Brickell and New Bohemiams, Carter was as close to a virtuoso as one might find toiling in bars and nightclubs rather than an orchestra pit. Based on that boundless talent, he was named Musician of the Year and Best Songwriter by the Dallas Observer in 2003. Yet he always carried himself with the humility and enthusiasm of someone who was just getting his start. In fact, his personality and character far surpassed his skills as a musician; Carter would have stood out from any crowd he chose had he never touched a piano key. He was a genuine fan of music and life in general, especially of the many instances when the two could be combined. Because of the joy he found while on this earth, and the joy he brought to others in the process, he will always be with us, though we truly and deeply miss him. Carter is survived by his parents, Kenneth and Judith, and a few dozen of the best songs that ever came out of Dallas.

May 5, 2007 Tracklist:
1. Make a Wish
2. I'll be there
3. Fool's Gold
4. Knights in White Satin
5. Water Music
6. Peace & Quiet
7. 85 Feet
8. To Jenny
9. Christmas Day
10. Grown Man
11. Stary Eyes
12. Telescope

We wish to extend great thanks to all who helped to make our trip to Nashville and Lawrence a success last weekend. First to Kimberly for handing off cd's, which got us there in the first place. Then to Doyle for inviting us to play an in-store at Grimey's kick-ass new and preloved record store. We owe a supersized debt to Austin's own Dead Horses for making our gig happen at 12th and Porter (we owe you one!). Thanks to Luke for showing us around Nashville and hooking us up with the condo. Thanks to Reagan and brother Chris and the fine young men in Airline for putting us on with them in Lawrence. And more gratitude to the Replay Lounge for welcoming us in again. We may be back in Nash in May. That we may, maybe...

The over-the-hill, Eagles-brand arena-rock monster that is Sorta will be doing exactly as suggested this Friday night, eschewing the bright lights of the big stage to hammer a few acoustic guitars and stuff in someone's living room. Actually it's Ally's living room otherwise known as Bend Studio. So bring your wine (or whine) and your big listening-sized ears and see us perform a few um, Iggles tunes. K? k.

the little Sorta are featured on page 41 of the new Envy Magazine. Carter and singTrey were in rare form when this little interview was conducted. very nice!

1-13-07 - Austin Show Cancelled - Sorry!
Due to bad weather we will not be making the trek to Austin today. We will see you again soon though, so stay tuned!!

9-6-06 - New Old Song on the Audio page
Now that we're being played by 50 stations (read the report!) across the USofA, and we have added Chris Holt to our offensive line, we should celebrate by commemorating such successes with a track from our recent Granada Theater release party. Tool on over to the Audio page and check Down By The Seaside, the old Led Zepelin chestnut, featuring Chris on vocals and messy-Jimmy lead guitar. Superlative!

Thor Christensen at The Dallas Morning News reviewed Strange and Sad but True in today's paper. He gave the disc a B+ and said 'Trying to peg Sorta is like trying to classify the Beatles' "White Album.... Strange and Sad But True might be full of grim tales, but musically, Sorta always knows how to put a smile on your face."' Thank you, Thor!

And thank you to all the fine folks who made it out to our Bend Studio pre-release party on August 3. We had a blast, and hopefully the cd of the performance will bear that out - you can get your own copy of the show at www.bendstudio.com for $18.

Funny that Edie Brickell's new cd has a Strange title, to go along with our own Strange title. Not so ironic, but surely just as fun, is the fact our own Carter Albrecht is on a short east-coast jaunt with New Bohemians, supplying his amazing keys and guitar-slinging to the mix. Carter played on Stranger Things and is an official member now, in case you hadn't heard. Read more on Edie and the New Bo's here. Learn more about the New Bo's and get tour dates here.

It is TRUE (not strange, certainly not sad!) -- The latest development in Sorta camp is the welcome addition of our good friend, Chris Holt, who after a genius campaign of whispering in our ears over the years, has now joined us in the role of Sixth Man, MVP and other highly valuable nicknames. NO, no-one has left the band. We are simply becoming an orchestra of sorts...

As if you didn't know, Chris is a two-time Dallas Observer Musician of the Year winner, as well as Instrumentalist of the Year, and also the prolific frontman of the widely known and beloved Olospo. We are proud to have Chris aboard, and look forward to achieving sonic levels previously only dreamt about. He will be lending keys, guitars, and his wonderful voice to our expanding repertoire. He will make his debut with us in August at the Bend and again at Granada Theater. We look forward to seeing you!

6-23-06 - Happy B-Day Carter
Come celebrate Carter's b-day tonight (and tomorrow night) at Club Dada as he plays a special show with the New Bohemians!

6-11-06 - Happy Birthday
to Chris Carmichael - he's 30 today! drumTrey's big brother has been a constant supporter of Sorta and a major source of assistance, helping out in the studio, selling merch at shows, running sound at gigs, and other overall acts of kindness. Chris also engineered the More Myth sessions back in 2002, and the beautiful acoustic version of Alcohol Drip from those sessions was his genius idea. Chris currently plays drums for Airline and Salim Nourallah's Noise band. Be sure to check em out. Happy Birthday, bro, we love ya! Also something to celebrate is the release of our good friend and favorite funnyman, Dave Little's Uncomfortable Moments cd. drumTrey, Carter, Danny and Ward all pitched in to make Dave's "serious" record a little more serious (sic), and we are excited for him to sell a million. Rumor has it some of us will be joining Dave in July for a performance to mark the release. Visit dave at www.lovedavelittle.com and buy a cd!

5-10-06 - Best Act Overall
After 3 or 4 years of being a maid, the little Sorta got to be a bride last night at the Dallas Observer Music Awards, as the band took home the final award of the night for Best Act Overall for 2005 (or is it 2006?). Humbling, to be sure, and we are very proud. Many hearty thanks and high-fives to all who nominated us and voted for us. It feels great to be honored for creating music we love and being able to play it for you, and your recognition gives us a giant boost as we prepare to release Strange and Sad but True in August. Many congratulations to our good friends and compatriots who were nominated or awarded in their categories. Thank you again for your endless support!

3-2-06 - Episode 3: Strange and Sad But True on MySpace
Please check out our MySpace page, as the final four tracks from the new album, Strange and Sad but True, are now available for download. Party's Over, Pink and baby Blue, Closer and Peace and Quiet are this week's treats. Download, critiqu and enjoy. We welcome any and all feedback. The full album wil be released for preview only on this website in a matter of days. Onward and Upward.

2-27-06 - The Post-Midwest-Turnaround-News
Thanks to all who came to see us on our 9 day jaunt last week, from Lawrence on up through Minneapolis, especially our new fans and friends who stuck around and bought cd's and made us feel welcome. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

2-15-06 - Episode 2: Strange and Sad But True on MySpace
Please check out our a MySpace page, as the first four tracks from the new album, Strange and Sad but True, are now available for download. Mama, Lazybones, Goodnight and Nothing Left to Say are this week's featured tracks. [Check it].

2-1-06 - Episode 1: Strange and Sad But True on MySpace
Please check out our a MySpace page, as the first four tracks from the new album, Strange and Sad but True, are now available for download. Buttercup, Water Music, Tell Me A Story (which was highly featured in One Tree Hill last week), and Eighty-Five Feet are the current selections. Four more songs will be released on MySpace on February 15, followed by the final four tracks on March 1. The full album wil be released for preview only on this website in March. Onward and Upward.

1-26-06 - Tower of Song Podcast, Friday
Sorta will be included on the Tower of Song podcast for Friday, January 27th. Please tune in!

1-20-06 - New Sorta album coming in February to Myspace!
You've probably already heard Eighty-Five Feet and Water Music, but starting in February, we will be uploading one new song from the upcoming long player, Strange and Sad but True, each week for 10 weeks. Join us on MySpace and preview the new release before its release!

1-19-06 - One Tree Hill ~ Back on the WB and Our first film
Tune in to the January 25th episode of WB's One Tree Hill and you should hear Tell Me A Story, one of the songs from the nearly-finished upcoming CD. Sorta also has a song (we believe it's "Sweet Little Bay") in the upcoming indie film, Special, starring Michael Rapaport, premiering next weekend at Sundance Music Festival in Utah.

12-8-05 - Happy Holidays!
We can't be humble enough this time of year, with countless little blessings over the years, so many good times and some genuinely magical moments. Whatever measure of success we've eked out in our musical ventures owes its breadth to a solid core of good listeners and encouraging supporters, and you all know who you are. So we humbly thank you again and bid you the warmest, brightest, safest of seasons with your families, and high spirits for the year ahead. With so much at heart this time of year, why not revisit a chestnut from last year, courtesy TJ and Danny. Find it on the Inside page.

11-4-05 - Road Trippin!
It never fails... when any one of us is out on the town, doing his thing on any given evening, someone invariably puts the same question to the little Sorta: when ARE you guys gonna GO somewhere ELSE and play? Well, soon enough we will be able to say we've played... Kansas and Missouri. Two shows are set for November 18 and 19 in Kansas City and Lawrence, respectively. If you know anyone in those towns, please let them know we're coming and encourage them to lend us their ears. We would love to make some new friends.

11-1-05 - Rock rock rock rock rock and roll....
Hey. The past weekend was pretty sweet. The Aardvark on Friday with David Lowery of Cracker, then the big Halloween blowout at the Old Monk on Sunday, featuring the super fake Ron Burgundy...what more is there to say. Thanks for coming out and saying hello and listening to the tunes Fort Worth and Dallas. Next stop, Gypsy Tea Room in December with Peter Schmidt and Dave Little. Laughs, Tears, and Beers tour 2005. Be there.

10-17-05 - Mastering
The new album has been sent off for mastering. That process should be complete in a week or so. It's being done by Golden Mastering who have such clients as Sonic Youth, Superchunk, My Morning Jacket and Beechwood Sparks. So that's exciting, I suppose...