Sorta (band)

Sorta
Genres	Rock
Years active	2001-present
Website	Official Myspace site Official band website
Members	Trey Johnson Danny Balis Trey Carmichael Ward Williams Chris Holt
Past members	Carter Albrecht Scott Randall Tom Bridwell

Sorta is a rock band based in Dallas, Texas. The band has been honored with various awards over the years, including awards for individual group members, and a "Best Act in Town" win in 2006. In September 2007, the band's keyboardist, Carter Albrecht (who also played with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians) was shot and killed by his girlfriend's neighbor.

Sorta was formed in 2000 by Trey Johnson and Danny Balis, after meeting in the Dallas bar the Barley House. Albrecht sat in on the keyboards at a gig shortly thereafter. They released their debut EP, Plays for Lovers, later that year. The band expanded in 2002, and released their first full-length album, Laugh Out Loud that same year. In 2003, Albrecht was honored as both Musician and Songwriter of the year by the Dallas Observer, while Trey Johnson received the Male Vocalist honors that same year. Two years later, they released Little Bay -- which has been called their "most fully realized studio creation to date" -- to wide acclaim. Paste called it "a batch of tunes as well crafted as any you’re likely to encounter this year." A song from that album, "Sink or Swim", was chosen by Liz Phair as one of 10 songs to be included on the Maybelline New York/JANE Reader CD for 2004. Chris Holt, who plays guitar and keys, joined the band in 2006, after having won the "Musician of the Year" given by the Dallas Observer the year before.

After a long delay, caused by disagreements with the small label the band had signed with, Sorta released 2006's Strange and Sad but True. It was well received by both critics, and fans alike, as it was listed at #7 in the "Local Favorites" section of the October 7, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone, landing just ahead of Wilco, and just behind The White Stripes on the chart. The band was honored as "Best Act in Town" by the Observer in 2006, following a run that saw Liz Phair pick one of their songs in 2004, and shows such as Grey's Anatomy use their work as well. In 2007, Holt was honored again as Musician of the Year. The band released its final album, titled simply Sorta, in the fall of 2008 and performed its last show at the House of Blues in Dallas on October 23, 2008.

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