I really didn't know what pouring vinyl entailed when local musician Daniel Huffman asked if I wanted to sit in on a job last Thursday afternoon. I envisioned the act of pouring, and then an actual record, but the in-between part was vague. I just said yes and drove over to A&R Records on... More >>

The so-called Red Dirt scene has been besieged by young guitar slingers acting as REO Speedwagon revivalists, veterans who rely on overly hokey hooks and acts that have, perhaps understandably, headed for the schlocky, sing-by-numbers gold of Nashville. Lately, the tops of the Texas country... More >>

Josh Tillman, the man behind Father John Misty, a moniker he says is completely arbitrary, seems set on confounding his audience. Judging by the reaction he seems to be getting, it's working well. Tillman is in Los Angeles, packing up after the previous night's show and getting ready to hit... More >>

The all-Texas lineup for the third annual Homegrown Fest is quickly expanding, with the addition today of Austin's Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears and The Bright Light Social Hour, plus the Ticket's own George Dunham. Add those names to a roster including Hayes Carll, Robert Ellis, Octopus... More >>

Among the growing list of reasons that Fort Worth's music scene deserves more attention now than ever, one can't help but notice the Burning Hotels' name toward the top. Sure enough, Chance Morgan and Matt Mooty are happy with the way things are going. But they're still a little unsure about... More >>

So, you can probably already tell this summer is going to be rough, right? Like, "Fireballs From the Sky" b/w "Heat Gusts From Hell." Enjoy that breeze while you can. With that in mind, the Observer, Spune and Dan's Silverleaf have partnered up for a concert series that actually puts you on a... More >>

Since it is fest season, Allen's getting in on the act with its first blues festival, and the lineup is packing some serious heat. The Robert Cray Band is a must-see for fans of Southern blues, as is Texas saint Jimmie Vaughan. Funk-soul powerhouse Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Austin's... More >>

The other day a press release landed in my inbox announcing the Dallas appearance of Montreal trio Plants and Animals, who are touring in support of their new album, The End of That. It turns out this is the trio's third full-length release, and they've opened for bands like The National,... More >>

With lyricist and frontman Andrew Savage now in New York City, focusing his musical efforts on Fergus & Geronimo and Parquet Courts, Teenage Cool Kids return to Denton for what is being billed as the band's "last Denton show." For the unfamiliar, the act recorded two of the best local releases... More >>

Some jazz clubs in Dallas offer live music on the weekends; most of the better ones serve it up every night. But Amsterdam, a coffee house in Exposition Park, beats the competition even though it hosts live jazz only on Mondays. Still, there's more than a quality-to-quantity ratio involved in... More >>

You gotta hand it to Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios for having some of the longest running weekly events in Denton. The venue's Thursday night party Discipline is over a year old and Singles Going Steady, on Tuesday nights, is not far behind. It's a hilarious and fun DJ night that survives on... More >>

"It's a party at a Rodeo, man!" Big J shouted over Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." during the Back to School Bash at Rockin Rodeo. The crowd went wild. Wild. And, honestly, there's nothing quite like seeing a dance floor packed with a couple hundred folks dancing in unison, doing the "Cupid... More >>

Making music out of pure love of the art form is one way to go about building band notoriety. But according to Richard Edwards, lead singer and guitarist for indie-poppers Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, his band is in the industry solely for the money. As Edwards puts it, "How would you... More >>

Salim Nourallah just plain loves working with local acts. His commitment to the North Texas music scene has always been apparent in his own songs and in the music of bands that he has produced. He most recently showcased this by producing such promising young acts as Sealion and Whiskey Folk... More >>

Cas Haley's career has been blessed and cursed by his run on the second season of NBC's America's Got Talent. On top of repeatedly making David Hasselhoff all but crap himself with excitement, the show gave the former Woodbelly singer quite a bit of buzz around here. And Haley's done an... More >>

In just four years, Two Door Cinema Club have gone from a group of high school buddies to rocking thousands at festivals all over the world. That much isn't necessarily surprising: The band's sharp, dance-infused indie rock has drawn comparisons to Passion Pit and Hot Hot Heat. And, while they... More >>

What's it like to go from a tiny stoner, scuz-pop act, to a veritable brand in the matter of just a few years? Just ask California's Best Coast, who, just weeks ago, announced that the band's singer Bethany Cosentino teaming up with Urban Outfitters for a clothing line. All this... More >>

Valient Thorr infused their first four albums with heady rhetoric about work, life and political duplicity, under the cover of balls-out rock. Informed by a Tao of searing Iron Maiden licks and MC5's revolutionary zeal, these North Carolina hair farmers emanate adrenaline-spiked fury. The music... More >>

As sad as it is to say, it's been over a decade since the semi-local and semi-legendary alt-country quartet known as Old 97's has made a great record. The Grande Theatre, Volume One came out last year and is easily the band's best effort since 1997's Too Far to Care. Rhett Miller and crew have... More >>

It's an old story in music. A band works hard and earns a loyal, if somewhat diminutive, following. The band works harder and gains an even bigger and still super-loyal fan base. The band gets signed to a major label or imprint, mostly on the strength of their fans' support, and they start to... More >>

Dip into any scuzzy indie-punk dive right now, and you're bound to bump into a noise-rock two-piece. They seem to spawn out of beer-stained floors all over the place these days, so it's only a matter of time until the scene belches forth a duo with the potential to break out of sweaty basement... More >>

If you're thinking, "If I hear 'Pumped Up Kicks' one more time, I'm gonna pull a gun on someone and make them outrun my bullets," then you should definitely not read on. The band responsible for the song, Foster The People, has strategically planned to start selling tickets to its tour just... More >>

Urgh! A Music War exists as one of those concert films that could never be replicated today. Filmed in London and Los Angeles in 1980 and released in 1982, it was bankrolled by Miles Copeland, brother of Police drummer Stewart and founder of I.R.S. Records, and thus includes opening and closing... More >>

Dallas-based DJ Fishr Pryce is recognizable for a few reasons: One, he's often the man working the ones-and-twos behind Damaged Good$' impressive live displays about town; and, two, he always seems to have a new mixtape on his person, ready to hand out, every time you speak with him. Those... More >>

Country icon George Jones famously asked "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" back in 1985. For the most part, modern Top 40 country isn't terribly interested in the footwear of elder greats, given the way radio playlists have tossed aside so many aging legends over the past 20 years or... More >>