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Does Free Streaming Help Album Sales? It Worked for Daft Punk, At Least.

Last week, on Wednesday, May 29, Steve Knopper of Rolling Stone.com detailed Daft Punk's domination of the Billboard album chart with the release of their eagerly-awaited Random Access Memories. The article moves into territory deeper than simple retail numbers, though. Knopper even dug into the num ... More >>

How Can You Learn More about Ranchera?

And let's keep bigoted slurs updated, people.

Here's All Those True Crime Yarns in One Fancy E-Book: Seven Sins

Every week writers for Dallas Observer and our parent company, Village Voice Media, produce elegant magazine-style feature writing -- a gritty portion of which comes in the form of true-crime stories. Now VVM has collected some of its best recent true-crime yarns into an ebook: Seven Sins: A True ... More >>

Our Favorite Chicken Soups in Dallas, for That Hangover or Those Flu Symptoms

Get that lady some soup.​A search on Amazon.com for "Chicken Soup for the Hungover Soul" quickly reveals that there is no such title in existence (I smell an e-book opportunity!), most likely because no one wakes up with a pounding headache and the taste of bad choices lingering in their mouth ... More >>

To Save the Trees, Start by Saving Poor People

​Maybe we need some context for this week's debate on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. vs. the tree canopy. After a not-very-uplifting debate yesterday including the line, "Trees do not vote," our esteemed city council voted to allow a developer to decimate a vast swath of the urban forest for a new Walma ... More >>

On The Pros and Cons of Google's Music Beta...

​Google, that seemingly all-encompassing entity, has its fingerprints all over just about every digital realm of our lives. And, in 2011, in addition to entering the social networking fray, the technology giant is also using the fast-evolving concept of cloud computing -- storing data on extern ... More >>

Physical CD Sales Still Thrive at Dallas' Big T Bazaar.

Who'll Buy His Memories? Larry Brown's Selling Very Rare Copy of Super Bowl Magnum Opus.

​Back in '08, Neiman Marcus offered in its annual Christmas Book something called the Super Bowl XL Opus MVP Edition, which, as you can see in the photo, is a mammoth keepsake -- "the heaviest sports-related book ever published," per Amazon's description of the limited edition, not to be confused ... More >>

Later Than Sooner, Dallas Historical Society Will Rediscover, Reissue Dallas Rediscovered

​A few weeks ago, a good Friend of Unfair Park asked to borrow my copy of Dallas Rediscovered: A Photographic Chronicle of Urban Expansion 1870-1925. Needed it for a research project. Half-Price didn't have a copy; dunno 'bout the library. But, sure, I said. Go ahead; just don't lose it. Because c ... More >>

Danny Balis' Solo Debut Almost Cracks Amazon's Top 100 Download Chart, Still Sits Comfortably In Top 200.

Dylan HollingsworthDanny Balis at his CD release show, which doubled as the Granada Theater's five-year anniversary party.​Got an excited call last night from one Danny Balis. Mostly, Balis--he of The King Bucks and formerly of Sorta--was flabbergasted by what he was looking at on his computer, an ... More >>

Kind of Blu-Ray: Blockbuster Teams Up with Samsung for Yet More OnDemand Delivery

Late last year, Blockbuster introduced its first on-demand delivery system: the 2Wire MediaPoint Digital Media Player, about which critics weren't wild but oh well better than nothing and well at least the company's trying. Then came the TiVo deal in March, which did nothing to stop the company's s ... More >>

Music-Related Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is nigh upon us--and c'mon, you can do better than some crappy (and sappy) card. It's time to give your mom a gift that reflects how you really feel about her. Now, she may not enjoy the following music-related gift ideas, but make sure you throw that gift receipt into the package befo ... More >>

Good Records Brings Badu, Others for Saturday Celebration

American Blues: Dallas-Born Rocky Hill, Dusty's Older Brother, Died on Friday

Rocky HillA longtime music publicist pal sends the sad news: Dallas-born Rocky Hill -- Dusty's big brother and one hellacious blues guitarist forever proud of his self-proclaimed rep as "The Anti-Clapton" -- died on Friday, with few details other than that available at present. All I've found online ... More >>

American Blues: Dallas-Born Rocky Hill, Dusty's Older Brother, Died on Friday

Rocky HillA longtime music publicist pal sends the sad news: Dallas-born Rocky Hill -- Dusty's big brother and one hellacious blues guitarist forever proud of his self-proclaimed rep as "The Anti-Clapton" -- died on Friday, with few details other than that available at present. All I've found onlin ... More >>

Zac Crain's Dimebag Darrell Bio Gets Release Date Pushed Back

Not sure exactly what the holdup is, but over on Blabbermouth today--your source, apparently, for all things wrong with the fact that former Observer music editor Zac Crain is writing a book about the late, great Dimebag Darrell--comes the news that Crain's 288-page Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, ... More >>

Morning News Publisher Discusses the "Unfortunate Coincidence" of Belo Bonuses and Charging for Online Content

James Moroney IIIOn Friday, A.H. Belo Corporation announced that it would, yet again, lay off about 500 more workers at all of its properties, among them The Dallas Morning News and The Providence Journal. At the same time, Belo managers, in the newspaper group and in the corporate offices, were rec ... More >>

Hey, Fight Bite's Emerald Eyes Finally Gets Its Official Release Today! Also: Some Insight!

Traffic Reporter Eric Grubbs Is Way More Emo Than You Could Ever Be

John Carmack Has Space Balls

Dirkx Brothers Staying Busy; Steve Releases New (Old) Effort

Murry Hammond’s Solo CD Finally Gets National Release

The Death of Desire

One Less Cock to Fight

Mommy Dearest. At Least, That's What The Dallas Morning News is Banking On.

Styx = Dicks

Since U Been Gone

Kelly Clarkson returns to Smirnoff

Full House

Gamble on Lost Vegas at Barnes & Noble

Staying Put

Alexander hits the stage at the Eisemann

Last Set?

Austin's American Analog Set plays its final Dallas concert this week...maybe.

Kiss and Tell

Where there's a Will

Will Clarke has a deal with a New York publisher and a Hollywood studio, and it only took him eight years to become an overnight success

We Heart Harry

Rockin' Around

Holiday gifts for the music lover in your life

Odds & Ends

Club TV USA hits town, Crossroads Fest coming out on DVD andlessons from Mail Bag

Reese's Piece

Mira Nair's Victorian England bursts with sensuality, but not impact

Mark Cuban Going Broke

Plus: Jabari Sought Own Death; Who Saw This Coming?

The Spitfire Girl

Plus: Miss Jackson, if You're Nasty; When TV News Guys Try To Write

Beat the Rap

Suburban cops to kids: Turn that rap stuff down

Various Artists

Sounds Eclectic Too (Palm Pictures)

Out & About

Owls

Scene, Heard

Todd Deatherage is moving to the Big Apple

Shut Up, Jeremy!

Two rock critics tackle all 25 live Pearl Jam albums, and for what? Nothing, man

Best new bookstore

Borders Books Music & Café

Kids Play

The Moss Brothers are a novelty act -- until you hear them

Dream weaver

Sandman author Neil Gaiman finds magic in the damnedest place

Pet Shop Boys

Site unseen

At a hotel near you, learn how to mine the riches of the Internet for millions

Out There

Joe Bob Briggs

Drive-In Movie Critic of Grapevine, TX