Antwan "Big Boi" Patton

Big Boi Opens for Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. The Future is Weird.

Jambalaya really was the right name for Scoremore's one day festival offering at The Palladium on Saturday. It was an appetizing and sometimes surprising mix of hip-hop and EDM artists that only the folks at Scoremore could assemble. Headliners Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future ... More >>

Eleven Must-See Concerts in DFW This Week: May 23-29

Hello again, all! So, what you may not know is that each week I try to decide which picture of which band should go at the top of this weekly blog post. This week I settled on Guns N' Roses, since their fans span several generations; even though the tickets to their show this week are so totally out ... More >>

Top Show Announcements: Big Boi, Smashing Pumpkins, Bruno Mars, Black Flag and More

This particular announcement post stirs up some old memories: The last time Big Boi was in town, a handful of my friends--after dancing with him onstage--somehow made their way onto his tour bus, and proceeded to happily dance, smoke weed and partake in all sorts of fun, drunken debauchery. I was st ... More >>

Charlie Hunter Gives Us a Glance Behind the Scenes of 35 Denton

In our ongoing quest to shine some light on some of the kindest, most supportive people hiding in the shadows, and behind the scenes, in DFW's music community, there's never a shortage when it comes to the people who bend over backwards for the 35 Denton festival, which is on the horizon next Thursd ... More >>

A Few Questions with Kiernan Maletsky, the Dallas Observer's New Music Editor

Yesterday we welcomed to Observer HQ Kiernan Maletsky, our new music editor. Kiernan is the former music editor at the Riverfront Times in St. Louis and has contributed to Denver's Westword and other publications. He plays the drums and is slightly too tall for my tastes. I asked him a few question ... More >>

The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2012

10. The Idea of Beautiful, Rapsody The black mamba of super producer 9th Wonder's Jamla Records team reached a new pinnacle in her career, and in her evolution as an artist this year. Sprinkled with collaborations from Big Remo, BJ the Chicago Kid and Childish Gambino, Rapsody takes us on a journey ... More >>

15 Places to Spill Food On Your Beard During 35 Denton

At its inception, the 35 Denton music festival was simply North Texas' answer to Austin'sfamous shitshow, South by Southwest. In its third year, 35 Denton has become a legitimate music showcase, pulling names like Big Boi, The Flaming Lips and Mavis Staples into its funky little downtown square. The ... More >>

Yelawolf - Trees - 2/18/12

Yelawolf Trees Saturday, February 18 Yelawolf went on stage at 11:30 p.m., a pretty average start time for a Saturday show, but those assembled were chanting his name for so long and so aggressively that it felt like ages before he finally hit the stage. If this wasn't the experience of everyone at ... More >>

Yelawolf

Saturday, February 18, at Trees

Welcome to ACL '11: Zilker Warms Up For A Big First Night; It's Already Buzz-Thirty, Dudes.

Pete FreedmanCold War Kids tear down that first-day ACL wall.​Off in the distance, the song of the summer, Foster the People's can't-stop-won't-stop "Pumped Up Kicks," is blasting away over Zilker Park, blaring from the P.A. over at the Google (nee Dell) Stage. There's a marvelous tag-team effort ... More >>

Good Friday: Death Cab, Rock The Bells, Torche, Trae and The Rest of Your Weekend

Death Cab For Cutie​There was a time when Death Cab For Cutie would have Centro-Matic in the support slot of their regional shows. But those days are long gone. On Saturday, Death Cab will be at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie with Frightened Rabbit. But if a Centro-Matic-less Death Cab doesn ... More >>

Flula, the German Genius Behind "His Name is Dirk," Has Concept Album (or EP) In the Works

Flula Borg and Outkast's Big Boi​Last night, at the end of the first quarter of Mavs-Thunder, I spoke on the phone with Flula Borg -- yes, that Flula Borg. The man behind "His Name is Dirk (Nowitzki)," who, according to the press release one of his friends sent out last night, is pushing to make h ... More >>

Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire and Coldplay Highlight 2011 Austin City Limits Bill

​We had some fun yesterday trying to guess the bill for the 2011 Austin City Limits Musical Festival -- and, hey, we were right about Kanye West, if nothing else. Early this morning, the folks behind the festival announced for full lineup for their end-of-summer offering. And, as expected, the 10t ... More >>

Listomania: 30 Songs That Make Us Hungry But Probably Shouldn't

​Ricky Martin will be performing at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie tomorrow night. And, yes, that kind of has our mouths watering. No, not because we have a thing for the recently outed Latin singer, but because, gluttons that we are, our stomachs have always growled when we hear his song "Shake ... More >>

Our Final SXSW 2011 Buzz Power Rankings: So, Who Do You Think Came Out on Top?

To infinity... and beyond!​Gossip, gossip -- if you've been following our daily power rankings of buzz at SXSW 2011 over the past few days, then you know that, yes, indeed, Kanye West has had it all week long at this year's annual festival in Austin.And, after briefly losing the top slot in our ra ... More >>

35 Conferette's Coming Into its Own.

Q&A: Big Boi Talks About His Decision To Go Solo, The Preparations For His Next Album and Why He Hardly Considers Himself A Hip-Hop Act.

Stephen MaskerBig Boi during his 35 Conferette headlining performance on Sunday night.​There's little doubting Atlanta duo Outkast's place in hip-hop history. The twosome of Andre 3000 and Big Boi practically invented the southern hip-hop sub-genre, developing a crazy style to call their own -- an ... More >>

Picture Show: The Best of 35 Conferette's Saturday and Sunday Shots

Stephen MaskerOne of the best shows of the weekend.​Before we pummel our tender bits at SXSW this week...!!!. Translation? We got great photos of "Chk Chk Chk" from their incredible, loud performance on Sunday. Also, Kevin Todora brought us shots of Giggle Party returning to North Texas. Also, Ste ... More >>

Last Night At 35 Conferette: !!! Pave The Road To Big Boi With Bass Intentions

​!!!6:30 p.m., Main Stage OneIt took all of one song for !!! singer Nic Offer to whip the Main Stage crowd into wild abandon; by the end of opener "AM/FM," from last year's Strange Weather, Isn't It?, Miami Horror was a distant memory. If the band's hypnotic grooves and electronic textures are ... More >>

Last Night at 35 Conferette: Big Boi Brings The Outdoor Stages To A Joyous Close

Big Boi8:10 p.m., Main Stage OneStephen MaskerBig Boi​After a brief word from festival founder Chris Flemmons, in which he thanked the crowds and organizers for helping the festival finally reach its goal of being a completely walkable deal in downtown Denton, Atlanta rapper and festival headliner ... More >>

Night Four at 35 Conferette '11: The Strongest Bill Of The Festival Caused Some Anguish, But Sent The Denton Fest Out In Style In The End.

​Without question, Sunday's offering at the 2011 35 Conferette was the Denton festival's strongest, featuring performances from the likes of Davila 666, Miami Horror, Colour Revolt, !!!, Portugal. The Man, Big Boi, A Place to Bury Strangers, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Gayngs, Kid Koala, Dan Deacon, The ... More >>

Night Three of 35 Conferette: A Joyous Night of Rump-Shaking, Art Rocking and Flute-Playing Performances Brings The Fest To Its Highest Point Yet

​After a bumpy start on Thursday, with things then smoothing out a bit on Friday, it shouldn't have been terribly shocking that Saturday made for some clear sailing. Seemingly everything went off without much trouble. Of course, any night of concerts that starts with a stage full of rap video-st ... More >>

The Must-See Acts at 35 Conferette

Does 35 Conferette Really Promote Local Artists?

Nine Local Acts Worth Seeing at 35 Conferette

​The headliner list for the 35 Conferette is incredibly impressive this year, with big names like Mavis Staples, Big Boi and !!! highlighting the bill. But, among the 200 and counting bands that are playing the festival, there's also a pretty great lineup of local talent. In fact, almost 100 of 22 ... More >>

35 Conferette Announces Performance Schedule

​Well, it finally came to pass: Just before noon today, the folks at Denton's upcoming four-day music festival the 35 Conferette (formerly the NX35 Conferette) posted the full schedule of events for their deal -- or, well, at least the night-time goings-on for its third year of existence.No word a ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds A Whopping 135 More Bands To Bill, Including A Whole Slew of Locals

Big things happening today in the world of 35 Conferette -- bigger news, even, than the fact that the-festival-formerly-known-as-North-by-35 now has an actual website to call its own (!). Bigger, too, than the really awesome web teaser/advertisement that the fest's organizers have created to promote ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds Midlake Pal John Grant, Remix Fave Cut Chemist, Others To '11 Lineup.

​A few more more acts of note have been added today to the bill of the 35 Conferette, which will overtake and, quite possibly, overwhelm Denton from March 10 through the 13. And at least one of them has some local ties: John Grant, formerly of the Denver-based punk outfit The Czars, spent a good c ... More >>

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart Join 35 Conferette Bill

That headline kind of says it all -- and, gotta say, we're pretty stoked to see our favorite Jesus & Mary Chain apers getting tacked on to this thing, which, we'll once again remind you, will be taking place in Denton on March 10 - 13.After the jump, the full bill, which now boasts 61 names, and ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds Miami Horror, Turbo Fruits, Pujol and Eight Others To Growing 2011 Lineup

​Things are getting down to the nitty gritty for the folks up at Denton's 35 Conferette. The fest, formerly called NX35, has made some big announcements on the performer front in the past few weeks, but, sitting just 10 weeks away from its 2011 launch, the festival's yet to announce its full lineu ... More >>

Big Boi Joins 35 Conferette's Increasingly Impressive Lineup of Performers

Big news out of 35 Conferette camp this morning -- literally and figuratively, actually -- as the Denton-hosted, pre-SXSW festival has announced that iconic Atlanta rapper Big Boi will join an already crowded and impressive group of performers at this year's third annual go in March.The rapper, half ... More >>

Listomania: The 10 Best Albums That Were Supposed To Come Out, But Never Did, in 2010

​Albums get delayed all the time. (Cue Chinese Democracy joke). Sometimes it's because of the close relation of creativity and procrastination. Other times, business overtakes art. More often than not, though, it's just a sheer mystery. So, in looking back at the year, we decided to think about al ... More >>

Last Night: Chiddy Bang, Vonnegutt at Trees

Chiddy Bang, Vonnegutt TreesDecember 2, 2010Better than: going to an actual SMU party.Chiddy Bang​Lest there remained any question as to whom the music of Chiddy Bang is meant for, the Philadelphia-based, indie rock-sampling hip-hop duo provided the answer at Trees last night.Or maybe it's more ap ... More >>

Staff Trax: Shawn Chrystopher, Autolux, Drew Kennedy, Karen Elson, The Gaslight Anthem, Great Northern and The Psychedelic Furs.

Welcome to Staff Trax, the weekly feature here on DC9 where we shed some light on the music we've been enjoying of late, regardless of the touring or album release schedules that tend to bear the focus of most of our coverage. Consider it a chance for you readers to get some more insight into ou ... More >>

Good Friday: RTB2, Fair to Midland, Robert Gomez, Guy Forsyth, The Bravery, Green River Ordinance and Spindrift.

​First off: Let's all say a prayer for Bret Michaels.Now let's take a gander at what's in store for this weekend. First, the shows we've already discussed.Saturday sees our poster-winning show from The Slider Pines, Kirby Brown and Glen Farris coming to life at the Double Wide. But, for the most p ... More >>

Last Night: Big Boi and Girl Talk at SMU

Big Boi, Girl TalkSouthern Methodist UniversityApril 15, 2010Better than: Big Boi's set getting canceled as well.Mattie StaffordBig Boi played SMU last night. Girl Talk didn't.​Many unsuspecting local music fans had the same reaction upon hearing that there would be a free concert on the SMU cam ... More >>

Picture Show: Big Boi, Not Girl Talk at SMU

Mattie Stafford​So, as you can read from our Big Boi and Girl Talk review on DC9, Girl Talk didn't play last night at SMU. Big Boi still did, though. And Mattie Stafford was there to capture it before the Highland Park Grannies dialed 9-1-1. Check out the rest of Mattie's photos here.

Gig Alert: Girl Talk and Big Boi Play SMU Tonight. For Free.

​ OK. There are certain things that are undoubtedly cool about living in a big city. Like when huge shows evade the radar of just about everyone. How huge? How about Spring Concert, put on by Southern Methodist University's Program Council, featuring one of the most influential mash-up artists in ... More >>

Giveaway: Tonight's Telegraph Canyon/The Orbans Show In Frisco Is Free. But The $25 Gift Card We've Got Isn't.

​Look, Girl Talk and Big Boi at SMU isn't the only free show going this evening. In fact, there's a real treat for the suburbs going on at Lochrann's tonight up in Frisco as part of Spune Productions' new weekly, free Thursday night gigs up that way. At 8 p.m. tonight, The Obrans, who have a new d ... More >>

What It Was Like: Big Boi, P.O.S., Psychedelic Horseshit, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Jesse HugheyBig Boi rocks Austin Music Hall Thursday night.Act: Big BoiPlace: Austin Music HallWhat it was like: Awesome. The set of the night. And yet the most frustrating. Big Boi did a couple of solo jams from his upcoming Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Otherwise the set was near ... More >>

About a Boi

OutKast's Depression-era hip-hop musical has a loving respect for the old South

OutKast

Idlewild (LaFace)

Double Trouble

Eels still reel from one of history's best double albums, but history isn't so kind to others

Santana

All That I Am (Arista / Sony)

Jackpot!

Denton's Rock Lottery trumps the American Music Awards

Rock Star Olympics

Snoop Dogg vs. Bob Marley? Ike vs. Courtney? Let the games begin.

OutKast

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Arista)

The Ties That Bind

The Top 10 musical ties of 2002

Multiple Artists

Our writers clean out the CD bin