Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Backstreet Boys, Steely Dan, Cold War Kids and More Top Show Announcements

You know, this seldom happens, but I can say without a doubt that I have every single one of these artists in my iPod. Maybe I'll make it into a playlist. This'd be a good playlist, right? Either way, here are your top show announcements this week, and if you're like me, you're flabbergasted by th ... More >>

The Ten Best American Hardcore Punk Albums

Seeing that a form of Black Flag is touring right now (and playing Trees on Friday), we thought it a good time to investigate American hardcore punk rock. For all practical purposes, the beginning of hardcore in the states happened in the early 80's. While many hardcore acts were inspired by the Sex ... More >>

Warbeast - The Boiler Room - May 18, 2013

Rigor Mortis, Gammacide, Devilfist and Demonseed are all the musical ingredients the supergroup Texas Metal Alliance needed to create Warbeast, a legendary Texas thrash metal super supergroup. Adding just a dash of "no bullshit metal onslaught" by local acts Protest and The Black Moriah, Warbeast se ... More >>

A Family-Friendly Music Festival and Cannibal Corpse: Just Another Saturday in Dallas

Saturday in Dallas was a day you could choose to paint in the starkest possible contrasts, if that's your thing. Two big gatherings cut from an extraordinarily different cloth were happening within a relatively pleasant fifteen-minute stroll of each other, and how often do you get to travel from one ... More >>

The Ten Greatest Texas Punk Bands

With D.R.I. coming to Trees last night, we at DC9 thought it might be opportune to look at some of the legendary punk bands that have claimed Texas as their home. These days, D.R.I. is better known as a metal act, but when they began life way back in 1982, Kurt Brecht and crew were a classic hardcor ... More >>

Foxy Brown Lies About Jay-Z's Sex Life and Other Controversies

Where to begin? #raptwitter had a big day yesterday, with big stories breaking left and right. From a Foxy Brown hoax to a pseudo-Big Tymers reunion, here are your biggest hip-hop news stories of the week: Yesterday started off with a shocking report of Foxy Brown dishing out some pretty wild alleg ... More >>

Pro Tip: Don’t Wear A Red Uniform

Ted Nugent, Styx and REO Speedwagon - Verizon Theater - May 7, 2012

Here's the thing about Ted Nugent -- it doesn't matter what you think about him. Yeah, his insane political statements are moronic at best, but his shtick is so thoroughly thought out that he manages to be a punchline and ideologue and a hero, to some all at the same time. This is brilliant. He's bu ... More >>

Austin City Limit's 2013 Lineup

Austin City Limits' lineup for 2013 was just announced: Headliners include Depeche Mode, The Cure, Muse, Kings of Leon and noted teenage-girl-advice-givers Atoms for Peace. Tickets go on sale May 7 -- early bird passes are sold out but VIP is available if you just can't wait. See also: -50 Don't ... More >>

Titus Andronicus is Here to Spread the Good Word of Literature, Seinfeld and Weezer

Titus Andronicus takes its name from a Shakespeare play -- fitting, given the theatrics of leader Patrick Stickles and his band. From a practice space in New York, Stickles spoke with DC9 about how his band loves Dallas and how he doesn't consider himself a great musician before his show tomorrow ... More >>

Rodriquez - Annette Strauss Square Ampiteatre - May 3, 2013

Friday night at the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Annette Strauss Square Amphitheater, two things were pristinely clear: the gorgeous night sky above the blanketed crowd of BYOB-ers, and that the Search for Sugarman is now a full-blown phenomenon of followers who've found their guy in Rodriguez. ... More >>

The 10 Texas Blues Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Watching the Devil tune his guitar in the middle of the night isn't how Robert (or Tommy) Johnson imagined he'd be spending his Saturday night. When that ol' demon started playing songs, fire flew from his fingertips as an otherworldly sound reverberated into the night. According to legend, despite ... More >>

At Lyric Stage, a Revival of Too Many Girls Worthy of the Show’s Loveable Lineage

Top Show Announcements: Rihanna, Fitz & the Tantrums, Robert Plant and More

Pop stars try not to make a habit of canceling shows on their highly-anticipated tours, but it certainly happens. When it happens to me (the ticketholder), I blast it on social media, stow my ticket away in a trinket box and sulk for about a week. Then it's back to life as usual, until one magic mor ... More >>

Jeff Liles Tells Stories From Dallas' Past and Looks to its Bright Creative Future

There it is. Nestled in South Dallas, rescued by caring souls of our local arts. The beacon that is The Kessler. A majestic Texas juke joint, pampered with TLC and vision that only a handful of true music fans could bring. The Kessler (or rather, "The Kessler X " as our subject refers to it) is o ... More >>

Blag of The Dwarves on Sex, Drugs and the New Taylor Swift Single

Friday night's lineup at Deep Ellum's newest audible invader, Three Links, is a bit of a dream for those of us who love our punk raw and possibly infected. Now, seeing The Dwarves live, standalone, is a crucial experience at least once in the life of all from the rebellion set....but this time aroun ... More >>

Il Cane Rosso White Rock Opens and More from a Busy April

Another month has come and gone and with it a handful of restaurants have opened. Read on for the full list of restaurants happenings in April, and be sure to share tips about new and/or dead restaurants in the comments section below or at dish@dallasobserver.com. Openings: Il Cane Rosso White Roc ... More >>

Pearl Cup to Open at AT&T Performing Arts Center

If you've ever found yourself in the Dallas Arts District and in need of an immediate caffeine injection, we have good news for you. The AT&T Performing Arts Center has announced that Pearl Cup, the much-loved local coffee house, will be the official coffee vendor for the museum café in its new Inf ... More >>

West, Texas, Benefit this Sunday at AT&T PAC (Update: Now with Free Booze and Kolaches)

West, Texas, dealt with a tragedy last week and found itself in a very big spotlight. But the world will think about other things, and there is still so much work to be done restoring West. Damage from the fertilizer plant explosion is likely to exceed $100 million, and there are hundreds still in h ... More >>

Better Living Through Beethoven

The Rihanna Plane has a Commemorative Fragrance, and it is Insanely Expensive. Here's 25 Things it Does Not Smell Like, But Should.

We all remember the Rihanna Plane, right? Where 150 journalists and contest "winners" spent a week being cattle-herded around the planet in the vague, but not immediate, proximity of Rihanna? How anarchy broke out around day four, with no access to any stories of any kind, extended stretches quarant ... More >>

Record Store Day Approaches and Ben Harper Premiers at The White House

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. The day has finally come and Bill Wisener, Bill's Records owner, can hardly contain his excite ... More >>

Go Outside and Listen to the New British Sea Power Album

British Sea Power's new record Machineries of Joy is out this week, and it's everything you'd hope for from one of the most underappreciated and upbeat indie rock acts of the last few years. Marking ten years since their debut The Decline of British Sea Power, Machineries of Joy beguiles the listene ... More >>

Winston Edmonson is Using Apps and Corporations to Get Local Music Heard

Winston Edmonson has had his hands in local politics (he ran for Mayor of Lewisville a couple years ago), AM talk radio (on a couple different outlets) and, fortunately for us, is a big fan of unharvested local music talent. He's a big fan of Salim Nourallah, Chris Holt and Razim Quazi, and has been ... More >>

The Art Of Nesting

Force The Bulbs To Bloom

I'm a Feminist who Loves Hip-Hop. Rick Ross and Other Misogynists Can't Change That.

Rick Ross is having a rough week. The Maybach Music Group kingpin is currently being crucified by the media & women's interest groups all over the country, for a guest verse he gave on Atlanta rapper Rocko's new single, U.O.E.N.O. Featuring a hook from autotune boy wonder, Future, the song is perfec ... More >>

Ten Must-See Concerts in DFW This Week: April 4-10

Editor: April showers, right? But a little water isn't stopping anyone, which is good because there are excellent shows happening this week. Including the blissfully strange Danny Brown, touring with beat master and unexpected meme star Baauer. -topic and his TeamFromNoWhere are throwing a party on ... More >>

The Eight Bands Most in Need of a Senior Citizen Ticket Discount

So the Rolling Stones have announced their first large tour in 6 years, and their "50 And Counting" jaunt will see them stop in nine cities across North America. This is borderline amazing considering that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are 69 and CHARLIE WATTS IS 71 FREAKING YEARS OLD. Can you imag ... More >>

Don't Feel Guilty About Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience

Fuck me, I am going to overdose on this new Justin Timberlake album. I know that I'm supposed to be ashamed of certain selections in my album collection. I know this from all of the times that people have looked through my CDs or records or iTunes and been all, "Hey, what's this doing here?" before ... More >>

Lollapalooza's Lineup is Boring: Here's the Crappy Formula They Used

Coacapalaroo Festival is new to the United States this year. No, "lying on the internet day" was Monday. Instead, the three major US alternative music festivals, Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo, all seem to have shared the same bookers this year. They may as well be an extremely large touring ... More >>

The Five Worst British Import Bands

​ While we might have done some wonderful things for y'all with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and Radiohead, we have also sent you some terrible crimes against music. And while none of this really compares to Canada foisting Avril Lavigne and Nickleback on you, it's still not great. I'm ... More >>

Rap Genius Wants to Expand Our Understanding of Southern Rap

Premiere: The Breakfast Machine's Underwater, Sledgehammer-Wielding Music Video for "Getz"

Since winning Best Rock Act at the 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards, The Breakfast Machine has been in the process of recording their newest album; which will be released in the next couple of months. Until then, they are releasing exclusively here on DC9 at Night a video for their new song "Getz." ... More >>

Randy Travis Proved He Hasn't Lost a Step at Billy Bob's Texas

On the main stage of Billy Bob's Texas, past the mechanical bulls and the neon lights and the line-dance floors throbbing to the "Cha-Cha Slide," Randy Travis, the reed-thin king of country, looked out onto the crowd of thousands he still drew in the twilight of his career. Through the mid-80s to t ... More >>

Country Divas Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves Have a Need for Weed

This week the Golden, Texas native Kacey Musgraves finally releases her eagerly-awaited debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park. Indeed, it's fitting that she's from a town named Golden, as the new album is but the most recent example of some serious Solid Country Gold that's come from the younger ... More >>

Straight from the Poet’s Mouth

David Bowie Tops the Dallas Independent Record Store Charts

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. Consensus arose at Good Records and CD Source as David Bowie takes the lead in top selling alb ... More >>

Eric Clapton at American Airlines Center, 3/19/13: Review

Last night, Eric Clapton and Dallas-born guitarist Doyle Bramhall II set fire to their Stratocasters' fretboards. Their fingers slid across the neck, bending strings until they bled the blues. Feeding off a musical energy straight from the Crossroads, the talented guitarists empowered some of Clapto ... More >>

This Week's Top Show Announcements: Divine Fits, Blue Oyster Cult, Ben Folds Five, Rob Zombie and More

As we sit in our cubicles, school chairs or desks today, the Texas sky is relentless with its 73-degree beauty, tempting all of us to turn on some tunes, throw up our hands and have recess. Texas has just reached the perfect time of year when all of the alchemy is correct for hosting a plethora of m ... More >>

The Best Ways for Musicians to Get Health Insurance

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Ultra 2013: Yeasayer Insulted the Ravers While Matt & Kim Charmed Them

On day one of Ultra Music Festival 2013, the main-stage DJ surprisingly played Red Hot Chili Peppers' "By the Way." It's not one of the Cali crew's early songs, but it's a hit that came out when about 60 percent of the crowd (now dancing in tutus, "Show Me Your Tits" tees, and beaded masks slathered ... More >>

Rex Brown is Ready to Talk About the Rise and Fall of Pantera

Pick up a copy of Official Truth 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera at any local bookstore or online at Amazon. Rex will be signing copies of the book at Barnes & Noble on Northwest Highway in Dallas on Tuesday night, March 19, at 7:00 p.m. Back in the Nineties, Panetra rocked venue after venu ... More >>

There's a Special Place in Dallas' Hip-Hop Heart for Snoop Dogg

One Thirty Productions' Greater Tuna Melts your Heart, Makes You Laugh

Five of This Week's Top Show Announcements: Best Coast, The Octopus Project, Brad Paisley and More

Best Coast Tuesday, May 28, at Granada Theater, $24 L.A.'s surf-pop duo Best Coast blew up on everyone's radar in 2010 when they were one of the most blog-worthy bands around after releasing their debut LP Crazy for You. Then, last year they had an equally as powerful follow-up with The Only Place, ... More >>

Justin Timberlake and Kanye West's Feud And Avoiding Famous-Guy Backlash

The foundation of Justin Timberlake's fame--broad-based and consistent and weirdly resistant to automatic internet backlash--is that it came, originally, from looking this ridiculous, and he seems to accept that. That's the only thing I can come up with to explain just how many people I heard talkin ... More >>

The Bands Who Have Played Every 35 Denton Talk About the Festival

The festival now known as 35 Denton first set up its permanent residence in the city five years ago. More than 20 musicians from the area have played all four previous incarnations and will be back again this year. We asked a few of them to share their thoughts on the festival and its growth. See a ... 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 >>

How to Appreciate Metal: A Four-Step Guide

Step One: Admit the world and worry obliterating limitations of Indie Rock, Top 40 and basically everything else. Boss getting you down? Spouse (or partner) ripping you a new one? Fido pissing in the house? Friend forgetting to pay you the $20 that you loaned him (or her) last Friday night? Is your ... More >>