California

San Francisco Is Suing an Irving Gun Maker for Peddling Banned High-Capacity Magazines

Exile Machine makes no bones about the fact that its primary reason for existing is to skirt California gun laws. The Irving gun manufacturer's name is a reference to its CEO, who it says lived and worked in California for most of the past 40 years. The first product the company produced was a speci ... More >>

WaterTower Blows the Dust off Grapes of Wrath, but Was It Made for the Stage?

California is Now Creating More Jobs Than Texas

Over the last several years, California has basically existed as a tutorial for how not to run a state government. It's faced years of crippling budget deficits, has had several of its cities declare bankruptcy, and has been hit especially hard by the recession, all with help from one of the nation' ... More >>

Texas Eclipses California As State With Largest Prison Population

Last month, Texas' prison population was right at 154,000, the lowest its been in five years. Lower crime rates, an aging population, and alternative treatments have all contributed to the decline. But as the Star-Telegram noted yesterday, the drop hasn't been enough to spare Texas the dubious dist ... More >>

Delta Spirit's Matt Vasquez: "I Will Always Want God To Exist. I Want To Believe There's a Place of Infinite Mercy."

Brooklyn via Southern California band Delta Spirit have certainly spread their wings over the course of three studio albums. Managing to go from the lo-fi, alt-country stylings of their 2008 debut, Ode to Sunshine, to their new, shimmering, self-titled offering while still sounding very much like th ... More >>

Love and a 45: Fate Lions Talk Favorite Wax Tracks

Fort Worth five-piece Fate Lions just dropped a new three-song 7-inch and and are celebrating with a show at the Kessler on Friday. With that in mind, I asked guitarist Jerko Dabelic and singer/guitarist Jason Manriquez about some of their favorite 45s growing up. Jason Manriquez Barry Manilow "A ... More >>

Obama's War on Weed

In a strange about-face, the President tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees

Does My Smoking Pot Support Mexican Cartels?

And why don't more Mexis appear on television news talk shows?

Young The Giant, Kitten

Sunday, March 6, at The Loft

L.A. Times to Gov. Rick Perry: "Oh, Yeah?"

The cover of The Economist that appeared on newsstands on July 10, 2009​Throughout 2009 and '10 there were a series of magazine pieces wondering how it was that Texas "powered through the global fiscal crisis" (per Fortune) and experienced "something like an economic boom" (according to The Atlant ... More >>

Watch: Bravo, Max! -- "Kiss"

Maybe I'm burying the leed. The real question: Taco Joint has shows now?​We've mentioned the guys (and gal) of Bravo, Max! here in this space before -- a couple of times, actually -- as the band has grown from just a fledgling group trying to score gigs around town to a one that, just recently, he ... More >>

Fish Tacos Swimming in Popularity, Cali-Style

​Fish tacos had a banner year in 2010, but California-style tacos made with beer-battered tilapia and chipotle mayonnaise are still outpacing the grilled fish variety more commonly served in Mexico. According to a survey from industry research firm Technomic, the number of fish tacos on resta ... More >>

Tonight, Tonight: Wolf Parade at The Granada, The Supervillians at The Loft, The Gaslamp Killer at Trees, Miss May I at The Prophet Bar and Jessie Frye at Dan's Silverleaf

We have ourselves a busy little evening of music on our hands tonight. If you can't find something cool listed here, you don't deserve to go out.

Dreamin' in 3-D

Mayor Tom to New York Times: Rangers in Six

Patrick Michels​Tom Leppert Fact: He pitched a few innings of junior varsity at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California. So notes The New York Times this morning, in a pitching duel between the Dallas mayor and San Francisco's mayor Gavin Newsom, a former first baseman for Redwood High Sc ... More >>

Four American Dishes Intended to Honor Other Countries -- and How the Honored Countries Received Them.

Me So Hungry Burger King's new Pizza Burger probably doesn't appease Italians.​Americans have a habit of co-opting and recreating global cuisines, arbitrarily assigning ethnic labels to dishes unknown in their purported homelands. In the process, of course, they've created some very good - if ... More >>

But He Won't Do That

Meat Loaf Opens Up On His Latest Album: "I Can Barely Fit My Dick In My Pants"

We admittedly let the April release of Meat Loaf's new album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear, come and go without much ado. But, considering the subject matter of "California Isn't Big Enough (Hey There Girl)," we really couldn't let the new album from Dallas native and Thomas Jefferson High School graduate M ... More >>

Why Can't White People Ever Say Goodbye to Old Flames?

Gig Alert: Truth & Salvage Co. at House of Blues' Cambridge Room on Sunday Night

With much of today's musical landscape littered with pre-fab pop acts that are adept at costume changes and magazine cover shoots (if little else), it's easy to understand that many folks are quick to embrace any artist or act that possesses even a slight resemblance to certain sounds of the past th ... More >>

The Problem With... Katy Perry's "California Gurls"

​Every few years, we all hear songs about California that define that state for a few years until the next. Back in the '90s, it was Tupac and Dr. Dre's "California Love." Last decade, it was "California" by Phantom Planet. Hell, there is a laundry list of iconic songs about the state.Katy Perry's ... More >>

How 'Bout Them Knockers: Carmine's Pizzeria

​Carmine's Pizzeria 2006 San Jacinto 214-220-9039Quote Time: 45 minutes Actual Time: An impressive 35 minutes Pricey: -20 Coupons: 10 Interesting Specialty Pizzas: 25 Health Conscious Low-Fat Mozzarella: 15 Crispy Bacon!: 15 Fresh Toppings Selection: 15 Basic Pasta and Appetizer Selecti ... More >>

Need to slur a Mexican? We can show you how.

Wish They All Could Be

Yelp Lawsuit Widens: From Washington to Chicago to L.A., Plaintiffs Charge Extortion

​ Nine companies have joined the proposed class action lawsuit against Yelp, the San Francisco-based Internet giant, attorneys in Miami and California announced this morning. The new plaintiffs are located everywhere from Tujunga, California, to Washington, D.C. They include businesses rangi ... More >>

Looking for a Good Read About Mexicans in El Norte? We Have Some Ideas for You.

Why Won’t Mexicans Get Auto Insurance – Or Just Take The Bus?

Pairing Off: Pork Rinds

Patrick Michels/foodistablog​Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food.There's gonna be a moment when you think "this is the low point--it can't get any worse." Of course, intellectually you know it can get much worse. But the little speech, how ... More >>

Today In Music News: Patrick Stump Breaks The Law, Reba Scores Second No. 1 and Ellie Greenwich Passes Away

Your daily dose of national music news for Thursday, August 27, 2009... Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump (the one with all the hats) was arrested for traffic warrants in California. He was then released on $15,000 bail for driving with a Illinois license instead of a California one. I kn ... More >>

The Weather Is Vine

Last night, Channel 8 Meteorologist Greg Fields and Rick Boyer of Robert Mondavi hosted a small dinner at Abacus to introduce the legendary California brand's new Solaire line of wines. Boyer, who is gearing up for his 32nd vineyard harvest later in the year, is the winemaker behind the new Sant ... More >>

I Love L.A.

Hey, Mexicans, Don't Drink the Water!

Okay, What the Hell Was That?!

Poltergeist? No? Fine, then you tell me.If we lived in California there'd be an easy explanation: Earthquake. But we live in McKinney, so there's no logical reason why our house mysteriously shook this morning at 6 a.m. I was yanked from my sleep by what sounded like the loud, viole ... More >>

Are Gay Mexicans Homophobic or Do You Just Like Being Treated Badly?

Today’s Sign of the Apocalypse

Commence: Re-Entry

It’s Okay, Relax, Nothing to See – or Feel – Here

Based Here. Best Here. Surely You Jest Here?

Ringing Up Baby

Cashing in on the adoption biz is easy in Texas, where lax rules let almost anyone play. Take Jennalee Ryan, for instance...

You Can Leave Your Hat On

Best Box Deal

Bento box at Reikyu

Phantom Planet, the Like

Friday, August 27

Where's the Boot?

Vino & Basso needs to merge its split personality

Copycat

Check out the wine program at Sonoma, but you should probably eat before you go

Best California Roll

Sushi on McKinney

Bad News, Good News

The Texas-bred Amber Plan for missing kids works and is spreading

The Scarlet Letter

The Dallas City Council is about to mark itself for life with its vote on the Palladium deal

Dressy Bessy/Lilys/Silver Scooter

The California EP (Kindercore)/Selected (File 13)/goodbye EP (Peek-A-Boo)

Best way to build a fish pond on a balcony

Recycled wine barrel halves from Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse

Hash Over

Grapes of glory; Coming and going