Internet Music Services

Okay, Illegal Downloads Probably Are Hurting The Music Industry

This would have surprised me no matter who had turned it up, but there was a special irony in learning that illegal music downloads "aren't hurting the music industry" from a beleaguered print magazine's free-news arm: Illegal downloads aren't hurting the music industry, new study claims | ti.me/10 ... More >>

House of Cards' Netflix Bow is Just Another Way for Pop Culture to Pretend it Unnerves Us

It's been nice to watch TV--fresh off House of Cards's Netflix premier--deal with the same questions people have been addressing about music since Napster or iTunes or Spotify, depending on which iteration of the issue you remember best. Specifically: Now that Netflix can create programming based on ... More >>

Spotify and the Future of the Independent Artist

Spotify and the Future of the Independent Artist

On August 31, Todd Gautreau, the brains behind excellent area dream-pop act Crushed Stars, took to the band's Facebook page to sound off on a topic that's turned into a national debate among artists, record labels, music consumers and various streaming services, specifically and most notably Spotify ... More >>

Smile Smile Are In Love With Foxy Shazam, The Ronettes

See also: T. Tex Edwards on John Fahey, the Hangmen We've started poking around in locals' iTunes, iPods, Spotify playlists, CD players, cassette decks, turntables and brains with one question in mind: What are you listening to? We don't even care if it's good, we just want to know what the music ... More >>

Girls Rock Dallas' Rachel Michaud Digs the Spazzys

See also: Lauren O'Connor opens the history books for Girls Rock Dallas See also: Shiny Around the Edges on Death Grips, Patti Smith We've started poking around in locals' iTunes, iPods, Spotify playlists, CD players, cassette decks, turntables and brains with one question in mind: What are you l ... More >>

What Are You Listening To? Dennis Gonzalez Schools Us On Ramón Ayala

We've started poking around in locals' iTunes, iPods, Spotify playlists, CD players, cassette decks, turntables and brains with one question in mind: What are you listening to? We don't even care if it's good, we just want to know what the music community has been obsessing over, playing on repeat, ... More >>

In Defense Of... Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend"

In the wee hours of Monday morning, Justin Bieber's new single, produced by Mike Posner and Mason Levy, found its way onto the Internet, causing numerous belieber's heads to explode upon first listen. In a matter of hours, "Boyfriend" reached the top spot on the iTunes charts with the help of one of ... More >>

Best Musical Trends of 2011

OK, Sexy Sax Man. Just 15 more minutes. ​Tell the world, rock is coming home This year saw a wave of rock bands catching up to a new generation. We got Soundgarden touring again, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink-182 and even less renowned bands like Urge Overkill and Bush releasing new albums. Aft ... More >>

Listen to School of Seven Bell's New Single, Between Notes Film Earns Release & More

​Just a few weeks ago, shoegaze duo with local ties, School of Seven Bells, announced that their third full- length record, Ghostory, would be released at the beginning of 2012. Today, Pitchfork reports that the album's official release date will be February 28, 2012.With the news, the band went a ... More >>

America: Meet Spotify, Europe's Successful Foray Into The Future of Free(ish) Music...

​Americans are understandably wary of sites that offer free music. For the past decade, we've seen site after site go in and out of favor, sometimes quickly. We got excited about Napster back in 2001, but after all the foolishness that ensued in the wake of its demise, we're quick to give the side ... 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 >>

Play-N-Skillz's New Collaboration With David Guetta Has Already Charted In 18 Countries

Steve VisneauCollaboration swag.​Late last week, we passed along word that the latest single from French house producer David Guetta (the man behind, among other songs, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling") to blow up the Internet was actually a Play-N-Skillz co-production -- and the first of a ... More >>

Evan Stone's Battle Against Porn Pirates

A Denton lawyer devotes his life to fighting America's porn thiefs.

Presenting! The New Village Voice Best Of App

Download the App in the iTunes Store, or search "best of " in the App Store.​A few months ago we announced the launch of the Dallas Observer iPhone app, (which is completely free, dudes), and now we have a new one for you: the Best Of.. Village Voice Media App. Before we get a breathy announcement ... More >>

Pomplamoose's DIY Revolution

Bonus MP3: The O's -- "We'll Go Walking"

​The new disc from local folk favorites The O's wasn't originally supposed to earn its release until February. And, OK, that still remains the case as far as hard copies of John Pedigo and Taylor Young's sophomore album, Between The Two, are concerned -- their local album release show will take pl ... More >>

Presenting! The Completely Free Dallas Observer iPhone App

Download the App for free in the iTunes App Store under Dallas Observer.​Let's get right to the announcement: our brand-spanking new Dallas Observer iPhone App is available for download, right now, in the iTunes App Store. Before we launch into an epic "presenting" speech, where we tell you that's ... More >>

Check The Artwork For Kanye's Just-Released "Power" Single, Produced By DFW's Own Symbolyc One.

​ Earlier this week, we showed you Kanye West's performance of his new Symbolyc One-produced single, "Power," at the BET Awards on Sunday night. Well, this morning, DFW-produced single earned its release via an exclusive iTunes arrangement. And it's doing OK, too, currently sitting at No. 5 on iTu ... More >>

Giveaway: Two Pairs Of Tickets To See The Gourds Tomorrow Night at the Granada Theater

First time I interviewed The Gourds' Kevin Russell I asked him, of course, about his band's "Gin and Juice" cover. I think it's a requirement actually. Fair enough: The band's had some great moments--and probably more musically impressive ones--over the course of its career, but there's little doubt ... More >>

Doug Burr's O Ye Devastator Hits iTunes A Week Early. So Go Download It.

​In addition to The Burning Hotels' new release and the big major label debut from Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, it looks like another big local release is up for the taking on iTunes. Though it won't see a physical release until next Tuesday, Doug Burr's new release, O Ye Devastator, ... More >>

Gig Alert: Billy Bob Thornton and Somebody's Darling Perform At Tonight's SAG Holiday Party

Alisha Hurt​David Ponder, guitarist for the local alt-country combo Somebody's Darling, just sent word that his band and The Boxmasters (Billy Bob Thornton's band, which just played The Loft earlier this week) will both play the Screen Actor Guild's Holiday Party tonight at Gilley's.Although Gille ... More >>

The Rocket Summer's New EP Comes Out A Day Early, Shoots To No. 1 On iTunes' Alternative Chart

​After just announcing the release of his new digital-only EP release a couple week's back, The Rocker Summer's You Gotta Believe, was released today, seemingly by a glitch that posted the four-track release to iTunes a day early. But, no matter--it hasn't seemed to deter the one-time Alternative ... More >>

The Future of Used MP3 Sales

Got St. Vincent's Actor? OK. But Do You Have Its Two Bonus Tracks?

If there's one thing not to adore about St. Vincent's just-released sophomore release, Actor, it's that the album includes two bonus track in addition to its listed 11 songs. Only, they're not available on the CD.Instead, the songs "Bicycle" and "Oh My God" are exclusive bonus mp3s that come with th ... More >>

Quietly, Carter Albrecht's Solo Record Has Found Its Way On To iTunes

It says on iTunes that Carter Albrecht's solo album Jesus is alive ... and living in London has been available since February 9. Carter's father, Ken, and Robert Jenkins, whose Summer Break label is co-releasing the disc in conjunction with the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation, say that's wrong, and ... More >>

Could Cell Phones Topple iPods?

Could your cellphone's ability to stream music render the iPod obsolete? Quite possibly.

Wanna Be MySpace Music's CEO?

Rupert Murdoch's toy is trying to go legit; mayhem may ensue, and success may not

Looks Like We Spoke A Day Too Soon About Tomorrowpeople's Availability on iTunes

Notes: Punk Goes Crunk, Handshakes and Highfives on iTunes

In Between Days, Today

The Times "Experiences" Verizon in Southlake

Merry Xmas, But War Is So Not Over

Since U Been Gone

Kelly Clarkson returns to Smirnoff

Frisco Kid

Burning the Faithful

New copy-protected CDs screw over the only honest customers the music industry has left

Avast, Ye Pirates

Get yourself--and Congress--ready for the next wave of absurd anti-file-sharing tactics

Death From Above 1979

Thursday, November 18, at Gypsy Tea Room

Guster

Thursday, September 9

Anatomy of a Buzz

With the proper machinery in place, a band could remain a Secret no more

Shiny Happy People

The Polyphonic Spree is one Big Moment away from stardom. Right?

On the Download

Is the online music store the Apple of digital music's eye? It should be.

Various Artists

Sounds Eclectic Too (Palm Pictures)

When Online Got Off Base

Or: How Mark Cuban would have--and could have?--saved the music biz

Spinning Webs

The Top 10 Things I Downloaded in 2001 That Weren't Applications Made to Download Things That Aren't Applications

Industrial Evolution

The record industry crippled Napster with litigation. But has it made things worse for itself?

Blind Man's Bluff

Six things you have to hear

Ransom Notes

Can one man convince millions of people to pay for their "free" music?

Take a nap

Maximum Records lines up to lead the fight to keep Napster alive. Oh yeah, and to promote its bands too.