Jamaica

The Residents at the Kessler Theater, 2/2/13: Review

There was absolutely nothing ordinary about the two shows The Residents put on at the Kessler this past Friday and Saturday night. Out of all the rock and roll weirdoes that have come and gone, The Residents may indeed be the oddest ducks of them all. Celebrating 40 years together, the band put on a ... More >>

The Five Best Concerts In DFW This Week

Diarrhea Planet, Sealion, Atomic Tanlines Tuesday, February 5, at Bryan Street Tavern, $8/$10 For the best scuzzy garage-punk show you'll see all week, head to Bryan Street for Nashville's infamous Diarrhea Planet. The boys got a write-up in Spin a little while back, thanks to their label owners JE ... More >>

Good Jerk

With a Little Love from Mom, Island Spot's Spicy Chicken Sings.

The Best Jerk Chicken In Dallas Can Easily Be Had At Home

I am, for lack of better words, an addict. When I think about jerk chicken, endorphins surge, synapses fire and memories from my past play themselves again so clearly they might be in high definition. I fell in love with with the technique when a college trip took me to Montego Bay. I ate countless ... More >>

Jammin' at Jamaica Gates

Did you know there's a reggae remix of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On"? Neither did I, until I went to Arlington's Jamaica Gates to eat jerk chicken. The skanked-up Titanic anthem poured out of crackling speakers as I sipped my Jamaican lemonade -- thirst-quenching and not too sweet, it's made ... More >>

Travel the World and Stay at Home

Who Should Bon Iver Collaborate With Next?

With the news this week that former Dallas/current Minneapolis rapper Andy Bothwell, aka Astronautalis, is collaborating with Bon Iver on a new album, it made us think of his recent collabo with The Flaming Lips, and his James Blake team-up. Is Justin Vernon like one of those rappers you pull in for ... More >>

Peanut Butter in a Cocktail, and Other Worthy Discoveries from the Bar at Mesa

It's a Tuesday night in the O.C., and Mesa is abuzz with a low murmur of conversation. Three couples and a group of four populate the soft brown velour banquettes and chairs; with only 40 seats, four tables is enough for the place to feel alive. We take a seat at the gray concrete bar and rest our ... More >>

Dallas Habitat for Humanity to Summon the 'Dozers Tomorrow in Effort to "Fight the Blight"

Never did understand the Chicago Bulls logos painted on the side of this South Dallas bar.​Years ago, when writing about efforts to revitalize a neighborhood near Fair Park, I came across the building you see above: the former Pete's Sandwich Shop at 4702 Baldwin, sandwiched between Starplex and J ... More >>

David Willingham Used To Think Reggae Was Beneath Him. Now It's His Career.

​David Willingham has been a staple of the Dallas reggae community for as long as he's lived here. From the Monday jam sessions he helps host at the Balcony Club to production on several different projects including Two Men & A Machine and Aton, Willingham integrates Jamaican vibes and traditi ... More >>

A River Runs Through It: Tracking the Path of Water Through Dallas Neighborhoods

​How long has it been since we heard rain on the roof like Sunday night's downpour -- blowing, battering, crashing off the eaves? I stared out the kitchen window and wondered where the water went after it left my driveway. Maybe I always wonder that. Sunday night on the 10 o'clock news there ... More >>

In Dallas Federal Court, Passengers of AA Flight That Crash-Landed in Jamaica in '09 File Suit

Via.​Perhaps you recall: On the night of December 22, 2009, American Airlines Flight 331 crash-landed in Kingston, Jamaica. The Boeing 737-800, inbound from Miami during a storm, overshot the runaway and came within feet of sinking in the Caribbean. The feds told Channel 8 that "the plane may have ... More >>

Aguas Fail: Tasting Nestle's Aguas Frescas

​Elotes. My new friend. I loved the street food, but it left me thirsty. Thankfully, aguas frescas were available just inside the Oak Lawn grocery store. El Rio Grande Supermercado offered at least 10 versions while I was visiting, ranging from the simple and refreshing lime and cucumber, to a ... More >>

How Not to Bring Dope Through DFW Airport

Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection​As The Musers might say, count the red flags in this story: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that on Tuesday, it stopped two 22-year-old Japanese citizens at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport who were on their way from Jamaica to ... More >>

Dirk Nowitzki Interrupts Super Bowl Week to Remind Us That He's a Legit MVP Candidate

​I know it's all about Super Bowl XLV around here this week. I can tell by the way my eyes are drooping and feet are dragging. But while we were partying and footballing last night, the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki did it again. He reminded us how damn good he is. In Dallas' 113-97 win over the Knicks ... More >>

Q&A Giveaway: Bosco Delrey Talks Combining Dancehall and Retro Rock Into One Sound

​You may have not heard of New Jersey's Bosco Delray yet, but if the early buzz is a signal of things to come, you will certainly know the guy soon. Mixing early rock and roll (Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry) with dancehall and hip-hop, Delrey is plying his craft in a genre all of his own. He recen ... More >>

Giveaway: Five Pairs of Tickets To See The Aggrolites At The Loft on Sunday

The Aggrolites​Los Angeles' The Aggrolites are a reggae band that formed in 2002 as a combination of Vessels and the Rhythm Doctors. Starting out, they performed the duties of backing band for reggae icon Derrick Morgan. But after being satisfied with that venture, the band decided work more toge ... More >>

The Case of the Drunk Police Officer, the Ankle Holster and the Errant Shot in a Patrol Car

Patrick MichelsChief David Brown's not at all pleased with how several of his officers behaved last night.​The news broke this morning: 27-year-old Dallas Police Officer Kelly Beemer was out drinking last night, at Lee Harvey's, when a few of her pals realized she'd had a few too many to drive. A ... More >>

Remedy for a Jalapeno Overdose: Aguas Frescas

From Wikipedia​Walk into your favorite taqueria or torteria, and chances are good you'll notice a couple of large, beehive-shaped glass jars standing sentinel atop a shelf or counter. Stepping to the counter, you place your food order, then scanning the menu under bebidas (beverages), you notice ... More >>

At Toreria Insurgentes, The Food is No Hit but the Agues Frescas' The Bomb

​In a typical bar, it's not at all uncommon for the drinks to surpass the food in quality. A bartender or mixologist is a true artisan, carefully blending and infusing his potions until he creates a stellar concoction, the best of which will wow his patrons and result in tips aplenty. But if the ... More >>

On The Range: Habaneros

​On The Range is a weekly exploration of the history and lore of Texas menu items.Mad Cat, Insanity, Hogs Ass, Snake Bite, Idiot Boys. No, this is not the Granada's line up for February. Rather, they are names of hot sauces featuring the dreaded habanero chile, as listed by Chris McCarthy, food ... More >>

Amadou and Mariam Break Out Of World Music

World Music Must Die

AMADOU AND MARIAM BREAK OUT OF A FLABBY, GENERIC GENRE

Marlo's House is a Dutch Treat

Girl Drink Drunk: Chili's

Monday night, a group of six girls settled into a cozy booth at a chain restaurant to um, "pepper in some refreshment." Seems strange to go with Chili's, perhaps, but the place has a spiral-bound menu of specialty drinks. It's cute, it's colorfully illustrated and it's totally effective marketing, s ... More >>

The Killers

Day & Age (Island)

One Bad Mother

Dario Argento caps off his horror trilogy with horrific parody

Dizzee Rascal

Maths + English (Definitive Jux)

Bad Girls Don't Cry

Jamaica's new dancehall badass wants your attention

Still Burning

Blues Notes

Brush up on music history and music's future

Yard of Dreams

Get Hitched

Gifts not required for Tony n' Tina's Wedding

Pattern Recognition

Mapping out the trends of 2005

Perfect Fit

Four current and future SMU alums stitch together work, politics and the American dream

Capsule Reviews

Our critics weigh in on local theater

This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

Fish Play

McCormick & Schmick's has great shucks, no jive

Delbert McClinton

October 24

This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

Happy Medium

Get mysticized at Pan American

End of the Road

Thirty years later, Harry Belafonte finds closure in a once-lost project

Happy Nappy Girls

Getting their hair straightened for the first time was a rite of passage. But a group of Dallas women has found freedom in reclaiming nappier days.

House of mirrors

Ral Ruiz's stylish thriller gamely upends narrative conventions

Groove's thang

Terry McMillan's fantasy fluff offers escapist pleasures for all audiences

Out There

A fine mess

Hyper-casual Rockfish rocks

No Doubt about it

Hellcat Records keeps it real

Rock and roll over

In today's music business, tomorrow's revolution is yesterday's fad

Out There