Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan, Drummer for Sarah Jaffe, St. Vincent and Others, Releases a Solo Album This Week

You might not recognize Jeff Ryan's name, but you've probably heard his drumming on a number of acclaimed releases in the past few years. Playing on albums by Sarah Jaffe, St. Vincent, Pleasant Grove and Crushed Stars, he's also had time to do an ambient side project called Myopic. Myopic's second r ... More >>

Seven of the Best Drummers in DFW

I've spent many years behind a drum set. When I go to shows, I almost always catch myself peering at the drummer, no matter how engaging or magnetic the rest of the band is. I've come to admire the drumming of several local drummers from whom I've nicked many riffs and tricks.The following is a list ... More >>

Crushed Stars - LaGrange - 7/26/12

The Angelus, Crushed Stars LaGrange Thursday, July 26 Last night at LaGrange was certainly a sit-down kind of show, but it wasn't a slumber party. Crushed Stars, the acclaimed combo led by Todd Gautreau, proved why they are one of Dallas' hidden treasures. The band rarely plays live (this was their ... More >>

Remembering Pops Carter, 1919-2012

Denton fixture Tom "Pops" Carter passed away on Sunday, and while I didn't have any first-hand knowledge of him, the stories I have been hearing from DFW musicians who did points to a ladies man, a friend of musicians and a fount of blues and R&B history, from Louisiana to Houston to North Texas. Se ... More >>

Crushed Stars on Seeing KISS, Prince and The Replacements

Crushed Stars' newest record, In the Bright Rain, came out this week, and to celebrate, we asked band mastermind Todd Gautreau and drummer Jeff Ryan about their first shows. What was the first show you remember seeing? Were you with your parents? Todd Gautreau: My first show was KISS. I must have b ... More >>

Crushed Stars' Todd Gautreau Takes It Easy

Crushed Stars Offer Free Stream of New Album In the Bright Rain

​There's a good chance you haven't heard much about Dallas dream-pop act Crushed Stars. Singer Todd Gautreau generally flies below the radar, and the Frisco native plays an average of one live show per album, which, by our calculation, makes six.His bandmates stay pretty busy with their own projec ... More >>

The Boom Boom Box Set LaGrange To Vibrate

Merritt MartinThe Boom Boom Box​The Boom Boom Box LaGrange Saturday, January 21 With the release of Until Your Eyes Get Used to the Darkness this week and Saturday night's preemptive strike at LaGrange, the Boom Boom Box's long-awaited return to the stage was met with a full house, rife with ... More >>

The Boom Boom Box fights against the robots

Crushed Stars Announces New Album, Shares Music Video

​The last time Frisco's Crushed Stars released a record, 2010's Convalescing in Braille, singer Todd Gautreau -- the man behind the moniker -- only played one show. It happened on a Thursday night at La Grange and that was it.Now, fans can expect the same as Crushed Stars announces plans to releas ... More >>

John Dufilho to Release Album With Vocals From Ben Kweller, Chris Walla and More

John Dufilho​John Dufilho is a busy man. Always has been. When he's not playing in his band Deathray Davies, he's drumming in Apples In Stereo and producing records, including local act Sealion's next one.But, sometime early next year, he plans to release his most interesting project to date. Dufi ... More >>

Last Night Picture Show: St. Vincent at the Kessler Theater

St. VincentKessler TheaterOctober 23, 2011Better than: missing out on all three of Annie Clark's hometown performances this weekend.All photos by Pete FreedmanSt. Vincent performed triumphantly last night before a sold-out, hometown crowd at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff.​This much is clear, ju ... More >>

This Week In Dallas Music History: Pleasant Grove Make Rock Better So You Don't Have To

​It's hard to remember a time when Pleasant Grove weren't stalwarts of the Dallas music community. But, this week in 1998, former Observer writer Christina Rees penned a piece about the band's start, which took place only a few months before the story was written. So, for this edition of This Week ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Sarah Jaffe at the Wyly Theatre

Sarah Jaffe, Bosque BrownWyly TheatreFebruary 12, 2011Better than: another show in another bar, as Jaffe so put it early on in her performance on Saturday night.Melanie GomezSarah Jaffe​Once upon a time, she was a shy performer, perhaps too concerned with making any on-stage mistakes before her at ... More >>

The Best Songs in Dallas Music, 2010: Sarah Jaffe Reaches Her Potential, and "Clementine" Is The Best Song of the Year.

[Over these last few weeks of 2010, we've presented our favorite local songs of the year, counting down from No. 25 to No. 1, one track a day. Today, we end our countdown by revealing the top song of the year. Click after the jump to watch the song's official video. There, y ... More >>

Bonus MP3: Crushed Stars -- "Eyeliner"

Crushed Stars​ Speaking of Crushed Stars, mastermind Todd Gautreau will be bringing his project to La Grange tonight to showcase his latest material, which, mind you, is mostly the product of his own mind and playing. Aside from some assistance from drummer Jeff Ryan (Sarah Jaffe, Pleasant Grove) ... More >>

Tonight, Tonight: Crushed Stars' Record Release at La Grange, The Demigs at Dan's Silverleaf, Geistheistler at Rubber Gloves, J. Charles and Corey Howe at Bar Belmont and Cowboys From Hell Paso at Trees

A fairly busy Thursday night with some fine local acts showing their stuff all over the area.

Crushed Stars

Convalescing in Braille Simulacra Records

Over The Weekend: Sarah Jaffe at the Granada Theater

Sarah Jaffe, Seryn, Jonathan Evan ClarkGranada TheaterSeptember 11, 2010Better than: Jaffe's CD release show at Sons of Hermann Hall back in May.There still remain a sign or two of her youth and inexperience--like when, just a few songs in to her headlining slot at the Granada Theater on Saturday ni ... More >>

Bonus MP3: Crushed Stars Passes Along A Cover Song. And He Has A New Album On The Way.

Kristina HunkenCrushed Stars' Todd Gautreau​Just got word from Todd Gautreau, the lone man behind the ethereal act known as Crushed Stars, that he'll be finishing up a new album this coming weekend. The album, Gautreau hopes, will be release in mid-November.The album, tentatively titled Convalesci ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Pleasant Grove at the Kessler Theatre

​Pleasant GroveKessler TheatreAugust 7, 2010Better than: Ignoring the past.The trend of bands booking a show for the purpose of playing a seminal album in entirety hit home this past weekend, as the revered, but, for the most part, dormant, local heroes in Pleasant Grove took to the Kessler Theatr ... More >>

Giveaway: Two Pairs of Tickets For Pleasant Grove, Mike Graff And Derek Rogers At The Kessler Saturday

​Pleasant Grove will be at The Kessler in Oak Cliff Saturday for a very special performance. Not only is it a rare (reunion?) show for the band that for years has been either broken up or on the verge of breakup, depending on who you ask, but they'll be performing their album Auscultation of the H ... More >>

Our 22nd annual music awards honor a thriving, collaborative scene that's finally getting its due.

Over The Weekend: Sarah Jaffe CD Release Show at Sons of Hermann Hall

Sarah Jaffe, SerynMay 14, 2010Sons of Hermann HallBetter than: sitting around in a circle and singing "Kumbaya."Melanie GomezSarah Jaffe​So much for needing to work on her live show: On Friday night at Sons of Hermann Hall, before a reverent and crowded, but hardly packed, house, Sarah Jaffe offer ... More >>

Catch Up On A Slew Of Recent, Interesting Local CD Releases

Highlights, Lowlights and Northern Lights From Saturday's National Record Store Day Celebration At Good Records

Patrick MichelsJonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights on Good's outdoor stage.Spent all day Saturday (well, for the most part) at Good Records for the store's combined 9th Birthday Bash and National Record Store Day Celebration. And, given the at-times cool and at-times brutally humid weather, tha ... More >>

St. Vincent's Actor Set For May 5 Release

Annabel Mehran 4AD has announced the release date of St. Vincent's sophomore release, Actor, and, as the header to this post implies, we can expect the disc about two and a half months from now. The disc, produced here in Dallas by The Paper Chase's John Congleton, also features North Texas musician ... More >>

Last Night: The New Year At The Granada Theater

Crushed Stars Frontman Deals With Unemployment, Recognition

Todd Gautreau releases his best work to date

Advice for the New Observer Music Editor

A lot of music editors enter the Thunderdome. None gets out alive.

Gone Too Soon|Checkmate|City Hall Corruption|Devil in the Details

All Covered Up

First Brick in Our Wall of Sound Preview

Odds & Ends

Want to win big? Then get a ticket to the biggest lottery this week, Rock Lottery 7

2005 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Case Solved: Killer musicians captured, thanks to your tips

Record Setter

Stuart Sikes has worked on albums by The White Stripes and Loretta Lynn. His next project? Dallas.

The Starlight Mints, the Baptist Generals, Rosebuds

Friday, October 1, at the Gypsy Tea Room

Odds & Ends

Pleasant Grove needs a drummer, the Oasis of Hope needs your support,and Tom Heinl needs a cigarette

Only a Mountain

Pleasant Grove prepares for its next challenge: the rest of the country

Playing Favorites

Local musicians pick the tops

Pleasantly Surprised

A Dallas fave looks forward to the release of a new album

Brotherly Love

Eisley isn't the only family affair making music

2002 Dallas Observer Music Awards

These are your choices, not ours, for the best musicians in town

Safe at Home

Don’t forget the local boys...and girl

Heart to Heart

On its new album, Pleasant Grove is happy to be sad

Totally Hits

A great year for local music gets better

Scene, Heard

Prize Money's back, kinda

Night & Day

February 25 - March 3, 1999