John Congleton

The Black Angels' Alex Maas Doesn't Know What Psych Music Is, But He Knows What it Isn't.

On a recent allergen-filled spring day in Austin, Black Angels lead singer Alex Maas chuckled as he struggled through a sinus infection before this Saturday's show at Granada Theater. Speaking over the phone, Maas tried his best to give an answer as to whether the organ was more psychedelic than the ... More >>

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 >>

Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen on Bad Brains, Fatherhood and Making Heaven

Early morning interviews are always a risky proposition. When I was told to call Hamilton Leithauser, lead singer for indie darlings The Walkmen, at 9 a.m., I feared either early morning grogginess or outright surliness. Instead, Leithauser, who was speaking with DC9 in anticipation of Wednesday's ... More >>

Sarah Jaffe Sacrificed Both Mind and Body to Make Her Second Album

An Oral History of the Dallas Music Scene

Some of Dallas' most successful musicians recount the rebirth of its most storied entertainment district: Deep Ellum.

Okkervil River, Chromeo and a Ton of Other Show Announcements

One of the many incarnations of Okkervil River​Still fresh from the release of their new album I Am Very Far, Austin's Okkervil River seems to be working quite hard to let everyone know about it. The album is quite solid, thanks in part to the production work of local producer John Congl ... More >>

Over The Weekend: True Widow, The Nighty Nite and Joey Kendall at the Double Wide

True Widow, The Nighty Nite and Joey KendallDouble WideJune 11, 2011Better than: killing a litter of kittens.A few minutes before acclaimed area rock producer and former Paper Chase frontman John Congleton took to the stage at the Double Wide with his new band, The Nighty Nite, for their much-antici ... More >>

The Conversation: How Is Gentrification Affecting Austin's Music Scene?

Where will we go when Austin stops being so weird?​Anyone who has visited Austin's South By Southwest music festival more than once over the last decade has noticed a huge evolution in Austin's music scene. Most of Austin's longtime music lovers repeat the same cry year after year -- that this on ... More >>

St. Vincent Sets Sept. 13 Release For Third LP, The John Congleton-Produced Strange Mercy

St. Vincent​Two years after the release of her sophomore (and breakout) album, Actor, the Dallas-born guitar heroine Annie Clark, who performs hauntingly gorgeous music under the name of St. Vincent, has just announced that her third full-length album, Strange Mercy, will be released via the 4AD ... More >>

The Problem With Home Recordings

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 >>

Listomania: The 10 Best Albums That Were Supposed To Come Out, But Never Did, in 2010

​Albums get delayed all the time. (Cue Chinese Democracy joke). Sometimes it's because of the close relation of creativity and procrastination. Other times, business overtakes art. More often than not, though, it's just a sheer mystery. So, in looking back at the year, we decided to think about al ... 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 >>

Another Big Record On John Congleton's Resume: The Walkmen's Lisbon

Casual Friday at The Walkmen's house.​You may or may not remember all the way back to last March, when NX35 music festival single-handedly overtook DC9 for about a week. One of the top headliners, The Walkmen, who played a stunning set at Hailey's Club, were one of the many reasons that the festiv ... More >>

Show Announcements: Christina Aguilera Cancels, But Chromeo, Josh Pierson, ZZ Top, Blues Traveler, Lady Gaga and Others Are Coming...

Christina, clearly frazzled by a busy tour schedule​In last week's show announcements post, we made a big to-do about Christina Aguilera's forthcoming album, Bionic, and the tour she has planned to support it. Well, in a press release we received yesterday, Aguilera's people informed us that the t ... More >>

Shearwater, Wye Oak, Hospital Ships

Saturday, April 10, at The Loft

NX35 Grows Up With Second NX35 Conferette

Yesterday at NX35: The Walkmen at Hailey's Club

The Walkmen​Band: The WalkmenVenue: HaileysTime: 11:25 p.m.The buzz was loud and the venue packed last night in anticipation for one of the bigger bands taking part in this year's version of NX35: New York City's The Walkmen. Since I got to Hailey's early, I happened to catch a couple members of t ... More >>

Sean Kirkpatrick Opens Up The Nervous Curtains

The Appleseed Cast Speaks (For Once)

Kirtland Sets A May Release For Sarah Jaffe's Upcoming Full-Length Debut, Releases First Single This Week

​Well, we knew this was coming along soon enough: Via a press release just sent out today, Kirtland Records has formally announced a release date for new signee Sarah Jaffe's upcoming full-length debut, Suburban Nature. Well, kinda. It's announced a month: May. So there you go. But, oh wait, here' ... More >>

The Best Songs in Dallas Music, 2009: The Paper Chase and "What Should We Do With Your Body? (The Lightning)" Scare Us Into Submission at No. 12

[Editor's Note: Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be presenting my favorite local songs of the year, counting down from No. 25 to No. 1, one track a day. Right now, though, we take an in-depth look at song No. 12 on the list--and feel free to click after the jump for a free download of the track. ... More >>

This Will Destroy you Sets Out To Make A Name For Itself In One Way Or Another

Dallas Observer Music Awards

Sleep Whale's Joel North Explains His Band's Name Change

Just caught up with Joel North of Sleep Whale, which, at this point is still probably best known as the ambient instrumental Denton act fromerly known as Mom, to talk about his band's name change. What it boil's down to, North says, is simply a matter of clarification for North and collaborator Bru ... More >>

Black Tie Dynasty Steps Past Its Haters

North Texas Indie Rock Musicians Influenced by Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska left its mark on several local musicians

Record Hop, Scott Porter Ready for 2008

Scott Porter's year coulda self-destructed, but he got engaged instead

Offbeat

You won't find any Justin Timberlake on this list, as we check the top albums for those who like it weird, noisy and experimental

5 x 2 = 10

Five to remember...and five to hope for

Whiz Kid

Daniel Folmer wants you to wear headphones but stop watching football

Ever Since the Turn

the pAper chAse blames its musical maturation on two equally scary things--The Exorcist and ZZ Top

2006 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Move Away and Shine

After scoring the movie Thumbsucker, The Polyphonic Spree ponders what could come next. Perhaps a musical?

Letters

Ask the Golf Bum Little Bro Checks In Death to Cream Puffs

Que Sara, Sara

Dallas' pop-punk princess can't make everybody like her. Well, not yet.

Shallow Graves

Budapest One's Keith Killoren and Chad Stockslager find their future in the past

Big 10

Barley House celebrating a decade of business

Mo Better

Corn Mo left D-FW for NYC, but he didn't leave his talent behind

Hide and Seek

The pAper chAse isn't a weird band. You're just not paying close enough attention.

Hear Here

Local music was better than ever in 2001

Scene, Heard

Big plans for Flickerstick

Switched On

The machines may be winning, but [DARYL] still loves The Technology

2001 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Narrow margins remind us that everyone's a winner

Hard Eight

We knocked over the stack of local releases and found eight you need to hear

Paper Tigers

Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know, and The Paper Chase is one of the best bands in Dallas, both onstage and off

Out Here

Kid Choas

Scene, Heard

Old 97's grab The Deathray; Whammies for the Grammies; Drunken apologies notwithstanding

No monkeying around

Baboon finally gets free of its label and releases its best, most grown-up record yet

The offspring

Dallas' punk bands resurrect the spirit of the '70s