Matt Pence

Super Rad Records' Paul Ford: "I Recorded a Song in the Back of a Station Wagon Once"

Paul Ford spent some time playing in a couple local bands, including The London Scar. In 1997, at only 16 years old, he and a colleague formed Yuppiefest, which brought local talent to the 'burbs of Lewisville, including Bowling For Soup, The Latchkey Kids, Darlington and more. Ford claims they dona ... 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 >>

Support Local (Country) Music: Four North Texas Albums You Need

In recent months, the North Texas country community has produced some solid albums, and future months will witness the release of anticipated records from Somebody's Darling, Grant Jones and Ronnie Fauss. While vets like Eleven Hundred Springs, Tejas Brothers, the King Bucks, Nate Kipp and Mo Robson ... More >>

The 10 Best Moments at This Year's Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase

Mike BrooksMind Spiders on the rooftop of The Bone.​ It's tough to look back on an event like Saturday night's Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase and try to come up with a conclusive best-moments list. With 52 bands playing 10 stages over the course of a ten-hour period all throughout Deep Ellu ... More >>

Get To Know Your DOMAXXIII Nominees: Best Cover/Tribute Act, Best Label, Best Producer

​Welcome to our 2011 Dallas Observer Music Awards breakdown, wherein we'll use the weeks leading up to the DOMA showcases on Saturday, October 15 (which is also when voting ends), to explain the nominees in each category Today, we look at the nominees in the Best Cover/Tribute Act, B ... More >>

Last Night: Centro-matic and Sarah Jaffe at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton

Centro-matic, Sarah JaffeJuly 7, 2011Dan's SilverleafBetter than: listening to old-timers go on and on about the "glory days" of local music.Matt PenceCentro-matic still has plenty of fun these days.​It's abundantly clear at this point: Sarah Jaffe is a big deal around these here North Texas parts ... More >>

Centro-matic Offer Up a Year-End Candidate

This Week In Dallas Music History: Lewis Makes More Progress With Deep Elm Records

L. LadshawJust before Lewis slipped out of focus, entirely.​In the late '90s and early aughts, there were a handful of Dallas bands that made a big splash locally, and a slightly smaller splash nationally. Today's edition of This Week In Dallas Music History focuses on one such act -- Lewis, whose ... More >>

Centro-matic Continues Free Download Spree, Shares Redo the Stacks For Next 24 Hours

​Centro-matic has long been a jewel of the local music scene -- and emphasis on long, as the band's been around since 1996.That year was when main man Will Johnson -- fresh out of Funland -- released Centro-matic's debut album, Redo the Stacks, recording each and every instrument on his own, with ... More >>

Days of Denton: Sundress Releases First Single Off "Debut" EP, Sunnybrook Releases Free EP

Sundress hates cats.​Speaking of albums produced by Matt Pence: The Denton dreamscapers in Sundress have a new album on the way -- their "debut" EP, if you're pretending that their 2010 EP, Fever, never happened, which the band apparently is doing. The six-track self-titled affair won't be out unt ... More >>

Centro-matic Announces New Release Date For Candidate Waltz, Plans Tour With Sarah Jaffe.

A whole three months have passed since we first shared with you the above video for "Only In My Double Mind," the awesome lead single off Centro-matic's forthcoming release, Candidate Waltz. So, we'll excuse you if you haven't seen it yet, I guess. Some things have changed over that time, though -- ... More >>

True Widow Settles In and Gets Louder

Watch: True Widow Releases Teaser Video Clip For Upcoming Sophomore Album

Allison V. SmithIs True Widow looking at a more acoustic future? Perhaps.​Speaking of True Widow, as we were earlier today, we just stumbled across quite the treat for those who, like us, are salivating at the thought of the band's to-be-released-in-March sophomore album, called As High As The Hig ... More >>

Centro-matic, Matthew and the Arrogant Sea

Friday, May 7, at the Granada Theater

Bridges and Blinking Lights Gets Its Sound in Focus

Centro-matic To Tweet Tomorrow Night, Whilst Rocking Your Robin.

As I retweeted just moments ago (check out our Twitter-log in the right-hand column on this page...and follow me, too, if ya want), Centro-matic's got a gig tomorrow night at the Granada Theater with the fine fellows of The Crash That Took Me and Austin's The Monahans. And while that's fine and goo ... More >>

Rock On

Centro-matic's balls-out show at the Granada topped off a big week for the local scene

Bits: Airline Charts; There's More To Dual Hawks; The Lash Outs Work On New 7"

The Echo Lab Is An Extension Of Denton's Scene

Centro-Matic, Dove Hunter, Pleasant Grove, Sarah Jaffe

Friday, July 13, at the Granada Theater

Awards Anticipation

We gear up for the biggest party of the year on Tuesday, May 9

Patience for the Ride

Centro-matic began as a one-man band. Ten years later, it's Denton's greatest quartet.

2005 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Case Solved: Killer musicians captured, thanks to your tips

Drumroll, Please

Dallas Observer Music Awards 2005

2004 Dallas Observer Music Awards

You voted. We counted. It's your favorite local acts, amplified.

2003 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Even Handed

Lewis makes more progress with Deep Elm Records

Rave On

Electronic acts make a good showing around town

A Marked Man

Pimpadelic, Tommy Boy Records split

For the Birds

El Gato to celebrate CD release

Totally Hits

A great year for local music gets better

Go the Distance

Centro-matic's Will Johnson chases the ghosts of Mississippi

Scene, Heard

We'll take most of the blame, but not all of it.

2001 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Narrow margins remind us that everyone's a winner

Scene, Heard

New Chanukah songs

Hard Eight

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

Hometown heroes

Scene, heard

Floor 13 moves out of the country; Transona Five heads East; Johnny Reno moves to Deep Ellum; Centro-matic moves around;

Rock and roll eyes

For Matt Barnhart, Quality Park Records is job one

1999 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Want out

Jeff Whittington has moved away from Adam's Farm and built his own brand-new thing

Built it, and they will indie-rock

Josh Baish and Denton fit together like a band and Rubber Gloves

Out of time

Matthew Duncan made an amazing record. Then he had no idea what to do with it.

Jerry Lee, Dino, and Homer Henderson

The "Amazing One-Man Band" signs on with one of the greatest living American writers

Out Here

Schmidt happens

After 10 years of being told he was the Next Big Thing, former Three on a Hill and Funland frontman Peter Schmidt makes the best record of his career. And he did it, for the most part, all by himself.

Take me home, country roads

Producer Dave Willingham makes noise in the middle of nowhere

1998 Dallas Observer Music Awards Nominees

Centro-matic for the people

Will Johnson's new adventures in lo-fi

Out Here