North Texas

Call of the Wild

Staff Picks: Top Ten Local and National Albums of 2011

​I'm not one for New Year resolutions, but at the beginning of 2011, I made one I was actually pretty excited about keeping. My goal was to listen to more music this year than any other year before. Thanks to the help of some generous publicists, Spotify and some solid purchases over at Good Recor ... More >>

Video: Control the Fate of John Wesley Coleman III in 'Wild Zoo'

When he's not playing with the North Texas-bred Golden Boys or paying tribute to country curio Gary Stewart, garage rock bon vivant John Wesley Coleman III is being rendered as a video game character. One that basically shoots a gun and jumps around in a scuzzy 8-bit gutter. Sounds about right. ... More >>

Giveaway: One Pair of Tickets to See Centro-Matic, Spooky Folk at Dada Tomorrow

You can't dig too deep into the North Texas music scene without hearing the name Centro-Matic. The band's prolific lead singer, Will Johnson, has saturated the last decade with releases from Centro-Matic and South San Gabriel, as well as a few solo releases of his own. Tomorrow night's show comes at ... More >>

More Than 150 Texas School Districts Sue State Over Billions in "Unconstitutional" Cuts

​While we await official confirmation from the Dallas Independent School District concerning a well-respected higher-up who was let go yesterday, there's this. As expected, the Austin-based nonprofit The Equity Center ("founded in 1982 by 55 school districts as a response to the gross inequities t ... More >>

Get To Know Your DOMAXXIII Nominees: Best Group Act, Best Blues Act, Best Hard Rock Act

​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 Group, Best Blues and Be ... More >>

John David Kent

Roustabout

The Conversation: North Texas Bands on Tour!

Time to load up the van and hit the road, bros.​Going on tour is pretty much the funnest thing that a band can do, ever. On the road with your bros, drinking during the day, making tons of money, and so on and so on.Well, probably not that part about making money. Not early on in a band's career, ... More >>

Ten Songs That Will Maybe, Hopefully, Possibly Help Us Get A Little Rain in North Texas, Please.

​According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Don is headed for Texas. Although this forecast sounds like something to be happy about -- Dallas could use some much-needed rain from Don's periphery -- CBS is reporting that North Texas will most likely see no effects from the storm, ... More >>

The Conversation: The Effects of Blog Culture on Music in North Texas

Sachin TengThat's a Gorilla versus a Bear -- get it?​As you can see from the cover story this week, blog culture has undoubtedly changed the face of the North Texas music community. The sheer amount of blogs here in the metroplex is evidence that some feel their favorite artists are not being repr ... More >>

What Ales You?

Sachin TengThat's a Gorilla versus a Bear -- get it?​As you can see from the cover story this week, blog culture has undoubtedly changed the face of the North Texas music community. The sheer amount of blogs here in the metroplex is evidence that some feel their favorite artists are not being repr ... More >>

How Many Record Stores Do You Think Exist in the Dallas-Fort Worth Region? Really. Guess.

​Tomorrow, as you now doubt are well aware by now, is the fourth annual official Record Store Day, in which we all get together and celebrate the brick-and-mortar shops that have managed to survive through the economy and the Internet stealing all of the action.But, really, just how bad are things ... More >>

Former NY State Comptroller Makes Case For Retiring Three of Luminant's Coal-Fired Plants

Big Brown​Former New York State First Deputy Comptroller-turned-investment banker Tom Sanzillo released a report this morning, via the Sierra Club, demanding that Dallas-based Energy Future Holding (and its Luminant subsidiary) shutter three of its coal-fired power plants: Big Brown (in Fairfield) ... More >>

Five Locals to Watch at SXSW 2011

Big Brown​Former New York State First Deputy Comptroller-turned-investment banker Tom Sanzillo released a report this morning, via the Sierra Club, demanding that Dallas-based Energy Future Holding (and its Luminant subsidiary) shutter three of its coal-fired power plants: Big Brown (in Fairfield) ... More >>

Frames of the Day

Big Brown​Former New York State First Deputy Comptroller-turned-investment banker Tom Sanzillo released a report this morning, via the Sierra Club, demanding that Dallas-based Energy Future Holding (and its Luminant subsidiary) shutter three of its coal-fired power plants: Big Brown (in Fairfield) ... More >>

Dirt Don't Hurt

Big Brown​Former New York State First Deputy Comptroller-turned-investment banker Tom Sanzillo released a report this morning, via the Sierra Club, demanding that Dallas-based Energy Future Holding (and its Luminant subsidiary) shutter three of its coal-fired power plants: Big Brown (in Fairfield) ... More >>

Five Things About Local Music to be Thankful For

Hey, we're still excited about the Old 97's new record being great.​It's turkey time once again, but there are many other things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Here are five music-related items that North Texas residents should be thankful for having. ​ 1. The Old 97's finally ma ... More >>

Leppert: Tax Hike Is "A Very Risky Gamble"

​Mayor Tom Leppert has said it time and again: No tax hike. No way, no how. But in case you missed it the first 29 times, his e-vite to tomorrow morning's council budget briefing serves as yet another just-say-no note in which he takes aim at Angela Hunt and the other seven council members support ... More >>

Walk It Out

​Mayor Tom Leppert has said it time and again: No tax hike. No way, no how. But in case you missed it the first 29 times, his e-vite to tomorrow morning's council budget briefing serves as yet another just-say-no note in which he takes aim at Angela Hunt and the other seven council members support ... More >>

Local Musicians To Host Benefit For The Gulf Coast at Lola's in Fort Worth on Thursday

​July 1 marks another hot, run-of-the-mill day for us here in North Texas, but for the folks directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf, it's another day without work. And some DFW musicians have decided to do something about it--namely, they'll be teaming up with venues all over the country t ... More >>

Ice, Ice Baby

​July 1 marks another hot, run-of-the-mill day for us here in North Texas, but for the folks directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf, it's another day without work. And some DFW musicians have decided to do something about it--namely, they'll be teaming up with venues all over the country t ... More >>

Head In the Clouds

​July 1 marks another hot, run-of-the-mill day for us here in North Texas, but for the folks directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf, it's another day without work. And some DFW musicians have decided to do something about it--namely, they'll be teaming up with venues all over the country t ... More >>

Souped Up

​July 1 marks another hot, run-of-the-mill day for us here in North Texas, but for the folks directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf, it's another day without work. And some DFW musicians have decided to do something about it--namely, they'll be teaming up with venues all over the country t ... More >>

Super Bowl XLV to Bring Quite the Collection of Gridiron Greats to Woodrow Next Week

​Tony Fay started working for the Dallas Mavericks in 1987 as the media relations intern; by the time he left in '99, he was director of communications -- which was no easy feat back then, given that was six months before Mark Cuban bought the then-struggling franchise just off a lockout season. T ... More >>

Highway Patrol: NYTimes Examines the Clear and Present Danger Posed by Work Zones

​The front page of this morning's New York Times takes a long, hard look at how unsafe highway work zones are, especially those involving pavement-edge drop-offs (which, according to one 2006 study, pose "a potential safety hazard because significant vertical differences between surfaces can affec ... More >>

Slithering Into Fair Park

​The front page of this morning's New York Times takes a long, hard look at how unsafe highway work zones are, especially those involving pavement-edge drop-offs (which, according to one 2006 study, pose "a potential safety hazard because significant vertical differences between surfaces can affec ... More >>

Video: Q-Tip feat. Norah Jones -- "Life is Better"

Y'know what's adorable? This video, made for the second single for from Q-Tip's The Renaissance. Good timing, too, as we're just over a month away from the new release from North Texas' own Norah Jones.(Via.)

Rent Control Part Two

​Two years ago, GlobeSt.com took a look at the state of Dallas-Fort Worth's apartment market and said, in short, Lookin' good. Occupancy rates were on the rise, as were rents -- up to an average of $724 a month. But today, things are a little different: Rates are higher than they were in '07 (up t ... More >>

Stop, Look And Cycle

​Two years ago, GlobeSt.com took a look at the state of Dallas-Fort Worth's apartment market and said, in short, Lookin' good. Occupancy rates were on the rise, as were rents -- up to an average of $724 a month. But today, things are a little different: Rates are higher than they were in '07 (up t ... More >>

For a Second Year, the Sue Pope Fund Will Dole Out Grants to Folks Who Can Clear the Air

Katy HubenerIn a small, bright room at the Center for Community Cooperation this morning, Katy Hubener, the grant coordinator for the Sue Pope Fund, officially announced $1 million available in funding for new clean air projects in North Texas. The fund was established in 2005 in honor of Sue Pope, ... More >>

The Season For Magazines

Though the name might suggest otherwise, new magazine Edible Dallas & Fort Worth is not intended for Mothra. Rather, the publication--part of the Edible Communities chain--offers stories about North Texas chefs, farmers, retailers, vintners and brewers, all aimed squarely at "locavores," those w ... More >>

Food For Thought 2.19.09

"Once the first freeze arrives in the fall, the supply of local produce in North Texas drops precipitously. We are left to survive until spring on pecans, Texas citrus, the occasional greens--and sweet potatoes." (Kim Pierce in yesterday's Dallas Morning News, sorta bringing up in her lead paragraph ... More >>

Record Hop, The Great Tyrant, Red Monroe

Thursday, February 21, at Lola's, Fort Worth

Popcorn Drunks

Thursday, February 21, at Lola's, Fort Worth

Bridges and Blinking Lights, Colour Revolt, Handbrake

Wednesday, December 19, at Hailey's in Denton

Well, That Did Not Take Long

Wednesday, December 19, at Hailey's in Denton

Calla

Wednesday, March 21, at Hailey's, Denton

Home Away From Home

North Texas' booming Guatemalan population struggles without a consulate

Acid Mothers Temple, The Antarcticans, The Great Tyrant

Saturday, April 29, at Hailey's

North Texas New Music Festival

Friday, September 30, throughout Deep Ellum

Get Served

Friday, September 30, throughout Deep Ellum

Letters

Deflowered Not So Radiant*

Best Place to Watch the Sun Rise/Set (and Maybe Get Mugged)

White Rock Lake

Best Newsletter

The North Texas Skeptic

Feelin’ Saxy

Addison hosts the best in local jazz

Totally Hits

A great year for local music gets better

Best Hamburger

Culver's

Scene, heard

Variety Nightmare pops into Melodic Overkill; The Topaz Awards go by the wayside; Little Jack Melody party with Noise and Smoke

Events for the week

Variety Nightmare pops into Melodic Overkill; The Topaz Awards go by the wayside; Little Jack Melody party with Noise and Smoke

Events for the week

Variety Nightmare pops into Melodic Overkill; The Topaz Awards go by the wayside; Little Jack Melody party with Noise and Smoke