Paul James

The Bands Who Have Played Every 35 Denton Talk About the Festival

The festival now known as 35 Denton first set up its permanent residence in the city five years ago. More than 20 musicians from the area have played all four previous incarnations and will be back again this year. We asked a few of them to share their thoughts on the festival and its growth. See a ... More >>

The Class of 35

Conversations with the bands that have been with 35 Denton from the beginning.

Jumberjack Fest IX: No Egos and Bearded Grinding

It all began quite simply enough. As the PVC Street Gang was finishing up their set at this year's Lumberjack Fest in Denton at Dan's, venerable guitarist and all-around goofball, Ryan Thomas Becker, began grinding suggestively against a slim, petite brunette just near the front door. He slithered ... More >>

Santigold, Sucre, ZZ Top and More Show Announcements

It's been nearly a four-year wait on the new Santigold album, Master of My Make-Believe, which is set to drop on May 1 via Downtown Records. On the new album, Santigold's impressive blend of hip-hop and dance music has been bolstered by production from Diplo, Dave Sitek of TV On the Radio and Nick Z ... More >>

Preview: Big Folkin' Festival at The Prophet Bar

Saturday, March 31, at the Prophet Bar

Spoon, Jane's Addiction and This Week's Show Announcements

​It's been quite a few years since Austin's Spoon played an open-to-the-public show in Dallas. Odd considering that most notable Austin acts play in Dallas at least a few times a year. But that's what makes this show announcement so special. On Thursday, April 12, Spoon will perform at Granada The ... More >>

Bridge-o-Rama Adds More Acts, and The Relatives Get the Doc Treatment

As Unfair Park reported last week, in preview of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge lighting, Dallas' own gospel-funk group The Relatives will be headlining the March 3 Bridge-o-Rama event in celebration of its opening. This is a big deal, as the family band, led by the indomitable Rev. Gean West, has ... More >>

Before the Calatrava's Switched On, Breaking News: The Relatives to Play Bridge Opening

Justin Terveen's already taken his place on the west side of the Continental Avenue Bridge for tonight's lighting of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, set to begin glowing at 6:15, give or take. He says it's filling up fast, no joke. I'm about to head that way myself; why not. But before I split, this ... More >>

A Spune Christmas, Moby, Man Or Astro-man? and a Very Solid Weekend of Shows

Telegraph Canyon headlines A Spune Christmas at Dada​It's a big weekend for shows any way you cut it. Tonight's A Spune Christmas party at Dada with Telegraph Canyon and Air Review is certainly one of your better options, especially if you like free tacos and free beer. Saturday night, however, is ... More >>

Foster The People, Eisley and This Week's Show Announcements

Foster The People​If you're thinking, "If I hear 'Pumped Up Kicks' one more time, I'm gonna pull a gun on someone and make them outrun my bullets," then you should definitely not read on. The band responsible for the song, Foster The People, has strategically planned to start selling tickets to it ... More >>

Demi Lovato, Ray Benson and This Weekend's Top Shows

​A lot of people are home for Thanksgiving nursing food hangovers and hanging out with family, which explains why most of this weekend's shows are from local acts. That doesn't mean there aren't some big shows happening this weekend, like the one from Dallas' own Demi Lovato tomorrow at Verizon Th ... More >>

Chuck Ragan Knows Good Road Music, Plugged or Unplugged

Scott ToepferChuck Ragan.​Gainesville, Florida's Chuck Ragan is one of those dudes who just can't go wrong. His more-than-a-decade's work with the still-revered punk act Hot Water Music is often cited by younger punk bands as a key motivator for their own punk-ish endeavors. In the more recen ... More >>

Cha Cha's Rock and Roll Charity Gala, Adam Ant and the Rest of This Week's Show Announcements

​For the last eight years, local music advocate Chelsea Callahan has been celebrating her birthday with rock-and-roll and charity in mind. Every year, she books a solid bill of local bands and gives all the proceeds away to charity. This year, Cha Cha's Eighth Annual Rock & Roll Charity Gala o ... More >>

Ghostland Observatory, Anthrax, Wild Flag and The Rest of This Weekend's Best Shows

Pace yourself this weekend. Lots of good shows to see.​Halloween is on Monday, so there should be a good handful people in costume out and about this weekend -- kind of like the zombies at the Dallas Observer Music Award Showcase. And there will be many opportunities to get out and about this week ... More >>

Possessed By Paul James Says 35 Conferette Shortchanged His Pay

Leading up to this year's installment of 35 Conferette, after hearing some pretty salty rumors about bands not getting paid in full in 2010, we were curious as to how the festival would be able to afford to pay this year's acts. After all, this was the biggest festival yet, and with headliners like ... More >>

Night One at 35 Conferette '11: Thank Goodness For Mavis Staples and Slobberbone, Who Helped Us Forget The Scheduling Problems.

Stephen MaskerSome 35 Conferette attendees bide their time between performances.​Walking toward Denton's Courthouse-on-the-Square on the first night of this year's 35 Conferette, there was little way of knowing what surprises were to come over the course of the fun-filled, and, at times, aggravati ... More >>

Picture Show: Kicking Off 35 Conferette with Pains of Being Pure at Heart

All photos by Nick RalloThe Pains of Being Pure at Heart kicking off the night.​A few minutes ago, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart finished up their slightly-delayed set on Main Stage Number Two. It's crisp out here, folks. Crisp.So the night's getting started out here, and we thought we'd kick o ... More >>

Show Announcements: True Widow, 35 Conferette Schedule, The Hope Trust, Bill Frisell, KT Tunstall, Portugal. The Man, Black Label Society, Slobberbone & More!

Steve VisneauTrue Widow​It's been three years since local slow-grinding act True Widow released their self titled debut album to local acclaim. But their debut grabbed the attention of Kemodo Records, who signed the band just last year. And now they are poised to release their follow up, the ridic ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Beth Orton at Dan's Silverleaf

Beth OrtonDan's Silverleaf in DentonFebruary 18, 2011Better than: the sore throat I've picked up since the show.Beth Orton​It seems like two or three times a year, Dan's Silverleaf gets a performer that causes one to double take. Bill Frisell, Daniel Lanois, any number of jazz luminaries in town t ... More >>

Show Announcements: Tobacco, The Adicts, Yelle, The Black Angels, The Submarines, Stone Sour, Katy Perry, The Raveonettes, Joe Pug, Keith Urban, Yes, South by So What? & More!

Tobacco​Less than a year ago, Tobacco, the Pennsylvania-born electronic musician and frontman for the experimental group Black Moth Super Rainbow, released his latest solo album, Manic Meat, a dark and seedy work that outshone its 2008 predecessor, Fucked Up Friends. As a solo artist, Tobacco ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds More Acts, Including New Sub Pop Supergroup Featuring Michael Cera

If nothing else, Michael Cera is cooler than Danny Masterson, right?​After announcing last week the addition of another 135 bands to its bill, you'd think the folks up at Denton's 35 Conferette might need a breather -- or, I dunno, maybe some time to focus on the actual logistics of the fest, sinc ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds A Whopping 135 More Bands To Bill, Including A Whole Slew of Locals

Big things happening today in the world of 35 Conferette -- bigger news, even, than the fact that the-festival-formerly-known-as-North-by-35 now has an actual website to call its own (!). Bigger, too, than the really awesome web teaser/advertisement that the fest's organizers have created to promote ... More >>

35 Conferette Adds Midlake Pal John Grant, Remix Fave Cut Chemist, Others To '11 Lineup.

​A few more more acts of note have been added today to the bill of the 35 Conferette, which will overtake and, quite possibly, overwhelm Denton from March 10 through the 13. And at least one of them has some local ties: John Grant, formerly of the Denver-based punk outfit The Czars, spent a good c ... More >>

Our Critics' Year-End Top Tens: Noah W. Bailey Picks Swedish Crooner Joel Alme's Waiting For The Bells As The Year's Best

In this week's paper, you may notice a piece including some of our DC9 writers' choices for best albums of the year. But, space being limited, we couldn't run all of our writers' lists. So, thanks to the power of the Internet, we're doing just that, right here.​In-house Americana obsessive Noah ... More >>

The Best National Album Releases of 2010

Show Announcements: Flaming Lips, Neon Indian, The Orphanage Christmas Party Benefit, Yellow Fever, Reel Big Fish, Aquabats, Kristy Kruger, Junior Brown, Monotonix, Eric Benet & more

The Flaming Lips​The Flaming Lips have been performing in Dallas for over two decades. The last time they came through town, they stopped short just north of Big D, for a headlining performance at the 2010 NX35 Conferette, during which the power blew several times. Hopefully, they won't have as mu ... More >>

Show Announcements: Bush, Smashing Pumpkins, Free Week at Rubber Gloves, Joanna Newsom, Los Campesinos!, Hanson, Futureheads, We Are Scientists, White Denim, Trail Of Dead and More!

Bush reunites, forgets to floss.​It looks like this week's edition of Show Announcements could have been written in 1995 thanks to two big shows coming to town. On Friday, October 22, a newly reformed Bush will be passing through town at the Palladium Ballroom. And I'm sure everyone over at Kirtla ... More >>

Show Announcements: O.A.R., Ghostland Observatory, Bob Goblin, Record Hop, Azure Ray, Moenia and Others

O.A.R.​Dave Matthews has announced that he and his band will be taking all of 2011 off. It's tragic news for frat boys everywhere. Summer plans to follow them on tour have been shattered as their beloved "Dave" takes a breather. Never fear, though, young misguided music lover: O.A.R. is starting t ... More >>

Nice Brisket, Toots

Snow's BBQ516 Main St.Lexington, TexasNoah W. BaileyThe line at Snow's. At 10:20 a.m.​Dude Factor: 10, or Billy Joe Shaver, on a scale of 1 (Beth Toben) to 10.On a recent weekend trip to College Station to visit my fiance's parents, I found myself with a few free hours on a Saturday while my lady ... More >>

Good Friday (The 13th!): Rob Zombie, My Son My Exeutioner, The Phuss, Dove Hunter, RTB2, THe BAcksliders, The Golden Boys, LIONS, Peter Bjorn and John, The Swell Season, Goatwhore, The Slow Burners, Chris Brown

​Well, it's Friday the 13th again, folks. Hope you've planned ahead and set aside 13 bucks for a "13" tattoo at Oliver Peck's Elm Street Tattoo. As for your show-going plans. Well, we've got your collective procrastinating backs. First, the shows we've already hyped.Tonight, for instance, has a to ... More >>

Good Friday: The Memorial Day Weekend Edition

Hey guys, it's a long weekend! Who knew!  Fortunately, we've already talked about most of the top shows coming happening around the region either on the blog or in print. Still, there's some others we think you should know about--and, certainly, that you should check out, should you get the ch ... More >>

Weekend Roundup: NX35 Edition including Monotonix, Tame...Tame & Quiet, Gun Gun, Boyfriends Inc. and Possessed by Paul James

Denton was the place to be for live music this weekend, hands down. With the first ever NX35 festival all wrapped up, I wanted to pay it some well-deserved homage with a special edition of Weekend Roundup... Enjoy! Monotonix at Hailey's, Sunday, Mar. 15This garage rock band played in Dento ... More >>

Yesterday at NX35: Fear and Loathing on the Square. Or: Navigating NX35's Night Two Schedule.

Conferettes sound fun and all. That is, until the schedule is released. That's when neurosis, the likes of which only my poor wife has seen, begins to take over. Thursday was easy. Friday night proved to not be as smooth. With bands that I had hoped to catch at four different venues--som ... More >>

Yesterday At NX35: Night Two? Blame It On The Rain.

Blame the rain. Blame the cold. Blame a competing Denton house show. Blame the traffic accidents on Interstate 35 that pushed the commute from Dallas to nearly two hours. Blame whatever you want, but, in the early evening hours Friday night, the venues participating in NX35 were noticeably, ja ... More >>

Yesterday At NX35: Possessed by Paul James at RGRS

BAND: Possessed by Paul James VENUE: RGRS TIME: 11:00 p.m. Konrad Wert leans back under the stage lights, seated above a duct-taped stomp box with a wilting bow extended above a fiddle. "Oh mother, oh mother!" he shouts, hyping the crowd. Convulsing from the bottom up, he whirs his face side ... More >>

Yesterday at NX35: Possessed by Paul James at Rubber Gloves (Another Perspective)

BAND: Possesses by Paul JamesVENUE: Rubber Gloves Rehearsal StudiosTIME: 10:45-ish. Sure, there's another one-man band playing on the Square this weekend. But, entertaining as Billy Roy is, he comes nowhere near the raw energy of Possessed by Paul James' Konrad Wert. Wert's raw intensity ... More >>

NX35's Most Exciting Bands, Chosen by Organizer Chris Flemmons

Bob Log III, Scott H. Biram, Possessed by Paul James

Thursday, July 10, at Granada Theater

Grass Roofs

Arlington goes House and Garden

The B.S. Plan

For the real plan, watch the vote on Timbercreek