Ray LaMontagne

ACL Capsule Reviews: Young the Giant, Tyler Morris & The Hearts of Worship, Alexander, Daniel Lanois' Black Dub and Iron & Wine

​It's tough to complain too much about the sporadic rain that's literally watering down the second afternoon of the 2011 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Texas needs to drink, y'all.  No, it's not all bad. Another upside: The wet ground makes you feel like less of a jerk for sparking up. So ... More >>

Welcome to ACL '11: Zilker Warms Up For A Big First Night; It's Already Buzz-Thirty, Dudes.

Pete FreedmanCold War Kids tear down that first-day ACL wall.​Off in the distance, the song of the summer, Foster the People's can't-stop-won't-stop "Pumped Up Kicks," is blasting away over Zilker Park, blaring from the P.A. over at the Google (nee Dell) Stage. There's a marvelous tag-team effort ... More >>

Austin City Limit Day One: Kurt Vile's Small Reception Makes for a Brilliant Performance

Kurt Vile​The first day of Austin City Limits Music Festival was a surprise to say the least. Having never been to one of these outdoor music festivals, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a hunch that getting close the stage at any act I wanted to see would be tough. For the most part, I was ... More >>

Ten Things You Can Expect to See At Austin City Limits 2011

The Conversation: Is Playing Other People's Songs Respectable?

Dallas disco cover band Le Freak​A well-timed cover can be just the thing to take a band's live performance from good to great. But if the execution of the song is off, it could blow the whole set. On the flip side, although playing a cover is a risky move, sometimes the rewards can make an artist ... More >>

Last Night: The Civil Wars and Rayland Baxter at The Texas Theater

The Civil Wars, Rayland Baxter Texas Theatre July 13, 2011 Better than: any other concert ever performed at the Texas Theatre.Taryn WalkerThe Civil Wars​The name The Civil Wars suggests that the two members, Joy Williams and John Paul White, are at odds with each other -- except the opposite is t ... More >>

Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire and Coldplay Highlight 2011 Austin City Limits Bill

​We had some fun yesterday trying to guess the bill for the 2011 Austin City Limits Musical Festival -- and, hey, we were right about Kanye West, if nothing else. Early this morning, the folks behind the festival announced for full lineup for their end-of-summer offering. And, as expected, the 10t ... More >>

Luke Wade And No Civilians

Tomorrow's Ghosts (Blue Smoke Records)

Listomania: The 15 Best Concerts of 2010

​With apologies to Robert Earl Keen, Devin the Dude, Cake, Hayes Carll and the multitude of also-rans filling up the regional concert calendar in these final weeks of 2010, it's safe to say, I think, that, with Friday night's Wu-Tang show at the Granada Theater, the year in live music effectively ... More >>

Last Night: Levon Helm and Ray LaMontagne at Verizon Theatre

Levon Helm, Ray LaMontagne Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie November 11, 2010 Better than: watching my old Rick Danko instructional bass VHS tapes. Levon Helm​I don't know what's wrong with some people. We've all been in a situation where we go to a show to see only one artist on a bill, and eith ... More >>

The Levon Helm Band with Ray Lamontagne

Thursday, November 11, at the Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie

Tonight, Tonight: Levon Helm at Verizon Theatre, Dr. Dog at South Side Music Hall, Every Time I Die at The Loft, Bear Hands at The Nightmare, The Room Sounds at Doublewide, Salim Nourallah at Bar Belmont and Nadia Washington at The Kessler

It's another hopping musical Thursday evening around town with a show for just about everyone.

Good Friday: Rhymefest, True Widow, Telegraph Canyon, Women, Manchild, The Vaselines, Brave Combo, Electric Six, Black and White Years, Suuns, Land Of Talk, Jim Suhler, Azure Ray, Recoil, These United States & More!

​This is not nearly as packed a weekend as last weekend was--and good thing, too. We're still catching up on sleep from running around all last weekend, both in Austin for ACL and here in Dallas for all the spillover. But, though less busy than last weekend, there are still some worthwhile shows g ... More >>

Q&A: Lissie Talks Covering Metallica, Living in the UK and How She's A Very Complicated Person

​Lissie, the Midwestern girl who is now one of the U.K.'s favorite adopted songwriters, understands the value of unpredictability. What many see as unpredictable, Lissie views as a natural need to adapt--at least when the situation, or her feelings, requires her to do so.When her EP, Why You Runni ... More >>

Craft's Jeff Harris on East Texas Barbecue
And The Delights of the Offal

Photo by Robert BostickCraft's Jeff Harris​(Yesterday, we brought you a profile of Jeff Harris, executive chef at Craft in the W Hotel. Today, we throw a few questions at the chef and tomorrow bring you a how-to on one of the restaurant's dishes.) CofA: What is your ideal meal? Harris: Somet ... More >>

Katsuk

Skeleton Key (Self-released)

Idol Rich: Yay for Queen and Enough With the "Hallelujah"

​I'm going to warn you, I am going to disagree with the American Idol judges today. Hard. So very hard. I realize you may not like it because you may be rooting for sweet-faced hipster-haired youngsters. But, I am not related to said youngsters and don't feel the need to support anyone who decides ... More >>

Radio, Radio: Ayo Says Adios, While We Look at Just What Passes for "Quality Rock"

Two follow-ups in this particular radio round-up. First, I exchanged a few messages with Alan Ayo via Facebook, and the long and short of it is, he's not at all upset that Clear Channel gave him his walking papers yesterday. Writes the former midday host and music director at KDGE-FM:I'm feeling rat ... More >>

Hitsville: The Year in Music, by the Numbers

You don't need a half-wit music critic to tell you it's been a remarkable year for America, one historians will be discussing and researching for centuries to come. War, financial collapse, politics, technology: All have been dinner-table topics for many Americans. Racial barriers in 2008 were de ... More >>

On the Download

Some of the best music of 2006 wasn't exactly officially released (wink, wink)

Ray LaMontagne, Rachael Yamagata

Thursday, July 21, at Gypsy Tea Room