Taylor Swift

How Not to Write About Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is playing Cowboys Stadium on Saturday. Here are some important facts about Taylor Swift: 1. She made $57 million from May 2011 to May 2012, making her the highest-paid musician under 30 in that time period. 2. Her latest album, Red, has sold over 5 million copies since its October ... More >>

Why Kanye West May Prove to Be the Perfect Punk Rock Rapper

This weekend Kanye West released two new singles off his upcoming album, Yeezus, in the most grandiose possible fashion. On Friday, he announced the video for his newest single, "New Slaves," would be projected onto 66 buildings across six cities around the world in one night. Crowds gathered by the ... More >>

Blag of The Dwarves on Sex, Drugs and the New Taylor Swift Single

Friday night's lineup at Deep Ellum's newest audible invader, Three Links, is a bit of a dream for those of us who love our punk raw and possibly infected. Now, seeing The Dwarves live, standalone, is a crucial experience at least once in the life of all from the rebellion set....but this time aroun ... More >>

More Like “Piano Guy”

Don't Feel Guilty About Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience

Fuck me, I am going to overdose on this new Justin Timberlake album. I know that I'm supposed to be ashamed of certain selections in my album collection. I know this from all of the times that people have looked through my CDs or records or iTunes and been all, "Hey, what's this doing here?" before ... More >>

Now Michelle Shocked Is On Yahoo! News, Because That's What Internet Outrage Does

The internet is a perfectly efficient outrage generator. People need things to be super-pissed about, so that they can express their social positions to their friends; they burn through that outrage in an orgy of vague, well-intentioned social media protest; they look for something else to be super- ... More >>

The Nine Best Concerts In Dallas This Weekend, March 14-17

Although it may appear that many of your friends are at South by Southwest this weekend, battling crowds and struggling to find solutions to basic things like parking, eating and peeing, there is still much fun to be had on your own turf this weekend. This spring weather is a breeding ground for tou ... More >>

The 20 Most Overused Terms In SXSW Band Bios

Before I take any trip to Austin and SXSW, I always take more than a few days to peruse the schedule and check out a few of the hundreds of names on the roster and read their bios. Some years there are more bands with "wolf" and "space" in their monikers than usual, and some years there are random ... More >>

Madonna and Bruce Springsteen are 2012's Richest Musicians: All the Money's in Touring

I don't know how much else Madonna and Silvio Berlusconi have in common--her extremely visible fight against aging is going much better than his--but here's one connection: This weekend Italy voted in an election that's serving as a referendum on a decade of economic stagnation caused by, among othe ... More >>

Eight Music-Themed Gifts You Never Knew You Needed

Ah, the holidays, that time when you frantically try to figure out what exactly to give whoever you got stuck with in the secret Santa drawing. Maybe you got lucky and selected a music fan; maybe you think you want to give that music fan something that's not just the latest Pitchfork-blessed album, ... More >>

Why is "Gangnam Style" Now the Most-viewed Video on YouTube?

"Gangnam Style" Bests Justin Bieber for Most-Watched YouTube Video Ever. What's the Formula?

By Dan Moore Psy's "Gangnam Style" is now the most-viewed YouTube video ever, which means it's been watched more than 830 million times. That means that the single biggest pop culture event of 2012--the video you're most likely to talk about with your grandma at Christmas--was, as I predicted back ... More >>

Party-Hopping with The Overserved, From Art Con 8 to the DOMA Showcase

Saturday began and ended with brave displays from North Texas musicians, kicking off with a band you've likely never heard of, The Happening. First to perform at Art Con 8, The Happening was comprised of students from Girls Rock Dallas, one of the evening's beneficiaries, and they took to the stage ... More >>

Seven of This Week's Best Show Announcements: Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, The xx and More

Mary J. Blige Sunday, November 18, at American Airlines Center, $49.25-$199.25 Tickets go on sale today for Mary J. Blige's "Liberation" Tour, which will feature special guests Brandy and Kendrick Lamar. The tour is in support of Blige's upcoming 2013 release, My Life II...The Journey Continues (Ac ... More >>

Your Music Guide To The State Fair, aka Wait, Kevin Costner Has a Band?

If only there were a venue in town where I could see UNCLE KRACKER, Rebirth Brass Band and Kevin Costner's band - WAIT, KEVIN COSTNER HAS A BAND? Well, sugars, dreams can come true. The State Fair of Texas opens today and if your appetite had not already been whet by our map to all the food matters ... More >>

Playing Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey for My Daughter

See also: Playing Fugazi's Repeater for my kids I have been graced with a 15-year-old son who loves punk and metal. What's a better bonding experience than sharing a moment listening to Iron Maiden or Bad Brains? But when it comes to my 12-year-old daughter, her boy-band, country-pop leanings leav ... More >>

Here's What an SMU Sorority Party Playlist Looks Like

See also: Ten songs to accompany very specific dorm-room scenarios The first weekend of the SMU school year is here, which means some of our local co-eds, the ones blessed with those elusive hosting genes, will spend today pestering of-age classmates for booze, hiding their valuables and vacuuming ... More >>

Girls, Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Granada Theater - 3/9/12

​Girls, Unknown Mortal OrchestraGranada TheaterFriday, March 9Back behind the Granada Theater on Friday night, just before Girls went on stage, a stream of fans passed by the fenced-in artist's section with gifts for Girls singer Christopher Owens. One young fan brought flowers and called them "a ... More >>

Good Friday: 35 Denton Isn't the Only Thing To Do This Weekend

​It would be slightly unfortunate to have scheduled a concert on the same weekend as 35 Denton, but it's not like everyone's going up there, right? [Crickets chirping; the entire office is headed North on I-35.] But, for those of us left behind, there are still plenty of things to do around town, ... More >>

Jeff the Brotherhood smash their heads on the punk rock.

The Problem With... Taylor Swift's "Safe & Sound" feat. The Civil Wars

Between her worldwide Speak Now Tour and controlling her possible mania, pop-country star Taylor Swift had quite a 2011. If Swift's latest single is any indication, we might see another side of her in 2012. A dark, apocalyptic side straight out of an early Stephen King novel. "Safe & Sound" ties in ... More >>

Worst Musical Trends of 2011

C'mon, guys​It's been quite a year enduring the Top 40 in "The Problem With....". Looking back at the year and my reviews, I've noticed three things about music that I loathe and think need to change. Too many collaborations (feat. Rihanna, Lil' Wayne, Pitbull, Jay-Z...) The less we talk abou ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Taylor Swift at Cowboys Stadium

Taylor Swift, Needtobreathe, James Wesley and Charlie Worsham Cowboys Stadium October 8, 2011 Better than: Watching a Broadway Musical ​Surrounded by just under 50,000 adoring fans, Taylor Swift put on a performance Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium that was so big, it nearly dwarfed the sizeabl ... More >>

Taylor Swift, Toro Y Moi, Portugal. The Man, and The Rest of The Weekend's Top Shows

​Unless you've got a teenage daughter -- or maybe if you are someone's teenage daughter -- you probably haven't paid much attention to Taylor Swift, the headlining performer in this weekend's biggest show. The young country superstar will be at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Saturday night along ... More >>

Taylor Swift

Saturday, October 8, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington

Needtobreathe's Bear Rinehart Talks Opening for Taylor Swift, Being Named After Bear Bryant

Being the opening act for a megastar like Taylor Swift can be both a blessing and a curse. Let's face it: Stadium crowds are not known for their patience when it comes to waiting for the headliner; still, the chance for some big-time exposure is just too much for most acts to refuse. That's the cas ... More >>

Penny Lazo Works For Universal Records and Gets Celebrities To Pose for Pics With Her Taco.

Welcome to Local Music 'Mericans, where we meet the people in the local music scene that you don't see on stages. Penny Lazo. With LMFAO. And a taco. No, the taco isn't real.​Penny Lazo is a DFW-based rep for Universal Records. Despite being very rock 'n' roll in appearance, her main beat is coun ... More >>

The Problem With... Taylor Swift's "The Story of Us"

After traveling around cities in New England for a week, I've found myself writing this week's "The Problem With..." in Taylor Swift's neck of the woods -- Pennsylvania. It's a hilly, rocky and forested state where old-school white churches stand in the middle of pastures and where mountains and sky ... More >>

Q&A: Marty Stuart Talks Life After Chart Success, The Importance of Preserving Country Music's Past and Writing Alongside Johnny Cash.

Marty Stuart​Traditional country music champion Marty Stuart hasn't been a major force on the Billboard country charts for some time now. But don't confuse that absence as a sign of Stuart having slowed down in the least. In fact, the man's arguably more relevant today than he was during his wave ... More >>

Iconic '60s Artist Peter Max Talks Taylor Swift, Jimi Hendrix and Bridging The Generational Gap

Peter Max's representations of Taylor Swift's Speak Now and Fearless.​In his 73 years, Peter Max has watched the inter-generational shift of modern music begin as a segment of counterculture and eventually become a staple of mainstream consciousness. And, this past weekend, at the Wisby-Smith Fine ... More >>

Arbitrarily Grading The Year That Was: A Look Back At The Major Music Happenings of 2010.

Not quite an A . But 2010 was still a pretty good year for music.​If the '00s were dominated by hip-hop, this decade looks as if it's being dominated by electronic music. While electro-pop has had some resurrections over the years, it's now a mainstay of popular music. Look no farther tha ... More >>

Our Critics' Year-End Top Tens: Kelly Dearmore Champions Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Its Non-Hip-Hop Ways

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.​Mailroom cleanser and resident he ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Justin Townes Earle at the Granada Theater

Justin Townes Earle, Caitlin Rose, The O'sGranada TheaterDecember 3, 2010Better than: seeing a washed up, crappy honky tonk wannabe band in some two-bit bar.Justin Townes Earle​There's a concept in the Orthodox Church that says, when you enter a worship service, you step outside of time into an et ... More >>

The Daily Fail: Kanye West

It seemed like the biggest hindrance to Kanye West -- or "Conway" as Dubya calls him -- earning a wide-ranging pop music acceptance was his ego. Turns out a persecution complex may have trumped the producer/rapper/auto-tune aficionado's legendary ego, though.

Unexpected Influences: Rapper galleryCat Talks About Loving The Cure, Taylor Swift and Folk

Welcome to a new recurring feature here on DC9 where we talk to musicians about the music no one expects them to like. We're calling it Unexpected Influences -- because, we hope, that's what it will show.​Dallas rapper galleryCat is known for his multi-instrumental live affairs, which often end up ... More >>

Whitt's End: 11.5.10

  Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Roy Williams can hyperbolize(?) about winning nine consecutive games all he wants, but the only drama left in the Dallas Cowboys' failed season is not if - but when - head coach Wade Phillips ... More >>

Lady Antebellum Isn't Country's First Pop Sensation.

Today In Music News: Kanye Wanted To Kill Himself, Bon Jovi Goes Global And Caleb Followill Hates Hipsters

Your daily dose of national music news for Wednesday, October 20, 2010...Kanye West apparently felt so bad from the backlash he received from one-upping Taylor Swift he thought about killing himself. Bon Jovi will receive the global icon prize at the European VMA's. Caleb Followill hates you.

Tonight, Tonight: Sufjan Stevens at McFarlin Auditorium, Gorillaz at the Verizon Theatre, The Script at the House of Blues and The Summer Set at the Prophet Bar

Sufjan Stevens​Quite the packed hump day evening we have tonight. Lots of cool choices...

Watch: Kanye West Performs His Symbolyc One-Produced "Power" For SNL.

Hate Kanye West all you want. But we here at DC9 think he's the biggest rock star around. Everything about him--from the narcissism to the award show interruptions to the free downloads to the fashion obsessions and the online Twitter rants--just makes him all the more polarizing in the eyes of the ... More >>

The Problem With... Taylor Swift's "Mine"

​Taylor Swift's formula for charm makes her accessible to much of America. She's got a Rust Belt background that plays well with the country music audience, a girl next door vibe that pulls in all the young-uns, and a sense of humor that just warms your heart, doesn't it?However, one thing is stic ... More >>

Interesting Quartet: Who's Your Pick?

​Didn't see much at'tall of The Grammys. But I see that Beyonce won six awards and Lady Gaga is an alien and Taylor Swift took the evening's biggest prize: Album of the Year. Swift also, however, apparently sang horribly on a "Rhiannon" duet with Stevie Nicks. Which c ... More >>

Swedish, Vampirish

Today In Music News: Kanye and Lady Gaga Tour Gets Canceled, Flava Flav Wants Back On TV And Amy Winehouse Raps

Your daily dose of national music news for Friday, October 1, 2009... How sad: The Kanye West/Lady Gaga tour has been canceled. I hear someone tried to tell 'Ye the tour was canceled, but was interrupted by Taylor Swift. Flava Flav is shopping a series where he goes back to high school to rec ... More >>

Today In Music News: Vampire Weekend Announces New Album, Kanye May Actually Feel Sorry and Joe Satriani Is A Loser

Your daily dose of national music news for Wednesday, September 16, 2009... The blog darlings in Vampire Weekend are set to release their new album, Contra, in the new year. No need to use up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-select-start to acquire it. Wow... could Kanye actua ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Care Bears On Fire At House of Blues

Care Bears On FireJuly 19House of BluesFirst off, I am a father of a 9-year-old daughter and, as such, I sometimes have to succumb to the musical tastes of a girl whose obsession with Taylor Swift is beginning to become disconcerting. So when my daughter asked me to take her to see something called ... More >>

Taylor Swift, Butch Walker and Others Offer Up Their 2008 Favorites

...Oh, and we got a few well-known out-of-towners to share some of their favorites too

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 >>

MTV Brings Us The Year In JoBromances

MTV News this morning has a delightful little feature looking back on the year that was 2008--in Jonas Brothers romances. Seems Westlake's own abstinence-pledging JoBros have had themselves quite the year in love, having been seen about town with tween music starlets Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and T ... More >>

Cowboys 115, Steelers 55

I hear we've matriculated from MySpace to Facebook, right?Well, screw me. I never got around to creating a MySpace page. Was reminded why today.Don't tell the teens and the 'tweens - or my wife - but something about the whole deal strikes as, um, ridiculously fraudulent.Like, for example, the fact t ... More >>