As we excitedly mentioned last week, the Observer’s inaugural Triple Play series, brought to you in part by KKXT-FM 91.7 and the Kessler, goes down this Friday, January 13. The idea is to showcase emerging acts from Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth; Hunter Hendrickson, Spooky Folk and Exit 380 rep…
More acts are trickling out for Bro Fest 2012, which happens March 18 at Club Dada. In addition to the Handsome Furs, Cerebral Ballzy and Coliseum, seven more acts have been announced, including Irish janglers And So I Watch You From Afar; Atlanta badasses The Coathangers; West Coast punks Crystal…
Burning Hotels – Party Rock from Burning Hotels on Vimeo. I’m not going to say why*, but I spent good portion of New Year’s Eve randomly listening to LMFAO’s “Shots” on an iPhone as I was driven VERY SOBERLY around town. I’m not proud of it, and I also don’t…
Following the birth of his and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, on Saturday night — an event which took over an entire wing of Lenox Hill Hospital — Mr. Carter, ever the businessman, has already written a song about her. “A younger, smarter, faster me,” he declares. How long until she’s…
The longer I’m in Dallas, the more I’m coming to realize Ishi is a very divisive band. Zhora features former Ishi members Taylor Rea and Rob Bastian. Their free four-song EP just dropped, and it features some amber electronic waves of ’80s grain, as well as a song that smells…
Blackstone Rangers, Kiwi Sisters, Jakkk-E-Chan 2826 Arnetic Saturday, January 7 Better than: Playing Christian Death albums alone in the dark. Dallas Distortion Music, a fairly new catchall site for DFW’s weirder sounds, hosted this triple-header at 2826 Arnetic Saturday night. I’d just missed opener Jakkk-E-Chan, who was playing a wind…
Tonight at Texas Theatre, catch a premiere screening of the controversial Ministry documentary Fix, which chronicles the life and times of the seminal ’90s industrial group. Perhaps there’s some footage from their heady mid-’90s days in Texas (and maybe that was part of Al Jourgensen’s lawsuit). Afterwards, stick around for…
Back in December, we reviewed Jacques Renault’s hyped set at Rio Room. And then, House of Plates, a Dallas blog that gracefully mixes music with food, documented Renault eating at Lockhart Smokehouse. Yes, barriers were broken. As food and music continue to culturally intersect, and as restaurants become more and…
Dallas jazz trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez and New Orleans drummer Alvin Fielder met in New Orleans close to 30 years ago, and have been collaborating ever since. It’s a relationship that’s lasted longer than most marriages, and listening to Gonzalez’s latest Yells At Eels collaboration with Fielder, Resurrection and Life (review…
“Van Halen announces 2012 North American tour” is one of those email subject lines I was almost afraid to open. Because, really, the world doesn’t need any more Hagar. Yes, I know it’s fashionable to hate on the “other” Van Halen singer, but let’s be honest: “Poundcake” was his best…
Oh, look. City of Ate’s got a nice photo report on last night’s Sundown grand opening. The Granada’s new bar and restaurant was lovely and copious amounts of booze were had by all. A friend had enthused, “This will be a great place for drinks before and after Adam Ant!”…
Bummer for folks of a certain age and musical disposition: Adam Ant’s upcoming tour dates have been postponed due to circumstances beyond his control — i.e., his new album being delayed. The tour has been rescheduled for the fall. (Update: The Dallas show has been rescheduled for September 21.) Mr…
What’s the deal with owls, am I right? They’re everywhere. No, really, they are. And it’s weirding me out. If I ever saw a bunch of owls congregating on power lines like I see birds do every evening, around 5 p.m., I’d head for my underground bunker. The “owls have…
Dallas synth and guitar duo Blackstone Rangers are hard at work on a debut EP, out next month, and a song has appeared out of the ether. “I Won’t Tell” sounds a bit like the Vaselines filtered through the moodier ’80s pop of those C86 bands of yore, and the…
With the events of the last week and passing of one of Austin’s music community, it’s become clear just how loved Esme was across the whole state. Any proceeds, merch sales or tips from tonight’s Good Luck Karaoke at Double Wide — c’mon, you’ve been to one; they’re a drunken…
Yes, it’s a slow week. It’s also the birthday week of Elvis Presley and David Bowie, who probably could have knocked out a pretty sweet collabo if the King had stuck around. Texas Theatre’s hosting a birthday celebration in their honor, as well as a karaoke event in which you…
Hey, Austin. Where’s Willie Nelson’s statue, huh? Oh, it’s coming in early 2012? Fine, this performance at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth will have to tide you over, lest you forget where country music got its big, bronze balls. Between landmark 1978 LP Stardust to last year’s cover-heavy Country Music,…
I was having a hard time figuring out what this column would be about this week. Resolutions? Hot new bands? The fact that three East Dallas liquor stores sold out of Ciroc? All my ideas were falling with a thud. And then, on New Year’s Day, my heart did too…
We know what you’re thinking: “Hey, all four members of Bright Light Social Hour have the same length hair — they’re a jam band! Hey, it’s 2012 now, OK? Stop being so judgmental. The Austin four-piece is burning through the indie-buzz stratosphere these days, so they’re obviously doing something right…
I was having a hard time figuring out what this column would be about this week. Resolutions? Hot new bands? The fact that three East Dallas liquor stores sold out of Ciroc? All my ideas were falling with a thud. And then, on New Year’s Day, my heart did too…
Lower Greenville’s papa bear, The Granada Theater, is getting another feather in its cap tonight with the soft opening of Sundown at Granada, the venue’s new bar and restaurant in the space where M Street Bar used to be. I asked Gavin Mulloy, Granada’s promotions manager, what this means for…
