Before there was “Ben & Skin,” the local morning sports radio talk show on KESN-103.3 FM ESPN Dallas, there was Jeff “Skinny Fresh” Wade and Ruben Ayala, who made up Hydroponic Sound System. And, in a 2001 issue of the Observer, former music editor Zac Crain profiled the duo, who…
The Walkmen, The Head and The Heart, SerynSaturday, March 5, 2011Granada TheaterBetter than: sitting at home listening to great vintage records. Looking at the members of The Walkmen during their performance at Granada Theater on Saturday night, they hardly looked like a rock ‘n’ roll band. Far from it, actually…
After kind of a dud last weekend, we’ve got a pretty solid list of shows to see this weekend. And topping the list for some of us here at DC9 headquarters is The Walkmen concert at The Granada Theater on Saturday night. In this week’s paper edition, we ran a…
For a 6-4 guy who spends most of his time crammed in a row of a 15-passenger van, Hamilton Leithauser sounds surprisingly jovial on the phone. Perhaps it’s because his band, The Walkmen, is on a short break between tours. More likely, it’s because of how his band’s new album…
Prolific Scottish pop band Trashcan Sinatras’ first big single in the States, 1991’s “Obscurity Knocks,” was prophetically also their last. During the 20 years that followed, the group released four studio albums, a few novelty records and more than a handful of EPs. But none made the stateside splash of…
Just a few minutes ago, local producer John Congleton confirmed to DC9 that he is indeed currently producing St. Vincent’s third, as-yet-unnamed album at his Elmwood Recording Studio in Oak Cliff. No surprise there: Congleton played a major role in Dallas native Annie Clark’s sophomore album, Actor, earning all the…
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 ridiculously titled As High…
In a few weeks time, established Denton songwriter and Baptist Generals frontman Chris Flemmons will kick off his third annual Denton music festival, now known as the 35 Conferette. Twelve years ago, though, Flemmons was just a newcomer in the Denton music scene — even if it didn’t take long…
Tonight, Hayes Carll plays the second-to-last show in his North Texas tour. He’ll be at Lola’s Saloon in Fort Worth, and then, tomorrow night, he’ll be at Poor David’s Pub. After this little stint, he’ll do five shows in the Houston area, then three in Austin and San Antonio. So…
Saint Marie Records, the newest record label in town, launched its website just two days ago. But, rather than stacking the artist roster with local acts, Wyatt Parkins, the man behind the label, has chosen to take a different approach entirely. The first two releases on Saint Marie Records are…
Since the Grammys, the general population has been mostly dumbfounded that Arcade Fire could win in the category of Best Album. All over the web, the question resounds: “Who is Arcade Fire?” You’d think that a band that’s sold as many albums as they have would sort of be a…
Last night, the cover for XXL Magazine’s fourth annual “Freshmen Issue” leaked, revealing a picture of Oak Cliff rapper Lil Twist along with 10 other young hip-hop artists that the prominent hip-hop magazine has its eye on in 2011. At 18, Twist is already the youngest member of Lil Wayne’s…
In this edition of This Week In Dallas Music History, Robert Wilonsky responds to the uproar caused by his 1995 review of “Arlington metal-lite band” ASKA’s then-new CD Immortal. Basically, ASKA fans and members sent in a handful of angry letters inquiring as to why Wilonsky was so harsh on…
This weekend will be insane. And it all starts with Swedish pop star Robyn, who will be performing at South Side Music Hall tonight. She’s managed to find a nice happy medium with her highly credible, highly danceable, modern pop music, and tonight will afford her fans a chance to…
Quietly, around the time of the Super Bowl shenanigans, The Cavern changed its name to The Crown and Harp. The name change mostly flew below the radar, but, with the recent news of the Lower Greenville bar’s renovations, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. A few weeks ago, we stopped in to…
A few days ago, we received a press release stating that pop star Rihanna will be performing at the American Airlines Center on Friday, July 8. We thought “Cool!” and went on about our business. But this morning, we received another release stating that Cee Lo Green has been added…
There’s a running joke that the space occupying 2810 Elm Street in Deep Ellum is cursed. The Nightmare, the last occupant of the space, didn’t last six months. And The Lounge On Elm Street before it didn’t fare much better. But, nonetheless, people keep opening the place for business. And…
In this edition of This Week In Dallas Music History, we look back to the beginning of an establishment that has undoubtedly improved the coolness of Dallas since 2000: Good Records. It’s a short piece written by former Observer music editor Zac Crain, who visited Good Records on opening day…
It’s hard to put your finger on an actual date when The O’s will officially celebrate the release of their new album, Between The Two. The hilarious duo, who we caught up with in this week’s print edition, have already played a handful of release shows this week, but Club…
Taylor Young and John Pedigo have finally finished setting up their instruments, a handkerchief, a Texas flag and some other artifacts in front of an old, low-hanging tree in Lakewood’s Tietze Park. The two members of The O’s sit in the middle of it all with rather somber looks on…
Two years ago, Fleet Foxes blindsided indie-rock fans with a self-titled debut record full of four-part harmonies and folk songs that were both melancholy and triumphant. The self-made record, which was done on a shoe-string budget, went on to sell over 300,000 records worldwide. Now, the band plans to release a…
Many of us around here were introduced to The Smith Westerns back in 2009 when Gorilla vs. Bear posted a link to the band’s fuzzed-out first single “Be My Girl.” The song, a jangly, glammy, garage-rock number with a huge, unforgettable chorus, and the self-titled album it was on, made…
