This weekend marks the end of an era: After a five-year run, the most critical critics in North Texas over at We Shot JR are calling it quits. We suspect it’s only a matter of days until the comments on DC9 increase in anonymity and negativity, but, before that happens,…
If your mixed-up tween has a sudden interest in baseball, don’t get your hopes up. More than likely, they haven’t decided to jump on the Texas Rangers bandwagon like the rest of us. Rather, they, like the rest of the free world under the age of 15, are probably more…
The biggest show announcement we’ve had in a while–no, not you, Aaron Neville–is the Wu-Tang Clan’s just-announced show at the Granada Theater on Friday, December 10. Although billed as an all-original line-up, there is a certain issue with one Old Dirty Bastard, who passed away in 2004. But according to…
Sigur Ros singer Jonsi is known for his solemn and somber stage demeanor, but the setlist for his solo show last night at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie offers a peak behind the curtain. It features a series of inside jokes aimed at his backing band and crew, and it’s…
JonsiVerizon Theatre, Grand PrairieOctober 25, 2010Better than: The last show I saw at Verizon Theatre–Brian Wilson. I don’t even think his keyboard was plugged in. Jonsi’s performance on Monday night at Verizon Theatre was like watching a man go free. No longer held up by the trappings of Sigur Ros,…
In this edition of This Week in Dallas Music History, former Dallas Observer music editor Zac Crain talks with longtime Dallas musician Wanz Dover about his Melodica Festival in 1999. The festival, which was heavy on Texas space-rock, started in Dallas. And, at this point, Dover was planning to put…
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, GrassfightTreesOctober 24, 2010Better than: hanging onto what was left of my hearing. “Spread your love like a fever.” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pretty much summed up their entire two hour and 15-minute-long set with those words. They were good. Great, even. Hell, they were amazing at times…
Well, we’ve finally recovered from our Austin City Limits Music Festival hangover–and just in time, too. This weekend’s Festival At The Switchyard in Carrollton is yet another suburban rock fest featuring some local heavy-hitters. On Friday and Saturday, Old 97’s, Polyphonic Spree, Orbans, and Robert Earl Keen will perform, along…
The members of Los Campesinos, a spastic indie-punk band from Wales, are in the middle of their final US tour of the year. With two full-length records and a handful of EPs under their belts, this fun eight-piece band is quickly gaining fans all over the world.The band is at…
Sufjan StevensMcFarlin AuditoriumOctober 21, 2010Better Than: The times my parents would drag me to McFarlin Auditorium to watch ballet. Sufjan Stevens had his work cut out for him on Wednesday night at SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium: He had the daunting task of convincing everyone in the room–himself included–that he’s more than…
Mike SimpsonThis Will Destroy YouThis Will Destroy You has always been kind of a polarizing band, whether for its ear-piercing doomgaze or the offensive onstage antics that were on full display at last year’s NX35 Music Conferette. But its jaw dropping dark take on post-rock has garnered some recent successes:…
Wild Party knows how to have a good time.We’ve seen quite a few local bands call it quits over the last year or so, but the past few weeks have also seen a whole new crop of up-and-coming local acts sprout up–many of which we think are worth your time…
HagfishIn this ironic edition of This Week In Dallas Music History, former Dallas Observer music editor Zac Crain writes about several local band break-ups in 1999 with an emphasis on Hagfish. Seems that less than a year after their split, Hagfish had already reunited for a show booked at Trees…
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…
Guillermo HerrenSchool Of Seven BellsSchool of Seven Bells is no longer a family affair.The trio comprised of former Dallasite Benjamin Curtis and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza were mid-tour when the latter Deheza’s absence at Austin City Limits Music Festival raised a lot of questions as to her whereabouts…
The phrase “old friends” is rarely synonymous with the phrase “new band,” but Canadian indie-rock act Women are an exception to the rule. Its members have been big players in Calgary’s art-rock scene for years and have been close friends for even longer. And with the strength of their critically…
Steve GullickThe Flatlanders”Did you ever see Dallas from a DC9 at night?” If you haven’t guessed it by now, yes, we did name our blog after the opening lyric of “Dallas” by The Flatlanders. And the legendary trio has reunited for a tour that is making a stop at The…
FlickerstickIn this edition of This Week In Dallas Music History, we look back to 1999, when folks were gearing up for Y2K and Flickerstick was just getting started.Long before they were on Bands On The Run, before they had ever stepped foot outside Dallas/Fort Worth, and before they had even…
Morning Benders, Twin Sister, CultsThe Kessler TheaterSaturday, October 9Better than: Just about any show I’ve seen in several years. Morning BendersThe competition on Saturday night was stiff–maybe one of the toughest weekends of the year to draw a crowd. With the Austin City Limits spillover effect in full force, picking…
You may remember when I mentioned Grand Prairie’s upcoming Fall Indie Fest in a story about suburban rock a few weeks ago. Well, Fall Indie Fest is finally here. While it doesn’t have quite the same fanfare of the little festival in Austin this weekend, there is still reason aplenty…
Earlier this week, in advance of the Morning Benders’s upcoming performance at the Kessler Theatre on Saturday night, we caught up with the Northern California-based band’s frontman Chris Chu. His band had just returned from the European leg of their tour, and was preparing to travel the US in support…
Alejandra Deheza never thought she’d be where she is now. Playing in a rock band was never part of her plan. In fact, everything that’s happened in her music career up until now has been a fluke. But she and her identical twin sister Claudia, along with formerly Dallas-based musician…
