It wasn’t Cory Branan’s idea to wait six years between albums. He’d been writing a lot since the release of 2006’s 12 Songs, but labels weren’t calling, and he claims he knows why. “Labels are kind of chicken-shit,” he says as he drives through New Jersey. “If you can’t describe…
See also: The Warped Tour in review Judging by the horde at Gexa Energy Pavilion on Tuesday, the local economy is doing just fine. Out of the nearly 100 bands that performed at this year’s fest, I’ve whittled it down to the 10 best that I literally stumbled across. As…
Since those bombs are about to be bursting in air, here are a few songs to go along with the noise. I know that some folks will be mad because I left anything from Springsteen off the list, but go ahead and add your own recommendations if you like…
At 73, Billy Joe Shaver has lived a tough, fascinating life and managed to release nearly 20 albums of stellar hardcore country. We checked in with Shaver from an antique store in Waco, and he told us about his propensity for finding trouble. Catch him tonight at the Kessler Theater…
Born and raised in Dallas, Gary Myrick found his greatest success after moving to California and forming The Figures. In 1980, Gary Myrick & The Figures released a self-titled album that featured the new wave hit “She Talks in Stereo.” The song, along with another Myrick original, ended up in…
Van Halen, Kool & The Gang American Airlines Center Wednesday, June 20 See also: The five worst and five most underrated Van Halen songs You have to hand it to Diamond Dave. Sure, he can’t hit all those high notes like back in the day, but he gave it the…
If Loudon Wainwright’s 1973 novelty hit, “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road,” is all you know about this talented singer/songwriter, you need to make your way to Oak Cliff for this show. Wainwright’s folk songs (and there are a lot of them) can be funny as hell or…
Ian Astbury, leader of The Cult, is quite the Renaissance man. Besides fronting the band, Astbury plays soccer competitively, watches hockey compulsively and is well-versed on just about any topic thrown at him. Speaking from Los Angeles in anticipation of tonight’s show at House of Blues, Astbury talked about The…
Seeing that Van Halen somehow managed to NOT cancel their show tonight at American Airlines Center, I decided to go through the band’s catalogue and come up with a couple of lists. First comes the bad, and then comes the diamonds in the poo-poo. The Five Worst Van Halen Songs…
Hugely successful in their homeland of Great Britain, The Kooks have found it difficult to make commercial inroads in the United States. Perhaps it’s the band’s eclectic mix of rock, pop and reggae that has failed to connect with American audiences. Speaking from Boston and in anticipation of tonight’s show…
With or without the controversy surrounding his song “She Left Me for Jesus,” Hayes Carll would still be considered one of our state’s greatest songwriters. Over the course of a decade, Carll has released four superb country/rock albums, each one better and more successful than the last. Speaking while driving…
When the Christian rock band Stryper first emerged in 1983, many people thought they were both a marketing ploy and tasteless joke. After 1986’s To Hell With the Devil sold over two million copies, so-called Christian bands started popping up everywhere. Somehow, brothers Michael and Robert Sweet have kept some…
Back in the ’90s, Canada’s Memoryhouse were one of those bands you would never expect to release an album on Sub Pop. But over the past decade, the Seattle-based label has diversified so much that just about anything goes, including the dream-pop of Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion. Driving through…
Hard to believe it’s been nearly three decades since Perry Farrell first unleashed his tortured wail on the innocent masses. Along with the androgynously hunky Dave Navarro, Farrell has disbanded and reunited Jane’s Addiction a handful of times over that lengthy span. And each time the guys get back together,…
Hailing from the frigid confines of Saskatoon, Canada, one might think a band like The Deep Dark Woods would be happy touring the warmer climes of the Southern United States. Not so claims singer Ryan Boldt. Seems the cooler temperatures have an explicit and implicit influence on his band’s music…
How Bret Michaels turned fronting a rather mindless hair metal band into a multimedia career lasting nearly four decades is one of those mysteries that may never be solved. Belting out syrupy power ballads like “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is one thing, but becoming a reality television star, screenwriter…
Denver quartet The Fray are one of those successful pop bands that are pretty easy to dislike. Their songs pop up on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and the band has built a loyal fan base within the Christian music market. However, despite massive popularity, songs such as “Over My Head…
Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick is all about John J. McCauley III. The singer/guitarist formed the band in 2004 and his warped wit and croaking vocal style define Deer Tick’s sound. Speaking from a Pittsburgh restaurant and in anticipation of Saturday’s show at The Loft, McCauley spoke about Deer Tick’s…
Although Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick are often labeled alt-country, there’s more to John McCauley and crew than roots rock. 2011’s Divine Providence showed a band moving away from folk and embracing punk rock and dissonance. Even the subject matter of the songs swung toward the dark side. One of…
For more than 50 years and in spite of countless lawsuits, The Beach Boys have soldiered on. Brian Wilson and Mike Love finally buried the hatchet and the surviving members will begin a tour this week, the second stop of which hits Grand Prairie. Word is practices have gone well…
Before earning a spot as the drummer for Korn, Ray Luzier played some high-profile gigs with David Lee Roth and Stone Temple Pilots. So the guy obviously knows something about working with temperamental frontmen. Speaking from a car while driving from Abilene to Lubbock, and in anticipation of Korn’s show…
Opeth, Mastodon, Ghost Palladium Ballroom Thursday, April 19 Last night started with Sweden’s Ghost, a wonderfully over-the-top six-piece that lit uncountable amounts of incense before they even hit the stage. I felt like I had entered a heavy metal meditation therapy session. Featuring costumes that looked like they had been…
