Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, trio The Life and Times makes a wonderful racket while creating dense, sonically challenging compositions — real rock songs hidden under waves of noise. Speaking from his home in Chicago and in anticipation of tonight’s show at Dan’s Silverleaf, frontman and guitarist Allen Epley spoke…
Recorded throughout the month of April 2011, this live effort serves as the sophomore release from Boxcar Bandits, longtime stalwarts of the Denton music scene, following up debut Smells Like Grass. The band’s Monday night residency at Dan’s Silverleaf has become one of the better hootenannies in the area, and…
After Bravo, Max! was nominated for a Dallas Observer Music Award this past year, the five-piece was suddenly reduced to a trio. And that wasn’t too long after the band released Dog’s Light, their impressive debut effort. Now, some might think a band going through such upheaval might not be…
Back in 2006, Ronnie Radke was on top of the world. He was the lead singer of Escape the Fate, a post-hardcore band that had just released its debut album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. A fateful turn of events in Las Vegas led to Radke being charged with battery,…
On the Impossible Past, Philadelphia quartet The Menzingers’ new third effort, is a wail of an album. Angry, passionate and, best of all, literate, the songs resonate with the kind of pure punk spirit that made bands like Black Flag and The Misfits so important to the American indie scene…
Starfucker, Painted Palms and Alexico The Prophet Bar Friday, January 13 An interesting sampling was in attendance at Friday’s sold-out Prophet Bar show, one that spanned teens, 20, 30 and 40-somethings. Monterrey-based one-man band Alexico’s computer-assisted performance was, at first, an acquired taste, but as the set progressed, his hip-hop…
Being the son of legendary singer/songwriter Willie Nelson wasn’t always the easiest road to hoe. After leaving the family home in Hawaii and heading to California, Lukas Nelson found himself living out of his car, playing music just for a place to sleep. Thankfully, his living conditions and musical aspirations…
Formed by twin brothers John and Chuck Panozzo way back in 1961, The Trade Winds were just another bar band from Chicago. Changing the name to Styx helped their fortunes somewhat, but it wasn’t until Tommy Shaw joined in 1975 that things really started to happen. After that, Styx started…
Sluggish after a night spent driving from Portland, Oregon, to Oakland, California, Starfucker’s lead singer, Josh Hodges, was still happy to talk about his electro-dance trio’s unique vision and provocative moniker, one that’s gone through quite a few changes in just the last year. “The name didn’t come from that…
Arlington trio Flatworld recently hit the studio, and the result of those sessions is Ether Sunday, a 14-song full-length that features a wild mix of punk, garage rock and folk. In anticipation of Flatworld’s headlining gig this Saturday night at the Prophet Bar, the band was kind enough to offer…
Even Cameras Lie CD Release The Door Saturday, January 7 Better than: Hanging out with my own dysfunctional brood over the holidays. It was easy to spot who belonged and who didn’t belong at Saturday night’s Even Cameras Lie CD release show. Stashed in a back corner of The Door…
With his 56th birthday quickly approaching, one might think Robert Earl Keen would be happy to just coast along on two decades of music. Yet his most recent effort, Ready for Confetti, has garnered some of the best reviews since 1994’s Gringo’s Honeymoon, something he attributes to a newfound confidence…
The actual artistry of the album cover has been making a comeback. Of course, over the years, the cheesy head shot has gradually (for the most part) faded away and been replaced by, well, art. Go figure. Anyhow, 2011 was a particularly good year for the album cover. Well, there…
Bob Seger, Rosehill American Airlines Center Saturday, December 17, 2011 Better than: Watching the 50-year-old woman a few rows in front of me show off her boobs. In front of a packed audience at the AAC Saturday night, legendary rocker Bob Seger, looking fit and trim, put on a fiery…
Singer/songwriter Charlie Mars has had an interesting life. Born and raised in Mississippi, Mars actually plied his craft in Dallas for a few years in the ’90s. Some heavy duty partying landed him in rehab a few years after that and those internal demons forced Mars to retreat to an…
Known as the bellowing frontman for alternative metal band Staind, Aaron Lewis shocked many when he released the Town Line EP earlier this year. Not only did it feature Lewis singing a collection of country-influenced songs, but the singer was insistent the project was not a one-shot endeavor. Fans of…
Since 1967, some form of the band Chicago has been a part of the American musical experience. Formed as a jazz-influenced jam band, the early incarnation of Chicago bore little resemblance to the pop hit-making machine the band would become in the late ’70s and early ’80s. When singer/bassist Peter…
For over a decade, Dustin Blocker has led some form of Exit 380, one of the most intriguing local bands. When they first started, Exit 380 was more of a conventional alt-rock act, playing songs that mixed a rural influence into a muscular Stone Temple Pilots vibe. But Blocker has…
In the end, it’s nearly always about the money. Just ask David Yow, singer for Austin’s legendary ’80s noise rockers Scratch Acid. “We got back together to play this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Music Festival in Britain,” Yow says from his home in Los Angeles. “They pay ridiculous money, so…
The Dallas-Fort Worth area always seems to have an inexhaustible supply of country and alt-country singer/songwriters. Some, like the vastly overrated Pat Green, find their niche hamming it up with the frat-boy crowd and singing about every cliché in the book. Others, like Dallas’ Brandin Reed, stick with sincerity and…
The Fallen Stars are an Americana outfit out of Orange County, California that features the talents of husband and wife team Bobbo and Tracy Byrnes. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, the pair decided to head to warmer climes in 2000. The Byrnes decided to expand from a duo and soon various…
John Waite, Malea McGuinness The Glass Cactus Nightclub December 2, 2011 Better than: Paying for a table at some douche-filled nightclub. Oh wait, that’s what I was asked to do. First off, I have to say that John Waite, former frontman for The Babys and Bad English, still puts on…
