Seemingly out of nowhere comes this rock-solid EP from Power Trip, a relatively new quintet of disgruntled youth. By channeling old-school punk and metal influences into its riff-laden roar, Power Trip achieves a remarkable balance of chaos and actual melody on this release, called Armageddon Blues. Led by vocalist Riley…
Denton’s Exit 380 is an alternative rock group that, turns out, isn’t as schizophrenic as it may first appear. The band’s last effort, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Stone, flirted with a vague alt-country notion, and while Exit 380 is certainly capable of a variety of (disparate) styles, the energetic quintet…
Austin-based country-rock band Reckless Kelly has been around for more than a decade and, in that time, Willy Braun and his band have made major inroads on both the alternative and mainstream country scenes. Like Steve Earle before it, Reckless Kelly straddles the line between country and rock, creating riff-laden…
Feeling like a little mellow, acoustic tunage before the assault of NX35 and SXSW? Opening Bell Coffee offers up a nice bill of singer/songwriters this evening with Kevin So and Emily White.Hailing out of Boston, So actually toured the country in a cover band that would later see some of…
For over 12 years, Sound Tribe Sector Nine (or STS9 as the band is commonly referred to by fans) has been criss-crossing the country, dispensing its technically impressive, instrumental blend of funk, jazz, hip-hop and psychedelic rock. While building a strong fan base, the band has also involved itself in…
Portugal. The Man, Port O’BrienCambridge RoomMarch 3, 2010 Better than: any Wednesday evening of music I’ve had in a long time There was definitely something in the air last night at the House of Blues’ Cambridge Room. And yes, it was something other than the pot smoke.Walking up to the…
Although I’ll be attending the Portugal. The Man concert in the same building tonight (in the Cambridge Room), those looking for a more earnest style of indie rock might want to check out State Radio, who will be playing this evening in the big room at the House of Blues.The…
This here post is the latest edition in our recurring feature that takes a look at what outside musicians think about the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each week or so, we’ll present a conversation with a touring act, and conclude it with a quick word-association game focusing on certain aspects of…
Dropkick Murphys has been doing its jig-infused version of punk rock for nearly 15 years now. And, in that time, the band has seen its fan base expand greatly as its sound grew more and more Irish-inspired. Known for its beer-soaked live performances, the band is about to release its…
Dessa was once known as one Margret Wander, a philosophy major and technical writer from Minneapolis. But after joining the campus slam poetry team, Wander evolved into hip-hop diva Dessa and quickly gained the attention of her hometown’s music collective known as Doomtree. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Dessa’s…
Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin are identical twin sisters that just happen to front the Canadian indie pop quartet known as Tegan & Sara. For more than a decade, the Quin sisters have released six albums of indie pop that have received critical kudos as the band has…
Zachary Carothers, bassist for the experimental rock band Portugal. The Man, knows that his band has a new album coming out soon. And he’s very excited about the record. He’s just not exactly sure of the release date. “It’s coming out late March—I’m pretty sure,” says Carothers, sounding a bit…
Brooke Webb, artistic director for the pop culture phenomenon known as Cirque du Soleil, wants fans of the performance art extravaganza to come for the music as well as the acrobatics as the outfit’s touring show, Alegria, launches its run at Frisco’s Dr Pepper Arena this evening.”The music is the…
Fans of slow-motion head-banging should make their way north on I-35E this evening to catch Vaste Burai and Jucifer at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio.Comprised of the husband-wife team of Amber Valentine and Edgar Livengood, Jucifer has been making its version of sludge metal for over 15 years. Over that time,…
Ebbot Lundberg, the rotund and intense front man for Sweden’s The Soundtrack to Our Lives, had just landed in D.C. a couple of hours before giving me a few minutes of his time. Perhaps suffering from a bit of jet lag, but Lundberg sounded like a guy happy to be…
Besides being ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Guitarists of All Time list, Warren Haynes is also one bad mother on stage.But, off stage, the Allman Brothers/Gov’t Mule guitarist turned out to be a pretty affable guy who spoke quite eloquently about a number of subjects–beginning with what he thinks…
Two giants of country music converge on Cowtown tonight as Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson play the prestigious Bass Hall. (Pardon that bout of excited alliteration.)Approaching his 73rd birthday, Haggard hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. Plus, he’s just one tough son of a bitch. Case in point: It…
The English Beat, Fishbone, Outlaw NationThe Granada TheaterFebruary 13, 2010Better than: Sitting at home watching the Winter Olympics with my wife and kids. An almost-packed house at the Granada Theater enjoyed nearly four hours of ska-related rhythms this past Saturday night as three fine acts made optimism the order of…
Even three decades after the fact, the music of The English Beat still retains the fresh edge that distinguished it back in 1978. Beginning with the “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Save it For Later” singles, The Beat (as it was then called and is still referred to in its…
San Antonio’s Rosie Flores makes a stop in our fair city this evening, bringing her brand of hardcore honky-tonk and rockabilly to the Double Wide. She’s been a fixture of the South Texas scene for decades, earning accolades in whatever city she decided to call home–hell, even the mayor of…
This here post is the first edition of what will be a weekly peek at what outside musicians think about the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each week, we’ll present a conversation with a touring act, and conclude it with a quick word-association game focusing on certain aspects of Big D and…
As if being Steve Earle’s son wasn’t difficult enough, Justin Townes Earle decided to follow his father’s footsteps into the difficult world of music. So far, though, the younger Earle has done just fine. In fact, Justin’s most recent record, Midnight at the Movies, may well be his best effort…
