Chris Knight, Justin Townes Earle

As if being the son of legendary alt-country godfather Steve Earle wasn’t pressure enough, young singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle also bears the name of the late, great Townes Van Zandt. Incredibly, the younger Earle takes it all in stride: “I’ve seen both my dad and Townes passed out in a…

Bonus MP3: Power Trip – “Armageddon Blues”

Local punk/metal outfit Power Trip recently released its debut EP, a resounding roar of a record called Armageddon Blues. The band formed a couple of years ago and recorded a couple of demo sessions before getting serious with the new EP, which finds the youthful quintet channeling cool ’80s punk…

Gig Alert: Shinyribs Tonight at All Good Café

Update at 3:53 p.m.: Bad news, folks. As AllGood owner Mike Snider explains in the comments, the gig’s been canceled because of the weather.It may sound like a barbecue delicacy, but, turns out, Shinyribs is actually the side project of The Gourds frontman Kevin Russell. Seems Russell’s giant stockpile of…

For Exene Cervenka, X No Longer Marks The Spot

For someone with a history of depression, Exene Cervenka sounds positively bubbly. And why shouldn’t she? Currently on tour supporting her terrific new solo effort, Somewhere Gone, the frontwoman for legendary Los Angeles punk rock band X is receiving the best critical reception of her lengthy career. Having blazed a…

The Residents

Nowhere in music will one find a band as artfully odd as The Residents. Hailing from San Francisco (by way of Louisiana) and cloaked in anonymity, the band has produced a massive number of avant-garde recordings dating back to the late 1960s. Primarily known for such ’70s masterworks as Eskimo,…

Bonus MP3: Exit 380 – “Street Trash View”

The last crop we heard from Denton alternative rock band Exit 380 was the 2008 album Mr. and Mrs, Alexander Stone, a perplexing but ultimately satisfying concept record that even earned the band some hardware in the Fort Worth Weekly music awards.For its follow-up, the four-piece led by intense front…

Last Night: Everclear at House of Blues

Everclear, Clayton Senne, Oso ClosoHouse of BluesJanuary 2, 2009 (Barely) better than: Staying home and listening to my “best of” Everclear CD A surprisingly large and diverse crowd assembled at the House of Blues last night to catch ’90s alt-rock icons Everclear at the House of Blues. Actually, the band…

Gig Alert: Everclear at The House of Blues Tonight

Way back in 1995, Everclear’s “Santa Monica” (off the album Sparkle and Fade) was one of the best songs on the radio. And, although often unfairly accused of being Nirvana-lite, Art Alexakis and his revolving cast of backup musicians were capable of channeling a lot more than grunge into their…

Gig Alert: Brittany Shane Tonight at The Lounge on Elm Street

Out on her very first nationwide tour, San Francisco’s Brittany Shane is innocence personified–and her recently released third effort, Have Heart Live Young, is as optimistic and peppy a collection of folk pop as one is ever likely to hear. But Shane’s music is only part of the story: The…

Gig Alert: The Black River Belles Tonight at Opening Bell Coffee

If you’re not heading to Allen to catch Lil Wayne or headed to tonight’s sweet, all-local neo-folk (and free) show at Trees or watching Texas beat Alabama in the BCS title game tonight, you might think about braving the frigid temperatures and heading down to Opening Bell Coffee and catching…

Bonus MP3: Automorrow — “Get Your Own Friends”

Local punk/alternative/reggae/electronica band Automorrow has a new single about to hit the streets, and guitarist Michael DuFault was kind enough to offer a sneak preview of the song for the loyal readers of DC9. It’s called “Get Your Own Friends,” and it’s not a bad little ditty if you ask…

Want Nicholas Altobelli To Give You Some Free Music? Send Him An Email.

Local alt-country singer-songwriter Nicholas Altobelli has just completed work on The Regulator, his third effort, due out in April of next year. Besides finishing off the new album, though, Altobelli’s been busy scheduling shows and other appearances throughout January to help promote the release. Beyond a slew of shows around…

Listonmania: Best Christmas CDs 2009 Edition

If you’re looking for some yuletide music to play at your Christmas parties this year, you still have time to run out to your local CD store and search out some of the real holiday-themed gems that came out this year.Before we get into our recommendations on how to add…