Gig Alert: Clutch and Baroness Tonight at House of Blues

Ever since Faith No More went platinum with “Epic” way back in 1989, there has always seemed to be a spot in the marketplace for industrial strength metal/funk. Korn certainly took the sound to new heights of popularity and the genre proved financially viable enough for lesser-known bands to carve…

(Free) Gig Alert: Manya Tonight at Café Rembrandt

Besides fronting the soft-rock ensemble Blue Petal and the poppier Morning Elephant, Russian-born Dallasite Manya Repnikova (see right) also leads a band named after, well, herself. Hard to see (or hear) much difference between Blue Petal and Manya, though, especially since guitarist Pete Anderson (not the famous country producer) is…

Bonus MP3: Douglas Woodlane – “Broken Blue”

Besides his involvement in the alt-country combo Bluetortillas, local singer/songwriter Douglas Woodlane has found time to record a couple of solo efforts, the most recent being Douglas Woodlane and the Thieves. The very Neil Youngish opening cut is “Broken Blue” and Woodlane was kind enough to send this over as…

Gig Alert: Les Cousins Tonight at The Absinthe Lounge

Anyone remember Mazzy Star? Or, before that, Opal? The late ’80s and early ’90s seemed like a good time for purveyors of dreamy, psychedelic pop. One could do much worse than checking into Opal’s 1985 Northern Line EP–hell, the Old 97’s covered the title song on an early b-side.Dallas’ own…

Ten Things I Learned At This Year’s Vans Warped Tour

1. God damn, Texas is hot in July.Even with cloud cover and a bit of a sprinkle, walking around Superpages.com Center on Sunday was like strolling with Dante through Hell. Outdoor festivals in the middle of summer just don’t seem like the brightest of ideas.2. Bikini tops should only be…

Bonus MP3: Fate Lions — “Astronaut”

Local combo Fate Lions has been around since 2007 in various incarnations, evolving from a rather pedestrian alt-country outfit to far more pleasing new wave/pop unit. Led by songwriter and front man Jason Manriquez, the band has solidified enough to record a full-length debut, Good Enough For You, which hits…

Does Amarillo Have Better Radio Than Dallas?

Making my way back to Big D after a week spent camping in Utah and Arizona, I stumbled upon KWTS 91.1 FM out of Amarillo. Broadcasting from the West Texas A&M University campus, this little oasis of deep indie rock kept me locked in until the signal finally diminished just…

Paul van Dyk Is On A Mission

Million-selling DJ and renowned remixer Paul van Dyk doesn’t ask for much. On tour, van Dyk brings his own computers and various paraphernalia in order to recreate his dense and danceable compositions in front of a sweaty crowd. All van Dyk wants, really, is a sound engineer who knows his/her…

Brave Combo Celebrates 30 years of Rockin’ Polka

Even after 30 years as the leader of legendary area polka act Brave Combo, Carl Finch sounds like he’s just getting started. “Every year, there seems to be some kind of new carrot dangling in front of this band,” Finch says from his home in Denton. “Some sort of new…

Super Cool Music-Related Father’s Day Gift Ideas, Guys!

You want to show your dad you really love him? Well, stop being a cheap ass and buying those lame hallmark cards. Get your dad a gift that makes up–at least a little–for all the shit you gave the old guy. Here are some music-related gift ideas that are guaranteed…

30 Years In, Meat Puppets Are Still Going

From his home in Austin, Curt Kirkwood, founding member of legendary indie rock band The Meat Puppets, sounds mellow and contented, a far cry from when he was leading his band through its tumultuous days in the ’80s and ’90s. Even though he’s getting ready to tour with a recent…

Gig Alert: The Veronicas Tonight at House of Blues

Although yours truly will not be in attendance, folks with actual fashion sense and a modicum of coolness will certainly be spending this evening’s show at the House of Blues.That’s because Australia’s The Veronicas will be on stage, dispensing their ultra-suave brand of electro-pop while wearing the high-dollar attire that…

Last Night: David Byrne at the Majestic Theatre

David ByrneJune 14, 2009Majestic TheaterBetter than: just about anything else happening on a Sunday night. Dressed in all white, like some kind of angelic delivery boy, legendary indie rock icon David Byrne thrilled a packed house at the Majestic Theatre with two hours of angular pop/funk that was downright inflammable…

Good Friday: Peaches, Viva Voce, Malford Milligan, David Byrne, International Waters, Oliver’s Army, Airline, Jonathan Byrd, The Phuss, Gaelic Storm, Todd Sarvies

This particular weekend offers an interesting mix of local and national talents, many of which are playing unheralded venues scattered about the Metroplex. The mix of genres represented in our area in the coming days is quite remarkable.First off the shows that were already covered in print or online. Tonight’s…

Last Night: Regional Air Guitar Championship at The Loft

Air Guitar Regional ChampionshipJune 11, 2009The LoftBetter than: sitting at home praying it doesn’t rain anymore. Plenty more photos in our slideshow.Though it was brutally long at nearly five hours, last night’s Regional Air Guitar Championship was nonetheless a fascinating sociological experiment. The evening at The Loft started off inauspiciously…

A Case For Air Guitar

Like many before him, Jeff Morrison lives out his rock star fantasies in the privacy of his own home, playing with an imaginary guitar while pretending to be Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton or just about any other guitar hero. Unlike most, however, Morrison doesn’t worry about what his friends think—and…

David Byrne

From his time leading the seminal new wave band the Talking Heads to his mercurial and oftentimes fascinating solo career, David Byrne has always done things his own way. And for the better part of 40 years now, he’s ingrained himself into the fabric of indie and experimental music, creating…