For nearly a decade, Alpha Rev has been one of Austin’s most dependable alternative rock outfits. Surprisingly, in that time, the band has only released four albums, culminating in the recently released Bloom. However, the dedication to song writing and presentation of epic themes does suggest a band that likes…
Doing your first national tour can be tough. Just ask Shana Cleveland, leader of the retro-surf rock band La Luz. While driving from the band’s hometown of Seattle to San Diego, the AC in the tour van stopped working. No problem, claims Cleveland. After getting the AC fixed, the band…
The 4th of July is one of the best holidays because it appeals to both patriots and pyromaniacs. It’s a time for eating too much and spending way too much on fireworks. We at DC-9 felt it was our obligation to give you a playlist for your barbecues and parades…
Seeing that Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson hit the Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie this evening, we thought it would be a good time to compile a list of the scariest acts in music. Scary can be a relative term. One person’s demented can be another’s delightful, but each of…
When Soundgarden first emerged from the grunge scene way back in 1984, they were the odd stepbrother to the Nirvana/Pearl Jam dynamic duo. Chris Cornell and crew had neither Nirvana’s crude power nor Pearl Jam’s over earnest muse. Instead, Soundgarden were the muscle-headed stoners who knew every Led Zepplin and…
Seeing that a form of Black Flag is touring right now (and playing Trees on Friday), we thought it a good time to investigate American hardcore punk rock. For all practical purposes, the beginning of hardcore in the states happened in the early 80’s. While many hardcore acts were inspired…
Way back in 1965, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and some hippie poet named Jim Morrison formed The Doors. The Doors would go on to become one of the most popular and iconic bands of the 60’s. Mazarek’s keyboard playing was a large part of what distinguished The Doors in the first…
With D.R.I. coming to Trees last night, we at DC9 thought it might be opportune to look at some of the legendary punk bands that have claimed Texas as their home. These days, D.R.I. is better known as a metal act, but when they began life way back in 1982,…
Update: This show has been cancelled due to illness. The band promises another Dallas date this year. The enemy is everywhere. Original post follows… Titus Andronicus takes its name from a Shakespeare play — fitting, given the theatrics of leader Patrick Stickles and his band. From a practice space in…
Decked out in a Mr. Spock costume complete with pointy ears, Dale Jones sits in a vegan restaurant in Oak Cliff and expresses concern about not being accepted by the Dallas music scene. “A lot of people in Dallas don’t like my music,” says the leader of New Science Projects,…
Jay Farrar smiled. I’m not joking; he really did. In the middle of Son Volt’s remarkably engaging performance Saturday night at the Sons of Hermann Hall, the notoriously impassive Farrar grinned like a kid getting his first kiss. And why shouldn’t Farrar smile? Honky Tonk, the recent effort from Son…
Whether solo or in Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt, singer/songwriter Jay Farrar has created a canon of alt-country and Americana music that may be unrivaled. Brooding and intense, Farrar’s songs chronicle the darker side of human emotions and like his songs, Farrar isn’t the most upbeat guy on the block…
With Jay Farrar and Son Volt playing at the Sons of Hermann Hall this weekend, it seems a good time to evaluate the entire Alt-country semi-movement. For all practical matters, Alt-country began with Uncle Tupelo’s album No Depression in 1990. Shortly thereafter, the magazine of the same name was published…
Next month, Yngwie Malmsteen will be at the Granada Theater, the same venue where Richard Thompson played Saturday night. And while both men are celebrated for their instrumental prowess, Thompson is more than just a fantastic guitarist — much more. In front of a sold out and very appreciative audience,…
Besides being a stellar guitarist, Richard Thompson is a superb songwriter and one hell of a witty dude. Over the course of four decades, Thompson has evolved from an above average, British folk rocker to a legendary guitarist plying his craft across several genres. Speaking from a tour stop in…
Back in the mid ’80s, you couldn’t find a more fun experience than catching Southern Culture on the Skids. Rick Miller’s psychobilly/surf rock creation could turn even the most modest of crowds into a seething, food throwing collection of fools that seemed to feed on the music’s trailer park charm…
When Soul Asylum hit it big with 1993’s “Runaway Train,” the band itself may have been as surprised as anyone. This natty little punk band from Minneapolis was now playing arenas and enjoying all the accoutrements that go along with such success. Problem was Soul Asylum were never really cut…
If known only for being a member of The Buggles, keyboardist Geoff Downes would still have a place in rock history. “Video Killed The Radio Star” was the first video played on MTV way back in 1981. But Downes’ greater commercial success came as a member of Asia and Yes…
Greg Richling, bassist for The Wallflowers, was pretty happy when Jacob Dylan called him and decided to get The Wallflowers back together in 2011. It had been over six years since the band had recorded and Dylan’s solo career had brought him some of the best accolades of his career…
Hard to believe that it’s been over three decades since John Flansburgh and John Linnell first started playing music as They Might Be Giants. What started as two nerds and a drum machine has slowly evolved into a multi-media company with two distinct divisions: indie rock and children’s music. Speaking…
For drummer John Moloney, joining Chelsea Light Moving was a dream come true. He had already been a backup musician on a couple of solo efforts from Thurston Moore; and when the legendary guitarist from Sonic Youth asked Moloney to be involved with a new band, the drummer never hesitated…
Unsatisfied with simply recording in a top-notch studio in Copenhagen, the members of Efterklang decided to head to the Arctic island of Piramida to create their album of the same name. Using the desolate climate as inspiration, the band used field recordings as the basis for each track. These dudes…
