I first saw Purity Ring in 2011. Outdoors on a small stage for a 30-minute set was hardly the perfect set-up to see their particular brand of electronic pop, but woo they did it. Their music, a seductive blend of melody and backbeat, sounded new in the best way possible…
The walk up to It’ll Do is always a part of the experience. Events like Red Bull Thre3Style Dallas Qualifier fill up quickly; Friday found the club at capacity by 9:45 p.m. Which means the nearby parking is gone, at 11:00 the valets won’t consider a bribe and you are…
Some called Cat Power’s return to the scene in 2012 a comeback. And it made some sense: As some fans grew tired of the public meltdowns and inconsistent live performances, there was a collective agreement that the larger Chan Marshall narrative was a tale of a tormented, if talented songwriter…
After posting a single song, “Ungirthed,” to a rather spare Tumblr, Canadian duo Purity Ring took the pop and electronic music world by fire. Buzz from festival performances grew to a hum as anticipation grew for their full-length debut, Shrines. It has been called many things: witch-house, future-pop and doom-step…
DJs are no longer the music geeks they used to be. Now, they are front and center and depended on, not just to speak the language of the party but to create the conversation itself. This Friday, the Red Bull Thre3style Sub Regional Qualifying competition will kick things off in…
The invitation said the party would be at The Old Bike Shop off Empire Central, which meant that all the Dallas kids would have to leave their bubble for a night if they wanted to see what Warby Parker and House of Plates had up their sleeves. Warby Parker, a…
The last month in music news has been a bit of a time machine, with the likes of David Bowie, Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake promising to dominate the music universe in 2013. Even without a single, you could sense the collective yearning building up across the Internet in reaction…
I know you are tired of the year-end lists, the resolutions. The time for wishing is over, and the time for doing has begun. By now you have probably been forwarded or seen some of the observant commentary on The Paris Review’s recent piece, “Dallas, Part 1: From Afar,” by…
The holidays are over, and it’s nearly time shut down all the Christmas caroling, save for local outfit Bethan. “O Holy Night,” from their rather haunting EP of reworked Christmas hymns, found a home on WBEZ’s This American Life last Friday. The show features stories of families and loved ones…
Resolutions. I have only ever kept one. Still, the year’s end is a moment to take inventory of what I want less or more of, and it’s hard not to get swept up in the promise-keeping to our newer, shinier, skinnier, well-read selves. I will get eight hours of sleep…
OK, it’s almost here. Time to slip into that annual existential crisis and wonder just WHERE IS YOUR LIFE GOING? Look, there is no real answer to that question. Also, you can totally contribute to where your life is going. But before we swim through the waters of your put-off…
I used to have a neighbor who would refer to me as Night Queen. Sitting outside on a shared porch area, he’d see me arrive home after work, settle into my place for dinner or some such activity, and emerge hours later to go see what everyone was up to…
Here we are. Halfway through December. Are you doing okay? Are you sick to death of the Christmas carols yet? I still haven’t gotten to do one of those gift exchanges where you get to steal your favorite gift; I think I am going to hold on to my holiday…
Naughty or nice, it’s time to finalize our Christmas wishes and overnight them to Santa, for those (like me) who have procrastinated. With the recent announcement that Neiman Marcus is allowing adults to crawl through those magical interactive holiday windows on Thursday evenings, for a $20 suggested donation to the…
Roughly two years of buzz later, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, also known as Odd Future, are finally making a non-SXSW Texas appearance. Collective members Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt have certainly enjoyed continued success, with co-founder Tyler, the Creator representing on plenty of guest verses and generally…
It’s December, and the world may be ending soon. The sparkly silver lining: we get to see Dallas dressed up in her holiday finest one last time before surrendering to the ever-reliable Mayan calendar. This weekend, the stars aligned to kick off this festive season in style. Friday, the Gallery…
I will tune in to almost any television show, no matter how terrible or how outside of my interests, if it has something to do with Dallas. Usually this means production is set here and I can spend the hour going, “Hey, they are in downtown!” Or, “That’s not Dallas,…
When you get a call from Blake Ward, notorious for his Glamorama party at Beauty Bar, kindly calling you a tastemaker and asking you to do a guest hour on the decks at The Dram, you smile, agree and then panic about what hour of music you are going to…
Dallas’ Rob Viktum has made beats for artists like Brother Ali, and is a standing member of 1200 Hobos, as well as Beat Fanatic, a collective of producers that includes Illmind and the celebrated Symbolyc One. Of late, you may know him for keeping your neck bobbing at one of…
As a teenager, I remember eating breakfast at a friend’s home after spending the night. We were all gathered, about to take some little sister types get their photo taken with Santa Claus. My friend’s grandmother used to be a shop girl at Neiman Marcus, and told us stories of…
Lights All Night’s a-coming, and this year’s event, which moves to Fair Park, will feature artists like Calvin Harris and Diplo. While the dancing will surely know no bounds, it’s hardly the intimate experience of witnessing some of these folks work their magic in a club. Here is where Rio…
Best Album Best Solo Act Best Female Vocalist The Body Wins, Sarah Jaffe Sarah Jaffe continues to be on the lips of North Texas music lovers in 2012, with her second LP, The Body Wins, revealing a tougher, darker side to longtime fans, and certainly gaining some new ones in…
