Rapper POS, of Minneapolis’ Doomtree collective, has one of the most interesting bios in hip-hop. He started in the punk scene as a guitarist and singer, initially hating but eventually accepting hip-hop as an art form. He still straddles the line between the two worlds, using electric guitars and hard-hitting…
Post-apocalyptic wastelands generally make exciting, compelling settings for movies and books. From the action heroism of Road Warrior to the heart-wrenching examination of loyalty, love and survival in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the destruction of society as we know it will probably be a recurring theme in literature and film…
On paper, it reads like another dismissible synth-wielding ’80s rehash. Dallas already has plenty of bands like that. There’s a slight variation in this case, as dapper frontman J. Quincy Romine is channeling David Bowie rather than Ian Curtis, and it’s not as if there was a dearth of Bowie…
Tilly and the Wall’s members have always mined childhood and adolescence for inspiration, as evidenced by the youthful exuberance of the band’s live shows and the hormonal, emotional turbulence documented in its lyrics. In fact, Tilly’s 2004 debut LP was fittingly titled Wild Like Children, and the band even takes…
With a cast that includes people and plush puppets, Casa Mañana’s upcoming production, the 2004 Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, is obviously inspired by Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Promotional material for the show warns that the show “may not be suitable for all audiences” due to “adult humor,…
This debut from Cleburne rapper Scott “the only cracker better than Ritz” Johnson showcases the work of a skilled lyricist, but its bloated 23 tracks (intro, outro, tiresome skits, plus a hidden track) will give your stereo’s “next” button a workout. Kicking off the disc is the chorus-free “The Truth,”…
As a kid, I figured I’d be rich by now from selling my baseball card collection or my old Star Wars toys. Somehow it never occurred to me that there were 10 million other kids with the exact same idea. Nor did I think to put any effort toward preserving…
New Science Projects consists of Dale Jones screaming, singing, moaning, ranting and screaming some more while slashing away at a buzzing resonator guitar, occasionally adding a drum loop or electronic noise, or ditching musical accompaniment altogether to growl a cappella. The raucous blues- and rock-influenced folk is recorded so hot…
Even if you don’t own a single Tom Waits album, you know his immediately recognizable voice, the result of vocal cords made from 40-grit sandpaper soaked in bourbon and cured with cigarette smoke. You know his distinctive flat-fingered piano banging and the clamorous junkyard racket his band makes. You know…
For independent filmmakers, creating a movie is truly a labor of love. Aspiring directors often exhaust their savings and devote countless hours of work to turn an artistic vision from idea to a movie. After that, would you want to subject your cinematic masterpiece to the judgment of a raucous…
In Bretton B. Holmes’ new play, cows are quarantined to prevent an attack on what the government has determined will be the terrorists’ most likely next target: our meat supply. I’d be on board with that move. I never felt safe flying even before 9/11, so all the security measures…
Sarah Bird, author of chick-lit classics Virgin of the Rodeo, The Boyfriend School, Alamo House and The Flamenco Academy, is getting all, like, symbolic or something with her new novel, How Perfect Is That. Marketed as an old-fashioned morality tale, it traces the fall of Blythe Young, an Austin wannabe…
The RZA is, of course, best-known for his innovative production work, primarily for the Wu-Tang Clan but also for his soundtrack work for Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino and his production for artists like Dr. Dre and MF Doom. His minimalist production—often just a simple drumbeat, a few creepy piano…
Whiskey Folk Ramblers have injected traditional country, pop music’s oldest and most distinctly American genre, with a shot of youthful energy and Old World instrumentation. Their arrangement of “Die Easy” is a perfect summation of the band’s approach. It’s a traditional folk song, and they start it out traditionally enough,…
What makes a Texas romance different from any other romance? Old-fashioned values, cultural ignorance and other Lone Star stereotypes. A Texas Romance concerns a widow courted by a younger man. Her sister (who calls the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald “dirty books”) considers the romance inappropriate. I bet the sisters…
Oxford, Mississippi’s John Barrett has one-upped The Black Keys and The White Stripes by stripping his blues-garage rock band down to a single member. Or is that one-downed? Either way, in Barrett’s case, the rudimentary percussion complements his rawboned songs. He sings and plays grimy blues licks along with whatever…
“Experimental” is a frequently misapplied term when it comes to music. But when it comes to Zanzibar Snails—the brainchild of former Dallas Observer freelancer Michael Chamy on shortwave, oscillators and generators and guitarist Nevada Hill—there’s hardly a more fitting word. Their performances are improvised, combining elements as earthy and familiar…
Will Johnson’s been thinking a lot about duality. That might seem obvious for a couple of reasons. Johnson’s two primary musical projects, Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, are about to release a split double album that even has the word “dual” in its title. Each of his bands represents an…
The Texas/Mexico border is a geologically and culturally diverse area inhabited by “ambiente fronterizo,” people who have combined the two country’s cultural ideas. Border Studies documents these people and the terrain of the border through historical maps and photographs. Unfotunately, photos might soon be the only way to see this…
University of Texas psychology professor Sam Gosling wrote about the revolutionary idea that you can tell things about people by the things they keep. Oh really, professor? So you’re saying that by examining his girly posters and fraternity paraphernalia, I could have deduced that my college roommate was a douchebag?…
Song titles like “When Christmas Was Only A Little Depressing” and “I Don’t Want Your Stupid Salad” tell you pretty much all you need to know in deciding whether Boogdish is up your alley or not. Depending on your mood, a one-man punk band playing poppy guitar riffs and screaming…
Artist Joshua Goode’s current exhibit, Lake of Fire, is billed as “documentation of the artist’s search for spiritual truth, inspired by places of thoughtful reflection and solitude such as the Rothko Chapel and the grand cathedrals in Europe.” Interesting that this introspective exploration of faith is named for the afterlife…
