While it has become beyond comical to see everything from mayonnaise to nail polish marketed as “extreme,” there are some realms in which the youth-magnet buzz word is still appropriate, even a bit understated. Motocross is certainly one of those worlds where to be simply extreme is almost to be…
Michigan’s Breathe Owl Breathe knows how to make young parents rather happy. Their latest offering is an imaginative and heartwarming 7-inch/children’s book combo, The Listeners/ These Train Tracks. (Personal aside: I’m a father of a 4 year old, and I’ve put in way too much time singing to Wonder Pets…
This Saturday at the Granada Theater, one of the best Texas oddball pop shows of the year takes place, featuring Austin’s The Octopus Project, Houston’s Wild Moccasins and locals Mystery Skulls. Recent New West Records signees Wild Moccasins are nearing the re-release of their shimmering, catchy-as-all-get-out LP, Skin Collision Past…
In 2008, influential Canadian heavy metal forerunners Anvil finally tasted the fame that had eluded them for decades, thanks to the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Instead of becoming novelty stars who had a heart-warming yet heart-wrenching movie to their name (like the stars of The King of Kong),…
Efrim Menuck of Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra has a simple request of music fans and writers alike: Become engaged and find your own voice. The Canadian native, who’s also in the process of reigniting his seminal band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, cuts a definitive path to what society…
Lead Lemonhead Evan Dando has no problems performing under the name of the band that made him an indie-rock hero. “I love the liquid aspect. It keeps it fresh,” he says. Keeping the sounds of his past vibrant seems to be the order of the day: The current version of…
Going to see a concert at the Granada Theater is a fine way to spend an evening. But, there are plenty of folks who remember that, before the proliferation of movie grills and theaters with full bars, the Granada was the one place where one could have a pitcher of…
Boats are fun. For the friend of the boat owner, that is. The friend just shows up, puts a can of Bud Light Lime in a koozie, then himself into a life jacket , and enjoys avoiding the onset of skin cancer for a couple of hours. As the sun…
Dallas’ most high-profile new resident, Khloe Kardashian, has seemingly had it with simply being your typical reality television star athlete’s WAG. Her move to the Big D, precipitated by her hubby’s reportedly heart-breaking trade from the Los Angeles Kobes to The Dallas Dirks, is finally about to provide the questionable…
For those who think they’ve experienced a downright dirty electric blues show, but haven’t managed to catch a set from Scott Biram, you haven’t gotten electro-nasty just yet. The Austin resident recently released Bad Ingredients on the dependably great Bloodshot label, and while the record is another fine example in…
As leader of The Hold Steady, Craig Finn has never been at a loss to find ways to pepper his musical odes to youthful indiscretions and offbeat characters with a dose of lyrical holy water. Not that Finn has used his tunes as a pulpit to preach; he’s merely employed…
KNON’s tagline, “Voice of the People,” is fitting not only because the publicly funded station has been a mainstay of the Dallas landscape for almost 30 years, but also in the choice of music for this 13th annual benefit concert. In Texas, we have our own inflection when it comes…
Nashville’s The Features may have a couple of marks against them in the eyes of elitist hipsters who don’t like to let actual facts get in the way of a too-cool-for-school argument. It’s true, the no longer en vogue Kings of Leon, themselves fellow Tennesseans, have lent a helping hand…
Loretta Lynn keeps it rather simple when summing her progression from childhood cabin in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to the illustrious Winspear Opera House, where she performs Sunday night. “It really has been an interesting journey. It’s a hard story to believe, but it really is interesting.” Recently removed from not…
For all of the praise and fond memories of fans heaped upon the early stages of Martin Short’s legendary career in comedy, the recent past is as compelling a study in his overall talents as any period of time. The last few years have witnessed the diminutive Canadian explore the…
As I was standing in the photo pit of the Murder City Devils’ stage the Friday evening of Fun Fun Fun Fest, a band started playing on the other side of the large, divided stage. I couldn’t see them, as I was 40 yards to the band’s right, literally with…
Magnolia, Texas’ Folk Family Revival are yet another example of a young band making their mark in the world of Red Dirt by leaning on a rootsier vibe than many of the current regional chart-toppers.The fact that a young band can produce a mature album like last year’s Unfolding their…
Games of chance and great causes go together as well as burgers and Sharpie pens at Adair’s Saloon. Sure, one could roll the dice an hour north of Dallas in hope of supporting the cause of their bank account in a casino. But that gambler has to deal with the…
While the demo tape-carrying waiters and baristas of Nashville fantasize about hitting it big as a session player, songwriter or performer, Darrell Scott has been a key figure in each of those realms for some time now. After getting noticed for his solo albums, Scott had a fortuitous streak of…
As Deep Ellum regains its footing, one of the bands that gave the district its funky vibe in the ’90s is doing the same. Fever in the Funkhouse brought an eclectic sonic mix and legions of fans to each gig back in those golden days. Now, they’re hoping to bring…
Beth Hart understands the hand she’s currently playing consists of the cards she’s dealt to herself. After winning some cash on a latter-day version of Star Search in the ’90s, the Los Angeles resident tasted fame after her 2000 hit, “L.A. Song (Out of This Town),” found its way onto…
The rivalry between the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings isn’t quite as tense or meaningful as it was when the sweaters with the grand names of Yzerman, Belfour, Federov and Hatcher were skating around the rink, battling for Western Conference supremacy in the late 1990s and into the new…
