Mumford & Sons, The Middle EastHouse of Blues’ Cambridge RoomJune 10, 2010Better than: being at the show that was taking place in the House of Blues’ main hall. The Wonder Girls? Really? Inside of the sold-out Cambridge Room at the House of Blues on Thursday night, there was little room…
Folk troubadour Josh Ritter isn’t all that concerned with baring his soul for all to see. He knows that sharing his personal thoughts on love isn’t a path toward writing a song that’s particularly memorable. “I’ve never been thrilled with the idea of someone reading my diary,” says the Idaho…
A plucky banjo and weary vocals does not a bluegrass or folk band make. And, sure, the predominantly string-based sound of English quartet Mumford & Sons makes it somewhat easy for the uninitiated to hastily lump them into simple folky groupings. But their bigger-than-the-Atlantic choruses and their ability to turn…
MGMT, Tame Impala House of BluesJune 8, 2010 Better than: Hearing these songs yet again in a movie trailer, commercial or clothing store. For anyone keeping track of MGMT these days, this most likely won’t come as a shock: The band’s sold-out show last night at the House of Blues…
With much of today’s musical landscape littered with pre-fab pop acts that are adept at costume changes and magazine cover shoots (if little else), it’s easy to understand that many folks are quick to embrace any artist or act that possesses even a slight resemblance to certain sounds of the…
For the past decade, few artists have become as synonymous with their instrument as has Robert Randolph with his blazing steel guitar. And, given his place on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time list, Randolph had quite the luxury in choosing from an elite list when it…
We’ve got quite a backlog of CDs we’ve never gotten around to, so we’re going to try to chip away at the pile with this regular feature. The plan: to take a few at a time and play each CD for as long as I can stand it.Los Lobos (Los…
When deciding what to name their trio, Warren Spicer, Matt Woodley and Nic Basque came up with a tag that they, at the time, felt was relatively innocuous and meaningless moniker as it pertained to their collective future. In short: Deciding on Plants & Animals wasn’t exactly an earth-shattering experience…
Seeing 40 concerts in 40 different cities over the course 40 consecutive nights. Sound cool? Sure does. While such a trip would be an unrealistic fantasy for most of us, former senior writer from Paste Magazine, Steve LaBate and his good friend, filmmaker Scott Sloan, decided that they would turn…
The Besnard Lakes, Woven Bones, Binary Sunrise Granada Theater May 20, 2010Better Than: Hanging anywhere near the pavilion at the Bryon Nelson. I hear douchebaggery is contagious. The Besnard Lakes really know how to bring the drama. The Canadian quartet’s show at the Granada Theater on Thursday night was a…
We’ve got quite a backlog of CDs we’ve never gotten around to, so we’re going to try to chip away at the pile with this regular feature. The plan: to take a few at a time and play each CD for as long as I can stand it.The Service Industry…
It’s a cry as somber as the one Americana artists often sing about: “The business of music sucks the reason you even started to play music out of you,” says Rebecca Scott, wife and manager for Dallas-based Americana artist Jay Johnson. Her husband, along with fellow area music vets Merrol…
It’s that time of year, again. The Austin City Limits Festival line-up was unveiled early this morning via the fest’s official website. There isn’t any question: This year’s docket will have people gabbing–whether it’s vitriolic hate or nostalgic, warm-fuzzies. Sure, for many, bashing on the chosen collection has become as…
Doug Burr CD Release ShowMay 14, 2010Kessler TheatreBetter than: Sifting through the relatively meager Tivo selection I had to choose from at home. After walking into the beautifully restored and recently reopened Kessler Theatre in Oak Cliff, there was a surprising and extremely welcome sight: Doug Burr with a full…
Pop hooks can be tricky little suckers. Upon initial approach, they often appear to be mildly hummable little ditties. Then, before you’ve realized what has transpired, the seemingly innocuous tune has morphed into a full-fledged parasite, feeding on your middle ear, refusing to relent until it has taken over your…
Often, a musician’s personality mirrors that of their chosen sound. Take a couple of examples: Quiet folkies tend to be sensitive and soft-spoken; peace-loving, trippy jam band members share a mellow soul and herbal-scented flow with the prolonged solos they so fluidly unfurl upon their twirling and euphoric admirers. So…
We’ve got quite a backlog of CDs we’ve never gotten around to, so we’re going to try to chip away at the pile with this regular feature. The plan: to take a few at a time and play each CD for as long as I can stand it.Peter Wolf CrierInter-Be…
Remember when bands used actual instruments in order to create their art? With apologies to Girl Talk and other laptop-toting blog darlings that have ensconced themselves into the Urban Outfitted army of hipster clones, there is still much to be said for the time-capsule treasure that is Dallas’ current sultans…
If The Strokes are considered a garage-rock band, and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are regularly labeled as a garage-soul collective, then Denton’s Delmore Pilcrow must be garage-twang. Keep an Eye, the Denton quartet’s second album, is a rambunctious affair that’s also an effectively non-countrified honky-tonk record. Sure, the…
There’s a grand—or not so grand, depending on your tastes—tradition of bands naming themselves after their place of origin. Alabama, Kansas, Boston and many other proud sons have made a point to state their allegiance up front and center. Add These United States to that esteemed list. While using the…
The title of The Album Leaf’s first LP in four years, A Chorus of Storytellers, may sound a tad ironic given that lead man Jimmy LaValle has a penchant for lush, dreamy soundscapes that aren’t what one would ever describe as “chatty.” While the fifth album from the Sub Pop…
We’ve got quite a backlog of CDs we’ve never gotten around to, so we’re going to try to chip away at the pile with this regular feature. The plan: to take a few at a time and play each CD for as long as I can stand it.Meat LoafHang Cool…
