Sorry, Dallasites, but my blood is all Wisconsin. Sure, I was born in Irving, but half of my family is from a little town north of Madison, and that means I am genetically predisposed to loving two treats: beer and cheese. Those are actually the only two food groups in…
Sorry, Dallasites, but my blood is all Wisconsin. Sure, I was born in Irving, but half of my family is from a little town north of Madison, and that means I am genetically predisposed to loving two treats: beer and cheese. Those are actually the only two food groups in…
Dallas music snobs, here is your record for 2006. Go ahead–set the CD for On Leaping From Airplanes in the stereo, put your Funland pajamas on, curl up in your Tripping Daisy bedsheets and dim the UFOFU nightlight, so that you might fall asleep and dream of a nostalgic era…
Nice job: Far be it from us to take credit for something good, but man, K104 Uncut has to be our fault to some degree, right? At the end of 2005, we laid down a challenge to local hip-hop radio leaders 97.9 The Beat and K104: Put more local rappers…
I walked to the Curtain Club on Friday night and asked a young lady at the door about press entry to the Dallas Music Festival. She gave me a puzzled look, said she wasn’t sure about press access and fuddled around a bit. I pulled out my wallet–I didn’t want…
If you have ever found yourself bored with Dallas arts, then you’ve obviously never seen the work of local musicians and artists Paul Slocum and Lauren Gray. Whether turning ancient computers and videogame systems into musical instruments while performing as the band Tree Wave or helming the print(f) digital arts…
Every few months, Spune Productions throws some great “welcome to the music scene” shows that are perfect for local newbies. But it’s one thing to get a varied smattering of the best in local pop-rock in one sitting, with bands such as the Deathray Davies, [DARYL], The Angelus, The Hourly…
Ten years ago, Oak Cliff resident Stuart Sikes had a hand in Cat Power’s breakout album, though technically, his engineering work on What Would the Community Think was relatively hands-off. He did the most with the least, ensuring that spare arrangements, low, rumbling guitar lines and strokes of feedback anchored…
Hitch a ride: For the past five years, local country fans who wanted a little kick in their boots but thought Ryan Adams was a pussy had a rallying cry for their favorite brand of whiskey-fueled music: “Speedtrucker, motherfucker!” The local country quartet is known for a two-step that keeps…
People, I am royally pissed about Deep Ellum right now. I become angrier every time I read and re-read a page from last weeks Dallas Observer. Its like a car wreckI cant help but repeatedly look at the page and feel an overwhelming mix of shock, hopelessness and frustration. Im…
We really don’t care where someone might screen Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic. Probably because we have no soul—after all, we laughed our little tootsies off at Silverman’s offensive quips about pregnant black teenagers, porn stars being filled with penises and Jewish people driving German cars. As far as our…
When Jenny Lewis’ solo debut sashays its way into record stores this Tuesday, it will surely be smothered in stickers–“Lead singer of Rilo Kiley…you know, those cute indie-rock darlings who were recently signed to Warner Bros. Oh, and Jenny starred in the movies Troop Beverly Hills and The Wizard too.”…
A holy place: You were never supposed to hear about Sanctuary Studios. The DIY space was designed from the ground up as an entirely atypical music venue because, well, it wasn’t technically a music venue to begin with. “It was a living situation-type thing,” co-owner Aaron Gonzalez says. He and…
By Monday, you couldn’t turn on a computer in Dallas without seeing Michelle Metzinger’s bloody face. The 25-year-old member of local roller derby league Assassination City Roller Derby found herself at the center of an Internet publicity firestorm. Blogs, message boards and MySpace posts made their way to the farthest…
There you have it, Dallas. The tombstone. It’s glaring at you from newsstands all over town–even in the very district it’s damning, Deep Ellum–and we at the Dallas Observer really wish we were happy about dribbling out this “I told you so.” For years, we said that crime was a…
Word on the street is that Taos, New Mexico, is coming to Dallas. Folks, this is not good. If you thought thousands of New Orleans evacuees descending upon the big D was awkward, wait until thousands of Taosians lug their mountains, snow and frat-boy ski clubs into our fair city…
Forget Christmas-American children should focus on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as their societal values will shape racial relations for the next generation. See a proper celebration of the holiday at the 14th Annual MLK Oratory Competition, where children vie for a savings bond prize in the final round of…
If your taste in music is so safe, bland and generic that you think Christian rock can get a little too “saucy,” then you’re in luck, thanks to Dallas’ latest everything-on-the-radio clones Belafonte. Sure, there’s something for every radio rock fan to like on this debut EP–after all, Belafonte apes…
The only time I wear a suit is to attend a wedding or funeral. I suppose, then, my arrival at the Chapter 11 bankruptcy hearing on Wednesday, December 28, didn’t bode well for the Entertainment Collaborative, the then-owners of Trees; the federal court has a dress code, and there I…
Well, Belmor Corp., Trees is all yours again. After going two months without paying rent for the building at 2709 Elm St., the Entertainment Collaborative lost its lease, which puts the keys to Trees back in landlord Belmor Corp.’s hands with no tenant for the time being. In fact, only…
We’re sick of your attitude. Every week, you expect someone else to entertain you—to dance, sing, dunk a basketball, whatever-and that’s selfish. Put forth some effort, and be an entertainer instead of an entertainee, slacker! Try the Thursday night acoustic jam session at Sons of Hermann Hall, where you can…
After months of attempting to reach an agreement, the Entertainment Collaborative, owner of Trees and Gypsy Tea Room, has finally and officially lost its lease to Trees’ building. On Wednesday, December 28, U.S. District Judge Harlin DeWayne Hale ruled that Trees’ landlord, Belmor Corp., can reclaim the building on Elm…
