More than 30,000 people will head to Fair Park this weekend for the Crossroads Guitar Festival, giving new meaning to the phrase “jam-fest.” If you’re not interested in fighting crowds and traffic to witness the historic lineup–including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and B.B. King–there are plenty of other things to…
Most articles about Jay Farrar lead with his history as an alt-country legend. Considering how sleepy his solo work has sounded since leaving Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, though, the only remnants of his whiskey-fueled Americana are those press references. Until now, anyway, thanks to…Canyon? Yes, this out-of-nowhere alt-country five-piece…
Truth in advertising and then some: Gomez manages to, yeah, split the difference between Blur and Oasis. And, oh, Travis, which isn’t a complaint but a compliment from someone who long dismissed these Brits as wanh-wanh-wankers whose blooze-pop had all the staying power of pot smoke. Bottleneck slide and whiskey-bottle…
Back when I was a fresh clubgoer, not yet legal, it was all about Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, All, Jimmy Eat World and a slew of other bands suited to the Vans Warped Tour. Back then, what would be called emo was, as my friend once said, shaving your…
Califone perfoms at Hailey’s on June 9, with Rebecca Gates.
Last week, 65 million votes were cast in one night on American Idol. That’s more than half of the total votes in the 2000 presidential race–granted, that particular election didn’t involve middle-schoolers using speed dial; otherwise Justin Timberlake would be rocking the Oval Office. But when two warbling teens can…
This six-song debut EP is a surprisingly strong collection of smooth pop-jazz, showcasing Lauren Gifford’s sly vocals along with her sure-handed piano playing. Like Norah Jones, Gifford is a lovely young thang with a voice that hearkens back to another era, although Gifford lacks the songwriting sophistication to pull off…
Whiskey, women and wheels–the bands at Friday night’s rockabilly show owe a serious creative debt to that glorious trifecta. (Then again, what band doesn’t?) Whether it was Rocket DeVille’s Clutch DeVille bragging about his hopped-up ’32 Ford or Slick 57’s John Pedigo crying for “Alcohol and Aspirin,” these were bands…
Compilation CDs are like mix tapes. Some have themes; others are just the greatest hits of what one person can get his hands on. The first song should catch the listener’s attention. The last should leave the audience wanting more. But each song must stand on its own, a perfect,…
A few years ago, Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford shocked the public by coming out of the closet. It shouldn’t have been such a surprise–Halford had long been roaring onstage on a motorcycle, looking like the biker guy in the Village People or one of the leather-clad macho men…
Jonathan Richman’s done a pretty bad job in recent years of exploiting the renown he earned for his performance in 1998’s Cameron Diaz blockbuster There’s Something About Mary (and by “renown” I mean viewers wondering, “Who the hell’s that creepy curly-haired guy playing guitar?”). Consider the singing-songwriting milquetoasts who have…
8.0: This bar-meets-lounge-meets-concert stage provides great nights on the tree-shaded patio. As one of the only music venues in Fort Worth that mixes local music outdoors with a great indoor bar, it’s home to cool weekend nights in the heart of Sundance Square. 111 E Third St, Fort Worth, 817-336-0880…
Disco never died in continental Europe. Especially Italy, where from 1983 to 1988, mustachioed DJs and producers churned out some of the strangest dance records on earth, dubbed the deceptively nondescript Italo-disco. The fact that you haven’t been dancing to it since you turned 21 is almost criminal. Locally based…
So the Eagle has crashed. Clear Channel, which owns the station, confirmed months of rumors by canning the staff at 97.1 KEGL on May 17. It was like any good corporate firing: swift, efficient and rather painful. The next day, as angry listeners clogged phone lines and fired employees popped…
!!! (pronounced chk chk chk) opens their latest album, Louden Up Now, with a disco drumbeat, warbly guitars, cowbell and a bass line robbed from “The Humpty Dance.” It’s enough to offend anybody tired of the recent funk-rock revival led by Liars and The Rapture, but luckily, the goofy intro…
We used to be a British colony. We threw ’em out, they got over it and more than two centuries later, Tony Blair stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Dubya, bragging about the two countries’ “special relationship.” The U.S. and the U.K. have had a long and productive cultural conversation. Nowhere is this…
When Okkervil River songwriter Will Sheff read in Austin’s daily rag that only the worst bands write songs with their own names in them (i.e., Bad Company’s “Bad Company,” Backstreet Boys’ “Backstreet’s Back”), it was practically a dare. Soon after, Sheff penned “Okkervil River Song,” a ballad of violence and…
Tenderhearted indie pop’s certainly not without its share of bright-eyed wunderkinder; investigate vintage work by youngsters Ben Lee, Ash and Kleenex Girl Wonder for sharp melodies voiced through rapidly deepening voices. Dallas has produced a few high-profile prodigies in Eisley and Ben Kweller, who’ve both won national acclaim for recent…
Forget Los Lonely Boys. San Angelo’s much-ballyhooed blues trio doesn’t have half the blood and fire of Del Castillo, whose tireless live performances and incendiary rock en Español helped the Austin six-piece win “Band of the Year” honors at the 2002-2003 Austin Chronicle Music Awards, a rather shocking coup for…
Whether we’re talking about the funky-fresh breakin’, gold-chain hip-hop fans of the 1980s or the glowstick, lollipopped PLUR set, music has always been as much about the community and culture surrounding it as it has the scales and octaves within it. Adapting to the times and new technology, the Web…
It’s a Tuesday night at the Mix Studio in Grand Prairie, and the eight people in attendance aren’t saying a word. Everyone’s just nodding in unison to another hypnotic beat hooked up by S1, the producer for The Strange Fruit Project. No need for idle chatter when you’re vibing to…
Three years ago, Chomsky was on the cover of this paper. The story, written by Zac Crain, was an optimistic slice of rock-music reportage, full of colorful anecdotes, witty asides and one basic point: Chomsky was about to be big. Then September 11 happened. Then life happened. Then, strangely, little…
