The Greatest Tour-Stop Concerts in North Texas, 1990s-2010s

In Part One of this series, we looked back on 10 significant North Texas concerts that took place between the ‘60s and the ‘80s. It was a different time, and given the importance of radio and the revolutionary introduction of MTV, the music world progressively became more of a monoculture…

The Greatest Tour-Stop Concerts in North Texas, 1960-1989

We will be seeing the end of an entire decade in a mere seven months, and that warrants reflection. What artists of the ’10s captured the zeitgeist? What were some of this generation’s most defining cultural milestones? When VH1 starts airing I Love the ‘10s, what events, artists, films or…

Song Dynasty Is a Melting Pot of Worldly Musical Influences

Seventeen artists from nine countries came together to record Song Dynasty’s debut album Searching. The band’s music blends American jazz with Chinese influences to create a sound that’s out of this world. Sharp notes burst from a three-piece brass section. Electric guitars scream and whistle, floating over roaming lines on…

Mitski Mania Was Alive at Sunday’s Sold-Out Canton Hall Show

Mitski Miyawaki is at the top of her game. The Japanese American singer-songwriter has curated a distinct brand of indie rock, a style she is taking to audiences across the country on her Be the Cowboy tour to promote her latest release, by the same name. The album, hailed by…

Singer Jade Nickol Ditched Country to Embrace Her Dark Side

Jade Nickol hated her first single. Looking back on the song, titled “Best Friends,” the 19-year-old singer-songwriter seethes with palpable frustration. “Even my mom didn’t like it,” Nickol says. “And when your mom doesn’t like it, that’s like, damn.” “Best Friends” is a country song Nickol felt forced to make…

Topnotch4real Is a Top-Notch One-Man Show

Hailing from Louisiana, Dallas-based rapper and R&B singer Topnotch4real is on a mission to bring his brand of  soulful R&B sounds to the forefront. Born Louis Taylor, Topnotch4real is multi-talented, but he focuses his time on writing songs and producing his own instrumental tracks. This summer, he plans to share…

Revamped Acoustic Kitchen Studios Is Cooking Something Good

Tucked away on the far west side of an old Dallas office building is a spot where the Deering family helps bring music to life, through a space called Acoustic Kitchen Studios, fit for small live shows and recording sessions. The studio itself is in stark contrast to its own…

Josey Records Shares the Secret: How Record Stores Find Vinyl

If you’re a music fan in North Texas and you’re not following your favorite record store’s social media accounts, you’re missing out. Sure, it’s nice to know which new releases the shop has on its shelves every Friday, but that’s not the real gold to be had in most cases…

The Rise, Fall and Rise of The Effinays

If you’re a local music lover, chances are you’ve seen The Effinays playing somewhere. They’ve done their time at festivals, outdoor shows and venues. And with major successes, sometimes come public fallings-out. Audiences were saddened to hear of the news that they were calling it quits in fall 2018 after…