If you’re looking for a definition of what really makes for ambient music, there’s no one better than Brian Eno. Ambient music, he says, ”must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” That’s not exactly…
Boston Kassidy is notable for his contributions to the Dallas bass scene, but he also stretches into a variety of techno and house-related styles — a fact which is reflected in this week’s Dallas Observer Mixtape. As a member of The Guild, Kassidy can often be found playing their Thursday events…
Bobby Sessions is not surprised you’re reading this article. A feature in a publication like the Dallas Observer was just one of the many events the 23-year-old rapper envisioned as he came close to finishing his latest album, LOA, which will be released Friday. LOA is an acronym for Law…
Now that 2015 is drawing to a close, Fort Worth phenom Leon Bridges is running out of time to pack more achievements into a year that’s already bursting with them. But there’s still time. On top of a rags-to-riches (or at least dishwasher-to-pop star) story that’s already the stuff of…
With the 27th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards just around the corner — in fact, voting is open right now at 2015musicawardspoll.dallasobserver.com — we will spend the next several weeks highlighting some of the nominees for this year’s awards. And when we say these artists are the “Best,” don’t just…
Linda Septien sits in her office, struggling to collect her thoughts. She just has too many things left to do. The final season of American Idol is around the corner, and she’s developing several artists who plan to compete for a spot. When she’s not spending time at her studio…
“Tattoos are a permanent trial by fire”, according to Tyson Arndt of Historic Tattoo in Portland, Oregon. Tyson is just one of many world-renowned tattoo artists that converged on The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum this weekend for the 5th annual Elm St. Music & Tattoo Festival. Over the buzz of…
Go on ahead and say thank you, Dallas, because we’ve been praying hard for this good news for a long while now. Just as soon as the newly-reunited Dixie Chicks, fresh off a 10 year hiatus from touring in the United States, announced that they were heading back on the…
As we inch closer toward the week of infamous gluttony known as Thanksgiving, sate your savage spirit with some Dallas concerts instead. You have hip-hop legend and Wu-Tang founding member GZA at Trees (minus ODB) and you’ve got a Metric, a band so representative of indie pop-rock that they wrote songs…
Chance the Rapper With D.R.A.M., Towkio and Metro Boomin Southside Ballroom, Dallas Friday, November 13, 2015 Chance the Rapper is arguably the most charming act in hip-hop going right now. His optimistic and playful catalog of music resonates the same with children as it does with teenagers and adults. His…
Leon Bridges With Wesley Geiger Majestic Theatre, Dallas Saturday, November 14, 2015 Leon Bridges had a triumphant homecoming Saturday night on the last show of his American tour, his first North Texas show (with the exception of a busking performance on a Deep Ellum sidewalk) since his album release party…
Desmond Lehmann remembers being pulled over in Bryan like it was yesterday. The police told him, known to most as local pop singer Dezi 5, he had failed to stop at a stop sign, but he knew this was not the truth. “Do you think I was going to argue…
Another one bites the dust. Denton will lose legendary house venue, Macaroni Island, this weekend. Well, technically on December 20, but if you’re not scheduled to record with Michael Briggs between now and then — and are not one of the lucky 100 ticket holders for Macaroni Island’s final show…
John Pedigo and Taylor Young make up the O’s, perhaps Dallas’ best — and best-known — roots group. Both of them are veterans of the North Texas music scene, as they’ve both been in a number of bands over the years and continue to be active with non-O’s projects. And for…
Thanks to the near-ubiquity of social media, it’s more difficult than ever for famous people get away with doing really stupid stuff. As Jason Aldean found out this week, the Internet will find out if you dress up in an offensive and racist Halloween costume even if you’re difficult to…
Brian Knolley had a calling to house music 25 years ago. Over that time he has witnessed the highs, lows and heavenly blows of Dallas house music culture, from the glory days of Starck Club to playing parties nowadays with his mates in the Our House crew — a crew…
Fat Pimp received a rude awakening right as he thought he’d realized his dream. It was 2008, and having generated enough buzz as a rapper to be courted by different labels, the Dallas native signed with Warner Bros. But, being young and inexperienced when it came to contracts, he soon…
And there goes a regular. On Tuesday, news spread that long-time Denton bar and music venue Hailey’s Club will be closing their doors on December 31, 2015, and that news has been confirmed by the venue. After an adventurous 12-year run, Hailey’s has seen an ebb and flow of national…
If you were beginning to worry that you’d never have the chance to break out your extra sad black mascara again, fret not, Dallas: The Cure are coming back to Dallas in the spring of 2016. Back in October, the goth legends announced their first run of North American dates…
With the 27th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards just around the corner — in fact, voting is open right now at 2015musicawardspoll.dallasobserver.com — we will spend the next several weeks highlighting some of the nominees for this year’s awards. And when we say these artists are the “Best,” don’t just…
Being from Dallas, we’re always looking for any bit of cultural credibility we can get. We’re not Austin; we can’t claim to be the chopped and screwed OGs. Or so the logic goes. So whenever we get an opportunity to fly the Dallas flag — or even rub our pride…
Jude Gonzalez lives in what she calls “the tree house,” a raised backhouse which hovers amongst the trees in the flowing-green Lakewood area. It creates a convincing optical illusion. The interior, just as idyllic, doubles as her massage studio Reinventing You. It has the fairyland quality of a creative spirit materialized…
