Preview: 2 Chainz at Main Street Event Center

Tauheed Epps, otherwise known as 2 Chainz, came up in the independent hip-hop world before the days of Twitter feeds, Soundclouds and blog buzz. As one-half of late-’90s Atlanta duo Playaz Circle, 2 Chainz and pal Dolla Boy funded their own first release, United We Stand, United We Fall. Some…

Preview: Childish Gambino, Danny Brown at Palladium Ballroom

The obsession with keeping it real and demonstrating player status overshadowed hip-hop’s early wit, but these two artists mark a return to the boasting that made Straight Outta Compton a classic. Childish Gambino, the project of Community star Donald Glover, is long on pop-culture references and swagger. Across his half-dozen…

Preview: Alvin Fielder Houston Quartet at 406 Arts

Drummer Alvin Fielder has one of those origin stories that makes your jaw drop, having played with the likes of Sun Ra and Kidd Jordan. His technique is something to behold as well, bobbing and weaving and defying gravity. Most recently, he collaborated with Oak Cliff free-jazz patriarch Dennis Gonzalez…

Real Estate, Twerps, Terry Malts at Dada

Although New Jersey’s Real Estate do not possess a great name, the four-piece makes up for it with rock and roll that’s engaging and reflective. The band’s 2011 sophomore effort, Days, refined their sound just enough to earn them critical acclaim and, like fellow New Jersey outfit The Feelies, Real…

North of the Dial: Denton’s Collective Labels Sound Off

Rumors of the deaths of The New York Times and Warner Bros. are exaggerated. Yes, artists and bands have online services like iTunes, Bandcamp and Onesheet to control their image, music and distribution, now more than ever. But that’s not all that’s needed. In this ever-changing landscape, the fate of…

White Denim Are Having A Moment

The members of White Denim are in an Austin recording studio, where, after years of recording in drummer Josh Block’s home studio (a trailer on the outskirts of the city), they have finally learned to be comfortable around high-tech equipment and a limited amount of time. They aren’t working on…

Santigold, Sucre, ZZ Top and More Show Announcements

It’s been nearly a four-year wait on the new Santigold album, Master of My Make-Believe, which is set to drop on May 1 via Downtown Records. On the new album, Santigold’s impressive blend of hip-hop and dance music has been bolstered by production from Diplo, Dave Sitek of TV On…

A Rare Look Into the Depths of a Musician’s Fanny Pack

Waaaay back before the twin forces of 35 Denton and SXSW happened, we at DC9 had the idea to snap photos of what was in fans’ bags, to see what people brought with them to festivals and hopefully not come off as creepy purse-peepers. The idea came to me years…

Tatsuya Nakatani – Smoke and Mirrors Art Gallery – 4/3/12

Tatsuya Nakatani Smoke and Mirrors Art Gallery Tuesday, April 3 Drummer Stefan Gonzalez and saxophonist Mike Forbes opened last night’s intimate gig at Smoke and Mirrors, which I was bummed I missed, but Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani more than made up for it. He is a natural force, and it…

Jonquil’s Dominic Hand on Falling Asleep at a Jet Concert

Four-piece Jonquil hails from Oxford, England, and while they’ve played the states before, they’ve never played Dallas.They land at The Prophet Bar on Monday, April 9, opening for Keep Shelly in Athens, and touring behind their debut LP, Point of Go. Drummer Dominic Hand took some time out to share…

11 More Ways For Jack White To Release A Limited-Edition Musical Work

“Three weeks prior to the April 24 release of his debut album Blunderbuss (Third Man Records/Columbia), Third Man Records has premiered the as yet unreleased Jack White album track “Freedom at 21” exclusively via 1000 flexi-disc records attached to helium balloons launched from the label headquarters in Nashville on April…

Poster of the Week: White Denim at the Granada

I know it’s only Tuesday, but this poster from Justin Blanks for White Denim’s Thursday show reminds me of one of those coming-of-age movies from the ’80s where a boy has a mythical, imaginary friend that helps him defeat a bully and learn the value of being himself. Let’s ask…