Ah yes, it feels like we’re finding our footing, 2012. You started off slow, but this weekend’s concert list proves you’re finally on track. Erykah Badu & The Cannabinoids at the Granada Theater tonight probably tops the list of shows to see, but we already talked about that show in…
Much like Loretta Lynn, who we featured today, Etta James endured her share of hardships in order to become the blues and R&B phenom she did. That voice could peel paint off the walls, in the best way possible. If you don’t get goosebumps when you hear “At Last,” I…
Kendrick Lamar Trees Thursday, January 19 Since the last time Kendrick Lamar graced a Dallas stage, his star has only been on the rise. His most recent mix tape, Section.80, has garnered buzz, rave reviews and a spot on Drake’s upcoming tour with ASAP Rocky. That’s one buzzy tour, but…
Tonight at Green Elephant, Poor Vida Productions sets off another installment in their Get Your Own series, which brings Houston hip-hop acts to Dallas for one night of synergy. Poor Vida’s Joel Salazar says the showcase’s aim is simple: “Over the last year I’ve been traveling down to Houston, working…
Loretta Lynn keeps it rather simple when summing her progression from childhood cabin in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to the illustrious Winspear Opera House, where she performs Sunday night. “It really has been an interesting journey. It’s a hard story to believe, but it really is interesting.” Recently removed from not…
The Life and Times, The Cush, Calhoun Dan’s Silverleaf Thursday, January 19 The Life and Times didn’t get their set going until 15 minutes after midnight, but almost everyone who came stayed until the very end. The trio, lit only by four lights placed at waist level around the stage,…
Local rap duo A.Dd+ continue their ascent, this time enlisting corporate support from Red Bull, who’s sponsoring an early February tour that will see them hit six Texas cities in the span of seven days. This will be a coming-out party of sorts, with A.Dd+ playing shows with some of…
As Unfair Park reported last week, in preview of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge lighting, Dallas’ own gospel-funk group The Relatives will be headlining the March 3 Bridge-o-Rama event in celebration of its opening. This is a big deal, as the family band, led by the indomitable Rev. Gean West,…
After what literally felt like four years, Rick Perry has finally ended his campaign for President, thrown his support at Newty G., and is returning to Texas. He said it best himself: “I know when it’s time to make a strategic retreat.” Ah, but he’s given us so many amazing…
For those Dallas music fans who put Death Cab For Cutie’s Codes and Keys in your favorite albums of 2011 file, this bit of news will be interesting. Death Cab For Cutie have announced a performance at McFarlin Auditorium on Friday, May 4. Here’s where it gets interesting: The indie…
“Did you hear about that guy on the news?” “Oh, yeah. But what do you expect when you have a gas-huffing problem? One day you’re going to absentmindedly light a cigarette and explode.” “You sure are. You got a light?” Strange things happen when you go out on a Monday…
Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, trio The Life and Times makes a wonderful racket while creating dense, sonically challenging compositions — real rock songs hidden under waves of noise. Speaking from his home in Chicago and in anticipation of tonight’s show at Dan’s Silverleaf, frontman and guitarist Allen Epley spoke…
No matter what night of the week it is or if the weather is terrible, The Life and Times’ spacey post-hardcore stomp is a galvanizing force. Long since removed from the shadows of past bands like Shiner, the Kansas City trio has a reputation that exceeds its lineup. Promoting their…
Master your art and rise to the level of royalty. That’s what Erykah Badu did when she assumed the moniker “Queen of Neo-Soul.” While many would be satisfied with reaching the peak of a genre, Badu is ambitious enough to conquer new territory. These days her efforts are grounded in…
Another door-kicker of a night at Queen City Hall. Fungi Girls may have the distinct honor of being Cleburne’s best band. So good, in fact, Chicago’s HoZac Records put out the young trio’s sophomore LP, Some Easy Magic, last summer. It mines some of the same pop depths of forefathers…
When we talk about feminist icons in music, why is it country legend Loretta Lynn rarely makes the list? The singer from Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, has shouldered five decades of ups and downs and still gets on stage in a goddamn taffeta gown to belt her heart out. The Winspear…
A metal show in Sons of Hermann’s old bowling alley on a Monday night? Sounds like some spirits are gonna be rattled loose, especially with headliners Thou in tow. The Louisiana group’s output stays on the blackened to charred side of doom metal, and offers some great song titles (“Fucking…
Recorded throughout the month of April 2011, this live effort serves as the sophomore release from Boxcar Bandits, longtime stalwarts of the Denton music scene, following up debut Smells Like Grass. The band’s Monday night residency at Dan’s Silverleaf has become one of the better hootenannies in the area, and…
Jake Orrall, 26-year-old guitarist for Nashville duo Jeff the Brotherhood, is multitasking. Catching him at home in early January, he’s juggling interviews while pulling vinyl together for a DJ set later that evening. His younger drummer brother, Jamin, is hanging out with him. And really, catching them in Nashville is…
The passing of four calendar years since the release of their debut EP has not been lost on The Boom Boom Box. While you’ve been wistfully staring at your hourglass, wondering when they’d release a full-length, they’ve been doing, ya know, life stuff. “In the four years since the EP,…
“Did you hear about that guy on the news?” “Oh, yeah. But what do you expect when you have a gas-huffing problem? One day you’re going to absentmindedly light a cigarette and explode.” “You sure are. You got a light?” Strange things happen when you go out on a Monday…
When reviewing previous Train songs in my column, I imagined lead singer Pat Monahan as one of those guitar-playing guys on college campuses who hasn’t grown out of it. A few years later, I’m starting to understand Train’s target demographic might be the women who were captivated by these jerks…
