Shows that stuck out for me in 2011 Trashcan Sinatras/Salim Nourallah at the Loft, March 4 This was a very special tour for the Sinatras. Paired down to a four-piece, the mostly-acoustic show was more of a fans-only event. Before the tour began, they solicited song requests on their website…
In 2011, we witnessed a refreshing surge of new talent blend in with some of the scene’s long-time favorites. Sure, 1100 Springs offered up yet another blissfully classic album, but Madison King and Gaston Light (aka Jason Corcoran) made their presence known with personal twists on the traditional country sound…
Where is Heaven, Texas? Geographically speaking, it’s a state of mind, but on Soviet’s debut full-length, it’s the intersection of early-’90s latitudes and melodic longitudes. The Dallas four-piece’s LP follows up an EP from earlier this year, and sets the tone with the title track, allowing the dark roots of…
Four-piece Final Club have zeroed in on a very North Texas sound, through the use of Denton punk’s six degrees of separation: Fergus & Geronimo’s Jason Kelly engineered the album and guitarist Chris Pickering’s former band, Teenage Cool Kids, featured F&G other half Andrew Savage. Their eight-song debut, following up…
Last week I wrote a blog post about a song I considered a guilty pleasure this year: Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend.” I was immediately called out for shaming people for liking Robyn, as commenters seemed to focus on the guilt part of the equation way more than the pleasure, and…
About this time of year, I like to visit a rundown diner called Reflet. It serves fancy French dishes like corneille, an entrée made of crow; chapou, made of my hat; and creme de la mot, a tart dessert made of my words. I don’t think this diner will show…
Here’s a list of 10 locals you should have heard of in 2011 even if you didn’t. 10. Juve Aaron Mollet of Florene has taken trap and screw influences and warped them with dark synth overtones to create Juve. It’s always nice to see someone take modern rap music seriously…
Oh, don’t worry. This isn’t going to be some precious piece where I channel my 15-year-old self and write a teary, gushing letter to Tori Amos. I already did that in the ‘zine I made in college. However, when I saw the Verizon Theatre date, I felt a mixture of…
Seems like Red Animal War always reunites for one show around the holidays. While there is much, much less than the pageantry The Polyphonic Spree puts on around this time, there’s no shortage of powerful post-hardcore from this four-piece. With some new songs kicking around (their first since 2004) expect…
A great post-holiday show to warm your hands on, Parade of Flesh’s third annual Chrismukkah party offers a little taste for everyone. Brooklyn’s Center Divider channels a NYC downtown circa ’81, and sets the tone for locals Eyes, Wings & Many Other Things’ atmospeheric fog, which will crystallize on an…
While hip-hop meccas like New York and California have produced their own unique sound and pedigree, Dallas has long lived in the shadow of its older brother Houston. A few years back, North Texas made a strong push to pave its own lane on the strength of artists like Dirty…
This week, we learned that ticket demand for two shows we recently wrote about (Coldplay and Tool) was so overwhelming a second show has been added for each. On Saturday, June 23, Coldplay will perform a second show at American Airlines Center. Tickets for the show are on sale now…
The number of good shows and exciting, inspiring, heartbreaking moments in the Dallas music scene this year were, to put it SO very mildly…numerous. It probably can go with out saying. Except we’re going to say it. We’re going to talk about it. Hard. Dude, we’re, like, already talking about…
“Oh, he’s just a baby!” This is actually something I yelled at the computer while listening to Analog Rebellion, because I am apparently a 73-year-old grandmother and would pinch Daniel Hunter’s cheeks if I saw him. A few listens to the 21-year-old’s brand new Evaders EP points to some major…
Since this Sunday is Christmas, we decided to do something a little different with this week’s edition of My First Show. Checking back in with a number of the people we interviewed this year, we wanted their takes on the best shows they saw, and to also get a preview…
Tell the world, rock is coming home This year saw a wave of rock bands catching up to a new generation. We got Soundgarden touring again, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink-182 and even less renowned bands like Urge Overkill and Bush releasing new albums. After living up to its namesake…
We reported a few weeks ago that Dallas is getting its own Girls Rock Camp. They’ll be starting a Kickstarter campaign, too, in anticipation of this summer’s camp. But right now, they need your equipment. Got an old guitar lying around? A bass? An amp you keep tripping over? A…
My wife really likes Katy Perry, and now, so do I.Let me first qualify that statement. My wife has really good taste in music, but there’s the occasional Katy Perry/Miley Cyrus hiccup in there. She listens to these songs that aren’t supposed to be cool or any good, but in…
It’s been quite a year enduring the Top 40 in “The Problem With….”. Looking back at the year and my reviews, I’ve noticed three things about music that I loathe and think need to change. Too many collaborations (feat. Rihanna, Lil’ Wayne, Pitbull, Jay-Z…) The less we talk about Lou…
A.Dd+ When we heard Paris Pershun and Slim Gravy teamed up with super producer PicnicTyme and DJ Sober for When Pigs Fly, we couldn’t help but be excited for A.Dd+’s 2011. They confidently took the city by storm, and When Pigs Fly achieved local legend status thanks to a Kickstarter…
…And that date is Saturday, May 26, at Main Street Garden Park. This year’s Homegrown Music and Art Festival rallied the local music community around standouts like Gallery Cat, Astronautalis, Neon Indian, Burning Hotels and more. As local music festivals go, 2012 promises to trump that, especially since organizers have…
Sure, the concept for Bruise Cruise seems like the script for a low-budget horror movie: Put a bunch of rowdy punk bands on a three-day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas, supply with booze, gambling and buffets, and watch some Lord of the Flies shit go down. Amazingly, all who…
