The Problem With… Lady Gaga’s “You and I”

You know what sucks about waking up late in the morning? Pretty often, the only thing that’s on TV is The View. As a dude, this is a bit shameful to admit, but I actually keep the TV on ABC to watch the show. The View, as you know, supposedly offers insight into…

Legendary Dallas Rapper D.O.C. Starts His Return To The Top

In the late ’80s D.O.C. was recruited to Southern California by Dr. Dre from his childhood home of Dallas. Shortly thereafter, the Texas-bred wunderkind helped bring gangsta rap to the mainstream, ghostwriting large portions of the biggest West Coast classics, starting with Straight Outta Compton. He gave voice to the…

Denton Music Still Sees No Benefit From The A-Train

The A-Train began its Denton-Carrollton service on June 18, much to the delight of many North Texas commuters. In a boon for the Denton economy, business has already picked up in the shops, restaurants and bars in and around the city’s downtown square. An increase in foot traffic is obvious…

The Secret Genius of Ke$ha

Admit it: The first time you heard Ke$ha’s breakout hit “Tik Tok,” you were interested. You might’ve found it repulsive, catchy, stupid, annoying, bewildering, dazzling or offensive to your otherwise refined ear. But “Tik Tok” most definitely made you sit up and listen. First, there’s the pulsating, strobe-light beat that…

Avi Buffalo

There’s a sweetness and innocence to Avi Buffalo that’s as indebted to leader Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg’s tender age as it is the lilting indie pop he makes. The 20-year-old Long Beach, California, native started the band with schoolmates while in high school and connected with producer Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Jane’s…

Sia, Oh Land, Ximena Sarinana

Sia Furler, known simply as Sia, is a force of nature that seems to have somehow magically popped up in several of the more interesting cultural phenomena of the past decade. It was Sia you heard singing on Zero 7’s landmark album, Simple Things, which pretty much defined the down-tempo…

Scattered Trees, The Alternate Routes, Valise

How does a talented songwriter cope with the death of his father? If you are Nate Eiesland, you write a suite of cathartic songs. Then you pull together the old friends whom you played with for years as the band Scattered Trees, despite the fact that the members have scattered…

For Their Second Act, Digitalism Gets Bromantic

They’re the odd couple of indie dance, two Germans with disparate gifts that unite to create a balance of throbbing beats and glimmering melodies. Fair-haired Jens Moelle, who’s a little more techno, and swarthy Ismail Tüfekçi, who’s a little more rock ‘n’ roll, formed Digitalism in 2004 and became an…

Picture Show: A Friday Night on Elm Street…

Friend of the Program Mike Brooks was out and about in Deep Ellum on Friday night, toting his trusty camera along as he bounced around from venue to venue, snapping up shots of all things visually interesting and arresting. In particular, he found himself holed up at Trees for a…

And Now, We Present: The Readers’ Poll for Best of Dallas 2011

A few weeks ago, we asked you to help us (help you) on the subject of the Best of Dallas Readers’ Picks Categories. Your suggestions were as supremely helpful. After throwing your additions in the hopper and giving them a test run, we now have a chemically tested, FDA-approved poll…

In Defense of … LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem”

I’m guessing most people who read my “The Problem With…” column think that I loathe all pop music as processed drivel that appeals to the unwashed masses. Well, believe it or not, I actually like a lot of that drivel. Hence this new column, “In Defense of…,” which will highlight some of…

Last Night: Arctic Monkeys at the Palladium Ballroom

Arctic MonkeysPalladium BallroomAugust 1, 2011Better than: watching a trainwreck the Kings of Leon It’s hard to believe British garage rockers Arctic Monkeys have been kicking around for nearly a decade. It makes us feel a tad bit old to think of ourselves barely at drinking age, watching the raw youngsters perform…

Marian Call On Geeks, Typewriters, a Dead Cat

Hailing from Alaska, singer-songwriter Marian Call is one odd duck. With songs that feature themes prevalent to geek culture (technology, science fiction, etc.), Call has cultivated a dedicated worldwide fan base. Her soon to be released double album Something Fierce was completed funded by donations from her devoted following. Call…

The Ten Biggest Dallas-Related MTV Moments

As you’ve no doubt figured out by now, MTV turned 30 years old today. Indeed, that’s a formidable amount of time — enough, for sure, for almost any entity to leave a mark.And, for sure, MTV has made plenty of marks. But beyond its groundbreaking debut as a music-centric cable…

Five Music Shows We Wish MTV Still Aired

At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, Justin Timberlake got on the mic and pleaded with MTV to “play more videos!” Timberlake’s sentiment was hardly a new one. The station switched from heavily playing music videos to being a reality TV-based network in the early 2000s — shortly after the…