Rihanna, J. Cole

When Jay-Z signed Robyn Rihanna Fenty to Def Jam Recordings in 2004 , he surely must’ve thought that her catchy dancehall demo “Pon de Replay” would outlive her untested talent. Others did: When Music of the Sun dropped, reviewers dismissed her as a pretty face cribbing Beyoncé’s style. And yet,…

Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj

She can’t sing, her dancing is questionable, her hooks are purchased and she has a documented crazy streak. And yet Britney Spears has still managed to make the comeback of the decade. She’s currently on her “Femme Fatale” arena tour, where she’s joined by the more-talented Nicki Minaj and where…

The Civil Wars Fight For Recognition

The two members of The Civil Wars, Joy Williams and John Paul White, were shocked when they learned that in only four months’ time, Barton Hollow, their February-released debut full-length, had sold more than 110,000 units. Given the dismal climate of the music industry and the relative newness of the…

The Many Muses of Steve Earle

Former Texan Steve Earle has managed to ascend the pop-culture ladder to almost legendary heights since he left Houston as a teenager in the 1970s. Judging by the quantity of his output alone, it’s easy to assume the formerly incarcerated, now-rehabilitated drug addict is merely displaying the obsessive zeal that…

Centro-matic Offer Up a Year-End Candidate

Will Johnson is nothing if not prolific. Starting with the 1995 release of his first Centro-matic recording, Non-Directional Jetpack Race, which was released exclusively on cassette tape, he has put out 18 full-length titles either under the Centro-matic banner, its South San Gabriel doppelganger persona, his own name or, in…

The Violitionist Highlights Denton On The Web

As if Michael Briggs and Brent Frishman hadn’t already established themselves as the foremost curators of Denton music, they went ahead and took it a step further. The men behind Gutterth Productions, organizers of many a showcase and former hosts of the Gutterth podcast, changed the podcast in January into…

With a Little Help From Hat Tricks’ Friends…

On a recent Friday night in a Lewisville sports bar, a former coach for the Dallas Cowboys beamed as he welcomed one of his favorite singers to the stage. The crowd before him buzzed with anticipation, sensing a unique event before it even began. The former coach and master of…

Ten Songs To Get You Through International Kissing Day

According to the people I follow on Twitter, today is International Kissing Day. How annoying is that? As if Valentine’s Day wasn’t bad enough, now we have International Kissing Day to annoy the pants off anyone who doesn’t have someone to smooch on. Apparently, Kissing Day was dreamed up as…

Songs For Your Casey Anthony Trial Hangover

OK, so it wasn’t the trial of the century or anything. But with planking beginning to become passe, all the good sports either in their off-season or lockout, and no high-profile Robert Blake/Phil Spector/OJ Simpson murder cases going on, the Casey Anthony murder trial thing provided plenty to captivate America’s…

Okkervil River, Chromeo and a Ton of Other Show Announcements

​Still fresh from the release of their new album I Am Very Far, Austin’s Okkervil River seems to be working quite hard to let everyone know about it. The album is quite solid, thanks in part to the production work of local producer John Congleton, who, just like Okkervil, seems to be…

On The New Neon Sign In Deep Ellum…

The tunnels are long gone. But on Good-Latimer Expressway, near where they once stood, another entrance marker for quite some time welcomed visitors to the music-centric neighborhood just east of downtown Dallas — an old neon sign that, if a little rustic (and thankfully so), more than served its purpose…

Over The Weekend: Foster The People at The Loft

Foster The People, Gardens & VillaThe LoftJuly 3, 2011 Better than: going to a dance party where the host played some Foster the People. A little better, anyways. There’s something to be said for bands that can reproduce their recorded sound faithfully, note for note, at their live shows. Making your live show…