In this week’s upcoming dead-tree issue of DC9, Alan Ayo takes a close look at Descender’s sophomore release, Dark Water, which he sees (SPOILER ALERT!) as a fresh beginning for a band, which, despite featuring members of Deep Ellum mainstays Doosu and Burden Brothers, didn’t necessarily live up to its…
Leading up to this year’s installment of 35 Conferette, after hearing some pretty salty rumors about bands not getting paid in full in 2010, we were curious as to how the festival would be able to afford to pay this year’s acts. After all, this was the biggest festival yet,…
Good golly Miss Molly! SXSW frontwash is flooding into seemingly every venue in town. Enjoy it while it lasts…..
At this point, much-buzzing (at least locally) hip-hop duo A.Dd+ has leaked about a third of their much-anticipated, still-two-weeks-off, debut full-length, When Pigs Fly: “Howdy Do,” “Likeamug,” and “Slow Tempo” were released as early teases by the band in the months and weeks leading up to this point, and, this…
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the top record store in town has been affected by the phenomenon that is South By Southwest spillover. After all, now that The Cavern has gone from being a music venue to an English/Irish Bar (The Crown & Harp), Good Records pretty much…
Before we pummel our tender bits at SXSW this week…!!!. Translation? We got great photos of “Chk Chk Chk” from their incredible, loud performance on Sunday. Also, Kevin Todora brought us shots of Giggle Party returning to North Texas. Also, Stephen Masker caught Big Boi closing the fest. Also, a…
Lady GagaAmerican Airlines CenterMarch 14, 2011Better than: missing out on the chance to see a pop icon like Gaga at her peak. “I am certain that Jesus must love EVERYBODY,” Gaga roared into her mic at American Airlines Center last night. “Jesus loves everybody.”Gaga was preaching.”I told you we were…
Yesterday, Josh T. Pearson’s new record Last Of The Country Gentlemen saw it’s release in Europe on Mute Records — kind of odd, though, that he’s not anywhere in the continent. He was actually spotted a few times at 35 Conferette in Denton this weekend — a quick visit to…
Last year, the costumed Lady Gaga fans lined up in capes and holding “Gaga 4 President” signs.It was no different last night, when a steady line of fans wearing cigarette-flecked glasses and thick skeleton paint wound outside the American Airlines Center.Catherine Downes will be along shortly with a review of…
Eek! It’s time for SXSW spillover, the yearly event in which the hordes of bands heading to Austin collect a little gas money by playing our fair area. But I’m not one to complain: Good music is good music, no matter where or when it’s played…
Without question, Sunday’s offering at the 2011 35 Conferette was the Denton festival’s strongest, featuring performances from the likes of Davila 666, Miami Horror, Colour Revolt, !!!, Portugal. The Man, Big Boi, A Place to Bury Strangers, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Gayngs, Kid Koala, Dan Deacon, The Civil Wars, Viva Voce,…
This week 14 years ago, Dallas’s then-next-big-thing, Tablet, suddenly decided to call it quits. Well, actually, according to the story written by former Observer music scribe Matt Weitz, the only one who was ready to break up the band was lead singer Steve Holt (no, not the guy from Arrested…
Gayngs1 a.m., Hailey’s ClubThroughout the day, it was unclear: Would Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon be among the 11 or so members of the 23-member Gayngs outfit performing at Hailey’s Club to close out the 2011 35 Conferette? At first, as had been the festival’s booking agreement, rumor was that he…
Dan Deacon1 a.m., Rubber Gloves Rehearsal StudiosRubber Gloves, the way its creator meant for it to be — swimming with the flailing appendages of sticky college students, the air clammy and thick with the palpable stench of dozens of human bodies excreting gasses and liquids, feeding into a stagnant air…
Nite Jewel11:40 p.m., Hailey’s ClubNite Jewel’s set at 35 Conferette on Sunday night proved to be as interesting, frail and filigreed a thing as the band’s name implies. But following Denver-based Pictureplane’s rousing, bass-thumping set wouldn’t have been an envious position for many acts. What with Travis Egedy on his…
Big Boi8:10 p.m., Main Stage One After a brief word from festival founder Chris Flemmons, in which he thanked the crowds and organizers for helping the festival finally reach its goal of being a completely walkable deal in downtown Denton, Atlanta rapper and festival headliner Big Boi — half of…
Portugal. The Man7 p.m., Main Stage TwoAbout 10 minutes before Portugal. The Man began their set, it seemed as though they wouldn’t draw a large audience because of !!!’s near-simultaneous performance on Main Stage One. That turned out not to be the case, though: By the time the band started…
!!!6:30 p.m., Main Stage OneIt took all of one song for !!! singer Nic Offer to whip the Main Stage crowd into wild abandon; by the end of opener “AM/FM,” from last year’s Strange Weather, Isn’t It?, Miami Horror was a distant memory. If the band’s hypnotic grooves and electronic…
The Toadies, Ume, Ishi, True Widow and Here Holy Spain at the Dallas Observer St. Patrick’s Day Party Saturday, March 12, 2011 Energy Square Better than: Sitting for hours in one spot, getting drunk and watching the parade. The sea of green stretched for miles in both directions on Greenville…
Miami Horror5:15 p.m., Main Stage OneHe may be a white guy from Melbourne, Australia, but, of all the artists who come to mind when watching Ben Piant perform as Miami Horror, Prince is the foremost among them. On record, songs like “Soft Light” and “Moon Theory” are pure electropop confection,…
Speaking of an intense music weekend…Twitter was abuzz around midnight last night. The rumor: Lady Gaga is crashing the Round-Up Saloon on Cedar Springs. Gaga, as you’re probably aware, is performing tonight at the American Airlines Center with the Scissor Sisters for her Monster Ball Tour. Turns out Twitter’s ears…
After a bumpy start on Thursday, with things then smoothing out a bit on Friday, it shouldn’t have been terribly shocking that Saturday made for some clear sailing. Seemingly everything went off without much trouble. Of course, any night of concerts that starts with a stage full of rap video-style…
