We’ve spent a good chunk of space here in the past few weeks talking about People on Vacation, the new collaborative project from Smile Smile’s Ryan Hamilton and Bowling for Soup’s Jaret Reddick — probably too much space, considering that the band has yet even to make its live performance…
Local poster art, when done well, is pretty impressive. There’s reason, after all, behind our decision to call out our favorite show poster in the space every week. Been doing it for years at this point. Over that time, sure, we’ve developed some favorites. At the top of that list?…
Delightfully catchy.That’s exactly how you can describe the folk-flavored indie pop being made by the boy-girl duo Smile Smile. Members Ryan Hamilton and Jencey Hirunrusme are riding high on the success of their Kirtland Records-released sophomore offering Truth on Tape. And while they are strong with their pop sensibilities, it’s…
Late yesterday afternoon, our colleagues at the Village Voice up in New York City released the annual beast that is the Pazz & Jop poll, which, in short, accumulates the year-end lists of hundreds of critics from around the country and compiles them into a database that helps determine a…
Brighton’s explosive British Sea Power are fresh off the release of their fourth studio album, Valhalla Dancehall, which, unfortunately, doesn’t quite match up to the power chord anthems on their previous record, Do You Like Rock Music. Rather, the new album hearkens back to their earlier work, when their live…
Ghost of a Saber Tooth TigerDan’s Silverleaf, DentonJanuary 18, 2010Better Than: Dhani Harrison’s band with Ben Harper. Here’s the thing: It may be in bad taste, but when there’s the son of a Beatle in the room, it’s difficult to get past that. Especially when we’re not just talking any…
Leg Sweeper, B L A C K I E, XryCanton Co-OpJanuary 18, 2010Better than: seeing a show at a venue that actually makes me pay for beer. Tuesdays sometimes seem like the neglected middle child day of the week — the one that always minds his own business, really likes…
Not the craziest Tuesday night we’ve ever seen, no. But there are at least two cool touring shows coming through tonight. And, for a third option, you can help a favorite local act kick off its own tour…
The new disc from local folk favorites The O’s wasn’t originally supposed to earn its release until February. And, OK, that still remains the case as far as hard copies of John Pedigo and Taylor Young’s sophomore album, Between The Two, are concerned — their local album release show will…
Jim Suptic co-founded The Get Up Kids back in 1995. Their first practice came on his 18th birthday. And, in the following years, his band became a touchstone in the emo community. But their beginnings were pretty humble: Eons before Weezer’s Pinkerton was worshipped and the members of Paramore got…
Eric Estornel, best known as Maetrik, is a formerly Dallas- and now Valencia, Spain-based producer who left the US for the northern Spanish beach city in 2009. After years of the same very legitimate complaints that many Dallas techno producers had about not being understood or appreciated in their own…
Joe Satriani is considered by many to be one of the best guitar players in the world. Although excluded from Rolling Stone’s list of the top 100 guitar players of all time, Satriani has taught such legendary string benders as Steve Vai and Mettalica’s Kirk Hammett. And, besides doing the…
It can’t be easy to grow up with famous parents — especially when you plan to follow in their career footsteps. As tough as it can be for the typical (we use this phrase loosely) celebrity offspring, having the additional scrutiny of the expectations that come with having a Beatle…
Yesterday, we spoke with Daniel Huffman, the man behind New Fumes, who landed himself an opening slot for The Flaming Lips and Neon Indian during the Jack Daniel’s Kick-off Party at Palladium Ballroom on Thursday, February 3. While perusing the New Fumes blog, though, we stumbled across a curious statement…
It hasn’t been a long time since veteran Dallas musician Daniel Huffman started his newest experimental noise-pop project, New Fumes. In only a year and a half, the former Ghostcar and Day of the Double Agent guitarist has catapulted himself into quite the spotlight. Namely, he’ll be opening for The…
The release of The Hope Trust’s Light Can’t Escape, one of our most anticipated albums of 2010, seems to have rolled over into 2011. Thanks to their strong debut, The Incurable Want, the anticipation for a follow-up has only grown. But that’s because Kelly Upshaw and the rest of the…
Datahowler, Gallery Cat, Damaged Good$, Hoyotoho Club Dada January 15, 2011 Better than: staying home to “avoid all the crazies on the road” while your friends have a ball celebrating the New Year (again). Honestly, if I wasn’t sick and running a fever right now, I’d try to come up…
In this edition of This Week In Dallas Music History, we go back to the year 2000, when former Observer music editor Zac Crain did one of the things he did best — take shots at really bad bands. And at the beginning of 2000, he set his sights on…
Every few years it seems a new pandemic sweeps the nation. Usually occurring on or around television sweeps weeks, diseases like SARS and swine flu become hot-button topics that dominate news coverage as well as most other forms of popular media. Formerly innocuous water cooler conversations become monopolized by coworkers’…
Charlotte Kemp Muhl hasn’t always been a musician. She’s pretty new to it, in fact. For most of her career she’s modeled, appearing on the cover of Harper’s, and worked for Tommy Hilfiger, D&G, Maybelline and others. Until recently, the extent of her musical endeavors has been strumming a guitar…
Girl Talk Saturday, January 15, 2011 The Palladium BallroomBetter than: Listening to a bunch of actual girl talk. Whether you can dance or not, you know you want to. You just need a good excuse and, in some cases, a little lubrication. Saturday night Girl Talk provided the excuse. An…
Royal Bangs, Goldilocks and The Rock and Land Animals Hailey’s January 14, 2011 Better Than: The Falcons performance against the Packers on Saturday. A small but dedicated crowd fought the cold wind and drizzle Friday night to hear Knoxville’s Royal Bangs play at Hailey’s Club in Denton. While the weather…
