Play-N-Skillz Check Their Fresh, Comment On Their Grammy Win

Given the amount of hoopla surrounding the red-hot local production duo of Play-N-Skillz lately–the abundant MTV coverage, the Grammys pre-party, etc.–the brothers Salinas (Juan and Oscar) had plenty of confidence heading into Sunday night’s Grammy Awards–maybe too much, considering how, last week, before the awards show, Juan (aka Play) promised…

Lykke Li Moves Past The Dance Realm

A few days ago, a new music video appeared on Lykke Li’s MySpace page. Against a plain backdrop, in stark black and white, the Swedish singer squares off to the camera, concentrating all the heartbreak of her 22 years into her furrowed brow. As the piano and synths congeal into…

How To Put Together A Valentine’s Day Mixtape

Feeling crazy in love this Valentine’s Day? Well, that mix CD you’re making your significant other better include some great love songs. Been recently dumped? Then you’re probably listening to some heartbreak songs to help you wallow in your miserable heartache. And the rest of us? The ones who know…

Annuals,Jessica Lea Mayfield,What Laura Says

An adherent of the “more is more” philosophy, blogosphere darlings Annuals fashion widescreen pop majesties in the image of The Flaming Lips. And, like the Lips, the Raleigh, North Carolina, sextet billows with fluffy, kitchen sink arrangements that sample widely from baroque, twee and indie pop, are cooked over a…

Ne-Yo

Think what you want about Ne-Yo and his excessive mouth-smacking speech pattern. The dude can write a song. Since his 2006 debut with In My Own Words, and its seemingly omnipresent single “So Sick,” Ne-Yo’s delivered catchy, solid tunes with real substance in the lyrics. He flirts often, and talks…

Cradle of Filth, Satyricon,Septic Flesh

Tuesday’s show at the House of Blues stars a pair of black metal’s more notorious acts, each nearing 20 years into its career and both having mostly abandoned their abrasive tendencies for something more melodic and…accessible? While black metal purists disavowed England’s Cradle of Filth long ago, the headliners on…

Dem Souhernfolkz’s Incredible Message

Last fall, Dem Southernfolkz’s The Message came seemingly out of nowhere like a refreshing breeze, doing for the ears what that first breath of clean air does for the lungs after a long night in a smoky club. The heartfelt, positive rhymes over a blend of gospel, blues and rock…

Vickery Park Welcomes Music Back To Knox-Henderson

It’s fitting, perhaps, that Kevin Costner and his band, Modern West, played Dallas last week. The guy’s starred in a few movies, like Field of Dreams. And a few others, I think. But let’s keep the focus on Field of Dreams—or, more specifically, on that one line from that movie…

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand’s self-titled debut was a ball of witty post-punk energy and dance floor savvy. Its follow-up, You Could Have It So Much Better, tried to keep the hot streak going with the stomping glam-rock single “Do You Want To,” but was derailed by side trips into balladry. Four years…

Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller’s sound is constantly evolving. It’s shifted from garage-band yelps to piano-ballad coos, from electric feedback to acoustic resonance and, this time, to quote Alan Jackson, “He’s gone country, back to his roots.” Kweller’s down-home charm permeates Changing Horses, which was recorded the old-fashioned way: self-produced, put to tape…

Elkhart

The most exciting moment on The Moon comes near the end of the title song, just two tracks into the disc. The drums drop out as the dreamy, tremolo- and reverb-drenched electric guitar fades away just as the strumming on an acoustic becomes insistently louder. Then the drums gently start…

The Return of Mable Peabody’s

Above the dance floor at Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair—instead of the customary disco ball—a rotating, mirrored chandelier hangs, casting flashes of red and blue light over the barstools, walls and patrons of Denton’ s only gay bar. But the chandelier is a new addition to the nightclub,…

This Or That: New Midlake? Or Just Some Knockoff?

Welcome to This or That, the weekly segment here on DC9 where we stream an unmarked song and ask, simply enough, “Is this [POP BAND X] or just another crappy local band?” Why? Because we don’t think you’ll be able to tell the difference between the real thing and the…

Sarah Jaffe To Perform For Austin City Limits Web Special

If, by chance, you happen to be in Austin this weekend and you find yourself suddenly homesick for Dallas, well, here;s one way to get your fix: Attend the live-recording of Sarah Jaffe’s performance for Austin PBS affiliate KLRU’s new Austin City Limits web-specific show called ACL Stage Left. Jaffe…

Picture Show: DeVotchKa and Crooked Fingers at the House of Blues

While tornado warning sirens serenaded most of Dallas last night, those of us cooped up in the House of Blues remained blissfully ignorant, thanks to a great show from the gypsy-indie set DeVotchKa.The band’s rocking live presence turned up the intensity on even their sleepiest numbers, weaving complex instrumentals around…