Uh Huh Her garnered immediate attention with its first EP, 2007’s I See Red, which was followed by this year’s equally acclaimed full-length debut, Common Reaction. Why the love? The group’s combination of buzzy guitars, electronica and catchy lyrics combine to create a sound that’s instantly appealing—and not dragged down…
Ingrid Michaelson’s tunes have been featured on Grey’s Anatomy so often the singer might as well be considered a cast member at this point. The self-made—no label, folks—singer-songwriter was launched into the limelight from MySpace obscurity last year when her hit “The Way I Am” was featured on Grey’s, as…
The first time I heard James McMurtry’s music, I groaned to myself, wished for some Hank Williams instead and dismissed it quite quickly. The second time I heard it, I actually started listening. The third time I came across his songs, I was hooked. The Austin-based McMurtry’s Steve Earle-like music…
Until late this summer, New Kids on the Block had pretty much been reduced to a regular rotation on VH1’s “Where Are They Now?” Jonathan Knight started selling real estate; Danny Wood did some work as a producer for a little while; Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre attempted solo careers;…
At 50 years old, Gibby Haynes, the man whose acid-fueled on- and off-stage exploits are the stuff of 1980s weirdo-rock legend, has settled into playing the familiar Butthole Surfers oldies. And, yes, he’s toured with the adolescent overachievers of Paul Green’s School of Rock. But, perhaps most surprising, despite an…
I can hear the boo-birds already… “C’mon, Pete! Enough of this Astronautalis guy!” I know, I know… “He lives in Seattle and was born in Jacksonville. How is he considered local?” Hey, I hear ya… “You suck.” Oh, c’mon on, now. That’s just uncalled for. “Can you—and Quick, too, for…
OK, so be a good American and watch the debate instead. For the 10 or so of you who actually bought tickets to this show, I hate to be the bearer of bad news… But, according to The Loft’s Web site the Boston Spaceships and High Strung show scheduled to…
Was this show the turning point for Deep Ellum? (James Bland) A little over 22 years ago, the Butthole Surfers decided to tape their performances during a weekend-long stint at the Theatre Gallery in Deep Ellum. It was the first time Dallas-based producer David Castell had tried recording a live…
Lyle Steadham, with the object of many adolescent affections. Life After Sundown, the most recent release from the scary collection of local misfits known as Ghoultown, hit the streets last week and the band is about to head off to Europe for yet another tour. But, in even cooler news,…
We’ve got quite a backlog of CDs we’ve never gotten around to, so we’re going to try to chip away at the pile with this regular feature. The plan: to take four or five at a time and play each CD for as long as I can stand it. This…
I like the E Street Band. And, sure, I can get into The Sopranos. So it’s kinda natural, I guess, that I like Steven Van Zandt, whose weekly “Underground Garage” radio program can be heard Sunday nights on 92.5 KZPS-FM. Teen Vogue, though? I’m not exactly that magazine’s target demographic,…
Last week, via a Myspace blog post, one of Dallas’ longest-running bands, The Feds, formally announced its impending disbandment. “After 13 years The Feds are disbanding,” frontman Matt Slider wrote in the post, which has since earned plenty of responses from the band’s loyal fans. “We would first like to…
“Fat” is such a harsh word. How about “Big-Boned Pimp”? Three Dallas rappers who have each had a taste of commercial radio success just collaborated on a song all but guaranteed not to be played on the air. That is, unless Tum Tum, Lil Wil and Fat Pimp offer a…
Speaking of Denton love, a couple of blogs have posted free downloads of some tracks from both Matthew and the Arrogant Sea’s upcoming and Centro-matic/South San Gabriel’s latest albums… Really, you should have Dual Hawks, the Centro-matic/South San Gabreil split double-disc, already–what are you waiting for?–but, if by chance you…
Little Honey, Lucinda Williams’ latest release, hit the streets today and, because of that, the Double Wide is hosing hosting a listening party for the new disc tonight. No word on whether or not the great Lucinda might make an appearance–although I’d say the chances are slim to none), but…
I guess Denton is officially Stereogum’s new favorite music town. In the last month or so alone, the site’s covered Midlake, Centro-matic and a few others to boot. And, today, Stereogum premiered Centro-matic’s new video for “Rat Patrols and DJs”. Which, of course, was filmed outside of Denton’s own Dan’s…
Magnetic Fields Majestic Theatre October 13, 2008 Better Than: Pretty much anything else I’ve ever seen at the Majestic. Just as Magnetic Fields front man Stephin Merritt told the Observer last week, his band does indeed put on a quiet show, and in the right atmosphere that is certainly not…
Ray and Peter Lek A handful of local DJ’s – including One FM, James Warren and the house duo Beaters and Bowls – spun at clubs on Greenville Avenue over the weekend, and our after-hours lens crew was there to document all that went down. We’ve got a slide show…
It was a weekend of options, a weekend of tough choices, which you already knew if you read Pete’s column. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, because there were so many shows to choose from – but it’s Monday now and we’re all feeling…
Sit on it, Magnetic Fields. (Chris Buck) In last week’s paper, Observer contributor Elliott Johnston spoke at length with Magnetic Fields brainchild Stephin Merritt about parents, Entertainment Weekly, album titles, volume control, and plenty of other things. But what caught my eye was this little nugget Merritt shared about his…
The Roots, Gym Class Heroes, Estelle Palladium Ballroom October 11, 2008 Better than: dealing with the fallout from a long overdue nastygram to your boss… I’m the first to admit that the most I know about Gym Class Heroes is that “Cupid’s Chokehold” song that comes on the radio every…
The Walkmen and The Little Ones House of Blues’ Pontiac Garage October 11, 2008 Better than: hanging out on Greenville Avenue with all the drunken Longhorn and Sooner fans. (By the way: Way to go Longhorns! 45-35!) Hamilton Leithauser, singer for indie rock darlings The Walkmen, definitely has that frontman…
