Judging by the overproduced songs on their Cry to the Beat EP, New York’s The Ropes play the kind of polished, electronica-tinged pop rock that 10 years ago would have had them written off as a Garbage clone. But Sharon Shy’s strong songwriting may help them avoid becoming the next…
The Cavern offers you some serious South by Southwest bang for your buck with this Austin-bound line-up. The Evangelicals, of Norman, Oklahoma, don’t seem to actually be evangelical—they’re not preaching, and we’re OK with that—but they are boasting some serious backing for their sound in the form of an 8.1…
The last track (“Monster Love”) of Goldfrapp’s fourth full-length claims, “Everything comes around/Bringing us back again,” and it’s so very true for Allison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory of Goldfrapp. On Seventh Tree, the pair transitions from TV-commercial mavens back to the lush soundscape/soundtrack composers they were on Felt Mountain—but with…
Just as his former band (Band of Horses) endured countless comparisons to other groups—Built to Spill, My Morning Jacket and the Shins chief among them—Mat Brooke’s Grand Archives will undoubtedly be likened to numerous other indie pop luminaries. On songs such as “Index Moon,” he bears an uncanny vocal resemblance…
London’s Hot Chip has a well-deserved reputation as a stellar live act that can sell out large clubs and draw huge festival crowds, but the band has struggled to make a killer record that exemplifies its members’ vast studio-equipment knowledge. Previous recordings sounded too polished, but Made in the Dark…
Invigorating avant-metal is how these boys from Fort Worth label themselves, and despite the pretense inherent in all things metallic, Urizen easily lives up to such a high and mighty description. Wisely straying from the typical metal onslaught of incomprehensible, Beelzebub-inspired vocals and double bass drum tedium, brothers Thomas and…
Just sayin’. — Pete Freedman…
St. Vincent spills the beans. Everyone’s favorite Polyphonic Spree member-turned-Sufjanite, St. Vincent’s Annie Clark,was interviewed at length by the Pitchfork folks for a Q&A the site posted on Tuesday. The piece won’t change your life, although there are some interesting tidbits thrown in there, like: – Clark learned guitar while…
Every Time I Die March 5, 2008 House of Blues Better than: Practicing your hardcore vocals with The Zen of Screaming. Download: See our slideshow and video. Every Time I Die guitarist Jordan Buckley on stage at the House of Blues Wednesday night. (Matt Mueller) The five guys in Every…
Singer/songwriter and Flatlanders member Joe Ely.As some of you know, this blog takes its name from the Flatlanders song “Dallas.” Legendary Texas singer/songwriter Joe Ely has probably performed the song a million times by now (though it was actually penned by bandmate and fellow Lubbock maverick Jimmie Dale Gilmore). We…
For an additional local music morning fix, we suggest you watch this video of Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights performing at the Granada last Saturday, March 1. Check out the intensity in Tyler’s voice. — Chelsea Ide…
We’re aching for some new Old 97’s around here. The band’s new album — its first in four years — will be hitting stores in mid-May. That’s too long. Looks like the people at Hypeful agree. The site has posted an mp3 of Old 97’s new single, “Dance With Me.”…
Team Robespierre live.I’ll admit, I’m prepping for SXSW already. I’ve looked at some schedules and the like trying to decide what bands will need attention on this lovely blog. After watching our sister paper’s “Indie Cribz” segment today, I think Team Robespierre may need our love. In the flick, we…
The official spark starting the official battle royale between Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood could be starting here, no thanks to Tony Romo. As you may know, Simpson is planning on making the move to the country music scene and was apparently none too encouraged by her beau. Meanwhile, Romo’s…
During my 3 a.m. YouTube surfing early this morning, I came across a live performance of The Simpsons theme song. I assumed it would be something along the lines of watching that kid play the Super Mario Bros. theme song on his guitar. Totally not what it was. In this…
Every Time I Die will bring its metalcore style to the House of Blues this Wednesday. Between last week and the rest of this one, it feels like we’re in metal heaven here in Dallas. Everyone from Napalm Death to Every Time I Die to Through the Eyes of the…
These guys trap reindeer? I would never, ever attempt to trap a Blitzen or any of his reindeer friends, but I would want to spread the word that tomorrow at 3 p.m., Good Records is hosting a free in-store with Blitzen Trapper. So you may want to tell the in-coming…
Does Record Hop look concerned? (Tony Wann) With South by Southwest right around the corner, area bands heading to Austin for the festival are scrambling to finalize their preparations. And at least one local act, Denton’s Record Hop, still has a fairly major unknown surrounding its impending trip southward: Will…
Our lists are frighteningly similar. And I don’t know how I feel about it. John Norris, meanwhile, seems giddy about her choices. I don’t know how I feel about that either. I definitely know, however, that this a perfect example of why MTV News has become a huge waste of…
Eddie’s under the weather. Looks like the guitar god has fallen a bit ill. Per the press release we just got from Live Nation, the reason for all the Van Halen cancellations is a suspicious mystery medical ailment of Eddie’s: “According to Eddie Van Halen’s physician, he is undergoing a…
Neeki Bey rocks the vote. With musical accompaniment from country-folk singer Annie Benjamin and CityChurch of Dallas music minister Neeki Bey, local playwright David Marquis will perform his new monologue, “The Purple Finger,” about the importance of hands-on democracy, at 7:30 tonight at CityGallery. (The term “purple finger” refers to…
Can’t we all just get along? In case you haven’t been over to Unfair Park yet today, Wilonsky spilled the beans on the fact that tonight’s Van Halen show has gone the way of the two before it on this tour, just as we’d feared. Everyone’s got the story by…
