History will remember Ben Kweller with a tampon stuffed up his nose. The 24-year-old songwriter plugged in and rocked out during his Austin City Limits Music Festival performance this past year after his “allergies” induced a nosebleed that gushed blood on the keys and his guitar while he battled through…
Even thought he was a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for more than a decade, Coco Montoya remains one of the most underappreciated old-school blues guitarists. Touring in support of his most recent disc, the fiery and soulful Dirty Deal, Montoya has always been an equal to genre heavyweights such…
After more than a decade and eight albums, everyone should understand and appreciate the underlying equation of Philadelphia hip-hop group the Roots’ Game Theory: Black Thought delivers socially conscious and soulful lyricism, old-school-style, the charismatic ‘froed one Questlove bangs some of the best beats in the game, while Hub, F…
The young men of Old Crow Medicine Show scored a minor hit in 2004 with “Wagon Wheel,” a reworked Bob Dylan outtake that easily ranks among the best country songs of the ’00s. With its wistful fiddle line, soaring harmonies and timeless refrain, the song easily established OCMS as one…
As reported on many blogs across the DFW musical world, the list of local bands accepted as official artists for this year’s South by Southwest festival came out recently. It was critically panned by bloggers, hipsters and everyone in between, and I gotta say, I’m right there with ’em. That’s…
Charity alert: Apparently, late winter and early spring is the season for altruistic music events. Take the just-announced Girl Parts show at Sue Ellen’s to be held Friday, March 16. The Girl Parts is three ladies (Liz Clark, Julie Loyd and Melineh Kurdian) who hee-haw and yee-haw their way through…
It’s messy outside. Despite the slick roads and freezing temperatures, foot traffic is relatively heavy in John Gasperik’s living room. Two shaggy hipsters return from a trip to the ATM and quickly exchange freshly dispensed cash for a snare drum and a guitar. As the hipsters head out, a father…
The music of Madeleine Peyroux can best be described as a timeless exploration of history, herself, collaboration and the spiritual force of music. Last year, the release of her third album, Half the Perfect World, found her at ease among all these themes. “I think that was very clear, that…
It’s Grammy night. Having just finished a rousing medley of the Police’s greatest hits, guitarist Andy Summers, drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist/vocalist Sting gather backstage to bathe in the afterglow of yet another reunion performance. SUMMERS: That felt good. COPELAND: Not bad. Not great, but OK. STING: You managed to…
Ladies and gentlemen, he’s your reality TV hunk of shorn head and 5 o’clock shadow. He’s the man who was hell-bent on making even the music of Cash and Manilow sound like that of a brooding “er” band. He’s your Am-errrr-ican Errr-dol, Chris Daughtry! After enduring Daughtry’s sordid takes on…
Mayor Ken Corley, the esteemed chief of Brazoria, Texas, called for a measure last month making the uttering of the N-word an offense, punishable by a hefty fine. As expected, this decree never got off the ground—something about amendments, the Bill of Rights and other general uselessness.Well, we believe that…
Wu Tang & Friends: Unreleased is almost exactly what it presents itself to be, though a more accurate title might be Friends & Wu Tang. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, U-God, RZA, GZA, Masta Killa and Method Man all turn out in some shape or form in this collection of…
Side projects, especially those featuring members of nondescript emo bands, are not usually known for being earth-shattering propositions. And despite a few moments of genuinely twisted vision, Cobra Starship is no exception. Fronted by Midtown’s Gabe Saporta, the band’s videos (including the title song from the overhyped mega-flop film Snakes…
Apostle of Hustle’s sophomore release doesn’t have the folkloric feel of its 2004 predecessor, Folkloric Feel. Heh, heh. Frontman Andrew Whiteman’s affinity for Caribbean drums and Cuban guitar flourish is still thoroughly present, though it’s decidedly less predominant. Any one of the resulting 12 fuzzy, often spacey, indie-rock folk songs…
Last Saturday night, the death knell of Deep Ellum reached all the way to Lower Greenville. The stomach-churning news that another legendary door was closing—Gypsy Tea Room—was being digested, even as dozens of people milled around the lobby of the Granada Theater, waiting for the likes of Smile Smile, Faux…
Last week, intangible rumors solidified into cold, hard fact: On March 31, the Gypsy Tea Room in Deep Ellum will close its doors for good. The casual observer cannot say he or she did not see this coming. The Tea Room’s parent company, the Entertainment Collaborative, filed for Chapter 11…
Lemonheads’ founder and pop/punk pretty boy Evan Dando couldn’t care less about his upcoming birthday or about reaching an age that is often considered a dividing marker between young and old, between the hipsters and the geezers. “Turning 40 means about as much to me as turning 10,” says Dando…
This Valentine’s Day playlist comes straight from the heart. It’s also pressed on limited-edition vinyl, which is why there are only 10 songs. “Light My Fire,” Al Green Whether you like the music of the Doors or you think they sound like somebody’s fat, drunken uncle howling alongside a mildly…
I once tried to write while listening to Lady Sovereign and wound up hospitalized for two weeks. Last month former Pitchfork-er Chris Ott admitted playing wallpaper-y fare such as Aphex Twin, Stars of the Lid and Brian Eno for his newborn daughter because “the long-form nature of ambient music and…
You have to admire an ambitious rock band, even if you don’t really want to listen to its music. Cougar is such a band. Titling its sound “emergency rock,” Cougar gives listeners a synthesis of aural and visual (through album photographs) experience, experimenting with all manner of traditional and nontraditional…
At 60, Bob Seger should be enjoying his later years riding his Harley across Michigan, content to live on his reputation as one of the best rock singers and songwriters of the ’70s and ’80s. Despite the automobile industry’s incessant use of his music, there is no denying Seger’s notable…
Established in 1996 by producer Chris “Peanut Butter Wolf” Manak, Stones Throw serves as a benchmark for innovative hip-hop music. This compilation, originally released last year as an in-store exclusive through Guitar Center, arrives at the height of the Los Angeles-based imprint’s popularity. It collects underground hits (Lootpack’s “Whenimondamic” and…
