Never one to drool over Meg White’s musical “talent,” I found Jack White’s switch to Brendan Benson a definite trade up. Go ahead, fillet me, but first, hear me out. With the White Stripes, Jack carries the duo, while Meg provides a writhing sexiness. But I ask–do her tribal gyrations…
Your hipster friends will never admit they watch American Idol–at least not without adding the disclaimer that they are watching it “ironically,” however that can be explained. You, however, know someone who not only knows the difference between Elliott Yamin and Bucky Covington but plans to cheer them on in…
“Life’s Little Ups and Downs,” a song made famous by Charlie Rich but actually written by his wife, Margaret, perfectly encapsulates the working class experience. It’s a song so closely associated with Rich that very few have covered it. Yet the song serves as the centerpiece of What’s Wrong With…
No matter what you thought of my good friend Sam Machkovech, many of you know by now that he’ll no longer be filling this column space. As you read this, he’s en route to Uganda (yes, Uganda) for an unexpected yet well-deserved vacation from the Dallas music scene, and we…
Modern Times? Hardly. Dylan’s third album in his current streak of artistic renewal harks back to such hoary old icons as Chuck Berry (“Thunder on the Mountain” is in melodic essence “Johnny B. Goode”), Muddy Waters (a recast of “Rollin’ and Tumblin'”) and Memphis Minnie (who earns more than a…
Although well-known for their remixes (Gustavo Santalaoralla’s “Wings,” the theme from Brokeback Mountain), San Francisco DJs Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden have elevated their skills beyond the trendy and sweaty club scene with their eponymous debut. Alternating male and female vocals helps balance the effort as Gabriel and Dresden build…
Break-ups and breakdowns are excruciatingly popular fodder for song lyrics, especially in the more poignant corners of indie folk rock. The prolific and poetic John Darnielle (who’s been performing and recording as the Mountain Goats with an ever-changing cast of musicians since 1991) has exhibited a firm mastery of this…
In a spoken break early in the song “What Makes Bob Holler,” Bob Wills answers the question in the title in inimitable style. “Well, when some pretty chick says she loves my fiddle lick, well now then, that can do the trick–ahhhh, I holler,” he says, managing to sound lustful…
There are a lot of secret Destiny’s Child fans out there. Even your most jaded hipster can’t help but shake their white-belted rump a little bit when “Bootylicious” pops up on the radio. Beyoncé Knowles’ 2003 solo debut Dangerously in Love continued the winning streak, selling millions and spawning an…
From the first notes of “Mental Cabaret” on the Polyphonic Spree’s just-born EP, WAIT, it’s clear the militia of happiness has darkened the corners. The legion’s expected brightness has been dampened by gloomier keyboards and electronic elements that swirl around a choir/band that is obviously traversing a new emotional landscape…
Rotund rapscallion Dave Thomas (not the Wendy’s guy) continues Pere Ubu nearly three decades after he first set this pioneering avant-punk group in motion. Unlike any other band that has continued, in some form or another, for such a lengthy period, Pere Ubu has yet to cough up a bad…
Rock and roll supergroups are a tricky business. Too often, they consist of has-beens reaching the lowest common musical denominator of their former groups (see Velvet Revolver). Fortunately, Denton’s Spitfire Tumbleweeds transcends mere side-project status; their gritty, experimental country is just as good or better than the bands from which…
Odds are if you’ve picked up a music rag or shopped at Good Records in the past two years, you’ve heard of Sufjan Stevens and his ambitious 50 states project. The idea of recording a concept album for every state may have been a great PR move, but it’s surely…
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Dave Barnes excels at a funky take on light rock that recalls both John Mayer and Dave Matthews. His recent effort, Chasing Mississippi, is friendly pop/soul that’s guaranteed to annoy critics and thrill his growing number of (mostly female) admirers. Aided by Amy Grant and her husband Vince…
Call this one New Weird Denton 101. There’s quite the Back to School promotional push in area venues this month, and Rubber Gloves’ Free Week is as good as it gets. Six tasty days of mixed local and national bills culminate Saturday night, with this all-local pileup that can’t be…
Zayra Alvarez was axed on national television Wednesday, August 16. At approximately 8:20 p.m. the Puerto Rican native and Dallas resident launched into a high-energy version of Blue October’s “Razorblade” on Rock Star: Supernova, but it couldn’t save her from a deftly wielded Tommy-hawk. Alvarez was tragically denied and Supernova…
“I have 20 songs already written for my next album, and I’m just getting started,” Matthew Pryor says. Seems like the front man and founder of the New Amsterdams is off to a good start…except when you take into account the fact that he hates his own songs. Wait, really?…
“One. One. One. One or two won’t do. No, I want it all.” From the moment M. Ward’s smoky, Technicolor voice kicks off “Poison Cup,” the first song on his sixth album, it’s clear that he’s reaching for the brass ring. Already one of the best singer-songwriters of the aughts,…
The first thing you notice when talking with singer-songwriter Richard Buckner is how cheerful he sounds, quite in contrast to his bottomless singing voice and brooding stage presence. “It must just be all the coffee I’ve had today,” Buckner deadpans. Speaking from his Brooklyn apartment a few days before starting…
If we’re all caught under the penny loafer of Christian fascism sometime soon, the Thermals’ vision of a hectic dash for the Canadian border, pursued by evangelical thought police, will be vindicated. As it is, The Body, The Blood, The Machine comes off a little like theories of migrant invasions…
When rapper/actor Ice-T released the first Body Count effort in 1992, critics snickered at the formulaic metal as the world at large hollered about “Cop Killer,” the “pivotal” track that was eventually removed from future pressings by the record company. Ironically, neither the rap nor metal audiences ever responded to…
Looking for a solid rap show in Dallas? Good luck finding more than one per week. Saturday’s diverse showcase at the Gypsy is the only big-time MC show for the next few days, but don’t be fooled by the lack of competition. Proven Detroit rhymester Baatin (ex-Slum Village) heads the…
