The Spinal Tap quip about the thin line between clever and stupid holds truer than ever in these postmodern days–really, it can be the height of arch hipsterism to elevate the utterly uncool into totally rad kitsch. And what could be squarer than the tuba? But this Austin-birthed and now…
Hailing from Long Island, this photogenic four-piece infuses its brand of emo with a modest British influence as well as a rewarding hint of ’70s album rock. Touring in support of their appealing self-titled sophomore effort, ATAL’s line-up has finally settled after losing two members last year. Vocalist Dan Nigro…
If rock bands were required to inventory their ingredients in descending order of prominence, like on a bag of Sun Chips, most would list vocals first, then guitar, then bass and drums. Math-metal godfathers Don Caballero’s list of ingredients would be noticeably inverted. Most of their songs are composed on…
The first time I ever went to famed music venue Trees was in 1997. The pony-tailed bouncer looked at my brother’s driver’s license and ran through the series of pointed questions…the ones that get asked of underage kids carrying fake IDs. My brother was tan and skinny in the photo,…
LOST: America’s Sweetheart. 16 years old. A bubbly, tumbling pixie. Last seen in Athens, Greece, wearing a captivating smile and three Olympic medals. Starbucks, of all places. Making the impossible look cutesy, Carly Patterson does a couple twisting round-off back flips and winds up stealing our headlines and hearts. Then,…
Never a good sign when movies aren’t screened far enough in advance for weeklies to review them, but in the case of a hip-hop duo’s film, how does that affect the accompanying album? Soundtrack might not be the right word, since this hour-long romp is delivered as an overt “we…
The stats alone nearly boggle the mind: 41 songs, including numbers by Roger Miller, Robbie Robertson, the late Syd Barrett, Flat Duo Jet Dexter Romwebber and Texas Playboys Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan. And 23 guests such as Jon Spencer, Neko Case, Mekon/Waco Brother Jon Langford, The Band’s Garth Hudson,…
Three months ago, Sorta accepted its first Best Act in Town distinction at the Dallas Observer Music Awards, a major validation for a band that consistently produces some of the best music in this city–but also somewhat of an albatross. Because almost overlooked in the “Best Act” hoopla is the…
Hailing from Cincinnati, this eccentric but muscular quartet features ex-Afghan Whigs bassist John Curley, but the soul of the group is singing guitarist Austin Brown. Brown’s jittery personality, fiery lead work and darkly impressionistic lyrics make All of This and More, the band’s sophomore effort, more than a sum of…
Former Dentonites the Riverboat Gamblers have recently played so often in the area, you might think they moved back from Austin. That’s fine, really; each show is a unique display of acrobatic rocktacity (and take bets on where, when and how badly someone in the band will injure himself). On…
Dentonite Mike Dillon has injected his wildly ornate percussive stylings into a host of talented and eccentric pseudo-jam bands over the years–Ten Hands, Billy Goat, Critters Buggin and Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade, just to name a few. Manhandling everything from bongos to marimbas since he was a wee lad of…
Lingering hangovers usually make for little motivation to leave the house on a Monday night, but local one-man arena-accordion-rock phenomenon turned New York sensation Corn Mo returns to Dallas to kick your Monday night’s ass. Since leaving for the big city in 2001, Corn Mo has been weaving his mystical…
Daughter of Billy Swan (known primarily as a sideman for Kris Kristofferson but who also had a wonderfully sublime ’70s pop-country hit with “I Can Help”), Sierra is a Kate Bush-inspired chanteuse who trades in confessional balladry and high-pitched theatrics, stuff that might send most reasonable sorts scurrying in search…
“So did he cry during the interview?” It’s the first question my friend asks after I spend the afternoon talking to James Hand. Uh, yeah, tears welled up in his eyes not once but twice during our talk. But then again, aren’t genuine tears the ultimate sign of credibility for…
“Mark Farner hasn’t played with us for nearly eight years,” says Don Brewer, not hiding his animosity. Brewer, the drummer and co-founder of Grand Funk Railroad, one of the most critically panned yet immensely popular bands of the late ’60s and early ’70s, has come to grips with keeping the…
After having rocked the capacity crowd at yet another civic center/sports arena, Nickelback front man Chad Kroeger and Hoobastank singer Douglas Robb retire to a dressing room. They stand in front of a large mirror while wiping off eye makeup. KROEGER: Man, that song about how you were a prick…
“Dallas fans, you have been wonderful, and we will miss you dearly,” Belafonte lead singer Brian Hedenberg wrote to the Dallas Observer in July. It was perhaps the only nice sentence in an insult-loaded farewell from a pop-rock band that said it was moving to–go ahead, guess–New York City. “But…
New Bohemians and Red Sox fans have a lot in common. Both keep hoping their team will finally go all the way, and when they don’t, which is pretty much all the time, they get their hearts broken. So have Edie Brickell fans gotten their ’04 World Series? A surprisingly…
Nick Nowell, guitarist and front man for Thorn vs. Side, one of Dallas’ freshest mixes of punk, pop and metal, is a literate and sometimes stern individual who wills this rather homely quartet beyond the generic blare that accompanies most things emo. The band’s recently released Arson, produced by local…
Possessing one of the most recognizable voices in rock, Richard Butler has delivered his stylish rasp for nearly three decades. With the Psychedelic Furs, Butler helped bridge the gap between punk and art, between the Sex Pistols and Roxy Music. His sexy mix of power and fashion continued in Love…
In one sense, Arizona nearly killed Alejandro Escovedo; in another, it saved his life. In April 2003 he collapsed after a Tucscon performance of his musical drama, By the Hand of the Father. He’d been living with hepatitis C since the late ’90s (although most people didn’t know). He still…
Dave Matthews Band appeals to a wide, albeit similarly hued, audience: white college students. I know. I used to be one. But it is a variety of white college students–from stoned Ultimate Frisbee enthusiasts and well-manicured sorority sisters to bare-footed, bushy granola chicks and circle-jerking frat guys–that have always been…
