Zebra Katz, the musical identity of artist Ojay Morgan, knows how to make an impression. “Ima Read,” his homage to New York vogue and ballroom culture, documented in the singular 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, has already caused some controversy, yet his minimalist approach only emphasizes his muse: the fiercest…
It’s all right to be a lady and feel conflicted about Nicki Minaj. The eternal dance between the business of sexuality, product placement and independent thought has driven her career, and perhaps driven her to take even bigger chances, as this year’s uneven Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded illuminates. 2010’s Pink…
Of all the shows I can barely remember seeing, the Psychic Paramount at Emo’s roughly five years ago somehow stands out. It wasn’t some barn-burner of a show, just a random night where the band was so unbelievably on, it made you clutch your beer a little tighter and wonder…
After founding New York’s Ultramagnetic MCs, an institution in underground hip-hop, Keith Thornton went solo in 1996 with Dr. Octagonecologyst. Along with his trademark moniker Kool Keith, he adopted others, including Black Elvis, Dr. Octagon and Dr. Dooom. Kool Keith’s peculiar flow ranges from raunchy to nerdy to gory, and…
See also: The Angelus, Le Leek Electrique at Dan’s Silverleaf Local trio The Angelus is playing Thursday night at LaGrange with another local featured in this column before: Crushed Stars. Expect the music to be slow, but no doubt peaceful and heavenly. The three members of The Angelus took time…
See also: The fans at Frank Ocean See also: On Frank Ocean, sexuality and the slow shift forward Frank Ocean South Side Music Hall Friday, July 20 Frank Ocean’s latest album, Channel Orange, is garnering critical praise. His recent television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was a jaw-dropper…
Tenacious D, The Sights Palladium Ballroom Friday, July 20 Before starting up their third song of the night, Jack Black commented on where Tenacious D played the last time they were in Dallas: The Bronco Bowl. And since that beloved venue is no more, Black quipped that the Palladium might…
If you haven’t been following the path of Dallas’ Ronnie Fauss over the past couple of years, you have quite the treat ahead of you. Beginning with 2009’s New Songs for the Old Frontier and most recently in 2011’s tribute collection Any Lovin’ Way But Wrong, Fauss’ four EPs serve…
This Thursday, the Denton weekly gets a little push from some other dark corners of Texas. Houston DJ Rabit drops some mystic club swerve appropriate for his city’s lineage, and celebrates his new release Terminator, which is being put out on Ben Aqua’s increasingly popular #Feelings label. San Antonio’s DJ…
A couple of years ago, Austin singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz got to open for Steve Martin, when his bluegrass band taped an Austin City Limits episode. At that point, she wasn’t even 21 yet, already had a Sugar Hill Records debut under her belt (2009’s Song Up in Her Head) and…
A year after the Identity Festival — co-founded by Kaskade and DJ Steve Aoki, and billed as the “first-ever touring festival exclusively featuring EDM” — came to town, Chicago house DJ and producer Kaskade returns. This time he’s flying solo, though fellow EDM musicians Alvin Risk and Fareoh are opening…
As Black Dotz shows are getting, according to singer Wanz Dover, “fewer and farther between,” you’d be wise to catch this great local triple bill. If you happened upon the phenomenal Ronald Shannon Jackson show at the Kessler a couple weekends ago, you caught Dotz guitarist Greg Prickett lending his…
At some point in the near future, Justin Young might end up playing in every active band in Dallas. He recently filled with Menkena while also finding time to play with J. Charles and the Trainrobbers, Auxiliary Voice, Arm Tha Homeless and the beloved Hall & Oates cover band, The…
Roky Erickson The Kessler Theater Friday, July 13 Sam was in a tattoo shop Savannah, Georgia when he heard Roky Erickson and decided he needed a two-headed dog tattoo. I spotted him at the Kessler Theater bar, and noted Sam looked very young, probably not much past his late 20s…
If loud noises and capricious amounts of alcohol could scare off the evil spirit of Friday the 13th, then the stage at LaGrange was a safe place. The Von Ehrics and Sleepin’ Rattlers took the floor with Les Pauls popping like firecrackers, and a crowd that was more than willing…
See also: Q&A with Kendall Schmidt of Big Time Rush See also: Photos from Big Time Rush Big Time Rush, Cody Simpson and Rachel Crow Gexa Energy Pavilion Saturday, July 14 Being a parent takes a lot of patience, especially when it comes to your child’s musical taste. Saturday night…
Last night I attended a new improvisational night at the Nasher Sculpture Center, led by SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts Dean and pianist José Bowen. He and his band, Jampact, played for close to an hour, dipping in and out of free jazz, funk and electronic pockets. In addition,…
A heavy but measured affair that balanced singer Casey Hess’ pained invocations with a rougher, guitar-driven edge, 2011’s Dark Water set the metronome for Dallas four-piece Descender. Doesn’t hurt that the band is made up of members of Dallas bands like Doosu and Slow Roosevelt — people do love nostalgia…
The trajectory of Dallas’ own Roky Erickson has been quite riveting. From his time in Houston psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators to being committed to a mental institution to his strange solo career in the ’80s, his story has all the makings of a Greek myth. (The 2007 documentary…
Michael McDonald, Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs will join forces and play as one big band. Pretty cool concept, especially since Fagen will get to play “Peg” with McDonald, the original backing vocalist. Scaggs, who spent time growing up in suburban Dallas, will certainly be welcomed with open arms. With…
If you’ve ever seen Irving’s own John Wesley Coleman with the Golden Boys or solo or with whomever he manages to snag as a backing band, you know his live show always holds the promise of going off the rails. Coleman’s output is sort of staggering, and he just released…
The New Orleans duo returns to town after their New Year’s Eve show at Zubar, in a much more fitting venue. Hopefully this time Miss Pussycat will do her acid-trip puppet show, as it’s always the perfect psychedelic appetizer to Quintron’s organ-grinding swamp-tech. Dallas’ Darktown Strutters play one of their…
