The obsession with keeping it real and demonstrating player status overshadowed hip-hop’s early wit, but these two artists mark a return to the boasting that made Straight Outta Compton a classic. Childish Gambino, the project of Community star Donald Glover, is long on pop-culture references and swagger. Across his half-dozen…
If you missed The Relatives last month as part of Bridge-o-Rama, you’ve been granted another divine chance to see the light. The West Dallas gospel-funk group put on a marathon set that day, filled with songs from 2009’s Heavy Light Records retrospective, Don’t Let Me Fall, as well as a…
Drummer Alvin Fielder has one of those origin stories that makes your jaw drop, having played with the likes of Sun Ra and Kidd Jordan. His technique is something to behold as well, bobbing and weaving and defying gravity. Most recently, he collaborated with Oak Cliff free-jazz patriarch Dennis Gonzalez…
Although New Jersey’s Real Estate do not possess a great name, the four-piece makes up for it with rock and roll that’s engaging and reflective. The band’s 2011 sophomore effort, Days, refined their sound just enough to earn them critical acclaim and, like fellow New Jersey outfit The Feelies, Real…
Tatsuya Nakatani Smoke and Mirrors Art Gallery Tuesday, April 3 Drummer Stefan Gonzalez and saxophonist Mike Forbes opened last night’s intimate gig at Smoke and Mirrors, which I was bummed I missed, but Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani more than made up for it. He is a natural force, and it…
Four-piece Jonquil hails from Oxford, England, and while they’ve played the states before, they’ve never played Dallas.They land at The Prophet Bar on Monday, April 9, opening for Keep Shelly in Athens, and touring behind their debut LP, Point of Go. Drummer Dominic Hand took some time out to share…
The-Dream South Side Music Hall Friday, March 30 A lyric from one of Terius “The-Dream” Nash’s songs, “Form of Flattery,” came to mind during his Friday show: “If you’re surprised you’re here/ It means you shouldn’t be here.” Although I tend to feel out of place at pop shows, a…
The concept of Hotel Tesseract is spatial, with eight “rooms” filled with stories, just like any other brick-and-mortar hotel. Except this one also features visuals by VJ S(eye) and the musical accompaniment of Longear, with special guest Paul Quigg; Laura Harrell and Trey Pendergrass of Romp Almighty; pianist Adam Pickrell;…
The dominant theme in Terius “The-Dream” Nash’s library is love. His albums — Love Hate, Love vs. Money and Love King — declare his passion with raunchy, blithe bravado, but behind the persona, The-Dream is a prolific songwriter and producer, collaborating often with producer Christopher “Tricky” Stewart. His portfolio includes…
This inaugural Deep Ellum “folk-alternative event” promises to take an “under-appreciated genre” and showcase it in an “underrated, historic neighborhood.” I wasn’t aware folk was so misunderstood and in need of a makeover in Dallas, especially since there seem to be between 10 and 15 bands that could be categorized…
When did Eisley get so old? Just a couple minutes ago they weren’t even allowed in the clubs they were playing, and now the Tyler five-piece has more records and tours than musicians twice their age. Their most recent full-length, The Valley, came out in early 2011 on Equal Vision…
If you’ve been around Deep Ellum for the past six months, you’ve probably heard about Nicholas Altobelli. This weekend is no different, as he’s a part of the first annual Deep Ellum Big Folkin’ Festival, along with The O’s, Telegraph Canyon and Dovetail. Altobelli shared his first show experiences with…
Perfume Genius Dan’s Silverleaf Monday, March 26 “Thank you for being sad,” Mike Hadreas said last night. “Thank you for staying sad throughout the whole show.” Fine, you got me. I’ve been on a sad music kick lately, and seeing the Seattle singer and pianist at Dan’s was just the…
Todd Rundgren House of Blues Monday, March 26 Billed as a “greatest hits” tour, Todd Rundgren’s show last night at the House of Blues was a textbook presentation of his professionalism. Even dogged by a nasty cold and throat issues, Rundgren and his band delivered over two hours of classic…
Amanda Shires Dan’s Silverleaf Saturday, March 24 It’s a little surprising Amanda Shires isn’t a country supernova yet, and more surprising she has no representation, not even a tiny indie label from her native Texas or current home of Nashville. She started playing the violin at the age of 10,…
Sara Radle once fronted the San Antonio power pop trio Lucy Loves Schroeder and started her own Dallas label, Jeez Louise Records. These days, the Los Angeles transplant is on tour, promoting her fourth solo LP, Same Sun Shines, out on Jeez Louise. As a preview of her show at…
Bro Fest 2012 Club Dada Sunday, March 18 Five years in the making, Parade of Flesh’s Bro Fest doesn’t seem to show any signs of wear. Sunday’s overcast morning only helped set the stage for a full day of growling, screaming and headbanging spread across three stages and 12 hours…
The last few days, our indefatigable music critic staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we’ve been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests to downright lame. Below, you’ll find their submissions…
From the looks of it, the St. Patrick’s Day Concert with Ryan Bingham was not for the weary kind (see what I did there?). Somewhere in between the SXSW chaos and the Mark Cuban-Saved-Parade, we got a batch set of photos from the scene from photographer Jay Barker. The scene,…
So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick’s Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we’ll let you know which shows weren’t so hot. Find our…
If you’re familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the chaos, Village Voice Media’s roving music…
Photos Courtesy of SXSWBruce Springsteen’s Thursday started with a keynote speech in one of the big ballrooms at the Austin Convention Center, and ended with a mythic three-hour set at ACL Live across town, in front of a few thousand people cooing “Bruce”. The keynote and the show went hand…
