Critic's Notebook

Monday, Dallas Hope Charity announced the purchase of a new transitional home for local LGBTQ youth, which will be named after late Power Trip frontman Riley Gale.

Yella Beezy will be making an appearance at Friendship-West Baptist Church in southern Dallas on Election Day, in an effort to entice young voters to cast their ballots. The hip-hop artist, who has millions of streams with singles such as “Headlocc (feat. Young Thug)” and “Restroom Occupied” with Chris Brown,…

Every famous musician with a story worth telling (and even some who don’t) is bound to get the Hollywood treatment. Films based on the life of famous performers aren’t a new trend, but the past few years have seen a noticeable uptick in musician biopics, most notably Bohemian Rhapsody, which…

A common question asked of many songwriters is whether the music or the lyrics come first when crafting a tune. Typically, the artist replies with something along the lines of “Well, it just depends, really, there’s no one set way to write a song.” For Jackson Scribner, such a question…

California band Trapt, best remembered for their alt-metal hit “Headstrong” and now known as a band whose slogan is “Make America great again,” are having a MAGA meltdown on Twitter after their Dallas show was canceled. In March, the band cooked up Twitter beef with Dallas metal band Power Trip…

Artist Regina Marsha’ Gulley used to use every drug in the book. Alcohol, weed, cocaine, you name it. Gulley (who uses they/them pronouns) was an addict with no plan to stop, and no idea how to even try. Then, in the late summer of 2017, they woke up in a…

If there’s a single word that epitomizes Kaatii’s musical ethos, it’s “synergy.” The 14-year-old Dallas-based singer-songwriter (pronounced “Kahh-tee”) this week released “Afraid of the Dark,” a shockingly comfortable song about being naturally uncomfortable –– just in time for the early sunsets, mysterious creaks and chilly nights of the season of the…

A virtual Tarrant County court trial held in September went viral over the weekend and brought renewed attention to a 12-year-old Fort Worth rapper with a criminal history. The juvenile, who has gone by the stage names Lil Rodneyy, Baby Savage and 30Shotz, allegedly committed arson, shot a 1-year-old baby…

Nestled into a faded commercial strip tucked into a side street on Denton’s downtown square, Vinyl Lounge is easy to miss. The unassuming red and blue sign over the door is no indication of what patrons can expect when they step inside Denton’s newest bar, which is anything but understated…

Your week in music news, in case you missed it: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians released their first single, “My Power,” off the upcoming album Hunter and the Dog Star this Wednesday. This week we announced the 2020 Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees. The 32nd annual event will be a…

Dallas-based singer L25 has spent a lot of time trapped inside of her mind. Even before COVID, she had spent years reflecting on her life and undergoing necessary transformations to improve her own quality of living. Now, she is using her music as a means of recovery. Born Sarah Ledford,…

2020 has challenged everything we knew to be good and constant about the world, so let us do our part in restoring a sense of comforting continuity: the Dallas Observer Music Awards will take place this year. Before your imagination runs wild, know we won’t try to Flaming Lips it…

People are rolling their eyes at Ice Cube, and The D.O.C. is rolling his eyes at people who are rolling their eyes at Ice Cube. Last week, news circulated that the legendary N.W.A. co-founder was working with President Donald Trump on what the president called the “Platinum Plan,” a campaign…

Performance artists faced massive setbacks through the pandemic as restaurant, bar and venue closures left them primarily unemployed.  Songwriters, DJs and other creators of music may have found ways to write and expand their online presence during quarantine, focusing on their original content on streaming platforms or livestreamed performances. Cover bands…

Ken Welker, owner of 13th Floor Booking, has not let the challenges of the year get in his way. With the booking agency, Welker has found that adaptability is the game to play in the fight to keep the live-event industry afloat. Drive-in, virtual, outdoor, socially distant and intimate shows…

Avid moviegoers and concert fans have at least one thing in common right now: angst. Even with some socially distanced theaters opening in Texas and a number of concerts with limited seating available, fans of live cultural events have experienced a drought of new content since shutdowns began in March…

When musician Natalie Schlabs was a kid, she and her three brothers would gather around their grandfather to hear a little music. The family relished large gatherings, and Grandpa Gerald’s guitar-strumming was a staple of the evening. He liked Johnny Cash, but had no time for The Beatles, whom he…

When he’s not campaigning for office, JJ Fenceroy can be found, more than likely, strumming a guitar. The 50-year-old retired Air Force veteran, who made the rounds at art shows and open mics before COVID-19, is also running for Arlington City Council. Fenceroy grew up around music, he says, and…

Dallas music fans mourned the passing of two music legends this week. Houston-born singer Johnny Nash will always be remembered for his 1972 hit “I Can See Clearly Now.” Eddie Van Halen, who died after a long battle with throat cancer on Oct. 6, is remembered for his incredible versatility…

On Thursday, The Telegraph ran a story whose headline reeked of hollow clickbait but nonetheless posed a question worth pondering: “Would John Lennon have been canceled?” The legendary Beatle and counterculture icon would’ve turned 80 on Oct. 9 had he not been murdered by Mark David Chapman on Dec. 8,…

Psychedelic music has become almost omnipresent. It was birthed out of the marijuana and mescaline-fueled writings of the Beat Generation, distilled into the powerhouse of surrealistic expression with the advent of LSD and the hippie movement and lives on today. The genre, it seems, will endure long after our high has…

Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the guitar. “Revolutionized” may be a strong word, but it’s accurate. The iconic guitarist, who died Oct. 6 at the age of 65 from throat cancer, was one of only a handful of guitarists to pick up the instrument and make the entire guitar community place…