Move Over, Mariah: Celine Dion Is the True Queen of Christmas

If you have yet to see God and learn what it feels like to witness her in all of her preternatural, eternal glory, then presumably you have not listened to a Celine Dion Christmas album. Christmas music is a subgenre so replete with artless drivel, so seeping with sugar-drenched rehashes…

The 2019 Dallas Observer Music Award Winners

You know what they say: It’s an honor just to be nominated. And sometimes cliches stick around for a reason, as was the case with our 31st Dallas Observer Music Awards, which took place Tuesday night and weren’t so much about the awards themselves but a celebration of artistry, the…

Jack Barksdale Is Back with His Single ‘Man in the Shadows’

Jack Barksdale, the 12-year-old powerhouse blues-Americana singer-songwriter, is back with his new single “Man in the Shadows” and a music video to boot. The song, Barksdale says, is about the internal conflicts people have within themselves. “Some of these are more serious than others,” Barksdale says. “I wanted to record…

The 2019 DOMA Issue: The Year in Dallas Music

It wasn’t all bad — 2019, we mean. Sure, politics were a trash fire; tensions over policing, gender and economic inequality hit Dallas as hard as anywhere else; and if we don’t manage to throttle one another before, the climate crisis is standing by, ready to kill us all. (Ten…

We Shouldn’t Be Making Fun of Aaron Carter

Contrary to popular belief, we at the Observer actually don’t sit in our ivory towers, looking down at all the lay folk with scorn and disapproval as we kick it with George Soros and other members of the Deep State. We’re all just regular people like you who are simply…

‘Leonbridges’ and Other Bizarre DFW Bandcamp Pages

Many contemporary DIY artists and labels owe much of their success to Bandcamp for providing a popular, user-friendly platform with one of the most acclaimed payout models in the music industry. Artists such as Car Seat Headrest and Soccer Mommy used the streaming service as a launchpad, and it is…

Denton Venue Backyard on Bell Closes Unexpectedly

Backyard on Bell shuttered unexpectedly Tuesday, leaving many concertgoers of the beloved Denton music venue and bar taking to social media with speculations over why. Owner Scott Bonfield confirmed to the Observer that the venue closed for good, but declined to elaborate because of legal reasons. “We’re just calling it…

Marquis of Vaudeville Attempt to Outdo Their Last Award-Winning Music Video

Mysterious cypher boxes, Gothic locations and, of course, rock music are the puzzle pieces that interlock for Marquis of Vaudeville’s new music video for “The ENIGMA Men.” The group is no stranger to large production music videos. From the Alice in Wonderland-inspired “We’re All Mad Here” to experimental animation in…