EDM is a visual experience as much as it is an aural one. Dallas’ Lights All Night, which has grown to be one of the largest music festivals in the state, features giant LED boards, complex lighting systems and a troupe of ethereal performers hired to enchant the crowd of…
Unlike most musicians, Sealion bassist Sam Villavert wakes up at 4:30 a.m. “It’s a ridiculous hour,” Villavert says, “but it helps jumpstart my morning and puts me in a healthier mental state.” For Villavert, 26, exercise is indispensable. Usually, she works out before her 8 a.m. arrival at Nature’s Plate,…
It’s three months away, and anticipation is building for the sixth annual JMBLYA, which is expanding to Houston this year. ScoreMore Shows just released the locations for each date of the hip-hop and EDM festival — which stops in Dallas and Austin first — as well as the majority of…
Former DJ and morning show host Jerry Lentz loved what he did for a living. Lentz, who died at age 54 on Jan. 27, was one of the first on-air personalities for the now-defunct station The Edge KDGE-FM, and he made the job look easy. “He was extremely devoted to the…
We’re one month into 2018 and the concert calendar continues to fill up. There’s good stuff ahead, including a pretty cool alt-rock/metal pairing, a classic blues double-bill, and a visit from the Vampire Weekend mastermind. Also, a local favorite hits a big stage and a couple international acts make rare…
Most DJs go through phases as their musical palette evolves, and Shawn Kasal’s DJ journey has brought him to his current alias, Mala Strana, under which he recently signed to local label Audiophile. It reflects the new, deep techno sound Kasal is channeling behind the decks and in his production…
On a nondescript cul-de-sac off of Haskell Avenue, across from the Cityplace Target, sits an even more nondescript building. Some of the biggest names in Dallas music have recorded here. Jeff Saenz started Modern Electric Sound Recorders almost six years ago. Beau Bedford of the Texas Gentlemen joined him soon…
If you have purchased tickets to a show in Dallas lately, you may have noticed a new payment option: Bravo. Some local venues, such as Three Links, are partnering with the service online. Bravo allows users to pay for goods and services without sharing personal information and without any fees…
Top Ten Records in Oak Cliff will host a special event tonight featuring electronic music pioneer Gil Trythall and Dallas avant-pop composer Lily Taylor. The late-’60s and early-’70s saw the release of a series of albums composed on a Moog synthesizer. Inspired by Wendy Carlos’ synth masterpiece Switched-On Bach in…
Six Shooter is a recurring feature in which we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians. T.Y.E. — “Playground” & All About Money T.Y.E. is not only one of Dallas’ premiere rappers, but he’s also one of its most prolific. Last year, the Oak Cliff rapper released two full-length…
Declan McKenna plays Trees on Friday. When he was just 16, Declan McKenna made a name for himself in 2015 with “Brazil,” a single he self-released on his YouTube channel. It’s a catchy tune that criticizes FIFA for hosting the World Cup in a poverty-ridden country. McKenna hopped on the…
There was a feeling of history being made Saturday night in the stagnant, sticky air of the basement at J&J’s Pizza. Minor Threat performed its first show in a basement, and other punk acts, such as Hüsker Dü, Black Flag and Social Distortion, all got their start in basements. In Denton…
Wesley Jensen hasn’t lived in North Texas long, but his time here has been vital to fulfilling his creative potential. The longtime musician packed up his life and family and made a somewhat impulsive decision to relocate from Northern California to Denton in late 2015. “When I was over there,…
Ron Campbell may not be a household name, but he certainly brought many of them to life. Campbell had a hand in animating Scooby Doo, Rugrats, The Flintstones, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Winnie the Pooh, as well the Beatles’ television series and Yellow Submarine. Now, the 78-year-old…
Do you consider yourself a Renaissance man or woman? Are you a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, with some hip hop, EDM, pop and classical tossed into the mix? Do thoughts of Dallas music, books, theater, art, TV, film, freaks (we mean that in a good…
In its inaugural year, attendance for Fort Worth’s Fortress Festival was so-so, despite a killer lineup. It drew the largest numbers for hip-hop headliner Run the Jewels, so it makes sense that for its second lineup, revealed today, the festival is doubling down on the genre. Nostalgic ’90s hip-hop acts…
Lots of goodness is coming our way with this week’s installment of concert announcements. Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Slayer, and Belle and Sebastian are just a few of the big names rolling through town. Elsewhere, a couple of cool shows work their way to Irving, the Granada Theater gets some…
Just about the time we start missing the State Fair of Texas, its music festival sibling, the Old 97’s County Fair, comes along. This week, the festival announced the lineup for its third event, which returns to Main Street Garden Park on April 14. In addition to the usual cotton…
Dallas native JT Donaldson has spent the past two decades making a name for himself as a top-notch house DJ and producer. After years of traveling, in 2011, he returned to Dallas, where he’s worked closely with Josey Records and started his own record label. New Math Records has house…
For the last year and a half, Denton psychedelic outfit Acid Carousel has been dazzling audiences with its whimsical brand of rock ‘n’ roll, which draws influence from a variety of bands, ranging from the Damned to the Shangri-Las. This Friday, the band’s new EP, Street Cowboys, will be available…
Bummer news, Say Anything fans. The emo band has canceled the rest of its tour — including shows at Trees on Tuesday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Jan. 31 — for health reasons. This morning, the band’s official twitter accounted tweeted that frontman and founder Max Bemis has laryngitis. “We are…
Heavy metal stalwart Slayer is ready for a nap. In the band’s 37-year career, it has released 12 studio albums, played thousands of concerts and won two Grammys for best metal performance (in ’07 and ’08). This week, the band called it a job well done and announced that its next…
