On Sunday, Dallas producer-impresario Sikwitit premiered his highly anticipated documentary #DallasUp to a bustling audience of musicians, press and tastemakers. The viewers filled two theaters at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar Street. The film follows Sikwitit as he assembles 13 Dallas-based producers from his Sound Collectiv group — including Blue, the…
The three-day Free Underage Cool Kids Fest got underway in Denton on Friday, with the mission to engage an oft-neglected demographic: teens. For many involved, it was their first foray into the world of local music — for the attendees and organizers. The inexperience showed. For starters, noise complaints beleaguered the event…
Well, it’s been a hell of a week, Dallas. While the country continues flinging mud via social media regarding President-elect Donald Trump (and while we ALL get used to saying, and typing, “President-elect Donald Trump”), maybe disconnecting for a night or two will do us some good. Because no matter…
Perhaps you’re a vet of the Dallas music scene and you’re looking to show us a thing or two. Or perhaps you saw Almost Famous in high school, and ever since you’ve been waiting to get a break like William Miller, who manages to embed with a rock band and learns…
Dallas rapper Nate Joubert, also known as Nature Nate, isn’t sure who laced a blunt he was smoking with PCP, and he’s really not concerned with finding out. The 20-year-old has his suspicions, but for the last nine months his primary focus has been regaining his mental health since inadvertently…
Sal Castaneda is riding the wave of vinyl resurgence under the nom de plum Flash45s. Over the past decade there has been more attention paid to the niche of the vinyl 7-inch format more affectionately known as 45s. The format is particularly inviting for DJs since it is a singles…
“I’m a high school drop out and a two-time art school drop out,” says Aaron Barker, the former guitarist for the Street Arabs. “I think that qualifies me to be in a punk band.” The Street Arabs disbanded this summer after five years together. Barker has now embarked on a new endeavor,…
North Texans really like beer. A short drive around these parts will reveal a plethora of independent breweries, craft beer stores and bottle shops featuring the best and latest creations being developed and issued. The only thing close to edging out our love of beer is our love of live…
Where has all the time gone? It’s already a week into November, and that means the Dallas Observer Music Awards are less than a month away. With the showcase taking place on Dec. 3 and the awards ceremony three days after that, we’re nearing the home stretch. Which means it’s…
The holidays are generally a busy time for orchestras, but this year’s the exception for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Its musicians have been on strike since Sept. 8, protesting pay cuts that would have placed their salaries $20,000 below the national average, equivalent to what they were paid in…
At 41, classical pianist Eva Brandys just released her first EP to tell the story of her life. It’s an EP that almost never happened, for many reasons, but now she hopes to create many more songs. Brandys, who grew up in communist-era Poland, started playing piano at 8 years…
Celebrated Texas drummer Joe Cripps has been missing from his Arkansas home for two weeks, according to police and family who are asking for help in locating him. Cripps, the former drummer for Denton-based polka band Brave Combo, was reported missing by his family and last seen Oct. 19 at…
Christy Ray has had a front row seat for the DJ world since she was a child. Exposed to the inner workings of the DJ booth by her mom, DJ Spinderella, she is prepared her for her own career. In the past year that journey has seen her pop up for…
Thursdays are a night of show-and-prove for local producers. On that day every week, Crown & Harp on Greenville Avenue plays host to Beat Assembly, a monthly meeting of musical minds. It’s one half party, the other half a workshop of original instrumentals. Producer battles aren’t anything new, but hip-hop…
Dorrough Music is now the only hip-hop artist in the world whose merchandise is sold at an NFL team’s official pro shop. Last week the Dallas Cowboys announced a collaborative merchandise deal to sell the rapper’s hat and t-shirts. This partnership is only the third of its kind, following Drake’s…
Six Shooter is a recurring feature where we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians. The month of October is supposed to bring in the fall weather but that didn’t really seem to happen. You can, however, start to hear the fall mood in some of this month’s releases,…
The Off The Rails Country Music Fest today announced the lineup for the the 2017 show in Frisco, and it certainly has a more than a few A-list names. Miranda Lambert is headlining Saturday’s show, with the crowd warmed up by Tyler Farr and Justin Moore. Sunday’s show features Cam,…
Earlier this month songwriter Alejandro Escovedo invited the Observer to his Dallas apartment to discuss the long road he’s traveled between albums. During the visit he played an acoustic rendition of “Heartbeat Smile,” the first single off his new album, “Burn Something Beautiful,” released today. Recorded in Portland, Oregon, the…
A year after it happened, Chris Penn is still in a slight state of disbelief that the original Alice Cooper group reunited and played the record store he co-owns, Good Records. On October 6, 2015 the man born as Vince Furnier played with surviving members drummer Neal Smith, bassist Dennis…
Jonathan Graham has been a staple of local music since his teens, under his alias DJG. Graham had a long-running residency at Hailey’s infamous ’80s night. He’s a family man these days, but still manages to get out and play special events and guest slots under his new monicker, DJ Nowadays. Graham is known for…
The newly opened Lounge Here on Garland Road and the boutique under construction next door could be regarded as departures for the woman who owns them, Julie Doyle. She’s the co-manager of the choral rock band Polyphonic Spree, but Doyle sees these new outlets as just another medium to reach…
Nine months after their messy public break up, popular Dallas hip-hop duo A.Dd+’s final project will receive a posthumous release later this month. The 12-song Nawf America, featuring a star-studded cast of local rappers and producers, is out Friday, Oct. 28 via their former label High Standardz. It’s the locally-acclaimed duo’s…
