Artists choose to write shockingly upsetting music for a number of reasons: To express extreme emotions or to provoke a visceral response in listeners or say something about a particular issue or for the shock itself. Sometimes, they’re presented as true story warnings, as in Bushwick Bill’s “Ever So Clear.”…
Kim Lenz and the Jaguars play old school rockabilly with a fire and passion that is often missing from the hordes of retro-shtick, dress up cover bands that plague many music scenes. With a campy sense of humor and a ferocious persona, Lenz is a visual and musical magnet. Although…
In 1996, Dallas’ Old 97’s played a few songs with Waylon Jennings in Nashville. Those songs never saw the light of day until Record Store Day this year, when they came out as a limited-release 7″. But now, Omnivore Recordings will be giving the two songs a wide release, along…
In July 2011, Fort Worth musician Josh Weathers dedicated a cover of Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” to his mother. It is world-class diva quality. Kessler Artistic Director Jeff Liles recorded it, and posted it on YouTube. This Tuesday, more than two years later, reddit user…
It’s time once again to start work on the Dallas Observer Music Awards — the city’s only opportunity to win a drinkable trophy*. This year’s award ceremony will be held on November 5, and the Music Showcase that accompanies it will be the Saturday before that: November 2. There will…
From Keith Richards and his swagger to Jimmy Page with his operatic solos, sexy guitarists have been dominating our minds for more than four decades now, causing fans to riot as if the guitarist itself exuded something magical. In the ’50s, Beatle-mania forced police to wear riot gear while thousands…
Earlier, we told you about the sudden, rapid expansion of Oliver Peck’s Elm Street festival. This year, Reverend Horton Heat is onboard and helping curate five days of music at three venues in Deep Ellum from September 11 to 15. Today, the full schedule has been announced. It’s below, with…
God and the devil are still raging inside of Cody ChesnuTT. He’s just making more thoughtful decisions these days. The crowded lobby of the boisterous Belmont hotel is loud with end-of-happy-hour-chatter. Cody ChesnuTT is offering me a plate of hummus and artisan flatbread that neither of us would even touch…
Dallas is home to one of the richest religious music scenes in the country. Over the summer, we’ll be attending services, both big and small, of many denominations, as well talking to musicians , directors and pastors. Plano’s only conservative synagogue, Congregation Anshai Torah (located at 5501 West Parker Road)…
Kidd Kraddick, the Dallas radio host who became a national morning fixture, will have a public tribute next Thursday outside the American Airlines Center. Kraddick died suddenly of cardiac disease in late July while attending a fundraising golf tournament for his Kidd’s Kids charity. The “Tribute to Kidd,” at AT&T…
Undeniably one of the most influential rock bands of the last thirty years, The Melvins roll through Dallas again this weekend, bringing their skull-crushing double drummer sludgey rock with them. Seeing them at Trees this Saturday night is a must. Before they made it to town, I managed to grab…
Denton’s Midlake is preparing for the early November release of its fourth album, Antipthon. The album will be the band’s first without former singer Tim Smith, and, in their new bio, vocalist and guitarist Eric Pulido describes what fans can expect from the new stuff…
Bob Schneider is one of Texas’ most singular songwriting voices. He’s a deft ballader and an occasionally unsettling wit, an artist with a discography sampling nearly every style of music his home state is known for. His most recent album on Dallas-based Kirtland Records, Burden of Proof, comes with an…
Independent internet radio station Deep Ellum On-Air prides itself on contributing positively to the entertainment scene now in the music-rich neighborhood, and finds its purpose in supporting local musicians, comedians, and the businesses. This independent internet radio station isn’t without its struggles, however. Lack of funding has taken a toll…
Last night, Josh Venable broke the news in a Facebook status update: He’s coming back to radio in a couple of weeks, but not in Dallas. He’ll be in Tulsa at Z-104.5, The Edge as the new program director and afternoon DJ. And with its alternative rock format, Venable is…
Randy Ebright of Molotov certainly stands out. Born in Michigan, Ebright ended up in Mexico City due his dad’s job as a DEA agent. Once there, he quickly connected with the local music scene and joined Molotov. Twenty years later, the guy is still drumming for one of the most…
On the afternoon of Saturday, August 3, some of the young favorites of the local hip-hop scene gathered at Revive, a pool bar on the roof of Glass in Uptown (1899 McKinney Ave.). The event included music from multiple DJs, appearances by various local rappers, drinks, hookahs and, of course,…
In 1970, twelve Christians gathered at a Dallas home to form a new church. Forty-three years later, that church, now known as the Cathedral of Hope, has about 4,400 members and around a thousand weekly attendees. The church, with about 85-90 percent of its congregation being part of the LGBTQ…
You could hear it from the sidewalk, salsa, disco and funk seeping through the Cavern’s grimy walls, wrapping itself around your legs and jarring your equilibrium out of its drunken stupor and back to it’s natural positioning. This was The Cool Out in the mid 2000’s, when a night out…
When John Lennon penned the lyrics to “Help!” on a small piece of paper, he probably didn’t think that generations later, people would frame it in a glass case and send it across America on a 12-city tour. But neither did Buddy Holly probably think his wallet with its business…
Music Critic Mario Tarradell is resigning from The Dallas Morning News today. “I want to explore other opportunities at this time,” says Tarradell in a phone conversation with DC9 at Night. He has been a music critic at the paper for almost 20 years. Born in Cuba and raised in…
Let me guess. You are clicking around the vastness of the Internet, procrastinating some pending deadline or starting that Thursday wind down before you check all the way out on a Friday, right? Well, we have treats! Actually, some Dallas artists have treats and we gathered some of the goodies…
