In the early ’90s, Matt Hillyer and his band, Lone Star Trio, were packing venues with a rootsy sound about the same time that Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond were forming the Old 97’s. Since 1998, Hillyer’s fronted Eleven Hundred Springs, an old-school honky-tonk band that’s released several top-notch albums,…
In 2008, influential Canadian heavy metal forerunners Anvil finally tasted the fame that had eluded them for decades, thanks to the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Instead of becoming novelty stars who had a heart-warming yet heart-wrenching movie to their name (like the stars of The King of Kong),…
Sunday afternoon at the Webb Gallery promises to be quite the feat of synergy, which seems to be a keyword on the blog this week. The Waxahachie gallery and Good Records are combining forces to bring you Groove, a fusion of Texas music and art. The art part comes via…
Since You Me at Six is already a major success in their home country of England, Josh Franceschi and crew have now set their sights on conquering America. To that end, the pop-punk five-piece recently released Sinners Never Sleep, their most mature effort to date. Featuring intense numbers like “Bite…
Judging by Jillian Edwards’ recently released sophomore effort, Head First, the Richardson-bred singer-songwriter shouldn’t have much trouble making it in Nashville. Tunes such as “No Other Plans” and “Mind Made Up” show Edwards wiser than her 23 years might indicate. Speaking from her parents’ home in Richardson and in anticipation…
This morning our inbox had a note about yet another North Texas act given the Daytrotter treatment. Fort Worth’s Whiskey Folk Ramblers recorded a four-song-session for the website, including tracks “Pies of Old Kylene” and “Leavin’ Here.” The session highlights the band’s sinister gypsy — and, at times, klezmer — folk…
Denton’s Boxcar Bandits have been playing their warped version of Americana for just over half a decade. In that time, they’ve played countless shows and produced two albums: 2008’s Smells Like Grass and the recently released Live at Dan’s Silverleaf. And while live efforts are often perfunctory product issued to…
Mat Kearney is a crossover human. He’s had one foot in pop music (see 2006 pop hit “Nothing Left To Lose”), and another in hip-hop. His most recent album, Young Love, sees him incorporating more of a hip-hop/spoken word element than ever before. And so far, it’s been his biggest…
If you know the name Ryan Bingham, it might be because he was partially responsible for “The Weary Kind,” from the soundtrack to 2009’s Crazy Heart, which won him an Golden Globe in 2010 and released many tears from eye jail. Bingham and his band the Dead Horses have that…
Electro house musician Steve Aoki is much more than your run-of-the-mill remixer. Besides running the influential Dim Mak record label, Aoki also owns two restaurants, works with artists as diverse as Duran Duran and Drake, has a clothing line, invented his own brand of headphones and plays more than 250…
The new Doc’s Records & Vintage in Fort Worth has been open for a couple months now, but they’ve no doubt been letting all that vinyl smell settle in. Good news for record nerds and fans of that smell: They’ve finally set a date for their grand opening. On February…
Bravo, Max! has been through a tumultuous few months. After releasing Dog’s Light, the band’s fantastic debut full-length, they suddenly lost two members. Johnny Beauford, Ben Gastright and Jonathan Jackson decided to charge ahead as a three-piece and, judging by recent songs such as “Sleepy Simon,” the move is already…
Matt Pryor’s main gig is fronting The Get Up Kids, but every year or so, he decides to go the sensitive singer/songwriter route and bring a few friends along, including Bayside’s Anthony Raneri and Chris Conley from Saves the Day. They all play under the banner of Where’s the Band?…
With the excellent addition of SoCal punk supergroup OFF! to the Bro Fest 2012 roster last week comes four more acts, these being of the hazy pop variety: Maps & Atlases, Gauntlet Hair, Hospitality and Netherfriends. The subtract part: The Entrance Band and Cerebral Ballzy have canceled their SXSW plans…
A Lull is a relatively new band hailing from Chicago. In just a few years, they’ve developed a solid reputation for edgy indie pop and chaotic live performances. Currently on tour in support of Confetti, their impressive debut, A Lull seems primed for a larger audience. Speaking from his car…
On Wednesday, Pleasant Grove singer-guitarist Bret Egner was involved in a bicycle accident near Red River in Austin, when he swerved to avoid two jaywalking pedestrians and hit the pavement. Sadly, the pedestrians he swerved to avoid didn’t offer help. Egner went into surgery today to repair a shattered collarbone,…
The saga continues: From the Internet ether comes the (partial) fruits of that Erykah Badu/Flaming Lips collaboration we talked about a few weeks ago. “Now I Understand” sounds about right coming from the left/right brains of these two. Ambient, heavy-lidded, soulful and it features a sample of Siri’s vocals. (The…
For nearly three decades, singer/guitarist Anders Osborne has called The Big Easy home and the city’s musical heritage has had a profound impact on Osborne’s music. Funky and inventive, his blues are inspired by both John Lee Hooker and Doctor John, full of impressive solos and carefree spirit that goes…
2011 was an interesting year for Paul Meany, frontman for the indie rock quartet MuteMath. Not only did the band turn into a trio with the departure of guitarist Greg Hill, but Meany decided it was time for other changes as well. When work began on the band’s most recent…
The year was 1983 when Rio Room, located in Highland Park, opened its doors for the first time. The crowds of seemingly wealthy hipsters (yes, I believe they had those back then) swelled on nights when Dallas cast members and other big stars commonly graced the club.Today, not a lot…
Last week, Obama sang the opening line of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” so of course it’s been everywhere online, but last night, Old School 94.5 told me what I really wanted to know: How I could get my own ringtone rendition of it. I think Obama needs to sing…
“Well if you really wanna raise your voice to me/ It’s gonna change how I feel about you, buddy, but it won’t change me.” Lydia Loveless’ “Can’t Change Me” is one of those perfect storms, a song that rips out your heart then gets stuck in your head. It’s a…
