Does Facebook’s New Soundbite Feature Actually Help Musicians?

Your Facebook menu will be getting a lot more crowded. New audio tools and monetization for creators — lamely called “Soundbites” — will be available soon through Facebook and Messenger. Like the copycats social media platforms Facebook and Twitter are known to be, (first Snapchat-style stories, then “reels” mimicking TikTok)…

NFTs Are Taking Off in the Music Industry. What’s an NFT?

Trying to understand cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be annoying AF, but the amount of cash being made and spent in the crypto space can’t be ignored. Artists and musicians have been independently making millions of dollars by selling digital versions of their art, music, video clips, photos and…

We Talked Rap and Whataburger With Freesyling Champion Rapder

As made evident with the mass popularity of K-pop and reggaeton, language is not a barrier in pop music. Artists and bands such as BTS and Bad Bunny, whose 2021 concert tickets are on resale for $18,000, are proving that fans can enjoy music regardless of their language. This is…

American Shit Storm Wants To Be The Faith No More of Punk

A few minutes into talking to Jacob Sereno, he makes an arguable statement. “The press doesn’t cover ASS.” ASS is an acronym for his band American Shit Storm, of which he’s the lead singer. The band’s next show is on April 30 at Three Links, which will mark the release…

Dallas Artist Breakfast Goes ‘Apocalypse Chic’ With New Album

The pandemic surely kept everyone in a post-apocalyptic mood, starting with our half-covered faces and sizzling political climate. Kaylee Howard tapped into this dystopian energy through a new musical project, drawing inspiration from science fiction literature and from the scenes of one bizarro nightmare of a year. In October, Howard delivered…

Midlake’s Joseph M Breaks Out in a Solo

Joseph McClellan is a busy man. On a gloomy day in Nashville, he is rehearsing for an upcoming performance at the Academy of Country Music Awards, where he’ll help open the festivities backing Miranda Lambert and Elle King as they perform their duet “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).”…

No, the COVID Vaccine Didn’t Kill DMX

On April 9, the world lost rough-voiced rapper DMX. He was 50. Born Earl Simmons, he claimed his spot in hip-hop around the world in the 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as “Slippin'” and “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” The rapper had reportedly suffered a drug overdose and died a…

10 Songs From Boy Bands That Actually Slap

Whether we like to admit it or not, boy bands shaped the music industry and pop culture. The OG boy band, The Beatles, practically invented the “fangirl” prototype. While the Fab Four quickly matured into a rock band, they undoubtedly paved the way for New Kids on the Block, *NSYNC,…

Devante Fields Rejects the Gang Life for Nonviolent Hip-Hop

What happens when you make a video and it goes viral? You run with it. That’s what Devante Fields did after releasing a music video for his song “Regrets” in 2011, which received hundreds of thousands of views. He was in high school at the time, and more than five…

4 Texas Psych Bands for Your Soundtrack to Another Trippy Year

Only one genre seems to befit the mindfuck caused by a trippy pandemic year: psychedelic. The genre has expanded within the last few years as artists explore different forms of psychedelic sounds within trap, trance, drill and more. This musical evolution continues as independent artists embrace the “new wave” by drawing…