The Dallas Observer is proud to premiere the video for Salim Nourallah’s “The Bullies Are Back.” His double-album, Somewhere South of Sane, will be released this fall on Palo Santo Records. Nourallah will also DJ the Palo Santo Showcase at the Armoury D.E. on April 28. As gun violence, political…
It takes a lot to make it in the music business. Sure, you need musical ability and stage presence and, you know, talent. But you also need to know how to self-promote. You need an image. That’s were Phantom City Records comes in. The Dallas-based record company wants to help…
Last week, XXL launched its Vote for the 10th Spot campaign, allowing fans to make the decision on who receives the 10th and final spot on the 2018 Freshman Class — the publication’s annual much-talked-about list of 10 up-and-coming rappers that XXL believes are the next big stars in hip-hop…
Six Shooter is a recurring feature in which we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians. Leon Bridges — “Bad Bad News” March delivered all the news Leon Bridges fans have been clamoring for. Fort Worth’s soulful crooner will be releasing his sophomore album, Good Thing, on May 4. He…
If you’re a musician and are not worried that a court recently upheld the verdict on “Blurred Lines,” you should be. In 2015, after a couple of years of back-and-forth lawsuits, Marvin Gaye’s family won a copyright infringement lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. The Gaye family believed Thicke’s…
Don’t shun hip-hop. Give local musicians some money. Help them figure out how to fill out city paperwork. Generally, behave less like bureaucrats. Those are some of the messages members of the Dallas music scene delivered to Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs as the city prepares to write its first…
Every musician started somewhere. And that was most likely in a garage playing music with friends. It’s that first project that fuels the delusion that music is someone’s ticket to the big time or, more modestly, an excuse to just hang with friends. More often than not, someone’s first band…
Although he’s a hip-hop legend, Talib Kweli has a humble demeanor. That was apparent Tuesday night when he stopped by Spinster Records in Oak Cliff for a meet-and-greet session organized by producer J. Rhodes before Kweli’s performance at Trees. Those in attendance witnessed Kweli’s humility in real time as he arrived…
Amy Payan is the name on her birth certificate. She’s has been on the front lines of the vinyl resurgence, slinging vinyl at Josey Records since it opened its doors three years ago. In an environment surrounded by DJ veterans and librarian-esque music nerds, Josey Records has given Payan access…
Musicians take gigs from almost anywhere. Want them to play in a dirty old bar? Of course they will. Need a musician for your company’s fundraising event? They will play it. What about a bassist who will show up on time to church service every Sunday morning to play songs…
Gavin Guthrie, under his alias, TXConnect, has released 13 vinyls on a fistful of notable labels from both sides of the ocean. One would be hard pressed to find many producers in this part of the country who have cranked out so much output in such a short amount of…
If the last several months have been any indication, the heavy music scene in North Texas is alive and thriving in a way that hasn’t been seen since the turn of the millennium. There are more bands signed to record labels than ever, and local musicians such Stefan Gonzales and…
As the ’80s continue to disappear farther into the rear view mirror, the era continues to be a source of reference for a new generation of artists. From denim jackets and shoulder pad-emblazoned fashion trends to the cinematic homages of Netflix’s Stranger Things, the decade of Reagan, MTV, and New…
Joshua Caprice fits the archetype of the journeyman DJ, with his work doing A&R for labels, promoter for events, dancer on the floor and, most significantly, as a house music producer under his stage name, J Caprice. After a year on the road as a touring DJ and seeing the…
In most situations, a DJ is hired to provide a vibe for the room by way of music selections — a curatorial exercise that relies heavily on reading the room. In most cases, requests are unwelcome if you aren’t in a dance club environment, but if you catch the DJ in…
More artists have been announced as performers in SXSW’s official music showcases, and a handful of them come from North Texas. Plenty of bands and other musical acts are sure to be announced in the next couple of weeks leading up to this year’s film, interactive media and music festival,…
If you’ve been even remotely plugged into the Dallas music scene, you’ve probably encountered John Pedigo. The Dallas native has spent time playing grunge, rockabilly and punk rock for rowdy and inebriated audiences of 10 and massive festival and theater stages where the crowds swelled to thousands. Most recently, he’s…
Flogging Molly plays March 10 at the Southside Ballroom for our St. Patrick’s Day Concert. “Enjoy life,” Dave King says once. Then again. And again. He repeats the words at least three times during a 20-minute interview. Whether he’s talking about his mother (who died more than a year ago)…
Six Shooter is a recurring feature in which we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians. Kacey Musgraves — “Space Cowboy” Musgraves tempered the usually present kitschy, retro aesthetic for this new single, but “Space Cowboy” features the good ol’ tongue-in-cheek, scathing lyrics we’ve come to love from the…
There’s a crowed driveway off Forest Lane near Texas Instruments where Aarón Mireles, bassist and lead singer of Sub-Sahara, lives. Getting to his home, where the band practices, means snaking through trucks decorated with collages of band and record label stickers and parallel parking behind a grey Pathfinder. When you…
Not all global DJ-producers leave a wake of trashed hotels rooms and one-night stands. It’s a little-known secret in the music industry that many artists are in fact (gasp) responsible. Ana Miranda, also known as ANNA, and some others even eat clean, exercise, drink in moderation, show up on time…
On Friday night, Dan’s Silverleaf played host to a packed house who braved the cold, rainy weather to attend a community-wide get-together commemorating Denton’s certification as a “Music Friendly Community” by the Texas Music Office. The night kicked off with a DJ set by musician and producer Juicy the Emissary…
