Before Mel Gibson’s image as a drunken anti-Semite became permanently seared into the public’s collective memory, he was Hollywood royalty and, as such, was a natural pick to star in the 2000 romantic comedy What Women Want. In that film, Gibson assumes the role of a promiscuous advertising executive who…
Tonight, the Texas Theatre will show its last viewing of Lords of Chaos, a biopic about the dark origins of the black metal genre in Norway directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Åkerlund, the one-time drummer for extreme metal band Bathory, also co-created the screenplay for the film from the 1998 book…
A verbal contract, the old joke goes, isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Even Bronze Age tradesmen had the foresight to write down the terms of their agreements. Yet Dallas creatives in the 21st century are still struggling to learn this lesson. In Texas, oral contracts can be binding,…
With the release of Forever, Josh Fleming has now led the Vandoliers for four years, spanning three full-length albums of country punk raucousness. The twangy, genre-bending group has become one of the best countrified outfits in town, which is a considerable feat, given that before he created the Vandoliers, Fleming…
In the six years or so since breaking on the scene with her debut EP, A Sea of Split Peas, Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has seen her star continuously rise. With insightful lyrics centered on the frailties and anxieties of daily life, she fires off confessionals that resonate with folks…
This week catch lots of touring acts including synth-pop artist John Maus; rock ‘n’ roll legend Kiss; stoner rap outfit Cypress Hill; and alternative band Muse among others. Plenty of locals top the list as well, like Erykah Badu’s sold-out birthday bash at The Bomb Factory on Friday night and…
The line to see Poppy on Friday night wound down the pavement until the House of Blues was no longer in view. Normally, there’s a common theme to the people in the line. But this wasn’t the case for YouTube star Poppy’s crowd. There were parents with children next to…
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is everything you want in both a band name and a live show. It’s a religious experience. We say that 99 percent literally, because if you do an actual analysis of their lyrics, you’ll notice subtle and not-so-subtle Bible references that go way deeper than “Cocaine Jesus.”…
A pretty stellar group of artists have just made plans to head this way over the upcoming months. We’ve got Grammy and Tony Award winners, local favorites and longtime legends all packing DFW shows into their calendars. Beck earned two Grammys last weekend as his recent album, Colors, took home…
The DFW music scene now more than ever is jam-packed with talent across all genres. DFW musicians are achieving an elusive trifecta of diversity, quality and quantity. We’ve compiled a list of artists who are the textbook definition of up-and-coming. Others are more well-known with established careers. What they have…
If Nickelback is the low-hanging fruit of online mockery, then Insane Clown Posse is the long-forgotten peach that fell from the tree and has been rotting for so long that not even the newly produced mold spores want anything to do with it. What is it about ICP and their…
DJ-producer Eric Luttrell’s new album on the Anjunadeep imprint and corresponding album tour isn’t the height of his greatness. The album Into Clouds is just the latest highlight in a lifetime of legendary moments. As a senior at Woodside High School in Woodside, California, he was awarded the coveted “Everybody’s Friend”…
After nearly five years, Fort Worth party metal band Duell has finally delivered a new 10-track album filled with bangers and anthems. Futureless shows more concern for the listening experience than the band’s raw, booze-fueled 2014 release Back to Drunk. And this approach works well to create depth and range…
Face to Face may forever be thought of as a pop-punk band, but they’re not afraid to show other sides that sound nothing like the genre. The band has been together since the early 1990s, and today they’re a band that plays full-on punk rock shows in addition to acoustic/country-tinged…
At 24, singer/songwriter Nick Fabian is starting to make a name for himself in Nashville. He was born and raised in Texas, the child of two Dallas Wind Symphony players, so music is in Fabian’s blood. His sound is a fusion of country and pop, inspired by his time between…
Elizabeth Cook is talking about geography. Specifically, the striking similarities between her native Central Florida and North Texas. “There are parts of Florida that are quite similar to Texas. Especially the inland part where there are no beach tourist towns and it’s instead cattle ranch land,” the singer-songwriter mentions. “I…
Beau Bedford remembers what it feels like to be trapped by the music machine. The music producer and Texas Gentlemen ringleader was only 19 when it happened to him. His band, Envoy, caught the eye of a producer at SXSW, who promptly signed the band to a production deal. “We…
Sunday night, the Recording Academy hosted what they and many others call “Music’s Biggest Night” at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. While the lion’s share of the Grammy Awards were handed at an afternoon ceremony before CBS’ broadcast, several artists with ties to North Texas enjoyed a decent chunk…
Bliss is scarce these days. The relentless drumbeat of grim news, wretched behavior and ugly attitudes can make moments of unadulterated pleasure feel even more intense than they might otherwise. How else to explain exiting the Granada Theater into Dallas’ frigid dampness early Sunday morning, yet feeling as if you…
A near-death experience kept Ben Kweller away from music for years, then the death of a close friend brought him back. As he releases a new album this month, called Circuit Boredom, he isn’t afraid to talk about anything. “I’m so excited,” he says with a joyful tone in his…
There are plenty of musical Valentine’s Day date opportunities this week, including post-hardcore outfit Cursive on tour supporting its latest release, Vitriola; Ben Kweller at Dada on Monday night; alt-rock darling Courtney Barnett at The Bomb Factory; and more. Cursive With Summer Cannibals and Campdogzz, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11…
If you were to make a short list of bands that shaped music during the post-Vietnam era of the 1970s, Fleetwood Mac is arguably top five. While Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles and a host of others were easily holding down the rock ‘n’ roll, Fleetwood Mac found massive…
