PS the Rebels call their sound Afro Hop. As the name suggests, it’s a fusion of Afrocentric music with a blend of hip-hop. Think Fela Kuti meets classic hip-hop. But it’s more than a name: Pihon and SumUiLL, the two letters in “PS,” are brothers who migrated from Kenya in…
106.1 KISS FM Jingle Ball With Demi Lovato, Calvin Harris, One Direction and more American Airlines Center, Dallas Tuesday, December 1, 2015 Every teenager you have ever known was at Tuesday’s Jingle Ball hosted by iHeartRadio and KISS FM at American Airlines Center. The teen girls — there were, like,…
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, we were getting ready to host the first-ever December version of our Dallas Observer Music Awards. Perennial DOMA nominees Sarah Jaffe and Old 97’s were squaring off for best album honors, with an upstart rapper, Blue, the Misfit, looking to score…
James Kelley is a true techno journeyman. Kelley is based in Dallas, but has taken advantage of the mobility and flexibility that comes from being a solo electronic artist to travel and play all over the country, as well as some gigs on the other side of the pond. As…
With the 27th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards just around the corner — in fact, voting is open right now at 2015musicawardspoll.dallasobserver.com — we’re highlighting some of the nominees for this year’s awards. And when we say these venues are the “Best,” don’t just take our word for it: We…
Willie Nelson Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth Saturday, November 28, 2015 After all these years, Willie Nelson is still going strong. At the ripe old age of 82, the country legend may have slowed down a bit — added a shuffle to his step, sure — but he’s still doing…
The last four years have been a wild ride for Daniel Huffman. After getting Wayne Coyne’s attention with hand pour vinyl records that are works of art back in 2011, Huffman spent interminable hours making thousands of records for the Flaming Lips. The Dallas native also spent much of his…
If you’re reading this, you’ve miraculously survived the financial and gastrointestinal trials of another Thanksgiving. Congratulations! While your stomach and wallet take the time to recover, distract yourself with a show this week. Between Danish metal legend who calls North Texas home, Glenn Beck’s favorite band and a group of…
Erykah Badu has been mighty busy lately. So busy, she’s almost given Leon Bridges a run for. Mostly the news has revolved around her new mixtape, BUT YOU CAIN’T USE MY PHONE — which dropped on Apple Music back on Black Friday — including her remix of “Hotline Bling.” But…
Big K.R.I.T. With BJ the Chicago Kid, Scotty ATL, DeLorean and Curtis Mayz The Bomb Factory, Dallas Friday, November 27, 2015 Big K.R.I.T. brought his Kritically Accaimed tour to The Bomb Factory on Black Friday. Many potential ticket buyers could very well have been shopping, recovering from shopping or arrested or…
It’s the holidays, which means we’re all in danger of getting a little cynical. Oh great, seeing the relatives. Oh great, shopping for gifts. Oh great, being thankful. The worst. But even our cold, listicle-making black hearts are capable of a little soul-searching every now and then, and you know…
For the past eight years, Keith P was best known for his goth and dark wave nights, but before that stint in the dark realm Keith was one of the most cutting edge bass DJ’s in the city. He used to be a regular at Dub Assembly where he was…
Eventually everything rewarding or worth partaking in grows out of control. It’s just a sad truth. In the early 2000s, Black Friday was a simple day of discounts to kickstart the holiday shopping season. Then it really began to become a thing as big department and box stores exploited for…
Two for the price of one. Well, maybe not for the price of, but in the space of, one. Two weeks ago, we reported that one of Denton’s most beloved music venues, Hailey’s Club, will be closing its doors on December 31. “But to become what?” was the unanswered question…
We know what you’re thinking: “A 27 Club-themed party? Damn, that’s dark.” And well, okay, maybe it is, but just a little bit. After all, rock ‘n’ roll has always had a fascination with death and, well, who wants to go to another boring-ass Spring Break or Ugly Sweater party?…
With the 27th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards just around the corner — in fact, voting is open right now at 2015musicawardspoll.dallasobserver.com — we’re looking to spend the next several weeks taking the opportunity to highlight some of the nominees for this year’s awards. And when we say these artists…
In Fort Worth, Lola’s Saloon is live music. Just off the 7th St. corridor, the bar has been hosting live music week in and week out for the last decade. Some of the city’s most memorable music events have happened in this joint, and just about every live music freak…
Thanksgiving: It’s bad. Sure, if you surgically remove the singular element of “having a big family dinner and being thankful,” it’s perfectly fine. But by now, you should know better than to put faith into the possibility of a peaceful Thanksgiving. Remember last year? When Grandma wouldn’t stop asking you…
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony With B-Real, Scarface, Bun B, Z-Ro, Slim Thug and DJ Unknown The Bomb Factory, Dallas Saturday, November 21, 2015 Getting all five members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony together is no given. The ’90s rap legends have had their share of trouble over the years, with internal conflict resulting in…
Metric With Sarah Jaffe and Hibou The Bomb Factory, Dallas Friday, November 20, 2015 Canadian synth pop stars Metric started their show at The Bomb Factory on Friday night in the dark. The recorded voice of what sounded like a goofy scientist from an ancient educational video said something about…
Fresh off his triumphant North Texas homecoming, the earnest Leon Bridges released a new original song this morning called “So Long” for the Will Smith-starring film Concussion, which opens December 25. Bridges teased the track on Instagram last month with a 15-second clip and as Variety reported at the time,…
Last week the news broke that Denton’s Hailey’s Club would be closing its doors on December 31, much to the dismay of the clubs most loyal patrons, and, well, the rest of us. The uproar from artists and fans alike was hard to miss while scrolling through social media, with…
