As torrential thunderstorms spanned North Texas one day last August, a petite woman stood clutching a clipboard on the large wrap-around porch of a colonial-style home in Munger Place. The two-story house was the seventh setting for one of Sofar Sounds’ perpetually secret locations in DFW. Musicians hurriedly lugged gear…
The way in which Dallas singer-songwriter Ronnie Fauss was “discovered” by the folks at New West Records is pure old-school. It was an acoustic in-store gig at Houston’s famed Cactus Records, which caught the right ears and led to the next chapter in Fauss’ career. Certainly the in-store performance was…
Live music is like food. Sometimes you want fast junk, but occasionally you want the dish unhurried, richly textured and profoundly delicious. Montreal’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor are progenitors of the “slow music” movement that emerged in the late ’90s, and after a 10-year hiatus, the band has reformed to…
R. Stevie Moore has been labeled a “lo-fi hero,” a DIY messiah for cassette culture hawks, but in reality, his music is pop in its purest sense. He has more than 300 releases to his name, and has managed to be more efficient in his 40-year-career than most acts backed…
With their newest album, 2, out on the streets, Denton rock two-piece RTB2 will headline a very well-balanced set at LaGrange. You have Fort Worth’s Ice Eater, a promising five-piece that blends the bounce of Talking Heads with the melodies of Sting’s early solo records. Then it’s Dallas’ Nervous Curtains,…
If a bluegrass festival happens and mandolin maestro Sam Bush isn’t on the bill, did bluegrass really happen there? To be clear, there are plenty of worthy bluegrass acts to round out a solid lineup, but it’s tough to imagine a festival feeling and sounding complete without the man many…
Within the bowels of the ’90s reunion machine, Ohio’s Afghan Whigs are one of those bands you never really expected to be spat out again. Their 1993 LP, Gentlemen, was perhaps a high point, full of tightly wound guitar confessionals and singer Greg Dulli’s tortured lyrical jags, which perfectly mirrored…
Tum Tum & Big Tuck, A.Dd+, Dustin Cavazos, DJ Sober vs. DJ Q Thursday, November 8, at Dada Tickets for this show, which promoters Top Shelf Shows and dCc are calling “The Day Dallas Stood Still,” have yet to go on sale. If it wasn’t enough that Dallas rap legends/former…
In the last couple of years, the BET Hip-Hop Awards have proven to be the most ironic awards show on television. There’s little to no merit in an artist actually taking home an award anymore, unless you get the I Am Hip Hop lifetime achievement honor. The most important accolade…
For a band that has only been around a couple of years, Milo Greene has already garnered some positive press and some cool touring partners. You may have caught the band last month when they opened for the Walkmen at the Granada; now the band is back for a headlining…
We know you know what to do at the Austin City Limits Festival, but we’re not positive you know what not to do. So, here’s a list of 50 don’ts for your ACL weekend: 1. Don’t try to look like you’re from Austin. Austin knows you’re a poseur. 2. Don’t…
Are you a musician? Is your band having issues? Our new advice columnist, Fan Landers (a.k.a. Jessica Hopper), is ready to give you Real Talk about any problems your musical outfit might be having — whether professional, practical, or sartorial. Send your problems here; confidentiality is assured, unless you want…
Chicago’s California Wives, featured most recently in a commercial for Sharpie, will grace Dallas on Saturday, when they open for Stars. Jayson Kramer took some time out to share with us about being on Vagrant Records, museums and touring with Stars. Since you’re on Vagrant Records, I’m curious as to…
Nick Curran passed away on Saturday, October 6, after a two-year battle with oral cancer. He was just 35 years old. After touring with Dallas rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson when he was barely in his 20s, Curran moved to DFW from Maine to back Kim Lenz and the Jaguars. More…
Welcome to Ask a Failed Musician, in which I will help struggling musicians make sense of their careers and even offer some advice. Whether or not it will work, who knows? It obviously didn’t work for me. But then again, I was on Kimmel once, so there’s that.Dear Failed,My band just got back…
Index Festival Trees Friday, October 5 & Saturday, October 6 Since the beginning of 2012, the music festival landscape has included 35 Denton and its Labor Day weekend Hot Wet Mess, Memorial Day weekend’s Homegrown Music & Arts Festival in the heart of downtown, KXT’s Summer Cut in early June,…
Late last month, Fun Fun Fun Fest hosted its Texas-wide scavenger hunts, in which teams checked off a list of “challenges” in order to win passes to the November festival. In Dallas, our intrepid intern Christian followed some Raving Lunatics around, as they dutifully got their nipples pierced and helped…
Mind Spiders, Lenguas Largas, Occult Detective Club Monday, October 8, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios When Mind Spiders’ front man Mark Ryan transitioned from the studio to a live band in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air for the DFW punk scene. Since then, he’s steered clear of…
Last week, we alerted you to our 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees. Today, we’ve got the yankin’ lineup for our showcase on Saturday, November 10, which serves as the big ol’ drunken party in Deep Ellum before our November 13 awards ceremony at House of Blues. Take a look…
Dinosaur Jr. The Prophet Bar Saturday, October 6 It’s a tale that’s been repeated throughout the history of rock: a washed-up band comes to town to promote new album, fans demand the familiar old stuff and a journalist writes a negative review. At Saturday night’s Dinosaur Jr. show, this old…
Def Rain, Cool Womb, Know Nothing Party, Gravies and the Main Dish Sauce Macaroni Island Sunday, October 7 About 30 bodies huddled in the converted garage at 2311 Houston Place on Sunday night for Macaroni Island’s second house show. With its concrete floors, track lighting and egg-crate foam padding, the…
St. Vincent and David Byrne McFarlin Auditorium Sunday, October 7 Musical collaborations among established artists usually don’t work. Sometimes there’s too much baggage of past success to overcome, or the resulting product is just a novelty that didn’t bring out the best of the artists involved or satisfy any fanbase…
