Watkins and Price: Democrats or Blackocrats?

Not that the office of district attorney isn’t political anyway. In the old days when the Republican old guard dangled the local district attorney on puppet strings, the office functioned as a kind of collection agency for the well connected. Walk away from a deal with one of those guys,…

Really Stoked, Ready for Tomorrow’s Very Weird JFK Ritual

Getting pretty stoked, have to admit it, pretty revved up for the 50th Kennedy Assassination Celebration downtown tomorrow. Lots more calls coming in from the curious. Friend called from New Jersey asking if there will be a parade. Had to tell him no, sadly. They were afraid they wouldn’t be…

What Do Mexicans Want With America Anyway?

Dear Mexican: I watched the brown pride marches of the early 1970s and heard the shouts of “La Raza” and how it was going to be different now that the “Chicano” had arrived. I remember when President Ronald Wilson Reagan gave amnesty to some 5 million illegal Mexican immigrants and…

Watching JFK’s Ghost Fade Away

Over the last three years as the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination has drawn closer, Dealey Plaza where he was killed has been the setting for an ugly battle. On one side has been an eclectic army of conspiracy theorists insistent on their right to use the plaza as…

Help! Our Drummer Is an Egomaniac!

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…

White Rock Lake, Where Nature Can Merge With Fantasy

This last weekend was one of those times when you could take just about any city in the world and keep it if you left me White Rock Lake. The weather was gorgeous. The lake was perfect. Everybody was out there. Justin Terveen, photo laureate of Dallas, shot this from…

Six Musicians Who Rule Despite Their Music

Do you ever wonder about the positive qualities you may be overlooking in the artists you hate? Probably not. Who has time to dig through the details to find out who’s actually pretty cool, but an unfortunate victim of their own terrible art? Well, my friend, we do. That’s why…

Why Is Your Baby Crying? He’s Just Being a Dick, Probably.

Dave Buchwald/Wikimedia CommonsYeah, he’s just screwin’ with you.Is your infant crying? Of course it is. But the harder question to answer is “Why the hell is this baby crying?” If you’ve asked the Internet to help you, I’m sure you’re already at the emergency room. But if you’re looking for…

Matt and Justin Powers of Fringe Media on Pot Zombies and Local Punk

Matthew Powers (who plays with local punk outfit The Street Arabs) and his brother Justin run a DIY in Dallas called Fringe Media Events. They’re the ones, ahem, responsible for the locally filmed Troma movie Pot Zombies, its harrowing sequel and a new local punk fest they debuted last summer…

One Direction’s “Story of My Life”: Why This Song Sucks

Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book. In his new column, he writes about his life and times. Song: One Direction’s “Story Of My Life” History: A long time ago there were barber shop quartets…

Why Are Band Members So Pissy With Each Other?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…