Music History

What Makes Pantera So Special?

What Makes Pantera So Special?

Some People Still Don't Appreciate Country Music. Let Pancho and Lefty Show Them the Light.

Some People Still Don't Appreciate Country Music. Let Pancho and Lefty Show Them the Light.

I support

Local

Community

Journalism

Support the independent voice of Dallas and help keep the future of Dallas Observer free.

The 12 Greatest Final Albums

By Vincent Arrieta
Nov 1, 2022

From Mozart’s Requiem to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, there's a myth-like quality to artists' final works — the one last masterpiece before departing.
Rubbernecking: Toadies Look Back on 3 Decades of Alternative Rock

By David Fletcher
Oct 26, 2022

It’s early on a Tuesday afternoon, and Toadies singer Todd Lewis is wiping down a new table in the entrance of his The Loop Artist Rehearsal Complex in South Fort Worth.
Blink-182 Is the Tip of the Iceberg: Here Are the Most Expensive Concerts in History

By Liam Gaughan
Oct 18, 2022

Everyone has a dream concert for which they’d be willing to risk life and limb for some seats. Maybe you want to see Paul McCartney while he’s still touring, or perhaps you’d be first in line to see Childish Gambino or Adele
The Creepiest Albums To Listen To This Spooky Season

By Liam Gaughan
Oct 17, 2022

Happy Halloween, Dallas! While we generally have festive Christmas tunes to celebrate the beginning of the winter season, choosing a soundtrack for the spookiest time of the year can be a bit of a challenge. It’s not like “Halloween music” is a label you’ll find on Spotify, unless you’re thinking...
Kanye's Antisemitic Tweet Gets Support From Former Rep. Jonathan Stickland, Candace Owens

By Bryson "Boom" Paul
Oct 12, 2022

Most of us can probably name more Kanye West controversies than songs. In the past few years alone, the artist now legally named "Ye" has called slavery "a choice," spent ample time criticizing his ex-wife Kim Kardashian
Perry Farrell Says Dave Navarro Pulled Out of Jane's Addiction Tour Over Long COVID

By Scott Tucker
Sep 30, 2022

It’s been almost four decades since Jane’s Addiction played their first show in Dallas, at the legendary Theater Gallery in Deep Ellum.
12 Times Established Artists Took an Awesomely Weird, Chris Gaines-Like Musical Turn

By Diamond Rodrigue
Sep 12, 2022

We've examined some of the best and worst experimental departures from some highly revered musicians over the past several decades, and if there's one thing we've learned, it's that sometimes you have to piss off, or at least confuse, a few people to stay true to yourself.
7 Punny Band Names Explained, in Case You Didn't Get It

By Carly May Gravley
Sep 7, 2022

Just as genres and fashions come in and out of style in music, so do those conventions that come into play when naming a band.
Resilient Welsh Rockers The Joy Formidable Dust Themselves Off for a Victorious US Tour

By Kelly Dearmore
Sep 1, 2022

In a few months, the U.S. men’s soccer team will face off against Wales in the FIFA World Cup finals, the biggest sporting event in the world.
Now That Nu Metal Is Making a Comeback, Let’s Admit That It Was Unduly Hated

By Garrett Gravley
Aug 30, 2022

Now that nu metal is in vogue again and it’s becoming acceptable to admit to having a deep-seated affinity for the long-stigmatized genre, it’s worth pondering what it was about nu metal that was so hated in the first place.
Circle Jerks’ Keith Morris Told a Story of a Decapitated Truck Driver in a My Chemical Romance Song

By Garrett Gravley
Aug 26, 2022

Talking to Keith Morris feels like hearing your war veteran grandfather tell cool stories about giving a fascist a swirly shortly before he stormed the beaches of Normandy with the grace of a GigaChad.
So, Is Imagine Dragons Genuinely Terrible or Actually Great?

By Vincent Arrieta
Aug 8, 2022

On December 2012, the world was supposed to end — at least according to those following the 5,000+ year Mayan Long Count calendar.
Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos Has a Real Love for Dallas

By Vera "Velma" Hernandez
Aug 3, 2022

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand has been kicking out tunes since 2001, and they still have more to give. The group just dropped a new album, Hits To The Head,
After Getting Dropped From Coheed and Cambria Tour, Dance Gavin Dance Stop in Dallas

By Chelsey Norris
Aug 2, 2022

Post-hardcore outfit Dance Gavin Dance slowly gained a following since first forming in 2005 and signing to Rise Records just one year later.
Brandon Boyd Wants to Never Stop Learning

By Scott Tucker
Aug 2, 2022

From the top of the Santa Monica Mountains, surrounded by trees, plants, foraging animals and an assortment of art supplies in his yurt, Brandon Boyd is happy.
Selena's Family Will Release Her First New Album in 27 Years With Moonchild Mixes

By Danny Gallagher
Aug 1, 2022

It's hard to come to terms with the fact that's it's been almost 30 years since the world said goodbye to the undisputed queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Perez.
10 Other Songs You Should Know by One-Hit Wonders

By Vincent Arrieta
Jul 27, 2022

A favorite pastime of audiophiles is digging for new music, and one of the most obscure vaults to be explored lies in the musical catalogs of acts known as one-hit wonders.
The Shins' James Mercer Looks Back on His Changed World 18 Years After Garden State

By Kelly Dearmore
Jul 27, 2022

If you can believe, it's now been 18 years since Natalie Portman's character, Sam, implored Zach Braff's Andrew to don a giant set of headphones.
5 Dumbest Uses of Popular Songs During Political Campaigns

By Danny Gallagher
Jul 22, 2022

We're about to start another round of political campaigning, and no doubt that means we'll be treated to many unfortunate appropriations of pop songs.
The Greatest Punk Band Names

By Vera "Velma" Hernandez
Jul 21, 2022

Many bands have been formed after would-be members started toying around with the idea of what they might call themselves.

More Music History