St. Vincent’s performance(s) at the Kessler Theater and Good Records this weekend were stellar showcases of the Dallas native’s ability to totally shred on the guitar, while keeping it together vocally. Only problem is, the Kessler shows were sold out.Fortunately, if you were one of the many unlucky ones who…
At 72, keyboardist Ray Manzarek has just about done it all. Best known at the keyboardist for the Doors, Manzarek has stayed busy as a performer and producer for the past three decades. Joining forces with renowned slide guitarist Roy Rogers in 2008, the duo have recorded two critically acclaimed…
In this week’s paper, we caught up with Mary Timony, the post-punk, guitar-playing darling of ’90s outfits Autoclave and Helium and currently of Wild Flag. That new outfit, unavoidably, has been given the supergroup tag thanks to its members’ impressive pasts. In addition to Timony’s credible past, the group also…
Speaking of breaking festival news, there’s some big news today out of Highland Entertainment’s camp today: The people who are bringing the ballinous, two-night, EDM-heavy New Year’s Eve affair Lights All Night to the Dallas Convention Center this year have announced that, in addition to the already-announced two stages featuring…
At 54, Johnette Napolitano sounds like she has much creative drive as people half her age. Full of energy and desire with her work as a solo artist, a collaborator and the lead singer of Concrete Blonde, listening to her is quite an inspiration. While her power was out at…
For three decades, Anthrax has been one of the most consistently interesting bands to emerge from the thrash metal heyday of the early 1980s. Founded by guitarist Scott Ian, Anthrax has always stood out among the sweaty throng. The band was one of the first metal bands to incorporate rap…
Well, I guess I lied again yesterday about being done with Dallas Observer Music Awards postings for the year. As YouPlusDallas’ Laura Stillo teased in the comments of yesterday’s post featuring the local web video production company’s take on the DOMA Showcase in Deep Ellum, we’ve now got a second YouPlusDallas-produced, DOMA-related…
When the Lizard Lounge’s powers-that-be plan anniversary events, clearly, their mind immediately turns to Moby.Back in 2008, you may recall, when the venue hosted its 10th anniversary party for its annual Meltdown block party, the club enlisted the services of the prominent DJ, musician, producer and noted gearhead. This week,…
About a year has passed since Fitz & The Tantrums made their Dallas debut at the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues, fresh on the heels of a much-discussed, breakout South by Southwest performance. From a pure output standpoint, very little has changed since that performance before a sold-out,…
Despite being just 21 years of age, country singer-songwriter Lydia Loveless has the world-weary demeanor of someone twice her age. After leaving home at the age of 14, Loveless found solace in, of all places, Columbus, Ohio, and that city’s underground punk scene. Like a lot of punks, Loveless then…
Well, we lied. This will be the last of the 2011 Dallas Observer Music Awards-related items we’ll post up on DC9 this year. Swear.Trust us, though, this one’s worthwhile. Promise. Our friends at YouPlusDallas were out and about doing their award-winning video thing at at this year’s DOMA Showcase in…
With the 20th anniversary edition of Nevermind being released earlier this year — and with the subsequent buzz it churned — it would seem we are on the brink of a full-blown grunge resurgence. But what is being somewhat overlooked in all the Nirvana hype is that the early ’90s…
If you’re a big enough Neon Indian to have ordered the deluxe vinyl version of their newest album, Era Extraña, then you’ve probably had a lot of fun playing with the PAL 198X (a mini synthesizer created by Neon Indian singer Alan Palomo in tandem with Austin’s Bleep Labs) that…
Hailing from the small, waterfront town of Anacortes, Washington, The Lonely Forest is a four-piece outfit that specializes in a quirky brand of power pop that is not much different from that of another band from that same region: Death Cab for Cutie. As a matter of fact, Death Cab’s…
Before Annie Clark was St. Vincent, before she was a member of The Polyphonic Spree and before she a member of Sufjan Steven’s touring band, she was just a girl growing up in the Dallas suburbs that took guitar lessons at the Zoo Music on Garland Road.”That’s just in me,”…
It’s been nearly a year since the devastating news of Frankie Campagna’s suicide rattled the Dallas music community. Only three months later, when the wound was still fresh, Campagna’s Spector 45 bandmate, bassist Adam Carter, followed in his footsteps.Now, a year later, the dust has settled for some, but others…
At 65, singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III is, perhaps, the elder statesmen of musicians who were tagged as “The Next Bob Dylan” in the early 1970s. But Wainwright’s cynicism and humor have always set his songs a part from the typical coffee house troubadour. Sadly, in some ways, Wainwright is probably…
Although The Bangles started out as an indie pop band associated with Los Angeles’ Paisley Underground scene in the early 1980’s, it didn’t take the band long to make major commercial inroads. By the mid 80’s, the band had released two huge singles, Prince’s “Manic Monday” and the almost novelty…
This news is already out there in some capacity, so no use prolonging its confirmation: Yes, the Observer is currently accepting applications for the position of music editor.After almost four years of holding down the role, I’ve decided to step down from my position as the music editor to pursue…
More interesting venue news to pass along this week: The Granada Theater this afternoon has announced that it will be taking over the adjacent-to-the-theater 3520 Greenville Avenue address, most recently the home of M Street Bar, to launch a new neighborhood beer garden and restaurant and bar called “Sunset at…
Since I just stumbled across the above video of Erykah Badu and The Cannabinoids just owning the stage at our awards ceremony at the House of Blues on Tuesday night, here’s one last post about the 2011 Dallas Observer Music Awards — and then, promise, we’re done. In case you…
As if Ryan Thomas Becker needed more outlets for his musical creativity, the prolific Dentonite has now added another entity to a stable that already includes his cherished solo eforts and his electrifying work in RTB2. Well, kind of. Becker’s latest project, called Ryan Thomas Becker & Last Joke, has…
