Voxtrot singer Ramesh Srivastava has something of a reputation for hopping around in a spastic dance during his band’s live shows, and you can’t really blame the guy. His band specializes in super-catchy retro pop that channels the melodies of the Smiths and Joy Division into upbeat, swinging indie rock…
Why is Merle always third in the list? When people talk about country legends, it’s always Johnny Cash, then Willie Nelson, then Merle Haggard. Hell, his body of work is just as impressive in historical scope and musical significance; his sly and wise hobo persona has never overshadowed ballads as…
If apocalypse rock became a movement after Godspeed You Black Emperor!, L.A.’s Red Sparowes are definitely the next generation, surfing on boatloads of atmospheric dread and bombastic, foreboding riffs on their debut record, At the Soundless Dawn. But when these guys talk about apocalypse rock, they really mean it. “The…
If a club show could be likened to a sandwich, The Valentines’ Saturday night set was like a slice of off-brand bologna between two pieces of bland white bread: familiar, kinda satisfying but nothing special. The night started with a generic country-rock band fronted by former Polyphonic Spree French horn…
“We’re from Denton fucking Texas!” Skin Trade lead singer Mike Melendi shouted between songs. “Not Dallas!” In a way, this shout was a call to arms for the Denton showcase, making sure everyone in attendance knew that the best Dallas concert of the week was courtesy of little D and,…
If fans want anything from their OK Go, it’s not maturity. Up to now, their music was as fun to listen to as it was to watch, like in music videos where the guys perform synchronized dance steps to their rock songs. Heck, this is the band that wrote “C-C-C-Cinnamon…
Influenced by, of all things, teenage death ballads of the ’50s, the Nebraskans in Mayday actually fly closer to alt-country than they may care to admit. “Booze and Pills” would have sounded at home on an ’80s Mekons release, while “Continental Grift” is a dead ringer for Cracker. Bushido Karaoke…
There it is again, that staccato beat copped from Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control,” which is rapidly becoming the “Funky Drummer” of indie dance rock. It’s the pulse behind Windsor for the Derby’s “Empathy for People Unknown,” which harnesses luscious synths and subdued vocal harmonies atop the familiar broken thump…
When members of late ’90s Dallas bands join forces, it’s easy to expect a local supergroup. So it comes as a surprise that Sons of Sound’s Chris Bonner (guitar, vocals) and Vibrolux’s Kim Pendleton (vocals), older and wiser, have returned with a new band as average as The Disasters. The…
Jeff Wade
Brave Combo is, hands-down, the most dependable band in local music. They almost always play “The Chicken Dance,” they never fail to start a party in concert and they add another platter of polka goodness to their merch table nearly every year; their 26th album in 26 years, Holidays, arrives…
With an instantly recognizable style and a body of work as substantial as any session guitarist, Adrian Belew makes a rare Dallas appearance. For three decades Belew has played and sung on some landmark recordings, from David Bowie’s “Lodger” and Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” to the revamped King Crimson’s…
Let’s be frank: If only a few years ago MTV announced a meeting between Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and three former Guns N’ Roses members, Gideon Yago would probably report live from a methadone clinic to break the story. But Weiland, guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer…
As a founding member of the Knitters, John Doe is often credited as one of the inventors of alt-country. Just don’t tell him that. “Hogwash,” says Doe when informed of his status. “No one band can be credited for anything. I mean, even the Beatles were trying to write songs…
This week, we offer a special guest column in remembrance of Austin’s Randy Biscuit Turner. On the eve of a highly anticipated art opening, with his face on the cover of the Austin Chronicle and his name on the lips of every punk rocker in town, Randy “Biscuit” Turner, the…
No sol no más: As of 6 a.m. Thursday morning, Clear Channel says “adios” to 97.1’s “Sunny” format and “hola, ¿ que tal?” to “La Preciosa.” The station is switching formats for the second time in 16 months, which proves that switching from The Eagle’s hard rock format to soft,…
Death Cab For Cutie was bound to go major eventually. What’s remarkable is that it took so long for the Bellingham, WA band to make the jump to the big leagues, as it has at last with Plans. This is the band’s fifth LP, six years removed from its first,…
The “woohoos” in “Sympathy for the Devil” have been begging for the high and lonesome treatment ever since the Stones laid them to tape in 1968. So when Danny Barnes launches into the tune five songs into Get Myself Together, it’s nothing short of exhilarating. With just his banjo and…
Just a few years ago, hopes for a Wrens tour through Texas were as optimistic as hopes for a new Wrens album. Neither had happened for nearly seven years until the New Jersey four-piece finally put the finishing touches on its home-recorded masterpiece The Meadowlands, an album that might’ve languished…
Let’s face it–bad press and gossip about Deep Ellum hurts local music. It’s one of those vicious cycles–banter about crime and unseemliness increases, fewer bands book shows in the historic downtown district, people complain about the lack of good bands, fans stop seeing shows, etc. etc. etc. I visit Deep…
In concert, Jon Mikl Thor wields fake swords and foam war hammers in mock battle with masked opponents. He also bends steel bars between clenched teeth and sings heavy metal songs about how mighty he is. Even stranger is his age–this 51-year-old Vancouver bodybuilder and self-proclaimed “rock warrior” is returning…
On March 13, 2005, Slobberbone was done. Singer Brent Best, guitarist Jess Barr, drummer Tony Harper and bassist Brian Lane finished their decade-plus run with a three-hour concert at Dan’s Silverleaf in their hometown of Denton, and a remarkably international crowd visited to say goodbye to fan favorites like “Billy…
