Nobody expected that three months into 2020 we’d be locked in our homes thanks to an insidious global pandemic. Not me, not you and definitely not community-supported nonprofit organizations. Like us, nonprofits everywhere are having to come to grips with this new dystopian reality. Many are reevaluating their game plans…
Tippy Balady doesn’t cuss. “I’ve never had a place for it in my vocabulary,” she says, the “it” referring to the four-letter words others might employ with ease. “Even in high school, when your parents expect you to start cussing, I didn’t see a need for it.” Yet sometimes people…
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the coronavirus has gotten concerts canceled faster than Kevin Spacey, and things are only expected to get worse. Thankfully, many artists are doing livestreams to help those jonesing for a live music experience, but nothing can fully replicate the experience of…
Save for the custodian buffing the already gleaming floors, the posh Southlake coworking space was empty. Or so it seemed. After a few knocks, Victoria Krath bounded to the front entrance, flanked by her husband, Matt. She wore a full face of makeup; he wore a black sweatshirt emblazoned with…
Yes, the world feels like it’s crumbling right now and we’re about to terribly mismanage what’s left of it. But, somehow, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West still managed to get their share of headlines. Let’s try to waste as little of your time with the newest Swift-West feud…
Amy Miller’s morning routine has not changed too much in the last week. She still rises and roasts, creating her own coffee like her co-worker taught her. She has an “endless supply,” so there’s plenty to enjoy before she goes to work. But now, instead of her commute, she walks…
It’s no secret that local musicians are being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bars and restaurants are closed and people are advised to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people. Consequently, concerts and all types of live performance have been canceled. This has sparked a trend in…
Nipsey Hussle’s music made him a star, but his message of financial empowerment and community activism propelled him into icon status. In 2013, Hussle launched his innovative Proud2Pay campaign, whereby he sold physical copies of his Crenshaw mixtape for $100. He sold 1,000 copies within 24 hours. Fans were rewarded with…
Do you remember Trapt? Their 2002 single “Headstrong” was all the rage back when white people wore chain wallets and sported dreadlocks with nary an accusation of cultural appropriation. Lately, the California alt-metal band has been having a Twitter meltdown of Azealia Banks proportions. First, it started with right-wing tirades…
As concerts and festivals are shut down for the time being, musicians of all stripes are taking to the internet for performances and outreach. Be sure to check your points of purchase and artist websites if you had tickets for any upcoming shows. Refund policies vary, but many shows have…
We live in a world where calamity and disarray are only being exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s moments like this when we look to seasoned experts for guidance, and to cultural figures to lend a voice to a confused generation. Tom MacDonald falls into none of these contingents,…
In the course of Justin Pickard’s musical pilgrimage, his songwriting has covered a gamut of subjects: smoking to drinking, the ins and outs of grave-robbery, love and loss, and UFOs that resemble bananas. His subjects fall somewhere in between old cult movies from the turn of the century to vintage…
In the fifth grade, 28-year-old Arlington rapper and producer Kris Minor started writing his first lyrics. His English teacher, Mrs. Billups, would grade the songs he wrote and correct any grammatical errors. As a teen, Minor continued developing his writing ability as a member of novice rap crews — one…
Leave it to Erykah Badu to find a way to entertain crowds during a global pandemic. The neo-soul icon announced Tuesday, via a post on Instagram, that she’ll be performing a livestreamed concert from her bedroom, a show called Apocalypse One, that will cost $1 to watch. The concert will…
Texas music does not fit neatly inside a box. Just as its landscape varies from arid deserts, to lonesome pines, to lush hills, so too does Texas music traverse a wide range of genres. It might best be described as a melting pot wherein artists have both honored their musical…
The term “side project” is inherently a tad belittling, really. It’s especially so when discussing a musician’s hard work, determination and artistic expression. Sure, if the artist is the one deeming their efforts outside of their primary gig a side project then it’s cool, but who are the rest of…
Our crush this week is Vera “Velma” Hernandez, a guitar-playing punk scene fixture whose music photography is so rich in grit and punch that you can live vicariously through the sweat and blood that spill from her concert shots. Also known as “Vicious Velma,” Hernandez may be tougher than the…
The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the music industry has been nothing short of cataclysmic. The ripple effect has reached A-listers and the leviathans at Live Nation and AEG, but local artists have been especially vulnerable. “I have gigs canceled through June,” says Dallas-based keyboardist Poppy Xander. “Mostly big city gigs…
Dallas based independent blogger and hip-hop curator Rodrick Rules released his latest visual for the single “Us,” featuring Que-P, 7 Tha Great, Rakim Al-Jabbaar, and N’Dygo Jonez. March 19 marks the official beginning of spring, but “Us” is a few seasons ahead, presenting viewers with Halloween-esque themes typically reserved for…
With the novel coronavirus causing Dallas (and beyond) to declare a state of emergency, and so many events to be canceled, it’s becoming harder and harder to track what concerts are still going down in North Texas. Here is a list of 10 shows that — at least at press…
This St. Patrick’s Day, you’re going to want to make your way up to Denton (where there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus) because you have got to see this. Djunah (pronounced JUNE-uh) is a female-lead, two-person noise rock band from Chicago fronted by Donna Diane, a singer and…
There are plenty of things we can recommend for your period of social distancing, but we know that you’re most likely going to strip down to your underwear and clean your house in a panic — whether you have roommates or not. And you might as well use this time…
