From the icy depths of, um, Dallas comes Kólga, a band that mixes black metal with surf rock and performs in custom-made sea monster masks and Hawaiian shirts. “I’ve always been a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft,” says singer and guitar player Glib Mongo, aka Jason Mullins. “So, I wanted…
Déjà vu washed over songwriter Andrew Jones like a tidal wave the day that Kobe Bryant died. The way the country collectively mourned this larger-than-life celebrity reminded Jones of the death of another superstar: Michael Jackson. When Jackson died in 2009, it seemed like the whole world grieved — Jones…
It’s 6 o’clock on a Monday evening, and Dallas surf punk quartet Loafers are about to start their 5 o’clock band practice as soon as their drummer Adam Locklear arrives. This particular evening is set to be a short practice. The band just wants to run through the set in…
Although there’s certainly more to the story of how Chadwick Murray became the lead singer for local soul band Bastards of Soul, the Dallas music veteran sums up the essence of his journey and current status rather succinctly. “So, yeah, after 30 years of being involved in music as a…
From all outward appearances, Celine Dion is unmarred by time. Her eyes — beaming at the near-capacity audience from one of several enormous video screens — sparkle as ever. Her wide, white smile beams munificently at all who gaze upon it. Her muscular arms gesticulate freely, piercing the air to…
The first thing you need to know about Famous Exchange is that they are more than a band. Sure, they are a trio of musicians who play shows, produce songs and release them into the world. Sometimes those songs get a serious lift from the Spotify algorithm. Sometimes they get…
In Miss Americana, Netflix’s newest documentary about pop star Taylor Swift, the turning point of the movie comes when Swift sits down with her parents, Andrea and Scott, and tells them her plan to finally voice her political opinions. “Why would you?” Scott Swift asks his daughter. “I mean does Bob…
The sound of music will not only get louder in the Dallas Design District, but also a lot clearer and crisper. All thanks to Live Nation Entertainment’s newest music venture: The HiFi will be a two-story, 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art concert venue that can seat up to 1,000 fans to showcase both…
There are plenty of big acts rolling into town this week. Celine Dion and Miranda Lambert will be jamming at American Airlines Center. Dashboard Confessional and Periphery will take over the House of Blues. Then there’s Wolf Parade and The New Pornographers in Deep Ellum and so many more. If you…
In the hurly-burly of the holiday season, the news might have just slipped past all but the most attentive North Texas music fans. On Dec. 20, 2019, the Fort Worth-based quartet known as Black Tie Dynasty played its first show in more than six years at Dallas’ Double Wide —…
We’ve got some heavy-hitting artists heading this way in this week’s concert announcements. Read ahead for details on artists ranging from veteran psych rockers to up-and-coming pop artists to some Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Dallas’ SOLUNA Festival will bring The Flaming Lips to town for an April 19…
Some artists go to great lengths to bring together a space where their creativity can thrive, spending large sums of money (often while living on lackluster means) to create studios that allow for the freedom of expression, not just for themselves, but their friends and guests. Whether it’s to create…
Twenty years ago, Carl Newman was a 30-something, still-aspiring rock star from the Vancouver area who as founder, creative force and bandleader of The New Pornographers, was working on their debut album, Mass Romantic. Now 51, living with his wife Christy and their son Stellan in an idyllic setting in…
Waco-based hip-hop producer Symbolyc One (or “S1,” for short) can look back on a life of astonishing achievement, but as far as he’s concerned, he would not have developed the lofty bully pulpit he stands comfortably on were it not for God or, on a more tangible level, those peers…
In a scene that can easily become overrun with the same look and same sound repeated ad nauseam, Dallas-based band The Roommates breaks boundaries. The band consists of Mallory McAdams on lead vocals and guitar; Lonnie Shields on bass and backup vocals; Marisa Saltzgiver on drums; and Jesse Johnson on…
Jam bands aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. The name itself tends to conjure up images of directionless guitar solos and a general lack of musical stability. TryMore MOJO is not your typical jam band, but they’ve had to deal with the stereotyping before. Keyboardist and vocalist Leland Kracher remembers one…
Screw making lemonade — Denton rapper AV the Great ( real name Christopher Avant) turns lemons into gold. One night when Avant was a college student, a blackout on his street inspired an impromptu block party. When the cops arrived to quash the fun, he returned home. But soon, the…
While the options for a fun night out in Dallas are seemingly endless for millennials (and *shudders* Gen Zers), does the city really cater to the Gen X-and-up crowd? Whether you’re out in Deep Ellum, Uptown or Bishop Arts, you’re guaranteed to find a venue filled with people born in…
Oklahoma psychedelic rock behemoths the Flaming Lips have aged to be the envy of almost every artist within the genre, for reasons that vary between flawless albums like Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and the fact that the band has stayed in the mainstream eye for over 25 years. Given…
North Texas, along with the rest of the world, was rocked to its core on Sunday following reports of the untimely death of NBA Icon Kobe Bryant. The 41-year-old retired Los Angeles Laker, along with his daughter, 13-year-old Gianna Marie-Onroe Bryant and seven other passengers were killed in a Helicopter…
This Sunday, the event that the Recording Academy calls “Music’s Biggest Night” took place at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and while DFW artists enjoyed a gratuitous spotlight just like last year, actual Grammy recipients from our neck of the woods were few and far between. The most prolific of…
The most dangerous thing that can happen to an art form is for it to be treated gently — relevance calcified into reverence. There is no doubting Dwight Yoakam’s devotion to country music — his was a poignant presence in documentarian Ken Burns’ sprawling 2019 assessment of the genre —…
