When the 16th season of NBC’s The Voice came to an end, a local singer won her shot at the big-time. North Texas added another notch to its reality show winner belt last week when Frisco’s Maelyn Jarmon won the 16th season of the NBC singing competition The Voice along…
Nine out of 10 of this week’s best concert picks take place over the weekend, so there’s really no excuse not to check out at least one. Catch local polka kings Brave Combo on Friday night at Andy’s Bar as they celebrate 40 years of playing together, or E.B. the…
Lots of good stuff has popped up on the local concert calendar this week. Read ahead for gig announcements from leading lights like Sleater-Kinney, Ryan Bingham, Todrick Hall and much more. Back and better than ever, rock ’n’ roll heroes Sleater-Kinney are heading out on the road for an extensive North American…
Last year, if you followed the social media activity of Dallas rapper-by-way-of-Waco DQ Hampton, you probably noticed his regular use of the phrase “The Build Up 2018” as a mantra and/or hashtag. This referred to a series of activities he planned for himself to further his career: honing his craft,…
Mr. Pookie, author of “Crook 4 Life” and “Smoke One,” a couple of ’90s-era megahits that lent hip-hop cred to Dallas — North Dallas, at that — when conventional wisdom deemed South Dallas the origin of all our rap. Before speaking to us on the phone, he apologizes and asks…
Jade Nickol hated her first single. Looking back on the song, titled “Best Friends,” the 19-year-old singer-songwriter seethes with palpable frustration. “Even my mom didn’t like it,” Nickol says. “And when your mom doesn’t like it, that’s like, damn.” “Best Friends” is a country song Nickol felt forced to make…
The hip-hop scene in North Texas is as vibrant as ever. In terms of skill and diversity, local artists can hold their own against any major market. Rappers are signing with major labels, producers are winning Grammys and are sought after by A-list figures in rap and R&B. It’s no…
Hailing from Louisiana, Dallas-based rapper and R&B singer Topnotch4real is on a mission to bring his brand of soulful R&B sounds to the forefront. Born Louis Taylor, Topnotch4real is multi-talented, but he focuses his time on writing songs and producing his own instrumental tracks. This summer, he plans to share…
Tucked away on the far west side of an old Dallas office building is a spot where the Deering family helps bring music to life, through a space called Acoustic Kitchen Studios, fit for small live shows and recording sessions. The studio itself is in stark contrast to its own…
Hip-hop is a genre where established artists become talent scouts and use their bully pulpit to develop the careers of younger artists, continually filling the genre with rising stars. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, for instance, rose from obscurity after Eazy-E took them under his wing. Kanye West got his feet wet as…
If you’re a music fan in North Texas and you’re not following your favorite record store’s social media accounts, you’re missing out. Sure, it’s nice to know which new releases the shop has on its shelves every Friday, but that’s not the real gold to be had in most cases…
If you’re a local music lover, chances are you’ve seen The Effinays playing somewhere. They’ve done their time at festivals, outdoor shows and venues. And with major successes, sometimes come public fallings-out. Audiences were saddened to hear of the news that they were calling it quits in fall 2018 after…
Oscar-winning director Spike Lee is officially a fan of Dallas hip-hop. Four years ago he selected Buffalo Black’s song “Enter the Void” for the soundtrack to his movie Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. Yesterday, via Instagram, Dallas’s prodigal emcee So-So Topic, announced that Spike Lee has chosen his song “Expl0de!”…
Enjoy your extra day off this week with a Memorial Day show with singer-songwriter Danny Worsnop at High & Tight Barbershop. Catch Japanese band Mono at Club Dada on Wednesday night with Emma Ruth Rundle. Snow tha Product plays new music at Trees on Thursday night, and the Dallas Zoo…
The Nashville folk-pop duo Freddy & Francine will soon be hitting the stage at the newly opened FireHouse Gastro Park in Grand Prairie. The music venue-restaurant-coffee bar combo held its grand opening earlier this month, but the duo’s show on June 1 will mark the first performance on the spot’s…
TLDR version: It’s a group of rappers improvising verses.
We’ve got Erykah Badu performing with special guests, Texas blues riffers coming to town and a couple of nice reunion shows heading our way. All that and more ahead in this week’s concert announcements. Erykah Badu is joining up with the Dallas Symphony for an aptly named “Hometown Jam Session.”…
Early in the Wednesday night show at Granada Theater, The Drums’ Jonny Pierce told the packed Dallas house, “This is the second to last show on this tour. This is exactly the kind of energy we needed to keep us going.” The energy the band received matched the one that…
It’s a dream scenario for any band trying to get off the ground: You cut some demos, pass them around and wind up working with a respected producer who digs your sound. That’s what happened to Holy Roller Baby, a rock band made up of Austin and Dallas musicians. There…
This Sunday, Sue Ellen’s on Cedar Springs will host its 20th annual Suesapalooza Festival. Every year, Sue Ellen’s hosts a variety of musicians and vendors for a queer-friendly music festival held in the parking lot of the famous lesbian bar. Over the years, Suesapalooza has become a household name in…
To step inside the American Airlines Center Tuesday night was to enter a hall of mirrors. On stage, white-hot pop superstar Ariana Grande cooed, belted, sashayed, dipped, twirled and reclined her way through a briskly paced 90-minute set. Off stage, from the arena floor to the rafters, a sold-out room…
Every independent artist — at least those who want to make a living at music — must climb a mountain that seems insurmountable at best as they figure out on their own how to produce, protect and monetize their art in an industry that grows more complicated all the time…
