Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, power pop maestros Sloan have never made a huge dent in America, but it seems the people who know Sloan adore them. Formed in 1991 with musical comparisons to Cheap Trick, Sonic Youth and Kiss, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, Jay Ferguson and Andrew Scott have…
September 2018 is shaping up to be a powerful month for The Carters — Beyoncé more specifically. She graced the widely sought after September cover of Vogue, celebrated her 37th birthday, and is continuing the global On The Run II tour with her husband, Jay-Z. However, on a more subtle…
“Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues / And you know it don’t come easy,” Ringo Starr sang in his 1971 hit, but one blond, long-haired Weatherford musician knows better. Jack Barksdale runs his own video web series, has been on stage with Ray Wylie Hubbard and recently…
The Spill Canvas fueled our early-2000s teenage angst with artfully depressing hits like “All Over You,” “Our Song” and “All Hail the Heartbreaker.” But the fact is, much like many of our other emo favorites, they haven’t stopped making new music. They’ve been through a few ups and downs over…
Wow. Is it already that time of the year? Yes, it is. The DOMAs are coming up, aren’t they? Yes, they are. Wow. Time flies. Yes. I should start thinking about buying tickets to the coolest showcase in all the land. Yes, you should. The presale for the Dallas Observer…
Ramin Djawadi is in a rare spot for a TV and film composer: He’s currently on a tour of arenas across the country where an orchestra plays his music and he conducts. Not concert halls or theaters — arenas where people like Adele, Rush and Garth Brooks play. This Sunday,…
Proving that the pain of having kids doesn’t end at childbirth, The Kidz Bop Tour will stop at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on Sept. 22. The live tour will feature a group of young performers hoping to be the next Britney Spears or Justin Bieber.
After nearly 50 years, 25 albums, 10 Grammys and countless miles on the road, you could forgive a man for wanting to call it a day. But that’s not Ray Benson’s style. The lead guitarist and vocalist of Asleep at the Wheel is keeping the pedal to the floor with a new album.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé take center stage this week with their highly anticipated show at AT&T Stadium Tuesday night. And there’s plenty of punk, alternative and psychedelic rock hitting clubs and theaters, including Roky Erickson, Social Distortion, Ryley Walker and more. Want something more laid back? Paul Slavens’s impromptu night at Dan’s…
“If I was your Girlfriend” remix – Doc Strange Music should evoke something. That is the magic of its design. It manifests a real feeling out of thin air. Prince’s second single from the double album Sign O’ the Times was “If I Was Your Girlfriend.” The song sounds, smells…
Texas country tunes, holiday DJ bashes and a slew of exciting club and small theater shows make up the happenings of this week’s concert calendar. If you live in Mesquite, or might be looking for a reason to travel to our area’s fine eastern ‘burb, then this calendar also provides…
Chris Esquivel, under his alias DJ Tums, is one of the special few among DJs who still loves the art of playing vinyl and is adept at the turntable. He’s skilled enough in his craft that he won the DMC regional battle this past July. He has been behind the…
Two days before the deadline to register to vote in Texas, the inaugural Buffalo Tree Festival will make one last push to encourage people to vote — especially if they’re Democrats — as well as enjoy an all-day music festival. Normally the Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas is the…
A prima facie view of Dallas might not present its electronic music scene as popular as those on the East and West coasts, but one does lurk within the city, expanding with Texas Recordings Underground, a record label founded by DJ-producer Gavin Guthrie in 2016. Abbreviated as TRU, the label…
Some people step on stage at local bars on karaoke night to sing their drunken interpretations of their favorite songs. Others karaoke to win. That’s what Mel Arizpe and Laura Carrizales did, along with 100 other soloists and 14 duet couples. This year, Arizpe and Carrizales left The Karaoke World Championships,…
Texas-born songwriter Daphne Willis will open up for one of her idols. She has been listening to Barenaked Ladies for as long as she can remember. As her career continues to grow, she feels increasingly humbled sharing the stage with artists she has looked up to throughout the years. She…
For the past two years, The Secret Factory has established itself as Dallas’ go-to techno cathedral. Literally. Some of dance music’s most respected DJs ran the controls from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. there, then the space was cleaned and reorganized for 8 a.m. church service. Artists such as Audiojack,…
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most profound experiences one can go through. Whether faced with courage or fear, it’s a moment that changes lives, both for those diagnosed and the ones who hold them dear. But change is inevitable and sometimes for the best. And the darkest moments…
Tip your hat to September with this week’s lineup of music – including ’80s metalheads to singer-songwriters to indie bands. Kicking things off is Ben Harper, who teams up with Charlie Musselwhite for an unforgettable show Monday night. The Mountain Goats play Canton Hall midway through, and rounding out the…
On Wednesday night, rock icons Def Leppard and Journey proved that even after 40 years, one can still tastefully rock out. Aging rock stars have to walk a fine line, because rock ’n’ roll was invented by the youth for the youth. Its essence is loud, its message rebellious, its…
Two original members of the 1968-era Byrds lineup are teaming up with Marty Stuart for an intriguing album commemoration show this fall. Elsewhere, two of rap’s biggest rising stars take local stages, while a jazz interpreter hits up Deep Ellum. All that and a little more in this week’s lineup…
You may not know Michael Cheney, but if you’ve been hanging around Dallas’ music scene, chances are pretty good that you’ve seen him — usually in the front and always digging the music. This Saturday, Cheney will host his 50th birthday party at Three Links in Deep Ellum, with some…
