Texas’ own Jana Hunter gave us goosebumps with her 2005 solo debut, Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom, but it wasn’t until she moved to Baltimore a few years later and formed Lower Dens that she seemed more comfortable in front of the mic and behind an electric guitar. Nootropics, the…
There are no surprises on ZZ Top’s new Rick Rubin-produced EP, Texicali. It sounds exactly like a ZZ Top album. That’s not oversimplifying: After 40 years as a band, they’ve created their own brand and absorbed a die-hard fanbase. I’ll probably get run out of Texas for saying the EP…
Seattle’s Beat Connection pay Dallas a visit tonight on the heels of their 12-song debut, The Palace Garden. We talked with members Reed Juenger and Jarred Katz a few weeks ago about the first time they bought a CD, the first time they toured, and what they expect from their…
Neeks, Night Game Cult El Sibil Saturday, June 16 Often, when there are six people on stage at a hip-hop show, you’re in trouble. You get some limp attempts at verses, some blunted flow, too many stoned rappers bumping into each other. Neeks, who performed at Oak Cliff art space…
See also: 20 shots from LMFAO at American Airlines Center At least 57* opening acts preceded LMFAO’s RedFoo and SkyBlu at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. They brought with them a live band (shocking, right?), a DJ, the show-stealing Quest Crew dancers, several scantily clad female booty-shakers, a…
The Weeknd House of Blues Friday, June 15 Let me get the technicalities out of the way: Abel Tesfaye sounded incredible on Friday night. The full band only enhanced The Weeknd’s drippy-druggy tracks and brought a new dimension to his sound. Updated arrangements added a sonic weight to The Weeknd’s…
Look at those “do-ers” over at the Texas Theatre: They landed a page in The New York Times a couple of weeks ago, and now they’re putting on their first-ever film festival. You can check out the screening schedule at oakclifffilmfestival.com, which includes a Saturday night music video competition at…
Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has been mysteriously brewing since he started recording and uploading songs to YouTube in 2010. Drake gets a lot of credit as the tipping point for his popularity, but I’d argue The Weeknd’s trilogy of free releases — House of Balloons, Thursday and…
It’s the record release party for The Wolf You Feed, Riverboat Gamblers’ latest effort, and it’s a Friday at LaGrange, one of the best venues to hear punk rock and take in the Elk Lodge atmosphere. The Gamblers always bring a good time with their high energy rock and roll,…
House music fans will be converging upon the grand reopening of this historic east Elm venue not only because renowned DJ Miguel Migs and singer Lisa Shaw will be performing, but also because it’s one of Brooke Humphries’ new clubs. The local entrepreneur, who also owns Barcadia and Beauty Bar,…
It’s been two years since Seattle synth-pop duo Beat Connection released their debut EP, Surf Noir. The album, steeped in post-beach rock, pre-sea punk ocean imagery, boasted themed tracks like “In the Water,” complete with ocean sounds and steel drums, and provided the perfect soundtrack for the summer. Two years…
Bryce Avary, the man behind The Rocket Summer, has been doing his project for more than a decade now. On the heels of his latest record, Life Will Write the Words, he returns to Dallas on Friday, with States and The Scene Aesthetic. En route to San Diego from Las…
H20 Music Festival Cotton Bowl Saturday, June 9 See also: Scenes from the H20 Music Festival I stood at the entrance of the “House That Doak Built,” watching Dallas Fire and Rescue workers help a middle-age Hispanic lady onto a stretcher, and I couldn’t help but think about how much…
Gillian Welch Majestic Theatre Saturday, June 9 In this week’s paper, Gillian Welch let us know what the live show might be like, when she described her recording process to us. “My favorite sound on Earth is the sound of voices and instruments combining in the air. We let it…
Christopher VictorioEDC ravers[Update at 2:48 a.m]: Also see: – Slide show: Electric Daisy Carnival 2012: Day One – Slide show: Electric Daisy Carnival: More From Day One – Slide show: Electric Daisy Carnival 2012: Day Two EDC is over for the night. Organizers are waiting for crowds to thin out…
Calivn Harris.Dance music is fighting for its soul. The charts are filled with tracks (Rihanna, Flo Rida) that borrow from the ecstatic trance and pulsing grooves of electronic dance music. The last time pop was so infatuated with the dance floor was 1979, the year disco died. This time around…
Kaskade.See also: Our Complete Coachella Coverage Dance music is coming to an arena near you: Kaskade will be the first DJ ever to play Staples Center (July 27). And mainstream concert promoters such as Live Nation are diving into the electronic dance explosion. Electric Daisy Carnival, which is being held…
Steve Angello / FacebookIn early spring, a Twitter beef erupted between DJ Sneak, a Chicago house music legend, and Steve Angello, one-third of the DJ supergroup Swedish House Mafia. Sneak called SHM’s music “fake shit” and said they “do not play house music” — as in, real house music. On…
Santigold House of Blues Wednesday, June 6 Santi White is a charmer, and she had the audience under her spell from the first notes of “Go,” which opened last night’s show at House of Blues. Her stew of dancehall (queue the reverb), electronica, rap and dub begs the body to…
YACHT’s 2011 release, Shangri La, pieces together a summer synth album perfect for poolside lounging, even if it’s in contrast with their existential themes. The duo takes its acronym–Young Americans Challenging High Technology — seriously as they go about creating some of the most memorable electro-pop in the last year…
Locals Blackstone Rangers have gone from a duo to a quartet to a trio in the span of a couple years, but despite the fluctuation, they’ve managed to fine-tune their distorto-pop sound and put out a new EP. Into the Sea will be released via local label/promo venture Dallas Distortion…
Ozomatli’s style-hopping, multicultural blend of hip-hop, rock, funk and Latin is the perfect example of cross-pollination for Univision’s inaugural H20 Festival. While the L.A. group’s elements may be a mélange, and their five albums a series of costume changes, it comes together in a singular idiosyncratic character, which anyone who’s…
