A year ago, local musician Kirk Thurmond was working on an album for his label, DefDisco. In May, it all came to a sudden end when the label severed ties with its Dallas office. Thurmond isn’t bitter, maybe because he’s not short of work. He’s prepping to release a new,…
Before the Hurricane Katrina hit, Marla B. Spirit was a successful musician in New Orleans, performing a blend of hip-hop and soul with a band called Soul Remedy. The city accommodated her ambitions to earn a degree and focus on her son, who was 1 1/2. When the storm came 12…
Being a DJ has become such a routine aspect of Blake Ward’s life that he can’t pinpoint the exact moment he began doing it. The 31-year-old is an established staple in Dallas’ dance music scene. His schedule is packed, but since March, he has primarily served as the regular DJ at…
Three years ago, it was Leon Bridges. Now it might be another old soul’s turn to put North Texas on the map. Local bluesman Charley Crockett announced on Facebook last night that he’s been signed by Thirty Tigers, a Nashville-based entertainment company that boasts heavy-hitters such as Sturgill Simpson as…
It was a light week in terms of new concert announcements for the Dallas area, but a couple of ace indie bands found their way to the calendar for club shows. A newish venue in The Colony broke out a lengthy lineup of shows, and a revered alt-rock group is…
If you still harbored some dim hope that Starfest would take place next weekend, it’s been officially dashed. The festival’s website ran a statement Wednesday that said the two-day event will take place in November, with the precise dates to be announced “soon.” It did not hint at a venue…
For the eighth year in a row, Lights All Night is inviting you to ring in the new year with two days of EDM-infused debauchery. And if you’re having second thoughts about walking into 2018 a hedonist, you can feel good about the ticket options the festival announced today, along…
Wade Hampton has seen it all. As DJ Wish FM he manned the storied dance floor of the Starck Club and was a guiding light of the original rave scene. Now he’s settled in Dallas, where he was involved in Ghostbar and now Uptown hotspot Sisu. He’s been helping club…
Miranda Lambert to the rescue. On Wednesday, MuttNation Foundation, an organization working to end pet suffering and homelessness, announced on its Instagram that its founder, Texas native country artist Lambert, and its team are heading down to Houston to transport any shelter animals to make room for displaced animals from Hurricane…
Six Shooter is a recurring feature in which we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians Buffalo Black — “Hustle” For years, Buffalo Black has been heralded as one of Dallas’ most thoughtful lyricists, but his music sometimes suffers from its intensity. Good for him for taking on socioeconomic and political…
This weekend, Irving’s new crown jewel, the 17-block Irving Music Factory, was set to open its music venue with an A-list lineup of shows by Dave Chapelle, Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy, Brad Paisley, Lifehouse, Switchfoot and Goo Goo Dolls. But yesterday Live Nation, which books the Pavilion at…
When local rapper Nick Whitener was asked to open for three dates of a tour by internet sensation Cupcakke, he thought about declining. He reasoned that Cupcakke and Whitener, who performs under the name Raw Elementz, have styles that are too different. But the 25-year-old, who made himself integral to…
If you’re going to the Casey Donahew concert tomorrow, bring diapers. The country music star and his team are collecting items for victims of Harvey the hurricane-turned-tropical storm, which has dumped nearly 50 inches of water on the Houston area alone. In response, Donahew plans to haul an empty cargo…
On June 15, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Concurrent Resolution 42, which designated the city of Rockwall the official Free Live Music Capital of North Texas for a 10-year period. The city puts on over 100 free concerts a year. “Music kind of permeates every part of life here in…
The album On Promenade made songwriter Doug Burr a fixture of the North Texas music scene and cracked the door for him nationally. Last week was the 10th anniversary of its release. “I remember buying three copies from him at a Belmont Hotel show he played just so I could…
Dallas almost lost one of its few remaining classic record stores earlier this year, but Top Ten Records will open for business again this weekend with a unique concept. Top Ten Records on Jefferson Boulevard will officially reopen Saturday as both a music store and a nonprofit music library for…
Last year’s smash hit La La Land wasn’t just a big winner at the box office, grossing $445 million worldwide on a production budget of only $30 million. It swept awards shows as well, setting a record for the Golden Globes with seven wins, and tying with Titanic (1997) and…
It’s been a remarkable year for Dallas music group Cure for Paranoia. In February, it performed at the Bomb Factory for Erykah Badu’s sold-out birthday show. In March, the group opened for Ludacris in another sold-out performance at the Bomb Factory. This week, the group — which describes itself as…
Buffalo Ruckus, Saturday, Sept. 2, at Filthy McNasty’s in Fort Worth. Buffalo Ruckus plays the kind of music critics have called “the perfect blend of country and rock” that is “made by musicians who take the outlaw part of ‘outlaw country’ seriously.” It’s a sound steeped in Americana mixed with…
Flock of Dimes plays Granada Theater on Tuesday, Aug. 29. In much of her creative life, Jenn Wasner walks the line. She volleys between two primary projects: Wye Oak, the two-piece band in which she’s partnered with Andy Stack for 11 years, and Flock of Dimes, the solo project she’s…
After a couple of nearby appearances, a crew of classic rockers returns to the area. The Roots break a long Dallas dry spell with an intriguing collaboration at Irving Music Factory. The fall touring schedule is continuing to shape up nicely for local music fans. On Oct. 17, Irving Music…
If you’ve never taken LSD and want to know what a good acid trip feels like, watch the video for Pearl Earl’s “Meet Your Maker.” It’s fitful and angular and giggly all at once, an astral spaz of ultraviolet confetti. Prismatic colors and neon-drenched shapes leap around, strobe lit, onto…
