Dallas Observer Mixtape with Stone Castle

Shawn Kasal has been a DJ for only a few years, but it’s clearly his calling. Under the alias Stone Castle, he spins and produces techno in support of local DJ crew Lolo and as a guest on other DJ nights throughout town. Unlike many DJs, Kasal has a background…

Former One Direction Member Niall Horan Is Coming to Dallas

One Direction members are better apart than they ever were together. If you disagree, then the second you listen to each member’s solo attempts, you should be ready to agree. Or you’ll see for yourself in November, when you see Niall Horan in concert in Dallas. For anyone older than…

Is This the End for Tripping Daisy?

Last Friday night in North Richland Hills, Nytex Sports Centre hosted its inaugural concert with recently reunited Tripping Daisy, which played what was likely its last concert — at least for a while. “Maybe in 18 more years we’ll have another reunion,” frontman Tim DeLaughter said to an ecstatic crowd…

Music News: Lee Fields, Damian Marley, Ted Leo and More

Although there were no major stadium or arena concerts announced this week for Dallas, several club and theater dates of note were released. A few influential names in the soul and R&B circuit, two stars with international roots and acclaim, and an old indie rock friend are all joining this…

Hanging with Garland Garage Rock Band Thyroids at Their Rehearsal Space

Playful noise is emanating from a warehouse in the industrial district on the edge of Garland. Inside, the trio Thyroids is practicing. Kenneth Ramirez riffs sharply and sings with a rambling howl tuned into Deborah Tamayo’s bass and Mark Bitner’s calculated drums. The group recently released a tape titled Oh…

The Best New Music in Dallas

Six Shooter is a recurring feature where we highlight six new releases by North Texas-based musicians. Vandoliers — “Endless Summer” Cowpunk band Vandoliers continued its streak of good fortune in 2017 when Rolling Stone premiered the video for “Endless Summer” earlier this week. The track is from Vandoliers’ sophomore album…

Music News: Shakira Is Shaking Her Hips All the Way to Dallas

“Hips Don’t Lie,” “Closer to Free” and “Cars” are three strong hit singles. Any casual listener could identify the melodies and likely sing along to a verse or two, as well. What do they have in common? The songs’ three creators are all coming to Dallas soon. Elsewhere, a rising…

Dallas Observer Mixtape with Urbanic: DJ QU, Truncate and More

Encouraged by his recent trip to Detroit for the Movement festival, Matthew Urbanic delivers an inspired mix that is heavy on techno. As a DJ, Urbanic is mostly associated with house music, but he recently began exploring new sonic pastures. Choice cuts from the likes of Fred P, Deadbeat, Function,…

Top 10 Local Albums of the Year So Far

We’re halfway through 2017, which means it’s time to assess all the local releases so far and rank our favorites. It’s never easy to reduce a region as large and rich in music as North Texas to a top 10 list, but in the first six months of this year,…