Dallas is changing and the music scene in North Texas is changing with it. 2016 has been one of the most turbulent years in recent memory, with police killings, protests, an ugly presidential election and seemingly endless series of beloved musicians’ deaths. On the surface, Dallas’ music scene is the…
Four years ago a trio of musicians came together in the sleepy college town of Denton by happenstance, and decided they wanted to work together. The trio of singer Roy Robertson, bassist Pablo Burrell, and drummer Ramon Muzquiz didn’t see a future in the usual trajectory of a local band…
What is the Age of Aquarius, exactly? Since popularized by the band The 5th Dimension and the play Hair, the moniker is now associated with the ideals of 1960s hippie drug culture. And North Texas cosmic country band Atlantis Aquarius wants to live in it, forever. “I want this project to…
It’s been five long years since Bravo, Max! released a new album. Now, the critically-acclaimed band has finally turned out a new album, Bullfighter Blues, and they have a handful of dates around town this year, including a release party planned for Nov. 25 at Double Wide. Frontman and Dallas native…
There had been whispers in the DFW radio market about it for months, but yesterday, it became official. The alternative rock staple KDGE 102.1 the Edge has ceased to exist after 27 years on the air. In between repeat plays of Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” there were teases of a new…
Have you ever wished to pour gravy all over someone? Love or hate the person, you have a desire to do such? Well, right before Thanksgiving cooking begins this year, you have the chance if you’re still in the Dallas area on Tuesday, Nov. 22. As a joint show between…
Matt Haag is a perfect example of the hardcore music nerd primed for the ritualistic music selection behind deep-crate DJ-ing. Armed with a breadth of knowledge that stretches from the outer regions of techno to the primal thump of punk to the downtempo vibes of trip hop, Haag has led…
The 28th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards are less than a month away, and the real fun is just getting underway. Voting for the awards’ 40 categories has been open for more than a month, and the dates have been set for the showcase and the awards ceremony. Now it’s…
Mike Burkett, known as Fat Mike since he was in college, has been busy for the last few decades as a singer and bassist for NOFX and co-owner of independent record label Fat Wreck Chords. In that time he’s played all over the world and affected millions with his love of…
Last week an employee of the Texas Musicians Museum told us the museum may not be long for this world due to lack of traffic. But after talking with Tom Kreason and George Gimarc, two of its founders, and looking around at its expanded exhibit on a sunny Saturday morning,…
Dallas-Fort Worth started with five, but now we’re down to one contestant from left on The Voice. Austin Allsup calls himself a “country boy but rock ’n’ roller at heart.” He sang “Wild Horses” during his blind audition and he and coach Blake Shelton chose each other — more accurately, Shelton…
On Sunday, Dallas producer-impresario Sikwitit premiered his highly anticipated documentary #DallasUp to a bustling audience of musicians, press and tastemakers. The viewers filled two theaters at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar Street. The film follows Sikwitit as he assembles 13 Dallas-based producers from his Sound Collectiv group — including Blue, the…
The three-day Free Underage Cool Kids Fest got underway in Denton on Friday, with the mission to engage an oft-neglected demographic: teens. For many involved, it was their first foray into the world of local music — for the attendees and organizers. The inexperience showed. For starters, noise complaints beleaguered the event…
Well, it’s been a hell of a week, Dallas. While the country continues flinging mud via social media regarding President-elect Donald Trump (and while we ALL get used to saying, and typing, “President-elect Donald Trump”), maybe disconnecting for a night or two will do us some good. Because no matter…
Perhaps you’re a vet of the Dallas music scene and you’re looking to show us a thing or two. Or perhaps you saw Almost Famous in high school, and ever since you’ve been waiting to get a break like William Miller, who manages to embed with a rock band and learns…
Dallas rapper Nate Joubert, also known as Nature Nate, isn’t sure who laced a blunt he was smoking with PCP, and he’s really not concerned with finding out. The 20-year-old has his suspicions, but for the last nine months his primary focus has been regaining his mental health since inadvertently…
Sal Castaneda is riding the wave of vinyl resurgence under the nom de plum Flash45s. Over the past decade there has been more attention paid to the niche of the vinyl 7-inch format more affectionately known as 45s. The format is particularly inviting for DJs since it is a singles…
“I’m a high school drop out and a two-time art school drop out,” says Aaron Barker, the former guitarist for the Street Arabs. “I think that qualifies me to be in a punk band.” The Street Arabs disbanded this summer after five years together. Barker has now embarked on a new endeavor,…
North Texans really like beer. A short drive around these parts will reveal a plethora of independent breweries, craft beer stores and bottle shops featuring the best and latest creations being developed and issued. The only thing close to edging out our love of beer is our love of live…
Where has all the time gone? It’s already a week into November, and that means the Dallas Observer Music Awards are less than a month away. With the showcase taking place on Dec. 3 and the awards ceremony three days after that, we’re nearing the home stretch. Which means it’s…
The holidays are generally a busy time for orchestras, but this year’s the exception for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Its musicians have been on strike since Sept. 8, protesting pay cuts that would have placed their salaries $20,000 below the national average, equivalent to what they were paid in…
At 41, classical pianist Eva Brandys just released her first EP to tell the story of her life. It’s an EP that almost never happened, for many reasons, but now she hopes to create many more songs. Brandys, who grew up in communist-era Poland, started playing piano at 8 years…
