The space is huge. And the clean black-and-whites, slick concrete floor, and pristine aesthetic make it seem even larger. For reference: It’s not inconceivable that a shout or frisbee might fail to bridge the room wall-to-wall. It smells like fresh woodwork and feels, only in the very best sense, like…
The land of dead musical dreams, or shall we say karaoke night, which is known for its rivers of Fireball whiskey and secondhand smoke has been the wellspring for many an idea. Those ideas –say, bands — can often be short-lived or ill-advised, but there’s one cluster of loud, fuzzy,…
Eight months ago, Chase Dugger was staring down the other side of graduation. The recent UNT graduate and long-time Denton dance scene fixture had already achieved much, including his own residency in the much beloved Andy’s Bar. Titled “Subsonic Indulgence,” the weekly featured Dugger and friends’ mixes of dance, EDM…
2014 has been a hell of a year for Party Static. They have played shows all over Dallas with local and national bands, even holding their own when sharing a stage with the Coathangers, for crying out loud. They’ve also been nominated in two categories for this year’s Dallas Observer…
Red Eye is the epitome of a Dallas DJ staple. Over the past few decades he has always been a constant in Dallas DJ scene with well regarded resdidencies at the legendary Club One to his current haunts at Beauty Bar and It’ll Do Club. Somehow he still finds time…
It’s good to be Blue these days. Blue, the Misfit, that is. Perhaps the hottest rapper in North Texas right now, the MC and producer otherwise known as Brandon Blue has been having a big year in 2014, starting with a buzzed-about Kendrick Lamar collaboration (“Drugs on the Schoolyard”) and…
Despite his advanced age at 78,Gean West continues to play shows with the same frenetic pace that made Peacock Records owner Don Robey compare a young West to James Brown. That’s not all he does, either. In addition to performing with the Relatives, West leads a congregation, performing duties as…
On this Sunday afternoon, Alex Bhore is just packing and doing laundry in preparation for This Will Destroy You’s upcoming East Coast tour. The band just returned from a European tour, where they played a show almost every single night for five weeks straight. Even though they’ve had a few…
Industrial music is relevant all over again. Amidst the music industry’s infatuation with retro sounds, revivals and the general rehashing of old ideas, industrial is once again positioned as a music that matters — an older strand that has taken on new meaning. As the continued effects of industrialization steadily…
When it comes to genres that have been allowed to flourish in the age of the online music cloud, few have risen to greater prominence than future sounds, better known to most as beats culture. An all-encompassing, chimeric blend of electronic, hip-hop and soul, beats takes DJs and producers of…
Over the past year, access to safe and legal abortion has taken some serious hits from the Texas Legislature. After the passage and implementation of HB2, one of the country’s most restrictive abortion laws, the majority of the state’s abortion facilities were forced to close. In the wake of these…
Looks like you can’t win ’em all, Erykah. Back in the summertime, local R&B star Erykah Badu went viral when crashed a local TV news telecast in New York City, playfully trying to steal a kiss from a reporter who had no one idea what kind of celebrity he was…
Felt & Fur’s practice space plays home to a myriad of peculiarities. It’s in an upstairs nook at Denton’s premiere combination business: Sprockets Bike Shop and NV Cupcakes. It’s painted baby blue and has a strangely low ceiling. Oh, and it used to be the daycare for a church that…
Last month, Dallas-based songbird Lily Taylor released her debut album, The Ride, for local indie label Pour Le Corps. The album explores a haunting and dramatic mood within the parameters of a minimalistic and bare bones sound world. This is not one of those easy to categorize albums. It’s a…
Bon Spengler is a mainstay in the underground house and techno scenes in Dallas. Along with her husband Corey Spengler (of the electronic duo Opencloud), she has been responsible for a series of notable parties featuring local and touring techno, tech house and house talent that are not usually known…
For most bands, whenever they cut a few records without a founding member, those records are almost forgotten about when that founding member returns to the band. Whether it’s Van Halen, Iron Maiden or Bad Religion, this happens all the time. With the Jayhawks, they cut three albums without founding…
When Dallas-based singer and songwriter Johnny Stimson graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in finance, he had his dreams for a music career all planned out. He made, as he refers to it now, a “two-year, thought-out decision to move to New York,” where he spent a few months…
If Michael Briggs wants to see a show, record a band’s EP or film a podcast, he doesn’t have to step outside his own door. It is, shall we say, a bit of a luxury. In Denton’s independent music scene, Briggs is absolutely crucial in the booking, recording and promotion…
You may not know the the name Transmission Events, but you sure know the work that they do. Based in Austin, Transmission are the folks behind Fun Fun Fun Fest, the music festival held each fall at Auditorium Shores in the capitol city. They also do all the booking for…
It’s been a little over a week now since voting opened, so we’re just going to go ahead and ask: Have you filled out your Dallas Observer Music Awards ballot yet? If yes, congratulations. You’re a champ. If not, it’s okay; we understand what it’s like to play the long…
As a child growing up in the tiny town of Niceville, Florida, McKinney transplant and country singer-songwriter Crystal Yates couldn’t avoid the twangy sounds of country music even if she had wanted to. “My mom says I could sing ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’ by Hank Williams before I could…
The combination of motorheads, good food and great live music probably is probably, well, music to some peoples’ ears, and it’s one that has worked really well for the brains behind Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill. Outside of serving some really stellar brisket and other delicious food, Gas Monkey has…
