On the Impossible Past, Philadelphia quartet The Menzingers’ new third effort, is a wail of an album. Angry, passionate and, best of all, literate, the songs resonate with the kind of pure punk spirit that made bands like Black Flag and The Misfits so important to the American indie scene…
Rolling Stone reported yesterday that Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne — who is seemingly everywhere these days, like those owls I talked about last week — has put together an album of collaborations slated for April release. While he’s already wrangled Bon Iver and Nick Cave (that is a collabo…
Being the son of legendary singer/songwriter Willie Nelson wasn’t always the easiest road to hoe. After leaving the family home in Hawaii and heading to California, Lukas Nelson found himself living out of his car, playing music just for a place to sleep. Thankfully, his living conditions and musical aspirations…
Formed by twin brothers John and Chuck Panozzo way back in 1961, The Trade Winds were just another bar band from Chicago. Changing the name to Styx helped their fortunes somewhat, but it wasn’t until Tommy Shaw joined in 1975 that things really started to happen. After that, Styx started…
In the days leading up to Friday night’s How The Edge Stole Christmas, KDGE 102.1-FM The Edge’s annual holiday music festival at Grand Prairie’s Verizon Theatre, the radio station talked up a big concert announcement that was to be made sometime during the show.Turns out it was a pretty big…
While the demo tape-carrying waiters and baristas of Nashville fantasize about hitting it big as a session player, songwriter or performer, Darrell Scott has been a key figure in each of those realms for some time now. After getting noticed for his solo albums, Scott had a fortuitous streak of…
More acts are trickling out for Bro Fest 2012, which happens March 18 at Club Dada. In addition to the Handsome Furs, Cerebral Ballzy and Coliseum, seven more acts have been announced, including Irish janglers And So I Watch You From Afar; Atlanta badasses The Coathangers; West Coast punks Crystal…
Following the birth of his and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, on Saturday night — an event which took over an entire wing of Lenox Hill Hospital — Mr. Carter, ever the businessman, has already written a song about her. “A younger, smarter, faster me,” he declares. How long until she’s…
Prolific doesn’t begin to describe Drawn By Jaymz’ James Porter, the East Dallas artist who has obsessively written and recorded his own music since he was a kid. Yesterday, however, marked the end of a certain era for Porter, who released Farewell, his 21st and final proper album under the…
Bummer for folks of a certain age and musical disposition: Adam Ant’s upcoming tour dates have been postponed due to circumstances beyond his control — i.e., his new album being delayed. The tour has been rescheduled for the fall. (Update: The Dallas show has been rescheduled for September 21.) Mr…
With the events of the last week and passing of one of Austin’s music community, it’s become clear just how loved Esme was across the whole state. Any proceeds, merch sales or tips from tonight’s Good Luck Karaoke at Double Wide — c’mon, you’ve been to one; they’re a drunken…
Lower Greenville’s papa bear, The Granada Theater, is getting another feather in its cap tonight with the soft opening of Sundown at Granada, the venue’s new bar and restaurant in the space where M Street Bar used to be. I asked Gavin Mulloy, Granada’s promotions manager, what this means for…
Beth Hart understands the hand she’s currently playing consists of the cards she’s dealt to herself. After winning some cash on a latter-day version of Star Search in the ’90s, the Los Angeles resident tasted fame after her 2000 hit, “L.A. Song (Out of This Town),” found its way onto…
The last time Frisco’s Crushed Stars released a record, 2010’s Convalescing in Braille, singer Todd Gautreau — the man behind the moniker — only played one show. It happened on a Thursday night at La Grange and that was it.Now, fans can expect the same as Crushed Stars announces plans…
So, let’s see … we’ve got Bro Fest, 35 Denton and actual SXSW all rallying around March. What’s that? Another festival? OK! South by So What?!, that annual gathering of hardcore, punk and hardcore-punk bands has been scheduled for Saturday, March 17 at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie…
I was thinking about unique ways to bridge the gaps between Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton music this past weekend, but The Kessler apparently beat me to it. Friday, January 13, the Oak Cliff theater, in conjunction with KXT 91.7, presents Triple Play, showcasing acts from each corner of the…
Of all the events taking place this weekend, Lights All Night, which goes down tonight (Friday) and Saturday at the Dallas Convention Center, seems to be dominating the sphere with an astounding 35 electronic music acts. Last year’s inaugural Lights All Night took place at the Plaza of the Americas…
Tim DeLaughter has never played a solo show. Not one anybody can remember, anyway. But last week, the Kessler Theater added his name as the opening act for YES lead singer Jon Anderson on Tuesday, February 28. The show is part of the venue’s “Storytellers” series, which has already featured…
If that 2012 movie was right — and it surely was because, ya know, Hollywood knows science — then we’re all going to die in a spectacularly crappy tidal wave of CGI effects next year. Huzzah. However, that movie came out in 2009. C’mon, Hollywood. We need to be more…
Whenever Red Animal War plays, it feels more like an event than a show, which is great because the four-piece doesn’t shortchange an audience with their Texas-tinged version of post-hardcore. In the last few years, the band only plays around the holidays, but for plenty of good reasons. This year,…
They did, right here. And we’re inclined to agree. Congleton’s been all over DC9 at Night, most recently over the summer when his band the Nighty Nite made its debut with True Widow at the Double Wide. And he’s been all over everywhere else too, producing albums for a who’s-who…
We reported a few weeks ago that Dallas is getting its own Girls Rock Camp. They’ll be starting a Kickstarter campaign, too, in anticipation of this summer’s camp. But right now, they need your equipment. Got an old guitar lying around? A bass? An amp you keep tripping over? A…
