Announcing the Dallas Observer SXSW Showcase Lineup. For Real.

Every year at SXSW, our parent company, Village Voice Media, hosts a day-party concert filled with enticing national names. This year will be no different, I’m told, although the lineup card for this year’s show hasn’t yet been announced. We’ll let you know as soon as it is. That said,…

Free Stuff Alert: 100-Second Dash Compiles 26 New Songs

Do you like making snap judgments about local bands? You’re in luck. Volume 2 of the One Hundred Second Dash compilation series is available for free download today. To download it, just follow the link to the One Hundred Second Dash blog and click on the animation in the upper…

SXSW 2009 Lineup Fully Announced.

This afternoon, SXSW unveiled its complete lineup of acts booked to play this year’s festival. It’s a lengthy list, and, honestly, it’s kinda a bitch to troll through, unless you’re looking for something specific. So we did the dirty work for you, hunting down the complete list of DFWd acts…

A New Album From Another Arrogant Sea

North Carolina’s The Ox Magnolia posted its new album up as a free download over on the band’s MySpace page on Wednesday. And, I’ll be damned if I haven’t plopped down $14.95, or more, for albums that were no where near as good as the stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful Only Some Place…

Play-N-Skillz Check Their Fresh, Comment On Their Grammy Win

Given the amount of hoopla surrounding the red-hot local production duo of Play-N-Skillz lately–the abundant MTV coverage, the Grammys pre-party, etc.–the brothers Salinas (Juan and Oscar) had plenty of confidence heading into Sunday night’s Grammy Awards–maybe too much, considering how, last week, before the awards show, Juan (aka Play) promised…

Sarah Jaffe To Perform For Austin City Limits Web Special

If, by chance, you happen to be in Austin this weekend and you find yourself suddenly homesick for Dallas, well, here;s one way to get your fix: Attend the live-recording of Sarah Jaffe’s performance for Austin PBS affiliate KLRU’s new Austin City Limits web-specific show called ACL Stage Left. Jaffe…

The Orange Peels Back To Reveal The Life Fantastica

Fans of bombastic area power pop/psychedelic rock act The Orange might have some trouble spotting the band on any area venue’s upcoming show calendars.Mostly because, um, The Orange has been peeled. Which is to say that it’s done with.Well, partially. “As far as The Orange goes,” frontman Scott Tucker wrote…

Not Just Another Love Song At Art Hotel Saturday

Love music? Love art? Love love? Then you won’t want to miss the opening of the Love Songs exhibit 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Art Hotel gallery in the Cedars Arts District.More than  40 local artists will display artworks representing their favorite love songs in the exhibit,…

There Are Worse Ways To Spend Your Sunday Morning, I’d Say

And the first single off Kari Jobe, “I’m Singing”, has already been getting airplay at radio stations locally and around the country. While it’s definitely not something that I’d probably ever, ever put on my mp3 player, well, I’ve heard far worse stuff that’s been cranked out of the Rube Goldberg apparatus that produces…

Spitfire Tumbleweeds Prepare For One More Final Show, CD Release

As in past years, this year’s Lumberjack Festival at Dan’s Silverleaf boasts a brawny lineup (see poster, pictured right). But also of note about the festival: In addition to being a release party of sorts for Spitfire Tumbleweeds’ new Pope Crow album, the show is rumored to be the Denton…

Add At Least Three More Locals To The SXSW Band List…

…courtesy Idol Records, which announced last night the date of and the acts who’ll be playing its annual SXSW showcase. In addition to Idol signed acts Here Holy Spain and The O’s, both of which were announced in the second round of SXSW band announcements, the label has added roster…