When Oak Cliff rapper C. Struggs died of esophageal cancer two years ago, he left behind a wealth of music to be released posthumously. One of those mixtapes was finally released last month and offers a side of Struggs many had not seen musically. “He really wasn’t in a good…
On her upcoming album Holy Wars, LO creates a dark and dreamy pop landscape, evoking a whirlwind of emotions, not unlike what the year 2020 has felt like. The work will be a two-part album expressing the 25-year-old singer-songwriter’s duality. Holy Wars was preceded by the lead single “Lost in Translation,”…
At the beginning of 2020, artists and entertainers planned their gigging calendar for the year. We know what happened next. The pandemic-sized cancellations and venue shutdowns left artists who rely solely on performing for income wondering where their next meal would come from. In the early stages of COVID, Federal…
Catch a tribute show, three Denton acts and two new music series this week. If you’re itching to get out but still feel unsure about crowds indoors, Klyde Warren Park hosts a new weekly concert. The Ranch at Las Colinas and Haywire both start a weekly country music concert series,…
Thousands of monthly Spotify listeners tune in to listen to Kyoto Lo-Fi’s previously released singles and 2016 EP Black Rainbow. Their single “Flowering Boulder,” which earned the group 130,000 streams, was only released in 2019, the year they also received a Dallas Observer Music Award for “Best Rock Act.” Despite all…
Watching the NBA game, Saint Xeno raps under his breath about having a jaw ache. “Slept all wrong, feelin’ like Kanye after crashin’,” he harmonizes, rubbing his jaw that he slept on wrong. It’s only days after the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman and hours after the release of Saint…
It was a typical Friday for Cody Hand, co-owner of Ferris Wheelers, the barbecue joint and music venue in the Design District. He just happened to partake in a simple high-speed chase and rescue a kidnapped 2-year-old. Hand posted a video, which has nearly a million views on TikTok, explaining his…
When news broke last week that Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale’s had died at age 34, many high-profile names expressed grief and paid tribute the singer, including Greg Gutfeld, co-host of FOX News Channel’s The Five. “I’m going to miss him,” Gutfeld said on The Five’s Aug. 26 episode. “Riley Gale:…
Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale, who died Aug. 25 at the age of 34, was an unmistakable pillar of North Texas’ music scene. For many of us, he was the dude we aspired to be, in one way or another, for as long as we could remember. His words of wisdom…
Lately, Duche$$ has felt like she’s being followed by a cloud. It’s not normal for the 24-year-old rapper to be gloomy. While her songs are often suffused with somber storytelling, the musician herself is typically upbeat. Whether in the studio, at a friend’s place or at work at the Boys…
Hear us out: As much as we engage in good old-fashioned music criticism, we recognize how tough and unforgiving the world of music is. Every musician who isn’t an R. Kelly or Varg Vikernes deserves at least an iota of baseline respect for baring their soul to the public and…
It’s a strange world for all of us. The pandemic has completely changed the way we consume music and the way that music is being made. For musicians like John Pedigo, the world of music seems even stranger. “My whole life, I basically have thought of music as just an…
As the Texas heat reaches its peak, the effects of the pandemic continue to levy a heavy toll on local musicians. Traditional gigging opportunities are returning at a slow drip, but they remain far below sustainable levels for most. Despite that, DFW musicians are proving their resilience. Here are things…
Having spent much of her life moving between countries, Persian singer-songwriter Shab has had to learn to adapt to various cultures. Over the past few years, Shab has built a strong Persian fanbase. Now, the Dallas-based mother of two is ready to break into the English market. This past spring,…
Riley Gale, the vocalist of Dallas thrash metal and hardcore punk vets Power Trip, died on Monday night, the band confirmed in a statement Tuesday. He was 35. “It is with the greatest of sadness we must announce that our lead singer and brother Riley Gale passed away last night,”…
Last week, a sexist and racist Facebook post circulated the internet. While that’s sadly commonplace, this particular message was directed at none other than the queen of country music, Dolly Parton, which qualifies as treason. Stuart Baker, otherwise known as Unknown Hinson, thought the best use of his time was to…
For years, Jess Garland has told people that she was “working on it.” The longtime Dallas multi-instrumentalist and music teacher has spent most of her career playing in other peoples’ bands while quietly working on her own sound. Finally, Garland’s first single has arrived. “Glow” is an avant-garde, ethereal pop…
When 2020 kicked off, Dallas-based singer-songwriter Austin Leach was ready to hit the road and play venues throughout the country. In February, he was performing in Philadelphia, in a string of shows he expected to be the first of many. In March, COVID-19 hit, and you can imagine what happened…
Most politically active artists belong to the pop, hip-hop and rock genres; historically, country artists haven’t exactly been known to voice their political opinions, especially when those opinions contradict the core beliefs of the majority of the country music fan base. While Johnny Cash advocated for Native Americans and prisoners,…
Concertgoers near and wide know Denton to have one of the most thriving and nurturing music scenes around, and Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios has been at the core of it since it first opened its doors in 1998. This year was expected to be no different for the venue in…
Before Lollapalooza became one of the biggest destination festivals in the world, it smashed precedents as a touring festival that bands in the 1990s clamored to play. Before that, it was a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction. The economic impact of COVID-19 has been cruel to the Chicago-based festival and…
The pandemic has not been exactly ideal for our health, with 5.5 million confirmed cases of COVID and up to 40% of adults struggling with either mental illness or substance abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Songs that earlier may have seemed a little melodramatic and…
