This year, we’ll celebrate our 25th Dallas Observer Music Awards. Voting is open now, and the ceremony is on November 5 at House of Blues. Over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of bands appearing on the DOMA nominee list year after year. And, in a few notable cases,…
Patty Griffin’s albums are popular with both fans and critics and her songs are covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris and the Dixie Chicks (just to name two). What draws so many people to Griffin’s music is her unflinching honesty and her beautiful simplicity. Over the course of 8…
We’re a week and a half from the 25th Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase. On Saturday, November 2, more than 50 bands and artists nominated for this year’s awards will play on eight stages in Deep Ellum. It starts at 6 p.m. and ends around 2 a.m., and now you…
Currently on tour in support of Page Avenue, 10 Years and Counting, a reworked and revised version of the band’s 2003 debut, St. Louis’ Story of the Year has returned from hiatus on a roll. After spending two years decompressing from endless touring, the five guys in Story of the…
The North Texas tribute band Back in Black hopped on a plane to Canada last week to play a live performance in Alberta on Friday with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Mike Mroz, the band’s lead guitarist and Angus Young impersonator, Live Nation hooked them up with the 60-piece orchestra. “They…
For a quarter century, Sacramento’s Deftones have done the alternative metal thing with a sense of musical growth missing from many in the genre. Expanding into darker and lighter territory, the band’s diversity has never seemed to impact its popular standing. From his home in Sacramento and in anticipation of…
On Saturday, November 2, 58 local artists will play on 8 stages in Deep Ellum for the 25th Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase. Tickets are $10 or $15 day-of. Representatives of nearly every conceivable genre of music are on the lineup, and we encourage you to sample liberally. There will…
In 1997, Nick Urata and his band DeVotchKa began playing background music for local burlesque dancers in Denver. Soon the band’s unique combination of Eastern European folk music and indie rock began gathering the attention of critics and fans alike. With the release of How it Ends in 2004, DeVotchKa…
The 50-foot limestone angels trumpeting from the façade of Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth face a trio of venues hidden from the outside world. Hyena’s Comedy Night Club is down a grand staircase on the right. There’s a smaller stage next to it. And on the left is Queen…
It’s a great time to be a fan of The Marked Men and its offshoots. Not only does the band play out here and there, Mark Ryan’s Mind Spiders have a new album out called Inhumanistic, and there’s a new band called Radioactivity, which is about to release its debut…
Fort Worth’s 1919 Hemphill may not be old enough to hang with the cool kids who can buy music with the “Parental Warning” stickers on them. However, they still can attract the attention of bands and musicians who need a welcoming place to play. The performance art space opened its…
There is a bit of truth to the joke that every musician in Dallas has been a member of The Polyphonic Spree at one time or another. A staple in the local music scene, this choral symphonic rock group headed by Tim DeLaughter has 17 members onstage at any given…
Now for the fun part. On Saturday, November 2, the Dallas Observer Music Showcase will feature some 60 North Texas bands and artists, all nominees for our Music Awards, at several stages in Deep Ellum. Today, we’ve got (in alphabetical order), the first 40 bands you can expect to see…
If we can measure a band’s success in terms of bigwig festival slots and NPR features — and let’s face it, we can — The National just may be the “It” alternative band of the year. They’ll play South Side Ballroom this Saturday — their biggest headlining show to date…
Dallas’ own Dorrough has officially put his mark on the city in creating the new Dallas Cowboys theme song. The track, “Our Time,” will be the official walk out music and promotional audio for America’s team. Stadium DJs played the song during last week’s game against the Denver Broncos, but…
The last time we spoke to Evan Weiss, he had only done solo tours as Into It. Over It. Not too long after that, he started performing with a full band. Then he formed two other bands: Their/They’re/There and Pet Symmetry. With a new band lineup of Into It. Over…
Theft from touring bands happens a lot all over the world, but if there’s a chance to help a band out, especially if they’re from another country, spreading the word never hurts. Louna, a Russian five-piece, was in Dallas yesterday for a show at the House of Blues. As the…
Earlier this week, we announced this year’s Music Award nominees. There are some 200 artists, bands and music industry moves and shakers represented, selected by our panel of experts. Who actually takes home trophies is up to you. Voting is now open: Dallas Observer Music Awards 2013: Official Ballot…
Earth, Wind and Fire are one of those legendary bands that are beyond genre identification. Throughout the ’70’s, ’80s and ’90s, the band’s mixture of R&B, soul, jazz, rock, funk, disco and gospel challenged radio programmers and sold more than 90 million albums. From a tour stop in Los Angeles…
If the title of Charlie Robison’s brand-new album, High Life, is to be taken literally, it would make a great deal of sense. The Bandera-raised Robison continues to do things on his own terms. With a dedicated fan base and a stellar album yet again reminding people why he’s one…
Portland’s the Helio Sequence has been hanging around the fringes of mainstream rock for 15 years. In that time, the duo of Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel has released five outstanding albums, including 2012’s Negotiations. From his home studio in Portland, Brandon Summers talked with DC9 about the trials and…
Since Hart Ward penned his classic “Dallas Blues” in 1912, the city has established a proud tradition in the blues genre with its performers, venues and documentarians. Today, Dallas’ blues legacy remains in the hands of a smaller number of people than it has in years past. But some, like…
