Critic's Notebook

Irving rapper Coach Tev is back, and he’s got something to say with a smooth, cinematic new release called Talk To Him Nicely.

If you have ever purchased a record made by a DFW native, there’s a pretty solid chance producer Jason Burt’s name appears in the liner notes.

When Gayle wrote her breakout single “abcdefu,” the song surprisingly didn’t come from a place of hate. Rather, she was trying to reclaim the narrative following the fallout of a breakup.

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer’s name gets redefined as a noun for someone’s ability “to succeed despite idiocy”? We have new definition for rapper Riff Raff.

Dallas jazz music legend Dennis González recognized in his music, poetry and prose that he lived in a world of spirit.

Several festivals are returning to Dallas this year in person, including Denton’s Thin Line and Dallas Reggae Festival.

Five years ago, Jada Arnell’s debut album Down for Me had a completely different title and track list. While she enjoyed the songs individually, Arnell wasn’t satisfied with the body of work.

It’s safe to say that any musician working today would be thrilled to be on a first name basis with a Beatle.

Female DJs have to overcome many barriers in a male-dominated industry. Bridget Frank, who spins as DJ B, has an additional challenge: she is also legally blind.

Sometimes the universe seems to have a big hand in orchestrating moments in life. That’s how it felt for three random North Texas musicians in 2014 who banded together as the “Three Random Guys” after they went viral over an impromptu jam session outside of a Kroger in Irving. Jesse Rya…

As the years passed and his daughters, Isys and Soul, grew up and went off to college, hip-hop became less of a priority to Ian Johnson, aka Money Waters, aka Money Wah Wah.

Rapper Travis Scott, whose hometown Astroworld concert on Nov. 5 in Houston resulted in the death of 10 audience members and hundreds of injured attendees, has been trying to clear his name since the event. Sort of.

Even if the “the times, they are a changin,” Bob Dylan certainly hasn’t been doing anything different. At 80 years old, the cultural icon is just as prolific as ever, releasing new albums and touring once more after taking some time off due to COVID shutdowns.

The new, eight-episode CW docuseries MARCH focuses on the revered marching band for the historically Black college Prairie View A&M, known as the Marching Storm.

Local musicians react to a list naming Dallas the No. 5 worst music city in the U.S., as well as the second-worst for live music.

Nestled among the endless green pines and rolling peaks of the Adirondack Mountains outside Lake Placid, New York, is a summer camp by the name of camp Treetops.

On a chilly January day in their hometown of Denton, the members of beloved folk-rock outfit Midlake are having a spirited discussion about bagels.

The night “Big Mike” Rios’ life changed, he was sitting at Blind Melons in San Diego, watching Willie Jay and the Texas Hurricanes.

The world is an unraveling mess. Russia is trying to push the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock way past midnight as Vladimir Putin schemes his way into Ukraine.

The Jackass franchise, which includes the TV show, movies and even the video game introduced us to a brave brand of comedy that is the definition of what it means to be punk rock.

Each Dallasite has his her or their own impressions and memories of Deep Ellum. But many tourists to Dallas’ entertainment district are unaware of the neighborhood’s storied past.

When we first met Elyse Jewel, she had just wrapped up a performance at The Pop Up 2. At the showcase, which took place last December at the NS Event Center, Jewel shared the bill with other local musicians, including Ashton Edminster and CABUS, formerly known as Larry g(EE).