Critic's Notebook

While Jon Randall’s name may not be instantly recognizable, you’re likely very familiar with his work.

Most people in the world would look at landlocked Dallas as one of the last places to be a mecca for yacht rock, but as we learned this week, the music genre has been the subject of a rather bold declaration.

The Dallas music community has lost one of its most powerful voices.

It’s been three years since North Texas rapper Heir MAX has been on tour, and he can’t wait to get back on the road this month.

Reggae/ska punks and potheads, rejoice! The High and Mighty tour featuring SoCal natives Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, and HIRIE – aka your Holy Grail lineup – is rolling into town this week.

In honor of both Guns N’ Roses’ return to North Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 1, two weeks ahead of the 30th anniversary of the release of Use Your Illusion, it’s worth revisiting the album that marked both the artistic peak and beginning of the end of Guns N’ Roses – and taking a closer look at the creative madman behind the album.

Every town’s got its quirks and characters that make it unique, and Denton is no different with its own infamous flat-earther, haunted bridge and viral meme.

Music streaming has made a lot of things easier, particularly when looking for obscure music picks.

Earlier this month when we learned that Kid Rock would be in town to perform for a crowd of fans, we made some predictions about the maskless attendance among his conservative fanbase.

When guitarist and recording engineer Alex Hastings first started making music, he had no idea what sounds he wanted to create.

Uncertainty is rarely explored in country music. The genre is usually defined by security and self-confidence, even in its saddest moments: “I’m sad,” “I’m angry,” “I’m happy.”

If anything about life is predictable, it’s that it isn’t. Not that he needed it, but Casey Hess was reminded of this pandemic-enhanced rule this week.

If there’s anything we’ve learned from Charlie Watts, it’s that the drummer is the most important member of the band. Period.

Dallas’s woman-fronted metal band Temptress had barely gotten their first demo EP out before the world shut down on them.

Country music has long cast a shadow of white, heteronormative conservatism, wrapped in a Confederate flag and drowning in watered-down beer.

Some things never change. Being a Texan is one of them. For over 50 years, Jimmie Vaughan has been a pillar of the homegrown, world-famous style of music known as Texas blues. Vaughan, who turned 70 this year, is preparing to release a career-spanning box set titled The Jimmie Vaughan…

A couple of weeks ago, we looked back on the Rolling Stones’ best deep cuts, prompting us to take a deep dive into their later-career highlights.

With a statewide spike in COVID cases caused partly by the Delta variant, the live music industry is trying to find ways to avoid mass concert cancellations and venue shutdowns, which caused a 30 billion loss of profit to the concert industry in 2020.

The story of Jenna Ryan, the Frisco realtor facing charges for participating in the Jan. 6 raid on the U.S. Capitol, is like an onion of cringing tragedy.

While she may not be old enough to legally drink, 20-year-old Erin Kinsey uses alcohol as a crutch on her debut single “Drunk Too.”

Chris J Norwood wrote an album about his father’s suicide back in 2017.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Wednesday that masks are mandatory at all businesses, including music venues and dance clubs, in the county.