Many contemporary DIY artists and labels owe much of their success to Bandcamp for providing a popular, user-friendly platform with one of the most acclaimed payout models in the music industry. Artists such as Car Seat Headrest and Soccer Mommy used the streaming service as a launchpad, and it is…
At the end of October, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hit 19 venues and restaurants across the U.S. with a Halloween surprise. And it wasn’t candy. The music licensing organization filed legal action against the venues for allegedly not paying fees to have licensed music in…
Here are a few shows to help you get ready for the Dallas Observer Music Awards this weekend. Billy Law, the Dallas-native indie-rock group, is playing a free show at Sundown at Granada on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, you can check out acoustic soul-pop singer-songwriter Key LeBlanc at Opening Bell Coffee…
Tom Waits once said: “This whole division between genres has more to do with marketing than anything else. It’s terrible for the culture of music. Like anything that is purely economic, it ignores the most important component.” Progress. The “important component” the venerable Waits was referring to in the above…
After last week’s big rollout of concert announcements, things are beginning to slow down to the end-of-year crawl. There are a few casino shows to check out as well as a couple on the club circuit that should prove entertaining. The details are below. The Doobie Brothers are celebrating 50…
Backyard on Bell shuttered unexpectedly Tuesday, leaving many concertgoers of the beloved Denton music venue and bar taking to social media with speculations over why. Owner Scott Bonfield confirmed to the Observer that the venue closed for good, but declined to elaborate because of legal reasons. “We’re just calling it…
For Travis Austin, music and clothing have always gone hand in hand. Austin got his start in the fashion industry after he decided to leave the world of modeling to be one of the people he worked for. “I’ll never forget it,” he remembers. “It was Black Friday when I…
Midway through our text chat, drummer JD Beck stops me cold. “Hold on,” he sends. “Let me get you a photo from Paak.” A couple of minutes later, the 16-year-old Dallas musician sends a photo of himself and his bandmate DOMi, a 19-year-old pianist, hanging out in a kitchen. Both…
Dallas Observer Music Awards season is upon us yet again, a time when we reflect on the achievements made by local artists, promoters, DJs, radio hosts, producers, etc. We truly have something special with the music scene here in DFW, and while we certainly take pride in the artistic community,…
Time seemed more slippery than usual this past Friday night at the Majestic Theatre. Standing before a near-capacity audience, Rufus Wainwright, clad in a Western shirt, black jeans and glittering ruby slippers, sang in his ageless voice — rich, resonant and riveting — of youthful hedonism and domestic pleasures, collapsing…
We hope you’re not suffering from too bad of a food coma after Thanksgiving because some shows you won’t want to miss are coming on the tail of the holiday. Le Cure, the Dallas-based Cure tribute band, is taking over the stage at The Foundry Bar in Dallas on Friday. That…
The big news in the concert industry this past week centered around summer festivals. So far, there haven’t been a bevy of new ones rolled out, but many of the mainstays are beginning to roll out their lineups. So, as you are compiling your holiday gift lists, be sure to…
Chicago-based industrial supergroup Pigface recently kicked off their first tour in 14 years, and this run sees the band playing Granada Theater on Sunday. It will be Pigface’s first Dallas show since their 2003 appearance at the Bronco Bowl’s Canyon Club room (where the Home Depot on Fort Worth Avenue…
The all-girl pop, punk band is popular, talented and not afraid to speak up.
For the last five years, Josey Records in Farmers Branch has steadily expanded from a spot for intensive crate-digging into a one-stop shop for music, books, DVDs, T-shirts, novelties and even beer-related glassware. There are now Josey Records locations in Tulsa, Kansas City and a Josey Books and Records in…
Pop music has a dirty, not-so-well-kept secret: A lot of songs are often composed of four chords. Even the greats — your Beatles, your Fleetwood Mac — have employed two to four chords to make the timeless hits that will still be around long after we are not. But Carleigh…
The nominations for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards are finally here, but before we dive into that, a mea culpa is in order. When we documented some possibilities yesterday, we predicted that Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding and The Highwomens’ self-titled album would make the cut for some nominations. The prediction…
Mysterious cypher boxes, Gothic locations and, of course, rock music are the puzzle pieces that interlock for Marquis of Vaudeville’s new music video for “The ENIGMA Men.” The group is no stranger to large production music videos. From the Alice in Wonderland-inspired “We’re All Mad Here” to experimental animation in…
Something many artists struggle with at some time or another is the ability to transition between work and play while staying true to their values. This is one of the feats that Dallas DJ Colton Carlyle, aka Carlyle, has had to overcome in his career as a millennial musician-turned-businessman. A…
For 72 hours, Davante Peters sat behind bars in the Arlington City Jail. Peters, along with eight others who are now known as the “Dallas 9,” was arrested on trespassing charges after a protest for Botham Jean outside AT&T Stadium last year. He was among about 75 others who turned…
The year ahead will be big in the realm of Latin music. 2020 will mark 30 years since the release of Selena Quintanilla’s iconic sophomore album, Ven Conmigo. It will also mark 25 years since Selena’s untimely death. In honor of Selena and her impact on Tejano music, Chris Perez,…
The nominees for the 62nd annual Grammy Awards will be announced Wednesday, and just like every year, there is lively speculation about who will receive a nomination. Artists like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande are safe and almost certain predictions, but the Recording Academy may surprise us in nominating…
