Music

Ira Kaplan, leader of the indie rock institution Yo La Tengo, isn’t afraid to mix things up. Just look at his band’s upcoming venue booking: Yo La Tengo’s Dallas gig this week will be an all-acoustic effort housed within the Dallas Museum of Art. That’s a far cry from the…

With all four original members of legendary punk/roots band X back together and touring, it’s almost like the band is going through a mid-life resurgence. And even after 30 years, John Doe, singer, guitarist and founding member, thinks the band still has something positive to contribute. “The bottom line is…

Popular thinking goes that Stephen Malkmus recorded his best work when he was fronting indie-rock heroes Pavement. But just listen to “The Hook,” from Malkmus’ 2001 self-titled solo debut, and you’ll hear the deadpan singer’s tour de force—a tuneful ditty about rowdy Turkish pirates who have little use for wooden…

Del the Funky Homosapien is an outer-space hip-hop trailblazer, helping to pioneer a weird-for-its-own-sake rap style by focusing on absurdist rhymes and sci-fi storytelling. A cousin of Ice Cube’s and a one-time member of the Da Lench Mob, the Bay Area-based Del reached a creative peak with 2000’s Deltron 3030…

If the Transmissionary Six were from Texas, everyone would rip them for sounding like Knife in the Water or any number of the state’s many soporific, country-influenced slow-core acts. Fortunately for them, they hail from Seattle, where I imagine their gentle, slightly twangy snail’s-pace melodies pair nicely with a heroin…

Columbus, Ohio’s Times New Viking takes a cue from fellow Ohioans Guided by Voices, recording fuzzy indie-rock under a thick gauze of guitar noise. There’s little to no production on the feedback-soaked Rip It Off, which includes zero bass or bottom end to balance out the meter-tipping squall. It’s an…

This Russell Hobbs guy—the one who runs The Door and The Prophet Bar down in Deep Ellum along with a handful of other The Door entities around the region, the one who had a hand in bringing forth the Deep Ellum golden days of the ’80s and ’90s—he sure is…

Sonya of The Big Sleep. (Chelsea Ide) It may be impossible not to dance to The Big Sleep. At least I couldn’t resist at the band’s Wednesday night show at Mohawk. The Brooklyn-based band layers jagged riffs over a strong, steady beat; lending itself to hip shaking. Don’t misunderstand, though,…

While filling the time between the daytime shows and the nighttime showcases, I wandered near the clubs. Here’s what I heard: “They give you a lot of drink tickets, but the music sucks!” “We kind of forgot to get a stage manager. But maybe you can just go around back.”…

Madeline Adams playing with her band Madeline at Spiro’s Amphitheater Wednesday night. (Chelsea Ide) After jumping around a bit on Spiro’s back patio listening to Teenage Bottlerocket, I headed toward the ladies room, only to be diverted by the childlike, sweet vocals of Madeline Adams. She and her band, Madeline,…

I’m on the verge of heading out for tonight’s shows. When I get back we’ll have photos from this afternoon’s NX35 showcase — which I like to call the “Denton stage” — plus a recap of The Feds. The Dallas band is opening up the Wednesday night show at Spiro’s…

Ra Ra Riot’s Wesley Miles in a rare moment of stillness during the band’s Wednesday performance. (Chelsea Ide)Quite possibly the most simple sound check I’ve ever heard. Bassist Mathieu Santos says, “Check,” and then vocalist John Pike Wesley Miles says “Ahhhhhhhh.” That was it, and Ra Ra Riot launched into…

Uggggh. How pretentious Fact: There are three standard SXSW questions. 1) Where are you staying? 2) How inappropriate is it to be drunk by noon? 3) What bands are you most excited about seeing? Ah, Question Three. There’s the rub! Well, the big blog buzz band of the moment–literally, at…

Beach House…on the boardwalk Well, the weekend’s finally here, and with it comes some noteworthy shows. Some come from the SXSW overspill we told you about in this week’s paper, and others just come from our own backyard. Either way, there’s plenty for you to see out in DFWd this…