Has Justin Townes Earle found solace since his excellent 2010 LP Harlem River Blues? Nope. In the legacy of troubled troubadours, he’s still just as tormented by addiction, heartache and a sense that the world is inexorably pressing down. But pain fuels his latest release, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way…
In the span of the past month, Sarah Jaffe graced our cover, Zhora reported for My First Show duty, and we had John Dufilho, aka John Singer Sergeant, interview co-hort Salim Nourallah in the wake of his new collaborative self-titled album. With that business taken care of, this is one…
The first time I heard guy/girl duo Tennis, there was very little information to accompany the free MP3 download. Many things were left to the imagination, which was an interesting way to hear a new band in an age when the MP3 is accompanied by a band’s one-sheet. The song…
Florence and the Machine Palladium Ballroom Tuesday, May 1 As I scrolled backwards through my notes from last night’s show, I found something I had jotted down a few days earlier, I think from an episode of Parks and Recreation: “Don’t half ass two things. Whole ass one thing.” I…
John Lefler might be better known as a member of Dashboard Confessional, but he has built a pretty impressive catalog as a Dallas-based solo artist. With the recently released six-song EP Shoutfire, Lefler shared with us some of his musical firsts. What was the first instrument you learned to play?…
The Olivia Tremor Control, Woods, Deathray Davies Sons of Hermann Hall Friday, April 27 Odds are, if you’re an astute follower of the DFW music scene, you’ve attended a Tactics Productions or Parade of Flesh event at some point. So when they co-conspire to put on the same show, expect…
The Meat Puppets Dan’s Silverleaf Saturday, April 28 The Meat Puppets were perhaps older than most at Dan’s on Saturday night, but boy, did they own it; the hair of the Kirkwood brothers still cascaded, just like it was 1984, except with a little more gray at the temple. Three…
The Telescopes The Common Table Thursday, April 26 Having just recently “discovered” the music of British band the Telescopes, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from last night’s set. That it was at the Common Table made it even more of a gamble to take on a Thursday, but…
The Beach Boys Verizon Theatre Thursday, April 26 In the past few decades, various incarnations of the Beach Boys toured the oldies/county fair circuit, rehashing the popular hits over and over again, usually for a cheap ticket price (or even free). Alas, with Brian Wilson back in the fold, the…
Last year at South by Southwest, I happened to catch Malian singer Khaira Arby at NPR’s day show, as I was waiting to see Tune-yards and Wild Flag. I don’t remember anything about their sets, because Arby knocked the wind out of me. Her voice, in the tradition of praise…
Parade of Flesh scored an impressive bill from the spillover of the fifth annual Austin Psych Fest, as area favorites True Widow and Eyes, Wings and Many Other Things open for New York’s Psychic Ills and San Francisco’s Moon Duo (Wooden Shjips frontman/guitarist Ripley Johnson and keyboardist Sanae Yamada). Psychic…
For more than 50 years and in spite of countless lawsuits, The Beach Boys have soldiered on. Brian Wilson and Mike Love finally buried the hatchet and the surviving members will begin a tour this week, the second stop of which hits Grand Prairie. Word is practices have gone well…
It’s hard to gauge how influential an album truly is. The Meat Puppets’ 1984 LP, Meat Puppets II, is often cited by musicians as a seminal work, released during the halcyon days of SST. It’s a ragged masterwork of country and rockabilly-infused punk, which, at the time of its release,…
Never seen Kate Bush live. The one time I saw Tori Amos, it was in a packed SXSW venue that wasn’t appropriate for moodiness. St. Vincent was able to transform the small Kessler Theater into a relatively magical realm, but I’ve yet to see an ethereal singing goddess take on…
Country legend George Jones was hospitalized for an upper respiratory infection a few weeks ago, causing him to cancel a couple tour dates and get some needed rest at his Tennessee home. It gives you some perspective on the fact that Jones, who was born and raised in South Texas,…
Although Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick are often labeled alt-country, there’s more to John McCauley and crew than roots rock. 2011’s Divine Providence showed a band moving away from folk and embracing punk rock and dissonance. Even the subject matter of the songs swung toward the dark side. One of…
Edie Brickell might not live in Dallas anymore, but she still thinks very fondly of her roots here. Her latest project is The Gaddabouts, a supergroup featuring session musician legends like drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Pino Palladino, and they released the double-disc set Look Out Now! last week. Brickell…
Starkey 3025 Main Saturday, April 21 This was my first time at 3025 Main, and the sound and light system served the low-frequency of Philly’s PJ Geissinger, aka Starkey, well enough. However, the rest of the venue resembled a high-end hookah lounge as opposed to a bona fide dance club…
Opeth, Mastodon, Ghost Palladium Ballroom Thursday, April 19 Last night started with Sweden’s Ghost, a wonderfully over-the-top six-piece that lit uncountable amounts of incense before they even hit the stage. I felt like I had entered a heavy metal meditation therapy session. Featuring costumes that looked like they had been…
Discipline brings in guest DJs every once in a while, and because those guys have good taste, they’re usually high-caliber. Chicago electronic musician Beau Wanzer has a pretty impressive track record, and there’s no denying Chicago’s industrial and house music past has seeped into his jams. He’s a true gearhead,…
Kweller’s latest LP, Go Fly a Kite, is notable not only because it shows him stretching out his pop and country influences, but also because it’s his first on his own label, the Austin-based Noise Company. At age 30, the former North Texan is enjoying a second act not many…
Whatever your feelings about Record Store Day — whether you’re a champion of the five-year-old national event or proponent of the “everyday should be Record Store Day” mentality — it has some nice perks. The special Flaming Lips vinyl LP everyone in Dallas seems to have a hand in pouring…
