Watch Captured! By Robots Get Offensive at Three Links [VIDEO]

Categories: Video

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Sarah Passon
Shit got weird at Three Links when Captured! By Robots showed up recently

If there's one thing we can say about Three Links, it's that they'll book just about anything and everything -- and, more often than not, what they book is pretty great. Especially at the times when you might least suspect it. Case in point? The recent visit from bizarro (and admittedly gimmicky) San Francisco "band" Captured! By Robots.

With band leader (or technically "captive") Jay Vance bringing his act to Deep Ellum the other week, we couldn't help but send our videographer Sarah Passon over to, er, capture the proceedings. And they were plenty amusing.


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HOT 93.3 FM Has Already Given Up on Classic Hip Hop

Categories: Local Music

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Nate "Igor" Smith
In like a Snoop Lion, out like a Snoop Lamb? HOT 93.3 has already quit its classic hip-hop format

And then there was one. The debate over which of Dallas' two new classic hip-hop stations is the best has already reached its (perhaps inevitable) conclusion, just a lot sooner than most of us would've expected. HOT 93.3 FM, which suddenly started playing old-school hip hop early last month at exactly the same time that BOOM 94.5 kicked off a similar format, had advertised the change as "Hip-Hop Holidays." But within days of Thanksgiving having passed (which, by our count, doesn't include all of the holidays) the station has changed course once again.


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Dallas Metal Changed Forever After Dimebag Darrell

Categories: Columns

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Courtesy the artist
Dimebag Darrell (far right) with Pantera at the height of their powers in the mid '90s
Music is all about the immortals. We talk about them all the time: the Ozzy Osbournes, the James Hetfields, and so on. We let these people into our lives. They become a part of us, helping us along as we grow up. The best of them are there for the biggest moments of our lives, for the highs and as well as the lows. In Dallas' world of metal, and really all of Texas, there is only one band that has held a monopoly over this emotional connection to its fans: Pantera.

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The Best Concerts In Dallas This Weekend, 12/5-12/7

Categories: Previews

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Image via the Artist

This weekend we're doing our Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase and you should definitely do that. Otherwise there are a slew of great things to catch. Ryan Adams plays at SMU, which makes tons of sense. Caspa does the dubstep at Trees. Blackalicious does it for real hip-hop at the Granada Theater. Aaron Carter chronicles (lies) about how he beat Shaq in a pick up basketball game at the House of Blues. And last but not least, New Jack Swing legends hit the 'burbs at the Verizon Theatre.


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Pinkish Black Sign to Relapse Records, Plan Release of Lost Great Tyrant Record

Categories: News

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Naomi Vaughan
Pinkish Black hit a milestone today in signing with Relapse Records
Fort Worth experimental metal band Pinkish Black has signed with Relapse Records. This is a monumental achievement for the band, consisting of the Daron Beck and Jon Teague, as Relapse is a respected player in the metal world. (It also happens to have some local ties through True Widow and Kill the Client, so the band will be in good company.)

But for Beck and Teague personally, it also represents a chance to take care of some (tragically) unfinished business: Relapse will not only be releasing Pinkish Black's upcoming third album in 2015, but also an unreleased record from their last band, the Great Tyrant.

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LiveNation Announce Plans for New Pavilion Concert Venue in Irving

Categories: News

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LiveNation
LiveNation have plans for an ambitious theater and amphitheater in Irving called The Pavilion
So apparently the suburban dream isn't dead. It's just that it's moved from Plano to Irving. Last week, fans of the Suburbia Music Festival, which enjoyed a respectable and generally promising first year at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in Plano, were dealt a blow when it was announced that LiveNation was withdrawing its support from the festival. At the time, the promotion company stayed mum on why exactly they'd given up so quickly on the project.

But now we have an answer: LiveNation had already come up with another plan. That plan, announced last night at an event held at House of Blues, is a for a massive new music complex called the Pavilion at The Music Factory, which is set to open in Irving in the spring of 2016.

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The 2014 Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase Guide

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Mike Brooks
Sealion are familiar faces on the stage of Club Dada. They'll be there again on Saturday
It's the most wonderful time of the year, isn't it? No, we're not talking about the holidays, although those are OK too. We're talking about the 26th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards, which kick off with a showcase this Saturday in Deep Ellum followed by the award ceremony and concert Tuesday, December 9, at the Granada Theater.

We're particularly excited about the lineup of bands we have this year. In years past the showcase mixed genres at each venue, but for this edition we've tried to pair similar artists as much as possible. To help you decide which acts you want to see (besides, you know, all of them), here's a rundown of every single one of the more than 60 bands playing the showcase this Saturday.

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Hand Drawn Records Puts a Local Spin on Christmas With The Holiday Record

Categories: Local Music

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James Villa
Dome Dwellers are among the artists featured on Hand Drawn's new Holiday Record

'Tis the season for locally crafted holiday compilation records. That's how it goes, right? Er, never mind. Dallas label Hand Drawn Records just put out a holiday-themed compilation album, The Holiday Record, that's been getting more clicks than a Cyber Monday flash sale.

Hand Drawn Creative Director Dustin Blocker organized the artists, recorded the songs in about a day back in July, and has been releasing one track daily over the last 11 days, with the 12th gift being presented tonight (but it isn't another song). In the spirit of celebration, there will of course be a release party at Spinster Records tonight, where Hand Drawn will be giving away 200 free copies of The Holiday Record.

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Austin Psych Fest Announces Killer 2015 Lineup

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Mattie Stafford
Flaming Lips lead the way as Austin Psych Fest relaunches as Levitation in 2015
Austin has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to music festivals. In the past two months alone, the capitol city has hosted Austin City Limits and Fun Fun Fun Fest, and lest we forget, they also boast SXSW. But the festival that shouldn't be overlooked (and which arguably has the biggest cool factor of the whole group) is Austin Psych Fest. Earlier today, the folks at APF reminded us of that very fact when they announced a pretty sweet-looking lineup for next year's festival, as well as a name change and a fresh tie-in with Transmission Events.

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The 20 Best Songs Ever Written About Dallas

Categories: Best Of

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Jeff Scroggins
The Old 97's are bound to be on this list. But who will be No. 1?

Oh, Dallas. You give us all the feels. Sometimes we love you, sometimes we get tripped up on your oversized ego. But mostly we just love you, and in particular, we dig your music. We're not the only ones, either: Artists from around the world have been inspired to write songs about this city, whether it was because of the skyline, the honky tonks or even just the groupies. (Yes, we said groupies.)

So we've pulled together 20 of our favorite songs about Dallas, songs that are as diverse as the city and the people who live in it: blues, country, hip-hop, punk rock and rock 'n' roll. They're not always pretty, but when you put them all together, they represent something about what makes this place great.


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