Dallas Music Finally Getting National Attention

"No," he says, "I don't think it's a coincidence at all. Everyone points to Seattle in the '90s. And here, in Atlanta, where we're based, we can sense something happening here with hip-hop and bands like the Black Lips. Dallas is one of those cities that's having a similar perfect storm."

Killingsworth points to "a host of factors." Mainly, he seems to credit the Internet for making an artist's location less important when it comes to getting noticed. He points to Burr as an example. And he says that Burr's not the only one that he and the fellow tastemakers at his indie music mag have come to notice.

But when he's asked for other specific artists he's been surprised about from the Dallas area, Killingsworth balks, choosing to instead praise the entire region—and Denton in particular. "I keep hearing great Denton bands and great Dallas bands," he says. "At this point, it's like, 'of course.' That's an area where things are definitely happening."

At a rag that aims to clue music fans into all things interesting across the country and beyond, it's tough to tell if Killingsworth was truly drawing a blank, or if he was just posturing for good local press, as so many in his position are prone to do when called out by local media. Still, his words were more than supportive. And though he's adamant that something is indeed happening here, it's tough to tell whether the amount of coverage the town has seen of late is truly indicative of that—or if it's just a perfect storm of coincidence, as Crain believes.

"You see that a lot in the publishing world," Crain says. "People come up with a lot of the same ideas around the same time."

Nonetheless, that national support is a step in the right direction for Dallas music. You know, something the local set can proudly hang its hat upon.

Burr, although pleased with the coverage he's received, is skeptical of how much longer he can count on the fruits of his mention in Paste. He sums it up best: "Well, I don't see how it can hurt," he says with a familiar mix of self-satisfaction and self-doubt.