Your KXT New Music Monday picks for August 22 include one for the hopeless romantics, a rootsy Cowtown jam and a little bit of Leon:
When The Temptations released “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)” in the spring of 1970, Motown wasn’t in the habit of churning out protest songs. But this psychedelic soul standard nailed the spirit of the time so perfectly: outrage over rampant racism, Vietnam, the distrust and disgust inspired by the Nixon Administration, and the toxic reality of inner-city life. Fast forward to 2016, and the song’s been covered by the likes of Tina Turner, Love And Rockets, Duran Duran, the Neville Brothers and even Anthrax. Now, you can add Fort Worth crooner Leon Bridges to that fabled list. Bridges stays faithful to the original, whose meaning is not lost on us in this ambivalent, uneasy era. Find it on the soundtrack to the binge-worthy new Netflix series, The Get Down.
Continuing on in the same vein, sometimes all we need are stunning harmonies to help us forget the world’s uncertainties and anxieties, even if only for a grand total of three minutes and 45 seconds. This one you can go ahead and file under Love At First Listen – “Brother, What Happened?” from Nashville duo Muddy Magnolias. John Legend protégé Jessy Wilson and Texas native Kallie North take you to church with their debut album Broken People, landing October 14. We’re keeping our fingers, toes, arms and eyes crossed for a tour, and hopefully one that includes a North Texas stop on their itinerary, because having recently just seen ‘em wow the crowd in Boulder, we can say without hyperbole that it’d be absolutely egregious to pass up the opportunity to witness their magic in person.
A sure thing is always a beautiful thing, especially in matters of the heart. We’re blessed with a number of songs out there helping soothe our inner hopeless romantic – “I Can Change” from LCD Soundsystem, Buzzcocks’ “Love You More,” “Do You” from Spoon and “Wish I Knew You” from the Revivalists, to name a few. Now it’s time to welcome the newest addition to your unrepentant romantic playlist: “Got No Doubt” from Denton singer-songwriter Somogyi. Hopeless Romantic just happens to be the title of her new album. Always comforting to know we’re not alone on our journey, right?
Fort Worth has no shortage of must-hear artists, and KXT’s happy to have Grady Spencer & The Work along for today’s New Music Monday ride. New studio album The Line Between heralds their return to the North Texas stage and in honor of the occasion, they’re heading north to Little D for a couple of appearances this week – tomorrow night at the North Texas Fair and Thursday night at Tom’s Daiquiri – and then they’re back in Fort Worth at Billy Bob’s on October 27.
Here’s to your keen ear –
XOXO
Gini.
