Panoramic Duo. Fonze Wilson (l) and Jake Rodriguez. Photo: @chelsea_lens
It’s time once again to celebrate Bandcamp Friday. If you’re unfamiliar with the event, it’s pretty straightforward: To help musicians amid the uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic, the streaming platform Bandcamp has instituted “Bandcamp Friday,” a day where the company forgoes its revenue share in order to pass on to bands an average of 93 percent of money spent on music and merch.
As of April 1, per Bandcamp, the initiative has generated more than $73 million from nearly 800,000 fans. The next “Bandcamp Friday” is May 6. To help you prep, we’ve rounded up recent releases from five North Texas acts you might want to hear — and support. (You can also check out our prior “Bandcamp Friday” recommendations here, here and here.)
Panoramic Duo, Press Start
Just try making it through “Drown,” the first track of Panoramic Duo’s latest LP, Press Start without immediately wanting to hear it again. The Fort Worth-based duo — Jake Rodriguez and Fonze Wilson — traffics in sleek harmonies and gleaming electro-pop melodies evoking the 1980s even as it transcends them. If you’re searching for an irresistible soundtrack for your summer days, look no further than one of the most promising acts in North Texas.
Percy Lovehall, self-titled
Dallas-based Christian “KING Chris” Yancy is a man of many hats: Hip-hop artist, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and founder of ELR Music. With the release of Percy Lovehall, he’s now also a man of many aliases — the title is also the name under which Yancy recorded these eight songs. Anchored by Yancy/Lovehall’s laid-back flow, this sophisticated blend of hip-hop and soul — exemplified by tracks like “Black Sunshine” and the Hall & Oates-sampling “All She Wants” — is a sharp showcase under any name.
Huddy Taylor, Kingdom Noise
Fort Worth musician Huddy Taylor displays impressive confidence on Kingdom Noise, his debut studio EP. On Twitter, Taylor wrote that the six-track collection was the result of “many takes [and] experimenting with different sounds.” From the woozy opener “Let Him Finish” through to “Around Three,” the hypnotic blend of acoustic pop, electronic music and hip-hop flourishes keeps you riveted.
Aidan Blake and the Beamers, Aidan Blake
There’s a bracing directness in Denton singer-songwriter Aidan Blake’s new EP — the collection begins with Blake audibly asking God to remove his nervousness before “Truth,” the opening song, begins. Blake doesn’t need an abundance of time to leave his mark — the longest track here is less than three minutes long —and something about his simple, stripped-down style evokes the heyday of folk shouters like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.
Flip and the Combined Effort, Hi, is this Ska’s Mom?
I’d have to really give it some thought, but I’m fairly certain Arlington septet Flip and the Combined Effort has created the only — and I quote — “concept EP about being a teacher” I’ve ever heard. Billing its sound as “an energetic blend of hip-hop, pop-punk and ska,” Flip and the Combined Effort makes a vivid impression in less than six minutes, the length of time it takes for these three effervescent tracks to unfold, although “This Could Have Been an Email” will have you reaching for the repeat button.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor for KXT. Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
