Thursday was a surprisingly tame summer day in North Texas. (Yes, it was still 92 degrees; yes, you have to skew for Texas standards.) But we made up for it with a lot of new heat this week.
Dallas indie-folk/Americana duo The Half Guided Hearts is back with its first release in more than a year – a light and bright love song called “Be My Start.” Their next show is Saturday, August 27 at Craft & Growler in Dallas.
You might know Dallas multi-hyphenate SPCMN as a master of behind-the-scenes magic, having worked with area artists like Averi Burk, Alex O’aiza and The Polarity. This week, a new song with NewEarthVel titled “Show Me” gave us a taste of what he’s been cooking up for his own project, a forthcoming EP titled HELLOSPCMN.
Tristan Wagoner, aka TWLovesYou, is among a lineup of artists curated by Toast Toast Recordings’ for a special new Bandcamp release series. The Dallas label is dropping new music by local artists every Friday via its Bandcamp, where Wagoner’s dreamy psych-rock single “Hardest Working Heart” landed earlier this month.
The latest album from seasoned North Texas band Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch, titled Rise Up Lights, is patched with styles leaning into blues, psychedelic and southern rock. Halfway through the tracklist is “Fragile,” which highlights the record’s blend of influences well.
And there’s even more new music to check out with the full playlist below!
Rafa
We were excited to open last night’s show with the aptly titled “Take Off” as the premiere of Rafa’s new EP, Rocker Fool, which is officially out today. The self-described “EmoLatino” says the project was a fun detour for his teenage self, shaped by 2000s alternative rock angst and a bolt of hyperpop. “Take Off” is a sublime standout on the five-track EP, but don’t sleep on his fizzy take on “Desvelado,” a beloved tejano classic originally performed by fellow Mexican-American artist Bobby Pulido. If you want to hear it all, stop by his release show at Spinster Records tomorrow night, Saturday, July 20.
Alex Irish
Cleburne’s Alex Irish made her Local Show debut with “Not Again,” a spry dive into the pure fun of pop-punk that her sound often flirts with. And though it’s a saccharine first impression, there’s more to unravel with this promising young artist, as she put it so directly at recent show at Club Dada: “I love the rock sh*t, I love the rap sh*t.” You can catch her next show later this month on July 26 at Trees in support of Lardi B.
Sheprador
Just earlier this year, a solo project from Fort Worth artist Garrett North quickly forged into a quintet rock band called Sheprador. Of course, being in its infancy means the band only has two songs out so far, including “Take,” which oscillates between commanding and comforting with radiant riffs and North’s hefty lower-register vocals. Sheprador will make its Dallas live show debut on August 17 at Double Wide with Cool Jacket and Spring Palace.
The KXT Local Show – 7/18/24
“Take Off” – Rafa
“Blue Eyes” – Deep Red
“Dominoes” – Brothers Vanguard & Electriq
“Show Me” – SPCMN ft. NewEarthVel
“Die Young” – Kaash Paige
“Hardest Working Heart” – TWLovesYou
“Be My Start” – The Half Guided Hearts
“We Call Each Other Home” – Mountain Natives
“If I Didn’t Have You” – Matt Hillyer
“Not Again” – Alex Irish
“Let You Go” – Alex O’aiza
“Take” – Sheprador
“Set Me Free” – Carson S
“Fragile” – Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch
“Desire” – Loners Club ft. Jacks Haupt
The KXT Local Show is a weekly radio program curated by Alec Spicer. Tune in every Thursday from 7-8 p.m. to hear new and classic tunes from North Texas artists spanning a broad mix of genres, including hip hop, Latin, rock, blues, jazz, folk and R&B.
Are you a North Texas musician? Want to hear your work on The KXT Local Show? We’d love to hear from you! Submit your music for consideration here: kxt.org/submissions.
![Last December, Fort Worth’s @abrahamalexander performed his final show of the year at Dallas’ Majestic Theatre. Before the show, KXT asked him what it meant to headline the Majestic Theatre. Here’s what he said:
“I went to a show [there] in April of 2018. And I said to myself, one day I would get to play this venue. To have experienced what I have, in the last five years, and to have this particular year that I just went through, and at the end of that to play this show — like, I could cry, bro — it shows you that it’s a journey, and not a destination. So this is seriously a thank you show, and a way for me to sort of … say thank you, this is who I am, this is my artistry, this is what I look like, this is what my vision is. … I can’t wait to be in that room with people that love me … it’s going to be a really, really beautiful night.”
You can watch his performance Friday, October 18 on KERA TV (Chanel 13) at 10:30 p.m.](https://kxt.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)