Last week, we took a break from our regularly scheduled format to bring you a Local Show composed of our favorite songs of the year (so far) from North Texas artists. That means this week, we’re right back to a stellar batch of new music – maybe some of them will land on our next best-of list!
The Disappearing Act has resurfaced as the trio of Salim Nourallah, John Dufilho, and El Paso’s Bob Blumenfeld with a hazy ode to a southeast Texas town on “Gun Barrel City.” And this week was a double dose of Dufilho – the Dallas music mainstay also has a project called Brothers Vanguard & Electriq with veteran multi-hyphenate musician Aaron Kelley. The duo’s new single, “Dominoes,” is lush with psych-rock and pop influences that make for quite a kaleidoscope of sounds.
Speaking of North Texas music veterans, country singer Matt Hillyer’s new record, Bright Skyline, dropped since we last checked in. The album is packed with true Texas honky tonk, and “If I Didn’t Have You” is a standout cut.
Dallas’ Chloe Jobin is known for blurring the lines between sounds like pop, indie, alternative rock and more. Her new single, “Empty House,” is an optimal amalgam of the wide range of genres she’s inspired by.
Check out this week’s full playlist below, and keep an ear out for some of them during our Local Bites feature every Monday-Friday on the air at noon! And don’t forget, if you’re a musician in North Texas, we want to hear you.
Loren Kole
Leading things off this week was an infectious new track from pop singer Loren Kole. Inspired by sadness from tough times, the song gives a glossy battle wound of sorts to resilience, as the Dallas artist says she wrote the song at a time in life when she decided to find celebration in tribulation. Instead of succumbing to life’s burns, “Ashes” dances through the fire – you’ll find it easy to join Kole on the dancefloor when you hear this, as it’s undeniably her best release to date.
Deep Red
There’s a number of reasons we’re excited about the new single from Dallas shoegaze duo Deep Red: “Blue Eyes” is the band’s first release since last year and we were elated to unveil it for the first time last night with a premiere before it officially released today. What’s more, it’s a spirited precursor for their first ever live show going down at Rubber Gloves in Denton on August 2. We aren’t going to miss it, and trust us when we say you don’t want to either.
Komal
Denton artist Komal made her Local Show debut last night, and with her debut single, no less! Komal’s sound is her take on a fusion of pop and R&B, and inspired by her experiences as a South Asian woman. Her aptly titled catchy cut, “BackNForth” is a sugary track reminiscent of artists like Normani and Kali Uchis. If this single isn’t enough to satiate your sonic sweet tooth, she’s got a couple of live recordings on streaming services, too.
The KXT Local Show – 7/11/24
”Ashes” – Loren Kole
”I Notice Things” – Bencjones
”BackNForth” – Komal
”Blue Eyes” – Deep Red
”Maladjusted” – Black Tie Dynasty
”Dominoes” – Brothers Vanguard & Electriq
”If I Didn’t Have You” – Matt Hillyer
”Take Me Home” – Hanani
”Optimistic (Time Is Running Out)” – Gollay
”Empty House” – Chloe Jobin
”What I Really Found” – The Plum Boys
”Worn Out” – Secrecies
”Gun Barrel City” – The Disappearing Act
”Unknown To You” – Kinsley August
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)