It has been a busy week in North Texas music since we last checked in. If you were lucky enough to catch Joshua Ray Walker’s closing residency show at The Kessler Theater, or maybe Primo Danger’s debut album release set at Sons of Hermann Hall, you know firsthand just how loaded it has been. The rush continues with this week’s edition of The KXT Local Show with more fresh, homegrown sounds.
Dallas indie-pop band New Avenues have returned with their first new music in over a year — “Turnover” is a dreamy mantra for the freedom that comes with turning over a new leaf and breaking free.
There’s arguably no sweeter time to fall in love than summer, and alt-pop artist Elyse Jewel is falling hard on her new single, “Love Now.” Hold out for the gorgeous key change on this one!
Electro-pop singer Robyn Harris now resides in Nashville, but is a born and raised North Texan hailing from Denton. She made her Local Show debut last night with “Same Day,” a sweet albeit heartbreaking tribute to her late mother.
The new track from Garland rock duo Market Zero also comes to us on a bittersweet note – vocalist Joey Owens was involved in a major motorcycle accident just hours before “House Rats” was set to be released earlier this month. The good news is that bandmate Justin Casey says Owens’ condition has improved, though he remains in the hospital as of now. We at KXT are sending our sincerest well wishes for Owens’ recovery. The band will continue to post updates via their Facebook page.
Jah Born & Jordache Grant ft. Varcy
Good things often come in threes, but even better things come in threes that drip with the warm summer sounds of reggae. Grammy-winning Dallas producer Jah Born – whom you might also know as a longtime collaborator of Erykah Badu – linked up with multi-hyphenate musician Jordache Grant and Varcy (one of our favorite local artists of 2023) on “Clever.” We’ve been graced with surprisingly temperate weather this week, so let this guide your soundtrack for these “cooler” summer days before the blazing of August that is around the corner. There’s also a slow-groove R&B version of this one, if you’re feeling a little more sultry.
Bubby
Garland is often referenced as the home of country singer LeAnn Rimes, or less flatteringly for its depiction in the movie Zombieland, but now it gets a rowdy nod from its hometown indie-rock trio Bubby. Their new album, which officially released today, is titled Garlandia and features pre-released singles like “Sleepyhead” and “See It For Yourself,” but a song called “I Know You Stranger” is an exuberant highlight on the record. You can celebrate the album (and perhaps your unabashed Garland pride) at their record release show this Saturday, July 27 at Growl Records.
J Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed
J Isaiah Evans is a veteran of the Dallas music scene, probably most known as the leader of the soulful rock band, The 40 Acre Mule. His latest project, though, is a namesake Americana trio along with Matthew Vasquez and Spud Crowley. The band turns more toward a gritty Americana sound, and is often rooted by the beautiful organ work that can be heard on their new single, “Hat in Hand.” And after an impressive showing at South by Southwest earlier this year, these guys are on a summer vacation, but you can – and should – catch a solo set from Evans at Club Dada in a couple weeks in support of Ben Nichols’ show at Club Dada.
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.
