Cory GravesThis Week, Maren Morris Found Her Soul Revival.
Each week, we take a survey of the local music scene and try to determine which acts in town are really putting in work and seeing it pay off. Which bands have the most intriguing shows coming up? Which bands are getting the most press around town? Which bands have accomplished the most notable feats of late? Based off these criteria, our music writers submit a list to be weighted and compiled into a master list revealed each week in this here space. We like to think it’s fairly revealing. Check out our previous Buzz Rankings here.
Yesterday, the Country Music Association Awards announced its list of 2016 nominees. And leading the pack with a whopping five nominations? North Texas ex-pat Maren Morris.
The only other musicians with that many noms were Eric Church and Chris Stapleton. Pretty good company, we’d say!
Morris’ nominations came in the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year categories. In fact, that last category is pretty much dominated by North Texans, with Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves also nominated. Again, pretty good company!
But this win right here is all about Morris. It represents her sixth trip to the top of our weekly, local music power rankings. She also three-peated back in June when that acclaimed Hero LP for which she’s been nominated dropped.
A few other rising, young, area stars made impacts on award shows this week, too. Sad Cops frontman Grayson Harris interviewed Phantogram at the MTV VMAs as part of the duties thrust upon him by a Taco Bell scholarship he earned. And, other than Beyonce’s performance, Kanye West’s new video for the Post Malone-featuring “Fade” was pretty much the talk of that same ceremony.
Other artists getting people talking this week include Will Johnson — although, in this case, they’re mostly talking about his visual art. The Toadies also made some impact in the visual art world of their own, appearing the latest X-Men comic.
Elsewhere: Texas Hippie Coalition got their tires slashed; Midlake announced a Trials of Van Occupanther deluxe reissue; and Buffalo Ruckus became the latest band in town to get its own beer.
(Also receiving votes: Mur, Norah Jones, Jesus Chris + the Beetles, Jonas Martin, Casey Donahew Band, The Buck Pets, Claire Morales, Birds of Night, Moon Waves, Christy Ray, Quaker City Night Hawks, Xes, Colby Belshe, Mind Spiders, Acid Carousel, Jacob Furr, Doug Burr, Duell, Tidals, Tony Ferraro, Kaboom, Party Static, Kim Nall, Moth Face, True Widow, Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward, She Banshee, Heavy Hands, Wire Nest, The Me-Thinks, Ishi, Caterpillars, Supersonic Lips.)