Cory GravesThis Week, Reverend Horton Heat Stoked The Fire.
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.
With last night's Black Flag show at Dada, the Elm Street Music and Tattoo Festival kicked off its five-day takeover of Deep Ellum — an event that'll see 45 of the world's best punk bands and tattoo artists doing their thing all weekend long.
The revelry will also bring hundreds of Dallasites into the neighborhood — more than a handful of which will likely quip about how the neighborhood is back.
That's definitely a good thing.
And for its part as the fest's namesake, the Reverend Horton Heat earned itself just its second-ever No. 1 finish in our weekly, local music power rankings. The band will also perform at Trees this Saturday as part of the festival, followed by frontman Jim Heath performing a solo electric set on Sunday evening at Three Links.
Other locals performing at that festival throughout the weekend include Convoy & the Cattlemen, Street Arabs, Riverboat Gamblers, Dead Flowers, Brutal Juice, Slobberbone, Mike Dillon, J. Charles & the Trainrobbers and Scary Cherry & the Bang Bangs.
Other acts earning spots on this week's list thanks to recent festival/showcase announcements include Ejecta, which will appear at this year's Gorilla vs Bear IV, and the Toadies, the Old 97's, Somebody's Darling, Quaker City Night Hawks and Pleasant Grove, who combine to make up the first half of this year's announced Dia de los Toadies lineup.
Then there's the contingent of local acts celebrating new releases this week. To that end, Centro-matic will perform a pair of Dallas shows this weekend in honor of its recently-released eleventh LP, Denton's Moonbather will do the same for its debut EP tonight at Good Records and Van Darien will follow suit Saturday night at Double Wide.
Elsewhere: Snow tha Product and The Outfit, TX each earned nods from national publications; Sudie was the subject of a Dallas Observer cover story; and Jarvis Hodges, Brandon Ford, ThatKidCam, Terrence Spectacle and Crit Life performed at Rico Slice's 16Bars.xxx showcase in East Dallas.
(Also receiving votes this week: The Polyphonic Spree, Pooca Leroy, True Widow, Crushed Stars, Ynfynyt Scroll, DJ Sober, Myopic, Street Arabs, Cliffs of Insanity, Analog Rebellion, Terrence Spectacle, Stymie, George Quartz, Blackstone Rangers, Blessin', Amber Farris, Tunk, Daniel Markham, Pageantry, Convoy & the Cattlemen, Doss, Virgin Wolves, Dead Flowers, Frauen, Brutal Juice, Slobberbone, Sealion, Ghoultown, Jarvis Hodges, Pink Smoke, The Roomsounds, ThatKidCam, Nite, Cleanup, J. Charles & the Trainrobbers, Leopold & His Fiction, Scary Cherry & the Bang Bangs and Sir Name and the Janes.)
