Cory Graves
This Week, Erykah Badu Used Her Phone.
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.
For the second week in a row, Erykah Badu wasn't just one of the hottest acts in town, but in the entire country. Be it shooting music videos via Periscope, debuting one-woman one-human shows, teasing the release of new mixtapes or having her mom interviewed about Andre 3000, there's no question she knows how to keep people talking.
For her troubles, she once again finds herself atop our weekly, local music power rankings. With 13 No. 1ss, Badu moves into sole possession of second place all-time, one behind Leon Bridges' 14 and one ahead of Sarah Jaffe's even dozen.
A few points below is the currently New York-based outfit Parquet Courts, which returns to its old hometown tonight for sold-out a show at Rubber Gloves in Denton. It's a pretty cool move on the band's part, if only because it could easily play rooms several times larger than Gloves (but a fraction as hip). It should be a pretty good time. Party Static, which opens the show, also earned some buzz runoff of its own.
The next two spots are also occupied by a pair of local expats — Neon Indian, which started a viral campaign to market its new music video, and Demi Lovato, who was accused of ripping off Sleigh Bells.
Speaking of rad videos, Bobby Sessions and -topic released a killer new clip this week, as did Jonas Martin, Alsace Carcione, Conner Youngblood and The Outfit, TX.
Elsewhere: The Birds of Night, DJ Sober and Jake Paleschic will play this weekend's Untapped festival; St. Vincent became a SONOS pitchwoman; and Denim Wonder debuted his debut LP.
(Also receiving votes this week: The Azalea Project, Sam Lao, Old 97's, Foxymorons, Taylor Lewis, The Polyphonic Spree, Howler Jr., Jacob Metcalf, Reinventing Jude, Rigor Mortis, Selena Gomez, Pearl Earl, Alsace Carcione, Xes, Blue, the Misfit, Sealion, DJ Imperial, Brandon Fxrd, Jessie Frye, Lord Byron, Stevie Ray Vaughan.)
