Cory Graves
This Week, Leon Bridges Was Just What The Doctor Ordered.
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.
What an unbelievable tear Leon Bridges has been on of late.
While he's pretty much been up to something spectacular all year long, Bridges is now coming off one of his most baller weeks yet. He debuted a new duet with Macklemore at the AMAs, sang songs with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in an upcoming televised performance and dropped a new single that he wrote for Will Smith's Concussion movie.
More than just an amazing overnight success story, Bridges is now a full-blown superstar. As such, he's earned his third straight trip to the top of our weekly, local music power rankings, and his 16th overall win.
It's absurd, really.
Even more absurd is the thought that North Texas is the kind of place where someone like the genius that is Erykah Badu can finish second in any kind of power rankings. She's had a pretty insane week as well, sitting in with The Roots during a taping of Fallon, dropping by BuzzFeed, prepping for her mixtape's listening party tomorrow and gearing up to host the Soul Train Awards on Sunday. For her efforts, she finds herself in the No. 2 hole for the third week in a row.
There's no shame in that, though. The talent level associated with North Texas is just off the charts of late. For instance? On top of Leon, there were several other locally-tied performers at last weekend's AMAs, including Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato and Pentatonix.
Other national cosigns found Chris Holt collaborating with Don Henley once more, and
Ben Kweller popping up on that surprise new Foo Fighters EP. Earl Sweatshirt applauded FXXXXY's latest effort, too, and Maren Morris climbed Billboard's Heat Seekers chart.
Then there was Bobby Sessions, who just released one of the best albums of the year local or national. He'll celebrate that effort with a headlining set at Trees this weekend. Similarly, These Machines Are Winning celebrates the release of its second LP of 2015 with a headlining set of its own at the Granada. Newly released albums also helped Hell Texas and The Outfit, TX earn their respective spots in the rankings this week, too.
Elsewhere: Crit Life's CEO took a bullet; DJs Sober, Blake Ward, RedEye and the Trillwave crew helped Beauty Bar celebrate its fifth anniversary; SoMo headlined a South Side Ballroom gig; and Zhora released a new video.
(Also receiving votes this week: Color TV, -topic, The D.O.C., Snarky Puppy, Dorrough, Myopic, Picnictyme, Sudie, Doug Burr, BeMyFiasco, Ishi, Buffalo Black, Luke Wade, Wesley Geiger, Midlake, Dezi 5 Natural Anthem, Moon Waves, Medasin, Vandoliers, The Birds of Night, Astronautalis, G.U.N., Denim Wonder.)
