Cory Graves
This Week, Demi Lovato Was The Right One, Baby.
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.
This week, as the unfortunate #FreeKesha story was grabbing headlines in the national music world and beyond, the responses of a couple of other pop stars to that situation took away some of that story's focus. While Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to Ke$ha's legal fund, Demi Lovato called out Swift for throwing money at the problem instead of using her power to shape the anti-rape conversation.
“I'm just tired of seeing women use 'women empowerment' and 'feminism' to further brands without actually being the ones that have the uncomfortable conversations,” Lovato later clarified.
Aside from giving “more fucks than other people” and starting “a dialogue about women coming forward about being raped,” Lovato also made headlines when she performed for President Obama last night at The White House's tribute to Ray Charles. And for the combo of these two actions, she earns her first-ever trip to the top of our weekly, local music power rankings.
Hey, how about that!
Joining Lovato at that aforementioned White House concert was — of course — Leon Bridges, who performed in one of Charles' own jackets, no less. You can catch those performances here, or on your television when they're broadcast on PBS tomorrow night.
Also on the televisions, Dalton Rapattoni advanced to the Top 10 in the final season of American Idol, and Old 97's and Son of Stan had their songs used in popular TV shows.
In the No. 2 hole this week was one Erykah Badu, whose star power is such that one Dave Chappelle is helping host her sold-out birthday celebration at The Bomb Factory tomorrow night. Other big shows of late include Quaker City Night Hawks, Sam Lao, Picnictyme and War Party's joint bill as part of our fourth anniversary party.
Elsewhere: We caught up with John Congleton as his Nighty Nite project released its second single; Tiger + Man, Mind Spiders, Tony Ferraro and loads others released new tunes this week; and Jessie Frye's beer got a release date.
(Also receiving votes this week: The Timewasters, Luke McGlathery, The Cannabinoids, Seres, DJ A1, Pinkish Black, Bastards of Soul, Adam Pickrell, ThatKidCam, The Relatives, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Markham, Better Now, Sudie, Jake Paleschic, Madi Davis, Missing Sibling, Birds of Night, Different Strokes, Jarvis Hodges, Fogg, Pyrex Pirates, Alejandro Escovedo, Green River Ordinance, Huffer, Bummer Vacation, The Orange, Parallel Play, Erik Chandler, The O's.)
