Cory Graves
This Week, Leon Bridges Took Us To The River.
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.
New Year, same old Buzz Rankings.
Sure, it took a whole month, but once again Leon Bridges asserted his dominance over our little weekly, local music power rankings, notching his first No. 1 of 2016, and his 19th all-time.
As much as we'd like to see a little more variety atop the list, we can't argue that the honor isn't deserved, as it is each and every time he tops one of these things. This week, for instance, he released his incredibly powerful video for “River,” which won over even his critics over at NPR. As if that weren't enough, he was also announced as one of the big headliners of this summer's Roots Picnic festival up in Philly.
In any other city, an act like Pleasant Grove might have easily taken home a No. 1 this week. Tomorrow, the band releases its first new album in 12 years, a fact which it'll celebrate with a pair of free, intimate release shows this weekend at Fred's in Fort Worth and Twilite Lounge in Dallas. For their troubles, they took the No. 2 spot.
Also coming with new albums this week was The O's, War Party and Green River Ordinance. And True Widow and Parquet Courts each teased upcoming new releases, too.
In the No. 3 hole this week was Bobby Sessions, who helped RBC celebrate its grand re-opening last weekend. And Sarah Jaffe, Kaela Sinclair and several others will help out Kevin and Becki Howard's family as part of a benefit show tonight at Trees.
Elsewhere: Eli Young Band and Mickey Guyton were nominated for ACM Awards; Nervous Curtains did Daytrotter; and Post Malone released a new video.
(Also receiving votes this week: Loudiene, Buffalo Black, The Eli Young Band, Blue, the Misfit, Erykah Badu, Tru Def, Claire Morales, Keegan McInroe, Elijah Heaps, Sam Lao, Jacob Metcalf, Pearl Earl, Mimisiku, Mind Spiders, Don Henley, Vandoliers, William Austin Clay, The Buck Pets, $kaduf, Pink Smoke, Neon Indian, -topic, Kites & Boomerangs, Lord Byron, The Azalea Project, Nature Nate, Moon Waves, The Generous Pour.)
