Cory Graves
This Week, Midlake/Banquet Brought A Lot To The Table.
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 first time since late October, neither Leon Bridges nor Erykah Badu are in the top spot in our weekly, local music power rankings.
I know! Crazy, right?
Instead, earning its sixth trip to the top of the rankings is Midlake — well, or its Banquet side project, depending on your perspective.
For starters, the band and its biggest fan were the center of AOL's Act Like a Musician web series this week. But really, the biggest source of buzz for the band this week was the just-picked-up-on months-old news about its Banquet supergroup, which features members of Band of Horses and Grandaddy, among others. Why everyone else only just now decided to freak out about this news — the news broke almost half a year ago album isn't due until late 2016 — is anyone's guess.
Of course, right in the No. 2 and No. 3 holes are those ol' familiar Bridges and Badu faces. Aside from both making some national year-end lists this week, the former will perform on The Late Show this weekend and the latter judged the DDFW Masters of the Mic freestyle competition last weekend. (That contest, we should point out, was dominated by Alsace Carcione.)
Speaking of year-end lists: G.U.N., Jonathan Tyler, Picnictyme, LEV and Dead to a Dying World all took spots in the top 15 of our still-in-progress Top 100 Local Songs of 2015 countdown this week.
Then, a whole lot of Dallasites became a lot more familiar with Bobby Sessions when they listened to his “Peyton Manning” single for the first time on camera.
Elsewhere: Steve Miller will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Post Malone teamed up with 50 Cent; The Polyphonic Spree held its annual holiday extravaganza; and Zhora will hold a listening party for its debut EP this weekend.
(Also receiving votes: Son of Stan, 88 Killa, Here Holy Spain, Sam Lao, Freddie Jones, Party Static, Classic Cult, Lord Byron, Drowning Pool, Vandoliers, Thin Skin, Whimper, Old 97's, Misteries, Sad Cops, Sarah Jaffe, Radioactivity, Dezi 5, Kirk Thurmond, Vincent Neil Emerson, $kaduf, Doug Burr, Buffalo Black, Mariachi Quetzal, Madison King.)
