​Once the leader of Fort Worth's Hillbilly Café, singer/songwriter Devin Leigh has been busy the last few years, most recently lending his guitar work to Austin's Bleu Edmonson. But 2011 saw the release of Music for the Sole, and Leigh could finally get on with a solo career, which finds him settling into a more Americana vibe.

Leigh will be highlighting material from Sole, along with some new tunes, tonight at Adair's. Check out "Blackwater." And no, it's not a cover of the Doobie Brothers hit.

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​Mind Spiders excellent sophomore album, Meltdown, comes out February 21 on Dirtnap Records and already promises to be one of 2012's best local releases. Mark Ryan knows his way around a pop song, as "Wait For Us" and much of Meltdown proves, but he also isn't afraid to experiment. The closing title track gets into some droning Motorik territory that actually suits Mind Spiders' sound pretty well. I mean, they even have their own theme song.

Tastemaking overlords Pitchfork got the exclusive yesterday, but that doesn't render it culturally irrelevant a day later, does it? Nevertheless, enjoy the song. Turn it up loud and bounce around the office. And look for tour dates soon, especially with SXSW approaching.

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Flatworld

​Arlington trio Flatworld recently hit the studio, and the result of those sessions is Ether Sunday, a 14-song full-length that features a wild mix of punk, garage rock and folk.

In anticipation of Flatworld's headlining gig this Saturday night at the Prophet Bar, the band was kind enough to offer up an mp3 of one of Ether Sunday's mellower tunes, "Sailing."

If you like what you hear, head down to Deep Ellum and catch a bill that also features Circadian, Old Dirty Car, Hold the Title and No Evidence.

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​A few years ago, Black Tie Dynasty were one of the biggest bands in DFW. The band broke up, but former lead singer Cory Watson wasted little time jumping into his next project, Mon Julien, which also features former Black Tie keyboardist Brian McCorquodale.

Today, the Mon Julien project comes to fruition with the release of the band's self-titled debut full-length, which was produced by Mark Pirro (Tripping Daisy, Polyphonic Spree). Additional musicians on the album include Midlake's McKenzie Smith and Black Tie Dynasty's Blake McWhorter.

While the album release is today, the band will celebrate it this Saturday at The Local Edge-sponsored party at Granada Theater. The album is available on iTunes right now, but the band passed along a stream for their first single, "Punchline," which will be available for the rest of the week. Enjoy! More >>

​The longer I'm in Dallas, the more I'm coming to realize Ishi is a very divisive band.

Zhora features former Ishi members Taylor Rea and Rob Bastian. Their free four-song EP just dropped, and it features some amber electronic waves of '80s grain, as well as a song that smells like a hit ("Sunset"). Check out a sample of "Futuristic Land."

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​Dallas synth and guitar duo Blackstone Rangers are hard at work on a debut EP, out next month, and a song has appeared out of the ether. "I Won't Tell" sounds a bit like the Vaselines filtered through the moodier '80s pop of those C86 bands of yore, and the duo has recently been augmented as a four-piece, which should translate better live.

Check it out below, and check them out Saturday, January 7, with equally synth-heavy local curios Kiwi Sisters and JAKKK-E-CHAN at 2826 Arnetic, another one of Dallas' excellent DIY spaces.

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​The new EP from producer and former Sore Loser Brandon Blue is discordant, slowed down, spaced out, chopped up. After a few listens, you definitely feel the effects. Numb's release was preceded by an "experimental" short film of the same name, and Blue, now affiliated with Dallas hip-hop collective Brain Gang, is certainly exploring some special feelings here. I don't know where that neon-lit room on the cover is located, but I'm pretty sure I was there on spring break once.

Check out the what-happened-last-night instructional "Party On" after the jump, and catch Brain Gang Blue Friday, December 30, at the Prophet Bar for Numb's release party.

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​"Oh, he's just a baby!"

This is actually something I yelled at the computer while listening to Analog Rebellion, because I am apparently a 73-year-old grandmother and would pinch Daniel Hunter's cheeks if I saw him. A few listens to the 21-year-old's brand new Evaders EP points to some major maturation since last year's debut, Ancient Electrons.

He has an ear for hooks ("There Is Something Wrong"), knows when a song should end ("Lo-Fi or No-Fi (Fallacy)") and isn't afraid to experiment, as on closer "Stop Listening to This Fucking Band (Full Body Massage)." He also loves parentheses and has a sense of humor (mid-EP standout "Mixed Thsi Whole Album While Drunk Bro").

Catch him February 11 at Prophet Bar, and take a listen to a track from the EP after the jump.

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​Local alt-country maestro Ronnie Fauss hasn't been a stranger to area coffeehouses since the release of his excellent 2009 Brent Best-produced LP, New Songs For the Old Frontier. Since then, he's released two more EPs, with each one not only improving in overall quality, but also in general range. The folk still remains, but the driving American rock certainly made itself more prominent, especially with 2010's Mulligan.

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​This new track by local production duo Play-N-Skillz, featuring Dorrough, Too $hort (!) and Bay Bay, addresses the ladies of Dallas in no uncertain terms. After listening to it once, I had some conflicted feelings, but damn if wasn't stuck in my head all morning. Maybe it's the flute sample.

The gist of the song: Apparently, there ain't nothing like a Dallas freak. Is this true? Is this a new Dallas anthem? Check it out after the jump.

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