Imagine the world before cell phones—before the internet. News traveled by print and word of mouth, and great new bands were discovered when your best friend played you a song or when you wandered into a live music venue expecting nothing and walked out having found the next big thing. With the recorded debut of Wichita Falls quintet Local Zero, today’s streaming listeners are about to experience the modern equivalent of stumbling into a club in 1978 and witnessing something special.

A fixture on the Wichita Falls music scene, Local Zero has been packing houses for years—and will no doubt do so again at Iron Horse Pub on New Year’s Eve. Yet until now, they’ve been curiously absent from the streaming world. Consider that problem officially solved with the release of their debut EP, In Our Own Little World, Part 1.

The four-track release drops on New Year’s Eve (with a promised Part 2 still to come) and immediately impresses with its polished musicianship, thoughtful composition, and confident lyricism from the very first notes.

Self-produced and mixed with refined precision, In Our Own Little World channels classic pop-rock energy. Barry Faulkner’s blues-tinged guitar leads the charge, supported by the seasoned, hired-gun-level chops of bassist Danny Craig and drummer Erik Coronado, while dual lead vocalists Jason Reeder and Jennica Lambert trade lines and emotions with ease.

One track in particular stands out. “Lovin’ by the Rules” [lyric video] is nothing short of stunning—a call-and-response love song about missed chances that evokes the soulful storytelling of a bygone era, when songs lingered long after the last note faded.

“It’s just being told from two points of view,” Faulkner explained. “The girl is unaware that the guy even saw her in the bar. They’re both wondering if they should have gotten it right, and each thinks the other has moved on.”

After several verses and a scorching Faulkner solo, “Lovin’ by the Rules” breaks down into a subdued scene in a bar. We hear the tinkling of glasses and muted conversations.

Reeder’s masculine tenor enters first:

I saw you at our place the other night / Had second thoughts that our timing wasn’t right / But you were with another guy so I just walked away.

Lambert answers with a sweet ache of her own:

I’m here staring into this guy’s eyes / Knowing he’ll never fit me right / Wondering what would have happened if we had just…

Together, they finish the thought—“gotten it right”—and then BOOM: the band crashes back in for a full-force crescendo.

This is musical craftsmanship at the highest level—the kind that raises goosebumps on your arms and the hair on the back of your neck. “Lovin’ by the Rules” deserves radio airplay and a permanent spot on any music lover’s playlist.

In Our Own Little World, Part 1 will be streaming on New Year’s Eve. The band will also have merch and CD copies available at their Iron Horse show that night, with vinyl editions planned for the future.

What a way to close out 2025.

Got streaming original music we need to hear? Find us on social media or email us at FallstownFUSE@gmail.com

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We first saw Bowie, Texas’ The Innocence perform a new artist showcase at The Iron Horse Pub in 2024. At that time, Caleb Tomlinson was the sole lead vocalist, and The Innocence’ sky-high potential was already on display. Since that time, co-lead vocalist Faith Williams has joined the band, and the potential has been realized. Faith’s husband Fig Williams plays rhythm, with incendiary lead guitar supplied by Austin Brock. The lineup is rounded out by bassist Garrett Hachtel and drummer Landon Guana. Together, the members of The Innocence create something that transcends their roots in tiny Bowie, Texas.

Check out their video “Forth,” visit their YouTube Channel, and mark your calendar for an encore performance at the Iron Horse in January 2026.

Tell us what you think in the comments.

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The Texoma music scene has always had its guitar heroes — the players who could make a barroom crowd lose its mind on a Saturday night with a searing solo or a perfectly dialed-in cover. But every so often, those same heroes step off the familiar stage and bring us something entirely their own.

Right now, two of Texoma’s most respected six-string slingers — Rahn X and Barry Faulkner — have done just that. Both are fixtures in top Wichita Falls cover bands, Rahn with Strange Lucy and Barry with Local Zero and Coda Armour. After years of driving crowds wild with new and classic rock, they’ve each released original solo albums that put their guitar work — and their personal voices — front and center.

Rahn X — “Relationship Anthems”

Onstage, Rahn X (real name Ron Weaver) plays with precision and danger, his guitar slung low, fingers attacking the fretboard with blinding efficiency. On Relationship Anthems, his debut solo album, that energy turns confessional.

The record’s sound lands somewhere between Henry Rollins’ grit, Suicidal Tendencies’ urgency, Lou Reed’s cool detachment (though Rahn swears he’s never really listened to him), and the instrumental guitar records of the ’80s. There’s even a flash of Kirk Hammett’s metal edge.

“I had two other friends make the Lou Reed reference,” Rahn says. “I never really listened to him, either solo or with Velvet Underground.”

From the first distorted chord of “Manipulates,” it’s clear this isn’t a safe record. “That one was partially inspired by Slipknot,” he says. “I drew from Steve Vai for “Bright Eyes” and “BFNS.” And “Blind Love” had me thinking of Prince.”

It’s heavy yet personal, a lyrical deep-dive into relationship wreckage over an industrial-tinged backdrop. True to his DIY approach, Rahn produced the album entirely himself, performing all the instruments and handling the programming.

Barry Faulkner — “Time Is a Movie”

If Rahn’s record feels like a confession written in all caps, Barry Faulkner’s Time Is a Movie plays like a road trip soundtrack. Known for his fluid, melodic style, Barry delivers an album that drifts between genres without losing its center.

It’s diverse. “Top Down” is straight-ahead instrumental rock with a nod to Satriani and Vai. “Sunshine and Skeeterbites” is a day in the sun, tossing a frisbee, enjoying a cold one.

Across the record, there are flashes of hard rock, southern rock, metal, boogie-woogie, and blues. Faulkner played every instrument himself, using loops and occasional programming for the drum tracks. Most of the guitar work came from his Dean V models — except for one special moment.

“The strumming chords in ‘Spatial Delivery’ were recorded on a 12-string Fender Strat my uncle Dean (Faulkner, of A.A. Bottom) left me when he passed,” Barry says. “The song became my personal tribute to him, and the album is dedicated to his memory.”

Like Rahn X, Barry recorded entirely at home, producing, mixing, and designing the album art himself. “I’m used to being a collaborator,” he says. “But as the recording developed, I wanted it to be very personal, so I did everything I could myself.”

Two Roads, Same Fire

The timing of these albums feels poetic. For years, Rahn and Barry have lived in parallel worlds — two local guitar powerhouses, each the lead player in a premier cover band, each able to make a crowd forget they’re not hearing the original artist. Their solo work strips away the safety net, revealing their distinct creative identities.

The contrast is striking. Rahn’s music is confrontational and industrial, a storm of riffs and raw emotion. Barry’s flows with melodic ease, warm and open-ended. One draws from metal’s jagged edges, the other from sunlit grooves. Yet both are intensely personal, entirely self-made, and rooted in the same Texoma dirt.

They’re not competing — just proving that two artists from the same scene can follow wildly different but complimentary paths and both end up somewhere worth hearing.

The Texoma Factor

Wichita Falls and the surrounding Texoma area might be off the industry map, but that distance can be a gift. Here, musicians can write without chasing trends, build their own audiences, and take risks without a label breathing down their neck.

For Rahn, that freedom means tackling messy, uncomfortable truths about relationships. For Barry, it’s the freedom to wander stylistically, unconcerned with how algorithms might classify him.

What’s Next

Neither guitarist is leaving the stage. Rahn will keep tearing through solos with Strange Lucy, Barry with Local Zero and Coda Armour. But now, both have albums that speak in their own voice.

If you’re local, you know the fire these two bring live. Relationship Anthems and Time Is a Movie are streaming now, waiting to be discovered by anyone who loves guitar music made without a net.

Because sometimes the most exciting music doesn’t come from big cities or big labels. Sometimes it comes from two guys in Texoma, each chasing the sound in his head.

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You can’t categorize Polly Pocket and that’s the way we like it. The Wichita Falls EDM Punk Princess personifies elements of EDM, indie Pop, Rock/Emo and so many other genres, categorization becomes impossible.

If there’s one thing we love, however, it’s artists putting it all out there, unafraid to take chances and lean into the avant garde, and Polly Pocket does that with enthusiastic abandon.

Check out her new music video, Transplant, with special guest Horsechair, and make sure you follow her channel on YouTube.

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Sorry for the delay, it has been awhile since we’ve put together a new Red River Playlist, but we think you’ll agree it was worth the wait. Check out this selection of streaming music from Texoma artists.

Iowa Park, Texas’ indie rockers Tiny Joy have a new EP out that leans into a rock sound, evident on the single “Just Like You.” We thought we heard a little bit of Nina Gordon/Veruca Salt in this release. Also on this list, “Smoke Break” and “Lose Lose.”

Doom Metal Sabbath devotees Mind Funeral have a new EP out, featuring the heavy and excellent “Closer to God.” Also featured on this playlist, “Hivemind.”

One-time law enforcement officer Frank Ray made a swing through Wichita Falls recently as the opening act for Brantley Gilbert. Take a listen to “Country’d Look Good on You.”

Downtown Royalty Band is making a case for Wichita Falls’ busiest band of 2025 with live dates that keep coming, and singles, too, including “Mark’s Song.” Also included here, the vicious breakup track “Done with You.”

Atmospheric rock quartet Loveship is out with a new album loaded with moody-but-relaxing rock tracks including the very cool “I Was Distracted.” Follow them for a dose of something different.

Married country duo (and new parents) The Hattons released “Criminal,” today, and it sounds like a release from a major label band. This one should go on your favorite country playlist now.

Newcomer Decker Rumfelt is only 15-years-old. We got a chance to see him last week and were blown away with the maturity of his music and songwriting. Check out “Silly Fool,” and “Still a Lot to Learn.”

Tulsa’s hard rock Dime Store Riot played at a show we saw in Oklahoma City in August and dazzled our eyes and ears. Check out the single they just dropped, “Cancel Me.”

How about some Wichita Falls metal from Singular Alloy with their new single “Heart of Stone?” Take a listen.

Graham, Texas native Gabe Choate sounds like a legacy country act well into a career as a famous country crooner, and with one listen to “Ghosts,” you’ll understand why. Incredible lyrics and an amazing country voice.

Wichita Falls EDM Punk Princess Polly Pocket (also of It Hurts to Be Dead) is out with a new album featuring the single “Transplant.” You want different? Polly Pocket’s got you.

Wichita Falls hardcore band Giant Pilot’s “Buried Face Down” brings to mind mental imagery of the pit at the beginning of a metal show. You enter at your own risk.

Hot off a strong showing in the KATTfest Battle of the bands in OKC, Lawton standouts Aquafire have a new single out, “Showtime,” and we love their 70s/80s inspired hard rock/sleaze rock sound.

It’s been awhile since we checked in with Oklahoma’s incredible Cade Roth & the Black Sheep and their single “Between the Lines” reminds us to check in more often. Every powerful, heartfelt single we hear from them is amazing.

Stream this entire playlist on Spotify, or follow these artists wherever you stream music.

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From time to time TheFUSE puts out the Red River Playlist, featuring the best original music we can find from Texoma artists, plus others who’ve traveled through and played shows in our area. When we’ve done 6 Red River Playlists, we put the contents together into something called the Red River Mega Playlist. The first 6 Red River Playlists went into Mega Playlist No. 01, and now, we’ve compiled playlist numbers 7 through 12 into this, Red River Mega Playlist No. 02. We’ve also included one bonus track to kick-off 5 hours and 50 mminutes’ worth of listening: the latest track from Mind Funeral, a masterful tribute to Black Sabbath called “Hivemind.”

Listen all you like and enjoy. Find the playlist here, or embedded below.

Hear something you like? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Welcome back to another installment of the Red River Playlist, a periodic playlist of the best original music out of Texoma. It’s been awhile, so let’s dive right in.

Red River Playlist No. 12 on Spotify

James Cook is back with a new album, Texican Velvet, and How to Live Lonely is a fantastic example of the distinctive sound we’ve come to know and love from Cook — authentic red dirt Americana.

Oklahoma’s Aqua Fire has a decent-size back catalog, so take a listen to their newest single, a classic-rock-tinged banger called The Ledge, and if you like it, they have plenty more for you to explore.

Tiny Joy is a new indie alternative band from Iowa Park, Texas featuring talented lead vocalist and guitarist Destiny Anderson. They came out of the box swinging with their debut single Roach. We’ll be hearing more from them soon!

For metal lovers, Forth is the latest single from North Texas’ The Innocence, a band that has been rapidly undergoing a maturation process that includes adding a female singer for a dose of melody, and they’re shooting videos, too. The Innocence is on the way up.

Return to Dust is a Los Angeles hard rock band featuring a couple of guys who met in middle school in Midlothian, Texas, and later made the move to LA, where they’ve opened some ears with singles like Belly Up, and turned heads opening for acts like Chevelle. Remember the name.

Carthage, Texas’ Passengers Unknown continues to impress with their unique and unconventional mixture of original alternative rock and country, and Light It Up is another good example. Put them into your favorite rock playlist and enjoy.

Archer City’s Young Road Recalls have been making a name for themselves across Texoma with a southern rock-influenced sound and an energetic live show. Down South Badlands is an album cut from 2024’s Songs of Sorrow and Pain, and you can hear their potential in the track.

If you want traditional country, you can never go wrong with Eb Steward, an artist who sounds like he’s a legacy country superstar with decades of radio airplay. Take a listen to Appaloosa Hill.

Every Time They Talk by Jay Burnam is so good, we may have featured it twice? Nevertheless, if you get a chance to see Jay perform at an Open Mic or a Song Swap, jump at it. Powerful voice with even more powerful songwriting.

Much like Passengers Unknown, Ghosts of Gray County is original and unique Texas rock with apparent influences from both alternative rock and country. Check out the heartfelt Song and a Broken Heart and keep them in mind, because their star is on the rise.

Adara Kay’s music is hard to classify in the breadth of her approach. You might hear classic rock, modern rock, or country influences in her music. Kay’s voice ranges from a badass rocker girl snarl to the smooth country crooner we hear on Take a Chance on Me. Dig it.

After a long hiatus post-Covid, Wichita Falls’ Downtown Royalty has been kicking out banger after banger for nearly a year now, and not one single has been a disappointment. Their latest is Natural, and it deserves an immediate spot on your favorite playlist.

We’ve featured The Stray Sons before, but you haven’t heard them in their element until you’ve heard them stomp like they do on LowDown SOB. Take a listen and tell us you can’t just see the crowd going nuts to this track in a live setting.

What did you like from this playlist? Let us know in the comments.

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Welcome back to another Red River Playlist! In this 11th installment of the RRP we have 13 singles from a variety of Texas and Oklahoma artists, some new and some from their existing libraries. Let’s dig in.

Texoma Red Dirt and Americana legend James Cook is back with a new single, “Houndin’ Me,” from his latest album Texican Velvet. This song is haunting and pensive, with lyrics likening personal troubles to an incoming storm, and it is guaranteed to get stuck in your head.

We’ve featured Oklahoma’s 9 Left Dead on previous playlists but we’ve never featured the subdued “I’ll Take the Blame” before. As of the time of this writing, it is their most popular (but not their most listened to) track on Spotify. It starts with a spooky musical intro that sounds like it belongs in the score of a mystery thriller before morphing into an incredible mainstream rock track.

Archer City, Texas’ Young Road Recalls is out with “Waterworks,” a single that demonstrates their talented mixture of modern rock, classic rock, and blues. We’re told they have a music video coming soon, so follow them and watch for it.

Iowa Park, Texas’ Jacob Main was suggested by a Facebook follower when we asked for the names of Texoma artists we needed to hear. This acoustic version of “Take It All” is a great song about struggle & loss. If you’re the one who suggested it, thank you.

Wichita Falls’ Polly Pocket, [It Hurts to Be Dead] has a new solo album out featuring “Come and Get It.” We’ve written about Polly’s music before, and this one is pretty badass. We can totally hear this electronic banger bumpin’ on the club floor at the end of the night.

The country music of West Texas’ Matt Daniel harkens back to the classic country sound of the 70s and 80s (reminds us a little of Ronnie Milsap) and the single “Long Way Home” features steel guitars and Matt’s eye-opening vocal skill. Matt is an artist you’ll be glad you got to know.

It’s no secret Downtown Royalty is one of our absolute favorite Texoma artists and we shocked ourselves when we discovered we had not featured one of the best tracks from their back-catalog—“Careless Me.” Add it to your favorite playlist. You’re welcome.

Okie Smoke hails from Sulphur, Oklahoma, and their country-rock single “18 Wheels,” belongs on your car radio as you drive down the highway, leading your “lonely asphalt cowboy way of life.”

Wichita Falls hardcore trio Giant Pilot recently made their streaming music debut with “Mushroom Sky,” a heavy track featuring brutally aggressive vocals, incredible guitar work, and an amazing drum sound and performance. For fans of heavy music, this is it. Welcome to the streaming world, gents.

Another track from the back-catalog of a group we have written about at length—Wichita Falls’ punk foursome It Hurts to Be Dead. The single “This Writer Will Self-Destruct” is one of our favorites in the live setting for its propulsive, straightforward rock feel. Catch one of their shows and tell us we’re wrong.

Country artist Kim Hunter can be seen playing clubs all over Texoma on practically any night of the week. She’s a hardworkin’ country artist and the single “On It’s Way” fits the image, and shows Kim’s strong songwriting chops.

Southeastern Oklahoma’s Mitchell Trimmer Band bills themselves as an Alt Country band, and their single “300 Acres” can easily convince you that they’ve already made it. The lyrics, songwriting, and production are all top-notch.

San Antonio’s Ratchet Dolls played a show in Wichita Falls recently, their second in the last year, and debuted their new music video, “Take Me Down,” on the day of the show. As we’ve written before, this hard rock band is on their way up.

What do you think of these singles? What caught your ear? Tell us about it in the comments.

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The long dark winter is almost over in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma and Texoma streaming artists have been hard at work, writing and recording new music. For those of us who love country and rock, this playlist of 14 amazing songs is just what we need to chase those winter blues away. Let’s dig in.

Red River Playlist No. 10

Blank Labels is back with what may be their catchiest song yet, Drive. It’s a well-crafted alt rock track from the Wichita Falls quartet, radio friendly, and you should be spinning it regularly. Be forewarned, it will get stuck in your head.

Oklahoma’s Nine Left Dead amaze us with their elite-level mainstream rock songcraft, and the production and performance of their latest single, Just Say Goodnight, leaves no doubt that they’re ready to go to the next level.

Adara Kay graced a recent Red River Playlist with country-inspired rock that shared much with female rockers like Maria Brink and Taylor Momsen. The Okie artist’s most recent single, Wildcard, has her channeling a more traditional country rock sound that will make you drum on the dashboard.

Garry Walden (Ladybird) is back with his other group, Mind Funeral, and a new single of Black Sabbath inspired doom — Clockwork. It’s drop-tuned metal and became our current obsession the minute we first heard it.

Wichita Falls singer/songwriter Jay Burnam has spent considerable time working out demons with his songs over the last few years, and his newest release, Devil’s House, is more of the same. Introspective and personal lyrics with intentionally simplistic but skillful songwriting, and a growing edge that intrigues us.

We’ve long-awaited new streaming music from Texoma Red Dirt country legend James Cook and his amazing band, and the wait is over. Cook is back with Is That All You’ve Got from his forthcoming album, Texican Velvet, and it’s exactly what you’d expect: finely honed country/Americana that can convert non-country listeners to appreciators if you give it a chance. We speak from experience.

Festering Sore from Wichita Falls doom metal outfit Skekis fits right alongside the rest of the songs in your metal playlists, with anthemic gang vocals, superfuzz guitar work, and a rhythmic approach. The ethereal production is a bonus.

We waited to release this playlist because we knew a new single was coming from Downtown Royalty, and the wait was worth it. The Wichita Falls funk rock 5-piece is back with You Nasty, one of the most vicious lyrical takedowns we’ve heard since Taylor Swift started skewering her exes. Also on this playlist, Smile, a cheery country-inspired ditty for contrast.

Oklahoma country artist Bret James (Whiskey Runners) has previously shown his incredible songwriting skill and country crooner tone with Back to Austin. Now he’s back with what is, in our opinion, a somewhat harder-edged song, Outlaw ‘til I Die, and it’s a definite must-add for your country playlists.

Here For Now is a DFW quartet led by Shayd Reigns, and their music shows incredible maturity for a relatively young group. Their sound runs the gamut from hard rock and metal to the lightweight sound of this ballad — Lighthouse. Here for Now is a group to follow.

OKC’s American Slang visits Wichita Falls about once a year and it is always an event. They’re a 5-piece comprised of young men who aren’t even old enough to legally drink in some cases, and their show is incendiary. American Slang’s songwriting and Southern-Rock-inspired sound is taking them places. Their latest single is In the Middle of It, and you should add it now.

Metal act Astro Throne played a gig in Wichita Falls recently in support of Mind Funeral, and we’re featuring their single Caestus of Grief on this playlist with the strong suspicion that we’re gonna hear more from them. It’s heavy and tight, and doom fans will love it.

It’s been awhile since we featured country traditionalist Jason Archer on a playlist, but he has plenty to enjoy. Here we’re featuring Go to Arizona, a traditional Americana track which perfectly accompanies the Spring days that we’re sure are on the way. When it warms up, turn off the heat, open the blinds, and put on Jason Archer. You’re welcome.

This is the part where we remind you that these artists put their hearts and souls into their music without the expectation of financial reward. They do it for the love of music. Their music provides us endless hours of enjoyment and respite, so it’s only appropriate that we should do what we can to give back to them as they so generously give to us. Follow them, and most importantly, add these songs to your favorite playlists so they get some spins. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy Red River Playlist number 10.

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We first heard Clockwork, the second single from Mind Funeral, when the group made their live debut at the Iron Horse Pub in late 2024, and we waited patiently for it to arrive on streaming services, which it did in January 2025.

It was worth the wait.

The song starts as a Sabbath-inspired gallop with Walden singing in a register that emulates Ozzy to a degree that it’s noticeable, but not so similar that you’d consider it copped. Tyler Farmer absolutely kills on lead guitar, and Peter Skulski plays some “lead bass,” virtuosic, but nicely deep in the mix. Ryan Meek’s drumming supplies precise and crucial “clockwork,” and when the song drops into doomy climactic moments with Walden supplying a banshee howl in the background, the whole thing comes together.

When asked how long the song has been around, lead vocalist Garry Walden said “Like a lot of Mind Funeral’s songs, the bones for Clockwork were written around two years ago when we first got together to start jamming. I found the main riff one day while just sitting in my room messing around on my guitar, and then I brought it to a writing session with the guys,” Walden continued. “After that, the rest of the riffs kind of fell into place. The lyrics/vocals came much, much later. Initially our plan was to find a stand alone clean vocalist. We couldn’t find the right fit and so eventually we decided it was just kind of up to us to make it work,” he said.

We talked with Garry before about Mind Funeral’s lyrics, when Cyberwitch was released, and he told us of an imaginative concept. With Clockwork, the concept is further exposed. “The lyrical content comes from our concept revolving around the two main characters in the universe we are trying to create,” he said.

“[There’s] the all powerful Cyberwitch, an ancient evil entity waiting for her chance to be manifested via the advancement of technology and AI, along with what we call the Portal Face, who is essentially a wizard from ancient times who was defeated by the Cyberwitch and converted into a phantom-like henchman forced to bend to her will and capture the minds of humanity via hypnosis through our screens and devices in order to steal natural human intelligence and feed her own power,” Walden continues. “The song is from the point of view of someone who has been captured by the Portal Face and “plugged in” to the Cyberwitch.”

Add “Clockwork” to your metal playlist alongside Black Sabbath and you’ll hear how well it fits. And absolutely make a point to see Mind Funeral Live when you get the chance.

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Wichita Falls’ busiest original band of 2024 was quite likely Blank Labels, who treated us to banger after banger, including Vague, You4ia, and New Wave, and early in 2025, they dropped what might be their earwormiest, catchy tune of all — Drive.

In typical Blank Labels fashion, it’s a well-crafted alt rock track, radio friendly, and treads ground that has become the Wichita Falls four piece’s signature sound. Bryson Lawrence’s youthful voice can sometimes remind you of Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance). Mike Hardison’s powerful drumming drops to a whisper, then builds back to an explosive crescendo. And it’s supported by the tasteful lead guitar of Angel Perez and dynamic bass of Mackie Divine.

Drive was produced by the guys in the band, engineered by Bart Rose at Fort Worth Sound and mixed by Linus Dotson, and it’s no exaggeration to say the production values are absolutely pro-level. You cannot tell the difference between this indie rock production and a bankrolled major label release.

I’ve gone on long enough. Don’t take my word for it. Stream it. Share it. Follow Blank Labels. And plaster your favorite radio station’s social media with requests for Drive by Blank Labels.

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Well, well, well. FUSE followers came through big-time this month with suggestions aplenty in response to our Facebook query: Texoma artists with streaming music we should hear. Who are they?

The result is an eminently enjoyable, wide-ranging playlist spanning country, rock, and metal. We have Okies and Texans checking-in, currently touring bands, and even bands that are no longer together. Let’s dig in.

Red River Playlist No. 9

Country & Americana

First, the ladies make a strong showing on this playlist, with an incredible moody entry — A Girl Can Be — from Okie country pop rocker Adara Kay, who has as much in common with The Pretty Reckless and In This Moment as she does country artists. Also Dani Carson’s catchy song Pay My Bills is relatable and lyrically genius, and a total earworm.

Also representing the country genre, Gabe Choate, whose song Look at the Mess is bound to make you two-step into the night. Choate sounds like a top-notch national radio artist, too. 940 from Race Ricketts is traditional Country Americana, a love song to a familiar area code.

Rooster by TJ Todd Band is a heavy country rock banger that’ll make party people climb on tables. Likewise, Rose Tattoo by southwest Oklahoma’s Gannon Fremin & CCREV will make you pound the dashboard.

Wichita Falls’ Darion Ryan Roberts offers a new single, just in time for the holidays, Christmas of ‘99. In his customary singer/songwriter fashion, Roberts blends traditional Americana sound with poignant and nostalgic lyrics, in this case, a whimsical musical memory of the lead-up to Y2K.

The basement is full
with bottled water and food
I wish last week that we would have
gone to see Toy Story 2

And I’m feeling mad stressed
‘cause there might not be much time left
Should probably check on my parents
I guess I’ll just call them collect

The newsman on the TV
said this could be the end
So if this is our last one
Turn on Vince Gill’s Christmas CD again

Other country songs and artists featured on RRP #9 include the atmospheric Treading Water from Okie Smoke, the country folk of Hillbilly Shakespeare, Slacker Country rockstars Dexter and The Moonrocks, and the impressive debut single — Back to Austin — from Bret James.

Rock

For mainstream rock, we’ve included a track — Wasted on the Young — from now defunct Throttlebody, a Wichita Falls group that was on the verge of breaking out when the pandemic derailed everything, and included drummer Mike Hardison (presently of Blank Labels and Fake Happy), along with guitarist Jeff Catlin (the Kept), Aaron Epp on bass, and Ryan Hager on lead vocals and guitar.

LanceBattalion is one of our favorite young Texas bands from the DFW scene (Burleson). We first saw them live at Woody’s in Wichita Falls the night of our microburst storm in 2023, and escaped safe but soaked. After we’d dried off, we featured Lance Battalion’s debut single on Red River Playlist No. 3. Now, the guys are back with a new single, Runnin’, which showcases an evolved sound — lead single Pretty Woman featured a Muscle Shoals-inspired southern rock sound, whereas Runnin’ goes in a mainstream rock direction with shades of Bad Company and seventies classic rock.

Other rock selections on RRP #9 include a single from San Antonio’s Ratchet Dolls representing the sound of the Sunset Strip, and Medicine Man from Chasing the Coyote, an awesome modern rock band from tiny Tipton, Oklahoma.

Doom and Metal

For fans of the very heaviest stuff, RRP #9 features Gamma Goblin’s Doctor, a metal sendup of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell from The Kept that would work perfect for any movie director looking for a song to put in the score of their dark psychological thriller, and songs from the prairie doom Astrothrone and A New Day Falls.

Last but not least, for a dose of boogie-woogie booty-shakin’, check out The Party Don’t Start Till I Get Here from Oklahoma’s Dirty Red and the Soulshakers.

Fish around in this playlist and if you find something you love, tell us about it in the comments.

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Welcome to the Black Friday edition of the Red River Playlist, a collection of 15 amazing songs by Texoma performers, legends and rising stars alike. While you’re running around and doing your shopping, pop on this playlist and enjoy the music, like one of James Cook’s longtime fan favorites “Flat, Foolish, and Despised,” or the new single from nationally-recognized Giovannie & the Hired Guns.

There’s a track from the fast-rising Smokin’ Oaks on this playlist, an absolute standout tune from Wichita Falls’ Blank Labels, and, do not be alarmed — that smoke you're smelling is just a new single from Downtown Royalty — “Wrong Way.”

There’s ambient-inspired shoegaze from Wichita Falls’ fresh Ceramic Planet, and straightup mainstream hard rock from Oklahoma’s 9 Left Dead. Perhaps our favorite new discovery is Fort Worth’s Here for Now, whom we got to see perform at a gig at Red Rock Saloon in Denison. They are a fantastic mainstream hard rock and metal band that will be much better known very soon, in our opinion.

You’ll find other tasty selections on this playlist from artists like The March Divide, Passengers Unknown, Oklahoma’s Aqua Fire and more. Take a listen, tell us what you think in the comments, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

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Never fear, TheFUSE hasn’t gone anywhere. We just took a little break while the editor started a new job, then started a different new job, but we have it on good authority that exciting things are coming. Stay glued to your feed on that.

Now, on to Red River Playlist No. 7, a collection of 14 tracks from local acts and regional artists who’ve passed through the music incubator known as Wichita Falls.

This month, we have solid new streaming country rock in the form of “Devil Woman” from Archer City’s Young Road Recalls, a couple of excellent cover tunes from OKC’s American Slang (“Fever Dog” and the just released “Cowboy Song”), and two excellent songs—”Warning” and “If Rock Was a Woman”— from Wichita Falls’ own Downtown Royalty. On Red River Playlist No. 7 you’ll also find tracks from Haskell, Texas’ Matt Austin and The Accused, blues from East Texas’ longtime star Ally Venable, Oklahoma’s The Smokin’ Oaks, Further North, Frontier Families, Basics, and the most recent single from Them Dirty Roses.

Find something you like? Tell us about it in the comments and don’t forget to follow these artists on your favorite streaming platform!

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Since the spring of 2024 we’ve been creating a Red River Playlist on the last Friday of every month (except when we didn’t that one time) comprised of music by Texoma artists — both rising regional performers and road warrior touring acts from across Texas and Oklahoma who’ve played in Wichita Falls. We’re talkin’ about local bands like Better Strangers, Lone Star Mojo, Blank Labels, Downtown Royalty, plus regional acts like Forth Worth’s The March Divide, San Antonio’s Ratchet Dolls, Oklahoma City’s American Slang, and many others.

Here we’ve compiled nearly every selection from our first six playlists, plus a few hand-picked selections, for our first Red River Mega Playlist — 101 songs from more than 50 different artists, with a total running time of 6 hours 49 minutes.

Got a road trip coming up? Here’s your opportunity to enjoy country, rock, red dirt , blues and pop music all the way to your destination.

Red River Mega Playlist #1 on Spotify

Take a listen and tell us what you think in the comments.

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After an installment posted two weeks late last time, we’re sneaking in (checks watch) just under the wire to get back on our schedule of posting a new Red River Playlist on the last Friday of every month. We’ve got a mix of Texas and Oklahoma country and rock this time, and some real bangers in here. Let’s dive in.

Mind Funeral — Cyberwitch [Youtube | Spotify]

The latest musical project from Garry Walden [Ladybird/Basics] is Mind Funeral, a heavy stoner rock band in the same arena as Mastodon at times and Stoner-rock legends Monster Magnet and Corrosion of Conformity at others. Cyberwitch is the first single from a forthcoming EP — “a concept about an ancient entity (the Cyber Witch) who has been laying dormant since the beginning of time, waiting for humans to create computers/AI so that she can come out of her slumber and take over the minds of humanity,” Walden told us.

Flatland Cavalry — A Life Where We Work Out [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Flatland Cavalry is making a stop in Wichita Falls soon and we’re including A Life Where We Work Out on this playlist for fans of traditional country, and Sleeping Alone, too. [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Cirkus — Fly Away [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Cirkus is a self-described groove metal band from Tulsa, and we dig them a lot. They have four singles on their Spotify streaming channel and the one that caught our attention was Fly Away.

Ghosts of Gray County — Faces [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

We’ve featured Ghosts of Gray County on a Red River Playlist before. A mixture of alternative rock and country, this band from Pampa, Texas has a number of great tracks including Faces.

Matt Austin & the Accused — Use Me [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Not long ago Matt Austin swung through Wichita Falls and played an acoustic special guest spot at an open mic, and he promised us there’s a new release coming soon from he and his band, and it is really gonna be something. Check out Use Me.

Downtown Royalty — Am I Too Loud [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

We recently wrote about Downtown Royalty’s excellent new single American Brown, and the current single from this Wichita Falls funk rock band, Am I Too Loud, is also very cool and retro-classic rock in nature. We haven’t made any secret of our love for this band, so just add this to your favorite playlist and trust us.

Cam Allen — Daydream [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Kolby Cooper is headlining the Burn Shop Block Party and Steak Cook-Off in Wichita Falls in a few weeks and Oklahoma’s Cam Allen is one of the supporting acts on the bill. On Daydream, Allen specializes in lightweight country dripping with heartbreak and traditional blues.

Kolby Cooper — Kill Me [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

With nearly 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly 40,000 subscribers on YouTube, the proof is in the pudding — Kolby Cooper, the headliner for the forthcoming Burn Shop Block Party and Steak Cook-Off is the real deal. Bonus Kolby Cooper track: Excuses [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

The Innocence — Stand Tall [Youtube | Spotify]

We got to see The Innocence perform at an artist showcase in Wichita Falls recently and these guys lit it up. Their debut single, Stand Tall, shows they are composers of excellent progressive metal, carried on the shoulders of guitarists Austin Brock and Fig Newton Williams.

Eb Steward — Alligator [Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music]

Eb Steward is our current fascination, because he is so authentically Texoma. Drive 20 minutes out of the city and find a gravel road, then put on some Eb Steward while you’re cruising. The music goes with the landscape. We’re spinning Eb on repeat right now, and you should, too.

Did you find anything you like on this playlist? Tell us about it in the comments.

Find the complete Red River Playlist No. 6 on Spotify

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We’re two weeks late with this installment of the Red River Playlist. Forgive the tardiness, but better late than never with this list of noteworthy music from both sides of the Red River.

We’ve long been fans of Oklahomans like Zack Crow, Ryan Oldham of RDO Smokewagon, and Cade Roth, but this month we dug into the scene a little deeper and came up with a list that includes Wichita Falls-area songs but is also heavy on Oklahoma energy. Let’s go…

Spotify Playlist

Alcoholic Vocabulary Lord: The Kept

We’ve previously talked about our favorite track, The God of Tits & Wine by Wichita Falls’ metal standouts The Kept, but we’re overdue to feature a track from their backcatalogue. Alcoholic Vocabulary Lord is heavy, progressive, and prominently features awesome Iron Maiden-esque twin lead guitar lines.

The Enemy: Ratchet Dolls

San Antonio’s Ratchet Dolls released a single, Loud, Loud, Loud, earlier this year, right before their gig at The Iron Horse Pub. Since then they’ve continued touring in Texas and beyond, and the singles keep coming. Their latest is The Enemy and fans of the Sunset Strip sound will be happy.

How Are You: Passengers Unknown

We’ve previously raved about Tyler, Texas’ Passengers Unknown. Their latest single, How Are You, cranks up the steam. This electric track shoves Passengers Unknown’s potential right in your face with soulful vocals and cutting six-string work. We included their track 3 AM on this playlist for good measure. Look out for this band.

Adderall Sunrise: Ryan Oldham

Ryan Oldham, solo artist and founding member of RDO Smokewagon, is an Oklahoma red dirt institution. Adderall Sunrise is arguably his most popular track as of this writing. We take pleasure in the brutal honesty and introspectiveness of Oldham’s songwriting — stories about challenges rooted in love, apathy and struggles with the bottle. Also included on this playlist, Too Far Gone.'

American Brown: Downtown Royalty Band

American Brown is the first single in a series of releases from Wichita Falls’ Downtown Royalty; a series slated to continue every two weeks between now and the end of 2024. In keeping with Downtown Royalty’s reputation, it’s stellar. American Brown is a crafted funk/blues stomp, original, and well-produced. Let’s hope this is just a taste of what’s to come.

Like Me: Jay Burnam

Wichita Falls’ Jay Burnam has a modern singer/songwriter channel that he never turns off, where his personal lyrics and acoustic guitar unfurl a tale. In this case, it’s a story of vulnerability told with on-the-nose lyrics. Our question is, how does it take us back to a magical previous era? How can it be modern and still feel like it came out of a 1970s wood-paneled mancave with a home bar wrapped in naugahyde and a sterling silver ice bucket? We don’t know, but we like it. Let’s have a cocktail.

Echoes of the Past: Anthony Montes

The lead guitarist for Clint Vines & The Hard Times has some solo instrumental music you should stream. Echoes of the Past is a country-tinged guitar track with a Latin flavor and it pairs perfectly with a terracotta-colored sunset and a tumbler of whiskey. And if you need driving music, Anthony Montes’ uptempo Lost Time is a nice choice.

Good Time: Down to Friend

As of the publication of this list, we are only days away from Down to Friend’s appearance in Wichita Falls with It Hurts to Be Dead and Ladybird. Good Time serves as an uncharacteristically bouncy singalong song for a Dallas band that is normally very punk rock.

Dirty Laundry: The Stray Sons

As with Down to Friend, The Stray Sons are just days away from an appearance in Wichita Falls. This Fritch, Texas band describe themselves as red dirt meets rock, and we’ve previously featured Clean Money on a Red River Playlist. This time around, check out Dirty Laundry.

Pay for My Love: Crimson Love

Tulsa’s Crimson Love has a self-titled EP available to stream and recent single Pay for My Love has a decidedly 1980s Sunset Strip sound that also showcases some absolutely blazing guitar work during the solo. This band has strong potential and is worth a listen.

As Above: Wolf Ugly

In the spirit of The Hives and The Vines, Oklahoma’s Wolf Ugly is a textbook post-punk revival band which at times transitions into a sort of raw new wave; as if someone locked Panic! at the Disco, Husker Du and David Bowie in a room and said “Don’t come out until you’ve written a song.” This is another Oklahoma band we’ll be watching. Listen to As Above.

Set My Soul on Fire: Edge of Destiny

Edge of Destiny is an Austin rock band with a talented woman at the mic — Kraevin Caedo — and they have a good supply of streaming music for you to check out, and a YouTube Channel, too.

Summer Anthem: SluggNutt

Fans of bottom-heavy bands like Royal Blood and Queens of the Stone Age will enjoy SluggNutt. Hailing from Salina, Oklahoma, this band has tight songwriting, bass-heavy riffing, and memorable melodies and hooks that occasionally bring to mind mainstream acts like Seether.

Memphis: Cade Roth & the Blacksheep

Anybody who knows anything about Oklahoma music knows Cade Roth and the Black Sheep and has heard Memphis, but we’re including it here for any unfortunate soul who doesn’t know about the silky smoove sound of Memphis.

You4ia: Blank Labels

We recently wrote about You4ia (Euphoria), the most recent single by Blank Labels, and it feels like another example of several strong Texoma indie rock releases, including Blank Labels’ previous single, Vague, and As Above by Wolf Ugly.

Spotify users can access this playlist here.

Tell us what you think in the comments.

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The backcatalogue for Wichita Falls’ punk band Basics is available to stream online and includes a number of tracks you should check out, including Darles Chickens, I Don’t Karen, Fold Out Couch, and DNR.

Most exciting, however, is forthcoming new streaming music from Basics, who have gone from a three-piece punk/emo trio consisting of Austin Rupe, Trevor Teague, and Maycen Miser, to a five-piece modern rock quintet with the addition of two dynamic electric guitarists — Joey Lester and Garry Walden.

We got an advance listen to a soon-to-be-released new track, “Divorced Dad Shirts,” and found the sound of raw emotion Basics is known for still present. Rupe has taken a vocals-only role lately, and some of the jangle formerly supplied by his guitar has been replaced by the twin electric buzz of Lester and Walden. We think the guitar-heavy approach lends a progressive edge to Basics sound, even touching on classic rock and country while skillfully coloring inside the lines of emo and punk.

We caught these photos of Basics during a show at the Iron Horse Pub in August 2024, our first chance to see them perform as a five-piece. Basics’ evolving sound and direction portend exciting developments in the future.

“We go back to the studio to record September 1st and we have 3 brand new ones,” Rupe told us via DM, “and we’re redoing 3 off of our first ep for our first full album!”

This is your Follow Alert. Follow Basics so you don’t miss a thing when their new music comes out. Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Wichita Falls rock quartet Blank Labels continues to release music at a satisfying pace in 2024 and their presence on our playlists is growing. We’ve written before about the classic and southern rock influence plainly audible in the excellent Open Air, and Vague, influenced by indie rock, emo and post-punk revival groups like The Killers, Panic! At The Disco, and The Hives.

Now, Blank Labels are back with “You4ia,” [Spotify | Apple Music] a track which captures the spreading of Blank Labels’ wings, and is a combination of 80s Eurorock in the vein of U2 and Queen, modern-day emo, and 70s progressive rock groups like Yes and ELP.

Check out the way the song breaks down into discordant noise in the middle. Blank Labels is on an adventure, and we’re here for the ride.

Take a listen to You4ia. When heard in context with the guys’ previous single, Vague, it’s pretty clear Blank Labels is crystallizing their sound and becoming a major player in the distinct scene that is North Texas. Tell us what you think in the comments.

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You can find an eclectic mix of genres — turn-of-the-millennium college radio, New Jersey variety band, country rock, and gritty, soulful blues — in the recently re-released “Passion, Soul, & Rock & Roll,” a stunning debut album from Wichita Falls’ Downtown Royalty. The 9-song collection, originally released in 2018, is a poetic, genre-blending album with impassioned and introspective lyrics that convey deep emotional messages on love and personal struggle.

On the strength of Michael Kately’s songwriting, and with a healthy dose of funky, rhythmic instrumentation from a talented band, “Passion, Soul & Rock & Roll” takes you on a ride through music appreciation, with hints of Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Springsteen and Cafferty, Sister Hazel, and a selection of other influences that make DTR hard to classify.

Genre defying style notwithstanding, the quality of the production is excellent, and the album is a delight to listen to. “We worked with Taylor Tatsch at his studio, “Audio Styles,” Kately said. “Taylor was incredible to work with… His ear for music will impress you. He produced & played on the album as well; adding keys, vocal harmony, percussion, and guitar as needed.”

Perhaps the most telling aspect of Passion, Soul & Rock & Roll’s artistic merit is the visual imagery that accompanies each listen; the mental panorama of a dark lounge that accompanies the opening refrain of Apple Pie, the 1950s crooner that Kately so impressively calls to mind in Careless Me, or the smoky blues & soul club that you can’t help but see in your mind’s eye when guitarist Mark Forehand takes a lead vocal on Non-Smoker. Anybody who’s ever spent time in an art gallery knows, when the artist conjures “theater of the mind,” they have done their job, and there is no question Downtown Royalty has done their work with due diligence.

“I feel the album represented a time in our lives, and some of the experiences we managed to capture. Each song is like a photo saved to your camera roll,” Kately said. “There are so many more ‘pictures’ that our fans haven’t seen yet.”

Regarding where Downtown Royalty is today, Kately said, “Our sound has evolved to a more edgy rock & roll, where the no trespassing sign has been ignored. There were elements of this missing from the first album we feel. For further releases, we aim to hit the raw nerve every time.”

In addition to Kately, Forehand, and producer Taylor Tatsch, musicians on Passion, Soul & Rock & Roll include current DTR bassist Files Little and former drummer Brandon Mundt. Together they made something that is an incredible effort for a debut album, with production values that stand up against label-signed artists. When ingested on repeat, as we’ve been consuming it at TheFUSE, it is clear it’s simply one more example of a stellar original music talent pool in Wichita Falls.

Listen to Passion, Soul & Rock & Roll [Spotify | Apple Music].

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