On March 24-25, the 21st annual Toyota Texas Music Revolution festival at Plano’s Oak Point Park will showcase performers Kacey Musgraves, Kiefer Sutherland Band, Josh Ritter, Castro the Band, Zane Williams and many more. Get the full lineup and more details on the fest here.
Maybe you’ve been busy and haven’t had a chance to jam to all of the Toyota Texas Music Revolution 21 featured musicians yet. No prob. Lucky for you, those rebel song-pushers over at KHYI 95.3 The Range helped us out with a few of their favorite tracks. Click each song title to open in iTunes, or listen to the Spotify playlist.
From Joshua Jones, general manager at KHYI (and TTMR’s biological father)
Josh Ritter, “Getting Ready to Get Down”
First of all, I love Josh Ritter. He’s one of the nicest guys in the music industry. You can’t see him without getting a hug – even if you’ve never met him before. (Disclaimer: Plano Magazine does not guarantee free hugs from Josh Ritter.) This song is an unbelievably catchy tune about a young girl questioning things.
Castro, “Diamond Dreams”
Most people remember Jason Castro for his dreadlocks and meteoric American Idol success. Castro is a band he started with his brother and sister. Their debut 2016 EP was produced by Charlie Peacock, a well-known musician in his own right, who produced The Civil Wars, among others. “Diamond Dreams” is the standout track.
The Buffalo Ruckus, “Carolina Calls”
In the not-too-distant future, Buffalo Ruckus will be the biggest band in Texas. I have enjoyed watching them evolve over these last few years. I had the good fortune to be the executive producer on their last album, and “Carolina Calls” is my favorite song from that project.
From Chuck Taylor, program director at KHYI (Wanted: for shooting bad music in the knee and kicking it out of town)
Kacey Musgraves, “This Town”
For me, having lived in a small town, this is one of the most relatable songs on the “Pageant Material” album. If you’ve ever lived in a small town, you totally get this song, and you get where Kacey comes from. As a programmer that’s something I look for in songs.
Kiefer Sutherland, “Can’t Stay Away”
We’re playing “Can’t Stay Away” from Kiefer’s debut album “Down In A Hole.” I’ll be honest – when this was pitched to me I thought, “Great, another actor wanting to be a singer!” Then I heard the album and was pleasantly surprised.
Paul Cauthen, “Saddle”
His album “My Gospel” made Rolling Stone Country’s top 40 albums of the year at #23. The former frontman from Sons of Fathers delivered an incredible solo debut that is unlike anything in country music today. I liken it to a cross of Elvis, Marty Robbins and Bono.
Vandoliers, “Hank”
I first found out about Vandoliers in 2015 at Smoked Dallas. They were playing and their music made me, my wife and my daughter stop and take notice. They’ve got a new project in the works, but for me right now the best song from their album “Ameri-Kinda” is “Hank.”
From Brett Dillon, DJ at KHYI (and obviously a man of few words)
Zane Williams, “Back Porch Band”
From Nick Bridwell, Plano Magazine contributing writer (His pappy’s a pistol, He’s a son of a gun.)
Kacey Musgraves, “High Time”
I love everything about this song. From the sentiment to the whistling. I feel like this is the type of country music I grew up on in the 90s, and even close to the old albums my Grandpa Murphy used to play me on his record player. This is King George meets Patsy Cline (with some spunk).
Josh Ritter, “Change of Time”
If someone spliced the DNA of Bob Schneider and Roger Miller, they’d get Josh Ritter. He’s a masterclass wordsmith. This song is a great example of his poetic power.