But with the rise of relatively affordable recording equipment, there is, more than ever before, a surprisingly robust collection of local, music-focused broadcast options, whether over radio waves or in podcast form, for your entertainment and education. Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorites.
The Best Local Music Radio Shows and Podcasts in Dallas
Wheels Off with Rhett MillerHost: Rhett Miller
Where you can hear it: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Osiris Media
Wheels Off is billed as “a podcast about the messy reality of living a creative life,” something with which Rhett Miller, the Dallas-bred singer-songwriter and co-founder of beloved alt-country act Old 97’s, is intimately familiar. Launched in 2019, Miller's show has interviewed a slew of famous names (Rosanne Cash, Michael Chabon, Liz Phair), and taken care to mix in a few fellow Texans as well (Norah Jones, Charley Crockett, and Robert Ellis).
The KXT Local Show
Host: Alec Spicer
Where you can hear it: KXT 91.7 FM; streaming at kxt.org
If it’s Thursday night at 7 p.m., it’s
Jackalope Tales
Hosts: Lisa Umbarger and Charles Mooney
Where you can hear it: YouTube and Apple Podcasts
Co-hosted by two of the founding members of Fort Worth rockers Toadies — bassist Lisa Umbarger and guitarist Charles Mooney — Jackalope Tales purports to “pull back the curtain on the strange, spooky and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry.” The gregarious Umbarger and Mooney have tackled everything from Post Malone covering Nirvana to vintage Toadies recordings.
Dallas Famous
Host: Andrew Sherman
Where you can hear it: Deep Ellum Radio, Spotify
If you see Andrew Sherman around town, he’s more than likely armed with his camera and in the pit, photographing the action on stage and helping document the artistic life of the region. A veteran musician and photographer, the Dallas-based Sherman produces a podcast that pulls from all walks of North Texas creative life — full disclosure: this writer has been a guest on the podcast — and is informed by his genial, inquisitive interviewing style.
North Texas Music Fanatics (NTXMF)
Host: Jason Janik
Where you can hear it: Audible
Another veteran of the North Texas music scene, photographer Jason Janik has captured images of nearly every artist of consequence living in or passing through town over the last 25 years for outlets such as the Dallas Morning News. Janik’s weekly podcast, which debuted in November, finds him sitting down with an array of artists — guests thus far have included Pikahsso, Ken Bethea and Ashley Leer — for fascinating, in-depth conversations.
KNON
Hosts: EZ Eddie D, Dave Chaos, Jenn Leigh and many more
Where you can hear it: 89.3 FM; via the KNON app
For the last 40 years, the nonprofit, listener-supported KNON has been an instrumental part of the local music community, providing a platform for an array of voices and genres as well as a window into the creative soul of North Texas. From Early Morning Gospel and Overnight Jazz to reggae and Latin Energy, there’s something for every sensibility here at any hour of the day.
Hip Hop Headz
Host: Christina Angelique
Where you can hear it: Audible
The Dallas Public Library might not be the first place you’d expect to find a Dallas hip-hop-focused podcast, but last summer the institution launched Hip Hop Headz, a weekly, roughly hour-long dive into the North Texas (and beyond) hip-hop scene. Guests have included producer-musician Jah Born (who also co-produced the show’s intro and outro music) and reggae artist Salako Music.
The Local Show
Host: Austin Cox
Where you can hear it: 95.9 FM; streaming at 959theranch.com
Perhaps the newest entry on this list, this recently launched weekly, hour-long Sunday show on Fort Worth’s beloved radio station “The Ranch” is hosted by Austin Cox, of the band Desert Folk. This Sunday night show skews a bit more country, folk and rock, highlighting artists such as Joshua Ray Walker, Bonnie Bishop, Vandoliers and Josh Weathers.
The Ghost of Blind Lemon
Host: Chris Mueller
Where you can hear it: Wherever you stream music
This one is a bit of a technicality. For more than 15 years, the Dallas-based Mueller anchored The Ghost of Blind Lemon blog, which championed North Texas artists, and he regularly appeared on Deep Ellum Radio. Even though he has wound down those efforts, he still keeps a hand in via his "Monday Mixteen" playlists, which he shares via a private Facebook group.
The Godfather’s Greatest Hits!
Host: Frank Campagna
Where you can hear it: Deep Ellum Radio
As the press materials say, “Frank [Campagna] doesn’t need an introduction as a godfather of Deep Ellum.” One of the neighborhood’s leading lights and a pillar of the North Texas artistic community, Campagna presents a weekly Saturday morning show on Deep Ellum Radio that affords him a chance to dive deeply into his varied collection of songs, pulling up, as one promotional poster says, “Lots of crazy stuff you may have never heard before.”
The Strangest Gig
Host: Chris J Norwood
Where you can hear it: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Podbean
Dallas-based singer-songwriter Chris J Norwood turns the tables somewhat in his podcast, which centers on interviewing other musicians about, well, “the strange, weird, wild, wacky, terrible and/or amazing gigs we have to take in order to make it as freelance and gigging musicians.” Guests have included Sean Russell, Salim Nourallah, Scarlett Deering and many more.
