Singer-songwriter Valerie Salerno started her ambient noise-rock/alt-country solo project — Dick Texas — about five years ago, building up to this Spring’s release of her debut full length LP “All That Fall“ (on Fred Thomas’ LifeLike Records). Salerno visited WDET Studios to talk about the new album and her upcoming show at Third Man Records next Saturday, May 10, with Winged Wheel.

Prior to Dick Texas, Salerno was in the Grand Rapids-based alt/noise-rock group Sojii (which recorded its debut album with the late Steve Albini). Salerno started Dick Texas when she moved to Detroit in 2019.

“Catharsis is in almost everything that I make,” Salerno said, remarking upon one of the most distinctive qualities of “All That Fall” — which involves reverb-splashed guitars that go from resonant twangs into purposefully dissonant crescendos. “And that’s what draws me to a lot of the music that I like. I think in this project — and especially what comes out on this album — my biggest goal as an artist is to just write better and better songs…and I think a lot of that came out in my guitar playing.”

“All That Fall” certainly has some elements of alt-country-conjuring twang to it, and a proclivity toward some grittier textures, but I’m hooked by these primal and honestly satisfyingly abrasive circuitous guitar phrases that singe the edges of each composition. Most of all, the album attains its radiance from the subtle yet spellbinding lead vocals of Salerno, weaving gracefully through those stormy guitars.

Put succinctly, Salerno said: “I do like exploring the extremes of dynamics…”

But we also asked about how these songs, in the best way, seem to take their time — following slowed tempos that stretch tracks into the six-minute mark. “I have low blood pressure” Salerno said, following with a self-aware chuckle. “And I think that slow…it’s a good experience to explore. And if you listen to my old band, Sojii, it was hard and fast and intense, and I think that was a big energy to my early 20s. And, now, I think life in the last few years, I dunno, this slow universe has been really nice…”

Salerno was joined in studio by band member, multi-instrumentalist/audio-engineer Adis Kaltak, who added more anecdotal exposition about the recording process, particularly the vocals for a track we listened to, “Flies,” from “All That Fall.” Stream it for the full interview.

Along with an interview with Salerno, we premiered a lot of new music by local artists this week (as we often do, on MI Local). We started the show with the brand new single from Grand Rapids-based indie-pop ensemble Phabies, along with the Detroit-based alt-country duo Neu Blume, who have a release party coming up on May 31 with Bonny Doon and Conor Lynch at UFO Bar.

Speaking of new releases, we heard the latest from indie-rock/power-pop auteur Ryan Allen, who has an album release party coming up on May 16 at Bowlero Lanes Lounge, and the four-piece ’70s-tinged psych-rock band The Dusty Rose Gang also premiered a song on this week’s show — they have an album that’s also out on May 16 titled “A One from Day One.”

And that’s not all! We heard a new industrial-leaning goth-shoegaze soundscape from Stormfeldt, the latest dream-pop ballad from the duo known as Bluhm, and an indie-rock cut from the band My Time In The Arctic who — like so many other locals of late — have a new album out in the world!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

MI Local Playlist for April 29, 2025

• “Bloodletting” – Phabies
• “Cold Strange” – Neu Blume
• “Preybirds” – Rabbitology
• “Take It Back” – Jake LeMond
• “When You Come Over” – Bluhm
• “Eastern Palace Identity Crisis” – My Time in the Arctic
• “Lost in a Daze” – Ryan Allen
• “Low Animal” – Stormfeldt
• “Person of Light” – The Dusty Rose Gang
• “Flies” – Dick Texas
• “Long Dirt Driveway” – Dick Texas

Each year, Record Store Day keeps getting bigger than the year before.

Since 2007, when a group of indie record shops decided they should have their own day, it’s become an international celebration of the brick-and-mortar shops that end up playing critical roles in cultural scenes — not just in Detroit — but well beyond.

Consider it a vinyl holiday. It’s a massive economic boon for those indie shops. Musicians make it easy — releasing new material, rare b-sides, re-issues of albums you never thought would be pressed again, you name it. In the shops themselves, in-store performances have become a standard.

The list of releases this year is massive. You can scope out the full list here.

WDET is doing its part to showcase the incredible independent record stores in and around the Motor City by offering an exclusive RSD member drawing!

Anyone who makes a gift to WDET via wdet.org/give on April 11 or April 12 will be automatically entered into the drawing to receive a swag bag filled with gift certificates from participating record stores, Third Man Records vinyl and more.*

And if you’re curious what record shops you should check out, we’ve made a list. And we’d love to see this list grow, so if you don’t see your favorite record store listed, drop us a line and let us know what we should add. We happily will extend it!

Listen: Ryan Patrick Hooper talks Record Store Day, WDET member drawing

Here’s a few of our favorites, plus picks we received from you:

• Third Man Records – 441 W Canfield St, Detroit | 313-209-5205

  

• Peoples Records – 1464 Gratiot Ave, Detroit | 313-831-0864
• Found Sound – 234 W Nine Mile Rd, Ferndale | 248-565-8775
• Flipside Records – 3099 Coolidge Hwy, Berkley | 248-585-4090
• Melodies & Memories – 23013 Gratiot Ave, Eastpointe| 586-774-8480
• Spot Lite – 2905 Beaufait St #4, Detroit| spotlitedetroit@gmail.com
• The Sound Explosion – 3751 Middlebelt Rd, Inkster | 734-890-9320

  

• Hello Records – 4165 Fort St, Lincoln Park | 313-300-5654
• Dearborn Music – 22501 Michigan Ave, Newman St, Dearborn | 313-561-1000
• Dr. Disc Records – 471 Ouellette Ave, Windsor, ON | 519-253-9744
• UHF Records – 512 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak | 248-545-5955
• Weirdsville Records – 61 Macomb Pl, Mount Clemens | 586-468-2665
• Encore Records – 208 N 4th Ave, Ann Arbor | 734-662-6776
• Underground Sounds – 120 E Washington St, Ann Arbor | 734-327-9239
• Street Corner Music – 26020 Greenfield Rd, Oak Park | 248-967-0777

*You must make a donation through wdet.org/give between 12 a.m. on April 11 and 11:59 p.m. on April 12 to be entered into the drawing. Winner will be notified on Monday, April 14, via telephone. For full WDET contest rules, visit wdet.org/rules.