Local favorite Dusty Brown is probably best known for her work in the bands Plumdingo and Alt Dizzy in addition to being a part of the Brown family bloodline of talented musicians. 

Recently, she has stepped into the bright lights with the release of My Own Heart, the debut album under her Destina moniker. 

Having played most of the instruments, the album took some time for her to complete, about a year to be exact. It was recorded here in town by Tom Kerosec of Kerosec Productions. 

“It was a joy to work on this project with Destina,” Kerosec said. “It is a down-to-earth album with its own unique, quirky vibe. It projects innocence as well as growth. 

“We wanted the album to have a realistic feel to it that contrasts a lot of music out there with gridlocked instruments and perfectly tuned vocals, and I think we did that well. I am honored to have produced and played an instrument or two on this album and am proud of how it turned out.” 

One of the songs he contributed slide and lead guitar on is “We Ain’t Rich.” It’s a country number with good energy and seems to be favorite among that folks that have heard the album thus far, according to Brown. 

Another song gaining attention is the title track which kicks the album off. 

“It’s a fun little cha-cha about self-soothing after heartbreak,” Brown said. “I chose to also use it as the title of the album because this being my first solo project. It really is fully my own heart.” 

In all, the album consists of nine tracks that dabble in a number of genres including country, alt, and hip-hop. 

Destina will be holding an album release party on Sunday, July 21, from 4-7 p.m. at Wrigley Field Bar & Grill, 6527 E. State Blvd. 

The evening will include performances by her family’s band Pop N’ Fresh and Moshow (Maurice Turner). In addition, she will be joined on stage throughout the evening by her sisters Crystal “C-Note” Clouse and Sarah Brown; daughter River; niece Aurah; and friend Tom Toby. 

Be sure and check out My Own Heart on all streaming platforms and get yourself a copy of the CD at the show.

Downstait reach Spotify milestone

“Sleep” is the new single by local heavyweights Downstait. 

The four-minute number can be found on your favorite streaming platform, while the accompanying video can be enjoyed on YouTube. 

In other Downstait news, the band recently surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify for their monster hit “Kingdom,” the entrance song for WWE superstar Cody Rhodes. 

Fifty freakin million! That’s wild! 

Local acts join Indianapolis festival

Necromoon and Metavari will be traveling to Indianapolis this month to perform at the Post Festival from July 25-27 at the Hi-Fi Annex. 

The annual festival showcases post-rock and adjacent bands from the U.S. and abroad. 

If you’re thinking about making the trip, the good news is both Fort Wayne acts will perform Thursday, July 25 — Necromoon at 6:30 p.m. and Metavari at 11 p.m. So, you will be good purchasing a single-day pass if you so choose. 

For tickets, go to thepostfestival.com.

Catch Lips Speak Louder at Pride fest

If you missed when Lips Speak Louder were in town in April, there is good news. 

The Nashville, Tennessee-based duo, featuring Leo-Cedarville native and drummer Angela Lese, will return to town for a performance at Fort Wayne Pride on at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 26, at Headwaters Park. 

The festival runs July 26-27 and also includes performances by Night to Remember, Shelly Dixon, Bobcat Opossum, and more. You can find out more information at fwpride.org. 

In addition, Lips Speak Louder did some recording at Sweetwater Studios during their last visit with hopes of releasing an album next spring. Before that though, there will be a single released, possibly as early as August. 

Post-hardcore outfit release single

Local emo-post-hardcore act The Part You Left Out have released a single to the streaming world titled, “Sleeping Pills.” 

You can catch the band Saturday, July 13, at The Brass Rail alongside Rusted Hearts out of Cleveland and our very own I Think Too Much. 

Seventh Cloud release 4-song EP

Seventh Cloud have released the four-song EP Heirloom/Locket, the follow-up to last year’s Close to Comfort EP. 

The shoegaze band consists of Alejandro Saurez on vocals/guitar, Kerisa Daenens on vocals/guitar, Jacob Martin on guitar, Jason Piatt on bass, and Evyn Michele on drums. 

Together, they recorded half of the EP at PFW’s Sweetwater Music Center and half at Shaq Studio in Muncie with mixing and mastering by Max Pesavento. 

The EP is streaming on all platforms and will be available on CD and cassette. You can pre-order now at pleasuretapes.myshopify.com. 

As for shows, Seventh Cloud will perform at The Cauldron Art & Tattoo Studio, 1804 Main St., on Friday, July 26, with Sleep Keeper, Linus, and Mold.