Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the comedy-rock duo dubbed Tenacious D, will take the St. Augustine Amphitheatre stage this weekend, bringing the opening leg of their Spicy Meatball Tour to an end. Though Black has been especially busy lately — he voices the villainous Bowser in box-office smash “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” contributed the viral hit “Peaches” to its …
MTV News Shut Down as Paramount Global Cuts 25% of its Staff
The entertainment world is bidding farewell to MTV News. The network’s heyday ended years ago but, for a time, it was the go-to source for interviews with leading artists and newsmakers, from Madonna to Prince. The shutdown of MTV News comes as Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Showtime announced today that it is laying …
Playlist | Best New Music of May
Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, our Fresh Squeeze playlist includes the best new music emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond. Handpicked by our team of contributors, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. Our latest Fresh Squeeze includes the surprise Thundercat + Tame Impala track …
Sudan Archives and Baby Rose pick their Tiny Desk Contest favorites
On the latest episode of Top Shelf — a series on NPR Music’s YouTube channel highlighting the best entries from the Tiny Desk Contest — Contest judges Sudan Archives and Baby Rose shared their top picks. Having both performed Tiny Desk concerts in early 2020, these Tiny Desk alums know exactly what it takes to make a performance shine. Their …
Watch Jacksonville Artists’ Tiny Desk Contest Submissions
The Tiny Desk Contest is back for 2023, with a new panel of judges and another opportunity for unsigned artists to earn an invite to perform on the revered, improvised stage in front of Bob Boilen’s desk at NPR Music HQ. Tens of thousands of musicians submitted their videos before the March 13 deadline — including nearly two-dozen artists from …
Sing Out Loud 2023 Announces Francis Field Showcase with The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons and More
The Sing Out Loud Festival returns this year to St. Augustine and features a lineup of popular Grammy-winning artists as well as emerging national and regional performers. This year’s SOL includes the two-day Francis Field Showcase, featuring a roster of impressive acts, including the indie-to-arena style blues rock of The Black Keys, innovative UK soul of Yola, the new-country stylings …
Best Concerts of the Week in Jacksonville | May 8-14
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Tenacious D, Melissa Etheridge, Tidal Daze and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Singer-Songwriter Melissa Etheridge – Tuesday, May 9 Thrasher Horne Center | Orange Park Nearly four decades after her debut album became an underground sensation, singer-songwriter and guitarist Melissa Etheridge continues to chase her …
Five Essential Mdou Moctar Tracks
Currently on a tour of North America, Tuareg musician Mdou Moctar will visit the Bier Hall inside Intuition Ale Works on Tuesday, May 2 as part of our JME Presents Music Discovery Series. If you’re unfamiliar with Moctar (pronounced em-dew mock-tar)’s work, the singer, songwriter, actor and activist is best known as something of a guitar hero. Moctar taught himself …
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown are Here to Blow Up your Function
On the rap internet, “scaring the hoes” has become code for a certain type of hip-hop: anything abrasive or weird or super-lyrical, designed for repeat close listening. More broadly, the phrase has evolved into a euphemism for any rap considered unfit for a party or similar social setting. To play Death Grips at the function is to scare the hoes. …
On “True,” Tidal Daze Offers their Own Brand of Post-Punk Sentimentality
A recent NPR story addressed the proliferation of “therapy talk,” an increasing form of vulnerability in contemporary conversation that is, by default a design, tantamount to a carny talk of the heart. In the sense that in lieu of a direct transmission of what one is actually feeling, those very same emotions are tied up a little too tightly in …
Why Frank Ocean’s Long-Anticipated Coachella Performance was a Mixed Bag
The elusive R&B star Frank Ocean, known for avoiding the spotlight, performed on the largest stage at Coachella on Sunday night. Ocean was a headliner this weekend alongside Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK — forming one of the most diverse line-ups in the music festival’s history. In his set, Ocean performed reworked versions of some of his most iconic songs like …
Jax Rock Band Racewall Mosquitoes Share New Video for “Vagabond”
Last autumn, locals Racewall Mosquitoes gave us the concept album The Recital of Annie Lytle, which was a tribute to the rumored-to-be-haunted Public School Number Four. The real strength in that release was main-Mosquito singer-songwriter Matt Morgan’s ability to put melodicism and vulnerability square in the spotlight. The band are still incrementally doling out transmissions from Annie Lytle: the latest …
Duval Hip-Hop Artist Mecca thA Marvelous gets Contemplative on “Relapse”
Jacksonville-based hip-hop artist Mecca thA Marvelous faces his audience, and more so himself, on “Relapse,” a reflective song from his new full-length album Jane Doe. Finnish producer SBLMNL’s beat extends Mecca the opportunity to be vulnerable, as the young rapper uses the soundscape as a canvas for painting reminders to himself of the perils of falling victim to the jones. …
Record Store Day 2023 | Here’s What To Expect on RSD in Jax
Vinyl is (has been) back. And it’s arguably here to stay. For the last two years, sales of vinyl records easily outpaced those of CDs. And purchases weren’t confined to ultra-hip indie music shops. Big-box retailers like Target and Walmart are now big-time players, selling re-pressings of classic albums, as well as new drops from some of the world’s most …
Ahmad Jamal, measured maestro of the jazz piano, dies at 92
For most jazz performers, a song is part of a performance. For Ahmad Jamal, each song was a performance. Over the course of a remarkable eight-decade career, Jamal, who passed away Sunday at the age of 92, created stellar recordings both as an ambitious youth and a sagely veteran. Jamal’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Sumayah Jamal. He died …
Best Live Music in Jacksonville | May 1-7
Mdou Moctar, Wine Lips, Surf Curse and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Rock/Tuareg Guitar Mdou Moctar – Tuesday, May 2 Intuition Ale Works | Downtown Jacksonville Tuareg singer, songwriter and guitar sensation Mdou Moctar plays Intuition Ale Works as part of our JME Presents series …
Feist holds a mirror up to her ‘Multitudes’
The commercial machinations of the music industry detest stepwise maturation. Consider the constant chatter about what is young and novel, as if real excitement, engagement and even insight can flow only from the hitherto unknown. Yes, it is totally intoxicating to believe you are experiencing culture’s bleeding edge with every incoming tide pool of best new artists; it is demoralizing, …
Best Live Music in Jacksonville | April 24-30
Billy Idol, New Edition, Fruit Bats, rickoLus & Angel Garcia
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Rock Billy Idol – Tuesday, April 25 The Amp | St. Augustine Eighties legend Billy Idol brings his power-pop-rock songbook (and iconic snarl) to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Tuesday. Watch | Tickets …
Fred again..: Tiny Desk Concert
When Fred again.. first proposed a Tiny Desk concert, it wasn’t immediately clear how he was going to make it work — not because he lacked creativity, but because translating purely electronic music at the Desk is a daunting task for anyone. How would an artist, whose performances take the form of DJ sets in front of massive audiences, curate …
Ultra Wrapped | Highlights from Miami’s Annual EDM Extravaganza
Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, which is billed as “the world’s premiere electronic music festival,” returned to Bayfront Park in downtown Miami March 24-26 for its 23rd edition. As in the past, it served as the grand finale to Miami Music Week, a weeklong marathon of electronic music events. Thousands of fans representing 100 countries attended the sold-out festival, with another …
Best Live Music In Jacksonville This Week | April 17-23
Wilco, Moonchild, Laura Jane Grace, three nights of Billy Strings and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Jazz/R&B Moonchild – Tuesday, April 18 Underbelly | Downtown Jacksonville Eclecting L.A. fusion trio Moonchild performs at Jack Rabbits on Tuesday night. To learn more about the band, check out our concert announcement …
Popular Indie-Folk Rockers Fruit Bats to Play Intuition in April
On the heels of the just-released “Waking Up in Los Angeles,” indie-folk rock outfit Fruit Bats have announced a North American tour, which includes a stop in Jacksonville at the end of April. The first newly composed material since the band’s 2021 full lengthThe Pet Parade, “Waking Up in Los Angeles” unspools as an introspective take on the concept of …
On “lookin’,” Duval’s Broadway Louie Soundtracks the Perennial Search for Connection
Duval artist Broadway Louie’s new song “lookin’’ foreshadows spring and summer car rides, nightlife explorations and the perennial search for connection; either in the moment, or forever. Producer Cheap Limosuine lends the track its enjoyably retro feel, with an active rhythm, that makes it easy for Louie to interject with his melodies. Louie’s lyrics, meanwhile, give “lookin’” a cheerful energy, …
On the Sunny, Textured “Surrender,” Jax Band Ducats Resists and Combats Emotional and Artistic Stasis
Since relocating to Jacksonville from Chicago, musician Trent Holton has seamlessly embedded himself in the local scene – while also arguably doing as much as an interloper could to invigorate that same scene. After introducing his Ducats (pronounced duh-kits) project with a collection of primal, DIY garage tunes, Glob, in 2022, Holton’s band has, in short order, become one of …
Wednesday’s ‘Rat Saw God’ is Fearlessly, Chaotically, Grimly American
There was “a tear in every word,” is how longtime producer Billy Sherrill once described Tammy Wynette’s singing voice. It was the first lady of country music’s signature: a trembling, anguished voice that seemed to hold a teardrop in each note. Wynette had the ability to sell songs like “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” or “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” ’60s suburban melodramas as …
With First New Single in 15 years, The Julius Airwave Returns to the Power-Pop Fore
Whether it’s a career comeback or an inevitable resolve, the return of the Julius Airwave with their new single “Slow Erode” is an object lesson in the ebb and flow of youth, music, relationships, the viability of balancing the two, arguably love and time. Some 20 years ago, the band were precociously young: dapper dressers with crooked neckties, popping off …
Wilco Return to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre for 2023 Spring Tour
Wilco are readying to kick off their 2023 spring tour in support of their current, critically lauded 12th album, Cruel Country, and will return to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre for a performance on Wednesday, April 19. Recorded at the Loft, the six-piece band’s Chicago studio space, Cruel Country is a double-album release that has been lauded as one of the best albums …
Best Live Music in Jacksonville this Week | April 10-16
Mattson 2, River Jams, Local Showcase, Hovvdy, Bobby Kid
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Jazz The Mattson 2 – Wednesday, April 12 Hotel Palms | Atlantic Beach San Diego twin-brother duo the Mattson 2 bring their surf-meets-jazz-meets-dreampop swing to the Hotel Palms in Atlantic Beach on Wednesday. …
Shawny Binladen and the Rise of Sample Drill
After Pop Smoke’s tragic death in 2020, many wondered what would become of New York drill, and many naysayers claimed it died with him. Over the next year, several booming voices would knock at that door, but the man who broke it down was one who raps in whispers. 27-year-old Queens rapper Shawny Binladen’s reimagination of drill music opened up …
Kassa Overall | Tiny Desk Concert
Kassa Overall is no stranger to NPR. Back in 2020 he was a featured vocalist and percussionist on the Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science Tiny Desk concert and in the same year he scored the original music for the first season of NPR Music’s Louder Than A Riot podcast. (His catchy theme song has been remixed by producer Suzi …
Rob Rase, Left On High and the Loud Art of Evolution and Survival
Call it ferocity in domesticity rather than fully tamed. Rob Rase is sitting in the home recording studio in the Westside home he shares with wife, Brenda Kato. Sleeved and legged in tattoos, sporting a Rat Town Records t-shirt, Rase grins as he shows off the gear he’s assembled in a relatively short time. The studio doubles as a practice …
Playlist | April’s Best New Music
boygenius, Pearl & The Oysters, Sunny War, Angel Olsen and more.
Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, our Fresh Squeeze playlist includes the best new music emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond. Handpicked by our team of contributors, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. Our latest Fresh Squeeze playlist includes music from supergroup boygenius‘ monumental new …
Wynton Marsalis, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Samara Joy, Ulysses Owens Jr. and More to Play 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
For more than 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has brought international jazz legends and emerging artists, as well as offering local musicians the chance to be seen and heard. Held every Memorial Day Weekend, the festival attracts jazz fans from around the globe to soak up some (hopefully) warmer weather and cool sounds on different stages. This year is …
For the beloved trio’s return, Nickel Creek created its own world
The opening song and title track of Nickel Creek‘s fifth studio album, Celebrants, poses a striking image: “Heaven’s always been in this cathedral that we rebuild nightly together.” The line conjures the fantastical and the spiritual, but, at its heart, the song celebrates something simple, even ordinary: choosing to come together in community. It’s an idea made quietly radical not …
Durand Bernarr | Tiny Desk Concert
Durand Bernarr is an experience. At the Tiny Desk, members of his band — clad in costumes evoking characters from the Disney Channel animated series The Proud Family — surrounded Bernarr, outfitted in a white and magenta sequined ensemble with a wig styled in a pompadour, channeling the electric energy of the soul and funk singer of the Proud Family, …
On Eureka Springs’ “Nothing Quite Like,” Jax Singer-Songwriter Cory Driscoll Balances the Light and Dark
The latest from Duval singer-songwriter Cory Driscoll is an impressive mix of what could be described as cheery morosity—no small feat when one considers the “ship in a bottle” delicacy of penning a tune, about love no less, that is neither grinningly hypomanic nor headed for the psych ward. “Nothing Quite Like” is the first song of Driscoll’s new full-band …