Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into our tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are four …
Bonobo | Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. The first shot of Bonobo‘s Tiny Desk (home) concert is a little disorienting. What looks like the …
Local Spotlight | 4 new songs by Jax artists out now
New music from Jax-based acts Dean Winter and the Heat, Andy Zipf, Shane Malone and Violette Lani
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground in order to put the spotlight on the beautiful noise emerging from Northeast Florida. This week, Jacksonville Music Experience contributors share four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll really dig. Let’s dive in. “Can’t Escape the Rain” by Dean Winter and the Heat The latest from Jacksonville country rockers …
Go | The best concerts in Jax (March 14-20)
Soccer Mommy, Liz Cooper, Afroman, Dashboard Confessional and more
This week starts with local synth-lords opening for fellow Sunshine State electronic acts at Root Down. Later, Afroman and Liz Cooper are sure to keep Jack Rabbits full on two separate nights. And early-2000s indie and alt-rock darlings Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional play The Amp. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in …
Just Announced | Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
The wildly popular throwback rhythm-and-blues act will play The Amp with Zach Bryan
Throwback rhythm-and-blues act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats is hitting the road this spring, touring the globe before an early summer stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The band’s third-studio album, The Future, launched the Denver band from the upper-tier of the college radio charts into full-blown mainstream stardom, with appearances on syndicated programs, like The Late Show with …
Crate Diggin’ | Re: Reissues
The JME team proudly explores the least pretentious of music purchases: the vinyl reissue.
Original pressings. You know, those sonic talismans capable of bestowing impenetrable cool on whomever has the (substantial) means to remove them from whence they are displayed –– proudly on a shelf behind the counter at most record stores. But, as a wise man once said: Cool is for corpses. Or, in this case, record collectors with disposable income. For most crate …
Interview | Bob Boilen on the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest
The Tiny Desk creator offers tips on submitting your video to the 2022 contest
Attention unsigned Jacksonville musicians: The Tiny Desk wants to hear your music. NPR’s 2022 Tiny Desk Contest is underway. Over the past seven years, nearly 35,000 musicians have submitted their videos to the Tiny Desk Contest in the hopes of being chosen to perform as part of NPR Music’s signature music discovery series. Now, NPR is once again calling for …
New Mix | Electro Lounge celebrates experimentation and innovation
Relax and get inspired
Our latest Electro Lounge playlist features innovative artists from the past and present, with Freddie Hubbard’s Jazz standard “Little Sunflower” reimagined by Bird Moves. If you’ve never heard Thunderball, the DC group mentored by The Thievery Corporation, you are in for a treat because we’ve got two Thunderball classics for your consideration. Plus, music from The Thievery Corporation, themselves, Gare du Nord’s neo-soul, Miles Davis’ genre-shattering …
Watch JJ Grey Perform on First Coast Connect
Jax-native and Mofro frontman in the studio to promote the Blackwater Sol Revue
With his signature voice, a singular fusion of musical styles and lyrics that draw on a deep sentimentality for his native city, singer-songwriter JJ Grey has amassed a formidable catalog of songs, as well as a large and dedicated following. As the frontman of Mofro, the Jacksonville native enjoyed early success with the band’s 2001 debut Blackwater. On the group’s …
Fresh Rotation | 3 new songs we’re listening to this week
Tuareg guitar-great Mdou Moctar, Aussie art-punks Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Winnipeg dynamo JayWood
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into our tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are three …
Just Announced | Phoebe Bridgers at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter continues her red-hot run with a stop at The Amp
One of the most respected and commercially successful contemporary singer-songwriters, Phoebe Bridgers, has announced the addition of several dates to her upcoming Reunion Tour, with a stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in May. The 27-year-old California native’s 2017 debut solo effort, Stranger in the Alps, established Bridgers as one of the most compelling new voices in indie-rock. Her 2020 …
Jax Guitar Heroes Discuss Their Fave Effects Pedals
In April, online music gear retailer Reverb released the full-length documentary The Pedal Movie, which chronicles the prevailing influence of effects pedals on popular music. Featuring interviews with famous pedal aficionados including J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, and Nels Cline of Wilco, as well as many of the most prominent pedal builders working today, the …
Jax Brewery Intuition and Athens Indie-Pop Band of Montreal Partner on Beer Collab
of Montreal celebrates the release of Kcrraannggaanngg!! pilsner with a show at Intuition Ale Works
It’s often said that music benefits from collaboration. And in a true art-meets-art symbiosis, Intuition Ale Works (IAW) has partnered with popular indie-pop outfit of Montreal on the brewery’s latest offering: a pilsner called Kcrraannggaanngg!! Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes, of Montreal was forged in Athens, Georgia in the mid-90s but gained wider attention in the mid- to …
Leonard Cohen Estate Sells Song Catalog
The sale includes the rights to all 278 songs and derivatives written by the legendary songwriter
The estate of Leonard Cohen has sold the publishing rights to the legendary songwriter’s entire catalog for an undisclosed sum, according to Reuters. In a press release, the buyer, Hipgnosis Songs Fund, said the sale includes the rights to “all 278 songs and derivatives” written by Cohen, including “Hallelujah” and “First We Take Manhattan.” Cohen died in 2016. Hipgnosis, a …
New 2,000-Capacity Music Venue Coming to Jax’s Rail Yard District
National venue management group Marathon Live hopes to fill a void in the city's music scene
Adding to the growing number of concert venues in Northeast Florida, Marathon Live –– a music venue management company that operates concert halls and event spaces in five US cities –– is planning to build a venue in the Downtown Jax-adjacent Rail Yard District. Part of Dennis + Ives, a new mixed-use development spanning seven acres that’s currently underway, construction …
Go | The best concerts in Jax this week
Graham Nash, of Montreal and JJ Grey's Blackwater Sol Revue
This week hometown hero JJ Grey brings an all-star cast to The Amp, Athens indie-pop band of Montreal celebrates the release of its very own beer at Intuition Ale Works, local singer-songwriter Andy Zipf previews his new record at Blue Jay Listening Room and the legendary Graham Nash plays PV Concert Hall. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want …
Fireboy DML | Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Dearly beloved: we are gathered here today to get through this thing called “Afro-life.” Surrounded by lush …
Go | Saturday is Record Store Day
Celebrate RSD at these 904 Shops
Record Store Day –- the traditionally once-a-year infusion of vinyl rarities and reissues into independently owned record stores around the country –– is back. On Saturday, April 23, expect to see more than a few long lines in front of your fave music retailer, as well as a few folks proudly toting a stack of fresh vinyl finds. If you’re …
Fresh Rotation | 4 new songs the JME team is listening to right now
New music from Beach House, GOON, Pierre Kwenders and EARTHGANG
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into our tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are four …
Fresh Squeeze | The best new music handpicked by the JME team
Robert Glasper, Kurt Vile, SASAMI, Saba, Hurray For the Riff Raff and more
Each month, JME contributors pick the juiciest noise emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond for our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. This month we’ve got a ton of great new music in rotation, including …
A Stunning New Take on “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” from Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few
Jazz prodigy breathes new life into the iconic Johnson Brothers' song
We’ve written in the past about “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, the classic penned by Jacksonville’s own James Weldon and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900, which has found a vast range of expression over the decades, en route to becoming (soon) the official National Hymn of this country. You can now add a surprising new entry to the long list …
Go | The best concerts in Jax this week
The Toasters, Emmylou Harris and Reverend Horton Heat round out the week's best bets
This week Emmylou Harris brings her singular voice to the Amp, legendary NYC act The Toasters celebrate 40 years in ska at Jack Rabbits and Reverend Horton Heat bring their rockabilly fire to Intuition Ale Works. Here’s the list of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. Ska The Toasters – Wednesday, March …
Fresh Rotation | Here’s what the JME team is listening to right now
New music from Georgia Harmer, Kurt Vile and P.E. featuring Parquet Courts' A. Savage
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to concoct the tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are three new songs …
EARTHGANG’s ‘Ghetto Gods’ looks for divinity in Atlanta’s dichotomies
“Got a $20 bill? Get your hands up / You survived last year? Get your hands up.” This lyric, from EARTHGANG’s new sophomore album Ghetto Gods, is conceivably how the Atlanta hip-hop duo can hype up crowds on its upcoming tour. But it also highlights a central theme of the new record: how committed EARTHGANG is to representing and celebrating …
‘Jagged’ is a Long-Overdue Look at Alanis Morissette’s Groundbreaking Opus
You oughta know more about ‘Jagged Little Pill’
A few years ago, while perusing the CD selection at the Goodwill store near my house (yes, I still buy CDs; they are usually $1 at thrift stores and my car is old enough that it still has the capability of playing them), I was intrigued to find a copy of Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette’s mega-selling 1995 album. The …
Mark Lanegan, Screaming Trees singer and voracious collaborator, dies at 57
Mark Lanegan, the versatile rock musician and Screaming Trees singer, died Tuesday of unspecified causes at his home in Killarney, Ireland. His death was announced in Facebook post from Lanegan’s official account: “A beloved singer, songwriter, author and musician, he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley. No other information is available at this time. We ask: Please …
Local Spotlight | 3 Northeast Florida songwriters you need to hear right now
New tunes from CS Hickey, DL is Ok and Pineapple Peace
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground in order to put the spotlight on the beautiful noise emerging from Northeast Florida. This week, Jacksonville Music Experience contributors share three songs by local singer-songwriters that we think you’ll really dig. Let’s dive in. “Youth Crescendo” by Pineapple Peace “How do you fall in love?” sings Jax singer-songwriter Lauren Chase on …
Just Announced | The War on Drugs to play St. Augustine Amphitheatre in October
Rock torchbearers The War on Drugs will make a stop in Northeast Florida this fall
Throwback American rock band The War on Drugs have announced new dates in support of their latest full-length, 2021’s critically acclaimed I Don’t Live Here Anymore, including a stop in Northeast Florida at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in October. Led by singer-guitarist Adam Grunduciel, The War on Drugs emerged from the late-aughts red-hot Philadelphia indie-rock scene, performing synth- and guitar-forward …
Jax’s Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks Join Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones to Rework a Crowd Favorite
Even in a band mired in both cultivated and imprinted mystery, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is one of its more inscrutable, un-trackable members. Jimmy Page lives a life of inviolable privacy, which is hardly surprising. Although Page advanced guitar exploration and music production by light years, he’s routinely click-baited as a Satanic hedonist. While gentler around the edges …
Is Music Getting Old?
Old music squares off with new music in Jacksonville
The music industry has been on shaky ground of late. From a pandemic-initiated halt to touring and logjams at vinyl record pressing plants, to a push for more equitable revenue models from streaming services (and artists pulling their music from Spotify) to private equity’s new interest in the songbooks of legacy artists, the entire premise of music as business is …
Black Voices in American Music: The Playlist
Black voices created some of the first truly American music – the sorrow songs and spirituals of people in bondage, singing of freedom and hope. Along the winding road of American history, Black artists have leaned into the power of music as an expression of progress and protest, joy and pain, courage and conviction. This playlist, and the stories behind …
New Mix | Soulful bliss and downtempo grooves in the Electro Lounge
A new mix of tunes from Karminsky Experience Inc., Marvin Gaye, Curtis Harding, Hil St Soul, JAFFA and more
Looking for an escape? The Electro Lounge has your Departure ticket –– a new mix of ultra-chill tunes. Featured on this week’s playlist: New Age UK duo Karminsky Experience Inc., Marvin Gaye, Curtis Harding, UK singer Hil St Soul, James Bright, electronic duo Blank & Jones with mezzo-soprano Rachel Lloyd, JAFFA and more. We’ll keep things interesting with cuts from …
Go | The best concerts in Jax this week
Lucinda Williams, Tank and the Bangas and a big, free indie music fest in Downtown Jacksonville
The Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series continues with Tank and the Bangas (and more) and, finally, Winterland IV is here. The free, locally founded two-day music festival will kick off in Downtown Jacksonville on Saturday and Sunday, for two days of family friendly, big-time indie energy. The JME team will be there. Here’s a list of everything else the JME contributors …
Fresh Rotation | 3 songs you need to hear right now
New tunes from Chicago's Dehd, Austin's Carson McHone and obscure garage-psych from the UK
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to concoct the tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are three new songs …
Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series honors the African American Heritage of the Oldest City
America's oldest art form takes center stage
St. Augustine is presenting a series of fundraising concerts that honor and celebrate the cultural heritage of the city while also carrying on the musical traditions of jazz and blues: genres that are commonly accepted as uniquely American art forms. Over the course of two weekends, from Feb. 18-26, the Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series features five performances, including …
Game was her middle name: The world was never ready for Betty Davis
One of my favorite recordings of Betty Davis isn’t a song. In the summer of 1974, the funk singer/songwriter appeared on Al Gee’s Rap N’ Rhythm, a nationally syndicated interview program that was regularly pressed to vinyl and sent to radio stations by the U.S. Army Reserve. Betty had just turned 30 and was about to start her first tour …