If you haven’t yet heard Jax-based afro-cuban salsa orchestra LPT, this week represents perhaps one of the best opportunities, as the ten-piece owns a headline spot at Viva La Fiesta in James Weldon Johnson Park Downtown. Not only will the band closeout the two day celebration of the contemporary vibrancy of the city’s Hispanic culture. The event doubles as a …
Local Spotlight | “Feelings” by Niki Dawson
Jax singer flexes her singular vocal talent on new single
Certainly there are countless singers who can emote a broad spectrum of sentiments despite a limited vocal range. (Bob Dylan comes to mind, though, many––myself included––find his vocal prowess to be somewhat underrated.) But when it comes to Niki Dawson, there are seemingly few, if any, limitations on what the Jacksonville singer can express. On a new single appropriately titled …
GO | Pitbull @ Daily’s Place Amphitheater
Mr. 305 to perform in the 904
Ok so technically, he’s now Mr. Worldwide. But once upon a time, he was simply Mr. 305. And before that, he was simply Pitbull. The Miami-born rapper and producer, who’s real name is Armando Christian Pérez, is bringing his “I Feel Good” tour to Daily’s Place Amphitheater on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. The tour is named after his latest single, …
Neil Young’s mythical 1970 Carnegie Hall Performance Gets the Vinyl Treatment
By the time he got to Carnegie Hall in 1970, Neil Young was in rare form. Two years removed from his departure from Buffalo Springfield and just months after adding his voice to the soon-to-be-released Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young debut, Deja Vu, Young was arguably at the height of his singing and songwriting prowess, having just released another seminal …
How Taylor Swift and her master recordings play into the Virginia race for governor
Updated October 5, 2021 at 6:09 PM ET Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is betting that Taylor Swift fans can help prevent his state from turning red. The Democrat, who is running for the seat again on Nov. 2, has a new five-figure ad buy that connects his opponent, Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, to Swift’s bitter battle to gain control …
Local Spotlight | “Waiting to Lose” by Faze Wave
Popular indie rock kids continue to grow, expand their infectious dissonance
Faze Wave is nothing if not durable. Since the release of their well-received debut, 2016’s earnest and reverb-drenched collection Melt, the Jax-based quartet has not only sustained that initial buzz. Over a half-dozen singles, EPs and another full-length (2018’s broad-yet-refined collection, Lethologica), the band has persisted––no small feat considering the group’s core members have spent the twilight of their youth, …
Hot Off the (Re)Press | John Prine’s 2005 masterwork and ‘Jazz is Dead 001’
Two great albums get a vinyl reissue this week
‘Hot Off the (Re)Press’ is a semi-regular column highlighting reissues of seminal, classic and groundbreaking works. The Jacksonville Music Experience team is made of vinyl enthusiasts. Read more about our love affair with the medium via JME’s Crate Diggin’ features. Fair & Square, John Prine (2005) During the height of Covid-initiated quarantines and lockdowns, as people were spending inordinate amounts …
Just Announced | These concerts have our ears perked
Chris Thile, Polo G., Futurebirds, Circle Jerks, Henry Rollins and more.
After the delta variant forced a fits-and-starts-style return to live music, Northeast Florida’s concert calendar is starting to fill up. Venues large and small in and around Jacksonville have made big announcements in the last few weeks and days, signaling a growing confidence in a post-new-normal normal. To be clear, St. Johns County venues the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and …
Listen | New Electro Lounge Radio playlist
Chill out, relax and get inspired
From Bossasonic’s remake of The Supreme’s “You Can’t Hurry Love” to some astral traveling with German electronic-duo VARGO, JME’s newest Electro Lounge Radio playlist is painted with fall colors. An always eclectic mix, this month’s ELR playlist features chill, down-tempo, reggae and more from Down To The Bone, Nicola Conte, DF TRAM and plenty of others. Listen to a hand-selected …
Go | Here’s who’s playing in Northeast Florida this week
Folk, pop, indie rock and more are on tap
September’s eclectically booked Sing Out Loud Festival rolled nicely into the Jacksonville Jazz Festival on the first weekend in October. And live music isn’t letting up just yet. There’s plenty more to see and hear this week in Northeast Florida. Here’s what the JME team is masking up for. NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you …
Local Spotlight | The four best tracks by Jax artists out now
While jazz gets a weekend in the sun with the Jacksonville Jazz Festival kicking off this week, there are several local artists working in myriad genres that also deserve the spotlight. Here are four great tracks, all from locals, that the JME team put its collective ears on this week. “In the Garden” by LANNDS Due in large part to …
Listen | October’s Fresh Squeeze playlist
Discover new music from local, regional, national and international artists
The JME team is here to help you discover new music. Each month, JME contributors pick the juiciest noise emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond for our monthly 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. Follow …
Tiny Desk Contest entrant Yosmel Montejo has a message for his community: ‘Go for it’
The 2021 Tiny Desk Contest wrapped up last month with the announcement of this year’s winner, Neffy, and her song “Wait Up.” But the Contest’s panel of judges saw thousands of incredible entries from around the country, and Weekend Edition will be highlighting some of them over the next few months. One of those standout entries came from musician Yosmel …
Bring the Beat Back | A brief history of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival
A highlight of the city's cultural calendar for 40 years
This year marks 40 years since the Jacksonville Jazz Festival first took place. And the only thing that’s changed more than the festival is the music itself. The name has changed, the dates have changed, and the location has changed––multiple times. One thing that’s never changed, though, is the festival’s status as a highlight of the cultural year in Northeast …
Anthony Hamilton On Being Vulnerable And His New Album ‘Love Is The New Black’
Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton is back with a new album. Love Is The New Black is his first full length album in five years — one fans have been anxiously awaiting. Hamilton is the self-described “country boy” from North Carolina whose vulnerable lyrics and gospel-tinged delivery have gained him fans across the globe. Many were introduced to Hamilton through his …
The Jacksonville Symphony fires up the band for another season of classical and pop favorites
Live musicians navigating the realities of performing onstage during the pandemic age are facing unique predicaments. Former concerns about load-ins, soundchecks, and coveted drink tickets have been readily muted. Now musicians are facing current anxieties regarding personal and public health, social distancing, “to mask or not to mask” and other high-volume, Covid-related realities. Add to those factors the anxiety of …
Local Spotlight | “How Many Bugs” by Teal Peel
In July, Taylor Paul Neal introduced Teal Peel, a project that puts Neal––a multi-instrumentalist, producer and sought-after collaborator––front-and-center. The debut single “Smello Coffee,” full of sardonic-yet-good-natured quips on apathy and boredom, offered the first taste of a dynamic and interesting composer and lyricist. “How Many Bugs,” the second single from a forthcoming nine-song collection, finds Neal waxing existential over languid …
Listen | Electro Lounge Radio goes all jazz for Jazz Fest weekend
48 hours of jazz on 89.9 HD4, the WJCT app and streaming online
The JME team has been digging in on jazz in anticipation of this year’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Things have changed since ‘81, sure. But the yearly festival continues to mark a week in which Jax feels very much like a jazz city. Truly Jacksonville’s jazz-cup overfloweth this weekend, as WJCT station manager and JME contributor David Luckin has curated 48-hours …
Go | Jazz Fest After Dark broadens the Jacksonville Jazz festivities
All that jazz... and much more!
With the Jacksonville Jazz Fest celebrating its fourth decade with more than a weekend’s worth of main-stage performances and auxiliary programming, another––though relatively new––tradition will commence this week: Jazz Fest After Dark. And while the Jacksonville Jazz Festival certainly leans into eclectic booking by featuring jazz torchbearers like George Benson as well as music icons like percussionist Sheila E. and …
Go | The best concerts in Jax this week
All that (Jacksonville) Jazz (Festival)
Jazz Fest is upon us. And beyond the action of the two Downtown Jacksonville stages, music will be pouring out of venues across the city. There’s a lot going on. Here’s what the JME team has their ears on this week. NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission even …
This French Pianist Has Been Playing For 102 Years And Just Released A New Album
PARIS — Colette Maze welcomes me warmly into her apartment on the 14th floor of a building overlooking the Seine River. From her flowered balcony, she has a view of the Eiffel Tower. She offers me a whiskey or a cognac — along with a hearty laugh as it’s 10:30 in the morning. It’s that humor, a sense of optimism …
Watch A Massive Violin Transport Musicians Down Venice’s Grand Canal
The trademark gondolas of Venice’s Grand Canal played second fiddle this weekend to a very unusual vessel: A giant violin carrying a live string quartet. “Noah’s Violin” is the most recent creation of Venetian artist Livio De Marchi. He’s sent plenty of other wooden works out to sea, including a giant shoe and an origami hat. This large-scale replica is …
Go | Underwire Collective Showcases at Sarbez
Two of the best free showcases of the entire Sing Out Loud Festival
St. Augustine was once a bastion for Black musicians in the South, as both a home to, and a stopping off point for, some of the most influential performers of their time. It’s on the threads of that legacy that St. Augustine-based music promotion company Underwire Collective tugs. Established in 2019 by Bianca Dawson and Kinsley Stewart, Underwire Collective uses …
Local Spotlight | Top tracks from Jacksonville artists out now
There’s so much high quality music pouring out of Northeast Florida right now that we aren’t quite sure what to do with it all. We’ll start by writing about it below. And we’ll also continue to add the standout tunes to our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist. Beyond that, the rest is up to you. But we’d highly recommend putting these …
Go | What to see and hear this week in Jacksonville
Living (and future) legends
The month-long Sing Out Loud Festival comes to a close this weekend with several free showcases ‘round town and some epic headliners at The Amp in St. Augustine. JME Contributors have singled out two FREE SOL showcases featuring some of the Sunshine State’s premier talent sandwiched between two performances by living legends at the Florida Theatre in Jax and the …
The Learning Curve Of Lil Nas X
“I guess I’m a lot more confident… “ When Lil Nas X first dropped “Old Town Road” at the end of 2018, the country-rap banger broke the internet. In the process of wrangling viral fame, Lil Nas X’s trajectory sparked debate over the racial boundaries of genre. While some might have thought this was just a teenager’s 15 minutes of …
Fresh Squeeze | September 2021 playlist
A juicy mix of new tunes picked by the JME staff
There’s so much great music coming out, seemingly everyday, that keeping up with it all can feel overwhelming. The JME team is here to help. Each month, JME contributors pick the juiciest noise emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond for our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist. Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, there are …
Join NPR Music’s Listening Party For John Prine’s Debut Album
For its 50th anniversary, join us in an online listening party for John Prine‘s self-titled debut. NPR Music’s Ann Powers will be joined by John’s wife Fiona Prine, their son Jody Whelan, legendary singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt and producer Jim Rooney in a live conversation about this monumental album. The event will take place on the anniversary of the album’s release, …
George Wein, Music Festival Pioneer, Dies At 95
Music impresario George Wein, who spawned the modern music festival when he helped launch the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk Festivals, has died at the age of 95. According to a statement from his family, Wein died peacefully in his sleep early Monday morning. Wein co-founded the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954 and the Newport Folk Festival in 1959. Newport …
Go | What to see & hear this week in Jacksonville
Rock & Blues & SOL
Last week marked the return of St. Augustine’s Sing Out Loud Festival. The month-long fest features more than 100 performances, including big-time headliners and dozens of local acts. There’s more to check out in St. Johns County. You can read about all of our SOL staff picks here. There’s also plenty of music in Duval this week. Here are our …
Announcing The Winner Of The 2021 Tiny Desk Contest
Picking one Tiny Desk Contest winner from the thousands of amazing entries we received this year wasn’t easy. Over the past few months, we’ve spent time with early standout entries; asked our judges about their top picks; and celebrated tons of creative videos. And after all that, one entry rose to the top: a song that our judges said stopped …
Local Spotlight | “Life and Death of a Nation” by Bronero
Jax multi-instrumentalist Jonah Pierre drops a timely (and funky) call for introspection
Jonah Pierre’s been up to something. Easily recognizable with his close-crop afro and effortless cool, the Jacksonville-based pianist and percussionist has become a fixture in the local music scene, sharing the stage with the region’s top-tier jazz players, as well as performing with the Afro-Cuban salsa band, LPT (disclosure: I also perform with LPT). As busy and in-demand as Pierre …
The Best Moments From The MTV VMAs
MTV’s Video Music Awards returned to the stage after 2020’s socially distanced show. The show also marked the network’s milestone 40th year. It was a big night for Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X, among others. Here are some of the memorable moments and “Moon person” winners. Standout performances and memorable moments The night saw performances from Justin …
Local Spotlight | ‘Blood On My Birkenstock’ is Freddy Bricks’ fourth album (this year)
Something clicked for Freddy Bricks in 2020. He’d had been floating around the Jacksonville music scene for more than a decade before releasing his first studio album The Man Who Remembered Too Much, which earned Bricks high marks that year from Duval County’s hip-hop community. Then the floodgates opened. That same year, he fed the scene, 11 Forks 1 Knife, …
Local Spotlight | The best new tracks from Jacksonville artists
Jacksonville artists are making a habit out of turning genre conventions on their ears. New tracks from Sailor Goon and K.UTIE find the vocalists toying with the protocols of pop, while Freddy Bricks offers up a singular approach to hip-hop (with a little help from his Duval friends). Here are the best new tracks from Jacksonville artists out right now. …
Just Announced | R&B super-producer Babyface added to Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Singer-songwriter, R&B super-producer and 12-time Grammy winner Babyface will headline the Jacksonville Jazz Festival on Sunday night, October 3. Born Kenneth Brian Edmonds, Babyface get his start as a multi-instrumentalist for prominent funk acts in the late ’70s and ’80s before making his mark as a songwriter and producer working with pop and R&B acts including Bobby Brown, Karyn White …