The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maggie Rogers has had the kind of career arc that’s rare among her peer group of viral video sensations – that is to say: a relatively enduring one. Rogers was first “discovered” by Pharrell Williams when the mega-star/producer visited NYU where she was then a student. Rogers performed a song for him and (skip the next …
Dickey Betts, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, dies at 80
Dickey Betts, a founding member of the renowned rock group the Allman Brothers Band, died at at his home in Osprey, Fla. on Thursday. The influential guitarist, songwriter and vocalist had been battling two kinds of cancer as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He was 80 years old. The news was shared on Betts’ official website in a …
Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album, Share Anxious Lead Single “Starburster”
Grammy-nominated Irish five-piece Fontaines D.C. have announced their debut release on XL Recordings, Romance. Their fourth album and the follow-up to their acclaimed 2022 LP Skinty Fia arrives on Aug. 23, and the music video for intense lead single “Starburster” is out now. The London-via-Dublin quintet—Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan (bass) and Tom Coll …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | April 13
This week, the Jax Music Hour went country! We rounded up country and Americana music from local artists like Folk is People, Rambler Kane, and Patsy’s Daydream, as well as touring artists such as Morgan Wade, Mac McAnally, and Jim White. Here’s what played on the Jax Music Hour this week. Catch future episodes of the show on the air …
The Neighborhood Playlist | April 13
Good neighbors! Hope all is good in your areas! Below are the tunes that I shared with the neighbors and groovers. On this walk through the neighborhood, I played some hometown music: KALE THAT RAPS, Kenzie’s Place, and Ebonique, and some other gems that compliment well. Be on the lookout for an exclusive interview with Seafood Sam. It’s a great …
Electro Lounge Playlist | April 13
The Electro Lounge is back and rolling out weekly dreamscapes — an eclectic hour of chillout, downtempo cuts every Saturday at 10 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9. Here’s what host David Luckin played on April 13. 1 Miles Davis – Pharaoh’s DanceStream 2 Amber – Sexual (Afterlife Remix)Stream 3 Thievery Corporation – Lebanese BlondeStream 4 Charlie Hunter & Norah Jones …
Duval Indie Pop Lord Luci Lind on Catching Songs Like Fireflies
Welcome to Songwriting School, where we talk to songwriters about the craft of songwriting. Born in Pensacola, 22-year-old pop artist Luci Lind has called Jacksonville home since he was a toddler. His coining of the genre “Jax pop” is just one example of his pride in being part of the Bold City music scene, where he gathers inspiration from his …
Sleater-Kinney | Tiny Desk
For a roughly three-year stretch beginning in late 2007, Sleater-Kinney‘s Carrie Brownstein reached the pinnacle of a career that has included stints as a rock star, a TV actor and an author. During that time, Brownstein wrote the NPR Music blog Monitor Mix and appeared as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. But she foolishly climbed down from that …
Jax Musician Kennie Mason on ‘My Dog Ate My Patriotism,’ her noisy debut album as Siichaq
Kennie Mason, lead singer and founder of Jacksonville band Siichaq (pronounced sea-check), always felt like a fish out of water in the community she grew up in. Her music career began early, checking off the rite of passage of many a beach kid: singing in a rock band with a bunch of surfers. After a few years of growth and …
Cola Announce Second Album ‘The Gloss,’ Share Intoxicating New Single “Pallor Tricks”
Canadian post-punk trio Cola—the second act of Ought’s Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy, who are now joined by Evan Cartwright (U.S. Girls, The Weather Station)—have announced the follow-up to their 2022 debut album Deep in View. Our latest preview of The Gloss (June 14, Fire Talk Records) is “Pallor Tricks,” the album’s third and most intense single yet. In contrast …
Jacksonville Band Ducats Offers Worthy Psych-Rock Delights on New Single, “Uggo Druggo”
Springtime apparently activates febrile indie rock music. The latest track from locals Ducats, “Uggo Druggo” heralds the seasonal arc in the form of an unhurried post-punk planted in a field of reverb. Over the course of its four-and-a-half minutes, “Uggo Druggo” is carried along in a bramble of guitar stabs and textures, riffs closing and falling back into the echoes, …
Yaya Bey | Tiny Desk Concert
Throughout an emotional, soul-stirring set, the multitudes of Yaya Bey‘s music and artistry are on full display in her Tiny Desk concert. The New York-bred singer-songwriter opens the show by paying homage to her Barbados roots: reggae-tinged grooves of “meet me in brooklyn” from her powerful 2022 album, Remember Your North Star, that flow seamlessly into “on the pisces moon” …
Madi Diaz Shares Lovely New Single “One Less Question,” Featuring Lennon Stella
On the heels of the February release of her latest album Weird Faith, Nashville singer-songwriter Madi Diaz has posed “One Less Question,” a gorgeous new collaboration with Lennon Stella that the duo debuted on Tuesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Co-produced by Diaz and Weird Faith’s Konrad Snyder, and co-written by Diaz, Stella and Kate York, “One Less Question” …
The Neighborhood Playlist | April 6
Happy April, Neighbors! Springtime is here and I am here to give you some music to make those flowers look beautiful and the beaches feel great for you! We visited a new song from the legendary group Arrested Development. We played a new jam from DJ Harrison, a member of the soul-jazz-funk-hip-hop group Butcher Brown. Lastly, we played some hometown …
The Gear that Jacksonville Band Folk Is People Employs to Achieve their Ever-Evolving American-Roots-Inspired Sound
A staple of the Jacksonville music scene for over a decade, Folk is People breathes new life into old country and bluegrass traditions. Singer and guitarist Stacey Bennett started writing songs for the band in 2011, releasing the first Folk is People EP the following year. “When we started,” Bennett says, “it was all acoustic instruments. I was playing mandolin, …
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival Returns with Kenny Barron, Gregory Porter, Nicholas Payton, Lakecia Benjamin, Keiko Matsui and More at New Venue Sites
This Memorial Day weekend, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival is held in the downtown district, with performances at Metropolitan Park and Daily’s Place. A staple of city-run cultural events for four decades, each year jazz legends and emerging artists perform at multiple on-site venues. Last year’s festival attracted an estimated 75,000 attendees, creating an estimable, positive economic impact on the city. …
Woods Share Surprise ‘Five More Flowers’ EP, Feat. Hopeful Lead Single “Lay With Luck”
Though its April Fools Day announcement may have made fans think twice, Brooklyn’s Woods do, in fact, have a surprise new record out. The psych-folk-rock outfit released their Five More Flowers EP via their own Woodsist label this week ahead of a North American tour alongside Animal Collective’s Avey Tare. The roots of Five More Flowers touch much of Woods’ …
Saya Gray Uploads ‘QWERTY II’ EP, Announces International Tour
Following the release of her QWERTY II EP, Japanese-Canadian art-pop artist Saya Gray has announced an international tour in support of her new record, with shows in the U.K., E.U. and North America set for late spring. Gray released the seven-track QWERTY EP via Dirty Hit in May 2023, then delivered the seven-track follow-up last week—in a statement, the artist …
Musician and Gamble Rogers Folk Festival President Jim Carrick Reflects on the 2024 Fest and its Namesake’s Ongoing Influence
Consider it a low-key utopia. Held at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, the 28th annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival is a three-day micro-community of old and young musicians, music lovers of varied stripes, families, neo-hippies or just curious tourists savvy enough to get really local. From Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 14, more than 100 performers are featured on …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | March 30
Last week on the Jax Music Hour, we were joined by JME contributor Carissa Marques, who shared several of her local favorites, including Siichaq, Kale That Raps, and Leo Sun. Carissa also shared her excitement for the Hozier, Earthgang, and George Clanton shows coming up in Jacksonville very soon. Here’s what played on the Jax Music Hour last week. Catch …
St. Vincent Shares a Sinister New ‘All Born Screaming’ Single,“Flea”
This spring, St. Vincent returns with her seventh—and first self-produced—studio album, All Born Screaming (April 26, Total Pleasure Records / Virgin Music Group), and our second preview of the LP is out now in the form of “Flea,” featuring Dave Grohl and Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Where 2021’s Grammy-winning Daddy’s Home found St. Vincent time-traveling to 1970s New York City, even recording …
On Jazz Beyond Tradition, Ulysses Owens Jr. & Keanna Faircloth Explore the Past, Present and Future of the True American Artform
In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, WJCT Public Media and the Jacksonville Music Experience will debut Jazz Beyond Tradition, a six-episode limited series that explores jazz voices from the past, present and future, beginning Sunday, April 21 on both WJCT News 89.9 and the Independent 89.9 HD4. Hosted by Jacksonville-bred, Grammy-Award-winning musician and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. and award-winning radio …
The Mercurial Musical World of John Lurie Is Illuminated Anew on ‘Music from the Series (Painting with John)’
The latest from Renaissance-man and quixotic rambler John Lurie is a 56-song collection of recent musical collaborations that will do much to satisfy fans of the musician-artist-actor-memoirist. Meanwhile, those who are indifferent, annoyed, or puzzled by the now-71-year-old Lurie’s almost-five decades long (and heavily hyphenated) body of work could very well still be intrigued this 56-song set, available in vinyl …
London’s Lava La Rue Announces ‘STARFACE,’ Shares Silky Lead Single “Push N Shuv”
West London-based psych-soul artist Lava La Rue has announced their full-length debut STARFACE, coming June 21 on Dirty Hit. Lead single “Push N Shuv” is out now with a self-co-directed music video. Our first preview of the much-anticipated album, “Push N Shuv” pays affectionate homage to iconic ‘80s new-wavers Tom Tom Club, with a bubbly funk groove that sounds like …
Watch Jacksonville Artists’ 2024 Tiny Desk Contest Videos
The Tiny Desk Contest is back for 2024, with a new (and stacked) panel of judges and another opportunity for unsigned artists to earn an invite to perform on the revered, improvised stage located in offices of NPR Music’s Washington, D.C. HQ. Over the past nine years, tens-of-thousands of musicians have submitted their videos to the Tiny Desk Contest (TDC) …
Noah Kahan, Eric Church, Norah Jones, Kevin Morby, The Breeders Among this Year’s Sing Out Loud Festival Headliners
The music celebration known as the Sing Out Loud Festival returns to St. Augustine this year with the Live Wildly Showcase on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22 at Francis Field. Performers for this year’s festival include jazz-folk artist Norah Jones, country singer Eric Church, alt-country artist Ryan Bingham with The Texas Gentlemen, folk singer and radio standout Noah …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | March 9
Last week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we shined a spotlight on harpist Brandee Younger, who’ll be joining us on the WJCT Soundstage on Thursday, March 14. Get tickets to the show here. In addition to other artists coming through Northeast Florida soon, we played a mix of local jams from K.UTIE, …
Bad Madonna’s Alexis Rhode Goes Solo as ROADIE, Shares First Single “Ball of String”
Alexis Rhode of Jacksonville indie-rock act Bad Madonna has shared her first solo single as ROADIE, exploring a more delicate singer-songwriter sound on the pensive breakup song “Ball of String.” Rhode is backed by Danny Strickland, Milan Algood and Jordan Mixon on her new single, but you wouldn’t know it from the song’s opening moments. “I guess I got in …
The Neighborhood Playlist | March 9
Neighbors! I hope your month is moving well and you are doing great. We revisited a previous interview with the neighbor Myztroh who will be opening up for Brandee Younger on March 14. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. I hope to see my cool neighbors in attendance. We also visited Moonchild’s music, played Butcher Brown (they’ll be at Ponte …
Latest from Duval-to-NYC Musician Alexei Shishkin is a Quality Byrds-Style Flight Plan
Make no mistake: “Wind Picks Up Again,” the third track from Alexei Shishkin’s recent album dagger, is a fantastic rock song. From the start, it’s evident that the Jacksonvillian-turned-NYC-Brooklynite is adept at evoking the kind of lysergic 12-string-guitar shimmer that made 1966-era Byrds achieve stratospheric peaks, and the driving bass and drums accompaniment of Shishkin’s economical approach propels and enhances …
How Jacksonville Synth Wizard James Scott Rubia Spins Swamp-Pop Sounds as Animal Clinic
Gathering production influence from Brian Eno and songwriting inspiration from Leonard Cohen, solo synth act Animal Clinic aims for complexity in both sound and emotion. “I wanted to say something very personal,” says Animal Clinic’s sole musician James Scott Rubia. “I wanted to say it with detail, and I wanted listeners to be able to hopefully feel what I was …
Charley Crockett’s ‘$10 Cowboy’ Tour Comes to St. Augustine Amp This Summer
Rising Americana star Charley Crockett has extended his tour in support of his forthcoming album $10 Cowboy (April 26, Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers), adding a late-August stop in the Ancient City. Though he’s typically billed as a country artist, Crockett’s self-described “Gulf & Western” sound is far richer and more nuanced than that label may suggest. The Texas-born, New Orleans-influenced …
Indie-Folk Fave Jenny Lewis Extends Joy’All Ball Tour, Adds a Stop at Intuition Ale Works in Jacksonville
Local lovers of legit indie-folk and innovative Americana have hit the summer sweepstakes. Jenny Lewis and her Joy’All Ball Tour makes a stop at Intuition Ale Works on Saturday, June 29. Lewis will be joined in Jax by the great Seattle songsmith Dean Johnson. Lewis’ latest, 2023’s ten-song Joy’All, finds Lewis in peak form, traversing traditional singer-songwriter terrain and experimental …
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Share “Wild God,” a Worthy Addition to Their Canon of Blunt and Bluesy Theology
In the 2013 book, Faith, Hope and Carnage, Nick Cave admits: “I feel that instinctive, mysterious connection can have a deeper impact on the psyche of the listener. It feels as if it connects to the listener in a different way, as if we have stumbled upon the song and its implicit meaning together.” Culled from 40 hours of conversations …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | March 2
On the March 2 episode of the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we were joined by singer-songwriter Rick Colado, best known as rickoLus, whose album, These Things Happen, was released on March 1. The Jacksonville music veteran has been part of the local scene for decades and told us about the evolution of the …
Jazz Harpist Brandee Younger on ‘Brand New Life’ and Paying Homage to Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane
Brandee Younger is a trailblazer. Over the course of the last 15 years, the New York-bred musician, composer and educator has contributed to works by a range of contemporary artists, from Common and Lauryn Hill to John Legend and Moses Sumney, placing her among a peer group of classically trained musicians strengthening the connective tissue between jazz and hip-hop, R&B, …