The 2022 concert calendar is filling up fast. And April looks to be a great introduction to about the quantity and quality of live music on tap for Northeast Florida this spring and summer. Down in St. Augustine, The Amp recently kicked off their 2022 season in early March and they’ll look to build off that strong start in April with …
Madi Diaz | 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. Fitting many people into a small space has been key to the Tiny Desk formula since its …
Local Spotlight | 3 fresh tracks from Jacksonville artists
New music from Leo Sun, Ducats and Left on High
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 new songs by local artists that we think you’ll really dig. Let’s dive in. “Tomorrowland” by Left On High Duval punk overlords Left On High have wasted no time in …
Koffee, already a Grammy-winning globetrotter, is in full control for ‘Genius’ debut
At the 2018 edition of the Jamaican reggae festival Rebel Salute, legendary singer Cocoa Tea interrupted his set to introduce a petite, teenaged female artist, excitedly telling the audience of more than 10,000: “This little 17-year-old from Spanish Town is Jamaica’s next female sensation; come in Koffee.” Although relatively unknown at the time, Koffee’s rapid-fire, patois-heavy vocals on that first …
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW | Maxo Kream
Every year, NPR Music participates in the SXSW music festival, whether it’s curating a stage or simply attending hundreds of shows at the annual event in Austin, Texas. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but it returned last March as an online festival. We programmed a virtual “stage” of Tiny Desk (home) concerts in 2021 in …
Go | This week’s best concerts in and around Jax
Iron & Wine, Taylor Alxnder, Kenny G, Springing the Blues, Tonstartssbandht and more
Each week, the JME team looks long and hard at the concert calendar to identify the best shows in Jacksonville. Our weekly Go recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. This week, singer-songwriter Iron & Wine, smooth-jazz maestro Kenny G and popular ambient Orlando duo Tonstartssbandht will visit Jax. Meanwhile, celebrated local multi-hyphenate GeeXella returns, …
Just Announced | Alt-country band American Aquarium at PV Concert Hall
Purveyors of anthemic alt-country, North Carolina-bred American Aquarium has announced a summer tour of the East Coast with a stop at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, returning to Northeast Florida for the first time since their November 2021 performance at Jack Rabbits. The brainchild of bandleader BJ Barham, the group’s latest iteration is touring 2020’s critically lauded, Shooter-Jennings-produced Lamentations. In 2021, …
Fresh Rotation | 3 new songs we really dig
A sonic trip with Lala Lala, a pipe-organ-fueled ride with Anna von Hausswolff and Alex Cameron's solitary "K Hole"
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 …
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW | KAINA
Every year, NPR Music participates in the SXSW music festival, whether it’s curating a stage or simply attending hundreds of shows at the annual event in Austin, Texas. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but it returned last March as an online festival. We programmed a virtual “stage” of Tiny Desk (home) concerts in 2021 in …
With ‘Americancer,’ the Legend of the Late Paten Locke Grows
The auditory footprint of the late-and-eternally-great Duval hip-hop artist is still being measured
The death of Duval hip-hop artist Paten Locke is still a sore subject among his friends and fans, over two years after the man was felled by lung cancer. But, at the same time, those same friends and fans have been aggressive about pushing to keep his name and his legacy alive. This is possible largely due to Locke’s own …
Local Spotlight | 4 new tracks from Jax artists out now
Daddy’s infectious debut, Ashton Chase kicks off MVP Season, Cory Driscoll sets off for 'Eureka Springs' and Paten Locke offers oodles of posthumous style
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. “Oodlesofnos” by Paten Locke PL004 – Americancer by PATEN LOCKE This prime cut from Americancer, the …
Go | The best concerts in Jax this week
Country star Charley Crockett, an album release show, electronic trio Joywave, a Patsy Cline cover band and Widespread Panic X 3
Every week, the JME team looks long and hard at the concert calendar to identify the best shows in Jacksonville. Our weekly Go recommendations are updated each Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. This week, vintage-country aesthete Charley Crockett, indie-electronic-dance trio Joywave and beloved jam band Widespread Panic all visit the First Coast. Also this week, local singer-songwriter …
The Independent 89.9 HD4
The Independent 89.9 HD4 Available on 89.9 HD4, wjct.org & the WJCT AppPlay The IndependentYou’re free to discover new music all day and chillout all night on The Independent 89.9 HD4. Unrestrained by genre and unbound by commercial radio mandates, The Independent 89.9 HD4 caters to music lovers and curious listeners of all ages. Featuring new music from Jacksonville and …
Just Announced | Herbie Hancock will headline Jacksonville Jazz Fest
George Benson, Christian Sands Trio, Jazzmeia Horn and John Lumpkin also announced
Headliners for the 2022 Jacksonville Jazz Festival have been announced. Back is guitar-phenom George Benson. Youngsters like 30-year-old vocalist and songwriter Jazzmeia Horn, as well as 32-year-old pianist and composer Christian Sands are on the bill. Local drummer and bandleader John Lumpkin will performa as well. But the big news: Herbie Hancock. A multi-instrumentalist and architect of post-bop best known …
Fresh Rotation | 4 new songs you should hear right now
Snarky synths from System Exclusive, art-pop from Kate Bollinger, ambient memories from Tonstartssbandht and somber swing from Horsegirl
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 …