There are so many alleged geniuses in music that the field has grown fallow. Marc Bolan wasn’t a genius. But judging by his body of songs, and the overall harvest, he was absolutely guided by a conditional brilliance. Equal parts Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry and John Keats, the late UK glam god seemed to misplace the stolen promethean fire of …
Allison Russell | Tiny Desk Concert
“I am grateful and I am proud for this circle of goddesses,” said Allison Russell during her joyful, rousing Tiny Desk set, reaching toward the six women surrounding her. Russell has cultivated this band’s harmoniousness in the year she’s been touring in support of her astounding, unclassifiable album Outside Child, which tells the singer’s life story, from her childhood escaping …
Watch | Sailor Goon live at Blue Jay Listening Room
Jax singer-songwriter Sailor Goon spins and sings in Jax Beach
With the release of several singles that blend jazz, neo-soul, psychedelia and pop under her alter ego Sailor Goon, Jacksonville vocalist Kayla Le has had our attention for some time now. Indeed, at the beginning of the year we named her one of the 10 Jacksonville artists to watch in 2022. Just a few months after the release of her …
Sudan Archives’ vibrant music of exploration
Sudan Archives’ music celebrates digging. With infectious curiosity, her oddball collages of hip-hop, electronic and globally sourced folk bridge worlds and tramp through them, encouraging you to forge your own routes as well. Across two EPs and an album, the self-taught violinist, producer, and songwriter has honed a distinct blend of layered vocals and instrumentation that both pleases the ear …
Local Spotlight | 4 Great New Tracks from Jax Artists Out Now
Bad Madonna, Bedford Cords, Jacob Hudson and a Kate Bush cover
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground in order to shine the high beams of our Local Spotlight series on Jacksonville regional artists. This week, Jacksonville Music Experience contributors share four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll dig. Let’s dive in. “Jaded” by Bad Madonna As artists attempt to crack the mysterious (arbitrary?) code of streaming-service …
Jax Resident and Videographer Richard Borders Illuminated the ‘60s Rock Scene and Beyond
The world has grown a little darker with the recent passing of Richard Borders. For more than a half century, the Northeast Florida resident was a proud member (and storied survivor) of the mid-20th-century counterculture. A childhood fan of the phantasmagoric and horror films, Borders was a pioneering artist who worked in the nascent psychedelic light shows of the 1960s, …
Sing Out Loud Staff Picks
What to see & hear (for free) at this year’s festival
With tons of free music events at a dozen or so venues throughout the month of September, there’s a lot to look forward to at this year’s Sing Out Loud. And it’s all free! There’s so much, in fact, that it’d be impossible to see and hear it all. The team at the Jacksonville Music Experience will be on the …
A lawsuit over Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ naked baby album cover is dismissed (again)
Teenage angst pays off well, as Nirvana‘s Kurt Cobain sang. But a lawsuit from a man who appeared as a naked baby on the band’s landmark Nevermind album still isn’t paying off: a federal judge has once again dismissed the lawsuit. Spencer Elden is appealing the dismissal, his lawyers told NPR, arguing that the judge in the case has misinterpreted …
Interview | EDM artist Darude on his upcoming 904 Day DJ set in Jax
Darude, one of electronic dance music’s most influential stars, will spin a set at Myth Nighclub on Sunday, September 4 (aka 904 Day). The Finnish DJ and producer, whose real name is Ville Virtanen, is best known for his 1999 hit “Sandstorm,” which went on to became one of the best-selling electronic dance singles in music history. Since its release, “Sandstorm,” which …
Playlist | The Best New Music Out Now
September's Fresh Squeeze is here!
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 tracks …
Against the odds | How Blondie shattered the conventions of punk and pop
By the early 1970s, the Greenwich Village folk scene had faded, and a new sound was wafting up from the street. New York Dolls frontman David Johansen says it found a home just north of Bleecker Street and east of Washington Square. “I was friends with Eric Emerson, who had a band called Magic Tramps, and he said that he …
Jax Symphony’s Courtney Lewis Debuts at the Hollywood Bowl
It was a hot, rainy, muggy Monday afternoon in Jacksonville, but the weather was perfect in Los Angeles, where Jacksonville Symphony Music Director Courtney Lewis found himself touching down on Sunday, August 22. Lewis was in the thick of preparations for the symphony’s 2022-2023 season, when he was asked to step in for a special guest conducting gig with his …
Local Spotlight | 4 Great New Tracks by Jax Artists Out Now
Introducing The Jax, plus three more local tunes
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground in order to shine the high beams of our Local Spotlight series on Jacksonville regional artists. This week, Jacksonville Music Experience contributors share four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll dig. Let’s dive in. “The Seven” by The Jax What does one do when a Jacksonville super-group forms a …
Just Announced | Legendary Zamrock group W.I.T.C.H. on the JME Soundstage
A very special night of music at WJCT Studios
Legendary Zambian psych-rock band W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend to Cause Havoc) are currently on tour and heading to Jacksonville ahead of the band’s appearance at Austin’s Levitation Festival. Mid-fi indie-rock group PAINT will support W.I.T.C.H. on all upcoming tour dates, including a performance on the JME Soundstage at WJCT Studios on October 21. The lineup for the October 21 show also …
Just Announced | Snail Mail, Shovels & Rope Among Headliners for Sing Out Loud 2022
Sing Out Loud will return in September for a month of music programming and performances by international headliners as well as dozens of local artists. This year’s festival will be headlined by wildly popular indie singer-songwriter Snail Mail (Fri., Sept. 16 at The Amp Backyard Stage), alt-country rock guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan (Sat., Sept. 17 at Colonial Oak Music Park), …
‘Cheat Codes’ is the album Black Thought couldn’t have made until now
For many years, the Black Thought solo album felt like an imaginary object, long rumored yet never revealed. It went by several names — Masterpiece Theatre, The Talented Mr. Trotter — and had many soft launches. The Philly rapper born Tariq Trotter had of course already displayed his otherworldly dexterity as frontman and co-founder of The Roots, and, beginning in …
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine | Tiny Desk Concert
I’d been entertained and enchanted by the many of the 150 or so small concerts Andrew Bird performed on Instagram during the pandemic. Then I heard his new album, Inside Problems, and invited him to the desk. It had been six years since his first Tiny Desk performance, which was with a band; this time, I wanted an intimate solo …
The Clash’s Crucial Reggae
We’re celebrating Joe Strummer’s Bday with a Punky Reggae Party
The Clash, the amorphous British punks, remain one of the most influential bands of the 20th Century. Beginning with the unhinged cacophony of the quartet’s eponymous debut, the group remained on the cutting edge of a fast-changing musical landscape, gorging on everything from reggae to disco to hip-hop with the same gusto with which they ingested amphetamines. The Clash’s embrace …
August 16, 1974 | The Ramones Play First Show at CBGB
"1, 2, 3, 4..."
Sometimes it can feel like the entire history of classic rock — every new direction, every iconic performance, every paradigm shift — was condensed into a little more than a decade. From The Beatles on Ed Sullivan (1964) to Pet Sounds (1966), Woodstock (1969) to the Sex Pistols on The Ed Grundy Show (1976), the cultural zeitgeist moved from “Her …
On ‘No Rules Sandy,’ Sylvan Esso finds freedom outside the formula
Sylvan Esso‘s fourth album ends in a manner almost antithetical to the duo’s original musical impulses, putting the band’s early-days and present versions on opposite shores. As they’ve recounted, it all started when folk singer Amelia Meath — then best known as a member of the choral-forward group Mountain Man — conscripted electronic music producer Nick Sanborn to remix her …
Local Spotlight | 4 New Tracks by Jax Artists Out Now
New music from Huan, Bebe Deluxe, Primary School and Rhythm of Fear
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground in order to shine the high beams of our Local Spotlight series on the beautiful noise created by artists working in the Jacksonville region. This week, Jacksonville Music Experience contributors share four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll dig. Let’s dive in. “Not Today” by Huan Ultra-chill Jax indie-pop …
Watch | LPT Live on the JME Soundstage
Our cavernous JME Soundstage felt a little less so a few months back when Jacksonville’s mighty LPT stopped by. The ten-piece salsa orchestra tends to fill up the room. As one of the most sought after live acts in the city, LPT not only commands the stage, they’re also prone to drawing the ire of those who would enforce fire-code-mandated …
Fresh Rotation | 4 New Songs We Really Dig
New music from Dry Cleaning, The A's, John Cale and Katalyst
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add to the rotation on The Independent 89.9 HD4 (and to 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 …
Fresh Squeeze | The Best New Music of the Month
New mix featuring Dry Cleaning, Danger Mouse, Robert Glasper, Sylvan Esso, The 1975 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 tracks …
Go | NYC’s Acid Dad Headlines a Free Show at The Jessie
Our Music, Our Future event comes to Downtown Jax
NYC psych-rock outfit Acid Dad will play a free show, along with St. Augustine’s The Dewars, Jax’s Bad Madonna and Florida Smash Hits for Our Music, Our Future on Wednesday August 10. The music event is part of Jax Next 100, a week of programming at the Jessie Ball duPont Center (AKA The Jessie) that aims to highlight the past, …
What To Know About a Congressional Resolution on Streaming Royalties
Congress may soon weigh in on behalf of artists in the fight for more equitable royalties from streaming services like Spotify. According to Rolling Stone, Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, sent a letter to her congressional colleagues proposing a resolution to establish a new streaming royalty. The proposal would, the letter argues, seek to increase the amount of money …
Pigeon Pit | Tiny Desk Concert
A song by Pigeon Pit has gotten me through this year. Chugging a punk twang with the sun at its back, “milk crates” recognizes the relentless churn of life, but still seeks freedom from tyranny, exhaustion and the everyday nonsense that drags us down. The first time I heard the song performed live was at the band’s Tiny Desk sound …
Playlist | Summer in the Electro Lounge
Chillout! There's a new mix of downtempo, nu jazz, reggae and more
There’s been a handful of requests for a new Electro Lounge playlist, so here we go: A summer-themed mix of past, present and future music, featuring downtempo, nu jazz, reggae and more, spanning the decades from Robert Glasper to Miles Davis, with chill cuts from French artist St Germain, Slovenian duo Zalagasper and Jamaican singer-songwriter Cocoa Tea. I’ve also got …
Here’s why Joni Mitchell’s performance at the Newport Folk Festival is so incredible
Joni Mitchell’s surprise performance at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday is already becoming the stuff of legend. The unsuspecting crowd roared as the singer-songwriter stepped onto the stage in her first public performance since suffering a debilitating brain aneurysm in 2015. And they continued to revel as the nine-time Grammy-winning singer regaled the lucky audience with many of her …
Warner Music Adopts SoundCloud’s Artist-Friendly Royalty System
Go Fund Them
When the streaming- and social-networking service SoundCloud decided to instate their royalty payment system in March 2021, longtime users of the site and the new wave of the music industry leaned in to listen. Prior to this pay upgrade for music artists, SoundCloud paid contributors through pooling revenues from the platform’s collected streams, or overall and accumulated plays by listeners …
Big Thief: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Popular indie band performs songs from its new album and an unreleased track
I love seeing friends playing comfortably at home, especially when those friends are members of my favorite band. What we see in this Tiny Desk (home) concert is playfulness substituting for the intensity that I normally find in Big Thief on a big stage. This band has made many of my best-loved albums in the past few years, beginning with …
Inside Soccer Mommy’s Widescreen World
Clients of Nashville’s historic Sound Emporium studios are reminded right away that they’re in elite company. Plaques commemorating the commercial success of Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves and other past patrons line the hallways, and across from the reception desk is a wall of framed snapshots, taken when the likes of Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant …
Luna Luna | Live on the JME Soundstage
Watch Austin indie-pop band Luna Luna perform at WJCT
Attempting to label Austin, Texas band Luna Luna using any contemporary sonic descriptor — say: indie, dream pop, fusion, retro dance pop, etc. — is a reductive exercise. The band draws on such a wide array of influences to craft their sound, that striking a bullseye with an apt characterization can feel like trying to hit a moving target from …
The 22 Best Albums of 2022 So Far
The JME team picks the records that have made our year
We’ve written about a lot of music this year. More songs and records than we can count. We’ve listened to even more. Just a touch past the halfway point of 2022, the JME team decided to take stock of what we’ve heard so far. The resulting list — The 22 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far) — just scratches the …
One-of-a-kind recording of “Blowin’ in the Wind” sells for $1.7 million at auction
Bob Dylan re-recorded the song for the first time since 1962
Sixty years since his debut album, Bob Dylan remains as relevant as ever. In 2020, months after releasing his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan sold his songbook for a reported $500 million, setting a new industry standard for the acquisition of artists’ song catalogs. And now Dylan’s leading the charge on a unique physical music format. The …
Dean Winter and The Heat | Live on the JME Soundstage
Watch genuine Jax country outfit perform live at WJCT
“I can’t escape the rain, lord it’s driving me insane,” Dean Winter intones, backed by his crack country band — Jeremy Blanton (bass, vox), Jack Mock (pedal steel), Ty Sullivan (drums, vox) — at the outset of “Can’t Escape the Rain,” a single from the group’s new record Wheel of Bliss. “I’m running on empty in the Sunshine State.” Winter’s …