This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we spun an hour of the great music we’ll be hearing at Winterland Six next weekend, February 23-25, at James Weldon Johnson Park in Downtown Jacksonville. Get tickets and dig into JME‘s full festival guide here. Glenn Van Dyke and Lena Simon, Winterland organizers and …
The Neighborhood Playlist | February 17
Neighbors! It’s Mr. Al Pete here with another round of tunes that were played on my show. I wanted to add a song that centered and commemorated the late J. Dilla (Mochilla presents Timeless: Suite for Ma Dukes – Untitled/Fantastic). He was a powerful source to hip hop, soul, and other genres. There are a vast amount of people that …
Here’s How Jax Indie-Rockers Seagate Use Analog & Digital Gear to Achieve their Garage-y Sound
As Seagate frontman Sam Baglino shared his influences with me—Osees and Ty Segall, to name a few—I couldn’t help but notice that this local musician-of-all-trades is drawn to prolific artists. Both acts he named have, respectively, released more than a dozen records, and when considering Seagate’s own output, this influence just makes sense. Last year alone, the band released a …
Caroline Rose on Songwriting Evolution as a Form of Healing
Welcome to Songwriting School, where we talk to songwriters about the craft of songwriting. The first time I ever heard “Feel the Way I Want” by Caroline Rose, I thought, “Wait a minute… is this my new anthem?” To me, Caroline’s music was stoic and earwormy. But on their latest record, 2023’s The Art of Forgetting, they took a turn …
Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor on Writing Songs and Making a Racket
Welcome to Songwriting School, where we talk to songwriters about the craft of songwriting. Like all good things in life, M.C. Taylor’s songwriting practice typically begins in a notebook. But lately, the Durham, NC singer-songwriter has been indulging more in the art of making a racket. Taylor has been releasing music under the moniker Hiss Golden Messenger since 2007. On …
NYC Guitar Freaks A Place to Bury Strangers Offers Up Loud-Psych Devotions on New Single, “Change Your God”
Routinely hailed as “the loudest band in New York City,” A Place to Bury Strangers — when they’re not violating sound ordinances in the five boroughs — has been issuing deceptively simple yet consistently psych-friendly guitar pummel for twenty years and counting. Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Oliver Ackermann, the band has released dozens of multi-format records, with an apparent …
Lightning Bug Return From Oblivion With New Album ‘No Paradise,’ Lead Single “December Song”
Audrey Kang’s ethereal indie-rock project Lightning Bug have shared their first new music in nearly three years, announcing No Paradise (May 2) alongside the video for its mythic lead single, “December Song.” Press notes on the record quote the poet Louise Glück—“Whatever / returns from oblivion / returns to find a voice,” she once wrote—and describes No Paradise as the …
On “Love,” The Something Specials Offer Up a Low-Key Exit Strategy for Contemporary Romantics
The new project from St. Augustine-native Taylor Olin (of Dust Fuss fame) betrays Olin’s expatriation to her current climes of Los Angeles. “Love,” by Olin’s new band The Something Specials, evokes the aftermath and clearing haze of SoCal rock deities Fleetwood Mac, after surviving their late ‘70s radio-hit pantheism. Over an unhurried strumming chord progression, mottled with a tasty plaintive …
Babehoven Preview Sophomore Album ‘Water’s Here In You’ With “Birdseye” Video
New York state-based duo Babehoven have announced their sophomore album Water’s Here In You (April 26, Double Double Whammy) and shared the video for its lead single and opener, “Birdseye.” Maya Bon and Ryan Albert wrote and recorded the follow-up to their acclaimed 2022 debut Light Moving Time at their Hudson Valley home studio 12 Lb Genius in the winter …
Jax River Jams Returns in April with Earthgang, Bishop Briggs, Rodney Atkins, Andy Grammer and Lots of Locals
Jax River Jams, the annual series of free-concert, will return to Downtown Jacksonville in April for four local-artist-heavy shows headlined by nationally touring artists. This year’s River Jams kicks off with country, as Tennessee-bred, Billboard-chart mainstay Rodney Atkins takes the stage on Thursday, April 4. British-American singer and songwriter Bishop Briggs brings her alternative-take on electronic pop to the riverfront …
Vampire Weekend Return With 2 New Tracks, North American Tour Feat. St. Augustine Stop
Indie-rock institution Vampire Weekend will soon return with their first new album in five years, Only God Was Above Us (April 5, Columbia Records), and to hold us over until then, Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio and Chris Tomson have shared two stellar new singles, “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops,” and announced a sprawling North American tour that features an October stop …
The Neighborhood Playlist | February 10
Happy February, Neighbors! I Hope the month is starting off well. On this walk through The Neighborhood, I interviewed my good friend and music brother Jay Myztroh of Cosmic Link, Stono Echo and other projects. We spoke on his music journey and how grateful he is to be in hist current position. Jay Myztroh and Friends opens for Grammy-nominated jazz …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | February 10
This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we were joined by John Shannon — tour manager for COIN, flipturn, and many other artists. Shannon started a networking group called Duval Crew that connects local music crew to one another as well as industry opportunities. Follow Duval Crew on Instagram: @duvalcrew. Local artists …
On New EP, Jacksonville Hip-Hop Artist Willie Evans Jr. Explores High-Level Concepts with Nuanced Cool
Prolificity, patience, and discernment are all evident in the mix-mind of Willie Evans Jr. The Duval-based hip-hop polymath has been creating music and cultivating the overall contemporary Southeastern rap scene for so long—25+ years and counting—that it seems as if he was always been present. Evans is woven tightly into the Full Plate label-scene, an imprint that has codified and …
Legendary Jazz Bassist Gerald Cannon Honors, and Explores his Connections to, the Music of Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner
What do Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, Stanley Turrentine and Bunky Green have in common? Other than being household names among jazz aficionados, each artist hired Gerald Cannon, the legendary bassist, to handle the low end. For going on 40 years, Cannon’s been both a fixture of the jazz scene and foundational piece …
Mini Trees Announces New ‘Burn Out’ EP, Shares “Shapeshifter”
Los Angeles “living room pop” singer-songwriter Lexi Vega this week announced her latest EP as Mini Trees, Burn Out, coming March 1 on Run For Cover Records. New single “Shapeshifter” sees Vega bring electronics to the forefront, though her alluring melodies and intimate songwriting remain entirely intact. In the late summer of 2022, Vega was essentially stepping off a rollercoaster: …
Meet the Roadies | Duval Crew Unites Music-Tour-Support Professionals Based in Jax
Calling all local roadies: Duval Crew wants to meet you and support you. The networking group, founded by Jacksonville-based tour manager John Shannon, seeks to connect tour managers as well as front-of-house technicians, engineers, merch managers, music photographers and videographers, and anyone else who supports bands on the road. Shannon got his start managing acts on the road with Jacksonville-born …
Kurt Vile and The Violators Announce New Tour Dates, Including a Stop at Jacksonville’s Intuition Ale Works
Singer-songwriter and purveyor of certifried guitar-pop tunes Kurt Vile has expanded his upcoming tour, announcing additional spring dates, including a visit to Jacksonville to perform at the Bier Hall inside Intuition Ale Works on Thursday, May 9. The announcement comes as Vile’s latest, the extensive extended player Back to Moon Beach has earned critical adoration and broad airplay, floating around …
Winterland Six | Lineup Guide and Festival Schedule
The Winterland music festival is held Friday, February 23 through Sunday, February 25 in James Weldon Johnson Park in Downtown Jacksonville. Single-day and three-day passes are available here. Scroll to the bottom for everything you need to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO. Full schedule below. Friday, February 23 (Gates open at 4 p.m.) Friday’s schedule below. Click on the artist to …
The Decemberists Share “Burial Ground,” Their First New Single in 6 Years
Early-aughts indie rock came roaring back this week with the release of “Burial Ground,” the first new song from The Decemberists in the better part of a decade, featuring The Shins frontman James Mercer. For a band with such a flair for the baroque, The Decemberists’ “Burial Ground” is surprisingly straightforward, a warm, winking guitar-pop song that scans like a …
Tiny Desk Producer Bobby Carter (and an All-Star Panel of Judges) Will Watch Your Tiny Desk Contest Video
One of the most popular live-performance video series in the world, NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts continue to delight and inspire, all the while turning audiences on to emerging bands and offering a new and more intimate lens with which to view iconic artists. In late January, the Tiny Desk Contest – NPR Music’s annual nationwide search for the next …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | February 3
This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we had a special treat from Geoff Rickly, lead singer of the veteran hardcore band Thursday. Rickly wrote a novel, Someone Who Isn’t Me, released last year on Rose Books, and he read a section from his book during our show on Saturday night at …
Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series with Common, Wynton Marsalis, Keb Mo and More Kicks off in February
Now in its third year, the annual Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series continues to bring high-profile musical artists to increase awareness and honor For Mose: the St. Augustine landmark that is the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in the nation. This year’s scheduled performances include rapper-actor Common (Thursday, February 8); New-Orleans-style jazz is celebrated with …
The Neighborhood Playlist | February 3
What’s the word, everyone? This week, we took a field trip to the Avondale area and I had the honor of having a good friend and neighbor DJ Larry Love sit in as my a guest. Larry is part of the Duval collective L.O.V.E Culture and the founder of the monthly event RnB Mostly. We had breakfast at the Fox …
Get to Know säje, the Grammy-Winning Vocal Supergroup
On Sunday, February 5, the vocal quartet säje picked up a Grammy Award in the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category for their rendition of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” a track from their 2023 self-titled album. An acronym derived from the first letters of each members name, säje (rhymes with beige) is a supergroup of sorts, …
Black Opry Founder Holly G On Creating Space for Black Artists in Country Music
Holly G is the founder of Black Opry, a platform for Black artists performing in country, Americana, folk and American-roots music. A self-described “music-industry disruptor,” Holly G started Black Opry as a website in 2021. It has quickly grown into a collective of sorts, encompassing the Black Opry Revue, a touring party of Black artists from all over the country. …
Shannon & The Clams Announce ‘The Moon Is in the Wrong Place,’ Share Title Track
Out of unimaginable loss comes the latest — and most personal — album from Shannon & The Clams. Produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, The Moon Is in the Wrong Place is the garage-psych quartet’s seventh full-length, and their third to be released via Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. In August 2022, just weeks before their wedding, frontwoman Shannon Shaw’s …
Dehd Set ‘Poetry’ in Motion on Lovestruck Lead Single “Mood Ring”
Surefire Chicago rock trio Dehd are back with their fifth album, Poetry, coming May 10 on Fat Possum Records, and they’ve released the starry-eyed single “Mood Ring” as a first preview of the record. Dehd took songwriting on the road after the success of their acclaimed fourth full-length Blue Skies, leaving the Windy City in search of inspiration for the …
The Neighborhood Playlist | Jan. 27
Neighbors! Hope everyone is great. Here’s another round of the music I felt you’d love. I want to send a shout out to all of the blessings received throughout this month. I’m looking forward to sharing some good music and interviews soon. Thank you, everyone. Peep the songs that aired. Hope you enjoyed the January shows. Let’s gear up for …
Get to Know the Black Opry Revue | Coming to the WJCT Soundstage in February
On Thursday, February 15, right in the middle of Black History Month, we’ll welcome a quartet of musicians from the Nashville-founded collective Black Opry. The traveling showcase, known as the Black Opry Revue aims to put Black country, folk, roots and Americana artists on stages across the country. Country music has always been both versatile and diverse. Country, blues, folk, …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | Jan. 27
This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we were joined in the studio by Coyboi lead singer Cortnie Frazier, who recommended some of her favorite local bands, with extra love for Bobby Kid and Teal Peel. We also featured a slew of artists from the Winterland Six festival, which Coyboi will play …
Vinyl Reissues of Three Butthole Surfers Albums Celebrate a Band Who Rode the 1980s Psych-Punk Undertow
The problem begins with name and form. This is a humming truth of Vedic mysticism and rock music. A band name can be a clue or an impasse. Like their ‘80s peers and kindred, discontent freaks the Meat Puppets and the Sun City Girls, the Butthole Surfers were a band who outgrew, shed and defied their actual moniker and sound …
Tiny Desk | Thee Sacred Souls
San Diego-based trio Thee Sacred Souls made its mark at the Tiny Desk with satin vocals and vintage melodies. Paying homage to southern California Latino culture meeting American soul roots, the group’s sweet fusion melodies brought history and love into the space. Photo: Zayrha Rodriguez The trio opened the concert with “Will I See You Again?,” which tells the tale …
Electro Lounge Playlist | Jan. 20
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 the January 20 episode. 1 The Stylistics – “People Make The World Go Round“STREAM 2 CLUB DES BELUGAS & Thomas Siffling – “Beyond The Window“STREAM 3 …
Jack Rabbits at 25 | Here’s Why the Enduring San Marco Live Music Club Matters
Jack Rabbits, the San Marco live music venue, turns 25 in February. In human years, that makes Jack Rabbits approximately 2,000-years old. That is to say, live music is a tough business. The life cycle of music venues tends to be truncated. The most celebrated clubs of all time were largely short lived endeavors – The Cotton Club, Max’s Kansas …
New Compilation from Moon Cheese Babies is a Glimpse into the Radiant Murk of the Local Music Underground
From its deliberate misspelled name to overall aesthetic vision, since 2009 the local label Infintesmal Records is tantamount to an ongoing unreleased soundtrack to the 1967 documentary Titicut Follies. That still-affecting B&W-film chronicled the hellscape that was the Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In this case, in lieu of the mental hospital Infintesmal Records label cohorts Jimmi Bayer …