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 …
The Neighborhood Playlist | Jan. 20
It’s your favorite neighbor, Mr. Al Pete, with the playlist from the January 20 episode of The Neighborhood on WJCT News 89.9. On this walk through the neighborhood, I played a song from Texas-trio Khruangbin’s collaboration with retro-soul star (the ATL-native) Leon Bridges. I shared some producer tunes from Danger Mouse and the Jamla Records crew, and wrapped the show …
New Music Friday | Sleater-Kinney, Keyon Harrold, Charley Crockett and More
The new-music spigot has been opened wide and there’s a ton of fresh tunes flowing forth. Here’s seven we caught in our proverbial bucket in order to share with you here. Want this in your inbox? Sign up for the JME Newsletter. On Tuesdays, we send you our picks for the best concerts of the week in and around Jax so you …
Butcher Brown, Son Little Announce April Show at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Jacksonville-based fans of all things jazzy, soulful and funky have a date with a killer double bill this spring, when Butcher Brown and Son Little’s newly announced southeastern U.S. tour comes to Ponte Vedra. Active since 2013, Richmond, Virginia’s Butcher Brown released one of JME’s favorite albums of 2023 in Solar Music, and that title tells you a lot about …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | Jan. 20
This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we featured a wide range of local artists, including R&B songstress Niki Dawson and alt-country boys Dean Winter and the Heat. We also played touring artists like the legendary Gladys Knight, who’ll be at the Florida Theatre on February 13, as well as Colin Hay …
The Tiny Desk Contest is Back for 2024! Here’s How to Enter
The Tiny Desk Contest – NPR Music’s annual nationwide search for the next great undiscovered artist to play a Tiny Desk concert – is back for its tenth year. The Tiny Desk team will begin accepting entries on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. When you enter the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest, you join a nationwide community of music-makers and creators. Get …
Cuffed Up Announce Debut Album ‘All You Got,’ Celebrate the “Finer Things” on New Single
Cuffing season may nearly be over, but Cuffed Up season is just beginning. The Los Angeles rockers have announced their debut album All You Got, coming April 5 on Hit the North Records, and shared their latest single and music video, explosive album opener “Finer Things.” Listeners keen on both melodic, emotional indie rock and propulsive, tightly wound post-punk will …
Duval Jazz Great Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Latest with Generation Y is an Impressive Merger of Mentorship and Music
The new release from Jacksonville-based drummer-educator Ulysses Owens Jr. and his ensemble Generation Y is an immediate reminder of the joy, nuance and innate humanness of jazz. Over the course the nine tracks of A New Beat, Owens Jr. and Generation Y deliver a rapturous set of hip standards and also originals penned by the assembled players. Originally written by …
Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker Gives “Sadness as a Gift,” New Single From Latest Solo Album
One of the best working songwriters alive, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker has announced her first new solo album in four years, along with a set of 2024 North American tour dates. Lenker’s sixth solo album Bright Future (March 22, 4AD) is preceded by her new single “Sadness as a Gift,” our second preview of the LP after December’s “Ruined” — …
Jax Musician Madison Hughes to Open for ‘90s Country Queen Terri Clark at the Florida Theatre
Since appearing on NBC’s The Voice, local singer and guitarist Madison Hughes’s country music career has been steadily taking off. Late last year, she went viral with her cover of Morgan Wallen’s hit “I Deserve a Drink.” Nowadays, Hughes splits time between Nashville and her hometown of Jacksonville, and she’ll be playing one of Northeast Florida’s biggest venues soon, opening …
Khruangbin Preview First New Album Since 2020 With the Idyllic “A Love International”
Vibey Texas trio Khruangbin have announced their fourth studio album, and first since 2020’s Mordechai, sharing A La Sala’s lead single ahead of its April 5 release via Dead Oceans and Night Time Stories Ltd. “A Love International” is everything we’ve come to expect from the ever-consistent Khruangbin, a mostly instrumental meditation with the sure-handed interplay of Laura Lee Ochoa’s …
Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s ‘Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You’ Features Will OIdham’s Most Autobiographical Lyrics to Date
Since the dawn of the new millennium, the actor and singer-songwriter Will Oldham has been releasing music under the moniker Bonnie “Prince” Billy, drawing on a range of musical styles but more often folk traditions with a bent toward the literary, crafting austere and enchanting songs. As a prolific songwriter, Oldham has been compared to Charley Patton, Tom Waits and, …
Deluxe Reissue of Lou Reed’s Final Ambient-Drone Release is an Object Lesson in Creative Closure
In 1975, Lou Reed released his double-album Metal Machine Music. In total, it was an hour-plus of deliberate compositions comprised of deafening feedback, noise, and electronic howls so intense that even some of his most ardent listeners were surely doubting Reed’s motivations. A few years prior, Reed (1942-2013) had executed the ultimate FM radio hat-trick by scoring a hit with …
The Neighborhood Playlist | Jan. 13
It’s your favorite neighbor, Mr. Al Pete, again with the playlist from The Neighborhood’s January 13 show (every Saturday at 9 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9). Each week brings a new dose of contemporary hip hop and R&B, classic soul and more. And on this walk through the neighborhood, I played the legend Lupe Fiasco, and cuts from two of …
Public Radio’s Feel Good Hits Of 2023
There are good songs, and then there are feel good songs. Public radio music stations specialize in the latter, especially new tracks by emerging artists that make you stop what you’re doing and smile. Nearly everyone could use a potent dose of positivity after 2023, so we asked NPR Member stations to share the songs that made their DJs feel …
Electro Lounge Playlist | Jan. 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 the January 13 episode. De-Phazz & STÜBA philharmonie – “Sabbatical“ So you’ve got that favorite album from one of your favorite bands. And now they’ve gone …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | Jan. 13
This week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we spun a mix of local artists, including electropop duo LANNDS and veteran singer-songwriter RickoLus, who tells us how he wrote “New York,” the first single from a forthcoming full length, These Things Happen. We also played touring artists like The Flaming Lips, who’ll play …
DJ and Producer Jamie xx Works His Usual Magic on “It’s So Good”
Amid chatter of a new album on the way from The xx — and a forever-feeling wait for the follow-up to his 2015 solo album In Colour — English DJ and producer Jamie xx has shared his first new single in nearly two years, the entrancing “It’s So Good.” Released this week via London’s Young (fka Young Turks), the song …
Duval Jazz Collective Madre Vaca Share a Surprising, Stellar Coltrane-Meets-King Arthur Concept Album
What at face value sounds like a potential theoretical misfire or needless farce—see: Northeast Florida jazz musicians creating a concept album celebrating the Arthurian legends—is a surprising, welcomed and well-executed addition to local music. The Jacksonville-based jazz collective Madre Vaca have just released their 10-song Knights of the Round Table album, available as download and also a quality CD package …
Waxahatchee Previews ‘Saint Cloud’ Follow-up with “Right Back To It,” Featuring MJ Lenderman
Indie-Americana powerhouse Waxahatchee, aka Alabama-born, Kansas City-based singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, has finally announced the follow-up to her 2020-best album Saint Cloud. Her ANTI- Records debut Tigers Blood is due out on March 22, and she announced it with a bang this week, sharing the lead single “Right Back To It,” featuring Wednesday (and solo) indie-rock star MJ Lenderman, and announcing …
The Neighborhood Playlist | Jan. 6
Your favorite neighbor (that’s me: Mr. Al Pete) introduced The Neighborhood on January 6, 2024 on WJCT News 89.9, with a playlist of contemporary hip hop and R&B, classic soul and more. On my first walk through the neighborhood, I played Common (who’ll be playing at the Ft. Mose Jazz & Blues Series in February; full lineup announcement here), Emily …
Grammy-Winning Guitar Phenom Billy Strings Returns to St. Augustine for Three Concerts in April
Locals can enjoy a triple dose of Billy Strings this spring. The much-loved Grammy winner is confirmed to perform at the Amp on Friday, April 19; Saturday, April 20, and Sunday April 21. Pre-sale for tickets starts tomorrow (Wednesday, January 10) at 10 a.m. at the official Billy Strings site. Tickets at the Amp box office go on sale this …
5 Lucinda Williams Songs You Need to Know Ahead of the Legendary Songwriter’s Show at the PV Concert Hall
Lucinda Williams will visit the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Wednesday, January 31. The songwriting legend, who turned 70 last year, suffered a stroke in 2020, leaving her unable to play guitar. But during her show here in Northeast Florida, Williams will be on the mic in a big way: in an interview last year, she told Vanity Fair, “I’ll …
“Rocket Man” from Novoa / Gress / Gray is an Engaging Object Lesson in the Potential of Contemporary Jazz Trios
Taken from the forthcoming full-length Novoa / Gress / Gray, Vol. 1, the track “Rocket Man” is an engaging read of the pulse of today’s jazz trio format. Over the course of the tune’s nine minutes, the Brooklyn-based combo of pianist Eva Novoa, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Devin Gray err on the side of mystery, throwing caution (even intention) …
Katy Kirby Considers the Pitfalls of Romantic Commitment on “Hand to Hand”
Texas-born, New York-based singer-songwriter Katy Kirby has shared a fourth (and likely final) single ahead of her forthcoming album Blue Raspberry, coming Jan. 26 on her new label, ANTI- Records. After breaking out with her irresistible 2021 debut Cool Dry Place, Kirby now returns with a second effort press notes call “an exegesis of [her] first queer relationship” that “ …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | Jan. 6
Here's what played on this week's Jax Music Hour
Saturday, January 6 marked the premiere of the Jax Music Hour, a weekly radio show spotlighting Jacksonville musicians as well as touring artists coming through the area. As a lifelong Duval gal, I’ve been listening to WJCT News 89.9 since I was a kid—my dad always had it on in the car—and being part of my hometown public media station …
A New Six-Song EP from Duval Soul/Hip-Hop Collective L.O.V.E. Culture Maintains Their Vibrational Pull
Since 2019’s Vol. 1, the first in a series of EP’s that culminated in the January 2024 release of Vol. 3, Duval hip-hop collective L.O.V.E. Culture has made it evident that, while they were fully capable of creating dancefloor-ready songs, they were aiming for a higher aspect through lyricism, instrumentation and sonic production. While collectively the six-songs on Vol. 3 …
How American-Roots Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist Sunny War Writes Her Songs
Welcome to Songwriting School, where we talk to musicians about how they write their songs. Emerging from a broad spectrum of musical influences and styles, Nashville-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Sunny War blends folk music traditions with punk rock. Her latest album, 2023’s Anarchist Gospel, earned wide critical praise — Rolling Stone, Spin and Mojo named it one of the …
SPRINTS Have a Garage-Punk Panic Attack on “Heavy”
Rising Dublin rockers SPRINTS have released a fourth and final single ahead of their debut album Letter To Self, out this Friday, Jan. 5, on City Slang Records, with a U.S. tour to follow in March. The four-piece — singer, songwriter and guitarist Karla Chubb, guitarist Colm O’Reilly, bassist Sam McCann and drummer Jack Callan — have been building buzz …
New Music Shows | JME Takes Over Saturday Nights on WJCT News 89.9
The Jacksonville Music Experience will launch a new evening of music programming beginning Saturday, January 6 on WJCT News 89.9. Drawing on JME‘s roster of music contributors, and the music currently in rotation on WJCT’s new-music discovery station the Independent 89.9 HD4, JME Saturday Nights includes three new music shows. Beginning at 8 p.m., the Jax Music Hour puts the …