L.O.V.E. Culture | Live on the JME Soundstage

The popular Jacksonville group performs songs from their catalog of progressive hip-hop on the JME Soundstage

By Matthew Shaw
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On the heels of a promotional campaign with big-time beverage brand Sprite, Duval hip-hop collective L.O.V.E. Culture released perhaps the most talked about local record of 2021: 1827 N Pearl. Featuring five artists, each with his or her own distinctive skill sets — Che Forreign, Rob Mari, Spiritxiii, Flash the Samurai and Easyin2d — the group finds strength in numbers, …

In this article: 1827 N Pearl, Che Forreign, easyin2d, Flash the Samurai, GROWTH, hip-hop, jacksonville, JME Soundstage, L.O.V.E. Culture, live, rap and Rob Mari

The Jacksonville Music Experience Debuts New Live Music Calendar and Launches “Summer of Sharing” Campaign

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Local giveaways include concert tickets, vinyl records and more  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 23, 2022 – WJCT Public Media’s Jacksonville Music Experience (JME) today announced the launch of a new and interactive live music calendar on their website (wjct.org/jaxmusic) that provides a unique way for Northeast Florida music …

Summer of Sharing | Who Wants Free Music?

Vinyl, concert tickets, swag and more!

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The Jacksonville Music Experience is all about sharing — It’s what we do all day long on The Independent 89.9 HD4 when we share the latest from new and inventive artists. And what we do on jaxmusic.org when we dive even deeper to share the latest music news, reviews, profiles, and live music events.  But this summer we’re sharing even …

In this article: concert tickets, giveaway, JME, Live music, records, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, The Independent 89.9 HD4, Tiger Records and vinyl

Fresh Rotation | 3 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening To

Avant-pop from Dummy, folk punk from Pigeon Pit and a mythic free-jazz reissue

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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 …

In this article: discover, Dummy, folk punk, Guitar, Mississippi Records, Ndikho Xaba, New music, Pigeon Pit, pop and The Independent 89.9 HD4

Just Announced | Jack White at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Multifarious artist, producer and ambassador of cool music brings his Supply Issues tour to The Amp

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Multi-instrumentalist, producer and White Stripes’ founder Jack White has announced additional dates to his ongoing Supply Chain Issues tour, with a stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in September. Since emerging from the Detroit music scene fronting one of the pre-eminent acts of the early-aughts garage-rock revival, The White Stripes, White has established himself not only as a distinctive voice …

In this article: concert, Fear of the dawn, Jack White, St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Supply Chain Issues Tour, The White Stripes and Third Man Records

The Black Origins of Country Music

Black artists have played a prominent role in country music from its beginnings to today

By FairPlay
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June is Black Music Appreciation month. This month we’ll be celebrating the musical contributions of Black artists, including those from Jacksonville. And, with the help of our friends at FairPlay, we’re offering readers a deeper look into the Black origins of various popular music genres, from country to shoegaze, punk, reggaeton and more. From the African origins of the banjo — an …

In this article: Black Music Appreciation Month, Black origins of Country music, Charlie Pride, country, DeFord Bailey, FairPlay, Lesley Riddle and Ray Charles

Go | The Best Concerts in Jax This Week

American Aquarium, Nathanial Rateliff, Afrobeta, Tedeschi Trucks Band and more

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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. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. Alt-Country  American Aquarium – Monday, June 20 Ponte Vedra …

In this article: Afrobeta, concerts, jacksonville, Jax Metal Fest, Live music, Nathanial Rateliff & The Night Sweats, northeast florida and Tedeschi Trucks Band

The enduring, expanding legacy of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”

From LaVilla to Coachella, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" continues to resonate

By Shelton Hull
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In observance of Black Music Appreciation Month, we’re celebrating the musical contributions of Black artists, including those from Jacksonville. This article was originally published in July of 2021. It was 1919 when the NAACP first declared that “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” was the official Negro National Anthem; that status has never been challenged. Indeed, the passage of time has only burnished …

In this article: Beyoncé, Do The Right Thing, jacksonville, James Weldon Johnson, LaVilla and Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

Just Announced | Tampa post-punk band Glove returns to Jax in August

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Still basking in the buzz generated by their 2022 full-length album, Boom Nights, and their newly minted status as festival-main-stage mainstays, synthy post-punk Tampa band Glove will return to Jacksonville in August, performing at Jack Rabbits in San Marco. Never Miss A Show. Checkout our comprehensive community live music calendar. Before teaming with Cage The Elephant’s Brad Schultz (production credit …

In this article: concert, Glove, Indie, Jack Rabbits, jacksonville and rock

Here’s What You Need To Know About Saturday’s Record Store Day

An RSD bonus round comes to the 904

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Record Store Day — the traditionally once-a-year infusion of vinyl rarities and reissues into independently owned record stores around the country — is back for a 2022-bonus round. While April 23 was the official RSD of 2022, a fair amount of the most-anticipated drops didn’t make it to independent music sellers, owing largely to an unprecedented logjam at vinyl manufacturers …

In this article: bonus record store day, Eraser Records, independent music, jacksonville, northeast florida, Record Store Day June 18, RSD, Tiger Records, Tonevendor, vinyl and Wolfson Music and Equipment

Robby Krieger of the Doors Returns to Jacksonville for a Night of Legendary Music

The iconic guitarist on the band's early influences, writing his memoir and more

By Daniel A. Brown
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The Doors are many things for many people: mythical ‘60s band fronted by a singer mired in even greater mystery; a soundtrack for baby boomer history; a potent merger of inventive poetry and sophisticated music, even a cautionary tale of excess pushed to saturation.  Guitarist Robby Krieger has remained a viable force since the Doors disbanded decades ago. In the …

In this article: Florida Theatre, Guitar, Interview, jacksonville, John Coltrane, Light My Fire, memoir, Ravi Shankar, Robby Krieger and The Doors

FKA twigs | Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

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This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we’ve never seen before, …

In this article: CAPRISONGS, Cellophane, FKA Twigs, home with you, killer, New music, performance and Tiny Desk

Go | The Best Concerts in Jax this Week

Pop star Machine Gun Kelly, hip-hop standout Rod Wave, The Doors' Robby Krieger, jangle-pop icons The Connells

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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. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. Pop Machine Gun Kelly – Tuesday, July 14 VyStar …

In this article: cumgirl8, Machine Gun Kelly, Robby Krieger, Rod Wave, The Connells and The Doors

French artist, and Art Camp host, Lucas Beaufort Shares the Music that Fuels his Practice

A playlist of peace, love, understanding and Radiohead

By Matthew Shaw
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Sound & Vision is a semi-regular feature that examines how music fuels and inspires creativity. Accompanying playlists for each Sound & Vision feature can be found on JME’s spotify channel.  Birds loom large in popular music. From The Trashmen’s puerile “Surfin’ Bird” to Leonard Cohen’s fortifying “Bird on a Wire” to the inventive R&B of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” to Skynyrd’s anthemic …

In this article: Art, Art Camp, artist, Atlantic Beach, Hotel Palms, jacksonville, Lucas Beaufort, playlist, Russ pope and Sound & Vision

The Black Origins of Shoegaze

The ethereal mix of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback and overwhelming volume traces much of its sound to the influence of Black musicians

By Fairplay
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June is Black Music Appreciation month. This month we’ll be celebrating the musical contributions of Black artists, including those from Jacksonville. And, with the help of our friends at FairPlay, we’re offering readers a deeper look into the Black origins of various popular music genres, from country to shoegaze, punk, reggaeton and more. Though widely associated with artists like My …

In this article: A.R. Kane, Black Music Appreciation Month, Black origins of SHoegaze, FairPlay, shoegaze and The Veldt

Julee Cruise, otherworldly crooner on ‘Twin Peaks,’ dies at 65

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Julee Cruise, the singer best known for her collaborations with director David Lynch and The B-52s, died Thursday. Her husband, author Edward Grinnan, confirmed to NPR that Cruise died by suicide, and had struggled with “lupus, depression and alcohol and drug addiction” in the past. She was 65. “She left this realm on her own terms,” Grinnan wrote of Cruise …

In this article: B-52s, crooner, David Lynch, Julee Cruise and Singer

The Train to Fame Travels at 132 BPM

In the early '90s, a string of hits produced by Jacksonville artists carried Southern hip-hop to the masses

By Josué A. Cruz
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In observance of Black Music Appreciation Month, we’re celebrating the musical contributions of Black artists, including those from Jacksonville. This article was originally published in June of 2021. Boom. Bottom. Slump. Knock. Quake. Drop. All aliases for the mover and shaker: Bass. The syrupy low end of countless hip-hop albums serves as the sonic signature of an entire genre: Bass …

In this article: 69 Boyz, 95 South, hip-hop, Miami Bass, Quad City DJ's and rap

Fresh Rotation | 4 New Songs We Really Dig

New tracks from keyboard maestro Brandon Coleman, campy Californians The Garden, indie-R&B singer SiR and classical-folky Andrew Bird

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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 …

In this article: Andrew Bird, best new music, Brandon Coleman, music discovery, New music, SiR and The Garden

Just Announced | DMAB Jazz Fest Returns to Woodstock Park in July

Free event in west Jacksonville turns up the heat with a diverse day of jazz to benefit area youths

By Daniel A. Brown
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Founded by celebrated Jacksonville jazz drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and his family in 2008, the nonprofit organization Don’t Miss a Beat (DMAB) has helped more than 20,000 local youths find a positive groove in life through music and arts programs throughout the Brooklyn, Riverside, and Woodstock neighborhoods.  DMAB is presenting a jazz event from 1-11 p.m. on Saturday, July 23 …

In this article: concert, DMAB, Don't Miss a Beat, jacksonville, Jazz Festival, Jonathan Butler, Music and Ulysses Owens Jr

Local Spotlight | 3 Great Tracks by Jax Artists Out Now

New music from Flipturn, K.UTIE and Severed + Said

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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 dig. Let’s dive in. “Halfway” by Flipturn Since their more-precocious days of being Fernandina Beach high-school rockers circa 2015, to their …

In this article: Brooklyn Baby, Flipturn, Halfway, jacksonville, K.UTIE, local music, New music, Severed + Said and The Independent 89.9 HD4

Go | The Best Concerts in Jax this Week

H.E.R., Gucci Mane, 2Chainz, Trina, Jason Isbell, Sheryl Crow, Waxahatchee, Dave Matthews Band

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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. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week Alt-Rock Dave Mattews Band – Monday, June 6; Tuesday, …

In this article: H.E.R., Jason Isbell, Legendz of the Streetz, Live music, staff picks and Waxahatchee

Like The Linda Lindas, this teen girl band in Benin makes you dance — and think

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The first time that Star Feminine Band – a group of 7 girl musicians from the ages of 12 to 19 – played a show in their West African nation of Benin, many in the crowd broke out in both applause and tears. While the country has seen its share of successful female musicians – singer Angélique Kidjo, for example, …

In this article: africa, Benine, female rock band, New music, NPR, NPR Music and Star Feminine Band

For Angel Olsen, the Shortest Distance Between Loss and Love is a Country Song

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Angel Olsen picks musical genres for her records the way other artists pick instruments. “I want that vaulted-ceiling feeling,” another musician might say. “I want classic, I want sweeping. Piano it is.” Olsen’s previous releases have leaned on folk, rock, pop and psychedelia. For her sixth album, Big Time, the selection process could have sounded something like this: I want …

In this article: Angel Olsen, Big Time, country, jacksonville, NPR Music, review and Singer

Playlist | New June Fresh Squeeze

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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 music …

In this article: Fresh Squeeze, jacksonville, music discovery, New music and playlist

Rebelution Releases ‘Live In St. Augustine’ Album

Popular SoCal reggae outfit commits recent The Amp performance to tape

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Reggae band Rebelution has released Live In St. Augustine ahead of their two-night run at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre this week. The concert album was captured at The Amp in September of 2021. Since their 2007 debut, Courage to Grow, there’s been no bigger reggae act than SoCal-bred quartet. Indeed, after the breakout success of their first full-length, Rebelution topped …

In this article: concert album, live album, Live In St. Augustine, new record, Rebelution, reggae and St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Alisa Amador, 2022 Tiny Desk Contest Winner | Tiny Desk Concert

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It surely was a day of joyful tears. And those joyful tears for Alisa Amador, the winner of the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest, came at a time when she had been considering putting her music career on hold. For the staff of NPR and the Tiny Desk crew, it was our first Tiny Desk concert with an audience in over …

In this article: 2022, Alisa Amador, Bob Boilen, NPR Music, Tiny Desk Concert, Tiny Desk Contest and winner

Fresh Rotation | 3 Songs We’re Listening to Now

Psych-Americana, shoegaze and exquisitely rare garage rock from Cambodia

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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 …

In this article: Americana, Cambodian Cassette Archives, cosmic guilt, Just Mustard, Khmer Folk, Mirrors, New music and shoegaze

After a Memorable Season, The Jax Symphony is Finishing Strong

By Shelton Hull
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The Jacksonville Symphony will soon wrap on its first full season since the pandemic’s peak. And what a year it’s been. This was also the symphony’s first full season without the late Robert E. Jacoby (1928-2021) — an Eagle Scout, an Army tank commander and one of the key philanthropists in Jacksonville’s history. His influence could be felt in places …

In this article: 2021-2022 season, Beethoven, classical music, concerts, Courtney Lewis, finale, Jacksonville Symphony, mozart and Piano Series

Four Takeaways from Shaky Knees 2022

By Heather Schatz
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Shaky Knees, arguably one of the best musical festivals in the Southeast, returned to its springtime roots earlier this month — and music lovers from all over the region showed up for it. After being canceled in 2020 and postponed to October in 2021 due to the pandemic, the indie- and alt-rock-heavy festival returned to Atlanta’s Central Park in late …

In this article: 2022, Atlanta, Live music, Music, recap and Shaky Knees Music Festival

Ada Lea | Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

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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. Ada Lea‘s Tiny Desk (home) concert opens just as her 2021 album, one hand on the steering …

In this article: Ada Lea, Damn, Indie, NPR Music, one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden, singer-songwriter and Tiny Desk

Depeche Mode founding keyboardist Andy Fletcher dies at 60

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LOS ANGELES — Andy “Fletch” Fletcher, the unassuming, bespectacled, red-headed keyboardist who for more than 40 years added his synth sounds to Depeche Mode hits like “Just Can’t Get Enough” and “Personal Jesus,” has died at age 60. Depeche Mode announced the death of founding member Fletcher on its official social media pages. A person close to the band said …

In this article: Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode, keyboard, NPR Music, obituary and synth

Go | The Best Concerts of the Week in Jax

Bikini Kill, Rebelution, Duval Folx and more

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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. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. Punk Bikini Kill – Tuesday, May 31  Backyard Stage …

In this article: Bikini Kill, concert calendar, Duval Folx, jacksonville, Live music, Rebelution, st. augustine and Steel Pulse

Four Miles Davis Albums to Introduce you to his Singular Genius

Celebrate the Birth(day) of the Cool

By Daniel A. Brown
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Thursday, May 26, 2022 would have been Miles Davis’s 96th birthday. Considering the prodigious output, charismatic influence and outlaw ethos the jazz genius packed into the 65 years he spent on the planet, it’s hard to gauge how the “dark prince” would have felt as an iNonagenarian.  From his earliest days as a late ‘40s ferocious bebopper, forging mid-20th-century modal …

In this article: Best Albums, best of Miles Davis, birthday, Dark Magus, Genius, In a Silent Way, jazz, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis and We Want Miles

Your Guide to this Weekend’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival

What to see and hear at this weekend’s free fest

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The Jacksonville Jazz Festival returns this weekend. And from icons like Herbie Hancock to rising stars like Jazzmeia Horn and Christian Sands to contemporary barrier-breakers like Robert Glasper, the festival’s 2022 lineup is arguably its best in years –– given the revered 40-plus-year history of the festival, that’s saying something.  Aside from the big names and local standouts playing the …

In this article: Guide, Herbie Hancock, jacksonville, Jacksonville Jazz Festival 2022, jazz, Piano Competition and Robert Glasper

Go | Bikini Kill at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre

By Shelton Hull
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Update (May 31; 10:00 a.m.): The Bikini Kill Show at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre’s Backyard Stage has been cancelled. From Bikini Kill: “Due to a member of the band testing positive for COVID-19,  Bikini Kill will be canceling our show in St. Augustine which was scheduled for today – Tuesday, May 31. We are extremely sorry that we will be unable to …

In this article: Bikini Kill, concert, Kathleen Hanna, Live music, Riot Grrrl and St. Augustine Amphitheatre

JME Recommends | Contemporary Jazz Artists You Should Know

The shape of jazz right now

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Undoubtedly, Jazz is having a moment. Not since the 1980’s, when many classic albums were re-released on CD, have the ears of mainstream audiences turned toward artists working in jazz, an original and storied American art form.  Artists like saxophonists Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, multi-instrumentalist Ben Marc and pianist Robert Glasper –– a Grammy award-winner whose jazz-bonafides were well …

In this article: Ben Marc, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, jazz artists you should know, Julian Lage, Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper