WJCT Public Media Expands the Jacksonville Music Experience with New Online Platform

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New site includes range of features focused on local music and curation June 7, 2021 –– JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –– WJCT Public Media today expands the Jacksonville Music Experience with a new online platform dedicated to local music and curation. The refreshed platform includes new features and weekly updates, …

For Those About to Uke

The five most important ukulele performances in pop music history

By JME Staff
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The ukulele is perhaps the most oft-overlooked instrument in popular music. Once a staple in jazz ensembles, the smaller, more portable member of the lute family, was largely cast aside in the latter part of the 20th century when the uke’s older, sexier brothers, the six-string and bass guitars, went electric.  Still, in the dexterous hands of visionary artists, the …

Local Spotlight | “When You Wake Up”

Indie artist Leo Sun's new single is climate control on an otherwise balmy day

By Matthew Shaw
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Unlike our tropical neighbors a few ticks south, Northeast Florida doesn’t quite enjoy an endless summer. A new track from Jacksonville indie artist Leo Sun, though, certainly sounds as if it sprouted from a tract of citrus- and hibiscus-lined land; somewhere pleasantly tropical. With auxiliary percussion and an ambience of lap steel “When You Wake Up” is an enjoyably languid …

Crate Diggin’ | Record Store Day Drops

Here’s what local record shops are rolling out for June’s RSD.

By JME Staff
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With hundreds of reissues, previously unreleased live recordings, unique box sets and eclectic compilations on offer for June’s RSD drop, even the most fervent vinyl fiends are likely to be overwhelmed.

Go | This Week’s Live Music Recommendations

Check out these three local-heavy lineups at independent venues

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Live music returned to Northeast Florida in earnest in April with Downtown Jax’s outdoor concert series, Jax River Jams. May saw more venues reopening, adding capacity, etc. as music fans responded in kind, heading out and opening up their wallets. June is slated to be the next phase in the region’s return to live music, with smaller, more intimate venues …

JME DJ Sessions | Summer Jams

Three new tunes from Jax-based artists, all perfectly timed to invoke summer.

By Matthew Shaw
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We often think of summer music as the kind of breezy, carefree pop that emanates from, or at least calls to mind, paradisiacal places. Think your dad’s yacht rock; Jimmy Buffet in Key West, The Eagles and the whole Laurel Canyon scene. Maybe reggae. Or, my favorite summer sound, traditional Hawaiian music.  With Northeast Florida averaging something like six months …

In this article: eddy braveaux, First Coast Connect, Huan, leo sun, Melissa Ross, summer jams and yacht rock

Go | This Week’s Live Music Recs

Kickstart your Endless Summer with Jazz Jams, garage rock, and more

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The month of April in Jacksonville surely made it feel as though live music had returned. As the Jax River Jams brought local standouts and nostalgia acts together for a weekly series of outdoor shows, the enthusiasm for a communal, music-centered experience was clearly visible. More than a year since the pandemic shuttered music venues and put the brakes on …

Crate Diggin’ | Unsung Summer Albums

Here’s what JME contributors are spinning this summer.

By JME Staff
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In Northeast Florida, seasonality is loosely defined. There’s no snow (the flurry of ‘89, notwithstanding). But, unlike our tropical neighbors a few ticks south, we don’t quite enjoy an endless summer.  There are some positives to this negotiation, of course––we can spend more time outdoors, largely avoiding moon-tans and Seasonal Affective Disorders.  For music lovers, the changes in weather, temperature …

In this article: Charles Bradley, Konnor Ervin, Liz Cooper and the Stampede, Pussy Galore and The Halo Hawaiians

NPR and WJCT Public Media Celebrate 50th Anniversary of The First All Things Considered Broadcast

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NPR and WJCT Public Media Celebrate 50th Anniversary of The First All Things Considered Broadcast  Jacksonville, Fla. – May 3, 2021 – The first broadcast of NPR’s All Things Considered took place on May 3, 1971. That day more than 20,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to protest …

JME DJ Sessions | April 2021

Connecting you to the beautiful noise coming out of Northeast Florida.

By Matt Shaw
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As home studios and desktop production software––Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools––has proliferated over the last decade or so, music production has mirrored the projections of Moore’s Law; advancing at a record clip. Simply: music creation has never been more accessible.  Meanwhile, streaming services like Spotify and platforms like YouTube have given artists a direct line to their audience. No need to …

Local Spotlight | “IHY”

Jacksonville hip-hop standout Blk Jay deliberately leaves the questions unanswered

By Josué Cruz
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In new video for “IHY”, hip-hop standout Blk Jay deliberately leaves the questions unanswered.

WJCT News 89.9 Achieves Record Audience Share in January 2021

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WJCT News 89.9 Achieves Record Audience Share in January 2021Improvement follows programming and identity changes introduced in July 2020 Jacksonville, Fla. – March 5, 2021 – WJCT Public Media announced today that its flagship FM station, WJCT News 89.9, achieved a record share of the radio listening audience …

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WJCT Public Media to Rebrand WJCT-TV as Jax PBS

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WJCT Public Media to Rebrand WJCT-TV as Jax PBSNew name to appear on-air on February 24, 2021 Jacksonville, Fla. – Feb. 10, 2021 – WJCT Public Media announced today that WJCT-TV will be rebranded as Jax PBS, effective February 24, 2021.  As WJCT continues to move toward production …

WJCT Public Media to Host Community Conversation in Connection with PBS’ “The Black Church”

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WJCT Public Media to Host Community Conversation in Connection with PBS’ “The Black Church”Support provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Jacksonville, Fla. — Feb. 2, 2021 — WJCT Public Media today announced it will host a community conversation and launch an interactive initiative in connection with “The …

WJCT Public Media Launches the 2021 PBS Kids Writers Contest

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WJCT Public Media Launches the 2021 PBS Kids Writers ContestEntries will be accepted January 1 through March 15, 2021 January 4, 2020 — Jacksonville, Fla. — WJCT Public Media today announced the launch of the 2021 WJCT PBS Kids Writers Contest. The organization will accept entries from January …

WJCT Public Media and BritBox Bring Downton Abbey to Jax Bundle Subscribers

Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WJCT Public Media and BritBox Bring Downton Abbey to Jax Bundle SubscribersAcclaimed British drama adds value to newest member benefit Dec. 28, 2020 — Jacksonville, Fla. — WJCT Public Media and BritBox announced on December 26, 2020 that Jax Bundle subscribers can now enjoy access to the biggest …