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 …
Best Music Reads of 2023
It’s been an excellent year in music writing. Here are our top recommendations for new books about music, ranging from history texts to personal memoirs to novels that emphasize music culture. 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s by Rob Harvilla “I have nothing against The Beatles,” author and podcast host Rob Harvilla told CBS, “but the Beatles got nothing on …
JME Staff Picks | 8 Can’t-Miss Artists to See at Jax Porchfest 2023
It’s time, once again, for Jacksonville Porchfest. Kicking off at noon on Saturday, November 4 on a dozen or so porches throughout the historic Downtown-adjacent enclave and a main stage, Porchfest is certainly a gem of the city’s annual live music calendar. The Jacksonville Music Experience team will be on site and you can dig in on all the performances, …
Lincolnville Porch Fest, Record Fair and Night Market Added to Sing Out Loud Programming
Sing Out Loud, St. Augustine’s month-long music festival, has added three more free events to its 2023 programming: Lincolnville Porch Fest (September 16), the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Night Market (September 19) and the St. Augustine Record Fair (September 24). True to form, the folks behind SOL have packed the month of September with tons of music. Programming for SOL 2023 …
Favorite New Artists Of 2023 (So Far)
On this edition of All Songs Considered, we asked NPR member stations to pick their favorite new artists of 2023. We begin with Matt Shaw from WJCT in Jacksonville, Fla. He chose the grunge-inspired music of Blondshell. Justin Barney from WNXP in Nashville is obsessed with the music of Hannah Jagadu, who recorded her debut as a student at New …
North Florida Bands: Sing Out Loud is Accepting Applications for 2023 Festival
Local musicians looking for a chance to perform in front of a live audience (compared to a dead or undead audience) are in luck. The seventh-annual Sing Out Loud Festival is accepting applications from Northeast Florida musicians to perform during the festival, held each year at various venues in and around St. Augustine. The festival is accepting applications from solo …
Little Moon | Tiny Desk Concert
When 2023’s Tiny Desk Contest winner Little Moon arrived at NPR, outward expressions of joy overshadowed the inner bundle of nerves this Springville, Utah band felt. The group’s winning song, “wonder eye,” unanimously wowed our contest judges Sharon Van Etten, Baby Rose, Sudan Archives and Albina Cabrera. Tiny Desk senior producer Bobby Carter and I, also judges, were in awe …
Playlist | Jacksonville Jazz Festival 2023 Primer
The 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival returns Memorial Day Weekend, kicking off on Thursday, May 25 with the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition (feat. Duval drummer extraordinaire Ulysses Owens Jr. filling out th rhythm section), and continues with three days and nights of official programming, plus countless after-hours events, many of which are part of the popular Jazz Fest After Dark Series. …
With Jazz Fest After Dark and More, the City’s Music Scene Extends the Breadth, and hours, of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Weekend
All That Jazz (And More)
For several years now, the return of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has meant the return of Jazz Fest After Dark, a slate of programming that extends the breadth and hours of the official festival festivities to venues in and around the city’s urban core. Presented by Moon River Pizza, JFAD is the brainchild of Jason Lewis, the legendary local concert …
Ulysses Owens Jr. On Who to See & Hear at the 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Fest
Jazz Fest with U
As a supporter of the Jacksonville Jazz Fest since I was about 16 years old, I look forward to the lineup announcement annually. And what excites me about this 2023 lineup is that is includes some of the most dynamic jazz musicians relevant today and still playing at a high level. This year’s fest also includes a vast array of …
Playlist | Best New Music of May
Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, our Fresh Squeeze playlist includes the best new music emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond. Handpicked by our team of contributors, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. Our latest Fresh Squeeze includes the surprise Thundercat + Tame Impala track …
Watch Jacksonville Artists’ Tiny Desk Contest Submissions
The Tiny Desk Contest is back for 2023, with a new panel of judges and another opportunity for unsigned artists to earn an invite to perform on the revered, improvised stage in front of Bob Boilen’s desk at NPR Music HQ. Tens of thousands of musicians submitted their videos before the March 13 deadline — including nearly two-dozen artists from …
Record Store Day 2023 | Here’s What To Expect on RSD in Jax
Vinyl is (has been) back. And it’s arguably here to stay. For the last two years, sales of vinyl records easily outpaced those of CDs. And purchases weren’t confined to ultra-hip indie music shops. Big-box retailers like Target and Walmart are now big-time players, selling re-pressings of classic albums, as well as new drops from some of the world’s most …
Wynton Marsalis, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Samara Joy, Ulysses Owens Jr. and More to Play 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
For more than 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has brought international jazz legends and emerging artists, as well as offering local musicians the chance to be seen and heard. Held every Memorial Day Weekend, the festival attracts jazz fans from around the globe to soak up some (hopefully) warmer weather and cool sounds on different stages. This year is …
The Joys of the Tiny Desk Contest and the Serious Business of Picking a Winner
After a roughly two-year hiatus the world-renowned Tiny Desk Concert series from NPR Music has been back in in-person action, inviting both emerging and established artists for intimate, one-of-a-kind performances at the desk of Tiny Desk creator Bob Boilen. And with that the Tiny Desk Contest has returned for its ninth year, offering yet another opportunity for unsigned, yet-to-be-discovered artists …
10 Jax Artists To Watch in 2023
In 2022, with fans thirsty for music after a two-year dry spell, artists seemed inclined to open the firehose. Pandemic era projects, and projects shelved during the touring halt, were released at a dizzying clip. And the only thing more disorienting was the onslaught of new tour announcements. Trends in the Jacksonville music scene ran parallel to those underway internationally. …
Asamov, the Influential Jax Hip-Hop Group, Finally Gets its Due
Recent years have seen more mainstream attention being given to local rap artists than ever before. But the stars of today are newer, younger artists, most of whom have never known anything but the digital future we’re currently living in. There was, however, a whole generation of local legends who never got the hype they deserved. And Asamov sits atop …
10 takeaways from the 2023 Grammy Awards: Whose big night was it?
The Grammys love to brand themselves as “Music’s Biggest Night,” so it’s fitting that this year’s awards honored so many of music’s biggest names. Beyoncé, Adele, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny all took home trophies during Sunday night’s telecast, but some won bigger than others. Here are the storylines and takeaways that dominated the night. 1. The …
Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour is Ticketmaster’s next big test. Fans are already stressed
Updated February 2, 2023 at 8:06 PM ET News of Beyoncé’s first solo tour in more than six years has her many fans celebrating — and stressing out about whether they’ll actually be able to get tickets. The singer announced on Wednesday that she will bring her Grammy-nominated album Renaissance to cities across Europe and North America between May and …
NPR Music Partner Station’s 2023 Artists to Watch
From distinctive, R&B singer-songwriters to rising bands making fuzzed-out country rock, this year brings a new crop of artists set for a big break. Here, NPR Music’s partner stations select a new wave of artists poised for greatness in 2023. Baby Rose Atlanta based singer-songwriter Baby Rose has one of the most distinct voices in R&B right now and there’s …
Winterland V Announces Full 2023 Lineup
Jacksonville-based, independently run nonprofit music festival Winterland has announced its full festival lineup, adding an eclectic list of 21 local, regional and national artists to the two-day music event headlined by alt-grunge-psych-pop rock group The Dandy Warhols, legendary Brazilian rock outfit Os Mutantes, multi-instrumentalist and R&B/Soul singer and producer Sudan Archives, indie singer-songwriter Sasami, North Carolina psych sextet The Nude …