The Electro Lounge is back and rolling out weekly dreamscapes — it’s an eclectic hour of chillout, downtempo songs, curiosities and deep cuts every Saturday at 10 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9. Listen here. Here’s what we played on June 22. Electro Lounge airs Saturday nights at 10 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9 and re-airs on the Independent 89.9 HD4 on Sundays at …
Song of the Day | “No. 1 Headband” by Lupe Fiasco
Considered one of the best emcees of his (or any) generation, Lupe Fiasco’s sword remains sharp. On his latest the mid-tempo, jazz-infused “No. 1 Headband,” a single from a new full length Samurai (out now on 1st & 15th Too by way of Thirty Tigers), the Chicago rapper slices and dices. Showing off his agility with a dynamically diverse delivery, …
King Gizz Boogie Down and Pass the Mic on “Le Risque,” the First Single from New LP, ‘Flight b741’
Australian band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard will touch down on U.S. soil in a little over a month for a lengthy romp through some of North America’s most-hallowed theaters, theatres, amphitheaters and arenas including the The Forum in Los Angeles, three nights at Denver’s Red Rocks and, in November, a visit to The Amp in St. Augustine. In …
Song of the Day | “Low Sun” by Hermanos Gutiérrez
The instrumental music of Swiss-Ecuadorian siblings Hermanos Gutiérrez can sound tailor made for a listening culture that exalts vibes over all else. However, much like Khruangbin – perhaps the most exalted purveyors of vibes – the brothers’ intricate guitar work is best enjoyed as an intentional listening experience, rather than a passive one. On “Low Sun,” the lead single from …
7 Concerts to See this Week in Jacksonville
Bold City Circuit, Queens of R&B, Songwriter Showcase and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Punk/Alt-Rock The Dollyrots – Thursday, July 11 Jack Rabbits | San Marco Punk duo the Dollyrots perform at Jack …
7 Concerts to See this Week in Jacksonville
T-Pain at The Amp, Rain Dogs anniversary bash, Seagate at Jack Rabbits and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Hip Hop T-Pain – Tuesday, July 2 The Amp | St. Augustine Rapper and singer T-Pain plays the St. …
Shovels & Rope Announce New Album ‘Something Is Working Up Above My Head,’ Share 2 New Singles
Charleston’s Shovels & Rope—that is, married couple Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent—have announced their sixth studio album, Something Is Working Up Above My Head (Sept. 6, Dualtone Records), and shared its first two singles, the story-forward “Colorado River” and “Love Song From a Dog.” The folk-punk duo have also unveiled a fall tour in support of their new record. …
Denzel Curry Drops a “Hot One” Ahead of His ‘King of the Mischievous South’ Sequel
Don’t mistake this for a Denzel Curry episode of Hot Ones, though we’d gladly take that, too: The Carol City, Miami rapper has released “Hot One,” featuring A$AP Ferg and TiaCorine, the first single from the forthcoming follow-up to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South. With King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 (July 19, Loma Vista Recordings), …
Song of the Day | “U Should Not Be Doing That” by Amyl and The Sniffers
Melbourne, Australia punks Amyl and The Sniffers are back with a new stand-alone single, “U Should Not Be Doing That,” their first release since the raucous 2021 full-length album, Comfort to Me. On “U Should Not Be Doing That,” the group — Amy Taylor, Dec Martens, Gus Romer and Bryce Wilson — trade the roaring menace of their previous releases …
Producer and L.O.V.E. Culture Artist Spiritxiii’s Gear Essentials
An original member of Duval hip-hop collective L.O.V.E. Culture, Spiritxiii feels just as at-home in a DAW as he does onstage. In addition to L.O.V.E. Culture’s own albums, Spirit’s most recent production credits include Jacksonville R&B songstress Ebonique’s latest album, alterEBO, and he’s currently overseeing production of a collaboration between Rab G, Kale That Raps, and Sir Mayes, not to …
Acoustic Alt-Rock Legends Violent Femmes Return to Northeast Florida
Before “Black Hole Sun,” there was “Blister in the Sun.” No offense to the 1994 Soundgarden grunge classic, but prior to the Seattle rock explosion and subsequent alternative rock shrapnel of the ‘90s, an all-acoustic band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin had a 1983 college-radio hit with “Blister in the Sun,” an evergreen favorite that seems to only grow in popularity due …
Song of the Day | “Dog Days” by Dehd
Just about two years since the release of their Fat Possum records debut, the well-received Blue Skies (which got heavy airplay on our music discovery station), the energetic Chicago trio is back with Poetry (out now), 14 melodious and rhythmically primal ditties. Accompanied by a raucous honky-tonk-set music video by frequent collaborator Glam Hag, Poetry’s opening cut, “Dog Days,” is …
Black Kids and Visitation Keyboardist and Singer Ali Youngblood’s Gear Essentials
For decades, Jacksonville’s own Ali Youngblood has been making synth-pop magic happen in bands like Black Kids. “I come from the old time of little cutesy indie rock where people just used toy keyboards and Fisher Price items to make songs,” says the keyboardist and singer. (Has there ever been a more apt description of 2008 indie rock? We think …
With New Memoir and Music, Jacksonville Artist Jennifer Chase Makes Sense Out of a Lifetime of Artistic Serenity and Insanity
Judging by the early-21st-century proliferation of the memoir, there is a deficiency of connectedness in this world. Social media is a certain culprit, with its fertile platforms that allow us to offer curated life-narratives while internally some are dying on the vine. Combined with the proliferation of wellness podcasts and attendant merchandising, the early 21st-century is apparently a place to …
8 Concerts to See this Week in Jax
Black Joe Lewis, Cryogeyser, Peter Rowan, Circles Around the Sun and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Indie Rock Woolbright – Tuesday, May 14 The Walrus | Murray Hill Florida indie-rock band Woolbright, who just released …
JME Staff Picks | The Jazz at the 2024 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
A jazz festival is a curious proposition in 2024. This summer, for example, the admats for some of the country’s most notable jazz festivals give top billing to artists and bands that would seem to have little or nothing to do with America’s original artform. Celebrating its 70th year, Rhode Island’s Newport Jazz Festival, lists British new wave singer-songwriter Elvis …
Song of the Day | “Like I Say (I runaway)” by Nilüfer Yanya
The first new music from UK songwriter Nilüfer Yanya since her breakthrough 2022 long player, Painless, finds the singular indie rocker flexing her distinctive ear for sonic interplay. “Like I Say (I runaway)” opens with clink-clank electronic drums and the hypnotic warble of Yanya’s electric guitar before morphing into a layered, distorted hook, with Yanya lending delicate, ethereal vocals to …
12 Concerts to See this Week in Jacksonville
Kurt Vile, Hozier, Earth, Benny Green and More
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Rock/Pop Hozier – Tuesday, May 7 VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena | Downtown Jacksonville Composing songs that draw on folk, …
Australia’s Hockey Dad Try to Keep It Together on New Single “Safety Pin”
It’s hard to say which Australian trademark is more consistently killer: the wildlife or the guitar-pop bands. New South Wales duo Hockey Dad fall into the latter category, and they recently shared “Safety Pin,” the best single yet from their forthcoming album Rebuild Repeat (June 14, Farmer & The Owl / BMG). Fans of Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever will …
Kurt Vile on how George Jones, Pianos Everywhere and a Gathering of Collaborators made for “Another Good Year for the Roses”
Kurt Vile has always displayed a kind of sly, self awareness. The singer-songwriter and guitarist named his debut solo album Constant Hitmaker. That was 2008. And whether Vile was years ahead of the TikTok manifestation trend or just throwing out an audacious title for a debut, he has, over the course of a dozen or so albums, earned his share …
Duval Singer Ebonique’s New Album ‘alterEBO’ is a Contemporary Spin on Millennium-Era R&B
Though she’s already made a name for herself regionally with a slew of singles and an EP, Duval-based singer Ebonique recently released her much anticipated debut long player, alterEBO. Featuring the previously-released singles “B.O.B” and “Respectfully”–the latter of which has earned heavy rotation on JME’s Saturday evening music programs – the album is a shining, local example of the kind …
Song of the Day | “Well Alright” by Johnny Cash
“Well Alright,” the latest posthumously released single by Johnny Cash, is about stumbling upon romance in an unlikely place (somewhere in which, it seems, Cash might have been washing a load of his all black duds). The tune is exemplary of Cash’s tight, efficient songwriting oeuvre. And comes with a cool backstory: Cash recorded the tune in 1993 as a …
Crumb Can’t Escape “The Bug” on Atmospheric New Single
Ahead of their third album AMAMA’s May release, Brooklyn psych-pop quartet Crumb have shared a new single, a blurred portrait of fixation called “The Bug,” and announced a North American headlining tour. The track feels like a dream—specifically, the kind that threatens to tip over into a nightmare at any moment. Pillowy synth and delicate percussion underpin Lila Ramani’s voice …
Song of the Day | “Mama Say” by Ibibio Sound Machine
“Mama say ‘Yeah’” goes the hypnotic refrain of “Mama Say,” the third and final preview of inimitable UK-formed electro-Afro-funk group Ibibio Sound Machine’s hotly anticipated new record Pull the Rope (out May 3 on Merge). The song pulses with electronic drums and a grinding synth-bass line, with flourishes of retro keys that bring to mind late-70’s Nigeria-based Casio-pop lord William …
Song of the Day | “Sun Without Heat” by Leyla McCalla
David Byrne once said, “The better a singer’s voice, the harder it is to believe what they are saying.” Byrne’s decidedly-art-rock logic aside, it could also be argued that the more instruments accompanying the singer, the harder it is to believe what they are saying. Either way, on her new full length, Sun Without Heat, the classical and American-roots musician …
9 Concerts to See this Week in Jacksonville
Railway Concert Series, Jax River Jams, Jazz in Jax, Bad Religion and Social Distortion and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Jazz/Funk Tuesday Night Jam – Tuesday, April 23 Rain Dogs | Five Points The Lone Bone, aka local trombonist …
Song of the Day | “Fox Hunt” by Sierra Ferrell
Despite what impression mainstream country radio may impart, country music has always been a melting pot of influences. And since before she went from busking on street corners to performing on the hallowed Grand Ole Opry stage, West Virginia-bred singer and songwriter Sierra Ferrell was blending a range of traditional styles – bluegrass, gypsy jazz, even calypso – into country-tinged …
Song of the Day | “The Kill” by Maggie Rogers
The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maggie Rogers has had the kind of career arc that’s rare among her peer group of viral video sensations – that is to say: a relatively enduring one. Rogers was first “discovered” by Pharrell Williams when the mega-star/producer visited NYU where she was then a student. Rogers performed a song for him and (skip the next …
Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album, Share Anxious Lead Single “Starburster”
Grammy-nominated Irish five-piece Fontaines D.C. have announced their debut release on XL Recordings, Romance. Their fourth album and the follow-up to their acclaimed 2022 LP Skinty Fia arrives on Aug. 23, and the music video for intense lead single “Starburster” is out now. The London-via-Dublin quintet—Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan (bass) and Tom Coll …
Duval Indie Pop Lord Luci Lind on Catching Songs Like Fireflies
Welcome to Songwriting School, where we talk to songwriters about the craft of songwriting. Born in Pensacola, 22-year-old pop artist Luci Lind has called Jacksonville home since he was a toddler. His coining of the genre “Jax pop” is just one example of his pride in being part of the Bold City music scene, where he gathers inspiration from his …
9 Concerts to See this Week in Jacksonville
Flaming Lips, Earthgang, Billy Strings, rickoLus, Sextile and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every week. For a comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Want our concert picks delivered to your inbox every Tuesday? Sign up of the JME Live newsletter and never miss a show. Ska/Reggae The Toasters – Tuesday, April 16 Jack Rabbits | San Marco Seminal third-wave ska act, New …
Jax Musician Kennie Mason on ‘My Dog Ate My Patriotism,’ her noisy debut album as Siichaq
Kennie Mason, lead singer and founder of Jacksonville band Siichaq (pronounced sea-check), always felt like a fish out of water in the community she grew up in. Her music career began early, checking off the rite of passage of many a beach kid: singing in a rock band with a bunch of surfers. After a few years of growth and …
Jacksonville Band Ducats Offers Worthy Psych-Rock Delights on New Single, “Uggo Druggo”
Springtime apparently activates febrile indie rock music. The latest track from locals Ducats, “Uggo Druggo” heralds the seasonal arc in the form of an unhurried post-punk planted in a field of reverb. Over the course of its four-and-a-half minutes, “Uggo Druggo” is carried along in a bramble of guitar stabs and textures, riffs closing and falling back into the echoes, …
Madi Diaz Shares Lovely New Single “One Less Question,” Featuring Lennon Stella
On the heels of the February release of her latest album Weird Faith, Nashville singer-songwriter Madi Diaz has posed “One Less Question,” a gorgeous new collaboration with Lennon Stella that the duo debuted on Tuesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Co-produced by Diaz and Weird Faith’s Konrad Snyder, and co-written by Diaz, Stella and Kate York, “One Less Question” …
The Neighborhood Playlist | April 6
Happy April, Neighbors! Springtime is here and I am here to give you some music to make those flowers look beautiful and the beaches feel great for you! We visited a new song from the legendary group Arrested Development. We played a new jam from DJ Harrison, a member of the soul-jazz-funk-hip-hop group Butcher Brown. Lastly, we played some hometown …
The Gear that Jacksonville Band Folk Is People Employs to Achieve their Ever-Evolving American-Roots-Inspired Sound
A staple of the Jacksonville music scene for over a decade, Folk is People breathes new life into old country and bluegrass traditions. Singer and guitarist Stacey Bennett started writing songs for the band in 2011, releasing the first Folk is People EP the following year. “When we started,” Bennett says, “it was all acoustic instruments. I was playing mandolin, …