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 …
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, …
On ‘Time In The Sun,’ Susto’s Justin Osborne Explores the Circle of Life
After nearly a decade of crafting introspective songs as Susto, Justin Osborne wrote his most personal record to date. On 2021’s Time in the Sun, the Charleston, South-Carolina-bred singer-songwriter and guitarist unpacks, at times, contradictory ideas of hope and despair. Time in the Sun was written during the early onset of what has become into an open-ended global pandemic. And …
Liner Notes | Bebe Deluxe is Not Asking for Your Respect
Bebe Deluxe has been cranking out distinctive electropop for a few years now. And she’s one of several Jacksonville artists who seemed to come out of the pandemic with a sense of urgency and a renewed creative drive. Deluxe has been performing at a heavy clip recently, and was even invited to play this year’s SXSW back in March. And …
LPT’s ‘Se Quema El Mundo’ is a dance-floor-ready Fire Stoked with Social Commentary
Jacksonville’s mighty 10-piece Afro-Cuban Salsa Orchestra LPT first introduced themselves through a series of monthly showcases in the backroom of Five Points watering hole Rain Dogs, enticing revelrous, full-capacity crowds onto the dance floor. From the jump, they were a force to be reckoned with. A band with a promising future. But right after the group’s debut of original material, …
On ‘Eureka Springs’ Cory Driscoll Chronicles a Physical and Emotional Journey
Jax singer-songwriter on how a road trip to America's heartland inspired his latest concept album
In an era in which music streaming services seem to encourage consumption of singles, Jax-based singer-songwriter Cory Driscoll writes tunes based around a theme in order to create an entire body of work –– it’s called an album, kids. Driscoll’s been in several musical projects over the years, but his first record under his given name, 2018’s Tropical Depression, was …