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. 1 Hess Is More – You and Me and ThemStream 2 Be Lanuit Jimenez & Kasper Tranberg – Hippie …
Interview | Young The Giant’s Sameer Gadhia Talks About His Efforts to Make Alt More Inclusive
Popular and enduring indie/alt-rock quintet Young The Giant plays the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Thursday, July 20. The group’s latest release, 2023’s Both Sides EP, features live and acoustic recordings. A few months back, former First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross spoke with the band’s lead singer, Sameer Gadhia, about the show, the group’s new music and his efforts to …
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. …
Charley Crockett | Tiny Desk Concert
Charley Crockett knew what he was doing when he stood behind the Tiny Desk and introduced himself by smoothly dropping three names: Charley Pride, Davy Crockett and Freddy Fender. With those references, the Texas troubadour framed his concert as a shrewd conversation with sturdy, old ways of singing, spinning yarns of folk heroism and drawing freely from the cultural melting …
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 …
Terry Hall, singer with ska icons The Specials, dies at 63
LONDON — Musician Terry Hall, who helped create one of the defining sounds of post-punk Britain as lead singer of The Specials, has died. He was 63. The band announced late Monday that Hall had died after a brief illness. It called him “our beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has …
The 10 Best Classical Albums of 2022
As many Americans step out and reconnect to a version of what their musical lives were before the pandemic, I remain, stubbornly, at home. No, I don’t have “cave syndrome,” but I’ve not had COVID and I want to keep it that way. My last concert was March 8, 2020, when I gleefully let the sounds of Third Coast Percussion …
Go | The Best Concerts in Jax this Week
Jake Blount, Toubab Krewe, Trick Daddy and more
Each week the JME team looks long and hard at the concert calendar to identify the best live music in Jacksonville. Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Jam Toubab Krewe – Wednesday, December 14 1904 Music Hall | Downtown …
Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie dies at 79
Updated November 30, 2022 at 3:58 PM ET NEW YORK — Christine McVie, the British-born Fleetwood Mac vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player whose cool, soulful contralto helped define such classics as “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and “Don’t Stop,” died Wednesday at age 79. Her death was announced on the band’s social media accounts. No cause of death or other …
Go | AIGA Design & Music Poster Show
Every year creatives gather to raise a glass to both the irresistible vibrations we call music and our flourishing arts community in support of The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Jacksonville. The AIGA Jax Design & Music Poster Show is back in a big way this year with performances from DJ Boborose, Folk is People and The Dog Apollo …
Here’s Where to Shop for Vinyl in Jax on Black Friday
Black Friday, the annual glut of retail deals that traditionally follows the annual glut of holiday feasting, is upon us. And while you’re no doubt inundated with targeted advertisements for minimalist Le Creuset knockoffs, expensive-yet-precariously-easy-to-lose earbuds, Pelotons, et al. across all your social media feeds, we at the Jacksonville Music Experience encourage two things: Shop Local Buy Music If you’re …
Just Announced | Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series 2023
Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, Christian McBride, and more headline second-annual festival at St. Augustine’s historic site
From February 10-19, the second-annual Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series presents six concerts to celebrate the historic and cultural importance of Fort Mose, the site of the first free African settlement in what is now the United States. This year’s series features performances by Mavis Staples (February 10); Christian McBride’s New Jawn (Feb. 11); Valerie June (Feb. 16); Gladys …
Staff Picks | PorchFest 2022
What to see and hear at Springfield's annual porch party
Springfield residents love their porches. More than augmentations of their home’s living and entertaining space, the porch is an extension of Springfielders’ personalities. Which is why no event better captures the character and charm of this distinctive Downtown Jacksonville-adjacent neighborhood than the annual Jacksonville PorchFest. Taking place across four square blocks east of N. Main St. between E. 4th St. …
Jax Resident and Videographer Richard Borders Illuminated the ‘60s Rock Scene and Beyond
The world has grown a little darker with the recent passing of Richard Borders. For more than a half century, the Northeast Florida resident was a proud member (and storied survivor) of the mid-20th-century counterculture. A childhood fan of the phantasmagoric and horror films, Borders was a pioneering artist who worked in the nascent psychedelic light shows of the 1960s, …
What To Know About a Congressional Resolution on Streaming Royalties
Congress may soon weigh in on behalf of artists in the fight for more equitable royalties from streaming services like Spotify. According to Rolling Stone, Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, sent a letter to her congressional colleagues proposing a resolution to establish a new streaming royalty. The proposal would, the letter argues, seek to increase the amount of money …
Warner Music Adopts SoundCloud’s Artist-Friendly Royalty System
Go Fund Them
When the streaming- and social-networking service SoundCloud decided to instate their royalty payment system in March 2021, longtime users of the site and the new wave of the music industry leaned in to listen. Prior to this pay upgrade for music artists, SoundCloud paid contributors through pooling revenues from the platform’s collected streams, or overall and accumulated plays by listeners …
Big Thief: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Popular indie band performs songs from its new album and an unreleased track
I love seeing friends playing comfortably at home, especially when those friends are members of my favorite band. What we see in this Tiny Desk (home) concert is playfulness substituting for the intensity that I normally find in Big Thief on a big stage. This band has made many of my best-loved albums in the past few years, beginning with …
25 years on, Lilith Fair is a reminder of how one woman’s radical idea changed music
It was July 5th 1997: Opening night of the groundbreaking all-female music festival Lilith Fair. The lineup featured a who’s who of female alternative musicians of the moment: Sheryl Crow, Jewel, The Indigo Girls, Lisa Loeb, Fiona Apple, Shawn Colvin, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant and more. Lilith Fair was the culmination of a year of work by its founder, a …
Local Spotlight | 3 New Songs by Jax Artists Out Now
Dean Winter and The Heat, Mecca thA Marvelous and Pilar
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. “3AM in Wynwood” by Mecca thA Marvelous Jax producer and rapper Mecca thA Marvelous’ “3AM in Wynwood” …
Go | The Best Concerts in Jax this Week
“Zungguzungguguzungguzeng!”
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. Dancehall Yellowman – Tuesday, June 28 Jack Rabbits | …
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
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 …
Four Takeaways from Shaky Knees 2022
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 …
Celebrate David Byrne’s Birthday on The Independent 89.9 HD4
Put on a baggy suit, bust out your angular dance moves and turn on the radio.
David Byrne turns 70-years young on Saturday. The singer, songwriter, filmmaker, writer, actor and music theorist has left an indelible mark on both popular music and American culture. Together with his art school pals in Talking Heads, Byrne turned contemporary music on its ear in the ’70s and ’80s. And, as he enters his septuagenarian years, Byrne shows no sign …
New Mix | A musical journey from the Electro Lounge to parts unknown
The Electro Lounge lets Bogie and Bacall and Minus 8 take us to “Elysian Fields.” Then Slow Train Soul brings us back to earth “Naturally,” Mo‘ Horizons –– the DJ duo from Hannover Germany –– play their special brand of downtempo trip hop with “Soho Vibes.” And Curtis Harding sings “I Won’t Let You Down.” Plus there’s lots of fresh nu jazz, lounge and independent music, as well as classic Electro Lounge staples to enjoy –– …
Koffee, already a Grammy-winning globetrotter, is in full control for ‘Genius’ debut
At the 2018 edition of the Jamaican reggae festival Rebel Salute, legendary singer Cocoa Tea interrupted his set to introduce a petite, teenaged female artist, excitedly telling the audience of more than 10,000: “This little 17-year-old from Spanish Town is Jamaica’s next female sensation; come in Koffee.” Although relatively unknown at the time, Koffee’s rapid-fire, patois-heavy vocals on that first …
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW | Maxo Kream
Every year, NPR Music participates in the SXSW music festival, whether it’s curating a stage or simply attending hundreds of shows at the annual event in Austin, Texas. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but it returned last March as an online festival. We programmed a virtual “stage” of Tiny Desk (home) concerts in 2021 in …
Tiny Desk Meets SXSW | KAINA
Every year, NPR Music participates in the SXSW music festival, whether it’s curating a stage or simply attending hundreds of shows at the annual event in Austin, Texas. In 2020, the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but it returned last March as an online festival. We programmed a virtual “stage” of Tiny Desk (home) concerts in 2021 in …
‘Jagged’ is a Long-Overdue Look at Alanis Morissette’s Groundbreaking Opus
You oughta know more about ‘Jagged Little Pill’
A few years ago, while perusing the CD selection at the Goodwill store near my house (yes, I still buy CDs; they are usually $1 at thrift stores and my car is old enough that it still has the capability of playing them), I was intrigued to find a copy of Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette’s mega-selling 1995 album. The …
New Mix | Soulful bliss and downtempo grooves in the Electro Lounge
A new mix of tunes from Karminsky Experience Inc., Marvin Gaye, Curtis Harding, Hil St Soul, JAFFA and more
Looking for an escape? The Electro Lounge has your Departure ticket –– a new mix of ultra-chill tunes. Featured on this week’s playlist: New Age UK duo Karminsky Experience Inc., Marvin Gaye, Curtis Harding, UK singer Hil St Soul, James Bright, electronic duo Blank & Jones with mezzo-soprano Rachel Lloyd, JAFFA and more. We’ll keep things interesting with cuts from …
Game was her middle name: The world was never ready for Betty Davis
One of my favorite recordings of Betty Davis isn’t a song. In the summer of 1974, the funk singer/songwriter appeared on Al Gee’s Rap N’ Rhythm, a nationally syndicated interview program that was regularly pressed to vinyl and sent to radio stations by the U.S. Army Reserve. Betty had just turned 30 and was about to start her first tour …
Sound & Vision | Jax visual artist Sheila Goloborotko shares the music that fuels her practice
Jax multimedia artist shares a playlist of Brazilian pop, Argentinian rock and Billie Eilish
Sound & Vision is a semi-regular feature that examines how music influences Northeast Florida artists. Accompanying playlists for each Sound & Vision feature can be found on JME’s spotify channel. Creativity, activism, community and a surrender to the Other converge in the work of Sheila Goloborotko. The Brazilian visual artist and educator makes multimedia pieces that she describes, in part, “as a …
10 Jacksonville Artists to Watch in 2022
These Northeast Florida artists are poised for a breakthrough
So, The Beatles are the most talked-about band in the world. Vinyl records are the most popular way to consume music. People are talking about Limp Bizkit. Taylor Swift’s Red, originally released in 2012, sits near the top of the charts. Kanye, Drake, J Cole, Adele and Tyler, The Creator have new music out. Oh, and Bob Dylan may have …
Crosby, Stills, Nash follow Young in removing music from Spotify
CSNY reunites in spat with popular streaming platform
David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash have joined on-and-off collaborator Neil Young in removing their music from Spotify over the music streaming giant’s refusal to remove podcast host Joe Rogan’s program from the platform. The comedian and actor, whose podcast is one of Spotify’s most popular, has been criticized for spreading coronavirus misinformation. Young made headlines when he issued …
An album made entirely of endangered bird sounds beat Taylor Swift on a top 50 chart
For most of December, Adele had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of absolute bangers that took everyone by surprise. Songs Of Disappearance is an entire album of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly perched at No. 3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart – ahead of …
Just Announced | Winterland IV lineup revealed
Jacksonville music fest releases stacked lineup of local, regional and national talent
In November, we learned that locally founded, independently operated music festival Winterland would return for its fourth iteration, bringing an intriguing mix of headliners including indie rock outfits La Luz and Slothrust, as well as alt-country singer-songwriter Caroline Rose and multi-hyphenate Reggie Watts to Riverfront Plaza (the former site of the Landing) on February 26 and 27. The festival runners …
The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surge
It’s official. The 64th annual Grammy Awards are postponed and the Sundance Film Festival has been moved online. A joint statement on Wednesday by the Recording Academy and CBS blamed the Grammy rescheduling on the omicron variant. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce …