Chicago-based singer-songwriter Ella Williams recently announced her third album as Squirrel Flower, and ahead of the fall release of Tomorrow’s Fire (Oct. 13, Polyvinyl Record Co.), she’s shared a new single (and music video) from the LP, the Bruce Springsteen-inspired “Alley Light.” Though the light touch of Squirrel Flower’s 2020 full-length debut I Was Born Swimming earned her the “indie …
Multitalented Duval Artist Jordan Blackburn Steps out of the Digital Cumulus with First Full-Length Release, ‘Abnormal Hues’
Considering the semi-infinite roster of SoundCloud (with a bandwidth-buckling 30 million musicians currently featured on the DIY site), it’s easy for an artist to be lost or overlooked in that digital cumulus. “Shake” is the new single from Duval solo artist Jordan Blackburn and the closing track from his seven-song debut, Abnormal Hues. According to his EPK, Blackburn is a …
Live Session | Jacksonville Indie-Folk Band Bobby Kid Plays Songs from their Beloved New Record, ‘Babyface’
A few weeks back, the Jacksonville Music Experience conducted an in-no-way-scientific poll of our Instagram followers (a small-but-mighty bunch nearing 2K; follow here) based on the following prompt: Fave Local Release of 2023. Of the four-dozen or so respondents, nearly half said they either liked Bobby Kid‘s Babyface or a song from the band’s new full-length album. In some ways …
Posthumous Jazz Is Dead Release Reinforces the Legacy of Influential Drummer, the Late, Great Tony Allen
When drummer Tony Allen passed away in April 2020, he left behind a musical legacy both pronounced and subtle. As the longtime main drummer for Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat ensemble, including a truly searing album where he played stick-to-stick with UK (ex-Cream) drummer Ginger Baker, Allen introduced a jazz-funk style of playing that pointed back to Africa while also directing contemporary …
Watch JME Live Sessions and Support the Jacksonville Music Experience
From the time we launched the Jacksonville Music Experience a couple years back, we’ve been covering the city’s music scene, cranking out hundreds of new-music reviews, interviews with emerging bands and longform features on the history of music in Jacksonville, all while keeping our readers up to speed on the latest music news from around the world. We’ve also been …
Coastal Creature Kick Back and Sip “Lemonade” on Breezy New Single
Duval DIY indie-pop duo Coastal Creature are plotting the fall release of their debut EP, but in the meantime, they’ve shared a new tune to keep you cool through the summer swelter. Lead single “Lemonade” is out as of this week, with a music video to follow in early September. Erica Reese and Parker Dixon, then recent Florida transplants, met …
Under-the-Radar NYC Artist Farrah Hanna’s “TMILTM” is ROYL beabadoobee, Lomelda, Slow Pulp, etc
Brooklyn-based indie singer-songwriter Farrah Hanna serenades listeners with her latest single, “TMILTM,” a heartbreak ballad that asks a former lover the questions left unspoken. Originally from Virginia, Hannah’s making a mark on the Big Apple’s big indie scene, recently performing at the beloved Bushwick art-and-performance hub Rubulad with Jacksonville-bred artist Brianna Maclean (Primary School). “TMILTM,” is the first single released …
Sufjan Stevens Is So Back with ‘Javelin,’ Lead Single “So You Are Tired”
Like a tireless explorer laying new eyes on familiar horizons, the great Sufjan Stevens has announced his first album “in full singer-songwriter mode” since 2015’s acclaimed Carrie & Lowell, detailing Javelin (Oct. 6, Asthmatic Kitty) and releasing its lead single “So You Are Tired” on Monday. After nearly a decade of collaboration and experimentation, with a particular focus on the …
On the Frolicsome “Before,” Experimental Trio Blonde Redhead Celebrate Youthful Intransigence
The death of Joan Didion in late 2021 spawned innumerable thinkpieces and essays seeking to both track the influence of Didion’s writing and style, and lionize the already-lionized American author. It was a predictable and totally appropriate exercise. “No one essay writer, except James Baldwin and George Orwell, has spawned more imitators,” Jay Caspian King wrote in the New York …
Little Dragon | Tiny Desk Concert
The last time Swedish band Little Dragon performed for Tiny Desk, the group wasn’t actually at the Desk. Like a number of Tiny Desk alum who played between 2020 and 2022, Little Dragon delivered its debut Tiny Desk as a (home) concert in the band’s Gothenburg studio. That performance provided a comforting balm to many during the early and confusing …
Neil Young’s “Powderfinger,” from the Newly Unveiled Lost Album ‘Chrome Dreams,’ Reveals a Singer-Songwriter at the Height of His Powers
In the ‘70s, while his peers Bob Dylan and Van Morrison exuded personae of mystery or moodiness, Neil Young was capricious to the point of possible self-immolation when it came to the arc of his career. At the end of the decade he was winding down from the deliberate “anti-popularity” of “The Ditch Trilogy.” In the liner notes of his …
All Songs Considered | The best releases out on Aug. 11
The Chicago rapper Noname returns this week with her first new album in five years. Like her earlier works, Sundial is filled with songs that stand at the nexus of slam poetry, literature, jazz and hip-hop. We give a listen to open this week’s show and talk about the ways Noname seeks to serve her community and speak truth to …
Jax Indie Rockers Faze Wave Share “Teenage Nightmare,” Plot Fall Tour
Remember Seinfeld’s “Summer of George”? Well, this is about to be the Fall of Faze Wave. The Jacksonville rock four-piece have shared a new single, the hard-charging “Teenage Nightmare,” and announced a fall tour, with eight East Coast shows set for October. Faze Wave are in fine form on “Teenage Nightmare,” a rollicking ode to youthful angst whose jangly rock …
Georgia’s Pop Blossoms on Her Third Album, ‘Euphoric’
Amid an especially hot and heavy summer, who among us doesn’t long for an oasis? Enter London-born pop singer-songwriter and producer Georgia, who recently released her third album on Domino Records — from its title and its technicolor artwork to its bright 10 tracks and breezy 36 minutes, Euphoric offers just such an escape from the heat and the humdrum. …
With ‘Found Dead,’ St. Augustine Rockers King Peach Deliver a Sweet and Loud Debut
These are weird and wooly times for indie musicians. The record-label industry that was hip checked by alternative rock in the early ‘90s, then flipped by file sharing, has been either expanded or reduced to a-still inscrutable streaming-based existence. Bands that hit platinum plays on Spotify celebrate their million-stream payout with a whopping $300. Musings aside, this wobbly egalitarianism allows …
SPELLLING Reworks “Hard to Please (Reprise)” in Grand, Gorgeous Fashion
Those unfamiliar with Chrystia Cabral’s SPELLLING are being gifted the ideal entry point: The Bay Area art-pop pathfinder is breathing new life into her output to this point on her forthcoming fourth album, the self-produced SPELLLING & The Mystery School, coming Aug. 25 on Sacred Bones. Our latest preview of the career-spanning LP is “Hard to Please (Reprise),” a revitalized …
D.C. Rapper Sa-Roc Commands Respect on “Talk To Me Nice”
Ahead of her fall Talk To Me Nice tour, D.C.-born emcee Sa-Roc has shared a new single and video of the same name, our first preview of the as-yet-untitled follow-up to her 2020 Rhymesayers Entertainment debut, The Sharecropper’s Daughter. Produced by resident Rhymesayers studio-wizard Sol Messiah, “Talk To Me Nice” uses both its lyrics and instrumental to send one unmistakable …
Obongjayar | Tiny Desk Concert
When I got downstairs to greet Obongjayar and his bandmates at NPR headquarters, they had already found their way over to some stationary bikes near the lobby to get the adrenaline pumping. OB and crew seemed shy but ready for this moment. During the show, I witnessed my colleagues go from wiping away tears to bouncing and clapping within a …
On “Eat Paper,” Experimental UK Combo Food People Serve Up Tasty Psych
The Nottingham, U.K. trio Food People stay true to the DIY loose-ethos freedoms of what is considered lo-fi without being unfaithful to the band’s own hazy, cryptic romanticism. A track from their new full-length release, Many Glorious Petals, the four-and-a-half minutes of “Eat Paper” rolls forward as a placid soundtrack for travelers on the road with the vaguest of directions …
Wilco Drop “Evicted,” the First Single from a New Album Produced by Cate Le Bon
Through the years, I’ve developed a ritual for every new Wilco release. Before I press play, I ask myself: which Wilco do I want to hear? Am I hoping that their alt-country roots will come through the soil, or would I rather hear electronica reminiscent of their 2002 hit record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? Am I craving something with complex piano …
Playlist | Best new music of August
New tracks from Big Thief, Wilco, Mitski, Animal Collective and more
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 playlist includes new singles from the most-band-iest band …
On ‘Flutters,’ Duval Soul and R&B Artist Kearsten Monielle Shares “All I Want” and More
Taken from her new Flutters EP, the latest from Duval soul and R&B artist Kearsten Monielle is a slow-burn ballad polished to a high sheen. Behind the major-key glimmer of producer Ian Williams, on “All I Want” Monielle serves up a song about letting go of negative energy, supplanted with positive vibrations, navigating what Monielle tells JME was born from …
New Music Friday | The best releases out on July 28
A year after releasing his last album — and becoming a dad for the first time — Post Malone is back with AUSTIN, a sprawling collection of intimate songs on addiction, afflictions and contradictions. On this week’s show, Atlanta-based culture journalist Gavin Godfrey, critic and reporter Cyrena Touros and writer LaTesha Harris, along with host Robin Hilton, look at the …
Stephen Steinbrink Shakes Free of Meaning on “Poured Back in the Stream”
In August, veteran Bay Area singer-songwriter and producer Stephen Steinbrink returns with his first new album in five years, and our latest preview of Disappearing Coin (Aug. 18, Western Vinyl) has arrived in the form of the zenned-out “Poured Back in the Stream.” In press materials, Steinbrink says that Disappearing Coin “feels like an integration of all of my past …
On ‘Peace Loving People,’ Pardoner Takes Aim at Late-Stage Capitalism with Slacker-Rock Gusto
San Francisco’s Pardoner unpacks late-capitalism with nostalgic slacker rock pleasantries on their latest, the sarcastically-named full-length album Peace Loving People (out now on Bar/None Records). Throughout the record, the quartet’s punk tendencies glitter lightly through a newfound tenderness. The group’s blasé sound changes as quick as an Internet trend, bursting into heavy bits of breakdowns and then snapping back into …
The Latest from Duval Rockers Ducats Stays Faithful to Their Lo-Fidelity Psych Sensibilities
The latest from Duval rockers Ducats takes the continuous-release, narcoticized-guitar maneuvering of peak My Bloody Valentine and halcyon days Teenage Fanclub well into the 21st century. “Painless” is stylized but hardly flatlined or constrained by any rockist demands. Wobbly guitar shimmers over, under and around vocals unintelligible to the point of any distinguishable words — and that is a compliment. …
On ‘Sunburn,’ Multi-Talented Florida-Bred Superstar Dominic Fike Shines Bright
Over the last few years, Naples-native Dominic Fike has found himself in rarified air: A bonafide, Florida-bred superstar. Perhaps more widely recognized for his role as Elliot on the HBO original Euphoria, before Fike was acting, he was making music here in the Sunshine State. In July, Fike released his third full-length album, Sunburn. Over the course of the record’s 15 …
Kate Teague Harbors a Broken Heart on New Single “I Feel Bad for My Dog”
Memphis, Tennessee, singer-songwriter Kate Teague has a new EP due out in under a month, and in the lead up to Loose Screw (Aug. 11, self-released), she shared its second single this week, the lovesick slow burn “I Feel Bad for My Dog.” Building from nothing but moody keys and Teague’s emotive vocal, the song finds the singer not only …
Atmosphere Choose “Still Life” in New Video, Detail Tour De Friends
Atmosphere shared their umpteenth album in May’s So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, and this week, the Minneapolis indie hip-hop veterans followed their latest LP with a music video for standout track “Still Life,” plus a new set of November tour dates. Rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and producer Ant (Anthony Davis) collaborate with East London vocalist Murkage Dave on the …
On “The Key to My Door,” Singer-Songwriter Tori Nance Proves She’s the Local Queen of the Breakup Song
The latest from Northeast Florida singer-songwriter Tori Nance aligns with her self-professed title of “the Queen of Breakup Songs.” Leaning into an indie-adult-album-alternative sound, “The Key to My Door” is an acrimonious anthem that is a minor-key delight for codependency and flat-out lovelorn listeners. Over the course of the song’s three and a half minutes, Nance doesn’t roll too far …
The Latest from Guitarist Dominic Miller Maintains the Quality Control of Mercurial Label ECM Records
ECM Records remains an object lesson in autonomy, tenacity and true independence. Co-founded by bassist-producer Manfred Eicher in 1969 to highlight the then-under-looked European jazz scene, ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) has gone onto release more than 1700 albums. The now-80-year-old Eicher has overseen every release, and the label’s cover designs are as consistent as Eicher’s ethereal-meets-high-fidelity production approach. To name …
Bobby Kid Singer and Guitarist Anna Lester Shares the Highs and Lows of Writing her Song “Seeds”
Welcome to Jacksonville Music Experience’s Songwriting School, where we talk to local songwriters about how they wrote one specific song. Jacksonville-based songwriter Anna Lester has been recording and performing music since 2017 under the name Bobby Kid, an indie rock band she started with her husband, drummer Brian Lester. In March, Bobby Kid released their second album, Babyface. This long-awaited …
On “Agradecido,” Emerging Duval Indie-Pop Artist Huan Pens a Sincere Song in Spanish
Huan, the Jacksonville-based purveyor of dreamy indie-pop has released his latest single, “Agradecido,” an open thank-you note to his mother, and his first single in Spanish. “This is my love letter to her while leaving a digital footprint at the same time,” Huan said about the song in an email. “Her name and voice deserve to live forever. I didn’t …
Playlist | Best New Music of July
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 new music from wholly original acts Blonde …
Rahill’s ‘Flowers at Your Feet’ is a Sunny, Experimental-Pop Trip
You may already be familiar with the work of multi-disciplinary artist Rahill Jamalifard, a founding member of Brooklyn garage-rock faves Habibi. That familiarity, however, won’t likely prime you for the enjoyably avant-garde pop on Rahill’s debut solo LP, Flowers at Your Feet. Through the development of Habibi’s music to her solo debut, the 2022 EP Sun Songs, Rahill has displayed …
Duane Betts Finds Serenity and Soul in His ‘Wild & Precious Life’
When Duane Betts and his band Palmetto Motel hit the stage at Downtown Jacksonville’s Intuition Ale Works on Sunday, July 16, they’ll be performing mere miles from where the Allman Brothers Band formed more than fifty years ago. As the son of founding ABB member Dickey Betts, the now-45-year-old Duane was born within a direct lineage of that elder band’s …