With “Tear My Arms Off,” local band Carmen grab onto radio-ready hard rock and, over the course of the song’s four minutes, don’t let go. The song is the first single from Carmen’s forthcoming new EP, Oh Well. The band—vocalist Chad Villarroel, guitarist Grant Nielsen, bassist David Johns and drummer Jack Ringca—features some well-known players in the Jacksonville indie scene. …
Annie Dukes Have a Hankering for “Cherry” on Hot-Blooded New Single
Femme-fronted Jacksonville rock outfit Annie Dukes are marking this International Women’s Day with a blistering new single, “Cherry.” Cassidy Lee (bass, vocals), Emma Moseley (guitar, vocals), Callie Johns (keys, vocals) and Mike Monahan (drums) describe their sound as “Black Sabbath meets Fleetwood Mac,” and on “Cherry,” the foursome hew to the heavier end of that spectrum. The dynamic track evokes …
Tiny Desk Concert | Wednesday
“I learned how to play guitar watching Tiny Desk concerts,” Wednesday‘s lead singer Karly Hartzman says in the band’s performance. Specifically, she says, by way of Mitski‘s scream-filled 2015 set. “The chords to these songs are pretty easy, if you want to mirror ’em.” The Asheville, N.C., rock band is constantly on the road, supporting Rat Saw God, which made …
On ‘Rabbit Rabbit,’ Speedy Ortiz Returns with the Kind of Rock Record We (and They) Need Right Now
Ten years after Major Arcana, the breakthrough record that made indie-rock darlings out of Sadie Dupuis’ Speedy Ortiz, the band is back with a new record: Rabbit Rabbit. The group’s return has been much-anticipated. The smattering singles released prior to the September 1 drop date earned praise from The New York Times and Pitchfork among others, foreshadowing the kind of …
St. Augustine Aggro-Rockers Terror Management Band Deliver a Fearless and Furious Debut
Formed in 2018, Terror Management Band are arguably a supergroup of sorts from St. Augustine. Consisting of guitarist-vocalist Mike Taylor (Palatka, Halo Perfecto, Flaws), guitarist Alan Mills (Burl, Greenness) bassist-vocalist Jeremy Rogers (Minimum Rage, Dredger, Telepathic Lines) and drummer-vocalist Kevin Kelly (Liquid Limbs), TMB are the latest roster child of Bakery Outlet Records, a label based in the Oldest City …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
Flying Lotus, Ty Segall, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Beach Fossils and More to Play Austin’s Levitation Festival
Levitation music festival organizers unveiled the first wave of a mind-melting lineup earlier this week, ahead of the event formerly known as Austin Psych Fest returning to the Lone Star State capitol on Halloween weekend, Oct. 26-29. “Eclectic” is one of few words rangy enough to wrap its arms around Levitation: The four-day festival’s 2023 iteration will feature headliners Unwound, …
Here’s the deal with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Among the surest ways to feel out of the loop right now is to look at concert listings and notice that artists you’ve never heard — or even heard of — are somehow big enough to play very large venues. These days, it’s a revelation that can strike without warning, no matter who you are or how closely you keep …
Retro L.A. Rockers Allah-Las Return with Vintage Glam-Rock Bop, “The Stuff”
Notable Crate-diggers, Los Angeles retro-rockers Allah-Las are back with “The Stuff,” an enjoyably simple mid-tempo taste of Zuma 85 (out October 13 via Calico Discos / Innovative Leisure), the group’s first full-length album since 2019’s LAHS. A sarcastic – although by-and-large unoffending – lamentation of the state of modern music in the form of a glam rock bop, sonically “The …
Foo Fighters’ ‘But Here We Are’ is heavy, in every sense of the word
Foo Fighters formed in the aftermath of tragedy, as Kurt Cobain‘s 1994 suicide left Dave Grohl reeling and in search of a voice. The band’s self-titled 1995 debut found the drummer and newly minted frontman reinvigorated by grief, while 1997’s The Colour and the Shape doubled as a rousingly hooky therapy session in the aftermath of his divorce. Taken together, …
On “Foreign Rain,” Jax Goth-Rockers Glass Chapel Channel ’80s Synth-Pop
The new single from Duval goth-rockers Glass Chapel is ‘80s dourness to the max. Band member Jake Phillips acknowledges that “Foreign Rain” is “inspired by Gary Numan and Cold Cave.” And from the icy keyboard tones, disaffected vocals drenched in reverb, not to mention a definite Peter Hook-infused bass-guitar outro, the tune surely paints within the parameters of dark wave …
Kurt Cobain’s Broken Guitar Sells for Nearly $600,000
Kurt Cobain’s black Fender Stratocaster is covered in scratches and chipped wood. The names of Cobain and his former band, Nirvana, are misspelled. And the guitar itself, which was once smashed and put back together, is no longer playable. But on Saturday, the broken guitar was sold at Julien’s Auctions for a whopping $596,000 — nearly 10 times more than …
Comedy-Rock Gods Tenacious D Bring Spicy Meatball Tour to St. Augustine
Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the comedy-rock duo dubbed Tenacious D, will take the St. Augustine Amphitheatre stage this weekend, bringing the opening leg of their Spicy Meatball Tour to an end. Though Black has been especially busy lately — he voices the villainous Bowser in box-office smash “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” contributed the viral hit “Peaches” to its …
Jax Rock Band Racewall Mosquitoes Share New Video for “Vagabond”
Last autumn, locals Racewall Mosquitoes gave us the concept album The Recital of Annie Lytle, which was a tribute to the rumored-to-be-haunted Public School Number Four. The real strength in that release was main-Mosquito singer-songwriter Matt Morgan’s ability to put melodicism and vulnerability square in the spotlight. The band are still incrementally doling out transmissions from Annie Lytle: the latest …
Yves Tumor’s disruptive pop-cultural synthesis
The latest Yves Tumor album begins with a scream and ends with a call to lock eyes. A project with the koan-like title Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) might seem like it’s obscuring or even deliberately thumbing its nose at meaning, but the carnal bookending of a scream and a …
On “King Kong,” Jax Duo Jawberry Unleashes a Monster Mashup of Indie, Grunge and Hip Hop
The latest from Jawberry, the collab project from local indies Huan (aka Juan Mallorca) and Rockbot Studios owner Josh Cobb, “King Kong” mashes up prominent ‘90s guitar-slack-and-hip-hop styles into three-minutes of casually retro-vibed, upbeat rock, with a riff that is maybe one chord from a “Smells Like Teen Spirit” lawsuit. A minor sin, considering the legion of songwriters that have …
Preview | Jax rock quartet Skyview tells its celestial stories at Underbelly
Skyview is doing some of the most interesting stuff in the rock genre right now, and if you don’t believe me, just ask them. Seriously, though, Evan Smith and his colleagues are justifiably proud of what they’ve accomplished in their current incarnation, and they promote themselves with gusto. It’s not so much a matter of personal pride, though, so much …
Jax Indie-Folk Faves Bobby Kid Return Just In Time with the Tearjerking “Ten Minutes Late”
Get the tissue box ready before listening to Bobby Kid’s newest single. On “Ten Minutes Late,” the popular local indie-folk band — made up of Anna Lester (vocals and guitar), Brian Lester (drums), Phillip Hess (lead guitar), Daniel Hubert Jr. (bass) and Caleb Hollan (pianist) — tells a story of familial loss, love that was once shared and the reminiscence …
On “On Your Line,” Jax’s Rambler Kane Dispenses Honky-Tonk Allegory Over a Country-Rock Stomp
“On Your Line,” the latest from Jacksonville singer-songwriter Rambler Kane is a three-minute stomp of country-rock choogle that serves up facets of the form—a relentless rhythm section in two-four, rolling finger-picked acoustic, and some tasty Hank Garland-style electric soloing—and Kane’s winning lyrics that are a honky-tonk allegory about fishing in the neon bar lights, and getting caught up; hook, line, …
The Dandy Warhols and the Art of Three Decades of 15 Minutes of Fame
Call it the long game. Since their formation, indie-alt-what-have-you stalwarts the Dandy Warhols have remained essentially intact and absolutely active. Formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994, the band has outlasted most of their peers and even survived their hometown’s upscale evolution from a well-rooted, post-‘60s counterculture to its present-day Airbnb-ing and foodie oasis. Their earliest live shows were a raucous …
The Killers to Play St. Augustine Amphitheatre in May
Indie rock staples The Killers are embarking on a second tour in support of their 2021 album, Pressure Machine, this spring, with a stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Monday, May 8. The seventh studio album leans more into folk-rock than the band’s previous work. It tells the story of small-town America, loosely based on frontman Brandon Flowers’ upbringing …
Tom Verlaine, guitarist and singer of influential rock band Television, dies at 73
Tom Verlaine, a founding father of American punk and a fixture of the 1970s New York rock scene, died Saturday in Manhattan as the result of a brief illness. He was 73. His death was confirmed to NPR in a press release from Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Verlaine collaborator Patti Smith, who also once dated the artist. “I …
Local Spotlight | Three New Tracks by Jax Artists Out Now
New year. New local tunes. As we unearth new music from artists around the globe, we love to shine the high beams of our Local Spotlight series on the beautiful noise emerging from Northeast Florida. This week, we’ve got three great new tracks by Jacksonville artists. A reminder: You can hear the best new local tunes at 20 minutes after …
beabadoobee | Tiny Desk Concert
Beatrice Laus, who performs as beabadoobee, possesses the sort of soft, lilting voice that often runs the risk of getting lost in her signature sound — a mix of grungy, ’90s rock and noisy dream pop. Mix Laus the wrong way in a live setting and you miss out on vocals that lend whatever song they’re paired with an undeniable …
Low’s Mimi Parker had a Voice that Let the Light In
Mimi Parker died Saturday, but her voice rings out in the present tense. It’s eternal, radiant. It’s a warm, fragile thing, that voice. It shimmers warmly but cuts through the din like a spotlight. It wavers but holds focus. For just one example across nearly three decades of music, listen to “The Plan,” from Low‘s 1996 album The Curtain Hits …
Go | Australian punks The Chats at Underbelly
Even Dave Grohl is a fan!
Quotable Australian punk sensation The Chats are on tour in support of their latest album Get F*cked and are set to stop in Jacksonville on Wednesday, October 26 at Downtown’s Underbelly. Surfacing first from the Sunshine Coast, the band has repurposed their deranged sound in Brisbane, going completely rogue with vicious rebellion by means of gruff vocals and blitzkrieged guitar …
Local Spotlight | New Tracks by Jax Artists Out Now
Animal Clinic, Visitation, Crescent and Jay Myztroh
We’re all about music discovery here at the Jacksonville Music Experience. As we unearth new tunes from artists around the globe almost daily, we love to shine the high beams of our Local Spotlight series on the beautiful noise emerging from Northeast Florida. This week, we’ve got four great new tracks by Jacksonville artists. Let’s dig in. “Heart Beats You …
Another Side of Bad Madonna
Jax singer and guitarist Alexis Rhode goes electric on her new EP
As Bad Madonna, singer-songwriter Alexis Rhode encapsulates what it means to be genre-bending, something so many artists tag on to the back of their bios but rarely succeed in achieving. Earlier this year, the Jax-based Rhode released the debut Bad Madonna EP, Velvet Glove, a collection of five songs that sound like country-twanged journal entries. Less than six months later, …
Just Announced | Tampa post-punk band Glove returns to Jax in August
Still basking in the buzz generated by their 2022 full-length album, Boom Nights, and their newly minted status as festival-main-stage mainstays, synthy post-punk Tampa band Glove will return to Jacksonville in August, performing at Jack Rabbits in San Marco. Never Miss A Show. Checkout our comprehensive community live music calendar. Before teaming with Cage The Elephant’s Brad Schultz (production credit …
Go | Bright Eyes at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Indie-rock darlings visit The Amp
Icons of the early 2000’s indie-rock scene Bright Eyes continue their current tour, with a Northeast Florida at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Saturday, May 28 . A band of multifarious musicians, Bright Eyes was founded by singer and guitarist Conor Oberst in the mid-90s, and features multi-instrumentalists Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, as well as a rotating cast of …
Fresh Rotation | 4 new songs we’re listening to right now
New music from Wilco, King Gizzard, Moonchild and Kikagaku Moyo
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add to the rotation on The Independent 89.9 HD4 (and to our tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our monthly Fresh Squeeze playlist). Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least …
Go | Grammy nominated pop-rock trio HAIM at Daily’s Place
One of the biggest bands in the world makes a pitstop in Jax
Critically acclaimed pop-rock group HAIM’s 2022 tour of North America brings the sister act to the First Coast for a performance at Daily’s Place Amphitheatre on Sunday, May 8. The Southern California-bred trio, comprised of sisters Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, has earned a global audience combining deft songwriting, infectious harmonies and crack musicianship over three full-length pop masterstrokes, including …
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