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 …
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 …
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. This week, singer-songwriter Iron & Wine, smooth-jazz maestro Kenny G and popular ambient Orlando duo Tonstartssbandht will visit Jax. Meanwhile, celebrated local multi-hyphenate GeeXella returns, …
Purveyors of anthemic alt-country, North Carolina-bred American Aquarium has announced a summer tour of the East Coast with a stop at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, returning to Northeast Florida for the first time since their November 2021 performance at Jack Rabbits. The brainchild of bandleader BJ Barham, the group’s latest iteration is touring 2020’s critically lauded, Shooter-Jennings-produced Lamentations. In 2021, …
Media Contact:Neily BrarenPromotion & Marketing Associate, WJCT904.318.2633 | nbraren@wjct.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Organization will honor 89.9 FM’s golden anniversary by replacing spring “pledge drive” with a day of on-air celebration and fundraising on April 8, 2022 March 21, 2022 — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — WJCT Public Media today announced the launch of its “50 Years of Radio That Matters” campaign, celebrating …
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into 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 a bit of context). Here are three …
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 …
The death of Duval hip-hop artist Paten Locke is still a sore subject among his friends and fans, over two years after the man was felled by lung cancer. But, at the same time, those same friends and fans have been aggressive about pushing to keep his name and his legacy alive. This is possible largely due to Locke’s own …
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 four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll really dig. Let’s dive in. “Oodlesofnos” by Paten Locke PL004 – Americancer by PATEN LOCKE This prime cut from Americancer, the …
Every 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 each Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. This week, vintage-country aesthete Charley Crockett, indie-electronic-dance trio Joywave and beloved jam band Widespread Panic all visit the First Coast. Also this week, local singer-songwriter …
Headliners for the 2022 Jacksonville Jazz Festival have been announced. Back is guitar-phenom George Benson. Youngsters like 30-year-old vocalist and songwriter Jazzmeia Horn, as well as 32-year-old pianist and composer Christian Sands are on the bill. Local drummer and bandleader John Lumpkin will performa as well. But the big news: Herbie Hancock. A multi-instrumentalist and architect of post-bop best known …
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into 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 a bit of context). Here are four …
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. The first shot of Bonobo‘s Tiny Desk (home) concert is a little disorienting. What looks like the …
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 four new songs by local artists that we think you’ll really dig. Let’s dive in. “Can’t Escape the Rain” by Dean Winter and the Heat The latest from Jacksonville country rockers …
This week starts with local synth-lords opening for fellow Sunshine State electronic acts at Root Down. Later, Afroman and Liz Cooper are sure to keep Jack Rabbits full on two separate nights. And early-2000s indie and alt-rock darlings Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional play The Amp. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want to see and hear in …
Throwback rhythm-and-blues act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats is hitting the road this spring, touring the globe before an early summer stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The band’s third-studio album, The Future, launched the Denver band from the upper-tier of the college radio charts into full-blown mainstream stardom, with appearances on syndicated programs, like The Late Show with …
Original pressings. You know, those sonic talismans capable of bestowing impenetrable cool on whomever has the (substantial) means to remove them from whence they are displayed –– proudly on a shelf behind the counter at most record stores. But, as a wise man once said: Cool is for corpses. Or, in this case, record collectors with disposable income. For most crate …
Attention unsigned Jacksonville musicians: The Tiny Desk wants to hear your music. NPR’s 2022 Tiny Desk Contest is underway. Over the past seven years, nearly 35,000 musicians have submitted their videos to the Tiny Desk Contest in the hopes of being chosen to perform as part of NPR Music’s signature music discovery series. Now, NPR is once again calling for …
Our latest Electro Lounge playlist features innovative artists from the past and present, with Freddie Hubbard’s Jazz standard “Little Sunflower” reimagined by Bird Moves. If you’ve never heard Thunderball, the DC group mentored by The Thievery Corporation, you are in for a treat because we’ve got two Thunderball classics for your consideration. Plus, music from The Thievery Corporation, themselves, Gare du Nord’s neo-soul, Miles Davis’ genre-shattering …
With his signature voice, a singular fusion of musical styles and lyrics that draw on a deep sentimentality for his native city, singer-songwriter JJ Grey has amassed a formidable catalog of songs, as well as a large and dedicated following. As the frontman of Mofro, the Jacksonville native enjoyed early success with the band’s 2001 debut Blackwater. On the group’s …
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into 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 a bit of context). Here are three …
One of the most respected and commercially successful contemporary singer-songwriters, Phoebe Bridgers, has announced the addition of several dates to her upcoming Reunion Tour, with a stop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in May. The 27-year-old California native’s 2017 debut solo effort, Stranger in the Alps, established Bridgers as one of the most compelling new voices in indie-rock. Her 2020 …
In April, online music gear retailer Reverb released the full-length documentary The Pedal Movie, which chronicles the prevailing influence of effects pedals on popular music. Featuring interviews with famous pedal aficionados including J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, and Nels Cline of Wilco, as well as many of the most prominent pedal builders working today, the …
It’s often said that music benefits from collaboration. And in a true art-meets-art symbiosis, Intuition Ale Works (IAW) has partnered with popular indie-pop outfit of Montreal on the brewery’s latest offering: a pilsner called Kcrraannggaanngg!! Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes, of Montreal was forged in Athens, Georgia in the mid-90s but gained wider attention in the mid- to …
The estate of Leonard Cohen has sold the publishing rights to the legendary songwriter’s entire catalog for an undisclosed sum, according to Reuters. In a press release, the buyer, Hipgnosis Songs Fund, said the sale includes the rights to “all 278 songs and derivatives” written by Cohen, including “Hallelujah” and “First We Take Manhattan.” Cohen died in 2016. Hipgnosis, a …
Adding to the growing number of concert venues in Northeast Florida, Marathon Live –– a music venue management company that operates concert halls and event spaces in five US cities –– is planning to build a venue in the Downtown Jax-adjacent Rail Yard District. Part of Dennis + Ives, a new mixed-use development spanning seven acres that’s currently underway, construction …
This week hometown hero JJ Grey brings an all-star cast to The Amp, Athens indie-pop band of Montreal celebrates the release of its very own beer at Intuition Ale Works, local singer-songwriter Andy Zipf previews his new record at Blue Jay Listening Room and the legendary Graham Nash plays PV Concert Hall. Here’s the rundown of what JME contributors want …
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Dearly beloved: we are gathered here today to get through this thing called “Afro-life.” Surrounded by lush …
Record Store Day –- the traditionally once-a-year infusion of vinyl rarities and reissues into independently owned record stores around the country –– is back. On Saturday, April 23, expect to see more than a few long lines in front of your fave music retailer, as well as a few folks proudly toting a stack of fresh vinyl finds. If you’re …
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to add into 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 a bit of context). Here are four …
Each month, JME contributors pick the juiciest noise emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond for our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. This month we’ve got a ton of great new music in rotation, including …
We’ve written in the past about “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, the classic penned by Jacksonville’s own James Weldon and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900, which has found a vast range of expression over the decades, en route to becoming (soon) the official National Hymn of this country. You can now add a surprising new entry to the long list …
This week Emmylou Harris brings her singular voice to the Amp, legendary NYC act The Toasters celebrate 40 years in ska at Jack Rabbits and Reverend Horton Heat bring their rockabilly fire to Intuition Ale Works. Here’s the list of what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. Ska The Toasters – Wednesday, March …
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to concoct the tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our 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 a bit of context). Here are three new songs …
“Got a $20 bill? Get your hands up / You survived last year? Get your hands up.” This lyric, from EARTHGANG’s new sophomore album Ghetto Gods, is conceivably how the Atlanta hip-hop duo can hype up crowds on its upcoming tour. But it also highlights a central theme of the new record: how committed EARTHGANG is to representing and celebrating …
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 …
