Nearly three decades after emerging from the then-teeming Bay Area garage-rock scene, iconic San Francisco band OSEES (formerly The Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees, etc.) continue to experiment with great enthusiasm. The group’s latest full length, Sorcs 80, resumes many of the industrial and dark wave explorations of 2023’s Intercepted Message. On the mercurial “Earthling,” bandleader Jon Dwyer swapping his …
Jax Indie Singer-Songwriter Erica Reese Has “Breakfast for Dinner,” Introspection for Dessert on Dreamy New Single
Jacksonville-based indie singer-songwriter Erica Reese (Coastal Creature) is back with another new track, “Breakfast for Dinner,” the dream-pop sound of a vicious cycle—and, just maybe, an epiphany. Assisted by producer Patrick Taylor (Trash Panda, Lazuli Vane), Reese crafts a complex instrumental that’s closely attuned to the song’s rugged emotional landscape. Bouncy synth bass and drum machine rub elbows with a …
The Neighborhood Playlist | August 24
Hey Neighbors! Hope your August has been a blessing to you and yours. This past Saturday was an easy walk through the neighborhood and we complemented the cruise with an eclectic mix of tunes. The next two shows will have interviews and we will be showcasing new tunes that will be great for your fall playlists. Enjoy the tunes below …
Song of the Day | “What’s Fair” by Blondshell
As Blondshell, LA singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum broke through last year with her grunge-y self-titled debut, and has since released a duet with fellow angsty rocker Bully. On “What’s Fair,” Teitelbaum returns to the soft-loud dynamism that made her an indie standout for a song about the complex relationship between mother and daughter. Recommended If You Like: boygenius, Veruca Salt, Alanis …
Song of the Day | “Metropolis” by Kit Sebastian
From their forthcoming and fittingly-titled full length, New Internationale, the London-formed duo of Kit Sebastian – K. Martin and Merve Erdem – have shared “Metropolis,” a delightful and sonically-nomadic single that fuses elements of Turkish psych, Brazilian Tropicalia, French pop and American jazz. Recommended If You Like: Altin Gün, Françoise Hardy, Los Bitchos Listen on: Spotify | Apple Music | …
Song of the Day | “No Problems” by Ginger Root
A multi-instrumentalist and noted polymath, Cameron Lew (AKA Ginger Root) makes polished, DIY synth-pop, fused with alt-disco, boogie, soul and (as evidenced on the new single “No Problems”) Japanese city pop. Tapping into Ram-era Paul McCartney, with endearing and bright chord progressions and an orchestra of ambient synths, Kew builds a lively atmosphere on “No Problems,” waxing self-consciously about a …
Song of the Day | “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” by Father John Misty
Less than 15-years into his solo career, the loquacious, often cynical bard, Father John Misty, has certainly released enough music to warrant a greatest-hits album. Taken from the just-announced new collection of “hits,” the single, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” is a loungy, verbose, nearly nine-minute ditty befitting an artist who has never seemed at a …
Song of the Day | “Aftertaste” by Katie Gavin
Songwriter Katie Gavin broke big in 2022 as a member of MUNA. The indie-pop trio’s joyous post-major-label, self-titled release landed the band in exalted territory, on stage with Taylor Swift and boygenius. With “Aftertaste,” Gavin has shared a preview of her debut solo effort, What A Relief. The acoustic-forward love song stands on a solid foundation of ‘90s-pop-radio production, a …
Haley Heynderickx Chooses Hope on “Seed of a Seed,” Her First New Single Since 2018
Portland, Oregon, singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx shared her first new song in more than six years this week, the serene “Seed of a Seed,” heralding a return that has been much anticipated since the 2018 release of her acclaimed full-length debut, I Need to Start a Garden, via Mama Bird Recording Co. “Seed of a Seed” centers Heynderickx’s purposeful vocals and …
Jax Music Hour | July 27
Last week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we kicked off the hour with Faye Webster, who’ll be at the Florida Theatre on September 9. Later on, we heard from some truly summer-y touring acts, including SOJA and 311. But it was the local artists who made this hour of tunes truly great, …
Song of the Day | “Super Breath” by Karen O and Danger Mouse
One of the truly iconic frontpeople of the Meet Me in the Bathroom era, Karen O has returned with new music, swapping out her Yeah Yeah Yeah compatriots for super-producer Danger Mouse (Black Keys, Beck, A$AP Rocky, Jemini) for their first collaborative single since 2019’s critically acclaimed Lux Prima. A compelling, minor key, eerie-R&B ditty about unrequited love, “Super Breath” …
Jax Bands Souvineer & Light the Moon Long for Belonging on “Blank Page”
A pair of interconnected Jacksonville acts bring their creative bond to bear on “Blank Page,” the new track from folk-rock outfit Souvineer and indie-pop project Light the Moon. Since its inception in winter 2020 and the 2021 release of their debut Snowglobe EP, Souvineer has grown from singer-songwriter Alissa Leonard’s (formerly of Isabella Parole and Manatella) side project into a …
Song of the Day | “Kiki, You Complete Me” by Los Bitchos
Los Bitchos certainly march to the tune of their own drummer (that’s Nic Crawshaw, if you’re wondering). That tune often carries a tinge of cumbia but not always. London-based. Internationally assembled. Los Bitchos is a super group of seriously shredding players (Serra Petale on guitar, Agustina Ruiz on synths, Swede Josefine Jonsson on bass), fusing turkish and surf rock with …
Song of the Day | “Empty Trainload of Sky” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Icons of Americana and modern keepers of the folk tradition, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings have shared “Empty Trainload of Sky,” a single from the forthcoming full-length, Woodland, the latest entry in the duo’s two-and-a-half-decade-spanning career. Recorded in Welch and Rawlings’ own Woodland Sounds Studio in Nashville, “Empty Trainload of Sky” features the duo’s trademark tight-and-somber vocal harmonies, lyrics evoking …
The Neighborhood Playlist | July 20
How’s it going, Neighbors? July is moving and moving…and moving. It’s almost time for school and the summer will be wrapping up. In the meantime, The Neighborhood is here to keep your remaining summer HOT! On this walk through the neighborhood, I gave light to soul singer/songwriter Darien Brockington via The Soul Qurators podcast and playing a song from his …
Jax Music Hour Playlist | July 20
Last week on the Jax Music Hour (Saturdays at 8PM on WJCT News 89.9 FM), we heard from a variety of artists who are touring through the 904 soon, including King Stingray, who are opening for fellow monarchs King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard down at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on November 20, as well as The Breeders, who will …
Song of the Day | “Coast” by Kim Deal
On her first solo release for unimpeachably cool indie label 4AD, alternative-music icon Kim Deal arrives – as the meme goes – tanned, rested and ready; albeit it in true-Gen-X style. With its playful, sunkissed arrangement “Coast” retains the sonic spirit of some of Deal’s more lighthearted work with Pixies and The Breeders (the latter of whom play September’s Sing …
Song of the Day | “Lie 95” by Bartees Strange
Bartees Strange’s 2022 LP, Farm to Table, earned the genre-defying singer and guitarist’s certain songwriting skills a much broader audience – as did successive tours with The National and boygenius. The DC-based, UK-born Strange is back with “Lie-95,” an emotional and texturally rich new single that features soaring vocals and an interstate highway’s worth of passion. All songs featured in …
Song of the Day | “Side Quest” by Pearl & the Oysters
A year after releasing their most successful album to date – the sweltering summer pop opus Coast 2 Coast – Los Angeles duo Pearl & The Oysters has shared “Side Quest,” a breezy and animated jazz-pop number that sounds as though it were designed to incite a Soul-Train-style line dance on Mars. P&TO is made up of high school friends …
Jax Post-Punk Trio Glass Chapel Let Love Consume Them on “Alive”
Lovers of synth-pop, post-punk, and waves new, dark and cold, lend us your ears: Jacksonville’s own Glass Chapel have released their first new music in more than a year, the darkly romantic “Alive.” The trio self-produced “Alive,” their first single since May 2023’s “Foreign Rain,” with mastering by Matthew Messore (Cathedral Bells, Midi Memory). Jake Phillips (vocals, guitar, synth, drum …
Jacksonville’s Coyboi Circumvents the Monotony on Groovy New Single, “Time Away”
“Spent some time away, looking for reasons to love myself again,” sings Coyboi frontperson Cortnie Frazier on the opening salvo of “Time Away,” the funk-R&B-and-smooth-jazz infused new single from the popular Jacksonville indie band. The song opens with a disco beat and some invocative interplay between two guitar motifs – reverb-drenched strums and a funky vamp – all of which …
Song of the Day | “Tuesday” by Toro y Moi
Another record, another reinvention for Toro y Moi. In the two years since his the funk-driven full length MAHAL, the indie polymath has released an album of instrumentals, and, now, changed course with “Tuesday,” an industrial, melodically pop-punk anthem that foreshadows his latest sonic exploration, Hole Erth (due in September on Dead Oceans). With jagged guitar tones and an earnest …
Song of the Day | “No. 1 Headband” by Lupe Fiasco
Considered one of the best emcees of his (or any) generation, Lupe Fiasco’s sword remains sharp. On his latest the mid-tempo, jazz-infused “No. 1 Headband,” a single from a new full length Samurai (out now on 1st & 15th Too by way of Thirty Tigers), the Chicago rapper slices and dices. Showing off his agility with a dynamically diverse delivery, …
Song of the Day | “Low Sun” by Hermanos Gutiérrez
The instrumental music of Swiss-Ecuadorian siblings Hermanos Gutiérrez can sound tailor made for a listening culture that exalts vibes over all else. However, much like Khruangbin – perhaps the most exalted purveyors of vibes – the brothers’ intricate guitar work is best enjoyed as an intentional listening experience, rather than a passive one. On “Low Sun,” the lead single from …
Atlanta’s Lunar Vacation “Set the Stage” for Second Album With Atmospheric First Single
On Decatur, Georgia, “pool rock” quintet Lunar Vacation’s forthcoming sophomore album, Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire (Sept. 13, Keeled Scales). Our first taste of the LP is “Set the Stage,” released this week alongside a music video directed by musician, actor and friend of the band Finn Wolfhard. “Our last album was super produced, manicured,” vocalist/guitarist Maggie Geeslin said of Lunar …
Shovels & Rope Announce New Album ‘Something Is Working Up Above My Head,’ Share 2 New Singles
Charleston’s Shovels & Rope—that is, married couple Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent—have announced their sixth studio album, Something Is Working Up Above My Head (Sept. 6, Dualtone Records), and shared its first two singles, the story-forward “Colorado River” and “Love Song From a Dog.” The folk-punk duo have also unveiled a fall tour in support of their new record. …
Song of the Day | “Lorelei” by Mrcy
London-based soul duo Mrcy’s debut on Dead Oceans, the eight-track Volume 1, is full of enjoyable updates on retro sounds. Made up of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, Mrcy (pronounced Mercy) combines a full spectrum of atmospheric samples with tight grooves and Degraft-Johnson’s mighty, world-class vocals. Volume 1‘s lead single, “Lorelei,” is a prime example of the duo’s …
Song of the Day | “Dog Days” by Dehd
Just about two years since the release of their Fat Possum records debut, the well-received Blue Skies (which got heavy airplay on our music discovery station), the energetic Chicago trio is back with Poetry (out now), 14 melodious and rhythmically primal ditties. Accompanied by a raucous honky-tonk-set music video by frequent collaborator Glam Hag, Poetry’s opening cut, “Dog Days,” is …
Song of the Day | “Like I Say (I runaway)” by Nilüfer Yanya
The first new music from UK songwriter Nilüfer Yanya since her breakthrough 2022 long player, Painless, finds the singular indie rocker flexing her distinctive ear for sonic interplay. “Like I Say (I runaway)” opens with clink-clank electronic drums and the hypnotic warble of Yanya’s electric guitar before morphing into a layered, distorted hook, with Yanya lending delicate, ethereal vocals to …
Song of the Day | “Push It” by Vicky Farewell
Orange County, CA songwriter and producer Vicky Farewell makes distinctively woozy pop. The classically-trained multi-instrumentalist’s veracity as a consumer of offbeat music from marginal genres is evident in the twinkling, downtempo, borderline-New-Age single, “Push It,” from Give A Damn, her new full-length due out on slacker-pop darling Mac DeMarco’s record label on May 10. All songs featured in our Song …
Australia’s Hockey Dad Try to Keep It Together on New Single “Safety Pin”
It’s hard to say which Australian trademark is more consistently killer: the wildlife or the guitar-pop bands. New South Wales duo Hockey Dad fall into the latter category, and they recently shared “Safety Pin,” the best single yet from their forthcoming album Rebuild Repeat (June 14, Farmer & The Owl / BMG). Fans of Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever will …
Song of the Day | “Well Alright” by Johnny Cash
“Well Alright,” the latest posthumously released single by Johnny Cash, is about stumbling upon romance in an unlikely place (somewhere in which, it seems, Cash might have been washing a load of his all black duds). The tune is exemplary of Cash’s tight, efficient songwriting oeuvre. And comes with a cool backstory: Cash recorded the tune in 1993 as a …
The Neighborhood Playlist | April 20
Hey Neighbors! Hope you enjoyed the show if you listened. If not, I have a playlist of tunes from the show below for your streaming pleasure. Thanks again to hip-hop emcee Seafood Sam for taking time to bless the neighbors with an interview. I truly enjoy his story and his music. May is ALREADY here! With that, I’m sending blessings …
Song of the Day | “Sun Without Heat” by Leyla McCalla
David Byrne once said, “The better a singer’s voice, the harder it is to believe what they are saying.” Byrne’s decidedly-art-rock logic aside, it could also be argued that the more instruments accompanying the singer, the harder it is to believe what they are saying. Either way, on her new full length, Sun Without Heat, the classical and American-roots musician …
Song of the Day | “Fox Hunt” by Sierra Ferrell
Despite what impression mainstream country radio may impart, country music has always been a melting pot of influences. And since before she went from busking on street corners to performing on the hallowed Grand Ole Opry stage, West Virginia-bred singer and songwriter Sierra Ferrell was blending a range of traditional styles – bluegrass, gypsy jazz, even calypso – into country-tinged …
Song of the Day | “The Kill” by Maggie Rogers
The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maggie Rogers has had the kind of career arc that’s rare among her peer group of viral video sensations – that is to say: a relatively enduring one. Rogers was first “discovered” by Pharrell Williams when the mega-star/producer visited NYU where she was then a student. Rogers performed a song for him and (skip the next …