Friday, December 12, 2025
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FEATUREDINTERVIEWSLIVE REVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

New Music from Cam Gallagher & The Tasty Soul

My newest medicine has arrived in the form of Cam Callagher.  Music journalists often scribe about young artists having “old souls”, and if I had a better descriptor, I would write it differently, but I do not, so I’ll leave Cam’s elucidation there.  Glenn Miller comes to mind when I think of Cam and what he brings to Nashville’s music scene and what he brings to the industry as a whole.  He is not only an exquisite saxophone player, but he is a producer, songwriter, arranger, and band leader. 

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Jason Shrum

The Criticals Return Home to Nashville

The Criticals at this show consisted of Christian Kaplan (drums), Cole Shugart (lead guitar), Augustus Carroll (rhythm guitar), Henry Henson (baritone guitar, keys), Michael Meadows (bass) and Parker Forbes (lead vocals).  The band is listed as a duo of Forbes and Shugart but implements an array of these players that appear both on the album and on tour.  The six-piece ensemble came out to face the overjoyed audience with gleaming smiles of their own.  Happy to be home?  Excited that the long tour was finally over? Feeling gratitude to be surrounded by not only their fans, but also their friends and family?  It seems that all these things were in play and that they were more than ready to give a brilliant performance.  Which they most certainly did. 

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

WNXP Gives So Much. You Should Give Back.

To say that WXNP saved my life may be the most honest thing I have ever written, because I was truly starting to feel lost until I discovered these wonderful curators of musicality.  I came to the state’s capital just over two years ago after losing my small brewery in Seattle to the hardships of COVID shutdowns.  There I was privy to KEXP and listener powered radio.  That station and those DJs eased my soul everyday with affirmations of “You are not alone” surrounded by gorgeously manicured playlists.  I was scanning the dial one morning in Middle Tennessee during an episode of deep thought, and I was wondering if my decision making was correct.  Should I have stayed in the Pacific Northwest? Why did I choose to live in Nashville? What am I going to do for work? Will I ever be happy again?  You know, normal life thoughts.  Then I bumped into the station that quite literally based their model after my old hometown heroes, and I began to feel at ease.   

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Tyler Childers Brought Us Together

When you go see Tyler Childers live you will find out that he is multifaceted.  This article is more than just music because Childers is a preacher, a carnival barker, a comedian, a motivational speaker, and oh yeah, a wonderful singer and songwriter.  In between songs he can make you laugh or rile you up or make you sink into deep reflective thought… and when he plays… you are completely engaged. That’s exactly what he did on Saturday night in Nashville at Geodis Park.  Tyler was in town supporting his “On The Road” tour both Friday and Saturday nights on October 11th and 12th. This tour comes in the wake of Childers’ Rustin’ in the Rain album, which debuted at #10 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Childers was there along with special guests Charley Crockett and Cory Branan.  

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Jason Shrum

Standout Guitarist Leilani Kilgore Releases Her Debut Album

Leilani Kilgore has already been praised by Guitar World magazine for her “killer vibe and chops to back it up.” Kilgore, touted as a “must-see live performer” by Loud Hailer Magazine, has hundreds of live shows and festivals notched in her belt, both in the U.S. and overseas, including headlining slots on legendary stages like Sturgis Buffalo Chip and Summerfest, and she has opened for such renowned acts as Buddy Guy, Lita Ford, 38 Special, The Dead Daisies (feat. Glenn Hughes and Doug Aldrich) and Tommy Castro. So yeah, she is doing her thing, and we need to all listen. Her sound is certainly engrained in rock and roll, but this bluesy underbelly pads the backbone of the blistering and raucous forefront.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

We Caught Those Fists in Nashville

This was the third cultivated show by Rolling Stone Magazine monikered as the Gather No Moss Tour.  Fans knew exactly when to clap and clamor back with audio responses provoked by the group. It was as if we were watching a classic rock band we had seen for years, yet this is fresh and new and certainly exciting.  If you are not listening to Wet Leg, then you are doing yourself a disservice.  With just the two records out in only a few years as a collective the band has a ceiling that currently is way above the peer of human eyes. 

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Whitney Phillips is Listening

Whitney Phillips is one of those people that sees an opportunity to get back to our roots and build, rather than tear down.  Oh, who is Whitney Phillips?  Lemme spin the record back for a minute.  I met Whitney years ago when she was a singer/songwriter from Seattle and a good friend of my now ex-wife’s. I knew she was good and that she was starting to scratch her name into the ledgers of the industry, however, she has become more than just the background voice that she used to provide to mega-stars. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

NIN Peels It Back in Nashville

The setlist drew from The Downward Spiral more than any other album, although they played from various records. The group was now gaining momentum with rising fury and ripped one expeditious track after another; this included ‘March of the Pigs’, ‘Repitle’ and “Heresy” (all from The Downward Spiral); then ‘Copy of A’ (from 2013’s Hesitation Marks) and ‘Gave Up’ (also from Broken). They then began their rapid trek onto the more intimate setup where it got more electronic with Boys Noize joining in for all four of the songs. These were essentially remixes as Boys Noise shifted the tonality a bit with his additional soundscape.  It was ‘Vessel’ (Year Zero), ‘Closer’ (The Downward Spiral), ‘As Alive as you Need Me To Be’ (from the new TRON:Ares soundtrack) and ‘Came Back Haunted’ (Hesitation Marks). I would love to hear a proper recording of the joint they prepared on ‘Closer’ (I’ll include that clip too).

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FEATUREDLISTSMUSIC NEWS
Matt Perkins

Muddy Roots takes All Kinds

If you’ve never heard of it, Muddy Roots takes place every year at the June Bug Ranch north of Cookeville. I’ll be the first to say that I wasn’t sure what to expect from a punk festival in somewhat rural Tennessee but it’s a safe, fun place where feral kids roam free, Nazis aren’t welcome, and people genuinely look out for each other.  Sure they have used Narcan out there and people break bones, but I’ve seen over a hundred people throw cash into a PBR twelve pack box to help someone out.  We pick up our people who have fallen in the circle pit of life.

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

I Believe in a Thing Called The Darkness 

My passion for the British rock group began back in 2003 when I first heard the single ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, off their debut album Permission to Land.  Now singer/guitarist Justin Hawkins, his brother guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain, and drummer Rufus Taylor (son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor) are back with their eighth studio album. If you know anything about The Darkness, then you know about a high level of intensity when playing live gigs.  As the band first emerged on the scene there was this inkling that they were some kind of joke band.  That they were spoofing the 1970’s hard and glam rock scene, but those ribbings were quickly left by the side of musicality road.  This band is absolutely enthralling.  Listeners and critics alike fastly found themselves realizing the technical fortitude of this sonically reverent band. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Bully Packs A Punch at The Blue Room

I was back at The Blue Room again in Nashville to cover the Bully show with Jawdropped supporting on the second evening of a two-show engagement.  You know you spend a lot of time at a venue when you walk up to the ticket person and they say, “Oh, it’s you again”.  I laughed.  Live music venues are my happy place, so I was certainly glad to be there again.  This would be my third time seeing Alicia Bognanno and her band.  “Bully” refers to her “inner bully” or the “inner demons” she confronts in her music and life. The name Bully also represents the initial band she fronted a decade ago but later became synonymous with Bognanno herself as the sole member.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Arts Fishing Club Drops Lines in Blue Room Waters 

Their sound is hard to root down and that’s why I am excited about their future.  You can say they are this or that, but their ability to play just about anything is evident in their music.  At the core, Arts Fishing Club is branded as an indie-folk rock band, but I am not sure that’s the best descriptor of what they are about, although I am not sure how I would list them if I had to.  The music is fun.  The band plays tight.  It’s fast when it needs to be but slows down with all the right accents tapping directly into all the listeners emotions. They keep it light between songs too, letting the audience know just how much fun they are having.  On this Thursday, in the dimly lit architectural aqua-bowl of a room, our guiding light was AFC. 

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ALBUM REVIEWSFEATURED
Jason Shrum

The Staggering Expanse of Man

The song’s beginning challenges the impact of our global footprint with its prose.  The band is screaming for us to listen and take heed, but our consumption may be drowning those cries out.  So, there is a musical shift that happens and the song structure slows as if to appeal to us with another approach.  This is one of those many layers that the trio brings to the forefront of their efforts.  With tightknit precision and playing, the group captures their audience in mystical undertones that float beneath rough and metallic surfaces.  It is absolutely gorgeous to listen to the transition from heavy to soft without losing the engagement of the audience.  It might have been three separate songs if conceptualized differently, but it works as one opus and only for a few seconds are we fluttering in this softened sonic status before being hurled back into a deeper sound. And for all this, we are just :40 seconds into our journey. 

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FEATUREDLISTSMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Top 10 Ozzy Moments

Today we mourn the loss of a metal giant and the man known as the Prince of Darkness to his fans. Ozzy Osbourne will be remembered eternally… that I have no doubt about. Ozzy was one of the greatest frontmen of all-time and he gave us some of the grandest bangers in Rock and Roll history. He was also well known for his crazy antics both on and off the stage. Ozzy has passed over on this, July 22nd 2025 and his legend is etched in the annuals of music history. His family has graced us with this note:

“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the statement read. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”

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Jason Shrum

Juke Box Jam II at The Basement East

The Basement East in Nashville was transformed into an old juke-joint/ sock hop with soul on Saturday night. The room was electric as people poured in, some donned in 1950’s and 60’s attire to watch a spectacular evening of beautiful music from the yesteryears. The stage was set with glittery streamers laced in a gold and red background, paper records looped around the venue, as a disco ball illuminated both floor and ceiling. There was an enchanting feeling that made me sense Michael J. Fox was about to blow up this “Under the Sea” monikered prom by ripping his cherry red Gibson ES-345 guitar and showing us the future of music.  

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Matt Cameron is Leaving Pearl Jam

After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam. Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, one filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter. I am forever grateful to the crew, staff and fans the world over. It’s been an incredible journey. More to follow. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 

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Jason Shrum

Dann Huff | When Words Aren’t Enough | Album Review 

I must imagine that putting together a record of this magnitude would be daunting.  That is, to say what you want to say in one short playlist, oh, and it’s all instrumental.  I am not a guitar player or a musician of any sort, but I do understand the complexities of music to a degree.  I can hear the storytelling and grasp the imagery of the bard. I can close my eyes and be swept away sonically, as easily as the next and I know what I like.  I really like this record. 

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Jason Shrum

Bruce Almighty

Springsteen is STILL digging through his back-catalogue and is now talking about a follow-up to the already new box -set. Tracks II is a heap of previously never heard material already, but he says there is still more to share. “Tracks III, is already finished,” Springsteen told The New York Times. He said the next set will return to sessions dating from his 1973 debut, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., and include music recorded as recently as 2024. “It’s basically what was left in the vault,” Springsteen added. “So there was a lot of good music left. There are five full albums of music.” If you’re a fan of The Boss this is a great time to to be alive.

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Brian Wilson has passed at 82

A singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Douglas Wilson was born on June 20, 1942. He co-founded the band in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, with his brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. I was lucky enough to see the remaining members minus Wilson perform at Bourbon and Beyond last year in Louisville, Kentucky.

That tonality and surf & sun soaked scapes that Wilson and his family created will never be damaged as they live in infamy. The legacy is greater than the man himself who was unfortunately blanketed in hopelessness for a good portion of his life. Thankfully he was able to break free from his own shadows and share the music with his fans once again.

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Sly Stone, Sly and the Family Stone Frontman, Dead at 82

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” his family said in a statement on Monday, June 9. “After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

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Jason Shrum

The Journey with Inclement Weather Department

I met Cam, Joey, Trevor, Brian, Connor and TJ before even knowing that they were a band. I co-owned a small batch brewery in north Seattle, in a neighborhood know as Ballard (don’t let anyone tell you it was Fremont).  About 2 blocks up the road, in Fremont, sat an unmarked building, with no windows and no plaque out front even though it was once the home of Reciprocal Records until the early 1990’s.  Why is that important?  Well, it is where Nirvana, along with producer Jack Endino laid down the band’s first album, Bleach.  Other bands like Soundgarden, Death Cab For Cutie, Green River and Tad, among others, would also record here.  I didn’t know this at first and I soon realized that I near a pretty special place in music history. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Cretin

Metallica Causes Quake

I had never heard of Metallica, and this, their second album was my first exposure.  I scanned through the album in my headphones while another tune played across the airwaves.  Probably Deep Purple – they were my “go to” at that time.  As a DJ in the 80’s you sampled an album by lifting and placing the needle ten times and hearing the beginning of each song.  The first one to catch my attention was “Trapped Under Ice.”  Harder than most stuff I listened to, but it was fresh, aggressive, and damn good music.  It became my theme song for that show, and eventually was my opening song every Friday night. It seemed the perfect segue from the guitar-laced classic rock played before my shift started.   

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Billy Idol & Joan Jett Still Crushing It

Billy Idol followed about a half hour after Joan and her Blackheart mates finished their set.   Idol, now 69, also looked fantastic and I wondered how he would sound. I have been a long-time fan of both musicians since I was about 12 years old.  I knew about Runaways and was also listening to Billy’s former band Generation X thanks to the older kids that I knew when I was in middle school.  Again, these formations broke-up long before I was listening, but I had catching up to do.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Carson Webb

Fontaines D.C. w/ Jadu Heart @ The NorVa 

Diva-Sachys vocals were SO dreamy against the heavier guitar riffs in this song. In ‘Mild to Moderate Pain’ there was a heavier use of drum/beat machine which again, really helped you get lost in this melancholic setting they created as you quite literally feel every beat go through you no thanks to how close we were to the speakers. ‘Metal Violets’ is already one of their faster paced songs without being too in your face but in a live setting you can see it’s one of their favorite songs to play as their energy, especially in the ending breakdown, really amps up. Long story short: these guys are under appreciated and deserve their roses. 

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Jason Shrum

Spinning The Black Circle Of Life 

I was beyond thrilled that I was in the right place at the right time to complete this journey of mine.  I still have my Lollapalooza ticket from 1992 and I was sure to get an actual ticket from this show as well (it’s in the mail-hopefully). I write about many shows, as I go to a lot of concerts, but this one rang special.  I do not know if I will ever see the band live again, but I got to see them when they were just starting out and now, I have visited them as one of the biggest bands in the world. I am glad we all got to live this long and navigate this floating rock together.  

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Jason Shrum

There is an Assassinate Attempt Being Made on Public Media 

Several years ago, in Seattle I discovered Independent Radio (and yes, I am capitalizing because it’s important), funded by the listeners, and it changed my life for the better.  That radio station was KEXP and it became my everything.  DJs can play whatever they want, any theme, without algorithms or pay-to-play formats.  They are both educational and spin a heavy rotation of local music as well as classic indie gems. I had never heard anything like it before.  You might catch Public Enemy, followed by Joni Mitchell and then some small independent artist follows that track. Each radio host did their own thing as well.  John Richards was the host that I first caught onto, and his music knowledge floored me.  I like to think of myself as having a refined palate of sound logged in my craw, but this dude buried my grasp of music, and I learned so much from him.  I am forever indebted.  I got to meet him once and as I trembled terribly inside, I think I played it cool. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Gentry Blue Immerses Audiences in Sound

I find myself in East Nashville once again amongst a row of “Dive Bars” and independently operated live music venues.  I find the area to be a great section of the city where you can find hard working bands grinding out passionate sets on any given day of the week.  Downtown on Broadway you can certainly find an amplitude of fine musicians doing the same thing and the music is fantastic, but sometimes the tourists can be too much.  You won’t find a gaggle of bachelorettes in sparkled hats and boots sipping blue drinks from penis straws.  East Nashville is a little rawer and more local driven. The strip includes famously great joints like The Underdog, The Cobra, The Basement East, The 5 Spot and so many more.  Tonight, I was patronizing The Cobra that not only offers cheap drinks but three different areas for music to happen.  There’s a spot near the main bar, an outside space and “The Venue” which is just off to the right when you enter streetside. 

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FEATUREDINTERVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Getting to Know Echo Pilot

We all met at varying times. Echo Pilot is the brainchild of Ryan Van Abeele (singer/rhythm guitarist) and was started in 2018. Andrew Stuart Howsmon (bass/backing vocals) auditioned and was brought on in 2022. Dan Russell (drums) was recommended by a friend and fan of the band and auditioned and was brought on in October 2023. Aaron Smith (lead guitarist) auditioned around that time as well and was officially brought on in January 2024. The name Echo Pilot was literally just thrown together by Ryan who thought the two words together sounded cool. There’s no awesome name origin story (laughter ensues). 

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Jason Shrum

Sweet Mylo Just Got Sweeter

Sweet Mylo was a band I bumped into as I was just starting to check out the local Nashville music scene.  I went to see my friend Ian Brice of Loose Bolts play in East Nash and this is where I met the duo.  Sweet Mylo is an indie-pop band formed by husband-and-wife Kevin Jones and Grace Melody Jones.  I was mesmerized by the group from beginning to end. This week they will be releasing a new album (officially their first, as I would learn).  The band will also be playing a live show at the Historic Stonewall to promote the project.  Historic Stonewall, in the heart of Gallatin, Tennessee’s downtown district, has been standing iconically since 1831. This architectural wonderment has been a silent spectator to the evolution of the community around it for almost 200 years and serves as an event space and music venue.  Almost one year ago to the day I got to ask the band about their formation, their process and the future of Sweet Mylo.  Enjoy! 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Two Helpings of CAKE

The show included all the hits and fan favorite songs, as well as a few covers and a new piece from their upcoming 2025 album (no release date as of yet). That was certainly my big take as they approached the start to a new tune called ‘Billionaire in Space’ and announce the upcoming drop.  CAKE hasn’t had a studio album release since 2011 with Showroom of Compassion – so to hear of a brand-new record coming out I was beyond excited.  This unknown titled piece will be their 7th studio album release. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
Larry Fulford

Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends Channel R.E.M. (and Literal R.E.M.) in Athens, Georgia

I fell in love with Athens during my first visit in 1999 or so. Sure, it was initially fueled by the fact that I’m a huge R.E.M. fan and, as such, Athens is basically Mecca, but it quickly became more than that. Athens is an anomaly in the south: a quaint, college town with a rich history of art and music, surrounded by sprawling farmland, isolating it from neighboring Atlanta, making it a funny little island, where, for decades now, weirdos get to be weirdos, experimenting with sounds, words and visuals, free of judgement and expectations. Leaving Athens always stings a little, in that I find myself wishing I could spend more time there, or had lived there in my 20s.

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Parker Barrow Doesn’t Rob Their Audience

Parker Barrow.  Parker Barrow.  Parker Barrow! I want to say it as many times as I can so that you will remember the name of this band. After seeing them perform live at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, I will never forget.  I have to say thank you to Gregg Bell, Parker Barrow’s manager, for reaching out to me and inviting me to the show.  I have been getting a lot of submissions through Rock Oracle to go out and see bands or listen to a new single and most the time I listen or find them online and I pass for one reason or another.  When I looked up this bluesy-southern rock band I found myself going down the rabbit hole to watch and listen to as much as I could – and then I saw them live – and I am a fan for life! 

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Jason Shrum

Record Store Day Returns in 2025

EXCLUSIVES: These titles are physically released only at indie record stores. 
RSD FIRST: These titles are found first at indie record stores but may be released to other retailers or webstores at some point in the future. 
SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES: These titles are either regionally based and sold at specific stores, or are press runs under 1000, which means they may be much more difficult to find at record stores around the country. 

Many of these RSD titles are in “limited” variety, so that usually means waking up early to secure your place in line. I usually tend to get up around 6am to be in line be 7am depending on the store and their hours.  I strongly encourage contacting your local record store, or visiting their social media page or website, to see if they offer any guidance on how the queue will be operated. Most stores opt for a “first come, first served” basis and only allow a few people in the building at a time to cut down on the wildness of 1980’s Black Friday’s mayhem style.

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Jason Shrum

Kenya Eugene Finds Her Truth With New EP

The music is more complex than just reggae.  It’s more of an amalgamation of various platforms that one can clearly hear with all her projects.  A quote I found on Kribbean.com from Kenya seems to summarize my interpretation.  “Because of my Caribbean heritage and musical influences I gravitate towards a number of genres, which you can hear in my music. I consider myself to be more of an international artist, although I am a balladeers at heart, you can hear musical influences such as reggae, r&b, pop, and soul in my work”.  

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Jason Shrum

Sex Pistols rock secret show at 100 Club in London

The 2025 iteration of the Pistols includes Jones, Cook and Matlock but are now fronted by Frank Carter (of Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes) instead of Rotten and the group reconvened for a secret show at the same venue, with a now capacity of 300.  It was packed with devoted fans and stars such as Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, and Bobby Gillespie. Fans old and new were greeted with roaring renditions of classics like “Holidays In The Sun” and “God Save The Queen”. “This is where it all kicked off, really, all the punk,” says Cook. It was the band’s first performance at the iconic London venue in 50 years. The Sex Pistols performed under the pseudonym SPOTS, “Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly,” as they did in the late 70s to sidestep potential bans.  All accounts say the show was both nostalgic and energetic and that the bands performance was less violent and tighter. 

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Jason Shrum

Stick it to the Man

I love how clean this track is.  It is a true testament into their production value and the uptick that I have personally seen in their professionalism. The mixing of the song by engineer Steve Hardy is absolutely fantastic. This band hits hard and plays fast but there isn’t any fallout of chaos.  The song could quite easily fit into a movie soundtrack that is looking for a theme song.  I imagine the underdog protagonist fighting against the corporate entity, who is looking to capitalize on humanities willingness to overlook their wrong doings for a handful of dimes.

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Live From Nashville… It’s Tuesday Night!

The Cannery Hall is located along “Music Row” in Nashville, Tennessee and it is a staple of Music City.  It is the largest independent music venue in Nashville. Anchoring Cannery Row, just outside of downtown Nashville’s lower Broadway and “The Gulch,” Cannery Hall is in the Station District. The historic building dates to 1883 and has been a music venue for over 40 years. The last time I was here I saw The Lemonheads supported by former band member John Strohm.  Tonight’s show was at the Row One Stage of the buildings four available spaces for shows.   

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Jason Shrum

Echo Pilot’s Record Release at The ’58

Let me start by saying that Punk Rock is Not Dead! I was so enamored by the garb of some of the people at the show on this night.  Leather pants, mohawks, shredded jackets of jean and leather, platformed boots, piercings and tattoos glistened across the room.  I was on the cusp of being the oldest in this space and basked in all these 20-something-year-olds who knew the music of the past and are now carrying the torch for the future. One kid literally had on a jacket with the phrase “Punk Rock Is Not Dead” sewn onto the back.  While “heroin-sheik” has been replaced with High Noon Hard Seltzers (not a bad thing) the rawness of rock is still alive. This wasn’t necessarily a punk rock music show, but the sense was

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

The New Mastersounds bring Jazz-Fusion to Nashville

I was treated to an extraordinary show last week at the world-famous Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee with The Gripsweats supporting The New Mastersounds. The two, powerhouse, electronic-forward, funk, jazz-fusion, jam bands, put on a display of rhythm-heavy-keypunching vibe and a toe tapping cavalcade of fun on a Wednesday night. I know that’s a lot of descriptors slammed together in one nearly non sensical sentence structure, but it is well needed to identify these sets.  

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Jason Shrum

Kurt’s Kuotes

A lot of people loved Kurt Cobain.  I loved him.  However, it wasn’t the love he needed or necessarily wanted.  Fame comes at a price and for Kurt, that payment was his life.  The media liked to say that he was my generations John Lennon, but john got to be forty years old.  What would we have learned from Kurt and his music had he lived to be middle age, rather than taken from the light at age 27.  Some say he was just another member of that dumb club.  The “27 Club” which lifted the red velvet rope for Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and more.  

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

FireAid Draws Music’s Biggest Stars

Three weeks after a violent series of historic wildfires killed 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures in the Los Angeles area, more than two dozen of music’s biggest names gathered for the Fire Aid Benefit Concert on Thursday, January 30th.  Labeled as “an evening of music and solidarity,” organizers set out to raise money for affected residents and to “prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.” There were so many musicians wanting to help to the cause, that what was initially set as a single event turned into dual concerts at the newly opened Intuit Dome and local landmark Kia Forum, both of which were streamed for free on major streaming services, social media like YouTube and TikTok and broadcast stations. What we saw was absolutely spectacular. 

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Host Malone

Post Malone will be the Record Store Day Ambassador of 2025 according to the organizers of the annual event. Record Store Day returns for its 18th year on April 12th, celebrating close to two decades of supporting physical media, independent artists, and brick-and-mortar record stores. 

“What an honor, I can’t believe I was chosen to be Record Store Day’s Ambassador for 2025,” Malone said in a statement. “Record Store Day is so important and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive. We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. I feel at home.”

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Rachel Platten Brings Viewers, and Herself, to Tears

On Monday Night we were treated to a very special performance, and it wasn’t by the Minnesota Vikings as they were dominated by the Los Angeles Rams 27-9.  It was in the cards that the Rams would win as all of LA, and most of the country, was supporting the team due to the devastation that was happening in their hometown via the wildfires. The true joy was what happened prior to the opening kickoff and that was cause by Rachel Platten. 

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MUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

A Benefit Concert Planned in LA

A benefit concert for victims of the ongoing California wildfires has been announced. The show is billed as ‘FireAid’ and will take place on January 30 at the LA Intuit Dome. The show’s exact lineup has yet to be announced. Proceeds for the event will go to a 501(c)(3) with the purpose of “rebuilding infrastructure, supporting displaced families, and advancing fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure LA is better prepared for fire emergencies,” according to a press release. A significant aspect of the relief efforts includes a $1 million pledge from the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

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MUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

New Look For Jane’s Addiction?

Last September, the band announced the cancellation of its remaining tour dates following an onstage altercation between singer Perry Farrell and Navarro. The band said it “made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group,” therefore forfeiting the rest of the dates of their tour. A short time later, Navarro, along with Perkins and Avery, posted a joint statement to their respective Instagram accounts in which they said the cancelation of the tour is a result of a “continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell.”

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LISTS
Jason Shrum

What to Expect When Expecting New Music

Well, 2024 has come and gone and we saw some amazing music come out of the last 365 days. Now it is on to 2025 and whole new list of tasty tunes is being splattered before our ears. Last year we saw a huge wave of new and established artists releasing a mass of incredible tracks. Will this year be able to hold up to the onslaught of fantastic art we were given in the previous time slot? I am compiling a list of albums that will hit wax, streaming services and the airwaves this next year. This will be an ongoing process- full of constant edits and adds and updates. Here is what I have gathered so far about what to expect when expecting new music in 2025.

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ALBUM REVIEWSFEATUREDLISTS
Jason Shrum

Top 5 Records of the Year

Another year has passed, and we were once again treated to so many great new albums.  I just hope that 2025 presents us with as much music enrichment as these last 365 days.  I am attempting to list my Top 5 records of 2024 and in doing so I have scratched out so many, then rewritten some of those deleted mentions and then re-rewritten the entire list multiple times.  Each time that I have done so I have compiled an original listing once again

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Happy Elke Day! 

As I stood outside The Blue Room, I felt my body battling both the 25-degree weather and the sheer excitement of the show that I was going to see.  Tonight, attached to Jack White’s Third Man Records, the shivering crowd was going to be let in to Elke’s record release party.  Elke was debuting her new project Divine Urge.  It is her sophomore record.  The show was being sponsored by Nashville’s public radio station WNXP and the former “Record of the Month” artist, Meg Elsier, was slated to be the opener.  This was going to be a beautiful culmination of talent, music and like-minded folks gathered to share in the mystical power that live music holds over us.   

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ALBUM REVIEWSB SidesMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Love Courtney 🖤

On March 14th, 1995, my friend Josh Kaye and I grabbed tickets to go see Hole at The Edge in Orlando, Florida.  It was one of the first shows that Courtney Love and her band played after the death of her husband, Kurt Cobain, nearly one year earlier.  This was the closest I could get to seeing Kurt and Nirvana and I was super excited to see the show.  To see Courtney, and no, I don’t think she had anything to do with his death.  I think that conspiracy makes people feel better about the untimely death of our John Lennon. Like, he didn’t leave us, he was taken away. 

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B SidesFEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

The Thrill of the Pick!

Record Store Day was created with a nod to “Free Comic Book Day”. Its inspiration came from an independently owned record store ownership meeting in Baltimore. Founded officially by Michael Kurtz, Eric Leven, Amy Dorfman, Carrie Colliton, Brian Poehner, and Don Van Cleave, Record Store Day was established in 2007 in celebration of individual artists. Packed with performances, special appearances, and meet-and-greets, Record Store Day celebrated everything musical while upholding the individuality of each store. 

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B SidesFEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Beyoncé Bounced 

“Cowboy Carter” has been considered a reclamation of country music because it highlights Black artists’ contributions to the genre. Many folks had hoped that it would bring even more visibility to country Black artists.  Emmett Price III, dean of Africana studies at Berklee College of Music, said her album was “calling into question not only the historical and cultural roots of country and Western but also how we normalize certain cultural aspects of country culture.”  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

A Space Disco with The Weird Sisters 

They are the self-described “Dance Commanders” and that aptly chronicles the status of their compilations.  Funk has collided with electronica and slammed danced with jazz and soul with punk-EDM and psychedelia ploughing into the onslaught. Are you getting it yet?  You will just have to listen for yourselves.  In fact, I implore you to dive into the pool. The water is nice, but you cannot see the bottom and if your feet do not touch, you are in the right place. 

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

The Beatles Get a Grammy Nod

The Beatles might finally be able to win a “Record of the Year” Grammy. The Fab Four’s latest “new” song, ‘Now and Then,’ was nominated this past Friday for the “Record of the Year” Grammy and will be competing against songs by Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone.  

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ALBUM REVIEWSFEATURED
Jason Shrum

Melancholy Goes Up To 11 

Since 1978, when The Cure formed, they have always seemed older to me than they really were, but now they are older and the insight that they have ingested is recognizable more than ever.  It took 16 years to make this album because they wanted it to be right.  We know that Robert Smith craves perfection as do all the great artists and he didn’t want to just give the world “something”.  He wanted to give then “everything”, and in this album he showed us his heart.  He cares.  He always has.  However, over the last few years he has lost more than ever and it’s transparent in these eight songs.  

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B SidesFEATURED
Jason Shrum

THANK YOU MR. JONES

With producing credits for legends such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Lesley Gore, and Donna Summer, his impact on contemporary music is legendary. He embarked on a journey that had him starting a life as a touring musician, serving as Dizzy Gillespie’s musical director in the 1950s. Jones went on to arrange songs for Ray Charles, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and others before incorporating synthesizers into his own practice.  In the 1960s, Jones began work as Mercury Records’ vice president. He concentrated on music for the small and big screen, eventually scoring nearly 40 films and hundreds of TV shows.  When you look at the vast scope of his career, accolades and accomplishments it’s hard to believe that this was done by one person. 

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Jason Shrum

PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT CONTENT

However, rather than determining whether albums would be labeled (nineteen record labels had already voluntarily added advisory stickers a month earlier), the Senate hearing would provide a chance to hear all sides. John Denver, for example, spoke about his own experience with censorship when his song “Rocky Mountain High” was thought to be about drugs. (“This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains,” he told the committee.) Ultimately, the PMRC won, and through a deal with the Recording Industry Association of America, labels were added to albums on November 1, 1985.  

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Jason Shrum

Meg Elsier Raises the Roof 

I brought my niece, Becca, as my plus one guest and didn’t know what to expect when encountering this rising star.  Meg Elsier is just 30 years old- as is my niece- and she is quickly rising up the ladder of stardom in the industry.  Nashville Scene magazine just awarded her the Best Indie/Rock Debut Album by its writers a few days ago.  Meg debuted her record, Spittake, in June. The album deserves any accolades that it gets.  I had been listening to it on my playlist for about a month before I got the news that I would have a face to face with this Berklee School of Music prodigy. 

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ALBUM REVIEWSB SidesMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Songs of a Lost World

The album is titled Songs of a Lost World and the group had already dropped two tracks from the LP on streaming services. So why did it take so long for this record to be produced?  The project has been long discussed by Robert Smith throughout several interviews. When talking to the LA Times in 2019, he put the onus on himself for the delays. “I keep going back over and redoing them, which is silly. At some point, I have to say that’s it. It’s very much on the darker side of the spectrum,” Smith added. “I lost my mother and my father and my brother recently, and obviously it had an effect on me. It’s not relentlessly doom and gloom. It has soundscapes on it, like Disintegration, I suppose. I was trying to create a big palette, a big wash of sound.” From what I have heard on the pair of songs released, he and his mates have done just that.  Meaning, they have captured that classic Cure sound that I was first mesmerized by in high school.   

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Jason Shrum

Catchfire takes you to the ‘Wild Side’

The rattling echo from the burning words and instrumentals stays with the listener even when the song is silenced.  It is now out there in the ethos for others to discover- for that is all that we can do.  We create and place our art in the world for the scavengers to find.  This track is certainly art and I am happy that I got to hear it before most.  This is a band to be on the lookout for. 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Bourbon and Beyond: Days 3 & 4 

Days One and Two of Bourbon & Beyond were highly organized and very strict when it came to the front gates.  The event was constantly posting on their socials and emailing out rules and regulations for standards that they wanted upheld throughout the long weekend.  You could only bring in chairs if you had a “Chair Pass”, which cost gobs of extra money, and they sold out in 45 minutes.  You could bring in a towel to sit on if your towel met specific requirements as far as size and, get this, thickness.  Water bottles had to be clear, and empty upon arrival, and not have a capacity of over 20ozs.  There were also lists of “Do’s and “Don’ts” that festival runners hammered into your brain repeatedly.  Then came day three. 

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Jason Shrum

Bourbon & Beyond: Day Two

So now we reside in Day Two of Bourbon & Beyond. Day one nearly killed me as I realized that 10 hours standing in the sun after driving three hours to get here was too long of a day for this 50-year-old. There is nowhere to hide at this festival.  There are tents around the Expo Center, but the tents seem hotter as they are jammed with people and there is no catching a breeze.  I applaud the staff as they have done a great job of handing out free cold waters to people in the pit areas in front of the stage.  These are certainly the danger areas of the festival.  I’ve seen a few people get carried out due to the heat and the medical tents keep a heavy rotation of people getting IV’s.  So, Day Two, I decided I was going to dial it back a bit so that I could go a little heavier the following days.  It’s all about pace, right?! 

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Jason Shrum

Bourbon & Beyond: Day One

Here I am, in my hotel room, just north of Louisville, Kentucky in Sellersberg, Indiana pondering what I have seen over the last two days.  It’s Bourbon & Beyond and it’s a lot.  According to local news sources and the Bourbon & Beyond website the festival is bringing in $12.5 million dollars in local revenue and over 270,000 concert goers over the four days of music. The venue, which is located at The Highland Fairgrounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center, between the airport and the University of Louisville, is a massive lot of land as you would imagine.  The festival started in 2017 and has grown immensely since its inception.  This year hosts 110 bands/artists and 5 different stages located across the property.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Steve Lynch

Childish Gambino in Tampa

I first heard Childish Gambino on the Late Night with Conan O’Brien show singing Heartbeat from his debut album Camp in 2011.  I immediately downloaded Heartbeat and then found Bonfire and Sunrise which are two of my favorite rap songs of all time.   The humor that Gambino has in his lyrics is incredibly unique as he tells you about his background as a BLERD(black nerd) from Georgia who went to NYU and then wrote for 30 Rock under Tina Fey. 

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Jon Bon Jovi Saves A Woman In Crisis 

Bon Jovi has worked with vulnerable people through his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which provides food, affordable housing, job training and social services to people experiencing hunger, poverty and homelessness. Bon Jovi also has had training in speaking to individuals during difficult situations. In February, Bon Jovi was recognized as the MusiCares Person of the Year for his philanthropic efforts.

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Steve Lynch

Here We Go! 

As a wanna be skater and surfer Jane’s songs were the soundtrack of so many skating/surfing videos in the mid to late 80s that they became ingrained in my subconscious. The Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida was the backdrop for this latest adventure. You probably have seen the giant guitar shaped hotel in commercials over the years or while driving on the Florida Turnpike. Looks are deceiving in just how big that casino and property really are. After quickly putting in a losing bet on the Texas A&M game it was time to go in.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Fresh Lemons : Nothing Canned

The Lemonheads are an indie/alternative/punk band, originally from Boston, Massachusetts formed in 1986, and they were playing their two most successful albums tonight. The setlist was It’s A Shame About Ray which was constantly in my cars cassette player my senior year of high school (1992), and Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1996) which featured the single “Into Your Arms”.  

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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Oasis is Back, Definitely Maybe

We never saw The Beatles reunite but some current fans find this to be equal to or greater than that reconciliation. And if Fab Four from Liverpool were bigger than Jesus (John Lennon’s words), then how big is this news?! If you don’t recall in 1996, Noel Gallagher “joked” in an MTV interview that Oasis was bigger than The Beatles, but he later denounced his claims saying he was “high” at the time.  

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

The Queen of Noise Rocks The Ryman

There are only a handful of true rockstars left in the world and Joan Jett is certainly one of them.  On Sunday, August 25th, I witnessed that greatness at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.  Joan Marie Larkin has been doing this rockstar thing for a bit now, and she still has that “It” factor.  She changed her last name to “Jett” when she was 16 because it sounded more like a rockstars name.  She always knew what she was going to do in life. She was born for this.  There were no other options. 

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