Wednesday, May 13, 2026
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ALBUM REVIEWSFEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
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
Contributing Author

meg elsier Returns with New Single “sportscar [scrapped]”spittake Deluxe LP Out July 25

Meg Elsier is one of Rock Oracle’s favorite Nashville artists. Our Editor-In-Chief, Jason Shrum, has written a couple of pieces about Meg and her band. Jason had a chance to chat with Elsier and her bass player, Jashaun Smith atop The Bobby Hotel before a show curated by WNXP and became an even bigger fan. Meg’s music is both soothing and jagged in the best ways. Her sound tends to ebb and flow like the tides and takes the listener on an joltingly emotional exploration. We are here now to share Meg’s newest project. This from her management:

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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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ALBUM REVIEWSFEATUREDINTERVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
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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B SidesFEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
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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