music journalist Jason shrum Archives

August 17, 2026 Jason Shrum

Meet Musician Jon Worthy

Jon is a grinder. A hustler is the greatest sense. A go getter of all things and he will not be bogged down by the way that the music industry is dictating how you should go about your tactics. Go back to 2019 when he played 121 shows – including a handful of festivals such as Musikfest. In 2020 (you remember that beautiful year), Worthy pivoted to recording and production where he set up a studio in his house and began releasing self-produced tracks. Songs such as “She’s Alright,” “Remember When” and “I’ll Be Ok” were released at that time. Worthy has also worked with several prominent names including Lincoln Parish (Cage the Elephant), Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes) and Arlie. Also, in 2019 Worthy released his third full-length album called Something’s Gotta Give. This album veered towards more of an indie-Americana-folk blend than his prior releases. The album has amassed well over 300K streams and radio play across the country including heavy rotation on Nashville’s Lightning 100.

August 14, 2026 Jason Shrum

Sophia Brand’s New Single ‘Rodeo’ is Much More than Just Another Breakup Song

Sophia told me, “Honestly, ‘Rodeo’ was born out of a moment of transformation. After being cheated on and discovering it was with the same woman who had been involved with a previous partner, I was done being the victim. I didn’t want to write another heartbreak song so I leaned into the anger and the writing process became my way of reclaiming power. I wanted it to be a song about recognizing the pattern, refusing to be blindsided again, and this time being the one in control. The concept is equal parts seduction and revenge with luring him back in and then tearing him apart. I want anyone listening to feel empowered with any situation that leaves them feeling minimized because it’s not in their control”. She added, “Anyways, I promise I’m a nice person!”

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July 29, 2026 Jason Shrum

Pavement Rocks 26 Song Set at The Ryman

The show was beyond phenomenal with Pavement playing for nearly two hours on Monday, July 27th. School night Schmool night. They orchestrated 26 songs (including the encore) and sounded incredible. The Ryman is a fantastic venue known to locals as “The Mother Church” (it is in fact an old church) with a glorious sound built into its walls. You couldn’t recreate the sonic tonality or the ambience of its foundation today if you tried. Everyone was up out of their pew row seating and on their feet the entire time, singing the words and shouting the hooks where they were needed. Fifty-two-year-old me kept thinking back to my teenage self and wondering if he would have appreciated this as much as I do now.

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July 23, 2026 Jason Shrum

Album Review: “Time Will Tell” by Devon Gilfillian

This is Devon’s third studio project, and it is called Time Will Tell and it pulls from all the various sounds that he grew up with in Philadelphia. The album is a landslide of rock, country, funk & soul that comes from his youth and listening to those classic tones that played throughout his home. Upon doing a deep dive into the artists’ background, his hero was Jimi Hendrix, who spent some time in Nashville (as he was stationed at the Army base in Clarksville) grooving with a lot of those legendary blues musicians at clubs downtown. That’s what was inspiring Devon in high school, and eventually he picked up his gear and headed to Music City.

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June 10, 2026 Jason Shrum

Mr. Dinkles’ Insightful EP is Out Now

So, in their messaging you will definitely feel that presence of the punk rebellion. As it was with The Sex Pistols, Black Flag and so many more, Mr. Dinkles keeps this format of not backing down and challenging the norm. Punk is not dead. This is exemplified in “Letter to Elon”, which I have written about in a past article. It speaks on his hypocrisy of not being American yet hating immigrants and spending on rockets when we could use the aid domestically or at least Earthly. It is served up nicely alongside a bed of “Socialism Ditty” that screams about sharing the wealth. “Socialism Ditty is about billionaires taking everyone’s money,” says Rettig. There is humor in the ask but also a furious frustration that looms large.

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May 27, 2026 Jason Shrum

Cam Gallagher & The Tasty Soul Are Set To Release New Music

I’d say that Cam Gallagher is at it again, but the truth is this dude never stops. I often read about or see the moniker “The Hardest Worker in Showbiz” tied to an artist, and I can honestly say that I have met that someone personally. I first saw Cam play with a southern rock band, and then a soul band and a jazz band, then with operatic band and most recently at a rock/punk show. Oh, by the way, he is a saxophone player. This guy is so versatile that he can play across any genre of music and fit the part. And let me just say that calling him just a saxophone player is very limiting to the full description of what Cam brings to the Nashville music scene.

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May 20, 2026 Jason Shrum

The Criticals, Lombardy and Bad Bad Luck at Skinny Dennis was a legendary Monday!

Monday evening was elevated to a whole new level thanks to RockNite.Nash and Skinny Dennis in Nashville. Along with curator, and guitar Goddess, Grace Bowers, they put on a banger of a FREE show, and it was exactly what we needed on a school night. Three stupefying bands raged the stage with a bewildering showcase that had the crowd moving in both chaos and tandem. There was crowd surfing, moshing and a meshing of community that found the perfect home for folks to let off some steam. Thank you to everyone that made this show happen. What a joyous occasion. Thirsty Thursdays have their place. Taco Tuesday can be pretty great. However, Mosh Pit Monday was exactly what I needed before the work week officially got hectic. The Criticals,Lombardy Band and Bad Bad Luck put on a stupendous show at Skinny Dennis and I was right up front to soak it all in and I feel great for saying YES! to a weekday show.