Monday, August 24, 2026
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Show Review

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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FEATUREDINTERVIEWSLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Jukebox Jam 2 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
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

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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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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