wnxp Archives - Rock Oracle

August 24, 2026 Jason Shrum

WNXP Summer Line Series with Bully and Massie99

This summer’s shows hit a little bit different than last summer’s shows because now, Rock Oracle is a building a team and we had our first team building exercise at WNXP’s Summer Line Series. We were in attendance for the second of four events curated by Nashville Public Radio Station WNXP (91.1 FM) for this summer. By we, I mean myself, plus new additions to the squad Sarah and Stacey who, along with Florida Oracle, Mooney, have been instrumental in taking Rock Oracle to the next level. The first WNXP event was with Devon Gilfillian and was deemed a huge success as people filled the Ascension St. Thomas Landing at Nashville Yards on June 26th. The sophomore installment of this well orchestrated showcase was Bully and Massie99, on August 22nd, at the outdoor venue. I was thrilled to introduce these artists to my team and share in a magical night evening of music community.

ALBUM REVIEWS FEATURED

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.

FEATURED LIVE REVIEWS

June 15, 2026 Jason Shrum

Nashville’s Punk Scene Shows Up

Snooper ripped their opening set starting at around 7:45pm and had there been doors; they would’ve been blown off. Snooper’s latest album, Worldwide, came out in October, and I am happy to say that I picked up a copy on cassette tape during the show. I was right up front for the festivities and the mosh pits. With my camera in hand, I braved the sea of bodies swarming to the sensational music created by the band that was formed by the duo of vocalist Blair Tramel and guitarist Connor Cummins. The band is now rounded out by bassist Happy Haugen and drummer Conner Sullivan. People filled the lot and found spots to watch from every possible angle. It was an all-ages show and I am always so happy to see moms and dads bringing their children to enjoy in the solace of live music. Everyone was having an awesome time and treating each other with kindness.

B Sides FEATURED LIVE REVIEWS MUSIC NEWS

February 9, 2026 Jason Shrum

Eastside Bowl, DRKMTTR and 615 Indie Live

February 7th, 2026 marked the second installation of 615 Indie Live in Nashville, Tennessee. There were nearly 70 collective musical acts performing at 15 venues across the city. The purpose is to promote within. The nonprofit organization of Music Venue Alliance Nashville (MVAN) works hard to make sure that independent venues and artists of the area are represented and able to perform during a typically slow time for live music. This is a celebration of new artists, singers, songwriters and original music that you may not get your ear to through any other channel. The whole experience was just $20 to get into every spot and see every band possible.

FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

November 3, 2025 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.

B Sides FEATURED MUSIC NEWS

May 6, 2025 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.