Roots Report
Okee dokee folks… One of the best protesters for social justice was Pete Seeger. He spent a good deal of his life fighting and singing out for causes. He was […]
Events:
The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
September 27, 2025 - June 28, 2026
Whatcha Got There, Punk?: Trading cards aren’t just for kids
Josh Hurst turned a passion project into something that many online users have come to look forward to. Hurst is an avid connoisseur of all things hardcore, punk and metal. […]
Battle of the Bands Recap
Fists were thrown, tears were shed and blood was splattered on audience members as they watched the battle unfold. One guitarist used his prized fender to rain blows on the […]
Obit: John “The Mad Peck” 1941-2025
The intersection of Power and Hope will forever conjure thoughts of artist The Mad Peck for Providence residents familiar with his iconic poster. His other alias, Dr. Oldie, was known […]
RI’s Safe Injection Site: Three months later
When I wrote about Rhode Island’s first harm reduction center for Motif a few months back, I understood that it was a monumental moment for social services amidst the looming […]
Step Into The Afroverse: Interview with poet and worldbuilder Vladimir Jean
As I strolled down a thriving and sundrenched Wickenden Street this past weekend and made my way toward Coffee Exchange to meet Vladimir Jean, the curator of PVD’s Afroverse and […]
Two Poems: Flora Anderson
Mother How do I explain what cannot be? I let the water soften me. Afloat, balancing beneath the salt you gave the first time I could block out sound. Sit […]
Separate Houses: Books of poetry to celebrate National Poetry Month
Fernando Pessoa, early 20th-century Portuguese poet, is famous for the creation of his three literary personas, or heteronyms. Pessoa wrote under these heteronyms to not only distance the act of […]
Motif Music Award Winners
AMERICANA FAVORITE AMERICANA ACT Consuelo’s Revenge FAVORITE WORLD MUSIC Sidy Maiga FAVORITE LATINE Maria Rose FAVORITE R&B ACT Steve Smith and the Nakeds FAVORITE SMALL-MED VENUE Myrtle FAVORITE LIVE AMERICANA […]
Laying the Groundwork: A conversation with Stephen Brodsky of Cave In
Cave In emerged from the Merrimack Valley north of Boston in the mid-1990s to become a prominent presence in New England’s D.I.Y. music scene, their blistering and emotive hardcore-inspired approach […]