Say hello to another edition of Stop, Rock n Roll! We’re back in quick succession with some local releases, several of which are from recent winners of various Motif Music Awards. Check out these homegrown hits! Nel Fuoco – “Ciao Baby” Over a slick beat, local rapper Nel Fuoco drops bars that ooze confidence, even […]
In today’s ever-evolving musical landscape, few projects and musical acts manage to both break the mold and blend seemingly disparate genres seamlessly and in a way that maintains a consistent sound. Enter Chalumeau — the brainchild of Katherine Bergeron and Butch Rovan, two professors at Brown University who have spent years cultivating a deep understanding […]
On a breezy Friday night, May 9, Nick-A-Nee’s in PVD buzzed with excitement. Don’t judge a book by its cover, as this small dive bar backs a walloping punch. Known for showcasing RI’s rawest talent, they hosted the album release party for The Devil & the Deep Black Sea, the latest project from local genre-bending […]
FAVORITE INDIE ROCK ACT 2025 – SUE’S GARAGE Sue’s Garage is a band that keeps busy with shows. They play solid rock & roll that sounds just at home in a garage as it does in a sweaty basement. The songs are catchy with interesting guitar lines guiding them. They have a laid-back style that […]
Okee dokee folks… “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64?” Well, the lyrics of this Beatles’ song went through my head a couple of weeks ago. I turned 64. I don’t celebrate my birthday, haven’t in decades, but this getting old thing is tough. My father turned 90 a […]
This column marks 20 years at the Motif for me so without further adieu, let’s get through as many things ‘till I hit my word limit and hit send. SUMMER JAMS: Throwing Muses — Moonlight Concessions (Fire Records) RI Music Hall of Fame inductees Throwing Muses are celebrating their 44th year with a new album, […]
When Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the 36 Chambers was released in 1993, I was thirteen years old. I remember it vividly because Theodora, my longtime friend/ crush, had gifted me a bootleg copy of the LP on cassette tape. For those too young to remember, pirated copies of tapes and CDs were the only […]
Mirah’s second full-length, Advisory Committee (K Records, 2002), came out during the spring of my freshman year at Boston University. While the album’s title perhaps suggested some homage to academia, the songwriting mostly revealed a study of contrasts. Spartan and robust, serious and mirthful, soft and assertive, literal and symbolic, the singer-songwriter Mirah Yom Tov […]
Okee dokee folks… I had the pleasure of performing at the Rhode Island Songwriters Association (RISA) Songwriters In The Round (SITR) show a couple of weeks ago. Our theme was “Holding Back.” Because my brain is preoccupied with the ongoing destruction of this country, my contribution wound up being a protest/socially conscious song called “The […]
Give the Drummer Some is a unique event presented by Tune In & Tune Up (T-2), an organization that offers medical and mental health assistance to individuals in the RI music business. Six reputable drummers and one percussionist will be gracing The Met stage on May 4 to celebrate the art of drumming, bring awareness […]