Music

The Pandemic Pivot

Rhode Island clubs and music lovers proved during the last year that the drive to create music and gather to listen is more powerful than any virus. As warmer weather drew people outside last summer, our music writer Jake Bissaro attended a few outdoor shows at Askew, Dusk, and Nick-a-Nee’s. He said, “Though it was […]

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Keep on Movin: Ten Years of Magic: Pile celebrates with a livestreamed performance

Pile — Magic Isn’t Real Pile, the celebrated indie rock band with Boston origins recently marked the pandemic-delayed 10th anniversary of their fantastic album Magic Isn’t Real, holding a livestream performance with their original lineup of Matt Becker, Matt Connery, Kris Kuss and frontman Rick Maguire. In the last decade, Pile has gained a legion […]

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Creating Unity in Community: Roz Raskin on adapting to pandemic life

In Motif’s March and April editions I highlighted the virtual experiences of Rhode Island musicians Dylan Block-Harley and Chachi Carvalho. In this edition, the series concludes with the ever-evolving Providence-based songwriter Roz Raskin, also known as NOVA ONE.   Roz values the creation and strengthening of community and works toward this effort as musician, show […]

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This Mini EP Packs a Big Punch: Fast by Rather Nice showcases wall-to-wall micro bops with meaning

If you’re at all familiar with this indie band, you’ll know their songs are always a Rather Nice blend (see what I did there?) of cleverly presented humorous angst layered against bright melodies. Although I’ve never listened to an EP quite as short as four minutes before, I must say that the boys have stumbled […]

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Kevin’s Culture Picks: What did our expert watch in April?

Every week, I’ve been doing a deep dive into cultural issues, usually theater-related, that are bothering me or that deserve a second look. But who needs another thinkpiece, right? I host two weekly programs on my theater company’s Faceboook page (Facebook.com/EpicTheatreCo) where I ask guests what has been keeping them creatively engaged or excited, and […]

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Gotta Be Mandi: Alternative rocker Mandi Crimmins explores self-acceptance with new song “Anyone But Me”

If you’ve never met Mandi Crimmins, you wouldn’t know how iconic her deep scarlet locks are in her grunge-but-trendy aesthetic. That’s why in the video to her recent release, “Anyone But Me,” viewers initially see only brief flashes of her “alter ego” alongside the blonde, preppy version of herself that, in reality, couldn’t be any […]

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