I spent nearly every day of the past three months scouring Rhode Island’s radio stations for the elusive “Song of the Summer”, even as an endless parade of national media critics declared the search futile. “The Song of the Summer is Dead,” pronounced a WIRED headline in August; I recall hearing an NPR segment that […]
Happy fall, Motif readers! As leaves begin to drop from the trees, local acts continue to drop amazing music. Here are five crisp cuts! Caitlyn Mitchell — “Icarus” Caitlyn Mitchell’s previous two singles were sweeping ballads, lush with strings, harmonies, and a Spector-esque production style. However, all that changes here. This song focuses instead on […]
The evening of August 7 might have been just another ordinary Thursday night had I not walked into The Met in Pawtucket. Stepping inside felt like being transported back in time to a jazz club or speakeasy from years past. Red and blue lights cast an intimate glow as audience members settled into the venue […]
Okee dokee folks… WBRU used to be my favorite radio station. I would always hear an eclectic mix of music played and I was introduced to many new artists this way. I listened to that station for decades. I would always tune in while driving or working on outdoor projects. It was sad when they […]
I’d never heard of (or listened to) Bowling Shoes, but that can be said of so many local bands. I suppose this is why I so enjoy writing for and reading Motif — it helps me find new music while supporting lesser-known artists. It’s sort of the same way I feel about supporting small businesses […]
Olivia Dolphin and I met on a Tuesday afternoon, just after I had finished listening to her 2024 album Better. With some favorite songs like “I Don’t Think about You Anymore” and the title track “Better” still whirling around in my head, I was eager to chat with the artist who was to thank. Dolphin […]
Whether it was portraying a young Ebeneezer Scrooge in a 6th grade play, being a high school quarterback with quite a playoff story to tell, playing college baseball when what he really wanted to do was play Dylanesque music as a local musician, Nick Politelli’s many layers of self, light and dark – and incredibly […]
Okee dokee folks… In 1994 I produced the first Hear In Rhode Island music festival. Though I had worked other fests before, this was my first time producing one on my own. Originally this was a big showcase for members of the Rhode Island Songwriters Association. It was quite the undertaking. Back then I was […]
In the corner of the media tent, a thin man sits between two reporters. He holds a mic in his hand and speaks into it with ardent gestures. “Jazz is something alive, something moving. Think about Thelonious Monk, Coltrane, Davis, all those giants, and we’re here moving with them, always moving, always improvising,” he says, […]
What’s better: being caught in a spontaneous thunderstorm or listening to some up-and-coming home-grown, RI music? Whether you happened to be in the area for a drink or came to dance, Round 1 of this season’s Battle of the Bands was the place to be. Round 1 was held Friday, Aug 25, at Ladder 133 […]