Jason Marsalis (Photo by Dwayne Hills)
The Jason Marsalis Marsalis Quintet will perform “The Music of My Father” for the next installment of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park’s interactive Facebook live stream series, “Golden Hour,” hosted by Nick Spitzer of the public radio program American Routes — in conversation with Jason and band between tunes.
Scarlet Pleasure (Photo courtesy Magnum PR)
Danish trio Scarlet Pleasure have been on a meteoric rise since 2014 with their unique brand of sunny, alternative pop. On a planet far, far away where the grass is always green and only the blue sky is the limit, the band hope to bring some optimism and good cheer back to 2020 with the release for “SOS,” their latest top charting single from forthcoming LP, Garden.
Lauren Calve (Photo by Shane Gardner)
DC Americana and blues artist Lauren Calve releases Wildfire, her new EP, on June 23. She recently released the first single from the album — a song called “Better Angels.” As Lauren has said, she took inspiration for the song from Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address, which prompted her to reflect on the courage of people today dealing with modern challenges like COVID-19.
And, of course, as everyone has been in a pandemic lockdown, Lauren has been a regular performer in livestream concerts, spreading the word about her new music and finding creative outlets where she can. Parklife DC’s Mickey McCarter recently caught up with Lauren to ask her about getting music out during the lockdown, her approach to unique arrangements in her music, and her spiritual connections to the places that gave birth to roots and Americana.
Gorillaz with Octavian (Photo art courtesy Nasty Little Man)
Animated downtempo ensemble Gorillaz has been soundtracking the pandemic lockdown here at Parklife DC, and that’s A-OK.
Gorillaz have turned to virtual studio Song Machine to fill the air with new music and good vibes to counter the coronavirus, and the fourth episode of the band’s new series is called “Friday 13th,” a hypnotic meditation featuring French-British rapper and singer Octavian (winner of the coveted BBC Sound of 2019) along with a video self-filmed at home during lockdown.
John Taylor performs with Duran Duran at MGM National Harbor on Dec. 31, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Pandemic lockdowns globally generated a surge of creativity from music artists seeking ways to connect with their fans in a time when people are urged to stay at home.
Of all the virtual concerts, listening parties, and chats, my favorite lockdown series by far has been a tutorial and interview combo by John Taylor of Duran Duran. On nearly a weekly cadence, John regales the viewer with tales of a favorite song and how it came together, with a focus on his bass playing, and then he interviews a friend and fellow artist in a program dubbed Stone Love Bass Odyssey.
On Wednesday, June 10, John walks us through “Some Like It Hot” by his side project Power Station, and then he chats with none other than fellow English rocker Billy Idol, on Duran Duran’s Instagram!
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) today calls for Congress to provide-long term federal assistance for music venues shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chiasm (Photo courtesy the artist)
Detroit-based musician Emileigh Rohn, better known as Chiasm, has become known for cultivating lush, eclectic, eerily dystopian sonic landscapes with delicately balanced vocals for the past 20-plus years.
On June 5, Chiasm released Away, her latest EP, via COP International, and the title track is our Song of the Day!
SUSTO (Photo by Sully Sullivan)
SUSTO recently released Ever Since I Lost my Mind, the project’s latest studio album, out now on Rounder Records. SUSTO, fronted by Justin Osborne, has been performing a series of five quarantine shows, and Justin presents the fourth in the series as a “Greatest Hits Happy Hour” via StageIt on Wednesday, June 10.
J. Laser (Photo courtesy Siren’s Call PR)
J. Laser is the self-titled debut EP from Los Angeles based J. Laser, the moniker of multi-talented composer, producer, and musician Jordan Lawlor, previously of M83.
The five-track collection is set for release on June 26th and features the irresistible “Sunshine,” which has been fast garnering global support from BBC Radio 1’s Indie show, Buzzbands LA, Spotify and Clash, to name a few as well as topping Submithub’s chart.
9:30 Club (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
From 9:30 Club:
In support of the #BlackLivesMatter protests, 9:30 Club will be open from 1-6pm on Saturday, June 6, as a safe space for protesters heading to/from marches. We will have water, clean restrooms, basic first aid, hand sanitizer, and outlets for charging your phone. We will allow 10 people at a time into the building, masks and social distancing are required.
