Night 2 of our Crescent City Crossroads extravaganza was where Nashville met New Orleans.
Despite this, there wasn’t a single cowboy hat in sight. Rather, we were treated to an eclectic tapestry befitting The Big Easy that offered us a mix of space-prog, spoken word soul, hip hop, and Brazilian funk.
This is the essence of being in New Orleans. From block to block, and neighborhood to neighborhood, you are bound to find diversity. Variety is always in great supply, and the artists on our Night 2 lineup made it clear that they understood the assignment.
Thank you to Gasa Gasa for hosting us, and to NOLA MusiCon for trusting us with the baby yet again. We can’t wait to see you all again in 2027!
Since we arrived in Nashville about seven years ago, we have known Broadway as a place where musicians go to break in. Seven days a week, you’ll find the city’s working musicians making their living along the street’s iconic strip of honky tonks, performing in 4-hour blocks from mid-morning until the wee hours of the evening.
Some work doubles (and even triples), fielding song requests from tourists who have emerged from all corners of the globe to take in the city’s culture. Once in a while, these performers will sneak in an original tune, giving revelers and passers by a glimpse into their artistry.
On Wednesday nights, however, those who head to the top floor of JBJs on Broadway can catch more than a glimpse. Original music has the floor from 6-10 p.m. during the Rock ‘n Roll Opry, a weekly showcase which gives Nashville’s emerging artists center stage.
Started by a group of Nashville-based musicians, the Rock ‘n Roll Opry gives Nashville’s artists a place to hang out, network and, of course, perform. The house band consists of multi-instrumentalists Mic Guy (vocals/bass/guitar), Rob Talton (vocals/keys/bass), Rory Kennedy (vocals/guitar/bass/drums), and Thomas O’Brian (vocals/drums/bass), who support aspiring performers during the open jam portion of the evening at the end of the night — after a genre-diverse lineup of rising stars have the opportunity to showcase a few of their strongest tunes, to the delight of anyone who ventures up to the top floor in search of something new.
As for the lineup this past Wednesday night, we caught sets from country rock artist and Texas native Hannah Bell, pop rock songwriter extraordinaire J4, and funk-pop powerhouse Ginn. Each artist brought their own brand of thunder to the evening, providing a compelling sample of the talent that resides in every corner of Music City.
Want to learn more or submit? We encourage you to head to rocknrollopry.com — and then come out in support of some of Nashville’s best every Wednesday night!
Last Wednesday — following our inaugural UnderDogs Across Borders livestream benefit concert — our friend and fellow UnderDog Brother Dusty held a special event in Nashville at The Underdog, in celebration of his birthday *and* the release of the music video for his new single, “whoa.” (Clips of the event have begun surfacing, in case you want to check ’em out.)
We can definitely understand why Dusty threw a party of such magnitude. This one is worth celebrating!
Produced in conjunction with Ensworth Guitars and directed by Anastasia Elliot and Josh Saltzman, “whoa” is a thrill ride that breaks the rules and bends the genres as only Brother Dusty can. The video was filmed on location at popular Nashville music venue The Underdog and the Garden Family Warehouse, and is as dynamic and explosive as the hard-hitting single for which it was created.
Brother Dusty is just getting warmed up. Make sure you keep an eye on his socials for updates, and watch the video below. It’s sure to make you go… “WHOA.”
Winter chill got you down? Our freshly-updated From the Soul playlist has the fire to keep us warm!
Vibrant textures, passionate vocals, and dynamic soundscapes are the order of the month here. We’ve added a bunch of new selections — including some from legends and Grammy nominees — that have come our way through various means, and we think you’re sure to find something that moves you as soon as you hit “Play.” Don’t let us keep you any longer!
Track listing: Charles Wigg Walker – This Love is Gonna Last Laura Nanou – I Try Nadia Turner – Missing You (Live) Nashmia – Butterfly Cymande ft. Celeste – Only One Way Otis Zheng – Wake Up Yola – Symphony Casey Russell – Patience Cliff Beach – The Work Mobley – Y’r Ghost The Wood – Let it Loose Beth White – Pretty Baby Kelly Finnigan – Count Me Out Luke Jenison – Heartbreaker Watermelon Funk – AFRODESIAC Fox Jackson – Like That Shawney Rainne – Cry Me A River mister pablo – Enough Miranda Powell ft. Ryan Prewett – HIGH SCHOOL MADNIK – These are the days
The official Wednesday debut of UMC20 gets off a funktastic start!
Yes, we happened across the latest masterpiece from Bootsy Collins in our inbox this week. Throw Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart into the mix, and we knew we had to lead off with this one!
From there, this turbo-powered artist lineup brings you the variety you’ve come to expect around here. From established artists to up-and-comers, and from Nashville locals to international flavors, no stone is left unturned this week.
Track listing Bootsy Collins ft. Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and Dave Stewart – The Influencers ARREIS – Straight to Hell Alexis Donn – I Love My Birthday Lord Goldie ft. Kyd Dynomyte & Lil Lac – Back Down Foundation Mecca – Tribal Love Baurkli – Growing Pains Miles Squiers – 24 Hours Adam Paddock – Sweet Ohio Light Bryan Howell – Like Summer Thunder The Minimum Wage – Everyone Is Pepperwood – Drowning The Ghost Club – If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me) Andrea von Kampen – Such Love Does Maddie Zahm – little me Fie Eike – Sad Medium Build – Knowing U Exist Tucker Woods – Somersault Max McNown – Turned Into Missing You Josh Fortenbery – Bored to Death Tenille Townes – Thing That Brought Me Here (Truck Song)
Hyperpop? We’ve got it. Soulful hip hop? Yep. Americana and rock? Check and check. We even lead off with a new, disco-inspired cut.
Every week, we task ourselves with the responsibility of providing 20 fresh, interesting new tracks. Thanks to you, our job is never too difficult. These tasty jams — plus not one, but TWO episodes of our Official Podcast — should keep your ears, hearts, and minds satisfied all week long.
Track listing Helena Hallberg – Surprisingly Disco Titans of Siren – Daytrip Game Changer – Just Sayin’ Spence Brown – Scotch Thoughts Izzy Rage – Wreck TsukiMai – Selenophile Rose Starring – Violently Sad Cardiac Half – Gloom The Trampoline Delay – Excuses Excuses Alisa Amador ft. Quinn Christopherson – I Need to Believe Sam Gyllenhaal Band – Mary Does (Acoustic) Sarah Gargano – Red Solo Cup The Atomic Age – Heart Sarah Free – Sober Laney Jones – Stay at Home Crow and Gazelle – Take It Away Patrick Davis – Southern Roots Brother Dege – Turn of the Screw The Kentucky Gentlemen – Beg Your Parton Mikayla Lewis – All is Well
This is our first monthly “Best Of” edition of UMC20 in the better part of a year and, well… what a way to bring the HEAT back!
Y’all did a great job giving us some fresh sounds heading into the New Year, and it pays off in this multi-faceted compilation of some (but not all) of the best things we’ve heard in recent memory. We invite you to dig in!
Bonus track: Last week marked our first Quinn Spinn OG Family episode of 2024, as JD came back into the fold to chat about championship football and our 2024 intentions. Check it out here!
Track listing Harris Hills – ACTION MAN Intellect ft. Dave East – Too Many Losses Mykel ft. Mileage – Rhythm Of You Zhaklina – M.D.B.M Kendra & The Bunnies – Manic Pixie Nightmare ROM COM – Tom Cruisin’ Aaron Lee Tasjan – Horror Of It All Alex Jordan – Saving Grace The Steel Wheels – Hero Laura Mustard – Good Enough Teagan Stewart – New Nashville J.Antonette – Run Girl Run Quickdraw Kid – Bittersweet Tennessee Fame & Fiction – Famous Paul Nestler – That Dance We Do Jon Worthy – Things Are Looking Up Radio Flower – Winters Alone Elise Browell – In My Mind The Mighty Calm – Boardwalks Keep the Eleven – Do You Wanna Change The World?
The beautiful thing about our UMC20 playlist has always been that you can find music of any genre, from artists in any location in any given week.
This week, we bring you everything from dance music to study music, hip hop to folk, and just about anything else you could possibly need. The best part? All we had to do was run through the music that you, People of the Underground, submitted for consideration to compile this all-star list.
Track listing Goodnite Robicheaux – Pinewood Daisha McBride – All is Well NIXED – Sacrifice Camille Marchadour – Fire Me DaChri – I LOVE ME! Mykel ft. Mileage – Rhythm Of You Til Now – Waste My Life leisure fm – weather warning Hope Vista – Hot Blood The Welters – Soldiers The Ohio Hopefuls – Sidewalk Chalk Shedonist – Ask Me Why Kendall Bowser – You Don’t Call Me Arih SK – Miss You Like I Should Radio Flower – Winters Alone Elise Browell – In My Mind Quickdraw Kid – Strawberry Supermoon Laura Mustard – Good Enough Kim Krans – Golden Tears StreamKitty – streets of montreal
Our first week back in action has led to a cascade of support — and of course, that means a steady flow of new music submissions.
It was nice to see so many familiar faces jump in to let us know what they’ve been up to, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight a handful of them. Welcome to the return of Songs You Should Hear!
Artist: DaChri
Song: Moving Day Genre: Pop/Rock/Funk Why You Should Hear It: There’s a certain, McCartney-esque whimsy to the steady-marching rhythms and shimmering vocal layers on “Moving Day.” These uplifting properties support the song’s deeper meaning; to move past what isn’t working, so we can find what is.
“The song is about a literal Moving Day, but also about moving on and growing through things that aren’t working,” DaChri said. “It’s about getting out of your own way to make the changes necessary. It’s about not living for other people.”
Artist: Fame & Fiction Song: Famous Genre: Pop/Rock Why You Should Hear It: This rollicking alt-rock anthem — imagine a sonic cross-section between Walk the Moon and Paramore — features dreamy guitars, crisp vocal harmonies, deftly-layered keys, and fast-paced, intricately groovy work from the rhythm section. “Famous” — written by keyboardist Mary Jennings alongside collaborator Coley O’Toole — delivers tongue-in-cheek commentary on the pitfalls of fame, and the lengths some people will go to attain it, while offering a subtle reminder of the importance of authenticity in the digital age.
“I admittedly struggled figuring out where ‘Famous’ fit in my solo catalog, but once I brought it to the band, we all realized pretty quickly that it was always meant to be a Fame & Fiction song,” Jennings said. “As the newest member of this group, contributing this track really strengthens my sense of belonging in the band, and I absolutely love the way it turned out.”
Artist: Goodnite Robicheaux Song: Pinewood Genre: Soul/Hip Hop Why You Should Hear It: This slickly-produced, modern meld of soul, hip hop, funk, and jazz pops off from the opening keyboard progression. Powerful horn accents, bumping bass, and a memorable hook team up with the song’s message — about persevering through life’s challenges — to get us ready to face the day.
“‘Pinewood’ speaks heavily on the bands younger days, and the trials a young musician goes through trying to break into the business,” the band said. “The message of Pinewood is to not let those trials stop you. You must always ‘keep your head up.'”
Got something you think we should hear? What are you waiting for?! Shoot it our way, and you might just be featured in an upcoming edition of Songs You Should Hear!
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