[Pass The Mic] Auto-Tune: A Rant
There once was a local television commercial with cute children singing "This Little Light of Mine." One of the cutest things about children singing is the fact that they are ...
[Pass the Mic] Plus the Kitchen Sink
If I didn't know better, I would swear there is a secret highway that leads directly from Jackson to Portland, Ore. In the last couple of years, several Jacksonians have ...
Ho, Ho, Oy Vey
"We had a table at Fondren Unwrapped, and I was asking people, 'Do you have any Jewish friends? This would be a great gift for them!' And, most people answered, ...
I Can See Clearly Now
"Don't put those on, they'll give you a headache," my mother would tell me when I was little. She was referring to her coke-bottle glasses that she only wore at ...
All in the Family
The drummer bobs her head as she keeps steady, brassy time, giving the cymbals a lot of love in just the right places. The bass player strums his six-string bass ...
ZZQ Revisited
Some of my earliest memories involve music, more specifically the music that my parents listened toCat Stevens, The Beatles, Peter Framptonall these albums were on heavy rotation at our house ...
The Real Deal
People come up to Shaun Patterson after a show and tell him, "We like the covers that you play but we really want to hear more of your original stuff."
Chakra Wakening
I have been practicing yoga on and off for a few years now, first taking classes at the YMCA, then Butterfly Yoga, which I still frequent when I can. But ...
Red Hot Tamales
On July 19, 2008, the JFP Chick Ball was in full force when a group of lovely ladies took the stageupright bass, fiddle, guitar and ukulele in tow. For 20 ...
The Day the Music Died
Many of us carry around tiny, flat devices that hold hundreds or thousands of songsthe equivalent of hauling around crates upon crates of albums or CDs. How did we get ...
Rock ‘n' Roll's Twangy Cousin
It's a little strange to peruse the music listings each week and not see Goodman County playing somewhere. For the last several years, the band has been as integral to ...
[Pass The Mic] Beats Per Mile
In my never-ceasing quest to lose weight and get into shape, I have tried nearly every form of exercise that exists, save for a select few that I deemed "too ...
Choosing a Furry Family Member
After losing my Basset Hound, Charlie, to cancer a couple years ago, I decided to wait a while before getting a new pet. I just missed my floppy-eared friend too ...
[Pass The Mic] Smooth Operators
Like most Jacksonians, I have been following the ever-evolving Frank Melton case. And like many, I was frustrated beyond belief when the recent case ended in a mistrial. I thought ...
[Pass The Mic] Non-Negotiables
I once knew a girl who would never date a guy who didn't wear good shoes. Where many women first look at a guy's smile, eyes or physique, my friend ...
[Pass The Mic] Receding Hair Rock
On a recent lazy afternoon, I was becoming one with the couch, mindlessly staring at the tube, when hair-metal has-been Bret Michaels appeared. Bret told me that finally I, too, ...
[Pass The Mic] Dead Guy Rock
I like to think I have an eclectic taste in music. I listen to anything from '60s rock to modern "booty music," from bossa nova to electronica, and from Johnny ...
Music
[Pass The Mic] Old Guys and First Loves
"Just thought I'd call and see if you wanted to get tickets to see your favorite band; they're playing in New Orleans in October!" My best friend told me recently. ...
[Pass The Mic] I Made You a Tape
Rob Gordon, the quintessential über music snob in Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity," sums it up best: "You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to ...
Talk
The Weeks Unveils 'Comeback Cadillac'
Some things are worth waiting for, no matter how long you might have to sit still and be patient. The Weeks' debut release, "Comeback Cadillac," finally arrives to fill the ...
[Fly] Valentine's or Anti-Valentine's Playlists
I used to boycott Valentine's Day, but Cupid finally hit me square in the butt with one of those arrows a few years ago. Now my pro-Valentine's playlist is actually ...
Delicious Dip Into Misery
The modest packaging of The Bent Branches' debut is detailed with hand-screened blue birds that appear to have escaped from an open cage hanging from bare branches, and the name ...
Music to Set the Spooky Mood
Say you have trick-or-treaters coming to your house this year. You have a nice outdoor speaker system and would like to really set the mood for all the little pirates, ...
Sculpting the Gourd
I have carved pumpkins since I was a child. As kids, my sister and I carved the typical triangles and jagged mouth for a traditional jack-o'-lantern. A few years in ...
JacktoberFest Today: Bands, Beers and Brats
Jacktoberfest was conceived in the near-death experience of another Jackson music fest tradition: Jubilee!JAM. "It was in the wake of a JAM meeting, where the Board had voted to put ...
For Your Outformation
Widespread Panic fans are sure to have an appreciation for Outformation, formed by Panic's former guitar tech and frequent fill-in Sam Holt. Outformation released their second album, "Traveler's Rest," on ...
Pencils, Snakes, And Cowboys
Photos by Jason Triplett
Jayson Triplett, Starkville-based artist and one half of roots-rock duo Superstar Donkey Donkey, has a child's imagination with a grown-up's sophistication. Triplett discussed his creative beginnings, the importance of street ...
"Umbrella Man" — Scott Albert Johnson
Scott Albert Johnson has been a fixture in the Jackson music scene since he decided to come back home a few years ago after living all over the U.S. The ...
[Music] Get Your Booty Shaking
I do so love a good, authentic funk band, and nothing gets my booty shaking faster than the sound of a sloppy New Orleans drumbeat and a Hammond B3 organ. ...
Shantala to Bring 'Bliss and Devotion'
For the third year in a row, Butterfly Yoga is bringing a unique musical experience to Jackson. Shantala, aka Benjy and Heather Wertheimer, will lead a Kirtan (pronounced keer-tahn) and ...
[Music] The New Sound of Red Hill City
Many bands decide what they will sound like and stick to that formula, developing a recognizable style. Deviation from the original sound often results in a band split or name ...
[Music] Street Folk
Infinite is a street-conscious lyricist with southern beats. Laurel Isbister is an acoustic guitar player and singer with a background in Eastern European music. These seem like different worlds, but ...
Vienna Via Mexico
Negra Modelo has become my favorite Mexican beer. I was perfectly happy with Corona until I discovered this darker, much tastier beer. Although Negra Modelo is a dark beer, it ...
[Music] More Alike Than Different
You may not think rappers and country rockers meet up too often, but I met Ryan Baucham and Cody Cox of country-rock group Goodman County at Seven*Studioz, where we talked ...
[Music] Earthbound To Martin's
Birmingham's Earthbound blends lush instrumentation with down-home, everyman vocals. Like Widespread Panic's first cousin twice removed, the five-man group provides a sound that is a bit more "put together" than ...
[Music] Cead Mile Failte
Come rain or stifling Southern sunshine, this year's CelticFest will forge ahead with three days packed full of activities for the entire family. For those who can't handle potentially scorching ...
[Music] Pink Cashmere and Go-Go Boots
You may have seen MeLinda Ledbetter performing at any of the various open-mic nights around town. Or you might have experienced her bluesy vocal stylings alongside Mike and Marty, at ...
[Music] ‘Cause I Gotta Have Faith
Faith Gilmore and I both graduated from Mississippi College in 2000. I can still remember her sitting in the quad, strumming her guitar and singing the refrain from the Cranberries' ...
[Music] Take a Little Time to Rewind
Upon first listen, one might think The Rewinds have to be from Birmingham, England, and not Alabama. But make no mistake—these guys are good ol' Southern boys. The confusion comes ...
The Southern Color Palette
Artwork by Scott Allen
I met Scott Allen at Cups in Fondren to talk about his upcoming opening at Southern Breeze gallery on June 25. He greeted me with a friendly smile, and we ...
