Songwriter and vocalist Sarah Castro had long dreamed about having a band that co-wrote and created together. Spending years as a solo performer, she wanted to form a band that represented more than herself.
With "Guilty Machines," Baton Rouge emcee Phosfiend is unabashedly doing exactly what he wants. The album, the third release by Phosfiend, aka Donovan Simms, continues his M.O. of mining the darker, stranger parts of hip-hop and adding his own phi…
RiaRosa will lift you up into a reverb-drenched dream and gently set you down into a groove.
Choppa has been a busy man lately.
Mozart's music has had unparalleled longevity. While more than 2½ centuries have passed since the Austrian composer's birth, he remains one of the most consequential figures in Western music.
Willis Alan Ramsey's debut album became legendary. His second record has been 47 years in the making
Willis Alan Ramsey built his unconventional career on a single album.
On the surface, J. Matthew Ward’s new album, “Dream Your Own History,” is a mellow, alternative rock record. But with a few spins and a deep dive into Ward's lyrics, listeners will find "Dream Your Own History" offers much more — a critical look a…
When Winter Jam hits New Orleans on Jan. 31, Skillet drummer Jen Ledger will be there rocking with her new project named Ledger.
Things get groovy on Saturday night's "Austin City Limits" when New Orleans funk masters Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue, with special guest Cyril Neville, take the stage.
A world without Peter Asher would be missing a lot of music.
Every verse on “What If,” the new EP by Adam Dollar$, is worth paying attention to. The Baton Rouge emcee disperses clever wordplay throughout each song, creating a witty work dense with lyrical skill.
In December, Dyson House Listening Room founder John Burns sold the property where the music venue sits at 7575 Jefferson Highway. Thinking January would be his last month at the location, he booked an exceptional lineup.
What makes Baby in the 90s stand out is the friendship Mookie Darden, Reed Dunaway and Jeremiah Wilson have with one another. The three have played together in different projects for almost a decade, and there’s a musical chemistry that can be des…
Every now and then, Baton Rouge spawns a band whose music can only be described as purebred rock 'n' roll. One-Trick Pony is one of those bands.
Trumpeter John Gray, one of the frontmen for the Michael Foster Project brass band, places a high value on consistency when producing a concert.
We're in the countdown to 2019. From downtown Baton Rouge's Red Stick Revelry with fireworks over the Mississippi River to the numerous individual bars throwing parties, there are plenty of ways to say goodbye to the craziness of 2018 and welcome …
After two years in New Orleans, Bayou Country Superfest is returning to LSU's Tiger Stadium in 2019, lured in part by local and state financial incentives estimated at close to $1 million.
The Bayou Country Superfest is headed home to Baton Rouge next year.
Every year, they move to Nashville from all over the country — aspiring singers and songwriters bringing their dreams to Music City.
The Baton Rouge group Afrocentric Focus/Maat will host its 29th Kwanzaa celebration Saturday, Dec. 29. Kwanzaa, the celebration of African-American heritage and culture, begins Dec. 26 and runs through Jan. 1, with each day dedicated to a special …
The Stoned’s experimental recording on "L.E.S. Douze Vol. 1" pushes listeners to forget everything they know about Cajun music.
The Raising Cane's River Center will play host to two major but totally different concerts in 2019. The venue announced Tuesday morning that DJ Steve Aoki and rappers Nelly and Lil Jon (WHAT?!) will perform in April, and then in June, Travis Tritt…
There’s something audiences love about a tenor.
Hammond’s Wonder Kid is off to a strong start with its debut EP, "over." The five-track project, released in November, is a dense and diverse set of emotional post-hardcore that puts intellectual writing and composition at the forefront.
Marcel P. Black takes his participation in hip-hop, as a culture and as an art form, very seriously. So much so that the Oklahoma native and veteran Baton Rouge emcee promotes the mantra “#CultureOverEverything” in his role as a show organizer and…
The holiday season is well underway in the Baton Rouge area. By now, we're sure the tree is up, the lights have been strung across the front porch and maybe even some stockings have been hung by the chimney with care.
A heavy lineup of alt-rock bands will play Baton Rouge in March as part of Puddle of Mudd's world tour. Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel and Tantric will join headliner Puddle of Mudd for MUDDFEST at the Raising Cane's River Center on Thursday, March 21.
Christian music supergroup Newsboys United and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith will kick off their joint tour with an April 12 show at the Raising Cane's River Center in Baton Rouge.
Shadow People’s style of hardcore noise punk and sludge metal is the kind of music born from anger, booze and bitter creative energy. On its new EP, “Secrets,” the Baton Rouge band delivers plenty of each.
Onstage at the 2002 Grammy Awards, Chris Thomas King, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and other artists who participated in the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack gathered happily to accept the album of the year award.
On Friday, the classic Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd brings the “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” to Baton Rouge.
The epic story of “I’m Leaving It Up to You,” the Dale & Grace hit that reached No. 1 in 1963, fills nearly 50 pages of S.J. Montalbano’s new book, “I’m Leaving It Up to Me.”
Buddy Guy, a living blues legend, will be honored in his hometown this weekend.
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: Where Y'acht
The snow will be artificial but the Christmas spirit real at Bo's Christmas Bozaar this weekend at John Schneider Studios, 16050 Florida Blvd. in Holden.
Everything about Quadry’s new record echoes effortless style, from a multitude of chill-friendly beats to the pop art on the album’s cover. On “Malik Ruff,” which was released Nov. 2, the 23-year-old wordsmith spits with the confidence and creativ…
John Paul White speaks in soothing Southern tones. Hearing his unhurried conversation, you’d never guess he can be a cauldron inside. Reflecting that interior life, White’s songs — both solo and with the now-disbanded Civil Wars — quake with emotion.
The Baton Rouge area is wasting no time in embracing the holiday season. Thanksgiving is barely in the rearview mirror, but the holiday events and festivities are kicking off this weekend.
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: Gurf Morlix
Joey DeFrancesco was 17 when Miles Davis called him. His grandmother took a message.
Two years ago, the Rolling Stones released “Blue & Lonesome,” a surprise album featuring the band’s spontaneously recorded interpretations of 12 blues classics. The project includes the Stones’ renditions of songs by Baton Rouge blues artist L…
Alfred Banks aptly named his recently wrapped solo tour #TheTherapyTour. The up-and-coming New Orleans emcee has been building success over the last few years while his musical focus has shifted: He's openly addressing mental health and promoting …
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: John Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
“Atrophy,” the newest EP from Baton Rouge band The Nocturnal Broadcast, has a way of sounding both cheerful and gloomy at the same time.
The Baton Rouge Blues Foundation is entering a new chapter.
The Human Jukebox is heading to the Rose Parade. Southern University announced on its social media pages Friday that the marching band and the Fabulous Dancing Dolls have been selected to participate in the 2020 Tournament of Roses Parade.
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: Florida Street Blowhards
Cory Henry had been hailed as one of the finest organ players of his generation. He won Grammys playing the Hammond B3 with an acclaimed jazz and funk ensemble and then went solo.
On its second album, Brother’s Bear has created an honest work of art any fan of folk is sure to appreciate. Acoustic melodies, vocal harmonies and thoughtful lyrics abound on “Walking Each Other Home,” the latest project by the Baton Rouge quartet.
On stage, Smokehouse Porter sings in low, sandpapery tones. “Oh, well, I’m the king — I’m king of the gutbucket blues,” Smokehouse intones over a slow, swampy groove, while Mamie Porter, his wife, coos liquid-soul backup.
BAND NAME OF THE WEEK: DPHRNTSTRKS