Nashville Music, Sept 2026
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I had written up a little lead-in paragraph here about how I'm an Inbox Zero kinda guy and how that's bled out into becoming a "bazillion open tabs" kind of guy. I don't think that's a particularly unique kind of guy to be, so I won't bore you with it. Lately I have been thinking about how I miss writing about local music. We Own This Town is on its last legs (more on that some day) and I don't know if writing about random Nashville bands will have the same impact here. Regardless, I love spreading the gospel of the Nashville scene, so here goes!
Make Yourself at Home - "Leaf"
Billy Campbell is the brains behind this project and listening to his creations always brings me great pleasure. It's a well balanced combo of Yo La Tengo landscapes, Sonic Youth noise and (often) emphathic vocal releases. Mentioning influences to describe the project's sound is a bit lazy but it does frames the recordings well. "Leaf" is the first insight to a forthcoming album but if history has taught me anything; this is probably not fully representative of the whole. Looking forward to more.
Lou Turner - Strangels
Hopefully you are familiar with Styrofoam Winos - of which Lou Turner comprises one third of. Their latest release, Any River, is well worth a listen. It also came out quite recently, so I was shocked to see a full-length release from Turner arrive so quickly! There's only two songs available from Strangels so far and both are immediately grabbing. Turner's voice is melancholy and yearning, the songs laid back and warm.. perfect companions for Fall.
N. Justice,Evan Grey, and JustVibez - Spark Up Notes
There was a time that if you asked me who the best hip-hop artist in Nashville was, I would have replied N. Justice without hesitation. He moved away to Bowling Green, KY so, technically, he's not Nashville based. Regardless, he's an undeniable emcee. Always clever turns of phrases, a multitude of double entrendees, loads of memorable choruses, and (most importantly) lots of personal storytelling coming through. Spark Up Notes is another example of his fine work. I think Chosen Family is the best entry point but I know some folks don't have time for a full record.. so an EP may serve those ends better. Wherever you start, I feel confident you'll enjoy.
Billy Campbell is the brains behind this project and listening to his creations always brings me great pleasure. It's a well balanced combo of Yo La Tengo landscapes, Sonic Youth noise and (often) emphathic vocal releases. Mentioning influences to describe the project's sound is a bit lazy but it does frames the recordings well. "Leaf" is the first insight to a forthcoming album but if history has taught me anything; this is probably not fully representative of the whole. Looking forward to more.
Hopefully you are familiar with Styrofoam Winos - of which Lou Turner comprises one third of. Their latest release, Any River, is well worth a listen. It also came out quite recently, so I was shocked to see a full-length release from Turner arrive so quickly! There's only two songs available from Strangels so far and both are immediately grabbing. Turner's voice is melancholy and yearning, the songs laid back and warm.. perfect companions for Fall.
There was a time that if you asked me who the best hip-hop artist in Nashville was, I would have replied N. Justice without hesitation. He moved away to Bowling Green, KY so, technically, he's not Nashville based. Regardless, he's an undeniable emcee. Always clever turns of phrases, a multitude of double entrendees, loads of memorable choruses, and (most importantly) lots of personal storytelling coming through. Spark Up Notes is another example of his fine work. I think Chosen Family is the best entry point but I know some folks don't have time for a full record.. so an EP may serve those ends better. Wherever you start, I feel confident you'll enjoy.