Breaking music news · Features
In a Local Spins interview, the northern Michigan singer-songwriter says it’s ‘really good to be home’ and planning his next move after a star-studded experience on the NBC show. But would he do it all over again?
Artist Spotlights · Podcasts · Videos
Michael Boxer and Laura Crosswait, formerly known as Fiddleface, already have one album under their belts with another in the works. They play Rockford Brewing on Thursday night. Read the back story about this fast-emerging band and check out an exclusive video of a new song.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows
The band closes out this weekend’s Buses by the Beach benefit along Lake Michigan, with The Accidentals, Roosevelt Diggs and more also performing. Rootstand releases a new EP this summer, followed by “focused” touring. Read the Local Spins feature and see the full Bus Benefit lineup.
Breaking music news · Commentary · Videos
Michigan songwriter Joshua Davis made an “incredible” run to the finals of the NBC singing competition. Finishing third is actually a plus: He’s now a national star with a bright future. Read the Local Spins commentary and check out a video of Davis’ on-air debut of an original song.
The week started with the Pigpen Theatre Company’s theatrical folk and kept rolling with Brad Fritcher’s MOODS, Pokey LaFarge, Billy Strings & Don Julin, some mid-May festivals and plenty more, captured in images at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Commentary · Features · Videos
Traverse City’s Joshua Davis was saved on Tuesday, after a week in which he also sparked more attention for West Michigan’s burgeoning music scene. See what other regional roots acts are on the cusp of a national breakout.
Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
LaFarge brings a national tour with his band in support of a new album, “Something in the Water” – and his vintage, stylistic authenticity – to Grand Rapids’ Pyramid Scheme this week. Read the Local Spins interview with Brian J. Bowe.
This live music week in West Michigan also boasted shows by The Accidentals, Fauxgrass, Hey Marco!, Full Catastrophe, Hall & Oates and, yes, a Traverse City homecoming bash for “The Voice’s” Joshua Davis. Check out the full photo gallery at Local Spins.
May’s batch of Local Spins album reviews covers the gamut from soul to folk, a round-up that also includes new releases from Plain Jane Glory, Watching for Foxes and Complicated Animals. Check out the reviews, with links to audio samples and upcoming gig schedules for the featured bands.
Breaking music news · Features · Videos
With so many “killer” grooves and “mind-blowing” sounds shaped in a Kalamazoo studio, the Grand Rapids folk-rock band decides to drop not one but two CDs, with first out in late August. And check out a video for their new song, “Turn Out the Lights.”
“The Voice” and Sawyer Fredericks showcased an Erlewine tune this week, making it a Top 10 iTunes hit. She returns the favor by spotlighting Joshua Davis and other Michigan artists on a Local Spins Guest Playlist, including Joshua Davis.
Breaking music news · Features
Update: Song soars up singles charts. Erlewine joins Joshua Davis as Michigan’s second Earthwork Music singer-songwriter spotlighted by the NBC show, with Fredericks getting special permission to perform the tune. Read the back story about how the tune was chosen and what it means to Michigan’s music scene.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Videos
Local Spins’ third anniversary celebration in May will feature shows by some of our readers’ favorite bands, all of whom have much-anticipated new albums on the way. See which other Michigan acts ranked high among reader favorites and find out who won our Local Spins gift packages.
Michigan’s favorite musical son advances once again in the NBC singing competition, giving a shout-out to his mother in the process. Read the story and check out the video of his performance this week.
Icons representing vastly different genres and musical approaches descended on Grand Rapids Thursday and Friday, and Local Spins was there to document the three sold-out shows. Check out the reviews and photo gallery.
Features · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Episode No. 35 of Local Spins on WYCE was a rollicking double-header with in-studio performances by The Appleseed Collective and Moxieville, plus a chat with Craig “Griff” Griffith of the GR Musician Collective. The show also debuted a song by his duo, The ElectroCats, Grand Rapids jazz singer Kathy LaMar and northern Michigan’s Crazy Chestur. Listen to the entire podcast and check out a video of The Appleseed Collective’s performance.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
Springtime music celebrations get the warm-weather festival ball rolling in West Michigan, with Heaters, The Accidentals and more heating up the Local First bash and northern Kent County’s Bona-Who expanding to two days. Check out the lineups.
A founding member of the celebrated Carolina Chocolate Drops plays Grand Rapids on Friday, touring behind her solo album, “Tomorrow is My Turn.” Read the Local Spins interview and listen to her incredible interpretation of a classic song.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Grand Rapids trio has ‘fun no matter what.’ The band known for its lively shows and story-telling plays SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday night as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays series. Read the back story about the group and check out the video.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The Lippies were this week’s in-studio guests delivering acoustic renditions of their feminist pop-punk, with the show also featuring song debuts by Brother Adams, Vox Vidorra, Black Monuments, Puzzlecuts and more. Listen to the radio podcast, watch the video, read the story.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
The rootsy August festival returns to Shagbark Farm in southern Kent County with more than a dozen acts and a ‘Stampede Mud Run,’ too. Check out the Michigan band lineup and details.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows
Cheers! Local Spins is turning 3. Check out our big birthday events in May (including the debut of a new Local Spins microbrew), then give us a list of your favorite Michigan bands to win festival tickets, CDs, T-shirts and more.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
There were lots of musical goodies to devour the week after Easter, including Michigan acts Asamu Johnson, E Minor, The Extra Texture, Shane Tripp, Desmond Jones, and a ton of others at Jake’s Music Festival, including PotatoeBabies and Sext Farm. Check out the photo gallery and video.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
The popular regional music series kicks off for 2015 with world music on July 7 and wraps up with Ralston & Friends, with a host of impressive local acts in between. Check out the full season schedule and some highlights from last year.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
Interlochen’s summer of music opens with Michael McDonald in mid-June and wraps up with O.A.R on Sept. 1. Tickets go on sale April 24. See the full lineup.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
First-time Meijer Gardens acts Gary Clark Jr., The New Pornographers, Patty Griffin are on tap with returnees Steve Miller, Indigo Girls, O.A.R., Bela Fleck and The Doobie Brothers in the mix. Member tickets go on sale April 25. See the entire lineup here.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
Raised in an ultra-musical family, the singer-songwriter with collaborative ties to Blake Elliott and The Accidentals plays the Grand Rapids area this week. Read the story and check out a video/podcast of her appearance on Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted tracks from several West Michigan bands.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Videos
To show support for the Earthwork Music artist, the Grand Rapids Community Media Center has organized a live simulcast of the TV reality show this week, and supporters urge fans to vote for Davis. Get details here.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Easter week yielded an intriguing mix of performances around West Michigan, from Darlingside and Tall Heights in Spring Lake to South of Wealthy Trio in Rockford to the Mike G’s birthday bash and the annual LadyFest GR celebration. Check out the photos at Local Spins.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
To celebrate kickoff of the 2015 spring fund drive, Edition No. 31 of Local Spins on WYCE chatted with longtime WYCE supporter and singer-songwriter Nicholas James Thomasma, who also performed a song on the air. Listen to the full podcast.
Breaking music news · Features
The northern Michigan singer-songwriter took the next step in the TV reality show competition, continuing to wow judges with his vocals. He’ll now move on to the live performance round. Read the post-show Local Spins interview with Davis and watch the video from Monday’s show.
Heart boasted the weekend’s biggest show at Van Andel Arena, but there were more stars in the limelight, including local bands Moxieville, The Outer Vibe, Heavier Than Air Flying Machines, Big Dudee Roo, Steve Rivers, Comments of Aether and more. Check out the amazing photos and show roundup in the Local Spins Weekend Photo Gallery.
Breaking music news · Summer Concerts
Live music in the great outdoors is everywhere – often free – across West Michigan every summer. Here are the first few announcements of summer lineups featuring regional acts. See the schedules thus far.
Breaking music news · Commentary · Photos
Traverse City’s The Accidentals made their mark with Billboard magazine and industry folks at last week’s mega-event in Texas, but Local Spins writer Troy Reimink found plenty of other SXSW highlights amid the musical chaos. Check out his report and a SXSW photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Fun music aplenty. This weekend’s roundup of live music images ranges from The Lacs’ country rap to the Mummies’ funk to Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish’s rockabilly to The Go Rounds’ rootsy-but-danceable vibe to Kathy Lamar’s jazz and more. Scan the complete photo gallery.
Features · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The 30th edition of the radio show that spotlights West Michigan’s music got up close and personal with the rootsy, Dead-like Bigfoot Buffalo from Grand Rapids, who made their in-studio, on-air debut. And it debuted new tracks from several regional acts. (Podcast, video)
This week’s mammoth SXSW music conference in Austin, Texas, is one of the music industry’s biggest events. Several West Michigan bands have made the trip to make their mark and soak it all in. Local Spins asked some of them to provide their impressions in “diary” entries. Here are two of them. See who they’ve been rubbing elbows with thus far.
Breaking music news · Features · Photos
From The Accidentals to Nathan Kalish to Heaters, West Michigan bands are making a splash in Austin like never before at the massive South by Southwest music conference. View the photo gallery and learn more about what Michigan bands are doing in Texas this week.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
Grand Rapids’ Fable the Poet talks about major upcoming shows, his spring tour and melding poetry with music on Edition No. 29 of Local Spins on WYCE, plus tracks from a host of local and regional bands. Listen to the full podcast.
Friends say Thunder Chicken bassist Wil Lucy was a loving, ‘kind-hearted guy’ who died unexpectedly. And Davis performed another Dylan tune on “The Voice” with impressive results while his blind audition song hit the Billboard charts. Watch the video.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Society Kills won Saturday’s Heavyweights competition between six heavy metal bands in Grand Rapids, with Local Spins capturing the battle in photos. But there was plenty more on this week’s docket, from Suicide Silence to North Mississippi Allstars to The Carboys.
Audio · Features · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
The March 6 edition of Local Spins on WYCE (Show No. 28) heralds the debut of Nordlund, a new country project led by RJ Nordlund, plus a bevy of regional music gems. Listen to the podcast, watch the video of the in-studio performance of a brand new Nordlund song.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
With northern Michigan’s Joshua Davis getting a hero’s welcome on his return to Traverse City this week based on his impressive run on “The Voice,” Local Spins revisits the Guest Playlist he compiled just before heading into the Battle Rounds in March. Check out some of his favorite songs, including tunes by local fave Jen Sygit and icons ranging from Joni Mitchell to Bob Dylan to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Videos
With a reshuffled lineup that includes fiddler Jeffrey Niemeier, Grand Rapids’ prog-bluegrass band is crisscrossing the state and the country, working in the studio and just released a new video. And bassist Tim McKay has adjusted to a new style of playing since mangling his hand in a snowblower.
The early March edition of Local Spins reviews probes regional albums with a pop sheen along with a few that boast truly inventive folk textures. Check out this month’s lineup, along with links for listening to the featured albums.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Thousands braved bitter cold to drink beer and listen to music outdoors — some dressed in wild costumes — while others stayed indoors to revel in EDM, soul, hip hop, blues and rock. Check out the full photo gallery and some video snippets of the past week’s musical action.
Features · Playlists · Upcoming shows
Mark Lavengood, Seth Bernard, Dan Rickabus, Michael Beauchamp and Max Lockwood will bring their tribute to four cities in four days: Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Bellaire and Fennville. Read the back story of this first-time tour and check out a playlist of John Prine gems.
Breaking music news · Features · Videos
The 37-year-old Traverse City singer-songwriter talks to Local Spins about Monday’s “blind audition,” his national TV debut and moving on to the next round of the competition. And he has lots of good things to say about his L.A. experience. Watch a video of his performance.
Another weekend of riveting live music photos at Local Spins. This one took the bitter chill off with some big names and hot shows by the likes of Mike Mains & The Branches, Brad Fritcher + trois, Kevin Devine, Flint Eastwood, hi-ker and more.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
The family-oriented festival held in mid-June at Circle Pines Center will expand with more stages, national acts such as Brown Rice Family and local faves The Crane Wives, Alexis, The Accidentals and Seth & May. See the entire lineup thus far with information about early bird ticket sales.
