A busy year for new Michigan releases amid a pandemic gives music fans a lot to savor, including impressive albums by four Grand Rapids artists as well as northern Michigan’s Biomassive and the trio of Pico, Chown & Sears. Read the reviews, listen to music from each of the spotlighted artists.
Album reviews · Audio · Videos
Amid a flood of new regional releases, Local Spins delves into albums and EPs by an eclectic bunch of artists for this roundup of reviews. Find out more about the recordings and listen to tracks from each album.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Live music in the great outdoors took several different forms across the region — from Benton Harbor to Grand Rapids to a farm east of Gaylord, with performances by Mark Lavengood, Jenna Mammina and many more. Local Spins traveled hundreds of miles for images of what’s become a rarity this summer due to COVID-19: Live music.
Grand Rapids’ Nicholas James Thomasma and Ian Thompson return to the chart for the second month in a row, too. Listen to tracks from all of the featured albums at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The great outdoors still dominates concert listings as the most popular and safest places to enjoy live music in late July. Check out this week’s guide to live shows at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
Two more August music festivals in Michigan have decided to skip 2020 due to the pandemic, with September’s jazz festival in Detroit turning to an elaborate live-stream and televised event. Get the details at Local Spins.
Audio · Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
The keyboardist for West Michigan’s Earth Radio and frontman for Blushing Monk unfurls a Top 10 soundtrack featuring Khruangbin, Anderson .Paak, Cory Henry, Brother Gabe and other timely, ‘feel-good grooves’ — some inspired by recent events. Check out his picks, watch the videos and listen to the full playlist on Spotify.
Plan your week with a sampling of live music events at bars, breweries and eateries across West Michigan — including the return of Grand Rapids’ Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, with new health precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s even a parking lot jazz performance to check out. Details at Local Spins.
Audio · Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Popular Grand Rapids jam band Desmond Jones whipped up a Top 10 roster of group members’ favorite songs during the current coronavirus pandemic, from D’Angelo to Thundercat. Watch the videos, listen to the Local Spins playlist on Spotify.
The historic downtown Grand Rapids venue today announced a record-setting lineup of folk, jazz and chamber music concerts starting this fall. See the full lineup and details about the post-pandemic challenges facing venues such as St. Cecilia Music Center.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts · Summer Festivals
Scrapped due to COVID-19, the popular northern Michigan series at Interlochen is among numerous live music events slated for summer 2020 across the state that are being dropped, postponed or revised. Get details and see an updated list of festival cancellations at Local Spins.
This week, we asked Jammie Award winner and Local Spins’ Emerging Artist of the Year Jordan Hamilton to give us his top songs to get through the COVID-19 quarantine. An intriguing roster of tunes to be sure, from hip hop to jazz and more. Watch the videos, listen to the Kalamazoo cellist’s playlist on Spotify.
