There are 31 articles by Elizabeth Cawein :
“The work we do doesn’t exist in response to the legacy of Elvis Presley. It exists in response to our contemporary scene — scenes, really — that are thriving, diverse and full of transcendent talent.”
“If you’ve been struggling lately, I hope today, for just a minute, you can look at your city the way the outsiders do.”
What would be possible in Memphis if every neighborhood was less than a mile’s walk to a beautiful gathering space where live music – and dance, and public art – was being performed on a regular basis?
In this playlist, Elizabeth Cawein highlights “all the new Memphis music you might’ve missed from January to June.”
Memphians make beautiful music, and maybe more so together. This months playlist showcases collaboration, with a bonus mix of Memphis Christmas music.
Our desire for convenience begat streaming, but our desire for experiences never went away. It’s old meets new. Just like Memphis.
Elizabeth Cawein: When we look even more broadly at the culture of our city, in many cases the things we’re most proud of are borrowed from Black culture.
Tickets for Levitt Shell’s first two fundraising concerts sold out within hours, indicating that audiences are chomping at the bit for live music and shared experiences.
A mix of Black women music-makers from Memphis, past and present, honors both February’s Black History Month celebration and Women’s History Month in March.
The answer is simple and it also stings. It’s in Nashville because Nashville asked for it.
We can pledge not to go “back to normal.” Normal, in the best of times, found us donating to GoFundMe campaigns to cover emergency medical bills of folks in our music community. Normal was $100 a gig for musicians. Normal is the system that’s broken.
‘Your friends and family may be familiar with Memphis music past, but how much do they know about Memphis music present? This playlist includes a selection of the freshest tracks I’ve played on my WYXR show “Straight from the Source.”’
Elizabeth Cawein’s lifelong love affair with radio informs her new WYXR show, “Straight from the Source,” and the October Playlist.
As a fan at a virtual concert, you always have the best seat in the house, the bathrooms are clean and close, and the drinks are strong and really cheap.
Buy some Memphis music, y’all. Our independent record stores are back open and doing shopping by appointment, which, honestly, is pretty cool.
Before this is all over there will be plenty of other songs like Yo Gotti’s "Recession Proof" that comment specifically on the pandemic. Even the tracks that don’t feature bridges about Zoom meetings will still reflect the mood and feelings of this moment.
We should be as bold and bullish about our contemporary black music as we are about all of our claims to fame, from FedEx and Holiday Inn to historic music attractions to dry rub ribs.
This month's playlist is accompanied by news about the Music Export Memphis COVID-19 Relief Fund, which to date has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to individual Memphis musicians.
If you love what you hear, let the mix play a few times to be sure the artists see a few pennies. Now is the time to buy that extra record, download an album instead of streaming it, spring for that cool T-shirt or koozie or sticker.
It was a cosmic certainty that the one for me would be a music lover, too, but you already know the argument I’m here to make: Memphis music is the perfect soundtrack for falling in love, no matter who you are.
At gatherings, I only have to share one fact to get people interested: It’s music from Memphis.
If you got paid $100 per person for a gig in 1995, you probably still get paid $100 per person for that gig in 2019. In 2020, I hope we’ll demand fair pay for musicians, and be clear about what that means. Fair pay does not equal ‘exposure’ or beer or a sandwich.
As always, the playlist has some new releases (“O.T.F.” by J. Buck and “I Feel Good” by The Sensational Barnes Brothers), and there are throwbacks in honor of the recent Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction.
It’s not an accident that our sports teams have invested in music. We’re a hoops city, and we’re a music city. In the metaphorical fabric of Memphis, those two threads are intertwined. File under: Things that Define Us.
If you’re lucky enough to have a pool – even a kiddie pool – this playlist should provide the perfect accompaniment for an afternoon lounge in your floaties.
About 31 results