Horror movie worthy experiences and lots of therapy have helped me to gain very valuable perspectives on life including how to self-sooth and be on my own. For many this will be a trying time with introspection occurring on monumental levels. Some people have it down already. Others are in the midst of learning how to be with themselves. Many are struggling to find inner peace and sadly will spiral further and further out of control, if a solution is not uncovered. For those dealing with the latter, here’s some tough love.

The Tisbury Board of Selectmen has canceled the 2020 Beach Road Weekend Music Festival. Innovation Arts & Entertainment (IAE), The producers of the festival, completely support this decision. The three-day music festival was set to take place Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26 at Veterans Memorial Park in Vineyard Haven. Ticket buyers will receive a full refund. IAE plans to bring Beach Road Weekend back to Martha’s Vineyard in 2021 with another talented lineup.

Today, acclaimed musician Nathaniel Rateliff debuts the music video for his song “All Or Nothing.” Rateliff teamed up with Denver-based creative Doug Spencer to direct the video. Watch/share the video here:  https://found.ee/NRAllOrNothingMV

Grammy Award winning, Songwriters Hall of Fame Member John Prine passed away at age 73 due to Covid-19. Some of his most legendary hits include, “Hello in There,” “Sam Stone,” “Angel From Montgomery” and “Paradise.” Prine used these masterpieces to highlight moments that the average mind grazed over with empathetic words and light-hearted lines.

Railroad Earth has unearthed a special surprise for their long-time-loyal fanbase. “It’s springtime and hard not to feel that it’s gettin’ on time for festivals soon. Except now we have to stay home and deal with this challenge,” laments RRE drummer and vocalist Carey Harmon. And to help fans deal, the band is announcing Railroad Radio, a place to engage with RRE from home.

As we fight COVID-19 together, the power of music to bring hope, foster community, and encourage mental health is more resonant than ever. With this in mind, Pickathon is excited to present A Concert A Day starting April 8, an initiative to help musicians and artist communities through the Recording Academy’s MUSICARES® organization. During this time of hardship, with so many artists unable to tour and so many people stuck at home, Pickathon is opening the vaults to premiere one full concert a day for 60 days, streaming for free on Facebook, Amazon Music’s Twitch channel, and on YouTube.

For decades, the battle has raged: Beatles or Stones?  Through their heyday, fans accused London’s Rolling Stones of stealing ideas -- even entire albums – from their Liverpool counterparts. At the same time, the Beatles secretly envied the Stones’ “bad boy” image and attitude, often copying their style.  Both bands are unmistakably great, scoring an array of hits that changed musical history, but only one can be the best.  The most infamous rivalry in rock and roll never played out in a public arena until now as Beatles vs.

Highlights in Jazz producer Jack Kleinsinger offers condolences to the Pizzarelli family,  and joins the music community at large in mourning the death of the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, on April 1, at age 94. 
 

On April 24th, 2020 Wes Anderson will release his 6th self-produced single titled Mind Quarantine. Like every Anderson single, there is an impressive and eclectic mix of guest artists contributing to the track, including Ted Bowne from the progressive reggae/rock outfit Passafire on vocals, and Tommy Sickles from nu-metal era pioneers Nothingface delivering a precise, thunderous drum performance. Lastly, on bass is Wes’s old bandmate from Shanghai Superstars fame Mark Lewandowski.

I need a play list that captures my mood. It’s mostly dark, perplexed and chaotic but sometimes there are much needed glimmers of inspiration. I have so many questions. Is this really our plight? Will it ever end? How will humanity change? With this rapidly, unfolding uncertainty, I can’t do light and surface. Good old rock or pop, my normal go-tos, definitely will not work. I’m craving gritty and real.