Brett Conlin looks into his rear-view mirror on new full-band EP
Brett Conlin’s new full-band Americana-rock album is a nostalgic and sometimes wistful look at his youthful days growing up in Kewanee.
Oct 27, 2021•8 min
WGLT Music Podcast
WGLT's Music Director Jon Norton interviews big names and emerging talent from the music world as their travels take them into Central Illinois. Discover eclectic music spanning blues, rock, jazz, and more.
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Episodes
First Backyard Tire Fire Album In A Decade Is A Rootsy Gem
Backyard Tire Fire's new album drops Friday. They perform at the Black Dirt Music Festival in Bloomington on Saturday. Wilco headlines the fest.
Sep 09, 2021•9 min
Author Says 'Americana' Is Grown-Up Rock & Roll
Author John Milward connects American music legends like The Carter Family and Hank Williams with today's big stars including Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlisle.
Aug 11, 2021•6 min
Darius Exorcized Demons On New Album 'Left Alone'
Bloomington-based hip-hop artist Darius Williams says his new album was self-therapy during a difficult time. He says it's his most personal work to date.
Jun 18, 2021•7 min
Old Smoke Band Finds Purpose, New Dynamic During Pandemic
Like many bands, the Bloomington-based quintet Old Smoke used downtime during the pandemic to write and record a new album.
Apr 16, 2021•6 min
Dan Hubbard's New EP A Family Affair
Family took center stage on Dan Hubbard's new five-song EP “Fall in Love Again (Quarantine Lullabies)”.
Mar 24, 2021•9 min
Bloomington-Normal Music Planners Optimistic About Return Of Live Music
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has many optimistic a return to something resembling “normal” is approaching. That includes a Bloomington Normal live-music scene gutted by the pandemic. Most music organizers in the Twin Cities said they are shooting for summer and fall performances.
Mar 17, 2021•6 min
Thoughts Detecting Machines Finds Coping Mechanism In New Album
Rick Valentin says dreary central Illinois winter weather is why he began writing and recording new music in January 2020. But that exercise for his solo vehicle, Thoughts Detecting Machines, evolved into an album that acted as a coping mechanism when the pandemic hit.
Mar 04, 2021•9 min
V8 Vast Change Says Passion Is The Key To 'Life'
Dominique Stevenson is a very visible Twin City activist who uses his music to spread a message of unity and encouragement. He was on the front lines of social justice marches last summer and even founded the youth-based advocacy group Next Gen Initiative.
Feb 18, 2021•7 min
Brett Conlin's New EP Explores Our Turbulent Year
Bloomington singer/songwriter Brett Conlin said a three-month isolation at home with his family last spring became the fodder for his just released acoustic EP "The Great Divide."
Feb 12, 2021•6 min
New Bloomington Rock Band Finds Purpose During Pandemic
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Joe Borbely said creating the debut album for the Bloomington-based Progressive Space rock outfit CAPS LOCK was almost literally a life-saver.
Feb 03, 2021•11 min
Peoria Unlikely Home For New Flamenco Band 'Tambora'
Peoria may not seem fertile ground for birthing a Flamenco band. But a side jam during the making of a compilation CD among area musicians grew into one of Peoria’s newest outfits.
Jan 22, 2021•6 min
How Central Illinois Musicians Have Adapted To The Pandemic
The pandemic has hit full-time performing musicians especially hard. There are very few places to perform and in-person audiences are sparse, at best.
Dec 18, 2020•6 min
Leah Marlene Defies Expectations On Debut LP
Singer-songwriter Leah Marlene's first full-length album is quite a curveball for those that came to her through her 2018 up-tempo, hook-laden debut EP “Arrows.”
Dec 03, 2020•7 min
WGLT's Blues Doctor Frank Black Dies At 79
Listen at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, for an hourlong special dedicated to Delta Frank, our legendary blues host. Listen on 89.1 FM or stream at WGLT.org.
Nov 16, 2020•10 min
Blackberry Smoke Feeling Fantastic To Be Back On The Road
Musicians and concert promoters are working their way back into larger live music events. Blackberry Smoke headlines one of two shows this weekend at the Corn Crib in Normal.
Sep 24, 2020•6 min
V8 Vast Change Brings His Social Justice Message To His New Album
Dominique Stevenson has been a very public figure in Bloomington-Normal this year. He founded the youth-based Next Gen Initiative. The social-justice group initiated several marches and education forums in the Twin Cities this summer.
Sep 17, 2020•11 min
Grill Billyenz Digs Into Darkness On New Album
Rapper and visual artist Grill Billyenz of Normal says the darker industrial sound on his latest album "Metamorph" comes from the ghost-town feeling he gets working the third shift at his "day job."
Sep 03, 2020•8 min
Hoosier Daddy: Finding Comfort In Collaboration
Releasing a new album during the coronavirus pandemic has a silver lining for the bluesy Peoria roots-rock trio Hoosier Daddy.
May 19, 2020•5 min
Edward David Anderson Releases 'Live And Solo' Album; Geeked About Backyard Tire Fire
Bloomington Americana singer/songwriter Edward David Anderson says his new "Live and Solo" album intentionally tried to capture where he's at in his current iteration.
Mar 10, 2020•6 min
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