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ARTS & CULTURE
The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Local artist J.M. speaks on vulnerability, Nashville, new EP copy ADAM DELAHOUSSAYE Contributor
Courtesy of J.M. “F**king hate myself to death!” pronounces self-proclaimed R&B and emo up-and-comer J.M. on his newest single “You Said.” The delivery of this rather vexed line sports a demeanor
that feels a lot more tender. It’s jumpy, warm, almost soothing. It’s the kind of diversion that makes J.M.’s small yet versatile catalog so inviting. For new listeners, he’s chosen a rather intriguing descriptor to get people intrigued in what he’s doing. “Emo R&B is what I usually tell people,” said the 22-year-old J.M. “It’s kind of hard to narrow it down to one specific genre. In general it’s kind of got that emo tone to it, but it’s rooted in R&B if you break down the musicality of it. The chord progressions, vocal runs and stuff. There’s also some hyperpop, too, so maybe call it ‘hyperR&B’ if that’s even a thing.” As wildly different as all three of those monikers are from one another, they somehow all seem to take shape throughout what we’ve been exposed to of his efforts thus far. J.M.’s single “Paralyzed,” which was released back in January, takes the fervor that comes with alternative and hyperpop trends and slows them down to a more intimate, immediately observable speed. An ode to being lovestruck, the track holds nothing back in its delivery and presentation, yet it does so in a way that doesn’t feel in over its own head. Still, as J.M. would put it, “there’s a heaviness to it.” While stylistically varied, heavy is still the perfect blanket adjective to throw over the songwriter. In regards to his approach to production and delivery, he likes to think that the artist
Labrinth will come to mind for others in terms of similarities as it does for him, yet he’s not willing to paint himself into that corner entirely. “I think it’d be really hard to listen to what I have out and right now and go, ‘Oh if you like that then you’ll like this person and that person,’” J.M. said. “And I guess I’m still figuring that out for myself, and figuring out my sound overall.” As J.M. continues to navigate and iron out the kinks in his sound, he’s also been navigating through his new home in Nashville. Originally from Jamestown, New York, J.M. moved to Music City to attend Belmont University as well as pursue a career in music. While Nashville seems to favor its vocalists that order their BBQ with a side of twang, J.M. still feels that the alternative scene is one that can bloom alongside the city’s country roots. As the city’s grown in recent years, subsequently its reach into different genres has expanded. “I feel like it is harder for the independent artists that do alternative things around here to be as involved in the industry on a professional level. I feel like we’re really gonna have to pave that way for ourselves,” J.M. said. “But I mean, if you were to research ‘top hyper pop artists’ right now, I think there are like three that came from Belmont. Like we have crazy talent coming from these little pockets. It’s not as talked about, this other half of the industry, and it’s hard to compete with places like Los Angeles, but the talent is
definitely here.” When it comes to artistry, vulnerability is the name of the game for J.M. A lot of his more recent tracks detail emotion usually pushed to the back of the mind for the sake of sanity, yet here they find room to bloom. It’s a credit to good writing as well as a willingness to be as open as possible for the sake of gravity. Inspiration comes from where it’s expected with J.M. Relationship issues, mental health and the whirlwind of being in your early 20s all play parts in the journey through his psyche. Yet it’s not the material here that matters as much as the delivery. “My main thing is, if I’m showing you an emotion you’re gonna get the full extent of that emotion. ‘Paralyzed,’ for example, it’s that paralysis due to too much feeling. I think you’re gonna get a lot of that on this new EP that’s coming out, a lot of intense introspection,” J.M. said. His newest project and debut EP “Sorry, Didn’t Realize You Cared” is expecting its release to come at the end of the month. If this longerform project shares a shred of the sentiment that his few singles have, we’re bound to be in for a journey through emotional extremism, accompanied by a production style and quality that compliments the weight of feeling as much as J.M.’s falsetto does.
Unique Knoxville restaurants to check out this spring CHLOE COLE Contributor
The weather has been extra heavenly here on Rocky Top recently. The groundhog may have been lying to us. An extra six weeks of winter? Yeah, right. The warmth spring brings tends to inspire the desire to step out of the house and go for food and drinks with friends. If you and your friends are the type to spend a good chunk of time trying to pick a spot, look no further — this is the place for you. To narrow down your search, here’s a list of the best Knoxville restaurants to check out this spring.
are available if you don’t have time to hang around. Some of their food truck vendors include Just Say Queso, Knox Dough, Penne For Your Thoughts, BUNNZ, CJ’s Tacos and many more. It is a pet-friendly area which is a huge bonus for animal lovers.
Lakeside Tavern
Corner 16
Coming in third on the list is Lakeside Tavern, which offers waterfront dining overlooking Fort Loudon Lake. Although it is somewhat far from UT, it is worth it for the views and yummy food. If you want to start Wine Wednesday early, Lakeside Tavern offers half-priced wine every Monday. They offer a variety of appetizers, salads and entrees. Menu highlights include their stone oven pizzas, fresh seafood and handhelds such as burgers and sandwiches. Delicious desserts worth mentioning are the creme brulee cheesecake, Kahlua fudge brownie and two layer key lime pie. Due to its romantic ambience, this spot is screaming date night — to watch the sunset over the water of course.
This restaurant, located in Northshore, is known for its large turf-covered outdoor patio with fire pits, cornhole, giant tic-tac-toe, soccer balls and footballs. Nothing beats patio seating on a nice spring day. Corner 16’s mission state-
Another must-try is Curious Dog, located on the first floor of the historic JFG building. According to their website, the restaurant was
Central Filling Station The first worthy spot on the list is Knoxville’s most unique outdoor dining experience Central Filling Station. The filling station is a rustic outdoor venue filled with a variety of food trucks, heaps of available seating, interactive activities like cornhole and a Before-I-Die wall and events including live music and trivia. It’s like multiple restaurants wrapped into one. This interesting spot is located close to campus at 900 N. Central Street. This is perfect if you and your friends have different tastes or food cravings as there is something for every taste bud. To-go food and drinks
ment says, “Corners, in their very essence, are places of intersection, where streets going in opposite directions cross paths and overlap. Corner 16 is that place of overlap for friends to intersect their busy lives and spend time enjoying good company and good food.” Sounds like it aligns with busy college students looking for a place to wind down with good friends and good eats.
Central Filling Station is located in north Knoxville off of N Central Street. File / The Daily Beacon
Curious Dog
“founded by two brothers who grew up living the surf and punk-rock life of the 1980s in Daytona Beach, Florida.” Their creative style influenced their unique selection of hotdogs, sandwiches and nachos. Sauce options are never ending and made-fromscratch. Curious Dog offers a large selection of creatively crafted, funky hotdog builds. Hotdog options are themed after various cultures. The following are examples of culture-filled, tasty dogs: The “Better Than A Chicago,” the “N.Y.C,” the “Tennessee Tailgater,” the “Knoxville,” the “Daytona” and the “Hawaiian.” There are bicycles hanging on the wall and refrigerators filled with all the canned beers you could imagine. There are over 200 options of packaged beer, and they also have a few draft options.
Scrambled Jake’s Last, but certainly not least, is Scrambled Jake’s Breakfast Company. This breakfast establishment provides the perfect selection of greasy eats after a long night out and quiet patio seating to soak up some sun. The restaurant came to life during the summer of 2017. Their menu includes all the signature breakfast dishes you can think of ranging from the summershine benny, sin-o-man roll, naan breakfast pizza and a breakfast burrito. Happy eating!