Player finding inspiration in all music, everywhere

Groove Loves Melody

A music blog and podcast platform with artist features, news, reviews and interviews — curated by JW Richard, the content creator and producer behind Mandrake Arts & Media.

Modern Brews + Beats Tunecrush reviews Artist features & news
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Host podcast

Modern Brews + Beats, introduced in August 2019

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Artists in Q&A

Independent artists, Back to School Q&A, September 12, 2012

76
Latest mix episode

Modern Brews + Beats music mix, April 19, 2021

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Blog followers

Readers following groovelovesmelody.com

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Modern Brews + Beats

65% music + 35% beer = 100% podcast

The show was introduced in August 2019 and has grown into a running series of artist mixes and reviews. Episode 76, published April 19, 2021, featured RIVIN, Little Bird and more, with the full track listing posted alongside the show.

Modern Brews + Beats is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and Stitcher, with Instagram and Twitter updates for each episode.

Tunecrush

Reviews that dig into the track

Tunecrush is a series reviewing standout tracks and releases from independent artists — from Little Bird's “Proxima” to Sananda Maitreya's “Pie”.

Groove Loves Melody is a music blog and podcast platform devoted to finding inspiration in all music, everywhere. The site pairs artist features, news, reviews, and interviews with a steady stream of mixes and podcast episodes, all curated by a content creator and producer who works behind the scenes in audio production. It reads like a personal listening diary that has been opened up to the public, where new releases, classic records, and regional scenes all receive equal attention.

The Modern Brews + Beats podcast is the backbone of the platform, launched as a long-running conversation about the craft of making music and the culture that surrounds it. Episodes blend artist appearances, listener questions, and commentary on scene trends, giving listeners something in the range of an interview show, a roundtable, and a curated radio program. The tone stays friendly and exploratory, inviting both dedicated fans and casual browsers to spend time with the music.

Music mixes sit alongside the written word as a way of sharing discovery. A mix episode gathers tracks that rhyme thematically or stylistically, letting the sequencing do the talking — hip hop, jazz, rock, groove, and folky textures placed next to one another. Listeners can find these mixes through ordinary podcast players and streaming services, which makes the show easy to slot into a commute, a workday, or a late-night listening session without any friction.

Artist features and Q&A segments give independent performers a place to speak plainly about their process, their influences, and the realities of releasing music. The format favors conversational interviews over formal commentary, so the answers feel unhurried and personal. Around a dozen artists have sat down for these conversations over the years, and the archive functions as a growing record of the people working quietly behind the scenes.

The tributes section looks back at records and artists that shaped the taste of the site’s curators, including the kind of song and album deep cuts that rarely surface in mainstream coverage. Writing about legacy releases becomes a way of connecting past and present, tracing how certain grooves, harmonies, and production choices echo forward into newer work. It is a reminder that musical inspiration rarely arrives in a straight line.

Reviews and news coverage keep the platform anchored to what is happening now, from fresh singles and album announcements to regional scenes and cultural moments tied closely to music. Rather than chasing volume, the coverage tends to favor work that rewards attention — records built with care, independent artists with something to say, and events that bring a community together. The result is a slow, deliberate feed rather than a constant churn of headlines.

Beyond the audio side, the site supports charitable and community-oriented events, including virtual gatherings where music and fundraising come together, including a focus on feeding families in need. These efforts reflect a broader philosophy: music as a connective tissue between people. Livestreams and online meetups widen the circle, letting an audience that may never share a physical space still share the same moment and the same soundtrack.

The visual identity reinforces that friendly, boutique-studio feeling. Soft pastel lavender, coral pink, mint green, and light blue accents sit on a clean white background, with flat-vector illustrations that put human figures at the center of the design. Rounded, pill-shaped buttons and generous whitespace keep the pages airy, while a geometric sans-serif typeface sets headlines in bold charcoal with select words colorized for emphasis.

For readers who want to go deeper, a blog offers long-form posts on music, production, and the culture around it, alongside photo features and the option to follow the project and receive updates. The archive is organized so browsing feels effortless: podcasts, mixes, tributes, and features each have their own home, and every page points back toward more listening. For anyone searching for inspiration in all music, everywhere, there is always another record worth hearing.

Tunecrush

Little Bird — “Proxima”

A mid-tempo rock groove with a dab of R&B from a Charleston, South Carolina-based band, and the first outing of a trilogy.

February 21, 2021
Tunecrush

Sananda Maitreya — “Pie”

The single comes from the album Pandora's Playhouse, with a video built on animation and references to π.

March 19, 2021
Tunecrush

RIVIN — “Give You Up”

RIVIN appears on the Modern Brews + Beats episode 76 mix, reviewed within the Tunecrush series.

April 2021
“Patience. Gratitude. …” — one of the answers given by Dynasty Electric, who joined twelve independent artists for the Back to School Q&A.
Back to School Q&A — September 12, 2012 Read the Q&A
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Career Q&A

Lessons learned on the music career path

Twelve independent artists answered one question: “What's the biggest personal lesson you've had to learn this year concerning your musical career?” Replies came from Dynasty Electric, Opium Symphony, Amy Lynn & The Gun Show and others, and centred on patience, gratitude and self-reliance.

Those voices still shape how Groove Loves Melody approaches independent music culture today.

Latest

Recent writing from the blog

Features, news and tributes published by JW Richard.

News

John Oates Creates All-Star Livestream For Charity

In response to food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, John Oates of Hall & Oates fame assembled an all-star virtual event to raise funds for Feeding America, with Oates Song Fest 7908 scheduled for March 20, 2021.

March 2, 2021
Tribute

Thank You for the Music: Ari Gold

A tribute to vocalist and performer Ari Gold, whose album Transport Systems drew glowing reviews from leading gay publications as well as Billboard and Clive Davis.

February 21, 2021
Podcast

Modern Brews + Beats music mix

Episode 76 featured artists RIVIN and Little Bird, with the full track listing published for listeners on every major podcast platform.

April 19, 2021
Gallery

Artwork from the mixes

Square cover art from recent podcast mixes and reviewed releases.

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RIVIN — Distance
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Single artwork
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Concept artwork
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Cover art
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EP artwork
From the artists

Voices behind the music

What independent artists said about the business they are building.

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Patience. Gratitude.

Dynasty Electric Rock — Brooklyn, New York ★★★★★
“

I've been listening to this track from Charleston, South Carolina-based band Little Bird for a few days now. It's a mid-tempo rock groove with a dab of R&B.

JW Richard Author & content creator, Mandrake Arts & Media ★★★★★
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About the author

JW Richard

JW Richard is the primary content creator and author behind Groove Loves Melody, and the content creator and producer for Mandrake Arts & Media. The site covers independent music, industry news, tributes and the Modern Brews + Beats podcast.