Last September, a new music showcase featuring 100 local artists took over Grand Center. This year, it’s happening all over again. For this month’s new music roundup, Free4All Music Showcase co-founder Joe Hess joined “St. Louis on the Air” producer and new music show originator Miya Norfleet to mix some of his top tracks from artists who will be performing at the Nov. 6-8 showcase with Norfleet’s picks, including Aubory Bugg’s heart-wrenching and reflective folk song “I’ve Come to Realize.”
“It’s a tearjerker, y’all,” Norfleet said. “It’s very, very touching. I’m starting to see my parents, my grandparents, uncles and aunts as just humans. When you’re a little kid, you’re like, ‘They’re a big deal. They take care of me.’ But when you get older and you look back, you’re like, ‘You’re just trying your best too, huh?’”
Among the Free4All performers Hess highlighted Hana Canhasi’s no-nonsense pop anthem “No Problem” with ’80s synths and chanting vocals.
“I didn’t know about Hana’s work until we opened applications for Free4All this year,” he said. “I’m so glad that she reached out and applied to perform at the show. I feel like her music is as polished as any nationally touring pop artist, and she integrates aspects of her Albanian heritage and American heritage into her music to create something that I think is really resonant and really exciting.”
Also featured this month is the multifaceted artist Bo Dean’s hip-hop track “Can’t Knock the Hustle ‘26” that charges forward with smooth flows and confident lyrics.
“It is giving that ’90s hip-hop vibe,” Norfleet said. “He mentions at some point in the song, being a ’90s baby, and you can really hear that influence in it. I love the call-and-response part of it that gives that kind of – I don’t want to say old school because it’s just from the ’90s – but old-school hip-hop with new-school sentiments, and Bo Dean knows what he’s doing.”
The post punk band Piracy will also be performing at the showcase this year. Its song “Debounce” ebbs and flows with many rhythmic and tonal changes calling out to the sea.
“They’re this incredible concoction of different elements that I really appreciate,” Hess said. “But they really live their gimmick. They make music that sounds like well, you know, in 100 years when the sea levels rise [and] big pirate ships floating everywhere. I like to think it’ll be a whole lot like ‘One Piece,’ where there will be good pirates out there, and they will have punk bands, and it will sound a lot like this.”
Free4All returns Nov. 6-8 bringing 100 musical acts to stages across the Grand Center Arts District — including the St. Louis Public Radio Community Room. The event is free to attend.
“We’re going to have an incredible lineup of artists [at St. Louis Public Radio] from noon to 7 p.m.,” Hess revealed. “Fleur de Noise is going to open up the show. After that, we’re going to have Blue Herring, Jack Grelle, Low Cloud, Umami, Rachel Bouzier and Somir.”
Here is a list of our favorite new releases:
Space Quaker
Whitworth
Piracy
Aubory Bugg
Hana Canhasi
Bo Dean
Drea Vocalz
Valencia Rush
For more reflections of new and newish releases from St. Louis-area musicians, listen to “St. Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube or click the play button below.
Prepare for Free4All with this month’s new music roundup
Related Event
What: Free4All Music Showcase
When: Nov. 6-8
Where: Grand Center Arts District
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. This program was co-produced by Miya Norfleet and Darrious Varner. This show is produced by Miya Norfleet , Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.