Home Blog

Spotify Just Gave Artists a Powerful New Tool — and All Artists Need To Know About It

Eric Alper
-
0
Spotify Just Gave Artists a Powerful New Tool — and All Artists Need To Know About It

If you’ve ever discovered a release on your Spotify profile that you didn’t put there, you’re not alone. Metadata mix-ups, name confusion, and bad actors attaching music to the wrong artist page have been a problem on streaming platforms for years — and the rise of AI-generated tracks has made it significantly worse.

Spotify is now doing something about it.

The platform has just announced Artist Profile Protection, a first-of-its-kind optional feature now in limited beta through Spotify for Artists. For the first time on any major streaming service, artists can review and approve — or decline — releases before they go live on their profile. That means no more surprise tracks appearing under your name, affecting your stats, your Release Radar, or how fans discover your music.

Here’s how it works: When music is delivered to Spotify with your name attached, you’ll receive an email notification. From there, you log into Spotify for Artists and decide whether to approve or decline the release. Approve it, and everything works as normal. Decline it — or take no action — and it won’t appear on your profile. Spotify is also introducing an artist key, a unique code you can share with trusted distributors so your legitimate releases are automatically pre-approved and go live without delay.

It’s worth noting this feature isn’t for everyone. It requires active management, and if you miss a notification, it could delay your own releases. But if you have a common artist name, have dealt with repeated incorrect releases, or simply want tighter control over your catalog, it’s worth turning on.

The feature is currently in beta, so not all artists will see it yet. If you do have access, you’ll find it in your Spotify for Artists settings on desktop or mobile web.

Learn more and check if you have access at the Spotify for Artists Help Center

Report a misattributed release here

This is a meaningful step forward for artist rights in the streaming era — and a reminder to make sure your Spotify for Artists account is active, verified, and monitored regularly.

Local H Reclaim ‘As Good As Dead’ With a Definitive 30th Anniversary Reissue This Summer

Eric Alper
-
0
Local H Reclaim ‘As Good As Dead’ With a Definitive 30th Anniversary Reissue This Summer

Local H have announced the 30th anniversary reissue of ‘As Good As Dead’, their 1996 breakthrough, arriving this summer via G&P Records. Band-approved and freshly remastered, the double vinyl edition is pressed at 45rpm with updated artwork and surprise extras throughout. Pre-order is live now.

Guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas pulls no punches about what prompted the reissue. “Earlier this year, I was rather rudely awakened to how little respect others have for the record,” he says, pointing to a cottage industry of unauthorized, substandard pressings flooding the market. “Job one with this new re-issue was to reclaim this record and make sure that it continues to be available to all the new listeners that want to have a quality release without having to pay an arm and a leg on eBay.”

The album features seminal tracks “Bound For The Floor,” “Eddie Vedder,” and “Hi-Fiving MF,” and remains one of the sharpest, most ferocious records to come out of the mid-90s alt-rock era. Lucas has come around on celebrating it. “I’ve come to appreciate people’s personal affection for it,” he says. “Especially the younger people who have been coming to the shows the last couple of years. Their excitement is infectious.”

On the heels of successful tours with Everclear and Filter, Local H heads back out this spring and summer with Toadies for a full U.S. run that hits Webster Hall in New York, The Vic Theatre in Chicago, The Fillmore in San Francisco, The Belasco in Los Angeles, and dozens of cities in between. Full dates below.

2026 Tour Dates:

April 30 — Potosi Live — Abilene, TX

May 1 — Cooper’s Live — Christoval, TX

May 2 — Longhorn Backyard Amphitheater — Dallas, TX

May 3 — Tower Theatre — Oklahoma City, OK

May 6 — Welcome To Rockville Festival — Daytona, FL

May 8 — Eastside Bowl — Nashville, TN

May 9 — Iron City — Birmingham, AL

May 12 — The Masquerade: Heaven — Atlanta, GA

May 13 — The Orange Peel — Asheville, NC

May 15 — The Underground — Charlotte, NC

May 16 — The Ritz — Raleigh, NC

May 17 — The Fillmore — Silver Spring, MD

May 19 — District Music Hall — Norwalk, CT

May 20 — House of Blues — Boston, MA

May 21 — Webster Hall — New York, NY

May 22 — Union Transfer — Philadelphia, PA

May 23 — The Stone Pony — Asbury Park, NJ

May 26 — Capital City Music Hall — Harrisburg, PA

May 27 — Roxian Theatre — McKees Rocks, PA

May 29 — Bogart’s — Cincinnati, OH

May 30 — The Intersection — Grand Rapids, MI

May 31 — The Vic Theatre — Chicago, IL

June 2 — First Avenue — Minneapolis, MN

June 3 — The Astro Theater — Omaha, NE

June 5 — Ogden Theatre — Denver, CO

June 6 — The Grand at The Complex — Salt Lake City, UT

June 7 — Knitting Factory — Boise, ID

June 9 — The Showbox — Seattle, WA

June 10 — Roseland Theater — Portland, OR

June 12 — The Fillmore — San Francisco, CA

June 13 — The Belasco — Los Angeles, CA

June 14 — Observatory OC — Santa Ana, CA

June 16 — Observatory North Park — San Diego, CA

June 17 — The Van Buren — Phoenix, AZ

Northern Alt-Rock Coven Venus Grrrls Channel a Bisexual Awakening on Fierce New Single “Eve”

Eric Alper
-
0
Northern Alt-Rock Coven Venus Grrrls Channel a Bisexual Awakening on Fierce New Single “Eve”

Venus Grrrls are out with “Eve” today via Killabop, and it hits with the full force of a band who know exactly what they want to say and how to say it. The track builds through an evocative vocal into a pulsating explosion of angular grunge riffage, driven by industrial textures and lush guitars and synths in equal measure. A music video drops later this week.

The song came from a deeply personal place. “Eve was written after our guitarist had a bi panic crash out over Gillian Anderson,” vocalist GK explains. “We wanted to really communicate the duality of a bisexual awakening, and how it is as much a beautiful thing as it is turbulent. Eve is the love child of Nine Inch Nails and Fleetwood Mac, that grew up to be deeply passionate about women.” That lineage is audible in every bar of the track.

“Eve” follows “3×3,” Venus Grrrls’ previous single and the inaugural release on Killabop, which Kerrang! called “an exhilarating new single” and Rock Sound praised as “modern grunge at its finest.” BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, and even Iggy Pop have all backed the band, and BBC Radio 1 has since announced them for Big Weekend in Sunderland in May.

The Leeds, Newcastle, and Liverpool-based five-piece have already toured with Nova Twins and Tigercub in 2026, and a stacked festival run is ahead. Full dates below.

Tour Dates:

May 20-24 — Bearded Theory Festival — Derby, UK

May 24 — BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend — Sunderland, UK

June 13 — Rock For People — Hradec Králové, Czechia

July 8 — 2000Trees Festival — Cheltenham, UK

Jack Johnson Surfaces an Early “Rodeo Clowns” Recording Ahead of His ‘SURFILMUSIC’ Double Album

Eric Alper
-
0
Jack Johnson Surfaces an Early “Rodeo Clowns” Recording Ahead of His ‘SURFILMUSIC’ Double Album

Jack Johnson has released “Rodeo Clowns,” an early acoustic 4-track recording of the beloved song that first reached audiences through his collaboration with G. Love on ‘Philadelphonic’ in 1999. It’s the second preview of his forthcoming double album ‘SURFILMUSIC Soundtrack and 4-Tracks’, arriving May 15 via Brushfire Records, and it’s streaming everywhere now.

The release follows “Drink The Water” with Hermanos Gutiérrez, recorded as part of the score for SURFILMUSIC, a new documentary that traces Johnson’s evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician. The film draws on rare footage from his formative surf films, personal and family archives, and present-day reflections, threading together how lived experience, friendship, and exploration shaped the stories behind his music. It premiered at SXSW in March to a global audience, with a theatrical run beginning in early June.

Johnson brings the film home with two sold-out screenings at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Hawai’i on May 14 and May 15, celebrating the deep connection between the film and the place where he grew up surfing, making films, and writing the songs that defined his career. The double album pairs the documentary’s original score with remastered selections and previously unreleased gems from Johnson’s earliest 4-track recordings.

Oscar Winner Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler Lock In as Crockett and Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice ’85’

Eric Alper
-
0
Oscar Winner Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler Lock In as Crockett and Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice ’85’

Universal Pictures has confirmed the title and stars of its long-anticipated Miami Vice reboot. ‘Miami Vice ’85’, directed by Joseph Kosinski, will star Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs and Oscar nominee Austin Butler as James “Sonny” Crockett. Production begins later this year, with the film set for an IMAX release on August 6, 2027.

The film draws directly from the pilot episode and first season of the original NBC series, exploring the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami. Dan Gilroy, the Oscar-nominated writer behind Nightcrawler, penned the script from an earlier draft by Eric Warren Singer. Dylan Clark produces alongside Kosinski, who is shooting the film for IMAX as he did with Top Gun: Maverick and F1.

Kosinski arrives here on one of the strongest runs in blockbuster filmmaking. Top Gun: Maverick became one of the highest-grossing films of its year, and F1 pulled $634 million globally and earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. His track record with legacy material is exactly what a project like this demands.

Jordan brings fresh momentum to the role. His Oscar-winning dual performance in Sinners cemented him as one of the most compelling actors working today, and ‘Miami Vice ’85’ marks his first new project since that win. Butler, whose Elvis earned him an Oscar nomination along with Golden Globe and BAFTA wins, follows that with roles in Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and the upcoming A24 crime thriller Enemies before stepping into Crockett’s linen suit.

The original Miami Vice ran from 1984 to 1990, created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann, winning four Emmys and reshaping the visual language of television. Mann directed his own 2006 film adaptation with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. ‘Miami Vice ’85’ hits theaters August 6, 2027.

Manchester Indie Favorite Abbie Ozard Returns With Fuzz-Drenched New Single “Backbone”

Eric Alper
-
0
Manchester Indie Favorite Abbie Ozard Returns With Fuzz-Drenched New Single “Backbone”

Abbie Ozard is back. The Manchester singer-songwriter has released “Backbone,” her first new single in a couple of years and a fuzz-drenched, hook-driven track that announces her return with real force. It follows her 2024 debut album ‘everything still worries me’ on House Anxiety, and picks up exactly where that record left off in terms of emotional precision and melodic instinct.

The song tackles the quiet self-destruction that comes from conflict avoidance. “Keeping peace and saying sorry too much can cost you your voice,” Ozard explains. That theme lands with the kind of directness she’s built her reputation on, and the track’s raw, empowering energy makes the point without belaboring it.

Ozard has earned consistent support from BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens, landed a “BBC Introducing Track of the Week,” and drawn praise from The Times, The Independent, DORK, The Line of Best Fit, The FADER, and more. Headline tours, a debut Glastonbury appearance, and European support dates with Briston Maroney have made her one of the UK indie scene’s most reliable live acts. “Backbone” makes clear she’s only getting sharper.

Jurassic Kingdom Brings 40 Life-Size Animatronic Dinosaurs to Toronto This July

Eric Alper
-
0
Jurassic Kingdom Brings 40 Life-Size Animatronic Dinosaurs to Toronto This July

Jurassic Kingdom, the largest touring outdoor dinosaur show in the UK and Europe, lands in Toronto this summer for a three-week run at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory from July 23 to August 10, 2026. It’s the first Canadian stop of the season, with Montreal to follow. Tickets are on sale now via Showpass.

The format is a walk-through outdoor trail featuring more than 40 life-size animatronic dinosaurs in a natural setting, with hands-on activities alongside. It runs daily, rain or shine, and is built for families with kids aged 2 to 12. Previous Canadian runs drew between 30,000 and 35,000 visitors per city, so moving early on tickets makes sense.

Acoustic-Trance Guitar Virtuoso Nadav Tabak Hits the UK With New Single “Electric Roots”

Eric Alper
-
0
Acoustic-Trance Guitar Virtuoso Nadav Tabak Hits the UK With New Single “Electric Roots”

Nadav Tabak is back in the UK with a new single and a run of intimate dates that stretch from London to Cornwall. “Electric Roots” is out now, a driving instrumental that fuses electronic trance with live looping, tribal textures, and virtuosic guitar work into something that pulls equally from the dancefloor and the earth. Tickets for all shows are available at nadavtabak.com/shows.

The track captures what makes Tabak’s live show so distinct. He performs entirely live, building layers in real time through looping, percussion, and melodic improvisation, with no DJ set and no backing tracks. Pulsing basslines and techno rhythms lock in with organic timbres and expressive instrumentation, creating an experience that feels both ancient and immediate. “Electric Roots” puts that philosophy front and center.

The UK tour runs through early May across intimate venues and festival settings, with stops in London, Brecon, Newcastle, Brighton’s Fringe Festival, and more. Full dates below.

UK Tour Dates:

April 22 — The Hub at St Marys — Lichfield, Staffordshire

April 23 — The Skipton Town Hall — Skipton, Yorkshire

April 24 — Alphabetti Theatre — Newcastle upon Tyne

April 28 — Hootananny — London Brixton

April 30 — The Kemble Brewery Inn — Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

May 1 — The Acorn — Penzance, Cornwall

May 2 — Calstock Village Hall — Calstock, Cornwall

May 3 — Loopfest — Shrewsbury

May 6 — The Brunswick — Brighton Fringe Festival

May 7 — Temperance — Leamington Spa

Blues Guitar Ace JP Soars and Violinist Anne Harris Team Up for the Soulful ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’

Eric Alper
-
0
Blues Guitar Ace JP Soars and Violinist Anne Harris Team Up for the Soulful ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’

JP Soars has shared “Goin’ to South Carolina,” the latest single from ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’, his forthcoming collaboration with Chicago-based violinist, vocalist, and songwriter Anne Harris, arriving May 29 via Forty Below Records. The track captures exactly what the album promises, loose, instinctive, and alive from the first note.

“The music for this song was essentially written in the studio on the spot,” Soars says. “I had the main riff at the beginning and one vocal line. We started playing the riff while the engineer was moving microphones. We all just kinda looked at each other, smiling. It fell into place immediately and felt great.” He finished the lyrics and vocals weeks later in Florida, building a character-driven narrative around that initial spark.

‘Gypsy Blue Revue’ was recorded live at a rural Ohio studio with no click tracks or overdubs, with Soars’ longtime bandmates, drummer Chris Peet and bassist Cleveland Frederick, anchoring the sessions alongside Harris. “We approached it exactly like a show,” Soars explains. “All in one room, playing together. We just wanted it to sound like us.” The partnership with Harris grew out of a meeting on the festival circuit in 2019 and solidified at the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas.

Previously released singles “Viper” and “Jessie Mae,” the latter drawn from a real encounter with Hill Country blues legend Jessie Mae Hemphill, round out a picture of an album with serious storytelling range. For over two decades, Soars has built his reputation onstage, blending blues, rock, Latin rhythms, country, and gypsy jazz on his own terms. ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’ is the natural extension of that, and it sounds like it.

Watch Pearl Jam Bring Their Full Stadium Power to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in 2018

Eric Alper
-
0
Watch Pearl Jam Bring Their Full Stadium Power to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in 2018

Pearl Jam hit Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on June 26, 2018, as part of their European tour, delivering a guitar-driven, rhythm-heavy set to a crowd of over 70,000 that drew from ‘Lightning Bolt’ (2013) and deep into their classic catalog, with Eddie Vedder’s vocals moving from raw grit to melodic highs while Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, and Jeff Ament locked in behind him with the kind of tight, powerful band chemistry that has kept Pearl Jam one of rock’s most commanding live acts for over three decades.

123...3,595Page 1 of 3,595

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper