Luke Borchelt releases “Stay Warm” today via MDDN Records, and it marks a deliberate shift in texture ahead of his forthcoming album ‘Watertown’. Where his previous singles leaned guttural, this one opens up into something softer and more pop-leaning, capturing that specific Maryland feeling of early spring, the boat back in the water, the season breaking open, and someone missing from the moment. Borchelt is clear about the intention. “It’s a softer, poppier side of LB on ‘Stay Warm,'” he says. “I’m eager to present something else before the album drops.” The release follows an acoustic version of previous single “Red Sky,” built around the old waterman saying “red sky in the morning, sailors take warning,” now available on all platforms. Tonight, Borchelt opens for breakout country artist Sam Barber at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, and both singles are building toward ‘Watertown’, a record that promises to be one of the more interesting country albums to watch for this year.
Norah Jones Receives Humanitarian Honor at Jazz Foundation of America’s Annual Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center
The Jazz Foundation of America held its annual spring benefit gala, A Great Night in Harlem, Thursday evening at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the room delivered exactly what the occasion called for. Ten-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones received the 2026 Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award, the evening’s central honor, recognizing her contributions to music and community.
Artistic Director Steve Jordan shaped a program that moved across jazz history with real intention. The night included a centennial tribute to Miles Davis featuring Gary Bartz and Patrice Rushen, a set from Buster Williams’ Something More featuring Lenny White, a tribute to Ernest Ranglin spotlighting 17-year-old guitar phenom Marel Hidalgo, and a tribute to Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo featuring Juan Diego Villalobos and Sammy Figueroa. Special guest Ann Curry also appeared during the program.
Gary Bartz and Buster Williams were named 2026 Jazz Legacies Fellowship recipients, both recognized for careers that have shaped the language of jazz across decades. The broader performer list included Mino Cinelu, Clifton Anderson, Stefon Harris, James Genus, Winard Harper, and many more, reflecting the depth of talent the Jazz Foundation continues to support and celebrate.
Now in its 37th year, the Jazz Foundation of America provides housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief, and direct financial support to musicians facing crisis due to age, illness, or unforeseen circumstances. In the past year alone, JFA assisted in more than 7,000 cases. Past gala honorees include Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, and Keith Richards.
San Francisco Americana Storyteller Liz Kennedy Gives Fan-Favorite “Arugula” a Playful New Animated Video
Liz Kennedy has released a new animated video for “Arugula,” a fan-favorite track from her 2014 album ‘Speed Bump’, and the story behind the song is as charming as the song itself. A friend challenged her to write something about arugula over dinner, and she did. “True!” Kennedy confirms. The animated visual, described as sweet, fun, and literally spicy, gives a 12-year-old track a fresh moment in the spotlight, and it earns it. The recording features Kennedy on vocals and piano alongside Billy Johnson, Don Bassey, J. Jaffe, Eamonn Flynn, and Omega Brooks, produced by J. Jaffe at Studio D Sausalito. “I just like the guy in the song,” Kennedy says simply. “Someone I married long ago.” That kind of quiet, honest specificity is exactly what makes her songwriting land.
Drew Baldridge Strips Down Radio Hit “Rebel” to Its Emotional Core With New Acoustic Version
Drew Baldridge releases an acoustic version of his current radio hit “Rebel” today via Lyric Ridge Records/Stoney Creek Records, and the stripped-down treatment does exactly what a great acoustic version should: it pulls the song’s emotional core into full view. Filmed at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, the performance lets the writing breathe without the driving production, and the message lands just as hard. Listen here.
Written by Baldridge and Adam Sanders and produced by Zach Crowell and Nick Schwarz, “Rebel” flips the traditional idea of rebellion entirely. The song makes the case that standing firm in faith, family, and integrity, doing the right thing when compromise would be easier, is the most defiant act of all. Baldridge wrote it from a personal place. “I wrote this song after noticing how often the wrong things get glorified,” he says. “Doing the right thing can feel rebellious, and I hope fans, and one day my sons, see that being a rebel here is actually a good thing.”
“Rebel” follows “Tough People,” Baldridge’s second consecutive Top 10 hit at country radio, and continues to climb the charts. The acoustic version gives radio listeners and new fans alike a closer look at the songwriting at the heart of a track that has already connected widely.
Baldridge’s story carries real independent credibility. His Platinum-certified “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” made him the only self-funded artist to score a number 1 debut on Mediabase and the highest-charting independent artist in Billboard Country Airplay history. With over 2 billion streams and impressions behind that single alone, the foundation he’s built is substantial.
The FARM FAITH FAMILY Tour runs through the end of the year, with Baldridge also joining Luke Bryan on select dates. International touring continues following recent runs through Australia, the UK, and Europe.
The Script Announce UK, Ireland and Global Arena Tour Behind New Album ‘The User’s Guide To Being Human’
The Script have announced a full UK and Ireland headline arena tour kicking off October 30 in Dublin, with dates running through November before extending into Europe and continuing globally into 2027. The tour follows the August 14 release of their new album ‘The User’s Guide To Being Human’, with lead single “Man In The Arena” out now.
The headline run comes on the back of a massive summer as special guests on Take That’s 15-date stadium tour, playing to a combined audience of 1.3 million, alongside 5 dates supporting Luke Combs including a show at Slane Castle in Ireland. The Script arrive at their own headline dates with serious live momentum behind them.
‘The User’s Guide To Being Human’ follows 2024’s ‘Satellites’, the album Danny O’Donoghue made while processing the grief of losing bandmate and close friend Mark Sheehan in 2023. Every show on that subsequent global arena tour paid tribute to Mark, including a sold-out O2 in London that moved 17,706 tickets, a sold-out Co-op Live in Manchester with 17,262 tickets, and a packed OVO Hydro in Glasgow. Those numbers reflect a fanbase that showed up with real emotional investment.
The Script’s catalog speaks for itself. Six UK number 1 albums, 8 in Ireland, over 14 billion streams, 5 million album sales, and an international footprint that includes 2 US Platinum singles and 2 US Top 10 albums. Having sold 4.5 million tickets across their career, this tour adds another major chapter.
The 2027 global leg extends to the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia, confirming the reach of a band that has built one of the most devoted international audiences in modern arena rock.
Fans who pre-order ‘The User’s Guide To Being Human’ from The Script’s official store receive access to a fan pre-sale opening May 27 at 9:30am. General on-sale follows May 29 at 9:30am.
The Script Tour Dates:
Oct 30 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Oct 31 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Nov 2 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena
Nov 5 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov 6 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov 7 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Nov 9 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Nov 10 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Nov 12 – Aberdeen, UK – P&J Live
Nov 13 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Nov 14 – Sheffield, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov 16 – Bournemouth, UK – International Centre
Nov 17 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov 19 – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Nov 21 – London, UK – The O2
Nov 23 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
Nov 24 – Düsseldorf, Germany – MEH
Nov 26 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Nov 28 – Antwerp, Belgium – Lotto Arena
Mar 18 – Manila, Philippines – Mall Of Asia
Mar 23 – Brisbane, Australia – Entertainment Centre
Mar 25 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
Mar 27 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
Mar 31 – Singapore – Indoor Stadium
Apr 3 – Jakarta, Indonesia – Venue TBA
Philadelphia Shoegaze Renegades Nothing Deliver a Stunning Five-Song KEXP Session
Philadelphia shoegaze outfit Nothing recorded a five-song live session for KEXP, running through “cannibal world,” “a short history of decay,” “purple strings,” “Famine Asylum,” and “toothless coal,” the performance showcases the band at full sonic intensity, with Domenic Palermo, Doyle Martin, and Cam Smith’s layered guitars filling the room with the kind of dense, gorgeous noise that has made Nothing one of the most compelling acts in modern shoegaze. The session features Bobb Bruno on bass and Zachary Jones on drums, with audio engineering handled by Julian Martlew and mixed by Nick Bassett.
Dick Parry, The Saxophone Voice Behind Pink Floyd’s Greatest Moments, Dead at 83
Dick Parry died this morning, May 22, 2026, at the age of 83. The saxophonist whose playing became inseparable from some of rock music’s most enduring recordings passed away with no cause of death announced. David Gilmour broke the news on social media, writing, “My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning. Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd.”
Parry and Gilmour’s friendship stretched back to Cambridge in the early 1960s, where both were part of the city’s mid-decade music scene. Gilmour played in Jokers Wild while Parry fronted The Soul Committee. That bond, formed before either had any idea where music would take them, turned out to be one of the most quietly consequential friendships in rock history.
When Gilmour brought Parry into the studio for ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ in 1973, the result was permanent. The saxophone line on “Money” became one of the most recognizable instrumental moments in the entire classic rock canon. Parry also appeared on “Us and Them” from that record, and his contributions extended to 1975’s ‘Wish You Were Here’, most notably on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” Gilmour described his playing as “a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions.”
Parry toured with Pink Floyd from 1973 through 1977, one of the band’s most celebrated live periods. Nearly two decades later, Gilmour tracked him down after receiving a Christmas card from a man who had sold his saxophones, become a farrier, and largely stepped away from music. A brief audition on the boat was enough. Three phrases in, Gilmour and producer Bob Ezrin agreed he still had it completely. Parry played on “Wearing the Inside Out” for 1994’s ‘The Division Bell’ and toured behind it, with his performances documented on the live album ‘Pulse’.
He was there for the historic Live 8 reunion in 2005, the only time the classic Pink Floyd lineup performed together after Roger Waters’ departure. He appeared again on Gilmour’s 2006 On An Island Tour alongside the late Rick Wright, a run Gilmour referenced specifically in his tribute post. Beyond Pink Floyd, Parry’s discography touched John Entwistle, Rory Gallagher, the Violent Femmes, and dozens more across six decades of session and touring work.
Dick Parry never sought the spotlight. He was a sideman in the truest and most honourable sense, someone whose contributions shaped records that hundreds of millions of people have carried with them through their lives, often without knowing his name. Now they do.
Dick Parry, the saxophonist whose playing on Pink Floyd classics “Money,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” and “Us and Them” became part of rock history, has died at 83. David Gilmour called him “a signature of enormous beauty.”
Country Legend Reba McEntire Drops ‘Hurt Like That EP’ as Her Monthly Music Capsule Series Continues
Continuing to roll out a new music capsule each month, Reba McEntire delivers the second installment, Hurt Like That – EP, today via MCA. Written by Kellys Collins and Casey Wood, the Dave Cobb-produced title track proves no one has sung about heartbreak over the last 50 years quite like she has. LISTEN HERE.
Reba McEntire’s Hurt Like That – EP Tracklist:
- “Hurt Like That” (Kellys Collins, Casey Wood)*
- “Somebody Should Leave” (Chick Rains, Harlan Howard)+
- “For My Broken Heart” (Liz Hengber, Keith Palmer)^
- “What Am I Gonna Do About You” (Doug Gilmore, Bob Simon, Jim Allison)#
- “The Clown” (Dallas Davidson, Hillary Lindsey, James Slater)**
* Produced by Dave Cobb
+ Produced by Harold Shedd
^ Produced by Tony Brown and Reba McEntire
# Produced by Jimmy Bowen and Reba McEntire
** Produced by Buddy Cannon and Reba McEntire
“Reba McEntire wraps her inimitable voice around this tender ballad of longing and loneliness,” praised Billboard, with One Night In Tulsa – EP premiering last month alongside its companion “The Making of Reba” Playlist. Each thematically curated collection pairs a newly recorded song with carefully selected tracks that celebrate five legendary decades. Launching a tailored playlist in tandem with each music capsule, “The Rise of Reba” Playlist drops June 1, as it follows the meteoric rise of a chart-topping phenom breaking through in the ‘80s and fast-becoming Country’s next superstar.
Adding to her legacy, McEntire was recently honored in the class of 2026 with her defining album Rumor Has It (1990) being inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Her philanthropic leadership was also recognized Wednesday (5/20) when she was awarded the Music Heals Golden Ukulele, as a dedicated supporter of Musicians On Call, during the inaugural Music Heals Live! at The Pinnacle in Nashville, TN.
Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a legendary career that spans music, television, film, theater, retail, and hospitality. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has more than 50 award wins under her belt, earning accolades from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards, GRAMMY Awards, GMA Dove Awards, and People’s Choice Awards, in addition to receiving multiple philanthropic and leadership honors like being a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient. McEntire has achieved unprecedented success, including 35 career #1 singles and over 58 million albums sold worldwide. Holding the record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists with 60 Top 10s on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, her Top 10 reign extends five straight decades, landing her in the singular group with only George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton. Next celebrating a 50-year milestone in 2026, she’s rolling out new music capsules once a month, as each pairs a freshly recorded song with carefully selected tracks that trace the evolution of one of Country music’s most enduring and influential voices. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe-nominated actress has multiple movie credits to her name, a critically acclaimed lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun, starred in popular sitcoms Happy’s Place (currently renewed for a third season) and Reba (six seasons), and served as a coach and mentor on The Voice (four seasons). McEntire has also proven herself to be a savvy entrepreneur with longstanding brand partnerships including her Dillard’s clothing line and western footwear collection REBA by Justin™. She has even added restaurateur to the list with Reba’s Place, a restaurant, bar, retail and entertainment venue in Atoka, Oklahoma. McEntire’s book Not That Fancy landed on The New York Times Best Sellers list.
Beastie Boy Mike D Drops “What We Got” and Heads to Europe for His First-Ever Live Dates
Mike D follows the “souped-up flavor for your ears” (BILLBOARD) of his recent debut solo single “Switch Up” with the anthemic stomp of “What We Got.” The second helping of the first new music from a Beastie Boy in 15 years, “What We Got” evokes a kindred vibe to “Switch Up” with another unique sonic palette that “feels less like a return to form than a new approach overall” (ROLLING STONE).
With its measured and deliberate tempo and walls of distorted guitars, “What We Got” is the second song to be released from a series of experimental sessions with Mike, his sons Davis and Skyler along with musicians Jason Lader, Benjamin Pacheco, Kevin Rhomberg, Carter Lang and Tyran Donaldson. It was produced by Carter Lang & Tyran Donaldson and mixed by Derek “MixedByAli” Ali at No Name Studios.
The release of “What We Got” arrives on the eve of Mike’s sold out New York shows May 22 and 23 at Xanadu Roller Arts in Brooklyn. Hailed by GRIMY GOODS as “a wild good time,” the Mike D live experience has been playing a handful of intimate pop-up shows in non-traditional venues including Los Angeles’ Plaza Nightclub & Dance Hall, Malibu’s Brothers Marshall Surf Shop, The Ojai Valley Women’s Club and Sid the Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena CA. Additionally, Mike D’s first ever European live dates get underway this summer, full routing is:
5th June: 26 Leake St, London, UK
6th June: 26 Leake St, London, UK
10th June: Saalchen, Berlin, Germany
13th June: Primavera Sound Festival, Porto, Portugal
14th June: Beyond The Pale Festival, Wicklow, Ireland
16th June: La 2 de Apolo Nitsa, Barcelona, Spain
18th June: Blender at Bolwerk, Kortrijk, Belgium
19th June: De Casino, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
20th June: Beyond The Streets, Paris, France
German Indie Favorites Giant Rooks and Solann Dive Deep Into Emotional Turbulence on “The Waves”
With “The Waves”, Giant Rooks and Solann deliver an intense, multi-layered single about loss of control and being overwhelmed by emotions in the frame of a crumbling relationship. Moving between tender intimacy and powerful imagery, the song tells the story of a love that endures despite distance and inner conflicts. The song will be premiered on May 22 on German late night TV show „ZDF Magazin Royal“ featuring a first ever live performance by Giant Rooks and Solann.
Giant Rooks have built a reputation as one of Germany’s most compelling modern indie exports – defined by emotional songwriting, a powerful live presence, and steadily growing global reach.
In 2025 Giant Rooks played two completely sold-out shows in their hometown Hamm, Germany, which became an emotional homecoming but also marked a new milestone for the band’s success. Earlier in 2024, they completed their third sold-out North American headline tour, returned as special guest for Louis Tomlinson, and performed major international festival sets including Lollapalooza Chicago, Reading & Leeds, and Corona Capital in Mexico City.
With 4 billion combined streams, a RIAA Gold certification in the US, multiple airplay hits across Europe, and their latest album How Have You Been debuting at #1 on the German album charts, Giant Rooks have proven their sound is not only resonating at home – but has long been internationally relevant.