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Grammy-Nominated Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Rick Vito Delivers All-Instrumental Slide Guitar Album ‘Slidemaster’

Eric Alper
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Grammy-Nominated Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Rick Vito Delivers All-Instrumental Slide Guitar Album ‘Slidemaster’

Rick Vito has been asked the same question for years. When are you putting out an all-instrumental album? ‘Slidemaster,’ out now on MoMojo Records, is the answer, twelve tracks played exclusively on slide guitar from one of the most distinctive bottleneck players in blues and rock.

The album pairs new material with remixed and remastered cuts from previous releases, assembled into a cohesive collection that covers a lot of ground. Peter Green’s “Albatross” and “The Supernatural” appear alongside Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and originals including “Vegas Jump” and “Soul Shadows.” Every track is instrumental, every track is slide, and the range across the twelve cuts reflects a guitarist with genuine depth across styles.

“To my knowledge there have not been many slide guitar instrumental albums,” Vito says. “These new works are paired with some of my very favorite cuts from previous albums resulting in a soulful collection of all-instrumental slide guitar tracks. This album comes from years of recording in a style that I hope you will love as much as I do.”

Vito’s previous album ‘Cadillac Man’ in 2024 reached No. 1 on the Roots Radio Report and drew rave reviews across the blues press. Living Blues described his playing as “wraithlike,” noting he “never wastes a note.” Rock and Blues Muse called him “one of the best guitarists in the genre, and a premiere slide guitarist with few peers.” ‘Slidemaster’ is the natural extension of that momentum, stripping everything back to the instrument itself.

The resume behind this record is substantial. Vito was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991, with guitar work featured on ‘Greatest Hits,’ ‘Behind The Mask,’ and the live DVD ‘Tango In The Night.’ He later formed the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito, earning a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues as both artist and producer. His slide solo on Bob Seger’s “Like A Rock” has been heard by millions, both on album and across a decade of Chevy truck commercials.

His session and touring credits run deep, including Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Roger McGuinn, John Mayall, Leon Russell, Boz Scaggs, and dozens more. He’s also the recipient of the Blues Music Award for Song of the Year for Shemekia Copeland’s “It’s Two A.M.” His Reverend Guitars signature model, the Rick Vito Soul Agent, is currently in its fourth edition.

‘Slidemaster’ is out now on MoMojo Records.

‘Slidemaster’ Track Listing:

  1. Vegas Jump
  2. Steel Away
  3. The Big Beat
  4. The Danger Zone
  5. Ted Hot Baby
  6. Albatross
  7. Soul Shadows
  8. Slide The Blues
  9. A Change Is Gonna Come
  10. River of Blues
  11. The Supernatural
  12. The Lord’s Prayer

San Francisco Ameri-Cali Rock Sextet Wreckless Strangers Unleash Raw New EP ‘Dirty Souls’

Eric Alper
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San Francisco Ameri-Cali Rock Sextet Wreckless Strangers Unleash Raw New EP ‘Dirty Souls’

Wreckless Strangers have been carrying the torch for San Francisco’s rock and soul tradition for years, and ‘Dirty Souls’ is their most direct statement yet. The EP is out now, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Way with engineer Sean Beresford, and built around the six-piece’s signature blend of Americana, soul, R&B, and classic rock.

The title track “Dirty Soul” leads the project and arrives with a full visual companion, the band’s seventh collaboration with director Jason Lee Denton. Written by Amber Morris, Joshua Zucker, and the late Austin de Lone, the song draws its emotional weight from exactly where Morris describes it: “Patience, acceptance, and loving fiercely without losing yourself. The video allowed us to explore those themes visually and sit with the messiness of that kind of love in a very honest way.”

The EP’s second single “The Runaround,” written by lead vocalist David Noble, is also out now, as is the third EP single released in late March. Taken together, the three releases map out a band operating with real creative range, raw where it needs to be, melodic where it earns it.

Wreckless Strangers draw from a deep well of Bay Area influence. Their sound pulls from Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Sons of Champlin, Fleetwood Mac, Sly Stone, Tower of Power, and the Grateful Dead, filtered through soaring vocal harmonies and instrumental improvisation kept tight by concise songwriting. It’s a lot of ground to cover and they cover it naturally.

The band features Amber Morris on lead vocals, David Noble on lead guitar and vocals, Joshua Zucker on bass and vocals, Mick Hellman on drums and vocals, Rob Anderson on guitar and vocals, and Fletcher Nielsen on keys. They were recently invited to perform live on Nashville’s Americana Roots radio station WMOT and played NAMM in Southern California earlier this year.

Blues Guitar Giant Freddie King Captured at His Peak on Never-Before-Released Live Set ‘Feeling Alright’

Eric Alper
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Blues Guitar Giant Freddie King Captured at His Peak on Never-Before-Released Live Set ‘Feeling Alright’

Fifty years after the performance, the world finally gets to hear it. ‘Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts’ is out now on Elemental Music, a limited-edition 3-LP set documenting Freddie King live before more than 50,000 fans at France’s Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival in October 1975, the final full year of his life.

The recordings sat unreleased in ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) archives until now. Restored and mixed by Marc Doutrepont at EQuuS and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, the 180-gram vinyl set was produced by Zev Feldman, the award-winning reissue producer known for landmark archival discoveries across blues and jazz. CD and digital editions are also out now.

Sixteen performances across six sides of vinyl document King moving through the full range of his catalog. Classic instrumentals like “Sen-Sa-Shun” sit alongside signature vocal performances including “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and blues standards like “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Got My Mojo Working,” and “Stormy Monday.” King also delivers rock staples that had become part of his live repertoire, Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright” and Don Nix’s “Goin’ Down,” reflecting the genre-bridging vision that made him a direct influence on Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Lewis Stephens, who played keyboards in King’s band during those overseas dates, recalls a “blistering” five or six-week run through France. “Freddie had truly hit his stride as a blues-rock star in Europe and the U.S.,” he reflects.

Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top contributes an appreciation to the package, writing that at Nancy, “the Texas Cannonball poured it on in a big way.” Reissue producer Feldman frames the significance plainly: “These recordings capture a moment when he was transcending audiences and influencing players around the world. These performances present him at his very best, and they’re thrilling to hear.”

The deluxe package also includes liner notes by music journalist and historian Cary Baker, comments from Feldman, and an appreciation from King’s daughter and estate administrator Wanda King. It’s a release built with the same care the music deserves.

Punk Veterans Good Riddance Return With Tenth Studio Album ‘Before The World Caves In’ on Fat Wreck Chords

Eric Alper
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Punk Veterans Good Riddance Return With Tenth Studio Album ‘Before The World Caves In’ on Fat Wreck Chords

Seven years is a long time between records. Good Riddance have ended that stretch with ‘Before The World Caves In,’ their tenth studio album, out now on Fat Wreck Chords. It’s their first release since 2019’s ‘Thoughts and Prayers,’ and the band arrived at it with a clear sense of what they needed to deliver.

“We’re hopeful that the album comes across with the severity and urgency of the times we are living in,” the band shares. “As our 10th studio album, we wanted to make sure we were firing on all cylinders, delivering something potent, strident, and something that both longtime fans and people who are brand new to the band could sink their teeth into.”

Lead single “There’s Still Tonight” arrived ahead of the album and set the tone directly. Good Riddance have always written with political and emotional weight behind their punk framework, and this record makes no attempt to soften that. A decade in and the band sounds like they have something specific to say.

Adelaide Pop-Punk Duo Teenage Joans Blend Country Grit and Punk Urgency on New Single “Bandits”

Eric Alper
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Adelaide Pop-Punk Duo Teenage Joans Blend Country Grit and Punk Urgency on New Single “Bandits”

Teenage Joans have been building toward this sound for a while. “Bandits,” the Adelaide pop-punk duo’s new single, pairs their signature urgency with a country-tinged edge that opens up their sonic range without softening anything that made them worth paying attention to in the first place.

Written during a beachside writing trip in early 2025, the track captures the reckless loyalty of an all-consuming romance. Bonnie and Clyde as a reference point, blind devotion as the emotional engine. “We really wanted to blend a country vibe with our classic pop punk,” the band explains. “The song is about feeling an intense connection to someone, so much so that you would do anything for them and rule out the worst because you love them so much.”

Teenage Joans emerged in 2018 and have spent the years since building a fanbase through relentless touring and live shows that consistently turn new audiences into loyal ones. They’ve shared stages with Foo Fighters, Sum 41, and Sleeping with Sirens, and toured globally while remaining fiercely independent throughout.

The UK tour is underway now, running through mid-May with dates in Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, London, and Brighton’s The Great Escape festival. It’s a tight, well-routed run that puts the band in front of exactly the right rooms.

“Bandits” is out now.

Upcoming UK Tour Dates:

5 May — Glasgow — Nice n Sleazy

6 May — Leeds — The Key Club

8 May — Birmingham — The Sunflower Lounge

9 May — Bristol — Rough Trade

12 May — London — The Black Heart

13-16 May — Brighton — The Great Escape

Tech-House Titan John Summit Drops “SHADOWS” as Debut Album ‘CTRL ESCAPE’ Arrives

Eric Alper
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Tech-House Titan John Summit Drops “SHADOWS” as Debut Album ‘CTRL ESCAPE’ Arrives

John Summit’s debut album ‘CTRL ESCAPE’ is out now on Experts Only/Darkroom Records, and “SHADOWS” is the single that keeps the pre-release conversation going. Featuring vocals from LAVINIA, the track pairs tech-house production with layered synths and a seductive pull toward collective escape. It’s the second single from the album and another piece of a project that’s been building in real time across Summit’s live sets for months.

LAVINIA’s vocal hook, an invitation to follow her further than a million miles into the night, frames the track’s central tension between intimacy and anonymity. The production reflects that balance precisely, tech-house structure underneath something that feels genuinely cinematic.

‘CTRL ESCAPE’ moves across genres without losing its footing. Tech-house, dubstep, drum and bass, and broader electronic influences all appear across the record, with collaborators including Feid and Julia Wolf already generating viral traction from teaser footage alone. The album’s first single “LIGHTS GO OUT” used its visual to tell a story of self-liberation, office routine dissolving into club chaos. The thematic thread running through the project is consistent and deliberate.

Summit spent the past year delivering some of the largest performances of his career. He headlined New York City’s Experts Only Festival to over 50,000 fans, featuring Kaskade B2B Cassian and Green Velvet B2B Layton Giordani among others. He played Lollapalooza Paris and Germany, Ultra Europe, two sets at Austin City Limits, and closed the year with a sold-out show at Folsom Field in Boulder. His UK headline debut at London’s O2 Arena also landed in that stretch.

The live schedule from here through the rest of 2026 is relentless. Nine consecutive Monday residency dates at UNVRS in Ibiza run through July. His UK headline debut at Labyrinth Events’ Tofte Manor arrives in July. Tomorrowland appears twice in the same weekend. The Experts Only Festival returns to New York City in September after its sold-out 2025 debut.

‘CTRL ESCAPE’ is out now on Experts Only/Darkroom Records.

Upcoming Shows:

15 May — Atlanta, GA — Breakaway Atlanta

17 May — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Beach

22 May — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Nightclub

24 May — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Beach

1 Jun — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

8 Jun — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

15 Jun — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

22 Jun — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

29 Jun — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

6 Jul — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

11-12 Jul — Bedford, UK — Tofte Manor (Experts Only UK)

13 Jul — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

19 Jul — Boom, Belgium — Tomorrowland Week 1

20 Jul — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

19 Jul — Boom, Belgium — Tomorrowland Week 2

27 Jul — Ibiza, Spain — UNVRS

1 Aug — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Beach

8 Aug — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Beach

19-20 Sep — New York, NY — Experts Only Festival NYC

26 Sep — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Beach

20 Nov — Las Vegas, NV — LIV Nightclub

Wet Leg Get a Dance-Punk Makeover on “mangetout” Remix by The Dare

Eric Alper
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Wet Leg Get a Dance-Punk Makeover on “mangetout” Remix by The Dare

Wet Leg and The Dare met at an afterparty in Austin last October, DJed together, and apparently decided a remix was the natural next move. The result is out now, a frenetic reworking of “mangetout” that brings The Dare’s dance-punk and electroclash swagger directly into Wet Leg’s world.

The Dare is best known as a Charli xcx collaborator, and his party-driven production instincts are all over this version. “mangetout” already had momentum behind it as a Radio 1 and 6 Music A-listed single from Wet Leg’s second album ‘moisturizer,’ and its recent placement in episode two of HBO’s Canadian sports-romance series Heated Rivalry pushed it to a new audience entirely.

Wet Leg also picked up BRIT Award nominations for Group of the Year and Alternative/Rock Act this year, their first return to the BRITs since performing “Chaise Longue” with Boss Morris in 2023, a performance Jeremy Deller described as “a cultural moment.”

The band’s live schedule through the rest of 2026 is one of the more impressive festival runs going. June alone covers Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Governors Ball in New York, All Things Go in Toronto, Bonnaroo in Tennessee, Isle of Wight Festival, and PinkPop in the Netherlands. July brings headline UK dates including Alexandra Palace Park in London, Castlefield Bowl in Manchester, and Millennium Square in Leeds. A support slot with Alanis Morissette in Glasgow sits at the end of June, and the summer closes out with festival appearances in Portugal and Paris.

The “mangetout” remix is out now.

Upcoming Live Dates:

3 Jun — Primavera Sound, Barcelona

6 Jun — The Governors Ball, NYC

7 Jun — All Things Go Festival, Toronto

12 Jun — Bonnaroo, Manchester, Tennessee

19 Jun — Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight

21 Jun — PinkPop, Landgraaf, NL

26 Jun — OpenAir St. Gallen Festival, Switzerland

28 Jun — La Prima Estate, Italy

30 Jun — Bellahouston Park, Glasgow (w/ Alanis Morissette)

1 Jul — Trinity College, Dublin

8 Jul — Castlefield Bowl, Manchester

9 Jul — Millennium Square, Leeds

10 Jul — Alexandra Palace Park, London

25 Jul — Latitude, Suffolk

26 Jul — Tramlines, Sheffield

2 Aug — Hinterland Festival, Saint Charles, Iowa

12 Aug — Paredes de Coura Festival, Portugal

28 Aug — Rock En Seine, Paris

Pop Singer-Songwriter Alex Sampson Captures Anticipatory Heartbreak on New Single “Not Even Gone”

Eric Alper
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Pop Singer-Songwriter Alex Sampson Captures Anticipatory Heartbreak on New Single “Not Even Gone”

Alex Sampson writes about the specific kind of loss that starts before anything is actually over. “Not Even Gone,” out now via Warner Records, lives in that exact space, the quiet dread of holding someone close while already sensing the end coming.

“It’s not just a song about missing someone, it’s missing them before they’re gone,” Sampson says. “It’s inspired by that feeling when you know you’re going to lose them, whether it’s a breakup, death, or simply leaving for a while. You still have them in that moment.”

The single continues a year that has Sampson moving fast. He recently wrapped support dates with Jamie Miller across North America and Europe, launched his first headline tour across the U.S. and Canada this month, and has a debut album arriving this summer via Warner Records. “Not Even Gone” follows his sophomore EP ‘Hopeless Romantic’ and points directly toward where that album is headed.

London-Based DJ Ahadadream Fuses Punjabi Dhol and Electronic Club Music on “Bass Dhol” With Skrillex and Raf-Sappera

Eric Alper
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London-Based DJ Ahadadream Fuses Punjabi Dhol and Electronic Club Music on “Bass Dhol” With Skrillex and Raf-Sappera

Ahadadream has been sitting on “Bass Dhol” since early 2023. The Pakistan-born, London-based producer started the track in Miami with Skrillex, played him some Raf-Sappera, and the three knew immediately what they had. Three years later, the single is out now via Astralwerks, and it’s been worth the wait.

“The beginnings of ‘Bass Dhol’ were back in early 2023, when Sonny invited me to work on music together in Miami,” Ahadadream explains. “That’s when I played him some Raf Saperra too, he loved the vibe and we thought he’d be perfect for this track. Early versions of the track have been getting played since back then, so I’m super happy to finally see this officially going out into the world in its final form.”

The track fuses Punjabi dhol rhythms with driving electronic beats, Ahadadream’s signature skittish drum patterns running underneath Raf-Sappera’s Punjabi vocal presence. It’s a dancefloor record that doesn’t soften its cultural reference points. The dhol is the foundation, not a garnish.

“Bass Dhol” follows “TAKA,” Ahadadream’s previous collaboration with Skrillex and Priya Ragu, which announced him to a global audience in unmistakable fashion. “TAKA” went viral at his debut Boiler Room when Skrillex appeared on screen to debut it live. BBC Radio 1 named it Hottest Record, Essential New Tune, and Track ID, a rare triple crown the station hadn’t awarded since Calvin Harris’ “How Deep Is Your Love” in 2015. Support from Peggy Gou, Fred again.., Four Tet, Dixon, and Chris Lake followed, and the track has since accumulated millions of streams worldwide.

Ahadadream draws from the UK, Pakistan, and the wider African and South Asian diasporas, and his production reflects every one of those influences without ranking them. With scene support from Skrillex, Fred again.., Four Tet, Eliza Rose, and Pete Tong already established, “Bass Dhol” pushes his profile further into the conversation at exactly the right moment.

Wyoming Country Hitmaker Ian Munsick Expands the Eagle Flies Free Tour Through Summer 2026

Eric Alper
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Wyoming Country Hitmaker Ian Munsick Expands the Eagle Flies Free Tour Through Summer 2026

Ian Munsick is heading back to Red Rocks. The Wyoming-born country artist has expanded his Eagle Flies Free Tour with 10 new dates running through summer 2026, capping the run with a second headlining appearance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 25, his first return to the venue since selling it out in 2024.

The tour supports Munsick’s third studio album ‘Eagle Feather,’ released in 2025 via Warner Music Nashville. Holler praised it for its “expansive tracks, atmospheric anthems,” and Rolling Stone noted the record “is shaped by the landscape of the West, the stories of Native Americans, and the romantic idea of the cowboy.” It’s a 20-track album that covers serious ground, and the tour has been built to match its scale.

Leading into the expanded run is “Geronimo,” Munsick’s first release under WEST TO THE REST RECORDS/Triple Tigers Records and the first preview of new music beyond ‘Eagle Feather.’ The official video, directed by Ben Christensen and shot in Wyoming by Isaac Spotts, is out now. Munsick described it simply: “If National Geographic and 70s country and western MTV had a baby, it would be the music video for ‘Geronimo.'”

Spotts, who filmed on location across Wyoming, added his own take: “This song completely captures the vibe of the west. Getting the opportunity to try and bring those lyrics to life was such an honor.”

Munsick has accumulated over one billion global streams across three albums. His RIAA-Platinum duet “Long Live Cowgirls” with Cody Johnson hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30. “Long Haul” and “Horses Are Faster” hold RIAA Gold certifications. He’s sold over 100,000 headlining tickets across 2024 and 2025, opened for Lainey Wilson and Morgan Wallen, headlined Cheyenne Frontier Days, and founded his own label imprint WEST TO THE REST RECORDS.

Kenny Whitmire joins as support on the remaining dates. The Georgia-born singer-songwriter moved to Nashville in 2022 and has been sharpening a classic country sound rooted in Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, and Randy Travis. His recent singles “I Gave Her The Moon” and “Me Being Me” are out now.

Tickets are on sale now at IanMunsick.com.

Eagle Flies Free Tour, Remaining Dates:

22 May — Isle of Palms, SC — The Wind Jammer (w/ Kenny Whitmire)

23 May — Pelham, TN — The Caverns (w/ Kenny Whitmire)

30 May — Cocoa, FL — Cocoa Riverfront Park Amphitheater (w/ Kenny Whitmire)

5 Jun — Louisville, KY — Fourth Street Live

27 Jun — Libby, MT — Happys Inn

25 Aug — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre (w/ ERNEST and Ned LeDoux)

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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

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