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Sammy Adams Is Back and Bringing the “LIGHT” With His Big Noise Music Group Debut

Eric Alper
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Sammy Adams Is Back and Bringing the “LIGHT” With His Big Noise Music Group Debut

Sammy Adams returns with “LIGHT,” his debut single with Big Noise Music Group. The track arrives as the first statement of a new chapter, built on pop-driven melodies, alternative edge, and the hip-hop roots that first made Adams a name worth knowing. It lands with the kind of emotional directness that only comes from lived experience.

That experience is significant. Following a nearly fatal accident in 2019 and years of rehabilitation, Adams re-emerges with something to say. “LIGHT” captures the vulnerability and hard-won optimism of that journey. “Life’s wild,” Adams says. “This record is for the ones who kept me afloat when I was sinking in self-doubt and overthinking during uncertain times.” The track is dedicated to his daughters Andie and Khaki, his family, and his closest friends.

“LIGHT” was produced in close collaboration with Big Noise co-founder John Feldmann, whose credits include blink-182 and Avril Lavigne. “Sammy is such an easy guy to work with,” Feldmann says. “He’s always got such great ideas and has an incredible voice. It’s just a pleasure working with such a talented guy.” The pairing brings out the best in both artists, and the result is one of Adams’ most focused and affecting releases to date.

Sammy Adams hits the road this summer, appearing at Vans Warped Tour Long Beach on July 25 and 26.

Tour Dates:

July 25–26, 2026, Vans Warped Tour, Long Beach, CA

Video: Fred Again.. and Thomas Bangalter Reunite for “One More Time” at Alexandra Palace

Eric Alper
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Video: Fred Again.. and Thomas Bangalter Reunite for “One More Time” at Alexandra Palace

This one is already legend. A clip from Fred again..’s USB002 Tour stop at Alexandra Palace in London captures the moment Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter joined him onstage for a live performance of “One More Time,” and the footage has been circulating hard since it dropped.


Gorgon City, Chase & Status, and Bambii Lead Brooklyn’s New “Why Not Now?” Electronic Music Festival

Eric Alper
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Gorgon City, Chase & Status, and Bambii Lead Brooklyn’s New “Why Not Now?” Electronic Music Festival

A new electronic music event is arriving in Brooklyn this Memorial Day weekend. EMW Presents and ZERO Productions launch the inaugural “Why Not Now?” festival across two nights, May 23 and 24, 2026, at Industry City. Set within the complex’s open-air courtyards at 2nd Avenue and 36th Street, the boutique-style event transforms an industrial Brooklyn landmark into a multi-stage electronic music destination. The event is 21+ only.

Saturday, May 23 is headlined by North London house duo Gorgon City, joined by Italian tech-house producer GENESI, New York underground mainstay Linska, rising artist TOBEHONEST, and genre-blending performer Dreya V. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the night running through 3 a.m.

Sunday, May 24 closes the weekend with a headline DJ set from drum and bass duo Chase & Status. The night also features the North American debut of Joy (Anonymous) B2B MPH, UK garage pioneer Flava D, and Toronto-born experimental electronic artist Bambii. Sunday runs 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“Why Not Now? invites audiences to experience the future of music in the present moment,” organizers said. The lineup delivers on that promise, pairing established international names with emerging talent across two stages, all within one of Brooklyn’s most distinctive open-air settings.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. ET. General admission weekend passes start at $149, with VIP passes from $289. Full details at whynotnowfest.com.

Festival Dates:

May 23, 2026, Industry City, Brooklyn, NY Headliner: Gorgon City Also featuring: GENESI, Linska, TOBEHONEST, Dreya V Doors 7 p.m., close 3 a.m.

May 24, 2026, Industry City, Brooklyn, NY Headliner: Chase & Status Also featuring: Joy (Anonymous) B2B MPH, Flava D, Bambii Doors 7 p.m., close 2 a.m.

British Royal Mint lanza una moneda conmemorativa oficial de las Spice Girls 

Eric Alper
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British Royal Mint lanza una moneda conmemorativa oficial de las Spice Girls 

Si de verdad quieres poseer un pedazo de la historia del pop, más vale que lo hagas cuanto antes. British Royal Mint celebra 30 años del icónico Girl Power con una moneda oficial de las Spice Girls, en honor al revolucionario debut de “Wannabe” y su primer álbum, “Spice”.

La moneda coleccionable de 5 libras rinde homenaje al grupo femenino más vendido de todos los tiempos. Las Spice Girls irrumpieron en las listas de éxitos en 1996, alcanzando el número uno en 37 países, lo que impulsó un movimiento de “Girl Power” que inspiró a millones.

The Royal Mint’s 2026 Spice Girls £5 Commemorative Coin celebrating 30 years of Girl Power
The Royal Mint’s 2026 Spice Girls £5 Commemorative Coin celebrating 30 years of Girl Power

El llamativo diseño, creado por el artista Ffion Gwillim, captura a los cinco miembros posando en silueta, junto a sus autógrafos auténticos, inmortalizando el fandom y la nostalgia de los 90.

Por primera vez en la colección Leyendas de la Música de The Royal Mint, los fans pueden celebrar a las icónicas Spice Girls con cinco diseños de empaque de edición limitada, cada uno limitado a 15.000 monedas en todo el mundo, que representan a una integrante diferente del grupo: Baby Spice, Ginger Spice, Posh Spice, Scary Spice y Sporty Spice. Este homenaje oficial permite a los fans poseer una pieza de la historia del pop, celebrando a un grupo cuyo mensaje de Girl Power conquistó el mundo.

La banda comentó: “Es un gran honor para nosotras ser homenajeadas por The Royal Mint y seguir los pasos de verdaderos íconos de la música. 2026 marca un año especial para nosotras, ya que celebramos el 30º aniversario de nuestro sencillo y álbum debut. Nunca imaginamos que seríamos reconocidas de esta manera: el primer grupo femenino en recibir su propia moneda… ¡Un momento inolvidable para el Girl Power!“

Lucy Mackenzie, directora de Concepto de Producto de la Royal Mint, afirmó: “Las Spice Girls no solo dominaron la música pop, sino que definieron los 90. Ahora, fans y coleccionistas pueden poseer una pieza de ese legado. El empaque único que celebra cada Spice Girl la convierte en uno de nuestros lanzamientos de Leyendas de la Música más coleccionables. ¡El Girl Power ha vuelto! Anticipamos una gran demanda por parte de fans y coleccionistas devotos de todo el mundo que buscan darle vida a su colección“.

Las Spice Girls se unen a Freddie Mercury, Elton John, David Bowie, George Michael, Shirley Bassey y Paul McCartney en la serie de monedas Music Legend de The Royal Mint.

Disponible a partir del 3 de marzo de 2026 en el sitio web de The Royal Mint, la moneda presenta el retrato oficial de Su Majestad el Rey Carlos III en su anverso y también está disponible en Gold Proof, Silver Proof y como impresiones de edición limitada.

Helen O’Shea and Brad Butcher Deliver a Quietly Devastating Sinéad O’Connor Tribute

Eric Alper
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Helen O’Shea and Brad Butcher Deliver a Quietly Devastating Sinéad O’Connor Tribute

Helen O’Shea has released “Last Day of Our Acquaintance,” a duet with Australian Golden Guitar Award-winning artist Brad Butcher, honouring the late Sinéad O’Connor. The track, originally from O’Connor’s landmark 1990 album ‘I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got’, is the latest single from O’Shea’s upcoming tribute album ‘Songs In The Key Of O’, arriving May 1. Hot Press has already called it “a stunning tribute.”

The performance earns that praise. O’Shea’s interpretation leans into the song’s trance-like arrangement and plain, devastating storytelling, while Butcher’s restrained delivery adds a layer of shared heartbreak that deepens the original’s quiet devastation. Produced by two-time Grammy winner Marc Swersky, the track features strings from Nathan Bishop and Nicole Scorsone, drums from Aaron Comess, and backing vocals from Brielle Brown, Michelle Moore, and Lauren O’Shea.

“It’s always a pleasure working with like-minded artists who put the art of music making at the forefront of what they do,” Butcher says of the collaboration. “I was honoured to be invited to sing on this track and be a small part of this project.” O’Shea’s previous single, “Caged Birds,” featuring Liam O’Maonlaí of Hothouse Flowers, earned two consecutive weeks on the RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends List.

‘Songs In The Key Of O’ is a 12-track love letter to O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan, blending originals with carefully chosen covers. The album features an impressive roster of collaborators including James Maddock, Michelle Moore (Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Choir), The Carlile Family Band, Fiona Tyndall, and more. It is engineered by Jack Daley, mixed by Seth Von Paulus, and mastered by Leon Zervos.

Limerick-born and New Jersey-based, O’Shea brings her AmeriCeltiCana sound to material that clearly means everything to her. ‘Songs In The Key Of O’ arrives May 1.

Tracklist:

  1. “Caged Birds” (Original, ft. Liam O’Maonlaí)
  1. “Rock And Roll Angel” (Original, ft. Barry Murphy)
  1. “Chaos” (Original)
  1. “Dense Water Deeper Down” (Cover, ft. Brielle Brown, Sharon Lasher, Fiona Tyndall, Jo Wymer)
  1. “Dreaming My Dreams” (Cover)
  1. “If U Ever” (Cover, ft. James Maddock)
  1. “Saving Grace” (Cover)
  1. “Last Day Of Our Acquaintance” (Cover, ft. Brad Butcher)
  1. “Lost” (Cover)
  1. “Unbecoming (KO Version)” (Original, ft. Fiona Tyndall)
  1. “Shine” (Original, ft. Michelle Moore)
  1. “There Will Be Days” (Original, ft. Caroline Carlile and The Carlile Family Band)

New York Songwriter Lawrence Kim Asks the Hard Questions on New Single “Line and Key”

Eric Alper
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New York Songwriter Lawrence Kim Asks the Hard Questions on New Single “Line and Key”

Lawrence Kim is making his solo debut count. The New York City-based songwriter releases “Line and Key,” the second single from his forthcoming debut album ‘The Hours And The Times’, due May 15. The track features Kid Millions (Oneida, Man Forever) and Eoin Russell (Songs: Ohia) on pedal steel, with mixing by John Agnello. A video, continuing the black-and-white Brooklyn visual saga directed by Meredith Truax, is out now on YouTube.

“Line and Key” carries a deceptively simple question at its core: “Will you ever learn?” It is the kind of track that earns repeated listens, layered and unhurried, with the kind of depth that only comes from assembling exactly the right collaborators. Kim wrote, produced, arranged, played, and sang the bulk of ‘The Hours And The Times’ himself, then brought in a well-chosen cast of contributors to round out the record.

That guest list is worth noting. Alongside Kid Millions and Russell, the album features Emma Tricca, Rachel Cox (Oakley Hall), Alexandra Helgerson, Stephen Chen (Ghost Funk Orchestra, San Fermin), Peter Hess (Philip Glass Ensemble), Dana Lyn, and more. Kim, a former member of BMX Bandits, Scam Avenue, and The Amber Smith, and touring guitarist for Ryn Weaver, spent years in bands before turning inward. “I like being in bands,” he says. “It’s like being in a gang. Us versus the world.”

‘The Hours And The Times’ is, by Kim’s own description, an album about being alone, which is not necessarily the same thing as being lonely. “I didn’t set out to make an album around that,” he says, “but that’s what I ended up with.” The record’s first single, “Madeleine,” arrived last month alongside a super 8 video also directed by Truax.

The album release show is set for May 17 at Mama Tried in Brooklyn, 4pm. ‘The Hours And The Times’ arrives May 15.

Tracklist:

  1. New Jetsetter
  2. Sawyer
  3. Madeleine
  4. Rodeo (ft. Emma Tricca and Rachel Cox)
  5. Best Western
  6. Escape Artist (ft. Rachel Cox)
  7. Line and Key (ft. Kid Millions)
  8. Diver
  9. Go Lay Yourself Down Again

Jam Bands Meet Academia: Phish Studies 101 Turns the Groove Into a Graduate Seminar

Eric Alper
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Jam Bands Meet Academia: Phish Studies 101 Turns the Groove Into a Graduate Seminar

There are college courses about The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and hip-hop culture. Now add another to the syllabus: Phish. Yes, the band whose concerts can stretch songs into half-hour improvisational journeys is now the subject of organized academic study. Welcome to Phish Studies 101, where the jams get analyzed, the fans become scholars, and the music is treated like a living, breathing text.

Run by the Phish Studies Association, the online course series invites fans, researchers, and curious listeners to explore the music and culture surrounding the legendary jam band. The next session takes place March 25, 2026, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. EST, and costs $25 – or comes included with a $40 annual membership in the organization.

And this is not just a fan club with a PowerPoint.

The classes feature music scholars who break down Phish’s improvisational techniques, compositional structures, and the mechanics behind those sprawling jams that can turn a three-minute song into a cosmic expedition. In previous sessions, participants dove deep into how the band constructs its improvisations, examining rhythm shifts, harmonic movement, and the collective musical intuition that makes each performance unique.

Think of it as part music theory, part cultural studies, and part guided tour through the weirdest and most joyful corners of jam-band history.

Phish Studies 101 first launched in October 2024 with three online classes and a guided listening session where scholars dissected some of the band’s most famous jams. The response was strong enough that the program now runs twice a year – once in the spring and once in the fall – giving fans regular chances to go full music-nerd on their favorite band.

Membership in the Phish Studies Association comes with more than just access to the classes. Members receive newsletters, announcements about conferences, calls for academic papers, and updates about new publications exploring the band from scholarly perspectives. In other words, if you have ever wanted to write a serious paper about a 28-minute live version of “Tweezer,” this is your crowd.

The idea of studying a jam band in an academic setting might sound unusual, but it fits perfectly into the growing field of popular music scholarship. Universities have long studied jazz improvisation, folk traditions, and rock history. Phish, with its massive live archive, devoted fan community, and constantly evolving performances, offers a rich musical ecosystem to explore.

Besides, anyone who has spent time at a Phish show knows that the music already feels like an ongoing experiment.

Now, there is just a syllabus to go with it.

DoYeon Kim’s Debut Album ‘Wellspring’ Is a Volcanic Statement From a Fearless Improviser

Eric Alper
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DoYeon Kim’s Debut Album ‘Wellspring’ Is a Volcanic Statement From a Fearless Improviser

DoYeon Kim is stepping forward as a leader. The New York-based, Seoul-born improviser and composer announces her debut album ‘Wellspring’, arriving May 1 on TAO Forms. Playing the gayageum, a traditional Korean silk-string zither, Kim is joined by drummer Tyshawn Sorey, double-bassist Henry Fraser, and Mat Maneri on viola. The lead preview, “The Beats of Distant Thunder,” is out now, weaving Korean lullabies, relentless string-and-drum dialogue, and pure instrumental expression into a striking introduction.

‘Wellspring’ is all Kim compositions and group improvisations, built on immediacy and gusto. The album draws on folk universalism, free improvisation, and a restless creative vision that the Grammy/Recording Academy has described as connecting the gayageum’s origins to innovators like Thelonious Monk, Cecil Taylor, and Anthony Braxton. It rumbles and roars, and lands as the recorded culmination of years of artistic growth. The two-part epic closer, “Linear System” and “Calculus of the Soul,” runs over 20 minutes and is worth every second. Listen here.

Kim’s path to this moment is as compelling as the music itself. Trained under gayageum legend Yi Ji-Young and later at the New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation department, she absorbed the methodologies of Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, and Derek Bailey. She also discovered the power of her voice, mixing Korean shouts and pansori-influenced storytelling with the gayageum’s dynamics. Her 2017 album ‘GaPi’ with Chase Morrin earned a Korean Grammy nomination.

She chose her collaborators deliberately. Sorey, Maneri, and Fraser each bring an emotionally unmediated relationship to the moment, players free from thinking about their role and focused entirely on the relationship between sounds. The result is a quartet that attacks the music with exhilaration, whether through locked interplay or simultaneous storm.

Kim performs across New York City and internationally throughout March, including dates at Threes Brewing, Barbès, The Out Festival, and The Stone, plus two appearances at Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival and European dates with Kris Davis’ Massive Threads Trio. ‘Wellspring’ is available for preorder now.

Upcoming Shows:

March 11 @ Threes Brewing, Brooklyn, NY (with Vinnie Sperrazza and Brandon Seabrook)

March 14 @ Barbès, Brooklyn, NY (with Laura Cocks)

March 15 @ The Out Festival, Brooklyn, NY (with Cooper-Moore and William Parker)

March 19 @ National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland (with Kris Davis Massive Threads Trio)

March 20 @ Vortex Jazz Club, London, UK (with Kris Davis Massive Threads Trio)

March 22 @ AMR Jazz Festival, Geneva, Switzerland (with Kris Davis Massive Threads Trio)

March 25 @ The Stone, New York, NY (with Theresa Wong)

March 28 @ Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, TN

March 29 @ Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, TN

Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan Are Taking Their Decade-Long Friendship to the Stadium Stage

Eric Alper
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Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan Are Taking Their Decade-Long Friendship to the Stadium Stage

Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan are making it official. The multi-platinum superstars and longtime friends have announced two stadium shows together in summer 2026, promoted by Live Nation. They hit GEODIS Park in Nashville on July 9, followed by Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA on July 18. Both nights mark the first-ever headline concerts at GEODIS Park for either artist, and the first time the pair have headlined stadium shows together. Rising stars Kashus Culpepper and Emily Ann Roberts join the bill for both dates.

The announcement follows the release of “Old Tricks,” a collaborative rework of Thomas Rhett’s fan-favorite track, now featuring Horan. The song appears on ‘ABOUT A WOMAN (Deluxe)’, Thomas Rhett’s expanded 25-track project that critics have called his best work yet. The album includes collaborations with Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims, Tucker Wetmore, and Lanie Gardner, plus current Top 5 single “Ain’t A Bad Life (ft. Jordan Davis).”

Thomas Rhett brings serious weight to this pairing. Over a decade in, he has accumulated 24 Number Ones, 16 billion streams, eight ACM Awards (including 2020 Entertainer of the Year), two CMA Awards, and five Grammy nominations. This summer also sees him joining Morgan Wallen on the Still The Problem Tour and appearing with Luke Combs at Wembley Stadium for three nights.

Horan matches that energy step for step. With over 90 million records sold worldwide, a Number One UK album in ‘Heartbreak Weather’, and a sold-out global arena run behind ‘The Show’, he is one of pop’s most commanding live performers. His new single “Dinner Party” drops March 20, ahead of his fourth studio album later this year.

Tour Dates:

July 9, 2026, GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN

July 18, 2026, Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA

George Michael: The Faith Tour Film Brings a Lost 1988 Concert Back to the Big Screen

Eric Alper
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George Michael: The Faith Tour Film Brings a Lost 1988 Concert Back to the Big Screen

George Michael Entertainment, Mercury Studios, and Sony Music Entertainment have announced a global theatrical release of George Michael: The Faith Tour, a never-before-seen concert film shot during the European leg of his landmark 1988 Faith Tour. Filmed over two nights at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy using a 14-camera 35 mm shoot, this once-lost film has been meticulously restored and remastered. The result is a cinematic event decades in the making.

Directed by longtime collaborators Andy Morahan and David Austin, the film captures a 24-year-old George Michael at a turning point, in complete command of his voice and stagecraft. The restoration reveals the full scope of his original vision, and the performances land with the kind of raw, magnetic force that defined an era. This is George Michael as he was always meant to be seen and heard.

The film opens with an original short by Mary McCartney, offering cultural context for the tour’s significance. Voiceover drawn from a previously unheard interview, unseen photography by Herb Ritts, and behind-the-scenes footage from the Faith music video round out the experience. It is an intimate, richly layered introduction to one of pop’s most consequential moments.

Alongside the theatrical release, George Michael Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment will release ‘The Faith Tour’, an 18-track live album of previously unreleased recordings spanning his Wham! and solo catalogues. More details on the album are coming soon.

George Michael: The Faith Tour opens worldwide in theatres later this year. Release dates and territories will be announced soon.

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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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