Circles Around The Sun joined forces with harpist and vocalist Mikaela Davis for a mesmerizing performance in the KEXP studio. The session featured three expansive tracks that showcased the collaborative chemistry between Davis and the instrumental powerhouse. The performance opened with “Hot Pursuit,” followed by “After Sunrise” and closed with “Moonbow,” giving viewers a 30-minute journey through psychedelic grooves and improvisational bliss. Dan Horne on bass, Mark Levyz on drums, Adam MacDougall on keyboards, and John Lee Shannon on guitar created the foundation while Davis wove harp melodies and vocals throughout the session.
Elise Trouw Unveils Satirical Alter Ego With “All You Need Is Lust” From ‘The Diary Of Elon Lust’
Elise Trouw has stepped into uncharted territory with “All You Need Is Lust,” the opening salvo from her forthcoming concept album ‘The Diary of Elon Lust,’ which arrived today alongside a visually stunning music video. The genre-blurring multi-instrumentalist and visual artist crafted this 14-track satirical project around a fictional alter ego named Elon Lust, a 20-something male character built from real conversations and encounters that reveal uncomfortable truths about entitlement and objectification. The album releases February 13th, 2026 via Midtopia.
What began as comedic songwriting transformed into something far more authentic for Trouw. She found herself channeling words that had been spoken to her, to her friends, and likely to countless others into this persona that serves as archetype, confession, and warning all at once. The creative process unlocked a new level of honesty in her work, allowing her to explore these themes through a lens that’s both provocative and revealing.
South Carolina’s High Water Festival Returns April 18-19, 2026 With Alabama Shakes And Caamp
South Carolina’s High Water Festival will return to North Charleston’s picturesque Riverfront Park along the banks of the scenic Cooper River on April 18th and 19th, 2026, featuring 20 acts across two stages with no overlapping shows. Artists set to perform at High Water 2026 include headliners Alabama Shakes and Caamp alongside My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Lake Street Dive, Jesse Welles, Maren Morris, Peach Pit, Watchhouse, Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers, Jensen McRae, Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners, Arcy Drive, Chance Peña, Trousdale, Penny & Sparrow, The Runarounds, hey, nothing, Winyah and Alice Phoebe Lou.
High Water is a haven for foodies showcasing the tastiest flavors around, with fans stopping by The Refuge for a bite to eat from local and regional eateries or grabbing a cold craft brew or cocktail between performances, with festival and artist merch available onsite.
Pop Powerhouse Kim Petras Unveils Seductive New Single “I Like Ur Look”
Pop powerhouse Kim Petras has unveiled her new single “I Like Ur Look” via Republic Records, arriving alongside an exclusive interview with Zane Lowe spotlighting a fresh chapter of creativity and confidence. Playful, seductive and packed with Kim’s signature energy, the song channels the thrill of attraction into a shimmering anthem co-produced by Kim Petras, Nightfeelings, Margo XS and Frost Children, written by Kim Petras, Reade Wildman, Madison Love, Angel Prost, Lulu Prost and Nick Weiss. Following the momentum of Petras’ most recent singles “Polo” and “Freak It,” the new track cements Kim’s most personal and fearless era yet, a fusion of her club roots, sharp lyricism and emotional honesty that reflects where she is now while building the world for what’s next.
Petras teased snippets of “I Like Ur Look” across social media sparking a wave of fan excitement that has only grown louder since. Earlier this month, Kim turned heads at Paris Fashion Week from Ann Demeulemeester and Courrèges shows to a stunning appearance at the BoF500 Gala, solidifying her status as both a pop innovator and a global style icon, while appearing on the inaugural cover of Antwerp-based publication Enfnts Terribles Magazine with a pop art shoot by photographer Luke Abby.
Jake Owen Embraces New Chapter With Cover Of Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Middle Age Crazy”
Two decades after trading a future in professional golf for a guitar and a one-way ticket to Nashville, Jake Owen prepares to release his first independent studio album ‘Dreams to Dream’ on Friday, November 7th. In his latest release “Middle Age Crazy,” Owen dips into Jerry Lee Lewis’ catalogue with the wryly hilarious track he chose to cover because he always loved the story of a guy who’s lived the life he should have lived, done everything he’s supposed to, but hits this middle-aged point where he wants to make a change and prove that he still can. The song follows releases of “Long Time Lovin’ You,” the title track “Dreams to Dream” and a stunning cover of the Waylon Jennings tune “Them Old Love Songs” reimagined in the studio with Shooter Jennings.
Owen’s long-awaited foray into old-school country shines a light on raw and authentic storytelling diving into real-life experiences like heartbreak, struggle and defiance, feeling cathartic to be honest about a lot of stuff in his life including how he feels, where he sees himself going and how he sees himself going there. Co-produced with Shooter Jennings and recorded at Snake Mountain in Los Angeles, mixed by Trina Shoemaker and mastered by Pete Lyman, the album features Jamey Johnson on “The Jukebox Knows” and Savannah Conley on “Them Old Love Songs” with writing credits including Owen’s longtime friends Ben Chapman and Kendell Marvel.
Willie Dowling Releases New Single “Sadie Goldman” From Critically Acclaimed Album ‘The Simpleton’ With Animated Video
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer Willie Dowling has released “Sadie Goldman,” the new single from his critically acclaimed album of piano-led pop songs ‘The Simpleton.’ Dowling explains the song started out as an idle speculation roughly imagining where the lives of ghosts from his past might have taken them, but it quickly turned into more of an observational commentary on the nature of relationships in the modern era told through the fictional character of Sadie Goldman. Initially carrying the same sadness found in Squeeze’s “Labelled With Love,” Dowling hopes it has a rather happier resolution in that Sadie decides to challenge the tragedy of a life that took her nowhere, refusing to accept the seeming inevitability of her fate by stepping out of the mundane confines of the life she lives to see what else the world might have to offer. The animated video created and directed by Sam Riddlestone is available on YouTube, marking the third animated video Riddlestone has made for Dowling despite the two having never met or spoken, only working together via email.
LA Alt-R&B Artist India Shawn Releases Empowering New Single “Gone” With Neo-Western Cinematic Video
LA-born alt-R&B artist India Shawn has released her new single and video for “Gone,” written with D’Mile, Bianca “Blush” Atterbery and Jean Baptiste Kouame, continuing Shawn’s self-empowering and relatable style of penning memorable and instantly catchy storytelling. The production is loaded with unexpected gems including surf guitars, whistling, clapping, and culminates with a piano solo that embodies a feeling of freedom when you regain your sense of self, with the video directed by David Maxwell giving a neo-Western cinematic scope to the Soul and Pop anthem while highlighting Shawn’s liberating and empowering vocals. India explains “Gone” isn’t just about someone leaving but about what she gains in their absence: peace, clarity and strength, noting the song is about being more than okay alone but finally feeling powerful in it, releasing what doesn’t serve you not in bitterness but in clarity, learning that being alone isn’t lonely when you’re finally honest about what you deserve, written from that moment where you stop fighting to fix something that keeps breaking you and instead choose yourself. Sonically, she wanted to break out of her own box with D’Mile, pushing until it felt bigger than just a pretty track, needing to feel like an anthem for finally walking away and not looking back. India has long been an artist’s artist, penning hits for others and performing alongside Anderson.Paak & The Free Nationals and Ye’s Sunday Service, working closely with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 6LACK who took her on tour last year, Alex Isley, El Debarge, Keri Hilson, Monica and many more, with her critically acclaimed album ‘Before We Go (Deeper)’ cementing her as a powerhouse in alternative R&B earning praise from Billboard, NPR, UPROXX and Noisey.
Rising Heavy Music Juggernaut LEFT TO SUFFER Return With Chilling New Single “This Comfort Won’t Last Here Long”
Rising heavy music juggernaut LEFT TO SUFFER have returned with their latest single “This Comfort Won’t Last Here Long,” a chilling follow-up to their recent offerings “ANON” and “Set The World on Fire.” The track pushes the band’s signature sound further into the abyss, weaving suffocating heaviness with lyrical despair through relentless riffs and devastating breakdowns, embodying the fleeting nature of relief amid cycles of torment and violence while remaining raw and unflinching, capturing the essence of LEFT TO SUFFER’s identity as brutal yet emotionally resonant. The song represents a pivotal step in their journey, with vocalist Taylor Barber noting it feels like a new beginning after being sick and tired of being pushed and pulled by toxic energy, explaining the band has gone through the dirt with past relationships and this is their stand to start looking out for themselves and their families’ best interests. Gritty and full of emotion, this is the new wave of Left to Suffer.
Tour Dates:
1/22 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (Hell)+
1/23 Winter Park, FL – Conduit+
1/24 Tampa, FL – Oscura+
1/25 Greenville, SC – Radio Room+
1/28 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506+
1/29 Baltimore, MD – Metro Music Hall+
1/30 New York, NY – The Meadows+
1/31 Worcester, MA – Palladium Upstairs+
2/1 Albany, NY – Empire Live Underground+
2/3 Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground+
2/4 Toronto, ON – Garrison+
2/5 Detroit, MI – Sanctuary^
2/6 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s^
2/7 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry^
2/8 Cudahy, WI – X-Ray Arcade^
2/10 Denver, CO – Marquis^
2/11 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad^
2/12 Mesa, AZ – The Underground^
2/13 Pomona, CA – Glass House^
2/14 Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone^
2/15 Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post^
2/17 Las Vegas, NV – Eagle Hall^
2/19 San Antonio, TX – Vibes Underground^
2/20 Austin, TX – Come and Take it Live^
2/21 Houston, TX – Secret Group^
2/22 Dallas, TX – Puzzles^
+ w/ Your Spirit Dies
^ w/ Larcenia Roe
Japanese Metalcore Force CRYSTAL LAKE Announce Seventh Album ‘The Weight Of Sound’ Arriving January 23
Japanese metalcore force CRYSTAL LAKE have announced their highly anticipated seventh studio album ‘The Weight of Sound’ arriving January 23rd, 2026 via Century Media Records. To celebrate the announcement, the band shares the title track alongside a visually striking music video capturing the raw energy and emotion of the band’s recent live performances, with its powerful blend of vulnerability and hope offering a compelling glimpse into what’s to come, positioning ‘The Weight of Sound’ as the band’s most impactful work to date. Vocalist John Robert Centorrino wrote the title track after being gone from home for a long period, mirroring those emotions of being on tour for a majority of the year where you are quite literally never there for the people you love when they need you, noting people don’t always believe in your struggle and there is a lot of doubt from all sides, but he believes in himself and this life, carrying the weight of sound forever. The song is probably his favorite lyric wise from the album, echoing the saying “They only believe in you at the top of the mountain. You’re a fool along the way.”
The upcoming album, teased since the band joined the label back in 2024, promises to be one of CRYSTAL LAKE’s most ambitious projects so far, featuring a diverse lineup of guest artists across the heavy music spectrum including Jesse Leach from Killswitch Engage, David Simonich from Signs of the Swarm, Taylor Barber from Seven Hours after Violet, Myke Terry from Fire from the Gods and Volumes, and Karl Schubach from Misery Signals, shaping up to be a landmark release in the band’s discography. Guitarist and founder Yudai “YD” Miyamoto reflects that CRYSTAL LAKE has now been active for 23 long years, with the band carving out countless histories together with friends, bandmates and fellow musicians, sharing struggles that drew blood and building this band piece by piece, constantly inspired by the people and environment around him. He notes that to play that music together with comrades-in-arms is what it means to be a band, and the music that band creates has the power to shape a new culture, with ‘The Weight of Sound’ being a reflection of this way of life.
Niall McNamee Releases Debut Album ‘Glass And Mirrors’ Mixing Celtic Passion With Modern Alt-Rock
With a string of acting credits to his name, multi-talented artist Niall McNamee steps back into the spotlight with guitar in hand to release his long-awaited debut album ‘Glass and Mirrors’ via his own label Wellboy, distributed by Absolute. Influenced by the likes of The Pogues and Christy Moore but equally Oasis, Coldplay, Paul Brady and even Brian Wilson, Niall puts a modern twist on his Irish heritage, mixing the best of Celtic post-punk passion with a 21st century alt-rock perspective. A self-described romantic football fan who writes songs, Niall often thinks to himself “this is what I want to say, but how would Shane MacGowan say it,” with the result being a soaring, melodic collection shaped by the chaos, charm and contradictions of his life as a struggling artist living in London. The album opens with recent single “Clapham Wine,” written for a friend following a horrendous breakup, immediately baring pure Celtic soul from Niall’s brogue to the stomping rhythm and gorgeous guitars, while “Falling In Love for the Day” explores the wild romance of planning a future with someone you’ve just met, and the pounding “Magpie With a Mullet” is ready made for ceilidhs everywhere, complete with fiddle, bodhrán and penny whistle.
Niall’s songwriting has crafted beautiful ballads dotted throughout the album, with “Another Life” dramatically picking apart the what-ifs and could’ve-beens of a fractured romance, the 90s-reminiscent title track reflecting a dark period when he was doubting everything and wondering if he’d wasted or fucked up his life, the deeply personal “Leave My Home” featuring stunning falsetto, the pain of revisiting old memories in “Donegal Hill,” and one of his earliest songs “Clones Fireman” written when he was 17 and inspired by the story of his grandparents who met a week before his grandmother moved to England, became pen pals for 5 years until his grandad decided to go over after they lost touch, flipping a coin at Holyhead that brought him to the West Midlands where he bumped into her very quickly and they proceeded to live a long life together. For all the album’s meticulous piecing together, songs like the boisterous “Wokingham” and the rollicking “Man Complete” turn up the noise and are full of life, while “Moon Belongs To You” is presented with a calmer and reflective sway, with the final song “Rose Of Marylebone” ending on a hopeful and happy note feeling like a song only Niall McNamee could have written about falling in love with a girl from a really wealthy background, enjoying the disparity between them and driving this princess in his shit van.
After moving to London at 17, Niall worked on building sites whilst auditioning and playing live in Irish pubs to pay the rent, with his irrepressible personality, songwriting ability and charismatic live shows quickly building him a devoted fan base as well as a role in the West End as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, with film and TV parts following including starring opposite Pierce Brosnan and a major fight scene with Jackie Chan in ‘The Foreigner’ plus taking the lead in award-winning feature film ‘Love Without Walls’ for which he also wrote the original soundtrack. This Autumn sees Niall feature in two brand new films, playing Irish world cup team goalkeeper Alan Kelly in the feature film ‘Saipan’ starring Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke, plus playing the lead in the romantic comedy ‘One Night in Bath.’