End Overdose, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing drug-related overdose deaths, has announced a new partnership with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). Through this collaboration, NIVA’s member venues will receive quarterly opioid overdose response training and access to free naloxone and fentanyl test strips. These tools are designed to equip venue staff with the resources needed to respond effectively in emergency situations and help save lives.
The initiative includes a streamlined order form created by End Overdose, allowing venues to easily request naloxone, a proven overdose-reversal medication, and fentanyl test strips, which detect the presence of the potent opioid in substances. End Overdose founder and CEO Theo Krzywicki emphasized the importance of the partnership, noting that their national certification program is available both online and in person. “The independent venue ecosystem is vital to the health of live entertainment across the country, making this partnership a perfect fit to ensure lifesaving tools are available where they’re needed most,” Krzywicki said.
NIVA represents a wide range of independent venues, including comedy clubs, performing arts centers, and dinner theaters, all of which host millions of attendees annually. The partnership officially launches this week, with End Overdose beginning staff training across the network. “Live shows are built on connection, and connection means looking out for one another,” said NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker. “Their generosity and commitment to our live community will save lives.”
Folk Alliance International (FAI), the world’s leading nonprofit for folk music, has announced recipients and nominees for the International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs), keynote speakers, and complete programming for its 38th annual conference, taking place January 21–25, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
New Orleans icons Big Freedia and Tank (of Tank and the Bangas) will serve as the 2026 conference’s keynote speakers.
Lifetime Achievement Awards will honor:
Taj Mahal – five-time GRAMMY winner and global blues ambassador
Clifton Chenier – zydeco pioneer and Louisiana cultural icon
Louisiana Folk Roots – celebrating Cajun and Creole joie de vivre
Clifton Chenier / Photo by Reed and Susan Erskine Courtesy Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian InstitutionTaj Mahal / Photo credit: David McClister
2025 IFMA Nominees
Artist of the Year Abbie Gardner, Carsie Blanton, Crys Matthews, I’m With Her, Ordinary Elephant, and Sam Robbins
Album of the Year Arcadia (Alison Krauss & Union Station), CHURCH (Flamy Grant), Room on the Porch (Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’), Reclamation (Crys Matthews), Wild and Clear and Blue (I’m With Her), Woody at Home, Vol. 1 & 2 (Woody Guthrie)
Song of the Year “Ain’t Afraid to Die” (Woody Guthrie); “Crying in the Night” (Andrew Bird & Madison Cunningham); “I Bought Me a President” (Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer); “Room on the Porch” (Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’); “Sleeves Up” (Crys Matthews); “Sisters of the Night Watch” (I’m With Her)
Global Folk Album Award (with Songlines Magazine) Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, Trio Da Kali, Hajda Banda, Rastak, The Baltic Sisters, and Votia
New this year, the Global Folk Album Award recognizes the worldwide reach of folk traditions.
The Rising Tide Award (Levitt Foundation) goes to guitarist Yasmin Williams. The People’s Voice Award honors Kyshona for her activism and “heartfelt empathy” (NPR). Spirit of Folk Awards recognize Laura Thomas (ComboPlate Booking), Rachel Ornelas (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival), FAI Deputy Director Alex Mallett, and community builder Cindy Cogbill. The Clearwater Award will be presented to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival for decades of environmental leadership. Four DJs—Susan Forbes Hansen (WHUS), Kieran Hanrahan (RTE Radio 1), Ron Olesko (Folk Music Notebook), and Michael Stock (WLRN)—will be inducted into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame.
Programming Highlights
Panels include:
Songs That Carry Us: Indigenous Perspectives on Folk Tradition
Beyond “Woke”: Rethinking Lead Belly in the Era of Cowboy Carter
Human Art in a Generative AI Age
Panelists feature Ani DiFranco, Gina Chavez, Irma Thomas, Leyla McCalla, Louis Michot, Ann Powers, and Nick Spitzer.
Over 150 artists from 34 countries will perform, including Kyshona, The Milk Carton Kids, Steve Poltz, Yasmin Williams, Leyla McCalla, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Chuck Prophet, Bruce Sudano, Pieta Brown, Ramy Essam, Emily Scott Robinson, Beth Nielsen Chapman, The Steel Wheels, Rainbow Girls, Tray Wellington, Mamadou Diabate, Las Cafeteras, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Emma Swift, Feng E, Great Lake Swimmers, Sean Ardoin, Jim White, Cary Morin Duo, Jason Ricci & Damon Fowler, Ordinary Elephant, Corey Ledet Zydeco & Black Magic, Doug MacLeod, OKAN, Angelique Francis, Luke Winslow-King, Las Guaracheras, and Aysanabee.
About the Conference
The Folk Alliance International Conference is the largest global gathering of folk musicians and industry professionals, uniting artists, presenters, and organizations for five days of showcases, networking, and professional development. The first night features the International Folk Music Awards—celebrating folk’s leaders, legends, and emerging voices. The 2026 theme is “Rise Up.”
Cardi B continues her unstoppable run with the release of “Am I The Drama (The Snow Mix),” a fresh take on her standout track featuring Atlanta hip-hop icon Jeezy and rising star Latto. The remix of “ErrTime” adds new layers of energy and lyrical firepower, surprising fans and expanding the sonic universe of her platinum-certified sophomore album Am I The Drama?.
The album has already made history, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and holding its place for seven consecutive weeks. Cardi B is now the first female rapper to see both of her first two albums debut at the top spot. The release also marked the biggest week of 2025 for an R&B/hip-hop album by a female artist. Her single “Outside,” the album’s lead track, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance, reinforcing her place among the most celebrated artists in the genre.
Cardi’s momentum is set to carry into 2026 with her first-ever U.S. arena tour, The Little Miss Drama Tour, launching February 11 in Palm Desert, California. Due to overwhelming demand, additional dates have been added in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, promising fans a high-energy experience that matches the intensity of her chart-topping music.
The album’s impact has been felt across platforms, with “Dead” featuring Summer Walker, “Magnet,” and “Safe” featuring Kehlani all reaching No. 1 on Apple Music’s Top Songs chart. The project became the fastest album to reach RIAA platinum, surpassing one million units in under 24 hours and earning two Guinness World Records through her partnership with Walmart. Cardi celebrated the release with a live album event hosted by Apple Music and TikTok, a Bodega Baddie pop-up in Washington Heights, and a DoorDash collaboration called The Cardi Bodega, delivering signed merch and curated treats to fans nationwide.
Dutch brother duo Baby Condor are back with their latest single “Seventeen,” a lush and emotionally rich track that glides through memory, transformation, and the beauty of growing up. With a sound that blends pop, country, folk, and indie influences, “Seventeen” is a cinematic experience wrapped in orchestral warmth and vintage production. It’s a continuation of Baby Condor’s mission to create timeless, soul-infused music for the modern listener.
The song was created entirely in Mermaid Studio, a space the brothers built themselves. Nolle and Beinte Groen wrote, arranged, produced, and recorded “Seventeen” using hand-soldered gear and analogue effects that give the track its signature handcrafted feel. The result is a sound that’s melancholic yet dynamic, grounded in storytelling and elevated by soaring melodies. “Seventeen is about how the world is changing faster than anyone can keep up with,” says Nolle Groen. “It’s a reflection on growing up, losing touch with the past, and still trying to hold onto what makes us human.”
Live strings, horns, and intricate harmonies layer over organic percussion and shimmering guitars, creating a sonic landscape that nods to the golden era of songwriting. Inspired by legends like Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson, Marvin Gaye, and Brian Wilson, Baby Condor channels nostalgia into something fresh and forward-thinking. The track feels like a road trip through time, with every note echoing down sunlit coastlines and endless highways.
Since forming Baby Condor, Nolle and Beinte have poured themselves into the artistry of analogue recording and authentic songwriting. Every track is built from the ground up, a reflection of their belief that music should carry soul, story, and sincerity. “For us, authenticity in music is everything,” adds Beinte Groen. “Not just entertainment—but atmosphere, identity, and truth. ‘Seventeen’ is that pursuit captured in sound.”
Cheap Trick is turning the volume all the way up with the debut of their brand-new video for “The Riff That Won’t Quit,” a blazing single from their upcoming album All Washed Up. Following the electrifying “Twelve Gates,” this track is a sonic celebration of everything fans love about the band: relentless energy, infectious hooks, and a groove that grabs hold and doesn’t let go. With the album set to release November 14 via BMG, the countdown is officially on.
All Washed Up marks the band’s twenty-first studio album, and it’s a full-throttle ride from start to finish. Produced by Cheap Trick and Julian Raymond, mixed by Chris Lord Alge, and recorded across a constellation of legendary studios—Sound Emporium Studios, Blackbird, Love Shack, Zen in Nashville, and Sweetzerland Studios in LA—the album pulses with the spirit of rock and roll’s golden heart. Every note is crafted with precision and passion, and the band’s signature sound shines brighter than ever.
Fans will be thrilled to know that All Washed Up is dropping in multiple formats. Whether you’re spinning it digitally, sliding it into your CD player, or dropping the needle on classic black vinyl, there’s a version for every kind of listener. And for collectors, the Orange Marble vinyl variant is a must-have. Limited to just 1,000 units and available exclusively through the band’s new D2C store, it’s a piece of rock history you can hold in your hands.
The Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, the Ashkenaz Foundation, and the Department of Music in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design are proud to announce the launch of the fourth season of “Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York” with a special event marking YIVO’s centennial featuring distinguished scholars and musicians sharing their unique artistry. Tickets are available here.
Founded in 1925, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research has been the destination over the last century for knowledge of and research about Yiddish language, culture, and civilization. Through its treasured collections and robust programming and educational initiatives, YIVO has helped preserve the precious legacy of one thousand years of Ashkenazi Jewish life.
In this special event marking YIVO’s centennial, we will be joined by distinguished scholars and musicians who will share their unique insights and artistry as we delve into the distinct legacy of Yiddish song collection in Canada. The event will include lectures by internationally recognized scholars Itzik Gottesman and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett interspersed with musical performances by award-winning musicians Lenka Lichtenberg and Joseph Landau.
“Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York” is a performance and lecture series dedicated to showcasing the multicultural diversity of Jewish musical expression as well as the ongoing intersections between Jewish and non-Jewish musical practices and communities. The initiative is driven by an inclusive philosophy that believes in the power of music to serve as a bridge-builder and a vehicle for cultural exchange and dialogue.
The series has been made possible via the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation.
ittle Feat brings a wave of excitement into 2026 with The Last Farewell Tour, a lively and playful nod to their album ‘The Last Record’. The band begins a fresh series of shows in April with tickets on sale now and fans eager for every moment. The tour arrives with the spark that has defined their long and joyful presence in rock.
The band adds to the celebration with the release of the new single “Feathers And A Smile”. Written by Lowell George from an unreleased portion of the “Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie Suite”, the track features Bill Payne on piano and vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on mandolin, and Inara George adding vocals with warmth that feels timeless. It arrives as a true treasure from the bands early creative world.
Little Feat continues to shine with recent achievements including a Grammy nomination for ‘Sams Place’ and the dynamic new album ‘Strike Up the Band’. Produced by Vance Powell with contributions from Charlie Starr and Robert Hunter, the record shows the bands vibrant mix of rock, rhythm, and lyrical imagination that keeps their sound moving forward.
The current lineup brings together Bill Payne, Fred Tackett, Kenny Gradney, Sam Clayton, Scott Sharrard, and Tony Leone. Their chemistry highlights Little Feats history while celebrating the energy they share today. Decades of music and creativity come together as they enter this memorable tour with a joyful spirit that reaches every generation of fans.
Little Feat 2026 The Last Farewell Tour Dates: Jan 11-18 – Fort Lauderdale FL @ Sandy Beaches Cruise 2026 Jan 18-25 – Fort Lauderdale FL @ The Big Easy Cruise 2026 Apr 10 – Orlando FL @ The Plaza Live Apr 11 – Miramar Beach FL @ Joe Bonamassas Sound Wave Beach Weekend 2026 Apr 13 – Knoxville TN @ Tennessee Theatre Apr 14 – Roanoke VA @ Jefferson Center Apr 16 – Chattanooga TN @ Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium Apr 17 – Montgomery AL @ Montgomery Performing Arts Center Apr 19 – Dallas TX @ Majestic Theatre Apr 20 – Austin TX @ Paramount Theatre May 3 – Houston TX @ 713 Music Hall May 5 – Eureka Springs AR @ City Auditorium May 6 – Kansas City MO @ Uptown Theater May 8 – Iowa City IA @ Englert Theatre May 9 – St. Charles IL @ Arcada Theatre May 24 – Thornville OH @ Dark Star Jubilee
UK folk singer-songwriter Lucy Kitchen returns with her new album ‘In The Low Light’, arriving 27 February 2026 via Bohemia Rose Record/Make My Day Records. Alongside the announcement comes her latest single ‘The Boatman’ and a fresh run of UK shows. A powerful return to her traditional folk roots, the track rises from hushed beginnings into a full-band crescendo, woven with birdsong and warm Hammond organ tones.
Kitchen describes ‘The Boatman’ as a grief song with a quiet defiance. The single follows recent releases ‘Red Skies’ and ‘In My Corner’, setting the tone for ‘In The Low Light’ – a deeply personal album shaped by loss, resilience, and the slow reconstruction of life after the death of her husband in 2022. Blending hypnotic folk with touches of Americana, the album reflects both sorrow and rediscovery.
“For me, making this album brought me back to myself,” she says. “I hope listeners find their own stories within these songs and connect with the idea that we can create beauty from endings.” Kitchen supports the release with UK tour dates including London, Southampton, Cowes, Sheffield, and Leeds.
Upcoming UK Tour Dates: 7 November – Paper Dress Vintage, London 21 November – Overdraft, Southampton 26 February – Medina Books, Cowes 1 March – Heartbreakers, Southampton (full band album launch show) 12 March – Cafe #9, Sheffield 14 March – Music Room, London (full band show) 3 April – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
Poppy will return with her seventh studio album, ‘Empty Hands,’ arriving January 23, 2026 via Sumerian Records. She previews the record with the blistering new single “Bruised Sky,” a track that leans into her heaviest instincts yet. Produced and co-written by Jordan Fish, the song surges with industrial grit, melodic turns, and Poppy’s signature blend of clarity and chaos. Its accompanying video, directed by Orie McGinness, places Poppy and her band in a stark, dystopian world that mirrors the track’s intensity. ‘Empty Hands’ continues her evolution as a boundary-free visionary, folding together industrial edges, pop flourishes, and the uncanny, machine-like vocal identity that has defined her surrealist roots.
A new music video for the original song “Zoo” starring Shakira debuts today. The pop anthem is featured in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming animated adventure “Zootopia 2” and is performed by Shakira, who returns as the voice of Zootopia’s biggest pop star, Gazelle.
Shakira appears in multiple Gazelle and “Zootopia 2”-inspired looks throughout the music video, which combines her live performance with footage of numerous animated characters from the film including Gazelle, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Gary De’Snake and Nibbles Maplestick.
Directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the video is set in multiple environments from the film including the glamorous Zootenial Gala celebrating the 100th anniversary of the city’s weather walls; the Zootopia Express as it approaches the animal metropolis; and a steep cliffside that Shakira scales with Judy and Nick.
“Zoo” music and lyrics are written by Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin and Shakira. The song is produced by Blake Slatkin, Alex (A.C.) Castillo, Shakira and Ed Sheeran. “Zoo” will also be available as a collectible 7” purple vinyl single.
The “Zootopia 2” score is composed by Academy Award-winner Michael Giacchino and launches as a part of the complete soundtrack on Friday, Nov. 21, ahead of the film’s theatrical release on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The soundtrack can be pre-saved here.
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake (voiced by Academy Award® winner Ke Huy Quan) arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. The film also features the voices of Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Nate Torrence, and Shakira, who returns as Gazelle. From the Oscar®-winning team of Disney Animation chief creative officer Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer), “Zootopia 2” opens in theaters Nov. 26.
