Home Blog Page 13

Grand Ole Opry Celebrates Dolly Parton’s 80th Birthday With “Opry Goes Dolly” On January 17

Eric Alper
-
0
Grand Ole Opry Celebrates Dolly Parton’s 80th Birthday With “Opry Goes Dolly” On January 17

The Grand Ole Opry continues its century of country music excellence by honoring the legendary Dolly Parton for her 80th birthday. This fourth annual “Opry Goes Dolly” event takes over the Grand Ole Opry House on January 17 with a focused spotlight on her massive hits from the 1980s. Fans can witness an incredible lineup of stars including Vince Gill, Lainey Wilson, and Rhonda Vincent as they deliver powerful versions of classics from her peerless catalog. The evening also marks a significant milestone for hit songwriter Trannie Anderson who makes her official Opry debut during this high-energy celebration.

The festivities extend well beyond the stage performances with immersive experiences throughout the historic venue. Guests attending the Opry House tours on the day of the show can enjoy special birthday treats baked using Duncan Hines Dolly Parton’s mixes. A massive birthday card sits ready for fans to sign at the Opry House, and a Dolly Parton impersonator will visit the Opry Plaza for commemorative photos with attendees. The Opry Shop also introduces the limited ’80 Years of Song’ collection which includes exclusive music and merchandise for pre-order and on-site purchase.

Community impact remains a central theme for this milestone birthday bash through a generous charitable initiative. The Grand Ole Opry is donating $5 from every ticket sold for the January 17 performance to Parton’s Imagination Library. This program provides free books to children from birth to age five to encourage early literacy across all backgrounds. Supporting such a vital cause while hearing world-class musicians honor a global icon creates a truly meaningful concert experience.

The vocal performances and instrumental arrangements planned for the night highlight the enduring brilliance of these timeless compositions. The musicianship on display captures the vibrant spirit of the ’80s era that defined so much of the country music landscape. This tribute stands as a magnificent testament to a songwriter who has shaped the genre for decades.

GUV (ex-F**ked Up) Share “Chasin’ Luv” Ahead Of Album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ Out January 30

Eric Alper
-
0
GUV (ex-F**ked Up) Share “Chasin’ Luv” Ahead Of Album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ Out January 30

GUV, the long-running project of guitar pop extraordinaire Ben Cook (ex-F**ked Up), kicks off the new year with “Chasin’ Luv,” a cut of perfect indie pop ahead of his album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ arriving January 30 via Run For Cover Records. Cook explains, “‘Chasin Luv’ was the last song written for the record. We wanted something immediate, an instant hit in the vein of early Primal Scream, and to bring the jangle that was missing from the record, but always present in the older GUV stuff.”

Cook continues, “Noah, Gavel, Matt, and I wrote and tracked it in about 20 minutes. Corey Rose from Color Green came by and laid down her drums in a single take. After everyone left, I worked out the vocals just as quickly. Everything on the song is one take, and from start to finish it was written and recorded in under an hour. It’s my favorite and the best GUV song ever made.”

‘Warmer Than Gold’ was made with an all-star cast including contributions from James Matthew Seven, Darcy Baylis, Hatchie, Meg Mills of Turnstile, and recording and production from Tony Price, Noah Kohll, Max Epstein aka Photographic Memory, Jimmy Dixon, Johnny Bell, Joey Oaxaca, Walter Sedriks, and Remghost. The record blends Britpop, baggy, classic indie pop, and first wave shoegaze through Cook’s unique lens, defined by unstoppable musical motion and breakbeat-driven tracks drawing from turn-of-the-90s British rave and rock music.

Cook, who grew up moving between Toronto and England and played in hardcore band No Warning and punk experimentalists F**ked Up from 2007 to 2021, says, “Warmer Than Gold is about slipping through two worlds. One ruled by luxury and the worship of status, and another that feels like an escape, a dream you can almost touch. It’s about buses, trains, planes, about big dreams in solitude, finding something real despite everything trying to erase it.”

Lily Löwe Release “Love Like This” Ahead Of Album ‘Beautiful Disaster’ On February 6

Eric Alper
-
0
Lily Löwe Release “Love Like This” Ahead Of Album ‘Beautiful Disaster’ On February 6

Norwegian melodic hard-rock band Lily Löwe unveil “Love Like This,” the final single before the release of their sophomore album ‘Beautiful Disaster’ on February 6, 2026, closing the record with intensity, vulnerability, and an unforgettable hook. The band says, “Love Like This is the end. It’s a strong power ballad that sticks to your head for a long time.” The soaring, emotional power ballad arrives as the ninth and final track on ‘Beautiful Disaster,’ a record built on contrasts of strength and fragility, chaos and clarity, darkness and release, showcasing Lily Löwe’s signature blend of big riffs, emotional storytelling, and commanding vocals with a more cinematic, heartfelt edge. The band adds, “This album is all killer, no filler, every track hits different. We want to give fans a real experience, that feeling of power, emotion, and release you get when music truly hits. Each single represents a different side of who we are as a band.”

‘Beautiful Disaster’ explores the tension between vulnerability and power both lyrically and musically, moving between raw emotion and high energy while blending modern production with the heart of classic hard rock across nine tracks that take listeners through dark atmospheres, heavy guitars, and dramatic storytelling. The album spans from the haunting introspection of “Haunted House” to the glam-punk chaos of “Glitter & Gore,” the explosive rebellion of “Wild,” and the emotional storm of the title track “Beautiful Disaster,” with the writing process beginning with vocalist Lily crafting toplines, hooks, and lyrics before the rest of the band builds the songs into full-scale rock anthems. The band explains, “It starts with Lily’s ideas, but we build everything together; it’s 100% a team effort.” Formed after Lily’s solo debut at Melodi Grand Prix 2022, Lily Löwe quickly grew into a full band featuring some of Norway’s top heavy rock talent including Adrian Sunde Bjerketvedt from Jorn, Patrik Svendsen from Tonic Breed, Stian Hansen from Suicide Bombers, and Eiliv Sagrusten from Invasion, with their debut album ‘LÖWE’ earning critical acclaim and this upcoming release promising to push boundaries even further as they gear up for a year of new music, live shows, and expanding their international footprint.

Indie Week 2026 Tickets On Sale Now For June 8-11 At InterContinental New York Times Square

Eric Alper
-
0
Indie Week 2026 Tickets On Sale Now For June 8-11 At InterContinental New York Times Square

The Foundation Of Independent Music announces tickets are on sale now for Indie Week 2026, the 18th annual conference held June 8-11 at the InterContinental New York Times Square, supported by A2IM and featuring a keynote address from Merlin CEO Charlie Lexton. Each year, Indie Week welcomes attendees from around the world to an environment where conversations turn into collaborations and relationships evolve into long-term partnerships, with this year featuring an expanded slate of panels and networking opportunities designed to foster meaningful connections and real-world exchange.

Charlie Lexton was recently appointed CEO of Merlin, the digital music licensing organization representing independent labels and distributors worldwide, with his keynote drawing on his global perspective to examine the evolving position of independent music companies within the digital economy. A2IM CEO Ian Harrison says, “We are thrilled to have Charlie Lexton deliver his first U.S. keynote address since taking the helm as Merlin CEO. Indie Week has evolved into the place where the future of our industry is written and where the most dynamic music companies and entrepreneurs come to connect.” Lisa Hresko, President of the Foundation of Independent Music and COO of A2IM, adds, “Indie Week continues to be a vital gathering point for the global independent community where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are formed, and the next chapter of independent music takes shape.”

The Foundation for Independent Music is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the growth, sustainability, and innovation of the independent music community, producing Indie Week as the world’s largest international gathering of independent music professionals and presenting the annual Libera Awards, the premier independent awards ceremony recognizing artistic and commercial excellence in independent music. A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector, with membership currently including a broad coalition of over 700 independently-owned American music labels representing 37.32 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market based on copyright ownership, making independent labels collectively the largest recorded music industry sector, and in 2025, A2IM was named a Best Place To Work by the non-profit Women In Music.

Bruno Mars Announces Fourth Solo Album ‘The Romantic’ Arriving February 27

Eric Alper
-
0
Bruno Mars Announces Fourth Solo Album ‘The Romantic’ Arriving February 27

Marking a decade since his last solo project, Bruno Mars is officially returning with his long-awaited fourth solo album, The Romantic,arriving everywhere on February 27 via Atlantic Records.You can pre-order the exclusive first-pressing numbered vinyl now HERE, while supplies last. The announcement heralds the arrival of a new single from the project, which will be available this Friday, January 9. 

The new project comes in the wake of Bruno’s continued chart success, with recent singles including the GRAMMY award-winning “Die With A Smile” with Lady Gaga, which became the fastest song in Spotify history to reach one billion streams and topped the Billboard Global 200 Chart for a record-tying 18 weeks, as well as the pervasive “APT.” with ROSÉ—the latter of which was just crowned the most globally streamed song of 2025 by Apple Music, and scored 19 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart and 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global 200 Chart. Beyond its massive global chart achievements, “APT.” also won “Song of the Year” at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, and earned three nominations at this year’s 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards for “Song of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” and “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.” 

Bruno continues to prove himself as one of the most influential forces within the music industry. In January 2025, he became the first artist in Spotify history to surpass 150 million monthly listeners, ranking him among the platform’s top global artists. In October 2022, he became the first artist in RIAA history to earn six Diamond-certified singles. As of 2026, he has reached at least seven RIAA Diamond certifications for songs including “Just the Way You Are,” which is now the highest-certified song in history at 21x RIAA Platinum, “Uptown Funk” (with Mark Ronson), “Grenade,” “That’s What I Like,” “When I Was Your Man,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” and the “The Lazy Song.” His debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, is the longest-running studio album by a solo male artist on the Billboard 200, with over 345 weeks on the chart. He has secured nine Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and has spent a total of 30 weeks atop the Global 200 with his 2024–2025 hits.

Will Epstein Shares “Dishwasher” Ahead Of Album ‘Yeah, Mostly’ Out January 9 Via Fat Possum

Eric Alper
-
0
Will Epstein Shares “Dishwasher” Ahead Of Album ‘Yeah, Mostly’ Out January 9 Via Fat Possum

Woodstock-based composer and multi-hyphenate Will Epstein shares “Dishwasher,” a bemused, existential ode to the household appliance as the third and final single from his new album ‘Yeah, Mostly,’ out this Friday, January 9, via Fat Possum. Epstein explains, “It was always glaring at me, taunting me, and I couldn’t get away from this feeling that I was living my life on its terms instead of the other way around. For months, every time I ran the dishwasher, I would be embroiled in utter befuddlement that it was time to stick the little pod in its hole and send my porcelain through the paces yet again. Didn’t I just do this?? The whole thing was causing a level of distress that my partner found both amusing and disconcerting and I myself started to wonder, is there something more going on here? Was it the passing of time that I couldn’t accept? Or the endless cleaning cycles, compulsively correct?” The sinuous, loping track follows lush and languid lead single “Brideshead Revisited Revisited” and the gentle September single “That’ll Be Me,” with Epstein celebrating the release at Brooklyn’s Nightclub 101 on January 13 and Los Angeles’s Healing Force of the Universe on January 22.

The 11 tracks on ‘Yeah, Mostly’ resemble a collection of short stories traversing a grandparent’s funeral, a newfound love of costume dramas, an ungodly cold night in Los Angeles, and other scenes that float in and around the rhythms of daily life, marking the most personal and self-assured album yet from Epstein, also known for his work under the moniker High Water and collaborations with Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington from Darkside. Recorded between July 2024 and January 2025 at Epstein’s home studio on an eight track tape machine with vocals sung live and unedited and minimal overdubs, the album’s warm, homespun quality owes much to the intimate setting of its creation, with Epstein noting, “A drop of music on an image can totally change the feeling and texture,” as his work composing for movies like the forthcoming documentary Joybubbles directed by Rachael J. Morrison, premiering next month at Sundance Film Festival, and his recent IDA Documentary Award-nominated score for Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV bleeds into his recent, more accessible work. Co-produced by Michael Coleman, who has worked with Cassandra Jenkins and Billie Marten and also provided additional guitar, synths, bass, and backing vocals, the album features contributions from Austin Vaughn who has played with Cass McCombs, Luke Temple, and Sam Evian, and Kenny Wollesen who has worked with Linda Thompson, Laurie Anderson, and Tomberlin on drums and percussion, Kurt Kotheimer from Cassandra Jenkins and Eli Crews from Tune-Yards on bass and co-engineering, and Zosha Warpeha from L’Rain and Big Thief on hardanger d’amore.

LuxJury Release Album ‘Giving Up’ Exploring Queer Love And Identity Through Personal Storytelling

Eric Alper
-
0
LuxJury Release Album ‘Giving Up’ Exploring Queer Love And Identity Through Personal Storytelling

LuxJury, led by Nicole ‘Lux’ Fermie, release ‘Giving Up,’ an album exploring queer love and identity through deeply personal storytelling that came after she quit her previous band, came out as queer, and took a break from music for years. Nicole explains, “I had lived the life of a musician on the breadline. I was dating the drummer in the band. We broke up. I realized I was queer, fell in love with a woman, and took a break from music for years because I felt like everything I’d written thus far had been completely disingenuous, because I had this whole other side of my life that I hadn’t lived. I came back to music with something to say.” The album opens with “Poly-Amerie,” set against sweeping strings and forceful, dynamic guitars, telling the story of a love triangle where three women try to be romantically open while keeping jealousy at bay, with Nicole saying, “The song is about the differences in the ways that men and women navigate relationships. In WLW relationships, it can sometimes feel like we never break up—there’s this sort of weird, deep bond that women create with each other, where even if they’ve come to hate each other it’s still this long and drawn-out separation.”

The record’s first single “Hot Mess” delivers a liltingly groovy slice of yacht-rock-adjacent indie about reliving passionate teenage years as a result of rediscovering sexuality as an adult, with Nicole explaining, “You completely compromise on any sort of self-care and are willing to be a complete doormat for the sake of that first queer love you experience later in life, where you’re like, ‘I’m going for this with everything I’ve got.'” The introspective “I Could Love You” finds Nicole candidly sharing, “It was the first time that I ever embodied a side of myself that was not very good, that I wasn’t proud of. I always talk about how women are caring, but ‘I Could Love You’ is about how women can be cruel—I had fallen out of love and didn’t know how to get out of it and was getting really embittered and resentful of the person who was making me feel responsible for them.” Nicole says, “Honestly, most of this album is me getting over my first queer relationship. There’s no lie about it. I feel like a teenager: it should be an angsty album, but it came out the way it did, hopefully, because I’m a bit older.” The album explores how queer people navigate relationships and breakups in ways not covered in mainstream media, with Nicole noting, “The underlying current on this album is definitely what it’s like to have relationships with an undertone of social precarity. The biggest undercurrent on this album is that letting go of societal pressure.”

Stitched Up Heart Announce Album ‘Medusa’ On June 12 And Release “Glitch Bitch” With Conquer Divide

Eric Alper
-
0
Stitched Up Heart Announce Album ‘Medusa’ On June 12 And Release “Glitch Bitch” With Conquer Divide

LA-based Stitched Up Heart announce their upcoming full-length album ‘Medusa,’ available June 12, delivering another iconic rock anthem with “Glitch Bitch” featuring Conquer Divide, a tribute to internet-era confidence where online identity becomes a space for fearless self-expression. Formed in 2010 by powerhouse vocalist Alecia “Mixi” Demner, the band blends heavy riffs, anthemic choruses, and introspective lyrics, marking their first release as part of a newly inked deal with Judge and Jury Records, the powerhouse record label founded by esteemed producer Howard Benson and Three Days Grace drummer Neil Sanderson. Driven by heavy guitar and bold attitude, the song captures emotions of navigating the digital world, with Stitched Up Heart sharing, “‘Glitch Bitch’ is a love letter to every fierce e-girl baddie out there shattering expectations, and leaving a trail of broken hearts in your digital wake. You’re the queens of turning pixels into power, and making the internet pretty. Reminding us all that code is confidence and beauty’s a weapon.”

Howard Benson says, “When I heard the amazing forward-thinking record Mixi recorded with Cameron Mizell, I immediately loved the track ‘Glitch Bitch.’ The video was fun to shoot and having Kiarely and Kristen from Conquer Divide on it just ramps up the excitement.” Singing “This is for the twisted e-girl misfits,” the band leans into their known audiences in the music video, casted with Kiarely and Kristen from Conquer Divide and several popular goth and emo influencers, following the band as the night unfolds at a house party with tattoo artist Miao inking guests amid the chaos. The track captures the band’s evolution while staying true to the heavy sound and anthemic energy they’ve built since 2010, positioning ‘Medusa’ as their most forward-thinking statement yet.

Chase Greene Releases Debut Album ‘I Hope You Know’ Blending Pop And Hip-Hop Sensibilities

Eric Alper
-
0
Chase Greene Releases Debut Album ‘I Hope You Know’ Blending Pop And Hip-Hop Sensibilities

Providence-based artist Chase Greene releases his debut album ‘I Hope You Know,’ stepping into the pop and hip-hop conversation with a project that feels lived in rather than assembled for momentum. The record opens with “Press (I Hope You Know),” blending pop immediacy with hip-hop cadence and fleeting Latin accents, before pulling back on “Stay Home” where atmosphere does more of the work. Throughout the album, production stays sharp and intentional, with tracks like “Tajin Rim” leaning into darker, seductive tension while Greene’s vocal phrasing stretches and shifts across loose, almost improvised structures grounded in present-day hip-hop sensibilities. Greene says the album has been his lover, partner, and friend for the past year, putting in relentless time and energy, and now he’s ready to perform and share it with people.

Big Special Release “Sluglife” Fresh Off First North American Tour And Ahead Of UK Tour

Eric Alper
-
0
Big Special Release “Sluglife” Fresh Off First North American Tour And Ahead Of UK Tour

Birmingham duo Big Special drop “Sluglife” via SO Recordings today, kicking off 2026 fresh from completing their first-ever North American tour last month. Vocalist Joe Hicklin calls it a song about living low to the ground and going slow, feeling guilt for needing time to pull yourself up by your bootstraps while working through the self-hate that can come through hard times. The single follows October’s “PLAINTIVE NATIVE,” November’s “DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side),” and a Sleaford Mods collaboration on “The Good Life,” which featured Game Of Thrones and Star Wars actress Gwendoline Christie in a captivating one-shot video. Built on a lifelong friendship, Big Special ground their music in honesty, dark humor, and a clear sense of purpose, with their connection remaining central as their sound continues to grow and reflect the balance of ambition and emotional truth that defines their work.

Tour Dates [Tickets]:
02/13 – Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
02/14 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms [SOLD OUT]
02/15 – Newcastle, UK @ Digital
02/18 – Leeds, UK @ University Stylus
02/19 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Warehouse [SOLD OUT]
02/20 – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall [SOLD OUT]
02/21 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute [SOLD OUT]
02/24 – Bristol, UK @ Electric Bristol
02/25 – Southampton, UK @ The 1865
02/27 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
03/06 – Dublin, UK @ The Workman’s Club [SOLD OUT]
03/07 – Belfast, UK @ Ulster Sports Club [SOLD OUT]
05/21 – Derbyshire, UK @ Bearded Theory Festival
06/20 – Glasgow, UK @ TRSMT Festival
08/14 – Hampshire, UK @ Boomtown Festival

1...121314...3,158Page 13 of 3,158

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

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

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper