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Rock Icons +LIVE+ Return To Canada With ‘Mental Jewelry’

Eric Alper
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Rock Icons +LIVE+ Return To Canada With ‘Mental Jewelry’

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of ‘Mental Jewelry’, multi-platinum alternative rock icons LIVE return to Canada for their first coast to coast tour in over two decades. Fronted by Ed Kowalczyk, the band brings Big Wreck along for the ride on the “Like A Rollin’ Thunder Tour 2026”, with Econoline Crush opening the first leg and The Damn Truth joining the final dates. The tour celebrates an album produced by Jerry Harrison that helped define 1990s alternative rock, while LIVE dig deep into a career-spanning set packed with favorites including “Lightning Crashes”, “I Alone”, “All Over You”, “Lakini’s Juice”, “The Dolphin’s Cry”, and “Pain Lies on the Riverside”, reconnecting with Canadian fans city by city.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
FEB 23 – ABBOTSFORD – ABBOTSFORD CENTRE +
FEB 24 – KELOWNA – PROSPERA PLACE +
FEB 26 – CALGARY – GREY EAGLE +
FEB 27 – EDMONTON – ROGERS PLACE +
MAR 1 – SASKATOON – SASKTEL CENTRE +
MAR 2 – WINNIPEG – CANADA LIFE CENTRE +
MAR 5 – HAMILTON – TD COLISEUM +
MAR 6 – OTTAWA – CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE +
MAR 7 – LONDON – CANADA LIFE PLACE +
MAR 9 – OSHAWA – TRIBUTE COMMUNITIES CENTRE +
MAR 10 – LAVAL – PLACE BELL *
MAR 11 – QUEBEC CITY – VIDEOTRON CENTRE *
MAR 13 – MONCTON – AVENIR CENTRE *
MAR 14 – HALIFAX – SCOTIABANK CENTRE *

  • – LIVE / BIG WRECK / ECONOLINE CRUSH
  • – LIVE / BIG WRECK / THE DAMN TRUTH

Indie Jazz Breakout Mei Semones Shines Live On KEXP

Eric Alper
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Indie Jazz Breakout Mei Semones Shines Live On KEXP

Mei Semones delivers a spellbinding full-band performance live on KEXP, recorded in the station’s Seattle studio and now out now for repeat listens. Moving fluidly between intricate guitar work, elastic rhythms, and luminous melodies, the set flows through “Dumb Feeling”, “I Can Do What I Want”, “Tora Moyo”, and “Kodoku”, with Semones joined by Ransom McCafferty, Noam Tanzer, Claudius Agrippa, and Noah Leong, plus a warm introduction from Cheryl Waters. It is the kind of session that captures an artist in full command of nuance and feel, relaxed, confident, and completely magnetic.

Cinematic Metal Band In Virtue Unveil “Gunslingers Of The New American Desert”

Eric Alper
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Cinematic Metal Band In Virtue Unveil “Gunslingers Of The New American Desert”

Los Angeles genre-defying metal band In Virtue announce their third studio album ‘Age of Legends’, out now, and introduce the record with the powerful new single “Gunslingers of the New American Desert”. Blending power, progressive, and melodic death metal with cinematic storytelling, the song opens a dark, immersive world led by a flawed antihero inspired by the myth of Sisyphus. Frontman Trey Xavier calls it the heaviest track in the band’s catalogue, setting the emotional and sonic tone for a full-bodied concept album that invites listeners into a sweeping journey of consequence, self-reflection, and hard-earned reckoning.

Bluegrass Stars The Infamous Stringdusters Share “Dead Man Walking”

Eric Alper
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Bluegrass Stars The Infamous Stringdusters Share “Dead Man Walking”

The Infamous Stringdusters are celebrating two decades of pushing bluegrass forward, and the new single “Dead Man Walking” keeps that momentum flying. Its a country-infused dobro banjo burner with the kind of drive that makes you lean in closer, and it follows the first taste of their upcoming record, “Working Man Blues”. The band is set to release their 20th studio album ’20/20′ in January 2026, and the title says plenty about the milestone energy powering this era.

Fiddle player and songwriter Jeremy Garrett traces “Dead Man Walking” back to a character who needs to zoom out and truly see their life, then make a real shift. With Larry Keels voice in his head, Garrett sent over a verse or two, and Keel fired back with lyrics Garrett describes as awesome and uplifting, landing on a powerful chorus and a cool hook. With Chris Pandolfi, Travis Book, Andy Hall, and Andy Falco alongside Garrett, The Infamous Stringdusters keep blurring the lines between bluegrass, Americana, country, and indie-folk, and ’20/20′ arrives with twenty brand new songs and that same bold curiosity under bright stage lights or deep in the studio.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
1/21 – Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
1/22 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
1/23 – Beverly, MA – Cabot Theater
1/24 – Stowe, VT – Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center
1/25 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
1/27 – Buffalo, NY – Electric City
1/28 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron $$
1/29 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre $$
1/30 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall $$
1/31 – Appleton, WI – Ice Dance Music Festival
2/1 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
2/20-22 – Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House
2/24 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
2/25 – Jackson, WY – Jackson Hole Center for the Arts
2/26-27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth
3/18 – Rutland, VT – Paramount Theatre
3/28 – EMS Spring Bluegrass Festival

Coleman Jennings Signs And Spins With “Head Spinning”

Eric Alper
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Coleman Jennings Signs And Spins With “Head Spinning”

Coleman Jennings officially joins Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records, and he wastes zero time setting the tone. His label debut single, “Head Spinning,” is out now, riding a rousing blast of prairie rock with an old school commitment to Western twang and a vocal vibrato that feels built to cut right through the day.

Jennings calls the deal a perfect fit, saying the teams made him feel understood and gave him the space to make the record he has always dreamed of with Grammy winning producer Dave Cobb. Written solely by Jennings as the second song he ever wrote, “Head Spinning” captures that overwhelming emotional rush, and it points straight toward more new music on the horizon.

Briston Maroney Shares “Poor Things (Feat. Ben Kweller)” From ‘Jimmy’

Eric Alper
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Briston Maroney Shares “Poor Things (Feat. Ben Kweller)” From ‘Jimmy’

Briston Maroney is back with the brand new single, “Poor Things (Feat. Ben Kweller),” available now via Atlantic Records. It brings a fresh collaborative spark to “Poor Things,” a standout from Maroney’s third studio album ‘Jimmy’, which is out now and already landing with listeners who love guitar-forward songs that feel personal without ever losing their bite.

Ben Kweller brings a warm, kindred spirit to the track, describing Maroney as a new gen rock artist with a gift for sincere songs that feel like a real conversation. Co-produced by Maroney and Alex Farrar, ‘Jimmy’ leans into the split-screen reality of growing up between two worlds, and it is already drawing attention from outlets like Consequence of Sound, FLOOD, Melodic Magazine, and Ones To Watch.

Biffy Clyro Returns to Roots with ‘Futique’

Eric Alper
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Biffy Clyro Returns to Roots with ‘Futique’

Biffy Clyro have been stacking up big moments lately, the kind that feel like a victory lap and a fresh start at the same time. Glastonbury, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, TRNSMT, plus a packed album launch show at HERE at Outernet all point to one thing: the band are charging into their next chapter with real purpose, and it all builds to the release of ‘Futique’.

The title says it all. ‘Futique’ is their word for those beautiful, sad, fleeting flashes that only land with full weight once you look back. That sense of memory catching up with you runs through the record, pairing a clear-eyed look at their roots with a forward push that keeps the trio sounding fearless and fully alive.

Simon Neil describes aiming for songs that scale the peak melodically, with every track reaching for something huge and heartfelt. He also speaks to a kind of personal vow behind the writing, making sure the songs feel honest enough to revisit years down the line and still recognize the person who made them.

Postmodern Jukebox Taps Kyndle Wylde for 007-Style ‘Barracuda’

Eric Alper
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Postmodern Jukebox Taps Kyndle Wylde for 007-Style ‘Barracuda’

Imagine if the Wilson sisters had been commissioned to write a theme for a vintage spy thriller. Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox recently pulled off that exact genre-swap by transforming Heart’s 1977 riffer ‘Barracuda’ into a sultry, 1970s James Bond-style noir. Featuring the powerhouse vocals of Kyndle Wylde—decked out in a cinematic trench coat—the track replaces galloping hard rock with a brassy, mid-tempo swagger. It is a masterclass in uncovering the hidden jazz bones beneath a heavy metal heart.

Puddles Pity Party Delivers Haunting “Where Is My Mind?” Pixies Cover

Eric Alper
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Puddles Pity Party Delivers Haunting “Where Is My Mind?” Pixies Cover

Ever wonder what happens when a seven-foot-tall, opera-singing clown decides to deconstruct one of the most iconic anthems of the late-80s alt-rock explosion? Puddles Pity Party has done exactly that with a new, beautifully fragile take on the Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind?’. Backed by Rich Rowlinson’s delicate piano and a multi-instrumental assist from Tim DeLaney, Puddles manages to strip away the jagged surf-punk grit of the ‘Surfer Rosa’ original, replacing it with a sense of velvet-voiced longing. It’s a strange, “fast and loose” interpretation that reminds us why certain songs are bulletproof—no matter how many “slippery fish” lyrics you throw at them.

Descendents Reclaim Legacy With ‘Milo Goes To College’ Reissue Series

Eric Alper
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Descendents Reclaim Legacy With ‘Milo Goes To College’ Reissue Series

The punk landscape changed forever with the 1982 release of Descendents’ debut, ‘Milo Goes to College’. This foundational record successfully merged the raw speed of hardcore with the melodic sensibilities that would later define pop-punk. Over four decades later, its cultural footprint remains massive, having earned high honors on essential lists from Rolling Stone, Spin, and Pitchfork. Now, the band has officially reclaimed their early catalog, partnering with Org Music to launch an extensive reissue campaign that prioritizes preservation over mere nostalgia.

The campaign kicked off this past autumn with the restored reissue of ‘Milo Goes to College’, available on LP, CD, and cassette. A highlight of the release is the limited Punk Note edition, featuring alternate packaging by John Yates. Inspired by the legendary Blue Note jazz aesthetics of Reid Miles and Francis Wolff, this edition includes new liner notes by BrooklynVegan senior editor Andrew Sacher. Following this successful launch, the band recently released the 40th-anniversary edition of their sophomore effort, ‘I Don’t Want to Grow Up’, this past November, continuing the series in semi-chronological order.

Looking ahead to 2026, the band’s mission to provide access to their early New Alliance and SST-era recordings remains in full swing. Future installments in the series will include definitive reissues of ‘Enjoy!’, ‘ALL’, and the essential ‘Bonus Fat’ compilation—each overseen directly by the band members to ensure total creative control. To celebrate this new chapter, Descendents will embark on a co-headlining North American tour with Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls starting in February 2026, bringing these newly restored classics to stages across 18 cities.

‘Milo Goes to College’ Variants:

  • Widely Available: Black LP, Grey Matter LP, Punk Note Edition (Black), CD, Cassette
  • Org Music Exclusive: Punk Note Edition (Silver Vinyl)
  • Descendents Exclusive: Suspended Gold LP
  • Zia Records Exclusive: Pink LP
  • Rough Trade Exclusive: Smoke LP
  • Tapehead City Exclusive: Coffee Cassette
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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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