Irish singer-songwriter Killian Ruffley returns with a quietly powerful new single titled ‘Honeycomb’, now available on all major streaming platforms. A gentle storm of Indie Folk, Acoustic Rock, and emotionally atmospheric songwriting, the track showcases Ruffley at his most vulnerable, weaving delicate acoustic picking, warm electric textures, soft percussion, and floating vocal harmonies into a cinematic soundscape.
‘Honeycomb’ explores the quiet battles we carry within, with lyrics that reflect on pain, healing, and the strength found in softness. “Running to the western shoreline” evokes a search for grounding, while the metaphor of building a world in “honeycomb” suggests protection and renewal. Ruffley’s poetic sensitivity shines through each verse, inviting listeners to find their own meaning in the music.
Fans of Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow, and Phoebe Bridgers will feel at home in the emotional clarity and layered atmosphere of ‘Honeycomb’, but the song remains distinctly Killian—introspective, haunting, and deeply human. It follows his 2023 release “Spun Out” and sets the tone for his forthcoming album.
Ruffley’s musical journey began in the Irish countryside, where he discovered percussion at age 11. His debut album Perception (2013) and 2015 EP Moonshine & Red Wine introduced his genre-blending style, with “Purple Lady” earning international radio play. After a hiatus due to illness, Ruffley reignited his career with renewed passion, and ‘Honeycomb’ is the latest chapter in his evolving story.
A sequel? For spring? Groundbreaking. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return in The Devil Wears Prada 2, in theaters May 1, 2026.
Almost twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.
The film reunites the original main cast with director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, and introduces an all-new runway of characters including Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and Conrad Ricamora. Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also reprise their roles as “Lily” and “Irv” from the first film.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is produced by Wendy Finerman, and executive produced by Michael Bederman, Karen Rosenfelt and McKenna. The film debuts exclusively in theaters May 1, 2026.
Country powerhouse Jason Michael Carroll returns with a powerful new single, “What Ever Happened to Heroes,” now streaming on all platforms. The track is a standout from his forthcoming album Anthem, due later this year via For the Lonely Records, and follows the genre-blending success of “Nothin’ But Country” featuring Petey Pablo, whose music video also dropped this week.
Co-written with fellow Texas native Garrett Bradford, the song began with a simple prompt—Bradford sent Carroll a few lyrical ideas and told him to “pick one.” The title “What Ever Happened to Heroes” immediately struck a chord. “This one stopped me in my tracks,” Carroll says. “I don’t watch the news much anymore because the state of the world often depresses me. Where’s the justice? Where’s the accountability? What happened to right and wrong? What happened to common sense? Whatever happened to heroes?”
With vivid western-inspired storytelling and a melody that swells from quiet reflection to cinematic crescendo, “What Ever Happened to Heroes” channels the spirit of the classic cowboy—stoic, brave, and principled. Carroll’s lyrics call on listeners to embody those same values in today’s world. “I still like to think that the cowboys are holed up, bandaging wounds, making plans to return… One of these nights, they’ll ride in, clouds of gun smoke, giving those bad guys what they deserve.”
The single builds on the momentum of “Nothin’ But Country,” a bold anthem that fuses rural grit with hip-hop swagger, uniting Carroll and fellow North Carolina native Petey Pablo in a celebration of their roots. The video brings that energy to life with unapologetic pride and Southern soul.
Together, the two tracks preview Anthem, a deeply personal album that explores themes of faith, family, and resilience. Carroll’s signature storytelling remains front and center, continuing the legacy he began with his chart-topping debut Waitin’ in the Country, which featured hits like “Alyssa Lies” and “Livin’ Our Love Song.” With Anthem, Carroll proves once again that country music’s most enduring power lies in its truth.
Just ahead of the holiday season, Boston rock band Girl with a Hawk delivers a heartfelt anthem to friendship with their new single ‘I’m In Love With My Friends’, out November 12 via Rum Bar Records. Led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Linda Viens, the band taps into the spirit of Friendsgiving with a power-pop track that radiates warmth, gratitude, and joy.
The release sets the tone for a busy week, as Viens joins the Boston Rebel Rock Coalition’s inaugural fundraiser the following night at The Burren in Somerville, performing alongside Diablogato, The Peppermint Kicks, Watts, and more. The event benefits the ACLU and celebrates the community bonds that inspired the song. ‘I’m In Love With My Friends’ is a tribute to chosen family, those “ride or dies” who lift us up through life’s highs and lows. “Romantic relationships don’t always survive those challenges, but authentic friendships usually do,” Viens says.
The single also marks the band’s first new music since July’s ‘It’s The Way’, and follows the March release of ‘No One Like You’, a tribute to Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins. It sets the stage for a full-length album due in Spring 2026. Girl with a Hawk—Viens, Richard Lamphear, Daniel Coughlin, Dan Bernfeld, and Nancy Delaney—welcomes guest vocals from Linnea Herzog, Agent Judy, and Holly Kantor, adding gang harmonies to the celebration.
The song’s artwork features Viens and longtime friend Carolyn Kaylor in a loving embrace, captured by Wayne Viens in the mid-’90s. Produced by Pete Weiss at Jade Cow Music and recorded at Panoramic House Studio in California, the track was born during the pandemic, inspired by a winter birthday gathering around a fire pit. “We were marveling at our determination to gather and celebrate life,” Viens recalls.
‘I’m In Love With My Friends’ also nods to the Plough & Stars in Cambridge, a beloved venue where the band and their musical family often reunited. The ambient bar sounds that open the track were recorded live by Viens and Coughlin, adding authenticity to the vibe. The song’s emotional layers reflect the times, but its message is timeless: friendship is love, and it’s worth singing about.
Napalm Records proudly welcomes Eye Of Melian to its roster, the Tolkien-inspired symphonic project founded by Martijn Westerholt of Delain and Finnish vocalist Johanna Kurkela of Auri. Alongside this exciting partnership, the band announces their new album ‘Forest of Forgetting’, set for release on February 20, 2026.
Named after a powerful singing spirit from Tolkien’s mythos, Eye Of Melian creates a cinematic and ethereal soundscape that draws listeners into a world of myth and imagination. Their music blends lush orchestration with elegant melodies, crafting a dreamlike experience that feels both timeless and transportive.
The first single from the album, “Blackthorn Winter,” offers a glimpse into this enchanted realm. With its sweeping arrangements and haunting atmosphere, the track captures the band’s signature score-like style. Johanna Kurkela shared, “’Blackthorn Winter’ ended up becoming a very personal song to me after writing the lyrics about living here in Finland, where winter feels like it never ends and summer is the best day of the year.”
Martijn Westerholt reflected on the creative journey behind ‘Forest of Forgetting’: “This album has been a really inspiring process—both for me as a songwriter and in what each of us brought to it. It has a lot of what Eye Of Melian is known for: cinematic, score-like arrangements, minor chords, and those epic, mysterious atmospheres. The lyrics tie everything together; they bring out the worlds and stories that the music hints at and make the whole thing feel complete. The collaboration between us on this record felt very natural. We’ve really found our way of working as a team, and I’m proud of what we created together.”
Las Vegas just got a whole lot louder, brighter, and more romantic! New Kids On The Block have officially extended their debut Las Vegas residency, “The Right Stuff,” at Dolby Live at Park MGM with 16 brand-new dates through 2026. That brings the total to 24 exclusive shows next year, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled.
To celebrate the extension, the band hit the Vegas Strip in true NKOTB style. They received the keys to the city from Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom, then headed to the iconic Little White Wedding Chapel for a recommitting ceremony that sealed their love affair with Sin City. The photo op was pure Vegas magic, and the band’s excitement was contagious.
The new dates will take place in June, July, and October, with presales beginning Monday, November 17 and running through November 20. General onsale kicks off November 21 at 10 a.m. PT, giving Blockheads plenty of time to grab their spot for what promises to be an unforgettable experience. Get the tickets here.
“What we’ve built here in Vegas, together with our incredible Blockheads, feels truly magical,” said Donnie Wahlberg. “The energy in that room each night— the lights, the lasers, flying up to the balcony to see all our blockheads dancing and singing along— is so far beyond anything we’ve ever done before. Vegas has been so welcoming to us, we couldn’t leave just yet! We are having the absolute best time and are so excited and honored to be asked to extend our stay here at the Dolby through 2026.”
The Philadelphia Flyers will host the first-ever “Phish Night at the Flyers” at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday, January 8, when the Flyers host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. This special Phish-themed night features special experiences, including a pregame concert by Rift and a limited edition, one-of-a-kind co-branded Phish-Flyers T-shirt. WMMR’s Casey Boy from the Preston & Steve show will host the pre-game concert.
Flyers fans and Phish fans interested in attending “Phish Night at the Flyers” must purchase tickets through the special ticket package link here.
“The Philadelphia Flyers and Phish both have tremendously loyal and passionate fan bases that have intersected over the past several decades with historic live shows at the arenas we’ve called home,” said Flyers Chief Revenue and Business Officer Todd Glickman. “From the Flyers faithful to the Phish fans, I cannot wait to see everyone come together under one roof at Xfinity Mobile Arena to ‘surrender to the flow’ on January 8.”
The Flyers and Phish have a decades-long connection. Before the band performed at the Flyers original home, the Spectrum, for the first time (Dec. 15, 1995), the band visited the team’s training center to meet members of the team. Prior to the show that evening, guitarist and vocalist Trey Anastasio wore a Flyers #10 John LeClair jersey, much to the delight of the fans in attendance. Two of Phish’s historic performances at The Spectrum are available on the album, The Spectrum ’97, which captures the band at the classic venue during a fall ’97 apex and celebrates a standout two-night stand across 33 songs. The band also has an interesting history at Xfinity Mobile Arena, performing the National Anthem before two Flyers games there in 1997 and 1999, and later playing back-to-back shows over Thanksgiving weekend in 2009.
Every ticket purchased through this special ticket package link includes a commemorative Flyers x Phish T-shirt and entrance to a pregame concert by Rift. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Waterwheel Foundation.
Phish and Flyers Fans interested in attending Phish Night at The Flyers can purchase tickets here.
Lightning in a Bottle returns to Buena Vista Lake, California, for its 2026 edition over Memorial Day Weekend, May 20 to 24. The festival, now in its 23rd year, has revealed a genre-spanning lineup that includes Empire of the Sun, Mau P, Sara Landry, Zeds Dead, Chase & Status, Mochakk, Barry Can’t Swim, Of The Trees, Overmono, and drag icon Trixie Mattel. Known for its eclectic programming and immersive experience, the festival continues to be a cornerstone of the West Coast music scene.
Beyond the music, Lightning in a Bottle offers attendees a rich cultural experience through The Compass, a dedicated space for workshops and talks. Topics range from indigenous wisdom to climate action, creating a space for learning, reflection, and community engagement. The festival’s commitment to blending art, music, and consciousness remains central to its identity.
Pass options include three-day and five-day tickets, with add-ons for pre-set camping and RV packages. VIP passes unlock access to backstage lounges at Lightning, Thunder, and Woogie stages, along with exclusive bars and pop-up activations. Tickets go on sale November 14 at 11 a.m. PT via the official festival website.
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.”
