Foo Fighters have shared “Of All People,” the third track revealed from their forthcoming album ‘Your Favorite Toy’, due April 24th. The song made its debut in live form, filmed during the band’s performance for the Other Voices series at St. James Church in Dingle, Ireland back in February, and it’s a strong addition to what’s shaping up to be a focused, high-energy record. Dave Grohl, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, percussionist and keyboardist Rami Jaffee, and new drummer Ilan Rubin recorded the album with co-producer Oliver Roman, with mixing handled by Mark “Spike” Stent.
‘Your Favorite Toy’ arrives April 24th, just ahead of the band’s lengthy Take Cover world tour. Pre-orders are open now on CD and LP.
Spafford have announced the first leg of their 2026 summer tour, a late-June run stretching from Davenport, Iowa to Charlottesville, Virginia across eleven dates from June 16 through June 27. The Arizona-bred jam quartet has built one of the most devoted followings in the scene the right way, night after night on the road, with open-ended exploration, unique setlists, and a willingness to let songs stretch and mutate in real time. No two Spafford shows land the same way twice, and that’s the whole point. Tickets for all summer dates go on sale Friday, April 10th at 10:00 AM local time.
The summer run connects into a fuller 2026 calendar that includes two nights at New York’s The Cutting Room in July, a set at Rock the Dock Festival in Lake George, Domefest at New River Gorge in West Virginia in August, and Camp Deep End in Navarro, California in September.
2026 Tour Dates:
April 15 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
April 16 – Wilmington, NC – Bowstring$
April 17 – Raleigh, NC – Bowstring Brewyard
April 18 – Black Mountain, NC – Pisgah Brewing Company*
April 19 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House
June 16 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room @ Common Chord
June 17 – Hobart, IN – The Art Theater
June 18 – Paw Paw, MI – Warner Vineyards
June 19 – Peoria, IL – Friendly Valley Tavern
June 20 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Annex
June 21 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
June 23 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
June 24 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works
June 25 – Rostraver Twp, PA – Vinoski Winery
June 26 – Blain, PA – The Get Down
June 27 – Charlottesville, VA – The Jefferson Theater
July 11 – Lake George, NY – Rock the Dock Festival
The Michael Jackson biopic has a release date and a final trailer. ‘Michael’, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, the late pop superstar’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson, in the title role, hits theaters April 24th. The film traces Jackson’s story from his discovery as the lead of the Jackson Five through his rise as one of the most ambitious and iconic entertainers in history, with the official synopsis promising a front-row seat to both his life offstage and some of his most legendary performances.
The cast assembled around Jaafar Jackson is formidable. Miles Teller plays Jackson’s advisor and attorney John Branca, Colman Domingo steps into the role of father Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays mother Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on Motown founder Berry Gordy. Kat Graham plays Diana Ross and Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe.
The companion soundtrack arrives the same day, collecting 13 tracks spanning the Jackson Five era through Jackson’s peak solo years. It moves from “I’ll Be There” and “Never Can Say Goodbye” through “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” and “Bad,” a concise but well-chosen document of one of pop music’s most extraordinary catalogs.
‘Michael’ opens in theaters April 24th. The soundtrack is available for pre-order now on CD and 2-LP vinyl.
‘Michael’ Soundtrack Track Listing:
I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
Never Can Say Goodbye – Jackson 5
Who’s Lovin’ You – Jackson 5
Medley: I Want You Back / ABC / The Love You Save (Live) – The Jacksons
Pink Floyd has a new compilation coming, and it comes with a genuine discovery attached. ‘8-Tracks’ arrives June 5th, collecting seven essential tracks from the band’s 1970s catalog alongside the full-length version of “Pigs on the Wing,” previously only available on the rare 8-track cartridge edition of 1977’s ‘Animals’. The connecting tissue between the song’s two halves is a guitar solo by Snowy White, who played it during his very first meeting with the band after David Gilmour handed him his legendary white Stratocaster. White heard the song exactly once before recording the solo. “Roger says, ‘While you’re here, why don’t you play a solo on this song I’ve just done called ‘Pigs on the Wing’?” White later recalled. “I said, ‘That’d be nice.'”
The rest of the tracklist covers the expected ground well, pulling from ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘The Wall’, ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘Meddle’, and ‘Obscured by Clouds’. All eight tracks have been edited together by Steven Wilson for continuous listening, which gives the compilation a shape beyond the standard hits package. ‘8-Tracks’ arrives on 180g black vinyl, with an exclusive pink vinyl version available at Target. Pre-orders are open now.
Robert Plant has been named a Record Store Legend by Record Store Day US and UK, joining Elton John (2017) and Johnny Marr (2025) as recipients of the honour. A special plaque has been unveiled at Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, the world’s oldest record shop, recognizing Plant’s lifelong connection to independent record stores and his ongoing support for the communities they represent. “Record stores have always been a part of my life,” Plant says. “Once you get to the physical record it’s because you really want to know and be a part of what the artist was considering.” It’s a fitting tribute for a man who has been crate-digging since before most record shops’ current staff were born.
The connection runs deep and it’s well documented. Plant was famously photographed digging through crates at Bleecker Bob’s in New York with Jimmy Page in 1970, and the habit never left him. He’s turned up at West Virginia’s Nail City Record in 2025, Kansas City’s Mills Record Company in 2023, Raleigh’s Schoolkids Records in 2011, and has been a regular at Waterloo Records in Austin for years. These aren’t PR stops. Plant shops like a fan, because that’s exactly what he is.
Spillers Records owner Ashli Todd put it perfectly. “Record shops of the world will know first-hand that above all, Robert Plant is a connoisseur of his craft whose appetite for musical discoveries has not waned with the passage of time,” Todd said. The plaque at Spillers also highlights Plant’s deep connection to Wales and the country’s ongoing influence on his songwriting, a relationship that stretches well beyond the occasional visit and into the music itself.
Plant celebrates Record Store Day 2026, taking place April 18th, with an exclusive EP on Nonesuch Records. ‘Saving Grace: All That Glitters’ features four tracks with his Saving Grace band, including arrangements of the traditional “The Blackest Crow,” Gillian Welch’s “Orphan Girl,” and Bert Jansch’s “Poison.” It follows his critically acclaimed 2025 album ‘Saving Grace’, recorded in the English countryside with singer Suzi Dian and the band. Head to your local independent record shop on April 18th to find it.
Waterfront Blues Festival is back. Portland’s longest-running downtown music event returns July 2 through 4 to Tom McCall Waterfront Park with three stages, three days, and a lineup that pulls from five continents and six decades of blues, soul, funk, Americana, and global sounds. The Revivalists, Durand Jones & The Indications, Tank and The Bangas, Cymande, Hailu Mergia, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, and Seratones anchor an already formidable bill, now expanded with nineteen additional artists including Tyrone Hendrix Yacht Rock Allstars, Soul Vaccination with Lloyd Jones, Bon Bon Vivant, Ruby Friedman Orchestra, and the hard-to-categorize Timmer’s Guitarmageddon pairing PNW guitar heavyweights Chad Rupp, Rafael Tranquilino, and Kevin Selfe with international shred monster Paul Gilbert.
The Blues Cruises are back on the Willamette River as well, with three themed floating parties across the weekend. July 2nd brings the Big Easy Cruise with Bon Bon Vivant, Kota Dosa, and Reggie Houston. July 3rd is the Cruisin’ to Memphis boat featuring the Cascade Blues Association’s Journey to Memphis Finals. July 4th wraps with the Sail on Sister Cruise, an all-star celebration of Northwest women in blues and soul benefiting Meals on Wheels People and The Jeremy Wilson Foundation. The holiday weekend closes with a fireworks display over the Willamette River presented by Lithia & Driveway, marking America’s 250th anniversary. Kids 12 and under get in free. Tickets are on sale now at waterfrontbluesfest.com.
2026 Blues Cruises:
July 2 – Big Easy Cruise: Bon Bon Vivant, Kota Dosa, Reggie Houston Quartet
July 3 – Cruisin’ to Memphis: Journey to Memphis Finals, Journey to Memphis Allstars, Sleeper Wave, Billy Stoops
July 4 – Sail on Sister Cruise: NW Women Rhythm & Blues, Ms. Vee and a Badass Band, Mary Flower with Leon Cotter
The Hyphenate doesn’t fit the usual playbook, and that’s exactly the point. The self-taught, independent, masked producer has racked up 1.4 million Spotify streams, 236,000 organic creator uses across Instagram and TikTok, and 54,500 Shazam searches on his dark midtempo bass track “Punisher,” all without a label, a sync deal, or a dollar spent on promotion. The track found its audience entirely on its own terms, earning organic shoutouts from Stone Cold Steve Austin, Tony Hawk, and Steve Caballero along the way, and appearing in videos with over six billion combined views. His music now streams in 140 countries. Still independent. Still masked.
The timing on “Punisher” is about to get even sharper. With The Punisher: One Last Kill premiering exclusively on Disney+ on May 12th, a significant portion of those 236,000 creator videos are already fan edits tied directly to the film’s footage, none of it prompted or paid for. The backstory behind The Hyphenate adds another layer worth knowing: this is an artist who wrote a song called “Doubt Me” at age 18 after being told he’d never make it, and built his entire identity around proving that wrong. The Hyphenate is one to watch, and “Punisher” is out now on all platforms.
Meltdown has been running since 1993, with past curators including Little Simz, Chaka Khan, Grace Jones, David Bowie, and Patti Smith. Styles is the 31st curator, and the lineup reflects exactly the kind of taste you’d hope for. “It’s a true honour to host legends who have paved the way for the generations that follow them, as well as new acts that have inspired me to push my creative boundaries,” Styles says. Tickets are on sale now for general public via the Southbank Centre. Further lineup announcements, including details on Styles’ own headline show, are coming soon.
Meltdown Festival 2026 Schedule:
June 11 – Royal Festival Hall – Warpaint
June 12 – Purcell Room – Stephen Fretwell
June 12 – Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer – Ninajirachi
June 12 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Shabaka Hutchings and special guests
June 13 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Erika de Casier
Brooke Combe hits the ground running in 2026. The Scottish soul singer signs to Fontana Records and releases “Tears Won’t Lie,” her first track for the label and a statement of exactly where she’s headed. Produced by The Coral’s James Skelly at Kempston Studios in Liverpool and directed on video by James Slater, the track is draped in Northern Soul atmosphere, built around Combe’s flawless vocals and a lyric that cuts straight to the bone. “It’s about someone who has spent years hiding their pain behind a smile, only to be confronted with the emotional reality they can’t suppress anymore,” Combe says. The video, filmed at a Northern Soul night in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, matches the song’s emotional weight with stunning retro visuals.
Combe is deep into a sold-out UK headline run right now, with her current tour wrapping later this month. The calendar stays packed from there: festival slots at Truck, Tramlines, Boardmasters, and Victorious through the summer, a support slot with Lenny Kravitz at Gunnersbury Park in August, and a full UK run supporting Jalen N’gonda in October and November, closing at Glasgow’s Barrowlands and Manchester’s O2 Academy. After breaking through with her acclaimed 2025 debut ‘Dancing At The Edge Of The World’, Combe’s next chapter is arriving fast. “Tears Won’t Lie” is out now on Fontana Records.
2026 Tour Dates:
April 9 – Manchester – Gorilla (SOLD OUT)
April 10 – Liverpool – O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
April 15 – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
