Two of indie rock’s brightest are hitting the road together. Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy just announced “The S&M Tour,” a co-headlining run through U.S. theaters this fall. The 19-show trek marks the first touring collaboration between the longtime friends, whose careers have grown in parallel. It opens September 30 at The Fillmore in Charlotte and winds through Nashville, Orlando, New Orleans, and more before wrapping October 24 at Greenfield Lake Amp in Wilmington, North Carolina. It’s a genuinely exciting pairing for fans of both.
Both have serious momentum behind them. Snail Mail has a European run of festival and headline dates in June, following a strong stateside spring that included a performance at Kilby Block Party, where she drew solid numbers including a sold showing at Seattle’s Moore Theatre. Soccer Mommy’s 2025 U.S. tour ran hot too, selling out the 9:30 Club and a Thalia Hall double. The two coming together onstage is a natural fit. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time June 5.
Sheva Elliot has a swaggering new single ready to roll. The acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer just shared “Birds of a Feather,” an irresistible, twangy roots-rock track that captures the tension between doing what’s considered right and doing what’s right for you. At its core, the song is about surrendering to desire and refusing to let fear or judgment make the choice. It’s a bold, mischievous turn that shows another side of her artistry.
Elliot puts the sentiment plainly. “Ultimately, this song is about saying ‘to hell with it,’ going for the person who makes your heart flutter, and not worrying about the consequences,” she says. That emotional directness has become central to her writing, which she describes as centering on the truth of the human experience. The track trades approval for instinct and image for honesty.
The single previews Elliot’s forthcoming full-length, a roots-driven record that traces the arc of her becoming, charting growth, self-discovery, and the many selves we move through on the way to ourselves. Across the album, Americana twang, gospel warmth, and rock and roll muscle come together in a sound that feels both classic and distinctly her own. Influenced by Aretha Franklin, Chris Stapleton, Grace Potter, Lainey Wilson, and The Red Clay Strays, she’s carving a lane built on grit, soul, and emotional intelligence.
Los Angeles-born and singing since age four, Elliot makes music where roots rock, soul, Americana, gospel, and classic rock collide. Her previous single “Ruler of My Heart” marked a creative breakthrough, a cinematic, soul-infused release that showcased her vocal power and established her as an artist to watch. “Birds of a Feather” pushes further, bolder and freer. It’s a thrilling, play-it-loud kind of song.
Elliot is a hands-on architect of her sound, serving as main writer, composer, and producer while co-producing alongside Silas Nello. The record was engineered and mixed by Claire Morison and mastered by Howie Weinberg, with performances from Taylor Kropp, Eric England, Max Bauhof, Silas Nello, Thomas Johansen, and Matt Pynn.
Morcheeba turned a Berlin club into something hypnotic. Filmed in 2018 at the renowned SchwuZ for the ARTE Concert series ‘Berlin Live,’ the show catches the trip-hop pioneers at their mesmerizing best. Skye Edwards’ velvety vocals glide over the group’s signature blend of laid-back grooves, soulful melodies, and psychedelic textures, a sound that’s defined them for decades. The setlist winds through celebrated favorites like the hypnotic “The Sea” and the universally adored “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day,” alongside newer material from ‘Blaze Away’ that proves their creative vitality. Inspired covers punctuate the night too, including a soulful take on George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and a groovy spin on David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” It’s a warm, immersive evening with one of music’s most distinctive groups.
Six Gun Sally are gearing up for a blazing summer. The Pittsburgh-based Southern rock group will release their new single “Sittin’ Pretty” on Friday, July 17, 2026, and it doubles as their definitive theme song. The track marks a bold evolution for the female-fronted powerhouse and sets the pace for a packed touring season. It opens with explosive guitar work nodding to Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” fueled by a wall of heavy, distorted riffs. It’s a high-octane homage to ’70s rock with a fierce contemporary edge.
The song carries real personal weight beneath the swagger. Written by Jeff “Ford” Thurston, Matt Muckle, lead singer Aimee Jane Williams, and band leader and drummer Dave Barbe, “Sittin’ Pretty” plays as a semi-autobiographical anthem, tracing a female rocker’s journey from small-town roots to big-city stages and bright lights. It delivers a confident feminine twist on a historically male-dominated genre, standing as a Six Gun Sally manifesto. Williams’ commanding belt drives it home, countered by background callbacks that frame her dominant performance.
The group bridges nostalgic ’70s rock and modern intensity with serious musicianship. Williams’ powerhouse vocals lead the way, backed by Allen Granus on lead guitar, Jeff Yeckel on lead and rhythm guitar, Dan Rach on keys, Stan Brusoski on bass, Billy G on percussion and drums, and Barbe on percussion and drums. In the vintage vocal lineage of Janis Joplin and Merry Clayton, the track serves fresh fire for anyone with a taste for classic rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a thrilling, full-throttle showcase.
The single arrives right on schedule with the group’s summer plans. “Sittin’ Pretty” is positioned to ignite their shows as support on the double-billed “Double Trouble Double Vision Tour,” headlined by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner. The 22-date run begins July 17 in West Palm Beach, Florida and wraps August 29 in Rogers, Arkansas.
Six Gun Sally have built a hard-touring reputation, playing nearly 65 dates a year for audiences of all ages with a love for Southern and classic rock in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Janis Joplin. The seven-piece released a self-titled debut in 2021 and followed it with March 2025’s ‘Stand Up’, which has amassed over 750K cumulative Spotify streams.
Carlotta Schmidt has made their most personal record yet. The New Jersey-based singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer just released their sophomore album ‘Overthinker’, a self-written and self-produced 10-track set that maps a life in transition. It’s an intimate, ambitious leap that puts Schmidt’s full creative vision on display. The album blends jazz-inspired acoustic rock with emotionally charged storytelling, and it lands as a striking step forward.
The title says plenty about where it came from. “This is an album about thinking. Lots of thinking. Perhaps over-thinking,” Schmidt explains. “My life changed so much between my first and second albums. I came out, I experienced devastating loss, I worked with heroes… everything that was happening was constantly swirling around my head.” The songs move through love, grief, anxiety, longing, identity, and transformation.
Schmidt wrote the whole thing alone over roughly four months, composing on a 1979 Guild D55 acoustic guitar, often in quiet solitude on their bedroom floor. They produced it too, holding tight to a clear vision. “I had a very clear vision in my head for every aspect of the album. I spent hours reworking mixes, arrangements, and every small detail,” they said. “I loved the independence of being my own producer. I found it to be a very empowering and rewarding experience.”
The record draws serious firepower around that vision. Schmidt’s band The Bold features guitarist Mike Flynn, bassist Paul Avrutin, and drummer Lee Finkelstein of the original Blues Brothers Band, joined by guest cellist Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Norah Jones) and violinist Lyris Hung (Beyoncé, Quincy Jones, Indigo Girls). Hung’s involvement meant a lot to Schmidt, a longtime admirer of her Indigo Girls work. “I didn’t think she would say yes,” Schmidt shares. “But she did. And working with her was unforgettable.” It’s a richly layered set that rewards close listening.
Several tracks anchor the album’s emotional core. “Let Me Be Me” is an anthem of identity and self-acceptance, its video featuring 67 participants from around the world holding lyric cards in a message of unity and queer visibility. “I Just Want To Talk To You” pays tribute to Schmidt’s late mentor of ten years, the only track to gather the full ensemble of The Bold, Eggar, and Hung. “Oyster and Pearl” pairs lap steel and violin, while “Woman Crush Wednesday” turns up the energy and “Rosalie” marks Schmidt’s first collaboration with Hung.
Schmidt has built real momentum along the way. They’ve played The Bitter End in New York and New Jersey landmarks like The Stone Pony and The Wonder Bar, and shared stages with 11-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile and jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. In 2024 they created the Lilith Fair-inspired Fourth Wave Fest, raising thousands for a nonprofit supporting domestic violence survivors, and they’ve since earned an Emerging Artist Grant from the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation and a 2026 Asbury Park Music Awards nomination.
Dorothy has charted the entire punk galaxy in a single print. The art studio’s new “Punk Solar System” places punk pioneers the Ramones at its blazing center, their explosive influence radiating out to CBGB contemporaries like Television, Patti Smith, The Heartbreakers, Blondie, and Suicide. From there the map reaches across the world, gathering the British scene (Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, The Slits, Siouxsie and the Banshees), the Manchester and Liverpool clusters sparked by the Pistols’ Lesser Free Trade Hall gig and Eric’s club, Ohio’s proto-punk Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu, Australia’s Saints and Radio Birdman, and a hardcore outer rim of Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Bad Brains. It’s a gorgeous, genre-spanning tribute, printed as a 5-colour litho on 120gsm uncoated art paper at H40 x W50cm.
Korn brought total madness to midtown Manhattan. In October 2002, the nu-metal legends took over the 3,600-capacity Hammerstein Ballroom in New York with their full classic lineup, Jonathan Davis joined by James “Munky” Shaffer, Brian “Head” Welch, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and David Silveria. The show landed during their Untouchables tour, catching the group at their most aggressive and chaotic peak. Captured professionally and later remastered in 4K HDR10 60fps, the performance is all heavy 7-string riffs, thumping bass, and Silveria’s drum barrage behind Davis’ screaming, emotional outbursts. The crowd went wild through classics and new tracks, the room drenched in early 2000s nu-metal energy, masks, jumps, sweat, and pure adrenaline.
Jo Dee Messina is back with her most personal record yet. The country icon releases ‘Bridges’ this Friday, June 5, marking her first new studio album in 12 years. It’s already earned widespread acclaim ahead of release, with praise from American Songwriter, Billboard, PEOPLE, SiriusXM, Taste of Country, and The Tennessean, plus national TV turns on NBC’s TODAY and The Kelly Clarkson Show. The album lands as a major moment in a 30-year career.
The years between records weren’t easy. Over the past decade, Messina faced road bumps both minor and heartbreaking, from loss and struggle to sickness, and she leaned on the things that held her steady: her music, her children, and her faith. All of it runs through ‘Bridges’. Written almost entirely by Messina herself, the album moves through heartbreak and healing, faith and perseverance, and the resilience that has defined her.
The praise has been pointed. The Bobby Bones Show wrote that for Messina, this new chapter isn’t about chart positions or accolades, but about making music that’s honest, meaningful, and true to who she is now. PEOPLE went further, saying the album cements her legendary status in country music. It’s a moving, deeply felt return from one of the genre’s most enduring voices.
Messina’s reach stretches across generations. She’s become a North Star for a new wave of artists, from Ella Langley and Lainey Wilson to Cole Swindell, whose hit “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” pays homage to her classic “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” while Sierra Ferrell and Nikki Lane recently put their own stamp on “Lesson in Leavin’.” Her impact spans genres, eras, and decades.
The release rolls straight into a busy run. Messina plays CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium on June 5, performs at the Grand Ole Opry with a post-show signing on June 9, and launches the Bridges Tour, celebrating 30 years, on June 11. The dates carry through into early 2027.
Luke Bryan is heading back to Mexico to kick off the year. The country star returns to Moon Palace Cancún for the 12th annual Crash My Playa, running Jan. 13-16, 2027, and he’s bringing a stacked roster of friends along. Thomas Rhett and HARDY headline, joined by Brothers Osborne, Gavin Adcock, and more. It’s an all-inclusive Caribbean getaway built around nonstop live music on the beach.
The lineup runs deep. Star-studded performances come from Brett Young, Avery Anna, Drew Baldridge, Emily Ann Roberts, Lanie Gardner, and DJ Rock, alongside the event’s signature traditions: Dustin Lynch’s Pool Party and Luke Bryan & Friends closing things out. Produced by 100x Hospitality, the weekend pairs premium resort stays with a packed slate of shows.
Bryan sounds thrilled to be back. “There is no time like Playa time!” he said in a statement. “It’s truly the best way to start off the year and this is year 12, which is unbelievable. It is such a fun environment for me and my artist friends to spend time in front of an energetic crowd. Thankful for all who show up.” That easygoing, party-first spirit has made the event a yearly highlight.
Each package covers premium resort accommodation, access to all performances, round-trip airport transportation, unlimited drinks, all-inclusive dining, activities, and off-site excursions, with a full schedule of shows and tours coming soon. “Year after year, Crash My Playa proves that there’s nothing quite like bringing country music fans together on the beach for a weekend of unforgettable shows and nonstop good times,” said Dan Berkowitz, founder and CEO of 100x Hospitality. “We’re thrilled to help create what has become one of the best events of the year, celebrating a shared love for country music and the community that makes this event so special.” All-inclusive packages go on sale June 11 at 1 p.m. EDT via crashmyplaya.com, with a two-day presale for previous attendees and Nuthouse fan club members starting June 9.
The countdown to summer is on in Portland. Waterfront Blues Festival just released its full daily schedule for 2026, and the Pacific Northwest cornerstone returns to Downtown Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park July 2-4. There’ll be more than 30 performances across three stages, with non-stop music from 1:00 to 10:00 pm each day. It’s a joyful kickoff to the season, and one of the country’s best fully independent music festivals.
The lineup gathers voices from around the world, all carrying the DNA of the blues in wildly different forms. Highlights include The Revivalists, Durand Jones & The Indications, Tank and The Bangas, Cymande, Hailu Mergia, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Seratones, Toody Cole and Her Band, Glitterfox, and dozens more. It’s a thrilling spread that shows how far the blues travels across genres, borders, and decades.
The weekend stretches well past the main stages. The July 4th Fireworks Show presented by Lithia & Driveway launches from a barge on the Willamette River, choreographed to a musical soundtrack and visible across the city, capping the weekend and marking America’s 250th anniversary. The festival stays family-friendly too, with free entry for kids 12 and younger thanks to Buick GMC of Beaverton and a dedicated kids area, The Playin’ Ground, featuring daily music activities, art from Mike Bennett, and face painting.
Out on the water, the Blues Cruises presented by Kona Big Wave sail the Willamette aboard the Portland Spirit, each with a unique theme, three intimate stages, and an all-star lineup. The Big Easy Cruise runs Thursday, July 2 with Bon Bon Vivant, Kota Dosa, and Reggie Houston’s Box of Chocolates. Cruisin’ to Memphis follows Friday, July 3 with the Cascade Blues Association’s Journey to Memphis Allstars & Finals, Billy Stoops, and Sleeper Wave. The Sail on Sister Cruise on Saturday, July 4 spotlights NW Women Rhythm & Blues, Ms. Vee and a Badass Band, and Mary Flower with Leon Cotter.
There’s plenty to eat and drink too. New food vendors for 2026 include Flying Fish Co., Kate’s Ice Cream, MidCity SmashedBurger, and Cametco Inc. Korean’s Corn Dogs & Bingsoo Desserts, joining returning favorites like Boke Bowl, Cobra Dogs, Bates BBQ, and Al Forno Ferruzza Pizzeria. Drink offerings span Breakside Brewing, Kona Brewing, Portland Cider Co., Maryhill Winery, and Sokol Blosser’s Frozé Slushies. Merchants include Tender Loving Empire, Music Millennium, and the Ink Bus mobile tattoo studio.
The lead-up runs all month. Free community events include KMHD x WBF Live at the Midtown Beer Garden on June 4 and 11, a Summer Kick Off at Director Park on June 13 with Pomegranate and The Gold Experience, and Dad’s Rock at Wonderwood Springs on June 21. After hours, official Late Night Shows take over Jack London Revue and The Downbeat, the latter hosting a Down Home Blues, Funk & Soul Party with Tony TC Coleman’s Band and special guest Kenny Neal across all three nights.
The festival also debuts a first-of-its-kind fundraiser. Dinner on the Bridge takes over the Hawthorne Bridge on the evening of July 4, featuring Chefs Vitaly Paley and Sarah Schafer, with appetizers from Plant Based Papi, República, and Sebastiano’s, plus live music and a spectacular vantage point for the fireworks. “This dinner is an opportunity for people who care deeply about Waterfront Blues Festival and Portland to invest in the future of both,” said Festival Director Christina Fuller. “As we look ahead to the festival’s 40th year, we’re excited to offer unique new experiences that will help ensure this beloved community tradition remains vibrant, sustainable, and accessible for generations to come.” Since 1988, the festival has raised over $10 million for community partners, with 2026 proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels People and The Jeremy Wilson Foundation.
