Home Blog Page 18

Colin Asher’s ‘The Midnight Special’ Rewrites the Hidden History of American Music and Incarceration

Eric Alper
-
0
Colin Asher’s ‘The Midnight Special’ Rewrites the Hidden History of American Music and Incarceration

Colin Asher has written one of the most urgent and genuinely original music history books in years. ‘The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music’, out June 30th from W. W. Norton, traces the deep and largely untold story of how the criminal justice system shaped American popular music from blues to hip-hop, and the portrait it draws is both revelatory and damning. Asher, the critically acclaimed author of ‘Never a Lovely So Real’, brings the same forensic depth and narrative precision to 336 pages that reframe the entire arc of twentieth century American music culture.

The book opens with Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, made to perform in prison clothes, and moves forward through the Jim Crow-era Southern prison farms, the heroin-driven mid-century drug wars that criminalized a generation of jazz artists, and into the crushing weight of mass incarceration decades later. The throughline Asher draws is consistent and sobering: the suggestion of criminality has often benefited white artists while active prosecution devastated Black musicians. The divergent trajectories of jazz pianist Elmo Hope and country singer Johnny Cash make that argument with particular force, Hope’s career stifled by violent discriminatory policing while Cash’s leniency produced a masterpiece at San Quentin.

The book closes with Tupac Shakur’s ‘Me Against the World’ and stories of music in prisons today, completing a narrative that is as musically astute as it is sociologically essential. Asher never loses sight of the individual lives behind the argument, and that human grounding is what separates ‘The Midnight Special’ from academic analysis and places it firmly in the tradition of essential American music writing. This is one of the most important music books of 2026, and one that demands to be read widely.

CMA Fest Presented by SoFi Reveals Full Outdoor Stage Lineup for Four Days of Free Country Music in Nashville

Eric Alper
-
0
CMA Fest Presented by SoFi Reveals Full Outdoor Stage Lineup for Four Days of Free Country Music in Nashville

Country Music fans will have even more to look forward to at this year’s CMA Fest presented by SoFi as the Country Music Association reveals the lineup of artists set to perform across the festival’s free outdoor daytime stages. Taking place June 4-7 in downtown Nashville, the world’s longest-running Country Music festival will once again bring together hundreds of artists and thousands of fans from around the globe for four days of unforgettable live music.  

As previously announced, the lineup for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium includes Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top. The Band Perry and Stephen Wilson Jr. will also deliver dynamic mid-field performances, bringing energy to the heart of Nissan Stadium. 

Taking the Chevy Riverfront Stage are Country hitmakers Ashley Cooke, Braxton Keith, Carter Faith, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Matthew, Chayce Beckham, Cooper Alan, Dasha, Drew Baldridge, Dylan Marlowe, ERNEST, Ian Munsick, Josh Ross, Kaitlin Butts, Kameron Marlowe, Lauren Alaina, Mackenzie Carpenter, Maddox Batson, Marcus King, Max McNown, Midland, Molly Tuttle, Nate Smith, Priscilla Block, RaeLynn, Redferrin, Russell Dickerson, Shane Smith & The Saints, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tigirlily Gold, Tucker Wetmore, Ty Myers, Tyler Braden, Vincent Mason and Waylon Wyatt.  

The Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park is packed with performances from Angie K, Billy Dean, Blanco Brown, Canaan Smith, Cody Hibbard, Craig Campbell, Dave Fenley, Drake Milligan, Emily Ann Roberts, Erin Kinsey, Greylan James, The Jack Wharff Band, John Morgan, Kaylee Bell, Kaylee Rose, Kolby Cooper, Late Night Thoughts, Leanna Crawford, Melissa Etheridge, Noeline Hofmann, Pam Tillis, Pecos & the Rooftops, Shaylen, Travis Bolt, Travis Denning, Ty Herndon, Tyler Farr, Uncle Kracker, The War And Treaty and Willow Avalon. 

The Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park features a stellar lineup with Adrien Nunez, Alana Springsteen, Ashland Craft, Austin Snell, Bellah Mae, Caylee Hammack, Chase McDaniel, Colt Ford, Dax, Drake White, Frankie Ballard, Graham Barham, Hannah McFarland, Jade Eagleson, Karley Scott Collins, Kelsey Hart, Lanie Gardner, Lauren Watkins, Mack Geiger, Madeline Merlo, Mae Estes, Maggie Antone, Mark Wills, Melanie Dyer, Neal McCoy, Owen Riegling, Shane Profitt, Sister Hazel, Tayler Holder, Walker Montgomery and Willie Jones. 

Hitting the Good Molecules Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza are Abbey Cone, Alex Lambert, Alexandra Kay, Atlus, Ava Hall, Belle Frantz, Blake Proehl, Brad Cox, Bryan Andrews, Cassidy Daniels, Cody Lohden, Eli Winders, Elizabeth Nichols, Gareth, Jacob Hackworth, Jamie MacDonald, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Jenna Davis, John Foster, Julia Cole, Just Jayne, Kevin Powers, The Kruse Brothers, MaRynn Taylor, McCoy Moore, Myles Morgan, Preston Cooper, Scoot Teasley, Sophia Scott, Stella Lefty, Timmy McKeever, Trey Lewis, Tyce Delk, Tyler Nance, Wesko and Will Moseley. 

New this year, the Wrangler Remix Stage inside Fan Alley will feature performances from Alli Walker, Aniston Pate, Ashley Kutcher, Benny G, BODHI, Bottomland, Brooke Lee, Carson Wallace, CECE, Chancey Williams, Chandler Walters, Clayton Mullen, Cole Goodwin, Dalton Davis, Emily Nenni, Gannon Fremin & CCREV, Hayden Blount, Hayden Coffman, Highway Home, Hogslop String Band, Jake Banfield, Jay Webb, Kat Luna, Lil Man J, Lily Meola, Matt Cooper, Payton Smith, ROME from Sublime with Rome, SKEEZ, Sons of Habit, Sterling Elza, Trey Pendley, Tyla Rodrigues and The Wilder Blue. 

  • Four-Night Stadium Passes: Enjoy full access to all nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium, including performances from Country Music’s biggest stars. Passes are on sale now. 
  • Single-Night Stadium Tickets: Get access to a superstar-packed night of performances at Nissan Stadium on the date of your choice. Single night tickets are on sale now.  
  • Riverside Retreat: Upgrade your experience with VIP access to the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr Pepper Amp Stage and Chevy Vibes Stage offering exclusive amenities like shaded areas, mobile charging stations and air-conditioned restrooms. Plus, enjoy early entry to the Chevy Riverfront Stage and discounted beverages. Tickets are on sale now. 
  • Fan Fair X: Get up close with your favorite artists through exclusive meet-and-greets, shop one-of-a-kind festival merch and enjoy a variety of indoor activities at Music City Center. Tickets are on sale now and more information on programming will be coming soon.  
  • VIP Packages: Experience CMA Fest like never before with a VIP Package! Enjoy premium seating, backstage access and exclusive hospitality all weekend long through Elevate Experiences, an Official Experiential Hospitality Provider of CMA Fest.  

Free Outdoor Stages: Catch hundreds of artists performing throughout downtown Nashville on multiple outdoor stages. These high-energy concerts are free to attend and showcase the best of Country Music, from emerging talent to well-established stars. 

Beyond incredible performances, at its heart, CMA Fest reflects the Country Music community’s shared commitment to giving back. Through the participation of artists and the broader Country Music community, a portion of proceeds from each annual CMA Fest supports the CMA Foundation’s music education initiatives nationwide. To learn more, visit CMAfoundation.org. 

TikTok unveils the BTS ARIRANG In-App Experience

Eric Alper
-
0
TikTok unveils the BTS ARIRANG In-App Experience
  • TikTok today announces the launch of the BTS ARIRANG In-App Experience, a bespoke in-app destination celebrating the highly anticipated return of pop royalty BTS and their new album ARIRANG.

ARIRANG marks BTS’s first new music since all seven members completed their military service in 2025, ushering in a new era for the group and ARMY.

Launching today, March 20, the dedicated campaign page gives fans new ways to celebrate the band’s long-awaited comeback on TikTok. Fans can complete interactive tasks to unlock an exclusive BTS Sailor Hat profile frame, play games to earn bespoke BTS sticker packs, explore custom BTS effects, and discover the official tracklist for the new album. The experience will also give fans the chance to learn more about the upcoming BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG on Netflix, offering an early look at the group’s next chapter.

BTS are the biggest band in the world on TikTok, with more than 74.4 million followers, over 104 million posts using #BTS, and 1.7 billion likes across their content, underscoring TikTok’s role as a global destination for ARMY to celebrate the music and culture they love. The group’s official account continues to bring fans closer to their world giving ARMY even more ways to connect with BTS.

KC You, TikTok’s Head of Artist and Label Partnerships, Asia, said: “BTS has built one of the most passionate global fan communities on TikTok, which continues to shape music culture and fandom on the platform every day. As BTS begin this exciting new chapter together, we’re proud to partner with them on the ARIRANG In-App Experience, giving ARMY around the world new ways to celebrate their comeback, unlock exclusive features, and connect with the music they love.”

The BTS ARIRANG In-App Experience launches globally on TikTok today, giving ARMY everywhere new ways to celebrate the reunion set to be etched in pop culture history.

Ms. Lauryn Hill Headlines Diaspora Calling! Festival’s Landmark UK Debut at Milton Keynes National Bowl

Eric Alper
-
0
Ms. Lauryn Hill Headlines Diaspora Calling! Festival’s Landmark UK Debut at Milton Keynes National Bowl

Diaspora Calling! is coming to the UK, and it is arriving with one of the most significant lineups of the British festival summer. On Friday August 7th, Milton Keynes National Bowl hosts the inaugural UK edition of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s celebrated music and arts initiative, with Hill herself headlining in what is currently her only confirmed UK performance of 2026. Wyclef Jean, YG Marley, and Zion Marley join her, with further artists across two stages still to be announced. Tickets go on sale Tuesday March 31st at 9AM via diasporacalling.com.

Launched by Ms. Hill in 2016, Diaspora Calling! began as a curated art exhibition and live performance at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, where Hill presented a gallery focused on Haitian art alongside a programme of live music. The concept expanded into a touring platform featuring artists including Nas, Kehlani, Noname, and Little Simz, consistently centering themes of unity, resilience, and cultural exchange among African descendant communities worldwide. The UK debut at Milton Keynes National Bowl is the most ambitious iteration of that vision yet.

The lineup carries enormous weight. Hill, whose landmark solo album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ earned five Grammy Awards and remains one of the most culturally significant records ever made, is joined by fellow Fugees founding member and Grammy-winning artist Wyclef Jean. YG Marley brings conscious lyricism and reggae-rooted sounds that reflect his family’s extraordinary legacy while carving out his own contemporary voice. Zion Marley extends that lineage further, fusing reggae, soul, and hip-hop in a way that feels both deeply rooted and entirely present tense.

Milton Keynes National Bowl is one of the UK’s largest and most storied outdoor concert venues, a setting that has hosted some of the biggest shows in British live music history and brings the technical capacity and scale that an event of this ambition demands. A full food village celebrating diaspora cuisine rounds out the experience. This is not simply a festival. It is a cultural statement, and one of the most important live music events on the UK calendar this year.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday March 31st at 9AM. Sign up for early access at diasporacalling.com. Move fast.

Jack Harlow Takes ‘The Monica Tour’ to North American Theaters This Summer

Eric Alper
-
0
Jack Harlow Takes ‘The Monica Tour’ to North American Theaters This Summer

Jack Harlow is back on the road, and this run feels like a proper statement. “The Monica Tour,” promoted by Live Nation, launches August 4th at Brooklyn Paramount and stretches through seventeen North American theater dates before wrapping September 21st at The Fox Theater in Oakland. It supports ‘Monica’, his R&B-heavy new album and first release in nearly three years, and the venues chosen, intimate, high-capacity theaters in major markets, suit the moment perfectly.

The last time Harlow headlined a proper tour was his sold-out six-city 2023 Kentucky run, which closed at Lexington’s Rupp Arena with a show that grossed over $1.2 million on 12,450 tickets. “The Monica Tour” is a different kind of campaign, wider in geographic reach and rooted in the more sonically intimate world of the new album. Theater settings are the right call for music this R&B-leaning, close enough to feel the room, large enough to make noise.

The routing hits hard. Brooklyn Paramount, The Salt Shed in Chicago, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, The Anthem in Washington, Hollywood Palladium, and a San Diego stop at Gallagher Square at Petco Park are among the highlights. A hometown Louisville date at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall on August 29th will carry its own weight, as Harlow shows at home always do.

Presales begin March 26th, with general on-sale at 10am local time on March 27th. For an artist with Harlow’s track record of selling out rooms and delivering high-energy live sets, moving quickly on tickets is the right call.

“The Monica Tour” Dates:

August 4 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount

August 8 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed

August 11 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit

August 13 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center

August 15 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia

August 18 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY

August 21 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

August 25 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

August 29 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall

September 4 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy

September 7 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall

September 8 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom

September 11 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium

September 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

September 17 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park

September 19 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic

September 21 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Co-Founder Don Pyle Delivers a Wildly Candid Music Memoir

Eric Alper
-
0
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Co-Founder Don Pyle Delivers a Wildly Candid Music Memoir

Don Pyle has lived one of the most genuinely singular creative lives in Canadian music, and ‘Rough Description: Love Letters and Ghost Stories From a Life in Music’, out May 26th from ECW Press, tells that story with the kind of candor and dark humor that only someone who has actually lived it could pull off. Pyle, drummer and co-founder of beloved instrumental group Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, the band behind the Kids in the Hall theme, brings a sharp observer’s eye to 304 pages of memoir that are alternately hilarious, melancholic, and consistently impossible to put down.

The book covers an extraordinary amount of ground. Pyle traces his earliest bands, the absurdity and rewards of touring, his evolving relationship with his mother, a life-changing car accident, and the genuinely improbable chain of events that turned a punk rock pen pal connection into a career in showbiz. His working relationships with the late Dallas Good, legendary producer and engineer Steve Albini, and the iconic Kids in the Hall comedy troupe all figure prominently, and Pyle dishes on all of it with the kind of unguarded honesty that makes music memoirs worth reading in the first place.

What sets ‘Rough Description’ apart is Pyle’s perspective. A photographer, film and TV composer, producer, and writer with 15 albums to his name, he approaches every creative discipline as part of the same continuous stream, and that unified sensibility gives the book a texture and depth that goes well beyond standard rock memoir territory. The chapter on how the Ramones rewired his teenage brain alone is worth the price of admission.

‘Rough Description’ is available for pre-order now ahead of its May 26th release from ECW Press, in paperback at $24.95 CAD, with digital editions also available. For anyone who came of age with Canadian indie music, comedy, and punk in their bloodstream, this is essential reading.

Tom Doyle Finally Gives Ringo Starr the Biography He Has Always Deserved

Eric Alper
-
0
Tom Doyle Finally Gives Ringo Starr the Biography He Has Always Deserved

Ringo Starr has spent decades being the most underestimated member of the most famous band in history. Tom Doyle’s ‘Ringo: A Fab Life’, out May 12th from ECW Press, makes a compelling and long-overdue case for why that underselling has always been a mistake. Doyle, the critically acclaimed author behind the award-winning Kate Bush study ‘Running Up That Hill’ and a veteran of Q and Mojo, brings the same forensic depth and warm narrative instinct to Starr’s remarkable life across 400 pages of exclusive new interviews and meticulously researched detail.

The book’s scope stretches far beyond the Beatles years, which is precisely what makes it essential. Doyle traces the full arc from Richard Starkey’s poverty-stricken Liverpool childhood and near-fatal illnesses, through the dizzying years with the biggest band on the planet, and deep into the messier, richer decades that followed: the film career, the addictions, the career detours, the children’s television narration, the furniture design, the marriage to Barbara Bach, and ultimately the hard-won peace and sobriety of his later years. It is a life so packed with incident that the Beatles chapter, remarkable as it is, feels like one movement in a much longer symphony.

The critical response has been emphatic. Classic Rock awarded it a perfect 10, calling it “full of drama, emotion, comedy, tragedy and incident” and “an essential purchase for music fans, never mind Beatles fans.” Mojo called it a “resolutely fab” portrait of “the Beatles anchor emotionally as well as rhythmically.” Record Collector gave it five stars, praising Doyle’s “friendly, informal, engaging yet fact-packed and forensic” style. Samira Ahmed of BBC Front Row called it “perhaps the most dramatic life arc of any of the Beatles,” adding that it is “a beautiful read.”

‘Ringo: A Fab Life’ is available for pre-order now ahead of its May 12th release from ECW Press, in paperback at $29.95 CAD. For Beatles obsessives, music biography devotees, and anyone who has always suspected there was far more to Ringo Starr than the punchlines suggest, this is the book that settles the argument once and for all.

Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy Delivers “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter” on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Eric Alper
-
0
Wilco Frontman Jeff Tweedy Delivers “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter” on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jeff Tweedy took “Lou Reed Was My Babysitter” to Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, and the performance is exactly what you want from one of American rock’s most enduring and quietly essential voices. Watch it here.






Leicester R&B Talent CRUZEJUDE Captures the Push and Pull of Modern Love on “Talk 2 Me”

Eric Alper
-
0
Leicester R&B Talent CRUZEJUDE Captures the Push and Pull of Modern Love on “Talk 2 Me”

CRUZEJUDE arrived in music the way the best artists do, through a foundation so deep in performance that it was only a matter of time before it found its fullest expression. The Leicester-born R&B talent, who built his early career as a dancer working alongside Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Kylie Minogue, Bebe Rexha, and Girls Aloud, has released “Talk 2 Me,” a warmly nostalgic, emotionally precise new single that confirms he is operating at a genuinely compelling level.

Produced by LoopGod (Nipsey Hussle, Freddie Gibbs, T-Pain), the track is built on inviting guitar licks layered over gently hypnotic drums, creating exactly the kind of open, breathing space that lets a vocalist with CRUZE’s instincts do their best work. The production carries all the hallmarks of early 2000s R&B without feeling like a replica, warm and familiar but shaped by a songwriter with his own distinct point of view.

The emotional territory is one most listeners will recognize immediately. “Talk 2 Me” is about wanting something deeper with someone and sensing they feel the same, only to realize they only return when they need that moment of connection. CRUZE describes it as “that push and pull between wanting to hold onto someone and learning not to settle for less than the kind of love that’s actually right for you.” That kind of lyrical clarity, delivered with genuine vocal warmth, gives the track a universal resonance that sits comfortably alongside his previous singles “Touch” and “Ain’t Me.”

With early support from BBC Introducing and placement on Spotify’s Fresh Finds, the attention around CRUZEJUDE is building with real momentum. “Talk 2 Me” is the kind of single that accelerates that trajectory, soulful, well-crafted, and impossible to shake after a single listen. One of the most assured R&B releases to emerge from the UK so far this year.

Apple Music and TikTok Just Made Music Discovery Seamless for Artists and Fans Alike

Eric Alper
-
0
Apple Music and TikTok Just Made Music Discovery Seamless for Artists and Fans Alike

TikTok has always been where music breaks. The platform’s ability to turn an unknown track into a cultural moment overnight is well established at this point. What it has never fully solved is the gap between discovery and deeper listening. Apple Music and TikTok’s new Play Full Song feature closes that gap entirely, and the implications for artists are significant.

The mechanics are straightforward. Apple Music subscribers who discover a song on their For You Page or Sound Detail Page can now tap a single button to hear the full track inside the TikTok app, powered by an Apple Music player built on Apple’s MusicKit. From there, the listener can continue into a personalized stream of recommended songs, save tracks to their library, and add them directly to Apple Music playlists. The moment of discovery flows immediately into the moment of engagement, with no friction and no redirect to another app.

For artists, that frictionless path matters enormously. The existing Add to Music App feature helped convert TikTok discovery into playlist saves. Play Full Song goes further, turning a fifteen-second clip into a full-length listen in real time. Every one of those streams counts as a paid play within Apple Music, meaning discovery on TikTok now translates directly into streaming revenue without the listener ever leaving the platform.

The partnership also introduces Listening Party, a new social feature that lets artists and fans listen to songs together in real time, interact with each other, and engage directly with the artist during the session. It is a genuinely new way to build community around a release, turning what was previously a passive streaming moment into a shared, live experience.

1...171819...3,518Page 18 of 3,518

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