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Jack Johnson Surfaces an Early “Rodeo Clowns” Recording Ahead of His ‘SURFILMUSIC’ Double Album

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Jack Johnson has released “Rodeo Clowns,” an early acoustic 4-track recording of the beloved song that first reached audiences through his collaboration with G. Love on ‘Philadelphonic’ in 1999. It’s the second preview of his forthcoming double album ‘SURFILMUSIC Soundtrack and 4-Tracks’, arriving May 15 via Brushfire Records, and it’s streaming everywhere now.

The release follows “Drink The Water” with Hermanos Gutiérrez, recorded as part of the score for SURFILMUSIC, a new documentary that traces Johnson’s evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician. The film draws on rare footage from his formative surf films, personal and family archives, and present-day reflections, threading together how lived experience, friendship, and exploration shaped the stories behind his music. It premiered at SXSW in March to a global audience, with a theatrical run beginning in early June.

Johnson brings the film home with two sold-out screenings at Blaisdell Concert Hall in Hawai’i on May 14 and May 15, celebrating the deep connection between the film and the place where he grew up surfing, making films, and writing the songs that defined his career. The double album pairs the documentary’s original score with remastered selections and previously unreleased gems from Johnson’s earliest 4-track recordings.

Oscar Winner Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler Lock In as Crockett and Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice ’85’

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Universal Pictures has confirmed the title and stars of its long-anticipated Miami Vice reboot. ‘Miami Vice ’85’, directed by Joseph Kosinski, will star Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs and Oscar nominee Austin Butler as James “Sonny” Crockett. Production begins later this year, with the film set for an IMAX release on August 6, 2027.

The film draws directly from the pilot episode and first season of the original NBC series, exploring the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami. Dan Gilroy, the Oscar-nominated writer behind Nightcrawler, penned the script from an earlier draft by Eric Warren Singer. Dylan Clark produces alongside Kosinski, who is shooting the film for IMAX as he did with Top Gun: Maverick and F1.

Kosinski arrives here on one of the strongest runs in blockbuster filmmaking. Top Gun: Maverick became one of the highest-grossing films of its year, and F1 pulled $634 million globally and earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. His track record with legacy material is exactly what a project like this demands.

Jordan brings fresh momentum to the role. His Oscar-winning dual performance in Sinners cemented him as one of the most compelling actors working today, and ‘Miami Vice ’85’ marks his first new project since that win. Butler, whose Elvis earned him an Oscar nomination along with Golden Globe and BAFTA wins, follows that with roles in Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and the upcoming A24 crime thriller Enemies before stepping into Crockett’s linen suit.

The original Miami Vice ran from 1984 to 1990, created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann, winning four Emmys and reshaping the visual language of television. Mann directed his own 2006 film adaptation with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. ‘Miami Vice ’85’ hits theaters August 6, 2027.

Manchester Indie Favorite Abbie Ozard Returns With Fuzz-Drenched New Single “Backbone”

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Abbie Ozard is back. The Manchester singer-songwriter has released “Backbone,” her first new single in a couple of years and a fuzz-drenched, hook-driven track that announces her return with real force. It follows her 2024 debut album ‘everything still worries me’ on House Anxiety, and picks up exactly where that record left off in terms of emotional precision and melodic instinct.

The song tackles the quiet self-destruction that comes from conflict avoidance. “Keeping peace and saying sorry too much can cost you your voice,” Ozard explains. That theme lands with the kind of directness she’s built her reputation on, and the track’s raw, empowering energy makes the point without belaboring it.

Ozard has earned consistent support from BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens, landed a “BBC Introducing Track of the Week,” and drawn praise from The Times, The Independent, DORK, The Line of Best Fit, The FADER, and more. Headline tours, a debut Glastonbury appearance, and European support dates with Briston Maroney have made her one of the UK indie scene’s most reliable live acts. “Backbone” makes clear she’s only getting sharper.

Jurassic Kingdom Brings 40 Life-Size Animatronic Dinosaurs to Toronto This July

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Jurassic Kingdom, the largest touring outdoor dinosaur show in the UK and Europe, lands in Toronto this summer for a three-week run at the Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory from July 23 to August 10, 2026. It’s the first Canadian stop of the season, with Montreal to follow. Tickets are on sale now via Showpass.

The format is a walk-through outdoor trail featuring more than 40 life-size animatronic dinosaurs in a natural setting, with hands-on activities alongside. It runs daily, rain or shine, and is built for families with kids aged 2 to 12. Previous Canadian runs drew between 30,000 and 35,000 visitors per city, so moving early on tickets makes sense.

Acoustic-Trance Guitar Virtuoso Nadav Tabak Hits the UK With New Single “Electric Roots”

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Nadav Tabak is back in the UK with a new single and a run of intimate dates that stretch from London to Cornwall. “Electric Roots” is out now, a driving instrumental that fuses electronic trance with live looping, tribal textures, and virtuosic guitar work into something that pulls equally from the dancefloor and the earth. Tickets for all shows are available at nadavtabak.com/shows.

The track captures what makes Tabak’s live show so distinct. He performs entirely live, building layers in real time through looping, percussion, and melodic improvisation, with no DJ set and no backing tracks. Pulsing basslines and techno rhythms lock in with organic timbres and expressive instrumentation, creating an experience that feels both ancient and immediate. “Electric Roots” puts that philosophy front and center.

The UK tour runs through early May across intimate venues and festival settings, with stops in London, Brecon, Newcastle, Brighton’s Fringe Festival, and more. Full dates below.

UK Tour Dates:

April 22 — The Hub at St Marys — Lichfield, Staffordshire

April 23 — The Skipton Town Hall — Skipton, Yorkshire

April 24 — Alphabetti Theatre — Newcastle upon Tyne

April 28 — Hootananny — London Brixton

April 30 — The Kemble Brewery Inn — Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

May 1 — The Acorn — Penzance, Cornwall

May 2 — Calstock Village Hall — Calstock, Cornwall

May 3 — Loopfest — Shrewsbury

May 6 — The Brunswick — Brighton Fringe Festival

May 7 — Temperance — Leamington Spa

Blues Guitar Ace JP Soars and Violinist Anne Harris Team Up for the Soulful ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’

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JP Soars has shared “Goin’ to South Carolina,” the latest single from ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’, his forthcoming collaboration with Chicago-based violinist, vocalist, and songwriter Anne Harris, arriving May 29 via Forty Below Records. The track captures exactly what the album promises, loose, instinctive, and alive from the first note.

“The music for this song was essentially written in the studio on the spot,” Soars says. “I had the main riff at the beginning and one vocal line. We started playing the riff while the engineer was moving microphones. We all just kinda looked at each other, smiling. It fell into place immediately and felt great.” He finished the lyrics and vocals weeks later in Florida, building a character-driven narrative around that initial spark.

‘Gypsy Blue Revue’ was recorded live at a rural Ohio studio with no click tracks or overdubs, with Soars’ longtime bandmates, drummer Chris Peet and bassist Cleveland Frederick, anchoring the sessions alongside Harris. “We approached it exactly like a show,” Soars explains. “All in one room, playing together. We just wanted it to sound like us.” The partnership with Harris grew out of a meeting on the festival circuit in 2019 and solidified at the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas.

Previously released singles “Viper” and “Jessie Mae,” the latter drawn from a real encounter with Hill Country blues legend Jessie Mae Hemphill, round out a picture of an album with serious storytelling range. For over two decades, Soars has built his reputation onstage, blending blues, rock, Latin rhythms, country, and gypsy jazz on his own terms. ‘Gypsy Blue Revue’ is the natural extension of that, and it sounds like it.

Watch Pearl Jam Bring Their Full Stadium Power to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in 2018

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Pearl Jam hit Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on June 26, 2018, as part of their European tour, delivering a guitar-driven, rhythm-heavy set to a crowd of over 70,000 that drew from ‘Lightning Bolt’ (2013) and deep into their classic catalog, with Eddie Vedder’s vocals moving from raw grit to melodic highs while Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, and Jeff Ament locked in behind him with the kind of tight, powerful band chemistry that has kept Pearl Jam one of rock’s most commanding live acts for over three decades.

Hawthorne Heights Bring ‘If Only You Were Lonely’ Back to Vinyl for Its 20th Anniversary

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Hawthorne Heights’ Gold-certified sophomore album ‘If Only You Were Lonely’ returns to vinyl on July 17 via Craft Recordings, marking its 20th anniversary with a proper reissue and a worldwide tour already well underway. Pre-order is live now, with multiple exclusive colorways available including “Blue and Purple with Black Splatter” through Hawthorne Heights, “Pink Swirl” through Urban Outfitters, and “Ink Swirl” through Craft Recordings and Victory Records. Pre-order is available now.

Released in February 2006, ‘If Only You Were Lonely’ hit number three on the Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on both Billboard’s Independent Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. Produced by David Bendeth (Paramore, Mayday Parade) and recorded at Water Music Recording Studios in Hoboken, NJ, the 12-track album pushed the Dayton, Ohio band into more cinematic territory, weaving in string sections and piano alongside the visceral energy that defined their debut. PopMatters called it “a confident band belting off catchy tune after tune.”

The album’s lead single “Saying Sorry” climbed to number seven on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart and remains one of the band’s most immediate and emotionally direct tracks. “This Is Who We Are,” “Pens and Needles,” and “I Am on Your Side” round out a setlist of songs that have held up across two decades of heavy rotation. “If Only You Were Lonely is kind of like your favorite hoodie,” frontman JT Woodruff says. “You keep buying new ones, but nothing quite feels like it, so you keep putting it on.”

The album took shape as Woodruff contended with the alienation that followed sudden fame, what he describes as “feeling like I’m on the outside looking in and being a spectator of my own life now that I constantly have an audience.” That emotional honesty is exactly what made it connect so deeply, and what keeps it resonating twenty years later.

The If Only You Were Lonely 20th anniversary tour is a massive international run covering Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America, continuing through November with a January 2026 appearance on the Emo’s Not Dead Cruise. Hawthorne Heights’ current lineup consists of Woodruff, Matt Ridenour, Mark McMillon on vocals and lead guitar, and Chris Popadak on drums. Full dates below.

‘If Only You Were Lonely’ Tracklist:

Side A

01 “This Is Who We Are”

02 “We Are So Last Year”

03 “Language Lessons (Five Words or Less)”

04 “Pens and Needles”

05 “Saying Sorry”

06 “Dead in the Water”

Side B

01 “I Am on Your Side”

02 “Breathing in Sequence”

03 “Light Sleeper”

04 “Cross Me Off Your List”

05 “Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears”

06 “Decembers”

If Only You Were Lonely 20th Anniversary Tour Dates:

April 22 — Magnet House — Perth, Australia

April 24 — The Gov — Adelaide, Australia

April 25 — The Croxton Bandroom — Melbourne, Australia

April 26 — Manning Bar — Sydney, Australia

April 28 — The Brightside — Brisbane, Australia

May 1 — Capitol Theatre — Singapore

May 2 — RockOn Festival — Selangor, Malaysia

May 5 — Speakerbox Livehouse — Bangkok, Thailand

May 6 — SM Skydome — Manila, Philippines

May 8 — Yogibo Meta Valley — Osaka, Japan

May 10 — ReNY Alpha Akabane — Tokyo, Japan

May 11 — ReNY Alpha Akabane — Tokyo, Japan

May 14-17 — Sonic Temple Festival — Columbus, OH

May 20 — The Grand Social — Dublin, Ireland

May 21 — Voodoo — Belfast, UK

May 23 — Slam Dunk Festival — Hatfield, England

May 24 — Slam Dunk North — Leeds, UK

May 25 — The Dome — London, England

May 26 — Backstage BTM — Paris, France

May 27 — dB’s — Utrecht, Netherlands

May 28 — Kavka Zappa — Antwerp, Belgium

May 29 — Slam Dunk Germany — Oberhausen, Germany

May 30 — Noise and Needles Festival — Cologne, Germany

May 31 — Feierwerk — Munich, Germany

June 1 — Slam Dunk Italy — Milan, Italy

June 11 — Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races — Charles Town, WV

June 13 — Vans Warped Tour — Washington, D.C.

June 20 — Roxx Fest — Portage, IN

July 23 — Pappy + Harriet’s — Pioneertown, CA

July 24 — Pappy + Harriet’s — Pioneertown, CA

July 25 — Vans Warped Tour — Long Beach, CA

September 12 — Vans Warped Tour — Mexico City, Mexico

October 1 — Aftershock Festival — Sacramento, CA

October 21 — Town Ballroom — Buffalo, NY

October 22 — House of Blues — Boston, MA

October 23 — Aura — Portland, ME

October 24 — Irving Plaza — New York, NY

October 25 — Starland Ballroom — Sayreville, NJ

October 27 — Brooklyn Bowl Philly — Philadelphia, PA

October 30 — Elevation 27 — Virginia Beach, VA

October 31 — The Underground — Charlotte, NC

November 1 — Charleston Music Hall — Charleston, SC

November 3 — The Orange Peel — Asheville, NC

November 4 — Mercury Ballroom — Louisville, KY

November 5 — Cannery Hall — Nashville, TN

November 6 — Heaven at The Masquerade — Atlanta, GA

November 7 — Iron City Bham — Birmingham, AL

November 8 — House of Blues — New Orleans, LA

November 10 — Vinyl Music Hall — Pensacola, FL

November 12 — Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL

November 13 — Revolution Live — Fort Lauderdale, FL

November 14 — Vans Warped Tour — Orlando, FL

November 17 — The Vogue Theatre — Indianapolis, IN

November 20 — Clyde Theatre — Fort Wayne, IN

November 21 — Elevation at The Intersection — Grand Rapids, MI

November 22 — Saint Andrew’s Hall — Detroit, MI

November 23 — Warehouse on Broadway — Kansas City, MO

November 24 — The Vanguard — Tulsa, OK

November 25 — The Hawthorn — St. Louis, MO

January 22-26 — Emo’s Not Dead Cruise — Miami, FL

Wu-Tang Mastermind RZA and Tyler Bates Unite for the Visceral Score to ‘One Spoon of Chocolate’

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RZA and composer Tyler Bates have delivered the original motion picture score to ‘RZA’s One Spoon of Chocolate’, arriving May 1 on all digital platforms via Gravel and Echo Recordings. A limited 180-gram vinyl edition signed by both RZA and Bates is available now through Gravel and Echo Recordings.

The score lands alongside the film itself, also releasing May 1, and it holds up as a powerful standalone listen. Written together by RZA and Bates, it moves from bone-crushing percussive force to deeply emotive compositions, navigating grief, love, rage, and despair across a cinematic range that mirrors the film’s grindhouse intensity. It’s the kind of score that doesn’t just serve the picture, it expands it.

“The collision of violence and raw emotion is the space I find most compelling as a composer and songwriter,” Bates says. “The ‘RZA’s One Spoon of Chocolate’ is an intersection of love and hate, setting the stage for a brutally primal musical approach to serving the film and its characters. Collaborating with the RZA was among the most gratifying of my career.”

The film follows Unique (Shameik Moore), an Army veteran falsely accused of assault who, newly paroled and relocated to the town of Karensville, Ohio, uncovers a racist sheriff and his deputies running a violent operation tied to the disappearance of young Black men. When they target Unique, they trigger a relentless chain of vengeance with explosive consequences. Blair Underwood and RJ Cyler co-star.

Quentin Tarantino, who presents the film, doesn’t hold back. “As a filmmaker, RZA really brought home the bacon on an old-school, foot-to-ass, Revenge-a-matic,” he says. “This picture drives audiences wild wherever it screens. We’ll sell you a whole seat, but you’ll only use the edge of it.” The score and the film hit together on May 1. Both are essential.

Traditional Country Road Warrior John PayCheck Expands the Better Plan Tour to 43 Cities Across 26 States

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John PayCheck and the Cavalry Band have expanded the 2026 Better Plan Tour, now spanning 43 cities across 26 states throughout the year. New dates have been added in California, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Iowa, with upcoming May stops in Ohio, New York, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Arizona.

PayCheck carries a name that opens doors and invites comparisons, but he’s spent his career building something that stands entirely on its own. Born in Nashville, he learned the road the old-school way, starting as a roadie traveling with his father, Grand Ole Opry member and country legend Johnny PayCheck, before stepping out to forge his own path through clubs, honky-tonks, and everything in between.

His first two albums, 2021’s ‘We All Have A Story’ and 2024’s ‘More Days Behind’, have earned him national press from Forbes, American Songwriter, and Cowboys & Indians, a debut single that landed on the MusicRow charts, a CMA of Texas Jim and Mona Boles Legacy Award, and recognition from the Academy of Western Artists for best country album in 2021. ‘More Days Behind’ earned GRAMMY consideration in 2025, landing in a field of 45 releases under consideration for nomination. The road has backed every bit of it up.

A third album, recorded in Nashville with producer Bill McDermott across 18 new tracks, is due late 2026, with singles rolling out throughout the year. Co-writers on the project include Erin Enderlin, Struggle Jennings, and longtime collaborator Scott Gabbey. “When the lights go down, the amps kick on, and you see a crowd ready to have a good time, every mile is worth it,” PayCheck says. “That connection with the fans is what keeps us rolling.”

The Better Plan Tour runs through November. Full dates below.

2026 Better Plan Tour Dates:

May 2 — The Patriot Public House — Hillsboro, Ohio

May 3 — Wadsworth’s Grill — Wadsworth, N.Y.

May 6 — The Law Office Pub — Yorkville, Ill.

May 7 — Shank Hall — Milwaukee, Wisc.

May 9 — The Venue Event Center — Cadillac, Mich.

May 12 — The Doublewide — Elko New Market, Minn.

May 28 — The Dirty Drummer — Phoenix, Ariz.

May 29 — Bisbee Grand Hotel — Bisbee, Ariz.

May 31 — Club Underground — Reno, Nev.

Jun 3 — Almost Famous Wine — Livermore, Calif.

Jun 4 — The Cathedral — Pomona, Calif.

Jun 5 — Aces High Saloon — Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 6 — Locking Horns Riverside Restaurant — Horseshoe Bend, Id.

Jun 11 — Knuckleheads — Kansas City, Mo.

Jun 13 — Hot Tails Crawfish — Texarkana, Ark.

Jun 19 — The Continental Club — Houston, Texas

Jun 20 — Hoots Hall — Burleson, Texas

Jun 24 — Amish County Theater — Millersburg, Ohio

Jun 27 — Shriners Hospital Benefit — New Castle, Del.

Jun 28 — Opera House LIVE — Shepherdstown, W.V.

Jul 3 — The Wallace Theatre — Levelland, Texas

Jul 11 — Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club — Cordele, Ga.

Jul 17 — Brass Hall — Marble Falls, Texas

Aug 8 — Cortland Country Music Park Campground — Cortland, N.Y.

Aug 15 — Crow Peak Brewing Company — Spearfish, S.D.

Aug 20 — Bottleneck — Lawrence, Kan.

Aug 23 — Rollie’s — Sauk Rapids, Minn.

Aug 28 — Southern Rhythm Venue & Entertainment — Denham Springs, La.

Sep 12 — The Farm Party — Brookeville, Ind.

Sep 17 — Bigs Bar — Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sep 18 — Rhythm City Casino Resort — Davenport, Iowa

Sep 19 — Riverside Casino & Golf Resort — Riverside, Iowa

Sep 24 — Potomac Gardens — Coltons Point, Md.

Sep 26 — Hub City Vinyl — Hagerstown, Md.

Sep 27 — Howland Cultural Center — Beacon, N.Y.

Oct 3 — Rathskeller Down Back — Charlestown, R.I.

Oct 17 — Soggy Bottom Saloon — Beaumont, Texas

Nov 7 — 11th St. Cowboy Bar — Bandera, Texas