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Young The Giant Announce The “Victory Garden Tour” With Cold War Kids Playing Their Debut In Full

Eric Alper
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Young The Giant Announce The “Victory Garden Tour” With Cold War Kids Playing Their Debut In Full

Multi-platinum indie rockers Young the Giant have officially unveiled details for their highly anticipated 2026 Victory Garden Tour. This extensive North American trek, promoted by Live Nation, is set to celebrate the band’s sixth studio album, Victory Garden, which arrives on May 1 via Fearless Records. Recorded as a cohesive unit at the legendary Henson Studios in Hollywood, the new project marks a creative homecoming for the band, rooted in themes of radical empathy and sincerity. The announcement follows the massive success of their new single, “Different Kind Of Love,” which has quickly dominated alternative and triple-A radio charts since its release earlier this month.

The Victory Garden Tour is more than just a promotional run for the new record; it is a multi-generational celebration of indie rock. Joining the tour as direct support are Cold War Kids, who will be marking the 20th anniversary of their prolific debut album, Robbers & Cowards. The tour’s lineup also features a rotating cast of special guests, with almost monday appearing on the first half of the trek and KennyHoopla joining for the latter half. This curated roster ensures that every night of the tour is a deep dive into the evolution of alternative music over the past two decades.

For music lovers in British Columbia, the “fertility” of this tour hits a high point this summer. Young the Giant will perform at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver on Friday, July 24, 2026. This Vancouver date is a key fixture of the tour’s West Coast leg and will feature both Cold War Kids and KennyHoopla. Playing the Thunderbird Sports Centre provides an intimate yet high-energy atmosphere that perfectly suits the band’s reputation for dynamic live performances—a reputation recently bolstered by their historic record-breaking queue at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

In keeping with the Victory Garden theme, Young the Giant is continuing their long-standing commitment to sustainability. The band is partnering with the environmental organization REVERB to minimize the tour’s ecological footprint. This initiative includes efforts to support food insecurity initiatives and fund community-based carbon reduction projects, allowing fans to feel good about the environmental impact of their concert-going experience. It is a reflection of the “radical empathy” that frontman Sameer Gadhia says defines this new era of the band.

The setlist for the Victory Garden Tour is expected to be a career-spanning journey. Fans can look forward to the anthemic energy of new tracks like “Evergreen” and “Ships Passing,” alongside the timeless hits like “My Body” and “Cough Syrup” that first propelled the band to international stardom in 2010. Following the 2022 release of American Bollywood, this new tour represents a return to a more collaborative and immediate sound, captured through writing retreats in Idyllwild and Joshua Tree before moving to the studio with producer Brendan O’Brien.

Tickets for the Vancouver ritual at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre will be available starting with the Chorus Artist Presale on Wednesday, February 18, at 10:00 am local time. Additional presales, including a Live Nation presale on Thursday, will run throughout the week before the general public on-sale begins on Friday, February 20, at 10:00 am local time via YoungTheGiant.com. Given the band’s loyal following and the added draw of the Cold War Kids’ anniversary celebration, tickets for the July performance are expected to move very quickly.

Victory Garden Tour 2026 Dates

  • Sun-May 24 – Las Vegas, NV | Palms Casino Resort ^
  • Wed-May-27 – Cleveland, OH | Jacobs Pavilion *^
  • Fri-May-29 – Richmond, VA | Allianz Amphitheater *^
  • Sat-May-30 – Raleigh, NC | Red Hat Amphitheater *^
  • Sun-May-31 – Charlotte, NC | Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre *^
  • Sat-Jun-06 – Atlanta, GA | Chastain Park *^
  • Thu-Jun-11 – Asbury Park, NJ | Stone Pony Summer Stage *^
  • Fri-Jun-12 – Vienna VA | Wolf Trap *^
  • Sat-Jun-13 – Bridgeport, CT | Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater *^
  • Sun-Jun-14 – Philadelphia, PA | Skyline Stage at Highmark Mann *^
  • Tue-Jun-16 – Buffalo, NY | Outer Harbor Live *^
  • Thu-Jun-18 – New York, NY | Pier 17 *^
  • Fri-Jun-19 – New York, NY | Pier 17 *^
  • Sat-Jun-20 – Boston, MA | Leader Bank Pavilion *^
  • Mon-Jun-22 – Toronto, ON | Coca-Cola Coliseum *^
  • Tue-Jun-23 – Pittsburgh, PA | Stage AE *^
  • Thu-Jun-25 – Detroit, MI | Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre *^
  • Fri-Jun-26 – Columbus, OH | Kemba Live! *^
  • Sat-Jun-27 – Nashville, TN | Ascend Amphitheater *^
  • Thu-Jul-09 – Houston, TX | 713 Music Hall *+
  • Fri-Jul-10 – Austin, TX | Moody Amphitheater *+
  • Sat-Jul-11 – Irving, TX | Toyota Music Factory *+
  • Tue-Jul-14 – Phoenix, AZ | Arizona Financial Theatre *+
  • Wed-Jul-15 – San Diego, CA | Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre *+
  • Fri-Jul-17 – Los Angeles, CA | Kia Forum *+
  • Sat-Jul-18 – Santa Barbara, CA | Santa Barbara Bowl *+
  • Sun-Jul-19 – San Francisco, CA | The Greek Theatre *+
  • Thu-Jul-23 – Jacksonville, OR | Britt Pavilion *+
  • Fri-Jul-24 – Vancouver, BC | Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre *+
  • Sat-Jul-25 – Seattle, WA | Marymoor Live *+
  • Sun-Jul-26 – Troutdale, OR | Edgefield Amphitheater *
  • Wed-Jul-29 – Missoula, MT | KettleHouse Amphitheater *+
  • Thu-Jul-30 – Salt Lake City, UT | The Lot at The Complex *+
  • Fri-Jul-31 – Dillon, CO | Dillon Amphitheater *+
  • Sun-Aug-02 – Kansas City, MO | Starlight Theatre *+
  • Mon-Aug-03 – La Vista, NE | The Astro Amphitheater *+
  • Thu-Aug-06 – Minneapolis, MN | Surly Brewing Company *+
  • Fri-Aug-07 – Chicago, IL | Huntington Bank Pavilion *+
  • Sat-Aug-08 – St. Louis, MO | Saint Louis Music Park *+
  • Sun-Aug-09 – Indianapolis, IN | Everwise Amphitheater *+

*Cold War Kids; ^almost monday; +KennyHoopla

George Clinton And Parliament-Funkadelic Bring A Brand New Mothership To The Essence Festival Of Culture On July 5

Eric Alper
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George Clinton And Parliament-Funkadelic Bring A Brand New Mothership To The Essence Festival Of Culture On July 5

Fifty years after the Mothership first touched down in New Orleans, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic are bringing it back. Clinton will headline the Essence Festival of Culture on July 5, closing out the festival with the debut of a brand new, technologically advanced Mothership, currently under construction at the Rock Lititz production campus in Nashville. The original spacecraft, designed by lighting visionary Jules Fisher for the 1976 P-Funk Earth Tour, now lives in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. What lands in New Orleans this July will be its worthy successor.

At 84, Clinton remains a commanding, charismatic stage presence, and the scale of this production matches the weight of the moment. Chew Entertainment, led by longtime collaborator Vivian Scott Chew, is producing the performance. Chew was instrumental in the iconic 1996 Mothership landing in Central Park and has been the driving force behind uniting this historic occasion with Essence. David Rodriguez, Executive Producer at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, joins as a key collaborator on the production. “To celebrate George in New Orleans, where the Mothership first touched down, is a beautiful full-circle moment,” Chew said. “It’s about community, legacy and making space for the next generation to carry the funk forward.”

The cultural stakes here are enormous. Clinton’s influence runs from the West Coast G-funk of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube through Outkast, Kendrick Lamar, and Janelle Monáe. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree, Clinton has shaped the DNA of Black music across generations. The Essence Festival of Culture performance will mark the new Mothership’s world debut, with a global tour to follow.

July 5 in New Orleans. The Mothership lands again. Get there.

BTS Map Out Latin American Stadium Run for the Massive “BTS World Tour – Arirang”

Eric Alper
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BTS Map Out Latin American Stadium Run for the Massive “BTS World Tour – Arirang”

BTS are back and they are doing it at full scale. The K-pop group has confirmed the Latin American leg of their “BTS World Tour – Arirang,” a stadium run through South America in October that adds to what is already the most ambitious tour of their career. More than 80 shows across 34 regions, launching April 9 in Goyang, South Korea, and running through early 2027. The initial onsale sold out 41 stadium dates and moved nearly 2.4 million tickets. Unprecedented demand added further dates including four nights at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The LATAM leg, promoted by Live Nation, opens October 2 with two nights at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá, Colombia, moves through Lima’s Estadio San Marcos and Santiago’s Estadio Nacional, hits Estadio Único de La Plata in Buenos Aires, and closes with three nights at Estádio do MorumBIS in São Paulo. It is a region BTS has not visited since before their hiatus, and the demand reflects exactly how much that absence has been felt.

The broader tour is a genuinely staggering undertaking. North American stadium dates run from Tampa through Los Angeles. European stops include London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Allianz Arena in Munich, and the Stade de France in Paris. The Asia-Pacific leg extends through late 2026 and into February and March 2027 with dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Manila.

Army Membership presale for LATAM tickets opens April 7 via Weverse. General on-sale begins April 10 at btsworldtourofficial.com.

BTS World Tour “Arirang” – Full Dates:

Apr 9 – Goyang, KR – Goyang Stadium

Apr 11 – Goyang, KR – Goyang Stadium

Apr 12 – Goyang, KR – Goyang Stadium

Apr 17 – Tokyo, JP – Tokyo Dome

Apr 18 – Tokyo, JP – Tokyo Dome

Apr 25 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

Apr 26 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

Apr 28 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

May 2 – El Paso, TX – Sun Bowl Stadium

May 3 – El Paso, TX – Sun Bowl Stadium

May 7 – Mexico City, MX – Estadio GNP Seguros

May 9 – Mexico City, MX – Estadio GNP Seguros

May 10 – Mexico City, MX – Estadio GNP Seguros

May 16 – Stanford, CA – Stanford Stadium

May 17 – Stanford, CA – Stanford Stadium

May 19 – Stanford, CA – Stanford Stadium

May 23 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

May 24 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

May 27 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

May 28 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

Jun 12 – Busan, KR – Busan Asiad Stadium

Jun 13 – Busan, KR – Busan Asiad Stadium

Jun 26 – Madrid, ES – Riyadh Air Metropolitano

Jun 27 – Madrid, ES – Riyadh Air Metropolitano

Jul 1 – Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium

Jul 2 – Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium

Jul 6 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Jul 7 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Jul 11 – Munich, DE – Allianz Arena

Jul 12 – Munich, DE – Allianz Arena

Jul 17 – Paris, FR – Stade de France

Jul 18 – Paris, FR – Stade de France

Aug 1 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

Aug 2 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

Aug 5 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium

Aug 6 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium

Aug 10 – Baltimore, MD – M&T Bank Stadium

Aug 11 – Baltimore, MD – M&T Bank Stadium

Aug 15 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium

Aug 16 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium

Aug 22 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium

Aug 23 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium

Aug 27 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

Aug 28 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

Sep 1 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium

Sep 2 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium

Sep 5 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium

Sep 6 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium

Oct 2 – Bogotá, CO – Estadio El Campín

Oct 3 – Bogotá, CO – Estadio El Campín

Oct 9 – Lima, PE – Estadio San Marcos

Oct 10 – Lima, PE – Estadio San Marcos

Oct 16 – Santiago, CL – Estadio Nacional

Oct 17 – Santiago, CL – Estadio Nacional

Oct 23 – Buenos Aires, AR – Estadio Único de La Plata

Oct 24 – Buenos Aires, AR – Estadio Único de La Plata

Oct 28 – São Paulo, BR – Estádio do MorumBIS

Oct 30 – São Paulo, BR – Estádio do MorumBIS

Oct 31 – São Paulo, BR – Estádio do MorumBIS

Nov 19 – Kaohsiung *

Nov 21 – Kaohsiung *

Nov 22 – Kaohsiung *

Dec 3 – Bangkok *

Dec 5 – Bangkok *

Dec 6 – Bangkok *

Dec 12 – Kuala Lumpur *

Dec 13 – Kuala Lumpur *

Dec 17 – Singapore *

Dec 19 – Singapore *

Dec 20 – Singapore *

Dec 22 – Singapore *

Dec 26 – Jakarta *

Dec 27 – Jakarta *

Feb 12 – Melbourne, AU *

Feb 13 – Melbourne, AU *

Feb 20 – Sydney, AU *

Feb 21 – Sydney, AU *

Mar 4 – Hong Kong *

Mar 6 – Hong Kong *

Mar 7 – Hong Kong *

Mar 13 – Manila *

Mar 14 – Manila *

*Venue and on-sale information to be announced

Muse Announce Massive North American Amphitheater Tour Behind Upcoming Album ‘The Wow! Signal’

Eric Alper
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Muse Announce Massive North American Amphitheater Tour Behind Upcoming Album ‘The Wow! Signal’

One week after revealing their forthcoming tenth studio album, The Wow! Signal, GRAMMY Award-winning English rock titans MUSE are announcing an extensive North American amphitheater tour. Promoted by Live Nation, Muse – The Wow! Signal Tour is set to launch on July 5, with various pre-sales starting Tuesday, March 31, at 12:00 p.m. local time, and general on-sale beginning Friday, April 3, 10:00 a.m. local, at muse.mu. You can find additional information and the band’s full routing below. The Wow! Signal arrives June 26 via Warner Records — pre-order/pre-save HERE.

Following MUSE’s headlining July 2 appearance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, The Wow! Signal Tour kicks off Sunday, July 5, at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, MO, then touches down in cities across the United States — dipping briefly into Canada for dates including the Festival d’été de Québec — before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Bowlon Monday, August 31. Along the way, the band will be supported by Bloc Party and Portugal. The Man on select dates, and The Temper Trap on all shows.

MUSE announced The Wow! Signal last week and shared the massive opening salvo of a lead single, “Be With You,” alongside a scene-setting official music video directed by Nico Paolillo (Deafheaven, BAD OMENS) and starring Ella Balinska (Resident Evil,The Occupant). Listen HERE and watch HERE. The announcement was broadcast from space and was widely covered, with buzz from the likes of Pitchfork, NME, Consequence of Sound, Kerrang, and Billboard. “Be With You” was the #1 Most Added at Alternative Radio, debuting at #29 and already trending Top 20, and has earned 3 million global streams in the first week.

The cinematic “Be With You” video and its various teasers also hinted at the new album’s themes. The Wow! Signal takes its name from one of the most compelling interstellar mysteries of the last century: a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source. The astronomer who discovered the anomaly famously circled the now-iconic sequence “6EQUJ5” and wrote “WOW!” on the printout beside it — giving the signal its name and cementing its place in scientific and pop-culture lore.

Ahead of “Be With You,” MUSE released the With You docuseries on YouTube collecting intimate stories from their global fanbase filmed during the band’s blockbuster Will of the People Tour. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme’s mum also makes a charming appearance amid the moving vignettes. Watch HERE. In 2025, Muse returned to the road for a summer festival run, which included stepping in for Kings of Leon at Madrid’s Mad Cool — a show NME described as “an era-spanning, revolutionary space-tacular.”

While there’s still little to go on beyond The Wow! Signal’s title, the track list, and lead single, the commonalities therein speak to the forces powering MUSE’s new era: a mix of cosmic mystery, existential hope, and the exhilarating possibility of contact with something far greater than ourselves.

The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, invitation to the pre-show Unravelling VIP Lounge, exclusive VIP merchandise, early entry into the venue & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Connect with MUSE at one of the dates listed below.

MUSE – The Wow! Signal Tour Dates

Jul 02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest ^

Jul 05 – St. Louis, MO  @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater * ~

Jul 07 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center * ~

Jul 10 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre * ~

Jul 11 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center * ~

Jul 13 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre * ~

Jul 15 – Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre * ~

Jul 17 – Québec, QC @ Festival d’été de Québec ^

Jul 18 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center * ~

Jul 22 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center * ~

Jul 24 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Albany Med Health System at SPAC * ~

Jul 25 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater * ~

Jul 28 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion * ~

Jul 29 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion * ~

Aug 10 – Charlotte, NC @ Truliant Amphitheater – ~

Aug 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 14 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion – ~

Aug 15 – Austin, TX  @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater – ~

Aug 18 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater – ~ +

Aug 20 – West Valley City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 22 – Ridgefield, WA @ Cascades Amphitheater – ~

Aug 23 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 26 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 27 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 29 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – ~

Aug 31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl – ~

^ festival

* support from Bloc Party

– support from Portugal. The Man

~ support from The Temper Trap

+ non-Live Nation date

MUSE, The WOW! Signal

  1. The Dark Forest
  2. Nightshift Superstar
  3. Shimmering Scars
  4. Cryogen
  5. Be With You
  6. Hexagons
  7. The Sickness In You & I
  8. Unravelling
  9. Hush
  10. Space Debris

Montreal Teenage Punk Trio General Chaos Come Out Swinging With Debut Single “Busted” Off Upcoming LP

Eric Alper
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Montreal Teenage Punk Trio General Chaos Come Out Swinging With Debut Single “Busted” Off Upcoming LP

General Chaos are sixteen-years-old and they sound like they have been doing this for decades. The Montreal punk trio releases “Busted” today, the first single from their upcoming second LP ‘Can’t Please ‘Em All,’ due May 8 on Stomp Records, and it lands with the kind of focused, hook-heavy punch that most punk bands spend years trying to find. Fast downstrokes, a chant-ready chorus, bass pushed forward, drums locked in. Two-to-three minutes of clarity and pace with no irony layer and nothing to prove except everything.

The track sits comfortably in the lineage of Rancid’s street-level energy, Descendents’ urgency, early Green Day’s snap, and Propagandhi’s political edge, and it earns every one of those comparisons naturally rather than by imitation. Lyrically, “Busted” captures the tension between saying what you mean and taking the hit for it: “Don’t wanna get caught but I got busted / Speak the words on my mind not gonna get silenced.” Frontman Constantin Blondy keeps the guitar work tight and efficient. Aude Deniger’s basslines drive hard. Remi Jacques plays with discipline that has nothing to do with his age.

Formed in 2022 at twelve years old, General Chaos built their foundation through live energy in Montreal’s deep punk ecosystem, from early sets at Pouzza Fest to all-ages rooms across Quebec and Ontario. Their debut LP ‘Outta My Way,’ recorded with Montreal mainstay Ryan Battistuzzi, proved they were a real band. ‘Can’t Please ‘Em All’ was recorded in three days at Le Stuzzio with Battistuzzi and produced by Fred Jacques of The Sainte Catherines, capturing live room immediacy without sanding off a single edge. La Presse profiled them under the headline “When punk runs on Kool-Aid,” a generational handoff captured in real time.

Blondy’s assessment of the new album is half joke and full confidence: “This album is way better than the last one.” Based on “Busted,” he is not wrong.

Kronos Quartet Honors Gospel Legend Mahalia Jackson With New Single “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away”

Eric Alper
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Kronos Quartet Honors Gospel Legend Mahalia Jackson With New Single “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away”

Kronos Quartet have shared the third single from their forthcoming tribute album, and it is a genuinely moving piece of work. “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away” is out now, drawn from ‘Glorious Mahalia,’ arriving April 3 via Smithsonian Folkways, a concept album dedicated to the life and legacy of gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson. The San Francisco string quartet has built the project around archival recordings and new compositions, treating Jackson’s voice not as a historical artifact but as a living, guiding force.

The original “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away” is a 1935 gospel composition by Antonio Haskell, recorded by a 25-year-old Jackson in 1937, vibrating with the hopefulness and spiritual intensity that would define her entire career. Kronos Quartet’s arrangement, crafted by composer Jacob Garchik, builds directly from that original recording. Violist Hank Dutt melodically accompanies Jackson’s vocal line, while the ensemble employs heavy metal practice mutes to create an organ-like soundscape that expands the original into something rich and entirely contemporary.

‘Glorious Mahalia’ as a full album is an ambitious and carefully constructed project. It incorporates archival audio from a 1957 live performance in Chicago and a 1963 interview with Studs Terkel, alongside new compositions from Stacy Garrop, Garchik, and Zachary James Watkins. Newly recorded reflections from Clarence B. Jones, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speechwriter and lawyer, speak directly to Jackson’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, including her historic instruction to King at the March on Washington: “Tell them about the dream, Martin.”

Saskatchewan Country Powerhouse Kalsey Kulyk Delivers a Decade of Hard-Won Stories on New EP ‘Her Rodeo’

Eric Alper
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Saskatchewan Country Powerhouse Kalsey Kulyk Delivers a Decade of Hard-Won Stories on New EP ‘Her Rodeo’

Kalsey Kulyk has been building toward ‘Her Rodeo’ for ten years, and the six-track EP out today via Universal Music Canada feels exactly like that. Drawing on a decade of lived experience, the Saskatchewan-born country artist delivers her most cohesive and self-assured collection yet, anchored by new single “Cut Him Loose,” an upbeat anthem about leaving a problematic man behind with rollicking guitar riffs, a driving drum beat, and the kind of signature vocal power that has made Kulyk one of Canadian country’s most compelling rising forces. Listen here.

Kulyk describes the EP with characteristic directness: “This EP truly is a reflection of my life experiences over the last 10 years. It’s been a decade of ups and downs and life lessons that have made me who I am today.” The project also includes previously released singles “Neon Cowgirl,” “Cowboy Crazy,” “Smokin’ Gun,” fan favourite “Till I Get To Heaven,” and a stripped-back version of “Love Me Like An Outlaw,” her highest-performing single to date with over 2 million Spotify streams and a climb to Number 18 on the Canadian country charts in 2024.

The story behind Kulyk is one worth knowing. Diagnosed with cancer in high school, she did not pause her musical ambitions, and fifteen years in remission later, that survivor’s determination runs through everything she makes. She won both the CCMA Discovery Artist program and Anthem Entertainment’s On The Spot contest on the same day in 2017, went on to collaborate with Liz Rose and Phil Barton in Nashville, and released a debut album that reached Number 2 on the Canadian iTunes Country Chart. She performed at the official 2026 JUNO Kickoff Concert in Hamilton and earned three nominations at the Country Music Alberta Awards this month.

Headline shows in Toronto and London are coming in June, followed by Calgary Stampede, LASSO Montreal, and a slot at the first ever Boots and Hearts West Festival in Edmonton in August.

‘Her Rodeo’ EP Track List:

  1. Neon Cowgirl
  2. Cut Him Loose
  3. Cowboy Crazy
  4. Love Me Like An Outlaw (Stripped)
  5. Till I Get To Heaven
  6. Smokin’ Gun

2026 Live Dates:

Jun 24 – Toronto, ON – The Drake *

Jun 25 – London, ON – London Music Hall *

Jun 27 – Humboldt, SK – Living Skies Music Festival at Centennial Park

Jul 10 – Lachute, QC – Expo Lachute Fair

Jul 11 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Stampede @ Nashville North

Jul 12 – Craven, SK – Country Thunder

Aug 16 – Montreal, QC – LASSO

Aug 28 – Edmonton, AB – Boots and Hearts West at Fan Park @ Ice District

Aug 29 – Lucknow, ON – Lucknow’s Music In The Fields

  • Headline show

Brian Tichy’s New Heavy Rock Outfit Led By Vultures Arrives With Explosive Debut Single “Get It Right”

Eric Alper
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Brian Tichy’s New Heavy Rock Outfit Led By Vultures Arrives With Explosive Debut Single “Get It Right”

Led By Vultures have been working in the dark for a year, and “Get It Right” is what that obsession sounds like when it finally breaks through. The new Los Angeles heavy rock band fronted by Brian Tichy releases its debut single and video today via Deko Entertainment, a loud, riff-driven, groove-heavy opening statement that sets the tone for a full album due later this year. Tichy puts it plainly: “I’ll always be a fan of a band driving home a heavy guitar riff. Like all the bands that have inspired me, it’s a great way to get a party started.” Listen here.

The band features Tichy alongside drummer Shane Hawkins and bassist Brent Woods, and the chemistry between three players who understand exactly what heavy music requires comes through immediately. Twelve songs were recorded across the past year, each built around loud guitars, massive drums, big riffs, and aggressive vocals. Tichy describes the feeling as “flying through a tornado,” and “Get It Right” earns that description in the first thirty seconds.

The accompanying video matches the music’s energy, shot like a hard-rocking basement house party with no ceiling and no apologies. It is the kind of debut visual that tells you everything you need to know about what Led By Vultures are here to do. There is no nuance being performed here. Just power, groove, and the singular satisfaction of a heavy guitar riff doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

The full Led By Vultures album is coming later this year via Deko Entertainment.

Charlie Puth Gets Radically Honest on Fourth Studio Album ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ Out Now

Eric Alper
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Charlie Puth Gets Radically Honest on Fourth Studio Album ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ Out Now

Charlie Puth has made the album he has been circling for years. ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ is out now via Atlantic Records, a 13-track fourth studio album co-produced with BloodPop that finds Puth setting aside the hitmaker armor and getting genuinely personal. “Audiences knew my music more than they knew me because I never really gave them a chance to know me,” he says. “This is the chance.” The record covers his brother, his father, his wife, and people who are no longer in his life, steeped in the warmth of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Philip Bailey, built around analog textures and a deliberate commitment to human imperfection over digital precision.

The collaborators assembled here are extraordinary and each one earns their place. “Love In Exile” pairs Puth with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins in a yacht rock gem that sounds like it was pulled from the best possible version of 1982. “Until It Happens To You” features a non-memorized spoken word monologue from Jeff Goldblum, delivered from the heart to his own sons. “Sideways,” the album’s lead single featuring Coco Jones, is a blissed-out 90s R&B love song that the two debuted live at Blue Note LA last winter and performed together last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Hikaru Utada appears on “Home,” Ravyn Lenae on “New Jersey,” and Kenny G on “Cry.”

“Hey Brother” stands as one of the album’s most quietly powerful moments, Puth directly addressing his younger brother Stephen for the first time in song. “I wish you could see in you what you see in me,” he sings, and the discomfort behind writing it only adds to its weight. BloodPop pushed Puth toward sounds and subjects he had previously avoided, and the results justify every uncomfortable moment in the studio.

Puth also opened Super Bowl LX last month with a nationally praised rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” backed by an orchestra and Kenny G. The Whatever’s Clever! World Tour launches April 22 at San Diego’s Viejas Arena, runs through North America until mid-June, then moves to Europe and the UK through late July.

‘Whatever’s Clever!’ Track List:

  1. Changes
  2. Beat Yourself Up
  3. Cry (feat. Kenny G)
  4. Washed Up
  5. New Jersey (feat. Ravyn Lenae)
  6. Don’t Meet Your Heroes
  7. Home (feat. Hikaru Utada)
  8. Hey Brother
  9. Sideways (feat. Coco Jones)
  10. Love in Exile (feat. Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins)
  11. Until It Happens to You (feat. Jeff Goldblum)
  12. I Used to Be Cringe

2026 North American Tour Dates:

Apr 22 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena

Apr 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre

Apr 25 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl

Apr 28 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

Apr 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

May 1 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

May 3 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater @ Lumen Field

May 5 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

May 7 – Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum

May 9 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center

May 10 – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre

May 13 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre

May 15 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre

May 16 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory

May 19 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre

May 20 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum

May 22 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

May 23 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

May 26 – Fairfax, VA – EagleBank Arena

May 29 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

May 30 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena

Jun 1 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Jun 3 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park

Jun 5 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live

Jun 6 – Orlando, FL – Addition Financial Arena

Jun 9 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater

Jun 11 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Jun 12 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Jun 13 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall

2026 European & UK Tour Dates:

Jun 27 – Odense, Denmark – Tinderbox *

Jun 30 – Stockholm, Sweden – Gröna Lund

Jul 1 – Helsinki, Finland – Allas Live

Jul 3 – Larvik, Norway – Stavern Festival *

Jul 5 – Hamburg, Germany – Stadtpark Open Air

Jul 6 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle

Jul 8 – Barcelona, Spain – Barts Festival *

Jul 9 – Madrid, Spain – Mad Cool Festival *

Jul 13 – Paris, France – Olympia

Jul 15 – London, UK – Eventim Apollo

Jul 18 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Academy

Jul 19 – Dublin, Ireland – Iveagh Gardens

Jul 21 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall

Jul 22 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy

Jul 24 – Pompei, Italy – Anfiteatro di Pompei

Jul 25 – Cernobbio, Italy – Villa Erba

Jul 27 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Park

Jul 28 – Prague, Czechia – Forum Karlín

Jul 30 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja Summer Stage

  • Festival appearance

Glasgow Singer-Songwriter Ant Thomaz Pours Family, Resilience and Hard-Won Belief Into New Album ‘Gaia’

Eric Alper
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Glasgow Singer-Songwriter Ant Thomaz Pours Family, Resilience and Hard-Won Belief Into New Album ‘Gaia’

Ant Thomaz has made his most personal album, and the story behind it is impossible to separate from the music itself. ‘Gaia’ is named after his daughter, a child doctors once warned might face significant learning and physical limitations. Rather than accept that ceiling, Thomaz and his wife built a home around creativity, language, and imagination. Gaia grew up learning Makaton, British Sign Language, English, and Gaelic. Music and storytelling became daily practice. The album that emerged from that experience carries every bit of that weight and warmth.

The Glasgow-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist blends indie folk, soul, and Celtic rock with a storytelling instinct rooted in lived experience. ‘Gaia’ moves between soulful, cinematic arrangements and moments of genuine playfulness, with Thomaz’s reflective lyricism threading the whole record together. The focus track “The Night Is Young” was written after a conversation with a close family mentor facing difficult news, grounded in themes of acceptance and the value of staying present. “Believe” became a direct collaboration with his daughter, who helped shape its melodies as it took form.

Running through the album is a lesson Thomaz received as a teenager from a mentor, the story of the eagle and the crow: rather than fighting negativity, the eagle simply flies higher until the crow can no longer follow. That philosophy, “soar higher, son,” sits at the centre of everything on ‘Gaia.’ Thomaz puts it plainly: “It’s about seeing the full humanity in people that society often overlooks. We didn’t just want Gaia to survive. We wanted her to soar.”

Thomaz began his musical life busking on Glasgow streets and has since shared stages with Starsailor, Eddi Reader, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Kool and The Gang, and Big Country, among others. He has received spins on BBC 6 Music and performed at Celtic Connections, Belladrum, and Edinburgh Fringe. ‘Gaia’ is his most fully realized work yet.

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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

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