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Award-Winning Canadian Singer-Songwriter Jon Mullane Releases New EP ‘The Road’

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Jon Mullane, one of Canada’s most consistently compelling voices in modern rock, pop, and country – has released ‘The Road’, a five-song EP produced by Toronto’s Creighton Doane, available now on all major platforms. It is Mullane’s first artist-centric collection of new original songs since the pandemic, and it arrives with the confidence of an artist who knows exactly where he has been and exactly where he is going.

The road that led to ‘The Road’ ran through Nashville. Mullane spent the better part of two years travelling between his home in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia and Music City, reconnecting with old collaborators and forging new ones, and finding in that creative environment the inspiration to write songs that felt genuinely close and personal. Four of the five tracks were co-written in Nashville, including work with Grammy-nominated hitmaker Michael Dulaney – whose credits include Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, and Rascal Flatts among dozens of others – and Michael Jay, the songwriter and producer behind Martika’s Number One Billboard hit “Toy Soldiers”, whose work spans Celine Dion, Eminem, Gloria Estefan, and New Kids On The Block. For Mullane, being back in Nashville normalised what he has always known: “It’s just everyday business there, as opposed to most other places in the world, and feels right to me.”

The EP’s lead single “Remember in November”, co-written with Dulaney and Jay and recorded at Nashville’s legendary Peer Music Publishing studio, announced the collection with warmth and melody to spare – a reflective anthem about connection, memory, and the golden glow of late summer. The music video scored a win at the 2026 California Music Video Awards for Best of Canada Music Video, nominated in three categories. Current single “Moon on Fire” has since climbed to #1 on the Yangaroo/DMDS chart, appearing among the Top CANCON Downloads, Most Active Indies, and Top Country Downloads simultaneously.

Across the EP’s five songs – “Remember in November”, “Moon on Fire”, “Follow Your Own Road”, “One Day Closer”, and “Bring It On” – the common thread is feeling. Joy, hope, sadness, purpose, and the satisfaction of knowing you have followed your own instincts all the way to the finish line. “After being in this industry for quite some time now, it seems every song and album I make takes on a special meaning on this musical journey,” Mullane says. “Putting it out to the world to find a home seems like a gift to me.” 

It is a gift well earned. Mullane has released five full-length albums, charted multiple Top 40 Billboard singles in Canada and the US, placed his music with NBC’s Olympic Games coverage, and performed everywhere from the House of Blues in Hollywood to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles to the Molson Canadian Centre in New Brunswick. The Associated Press has called him “one of Canada’s most consistently compelling voices in contemporary pop-rock.” ‘The Road’ makes the case all over again.

Liss Gallery Brings Todd White and Lynn Goldsmith to Toronto’s Yorkville This Spring

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Liss Gallery is proud to announce two unmissable exhibitions this spring at its Yorkville location, 112 Cumberland Street. On May 9th, the gallery opens a new showing of original oil paintings and limited edition works by Todd White – the Austin-based painter whose rat-pack-meets-Picasso vision has made him one of the most beloved and collected figurative artists working today. Then on June 6th, Liss Gallery welcomes the legendary Lynn Goldsmith, presenting a rare opportunity to acquire silver gelatin and C prints from one of the most celebrated music photographers in history. Together, the two exhibitions make for a season that is as visually thrilling as anything the gallery has mounted in its 30-plus years as a trusted leader in contemporary art.

TODD WHITE – OPENING MAY 9TH, 2026

Todd White’s paintings arrive already carrying a reputation. His canvases – populated by asymmetrical faces, eloquent hands, cigarettes, martinis, and the warm fog of late-night rooms – have found their way into the collections of Vin Diesel, Hugh Hefner, Macaulay Culkin, Eric McCormack, Ryan Stiles, and Joe Rogan, and galleries consistently struggle to keep his work in stock. The style he has developed, born during his years working on ‘Tiny Toons’ and ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ at Warner Bros., translates the precision of character design into something richly expressive and deeply human. “I actually name my pieces first and then visualise each face and its personality,” White has said. “Then I develop each person’s story.” Whatever is not essential to that story is left off the canvas. Backgrounds rarely appear. Hands, by contrast, are everything – each one, in White’s view, full of personality. The result is work that demands a second look and rewards it: intimate, humorous, and unmistakably his own.

LYNN GOLDSMITH – OPENING JUNE 6TH, 2026

If Todd White captures imagined lives with painterly invention, Lynn Goldsmith captured real ones with a camera and the instincts of an artist who understood that a photograph, at its best, performs. Her images – silver gelatin and C prints spanning decades of rock, soul, blues, and pop history – are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Her subjects read like a roll call of the 20th century’s defining voices: Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, KISS, Blondie, Bob Dylan, and dozens more – each captured not merely as a subject but as a presence, fully revealed. Goldsmith has won a Lucie Award, honours from World Press Photo, and a Lifetime Achievement award from the Professional Photographers of America. The Liss Gallery exhibition brings her work to Toronto in intimate, collectible form – an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who has ever felt the power of a great rock photograph.

Liss Gallery is located at 112 Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1A6. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00pm to 5:00pm, with Monday visits available by appointment. For inquiries, contact the gallery at 416-787-9872 or info@lissgallery.com. For collecting and acquisition, contact Brian Liss directly at brianliss@lissgallery.com. Visit lissgallery.com for full exhibition details.

Scottish Singer-Songwriter Graham Robertson Releases Deeply Personal New EP ‘Haunted’

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Graham Robertson has released ‘Haunted,’ a new EP that finds the Scottish singer-songwriter pushing his sound into more atmospheric, cinematic territory without losing the emotional honesty that has defined his work from the start. Built on his acoustic roots and shaped by memory and nuance, it’s a significant step forward for an artist with a career full of meaningful chapters.

Robertson has fronted multiple respected projects over the years, including This Lonely Heart with two founding members of Deacon Blue, and The Whisperers alongside Hue and Cry’s Lesley Robertson. His influences run deep, from Bruce Springsteen and John Martyn to Richard Thompson and Paddy McAloon, but his voice remains entirely his own. Warm, resonant, and built for storytelling.

Producer and guitarist Murray McEwan puts it well: “There’s a vulnerability and an honesty to Graham’s songs which it’s hard not to relate to emotionally. At the same time, there is a warm and breathy character to his voice that is as at home singing the ballads of John Martyn as it is delivering the technically challenging songs of Peter Gabriel.”

South-East London Pencilcase Punks Dog Chocolate Release Wonderfully Chaotic Fourth Album ‘So Inspired, So Done In’

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Dog Chocolate are back with their fourth album ‘So Inspired, So Done In,’ out now via Upset The Rhythm, and it’s exactly the kind of record you’d expect from a band who coined the term “pencilcase punk” to describe their sound. Sixteen songs tackling overheard conversations, fungal toenails, bronze age living conditions, the Rogerian concept of the Actualising Tendency, and human-plant relations, most of them barely cracking three minutes, all of them bursting with colour, anxiety, and genuine wit.

The album’s latest single “Infinite Nuggets” is a fizzing, popping-candy rush built around vocalist Andrew’s ADHD diagnosis and the experience of watching brilliant ideas zoom through the brain and vanish before you can grab them. “The richest and purest ideas are gonna pop into my conscious and disappear as they please,” he explains. The accompanying video by Smooth Futon mirrors that restless energy perfectly, shapes and characters appearing and dissolving in a constant state of creative flux.

Recorded and mixed by POZI’s Toby Burroughs and mastered by Sofia Lopes, ‘So Inspired, So Done In’ was written across bedrooms, the internet, and a large shed in Shropshire during a period of major life changes for the band. It’s scrappy, contemplative, daft, and deeply human all at once.

‘So Inspired, So Done In’ is out now via Upset The Rhythm.

‘So Inspired, So Done In’ Tracklist:

  1. Infinite Nuggets
  2. Fun is Always Brilliant
  3. Employee
  4. Springfield Library Haunting
  5. Drumming on a Tree with FM
  6. Potatoes in the Basement Bin
  7. Fungal Free 2023
  8. Green Stuff
  9. Architecture Days
  10. Munchies and a Pen
  11. Guildford Awkward
  12. No Pavement Story
  13. Worst Jobs in History
  14. Unfinished Rock ‘N’ Roll Tattoo
  15. A Bit of Paper
  16. So Inspired, So Done In

Scottish Punk Sisters Bratakus Drop Razor-Sharp “Tonight” Single as Debut Album ‘Hagridden’ Arrives

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Bratakus have released “Tonight,” the latest single from their debut album ‘Hagridden,’ out now via Venn Records. The Scottish sisters, Brèagha Cuinn on guitar and vocals and Onnagh Cuinn on bass and vocals, have been building toward this moment since forming in 2015 outside the Highland whiskey village of Tomintoul, and ‘Hagridden’ delivers ten tracks of cathartic, fiercely DIY punk rock that doesn’t pull a single punch.

“Tonight” takes direct aim at media manipulation and the collective anger being pointed in the wrong direction. “It’s about how everyone is angry about the state of the world, but we are being thrown distractions to get us to hate the wrong people,” says Brèagha. “If we don’t have compassion for each other, and help each other out, we’ll be left with nothing.” The accompanying video features the band in the creepy baby masks that grace the album cover, a visual concept rooted in Onnagh’s thoughts on arrested adulthood and a world that keeps feeling more like a waking nightmare.

‘Hagridden’ is out now, and Bratakus have remaining live dates across Europe this spring and summer worth catching.

Bratakus 2026 Tour Dates:

April 25 — Berlin, Germany @ Urban Spree

April 26 — Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow

June 5 — Milton Keynes, UK @ Crauford Arms (w/ UK Subs)

July 8-11 — Cheltenham, UK @ 2000 Trees Festival

November 14 — Glasgow, UK @ Core Festival

Enuff Z’Nuff Founder Donnie Vie Drops Hook-Driven New Single “Plain Jane” on Wicked Cool Records

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Donnie Vie is back with “Plain Jane,” a hook-driven new single released on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl and digital platforms through his new deal with Wicked Cool Records. The original Enuff Z’Nuff frontman hasn’t lost a step, and this single lands with the melodic grit and vocal character that has defined his work for decades.

The release comes with a B-side that earns its place: a cover of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma,” delivering attitude and energy to match the A-side’s pop craftsmanship. Together the two tracks capture both sides of what Vie does best, heartfelt melodic songwriting and raw rock ‘n’ roll directness, in a tight, satisfying package.

“Plain Jane” is out now on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl and across all platforms.

Mac DeMarco Takes ‘Guitar’ to the Hollywood Bowl This October

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Mac DeMarco is headlining the Hollywood Bowl on Friday, October 9, and the show is built around his 2025 album ‘Guitar,’ a record that marks a deliberate return to his signature guitar-and-vocals style. For a self-produced multi-instrumentalist who has spent over a decade cultivating one of indie music’s most devoted global fanbases, a Hollywood Bowl headline is a genuine milestone.

‘Guitar’ is DeMarco at his most direct. “I think Guitar is as close to a true representation of where I’m at in my life today as I can manage to put to paper,” he shares. “I’m happy to share this music and look forward to playing these songs in as many places as I’m able.” The October 9 show promises material from the new album alongside a catalog that stretches back through ‘Salad Days,’ the 2014 record that cemented his place in the indie world.

His 2025 North American, European, and UK tour sold out entirely, which makes this Hollywood Bowl date one of the hotter tickets of the fall season. Tickets are on sale now.

The Flaming Lips and The Beta Band Are Co-Headlining Dreamland Margate This July in a Rare Double Bill

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Two of alternative music’s most distinctive and enduring acts are sharing a stage this summer, and the setting couldn’t be more fitting. The Flaming Lips and The Beta Band are co-headlining the Scenic Stage at Dreamland Margate on Saturday, July 18, a rare outdoor UK performance from both acts and one of the more genuinely exciting double bills of the summer season.

The Flaming Lips need little introduction. Formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, the band has spent over four decades pushing alternative rock into places no one else dared to go. Multiple Grammy Awards, a Tony nomination, a gold-certified album in ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots,’ and a live show reputation that borders on theatrical spectacle, they remain one of the most creatively alive forces in contemporary music.

The Beta Band brings equal weight to the bill. Formed in 1996, the Scottish group built a devoted following through three albums, ‘The Beta Band,’ ‘Hot Shots II,’ and ‘Heroes To Zeroes,’ that blended indie rock, folk, electronica, and psychedelia into something entirely their own. Their recent reunion shows have reminded anyone paying attention exactly why they matter.

Dreamland Margate, the historic seaside amusement park on the Kent coast less than 90 minutes from central London, continues to cement its reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive live music destinations. Festival-style atmosphere, vintage rides, street food, and now this.

Frontiers Rock Festival 2026 Reveals Full Lineup With Nelson, Confess, Atlantic, Frontline, and It’salie

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Frontiers Rock Festival 2026 has its full lineup locked in, and it’s a deep, genre-spanning bill for anyone who lives and breathes melodic hard rock and AOR. The three-day event runs May 1, 2, and 3 at the Live Club in Trezzo sull’Adda outside Milan, Italy, with 21 acts confirmed across the weekend. The five final additions, Nelson, Frontline, Confess, Atlantic, and It’salie, round out a lineup that already includes the reunited original lineup of Giant.

Nelson brings genuine star power to the bill. Matthew and Gunnar Nelson topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection,” moved over 6.5 million albums worldwide, and racked up five Top 40 singles and five number one MTV videos. Their multi-platinum debut ‘After The Rain’ remains one of the defining records of the early ’90s rock era.

German AOR veterans Frontline are making a serious return. Founded in 1989 in Nuremberg, the band built an international reputation for catchy melodies and precise musicianship, with their 1994 debut ‘The State Of Rock’ regarded as a genre milestone. They’re coming to Milan with a new studio album planned for 2026, making this appearance a genuine event for longtime fans.

Swedish sleaze-metal outfit Confess arrive fronted by John Elliot, whose credentials include a run with the legendary Crashdiet. Their new album ‘Metalmorphosis’ arrives in May, giving the festival set an immediate shot of new material alongside the catalog. British melodic rockers Atlantic, built around guitarist and songwriter Simon Harrison and vocalist Mark Grimmett, bring their 2024 album ‘Another World’ to the Italian stage alongside a new record currently in progress. Rounding out the additions is It’salie, the project led by vocalist Giorgia Colleluori, with a highly anticipated third album coming later this year.

Boyz II Men Are Headlining The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan Again This August for Four Nights Only

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Boyz II Men are returning to The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for the third consecutive year, with four nights locked in on August 14, 15, 21, and 22. For a group that has sold 64 million albums and holds the title of best-selling R&B group of all time, a Las Vegas residency feels like a natural fit, and the demand clearly hasn’t cooled.

The four-time Grammy winners are having one of the busier stretches of their career. They’re part of the massive New Edition Way Tour alongside Toni Braxton, a biopic and documentary are in the works, and they recently recorded the opening serenade and closing credits for the latest season of The Simpsons. They also contributed a feature for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary. The group’s cultural footprint in 2026 is substantial, and these Chelsea dates sit right in the middle of it all.

Four nights, one of Las Vegas’s premier intimate venues, and a catalog that includes some of the most enduring R&B recordings ever committed to tape. Tickets are on sale now.