The trailer just dropped for one of the most anticipated films of the summer and it looks absolutely extraordinary. A24 has released the first look at Tony, the Anthony Bourdain biopic directed by Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson, the brilliant mind behind BlackBerry, with Dominic Sessa stepping into the shoes of a 19-year-old Bourdain during a transformative summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1976 that would eventually become the foundation of Kitchen Confidential, with Antonio Banderas playing the master chef who helps shape the young, rebellious, and wildly talented future icon.
How to Sign Up for SOCAN and Why It Matters
If you’re a musician, songwriter, composer, or music producer in Canada and you’re not a SOCAN member yet, this is the post you need to read today. SOCAN is the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, and it’s the organization that collects and distributes royalties every time your music is played publicly, whether that’s on the radio, on television, in a bar, on a streaming platform, at a live concert, or anywhere else music reaches people’s ears. If your music is out there and you’re not registered, you’re leaving money on the table that is legally and rightfully yours.
What SOCAN Actually Does
SOCAN is Canada’s largest performing rights organization. It represents composers, songwriters, and music publishers and ensures they’re paid when their music is played in public. Every time a business plays music, every time a radio station spins a track, every time a streaming service delivers a song to a listener in Canada, SOCAN is collecting licensing fees on behalf of the people who created that music. Without being a member, you have no way to claim your share of those fees. LinkedIn
The reach of this is broader than most people realize. SOCAN has the right to seek license fees from any internet service that communicates musical works in the territory of Canada, no matter where the transmission originates. That means whether your music is being streamed, broadcast, or performed live anywhere in Canada, SOCAN is working to make sure the people who created it get paid.
Who Can Join
To become a SOCAN member, music creators must meet the following criteria: be a music composer, songwriter, producer or lyricist, and have created a musical work or part of a musical work that has been published by a music publisher, recorded, or performed or will be performed in a public forum such as radio, television, film, live performance, satellite radio, ringtone or internet subject to licensing by SOCAN.
If you’re a music publisher rather than an individual creator, the requirements are slightly different. To become a SOCAN publisher member, you must have signed contracts showing you own at least five copyright-protected musical works written or co-written by a writer member of SOCAN or by a Canadian, or that you are entitled by contract to receive the publisher’s share of the performance credits of at least five copyright protected musical works.
How to Sign Up
The good news is that joining is straightforward and completely free. There is no fee to become a member. Simply fill in the application and return it to SOCAN. You can start the process directly at socan.com, where you’ll find separate application paths for writer members and publisher members. You’re just two steps away from joining nearly 150,000 music creators who get paid from SOCAN whenever and wherever their music is played. Once your application is submitted, SOCAN will send you an email with instructions to complete the process.
Once you’re a member, make sure you register all of your works in the SOCAN system. That’s how the royalty tracking actually works. Every song you register becomes searchable in their database, which is how they connect performances and plays back to you and make sure you receive what you’ve earned.
One More Thing Worth Knowing
If you are a songwriter, composer or publisher rightsholder you can also easily and conveniently have your reproduction rights managed by SOCAN by signing up for SOCAN for Reproduction Rights. This covers a different category of royalties related to the reproduction of your music, such as on CDs, downloads, and certain streaming uses, and it’s worth looking into alongside your performing rights membership.
The bottom line is simple. You’re making music. People are hearing it. You deserve to be paid for it. SOCAN exists to make sure that happens, and signing up takes very little time. Head to socan.com and get it done today.
Ice-T Brings The Art of Rap Back With Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Big Daddy Kane and the Sugarhill Gang
The Art of Rap is back. Ice-T and DJ Evil-E will join Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Sugarhill Gang and Big Daddy Kane for a Live Nation-produced concert at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, Arkansas on October 18. It marks the first Art of Rap-branded event since 2023, and co-founder Mickye Bentson isn’t being subtle about what’s coming next. “Something big is bubbling with The Art of Rap,” he says. “In about a week or so, we’ll put something up and you’re gonna be like, ‘Oh shit!'”
Born from Ice-T’s 2012 Sundance-selected documentary ‘Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap,’ the festival tour launched in July 2015 and spent years criss-crossing North America with lineups pulling from hip-hop’s deepest catalog. The documentary itself featured B-Real, Big Daddy Kane, Common, Chuck D, Dr. Dre, Rakim, Eminem, Grandmaster Flash, Ice Cube, Nas, Raekwon and Snoop Dogg, and set the template for what the live events would become.
Separate from the Live Nation date, Bentson has two additional shows booked: August 27 at the Western Idaho Fair in Boise with Ice-T, Sir Mix-A-Lot and DJ Kevie Kev, and August 28 at the Benton Franklin Fair in Kennewick, Washington, with a lineup still to be announced.
Art of Rap Dates:
August 27 – Boise, ID – Western Idaho Fair
August 28 – Kennewick, WA – Benton Franklin Fair
October 18 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Lukas Nelson and Molly Tuttle Team Up for a 5-Night East Coast Co-Headline Run This September
Lukas Nelson and Molly Tuttle are hitting the East Coast together this September for 5 co-headline nights that bring together two of Americana’s most compelling live acts. Each night features full sets from both artists, with Nelson’s road-tested band energy and soulful songwriting sharing the stage with Tuttle’s virtuosic guitar work and her boundary-pushing blend of bluegrass, Americana and rock. Presales begin Wednesday May 6 at 10am local time, with general on sale Friday May 8 at 10am.
Nelson is touring behind ‘American Romance,’ his debut solo full-length released last summer, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Country Album. Ahead of the Tuttle dates, he plays the Outlaw Festival alongside Willie Nelson, headline dates of his own, and gigs with Tedeschi Trucks Band. Tuttle brings an equally loaded resume: her 2022 album ‘Crooked Tree’ and 2023 follow-up ‘City of Gold’ both won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Her fifth album ‘So Long Little Miss Sunshine’ earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album, and its lead single “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark” spent 4 weeks at No. 1 on Americana Radio.
Lukas Nelson & Molly Tuttle Co-Headline Dates:
September 4 – Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
September 5 – Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
September 9 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
September 10 – Shelburne, VT – The Green at Shelburne Museum
September 11 – Sidney, ME – Bowl in the Pines
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash Extends His 2026 Tour Into the Fall
Graham Nash is taking his 2026 tour well into autumn. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and founding member of both the Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash has added a substantial run of fall dates, including stops at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton, the Academy of Music in Northampton and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.
The newly added dates follow a summer run that includes co-headline appearances with Emmylou Harris and a special guest slot with the Avett Brothers at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 12. Nash performs with Todd Caldwell on keyboards and vocals, Adam Minkoff on bass, drums, guitars and vocals, and Zach Djanikian on guitars, mandolin, drums and vocals, drawing from more than 60 years of material.
That catalog is genuinely remarkable. His time with the Hollies ran from 1964 to 1968, followed by his role in Crosby, Stills & Nash, where he contributed “Marrakesh Express,” “Teach Your Children” and “Our House.” His 1971 solo work produced “Chicago/We Can Change the World,” “Military Madness” and “Simple Man.” Beyond the music, Nash organized the landmark No Nukes/MUSE benefit concerts in 1979 alongside Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt, was appointed an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II, landed on the New York Times Best Sellers list with his 2013 autobiography ‘Wild Tales,’ and maintains a parallel career as a renowned photographer and visual artist.
Graham Nash 2026 Tour Dates:
July 7 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Festival
July 9 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
July 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
July 12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
July 14 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Center
July 15 – Iowa City, IA – The Englert
July 17 – St. Louis, MO – The Sheldon
July 18 – St. Louis, MO – The Sheldon
July 20 – Madison, WI – The Orpheum
July 21 – Champaign, IL – Virginia Theatre
July 23 – Interlochen, MI – Kresge Auditoriumâ€
July 24 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheaterâ€
July 26 – Highland Park, IL – Raviniaâ€
July 28 – Cincinnati, OH – Madison Theater
July 29 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
July 31 – Henrico, VA – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
August 1 – Wilmington, NC – The Wilson Center
August 3 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
August 4 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
September 12 – Northampton, MA – Academy of Music#
September 13 – Lowell, MA – Boarding House Park#
September 15 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club#
September 17 – Stowe, VT – Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center#
September 19 – Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival 2026
September 20 – Waterville, ME – Waterville Opera House#
September 23 – Geneva, NY – Smith Opera House#
September 24 – Bethlehem, PA – Zoellner Arts Center#
September 26 – Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall#
September 27 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts#
September 28 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts#
September 30 – Torrington, CT – Warner Theatre#
October 2 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo PAC#
October 3 – Wilmington, DE – The Playhouse of Rodney Square#
October 6 – Lexington, KY – The Kentucky Theatre#
October 8 – Mount Vernon, OH – Memorial Theater#
October 9 – Shippensburg, PA – Luhrs Center#
*Special Guest of the Avett Brothers †Co-bill with Emmylou Harris
Photo Gallery: Three Days Grace, Finger Eleven, and Royal Tusk at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum on May 3, 2026
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.
Jim Duff Releases ‘More Than Love,’ a Collection Rooted in Fatherhood, Faith and Hard-Won Resilience
Cincinnati singer-songwriter Jim Duff has released ‘More Than Love,’ a new project built around the emotional terrain of parenthood, spiritual connection and perseverance. Across more than 3 decades and over 300 original songs, Duff has drawn from folk, Americana, country, blues, jazz and rock to create a sound shaped by the influence of Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. ‘More Than Love’ is among his most personal work yet.
The title track was born from the reality of being physically separated from his newborn and oldest son. Performed entirely by Duff on piano, bass and guitar, it strips production back to let the emotion lead. “Walk With Me,” another standout, grew from an afternoon walk through Washington Park with his youngest son, evolving into one of the most spiritually resonant songs he’s written. Duff wrote, produced, performed, mixed and mastered it entirely on his own.
‘More Than Love’ also arrives in the context of something larger. Duff has continued writing, recording and performing throughout ongoing treatment for stage four cancer, a fact that gives the project’s themes of love, presence and resilience a weight that goes well beyond craft. He’s performed at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, the Cactus Cafe in Austin and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, among many others. This record carries that same commitment to honest, direct storytelling.
UK Pop Artist Starling Turns Birthday Self-Doubt Into an Anthem With New Single “Cupcake”
UK pop artist Starling has released “Cupcake,” a sharp-edged, emotionally honest single that transforms birthday self-criticism into radical self-compassion. Written on her own birthday, a day that historically brought feelings of shame and inadequacy, the track marks a deliberate turning point. “Every birthday my inner critic used to take over,” she shares. “This birthday was different. ‘Cupcake’ is me choosing kindness over criticism.” Produced by Patch Boshell, who also helmed her BBC-supported previous single “Gymnast,” the song pairs playful sonic textures with deeply personal lyricism in the spirit of what her growing audience calls “pop therapy.”
Starling’s origin story is one worth knowing. Once told she couldn’t sing, her path began in a Soho basement bar where, after a shift serving drinks, she sang a cappella to a room that included Henry Binns of Zero 7. Within 6 weeks she was in sessions with Massive Attack collaborators and Grammy-winning writers. Since then she’s accumulated millions of streams, 18 Spotify New Music Friday placements, BBC Radio 1 “New Noise” recognition, an Amazon Music UK “Weekly One” designation, features in The Guardian, Wonderland and FAULT, and a Love Island sync.
Her house concert tour, where she traveled 4,000 miles performing in 35 homes after posting that she was “tired of being online,” is now in television development. A debut album, working title ‘the story of starling,’ is on the horizon. Upcoming appearances include the Why Care? podcast with Nadia Nagamootoo and Women of Our Time.
Montreal’s Masked Microtonal Rock Duo Angine de Poitrine Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal with Third Side Music
One of 2026’s most unlikely and undeniable breakout stories just got a major publishing deal behind it. Angine de Poitrine, the anonymous Quebec-based microtonal dada-pythago-cubist rock duo known for their long-nosed, polka-dotted masks and jaw-dropping musicianship, have signed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with leading independent publisher Third Side Music. TSM will represent their catalog globally, developing opportunities in film, TV, advertising and games alongside the band and their management, Spectacles Bonzaï.
The numbers behind this signing are genuinely staggering. A KEXP session went viral and has racked up over 13.5 million YouTube views. Their sophomore album ‘Vol. II’, released April 3, has surpassed 20 million Spotify streams. According to Luminate, the week it dropped, the duo hit 11.2 million global on-demand streams, a 124% increase from the previous week and a 603,198% increase from the same week last year. Single “Fabienk” topped Spotify’s Viral Songs Global Chart and ranks among the 50 most Shazamed tracks worldwide.
Brothers Khn de Poitrine, on microtonal guitars and vocals, and Klek de Poitrine, on percussion and vocals, have built this entirely on their own terms. Their 2024 debut ‘Vol. I’ hit No. 1 on Discogs and now sells for as much as $600 CAD on the secondary market. Physical editions of both ‘Vol. I’ and ‘Vol. II’ get a worldwide release June 12 through a carefully selected network of independent distributors, with no record label involved.
“Angine de Poitrine have really perfected the combination of incredible musicianship and concept,” said TSM Co-Founder and COO Jeff Waye. “In this business, it always just hits a bit more satisfying when you can bring the weird to the masses.” Dave Grohl put it more directly, calling their music something that “absolutely blew my f**king mind.” The New York Times described it as “intricate, virtuosic, microtonal, mostly instrumental and unquestionably fun.” Apple Music 1’s Matt Wilkinson called them “possibly the buzziest new band on planet Earth right now.”
Angine de Poitrine are now touring internationally almost non-stop for the next year, hitting Europe, the U.S., Mexico, South America and Japan. Upcoming highlights include headlining the opening beach party of The Great Escape in the UK on May 13, with TSM-signed Ribbon Skirt in support, and opening for Jack White at RBC Amphitheatre in Toronto on July 14.
‘Vol. I’ and ‘Vol. II’ get worldwide physical releases June 12 via ATO in the U.S., Republic of Music internationally, F>A>B in Canada outside Quebec, and Spectacles Bonzaï in Quebec.
Reggaeton Pioneer Yandel Adds New U.S. Dates to His Groundbreaking Sinfónico Tour
Puerto Rican reggaeton pioneer Yandel has announced a new run of U.S. dates for his Sinfónico Tour, beginning September 25 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and wrapping November 1 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Promoted by Live Nation, presales begin Thursday May 7 at 10am local time, with general on sale Friday May 8 at 10am local time at yandel.com.
Before the U.S. run kicks in, Yandel delivers something special for his hometown. A free one-night-only Sinfónico concert takes place Saturday May 9 at La Plaza de Cayey in Puerto Rico, a gift to the community that shaped him on Mother’s Day weekend. He’s also headlining the first-ever Amazon Music flagship series, Amazon Music City Sessions Puerto Rico, in San Juan today.
The Sinfónico concept is genuinely groundbreaking. Yandel became the first artist in his genre to reimagine his greatest reggaeton hits in a symphonic format, performing alongside a live philharmonic orchestra, his full band and a dance crew. The project grew from his 2024 performance with the FIU Symphony Orchestra, inspired his 2025 album ‘SINFÓNICO,’ and earned him a 2026 Grammy nomination for Best Música Urbana Album for the live record ‘Sinfónico (En Vivo).’
A career that began in 1998 has produced 16 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Top Latin Airplay chart, 2 Latin Grammy Awards, collaborations with Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Maluma and dozens more, and a legacy as one of the architects of modern reggaeton. His new album ‘INFINITO’ is out now.
Sinfónico Tour Dates:
May 9 – Cayey, PR – La Plaza de Cayey
May 22 – Acapulco, MX
May 24 – Chicago, IL
May 28 – Nicaragua
May 29 – Guatemala City, GT
May 30 – Guatemala City, GT
July 11 – Sevilla, Spain
July 12 – A Coruña, Spain
July 17 – Barcelona, Spain
July 18 – Marbella, Spain
July 21 – London, England
July 24 – Gran Canaria
July 29 – Murcia, Spain
July 31 – Valencia, Spain
August 7 – Rosarito, Mexico
August 8 – Mexicali, Mexico
August 14 – Hermosillo, Mexico
August 15 – Monterrey, Mexico
August 29 – Quito, Ecuador
September 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
September 27 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
October 9 – Laredo, TX – Sames Auto Arena
October 10 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
October 16 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena
October 18 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center
October 29 – Las Vegas, NV – PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
October 30 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
November 1 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
November 14 – Madrid, Spain
November 27 – Puebla, Mexico