Today, Tough Cookie release their debut 8-track mixtape ‘The Countryside Is Good For You’ with the emphatic lead single ‘Disappear’ – listen here. Frontperson August shares, “I wrote Disappear about the gradual distance I put between myself and everyone I care about, and the lingering thought that maybe no one saw it happen.”
Last Thursday saw the band play a blistering set at London’s Omeara for the final night supporting powerhouse punk duo The Pill on their sold-out eight date run. Alongside their previous single, the Britpop-inspired belter ‘Paycheck’, Tough Cookie announced their own UK headline tour; culminating in their biggest headline show to date at Hackney’s OSLO on the 9th December, the 6-date tour takes in Bristol’s iconic Louisiana and Manchester’s YES Basement along the way.
Out now via Gravity Records [Divorce, Fiona-Lee], the eight songs on The Countryside Is Good For You mixtape were forged in their East London basement, and are the result of years of evolution and change for the band. This mixtape also marks Tough Cookie’s first ever physical release, with the eight tracks available on 12” vinyl which fans can order here. Previous singles ‘Emory’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Sandcastles 2008’ laid the blueprint for the Tough Cookie sound, where emotional candour meets alt rock grit – delicate and restrained one minute, and intensely heavy and distorted the next. They say, “The Countryside Is Good For You is an honest account of navigating moments of vulnerability, disconnection, and escapism; a journey of self discovery amid chaos, we start as we mean to go on, from a place of sincerity”.
‘The Countryside Is Good For You’ Headline Tour Dates:
28th November – Glasgow, The Garage Attic Bar
30th November – Leeds, Oporto
2nd December – Manchester, YES Basement
3rd December – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
4th December – Bristol, Louisiana
9th December – London, Oslo
‘The Countryside Is Good For You’ Mixtape tracklist:
Celebrating ten years of his critically acclaimed studio album Something More Than Free, six-time Grammy Award-winning musician Jason Isbell has released a reissue of the project via his own Southeastern Records. The newly remastered edition comes replete with updated mixes and a previously unreleased B-side, “Should I Go Missing.” The reissued album is out now on all streaming services, with LP and CD versions available on Friday, October 3rd.
With songs like “24 Frames,” “Flagship,” and “Children of Children,” the 2015 album found Isbell tackling the subjects he knows best: the dignity of work, the difficulty of love, the friction between the present and the past. Something More Than Free further established the North Alabama native as a bona fide songwriter and also netted him his first two Grammy Awards.
Ten years later, Something More Than Free has been remixed by the legendary Sylvia Massy (Prince, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty), breathing new life into these now classic songs in the Isbell canon. The man has broken his normal rule and included a B-side. “Should I Go Missing,” a bluesy jammer highlighted by Isbell’s slide guitar playing. If we’re lucky, it will become a staple at his upcoming live shows.
Isbell is performing across the US with his band, the 400 Unit, on their An Evening with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit tour. Isbell will notably perform at the fourth edition of his ShoalsFest on October 11-12. The two-day festival boasts a lineup of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Garrison Starr, and Steve Trash. Isbell will then head from his home state to a six-night residency at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, marking the tenth anniversary of the band’s residency at the famed Music City theater. This year, Isbell has partnered with public schools and music programs throughout the southeast region for each night’s opening act to highlight some of the educators and students working to shape the next generation of live music.
Two-time Grammy-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show are bringing out the jingle bells early this year, announcing the November 21 release of OCMS XMAS on Hartland Records. Featuring just two covers and 11 originals, the band’s first holiday album is decorated with seasonal spirit and string-band stomp, shining new light on their chart-topping version of American roots music.
Along with the announcement, Old Crow honors John Lennon’s birthday with a timely take on his and Yoko Ono’s global peace anthem “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” The song is stacked with choral harmonies from the children of the Episcopal School of Nashville, the East Nashville-based school founded by frontman Ketch Secor.
Old Crow Medicine Show aren’t just reinterpreting their favorite yuletide standards; they’re adding new songs to the canon and telling fresh stories, too. From barn-burners like “December 26” (which marks the songwriting debut of longtime band member Morgan Jahnig) to the Zydeco-flavored “All About A Baby” and a tribute to New England winters called “North By Northeast,”OCMS XMAS upholds Old Crow’s combination of the timely with the timelessness. The album also features a few classics, including a cover of “Holly Jolly Christmas” with horns from the Tennessee State University ensemble Brassville, and a rowdy version of the Appalachian standard “Breakin’ Up Xmas,” recorded live in the band’s East Nashville headquarters, Hartland Studio.
“We’re in the joy business,” says Secor. “From the very start, a lot of the virtues of Christmas — the revelry, the singalongs, the happiness — have been present in our show.” Supported by the band’s first-ever Holiday Hootenanny Tour, OCMS XMAS just might be the start of a new tradition itself: a celebration of the seasonal sounds, shared joy, and holiday rituals that bring us all together.
This is the latest release from Old Crow Medicine Show, who celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band with the 2023 Grammy-nominated album Jubilee. Last year, the group performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert and dropped the first-ever vinyl release of their debut album O.C.M.S., remastered from the original analog tapes by its original producer David Rawlings. This summer Ketch Secor released his first solo album Story The Crow Told Me and made his debut as the new host of the long-running travel and culture series Tennessee Crossroads. He recently spoke about both projects on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast and gave more insight into his Louder Than Guns documentary, which premiered at the Nashville Film Festival last month.
Old Crow Medicine Show have also announced support for the band’s annual New Year’s Eve performances at The Ryman Auditorium, with The 502s and AJ Lee & Blue Summit on Tuesday, December 30, and Shovels & Rope and The Creekers on Wednesday, December 31. See a full list of tour dates below, and find more info here: crowmedicine.com/tour.
OCMS XMAS Tracklist
Breakin’ Up Xmas
Holly Jolly Christmas Feat. Brassville
Jolly Man
North By Northeast
Corn Whiskey Christmas
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
All About A Baby
Jinglin’ Jack Guy
Store-Bought Christmas
December 26
Krampus Night
Grandpa’s Gone
Bethlehem, PA
Old Crow Medicine Show 2025 Tour Dates
October 9 – Kalispell, MT @ Wachholz College Center October 10 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM October 11 – Billings, MT @ The Pub Station October 12 – Rapid City, SD @ The Monument October 23 – Charlottesville, VA @ Ting Pavilion October 24 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center for the Performing Arts October 25 – Spruce Pine, NC @ Hilloween’s Hurricane Helene Benefit Concert – Three Peaks Enrichment Center December 3 – Fayetteville, AR @ Walton Arts Center December 4 – Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center December 5 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre December 6 – Joliet, IL @ Rialto Square Theatre December 7 – Huntington, WV @ Joan C Edwards Performing Arts Center December 16 – Tysons, VA @ Capitol One Center (Capital One Hall) December 17 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall December 18 – New London, CT @ Garde Arts Center December 19 – Torrington, CT @ Warner Theatre December 20 – Englewood, NJ @ Bergen Performing Arts Center December 30 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium December 31 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Emerging from the underground with a sound that is as raw as it is resonant, enigmatic metalcore artist OBELISK is set to release his captivating debut album, Brushed By Darkness, on Friday 12th December. Before then, look out for the blistering new single, Working Class Zero, which has just been released.
Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, OBELISK is the brainchild of a mysterious, masked, and anonymous solo artist. A true one-man project, OBELISK writes, performs, and produces all instrumentation, crafting an immersive sonic world that challenges the boundaries between performer and listener. His music is a visceral exploration of emotion, identity, and perseverance in a world that often overlooks the artist’s struggle.
OBELISK made his debut with 2024’s haunting single Stardust Cycle, followed by Where Do You End? and Tragically Designed — tracks that showcased his chaotic yet calculated sound, winning him early acclaim in the alt-metal scene. With each release, OBELISK has continued to build momentum, developing a reputation for intense musicality and emotionally charged storytelling.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Sleep Token, Green Day, Bring Me The Horizon, and Electric Callboy, Brushed By Darkness is a genre-blurring journey that delves into themes of isolation, frustration, and the deep ache of unrecognized artistry. The album is as much a personal catharsis as it is a rallying cry for those navigating the margins.
OBELISK doesn’t just perform — he reveals. His music is both a shield and a voice, pulling listeners into a world where vulnerability meets ferocity, and where every scream, riff, and lyric is drenched in purpose.
With Brushed By Darkness, OBELISK is poised to make a powerful statement. This is more than a debut — it’s the beginning of something deeply special, and undeniably potent.
River Rise Band, formed by Juliana von Mühlen (vocals), Márcio Arend ( guitar), Marcelo Pesh (drums), and Ozéias Rodrigues ( bass), has just released their brand-new single, “Storm”, a track that marks a new chapter in the band’s journey.
With a solid discography that includes the album Right Path (2021), the EP Leave Behind (2022), the album Untold Stories (2023), and the live session From Inside Out (2024), the group continues to establish its name in the independent scene — blending classic energy, refined technique, and raw emotion.
“Storm” is a sonic tempest that turns the clash between strength and vulnerability into music. Built on the timeless foundation of drums, bass, guitar, and vocals, the track delivers an aggressive, dense, and emotional performance, asking: after the storm, will calm ever come?
The vibrant and intense guitars of Márcio Arend create a pulsating foundation, reinforced by Ozéias Rodrigues’ powerful bass lines and Marcelo Pesh’s explosive drumming. Over this wall of sound, Juliana von Mühlen’s powerful and versatile vocals emerge like a natural force — sometimes a cold current, sometimes a soft breeze over burning notes.
Recorded, produced, and mixed entirely independently in the band’s home studio during the second half of 2024, the single embodies the DIY spirit that has defined River Rise Band since its inception. Juliana wrote the lyrics, while Márcio handled production, instrument recording, mixing, and mastering — ensuring authenticity and cohesion in every detail.
With “Storm”, River Rise Band reaffirms its identity in the realm of contemporary Classic Rock, combining power, emotion, and artistic integrity. It’s a track that not only cuts through chaos but also celebrates the strength to start anew — with the volume all the way up and the soul laid bare.
Texas country mainstay Jon Wolfe has officially released his new single, nostalgia-laced anthem “The Older I Get (More Country I’m Gettin’ to Be),” now available on all digital streaming platforms via his Fool Hearted Productions. Produced by longtime collaborator Dave Brainard and co-written by Wolfe and Tony Ramey, the track captures Wolfe in his most reflective—and most authentic—form yet. With its warm throwback feel, lyrical nods to country legends, and a chorus built for backroads and beer joints, the single is a love letter to small-town roots and the enduring power of country values.
“’The Older I Get (More Country I’m Gettin’ to Be)’ is truly an autobiographical effort in a song,” Wolfe told Holler. “It’s exactly where I’m at in my life and in my career as a country singer. It’s not about chasing trends to me. I’m writing songs and singing songs that mean something to me. It’s about being true to myself and letting that reflection come through in my music.”
From references to Hank, Merle, and Waylon, to dad’s old pickup and barbecue weekends, “The Older I Get (More Country I’m Gettin’ To Be)” kicks off the sonic thread of Wolfe’s planned 2025 and 2026 releases, a collection he describes as his most personal and grounded to date. With the new release, Wolfe continues to blend tradition with timeless songwriting and a DIY spirit. After years of building a loyal fanbase across Texas and beyond, the artist continues to evolve while staying rooted in what matters most: honesty, heart, and the kind of country music that sounds like country.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in the small town nearby, Miami, Jon Wolfe’s depth of talent and commitment to craft were evident from an early age. What began as a gift for creativity grew into an obvious affinity for music, and the rest is history. Making a name for himself in the Texas country scene alongside present-day mainstays like Hayes Carll and Randy Rogers, Wolfe’s released a series of successful albums that have yielded several standout tunes, including the viral streamer “Boots on a Dance Floor,” and most recent release – deeply introspective, sonically daring Dos Corazones – which firmly established Wolfe as a songwriter.
Big Loud songstress Lauren Watkins leans into western nostalgia with the release of “Marlboro Man.” The slow-burning track captures the longing for an old-school cowboy – part myth, part memory – painting a romantic portrait of a love that never stays but always leaves a mark.
Written by Watkins, Natalie Hemby, and Jeremy Spillman and produced by Will Bundy (“You Look Like You Love Me”), “Marlboro Man” offers the timeless country storytelling that listeners have come to expect from Watkins, delivered with a modern edge. A cinematic nod to the rugged westerns and unattainable romance, the track evokes a bygone archetype that still lingers today.
“I’d had the idea for ‘Marlboro Man’ in my back pocket for a while,” shares Watkins. “I’m a pretty nostalgic person by nature – I’m always reminiscing, missing how things used to be. I brought the idea to Natalie and Jeremy because I knew they’d go there with me. I’ve always been drawn to this image of the ‘Marlboro Man’ — not necessarily for the cigarettes, but for what he stood for. He was rugged, masculine, quiet and kind of untouchable. There’s something romantic about it, and I wanted to write a song that felt like that.”
The new music comes amidst a big summer for the rising artist, with “Marlboro Man” joining the no-nonsense anthem “I’ll Get Through It” and April’s “Lose My Cool” – her first since her 17-track critically acclaimed debut album The Heartbroken Record. Now happily married, Watkins is moving on from heartbreak and on to greener pastures in her new chapter.
Last month, Watkins fulfilled a lifelong dream by stepping into the coveted Grand Ole Opry circle for the first time. She’ll continue to build momentum on the road, touring with Riley Green this summer before joining Lainey Wilson and Kameron Marlowe in the fall.
WinterWonderGrass Steamboat is thrilled to announce the 13th annual installment of the beloved music, brews, mountains festival. This year will feature 30 bands on 4 stages over 3 days filled with new acts, music on the mountain, skiing and fun for the whole family including free pop up shows at Thunderhead Lodge, the infamous Grass After Dark late night sets and more. WinterWonderGrass has established a reputation in the Americana/bluegrass/roots communities as being a tastemaker and ahead of the curve when it comes to seeking out the best emerging talent. 2026 is no exception, and will highlight 11 acts that will make their WWG debut.
WWG remains focused on curating simple and authentic community gatherings for the adventurous spirit – where the quality of the experience is the top priority, not the number of tickets sold. In a world where few independent festivals remain, WinterWonderGrass prides itself on being one of the best. The full artist lineup is listed below and features The Devil Makes Three, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Elephant Revival, Sierra Hull, Andy Frasco, Lindsay Lou, and more.
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE LEFTOVER SALMON THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS DANIEL DONATO’S COSMIC COUNTRY ELEPHANT REVIVAL SIERRA HULL ANDY FRASCO (Artist at Large) LINDSAY LOU (Artist at Large) MOUNTAIN GRASS UNIT MOONTRICKS CLAY STREET UNIT TOPHOUSE CHAPARELLE MAGOO THE FRETLINERS DANIEL RODRIGUEZ STRING BAND THE LAST REVEL BRONWYN KEITH-HYNES WINTERWONDERWOMEN PICKIN’ ON THE DEAD featuring ROB EATON JOHNNY MULLENAX AJ LEE (Artist at Large) SILAS HERMAN & THE TONE UNIT BANSHEE TREE BROKEN COMPASS BLUEGRASS TYREE WOODS (Artist at Large) LITTLE MOON TRAVELERS DEER CREEK SHARP SHOOTERS GRAHAM GOOD AND THE PAINTERS
Since his 2024 debut, “New Local Hero” nominee Liam Foody has been earning widespread acclaim across Irish media, with features in Hot Press, The Beat, Pure M Zine, TheDaily Music Report and more; his atmospheric indie sound and heartfelt songwriting positioning him as a sure ‘one to watch’ in the Irish music scene.
Upcoming single, “The One”, releasing October 10th, is another introspective release from the Ballyhaunis singer-songwriter. Written about the emotional struggle of holding on to things we don’t want to let go of, it also delves into the difficult, though important realization that everything happens for a reason. “Sometimes this truth is hard to accept,” Foody explains. “But it’s a part of life that we all have to face”.
The single, which came together rather unexpectedly, features longtime collaborator and fellow Mayo musician Kriss Kurda, who worked with Foody on second single “Waiting For You”.
Foody recalls, “I was in the studio working on a different song when the chorus melody came to mind. The rest of the song came together rather quickly after we stopped what we were doing and put everything into getting this track finished. My friend Kriss Kurda played a big role in bringing this song to life with the addition of synthesisers, live guitar and heavy drums. I then got in touch with Dublin based producer Gavin Doyle who worked his magic and made the song what it is”
With what is only his third original release, “The One” deepens the promise Foody has shown from the beginning, marking another confident step forward in the journey to becoming one of Ireland’s freshest new voices in indie.
“One problem with constantly mining your own personal life for lyrical inspiration is that you sometimes catch yourself experiencing personal interactions through the lens of your own future lyrical depiction of the moment,” says We Are Scientists vocalist and guitarist Keith Murray about the band’s emotionally raw new single, “The Big One.” “We hear a lot about artists coping with difficult emotional experiences by hashing them out in their work; much less is said about how the anticipation of doing that artistic hashing plays in at the actual moment. Like, ‘Oh, geez, I’m in trouble now-here comes a good song!'”
He continues: “There’s a scene in Noah Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming where a couple, fresh out of undergrad, are fighting over who gets to ‘use this material in a story’,” he continues, alluding to the 1995 film. “As a referendum on artistic solipsism, it haunts me to this day. I guess ‘The Big One’ is about those moments when things go so awry that that sort of in-the-moment arm’s-length analysis is no longer a possibility. Now you’re just in it. It also has maybe my favorite guitar solo ever, so, yeah.”
“The Big One” is the final preview of Qualifying Miles, the band’s highly anticipated ninth studio album, out now via Gronland Records. It follows a trio of emotionally rich singles that capture the band’s sharpened, guitar-forward direction and trademark lyrical wit: the aching, effervescent “Please Don’t Say It,” the shimmering, self-lacerating ballad “I Could Do Much Worse,” and “What You Want Is Gone,” a melancholic mid-tempo stunner paired with a fan-shot tour video that leans into memory, longing, and letting go.
Together, the four singles serve as a proper reintroduction to We Are Scientists: a band reflecting on their past without being trapped by it, chasing an immediacy that feels both familiar and revitalized. The album’s title, Qualifying Miles, plays like a wry nod to the band’s decades-long journey, but there’s no nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake here, this is a collection of songs that crackle with life and gut-punch emotional resonance.
Qualifying Miles is a stripped-down, emotionally expansive record that sees We Are Scientists embracing the ’90s guitar rock influences that first lit the fuse back in their early Brooklyn days. Tracks like “Dead Letters,” “At The Mall In My Dreams” and “What You Want Is Gone” lean into themes of memory, impermanence, and the haunting weight of lost connections. But there’s levity, too – the band’s self-effacing humor and melodic swagger remain front and center.
Recorded with a “band in a room” ethos and a let-it-rip energy, Qualifying Miles finds longtime duo Keith Murray and Chris Cain pushing themselves toward something looser, louder, and more instinctive than anything they’ve done in years. For a band celebrating 20 years since their breakthrough debut With Love and Squalor, Qualifying Miles doesn’t feel like a victory lap – it feels like the start of something urgent and new.
