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coldrain Ignite Raw Emotion and Power on New EP ‘OPTIMIZE’

Eric Alper
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coldrain Ignite Raw Emotion and Power on New EP ‘OPTIMIZE’

Japanese rock band coldrain have kept anticipation high, releasing three new tracks while touring their home country with the title kept under wraps. Now, the quintet unveils their new EP, ‘OPTIMIZE,’ a five-track release that defies the idea of a polished, streamlined world. It’s a call to live authentically—imperfect, unfiltered, and alive.

Written by Y.K.C and Masato, mixed by Sam Guaiana, and mastered by Mike Kalajian, ‘OPTIMIZE’ is an emotionally charged, genre-blending experience. The EP features the singles “INCOMPLETE,” “CHASING SHADOWS,” and “FREE FALL.”

‘OPTIMIZE’ EP Track List:

  1. OPTIMIZE
  2. CHASING SHADOWS
  3. DIGITOLL
  4. INCOMPLETE
  5. FREE FALL

Next month, coldrain will bring their ‘OPTIMIZE’ tour to the UK and Europe, performing in 17 cities with support from Revnoir and Noisemaker.

coldrain LIVE
UK/EU OPTIMIZE TOUR 2025
w/ Revnoir & Noisemaker

22.11.2025 UK-Manchester Rebellion SOLD OUT
23.11.2025 UK-London Electric Ballroom
25.11.2025 BE-Antwerp Trix
26.11.2025 FR-Paris Trabendo (low tickets)
27.11.2025 DE-Cologne Carlswerk Victoria
28.11.2025 DE-Hamburg Kaiserkeller (new venue!)
30.11.2025 NL-Amsterdam Melkweg (low tickets)
01.12.2025 DE-Saarbrücken Garage
02.12.2025 CH-Aarau Kiff
03.12.2025 DE-Stuttgart LKA Longhorn
05.12.2025 CZ-Prague Palac Akropolis
06.12.2025 HU-Budapest Barba Negra
07.12.2025 AT-Vienna Szene
09.12.2025 PL-Warsaw Proxima
10.12.2025 DE-Berlin Lido
12.12.2025 DE-Munich Backstage
13.12.2025 DE-Frankfurt ZOOM

StarAce Unleash Rock Authenticity With Debut Album ‘Real’

Eric Alper
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StarAce Unleash Rock Authenticity With Debut Album ‘Real’

São Paulo rock band StarAce officially arrive with Real, their debut album featuring 12 tracks of uncompromising rock authenticity. The album drops today alongside its title track “Real,” a blazing statement about truth, perseverance, and staying genuine in an artificial world.

Produced by David Frangioni (Aerosmith, KISS, Ringo Starr), Real spans genres from hard rock anthems to folk-tinged ballads, country-western influences to blues-rock swagger. The collection represents songs that capture StarAce’s evolution from underground Brazilian rockers to international artists ready to make their mark.

“We’ve worked so hard on this album — and it finally became Real!” explains frontman Julio Starace. “This record is the culmination of years of work that began just after the Covid-19 pandemic, when we started recording the first demos for ‘Mystical Cat’ and ‘Dark Side.’ Each song received special care — crafted and refined from the very bones of the lyrics and arrangements, all the way through the mixing and mastering process.”

The title track “Real” serves as a mission statement. More than a song, it’s StarAce’s proclamation that authenticity wins over artifice, that truth lives in music, and that every goal is only worth pursuing if it’s genuine. With blazing riffs and striking arrangements, the track invites listeners to move forward without masks or limitations.

“In a time where everyday we have AI, we always have REAL. Our song, our world, our lives. All REAL,” notes Julio about the single’s contemporary relevance.

Producer David Frangioni, whose credits include Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, and Scorpions, recognized something special in the Brazilian band’s material: “REAL is as real as rock ‘n’ roll gets, from the beginning to the end of the album, put on your seatbelt! These songs are a story that everyone can relate to, because they’re REAL!”

The album showcases the full StarAce lineup: brothers Julio (vocals/guitar), Luiz (bass), and Thomaz Starace (drums), plus guitarist Chris Dias and keyboardist/vocalist Bia Tucci. Their chemistry translates across Real’s diverse sonic palette, which Julio describes as exploring “themes like the overload of information, the pursuit of knowledge, philosophy, power, fast communication, technology, beauty, mysticism, love — and pure Rock and Roll!”

Recorded primarily with live instruments to capture organic energy while embracing modern production techniques, Real demands to be experienced from start to finish. The band will bring their explosive live show to European audiences this fall, delivering the kind of incendiary performances that have made them a must-see act. Spanish and Portuguese dates begin November 26th in Madrid, where audiences can expect the raw power and electric chemistry that transforms these album tracks into full-contact rock experiences.

StarAce European Tour:

• Nov 26 – Madrid, Spain – Wurlitzer
• Nov 27 – Barcelona, Spain – Diobar
• Nov 28 – Gandía (Valencia), Spain – Dublín
• Nov 29 – Sevilla, Spain – Mutante
• Dec 4 – Cádiz, Spain – La Guarida del Ángel
• Dec 6 – Caminha, Portugal
• Dec 7 – Viveiro (Galicia), Spain – A Conservera
• Dec 8 – Santander, Spain – Rock & Beer The New
• Dec 11 – Zaragoza, Spain – La Ley Seca
• Dec 12 – Alicante, Spain – El Bunker
• Dec 13 – Granada, Spain – La Cochera Cabaret
• Dec 14 – Madrid, Spain – Barracudas

InstrumentManiac Plays C Major on 123 Instruments in 123 Seconds

Eric Alper
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InstrumentManiac Plays C Major on 123 Instruments in 123 Seconds

Luke Pickman, the multi-instrumental mastermind behind InstrumentManiac, just outdid himself again. After tackling “The Lick” on dozens of instruments, he’s now played the C Major scale on 123 instruments in 123 seconds. It’s fast, funny, and pure musical chaos — one dazzling scale, every sound imaginable.

Wet Leg Reimagine “Walking on a Dream” With Hypnotic Indie Flair

Eric Alper
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0
Wet Leg Reimagine “Walking on a Dream” With Hypnotic Indie Flair

Wet Leg just turned Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” into an indie daydream. Performing live at BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Rhian Teasdale’s vocals float effortlessly over shimmering guitars, giving the 2008 hit a whole new heartbeat. It’s proof that Wet Leg can make any song sound unmistakably their own.

Steampunk Beats Meet Daft Punk as Bonnin Gabriel Hacks a Hurdy-Gurdy

Eric Alper
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Steampunk Beats Meet Daft Punk as Bonnin Gabriel Hacks a Hurdy-Gurdy

Bonnin Gabriel just redefined DIY music magic. By hooking a hurdy-gurdy to a vintage Singer sewing machine wheel, he cranked up its speed and unleashed a wild take on Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic.” It’s steampunk meets synth glory.

Ska Tune Network Brings Brass and Bounce to the Classic “Ghostbusters” Theme

Eric Alper
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Ska Tune Network Brings Brass and Bounce to the Classic “Ghostbusters” Theme

Jer from Ska Tune Network turns spooky into skank-worthy with a brass-charged cover of “Ghostbusters.” Ray Parker Jr.’s hit gets a full ska makeover bursting with energy, horns, and Halloween joy. It’s pure musical mischief.

Spotify Turns It Up to 11 With Lossless Audio for Premium Users

Eric Alper
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Spotify Turns It Up to 11 With Lossless Audio for Premium Users

Lossless on Spotify Premium is here. 

Lossless audio has been one of the most anticipated features on Spotify and now, finally, it’s started rolling out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them. Whether you’re diving into a new album or revisiting old favorites, lossless delivers the highest music audio quality on Spotify.

“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions, Spotify. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”

Lossless is part of their commitment to continually improve Spotify Premium so fans can discover and enjoy the music they love. This highly requested feature takes your Premium experience to the next level. Together with popular features like DJ, Jam, AI Playlist, brand-new Mix, and daylist, as well as playlists curated by their leading global music editorial team, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service continues to get better.

With Lossless, you can now stream tracks in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, unlocking greater detail across nearly every song available on Spotify. So you can enjoy new releases and your favorite tracks, in the highest quality, while being immersed in the music.

Your device, your music, your listening experience, your choice

They know everyone listens differently, so they’re giving you custom settings for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloads. Choose between Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless music quality to provide maximum flexibility and control. You’ll be able to see how much data each of these requires to make choosing easier.

Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices, including those from Sonos and Amazon, arrives next month.

How to enable Lossless

To turn on lossless audio in the Spotify app:

    1. Tap your profile icon in the top left.
    2. Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
    3. Select where you want to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, downloads.

And just to note: You’ll need to enable Lossless manually on each device. You’ll know Lossless is on because the Lossless indicator will appear in the Now Playing view or bar, and via the Connect Picker.

For the smoothest and best listening experience, they recommend streaming lossless music on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection, like Spotify Connect. Currently, Bluetooth doesn’t provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent.

Lossless gives listeners every detail of the music, which means the audio files can be larger. As users enable lossless on their devices, it may take a moment for the track to play. But once it’s cached and loaded, you are ready to listen.

When can I start listening?

Lossless is rolling out gradually to more than 50 markets through October. Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already started to get access.

Sibling Duo Overnight Channel Loss and Resilience on New Single “Strong & Good”

Eric Alper
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0
Sibling Duo Overnight Channel Loss and Resilience on New Single “Strong & Good”

Halifax sibling duo Overnight (Carla & Lynette Gillis) return with “Strong & Good,” the tender and reflective new single from their upcoming sophomore album ‘Put Me In Your Light’ (out November 7 via Label Obscura). Written in the wake of their father’s sudden passing and a difficult move home from Toronto during the pandemic, the song captures both the weight of grief and the forward motion of resilience.

“I don’t typically have anything clear in mind when I sit down to write lyrics, but this one turned out to be about grief,” shares Carla Gillis (guitars, piano, lead vocals). “It was really hard to lose our dad, and it was really hard to leave Toronto and our community. The song came out of grief, but it’s also about the impulse to not be entrenched in it all the time. To shake it off and keep going. Rhythmically, it has a forward propulsion to it. Melodically, it’s fairly upbeat. To me, it’s shaped as much by resilience as sadness.”

The single’s title comes from a simple lyric — “coffee tastes strong and good” — though for the Gillis sisters, the phrase also reflects their father’s character.

Recording the song proved challenging, as the duo struggled to land on a guitar arrangement that felt right. “Everything kept sounding frustratingly dorky,” Carla recalls. “Eventually [producer] Charles [Austin] suggested having an acoustic guitar play quietly underneath everything, and it was the glue we needed.”

“Strong & Good” is one of the most emotional tracks on ‘Put Me In Your Light,’ often bringing Carla to tears mid-performance. Yet despite its heavy subject matter, the song embodies Overnight’s ability to find light within loss — a theme that runs throughout the album.

Produced by Charles Austin (Superfriendz, Surprise Pink) and featuring contributions from Michael Small (Meligrove Band, Loviet) and Jason Starnes (Bells Clanging), ‘Put Me In Your Light’ offers 10 songs of big riffs, tender harmonies, and reflective optimism. While grief and memory shape the record, its energy leans buoyant and hopeful, echoing Overnight’s journey through hardship and renewal.

The Weeknd Joins Advisory Board of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to Raise $100 Million

Eric Alper
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0
The Weeknd Joins Advisory Board of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to Raise $100 Million

FIFA and Global Citizen, the world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty, today announced the formation of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund Advisory Board, following the first wave of founding donor contributions supporting the landmark initiative to raise USD $100 million for education and literacy for children worldwide.

The non-fiduciary advisory board includes Hugh Jackman, The Weeknd, Ivanka Trump, Gianni Infantino, Hugh Evans, Serena Williams, Shakira, Kaká, and Bank of America Co-President Jim DeMare, who will provide strategic guidance to ensure the fund achieves maximum impact in supporting organizations dedicated to improving literacy and education access for children.

Launched earlier this year at the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York City, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to expand access to quality education, literacy, and football for children worldwide. Half of the funds raised will support grassroots education and literacy programs in over 200 communities globally. The remaining funds will go toward FIFA’s Football for Schools (F4S) programme, a FIFA and UNESCO-led initiative advancing life skills, learning, and community development through football.

Organizations providing access to education and sports for children in underserved communities are now invited to apply for grants of up to $250,000. The first round of grantees will be announced in early 2026. To apply, visit globalcitizen.org/education-fund-apply.

Currently, an estimated 350 million children and adolescents are out of school globally, with 133 million not meeting minimum proficiency levels in reading and math by the end of primary school.

Founding donors include MetLife Foundation and Bank of America, which will also serve as the Bank of Record for the fund. Each has made significant contributions, demonstrating strong early momentum. Global Citizen also thanks Cisco and the Government of Sierra Leone for their donations. Additional pledges are expected from philanthropies, corporations, and individuals leading up to the FIFA World Cup Final in July 2026.

Last month at the Global Citizen Festival, it was announced that the fund has already raised over USD $30 million, supported by founding donors and proceeds from events including The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour and the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

It was also revealed that USD $1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 26™ matches will be donated to the fund.

10 Things to do in Amsterdam

Eric Alper
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0

By Mitch Rice

Amsterdam combines history, culture and a relaxed atmosphere like no other city in Europe. Each canal, street and market tells a story. Are you planning a visit? The these then experiences show you what makes Amsterdam truly unique! 

1. Visit the Rijksmuseum

Step inside the Rijksmuseum and admire masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. Walk through galleries filled with Dutch art, history and design. Take your time, because every room reveals something new. When you’re done, stroll through the museum gardens and enjoy a coffee while locals relax in the sun. Stop by the museum shop for unique souvenirs inspired by Dutch art.

2. Explore the Jordaan

Wander through the Jordaan and feel the creative spirit of Amsterdam. Visit small boutiques, art galleries and cozy cafés. Order a slice of apple pie at Café Winkel 43 and browse vintage shops along Westerstraat. The narrow streets and friendly atmosphere make it one of the city’s most inviting neighborhoods. End your walk at the canals and watch boats drift slowly by.

3. Rent a bike

Grab a bike and explore Amsterdam like a local. Cycle along the canals, through Vondelpark and into quiet residential areas. Stop whenever something catches your eye and take in the view. Follow the traffic rules, stay alert and enjoy the freedom of riding through one of the world’s best cycling cities. Finish your ride at a café terrace and enjoy a drink in the open air.

4. Cruise the canals 

See Amsterdam from a different perspective and join one of the many canal tours in the city. Book a trip with local operators such as Flagship Amsterdam and enjoy the view from the water. Choose between small open boats or covered saloon vessels as you pass historic bridges and elegant canal houses. For an unforgettable evening, try the Amsterdam wine and cheese cruise and enjoy Dutch cheeses, good wine and the warm glow of Amsterdam’s canal lights.

5. Visit the Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House offers a powerful glimpse into Amsterdam’s history during World War II. Step inside the secret annex where Anne wrote her diary and reflect on her story. It’s a visit that stays with you long after you leave.

6. Relax in Vondelpark

Walk through the Anne Frank House and feel the city’s wartime history come to life. Step inside the secret annex where Anne wrote her famous diary and imagine the courage it took to live there. Read her words, look at the photographs and listen to her story. Take a moment outside to reflect on the quiet canal that witnessed so much history.

7. Discover local markets

Looking for a quiet place to slow down after exploring the city? Head to Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s most beloved green space. Locals come here to picnic, jog or play music in the open air. Find a bench near the pond and watch cyclists and dog walkers pass by. The park is perfect for a peaceful lunch or a lazy afternoon in the sun.

8. Experience the nightlife

From live music at Paradiso to cocktails at SkyLounge, Amsterdam’s nightlife has something for every mood. The best nights often start in small bars along the canals and end in dance clubs near Leidseplein. For a laid-back start to the evening, try a local craft beer at Brouwerij ’t IJ near the windmill.

9. Visit the floating flower market

The Bloemenmarkt is the only floating flower market in the world. Boats filled with tulips, bulbs and souvenirs line the canal. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s one of the most photogenic spots in the city. Visit early in the morning to see vendors setting up and the colors at their brightest.

10. Discover hidden courtyards

Behind busy streets lie peaceful hofjes, old courtyards once built for widows. The Begijnhof near Spui is the most famous, with historic houses and a quiet garden. It’s a perfect escape from the crowds. Take a moment to sit on one of the benches and listen to the faint sound of church bells in the distance.

Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.

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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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