Page 254 – That Eric Alper

Folk Punk Trailblazer Ani DiFranco Reissues ‘Not a Pretty Girl’ For 30th Anniversary

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

Folk Punk Trailblazer Ani DiFranco Reissues ‘Not a Pretty Girl’ For 30th Anniversary

Ani DiFranco marks 30 years of her landmark 1995 album ‘Not a Pretty Girl’ with a newly remastered anniversary reissue, available now exclusively via Righteous Babe Records. The album stands as a defining DIY statement, a fierce declaration of artistic autonomy that reshaped the independent music landscape and proved creators could retain control while commanding cultural impact.

Originally released on her own label, the record crystallized DiFranco’s refusal to bend to corporate systems, a stance echoed in “The Million You Never Made.” Its feminist core, foregrounding female anger and complexity, helped lay groundwork for ongoing conversations around identity and equality. The album remains as urgent and galvanizing as ever.

The 30th Anniversary Edition arrives with new 2025 remastering across vinyl and CD formats. The double vinyl features purple translucent pressings, a heavy stock gatefold with soft-touch matte finish, a 12-page booklet and a 12-inch art photo print of Ani shot by Mark Dellas, with select copies signed. The CD edition includes a 24-page booklet in a four-panel wallet.

Reverently repackaged by Grammy Award-winning art director Brian Grunert, this reissue honors the legacy of a record that redefined independence. Three decades on, ‘Not a Pretty Girl’ remains a rallying cry for artist control and unapologetic expression.

Double Vinyl 30th Anniversary Edition

New 2025 vinyl remastering
Heavy stock vertically oriented gatefold w/ soft touch matte finish
12-page booklet
12″ art photo print of Ani shot by Mark Dellas
2 standard weight purple translucent vinyl

CD 30th Anniversary Edition

New 2025 CD remastering
4-panel wallet with 24-page booklet

Indie Chamber Pop Duo Gracie And Rachel Ignite Protest Anthem “WTF”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Indie Chamber Pop Duo Gracie And Rachel Ignite Protest Anthem “WTF”

Gracie and Rachel’s recent release on Righteous Babe Records, “WTF,” is a visceral call to consciousness in a moment of political chaos. With stark minimalism and unflinching lyrics, the duo captures the collective disorientation of watching our rights disappear, truth erode, and outrage become the norm. The song is both a reaction to rising authoritarianism and a refusal to stay silent, a galvanizing soundtrack to headlines that feel more surreal each day.

Newly reimagined by Brooklyn-based indie-pop artist Glassio, “WTF (the fuck the fuck)” brings a fresh catharsis to the original tune.

Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” Pepsi Spot Still Oozes Cool

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” Pepsi Spot Still Oozes Cool

Robert Palmer’s sleek, suited swagger met glossy brand power when Pepsi tapped into the energy of “Simply Irresistible” for one of its most stylish music video commercials. The spot leaned into Palmer’s signature aesthetic, sharp tailoring, hypnotic groove and that unmistakable cool detachment, turning a chart hit into a polished pop culture crossover moment. For longer than you would think, Palmer was simply the coolest mofo in the music world.

Taekwondo Legend Jhoon Rhee Delivers “Nobody Bother Me” Commercial Classic with E Street Band Member Nils Lofgren

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Taekwondo Legend Jhoon Rhee Delivers “Nobody Bother Me” Commercial Classic with E Street Band Member Nils Lofgren

Few local commercials have achieved cult status quite like the Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo “Nobody Bother Me” spot. Airing in the Metro Washington, DC area, the ad pairs martial arts bravado with a killer jingle written by Nils Lofgren, complete with the unforgettable chant, “Jhoon Rhee means might for right!” Two confident kids declare, “Nobody bothers me,” sealing its place in regional TV history. Equal parts motivational anthem and retro time capsule, the commercial remains a joyful reminder of when local advertising could punch its way into pop culture immortality.

Before The Fame, Hair Metal Heroes Cinderella Star In “Pat’s Dogs” Commercial

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Before The Fame, Hair Metal Heroes Cinderella Star In “Pat’s Dogs” Commercial

Long before arena tours and platinum records, hair metal upstarts Cinderella appeared in a scrappy 1983 cable commercial for a 24/7 hot dog cart called Pat’s Chili Dogs. Shot in exchange for free food and the promise of MTV airtime, the spot features the band belting an oddly infectious jingle, “Pat’s Dogs, the cook is never tired, Pat’s Dogs, the steam is always fired.” Amazing.

Berlin Electronic Producer Nadia Struiwigh Unveils “Kokoro” From ‘IKIGAI’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Berlin Electronic Producer Nadia Struiwigh Unveils “Kokoro” From ‘IKIGAI’

Berlin-based Dutch DJ and producer Nadia Struiwigh introduces “Kokoro,” the first single from her upcoming album ‘IKIGAI,’ arriving in 2026 via her imprint Distorted Waves. Known for propulsive techno, Struiwigh shifts into intimate ambient and electronica terrain. “Kokoro,” meaning heart or spirit, signals a deeply personal chapter shaped by grief and reflection.

Created entirely on hardware in her Berlin apartment near Hermannplatz following her father’s passing, the album draws from circuits, signals and blinking lights that once connected them. “IKIGAI was born in the quiet space between grief and remembrance,” she explains. “Every sound, every sequence, every texture carries his fingerprint.”

“The name IKIGAI found me when I was at a crossroads,” she says. “Why am I still here? What am I still creating for?” Built using Japanese gear including Yamaha, KORG and Roland machines, the record weaves synthesized textures with field recordings from daily life, including her sister’s laughter, forming an intimate sonic tapestry.

“I built in silence and let the machines cry for me,” Struiwigh shares. With “Kokoro,” she channels memory into sound, opening a new era defined by atmosphere, vulnerability and electronic storytelling rooted in love and loss.

Pop Punk Revivalist Dylan Espeseth Ignites “Circles” With Raw Emotional Fire

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Pop Punk Revivalist Dylan Espeseth Ignites “Circles” With Raw Emotional Fire

Pop-punk revivalist Dylan Espeseth unloads bottled frustration on “Circles,” a high-octane anthem that captures burnout, anxiety and the dizzying trap of repetition. Driven by pounding drums and urgent guitars, the track barrels forward with early-2000s pop-punk punch filtered through a modern emotional lens. It is fast, cathartic and brutally honest.

“I feel like I’ll never get better,” Espeseth admits. “Everything just happens over and over. I make the same mistakes, relive the same anxieties, sit and stare at the same walls. No matter how hard I try I feel like my life is just a cycle of misery.” The vulnerability fuels the hook, turning self-doubt into a rallying cry.

“Circles” marks the first taste of his debut full-length, fully produced by Aaron Sprinkle. The album, set for release in 2026, sharpens Espeseth’s blend of melodic instinct and emotional urgency. The production hits hard while keeping the confession front and center.

Raised on vinyl with his father and shaped by school orchestra, Espeseth draws from Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Juice WRLD, Lil Peep and Bob Dylan. After teaching himself production during the pandemic, he carved a lane built on truth and connection. “Circles” surges forward with defiant energy.

Soul Artist Katie Tupper Shares “Right Hand Man” From ‘Greyhound’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Soul Artist Katie Tupper Shares “Right Hand Man” From ‘Greyhound’

Prairie-born soul indie artist Katie Tupper announces her debut album ‘Greyhound,’ arriving January 21, alongside new single “Right Hand Man.” Raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Tupper blends smoky alto vocals with soul, indie and alternative R&B, threaded with subtle folk twang. “Right Hand Man” leans into a funkier groove, expanding the emotional and sonic palette of the record.

On the album’s title, Tupper explains, “Greyhounds that race on tracks are given these parameters and rabbit decoys to chase that are unreachable. If the front or fastest dog gets close to the decoy it just speeds up to make them run faster. The dogs think they are chasing something reachable but by design it will always be slightly ahead of them. It made me think about my relationships and how I act in the world. I am often both the Greyhound and the decoy — chasing something unreachable and being the thing that cannot be caught.”

“Right Hand Man” explores the tension of emotional dependency. “This song is about the weight and pressures someone puts on you in a relationship — when you become someone’s only source of happiness and they are vocal about it,” she says. “It becomes a compromising place to be in and clouds your decision making about the relationship.” The groove is warm, the lyrics sharp and unguarded.

With comparisons to Olivia Dean and Charlotte Day Wilson, Tupper steps forward with a debut that bridges prairie roots and a broadened perspective. ‘Greyhound’ shapes up as a defining introduction to a voice grounded in independence and emotional depth.

Montreal Punk Firestarters NOBRO Unleash Raw New Single “DOOMTOWN”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

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Montreal Punk Firestarters NOBRO Unleash Raw New Single “DOOMTOWN”

JUNO Award-winning Montreal punk outfit NOBRO return with “DOOMTOWN,” a garage-rock adrenaline blast that signals a more vulnerable chapter for the band. Centered around Kathryn McCaughey and Karolane Carbonneau, the track keeps their tornado energy intact while digging into grief, dread and uncertainty that surfaced during a period of personal upheaval.

Right as the band celebrated a JUNO win, half the lineup departed. Carbonneau lost her father, while McCaughey began navigating her own father’s dementia. Those experiences pulse through “DOOMTOWN,” which confronts existential questions head-on. “Will I be singing about pussy and drugs in the nursing home?” McCaughey asks, a line that lands with both bite and brutal honesty.

Recorded, produced and mixed by John Agnello, the song balances sharp hooks with emotional weight. The guitars snarl, the rhythm section surges and the lyrics refuse to look away. This is NOBRO sitting with discomfort instead of outrunning it, turning chaos inward and giving it shape.

The single arrives with a striking animated visualizer by Mi’gmaw filmmaker Christopher Grant. Following a lone figure wandering city streets in search of connection, the video mirrors the song’s isolation and intensity. “DOOMTOWN” hits hard, fearless and unfiltered.

British Indie Songwriter Jude Lilley Launches Crook Decker With ‘Graffiti Lagoon’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 22, 2026

0

British Indie Songwriter Jude Lilley Launches Crook Decker With ‘Graffiti Lagoon’

British indie singer-songwriter Jude Lilley steps into a new chapter with Crook Decker, a solo venture that channels urban dissonance into murky, hypnotic alt-pop. The debut album ‘Graffiti Lagoon’ is out now via Seb Wildblood’s all my thoughts label, with focus track “Living In Paradise” leading the charge. The project reframes city life as something mythic and surreal, where Peckham morphs into a digital swamp.

Born during lockdown in 2020, Crook Decker began as a sonic alter ego and evolved into a fully realized world. Over five years, Lilley shaped a sample-driven, intimate sound that feels both lo-fi and cinematic. The textures blur between grit and melody, creating a hazy atmosphere that pulls the listener deeper with each track.

“‘Living In Paradise’ kinda speaks for itself,” Crook Decker says. “It took me some hard truths to realise I’ll never be a better person when my back is turned. It was time to put some effort into embracing my new urban environment and take some accountability by adjusting my attitude and listening to the chaotic beauty around me.” The track lands as reflective, restless and immersive.

Drawing loose parallels to Pavement, Mac DeMarco, Guided By Voices, Beck and Tom Waits, Crook Decker carves its own swampy territory. The project signals a bold artistic evolution for Lilley beyond his work with Moreish Idols, presenting a debut that feels strange, personal and vividly alive.