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SiriusXM Launches Exclusive ‘Karol G Radio’ Channel for Hispanic Heritage Month

Eric Alper
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SiriusXM Launches Exclusive ‘Karol G Radio’ Channel for Hispanic Heritage Month

SiriusXM announces an exclusive pop-up channel, Karol G Radio, from the Grammy Award-winning global recording artist in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The channel will be available to subscribers in their cars on channel 79 from October 3rd through October 9th and on the SiriusXM app through October 14th.

Karol G Radio will give listeners an inside look at the Latin star’s ride from rising star to global sensation as she shares the beats, the bops and the backstories behind her biggest hits and her latest album Tropicoqueta. The exclusive SiriusXM channel will feature Karol G spilling it all from the music and artists that inspired her musical journey to what’s next in her ever-evolving sound.

“I’m so excited for my fans to immerse themselves in the world of Tropicoqueta through Karol G Radio. This is a chance for them to connect with me and the project on a deeper level—from the stories behind how certain tracks came together to the songs that shaped both me and this entire album. I hope everyone enjoys listening to KAROL G Radio as much as we did while bringing it to life,” states Karol G.

Throughout its in-car satellite run, the channel will air four exclusive specials that will also be available on the SiriusXM app, including Las Joyas de Trópicoqueta, which takes listeners inside Karol G’s latest album with personal anecdotes behind her standout tracks. Discover why these songs are true gems — from the creative process and collaborations with producers to the inspiration that makes each track shine. Karol G: Sus Favoritos spotlights the artists that Karol G adores and has always looked up to. From Eminem and Ciara to Café Tacvba and G-Unit, KAROL G shares how these beloved icons shaped her sound and inspired her journey from her early career to today. Latinas Foreva celebrates the Latinas who keep shaping the culture in music, film and beyond. Karol G shares their songs and stories, showcasing how these women are breaking boundaries, making history and proving that Latinas truly are forever. Discografía de la Bichota takes listeners through Karol G’s discography, from Unstoppable to Trópicoqueta. Karol G shares a standout track from each record, revealing the stories and moments that shaped her evolution from experimental sounds to stadium-selling anthems.

SiriusXM will celebrate the best of Hispanic culture with exclusive Hispanic Heritage Month pop-up channels, specialty programming, and more.

Taylor Swift Becomes First Woman to Surpass 100 Million RIAA Album Units Ahead of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’

Eric Alper
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Taylor Swift Becomes First Woman to Surpass 100 Million RIAA Album Units Ahead of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’

Days before the release of her 12th studio album, The Recording Industry Association of America announces a monumental achievement for global superstar Taylor Swift, who has become the first and only female artist in history to surpass 100 million RIAA-certified album units. Swift is also the only artist in the top 10 for both highest-certified album artists and highest-certified digital single artists.

With this new certification, Swift joins an elite group of artists to reach this level of success in the U.S., placing her sixth among the top-selling artists in music history, behind Led Zeppelin at 112.5 million, the Eagles at 120 million, Elvis Presley at 146.5 million, Garth Brooks at 162 million, and The Beatles at 183 million. According to the RIAA, Swift’s total certified album units have now exceeded 105 million, surpassing Mariah Carey, who is the second top-selling female artist with 75 million certified units.

The historic milestone is driven by a catalog of critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, including 2014’s 1989, which is certified 14-times platinum, 2008’s Fearless at 11-times platinum, 2012’s Red at eight-times platinum, 2006’s Taylor Swift at eight-times platinum, and last year’s The Tortured Poets Department at eight-times platinum.

On Friday, Swift will release The Life of a Showgirl, which she wrote during her record-breaking Eras Tour. The album has already broken a Spotify record as it became the first Countdown Page to surpass five million pre-saves, further extending it as the most pre-saved album on the Countdown Page in Spotify history, surpassing the mark set by The Tortured Poets Department last year.

In addition to this latest record, Spotify is celebrating the upcoming album release with The Life of a Showgirl: A Spotify Experience, an immersive pop-up experience for fans in New York City through October 2nd. Swifties are invited to step into a day in the life of a showgirl, capturing photo moments, hunting for Easter eggs, and more.

On October 3rd, the global pop star will host a cinematic release party with Cinemark Holdings and AMC. Taylor Swift | The Official Release Party of a Showgirl will give fans an exclusive world premiere of the music video, “The Fate of Ophelia,” along with behind-the-scenes footage from the music video shoot, new lyric videos, and Taylor’s never-before-seen personal reflections on songs from her 12th studio album.

Many Target stores will open at midnight on October 3rd to give fans a chance to pick up exclusive versions of the album, including the single pressing of The Crowd is Your King edition on Summertime Spritz Pink with a giant poster, and three CD variations with posters, and more.

Rob Scallon Builds A Semi-Hollow Concrete Guitar Inspired By The Gibson ES-335

Eric Alper
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Rob Scallon Builds A Semi-Hollow Concrete Guitar Inspired By The Gibson ES-335

Musician Rob Scallon and Modustrial Maker’s Mike Cliff have taken guitar building to bold new territory with a semi-hollow electric crafted from 3/8″-thick concrete walls. Modeled after the Gibson ES-335, the body was shaped using melamine molds, insulation foam, and 3D-printed parts. Reinforced with glass fibers, the result is a surprisingly playable concrete guitar that blurs the line between instrument and sculpture.


The Get Up Kids’ Matt Pryor Shares “The Dishonesty” From Forthcoming Solo Album ‘The Salton Sea’

Eric Alper
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The Get Up Kids’ Matt Pryor Shares “The Dishonesty” From Forthcoming Solo Album ‘The Salton Sea’

The Get Up Kids’ Matt Pryor has shared “The Dishonesty,” the second single previewing his new solo album The Salton Sea due out on November 14th via Nightshoes Syndicate/Big Scary Monsters.

Out now alongside a video directed by Josh Berwanger (The Anniversary), the urgent and heartfelt track further documents his difficult road to sobriety. “This is a song about lying and hurting the people you love when you’re in the throes of addiction. I think Josh really captured the insanity of how that feels,” Pryor explains.

“The Dishonesty” follows the album’s lead single and title-track, which earned praise and support from Alternative Press, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Chorus.FM, and more.

The self-produced, 10-track LP, featuring mixing and additional production by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol), sees Pryor explore an expansive, full-band sound reminiscent of The Afghan Whigs and Bob Mould’s Sugar-specifically the band’s 1992 LP Copper Blue-with dreamy guitars, big drums, and shimmering production. It should be noted that the chosen title for his seventh album is not one that was picked arbitrarily. For those unfamiliar, The Salton Sea in Southern California is what’s known as a “terminal” lake-meaning that new water never flows into it, and its salinity increases incrementally due to evaporation and pollution. The once high-spirited desert oasis-a tourist attraction for celebrities and the upper crust in the 1950s and 60s-is now a bona fide wasteland. It’s not difficult to imagine that, while in the throes of addiction, Pryor felt exactly like this: a shadow of his younger self.

“The story that these songs tell is about that time in my life,” notes Pryor. “Autumn rolling into spring because the winter was a blackout. How the good times were great until one day they weren’t. How I lost myself and hurt people that I care about. How I got help that didn’t stick and how I lost faith in the help that did. That I came out on the other side of the whole ordeal only to realize I am still a work in progress, that we all are.”

A Day to Remember Celebrate 15 Years of ‘What Separates Me From You’ With Anniversary Vinyl Reissue

Eric Alper
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A Day to Remember Celebrate 15 Years of ‘What Separates Me From You’ With Anniversary Vinyl Reissue

Craft Recordings proudly celebrates the 15th anniversary of What Separates Me From You, the bestselling fourth studio album from A Day to Remember. Out November 14th, the 2010 genre-bending classic returns to vinyl in a special Transparent Sea Glass pressing with metallic cover art. This anniversary edition also includes a bonus acoustic version of the hit single “All I Want,” plus fan favorites like “All Signs Point to Lauderdale” and “It’s Complicated.”

In addition to the Transparent Sea Glass release, the album can also be found on CD and in several limited-edition vinyl pressings, including Electric Smoke exclusively via Craft Recordings, Oriole via Revolver, Transparent Blue & Pink Swirl via Enjoy the Ride, and Green Smoke, with an exclusive metallic gold jacket, through the band’s official store.

Internationally revered for their dynamic blend of metalcore, post-hardcore and pop punk, A Day to Remember (ADTR) formed in Ocala, FL in 2003, and released their debut LP, And Their Name Was Treason, in 2005. Thanks to grassroots efforts, the album sold tens of thousands of copies.

The band saw its profile rise exponentially after the release of 2007’s For Those Who Have Heart, while 2009’s Homesick served as their commercial breakthrough. Their fourth album, What Separates Me From You, however, would find ADTR reaching new emotional depths with their songwriting, as they delivered their most personal and profound album yet.

The 2010 release marked the band’s first project to feature frontman Jeremy McKinnon producing, alongside frequent collaborator Andrew Wade and New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert. While Homesick found ADTR grappling with their newfound fame, What Separates Me From You marked a significant shift in tone, as the band wrote about the darker side of life on the road—from strained personal relationships to mental health struggles.

A breadth of emotional intensity can be heard throughout the album—from blistering metalcore breakdowns to the high-highs of pop-punk hooks. Kicking off with the breakneck opener “Sticks & Bricks” (in which McKinnon growls a pointed message to the band’s haters), the 32-minute-long album packs plenty of power into its ten tracks, including the emotional rollercoaster of “You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic” and the hauntingly beautiful “This is the House That Doubt Built.” Balancing out the album are a selection of anthemic earworms, including the singles “All I Want,” “All Signs Point to Lauderdale,” and “It’s Complicated.”

Released in November of 2010, What Separates Me From You became ADTR’s most successful album yet, debuting at No.11 in the US and topping Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums, Hard Rock Albums, and Independent Albums charts. Certified Gold by the RIAA, the LP also broadened the band’s profile in the UK, where it topped the Rock and Metal Albums chart. Fueling the album’s success was lead single “All I Want,” which was accompanied by a star-studded music video, featuring the likes of Pete Wentz and Andrew W.K., plus members of The Devil Wears Prada, August Burns Red, and Pierce the Veil, among many others. The gold-certified track not only hit No.12 on Billboard’s Alternative chart, but also broke the Top 10 of the UK’s Rock & Metal chart. Today, it remains one of ADTR’s most popular singles.

Today, A Day to Remember—which consists of vocalist Jeremy McKinnon, rhythm guitarist Neil Westfall, drummer Alex Shelnutt, and lead guitarist Kevin Skaff—continues to enjoy an active schedule of touring and recording. To date, ADTR has sold over five million albums, amassed over 3.5 billion streams, earned two gold albums, four gold singles, and a platinum single. Showing no signs of slowing down, at the top of 2025, they released their latest, long-awaited LP, Big Ole Album Vol. 1, while they are currently on tour through November.

What Separates Me From You Tracklist:

1. Sticks & Bricks
2. All I Want
3. It’s Complicated
4. This is the House That Doubt Built
5. 2nd Sucks
6. Better Off This Way
7. All Signs Point to Lauderdale
8. You Be Tails, I’ll be Sonic
9. Out of Time
10. If I Leave
11. All I Want (Acoustic) [Bonus Track]

Sam Smith Announces ‘To Be Free: San Francisco’ Residency at Castro Theatre

Eric Alper
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Sam Smith Announces ‘To Be Free: San Francisco’ Residency at Castro Theatre

Global superstar Sam Smith announces, To Be Free: San Francisco, an eight-night residency at the Castro Theatre. Kicking off February 10th, Smith’s rare, up-close performances will officially ring in the venue’s eagerly awaited reopening following two years of renovations. To mark the announcement, Smith has shared a soul-stirring cover of the 1971 Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” set to a video filmed at the beloved theater and in the surrounding Castro District.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, October 7th at 10 am local time.

The series is a continuation of Sam’s upcoming residency, To Be Free: New York City, which begins on October 8th at Brooklyn’s historic Warsaw club. With the New York City residency kicking off next week, Smith is appearing tonight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for a sit-down interview. He will also return to the show tomorrow night (Wed, Oct 1st), as the featured musical guest. The initial run of 12 shows for To Be Free: New York City sold out immediately, prompting Smith to add 12 additional dates at the intimate venue, stretching into November and December.

Smith’s cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine” is both stunningly beautiful and rich with meaning. Over a raw acoustic guitar, they begin the song: “Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone / It’s not warm when he’s away.” With their unmistakable voice, Sam gives a haunting performance that captures the chill of loneliness, while the accompanying video brings immense warmth. We first see Sam inside the Castro Theatre, scaffolding still in place. Soon, we’re out on the streets of the Castro District, meeting friendly faces from the community. By the end, Sam has led a small celebratory parade of folks to the iconic theater marquee, and stepped into the box office to tear tickets themself.

Both residencies take their name from Smith’s soaring new single, “To Be Free.” The soulful acoustic song, which explores how vulnerability can unlock bravery and freedom, includes moving vocals by The Two City Chorus and came with a joyous (LA)Horde-directed music video filmed at Warsaw.

Another Planet Entertainment’s The Castro will be a fittingly timeless home for the West Coast installment of the To Be Free series. Built as a movie palace in 1922 with an interior designed by one of San Francisco’s most prominent architects, Timothy Pfleuger, the captivating space swirls up an array of worldly influences and includes stunning original artwork on the ceilings, famous sgraffito murals along the walls, and an ornate chandelier, among other features. All of that has been restored as part of a $40 million rehabilitation project that’s also opened the venue up for standing-room music performances and facilitated the installation of “the world’s largest and most versatile digital organ.”

Sam Smith To Be Free: San Francisco 2026 Castro Theatre Residency Dates:

Tuesday, February 10
Wednesday, February 11
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Tuesday, February 17
Wednesday, February 18
Friday, February 20
Saturday, February 21

Video: Phil Collins Joins David Letterman’s House Band During 1988 ‘Buster’ Promo

Eric Alper
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Video: Phil Collins Joins David Letterman’s House Band During 1988 ‘Buster’ Promo

Back in November 1988, Phil Collins stopped by Late Night with David Letterman to promote his film Buster and couldn’t resist joining the house band. Behind the drum kit, Collins locked in with the group like he’d been there all along, grinning through every fill. It was one of those rare late-night TV moments where a superstar felt completely at home just being a musician.

Syd Drops Fierce New Single “GMFU” Featuring Raphael Saadiq, Produced by Rodney Jerkins

Eric Alper
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Syd Drops Fierce New Single “GMFU” Featuring Raphael Saadiq, Produced by Rodney Jerkins

GRAMMY award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and engineer Syd shares a new single, “GMFU,” out now via Free Lunch/Warner Records. The song was produced by the legendary Rodney Jerkins and features acclaimed artist Raphael Saadiq on bass.

On “GMFU,” Syd drags the hell out of an ex in the way that only she can, calling her out on top of a grungy, vintage organ melody, in perfect contrast to her lovelorn bop “Die For This,” which she released earlier this summer.

Since the release of her 2017 solo debut Fin, Syd has remained a major cultural force. She followed that up with Hive Mind, the critically acclaimed fourth album from her GRAMMY-nominated band THE INTERNET; earned a GRAMMY win for co-writing Beyonce’s “Plastic Off the Sofa” from Renaissance; and collaborated with artists like Zayn, Lil Uzi Vert, Kehlani, Disclosure, and Kelly Rowland. Beyond the music, Syd built her own recording studio in Los Angeles and fronted campaigns for fashion giants like Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Adidas. Most recently, she celebrated the 10th anniversary of THE INTERNET’s breakthrough album Ego Death, a landmark moment in her ever-evolving career.

She recently teamed up with Billie Eilish on her summer UK tour, and now joins Renee Rapp for fall US dates. Throughout it all, she has remained a master of sensual, future-forward R&B songs, writing, producing, and engineering all of her own work.

Boz Scaggs Shares New Single ‘Angel Eyes’ from Forthcoming Album ‘Detour’ Out October 17

Eric Alper
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Boz Scaggs Shares New Single ‘Angel Eyes’ from Forthcoming Album ‘Detour’ Out October 17

Grammy-winning vocalist and guitarist Boz Scaggs has released “Angel Eyes,” the second single from his forthcoming album Detour, out October 17th on Concord Records. A hushed and heartfelt rendition of the sentimental standard, “Angel Eyes” showcases Scaggs’ unmatched vocal phrasing and his deep connection to the material — part of a larger collection that revisits the Great American Songbook with warmth, elegance, and emotional depth.

First made famous by artists like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, “Angel Eyes” has long stood as one of the most haunting ballads in the popular canon. Scaggs approaches it with reverence and restraint, inhabiting the lyrics rather than performing them, and revealing new hues in his voice shaped by a lifetime of soul, blues, and balladry. The arrangement — anchored by Seth Asarnow’s understated piano work — is spare, smoky, and intimate, allowing the emotion to linger in the silence between notes.

“I’d never sung this one before Seth brought it to me,” says Scaggs. “It has that bittersweet quality that I love — that quiet ache. We didn’t try to reinvent it, just to live in it a little while.”

“Angel Eyes” follows the album’s lead single, a stunning new arrangement of Boz’s 1969 classic “I’ll Be Long Gone,” which reintroduces a fan favorite through the lens of reflection and time. Both tracks are part of Detour, Scaggs’ first studio album in seven years and a deeply personal love letter to timeless songs — some well-known, others lesser traveled — all chosen for their emotional resonance and performed with grace and subtlety.

Detour began not with a grand plan, but with the simple joy of making music. “I had no intention of making a record when I started singing these songs,” Scaggs confesses. “It was all very casual at first, just an opportunity to explore a style of music I’ve always liked, to get together with a friend and play for the sheer joy of it.” What started as a series of personal demos soon revealed something undeniable, resulting in a masterclass in interpretation that honors influences from Frank Sinatra to Irma Thomas.

On Detour, the voice is front and center — weathered by time, sharpened by experience, and never more essential.

About Boz Scaggs:

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of rock and roll’s most soulful vocalists,” Boz Scaggs has forged a rich legacy. His solo debut on Atlantic Records was recorded in Muscle Shoals and featured a young Duane Allman. His star continued to ascend with a series of acclaimed albums for Columbia, culminating in 1976’s 5x-platinum Silk Degrees which made him a household name and included the Grammy-winning “Lowdown.” Over six decades, Scaggs has sold millions of records, toured the world, and carved out a distinctive and enduring path that continues to captivate fans.

Detour Tracklisting:

1. It’s Raining

2. Angel Eyes

3. Once I Loved

4. The Very Thought of You

5. I’ll Be Long Gone

6. Detour Ahead

7. I Could Have Told You

8. The Meaning of the Blues

9. Tomorrow Night

10. Too Late Now

11. We’ll Be Together Again

Sounding Arrow Returns With Radiant New Single ‘Skyman’ Ahead of 2026 Album

Eric Alper
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Sounding Arrow Returns With Radiant New Single ‘Skyman’ Ahead of 2026 Album

It’s been a minute or two since we’ve heard from SOUNDING ARROW, the solo project of veteran recording artist and touring musician Scott Kinnebrew (Truth and Salvage Co). For the first time since the 2017 album Loving Is Breathing, SOUNDING ARROW return today (September 25) with the warm and radiant single “Skyman” (Blackbird Record Label) and its uplifting, colorful video.

“Skyman”—both heady and light as a feather, a perfect tonic for these times—marks the first release from the singer, songwriter and guitarist’s second as-yet-untitled album due out in early 2026 (exact release date TBA). Watch the video—directed by Doug Frerichs and filmed in Kinnebrew’s adopted hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.The track will be available for streaming everywhere this Friday, September 26 HERE.

The SKYMAN album was co-produced by Gary Jules (“Mad World” from the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and mixed by Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses, The Avett Brothers’ Emotionalism). It weaves a vivid sonic landscape rich with the textures of rock, folk, country, blues, British invasion, R&B, and pop. It’s a brew that resists classification, as it lands somewhere between tradition and invention—what Kinnebrew thinks of as “sonic impressionism.”

Listening to the “Skyman” single feels like driving a lonely stretch of two-lane highway through a terrain of psychedelic optimism. The destination loses importance as the listener absorbs the introspective grandeur of a consciousness unfolding mile by mile. Sure, the song’s an invitation to lighten your day by just grooving along with the spacey vibes. But Kinnebrew wants us to keep mindful, too—as he delicately points out, “Everything is perfect,” but “soon we’ll all be dying. The now is wow. We are so lucky to be here.”

Talking about the song’s sonic alchemy, Kinnebrew says: “I think the song is very mantra-like. The major7 acoustic guitar riff that anchors the song just repeats hypnotically until the bridge, which comes as such a release. And then—when the 16th note tambo comes in on the chorus—it’s like the song catches a thermal and you are truly gliding.”

This lightness of being is captured in the “Skyman” video. Explains Kinnebrew: “I started thinking about what could best define ‘Skyman’ within my network and zero budget.  Scrolling through Instagram, I came across my friend Alethia Austin’s post. Alethia is a professional skydiver who instructs for a living. And she is a badass.

“She was totally down to work on the video. At that point my wife and brains behind the operation said we needed a narrative. She thought it would be cool to have footage of a kid pretending to skydive cut in with footage of a pro dive. Brilliant idea. Our little buddy Burl Craven fit the bill, and he and his folks were down to help.

“So all in all, it was a group operation,” adds Kinnebrew. “I reached out to friends asking if anyone had cool footage of clouds, and folks sent me stuff. I borrowed a camera and had my buddy Jesse McSwain help shoot. None of us knew what we were doing with the camera but followed Doug’s (the editor/director) instructions and went for it. Sounding Arrow has a rotating cast of characters so I asked friends around town if they wanted to be my ‘band.’  Everyone chipped in with direction, location, and wardrobe. When we were done collecting footage, we sent it all to Doug (who directed two Sounding Arrow videos, “King Size Heart” and “You Will Be Loved”). He took it and turned into a masterpiece, per usual.”

Over some 30 years, Scott Kinnebrew has shared the stage with a long list of renowned artists he admires, including The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Sturgill Simpson, Dawes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lissie, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Blind Melon, Steve Miller Band, Gov’t Mule, and The Doobie Brothers. His former band, Truth & Salvage Co., released two records on Sony’s Megaforce label, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, toured Iraq to perform for U.S. troops in 2009, turned down a gig with Phil Lesh for reasons unknown, and racked up 250,000 road miles in five years.

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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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