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Goose Announce Viva ‘El Gonzo 2026’ — A Three-Night Musical Paradise Returning to San José del Cabo

Eric Alper
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Goose Announce Viva ‘El Gonzo 2026’ — A Three-Night Musical Paradise Returning to San José del Cabo

Goose have announced the second iteration of their annual destination festival, Viva El Gonzo, produced by 100x Hospitality and set for May 7-9, 2026 in San José del Cabo, Mexico. A three-day music and arts festival held in a sacred tropical oasis on the southern tip of the Baja California desert, Viva El Gonzo will see Goose playing all three nights, joined by an all-star assembly of special guests for an immersive musical experience like no other. A complete lineup will be announced soon. GA Festival Tickets, TED and Super TED VIP, and travel packages are available now. Payment plans are available with 5% down payment. For complete details and ticket information, please see www.vivaelgonzo.com.

This spring’s inaugural edition of Viva El Gonzo proved an unforgettable milestone in what is fast shaping up as Goose’s most momentous year thus far. The three-day event saw a vibrant array of powerhouse performances from Goose and their star-studded lineup of guests, all set on the Baja California coastline against the breathtaking backdrop of the Sea of Cortés. Goose showcased their awe-inspiring range and creative imagination over the course of seven completely unique sets, with countless highlights including surprising covers, expansive jams on beloved fan favorites, the debut of exhilarating new originals, and live renditions of every song from their acclaimed new album, Everything Must Go. All told, Viva El Gonzo represented a titanic moment for Goose, exceeding all expectations with its genre-blurring performances, groundbreaking approach towards programming, and inspired variety of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, setting an extraordinary bar for future iterations going forward.

The ”Everything Must Go Tour” celebrates the recent arrival of Goose’s new album, Everything Must Go, available everywhere now via No Coincidence Records. Goose’s fourth studio LP and first new studio collection in nearly three years following 2022’s critically acclaimed Dripfield, the album marks both a statement of intent for Goose as well as an arrival of sorts — a journey for fans and newcomers alike through the group’s past, present, and infinite future. The album was met with a great deal of excitement from the media upon release, with features appearing in the New York Times and Vulture and others, as well as a performance on CBS Saturday Morning alongside an interview with Anthony Mason.

Hailed by PopMatters as “superb…one of the best studio albums by a jam band to date,” the album includes such extraordinary new tracks as the propulsive fan favorite, “Thatch,” the searching “Lead Up,” the breezy, atmospheric “Your Direction,” and euphoric first single, “Give It Time,” the latter two accompanied by official music videos streaming now on YouTube. In addition, the LP’s deeply moving title track is joined by a visually arresting official music video directed and designed by award-winning animator Chris Hopewell (known for his distinctive work with Radiohead, The Killers, Run The Jewels, Father John Misty, and many more).

The White Stripes Celebrate 20 Years of Get Behind Me Satan with Limited Vinyl and New “Red Rain” Video

Eric Alper
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The White Stripes Celebrate 20 Years of Get Behind Me Satan with Limited Vinyl and New “Red Rain” Video

The White Stripes are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their GRAMMY Award-winning 2005 fifth studio album, Get Behind Me Satan, with today’s arrival of a limited-edition commemorative vinyl release. The 2LP edition – featuring one red and one clear disc, both with black wisps – is available now via Third Man Records.

Today also sees the premiere of a brand-new stop motion video for the Get Behind Me Satan standout track, “Red Rain,” streaming now on YouTube. The video, which took about 80 hours to create, is Executive produced by Audg Fenter and directed by Brooklyn, NY-based independent filmmaker Conor Callahan. The inventive animated visual utilized 5,980 miniature bricks “cemented” together using Royal Icing, a product commonly used for intricate cake and cookie decoration, as well as Super7’s recently released ReAction Figure 2-pack capturing Jack and Meg White in all their Get Behind Me Satan glory.

Recorded on the stairway of Jack White’s home in the Indian Village neighborhood of Detroit, Get Behind Me Satan sees The White Stripes at their most experimental, creative best, augmenting their traditional sound of guitar, drums, and piano with marimba, tympani, mandolin, bells, and more. Not commercially released on vinyl until 10 years after its initial 2005 release, the album made a Top 3 debut on album charts in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia and earned global acclaim thanks to its unique rhythmic approach and such classic singles as “Blue Orchid,” the GRAMMY® Award-nominated “My Doorbell,” and “The Denial Twist,” all three of which proved Top 10 hits on the UK’s Official Singles Chart. Hailed by Rolling Stone for “twisting a variety of American music styles to their own emotional purpose…the music is so wild, it could make you weep over how pitilessly the White Stripes keep crushing the other bands out there,” Get Behind Me Satan went on to earn RIAA Gold certification in the US, Platinum certification in the UK and Canada, and The White Stripes’ second consecutive GRAMMY Award for “Best Alternative Album.”

The White Stripes were recently named among the inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The 6x GRAMMY Award-winning, 11x GRAMMY Award-nominated band join esteemed fellow 2025 inductees Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, and Soundgarden. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA. The 2025 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. For more information, please visit rockhall.com/inductees/white-stripes.

Tracklist:

SIDE A

Blue Orchid 

The Nurse

My Doorbell

SIDE B

Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)

As Ugly As I Seem

The Denial Twist

White Moon

SIDE C

Instinct Blues

Passive Manipulation

Take, Take, Take

SIDE D

Little Ghost

Red Rain

I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet)

Jessie Murph Unveils “Heroin” and Releases Bold New Album ‘Sex Hysteria’

Eric Alper
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Jessie Murph Unveils “Heroin” and Releases Bold New Album ‘Sex Hysteria’

Jessie Murph has released her new single “Heroin,” the latest taste off her sophomore album, Sex Hysteria, available now via Columbia Records. The ballad shows a new side of Jessie in the Sex Hysteria era, as Jessie croons over a beautiful piano and strings arrangement, singing about a toxic and addicting love that she can’t stay away from.

Additionally, Jessie has announced the tracklisting for Sex Hysteria, which will include her most recent hits, “Blue Strips” and “Touch Me Like A Gangster.” Both tracks continue to show massive growth and currently occupy #18 (having peaked at #15) and #56 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. The 15-track album will include features from Gucci Mane on “Donuts” and Lil Baby on “Best Behavior.”

A bold departure from the introspective grit of her debut, That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil, the album dives headfirst into uncharted territory: opening up about themes of sexuality, generational trauma, and self-discovery with a vulnerability and honesty that marks a new chapter in her artistic evolution.

Sex Hysteria is Jessie’s most thematically cohesive work to date, peeling back the layers of her story like never before as she transforms personal pain into cathartic, powerful music. Across 15 tracks, she reckons with the past, interrogates inherited trauma, and explores the emotional complexities of growing up in environments where feelings are buried deep. From confronting family wounds to reclaiming her body and desires, she pushes back against the shame and stigma that often silence women who dare to be loud, sexual, or emotionally honest. Sex Hysteria is both a provocation and a reclamation.

Visually, Jessie nods to ’60s femme fatales with a classic beehive on the album cover-a bold contrast to the raw, modern truths she delivers within. The album’s preview arrives with the seductive new single “Touch Me Like A Gangster,” out Friday, June 6th. Jessie debuted the track at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show in Miami, marking its first live appearance ahead of the upcoming album. Also featured is the explosive lead track “Blue Strips”, already lighting up streaming platforms with its unapologetic lyrics and bass-heavy production. On the album’s opener “Gucci Mane,” Murph’s storytelling takes center stage as she confronts her past, reflects on her journey, and voices complicated emotions with fearless honesty.

Indigo Syndicate Serve Up Sweet, Saucy Love on Their Irresistibly Cozy New Single “Ravioli”

Eric Alper
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Indigo Syndicate Serve Up Sweet, Saucy Love on Their Irresistibly Cozy New Single “Ravioli”

Indigo Syndicate’s latest single, “Ravioli,” is a serotonin boost in song form – a love letter wrapped in comfort and pure vibey bliss. It’s quirky, it’s cozy, it’s head-over-heels, and it knows exactly what it’s doing.

From the opening line – “You could be my best friend, you could be my homie / We could chill and watch some Netflix making ravioli” – you know you’re not just hearing a love song. You’re being invited into a world where intimacy is found in the everyday, where affection is unpretentious and sweetly offbeat. The repetition of “I love you” in the chorus hits like a mantra, turning simplicity into sincerity – the kind that cuts through the noise of modern romance and plants itself firmly in your heart.

Sonically, “Ravioli” balances groove and warmth with a laid-back charisma that feels equally at home on a sun-drenched road trip or during a late-night kitchen dance. The production is buttery-smooth but playfully minimal, allowing the lyrics and vibe to shine without distraction.

There’s a confessional thread that weaves through the verses: “I confess / That you’ve been on my mind once or twice / I’m obsessed / I’ve been loving you my entire life.” It’s bold in its vulnerability, but softened by the breezy cadence and melodic swells. That juxtaposition – heartfelt declarations paired with lo-fi charm – is what makes the song unforgettable.

“Ravioli” proves that Indigo Syndicate isn’t afraid to be earnest, weird, and wildly lovable – often all at once. It’s a celebration of crushes and our favorite, carb-fueled connection. In a world that often takes itself too seriously, “Ravioli” reminds us: love can be light, playful, and still mean everything.

Lord Huron Reach for the Stars with “Bag of Bones” and New Album ‘The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1’

Eric Alper
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Lord Huron Reach for the Stars with “Bag of Bones” and New Album ‘The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1’

Lord Huron – the project of Los Angeles-based songwriter, musician and visual artist Ben Schneider – releases the new single/video, “Bag of Bones” from their new album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, out now. It follows previous singles “Looking Back,” “Who Laughs Last,” and “Nothing I Need,” the latter of which has spent five weeks at #1 on Adult Alternative radio.

Celebrated Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard writes in the band’s new bio, “Lord Huron’s new album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, is as full of evocative songs, as beautifully American as its predecessors. The difference, musically speaking, is that they don’t look as much to the past, thus adding force to the lyrics, which face two directions at once: backward, toward the ghosts of the past, and up, toward the emptiness of the universe. And if you stare up into the night sky, the feeling of utter insignificance is difficult to avoid.”

“It ought to crush us, for we are so obviously nothing, a microscopic anomaly of flesh and blood in an infinite, black and lifeless space, but it doesn’t crush us,” he continues. “It is terrifying, this black abyss with tiny pinpricks of light that we live at the edge of, but it is also beautiful.” Fitting remarks for today’s single where Schneider sings, “People die and planets turn / And empires rise and fall and burn / Nothing lasts and no one stays / It just spirals off into outer space / Never seen a sky so full of stars / Makes me wonder where we are.”

Regarding the accompanying video, Schneider says, “I first saw Matt McCreary’s work right around the time we were recording ‘Bag of Bones’ and it struck me as the perfect fit for the song – tumbling aimlessly yet somehow gracefully through life and all its twists and turns. Very grateful that he was up for collaborating on this clip.”

The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, Lord Huron’s fifth album, was written and co-produced by Schneider. Alongside Schneider are his band members Tom Renaud, Mark Barry and Miguel Brise-o, and a host of collaborators, including actress Kristen Stewart (on “Who Laughs Last”) and Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino (on “Fire Eternal”). The album title references the mysterious machine featured on the cover art. Schneider asks: “What if you could choose your fate like choosing a song on a jukebox? What if your finger slipped and you got the B-side instead? What if you misunderstood the meaning of the dang song to begin with?”

Long-praised for their “thrilling” (NPR Music) live performances, last month, Lord Huron wrapped up an entirely sold-out tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their beloved album Strange Trails, which included the band’s annual two-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. Next month, coinciding with The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1’s release, they will embark on their biggest headline tour to date, hitting landmark venues including Madison Square Garden in NYC and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Select performances featuring support from Waxahatchee, Feist, Kevin Morby and more. Of Lord Huron’s live shows, Pollstar says, “[Lord Huron] can command an audience’s attention in any setting.”

Fri. July 18 – Indianapolis, IN @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park – SOLD OUT ^
Sat. July 19 – Chicago, IL @ Fairgrounds at Salt Shed – SOLD OUT ^
Sun. July 20 – Chicago, IL @ Fairgrounds at Salt Shed – SOLD OUT ^
Tue. July 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory – SOLD OUT %
Wed. July 23 @ Milwaukee, WI Miller High Life Theatre – SOLD OUT %
Fri. July 25 – Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle %
Sat. July 26 – Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle %
Sun. July 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park %
Tue. July 29 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion #
Wed. July 30 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden #
Fri. Aug. 1- Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavillion at The Mann %
Sun. Aug. 3 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway – SOLD OUT %
Tue. Aug. 5 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek %
Thu. Aug. 7 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors @
Fri. Aug. 8 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! Outdoor – SOLD OUT @
Sat. Aug. 9 – Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre – SOLD OUT @
Mon. Sept. 1 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg – Ronda &
Tue. Sept. 2 – Eindhoven, NL @ Effenaar &
Thu. Sept. 4 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene &
Fri. Sept. 5 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet &
Sat. Sept. 6 – Copenhagen, DK @ Poolen &
Mon. Sept. 8 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom &
Tue. Sept. 9 – Warsaw, PL @ Stodola &
Wed. Sept. 10 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer &
Thu. Sept. 11 – Zurich, CH @ Halle 622 &
Sat. Sept. 13 – Paris, FR @ L’Olympia &
Sun. Sept. 14 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg – Ronda – SOLD OUT &
Mon. Sept. 15 – Cologne, DE @ E-Werk &
Tue. Sept. 16 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique &
Thu. Sept. 18 – Bristol, UK @ Bristol Beacon &
Fri. Sept. 19 – London, UK @ Eventim Apollo – SOLD OUT &
Sat. Sept. 20 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow – SOLD OUT &
Sun. Sept. 21 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo Manchester &
Tue. Sept. 23 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall &
Wed. Sept. 24 – London, UK @ 02 Academy Brixton &
Wed. Oct. 15 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley !
Fri. Oct. 17 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center !
Sat. Oct. 18 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena !
Sun. Oct. 19 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Pavilion !
Tue. Oct. 21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center – SOLD OUT !
Thu. Oct. 23 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse Omaha – SOLD OUT !
Fri. Oct. 24 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena !
Sat. Oct. 15 – Independence, MO @ Cable Dahmer Arena !
Mon. Oct. 27 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory !
Wed. Oct. 29 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall !
Thu. Oct. 30 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center $
Sat. Nov. 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre – SOLD OUT $
Sun. Nov. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum $

* with Molly Lewis
^ with Indigo De Souza
% with Lee Fields
# with Waxahatchee
@ with S.G. Goodman
& with Pillow Queens
! with Kevin Morby
$ with Feist

Nelly Marks 25 Years of ‘Country Grammar,’ the Diamond-Selling Classic That Redefined Midwest Hip-Hop

Eric Alper
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Nelly Marks 25 Years of ‘Country Grammar,’ the Diamond-Selling Classic That Redefined Midwest Hip-Hop

Nelly, the St. Louis-bred hip-hop juggernaut celebrates the 25th anniversary of the June 27, 2000 release of his stone-classic debut album Country Grammar featuring the omnipresent radio hits “Country Grammar,” “E.I.,” “Ride wit Me.”

Hailed upon release by Rolling Stone as “the best thing to come out of St. Louis since Redd Foxx,” by NME as the “album of the year so far,” and by People, who proclaimed that Nelly “marked his hometown of St. Louis as a major contender,” Country Grammar debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 and soon vaulted to No. 1. In 2016, the RIAA certified the album Diamond, selling more than 10 million copies to date, a feat which placed Nelly among rock superstars like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Bruce Springsteen.

As a creative heavyweight from St. Louis during a time when most rappers were from the East Coast, the West Coast, or the South, Nelly’s breezy, twangy approach proved to be a breath of fresh air for the genre. When his debut single “Country Grammar (Hot Sh*t),” which was hung on the children’s clapping game “Down Down Baby,” was released in February 2000, became a smash hit and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100, the foundation was laid for his blockbuster debut album to break into the mainstream. He continued his parade of hits with No. 1 hits like “Grillz,” “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” and Grammy-winning “Shake Ya Tailfeather”.

Whether revisited digitally or on wax, Country Grammar’s beloved hits, like “Ride Wit Me” (No. 3) and the airwaves-conquering title track have dominated global culture for more than two decades. The album was produced by Jason “Jay E” Epperson, who himself did a tremendous amount to craft the sound of 2000s Midwestern hip-hop.

Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, the rapper showed early promise, forming The St. Lunatics in 1993 with his childhood friends, MCs “Ali” Jones, Torhi “Murphy Lee” Harper, Lavell “City Spud” Webb, and Robert “Kyjuan” Cleveland. After Jay E workshopped the music with Nelly, they shopped for labels in New York and the rapper was signed to Universal Records in 1999. The pair drew deeply from the sounds that surrounded them in the Midwest – urban, country, hip-hop – and fused them into a fresh, infectious, unforgettably hooky whole.

Country Grammar’s evergreen appeal also stems from its astonishing array of guests, including Cedric the Entertainer on “Intro,” Lil Wayne on “For My,” The Teamsters on “Never Let ‘Em C U Sweat,” and most of all his trusty collaborators St. Lunatics on “Steal the Show,” “Thicky Thick Girl” and “Batter Up.” The album went on to sell more than 10 million copies, making it the ninth best-selling rap album of all time in the U.S Country Grammar was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2000 Grammy Awards (along with its title track for Best Rap Solo Performance) and Nelly was crowned Best New Artist at the 2001 BET Awards.

Country Grammar – A mini-documentary was created for the 20th anniversary with animated clips, performance footage, and sees Nelly telling his story of the early beginnings as an artist with a unique style and sound, the creation of his Diamond-selling classic, Country Grammar, and how he put St. Louis on the hip-hop map.

X Ambassadors Celebrate 10 Years of ‘VHS’ with Reimagined Anniversary Album VHS(X)

Eric Alper
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X Ambassadors Celebrate 10 Years of ‘VHS’ with Reimagined Anniversary Album VHS(X)

Alt-rock group X Ambassadors have officially announced details for VHS(X), a reimagined version of the band’s hit debut album VHS. The new release, out now, sees the band reworking hit songs like “Jungle” and break-out single “Renegades” in celebration of the record’s 10th anniversary. Along with the news comes the brand new version of “Unsteady (Rerecorded)” and a new music video.

On VHS(X) and the newly released version of “Unsteady”, front man Sam Nelson Harris shares: “The most valuable lesson I’ve learned about being an artist, I learned when writing this song. I had this great, simple hook written but I didn’t know what to do for the verses. I played it for Alex, our producer, and asked him what he thought I should try and write about. He thought for a second, then asked me what my relationship was like with my parents. “Um, I love them? They’re divorced? It’s complicated?” Write about that, he said. Why? I thought. It seemed so bizarre to me, so mundane. And honestly, my second thought was: who would care? Everyone’s parents get divorced. It’s not unique. Who’s going to care about me whining about how profoundly affected I was by it? And– here’s the key– I was embarrassed. But I wrote it anyway. And making the choice to say something out loud that I felt to be embarrassing, I later realized was making the choice to be vulnerable. Which is what it’s all about. Vulnerability.”

He continues: “Now, whenever I have a thought like: Oh God, I wouldn’t want anyone to know that about me, I know I have to try and write something about it and be vulnerable. Because guaranteed there’s someone out there who feels the same way too, and hearing me sing about it might make them feel a little less alone.”

Peter Gabriel Unveils ‘In The Big Room’ — A Rare 2003 Live Session from Real World Studios

Eric Alper
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Peter Gabriel Unveils ‘In The Big Room’ — A Rare 2003 Live Session from Real World Studios

In The Big Room captures Peter Gabriel and band recorded live in the Big Room at Real World Studios on 23 November, 2003. The performance is now available for fans to enjoy.

Gabriel says, “I’d not really taken advantage of the big room as a performance space myself and when, in 2003, the opportunity came up, we grabbed it and offered the small number of seats to members of the Full Moon club. It was not part of a big tour so we weren’t as polished and rehearsed as we might have been while on tour, but it made for a more awake and edgy performance, as we were fully concentrating on what we were doing. There was no elaborate visual show, the whole focus was about making it sound good. I had pretty much forgotten how these songs sounded but listening back to these mixes I was pleasantly surprised how alive they were. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.” – Peter Gabriel”

This intimate concert was for members of Peter Gabriel’s Full Moon Club and took place during a short run of live shows in November 2003 that also included a performance for the UK’s Children in Need charity at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, a show at the Brighton Dome and the Nelson Mandela 46664 Concert in Cape Town.

The 14-song set draws on material from both the Growing Up Live tour of 2002/2003 – Gabriel’s first in 10 years that accompanied the release of his album UP – and the subsequent Still Growing Up Live tour that ran through much of 2004. Notable additions to the Growing Up Live set include Burn You Up, Burn You Down, Games Without Frontiers and The Tower That Ate People.

For the performance Peter is joined by his touring band from this period of Tony Levin (bass), David Rhodes (guitar), Ged Lynch (drums), Richard Evans (guitar, whistle, mandolin), Rachel Z (keyboard and backing vox) and Melanie Gabriel (backing vox).

Stream or purchase here.

Track-listing:
Burn You Up, Burn You Down
More Than This 
Games Without Frontiers
Downside Up
Mercy Street
Darkness
Digging In The Dirt
The Tower That Ate People
San Jacinto
Shock The Monkey
Signal To Noise
Secret World
Father, Son
In Your Eyes

ISTA Make a Cosmic Splash with “Waves,” a Psychedelic Indie Anthem Born in Kauai and Brooklyn

Eric Alper
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ISTA Make a Cosmic Splash with “Waves,” a Psychedelic Indie Anthem Born in Kauai and Brooklyn

Psychedelic indie rock seven-piece ISTA returns today with the release of their new single, “Waves,” a radiant, electrifying anthem wrapped in lush guitar textures and cascading harmonies. “Waves” conjures something both intimately human and cosmically charged. It arrives with an equally transportive, Super 8 music video shot entirely on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The track marks a significant evolution in ISTA’s sprawling sound universe – a collective consciousness of seven musicians blending soulful energy of a 1970s disco party with the wild spirit of a Ken Kesey acid test. ISTA (short for In Sound To All) channels the ecstatic frequencies of punk-rock chaos, deep funk, and cosmic joy. Formed in 2019 by West Coast dreamers Rex Costello and Oliver Hart, the New York -based band has grown into a vibrant collective including Evan Eubanks, Diona West, Theadora Curtis, Chloe Golding, and Erica Butts—a kaleidoscopic mix of voices and vibes that defy genre and celebrate collective spirit.

“Waves” began as an inspiration and slowly transformed into one of ISTA’s most fully developed works, an evolution that took years to complete. Demoed initially in 2022 in the bedroom of Costello and West’s unborn son, the song evolved through multiple full studio re-recordings with producer Sam Cohen (Yellowbirds, Apollo Sunshine), each version reshaped and refined until the final incarnation finally arrived with soaring harmonies, layered guitars, and an explosive outro that somehow kept the soul of that very first demo.

“The chorus vocal came out of me that very first night like a prayer,” shares Costello. “It had this emotional, ultra-joyous reverence for life. I felt the weight and the wonder of becoming a father for the first time. This song demanded a lot of us to really listen to what it wanted to become.”

The accompanying music video, shot entirely on Super 8 film by Patrick Weinell and Rex Costello, was crafted during an extended 2025 trip to Kauai, an island that holds deep personal meaning for Costello. Featuring rugged hikes, remote waterfalls, and cinematic vistas, the video is as much a love letter to the land as it is a visual extension of the song’s spiritual undercurrent.

“With Super 8, every roll is precious. We had to be laser-focused,” says Costello. “We were at the mercy of the elements, waiting out downpours, chasing pockets of sunlight. It was a real adventure. Just like the song, it tested us in the best way.”

Created with a tight-knit, DIY crew including Rex, Patrick, Oliver, Diona, their friend Charmaine Querol, and Jackson Nash’s kids, the “Waves” video captures ISTA’s essence: collective, intentional, radiant, and real.

Born from a bi-coastal clash of energies somewhere between the colorful vibrations of a Ken Kesey acid test and the electric atmosphere of a 1970s New Year’s Eve at Studio 54, ISTA is a riff-charged, groove-infused, harmony-bedazzled psychedelic love bomb, exploding, In Sound To All. The band blurs lines between a multitude of genres, from rock to funk to disco, electronic, and punk, ultimately coalescing into something fresh, modern, and simultaneously timeless. Originally initiated in 2019, by West Coast transplants Rex Costello and Oliver Hart, the two found themselves in Brooklyn, NY, combining forces in the studio with producer Sam Cohen. The outfit quickly grew into what is now its 7-piece formation, including Evan Eubanks, Diona West, Theadora Curtis, Chloe Golding and Erica Butts.

Briscoe Blaze Ahead with ‘Heat of July,’ a Folk-Rock Love Letter to Roots, Roads, and Resilience

Eric Alper
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Briscoe Blaze Ahead with ‘Heat of July,’ a Folk-Rock Love Letter to Roots, Roads, and Resilience

Texas duo Briscoe announced the release of Heat of July, the bold new album, out now via ATO Records. Celebrating the great outdoors and their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men, Heat of July marks a major sonic leap for lifelong friends Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the Austin based duo known for their signature intertwined vocals and relentless touring alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band.

Produced by Grammy-nominated Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) and featuring a “folk supergroup” featuring Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) , and studio musicians who have performed with artists including Bon Iver, Houndmouth, and Hiss Golden Messenger.  With sweeping arrangements and vivid storytelling, the album elevates Briscoe’s raw, rootsy foundation into a polished folk-rock masterwork.

Today, Briscoe also released “Roughnecks,” a song inspired by a photo of Truett’s great-grandfather, who made his living working gas lines and in the oilfields of Texas. “The song tells the story of a man who spends his long and strenuous hours of work in the fields reflecting on his past decisions and the girl he left behind, with instrumentation and lyrics that pay homage to the trades that are so integral to our Texas heritage.” stated Truett. 

FLOOD MAGAZINE premiered the track stated, “the deeply personal track about the duo’s laboring Texan ancestors feels even more ripe for any future dates with recent tourmates Dave Matthews or Noah Kahan.”

The track is a perfect introduction to the new sound from a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon. An album written while on the road, as they traveled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun.

 “We learned how to write music from behind the wheel,” Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas’ best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless American Roots. Adding, “Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process.”

It is also a snapshot of the major shifts in Philip and Truett’s lives, as they both married their longtime partners in the wake of West Of It All’s success — whose accolades included a Top 40 hit on the Triple A chart with “The Well,” and thoughts of family lingered as they traveled across North America and penned the album while on the road and on heir many road trips through the desert of Arizona.

Heat of July is inspired by the brutal summer heat of West Texas in title, but offers a wide-angle view of the American landscape. 

“We both grew up in parts of the country that were hot all the time,” Philip explains. “My parents live on 100 acres in West Texas, and there’s not a single proper tree. When you have that kind of heat running through your blood, you learn how to wait for the cool of the day. We really loved using that idea for the album title. That feeling that you get in July… it transcends the month itself. You take it with you all year long, and you learn how to appreciate the cool when it does come.”

Sharing their journey, both geographic (Lupton is an ex geology student) and emotional — Heat of July celebrates two great friends at their creative peak, and a band stepping confidently into its next chapter.

“I studied geology, so driving through Arizona is like me being a kid in a candy store,” says Philip. “We’ll always write songs inspired by that landscape, but we’ve learned how to tell more personal stories with our music, too. We’re talking about our wives, our relationships, and our family trees. We’re really wearing our hearts on our sleeves when we’re writing.” 

There’s more touring up ahead, of course, including dates through August and September and an appearance at Austin City Limits festival in October. More commitments that will take Briscoe away from the lives they’ve built in Texas. Heat of July may be the band’s next ticket out of town, but it’s also a love letter to the landscape that first inspired Truett and Philip to write songs. The road goes on forever… but for Briscoe, the road always leads back home, too. 

It is also a showcasing for a pair of songwriters who’ve learned to grow without leaving their foundations behind. As they prepare for another packed year of touring, Heat of July stands as both a powerful travelogue and a heartfelt tribute to the people and places that continue to inspire and anchor them to this day. 

TOUR DATES

Oct 30 Thu – Houston, TX – House of Blues*

Nov 1 Sat – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge*

Nov 4 Tue – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren*

Nov 5 Wed – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour* 

Nov 6 Thu – San Diego, CA – SOMA*

Nov 12 Wed – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall*

Nov 16 Sun – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*

Nov 17 Mon – Boise, ID – The Knitting Factory* 

*supporting The 502s

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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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