KEXP captured Angine de Poitrine performing live at ESMA in Rennes, France during Trans Musicales 2025, and the full session is exactly as extraordinary as the duo’s growing global reputation suggests. Just 2 people, Khn de Poitrine on microtonal guitars and Klek de Poitrine on drums, filling a room with something that defies easy description: baroque, trance-inducing, carnival-chaotic, and completely riveting across all 4 songs. “Sarniezz,” “Mata Zyklek,” “Fabienk,” and “Sherpa” unfold over roughly 30 minutes of music that sounds like nothing else being made anywhere right now. With 11 million views on their full KEXP performance and counting, the world is paying attention. Watch this.
Norah Jones and Josh Homme Make “Somethin’ Stupid” Sound Like It Was Always Theirs
Nobody saw this pairing coming, and that’s exactly what makes it work. Norah Jones and Josh Homme, the jazz-soul icon and the Queens of the Stone Age architect, share a live performance of “Somethin’ Stupid” recorded in Los Angeles in 2025, and the chemistry between them is immediate and completely convincing. Jones’s warm, unhurried delivery meets Homme’s understated cool in a rendition that strips the Frank and Nancy Sinatra classic down to its emotional core and lets it breathe in a way the original never quite did.
The Middle Aged Dad Jam Band’s “Copacabana” Cover Is Exactly as Joyful and Ridiculous as It Sounds
The Middle Aged Dad Jam Band doing “Copacabana” is one of those things that shouldn’t work as well as it does, and yet here we are. Ken Marino and David Wain, the comedy duo behind The State and Wet Hot American Summer, built MADJB out of pandemic-era garage jams in Los Angeles, pulling in friends, collaborators, and actual serious musicians until the whole thing took on a life of its own. The lineup for this particular performance is stacked, with Jon Spurney (musical director of Hamilton) on piano, Jordan Katz (Ghostface Killah, De La Soul) on trumpet, Clint Walsh (Morrissey, Juliette and the Licks) on guitar, Kestrin Pantera on vocals and cello, Allie Stamler (Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo) on vocals and violin, and young Edie Katz stealing the whole thing as Lola. The New York Times called MADJB “literally the best live music show of all time,” and watching this version of Barry Manilow’s classic unfold with this much talent and this much fun in the room, it’s hard to argue.
Video: Genesis’ ‘Lyceum 1980’ Gets the 45th Anniversary Fan Remaster It Always Deserved
A devoted fan has given one of Genesis’s most celebrated live recordings a serious upgrade. The May 1980 Lyceum Theatre performance from the Duke tour, long cherished by collectors but never officially released in its entirety in HD, has been remixed and restored with freshly remastered audio marking the show’s 45th anniversary. The result is the best available presentation of Genesis from this era, an 18-song set that moves through Duke Suite highlights, deep catalogue cuts, and beloved classics from “Follow You Follow Me” to “The Knife,” all captured at a moment when the band were operating at an extraordinary live peak.
Norwegian Hard Rockers Lily Löwe Go Bigger, Bolder, and More Cinematic on Sophomore Album ‘Beautiful Disaster’
‘Beautiful Disaster’ announces itself with total confidence, and Lily Löwe deliver on every promise the title makes. The Norwegian hard rock outfit’s sophomore album packs 9 tracks into just over 27 minutes of heavy riffs, dark atmospheres, soaring hooks, and raw storytelling that moves between high-energy anthems and emotionally charged moments without losing momentum for a single second. This is the sound of a band who know exactly what they want to say and how loud they want to say it.
The album was built around one of Norway’s strongest rock lineups. Frontwoman Lill Sofie Wilsberg is joined by Adrian Sunde Bjerketvedt (Jorn) on guitar, Patrik Svendsen (Tonic Breed) on bass, Stian Hansen (Suicide Bombers) on guitar, and Eiliv Sagrusten (Invasion) on drums. Mixed and mastered by Jonas Holteberg Jensen at The Woods Norway and mastered for vinyl by Steve Kitch, the production gives the album the punch and cohesion its songs demand. Themes of desire, power, self-destruction, and transformation run through every track, from the haunting introspection of “Haunted House” to the glam-punk swagger of “Glitter & Gore” and the cathartic punch of “Demons.”
Löwe’s trajectory has been steep and deliberate. Her project debuted at Melodi Grand Prix 2022 with “Bad Baby” before the critically praised first album ‘LÖWE,’ produced by Trond Holter, established her as one of Norway’s most exciting new rock voices. A year of singles, “Wild,” “Demons,” “Puppet Master,” “Glitter & Gore,” “Haunted House,” and “Love Like This,” built the anticipation for ‘Beautiful Disaster’ track by track, each one revealing another dimension of where the band had arrived creatively.
Löwe puts the album’s ambition plainly: “We wanted to give listeners a real experience, that feeling of power, emotion, and release you get when music truly hits.” For fans of Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless looking for their next hard rock obsession, ‘Beautiful Disaster’ delivers exactly that feeling, sharper, more dynamic, and more emotionally resonant than anything Lily Löwe has done before.
‘Beautiful Disaster’ Tracklist:
Demons
Haunted House
Puppet Master
Beg For Your Life
Beautiful Disaster
Glitter & Gore
Our Secret
Wild
Love Like This
Progressive Metal Force No Terror in the Bang Explore Humanity’s Collapse on New EP ‘Existence’
No Terror in the Bang have built their identity on the collision of fragility and fury, and ‘Existence’ pushes that tension further than anything they’ve done before. The French progressive metal outfit’s new EP arrives as a 5-track exploration of humanity’s downfall across cosmic, physical, social, environmental, and mortal dimensions, each track exposing a distinct layer of collapse with dark atmospheres and narrative depth that demands full attention from the first second to the last.
At the centre of everything stands Sofia Bortoluzzi, whose shape-shifting vocal performance remains one of progressive metal’s most compelling instruments. She moves between ethereal clean melodies and visceral, gut-level screams with a seamlessness that feels entirely natural rather than technically calculated. It’s the kind of vocal range that doesn’t just serve the music but defines it, anchoring the band’s cinematic sound in something deeply human even as the themes push toward the cosmic and catastrophic.
The band’s approach to progressive metal has always been built on tension and contrast, restraint giving way to eruption, intimacy expanding into something overwhelming. ‘Existence’ reinforces that language while expanding it, blending technical precision with emotional volatility across a record that provokes as much as it overwhelms. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sébastien Langle, the production gives every dynamic shift the weight and clarity it needs to land.
Following 2021’s ‘Eclosion’ and 2024’s ‘HEAL,’ ‘Existence’ marks another significant step forward for a band that has been building one of progressive metal’s most distinctive catalogs. This is music that interrogates destiny, purpose, and the self-destructive impulses that define the human condition, and it does so without flinching once.
Swedish Soul-Rock Troubadour Jesper Lindell Pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals on New Album ‘3614 Jackson Highway’
Jesper Lindell had a mission and he saw it through. The Swedish singer-songwriter packed up his band The Brunnsvik Sounds in 2024 and made the pilgrimage across the Atlantic to record at 2 of American music’s most hallowed spaces: Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. 4 days, 2 studios, and enough material for 2 albums. The first of those is ‘3614 Jackson Highway,’ out now via Yep Roc Records, and it’s a deeply felt tribute to the classic American songbook delivered with genuine reverence and real musical command.
Lead single “If Love Was Money” is a cover of a Dan Penn track discovered during the 3-day drive from Boston down to Alabama. “The closer we got to Alabama, the more I realized that I kept coming back to songs written or co-written by Dan Penn,” Lindell explains. He discovered Penn’s 1972 solo album on that drive and immediately felt the connection. “The last track, ‘If Love Was Money,’ felt 100% like something me and my band could really sink into. And we did, didn’t we?” The answer, on the evidence of the recording, is an emphatic yes.
The Muscle Shoals sessions came with their own drama. Flight delays cut the band’s planned 2 days in the studio down to a day and a half, but the compressed timeline produced something unexpected: a creative rush born from pent-up energy, jet lag, joy of playing, and genuine wonder at standing in the same room that hosted the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Duane Allman, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Rod Stewart, and so many more. Lindell is reflective about the decision to cover songs that already exist in iconic versions. “To dive deep into the material, to actually play and sing the songs instead of just listening to them, that was an invaluable experience for us, one we learned a lot from.”
Born and raised in Ludvika, Sweden, Lindell came up through local bars and rehearsal rooms developing a reverence for classic American songwriting and the warm, analog textures of the 60s and 70s. His breakout EP ‘Little Less Blue,’ recorded with members of First Aid Kit, revealed a strikingly emotive voice and a natural instinct for blending retro soul with contemporary Americana. Subsequent albums ‘Twilights’ and ‘Before the Sun’ cemented his reputation as a craftsman capable of turning personal stories into widescreen, roots-steeped soundscapes. ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ is the natural extension of that journey, an artist following his influences all the way to their source and coming back with something unmistakably his own.
Detroit Hard Rockers Eva Under Fire Confront Body Dysmorphia and Anxiety Head-On With New Single “Murder Scene”
Eva Under Fire have never made comfortable music, and “Murder Scene” is their most unflinching statement yet. The Detroit hard rock quintet release the new single via Better Noise Music, a sonically fierce and lyrically razor-sharp track that confronts eating disorders, body dysmorphia, self-doubt, and the particular cruelty of public scrutiny head-on. Singer and songwriter Amanda Lyberg doesn’t soften a single edge of it, and that honesty is exactly what makes the track land with such force.
Lyberg’s statement about the song deserves to be read in full context. “The dream of being on stage comes with a spotlight on my personal flaws,” she explains. “Anxiety is a liar in my head. It tells me I’m not good enough to be here. So, I fight it.” That fight is audible in every second of “Murder Scene,” a track that channels genuine psychological weight into hard rock with real therapeutic purpose. It’s not a coincidence that Lyberg brings her credentials as a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in trauma work, grief and loss, and addiction recovery, to every recording session, fostering open dialogue among band members throughout the process.
Her personal story gives everything Eva Under Fire does additional weight. Lyberg graduated with a Master of Arts in Psychology in 2018 and went to work at a Detroit mental health clinic that same year, the year she also lost her father to a fentanyl overdose. Her mother survived the same batch and has been sober for 6 years. That history became the 2023 short film ‘My Rockstar,’ which used Eva Under Fire music throughout and won over 20 awards across film festivals including Orlando Film Fest and the Toronto WILDfilm Festival.
The band’s catalog already reflects the depth of that lived experience. Their 2022 debut album ‘Love, Drugs & Misery’ earned critical acclaim and Sirius XM’s Ones to Watch recognition, while “Blow (feat. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills)” has amassed over 41.6 million global streams. Eva Under Fire have toured with Bush, Bad Wolves, Pop Evil, Skillet, and Finger Eleven, and appeared at Aftershock, Inkcarceration, and Rock Fest. This summer they step up to their biggest stages yet, joining Five Finger Death Punch’s 20th Anniversary World Tour alongside Cody Jinks across amphitheatres from coast to coast through October.
If this is a sensitive topic that’s affecting you personally, support is available. Reaching out to a mental health professional or a trusted person in your life is always a valid first step.
2026 Tour Dates (with Five Finger Death Punch and Cody Jinks):
July 20 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
July 22 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
July 23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 25 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
July 26 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
July 28 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
July 30 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
August 1 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
August 2 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
August 4 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
August 5 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 7 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
August 8 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
August 10 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
August 11 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
August 13 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
August 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
August 16 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
August 18 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
August 19 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
August 21 – Saint Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
September 8 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
September 11 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
September 12 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
September 14 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
September 16 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 18 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater
September 19 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena
September 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
September 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre*
September 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater*
September 27 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
September 28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
September 30 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
October 2 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
October 3 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
October 5 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
October 7 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
October 8 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
October 10 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
October 11 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
October 13 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
October 14 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
October 16 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater
October 17 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
October 19 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
October 21 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
October 23 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
*Without Cody Jinks
Ashland Craft and Chase Rice Bring New Emotional Weight to “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To”
Ashland Craft’s “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To” already carried real emotional weight when it appeared on her 2025 album ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen.’ The new duet version featuring Chase Rice takes it somewhere deeper. Paired with Rice’s rugged delivery alongside Craft’s raw, lived-in vocals, the reimagined track becomes a shared reflection on change, gratitude, and the roads that shape us, with an accompanying music video directed by Quinton Cook now available following its exclusive premiere with People.
The pairing makes complete sense once you hear it. Both Craft and Rice come from Carolina upbringings, both have built careers on honest, road-worn storytelling, and both bring personal truth to a song that was already universal in its themes. “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To is a universal anthem for all of us growing up and figuring out life,” Craft explains. “With both of us having Carolina upbringings, it felt like the perfect fit.” Rice is equally direct: “This song is her story, but it’s mine too. I know my mom did more than her fair share of praying raising 3 boys.”
Craft has been one of country music’s most compelling voices since her acclaimed 2021 debut ‘Travelin’ Kind,’ a CMT Next Women of Country honoree whose ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ features current radio single “Kick Rocks Cowboy.” She’s shared stages with Zac Brown Band, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Brothers Osborne, and Marcus King, and her fearless, soul-bearing approach to storytelling has drawn comparisons to Chris Stapleton and Bonnie Raitt. American Songwriter put it plainly: “there’s a new country badass in town, and her name is Ashland Craft.”
Rice brings his own formidable resume to the track. A 10x Platinum artist with 2 number 1s at Country Radio, over 3 billion streams, and Diamond certified songwriter credits on “Cruise,” he’s shared stadium billing with Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney. His most recent album ‘ELDORA,’ written in Colorado and inspired by a hidden mountainside town, signals an artist fully committed to his own creative terms. Together, Craft and Rice deliver a duet that honors the song’s origins while expanding its reach considerably.
Singer-Songwriter Amanda McCarthy Faces the Past and Chooses Growth on Sophomore Album ‘Looking For The Light’
Amanda McCarthy has lived enough life to fill several albums, and ‘Looking For The Light’ channels all of it into 11 tracks that move between pop, country, pop-punk, and quiet reflection with the ease of someone who stopped worrying about genre a long time ago. Produced in Nashville by Kristian Veech, the sophomore full-length is honest, grounded, and unmistakably hers, a record about confronting the past, processing the unprocessed, and choosing to thrive again on the other side.
McCarthy puts it plainly: “‘Looking For The Light’ encapsulates leaving the most triumphant era of your life to thrive, crash, burn, and thrive again in a new city while battling undiagnosed ADHD and years of unprocessed trauma. We are embracing the good, the bad, and the LOL WTF. We’re choosing forgiveness over anger, peace over revenge, and connection over alienation.” That clarity of intention runs through every track, from the Nashville-toned “Vodka” and “Every Bar Downtown” to the pop-punk energy of “I’m Not Fine (But I’m Okay)” and the quiet closing reflection of “Waste of a Heartbreak.”
The press response has been immediate and strong. Music City Melodies praised her growth as an artist, noting the music “still carries that touch of angst we all crave, now delivered with a new level of sophistication.” Laurelanne Media reached for a memorable comparison: “Wilson Phillips meets Taylor Swift in group therapy deciding laughter beats crying.” Nashville Socialite highlighted her effortless genre-blending as a genuine standout quality. All 3 assessments land.
McCarthy’s resume is already substantial. She’s shared stages with Steven Tyler, Train, Natasha Bedingfield, Hall & Oates, Imagine Dragons, Styx, and Rob Thomas, performed a nationally televised National Anthem on ESPN, earned Grammy ballot entries, and won Singer/Songwriter of the Year at the New England Music Awards. The story of how she got to Nashville, singing an Aerosmith song directly to Steven Tyler in a local bar before packing up and moving within the year, is exactly the kind of origin story that makes sense once you hear how fearlessly she performs.
‘Looking For The Light’ is the work of an artist who has processed the hard stuff and come out the other side with something genuinely worth sharing.
‘Looking For The Light’ Tracklist:
Vodka
Normal
Fine.
I’m Not Fine (But I’m Okay)
Every Bar Downtown
LOL WTF
Lifeline (Healed)
Sunset
Don’t Stop Me
The Last Word
Waste of a Heartbreak