All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.
Falling In Reverse, Hollywood Undead, and Point North at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on September 10, 2025
Elijah Woods Drops Playful Pop Gem “Slicked Back Hair” Ahead Of Debut Album
Fresh off his headline tour across Asia, breakout pop artist and producer elijah woods returns with his vibrant new single, “Slicked Back Hair.” The track follows his recent release “Ghost on the Radio” and previews his highly anticipated debut album, Can We Talk?, out October 14.
Equal parts playful and heartfelt, “Slicked Back Hair” is a feel-good anthem about growth, vulnerability, and lasting connection. “This song is about meeting someone who changes everything—the kind of person who turns you from a caterpillar into a butterfly,” says elijah.
His debut album, Can We Talk?, marks a defining moment in elijah’s career. Over the past five years, he has built a global presence as a fully independent artist, amassing more than 1 billion streams, cultivating a fanbase of over 5 million followers, and touring the world entirely on his own terms. The record captures the intimacy and emotional depth that define his music, while leaning fully into the clever, infectious pop sensibilities that have fueled his rise.
Originally from Ottawa and now based in Los Angeles, elijah woods is a multi-platinum pop artist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Known for his irresistible hooks, vivid storytelling, and signature production style, he has become one of pop’s most compelling solo acts as well as a sought-after collaborator.
With 4x JUNO Award nominations, multiple platinum and gold certifications, and five EPs released in just the past three years, elijah’s independent ascent has been extraordinary. After selling out his first Canadian headline tour in 2023, he quickly expanded onto the international stage, selling out shows across Asia, opening for Niall Horan in Jakarta, and performing at Seoul Jazz Festival and Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival.
Blending charisma, individuality, and a bold fashion sensibility, he has been spotlighted on the cover of Esquire Singapore and profiled by The Greatest Magazine and VMAN SEA. With his debut album on the horizon, elijah woods is primed to make 2025 his biggest year yet.
The Most Insane Bohemian Rhapsody Flashmob Takes Over Paris
Paris just witnessed a flashmob for the ages—30 singers and musicians belting “Bohemian Rhapsody” in full Queen glory. Julien Cohen led the charge with pure Freddie Mercury spirit. A viral, once-in-a-lifetime street performance!
Grandmaster Flash Joins Primary Wave Music Roster
Primary Wave Music announces the addition of trailblazing DJ and one of hip-hop’s founding fathers, Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), to its roster. The prolific mix master joins an impressive roster of diverse management clients at Primary Wave, including Cypress Hill, Bell Biv DeVoe, CeeLo, Green, Jefferson Starship, Melissa Etheridge, Eric Benét, Skid Row, and more.
“It was very important for me to find the right fit. In my search, I came upon Primary Wave, which sounded like a school for electronics like my alma mater, Samuel Gompers,” Grandmaster Flash shares regarding the partnership. “Hmmm… I took a look and said yes, this multi-department setup is amazing. Meeting Eric and the staff sealed the deal for me.”
Undeniably one of the genre’s architects, few names have become as well-known to hip-hop lovers and music historians globally as Grandmaster Flash. A true musical innovator, his use of turntables has sparked a timeless legacy that has extended from the Bronx block parties of the early 1970s to all corners of the globe today. Using duplicate copies of vinyl, Grandmaster Flash figured out a way to manipulate the vinyl with his fingertips and the crossfader of the DJ mixer. With what he eventually coined as The Quick Mix Theory, Grandmaster Flash laid the groundwork for the modern DJ and eventually birthed the art of beat-making and sampling.
By the end of the 1970s, Grandmaster Flash had set the foundation for breakdancers and emcees to perform over his seamless beats. The first rapper to join Flash in 1974 was Keith Wiggins, known as Cowboy. Two years later, Kid Creole and his younger brother Melle Mel joined, followed by Scorpio and Raheim. Throughout the 70’s, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five became known as one of the primary supergroups on the streets of The Bronx, later becoming recording artists and hitmakers. The group made waves with songs like “Superappin’,” “Freedom,” “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” and eventually, their revolutionary hit “The Message,” which prominently used hip-hop as a vehicle for social commentary. The multi-platinum single serves as a cornerstone for hip-hop’s most foundational tracks. Over the next decade and beyond, Grandmaster Flash continued to dish out heavy hitters, ultimately racking up five certified platinum or gold albums.
No stranger to firsts, in 2007 Flash was recognized with yet another inaugural accomplishment – as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to his Rock Hall induction, Grandmaster Flash has also been the recipient of several notable awards throughout his five decade career, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, RIAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, The BET Icon Award honoring his contributions to hip-hop, VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors, the DJ Vanguard Award presented by Bill Gates, and the prestigious international Polar Music Prize.
Throughout the years, Flash’s musical contributions and legacy have also been cemented through several other creative feats – including his 2008 memoir, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats, his guidance as music director and role re-enactment in the 2016 hit Netflix series The Get Down, feature in A&E’s Origins of Hip Hop docuseries in 2022, and even more to come as he steps into this latest partnership.
Kenny Chesney Brings Stories To Life With New Audiobook ‘Heart Life Music’
Normally, when Kenny Chesney’s in the studio, there are multiple guitarists, a monster drummer and a whole lot of great songs. Not this summer. Just songwriter/superstar and a mic hit Blackbird Studios to capture an East Tennessee kid with a headful of wonder’s journey through a Nashville that was built on creative types at all levels seeking his fate.
From catching a spark playing for tips at various bars, as well as traveling to Russia with the East Tennessee State Bluegrass Band during college to then playing a destitute Lower Broadway, where the Ryman was on the verge of being torn down and characters populated the seedy bars, and being signed to a publishing deal at Acuff Rose, home to Hank Williams Sr. and Dean Dillon, it’s the power of curiosity to drive someone with nothing but a hunger to write and sing songs. It’s also an homage to perseverance when the going is more than rough, the ability to find laughter in the cracks and a will to keep going.
“It’s funny,” marvels the man whose stadium tours have become a rite of summer, “when you’re living it, it’s being in the moment. When we were writing it, it was looking back and really striving to get it right. But now, reading it, all of these stories become real again. I can see everybody, from the Turf and the Wheel, to (Capricorn Records founders) Phil Walden with all that charisma and (legendary producer) Barry Beckett telling me to ‘put a smile on it.’
“It takes a lot longer than I thought to record an audiobook, or maybe it’s just I would get lost in seeing all the people and places along the way. In a way, it’s what I did with my summer vacation: visit all these adventures I’ve had, because when I started to hear the stories, I felt like I was living them all over again.”
Whether making unexpected music in Jamaica, the Kremlin, New England and Cabo San Lucas, drifting across the waters of the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Chesney will engage with a coterie of singular folks, friends and inspirations, as he embraces the unabashed joy of being alive. “Thinking about the moments, reading the stories, it all got very real for me – the blessings of so much wisdom people gave me and unthinkable things I got to do. I was here at an amazing time, got to experience a Nashville closer to Willie Nelson or George Jones when they were trying to make it happen – and I got to live this crazy dream alongside so many heroes, make great friends. Hearing it come out of my mouth, it’s a lot to take in; I almost wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t been there.”
Written with longtime friend and collaborator Holly Gleason, Heart Life Music celebrates the life and rise of a man whose songs have set the tone and whose shows have anchored a world without borders for the last quarter century. From the road, stage quiet moments and unthinkable thrills, it’s a trip for anyone who’s ever wondered what the voyage to No Shoes Nation might be like.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Drop Fierce New “Gimme Three Steps” Video From Historic 50th Anniversary Live Album
Iconic southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd releases its new music video for “Gimme Three Steps.” The track is the latest release from the band’s new project, Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman, available now via Frontiers Music Srl.
A celebration of the southern sound that changed rock forever, the live album and DVD spectacularly capture Lynyrd Skynyrd’s historic 50th anniversary concert at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and features the final performance of founding member Gary Rossington, who passed away less than five months later.
The new album showcases the band’s unparalleled energy and their signature blend of blues rock and Southern hard rock swagger and stands as a celebration of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lasting legacy in music history, filled with iconic hits such as “Freebird,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Simple Man,” and so many more. In addition to King, the new album also features guest appearances by Jelly Roll, John Osborne (The Brothers Osborne), Brent Smith (Shinedown), and Donnie Van Zant (Van Zant & .38 Special).
The band is on tour in North America through the fall.
Country Music Hall Of Fame Unveils Monumental “Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising” Exhibit
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open its next major exhibition, Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, on Friday, November 14th, for a nearly three-year run. The more than 5,000-square-foot exhibit will survey the emergence of Muscle Shoals as a recording epicenter in the 1960s and 1970s and spotlight its enduring cultural impact. The exhibit is supported by OneLouder.
In a small corner of Alabama by the Tennessee River, local musicians, songwriters and producers created a swampy, Southern sound merging R&B, country, pop music and more. Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising tells the story of this distinctive music and how black and white creators found a way to work together at a time when segregation prevailed. Fame Studio, helmed by producer Rick Hall; Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, home of the acclaimed Swampers house band; and other studios built a home-made system for cutting music dusted with grit and soul. Hitmakers flocked to this otherwise quiet community seeking a new sound created by homegrown talent.
Aretha Franklin had a career-defining moment in Muscle Shoals and Country Music Hall of Fame member Willie Nelson recorded his beloved Phases and Stages album there. Music recorded in Muscle Shoals included Arthur Alexander’s “You Better Move On,” Mac Davis’ “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” Bobbie Gentry’s “Fancy,” Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome,” Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” Candi Staton’s “Stand By Your Man” and much more. Enduring music continues to be made in the community today by the Alabama Shakes, the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, the Secret Sisters, John Paul White and others, with artists continuing to record in Muscle Shoals.
“In Muscle Shoals, American music crossed lines that weren’t supposed to be breached,” states Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “The Tennessee River flowed through this place, and instead of drawing a boundary, somehow forces came together. Black and white sounds, R&B, blues, soul and country met between the banks. A new rhythm rose and recording studios sprouted to nourish that rhythm. This exhibit takes an expansive look at the sound that forever changed popular music and continues to nurture a rich musical scene in northwest Alabama.”
Neither the racial harmony nor the musical kind came easily. At the center of the exhibit is the “Aretha piano” from Fame, the instrument heard on numerous hits and the place where Franklin’s life was transformed. It is where the force and the limits of the Muscle Shoals system were revealed. The exhibit will also feature an introductory film narrated by multiple Grammy award-winning artist Jason Isbell, a North Alabama native who worked at Fame.
The museum’s curatorial and creative teams conducted more than 50 hours of filmed interviews with musicians, artists and others involved in the Muscle Shoals story. They collected an array of significant artifacts for display, including stage wear, instruments, original song manuscripts and more. Interactive elements within the galleries will incorporate audio recordings, original interview footage and historical photographs.
An illustrated and in-depth exhibition catalog will supplement the gallery presentation, with a foreword by Jason Isbell and main essays by exhibit co-curator RJ Smith. The catalog, available on November 14th, will feature historical photographs and artifacts from the exhibit, as well as supporting essays by Ericka Blount, Rob Bowman, Warren Denney, Stephen Deusner, Michael Gonzales, Marlin Greene, Patterson Hood and Francesca Royster. The catalog will be available through the museum’s website and retail store, as well as distributed widely in bookstores and online outlets through a partnership with the University of Illinois Press.
In support of the exhibit’s debut, the museum will host a concert celebration and a variety of public programs during the opening weekend. The concert and programs are made possible in part by Pedigree and Pedigree Foundation.
Tickets to the opening concert in the museum’s CMA Theater are sold separately, while programs in the Ford Theater are included with museum admission, with reservations encouraged. Tickets can be purchased or reserved beginning on Friday, September 12th, at 10 am Central.
The museum will host an all-star concert with artists and musicians involved in or inspired by Muscle Shoals’ musical legacy, including Tiera Kennedy, Bettye LaVette, Wendy Moten, Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn, Maggie Rose, Shenandoah and John Paul White. The house band of Muscle Shoals aces will be led by guitarist Will McFarlane and include Mark Beckett on drums, Mickey Buckins on percussion, Kelvin Holly on guitar, Clayton Ivey on keys, Shoals Sisters Marie Lewey and Cindy Walker on background vocals, Charles Rose on horns, and Bob Wray on bass.
In anticipation of the opening, the official Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising exhibition playlist is now available on streaming platforms. The playlist features songs compiled by the museum and follows the exhibit narrative across decades of music.
Muscle Shoals is the commonly used name for the region covering four small cities clustered on either side of the Tennessee River in northwestern Alabama — Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. In this quiet corner of the South, a thriving recording center was born, starting in the late 1950s. Prodded by Fame Studio owner Rick Hall and other like-minded entrepreneurs, local musicians, who were mostly white, collaborated with Black singers and turned out one hit after another: “You Better Move On” by Arthur Alexander, “Steal Away” by Jimmy Hughes and more.
In Muscle Shoals, black and white musicians were creating together in the studio, making hit records that showcased Black artistry to the diverse American audience, and attracting artists from outside to come to Muscle Shoals. Alabama-born Wilson Pickett made some of his best music there (“Land of 1000 Dances,” “Mustang Sally,” “Funky Broadway”). Clarence Carter (“Slip Away,” “Patches”) and Etta James (“Tell Mama”) made memorable music while in town, too.
In 1967, Aretha Franklin’s breakthrough recording session at Fame sent ripples through Muscle Shoals with her pop and R&B hit, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).” It took her music to an elevated place, while putting Fame’s musicians in union with her powers. In 1969, Rick Hall’s rhythm section left and opened their own studio. In time, these musicians would become known as the Swampers, and their new place, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, took a novel approach, putting the house band in charge of the art and the business.
The Rolling Stones made a celebrated stop at the studio in 1969, recording “Wild Horses,” “Brown Sugar” and “You Gotta Move.” Other acclaimed albums were soon recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, including Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, Willie Nelson’s Phases and Stages, Bob Seger’s Night Moves and Stranger in Town, and Bob Dylan’s Saved.
After the Swampers left Fame, Hall assembled another house band, the FAME Gang, the first racially integrated session band for the studio. Hall produced the hit album Fancy with country star Bobbie Gentry, Candi Staton’s “I’d Rather be an Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than a Young Man’s Fool)” and “Sweet Feeling,” Clarence Carter’s “Patches,” and multiple hits with the Osmonds (“One Bad Apple,” “Yo-Yo,” “Down by the Lazy River”).
In the 1980s, as country music’s hold on the pop market greatly expanded, much of the Muscle Shoals scene flowed toward country music. Mac Davis was a frequent hitmaker at Fame, and Alabama, Shenandoah, Hank Williams Jr., Jerry Reed, Mac McAnally and others recorded music in the Shoals.
Today, the regional presence of artists like Jason Isbell, the Alabama Shakes, the Secret Sisters, Gary Nichols, John Paul White and the musical community around Single Lock Records has established a lively contemporary Muscle Shoals scene. In recent years, the blend of artists coming to record in Muscle Shoals studios has included the Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, Phish, Chris Stapleton, the War & Treaty and others.
Wolfgang Van Halen Drops Funky Rocker “I Really Wanna” Ahead Of Mammoth Album ‘The End’
Wolfgang Van Halen is back with the third track from his upcoming studio album, The End. “I Really Wanna” comes on the heels of active rock No. 1 single “The End” and the newly released single, “The Spell.” The instant grat track “I Really Wanna” is a funky rocker that showcases Wolfgang’s unique feel and technique on every instrument. A music video for the song is also being released that shows Wolfgang playing in the iconic 5150 studio where the song was recorded. The song was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
Scheduled for release on October 24th, Mammoth returns with The End via label home BMG. The 10-track album clocks in at 39 minutes and showcases the evolution of Wolf and his songwriting since he launched his solo career in 2020. Continuing the tradition of writing all the songs and performing all the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself beyond what he did on his debut and sophomore release, Mammoth II. From the hypnotic opening of “One Of A Kind” to the infectious closer “All In Good Time,” Wolfgang demonstrates his proficiency as a musician and songwriter. Songs like “Same Old Song,” “Happy,” and “Selfish” will fit perfectly alongside older songs that fans have already come to love from Mammoth. Mammoth released their first single in May, and it shot up the charts, landing at No. 1. That single featured a landmark music video – a remake of the classic film From Dusk ‘Til Dawn – directed by Robert Rodriguez and Greg Nicotero. The video has received over five million views and contains cameos from Danny Trejo, Slash, Myles Kennedy, and his mother, Valerie Bertinelli. Mammoth also released the new single “The Spell,” which is impacting radio.
Mammoth has become known for being road warriors, constantly taking to the road to play its music for the masses whenever they can. The band recently wrapped seven weeks on the road with longtime friends in Creed. Backed by his live band featuring Jon Jourdan, Frank Sidoris, Ronnie Ficarro, and Garrett Whitlock, Wolfgang and Mammoth will hit the road on a fall headline run. The End Tour kicks off on October 31st in Rancho Mirage, CA, and runs for five weeks before it wraps up on December 7th in Anaheim, CA. Longtime friend Myles Kennedy will be the special guest on the run.
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes Brings Music And Art Together With Riot Fest, Furnace Fest, And A New York City Gallery Show
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is where art and music come together, as the collective presents exhibits at galleries and music festivals around the world, each featuring original artworks from musicians and the music community that showcases creativity in a whole new light.
After wrapping up a summer tour with The Offspring where Punk Rock & Paintbrushes presented art and photo exhibits at each North American date of the SUPERCHARGED Tour, the collective has a few festival dates remaining for 2025, including:
September 19-21 Riot Fest (Chicago, IL)
October 3-5 Furnace Fest (Birmingham, AL)
The Riot Fest exhibit will feature the works of Matt Skiba, Jesse Michaels, Dave Navarro, Joe Lilak, Brian Diaz, Bob Dob, Kerry Smith, Stacie Stevenson, and Jason Adams. Plus, a special art auction featuring Fender guitars painted and signed by bands playing the event including Alkaline Trio, All Time Low, Gwar, Cobra Starship, Dropkick Murphys and more. Riot Fest headliners Green Day and Weezer as well as recently announced special guest John Stamos will also have several signed items up for auction to benefit charity partners including The Riot Fest Foundation, Alameda County Foodbank and Claddagh Fund. The auction will open at door time on Friday, September 19 and close the evening of Sunday, September 21.
The Furnace Fest exhibit will feature the works of Dave Navarro, Jay Weinberg, Jesse Michaels, Jason Adams, Matt Skiba, Paul Kobriger, Mike Gallo, Tiffany Anastasia Lowe and Bob Dob. Plus, a special art auction featuring Fender guitars painted and signed by bands such as Jimmy Eat World (including a signature Jim Adkins Fender guitar) and Dropkick Murphys to benefit the Claddagh Fund and “More Than Words” Foundation.
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes will also host a special gallery show in New York City, September 26-27, the organization’s first event in NYC since 2022, featuring the works of Jesse Michaels, Mike Gallo, Jay Weinberg, Warren Fitzgerald, Bob Dob, Lisa Brownlee and Tiffany Anastasia Lowe. Artists will be onsite at the opening reception on September 26 from 6-10 p.m. On September 27, a VIP event from 2-3 p.m. will include an artist Q&A panel. RSVPs are now open at: NYC-PRPB.eventbrite.com
Says Dave Navarro, “I am psyched to have my work shown along with these incredible artists and seen by likeminded audiences who I connect with on both a musical and artistic level.”
And Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy) adds of the inspiration of his works on display, “I like to paint human and animal subjects inspired by 20th century modern and early contemporary painters as well as by outsider and folk art. When I start a painting, I am always 100% convinced it’s going to fail and when it succeeds, it feels like the universe intervened in some mysterious way. That help from something beyond what I think are my abilities is the only thing that I’m interested in. The best word to describe that unseen hand is ‘freedom.’”
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes founder Emily Nielsen adds, “We are looking forward to working with not only an incredible lineup of our artists and showcasing them this Fall, but also everyone else who makes what we do possible and the positive impact we are able to bring. The bands that are a part of our auction truly see the bigger picture in helping others through their platform. A huge thank you to Riot Fest and Furnace Fest for having us be part of the events.”
Alt-Western Visionary Katie Mae Announces Haunting New Album ‘Object Impermanence’ Inspired By Desert Solitude
Katie Mae, the rising alt-western songwriter from Phoenix, Arizona, will release her new album Object Impermanence on October 8 via Soggy Anvil Records. This album, written during her artist residency at the Object Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona, truly captures the essence of the desert. The record distills the solitude and strange beauty of the desert into songs that explore memory, loss, and transformation. Ahead of the album release, Katie Mae has unveiled the title track “Object Impermanence” alongside a cinematic music video, offering listeners a first glimpse into the record’s immersive world.
In July of 2023, Katie Mae spent a month in Bisbee, Arizona, as a part of the Object Hotel’s Object Limited Artist Residency, which is aimed at helping creatives thrive and grow their practice while immersing themselves in the cultural richness of the town. During this time, she was allowed to fully immerse herself in the historic mining town’s eccentricities, history, and darkness.
The residency offered complete solitude, and the songs on Object Impermanence are a direct reflection of that experience. It seemed only natural for the music to return to the place where it was born: with slide-guitarist Ken Voita and engineer Max Harms, Katie Mae recorded the album at the Object Hotel over three nights. There are no studio effects on these recordings, only the natural reverberations and textures created within the walls of the hotel itself.
With her signature sultry vocals and evocative storytelling, Katie Mae captures the fleeting nature of connection, creating a soundscape as timeless and haunting as the objects that inspired it. The album builds on the momentum of her acclaimed debut, Sighs & Strength, which earned regional accolades and recognition among peers.