Pop-punk legends Neck Deep are celebrating ten full years of their massive hit single, “December,” by dropping a brand new, highly fun 8-bit video game for fans to play right now. This celebration comes as the track cements its status as the modern alternative Christmas song of choice, recording its biggest streaming day ever on December 1 with over 540k plays across its three versions. The song’s cultural footprint is massive, with BLACKPINK’s Rosé famously covering it in 2022 and the track notching up huge numbers of creations on TikTok recently, showing its lasting power across the globe. Fans can play the game right now here.
Ten years of “December” also means a decade has passed since the release of their iconic album, ‘Life’s Not Out to Get You’, which reached the UK chart top 10 and has since been certified Silver. The album features fan favorites like “Can’t Kick Up The Roots” and “Gold Steps,” and the quintet is set to see out the year with a special UK anniversary tour for the record. Neck Deep, formed in a spare room in Wrexham, Wales, has spent the last decade mastering their craft, transforming from a scrappy, hopeful teenage band into one of British rock music’s most successful global exports, boasting over a billion streams and top five records in both the US and UK.
Philadelphia’s Varials—Skyler Conder, Shane Lyons, Mike Foley, and Sean Rauchut—have just dropped massive news, announcing their powerful new album, ‘WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES’, set for arrival on February 27 via Fearless Records. This announcement follows the band’s metallic re-entry back in September with the track “I’ll Find the Dark,” the first new song since 2022 and the debut for their formidable new frontman, Conder. Today, the band ups the ante yet again by sharing the video for the album’s pulverizing title track, “Where The Light Leaves,” which is a hulking, earth-shaking slab of metal. This latest single delivers a fierce collision of riffs and roars, with Conder spitting violent verses over blast beats that feel like slabs of concrete tumbling from the sky, instantly proving that Varials is back to erecting an impenetrable wall of sound.
Conder explains that “‘Where The Light Leaves’ is the key introduction to the overall idea of the album itself,” noting it reflects feeling trapped within his own mind, accepting that mental purgatory, and learning to live with it. This fourth album arrives with explosive energy and focus, delivering hardcore ferocity, monstrous breakdowns, and a nu-metal groove with unapologetic purpose. Produced by longtime collaborator Josh Schroeder, ‘WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES’ signifies a new, creatively ambitious chapter for the East Coast heavyweights, capturing the band at their most powerful across 13 tracks that pair guttural heaviness with new melodic textures. Following successful tours with bands like Knocked Loose and Wage War, this release further cements Varials’ reputation as one of the most intense and formidable acts in the modern heavy landscape.
ast Nashville’s hard rock powerhouse, KALAMITY KILLS, just dropped their incredible new single “HELP!” today via Pero Recordings, and it is a must-listen. This breakout band, led by vocalist Jamie Rowe and guitarist/producer Jamey Perrenot, has taken a fiercely beloved THE BEATLES classic and rebuilt it completely with their trademark intensity, modern heaviness, and emotional depth. Recorded live in the studio with choice overdubs adding significant impact, the track delivers a compelling reinterpretation that feels urgent and incredibly vulnerable, pushing the iconic song into a dark, fully electrified space. Soaring vocals, heavy guitars, driving rhythms, and tight harmonies create a sound that is both familiar to rock fans and completely refreshed by the band’s polished, aggressive attack.
The single’s release also includes a brand new performance video that truly captures the raw energy and conviction of the full band, which features bassist/vocalist Julia Lauren Bullock and drummer Rob Bodley. KALAMITY KILLS, forged in the heart of East Nashville, emerged from a solo project into a fully realized sonic assault, fusing the swagger of classic hard rock with the intensity of modern metal. Known for their debut self-titled album ‘Kalamity Kills’ and high-profile collaborations with members of KORN, 3 DOORS DOWN, and UNDEROATH, this band never chases trends. They are a growing force for the outsiders and the misfits, tackling themes of faith, failure, and redemption with songs ranging from explosive anthems to brutally honest ballads.
The wait is officially over, and the explosive debut self-titled EP from THEBLACKLABEL’s phenomenal co-ed group, ALLDAY PROJECT, has landed. This release is a major defining moment for the quintet as they cap off a wildly successful debut year that started with their smash hit “FAMOUS” and continued with the bold single “ONE MORE TIME.” Fans worldwide can now experience the full vision of this boundary-pushing act across six powerful tracks. The group truly refuses to be defined, showcasing a vast range of styles, from the bright, unrestrained energy of the title track “LOOK AT ME” to the atmospheric, Afrobeat-laced emotion found in “YOU AND I.” This first full-length project is a clear assertion of their identity and their fearless mindset, giving us a taste of the new era they are ushering in.
The self-titled project immediately places the group’s name front and center, a confident move that reflects the creative freedom and multi-talented artistry within the collective. Unit and solo tracks like ANNIE and WOOCHAN’s playful hip-hop track “WHERE YOU AT,” TARZZAN and BAILEY’s early-2000s-inspired groove “HOT,” and TARZZAN’s fierce solo anthem “MEDUSA” spotlight the members’ individuality and expand the group’s already impressive sonic spectrum. ALLDAY PROJECT, the first co-ed group from the house that Teddy Park built, delivers sophisticated music, daring visuals, and powerful, self-written choreography, ensuring they transcend all labels and defy every expectation. Listeners are invited into a world where five distinct origins collide to form something completely new and unprecedented.
Following their highly successful debut band tour across Europe this past June and July — which saw numerous sold-out shows and glowing praise from fans and press alike — legendary guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are bringing their electrifying SATCHVAI Band to the United States for the first time. The “Surfing with the Hydra” 2026 tourwill launch on April 1 in Seattle, WA and continue on throughout April and May before winding up in Vienna, VA at Wolf Trap on May 30. Animals as Leaders will support on all dates. Tickets will be on-sale Friday December 12 with artist presale (PW: SATCHVAI2026) on Wednesday, December 10 at 10am local. Local pre-sales follow on Thursday, December 11.
This new chapter follows a monumental summer that took the newly formed band through major cities including London, Manchester, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich, and more as well as festivals including Hellfest, Umbria Jazz Festival, and Guitares en Scene Fest, thrilling audiences with the unmatched interplay and energy that only Satriani and Vai can deliver. Now, with a brand-new video and single, “Dancing,” arriving March 2, 2026 via earMUSIC, the guitar greats are ready to bring that same firepower to stages across America.
The band’s forthcoming single “Dancing” marks the latest chapter in SATCHVAI Band’s creative evolution. It follows the duo’s first two releases — the sweeping, cinematic instrumental “The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1” and the high-octane rocker “I Wanna Play My Guitar,” featuring powerhouse vocals from Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion). Together, these tracks have showcased both the emotional depth and unbridled energy that define the SATCHVAIBand sound — a seamless fusion of melody, virtuosity, and the kind of musical chemistry only five decades of friendship can produce.
The SATCHVAI Band marks the first time in their nearly 50-year friendship and musical partnership that Satriani and Vai have formally joined forces as a band. Their collaboration debuted in March 2024 with a duo tour and the release of “The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1,” a stunning six-minute opus showcasing their extraordinary synergy. A second track, released ahead of the European tour, further fueled anticipation for what has become one of the year’s most celebrated live events.
Rounding out the lineup, powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, renowned bassist Marco Mendoza, and virtuoso guitarist Pete Thorn complete the stellar quintet that is the SATCHVAI Band — a live ensemble built for explosive musicianship and unbridled guitar mastery.
Animals As Leaders, Tosin Abasi said of the tour, “We are beyond honored to be joining Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on tour! Our band, in many ways, would not be what it was if not for the impact of these two icons. Getting a chance to hit the US with them is a bucket list experience for us. Can’t want to see you all soon!”
Pre-sale tickets for “The Surfing with the Hydra 2026 U.S. Tour” kick off with an Artist Presale (PW: SATCHVAI2026) on Wednesday, December 10 at 10am local. Local presales follow on Thursday, December 11. The public on-sale begins Friday, December 12 at 10am local. All ticket details available at SATCHVAIBAND.COM
SATCHVAI Band “Surfing with the Hydra” 2026 U.S. Tour (with Animals as Leaders):
April 1 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
April 2 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
April 4 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
April 5 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
April 7 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Terrace Theater
April 8 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
April 10 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheatre
April 11 – Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
April 14 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
April 16 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
April 17 – Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park
April 18 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
April 20 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre
April 22 – Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Beach Amphitheater
April 24 – Clearwater, FL – Baycare Sound
April 25 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
April 26 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
April 27 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Hall
April 29 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
April 30 – Durham, NC – DPAC
May 2 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre
May 3 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
May 5 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
May 7 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
May 8 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavillion at Riverbend Music Center
May 9 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
May 10 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory #
May 12 – Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
May 13 – Toronto, Ont – Meridian Hall #
May 15 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
May 16 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
May 17 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
May 20 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
May 21 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
May 22 – Waterbury, CT – Palace Theater
May 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
May 27 – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center
May 28 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
May 29 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
May 30 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap *
#On-sale TBA 2026
*Pre-sale and on sale for Wolf Trap show will be in February 2026.
Nonesuch Records releases a fifteenth anniversary edition of Carolina Chocolate Drops‘ 2010 Grammy Award-winning album Genuine Negro Jig on January 23, 2026. The reissue, featuring founding band members Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson, includes the original album and nine bonus tracks: seven previously unreleased tracks plus a 2025 remaster of “City of Refuge” and a 2025 mix of “Memphis Shakedown.” This release marks the album’s first time on vinyl since its original pressing in 2010. The bonus track “Here Rattler,” a traditional tune that Justin Robinson learned from Grand Ole Opry star Grandpa Jones and African American banjoist John Snipes, is available today. It features Robinson on the banjo, Giddens on the fiddle, and Flemons on the rhythm bones. You can pre-order the two-LP vinyl and CD editions here.
Genuine Negro Jig was released on February 16, 2010, reaching the top ten on the Billboard Folk chart and the top of the Bluegrass chart. It won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. Produced by Joe Henry, it was the first of three releases on Nonesuch followed by the Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii EP (2011) and the Grammy nominated album Leaving Eden (2012), produced by Buddy Miller. Widely acclaimed as one of 2010’s best, Genuine Negro Jig appeared in year-end lists of NPR, Paste, and more, and was featured in Rolling Stone’s 25 Best Country-Soul Albums in 2024.
“Marvelous … exuberant,” Rolling Stone said of the album. “This striking North Carolina trio brings a modern sizzle to the legacy of classic African American string bands,” said SPIN. The Washington Post called it “a smart and snappy collision of traditional and contemporary.” No Depression declared: “Genuine Negro Jig is easily one of the best albums I have heard in thirty some odd years … I literally cannot stop listening to this record.”
“Genuine Negro Jig remains fresh fifteen years later not only because of the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ influence on American popular culture but also because it’s an excellent record in itself,” says Dr. Dwandalyn Reece and Dr. Steven Lewis of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in the album’s liner notes.
Carolina Chocolate Drops formed after band members Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson met at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, NC in 2005. All three trained in the Piedmont banjo and fiddle musical tradition under the tutelage of Joe Thompson, who was one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition. While old-time Southern string music is often associated with Caucasian musicians from Appalachia, Giddens pointed out in an NPR interview that “it seems that two things get left out of the history books. One, that there was string band music in the Piedmont, period. [And that] Black folk was such a huge part of string tradition.” Carolina Chocolate Drops sought to not only correct this misunderstanding but also to keep the centuries-old string music tradition alive and developing.
The members of Carolina Chocolate Drops, who came from diverse musical backgrounds, shared singing duties and swapped instruments throughout their sets. The band recently reunited for a single show at Rhiannon Giddens’ Biscuits and Banjos festival in Durham, North Carolina in April 2025. In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Black Banjo Gathering, the documentary Don’t Get Trouble In Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Story by filmmaker John Whitehead was released on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and YouTube Free4all streaming platforms.
In addition to his Grammy Award with the Chocolate Drops, Flemons has been nominated for Best Folk Album for his Smithsonian Folkways releases Black Cowboys (2018) and Traveling Wildfire (2023). Flemons was nominated for two Emmy Awards; he is an International Acoustic Music Award Grand Prize Winner, and a 2020 United States Artists Fellow. Flemons received an Honorary Doctorate from Northern Arizona University and was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2025. He is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music scholar, historian, actor, narrator, host, slam poet, record collector, podcaster, and the creator, host, and producer of The American Songster Radio Show on WSM in Nashville. He has immersed himself in the music of the past, with a prodigious record collection and an immense knowledge of the different playing styles of the blues, country, old-time, bluegrass, and string band traditions that is showcased on his social media accounts @domflemons. His solo albums include Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus (2020) and Ever Popular Favourites (2016) with Martin Simpson, Buffalo Junction (2012) with Boo Hanks, and American Songster (2009).
Giddens—a Piedmont native—is a two-time Grammy Award–winning singer and instrumentalist, 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, and composer of opera, ballet, and film. Giddens has centered her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, and advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. She is also the Artistic Director of Silkroad Ensemble, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her post-Chocolate Drops solo albums with Nonesuch include Tomorrow Is my Turn (2015), Freedom Highway (2017), there is no Other (2019), They’re Calling Me Home (2021), You’re the One (2023), American Railroad (2024) with Silkroad Ensemble, and What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow (2025) with Justin Robinson. As Pitchfork once said, “few artists are so fearless and so ravenous in their exploration”—a journey that has led to NPR naming her one of its 25 Most Influential Women Musicians of the 21st Century and to American Songwriter calling her “one of the most important musical minds currently walking the planet.” Her most recent album, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, is currently nominated for a GRAMMY.
Robinson, the group’s main fiddler, also plays banjo; he grew up in a house full of musicians—his mother is a classically trained opera singer and cellist, his sister a classical pianist and his grandfather a harmonica player. He has used his wide range of interests and talents to preserve North Carolina’s African American history and culture, connecting people to the past and to the world around them. Robinson continued to write music after leaving the group in 2011, releasing the album Bones for Tinder as Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes in 2012. In addition to preserving African American musical traditions, Robinson is known for his work as a culinary historian. He is an eighth generation Afro-Carolinian and is the descendant of sharecroppers and large landowners. He is constantly exploring the complex relationship that people have with our plant relatives, including through his social media account, @CountryGentlemanCooks, and through the formation of the Earthseed Land Cooperative. Robinson has a Master of Science degree in Forestry from North Carolina State University and carries on the ethnobotany work of his grandfather, J.G. Johnson.
Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian announce a spring tour in the US from March 14-April 7, 2026, in celebration of their critically acclaimed recent album, Saving Grace. The band, who completed a sold-out US tour just before Thanksgiving, performs in the country’s south and southwest before heading to the northeast, with stops in Austin, at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, in Knoxville for the Big Ears Festival, and in Philadelphia, before ending at New York City’s iconic Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Spring Fever 2026 artist presales at robertplant.com begin Wednesday, December 10, at noon ET with general sales beginning Friday, December 12, at 10am local time.
On Saving Grace, which was six years in the making, Plant and this group of distinguished musicians—vocalist Suzi Dian, drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley, and cellist Barney Morse-Brown—explore the evolution of roots music both vintage and modern. The band members were drawn together by a shared love of roots music—blues, folk, gospel, country, and the sounds that lay in between. Saving Grace began at Plant’s home on the Welsh borderlands in 2019; this new collective of like-minded collaborators had been experimenting for barely a year, even serving as an unheralded opening act on a handful of dates for Fairport Convention, when the pandemic intervened and any formal plans were temporarily shelved.
Once protocols permitted, Plant and Saving Grace began to record informally in a barn setup or outdoors, then booked themselves in small venues without fanfare. The self-produced album breathes fresh life into songs by Bob Mosley (Moby Grape), Blind Willie Johnson, The Low Anthem, Martha Scanlan, Sarah Siskind, and more. You can get the album and hear it here.
ROBERT PLANT & SAVING GRACE ON TOUR:
Mar 14 – Kiva Auditorium – Albuquerque, NM
Mar 16 – Tulsa Theater – Tulsa, OK
Mar 18 – Majestic Theatre – Dallas, TX
Mar 19 – Majestic Theatre – San Antonio, TX
Mar 21 – Austin City Limits at Moody Theater – Austin, TX
Mar 22 – Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, LA
Mar 24 – Orpheum Theatre – Memphis, TN
Mar 26 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Mar 28 – Big Ears Festival – Knoxville, TN
Mar 29 – The Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
Mar 31 – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC
Apr 1 – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium – Asheville, NC
Apr 2 – Ferguson Center for the Arts – Newport News, VA
Apr 4 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA
Apr 6 – Count Basie Theatre – Red Bank, NJ
Apr 7 – Cathedral of St. John the Divine – New York, NY
On Sale Information Artist presales at robertplant.com begin Wednesday, December 10, at noon ET. General sales begin Friday, December 12, at 10am local time.
Seven-time Grammy and Academy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste made his highly anticipated return to the Austin City Limits stage for Season 51, showcasing songs from his rootsy and eclectic new collection, Big Money, in an ecstatic, high-energy hour that included a performance of the title track. Austin City Limits, which is celebrating over five decades of live music, is a monumental series that continues to forge ahead with trailblazing artists, having earned countless accolades, including a Peabody Award and the National Medal of Arts, for its quality presentation of live music. Batiste’s performance airs on PBS, bringing his genre-defying music to the series that remains a monument to the legends and innovators in every genre of popular song, inspiring new generations of fans.
Blue Note Records has released Motion II by Out Of/Into featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, and bassist Matt Brewer. The all-star collective—which was initially founded as the Blue Note Quintet in celebration of the label’s 85th anniversary—is a profound embodiment of the label’s ethos, presenting state-of-the-art music and musicians while also honoring Blue Note’s rich legacy. Or as Ross puts it, “The way the collective keeps the Blue Note legacy going is by unapologetically being true to ourselves.”
The follow-up to the band’s acclaimed 2024 debut Motion I is a 2nd album of music drawn from the inspired recording sessions that took place in the midst of the group’s anniversary tour. The set presents six band member originals that point emphatically towards the future of jazz. Each composition was thoroughly explored and developed during nearly 40 live engagements at some of the nation’s finest concert halls.
“With such a long time on the road, it was really nice to reach as far as possible,” says Wilkins. Adds Clayton, “We pushed one another to reach further and dig deeper night after night. Over the course of two months, the music expanded in all directions. Things grew both tighter and looser. So much talent and creativity was on that bandstand.”
The release of Motion I was met with wide critical acclaim with DownBeat praising how the “quintet explores new dimensions of post-bop, sumptuous melodies, muscular improvisation and dynamic musicality.” MOJO raved that “this soulful five-way marries Gerald Clayton’s vivid, painterly piano with Immanuel Wilkins’ malleable alto sax and vibraphonist Joel Ross’s heady melodicism, its internal poetry enhanced by Kendrick Scott’s sophisticated drums and Matt Brewer’s intricate bass. They move freely around each other, tracing story arcs with breadth and grace.”
Maestro Andrea Bocelli performed at the Final Draw Show of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ today at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. With millions of viewers around the globe, the show brought together some of the most recognizable names in entertainment as football’s biggest stage prepared for a landmark moment.
The event was co-hosted by Emmy-winning television personality Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart, one of the most successful comedians and actors of his generation. Additional appearances included actor Danny Ramirez as well as performances by global superstar Robbie Williams, who was joined by acclaimed singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Maestro Bocelli will also perform in the evening on Dec. 5th at a special Christmas concert held in the East Room at The White House called “Christmas at The White House For America” as a gift to the country that always embraced his voice and to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.
“Nothing compares to the feeling of togetherness and warmth that the holiday season brings,” said Andrea Bocelli. “Music has the unique ability to unite us, to elevate our spirits, and to remind us of the values we share. I am humbled to perform for those who have dedicated their lives to public service and to celebrate the holiday season with them. And, as a lifelong football fan, having also performed at the FIFA World Cup Draw today, it was a profound joy to experience once again how global moments, whether in music or sport, can bring people closer.”
Maestro Andrea Bocelli is the most successful classical artist of all time who has sold nearly 90 million records and amassed over 25 billion streams since rising to fame after winning the 1994 Sanremo Music Festival. Renowned for his interpretations of major operatic works under legendary conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, and Zubin Mehta, he has earned six Grammy and six Latin Grammy nominations and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bocelli has performed for four Presidents of the United States, four Popes, the British Royal Family, and at global events around the world including the Olympic Games and World Expos. He also founded the Andrea Bocelli Foundation to advance education and healthcare worldwide. His 2020 Easter performance at Milan’s Duomo became one of the most-watched classical livestreams in history, offering an uplifting message of love, healing and hope.
