The Bacon Brothers look forward to taking their show on the road this Summer. The 5-piece outfit is rehearsed and raring to go and looks forward to playing at sold-out houses of enthusiastic fans along the way. Kevin declares, “Connecting with people through music is a joy!”
The Bacon Brothers, featuring Michael & Kevin Bacon, have spent over three decades creating their own mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music. They call that diverse sound “Forosoco,” it’s taken them worldwide, from headlining gigs in Japan to American performances at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and Gruene Hall. They’ve been featured by the BBC, Associated Press, SiriusXM, Billboard, and Paste Magazine and have appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Carpool Karaoke, just to name a few.
They’ve released twelve records, the most recent being the 2024 release, Ballad Of The Brothers. It’s a record that highlights the similarities between Kevin Bacon (known worldwide as an A-list Hollywood actor) and Michael Bacon (celebrated as an Emmy-winning composer) and the differences, too.
The critics have embraced The Bacon Brothers with The Alternate Root declaring, “Ballad of the Brothers offers the kind of competence and credibility that most bands would be delighted to enjoy. The Bacons are sizzling yet again.” Taste of Country stated simply that the pair made “Breezy, anthemic country rock,” and Ink 19 effused “The Bacon Brothers have come full circle, creating their own soundtrack that resonates with authenticity and innovation.”
In April, Kevin and Jennifer Nettles released an album inspired by the television show The Bondsman, which premiered on Amazon Prime. Several of the songs written and performed by Bacon and Nettles are included in the series, and some of the songs are included in their album, with a video created for “Hell And Back”. Rounding out the collection is “Digging”, a track co-written with Michael Bacon.
TOUR DATES 8/30 Orkney Springs, VA Shenandoah Music Festival 8/31 Annapolis, MD Maryland Hall 9/4 Erie, PA Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center 9/5 + 9/6 Clayton, NY Clayton Opera House 9/11 Plymouth, NH The Flying Monkey 9/12 Derry, NH Tupelo Music Hall 9/13 Uncasville, CT The Cabaret Theatre 9/14 Huntington, NY The Paramount 10/24 Coppell, TX The Coppell Arts Center 10/25 Salina, KS The Stiefel Theatre
Whitechapel will hit the road this fall for their Rituals Of Hate headlining run across the U.S., where they’ll be performing their entire new album Hymns In Dissonance live. The trek kicks off November 12 and wraps December 14, covering over two dozen dates.
Joining them on the bill are Bodysnatcher, Angelmaker, and Disembodied Tyrant.
11/12 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva 11/14 Harrisburg, PA @ Reverb 11/15 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza 11/16 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s 11/17 Albany, NY @ Empire 11/19 Rochester, NY @ Anthology 11/20 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre 11/21 Cleveland, OH @ Globe Iron 11/22 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue Theatre 11/23 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection 11/25 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave 11/26 Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s 11/28 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall 11/29 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman 11/30 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom 12/02 Little Rock, AR @ The Hall 12/03 Birmingham, AL @ Iron City 12/04 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall 12/05 Jacksonville, FL @ FIVE 12/06 Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues 12/08 Richmond, VA @ The National 12/09 Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 12/10 Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal 12/12 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues 12/13 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel 02/14 Knoxville, TN @ Mill & Mine
Australian technical death metal band Psycroptic announced today that they have signed with Metal Blade Records and are finishing up recording their ninth studio album. The band also shared the first single from the upcoming release, “Architects of Extinction,” along with a music video directed by Robert Brens.
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, the Connecticut 4th wave emo band, is back with a new single, “Beware the Centrist,” which showcases a heavier direction for the group. In the band’s Instagram story, they noted the track was actually cut short “due to [a] guitar head breaking off randomly.
Legendary metal band Metallica have announced that two of their landmark albums have now attained new RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certifications.
Metallica’s self-titled fifth album (aka The Black Album) has been certified 20x platinum for sales in excess of 20 million copies, while the band’s third full length, Master of Puppets, has been certified 8x platinum having crossed the eight million mark.
The Black Album‘s 1991 release not only gave Metallica its first No. 1 album in no fewer than 10 countries, including a 4-week run at No. 1 in the U.S., its series of singles — “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “Sad But True” — propelled the band to household name status and made them stadium headliners. The album remains the best-selling album of the Luminate era, outselling every release in every genre over the past three decades.
Meanwhile, Metallica’s 1986 breakthrough third LP Master of Puppets has attained 8x platinum status, having sold more than eight million albums. The heaviest album ever to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” Master of Puppets has long been regarded as a watershed moment in the history of rock music. Its title track recently joined “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” in the billion streams club, and is now the second longest song to achieve said status (behind Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”).
Metallica is currently in the midst of the third year of its “M72 World Tour,” which has seen the band play to more than three million fans across the globe.
The Band CAMINO is back. The Nashville-based trio – comprised of Jeffery Jordan, Spencer Stewart, and Garrison Burgess – release “Baggy Jeans,” their second new single of 2025 after kicking off with “Infinity” last month. Co-written with Captain Cuts, the track’s synths slip into the undertow of an upbeat groove punctuated by a hummable harmony and a hypnotic hook.
Since forming in 2015, The Band CAMINO has amassed nearly 1 billion career streams (fueled by the likes of “2 /14” and “See Through”), sold out global headline tours, and received critical acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Billboard and more across two full-length albums and four EPs. They have delivered showstopping performances on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, in addition to major festival sets at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and more. The band now enters their tenth year with a slate of exhilarating new music, coming soon.
Choosing the right proposal software is crucial for enhancing the efficiency and productivity of your business’s proposal development process. It streamlines the creation, distribution, and tracking of proposals, ultimately contributing to better sales performance and client relations. Whether you’re a freelancer, part of a small business, or a member of a larger corporation, the benefits of utilizing sophisticated proposal software cannot be overstated. To help you navigate the myriad options available, this article provides key insights into the features and considerations to keep in mind when selecting the ideal proposal management tool. Keep reading to uncover the essentials for making an informed decision.
Understanding the Basics of Proposal Software
Alt text: A person typing on a laptop, seeking information about what is the best proposal software solution.
Proposal software simplifies how teams create and manage professional documents by automating much of the process. These tools pull data from different sources to produce consistent, customized proposals with less manual effort. With features like real-time editing and team collaboration, everyone stays aligned, which is especially helpful when multiple stakeholders are involved.
When considering what is the best proposal software, it really depends on your specific needs. Qvidian is a strong option for businesses looking for a secure, efficient platform with robust collaboration and data protection features. Look for essential functions like encryption, access controls, and secure hosting to ensure your proposal content stays safe.
Key Features to Look for in Proposal Software
When evaluating proposal software, key features include a robust template library for consistency and a high level of personalization to tailor content for each client. Analytical tools are vital, offering metrics like read receipts and section engagement to gauge client interest and refine strategies.
A streamlined content management system ensures easy access to vital elements such as case studies and service descriptions, promoting accuracy and efficiency. Software with electronic signature capabilities speeds up the approval process by eliminating manual signing, ultimately shortening the sales cycle. These combined features enhance the overall effectiveness and responsiveness of proposal creation and delivery.
Integration Capabilities with Other Tools and Systems
Effective proposal software stands out through its seamless integration with tools your business already uses. Connecting with CRM systems enables automatic data entry, reducing errors and saving time. Integration with cloud storage allows team members to access proposals remotely, supporting a mobile work environment.
Accounting software integration helps streamline invoicing after proposal approval. Meanwhile, connecting with collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams boosts internal communication by providing real-time updates and alerts. These features enhance teamwork and proposal tracking. It’s also essential to consider the level of technical support provided for integrations to ensure smooth implementation and ongoing functionality.
Evaluating the User Experience and Interface Design
Alt text: A person evaluates user experience and interface design while using a laptop, with a pen and paper beside them.
An intuitive user interface is essential for maximizing the value of proposal software, as it minimizes training time and supports smooth adoption. The ideal tool strikes a balance between advanced functionality and ease of use, offering a manageable learning curve. Guided features, such as prompts and tips, help users navigate the proposal process efficiently.
Customizable interfaces further improve the user experience by allowing individuals to tailor their workspace for comfort and productivity. Usability testing, including trial versions or demos, is an effective way to assess interface design and determine if the software aligns with the team’s workflow and preferences.
Assessing Pricing Models and Return on Investment for Proposal Software
When selecting proposal software, understanding the pricing model is crucial. Options range from subscription-based plans to per-user or per-proposal fees, so it’s important to align costs with usage. Be mindful of potential extra expenses like fees for added features, updates, or additional licenses. A transparent pricing structure helps avoid surprises.
Evaluating return on investment (ROI) is equally important—consider time saved, higher conversion rates, and scalability. Enhanced proposal quality can boost win rates, adding to the software’s value. Also, factor in the importance of customer support and training, as these can be hidden costs but are essential for maximizing the software’s effectiveness.
Altogether, selecting the right proposal software can significantly influence your business’s success. By focusing on key features, integration capabilities, user experience, and pricing models, you can choose a platform that maximizes efficiency and ROI. The goal is to find a solution that not only meets your current needs but also supports the growth and evolution of your proposal processes.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
Austin, TX four-piece Die Spitz share a video for “Punishers,” the final single from the band’s forthcoming debut album, Something to Consume, due Sept 12 via Third Man Records.
“‘Punishers’ is about things or people who ‘punish.’ Whether it’s withholding love, jealousy, or keeping someone or even yourself hooked in a cycle—the song captures the feelings of insanity and frustration punishers bring,” Chloe De St. Aubin explains. Of the Justin Wilson-directed video, she says “the ‘Punishers’ video features the story of a sad clown with little talent to give…but with her heart on her sleeve, she still yearns to be a star.”
As postmodern society crumbles, Texas four-piece Die Spitz combine their passion, friendship, identity, and artistry to fight against the inescapable decay that surrounds life on their debut album, Something to Consume. “There’s a political side to it, but addiction and love can also be all-consuming,” Eleanor Livingston says. And as the band trade off instruments, swapping songwriting and vocal duties, and generating powerful songwriting in concussive bursts, Die Spitz have created their own little pocket of the world where we can all stand on the edge together.
Something to Consume moves with rapturous conviction thanks in part to the deft production hand of Studio 4’s Will Yip (Turnstile, Mannequin Pussy). Though only recently in their 20s, Die Spitz’s impressive musicianship ties them clearly to a long lineage of frustrated people hoping to inspire change. “Some people aren’t interested in being political activists via music, but it weighs on me heavily and I feel misaligned with my calling if I don’t,” Chloe De St. Aubin says. “The four of us are free spirits with multiple interests, and there’s no limit or power dynamic that can derail us.”
Die Spitz is taking their infamous riotous live show, which regularly feature dueling cartwheels, climbing of rafters and solos while crowdsurfing, on the road this fall on a tour that includes support dates with Viagra Boys and a headline run in support of Something to Consume. All dates below.
Die Spitz is Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe De St. Aubin, Eleanor Livingston, and Kate Halter.
North America Tour Dates:
09/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl * – SOLD OUT
09/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl * – SOLD OUT
09/12 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * – SOLD OUT
09/13 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * – SOLD OUT
09/14 – Forest Grove, OR @ McMenamins Grand Lodge * – SOLD OUT
09/17 – Saint Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre *
09/18 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed *
09/20 – Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory at the Masquerade *
09/20 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
09/23 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner *
09/25 – New York, NY @ Avant Gardner * – SOLD OUT
09/26 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem *
09/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall * – SOLD OUT
10/05 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
10/07 – Boise, ID @ The Shredder
10/10 – Seattle, WA @ Baba Yaga
10/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
10/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
10/17 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
10/24 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
11/07 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head
11/08 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
11/11 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
11/14 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
11/15 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
11/22 – Nashville, TN @ The Blue Room at Third Man Records
w/ Viagra Boys
The members of Die Spitz are Austin natives, with Schrobilgen and Livingston having met in preschool, befriending Halter in middle school, and immediately bringing De St. Aubin into their inner circle when they formed the band in 2022. The group was initially just looking to find reasons to hang out more often, and decided to start a band after a late-night viewing of the Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt. Though they’ve only been playing together a few years (not to mention Halter only learning to play bass to start the band), Something to Consume shows a maturity and technical prowess always wielded in service of their profound friendship.
The group settled on the name Die Spitz over a “brown bag of Fireball”, opting for the feminine German definite article in place of the English. “It reminds me of the Grim Reaper spitting,” Livingston jokes. At their first live shows, they paired originals with covers from some of their inspirations: Black Sabbath, Pixies, Mudhoney, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana. The beguiling “Pop Punk Anthem” somehow encapsulates elements throughout that large musical swath, building from roiling verses to a growled chorus. “It may sound like a love song at first, but when the beat kicks in it’s the obsession that takes over,” Schrobilgen says. “The words ‘you’re a part of me’ sound loving but it can be an insane emotion and privilege over someone else’s life.”
Across 11 tracks, Something to Consume contains multitudes and yet feels of a singular piece, an expansive and expressive set unified in its camaraderie and freedom. “We depend on our freedom—freedom to do what we want, present the ideas we want, make the music we want,” Livingston says. “Whether it’s based in metal or something soft, no matter which of us wrote the song, we all contribute and work together. As a person, I don’t have a strong ego or voice, but within this band each one of us is capable of so much more.”
Denver’s rising art-rock band GLASS HUMAN has premiered a new video for the latest single, “Tongue Tied,” from the band’s newly released EP, The Hive.
“Tongue Tied” is the 2nd official music video from Glass Human’s sophomore EP The Hive, and their unofficial ode to Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.” It’s about violence that loops endlessly, much like the bassline driving the whole track. But it’s not all doom and gloom—the video flips between destruction and rebuilding. It’s one of their favorite songs to play—drummer John Willis puts it best: “I love the chaos in it. It’s cathartic as fuck.”
GLASS HUMAN enlisted the help of their friend Ryan Eschenbach (Butta Boy Studios) to produce the video. “He really helped bring Tongue Tied’s push-and-pull to life, capturing both the building and destroying at the heart of the song,” says vocalist and keys player Emily Shreve.
“One scene shows hands taking various objects from me, a direct nod to the lyric: ‘They take my dreams, they steal my eyes, always frozen out in space.’ It’s about the way violence strips people of everything, and how that “frozen in space” feeling mirrors the cycle that never ends.”
Upstate New York band FIGHT FROM WITHIN are thrilled to announce the October 3 release of their new album TALK IS CHEAP. It arrives via TLG|ZOID/Virgin Music Group.
“This album is an accumulation of everything we’ve been through the last three years in the music industry and our personal lives,” the band, who has grabbed attention when taking the stage at Sonic Temple (2025), Inkcarceration (2023 + 2024), and The Gathering of the Juggles (2025), among others, says. “At the end of the day, talk is cheap. Go out and get what you want — and just stop talking about it.”
Facts are facts. And Fight From Within are going out and getting what they want, making fans at every show in every town they play. They will hit the road this fall for month-long trek. All dates are below. The band will also appear at Louder Than Life in Louisville next month.
TALK IS CHEAP TRACK LISTING: “Talk Is Cheap“ “Abort“ “Letdown” “Hard Flex” (Feat. Jacob Wallace) “Show Me Your Worst” “Anxiety“ “Deadweight“ “Collapse“ “MALEVOLENCE“ “Get Back” (Ludacris Cover)
FIGHT FROM WITHIN ON TOUR: 10/3 — Sharkey’s Bar And Grill — Liverpool, NY 10/4 —Capital City Music Hall — Harrisburg, PA 10/5 — Super Rad Arcade — Lynchburg, VA 10/7 — The Foundry — Cleveland, OH 10/8 — The Elm — Henderson, KY 10/9 — Ace Of Cups — Columbus, OH 10/10 — Black Circle — Indianapolis, IN 11/11 — Plaza Billards Center Cape — Girardeau, MO 10/12 — Lefty’s Live Music — Des Moines, IA 10/14 — Your Mom’s House — Denver, CO 10/15 — TBA 10/16 — Sunset Underground — Amarillo, TX 10/17 — Lamented Fest — Haltom City, TX 10/18 — Boozerz Rock Bar — Corpus Christi, TX 10/19 — The End — Houston, TX 10/21 — Alabama Music Box — Mobile, AL 10/22 — The Albatross — Jacksonville, FL 10/23 — The Conduit — Winter Park, FL 10/24 — 529 — Atlanta, GA 10/25 — H864 Havok Hal —l Anderson, SC 10/26 — Chapel Of Bones — Raleigh, NC 10/28 — The Rooster — Gastonia, NC 10/29 — TBA 10/30 — The Cobra — Nashville, TN 10/31 — TBA 11/1 — Wrong Side 812 — Jeffersonville, IN
