Home Blog Page 4

Brazilian Power-Pop Revivalists Banda AL9 Step Into the US Spotlight With “She Can Do It All”

Eric Alper
-
0
Brazilian Power-Pop Revivalists Banda AL9 Step Into the US Spotlight With “She Can Do It All”

A Brazilian power-pop sensation is making serious inroads stateside. Banda AL9 are off and running in the US with their new single “She Can Do It All,” out now via Wicked Cool Records. It marks the band’s first official American single and arrives amid a surge of momentum that includes a triumphant New York City debut, a live performance on SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage, and one of the station’s coveted “Coolest Song in the World” honours. Listen here.

The live show is translating across borders. Fresh off a sold-out first US appearance at The Cutting Room in New York, the band packed the room with a tight, hook-filled set of chiming guitars, dual-lead vocals, and infectious enthusiasm. That same week they performed on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, a major co-sign from one of rock’s most influential tastemakers.

Written by Kurt Baker and Wyatt Funderburk, “She Can Do It All” showcases the band’s blend of classic power-pop sparkle and modern indie urgency. “As soon as we heard ‘She Can Do It All,’ it immediately felt like a perfect fit for Banda AL9,” the band share. “The song has strong, memorable melodies, great vocal openings, and lyrics about love that really reflect what the band is all about. From the first listen, we could already hear ourselves singing it.” Produced by Matheus Khouri and Thiago Khouri, mixed by Wyatt Funderburk, and mastered by Justin Perkins, the single bursts with tight harmonies and crisp guitars, with a video directed by the Khouri brothers capturing the group’s retro-tinged flair.

Formed in 2017 and led by brothers Matheus Khouri (vocals, lead guitar) and Thiago Khouri (vocals, bass), Banda AL9 first gained traction through acoustic covers before exploding online with viral originals, amassing millions of streams and over 2 million followers. Their rise has drawn major co-signs, including praise from Justin Hawkins of The Darkness and an endorsement from Steve Aoki, who covered their hit “Chama de Amor,” invited them to Tomorrowland Brazil, and joined them again in 2025 for a stadium performance at São Paulo’s Allianz Parque.

Now signed to Wicked Cool Records, founded by Little Steven Van Zandt, the band channel their Beatles-meets-early-Who energy through a distinctly Brazilian lens, fusing ’60s-inspired melodies with contemporary indie drive. “She Can Do It All” is the first taste of their forthcoming album ‘Hey! Hey! We’re Banda AL9,’ due July 17. With their US debut behind them and tastemakers firmly in their corner, Banda AL9 are stepping into their biggest chapter yet.

Garage-Rock Stalwarts The Woggles Crank It Up on New Single “Love Tick”

Eric Alper
-
0

More than three decades in, The Woggles still play like the shark that has to keep moving. The garage-rock stalwarts kick off 2026 with their brand-new single “Love Tick,” out now, arriving alongside their collection ‘Stop and Take A Minute,’ a handpicked set of B-sides and rarities now out via Wicked Cool Records. Listen here.

Written by frontman “The Professor” Mighty Manfred and guitarist Peter Greenberg (Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, The Lyres, DMZ), “Love Tick” is a high-voltage dose of the band’s signature rock ‘n’ soul swagger, born out of a creative partnership that took shape during the pandemic. “Our bands touring together in the past built a friendship that led to us writing songs during the pandemic,” says Greenberg. “‘Love Tick’ tells the story of Manfred’s attraction to ladies worldwide.”

While the single surges forward with fresh electricity, ‘Stop and Take A Minute’ digs deep into the vault, gathering hard-to-find tracks, overlooked gems, and choice cuts that showcase the band’s raw power and enduring groove. Far from a simple retrospective, it captures the breadth of a group that’s spent more than 30 years keeping real rock ‘n’ roll alive and dangerous.

For a band this deep into its run, The Woggles operate as a forward-moving force rather than a legacy act. “The band is not as much an institution as a way of life,” says Mighty Manfred. “The main thing is to keep swimming, ’cause the shark has got to keep moving.” That momentum is powered by a formidable lineup: a twin-guitar attack from Graham Day (The Prisoners, Solar Flares, Thee Mighty Caesars) and Shane Pringle (Tiger! Tiger!, Bad Spell), with Pringle also on saxophone, anchored by the rhythm section of Buzz Hagstrom (bass) and Dan Elektro (drums).

Drawing from early rock ‘n’ roll and R&B through ’60s garage, soul, and the British Invasion, The Woggles fuse vintage fire into a singular sound, hard, loud, and delivered with more majesty than recklessness. Having shared stages with legends including Johnny Cash, Link Wray, and The Zombies, their live reputation remains untouchable. As Meredith Ochs declared on NPR’s All Songs Considered, a Woggles show will change your life.

Upcoming Shows:

July 31 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill

August 1 – Sacramento, CA – Torch Club

August 4 – Palmdale, CA – Transplants Brewery

August 6 – Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar

August 8 – Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records Roadhouse

South-West Wales Indie-Pop Artist Brook Fox Throws a Hometown Anthem With “Together”

Eric Alper
-
0
South-West Wales Indie-Pop Artist Brook Fox Throws a Hometown Anthem With “Together”

A night out in his hometown turned into a love letter to the music that started it all. South-West Wales artist Brook Fox returns with “Together,” a vibrant indie-pop/rock single inspired by the electric energy of the 2000s and early 2010s indie scene. It’s out now.

Drawing on Bloc Party and Two Door Cinema Club, the track is built around chunky guitars, offbeat disco drums, and a simple but effective chorus, the right ingredients for an indie anthem. It also marks the debut studio performance of Brook Fox’s live band, whose energetic sets have seen them support Liverpool’s Keyside and Glastonbury performer Mali-Haf. That energy carries straight into the recording, made with trusted producer and mixer Tim Hamill.

The song came from a personal place. “This song is a love letter to the songs that inspired me in the first place, writing this felt like rediscovering my obsession with music,” says Brook Fox. “Lyrically it’s just based around a night out in my hometown and just wanting to escape the judgement of being different, I think it’ll speak to a lot of people.”

The BBC Radio Welsh A-Lister has hinted that “Together” is just one piece of a larger puzzle, though only time will tell whether a bigger project is on the way. Fox first grew obsessed with songwriting during the 2020 pandemic, idolising Sam Fender and Catfish and the Bottlemen for their ear-worm hooks and working-class lyricism, and that emotionally direct streak runs right through this release.

Upcoming Live Dates 2026:

June 11th – Fuel, Cardiff

June 12th – Bunkhouse, Swansea

Indie-Rock Favorites Tigers Jaw Drift Inward on Sweeping New Single “BREEZER”

Eric Alper
-
0
Indie-Rock Favorites Tigers Jaw Drift Inward on Sweeping New Single “BREEZER”

An inward journey gets the short-film treatment on the latest from Tigers Jaw. The band have shared “BREEZER,” a sweeping single from their new album ‘Lost on You,’ out now via Hopeless Records. It arrives alongside a cinematic video directed by Rebecca Lader and Kelsey Ayres that spotlights Brianna Collins as both lead vocalist and featured star, wandering in solitude through palatial, otherworldly scenes.

The directors approached it as more than a clip. “From the beginning, we imagined ‘BREEZER’ as an inward journey, a world shaped by comfort, solitude, and self-connection rather than isolation,” Lader and Ayres explain. “The film becomes Brianna’s inner landscape: a lived-in, ceremonial space where memory and ritual feel sacred and emotionally honest.” Inspired by Romanticism, mythology, and the still intimacy of Sofia Coppola, Alex Prager, and David Lynch, they let every choice of pacing, framing, and light follow emotion rather than tempo.

The song works the same emotional terrain. “I tend to romanticize past versions of myself in moments of uncertainty, while also finding comfort in life’s unpredictability,” Collins explains. “‘BREEZER’ is about the ebb and flow of insecurity, doubt, and escapism, and my gradual acceptance of the cyclical nature of these feelings.”

“BREEZER” is the band’s fourth single ahead of ‘Lost on You,’ following “Primary Colors,” “Ghost,” and “Head is Like a Sinking Stone,” which earned praise from Kerrang!, The Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and The Needle Drop. Collins recently appeared on Jeremy Bolm’s The First Ever Podcast, while bandmate Ben Walsh guested on Indie Basketball, each discussing the record. The band will also appear at Outbreak Fest in Manchester in June.

‘Lost on You’ was produced and engineered by longtime collaborator Will Yip (Turnstile, Movements) at his famed Studio 4 in Philadelphia, and continues what listeners have always loved about Tigers Jaw: the pounding rhythm section, melodic leads that shift from instrument to instrument, and Walsh and Collins’ overlapping vocals. While decidedly of the present, it stays embedded in their history, with moments that would feel at home at the defunct Scranton venue Test Pattern just as much as in the huge halls of Philadelphia’s Union Transfer, which they now sell out. The scene’s present moment owes a lot to Tigers Jaw, and the group keeps moving forward.

‘Lost on You’ Tracklist:

  1. It’s ok
  2. Primary Colors
  3. Head is Like a Sinking Stone
  4. Anxious Blade
  5. Baptized on a Redwood Drive
  6. BREEZER
  7. Ghost
  8. Staring at Empty Faces
  9. Light Leaks Through
  10. Roses + Thorns
  11. Lost on You

Charlie Puth Sweats Through the Spicy Wings on Hot Ones

Eric Alper
-
0
Charlie Puth Sweats Through the Spicy Wings on Hot Ones

Four-time Grammy nominee Charlie Puth takes on the gauntlet of increasingly spicy wings in the latest episode of Hot Ones, riffing on yacht rock, SpongeBob SquarePants, and why hot sauce makes him as nervous as singing the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl, all while breaking down the emotional impact of chord structures and his early hustle days. The hot-seat appearance lands as Puth rolls out his album ‘Whatever’s Clever.,’ out now, with singles “Changes” and “Beat Yourself Up” leading the way and a world tour to follow.

Austin Singer Sarah Sharp Reimagines Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”

Eric Alper
-
0
Austin Singer Sarah Sharp Reimagines Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”

A song born from loss anchors the debut from Sarah Sharp. The Austin-based singer-songwriter has released her interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” the first taste of her debut album ‘Deja Vu,’ which is out now via Spaceflight Records. A staple of the Austin scene and former leader of the critically acclaimed Jitterbug Vipers, Sharp blends intimate, nocturnal arrangements with serious vocal prowess.

The Dylan cover carries deep personal history. Sharp started performing it during her nine-year residency at the Elephant Room in Austin when a former boyfriend developed cancer and passed away soon after. Her reading reflects on the disappointment of past relationships, embodying life experience and loss.

The timing of the debut came down to family. “My kids are now old enough,” Sharp says, underscoring her commitment as a single mother. “I want to play for way more people. Traveling with your music to other parts of the world is like running up and saying hello to parts of yourself that you can’t always access. It’s so powerful to integrate them. I’m always striving to become whole while keeping my heart open, living in the flow of what my friends call ‘Sarahdipity.'”

The record came together in a fitting setting. After her Elephant Room residency, Sharp recorded ‘Deja Vu’ in the studio of local guitar legend Eric Johnson, who offered the space after being mesmerized by one of her performances. The result crosses jazz, folk, and americana, a wide cinematic canvas for a haunting emotional journey, carried by a smokey vocal in the lineage of Norah Jones.

Sharp brings a decorated track record. She’s a three-time Austin Music Awards winner for Best Jazz, and beyond her success with the Jitterbug Vipers, she’s a widely acclaimed commercial songwriter for brands like Kia, Chanel, and Macy’s, with compositions that have drawn millions of streams and a feature on NPR’s Song Travels. ‘Deja Vu’ marks her stepping into the national spotlight as a solo artist, conveying vulnerability through sound alongside a band that’s shaped this music over years of performance.

‘Deja Vu’ Tracklist:

  1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
  2. The Boy From Ipanema
  3. It’s Been A Long, Long Time
  4. The Nearness of You
  5. Sweet Lotus Blossom
  6. For No One
  7. I’m Beginning To See The Light
  8. I Think It’s Going To Rain
  9. Losing My Mind
  10. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
  11. Moon River

Sam Smith Surprises San Francisco With a Duet Alongside Sienna Spiro

Eric Alper
-
0
Sam Smith Surprises San Francisco With a Duet Alongside Sienna Spiro

A San Francisco crowd got more than they bargained for. Sam Smith surprised fans with special guest Sienna Spiro during their “To Be Free: San Francisco” residency at the Castro Theatre, a run of rare, up-close performances ringing in the venue’s reopening after two years of renovations.

Alongside Sam’s biggest hits and previews of unreleased songs, fans were treated to a stunning duet version of Sienna’s breakout hit “Die On This Hill.” The moment closed a full circle for the duo, who first shared a stage when Sienna opened six nights of Sam’s “To Be Free: New York City” residency in late 2025, performing an unforgettable duet of Sam’s “Lay Me Down.”

Sienna Spiro is having a genuine moment. At just 20 years old, she’s found a global audience with cinematic, soulful, timeless yet subtly modern songs, and especially with her jaw-dropping live performances. Her first-ever North American headlining run, “The Visitor Tour,” kicked off at the Troubadour in Hollywood to rave reviews, with Variety calling the performance thrilling and tipping her as one of the greatest voices of her generation. The tour sold out within seconds, with extra dates added due to demand, and wrapped with back-to-back nights at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Her single “The Visitor” is out now via Capitol Records.

Sam’s San Francisco residency continues the “To Be Free: New York City” series, which began in October at Brooklyn’s historic Warsaw club and extended through December due to overwhelming demand. The intimate run follows their single “To Be Free,” praised by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and more, a track exploring how vulnerability can unlock bravery and freedom, featuring vocals by The TwoCity Chorus.

Frontiers Records Marks 30 Years With a New Take on “Viva La Victoria” Featuring Dyan Mair

Eric Alper
-
0
Frontiers Records Marks 30 Years With a New Take on “Viva La Victoria” Featuring Dyan Mair

Three decades of melodic rock get a fresh anthem. Frontiers Records continues its 30th anniversary celebrations with a brand new rendition of “Viva La Victoria,” featuring Greek hard rock and metal singer Dyan Mair. It’s out now.

Originally released by Eclipse in 2019, “Viva La Victoria” quickly became one of the band’s signature tracks, celebrated for its driving riffs and arena-ready chorus. Mair reimagines it here with a powerful, charismatic vocal performance, having served as lead vocalist of German rock band Bonfire from 2022 to 2025, featuring on re-recorded classics and their latest album ‘Higher Ground.’

Mair framed the song as a rallying cry. “Fight for your dreams. Never let anyone, not even your own doubts, make you give up,” he commented. “One day, you’ll be proud to say out loud: Viva La Victoria! just like Frontiers has for 30 years. Here’s to another 30!”

The recording is part of the label’s wider celebration, revisiting standout songs from its catalogue with fresh performances from a new generation of rock vocalists. Under the production of Aldo Lonobile, the single features a stellar lineup: Alessandro Mammola (guitar), Andrea Arcangeli (bass), Alessio Lucatti (keyboards), and Alfonso Mocerino (drums).

The result honours the songs that helped define the label’s legacy while bringing them to life for new listeners, a fitting toast to the enduring spirit of one of melodic rock’s most dedicated homes.

Arlo Parks Maps Out a Sprawling 2026 “Desire” Global Tour

Eric Alper
-
0
Arlo Parks Maps Out a Sprawling 2026 “Desire” Global Tour

Arlo Parks is about to circle the globe. The twice Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning artist has announced her 2026 “Desire” global headlining tour, a sprawling run that stretches from August into December and takes in venues across North America, the UK, and Europe, including London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The dates support her new album ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ which is out now.

The album finds Parks at her most confident and experimental. It references everything from the queer hedonism of NYC’s Paradise Garage to the moody nocturnal British beats of The Streets and Burial, the glittering synth catharsis of LCD Soundsystem, and the rooted house grooves of Theo Parrish. A soundtrack to unguarded self-expression, it’s a life-affirming new piece of work from one of music’s most irrepressible voices.

London-born Parks has built a remarkable run in a short time. She won the Mercury Music Prize for her 2021 debut ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams,’ took Breakthrough Artist at the 2021 Brit Awards, and earned two Grammy and Ivor Novello nominations. Her follow-up ‘My Soft Machine’ featured the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and kept her touring globally, and in 2025 she became the youngest ever appointed UNICEF Ambassador as she continues her humanitarian work.

The tour also folds in a special support performance with David Byrne in Ireland, plus a series of sold-out intimate UK record store shows celebrating the album’s release, giving fans a rare up-close setting. Tickets for the headline run are on sale now.

Arlo Parks 2026 Desire Tour Dates:

Aug 29 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre

Aug 31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

Sep 01 – Boston, MA @ Royale

Sep 03 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS

Sep 04 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY

Sep 05 – Detroit, MI @ Lincoln Factory

Sep 09 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

Sep 10 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk

Sep 14 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park

Sep 15 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s

Sep 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether

Sep 19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

Sep 21 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo

Sep 22 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre

Sep 23 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

Sep 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

Sep 26 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre

Sep 29 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

Oct 01 – Queens, NY @ Knockdown Center

Oct 17 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Ambassador Theatre

Oct 20 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton

Oct 24 – Glasgow, UK @ Old Fruitmarket

Oct 25 – Bristol, UK @ The Prospect Building

Oct 26 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall

Oct 28 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg

Oct 30 – Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk Victoria

Oct 31 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall

Nov 03 – Brussels, Belgium @ Cirque Royal

Nov 08 – Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique

Nov 10 – Madrid, Spain @ La Riviera

Nov 11 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Lisboa ao Vivo

Nov 13 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Apolo

Nov 16 – Munich, Germany @ Muffathalle

Nov 18 – Warsaw, Poland @ Palladium

Nov 19 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien

Nov 21 – Prague, Czech Republic @ ARCHA+

Nov 22 – Budapest, Hungary @ Akvárium Klub

Nov 24 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Kaufleuten

Nov 26 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg @ den Atelier

Nov 29 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Store Vega

Dec 01 – Oslo, Norway @ Parkteatret

Dec 02 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan

Metallica Expand Their “Life Burns Faster” Sphere Residency to 24 Shows

Eric Alper
-
0
Metallica Expand Their “Life Burns Faster” Sphere Residency to 24 Shows

Metallica are going all in on Las Vegas. The band have extended their upcoming “Life Burns Faster” residency at Sphere into March 2027, bringing the run to 24 shows over 12 weekends. According to the band, these appear to be the final shows.

“This is it, we’re maxing out Life Burns Faster,” the band write. “Four more dates have been added to the run, bringing our upcoming Sphere residency to 24 shows.” Those four March shows follow six dates added earlier in the day and six more announced earlier in the week.

The residency debuts on October 1 and 3, 15 and 17, 22 and 24, and 29 and 31, 2026, and continues the No Repeat Weekend tradition that began with the 2023 kick-off of the M72 World Tour, with no songs repeated across each Thursday and Saturday throughout the run. For the fan who refuses to miss a thing, the ultimate pass returns, now called the Full House Ticket (formerly the I Disappear Ticket), granting entry to every Metallica show at Sphere in 2026. A full slate of travel packages and VIP experiences is also on offer, from meet and greets and onstage photo ops to the Black Box Experience and a coveted spot in the Snake Pit.

The shows will pull live staples and surprises from across the Metallica catalog, enhanced by the venue’s immersive technologies. Sphere’s tools, including the world’s highest resolution LED display that wraps up, over, and around the audience, Sphere Immersive Sound, and multi-sensory 4D technology, promise a wholly new Metallica experience for everyone in the room, James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert included.

The idea took root in an instant. “About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in ’23, I thought, ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!'” drummer Lars Ulrich shares. “This residency gives us another chance to reinvent how we interact with our fans in a live setting. We are beyond excited to share this with the world in six months time, and way psyched to go next level!”

The run caps a remarkable stretch for the band, whose M72 World Tour has played to more than four million fans across Europe, North America, the Pacific Rim, and the Middle East since spring 2023. Produced by Live Nation and presented by inKind, the residency adds another bold chapter to Metallica’s 40-plus years of reinventing the live experience. Tickets are on sale now.

Metallica Life Burns Faster at Sphere 2026 Dates:

October 1 and 3

October 15 and 17

October 22 and 24

October 29 and 31

1...345...3,769Page 4 of 3,769

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper