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Americana/Bluegrass Greats Steep Canyon Rangers Release Empowering New Single “Next Act”

Eric Alper
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Americana/Bluegrass Greats Steep Canyon Rangers Release Empowering New Single “Next Act”

GRAMMY Award-winning Americana and bluegrass ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers return with the universally empowering song “Next Act,” available today on all streaming platforms.

A stirring anthem of reinvention, “Next Act” showcases the Rangers’ signature blend of Americana and bluegrass fire with rootsy storytelling, rich, harmony-laced sound, and soulful musicianship carried by Burdett’s commanding lead vocal.

Written by Graham Sharp and Aaron Burdett, “Next Act” follows the journey of a woman rising from heartbreak and reclaiming her independence.

Of the song, Sharp offers: “‘Next Act’ was inspired by a friend of mine I greatly admire. I saw her get done wrong in a relationship she had built her life around. She looked her heartbreak in the eye, got to work, and moved on to a version of herself that was even wiser and freer. A good reminder that we don’t have to be defined by our past if we’re willing to keep growing.”

Recorded by Julian Dryer, mixed by Derek Studt, and produced by Steep Canyon Rangers, “Next Act” features the Rangers’ trademark instrumental brilliance by Aaron Burdett (guitar, lead vocals); Michael Ashworth (percussion, harmony vocals); Mike Guggino (mandola, harmony vocals); Nicky Sanders (fiddle); Barrett Smith (bass); and Graham Sharp (banjo).

Alongside the new single release, the band has announced an extensive run of tour dates stretching into 2026, including high-profile performances with longtime collaborators Steve Martin and Martin Short, as well as six festival appearances–Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, North Carolina Folk Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival and the 19th annual Mountain Song Festival, a band-curated festival benefitting The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County. A complete list of dates is below; tickets are available here.

“Next Act” is the first new music following 2024’s Live at Greenfield Lake, the band’s first live album of original material. Upon release, it set a record for the most No.1 albums on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart, tying with the Old Crow Medicine Show, and also debuted on a total of six Billboard charts.

As torchbearers of Americana and bluegrass music, the Steep Canyon Rangers have crafted their unique sound for 25 years. Comprising of Graham Sharp (banjo and vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin, mandola and vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar and vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle and vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar and vocals), and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, and vocals), the band’s music blends their Appalachian and Piedmont influences, creating a sound that is uniquely their own. The North Carolina Hall of Fame inductees have gained recognition beyond the bluegrass world, with outlets like Rolling Stone recognizing them as “one of the most sought-after groups in Americana, bluegrass, and indie-folk.”

Over the band’s esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released 14 studio albums, three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin, been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appeared on some of music’s biggest stages. In 2013, Nobody Knows You won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012’s Rare Bird Alert and 2020’s North Carolina Songbook garnered nominations in the same category.

Finnish Deathgrind Act I, Cursed Announce Brutal New ‘Heretical Onslaught’ EP

Eric Alper
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Finnish Deathgrind Act I, Cursed Announce Brutal New ‘Heretical Onslaught’ EP

Finland’s I, Cursed, who combine angry and furious death metal and grindcore, will release a new Heretical Onslaught EP on September 11th, 2025. The EP will be released in cooperation with Finnish record labels Inverse Records & Meara Music, which is also an agency and event producer based in Ulvila.

Heretical Onslaught Track Listing:

1. Malignant
2. Impure
3. Nothing From The Ruins
4. Disfigurement
5. Funerary
6. Loss
7. Swarm
8. Death Pays It All

Country Legends Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Jim Lauderdale, Don Cook, Steve Bogard & Tony Martin to Join Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Eric Alper
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Country Legends Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Jim Lauderdale, Don Cook, Steve Bogard & Tony Martin to Join Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) has revealed that Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Jim Lauderdale, Don Cook, Steve Bogard, and Tony Martin will be inducted in October. Chairman Rich Hallworth and Executive Director Mark Ford shared the news via a press conference on Nashville’s Music Row this morning.

The six new members will be formally inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday, October 6th. The ceremony will take place at the Music City Center during the 55th Anniversary Gala. They will join the 247 members who have already been inducted.

“Gathering as we do each year – to reveal and welcome the members of our incoming class – is truly one of the highlights of our calendar,” Hallworth says. “To these outstanding songwriters, we say – thank you for sharing your songs and your artistry with us. We are proud to honor you this fall, when you will officially join your legendary peers in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.”

Bogard and Martin will be inducted into the contemporary songwriter category. Lauderdale in the contemporary songwriter/artist category. The veteran inductees include songwriter Cook and songwriter/artist Harris. Paisley, who was elected in 2024 but deferred his induction until this year, joins the contemporary songwriter/artist category.

Folk-Americana Artist Clover County Shares Witty New Single “Good Game” Ahead of Debut LP ‘Finer Things’

Eric Alper
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Folk-Americana Artist Clover County Shares Witty New Single “Good Game” Ahead of Debut LP ‘Finer Things’

Emerging Georgia singer/songwriter Clover County releases new single “Good Game” from her upcoming debut LP Finer Things, out September 26 via her own label Undercover Lover Records in partnership with Thirty Tigers. Co-written by Will Taylor of Hovvdy (who also provides background vocals), the song finds Clover taking the high road – wishing her ex well with a dash of ‘bless your heart’ irony instead of putting him on blast.

Following her run with rising country star Sam Barber which begins tomorrow, Clover will support folk singer/songwriter Willi Carlisle on a slew of November dates which includes stops in Nashville and Atlanta. She will also hit the road with fellow GA musician Sydney Rose in December for a handful of West Coast dates.

“‘Good Game’ was inspired by a D-3 college athlete with a god complex – someone my friends and family couldn’t stand, and honestly, neither could I by the end,” shares Clover. “I was deep in his insecure manipulations for way too long, and breaking free felt like winning a championship. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of a breakup song, especially since, right after we split, everything started falling into place for me…while he moved back into his parents’ basement. So I leaned into a ‘bless your heart’ kind of energy – wishing him well, because Lord knows he’ll need it.”

Produced by Carrie K (Noah Kahan, Maggie Antone, Koe Wetzel), the album is a coming-of-age soundtrack that explores romantic, familial and platonic love with a winking charm and an observing eye. Already, Clover has shared the album’s first single “Virginia Slim,” which arrived last month alongside the album announcement. Equally inspired by the classic country of Dolly Parton and the ’90s rock of Sheryl Crow as she is by her contemporaries like Waxahatchee and Hovvdy, the album blends the twang of timeless country songwriting with tongue-in-cheek observations on modern love.

Living comfortably in the space between folk, Americana and alternative, Clover affectionately refers to the genre she occupies as “bootgaze.” She began developing this sound as a student at University of Georgia where she cut her teeth playing house shows and college bars around Athens, GA. After the release of her debut single in 2023, she went out on the road with alt darlings and country stars like Lord Huron, Medium Build, Shakey Graves, Waylon Wyatt and Morgan Wade. Then, last year she released her debut EP Porch Lights which included the nostalgic single “Ultraviolet,” which peaked at #22 on MediaBase Triple A charts and is still a mainstay on SiriusXM. Now, on her debut LP, she sings about those years where she often found herself blissfully naive with a newfound wisdom of someone who’s grown up but knows she’s not done growing.

Finer Things Tracklist
1. Anywhere
2. Sweeter
3. Yours Too
4. Midnight Crow
5. Virginia Slim
6. Blue Suede Eyes
7. Angels
8. Good Game
9. Whiskey Cherry
10. Cadillac
11. Paradise Rd
12. Stranger Danger

Tour Dates
August 7 – Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Garden Outlaw Field *
August 8 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Pavilion *
August 9 – Tacoma, WA – Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park *
August 11 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
August 15 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge *
August 16 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre *
September 13 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall *
September 14 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall *
October 4 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
October 31 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Yards Amphitheater *
November 1 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz *
November 18 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn ^
November 19 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre ^
November 20 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East ^
November 21 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle ^
November 22 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West ^
December 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour %
December 4 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent %
December 6 – Portland, OR – Holocene %
December 7 – Seattle, WA – Barboza %

* – supporting Sam Barber
^ – supporting Willi Carlisle
% – supporting Sydney Rose

Symphonic Death/Black Metal Act Abscence Unveil Dark New Video “Eternal Vows of Midnight”

Eric Alper
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Symphonic Death/Black Metal Act Abscence Unveil Dark New Video “Eternal Vows of Midnight”

Wormholedeath Records is proud to present the spellbinding new music video for “Eternal Vows of Midnight,” the latest chapter from symphonic death/black metal force Abscence. The track is featured on the band’s highly anticipated concept album Enigma, set for release on September 12, 2025.

“Eternal Vows of Midnight” is about Eternal love and loyalty, Torment and guilt over a possibly violent past, A love so powerful it transcends death, and the internal struggle not to fall into darkness or lose one’s humanity.

Rock Veterans Bush Release Video for “Scars,” a Raw Anthem from New Album ‘I Beat Loneliness’

Eric Alper
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Rock Veterans Bush Release Video for “Scars,” a Raw Anthem from New Album ‘I Beat Loneliness’

Bush has released the evocative video for “Scars,” a standout track from their album I Beat Loneliness. A powerful meditation on mental health, internal conflict, and self-reckoning, the video takes viewers on an introspective journey through the darker corners of the mind.

Spanning twelve anthemic and soul-baring tracks, I Beat Loneliness opens an unflinching conversation around emotional vulnerability, especially the silence that often surrounds men’s mental health. On tracks like “Scars” — the record’s focus track — Bush confronts that silence head-on. “Scars” is a raw reckoning with pain and healing, turning wounds into proof of survival. From seismic rock choruses to stripped-down confessions, the album dares listeners to feel everything, reminding us that healing starts when the silence ends.

The album is available as a CD Digipak, a Heavyweight Black 2LP Gatefold and on Digital.

“I Beat Loneliness” has ignited an extraordinary wave of global attention, with Bush connecting to audiences worldwide through television, radio, and press. Just recently, the band delivered an energetic performance of “The Land of Milk and Honey” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the U.S. Critics have embraced the album’s raw honesty and anthemic power: I Beat Loneliness is already being celebrated as a bold new chapter for Bush that resonates across borders and generations.

Tour Dates (w/ Shinedown):

08/02 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center *
08/03 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
08/05 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center *
08/07 – Portland, OR – Moda Center *
08/08 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena *
08/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center *
08/12 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena *
08/15 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center *
08/16 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena *
08/18 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse *
08/19 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena *
08/21 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center *
08/23 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena *
08/24 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena *
08/27 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center *
08/28 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena *
08/30 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum*
09/05 – Omaha, US (Shadow Ridge Music Festival)
09/27 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
09/28 – Oberhausen, DE – Rudolf-Weber Arena
09/30 – Vienna, AT – Stadthalle
10/01 – Vienna, AT – Stadthalle
10/03 – Prague, CZ – O2 Universum
10/04 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena
10/06 – Munich, DE – Olympiahalle
10/07 – Munich, DE – Olympiahalle
10/08 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle
10/10 – Leipzig, DE – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
10/11 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena
10/13 – Warsaw, PL – Torwar
10/15 – Tampere, FI – Nokia Arena
10/17 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Arena
10/18 – Oslo, NO – Unity Arena
10/19 – Gothenburg, SE – Scandinavium
10/21 – Hannover, DE – ZAG Arena
10/22 – Rotterdam, NL – Ahoy
10/23 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU – Rockhal
10/25 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
10/28 – Bilbao, ES – BEC
10/30 – Barcelona, ES – Sant Jordi Club
10/31 – Madrid, ES – Vistalegre Arena
11/02 – Paris, FR – Zenith
11/05 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
11/06 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
11/08 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
11/10 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
11/12 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
11/13 – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley

Rock Drama Series ‘The Runarounds’ Debuts Sept. 1 on Prime Video with Original Music from Cast Band

Eric Alper
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Rock Drama Series ‘The Runarounds’ Debuts Sept. 1 on Prime Video with Original Music from Cast Band

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer for The Runarounds, which features the original song “Funny How The Universe Works” performed by the band at the center of the story. The music drama series from the creators of Outer Banks will premiere all eight episodes on Monday, September 1, 2025 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. 

Arista Records will be releasing the official soundtrack coinciding with the series’ release on September 1. Today, they dropped the band’s first two singles — “Funny How The Universe Works” and “Senior Year” — available now on all platforms HERE and the soundtrack can be pre-ordered HERE. “Funny How The Universe Works” features in the series trailer and “Senior Year” is the first song written and recorded by the real-life band.

The Runarounds follows a group of recent high school graduates from Wilmington, North Carolina, who come together the summer after graduation to form a rock band, united by their shared love of music and near-impossible dream of stardom. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, they throw themselves into the pursuit of their big break—falling in love, getting into trouble, and building the kind of bonds that feel like family along the way. With original music, romantic entanglements, and the raw highs and lows of coming-of-age, The Runarounds captures the rush of risking everything at the edge of adulthood to chase your dreams. 

The series stars real-life musicians—William Lipton, Axel Ellis, Jeremy Yun, Zendé Murdock, and Jesse Golliher—along with Lilah Pate, Maximo Salas, Kelley Pereira, Marley Aliah, Mark Wystrach, Brooklyn Decker, Hayes MacArthur, and Shea Pritchard.
Executive Producers include Jonas Pate, Joon Yun, David Wilcox, Josh Pate, Shannon Burke, Scott Lambert, and Lisa Mae Fincannon, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell for Skydance Television. The Runarounds is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Skydance Television

1960s Commercial Features Early Version of Cookie Monster in Muppet Mayhem

Eric Alper
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1960s Commercial Features Early Version of Cookie Monster in Muppet Mayhem

In a 1969 commercial for Munchos, an early version of Cookie Monster—then called Arnold—chomps through chips, bag, and all. Jim Henson created the spot with classic Muppet mayhem. Fred, the spokesman, never stood a chance.

Gavin Adcock Preps 24-Track Album ‘Own Worst Enemy,’ Drops New Single “Turn Down The Lights” Friday

Eric Alper
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Gavin Adcock Preps 24-Track Album ‘Own Worst Enemy,’ Drops New Single “Turn Down The Lights” Friday

 Country music disruptor Gavin Adcock is set to release a new track this Friday (8/8), “Turn Down The Lights.” Written by Adcock and Jack Rauton, the song is the latest installment off his upcoming 24-track sophomore album, Own Worst Enemy, due August 15 via Adcock’s own Thrivin’ Here Records LLC under exclusive license to Warner Music Nashville.

Own Worst Enemy will mark a momentous year for the singer, whose label debut Actin’ Up Again arrived in August, 2024. During release week, the record topped more than 15 million on-demand U.S. streams, eventually being crowned the largest major-label country debut from a solo male artist released in 2024. 

Additionally, Adcock’s releases thus far have pushed the rebel-rouser over the BILLION global streams mark in addition to recently receiving four RIAA certification plaques: “A Cigarette” (PLATINUM), “Run Your Mouth” (GOLD), “Deep End” (GOLD), and “Four Leaf Clover” (GOLD).

Today, MusicRow announced that Adcock is nominated for their “DISCOVERY ARTIST OF THE YEAR” award for the 37th Annual MusicRow Awards. The buzzworthy artist also received a “New Male Artist of the Year” nomination this year for the 60th ACM Awards, and was last month’s Billboard “Rookie of the Month.”

Adcock, a road warrior who has sold out multiple headline tours in the past year, is currently on his headline Need To Tour, which kicked off in May and includes entirely sold-out dates across Canada this October. He continues to support select dates of Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem Tour including upcoming performances at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario on September 4 and 5th.

Own Worst Enemy

  1. MORNING BAIL (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, Ben Foster, and Colton Venner)
  2. OUTSIDE DOG (Written by Josh Thompson, Chase McGill and Matt Dragstrem)
  3. LIGHT A FIRE (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, and Brad Clawson)
  4. HARD HEADED HEART (Written by Tucker Beathard, Josh Miller, and Jacob Hackworth)
  5. NEVER CALL AGAIN (Written by Gavin Adcock, Joy Beth Taylor, Colton Venner, Jack Rauton)
  6. GRAVEYARD (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, and Mitchell Ferguson)
  7. NEED TO (Written by Casey Beathard, Tucker Beathard, Joybeth Taylor, Austin Goodloe)
  8. LAST ONE TO KNOW (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, Erik Dylan, and Luke Laird)
  9. ON ONE (Written by Gavin Adcock, Dan Isbell, Rhett Akins) 
  10. SICK AND TIRED (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jay Rodgers)
  11. OWN WORST ENEMY (Written by Gavin Adcock)
  12. SUNSET (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, Rhett Akins, and Ben Hayslip)
  13. NEXT TO NOTHIN (Written by Gavin Adcock and Jack Rauton)
  14. AIN’T WORKIN ANYMORE (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, and Jesse Frasure)
  15. BLACK SHEEP (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, and Erik Dylan)
  16. TURN DOWN THE LIGHTS (Written by Gavin Adcock and Jack Rauton)
  17. IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU (Written by Gavin Adcock, Rhett Akins and Jim Beavers)
  18. LOOSE STRINGS (Written by Brent Cobb, Erik Dylan, and Phillip White)
  19. ALMOST GONE (FEAT VINCENT MASON) (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Hummel, Vincent Mason, Jack Rauton, Chase McDaniel)
  20. UNLUCKY STRIKES (Written by Gavin Adcock, Jack Rauton, Erik Dylan, Will Bundy)
  21. LOSING HOPE (Written by Gavin Adcock and Tucker Beathard)
  22. REGRET (Written by Gavin Adcock and Jack Rauton)
  23. RUNNER (Written by Jack Rauton and Dan Pellerin)
  24. TALL TALES (Written by Gavin Adcock and Liam Rian)

Aldo Cicchini Turns Locker Door into Perfect ‘C’ for Romantic Violin Rendition of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”

Eric Alper
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Aldo Cicchini Turns Locker Door into Perfect ‘C’ for Romantic Violin Rendition of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”

Aldo Cicchini has done it again—this time using a locker door’s perfect C note to anchor his romantic violin cover of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.” Filmed at Auditorium Rai di Torino, the performance is charming, unexpected, and heart-melting. The locker joins his growing list of unlikely but musical collaborators.

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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

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