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Goo Goo Dolls Announce New EP ‘Summer Anthem’ Out August 22 + Release Lyric Video for “Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)”

Eric Alper
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Goo Goo Dolls Announce New EP ‘Summer Anthem’ Out August 22 + Release Lyric Video for “Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)”

Summer Anthem, the new EP from GRAMMY-nominated rock band Goo Goo Dolls, is set for release on August 22 via Warner Records. Consisting of 7 tracks, Summer Anthem is a precise, hard-hitting project, featuring the type of vivid lyricism that’s led the band to becoming one of the most influential alternative rock groups of all time.

In conjunction, the group debuts their heartfelt track “Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)” alongside an accompanying lyric video. Written by John Rzeznik and produced by Gregg Wattenberg (John Legend, Santana, Noah Kahan) and Grant Michaels (Weezer, Billy Idol, Jewel), “Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)” reflects on the fading nature of life and the quiet clarity that comes with letting go.

Of the song, Rzeznik says, “‘Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)’ is a song about accepting the inevitability of mortality and how life is constantly in flux.”

Most recently, the band released their track “Nothing Last Forever” alongside an accompanying video.

Goo Goo Dolls have also embarked on their sold out Summer Anthem Tour with Dashboard Confessional, which has sold over 300,000 tickets to date. The extensive run of summer tour dates will bring the band to nearly 50 iconic venues coast-to-coast, including stops at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, Morrison’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Wantagh’s Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, Holmdel’s PNC Bank Arts Center, Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion as well as a hometown show at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. Full tour routing can be found below while tickets can be purchased at googoodolls.com/tour.

Formed by John Rzeznik and Robby Takac in Buffalo, NY during 1986, Goo Goo Dolls have quietly broken records, contributed a string of staples to the American songbook, connected to millions of fans and indelibly impacted popular music for three-plus decades. Beyond selling 15 million records worldwide, the group has garnered 4x GRAMMY-nominations and nearly a dozen platinum and gold singles combined and seized a page in the history books by achieving 15 #1 and Top 10 hits. As a result, they hold the all-time radio record for “Most Top 10 Singles.”

On the heels of going viral on TikTok, the band’s 4x GRAMMY-nominated track “Iris” is now Certified Diamond, clutched #1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 for 18 straight weeks and reached a new global streaming peak, approaching 5 billion streams worldwide. The global hit continues to reach new audiences around the world and has been covered by the likes of Taylor Swift, Machine Gun Kelly, Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers, yet again proving the timelessness of Goo Goo Dolls’ illustrious catalog. 

Thus far, A Boy Named Goo (1995) has gone 2x Certified Platinum, Dizzy Up The Girl (1998) 5x Certified Platinum and Gutterflower (2002) and Let Love In (2006) are both Certified Gold. In addition, Something for the Rest of Us (2010) and Magnetic (2013) bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200.

SUMMER ANTHEM

TRACKLIST 

  1. Ocean
  2. Nothing Lasts Forever
  3. Slightly Broken
  4. Misery
  5. Such A Mystery
  6. Run All Night
  7. Not Goodbye (Close My Eyes)

GOO GOO DOLLS LIVE

Friday, August 1, 2025 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center* 

Saturday, August 2, 2025 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater*

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA – The Mann Center*

Tuesday, August 5, 2025 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater*

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion*

Friday, August 8, 2025 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater*

Saturday, August 9, 2025 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center*

Saturday, August 10, 2025 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage*

Tuesday, August 12, 2025 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center*

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*

Friday, August 15, 2025 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park*

Saturday, August 16, 2025 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre*

Monday, August 18, 2025 – Waite Park, MN – The Ledge Amphitheater*

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 – La Vista, NE – The Astro*

Thursday, August 21, 2025 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park*

Friday, August 22, 2025 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre*

Sunday, August 24, 2025 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Tuesday, August 26, 2025 – West Valley City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre*

Thursday, August 28, 2025 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Resort & Casino*

Friday, August 29, 2025 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater*

Sunday, August 31, 2025 – Seattle, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery*

Monday, September 1, 2025 – Seattle, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery*

Thursday, September 4, 2025 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre*

Saturday, September 6, 2025 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl*

Sunday, September 7, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre*

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater*

Thursday, September 11, 2025 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Zoo Amphitheatre*

Thursday, September 11, 2025 – Sunday, September 14, 2025 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond 2025

Friday, September 12, 2025 – Camdenton, MO – Ozark Amphitheater*

*with Dashboard Confessional

Karan Aujla Announces New Album ‘P-POP CULTURE’ and Drops Explosive “MF Gabhru!” Video

Eric Alper
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Karan Aujla Announces New Album ‘P-POP CULTURE’ and Drops Explosive “MF Gabhru!” Video

Following the massive success of his sold-out North American arena tour, global superstar Karan Aujla is set to make history once again with his highly anticipated new album, P-POP CULTURE, dropping August 22 via Warner Music Canada/Warner Music India.  A bold fusion of global pop and hard-hitting Punjabi hip-hop, P-POP CULTURE is more than an album – it’s a cultural statement that reflects both sides of Aujla’s identity: the international performer and the proud son of Punjab. Coinciding with the announcement, Aujla has unveiled the official video for “MF Gabhru!” – a visually striking and emotionally charged track that sets the tone for what’s to come. 

P-POP CULTURE is more than just an album title. It is a statement that redefines the contemporary landscape of Punjabi Pop by seamlessly merging two of the culture’s most potent forms of expression: melody and raw power. This album carves out Karan’s unique artistic space, where Punjabi Pop converges with Punjabi Hip-Hop, serving as the foundational blueprint for this innovative sound. The project is divided into two distinct moods, with side A delving into the emotional and melodic facets of Punjabi Pop, while side B explores the gritty, bass-heavy soundscapes of Punjabi Hip-Hop. Across its ten tracks, Karan effortlessly navigates between moments of vulnerability and bravado, weaving romantic narratives with unyielding self-assurance. For Karan, P-POP CULTURE resonates at a deep and personal level, embodying his authentic sound as that of a lover and a fighter, a dreamer and a doer. This album goes beyond music: it is the essence of Karan’s duality and his rich cultural heritage.

Fans at Karan’s sold-out show in Montreal were treated to an unforgettable moment as he debuted his powerful new track “MF Gabhru!” live for the first time. The crowd erupted as Aujla delivered the high-octane anthem, setting the tone for what’s to come from his forthcoming album, P-POP CULTURE.

The Montreal show marked the final stop of the North American leg of Aujla’s worldwide It Was All a Dream tour, which sold out arenas in Oakland, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, cementing his status as one of the most electrifying live performers in global music today. Next, Aujla will bring his genre-defying sound to Europe, kicking off the tour’s next chapter on August 26 in Dublin.

Karan Aujla continues his unstoppable rise as a global music force. In 2024, he was named the most streamed Punjabi artist on Spotify worldwide and earned over 2 billion streams for his breakout album Making Memories.With major features in Rolling Stone and Billboard, a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Canada Top 100 (“At Peace”), and the world’s most-watched music video in 24 hours for “Courtside”, Aujla’s cross-cultural impact is undeniable.His single “Tell Me” with Grammy-nominated giants OneRepublic landed on the latest season of Love Island, and he made history as the first South Asian to win the TikTok JUNO Fan Choice Award – alongside a show-stopping performance at the 2024 JUNO Awards.

Tour Dates

August 26 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

August 28 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Halle

August 30 – Paris, France – Zenith

September 2 – Milan, Italy – Fabrique 

September 4 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live

September 5 – Malta – Breaking Borders Festival (headliner)

November 29 – Abu Dhabi, UAE – Etihad Park

Photo Gallery: The Struts and King Falcon at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on July 31, 2025

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: The Struts and King Falcon at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on July 31, 2025

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.

The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
The Struts
King Falcon
King Falcon
King Falcon
King Falcon
King Falcon
King Falcon
King Falcon

5 Surprising Facts About N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Straight Outta Compton was a cultural earthquake. When N.W.A dropped their debut on January 25, 1989, they brought the raw sound of Compton to the world, challenged authority, rewrote the rules of hip-hop, and launched gangsta rap into the mainstream. Recorded in just six weeks for $12,000, the album’s impact has only grown in the decades since. But behind the controversy and acclaim lie some wild, surprising facts about its creation that most fans don’t know.

1. Dr. Dre produced the entire album while spending weekends in jail.
At the time of recording, Dre was still serving weekend sentences for traffic violations. This meant his weekdays were spent crafting Straight Outta Compton, but on Fridays he reported to jail—only to return to the studio on Mondays. His initial hesitation to record “Fuck tha Police” was in part due to this legal pressure, but once his sentence ended, he fully embraced the track’s rebellious fire.

2. “Fuck tha Police” was born from a real-life incident outside the studio.
The lyrics of the now-infamous protest track came directly after N.W.A members were harassed by police while standing outside Audio Achievements studio in Torrance. Ice Cube immediately began writing in a fury. The real anger and injustice embedded in that moment translated into a track that sparked FBI scrutiny and became an anthem of resistance.

3. The album was sold out of car trunks before it ever hit radio.
Because mainstream radio refused to play the album—especially in areas outside L.A.—Eazy-E and the Ruthless team resorted to guerrilla marketing, selling copies directly from their cars and at swap meets. The grassroots approach worked: Straight Outta Compton went platinum with almost no national radio support, proving the streets moved records faster than the industry gatekeepers.

4. “Express Yourself” was a conscious contradiction—and a solo Dr. Dre moment.
Amid the hard-hitting, profanity-laced tracks, “Express Yourself” stands out as clean, sample-heavy, and surprisingly optimistic. Written by Ice Cube and performed solely by Dr. Dre, it was a deliberate response to censorship, with a subversive twist: Dre criticizes artists who change their messages for radio while delivering a fully radio-friendly track himself.

5. The album sparked the FBI’s first known warning letter to a record label.
In an unprecedented move, the FBI sent a formal letter to Priority Records objecting to “Fuck tha Police.” While not an official threat, it was a chilling message—and one that N.W.A weaponized to build their outlaw image. Far from backing down, the group leaned into the controversy, turning it into a badge of honour and amplifying their reach.

Behind the swagger and shock value were real stories, personal risks, and moments of radical defiance that reshaped hip-hop forever. From street corners to Senate hearings, N.W.A proved that music—when honest, unfiltered, and unapologetic—could shake the system to its core.

5 Surprising Facts About Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Nick Of Time’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Nick Of Time’

Nick of Time wasn’t just a comeback—it was a quiet revolution. Released in 1989 after years of personal and professional roadblocks, Bonnie Raitt’s tenth album captured a rare kind of honesty: raw, lived-in, and defiantly unpolished. Behind the Grammy wins and commercial triumph lies a deeper story—one shaped by heartbreak, chance encounters, emotional breakthroughs, and a determination to stay true to her artistic core. Here are five lesser-known facts that peel back the curtain on this landmark album.

1. Bonnie Raitt recorded most of Nick of Time live in the studio—because it was cheaper.
After years without a label and minimal resources, Raitt and producer Don Was opted to record the album largely live, with the full band playing together in the room. This wasn’t just an artistic choice—it kept costs down and played to Raitt’s strength as a seasoned performer. Engineer Ed Cherney later said the stripped-down approach captured an emotional immediacy that more polished sessions couldn’t replicate.

2. The title track was written during a solitary cabin retreat in Mendocino.
Raitt composed “Nick of Time” alone in a cabin, reflecting on aging, relationships, and family. It wasn’t written for commercial appeal—in fact, she considered it almost too personal. But its raw honesty ended up resonating deeply with listeners, becoming an anthem for midlife reflection and one of the most iconic songs of her career.

3. “I Ain’t Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again” only happened thanks to a falling cassette.
Songwriter David Lasley handed a demo tape to a security guard years earlier, and Raitt tossed it in a box—where it sat forgotten until it literally fell on her head while she was cleaning her closet. That serendipitous moment led to one of the album’s most emotionally wrenching performances, featuring Herbie Hancock on piano and capturing Raitt breaking into tears mid-take.

4. Capitol Records didn’t want to sign her—and barely promoted the album.
Over a dozen labels passed on Raitt before Capitol finally gave her a modest deal. Even then, the marketing team was skeptical, forcing her manager to lobby the label’s president directly for minimal ad space. The album’s success came almost entirely from word-of-mouth and critical acclaim—not a radio blitz or big-budget campaign.

5. Prince offered to sign Raitt before the album was made.
After catching a live show in L.A., Prince invited Raitt to join his Paisley Park label. She agreed, but a skiing accident sidelined her for two months. During that time, she entered recovery and began rethinking her priorities—ultimately leaving the label before recording anything. That detour set the stage for her artistic rebirth on Nick of Time.

Beneath the elegant slide guitar and warm vocals, Nick of Time is the sound of an artist finding her footing again—on her own terms. The stories behind its making speak to resilience, risk, and the reward of trusting one’s instincts. It wasn’t just the right album at the right time—it was Bonnie Raitt, fully herself, right on time.

5 Surprising Facts About Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House”

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House”

Harry’s House may sound like a breezy, synth-laced joyride through nostalgia and self-reflection, but behind its polished surface lies a trove of stories, technical quirks, and creative detours. From late-night recording marathons to accidental collaborations, here are five lesser-known facts that reveal the deeper layers of Harry Styles’ Grammy-winning third album.

1. “Boyfriends” was built over a dozen times—with the final version nearly scrapped.
Although first written at the end of the Fine Line sessions, “Boyfriends” went through extensive demoing and reworking over the span of two years. Styles and his team recorded multiple stripped-down takes, including early versions with reversed guitars and layered harmonies inspired by Elliott Smith. Styles once described the track’s production process as a “slow burn” and nearly cut it entirely before Kid Harpoon convinced him it belonged as a closing moment on the album’s introspective side.

2. The clashing layers of “Daylight” were created during a creative all-nighter.
“Daylight” was born from a chaotic overnight session where Styles, feeling unsure of the track’s direction, forced himself to stay awake until it felt right. The song’s surreal textures—subtle Mellotron tones, delayed vocal echoes, and erratic drum programming—were built in a single session at Shangri-La Studios using vintage gear and a broken guitar amp Styles insisted on keeping for its odd hum. Producer Tyler Johnson later said the song nearly didn’t make the album because of how late it came together.

3. “Little Freak” was first recorded in a Tokyo hotel room with faulty equipment.
This deeply personal track was written during a 2019 trip to Japan and recorded on what Styles called “the worst rental mic I’ve ever used.” He and Kid Harpoon laid down an early demo in their hotel room, plagued by background noise and distorted vocals. The original take was shelved, but the raw intimacy of that version led to them replicating the lo-fi feel using analog tape hiss and ambient room sounds when they re-recorded it for Harry’s House.

4. “Cinema” originated on a treadmill and is inspired by Sade and Daft Punk.
Harry Styles started writing “Cinema” while running on a treadmill—he recorded the chorus melody as a voice note mid-run. The track’s slick, minimal funk was influenced by Sade’s Love Deluxe and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. John Mayer’s guest guitar part was spontaneous—he heard the track from the studio next door and improvised the solo on a guitar that wasn’t even plugged into an amp during the first take.

5. Styles was hesitant about releasing “As It Was” as the lead single.
Despite its massive success, Styles originally had doubts about choosing “As It Was” as the album’s lead single. According to producer Kid Harpoon, most of the team favoured another track, but Styles felt a personal urgency about the message and pushed for its release. While the final version is upbeat, the original voice note (which Styles jokingly called “a death march”) was melancholic and slow—something he later admitted made him question if fans would connect with it.

Beneath the shimmering production and chart-topping hooks, Harry’s House is built on quiet risks, personal memories, and artistic curiosity. These hidden details remind us that even the most celebrated albums have their own secret history—waiting to be heard between the lines.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5r36AJ6VOJtp00oxSkBZ5h?si=R_JT3fRqSqaVSnzugt5A_w

Hollow Souls Team Up with Chris Tapp for New Single “Bad Things,” Announce UK Tour

Eric Alper
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Hollow Souls Team Up with Chris Tapp for New Single “Bad Things,” Announce UK Tour

Kris Barras’ new UK blues-rock collective Hollow Souls release their third single “Bad Things,” this time joining forces with Chris Tapp, the driving force behind acclaimed band The Cold Stares. The single is available on all streaming platforms from Thursday July 31st.

“Having already released two belting singles featuring guest stars from across the pond, “Borderline” feat. guitarist Jared James Nichols and “Shotgun” feat. Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey from Monster Truck, Hollow Souls led by Kris Barras, continues their stellar collaborative winning streak with “Bad Things.”

Kentucky natives (but now based out of Indiana) The Cold Stares are a long-standing duo (recently turned trio) fronted by guitarist and vocalist Tapp. After both becoming leading lights in a new wave of blues-rock signed to Mascot Records’ Provogue imprint, Barras and Tapp started a friendship born of a mutual admiration over the past few years. Known for their fresh take on blues and southern rock styles, Tapp’s song-writing for The Cold Stares has seen them soundtrack famous video games and TV commercials.

Barras, with co-collaborator and long-standing bandmate Josiah J Manning, having already sketched the basic outline of the song, on this occasion knew that Tapp would be the perfect partner to co-write and record remotely from his home studio in Evansville IN. The result is a devilishly upbeat and subtly swampy earworm that interplays Tapp’s effortlessly cool verses with Hollow Souls’ lead vocalist Phoebe Jane’s punchy choruses.

Barras says, “I have admired Chris and the work of Cold Stares for a long while and I’ve sort of been waiting for the right track to work on together to drop out of my head. I knew instantly he would take this song up ten notches. He did, and I’m so grateful to have him involved.”

“When considering guests for this album, Chris Tapp from The Cold Stares was always high up on my list. We’ve been friends since meeting on the Joe Bonamassa ‘Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea’ cruise, and I’ve been a fan of his work for a good while.”

It’s important for me to have the guests bring their own flavour to the songs and put their own stamp on things. I sent Chris what Josiah and I had been working on, and he had free rein with the verses. We loved what he came back with and turned it into a duet with Hollow Souls’ main singer Phoebe Jane.”

Fresh from their first-ever live performance on the main stage at Maid of Stone Festival where the band performed a ‘secret set,’ Hollow Souls are pleased to announce Troy Redfern as their special guest on their 20-date Autumn UK tour. Troy, known for his explosive slide guitar and energetic performances, is hugely celebrated for the wall of sound he creates from a mere two-piece guitar and drum combo, which will perform on every Hollow Souls date of the upcoming tour.

OCTOBER
Thu 16 – Bedford, Esquires
Fri 17 – Chesterfield, Real Time Live
Sat 18 – London, Camden Underworld
Sun 19 – Stowmarket, John Peel Centre
Wed 22 – Shoreham, Ropetackle
Thu 23 – Cardiff, The Globe
Fri 24 – Leek, Foxlowe Arts
Sat 25 – Gloucester, Guildhall
Sun 26 – Norwich, Waterfront Studio
Wed 29 – Grimsby, Docks Academy
Thu 30 – Huddersfield, Parish
Fri 31 – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon

NOVEMBER
Sat 1 – Stockton, Georgian Theatre
Sun 2 – Carlisle, Old Fire Station
Tue 4 – Glasgow, Oran Mor
Wed 5 – Edinburgh, La Belle Angele
Thu 6 – York, Crescent
Fri 7 – Blackpool, Waterloo
Sat 8 – Southampton, Suburbia
Sun 9 – Tavistock, Wharf

Oxymorrons Announce New EP ‘Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat.’ with Explosive “BLK SHEEP” Video

Eric Alper
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Oxymorrons Announce New EP ‘Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat.’ with Explosive “BLK SHEEP” Video

New York’s genre-defying punks Oxymorrons have officially announced their upcoming EP Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat. will release on September 12, 2025. The news lands alongside the release of the gripping official video for their explosive single “BLK SHEEP.”

Visually just as raw and confrontational as the track itself, the “BLK SHEEP” video captures the chaos and catharsis behind the song – a full-throttle protest against the performative systems we live under. With a fast-cut, frenzied aesthetic that mirrors the intensity of the lyrics, the band holds nothing back as they confront the layered hypocrisies that shape modern life.

The upcoming EP Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat. captures that same spirit. Written, recorded, and produced entirely by the band – vocalist brothers Deee and KI, and guitarist Jafe Paulino – the project marks a major turning point for Oxymorrons. It’s their first release as a fully independent three-piece, and it’s as raw, urgent, and self-defined as anything they’ve done.

“Create, Destroy, Rebuild, Repeat is more than just the title of our new EP! it’s the cycle we’ve been living. This project marks our first fully self-written and produced body of work since Melanin Punk, and it reflects everything we’ve grown through musically and personally. From love and cancel culture to women empowerment and unapologetic truths! We poured our full selves into this. We’ve experienced major transitions like Matty following his passion for food, welcoming DJ our new drummer into the fold, and going fully independent. Through it all, we kept creating and kept evolving. This EP is a statement of where we are, what we’ve overcome, and where we’re headed. As always, we refuse to be boxed in. We’re artists first. This is our sound, our truth, our cycle.” – Oxymorrons

Oxymorrons will bring the energy of Create. Destroy. Rebuild. Repeat. to the stage this fall on part two of Sleep Theory’s Afterglow tour. They’re also set to play the final Warped Tour 30th Anniversary stop in Orlando, FL. Stay tuned for more from the band as the countdown to the EP continues.

Steve Howe to Reissue Acclaimed Solo Albums ‘Portraits Of Bob Dylan’ and ‘Natural Timbre’ on Vinyl and CD

Eric Alper
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Steve Howe to Reissue Acclaimed Solo Albums ‘Portraits Of Bob Dylan’ and ‘Natural Timbre’ on Vinyl and CD

Legendary Yes guitarist, Steve Howe, is set to re-release highly acclaimed solo albums ‘Portraits Of Bob Dylan’ and ‘Natural Timbre’ on CD and on vinyl for the very first time on 12th September, through his own HoweSound label, distributed by Cargo Records.

Originally released in 1999 ‘Portraits Of Bob Dylan’ saw Howe paying tribute to one of his main inspirations in his own inimitable way, with an impressive array of guests performing an intriguing selection of Dylan songs, digging deep into his repertoire rather than the obvious hits.

The album features intriguing collaborations with guest vocalists including Jon Anderson (Yes), Max Bacon (GTR), Allan Clarke (The Hollies), PP Arnold, Annie Haslam (Renaissance), Keith West (Tomorrow) and Phoebe Snow along with extra special guest Dylan Howe on drums, bringing a whole fresh approach to Dylan’s classics.

Steve Howe: “What I loved about it was having the chance to arrange them as I wasn’t going to copy what Dylan had done; I wanted to bring a little bit more to it.”

Available on CD and for the first time, on double deep red vinyl across three sides with an etched fourth side.

Steve Howe: “The ‘Portraits’ idea was always a sort of pipe dream, and I originally recorded one song to start the project, and I thought, this will be good, I’ll do lots of Bob”

Following two years later, ‘Natural Timbre’ features Howe, joined by his son Dylan on drums, in an acoustic setting with an array of instruments including acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, lap steel guitar, mandocello and koto across a range of original instrumental compositions and Classical interpretations to produce a deeply intimate collection of moving, atmospheric and stunningly beautiful music.

Available on CD and also for the very first time on translucent green double vinyl featuring 18 pieces over four sides.

Steve Howe says, “The idea behind ‘Natural Timbre’ was to show that the beauty of acoustic instruments is universal” He goes onto say: “I really set about it, putting the electric guitar away wanting to do another kind of exploration, because like the piano, you can’t get away from the tonality of acoustic sound. It’s one of those beautiful, harmonising, soothing things”

Portraits of Bob Dylan:

1. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands

2. Mama, You’ve Been on My Mind

3.It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

4. Going, Going, Gone

5. Just Like a Woman

6. Well, Well, Well

7. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

8. Lay Lady Lay

9. One Too Many Mornings

10. I Don’t Believe You

11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Buckets of Rain

Natural Timbre:

Distant Seas

Provence

Intersection Blues

Family Tree

J’s Theme

In the Course of the Day

Dream River

Golden Years

The Little Galliard

Up Above Somewhere

Curls & Swirls

Pyramidology

Lost for Words

Winter (Vivaldi)

Solar Winds

Your Move

Disillusion

To Be Over

Haerts Share Intimate “Woman on the Line” Video, Announce New Album ‘Laguna Road’

Eric Alper
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Haerts Share Intimate “Woman on the Line” Video, Announce New Album ‘Laguna Road’

 Indie pop duo Haerts, reveal the Julian Klincewicz-directed music video for “Woman on the Line”. Known for his years-long continued work with Haerts as well as Beyonce, Virgil Abloh, and the latest Tame Impala “End of Summer” music video, Julian Klincewicz delivers a very intimate portrait of Haerts.

“Working with Haerts has been my longest running music collaboration, and one that always reinvents itself naturally – whenever I hear a new song, whatever direction it pulls, I always feel something deeply personal that inspires something visual, and there’s always a two way understanding between Nini & benny. Sometimes it’s a simple as a portrait – slowed down to feel every nuance of emotion. Sometimes it’s like pulling a thread. With this video – the song strikes some deep personal chord, and there’s a nakedness – uncovering one’s emotions, just like taking off make up in the mirror,” says Julian Klincewicz.

The duo returned with the announcement of their fourth album Laguna Road, which will be released October 3rd. Thematically, the album frames a confessional portrait of family, memory, and the sacred mess of growing a family together. The duo, composed of Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert, wrote and recorded the album at home on Laguna Road, in the in-between spaces of everyday family life. They left the house in early 2025, having completed the album, to return to New York.

About “Women on the Line”, Nini Fabi explains: “The song is about taking ownership of my story and the choices that shaped me as a woman. It’s about the distance between how things look and how they feel – the pressure to keep it together while inside your world is coming apart.

It’s about isolation, acceptance, and the fragile nature of truth, and it came from a moment when I let it all fall apart.”

“Laguna Road is about looking back, a “piecing it together” album. Sonically we moved away from what we had done on our previous records. We wanted this album to feel raw and vulnerable. The songs move slowly and we leaned into that with a light hand on production.” adds Benny Gebert.

Nini Fabi explains: “I was sitting on the steps at Laguna Road, the house we had just moved into with our daughter. On paper, I had everything: a beautiful family, a home with the lemon tree, the hummingbirds, and the piano in the living room. But I was numb, isolated, and anxious in a way that felt permanent. I was at the edge of my thirties and on the verge of some kind of breakdown, and I kept asking myself how I had ended up here.”

In the coming months, more singles will be shared leading up to the full Laguna Road album release on October 3rd.

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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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