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Pop Punk Staples State Champs Mark ‘Around The World And Back’ With 2026 Shows

Eric Alper
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Pop Punk Staples State Champs Mark ‘Around The World And Back’ With 2026 Shows

Albany pop punk mainstays State Champs are celebrating ten years of ‘Around The World And Back’ with eight special headlining shows across the US in early 2026. The anniversary run honors the band’s beloved sophomore album, which helped define a decade of modern pop punk and featured fan favorites like “Secrets” and “All You Are Is History.” Each date brings a rotating lineup of friends including Cartel, Origami Angel, Real Friends, Driveways, Harrison Gordon, Broadside, and Just Friends, turning the shows into tight-knit celebrations of a record that still hits with speed and heart. Alongside the tour, exclusive vinyl variants of ‘Around The World And Back’ are available to pre-order, featuring refreshed artwork and four cover songs gathered together on vinyl for the first time.

The announcement follows the release of the band’s recent single “Common Sense,” out via Pure Noise Records, which leans harder into punchy riffs and forward momentum while keeping their melodic instincts sharp. It also arrives after their 2024 self-titled album expanded their sound without leaving behind the hooks and energy that carried them from basement shows to packed rooms. Together, the tour and reissue reflect a band looking back with gratitude while staying fully engaged in the present, inviting longtime listeners and new fans alike to sing these songs loud again.

2026 State Champs North America Tour Dates:
January – Miami, FL – Emo’s Not Dead Cruise
January 9 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
January 10 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
January 11 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora
January 13 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
January 16 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
January 17 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
January 18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
February 6 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

Railbird Music Festival 2026 Brings Tyler Childers And The Lumineers To Lexington

Eric Alper
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Railbird Music Festival 2026 Brings Tyler Childers And The Lumineers To Lexington

Railbird Music Festival returns June 6 and 7, 2026 with Tyler Childers and The Lumineers set to headline at The Infield at Red Mile in Lexington. The two-day event brings more than 30 artists across three stages, blending roots, Americana, indie, and country into a lineup that reflects Kentucky’s musical heartbeat. The bill features standout performances from Zach Top, Ella Langley, Caamp, Mt Joy, Sam Barber, Muscadine Bloodline, Stephen Wilson Jr, Houndmouth, Robert Earl Keen, Shane Smith And The Saints, The Wallflowers, Margo Price, Watchhouse, Shakey Graves, Waylon Wyatt, Evan Honer, and more.

Set inside the storied horse racing grounds of Red Mile, Railbird pairs live music with curated bourbon experiences and wide-open festival space built for discovery and connection. Ticket options range from GA and GA+ to VIP, Platinum, and the immersive 2-Day Superfecta package, offering everything from shaded lounges and premium viewing areas to on-stage access and all-day dining. With its carefully stacked lineup and setting rooted in local tradition, Railbird 2026 shapes up as a weekend where sound, place, and shared experience come together in full stride.

Scottish Alt Rock Band Desert Kites Face The End Of Innocence On “Summer Light”

Eric Alper
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Scottish Alt Rock Band Desert Kites Face The End Of Innocence On “Summer Light”

Scottish alternative rock band Desert Kites capture youth, unease, and emotional fallout on “Summer Light,” a cinematic single that drifts between beauty and reckoning. Built on chiming guitars and wide, swelling melodies, the song draws from the reflective side of Brit rock and alternative traditions, pairing nostalgia with a sharpened sense of urgency. Lyrically, it wrestles with societal greed, environmental collapse, and shared indifference, yet never loses its human core, offering moments of resolve amid the haze. Formed in Dundee during lockdown by songwriter and guitarist Shaleph O’Neill, alongside drummer Michael Szeremet and bassist and engineer Stuart Hanna, Desert Kites favor poetic imagery over straight narrative, letting feeling and texture guide each movement. “Summer Light” lands as a reflective and affecting statement, one that lingers like the last glow before night fully settles in.


Irish Punk Funk Project Def Nettle Tear Back In With “Nothing For It” Single

Eric Alper
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Irish Punk Funk Project Def Nettle Tear Back In With “Nothing For It” Single

Irish punk funk outfit Def Nettle roar back after a year away with upcoming single “Nothing For It,” a volatile rush of tension, release, and defiance led by frontman Glen Brady. Following the folktronic curveball “Get Me Here,” remixed by DJ Arveene, and the hard-hitting “Headwrecker,” the new track leans into anxiety and disorientation before detonating into massive, physical choruses. Built on pummeling drums and swirling electronics, it twists retro futurism into something confrontational and alive, rejecting polished rebellion in favor of sweat, movement, and friction. The song lands with force and attitude, carrying the same restless energy that defined debut album ‘DN001’ while sharpening Def Nettle’s voice as one of the most unpredictable and uncompromising acts in the Irish underground.


Post Hardcore Veterans Story Of The Year Ignite ‘A.R.S.O.N.’ Era With “Gasoline”

Eric Alper
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Post Hardcore Veterans Story Of The Year Ignite ‘A.R.S.O.N.’ Era With “Gasoline”

Post hardcore mainstays Story Of The Year return at full throttle with the announcement of their eighth studio album ‘A.R.S.O.N.,’ arriving February 13, 2026 via SharpTone Records. The band kick off the new chapter with “Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb),” one of the heaviest tracks in their catalog, driven by scorched guitars, a punishing breakdown, and vocals that swing between fury and release. Written as a moment of rupture and clarity, the song captures the instant when restraint disappears and instinct takes over, delivering raw energy with purpose and precision.

An acronym for All Rage Still Only Numb, ‘A.R.S.O.N.’ pushes Story Of The Year’s emotional core into sharper focus, channeling anxiety, inner pressure, and survival through big hooks and relentless momentum. Produced once again by Colin Brittain, the album builds on the foundation of ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ while zeroing in on what defines the band at their strongest: massive guitars, propulsive drums, and lyrics that live close to the edge. It is a record that sounds combustible and controlled at the same time, the kind that demands volume and rewards catharsis, reinforcing why Story Of The Year continue to stand as one of the genre’s most enduring voices.

A.R.S.O.N. Tracklisting:
Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb)
Disconnected
See Through
Fall Away
3 am
Into The Dark
My Religion
Halos
Good for Me / Feel so Bad
Better Than High
I Don’t Wanna Feel Like This Anymore

Story Of The Year Tour Dates:
January 22–26 – Miami, FL – Emo’s Not Dead Cruise
February 14 – Perth, Australia – Langley Park
February 20 – Wayville, Australia – Adelaide Showground
February 22 – Breakwater, Australia – Geelong Showgrounds
February 28 – Scoresby, Australia – Caribbean Community
March 1 – White Hills, Australia – Bendigo Jockey Club
March 5 – Fairy Meadow, Australia – Thomas Dalton Park
March 7 – Eastern Creek, Australia – Sydney Dragway
March 8 – South Maitland, Australia – Maitland Showground
March 12 – East Toowoomba, Australia – Queens Park Toowoomba
March 14 – Byron Bay, Australia – Byron Bay Cavanbah Centre Sports And Cultural Complex
March 15 – Sandstone Point, Australia – Sandstone Point Hotel

Vampire Weekend Press Madison Square Garden Shows On ‘Weekend At The Garden’

Eric Alper
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Vampire Weekend Press Madison Square Garden Shows On ‘Weekend At The Garden’

Vampire Weekend have unveiled ‘Weekend At The Garden,’ the third installment in their vinyl-only live series Frog On The Bass Drum. The limited edition double LP captures the band’s sold-out two-show takeover of Madison Square Garden in October 2024, with disc one drawn from the Saturday night performance and disc two documenting the Sunday matinee. Pressed by Third Man Records and limited to 3,000 copies, the release preserves a landmark moment with the scale, looseness, and crowd energy that defined the weekend.

Frog On The Bass Drum has become a home for extended ideas and live-only moments, following Volume 1’s ten-minute take on “Jokerman” by Bob Dylan and Volume 2’s doubled-up rendition of “Bambina” from Milan. Subscribers also receive a limited edition pennant and a new issue of The Quarterly Report written by the band, adding context and texture beyond the grooves. ‘Weekend At The Garden’ stands as a focused snapshot of Vampire Weekend in full command of a massive room, shaped by the momentum of the Only God Was Above Us Tour and the rare electricity of a one-night-and-one-matinee run.

LP 1:

  1. Ice Cream Piano
  2. Sympathy → New Dorp, New York
  3. White Sky
  4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
  5. Walcott → Flower Moon (Saturday Night Version)

LP 2:

  1. Bryn
  2. Connect
  3. Pravda
  4. Diplomat’s Son
  5. Mary Boone
  6. Request Zone: Seinfeld Theme, Monster Mash Theme From New York, New York
  7. Worship You —> Ya Hey

Barbie Honors Rock Icon Stevie Nicks With ‘Bella Donna’ Signature Doll Tribute

Eric Alper
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Barbie Honors Rock Icon Stevie Nicks With ‘Bella Donna’ Signature Doll Tribute

Barbie pays tribute to rock icon Stevie Nicks with a new Signature doll inspired by her flowing, spellbinding look on the cover of ‘Bella Donna,’ the 1981 album that launched her solo career and cemented her legacy. The doll captures Nicks’ unmistakable boho stage presence with a sweeping white dress, high heeled boots, top hat, and beaded earrings, echoing the visual language that made her an enduring symbol of rock mysticism. ‘Bella Donna’ reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and earned quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA, powered by enduring singles like “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, “Leather And Lace” with Don Henley, and “Edge Of Seventeen.” This collectible release celebrates not only an iconic album but a woman whose image, voice, and vision reshaped rock history and continues to ripple across generations.

Folk Country Songwriter Zandi Holup Reimagines ‘Wildflower’ With Meadow Recorded Live EP

Eric Alper
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0
Folk Country Songwriter Zandi Holup Reimagines ‘Wildflower’ With Meadow Recorded Live EP

Folk country songwriter Zandi Holup expands the world of her debut album ‘Wildflower’ with the release of ‘Wildflower Pickin’ In The Meadow,’ a five song live collection recorded outdoors in a Nashville wildflower field. The project offers stripped down, organic versions of “Go Find Less,” “Mountain Man,” “Mary Jane,” and “Wildflower,” alongside a haunting reinterpretation of “Lucid Dreams” by Juice Wrld, accompanied by a live performance video. Captured with her band in a natural setting, the recordings place full focus on Holup’s voice, phrasing, and emotional clarity, highlighting the poetic songwriting that defined ‘Wildflower,’ produced by Ryan Hadlock at Bear Creek Studios. The release feels intimate and deliberate, offering a fresh lens on songs already rooted in confession, folklore, and lived experience, while reinforcing Holup’s presence as a writer and performer drawn to honesty, space, and storytelling that lingers.

Denver Hip Hop Artist DNA Picasso Claims His Space On ‘IF NOT ME THEN WHO?’

Eric Alper
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0
Denver Hip Hop Artist DNA Picasso Claims His Space On ‘IF NOT ME THEN WHO?’

Denver hip hop artist DNA Picasso steps forward with clarity and purpose on his new album ‘IF NOT ME THEN WHO?,’ out now and marking his first full-length solo release since 2023’s ‘The Color Blü.’ Across ten tightly focused tracks, Picasso reflects on his place as an artist, curator, and advocate within Colorado’s music community, balancing energy and intention with lived perspective. Songs like “Hustlerz Anthem,” “Club Tonight,” and the R and B leaning “Rumors” featuring Dominique Christina highlight his range while keeping the spotlight on responsibility and influence. The record feels direct and self aware, capturing an artist who understands that stepping fully into his own voice strengthens the culture around him.


Indie Pop Artist Mini Trees Unveils ‘Slow It Down’ And Loops Longing On “On Repeat”

Eric Alper
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0
Indie Pop Artist Mini Trees Unveils ‘Slow It Down’ And Loops Longing On “On Repeat”

Los Angeles indie pop project Mini Trees, led by songwriter Lexi Vega, shares her most revealing chapter yet with the album ‘Slow It Down,’ out now as her first fully independent release. Across ten tracks, the record traces endings, realizations, and the unsteady clarity that comes with choosing yourself, pairing intimate songwriting with grooves shaped by live drums, sampled loops, and layered harmonies. It moves through indie and alt pop with a restless pulse, letting bright guitar lines and denser walls of sound coexist as Vega documents personal and creative turning points with unfiltered honesty.

New single “On Repeat” distills that emotional core into a pop-forward, dance-driven track built around a looping pull that refuses to loosen its grip. Written during Vega’s first experiment with Ableton, the song grew from a chance synth discovery into a recurring motif that ebbs and returns, mirroring cycles of longing and near-misses. There is a striking openness in how the track carries motion and weight at the same time, inviting movement while keeping the emotional center exposed. ‘Slow It Down’ lands as a record shaped by risk and instinct, capturing Mini Trees in the act of stepping forward with clarity, independence, and a sound that feels fully her own.

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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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