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Hail The Sun Mark Ten Years Of ‘Culture Scars’ With Anniversary Tour

Eric Alper
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Hail The Sun Mark Ten Years Of ‘Culture Scars’ With Anniversary Tour

A decade-old favorite is hitting the road again. Hail The Sun announce a 10-year anniversary tour for ‘Culture Scars’, the band’s 2016 third studio LP, their Equal Vision Records debut, and an album that charted at No. 38 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. The run kicks off Tuesday, August 11 at The End in Houston, sweeping through five more east coast nights before wrapping at Brighton Music Hall in Boston on Sunday, August 16.

The band is leaning into the intimacy of it all. They share that they’re thrilled to play these smaller shows in venues similar in size to the ones they hit back in 2016 when ‘Culture Scars’ first dropped. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. ET.

There’s always been more bubbling under the surface with this band. Their songs probe the nature of existence and don’t flinch from self-reflection, a through-line since lead vocalist Donovan Melero, guitarists Shane Gann and Aric Garcia, bassist John Stirrat, and drummer Allen Casillas formed in Chico, California in 2009.

That ambition runs especially deep on their latest album ‘cut. turn. fade. back.’. Produced and engineered by Pete Adams and GRAMMY winner Johnny Kosich of Beach Noise, then mixed and mastered by Zakk Cervini (Blink-182, Bring Me The Horizon), the record encompasses the complete cycle of life through its four monosyllabic words. Its 11 songs touch on military atrocities, humanitarian crises, addiction, lost love, and death, capturing the cyclical nature of all of it.

‘Culture Scars’ Anniversary Tour Dates:

August 11 – Houston, TX – The End

August 12 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom

August 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer

August 14 – Asbury Park, NJ – House of Independents

August 15 – Long Island, NY – Amityville Music Hall

August 16 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

Lee Brice Cranks Up Summer With New Single “What You Know About That”

Eric Alper
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Lee Brice Cranks Up Summer With New Single “What You Know About That”

Lee Brice is bringing dirty boots and gasoline veins to summer. The multi-Platinum Curb Records artist announces his new single “What You Know About That,” out Friday, June 5th, with an official music video arriving the same day. Written by Brice alongside Brian Davis and Andy Sheridan, the track is a hard-hitting anthem for the folks who get it done but still know how to have a good time.

Brice lays out exactly where the song comes from. He describes it as a tribute to his roots, the life he lived and the times he had, built on working hard, loving hard, and making memories that stick. He paints the picture too, fishing on the riverbank, riding around in his daddy’s old square body, hearing Alan Jackson on a back road, the kind of stuff where if you know, you know.

The single keeps a strong run going. It follows recent releases including “Cry,” “Country Nowadays,” “Truck Bed Mixtape,” and “Killed the Man,” each adding momentum ahead of the bigger picture.

That picture is ‘Sunriser’, Brice’s forthcoming album, out October 2nd. The record honors everyone up before dawn, delivering hopeful and resilient reflections on love, faith, and heartbreak for all the sunrisers, from firefighters, nurses, and truck drivers to blue-collar workers clocking out of graveyard shifts and tired parents waking up to care for little ones.

Icona Pop Chase The Rush Of New Love On “Butterfly Feelings” Video

Eric Alper
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Icona Pop Chase The Rush Of New Love On “Butterfly Feelings” Video

Falling fast has never looked so good. Multi-platinum duo Icona Pop unveil the official music video for their euphoric new single “Butterfly Feelings,” directed by Viktor Naumovski and filmed in Macedonia. The visual brings the song’s themes of transformation, vulnerability, and emotional freedom to vivid life, as Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo emerge from a symbolic cocoon, shed old layers, and reveal butterfly wings while embracing the rush of new love. Dancers in matching wings turn the whole thing into a celebration of self-expression and liberation.

The track itself bottles that dizzy feeling. Lifted from their forthcoming album ‘Ritual’, out August 14 via Ultra Records/Iconic Sound Recordings, “Butterfly Feelings” leans into the thrill of falling hard and fast. Co-written by the duo, it pairs futuristic synths, bittersweet pop melodies, and a snappy club-ready beat with the euphoric vulnerability that’s long defined their sound, anchored by the hook “My heart is beating, do you feel the same?”

The duo describe it as a little song about falling stupidly in love. They reflect on all the times they’ve felt that pull, the way you try to deny it at first but can’t stop thinking about the person.

The single extends the world of ‘Ritual’, following “Dance To This” and the title track featuring Daya. Written during a deeply transformative chapter, the album finds Icona Pop at their most emotionally fearless and creatively confident, exploring friendship, reinvention, healing, heartbreak, motherhood, and joy. For them, the dance floor has always been a place to find themselves and each other again, to disappear into the music and let go.

There’s a tour on the way too. Icona Pop have announced the first handful of dates from their Ritual Tour, kicking off October 23 in Gothenburg, Sweden, with stops in Oslo and Stockholm before wrapping November 13 in Copenhagen.

Ritual Tour Dates:

October 23 – Gothenburg, Sweden

Oslo, Norway

Stockholm, Sweden

November 13 – Copenhagen, Denmark

Virtuoso Pianist Saint Micah Kicks Off A Bold New Era With Dance-Pop Single “The Grind”

Eric Alper
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Virtuoso Pianist Saint Micah Kicks Off A Bold New Era With Dance-Pop Single “The Grind”

A rebirth arrives on the dance floor. Prolific pop artist and virtuoso pianist Saint Micah opens a brand-new era with the high-intensity dance-pop single “The Grind,” out now via Case Doce Music. Produced by Fernando Garibay, known for his work with Lady Gaga, and co-written with Simon Wilcox and Ramiro Padilla, the track pulls listeners straight into the rush of the club, a place to leave the work week behind and shed the public persona.

The song carries real personal weight. “The Grind” explores the friction between who society says you should be and who you are at your core, mirroring the artist’s own path. Equal parts ascension and reclamation, the Saint Micah moniker represents Micah McLaurin becoming the artist he wants to be, building on his lived truth rather than being controlled by it.

McLaurin speaks openly about what’s behind the name. He describes the single as a meditation on the duality between a work personality and a true self, and frames Saint Micah as a way of taking control of his own life. Sent to conversion therapy as a child, he says his mission since has been to undo that experience and rise above it without asking permission.

The momentum is already building. Saint Micah landed on Spotify Wrapped’s Best of Fresh Finds Pop 2025 following the viral success of his Latin-infused single “Remember Me,” a featured track on Spotify’s Obsessed playlist. Official remixes from chart-topping DJs Majestic and Until Dawn hit Music Week’s Pop Club Chart at No. 6, while “Satisfied” and “Baboom” both cracked the Top 10. Recent singles “Dancing With My Broken Heart” and “How Can I” keep adding to his millions of global streams.

His reach stretches well past music. Saint Micah has drawn the attention of major names across music and fashion, collaborating with producer duo PhD, creative director Nicola Formichetti, designer Zaldy, and brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood.

Dweezil Zappa Marks 20 Years Of Frank Zappa’s Music On “DZ20” Tour

Eric Alper
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Dweezil Zappa Marks 20 Years Of Frank Zappa’s Music On “DZ20” Tour

Two decades in, Dweezil Zappa is still finding new corners in his father’s catalog. The acclaimed guitarist and bandleader announces the “DZ20: Like Father, Like Son Tour,” celebrating 20 years of bringing Frank Zappa’s music to audiences worldwide. The milestone run honors two decades spent preserving, performing, and expanding one of modern music’s most adventurous bodies of work.

This has always been personal. What began as a deep connection to his father’s music grew into a celebrated live experience that’s introduced generations of fans to the complexity, irreverence, and imagination running through Frank’s compositions. For 20 years, Dweezil has interpreted the sophisticated, unpredictable, and technically demanding material with passion, precision, humor, and fearless musicianship.

The performances reinvent as much as they recreate. Dweezil assembles elite musicians to faithfully and creatively perform material spanning rock, jazz, orchestral, fusion, and experimental traditions, shaping fan favorites into hybrid arrangements and reviving rare compositions for modern ears. As he puts it, the songs you think you know may surprise you with parts you’ve never heard before.

The tour delivers more than two hours of music spanning Frank’s storied career, packed with fan favorites, deep cuts, improvisational stretches, and surprises for longtime devotees and newcomers alike. Dweezil sounds energized by the journey. He says every tour lets him revisit his father’s work from a new perspective while finding ways to surprise audiences and himself, with always something new to discover.

There’s plenty for superfans too. A robust VIP offering brings audiences closer to the artistry, with exclusive pre-show soundcheck access, a rare live mixing experience, and select side-stage vantage points. Full dates and details are available now at Dweezil Zappa’s official website.

DZ20: Like Father, Like Son Tour Dates:

October 22, 2026 – Phoenix, AZ

October 23, 2026 – Tucson, AZ

October 25, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT

October 26, 2026 – Denver, CO

October 28, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN

October 29, 2026 – Chicago, IL

October 30, 2026 – Royal Oak, MI

October 31, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA

November 1, 2026 – Alexandria, VA

November 4, 2026 – Tarrytown, NY

November 5, 2026 – Huntington, NY

November 6, 2026 – Albany, NY

November 7, 2026 – Wallingford, CT

November 8, 2026 – Staten Island, NY

November 11, 2026 – Red Bank, NJ

November 12, 2026 – Glenside, PA

November 13, 2026 – Medford, MA

November 14, 2026 – Portland, ME

November 15, 2026 – Quebec City, QC

November 17, 2026 – Montreal, QC

November 18, 2026 – Toronto, ON

November 19, 2026 – Cleveland, OH

November 20, 2026 – Cincinnati, OH

November 21, 2026 – Indianapolis, IN

November 22, 2026 – St. Louis, MO

November 24, 2026 – Albuquerque, NM

November 27, 2026 – El Cajon, CA

November 28, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA

November 29, 2026 – San Francisco, CA

December 1, 2026 – Seattle, WA

December 2, 2026 – Vancouver, BC

December 3, 2026 – Portland, OR

December 4, 2026 – Reno, NV

December 5, 2026 – Las Vegas, NV

Video: Gorillaz Light Up Belgium’s Rock Werchter In Euphoric 2018 Festival Set

Eric Alper
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Video: Gorillaz Light Up Belgium’s Rock Werchter In Euphoric 2018 Festival Set

Gorillaz turned a Belgian field into a trance. The virtual band dreamed up by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett headlined Rock Werchter in June 2018, playing a 90-minute main stage set to a crowd of 88,000 at Festivalpark. Backed by a live band and their signature animated projections, the show landed mid-tour and at full power, fusing throbbing beats with guest vocals to spark pure euphoria under the summer sky. The set leaned on the electronics, hip-hop, and indie blend of 2017’s ‘Humanz’, the album that marked their return after a seven-year hiatus with guests like Vince Staples and De La Soul. Sharing a lineup with Pearl Jam and Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz showed exactly why they remain one of music’s most inventive live forces.

Country’s Rising Star Wyatt Flores Sets New Album ‘Scared Of Heights’ For July 31

Eric Alper
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Country’s Rising Star Wyatt Flores Sets New Album ‘Scared Of Heights’ For July 31

Wyatt Flores knows exactly who he is now. The acclaimed Oklahoma singer-songwriter sets his anticipated new album ‘Scared of Heights’ for July 31 via Island Records/MCA, his first project since partnering with MCA. New song “Half The Man” arrives this Friday, June 5, ahead of the full release. Pre-order/save it here.

The record marks a real turning point. Produced by Charlie Handsome, Jacob “JKash” Hindlin, and Gian Stone, ‘Scared of Heights’ expands Flores’ sound toward early 2000s rock while holding onto the vulnerable songwriting that Billboard calls the work of one of the genre’s most conspicuous new voices. Across 13 tracks, he offers an unfiltered look at the past few years, facing down darkness to find moments of peace.

Flores speaks candidly about where he’s landed. He shares that he finally feels like he knows who he’s supposed to be, no longer second-guessing the music or himself, still working through his struggles and mental health but regaining the confidence to believe in himself again.

The early singles have set the table beautifully. Flores unveiled “Drive All Night” and “Runnin’ On E” this spring, the latter praised by Billboard as a freewheeling summertime favorite, with All Country News calling him one of the most compelling voices of his generation.

His momentum runs deep. The Mexican-American artist has racked up over 1.4 billion streams, earned the Rising Star Award from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, landed on Rolling Stone’s “Future of Music” list, and made his Grand Ole Opry debut, following his acclaimed 2024 debut ‘Welcome to the Plains’. An electric live performer, Flores keeps his extensive “Drive All Night Tour” rolling through the fall, with select dates supporting The Red Clay Strays and Koe Wetzel.

‘Scared of Heights’ Track Listing:

Hate Myself

Sober For a Month

Drive All Night

Not Good Enough

Scared of Heights

How To Let Me Go

Half The Man

South Dakota

Sleepless Lullaby

God Forgives

Runnin’ On E

The Way I Do

Tulsa and Eleanor

Wyatt Flores Tour Dates:

June 2 – Nashville, TN – Skydeck at Assembly Food Hall

June 5 – Nashville, TN – Old Red (Spotify House)

June 6 – Nashville, TN – Skydeck at Assembly Food Hall

June 11 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre

June 13 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo

June 14 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company

June 18 – North Lawrence, OH – The Country Fest

June 19 – Bloomington, IL – Tailgate N’ Tallboys

June 20 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom

June 23 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion

June 25 – Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater

June 26 – South Greenfield, MO – Baker Spain Stampede

July 10 – Quebec City, QC – Festival d’été de Québec

July 17 – Petersburg, IL – Menard County Fair

July 18 – Hastings, NE – Adams County Fairgrounds

July 19 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days

July 21 – Deadwood, SD – Deadwood Mountain Grand

July 23 – Three Forks, MT – Headwaters Country Jam

July 25 – Fargo, ND – UP District Festival Field ~

August 7 – Oshkosh, WI – Xroads41 Music Festival

August 8 – Elkhorn, NE – The Club at Indian Creek ‡

August 22 – Helix, OR – Wheatstock Music Festival

August 26 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena *

August 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena *

August 29 – Portland, OR – Moda Center *

August 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena *

September 17 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre +

September 18 – Columbia, SC – University of South Carolina +

September 19 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE! At Richmond Raceway +

September 24 – Pikeville, KY – Appalachian Wireless Arena +

September 25 – Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater +

September 26 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater +

October 2 – Ocean City, MD – Country Calling Festival

October 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Redwest Music Festival

October 28 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena *

November 15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Citizens Live at The Wylie

November 21 – Nashville, TN – The Truth

~ with special guest Shelby Stone

‡ with special guest Kashus Culpepper

  • supporting The Red Clay Strays
  • with Koe Wetzel

Shawn Mendes Marks 10 Years Of “Treat You Better” With Limited-Edition 7″ Vinyl

Eric Alper
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Shawn Mendes Marks 10 Years Of “Treat You Better” With Limited-Edition 7″ Vinyl

A decade on, the song still hits. Shawn Mendes celebrates the 10th anniversary of his breakthrough single “Treat You Better” with a limited-edition 7″ vinyl, out now via Blood Records and already sold out in minutes. Side A carries the original recording, while Side B unveils a previously unreleased “Treat You Better (Live From New York)” version. The packaging nods to the cover art of his 2016 album ‘Illuminate’. Listen here.

The live track and its video arrive across all platforms today. Mendes dropped the official performance video on his YouTube channel and marked the occasion with a heartfelt social media post, thanking fans for a decade of love around the song.

The numbers tell the story. “Treat You Better” first arrived on June 3, 2016, and has since earned 7x-Platinum certification from the RIAA, approaching 5 billion streams, with the music video alone nearing 3 billion views. It paved the way for ‘Illuminate’, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went 2x-Platinum. Ten years later, the single remains one of the defining moments of Mendes’ career.

Role Model Drops “High Hopes 3000” Ahead Of New Album ‘Chuck Timely & The Hourglass’

Eric Alper
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Role Model Drops “High Hopes 3000” Ahead Of New Album ‘Chuck Timely & The Hourglass’

A new era starts here. Role Model, the project of Tucker Pillsbury, just released “High Hopes 3000” via Interscope, the first single and visual from his upcoming third studio album ‘Chuck Timely & The Hourglass’, arriving August 7. The track was written by Pillsbury alongside Mason Stoops, Taylor Mackall, Remy Morritt, Kane Ritchotte, and Harrison Whitford, with Stoops, Mackall, and Ritchotte handling production. To mark the release, Pillsbury sits down with Zane Lowe for an Apple Music New Music Daily conversation, streaming on demand later this morning. Listen here.

The rollout has been pure intrigue. Select fans received old-fashioned acquaintance cards in the mail from the mysterious “Chuck Timely,” each carrying a phone number that led to a pre-recorded voicemail from Chuck himself. An Instagram account soon surfaced under the same name, picturing Chuck reimagined across different eras and sparking a wave of fan theories about who he really is.

The new video matches that ambition. Directed by Danica Arias Kleinknecht, it made its television debut across MTV Live and MTVU and lit up the Paramount billboards in Times Square. It’s the first visual of this new chapter, and a bold one.

Momentum has been building for a while. His 2024 sophomore album ‘Kansas Anymore’ earned rave reviews and now sits near 320 million streams, powered by the viral hit “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” which he performed on Saturday Night Live with surprise guest Charli XCX. He followed it with the sold-out No Place Like Tour, moving over 90,000 tickets worldwide, and a stint supporting Gracie Abrams.

There’s plenty more ahead. Pillsbury is rolling through a summer festival run with stops at Primavera, Bonnaroo, Leeds, and beyond, and he’s stepping into acting with a debut role in Lena Dunham’s upcoming Netflix film ‘Good Sex’, opposite Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo.

Role Model Festival Dates:

June 4-6, 2026 – Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain

June 7, 2026 – We Love Green, Paris, France

June 11-14, 2026 – Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN

August 28, 2026 – Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK

August 29, 2026 – Electric Picnic, Dublin, Ireland

August 30, 2026 – Reading Festival, Reading, UK

L.A. Guns Capture A Fiery Night On ‘Live From The Guild Theatre’

Eric Alper
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L.A. Guns Capture A Fiery Night On ‘Live From The Guild Theatre’

L.A. Guns are turning one of their best nights into a full live record. ‘Live From The Guild Theatre’ arrives July 3 via Cleopatra Records, captured almost exactly a year earlier at the onstage launch of ‘Leopard Skin’, the band’s most acclaimed album in years. The lead single “Electric Gypsy,” pulled from the self-titled debut, is streaming now alongside a new video.

The performance pulls from every corner of the catalog. The Gunners fire off killer versions of fan favorites tracing back to that first record, including “Sex Action,” which probably hadn’t surfaced in the setlist since the eighties. Sophomore set ‘Cocked and Loaded’ delivers some of the heaviest blasts in the band’s arsenal, with “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Rip and Tear,” and the closer “Never Enough.”

Critics have been firmly in the band’s corner. Rockpit.net called ‘Leopard Skin’ a hook-filled, melody-drenched delight, praising L.A. Guns for evolving naturally rather than coasting on nostalgia. MetalPlanetMusic.com said they’re still churning out bangers, while Maximumvolumemusic.com applauded the band for still sounding gloriously filthy and unapologetic.

The lineup has rarely sounded sharper. Longtime vocalist Phil Lewis and founder Tracii Guns lead a band that’s been tearing up stages worldwide since 1983, rounded out by Ace Von Johnson on guitar, Johnny Martin on bass, and Shawn Duncan on drums. The album lands across an impressive spread of formats, including CD, vinyl, DVD, and cassette.

‘Live From The Guild Theatre’ Track Listing:

Intro – Taste It

Cannonball

Electric Gypsy

Sex Action

Hellraisers Ball

Hit and Run

Like a Drug

Speed

One More Reason

Theremin Jam

Over the Edge

Guitar Solo

I Wanna Be Your Man

Lucky Motherfucker

Never Enough

The Ballad of Jayne

Rip and Tear

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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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