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All Things Go D.C. Announces Hayley Williams, Mitski, Brandi Carlile, Lola Young and More for September Festival

Eric Alper
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All Things Go D.C. Announces Hayley Williams, Mitski, Brandi Carlile, Lola Young and More for September Festival

All Things Go has unveiled its D.C. lineup, and it’s one of the strongest the festival has assembled. The 3-day event runs September 25 to 27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, with Hayley Williams and Brandi Carlile making their All Things Go debuts alongside returning favorites and a deep supporting cast that reflects exactly why this femme-and queer-forward festival has become a cultural institution in just five years. Fan presale opens May 6 at 10 a.m. Eastern, with public on-sale May 7 at allthingsgofestival.com.

Friday’s bill is anchored by Mitski and Ethel Cain, with Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Magdalena Bay, Slayyyter and comedian Robby Hoffman among those filling out the day. Saturday brings Hayley Williams to the top of the bill alongside Muna and Zara Larsson, with Suki Waterhouse, Del Water Gap, She & Him, The Beaches, The Beths and Rebecca Black rounding out a stacked afternoon and evening. Sunday closes the weekend with Brandi Carlile and Lola Young headlining, supported by Father John Misty, Tinashe, Wolf Alice, CMAT, Flipturn and Violet Grohl among others.

Lineups for the New York edition at Forest Hills Stadium are coming soon, and the Toronto version on June 6 and 7 features Lorde, Kesha, The Beaches, Wet Leg and more.

Friday, September 25:

Mitski, Ethel Cain, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Magdalena Bay, Slayyyter, Robby Hoffman, Balu Brigada, Ninajirachi, Rico Nasty, SYML, Wes Parker

Gates open: 3pm

Saturday, September 26:

Hayley Williams, Muna, Zara Larsson, Suki Waterhouse, Del Water Gap, She & Him, The Beaches, The Beths, Rebecca Black, Naika, Hemlocke Springs, Haute & Freddy, Grace Ives, Zolita, Love Spells, Susannah Joffe, Glom, Kevin Atwater

Gates open: 11am

Sunday, September 27:

Brandi Carlile, Lola Young, Sienna Spiro, Father John Misty, Tinashe, Flipturn, Wolf Alice, CMAT, Jensen McRae, Ryan Beatty, Stella Lefty, Rochelle Jordan, Tiny Habits, Trousdale, Violet Grohl, Natalie Jinju, googly eyes, Jake Minch

Gates open: 11am

Free Jazz Pioneer Sonny Simmons Finally Gets His Due with New Memoir ‘Better Do It Now before You Die Later’

Eric Alper
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Free Jazz Pioneer Sonny Simmons Finally Gets His Due with New Memoir ‘Better Do It Now before You Die Later’

Saxophonist Sonny Simmons (1933–2021) was one of the most forceful voices in New York’s free jazz scene of the 1960s, and one of its most overlooked. His 588-page memoir ‘Better Do It Now before You Die Later,’ written with jazz historian and biographer Marc Chaloin and published by Blank Forms Editions, is out now and delivers the full story: his Louisiana childhood, his years in the Bay Area jazz scene, his star-studded New York run alongside the greats, the years of homelessness and addiction that followed, and the remarkable career resurrection sparked by 1994’s critically acclaimed ‘Ancient Ritual’ on Qwest Records. Fiery, funny and long overdue, it’s the definitive document of a singular life in music.

Frank Ray Tips His Hat to a Country Icon with New Single “Third Row George Strait”

Eric Alper
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Frank Ray Tips His Hat to a Country Icon with New Single “Third Row George Strait”

Frank Ray is out with “Third Row George Strait,” the first single from his forthcoming EP ‘Good For The Soul,’ dropping June 26. Written by Ben Hayslip, Dan Isbell and Ben Stennis, and produced by Seth Mosley and Michael “X” O’Connor, the track is a catchy, up-tempo nod to country icon George Strait that hits with the warmth of a nostalgic summer romance and the energy of something brand new. It’s the kind of song that wins over country fans and George Strait devotees in the same breath. Listen here.

“After sitting with the demo for a while and stacking new songs, I started drifting away from this song,” says Ray. “Not because it wasn’t great, I just hadn’t made it mine yet. But after working on it with my producer a bit more, everything clicked. Now I can’t stop playing the song and I hope it hits fans the same way it hit me the first and second time around, it’s kind of like falling in love with your someone all over again.”

The EP behind the single is a five-track collection that pulls from sunny ’90s and 2000s honky-tonk tones, epic balladry and Ray’s smooth, Latin-inflected country vocal. The title track features Tracy Lawrence, and the full project reflects a songwriter who has spent years building toward exactly this kind of focused, confident statement. Ray’s path from Las Cruces law enforcement officer to touring with Luke Combs, Kane Brown and Luke Bryan is well documented at this point, and ‘Good For The Soul’ reads like the next logical step.

‘Good For The Soul’ Track List:

  1. “One Way To Do It” (Matt Dragstrem, Jordan Minton, Seth Ennis)
  2. “Lookin’ Out For Me” (Frank Ray, Seth Mosley, Joybeth Taylor)
  3. “Third Row George Strait” (Ben Hayslip, Dan Isbell, Ben Stennis)
  4. “Hard To Be A Hero” (Frank Ray, Trannie Anderson, Jordan Walker, Seth Mosley)
  5. “Good For The Soul” – Frank Ray and Tracy Lawrence (Tim Nichols, Michael Carter, Brett Kissel)

Video: IDLES Delivered a Raw and Relentless Set at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025

Eric Alper
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Video: IDLES Delivered a Raw and Relentless Set at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025

IDLES took the Primavera Sound stage in Barcelona on May 30, 2025, and delivered exactly the kind of performance that has made them one of the most vital live acts in post-punk. Joe Talbot’s vocals swung between grit and near-silence while Lee Bowen and Mark Bowen built walls of guitar around a rhythm section that held the whole thing together with force.

Runkus Pushes Reggae Into New Territory with Bold and Acclaimed New Album ‘SUPERNOVA’

Eric Alper
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Runkus Pushes Reggae Into New Territory with Bold and Acclaimed New Album ‘SUPERNOVA’

Runkus arrives with ‘SUPERNOVA,’ a forward-thinking reggae album that blends roots, dancehall and experimental production into something genuinely ambitious. The project explores themes of transformation and rebirth, features collaborations with Sean Paul, and incorporates archival elements from Peter Tosh, adding serious cultural depth to an already striking record. The momentum behind it is real: a 2026 JUNO Award win, a 2024 MOBO Award, a performance at the Jamaican Culture Tent at New Orleans Jazz Fest, a featured set on Tuff Gong Radio on SiriusXM, and cover features in both RIDDIM Magazine in Germany and Echoes Magazine in the UK. ‘SUPERNOVA’ is out now on Spotify and Apple Music.

Miranda Lambert Opens a New Chapter on MCA with Irresistible New Single “Crisco”

Eric Alper
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Miranda Lambert Opens a New Chapter on MCA with Irresistible New Single “Crisco”

Miranda Lambert has a new single and a new label home, and both announcements land at the same time. “Crisco” arrives May 15 as her first release under a newly announced partnership with MCA, and it sounds like nothing she’s put on tape before. Lush strings, jangly piano, a shimmering ’70s disco glow and an irresistible groove make it one of the most immediately compelling tracks of her career. Co-written with Aaron Raitiere, Jesse Frasure and Chill Fellacheck, the song nods to classics like “Southern Nights” and “Islands in the Stream” while carving out something entirely its own.

“It has so many elements of the country music that I love that I’ve never put on tape,” Lambert says. “There’s a looseness to it, a joy. It feels like dancing in your kitchen with the person you love, spinning old records, not overthinking a thing.” That description is exactly what the track delivers, and for an artist with her catalog, that kind of creative freshness is worth paying attention to.

Lambert arrives at this moment with serious momentum. Her GRAMMY-nominated single “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton marked the biggest streaming debut of her career, and her 10th solo studio album ‘Postcards from Texas’ continued her unbroken run of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including Entertainer of the Year, she’s also a three-time GRAMMY winner, 14-time CMA Award winner and a TIME100 honoree. NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation,” and “Crisco” gives that reputation plenty to work with.

“Crisco” is out May 15 on MCA. Pre-save and pre-add are available now.

Howard Jones, Heaven 17 and Blancmange Headline Brand-New Synth Pop Festival Electric Summer This August

Eric Alper
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Howard Jones, Heaven 17 and Blancmange Headline Brand-New Synth Pop Festival Electric Summer This August

A brand-new festival is coming to Taunton, and the lineup makes a strong case for why synth pop never really went anywhere. Electric Summer lands at Vivary Park on Sunday August 30, presented by Souvenir Events, with Howard Jones headlining alongside electronic pop pioneers Heaven 17 and Blancmange. Between them, these three acts wrote some of the most enduring songs of the 1980s, from “Temptation” and “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” to “Living On The Ceiling,” “Don’t Tell Me” and Jones’ landmark debut album ‘Human’s Lib,’ which hit number one in 1984 and remains an acknowledged synthpop classic.

For Howard Jones, the day carries extra weight. Taunton has been his home for more than 20 years, making Electric Summer a genuine homecoming, and the only UK show he’s doing this year. He arrives fresh from headlining his THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER festival tour in the United States. “Vivary Park is such a beautiful venue for this show and come rain or shine it’s gonna be a must-see gig because of the incredible lineup,” says Jones. “I’m very happy to be playing with my friends Heaven 17 and Blancmange, and can’t wait to see everyone on August 30th.”

The festival doesn’t stop at the legends. Dark electronic pop duo Black Nail Cabaret fly in from Hungary, Bristol-based alternative electronic rock outfit Mesh bring their devoted European following, Agency V arrive with momentum after supporting Gary Numan for his Glastonbury warm-up shows in June 2025, and Neon Fields, a south-west band drawing comparisons to Depeche Mode, Muse and Gary Numan, round out a contemporary lineup that sits naturally alongside the headliners. Internationally renowned producer and remixer Paul Dakeyne handles DJ sets between acts.

Electric Summer also supports Nordoff and Robbins, the music therapy charity that works with some of the most vulnerable people across the UK, with a donation from every ticket sold going directly to the organization. Tickets are available now at universe.com/electricsummer26.

Latin Rock Legends Soda Stereo Bring Their Groundbreaking “ECOS Tour” to the U.S. This September

Eric Alper
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0
Latin Rock Legends Soda Stereo Bring Their Groundbreaking “ECOS Tour” to the U.S. This September

Soda Stereo are bringing ECOS to the United States, and the scale of what’s already happened makes this announcement impossible to ignore. Nearly 180,000 people have experienced the show since its Buenos Aires debut just six weeks ago, and now the legendary Argentine rock trio are headed to five major U.S. cities this September. This isn’t a tribute, a homage or a film. It’s a live show, with Gustavo, Charly and Zeta together on the same stage, made possible through cutting-edge technology that the band is calling exactly what it is: avant-garde.

The ECOS Tour has already swept through Latin America and Europe, and the U.S. leg kicks off September 10 in San Jose at SAP Center before hitting Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Miami. The production behind it is a massive cross-disciplinary effort, and the response everywhere it’s landed has been overwhelming. General on-sale begins May 7 at 10AM local time at LiveNation.com, with Verizon and Citi presales running May 5 and 6.

ECOS U.S. Tour Dates:

September 10 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center

September 12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum

September 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Dolby Live

September 17 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena

September 20 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center

Lawrence Kasdan’s Intimate Documentary “Marty, Life Is Short” Brings Martin Short to Netflix

Eric Alper
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Lawrence Kasdan’s Intimate Documentary “Marty, Life Is Short” Brings Martin Short to Netflix

Filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan has turned his lens on one of comedy’s most enduring figures. “Marty, Life Is Short” is an upcoming Netflix documentary offering an intimate portrait of Martin Short, built from archival footage and reflections from his friends, peers and family. The trailer is out now and the emotional range on display makes a strong case for what Kasdan has assembled. Coming to Netflix.

YouTube Builder Not a Luthier Turns an Old Bass Drum Into a Massive Bass Banjo

Eric Alper
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0
YouTube Builder Not a Luthier Turns an Old Bass Drum Into a Massive Bass Banjo

YouTube builder Not a Luthier took an old bass drum, cut it in half, fabricated a custom mount, then attached a neck, bridge and strings to create an oversize bass banjo that produces a deep, reverberant sound unlike anything a standard instrument delivers. The build is as much about ingenuity as it is about craft, and the results speak for themselves.

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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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