MCA Records and Vince Gill extend one of country music’s most enduring creative partnerships with a lifetime recording agreement that reflects decades of shared history. The announcement arrives as a statement of trust, longevity, and artistic momentum, rooted in a relationship that continues to move forward with purpose and care.
As part of the agreement, Gill is rolling out a yearlong EP series titled ‘50 Years From Home,’ delivering new music every month. Each release blends fresh material with carefully chosen catalog recordings that deepen the emotional throughline of the project. The approach mirrors the way fans have experienced his work for years, personal, thoughtful, and shaped by the songs themselves.
The first installment, ‘50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had,’ is out now and includes the 2x Platinum classic “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” Placed within this new context, the song carries its familiar weight while opening space around it, letting longtime listeners hear it alongside new reflections and melodies.
Leadership at MCA Records points to creative freedom as the heart of the deal. President and CEO Mike Harris describes the agreement as a continuation of a bond built on mutual respect and belief in Gill’s vision. The numbers underscore that legacy, with billions of streams, tens of millions in certified units, and a catalog that continues to circulate through homes, cars, and concert halls.
There is an unmistakable lift in hearing this body of work unfold piece by piece, songs arriving like handwritten letters rather than bulk mail. It is the sound of a songwriter still reaching for honesty, guided by instinct, experience, and joy.
Electronic metalcore pioneers I See Stars have announced their US headlining Spin The Wheel Tour, supporting their new album ‘The Wheel’. The run marks the band’s return to the road with a full-scale headline production, alongside multiple VIP options at each date, including early entry, exclusive merchandise, signed laminates, photos with the band, and limited side-stage viewing opportunities.
Tour Dates: Feb 26 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave Feb 27 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge Feb 28 – Columbus, OH – The KING of CLUBS Mar 1 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron Mar 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Mar 4 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre Mar 5 – Hartford, CT – The Webster Mar 6 – Worcester, MA – Palladium (Upstairs) Mar 7 – Baltimore, MD – The Recher Mar 8 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground Mar 10 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage (The Loft) Mar 12 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room Mar 13 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham Mar 14 – Destin, FL – Club LA Mar 16 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar Mar 17 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live Mar 18 – Dallas, TX – Trees Mar 20 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater Mar 21 – Las Vegas, NV – 24 Oxford Mar 22 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre Mar 23 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post Mar 25 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre Mar 26 – Seattle, WA – El Corazón Mar 28 – Billings, MT – The Pub Station Mar 29 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater Mar 30 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep Apr 1 – Kansas City, MO – Warehouse on Broadway Apr 2 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall Apr 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe At Old National Centre Apr 4 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
Over the past few years, a charity campaign featuring six prominent musicians for the benefit of artists affected by the coronavirus lockdown has developed into a spectacular project that will undoubtedly cause a sensation. We are talking about Dirkschneider And The Old Gang, DATOG for short, with a line-up whose majority has had a decisive influence on the history of heavy metal over the past four decades.
Udo Dirkschneider was the founder and long-time singer of Accept and, after leaving the band, also led his follow-up bands, U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER, to international fame. In DATOG he is joined by Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; ACCEPT, DIRKSCHNEIDER), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; ACCEPT, U.D.O.) and Mathias Dieth (guitar; SiINNER, U.D.O.) as well as Udo’s son Sven Dirkschneider (drums; U.D.O., DIRKSCHNEIDER), who has played for his dad for the last ten years. The sixth member of the gang is singer Manuela Bibert, who has not been let off the hook since her great performance on the recording of the U.D.O. orchestra album We Are One in the spring of 2019.
In this constellation, three DATOG singles, (‘Where The Angels Fly’, ‘Face Of A Stranger’ and ‘Every Heart Is Burning’), were created between summer 2020 and fall 2021. This got the train rolling: “The whole thing developed a momentum of its own, that we hadn’t expected in this form,” Kaufmann looks back somewhat surprised. “After the singles went incredibly viral, fans, record companies, and concert agencies immediately got in touch and wanted to know whether there was more to come… what the prospects were for a full album?”
With a three-singer concept — Dirkschneider, Bibert, Baltes — DATOG delivers a unique mix of vocal profiles that proves to be the band’s unmistakable trademark. “Of course, we didn’t even try to split the vocals equally, but carefully analyzed whose voice would fit best for each part,” explains Udo Dirkschneider. The same applies to songwriting, which followed the motto exclusively: The best songs win!
A wise decision, as the twelve songs on Babylon show! Within a clearly defined stylistic direction and alongside magnificent solo performances, especially from exceptional guitarist Mathias “Don” Dieth, the album impresses with great complexity and an enormous wealth of facets.
With Babylon, the German all-star band presents twelve brilliant metal songs which, despite their unusual vocal concept, never degenerate into a Babylonian confusion of voices. Quite the opposite: the album inspires both compositionally and vocally and convinces every sound fetishist with its transparent yet powerful production.
And this is not the end of the journey: the video story of the songs will unfold for all of the album tracks, keeping fans engaged visually and musically until the very last note, not least reminding everyone to give the record one more spin. Though the album leans into a hard rock side, the band members’ heavy metal foundation shines through, best showcased on the focus track and new video,”Metal Sons”.
“Metal Sons” is a tribute to true, original heavy metal: a powerful guitar riff that seems to have been born out of another time period, Udo’s usual uncompromising vocals, plus screaming guitar solos and a chorus that will have every heavy metal fan automatically headbanging and shouting along. Thanks to its modern arrangement, the song is nevertheless (or precisely because of this) a musical treat of a very special kind.
Southern rock outfit Jet Black Roses put their own stamp on Seal’s iconic “Kiss From A Rose,” unveiling a cinematic new music video that amplifies the song’s emotional weight with rich harmonies and striking visuals ahead of their debut album, out now.
Drenched in deep purple and blue hues, the video curates an atmospheric world where intimacy and artistry collide. Behind the scenes glimpses further blur the line between performance and reality, giving fans a candid look at Jet Black Roses while heightening the dreamlike atmosphere.
The band shares, “Kiss From a Rose’ is a song that is written in our collective DNA. From the very first time we heard it on the Batman Forever soundtrack as kids we’ve dreamed of one day bringing our own voice to it, and now that dream has become reality. To finally release our version of such an iconic song feels like coming full circle—it’s both surreal and deeply personal for us.”
“Kiss From A Rose” demonstrates Jet Black Roses’ ability to merge visual art with music, creating an immersive experience that resonates as much with the heart as with the ear. With its lush color palette, evocative storytelling, and intimate focus, the video solidifies the band’s place as one of the most compelling emerging acts in today’s music scene.
Waxahatchee perform a full live session in the KEXP studio, recorded August 11, 2025, delivering a focused set that highlights both restraint and range. Fronted by Katie Crutchfield, the band move through “Much Ado About Nothing,” a cover of This Is Lorelei’s “Where’s Your Love Now,” “Crowbar,” and “Evil Spawn,” with expanded arrangements shaped by pedal steel, banjo, keys, and layered vocals. Hosted by Cheryl Waters, the performance captures Waxahatchee in a stripped yet confident live setting, supported by a lineup featuring Eliana Athayde, Liam Kazar, Colin Croom, Spencer Tweedy, and Cole Berggren.
Thames & Hudson are delighted to release the publication of Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History, published globally in hardback. A magnificent visual celebration of the first 50 years of Iron Maiden, this new book chronicles the evolution of heavy metal’s most prestigious band, with unparalleled input from band members and management.
A truly spectacular and beautiful book, featuring never-before-seen items and photographs, which have been curated with enormous attention to detail over a number of years, it celebrates one of Britain’s most influential and biggest-selling bands, who have become arguably the biggest metal band in the world.
Organized chronologically, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams tells the story of the band from their first pub gigs in 1975 and their first record deal in 1979, through the recording and reception of groundbreaking albums, including their self-titled debut, 1982’s global breakthrough The Number of the Beast and the stadium-conquering Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, to 2021’s hugely acclaimed double-album Senjutsu and the forthcoming Run For Your Lives World Tour.
The book traces the evolution of their iconic Eddie mascot, alongside exclusive comments from his creator Derek Riggs, and documents the band’s spectacular and complex stage productions and extensive live tours, including the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour of 2008, which made international headlines as Bruce Dickinson piloted the band’s very own Ed Force One 757.
Presenting iconic album and single artworks, photographs of the band’s instruments past and present, stage props, hand-written lyrics and artefacts from the archive and the band’s personal collections, as well as landmark photographs by Ross Halfin, John McMurtrie and more, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams is rife with revelatory stories and intriguing insights from pivotal band members and management. It is bookended by a foreword from band founder Steve Harris and an afterword by vocalist Bruce Dickinson.
Steve Harris says, “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff that I’ve managed to unearth for this book. I knew I had kept a lot of things from the early days but they have lasted really well and the photography has brought them back to life. I hope the fans are going to love looking at all the stuff presented like this! It’s the right time to bring it all together for part of our 50th celebrations.”
Tristan de Lancey, Creative Director at Thames & Hudson, commented: “Iron Maiden is an institution. Hailed as pioneers of British heavy metal in the 1980s, the band has come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence and ferocious dedication to their fans that has won them a huge following around the world and across generations. With astonishing archival access and more meticulous, hands-on participation from the band than I ever thought possible, we have been gifted the tools to create something beautiful, comprehensive and unique which, I have no doubt, raises the bar for illustrated books in this music genre. Every page will surprise and delight its audience – just don’t expect metal fans to be the only ones who buy it…!”
‘This Is What You Get’ documents three decades of visual collaboration between Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke, presenting paintings, drawings, digital works, and archival material created alongside releases by Radiohead, Yorke, and The Smile. The book traces the evolution of their shared visual language from the early 1990s through today, including album artwork, promotional imagery, sketchbooks, and previously unpublished pieces drawn directly from the artists’ archives.
Edited by Lena Fritsch with contributions from Benjamin Myers and essays by Alex Farquharson, Nico Kos Earle, James Putnam, and Jennifer Ramkalawon, the volume accompanies the first institutional exhibition devoted to Donwood and Yorke’s visual output. The collection places particular focus on artwork connected to Radiohead albums including ‘The Bends,’ aligning with the band’s 40th anniversary and the album’s 30th anniversary, and examines the enduring relationship between visual art and recorded music.
JPU Records proudly announces the debut single from Tokyo-Brit punk outfit STRAIGHT BACK FORWARD. Their first double single, ‘Don’t Back Down’ backed with ‘Haunted Home’, is available worldwide from today.
The idea formed in Tokyo in 2020, STRAIGHT BACK FORWARD unites some of the Japanese punk scene’s most respected musicians with London-born vocalist Joshua (NEATZ). The line-up features guitarist and chief songwriter masasucks (FULLSCRATCH, the HIATUS, Radiots, support for Puffy AmiYumi, J-Band), drummer Masack (ex-MY FIRST STORY), and support from bassist Yoshi (GUMX), guitarists T_Wylde (PET), Sugulu (punk club organiser and okonomiyaki shop owner), and frontman Joshua, who provides vocals and lyrics.
“STRAIGHT BACK FORWARD came about out of a shared love of punk rock between two guys from opposite sides of the world,” explains Joshua. “‘Don’t Back Down’ is kind of just about that, getting on stage, raised fists and playing anthems to the people who love the same music we do. Doesn’t matter if you’re Japanese, British or anything, the music makes us who we are”
Guitarist masasucks adds: “This release takes us back to our roots, a reminder of the punk rock scene from the 90s. Hopefully this reaches a new audience and inspires another generation to keep the flame alive and to never back down!
Despite forming during the height of the global pandemic, STRAIGHT BACK FORWARD quickly built momentum with their fearless positivity and raw sound. Their independently released demo in 2025 gained international attention from underground labels and media, paving the way for today’s official debut on UK-based JPU Records.
With support growing in Tokyo and worldwide, the band continues to throw themselves into live shows while carving out a sound that is direct, energetic, and uncompromising. It’s punk rock in its purest form.
Alison Wonderland releases “XTC,” a hard-charging collaboration with her alter ego Whyte Fang that pushes straight into the visceral core of her sound. The track channels trap-driven pressure through heavy kicks, sharp percussion, and a release built for packed rooms, reflecting the intensity that has defined her recent live performances. A self-directed video brings the chaos into focus, featuring friends, chosen family, and familiar outsiders who mirror the spirit behind the song.
“XTC” appears on Alison Wonderland’s third studio album ‘GHOST WORLD,’ out now, a 14-track project written during a period of personal shift and creative recalibration. The album follows ‘LONER’ and expands her sonic world through emotionally direct writing, club-forward production, and collaborations that reflect the community she has built across electronic music over the past decade.
Dermot Kennedy releases “Melodies,” a new ballad featured on ‘Nobody Wants This Season 2 The Soundtrack,’ connecting his introspective songwriting with the return of the Netflix series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Co-written with Savan Kotecha, Carl Falk, Peter Svensson, and Lewis Capaldi, the song centers on longing and emotional distance, pairing restrained instrumentation with a vocal performance built on clarity and control. The release follows Kennedy’s recent stripped-back material, including “Let Me In,” and aligns with a run of intimate live performances that draw directly from his early busking roots.
