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ZZ Top Extends Elevation Tour With New Dates Across North America

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After drummer Frank Beard re-joined ZZ Top’s Elevation Tour earlier this month, having fully recovered from foot and ankle issues, “That Lil Old Band from Texas” has announced over a dozen new dates that take them across North America. Stops in Oklahoma, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana and their home state have been added to the itinerary. 

Support acts who will share the bill with ZZ Top on the tour dates include Night Ranger, Payton Smith, Black Stone Cherry, Molly Hatchet and The Wallflowers. ZZ Top has been at it for well over a half century, delivering rock, blues and boogie on stage and in studio to millions of devoted fans. With iconography as distinctive as their sound, ZZ Top is globally recognized by their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.

The band’s Billy F Gibbons commented, “This has been a great tour so we figured it would be a good idea to add some additional dates to keep the good times rolling. Come on out and see us at a concert venue near you.” 

As a touring outfit, they’ve been without peer over the past five decades, having performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. 
ZZ Top has sold millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less) and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done. ZZ Top abides!

ZZ TOP Tour Dates:

June 25 – Place Bell, Laval, QC
June 26 – Agora Du Port De Québec, Québec, QC
June 27 – Casino New Brunswick – The Centre, Moncton, NB
June 29 – Iceberg Alley Performance Tent, St. John’s, NL
August 1 – Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Buffalo Chip Campground), Sturgis, SD
August 2 – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Sioux City, IA
August 4 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
August 6 – The Stiefel Theatre, Salina, KS
August 7 – Washington Town & Country Fair, Washington, MO
August 8 – Ashley For The Arts, Arcadia, WI
August 10 – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, Lincoln, NE
August 13 – Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City, UT
August 14 – Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre, Pocatello, ID
August 16 – Northwest Washington Fair, Lynden, WA
August 17 – Cuthbert Amphitheatre, Eugene, OR
August 22 – Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, Coquitlam, BC
August 23 – River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, BC
August 24 – Muckleshoot Casino Resort, Auburn, WA
August 26 – Edgefield Amphitheater, Troutdale, OR
August 28 – The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
August 29 – Ironstone Amphitheater, Murphys, CA
August 30 – OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA
September 3 – Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Midland, TX
September 5 – River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa, OK
September 6 – Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis, TN
September 7 – Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, AL
September 11 – Freeman Arts Pavilion, Selbyville, DE
September 13 – Sea.Hear.Now Festival, Asbury Park, NJ
September 14 – Hollywood Casino, Charles Town, WV
September 15 – American Music Theatre, Lancaster, PA
September 17 – Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
September 19 – Caesars Virginia, Danville, VA
September 21 – Wind Creek Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA
September 23 – Visions Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
September 24 – Palace Theatre – Albany, Albany, NY
September 26 – Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Providence, RI
September 27 – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton, NH
September 28 – The Big E Arena, West Springfield, MA
October 2 – Morris Farm, Barco, NC
October 3 – Field & Stream Music Fest, Winnsboro, SC
October 5 – The Classic Center, Athens, GA
October 7 – The Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN
October 9 – MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage, Northfield, OH
October 10 – The Mill, Terre Haute, IN
October 31 – Palms Casino Resort Pearl Concert Theater, Las Vegas, NV
November 2 – Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine, CA
November 4 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
November 7 – Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage, Rancho Mirage, CA
November 8 – Graton Resort & Casino, Rohnert Park, CA
November 13 – Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, AZ
November 14 – Talking Stick Resort Casino, Scottsdale, AZ
November 15 – Isleta Resort & Casino, Albuquerque, NM
November 18 – Kay Yeager Coliseum, Wichita Falls, TX
November 20 – Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LA
November 21 – River Center Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA

The Lemonheads Return With First Album in 20 Years, ‘Love Chant’ And Announces World Tour

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The Lemonheads have officially announced their first album of all-new original material in almost two decades, Love Chant, arriving via Fire Records on Friday, October 24.

Recorded at Sao Paulo’s A9 Audio with producer Apollo Nove (Rita Lee, Bebel Gilberto, Seu Jorge), Love Chant marks the welcome return of a justifiably legendary rock ‘n’ roll band, with founding singer-songwriter-guitarist Evan Dando joined by a bevy of dear friends and collaborators including J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr), Juliana Hatfield, Tom Morgan (as co-writer for “Deep End”), producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Antony and the Johnsons), Nashville’s Erin Rae, John Strohm of the Blake Babies co-wrote and played guitar on “Togetherness,” and Nick Saloman of The Bevis Frond (a songwriter and performer on the swirling psych-folk gem “Roky”). Adam Green of cult New York favorites The Moldy Peaches also contributes as co-writer on the loose-limbed country detour “Wild Thing.”

The album is heralded by today’s premiere of the hard-hitting new single, “In The Margin,” available everywhere alongside an official lyric video streaming now on YouTube. “In The Margin” is a classic Dando composition: half-broken, half-beautiful, wrapped around a melody that disarms before it detonates.

“I wanted to have a riffy song, so I wrote riffs all over it,” says Dando. “The body of the song was Marciana’s (Marciana Jones). It’s like a full-on 8th-grade girl revenge song: ‘Stupidly I left the escape plans out so they could find my way.'”

Love Chant also includes the recently released “Deep End,” available everywhere now. Co-written by Dando with longtime collaborator Tom Morgan of Smudge, the churning, riff-powered track – which features an instantly identifiable guitar solo from J Mascis and backing vocals from dear friend and frequent Lemonheads guest Juliana Hatfield – was met by worldwide attention upon its premiere last month by such high-profile publications as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Uncut, Stereogum, and Consequence, the latter of which praised its long-awaited reprise of the Lemonheads’ “scrappy, guitar-forward rock sound.”

Over the past few years, The Lemonheads’ influence has only deepened. Artists like MJ Lenderman, Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee have all covered Dando’s songs, praising the emotional clarity, melodic instinct, and wry intimacy that define his writing. That resonance across generations makes Love Chant feel like more than a return – it’s a reminder of what made this band matter in the first place.

The Lemonheads with celebrate Love Chant with a marathon world tour, beginning this summer with a series of headline shows and top-billed festival appearances across the UK and Europe. North American dates get underway November 11 at Birmingham, AL’s WORKPLAY and then continue through a December 20 tour finale at Nashville, TN’s famed Basement East.

THE LEMONHEADS – LOVE CHANT WORLD TOUR 2025:

AUGUST
13 – London, UK – Rough Trade East -Solo Show
14 – Northampton, UK – Roadmender
15 – Norwich, UK – Rock N Roll Circus,
16 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz
17 – Glasgow, UK – Garage
19 – Belfast, UK – Limelight
20 – Limerick, Ireland – Dolans Warehouse
21 – Cork, Ireland – Cyprus Avenue
23 – Waterford, Ireland – Bank Lane
24 – Dublin, Ireland – Academy
26 – Sheffield, UK – Foundry
27 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom
28 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom
29 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Strand
30 – Oslo, Norway – John Dee

SEPTEMBER
1 – Trondheim, Norway – Byscenen
4 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Loppen
5 – Hamburg, Germany – Molotow Club
6 – Stekene, Belgium – Crammerock Festival †
8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg Oz
9 – Cologne, Germany – Luxor
11 – Berlin, Germany – Frannz Club
12 – Warsaw, Poland – Proxima
16 – Zagreb, Croatia – Vintage Industrial Bar
23 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Wagon
24 – Lisbon, Portugal – LAV2
26 – Barcelona, Spain – Apolo 2
27 – Valencia, Spain – Visorfest †

NOVEMBER
11 – Birmingham, AL – WORKPLAY
12 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
13 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
14 – Norfolk, VA – The Annex
15 -Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
16 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
18 – Lititz, PA – Mickey’s Black Box
19 – New York, NY – Racket
20 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse at FTC
21 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
22 – Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall
23 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace
25 – Amherst, MA – The Drake
26 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur
28 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater
29 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
30 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre

DECEMBER
2 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
3 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s Music Diner
4 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
5 – Madison, WI – Majestic
6 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
8 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10 – Dallas, TX – Echo
11 – Houston, TX – Bad Astronaut
12 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
13 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
14 – Fort Worth, TX – Tannahill’s
16 – St Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
17 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
18 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi
19 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
20 – Nashville, TN – Basement East

† FESTIVAL APPEARANCE

Laurie Styvers’ Legacy Shines on ‘Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings’

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High Moon Records is pleased to annunce the first-ever anthology of singer-songwriter Laurie Styvers. Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings collects the out of print releases Spilt Milk and The Colorado Kid and augments the LPs with an album’s worth of previously unreleased material including demos, alternate versions, and long-lost original songs. The 36 tracks are spread over 2 CDs in a deluxe package with a 48-page booklet that includes liner notes by compilation producer Alec Palao that delve deep into Styvers’ legend, based upon the recollections of those who knew her, illustrated with never-before-seen photos, rare memorabilia, and more.

The first single is the wonderful “Beat The Reaper” with a video by artist and musician Martin Carr (Boo Radleys, bravecaptain) and available now on streaming and download.

Laurie Styvers may be amongst the lesser-known names within the milieu of 1970s cult singer-songwriters, but anyone who experiences the bewitching innocence on display within her two deeply moving solo albums, Spilt Milk (1971) and The Colorado Kid (1973), will surely fall in love with this enigmatic figure. Born in Texas, Styvers was a student in London when she joined the legendary 1960s psych-folk outfit Justine, guesting on their eponymous 1970 debut LP before heading back to the US to attend college in Colorado. She soon returned to the UK, embarking upon a solo career after signing with Hush Productions, founded by legendary producers Shel Talmy and Hugh Murphy.

Produced by Murphy (known for his landmark work with Gerry Rafferty), Styvers’ Hush recordings revealed her as an exceptional songstress with a humble and captivating vocal presence. The sumptuous musical backgrounds – arranged by Tom Parker (Apollo 100) and David Whitaker (Nico, Marianne Faithfull), and featuring the cream of UK session personnel as accompaniment – expertly elevate Styvers’ intimate, haunting songcraft, heightening songs like her iconic debut single, “Beat The Reaper,” with the baroque flavors of early 1970s British pop.

Discretely moving, intensely melancholic, and rich with Styvers’ unique gift for graceful melodies, Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings now stands as the last word on the intangible magic of this fascinating and mysterious artist.

Ace of Cups Return With Star-Studded Album ‘Sing Your Dreams’

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Ace of Cups, the pioneering all-women band from the ‘60s San Francisco psychedelic scene, are back with Sing Your Dreams! 

Sing Your Dreams is the stunning new collection of 12 songs and stories and features collaborations with Jackson BrowneSheila E. and the Escovedo FamilyBakithi Kumalo (whose iconic bass-playing was integral to the sound of Paul Simon’s Graceland), jam-band guitar luminary Steve Kimock, peace activist and counterculture icon Wavy GravyJack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), and David Freiberg (Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Starship).

“Jai Ma” is the lead single from Sing Your Dreams, the second album by the all-female, ‘60s psychedelic-rock pioneers Ace of Cups. With an irresistible transglobal groove and evocative lyrics celebrating the strength of the divine feminine spirit, the song features special guests Sheila E. and the Escovedo Family contributing fiery Latin percussion, Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon) on electric bass, and jam-band luminary Steve Kimock laying down shimmering Afropop guitar.

Ace of Cups’ Denise Kaufman explains: “’Jai Ma’ may be translated from Sanskrit as “Victory to the Divine Mother – the energy and power of all creation. May She triumph over all destructive forces within each of us and everywhere in this world.’ This is a song honoring, loving and exalting the Divine Feminine in all Her forms. It’s about taking back patriarchal stories from various traditions which demean the feminine. It’s about raising Her up and celebrating Her, celebrating love, sensuality and the juiciness of life.”

Ord

Order the CD and LP now!

Lotti Golden’s ‘Motor-Cycle’ Rides Again as a Trailblazing Concept Album

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An ambitious suite of phenomenal pop power and originality, Motor-Cycle chronicles Lotti Golden’s immersion in New York City’s late-Sixties counterculture. Underscored by a genre-bending soundscape, the action plays out on New York’s East Village and Lower East Side, populated with a coterie of philosopher-lovers, faux gurus, grifters, malcontents, and groupies. Golden would later say that she wrote her memoir as music and lyrics because “a book is too flat.

Born in Brooklyn, Golden inherited a passion for music and art from her parents. As a teen, she began writing original songs, discovering a distinctive talent as both wordsmith and vocalist. In 1966, 16-year-old Golden landed a publishing deal with Bob Crewe’s Saturday Music as a staff songwriter – a dream gig which would give her the opportunity to hone her songwriting skills and produce song demos. Even with this early success, Golden had other plans. She was not just a songwriter – she was an artist, with her own story to tell.

Though only 16 when she started writing the songs that would become part of Motor-Cycle, Golden wrote candidly and compellingly about a world quite different from the fading norms of 1950s America and the flower-power clichés of the 1960s, with vividly personal accounts of street life that presaged urban troubadours like Jim Carroll, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith.

In early fall of 1967, Golden was singing in an elevator on her way to a recording session. The door opened and Golden immediately recognized the owner of Saturday Music, producer-arranger-songwriter Bob Crewe. Renowned for his uncanny pop sensibilities and innovative productions, Crewe was already a legend for his work with such artists as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Intrigued, Crewe set up a meeting. Golden brought her material to Crewe, who upon hearing the outrageous characters populating her songs, exclaimed, “Good God, who are your friends?” Crewe was sold on the project and began shopping demo tapes to a major label with just the basic rhythm tracks and Golden’s vocal. After just one listen, Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, industry giants and execs at Atlantic Records, bought the demo tapes, with Wexler declaring that Golden would be the greatest single pop artist since Aretha Franklin. Golden’s impromptu elevator audition had netted her a high profile, major label signing, and sky-high expectations.

After signing the deal, Golden and Crewe set to work at the famed Studio A at Atlantic Recording Studios, 1841 Broadway, completing the LP in eight sessions. Though Golden had worked out the songs with a “sparser concept of what would be added to basic guitar and vocals,” Crewe had something far bigger in mind. The producer brought a sprawling, multi-dimensional approach to the Golden’s grand songcraft, layering funk grooves, rock riffs, psychedelic soul, Southern blues guitar, big band sounds and myriad of other stylistic elements along with horns, strings, bells, timpani, a boys’ choir, and more.

In certain respects, Motor-Cycle was meant to challenge the listener, especially during an era when pop singles rarely topped the three-minute mark or strayed from a handful of well-worn song structures. All of the original album’s seven tracks are over five minutes and none contain a typical verse/chorus/bridge structure, instead employing radical changes in tempo, genre, and mood. With its ambitious and eclectic musical arrangements, extended instrumental interludes, vivid cast of characters, and storylines that span multiple songs, Motor-Cycle may well be the first rock concept album by a female artist, chronicling the ecstasies and tribulations of a scrappy cohort of outsiders as a metaphor for resurrection and redemption.

TRACKLIST:

  1. Motor-Cycle Michael
  2. Gonna Fay’s
  3. A Lot Like Lucifer (Celia Said Long Time Loser)
  4. The Space Queens (Silky is Sad)
  5. Who Are Your Friends
  6. Get Together (With Yourself)
  7. You Can Find Him
  8. Annabelle with Bells (Home Made Girl) *
  9. Sock It To Me Baby/It’s Your Thing *

* CD Only Bonus Track

Jack The Joker Announce Genre-Blending Debut Album ‘The Devil To Pay In The Backlands’

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Progressive metallers Jack The Joker are thrilled to announce that they will release their debut album ‘The Devil To Pay In The Backlands’ on August 22, 2025, via Frontiers Music.

Following the first two singles “Denied” and “Sun”, the quartet shares the new track “Between The Sky Lines,” along with an official video. The band comments: “‘Between The Sky Lines’ is a gaze beyond the blinding glow of our cities, a song for the forgotten skies observable from the countryside. It’s a reminder of how small we are, in a world that still breathes, suffers, and endures beyond the edge of our comfort.”

JACK THE JOKER is a modern progressive metal band with a twist, hailing from Northeast Brazil. The band consists of Raphael Joer (vocals), Felipe Faco and Lucas Colares (guitars), Gustavo Pinheiro (bass), and Vicente Ferreira (drums).

What sets JACK THE JOKER apart is the ability to incorporate traditional cultural influences from their homeland, infusing elements of maracatu, forró, baião, and frevo into their sound. Their music draws inspiration from the iconic Brazilian novel of the same name, navigating the metaphysical backlands where humans clash with the raw forces of nature.

Their instrumental approach mirrors this thematic landscape, using regional rhythms as a foundation for dense, complex arrangements and layered compositions that fuse tradition with the intensity of progressive metal.

The band has already made a name for itself in the modern prog scene with their 2024 singles, generating buzz with their blend of cultural authenticity and musical innovation.

Produced by Adair Daufembach (Angra), ‘The Devil To Pay In The Backlands’ is an ambitious, genre-blending journey that will delight fans of technical metal, groove, and melody alike. JACK THE JOKER brings a fearless and refreshing perspective to the progressive metal genre.

“The Devil To Pay In The Backlands” Tracklist:

1.    Devir

2.    Between The Sky Lines

3.    Denied

4.    XV

5.    Neblina

6.    Sun

7.    You Where I Belong

8.    Thousand Witnesses

9.    Cabaret

10.    Saudade

11.    Hope

Cardi B Announces New Album ‘AM I THE DRAMA?’ Out September 19

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ardi B has officially launched the next chapter of her career with the announcement of her highly anticipated sophomore album, AM I THE DRAMA? available everywhere September 19.

Marking a bold evolution in her sound and storytelling, the project arrives after her record-breaking debut album Invasion of Privacy – not just aiming to top it, but showing how far she’s come and how much more she has to say.

To celebrate the announcement of her album, fans now have access to AM I THE DRAMA? limited edition merch which features vinyl, CD and box set available at CardiB.com.

To kick off this new era, she dropped her first single “Outside,” available everywhere now. “Outside” peaked at #1 on Apple Music this weekend and remains at the top of the chart, marking her first #1 since the multi-platinum “Up.” The release immediately sparked a wave of excitement online with more than 163M Instagram followers driving momentum that continues to build. In addition, “Outside” will be impacted at urban and rhythm radio today.

The fiery new anthem release follows her appearance at the Cannes Spotify Beach Party on Wednesday, June 18th, where she debuted “Outside” live for the very first time. She will also perform this weekend at LadyLand Festival in Brooklyn, NY, on June 27th.

“Enough (Miami),” released in March 2024, was a blazing track and the perfect record to kick off the spring break season. “Enough (Miami)” was accompanied by a high-octane companion visual (directed by: Patience Harding) following Cardi’s previous release, “Like What (Freestyle).” Both records served as the follow-up to a groundbreaking collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “Bongos.” Prior to “Bongos,” the pair released the historic and viral sensation, “WAP.” In 2020, this hit song (Feat. Megan Thee Stallion)” affirmed Cardi B as one of Apple Music’s most popular artists of all time, earning the platform’s highest-ever debut by a female artist as well as the fastest song in Apple Music history by a female artist to peak at #1. It also went #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at #1 on rhythmic radio, and rose to #2 on urban radio. “WAP” also won Favorite Song – Rap / Hip-Hop at the American Music Awards and won Best Collaboration and Video of the Year at the BET Awards. It was also nominated for Collaboration of the Year at the American Music Awards, nominated for five categories at the MTV Video Music Awards, and nominated for Best Music Video at the iHeart Music Awards. The visual has now reached over 550M views and the audio now has over 3.7B streams.

Barry Can’t Swim Shares New Track “All My Friends” Ahead of ‘Loner’

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Following his recent almost entirely sold-out North American tour, Barry Can’t Swim shares the news single, “All My Friends” from his upcoming album, Loner, out July 11th on Ninja Tune.

“All My Friends” is a track crafted with intention, showcasing Barry Can’t Swim’s talent as both a producer and songwriter. Beginning with relaxed, bright beats reminiscent of the perfect summer day, the track slowly builds to a vibrant-yet-mellow drop. Crisp, soulful vocals blend with a perfectly curated mixture of rhythms to create a stunningly captivating soundscape and serve as another impressive offering off of Loner.

The new release follows recent double singles “About to Begin,” a pulsing, fast-paced track and “Cars Pass By Like Childhood Sweethearts,” a softer juxtaposition. Collaborative single “Kimpton” with O’Flynn was named one of Billboard’s best new electronic tracks of the week, while “Different,” a heady slice of electronic euphoria, has become a fan-favorite at recent shows. First album offering “The Person You’d Like To Be” finds the artist moving in a new abstract direction, forever pushing the boundaries of his own sound.

Just a few weeks ago, Barry Can’t Swim concluded an impressive run of North American shows, including three sold-out shows in New York and concluding with two nights at The Shrine in Los Angeles. He’s currently on the road completing an impressive festival circuit, including HARD Summer, All Points East, and more. In addition to two headlining Rough Trade dates in the UK, he’ll be performing a special headlining set at The Salt Shed in Chicago ahead of his highly-anticipated set at Lollapalooza.

BARRY CAN’T SWIM LIVE DATES:
July 5 – Rock Werchter Festival – Werchter, Belgium
July 10 – NOS Alive Festival – Oeires, Portugal
July 13 – Rough Trade East – London, UK
July 18 – Rough Trade Liverpool – Liverpool, UK
July 26 – Fuji Rock Festival – Niigata, Japan
July 30 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
July 31 – Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
August 1 – Osheago Music & Arts Festival – Montreal, QC
August 3 – HARD Summer – Los Angeles, CA
August 21 – Rock en Seine Festival – Saint-Cloud, France
August 22 – All Points East – London, UK
August 23 – Forwards Festival – Bristol, UK
August 24 – Lost Village Festival – Lincolnshire, UK
September 26 – PSM Loves Summer – Istanbul, Turkey
October 17 – III Points – Miami, FL
November 21 – WHP x Earths Only Paradise – Manchester, UK

Polaris Unveils First-Ever Song Prize Long List Ahead of 2025 Awards

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CBC presents the 2025 Polaris Music Prize has revealed the 20 nominee Long List for its first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize.

Polaris, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and SOCAN, celebrating its 100th anniversary, announced the new Song Prize with the winning song taking home $10,000 split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s). Similar to the Polaris Album Prize, the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize will honour the Canadian song of the year, based on artistic merit, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity.

The 2025 SOCAN Polaris Song Prize Long List is:

  • Art d’Ecco — The Traveller
  • Backxwash — History Of Violence
  • Backxwash — 9th Heaven
  • Caribou — Honey
  • Lou-Adriane Cassidy — Dis-moi dis-moi dis-moi
  • Marie Davidson — Fun Times
  • Yves Jarvis — Gold Filagree
  • Kaytranada ft. Lou Phelps — Call U Up
  • Richard Laviolette — Constant Love
  • Mustafa — Gaza is Calling
  • The OBGMs — Changes ft. Sate
  • Klô Pelgag — Le goût des mangues
  • Propagandhi — At Peace
  • Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers — Powerful
  • Ribbon Skirt — Wrong Planet
  • Saya Gray — Shell (Of A Man)
  • Snotty Nose Rez Kids — FREE (ft. Aysanabee, Drezus, Rueben George)
  • Colin Stetson — The love it took to leave you
  • The Weather Station — Neon Signs
  • Rick White and The Sadies — Fly Away

The SOCAN Polaris Song Prize category is Polaris’ first new award since it introduced the hall of fame Heritage Prize in 2015. The Song Prize will feature the 20-nominee Long List followed by a five-nominee Song Short List that will then be unveiled on July 29. The first-ever SOCAN Polaris Song Prize winner will receive $10,000 split between the song’s Canadian performers and the song’s credited Canadian songwriter(s) courtesy of SOCAN.  

With Canadian musicians creating more and more single releases annually, an award in this segment provides more artists with more opportunities to be acknowledged and supported by Polaris, its partners, and the industry.Polaris aims to ensure these outstanding works receive the recognition they deserve. By expanding our awards, we strengthen our mission to celebrate and elevate the diversity and creativity of Canadian music.
The winning Polaris song will be revealed during the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony, powered by FACTOR, taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Tuesday, September 16. Tickets to the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony are on sale now via the Massey Hall website. To celebrate the Song Prize Long List, Polaris is offering 15% off tickets with the code POLARIS15.

Jeremy Zucker Launches Fall Tour Ahead of Deeply Personal Album ‘Garden State’

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Multi-Platinum singer, songwriter, and producer Jeremy Zucker presents “Welcome to the Garden State Tour” across North America this fall in support of his upcoming album, Garden State, out August 22nd.

Kicking off on September 16th at San Diego’s The Observatory North Park, the tour will see Zucker perform across North America through October, playing at venues like Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, New York’s Brooklyn Steel, Toronto’s HISTORY, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, and many more. Presale tickets and VIP package sales begin Wednesday, June 25th at 10am local with all tickets going on sale Friday, June 27th at 10am local.

On Friday, Zucker released the first single off his forthcoming album titled “hometown”. A return to his New Jersey roots, the song is a relatable acoustic anthem about growing up, leaving your hometown, and seeing it through a new perspective as an adult.

Garden State sees Zucker return to his hometown of Franklin Lakes, NJ. The 14-track album traces his journey out of New Jersey as an 18-year-old and through the ups and downs of moving across the country and living his dream. He translates formative experiences of gaining independence, finding love, and all the complexities consistent with growing up into raw and honest lyrics delivered over bare instrumentation and minimalist production. While creating Garden State, he mentally transported himself back to his childhood, allowing himself to process his memories and emotions through a new lens. By doing so, he delivers his most vivid and vulnerable work to date.

At the end of 2024, Zucker released brent iii-the third installment of his fan favorite collaborative series with Chelsea Cutler. Beyond amassing tens of millions of streams, it received widespread tastemaker acclaim. UPROXX marveled at how it “captures Cutler and Zucker in their most naturally reflective and vulnerable states,” and Wonderland declared, “As they have found their way from burgeoning young stars to established industry veterans, Cutler and Zucker’s writing, melodic connection, and thematic expansion have only become distinct and meticulous.” The duo then took their “Brent Forever Tour” across North America, bringing the brent catalogue to life live on stage for the very first time. Not to mention, over the past year, Jeremy also delivered his collaboration “Cozy” with Lauv and Alexander 23 and single “this time” to celebrate the five-year anniversary of his beloved EP summer, and global viral hit “comethru.”

Now, Garden State represents where Jeremy Zucker came from, who he’s become, and where he’s going next.

Jeremy Zucker Presents “Welcome to the Garden State Tour”:
September 16 // San Diego, CA // The Observatory North Park
September 17 // Phoenix, AZ // The Van Buren
September 19 // Dallas, TX // The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
September 20 // Austin, TX // Scoot Inn
September 23 // Nashville, TN // Brooklyn Bowl
September 25 // Atlanta, GA // Variety Playhouse
September 26 // Charlotte, NC // The Underground
September 27 // Richmond, VA // The National
September 29 // Silver Spring, MD // The Fillmore
September 30 // Philadelphia, PA // Brooklyn Bowl
October 3 // Brooklyn, NY // Brooklyn Steel
October 4 // Boston, MA // Roadrunner
October 6 // Montreal, QC // Beanfield Theatre
October 9 // Toronto, ON // HISTORY
October 10 // Columbus, OH // The Bluestone
October 11 // Chicago, IL // House of Blues
October 12 // Minneapolis, MN // Varsity Theater
October 14 // Denver, CO // Ogden Theatre
October 15 // Salt Lake City, UT // Rockwell at The Complex
October 17 // Portland, OR // Wonder Ballroom
October 18 // Seattle, WA // Showbox SoDo
October 20 // Vancouver, BC // Vogue Theatre
October 22 // San Francisco, CA // The Warfield
October 24 // Anaheim, CA // House of Blues
October 25 // Los Angeles, CA // The Wiltern