Page 59 – That Eric Alper

Nas and DJ Premier Drop Cinematic New Video for “GiT Ready”

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

Nas and DJ Premier Drop Cinematic New Video for “GiT Ready”

Nas and DJ Premier have released the new video for “GiT Ready,” the latest visual from their collaborative album Light-Years. Directed by Jean-Charles “JC” Charavin and shot in New York, the clip draws from contemporary architecture and the worlds of finance and technology, presenting both artists with a mature, elegant authority that mirrors the music itself. Watch it now.

Light-Years is the product of a 30-year working partnership, and it earns that weight. Their origin story begins with Illmatic in 1994, a landmark that established Nas as a generational talent and deepened Premier’s already formidable legacy. The decades since have added classics including “Nas Is Like,” “N.Y. State Of Mind Pt. II,” “I Gave You Power,” and “2nd Childhood” to a catalog that sits at the very foundation of hip-hop. Light-Years is out now via Mass Appeal.

The release arrives alongside Nas’ Legend Has It.. Nas Feature Presentation, a curated digital and physical collection spotlighting his featured guest appearances across the Legend Has It album series. Inspired by the raw energy of early 2000s Smack DVD culture, each track includes exclusive commentary from Nas on his collaborations, plus his original verse on “Omerta” from Raekwon’s The Emperor’s New Clothes.

Nas is a Grammy Award winner for Best Rap Album with King’s Disease, a milestone that capped a career built on Illmatic, It Was Written, Stillmatic, and a string of platinum releases across three decades. DJ Premier’s production fingerprints are on some of the most important records in the genre’s history. Together, they remain without peer.

“GiT Ready” is the sound of two legends operating at full power. Light-Years is out now.

Disney’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland Gets First Look Ahead of Summer Disney+ Debut

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Disney’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland Gets First Look Ahead of Summer Disney+ Debut

Disney has unveiled a first look at Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, the fifth installment in the massively popular Descendants franchise. The teaser debuted alongside the new Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide: Concert Special, now streaming on Disney+. Wicked Wonderland arrives on Disney+ and Disney Channel this summer.

The new film picks up where Descendants: The Rise of Red left off, following Red (Kylie Cantrall) and Chloe (Malia Baker) as the consequences of their time-traveling adventure catch up with them. Set primarily in present-day Wonderland, the story introduces a new threat in Maddox Hatter (Leonardo Nam), a ruthless villain hunting the time-traveling pocket watch to seize control of Wonderland’s fate. The stakes are high and the world is rich.

The returning cast includes Brandy as Cinderella, Rita Ora as the Queen of Hearts, Melanie Paxson as Fairy Godmother, and Paolo Montalban as King Charming, joined by a wave of new characters played by Liamani Segura, Alexandro Byrd, Kiara Romero, Joel Oulette, and more. Kimmy Gatewood directs from a script by Tamara Chestna, Dan Frey, and Ru Sommer, with Emmy Award-winning choreographer Emilio Dosal handling the music and dance sequences that have become the franchise’s signature.

The Descendants machine runs on genuine cultural momentum. The first three films each ranked as the most-watched cable movie of their respective years. The Rise of Red debuted as the most-watched Disney+ original movie among kids and Girls 6-11 and sparked over nine billion lifetime YouTube views. The 2025 Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide Tour sold out more than 40 arenas across North America.

Wicked Wonderland lands this summer. The fanbase is ready.

Minus the Bear Extend the ‘Menos El Oso’ Anniversary Celebration This Fall

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Minus the Bear Extend the ‘Menos El Oso’ Anniversary Celebration This Fall

Minus the Bear are hitting the road again. The Seattle indie rock outfit have announced a fall run across the South, East Coast, and Midwest, continuing the ‘Menos El Oso’ 20th anniversary tour that launched last year. The beloved album received a deluxe reissue on Suicide Squeeze last August, and the response to the fall run clearly warranted more dates.

Guitarist David Knudson sums it up directly: “We had way too much fun playing Menos el Oso on the fall run last year so we’re gonna do it again. This time we’re hitting some of our favorite towns that we couldn’t squeeze into the last itinerary.” The new routing covers Nashville, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Saint Louis, Oklahoma City, Lawrence, Des Moines, Buffalo, New Haven, Richmond, and Raleigh, filling in the gaps from the first leg.

Two dates stand apart from the headline run. September 9 in Austin and September 10 in Irving see Minus the Bear joining Jimmy Eat World on their Bleed American tour, a pairing that feels exactly right. Knudson called it a chance they simply could not pass up. The run closes September 19 at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, with Keep supporting on all headline dates.

‘Menos El Oso’ remains one of the defining albums of its era, a record that balanced melodic sophistication with experimental edge in a way few bands have managed before or since. Hearing it played in full, night after night, is exactly the kind of live experience that reminds you why it mattered so much in the first place.

September cannot come soon enough.

‘Menos El Oso’ Tour Dates:

September 2 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works (with Keep)

September 4 — Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall (with Keep)

September 5 — Grand Rapids, MI — The Intersection (with Keep)

September 6 — Saint Louis, MO — The Sovereign (with Keep)

September 7 — Oklahoma City, OK — Tower Theater (with Keep)

September 9 — Austin, TX — Moody Amphitheater (with Jimmy Eat World)

September 10 — Irving, TX — Toyota Music Pavilion (with Jimmy Eat World)

September 11 — Lawrence, KS — Granada Theater (with Keep)

September 12 — Des Moines, IA — Val Air Ballroom (with Keep)

September 14 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom (with Keep)

September 15 — New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall (with Keep)

September 17 — Richmond, VA — The National (with Keep)

September 18 — Raleigh, NC — The Ritz (with Keep)

September 19 — Atlanta, GA — Shaky Knees Festival (with Keep)

Kip Moore Announces ‘Reason To Believe’ and a World Tour to Match

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Kip Moore Announces ‘Reason To Believe’ and a World Tour to Match

Kip Moore has announced his new album ‘Reason To Believe,’ arriving May 29. His second full-length in two years, the record is out via his global partnership with Virgin Music Group and arrives alongside lead single “Levee,” a guitar-driven anthem co-produced with Andrew DeRoberts and featuring guest vocals from Hillary Lindsey. The track is out now and already drawing strong praise from Billboard, Music Row, and Whiskey Riff, who called it “a winner all-around.”

“Levee” sets the tone for an album that runs deeper than its rockers suggest. Moore describes ‘Reason To Believe’ as a record about his daily inner life, grief, faith, and the weight of time, shaped in part by the loss of his mentor, first producer, and champion Brett James during recording. The album is named after a song James loved that Moore co-wrote years ago with Dan Couch and Scott Stepakoff. That context gives the record a gravity that is hard to manufacture.

The production approach was a deliberate shift. Working with DeRoberts for the first time, Moore embraced a philosophy of space over volume, letting the songs breathe rather than pushing for impact through force. The result moves between anthemic crowd rockers, quiet meditations on hardship, and songs built to function as lifelines. “Levee” lands with the urgency and melodic confidence of an artist fully in command of his craft.

The Reason To Believe World Tour is a significant undertaking. Moore headlines stadiums and arenas across the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where he has previously performed for crowds exceeding 40,000. The run includes dates with Cody Johnson, a co-headline run with Billy Currington, and European stops with Jackson Dean.

Thirteen tracks. A world tour. A record built from real loss and real conviction. May 29.

‘Reason To Believe’ Tracklisting:

Levee (Kip Moore, Luke Preston, Hank Born)
Get What Ya Give (Kip Moore, Luke Preston)
The Darkness (Kip Moore, Andrew DeRoberts, Luke Preston)
Heartbreaker (Kip Moore, Jaren Johnston, Casey Beathard)
Headlights (Kip Moore, Andrew DeRoberts)
You & Me (Kip Moore, Andrew DeRoberts, Hillary Lindsey)
Faith In The Wind (Kip Moore, Andrew DeRoberts, Luke Preston)
Reason To Believe (Kip Moore, Dan Couch, Scott Stepakoff)
Lonely Tonight (Kip Moore, Casey Beathard)
Long Time Coming (Kip Moore, Andrew DeRoberts, Luke Preston)
Wild Things Like You (Kip Moore, Dan Couch)
Sober (Kip Moore, Manny Medina, Dave Nassie, Erich Wigdahl, Hank Born, Will Lynde)
Josephine (Kip Moore, Manny Medina, Dave Nassie, Erich Wigdahl, Hank Born, Will Lynde)

Reason To Believe World Tour Dates:

March 28 — North Little Rock, AR — Simmons Bank Arena (with Cody Johnson)

April 10 — Bossier City, LA — Brookshire Grocery Arena (with Cody Johnson)

April 18 — Pullman, WA — Beasley Coliseum

April 30 — Louisville, KY — Fourth Street Live!

May 8 — Sioux Falls, SD — Denny Sanford Premier Center (with Cody Johnson)

May 29 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena (with Cody Johnson)

June 5 — Hinckley, MN — Hinckley Amphitheater (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

June 6 — Milwaukee, WI — Landmark Credit Union Live (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

June 12 — Maryland Heights, MO — Saint Louis Music Park (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

June 13 — Des Moines, IA — Lauridsen Amphitheater (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

June 19 — Grolloo, NL — Holland International Blues Festival

June 21 — Munich, DE — TonHalle (with Jackson Dean)

June 23 — Zurich, CH — X-TRA (with Jackson Dean)

June 25 — Cologne, DE — Carlswerk (with Jackson Dean)

June 27 — Chelmsford, UK — State Fayre

July 17 — New York, NY — The Rooftop at Pier 17 (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

July 18 — Asbury Park, NJ — Stone Pony Summer Stage (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

July 24 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

July 25 — Bridgeport, CT — Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

August 7 — Port Wentworth, GA — Port Wentworth Amphitheater (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

August 8 — Atlanta, GA — Coca-Cola Roxy (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

August 20 — Cincinnati, OH — The Andrew J Brady Music Center (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

August 21 — Chicago, IL — The Salt Shed (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

August 22 — Sterling Heights, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

September 10 — Charleston, SC — Firefly Distillery (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

September 11 — Charlotte, NC — Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

September 12 — Richmond, VA — Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront (Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert)

October 17 — Pretoria, ZA — SuperSport Park Stadium

October 23 — Cape Town, ZA — GrandWest Arena

October 24 — Cape Town, ZA — GrandWest Arena

October 30 — Melbourne, AU — The Forum

October 31 — Melbourne, AU — The Forum

November 6 — Brisbane, AU — The Fortitude Music Hall

November 7 — Brisbane, AU — The Fortitude Music Hall

November 13 — Sydney, AU — The Enmore Theatre

November 14 — Sydney, AU — The Enmore Theatre

November 21 — Christchurch, NZ — Christchurch Town Hall

November 22 — Auckland, NZ — Auckland Town Hall

Indie Favorites Myriad Drop Swooning New EP ‘Notes She Never Read’ This Friday

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Indie Favorites Myriad Drop Swooning New EP ‘Notes She Never Read’ This Friday

Myriad are back with their most ambitious release yet. The Southampton indie four-piece drop their new EP ‘Notes She Never Read’ this Friday, March 20, a five-track collection built around the full emotional arc of falling in love for the first time. From the first electric spark to the quiet wreckage of betrayal, the EP covers serious ground with soaring guitars and lyricism that earns every feeling it chases.

The band frame it simply: “the charge, the heartbreak, the beauty, the butterflies, the fall.” Five tracks, each with its own distinct emotional temperature. Opener “The Energy” captures the magnetic pull of an undeniable connection, while “Better Off Without You” turns heartbreak into defiance. “Cowboys” brings vulnerability and young love into sharp focus, “LBD” follows a bold chance encounter that becomes something real, and closer “10:23” sits in the quiet, nostalgic aftermath of a relationship’s end.

Myriad arrive at this release with real momentum behind them. Late 2025 saw them supporting The Hunna and The Summer Set, and their festival appearance at Isle of Wight Festival broadened their reach considerably. The new EP is a deliberate step up, bigger and more confident than anything they have put out before.

To celebrate the release, the band are throwing an EP release party at Suburbia in Southampton on Saturday, March 21. Tickets are affordable by design, the band committed to keeping live music accessible, and the show is already 75% sold. Move fast.

‘Notes She Never Read’ is five tracks of indie songwriting that knows exactly what it wants to say.

‘Notes She Never Read’ Tracklisting:

The Energy
Better Off Without You
Cowboys
LBD
10:23

EP Release Party:

Saturday, March 21 — Southampton — Suburbia

Grateful Dead Legends Phil Lesh and Owsley Stanley’s Lost 1974 Recording Finally Surfaces

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Grateful Dead Legends Phil Lesh and Owsley Stanley’s Lost 1974 Recording Finally Surfaces

One of the most unusual recordings in the Grateful Dead universe has finally surfaced. Bear’s Sonic Journals: Concordance, 150 Years of Charles Ives is out now via the Owsley Stanley Foundation, and it delivers something Phil Lesh specifically requested when the archiving of Owsley Stanley’s estimated 1,400 reels of live recordings began: find the Ives.

What they found is extraordinary. The centerpiece is a live performance of Charles Ives’ Piano Sonata No. 2, “Concord, Mass., 1840-1860,” recorded at the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium on March 7, 1974, captured by Stanley and Lesh featuring pianist John Kirkpatrick, whose interpretation of the Concord Sonata stands as one of the definitive performances of the work. The recording was made to celebrate the centennial of Ives’ birth and documents a remarkable intersection between American experimental composition and the sonic explorers of the Dead’s world.

The two-disc set pairs that 1974 performance with a modern interpretation by pianist Donald Berman, Kirkpatrick’s final student, recorded live in Concord, Massachusetts in February 2025, in the very town that inspired Ives’ transcendentalist masterwork. The set also includes Other Transcendentalists, a collection of new commissioned works inspired by figures from the transcendentalist movement, featuring compositions by Eve Beglarian, David Sanford, Marti Epstein, and Elena Ruehr.

The release is as much a historical document as it is a musical one. A 112-page booklet accompanies the set, featuring reflections on Lesh’s deep connection to Ives, a new interview with Berman, and contributions from Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, bassist Dave Schools, and Grahame Lesh. For Phil Lesh, Ives’ music was foundational, something he described as “welded into my DNA.”

Fifty years in the archive. Worth every year of the wait.

10 Songs With Hooks You’ll Never Forget

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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You hear it once and it stays with you forever. That is the power of a hook. Not production, not marketing, not even timing. A hook cuts through everything and plants itself in your brain. These are the moments that define songs, careers, and entire eras.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles
The second the “Yeah, yeah, yeah” hits, it feels like a switch flips. This is pop music announcing itself with urgency, excitement, and a chorus that refuses to sit quietly.

“Dancing Queen” – ABBA
That piano opens the door and the chorus walks right in like it owns the place. “You can dance, you can jive” lands with pure joy you’ll recognize anywhere.

“Stayin’ Alive” – Bee Gees
Four notes and a falsetto and you are in the middle of the disco era. The hook is rhythm, attitude, and identity all at once, locked in a groove that never lets go.

“I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor
The chorus arrives like a declaration. Strength, clarity, and melody collide in a way that turns a song into an anthem people carry with them.

“Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey
It builds and builds and then releases everything at once. That chorus is communal, universal, and designed for a room full of voices singing every word.

“Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi
“Woah, we’re halfway there” is less a lyric and more a rallying cry. It pulls everyone in instantly, no explanation needed, just hands in the air and voices turned up.

“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears
Three piano notes and you already know what is coming. The hook defines an entire era of pop with precision, simplicity, and total recall.

“Hey Ya!” – Outkast
The beat hits, the claps start, and the chant takes over. It is kinetic, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore, a hook for days.

“Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
The opening syllables arrive like a coded message that everyone understands. It is theatrical, bold, and built to echo long after the song ends.

“Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen
The chorus lands with perfect timing and zero wasted space. Every note pulls you in, every word sticks, and suddenly you’re singing along whether you planned to or not.

Dune Part Three Trailer Signals a High-Stakes Thriller for Paul Atreides

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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Dune Part Three Trailer Signals a High-Stakes Thriller for Paul Atreides

Denis Villeneuve is back in Arrakis with the first trailer for ‘Dune Part Three,’ and this time the story moves with intensity and urgency. Set years after the last chapter, Paul Atreides now rules with immense power, facing the consequences that come with it. Villeneuve describes the film as a thriller, and the footage leans into that energy with tension, scale, and a sense of pressure building around every decision.

Zendaya returns as Chani, anchoring the emotional core of the story as her connection with Paul continues to shape the narrative. Robert Pattinson joins the cast as Scytale, bringing a mysterious presence that adds intrigue to the unfolding conflict. Javier Bardem and Anya Taylor-Joy also appear, rounding out a cast that blends familiar faces with new energy.

The trailer highlights a world shifting under Paul’s rule. Political forces gather, resistance grows, and the balance of power feels increasingly fragile. Villeneuve shot the film on both traditional film and digital IMAX, giving Arrakis a striking visual texture that reflects the scale of the story and the intensity of its setting.

With its focus on power, consequence, and survival, ‘Dune Part Three’ builds toward a gripping continuation of the saga. The trailer sets the stage for a film that places Paul at the center of a world closing in around him, with every choice carrying weight across the galaxy.

Spider-Man Brand New Day Trailer Brings Back Familiar Faces and Teases a Powerful New Chapter

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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The first full trailer for ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ has arrived, and it’s packed with everything fans hoped to see. Tom Holland is back as Peter Parker, still navigating a world that no longer remembers who he is, while Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned return to remind us what’s at stake emotionally. There’s even a quiet but powerful image of Aunt May’s gravestone, grounding the story in the weight of everything Peter has lost.

At the same time, the trailer expands the universe in a big way. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner appears in what looks like a mentor role, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher brings intensity, and Michael Mando’s Scorpion finally returns to the big screen. It’s a mix of familiar faces and deeper Marvel connections that signal this isn’t just another sequel, it’s a continuation with higher stakes.

Then there’s the biggest mystery: Sadie Sink. Her character is barely revealed, shown only in fragments, but the hints are enough to spark major speculation. Mind control, danger, and the possibility of a much larger role in the MCU moving forward have fans wondering if this could be the introduction of something even bigger, possibly tied to the X-Men.

What stands out most is the sense of transformation. Peter Parker isn’t the same kid anymore. He’s alone, evolving, and possibly facing changes within himself that go beyond the suit. If this trailer is any indication, ‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ isn’t just a new chapter, it’s a turning point for one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes.

What Really Happens When A Publicist Hits Send

Eric Alper

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Mar 18, 2026

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What Really Happens When A Publicist Hits Send

You see the email. Subject line tight, artist name up front, maybe a hook if you’re lucky. You open it or you don’t. You think it’s quick. It’s not. Before that email lands in your inbox, there’s a whole machine running behind it, and most people never see it.

A publicist spends hours shaping that pitch. Listening to the record. Finding the angle. Reading your outlet. Studying what you’ve covered, what you’ve skipped, what actually gets your attention. This is not spray and pray. This is targeted. Every name on that list is there for a reason. If you’re getting the email, it’s because someone believes you’re the right person to tell that story.

Then comes timing. Release schedules, embargoes, tour announcements, competing news cycles. You are not the only one getting pitched that day, and the publicist knows it. They’re choosing when to send, how to follow up, and when to step back. There’s strategy in the silence as much as there is in the outreach.

And then comes the waiting. Refreshing inboxes. Tracking opens. Wondering if it landed or got buried. Following up without being annoying. Staying persistent without pushing too far. Because relationships matter more than one placement. Always have. Always will.

So when you open that email, remember this: it’s not just a pitch, it’s a conversation starter. It’s someone saying, I know what you care about, and I think this fits. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. But when it clicks, that’s when stories get told, artists get heard, and the whole system works exactly the way it’s supposed to.