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Mavis Staples Shares Soul-Stirring Cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” Ahead of Juneteenth

Eric Alper
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Mavis Staples Shares Soul-Stirring Cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” Ahead of Juneteenth

A lifelong performer with an unparalleled career and voice, Mavis Staples will turn 86 years old this July but continues to tour around the world, bringing her music and message to the people one show at a time.

Today – ahead of next week’s Juneteenth celebrations – she shares her poignant interpretation of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” from his famed ‘Blonde’ album. Upon first listen it is about letting go and moving on, but it also becomes clear that the song’s protagonist is doing so with feelings of peacefulness, gratitude and unconditional love – three things Mavis Staples has always embodied.

Listen to her moving rendition below, which was lovingly produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff) and features spoken word vocals by songwriter and Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson.

“‘Channel Orange’ was my first introduction to Frank Ocean and I was just amazed at the writing and soulfulness coming from his voice,” Staples exclaimed. “And I loved ‘Blonde’ when that record came out. That first line in “Godspeed” of “I will always love you” just crushes me every time I hear it…or sing it. It’s just such a beautiful song and he sounds amazing on it so I was a little nervous if we could pull it off. I was honored to sing his words.”

This time last year Staples spoke to The New York Times about her 85th birthday, having no plans to retire and how her voice has changed with time, “having broadened and softened, like a steel sculpture pillowed with velvet.”

“Being an American and not believing in royalty, meeting her was the closest I’d ever felt,” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco said to the Times. “I felt the same way when I met Johnny Cash, like meeting a dollar bill or bald eagle.”

She also released “Worthy”, an upbeat R&B track reminiscent of the music she once made with her former collaborator and the all-around genius Prince. Produced by Mark Ronson protege MNDR, the song came to fruition via an all-women team with Ms. Staples making it her own. As a black woman who lent her voice to the civil rights movement, the song vibrates through Mavis’s unique perspective as both a call to action and an infectious, dance-worthy tune.

Head below to check out all of her upcoming tour dates, including multiple Canadian jazz festivals and shows throughout the United States and Europe.

TOUR DATES
June 21 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Jazz Festival
June 23 – Toronto, Canada @ Toronto Jazz Festival
June 26 – Montreal, Canada @ Montreal Jazz Festival
June 28 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
June 29 – Brevard, NC @ Brevard Music Center
July 5 – Sioux City, IA @ Saturday in the Park
July 13 – Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festvial
July 18 – Detroit, MI @ Concert of Colors
July 20 – Columbus, OH @ Jazz & Rib Fest
July 22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Memorial Hall
Aug 2 – Notodden, Norway @ Notodden Blues Festival
Aug 5 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
Aug 7 – Gothenburg, Västra Gotaland County @ Way Out West
Aug 10 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Jazz Summer Fest
Aug 22 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Ramkat
Aug 23 – Rocky Mount, VA @ Harvester Performance Center
Aug 25 – Ocean City, NJ @ Ocean City Music Pier
Sept 11 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
Sept 13 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Summer Sessions
Oct 4 – Memphis, TN @ Mempho Fest
Oct 9 – Tucson, AZ @ Fox Theatre
Oct 12 – Chandler, AZ @ Chandler Center for the Arts

Patrick Wolf Unveils Haunting “The Last Of England” Video Ahead of New Album ‘Crying The Neck’

Eric Alper
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Patrick Wolf Unveils Haunting “The Last Of England” Video Ahead of New Album ‘Crying The Neck’

Patrick Wolf shares a new video today for ‘The Last Of England,’ a song that Patrick has described as his “national anthem” and opens with a sample of Aleister Crowley reading his sermon “The Great Beast Speaks”. The video was filmed on location in Dungeness in homage to Derek Jarman’s film from which the track takes its name.

The track is from Wolf’s much-anticipated new album Crying The Neck out this Friday via Apport/Virgin Music. The set has already received great acclaim from the likes of MOJO, Uncut, Record Collector and more. ‘The Last Of England’ is the fifth song to be shared from the album after ‘Dies Irae,’ ‘Limbo,’ ‘Hymn Of The Haar’ and ‘Jupiter.’

Commenting on the track Wolf says: “‘The Last of England’ is the third song on Crying the Neck, an album which I’ve realised now is a series of responses to loss, decay and death. Here, on this song, what I’ve been calling my own personal national anthem, is my investigation into the sense of loss of national identity and search for belonging and purpose in England that I observed across the country in the years after the referendum vote of June 2016. I saw how in many quarters of the country, groundswells of folk revivalism started springing up in the art and culture people were making and in others a descent into a desolate and patriotic ghost of the empire England.

“I wanted to write a ballad for this new chapter of the country, in compassion on the now again so small, disorientated island of Britain, wondering who and what it is anymore. It was originally a banger of a song and meant to be a dance track but at the last minute I stripped all the rhythm off the production to make this rightfully bleak folkloric anthem or hymn for England.

“The song is named after the Derek Jarman film, which I felt was a series of patriotic provocations and questions to the viewer and beautiful in the way it gave no answers or solutions. I was halfway through writing it when I wondered If I could finish a song which in many ways acts as a lyrical sequel or 21st century afterword to that great film, so I asked Tilda Swinton, the female protagonist of the film, if my lyrics were going in the correct, respectful direction and she gave her encouragement and blessing for me to finish the rest of the song as you hear it today.”

Seth MacFarlane Brings Lost Sinatra Arrangements to Life with Chart-Topping Album and Live Vegas Debut

Eric Alper
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Seth MacFarlane Brings Lost Sinatra Arrangements to Life with Chart-Topping Album and Live Vegas Debut


Upon release, Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart, and has received critical acclaim from the likes of NPR Morning Edition, Variety, Billboard, Esquire, American Songwriter, Grammy.com, and many more. The 12-track album features never-before-heard arrangements originally created for Frank Sinatra by his legendary collaborators Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Don Costa.

Next month, MacFarlane and his orchestra will unveil some of the never-before-heard arrangements from Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements for an unforgettable weekend at Voltaire at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on Thursday, July 3rd, Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th on sale now. He’ll also bring this album to the stage in Los Angeles with a live performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 17th, 2026, on sale now.

Written for some of Sinatra’s most classic and celebrated albums, the historic arrangements on Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements remained in the private collection of the Sinatra family, unheard – until now. In collaboration with the Sinatra family and estate, MacFarlane acquired the entire Sinatra music archive in 2018, and has brought these 12 remarkable arrangements to life with a 70-piece orchestra, featuring world-renowned musicians from Los Angeles and London, conducted by acclaimed British conductor John Wilson, and produced by MacFarlane’s longtime musical collaborator Joel McNeely. Every song on the album was recorded as a live performance with this ensemble at George Lucas’ famed Skywalker Sound Studios in Marin County, California.

Bob Marley’s 80th Celebration Rolls On With Rare Vinyl, Dolby Atmos Albums, and Theater Re-Release of ‘Marley’

Eric Alper
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Bob Marley’s 80th Celebration Rolls On With Rare Vinyl, Dolby Atmos Albums, and Theater Re-Release of ‘Marley’

The Marley family, UMe, and Island Records are continuing to honor Bob Marley’s legacy with a year-long celebration commemorating his 80th birthday milestone, his importance in the uprising of global music, and the fight for social justice and equality.

Today, in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Uprising, an exclusive merch capsule is being released, which includes unique items and a special, limited-edition “liquid sunshine”-filled vinyl reissue of the album that is housed in a special die-cut sleeve.  Uprising was the final album released during Bob Marley’s lifetime and features fan favorites “Could You Be Loved,” “Redemption Song,” and “Forever Loving Jah.” Preorder the “liquid-sunshine” LP and check out the exclusive merch options, HERE.

Adding to the 80th festivities, Natty Dread (1974) and Rastaman Vibration (1976) are both now available in Dolby Atmos®. With Dolby Atmos, fans can immerse themselves in their favorite Marley tracks like never before, experiencing every nuance with stunning depth, precision, and clarity. Natty Dread and Rastaman Vibration were mixed by Nick Rives, who also mixed the albums Burnin,’ Catch A Fire, Exodus, and Legend, as well as the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack in Dolby Atmos in collaboration with the Marley estate. Listen to Natty Dread HERE and Rastaman Vibration HERE

In other news, the first four episodes of “Bob Marley & I” are available now.  The premiere episode features British film director, DJ, and musician Don Letts, who details his life-changing experience seeing Bob Marley & The Wailers at the infamous Lyceum Theatre in London in 1975.  The second episode features Marcia Griffiths, who describes her experience with Bob Marley & The Wailers as part of the I-Threes, while in the third episode, writer Chris Salewicz recounts meeting Marley at 56 Hope Road and a trip they took together to Jamaica’s infamous Gun Court to protest the jailing of an innocent man. The fourth episode highlights reggae DJ David Rodigan, who shares how a spontaneous introduction to Bob led to the exclusive debut of “Could You Be Loved.”  More episodes will be showcased throughout the year. Catch the first four episodes of “Bob Marley & I” on Bob Marley’s Official Channels and future episodes, HERE.

Continuing the 80th Earthstrong festivities, the critically acclaimed documentary Marley is set to return to theaters across the country, via Regal Cinemas. Originally released in 2012 and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, Marley is widely regarded as the definitive documentary on the life, music, and legacy of the global reggae icon. The film will be re-released into theaters as exclusive single-screening events in cities across the country, giving fans old and new the opportunity to experience Marley’s story on the big screen in stunning detail.

Featuring rare footage, never-before-seen performances, and interviews with Marley’s family, friends, and collaborators, Marley offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the man behind the music. The film explores his journey from humble beginnings in Jamaica to becoming one of the most influential musicians of all time, spreading messages of love, unity, and resistance that continue to resonate worldwide. Fans can visit bobmarley.com and the film’s website for updates on participating theaters, ticket sales, and to request a screening in their city.

Additionally, Ziggy Marley’s Tuff Gong Worldwide recently re-released Marley via video streaming platforms and a special 80th Collector’s Edition DVD that includes two hours of never-before-seen interview footage with the reggae icon’s friends and family. Marley is available via domestic video streaming platforms now and will be released globally on July 15, 2025. The 80th Edition Collectors DVD is available at Amazon and independent film and music retailers. For complete Marley streaming and DVD availability, click HERE.

One-quarter of all Reggae listened to in the United States is Bob Marley’s. Bob Marley’s Legend was recently re-certified 18x platinum by the RIAA. Legend is the fourteenth-biggest-selling album of all time and the third-biggest-selling Greatest Hits package in United States history. Bob Marley’s music transcends generations, with a timeless message of peace, love, justice, and unity, continuing to influence and empower hearts and minds worldwide. His enduring legacy continues to shape and inspire the world, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture—from music and film to art, theatre, fashion, and beyond.

Additional information on MARLEY 80 events will be revealed soon.

Follow Bob Marley’s Official Channels HERE for upcoming content celebrating Bob’s legacy and contribution to the world.

Bob Marley is not only the man who put Reggae on the global map but a peacemaker and statesman in his native Jamaica, bringing together the country’s warring factions. Today, Marley remains one of the 21st century’s most important and influential entertainment icons – a symbol of unity – with his music and lifestyle having an indelible impact on new generations of fans globally. His legacy lives on through his lyrics, songs and call to action. 

The 2024 biographical drama and musical film, Bob Marley: One Love, opened at No. 1 in 13 major markets, including the U.S, U.K., France, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Norway. The movie set box office records during its release, surpassing the $200 million mark and solidifying its place as a cultural and cinematic phenomenon. 

In the digital era, he has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity with more than 66 million Facebook fans. Marley’s music catalog has sold millions of albums worldwide. His iconic collection LEGEND is the longest-charting album in Billboard Magazine’s Catalog Albums chart and remains the world’s best-selling reggae album and second longest charting album of all time overall. “Three Little Birds” and “Could You Be Loved” have both surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, making him the first reggae act with two solo songs to reach this milestone.  

Bob Marley’s legacy has been cemented with numerous awards and honors, including his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and Jamaica’s Order Of Merit, recognizing his profound impact on music and culture worldwide. Marley’s music continues to be recognized, as a newly recorded collection of his songs recently won the 2025 Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

From his first album to every new release, his music and influence continue to be an integral part of each generation’s playlist. 

The Swell Season Share Stirring New Single “Great Weight” Ahead of Reunion Album ‘Forward’ and Summer Tour

Eric Alper
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0
The Swell Season Share Stirring New Single “Great Weight” Ahead of Reunion Album ‘Forward’ and Summer Tour

The Swell Season-the acclaimed duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova-today released their evocative, moody, and rhythmic new single “Great Weight,” the fourth single from their new album Forward, now out 11th July 2025 (moved due to vinyl manufacturing delays).

Of the song, which is out now alongside a video filmed by Irglova and Sturla Mio Thorisson, Hansard explains: “This song is about throwing off the weight and burdens of unnecessary struggle. It’s a take stock moment. A kind of report from the centre of a clearing storm. It’s violent, but one knows it’s gonna leave one at a new beginning. Any way the wind blows. I still roam. Every direction is suddenly available.” “Great Weight” follows additional pre-release singles “Factory Street Bells,” “Stuck In Reverse” and “People We Used To Be.” Produced by Thorisson and recorded at his and Irglova’s Masterkey Studios in Iceland.

Following their tour of Europe, the UK, and Ireland-which included a number of sold-out shows-The Swell Season will land stateside on 11th July to perform at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. The dates include 26th July at Brooklyn, NY’s Kings Theatre and September 19th at Los Angeles, CA’s The Greek.

When 16 years have passed since the release of their beloved duo’s previous album, 2009’s Strict Joy, it might be expected that Hansard and Irglová would title a new collection of The Swell Season songs as something commemorative or reflective instead of the succinct Forward. But, as anyone who has followed their career will tell you, The Swell Season doesn’t exactly do things the typical way. First formed by Hansard-then best known as the frontman of Irish rock band The Frames-and Czech pianist and singer Irglová in 2005, The Swell Season released a self-titled LP in 2006 before going on to star in and perform their songs in the film Once. Much-loved and critically praised, the movie catapulted them into the spotlight, and earned the duo the 2007 “Best Original Song” Academy Award for “Falling Slowly” before being adapted into a Tony-winning Broadway smash. Yet they have never spent much time looking back. So when the longtime friends decided amid their respective solo careers to officially reconvene for a handful of Swell Season shows in 2022, it led to not only a larger run of dates in 2023 but a recording session as well. A single, “The Answer Is Yes,” encouraged the pair to converge again in Irglová’s Iceland studio to write a new album in 2024, and from there, well, it seemed there was only one direction for The Swell Season to go. “It felt right to title the record ‘Forward’ because it’s a reunion of sorts, but we’re not going backwards,” Irglová says. “Both of us have grown and changed; we’re in different places and getting to know each other again as the new people we’ve become.”

The pair started working through song ideas they had written independently, choosing pieces that could benefit from the other’s touches, while some were composed entirely on the spot, seizing on the inspiration of their shared space. The synergy of their dynamic returned instantly-like turning on a tap-with Irglová seated at the piano and Hansard on his guitar; Hansard, who doesn’t typically set out to write intentionally for any specific project, found that Irglova’s ability to “call (him) out, artistically” and keep things on task really helped him to dial in on what the song required in the context of The Swell Season. With the intention of keeping things succinct, Hansard and Irglová walked away after three different sessions with eight songs decided on for Forward, which also features original Swell Season musicians Marja Gaynor and Bertrand Galen (strings) and Joseph Doyle (bass), and newcomer Piero Perelli (drums and percussion).

There is space to move around in these songs, and enough air to let the listener settle in and appreciate the loveliness-and, above all, a measured, harmonious balance. Where Hansard’s tendency is to keep things rough and raw, stripped-down and grainy, Irglová’s songs move more into the lush, polished, cinematic world; the duo challenged themselves to find each song’s meeting-point while always staying true to each other’s intentions. Through it all, the group’s thesis statement remains as strong and unwavering as ever: never, ever give up; keep going, no matter how hard. In other words: Forward.

The Swell Season live dates
7/11 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
7/12 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
7/13 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
7/15 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
7/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
7/18 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
7/19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
7/21 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
7/23 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
7/25 – Northampton, MA – The Pines Theater
7/26 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
7/29 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met
7/31 – Greenville, SC – Peace Center
8/01 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
8/02 – Atlanta, GA – The Woodruff Arts Center
9/09 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
9/10 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
9/12 – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theater
9/13 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater
9/15 – Santa Fe, NM – Lensic Performing Arts Center
9/16 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center (Ikeda Theater)
9/19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
9/20 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
9/22 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
9/23 – Vancouver, BC – The Orpheum Theatre
9/24 – Seattle, WA – The Paramount Theatre

Kristen Ford Shares “Wild Heart,” Announces “Pinto” Album Out August 22 on Righteous Babe Records

Eric Alper
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Kristen Ford Shares “Wild Heart,” Announces “Pinto” Album Out August 22 on Righteous Babe Records

Biracial queer alt-folk artist Kristen Ford explodes past her breaking point on new single “Wild Heart”, out everywhere today. Click here to listen.

“Wild Heart” finds Ford at her most unfiltered as she calls out political persecution and preaches defiance in the face of the oppression of trans and non-binary communities.

“Wild Heart” was written in the immediate aftermath of the governor of Tennessee signing the state’s ‘drag ban’; a piece of legislation that aimed to effectively outlaw drag performances in front of minors. For Ford, who spent eight years calling Nashville home, before recently relocating to California, the bill was an unconscionable kick in the gut aimed squarely at the “beautiful queer culture” she had found in Music City. Says Ford, “I stand with my trans family and I feel an anger within me which is uncontained and unpredictable. Give me a sword to slay these dragons, to protect them and fight against hatred and lies”.

“Wild Heart” is accompanied by a celebratory video that features Ford and friends (including trans artist and activist Ryan Cassata) partying with queer pride in the face of a bigoted mob. Eventually, love wins as the mob finds themselves swept up in the positive camaraderie. With its raw message wrapped in sleek guitar chops, percolating percussion, and Ford’s honeyed-husky vocals, “Wild Heart” serves as a spirited indication of Pinto (out August 22nd via Righteous Babe Records), and the trusted conspirators that have helped to bring this upcoming album to life.

Legendary songwriter Ani DiFranco co-wrote the track; helping to hone Ford’s raw initial demo into its finished lyrical content, and adding her own soaring vocal parts at her Righteous Babe Studios in New Orleans. The track was not complete without John Driskell Hopkins adding his rich baritone to the mix, and dialing up the production to take the track from angry acoustic demo to full blown pissed off stadium rock energy.

Pinto is Ford’s label-debut full length release on DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records and is the result of a relationship that began in 2022 when DiFranco met Ford at a show in Provincetown, MA, quickly becoming a fan (while Ford credits a DiFranco live show as being the spark that led her teen-self to devote her life to songwriting). In the time since, these two artists have toured together, co-written four of the Pinto songs, and worked on numerous album tweaks at Righteous Babe Studios.

Fans can now pre-order limited special album packages exclusively via Kickstarter. These perks include signed vinyl and limited edition prints.

Ford is on tour across the US this summer. Info and tickets available here.

June 6th – Milwaukee, WI @ PrideFest
June 11th – Cleveland, OH @ Dunlap’s Corner Bar
June 12th – Cincinnati, OH @ Tillie’s Lounge
June 13th – Huntsville, AL @ Lipz Lounge
June 14th – Atlanta, GA @ Red Light Cafe
June 15th – Nashville, TN @ The 5 Spot
June 18th – Charleston, SC @ The Purple Buffalo
June 21st – Hoboken, NJ @ 503 Social Club
June 22nd – Worcester, MA @ Electric Haze
June 28 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The Den
June 29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Twin Cities Pride
July 4 – Madison, WI @ National Women’s Music Festival
July 7 – Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s Live Music
July 9 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview
July 10 – Chicago, IL @ UncommonGround Lakeview
July 11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 12 – Binghampton, NY @ Atomic Tom’s
July 18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Burren Backroom
July 19 – Camden, CT @ Cantean
July 26 – Berkeley, CA @ The Starry Plough

Gracie and Rachel Unveil Dreamlike “WTF” Video and Join Ani DiFranco on Tour

Eric Alper
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Gracie and Rachel Unveil Dreamlike “WTF” Video and Join Ani DiFranco on Tour

 Brooklyn-based piano-violin duo Gracie and Rachel return with a poignant new single titled “WTF”. The single lands on the heels of the recent announcement that they will join DIY feminist icon Ani DiFranco on her EU / UK headline tour this month.

Blending baroque instrumentation, ethereal vocals, and penetrating vulnerability, the duo are far more than the sum of their parts. Their unique approach to future-facing indie-folk / pop has seen them picked up by DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, as well as earning a spot in NPR Music’s Bob Boilen’s Top 10 Songs of the Year and appearing twice on the highly coveted Tiny Desk Concerts series.

Their new single “WTF” marks a first for Gracie and Rachel with the inclusion of guitar and a rawness we’ve yet to hear from the duo. Produced by Benjamin Lazar Davis (Maya Hawke, Okkervil River, Joan As Police Woman), the track sees spiralling, ruminative verses unwind and give way to an epiphanic hook-driven chorus in which the duo singing “what the f***” in harmony over rhythmic guitars, subtly intricate piano lines and wistful violin. Once again, the track shows their inimitable ability to create highly infectious widescreen soundscapes from seemingly very little.

Speaking on the single the duo says “We wanted to explore a feeling of cyclical stickiness in the verses and expand into a sort of sensory release of catharsis in the choruses. We hope there’s some humour found in singing the words “what the f***” angelically… It’s the wave of impatience to wonder how to leave, the exclamation point to not, and the wonder why you didn’t or when you will.”

The single is also accompanied by a surreal new video shot on Super 8 film by Julia Margo Ross, featuring a giant goat’s head, fake blue clouds on towering stands, and a masked figure who chases the duo to their car where they make their escape.

Having opened for the likes of Tori Amos, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and more in the US, the forthcoming live dates with Ani DiFranco will mark their first live dates in the EU and UK. They will play every date of the tour with the exception of DiFranco’s Royal Albert Hall date with Anaïs Mitchell on 11th June, and her Glastonbury appearance. With the duo’s third full-length album due out later this year, these live shows will see also them showcase new material for the first time.

UNPRECEDENTED SH!T: THE TOUR with special guest Gracie and Rachel

Jun-12 – Antwerp, BE – De Roma
Jun-14 – Rome, IT – Casa Del Jazz
Jun-15 – Ferrara, IT – Cortile del Castello
Jun-17 – Utrecht, NL – TivoliVredenburg
Jun-18 – Dusseldorf, DE – Savoy Theater
Jun-19 – Berlin, DE – Passionskirche
Jun-22 – Dublin, IE – National Concert Hall
Jun-24 – Gateshead, UK – The Glasshouse
Jun-25 – Glasgow, UK – Pavilion Theatre
Jun-28 – Coventry, UK – Warwick Arts Centre
Jun-29 – Cardiff, UK – New Theatre

Fay Wray’s Love Letter to King Kong Lives On Through Laura Linney’s Reading

Eric Alper
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Fay Wray’s Love Letter to King Kong Lives On Through Laura Linney’s Reading

Fay Wray’s iconic scream made her a legend, but her words made her timeless. In a heartfelt letter, she assured King Kong that she knew he only ever wanted to protect her. Decades later, Laura Linney gave those words new life at a Letters Live event, reminding us all that even the biggest, most fearsome creatures might just have the gentlest hearts.








Wes Anderson Reflects on 12 Films and the Art of Unearthing Stories

Eric Alper
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Wes Anderson Reflects on 12 Films and the Art of Unearthing Stories

“When you’re writing a story, it often feels less like you’re doing architecture and more like you’re doing excavation–we’re just unearthing it.” Wes Anderson had made 12 films over 29 years, making his name widely known for his distinctive visual style of symmetrical compositions, vivid color palettes and unique camera movements. From his very first film ‘Bottle Rocket’ to his great hits like ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘The Royal Tenenbaums,” Wes Anderson takes a look at all of his films and discusses in detail how they came to life.

10 Ways Brian Wilson Changed Music Forever

Eric Alper
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10 Ways Brian Wilson Changed Music Forever

By the time Brian Wilson heard “Be My Baby” on the car radio and had to pull over just to cry, pop music already had its messiah—it just didn’t know it yet. From beach anthems to spiritual symphonies, Wilson made trends—he invented new languages for music to speak. Here are 10 ways Brian Wilson forever changed the sound, shape, and soul of music.

1. He Turned Surf Pop Into High Art
The Beach Boys started with songs about surfing, cars, and high school dances—but Brian had bigger dreams. Tracks like “In My Room” and “The Warmth of the Sun” traded sand for soul-searching. He smuggled emotional vulnerability into sun-soaked harmonies and made adolescent longing feel orchestral. Without Brian, surf music might have stayed stuck in the shallow end. With him, it dove deep.

2. He Made the Recording Studio an Instrument
Before Brian Wilson, most artists played into microphones and hoped for the best. Brian built songs in the studio. “Good Vibrations” was literally assembled across four studios in dozens of takes. He layered cellos, harpsichords, and Theremins like a painter mixing colors. Every studio knob became a brushstroke. And every other producer—from George Martin to Youth to Nigel Godrich —took notes.

3. He Invented the Concept Album Before It Was Cool
Before Sgt. Pepper, there was Pet Sounds. Wilson called it a “feeling album”—a diary in falsetto, a spiritual confessional dressed in 12-string guitars and French horn. It wasn’t just a collection of songs. It was an experience. Paul McCartney called it the inspiration for Sgt. Pepper. Brian made albums you didn’t just hear. You lived them.

4. He Elevated the Bassline to Center Stage
In Brian’s world, the bass wasn’t background—it was melody. Listen to “God Only Knows” or “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” and the bassline tells its own story. Influenced by Motown and classical music alike, he wove the bass into the emotional DNA of the track. It danced, it cried, it anchored entire songs in mystery and movement.

5. He Wrote the Saddest Happy Songs Ever Made
No one captured melancholy wrapped in sunshine like Brian Wilson. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” sounds like a love song for prom night—until you hear the ache underneath. “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” made feeling out of place into a national anthem for misfits. Wilson proved that joy and sadness could share the same melody—and that pop songs could break your heart with a smile.

6. He Brought Classical Composition to Pop
Brian took inspiration from Bach, Gershwin, and the Four Freshmen—and somehow made it sound like California. He used counterpoint, chromaticism, and orchestration in ways unheard of in pop. Songs like “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” were instrumentals worthy of film scores. He didn’t just bridge pop and classical—he dissolved the bridge altogether and built something new.

7. He Pioneered DIY Before It Had a Name
Long before bedroom pop was a genre, Brian turned his house into a studio. With sand on the floor and dogs barking in the background, he recorded parts of Smiley Smile and Friends in his Bel Air mansion. He showed that music didn’t need a label’s studio—just vision, tape, and the courage to sound like nothing else on Earth.

8. He Was the First Vulnerable Male Pop Star
In a world of leather jackets and swagger, Brian Wilson admitted he was scared, sensitive, and unsure. He wasn’t a rock god—he was the boy who stayed home while everyone else went to the beach. “Caroline, No” is about love fading. “‘Til I Die” is an existential sigh in harmony. His bravery was just being honest.

9. He Made Harmony Into a Spiritual Force
Brian Wilson didn’t just arrange harmonies—he conjured them. He taught his brothers and cousins to sing like angels and made even “Ba ba ba ba ba” feel divine. Listen to “Our Prayer” and you’ll swear the Beach Boys discovered a direct line to heaven (or the cosmos). His influence lives on in everyone from Fleet Foxes to Bon Iver to Animal Collective.

10. He Finished Smile—40 Years Later
Imagine starting the most ambitious album of the 1960s, having a breakdown, shelving it for decades, and then finally releasing it to standing ovations in your 60s. That’s Smile. It was a myth, a ghost, a tragedy—and then a triumph. When Brian Wilson Presents Smile came out in 2004, it was the sound of healing. Of hope. Of what might have been—and still was.

Brian Wilson changed what music could be. He made pop weird, wonderful, heartbreaking, and holy. And now that he’s gone, the silence sounds like it’s missing something. But play any of his records, and it’s all still there: the California sun, the teenage dream, the symphony in the sandbox.

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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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